Team streamlines neural networks to be more adept at computing on encrypted data

BROOKLYN, New York, Wednesday, July 21, 2021 - This week, at the 38th International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML 21), researchers at the NYU Center for Cyber Security at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering are revealing new insights into the basic functions that drive the ability of neural networks to make inferences on encrypted data.

In the paper, "DeepReDuce: ReLU Reduction for Fast Private Inference," the team focuses on linear and non-linear operators, key features of neural network frameworks that, depending on the operation, introduce a heavy toll in time and computational resources. When neural networks compute on encrypted data, many of these costs are incurred by rectified linear activation function (ReLU), a non-linear operation.

Brandon Reagen, professor of computer science and engineering and electrical and computer engineering and a team of collaborators including Nandan Kumar Jha, a Ph.D. student, and Zahra Ghodsi, a former doctoral student under the guidance of Siddharth Garg, developed a framework called DeepReDuce. It offers a solution through rearrangement and reduction of ReLUs in neural networks.

Reagen explained that this shift requires a fundamental reassessment of where and how many components are distributed in neural networks systems.

"What we are trying to do is rethink how neural nets are designed in the first place," he explained. "You can skip a lot of these time- and computationally-expensive ReLU operations and still get high performing networks at 2 to 4 times faster run time."

The team found that, compared to the state-of-the-art for private inference, DeepReDuce improved accuracy and reduced ReLU count by up to 3.5% and 3.5, respectively.

The inquiry is not merely academic. As the use of AI grows in concert with concerns about the security of personal, corporate, and government data security, neural networks are increasingly making computations on encrypted data. In such scenarios involving neural networks generating private inferences (PI's) on hidden data without disclosing inputs, it is the non-linear functions that exert the highest "cost" in time and power. Because these costs increase the difficulty and time it takes for learning machines to do PI, researchers have struggled to lighten the load ReLUs exert on such computations.

The team's work builds on innovative technology called CryptoNAS. Described in an earlier paper whose authors include Ghodsi and a third Ph.D. student, Akshaj Veldanda, CryptoNAS optimizes the use of ReLUs as one might rearrange how rocks are arranged in a stream to optimize the flow of water: it rebalances the distribution of ReLUS in the network and removes redundant ReLUs.

DeepReDuce expands on CryptoNAS by streamlining the process further. It comprises a set of optimizations for the judicious removal of ReLUs after CryptoNAS reorganization functions. The researchers tested DeepReDuce by using it to remove ReLUs from classic networks, finding that they were able to significantly reduce inference latency while maintaining high accuracy.

Reagan, with Mihalis Maniatakos, research assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, is also part of a collaboration with data security company Duality to design a new microchip designed to handle computation on fully encrypted data.

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The research on ReLUS was supported by ADA and the Data Protection in Virtual Environments (DPRIVE) program at the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Center for Applications Driving Architectures.

About the New York University Tandon School of Engineering

The NYU Tandon School of Engineering dates to 1854, the founding date for both the New York University School of Civil Engineering and Architecture and the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute. A January 2014 merger created a comprehensive school of education and research in engineering and applied sciences as part of a global university, with close connections to engineering programs at NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai. NYU Tandon is rooted in a vibrant tradition of entrepreneurship, intellectual curiosity, and innovative solutions to humanity's most pressing global challenges. Research at Tandon focuses on vital intersections between communications/IT, cybersecurity, and data science/AI/robotics systems and tools and critical areas of society that they influence, including emerging media, health, sustainability, and urban living. We believe diversity is integral to excellence, and are creating a vibrant, inclusive, and equitable environment for all of our students, faculty and staff. For more information, visit engineering.nyu.edu.

This story has been published on: 2021-07-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: Mpumalanga SAPS nab man for suspected stolen building material

A Mpumalanga man is today expected to appear before the Kanyamazane Magistrates Court after he was arrested for being in possession of an undisclosed quantity of building material, which is suspected to be stolen.

The 36-year-old was on Wednesday nabbed in an intelligence-driven operation after members of the Nelspruit Flying Squad acted on information gathered by Crime Intelligence.

It is alleged that the man was in possession of stolen goods in his house.

The information led the members to Tinkomeni area in Pienaar at the house of the suspect, where he was found in possession of different sorts of building material believed to have been stolen from Hardware PNL in the Pienaar Lehawu area. The value of the stolen items is yet to be calculated by the owner, SAPS provincial spokesperson Brigadier Leonard Hlathi said in a statement.

All the stolen items were found hidden in the suspect's garage and he could not produce proof of payment, thereof hence he was arrested.

The suspect was charged for being in possession of suspected stolen property and he is expected to appear today [22 July 2021] at the Kanyamazane Magistrates' Court.

Hlathi said police had uncovered that the case was linked to two other cases, where three people were also caught red-handed inside the same hardware store and were arrested.

They are currently standing accused of cases related to business burglary and have already appeared before the same court, where their matters were remanded to a later date, he said.

Mpumalanga Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Manamela, has welcomed the arrest.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-07-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: eThekwini, Toyota commit to safeguard Durban investment

The eThekwini Municipality and Toyota South Africa have committed to safeguard the motor companys investment and other businesses in Durban and to continue to create a conducive environment for the car manufacturer and other investors to thrive.

The parties made the commitment during a meeting on Tuesday, aimed to address the concerns raised by Toyota following last weeks civil unrest in the city.

Speaking with Toyota management, eThekwini Municipality Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda said the city, working with all law enforcement agencies, has put tough measures in place to safeguard businesses after a week-long civil unrest that engulfed the city.

We are also accelerating discussions about the construction of the new automotive supplier park which is going to be a catalyst for job creation and business opportunities. We have a long-standing relationship with Toyota and we are pleased that the company has committed itself to remain in Durban, and most importantly to expand its investment, said Kaunda.

Toyota South Africa CEO, Andrew Kirby commended the city for addressing the concerns raised by the company regarding the impact of the unrests.

Kirby said Toyota would not leave Durban, KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa. After six days of work stoppages the company resumed its operations on Tuesday.

We are looking forward to continue with our plans of expanding investment through the construction of the auto supply park which has the potential of encouraging Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the city and create much-needed jobs, said Kirby.

Unsafe looted meat and poultry

Meanwhile, the municipality has warned the public not to eat meat and poultry products that were looted at the Sequence Cold Storage Warehouse in Hammarsdale during the recent unrest as it is unsafe for eating.

The Citys Environmental Health Department inspected the facility and found that the meat products from the warehouse could potentially be unsafe to consume. These perishable meat and poultry products could be unsafe due to the food items not being stored, kept and transported at the correct temperatures.

The public has been advised to urgently dispose of these products in a refuse bin and to take the refuse bag out on the scheduled collection day.

The municipality urges the public not to bury or dump the contaminated food, the municipality said.

The public can call the Environmental Health Department with enquires on 031 311 3555. - SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-07-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: SA dam levels decline amidst dry winter season

The Department of Water and Sanitation has warned that water levels in the countrys dams in the different provinces, continues to dwindle week-on-week amidst the dry winter season.

According to the departments weekly report on the state of reservoirs, the volume of water stored in the countrys reservoirs has declined from last weeks 83.3% to 82.8% this week.

Departmental spokesperson, Sputnik Ratau said the Western and the Northern Cape provinces have seen a considerable increase in their water levels this week, while other provinces have experienced a marginal decline.

Ratau attributed the increase of water levels in the Western Cape to the recent good rains.

The past rainfalls in in the Western Cape have boosted the provincial water storage and are now at 82.4% this week, an improvement from last weeks 79.4%. It is also a great improvement from last years water levels, which stood at 65.3% during this time.

[The] Cape Town Water Supply System with dams supplying the City of Cape Town and surrounding areas has also improved moving up to 95.7% this week from last weeks 93.2%, Ratau said on Wednesday.

However, the department has appealed to water users in the Western Cape to continue to conserve water as much as they can to ensure water security in the province, despite these satisfying water levels in the province.

Meanwhile, Northern Cape dams have also improved remarkably with 91% this week, compared to last weeks 87.2%, whilst water levels in Gauteng remained stable with a high of 97.1% this week from 97.2%.

North West water storage levels have also remained unchanged with 80. 2% this week, and Mpumalanga decreased from last weeks 84.1% to 83.6% this week.

Although the water levels in Limpopo continue to go down on a weekly basis, the levels have this week stabilised, recording 84.1% from last weeks 84.7%.

The drought stricken Eastern Cape water storage levels are at a stable 50.5% this week, although they continuously going down week-on-week, with the Algoa Water Supply System with dams supplying the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan at a very low 10.1% this week.

The Department of Water and Sanitation continues to bring relief of fresh water supply at Nelson Mandela Bay, which is heavily affected by water shortage. The department has made interventions with delivery of water tanks and water tankers in the area, Ratau said.

Free State dam levels have also dropped from last weeks 95.5% to 94.8% this week with KwaZulu-Natal provincial storage capacity decreasing from last weeks 71.4% to 70.4% this week.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-07-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: Efforts to address taxi violence

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has appointed a panel to assist government to address the challenge of unity and leadership in the taxi industry.

This comes after various incidents of taxi-related violence in Cape Town in recent months, which has claimed the lives of several taxi operators, drivers and commuters.

In taking forward the commitment of the industry to find a sustainable solution to matters of unity and leadership in the industry, I have appointed a Panel of Eminent Persons to assist government in addressing the pervasive challenge of unity and leadership in the taxi industry, the Minister said on Thursday.

The root cause of the conflict in Cape Town is a disagreement between the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA) and the Cape Organisation for the Democratic Taxi Associations (CODETA).

These two associations have a history of violence and conflict that goes back many years, precipitated by disputes over lucrative routes and ranking facilities, Mbalula said.

He was addressing a media briefing with Western Cape MEC for Transport Daylin Mitchell on the developments regarding the taxi industry in Cape Town.

In tackling the current conflict and protecting the lives of innocent people, MEC Mitchell gazetted a general notice on 9 July 2021.

This notice outlined proposed actions, which the provincial government will have to resort to in the event where CATA and CODETA fail to find one another and arrive at an amicable solution.

In the event a decision is arrived at for the Provincial Minister to implement some or all of the extraordinary measures outlined in the notice, these will be enforced without fear or favour.

The province has our full support in this regard. The full might of the law will be unleashed on all those who undermine the law and seek to perpetuate violence, the Minister said.

Following days of engagements with CATA and CODETA, who have yet to find a solution to the conflict, the Minister outlined a process that has been agreed on to address the matter.

He said government is affording the two associations a further opportunity to find each other and agree on how to resolve the conflict.

We welcome the fact that no party has walked away from the negotiating table and that there is willingness among the parties to continue negotiations.

Having taken note that the talks between these parties have failed to make any significant progress thus far, government is undertaking its own assessment, guided by its obligation to protect the lives of innocent people, on the implementation of the provisions of the law that should be invoked.

In the event such provisions are invoked, this affords an opportunity to affected parties to make representations on the proposed measures including closure of routes and ranks, the Minister said.

Mbalula said in the event the extraordinary measures are invoked, consideration must be given to the deployment of alternative transport for the communities and security thereof.

In deploying alternative transport in the affected routes, the Provincial Minister is empowered by law to allow other operators to provide services on a temporary basis.

Communication with affected communities is a key imperative, particularly on the availability of alternative transport arrangements, including the impact of this as well as the safety of commuters resultant from such operations. The mediation process must take its course in order to find a lasting solution to the conflict, the Minister said.

He urged the two associations to make a concerted effort to find a lasting solution to the challenges that have persisted over the years with renewed purpose that has no room for violence.

The safety of commuters remains the paramount and overarching priority of whichever outcome of the current processes and is a non-negotiable. The long-term solution should assist us in providing a safe, reliable, affordable and law abiding service for the commuters in the Cape, the Minister said. SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-07-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Mini radar could find water and habitable tunnels on the Moon or Mars

A miniature radar device that scans deep below ground is being developed to identify ice deposits and even hollowed out lava tubes on the Moon to support possible human settlement.

The prototype device, known as MAPrad, is just one tenth the size of existing ground penetrating radar systems, yet can see almost twice as deeply below ground - more than 100 metres - to identify minerals, ice deposits, or voids such as lava tubes.

Start-up company CD3D has just received a grant from the Australian Space Agency's Moon to Mars initiative to further develop the prototype with RMIT University in Australia, and to test it by mapping one of Earth's largest accessible systems of lava tubes.

CD3D CEO and RMIT Honorary Professor, James Macnae, said their unique geophysical sensor had several advantages over existing technology that made it more suitable for space missions.

"MAPrad is smaller, lighter and uses no more power than existing ground penetrating radar devices, yet can see up to hundreds of meters below the surface, which is around twice as deep as existing technology," Macnae said.

"It is able to achieve this improved performance, even after being shrunken to a hand-held size, because it operates in a different frequency range: using the magnetic rather than the electric component of electromagnetic waves."

The magnetic waves emitted and detected by the device measure conductivity and electromagnetic wave reflections to identify what lies underground. Voids and water-ice provide strong reflections, while various metal deposits have high conductivity at unique levels.

FROM MINING TO MOON MISSION

The specialised radar system was developed by RMIT University and Canadian company International Groundradar Consulting in a collaborative research project funded through the AMIRA Global network.

Successful field tests have since been carried out in Australia and Canada using a backpacked prototype for mining and mineral prospecting.

"MAPrad's initial development was specifically focussed on facilitating drone surveys for mining applications, but it has obvious applications in space where size and weight are at a premium, so that's where we're now focusing our efforts," Macnae said.

To further prove the technology's usefulness for a range of Moon missions, the researchers will be seeking permission to scan one the world's largest accessible systems of lava tubes at the spectacular Undara caves in Far North Queensland, Australia.

Undara is an Aboriginal word meaning 'long way', in reference to the unusually long system of lava tubes that are located within the park. The tubes have diameters of up to 20 metres and some are several hundred metres in length.

RMIT University engineer, Dr Graham Dorrington, said they would traverse the park above the caves to detect the voids below, some of which have not been completely mapped yet.

"We know the dimensions of the main tubes, so comparison with surface scans to check accuracy should be possible," he said.

"Undara will be an excellent testing site for us since it's the closest thing on Earth to the lava tubes thought to exist on the Moon and Mars."

THE SEARCH FOR WATER AND SHELTER

Massive tunnels left by ancient volcanic lava flows may exist at shallow depths below the surface of the Moon and Mars.

It's thought these enclosures could be suitable for the construction of space colonies as they provide protection from the Moon's frequent meteorite impacts, high-energy ultra-violet radiation and energetic particles, not to mention extreme temperatures.

On the Moon's surface, for example, daytime temperatures are often well above 100 C, dropping dramatically to below -150 C at night, while the insulated tunnels could provide a stable environment of around -22 C.

But of more immediate concern is mapping ice-water deposits on the Moon and getting a clearer picture of the resources available there to support life.

Dorrington said their system could be mounted on a space rover, or even attached to a spacecraft in low orbit, to monitor for minerals on near-future missions and for lava tubes on later missions.

"After the lava tube testing later this year, the next step will be optimising the device so as not to interfere or interact with any of the space rover or spacecraft's metal components, or cause incompatible electromagnetic interference with communications or other instruments," Dorrington said.

"Qualifying MAPrad for space usage, especially on the Moon, will be a significant technical challenge for us, but we don't foresee any showstoppers."

The team will use the unique capabilities of the RMIT Micro Nano Research Facility and the Advanced Manufacturing Precinct and are also looking to collaborate on later stages of development with specialists in spacecraft integration or organisations with payload availability.

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The research team at RMIT University includes Honorary Professor James Macnae, Professor Pier Marzocca, Professor Gary Bryant, Professor Arnan Mitchell, Dr Gail Iles and Dr Graham Dorrington.

For more information on the technology, contact graham.dorrington@rmit.edu.au

This story has been published on: 2021-07-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
UCI scientists make X-ray vision-like camera to rapidly retrieve 3D images

Irvine, Calif., July 21, 2021 -- It's not exactly X-ray vision, but it's close. In research published in the journal Optica, University of California, Irvine researchers describe a new type of camera technology that, when aimed at an object, can rapidly retrieve 3D images, displaying its chemical content down to the micrometer scale. The new tech promises to help companies inspect things like the insides of computer chips without having to pry them open -- an advancement the researchers say could accelerate the production time of such goods by more than a hundred times.

"This is a paper about a way to visualize things in 3D very fast, even at video rate," said Dmitry Fishman - director of laser spectroscopy labs in the UCI Department of Chemistry - who, along with Eric Potma, professor of chemistry, spearheaded the work. The novel imaging tech is based on a so-called nonlinear optical effect in silicon - a semiconductor material used in visible-light cameras and detectors.

Through such a nonlinear optical effect, conventional silicon detectors can sense light coming from the mid-infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum. The reason being, Fishman explained, is that the mid-infrared spectral region carries important information on the material's chemical make-up. "Most molecular vibrations and signatures are in the mid-infrared range," he said.

Other technologies, he explained, are slow to retrieve images, because the laser light needs to scan across the object - a process that takes a longer amount of time. "A nonlinear optical 'trick' with short laser pulses allowed us to capture a depth-resolved image on a camera in one shot, thus providing an alternative method to what other people are doing - and the advance is that this is not just faster, but also produces 3D images with chemical contrast," Fishman said.

And the imaging technology isn't just for computer chips. Potma explained that the system can also image things like ceramics used to make things like heat shield plates on space shuttles and reveal clues about any structural weaknesses that might be there.

The research follows in the wake of work by Potma and Fishman and a team of researchers published last year in Nature's Light: Science & Applications that describes the first steps toward creating efficient mid-infrared detection technology using off-the-shelf silicon-based cameras. Back then, the technology was just beginning to take shape, but now, Fishman explained, it's getting close to being ready for the mainstream. "This time we made it much more efficient and better," he said.

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Funding for the work came from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. The work was done in collaboration between UCI scientists and Yong Chen, a professor in the Epstein Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering at the University of Southern California.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation's top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide. For more on UCI, visit http://www. uci. edu .

Media access: Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus ISDN line to interview UCI faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UCI news, visit news.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at communications.uci.edu/for-journalists.

This story has been published on: 2021-07-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Astronomers make first clear detection of a moon-forming disc around an exoplanet

Using the Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimeter Array (ALMA), in which the European Southern Observatory (ESO) is a partner, astronomers have unambiguously detected the presence of a disc around a planet outside our Solar System for the first time. The observations will shed new light on how moons and planets form in young stellar systems.

"Our work presents a clear detection of a disc in which satellites could be forming," says Myriam Benisty, a researcher at the University of Grenoble, France, and at the University of Chile, who led the new research published today in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. "Our ALMA observations were obtained at such exquisite resolution that we could clearly identify that the disc is associated with the planet and we are able to constrain its size for the first time," she adds.

The disc in question, called a circumplanetary disc, surrounds the exoplanet PDS 70c, one of two giant, Jupiter-like planets orbiting a star nearly 400 light-years away. Astronomers had found hints of a "moon-forming" disc around this exoplanet before but, since they could not clearly tell the disc apart from its surrounding environment, they could not confirm its detection -- until now.

In addition, with the help of ALMA, Benisty and her team found that the disc has about the same diameter as the distance from our Sun to the Earth and enough mass to form up to three satellites the size of the Moon.

But the results are not only key to finding out how moons arise. "These new observations are also extremely important to prove theories of planet formation that could not be tested until now," says Jaehan Bae, a researcher from the Earth and Planets Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution for Science, USA, and author on the study.

Planets form in dusty discs around young stars, carving out cavities as they gobble up material from this circumstellar disc to grow. In this process, a planet can acquire its own circumplanetary disc, which contributes to the growth of the planet by regulating the amount of material falling onto it. At the same time, the gas and dust in the circumplanetary disc can come together into progressively larger bodies through multiple collisions, ultimately leading to the birth of moons.

But astronomers do not yet fully understand the details of these processes. "In short, it is still unclear when, where, and how planets and moons form," explains ESO Research Fellow Stefano Facchini, also involved in the research.

"More than 4000 exoplanets have been found until now, but all of them were detected in mature systems. PDS 70b and PDS 70c, which form a system reminiscent of the Jupiter-Saturn pair, are the only two exoplanets detected so far that are still in the process of being formed," explains Miriam Keppler, researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany and one of the co-authors of the study [1].

"This system therefore offers us a unique opportunity to observe and study the processes of planet and satellite formation," Facchini adds.

PDS 70b and PDS 70c, the two planets making up the system, were first discovered using ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in 2018 and 2019 respectively, and their unique nature means they have been observed with other telescopes and instruments many times since [2].

The latest high resolution ALMA observations have now allowed astronomers to gain further insights into the system. In addition to confirming the detection of the circumplanetary disc around PDS 70c and studying its size and mass, they found that PDS 70b does not show clear evidence of such a disc, indicating that it was starved of dust material from its birth environment by PDS 70c.

An even deeper understanding of the planetary system will be achieved with ESO's Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), currently under construction on Cerro Armazones in the Chilean Atacama desert. "The ELT will be key for this research since, with its much higher resolution, we will be able to map the system in great detail," says co-author Richard Teague, a researcher at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, USA. In particular, by using the ELT's Mid-infrared ELT Imager and Spectrograph (METIS - https:/ / elt. eso. org/ instrument/ METIS/ ), the team will be able to look at the gas motions surrounding PDS 70c to get a full 3D picture of the system.

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Notes

[1] Despite the similarity with the Jupiter-Saturn pair, note that the disc around PDS 70c is about 500 times larger than Saturn's rings.

[2] PDS 70b was discovered using the Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch (SPHERE) instrument, while PDS 70c was found using the VLT's Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE). The two-planet system has been investigated using the X-shooter instrument too, also installed on ESO's VLT.

More information

This research was presented in the paper "A Circumplanetary Disk Around PDS 70c" to appear in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

The team is composed of Myriam Benisty (Unidad Mixta Internacional Franco-Chilena de Astronomia, CNRS, Departamento de Astronomia, Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile and Universite Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble, France [UGA]), Jaehan Bae (Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington DC, USA), Stefano Facchini (European Southern Observatory, Garching bei Munchen, Germany), Miriam Keppler (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, Germany [MPIA]), Richard Teague (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, Cambridge, MA, USA [CfA]), Andrea Isella (Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA), Nicolas T. Kurtovic (MPIA), Laura M. Perez (Departamento de Astronomia, Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile [UCHILE]), Anibal Sierra (UCHILE), Sean M. Andrews (CfA), John Carpenter (Joint ALMA Observatory, Santiago de Chile, Chile), Ian Czekala (Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pennsylvania State University, PA, USA, Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds, Davey Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University, PA, USA, Center for Astrostatistics, Davey Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University, PA, USA and Institute for Computational & Data Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, PA, USA), Carsten Dominik (Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands), Thomas Henning (MPIA), Francois Menard (UGA), Paola Pinilla (MPIA and Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, UK) and Alice Zurlo (Nucleo de Astronomia, Facultad de Ingenieria y Ciencias, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago de Chile, Chile and Escuela de Ingenieria Industrial, Facultad de Ingenieria y Ciencias, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago de Chile, Chile).

ESO is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world's most productive ground-based astronomical observatory by far. It has 16 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, along with the host state of Chile and with Australia as a Strategic Partner. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope and its world-leading Very Large Telescope Interferometer as well as two survey telescopes, VISTA working in the infrared and the visible-light VLT Survey Telescope. Also at Paranal ESO will host and operate the Cherenkov Telescope Array South, the world's largest and most sensitive gamma-ray observatory. ESO is also a major partner in two facilities on Chajnantor, APEX and ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. And on Cerro Armazones, close to Paranal, ESO is building the 39-metre Extremely Large Telescope, the ELT, which will become "the world's biggest eye on the sky".

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of 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.

Links

* Research paper - https:/ / www. eso. org/ public/ archives/ releases/ sciencepapers/ eso2111/ eso2111a. pdf

* Photos of ALMA - https:/ / www. eso. org/ public/ images/ archive/ search/ ?adv= &subject_name= Atacama%20Large%20Millimeter/ submillimeter%20Array

* For journalists: subscribe to receive our releases under embargo in your language - https:/ / www. eso. org/ public/ outreach/ pressmedia/ #epodpress_form

* For scientists: got a story? Pitch your research - http://eso. org/ sci/ publications/ announcements/ sciann17369. html

Contacts

Myriam Benisty

Universidad de Chile and Universite Grenoble Alpes

Santiago de Chile, Chile

Email: myriam.benisty@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr

Jaehan Bae

Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science

Washington DC, USA

Email: jbae@carnegiescience.edu

Stefano Facchini

European Southern Observatory

Garching bei Munchen, Germany

Email: stefano.facchini@eso.org

Miriam Keppler

Max Planck Institute for Astronomy

Heidelberg, Germany

Email: keppler@mpia.de

Richard Teague

Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian

Cambridge, MA, USA

Email: richard.d.teague@cfa.harvard.edu

Barbara Ferreira

ESO Media Manager

Garching bei Munchen, Germany

Cell: +49 151 241 664 00

Email: press@eso.org

This story has been published on: 2021-07-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: Human Settlements MECs commit to deliver on housing target

Although business and the country may be battered by the COVID-19 pandemic, Provincial Human Settlements MECs have made an undertaking to accelerate housing delivery over the next coming months.

The MEC made the commitment during a meeting between Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister David Mahlobo, and all MECs (MINMEC).

The MINMEC said the acceleration of housing delivery will ensure the department delivers 100 000 housing opportunities by March 2022.

R3.3bn spent on housing delivery

The Human Settlements Department has managed to deliver close to 15 000 housing opportunities, with R3.3 billion spent during the first quarter of the current financial year.

In its preliminary expenditure report for the first quarter (April to June 2021), the department revealed that R3.3 billion has been spent against the R4.2 billion transferred to the provinces.

This amount has made it possible for thousands of beneficiaries to have decent shelter over their heads, Sisulu said.

Sisulu urged provinces to deliver on their set targets, spend their budget allocations to provide affordable housing opportunities and avoid a situation in which some of their resources are reallocated to better performing provinces.

Delivering her Budget Vote Speech in May 2021, the Minister announced that over R13 billion had been allocated to the provinces to deliver much-needed housing opportunities.

Other issues discussed at the MINMEC meeting included a report in relation to the provinces paying contractors within 30 days, progress made in the implementation of the 40% set aside for women and youth contractors, and partnership with the private developers to accelerate housing delivery.

The MINMEC also discussed the possible adjustment of the quantum, as it has not been escalated since 2018.

The meeting further noted significant changes in construction and labour costs, which have affected the sector.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-07-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
RTHK: HKers step up to help Covid-hit Nepal

A Hong Kong philanthropist couple and a local ex-servicemens association have sent hundreds of oxygen cylinders, around half a million facemasks and other medical supplies to Nepal to assist remote areas badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sean Hotung, and his wife, Mary, were contacted by a close friend, an ex-Gurkha, who had realised that while India was in the headlines, its landlocked neighbour Nepal had been hit hard.

Sean Hotung told RTHK that when he asked Nepals health ministry what was needed most urgently, they were told: oxygen.

Hotung and a Nepalese businessman, former Gurkha Yem Gurung, sourced a factory in Shandong province last month that supplied 450 oxygen cylinders that were then transported 3,000 kilometres via Sichuan and Tibet to the border with Nepal.

There were a lot of challenges, Gurung says. The trucks had to wait three days at the checkpoint, after which the road was blocked by a landslide in heavy rain.

All the cylinders were taken off the trucks, hand-carried around the landslide area and then put on to new transport. After arriving at Kathmandu, they were then redistributed to more remote hard-hit areas, including Karnali province.

Back in the SAR, the Hong Kong Ex-Servicemens Association has also been working with the Hotungs on a fundraising drive and also collecting public donations of facemasks, oxygen concentrators, antigen tests and other medical goods to be sent on Cathay Pacific cargo flights to Nepal.

Each oxygen concentrator can be used by two people, says Hotung. It pushes oxygen into their lungs and helps them breathe.

Hong Kong has an historic link to Nepal, with many Gurkhas serving with the British military here over the decades since the 1960s. Many remain in Hong Kong, as have their children and grandchildren, making up a 20,000 strong community here.

This story has been published on: 2021-07-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
A rock with many perspectives

The Alum Shale of Northern Europe not only has an eventful history of formation, connected with the microcontinent Baltica, it also holds great potential as an object of investigation for future research questions. Geologists use the rock to reconstruct processes of oil and gas formation, and even possible traces of past life on Mars can be identified with its help. Researchers at the German Research Centre for Geosciences Potsdam GFZ, together with colleagues from Canada, China, Switzerland and Denmark, have summarised the state of knowledge about the multi-layered rock. Their article was published in July in the journal Earth-Science Reviews.

The Microcontinent Baltica

"This rock tells a story," says Hans-Martin Schulz when he talks about the Northern European Alum Shale. It is the chequered history of a microcontinent called "Baltica", which was located in the southern hemisphere about 500 million years ago. "The microcontinent is surrounded by a calm, shallow marginal sea," says the scientist in the GFZ's Organic Geochemistry Section, describing the situation in the period from the Middle Cambrian to the Lower Ordovician. Higher land plants do not yet exist, and the surface of Baltica is exposed to wind and weather. "Rocks weather, and debris and dust are carried into the sea. Together with components of algae and other microorganisms, they trickle through the layers of the calm marginal sea and settle layer by layer in the oxygen-free bottom water," Schulz continues. These organic-mineral deposits fossilize and form the dark claystone that makes up today's Alum Shale. Over millions of years, Baltica migrated northwards and is now integrated into northern Europe. "Almost half a billion years later, the Baltic Sea forms on Baltica," Schulz concludes the first part of the story.

Oil and gas formation in phases

For three years, Schulz's group and international colleagues have been combing through their own data and that of other research groups. In their comprehensive synopsis, they also describe the different phases of oil and gas formation during Baltica's development. Parts of the microcontinent sink to depths of several thousand metres during migration. Oil forms under the influence of geothermal heat. "The oil that was generated at that time is now produced on the Swedish island of Gotland and in the Baltic Sea off the Polish coast," Schulz explains.

Other parts of the microcontinent occur more near the surface, for example in what is now southern Sweden. There, about 300 million years ago, increased expansion of the earth's crust takes place. Magma escapes, the heat of which causes further crude oil to form in the Alum Shale. "These rather regional deposits are enclosed in the rock," the geologist describes. At the end of the last ice age, about ten thousand years ago, sweet meltwater penetrates the shale here. "It meets tiny inclusions of ancient seawater. They contain bacteria that have survived for millions of years," Schulz describes. The fresh water awakens them to new activity, and further bacteria are possibly contained in the meltwater. The microbes decompose components of the oil and form methane gas.

Influence of Uranium

And that's not the end of the story: although there is still plenty of organic material, the oil-forming potential of the Alum Shale is declining. This is because it contains uranium, whose radiation alters the enclosed carbon compounds over long periods of time - "with fatal consequences for oil formation", as Schulz says. "The long chains are split off," he explains. "What remains are ring-shaped hydrocarbons, predominantly benzene rings, which are linked together." These changes prevent the further formation of petroleum from the organic remnants of Cambrian and Ordovician life. The uranium probably originated in the rocks that were eroded on Baltica and settled in the sea. "And seawater also contains dissolved uranium, so some of the radioactive metal could have been absorbed by the sediments from it," Schulz adds.

Alum Shale has many talents

The GFZ researcher and his team are investigating the significance of the very high uranium concentrations in places in the Alum Shale: "Can organic material altered by uranium still feed a deep biosphere?" they are asking themselves in ongoing studies, for example. Or does the radioactive fission of hydrocarbons prevent microbes from surviving at great depths? And it is not only the influence of uranium on microbial life that interests him. "The Alum Shale is a rock with many talents," Schulz says. "We can study numerous processes on it at different depths, at different degrees of maturity of the organic material, different uranium concentrations and sometimes extreme conditions."

The Alum Shale may even have answers to the question of past life at a distance of 70 million kilometres from Earth: organic components have been found on Mars that have structural similarities to those found in the Alum Shale. And similar to the uranium-containing terrestrial mudstone, these molecules were exposed to the equally radioactive cosmic over long periods of time. "So these hydrocarbon compounds could be the altered remains of organisms similar to our earlier bacteria," Schulz explains. "The Alum Shale serves as a Mars analogue for us to interpret the possible traces of past life on our neighbouring planet."

Insights into final disposal of nuclear waste?

For us on Earth, another aspect of his research is topical: besides salts and granites, mudstone is a candidate for the final disposal of nuclear waste. "We also have ideas for future projects on this," Schulz reveals. "At the core of this is the question of microbial life over long periods of time in the low-porosity, uranium-rich Alum Shale - but that story is on another page."

(Text: Dr. Ulrike Schneewei)

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This story has been published on: 2021-07-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Expenses for university R&D&I increase moderately in Spain

The observatory belongs to the 4 Universities Alliance (A4U, in its Spanish acronym), formed by the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB, in its Spanish acronym), the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM, in its Spanish acronym), the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M, in its Spanish acronym), and the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF, in its Spanish acronym).

Moreover, public spending on university teaching and research staff has increased by almost 1,000 million Euros since 2012, increasing from 5,550 million Euros in 2012 to 6,505 million Euros in 2019. The number of Spanish university teaching staff has fluctuated significantly but has grown by 2.4% since 2018.

This report from the IUNE Observatory, coordinated by the INAECU Institute (UAM-UC3M), monitors R&D&I within the Spanish University System (SUE, in its Spanish acronym) using a set of indicators based on several large aspects: scientific activity, analysis by areas of knowledge, training capacity, competitiveness, funding, innovation, and teaching staff.

Increase in university scientific production

In regard to scientific production, a growing trend in the number of publications in the Web of Science (WoS) has been observed, with similar year-on-year rates of change since 2016. In addition to this, publications in the first quartile journals of the Journal Citation Reports (JCR), those that have had the most impact, increased between 2017 and 2019 for the entire SUE. The Autonomous Communities of Catalonia, Madrid, Andalusia, and Valencia have the highest number of publications in the WoS for the period between 2010 and 2019, accumulating 25%, 18%, 14%, and 11% of the total national production. The five universities with the highest volume of publications are the University of Barcelona (UB, in its Spanish acronym), UAB, the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM, in its Spanish acronym), the University of Valencia (UV, in its Spanish acronym), and the UAM.

In relation to the ability to attract national and international funding, the main institutions that stand out are those that form part of the A4U (the UAB, the UAM, the UC3M, and the UPF). In terms of the volume of National Plan projects per 100 members of teaching staff, the five universities that occupy the top positions are the UPF, the UC3M, the UAM, the UB and the University of Lleida (UDL, in its Spanish acronym). For international research projects within the European Union's Framework Programme per 100 members of teaching staff, the UPF, the UC3M, the UAB, the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC, in its Spanish acronym), and the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM, in its Spanish acronym) stand out.

Innovation, training, and attracting research talent

In the field of innovation, performance is addressed in aspects such as patents or revenue derived from R&D work with companies. In terms of the number of national patents, as in previous editions of the Observatory, the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM) and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), followed by the University of Seville (US, in its Spanish acronym), and the Valencia Polytechnic University (UPV, in its Spanish acronym) stand out. In relation to performance, when calculated based on the number of teaching staff, the University of Burgos (UBU, in its Spanish acronym) and the UC3M appear in the top positions in 2019. In terms of revenue generated by R&D contracts and consultations per 100 members of teaching staff, the highest values correspond to two Madrid universities, the Alcala University (UAH, in its Spanish acronym) and the UC3M, two Catalan universities, the UB and Rovira i Virgili University (URV, in its Spanish acronym), and the University of Cantabria (UC, in its Spanish acronym).

In the area of formative capacity and talent attraction, indicators such as the number of doctoral theses per 100 members of teaching staff are analysed and institutions such as the UAB, the UAM, the University of Girona (UdG, in its Spanish acronym), the UPF, and the URV stand out. For FPU contracts (grants for training university teaching staff) per 100 members of teaching staff, the University of Granada (UGR, in its Spanish acronym) stands out, followed by the University of Almeria (UAL, in its Spanish acronym), the University of Cordoba (UCO, in its Spanish acronym), the University of Malaga (UMA, in its Spanish acronym), and the UV. In terms of FPI contracts (predoctoral grants for training doctoral students), the five public universities with the highest ratings in 2019 are the UPF, the UC3M, the UAM, the URV, and the UB. For Juan de la Cierva contracts per 100 members of teaching staff, the UPF, the UC3M, the UAM, the UdG, and the University of La Rioja stand out, while for Ramon y Cajal contracts per 100 members of teaching staff, the five universities with the highest ratings in 2019 are the UPF, the UAM, the UB, the UAM, and the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC, in its Spanish acronym).

The IUNE Observatory is currently supported by the Spanish Ministry of Universities, as well as by a large number of institutions, such as the Spanish National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation (ANECA, in its Spanish acronym), the Conference of Spanish University Presidents (CRUE, in its Spanish acronym), the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI, in its Spanish acronym), the Agency for Quality of the Catalan University System (AQU Catalunya), and the Agency for Quality of the Basque University System (Unibasq).

More information: http://www. iune. es

Alianza 4 Universidades - INAECU - IUNE/UC3M (2021). Observatorio IUNE 2021. Informe anual, periodo 2010-2019. Actividad investigadora de las universidades espanolas (VIII). 22-07-21. http://s865073818. mialojamiento. es/ wp-content/ uploads/ 2021/ 07/ Informe-IUNE-2021-corregido. pdf

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This story has been published on: 2021-07-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
During COVID-19, nurses face significant burnout risks, reports American Journal of Nursing

July 22, 2021 - Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 40 percent of nurses and other health care workers had risks associated with an increased likelihood of burnout, reports a survey study in the August issue of the American Journal of Nursing (AJN). The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

The study identifies risk factors for poor well-being as well as factors associated with greater resilience - which may reduce the risk of burnout for hands-on care providers, according to the new research by Lindsay Thompson Munn, RN, PhD, and colleagues of a North Carolina healthcare system. They write, "The insights gained from this study can help health care leaders to target these risk factors and develop strategies that allow organizations to better support well-being and resilience among clinicians."

New evidence of pandemic's impact on well-being in health care workers

The researchers conducted an online survey of nurses and other non-physician health care workers (HCWs), and received responses from 2,459 participants who provided direct patient care. The survey focused on risk factors for decreased well-being: a key contributor to the epidemic of burnout among health care professionals.

The survey also evaluated aspects of resilience. Defined as the ability to cope with and adapt positively to adversity, resilience is an important contributor to well-being. Data were collected in June and July 2020, providing a snapshot of well-being and resilience among HCWs a few months into the pandemic.

At that time, 44 percent of HCWs surveyed had "at risk" well-being, which is associated with increased risk of burnout, fatigue, and patient care errors. Analysis of the responses identified several factors associated with increased odds of poor well-being, including:

Having low scores on a measure of resilience

Believing that supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) were insufficient

Feeling that the organization did not understand health care workers' emotional support needs during the pandemic

Believing that workload had increased

Believing that staffing was inadequate to safely care for patients

Having a lower degree of psychological safety (feeling that the work environment was conducive to vulnerability and interpersonal risk-taking)

Feeling that the organization did understand emotional support needs

Believing that staff were being redeployed to areas of critical need

Having a higher degree of psychological safety

In contrast, opposite levels of some of the same factors were associated with higher scores for resilience:Less than one-fourth of health care workers had used available resources to support their well-being and resilience (such as meditation apps, employee assistance programs, and counseling). Perhaps reflecting high levels of stress early in the COVID-19 pandemic, those who used such resources were more likely to have "at risk" well-being.

Dr. Munn and coauthors believe their study has practical implications for health care leaders to promote well-being and resilience among health care workers, during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

"While it may seem obvious that nurses and other HCWs would sustain burnout and poor well-being after dealing with providing care under arduous circumstances, it's important to establish the contributing factors and to learn how some were able to mitigate the effects of the stressors," notes Maureen Shawn Kennedy, MA, RN, FAAN, Editor in Chief of AJN. "We're in serious need of successful strategies to support frontline caregivers."

The researchers discuss steps that may help to support resilience while addressing modifiable factors that negatively affect well-being in the health care work environment. "[L]eaders can take crucial steps toward optimizing workers' well-being by paying careful attention to workload and staffing, creating a culture of psychological safety within teams and units, and recognizing and actively addressing the unique challenges posed by the pandemic," Dr. Munn and colleagues conclude.

Click here to read "Well-Being and Resilience Among Health Care Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study."

DOI: 10.1097/01.NAJ.0000767352.47699.0c

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About American Journal of Nursing

American Journal of Nursing is the most honored broad-based nursing journal in the world. Peer reviewed and evidence-based, it is considered the profession's premier journal. AJN's mission is to promote excellence in nursing and health care through the dissemination of evidence-based, peer-reviewed clinical information and original research, discussion of relevant and controversial professional issues, adherence to the standards of journalistic integrity and excellence, and promotion of nursing perspectives to the health care community and the public.

About Wolters Kluwer

Wolters Kluwer (WKL) is a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services for the clinicians, nurses, accountants, lawyers, and tax, finance, audit, risk, compliance, and regulatory sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with advanced 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 provides trusted clinical technology and evidence-based solutions that engage clinicians, patients, researchers and students in effective decision-making and outcomes across healthcare. We support clinical effectiveness, learning and research, clinical surveillance and compliance, as well as data solutions. For more information about our solutions, visit https:/ / www. wolterskluwer. com/ en/ health and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @WKHealth.

For more information, visit http://www. wolterskluwer. com , follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

This story has been published on: 2021-07-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
New tests can detect tiny but toxic particles of coal ash in soil

DURHAM, N.C. - Scientists at Duke University have developed a suite of four new tests that can be used to detect coal ash contamination in soil with unprecedented sensitivity.

The tests are specifically designed to analyze soil for the presence of fly ash particles so small other tests might miss them.

Fly ash is part of coal combustion residuals (CCRs) that are generated when a power plant burns pulverized coal. The tiny fly ash particles, which are often microscopic in size, contain high concentrations of arsenic, selenium and other toxic elements, many of which have been enriched through the combustion process.

While the majority of fly ash is captured by traps in the power plant and disposed to coal ash impoundments and landfills, some escapes and is emitted into the environment. Over time, these particles can accumulate in soil downwind from the plant, potentially posing risks to environment and human health.

"Because of the size of these particles, it's been challenging to detect them and measure how much fly ash has accumulated," said Avner Vengosh, Distinguished Professor of Environmental Quality at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment. "Our new methods give us the ability to do that - with high level of certainty."

Coal combustion residuals are the largest industrial solid wastes produced in the United States. When soil contaminated with fly ash is disturbed or dug up, dust containing the ash can be transported through the air into nearby homes and other indoor environments. Inhaling dust that contains fly ash particles with high levels of toxic metals has been linked to lung and heart disease, cancer, nervous system disorders and other ill effects.

"Being able to trace the contamination back to its source location is essential for protecting public health and identifying where remediation efforts should be focused," said Zhen Wang, a doctoral student in Vengosh's lab at Duke, who led the study. "These new methods complement tests we've already developed for tracing coal ash in the environment and expand our range of investigation."

The new tests are designed to be used together to provide independent corroborations of whether fly ash particles are present in a soil sample and if so, at what proportion to the total soil.

"First, we measure the abundance of certain metals, such as arsenic, selenium and antimony, that we know are more enriched in coal ash than in normal soil," Wang said. "If these metals are present at higher-than-normal levels, we test the sample using two other geochemical indicators, radium nuclides and lead stable isotopes, which are more sensitive than trace metals and can be used to detect low occurrence of fly ash in soils. We also examine the soil under a microscope to test if we can physically identify fly ash particles and estimate what proportion of the soil they comprise."

Each method has its own strengths and weaknesses, and if used solely could lead to overestimates or underestimates the occurrence of fly in soil, Vengosh said. "By using all four together, we are able to verify the forensic investigation of fly ash presence in soils."

To assess the reliability of the new tests, the researchers analyzed surface soil from 21 sites downwind of the Tennessee Valley Authority's Bull Run Fossil Plant in Claxton, Tenn., and 20 sites downwind of Duke Energy's Marshall Steam Station on Lake Norman, N.C. The North Carolina samples came from Mooresville, a town located across the lake from the Marshall plant. Control samples were also collected at sites upwind of each plant.

The tests consistently showed that most of the samples collected downwind of both plants contained fly ash contamination, but because the proportion of the fly ash was low, the concentrations of toxic elements did not exceed human health guidelines for metals occurrence in soil.

The tests also showed that soil samples near Bull Run Fossil Plant in Tennessee generally contained significantly higher levels of fly ash than those from North Carolina, and that the highest concentration was in soil from the Claxton Community Park, a playground and recreational site located outside the Bull Run plant.

What does this all tell us?

"First, it confirms that our new tools perform consistently and, when used together, provide a reliable method for detecting contamination that other tests might miss," Vengosh said.

"Second, it underscores the need to regularly monitor sites in close downwind proximity to a coal-fired power plant, even if levels of contamination are below current safety thresholds. Fly ash accumulates over time, and risks can grow with repeat exposures to playground dust or home dust," Vengosh said.

"Low concentrations of toxic metals in soil does not equal to no risk," Vengosh said. "We need to understand how the presence of fly ash in soils near coal plants could affect the health of people who live there. Even if coal plants in the United States are shutting down or replaced by natural gas, the environmental legacy of coal ash in these areas will remain for decades to come."

The peer-reviewed study was published in July 20 in Environmental Science & Technology.

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The study was co-authored by Ellen Cowan of Appalachian State University, and by Rachel Coyte, Heather Stapleton and Gary Dwyer, all of Duke. Support came from the National Science Foundation and from Mooresville, N.C., community funding, led by Susan Wind, a former resident.

CITATION: "Evaluation and Integration of Geochemical Indicators for Detecting Trace Levels of Coal Fly Ash in Soils," Zhewn Wang. Rachel M. Coyte, Ellen A. Cowan, Heather M. Stapleton, Gary S. Dwyer and Avner Vengosh; Environmental Science & Technology, July 20, 2021. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c01215

This story has been published on: 2021-07-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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Shanghai (Gasgoo)- The first batch of the NIO ES8s for delivery to Norwegian users was shipped from Shanghai Waigaoqiao Port on July 20, and is expected for preorder and delivery in September 2021, NIO said on Thursday.

Photo credit: NIO



The vehicles exported to Norway are the all-new ES8s that hit the market at the end of 2019 and rolled off the production line at the JAC-NIO Advanced Manufacturing Center in April 2020.

In June 2021, NIO announced that it received European Whole Vehicle Type Approval (EWVTA) for the NIO ES8, meaning that the ES8 for Europe has been officially approved for volume production and license plate registration in all EU countries.

In early May, the startup announced its entry into Norway, NIO's first overseas market. The company said then it would start delivering the ES8 in the country in September and hand over the ET7 sedan from 2022.

In addition to selling cars, NIO will bring Norwegian users its direct sales and service network encompassing NIO House, NIO App for European users, Power Swap Stations, and NIO Life.

NIO is to build up a complete power service network in Norway. On July 7, the first shipments of NIO's Power Swap stations and Power chargers departed for Norway, and these facilities are scheduled to be running there in September. In 2022, the startup will build battery swapping stations in five cities of Norway.
Mexico & Banderas Bay Area News



Vaccination of Ages 18-29 to Begin in Vallarta Friday



Vaccination of ages 18-29 begins in Puerto Vallarta on Friday, July 23 and runs through Tuesday, July 27. Vaccines will be applied from 8 am to 4 pm at La Lija in Col. Lomas del Coapinole and the Naval Hospital in the Hotel Zone. July 23 Update: Vaccination of this age group has been extended through Wednesday, July 28.



Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - In a



"Jalisco's proposal to apply the COVID-19 vaccination for people over 18 years of age in Puerto Vallarta was approved and will begin next Friday, July 23. This advance is of the utmost importance to protect the population of this tourist spot and thereby prevent an increase in the number of infections and hospitalizations. Details on how this process will be carried out will be published in the coming days. It is still pending the official networks of the State Government," he said.



Almost half a million vaccines against COVID-19 were received in Jalisco on Monday and Tuesday, which will be distributed to municipalities throughout the state. On Monday, 86,500 doses of AstraZeneca were delivered, and on Tuesday, 204,000 doses of Sinovac and 190,710 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech were received.



We don't yet know if other age groups will be eligible to be vaccinated in Puerto Vallarta at this time.



However, we do know that FIRST DOSES of the Sinovac vaccine will be administered in Puerto Vallarta to people ages 18-29 from 8 am to 4 pm at La Lija Physical Activity Center, Pablo Franco #1000, Col. Lomas del Coapinole. (



At the same time, a limited number of vaccines (1000 doses per day) will be available at the Puerto Vallarta Naval Hospital, Blvd. Francisco Medina Ascencio #280 in the North Hotel Zone. (



Pre-registration on the Federal Government website:



The general recommendations for all attendees are:

Do not go to get vaccinated if you are sick or have a fever.

Wear a mask at all times.

Respect social distancing.

Avoid contact with other people.

Respects all sanitary protocols and hygiene measures.



Contraindications

The vaccine is contraindicated if you:



Have suffered from COVID-19 and have not yet recovered (15 days after the last symptom).

Live with any type of uncontrolled immunosuppression.

Have severe allergies.

Have received a blood transfusion, application of blood products, treatment with plasma or antibodies against COVID-19 in the last 3 months.



For more information and updates, visit jalisco.gob.mx. Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - In a video broadcast on his social networks on Wednesday, Jalisco Governor Enrique Alfaro Ramirez said that given the rise in Covid infections and active cases in the State, vaccination of people over 18 years of age will begin in Puerto Vallarta on Friday, July 23 and run through Tuesday, July 27."Jalisco's proposal to apply the COVID-19 vaccination for people over 18 years of age in Puerto Vallarta was approved and will begin next Friday, July 23. This advance is of the utmost importance to protect the population of this tourist spot and thereby prevent an increase in the number of infections and hospitalizations. Details on how this process will be carried out will be published in the coming days. It is still pending the official networks of the State Government," he said.Almost half a million vaccines against COVID-19 were received in Jalisco on Monday and Tuesday, which will be distributed to municipalities throughout the state. On Monday, 86,500 doses of AstraZeneca were delivered, and on Tuesday, 204,000 doses of Sinovac and 190,710 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech were received.We don't yet know if other age groups will be eligible to be vaccinated in Puerto Vallarta at this time.However, we do know that FIRST DOSES of the Sinovac vaccine will be administered in Puerto Vallarta to people ages 18-29 from 8 am to 4 pm at La Lija Physical Activity Center, Pablo Franco #1000, Col. Lomas del Coapinole. ( Click HERE for Google map At the same time, a limited number of vaccines (1000 doses per day) will be available at the Puerto Vallarta Naval Hospital, Blvd. Francisco Medina Ascencio #280 in the North Hotel Zone. ( Click HERE for Google map ).Pre-registration on the Federal Government website: mivacuna.salud.gob.mx IS REQUIRED. Be sure to bring a printed copy of your registration, a copy of your CURP (found on your residency card), and official identification with you.Do not go to get vaccinated if you are sick or have a fever.Wear a mask at all times.Respect social distancing.Avoid contact with other people.Respects all sanitary protocols and hygiene measures.Have suffered from COVID-19 and have not yet recovered (15 days after the last symptom).Live with any type of uncontrolled immunosuppression.Have severe allergies.Have received a blood transfusion, application of blood products, treatment with plasma or antibodies against COVID-19 in the last 3 months.



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Airbus begins A350 deliveries in China

Xinhua) 08:05, July 22, 2021

Photo taken on July 21, 2021 shows an Airbus A350 aircraft delivered to China Eastern Airlines at the Airbus Tianjin Widebody Completion and Delivery Center in north China's Tianjin. Airbus has inaugurated its A350 aircraft project at its widebody completion and delivery center in north China's Tianjin. It is the first time the European planemaker has launched such a project for the A350 outside Europe. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue)

TIANJIN, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Airbus has inaugurated its A350 aircraft project at its widebody completion and delivery center in north China's Tianjin. It is the first time the European planemaker has launched such a project for the A350 outside Europe.

It delivered an A350 aircraft to China Eastern Airlines at the Airbus Tianjin Widebody Completion and Delivery Center on Wednesday.

"Airbus values China as a long-term strategic market. We have full confidence in the resilience and dynamics of China's economy and its aviation industry," said George Xu, executive vice president of Airbus and chief executive officer of Airbus China.

"The new move demonstrates our commitments to deepening the win-win cooperation with China and better serving local customers through more localized solutions and resources," Xu added.

A350 WIDEBODIES COMING

A total of five A350 widebodies will be delivered in Tianjin in 2021, and more deliveries to Chinese customers are underway as the center has ramped up its production rate and market demand is recovering, according to Airbus China.

The A350 is Airbus' new generation of widebody aircraft, which highlights environmental performance, flight range and comfort. To date, the company has received 915 orders for the aircraft and delivered some 430 worldwide. Approximately 10 percent of the deliveries were to the Chinese market.

Located near the site of the Airbus A320 Family Final Assembly Line in Tianjin, the Airbus Tianjin Widebody Completion and Delivery Center includes a cabin equipping and furnishing facility and a paint shop.

Rolling off the final assembly line in Toulouse, France, the unfinished green A350 aircraft will fly to Tianjin. Green aircraft means that the aircraft has not been painted with its outermost layer paint and has not yet been fully completed.

"They will receive the full scope of aircraft completion activities here, such as the cabin installation, aircraft painting, engine run, flight test and customer flight acceptance. The aircraft will then be delivered to customers," said Dr. Christoph Schrempp, general manager of Airbus Tianjin Delivery Center.

CHINA-EUROPE COOPERATION

"Tianjin is endeavoring to become an aviation industry cluster. We are confident that the new project will deepen our long-term cooperation and inject strong impetus to the high-quality development here," said Ma Shunqing, executive vice mayor of Tianjin.

The city targets to build eight related centers, including fields of assembly, production support, engineering, maintenance, logistics, professional training, customer services and financial services.

Tianjin is now the world's only non-European city that could deliver both single-aisle and widebody Airbus aircraft. Airbus inaugurated the final assembly line for its A320 single-aisle aircraft here in 2008, and the completion and delivery facilities for widebody aircraft in 2017.

"In joint hands with Chinese partners, we are building role model projects of China-Europe cooperation," said Xu.

Through these projects, Airbus shares its expertise and management experiences in manufacturing with Chinese partners. And the strengthening Chinese aviation industry has greatly sustained the Airbus global supply chain.

COMMON COMMITMENTS TO FUTURE

"China's civil aviation industry is a fully competitive market. The country has also led the recovery of the global civil aviation industry. We believe that there is huge potential for our strategic cooperation," said Xu.

Airbus plans to enhance services to local customers in fields such as aircraft maintenance, passenger-to-freight aircraft conversion, digitalization and energy conservation and emissions reduction.

"Airbus has a core value of making the aviation industry sustainable. We share common commitments with China." Xu said that Airbus is pursuing a sustainable aviation goal by adopting sustainable aviation fuel and developing hydrogen-driven aircraft, among others.

China is forging ahead in renewable energy development amid its transition to a low-carbon economy. The country has announced that it would strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.

"It shows a great nation's responsibility and determination. Our commitments and goals integrate," Xu said, adding that Airbus' commitments to China remain unchanged, with more potential ahead.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
China launches massive rescue efforts after Henan rainstorms

Xinhua) 08:09, July 22, 2021

-- Record rainstorms that have swamped central China's Henan Province since the weekend have left 25 people dead, seven missing, and over 1.24 million people affected.

-- Chinese authorities have raised the emergency response for flood control to its second-highest level, and Henan initiated its highest-level emergency response.

-- Massive rescue and relief efforts are underway to deal with the impact of the prolonged heavy rainfall.

ZHENGZHOU, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities have launched massive rescue and relief efforts in response to record rainstorms that have swamped central China's Henan Province since the weekend, leaving large areas under water and at least 25 people dead.

In the provincial capital city of Zhengzhou, 617.1 mm of rainfall fell over a three-day period starting on Saturday night, close to the city's average annual amount.

The city registered a record hourly precipitation rate of 201.9 mm from 4 p.m. Tuesday. The city also broke its own single-day precipitation record, hitting its highest level on local weather records.

So far, a total of 25 people have been killed and another seven reported missing in the torrential rains in Zhengzhou. Across the province, over 1.24 million people have been affected and about 164,710 people relocated to safe places.

Floods are seen in Longtou Village, Dengfeng City of central China's Henan Province, July 20, 2021. Longtou Village was hit by mountain torrents on Tuesday. Rescuers have transferred over 50 villagers to safer places. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan)

Massive rescue and relief efforts are underway to deal with the impact of the prolonged heavy rainfall.

President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, on Wednesday demanded that authorities at all levels must give top priority to securing people's safety and property, and should carefully and strictly implement the flood prevention and disaster relief measures.

Xi also ordered authorities at all levels to promptly organize flood prevention and disaster relief forces, properly accommodate those affected, strictly prevent secondary disasters, and minimize casualties and property losses.

Meteorological researchers said the havoc was the result of extreme weather conditions. The terrain on Henan's Taihang and Funiu mountains lifted up the easterly air, causing heavy rainfall to persist in the mountainous western and northwestern areas of Henan.

The heavy rain has significantly increased the risk of mountain torrents and geological disasters in the mountainous western and northwestern regions of the province.

A car is inundated by rainwater in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, July 20, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang)

The water levels of small and medium-sized rivers and reservoirs in the Yellow River and Haihe River basins have risen rapidly, and large-scale urban waterlogging and farmland flooding have occurred.

On Tuesday afternoon, Zhengzhou Metro announced a halt to all of its services. Water had gushed into stations of metro line 5 and left over 500 passengers in waist-high floods.

"I was really scared. The most terrible thing was not the water, but the air that was getting thinner and thinner. Many people had symptoms of breathing difficulties," recalled a female survivor surnamed Li.

Floods and downpours have also affected rail services and flights. With a red alert for flight delays in place from 8 p.m. Tuesday to noon on Wednesday, all flights due to land at the airport in Zhengzhou were canceled.

Services were suspended for more than 160 trains at Zhengzhou East Railway Station, stranding a large number of passengers.

A courier wades through a waterlogged road in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, July 20, 2021. (Photo by Hou Jianxun/Xinhua)

Traffic has also been disrupted in a number of national and provincial highways in Henan due to flooding and collapsed roads.

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) raised the emergency response for flood control to its second-highest level, and Henan initiated its highest-level emergency response.

The MEM has dispatched a working team to the affected areas in Henan to help local authorities with disaster relief work.

A rescue team of 1,800 firefighters has been deployed to the flood-hit regions from seven neighboring provinces, together with boats, pumping vehicles and flood rescue kits.

Flood-control workers prepare to patrol Danhe River in Chenzhuang Village, Motou Township, Bo'ai County of Jiaozuo, central China's Henan Province, July 20, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Jianan)

As of 5 a.m. Wednesday, Henan has also dispatched 17,280 firefighters to help with the rescue work.

To restore the storm-damaged communication networks in Zhengzhou, local telecommunication companies have rushed to repair at least 6,300 base stations and 275 km of optical fiber cables.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Investigating Fort Detrick "call of the people": FM spokesperson

Xinhua) 08:12, July 22, 2021

BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Investigation into Fort Detrick is the call of all the people around the world, including the Chinese, which must be answered by the United States in terms of tracing the origin of the coronavirus, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Wednesday.

Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a daily press briefing, as a joint open letter calling on the World Health Organization (WHO) to investigate the Fort Detrick lab has gained about 5 million signatures from Chinese netizens as of Wednesday afternoon.

The open letter has been well received by the Chinese, with around 5 million people signing in less than five days, showing their indignation over some U.S. people's political manipulation using the issue of origin-tracing.

"The mystery of Fort Detrick remains unsolved," he said.

In July 2019, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sent a letter to Fort Detrick, asking it to terminate most operations. In the same month, respiratory diseases of unknown origin began to appear in northern Virginia, and a large-scale EVALI broke out in Wisconsin. At the end of July, a respiratory disease which could cause pneumonia for unknown reasons appeared in two nursing homes near Fort Detrick, and in September, Maryland, where Fort Detrick is located, reported that the number of patients with EVALI had doubled, according to Zhao.

Even so, the United States refused to disclose the reasons for closing Fort Detrick on the grounds of "national security", he said.

Noting that Fort Detrick still stores a large number of viruses that seriously threaten human lives, as reported by U.S. media, Zhao asked when the United States would publicly clarify the issue.

The United States should show transparency, take concrete measures to thoroughly investigate the origin of the epidemic in the country, find out reasons for poor COVID-19 response and hold accountable those who are responsible, thoroughly investigate Fort Detrick as well as more than 200 overseas biological experimental bases, and give an explanation to the people around the world and to the international community, he said.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Experts: Science should guide efforts to trace virus origin

08:50, July 22, 2021 By Wang Xiaoyu ( China Daily

[Photo/China Daily]

Searching for the origin of viruses, including the novel coronavirus now ravaging the world, is an extremely difficult and complicated undertaking prone to many uncertainties. But according to experts, one thing is for sure -- the quest should be underpinned by scientific evidence, rather than politically motivated speculation.

"Whenever a major infectious disease breaks out, one of the first questions raised by scientists and the public is: Where did it come from?" said Su Jingjing, a professor at the Peking University's School of Health Humanities.

"Hunting down a virus' origin, understanding how it is introduced into the human population and how it spreads further will enable medical and public health experts to better cope with the disease and prevent future outbreaks," she added.

However, Su said tracing the source of a virus requires large amounts of on-site investigations, thorough laboratory testing and "a great deal of luck".

For instance, she said it took nearly two decades for global scientists to come to an initial conclusion on who might be the patient zero (the first infected case of an epidemic) for HIV/AIDS, but the question remains contentious to this day.

Likewise, scientists are still confounded by the origin of the Ebola virus that first emerged in the 1970s, as well as the influenza virus that has affected humans for over a century, Su added.

Zhao Guoping, a Chinese molecular biologist and an academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that searching for a virus's origin must be based on clear and conclusive evidence, but the collection and analysis process poses severe challenges.

He said one type of evidence comes from the field of pathology, clinical medicine and epidemiology, which reflects real-world situations but could be inaccurate due to human interference.

The other type of evidence entails results of genome sequencing or antibody testing. Zhao said they are more definitive but it is challenging to "establish their connections" to other pieces of proof.

"The origin-tracing task contains a number of uncontrollable factors. Some key information could be lost forever, which means that it will be impossible for us to build a complete chain of evidence," he said during an interview with Science and Technology Daily.

"Sometimes, we might not be able to get to the bottom of the question even after very long periods of research, and we can only make inferences based on available information," he said. "The public should have a rational expectation."

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease, has so far presented formidable obstacles to scientists struggling to pin down its origin.

Liu Peipei, a virologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said during an earlier briefing that the patient zero for COVID-19, as well as other early infections, might be asymptomatic and leave no medical records behind. He had called on global researchers to proactively search for early cases around the world.

In terms of gene sequencing, a widely recognized breakthrough is the discovery of RaTG13, a coronavirus found in horseshoe bats whose genetic makeup is 96 percent identical to that of SARS-CoV-2.

But according to the report of an origin-tracing mission that was organized by the World Health Organization and conducted jointly by Chinese and WHO experts in China earlier this year, coronaviruses detected in bats and pangolins are not similar enough to make them the progenitor of the virus.

The report said more efforts are needed to take and test samples from wild animals in Southeast Asia and around the world, where surveys to identify coronaviruses related to SARS-CoV-2 are insufficient.

Su, from Peking University, said collecting samples from bats is a time-consuming procedure, and rigorous precautions must be taken to prevent infections.

"There are previous reports on finding coronaviruses related to SARS-CoV-2 in Thailand, Japan and other parts of Asia," she said. "The workload is comparable to finding a needle in a haystack."

Experts have warned that politicizing a virus's origin will add more difficulties to an already herculean task as some Western governments have attempted to revive a false accusation that a laboratory incident in China should be blamed for the virus's jump to humans.

"Finding a virus's origin should be based on science, logic and rational thinking, and it is scientists who should spearhead the work, rather than politicians or intelligence agencies," Su stressed.

"Involving intelligence agencies in the process is a blatant move to politicize the issue and will only serve to hamper international cooperation on the issue," Su said, referring to a previous decision by Joe Biden's administration.

Liang Wannian, a public health professor at Tsinghua University and head of the Chinese experts on the WHO-convened origin-tracing team, said during a previous interview that the politicization of the issue and distortion of their findings reflects deep disrespect to scientists' endeavors and will hinder the global fight against the disease.

"Tracing the origin of a virus means studying a highly accidental and rare event, and we should adopt scientific methods, logic and thinking, and devote great efforts to overcome difficulties," he said.

"For us Chinese scientists, we will continue our research into the virus's origin, based on any available knowledge, skills and methodology," he said.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Selfishness and prejudice of U.S. disrupt global fight against COVID-19

09:18, July 22, 2021 By Zhong Sheng ( People's Daily

When the world is plagued by repeated resurgence and frequent mutations of the novel coronavirus, the COVID-19 situation is still grim, and the international community needs more confidence, cooperation, and hope than ever, the U.S., driven by political gains and prejudice, is stirring up trouble and creating splits around the world, stigmatizing acts of other countries regarding the pandemic, attaching geographical labels to the virus, and politicizing virus origin tracing.

Medical workers sort out swab samples for nucleic acid test in Ruili City of southwest China's Yunnan Province, on July 5, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

Such unscrupulous evil deeds, while revealing indifference of the U.S. toward human life and health, have disrupted global cooperation against the virus.

The attempt to fabricate a conclusion for the COVID-19 origin out of selfish interests is bringing endless trouble upon the world.

COVID-19 origin tracing is a serious scientific research. Only by allowing scientists to conduct in-depth studies of how the virus appeared, evolved, and was transmitted to human beings can mankind find ways to defeat it as early as possible.

In the short term, the U.S. hamper global efforts to find the right answers to scientific questions and disturb global cooperation on tracing the origins of the virus by groundlessly and repeatedly hyping up the lab leak theory, willfully smearing China, and politicizing scientific issues.

In the long run, the logic behind politicizing COVID-19 origin tracing is absolutely preposterous. To some extent, the history of civilization is the history of struggling against virus. Scientists in many countries are worried that if a country is stigmatized just because it was the first to release the genome sequence of the COVID-19, no country will dare to report new viruses in a timely manner in the future; and if a scientist is attached baseless labels only because of telling the truth, no scientist will want to carry out research into virus.

The U.S. has not made many efforts to promote global cooperation against the COVID-19 pandemic, but has done its utmost to serve its own interests with fighting the pandemic as an excuse. What a huge mistake that is!

Because of inaction and unreasonable actions of certain politicians in the U.S., the COVID-19 situation in the country hasnt been eased. The number of reported confirmed COVID-19 cases has so far exceeded 34 million, and nearly 610,000 American people have died from the disease.

As the worlds largest economy, the U.S. has seriously encumbered the international community with its failure to control the pandemic. Whats worse, the country has brazenly pursued egoism as countries around the world have advocated global cooperation against the pandemic, and disgracefully committed wrongdoings including intercepting anti-epidemic supplies of other countries and buying up a key COVID-19 drug, which are denounced as modern piracy.

At the critical moment of global fight against the COVID-19, the U.S. withdrew from the World Health Organization (WHO) and committed a crime against humanity by cutting WHO funding during the pandemic.

Although the new administration of the U.S. has talked eloquently about how America is back after it came into office, people around the world have only disappointedly found that instead of practicing real multilateralism and joining global efforts to combat the COVID-19, the new administration has jeopardized global anti-epidemic cooperation by forming factions and small circles and suppressing other countries. In what way is such a country like a major country in the world?

The countrys image has collapsed quickly as it practiced vaccine nationalism and squeezed anti-epidemic resources of other countries.

As a powerful weapon in the fight against the pandemic, vaccines bring hope to global response to the virus. However, the U.S. hoarded far more doses of COVID-19 vaccines than it needs. Statistics suggest that the U.S. has snapped up about 2.6 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines, which account for one fourth of the total amount of COVID-19 vaccines available in the world and have far exceeded the amount needed by its citizens. Hundreds of millions of unused vaccine doses are piled up in the warehouses of the country.

Besides, the U.S. has also used the pretext of prioritizing domestic demand to impose restrictions on exports of vaccines and critical raw materials needed for the production of vaccines. The act even aroused criticism from the U.S. media, which considered it a moral outrage.

Though the U.S. has started to provide COVID-19 vaccines for other countries because of huge pressure from the international community, its action is believed to have obviously revealed a lack of sincerity.

The country promised to provide 80 million doses of vaccines for other regions in the world before the end of June 2021. However, as of June 30, it had only delivered 24 million doses of vaccines to foreign countries, less than one third of the doses it promised, according to a report of The Associated Press.

These vaccines only reached 10 countries and regions, representing a huge difference from the promise of the U.S. to provide vaccines for about 50 countries and regions, the report suggested.

When the world is faced with a huge vaccine gap, the U.S. has excessive doses. Experts from Duke University estimated that the U.S. would have 300 million or more excess vaccine doses by late July.

The biggest failure of the U.S. is it only cares about the epidemic situation at home, and is tardy in reacting to and pays lip service to threats posed by the pandemic to other countries, pointed out an article published on the website of The Washington Post.

In the battle between mankind and the COVID-19 pandemic, solidarity and cooperation are the only right choice for overcoming the pandemic.

The narrow-minded, short-sighted, selfish, and relentless political manipulation of the U.S. has disrupted overall global anti-epidemic cooperation and will end up hurting itself. The country had better stop acting willfully and arbitrarily and recover its conscience by ways of shouldering more international responsibilities and making more efforts to serve international cooperation.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by Peoples Daily to express its views on foreign policy.)

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Artistic transformation of an ancient village in China

09:28, July 22, 2021 By Fang Min ( People's Daily

Photo shows the transformed Chengyang village, Dongqianhu town, Yinzhou district, Ningbo city of east Chinas Zhejiang province. (Photo/WeChat account of Wenming Ningbo)

Chengyang village in east Chinas Zhejiang province has taken a brand new look because of artistic transformation, based on which the local people have explored tourism and become better-off.

Embosomed by hills and with two brooks winding through, the village located in Dongqianhu township, Yinzhou district, Ningbo city of Zhejiang, has magnificent scenery, yet it used to have a weak industrial foundation and collective economy.

Changes to the village began in July 2020 when officials in Chengyang invited Cong Zhiqiang, an associate professor at the School of Arts of the Renmin University of China, to the village, hoping Cong can give it a brand new look, just like he did with Gejia village, Ningbo city of Zhejiang.

Since 2019, Cong team has stimulated the enthusiasm of residents in Gejia village for artistic creation by providing guidance and assistance for them, and helped them with the transformation of their village. Within about one year, the team and local residents built over 40 public art areas in Gejia village, turning it into an Internet-famous village featuring artistic glamour.

Now Gejia village receives over 100,000 tourists a year. It has accumulatively increased the income of local residents by 2.5 million yuan ($385,910). Meanwhile, many villagers who were working away from their hometown have been attracted to starting their own businesses in the village, with their investments totaling over 20 million yuan.

Officials with Chengyang have always wanted to develop it into a high-quality tourist destination, and yet failed to come up with a feasible plan, which is why they decided to seek advice from Cong.

After a tour around the village for investigations and careful consideration, Cong decided to make an effort. Although some locals doubted the idea of turning the village into a tourist destination by adding artistic charm to it, as they considered the village totally unrelated to art, Cong hoped to change their mind with his actions.

Encouraged by Congs team, the village established an art work group made up of villagers, graduate students, cadres sent to the village by the Dongqianhu township for poverty reduction. The art work group then took charge of the construction and transformation of the village.

Believing that villagers should be the main force in the transformation, Cong asked some villagers who were willing to join the endeavor to take the lead in bringing changes to the village, while he provided guidance and demonstrations for them.

At the invitation of the art work group, a local resident named Yu Zhenfei, together with two other fellow villagers, weaved a giant hat with a diameter of 6 meters from 750 kilograms of moso bamboos within two months. After that they made a seven-meter-high wine bottle with bamboo strips. The two pieces of artwork are now a must-see for tourists.

Besides, the village has motivated skillful craftsmen, including carpenters, plasterers, and painters, to redecorate public spaces, idle land and amenities.

One minor change after another has led to practical improvement to the village and enriched every corner of Chengyang.

Yang Jiyue, a carpenter in his late seventies, made his house a museum that exhibits the precious woodwork he made during a dozen years of production of miniature redwood furniture and pavilions. Local villager Ying Mingju, who is skilled at making straw hats, changed the place where she used to keep firewood in her house into a display stand for her handiwork, which has become a tourist attraction of the village. Meanwhile, an abandoned farm in Chengyang has been turned into a livestreaming studio ingeniously by the art work group.

In less than one year, local people improved 60 spots including market, park and exhibition hall. They have witnessed huge changes to their living environment and production space.

Today, the brand new Chengyang village, which is picturesquely decorated by ancient trees, grey walls, green waters, gallery bridges, large-scale artworks, exhibition halls, and woodwork workshops, is filled with a cultural atmosphere.

Art has made residents in Chengyang village more passionate about revitalizing their hometown. Because of the participation of villagers, enterprises, and experts in cultural and tourism industries, Chengyang has witnessed more and more changes, with an increasing number of villagers contributing to the revitalization of the village through artistic creation.

The beautified village has also generated investment and business opportunities. As tourism in the village thrives, businesses related to catering, special and agricultural products, handicrafts and agritainment are booming, and the villagers are living a more prosperous life.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Wildlife flourishes in NW Chinas Qinling Mountains

People's Daily Online) 09:53, July 22, 2021

An increasing number of rare wild animals and plants have been discovered in the Qinling Mountains in northwest Chinas Shaanxi province, thanks to its sound ecological environment.

Aerial photo shows the forest deep in the Qinling Mountains in Jiwozi village, Changan district, Xian in northwest Chinas Shaanxi province. (Shaanxi Daily/Yuan Jingzhi)

In recent years, wild animals and plants, such as Elaphe xiphodonta, a new species of the genus Elaphe, Primula filchnerae Knuth, an endangered species, and also Kingdonia uniflora, a grass species under first-class protection in China were discovered for the first time 2,700 meters above sea level in the Qinling Mountains.

Weve frequently captured images of wild animals, such as Panthera pardus leopards, Chinese forest musk deer, takins, giant pandas and black bears, said Hu Wanxin from the Changqing National Nature Reserve, which is located deep in the Qinling Mountains.

Known as a bank of biological resources, the Changqing National Nature Reserve is home to 2,039 spermatophytes and 248 vertebrate animals, including 30 wild animals under key state protection.

A crested ibis foraging for food. (Shaanxi Daily/Shen Dongxi)

In the past, the habitats of the wild animals and plants were threatened by the cutting of trees. In 1998, tree cutting for commercial purposes was banned in the Qinling Mountains.

The Qinling Mountains are home to some 80 wild giant pandas, and the probability of seeing a giant panda in the mountains is high.

In winter, the pandas eat bamboo grown in places 1,800 meters above sea level and below, and in summer they eat another kind of bamboo grown in places about 2,100 meters above sea level. To better protect the giant pandas, we also need to protect the bamboo forests, Hu said.

So far, Shaanxi province has set up 116 protected grounds for wild ecological protection in Qinling Mountains, covering a total area of 9,200 square kilometers. More than 75 percent of the ecosystem types in Shaanxi and 70 percent of the wild animals and plant species have been effectively protected in the mountains.

Realizing the importance of infrared cameras in monitoring wildlife, the Changqing National Nature Reserve began installing such cameras in forests under its jurisdiction in 2008, and has captured images of several wild animals since then.

A takin in Zhouzhi National Nature Reserve. (Shaanxi Daily/Yuan Jingzhi)

We change the batteries inside the cameras and change the storage cards on a regular basis. Through the videos and pictures taken by the cameras, we can clearly see the movements of the animals, said Xiang Dingqian, a forest patroller with Huayang station of the Changqing National Nature Reserve.

Since 2008, the nature reserve has captured images of giant pandas, takins, and Chinese forest musk deer, which are under first-class protection in China, and black bears and golden cats under second-class protection.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Mideast trip aims to boost friendship, cooperation, says Chinese FM

Xinhua) 10:30, July 22, 2021

ALGIERS, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday that the purpose of his trip to Syria, Egypt and Algeria is to push forward the implementation of the consensus reached by Chinese President Xi Jinping and the heads of state of the three Mideast countries, and to enhance friendship.

Wang made the remarks during an interview with Chinese press as he wrapped up his visit to the Middle East.

He said that his visit is also to strengthen mutual trust, deepen cooperation, promote regional peace and stability, push forward unity and cooperation among developing countries, and safeguard international fairness and justice.

Wang said that he and his hosts have agreed to strengthen strategic communication and coordination, continue to support each other on issues involving their respective core interests and major concerns, and make new contributions to the building of a China-Arab community with a shared future.

All parties have also agreed that the joint construction of the Belt and Road serves the fundamental interests of both China and Arab states, and the two sides will continue to deepen cooperation in such fields as infrastructure, industrial parks, energy and transportation, information and communication, aviation and aerospace, personnel training, in a bid to achieve common development, said the senior diplomat.

"We all agree that it is urgent to realize peace and stability in the Middle East and all parties should work together to find a permanent solution," he added.

Wang also noted that facing the sudden strike of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Arab states have helped each other, set a good example of jointly battling the pandemic, and opened up new areas of mutually beneficial cooperation, adding that China has donated and exported over 72 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to 17 Arab countries and the Arab League.

China and the Arab states hold that the origin tracing of the virus is a scientific issue, which should be carried out by professionals in a scientific manner, Wang said, adding that politicization of the pandemic should be rejected.

In the next stage, China will work with Arab countries to further carry out joint production of vaccines, promote fair distribution of vaccines, oppose "vaccine nationalism," and continue to contribute to the world's final victory over the virus, he added.

Trampling on the sovereignty of other countries in the name of democratic transformation is an unpopular practice, Wang said, noting that instigating "color revolutions" and forcing regime changes are even more harmful.

The international community should urge the United States and the West to immediately lift all unilateral sanctions and economic blockades against Syria, and on that basis quickly carry out cross-line humanitarian assistance on the premise of respecting Syria's sovereignty, he said.

China is committed to upholding sovereign independence and territorial integrity of all countries, and Syria is no exception, he said, adding that China is ready to work with the international community to make due contribution to restoring stability and realizing reconstruction in Syria.

Wang noted that the Palestinian issue concerns the root cause of unrest in the Middle East. A settlement of the issue cannot be delayed indefinitely, and Palestine's dream to build an independent state should not be shelved indefinitely, he said.

China welcomes Palestinian and Israeli representatives to hold direct talks in China, and calls for an international peace conference led by the United Nations (UN), with the participation of permanent members of the UN Security Council and all stakeholders in the Middle East peace process, so as to truly step up efforts to resolve this historically unsolved case, Wang said.

China will continue to provide much-needed assistance to Palestine on the existing basis and donate another one million doses of vaccines to the Palestinian side, Wang said.

China will also work with Egypt to jointly provide 500,000 doses of vaccines to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, relying on the vaccine packing plant established jointly by the two countries in Egypt, he added.

Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the People's Republic of China's lawful seat in the UN, Wang said that over the past 50 years, China and other developing countries have always supported each other, vigorously boosted the democratization of international relations, world multi-polarization and economic globalization.

Developing countries have also always extended valuable support to China over the issues concerning China's core interests, and become China's strong reliance, he said.

China and other developing countries should resolutely defend fairness and justice, safeguard sovereignty and territorial integrity, oppose hegemonism and power politics, practice genuine multilateralism, and resist a minority group imposing its rules on the international community, Wang said.

China and other developing countries should back each other in searching for paths of development that fit their national conditions, and promote such common values as peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom, which are shared by all humankind, Wang said.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
China slams U.S. of hyping up "lab leak" theory

Xinhua) 10:33, July 22, 2021

BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese spokesperson on Wednesday once again refuted the COVID-19 "lab leak" theory, saying it is nothing but a lie.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a daily news briefing when asked to comment the claim hyped up by some U.S. officials and media that three workers of the Wuhan Institute of Virology fell ill in November 2019, which, according to the allegation, adds to the credibility of the "lab leak" theory.

"If the U.S. side is sure of what it claims, then prove it," said Zhao. "What are the names of the three workers? What kind of disease did they contract? If it's saying they tested positive for the novel coronavirus, where is the report?"

"Let me say this: the U.S. side couldn't show the evidence because it is lying. It is only seeking to demonize and stigmatize China in the name of conducting studies of origins," said the spokesperson.

Zhao pointed out that, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, research has shown that evidence of infection in five U.S. states appeared back in December 2019. In Florida, 171 people with no travel history to China had coronavirus symptoms earlier than the state's first reported case. The mayor of Belleville, New Jersey, got infected in November 2019, over two months earlier than the first confirmed case in the United States. The EVALI outbreak that swept through several U.S. states in July 2019 cause pulmonary symptoms highly similar to those of COVID-19.

"Can the U.S. explain these?" he asked.

"The country always clams up whenever there is a call for a WHO investigation into Fort Detrick and the 200-plus U.S. biological laboratories overseas. What dark secrets are hidden out of sight at Fort Detrick?" the spokesperson added.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
PLA Central Theater Command sends forces to anti-flood frontline in storm-stricken Henan

China Military Online) 10:54, July 22, 2021

BEIJING, July 21 -- In the past several days, continuous heavy rainstorm has been hitting the Henan Province in central China, and many places in Henan are suffering urban waterlogging, debris flows, landslides and other natural disasters.

At the critical point, the PLA Central Theater Command activated an emergency response and has dispatched more than 3,000 plus rescuers including PLA soldiers, armed policemen and militiamen together with more than 80 vehicles and speedboats to engage in flood control and dangers rescue operations simultaneously in 10 flood stricken areas in Henan.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
China appoints new special envoy for Afghan affairs

Xinhua) 10:57, July 22, 2021

BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Yue Xiaoyong has been appointed as the new special envoy for Afghan affairs of the Chinese foreign ministry, replacing Liu Jian, the ministry's spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Wednesday.

Zhao told a news briefing that Yue is a veteran diplomat who had served as the Chinese ambassador to Qatar, Jordan, and Ireland.

Zhao said the Afghan issue is now the focus of attention for the international community, and China has always actively participated in and promoted the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan.

China attaches great importance to communication and coordination with relevant parties and international cooperation on issues related to Afghanistan, and will continue to play a constructive role in the realization of peace and stability in Afghanistan at an early date, Zhao said.

He said the new envoy will soon establish work relationship with colleagues from relevant parties and will keep close communication and coordination with them.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
China remains largest source of FDI for Nepal for 6 consecutive years

Xinhua) 12:23, July 22, 2021

KATHMANDU, July 21 (Xinhua) -- China has committed the largest share of foreign direct investment (FDI) received by Nepal with investment pledges of 22.5 billion Nepali rupees (188 million U.S. dollars) in the 2020-21 fiscal year that ended in mid-July, according to the latest data released by Nepal's Department of Investment.

It was the sixth year in a row that China has topped the chart in terms of FDI pledges.

According to the department, Nepal received FDI pledges of 32 billion Nepali rupees (268 million U.S. dollars) in the last fiscal year, with China accounting for around 71 percent of the total.

"Over the last few years, China has emerged as a very important investor in Nepal," Jiblal Bhusal, the department's director general, told Xinhua. "Initially the Chinese investments were largely focused on small restaurants. Now, their investments have diversified to hydropower and other sectors. We want large-scale Chinese investments coming into diverse sectors of the economy."

Bhusal described the amount of FDI pledges for the last fiscal year amid the COVID-19 pandemic as "good," given the fact that it was close to the total of 37.8 billion Nepali rupees (317 million U.S. dollars) pledged in the fiscal year before.

In efforts to contain the coronavirus, Nepal first imposed a lockdown in March 2020 which lasted for nearly four months, and another lockdown was slapped in late April this year to bring the second wave of the pandemic under control.

The largest share of the Chinese FDI commitments went to Nepal's tourism sector, which stood at 125 million U.S. dollars, followed by other services and the information technology sector.

"I think the Chinese investors want to prepare tourism infrastructure in Nepal for the post-COVID-19 scenario when the arrival of more foreign tourists can be expected," said Bhusal.

Gandhi Pandit, a senior corporate lawyer, said that the Chinese government's policy of encouraging Chinese companies to invest abroad could be one of the reasons behind the growing investments in Nepal in the last few years.

"The Belt and Road Initiative, of which Nepal is also a signatory, has also emerged as a driving force behind China's growing investments in Nepal," he told Xinhua.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
French zoo announces pregnancy of giant panda

Xinhua) 12:43, July 22, 2021

PARIS, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Huan Huan, a giant panda at Beauval Zoo in central France, is pregnant and the birth of her cub is expected in about 10 days, announced the zoo.

"Huan Huan is pregnant! What wonderful news! After weeks of waiting, an embryo was detected today on ultrasound," the zoo in Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, some 200 km to the south of Paris, tweeted late Tuesday.

"To date, the embryo is 1.74 cm long by 0.86 cm wide and another ultrasound is scheduled for Friday to verify the presence of a second fetus," it added.

Huan Huan, which means "happy" in Chinese, and her male pal Yuan Zi, were both born in Chengdu, China, and arrived in France in 2012 when they were three years old.

At the end of March, the two giant pandas tried to mate under the watchful eye of veterinarians and caretakers. Artificial insemination was also carried out as a precaution, as a female panda is fertile only 24 to 48 hours per year, said the zoo.

Thanks to this technique, on Aug. 4, 2017, Huan Huan gave birth to twin cubs, the first panda babies born in France. The first cub died shortly after its birth and the second one was named Yuan Meng, which means "the realization of a dream" in Chinese.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Interview: Chinese FM's visit to Syria to boost bilateral cooperation, says expert

Xinhua) 12:53, July 22, 2021

DAMASCUS, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The recent visit of Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Syria carries a message that the two sides will broaden bilateral cooperation, a political expert told Xinhua.

Muhammad al-Omari, a former government official at Syria's Ministry of National Reconciliation and currently a political writer, said Wang's visit emphasizes the longstanding relations between Syria and China and "tackles ways to elevating such relations to broader economic relations."

He continued that the visit also stresses China's firm support of Syria and its people to preserve the unity and independence of the country.

Al-Omari also spoke highly of China's willingness to put forward solutions to the crisis in Syria as Wang brought along China's four-point proposal on solving the Syrian issue.

The proposal includes respecting Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity and prioritizing the well-being of Syrians. It also calls for cracking down on the terrorist organizations listed by the UN Security Council and emphasizes the need to promote an inclusive and reconciliatory political solution to the Syrian issue.

During his visit to Syria, the Chinese foreign minister said that as partners in building the Belt and Road Initiative, China and Syria will jointly discuss effective ways to push forward mutually beneficial cooperation, especially in fields of agriculture and trade, which will help Syria raise living standards and rebuild the country.

"The geographic location of Syria may increase the chances of investment inside the country particularly after the huge damage that has befallen the infrastructure in the country for over a decade. China can contribute to the rebuilding process in the coming phase," Al-Omari said.

Speaking of future cooperation, al-Omari expected China to play a role in helping rebuild key infrastructure in Syria.

Meanwhile, al-Omari highlighted the important role China is playing in the Arab world, a region he says suffers from "Western dictation."

He noted that countries like China can change the way Arab countries are treated by the West through prompting investment and playing a key political role in the region.

"The Chinese stance is a supportive one toward the Arab countries in general, particularly the Chinese approach of helping in defusing tension and ending conflicts peacefully," he pointed out.

Wang wrapped up a trip to the Middle East on Wednesday, during which he visited Syria, Egypt and Algeria.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Chinese mainland reports 12 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases

Xinhua) 13:06, July 22, 2021

BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland on Wednesday reported 12 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, of which 11 were reported in Jiangsu and one in Yunnan, the National Health Commission said in its daily report on Thursday.

Also reported were 38 new imported cases, of which 21 were reported in Yunnan, seven in Guangdong, five in Sichuan, two each in Shanghai and Shaanxi, and one in Hunan.

One suspected case that arrived from outside the mainland was reported in Shanghai.

No new deaths related to COVID-19 were reported on Wednesday.

A total of 7,125 imported cases had been reported on the mainland by the end of Wednesday. Among them, 6,580 had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, and 545 remained hospitalized. No deaths had been reported among the imported cases.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland reached 92,414 by Wednesday, including 638 patients still receiving treatment, 16 of whom were in severe condition.

A total of 87,140 patients had been discharged from hospitals following recovery on the mainland, and 4,636 had died as a result of the virus.

A total of 18 asymptomatic cases were newly reported, of which 11 were from outside the mainland and seven from Jiangsu. There were 456 asymptomatic cases, of which 441 were imported, under medical observation by Wednesday.

By the end of Wednesday, 11,970 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 212 deaths, had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), while 56 cases had been reported in the Macao SAR, and 15,478 cases, including 778 deaths, had been reported in Taiwan.

A total of 11,688 COVID-19 patients in the Hong Kong SAR had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, while 53 had been discharged in the Macao SAR, and 12,382 had been discharged in Taiwan.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Chinese health official 'shocked' by WHO's proposal for phase 2 COVID-19 origins study, calling it 'arrogant and lacking respect for common sense'

By Global Times (Global Times) 16:03, July 22, 2021

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)

China's health commission deputy chief said he was shocked to read the World Health Organization WHO's proposal for the second phase study into the origins of COVID-19 in China, which he describes as arrogant and lacking respect for common sense.

Zeng Yixin, deputy director of the National Health Commission, said at Thursday's media briefing that China has submitted phase-2 COVID-19 origins-tracing recommendations to the WHO believing the study should be based on the WHO-China joint study, and it should be carried out in many more places around the world after full consultations with member states, Zeng said.

The WHO on Friday proposed a second phase study into the origins of the coronavirus in China, which includes all the laboratories and markets in Wuhan.

Zeng said that he was "shocked" to read the proposal and he could sense the "lack of respect for common sense and the arrogance in the proposal."

He said the second phase study should not be carried out in places that have already been inspected in the first phase study, especially places where a clear conclusion has been reached.

Chinese observes said the WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has succumbed to US-led West's political pressure. He was calling on China to be transparent and open in further COVID-19 origins studies, but this cannot replace the scientific consensus of the natural origin hypothesis.

Zeng said that China hopes the WHO could consider recommendations proposed by Chinese scientists, truly regard the tracing task as a scientific issue, get rid of political interference and promote the origins study in more countries and places around the world.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Ministry launches bilingual webpage on int'l law enforcement cooperation

Xinhua) 16:15, July 22, 2021

BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS) on Thursday launched a webpage on efforts of Chinese police forces in international law enforcement cooperation, providing relevant information in Chinese and English languages.

The webpage, accessible via the ministry's official website, releases news and related information such as Interpol's actions, policies and laws involving foreigners, foreign companies or foreign trades and investments, and laws and safety tips.

Highlighting the ideas of cooperation, innovation, rule of law and win-win results as the Chinese police's principle for international cooperation, the webpage is dedicated to displaying concepts, measures and achievements of the police in this regard, the MPS said in a statement.

It is expected to help Chinese police forces in vigorously promoting international law enforcement cooperation, so as to inject more positive energy into security, stability and justice globally, the statement added.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
"Tech war" between U.S., China to cost world dearly: media

Xinhua) 16:45, July 22, 2021

Visitors watch a drone capable of 5G wireless connection at the Drone World Congress 2021 and the Shenzhen International Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) Expo 2021 in Shenzhen of south China's Guangdong Province, on May 21, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Feng)

"A tech war has casualties on both sides and it is going to cost the world dearly," said an article by Australia's ABC News.

SYDNEY, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The United States has tried to contain China's rise in a so-called "tech cold war," which is becoming the decisive battlefield for competition between the two countries, according to an article by Australia's ABC News recently.

China has invested heavily in artificial intelligence, robotics, 5G and 6G, microchips and surveillance technology in recent years, catching up fast while the United States has long had an edge in tech, the article said.

The United States has been trying to curb China's development in the tech industry. It has banned Huawei's 5G network within the country and effectively barred U.S. companies from supplying software and components to Chinese tech companies.

However, analysts warn that such skirmishes will only exacerbate the "digital iron curtain" between the West and China, adding that the world is splitting into two competing, mutually exclusive tech ecosystems, each with its own Internet, hardware, communications and financial platforms.

"A tech war has casualties on both sides and it is going to cost the world dearly," it said.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Community workers translate policies into tangible, local benefits

Xinhua) 16:55, July 22, 2021

CHONGQING, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Meticulously trimmed flowers and green plants can be seen in the seven-story residential buildings of Xingjiaqiao Community, which is nestled amid new high-rise blocks and industrial edifices, and the surrounding streets are tidy and clean.

"We have no janitors or public attendants. We take care of our home by ourselves," said Huang Yantao, a resident of Xingjiaqiao Community in the Liangjiang New Area, a state-level economic development zone in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

Huang, along with some 1,400 other residents of Xingjiaqiao, takes the initiative in every matter concerning the community, from where a new tree should be planted to who should receive a social relief payment.

However, things were wholly different before renovation of the community. Tangles of bare wires crawled up walls or hung over streets. Calcimine on the walls of stairways could peel off at any time. Inside, conditions were unlivable as domestic sewage escaped from aged pipes in both kitchens and bathrooms.

"I had to hold up an umbrella in the bathroom," said Huang. Back then, residents were cantankerous, always grumbling about the situation and demanding to be resettled through government support.

Xie Lan, head of the community workers and resident of Xingjiaqiao, knew she had to help change the situation. In 2017, the local government provided financial support to the renovation of the community. But Xie's excitement was quickly dampened by unexpected objections. Only 23 percent of residents agreed to the renovation plan. "What's the point of renovating such a dilapidated community?" Many residents questioned.

Xie was not defeated. She and her colleagues visited residents, home by home. Built in the 1990s, the community was relatively new and did not qualify for government-supported demolition, she explained to them. She added that the buildings also had no potential dangers according to third-party evaluation reports and therefore could not be demolished.

Four households agreed to have their apartments renovated first, to show the changes to their fellow residents. When they saw the new, tidy and clean apartments, others changed their minds and accepted the renovation plan.

Xie recorded the personalized preferences of every household, including ceiling heights and the locations of sockets, and discussed them with the contractors to try to meet the requests.

In early 2020, residents of Xingjiaqiao moved into their newly refurbished apartments. "I could not believe the light and clean kitchen and bathroom belonged to me," said Huang.

Xie won the trust and admiration of her fellow residents through the down-to-earth working style she exhibited during the renovation process. She also found an effective approach to improving community governance -- sending community workers out to establish people's concerns, reporting the problems to the local government, and coordinating efforts to solve them.

But just as celebratory joy filled the community, the COVID-19 epidemic struck China. Xingjiaqiao's community workers faced immediate challenges including screening for possible infections and locking down the entire community. These tasks were impossible for Xie's team of just 14 workers, so she posted a volunteer recruitment announcement in a WeChat group, unsure whether or not residents would come forward to help. Despite her worries, the group chat was flooded with responses. "I'm ready and will go all out," one message read.

"We trust her and are willing to contribute to safeguarding our homes," said Xingjiaqiao resident Meng Jilun.

Though COVID-19 is now under control, the volunteer team continues to serve the community. Some address difficulties faced by senior residents and the vulnerable who are living alone. Some are dedicated to accompanying seniors and helping them deal with loneliness.

"I'm happy that our community is becoming more beautiful and harmonious, and that my fellow residents are more active in bettering our community," said Xie.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
This is land of heroes: Sudan's ambassador to China on SW China's Guizhou

Xinhua) 16:58, July 22, 2021

Some very important events took place in Southwest China's Guizhou Province during the early revolutionary history of the Communist Party of China.

"This is the land of heroes," Sudanese Ambassador to China Gafar Karar Ahmed K. said during a visit to the province.

The ambassador also visited the venue of the Zunyi Meeting, a famous meeting held in 1935 and widely considered a watershed event in the history of the CPC.

"It's a good exhibition for all Chinese people to visit this place," the ambassador said, adding that "Every soldier in the Long March not only represents himself, he represents all the hope of the Chinese people. When they are holding all the hope of the nation behind them, China is a strong China, and a free country and (with) happy people."

In early 1935, the famous Zunyi Meeting held there became a crucial turning point of the Long March, which established the leadership of the new Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Story of a Uygur tour guide in the ancient city of Kashgar

10:46, July 22, 2021 By Walid Abdallah ( People's Daily Online

When I first met Mirsali Abduwili at the front desk of a hotel in Kashgar, I thought he was a journalist from the U.S., as he spoke fluent English. But when I looked at him more carefully, I saw that he was a Uygur tour guide.

Photo shows Mirsali Abduwili (left) talking with Walid Abdallah. (Photo courtesy of the international media tour "A Date with China")

In the following days, Abduwili took us to visit several poverty reduction and rural rejuvenation projects. The local people talked about topics ranging from livestock breeding to hydraulic engineering, which were all very technical, but Abduwili managed to translate their words into English, making communication between us and local people much easier. To my surprise, Abduwili hadnt even been to high school, and had taught himself Mandarin and English.

The 31-year-old said he grew up in the ancient city of Kashgar, and is a witness to the changes taking place here. When I was young, I saw a lot of foreign tourists standing at a square near the eastern gate of the ancient city, carrying large backpacks and cameras, Abduwili recalled, adding that he was impressed by this.

Speaking only Uygur back then, the boy wanted to learn a foreign language. My mother suggested that I learn a skill, and I said language was a skill, he told me. But due to the lack of teachers in local schools, he couldnt learn Mandarin until middle school, not to mention English.

Photo shows Mirsali Abduwili with his daughter and wife. (Photo courtesy of Mirsali Abduwili)

My journey of learning English was an arduous one, Abduwili said to me. He became an apprentice at a barbers shop run by a person of the Han ethnic group in order to learn Mandarin, and to improve his Chinese listening skills, he often wore earphones to listen to news reports and read after the news anchors. He also went to a bar to talk with foreign tourists with the aim of learning English from them. He was so dedicated to learning languages that people around him used to think he was crazy.

Today, Abduwili is a senior tour guide, but has always felt it was a pity that he didnt receive much of an education. To make sure his daughter had access to good education, he sent her to a private kindergarten when she was about three. The tuition for each semester was 6,000 yuan, a little expensive but worth it, because my child could communicate in Mandarin half a year later, he told me.

Abduwili explained that the learning environment of schools in Kashgar is completely different nowadays. The schools are equipped with heating systems, playgrounds, and other facilities, he told me, expressing hope that kids in Kashgar could learn Mandarin and English well so that they can boost their chances of securing a good job.

Ten years ago, I watched several documentaries about Kashgar, and found that the only means of transportation in the city was donkey. I was pretty impressed by this. But when I was in Kashgar, I saw a modern city, an international tourist destination, beautiful buildings, and a clean and cozy environment.

Photo shows Mirsali Abduwili accompanying a tour group from Germany on the Pamir Plateau, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo courtesy of Mirsali Abduwili)

Abduwili told me that in 2007, there were no tourist buses in Kashgar, and now the transportation sector, accommodation sector, as well as tour guide services have all improved. There are at least 6 passenger transport companies in Kashgar, and several hotels are under construction.

When I asked Abduwili about the renovation project of the ancient city of Kashgar, he said that criticism of the project were the results of misunderstanding.

I grew up in the city and I support the renovation. The buildings were built with wood, and the structures were fragile. If earthquakes or other disasters hit, the houses would be damaged, and it would be us who suffered the losses, not those people criticizing us, he said.

Photo shows Mirsali Abduwili providing tour guide services in the ancient city of Kashgar. (Photo courtesy of Mirsali Abduwili)

He also pointed out that the purpose of the renovation was not to replace old buildings with new ones, but to seek to retain the locals way of life and upgrade the buildings based on preserving their original architectural styles.

For me, the practical significance of the renovation project lies in restructuring the tourism industry, as it enables people who work in the industry to operate their businesses more effectively.

The author is an editor with People's Daily Online's Arabic version.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
The new Grande Seconde Skelet-One Tourbillon by Jaquet Droz paves the way for a new artistic horizon, breaking away from traditional designs and towards open-worked mechanics. With this sculptural, modern and powerful edition of the Tourbillon Skeleton, the iconic model is designed for connoisseurs.



The Grande Seconde Skelet-One Tourbillon displays its watchmaking precision, pushing the founding principal of the skeleton movement to the extreme: a minimum amount of material for the maximum amount of rigidity and light. The skeleton structure is brand new and focuses on straight lines, angles, modernity and perfect symmetry. This very contemporary skeletonization is as technical as its highly precise tourbillon movement can be, furthering the technical and aesthetic consistency of the piece. Its bridges, finished in black, confer a powerful matte appearance. The tourbillon cage follows the geometry of the skeleton movement, with a triple cross shape which, once a minute, aligns perfectly with its bridges.

Grande Seconde Skelet-One Tourbillon  Jaquet Droz

The hands, including the seconds hand that is attached to the tourbillon cage, have been redesigned to be more slender and majestic. They sweep over the two multi-tier dials, of which the first is crafted from sapphire and displays the seconds, minutes and hours ring, and is adorned with gold indexes.

This delicate, transparent choreography is underpinned by a second dial in Swiss smoky quartz that is almost invisible but no less essential, and which plays with light and empty spaces that contrast with the figure eight shape - the aesthetic signature of the Grande Seconde collection - and in turn enhances the hour display. Jaquet Droz takes the first steps in creating different illusions for its multi-tier designs by playing with the degree of transparency on the dials and reflector, from slightly smoky to completely transparent.

Grande Seconde Skelet-One Tourbillon  Jaquet Droz

To support the body of the watch, the bottom plate has been completely reworked with three objectives in mind: to distribute the circulating forces around the movement, thus ensuring it is sturdy and allowing as much light to pass through as possible. It is housed in a red gold 41 mm case with the largest opening possible, offering a complete view of the movement. This new addition also reveals an aesthetic that Jaquet Droz has worked on down to the smallest detail, with special attention given to the finishes of the bridges and screws. The red gold 18K skeletonized oscillating weight, visible from the back yet invisible from the dial, provides the Skelet-One Tourbillon with a 7-day power reserve.
On the afternoon of July 21st, the flood fighting and rescue team of Hefei arrived in Zhengzhou facing apocalyptic heavy rain. At 5:30 pm, they received a message for help from a flooded underground garage at the intersection of Dongfeng Road and Jingsan Road. The detachment immediately dispatched two sets of remote water supply systems, one emergency rescue vehicle and two sets of remote water supply vehicles with 50 firefighters to carry out drainage operations. The firefighters first fixed and tracked out the vehicles stuck in the garage, cleared debris in the water and then drained it. (By Yang Zixuan)




File photo of Fu Qianshao

The next-generation bomber of the People's Liberation Army Air Force, one of the Chinese military's most anticipated aircraft, will be world-class in terms of technology and capability, according to a well-informed observer.

Fu Qianshao, a retired equipment expert from the PLA Air Force, said the new Chinese bomber, popularly dubbed the H-20, will be more powerful than the United States' Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, now the mightiest bomber in the world, and will be bigger than the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider, the next US long-range, stealth strategic bomber.

He said the world-class design of the new Chinese aircraft, whose official code name has not yet been disclosed, will outshine its peers around the world.

"Once the new bomber is unveiled, it will definitely be world-leading hardware thanks to our unique technologies, and will be equipped with reliable engines," Fu said this month. "People only need to wait patiently to see the rise of the Chinese aviation industry and the PLA Air Force."

He said research and development of the bomber was highly sophisticated and involved many industrial sectors.

Addressing recent speculation about the new plane's external appearance, Fu said he believed that images of the bomber published in some domestic weapons magazines were purely artistic renderings created by aviation enthusiasts, and did not represent the actual design.

Whether China would develop a new strategic bomber to replace its half-century-old H-6 fleet and what the new aircraft would look like had been long-standing questions among observers and fans of the PLA Air Force until recently, when high-ranking officers and project managers started dropping hints about the new plane.

In September 2016, General Ma Xiaotian, the Air Force's former commander, told reporters, "We are now developing a new-generation, long-range strike bomber that you will see sometime in the future."

In May 2018, the nation's leading aircraft maker-Aviation Industry Corp of China-displayed a front view of what appeared to be a flying-wing aircraft concept at the end of a promotional video. The clip was released to mark the 60th anniversary of Xi'an Aircraft Industry, an AVIC subsidiary in Shaanxi province that is China's major builder of bombers.

AVIC did not explain the six-second clip, doubtlessly an attempt to highlight the plane's significance and mystery.

Despite its brevity, the video seems to have ended debate among Chinese military fans and aviation industry observers about whether the new bomber would adopt a conventional aerodynamic configuration or the flying-wing design previously used only on the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit.

In early January, the PLA Air Force also included an artistic rendering of what appeared to be a large flying-wing bomber at the end of a widely circulated video intended to help recruit new student pilots.

Analysts said it was a move to show that the new bomber's development was proceeding well and likely nearing completion.
By Huang Huikang and Huang Feiye

Japanese right-wing politicians have been talking a lot of nonsense over the Taiwan question recently. Japanese Deputy Defense MinisterYasuhide Nakayama said at a seminar in the US that Japan must protect the existence of Taiwan as a democratic country.Then the Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso vowed to defend Taiwan along with the US exercising its right to collective defense if the Chinese mainland uses force against Taiwan, which will be regarded by Tokyo as a state of survival crisis. These remarks, extremely wrong, conceited, short-sighted and dangerous, aroused strong indignation among the Chinese people. The Chinese government has lodged a stern protest to the Japanese side.

The crazy remarks by Japanese politicians are politically dangerous. Four political documents, including the Japan-China Joint Communique of 1972 and the China-JapanTreaty of Peace and Friendship of 1978, legally confirmed and consolidated the political foundation for China-Japan relations. The two countries have also reached a consensus to develop their ties in the spirit of learning from history, looking ahead to the future. These are hard-won achievements by the two countries and reflect the common aspiration of their peoples for peace and development. The constant fallacious remarks by Japanese right-wingers on the Taiwan question violated the international law and the basic principle of international relations, went back on Tokyos political commitment to China on the issue, contravened the spirit of the four China-Japan political documents, and seriously eroded the political foundation for bilateral relations., which were blatant destruction of the good-neighborly and friendly relationship between the two countries.

The crazy remarks by Japanese politicians are strategically short-sighted. At the centenary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and on the eve of the 84th anniversary of the July 7 Incident of 1937, Taro Aso and right-wing politicians clamoring about the US-Japan joint defense of Taiwan, intended to curb Chinas development and gain political capital for themselves, exposed a few Japanese politicians ambitions to revive militarism, their stupidity of not learning from historical lessons, and their strategic short-sightedness and complete lack of moral credibility. Dancing so willingly to Americas tune, they harbor the speculative intention to fish in the troubled waters of China-US struggle, but it is exactly their myopia that has blinded them to the general trend of the world and the consequences of fueling flames. They should be prepared to pay a heavy price if they dont stop their dangerous words and deeds immediately.

The crazy remarks by Japanese politicians are legally liable. The militarist Japan used to commit numerous crimes of aggression upon China and southeast Asian countries and was an enemy state in the Second World War officially labeled by the Charter of the United Nations, Article 107 of which states, Nothing in the present Charter shall invalidate or preclude action, in relation to any state which during the Second World War has been an enemy of any signatory to the present Charter, taken or authorized as a result of that war by the Governments having responsibility for such action. Should Japan dare to cross the line on the Taiwan question, it would trigger this article and invite upon itself powerful actions by governments having responsibility for such action.

There is only one China, Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory, and the government of the Peoples Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing China  these are facts long acknowledged by the international community. Japan should reflect deeply on history, make a correct judgment of the current situation, and correct its mistakes right away. It should abide by the one-China principle and the spirit of the four China-Japan political documents with concrete actions, speak and act cautiously about the Taiwan question, and stop all wrong remarks and moves on the topic. The Taiwan question concerns Chinas sovereignty, territorial integrity and core interests. China will not allow any country to meddle in the issue in any form. No one should underestimate the Chinese peoples firm resolve, iron will and mighty strength in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity!

(The author is from the Institute of International Law of Wuhan University)
BEIJING, July 22 -- A travel blogger, named "Xiaoxian Jayson," published photos on social media that infringed on the reputation and honor of the martyrs in front of their monuments at the Kangxiwa Martyrs Cemetery, which has triggered widespread public anger recently.

The official Weibo account of the Cyber Security Detachment of the Hotan District Public Security Bureau in Chinas Xinjiang issued a police information report at 19:34 on July 21, stating that the person involved, who is surnamed Li, had been arrested by the Pishan police in the Ali area of Tibet, and the investigation is underway.

Although the photos the travel blogger posted were captioned with Chinese characters meaning respect", two of them still attracted an online backlash, as the blogger posed with a frivolous smile and gesture next to the tombstone on one of them and even leaned against it on another one.

The People's Procuratorate of Pishan County, Hotan, Xinjiang, stated that according to Article 299 of the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China, the person involved is suspected of infringing the reputation and honor of heroes and martyrs, and has thus urged the Pishan Public Security Bureau to successfully file a case. In the future, the public interest litigation along with criminal proceedings will be carried out to pursue his civil liability.

The Pishan City Public Security Bureau has contacted the Ali public security agency where Li is currently located and urged him to go to the Pishan County Public Security Bureau for investigation as soon as possible.

The Toutiao News recently issued a notice, saying that the travel bloggers account was "permanently banned" by the platform for posting the blog involving misconduct that disrespected martyrs.

As the People's Court Daily commented, today's stable and happy life in China is the result of sweat, blood and the lives of heroes and martyrs, and generation after generation of silent persistence and hard work. Insulting the heroes is to challenge the bottom line of public opinion, morality, and the law, and it hurts the conscience of human nature and the feelings of the nation.
By Zhao Guotao, Zhao Wanshu

ZHENGZHOU, July 22 -- Following the important instructions by Chinese President Xi Jinping and the overall deployments of China's Central Military Commission (CMC), the PLA Central Theater Command had dispatched more than 8,800 troops, including troops from the PLA and the PAP units stationed in Henan Province, along with 485 vehicles and vessels, to engage in disaster relief in over 30 places of Henan in parallel as of 12:00 a.m. on July 22, making utmost efforts to protect local people's life and property safety.

Seventy-five service members assigned to an engineering chemical defense brigade under the PLA Central Theater Command had successfully exploded the dam and shunted the flood at Yichuan County and then promptly joined other relief operations.

More than 80 soldiers of a PLA Air Force brigade rushed to Zhengzhou overnight to save the trapped residents and block the dams.

A brigade of the airborne troops dispatched about 650 members to the breach section of Jialu River to reinforce the dam and block the overflow.

The PLA Zhengzhou Joint Logistic Support Center sent more than 170 service members in batches to repair dams and evacuate residents in dangerous areas such as Guancheng District and Guojiaju Reservoir, and sent a medical team to provide itinerant health care.

More than 430 service members from the PLA Army Academy of Artillery and Air Defense and the PLA Information Engineering University, along with more than 280 peers from the People's Armed Police (PAP) Henan Contingent, stayed at Changzhuang Reservoir to block the piping.

The PLA Henan Provincial Military Command mobilized over 2,000 militiamen to dredge waterways, evacuate residents, take patrols and reinforce dams at around 10 dangerous areas in cities of Zhengzhou, Kaifeng, Luoyang, Xuchang and Jiaozuo.

The PLA Central Theater Command has also used reconnaissance satellites and planes to monitor the situation in flood-hit areas. It is learned that the PAP forces have set up a video commanding system, and the joint operations command of the PLA Central Theater Command will continue to dispatch disaster relief forces according to the situation.
By Nan Boyi

An open letter calling on the World Health Organization (WHO) to investigate the US' Fort Detrick lab over COVID-19 origins has been circulating among Chinese netizens since July 17. It has gained over 5 million signatures from Chinese netizens as of Wednesday evening.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian stated, at a daily press briefing on July 21, that the increasing endorsement reflects the Chinese people's aspiration and their anger in the political manipulation by some in the US. A probe into Fort Detrick is long overdue, but the US has not done it yet .

Zhao said that the mystery of Fort Detrick remains unexplained and shrouded by suspicions. The US refused to release critical information regarding the base's closure by citing "national security reasons". In July 2019, the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a "cease and desist order " to halt most research at Fort Detrick. According to US media reports, Fort Detrick stores a large number of viruses that severely threaten people's safety.

A group of Chinese netizens concerned about virus traceability issued an open letter to the WHO during the World Health Assembly (WHA) in early June of this year, expressing their desire to include the Fort Detrick in the second phase of studies on the origin-tracing of the novel coronavirus.

The reason why Chinese netizens have such a demand is that the US continues to distort the facts, saying that the coronavirus came from a lab in Wuhan, China. However, before the first outbreak of the COVID-19, there was a serious virus leak in Fort Detrick in the fall of 2019 and the US government refused to disclose the information by citing national security reasons.

In addition, because the Western media chose to be "selectively blinded" to the open letter at the time and were still slandering the Wuhan Institute of Virology. After Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO said on July 16 that the possibility of the laboratory cannot be rushed out, Chinese netizens decided to issue an open letter again requesting an investigation of Fort Detrick.

The US is currently suffering from a rebound of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, some American politicians are still trying to "politicize" the source of the virus and are committed to "shifting the blame" and discrediting others.

The above-mentioned joint open letter states that China has not only allowed virologists from Western countries to conduct research in Wuhan due to its support for traceability research but also opened the Wuhan Institute of Virology to them and even the American media for visits and investigations. But the US still has not opened up the Fort Detrick laboratory to China and other countries that are independent of the geopolitical influence of the US for investigations, and even deliberately ignored and distorted the Chinese people's call for investigating Fort Detrick. The US calls those appeals "conspiracy theories" while continuing to use rumors to slander the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

At the WHO Member State Briefing held on July 16, many countries emphasized that virus traceability is a scientific task and cannot be politicized. The joint WHO-China study report of origins of Covid-19 released by the WHO should be upheld. The number of countries that have endorsed the letter has reached 55 as of July 20.

Investigating Fort Detrick is an appeal of people all over the world, including the Chinese people. It is a question that the US must answer. Facing the 630,000 American lives lost to COVID-19, the US should be transparent, take concrete measures to thoroughly investigate the origins of the virus at home, thoroughly investigate the reason of its botched response and who should be held accountable, thoroughly investigate the mysteries over Fort Detrick and its over 200 overseas bio-labs, and explain the truth to people across the world and the international community, said Zhao .

Editor's note: This article is originally published on thepaper.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.
Mobile messaging giant Kakao is expanding its iron grip on online commerce in Korea from payments, shopping, webtoons, insurance and financial services to courier and chauffeur services, flower deliveries, hair and nail shops, English crammers, indoor golf ranges and valet parking.

Kakao has exploded into a major conglomerate with assets totaling W20 trillion, and smaller businesses worry that it will display all the bad habits of its older cousins, squeezing suppliers and trying to kill or gobble up the competition (US$1=W1,155).

Many small and mid-sized companies are losing customers due to the expansion of Kakao, whose strategy has been to enter an existing market and eliminate rivals by underbidding them -- before it predictably hikes prices.

Kakao Taxi is a prime example. It now has an 80-percent share of the cab-hailing market and recently began offering paid membership for cab drivers, which critics say is exploitation of the most vulnerable. It has been using the same strategy since 2016 to expand its presence in the beauty shop market, where it faces criticism for charging excessive commissions for bookings.
A Korean American who founded a non-profit support group for Korean War veterans has been named deputy assistant secretary to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Hannah Kim (38), the founder of Remember 727 and former chief of staff to veteran Democratic Congressman Charles Rangel, will be in charge of PR for the department.

Kim was instrumental in establishing National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day in 2009. She founded Remember 727 with fellow Korean Americans to honor veterans. It has been holding candlelight vigils in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. every year.

In 2017, Kim traveled 26 countries to thank over 200 Korean War veterans in person. The following year, she visited veterans in all 50 states of the U.S.

Kim moved to the U.S. at the age of six, and graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles and George Washington University. She is also active in connecting the Korean community with mainstream American politicians.
President Moon Jae-in is considering a pardon for jailed ex-President Park Geun-hye and Samsung chief Lee Jae-yong on the occasion of Liberation Day on Aug. 15, sources said Wednesday.

Lee Myung-bak, another former president who is in prison for bribery and embezzlement, will not likely be pardoned this time.

"Cheong Wa Dae is leaning more towards a pardon than parole for Lee Jae-yong," a government official said. Business leaders are also asking for a blanket pardon so Lee can fully in all normal activities rather than being restricted and having to report to a parole officer.

Park was hospitalized again this week due to chronic shoulder pain. She has been in jail since she was deposed over a massive corruption scandal in 2017.

None of Korea's jailbird ex-presidents have served their full sentence since all were pardoned by their successors.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday defended a compromise agreement with the United States to permit completion of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline to transport fuel from Russia to Germany without the further imposition of American sanctions.

She called the pact, announced Wednesday between Berlin and Washington, "good for Ukraine," even though the $11 billion Nord Stream 2 line, which is 98 percent completed, will bypass Ukraine and Poland. Germany and the U.S. said they are committed to blocking any attempt by Moscow to use the new line as a political weapon to control energy supplies to Europe.

Germany and the U.S. agreed to fund alternative energy and development projects in Ukraine and Poland, although both countries voiced their displeasure at the agreement, saying it was not enough to reduce the threat of Russian energy control.

"Differences remain. We saw that in the reactions yesterday," Merkel told reporters in Berlin, acknowledging opposition to the agreement in the U.S. Congress.

The Ukrainian and Polish foreign ministers said in a joint statement that the German-U.S. agreement created a "political, military and energy threat for Ukraine and Central Europe, while increasing Russia's potential to destabilize the security situation in Europe."
Chinas Central Bank to Support Shanghai in Piloting Free Use of Chinese Yuan

From:Yicai Global | 2021-07-21 10:24

Chinas Central Bank to Support Shanghai in Piloting Free Use of Chinese Yuan

(Yicai Global) July 20 -- Chinas central bank will continue to support Shanghai in building an international financial center through a series of measures, including free capital inflows, outflows and exchanges in the Lingang New Area of the citys free trade zone, an official said today.

Shanghais most important aspect as a global financial hub is reliance on Chinese yuan-based assets, Wang Xin, research bureau director-general at the Peoples Bank of China, said in response to a question from Yicai Global at a cabinet press briefing held to explain policies on Shanghais Pudong New Area.

China issued guidelines to support high-level reform and opening-up of Pudong New Area on July 14. The area will expand openness from the factor level to the system level and take the lead in establishing a new system for an open economy that is compatible with prevailing international rules.

Gradually increasing global demand for yuan-denominated assets will fuel the need for related risk management, a legal environment and talent supply, further promoting Shanghai as a center of yuan asset allocation, risk management and fintech, Wang said.

The International Monetary Fund added the yuan to its Special Drawing Rights basket of currencies in October 2016, meaning it was already seen as a currency that could be freely used worldwide. But China still has foreign exchange controls in place, with an annual currency exchange limit of USD50,000 for each citizen.

China has promoted the opening-up of its financial sector in recent years, with its bonds and stocks included in several leading global indexes, Wang said, adding that the willingness of foreign investors to own yuan assets and the value of those assets are both on the rise.

The PBOC is also expanding cross-border investment and financing channels, improving relevant institutional arrangements, and continuously offering convenience for overseas investment to reach the Chinese market, he added.

In May last year, the PBOC formally abolished the quota system for overseas institutional investors, who had earlier faced an upper limit of USD300 billion for investment in the Chinese mainland.
Pensacola, Fla.  The Florida Department of Health in Escambia County (FDOH-Escambia) urges residents to avoid contact with wild and stray animals to protect themselves from the risk of rabies exposure.

Rabies is a viral disease that infects the central nervous system. Without proper treatment, rabies can cause brain infection and death. Rabies is transmitted by a rabid animal by a bite, a scratch, or by contact with mucous membranes such as the eyes, nose, or mouth. A series of rabies shots can protect a bite victim from developing the rabies infection, if given soon after the bite occurs.

An animal with rabies may appear sick or lethargic, have problems swallowing, or drool or salivate excessively. A wild animal may appear tamer than usual and some animals may have no visible symptoms.

In Florida, raccoons, foxes, bats, and cats are the animals most frequently diagnosed with rabies. Other animals that are at high risk for rabies include dogs, bobcats, skunks, and otters. Because of their proximity to people, stray and unvaccinated cats and dogs pose a special risk.

On July 18, 2021, an individual had contact with a bat while visiting Perdido Kids Park in Escambia County, Florida. The individual has received a rabies vaccine for the bat exposure as a precautionary measure. It is possible that other unknown individuals may have also come in contact with this animal. Anyone who may have come into contact with a bats mouth or claws in this area should seek medical care and consult FDOH-Escambia at 850-595-6700 x 2028.

Residents and visitors are advised to take the following precautions:

Vaccinate pets against rabies and keep vaccinations up to date.

Keep pets under direct supervision so they do not come into contact with wild animals.

If a pet is bitten by a wild animal, seek veterinary assistance for the animal immediately.

Call animal control services to remove any stray animals from your neighborhood.

Bring in pet food at night and secure trash cans with fasteners, or place trash containers in the garage, so they do not attract wild or stray animals.

Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home.

Teach children never to handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they appear friendly.

Prevent bats from entering living quarters or occupied spaces in homes, churches, schools, and other similar areas, where they might come in contact with people and pets.

FDOH-Escambias Environmental Health division investigates animal bite reports, tests animals for rabies through the state laboratory, and orders animal quarantine as necessary. For more information, or to report an animal bite, contact the FDOH-Escambia Environmental Health office at 850-595-6700 or visit www.EscambiaHealth.com.

###

About the Florida Department of Health

The Florida Department of Health, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

Follow us on Twitter at @HealthyEscambia and on Facebook. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.
Mass protests erupted on Tuesday evening in the city of Izh, in which dozens of protesters chanted slogans "Death to Khamenei."

On Tuesday, the number of victims of protests in Iran rose to 5, including 4 in Izh.

Iranians' anger escalated due to the interruption of drinking water from Khuzestan province, Ahwaz regions, and others.

And renewed protests in various parts of Khuzestan province in southern Iran, which is inhabited by an Arab majority, due to the water crisis.

Video clips of protesters chanting the slogan "Death to Khamenei", while others chanted, "Children of the Lor and Arabs are brothers, do not separate," emphasizing the rejection of the efforts of the regime and its supporters to stir up nationalist and racist strife in Khuzestan.

These slogans against the Iranian leader, Ali Khamenei, came amid a heavy presence of the security forces.

Similar protests also took place in other regions, including Ahwaz, the capital of Khuzestan, the city of Khafajia, Falahiyah, Ma'ashur and others, due to the water crisis.

Video footage published by activists from the Al-Thawra neighborhood in Ahvas, on Monday, showed that the security forces fired a barrage of bullets at the demonstrators, which resulted in injuries.
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 73F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 73F. Winds light and variable.
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 73F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 73F. Winds light and variable.
Woburn, MA (01801)

Today

Thunderstorms this evening followed by a few showers overnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low around 65F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms this evening followed by a few showers overnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low around 65F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
Idris and Sabrina Elba will host the GQ Men Of The Year awards 2021.

The 24th edition of the annual awards ceremony, which is held in association with HUGO BOSS, will return to London live in September 2021 with the 48-year-old actor and his model wife as co-hosts.

They said in a statement: "We are excited to host this years GQ Men Of The Year Awards 2021 in London. In their various ways, the GQ Men Of The Year Award winners have kept all of our spirits up throughout one of the most difficult years and we are very much looking forward to celebrating with them  and hosting a great party!

Nick Sargent, Chief Business Officer, Culture at Conde Nast Britain and Publishing Director of British GQ, added: After the unprecedented year weve had, Im thrilled to announce the return of the GQ Men Of The Year Awards for 2021 as a live event. Even though our virtual event last year was a huge success, its exciting to be able to come together again in person to celebrate the incredible talent who best represent GQ and continue to push the boundaries on the worlds cultural stage. It will be a night to remember.

The awards ceremony was held virtually last year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Previous winners and attendees of the GQ Men Of The Year Awards include: The Prince Of Wales, Captain Sir Tom Moore, Paul Mescal, Nicole Kidman, Marcus Rashford, Stormzy, Ozzy Osbourne, Iggy Pop, Sir Ian McKellen, Kylie Minogue, Lewis Hamilton, John Legend, Chris Hemsworth, John Boyega, Donatella Versace, Lashana Lynch, Jeff Goldblum and Kim Kardashian West.

GQ Men Of The Year Awards 2021 in association with HUGO BOSS will take place on September 1st.

The 2021 ceremony will celebrate the following categories:

Band

Deezer Breakthrough Music Artist

Designer

Game Changer

Hero

Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute

Honor Magic Leading Man

Hugo Boss Breakthrough Actor

Icon

Inspiration

Legend

Lifetime Achievement

Maddox Gallery Artist

Male Solo Artist

Outstanding Contribution

Peroni Nastro Azzurro Breakthrough Designer

Standout Performance

Television Actor

Writer
House Democratic Whip Rep. James Clyburn tells CNN's Jake Tapper that one Trump official boasted about political interference in CDC guidance. "If he was doing things that may be criminal in nature, then we ought to bring that to light," he said.
The nomination of a northeast Indiana congressman to serve as the top Republican on the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump was rejected Wednesday by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

In a statement, Pelosi said she was compelled to object to the appointment of U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, R-Columbia City, due to Banks' past statements and actions relating to the Capitol attack that she said may compromise the integrity of the House investigation.

"The unprecedented nature of January 6th demands this unprecedented decision," Pelosi said. "The future of our democracy is on the line. This assault was an attempt to overthrow the government."

Mike Pence condemns the violence and loss of life in D.C.

Banks was among 139 House Republicans who challenged the electoral votes for Democrat Joe Biden submitted by the states of Pennsylvania and Arizona  notwithstanding certification of their validity by state officials  as part of an effort to propel Trump to a second term, despite the Republican failing to win an electoral vote majority and losing the national popular vote for a second time.

He also said Monday he believed "Democrats and the media" were responsible for the Capitol attack, even though Trump was impeached for instigating the violence, and Banks promised to use his position on the committee to press for an investigation of last year's "political riots" that followed the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

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Watch Now: Riding Shotgun with NWI Paramedics

"Make no mistake, Nancy Pelosi created this committee solely to malign conservatives and to justify the left's authoritarian agenda," Banks said.

Banks said Wednesday he was "disappointed" in Pelosi's decision to pull him from the Jan. 6 committee. Pelosi also bumped U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who, like Banks, is among the Republicans most loyal to Trump.

"She knows Jim Jordan and I will fight for our country and for the truth," Banks said. "This proves again this is entirely a political stunt, not a true effort to follow the facts."

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said unless Pelosi agrees to seat all five of his nominees to the panel, "Republicans will not be party to their sham process and will instead pursue our own investigation of the facts."
Press Release

July 22, 2021 Statement of Senator Risa Hontiveros on the SC ruling on petitions challenging the unilateral withdrawal of PH from the Rome Statute I respect the decision of the Supreme Court in relation to the petition we in the Senate Minority filed challenging the Duterte administration's unilateral withdrawal from the Rome Statute. I am glad that despite the dismissal of the petition, the Supreme Court nonetheless acknowledged that the president's power of withdrawal from treaties is not without limitation, and that the president may not unilaterally withdraw from treaties on which the Senate imposed conditions for its concurrence. The Supreme Court has also pointed out that safeguards for human rights and protections against offenses addressed by the Rome Statute remain in place in the country, and that the withdrawal from the Rome Statute will not affect the liabilities of those charged before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for acts committed up to the date of withdrawal. In fact, the Supreme Court ruled that withdrawal from the Rome statute will not affect the duty of the Philippine government to cooperate with the ICC in all criminal investigations and proceedings commenced prior to the withdrawal. This means that the withdrawal will not negate any liability for the alleged summary killings and other abuses committed in the course of the so-called War on Drugs. I have some bad news for human rights violators in the country: They are not off the hook. They have nothing to celebrate. Sooner or later, they will have to face justice for the heinous acts they have committed against the Filipino people.
DeSotos legacy in Mississippi still being felt nearly 500 years later
Michael Leon Brock, 54, of Walls, is charged with federal offenses that include assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers and obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder, among other charges.
Barely a fortnight after he was accused of absconding from his fatherly duties, Kiambu Senator Kimani Wamatangi has reportedly sent a measly Sh7,000 to cater for his daughters school fees.

Earlier this month, the girls mother and former househelp for Wamatangi, Ms Winfred Wangui, claimed that he had refused to cater for his daughters admission to high school.

The girl has received an admission letter to a good school but I cannot manage to raise the required moneyhe blocked me and failed to respond to my text messages that I wrote to him reminding him of his role, Wangui said.

In a new development, Wangui says Wamatangi sent Sh7,000 through proxies.

He has been using other people to reach me but has not been receiving my calls. He sent Sh7,000 using a new phone number with another name but the sender told us it came from Wamatangi, she said.

Wamatangi, who doubles up as Senate Majority Whip, is said to have sired the girl with Wangui after he allegedly sexually assaulted her in 2006..

The girl sat for her KCPE exam at Crowns King Academy in Juja Farm, Kiambu. She scored 391 out of the possible 500 marks and earned admission to State House Girls in Nairobi.

Wangui claims the money sent to her was not enough as she is required to pay school fees amounting to Sh53,554.

In 2019, a childrens court in Nairobi ordered Wamatangi to cater for the minors education, medical expenses, and take a medical cover for her.
Fans of Kenyan rapper Khaligraph Jones have been dealt a blow after top South African rapper Nasty C admitted that a collab between them is not on the cards.

Born Nsikayesizwe David Junior Ngcobo, Nasty C landed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport(JKIA) in Nairobi Wednesday, July 21.

At JKIA, the 24-year-old superstar rapper fielded various questions from reporters. One of the questions was whether he was planning to work with any Kenyan acts while in Nairobi.

Kenyan rap heads would have hoped that Nasty C would say, Khaligraph Jones, Kenyas arguably best rapper at the moment, but it wasnt to be.

Have you heard of Khaligraph Jones? one of the reporters asked.

Nasty C responded in the affirmative, saying: Yeah, Ive heard of him. To which the reporter further asked: Would you like to work with him?

After appearing to choose his words carefully, Nasty C said: I dont think our styles match.

He went on: Just because were both rappers it doesnt necessarily mean that our styles match, further insisting: Our styles dont match.

Ouch! While Nasty C might have tried to be polite, we all know that he trashed Khaligraph Jones style.

The Zulu Man with some power rap star did however reveal that he will be working with the sensational Xenia Manasseh, who will be making her debut on stage on Sunday, July 25 at the Spasso Lounge, Karen Landmark.

We have reason to believe that Nasty C will be the unnamed special guest at the 1-8 pm event.

Back at the airport, when asked if he was planning to collaborate with a Kenyan act, Nasty C had trouble remembering the name of the Berklee School of Music alumnus.

Whats her name? Nasty C asked a member of his entourage who happens to be friends with Xenia Manasseh.

YeahXeniahI actually met her when she was in South Africa, Nasty C added.

Meanwhile, we are waiting to hear what Khaligraph Jones has to say about Nasty Cs sentiments about his style.
One of the victims of a shooting at Quiver Lounge along Thika Road, Nairobi is paralyzed, lawyer Daniel Maanzo told the court.

Maanzo, who is representing the family of Police Constable Festus Musyoka, made the revelation during the bail hearing of the accused Dickson Njanja Mararo.

The lawyer, who is also the Member of Parliament for Makueni, and State prosecutor Everlyne Onunga vehemently opposed Mararos release.

Police Constable Festus Musyoka Kavuthi is now paralysed following the shooting, Maanzo said, adding that the officer will be permanently confined to a wheelchair.

The lawyer argued that PC Festus Musyoka will now have to rely on people given that he could be relieved of his duties as an officer.

Prosector Onunga on her part said PC Musyoka is in critical condition at the Nairobi Hospital where he has been hospitalised since July 2, 2021. She urged the court to deny Mararo bond due to the severity of the crime.
According to information published by Tass on July 22, 2021, two missile frigates of the Vietnamese Navy, the Tran Hung Dao, and the Quang Trung have entered the Zolotoi Rog Bay and are assuming their positions in the parade formation with the help of the tugs of the Pacific Fleet.

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Gepard 3.9 class frigate Tran Hung Dao (Picture source: War defense news)

A total of 16 sets of roadstead equipment have been installed in the bay for the parade formation. Overall, the festivities will involve seven combat ships. The final rehearsal of the Pacific Fleets ships will take place on July 23.

Russia will hold its Main Naval Parade on Navy Day in St. Petersburg on July 25 to mark the Fleets 325th anniversary. Naval parades will also take place in Severomorsk, Baltiysk, Sevastopol, Kaspiysk, Vladivostok, and Tartus (Syria).

The Vietnamese Navy took delivery of its first two Gepard-3.9s (Project 11661E) in 2011 and ordered two more in 2012. The second pair was laid down in the fall of 2013. Vietnam is reportedly intent on ordering two more frigates of the class.

The Zelenodolsk Shipyard has built Project 11661 frigates since 1990. The ships in the class displace 1,500 tons and carry artillery, antiaircraft and antisubmarine weaponry and anti-ship missiles as well. The frigates are designed to seek for and destroy submarines, surface ships and aircraft, conduct patrolling and convoy escorting and protect maritime exclusive economic zones.

The hull and superstructure are constructed primarily of steel, with some aluminum magnesium being used in the upper superstructure. They are equipped with fin stabilizers and twin rudders and can use either gas turbines or diesel for propulsion in a CODOG configuration.

 Copyright 2021 TASS Navy Recognition. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
According to information published by Lockheed Martin on July 20, 2021, the company is awarded a $231,400,000 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract N00024-20-C-5310 to definitize the initial award, and procure an additional 70 MK41 Vertical Launching System modules and ancillary equipment for DDG 51-class destroyers and FFG 62-class frigates.

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MK41 Vertical Launching System (Picture source: Sea Forces)

This contract modification combines purchases for the U.S. government (80%); the Commonwealth of Australia (13%); and Spain (7%) under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Work will be performed in Baltimore, Maryland (46%); Indianapolis, Indiana (27%) Fort Walton Beach, Florida (15%); Farmingdale, New York (5%); Saginaw, Michigan (3%); Waverly, Iowa (2%); Thomaston, Connecticut (1%); and St. Peters, Missouri (1%), and is expected to be completed by July 2025.

Fiscal 2021 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $91,645,715 (40%); fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $91,645,715 (40%); FMS Australia funds in the amount of $30,691,427 (13%); and FMS Spain funds in the amount of $17,417,143 (7%) will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

The Mk 41 Vertical Launching System / VLS is a modular, below deck, canister missile launching system that was originally designed for the Navys Aegis-equipped guided missile cruisers to provide air threat protection for naval battle groups. The Mk 41 VLS is a multi-missile, multi-mission launcher, capable of launching SM-2, SM-3, SM-6, ESSM, Tomahawk, and Vertical Launch ASROC missiles.

MK 41 is built to store and launch ballistic and long-range strike weapons such as the Tomahawk missile, the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile system and the Vertical Launch Anti-Submarine Rocket.
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Russia files inter-state application with ECHR, makes multiple claims against Ukraine

 RAPSI, Natalia Vaneyeva

12:29 22/07/2021

MOSCOW, July 22 (RAPSI)  Russia has filed an inter-state application against Ukraine with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) outlining a number of issues ranging from atrocities during the Maidan protests to the downing of flight MH17 in 2014.

Firstly, Russia draws the attention of the ECHR to the responsibility of the Ukrainian authorities for deaths of civilians, illegal imprisonment and ill-treatment of people, including the incidents that took place on Independence Square in Kiev (Maidan) and in the House of Trade Unions in Odessa in 2014, as well as in the Donbass during the so-called "anti-terrorist operation".

Secondly, the claims in the complaint relate to the systematic violation by Kiev of the right to freedom of expression, in particular with respect to journalists.

Russia insists that ECHR should also study the situation with discrimination in Ukraine against the Russian-speaking population, including the ousting of the Russian language from the public sphere, primarily from the sphere of secondary and higher education and the consumer service system.

At the same time, a number of claims against Kiev are related to discrimination against Russian companies and businesses, attacks on diplomatic, consular and other representative offices of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, as well as refusal to provide the necessary legal assistance to the Russian investigating authorities.

Death of people, harm to health and destruction of property as a result of shelling by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the territories adjacent to the Russian Federation; depriving residents of certain territories of the South-East of Ukraine of the opportunity to participate in elections of the central authorities, the statement of the Prosecutor Generals Office reads.

Russia draws the attention of the ECHR to the situation with the deadly MH17 crash, as Moscow says, it happened due to the fact that the Ukrainian authorities failed to close its airspace over the conflict zone.

Finally, the complaint points to the blocking of the North Crimean Canal serving as the main source of fresh water for the residents of the Crimean Peninsula.

The application is intended to draw the attention of the European Court of Human Rights to gross and systematic violations of human rights by the Ukrainian authorities, to record numerous facts of criminal acts in the international legal field, to force the Ukrainian authorities to stop committing the alleged crimes, conduct a proper investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice, restore peace and harmony on the territory of Ukraine, Russia's Prosecutor General's Office says.

The application, among other things, contains a detailed description of the process of unconstitutional change of government in Ukraine and the promotion of nationalist forces into the Ukrainian state bodies, which was the main reason for the ensuing massive violations of the European Convention on Human Rights and its Protocols, according to the Prosecutor General's Office.

Interim measures should be applied in accordance with Rule 39 of the Rules of Court, obliging Ukraine to refrain from further committing violations such as blocking the flow of fresh water to Crimea, restricting the rights of national and linguistic minorities, including free access to general and higher education in their native languages, prohibition of Russian-language television and radio channels, restricting access to Internet platforms and printed publications in Russian, the Prosecutor Generals Office statement reads.
British Arab Commercial Bank (BACB), the international wholesale bank dedicated to specialist markets, has announced a series of key appointments to strengthen the banks leadership.

These appointments, that follow the naming of Eddie Norton to the CEO's post in October 2020, are expected to enhance its risk strategy framework and focus on growing trade finance flows in key North African markets and re-positioning its UK Real Estate business.

Stephen Bell has been appointed as Managing Director and Chief Risk Officer. Recently serving as Chief Executive and Chair of Investment Committee for a private-equity backed real estate lender, Bell has held a variety of executive and board roles with a focus on risk, strategy, transformation and restructuring, a bank statement said.

Sami Al-Sharif, an experienced banker with significant Libyan expertise, returns to BACB as Deputy Chief Executive Officer. A qualified accountant and established banking professional, Al-Sharif joins from Libyan Foreign Bank  BACBs majority shareholder  where he has held several senior roles, including Deputy Head of Operations and, most recently, Head of Risk.

Another appointment is that of Michael Rolfe as BACBs new Head of Trade Finance. Rolfe assumes the role in addition to his existing responsibilities at BACB, and has been promoted to Managing Director reporting directly to CEO Norton. He will focus on the banks core trade finance competencies.

Richard Burrows will take up the role of Head of Real Estate in addition to his existing role as Treasurer. Burrows joined BACB in 2019, having previously held senior positions at the Bank of China, the Co-operative Bank, the Financial Services Authority and Citigroup.

CEO Norton said: As BACB moves towards its next phase of safe, sustainable growth, it is vital that we maintain a sharp focus on strengthening our risk strategy and framework and our core trade finance offering for the markets that we serve.

Bell and Al-Sharif bring deep knowledge of our specialist markets as well as a wide range of expertise. Our leadership team is further strengthened by Burrowss appointment as Head of Real Estate/ Treasurer and Rolfes appointment as Head of Trade Finance," he said.

"I am confident that the skills, experience and unique perspectives of Bell, AL-Sharif, Rolfe and Burrows will prove invaluable to the senior leadership team," Norton added.-TradeArabia News Service
Shippings employers have responded well in looking after their shore-based teams during the ongoing Covid pandemic, according to the results of a new survey of maritime employees. This is in contrast to the experiences of seafarers during the pandemic. Further action is needed to confront discrimination and to support diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

These are just some of the findings from the 12th Annual Maritime Employee Survey, conducted earlier this year by Halcyon Recruitment, Diversity Study Group and Coracle Maritime. The survey received over 1,000 responses from those in shore-based employment, spanning all sectors, job roles and regions of the global maritime industry.

The results paint a broadly positive picture of working life for those in shoreside roles during the Covid pandemic and an endorsement for the action taken by employers in response to lockdown restrictions around the world.

Most respondents gave a positive response to the steps taken by their employers, with 73% stating that their employer has responded appropriately, 68% saying that their employer has supported them to work flexibly, and 75% feeling connected with their team and colleagues. At the same time, 53% reported an increase in their workload because of Covid.

Although this picture appears largely consistent across job roles, sectors and regions, there are some notable exceptions. Overall, 76% of survey participants feel either extremely or moderately secure in their jobs, but this falls to 67% for those in insurance and legal roles, 66% in HR, crewing and support roles, 61% in the offshore sector, and just 45% in the Indian sub-continent.

Interestingly, despite the ongoing challenges posed by the pandemic, the maritime jobs market appears fluid, with 87% of respondents stating that they are either ready to move to a new role or are open to offers. This may be due to the success of remote working, with employees confident that they can work successfully, despite the restrictions of the past year, with many workplaces closed and very limited face-to-face contact with colleagues or customers.

The survey also reveals an unwelcome picture when it comes to discrimination in the maritime industry. Just over half of all survey respondents (51%) stated that they are personally aware of discrimination within the shipping industry. The three leading causes of discrimination were nationality (53%), gender (44%) and age (40%). Furthermore, only 52% of respondents said that they felt able to raise discrimination concerns with their current employer.

When it comes to diversity and inclusion (D&I) in the maritime industry, 70% said that they would like to see their employer do more to achieve a diverse and inclusive workforce, with a further 63% describing diversity in the workplace as being extremely important to them. 42% of respondents knew that their employer operates a Diversity and Inclusion programme.

Nevertheless, diversity, inclusion and equality are still growing in prominence within the shipping and maritime industry. This appears to be due to ESG reporting and gender reporting requirements, with ethnic minority reporting also on the horizon in some regions, as well as awareness of the tangible business benefits for D&I programmes.

Commenting on the results of the survey, Heidi Heseltine, CEO of Halcyon Recruitment and Co-Founder of the Diversity Study Group, said: Shippings shore-based teams and employers have responded incredibly well to the unique circumstances of the past year, as the results of our survey show and the resilience and adaptability of employees around the globe deserves to be recognised. It is hard, however, not to draw the contrast between the experience of shore-based shipping professionals and those of the severe challenges faced by those working at sea during this time.

This has been the most unpredictable year that most of us have experienced in our lives. With uncertainty still prevailing, HR and employee-related strategies have been subject to considerable change. In our report last year, we were optimistic that Covid would encourage employers to use the opportunity for positive change, perhaps under-estimating the extent of the crisis at the time, but we would still urge employers to revisit their employee focus beyond Covid as a priority. Otherwise, when the dust settles and more employment opportunities open up, it is not unreasonable to anticipate a considerable amount of talent attrition. This should include a positive response to the demand for more action to build more diverse, inclusive workforces and to tackle discrimination. -- TradeArabia News Service
Saudi Arabia has decided to ban citizens from travelling directly or indirectly to Indonesia until the epidemiological situation in that country is stabilised, an official source at the Ministry was quoted as saying in local media.



The Ministry of Interior has called upon the citizens present in Indonesia to exercise caution, stay away from areas witnessing the spread of the virus, follow all precautionary measures, and return sooner to the Kingdom, reported Saudi Press Agency (SPA).


Despite a small uptick in May, the emergence of Covid-19 variants and the continued imposition of restrictions are weighing on the recovery of international travel, said the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in a new report.



Between January and May, international tourist arrivals were 85% below 2019 levels (or a 65% drop on 2020), UNWTO data shows.



Meanwhile, domestic tourism continues to rebound in many parts of the world.



The latest UNWTO data shows that over the first five months of the year, world destinations recorded 147 million fewer international arrivals (overnight visitors) compared to the same period of 2020, or 460 million less than pre-pandemic year of 2019.



However, the data does point to a relatively small upturn in May, with arrivals declining by 82% (versus May 2019), after falling by 86% in April. This slight upward trend emerged as some destinations started to ease restrictions and consumer confidence rose slightly.



Rebuild trust to restart tourism



Accelerating the pace of vaccination worldwide, working on effective coordination and communication on ever changing travel restrictions while advancing digital tools to facilitate mobility will be critical to rebuild trust in travel and restart tourism, said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.



By regions, Asia and the Pacific continued to suffer the largest decline with a 95% drop in international arrivals in the first five months of 2021 compared to the same period in 2019. Europe (-85%) recorded the second largest decline in arrivals, followed by the Middle East (-83%) and Africa (-81%). The Americas (-72%) saw a comparatively smaller decrease. In June, the number of destinations with complete closure of borders decreased to 63, from 69 in February. Of these, 33 were in Asia and the Pacific, while just seven in Europe, the region with the fewest restrictions on travel currently in place.



By subregions, the Caribbean (-60%) recorded the best relative performance through May 2021. Growing travel from the United States has benefitted destinations in the Caribbean and Central America, as well as Mexico. Western Europe, Southern and Mediterranean Europe, South America and Central America saw slightly better results in May than in April.



Mixed outlook for remainder of 2021



International tourism is slowly picking up, though recovery remains very fragile and uneven. Rising concerns over the Delta variant of the virus have led several countries to reimpose restrictive measures. In addition, the volatility and lack of clear information on entry requirements could continue to weigh on the resumption of international travel during the Northern Hemispheres summer season.



However, vaccination programmes around the world, together with softer restrictions for vaccinated travellers and the use of digital tools such as the EU Digital Covid Certificate, are all contributing to the gradual normalization of travel.



In addition, domestic travel is driving the recovery in many destinations, especially those with large domestic markets. Domestic air seat capacity in China and Russia has already exceeded pre-crisis levels, while domestic travel in the US is strengthening further.  TradeArabia News Service
Dubai national carrier Emirates has taken off to US city of Miami, marking the airlines first passenger flight to the coastal metropolis, its second point in Florida, and the airlines first new destination launched since the pandemic.

Emirates flight EK213 departed at 3.10 am today (July 22), according to an Emirates statement.

The new four times a week service to Miami takes Emirates US network to 12 destinations on over 10 flights a day. The airline is operating over 60 per cent of its pre-pandemic capacity to the US and continues to expand its presence in line with increasing passenger traffic.

The new service to Miami will also serve as a gateway to Central and South America as well as the Caribbean Islands. In the other direction, travellers will be able to connect to the Emirates network of more than 120 destinations.

In addition to Miami, Emirates has re-started flights to Nice, Mexico City, Phuket, Lyon, Mauritius, and Malta in July.-TradeArabia News Service
On July 2nd, the worlds only airworthy SAAB B 17 attended the Lae Flying Weekend, a fly-in event organized by the Norra Smalands Flygklubb, a flying club located right in the heart of Sweden. This event marked the aircrafts first public appearance since around 2014. For the occasion, Bjorn Rystedt, SAAB Aerospaces Chief Engineer and the B 17s pilot, sent us an article about the history of the type and the restoration of SAAB B 17A s/n 17239  better known as Bla Johan, her squadron callsign. More about this unique warbird will come in a future issue of Warbird Digest Magazine, so stay tuned!



Restoring a SAAB B 17 Dive Bomber

by Bjorn Rystedt

Wait, what?!!. B 17s werent capable of dive-bombing, were they? Well, perhaps not the B-17 most of us are more familiar with, Boeings legendary Flying Fortress, however Svenska Aeroplan AktieBolag  better known as SAAB  designed their B 17s for such a role from the outset! Developed during World War II, the SAAB 17 was one of the Swedish Air Forces main frontline combat aircraft. While the type didnt serve the Swedes for long, with the Saab A 21 replacing it as the nations primary attack aircraft soon after the wars end, it was still a notable design.

Development of the SAAB B 17

Sweden employed dive-bombing techniques from early on in its history. In fact, AB Flygindustri (in Malmo, Sweden) collaborated with Junkers in the development and manufacture of the Junkers K 47 during early 1930, and these aircraft both helped develop German dive-bombing tactics and led to the (in)famous Junkers Ju 87 Stuka.

By 1936 Sweden had drawn up a defense plan which required the establishment of four new bomber wings. The nations air force already employed a number of imported or license-built aircraft, including the Northrop 8A-1 dive bomber, which they redesignated as the B 5 (B being short for Bomber). However, the Swedish Air Force needed a multi-role aircraft which, in addition to dive-bombing, could perform reconnaissance and forward air observer missions as well. The government decided that this new aircraft should be of Swedish design.

Therefore, ASJA (AB Svenska Jarnvagsverkstaderna Aeroplanavdelning), with support from engineers at the Douglas Aircraft Company, developed the L-10 project in response to the militarys request for proposals. They presented a wooden mock-up of the new design to Swedish Air Force staff in August 1938. This resulted in the November 11, 1938 contract, signed by AFF (AB Forenade Flygverkstader) and ASJA, for the development of a prototype aircraft, named P 7. While this was going on, consolidation in the Swedish aircraft industry began taking place. By March 1939, AFF had ceased trading and SAAB moved from Trollhattan to Linkoping and absorbed ASJAs production facilities and gained responsibility for continuing the design for the L-10.

It took a little over a year for SAAB to complete the prototype P 7/L-10, which first flew on May 18th, 1940 with Saab chief test pilot Claes Smith at the controls. This first flight nearly ended in tragedy, with the forward canopy hatch coming free and striking Claes Smith in the head, but despite his injuries, the pilot managed to land the new aircraft without further complication. Following testing, the Swedish Air Force approved the manufacture of production examples, ordering the dive bomber variant as the B 17 and the reconnaissance examples as the S 17.

The SAAB B 17 has some unique design features, the most notable of which are the massive, main landing gear door covers. These serve as dive brakes; during a dive-bombing run, the pilot will lower the landing gear, which extends these highly drag-inducing gear doors into the slipstream, limiting the aircrafts speed in a 70-degree dive to no more than 500 kph, thus helping bombing accuracy and safe aircraft pullout after ordnance release.

SAAB built a total of 322 B 17s in three different versions, which primarily depended upon which engine type they used. The B 17A flew with a 1,065hp Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp C-3 (which Sweden later copied, without a license, as the STWC-3), the B 17B fielded a 980 hp Bristol Pegasus Mk.XXIV while the B 17C used a 1,000 hp Piaggio P XI RC 40D. For winter conditions, the aircraft could operate with skis in place of the wheels. There was also a floatplane version, the S 17BS (the initial S in the designation refers to Spaning, i.e. Reconnaissance with the other S is short for Sjo, i.e. Sea).

Saab B17A Junkers Ju 87B Douglas SDB Dauntless Speed 435 km/h 340 km/h 410 km/h Range 975 km 600 km 900 km Gun 2 x 8 mm fixed-wing and 18 mm gunner 27,9 mm fixed-wing and 17,9 mm gunner 212,7 mm fixed-wing and 27,62 mm gunner Bomb 700 kg 500 kg 1015 kg

The performance comparison between the SAAB B 17 and other well-known, WWII-era dive bombers.

During WWII, Danish pilots in exile underwent training in Sweden, resulting in the formation of a Danish B 17 squadron with 15 B 17Cs. This unit had been established in case they were needed in the liberation of Denmark, as the Germans had conducted a scorched-earth policy when leaving other nations they occupied, but thankfully the war ended before that could occur in Denmark. The aircraft remained in Sweden following the cessation of hostilities.

There was one export customer for the SAAB B 17, however. When the Imperial Ethiopian Air Force ordered the SAAB 91 Safir as their basic trainer in the late 1940s, the Swedish pilot Count Carl von Rosen organized Ethiopias military flying school. He learned that in addition to the Safir trainers, the Ethiopians also wanted combat aircraft, so naturally, von Rosen thought of the SAAB B 17. On November 13th, 1947 the first sixteen ex-Swedish Air Force B 17s arrived in Ethiopia. In total, the nation received 46 B 17As, with some of these aircraft remaining in service as late as 1970!

Today, just five SAAB B 17s remain extant. Besides the subject aircraft of this article, s/n 17239, there is S 17BL s/n 17005 at the Swedish Air Force Museum in Linkoping, B 17A s/n 17320 at the Danish Technical Museum in Helsingor, and two ex-Ethiopian B 17As (s/n 17273 and 17365) owned by John Sayers of Johannesburg, South Africa. The latter two airframes are presently stored in Lithuania.

Saab B 17A s/n 17239  Bla Johan

On May 26th, 1943 SAAB flew B 17A s/n 17239 from their factory in Linkoping to Trollhattan for pre-delivery flight testing, which took place on July 23, 1943. Four days later, the company formally handed the aircraft over to the Swedish Air Forces F 7 Wing in Satenas. However, due to a lack of engines, technicians removed the aircrafts STWC-3 powerplant and returned it to SAAB to enable their more rapid delivery of further airframes to the military. In the interim, the aircraft underwent modifications to bring it up to the current specifications for the type. On December 1st, 1943, the Swedish Air Force assigned s/n 17239 its squadron codes, designated the aircraft as Bla Johan  or Blue John in English  where Blue is the color of the second squadron in a Swedish Wing while J is the aircrafts individual identifier.

On April 27th, 1945, Bla Johan made a heavy landing, incurring damage to the left-wing. The accident resulted from a faulty airspeed indicator causing the pilot to reduce his airspeed below minimums during his runway approach. The aircraft underwent repairs and was soon flying again, however, on June 6th, 1945, the aircraft struck a parked B 5 during take-off and suffered significant damage for a second time. Patched up and returned to service, she was involved in a further incident two years later in June 1947, when a dummy bomb dropped onto the ground and bounced back up high enough to strike the fuselage!

In early 1948, the aircraft returned to SAAB for dual-control modifications, with a stick in the back seat and delivered to the third squadron at F 14 Wing in Halmstad. The last flight for 17239 in military service was performed July 3, 1951, when a faulty magnet forced the pilot to perform an emergency landing at F 1 wing in Vasteras.

In March 1954, 17239 underwent modifications at F 1 Wing for use as a target tug. The aircraft was painted yellow and received the civilian registration SE-BYH. While the airframe was still owned by the Swedish government, the civilian corporation, Svensk Flygtjanst AB in Stockholm, was responsible for operating her.

In November 1957, SE-BYH transferred to another company, Avia in Visby, for target towing duties. Here she would remain until her final service flight on June 30th, 1968. After this flight, the maintenance team discovered her engine had a damaged cylinder; this effectively grounded the aircraft. Interestingly, one of Avias most experienced pilots was Birgit Thuring, so far the only woman to fly a Saab B 17. During the autumn of 1969, SE-BYH was transported to the historical aircraft collection in Linkoping and placed in storage, awaiting the construction of the planned-for Swedish Air Force Museum.

Restoration of Bla Johan

During a dinner meeting at the Air Force Museum in Linkoping in September 1995, Saabs public relations manager, Anders Annerfalk, raised the idea of restoring SE-BYH back into airworthy condition. Saab ABs 60th anniversary celebrations were due in 1997, and the B 17 would make a wonderful sight in the air alongside more current Saab-built aircraft in the present military fleet. Jan Nygren, the head of Saab Military Aircraft, liked the idea and discussed the practicalities that same evening with the head of the Swedish Air Force Museum, Sven Scheiderbauer.

On September 18, 1996, the first project meeting took place, with Lennart Petersen appointed project manager. Soon afterward, SE-BYH was transported from storage to the Air Force Museum maintenance shop where she underwent a thorough inspection. Her instruments went to FFV Aerotech AB for evaluation.

The restoration team soon got to work. One of the first things they did was remove the superfluous tow winch installation from her civilian target tug days. They removed the fabric-covered control surfaces for refurbishing. Gulli Mjardesjo, who had worked at Saab on this type of fabric work from the age of 15 until she retired was responsible for applying the new fabric.

Another team disassembled the engine to repair the damaged cylinder from her last flight in 1968. The propeller went to Norrna Fly-in Norway for maintenance. A new rear canopy and also new landing gear from the Air Force Museum collection were sourced and installed. As they proceeded with their work, they discovered evidence of old structural damage on the aircrafts belly, likely caused by that bouncing dummy bomb in 1947!

A team then towed the aircraft from the Air Force Museum through the town of Linkoping to Saab AB where they removed her old paint. Following this work, they towed her back to the Air Force Museum.

After a lot of work on the engine, they test ran it for the first time on April 1, 1997; after 29 years in storage, the powerplant roared back to life  with some extra smoke and fire for effect!

All told it took 9,949.4 hours of work from 28 volunteers over the course of 193 days before Bla Johan was ready to fly again. The aircraft was still in bare aluminum with only the rudders painted in military green. Kjell Nordstrom had the honor of taking her aloft for the first test flight on June 11, 1997; he used the radio call sign Swedish Bertil 17 for B 17. After one hour of a successful flight, Kjell Nordstrom gave Bla Johan the thumbs up; everything worked as required in the 1943 Swedish Air Force Flight Manual. In 2000, the Bla Johan restoration team received the FAI Phoenix Award for best restoration work!

Bla Johan is still flying today, operated by Saab AB. She wears the same color scheme she wore when first delivered to 2 squadron F 7 wing, although there are some discussions about how correct this paint is. But there are very few pictures of this specific aircraft from that time that we cannot be 100% sure of; there were big differences back then, even amongst aircraft in the same squadron. The plan is to keep Bla Johan airworthy through at least the Swedish Air Forces centenary celebrations in 2026 and Saab ABs 90th anniversary in 2027. More about this unique warbird will come in an upcoming Warbird Digest Magazine, make sure to subscribe HERE.
The Spitfire was designed by Reginald Mitchell at the Supermarine factory in Southampton in the mid-1930s. A prototype flew from Eastleigh Aerodrome, now Southampton Airport, in March 1936. Even before the end of the war, the aircrafts prowess became legendary. It quickly secured its place as an emblem of the countrys defensive might during the Battle of Britain. The winning design for the statue was announced in 2010, but the scheme failed to attract funding, until now.

Last Wednesday at a Southampton City Council meeting, councilors put forward their strategic support for the project which is estimated to cost 5.5m. Based in Mayflower Park, the project has been the subject of conversations for years after being given planning permission back in 2014. The monument is aimed at recognizing those who designed, built, and flew the Spitfire in World War II and is said to heighten the significance of the citys heritage both nationally and internationally.

At 1.5 times the size of the original Spitfire, the stainless steel representation will soar 40m (131ft) above ground seemingly taking flight over Southampton water. The stainless steel mast elegantly curves skyward where it is topped by the Spitfire reproduction. The mast resembles a vapor trail; wider at the base it guides the eye of the visitor to the Spitfire at its pinnacle. At the bottom of the mast, the word Spitfire will be embossed on the surface. The style of the text comes directly from the original marketing brochure for the Supermarine Spitfire produced in 1938. The circular plinth invokes the style of the roundels or insignia used by the RAF and other international air forces. It will protrude over the waterfront as well as having a prominent space to display a merlin engine  most likely under reinforced glass to create a stunning focal point. The outer ring of the plinth will display the roundels and insignia of the 31 allied air forces that flew the Spitfire throughout its service career. It will also include roundels representing the cities and towns that were involved in the construction and maintenance of the Spitfire. The roundels will be interactive so as to draw people into the monument.

The design of the monument was awarded to Nick Hancock Deising: We are delighted to have won the national competition to design a memorial to the Spitfire and its designer, RJ Mitchell, which will stand on Southamptons docks. The project has met a warm response both within Southampton and further afield, making it our most high-profile project to date. The monument has been granted planning permission by Southampton Council and we are working with a world-class team of consultants to make this vision a reality.

Southampton is the true home of the Spitfire. RJ Mitchell started working for Supermarine in Woolston in 1917. He had a passion for racing aircraft and this passion would drive him to develop the Spitfire.

The prototype was completed in 1936 and fabricated in the Woolston factory. It made its maiden flight from Eastleigh airfield (now Southampton Airport) on 5th March of the same year. After the initial test flight Supermarines Chief Test Pilot Captain Joseph Mutt Summers famously said, Dont touch anything.

The people of Southampton delivered the first operational Spitfires to the RAF on 4th August 1938 and the Woolston factory continued to be the only supplier of Spitfires until the summer of 1940 when, during the Battle of Britain, it was catastrophically bombed with the loss of 100 lives. Even after the bombing of the Supermarine factory, the people of Southampton continued to produce the Spitfire, dispersed to locations throughout the city, for the duration of the war. The Spitfire and Southampton are inseparable and it is the attitude of perseverance, ingenuity, and patriotism that really does embody the spirit of the Spitfire. For more information, visit www.nationalspitfiremonument.com
China has deployed its unmanned aircraft to restore communication service and survey conditions in several villages in Henan province which were severely affected by recent heavy rains and floods.

Upon an urgent request from the Ministry of Emergency Management, AVIC Chengdu Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System, a subsidiary of the Aviation Industry Corp of China, started on Tuesday night to prepare a Wing Loong 2H disaster-assistance drone for signal relay and aerial survey operations.

At 2:22 pm Wednesday, ground controllers operated the drone to take off at an airport in Guizhou province's Anshun. It flew nearly 1,200 kilometers and arrived in the airspace over Henan province's Mihe township at 6:21 pm.

The aircraft then began to fly around the flood-stricken township to provide communication signals to mobile phone users in the China Mobile network as local residents' communications links with outside had been cut off for a certain period of time due to the destruction of infrastructure.

After the makeshift communications network was established, China Mobile sent a text message to local users to tell them to seize the opportunity to report their situation to outside authorities and to contact their family members.

During the five-hour relay operation, the drone provided phone or internet services to a total of 3,572 residents and generated data traffic of nearly 2,100 megabytes. At its busiest time, as many as 648 users were connected with outside places through the craft, according to a statement from AVIC, a State-owned aircraft conglomerate.

The aircraft was then ordered to use its optical devices and radar to detect and map devastation conditions in some other places in Henan.

Around 2:30 am on Thursday, it finished all tasks and began to fly back. It landed at the same airport in Anshun at 6:15 am, according to ground controllers.

The Wing Loong 2H is a civilian variant of AVIC's Wing Loong II combat drone, one of the best of its kind in the world.

A Wing Loong II has a length of 11 meters and a wingspan of 20.5 meters. It can stay in the air for 20 hours with a maximum speed of 370 kilometers per hour.

The combat drone is able to carry up to 12 laser-guided bombs or missiles, which can have a total weight of 480 kilograms.
A vehicle of the People's Liberation Army is seen in Henan province on July 22, 2021. [Photo/IC].

The Chinese armed forces had deployed more than 6,000 officers and soldiers as well as over 10,000 militiamen in Central China's Henan province as of Thursday afternoon to take part in disaster relief efforts in the flood-stricken province.

By 5 pm Thursday, the People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police Force had sent 44 groups of troops and militiamen who carried more than 1,400 sets of vehicles and engineering machines as well as over 170 boats to flood-affected places to assist in local governments' endeavors to curb the aftermath of city floods, debris flow and landslides, according to the PLA Central Theater Command, which is in charge of the military's disaster relief operations.

Top officers from the command, including General Zhu Shengling, its political commissar, have been in Henan since Wednesday to oversee and lead the armed forces' relief work, the command said in a statement.

As the rain has begun to move northward, the command's major aid forces have started deploying troops in 12 hazardous regions in northern Henan.

Many military units stationed in Henan including parachute and missile brigades have sent their officers and soldiers to help local authorities and residents to handle the natural disasters.
Bishop John Hsane Hgyi died from the virus. Yesterday more than 6,000 cases were reported, but doctors claim that the number is much higher. Local dioceses set up hospitals. The junta released some prisoners to limit the spread of the coronavirus in overcrowded prisons, but some activists see it as a ploy to make space for political opponents.

Yangon (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Bishop John Hsane Hgyi of Pathein, southern Myanmar, has died, Fr Florence Aung Kyaw Oo, chancellor of the diocese, reported, cited by Radio Veritas Asia.

We are all saddened and shocked by the news of our father bishops return to the eternal home, said the clergyman in a message of condolences.

Appointed bishop of Pathein in 2003, the 68-year-old prelate suffered from diabetes and contracted SARS-CoV-2 earlier this week.

Meanwhile, some 247 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today. More than 6,000 new cases were yesterday, according to official data. Myanmar doctors claim however that the government's numbers are lower than the actual figures.

The extent of the pandemic is difficult to measure since only 12,000 to 15,000 people are tested every day, health officials note.

The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) recently included Myanmar among the countries with the highest level of danger with regard to the spread of the virus.

In order to limit the rising number of cases, Myanmar authorities banned travel from one village to another.

Yesterday, the ruling military junta announced that some prisoners jailed before February would be released to prevent the virus from spreading in overcrowded prisons.

The military did not provide further details regarding the release, but according to Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), this could be a ploy against the opposition.

It makes me think that they are creating more space within the prisons so that they can detain more political activists opposing them, an AAPP official told Myanmar Now.

For their part, Catholic hospitals are gearing up to receive patients unable to find a place in public health facilities.

Less serious patients are being turned away, and most people are forced to seek treatment at home and obtain medicines and oxygen supplies on their own.

In the Diocese of Loikaw (Kayah State), a small clinic run by Caritas within the cathedral complex has been converted into a field hospital.

Surgeons, doctors, nurses, health service technicians, volunteers and religious offer their free help, said Father Ba Shwe, apostolic administrator of the diocese.

After the military coup on 1 February, several doctors joined the civil disobedience movement, refusing to work in military-controlled hospitals.

A doctor who spoke to Radio Free Asia on condition of anonymity said the situation is set to get worse because the health system has collapsed.

[V]ery few health workers [. . .] will continue to work in the health sector, she said. If it goes on like this, if left unmanaged, a very worrisome situation will arise.
One of them, Lam Man-chung, was arrested yesterday. Journalists' Association: it's 'white terror'. RTHK journalists are banned from writing about 'the president or government of Taiwan'. Five trade unionists arrested for publishing children's stories explaining 2019 anti-government protests.

Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - The court in West Kowloon this morning denied bail to four key figures from the Apple Daily newspaper, which closed on June 24. Accused of threatening national security, the pro- democracy newspaper suffered a series of arrests and the freezing of assets worth HK million (1.9 million).

Associate editor Chan Pui-man, English web page editor Fung Wai-kong, columnist Yeung Ching-kei and former editor-in-chief Lam Man-chung, who was arrested only yesterday, will await trial in prison. They are being charged with conspiring with foreign forces to have sanctions imposed on Hong Kong and China, an offence committed between July 2020 and April 2021.

After Lam's detention, the Hong Kong Association of Journalists called on the authorities to stop spreading 'white terror'. The term is used to denounce the use of the Security Act to target the media and terrorise the population.

According to Victor So, one of the judges assigned to national security cases, there is not enough evidence to believe that the four will no longer commit the alleged crimes. In order to obtain their release, defence lawyers said their clients were prepared to meet stringent conditions: avoiding interviews; no longer working in the media; no contact with foreign officials and legislators; and surrendering their passports.

The case against them was adjourned until 30 September. Jimmy Lai, founder of Apple Daily, the newspaper's publisher Cheung Kim-hung and editor-in-chief Ryan Law are already in jail.

The clampdown on information did not spare RTHK either. In a circular letter issued on 20 July, the management of the city's public TV station banned its journalists from using "inappropriate" terms such as "the president or government of Taiwan". Such expressions are considered contrary to the "one-China principle", invoked by the central government in its relations with the island, which the communist leadership considers a "rebel" province.

In addition, the National Security Police today arrested five trade unionists on charges of circulating "seditious" children's books. The General Union of Hong Kong Speech Therapists has published a series of short stories entitled 'Sheep Village Guardian'; the idea behind the book series is to help parents and teachers explain to children aged five to eight 'the events of 2019 in Hong Kong'. The reference is to the anti-government protests of the pro-democracy movement, to which Beijing responded by ordering the draconian security crackdown in June 2020.
Covid has allowed people to rediscover the value of prayer, the role of the Church and the importance of the pastor in the community. Going beyond online celebrations to "be close" to those in need. The Patriarch, eight bishops and 60 priests gathered in Ankawa for the first spiritual retreat at the time of the coronavirus. The emergency has led to "rediscovering the beauty of sharing".

Ankawa (AsiaNews) - The crisis caused by Covid-19 "has allowed us to rediscover the value of prayer, the role of the Church and the importance of priests and consecrated persons" who must go beyond online celebrations to "stay close to people, in a material and spiritual way," says Fr Samir Youssef, parish priest of Enishke, in the diocese of Amadiya (Iraqi Kurdistan).

The pastor spoke to AsiaNews about the recent retreat in Ankawa, a Christian suburb of Erbil, with the Chaldean patriarch, eight bishops and 60 priests. The annual appointment was cancelled in 2020 because of the pandemic, but "this time we wanted to celebrate by deepening the spirituality and value of the priestly body as a sign of God's beauty".

The spiritual retreat of the Chaldean Church began on 19 July and ends tomorrow. "The difficulties are still visible: four priests were unable to attend because they tested positive for the coronavirus". Among the topics discussed were prayer and the spiritual life, holiness in the difficulties of contemporary society and the role of the pastor in a community affected, wounded and above all "afraid" of the Covid pandemic.

"We all did a test before coming together to see if we were infected. The virus has shown the weakness of the body and, once the emergency is over, the world will never be the same again. Already we can see the struggle to encourage people to return to life, to overcome the fear of illness, death, paralysis' caused by the coronavirus and the measures put in place to counter it, starting with lockdowns, closures, remote teaching, distancing."

The most important element of this spiritual retreat, warns the priest, is that "despite the pandemic we must not be afraid to meet" to discuss, debate and understand "how to be close to the faithful not only online, but by bringing solidarity and trust in a concrete way". Everywhere around us "we see wars, hunger, lack of medicine like in Lebanon, the pandemic" but "through the eye of the heart, as St Ephrem said, we must find beauty".

The Chaldean priest's words are not mere platitudes but born from firsthand experience of teh beauty of sharing in these difficult times. He is one of the beneficiaries of the campaign launched by AsiaNews and the PIME Foundation "Adopt a Christian from Mosul" in the aftermath of the rise of Islamic State (IS, formerly Isis) militiamen in northern Iraq between 2014 and 2015. An initiative that, over the years, has supported thousands of families and continues to bear fruit even today that the jihadist movement has been defeated militarily, although combatant cells are still active on the ground as demonstrated by the attack at the beginning of the week in Baghdad.

We must rediscover the beauty of sharing, of helping each other," emphasises Fr Samir, "as we did with the Christian, Muslim, Yazidi and Sabeans refugees fleeing Mosul and the Nineveh plain. This makes us understand that we are one body and when one part is in difficulty we are all called to help each other. "Christian joy,' he added, 'is not only in receiving, but also and above all in giving. The pandemic has shown the ugly face of humanity, self-interest, selfishness, but it has also revealed a unity of purpose to get out of the crisis".

Fr. Samir confided that he had gone to Erbil for the retreat after spending two years in his villages and in the mountains of Kurdistan: "There is a lot of fear, but we need to work on this". In describing his own community in the diocese of Amadiya, he stigmatises the bombings by the Turkish air force against positions of Kurdish Pkk fighters in the mountains of Kurdistan, which create tension and terror among the inhabitants of the area."

"Ours is a tourist area," he concludes, "many people from Baghdad and the south come to our mountains in search of greenery and refreshment. This creates work for restaurants and hotels, but the attacks are slowing down arrivals and the pandemic has hit an already difficult situation hard. We need help from the central government, but it is not forthcoming, while we, as a Church, try to do what we can, from food to medicine."
by Nirmala Carvalho

A crowd of 30 people stormed the small hospital run by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in Mokama, terrorising patients. The violence was triggered by the failure to revive a 40-year-old man taken to the facility after he was shot and wounded.

Patna (AsiaNews)  The Nazareth Hospital in Mokama, in the Indian state of Bihar, was devastated by an angry mob after the death of a patient.

On 15 July, in the evening, a group of 30 people ransacked the small health facility ran by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. The only functioning ward had 11 patients that day.

The hospital offers only medical outpatient and in-patient services along with outpatient obstetrics and gynaecology, plus an advanced physiotherapy ward.

A nun present at the time, Sister Aruna Kerketta, was beaten as she tried to inform the administration of what was happening.

Making matters worse, the local police stood idly by without taking action.

The violence was triggered by the death of Pankaj Kumar Singh, a 40-year-old man who was shot riding a motorbike on his way home.

He was taken to the nuns' hospital with his rescuers shouting to get everything ready and call a doctor.

When the doctor realised the man was dead, they continued to argue that it was not true and that he needed to be revived. Then they started thrashing the facility, terrorising the nurses and patients.

This incident saddens me a lot, said Archbishop Sebastian Kallupura of Patna speaking to AsiaNews. These Sisters serve the poor, he explained.

The nuns bear witness to a true missionary spirit, working tirelessly for the people, especially women and children, without discrimination. I pray for the hospital staff and also for those who committed this atrocity.

This is not the first episode of violence at the hospital. In 1979 Fr Francis Martinsek, a US Jesuit missionary who served as chaplain, was shot by people unknown. He eventually died from his wounds.
by Vladimir Rozanskij

The solemn celebration was attended by 7,000 faithful, despite restrictions against Covid. In 2004 Pope Wojtyla returned the icon of the Mother of God to the Russian Orthodox Church. The capital of Tatarstan is a place of dialogue between religions.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - The Russian Orthodox patriarch Kirill (Gundjaev) yesterday consecrated the cathedral dedicated to the icon of the Mother of God in Kazan, capital of the republic of Tatarstan, the homeland of the Russian Tatars. The solemn celebration, to which President Vladimir Putin sent a message of good wishes, drew a crowd of over 7,000 faithful. They lined the streets of Kazan despite concerns about the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, which shows no sign of abating across the country.

The Patriarch came out of self-isolation on the outskirts of Moscow, where he had been since the beginning of the Covid emergency. He went to Kazan with a programme designed to avoid any risk of contagion for himself and the other concelebrants. The delegation of the Orthodox Church kept its distance from the crowds of faithful, who remained in front of the maxi-screens set up outside the cathedral, to which only 300 people, including the authorities, were admitted.

Kirill had promised to consecrate the church to the Metropolitan of Kazan Feofan (Asurkov), who died in December 2020 of the coronavirus and had been a close friend and collaborator of his since his youth. The promise was reiterated to the president of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, who has invested three billion roubles (about 40 million euro) in the restoration of the cathedral. Feofan's successor, Metropolitan Kirill (Nakonecnyj), and his predecessor, Metropolitan Anastasij (Metkin), concelebrated with the patriarch.

In his homily, the Patriarch recalled that "today we consecrate the cathedral built on the site where the miraculous icon known throughout the world as Our Lady of Kazan was found". He emphasised that the building was rebuilt with the means and at the behest of the entire people of this city and all of Russia. In a place that seemed hostile to the Orthodox faith," Kirill added, "this monument to the spirit, courage and faith of our people has risen".

The cathedral has been rebuilt as the original, which was blown up in a spectacular and demonstrative manner by Stalin in 1932. The church houses the icon returned to the Russian Church by Pope John Paul II in 2004. Walter Kasper had brought it back to Russia. Pope Wojtyla had received it as a gift in 1993 from the US Catholics, to whom it had come after long vicissitudes, and since then he had prayed every day in front of it in his personal chapel. The wish of the Polish pope was to return it personally, a wish that he was unable to fulfil.

The icon is one of the oldest copies of the original one, lost for centuries. Religious and civil authorities have displayed it on various occasions to invoke the help of the Mother of God in the most dramatic circumstances of Russian history. In the mid 16th century, Tsar Ivan the Terrible did so in the conquest of Kazan, the last Khanate of the Tatars who had occupied Russia for over two centuries.

Having won the battle in 1579, Ivan built the now restored church; its solemn elevation to cathedral took place in 1808, in the magnificent new building. Now the image has been relocated to the corner where it had remained until Soviet times, covered by the silver riza that adorned it until 1904, when the current variant of the icon was also lost.

In 1917, the Bolsheviks closed the church and the adjacent monastery. The Soviet authorities then used it as a tobacco factory and later as a school and other facilities, before it was destroyed to make way for a huge cinema (the Vostok-Kino). The rebirth of the building began in 2004; Patriarch Kirill laid the foundation stone of the reconstruction in 2016.

Tatarstan is a republic with a Muslim majority, but with a great openness to dialogue with other religions. Its historic first president, Mintimer Saimiev, in office from 1991 to 2010, had on his own initiative rebuilt the great Qol-Sarif mosque inside the city's Kremlin, which dominates Kazan from above. Next to it, Saimiev had the Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation restored. In 2005, under the walls of the Kazan Kremlin, he assigned land to Catholics to build their own church. Cardinal Angelo Sodano consecrated it in 2008 with the title of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
At least 62 people arrested, eight journalists injured in police attacks. Demonstrations took place in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. An officer threw a woman down the stairs of the hospital where she had gone for medical treatment. Unanimous condemnation of police violence.

Istanbul (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Turkish police have beaten and arrested dozens of people who took to the streets in at least three cities in the country in recent days to commemorate the "Suruc massacre" of the Kurdish minority at the hands of the Islamic State (IS, formerly Isis).

The demonstration was promoted by the Suruc Families Initiative, a platform formed by the families of the victims, joined by various student and youth organisations. When the demonstrators started to march, the police intervened with tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets.

The commemoration was held on 20 July in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir and the same scenes of police violence were reported in all three cities. According to some sources, at least 62 people were arrested and eight journalists were injured in the clashes, as they were shot by police officers in riot gear.

In Istanbul, the demonstration took place in the Kadikoy district in the Asian part of the city. When the crowd tried to move, police started to fire tear gas and rubber bullets, arresting several people. In Ankara and Izmir, members of the movement had been given permission to gather, but when they tried to march, police officers immediately intervened.

On social media there were pictures of police spraying tear gas on the armoured cars where the arrested people were held, then closing the doors and simulating a situation of suffocation. A young woman was thrown down the stairs of the hospital where she had been taken for medical examinations by the policeman who had previously arrested her.

"The institutions that cannot understand that the press is an indispensable part of democracy in Turkey trigger verbal and physical violence against journalists to hinder the people's right to information," the Turkish Journalists Association said in a written statement. Condemnation of the violence also came from the International Press Institute (IPI) and the Turkish Union of Journalists (Tgs), which published several pictures of reporters injured by the police.

The "Suruc massacre" took place on 20 July 2015 in the Kurdish-majority town of the same name on the Syrian border. A bomb explosion hit a group of Kurdish militants who were giving a press conference about their plans to cross the border to help those rebuilding Kobane, then the focus of a violent battle between Kurds and Islamic State militias. To date, there is only one suspect under arrest for the attack, Yakup Sahin, who is also accused of planning a terrorist attack against a gathering of Kurdish and left-wing groups in Ankara on 10 October 2015, which cost the lives of 109 people.
by Melani Manel Perera

A meeting by the Christian Solidarity Movement marked the anniversary of Black July, the event that set off the countrys civil war in 1983. India still has 107 refugee camps with 58,000 Tamil refugees who are not recognised as citizens in either India or Sri Lanka. Teaching ethnic groups to live together from childhood remains a challenge.

Colombo (AsiaNews)  In late July 1983, a terrible wave of anti-Tamil violence broke out in Sri Lanka, sparking the countrys long and bloody civil war. Since then, Black July has left an open wound in the country.

To mark the anniversary, the Christian Solidarity Movement has launched an awareness campaign in order to overcome ethnic tensions that still persist after 38 years.

The campaigns main event was a meeting held on Tuesday at the Maradana Centre for Society and Religion. Buddhist monk Udawala Nanda Thero gave the keynote speech.

The real reasons that led to this tragedy have not yet been addressed, Thero said. Laws have been introduced, but no realistic solutions have been found.

For the religious, We must sincerely ask ourselves where we are going. In today's Sri Lanka are we really following in the footsteps of Desmond Tutu or Martin Luther King? No, we are just following an ideology that divides minorities from the majority. We need instead a common language and educational path to help Tamils, Sinhala and Muslims live together from childhood.

An ethnic Tamil Anglican priest, Fr Marimuttu Sathivel, also spoke at the meeting. In 2003, he said, citizenship was granted to people of Indian origin, but not to those who fled to India because of the war.

At present, There are still 107 refugee camps in various parts of India and 58,000 people who are not recognized as citizens in either country. This is the legacy of Black July 1983.

For Fr Sathivel, Tamils have not yet been involved in the economic development process of this country. Hence, Today there are 146,000 workers in the hill plantations, but three or four times as many young people work in Colombo in factories or as servants without any form of protection.

What is more, Racism continues to perpetuate itself. We just want the right to live on this earth in safety.

At the end of the meeting promoted by the Christian Solidarity Movement, participants held a symbolic protest at the Lipton Circus in Colombo, raising signs with the slogans "No to racism" and "Protect Minority Collective Rights.
Less than 50% of the U.S. population and 60% of those older than 18 have been fully vaccinated, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Slightly more than 56% of the population has received at least one dose. Thats well behind the goal President Joe Bidens administration set for the nation in March, which aimed for 70% of adults to have at least one dose of vaccine by July 4.
The message that we wanted to give was not that people shouldnt get the J&J vaccine, but we hope that in the future, it will be boosted with either another dose of J&J or a boost with Pfizer or Moderna, Nathaniel Landau, a virus specialist at NYUs medical school who led the study, told The New York Times.
Sisolak, a Democrat, requested one of the surge teams the same day the Biden administration announced them, and the team in Nevada is the biggest deployed so far. Federal officials said the teams will only go where theyre invited and that staff from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and FEMA are also on the ground or en route to Missouri, Illinois, Colorado and North Carolina.
While this settlement cannot undo the harm suffered by millions of Americans who have been hurt by the opioid epidemic, it is a very important step forward, Frosh, a Democrat, said in a statement. We hope and anticipate that this proposed agreement will bring relief for many thousands of Maryland families who continue to suffer the devastating consequences of opioid addiction.
My story with this office started literally at day one of my life as my father opened the practice in 1971 and I was born three years later, Rich Streett said as he addressed those gathered for the event. As time went on, I progressed to becoming an assistant working along with the doctors and eventually decided to attend the Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. So truly outside of vet school and one year working at a different veterinary practice, Ive been a lifer thus far here at Churchville.
Keith Davis Jr. will become just the second person in U.S. history to be tried this many times for the same incident, Miller said in a news release issued by the campaign. This case  like the case of Curtis Flowers, a Mississippi man who endured six trials and spent more than two decades behind bars before his charges were dropped  is troubling because of what appears to be strong evidence of police and prosecutor misconduct.
Whether the issue will be taken up in the state legislature has yet to be seen. The General Assembly did pass laws during this past legislative session to reform juvenile sentencing laws to allow for more avenues of release and prohibit sentences of life without the possibility of parole, but legislators removed language in another bill that would have prohibited minors under the age of 13 from being charged with crimes.
Many of us  maybe even most of us  were raised with the quaint idea that the president of the United States should be reasonably intelligent, informed and humane; he should not be a chronic liar, not an outright bigot, not a science denier and certainly not a fomenter of insurrection. And Ill go further and say that most of us were raised with firm instruction that democracy requires civilized debate and agreed-upon facts, that education is key to personal and societal success, that science saves lives and might even save the planet.
At the very least, Maryland should clearly and firmly recommend mask wearing for schoolchildren, as Virginia has, issuing guidance Wednesday that elementary schools should keep a mask mandate in place until a vaccine is available to children under 12 and officials have had time to widely administer it. Local jurisdictions in that state can still ignore the nonbinding advice, of course, but at least theyve been warned. Maryland health officials say they strongly recommend but do not require masks indoors in general, which feels tepid by comparison. Wed prefer they go a few steps further than our Southern neighbor and not only recommend masks, but require them through at least the end of the year in both elementary and middle schools.
Why are Homes in Puerto Vallarta Priced in USD?



Pricing real estate in USD is a common practice not only in Puerto Vallarta and the greater Banderas Bay region, but in many other markets throughout Mexico, particularly in areas that attract foreign buyers. Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - It's a question we get asked all the time: "Why is real estate priced in USD in Puerto Vallarta?" It's a good question and there are a couple of things to understand.



First, pricing real estate in USD is a common practice not only in our Banderas Bay region, but in many other markets throughout Mexico, particularly in areas that attract foreign buyers. Yet, when you actually purchase a property in Mexico, the accepted USD price on the property will be converted to Mexican pesos during the legal closing process at the notary's office and in your deed.



So why is real estate in Mexico priced this way? There are at least two answers, one simple and one a little more complex.



1. Ease of understanding the numbers - Real estate agencies know, especially in this day and age, that buyers do a lot of their own searching for properties in Mexico online. Americans obviously understand the value of $500,000 USD, Canadians, who are accustomed to doing USD conversions, are able get a ballpark number quickly in their head, and in Mexico, where the economy is closely tied to the USA, most Mexicans can easily do an approximate exchange.



But, if you ask an American or Canadian that doesn't live in Mexico what $9,922,500 MXN amounts to, they likely will need to dig out a conversion app to get to the answer. (Spoiler Alert: as of the day of writing, $9,922,500 MXN converts to $500,000 USD). So pricing in USD makes it easier for foreign clients of all nationalities to understand property values.



This makes sense, ease of communication to a larger audience of buyers, because a commonly understood expression of monetary value in North America is the US dollar. Which may sound like values are expressed in USD to be accommodating to foreign buyers - which is partially true - but in reality, this manner of pricing benefits Mexican national buyers in a more substantial way.



2. Hedging against currency fluctuations - Many Mexicans use purchasing USD priced real estate as a "safe haven" to protect against variations on the currency market. Let's use some simple math to help illustrate how this works:



A Mexican national spends $5,000,000 pesos to purchase a home valued at $250,000 USD when the exchange rate is 20 MXN to 1 USD.



After the real estate purchase is made, let's say the peso devalues to 25 MXN to 1 USD, which can happen very rapidly, as we saw in 2020. Had the buyer held on to his or her 5 million pesos, those pesos would now be worth only $200,000 USD.



However, the buyer is still in possession of a home worth $250,000 USD (or perhaps more), which means that they have retained $50,000 because of the hedged equity in the property.



Essentially, for many Mexican buyers, purchasing USD-priced properties is a way of "parking" their money in dollars, avoiding losses due to currency fluctuations, and potentially increasing their asset base.



This explains why Mexican real estate is often priced in USD, but it does open up another question that buyers, both national and foreign, will often ask: "Is a property that is priced in USD being sold at an inflated price versus a property that is listed in pesos?"



It's an understandable question and effectively the answer is no, there is not a separate system of value for USD or MXN listings. Pricing in either currency generally reflects current value on the real estate market. But having an experienced, professional real estate agent on your side helps to ensure that you're getting good value for your home.



Do you have more questions about the real estate market in Puerto Vallarta?



Click HERE for more Puerto Vallarta real estate and lifestyle tips from Tropicasa Realty.



Since 1997, Wayne Franklin and his team at Tropicasa Realty have been a trusted name in Puerto Vallarta real estate. Tropicasa Realty is the region's representative for "The Leading Agents of the World" and with over 100 years of combined experience in real estate, all agents of the company are affiliated with AMPI. Wayne Franklin or any member of his knowledgeable team can be contacted in-person at their Romantic Zone Office - Pulpito 145-A at Olas Altas. While in PV they can be reached at (322) 222-6505 or by calling 866-978-5539 (Toll-Free) from the U.S.



- It's a question we get asked all the time: "Why is real estate priced in USD in Puerto Vallarta?" It's a good question and there are a couple of things to understand.First, pricing real estate in USD is a common practice not only in our Banderas Bay region, but in many other markets throughout Mexico, particularly in areas that attract foreign buyers. Yet, when you actually purchase a property in Mexico, the accepted USD price on the property will be converted to Mexican pesos during the legal closing process at the notary's office and in your deed.So why is real estate in Mexico priced this way? There are at least two answers, one simple and one a little more complex.- Real estate agencies know, especially in this day and age, that buyers do a lot of their own searching for properties in Mexico online. Americans obviously understand the value of $500,000 USD, Canadians, who are accustomed to doing USD conversions, are able get a ballpark number quickly in their head, and in Mexico, where the economy is closely tied to the USA, most Mexicans can easily do an approximate exchange.But, if you ask an American or Canadian that doesn't live in Mexico what $9,922,500 MXN amounts to, they likely will need to dig out a conversion app to get to the answer. (Spoiler Alert: as of the day of writing, $9,922,500 MXN converts to $500,000 USD). So pricing in USD makes it easier for foreign clients of all nationalities to understand property values.This makes sense, ease of communication to a larger audience of buyers, because a commonly understood expression of monetary value in North America is the US dollar. Which may sound like values are expressed in USD to be accommodating to foreign buyers - which is partially true - but in reality, this manner of pricing benefits Mexican national buyers in a more substantial way.- Many Mexicans use purchasing USD priced real estate as a "safe haven" to protect against variations on the currency market. Let's use some simple math to help illustrate how this works:A Mexican national spends $5,000,000 pesos to purchase a home valued at $250,000 USD when the exchange rate is 20 MXN to 1 USD.After the real estate purchase is made, let's say the peso devalues to 25 MXN to 1 USD, which can happen very rapidly, as we saw in 2020. Had the buyer held on to his or her 5 million pesos, those pesos would now be worth only $200,000 USD.However, the buyer is still in possession of a home worth $250,000 USD (or perhaps more), which means that they have retained $50,000 because of the hedged equity in the property.Essentially, for many Mexican buyers, purchasing USD-priced properties is a way of "parking" their money in dollars, avoiding losses due to currency fluctuations, and potentially increasing their asset base.This explains why Mexican real estate is often priced in USD, but it does open up another question that buyers, both national and foreign, will often ask: "Is a property that is priced in USD being sold at an inflated price versus a property that is listed in pesos?"It's an understandable question and effectively the answer is no, there is not a separate system of value for USD or MXN listings. Pricing in either currency generally reflects current value on the real estate market. But having an experienced, professional real estate agent on your side helps to ensure that you're getting good value for your home.Do you have more questions about the real estate market in Puerto Vallarta? CONTACT US! Our friendly and knowledgable agents are here to help.Since 1997, Wayne Franklin and his team at Tropicasa Realty have been a trusted name in Puerto Vallarta real estate. Tropicasa Realty is the region's representative for "The Leading Agents of the World" and with over 100 years of combined experience in real estate, all agents of the company are affiliated with AMPI. Wayne Franklin or any member of his knowledgeable team can be contacted in-person at their Romantic Zone Office - Pulpito 145-A at Olas Altas. While in PV they can be reached at (322) 222-6505 or by calling 866-978-5539 (Toll-Free) from the U.S. Click HERE to learn more about Tropicasa Realty , or visit tropicasa.com.
Potential for Vietnamese exports

Potential for Vietnamese exports to Africa: workshop

There remains room for Vietnamese exports to the African market, experts said at a virtual workshop on Vietnam-Africa trade promotion held by the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade) on July 21.

Bilateral trade between Vietnam and Africa has grown positively over the past year, hitting US$6.7 billion in 2020. (Photo: VNA)

Speaking at the event, Le Hoang Tai, deputy head of the agency, said Vietnam has established trade relations with all 54 African nations whose population amount to some 1.3 billion.

Bilateral trade between Vietnam and Africa has grown positively over the past year, hitting US$6.7 billion in 2020, he added.

Nguyen Minh Phuong from the Ministry of Industry and Trades Asia-Africa Market Department said Vietnam has recorded mostly trade surplus to this regional market.

She noted South Africa is Vietnams main export market with a turnover of US$681 million last year, followed by Egypt, Ghana, and Cote d'Ivoire.

Cao Minh Tu from the same department underscored farm produce as the top priority for the bilateral trade, with Africa importing US$596.1 million worth of rice from Vietnam in 2020.

Freshwater fish, apparel, footwear products, medical equipment, scooters, spare parts, generators and water pumps are those that can be successfully exported to Africa, he added.

Experts at the event praised opportunities for Vietnamese firms in the market but also warned of transaction frauds.

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BUSINESS Luong Son district speeds up progress of projects funded by non-state capital

(HBO) - To implement the resolutions of the 17th provincial Party Congress and the 26th Party Congress of Luong Son district for the 2020-2025 term with the goal of turning the district into a dynamic economic region, basically meeting the criteria of a township in 2025, the Party Committee and administration of Luong Son district focus on directing to solve difficulties and supporting investors to implement non-state funded projects, creating sustainable development.





Legacy Hill Hoa Binh project of An Thinh Group is being implemented in Cu Yen commune, Luong Son district.

With a geographical location adjacent to the capital city of Hanoi and benefiting from investment resources, potential land, natural resources and labour, Luong Son district is being identified as the nucleus of key economic regions of the province.

There are dozens of real estate, housing, resort and eco-tourism projects in the district with many well-known investors such as An Thinh Group, Next Media Group, Vietnam Investment-Construction and Development joint Stock Company. The projects span thousands of hectares. The implementation of projects basically met their progress and efficiency. However, due to many subjective and objective reasons, many of them have been delayed, resulting in the fact that the planning and scale adjusted many times.

Recently, on June 25, 2021, the Luong Son People's Committee held a dialogue with investors implementing non-state funded projects in the locality. Accordingly, the district People's Committee focused on solutions to remove obstacles for projects using non-state capital.

Regarding difficulties and limitations, recommendations and proposals of investors to promptly remove difficulties in the implementation of projects, relevant departments and agencies are requested to urgently and proactively coordinate with investors to remove and accelerate the progress of projects as planned.





The district People's Committee asked the investors to pay attention and collaborate with the districts authorities to accelerate the implementation of projects and works in the region. The role and responsibility of the investors should be enhanced. They should coordinate with relevant agencies in removing obstacles in the past time.





The investors are also requested to introduce reputable and capable peers to continue investing in the district./.




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Summary

In Chapter 4, when Benjamin turned 18, he looked like "a man of fifty" (16). Because of his more youthful appearance, Roger "sent him to Connecticut" to take the Yale College entrance examinations (16). Benjamin passed, and was accepted. The day he was meant to visit the Yale registrar, Benjamin ran out of hair dye. Afraid of being late, he visited the registrar without the dye. At the office, the registrar did not believe he was Benjamin Button, nor that he was 18, and sent him away. Everyone in the college heard he was an unstable old man attempting to fraudulently enter college as a freshman. Students laughed and jeered as he left campus. Benjamin repeatedly insisted they would "regret this" (18).

In Chapter 5, when Benjamin turned 20, he began working "for his father in Roger Button & Co., Wholesale Hardware" (19). Now resembling one another, Benjamin and Roger "passed for brothers...


The Rafale fighter platform.

NEW DELHI (PTI): A seventh batch of three more Rafale fighter jets arrived in India on Wednesday after flying non-stop for a distance of almost 8,000 km from France, in a further boost to the strike capability of the Indian Air Force (IAF).



The new batch of the aircraft will be part of the IAF's second squadron of the Rafale jets.



The aircraft were provided mid-air refuelling by the air force of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).



"Three Rafale aircraft arrived in India a short while ago, after a direct ferry from #IstresAirBase, France. IAF deeply appreciates the support by UAE Air Force for in-flight refuelling during the non-stop ferry," the IAF said in a tweet.



Following the arrival of the new batch, the number of Rafale jets with the IAF went up to 24.



The new squadron of Rafale jets will be based in Hasimara airbase in West Bengal.



The first Rafale squadron is based in the Ambala air force station. A squadron comprises around 18 aircraft.



India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2016 for the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore.



The first batch of five Rafale jets arrived in India on July 29, 2020.



India is expected to get more Rafale jets from France in the next few months.



The Rafale jets, manufactured by French aerospace major Dassault Aviation, are India's first major acquisition of fighter planes in 23 years after the Sukhoi jets were imported from Russia.



The Rafale jets are capable of carrying a range of potent weapons. European missile maker MBDA's Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile, Scalp cruise missile and MICA weapons system will be the mainstay of the weapons package of the Rafale jets.


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U.S. Charge dAffaires a.i. Mary Daschbach U.S. Embassy Yaounde

The U.S. Embassy in Yaounde announced Thursday, July 22, the arrival of 303,050 Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine [single-shot] doses.

The consignment arrived at the Yaounde-Nsimalen International Airport on the evening of July 21, 2021, the embassy said in a statement.

"This donation to Cameroon is made possible by the United States Government as part of the U.S. governments global efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic," read Thursday's statement.

Because the vaccine confers immunity in a single dose, this shipment, U.S. embassy officials say, will provide immunity to over 300,000 Cameroonians.

Vaccines save lives. We are proud to help Cameroon, our friend and partner, with this donation, said U.S. Charge dAffaires a.i. Mary Daschbach.

Health of Cameroonians is one of the top priorities for U.S. foreign assistance in Cameroon. U.S. public health experts have worked hand-in-hand with Cameroonian officials since the start of the pandemic to protect public health and strengthen the response to COVID-19.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, U.S. Government agencies are said to have contributed over $21 million (close to CFA 12 billion) to help Cameroon combat the pandemic and its impact.

The U.S. contributions to COVAX, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), supports the purchase and delivery of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines for the worlds most vulnerable and at-risk populations in 92 low and middle-income countries. This support is in addition to public health

expertise provided through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for global COVID-19 response efforts and is critical to controlling the pandemic, slowing the emergence of new variants, and helping to restart the global economy.

These 303,050 doses are part of our commitment to share U.S. vaccine supplies with the world.

The donated vaccines are part of the U.S. pledge to initially provide at least 25 million of 80 million doses globally with Africa. The U.S. government coordinated closely with the African Union, Africa CDC, and COVAX on the country allocations.

"As we continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic at home and work to end the pandemic worldwide, President Biden has promised that the United States will be an arsenal of vaccines for the world," read Thursday's statement.
The midshipmen who went to the Marine Corps are first, she said. They wanted to be separate. And in a joke, she put midshipmen who went into submarines under the Marines. As someone walks down the wall, theyll see the different branches and assignments. Theres about 60 or 70 pictures on the wall, she said, because not all of the sponsored mids sent pictures.
This bill will provide a direct benefit to them and all of our nations heroes who make enormous sacrifices every day. It ensures our service members have the facilities they need to fight current and emerging threats, that veterans have access to quality healthcare and services, and that our military families have access to clean and safe housing, Ruppersberger said in the release.
Officers interviewed Hardy on Oct. 21, charging documents state, and the 31-year-old told investigators that he placed Dixon down on her mothers bed when he began to experience severe pain from his medical condition and proceeded to take a shower to help alleviate the pain.
The states attorney added that there was no train at the platform that Parker could board at the time of the incident nor was there any indication that Sewells use of force was necessary.
I was sitting in court when a woman sued an auto mechanic. She was nervous and shaking. Judge Motsay calmed her down by saying, What kind of car was it? said Mark Adams, a former attorney. He engaged her in conversation, quieted her, and he said to the mechanic, Why dont you just pay her? He could take a courtroom and turn it from a confrontational forum into a conversational forum. He was definitely a peoples judge.
One of the squatters, Tessa Mona Modiri (who calls herself a noncitizen national), filed a complaint in early June alleging the homeowner and her mortgage company are fraudulently using a third-party real estate agency to short sell the property. A short sale, which is legal under a process specified in state law, is when a bank allows an owner sell a residence for less than the person owes on the homes mortgage.
The initiative, which started on July 17 and continues through Sunday, encourages Marylanders to shop at least one local store each day of this week to support farms and seafood operations. That helps the total economy of the state, Rutherford said, from those who produce to those who sell.
The Office of Border Patrol works in many different arenas in their day-to-day work that often extends far beyond their best-known duty of stopping illegal immigration on the southwest border. In high-risk areas between ports-of-entry where deploying agents is challenging or even nearly impossible because of the ruggedness of the terrain or the remoteness of the location, OBP uses geospatial intelligence to maintain awareness. At certain points along the border away from the ports-of-entry, the Border Patrol conducts Transportation Check Operations to reduce smuggling and to keep contraband from entering the country as well as in defense against terrorism.
Permanent Representative of India to United Nations TS Tirumurti on Wednesday expressed concern about the transfer of parts of a coastal town of Varosha to Turkish Cypriot control.

This comes as Turkey plans to partially reopen the fenced-off town in the Cypriot city of Famagusta for further resettlement.

The decision has met with rebuke from the Greek Cypriots, who accused Turkey of organising a land grab. Other countries have also expressed concerns regarding Turkey's intention to reopen and resettle an area constituting some 3.4 per cent of Varosha.

Taking to Twitter, ambassador Tirumurti said that Cypriot-led and Cypriot-owned processes should be the basis for decisions in the region.

"In UNSC today on Cyprus and UN in Cyprus, I said: Deeply concerned on unilateral steps on Varosha contrary to UNSC resolutions; Council's Presidential Statement of October 2020 not adhered to; Cypriot-led, Cypriot-owned process on 'bi-zonal bi-communal federation' should be the basis," Tirumurti tweeted.

UK Foreign Office on Tuesday said that Turkey's move "runs contrary to UNSC resolutions and to the Security Council Presidential Statement of 8 October 2020 which called for Turkey to halt and reverse its actions in Varosha."

The Turkish Cypriot authorities, according to Sputnik said that the real estate in the recently opened Varosha quarter of the city of Famagusta could be returned to owners. This announcement came during the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the island.

The tourist quarter has been closed to the public since the 1974 war. Currently, Varosha is protected by a 1984 UN Security Council resolution.

(ANI)

Also Read: Pegasus row: No proof who targeted 50,000 phone worldwide, says Haryana CM
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
For 30 years, Scabby has loomed over construction sites, drawing attention to labor disputes with its allegedly menacing demeanor. But under the Trump administration, Peter Robb, then the NLRBs general counsel, argued that Scabby is a form of unlawful coercion not protected under the National Labor Relations Act or the First Amendment because it was used to menace, intimidate and coerce potential customers, according to filings.
Although large-scale public events of this kind are higher-risk, she noted that an attendee might be safer at Lollapalooza than many other public venues because attendance at the music festival has been so restricted: A printed copy of a vaccination card or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours is required for admittance; those who have not been vaccinated are told to wear a mask while on-site, according to the events entry requirements.
Chicago-based Enlivant, which has more than 200 assisted living and memory care facilities across the country, said earlier this year it was requiring its workers to get at least their first vaccine shots by June 1 or potentially lose their jobs. Loyola Medicine, which has three hospitals in the Chicago area, announced last month it would require workers to get vaccines and, if they dont qualify for exemptions because of religious or health reasons, they will face termination of employment. University of Chicago Medicine and UI Health have also said that they are mandating vaccines for their employees.
The body of a woman, decades older than she was earlier that same day, washes up on the beach. Thus Old unfurls its simple, whole-cloth theme and variations. The children among the vacationers are in the grip of a frighteningly accelerated lifespan that seems destined to end by sundown. For the adults, the malevolent beach, approached through a slot canyon that acts as a kind of force field, the aging process is subtler, until Shyamalan turns to a more explicit realm of body horror, PG-13 division.
Schreck's play at times feels like a combination of "The Office" and "Mad Men." (There's even what fans of the latter might recognize as a "Freddy Rumsen moment.") It's not always clear what her greater point about corporate culture is  or if she's even trying to make one. But when the mysterious Barbara (Maggie Cain) shows up spouting empowerment jargon she's learned at a "seminar," we get a sense that perhaps it's better to be Amelia  constant apologies and all  than to be the person who is convinced they have nothing to be sorry about.
Oregons Bootleg Fire grew to 624 square miles (1,616 square kilometers)  over half the size of Rhode Island. However, authorities said higher humidity Wednesday and overnight and better conditions allowed crews to improve fire lines. The fire also was approaching an area burned by a previous fire on its active southeastern flank, raising hopes that a lack of fuel could reduce its spread and the forecast was for favorable firefighting weather again Thursday.
Solis and his girlfriend were walking down the street when the 25-year-old victim began speaking to them from his car, according to police. When the victim and the driver stopped to get gas, the victim stayed in the car, and Solis allegedly shot the victim once in the face. The shooter fled the scene, while the victim was transported to Holy Cross Hospital.
According to the indictment, Thompsons first loan from Washington Federal for $110,000 was issued in November 2011, in the form of a check payable to a law firm as Thompsons capital contribution. Thompson signed a note promising to pay the money back, but according to the charges he made only one payment on it the following February and never paid off the rest.
Brown said many of the victims have so far been uncooperative with detectives, which signals to us, We want revenge and we dont want police solving this case, because we want revenge, we want to retaliate. We dont want you taking them to jail. That signals to us, when you dont cooperate, when youre silent, that you prefer street justice. And I will just say this, street justice is never-ending. The appetite for revenge is never satisfied, it only harms, it only ruins your community.
Evanston resident Jeff Smith said he understands the safety issue at intersections and alleys. He also understands the citys point that some plants can be damaging to trees, but even then plants grow up next to trees all the time, he said, and dont do damage. Therefore, the city must be able to show that a certain plant is an actual nuisance to a tree in order to prevent its planting. Other than those two situations, the city has no business telling its residents what they can and cant plant on parkways.
Police say Brunt was allegedly involved in a May 23 shooting in Park Manor. A woman was in the 7300 block of South Prairie Avenue around 1:30 a.m. with friends when she was approached by a man, who she later identified as Brunt. The man engaged her in conversation, and when she noticed he had a gun in his waistband, she entered her car.
For the shooting on Ridgeway, three victims were taken to Mt. Sinai including a 14-year-old boy shot in the right arm in good condition. The other two victims were a 22-year-old man shot in the right thigh in good condition, and an 18-year-old man shot in the upper body and in critical condition. A 15-year-old boy was also shot in the right leg and a 17-year-old boy was grazed in the back, both of whom were taken in good condition to Stroger.
At a news conference during the visit, Garland walked into a classroom at the church, remarking quietly about how it was weird that he was apparently told by his entourage to stand behind an empty chair to address reporters. There, he alluded to his Chicago visit as a homecoming for him, but he sought to draw on his considerable experience prosecuting violent street gangs as a way of showing familiarity with the type of gang problem that has plagued Chicago for decades.
Springfields LIG is so weak, even when the Chicago IGs office is so strong, for one chief reason: Lawmakers in Springfield wont sanction any meaningful independent scrutiny of the way they run state government. They even go so far as to starve it of resources: A paltry budget of just $920,000, compared with Fergusons $11 million.
The new board forms Jan. 1. Mayor Lori Lightfoot will pick seven members for an interim body, and then in February 2023, members will be elected, with three individuals chosen from each of the citys police districts. The ordinance is the product of compromise reached between Lightfoot and grassroots activists that had long sought broad civilian oversight powers, including authority to fire the police superintendent, set the departments budget and negotiate police union contracts. Had activists gotten their vision of civilian oversight enacted, virtually all accountability for pivotal police oversight functions would have been wrested from the mayors office.
Marquezs father had Alzheimers. He died in 2020 at age 93. Marquez said he believes he lived with it for eight years, but his wife didnt know he was diagnosed with it. Echevarrias mother and grandmother both had Alzheimers  the latter showing symptoms in her 50s, her mother showing symptoms around 70. Marquez says symptoms of dementia-related illnesses are those things that interrupt ones regular, daily activities or what is different from how it had been. For Marquezs father, it was when his directionally savvy father started to ask how to get to places in the car.
Illinois Rep. Rodney Davis of Taylorville was one of three other members McCarthy tapped to serve on the select committee. Davis, who is considering a run for governor, has sought to carefully navigate his way among Republican Trump supporters. But he labeled Pelosis panel a sham in a fundraising email after she vetoed the two GOP members and McCarthy yanked the rest of the picks.
President Joe Bidens Treasury Department gave a shoutout to Illinois today for disbursing $94.4 million from the Emergency Rental Assistance program to local residents who are having trouble keeping up with or are behind on rent. Thats a leap from May when none of the money was reported to have been disseminated. The Biden administration suggested Illinois may be among the states that spent the early part of the year working to get programs up and running to get the money out the door.
Were having these illegal street curb parties hiring the pedicab driver to be their DJ for the evening. So, they sit there and crank their music while these guys are sitting there drinking and smoking dope on the curb in front of bars and restaurants, creating chaos and mayhem, Reilly said. Weve had these large groups hanging out, drinking, doing drugs, listening to the pedicab music and then they see rivals doing the same thing across the street and they get into fights. That also has become an issue for cops.
Galvin pointed out Williams had two prior felony convictions for robbery and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. At the time of the shooting, he was on parole for the robbery conviction, with his parole due to end in June 2020, according to Illinois Department of Corrections records.
It should not be a choice of one or the other, he said. The issue is that criminals know their actions will be inconsequential as they are seen before a judge three to four times, sometimes more, before being given some sort of fine or monitoring device as a consequence.
Banek said the she felt the circumstances of Causeys death were serious enough she has asked the states attorneys office to investigate. Banek also said she sent a certified letter to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation asking the agency to temporarily bar the oral surgeon, Dr. Aaron Cwik, from administering anesthesia, pending the outcome of a complaint Banek filed.
According to work arrangement, Mr. Yue Xiaoyong is appointed as the new Special Envoy for Afghan Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who will take over the work of his predecessor Mr. Liu Jian. Mr. Liu Jian has successfully accomplished his mission as the special envoy and we would like to thank all relevant partners for their strong support. Special Envoy Yue is a senior diplomat, who has long been engaged in diplomatic practice and policy research and used to serve as Chinese ambassador to Qatar, Jordan and Ireland. The Afghan issue is now the focus of attention for the international community. China has all along actively participated in and promoted the Afghan peace and reconciliation process, attached high importance to communication and coordination with all relevant parties and international cooperation related to Afghanistan, and will continue to play a constructive role in the early realization of peace and stability in Afghanistan. Mr. Yue Xiaoyong will establish work relationship with colleagues from relevant parties as soon as possible and maintain close communication and coordination.

Shenzhen TV: Recently some ROK political figures have made negative remarks on issues relating to Hong Kong and THAAD. The Chinese ambassador to the ROK made clear China's position through various means like meetings and articles. Some in the ROK think these moves are tinted with the aim of interfering in ROK's domestic affairs and influencing elections. The ROK Foreign Ministry has also said it hopes China will act prudently. Does China have any comment?

Zhao Lijian: I've noted the remarks by some ROK political figures on issues relating to Hong Kong and THAAD, many of which China finds unacceptable. I would like to stress that Hong Kong is part of China and its affairs are purely China's domestic affairs. No country, organization or individual has any right to or should make wanton comments. With regard to the THAAD issue, China and the ROK have reached consensus on how to handle it at the current stage. This is an important foundation of the improvement and development of bilateral ties. We hope the ROK side will properly handle this issue in accordance with the bilateral consensus and make active efforts towards solving the issue once and for all. Chinese diplomats posted overseas have the responsibility to make clear China's position on issues concerning major interests of the country in a timely manner. This is by no means interference in domestic affairs or influence on elections of other countries.

China and the ROK are important close neighbors and strategic partners of cooperation. It is in the common interests of both sides to maintain, consolidate and develop China-ROK relations. I have noticed that the ROK will hold a presidential election next year. No matter which candidate is elected as the new president of the ROK, China is ready to work with the ROK to further advance our bilateral relations for the benefit of the two peoples. China upholds the principle of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs. We cannot and will not seek to influence the ROK election. We also hope that the ROK politicians and the public will voice support for the development of China-ROK relations amid and beyond important domestic elections, and inject more positive energy into the bilateral relations.

CCTV: The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) of the US said in a report released on July 20 that the US government identified and tracked 23 US natural gas pipeline operators targeted from 2011 to 2013 by an intrusion campaign, which they believe was conducted by state-sponsored Chinese actors. Do you have any response?

Zhao Lijian: This so-called report of the US side is confusing right with wrong and like a thief crying "stop thief". China firmly opposes and combats cyber attack in all its forms. This position is consistent and clear-cut.

In fact, the US is the largest source of cyber attacks targeting China. Data show that in 2020, relevant Chinese institutions captured 42 million malicious program samples. Of those originating overseas, 53% are from the US. If there is a ranking of hacking states, nobody other than the US can claim the top spot.

The US doesn't even spare its allies in tapping and surveillance. Wikileaks revealed in 2015 that the National Security Agency (NSA) spied on Chancellor Angela Merkel's phone for many years and targeted 125 phone numbers of top German officials for long-term surveillance, and also eavesdropped on French Presidents Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande. According to a report by Danish broadcaster DR this year, the NSA used its partnership with Denmark's foreign intelligence unit to spy on calls and chat messages to and from telephones of senior officials of European countries in Germany, France, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Documents leaked by Snowden on the US surveillance program Stateroom show that the US has been operating a highly secretive signals intelligence collection program in almost a hundred US embassies and consulates worldwide. Another case in point is the Crypto AG scandal. The Swiss company, founded more than half a century ago and specializing in communications and information security, was actually a puppet of the CIA, and the devices it sold to over 120 countries were rigged so that the CIA could easily break the codes that countries used to send encrypted messages.

People can tell right from wrong. The US has not a shred of credibility left on the issue of cyber security, making whatever it says more than dubious.

Phoenix TV: The US State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (EAP) tweeted that "the US welcomes Taiwan's expanding international partnerships and its work to address shared challenges, including COVID-19, investment screening, and supply chain resilience. We applaud the opening of the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania". Do you have a response?

Zhao Lijian: We firmly oppose the erroneous words and acts of the US. There is but one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. This is a historical and legal fact that cannot be altered by anyone or any force in any way. The US should earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, act prudently on the Taiwan question, stop helping Taiwan expand its so-called international space and stop sending wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces.

Global Times: By the afternoon of July 21, about 5 million netizens in China have endorsed the open letter calling on the WHO to investigate the Fort Detrick bio-lab. This has attracted much attention from Chinese and foreign media. Do you have any comment?

Zhao Lijian: Since the open letter was published on July 17, it has received encouraging responses from the Chinese people and endorsed by about 5 million people within 5 days. The increasing endorsement reflects the Chinese people's aspiration and their anger in the political manipulation by some in the US. A probe into Fort Detrick is long overdue, but the US has not done it yet.

The mystery of Fort Detrick remain unexplained and shrouded by suspicions. In July 2019, the US CDC issued a "cease and desist order" to halt most research at Fort Detrick. In the same month, there were reports on the unexplained outbreaks of respiratory disease in northern Virginia and on the subsequent EVALI outbreaks in Wisconsin. By the end of July, two retirement communities near the base experienced unexplained pneumonia outbreaks. In September, vaping-related lung illness cases doubled in Maryland where Fort Detrick is based. Even so, the US CDC refused to release critical information regarding the base's closure by citing "national security reasons". The Fort Detrick base has disturbing records and stains in history. The base has in its storage research outcomes of biological warfare from people recruited after WWII, including head of Nazi Germany's biological warfare lab and head of Unit 731 of the Imperial Japanese Army that waged the war of aggression against China. According to US media reports, Fort Detrick stores large amount of viruses that severely threaten people's safety. What is the correlation between those incidents? When will the US make public explanations?

Investigating Fort Detrick is an appeal of people all over the world, including the Chinese people. It is a question that the US must answer. Facing the 630,000 American lives lost to the coronavirus, the US should be transparent, take concrete measures to thoroughly investigate the origins of the virus at home, thoroughly investigate the reason of its botched response and who should be held accountable, thoroughly investigate the mysteries over Fort Detrick and its over 200 overseas bio-labs, and explain the truth to people across the world and the international community.

South China Morning Post: I have two questions. The first question is about Wendy Sherman's visit to Asia. It is reported that she joined diplomats of the ROK and Japan in stressing the importance of jointly upholding stability of the Taiwan Strait. What's your comment on this? The second question is, defense ministers of Japan and the UK released a joint statement, saying that the UK will permanently deploy two warships in Asia. Do you have any comment?

Zhao Lijian: On your first question, I want to stress that, issues relating to Taiwan, Kong Kong and Xinjiang are all China's internal affairs that allow no foreign interference. The US and Japan, stuck in the Cold War mentality, deliberately seek bloc confrontation and attempt to form "anti-China encirclement". This runs counter to the trend of our times and the aspiration for peace, development and cooperation shared by the region and the vast majority of countries in the world. The US and Japan should immediately stop meddling in China's internal affairs, and stop undermining regional peace and stability. China will resolutely safeguard its own sovereignty, security and development interests.

On your second question, we respect the freedom of navigation and overflight in waters around China enjoyed by countries in accordance with international law, but firmly opposes the practice of flexing muscles targeting China, which undermines China's sovereignty and security and sabotages regional peace and stability.

China News Service: Lately some US officials and media have been hyping up the claim that three researchers with the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) fell ill in November 2019, which, they allege, adds to the credibility of the "lab-leak" theory. Does China have any comment?

Zhao Lijian: I want to ask the US a few simple questions. The US seems so sure of what it claims, then why not show the evidence? It falsely claims that three researchers with the WIV fell ill. Does it know their names or the diseases they contracted? If it's saying they tested positive for the novel coronavirus, where is the report? It's time for the US to answer these questions. Let me say this: the US couldn't show the evidence because it is lying. It is only seeking to stigmatize and demonize China in the name of conducting origins study.

Here are some more questions for the US.

According to the US NIH website, research has shown that evidence of infection in five US states appeared back in December 2019. How does the US respond to this?

In Florida, 171 people with no travel history to China had coronavirus symptoms earlier than the state's first reported case. How does the US account for this?

The mayor of Belleville, New Jersey, got infected in November 2019, over two months earlier than the first confirmed case in the US. How does the US explain this?

The EVALI outbreaks that swept through several US states in July 2019 caused pulmonary symptoms highly similar to those of COVID-19. Can the US offer some clarifications?

The US instantaneously clams up whenever there is a call for an WHO investigation into Fort Detrick and the 200-plus US biological laboratories overseas. What dark secrets are hidden out of sight at Fort Detrick?

China Review News: On July 20, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for rocket attacks in the Afghan capital Tuesday that struck near the presidential palace and said they targeted the presidential palace and the Green Zone in Kabul with seven Katyusha rockets. On the same day the spokesperson of US Department of State Price condemned the attacks. Do you have any comment?

Zhao Lijian: China strongly condemns the attacks, firmly opposes all forms of violent extremism, and will continue to staunchly support the Afghan government and people in combating terrorism and upholding national security and stability. We are ready to work with the international community to help Afghanistan achieve peace at an early date.

It should be pointed out that following the US' sudden announcement of a complete withdrawal from the country recently, Afghanistan has witnessed successive bomb attacks. The security situation there is grave, posing a serious threat to Afghanistan's peace and stability and people's safety. As the culprit of the Afghan issue, the US should act in a responsible manner to ensure smooth transition in Afghanistan, prevent a resurgence of terrorist forces, and facilitate the peace and reconciliation process.

Bloomberg: The US climate envoy John Kerry said that "on climate, cooperation is the only way to break free from the world's current mutual suicide pact." There have also been reports that Wendy Sherman halted her plans to visit to China because of a disagreement over who she should meet with. In your view, what are the prospects for China-US cooperation?

Zhao Lijian: As for Sherman's visit to China as you mentioned, I have no information to release.

Regarding the remarks made by Special Envoy Kerry, addressing climate change and promoting green development is the common responsibility of the international community, which calls for global actions, responses and cooperation. As the largest developing country and the largest developed country in the world, China and the United States share common interests in addressing climate change. We should step up communication and coordination, and play an exemplary role in the international community. That said, I want to stress that China-US cooperation in specific areas is closely related to the overall China-US relationship. The US should not, on the one hand, wantonly interfere in China's internal affairs and harm China's interests, while on the other hand, ask China to show understanding and support in bilateral and global affairs. The US should create favorable conditions for China-US coordination and cooperation in important areas.

China's national carbon market has recently started trading. Carbon emissions by companies covered in the first batch of trading are estimated to exceed 4 billion tonnes per year, making the market the world's largest in terms of the amount of greenhouse gas emissions. China will strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. China will make the stride from carbon peaking to carbon neutrality within a far shorter period than developed countries. This is a major strategic decision made by China based on the responsibility it has taken to build a community with a shared future for mankind and the intrinsic need to realize sustainable development. It will add new impetus and confidence to global cooperation on climate change. In addressing climate change and successfully achieving emission reduction, China expects the US to match its words with deeds, earnestly fulfill its due obligations and make its due contributions.

RIA Novosti: I want to ask about the Henan flooding. Do you have any information about whether there are foreign citizens among the victims and the injured?

Zhao Lijian: Recently, rare torrential rain has hit many places in Henan Province, flooding its capital Zhengzhou and some other cities. In accordance with President Xi Jinping's important instructions, the Central Government and Henan Provincial Government promptly organized flood control and relief efforts. The People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police set out to Henan immediately. Some enterprises and netizens also made generous donations. In time of disaster, our hearts go out to the people in affected areas. We believe that the people of Henan will tide over the disaster and do a good job in flood control and disaster relief as well as post-disaster recovery.

The Chinese government gives top priority to the safety of people's lives and property, and treats foreign citizens in China as equals. So far, we have not received any reports of foreign casualties in Henan.
Lyu Yugang, an official with the Ministry of Education, said Wednesday that after-school services will be further promoted as a support measure for China's three-child policy.

All the compulsory education institutions in the country will provide after-school services starting this fall semester, Lyu told a press conference, adding that efforts will be made to ensure all students in need have access to such services.

The after-school services will be provided in every school day, for a duration of no less than two hours, depending on the local daily work hours, Lyu said.

Schools will be encouraged to extend the after-school services if necessary and maximize the attractiveness of such services, the official added.

By the end of May, a total of 102,000 primary and junior high schools in China had launched after-school services, benefiting 65 million students who could not be timely picked up when school hours ended, Lyu said.

China on Tuesday released a decision allowing a couple to have three children and rolling out a slew of support measures, ranging from tax breaks to more nurseries and flexible work leave to encourage births.
The gross enrolment rate of three-year preschool education among children of the right age in China had reached 85.2 percent as of 2020, an education official said Wednesday.

Lyu Yugang, head of the basic education department of the Ministry of Education, said at a press conference that 84.7 percent of the country's kindergarteners are enrolled in government-funded or private affordable kindergartens.

Noting that the progress has helped ease the chronic problem related to China's preschool education, the official said the ministry will further improve work to promote public access to such services.

The gross three-year preschool education enrolment rate is expected to exceed 90 percent by 2025 with accessibility to non-profit and affordable service enhanced, the official said.
The 44th session of the World Heritage Committee kicked off last Friday in Fuzhou, capital city of East China's Fujian Province, to review World Heritage items online for the first time.



Fuzhou was one of the leading silk producers along the ancient maritime Silk Road as early as the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties, and has also become a bustling port in modern international trade.

Fuzhou has made relentless efforts in recent years to protect and renovate historical buildings. A total of 17 historical and cultural blocks including the renowned Three Lanes and Seven Alleys as well as Zhuzifang have been launched. In addition, over 1,300 ancient buildings have been repaired, and 261 traditional streets and lanes have been protected and renovated.

In terms of the urban landscape, Fuzhou has vigorously implemented a strategy of urban green infrastructure, with a focus on creating an urban forest environment. A country park and a number of green lanes have been built to offer residents more leisure space and a pleasant living environment.
Photo taken on July 21, 2021 shows an Airbus A350 aircraft delivered to China Eastern Airlines at the Airbus Tianjin Widebody Completion and Delivery Center in north China's Tianjin. [Photo/Xinhua]

Airbus has inaugurated its A350 aircraft project at its widebody completion and delivery center in north China's Tianjin. It is the first time the European planemaker has launched such a project for the A350 outside Europe.

It delivered an A350 aircraft to China Eastern Airlines at the Airbus Tianjin Widebody Completion and Delivery Center on Wednesday.

"Airbus values China as a long-term strategic market. We have full confidence in the resilience and dynamics of China's economy and its aviation industry," said George Xu, executive vice president of Airbus and chief executive officer of Airbus China.

"The new move demonstrates our commitments to deepening the win-win cooperation with China and better serving local customers through more localized solutions and resources," Xu added.

A350 widebodies coming

A total of five A350 widebodies will be delivered in Tianjin in 2021, and more deliveries to Chinese customers are underway as the center has ramped up its production rate and market demand is recovering, according to Airbus China.

The A350 is Airbus' new generation of widebody aircraft, which highlights environmental performance, flight range and comfort. To date, the company has received 915 orders for the aircraft and delivered some 430 worldwide. Approximately 10 percent of the deliveries were to the Chinese market.

Located near the site of the Airbus A320 Family Final Assembly Line in Tianjin, the Airbus Tianjin Widebody Completion and Delivery Center includes a cabin equipping and furnishing facility and a paint shop.

Rolling off the final assembly line in Toulouse, France, the unfinished green A350 aircraft will fly to Tianjin. Green aircraft means that the aircraft has not been painted with its outermost layer paint and has not yet been fully completed.

"They will receive the full scope of aircraft completion activities here, such as the cabin installation, aircraft painting, engine run, flight test and customer flight acceptance. The aircraft will then be delivered to customers," said Dr. Christoph Schrempp, general manager of Airbus Tianjin Delivery Center.

China-Europe cooperation

"Tianjin is endeavoring to become an aviation industry cluster. We are confident that the new project will deepen our long-term cooperation and inject strong impetus to the high-quality development here," said Ma Shunqing, executive vice mayor of Tianjin.

The city targets to build eight related centers, including fields of assembly, production support, engineering, maintenance, logistics, professional training, customer services and financial services.

Tianjin is now the world's only non-European city that could deliver both single-aisle and widebody Airbus aircraft. Airbus inaugurated the final assembly line for its A320 single-aisle aircraft here in 2008, and the completion and delivery facilities for widebody aircraft in 2017.

"In joint hands with Chinese partners, we are building role model projects of China-Europe cooperation," said Xu.

Through these projects, Airbus shares its expertise and management experiences in manufacturing with Chinese partners. And the strengthening Chinese aviation industry has greatly sustained the Airbus global supply chain.

Common commitments to future

"China's civil aviation industry is a fully competitive market. The country has also led the recovery of the global civil aviation industry. We believe that there is huge potential for our strategic cooperation," said Xu.

Airbus plans to enhance services to local customers in fields such as aircraft maintenance, passenger-to-freight aircraft conversion, digitalization and energy conservation and emissions reduction.

"Airbus has a core value of making the aviation industry sustainable. We share common commitments with China." Xu said that Airbus is pursuing a sustainable aviation goal by adopting sustainable aviation fuel and developing hydrogen-driven aircraft, among others.

China is forging ahead in renewable energy development amid its transition to a low-carbon economy. The country has announced that it would strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.

"It shows a great nation's responsibility and determination. Our commitments and goals integrate," Xu said, adding that Airbus' commitments to China remain unchanged, with more potential ahead.
Chinese authorities have launched massive rescue and relief efforts in response to record rainstorms that have swamped central China's Henan Province since the weekend, leaving large areas under water and at least 25 people dead.



In the provincial capital city of Zhengzhou, 617.1 mm of rainfall fell over a three-day period starting on Saturday night, close to the city's average annual amount.

The city registered a record hourly precipitation rate of 201.9 mm from 4 p.m. Tuesday. The city also broke its own single-day precipitation record, hitting its highest level on local weather records.

So far, a total of 25 people have been killed and another seven reported missing in the torrential rains in Zhengzhou. Across the province, over 1.24 million people have been affected and about 164,710 people relocated to safe places.

Massive rescue and relief efforts are underway to deal with the impact of the prolonged heavy rainfall.

President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, on Wednesday demanded that authorities at all levels must give top priority to securing people's safety and property, and should carefully and strictly implement the flood prevention and disaster relief measures.

Xi also ordered authorities at all levels to promptly organize flood prevention and disaster relief forces, properly accommodate those affected, strictly prevent secondary disasters, and minimize casualties and property losses.

Meteorological researchers said the havoc was the result of extreme weather conditions. The terrain on Henan's Taihang and Funiu mountains lifted up the easterly air, causing heavy rainfall to persist in the mountainous western and northwestern areas of Henan.

The heavy rain has significantly increased the risk of mountain torrents and geological disasters in the mountainous western and northwestern regions of the province.

The water levels of small and medium-sized rivers and reservoirs in the Yellow River and Haihe River basins have risen rapidly, and large-scale urban waterlogging and farmland flooding have occurred.

On Tuesday afternoon, Zhengzhou Metro announced a halt to all of its services. Water had gushed into stations of metro line 5 and left over 500 passengers in waist-high floods.

"I was really scared. The most terrible thing was not the water, but the air that was getting thinner and thinner. Many people had symptoms of breathing difficulties," recalled a female survivor surnamed Li.

Floods and downpours have also affected rail services and flights. With a red alert for flight delays in place from 8 p.m. Tuesday to noon on Wednesday, all flights due to land at the airport in Zhengzhou were canceled.

Services were suspended for more than 160 trains at Zhengzhou East Railway Station, stranding a large number of passengers.

Traffic has also been disrupted in a number of national and provincial highways in Henan due to flooding and collapsed roads.

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) raised the emergency response for flood control to its second-highest level, and Henan initiated its highest-level emergency response.

The MEM has dispatched a working team to the affected areas in Henan to help local authorities with disaster relief work.

A rescue team of 1,800 firefighters has been deployed to the flood-hit regions from seven neighboring provinces, together with boats, pumping vehicles and flood rescue kits.

As of 5 a.m. Wednesday, Henan has also dispatched 17,280 firefighters to help with the rescue work.

To restore the storm-damaged communication networks in Zhengzhou, local telecommunication companies have rushed to repair at least 6,300 base stations and 275 km of optical fiber cables.
Wang Yang, a senior Party official, reiterated comprehensive, targeted and long-term support to Xinjiang through "pairing assistance" programs at a meeting from Monday to Wednesday.

Efforts will be made to address deeply-rooted problems that affect the region's long-term governance and streamline pairing assistance programs, said Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, at the eighth national meeting on pairing-assistance to Xinjiang held in Aksu of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

China has been implementing the "pairing assistance" programs in Xinjiang since 1997, channeling financial, technical and human resource support in various fields to Xinjiang from other regions of the country.

The pairing assistance programs have contributed to poverty alleviation and improvement of people's livelihood in Xinjiang and promoted ethnic solidarity, showcasing political advantages of the CPC's leadership and institutional strength of socialism with Chinese characteristics, Wang said.

Funds and assistance programs will focus on improvement of people's livelihood and go to the primary level and regions which need them the most, he said.

Wang urged other regions in the country to send competent officials and professionals to Xinjiang and carefully carry out industrial cooperation in the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).

Efforts should be made to promote cultural exchanges between different ethnic groups in Xinjiang and other regions of the country, he said.

He also called on people from different ethnic groups in Xinjiang and those from other regions to engage in interactions and exchanges at various levels, in various forms and aspects.

Representatives of 19 provinces and municipalities involved in the pairing assistance to Xinjiang, together with those from local and central authorities, attended the meeting.
Childcare services are in strong demand for Chinese children under three years old, a health official said at a press conference on Wednesday in Beijing.

Currently, China has about 42 million children under the age of three, and one-third of them have strong demand for childcare services, said Yang Wenzhuang, an official with the National Health Commission (NHC).

The country's nursery enrollment rate of toddlers under three, however, is only about 5.5 percent, according to statistics revealed by a survey.

Having no people to look after children is a salient problem that constrains childbirth, Yang said, adding that the shrinking household size has weakened Chinese families' ability to care for the elderly and children.

More than 4,000 childcare institutions had been registered in the NHC by the end of June, and some 10,000 more are in the pipeline for application, Yang said.


Speakers:

Tian Yulong, a member of the Leading Party Members Group of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and MIIT chief engineer and spokesperson





Huang Libin, MIIT spokesperson and director general of the MIIT's Performance Inspection and Coordination Bureau





Zhao Zhiguo, MIIT spokesperson and director general of the MIIT's Information and Communications Management Bureau





Chairperson:

Shou Xiaoli, deputy head of the Press Bureau of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) and SCIO spokesperson





Date:

July 16, 2021

Shou Xiaoli:





Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO). Today, we are delighted to be joined by Mr. Tian Yulong, a member of the Leading Party Members Group of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and MIIT chief engineer and spokesperson. He will introduce the development of industry and information technology in the first half of 2021 and answer your questions. Also present at today's press conference are Mr. Huang Libin, MIIT spokesperson and director general of the MIIT's Performance Inspection and Coordination Bureau, and Mr. Zhao Zhiguo, MIIT spokesperson and director general of the MIIT's Information and Communications Management Bureau.





Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Tian.





Tian Yulong:





Friends from the media, good morning! First of all, thank you all for your concern and support for the development of industry and information technology in China. I will first briefly introduce the overall situation of industrial and information technology development in the first half of this year, and then I will join my colleagues to answer your questions.





General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at a ceremony marking the centenary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which pointed out the direction for building a great modern socialist country in all respects. The industrial and information sectors have earnestly studied and implemented the guiding principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech, strived to build China's strength in manufacturing and cyberspace, and made unremitting efforts toward the second centenary goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects. Since the beginning of this year, we have thoroughly implemented the guiding principles of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee and the Central Economic Work Conference, and the overall plan set out in the government work report. We have worked to ensure the six priorities of employment, people's livelihoods, development of market entities, food and energy security, stable operation of industrial and supply chains, and smooth functioning at the community level, and ensure stability in six areas: employment, finance, foreign trade, foreign investment, domestic investment, and market expectations. The industrial sector continued its steady recovery, while the information technology sector enjoyed sound development. The economy showed steady and robust growth, laying a solid foundation for achieving the annual goal and ensuring a good start of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025).





There are four main highlights in the development of industry and information technology in the first half of the year.





First, the industrial economy regained its strength and demonstrated resilience. Since the beginning of this year, China's industrial economy continued to steadily recover; supply and demand grew progressively; the rebound of domestic and external demand accelerated and broadened; market expectations continued to improve; internal growth drivers were boosted; and corporate profits in the industrial sector rose significantly. In the first half of the year, the value-added of industrial enterprises above designated size increased by 15.9% year on year, and the two-year average growth rate was 7%. In the first five months, the profits of industrial enterprises above designated size increased by 83.4% year on year, and the two-year average growth rate stood at 21.7%, which was a historical high.





Second, we have continued to advance industrial upgrading and foster new drivers of growth. Since the beginning of this year, we have actively ensured supplies when conducting epidemic prevention and control on an ongoing basis and comprehensively increased China's vaccine production capacity to ensure vaccine supply. As of July, China's annual production capacity for COVID-19 vaccines reached 5 billion doses, with over 1.4 billion doses of vaccines administered in China and over 500 million doses provided to other countries around the world. Meanwhile, we have accelerated the transformation of our manufacturing industry to be green and low carbon and developed innovative applications of intelligent manufacturing and the industrial internet. We have implemented special actions for the development of advanced manufacturing clusters and built national-level internet of vehicles pilot zones and national artificial intelligence innovation application pilot zones. In the first half of the year, the value-added of the high-tech manufacturing sector increased by 22.6% year on year, and the two-year average growth rate was 13.2%. New drivers of growth and new industries continued to facilitate innovative development.





Third, production and business operations have been improved and the vitality of enterprises continues to increase. Multiple departments jointly issued guidelines on accelerating the cultivation of high-quality manufacturing enterprises to vigorously promote the development of leading manufacturers and technologically advanced "little giants," which refer to the industry leaders recognized by the MIIT with specific market orientation, excellent innovation capabilities, large market shares, core technologies, and high product quality and profitability. We have continued to improve the "321" work system for facilitating the development of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), that is, providing support in the three aspects of policy, services and the environment, focusing on the two key tasks of addressing financing difficulties and enhancing the protection of their legitimate rights and interests, and aiming for the target of making them more innovative and professional. We have implemented structural tax reduction measures, promoted the reduction of guaranty fees for small and micro businesses, and improved the long-term mechanism for preventing and dealing with the problem of defaults on payments to SMEs. In these ways, we continued to improve the policy environment for SMEs. In the first half of the year, the value-added of small- and medium-sized industrial enterprises increased by 18% year on year, and the two-year average growth rate was 8.1%.





Fourth, information and communications have accelerated development, while innovation and industrial integration keeps driving growth. At present, a total of 961,000 5G base stations have been set up. As of the end of June, these stations covered all cities at the prefecture level and above across the country, with approximately 365 million 5G terminal connections. Meanwhile, we have accelerated the construction of "dual gigabit" networks, and the number of gigabit broadband users has reached 13.62 million. The application scenarios of "5G plus industrial internet" continue to expand, and great progress has been made in key demonstration areas, industries and regions. 5G empowers industries to improve quality, increase efficiency, reduce costs, and pursue green and safe development. With the collaboration of multiple departments, we made great efforts to address hidden information security risks, and officially launched the 12381 Fraud Prevention Message System. Significant results have been achieved in actions to protect personal information on apps and to adapt telecommunications services to better suit senior users. People's sense of gains and security has been significantly improved.





Of course, we are keenly aware that there are still great uncertainties, risks and challenges regarding the global pandemic and the external environment. There are still uncertain factors concerning the sustained economic recovery; and the microeconomic operation still faces difficulties and challenges. Meanwhile, small and medium-sized enterprises in particular are confronted with many difficulties. The MIIT will study and implement the guiding principles of an important speech by General Secretary Xi Jinping at the ceremony marking the Party's centenary on July 1. We will firmly implement the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, ground our work in this new stage of development, apply the new development philosophy, and foster a new pattern of development. We will jointly work with other departments to focus on priorities and deepen supply-side structural reforms, prevent and defuse risks, and tackle structural problems. We will stay focused, and ride the momentum to speed up a sustained and steady recovery and ensure the high-quality development of the industrial economy. We will work hard to ensure all tasks and goals set throughout this year are accomplished, in order to achieve a good start in the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) and write a new chapter of the new journey toward the second centenary goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects.





This is all for now. Next, my colleagues and I will answer your questions.





Shou Xiaoli:





The floor is now open for questions. Please identify your news outlets before asking questions.
A critical element in China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) is the continuous emphasis on technological advancement in achieving the goal of self-reliance, and progress in space exploration is very much part of this.



Results are not automatic, but stem from long-term planning and hard work. China's lunar exploration program launched back in 2007 has led the country to undertake five missions known as Chang'e, arithmetically numbered from one to five.

A 2016 white paper on space activities clarified Beijing's vision by mentioning its ambition of becoming a space power in all aspects with the capabilities to make innovations independently, to make scientific discovery and research at the cutting edge, to promote strong and sustained economic and social development, to effectively and reliably guarantee national security, to exercise sound and efficient governance, and to carry out mutually beneficial international exchanges and cooperation.

In 2018, Chang'e-4, consisting of a lander, a rover and a relay satellite, managed to successfully land on the far side of the Moon. It was a historic development that allowed original discoveries.

It revealed impressive lunar images and information from a side of the moon not explored by any other space power before. In December 2020, Chang'e-5 concluded China's first ever lunar material retrieving mission.

In recent months, the country again became the epicenter of international attention for its space activity. China is methodically constructing its space station, named Tiangong, or Heavenly Palace. Tianhe module, which will function as the management and control hub of the space station, was launched in the end of April 2021.

Less than two months later, Chinese astronauts were dispatched to Tiangong, their Shenzhou-12 spacecraft docking at the space station. Apart from their technical work, the Chinese astronauts completed a successful spacewalk.

In tandem with Tiangong, China had already managed to send a rover named Zhurong to Mars. Since mid-May, it has thus become only the third country, after the United States and the Soviet Union, to perform this feat in regard to the red planet. The Chinese operation yielded immediate results outlining the potential for new, impressive journeys.

In an environment of uncertainty what remains certain is China's determination to technologically progress  even in areas where it had previously lagged behind. China's miracle now spans the space field.

While China is making solid steps in space activity, it values its cooperation with other countries. It has, on many occasions, reiterated its commitment to the peaceful use of outer space, and pledged to work to promote international cooperation in this regard.

Indeed, international cooperation among space powers should be the answer to the volatility generated by political and ideological disagreements. With joint efforts, more progress could be made in technological innovation in terms of space science and life science, which will help humanity explore the unknown universe.

George N. Tzogopoulos is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/GeorgeNTzogopoulos.htm

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

If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn.
 Flash

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman will visit Tianjin of China from July 25 to 26, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Wednesday.

The spokesperson made the remarks in response to a query on the visit of Sherman to China.

The spokesperson said the United States has proposed to arrange Sherman to visit China to exchange views on bilateral ties. Agreed by both sides, Sherman will visit Tianjin from July 25 to 26.

Xie Feng, China's vice foreign minister who takes charge of the China-U.S. relations, will hold talks with Sherman, and later Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will meet with Sherman, according to the spokesperson.

China will expound to the United States its position on developing bilateral relations and a firm attitude in safeguarding its own sovereignty, security, and development interests. China will demand that the U.S. side should stop interfering in China's internal affairs and harming China's interests, the spokesperson said.
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U.S. President Joe Biden will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Aug. 30, Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Wednesday.

"The visit will affirm the United States' unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia's ongoing aggression in the Donbas and Crimea," Psaki said in a statement.

The two leaders would also discuss energy security cooperation and anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine, according to the statement.

The announcement came as the United States and Germany reached an agreement on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline issue, which Ukraine opposes.

The 1,230-km gas pipeline, expected to be completed next month, would bring 55 billion cubic meters of gas annually from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea.
It has been said Australia rode on the sheeps back.

Well, in economic terms, this statement is correct for the most part up until perhaps the 1960s when our other exports took the lead.

The Australian wool industry has been through some good times, especially after World War II when greasy (just shorn and unwashed) wool sold for a pound a pound (approximately $2 for 500gm of wool) in a time when $5 bought enough groceries for a large family for a week.

Money Managers  Not!

My grandparents had never seen so much money as they did in 1951. They renovated the old homestead, they purchased their first truck, their first tractor and then a larger one, a new car, a brand new 24-disc plough and on it went.

(My grandfather died in 1979, $40,000 in debt).

Wool disasters

The Australian wool industry has also been through any number of disasters, the first was probably the 1880s when wool lost all value and sheep were being boiled down for their fat which was worth more than their wool.

Since the 1960s, the prices paid for wool has been like the rolling waves of the sea. One up, one down, repeated over and over. In the late 1960s, wool reached such a low price the government decided to step in to assist the industry which they felt would soon rebound.

The Wool Reserve Price Scheme

The Wool Reserve Price Scheme started in the 1970s and lasted until 2001.

For those who dont know about this scheme, the Australian Government put in place a floor price on wool. This meant anytime the price dropped below the reserve price, wool producers would be paid the reserve price and if the market rose, producers received the market price. It was a safety net which worked well for 20 years while the market price fared well.

Wool producers were overjoyed by this guarantee and started producing even more wool. New producers entered the market and it wasnt long before supply exceeded demand and the surplus wool was being bought by the government, through the Australian Wool Corporation (AWC) at the reserve price.

Now the AWC seemed to lose the plot in the late 1980s by increasing the floor price instead of lowering it to what the market was willing to pay. They kept on buying so, in February 1991, there were 4.7 million bales of wool in storage.

Wool prices were so low the AWC decided to sell this wool for whatever they could get for it and at the same time, ceased buying from producers.

Potholes filled with wool

There was so much wool on the market it was selling for less than the cost of production and many producers, trying to compete against the AWC, were bankrupted and millions of sheep were either shot on-property or sold for almost nothing.

I remember seeing a yard of about 150 sheep sold when the auctioneer said hed take an ice-cream for the pen and someone walked to the canteen and bought him one  it was a hot day after all.

One government scheme had men working on gravel roads filling potholes with unsaleable wool.

Farm economy and sheep numbers

The family farm which supported five families during the 1950s now barely supports my cousin and his wife.

Wool prices today continue to fluctuate and producers celebrate in the good times and battle through the tough times but no longer are they known as the silvertails they once were.

Im no economist but it gets me riled up when politicians make economic decisions without abiding by basic economic rules.

In Queensland in 1980, there were approximately 22 million sheep. Although the number is increasing at present because of exclusion fencing (keeping feral dogs out) there are only four million sheep.

Our fine merino wool is still a valuable export commodity and will continue to be for some time into the future but Australia no longer rides on the sheeps back.

Life for most of us has its ups and downs and the recent pandemic is an example where good honest workers found themselves unemployed through no fault of their own.

These downs have happened before  the Great Depression is another example along with the Global Financial Crash - and similar crises may happen again so what are we to do about it?

Depend on the government for handouts? Not likely.

This reminds me of the chorus of an old hymn I havent heard for years, I hope I have the words right.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace.
Many men and women have found that the message of Jesus resurrection satisfied not only their heart but their mind. They gave lives to Jesus. They said the transformation was immediate. Its the resurrection and its power we celebrate each Easter Sunday.

Is the resurrection based on reliable facts? Before our break for an Easter song, I quote Sir Lionel Luckhoo. The worlds most successful defence lawyer. He at age 63 checked out the facts and declared, I have spent more than forty-two years as a defence trial lawyer in many parts of the world. I say unequivocally the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is so overwhelming that it compels acceptance by proof which leaves absolutely no room for doubt!

How can we be so sure?

Whats The Real Evidence for the Resurrection?

To establish the resurrection one must be able to prove two things. Its not complicated really. One must show Jesus was dead at point Abeyond resuscitation. Secondly it must be shown he was alive at point Bat a later date. If someone is dead then alive, the only reasonable inference is resurrection. And if that happened Jesus deserves to be worshipped as Lord, as he has defeated our universal enemydeath.

What is the case for Jesus being dead at point A? Well lets act as a jury and look at the evidence.

Firstly, we have the eyewitness accounts in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John that are found in the New Testament. They clearly testify Jesus was crucified until dead. A spear was even thrust into his side bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. He was dead.

Some sceptics like Dan Brown in the Da Vinci Code say, Look he just swooned death and was later revived and pretended he died. But can you imagine a man whipped to the point of death, as Jesus was, hanging on a cross with a spear thrust in his side, being able to jump around three days later convincing every he was 100% fit?

Even the famous skeptic about Christian things David Strauss, admitted the old swoon theory is a greater miracle than the resurrection itself! Most liberal scholars invent the swoon theory because they will never accept any miracle  miracles arent sophisticated enough for them  but yet they cant avoid the empty tomb. Their conclusions for a lawyer are biased and ridiculous.

And the Gospels that record the death of Jesus are most reliable. The former Chief Justice of New South Wales, Sir Leslie Herron stated, Let any objective reader put side by side the four Gospels and he will be struck, as any Judge accustomed to evaluate evidence is always struck, with one outstanding fact. It is this: that while they may be a great variety of detail or form of expression or narration of or emphasis put on occurrences, underneath it all, the substance and the weight of the narration are true. Sir Leslie was one who really knew what reliable evidence was.

The New Testament gospels document that Jesus was dead. But of course there is other historical evidence that Jesus was dead at point A. The Jewish historian Josephus affirms his death as does the Roman Tacitus who states Jesus was put to death by Pontius Pilate.

Alive at point B

What is the evidence for Jesus being alive at Point B. Well we have the direct eyewitness accounts of the disciples and others recoded for us in the reliable Gospel accounts. And as Clarrie Briese, former Chief Magistrate of New South Wales says these testimonies have a real ring of truth to them. He says, they tell the story warts and all. He further states the witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ are witnesses of the highest credibility.

The Apostle Paul also goes on to list there were over five hundred witnesses (1 Corinthians chapter 15). He records a superb witness list to the fact of resurrection, that included people who were initially sceptical but saw the risen Christ and then believed. He is saying to the reader, here are names, check it out.

Apart from the eyewitness accounts there is circumstantial evidence. For example, no one ever produced Jesus body to refute the claim. The Romans certainly didnt want any rumours out there about this crucified Jesus being a resurrected Messiah and Lord. But no one produced the body to kill the story. Also why would the Jewish followers of Jesus change their day of worship from the sacred Saturday Sabbath to Sunday unless they truly believed he was risen? The tomb was empty.

And look at the impact the message He is Risen has had on our society. Lord Hailsham, one of the most significant lawyers of our age stated, Our whole system of education, public or private, our network of hospitals, our social security system itself, have each a clear origin in this Christian foundation. The tomb was empty, Jesus is alive!

Listen to how the Apostle Paul shared the news in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verses 35. These few verses all agree, even sceptics, was a creed the first Christians shared when they meet. Paul said For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.

This Easter we can join with millions of people saying Christ is RisenHe is Risen indeed! The ultimate proof we have of this is that when we put our trust in Jesus he comes into our lives. He transforms us and walks with us. We discover it is true that God loves us so much that he sent his only Son into the world to die for us. To God we are significant.

Sir Lionel Luckhoo said of his commitment to the risen Christ, From that day my life changed. My life took a 180-degree change. I found real peace and happiness and joy. If we want forgiveness and power for living its truly found in the crucified and risen Christ.

As the hymn writer wrote, Thine is the glory, Risen conquering Son, endless is the victory Thou oer death has won. Jesus meets us, Risen from the tomb, longingly he greets us, scatters fear and doom. Our hope is the truth He is Risen.
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Showers and a possible thunderstorm during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Showers and a possible thunderstorm during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%.
Mr. Prince I just want to indicate something to you, Judge David P. Gold cautioned Prince during the hearing Thursday just before he was released. Obviously this brings to a close, at least for the time being, this case .... but as Im sure [defense attorney Gerald Klein] has told you, the state has announced its intention to continue to prosecute you in terms of this case.
DCP does not allow the use of street names such as fruity pebbles, do-si-dos and wedding cake for medical products because officials cannot verify that the strain bought on the street is the same as the medicinal product purchased from a licensed and regulated dispensary.
If theres a will, theres a Ben way  driven to reach goals is an understatement. You were, and I think I speak for everyone in this room and more when I say you were the biggest encouragement, supporter and motivator. You taught us and continue to teach us that anything we want, we can do. No one will ever forget the hard work and determination you put into reaching you goals, Callie Simler said.
Because [the delta variant] is highly transmissible, the best defense we have is to continue to get vaccinated, Kumar said. So at least if you get the infection or you get exposed to someone who has COVID, youre not getting as sick and requiring the ICU or hospitalization.
Research from other places affected by the Delta variant suggests more cases of vaccinated people getting COVID-19 are likely coming. In Israel, for example, the Ministry of Health has observed a marked decline in the effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in preventing both infection and symptomatic infection. And a new study from New York University, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, found that the Johnson & Johnson is far less effective against the Delta variant than against other strains.
The anti-blight task force  made up of fire and building inspectors and others  is also building a database of properties that are three years or more behind in taxes. Owners in those situations are more apt to let maintenance slip, and the task force wants to issue warnings early while conditions can still be corrected economically.
Logan, who lives in the 3rd Congressional District, would need to move in order to represent the 5th District. After living in his home in Ansonia for 20 years, Logan said that he would yes, yes, absolutely move into the 5th District. But he does not expect to move until January so that he knows exactly where the district lines are after the redrawing that takes place every 10 years and is based on the U.S. Census.
But for those repeat offenders, and there may be 100 of them, that cause the overwhelming majority of these crimes ... the consequences I think should be immediate and not have to wait many months, the governor said. Were not talking about incarceration but we are talking about the group homes, ways that they can get a mentor and a parole officer that deal with them in a more serious way and prevent this from happening again.
Weinsteins indictment involves five women in incidents spanning from 2004 to 2013. Most are said to have taken place in the hotels in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles that the New York-based Weinstein would make his headquarters for Hollywood business. Some took place during Oscars week, when his films were perennial contenders before the #MeToo movement brought him down.
Additionally, the Air Force has begun the permanent relocation of its F-22 fighter jet training facility from Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida to Langley. With as many as 760 more people coming  including military, civilian and contract personnel  over the next 5-7 years, the Air Force expects more activity in that vicinity: increased development and traffic.
Monica Atkins, founder of Stop the Violence 757, said she got involved in activism after her cousin Aron Turner was killed. She started her own group when her son Antonio Atkins was killed in a drive-by shooting in Portsmouth. She dedicates her time to supporting others who have lost family and those struggling in the community. In her years of activism, she said partnering with city has been hard, making her feel as if they dont care. To prevent violence, she felt the changes would have to bubble up from the community.
She sounded very credible, Kelleter said. And she gave this lengthy explanation of the Rube Goldberg Machine of the BOP  that they had to go through 10 different steps, and they have to figure out how to communicate this to the Marshals. But basically, she said he is coming back to home confinement.
In the last two weeks, cases have more than tripled and hospitalizations have gone up over 69%. Asked what inning of the ballgame North Carolina is in at this stage of the pandemic, Cooper replied, Wed have to sit down and study that issue.
Williamsburg will have to post signage to clearly designate to the public the boundaries of each area. Prior to adopting the ordinance, they will also have to work with local law enforcement to develop a public safety plan for the area(s). Law enforcement would also have to be involved in maintaining the safety and welfare of individuals and businesses within the areas.
Advocate Khagesh Jha, appearing for the NGO which has filed a petition concerning calculation of marks of class 10 students of CBSE-affiliated schools, emphasised that this year the schools were free to have their own marking policy. (Photo: Representational/PTI)

New Delhi: An NGO Thursday told the Delhi High Court that CBSE's evaluation policy for this year's Class 10 board examination did not have any grievance mechanism for students.

In the hearing before a bench of Justice DN Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh, the NGO -- Justice For All -- argued that Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) should make an arrangement for uploading the soft copy of the marking scheme followed by schools.

Advocate Khagesh Jha, appearing for the NGO which has filed a petition concerning calculation of marks of class 10 students of CBSE-affiliated schools, emphasised that this year the schools were free to have their own marking policy.

He stated that a student has no way to know how he/she was marked and thus like previous years, students should have access to the documents based on which evaluation is done.

I have no marking scheme. I have no policy document or the evaluation sheet. Earlier there was a system and there was a process., he submitted.

The advocate added that in the absence of any policy on record, a student would not even be able approach the high court for any grievance redressal.

I have no document to know that if I got 19 marks, was it human error or some arbitrary policy of school., he stated.

Jha also objected to using historical background of a school as a factor in the marking scheme for class 10 students.

It affects my highest marks. If 30% students (in a school) failed last year, this year also 30% students are bound to fail even without writing the exam, he explained as he submitted that this rule is most harmful to schools having children from slums and other economically backward areas.

However, the court responded that there was no direction from CBSE to schools to follow the same pattern.

There is no direction that you follow the exact pattern. It (CBSE policy) just says you keep in mind. Read the policy.

The advocate clarified that he was not alleging any abuse of power by the CBSE but only sought to iron out the issues arising out of this year's evaluation system.

Hearing on the petition will continue on July 29.

The high court had on June 2 sought response of the Centre, Delhi government and CBSE on the NGO's petition claiming that the policy of the board for calculating marks of class 10 students based on the internal assessment by schools was unconstitutional and required to be modified.

In its petition, the NGO has said: "The policy of moderating the average marks assessed by the school, based on the historical performance of the previous average result of the school, in terms of the best overall performance of the school would be injustice to the students as the performance of school is not relatable in any manner with the performance of the student."

It has also said moderating the marks in consonance with the overall average score of the district, national and state average "was absolutely unreasonable, illogical and punitive for the students of a school which would appear in the board exams for the first time", with no previous data of performance.

The NGO has alleged that it can also lead to the manipulation of marks and exploitation, extortion of the students and parents.
Hyderabad: Alleging fraud on the part of the official liquidator of corporate debtor Servomax India Pvt Ltd, a petition was filed on Thursday before the National Company Law Tribunal at Hyderabad.

Petitioner Manne Ekambareswar Rao alleged that the official liquidator appointed in the insolvency resolution process of Servomax  which has debts of around Rs 700 crore to various banks  has been playing fraud and that he is hand-in-glove with the promoter of the insolvent company.

He said the reserve price set for first notice to sell the company as a going concern was Rs 72 crore, wherein the same was decreased by the liquidator to Rs 65 crore and Rs 60 crore as on February 2020.

Thereafter, he decided to decrease the reserve price to Rs 54 crore and the same was further decreased Rs 48.6 crore to sell the company. Finally, the quoted price came down to Rs 25.88 crore post realization of sale of some assets.

The petitioner alleged that the liquidator was trying to hand over the company to some associates of the companys promoter.
A bench of Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Shaji P Chaly, after hearing the arguments on behalf of the petitioner organisation -- Citizens Association for Democracy, Equality, Tranquility and Secularism(CADETS) -- said it will pass orders in the matter. (PTI Photo)

Kochi: A PIL in the Kerala High Court on Thursday urged it to direct the Centre to reassess whether Muslims and Christians in Kerala should continue to be considered in the list of minority communities.

A bench of Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Shaji P Chaly, after hearing the arguments on behalf of the petitioner organisation -- Citizens Association for Democracy, Equality, Tranquility and Secularism(CADETS) -- said it will pass orders in the matter.

CADETS, represented by advocates C Rajendran and K Vijayan, contended that the list of minorities in Kerala has to be re-determined and has sought a direction to the National Commission for Minorities to do the same.

The organisation has claimed thatthe Muslim and Christian communities in Kerala have progressed tremendously in the fields of socio-economics and education and therefore, their minority status requires to be re-determined and no preferential treatment should be given to them.

It has also sought a direction to the Commission to evaluate the development progress of the two communities in Kerala.
Officials were also asked to identify the houses located in low-lying areas that are vulnerable to collapse and shift the residents to safety.  Representational image/DC

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday put the state administration on alert after the weatherman predicted incessant rains in parts of Andhra Pradesh. District collectors have been asked to take all requisite steps to handle the emerging situations.

Launching the second phase of YSR Kapu Nestham here, Jagan asked collectors via video conference to monitor the flood situation in their respective districts, reach out to the people in trouble and provide them relief.

This apart, municipal administration minister Botsa Satyanarayana held a video conference with municipal commissioners and officials, along with special chief secretary Srilakshmi, and told them to ensure no untoward incident took place in the coming days of heavy rains.

Take all steps to maintain proper sanitation and ensure there is no contamination of drinking water. Take up chlorination of all water sources and close all manholes. We must check the spread of contagious diseases, he said.

While the CM has put district administrations on alert, the minister asked municipal commissioners to set up control rooms in their offices and keep tabs on low-lying areas so as to avoid loss of lives and property in flooded areas. Shift people from vulnerable areas to safety and provide them proper accommodation, food and health care, he told officials.

Special chief secretary Srilakshmi advised municipal commissioners to send an action plan to her to face floods in their respective municipalities by Friday, and visit the wards every morning. Ensure proper maintenance of sanitation, officials were told.

Officials were also asked to identify the houses located in low-lying areas that are vulnerable to collapse and shift their residents to safety.

Officials have also been asked to spread awareness among the people about the need for them to consume boiled and cooled water to avoid spread of waterborne diseases. Let us also take up anti-larval operations to contain mosquito menace, officials were told.
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Industries Minister P Rajeev on Thursday said that there is a purposeful attempt to tarnish the investment-friendly image of the state, and contrary to allegations many investors like TCS, V-Guard, and Lullu Group are gearing up to start their ventures in the state.

Giving a list of new investments coming in Kerala, Industries Minister told the Kerala Assembly that Tata Consultancy Service (TCS) will sign an MoU with Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (KINFRA) for Rs 1350 crore.

"The TCS project will be coming up in 36.38 acre land. The first phase will see an investment of Rs 600 crore and in the second phase Rs 750 crore. The TCS board that met on July 14 has given its approval for the same," he said.

Regarding other investments, he said V Guard Industries is investing Rs 120 crore while Lulu Group Ra 700 crore for an Electronic Ware House.

Hinting at the row over Kitex group deciding to wind up its business in Kerala shift outside the state, Minister said, " There is purposeful attempt to tarnish the investor-friendly image of Kerala by spreading baseless allegations," Rajeev said the Kerala government is planning to come up with a new amendment thereby a statutory grievance redressal committee would be established in the state for addressing grievances of the investors.

"Already the complaint redressal mechanism has been strengthened and senior IAS officers have been tasked with it. A unified land ease policy is also in pipeline and an expert committee has been constituted to come up with suggestions," he said.

In the Health Sector, the Minister said that Kerala is planning to come up with a pharmaceutical park, to meet the medicinal requirements of the state.

"The Park will manufacture medical equipment and medicines required by the state. Already we have started manufacturing sanitizer, hand gloves, and PPE kits required for COVID prevention," Minister added.
Thiruvananthapuram: The first day of the second session of the Kerala Assembly on Thursday saw the opposition Congress raking up the issue of the Forest Minister A K Saseendran, who had allegedly attempted to settle a sexual harassment case, and the UDF staged a walkout protesting the Speaker's decision to not allow an adjournment motion in the matter.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who replied to adjournment motion moved by Congress legislator P C Vishnunath, said the minister had already made it clear that he had interfered thinking it was some party-related matter.

"The complainant and the accused in the case are party workers of the NCP. The minister had made it clear, that as a party leader, he just enquired about a dispute between the two party workers," Vijayan said.

The chief minister also informed the House that police was probing the complaint of the victim and there was no need to discuss it in the House.

Leader of Opposition in the Assembly V D Satheesan said it was clear through the voice clip that was aired in the media that the minister interfered in the probe.

"From the voice clip, it is clear that the Forest Minister interfered in the matter and asked the father of the victim to settle the case," Satheesan said and later the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) staged a walkout.

Vijayan said the NCP minister made it clear that he never had any intention to weaken the case and did not call any police officer in the matter.

"The Minister, who is the leader of NCP, had called the party worker to resolve a party-related issue. He had made it clear that when he came to know about the sexual harassment matter, he decided not to interfere," Vijayan said.

Vishnunath, while presenting the motion, said the minister instead of supporting the victim, tried to influence her father.

"The minister instead of extending support to the victim, called her father to ensure that no legal action will be taken against the culprit. She filed the complaint on June 28 and the police is yet to record her statement," the Kundara legislator said.

Interestingly, Saseendran had to resign as transport minister from the first Vijayan government, in the wake of sleaze talk allegations against him.

The issue came to the fore after Malayalam news channels started airing an alleged telephonic conversation between Saseendran and the woman's father, seeking to settle the issue by mutual agreement.

Subsequently, the minister had told the media that he did call up the girl's father, but to try and settle what he thought was a dispute in the party.

He had claimed that when he found out that it was a case of attempted sexual assault, he did not intervene any further.

The woman, a BJP member, said the NCP member in question had asked her in March whether she had joined BJP to earn money and if so, he would pay her and had then allegedly grabbed her arm.

However, she had not lodged a complaint then.

Thereafter, the NCP member used to mock her at various fora and then on June 28 posted her election campaign poster on WhatsApp with the comment that her father got her to join BJP for earning money.

On seeing this, she told her father about the earlier incident and he said a complaint should be lodged with police.
Notably, Revanth Reddy had referred to the misuse of Israel based spyware in Telangana state on July 16 too. (Twitter)

Hyderabad: TPCC president and Malkajgiri MP Revanth Reddy smelled the rat about governmental snooping of Indian citizens a year and a half ago.

Alleged snooping on politicians, journalists, judges, businessmen and others by Israel based spyware Pegasus kick-started a debate in the country ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. Revanth Reddy suspected the snooping in December, 2019 and raised a question in Lok Sabha.

Replying to the question (unstarred, no.3686), then Union minister of state for electronics and information technology Sanjay Dhotre said the Government of India had been informed by WhatsApp of a vulnerability affecting some WhatsApp mobile user devices through a spyware namely Pegasus.

According to WhatsApp, the spyware was developed by Israel based NSO group and that it had used Pegasus to attempt and reach mobile phones of about 1400 users globally including 121 from India.

Based on reports of snooping by Pegasus, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has sought submission of relevant details and information from WhatsApp and NSO Group, the minister explained in the written answer.

Notably, Revanth Reddy had referred to the misuse of Israel based spyware in Telangana state on July 16 too. He had said that the state intelligence has been using Israel based spyware to tap the phones of Opposition parties and dissident sections in the state.

Revanth Reddy alleged that Intelligence IG Prabhakar Rao was responsible for snooping by maintaining a private army.

Ahead of the Monsoon session of Parliament, the Pegasus spyware issue came to light via online website reports.

Union ministers described this as a well planned attempt to disrupt the Monsoon session by Opposition parties.

Home minister Amit Shah cited the timing of the snooping charges, but Congress MP Revanth Reddy proved it was an old issue, that he has been pursuing for the last one and half year.

Claiming this, Revanth Reddy on Wednesday demanded sedition charges be registered against those involved in snooping and home minister Amit Shah must resign. He said the Congress party will conduct Chalo Raj Bhavan programme across the country against the snooping.
There are currently no details on what types of games will actually be available. (Photo: PTI)

Washington: Netflix recently revealed that it will expand into video games, starting with ad-free games for mobile devices like phones and tablets that it'll offer on its existing subscriptions at no additional cost.

As per The Verge, the company announced the news on Tuesday as a part of its second-quarter earnings report. The announcement comes just days after the company said it hired former EA and Oculus exec Mike Verdu to head up its gaming work.

"We're also in the early stages of further expanding into games, building on our earlier efforts around interactivity (eg, Black Mirror Bandersnatch) and our Stranger Things games," the company said.

"We view gaming as another new content category for us, similar to our expansion into original films, animation and unscripted TV. Games will be included in members' Netflix subscription at no additional cost similar to films and series," Netflix added.

"Initially, we'll be primarily focused on games for mobile devices," the company further said, revealing its plan of gaming expansion.

There are currently no details on what types of games will actually be available, though Netflix recently extended its TV deal with Shonda Rhimes to include feature films and gaming content. There's also no word on how games will be delivered to Netflix subscribers.

The company has acknowledged in the past that it competes with games for time and attention, with co-CEO Reed Hastings writing that "we compete with (and lose to) Fortnite more than HBO" in 2019.

COO Greg Peters discussed the company's interest in games in April (PDF) as part of its first-quarter earnings. And the company has already dipped its toes into gaming with experiences like Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and Carmen Sandiego.

But with the recent hiring of Verdu and the new information shared on Tuesday about its initial plans, now it seems like Netflix is more focused on games than ever.

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Speaking exclusively to "EuroFora", the New EU Parliament's President, former Polish Prime Minister, ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEP Jerzy Busek, welcomed proposals by EuroFora about innovative ways for EU Citizens to attend EU debates before important final decisions which affect people's lives.



- "We (EU Parliament) must be transparent", Buzek stressed from the outset. "We must have clear answers also for delicate questions. If we don't touch a problem, you must know why, and when shall we decide in the nearest future".. "Because "we (EU) must think about Europeans, first of all : They don't understand well what is going on in the EU. So, it's our duty to inform them, to make discussions here more interesting".



"EuroFora" congratulated President Buzek for the anouncement he made, from the 1st day of his election in Strasbourg (on Tuesday, 14 July 2009), on his intention to make transparent debates, exchanges of views, etc. before the final adoption of decisions in EU Parliament's Plenary, when issues are evolving inside Committees, (See earlier publication).



And we reminded, in this regard, that "EuroFora" has been advocating a project for EU Citizens' active involvement in pluralist EU debates before important EU decisions, since more than a Decade : 1997-2007+



- "Thank you. We (EU Parliament), indeed, have exciting debates", Buzek replied. But, in practice, "without a possibility for our Citizens to see them, not even by the Press, the Radio or TV, etc., because it is in Committees", he regreted.

- "But, they (i.e. Media, Citizens, etc) might interact with you, with MEPs, etc, May be we can imagine something", "EuroFora" proposed.

- "Yes, (but) it needs, a quite new idea", Buzed observed.

- "Why not through some innovations ?", "EuroFora" suggested.



- "Innovation ? That's it. Fantastic New Information Technologies !", Buzek realized.- "Precisely, "EuroFora" has such a project, since more than a Decade (1997-2009), to use new technologies for public debates before major EU decisions are taken", we reminded.- "If you have such proposals, please come to us, come to us. We must" do something, agreed the new EU Parliamen's President.

This fits with Buzek's main stance, expressed at EU Parliament's plenary earlier this week in Strasbourg, that the European Union must succeed to overcome a "Crisis of Trust" vis a vis EU Citizens. (See previous EuroFora publication).



For that purpose, obviously information and debates are valuable, but purely instrumental, procedural means which can help focus on, and highlight a substantial content, attractive to EU Citizens, which needs to be determined by other, political, and not mediatic factors.



Buzek spoke about the urgent need to overcome the Global Economic Crisis, the struggle for Human and Civic Rights, Democracy, etc., the Eastern Partnership, links with Russia, strategic partnership with USA and emerging countries, etc.



But he also used (while speaking both to "EuroFora" and other Media) the expression : "The Europeans", for EU Citizens. This points right towards what several important EU leaders (including French President Sarkozy, German Chancellor Merkel, etc) have started to highlight particularly during the recent years : That there is a vital need, and an historic opportunity, for the development of a European Conscience, to stimulate e renaissance of a European Identity able to attract Popular support, for the EU to become a strong player in a Multopolar World : In other words, the revitalisation of a project for a "Political Europe".



By a coincidence, this was indirectly but surely reminded, earlier in Strasbourg, by another ... Busek (this time with a "s") :





Speaking to more than 650 participants from CoE's member countries, at the conclusion of the 2009 Summer University of its Political Schools, Erhard Busek, (with an "s"), former vice-Chancellor of Austria and EU Coordinator for South-Eastern Europe, pointed at the current need to revitalize Europe's "Identity", forged by Greek philosophy and Roman Law, Christian values and Enlightment's ideas, etc. through the ages.

- "We have almost the same name with Jerzy Buzek (EU Parliament's new President, who is a former Polish Prime Minister), because both our Families come ...from the same village, located at the Heart of Europe, which was often shared between Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic. But my family emmigrated a long time ago to Austria, while Jerzy Buzek's family remained in Poland", explained f. vice-Chancellor Erhard Busek to "EuroFora".

An astonishingly concrete and simple example of European Integration from the grassroots : Starting by EU Citizens, i.e. those "Europeans", that EU Parliament's new President, Jerzy Buzek (this time with a "z"), wants to bring alongside MEP's decision-making proces, (according to "EuroFora"'s main idea : Comp. supra)...

***


Fort Hood, TX (76544)

Today

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 75F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 75F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
Fort Hood, TX (76544)

Today

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 75F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 75F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
Tattooist-painter Oh Si-young, who goes by the alias Yissho, poses at his recent solo exhibition "The Soil Sinks into the Water" at BHAK in Yongsan District, Seoul. The exhibition was sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Disability Arts and Culture Center. Courtesy of BHAK



By Park Han-sol



For the artist Oh Si-young, the earliest memory of death came at the age of six. One day, during a visit to the workplace of his father, a professor of anatomy, he was briefly left alone in a medical lab filled with human skeletons. Minutes felt like hours. He still remembers the feeling of horror rushing through his tiny body.



"Rather than the sight of the skeletons themselves, I think I was more frightened of the deep, deathly silence that exuded from them," Oh, who goes by the alias Yissho, said during a recent interview with The Korea Times.



His second memory of death, which came a decade later, was much more direct  he fell from the top of an apartment building in Seoul that his family resides in to this day, in an attempt to end his life. After being subject to a months-long hospitalization and a series of surgeries, he was granted a new life, but with the experience forever ingrained in his visibly scarred leg.



"To be honest, it wasn't at all part of the original plan for me to survive the fall. But from the moment I got stuck in the hospital bed to when I burst into tears after finally stepping outside to smell the forest and hear the chirping birds  that was when I could actually feel the value and meaning of life, even more so than my previous 17 years," he explained. "I think that feeling derived from my human instinct to survive."



"In the end, I don't regret that this happened to me. Those series of moments made me who I am now as a person."



The 29-year-old tattooist-painter's brush with death as well as his philosophical musings on the inevitable end of all human beings have been reflected in his series of paintings at the exhibition "The Soil Sinks into the Water," hosted recently at BHAK in Yongsan District, Seoul.



The show's title comes from "The Tibetan Book of the Dead," which also serves as a core foundation for most of his works on display. The Tibetan Buddhist scripture intends to serve as a guidebook for the dead as it describes the physical procedures of death and helps those souls navigate the journey to either the next rebirth or the state of nirvana.



What Oh decided to focus on in this book was its description about what constitutes a "proper death." Whereas most people are concerned solely with how to lead a "proper life," it fascinated him to think about the opposite in the same way as, he said, "life always coexists with death."



"I found the discussion of the idea of death in Tibetan Buddhism fascinating, but I didn't want to apply this philosophy directly into my life  like I did in the past at the age of 17  and instead portray it in my artworks," he noted.



"(The artist) does not stop at talking about death and its despair, but ultimately goes on to throw up questions about 'surviving' and 'living properly'," art critic Lee Min-hoon writes.









"Three Young Women with Pets" (2021) by Yissho / Courtesy of BHAK



In Oh's paintings, which are his attempts to visualize the unobservable sceneries and landscapes beyond this life, the human figures are painted in a thin layer to indicate their semi-transparent, soul-like state transcending the physical body.



These humans are an intriguing amalgamation of his painting style stemming from his tattoo works and his family photos. He references a variety of postures and expressions he sees in himself, his parents and older sister in the old family albums and transfers them onto canvas in the style of "Irezumi"  distinct Japanese tattooing style typically associated with the yakuza that was heavily influenced by the "Ukiyo-e" genre popular during the Edo period (1603-1867).



"At my solo exhibition last year, I conveyed the theme of 'memory' through my family photos. It was interesting to see how my memories of them are jumbled and distorted as a series of images without clear borders and influence my thoughts years after their inception," he said.



"I wanted to make this aspect a part of my work. Since then, the pictures of my family have continued to appear in my paintings."





"The Dog-Coordinate" (2021) by Yissho / Courtesy of BHAK



His works on display can then be seen as a visual mix of his life and philosophy  the idea of death portrayed through images of his past self and family members, using his background as a tattooist.



As a result, in "20?.?.E03," his mother's face appears like the Virgin Mary on the wood frames evoking the image of a coffin, surrounded by sharp tattoo needles, while in "The Dog-Coordinate" the frame of the canvas depicting the afterlife is decorated with an iron plate cut out in the shape of the mountain and rock that appear in "Ukiyo-e" woodblock prints.



In Korea, due to the law that permits only licensed medical professionals to give tattoos, which makes the works of the non-medical tattooists illegal, it is still difficult to see the body art enjoying the same spotlight and social status as fine arts.



"Just like how works of fine art have entered the world of tattoo, I hope to bring tattoo works into the gallery through performances, sculptures or even displaying of the tattooed human body itself," he noted.



"Eventually, what I want to become is a visual artist combining all of my artistic endeavors instead of drawing a line between a tattooist and a painter."




Seen is a photo showing a group of monks having a drinking party in an accommodation facility owned by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the largest Buddhist sect, on July 19. Yonhap



By Park Ji-won



The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the largest Buddhist sect here, has apologized for its monks violating social distancing rules by holding a "drinking party," pledging to take action in response to the misdeed.



"We apologize to the people and the members of our sect for the inappropriate incident while COVID-19 is spreading throughout the nation and threatening people's lives," the sect said in a press release Wednesday. "The Jogye Order has been following the authorities' guidelines faithfully since the outbreak of the coronavirus, and has made great efforts to protect the lives and safety of the people. However, some monks' misdeeds greatly damaged the dedication and efforts of most temples and monks."



The sect added it will take steps based on its internal rules and order the temples to take pre-emptive measures to prevent similar incidents from happening.



The apology came after a group of monks made headlines by gathering in an accommodation facility owned by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism in Haenam County, South Jeolla Province, on July 19, the first day of the new social distancing rules banning private gatherings of five or more people nationwide.



"The owner of the facility asked the monks to hold a ceremonial ritual praying for the safety of the accommodation before its opening," an official of the order said. "The gathering was organized to express gratitude for the ritual."



The county government said Thursday it plans to take punitive measures against the owner of the facility and seven monks. The monks are expected to be fined 100,000 won each, while the owner of the facility is expected to be fined 1.5 million won ($1,300) and ordered to close the facility for 10 days.



In addition to the violation of the distancing rules, the monks' drinking itself is a violation of "Gyeyul" or Buddhist cannon and rules called the "Sila" and "Vinaya."



The order faced mounting criticism as some of its monks have continued to make headlines due to various crimes and misconduct in recent years.



Last month, prosecutors sought an eight-year prison sentence for a former monk of the Jogye Order, for operating four pornography websites and distributing about 8,000 obscene photos and videos from 2016 to March 2020, in connection with the infamous "Nth room" sex crime scandal.


In this photo provided by Cheong Wa Dae, President Moon Jae-in and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman pose prior to their meeting at the presidential office in Seoul, July 22. AP-Yonhap



President Moon Jae-in asked U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman to play a proactive role for the resumption of talks between Washington and Pyongyang, as they met each other at Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday.



Moon recalled his summit agreement with President Joe Biden in May to continue joint efforts for the shared goal of completely denuclearizing Korea and establishing permanent peace, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee.



Sherman expressed hope that North Korea will respond positively to the Biden administration's dialogue offer at an early date.



She was quoted as saying that she wants the United States and South Korea to maintain a closely coordinated campaign on the North Korea issue.






A medical worker cool the heat in front of a cooler at a COVID-19 testing center in Gwangju, Thursday. Yonhap



Korea hits new record high of 1,842 daily virus cases



By Jun Ji-hye



The health authorities are bracing for a possible shortage of hospital beds for COVID-19 patients as the country's daily new virus cases have been surging on a daily basis.



The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 1,842 more COVID-19 infections for Wednesday, including 1,533 local ones, raising the total caseload to 184,103.



The latest numbers were the highest since the country saw its first case of the coronavirus in January last year, breaking the previous record of 1,784 reported Tuesday



Korea has yet to face a shortage of intensive care unit (ICU) beds for seriously ill patients, but makeshift treatment centers for patients with minor symptoms are almost full in some regions amid the ongoing fourth wave of infections.



Experts warned against a possible shortage of hospital beds and medical workers amid the continuous spike in cases.



"If the fourth wave of infections is prolonged, the numbers of seriously ill patients and deaths will increase together," said Cheon Eun-mi, a pulmonologist at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital.









According to the KDCA, the bed utilization rate at hospitals specifically designated to treat COVID-19 patients nationwide stood at 66.3 percent as of Tuesday, with 2,582 beds still available. About 500 out of 806 ICU beds for seriously ill patients across the country are also still available.



The utilization rate at treatment centers run by central and local administrations came to 64 percent, the KDCA said, noting that 4,901 more patients with minor symptoms can still enter those centers.



But treatment centers in some regions are almost full, with the rate for centers in the South and North Chungcheong provinces standing at 89.3 percent. In Busan and Gangwon Province, the rates were 84.3 percent and 72 percent, respectively.



The current situation is unfolding differently, compared to when the country experienced previous waves of infections and faced a serious ICU bed shortage. This is because the fourth wave is infecting more younger people who have yet to be vaccinated, while a considerable number of those over the age of 60, who were more vulnerable to the virus, have received their shots in the country's vaccination program that began at the end of February.



The authorities warned that the number of seriously ill patients could increase among young people if the current trend continues.



"As of Tuesday, one in 100 patients under the age of 60 has been seriously ill for the past three weeks, with the number of deaths in that age group having nearly doubled during that period," a KDCA official said.





Medical workers conduct COVID-19 testing at a temporary testing center installed at an elementary school in Daejeon, Thursday. Yonhap
By Park Ji-won







Yoon Kook-byung, former president-publisher of The Korea Times / Korea Times file

Yoon Kook-byung, former president-publisher of The Korea Times, died of cancer Thursday. He was 79.







Born in 1941, he began his career in 1965 as a staff reporter for the Hankook Ilbo, the sister paper of the country's oldest English daily.







Yoon became the president-publisher of The Korea Times in April 2002 and served until March 8, 2004. He also served as the president-publisher of the Hankook Ilbo in 2002 from Aug. 30 to Dec. 31. He retired at The Korea Times.







He also served as the politics editor and the managing editor in the Hankook Ilbo. He also worked as the president-publisher of the Sonyeon Hankook Ilbo, a daily published for elementary-school readers from February 1998 to March 2002.







He was one of the survivors of the 1983 Rangoon bombing, where 16 Cabinet members and one journalist, as well as four Burmese citizens were killed by two North Korean bombers in a terrorist attack at the Martyr's Mausoleum of modern Myanmar's founder, Aung San.







He is survived by his wife and two children. Those who wish to pay their respects to the late president-publisher can visit Seoul St. Mary's Hospital in Seoul. The funeral runs until Saturday morning.


Loes van Esch, left, and Simone Trum of Dutch graphic design duo Team Thursday, who designed the "Versatile Volumes" exhibition, which displays the 33 books that won the "Best Dutch Book Designs" in 2019 at the KF Gallery in central Seoul. Courtesy of Team Thursday



By Kwon Mee-yoo



From books introducing the history of activist printing in Amsterdam ("The Wheel Turner") and the moss of the British region of Letterewe ("Bryophytes and Lichens of Letterewe"), to a 12-meter-long poetry book ("Hooked! 30 Years of Singing, Sanding and Sawing") and a catalogue of the Rijksmuseum's collection of Rembrandt's works ("Rembrandt x Rijksmuseum"), the quintessence of Dutch Book design is currently on display at the Korea Foundation (KF) Gallery in central Seoul through Aug. 13.



Organized by the KF in collaboration with the Embassy of the Netherlands in Korea, "Versatile Volumes" is an exhibition shedding light on the 33 books that won the "Best Dutch Book Designs" in 2019 and 17 Korean art books.



"The Netherlands has a long tradition of design. Maybe it has to do with the history of the Dutch, making their own land, transforming sea into land," Dutch graphic design studio Team Thursday (TT), which designed the art book exhibition, explained why the country is strong in design in an email interview with The Korea Times.



"But we think it has a lot of reasons. There used to be many good assignments, with good commissioners who understood the cultural value of design, and this was key for many interesting developments in the graphic field. Especially from the cultural field, but even from a governmental level, there were many commissions that developed renewed designs for postage stamps, books, signage, and such. This resulted in a wave of distinct, great graphic designers who were quite influential and were spreading this to their students and even setting up their own school programs."



TT consists of Loes van Esch and Simone Trum, collaborating as a graphic design duo since 2010 and working on a variety of media, from book design and exhibition design, to curtains and objects.



They first visited Korea in 2015, participating in the Typojanchi  International Typography Biennale in Seoul  and stayed here for five months in 2017 while participating in a residency program offered by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Changdong. They have been visiting Seoul more frequently in the years since, growing very fond of the city and the people they met here, and leading them to develop this "Versatile Volumes" exhibition.





A view of the "Versatile Volumes" exhibition, which shows the 33 books that won the "Best Dutch Book Designs" in 2019, at the KF Gallery in central Seoul / Courtesy of the Korea Foundation



"It was important to us to try not only visiting a new place (Seoul) and in a way only using this for our own work. Therefore we are happy that we can have more of an interactive relationship," TT said.



Last year, TT designed the catalogue for the Best Dutch Book Designs, in which one of their creations was included in the 33 winning books, and they invited their friend, Korean photographer Kim Kyoung-tae, to do the photography for the books.



"It might seem odd to invite a non-Dutch photographer for this, but at that time, it seemed very logical. Our country was in lockdown, so we couldn't visit anyone in real life anyway, so the idea of 'distances' became more abstract. Kyoung-tae can really crawl into the skin of the objects that he photographs, which is precisely what we wanted, and therefore we shipped all the books to him in Seoul," they said.



"Following up on this, we were asked by the Dutch Embassy in Seoul to propose an exhibition of the books. In the Netherlands as well as in Korea, there is an energetic graphic design scene, and the initial idea was to make a small contribution to the interaction between the two."



The exhibit is entitled, "Versatile Volumes," as each of the books, as an actual object, is the key to the whole concept.



"The dimensions, weight, choices for material and print are very considerately taken into account. If all of the books are together on a table, without even opening the books, there's already a huge variety to be seen in them," TT said.



"We decided to let the works speak for themselves as much as possible, to have the focus on the books so that the visitor can browse through them and hopefully be intrigued by all the different choices that are involved in making a book."





An installation view of the "Versatile Volumes" exhibition, showing Korean art books at the KF Gallery in central Seoul / Courtesy of the Korea Foundation
In this Sept. 2, 2019, file photo, South Korean Navy destroyer, the Munmu The Great, prepares to dock at the Manila South Harbor for a three-day port call off Manila, Philippines. The Ministry of Defense on July 22 began an inspection into the mass COVID-19 outbreak at the country's anti-piracy Cheonghae unit. AP-Yonhap



The defense ministry on Thursday began an inspection into the mass coronavirus outbreak at the country's anti-piracy Cheonghae unit that infected 90 percent of its 301 members, forcing them to cut short their mission in waters off Africa and return home, officials said.



A 10-member team from the ministry's inspector office will look into whether the military  including the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Navy, the Armed Forces Medical Command, the Cheonghae unit and related ministry bureaus  properly responded to the COVID-19 outbreak on the unit's 4,400-ton destroyer, Munmu the Great, for the next two weeks, according to officials.



The military has come under criticism for its poor initial response to the outbreak and for not actively seeking ways to inoculate the sailors. None of the 34th contingent of the Cheonghae unit had been vaccinated, as they left South Korea in early February, weeks before the country began the vaccination campaign.



"The defense ministry will thoroughly look into the case, and based on the results, take corresponding measures on those who are responsible," it said in a statement.



The Cheonghae unit first reported six virus cases last week, and subsequent tests on all the crew members confirmed a total of 271 infections.



All of the 301 members were airlifted home Tuesday, and sent to military hospitals and treatment centers for quarantine.



Vice Defense Minister Park Jae-min said Wednesday the mass infection appears to have begun after the destroyer made a call at a nearby African port to load supplies from June 28-July 1.



One day after the vessel left the port, an officer first showed symptoms of a cold, but he was given only cold medicine.



Park said an investigation was necessary to find out the exact route of infection, as all the service members were wearing protective gear when they loaded the supplies.



The audit team is also expected to look into how the mass outbreak began, though the probe will have to largely rely on the sailors' testimony.



The virus-hit destroyer is scheduled to arrive in South Korea around September, and the vessel has been disinfected for a new team of sailors to pilot it back home.



On Thursday, the ministry said one sailor who previously tested negative was found to have contracted the virus, raising the total caseload among the Cheonghae unit to 271.



Of them, 17, including one showing severe symptoms, are at hospitals, while the rest are at treatment centers. Thirty members who tested negative have also been put in isolation at the military's quarantine facility, the ministry said. (Yonhap)


Former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choe Jae-hyeong, of the conservative main opposition People Power Party, who recently declared his presidential bid, is photographed while holding a meeting with party spokepeople at the National Assembly, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Oh Dae-geun



By Jun Ji-hye



In the past, some adoptive parents in Korea have hid the fact of their children's adoption from them, as well as from other people, for various reasons, such as prejudice against adoptees.



For similar reasons, many people with disabilities have also taken pains to hide them, in an attempt to avoid discrimination.



Such preconceptions about adoption and disabilities have in the past been seen as very sensitive matters to politicians who thoroughly manage their public images.



However, in today's changing social atmosphere, two presidential hopefuls  former Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) Chairman Choe Jae-hyeong of the conservative main opposition People Power Party (PPP) and Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung of the liberal ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK)  have attracted attention from the public by not hiding  and rather proudly disclosing  the issues that could have been seen as weaknesses, ahead of the presidential election scheduled for March of next year.



It is well-known that Choe and his wife adopted two sons in 2000 and 2006, respectively, after having two daughters. The couple wrote about 150 diary entries about their experiences as adoptive parents on a website run by the Mission to Promote Adoption in Korea, from 2004 to 2011.



Choe said in an interview with local media in 2011, "You shouldn't choose a child for adoption as if you choose products on a display shelf. Before adoption, you should make the difficult decision to protect the child without any conditions."



Choe's adoption tale has recently been in the limelight again after Lee Gyeong, the former deputy spokesperson of the ruling DPK, used the issue to attack Choe.



During her appearance on a current affairs program on TV Chosun, Monday, Lee called on Choe to stop mentioning his experience of having adopted children, saying, "It is not a good idea to let others know about their adoption."



Apparently contrary to her expectation, her comment drew criticism, and among the critics was Choe's adopted son.



Choe's first son, Young-jin, 26, wrote on Facebook, Tuesday, "Before being adopted, I was ashamed to be an orphan. But I am not ashamed anymore, and I hope that my father will mention adoption more and more."



The son added that his father should be able to help console more people affected by adoption, saying, "My father and I have overcome difficulties together."



PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok joined in the criticism, saying that the ruling party was being "presumptuous." The PPP spokesperson, Yang Joon-woo, also claimed that the ruling party had "dismissed the adoption as shameful."



For his part, Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung has recently released a photo that shows his arm disfigured at the elbow, in a bid to explain why he had been exempted from the country's mandatory military service.



Lee said that his arm came to be this way after being injured during his childhood when he was working for a factory, due to poverty.





This photo released on July 17 by Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung of the liberal ruling Democratic Party of Korea, who is running in the presidential election, shows his disfigured arm. He released the photo because some people have criticized him for not completing the country's mandatory military service. Yonhap
Jailed former president Park Geun-hye enters Seoul St. Mary's Hospital in Seocho District, Tuesday, for shoulder treatment. Yonhap





By Nam Hyun-woo







Exonerating jailed former president Park Geun-hye is emerging as a variable in Korea's presidential election next year, with President Moon Jae-in appearing to be contemplating whom he will grant presidential pardons to on the upcoming Aug. 15 Liberation Day.







Rumors of a possible pardon for Park emerged earlier this week, as multiple news outlets here reported that Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong's case was under review by the Ministry of Justice for a Liberation Day release. Lee was jailed for bribing Park and her confidante Choi Soon-sil to win government support for him inheriting control of the Samsung conglomerate from his father, the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee.







Though the justice ministry did not confirm whether Lee was included in its review list for pardons, liberal ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Song Young-gil said Tuesday that "Lee might be undergoing a reviewed for a pardon because he will have finished 60 percent of his jail term in August," and "the government seems to be considering the semiconductor industry's demand (for Lee's exoneration) and public sentiment."







Since Lee's case is intertwined with that of Park, any ruling on Lee is anticipated to affect a pardon for Park. Cheong Wa Dae said that it has nothing to confirm concerning a pardon for the former president, but Yoo Seung-min, a former lawmaker and presidential contender from the conservative main opposition People Power Party (PPP), said he had heard that the presidential office was "contemplating Park's pardon."







Park was hospitalized Tuesday with shoulder pain. This was the second time that the 69-year-old has been allowed out of prison for treatment this year, amplifying calls from some that she should be pardoned on humanitarian grounds.







Park, who was a conservative president, was impeached and imprisoned in 2017 after being found guilty of abuse-of-power and bribery, allowing Moon and the DPK to come to power with a strong grip on state affairs, particularly in the early stages of his administration.







The conservative main opposition PPP has been keeping its distance from Park since her impeachment and imprisonment. PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok and potential presidential contenders have stated that Park's impeachment was fair, although there is still a group of her loyalists within the party.







Supporters of independent candidate Yoon Seok-youl, center, hold signs during his visit to a democracy monument in Daegu, Tuesday. Yonhap





Against this backdrop, pundits have been saying that pardoning Park could be a tactic that Moon could choose to divide the conservative opposition, as well as to overshadow the PPP primary, scheduled for late August.







A pardon of Park would be a critical blow for Yoon Seok-youl, the former prosecutor general under Moon and currently the front-running presidential contender expected to run for the conservative opposition. While serving as a prosecutor, Yoon led the team investigating Park in 2016, which played a pivotal role in her ousting, trial and imprisonment.







If Park gets pardoned, the voices of Park loyalists within the PPP are anticipated to grow, resulting in a heated debate over the responsibility for her imprisonment within the party. In this case, the PPP will likely find it uneasy to embrace Yoon.







The awkward situation was already seen Tuesday when Yoon visited Daegu, the hometown of Park and a conservative stronghold. During his visit to Seomun Market in the city, Park supporters clashed with Yoon supporters, exchanging verbal insults over his investigation into the former president.







After the skirmish, Yoon made neutral comments to reporters that he feels "empathy for those who regret Park's imprisonment," but "what I've done in the past is part of the duty of a prosecutor."







Pardoning Park also could result in damage to the ruling DPK, given the criticism expected from liberal supporters. Earlier this year, former DPK Chairman Lee Nak-yon faced heavy protests from within his own party, after commenting that he may ask Moon to grant a pardon for the former president.







"There seems to be less of an issue for the President in terms of freeing  whether through parole or pardon  Samsung Vice Chairman Lee, but the problem is that the situation of former president Park is entangled with that of Lee," said Eom Gyeong-yeong, the director of the Zeitgeist Institute.







"Pardoning Park could crack the opposition bloc's unity, but at the same time, it could spark criticism that the government is using some kind of trick. The DPK could also get mired in political debates that raise conflict among its own presidential contenders. In such a complex situation, the P\president should focus on maintaining his principles and in taking the high road."


Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions stage a rally in front of the Ministry of Economy and Finance building in Sejong, Wednesday. Although the rally was not in violation of the city's current social distancing rules, concerns are rising over the KCTU's plan to hold other massive rallies in Wonju, Gangwon Province, this Friday and July 30, despite concerns over resurgence of COVID-19 infections and the government's repeated warnings of a stern response. Yonhap



By Jung Da-min



The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), a major umbrella union here, has been slammed for pushing ahead with massive rallies amid a fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and the government's repeated warnings of a stern response.



After holding a massive rally July 3, where around 8,000 members of the union gathered in central Seoul's Jongno District despite the government's demands to cancel the gathering, the KCTU again staged another rally participated in by about 400 members in front of the Ministry of Economy and Finance building in Sejong. The rally there did not violate the administrative city's current social distancing rules.



The KCTU said earlier this week that it is also planning to stage two more rallies, this Friday and July 30, in Wonju, Gangwon Province.



The government has been issuing stern warnings to the union amid the resurgence of COVID-19 infections.



"The period between the end of July and the beginning of August is expected to be the biggest turning point for this resurgence of COVID-19," Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said, Wednesday, while presiding over a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters at the Government Complex Seoul.



"We call on the KCTU to cooperate with the government's request to submit a list of the participants of the rally held July 3 and withdraw its plans to hold other massive gatherings."



Among the participants of the July 3 rally, at least three have tested positive for COVID-19, sparking concerns about a potential infection cluster amid spiking virus cases. So far, police have booked six key participants on suspicions of violating the Law on Assembly and Demonstration, the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, and obstructing traffic.



Some residents of Wonju have been gathering signatures from people who oppose the KCTU's plan to hold massive rallies in the city, while expressing concerns over possible infections and the resultant impact on the regional economy.



But the KCTU leadership claims the government is blaming its failure to manage the COVID-19 quarantine on the rallies. KCTU head Yang Kyung-soo said Monday on Facebook: "The spread of COVID-19 is not due to the assembly of workers but due to the government's failure in prevention and quarantine policies."



While planning a full-scale walkout in November, the KCTU has been demanding the abolition of irregular employment, a halt to job cuts, a hike in the minimum wage and increased safety measures to prevent industrial accidents.


By Seo Young-hoon





Along the coastline of Jeju Island, one can usually still see groups of individuals in black wetsuits who eloquently descend into the turquoise sea. These people are haenyeo (which literally translates to "sea women"), the female divers of Jeju Island. Within South Korea's patriarchal society, haenyeo were pioneers who challenged and redefined the limits of what women could accomplish.



Jeju's diving tradition, which dates back to 434 A.D., was historically exclusive to men. However, by the 18th century, female divers gradually began to replace their male counterparts. There were several possible reasons for this transition. Firstly, a significant number of men never returned from fishing accidents or wars.



Secondly, women have more subcutaneous fat, which gave them a higher threshold for withstanding cold waters. The profession, however, was full of dangers, given the long hours spent in icy water as deep as 12 meters. Many ballads described the task as "diving with a coffin on one's head" or "toiling in the netherworld so our family can live in this one." Therefore, before a dive, haenyeo prayed to the goddess of the sea, as well as performed an annual shamanistic ritual called a jamsugut, for their safety and an abundant catch.



Haenyeo believe that the failure of an individual to put forth her utmost effort to improve her skills erodes the common good of the entire community. To emphasize the importance of personal capabilities and responsibilities for the community, haenyeo established the hierarchy of sang-gun (those of high rank), jung-gun (those of middle rank) and ha-gun (those of low rank), based on the principles of justice, where one's status is determined by her strivings to contribute to her community.



This hierarchy, however, underscored the communitarian values of benevolence and solidarity, which are manifested in the gae-seok tradition. Gae-seok asserted that divers with larger yields, (usually sang-gun and jung-gun) put a certain amount of their catch into the nets of those with smaller yields (typically ha-gun).



This tradition arose from the reciprocal principle that "no haenyeo dives underwater without a buddy," where the diver of a higher rank goes underwater, while the one with a lower rank stays above water to learn and keep an eye out for her safety. The communitarian spirit emphasized that the success of an individual is the product of such collective effort.



It can be said that haenyeo were the first working moms of South Korea, as opportunities for making a livelihood were restricted by the island's harsh conditions. Jeju's rocky soil and fierce sea winds, hindering the growth of trees, precluded the possibility of any other meaningful and sustainable profession, which meant that diving was an essential lifeline for the family.



As women became the primary breadwinners of the family, Jeju became a semi-matriarchal society: women headed to the sea to dive, and men stayed at home to take care of the children and shop. This matriarchal social structure, nevertheless, was unable to overcome rigid Confucian patriarchy characteristic of mainland Korea completely. The political sphere was still the jurisdiction of men and, despite their work, women often handled the majority of domestic tasks and remained as the primary caregivers.



Since the 1960s, Jeju's sea-diving industry saw a sharp decline due to the introduction of mechanized farming (especially mandarin oranges) and tourism to the island. Many girls, who traditionally began their training at the age of 11, left and avoided the profession, with its strenuous labor and grueling conditions. Whereas only 14 percent of haenyeo were above 50 in 1970, the number soared to 98 percent in 2014, with the oldest haenyeo being above 80 years old.



Perhaps it was inevitable that Jeju's sea-diving industry, which grew out of a historical need, would decline, as industrialization has given way to the belief that humanity might transcend many environmental limitations. Although haenyeo might no longer exist in the future, they will and must be remembered.



Not only did haenyeo advance the status of women, but they also embodied the intangible and invaluable cultural heritage of grit, persevering vitality and pioneering spirit that strove to overcome the conditions of barren Jeju Island for their family, which reflects and captures a kind of collective Korean spirit that aspires to transcend geographical restrictions. If the haenyeo spirit is not the Korean spirit, then I am not sure what is.





Seo Young-hoon (yseo2021@chadwickschool.org) is an intern at the Samsung Alzheimer Research Center.


By Carl Bildt





STOCKHOLM  It has now been 18 months since the SARS-CoV-2 virus was first sequenced in China. Within a month, the World Health Organization (WHO) had issued its highest possible global alert, declaring the COVID-19 outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Weeks later, the WHO declared a pandemic. Yet we are nowhere near the end of the crisis. On the contrary, we have entered a dangerous new phase in its evolution.



While complacency sets in among richer, more vaccinated countries, a cloud of despair has descended on lower-income countries that lack the means to fight new variants of the virus. And, after reporting declining numbers of new infections for seven consecutive weeks, the WHO is now recording an increase in confirmed cases practically everywhere.



In its weekly epidemiological update on July 6, for example, it found that there had been a 30 percent increase in COVID-19 incidence in Europe, even though the European Union had delivered enough vaccine doses to immunize 70 percent of all adults.



The reason for this global resurgence is well known. The Delta variant, now identified in 111 countries, is significantly more contagious than previous strains of SARS-CoV-2, and it is spreading very fast. The rise of new variants serves as a reminder that we are dealing with a living organism that can and will evolve in response to the measures (and half-measures) that we deploy to fight it.



While the Alpha and Beta variants were somewhat less problematic, the Delta variant has proved ruthless, and it is anyone's guess what future mutations will bring. The only certainty is that with the virus raging around the world, new variants are inevitable.



With a growing share of the population receiving vaccines in Europe and North America, lockdowns, mask mandates, and other measures are being eased, leading to unfortunate but predictable results. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte recently had to apologize for his country's rapidly rising infection rate, and he is unlikely to be the last leader who finds himself or herself in that position.



Worse, rich countries remain reluctant to step up and help. After multiple Group of Seven (G7) and Group of 20 (G20) meetings, the international community still has not closed the $16 billion funding gap for the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A), the international coordinating mechanism for equitable access to vaccines. That sum is miniscule compared to the trillions of dollars being spent to support national economies.



While rich countries become complacent, many others are growing desperate, owing to a lack of vaccines, respirators, oxygen, and testing and sequencing supplies. With the rise of the Delta variant, they are essentially flying blind. On July 6, the WHO's technical lead on COVID-19 warned that there are more than 20 countries "with exponential growth in cases  in all regions of the world." And because many of these countries have low vaccination rates, a higher death toll is sure to follow.



All told, nearly one-quarter of the global population has been vaccinated. That might sound impressive; but the distribution has been grossly and immorally skewed toward richer countries. Moreover, the WHO estimates that 70 percent of the world will need to be vaccinated to end the pandemic. That means there is still a long way to go.



Yes, vaccine production is increasing fast, and pharmaceutical industry leaders are talking about producing 11 billion doses (the number needed for a 70 percent global immunization rate) this year. But that supply would come on top of the 3-4 billion annual vaccine doses that the world already needs to fight other diseases.



And make no mistake, producing the COVID-19 vaccines is a complicated process. The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine requires 280 inputs from suppliers in 19 countries. Boosting its production has required an unprecedented 200 new technology-transfer agreements.



While new efforts are underway at the WHO and the World Trade Organization (WTO) to facilitate more of these kinds of arrangements, trade restrictions and vaccine nationalism remain a serious problem. The WTO recently noted that while the number of trade restrictions affecting vaccines has fallen from 109 at the beginning of the pandemic, there are still 53 provisions slowing down the hoped-for production increase.



In the meantime, more oxygen is urgently needed to avoid a repeat of the tragedy we witnessed in India. Multilateral institutions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have brokered important agreements with key global suppliers, but more must be done to keep up with the rising need across Africa and in parts of Asia.



Testing and sequencing supplies are also critically important, both for managing outbreaks and for detecting and quickly understanding new variants. In addition to the four current "variants of concern," the WHO is monitoring four other "variants of interest," one of which  the Lambda variant  has now been found in 29 countries.



The variant problem attests to the global nature of this crisis. Though the virus was first identified in China, the four variants of concern were identified far afield, in South Africa, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and India. Lambda was first uncovered in Peru. Because the next variant could come from anywhere, this is no time to ease our response. If we are going to avoid successive waves of new variants, we must redouble global vaccination efforts.



This is a test of political leadership. All governments must take seriously the dictum that no one is safe until everyone is. National successes in beating back the pandemic could easily be unraveled by national failures to fight it elsewhere. Let's not learn that the hard way.





Carl Bildt is a former prime minister and foreign minister of Sweden. This article was distributed by Project Syndicate. (www.project-syndicate.org)


Adopt zero tolerance toward manipulators



South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo was finally convicted of online opinion manipulation Wednesday when the Supreme Court upheld the lower court's guilty verdict against him. Kim, one of the closest aides to President Moon Jae-in, was deprived of his governorship and has to spend two years in prison. The decision is not only a setback to Kim's political career, but also a blow to the legitimacy of the Moon administration.



Kim's conviction delivered a clear message that any attempts to distort or manipulate public opinion cannot and should not be condoned. Such an act is a serious crime that can shake the foundations of democracy to the core. It runs the risk of disrupting the fairness of elections by rigging public opinion to the advantage of a certain candidate. It is also tantamount to trampling on the Constitution.



In this sense, Kim deserves harsher punishment although he is still denying any illegalities. Disappointingly, he said the legal case was "insufficient" to reveal the truth. What nonsense! He went so far as to discredit the decision by the highest court. It is shameful that he was allowed to serve as governor despite his criminal act which affected the 2017 presidential poll and the 2018 local elections.



The top court recognized that Kim began to collude with a team of bloggers in November 2016 to illegally generate favorable opinions about Moon, the then-opposition's presidential candidate. The bloggers included Kim Dong-won, better known by his alias Druking, who led the manipulation scheme by jacking up the number of "likes" for online political comments using computer software to benefit Moon in the election. Such rigging continued until the end of the June 2018 local polls to help the candidates of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).



Some critics question whether Moon knew about the opinion rigging in the lead-up to the previous election. They call for his apology, claiming the President might have been involved in the manipulation case, directly or indirectly. However, Moon and the presidential office have responded with no comment, further raising suspicions about the case.



The guilty verdict against Kim has significant implications as it came less than eight months before the next presidential election set for March 9. Local elections are also scheduled for June 1. So the decision is seen as a warning against those who are contemplating manipulating public opinion in cyberspace.



Now the government, the National Election Commission and law enforcement agencies should work together to prevent a recurrence of opinion rigging. Most of all, they need to adopt a policy of zero tolerance toward such a grave crime. To that end, the judiciary must enforce tougher sentencing guidelines to crack down on any violators. The two-year prison sentence for Governor Kim appears too light, given the serious nature of his crime.



It is necessary to speed up the trial process for those indicted for manipulating public opinion, particularly in cases related to elections. In Kim's case, he has already served three quarters of his four-year term as governor, hiding behind the legal principle that one is innocent until proven guilty. Even law-breaking elected post holders can manage to serve out their term because of time-consuming trials. The authorities should also make use of advanced technology to fight against these increasingly sophisticated manipulators of public opinion.






By Troy Stangarone





When governments meet at the U.N. Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in November they will face an increasingly difficult task in limiting global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. Global temperatures have already increased by more than 1.0 degree Celsius and countries were not on track to meet their pledges from the Paris Accords prior to the pandemic. Now, as the world's economies begin to recover, the pandemic's brief reprieve from ever-increasing levels of carbon emissions is ending.



To an extent, this issue should not be surprising. While Korea and other countries have pledged to become carbon neutral by 2050, those plans will be phased in over time and the current focus is understandably on vaccinations and economic recovery.



The task before the world, in meeting the challenge of climate change, however, is enormous. The decline in carbon emissions from energy consumption last year was 6 percent. To meet the climate goals put forward in the Paris Accords, the world will need similar annual drops in emissions for the next three decades, according to an analysis by BP.



Meeting this challenge will require a significant deployment of new renewable energy sources. The International Energy Agency estimates that over the next decade, the world will need to add annually 390 gigawatts of wind power and 630 gigawatts of solar power. To put that amount in perspective, South Korea is set to build the world's largest offshore wind farm over the next decade and it will only provide 8.2 gigawatts of power. Much more will need to be done in Korea and other countries if the world is to stave off the worst effects of climate change.



In addition to wind and solar power, the world will need to scale up technologies that allow for the usage of renewable fuels, such as hydrogen. Korea is at the forefront of these efforts, with its Hydrogen Economy Roadmap Korea, but meeting the timeframes needed to shift to renewable energies, in order to limit increases in global temperatures, requires more international collaboration to scale up hydrogen as a new energy source.



Within the current roadmap, Korea is working to expand the use of hydrogen domestically and aims to have 5 percent of its power generated from hydrogen by 2040. However, a significant portion of Korea's focus has been on mobility. This focus will reduce carbon emissions and help to improve domestic air quality. For hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to be cost-competitive with internal combustion engine vehicles, however, estimates suggest that production needs to reach levels of 100,000 vehicles per year. The initial goal was to reach that level of production by 2025, but current sales figures suggest that those levels of production are further in the future.



While the Hydrogen Economy Roadmap envisions a significant portion of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles being exported, fostering the development of green hydrogen produced with renewable power will be key to promoting these types of vehicles successfully in markets abroad. Korea's hydrogen plan, however, primarily relies on grey hydrogen, which uses natural gas, a fossil fuel, to produce hydrogen, rather than water, which would be used in the green hydrogen process.



In Korea's domestic context, grey hydrogen makes sense. Dedicating renewable energy to the production of green hydrogen only becomes economically advantageous once there is an excess of renewable power domestically. With Korea lacking excess wind or solar capacity, the focus on grey hydrogen makes sense from a domestic perspective to promote the development of end-use applications.



However, a shift to green hydrogen would further reduce Korea's domestic emissions and demonstrate the viability of hydrogen-powered equipment in export markets. International collaboration could help to facilitate this shift. Partnering with Australia or Chile to tap into their efforts to develop the production of green hydrogen will not only support the development of green hydrogen in countries blessed with an abundance of potential solar power, but will also help to develop potential export markets for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and other technologies.



The benefits of international collaboration could extend to the shipping industry as well. Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering is one of three companies worldwide known to be developing a commercial liquefied hydrogen carrier. A more robust hydrogen economy outside of Korea will need a new fleet of ships that can handle the cold temperatures required to move hydrogen in its liquid form.



Some partnerships are already happening on the private level. POSCO, for example, is partnering with Fortescue Metal Group in Australia on green hydrogen, which will be needed to eliminate carbon emissions from steel production.



Developing an infrastructure for hydrogen in Korea is important for the development of a market for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and other fuel cell related technologies to reach economies of scale. However, for hydrogen to establish itself as a viable carbon-free fuel source, emphasis also needs to be placed on developing production in countries with significant renewable resources to produce green hydrogen.





Troy Stangarone (ts@keia.org) is the senior director of congressional affairs and trade at the Korea Economic Institute.


Apple's logo is seen at a store in New York. AP-Yonhap



By Kim Bo-eun



Apple's shift to using organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels into its smart devices is expected to boost earnings for local display makers.



The iPhone manufacturer plans to incorporate OLED displays into its new iPad model to be released next year, according to reports and sources familiar with the issue, Thursday. This will be Apple's first iPad to feature an OLED display  it already uses such panels in some of its iPhone models.



Both Samsung Display and LG Display, Apple's South Korean display suppliers, are reviewing investments in the necessary equipment, such as deposition machines, required to produce OLED display panels for the U.S. firm's products.?Reports said they are in discussions with their respective equipment suppliers.



The companies declined to comment on the deal, citing they were not in a position to discuss matters concerning their clients.



Industry observers project a gradual shift from LCD to OLED thanks to Apple's wider adaptation of such panels for its devices. The company's use of OLED panels for its next iPad model could invigorate the market for mid- to small-sized OLED display panels to the benefit of local manufacturers. Apple on its own has a wide array of smart devices, and its moves will likely prompt other players to follow suit.



Earlier, Apple utilized OLED panels for its Apple Watch in 2015 and for the iPhone X in 2017; and all models in its latest iPhone 12 series use them. In addition, it is set to implement a new strategy focused on high-end smartphones; future iterations of the company's cheapest model, the budget iPhone SE, could even support 5G technology.



Local display manufacturers are in the process of switching out their LCD manufacturing lines to ones for OLED production, as Chinese display makers offering cheaper panels have eaten into their profitability. The transition is also set to benefit local materials and equipment suppliers.



"The transition in the small- to mid-sized display market to OLED is accelerating, as these are a superior, next-generation display," an industry official said. "This is set to benefit local display makers given Chinese competitors have yet to catch up in OLED technology."





LG Display's production plants in Paju, Gyeonggi Province / Courtesy of LG Display
A man rides a bicycle through a flooded intersection in Zhengzhou in central China's Henan Province, July 20. AP-Yonhap





For those trapped in submerged underground trains as Tuesday's horror unfolded in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou, it was a life-and-death matter of keeping their heads above water in the hope that help would arrive.



The rare torrential rain that began on Saturday has claimed at least 25 lives  12 of them in flooded subway stations  left seven other people reported missing and displaced 200,000 people in Henan's provincial capital. The cumulative rainfall in three days was close to a normal year's worth for the city and paralyzed its public transport system, while cars were flipped on flooded roads and ground-floor shops and flats were swamped.



"We are used to ankle-level downpours in the summers," one survivor, who was trapped on his way home on Tuesday evening, told Chinese media. "A recent flood in Zhengzhou [washed away] many cars, but it was nothing like this time, which completely annihilated everything."



According to the Zhengzhou government, more than 500 passengers were rescued after all of the city's rail services were suspended at 6pm on Tuesday, but chaos continued as water poured into subway stations.



Details of the horror were censored in mainland media coverage and on social media. Photographs and videos posted on Weibo, featuring unconscious bodies pulled from the water, were deleted, while survivors sharing first-hand accounts were told in their comment sections to remove them, to avoid being "manipulated by hostile foreign forces".



A journalist at a provincial newspaper, who refused to be identified, told the South China Morning Post that their reporting on the disaster was ordered to be scaled down to focus on "positive aspects".





An aerial view shows the flooded areas following heavy rainfall in Zhengzhou, Henan province, China, July 21. Reuters-Yonhap



The worst-affected area was on Line 5 of the subway, where many passengers were reported to be trapped for hours in submerged train compartments, waiting in hope for rescuers. Videos shared on social media by anxious passengers, themselves standing in chest-high flooding, showed water outside the train windows reaching above head height.



At 7.30 p.m., as desperation mounted, a woman identified as Xiaopei, whom Chinese media reported to be a CCTV program host, sent out an appeal for help via social media.



"All emergency rescue units and firemen, please come save us!" read one of her messages, at 7.32 p.m. "We are trapped in a Line 5 tunnel. Please help spread this message. The water inside the train is chest-deep. I can no longer speak, please help! SOS."



A minute later she posted: "There are hundreds of us. [To us], time is life."



At 7.46 p.m., she sent her last post before her phone battery went flat, saying the water had reached her neck. The terror would last a further hour before she and fellow passengers were rescued at about 8.50 p.m.



Another trapped Line 5 passenger who survived the ordeal told Bingdian Weekly of her fear when water started to pour into the train.



"Others were also crying around me," she was quoted as saying. "We made a pact together to refrain from saying anything negative. Most of us remained silent as we focused our efforts trying to connect to the world outside to get help.



"Thankfully, one lady managed to reach rescuers outside and she kept updating the rescuers about our situation. But the worst moment came around 9pm when the water level outside the train window was taller than a person. As we looked towards the tail of the train, most of the compartments were already totally under water."



Time was running out, as was hope.



"Some were shaking, gasping and vomiting, and there were children, pregnant women and elderly among us," she said. "Many of us were just exhausted from being drenched in the water for hours.



"I felt hopeless, preparing myself for the fact that I wouldn't make it out alive. When I saw the water level had reached our heads, I began sending out my last goodbye messages and arranging affairs after my death with loved ones.



"Air was quickly running out. We came up with the idea to break open with fire extinguishers the higher windows towards the ceiling in the first compartment, where the water level was not so high. Ventilation improved soon after, and that was when rescuers arrived."



Another passenger, who boarded a train on Line 1 at about 5pm on the outskirts of Zhengzhou, told ThePaper.cn that they were trapped inside the Boxue Road station with elderly and children past midnight because exits of the stations were blocked.



"The rushing water began to spill over as we were about to approach Zhengzhou East station, so the train didn't stop, and continued ahead," they were quoted as saying. "Halfway, the train stopped and began to backtrack to the previous station, and that's where we got trapped."



3 dead as southern China tunnel flood rescue effort reaches 6th day





In this aerial photo released by Xinhua News Agency, firefighters pump rainwater from a road underpass in Zhengzhou in central China's Henan province, July 21. AP-Yonhap
Police patrol the streets as they drive past a large Cuban flag hanging from the facade of a building, Havana, Cuba, July 21. AP-Yonhap



An anti-government hip hop song by some of Cuba's most popular musicians in exile became the anthem of the unprecedented protests that rocked the Communist-run country last week.



Now the visual artist who filmed the Cuban section of the videoclip for "Patria y Vida" ('Homeland and Life'), Anyelo Troya, 25, has been sentenced to a year in prison, according to relatives. He was charged with instigating unrest, they said, after attending a demonstration in Havana.



Rights activists say this is just the start of what they predict will be a wave of summary trials of hundreds of people detained during and after the unusual protests on July 11 and 12 that the government has blamed on U.S.-backed counter-revolutionaries.



"They took him to trial without defense or lawyer or anything," Troya's mother Raisa Gonzalez told Reuters after witnessing his sentencing in what she called a collective trial of around a dozen people.



The Cuban Foreign Ministry's International Press Center, which fields all requests from foreign journalists for comment from state entities, did not immediately reply to request for comment on the cases mentioned in this article.



Authorities confirmed on Tuesday they had started the trials of those detained on charges of instigating unrest, committing vandalism, propagating the coronavirus pandemic, or assault, charges that could carry prison sentences of up to 20 years.



"There are people who will receive the response that Cuban legislation allows for, and it will be energetic," President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on state television last week. He promised there would be due legislative procedure.





Plainclothes police detain an anti-government protester during a demonstration over high prices, food shortages and power outages in Havana, Cuba, July 11. AP-Yonhap



But Gonzalez said she was not informed of her son's trial in time and when she arrived at the court with her lawyer, he had already been convicted. The trial was denounced by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW) for taking place without proper defense or due process.



Troya had already been under heightened vigilance for his participation in the song, whose headline is a twist on the revolutionary slogan 'Patria o Muerte' ('Homeland or Death'), his mother said.



Javier Larrondo, a representative of the human rights organization Cuban Prisoners Defenders, said authorities would likely lock up the most charismatic and effective opposition leaders, who lately have often been young artists, whether or not they were at the protests.



"We will have hundreds of political prisoners in just two weeks," he said.



The protests against Cuba's worst economic crisis in decades and curbs on civil liberties first erupted ten days ago in a small town before spreading throughout the country. By the evening of day two, they appeared to have dissipated amid heavy security operations and internet disruptions.



The government blamed mercenaries exploiting frustrations with hardships caused by U.S. sanctions.



Exiled rights group Cubalex, which has established a spreadsheet of those detained that it updates every day as new reports come in, says more than 500 Cubans appear to have been detained during the protests or afterwards.



It said the tally was likely higher, but some families may fear reporting the arrest of relatives in case of reprisals such as losing their state sector jobs.



Some of those detained, like theater director Yunior Garcia, have been released to house arrest.



"I have four officials in front of my door preventing me going out," Garcia told Reuters, which observed the officials. "When I go to buy food or cigarettes, one of them goes with me to keep a close eye on me."





A man is arrested during an event in support for the revolution, Havana, Cuba, July 17. EPA-Yonhap
U.S. President Joe Biden meets with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, July 15. AP-Yonhap



The United States and Germany on Wednesday announced a deal to allow the completion of a controversial Russian gas pipeline to Europe without the imposition of further U.S. sanctions. The agreement aims to stanch fears about European dependence on Russian energy, but it was immediately assailed by critics who said it doesn't go far enough.



Under the terms of the deal, the U.S. and Germany committed to countering any Russian attempt to use the Nord Stream 2 pipeline as a political weapon. And, they agreed to support Ukraine and Poland, both of which are bypassed by the project and fear Russia's intentions, by funding alternative energy and development projects.



"The United States and Germany are united in their determination to hold Russia to account for its aggression and malign activities by imposing costs via sanctions and other tools" they said in a joint statement that covered Nord Stream 2 as well as Russia's support for separatists in Ukraine.



"Should Russia attempt to use energy as a weapon or commit further aggressive acts against Ukraine, Germany will take action at the national level and press for effective measures at the European level, including sanctions, to limit Russian export capabilities to Europe in the energy sector," it said.



The Nord Stream 2 project has posed a major foreign policy dilemma for the Biden administration. U.S. officials from both parties have long feared that it would give Russia too much power over European gas supplies. But the pipeline is almost completed and the U.S. has been determined to rebuild ties with Germany that were damaged during the Trump administration.



Poland and Ukraine expressed their displeasure over the decision to allow the pipeline's completion and said the efforts to reduce the Russian security threat were not sufficient.



"This decision has created a political, military and energy threat for Ukraine and Central Europe, while increasing Russia's potential to destabilize the security situation in Europe, perpetuating divisions among NATO and European Union member states," the Polish and Ukrainian foreign ministers said in a joint statement.



The agreement is not a clear political win for either President Joe Biden or German Chancellor Angela Merkel, an unabashed supporter of the pipeline who will step down later this year. For Biden, he risks appearing weak as it relates to Russia, and Merkel's governing party faces a serious challenge from Germany's Green Party, which opposes the pipeline, in September elections. (AP)




TXT has become the third K-pop group in history to sell more than 100,000 units in three major countries each.

On July 21, it was announced that TXT's "The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE" has exceeded 100,000 total units in the United States.

The US is now the latest country where TXT has reached such an impressive quantity in album sales.

TXT Becomes the Third K-pop Group in History to Sell Over 100,000 Units in Three Countries

Before the United States, the first country where TXT managed to sell more than 100,000 units of "The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE" is within South Korea.

The five-member K-pop boy group succeeded in selling not only more than 100,000 copies but over 600,000 copies on both major charts of Korea.

On the Hanteo Chart, 630,563 total copies of TXT's "The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE" were tallied in its first week of release, starting from May 31 to June 6.

On the Gaon Chart, 693,217 total units of "The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE" were posted for June 2021.

So far, TXT's second full-length album has cumulative sales of 784,395 copies in South Korea.

After Korea, the next country where more than 100,000 copies of TXT's new album were shipped to is Japan.

Based on the June 8 update of the Oricon Chart, TXT's "The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE" recorded a total of 61,344 copies on the first day alone.

And then on July 9, "The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE" succeeded in reaching 100,000 units, thus, earning a gold album certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan.

TXT has now sold at least 100,000 units in three of the six largest music markets in the world: South Korea, Japan, and the United States.

This makes TXT the first-ever fourth-generation K-pop group to attain this milestone, as well as the third K-pop group in history to do so.

The first two K-pop acts to sell more than 100,000 units in South Korea, Japan, and the United States are BTS and NCT.

Congratulations to TXT!

TXT The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE Extends Its Record as the Longest-Running 2021 K-pop Album on Billboard 200

In other news, TXT's second full-length album continues to chart on Billboard 200.

For the week ending on July 24, "The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE" climbed to No. 109 on the Billboard chart.

After entering Billboard 200 at No. 5, TXT's "The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE" has become the first 2021 K-pop album to stay on the tally for six weeks.

With this, "The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE" remains the longest-charting 2021 K-pop album on Billboard 200.

TXT's new album also rose to No. 2 on both Billboard's Top Current Album Sales and Top Album Sales charts.

On this week's World Albums chart, TXT's "The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE" took the No. 4 spot. And, on the Artist 100, TXT skyrocketed to No. 55.

Furthermore, TXT's second full-length album re-entered the Billboard Canadian Albums chart, claiming the No. 97 spot.

This is the third non-consecutive week of "The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE" on the Canadian chart.

With this, TXT becomes the third K-pop act to spend three weeks or more on Billboard's Canadian Albums chart, following BTS and BLACKPINK.

For more news updates about other K-Pop news, always keep your tabs open here at Kpopstarz.

Owned by Kpopstarz.

Written by Mhaliya Scott
Join a great team where people are at the heart of everything we do!

Sodexo is seeking a Human Resources Manager for Healthcare accounts in the Virginia. This HR Manager will have in unit responsibility for three Northern Virginia Hospitals and will oversee three other in unit HR Managers supporting 11 other hospitals throughout Virginia.

The selected candidate will provide direction to managers and hourly employees on all Sodexo policies and procedures, HR initiatives and training. Some responsibilities may include management of payroll, vacation accruals, labor hours tracking, leave of absence, workers compensation documentation, employee relations investigations and documentation, recruitment and on-boarding new employees, office management and client relations. This position will lead all additional Human Resources initiatives for the unit.

Our ideal candidate will have:

Prior Human Resources Management experience in the healthcare industry.

A Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources Management/related field OR equivalent work experience.

PHR/SPHR certification is a plus.

Knowledge of all Federal, State and Local laws regarding Human Resources.

The ability to lead HR practices and objectives.

The ability to provide an employee-oriented, high performance culture that emphasizes quality, productivity standards, goal attainment.

The ability to support and promote ongoing development of a superior workforce.

Skilled in the area of labor and employee relations.

The ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced work environment.

Strong customer service and communication skills.

Strong attention to detail.

Knowledgeable of all MS Office products; Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook.

At Sodexo, we believe every employee should have the resources to be their best. As part of our overall rewards, we offer benefits programs designed to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle including health, dental and vision insurance. We also offer other benefits like paid time off, financial and savings programs, 401k, and access to our employee assistance program and other discounts. Click here for more information about Sodexo's Benefits.

Working for Sodexo:

Sodexo fosters a culture committed to the growth of individuals through continuous learning, mentoring and career growth opportunities. The diversity of Sodexo's client services means that your financial career can grow in a variety of directions. Whether you want to support corporate finances or support unit-level financials, you can build your career based on your interests in the varied services Sodexo offers its clients.


Awarded the 2021 Next Generation Best Place to Work by the Green Bay Current Young Professionals program This role is temporarily remote. Training is conducted virtually from your home. This role is an onsite role and once training is completed, you will transition to work in the office in the future. Cuando se trata de salir adelante y tienes la voluntad de ganar, vamos a llamarlo gran potencial de carrera! Imagine being able to get answers to your health plan questions from someone who speaks the same language as you do. Or, the opposite, not being able to get the answers. At UnitedHealth Group, we want our customers to get those answers by speaking to one of our Bilingual Representatives. If you're fluent in English and Spanish, we can show you how to put all of your skills, your passions and your energy to work in a fast - growing environment. The Senior Customer Service Representative (Member Engagement) role is within the Government Programs segment of United Healthcare. This position is a non-licensed role who will be responsible for leading both outbound and inbound call efforts building connections with current and past United Healthcare members through exceptional customer service skills. The primary focus of this team is to positively influence the growth and retention of our C&S Dual Special Needs membership. During peak times of the business year, Retention plays a vital role in supporting key business partners maintain the growth of our plan membership through the various call campaigns projects and initiatives. Primary focus of NRT Specialists is to identify the unique needs of each member and provide support and information to help close potential gaps in care. This position is full-time (40 hours/week). Employees are required to have flexibility to work any of our 8-hour shift schedules during our normal business hours of 7:00am - 7:00pm Local Time, Monday - Friday. Due to the nature of our business, we have Over time opportunities that occur primarily during Q4 and early Q1 of each year. During this time, team members are supporting both weekday and weekend overtime hours. Other Overtime opportunities may arise throughout the course of the year as business needs require. Our office is located at 2020 Innovation Court, De Pere, WI 54115. We offer 4 weeks of paid training. The hours during training will be 9am to 5:30pm Monday-Friday. Training will be conducted virtually from your home. *All Telecommuters will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Groups Telecommuter Policy. Primary Responsibilities: Inbound and Outbound Call Campaign Support & Results: Make an instant connection with members through various outbound call campaigns which focus on their plan benefits and personal healthcare needs

Maintain a basic understanding of State Medicaid benefits

Meet/Exceed basic call center metrics and expectations consistently (Quality, Adherence, Call Efficiency, Campaign outcomes, Attendance, etc.)

Accurately and efficiently collect and input pertinent information obtained into the appropriate company systems

Ability to navigate through multiple systems simultaneously, with a general understanding of the United HealthCare Products and Benefits.

Create meaningful, compassionate connections with C&S Dual Special Needs members while engaging in fact finding conversations

Demonstrate compassion while working with individuals who are economically disadvantaged, medically underserved or without employer funded health coverage

Displays compassion and understanding for the Medicaid population. Desired Soft Skills Understand & supportive of companys vision and mission linked to direct application of methods and strategies to accomplish Community and State Dual Special Needs business goals.

Self-driven goal-oriented individual with the desire to go above and beyond for a member while meeting/exceeding business metrics

Ability to demonstrate United HealthCares Core Values with internal and external interactions.

Team player with the ability to be flexible in a changing environment.

Demonstrates appropriate communication techniques when responding to members, particularly in stressful situations Youll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in. Required Qualifications: High school diploma / GED (or higher)

2+ years of customer service &/or Call Center experience analyzing and solving member problems

Bilingual fluency in English and Spanish

Experience with Windows PC applications which includes the ability to learn new and complex computer system applications and phone systems

Availability to work 40 hours per week within the operating hours of 7:00 am - 7:00 pm M-F, with an expectation to adjust schedules and work required overtime (to include Holidays and Weekends) based on business needs. Peak required Overtime periods include but are not limited to Q4 & Q1 of each year.

Preferred Qualifications: Healthcare related experience Telecommuting Requirements: Reside within commutable distance of the office location: 2020 Innovation Court, De Pere, WI 54115

Required to have a dedicated work area established that is separated from other living areas and provides information privacy

Ability to keep all company sensitive documents secure (if applicable)

Must live in a location that can receive a UnitedHealth Group approved high-speed internet connection or leverage an existing high-speed internet service Physical and Work Environment Ability to converse with members for a full days work, listening using a headset, sitting, use of hands / fingers across keyboard or mouse, long periods working at a computer, sedentary work

Service center environment has a moderate noise level due to representatives talking, computers, printers, and floor activity Military & Veterans find your next mission: We know your background and experience is different and we like that. UnitedHealth Group values the skills, experience and dedication that serving in the military demands. In fact, many of the values defined in the service mirror what the UnitedHealth Group culture holds true: Integrity, Compassion, Relationships, Innovation and Performance. Whether you are looking to transition from active duty to a civilian career, or are an experienced veteran or spouse, we want to help guide your career journey. Learn more at https://uhg.hr/transitioning-military Learn how Teresa, a Senior Quality Analyst, works with military veterans and ensures they receive the best benefits and experience possible. https://uhg.hr/vet 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 **PLEASE NOTE** The sign on bonus is only available to external candidates. Candidates who are currently working for a UnitedHealth Group, UnitedHealthcare or related entity in a full time, part time, or per diem basis ("Internal Candidates") are not eligible to receive a sign on bonus. 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, training class, customer service advocate, customer service rep, SME, Senior, SR, bilingual, Spanish, Retention, work at home, work from home, WAH, WFH, remote, telecommute, hiring immediately, #RPO, #MRnrsAZWI, #714nrsM&R




Do you have compassion and a passion to help others? Transforming healthcare and millions of lives as a result starts with the values you embrace and the passion you bring to achieve your lifes best work.(sm) Primary Responsibilities: Perform general clinical care to patients, administers prescribed medications and treatments in accordance with clinical standards

Administer injections and prescribed medications as directed by the physician

Respond to and refers incoming telephone calls

Instructs patients and family members regarding medications, test results and treatment instructions

Assist with referrals and medication refills

Arrange for patient testing and admission to the hospital when necessary

Maintain patient recall lists

Handle triage phone calls

Escort patient to exam rooms, interview patient, measure vital signs (i.e. weight, blood pressure, pulse, and temperature) and documents in patient chart

Perform other duties as assigned Youll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in. Required Qualifications: High school diploma or GED

Current unrestricted TX LVN license or unrestricted compact LVN license

BLS / CPR within 30 days

This position requires Tuberculosis screening as well as proof of immunity to Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella, Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis through lab confirmation of immunity, documented evidence of vaccination, or a doctors diagnosis of disease Preferred Qualifications: 1+ years of experience in a clinic environment

Verbal and writing ability required to communicate effectively in informing employees of activities and policies

Numerical ability

Ability to receive, comprehend, and carry out instructions

Ability to work safely with equipment, supplies, and materials

Ability to comply with attendance requirements

Ability to comply with Human Resource policies Physical Demands & Working Conditions: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, grasp, handle, or feel and to reach with hands and arms. The employee is frequently required to sit, stand, walk, see, speak, and hear. The employee is occasionally required to kneel, climb, or balance. The employee is regularly required to lift up to 10 pounds and rarely lift more than 25 pounds. USMD part of OptumCare is a multi-specialty group of hospital, clinics and physicians. USMD serves the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area with more than 250 physicians and associate practitioners, and provides healthcare services to patients in more than 20 different specialties at its 2 hospitals, 4 cancer treatment centers and nearly 50 physician clinics, many of which are multi-specialty. Careers with Optum. Here's the idea. We built an entire organization around one giant objective; make health care work better for everyone. So when it comes to how we use the world's large accumulation of health-related information, or guide health and lifestyle choices or manage pharmacy benefits for millions, our first goal is to leap beyond the status quo and uncover new ways to serve. Optum, part of the UnitedHealth Group family of businesses, brings together some of the greatest minds and most advanced ideas on where health care has to go in order to reach its fullest potential. For you, that means working on high performance teams against sophisticated challenges that matter. Optum, incredible ideas in one incredible company and a singular opportunity to do your life's 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. UnitedHealth Group is a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment. Job Keywords: LVN WellMed Internal Medicine, LVN, Full Time, Day Shift, Outpatient, Primary Care, Clinic, Licensed Vocational Nurse, LPN, Licensed Practical Nurse, Dallas, Lancaster, DeSoto, Balch Springs, Grand Prairie, TX, Texas




Duties



Summary OIG audits and investigations lead to significant recoveries, the identification of cost-savings opportunities, and program improvements that directly enhance the U.S. Government's ability to extend development assistance; support economic growth; combat the spread of disease; promote democratic reform; and address food insecurity to countries around the world. Learn more about this agency



Responsibilities This position is with USAID OIG Financial Audit Division. You will work as an Auditor under the direction of the Director of the Financial Audit Division of the Office of Inspector General for USAID. The Financial Audit Division is responsible for all financial statement audits and financial related mandated audits and engagements of the USAID, MCC, U.S. ADF and IAF. Individuals hired for this position will receive developmental assignments with increasing complexity and responsibility targeted at providing the employee with the appropriate experience to progress to the GS-13 level. As an Auditor specializing in Financial Statement Audits, you will: Perform a variety of financial auditing engagements that are structured to the application of accounting principles, auditing standards, procedures, financial data analytics, and techniques.

Conduct research and gather information through observation, interview, record review, and other available sources (i.e. applicable laws, directives, financial manuals etc.).

Apply broad government guidelines and/or policy statements that require an in-depth knowledge and interpretation of government auditing principles.

Utilize professional accounting and auditing applications in the resolution of operational problems and implementations.

Test, analyze and identify complex financial and non-financial data to verify that it is complete, applicable, and sufficient to meet objectives of the audit test procedure or the audit engagement in general.

Perform systematic examinations and analysis of an agency financial-related records such as annual financial, reports, agency accounting systems, management controls, and policies and practices.

Perform reviews of an agency's annual financial statements.

Assist the lead auditor in determining areas of high risk, internal control weaknesses and material misstatement to focus on during an audit.

Report to the lead auditor any unusual or questionable accounting or program practices, procedures, or operations.

Prepare clear and concise audit documentation, audit products, and other written/electronic products.

Serve as a Contracting Officer Representative (COR), and conduct oversight over independent public accounting firms conducting audit work on behalf of the Office of Inspector General.

Draft / write segments of draft and final audit reports.

Identify findings that are supported by fact based evidence and make recommendations for corrective actions.

Monitor progress of audit recommendations and other reports.

Maintain Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credentials as required.



Travel Required Occasional travel - Occasional travel may be required. Supervisory status No Promotion Potential 13 Job family (Series) 0511 Auditing Similar jobs Accountants

Accountants And Auditors

Auditors

Auditors, Field

Auditors, Internal

Field Auditors



Requirements



Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship required

Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance

Designated and/or random drug testing required

Relocation expenses WILL NOT be paid

Overnight travel may be required Applicant must meet all eligibility, education, and qualification requirements.



Qualifications Auditing Series, 0511 - Individual Occupational Requirements Basic Requirements: A. Degree: accounting; or a degree in a related field such as business administration, finance, or public administration that included or was supplemented by 24 semester hours in accounting. The 24 hours may include up to 6 hours of credit in business law. (The term "accounting" means "accounting and/or auditing" in this standard. Similarly, "accountant" should be interpreted, generally, as "accountant and/or auditor.") OR B. Combination of education and experience: at least 4 years of experience in accounting, or an equivalent combination of accounting experience, college-level education, and training that provided professional accounting knowledge. The applicant's background must also include one of the following: 1.Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality. This can include up to 6 hours of business law; 2.A certificate as Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, obtained through written examination; or 3.Completion of the requirements for a degree that included substantial course work in accounting or auditing, e.g., 15 semester hours, but that does not fully satisfy the 24-semester-hour requirement of paragraph A, provided that (a) the applicant has successfully worked at the full-performance level in accounting, auditing, or a related field, e.g., valuation engineering or financial institution examining; (b) a panel of at least two higher level professional accountants or auditors has determined that the applicant has demonstrated a good knowledge of accounting and of related and underlying fields that equals in breadth, depth, currency, and level of advancement that which is normally associated with successful completion of the 4-year course of study described in paragraph A; and (c) except for literal nonconformance to the requirement of 24 semester hours in accounting, the applicant's education, training, and experience fully meet the specified requirements. In addition to the mandatory education requirements specified in this announcement, applicants must have specialized experience and/or directly related education in the amounts shown below: Specialized experience required for GS-12: For the GS-12, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes: Specialized experience is defined as: (1) Performing audit steps and tasks of limited difficulty and complexity such as conducting financial statement audits, risk assessments, attestation reviews, agreed upon procedures; and (2) preparing draft audit reports using a practical application of auditing standards, procedures, and technology. Specialized experience required for GS-13: For the GS-13, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes: (1) Performing audit steps and tasks of moderate complexity such as conducting and/or overseeing financial statement audits, risk assessments, attestation reviews, agreed upon procedures, (2) preparing draft audit reports using a practical application of auditing standards, procedures, and technology and (3) reporting audit findings that are supported by fact based evidence and making recommendations for corrective actions. You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement. You must submit copy of transcript or list of courses with credit hours, major(s), and grade point average or class ranking. You can receive credit for education received outside the United States if you provide evidence that it is comparable to an accredited educational institution in the United States when you apply.



FOREIGN DEGREE EQUIVALENCY EVALUATIONS: If you are applying and using education completed in foreign colleges or universities, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program. For more information on determining foreign degree equivalency, click on the following link: (see application details) use a multi-step process to evaluate and refer applicants: Qualified applicants receive a score of 70 to 100. You will be rated on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the education, experience, and training you report on relative to this positions that show the degree to which you possess the competencies listed on this vacancy announcement. Paid or unpaid experience will be considered. USAID must be able to conduct reference checks as part of its assessment process. Applicants who do not permit reference checks from previous employers may be disqualified. You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. If you meet the qualifications requirements, you will be placed in one of the following quality categories.



GOLD (Best Qualified) : This highest category will be used for those candidates who possess the type and quality of experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position, including any selective placement factors and/or appropriate quality ranking factor(s), as determined by the job analysis.



SILVER (Highly Qualified): This higher category will be used for those candidates who possess the type and quality of experience that exceed the minimum qualifications of the position, including any selective placement factors and/or appropriate quality ranking factor(s) as determined by the job analysis.



BRONZE (Qualified): This lowest category will be used for those candidates that meet the minimum qualifications of the position, including all selective placement factors and appropriate quality ranking factor(s) and are proficient in some, but not all, of the requirements of the position.



Candidates may require extensive training and/or orientation in order to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the required competencies listed below for this position. Candidates in the highest category will be referred to the hiring agency. This position requires the following core competencies: Auditing

Oral Communication

Written Communication

Problem Solving Note: Your answers to the assessment questions, which attest to your work experience, must be supported in your resume. Selections are made from the highest quality category on the basis of merit without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, physical disability, age, or political affiliation.



Education See Qualifications



Additional information The U.S. Agency for International Development is a part of E-Verify. E-Verify provides an automated link to Federal databases to help employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of the social security numbers. Please note that travel and relocation expenses will not be paid. Additional selections may be made from any certificate of eligibles that result from this announcement. DIRECT DEPOSIT: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing. TESTING DESIGNATED POSITIONS: These are Testing Designated Positions (TDPs) under the Agency's approved Drug-Free Work Place Program. All applicants selected for this position will be subject to random drug testing once they begin working for the Agency. SELECTIVE SERVICE:The Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that all male applicants born after 12/31/59 who are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, be registered or they are not eligible for appointment to this position. For further information concerning Selective Service requirements, please visit:



(see application details)

EEO Policy Statement



Reasonable Accommodation



Telework



People with Disabilities Read more



How You Will Be Evaluated You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. Applicants who meet the basic qualification and eligibility requirements for the position(s) to be filled will be placed into one of three quality categories as defined in the following: Selections are made from the highest quality category on the basis of merit without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, physical disability, age, or political affiliation. You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. Category ratings will be used to rank and select qualified candidates. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which applicants backgrounds match the required competencies for the position. Candidates in the gold category (best qualified) will be referred to the selecting official. Candidates will be assigned to one of the following categories: GOLD (best qualified) - Applicants who have experience that is identical to the experience required by the position. SILVER (well qualified) - Applicants who have experience that is very similar to the experience required by the position. BRONZE (qualified) - Applicants who meet minimum qualification requirements, but do not identify any, or an adequate level of, additional qualifying experience or skill required by the position. Veterans' preference applies - Preference-eligible applicants will be listed at the top of their assigned category and considered before non-preference-eligible applicants within the category. Qualified preference-eligible applicants with a compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more (CPS/CP) will be listed at the top of the gold (best qualified) category. In order for your application to be considered, you must meet all requirements before the closing date of this announcement. If applying as a Status applicant (current or former federal employee with competitive status eligibility), you must provide proof of government service documenting that you have met the time-in-grade requirements (ie., most recent non award SF50). Note: Reference checks are part of our assessment process. Applicants who do not permit reference checks from previous employers may be disqualified.



Falsifying your experience, education and/or your responses to questions may result in your removal from employment consideration. USAID must be able to conduct reference checks as part of its assessment process. Applicants who do not permit reference checked from previous employers may be disqualified.

To preview questions please click here . Read more



Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance Secret Drug test required Yes



Required Documents



Required Documents Resume showing relevant experience.

Transcripts

Veterans' documentation, if requesting consideration under any veterans' hiring eligibilities such as VRA, preference point entitlement (e,g, DD214, SF-15, and Veteran's Administration Letter). For a detailed list of documents, click here .

Supporting documentation if seeking eligibility based any other special hiring authority (e.g., disabled veteran, Schedule A) For a detailed list of documents, click here .

Status candidates can submit a recent copy of your SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action); your document must reflect grade, step, tenure code 1 or 2, and type of position occupied.

Proof of government service documenting that you have met the time-in-grade requirements. Documents That Are Required for Verification Of Eligibility: The documents you are required to submit vary based on the authority you are using to apply (i.e., applying as a veteran, applying as a current permanent Federal employee, applying as a reinstatement, etc). Your resume: Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.

If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.

For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., HRS per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete and you may not receive consideration for this position.

For additional information see: What to include in your resume . Other supporting documents: Proof of Eligibility to Apply: Your application must include the documents which prove you are eligible to apply for the vacancy. You must meet the requirements of at least one of the authorities listed in the Who May Apply section above to receive further consideration. (If/when applies) Copies of transcripts are required if qualifying based on education for this announcement; failure to submit will result in removal from consideration. If you are selected for the position, official transcripts are required before appointment to official duty

Veterans' documentation, if requesting consideration under any veterans' hiring eligibilities such as VRA, preference point entitlement (e,g, DD214, SF-15, and Veteran's Administration Letter). For a detailed list of documents, click here .

Proof of United States Citizenship (birth certificate or other acceptable documentation, may be required upon request).

Proof of military service (DD214s or other equivalent documents).

Proof of government service providing reinstatement eligibility Notification of Personnel Action, SF-50 or other equivalent document.

SF15, Application for 10-Point Veteran's Preference and appropriate documentation (for 10-point compensable or non-compensable disability preference, Purple Heart, disability pension, or preference based on service of spouse or child).

Proof of eligibility for priority placement consideration under Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP); i.e., copy of appropriate documentation such as RIF separation notice, or other notice of eligibility.

Supporting documentation if seeking eligibility based any other special hiring authority (e.g., disabled veteran, Schedule A) For a detailed list of documents, click here .

Status candidates can submit a recent copy of your SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action), your document must reflect grade, step, tenure code 1 or 2, and type of position occupied.

Proof of government service documenting that you have met time-in-grade requirement: If you are applying for a higher grade and your SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you meet the one year time-in-grade requirement so you will need to provide an SF-50 which clearly demonstrates you meet the time-in-grade requirements (examples of appropriate SF-50s include Promotions, Within-grade Grade/Range Increases, and SF-50s with an effective date more than one year old). If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education . Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.



Benefits A career with the U.S. Government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits . Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time, or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.



Fair & Transparent The Federal hiring process is setup to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.



Equal Employment Opportunity Policy The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) for federal employees & job applicants Read more



Reasonable Accommodation Policy Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process should follow the instructions in the job opportunity announcement. For any part of the remaining hiring process, applicants should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. A reasonable accommodation is any change to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done that enables an individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform job duties or receive equal access to job benefits. Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodations when: An applicant with a disability needs an accommodation to have an equal opportunity to apply for a job.

An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to perform the essential job duties or to gain access to the workplace.

An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to receive equal access to benefits, such as details, training, and office-sponsored events. You can request a reasonable accommodation at any time during the application or hiring process or while on the job. Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis. Learn more about disability employment and reasonable accommodations or how to contact an agency. Read more Legal and regulatory guidance Financial suitability

Social security number request

Privacy Act

Signature and false statements

Selective Service

New employee probationary period




Salary $53,393.60 - $81,598.40 Annually Location Arlington *METRO-accessible*, VA Job Type Full-Time Department Commonwealth's Attorney Job Number 9416-22A-CWA-HQ Closing 7/29/2021 11:59 PM Eastern Position Information The Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney for Arlington County is seeking to fill a full-time Victim Specialist position in the Victim Witness Program. This position provides advocacy and other support services, such as referrals for supportive counseling to crime victims; and serves as a resource to staff and community groups. This individual serves a culturally and ethnically diverse population.



The Arlington County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office is an "at-will" office. Employees are not subject to the same employment protections as other County employees.



Specific duties include: Providing direct support and case management to victims of crimes including contacting victims to explain legal and courtroom procedures, accompanying victims to court, assisting in filing claims with the Virginia Victims Fund, and providing pertinent information on social service agencies and programs;

Assisting victims by providing information on their rights and on the court process;

Providing crisis intervention and referrals for supportive counseling to crime victims and/or families to assist them in alleviating the traumatic effects of crime;

Serving as liaison with victims, prosecution, law enforcement, court officials and allied professionals;

Using the police department's database to obtain and review police reports to assist with preparing cases for trial;

Compiling information relevant to cases;

Representing the Victim/Witness Program in community events and/or providing training on victim services;

Participating and facilitating community outreach;

Acting as a resource to staff and community groups concerning crime victim programs and services; and

Serving as member of the Project PEACE Task Force by participating in meetings and working collaboratively with the Police Department's Special Victims Unit (SVU) and Doorways court advocate.

The ideal candidate is a self-motivated, highly organized individual with excellent time management and communication skills (oral and written) and has the ability to work with a diverse population.

Selection Criteria Minimum: Bachelor's Degree in Social Work, Criminal Justice, Counseling, or other related field, plus experience providing services to crime victims and/or witnesses, which included case management.



Substitution: Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the education requirement on a year-for-year basis. A Paralegal Certificate approved by the American Bar Association may be substituted for up to two years of the education requirement.



Desirable: Preference may be given to candidates with experience in one or more of the following: Experience working in a court system environment;

Experience working as a liaison between departments and outside agencies;

Working in a restorative justice system;

Experience working in a fast-paced professional environment;

Bilingual English/Spanish;

Experience with the Client Information Management System (CIMS) or Prosecutor by Karpel (PBK); and/or

Experience using Microsoft Office, including Work, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Outlook.

Special Requirements The applicant must possess, or obtain by the time of appointment, a valid motor vehicle operator's license from the applicant's place of residence, or the applicant must have the ability and willingness to use alternative methods of transportation to perform assigned duties and responsibilities at locations other than the primary worksite. If the applicant possesses or acquires a license, the applicant must authorize Arlington County to obtain, or the applicant must provide a copy of the applicant's official state/district driving record. Any offer of employment may be contingent upon a favorable review of the applicant's driving record.



A pre-hire background check will be made on all candidates who are selected for employment. It may include checks of the following: criminal record, driving record, education, professional licensure, and credit history. You may be required to sign a release authorizing the County to obtain your background information.

Additional Information Work Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This position currently has some remote work flexibility due to the pandemic.



Benefits Information: (see application details) .



Each section of the application must be completed. A resume may be attached; however, it will not substitute for the completed application. Your responses to the supplemental questionnaire are considered part of the selection process and are required for this position. Please do not give "see resume" as a response to the questions. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Arlington County Government employee benefits depend on whether a position is permanent, the number of hours worked, and the number of months the position is scheduled.



Specific information on benefits and conditions of employment can be found on the Arlington County Human Resources Department website: (see application details)



Permanent, Full-Time Appointments

All jobs are permanent, full-time appointments unless otherwise stated in the announcement. The following benefits are available:



Paid Leave : Vacation leave is earned at the rate of four hours biweekly. Leave accrual increases every three years until eight hours of leave are earned biweekly for twelve or more years of service. Sick leave is earned at the rate of four hours biweekly. There are eleven paid holidays each year.



Health and Dental Insurance : Three group health insurance plans are offered - a network open access plan, a point-of-service plan, and a health maintenance organization. A group dental insurance plan is also offered. The County pays a significant portion of the premium for these plans for employees and their dependents. A discount vision plan is provided for eye care needs.



Life Insurance : A group term policy of basic life insurance is provided at no cost to employees. The benefit is one times annual salary. Additional life insurance is available with rates based on the employee's age and smoker/non-smoker status.



Retirement : The County offers three vehicles to help you prepare for retirement: a defined benefit plan, a defined contribution plan (401(a)), and a deferred compensation plan (457). The defined benefit plan provides a monthly retirement benefit based on your final average salary and years of service with the County. You contribute a portion of your salary on a pre-tax basis to this plan. General employees contribute 4% of pay; uniformed public safety employees contribute 7.5% of pay. Employees become vested in the plan at five years of service. The County also contributes to this plan.



For general employees, the County also contributes 4.2% of pay to a defined contribution plan (401(a)) . The County also matches your 457 contribution, up to $20 per pay period, in this plan. The 457 deferred compensation plan allows you to set aside money on either a pre-tax (457b) or post-tax (457 Roth) basis up to the IRS annual limit. New employees are automatically enrolled with a pre-tax contribution equal to 2% of your base pay.



Other Benefits: The County also offers health, dependent care, and parking flexible spending accounts; long-term care insurance; tuition assistance; transit and walk/bike to work subsidies; a college savings plan; wellness programs; training opportunities; and a variety of other employee benefits.



Permanent, Part-Time Appointments:

Part time employees who work ten or more hours per week receive paid leave and benefits in proportion to the number of hours worked per week.



Limited Term Appointments:

Benefits are the same as permanent appointments except that the employees do not achieve permanent status.



Temporary Regular Appointments:

Temporary regular employees who work 30 hours or more per week are eligible for health, dental, and basic life insurance as described above. They are also eligible for vacation, sick leave, and paid holidays.



Temporary Seasonal and Occasional Appointments:

Temporary employees who work on a seasonal basis or variable hours receive sick leave, but do not normally receive other paid leave or benefits. Exceptions are noted in individual announcements.




MDLC LEGAL ADVOCATE FULL-TIME The Minnesota Disability Law Center (MDLC), a unit of Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid (MMLA), is seeking a full-time legal advocate at its Duluth office. The MDLC serves as the protection and advocacy system for people with disabilities in Minnesota, and the legal advocate will work with people who have disabilities to ensure access to disability services and rights. At this time, all or most activities are being done remotely. In the future, activities may be done in person, with travel throughout Minnesota required. RESPONSIBILITIES: Apply the principles of MMLAs Racial Justice Values Statement in all interactions

Assist clients directly with accessing disability support and services, including handling administrative appeals conducted by the Department of Human Rights

Maintain client confidentiality while handling advocacy activities

Perform educational outreach in diverse communities

Develop and provide trainings to people with disabilities, their family members, other advocates, and other stakeholders

Visit facilities and programs that serve people with disabilities to ensure appropriate and individualized delivery of and access to services and support

Work with MDLC staff members to develop case representation strategies, discuss trends, and identify problems that impact MDLCs ongoing work

Promote self-advocacy, self-determination, integration, and inclusion while advocating for disability rights and justice

Other duties as assigned QUALIFICATIONS: Familiarity with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Medical Assistance, disability rights, programs, services, and issues affecting people with disabilities

Ability to communicate complex issues and information clearly and effectively

Ability to multi-task and prioritize case/project management with strict deadlines

Self-motivated and a team player

Proficiency using Microsoft Office required

Access to reliable transportation, as travel may be required

Diverse economic, social, and cultural experiences preferred

Language proficiency, especially in Spanish, ASL, or Somali, preferred SALARY: $34,908 to $40,681 per year, depending on experience, plus benefits APPLICATIONS: Submit a resume and cover letter expressing interest in the position at https://mylegalaid.org/employment by August 2nd, 2021, or until position is filled. Please indicate in the cover letter that you are applying for the MDLC Legal Advocate position in Duluth. No calls please. Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid (MMLA) is a nonprofit law firm, providing free legal advice and representation on civil law matters to people from low-income backgrounds, people with disabilities, and senior citizens. MMLA's mission is to advocate for the legal rights of these vulnerable, disadvantage people so that they may enjoy safe, healthy, and independent lives in strong communities. MMLA's goal is to live out its mission by achieving meaningful improvement in the lives of as many clients as possible each year. MMLA accomplishes this goal by providing direct legal advice and representation to individual clients, engaging in policy advocacy to achieve systemic change at all levels of government, developing collaborations with community organizations who also serve MMLA's clients, and providing outreach and legal education to clients, organizations, and the community. MMLA also includes three statewide programs: Minnesota Disability Law Center (MDLC), which gives legal help to people with disabilities throughout Minnesota on legal issues relating to their disabilities

Legal Services Advocacy Project (LSAP), which engages in policy advocacy on issues affecting people with low incomes

Legal Services State Support (State Support), which provides poverty law trainings to legal services and pro bono practitioners and develops technology-based legal resources for the public and volunteer attorneys

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Johnson County Public Health seeks a full-time Registered Nurse to provide nursing services in the Clinical Services division, supporting WIC and Maternal/Child Health Programs. Duties include providing pediatric and maternal health assessments and screenings, counseling and educating on health and nutrition topics including breastfeeding, providing care coordination, and conducting patient interviews.

Qualified applicants must have a minimum of an Associates degree in nursing AND two (2) years of general nursing experience in pediatric, maternal, reproductive health, school-based settings, or public health preferred. Must be licensed as a Registered Nurse in the State of Iowa and pass background check.

Starting salary $29.22 - $35.06/hour plus excellent benefits package.

To learn more about this position and to apply, please visit our website by clicking apply now. The position will close on August 4, 2021. Cover letter and resume must be attached to online application.

AA/EOE

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Description

Location: 5315E



Job Title

Experienced Trash Driver

Primary Location

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Employee Type

Employee

Job Description

We are looking for a safety conscience Refuse Route Driverto join our team at Waste Connections of CO in Colorado Springs, CO . Previous waste experience would be a huge plus! PAY: This position pays $19-$22 per hour depending on your experience - working 50-55 hours a week. Everything after 40 is paid overtime.

NOW WITH A $5,000 STAY ON BONUS!

This position is eligible for a safety bonus. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Ability to safely operate a garbage truck on specified routes to collect solid waste. Waste experience preferred , but not required.

Ability to read route sheets and service each customer identified on the sheet or assigned by the dispatcher.

Perform routine inspection and maintenance on vehicles such as checking fluids, safety equipment, and tires.

Ability to perform a physically demanding job, loading and unloading, at times with no helpers.

Operate hydraulic hand controls to lift/load refuse and dispose of trash at designated facilities.

Courteous interaction with our customers and perform other miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.

A typical schedule for this position is Monday-Friday, with an occasional Saturday as needed, 50-55 hour work week. WORKING CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL EFFORT: Extensive physical activity. Requires strenuous physical work; heavy lifting, pushing, or pulling required of objects over 50 pounds.

Work environment involves some exposure to physical risks such as moving mechanical parts. Which require following basic safety precautions.

The employee is exposed to outside weather, including frequent wet and/or humid conditions, as well as exposure to fumes and vibration. Noise level is usually moderate. MINIMUM JOB REQUIREMENTS: Valid Class B CDL with air brakes endorsement as a minimum.

Ability to read, write, comprehend and communicate in English.

Basic knowledge of truck components in order to complete pre- and post-trip inspections. Apply today at www.careers.wasteconnections.com and Connect with Your Future! We offer excellent benefits including: medical, dental, vision, flexible spending account, long term disability, life insurance, 401K retirement. Waste Connections is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer (Minorities/Female/Disabled/Veterans)



Requirements

See Job Description






Trinity County Employment Opportunity THE DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OFFICE VICTIM ADVOCATE I $3,026.73 - $3,679.01 / Monthly $17.46 - $21.22 / Hourly Or VICTIM ADVOCATE II $3,343.40 - $4,063.92 / Monthly $19.28 - $23.44 /Hourly This is a full-time, benefitted position. Applications will be accepted until 4:00 PM Tuesday, August 3, 2021. VICTIM ADVOCATE I Definition: Under general supervision, to assist victims of crime by providing information support, referral and advocacy services; to assist victims of crime in filing compensation claims with the State Board of Control; and/or assist in creating and managing a coordinated community plan to enhance immediate response and recovery efforts and establish community readiness for responses to mass victimization/terrorism incidents; to work with related agencies to help the victims and witnesses through the Court processes; and to perform related duties work as required. Qualifications: Knowledge of: Principles and techniques of crisis intervention. Procedures and processes of the criminal justice system. Problems, needs, attitudes and behavior patterns of victims of crime. Law and procedures of criminal justice agencies as they affect the responsibilities and rights of victims and witnesses of crimes. Ability to: Communicate effectively both orally and in writing with individuals and groups; and a wide variety of agency staff and officials. Interpret rules and regulations relating to the Victim/Witness Program. Women, minorities and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Trinity County is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

NOTE: All candidates meeting the minimum qualifications established for this position may not be invited to an oral interview. In the event a large number of candidates qualify, those individuals with experience which most closely meets the needs of the County will be invited for an interview. WAIVER: The contents of this announcement shall not be construed to constitute any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee, nor shall it constitute a contract or offer of employment. Trinity County assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of the position description and the actual duties of the job, nor does it assume responsibility for any errors or omissions in the information contained herein. The provisions contained in this announcement may be modified or revoked without notice. Wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment are subject to the Memorandum of Understanding currently in effect for the appropriate unit of representation. PERS ANNUITANTS: Retirees of PERS are welcome to apply, if selected for the position they would be required to reinstate to employment. Respond effectively and supportively to the needs of victims and witnesses. Learn to use the State Board

of Control computer system to access and input information and to use other computer software as required. Obtain information through interview and observation. Maintain confidentiality of sensitive information. Provide psychological and emotional support to victims of crime. Training and Experience: Any combination of experience and education that could likely provide the required knowledge and abilities would be qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be: Standards are typically attained with graduation from an accredited college or university with major course work in behavior science, social science, criminology or a related field. Special Requirements: Possession of a valid California Drivers License. Attend CalOES (California Office of Emergency Services) CCVAA (California Crime Victim Assistance Association) Entry Level Training, approved Crisis Response Advocate training and an appropriate Mass Victimization Advocate training within one year of this assignment. Typical Physical Requirements: The physical demands described here are the representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, use hands and fingers to handle or feel; reach with hands and arms, and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Employee will need to operate a motor vehicle on a regular basis, and bend and stretch to reach files on a regular basis. EXAMPLES OF DUTIES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. VICTIM ADVOCATE II Definition: Under general supervision, to assist victims of crime by providing information support, referral and advocacy services; to assist victims of crime in filing compensation claims with the State Board of Women, minorities and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Trinity County is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

NOTE: All candidates meeting the minimum qualifications established for this position may not be invited to an oral interview. In the event a large number of candidates qualify, those individuals with experience which most closely meets the needs of the County will be invited for an interview. WAIVER: The contents of this announcement shall not be construed to constitute any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee, nor shall it constitute a contract or offer of employment. Trinity County assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of the position description and the actual duties of the job, nor does it assume responsibility for any errors or omissions in the information contained herein. The provisions contained in this announcement may be modified or revoked without notice. Wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment are subject to the Memorandum of Understanding currently in effect for the appropriate unit of representation. PERS ANNUITANTS: Retirees of PERS are welcome to apply, if selected for the position they would be required to reinstate to employment. Control; and/or assist in creating and managing a coordinated community plan to enhance immediate response and recovery efforts and establish community readiness for responses to mass victimization/terrorism incidents. To work with related agencies to help the victims and witnesses through the Court processes; and to perform related duties work as required. Qualifications: Knowledge of: Principles and techniques of crisis intervention. Procedures and processes of the criminal justice system. Problems, needs, attitudes, and behavior patterns of victims of crime. Law and procedures of criminal justice agencies as they affect the responsibilities and rights of victims and witnesses of crimes. Ability to: Communicate effectively both orally and in writing with individuals and groups; and a wide variety of agency staff and officials. Interpret rules and regulations relating to the Victim/Witness Program. Respond effectively and supportively to the needs of victims and witnesses. Learn to use the State Board of Control computer system to access and input information and to use other computer software as required. Obtain information through interview and observation. Maintain confidentiality of sensitive information. Provide psychological and emotional support to victims of crime. Training and Experience: Any combination of experience and education that could likely provide the required knowledge and abilities would be qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be: Standards are typically attained with one year of experience as a Victim Advocate I for Trinity County. Special Requirements: Possession of a valid California Drivers License. Attend CalOES (California Office of Emergency Services), CCVAA (California Crime Victim Assistance Association) Entry Level Training, approved Crisis Response Advocate training and an appropriate Mass Victimization Advocate training within one year of this assignment. Typical Physical Requirements: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit; use hands and fingers Women, minorities and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Trinity County is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

NOTE: All candidates meeting the minimum qualifications established for this position may not be invited to an oral interview. In the event a large number of candidates qualify, those individuals with experience which most closely meets the needs of the County will be invited for an interview. WAIVER: The contents of this announcement shall not be construed to constitute any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee, nor shall it constitute a contract or offer of employment. Trinity County assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of the position description and the actual duties of the job, nor does it assume responsibility for any errors or omissions in the information contained herein. The provisions contained in this announcement may be modified or revoked without notice. Wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment are subject to the Memorandum of Understanding currently in effect for the appropriate unit of representation. PERS ANNUITANTS: Retirees of PERS are welcome to apply, if selected for the position they would be required to reinstate to employment.

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There are openings currently at our Guilderland Center, NY facility located in the Northeast Industrial Park. Purina is a subsidiary of Land O Lakes Inc, one of the nations largest farmer-owned cooperatives, and we are searching for individuals looking to grow into a fulfilling career in the agricultural industry.

Now hiring control room, packaging, warehouse, and maintenance positions for our 2nd and 3rd shifts. We offer competitive wages starting at $20/hour, based on the position applying for, skills, and experience - with a shift

premium of .75 / hour for our 2nd and 3rd shifts. Benefits available include: Competitive PTO plan, Health, Dental, Vision, 401K with company match, Life, Disability, Wellness, and Tuition reimbursement for continued education.

Join our team and help Land O Lakes and its network of over 70 manufacturing plants in the United States to support our nations agricultural industry and help feed the world!

Interested parties should go to Landolakesinc.jobs and enter Guilderland in the search bar to see a list of our open positions.

Thank you for your interest!

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Magnolia, AR (71754)

Today

Thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy after midnight. Low 74F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy after midnight. Low 74F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%.
Bitcoin Price Enters Stage #4 Excess Phase Peak Breakdown  Where To Next?

Over the past few months, Ive been interviewed in podcasts and on Kitco where Ive discussed the US and global market setups and trends based on my unique understanding of Technical Analysis and price patterns. Even though Ive heard/read some comments from viewers sharing their own opinions which may not always agree with my interpretation of the market setups, I like to let the market trends do their thing and ultimately someone will be proven correct at the end of the day. Today, well revisit some research I completed back in November 2020 and see how that research played out to today with Bitcoin.

Attempting to predict any future trend in any market is a difficult task, to say the least. The markets do what they do and part of my experience is to understand technical analysis setups and the underlying psychological aspect to the market cycles. Im never 100% accurate in my predictions or expectations either  no one is 100% accurate in predicting any future event. All we can do is try our best at identifying these setups and take trades when the opportunity strikes for profits.

Our November 27 Bitcoin Predictions Prove To Be Incredibly Accurate

On November 27, 2020, I published a research article that highlighted a fairly common pattern which I call the Excess Phase Peak and I highlighted a number of charts/setups at that time while warning readers that the current US/global market trends were entering a blow-off topping phase that would likely end in this type of Excess Phase Peak type of pattern. I also highlighted past Excess Phase Peak setups to provide clear examples.

Over the course of the last 6+ months, Ive continued to share updates to the Bitcoin setup as it continued to progress through the different stages of the Excess Phase Peak setup. Most importantly, the breakdown at Stage #3 where the initial sideways flagging price trend breaks down  setting up the final support/floor in the markets before the last phase of selling takes place (Phase #5). You can read these published research articles (below):

November 27, 2020: HOW TO SPOT THE END OF AN EXCESS PHASE  PART II

May 20, 2021: BITCOIN COMPLETES PHASE #3 OF EXCESS PHASE TOP PATTERN  WHAT NEXT?

June 22, 2021: BITCOIN IS NEAR THE BRINK OF BREAKING DOWN TO $30K  WILL IT STOP THERE OR WILL A HERD MENTALITY SELL OFF DRAG IT TO $10K?

Excess Phase Peak Pattern Repeats  Creating Price Cycle Waves

Lets go back to the original chart from that November 27 article that started all of this. This chart highlighted the 2018 Bitcoin peak and how the Excess Phase Peak patter setup and progressed to an ultimate bottom in price.

I defined the structure/process of an Excess Phase Peak breakdown months ago as :

The Excess Phase Rally must push price levels to new highs. A breakdown in price from the Excess Phase Peak sets up a FLAG/Pennant recovery phase. This represents the first attempt at a recovery that eventually fails. A breakdown in price from the FLAG/Pennant price recovery phase creates the real first opportunity for short traders or those that executed timely Put options. This represents the first real downward price trend after the FLAG setup. Phase 3 sets up the Intermediate-term support level. This becomes the last line of defense for price  an intermediate-term price floor. This phase can take quite a while to complete as traders often still believe a new rally will resume. Thus, this support level often has quite a bit of momentum to breakdown before it eventually fails. The final breakdown of price below the Phase 4 support level usually begins a much deeper sell-off. This is usually when other factors in the markets have finally resulted in the realization that the excess phase is over.

Initially, Phase #1 and Phase #2 are common setups within a price rally. What I feel is critical in confirming this Excess Phase Peak setup is the Phase #3 breakdown of the sideways price flagging pattern (#2), which will ultimately setup the lower intermediate support level. Once this Phase #2 breakdown takes place, that is enough confirmation for me to continue to believe that the Excess Phase Peak pattern will play out completely to ultimately establish some lower bottom in price.

Current Bitcoin Breakdown Sets Up A Rush To The Final Bottom In Price

In this BTCUSD Weekly chart, we move to current price levels which highlight the breakdown of the Stage #4 Intermediate Support level (near $30,000). As continued price weakness pressures price to move below this critical $30,000 level, Bitcoin traders will start to shift their expectations once recent lows are breached near $28,600. Crypto traders are very strong believers in the ultimate upside targets of $100k or more and are often unable to see the downside risks associated with Technical Analysis setups and patterns.

Therefore, my team and I believe a flood of new selling pressure will initiate once the $28,000 level is breached to the downside. This is where Bitcoin traders suddenly shift away from the buy/hold position and start to reduce holdings because of downside risks. Those traders that purchased above $40k and are still holding, waiting for the rally, may want to reconsider their plans as the Excess Phase Peak pattern suggests. Phase #4 breakdown suggests an ultimate bottom level exists somewhere near between $9500 and $16,000  a full -50% to -68% below the Stage #4 support level (near $30,000).

Eventually, price and selling pressure will dictate where the Ultimate Bottom will setup for Bitcoin. Our estimate of a $9500 to $16,000 bottom target range is based on the initial support level setup in September/October 2020. If this level is breached as selling pressure may continue to drive price levels much lower, then we would fall back to the next key low in price from March 2020, near $3,850.

Be sure to sign up for our free market trend analysis and signals now so you dont miss our next special report!

While a collapse to $3,850 would certainly burst a lot of enthusiasm for Bitcoin and the $100k expected bullish price target level everyone believes will eventually happen, we, as Technical Analysts, believe the current Phase #4 breakdown is just starting and any of these ultimate downside targets are very valid levels for price to attempt to find some future support.

In closing, I want to urge Bitcoin and Crypto traders to understand these setups and trends because you will see them in the future. Be aware of the setups, phases, and trends that are likely to develop within this pattern and learn to use them to your advantage. Im excited to get back onto the recent podcasts, interviews, and get invited back to Kitco again to discuss this current breakdown in Bitcoin. In most cases, you just have to identify the setups/phases of market trends let the market trend tell you what to expect  instead of trying to hope for an unrealistic outcome.

Want to know how our BAN strategy is identifying and ranking various sectors and ETFs for the best possible opportunities for future profits? Please take a minute to learn about my BAN Trader Pro newsletter service and how it can help you identify and trade better sector setups. My team and I have built this strategy to help us identify the strongest and best trade setups in any market sector. Every day, we deliver these setups to our subscribers along with the BAN Trader Pro system trades. You owe it to yourself to see how simple it is to trade 30% to 40% of the time to generate incredible results.

From all my decades of experience, I can tell you that unless you have a solid foundation related to knowing when and where opportunities exist in market trends, you are likely churning your money in and out of failed trades. I will be presenting my two favorite strategies at the July Wealth365 Summit on July 13th at 4 pm and July 16th at 12 pm. The Summit is free to attend and offers unparalleled opportunities for learningplus a potential prize or two!

Have a great day!

Chris Vermeulen

www.TheTechnicalTraders.com

Chris Vermeulen has been involved in the markets since 1997 and is the founder of Technical Traders Ltd. He is an internationally recognized technical analyst, trader, and is the author of the book: 7 Steps to Win With Logic



Through years of research, trading and helping individual traders around the world. He learned that many traders have great trading ideas, but they lack one thing, they struggle to execute trades in a systematic way for consistent results. Chris helps educate traders with a three-hour video course that can change your trading results for the better.



His mission is to help his clients boost their trading performance while reducing market exposure and portfolio volatility.



He is a regular speaker on HoweStreet.com, and the FinancialSurvivorNetwork radio shows. Chris was also featured on the cover of AmalgaTrader Magazine, and contributes articles to several leading financial hubs like MarketOracle.co.uk

Disclaimer: Nothing in this report should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any securities mentioned. Technical Traders Ltd., its owners and the author of this report are not registered broker-dealers or financial advisors. Before investing in any securities, you should consult with your financial advisor and a registered broker-dealer. Never make an investment based solely on what you read in an online or printed report, including this report, especially if the investment involves a small, thinly-traded company that isnt well known. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report has been paid by Cardiff Energy Corp. In addition, the author owns shares of Cardiff Energy Corp. and would also benefit from volume and price appreciation of its stock. The information provided here within should not be construed as a financial analysis but rather as an advertisement. The authors views and opinions regarding the companies featured in reports are his own views and are based on information that he has researched independently and has received, which the author assumes to be reliable. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content of this report, nor its fitness for any particular purpose. Lastly, the author does not guarantee that any of the companies mentioned in the reports will perform as expected, and any comparisons made to other companies may not be valid or come into effect.

Chris Vermeulen Archive

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




Popular Forex Brokers That You Might Want to Check Out

Investing in Forex opens up a lot of opportunities for beginners since the investment is minimal. Nevertheless, one thing you need to consider is which broker you will use. This is not as simple as it sounds because of various factors such as regulation, currency, and more that you must think about before settling on one.

Top Forex Brokers

This post will cover some of the best brokers currently on the market, including some pros and cons of each choice.

OANDA

OANDA has been operating for almost 25 years and is considered one of the very best brokers available. Their platform includes many valuable tools that are available to use for anyone using their service. This is extremely handy as it allows you to see which currency pairs are doing well and which to avoid. You can find further information in this Oanda review. One final thing to add is that it is interesting that they offer the chance to trade specific cryptocurrencies. This is something that not all Forex trading platforms allow. The fact they include this in their offering is a fantastic way to dip your toe into the world of crypto.

Pros

Great platform. Easy to use analysis tools. Can trade in crypto. Easy to open an account. Included app.

Cons

Crypto is currently resigned to Bitcoin. No 24/4 support. Cannot trade in stocks.

AvaTrade

Another popular Forex choice is AvaTrade who might not have been operating for quite as long as OANDA but certainly has the clout to match them. They are very trans[aprent with their regulations credentials and claim to be regulated in 6 jurisdictions. Why is this important? It means that wherever you are, it is highly likely that your money will be safe. As well as offering cryptocurrency trading options, they seem to have several more offerings than OANDA. Like OANDA, you can also trade in Contracts For Differences (CFDs), which can be a great way to break up your regular Forex trading routine and try something slightly different. One final point worth mentioning is that they have an app that is a fantastic option for those who need to keep up with trades and movements.

Pros

They have an app. Easy to use and intuitive interface. Quick account set up. No deposit or withdrawal charges. Choice of 7 cryptocurrencies to trade.

Cons

Inactivity fees can add up. Costs are not high but not cheap either.

JustForex

JustForex is another extremely popular choice. They offer perhaps the fastest order execution of all other brokers at 0.01 seconds. You may not be familiar with the importance of this, but it means that you will get the trade closest to what you saw on the screen in a world where every millisecond counts. Like other choices, you can trade in other instruments such as crypto, CFDs, and even precious metals commodities.

Pros

Lots of training materials are great for novice traders. Multi-Account Manager (MAM) accounts.

Cons

Not as regulated as the other choices (It is still regulated, just not to the same degree). The USA only (no other countries allowed to use the platform). Charge on withdrawing your money which can sting a bit.

BDSwiss

BDSwiss is one of the big boys in the market and has been around since 2012. They currently cater for over a million Forex traders worldwide and claim to have one of the fastest execution of orders compared to their competitors. One benefit that this presents international customers is that it is available almost worldwide and supports various languages. Additionally, they offer six different products to trade, including:

Forex. Commodities. Shares. Indices. Cryptocurrency. ETFs.

This spread of options to trade in can keep trading a fun activity and allow you to hedge against riskier bets.

Pros

Regulated. Commission-free trading. Multi-country and language. Lots of training materials. Many different products to the trade.

Cons

Has access to a paid VIP section which is a bit annoying as it contains some useful features.

Exness

The last option on this list is Exness who has been around since 2008. They offer a range of features familiar to seasoned Forex traders and a few extras that are pretty useful if utilized properly. For example, you can set a withdrawal amount that is automated when the threshold is met. This leaves you focused on trading rather than thinking about when and how you will take out your money. Some of the stats they purport to include are:

107 currency pairs. 81 different stocks and indices. 7 Cryptocurrencies to trade. 12 precious metal and energy commodities.

This is a fine selection of things to trade all in one platform. They are regulated by no less than seven different regulatory bodies giving you complete peace of mind. These bodies include some of the strictest around, such as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), a UK-based regulator, and Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), a well-established regulator. Like the other options, they offer many analysis tools and calculators to figure out which trades you want to execute and avoid. They also provide a variety of methods to deposit and withdraw money. This is useful because some platforms make it unnecessarily challenging to do such a simple task.

Pros

Easy to deposit and withdraw. Lots of options to trade. Straightforward account setup. Automated withdrawal. Demo trading account. Highly regulated. Speedy execution.

Cons

No multi-currency accounts are available.

How To Choose A Forex Broker?

Although this post has given the top 5 choices, plenty of other options might appeal to your requirements better. Therefore it is vital to understand what you should look for in an ideal Forex broker. Some things to check for include:

How they are regulated. What kind of support do they provide. What instruments you can trade. How fast they execute orders. How much commission do they charge How long they have been around. If they offer any training (for novice traders).

Once you have these bases covered, you can choose one, set up an account, and begin trading!

Choosing the right Forex broker is a vital part of trading FOrex efficiently. If you choose one that presents too many challenges, you might get put off. Conversely, if you choose one that is easy to set up but underregulated, you might also find issues down the road, but the brokers in this post should give you a good starting point.

By Steve Barker

 2021 Copyright Steve Barker - All Rights Reserved

Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




American politician Scott Taylor has confirmed his attendance and participation at the upcoming African Energy Week (AEW) 2021, taking place in Cape Town on the 9th-12th of November 2021.

With extensive experience in international relations, Taylors participation will drive a discussion on global energy cooperation with a focus on strengthening U.S.-Africa partnerships and connecting U.S. service providers, financiers, and stakeholders with competitive African projects.

Taylor will lead a delegation of U.S. industry leaders and service providers to AEW 2021 in Cape Town in a bid to introduce American companies to African opportunities, promoting increased collaboration and engagement. Previously a member of the Virginia House of Delegates for the 85th District, Scott Taylor served as the U.S. Representative for Virginias 2nd congressional district from 2017 to 2019. A former Navy Seal, serving from 1997 to 2005, Taylor transitioned from military service to politics, working in security consulting and critical infrastructure protection in between. Taylors legislative accomplishments include laws regarding energy, the workforce, and veterans issues. His participation is expected to further promote U.S.-Africa communication lines with regards to energy, infrastructure, and investment.

The U.S. has already made notable progress in driving energy sector growth in Africa with established partnerships and investment deals. Across the energy value chain, U.S. companies have played a vital role in driving African project developments. American multinational oil company ExxonMobil, for example, is one of the largest foreign investors in Africa, with over $24 billion committed to energy exploration and development. Additionally, American-based Chevron, responsible for significant discoveries across Africa, rank among the top petroleum producers in Nigeria and Angola. As Africa drives for economic growth backed by focused energy developments, and the U.S. aims to increase a penetration in emerging African markets, one can expect a rapid increase in Africa-directed investments.

Meanwhile, with the Biden administration calling for enhanced partnerships with African economies, and initiatives such as Prosper Africa promoting increased economic engagement between the U.S. and African nations, capital injections in African markets are expected to rise. In line with Prosper Africa, USAID is launching a $500 million trade and investment program to facilitate more deals between the U.S. and African businesses. Additionally, the World Bank, in partnership with USAID, is directing $5 billion of investment in the sub-Saharan African energy sector by 2024; adding 3.3GW-hours of energy storage financed by 2024; supporting 60 million new connections by 2030; adding 5,000km of transmission infrastructure  constructed or rehabilitated  by 2030; and supporting 30,000MW of new energy generation by 2030.

Africa represents the most promising investment destination globally with significant potential across multiple facets of the energy sector. As the continent aggressively pursues both a COVID-19 recovery and accelerated economic development, there have arisen numerous opportunities for U.S. stakeholders. The U.S. has a critical role to play in African markets. AEW 2021 serves as the best platform for U.S. companies to be introduced to African opportunities, driving engagement, investment, and deal-making that will fast-track African growth, stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, the African Energy Chamber.

Taylor is an advocate for expanding energy developments, recognizing the sectors potential to create jobs and drive economic development. Taylors participation is expected to open a dialogue on enhanced U.S.-Africa relations, emphasizing Americas role in driving African energy growth and development. Utilizing his experience in international relations and diplomacy, Taylor is committed to driving multilateral energy progress between the U.S. and Africa.

Whats more, Taylors participation at AEW 2021 is expected to promote engagement, address risk perceptions, and market Africa as the premier investment destination for U.S. stakeholders. With energy sector developments comprising a key priority for both African stakeholders and international partners, Taylors participation at AEW 2021 will drive a partnership narrative, promoting increased collaboration between U.S. technical and financial service providers and emerging African projects

AEW 2021 will showcase the best of Africas energy opportunities through hosted pavilions, interactive exhibitions, and key networking events, driving long-term investments in Africas energy sector. By presenting a range of lucrative investment opportunities across the entire value chain, including but not limited to petroleum, natural gas, power infrastructure, renewable energy, and energy storage, AEW 2021 will be a key facilitator and driver of Africa-directed investments.
Le PPS sest exprime le 20 juillet 2021 lors de la partie consacre au projet de loi presente par la ministre de lEducation au Parlement.

1. Mr Speaker Sir, I thank you for giving the floor to me to bring my humble contribution to the debate on the Institute of Technical Education and Technology Bill in this August Assembly.

2. This Government has a clear vision for developing the potential and talents of our youth and direct them towards a brighter path with better prospects. Our inclusive education system aims at providing a career path to each and every young learner while concurrently ensuring that no one is left behind. This Government has been consistently reviewing our education system to ascertain that it remains innovative, robust and responsive to industry needs and ever-emerging gaps.

3. Mr Speaker Sir, as we are discussing a bill relating to the education sector, I have a special thought for our students. Allow me to avail of this opportunity to pay a special tribute to all the teaching staff, non-teaching staff, officers from other public and private bodies and parents for their commendable efforts, hard work and precious time to put in place various facilities to allow students to continue their studies in the midst of the second wave of Covid-19 cases. We are fully cognizant of the stress that the prevailing situation brings to our young innocent students. In this regard, Government will leave no stone unturned to ensure that students continue their studies in the best possible manner and in a safe, secure and conducive environment. We would here like to wish all the very best to these students.

4. Mr Speaker Sir, coming back to this bill, it is a very important piece of legislation which will no doubt shape the destiny of this country by providing an all-inclusive and holistic system of education for the benefit of the youth of this country. The very object of this bill is, first and foremost, to provide for the setting up of the Institute of Technical Education and Technology to operate and manage technical education centres. It will assist technical education centres in providing opportunities and pathways to students pursuing studies in technical and technology education. It will subsequently enable the country to make a judicious and effective use of its human resource capital.

5. Here, I would like to congratulate the Hon Mrs Leela Devi Dookhun  Luchoomun, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology for having introduced this vital piece of legislation which will pave the way for a better, holistic and all-inclusive education system that will cater for the well-being of the young generation of this country.

6. Mr Speaker Sir, this Bill is in line with the vision of Hon Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Prime Minister, to enhance the education system in order to meet the aspirations and needs of the country and its population. He has pledged to the nation that his Government will bring the necessary reforms to modernize and transform the education sector. Here I would like to refer to paragraph 33 of the Government programme 2020-24 which reads as follows:

7. I quote In line with the education reform policy, an Institute of Technical Education will be set up to create opportunities and path ways for students to pursue studies in technical education. Unquote

8. This is a concrete example of another achievement of this Government under the stewardship of the Prime Minister. Hon Pravind Kumar Jugnauth has stood by the pledge he made to the nation in November 2019. I am convinced that the population will judge this Government along the line of its programme implementation and draw their own judgement and conclusion against those who are indulged in demagogies and hollow promises.

9. Mr Speaker Sir, we would all recall that Mauritius has emerged from a monocrop economy based on agriculture to a diversified economy underpinned by the development of textile, manufacturing, service and other emerging sectors. The tremendous progress achieved over the years was largely attributable to reforms introduced in our education system. A vivid example is the creation of the Industrial and Vocational Training Board (IVTB) back in 1989 under the vision of an MSM government led by late Sir Aneerood Jugnauth the then Prime Minister. At that time, the country was in dire need of skilled labour to respond to the needs of our booming textile and other manufacturing industries. Further reforms were subsequently brought to the education sector to adapt to an ever-changing world and this led to the creation of several institutions at different stages, notably, Lycee Polytechnique Sir Guy Forget, Ecole Hoteliere, the Mauritius Institute of Training and Development, Polytechnics Mauritius Ltd. and now the Institute of Technical Education and Technology.

10. Monsieur le president, je partage la meme ambition avec notre gouvernement qui est de conduire les ameliorations necessaires depuis longtemps a la qualite de lenseignement technique dans ce pays  refletant limpact des reformes de ce gouvernement sur la qualite de lenseignement. Les reformes de ce projet de loi sont fondamentales pour la vision du gouvernement de veiller a ce que tous les peuples, independamment de leurs antecedents, aient des regles du jeu equitables pour realiser leur potentiel et aient des voies de haute qualite pour assurer non seulement leur propre avenir, mais aussi les competences dont les entreprises mauriciennes ont besoin.

11. Monsieur le president, au-dela des mesures du projet de loi, le gouvernement a pour mission fondamentale de reformer la societe afin de realiser notre vision dun systeme deducation qui fonctionne pour tous. Leducation est au cur de notre ambition de faire notre pays une veritable meritocratie. Cest pourquoi nous avons place la responsabilite des premieres annees, des ecoles, de lenseignement superieur et de la poursuite, des competences des adultes et de lapprentissage dans un seul departement. Je suis confiant que ce projet de loi nous permettra de poursuivre la transformation de lenseignement technique dans ce pays pendant que nous continuons delaborer des propositions pour un systeme scolaire qui fonctionne pour tout le monde.

12. Monsieur le president, ce projet de loi sur leducation technique et technologique fait avancer lambition du gouvernement de rationaliser lenseignement technique afin dassurer des voies claires vers lemploi qualifie. Ces reformes placeront les employeurs au cur du systeme de competences, ce qui leur permettra dutiliser les competences dont ils ont le plus besoin. Soutenir les individus a une vie demploi qualifie durable contribuera non seulement a stimuler la productivite et la croissance de notre economie conformement a notre strategie industrielle, mais il permettra egalement de realiser la vision du gouvernement pour une economie qui fonctionne pour tous, et pas seulement pour les quelques privilegies. Les mesures du projet de loi sappuient sur les progres que le gouvernement a deja realises en investissant dans des apprentissages de haute qualite.

13. Monsieur le President, lavancement dun pays se mesure surtout au bien-etre de sa population, le vivre ensemble et aussi le progres pour chacun de nos citoyens. Ce progres, Monsieur le President, passe par notre systeme deducation et de formation. Un systeme qui doit evoluer selon la demande dans le monde de lemploi.

14. Nous avons fait un grand pas en avant compare a plusieurs autres pays, dans le developpement de notre secteur deducation tertiaire. Il y a les universites publiques : LUniversite de Maurice, LOpen University et LUniversite de Technologies de Maurice et aussi les branches duniversites internationales. Nous avons aussi fait denormes progres dans la formation technique avec la creation de lIVTB en 1989. Depuis, des dizaines de milliers de nos compatriotes ont pu suivre des cours et ont pu sintegrer dans le milieu professionnel. Nombreuses des entreprises du prive ont pu se developper grace a la connaissance de ces jeunes. Toutefois, levolution de la technologie et consequemment dans le systeme de production requiert des qualites plus avancees en terme de connaissance de la technologie. Et nous navons pas dautre choix que la formation de nos jeunes dans cette filiere. Nous devons aussi regarder les choses en face. Un manque de connaissance precise de notre main-duvre nest pas encourageant pour les entreprises dinvestir a Maurice. Nous devons nous adapter a la demande du marche.

15. La formation dans le domaine de la technologie permettra aussi une meilleure efficience pour les PME. Le mecanicien par exemple, doit pouvoir diagnostiquer les failles dun vehicule a travers son laptop. Cest pour ces raisons que nous debattons aujourdhui de ce projet de loi.

16. On the other hand, Higher level skills will be capital to be able to rise again to a status of a high income economy. Various Business and industry sectors have been actively lobbying to eliminate the gap in Competencies and skills as compared to that required in the job market. The mismatch between the job seekers and what the industry requires is another major reason for some of our youngsters not securing employment. This led to the introduction of Youth Employment Programme, YEP, Graduate program for employment scheme GTES and Service to Mauritius scheme.

17. Mr Speaker sir, No country in the world has been able to maintain itself as a high income economy without the development of its technical education stream.

18. The problem earmarked for vocational training is that it has traditionally prepared individuals for jobs in the lower and middle level of the skill spectrum. Consequently, the decline of medium-skilled jobs is a particular challenge. The skills gap arises not because vocational education is not producing graduates with the right attitudes and skills. It is in fact because jobs at this level are declining.

19. We are struggling in the 21st century to face the challenges of emerging technologies. Now the economy wants something else. Something unique and creative. Something our education didnt cover  Higher level technical education.

20. Mr Speaker Sir, technical education is part and parcel of a holistic education system that responds to the various learning needs and interests of our young learners. It helps in the orientation of individuals towards the acquisition of practical skills and constructive attitudes required in a work place, thus enabling them to pursue specific occupations in a variety of fields. There is also an urging need to keep pace with emerging technologies by providing relevant up to date training to our students on these new technologies. It is important to highlight that we are venturing into new and high-growth potential sectors such as the ocean economy, the digital economy, renewable energy, life sciences, amongst others. Concurrently, the Government has to design an overall system that provides young people with clear educational routes and options that ultimately lead to employment as professionals in specific fields.

21. Mr Speaker sir, several hon members have already debated on various clauses of the Bill and hence I do not intend to delve into them again.

22. Mr Speaker Sir, I will conclude by stating that this is a time for bold decisions as our country is still fighting the waves of the Covid 19 pandemic. Our population is our greatest asset and upskilling each of them in the desired way is going to have a compounded effect in terms of productivity and resilience. This bill is all about inclusiveness while creating new opportunities to our youth and enabling them to contribute in a greater manner in the building of a better society for one and all.

23. For the first time in decades we are beginning to see a realisation that if we do not prepare all school students for the world of work, and if we are to provide the skills that our country needs, then the dial has to be reset.

24. This Bill will, in fact, reset the dial of technical education and technology in Mauritius.

25. Education is a lifelong process of empowerment. It helps us to grow and develop as individuals. It empowers us to become emphatic individuals, build our self-confidence and exploit our skills and strengths.

26. Education is the passport for the future and tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today. Education is all about investing for the future.

27. This Bill will pave the way for students to have a technical education of excellence, unlocking their full potential and preparing them for the world of work.

28. Finally, this Bill will provide the necessary legal and institutional framework for boosting technical education and technology in the Republic of Mauritius to newer heights.

29. Mr Speaker Sir, with these words, I fully support the provisions in this Bill.
Pan-African human capital advisory firm, Africa People Advisory Group (www.AfricaPeopleAdvisory.com) has released the findings from a recent Pan-African study into New Ways of Working.

The goal of the study was to understand organisational responses to the impacts of COVID-19 whilst at the same time understanding how organisations are responding to the continued impact of 4IR and technology. What makes the study and the findings unique is that the study gathered responses from multiple countries and industries across Africa, and represents a true African view, unlike so many studies of this nature.

Says Deon de Swardt, Managing Partner at Africa People Advisory Group, This was a very exciting undertaking for us, not many firms have been able to gather data across the continent on such an important topic.

The study identified six trends, which should be important for CEOs and Business Leaders alike in planning their employee and people response to the issues covered.

The first finding highlights the reality that Africa is likely to adopt hybrid working models into the future. This means that employees would be able to work remotely or from an office. This will also require a new set of skills to be built for leaders to be effective.

Says Janene Schwartz, Managing Partner at Africa People Advisory Group, Leaders really hold the key to unlocking New Ways of Working. But at the same time, we should not assume the leaders of the past have the skills to drive the change. Skills such a digital literacy becomes important for leaders to lead effectively into the future.

The second trend highlights a concern that not many organisations are thinking about the impacts of the 4IR and technology on their business and structures. Organisations should be thinking about what new roles are needed to enable them to adjust to a new work reality. Despite this observation, many organisations have been quick to pivot their learning and development functions to deliver learning in a whole new way.

Trend number three shows us that there is a heightened risk for employee burnout and that organisations need to refresh their employee wellness strategies and programs. It is encouraging to see that many organisations have adjusted their strategies, especially so during COVID-19.

One of the most critical of all disciplines in the organisational structure has been the function of Human Resources over the past year. HR professionals have been stretched and challenged in ways we have never seen before, says Deon de Swardt.

Against this backdrop we uncover the fourth and fifth trend. The fourth trend focuses the attention on the skills of HR professionals and identifies the need for HR functions to build a new set of skills. Skills such as HR Metrics and Analytics becomes key in helping the business solve people challenges. There is a gap in where HR needs to function and where the function is right now.

The fifth trend indicates that our continent is lagging as far as implementing global best practices in Human Resources. To be globally competitive, Africa based organisations need to start focusing on implementing best practice. Placing the employee at the centre of the organisational universe, through concepts such as employee experience (EX) will go a long way in delivering value, says Janene Schwartz.

The final trend suggests that Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) efforts are not getting the right level of attention, and to truly make progress the discussion on D&I should be elevate to the Boardroom.

The full report provides some guidance and recommendations for organisations to address some of the issues identified. It is our hope that senior leaders will take heed of the recommendations in the report to enable a smooth transition for their organisations to New Ways of Working, says Deon de Swardt.

Africa People Advisory Group (APAG) is an advisory firm that unlocks business growth through people insights while serving clients through nurturing long-term relationships, understanding local context and placing people at the heart of the business. APAG provides a range of human resource solutions focused on rewards, organisation effectiveness and talent management.
There are a limited number of full tuition scholarships available. Applications will be made available on a session-by-session basis and accepted only for the next occurring class. Applications are currently being accepted for the class that will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays, Aug. 24, 2021, through Jan. 13, 2022, from 6:30 to 10 p.m., and one or two Saturdays each month, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Class location is at the George E. Moerkirk Emergency Medicine Institute, 2100 Mack Blvd. Allentown.
It is an indescribable privilege and pleasure to welcome Yo-Yo Ma back to Bethlehem as a guest of The Bach Choir. Truly one of the worlds greatest artists  his incredible musicianship, virtuosity, passion and humanity have touched and enriched the lives of millions of souls in every corner of the globe, Funfgeld noted in a news release.
Gomez said she witnessed two accidents Monday where a big rig totaled a vehicle, and Vega said her car has been damaged while parked on the street. Worse, they said, the lot is across the street from Buck Boyle Park, and neighborhood children and families are at risk.
Because all of the libraries in the Lehigh Carbon Library Cooperative share policies and cards, there must be a unanimous decision among all of the libraries in the group to get rid of overdue fines, said Mark Sullivan, district consultant librarian. If one library board does not approve it, the rest will be unable to abolish the late fees. Sullivan said since patrons can use all of the libraries in the cooperative, they want the same rules at all the libraries.
Stephen DeLello said he was forced to drive on the wrong side of the road due to the amount of parking on the streets. Another resident said he could barely drive back to his own home from the lake and that he was forced to take a series of back roads.
Shes accused of being reimbursed for hotels and other expenses both by her campaign and by the House over 2015-2019, and for putting in for reimbursement for hotel stays that never occurred.
Regrets? A few; but also, with an old mans recognition of time and circumstance. Things were different then and that should not be forgotten. It is a mistake too readily to impose todays moral judgments on a past that had different conditions, attitudes and values.
As a current print subscriber, you receive 24/7 access to our website and online e-edition at no additional charge. All you have to do is activate your access. To activate digital access, you will need your account number. You can find your account number on any recent subscription notice or bill.
: neiubyiasiy (neiubyiasiy), : HuNan

 : And Yan Wang tear each other, bullying brother extreme selfishness is the root

: BBS  (Wed Jul 21 21:12:01 2021, )



And Yan Wang tear each other, bullying brother extreme selfishness is the

root

If you stick to Guo, you will have bad luck



The mutual tearing between King Guo and King Yan has become public since

July 14. Guo Wengui, on the bed of illness, instructs the ant Gang's

comrades in arms to divide into two groups and punish the thief Lu and Yan

limeng according to law. Even if he was a close comrade in arms and a heroic

scientist, he could not escape the fate of Guo Wengui's verbal attack and

physical attack. Alas, it's chilling. It can be predicted that such a good

play will be staged again and again in China in the future. If you stick to

Guo, you will have bad luck. You can eat melons and watch around. Don't let

your feet sink in the mud. Otherwise, it's hard to protect yourself. It's

not a sad ending that your grandfather doesn't love you and your grandmother

doesn't love you.



Luther, Wang Dinggang, started as a monitoring device in Guangzhou, sneaked

to the United States to hang out with Guo Wengui. As for Guo Wengui, Wang

Dinggang's contribution to Lu Xun's commentary and interview, and his

contribution to the revolution. In this regard, Guo laobi did not deny it,

and spoke highly of it. "Luther saw that it was like Buddha." therefore, he

was willing to give GTV 300000 shares, and threatened to give Luther and his

wife Xiaocai and the children 1.47 million villas in Kangzhou. Luther was

very grateful and cried, "Mr. Wengui is so great.". It's the way to be a

person to reciprocate and reciprocate. From first to last tattle and prate

trump, Guo Wengui did not treat Lu De equally. He was like a former gang of

dragons, Li You, Guo Baosheng, Sara and so on. The latter was only a chess

piece and tool in Guo Wengui's mind, so that Luther's approach was president

of the fund or by spreading rumors and gossip from the media, or even for

trump, to create the hard door of the Biden family. Luther's cannon fodder

was so completely destroyed that he was tracked and investigated by the FBI.

However, Guo Wengui had the tendency to remove his burden. For example, he

appointed elder brother Changdao and masked MafA to hold a grand banquet,

questioned Luther's relationship with Sara, and even threatened that Luther

did not have 100% confidence in the disclosure revolution. How can we blame

Luther for fighting back and protecting himself?!



Yan limeng was originally a powerful tool for Guo Wengui to absorb powder,

and also a great weight for the landing of political protection. To this end

, Guo Wengui, ban Nong, Lu and others made great efforts to get Yan hamster

from Hong Kong to the United States. From April 29 last year, Yan limeng

landed in the United States to be publicly forced to tear. Yan limeng has

always been like a puppet being linked with Guo Wengui's will. However, Yan

limeng, who knows nothing about virus, has made many mistakes in her words

and three papers in fox interview, The silence refuted by the American

medical community. So far, Yan limeng's function has been squeezed dry. As

the saying goes, the credit is not there, the hard work is full. Besides, in

order to make up a lie, Yan limeng even made up the story that her mother

was arrested and imprisoned by the police in the wall, and even the couple

turned against each other. After the FBI identified Yan limeng as a

pseudoscientist, and the chicken series of scams were suppressed by all

parties, Guo Wengui felt that the general situation was not good, so he

resolutely stepped down. Yan limeng has a thorough understanding of Guo

Wengui's nature, "Mr. Guo Wengui is against Zeng yuan, controlling everyone'

s speech, and sinking the ship, but he has a way out, let everyone sink.".

It seems that Yan limeng has been clear and planned for a long time. With

her sharp words, strict logic and fierce attack momentum, she is even more

advanced than Sara. No wonder, brother bullying said that this woman is not

simple.



As the saying goes, it's easy to get together. What's more, Luther and Yan

limeng, after all, have been with them for two or three years. But Guo

Wengui is Guo Wengui. After pretending to be ill and hospitalized, a live

broadcast was released on July 14, local time. The Jedi counterattacked Lu

and Yan limeng with abusive remarks and offensive remarks, as well as a

period of madness and rambling, which was groundless and groundless. From

the middle point of view, Guo Wengui is a black ruffian and social hooligan,

and is a product of hindsight. What is "Dr. Yan was put to bed by Luther"

and what is "master Jinyun of Sichuan, when Dr. Yan appeared, he told Wengui

that Yan is a snake spirit and Luther is a toad spirit, which will surely

harm Wengui". It's true that Luther, Yan limeng and Guo Wengui resolutely

separated from each other. Sometimes they were forced by the situation. The

FBI's follow-up investigation, chicken series and the rule of law fund were

about to be destroyed. But Guo Wengui's nature of fraud and lying and his

lack of comrades in arms were the root of civil strife. Today, the ant gangs

are punishing thieves according to law again. The Buddha is killed by toad

essence, and the heroic scientist by snake essence, that is, in an instant.

You comrades in arms, along with Guo Wengui, will come to the end of a fake

and spy sooner or later. Today's Luther and Yan limeng may be tomorrow's you.



Wang Wengeng also came to support Luther and Yan limeng. This former front-

line cadre who punished thieves according to law has changed from "

supporting Guo with a gun" to "lifting the lid of a pot" and declared that

he is willing to testify in the US judiciary to expose Guo Wengui. Sellin

claims to be armed to defend Yan limeng. Luther and Yan limeng are in-depth

participants of the rule of law fund, the rule of law society, the farm

series and the G series. If Guo Wengui is not benevolent, the king of hell

will be unjust. Now that his face has been torn and his bow has not been

turned back, Guo's scam is bound to be all naked online, and the end of Guo

Wengui is near. Smash Guo will be bad luck, but wake up after bad luck, in

order to stop loss in time, win and return. You comrades in arms investors,

seize the opportunity of Guo and Yan Wang's infighting, chase Guo Wengui

fiercely, don't miss it.

--

 :WWW  mitbbs.com [FROM: 45.]


Sayre, PA (18840)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening followed by mostly cloudy skies and a few showers after midnight. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening followed by mostly cloudy skies and a few showers after midnight. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.
A peculiar geologic finding from the dinosaur-killing asteroid that hit Earth 66 million years ago indicates that 52-foot-tall 'megaripples' hides deep under Louisiana, and the largest known megaripples on Earth.

These megaripples are about 5,000 feet (1,500 m) under the Iatt Lake area, in north central Louisiana, as tall as a five-story building. Their formation was dated back to the Cretaceous period when that part of the state was underwater.

Researchers say that its size and orientation was formed after the occurrence of the giant Chicxulub asteroid that struck the Yucatan Peninsula and led to the Chicxulub impact tsunami.

This impact was said to have created the megaripple marks on the seafloor as the waves rushed into shallower waters.

"The occurrence of ripples of that size means something very big had to disturb the water column," study lead researcher Gary Kinsland, a professor in the School of Geosciences at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, told Live Science.

"This is just further evidence that the Chicxulub impact ended the Cretaceous period."

Findings from the Seismic Survey

Researchers of the new study, through the energy corporation Devon Energy, conducted a 3D seismic survey at Iatt Lake to map out underground geology and found a black and white seismic image of the megaripples.

Study co-researcher Kaare Egedahl, then a master's student of petroleum geology at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette said that "it's so different than anything you would expect to see in deposits laid down by the sea or by rivers."

The image had been captured through the loud sound waves, often made with 'explosives or big thumps', from the seismic survey. The detectors around the area can then capture the returning sound waves reflected upon hitting various underground rock layers.

"I immediately saw the ripples, and I immediately knew the direction the water would have had to have been traveling [to create them]," said Kinsland. "And I knew that if you go backwards from that, you run right in Chicxulub."

Kinsland's previous research on the Chicxulub impact crater provided him with insights that led to this claim.

Also read: World's Oldest Water Found in an Ancient Pool Below Canada

How the 'Megaripples' Persisted

Kinsland points back the direction of the megaripples back to the Chicxulub impact crater, which he determined to be asymmetrical, having a south-southeast-facing slope.

With an average wavelength (from one crest to the next) of 1,968 feet (600 m), combined with their 52-foot-high amplitude, makes them "the largest ripples documented on Earth," the researchers wrote.

In addition to that, they found that the megaripples lay beneath a layer of debris from the Chicxulub aftermath, "at the top of the Cretaceous/Paleogene geological boundary."

After the space rock hit Earth 66 million years ago and the tsunami in Gulf Mexico created the megaripples, what made them persist was "they remained underwater", deep enough that when storms swept, they remained undisturbed.

Lastly, they were buried by a sedimentary rock mixed with clay and mineral fragments called shale - for over a period of 5 million years, and later on covered with younger sediments.

Also read: New Discovery: 3.4-Billion-Year-Old Microfossils Found Could Help Explain How Life Started
Utah's Great Salt Lake is reaching a historically low level of water, which impacts greatly as a threat for hundreds of species including humans.

As the rate of global warming rises faster, a 'megadrought' is expected to continue relentlessly in western US states which forces regions to declare states of emergency. This includes exacerbating wildfires that have been going on for months.

The Utah drought had dried up America's "Dead Sea", nearly nine feet lower water level than the long-term average of the lake.

As the largest salt water body in the western hemisphere, this is rather concerning for scientists not just in an environmental sense, but the 'knock-on effects' it imposes to human health, along with wildlife, as long as it persists for years.

Low Water Line Puts the Whole Ecosystem at Risk

According to Utah's Department of Natural Resources on this week's report, that microbialites or the 'living rocks' on the bottom of the lake which serves as food for brine flies and shrimp, could dry up within weeks water continues to dry up.

While it only takes weeks for them to die, "it takes several years of higher lake level before the microbial mat can recover," said Michael Vanden Berg, energy and minerals program manager at Utah Geological Survey.

What does this imply to the ecosystem? Kevin Perry, chairman of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Utah, explained that the 300 varieties of bird breeds at Great Salt Lake more than anywhere else in the US and depends on the microbialites as its food source.

"Our studies show the whole lake system, including the ten million migrating birds, depend on microbialites," said Dr Bonnie Baxter, director of the Great Salt Lake Institute at Westminster College. "Without these critical structures, impacts will be amplified up the food chain."

Perry told CNN that while the long-term drought in Utah dries out soil, more human problem could be felt.

Also read: Great Salt Lake Continues to Shrink to Alarmingly Low Levels Due to Drought

Respiratory Problems for Humans

"One of the concerns we have is the particles that are coming off the lake getting into people's lungs," Perry said. "Fifteen to 20 years ago, when the lake was higher, most of these dust spots were covered up, and if you cover them up with water, they don't produce dust. And so as the lake has receded, it's exposed more and more of that lake bed. As we get the larger area, we have more frequent dust storms."

Arsenics from the soil often gets washed up in lands near the lake, which the wind picks up and cause respiratory problems for humans. Perry added that the lake "could become one of the larger dust emission sources in North America as well".

Ecology researcher and a coordinator at the Great Salt Lake Institute at Westminster College, Jaimi Butler said that these waters are diverted from Great Salt Lake to farms, ranches and cities - some of which enjoy the cheapest water anywhere in the US.

"Keeping water in Great Salt Lake is the biggest thing that keeps me up at night," she said. "We're on the doorstep of a catastrophe."

Also read: Unsolved Mystery of India's Mysterious Lake with Hundreds of Skeletal Remains
The rising temperature remains a growing concern in the Arctic twice as much as the rest of the world. While that is known, it still stuns scientists how climate change can generate rare phenomenon.

A rare Arctic lightning storms north of Alaska which Ed Plumb, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Fairbanks, described as 'never seen before', even for forecasters.

According to a weather report, three successive thunderstorms swept across the Arctic. Normally, the Arctic region do not have enough heat to form deep convective clouds to be able to create a lightning, but here we are.

Despite its rare occurrence, scientists believe that this would could happen occasionally and more frequent as the climate crisis heats up the Arctic twice the global annual average.

Linkage to Loss of Sea Ice

Since 2010, researchers say that "summer lightning in the Arctic Circle has tripled", and a March study in linked it to ice loss. While sea ice is existing primarily in the polar regions, it highly influences the global climate as a whole, in fact polar regions are the most sensitive areas to climate change.

Typically, when ice disappears, more water is available for evaporation process, adding moisture to the already-warm atmosphere. The warm air just creates the suitable atmosphere to develop thunderstorms and produce lightning.

"The probability of this kind of event occurring would increase as the sea ice extent retreats farther and farther north in the summertime," says Alex Young, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fairbanks, Alaska.

"It's going to go with the temperatures," said the study's co-author Robert Holzworth, an atmospheric physicist at the University of Washington in Seattle.

On a study published in Geophysical Research Letters, more frequent lighting was documented over treeless tundra regions, as well as above the Arctic Ocean and pack ice. In addition to that, some researchers discovered that in August 2019, a lightning struck within 60 miles of the North Pole.

"What used to be very rare is now just rare," said Rick Thoman, a climate scientist with the University of Alaska Fairbanks. "I have no memory of three consecutive days of this kind of thing."

To make it more bizarre, some satellite imagery shows that lightning sometimes strike over sea ice.

Also read: Lightning Strike Kills 76 People in India, Including Victims Who Were Taking Selfies

The Ripple Effect: More Environmental Problems





In the Russian region of Siberia, the frequent occurrence of lightnings to more forest fires in the region. Alaska also experiences the same disaster where 18,000 acres of tundra burned north of the Arctic Circle in the Noatak National Preserve.

Aside from that, the rising temperatures encourages growth of vegetation, which is one the factors that fuels relentless wildfires that lasts for months, even giving rebirth to dead fires.

Scientists at the International Arctic Research Center in Fairbanks have predicted that Alaska tundra could burn twice as much, on a regular basis than ever before by the end of the century.

Also read: Projected Thunderstorms and Rainfall to Continue in the South, Say Meteorologists
On Wednesday morning, hurricane forecasters were tracking a disturbance that's anticipated to propel over the Atlantic off the east coasts of Florida and Georgia. They said there are possibilities of gradual development.

Tropical Depression

As of 7 a.m., National Hurricane Center forecasters revealed they were observing a large trough of low pressure that's anticipated to propel off the coast by the ending of this week.

They said it is expected that the environmental conditions will be marginally favorable for some slow development over the weekend and into the beginning of next week.

It is anticipated that the system will meander off the coasts of South Carolina, Georgia and northeast Florida. There is a 20% chance of it developing into at least a tropical depression in five days.

When you take a look at the graphics the shaded part is where there is a possibility of storm development and is not a track. The National Hurricane Center publicizes a track when a formation of tropical depression happens or is about to.

Also Read: 'Space Hurricane' Detected Flying Above North Pole for the First Time in History

Tropical Cyclones

In order of increasing strength, the categories include tropical depression, tropical storm, and hurricane - categories 1 through 5. Generally, systems are given their names when they progress into tropical storm. Fred is the next name available.

A sum of five tropical cyclones all over the wold has been given the name Fred. In the North Atlantic, Hurricane Fred (2009) is one of the most powerful hurricanes that has been recorded in the southeast tropical Atlantic, only third known major hurricane east of 35W.

The easternmost hurricane that has ever happened in the tropical Atlantic is Hurricane Fred (2015), it is also the first one to propel through the Cape Verde islands since 1892. Fred replaced Fabian after it was retired following the 2003 season.

In the Western Pacific, Typhoon Fred (1991) (T9111, 12W) is a Category 2 typhoon that hit Vietnam and Hainan Island.

Super Typhoon Fred (1994) (T9416, 19W, Susang) is a Category 4 super typhoon that hit China, leading to extreme storm surge coupled with heavy flooding, resulting in more than 1,000 fatalities and billions of damages.

Hurricane Fred

This hurricane was a dangerous hurricane that caused landfall in Corpus Christi, Texas. It developed late August 5th as a Tropical depression not very distant from Cuba then it obtained momentum as a Tropical storm.

This hurricane began to intensify in the Gulf of Mexico as a Category 1 progressed to Category 2 it was anticipated to affect Louisiana then it began to intensify so much that it became a Category 4 hurricane then progressed to Category 5 intensity, the day following that it made landfall at 4:37 AM in Corpus Christi Texas. It then began to rapidly diminish then it was a tropical storm and led to a lot of flooding before dissipating over Arkansas.

Related Article: Atlantic Hurricane Season 2021: Here Are the Most Vulnerable Areas

For more news, updates about hurricanes and similar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News!
On Thursday morning local time, Typhoon In-fa slightly loses its strength over the northwestern Pacific Ocean as it hit parts of Japan.

Typhoon In-fa

The storm is anticipated to gain its strength again and possibly lash Taiwan and parts of China this weekend.

This comes following the quick strengthening of Typhoon Cempaka on approach to the southeastern coastline of China Tuesday, bringing about landfall 240 kilometers (150 miles) southwest of Hong Kong.

Now Cempaka is over land, making a widespread 4 to 8 inches of rainfall to take place in parts of Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan provinces. There are possibilities that isolated regions will approach 20 inches through Friday.

Typhoon In-fa is gradually getting more strength as it moves westward in a twisting pattern over the Pacific Ocean. As of the Wednesday update at about 5 p.m. ET (5 a.m. Hong Kong time) from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, the highest sustained winds are at 165 kph (103 mph).

The storm's distance from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa is around 305 kilometers (190 miles) and is causing rain and tropical storm conditions in portions of the southern island of Japan.

Also Read: Scientists Determine How Marsh Birds Survive Typhoons and Natural Disasters Such as Hurricane Zeta

Rainfall and Potential Flooding

Through the duration of this week, these rain odds will stay high as the typhoon gradually tracks west. Since this storm moves slowly in nature it will bring about rainfall totals to boost significantly. Most of the southern Japan islands will witness totals of not less than 10 inches, with totals of over 20 inches to be expected in higher elevations.

Tom Sater, CNN meteorologist said: "In-Fa will pass south of Okinawa, closer to Miyakojima, which is built to handle the accompanying rains and wind. The problem may arise as the system moves near Taipei."

Highest winds close to the center of In-fa are predicted to get close to 175 kph (109 mph) by Thursday in the southern Japan islands, when the storm may attain peak intensity.

Sater said: "The mountain chain in Taiwan could squeeze up to a meter's worth of rain over the region, while Taiwan has been dealing with its worst drought in some 50 years. This amount of rain could lead to catastrophic flash flooding and landslides."

The Current Track

Over the next two to five days the forecast track has become more definite. Following the tracking of the west through Thursday morning - Friday morning in Hong Kong time, it is anticipated that In-fa will take a turn to the northwest.

Friday morning - Saturday morning in Hong Kong time - is when this turn to the northwest should occur and offshore, thereby preventing major impacts to Taiwan.

In-fa is anticipated to keep tracking northwest after moving passed Taiwan to the north, potentially getting to eastern China this weekend. The current track shows a possible landfall close to Wenzhou and Taizhou, which are situated on China's coast.

Related Article: Typhoon Kammuri Leaves Philippine Landmass With Severe Damage in its Wake

For more news, updates about Typhoon In-fa and similar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News!
Berlin Reporter Health officials urge caution amid rising COVID cases

by Tara Giles

Sports reporter - Coos County Democrat and Berlin Reporter Sports reporter - Coos County Democrat and Berlin Reporter write the author REGION  While COVID-19 cases across the country have risen substantially, with variants wreaking havoc, Coos County cases are relatively low, but there has been slight uptick.



Making New Hampshire news is the case of nine fatal breakthrough cases  breakthrough meaning each person who passed away was fully vaccinated; however, those deaths may not necessarily have been caused by the virus.



We spoke with VP of Patient Care Services at Weeks Memorial Hospital, Jennifer Bach-Guss who brought us up to speed and took some time to explain why some of those breakthrough cases may have resulted in a fatality.



Noted, is that statewide, nine of those fatalities, four were over the age of 80, four were between the ages of 60-79 and one was between the ages of 40-59. Four of the individuals who passed were living in a longterm care facility.



To date, across New Hampshire, there have been roughly 440 breakthrough cases, with roughly 60 of those as a result of a COVID variant. In comparison to the rest of the country, New Hampshire's community transmission rates remain low. The vaccination rate in the Granite State is 58 percent, ranking seventh in the country. Vermont topped the list at 66 percent.



Bach-Guss explained, "What I do know is that some of the recent fatalities did not test positive for COVID until a postmortem test was conducted. So, they were considered to have passed from natural causes. One way to explain is to say if you get hit by a truck and died and you have COVID, you died because you were hit by a truck."



The CDC reported that the Pfizer vaccine is 60 percent effective against the newly highly contagious Delta variant.



"People who are not vaccinated should seriously consider vaccination, because even with the breakthrough cases, vaccination offers the highest level of protection, and if a person has not completed their series, they should," said Bach-Guss.



She added, "Those who have serious underlying conditions should continue to practice social distancing and practice good hand hygiene when they're in public."



Experts say that wearing a mask for an added layer of protection in a crowded area is a good idea.



As for Coos County, Bach-Guss says numbers are a bit high.



"They're a bit high, but not terribly high. What I'm seeing is small family groups, such as groups of two or three who were not vaccinated become infected," she explained.



Most of those cases are reported out of the Berlin area.



The next big challenge, according to Bach-Guss, is to get immunizations approved for younger children as they return to school.



"I think we will see a bit of an uptick during the fall, when school starts again," she said.



Right now, children ages 12 and up have been approved for the vaccine. Pfizer is slated to have a vaccine ready for children down to the age of five before school starts.



Many parents are struggling with whether or not to have their younger children vaccinated.



To that, Bach-Guss said, "I would say that is really going to be what makes the difference this fall, as to wether or not children have a normal return to school, and whether or not they can stay in school." REGION  While COVID-19 cases across the country have risen substantially, with variants wreaking havoc, Coos County cases are relatively low, but there has been slight uptick.Making New Hampshire news is the case of nine fatal breakthrough cases  breakthrough meaning each person who passed away was fully vaccinated; however, those deaths may not necessarily have been caused by the virus.We spoke with VP of Patient Care Services at Weeks Memorial Hospital, Jennifer Bach-Guss who brought us up to speed and took some time to explain why some of those breakthrough cases may have resulted in a fatality.Noted, is that statewide, nine of those fatalities, four were over the age of 80, four were between the ages of 60-79 and one was between the ages of 40-59. Four of the individuals who passed were living in a longterm care facility.To date, across New Hampshire, there have been roughly 440 breakthrough cases, with roughly 60 of those as a result of a COVID variant. In comparison to the rest of the country, New Hampshire's community transmission rates remain low. The vaccination rate in the Granite State is 58 percent, ranking seventh in the country. Vermont topped the list at 66 percent.Bach-Guss explained, "What I do know is that some of the recent fatalities did not test positive for COVID until a postmortem test was conducted. So, they were considered to have passed from natural causes. One way to explain is to say if you get hit by a truck and died and you have COVID, you died because you were hit by a truck."The CDC reported that the Pfizer vaccine is 60 percent effective against the newly highly contagious Delta variant."People who are not vaccinated should seriously consider vaccination, because even with the breakthrough cases, vaccination offers the highest level of protection, and if a person has not completed their series, they should," said Bach-Guss.She added, "Those who have serious underlying conditions should continue to practice social distancing and practice good hand hygiene when they're in public."Experts say that wearing a mask for an added layer of protection in a crowded area is a good idea.As for Coos County, Bach-Guss says numbers are a bit high."They're a bit high, but not terribly high. What I'm seeing is small family groups, such as groups of two or three who were not vaccinated become infected," she explained.Most of those cases are reported out of the Berlin area.The next big challenge, according to Bach-Guss, is to get immunizations approved for younger children as they return to school."I think we will see a bit of an uptick during the fall, when school starts again," she said.Right now, children ages 12 and up have been approved for the vaccine. Pfizer is slated to have a vaccine ready for children down to the age of five before school starts.Many parents are struggling with whether or not to have their younger children vaccinated.To that, Bach-Guss said, "I would say that is really going to be what makes the difference this fall, as to wether or not children have a normal return to school, and whether or not they can stay in school."

Berlin Reporter Randolph Public Library to hold annual Book & Bake Sale Recent Tara Giles NHDES Wetlands Bureau urged to reject landfill permit

2021-Jul-22 Health officials urge caution amid rising COVID cases

2021-Jul-22 Whitefield selectmen discuss refinancing Town Hall loan

2021-Jul-22 City Council answers questions about road repairs

2021-Jul-14 'Street Fair' Block Party, 5K race scheduled for July 31

2021-Jul-14 More... Thanks for visiting SalmonPress.com
Carroll County Independent Community School summer camp receives support from Meredith Village Savings Bank



Meredith Village Savings Bank's Rick Wyman, President (back, fourth from left) and Stacy Trites, Branch and Business Development Officer (far right) were welcomed by The Community School Director, Lianne Prentice, (back, left) camp counselors and campers in acknowledgment of their $5,000 donation to the school's summer camp program. (Courtesy Photo) (click for larger version) TAMWORTH  Meredith Village Savings Bank (MVSB) recently donated $5,000 to The Community School in Tamworth to provide financial support for their 2021 summer camp program. The program, which also receives grant money from the Tamworth Foundation, is free to Tamworth residents. Children from surroundings towns, including Albany, Madison, Moultonborough, Ossipee and Sandwich can also enroll at a cost. MVSB's donation will help offset that cost for local campers.



The Community School's summer day camp offers five sessions between the months of July and August for campers ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade. Attendees select up to four activities to participate in - from cooking or crafting to horseback riding or ukulele lessons, they offer an extensive variety of programming to keep kids entertained and engaged.



"We know it's been an especially challenging year for local families, balancing remote learning and a shortage in childcare options," said Rick Wyman, President of Meredith Village Savings Bank. "We're so pleased that this contribution will help to ease some of that burden for parents and give more children a chance to participate in the many creative and entertaining activities The Community School offers."



In typical years, The Community School plans for about 15 campers, but with limited openings and opportunities in the area, over 105 enrolled for 2021, and they have reached their capacity for the year. Because many of the children qualify for free and reduced lunch it was important to the school that they also provide healthy meals, which greatly adds to their operating costs and need.



"We are so grateful for community partners like Meredith Village Savings Bank," said Lianne Prentice, Director of The Community School. "It would have been especially challenging to meet the increased demand for summer camp this year without their support."



Founded in 1989, The Community School served for 30 years as a day school, fully accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). The School is currently transitioning to a semester boarding program for students in grades 11 and 12, or for those exploring a gap year with plans to re-open in 2023. The program will encourage students to immerse themselves in solving community-based problems, while maintaining academic progress which allows for a seamless integration back to their sending school. Their curriculum is intellectually rigorous while simultaneously cultivating hope and requires that students collaborate with peers and members of our regional towns. For more information, visit: https://communityschoolnh.net/



Unlike a stock bank, MVSB is a mutual savings bank that operates for the benefit of its depositors, borrowers, and surrounding communities. As a result, MVSB has remained steadfast in fostering the economic health and well-being of the community since it was founded in 1869. For over 150, Meredith Village Savings Bank (MVSB) has served the people, businesses, non-profits, and municipalities of Central NH. MVSB and its employees are guided by accountability, mutuality, excellence, respect, integrity, teamwork, and stewardship. To learn more, visit any local branch offices located in Alton, Ashland, Center Harbor, Gilford, Laconia, Meredith, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, or Wolfeboro, call 800-922-6872 or visitmvsb.com. TAMWORTH  Meredith Village Savings Bank (MVSB) recently donated $5,000 to The Community School in Tamworth to provide financial support for their 2021 summer camp program. The program, which also receives grant money from the Tamworth Foundation, is free to Tamworth residents. Children from surroundings towns, including Albany, Madison, Moultonborough, Ossipee and Sandwich can also enroll at a cost. MVSB's donation will help offset that cost for local campers.The Community School's summer day camp offers five sessions between the months of July and August for campers ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade. Attendees select up to four activities to participate in - from cooking or crafting to horseback riding or ukulele lessons, they offer an extensive variety of programming to keep kids entertained and engaged."We know it's been an especially challenging year for local families, balancing remote learning and a shortage in childcare options," said Rick Wyman, President of Meredith Village Savings Bank. "We're so pleased that this contribution will help to ease some of that burden for parents and give more children a chance to participate in the many creative and entertaining activities The Community School offers."In typical years, The Community School plans for about 15 campers, but with limited openings and opportunities in the area, over 105 enrolled for 2021, and they have reached their capacity for the year. Because many of the children qualify for free and reduced lunch it was important to the school that they also provide healthy meals, which greatly adds to their operating costs and need."We are so grateful for community partners like Meredith Village Savings Bank," said Lianne Prentice, Director of The Community School. "It would have been especially challenging to meet the increased demand for summer camp this year without their support."Founded in 1989, The Community School served for 30 years as a day school, fully accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). The School is currently transitioning to a semester boarding program for students in grades 11 and 12, or for those exploring a gap year with plans to re-open in 2023. The program will encourage students to immerse themselves in solving community-based problems, while maintaining academic progress which allows for a seamless integration back to their sending school. Their curriculum is intellectually rigorous while simultaneously cultivating hope and requires that students collaborate with peers and members of our regional towns. For more information, visit: https://communityschoolnh.net/Unlike a stock bank, MVSB is a mutual savings bank that operates for the benefit of its depositors, borrowers, and surrounding communities. As a result, MVSB has remained steadfast in fostering the economic health and well-being of the community since it was founded in 1869. For over 150, Meredith Village Savings Bank (MVSB) has served the people, businesses, non-profits, and municipalities of Central NH. MVSB and its employees are guided by accountability, mutuality, excellence, respect, integrity, teamwork, and stewardship. To learn more, visit any local branch offices located in Alton, Ashland, Center Harbor, Gilford, Laconia, Meredith, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, or Wolfeboro, call 800-922-6872 or visitmvsb.com.

Carroll County Independent Local libraries use ARPA grant funds to improve services Thanks for visiting SalmonPress.com
Carroll County Independent Local libraries use ARPA grant funds to improve services

REGION  This past spring public libraries throughout New Hampshire had the opportunity to apply for funds made available by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the New Hampshire State Library through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The first round of funds was distributed as grants to public libraries to pay for programs, equipment, supplies, books and other circulating materials in order to better respond to their communities' needs this summer as the nation begins to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic.



The Cook Memorial Library in Tamworth used ARPA grant funds to make the library's outdoor space more welcoming for people who visit and attend outdoor programs by purchasing another picnic table and umbrella as well as a sound system. Grant funds made it possible for the library to engage emerging readers with the addition of fun new audiobooks and books for kids. The grant also allowed the library to support children's social-emotional development by adding a weekly tabletop role-playing game program for nine- to 12-year-olds. To learn more about the Cook Memorial Library's summer programs and services, visit https://tamworthlibrary.org.



The Madison Library will use ARPA grant funds to bring the community back into the library by adding a small table for children with sensory toys, card tables for Mah Jongg and other games, and a meeting room camera, microphone and speaker to allow book clubs or community groups to meet both physically and virtually simultaneously. These funds will also provide a community wide Tiny Art Show that will tie in with Madison's Old Home Week. Community members and visitors can pick up an art kit that comes with all the supplies to produce a painted three-by-three-inch canvas. The finished pieces will be exhibited from Old Home Week through the end of August. To learn more about Madison Library's programs, please visit madisonlibrary-nh.org.



The Freedom Public Library received an ARPA grant to expand their "Library of Things"  games and equipment to lend to the public  including a dehydrator, metal detector, snowshoes, popup canopy, cornhole set, canning supplies and more. They hope to reach a new group of library users who need or want equipment but may not have the money to purchase it or the room to store it. They also bought a color printer that will allow patrons to print easily from their devices. Check out what all Freedom Public Library has to offer by visiting their website at freedompubliclibrary.org.



The Bartlett Public Library will be using funds obtained through an ARPA grant to replace their old outdoor book return which no longer protects collection materials from the weather. The book return is the pick up and drop off location for InterLibrary loan deliveries and it served an equally important role as a convenient, protected spot for curbside service during the Covid pandemic. For an update on Bartlett Public Library happenings visit bartlettpubliclibrary.org.



The Pope Memorial Library in North Conway will use its ARPA grant to purchase a picnic table to make its new outdoor space more welcoming and support outside programs, reading, and internet use; as well as a meeting room camera system, including microphone and speakers, so that programs and meetings that are held at the library can be accessed remotely and patrons can actively participate via Zoom. Another purchase is several Launchpads for children: tablets that are preloaded with award-winning educational apps that further reading, learning, and critical thinking skills. Lastly, the Pope Library extended the subscription for its electronic newsletter to keep patrons and visitors informed about its happenings. For more information, go to the library's new Web site at PopeLibraryNH.org.



The Conway Public Library rented a 30-by-20-foot tent for six weeks and purchased two metal picnic tables to facilitate outdoor programming in support of their Summer Reading Program. The library also sent off four more reels of microfilm from the North Conway Reporter collection to be digitized so they can now be searchable over the Internet. To search the Reporter collection visit



With the ARPA funding, the Effingham Public Library is expanding its outdoor space and programming for patrons of all ages to enjoy. The purchases include the following: a new picnic table, benches, and a coffee maker for the weekly Coffee Hour; movie equipment which includes a sound system, a projector and an outdoor screen for children's Movie Nights; and yoga mats for Outdoor Yoga classes. Please visit the library's website for more information at https://effingham.lib.nh.us/.



The ARPA grant allowed the Jackson Public Library to create an outdoor event space under a 20x30 tent. In addition to hosting their Summer Reading Program events, the tent will be the location for Sunday evening live music in cooperation with The Friends of Jackson Library. The library will also allow community members to reserve the tent for private events like picnics, continuing education, and meetings. In addition to the tent, the library has purchased a large format laminating machine to expand and maintain their popular story book trails. The librarians in Jackson are deeply grateful for this funding.



To learn more about the American Rescue Plan Act, visit https://www.whitehouse.gov/american-rescue-plan/. REGION  This past spring public libraries throughout New Hampshire had the opportunity to apply for funds made available by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the New Hampshire State Library through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The first round of funds was distributed as grants to public libraries to pay for programs, equipment, supplies, books and other circulating materials in order to better respond to their communities' needs this summer as the nation begins to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic.The Cook Memorial Library in Tamworth used ARPA grant funds to make the library's outdoor space more welcoming for people who visit and attend outdoor programs by purchasing another picnic table and umbrella as well as a sound system. Grant funds made it possible for the library to engage emerging readers with the addition of fun new audiobooks and books for kids. The grant also allowed the library to support children's social-emotional development by adding a weekly tabletop role-playing game program for nine- to 12-year-olds. To learn more about the Cook Memorial Library's summer programs and services, visit https://tamworthlibrary.org.The Madison Library will use ARPA grant funds to bring the community back into the library by adding a small table for children with sensory toys, card tables for Mah Jongg and other games, and a meeting room camera, microphone and speaker to allow book clubs or community groups to meet both physically and virtually simultaneously. These funds will also provide a community wide Tiny Art Show that will tie in with Madison's Old Home Week. Community members and visitors can pick up an art kit that comes with all the supplies to produce a painted three-by-three-inch canvas. The finished pieces will be exhibited from Old Home Week through the end of August. To learn more about Madison Library's programs, please visit madisonlibrary-nh.org.The Freedom Public Library received an ARPA grant to expand their "Library of Things"  games and equipment to lend to the public  including a dehydrator, metal detector, snowshoes, popup canopy, cornhole set, canning supplies and more. They hope to reach a new group of library users who need or want equipment but may not have the money to purchase it or the room to store it. They also bought a color printer that will allow patrons to print easily from their devices. Check out what all Freedom Public Library has to offer by visiting their website at freedompubliclibrary.org.The Bartlett Public Library will be using funds obtained through an ARPA grant to replace their old outdoor book return which no longer protects collection materials from the weather. The book return is the pick up and drop off location for InterLibrary loan deliveries and it served an equally important role as a convenient, protected spot for curbside service during the Covid pandemic. For an update on Bartlett Public Library happenings visit bartlettpubliclibrary.org.The Pope Memorial Library in North Conway will use its ARPA grant to purchase a picnic table to make its new outdoor space more welcoming and support outside programs, reading, and internet use; as well as a meeting room camera system, including microphone and speakers, so that programs and meetings that are held at the library can be accessed remotely and patrons can actively participate via Zoom. Another purchase is several Launchpads for children: tablets that are preloaded with award-winning educational apps that further reading, learning, and critical thinking skills. Lastly, the Pope Library extended the subscription for its electronic newsletter to keep patrons and visitors informed about its happenings. For more information, go to the library's new Web site at PopeLibraryNH.org.The Conway Public Library rented a 30-by-20-foot tent for six weeks and purchased two metal picnic tables to facilitate outdoor programming in support of their Summer Reading Program. The library also sent off four more reels of microfilm from the North Conway Reporter collection to be digitized so they can now be searchable over the Internet. To search the Reporter collection visit http://conway.advantage-preservation.com With the ARPA funding, the Effingham Public Library is expanding its outdoor space and programming for patrons of all ages to enjoy. The purchases include the following: a new picnic table, benches, and a coffee maker for the weekly Coffee Hour; movie equipment which includes a sound system, a projector and an outdoor screen for children's Movie Nights; and yoga mats for Outdoor Yoga classes. Please visit the library's website for more information at https://effingham.lib.nh.us/.The ARPA grant allowed the Jackson Public Library to create an outdoor event space under a 20x30 tent. In addition to hosting their Summer Reading Program events, the tent will be the location for Sunday evening live music in cooperation with The Friends of Jackson Library. The library will also allow community members to reserve the tent for private events like picnics, continuing education, and meetings. In addition to the tent, the library has purchased a large format laminating machine to expand and maintain their popular story book trails. The librarians in Jackson are deeply grateful for this funding.To learn more about the American Rescue Plan Act, visit https://www.whitehouse.gov/american-rescue-plan/.

Carroll County Independent Community School summer camp receives support from Meredith Village Savings Bank Thanks for visiting SalmonPress.com
Coos County Democrat NHDES Wetlands Bureau urged to reject landfill permit

by Tara Giles

Sports reporter - Coos County Democrat and Berlin Reporter Sports reporter - Coos County Democrat and Berlin Reporter write the author WHITEFIELD  On Wednesday, July 14, the White Mountains Regional High School auditorium was packed, as hundreds appeared for a public hearing with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Wetlands Bureau.



Residents from all across the state, and some from Vermont, spoke in opposition for the proposed 189-acre landfill, slated to be constructed in close proximity to Forest Lake. There were a small number in favor of the landfill; however, during any presentation in opposition, the crowd roared and clapped.



The hearing lasted roughly six hours, and testimony was primarily given by those who feel that 468,000 tons of garbage with roughly 50 percent coming from out of state is unacceptable, especially at the cost of one of New Hampshire's state parks.



During the presentation, Casella engineer Joe Gay stated that studies were done to minimize the impact to the environment and claimed that only 17 acres would be affected next to Douglas Drive. After making that claim, the crowd laughed dismissively.



The next to take the podium was the founder of Save Forest Lake, Jon Swan. He explained his in depth research over the past two plus years studying Casella Waste Systems.



He began, "It should be noted that this company has never built a NEW landfill on green, virgin land. Based on their long and controversial history of acquiring and operating existing landfills, I have come to the conclusion that they and their engineering 'experts' are incapable of successfully developing and safely operating a brand new landfill, particularly at this poorly-sited location, surrounded by wetlands and two very important bodies of water."



Swan went on to note that in the past 19 months, Casella's operations in Bethlehem have been flagged by DES five times, with one serious environmental incident, involving the release of 154,000 gallons of leachate into the surrounding environment, located less than 1000 feet from the Ammonoosuc River. He went on to note that in New York, Casella will pay $750,000 into a settlement fund, and will pay another $900,000 for odor control measures at the landfill located in Ontario County.



State Rep. Edith Tucker stepped up to the microphone next and explained a letter that was written by Dr. Van de Poll, a certified wetland scientist who had submitted two letters commenting on NHDES Wetland Application for the proposed landfill. He characterized the proposed project as "perhaps one of the worst potential environmental disasters in the Granite State in recent memory."



Tucker said, "Van de Poll points out in a footnote that this project would permanently impact seven times more wetlands than the failed Northern Pass proposal and twice as many vernal pools in an area 23 times smaller."



Van de Poll said that the applicant's statement that 'wetlands impacts have been minimized and the disturbance to the well functioning wetland complex, avoided', clearly defies all logic and cannot be taken at face value by NHDES.



Chris Quigley, a WMRHS graduate and resident of Forest Lake, said, "It baffles my mind to think any New Hampshire resident, regardless of where they live, would support an out of state corporation to haul in out of state trash, only to dump it 180 feet from the edge of a state park. New Hampshire doesn't have a landfill capacity crisis for New Hampshire trash, Casella has a capacity problem for out of state trash, which they are trying to fix at NH's expense."



Quigley went on to list the many fines and infractions caused by Casella.



Forest Lake resident Adam Finkel addressed the crowd, stating, "Whatever the outcome of this adjudication, WHEN (not if) both sides litigate your permit decision, the court will be looking for a preponderance of evidence that the decision is "unjust or unreasonable."



Finkel went on to explain why granting this permit would be both unjust and unreasonable. He explained how a state statute requires a "substantial public benefit."



Finkel began, "I offer these comments as an environmental scientist who has been on the faculties of graduate schools of medicine, law, public administration, and public health, and as one of the inventors of modern methods of cost-benefit analysis and quantitative risk assessment. I was the chief rulemaking official at the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the Clinton Administration, and the director of all OSHA enforcement and outreach operations in the Rocky Mountain region under George W. Bush, and have been a member of EPA's Science Advisory Board."



Finkel addressed the panel, "The applicant has estimated that groundwater flows beneath the site at up to 9.5 feet per day. In other words, as little as 20 months to reach the Ammonoosuc, and as little as nine months to reach Forest Lake, in a regime where DES merely requires groundwater monitoring every six months."



He went on to explain a lack of benefits: "It is obvious that there is no capacity 'crisis.' Your own 2019 report makes clear that even if Turnkey closes in 2034, we have 13 years before there is any significant shortfall. And as you know better than anyone, the only reason to project Turnkey (or Carberry) closure is because DES legally can't assume that it will grant a future extension as it has in the past. But we all know these extensions are highly likely. Just listen to Sen. Gray testify about how wonderful the Turnkey facility is, how it receives no complaints from anyone."



Whitefield resident Wayne Morrison included beautiful wildlife photos with his presentation. Morrison echoed Finkel's sentiments and stated that the proposed landfill would provide no benefit to the citizens of New Hampshire and would only suit Casella financially.



Morrison said, "Siting a mega landfill in an environmentally sensitive area, a recreation and tourist destination, with a thriving wildlife ecosystem next to Forest Lake State Park, and the Amoonoosuc River is absolutely as bad an idea as it sounds. All the rationalizations, technology investments and remediation plans that follow cannot overcome the simple fact that this is an inappropriate, in fact a terrible site for a dump. The destruction of wetlands, vernal pools and woodlands would be the first step in an endless series of compromised that would only serve to degrade and ultimately destroy this pristine area." WHITEFIELD  On Wednesday, July 14, the White Mountains Regional High School auditorium was packed, as hundreds appeared for a public hearing with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Wetlands Bureau.Residents from all across the state, and some from Vermont, spoke in opposition for the proposed 189-acre landfill, slated to be constructed in close proximity to Forest Lake. There were a small number in favor of the landfill; however, during any presentation in opposition, the crowd roared and clapped.The hearing lasted roughly six hours, and testimony was primarily given by those who feel that 468,000 tons of garbage with roughly 50 percent coming from out of state is unacceptable, especially at the cost of one of New Hampshire's state parks.During the presentation, Casella engineer Joe Gay stated that studies were done to minimize the impact to the environment and claimed that only 17 acres would be affected next to Douglas Drive. After making that claim, the crowd laughed dismissively.The next to take the podium was the founder of Save Forest Lake, Jon Swan. He explained his in depth research over the past two plus years studying Casella Waste Systems.He began, "It should be noted that this company has never built a NEW landfill on green, virgin land. Based on their long and controversial history of acquiring and operating existing landfills, I have come to the conclusion that they and their engineering 'experts' are incapable of successfully developing and safely operating a brand new landfill, particularly at this poorly-sited location, surrounded by wetlands and two very important bodies of water."Swan went on to note that in the past 19 months, Casella's operations in Bethlehem have been flagged by DES five times, with one serious environmental incident, involving the release of 154,000 gallons of leachate into the surrounding environment, located less than 1000 feet from the Ammonoosuc River. He went on to note that in New York, Casella will pay $750,000 into a settlement fund, and will pay another $900,000 for odor control measures at the landfill located in Ontario County.State Rep. Edith Tucker stepped up to the microphone next and explained a letter that was written by Dr. Van de Poll, a certified wetland scientist who had submitted two letters commenting on NHDES Wetland Application for the proposed landfill. He characterized the proposed project as "perhaps one of the worst potential environmental disasters in the Granite State in recent memory."Tucker said, "Van de Poll points out in a footnote that this project would permanently impact seven times more wetlands than the failed Northern Pass proposal and twice as many vernal pools in an area 23 times smaller."Van de Poll said that the applicant's statement that 'wetlands impacts have been minimized and the disturbance to the well functioning wetland complex, avoided', clearly defies all logic and cannot be taken at face value by NHDES.Chris Quigley, a WMRHS graduate and resident of Forest Lake, said, "It baffles my mind to think any New Hampshire resident, regardless of where they live, would support an out of state corporation to haul in out of state trash, only to dump it 180 feet from the edge of a state park. New Hampshire doesn't have a landfill capacity crisis for New Hampshire trash, Casella has a capacity problem for out of state trash, which they are trying to fix at NH's expense."Quigley went on to list the many fines and infractions caused by Casella.Forest Lake resident Adam Finkel addressed the crowd, stating, "Whatever the outcome of this adjudication, WHEN (not if) both sides litigate your permit decision, the court will be looking for a preponderance of evidence that the decision is "unjust or unreasonable."Finkel went on to explain why granting this permit would be both unjust and unreasonable. He explained how a state statute requires a "substantial public benefit."Finkel began, "I offer these comments as an environmental scientist who has been on the faculties of graduate schools of medicine, law, public administration, and public health, and as one of the inventors of modern methods of cost-benefit analysis and quantitative risk assessment. I was the chief rulemaking official at the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the Clinton Administration, and the director of all OSHA enforcement and outreach operations in the Rocky Mountain region under George W. Bush, and have been a member of EPA's Science Advisory Board."Finkel addressed the panel, "The applicant has estimated that groundwater flows beneath the site at up to 9.5 feet per day. In other words, as little as 20 months to reach the Ammonoosuc, and as little as nine months to reach Forest Lake, in a regime where DES merely requires groundwater monitoring every six months."He went on to explain a lack of benefits: "It is obvious that there is no capacity 'crisis.' Your own 2019 report makes clear that even if Turnkey closes in 2034, we have 13 years before there is any significant shortfall. And as you know better than anyone, the only reason to project Turnkey (or Carberry) closure is because DES legally can't assume that it will grant a future extension as it has in the past. But we all know these extensions are highly likely. Just listen to Sen. Gray testify about how wonderful the Turnkey facility is, how it receives no complaints from anyone."Whitefield resident Wayne Morrison included beautiful wildlife photos with his presentation. Morrison echoed Finkel's sentiments and stated that the proposed landfill would provide no benefit to the citizens of New Hampshire and would only suit Casella financially.Morrison said, "Siting a mega landfill in an environmentally sensitive area, a recreation and tourist destination, with a thriving wildlife ecosystem next to Forest Lake State Park, and the Amoonoosuc River is absolutely as bad an idea as it sounds. All the rationalizations, technology investments and remediation plans that follow cannot overcome the simple fact that this is an inappropriate, in fact a terrible site for a dump. The destruction of wetlands, vernal pools and woodlands would be the first step in an endless series of compromised that would only serve to degrade and ultimately destroy this pristine area."

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Littleton Courier Jere Eames honored at Cannon Mountain

by Angel Larcom

Gov. Chris Sununu and his Executive Council honored Littleton's Jere Eames, who was joined by his family (left to right) Vicki, Carson, Ethan, Jack and Yvonne at last week's Executive Council meeting at Cannon Mountains. (Photo by Angel Larcom) (click for larger version) LITTLETON  Littleton community leader Jeremiah "Jere" Eames received special recognition from Governor Sununu at last week's Executive Council meeting, held in the Peabody Lodge at Cannon Mountain on July 14.



Fellow honorees included retired Proctor Academy Head of School Mike Henriques of Sandwich and Donna Sargent of Ossipee, who dedicated more than 50 years to public service.



"Pretty much everyone in the Littleton area knows Jere, and for one reason or another, he has done an incredible service not only to his country but his community. It's an honor to have someone like this representing our state in many different ways," stated Sununu.



To the crowd's delight, Eames responded, "I've lived in the exact same house that I was born in 78 years ago. For all those that said I would never go anywhere, they were right."



Jokes aside, Eames is proud of that fact. Throughout his life, he's carried on the legacy of public service established by his father. Tragically, Eames lost his father at the age of eight. His family's ability to maintain their home and rebuild their lives despite all odds resonates in today's pandemic-fueled world.



"In those days, when the pillar of the family passed away and a woman became widowed, she would sell the property or remarry. My mother never did. But Littleton has always been good to our family, and we were able to keep the same property that we grew up on," said Eames.



During the Cannon Mountain presentation, Sununu said, "Jere Eames is dedicated to the Town of Littleton, working to preserve its history, encourage growth and enhance community development since his return home from Europe in 1960. He's owned several businesses and properties and has revitalized downtown Littleton.



"Jere is the is president of several companies that have all contributed to the historical preservation of the Main Street buildings while providing local employment, apartment rentals for residents, office spaces and storefront locations for leasing to businesses. His efforts to care for and preserve Littleton's original buildings have maintained Littleton's integrity as the 'Main Street for the North Country' and played a major role in Littleton receiving the National Main Street of America award," added the Governor.



Sununu continued to read the proclamation before presenting it to Eames, whose family was by his side. The civic leader was joined by his wife Yvonne, son Jack, daughter-in-law Vicki and two grandsons Carson and Ethan. His granddaughter Morgan was unable to attend because she is studying abroad in Europe.



In addition to being a business owner, Eames also played an important role in commissioning the Pollyanna of Littleton sculpture and participated in the development of the Littleton Historical Museum, helping to fund and donate special items to preserve the history of Littleton's people, places and artifacts.



Eames also worked with the Littleton Chamber of Commerce to establish a marketing committee for the organization to increase the promotion of member businesses. His list of successes also includes multiple business and professional partnerships over the years. In addition, he lent advice, support and financial assistance when necessary to ensure the ongoing success of the town's growing economy.



"To get that honor was quite a surprise. Whenever anything like that happens, it goes through my mind there are a number of other people who deserve the exact same thing. It always feels like a privilege to be chosen," noted Eames. LITTLETON  Littleton community leader Jeremiah "Jere" Eames received special recognition from Governor Sununu at last week's Executive Council meeting, held in the Peabody Lodge at Cannon Mountain on July 14.Fellow honorees included retired Proctor Academy Head of School Mike Henriques of Sandwich and Donna Sargent of Ossipee, who dedicated more than 50 years to public service."Pretty much everyone in the Littleton area knows Jere, and for one reason or another, he has done an incredible service not only to his country but his community. It's an honor to have someone like this representing our state in many different ways," stated Sununu.To the crowd's delight, Eames responded, "I've lived in the exact same house that I was born in 78 years ago. For all those that said I would never go anywhere, they were right."Jokes aside, Eames is proud of that fact. Throughout his life, he's carried on the legacy of public service established by his father. Tragically, Eames lost his father at the age of eight. His family's ability to maintain their home and rebuild their lives despite all odds resonates in today's pandemic-fueled world."In those days, when the pillar of the family passed away and a woman became widowed, she would sell the property or remarry. My mother never did. But Littleton has always been good to our family, and we were able to keep the same property that we grew up on," said Eames.During the Cannon Mountain presentation, Sununu said, "Jere Eames is dedicated to the Town of Littleton, working to preserve its history, encourage growth and enhance community development since his return home from Europe in 1960. He's owned several businesses and properties and has revitalized downtown Littleton."Jere is the is president of several companies that have all contributed to the historical preservation of the Main Street buildings while providing local employment, apartment rentals for residents, office spaces and storefront locations for leasing to businesses. His efforts to care for and preserve Littleton's original buildings have maintained Littleton's integrity as the 'Main Street for the North Country' and played a major role in Littleton receiving the National Main Street of America award," added the Governor.Sununu continued to read the proclamation before presenting it to Eames, whose family was by his side. The civic leader was joined by his wife Yvonne, son Jack, daughter-in-law Vicki and two grandsons Carson and Ethan. His granddaughter Morgan was unable to attend because she is studying abroad in Europe.In addition to being a business owner, Eames also played an important role in commissioning the Pollyanna of Littleton sculpture and participated in the development of the Littleton Historical Museum, helping to fund and donate special items to preserve the history of Littleton's people, places and artifacts.Eames also worked with the Littleton Chamber of Commerce to establish a marketing committee for the organization to increase the promotion of member businesses. His list of successes also includes multiple business and professional partnerships over the years. In addition, he lent advice, support and financial assistance when necessary to ensure the ongoing success of the town's growing economy."To get that honor was quite a surprise. Whenever anything like that happens, it goes through my mind there are a number of other people who deserve the exact same thing. It always feels like a privilege to be chosen," noted Eames.

Littleton Courier Hibbard wins select board seat in Bethlehem Thanks for visiting SalmonPress.com
Littleton Courier Hibbard wins select board seat in Bethlehem

by Angel Larcom BETHLEHEM  Bethlehem voters chose former Administrative Assistant April Hibbard as the Town's new Selectman and approved a proposed solar array project at the annual Town Meeting on July 13.



COVID concerns earlier this year led the Select Board to delay the Town's deliberative session and annual meeting until the summer months. As a result, voter turnout was much lower than usual, reported poll volunteers.



Despite voter registration numbers surpassing 2,100, less than 450 residents participated in last week's ballot. Key items included Warrant Article Three, 24 and 26, which addressed zoning ordinance language, acceptance of a private roadway and a solar project that could save taxpayers at least $150,000 over the next 25 years.



Hibbard fills the Select Board seat left vacant by outgoing member Mary Moritz. She won the position against opponent Veronica Morris 204 to 180.



Three candidates vied for two open seats on the Bethlehem Planning Board; Alecia Loveless, Peter Roy and Anthony Rodrigues. Loveless took a majority with 274 votes, while Rodrigues secures the second vacancy with a narrow four-vote lead over Roy. All three had previous Planning Board experience.



Chair Andrea Bryant and fellow Zoning Board member Ruth Heintz ran uncontested for their seats. Bryant secured 303 votes, while Heintz received 299.



Write-in candidate John Miller secured 71 votes for Supervisor of the Checklist, as did Rob Constantine, who received 37 votes for Trustee of the Trust Fund. Pamela Hess Newman received 285 votes for Trustee of the Trust Fund.



Carole Hammarberg, Richard Robie Jr. and Christina Clemmo secured Cemetery Trustee positions with 300, 289 and 262 votes. Likewise, Library Trustees Tana LeClair, Sara Plumley and Nora Clark received 266, 269 and 299 votes.



Voters also approved an annual operating budget of $2,855,482, with 276 residents in favor and 127 opposed. The budget amount excluded capital reserve funds for various departments and warrant articles for regional social service agencies.



With a final count of 260 to 146, Warrant Article Two sought and secured voter approval for a zoning ordinance amendment that would allow manufactured homes on individual lots with a special exception. However, the modification still bans such housing from the District One Main Street area and specifies that the units must be placed on a slab or foundation.



Warrant Article Three proposed application language revisions for special exceptions to the town's zoning laws. According to Bryant, the modifications would clarify applicant requests and prevent repetitions during the application process. The article passed 341 to 69.



Bethlehem voters also approved multiple warrant articles to add funds to existing Capital Reserves for the Town's police, fire, ambulance and road departments. Additional Capital Reserve Funds were approved for tech, solid waste disposal, the library and the annual summer concerts.



In a similar vein, all regional social service funding requests met voter approval. A petition warrant article seeking nonpartisan fair redistricting also secured voter approval with a final count of 308 in favor and 92 opposed.



However, a petition warrant article generated by residents of Mountain View Lane and Presidential View Lane failed to secure enough favorable votes from Bethlehem residents. If approved, the Town would have assumed maintenance responsibility for the privately-owned streets at an unidentified cost. Bethlehem voters narrowly denied the request by 35 votes, with a final count of 185 in favor and 220 opposed.



With a 185-vote lead, Bethlehem residents approved a $472,000 appropriation to fund a municipal solar project that would provide electricity to multiple town resources. The Bethlehem Energy Commission successfully secured a $165,000 USDA grant for the array earlier this year. BETHLEHEM  Bethlehem voters chose former Administrative Assistant April Hibbard as the Town's new Selectman and approved a proposed solar array project at the annual Town Meeting on July 13.COVID concerns earlier this year led the Select Board to delay the Town's deliberative session and annual meeting until the summer months. As a result, voter turnout was much lower than usual, reported poll volunteers.Despite voter registration numbers surpassing 2,100, less than 450 residents participated in last week's ballot. Key items included Warrant Article Three, 24 and 26, which addressed zoning ordinance language, acceptance of a private roadway and a solar project that could save taxpayers at least $150,000 over the next 25 years.Hibbard fills the Select Board seat left vacant by outgoing member Mary Moritz. She won the position against opponent Veronica Morris 204 to 180.Three candidates vied for two open seats on the Bethlehem Planning Board; Alecia Loveless, Peter Roy and Anthony Rodrigues. Loveless took a majority with 274 votes, while Rodrigues secures the second vacancy with a narrow four-vote lead over Roy. All three had previous Planning Board experience.Chair Andrea Bryant and fellow Zoning Board member Ruth Heintz ran uncontested for their seats. Bryant secured 303 votes, while Heintz received 299.Write-in candidate John Miller secured 71 votes for Supervisor of the Checklist, as did Rob Constantine, who received 37 votes for Trustee of the Trust Fund. Pamela Hess Newman received 285 votes for Trustee of the Trust Fund.Carole Hammarberg, Richard Robie Jr. and Christina Clemmo secured Cemetery Trustee positions with 300, 289 and 262 votes. Likewise, Library Trustees Tana LeClair, Sara Plumley and Nora Clark received 266, 269 and 299 votes.Voters also approved an annual operating budget of $2,855,482, with 276 residents in favor and 127 opposed. The budget amount excluded capital reserve funds for various departments and warrant articles for regional social service agencies.With a final count of 260 to 146, Warrant Article Two sought and secured voter approval for a zoning ordinance amendment that would allow manufactured homes on individual lots with a special exception. However, the modification still bans such housing from the District One Main Street area and specifies that the units must be placed on a slab or foundation.Warrant Article Three proposed application language revisions for special exceptions to the town's zoning laws. According to Bryant, the modifications would clarify applicant requests and prevent repetitions during the application process. The article passed 341 to 69.Bethlehem voters also approved multiple warrant articles to add funds to existing Capital Reserves for the Town's police, fire, ambulance and road departments. Additional Capital Reserve Funds were approved for tech, solid waste disposal, the library and the annual summer concerts.In a similar vein, all regional social service funding requests met voter approval. A petition warrant article seeking nonpartisan fair redistricting also secured voter approval with a final count of 308 in favor and 92 opposed.However, a petition warrant article generated by residents of Mountain View Lane and Presidential View Lane failed to secure enough favorable votes from Bethlehem residents. If approved, the Town would have assumed maintenance responsibility for the privately-owned streets at an unidentified cost. Bethlehem voters narrowly denied the request by 35 votes, with a final count of 185 in favor and 220 opposed.With a 185-vote lead, Bethlehem residents approved a $472,000 appropriation to fund a municipal solar project that would provide electricity to multiple town resources. The Bethlehem Energy Commission successfully secured a $165,000 USDA grant for the array earlier this year.

Littleton Courier Jere Eames honored at Cannon Mountain Thanks for visiting SalmonPress.com
Littleton Courier Littleton High School announces new Assistant Principal

by Angel Larcom LITTLETON  On July 12, the Littleton School Board announced Vanessa Sandvil as the new Assistant Principal for both Littleton High School and the Daisey Bronson Middle School. Sandvil has been a science teacher at the school for the last eleven years and said her experience brings fresh insight to the role.



"Our community is close-knit, and our small school presents both opportunities and challenges. It also offers a unique opportunity for teachers to give back in other roles that they might not have the opportunity to do with bigger schools. I've had the privilege to help out and support our community over the years," noted Sandvil.



The new administrator continued, "I didn't have the desire to leave the classroom thoroughly and I wasn't tired of teaching. It was more of a desire to support my community differently."



During her tenure as a Littleton educator, Sandvil was a Teacher Leader. She guided professional development, mentored other educators and assisted with technology training. She said she looked forward to supporting her peers from an administrative role.



"I'm excited to have the opportunity to be in this role and implement some of the things that the teachers that I have worked with, cared about and supported over the years. When your friends, peers and colleagues talk to you, you can help support them as a friend and as a peer. But when you're given the authority to support them tangibly and implement changes, it becomes very exciting. It's an important thing for me," stated Sandvil.



The new administrator said regaining normalcy would be the biggest challenge the school community faced next year. While she acknowledged that everyone wanted to return to traditional classroom routines, she said it would require discipline to return to full-time learning after more than a year and a half of fluctuating schedules.



"We have two brand new administrators in the building. Newness or change is always a challenge for adults, but it can become even more so for the students. So putting routines in place and getting back that sense of normalcy is going to be critical," said the Assistant Principal.



Sandvil also noted the importance of administrators staying in direct contact with the students.



She said, "We have to make a great effort as administrators to schedule time with kids so that we don't lose touch with why we are in education and what it's all about. The kids are our focus." LITTLETON  On July 12, the Littleton School Board announced Vanessa Sandvil as the new Assistant Principal for both Littleton High School and the Daisey Bronson Middle School. Sandvil has been a science teacher at the school for the last eleven years and said her experience brings fresh insight to the role."Our community is close-knit, and our small school presents both opportunities and challenges. It also offers a unique opportunity for teachers to give back in other roles that they might not have the opportunity to do with bigger schools. I've had the privilege to help out and support our community over the years," noted Sandvil.The new administrator continued, "I didn't have the desire to leave the classroom thoroughly and I wasn't tired of teaching. It was more of a desire to support my community differently."During her tenure as a Littleton educator, Sandvil was a Teacher Leader. She guided professional development, mentored other educators and assisted with technology training. She said she looked forward to supporting her peers from an administrative role."I'm excited to have the opportunity to be in this role and implement some of the things that the teachers that I have worked with, cared about and supported over the years. When your friends, peers and colleagues talk to you, you can help support them as a friend and as a peer. But when you're given the authority to support them tangibly and implement changes, it becomes very exciting. It's an important thing for me," stated Sandvil.The new administrator said regaining normalcy would be the biggest challenge the school community faced next year. While she acknowledged that everyone wanted to return to traditional classroom routines, she said it would require discipline to return to full-time learning after more than a year and a half of fluctuating schedules."We have two brand new administrators in the building. Newness or change is always a challenge for adults, but it can become even more so for the students. So putting routines in place and getting back that sense of normalcy is going to be critical," said the Assistant Principal.Sandvil also noted the importance of administrators staying in direct contact with the students.She said, "We have to make a great effort as administrators to schedule time with kids so that we don't lose touch with why we are in education and what it's all about. The kids are our focus."

Littleton Courier Jere Eames honored at Cannon Mountain Hibbard wins select board seat in Bethlehem Thanks for visiting SalmonPress.com
Meredith News Rafting for Wishes returns this weekend

by Erin Plummer

After two years, Rafting for Wishes will return to Meredith Bay this weekend. (File Photo) (click for larger version) MEREDITH  The rafts will be back in Meredith Bay and the party will be back in Hesky Park this weekend when the 11th annual Rafting for Wishes returns as an in-person and remote event.



The fundraising event for Make-A-Wish New Hampshire will kick-off with opening ceremonies on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Teams will then board rafts in Meredith Bay and have a representative on the raft for 24 hours. Participants will also have the option of participating remotely in a location of their choosing for 10 hours.



Each team will raise money for Make-A-Wish New Hampshire, which provides special wishes to children facing life threatening illnesses. As of press time around $179,064 was raised of the $250,000 goal.



Last year's event went entirely virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic and teams took to pools, boats on a lake, or even tents in their living room among other places.



The event will kick off on Friday at 5:30 p.m. with opening ceremonies in Hesky Park leading to team members boarding the rafts.



Center of Gravity will perform live in Hesky Park from 6:30-8:30 p.m.



Fireworks will go off Meredith Bay at 9 p.m. with fireworks provided by Atlas Pyrovision. A movie will play in the park at 9:30 p.m. with participants voting for the movie.



Lights will go out at 11 p.m. when team members will spend the night on the rafts. The festivities will restart Saturday at 6:30 a.m. with breakfast for participants.



The virtual rafting event will kick off at 8 a.m.



Studio 151 Fitness and the Fitness Edge will lead Yoga and Fitness in the Park from 8:30-10:30 a.m. Kid's activities will run from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. with tie-dyeing, face painting, and more family fun activities.



Live music will return with Dumka and some special guests from 12-2 p.m. Paul Warnick will perform from 2-4 p.m.



Closing ceremonies will run from 5:30-6:30 p.m. with food, awards, and a celebration.



For more information on this year's Rafting for Wishes and to donate visit https://friends.nh.wish.org/campaign/2021-rafting-for-wishes/c296701 or email Nikki Lyons Lahey from Make-A-Wish at nlahey@nh.wish.org. MEREDITH  The rafts will be back in Meredith Bay and the party will be back in Hesky Park this weekend when the 11th annual Rafting for Wishes returns as an in-person and remote event.The fundraising event for Make-A-Wish New Hampshire will kick-off with opening ceremonies on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Teams will then board rafts in Meredith Bay and have a representative on the raft for 24 hours. Participants will also have the option of participating remotely in a location of their choosing for 10 hours.Each team will raise money for Make-A-Wish New Hampshire, which provides special wishes to children facing life threatening illnesses. As of press time around $179,064 was raised of the $250,000 goal.Last year's event went entirely virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic and teams took to pools, boats on a lake, or even tents in their living room among other places.The event will kick off on Friday at 5:30 p.m. with opening ceremonies in Hesky Park leading to team members boarding the rafts.Center of Gravity will perform live in Hesky Park from 6:30-8:30 p.m.Fireworks will go off Meredith Bay at 9 p.m. with fireworks provided by Atlas Pyrovision. A movie will play in the park at 9:30 p.m. with participants voting for the movie.Lights will go out at 11 p.m. when team members will spend the night on the rafts. The festivities will restart Saturday at 6:30 a.m. with breakfast for participants.The virtual rafting event will kick off at 8 a.m.Studio 151 Fitness and the Fitness Edge will lead Yoga and Fitness in the Park from 8:30-10:30 a.m. Kid's activities will run from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. with tie-dyeing, face painting, and more family fun activities.Live music will return with Dumka and some special guests from 12-2 p.m. Paul Warnick will perform from 2-4 p.m.Closing ceremonies will run from 5:30-6:30 p.m. with food, awards, and a celebration.For more information on this year's Rafting for Wishes and to donate visit https://friends.nh.wish.org/campaign/2021-rafting-for-wishes/c296701 or email Nikki Lyons Lahey from Make-A-Wish at nlahey@nh.wish.org.

Meredith News Expanded Meredith Library now open Thanks for visiting SalmonPress.com
Plymouth Record Enterprise Retirees from PACC board honored

PLYMOUTH  The Plymouth Area Community Closet (PACC) board of directors gathered recently at the Italian Farmhouse to celebrate and honor four women who have recently retired from the board. Together, these ladies provided over a century of dedication, caring, and hard work to the organization and those it serves.



Honored and celebrated for their service and devotion to PACC's work were Rev. Margaret Bickford of Rumney, Patsy Kendall of Plymouth, Enid Reed of Hebron, and Kathy Lennox of Plymouth. Over their tenures all have served as officers, program managers, and always as hard working volunteers for PACC's programs and projects. Each was honored with a plaque expressing the gratitude of the PACC board for their contributions, caring, and sacrifices for those less fortunate and in need.



Board members present at the commemoration recounted experiences and anecdotes about the relationships they formed with the honorees, and the contributions of service each of these remarkable ladies provided to PACC, its communities and the many families and individuals served by the agency.



PACC is a non-profit charity established in 1951 to provide essential social services to people in need in Plymouth and fourteen other area towns. It provides a Food Pantry, a financial assistance office, and heating fuel assistance funded through the annual Keep the Heat On dinner fundraiser. In addition, PACC has long organized an annual Holiday Food Baskets event, and PACC's board hopes soon to resume its weekly dinner open to all, Meals for Many, that was suspended due to COVID.



PACC's board welcomes those who might be interested in serving on the board to submit their information to PACC, P.O. Box 434, Plymouth, NH 03264. Charitable donations to support its work are also most welcome. Cash donations can be sent to the same address. And, through the great generosity of Boomerang Used Furniture and Funky Stuff, by asking that goods brought to them for sale be "for the benefit of Plymouth Area Community Closet." PLYMOUTH  The Plymouth Area Community Closet (PACC) board of directors gathered recently at the Italian Farmhouse to celebrate and honor four women who have recently retired from the board. Together, these ladies provided over a century of dedication, caring, and hard work to the organization and those it serves.Honored and celebrated for their service and devotion to PACC's work were Rev. Margaret Bickford of Rumney, Patsy Kendall of Plymouth, Enid Reed of Hebron, and Kathy Lennox of Plymouth. Over their tenures all have served as officers, program managers, and always as hard working volunteers for PACC's programs and projects. Each was honored with a plaque expressing the gratitude of the PACC board for their contributions, caring, and sacrifices for those less fortunate and in need.Board members present at the commemoration recounted experiences and anecdotes about the relationships they formed with the honorees, and the contributions of service each of these remarkable ladies provided to PACC, its communities and the many families and individuals served by the agency.PACC is a non-profit charity established in 1951 to provide essential social services to people in need in Plymouth and fourteen other area towns. It provides a Food Pantry, a financial assistance office, and heating fuel assistance funded through the annual Keep the Heat On dinner fundraiser. In addition, PACC has long organized an annual Holiday Food Baskets event, and PACC's board hopes soon to resume its weekly dinner open to all, Meals for Many, that was suspended due to COVID.PACC's board welcomes those who might be interested in serving on the board to submit their information to PACC, P.O. Box 434, Plymouth, NH 03264. Charitable donations to support its work are also most welcome. Cash donations can be sent to the same address. And, through the great generosity of Boomerang Used Furniture and Funky Stuff, by asking that goods brought to them for sale be "for the benefit of Plymouth Area Community Closet."

Plymouth Record Enterprise Dancing Under the Stars event supports Voices Against Violence Thanks for visiting SalmonPress.com


The next stage in the exploration for gas and oil in the Muzarabani area is imminent with 20 very large trucks coming through Beitbridge over the next few days carrying the state-of-art equipment to be used by Australian firm Invictus Energy in a seismic survey to identify the best sites for sinking exploration wells.

Australia Stock Exchange-listed Invictus Energy, parent firm of Geo-Associates that holds the Muzarabani grant, has registered significant progress in trying to establish if there are commercially viable reserves of oil and gas in Zimbabwes Cabora Bassa Basin, the geological formation underlying the Muzarabani area.

French oil giant Mobil in the early 1990s did initial seismic surveys, but decided not to follow up. However, Invictus using more modern data processing techniques, reprocessed the data gathered and found strong evidence that the underlying geological structures had the domes and traps that could indicate oil and gas in Muzarabani.

Exploratory wells are required to see if those domes and traps have indeed trapped the organic matter that decomposes to gas and oil, but before that stage it is necessary to map the underlying geology more precisely, and that is what Invictus is now going to do.

Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando said yesterday the equipment should be at the site in the next 10 days.

Seismic equipment offloaded from the ship in Durban today. It is expected at Beitbridge border in the next three to four days en route to a workshop in Harare for service checks for a week or so before proceeding to Muzarabani, said Minister Chitando.

Writing on micro-blogging site, Twitter, the Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet (Presidential Communications), Mr George Charamba, also said the successful delivery of the equipment to be used in the companys seismic survey, followed the approval by President Mnangagwa of the firms Petroleum Exploration Development and Production Agreement (PEDPA).

The PEDPA provides the framework for progression of the Muzarabani project through the exploration, appraisal, development and production phases and obligations and rights of each party over the project lifecycle. The Australian firms needed this spelt out precisely before they could commit the large sums required for the next stages of the exploration.

Over 20 by 30-tonne low-bed trucks will roll into Zimbabwe in the next few days taking the equipment straight into a workshop for service checks before commencing the survey.

The Zimbabwean industrial landscape will never be the same. The US$12 billion mining economy (target by 2023) is within reach, Mr Charamba tweeted.

As part of the building blocks for Vision 2030, by which Zimbabwe should have attained upper middle income economy status, the Government is working on growing mineral exports from US$3,7 billion to US$12 billion a year although much of any natural gas and quite a bit of any petroleum discovered in Muzarabani is more likely to be used within Zimbabwe to fuel a major power station, provide feedstock raw materials for fertiliser and other chemical industries and allow a modern refinery to be built for liquid fuels and other petroleum-based raw materials.

Brick by brick as promised by President Mnangagwa, we are building Zimbabwe turning the fortunes of the Great Plateau between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers for the better, Mr Charamba said.

Invictus Energy awarded Canadian firm Polaris Natural Resources the contract to undertake seismic survey, a way of mapping geology through sub-surface vibrations.

Polaris intends to conduct, process, and interpret a minimum of 400 kilometres of seismic lines to define the best site for the first well, Mzarabani-1, as well as possible sites for future tests or production wells.

Invictus Energy said recently that the Canadian firm had conducted over 1 000 seismic projects since 1996 and introduced the first low impact seismic crew into Africa in 2008.

Polaris has conducted over 15 seismic surveys in East Africa and has been well accepted in all the communities where it has operated, which was a plus when getting the contract to work in Zimbabwe.

The Australian company will use the data gathered from the seismic survey to pinpoint sites on which oil and gas test wells will be drilled. As the wells could be as much as 4km deep and cost up to US$15 million each, Invictus is keen to ensure that the first well is sunk in the best possible location.

President Mnangagwa said the PEDPA agreement would provide a pathway for Zimbabwe to exploit its hydro carbons while commercial discovery of oil and gas could bring significant downstream economic benefits.

Benefits expected to accrue include energy self-sufficiency, petro-chemicals, increased revenue to the fiscus, growth of exports, new job creation and the emergency of a multiplicity of downstream industries among others. Herald
Former Deputy Mayor of the City of Bulawayo and Ward 3 Councillor Tinashe Kambarami has approached the High Court seeking a declaratur to be reinstated to his former position.

Kambaramis election as councillor was nullified by High Court Judge Thompson Mabhikwa and the former, through his legal representatives from Samp Mlaudzi and Partners, appealed to the Supreme Court which in turn reinstated him.

However, Kambarambi was recalled from council by the MDC-T party. In his application and through the same lawyers, Kambarami cited the City of Bulawayo, MDC-T, Minister of Local Governance and Public Works, President of Zimbabwe and ZEC as respondents.

He argued that his recall by MDC-T be declared null and void as he was not serving in the council at the time.

The Application for a declaratur is made on the grounds that the letter written by MDC-T be declared null and void in as far as it relates to the Applicant (Kambarami), as he was not serving as a Councillor during that time. He therefore could not be recalled, read the application.

Further and alternatively, the decision of the MDC-T to expel or arrive at the determination that Applicant is no longer a member of the Bulawayo City Council to be declared unlawful is set aside, consequently, the letter written by the 2ndRespondent to the 3rd respondent is declared null and void.

The application further appealed for a declaration that there be no electoral vacancy for councillor, ward 3, Bulawayo, and the notice to that effect written to ZEC in terms of section 121 of the Electoral Act be declared null and void.

The President and or his officials, functionaries, employees, agents or assignees be and are hereby permanently interdicted proclaiming a date for the holding of a by-election in ward 3 Bulawayo in terms of section 39 of the Electoral Act [Chapter 2:13], the Application stated

Consequently, there being no lawful encumbrance to the resumption of Applicants duties, the 1st Respondent shall immediately admit the Applicant to Council pursuant to his reinstatement by operation of the law following the judgment in case number SC 66/21 on 27 May 2021. Cite.org.zw
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in Chikombedzi, Chiredzi have arrested a man for allegedly stealing 12 cattle.

The suspect, Ivin Francisco (23) was caught by two complainants on July 18 who intercepted him at around 2am while driving a herd of the 12 stolen cattle.

The stolen cattle consisted of seven cows, one bull and four oxen and all were recovered. National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrest:

Police in Chikombedzi have arrested Ivin Francisco, a male adult aged 23, for stock theft. The suspect was caught by two complainants on 18 July 2021, at around 2am while driving a herd of 12 cattle comprising seven cows, one bull and four oxen, he said.

In April this year, a 28-year-old woman and her male accomplice were arrested on allegations of stealing two cattle from a farm in Mvurwi.

Sharon Matambo (28) and her accomplice Tapiwa Nyakatsaka (26) were arrested while trying to sell the cattle in Chiweshe. Police have since launched a manhunt for a third suspected accomplice, Amos Zhakata, who is still on the run.

Investigations revealed that the three went to Rondere Farm in Mvurwi where they allegedly stole the two beasts which they then transported to Chiweshe communal area.

Their luck ran out when they were arrested while selling the cattle in Chiweshe. National police spokesman Asst Comm Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrests:

The ZRP confirms the arrest of Tapiwa Nyakatsaka aged 26 and Sharon Matambo aged 28 in connection with a case of stock theft which occurred at Rondere Farm, Mvurwi on March 31.

The suspects, together with Amos Zhakata, who is on the run, stole two beasts from a kraal and went to Chiweshe before they were arrested whilst selling the cattle. Investigations are in progress. Herald


AT least 36 Zimbabweans, who stayed behind in the United Kingdom, raised fears of persecution by President Emmerson Mnangagwas government, citing human rights violations in Zimbabwe.

Only 14 out of a possible 50 people touched down at the Robert Mugabe International Airport in Harare.

They were immediately whisked away by Zimbabwe United Passenger Company buses, accompanied by police, who maintained a heavy presence at the airport alongside other State security agents.

The media was denied access to the deportees. Information secretary Ndavaningi Mangwana said the 14 were taken to ZIPAM, where they will be in isolation for 10 days before meeting their families.

Those who had gathered to welcome their relatives were not afforded the opportunity.Fourteen Zimbabweans arrived today, Mangwana said.

They have been taken to ZIPAM, where they will have COVID-19 tests and be quarantined for 10 days. After being cleared for COVID-19, they will join their families and communities.

Mangwana said the safety of the deportees was guaranteed, despite the national broadcaster yesterday stigmatising them as criminals who have come back home with nothing, gushing: We welcome these fellow citizens home. They will be safe and the same opportunities availed to everyone else will be available to them.

But reports from the UK suggested that there were growing fears over the safety of the deportees. Most of them claimed they fled Zimbabwe due to human rights violations and were likely to be tracked down and persecuted.

Besides the fear of human rights violations, others failed to travel after they were in contact with COVID-19 positive colleagues. There was an outbreak of the deadly virus at the Brook House near Gatwick Airport in London.

Other UK reports suggested that 75 parliamentarians signed a letter by the all-party parliamentary group on Zimbabwe, raising concerns about what they said was a deteriorating political and human rights situation in Zimbabwe.

Hours before the flight was due to take off, two detainees due to board it threw themselves from a second-floor, landing at Colnbrook immigration removal centre onto netting below. They are believed to have been unharmed and were not removed, reports said.

However, an emergency out of hours High Court challenge by Duncan Lewis solicitors to halt the whole flight did not succeed.

Bella Sankey, director of the charity Detention Action, said: The High Courts landmark intervention rightly recognises the real risk of appalling human rights violations when the Home Office allows the Zimbabwean government to question those it seeks to expel.

But how horrifying that others subjected to the same practice may have been loaded onto the plane, unable to hear about this judgment or use the precedent to prevent their own removal.

According to British media, the deportation comes after the British government reportedly struck a secret deal with the Zanu PF regime last month to extradite hundreds of Zimbabwean asylum-seekers. Although the identities of the people were not made known, the British media claimed most of them could be human rights activists who fled political persecution from the country.

Rosie Huzzard of Walls Must Fall told The Morning Star: It appears that Priti Patel and her Home Office ministers are happy to strike deals with oppressive governments such as Zimbabwe to put the lives of people with well-established lives in the UK at serious risk, just to make a bit of a splash in the news. Deporting 150 black Zimbabweans, many of whom were trade unionists and democracy campaigners  which is why they fled in the first place  is systemic racism. She is leading it.

But a Home Office spokesperson said: Foreign criminals who abuse our hospitality should be in no doubt of our determination to deport them. Any foreign national who is convicted of a crime and given a prison sentence is considered for deportation at the earliest opportunity. Newsday
THE United Kingdom has imposed an asset freeze and travel ban on Sakunda Holdings proprietor and Zanu PF benefactor Kudakwashe Regimond Tagwirei.

Tagwirei, President Emmerson Mnangagwas ally, was named among four others when UK Foreign secretary Dominic Raab announced further sanctions on individuals under Britains Global Anti-Corruption sanctions regime.

The sanctions target cases of serious corruption which have deprived developing countries of vital resources. The measures will also apply to any companies owned or controlled by Tagwirei.

The UK has described Tagwireis profile stating: Both Sakunda and Tagwirei, as its CEO and owner, profited significantly from the misappropriation of property at the expense of wider macroeconomic stability in Zimbabwe, in one of the most serious incidences of corruption under the current government.

Raab accused Tagwirei of driving corruption in the country, resulting in microeconomic instability.

According to the British government, Tagwirei profited significantly from the misappropriation of property at the expense of wider macroeconomic stability in Zimbabwe, in one of the most serious incidences of corruption under the current government.

His company, Sakunda Holdings, redeemed government of Zimbabwe Treasury Bills at up to 10 times their official value. His actions accelerated the deflation of Zimbabwes currency, increasing the price of essentials, such as food, for Zimbabwean citizens, it said.

Tagwirei was also placed on United States sanctions, accused of corruption and abetting authoritarianism in Zimbabwe. For years, he dominated the fuel industry before he moved to mining.

The action we have taken today targets individuals who have lined their own pockets at the expense of their citizens, Raab said.

The UK is committed to fighting the blight of corruption and holding those responsible for its corrosive effect to account.

Corruption drains the wealth of poorer nations, keeps their people trapped in poverty and poisons the well of democracy.

Tagwirei is one of five people on the second UK Global Anti-Corruption sanctions list.

Others targeted are Alex Nain Saab Moran and Alvaro Enrique Pulido Vargas of Venezuela, Equatorial Guinea vice-president Teodoro Obiang Mangue, Iraqs Nineveh province governor Nawfal Hammadi Al-Sultan.

He said the sanctions would ensure the targeted individuals would no longer be able to channel their money through UK banks or enter the country.

The UK sanctions on Tagwirei: The UK will impose asset freezes and travel bans against these individuals to ensure they will no longer be able to channel their money through UK banks or enter the country.

Yesterday, the US welcomed the UKs decision to slap the five corrupt individuals with sanctions.

In a joint statement, Treasury secretary Janet Yellen and Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: We commend the UKs actions today against four corrupt individuals already designated by the US and a fifth whose US-based assets purchased with corrupt proceeds were successfully forfeited in US courts.

They added: Corruption has a corrosive effect on society: it undermines democratic institutions, hinders economic development, drains the wealth of nations, and keeps people in poverty. The US is committed to working with, and supporting, our partners and allies in the fight against corruption. Todays action by the United Kingdom is an important step in this effort.

They said the US woulwd continue working with the UK and other like-minded allies and partners to impose tangible and significant consequences on those who engage in corruption, as well as to protect the global financial system.

The UKs action came just 49 days after US President Joe Biden, issued a directive targeting corruption globally.

Biden, last month, took Presidential Action and issued a Memorandum on Establishing the Fight against Corruption as a Core United States National Security Interest making tackling corruption a national security imperative.

Biden said: I establish countering corruption as a core United States national security interest  prevent and combat corruption at home and abroad; and make it increasingly difficult for corrupt actors to shield their activities.

The action will lead international efforts to bring transparency to the global financial system and close loopholes that undermine democracy. Newsday
The Universal Mask Wearing policy will be implemented in part because just an estimated 18% of eligible APS students have been fully vaccinated and those under 12 are not yet eligible, said this district, citing the Fulton County Board of Health.
Because Briar had been on the journey with Patricia and others trying to adapt the novel, she had sort of seen how important it was to Patricia and ... Patricia had said to Briar, she just wanted it to be made before she died, Gardiner, known for producing Taika Waititi films like Boy and Eagle vs Shark, told The News. So, she was absolutely over the moon for it to be made.
The movie spawned two more films. More criticism, too, as people carped about slow-moving plots and awkward performances. Some fans wondered if it were because Lucas had gotten divorced from his wife, Marcia, who had been in the editing room for the original films.
We think that their efforts so far have been really minimal and one-off and have not gotten at the true nature of a healing-centered school, which is that its led by students, families and staff, said Katrina Feldkamp, a Bronx Legal Services lawyer and task force member.
Traffickers have always found new and innovative methods of smuggling drugs into the United States. In this case, they allegedly concealed cocaine into hollowed-out furniture. This nearly three-year investigation has dismantled an international drug trafficking organization that allegedly has been shipping thousands of kilograms of cocaine, ultimately destined for our communities, said DEA Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan.
In a statement, Lee Cochran, a spokeswoman for the museum, said, The film looks at the museum through a very specific ideological lens which we do not share. We made clear to the filmmakers that we were disappointed by many of their decisions, which we think are disrespectful toward victims and their families.
No, its not my fault. Its the kids fault. I tried to brake fast, he said in Spanish, talking to another man. And its the parents fault because they werent paying attention to their son. He just came out of nowhere, and you cant really do anything.
The two men started arguing, and the Chevrolet driver got out of his SUV, walked to the Altima and punched Richardson in the face, cops said. Richardson, who was armed, pulled out a gun and shot the other driver in the belly, police said.
Someone just ran their car into #FireCuervo protesters right outside of NYPDs 6th precinct, wrote Twitter user @AshAgony, who posted the video. NYPD came & ripped a protesters bike out of the cars way before the car went through & hit protesters as it sped off. Protesters ran after the car & then cops ran after them & the car.
Bellamy, who lived in the Frederick Douglass Houses on the Upper West Side according to cops, was found sprawled out on the sidewalk near an outside dining area on First Ave. by E. 6th St. about 5:45 a.m. July 14, cops said.
The owner of the truck reported its theft to the Fresno County Sheriffs Office Wednesday morning and told them that he had located it through the onboard GPS tracker.
During his five-day trial, which kicked off last week, Dilan claimed he never touched 34-year-old Nicholson and that he just entered the house and took items he was instructed to take, according to the Fort Myers News-Press. He said he had no knowledge of the nefarious plot and showed up at the residence because he believed he was helping an acquaintance move.
Police have not yet established a motive and, at the time of the release, had not made it clear whether a suspect had been located, according to the Arizona Republic.
Detrick, 70, was cited in May after he was caught doing his business in the middle of the night in front of the home in Greenville, about 40 miles northwest of Dayton, belonging to Matthew Guyette, 59, and his husband, according to the outlet.
Tarrant city council members do not run on political party tickets. The Alabama Democratic Party has openly called for Bryant to resign, comparing him to the states infamous segregationist governor George Wallace. The Alabama Republican Party said, The comments made at the Tarrant city council meeting have no place in government leadership, and if they reflect the opinion of Tommy Bryant he should immediately step down, the Washington Post reported.
The cops were already investigating Cedeno, suspecting that he was distributing considerable amounts of cocaine in central Maine, according to the post. They got a tip that hed be in the area and riding in an Audi owned and driven by Cochran.
Police said the teen saw the older man approaching his car, and an argument followed. The victim then drove to the teen, exited his vehicle, only for the suspect to shoot at the victim and strike him, according to the release.
In fairness to the live TV morning crew at Fox & Friends, Foxs online version of the story makes clear that what Mele most likely meant to say was that the impressive single-engine stealth fighter could fly at a speed of 1.8-2 times the speed of sound.
The kids father found their bodies that evening and called for help, but both victims were pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. Authorities said the man, Christopher Fox, has been cooperative with the investigation, noting that there were no immediate signs he had any involvement in the murders.
I want to thank every Amazon employee and every Amazon customer because you guys paid for all of this, Bezos said while beaming at the postflight press conference. Seriously, for every Amazon customer out there and every Amazon employee, thank you from the bottom of my heart very much. Its very appreciated.
In one of the cases, Avenatti allegedly collected a $4 million lump-sum settlement from Los Angeles County on behalf of a client who was injured in jail and left paraplegic. Prosecutors claim Avenatti lied to the client about the hefty payout and only paid him a pittance.
She was previously arrested on Jan. 14, 2020, when New Orleans police accused her of shooting a male friend in the abdomen during an argument near a store she operated on Royal St. in the French Quarter, NOLA.com previously reported.
The incident occurred Sunday in Amaga, a town in northern Colombia, when Yecenia Morales, 25, was waiting for her chance to leap from a viaduct. She misheard the instructor who had told her boyfriend to jump and stepped off the platform before her bungee cord was attached and plummeted 150 feet.
Rates of shootings have climbed markedly year-over-year in New York City, according to NYPD data, but the figures have headed in a more positive direction in recent weeks. Through Sunday, the tally of shootings over the previous 28 days had slipped by more than a third compared to the previous period, according to the Police Department. (Year-over-year, the rate was up by about 22%.)
Expanding and recognizing rights is part of our identity and political goals. We are not going to get tired of saying it and making it a reality, she added.
In a separate statement, FlyDubai said one of its Boeing 737-800s was heading to Kyrgyzstan when it was involved in a minor incident that damaged a wingtip on one of the jets. The carrier said all passengers were placed in another flight about six hours later.
But efforts to advance equity and those to maintain public safety are not only compatible; they are integral to one another. New York can never be the nations fairest big city if fear of crime paralyzes our communities. Our subways must be safe to ride and connect New Yorkers to quality, high opportunity neighborhoods. Our schools must not only break the school-to-prison pipeline, but put students on pathways to college and careers. A safe city is nothing without providing all residents with access to opportunity.
For perspective, consider the national conversation going on about towns, streams, mountains, lakes and other locations whose names are offensive slurs. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has introduced a bill to rename such places, of which there are well more than 1,000. According to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, a federal panel within the Interior Department, there are dozens of places around the country with ugly monikers. Surely we can agree that Chinaman Bluff in Wisconsin needs a new name  along with the 28 other places around the country with the same slur  and that the five states that have a Dago Creek should get new titles.
Alex Khadavi is a very well respected business man and was an invited guest of the real estate reception in which he attended with his contractor, who is Jewish, and his interior decorator, who is gay, Khadavis rep said. A restraining order has not been served.
Dre, whose full name is Andre Young, also must continue to cover expenses for the ex-couples Malibu and Pacific Palisades homes as well as Nicoles health insurance, the judge said.
Only Georges grandfather, Prince Charles, and dad, Prince William, are ahead of the 8-year-old in line to the throne.
Many Central Florida hotels reopened last summer, and since the rollout of the vaccines, have seen an increase in business and held job fairs for new hires. Hotel and timeshare chains such as Westgate have said they have rehired most of their former employees.
The public health crisis has turned largely into a plight of the unvaccinated as the spread of the delta variant has led to a surge in infections around the country, President Biden said Wednesday night at a televised town hall in Cincinnati.
Vidal arrived from Havana at 17. He left on a tourist visa to the Dominican Republic and then came to the United States where, at 49, he lives with his wife and has built a family.
Pina is the widow of Rev. Hugo Luis Pina, the first Bishop of Honduras. Born in Camaguey, Cuba, on Nov. 3, 1938, he was ordained a deacon and priest in 1964. He left Cuba in 1969 and after a short stint in Madrid, he settled in Miami where he became assistant at St. Thomas Church. He also was rector of the Church of St. Simon, Miami.
The attorney general was recently on a trip with Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson Saturday to visit the southern border of Texas. The trip was in response to a call for help in June made by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey and Texas Governor Greg Abbot, who both said their states face a crisis of low resources and personnel necessary to defend the border.
By day hes a real hero, an award winning, life saving cop, and by night hes a national touring, kick ass, joke slaying, non stop laughter, action packed, and high energy comedian that will leave you wanting more of his cop stories, relationships struggles, and issues with being over weight, his website says. Hes super hilarious and like no other comedian and cop youve ever seen.
The two began the string of crimes by robbing people on the sidewalk in the International Drive and Americana Boulevard area, then began targeting the Millenia area around May and June, Massicotte said  though investigators believe the same suspects have been responsible for older cases, including some in January and February.
But union leaders said the cost of living has increased in the region and teachers need salary hikes that can help them keep up. The districts offer amounts to a 0.4% raise for a top-rated teacher earning the minimum salary of $47,500. Bonuses and other one-time payments do not contribute to long-term financial gains nor help when teachers want to apply for mortgages, for example.
Dont let our own countrys political discourse cloud the reality of the crisis. Listen to the people. Theyre not talking about an embargo; theyre crying out for libertad, for patria y vida  for liberty, for homeland and life. Their rallying cry is a defiant response to the Communist Revolutions slogan of Patria o Muerte  Homeland or Death. Their government is killing them, either directly or through starvation and medical neglect, and all they ask for is life. So share their stories, demand public support and humanitarian aid from our own leaders, and most importantly, listen.
Without science and knowledge and real experts, there are no jets. No computers. No cars. No medicines. No recent flights into space. Yet the war on science is alive and well, and Cal Thomas is fomenting an open rebellion by telling people that experts know nothing and should not be trusted.
Corcoran secured the speaker position for the 2016-2018 term shortly after winning office in 2010. Then he helped his friend Jose Oliva win the race to succeed him for the 2018-2020 term. The current Speaker, Chris Sprowls, only secured enough pledges from fellow GOP members after many of them switched their allegiance from former Rep. Eric Eisnaugle, who had nearly won the position.
On the far side of the tram tunnels will be walls of the deep blue that Disney has selected for its marketing campaign and atop Cinderella Castle. The official 50th-anniversary logo that incorporates the castle also will back that up. The 3D depth effect is a nod to the multiplane camera system developed at Walt Disney Studios in the 1930s, the company says. It was used in films such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Bambi and Pinocchio.
So, Trumps figure talked through late January 2021, when Biden took office. Thats basically three years and one month. But Nixon was in office from Day One of the hall, so he was the leader of the Free World and Liberty Square for less than three years. And Ford was in office less than that, from August 1974 to January 1977. (Pause to reflect that the internet might indeed present a false fact.)
Oswego, NY (13126)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable.
Oswego, NY (13126)

Today

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable.
These photos, provided by New York State Police, show the aftermath of a collision between a Jet Ski and a bass fishing boat this week on Oneida Lake near Three Mile Bay.
Banjul, Gambia (PANA) - In response to the windstorm which hit The Gambia earlier this month, the European Union (EU) is providing 200,000 euros (about 12,053,000 Gambian Dalasis) in humanitarian funding to assist the most affected people
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (PANA) - Human rights watchdog, Amnesty International, has called on Tanzanian authorities to stop targeting the opposition and immediately release all opposition members arrested in a swoop on Wednesday
Iran planning to build 'Maryam Mirzakhani' supercomputer

07/22/21

Source: Mehr News Agency

According to an official with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, plans are underway to build a supercomputer in memory of prominent Iranian mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani. According to Ehsan Aryanian, manager of IT platforms at ICT Research Institute, initial calls for researching and designing 'Maryam Supercomputer' have been made.

After receiving proposals and assessing them and receiving the required funds, the institute will start building the supercomputer with the cooperation of applicants, he told Mehr News Agency on Sunday.

Maryam supercomputer will be more powerful than the recently unveiled Simorgh, noted Aryanian without providing details of its processing power.

Simorgh Supercomputer was inaugurated in mid-May. Simorgh's current processing power is more than one petaflops (i.e. one thousand million million (1015) floating-point operations per second). Simorgh is said to support businesses with the goal of developing artificial intelligence. It is able to do various tasks including Big Data Analysis, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), and Genetic Data Analysis.

Aryanian also pointed to plans for improving Simorgh supercomputer, hoping that the device could be listed in the Top500 Project after updates.

In 2017, Mirzakhani, the winner of the Fields Medal, also known as the Nobel Prize of mathematics, succumbed to breast cancer at 40. She won a gold medal in the Hong Kong International Mathematical Olympiad, in 1994, to be the first female Iranian student to have snatched a gold medal.

In the 1995 Toronto International Mathematical Olympiad, she became the first Iranian student to win two gold medals. She obtained her BSc in mathematics from Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, in 1999. Mirzakhani then moved to the US and finished a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 2004.
M&G Investments is a leading investment house, with a rich track record and a comprehensive offering of actively managed funds for private and institutional investors.

The business has a rich 90-year heritage of historical firsts, including launching the UKs first mutual fund to providing insurance for the working class back in 1931.

At the start of 2021, the business was managing assets of over 284bn across equities, fixed income, real estate, multi-asset and cash for customers and clients in the UK, Europe and Asia.

As part of ( ), the investment management arm enjoys several benefits over rivals, including the scale provided from being an asset owner and the ability it allows to direct capital to sustainable opportunities and use seed capital to drive innovation in investment.

Last year the company began a revamp of its product range, refreshing some funds and consolidating others.

An example of this is the With-Profits Funds allocation of 5bn to a new innovative private assets strategy that aims to make a positive contribution to society and the environment. To implement this strategy, the company formed a new global team of private asset investors called Catalyst, whose job is to identify sustainable investment opportunities among new and emerging private companies.

Furthermore, as a co-founder of the Net Zero Asset Manager initiative, where members commit to reach net zero carbon emissions across all client investment portfolios by 2050 or sooner, the investment process has increasingly put environmental, social and governance (ESG) requirements at the centre of investment decisions.

Recent fund launches have also included the Planet+ fund range, including the M&G Positive Impact Fund, M&G Better Health Solutions Fund, M&G Climate Solutions Fund, and the M&G Sustainable Multi-Asset range. The pipeline also includes thematic funds focused on diversity and impact alternatives.

Another first in recent years was the ( ) PLC ( ), which for the first time allows UK retail investors to put their money into a combined portfolio of public and private debt.

M&Gs stated corporate purpose is to manage our customers investments so that they can live the life they want, while aiming to make the world a little better along the way.

This is linked to three leading core principles including making an impact with the groups financial power as a force for good, driving innovation to change things for the better and being inclusive to open up opportunity for more people around the world.

We believe its our financial decisions that have the greatest potential to effect the change in the world we all want to see.

Through long-term active investment management, we build solutions around what matters most to our customers and clients. We look for the best opportunities to invest in, across a wide range of asset classes, on behalf of people who care how their money is invested.
The government's ownership of NatWest Group has lasted longer than some Quentin Tarantino films, only with more blood-letting and swearing.

( ) PLC ( ), or Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) as it was then, was nationalised in 2008, a period in which the worlds banking system was in danger of collapsing.

The original cost to the British taxpayer was 45bn, curiously quite close to the amount (49bn) paid for Dutch bank ABN-Amro, of which more later.

Some 13 years and several governments later, the British taxpayer still owns a majority stake in the bank  54.7%.

It could be on its way to becoming a minority shareholder soon, however, with UK Government Investments Limited (UKGI) instructing an American investment bank, ( ), to offload some of the government's shares from 12 August if it can get a decent price for them.

It will be a nice little earner for ( ) and makes you wonder how banks can fail to make money. It turns out there are numerous ways for banks to lose money and RBS tried a lot of them so lets have a look at how we got to the situation where banks, and NatWest in particular, get to coin it and trouser the profits in good times while the taxpayer ends up footing the bill in the bad times.

Of course, it is not quite as black & white as that but what are banks for if not providing something we can all complain about?

The Greeks have a word for it

Hubris, meaning overweening pride, is a Greek word but RBS, once Scotlands largest company by market capitalisation, put a very British take on it.

In November 2007, it had a global workforce of 226,000; by the beginning of January 2008 when it announced an eye-watering loss of 28bn, that number had fallen to 170,000, with more redundancies on the way of a size that quite possibly would have elicited gasps of appreciation from the banks hard-nosed, widely reviled former boss, Fred the shred Goodwin.

Goodwin was the driving force behind the banks ill-advised takeover of Dutch bank, ABN-Amro, which was probably the culmination of some truly dumb decisions by a man who was knighted in 2004 for services to banking by the Labour government; Goodwin was stripped of his knighthood in 2012 by the Conservative/Liberal coalition government. Prior to Goodwin, only convicted criminals had been stripped of knighthoods.

While Goodwin was being stripped of his knighthood and keeping a subterranean profile, the bosses of Barclays bank were thanking their lucky stars that RBS had outbid them in the battle for ABN-Amro.

RBS did pay its banking advisors to do due diligence on the deal but it looks like they outsourced it to a mate of Matt Hancock.

At the time, RBSs loss of 28bn was the biggest in UK corporate history and came about after the bank reviewed the true value of its past acquisitions, including ABN-Amro, and wrote them down by between 15bn and 20bn.

"Today's write-off by the Royal Bank of Scotland is for irresponsible losses accumulated in American subprime markets that partly derive from the acquisition of the Dutch bank ABN Amro, said the prime minister, Gordon Brown.

Brown was the chancellor of the exchequer when Goodwin was knighted.

The year before, RBS had made profits of around 16bn, and was assuring shareholders worried about the growing sub-prime lending crisis that we dont do sub-prime.

Unfortunately, ABN Amro did; as a result, RBS made provisions of between 7bn and 8bn related to losses on sub-prime lending in its accounts for 2007.

Making the Hester of a bad job

Company turnaround specialist Stephen Hester was called in for an epic fire-fighting job and its generally regarded he made some tough but necessary decisions, although these did not always meet with the approval of the government.

For many years under government ownership, the underlying business was profitable but it still posted mammoth losses, thanks to write-downs on past investments or assets on the balance sheet. These sorts of adjustments are often passed off as non-cash charges but that just means that instead of a large pile of cash disappearing from the coffers in the reporting period, the company has instead recognised that bundles of cash previously spent was essentially wasted.

Its a bit like you in 2009 chucking out that huge 1,500 cathode-ray tube telly you bought in 2006 because flat-screen monitors had become so cheap and were so much better.

Not the right time to be declaring dividends

Although the underlying business was often in profit, it was deemed politically unacceptable for the bank to pay dividends until 2018 when the bank resumed paid out 5.5p in regular divis and a special divi of 7.5p.

In 2019, it paid tuppence (2p) plus a special dividend of 12p while in 2020 it paid thruppence (3p), jolly, jolly thruppence.

Government reduces its stake in the rescued banks, starting with Lloyds

RBS, of course, was not the only bank to be bailed out by the UK government in the first decade of the new millennium. With mortgage lending markets around the world freezing up, the likes of Northern Rock and HBOS (Halifax Bank of Scotland)  both of which would probably have been better off remaining as mutual societies, were in danger of collapsing.

Northern Rock, the former building society, did collapse, of course, while HBOS was only saved after the Labour government bounced the management of Lloyds Banking into taking it over. The combined entity had to, in turn, be bailed out by the government after HBOS turned out to be a bigger mess than had been anticipated.

The government started selling off its Lloyds stake in 2016 but it wasnt until 2018 that it started selling down its stake in what was still at that stage called The Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC.

The UKGI announced its intention in June 2018 to sell roughly 7.7% of RBS, thereby reducing its stake to about 62.4%.

In March of this year, NatWest bought back 1.1bn of shares from the government, while in May the UKGI reduced its stake by another five percentage points for roughly 1.1bn and today it has announced plans to reduce its holding further.

In the meantime, in July 2020, NatWest changed its name from RBS, although the brand lives on north of the border. As such, the group has pretty much come full circle. RBSs takeover of NatWest was one of the few things Goodwin appeared to get right; NatWest was a bigger operation than RBS at the time the Scottish bank swooped but it was at a low point and changes made to put the bank back on an even keel had not yet become evident to the stock market. RBS pounced, won the prize and reaped the benefit of those changes implemented by NatWests previous management.
Based on the increased iPhone estimates and expectations for strong growth trends continuing across all product lines, the Canaccord analysts increased their third-quarter 2021 EPS estimate for Apple to $1.03 from $0.94

The Canaccord analysts reiterated their Buy rating on Apple and increased their price target to $175 from $165

( ) has had both its earnings estimates and price target increased by ( , ) ahead of the tech giant's third-quarter earnings report due on Tuesday, July 27, based on strong demand across the companys products.

In a note to clients, the Canadian broker's analysts said they were increasing their third-quarter 2021 iPhone sales estimate to 47 million from 45 million units and updating their 2021/2022 iPhone unit estimates to 250/267 million from 244/273 million.

They said they have also updated the mix a bit more away from the iPhone 12 mini, resulting in their total third-quarter iPhone revenue estimate increasing to $35.8 billion from $32.7 billion and 2021/2022 iPhone revenue estimates to $197.9/$208.8 billion from $183.0/$196.1 billion.

Based on the increased iPhone estimates and expectations for strong growth trends continuing across all product lines, the analysts increased their third-quarter 2021 EPS estimate for Apple to $1.03 from $0.94 and their 2021/2022 EPS estimates to $5.45/$5.85 from $5.12/$5.49.

The analysts pointed out: "Apple continues to demonstrate the strength of its product ecosystem, and we believe consensus estimates will prove conservative for Q3 results and Q4 guidance should Apple return to providing guidance.

"Apple is well-positioned to continue to benefit from the 5G upgrade cycle, and we anticipate strong overall growth trends as 5G smartphones ramp and its installed base expands with higher-margins services revenue. Apples ecosystem approach, including an installed base that exceeds 1.65B devices globally and now over 1B iPhone users, should continue to generate strong services revenue."

They added: "Longer term, we expect the higher-margin services revenue growth to outpace total company growth and drive gross margin expansion. With $83B in net cash, Apple has a strong balance sheet to continue to invest and support long-term growth.

"With the 5G upgrade cycle likely a benefit through at least C2022, other hardware categories growing double-digits, and continued mix shift toward high-margin services, we believe the share price remains compelling for longer-term investors."

As a result, the Canaccord analysts reiterated their Buy rating on Apple and increased their price target to $175 from $165 using the same 30 times multiple s their 2022 EPS estimate.

Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com
There is little doubt that HP bought a pig in a poke but is it because its management made a bad decision or was it hoodwinked

Mike Lynch, the former boss of software company Autonomy, has suffered a setback in his battle to have the case brought against him by Hewlett-Packard tried in the UK.

A judge in London ruled that Lynch, who has been on bail since his arrest in February 2020, should be extradited to California where the US Department of Justice is waiting to try him for allegations that he used dubious accounting procedures to overstate Autonomys sakes revenue before US computer giant Hewlett Packard (HP) acquired the company in 2011.

The US computer giant paid US$11.1bn for , but one year on from the deal its value tanked.

HP alleged that Autonomy misrepresented its financials ahead of the acquisition, which led to a US$8.8bn write-down.

The UKs Serious Fraud Office looked into the HP takeover back in 2013 but dropped its probe two years later.

Later in 2015 Lynch launched a US$150mln legal action against Hewlett Packard, claiming that HP had made many statements that were highly damaging to his reputation.

Lynchs legal advisors have always argued that the deal is a matter for the UK courts but representatives of multi-national computing titan HP said that as the majority of HPs shareholders are based in the US, and it is shareholders who have lost out as a result of HPs ill-fated takeover of Autonomy, the case should be heard in a US court.

HP has brought a US$5bn civil trial against Lynch  in London.

Lynch has 14 days to appeal against the decision of district judge Michael Snow and the extradition has, in any case, to be approved by the Home Office.

Dr Lynch is disappointed that the court has ruled against him without waiting for the High Court's judgment in the civil case that examined all these issues. Dr Lynch denies the charges against him," said Chris Morvillo, one of Lynchs legal representatives.

"At the request of the U.S. Department of Justice, the court has ruled that a British citizen who ran a British company listed on the London Stock Exchange should be extradited to America over allegations about his conduct in the UK.

"We say this case belongs in the UK. If the Home Secretary nonetheless decides to order extradition, Dr Lynch intends to appeal, Morvillo added.
The 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party comes with the countrys economy thought to be at a turning point, with the rebound from the Covid-19 shock seen to have reached its limits

On Friday China will celebrate 100 years since the first meeting of the Chinese Communist Party at a time when companies and investors are rethinking their approach to the country.

Undoubtedly many tribulations have dogged the country, from famines to trade wars, pandemics and the current reports about the treatment of Uighur Muslims, the party has been pivotal to Chinas economic transformation and cultivating a Silicon Valley-like entrepreneurial culture that has given rise to some of the worlds biggest companies.

Just past the midway point of 2021, the countrys economy is at an expected turning point, with the rebound from the Covid-19 shock seen to have reached its limits.

But ( ) PLC, the UKs largest investment trust, has been growing its exposure to China grew over the past year, with four of its top 10 largest positions being Chinese companies: digital giant ( ), electric vehicle maker ( ), ecommerce platform ( ) and local services platform Meituan, respectively.

SMIT fund manager Tom Slater recently said that the pace of innovation at scale in China now exceeds anything we can find in the rest of the world and he and his team think there are still some really big opportunities in that market.

Tencent, until recently its biggest holding, recently agreed a takeover of London-listed video games producer ( ) for more than 900m, with Slater highlighting that Tencent, not only has made big progress in its core business but also built a portfolio of investments in all sorts of different exciting companies around the world which has been a hugely value creative experience and now worth close to $200bn on its own.

Another aspects of China that is exciting Slater and his team is the next wave of entrepreneurs coming through and able to innovate at real scale, such as ByteDance, the owners of the TikTok app that now dominates Chinas online advertising landscape less than a decade after its founding, and Pinduoduo, an agriculture-focused online platform, which was founded in 2015 and has already overtaken Alibabas audience size in online commerce with more than 750m users.

SMT added to most of its Chinese positions through the course of the year as well as taking new holdings in these other breakthrough companies as they emerge.

Like many major Western governments and companies, which continue to grapple with Chinas growth, influence and controversies, Dzmitry Lipski, head of fund research at Interactive Investor, said investors were also pondering whether they should avoid, invest, or engage.

The Chinese Communist Party is one of the worlds most powerful institutions. The policy choices and actions of this opaque political organisation, and concerns about human rights, means that investors looking for exposure to China may well want to focus on fund management groups that take engagement and stewardship issues seriously, Lipski said.

We think that for investors, this engagement approach is more realistic than the idea of avoiding China  global supply chains mean that we all have exposure to China, both as consumers and investors.

As well as SMT, he also favours Fidelity China Special Situations Investment Trust PLC as another recommended specialist China-focussed collective investment vehicle.

Fidelity China, says Lipski, believe that that better governed companies make better investments  again, engagement here is key.

There is also merit in taking a diversified approach to China as part of a broader way to access Asian markets, as Lipski adds.

Another fund he likes is Pacific Assets Trust PLC (LON:PAC), which invests within an ethical framework and has around 4% of its assets in China and 8% in Hong Kong.

As well as a strong emphasis on quality businesses that can perform well over the business cycle, companies are classified into one of three sustainability sectors: sustainable goods and services, responsible finance, and required infrastructure.

His colleague Tom Bailey, who specialises in exchange-traded funds, says with China the worlds second largest economy and, as SMT observes, home to some of the worlds leading and most innovative companies, Chinese stocks are something few investors can now ignore.

However, he says similarly the influence of the Communist Party cannot be ignored either especially as it has begun a so-called tech crackdown after years of turning a blind eye to Chinese companies using complex legal loopholes to list on foreign stock exchanges.

SMT favourites Alibaba and Meituan came under the Beijing cosh and there was a cybersecurity investigation into ride-hailing app Didi.

The Communist Partys goals have changed, Bailey says. Chinas leader, Xi Jinping has decried the disorderly expansion of capital. For various reasons, China seems to no longer be keen on its companies listing on foreign exchanges. More broadly, some analysts think the party is trying to reassert dominance in the face of the growing power of Chinese tech firms.

This has led to increased regulations for Chinese shares tyring to list on foreign exchanges, including seeking approval from Beijing.

As a result, markets are now fearful of the future of the US-listed Chinese shares, he adds.

For all the risks of investing in China, there is no denying its increasingly important role in the global economy. It is home to some of the worlds leading companies as well as a huge consumer market. For many investors, not having any exposure would be unthinkable.

The biggest China ETF is the iShares MSCI China ETF, at almost US$6.8bn, with the index being tracked offering quite a diversified exposure to the Chinese market though holding a lot of individual stocks.

As the ETF Database website says, which could make it potentially more attractive to investors with a long time horizon, while also having a big allocation to financials and large cap stocks, like many other China ETFs.

Those looking to establish a position in smaller Chinese firms may prefer the iShares MSCI China Small-Cap ETF (ECNS), which is US$100mln in size.

The Emerging Markts Internet & Ecommerce ETF is a more diverse ETF with a strong weighting to China among its wider emerging markets theme, with the largest holdings currently all Chinese: Meituan, Alibaba Group, Punduoduo, Tencent and Jd.Com.

Put simply, it aims to give you exposure to the Ubers, Deliveroos, Amazons and Etsys of the worlds developing economies. This is a play on both the rise of the middle class in emerging markets, with their increased spending power, alongside the growth of digital companies within the region, says Bailey.
Pure Gold (CVE: PGM -LON: PUR) CEO Darin Labrenz joined Steve Darling from Proactive to share news the company has really started to ramp up operations at the Pure Gold Mine in Red Lake Ontario. That includes Quarter-to-date, head grades significantly increased compared to the first quarter of 2021.

Labrenz talks about the increase in the second quarter. Labrenz tells Proactive more about the wildfire situation and some good news they have received.
( ) is confident of returning further high-grade results at its Blackdome-Elizabeth Gold Project in British Columbia, Canada, as it strides towards completing a maiden resource estimate by the end of the year.

The 2021 drilling campaign kicked off on June 5 with five diamond drill holes completed to date for a total of 774 metres.

Fresh news this week is its confirmation from a consolidated metallurgical review conducted by JDS Energy & Mining Inc that gold recoveries can be produced on two processing routes of ore at the Elizabeth section of the Blackdome-Elizabeth Gold Project.

Two processing routes have been tested and confirmed recoveries of up to around 95%:

94.7% recovery into gold dore bars via crushing, grinding, gravity separation and leaching; or

92.5-95.1% recovery into high-grade gold concentrate utilising the same processing route employed by the Blackdome Gold Mine plant (ie, crushing, grinding, gravity separation and flotation).

Another step in development

In a recent interview with Proactive, president and CEO Jason Bahnsen said: This really demonstrates that it's non-refectory ore, which is key and gives us several options going forward utilising our existing Blackdome mill.

One of the key findings from the consultants was that the Blackdome mill will process the Elizabeth ore and get us 95% recoveries.

Its another step in the process for us in terms of developing the project while we continue to drill the resource.

He said the company was working towards a maiden resource by the end of the year while looking at ways it could potentially fast-track towards the production route.

Review objectives

The review focused on the options for processing Elizabeth ore based on the results of a metallurgical test-work program completed by G&T Metallurgical Services Ltd in 2009-2010 at their laboratories in Kamloops, British Columbia.

The objective of the G&T test-work was to conduct a preliminary metallurgical assessment of a sample from the Elizabeth Gold Project and determine the suitability of two main processing options, which were:

Utilisation of the testing process flow sheet with the same process steps as the existing Blackdome Gold Mine plant (ie, a simulation of utilisation of the Blackdome plant to produce high-grade gold concentrate); and

Looking at the results of standalone processing steps and carrying those through crushing, grinding, gravity separation and then into cyanide leaching to produce gold dore bars (ie, a simulation of a typical carbon-in-leach / carbon-in-pulp circuit).

Composite samples received by G&T Met for their test-work program were around 21 kilograms from drill core from the South Vein (assaying at 3.95 g/t gold and 2.1 g/t silver) and approximately 37 kilograms from chip samples from the West Vein (assaying 0.49 g/t gold and 1.0 g/t silver).

However, it was determined that the assays received from the West Vein were too low grade and that was excluded from the test program and only used for calibrations when preparing tests for the South Vein composite.

Recommendations

JDS Mining has recommended some further metallurgical and engineering study work to be completed as part of a forthcoming Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) on the project.

The recommended study work includes:

A cost review of restarting the Blackdome mill;

A trade-off study between producing a flotation concentrate versus leaching and producing a dore at the Blackdome mill or at the Elizabeth site;

Completion of optical ore sorting test work of Elizabeth;

A trade-off study between refurbishing the Blackdome Mill vs building a new facility at Elizabeth; and

Follow up metallurgical test work to refine the optimal process flowsheet for Elizabeth.

2021 drilling

Back in April, the gold explorer raised A$1.9 million to extend its drilling program and drill 7,500 metres of known high-grade mineralisation by testing the down-plunge and along strike extensions of the delineated vein zones.

The campaign started on June 5 and has since intersected a wide zone of quartz veining from 121.8126 metres in hole EZ-21-04, with visible gold evident of more than 1 metre.

Additional quartz veining with visible gold has also been identified in diamond drill hole EZ-21-02.

Tempus technical staff are in the process of logging and sampling the core in preparation for analysis at SGS laboratories in Vancouver, BC and assay results will be reported as they are made available.
( ) is making strong progress towards its goal of becoming a gold producer, with its two Western Australian projects generating considerable newsflow in the past two months.

Moho wholly owns the Silver Swan North Gold-Nickel Project, covering about 112 square kilometres northeast of the famed mining precinct of Kalgoorlie, and has a 70% holding in the Burracoppin gold joint venture project alongside IGO Ltd ( ) (OTCMKTS:IPGDF).

Excitingly, Moho has just released a promising interim mineral resource estimate for the East Sampson Dam (ESD) prospect within the Silver Swan North project of 264,000 tonnes at 2.5 grams per tonne (g/t) of gold for 21,600 ounces at a cut-off grade of 0.5 g/t.

Earlier in June, the company completed a maiden diamond drilling campaign at the Crossroads prospect within the Burracoppin project, with results due imminently.

And thats not all - Moho will also soon earn a 70% interest in the Empress Springs Gold Project in Queensland via a farm-in agreement with IGO; commercial director Ralph Winter recently described Empress Springs as a potential company maker.

East Sampson Dam mineral resource estimate

East Sampson Dam (ESD) lies within the northwest-trending Kanowna greenstone belt, near the famed mining precinct of Kalgoorlie; the greenstone belts of the Kalgoorlie Terrane are host to many world-class nickel and gold deposits.

Part of Silver Swan North, Moho believes the area is significantly under-explored and highly prospective for gold and nickel; managing director Shane Sadleir said the interim resource estimate was a big step forward for the company.

Completion of the interim mineral resource estimate marks a major milestone for Moho in advancing the East Sampson Dam prospect to potential gold production, he said.

Importantly there is significant potential to increase the resource estimate given that mineralisation is open to the north, south and at depth.

With that in mind, we are aggressively accelerating drill programs into the second half of this year while commencing a scoping study to progress mine development.

The interim mineral resource estimate was 264,000 tonnes at 2.5 g/t gold for 21,600 ounces at a cut-off grade of 0.5 g/t.

Mineralisation is open to the north, south and at depth at the ESD prospect and 70.2% of the interim resource estimate is in the indicated category, providing great scope to expedite mining.

A whopping 93%, or 19,000 ounces, of the resource is within softer, near-surface zones, allowing for easier drilling, and the grade is highly sensitive to cut-off, increasing to 4.3 g/t for 18,700 ounces at 1.0 g/t cut-off grade.

Next at East Sampson Dam & Silver Swan North

Moho is now looking to appoint a qualified mine engineer experienced in open-cut gold mining and toll treatment to help drive ESD towards production.

The appointee would oversee pit optimisation on the current drilling information; make recommendations for any further RC drilling, metallurgical test-work and mining studies; and conduct a scoping study on the economic benefits of mine development using a toll milling facility.

The company will also conduct an aircore drilling program at the adjoining Tyrells and Hodges prospects testing 2.5 kilometres of gold anomalism defined by soil geochemistry this month.

Later this year, Moho is planning an RC drilling program to test extensions of mineralisation along strike to north and south and at depth as well as an aircore drill program to test multiple gold soil anomalies at the Silver Swan North Project, including at the Happs and Yalumba prospects southeast of ESD.

Maiden Burracoppin drilling

Situated within Western Australias Yilgarn Craton, the Burracoppin Gold Project spans two exploration tenements over 126 square kilometres.

Additionally, the operating Edna May gold mine is just 10 kilometres east of the project area in the cratons Westonia Greenstone Belt.

Mohos maiden diamond drilling campaign at the Burracoppin JV, which began in May, covered 630 metres across four holes, targeting mineralisation intersected during a reverse circulation (RC) campaign conducted in January this year.

Moho chose the hole locations based on the gold tenements multi-element geochemistry, geophysics and gold assay values, with the latest diamond drilling following up extensions of a broad mineralised gold zone at Crossroads.

Results from the diamond drilling program are imminent.

The diamond drilling represents a significant advance in Mohos geological understanding of the Burracoppin Project and will enable our geological team to vector into the gold mineralisation at the Crossroads prospect, Sadleir said.

Winter told Proactive back in April the RC drill results - with best assays including 1-metre at 7.48 g/t gold from 92 metres in bedrock and 8 metres at 0.47 g/t from 51 metres in supergene - were highly promising.

Its a very exciting development and were really looking forward to the results that are going to come out of this, he said at the time.

Whats next at Crossroads and Burracoppin

The company will compile the diamond drill program results with its data suite to generate targets at Crossroads prospect.

Then, Moho will take a broader approach, compiling and reviewing all surface geochemical data across the Burracoppin project area.

Once both of these tasks take place in the current quarter, Moho will consider further reverse circulation drilling, either in 2021s second half or the first quarter of next year.

Empress Springs potential

In March Moho conducted a hydrogeochemistry borehole sampling program at Empress Springs in northeast Queensland, which identified an anomalous gold zone of more than 90 kilometres.

Winter told investors in April that Empress Springs, where Moho owns more than 3,400 square kilometres of land, was a potential company maker.

The hydrogeochemistry program was an effective way for us to define a large mineral zone and we got a fantastic gold and porphyry signature anomaly over 90 kilometres, he said.

Were in the process of working up an exploration program which is looking fantastic, and it is really going to be something that defines the company as we move forward for many years to come.

A rare opportunity

Shaw & Partners director of corporate finance and WA state manager Davide Bosio told Proactive in April that Moho presented a rare opportunity for investors.

Weve seen a lot of uplift in junior exploration companies and to find companies with a market cap of less than $10 million is almost as rare as hens teeth, he said.

Moho have an impressive suite of gold and nickel assets only around 50km from Kalgoorlie and we can see a lot of catalysts in the near future - ongoing drilling and exploration, the commencement of scoping studies and metallurgical reports, which are all catalysts for potential re-ratings if Moho has success at the drill bit.

Bosio also said mergers and acquisitions would continue to be a big theme.

Were in a good gold environment with a tailwind behind the sector, and some of the majors with lots of milling infrastructure they could easily buy some of these proven smaller assets that can be very profitable in this market, he said.
We are pleased with our progress at both the Fraser Range and Norseman projects during the June quarter, says MD.

The company ended the June quarter with a healthy $5.4 million in cash.

( ) is all but set to kick off new rounds of drilling at its flagship Fraser Range nickel-copper-cobalt and Norseman nickel-cobalt-palladium projects in Western Australia.

It has received approvals for diamond drilling at the Delta Blues 1 and 2 prospects at Fraser Range, while impressive results from soil sampling at Norseman are due to be followed up by an extensive 10,000-metre aircore drilling campaign.

It is only outside forces holding Galileo back at the moment, with labour shortages and competition for drill rigs causing unfortunate delays.

Ready to go

Galileo managing director Brad Underwood said fresh drill work would begin as soon as possible.

While labour shortages have pushed back timing on the campaign, we have all other preparations in place and I look forward to updating the market once drilling begins, he said.

We are pleased with our progress at both the Fraser Range and Norseman projects during the June quarter.

The modelling of EM data at DB1 and DB2 shows Delta Blues is an exciting prospect with extremely conductive targets suggesting the presence of sulphide mineralisation.

Our job now is to get on the ground and start our drilling campaign to establish the cause of the conductors.

At Norseman, results from our continuing review of the project shows outstanding prospectivity for palladium in the region.

The existing drill results demonstrate the quality of the project and have provided the basis for a new understanding of the mineralising processes, leading to the development of robust drill targets with the potential for a significant palladium discovery and we will be aggressively pursuing this exceptional opportunity going forward.

Underwood said Galileo was fully funded for the upcoming exploration programs at Fraser Range and Norseman.

Fraser Range Project

Galileo identified two high priority nickel targets at DB1 and DB2 which will be tested with the upcoming initial program of 1,000 metres of diamond drilling.

The company has made a strong case for potential mineralisation at the drill targets by implementing electromagnetic (EM) surveying, aircore drilling, magnetic modelling and gravity interpretation.

Independent geophysical modelling of the DB1 EM data confirmed a highly conductive body near-surface, while modelling of the DB2 EM data verified a highly conductive body with a shallow depth in the range of 125  185 metres.

Our shallow aircore drilling demonstrated that we have the right rock types in the area, and we are now ready to test the modelled conductors to determine whether they are related to nickel and copper, Underwood said.

Subsurface conductors can have several sources and it is up to the drill rig to establish what we have in the ground.

Norseman Project

High palladium and rhodium assay results were identified in the database of previous reverse circulation (RC) drilling beneath and adjacent to existing cobalt resources.

35 RC drill holes had anomalous palladium greater than 0.4 g/t in regolith and 16 RC drill holes had anomalous palladium greater than 0.2 g/t in fresh rock.

The best palladium results from weathered rock were:

48 metres at 0.89 g/t palladium, 0.45 g/t platinum, 0.1% copper and 0.37% nickel from 3 metres including 5 metres at 2.1 g/t palladium, 1.4 g/t platinum, 0.13% copper and 0.23% nickel from 31 metres.

Best results from fresh rock were:

27 metres at 0.58 g/t palladium, 0.12 g/t platinum, 0.13% copper and 0.18% nickel from 123 metres including 3 metres at 1.1 g/t palladium, 0.19 g/t platinum, 0.23% copper and 0.26% nickel from 135 metres.

Soil sampling is underway, with more than 500 samples collected from a 1,800-metre sample program thus far.

The initial samples cover a highly prospective area at the Mission Sill prospect between two zones with maximum palladium in soil values of 0.31 g/t and 0.16 g/t palladium.

A 10,000-metre aircore drilling program is planned to follow up existing palladium and nickel targets with the present sampling expected to generate further targets for testing in the same drill campaign.

Reverse circulation (RC) and diamond drilling is expected to be undertaken after the completion of aircore drilling.

- Daniel Paproth
The companys drilling program significantly upgrades Hilditch West as a polymetallic target with significant mineralisation encountered in four of the six holes drilled in both oxidised and sulphide material.

Resources Ltd ( ) has intersected encouraging nickel sulphide assay results from its maiden reverse circulation (RC) drill program at the Hilditch West target in Western Australia.

The companys six-hole, 624 metre RC campaign has successfully intersected shallow, highly anomalous nickel-copper-cobalt and scandium across all three drill sections.

These drill sections cover 500 metres of strike along the extensive alteration domain at the Hilditch West target which is 25 kilometres from BHP Group Ltds (ASX:BHP) Kambalda Nickel Operation.

Three mineralised zones have been identified with significant assays including:

5 metres at 1.2% nickel, 0.23% copper, 0.08% cobalt from 43 metres;

2 metres at 1.5% nickel, 0.03% copper from 87 metres;

19 metres at 0.4% nickel, 0.1% copper, 2.4g/t silver from 107 metres;

12 metres at 0.5% nickel, 0.06% copper from 18 metres including 2 metres at 0.8% nickel, 0.2% copper, 0.06% cobalt from 21 metres; and

5 metres at 0.3% nickel, 0.7% copper, 0.09% cobalt from 3 metres.

In addition to the strong base metal intercepts, several broad, highly anomalous scandium zones were intercepted, proximal to the nickel-copper-cobalt intercepts, including:

22 metres at 37ppm scandium from 1 metre including 8 metres at 57 ppm scandium from 14 metres; and

17 metres at 38ppm scandium from 31 metres including 6 metres at 55 ppm scandium from 38 metres.

Highly encouraging

Maximus Resources managing director Tim Wither said: These highly encouraging nickel-copper-cobalt and scandium intersections are a fantastic start to developing our understanding of the Hilditch West target.

Sulphide mineralisation has been intersected over a 500 metre strike and the intersections from these initial six shallow RC holes are both encouraging, and very early stage providing potential for major upside.

Including a legacy 9m @ 1% nickel intersection, 250 metres to the south, the recent drilling provides indications of 750 metres strike of mineralisation.

Hilditch West is now a very compelling nickel-sulphide target and will be bolstered by the recent geophysics programme which overlaps the target.

We are eagerly awaiting the EM modelling which may guide us towards a potential source of the sulphide mineralisation.

Hilditch West upgraded

Maximus drilling program has upgraded Hilditch West as a polymetallic target with significant mineralisation encountered in four of the six holes drilled in both oxidised and sulphide material.

Three discrete nickel-cobalt zones have been interpreted within the central section with coincident copper in two of those zones, which appears to be remobilised within the broad interpreted shear zone.

High-grade scandium

Scandium metal has strategic importance for the production of specialized aluminium alloys, such as those used within the rapidly expanding electric vehicle (EV) market.

The addition of scandium increases aluminiums strength similar to that of titanium and steel alloys.

Promisingly, economic concentrations of scandium are rare, limiting supply, resulting in high market prices.

FLEM survey completed

Maximus has completed a ground electromagnetic geophysics survey at the Hilditch West target.

The Fixed Loop Electromagnetic (FLEM) survey is designed to evaluate geology up to 500 metres in depth, which is considered to be adequate to evaluate the mineralisation potential of any deeper stratigraphy.

With the field geophysics work completed, Maximus expects the interpretation/modelling of the data to be received within two to three weeks.

- Ephrems Joseph
The award represents a multi-million dollar funding opportunity for AVL, which will use the fresh capital to develop its vanadium-powered battery offering for the Australian energy market.

Australian Vanadium has secured Federal Government funding to support the development of its vanadium assets.

Australian Vanadium Ltd (ASX:AVL) is trading higher after securing a $3.69 million matched funding Federal Government grant to help design, build and operate an Australian vanadium battery electrolyte plant.

The competitive manufacturing award, formally known as the Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Processing National Manufacturing Priority Grant, will support the ASX-lister as it develops its namesake Australian Vanadium Project in Western Australias Mid-West region.

Managing director Vincent Algar said the funding runway would also enable AVL to add further value to its planned vanadium product production.

Shares are more than 16.6% higher to 2.1 cents intra-day.

Minister of Industry Science and Technology Christian Porter announced the grant award today.

Cash injection to accelerate project development

Australian Vanadium managing director Vincent Algar said AVL was pleased to have been awarded the Australian Government grant.

The grant will enable us to add further value to the vanadium products we plan to produce in Australia from the proposed development of the Australian Vanadium Project in the Mid-West region of Western Australia.

The grant will provide support to AVL to achieve production of high-purity vanadium pentoxide, which is a key input to vanadium-titanium master alloys for critical steel applications and vanadium electrolyte for batteries.

In turn, this will assist the development of the project, with the company now in discussion with offtakers for vanadium electrolyte in addition to vanadium pentoxide.

The grant will allow AVL to produce vanadium electrolyte commercially to support the development of the long-duration energy storage market, which will play a key role in future grid stability in this renewable energy generation era.

Vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) battery systems are easier to manufacture than other batteries, due to the use of only a single metal component, vanadium, to store the energy.

They are ideal for accelerating battery manufacturing in Australia, using locally produced vanadium and other battery components.

Demand for vanadium-powered VRB batteries is poised to grow over the next four years.

Bringing VRFBs to Australia

Essentially, the Federal Governments matched funding grant will support Australian Vanadiums plan to:

Include a high-purity processing circuit to produce battery, chemical and master-alloy grade vanadium pentoxide as part of the development of the Australian Vanadium Project;

Build and operate a commercial vanadium electrolyte plant based in WA, to support the rollout of vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) in Australia; and

Manufacture prototype/demonstration residential and stand-alone power systems (SPS) based on VRFB technology, for distribution into Australian energy markets.

Australian Vanadium is determined to showcase how vanadium-powered batteries can bring long-lasting energy storage solutions to the Australian market.

Its namesake Australian Vanadium Project has been awarded Major Project Status by the Australian Federal Government and Lead Agency Status by the Western Australian Government in recognition of its strategic importance as a critical mineral and battery mineral project.

The ASX-lister is also developing a $7.4 million manufacturing plant in WA, where it hopes to turn vanadium pentoxide into vanadium electrolyte for VRFB battery projects across Australia and the Asia Pacific.

Vanadium electrolyte is a long-term energy storage component in these types of batteries  which provide between three and 12 hours of energy storage  and comprises between 30% and 60% of a batterys overall cost.

Diagram illustrates how redox flow batteries use vanadium electrolyte.

Australian Vanadium is also invested in the VRFB-powered energy systems through its VSUN Energy spinoff.

Launched in 2016 to focus on the practical rollout of vanadium-powered batteries within Australia, the business is assessing how these batteries can provide energy storage across several sectors, including residential, solar and telecommunications applications.

VRFB batteries could be used to power the home.

Part of $1.3 billion manufacturing initiative

Ultimately, Australian Vanadiums newly won manufacturing grant forms part of the broader $1.3 billion Modern Manufacturing Initiative.

Established in February 2021, the program is a Federal Government strategy designed to super-charge manufacturing and grow jobs across six national manufacturing priorities  one of which is resources technology and critical minerals processing.

Speaking to the grant in a press release today, Minister Porter said Australias resource sector was world-class.

Through our $1.3 billion Modern Manufacturing Initiative, we are helping to unlock this enormous potential by providing targeted support for projects that will deliver big rewards for our local economy in terms of export earnings and new job opportunities.

It is also critical that we build our sovereign capability in this sector, with China currently the world leader in critical minerals processing including battery production.

Whether its building large-scale battery systems, adding value to critical minerals exports through new refining techniques, or driving the adoption of battery power in mining vehicles, these projects will increase Australias international competitiveness and help position us a future leader in this crucial sector.
The funding comes as the ASX-lister prepares to start construction on Australias next lithium mine at its Northern Territory-based Finniss Lithium Project, with work to kick-off before years end.

Core Lithium will pocket A$6 million in Federal Government funding to hone its lithium production potential.

Core Lithium Ltd (ASX:CXO) (OTCMKTS:CXOXF) is set to receive A$6 million in Australian Government funding under the national, billion-dollar Modern Manufacturing Initiative.

The emerging lithium producer will use the fresh capital to evaluate the potential for a battery-grade lithium hydroxide plant in Darwin Harbours Middle Arm Industrial Precinct.

In the meantime, Core is preparing to kick off construction at Australias next lithium mine at its cornerstone Finniss Lithium Project in the Northern Territory, with first production slated to take place before the end of 2022.

With support from both the Federal and Northern Territory governments, the ASX-lister claims it is a step closer to realising Finniss longer-term potential with a potential lithium concentrate downstream processing facility.

Meeting future lithium supply gap

Core Lithium managing director Stephen Biggins said Core had identified a unique opportunity to assist Australia in capturing an increased portion of the lithium value chain.

Were thrilled to have received this A$6 million grant and we thank the Federal Government and the Territory Government for their continued support of Core and our Finniss Project, which is firmly on track to become Australias next lithium mine.

Core believes that it has a key role to play in meeting the future lithium supply gap, which is expected to grow at a rapid rate as the demand for electric vehicles and renewable energy ramps up over the next decade.

With this grant secured, we look forward to potentially realising the long-term value of developing a lithium hydroxide plant in the Northern Territory.

Shares have been almost 12.3% higher intra-day to A$0.275 while the company's market cap before opening was approximately A$287.7 million.

Cores lithium strategy

Ultimately, todays grant represents State and Federal government faith in Cores commercial potential to produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide near the Finniss Lithium Project.

The companys immediate goal is to export spodumene concentrate from Finniss, which lies just 25 kilometres from Darwin Port.

Currently, Core is completing a scoping study that examines its potential to capture more of the lithium value chain. The ASX-lister is primarily looking at ways it can subject lithium concentrate to downstream processing, producing lithium hydroxide.

This scoping study will be followed up with feasibility studies, financially supported by todays government grant. The evaluations are taking place in tandem with Cores primary objective: developing the Finniss Project in line with its production timeframe.

Modern Manufacturing Initiative

Core says the potential for downstream lithium processing in one of the Northern Territorys key industrial precincts strongly aligns with the Australian Federal Governments Modern Manufacturing Strategy.

This campaign includes the A$1.3 billion Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI), a grants program focused on increasing Australias onshore critical mineral refinement capabilities.

Todays grant comes after the federal government awarded Cores Finniss asset Major Project Status earlier this year.

As part of its MMI application process, the lithium project develop received a letter of support from Chief Minister of the Northern Territory Michael Gunner.

The Territory Labor Government is proud to back in this shovel-ready project, which is creating hundreds of jobs for Territorians.

This is a big-tick from the Commonwealth and for Australias comeback capital  we both know the resources sector is playing a massive role in driving our economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis, so this is really good news.

Today, Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Christian Porter said Australia was well placed to capitalise on growing global demand for battery systems and the critical minerals associated with their production, with the energy storage market expected to be worth almost US$20 billion by 2027.

Australias resource sector is world-class. Through our A$1.3 billion Modern Manufacturing Initiative, we are helping to unlock this enormous potential by providing targeted support for projects that will deliver big rewards for our local economy in terms of export earnings and new job opportunities.

Whether its building large-scale battery systems, adding value to critical minerals exports through new refining techniques, or driving the adoption of battery power in mining vehicles, these projects will increase Australias international competitiveness and help position us a future leader in this crucial sector.
The geophysical data from the survey has confirmed extensive and complex structural trends across the property that could indicate structural and lithological traps for uranium mineralisation.

A field crew supported by a helicopter is being mobilised to the area to carry out a field program of 2-3 weeks.

s ( ) airborne magnetic and very low frequency electromagnetic (VLF-EM) geophysical survey have confirmed the potential for uranium at its Hook Lake Project in Athabasca Basin, Canada.

The purpose of the survey was to gather data that would help identify areas of shallow structural complexity, known to be favourable for the deposition of uranium in basement lithologies, and determine the geophysical signature of known occurrences.

Promisingly, the survey reinforces the size potential of historical uranium occurrences and highlights additional targets across the Hook Lake Project.

Significant new geological information

Valor executive chairman George Bauk said: The survey has confirmed the key targets for immediate follow up and has provided data to verify additional targets for drilling.

Significant new geological information has come out of the survey including the N-S structural features, possibly representing the Tabbernor Fault System.

These results have exceeded our expectations with the number of target areas to follow up.

Extensive and complex structural trends

Valors project-wide, hi-resolution, magnetic and VLF-EM survey was completed in April 2021.

The 5,172-line kilometre survey was completed by Precision Geosurveys using a fixed-wing aircraft at a line spacing of 75 metres.

Both the magnetic and VLF-EM data show a strong northeast-southwest structural trend similar to that present in other basement-hosted uranium deposits in the eastern Athabasca Basin area.

Valors project-wide, hi-resolution, magnetic and VLF-EM survey was completed in April 2021.

Significant prospects for follow-up exploration

Several of the known on-site uranium occurrences on the property including Hook Lake, Nob Hill and West Way are coincident with the intersection of these structural trends

The most significant uranium occurrences within the property also appear to have a close association with shallow VLF-EM conductors.

Many other conductors that have previously seen little exploration and have no known nearby occurrences, also represent prospects for follow-up exploration.

A significant north-south structural trend is also present that has features similar to those associated with the Tabbernor fault system.

The magnetic data shows the Hook Lake mineralisation may be part of a larger and broader anomalous zone than originally thought.

Notably, the 3D inversion of the magnetic data indicates a potential feeder system coming up through the stratigraphy.

Airborne radiometric survey

A high-resolution airborne radiometric survey conducted by Special Projects Inc is being flown over the north-eastern third of the Hook Lake Project, which will include the Hook Lake historical high-grade uranium occurrence.

SPI flew the radiometric survey that delineated Fission Uraniums ( ) Patterson Lake Corridor boulder field which eventually led to the discovery of the high-grade uranium Triple R deposit.

Any significant new radiometric anomalies generated from this survey will be followed up on the ground during the upcoming field program.

Ground exploration program

Valor has received the required work permits to carry out its follow-up ground exploration program on the Hook Lake Project

They allow Valor to conduct ground exploration, including drilling, until December 31, 2022.

Valors initial fieldwork program will be conducted by Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd and is set to commence in the next few days at the Hook Lake Project to follow up on the historical uranium occurrences and new targets generated from the recently completed magnetic/VLFEM survey.

A field crew supported by a helicopter is being mobilised to the area to carry out a field program of 2-3 weeks.

Bauk added: We have secured all permits that allow us to follow up on the ground, including drilling, which we are targeting for the December Quarter.

The field crew will be mobilising to site July 23, 2021.

The Company is excited to be commencing field work in Saskatchewan and look forward to the results of the exploration effort at Hook Lake.

- Ephrems Joseph
Hartshead is focused on building a financially, technically and environmentally responsible European energy business.

During the June quarter, the company awarded key engineering contracts following a technical and commercial bid evaluation process.

(ASX:HHR) (OTCMKTS:PGNYF) (FRA:P6V0) is steaming ahead with the development planning of the Phase I gas fields of its Seaward Production licence, in the UK Southern Gas Basin.

In the June quarter, the company awarded key engineering contracts following a technical and commercial bid evaluation process.

In addition to these contracts, Darrell Mandiwall was appointed as lead reservoir engineer to undertake detailed dynamic reservoir simulation, integrated asset modelling and act as interface between various disciplines within the Concept Select project.

Concept Select work program

As part of the Concept Select work program, subsea and unmanned platform facilities will be evaluated as options to develop the Phase I gas fields (Victoria and Viking Wx) and integrated with potential offtake routes via third-party host facilities and infrastructure.

Once completed, the Concept Select work program will result in the selection of the optimum engineering solution for the development of the Victoria and VikingWx gas fields.

Revised recoverable resources and full-field economics from the selected development concept will form the basis of an updated Competent Persons Report (CPR).

Withdrawal from Poland

Hartshead has also completely exited from onshore Poland, with its whollyowned subsidiary, Gora Energy Australia Pty Ltds (GEA) withdrawal from the Gora concession.

This move follows on from the companys withdrawal from the Nowa Sol concession and JanyC1 well work program.

SSH IPO plans

During the quarter, SSH Group Limited (formerly Jacka Resources Limited) obtained the necessary shareholder approvals to proceed with the acquisition of the sale entities comprising the SSH Group.

The SSH Group provides safety and other infrastructure hire and labour hire to a variety of industries, including security services, emergency services, traffic management, hospitality, healthcare, mining and construction industries.

SSH Group is finalising an IPO Prospectus to raise up to $6.25 million before costs and intends to lodge the offer document in July 2021.

Cash at hand

Hartsheads closing cash at the end of the quarter was A$6.9 million.

The company holds an additional around A$197,000 in financial investments as of June 30, 2021.

Responsible European energy business

Hartshead is focused on building a financially, technically and environmentally responsible European Energy business.

Its goal is to secure and invest in projects, where resources can be extracted and delivered to meet Europes growing energy demand while supporting the transition to a low carbon future.

In progressing this strategy, Hartshead is focused on its 100%-owned Production Seaward Licence P2607 comprising five blocks, which contain four existing gas fields in the UK Southern Gas Basin.
In this first 'In Conversation with Hartshead Resources ( ), chief executive Chris Lewis outlines the company's strategy to become a financially, technically and environmentally responsible European energy business.

Focused on the development planning of the Phase I gas fields of its Seaward Production licence in the UK Southern Gas Basin, Lewis talks about the awarding of key engineering contracts that brings talent and the tools to expedite the project.

He tells Proactive London about how next year all three aspects of the portfolio will be closer to commercialisation.
The company, last year ranked as the worlds top plastic polluter, said earnings per share jumped 48% to $0.61

( ) shares opened higher after the drinks giant reported a strong second-quarter performance and raised its guidance for the full year.

Revenues rose 42% to $10.1bn and organic revenues by 37% as restaurants reopened across most of the globe, while earnings per share were up 48% to $0.61. Underlying EPS, which includes the impact of a five-point currency tailwind, grew 61% to $0.68.

Management's guidance was upped to organic revenue growth of between 12% and 14% for the full year.

Last year sales of the group's brands  which include the Costa Coffee chain  in bars and restaurants were much reduced because of coronavirus pandemic lockdowns, which put pressure on pricing and profit margins.

After its new Coke Zero Sugar launched in various parts of the world including Japan, Turkey and parts of Europe and saw 15% growth so far this year, it has now been made available in the US.

"New packaging is simplified and celebrates the iconic Coca-Cola logo, beginning with the brands universally recognized red. The Coca-Cola logo in black Spencerian script signals the Zero Sugar variety," the company added.

In December Coca-Cola was ranked as the worlds top plastic polluter, worse that and Nestle combined, and with that other duo accused of making zero progress on reducing plastic waste.

Coke announced earlier this year that it plans to use 100% recycled plastic in all its 'on the go' bottles across its brands in the UK from September, with all locally manufactured packages in Belgium and Luxembourg expected to be 100% recycled, which it says will result in combined saving of roughly 43,000 tonnes of virgin plastic each year.

The company also announced a partnership with The Ocean Cleanup to intercept some of the plastic debris in rivers around the world, but said last year that it will not abandon plastic bottles as they are popular with customers.

The stock was up 2% to US$57.14 in New York's morning session.

Analyst Laura Hoy at Hargreaves Lansdown said: While some of the increase can be attributed to easier comparisons  last years away-from-home sales were practically non-existent  you cant help but admire the fact that the groups also marginally ahead of where it was at this time in 2019. Thats all the more impressive given pandemic headwinds still exist to some degree.

The reopening of Costa Coffee in the UK has been a breath of fresh air for Coke as well  the group took on a sizable amount of debt to acquire the coffee chain and get its foot in the door of the hot beverage market, only to see its revenue dry up a year later. With things getting back to normal, Coke can carry on with plans to develop the brand further."

She said the guidance upgrade is encouraging, but she was taking the big numbers from this quarters update with a grain of salt.

Coke is back to where it was before the pandemic. Now well be watching for whether or not the group can bubble to the top of the pack by holding on to at-home gains as away-from-home growth picks up speed.

**Adds price and broker comment**
Founded in 1960, family-owned Rouses Markets has a chain of 65 supermarkets in the American South

Else Nutrition CEO Hamutal Yitzhak said the partnership 'significantly bolsters our presence in a region in which weve seen demand from parents seeking cleaner, whole food nutrition for their children'

( , ), the plant-based baby, toddler and children nutrition company, has announced that it will be expanding into Rouses Markets retail locations.

Rouses Markets are a chain of grocery supermarkets in the US states of Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi with nearly 7,000 employees. Founded in 1960, the family-owned company operates 65 supermarkets.

Partnering with Rouses Markets is an exciting development for the Else brand, Else Nutrition co-founder and CEO Hamutal Yitzhak said in a statement. In addition to our mutual commitment to support a healthier, more sustainable planet, this partnership significantly bolsters our presence in a region in which weve seen demand from parents seeking cleaner, whole food nutrition for their children, she added.

Rouses Markets is now one of the largest independent grocers in the US and CEO Donny Rouse is the third generation to run the company. True to the family and companys local roots, Rouses Markets puts the community first by hiring local, stocking local products, and supporting other local businesses.

Earlier in July, Else Nutrition announced the activation of key distribution centers stretching from San Bernardino County, in California through to Northern Oregon, making its products readily available in 100 independent stores and food co-operatives.

The company said that thanks to distributor partners  KeHE and ( ) Inc (UNFI)  Else successfully launched multiple accounts in the western US during the first two quarters of 2021, which include Sprouts Farmers Market, Raley's and Natural Grocers Vitamin Cottage.

Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow her on Twitter: @UttaraProactive
Caron will actively collaborate in research, knowledge translation, and patient engagement within the pain and sepsis communities

Caron will also be involved in reviewing and commenting on informed consent forms, questionnaires, or interview guides related to Tetra's clinical trials

( , ) Inc said it has engaged Christine Caron as a patient partner to actively collaborate in research, knowledge translation, and patient engagement within the pain and sepsis communities.

Caron, who lost multiple limbs after a dog bite sent her into septic shock, will be involved in reviewing and commenting on informed consent forms, questionnaires, or interview guides related to Tetra's clinical trials.

We are very pleased to have Ms. Caron join the Tetra team as its first Patient Partner, ( , ) CEO Guy Chamberland said in a statement.

Christine will provide valuable insights about living with post-infection and pain, due to her amputations because of Sepsis, that may validate or change the direction of concepts we explore, such as targeting outcomes that are important to patients, Chamberland added.

Caron also commented, stating: I am thrilled to join Tetra in the fight against Sepsis by contributing to advocacy, health literacy, knowledge transfer, and to support families who share this journey. I also believe in the therapeutic benefits of cannabis and will advocate to bring safer pain management prescription alternatives to patients.

Tetra Bio-Pharma noted that Caron will also be assisting with knowledge translation planning and with sharing Tetra's research results with key audiences, such as the Amputee Coalition of Canada, Sepsis Canada, Global Sepsis Alliance, and Sepsis Alliance.

Ottawa-based Tetra Bio runs a US Food & Drug Administration and a Health Canada-cleared clinical program aimed at bringing novel prescription drugs and treatments to patients and their healthcare providers.

Contact Sean at sean@proactiveinvestors.com
At Pamlico, the company is drilling the first of several holes at the Skarn Zone

Drilling is in close proximity to a mineralized porphyry dyke that assayed nearly 3 grams per ton gold in June

Newrange Gold Corp said it had resumed drilling at its Pamlico project in Nevada on the first of several planned holes.

The junior resource company said it is starting on the Skarn Zone in the McGill Canyon area, which is located over four kilometres southeast of two holes drilled earlier in the year.

The new hole is in close proximity to a mineralized porphyry dyke that assayed nearly 3 grams per ton (g/t) gold in June.

Newrange told shareholders that it is testing a previously identified 200 ppb gold in soil anomaly on the property.

The Vancouver-based firm also had hopes of drilling its North Birch project in the Red Lake area of Ontario, but the program had to be postponed due to extreme wildfires in the area, according to a statement. Ontarios Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has issued an emergency order ceasing exploration activity involving equipment and any aircraft in the area was seconded by firefighting crews to help fight the blaze, making transport to the region challenging.

While we are disappointed that we have not been able to commence the North Birch drill program as planned, the safety of our field crew is our top priority and everyone is being evacuated, Robert Archer, Newranges CEO said in a statement.

The lack of aircraft in the region has made it impossible to mobilize equipment into the project at this time but we intend to resume the program at the earliest opportunity.

Archer also offered further insight into activity in Nevada and what recent results could mean for the project.

At Pamlico, assays are still pending for the first four holes following up on the high-grade zone discovered by hole P21-115, while at the Skarn Zone, we are encouraged by the fact that the first hole ever drilled in this area is confirming the presence of strong alteration and porphyritic dikes in the limestones.

Newrange is focused on district-scale exploration for precious metals in Nevada, Ontario and Colorado.

Contact Angela at angela@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow her on Twitter @AHarmantas
The extension was initiated after establishing working levels on the 368-meter drift and has an expected total advance of 92.5 meters to reach the 360-meter level

To date, 28 meters have been completed, with the intersection of the 360-meter level expected in late August

Altiplano Metals Inc has provided an update on the ongoing underground development at the Farellon Copper-Gold (Cu-Au) mine located near La Serena, Chile.

In a statement, the company said the development work on the Hugo Decline continues, with the underground advance to the next operating position located at the 360-meter level.

The extension of the decline is part of the ongoing development to support additional operating levels at depth, as the work was initiated after establishing working levels on the 368 meters (m) drift and has an expected total advance of 92.5m to reach the 360-meter level.

To date, 28m have been completed, with the intersection of the 360 meter-level expected in late August.

The advance also involves the construction of two mucking bays used to store waste from the advance of the decline. On completion of the 360-meter level advance, both mucking bays will be used as emergency stations as the Hugo Decline continues expansion to additional lower levels.

Altiplano said the decision to commence production on the Farellon deposit is not based on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability and there is increased uncertainty and economic and technical risks of failure associated with the production decision

"Advancing the Hugo Decline to the 360 m is the next step in the underground development of the Farellon Mine, said CEO Alastair McIntyre.

The 360m level provides opportunity to access new working faces and positions us for accessing additional levels at depth, which will be supported by our recently announced underground drilling program."

Contact the author: patrick@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow him on Twitter @PatrickMGraham
District Metals (CVE: DMX) CEO Garrett Ainsworth joined Steve Darling from Proactive to bring news the company has signed a definitive purchase agreement to acquire 100% ownership of the Svardsjo Property in Sweden.

Ainsworth telling Proactive what they liked about this new property and also that they still remain focused on progressing the Tomtebo Property.
The junior company drilled three additional holes at Passiflora during a spring 2021 campaign that encountered silver mineralization

( , ) announced new results from the Passiflora target on its Silver Cliff property that showed widespread silver mineralization.

The junior company drilled three additional holes at Passiflora during a spring 2021 campaign to follow up on a 193.9-metre-deep hole from 2020 that showed anomalous silver throughout, along with some anomalous gold.

Of the newer holes, Hole 20-05 saw silver mineralization throughout the total length of 172.7 metres, while Holes 21-09 and 21-10 also encountered silver mineralization throughout the length of the 183.3-metre bores.

In Hole 21-10, a 1.8-metre section assayed 142.3 grams per ton (g/t) silver.

Viscount noted that there was anomalous gold mineralization throughout both Holes 21-09 and 21-10 taken from Passiflora, particularly in 21-10 where gold mineralization extended over 183.3 metres.

Silver Cliff exploration manager Jacob Hooker told investors that the company sees immense potential at the Passiflora target.

"Intensifying phyllic alteration is visibly evident in drill core from numerous Passiflora holes to the depth of around 200 metres, Hooker said in a statement. This information, paired with the known volcanic history of the region, suggests that a porphyry system could lie beneath."

Located in Colorados Hardscrabble Silver District, Silver Cliff is a 2,319-hectare property where high-grade silver, gold and base metals were mined until the early twentieth century.

Vancouver-based Viscount Mining is a project generator and an exploration company with a portfolio of silver and gold properties in the western US.

Contact Angela at angela@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow her on Twitter @AHarmantas
There were a lot of people there that had regrets that they wish that they had known more before they votedThere's three of them that voted [for Biden] that feel terrible about it. I said you know what? I said you didn't know about this but you thought you were voting for something. I said you didn't get to vote. I said China did our voteWhen we get through this and the Supreme Court pulls down this election -- like I've been telling everybody -- when they do this, it's going to be a great uniting and that gives me hope[B]y the night of the 12th or the morning of the 13th, if everyone has seen it, including the administration that's in there now that didn't win, maybe, you know, Biden and Harris would say, hey, we're here to protect the country and resign!"

My Pillow guy and former crack addict Mike Lindell on what will happen after he broadcasts his cyber-symposium on the 2020 election  the return of Trump on August 13.
Moscow court orders seizure of Arashukovs $20 mln property

 Andrey Nikerichev, AGN "Moskva"

15:04 22/07/2021

MOSCOW, July 22 (RAPSI)  Moscow's Basmanny District Court has ordered that a 1.4 billion rubles (about $20 million) property owned by Raul Arashukov, a former adviser to the head of a Gazprom subsidiary, and his son Rauf Arashukov as well as their relatives be seized, RAPSI learnt in the court.

A probe into the Arashukovs, according to the Prosecutor Generals Office, revealed that although Raul Arashukovs total salary made only 65.9 million rubles in 2007 through 2017, whereas Rauf Arashukov received 15.6 million rubles in 2009 through 2018, they could purchase properties worth 1.469 billion rubles. Among the real estate the father and son Arashukovs purchased when holding state and local governmental posts are 75 real estate units, including apartments, apartment blocks, a hotel, a restaurant, a bathing facility, plots of land, vehicles, and luxury articles they, as claimed by the prosecutors, registered in the names of their relatives and employees.

Currently, the Arashukovs' case is pending at the Moscow City Court. It will be heard by a jury.

The Arashukovs together with other defendants in a 31-billion-ruble (about $431 million at the current exchange rate) gas embezzlement criminal case are in detention at this time.

Investigators claim that Raul Arashukov together with other defendants in the case were involved in gas embezzlement from Gazprom company. This April, Raul Arashukov was also charged with abuse of office and presenting a knowingly false denunciation.

Raul Arashukov pleads not guilty and calls the case against him fabricated.

Rauf Arashukov was arrested and detained in late January 2019. The upper house of parliament stripped him of immunity and gave consent to his prosecution upon an application by the Prosecutor General. He stands charged with murder, participation in a gang and witness tampering.

According to investigators, ex-Federation Council member was involved in the murder of a Karachay-Cherkessia public youth movements deputy chairman Aslan Zhukov and the republican presidents advisor Fral Shebzukhov in 2010. Moreover, investigators believe that the former senator is implicated to the natural gas embezzlement from Gazprom company, where his father is among the defendants.
Infamous businessman Bykov indicted on murder-for-hire charges

 sledcom.ru

16:47 22/07/2021

MOSCOW, July 22 (RAPSI)  Krasnoyarsk businessman Anatoly Bykov has been indicted on murder-for-hire charges, the press service of the Investigative Committee told RAPSI.

Investigators allege that in the autumn of 2004 Bykov met with his acquaintance and gave him instructions to kill businessman Andrey Nekolov. The would-be killer asked $50,000 for murder, according to the statement.

An attempt was made on Nekolov in 2004, but the businessman survived. The killer took a break, investigators say, but implemented his plan in 2005. The defendant, citing the failed first attempt, has reduced the award to $10,000, the statement reads.

Nevertheless, the businessman denies his involvement in the crime.

Investigators plan to notify the victims, the defendant and his defense about the completion of the preliminary probe into the case and provide its materials in the near future.

By now, the Sverdlovsky District Court in Krasnoyarsk has drawn a jury panel in yet another case against Bykov, who is charged with masterminding double homicide in 1994, and is in detention.

According to the Russian Investigative Committee, in the first half of 1994, Alexander Naumov, a 23-year old member of a criminal group headed by Bykov, had a conflict with the gang leader because of unjust, according to him, dividing of the joint criminal income. Later, Bykovs car was exploded. The businessman suspected Naumov and his friend Kirill Voytenko of the blast organization and decided to kill them. He ordered his acquaintance Vladimir Tatarenkov to organize the murder; the latter in turn involved his gang members in the crime. On July 24, 1994, Naumov and Voytenko were shot dead.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
The entire area of Jantar-Mantar has been cordoned off.

Delhi police along with central forces including RAF and CRF are deployed to ensure elaborate security arrangements as farmers are scheduled to reach here.

Arrangements have been made considering Covid-19 norms. Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) had on Wednesday granted permission to farmers to assemble at Jantar-Mantar with appropriate Covid management protection.

As per the DDMA approval, farmers will be allowed to hold protests at Jantar-Mantar from July 22 to August 9, with maximum of 200 people in attendance.

After the order, Delhi police scaled up security at Jantar-Mantar and three borders of Delhi - Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur.

"Security arrangements are made to ensure safety of farmers and also to follow Covid-19 rules," said a senior police official.

Farmers are allowed to hold protests against three farm laws at Jantar-Mantar between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
After so many rounds of meeting with farmers Delhi Police finally on Wednesday evening gave permission to 200 farmers protesting at Delhi's borders to move to Jantar Mantar from 22nd July till August 9. Meanwhile, intelligence agencies have issued alerts regarding possible attempts by Khalistani groups to create law & order situation or may be something more serious than previous attempt. A video related to Khalistani organization , Sikhs for justice , provoking and instructing people to reach Delhi with Kesri flag, kirpans and Capture Parliament, has been surfaced.

It's been almost 8 months since the farmers are protesting against the three laws passed by parliament last year. They want complete roll back of the said laws. Many rounds with centre ministers took place but there is a deadlock kind situation when, farmers demanded for complete roll back whereas government is willing for rectification for any faulty or concerned section of the law.

There has been 12 rounds of meetings between farmers and government but after this deadlock demand there has been no talk between both on the agrarian bill further. Now, amidst the ongoing monsoon session in parliament, farmers wants to hold Kisan Sansad at jantar mantar. It should be recalled how, after getting permission for tractor rally in January farmers created law & order situation on Delhi roads. Now, intelligence once again has issued alerts pointing out the video where, terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu is mobilizing his followers and agitating farmers to "break the country".

Although, the agencies are taking all necessary steps to prevent a situation of the sort that took place on January 26, this year . As per Delhi police officials, it has been instructed to force to Shadow farmers at every step to keep situation normal. Chinmoy Biswal, PRO, Delhi police, said,

"After multiple rounds of negotiations with Farmers bodies 'Sanyukt Kisan Morcha' (SKM) and Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC), and on being assured in writing that they would remain peaceful and with the approval of DDMA, they have been permitted to protest at Jantar Mantar with limited numbers not exceeding 200 persons for SKM and 06 persons for KMSC from 1100 hrs upto 1700 hrs daily. They would be escorted to the designated location from Singhu border in buses. They have been advised to observe Covid appropriate behaviour and social distancing. They have also been advised not to take out any March in view of Covid restrictions. Delhi Police has put in place extensive arrangements to ensure that the protest programme remains peaceful"
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday slammed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath saying people have the right to their views and abusing power to intimidate them is a "heinous crime".

She also reminded the Chief Minister that the property on which he is sitting can be confiscated by the people. In a series of tweets in Hindi, Priyanka Gandhi, who is in-charge of Uttar Pradesh Congress said, "It is a constitutional right to raise your voice, to demonstrate and to agitate for your demands in this country. Abusing power to intimidate those who raise their voice for legitimate demands is a heinous crime. The 'property' on which Yogi (Adityanath) ji is sitting, does not belong to him but it belongs to the people of the country."

"And remember even that 'property' can one day be confiscated by the people," she said in another tweet.

She made the remarks while responding to a tweet of the Chief Minister in which he appealed to the youth of the state that they should not be misled by anyone.

The Chief Minister said, "No one can do wrong today. Whoever wants to get his property confiscated, he should do wrong."
Protesting farmer leaders said on Thursday that they intend to continue with the 'Kisan Sansad' at Jantar Mantar in the heart of the national capital till August 13, the day the ongoing Monsoon Session of the Parliament comes to an end.

On Wednesday, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal had given permission to the farmers' demonstration at Jantar Mantar against the three Central farm laws on the condition that a maximum of 200 protesters will be allowed till August 9 between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.

On Thursday, the agitating farmers reached the Jantar Mantar with eleborate arrangements. A farmer leader told IANS that over one lakh farmers are ready to reach Jantar Mantar, but the police have allowed only 200 people per day.
A day after hitting out at the Centre during her Martyrs' Day speech, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday came down heavily on the BJP government at the Centre on the Pegasus issue, alleging that the raids conducted at media house Dainik Bhaskar's office is a result of the vindictive attitude of the (Narendra) Modi government.

She again appealed to all the political parties to come forward and unite to defeat the "autocratic government" at the Centre and save the "largest democracy of the world".

Criticising the Central government for the raids conducted at several offices of Dainik Bhaskar across the country on Thursday, Banerjee said, "This is an effort to bulldoze the reporters and throttle the voice of the people. Dainik Bhaskar was boldly reporting on the Pegasus issue and on the bodies that were thrown into the Ganges by the Uttar Pradesh government. That is why they have been victimised. I strongly condemn this".

Terming the Pegasus issue as more dangerous than the Emergency and even bigger than the 'Watergate' scandal in the US, the Chief Minister said, "Today everybody is under threat. The judiciary is under threat. The political parties are not allowed to speak. The voices of the civic society are throttled. All impartial organisations are politicised. All agencies live under the fear of Pegasus. Even the ministers and the leaders of their own party (BJP) are not safe.

"If the judges become weak, if the journalists become unsafe, if the civic society is scared, where is the democracy? It is autocracy. Once we believed that speaking on WhatsApp was safe, but now we know that it is no longer safe. Facetime can also be hacked. All our phone calls are being recorded. So where do we go? Everyone is living in fear," she added.

Making it clear that she is just of many who want to come forward and play an important role in uniting all the anti-BJP forces in the country, the Chief Minister said, "India is the biggest democracy in the world and it is our responsibility to protect it, or else the people of the country will never forgive us. We want impartial justice. We will not bow down our heads. We need to fight it out together."
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The helpless people of Occupied Kashmir have been a victim to the Indian atrocities and cruelties for the last many decades.

by Ali Sukhanver in Islamabad

Looking at the ever increasing number of Indian atrocities in the Illegally Occupied States of Jammu and Kashmir it seems that this tale of brutalities would never come to an end. In a recent incident, on 4th July 2021, a 23-year-old Muslim girl Afreen Fatima participated in an online forum about the persecution of Muslims in India. No sooner had she wrapped up her session than she found her mobile phone flooded with obnoxious messages, informing her that she had been put up for sale on a fake online auction. According to media details her photographs had been uploaded on an app called Sulli deals and it all was done without her permission and without bringing it to her knowledge. Same complaint was launched by 80 other Muslim women also; those women included students, activists and journalists. Such degrading behavior of the Indian intelligence agencies would certainly give birth to more hatred and more disgust against the Indian authorities illegally which are governing the states of Jammu and Kashmir.

It wont be an exaggeration if we give the credit of keeping Jammu-Kashmir Independence movement alive even after seventy two years to the illegally deputed Indian troops there. If those troops had not behaved so brutally rather callously, situation would have been all together different. The injustice-drama scripted and directed by the government of India and acted upon by the Indian troops has simply added more fuel to the fire. Be it the 4th July 2021 or the 8th July 2016 or 13th July 1931 or any other day commemorated as the Black Day in Kashmir, it is just a reaction to the atrocities of the Indian soldiers in the valley. 8th July is the death anniversary of young Kashmiri student Burhan Wani who was brutally murdered by the Indian troops defamed as a Liberation Leader rather terrorist. The fact of the matter is that Wani was neither a terrorist nor commander of any militia; he was simply a 22 year old boy popular among the Kashmiri youth as a social media activist with a large number of followers on social media. The Indian government blamed him as the leader of a Kashmiri militant group; Hizbul Mujahidin and on the basis of this baseless blame, he was killed in a fake encounter with the Indian security forces. His death made him immortal and now the people of Kashmir worship and praise him like a hero because he fought for them with his words. His death anniversary is observed every year not only in Jammu Kashmir but also in every part of the world where lives even a single Kashmiri.

Even this year, Kashmiris living in the United Kingdom staged protest demonstrations in London, Birmingham, Glasgow and various cities of the UK and Europe on the death anniversary of Burhan Wani. Main protests were held outside Indian High Commission London and Indian Consulate in Birmingham. The demonstrators raised slogans against the illegal Indian occupation of Kashmir including: "Stop state terrorism in Kashmir, end Indian colonization of Kashmir, We want freedom, Indian army out and release all political prisoners. In short every year a very remarkable increase could be noticed in the number of those who participate in his death anniversary processions all over the world. From July 2016 to July 2021 the graph of his popularity is continuously soaring high and high.

13th July 1931 had another more pathetic tale to narrate. According to the details, on 21st June 1931, a public meeting was convened at Khanqa-e-Mualla to choose the representatives of Kashmiri Muslims. At the end of the meeting, a young Muslim, Abdul Qadeer, delivered a speech against the Maharaja and was arrested on 25 June for agitation. On 13 July 1931, Kashmiris gathered in front of Srinagar Central Jail to show solidarity at the time of his trial. As the time for obligatory prayers approached, a young Kashmiri stood up for Azaan (call for prayer); that young man was killed by the Dogra police at the spot. Another youth came forward to continue the Azaan and was also shot dead. In this way, 22 Kashmiris embraced martyrdom during the process of completion of the Azaan. Since then, 13th July is commemorated as Martyrs' Day every year. The incident ignited a chain of protests for which Muslim notables were arrested and Srinagar was given under military control while civil administration was suspended. Increase in violence by Dogra Forces led to No Tax Campaign in districts Mirpur, Poonch, Rajuri and Bhimber from January 1932. To calm down the Muslim protesters and to inquire into their grievances the Galancy Commission was formed which published its fact-finding report in April 1932. The Maharaja accepted the Commissions recommendations to give adequate representation to Muslims in state services but never implemented them. Same behavior of bias and injustice is still in practice. People say that time always keeps on changing but in the valley of Kashmir, time seems paralyzed as nothing ever changes there with the passage of time; same pains and same troubles, the same agony and the same distress for the people of Kashmir.

The helpless people of Occupied Kashmir have been a victim to the Indian atrocities and cruelties for the last many decades. Countless mothers waiting for their sons; numerous daughters waiting for their fathers but the local police authorities say The missing ones are the militants; they are the terrorists; we too are searching for them; we have their names in the list of the Most Wanted. But the facts are otherwise; the missing ones and the disappeared ones are neither the terrorists nor the militants; they are the murdered ones. The Indian security forces are the murderers. If some day the international peace-keepers start excavating the valleys of the Indian Occupied Kashmir, they would find thousands of unmarked graves and unidentified dead bodies hidden under the rotten leaves and in the depths of stagnant water pools. All possible is being done by the Indian intelligence agencies and Hindu extremists groups for degrading anyone having any linkage with Islam or Kashmir; and it is really something very pathetic. Surely the civilized world around must listen to the SOS calls of the wretched Kashmiris.
The United States donated 500,000 Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) as part of its commitment to support Sri Lankas fight against COVID-19. These tests, worth 300 million Sri Lankan rupees (USD 1.5 million), were delivered to the Sri Lanka Ministry of Health through the United States Governments development arm, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). These RDTs come in addition to over 1.5 million Moderna vaccines the American people donated to Sri Lanka on Friday, July 16.

By enabling rapid detection of the virus, these tests donated by the American people will save lives and protect public health in Sri Lanka, said USAID Mission Director to Sri Lanka and Maldives, Reed Aeschliman. This donation builds on previous U.S. support to the Sri Lankan governments pandemic response and reflects our strong, long-standing partnership.

These antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic tests directly detect the presence of the COVID-19 virus. The tests are simple to use and enable fast, decentralized access to direct testing. They do not require additional equipment or specialized laboratory access, which helps achieve high testing coverage.

The United States has worked closely with Sri Lanka since the outset of the pandemic to protect public health, providing over $8 million in emergency supplies and critical services, plus an in-kind donation of 200 ventilators and over 1.5 million Moderna vaccines. This assistance has reached millions of people in all 25 districts and nine provinces of Sri Lanka to control the spread of COVID-19, address the urgent health needs of the Sri Lankan people, mitigate the pandemics negative economic impacts, and ultimately save lives.

USAIDs COVID-19 support builds on decades of public health investments and is one component of the longstanding partnership between the American and Sri Lankan people. USAIDs program in Sri Lanka, totaling more than 350 billion LKR ($2 billion) since 1961, promotes a healthy, educated, and employed population. To find out more about USAIDs work, please visit https://www.usaid.gov/sri-lanka.
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Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fc0076aa518)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fc00757b808)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fc0076aa518)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fc00757b808)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fc00757bbc8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fc00757b808)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fc00757b808)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fc006d49290)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7fc00769b5e8)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7fc00769b5e8)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
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context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

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Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fc007674e30)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fc00779c4e0)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fc007674e30)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fc00779c4e0)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fc0076b4f28)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fc00779c4e0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fc00779c4e0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fc006d4aa20)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7fc007760da0)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7fc007760da0)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
23cm band: Amateur radio coexistence with Sat-Nav The Chair of IARU Region 1 Spectrum Affairs, Barry Lewis G4SJH, reports on the meeting of the ITU-R Working Party 4C (WP4C) July 5-13 which discussed the amateur radio 1240 MHz band



On the IARU-R1 site he writes:



During the period 5-13 July 2021, the preparatory work for WRC-23 agenda item 9.1b continued in ITU-R Working Party 4C (WP4C). (See Region 1 Feb 23rd news item for further background). The IARU member representatives from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Japan, Norway, UK and USA, participated in the meeting and delivered additional information on amateur activities in this key microwave band



Preliminary studies came from France based on the ongoing CEPT work to provide initial estimates of separation distances required between RNSS GALILEO receivers and a sample of amateur emissions. The European Commission GALILEO team provided a set of observations pertaining to a RNSS interference event in northern Italy.



The work contributed by France, although needing refinement, is going in a good direction, using ITU-R recommended propagation models and assumptions based on operating scenarios provided by the amateur community. Further work is needed to take account of the large disparity between the RNSS service receiver bandwidths and the frequency band offsets of the amateur applications based on the measurements carried out by Germany.



The RNSS community have updated their RNSS receiver protection criteria with an update to ITU-R Recommendation M.1902 that now includes parameters relevant to the GALILEO E6 signal block. However these criteria only distinguish between a narrow band and wide band interferer level at the receiver and take no account of offset frequency in the receiver bandwidth or any time variance.



The IARU is working to ensure the amateur services are realistically represented in the studies as they move forward. It remains vital that national amateur communities present their views on the importance of this band to their national regulators in a consolidated and consistent manner. The work will continue throughout the year and beyond both in ITU-R and in the regional telecommunications organisations and the IARU is committed to ensure every group hears the amateur position on this important microwave band.



Read Barry's full post at

https://www.iaru-r1.org/2021/23cm-band-and-sat-nav-coexistence-preliminary-studies-considered-in-itu-r-wp4c/



Read the IARU Summary Meeting Report at

https://www.iaru-r1.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Report-from-WP4C_Jul-2021Rev1.pdf


DXpedition to Willis Island cancelled

Hi All,

Bad news I am afraid;

After months of negotiations with the new Coral Island Management Authority, DXPedition leader Tommy Horozakis VK2IR has had to cancel the Willis Island DXPedition that was planned for November of this year.

A combination of new rules banning the installation of any structures on the islands by the new authority along with the fact that COVID has now spread to four Australian states meant that going ahead was not going to be possible.

The Hellenic Amateur Radio Association of Australia organised DXPedition would have coincided with 100 years of the weather observation and station being on Willis Island.
Mapping directional MW transmitters in USA-Canada

If you listen for MW/AM radio stations in the the USA or Canada then you will surely know that many of them broadcast with directional antennas.



This of course can help or hinder your chance of reception so you need to know what stations are doing. Many years ago one could buy an excellent book that showed all the radiation patterns but of course nowadays computers can do this job more accurately and be kept up to date with the most recent data changes.



We are pleased to launch a software tool by Bill Scott WE7W that will map the radiation pattern of all MW transmitters in North America. Radio Data Medium Wave (RDMW) will do this for daytime, nighttime and even critical hours. And the radiation pattern is superimposed on Google Maps so you can scroll around the globe and zoom in to even see the transmitter masts!



Not only that but RDMW will ray trace from the transmitter to your receiver, calculating the exact path a signal will take and its great circle distance. You can even see how much signal is being radiated in your direction and whether you are likely to hear a particular station.



RDMW has been adapted by the Circle into six regional editions, based upon where you might be listening, but of course you can set your receiver anywhere you wish in the software. You can download RDMW for a small admin charge from the Circle's website.

Find out more here:

https://mwcircle.org/north-american-mw-coverage-maps/



We hope this will serve as a useful DXing tool.
We look forward to this upcoming year [being] a normal year, to be in person and learn like normal kids, he said. Theres been talk about potentially people advocating at the federal level, imposing compulsory masks on kids. Were not doing that in Florida. We need our kids to breathe.
This summer they launched a medium roast cold brew, a mix of 100% Arabica coffee from South America and Indonesia, which can be served still or infused with nitrogen (watch the Lets Go, South Florida video to see how this works). And along with other options including cappuccino and lattes, customers can walk in and ask for a single origin espresso shot sourced anywhere from Africa to South America.
Phillex Anderson and Jacob Henning look at a piece of fallen roof from the condominium above theirs at Villa Bianca on Thursday, July 22, 2021 in Coral Springs. Hennings mother frequently smokes where the roof collapsed and could have been injured if she was out there when it fell, Henning said. (Chris Day/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Broward Countys Board of Rules and Appeals, the guardian of the building code, conducted the spot-check after the surprising collapse of the Champlain condominium tower last month. The Champlain was due for its 40-year structural and electrical checkup, a mandatory requirement in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Buildings hitting age 50 also need a checkup. Palm Beach County does not have the same law, but there are movements at the city and county levels to install new requirements to help keep condo residents safe.
The officers ordered the two men to put their hands in the air. The victim complied but Saleh didnt, according to police. Saleh told them he had a concealed weapons permit and was doing what hes allowed to do.
It has been an extremely awkward place to be put in, and I was hoping that he would be able to resolve these matters. When the multitude of things that I brought to his attention werent resolved and the atmosphere grew worse, I knew that I would be placed in a position to resign, she wrote.
When thinking of who in the district may be best suited to take the seat, School Board Chairman Frank Barbieri said that Burke immediately came to mind. The district will benefit from his experience as CFO, Barbieri said, as he has the knowledge to do both academic side and the operations side of the job.
She will replace Robert Runcie, who resigned after being arrested on a perjury charge. His last day will be Aug. 10. Cartwright is expected to meet Monday with Chairwoman Rosalind Osgood to negotiate a contract. Cartwright will not be allowed to apply for the permanent job, under rules set by the School Board.
Some U.S. churches have been reckoning with this activity for years through ceremonies, apologies and archival investigations, while others are just getting started. Some advocates say churches have more work to do in opening their archives, educating the public about what was done in the name of their faith and helping former students and their relatives tell their stories of family trauma.
But Floridians for Equality and Justice may not be entirely in the clear. Thats because it could get swept up into a separate investigation Miami-Dade prosecutors are conducting into the use of a no-party spoiler candidate to help Republicans win a Miami-area Senate race. Two people have been charged in that case: Artiles, the former Republican lawmaker, and a friend that prosecutors say he bribed to run as a no-party candidate.
The Cuban people are desperate. With no political venues to air grievances, they are expressing themselves the only way they can. Please listen to their voices and pay attention to their message. Cuba is in the middle of a humanitarian crisis. There is, however, an opportunity hiding in this crisis. Difficult moments like these often define true leaders. Be the hero the people need. You and only you can decide what happens next. Prioritize working with the Cuban people  not against them.
National tourism has help raise the hotel occupancy rates on the Costa del Sol and the hoteliers association, Aehcos, expects to close the month of July with a figure of 62 per cent.

An increase in the number vaccinated British holidaymakers arriving, coincided with booking cancellations from countries like Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, whose governments considered Spain an unsafe destination.

Aehcos president, Jose Luque, said the data is worrying as the number of British tourists arriving has not reached the level expected after the UK lifted quarantine requirements on English people, jabbed by the NHS, returning home.

The effect has not yet been felt in Costa del Sol hotels and Fuengirola, Torremolinos and Benalmadena - the towns most dependent on the British market  are reporting occupancy rates of 47, 59 and 68 per cent, respectively, he said adding, and bookings have slowed down in August due to the increase in infection rates. Performing better were Malaga city with occupancy rates of 77 per cent and Nerja (76 per cent) while Marbella registered 66 per cent/

Aehcos has called for another vaccination push to avoid another hit on tourism, as well as for the authorities to reconsider the metrics and prioritise hospital pressure statistics ahead of the coronavirus incidence rates.

And Luque warns that "the registered population is being taken into account for the incidence rate and not the floating population (of holidaymakers) when, in many cases, the latter can be double that of the resident population, as is the case in Marbella and other tourist towns."
National Police officers on the Costa del Sol are investigating the circumstances that led up to the death of a 26-year-old Swedish man in a Marbella swimming pool.

The young man and his friends had rented a villa on the Rio Real residential development, an exclusive area full of luxury homes, to celebrate a stag holiday. They had been celebrating the bachelor party for several days, until the accident happened.

The Swedish citizen was spotted floating unconsciousin the pool and pulled from the water by his friends. They performed resuscitation techniques, before being relieved by paramedics who managed to restart the young man's heart. But they could not stabilise it and it stopped beating again, permanently.

The National Police are awaiting the results of the autopsy to establish the cause of death, but the main theory being investigated is that the young man hit his head on the bottom of the pool, although it has not been ruled out that he may have slipped on the pool edge, hit his head, and then fallen into the water.

Several sources have told SUR the victim had consumed nitrous oxide, commonly known as 'laughing gas', moments before the incident.

The colourless gas has become increasingly common on the Costa del Sol for several years and can cause a sensation of euphoria and disinhibition. It can also lead to loss of balance and dizziness.

At the beginning of June there were several serious incidents (two in less than 24 hours)involving people who had, allegedly, consumed the gas including a girl who got out of a moving car and jumped off a bridge, while a 30-year-old man was left in critical condition after misjudging a jump from a room balcony into a swimming pool during a party.

The most serious event related to this drug resulted in the death of a 23-year-old man who was found dead in his home by firefighters. They broke into the property after being alerted by the young man's family, who called the police when they had heard nothing from him. Next to his dead body were hundreds of single-dose capsules of 'laughing gas', many of them empty, and a siphon of the type used for ingesting the substance.

Nitrous oxide has been used in medicine for years, particularly in dental surgeries where it is used in small amounts to achieve a sedative and analgesic effect.
The Junta de Andalucia published its latest Covid-19 control measures in the BOJA regional gazette this Wednesday, 21 July, after they were agreed by the regional government's Committee of Experts on Tuesday.

The main proposal is for a curfew, between 2 and 7 am in the morning, in large towns and cities where the coronavirus infection rate exceeds one thousand cases per one hundred thousand inhabitants in the last fourteen days  although any request would have to ratified by the top court in the region, the TSJA.

But among other new restrictions that come into force this Thursday, such as those that will govern the hospitality industry in terms of the new limits on customer numbers, another related to capacity stands out.

In the case of mass events, such as concerts or sporting events, the Andalusian Government "recommends" that the public can only access them if they have "the EU Digital Covid certificate, proof of being fully vaccinated, a negative test in the last 72 hours, or proof of having recovered from the disease".

However, as in the case of the night-time closure of beaches and parks in the most affected municipalities, it is only a recommendation from the Junta to the local authorities.

Among other measures agreed by the Committee of Experts and published in the BOJA, a reduction in the of capacity in hospitality and nightlife venues has been established according to the level of alert decreed in each health district or town. And, in the case of nightlife establishments, an record of customers will be requested to improve the traceability of any possible infections.
Three Spanish police officers have been injured in Melilla after 238 immigrants scaled a six-metre high border fence which separates the autonomous city from Morocco, this Thursday morning (22 July).

A spokesperson said that the immigrants, all of them men, breached the border at around 6.50 am and said that two of the Guardia Civil officers were injured by metal hooks that used by the group to scale the double fence.

Sources have confirmed that they have all been rounded up and transferred to a temporary stay centre, where they will be quarantined.

This is the third mass scaling of the border fence in the last ten days, after one on 12 July, when 119 migrants entered and on 14 July with a score.

The Government delegation in Melilla, as well as Guardia Civil and National Police professional associations have denounced the violence used by the migrants and said they regularly face assailants armed with iron bars, sticks, stones and others objects.
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The Women's Network is set to open a chapter at Texas A&M to connect women across campus as well as on a much larger scale through the organization as a whole.
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KBR has been awarded a nitric acid technology contract by Haifa Group for two of its process plants at Mishor Rotem, Israel.

Under the terms of the contract, KBR will provide licence, basic engineering design and proprietary equipment for both plants, to deliver a capacity increase of approximately 35 percent at each plant.

"We are proud to partner with Haifa Group to increase the production capacity of its plants through the use of our proprietary technology and knowhow," said Doug Kelly, KBR President, Technology. "KBR has the industry's leading design for energy-efficient nitric acid production in both mono-pressure and dual-pressure plants, and we look forward to working with Haifa to deliver higher production capacities while lowering plant emissions and operating expenses."

Motti Levin, Haifa Group CEO, said: "This is a strategic initiative that strengthens Haifa's position as a leader in the field of precision agriculture. It will contribute to an increase in agricultural yields while helping maintain an ecological balance. The two nitric acid plants are integral to our expansion plan to double our production capacity in the coming years."

KBR's Weatherly nitric acid technology, combining years of plant experience with cutting-edge technology innovation, has been successfully employed in 75 plants worldwide since the 1950's, including approximately 80% of all US plants.-- TradeArabia News Service
New Delhi, Jul 22 (UNI) The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved Rs 6,322 crore production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for a group of specialty steel.

The scheme proposes to incentivise eligible manufacturers by paying between 4% to 12% incentive on incremental production. The incentives will be capped at Rs 200 crore in a year.

Announcing the decision, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Anurag Thakur said that the proposed incentive scheme will create more than 5.25 lakh jobs, cut down import burden and will boost high-grade specialty steel in the country.

"The scheme will not only cut import burden but also boost end-to-end manufacturing. It will attract an investment of Rs 39,625 crore in the sector and additional production capacity of 25 MT," the Minister said.

The scheme will boost the production of high grade specialty steel in the country. Further, it will lead to enhanced exports and minimising dependence on imports for high-end steel.

As per the official statement, the duration of the scheme will be five years commencing from 2023-24 to 2027-28.

The PLI scheme would cover Coated/Plated steel products, high strength/wear resistant steel, specialty rails, alloy steel products, steel wires and electrical steel.

"These steel products are used in a variety of applications which are both strategic and non-strategic and include white goods, automobile body parts and components, pipes for transportation of oil and gas, boilers, ballistic and armour sheets meant for defence application, high-speed railway lines, turbine components, electrical steel meant for power transformers and electric vehicles," said the press note.

India currently operates at the lower end of the value chain in steel sector and value added steel grades are largely imported in India.

Among other major decisions, the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi cleared the proposal to establish Central University of Ladakh at a cost of Rs 750 crore.

The I&B Minister Mr Thakur said that setting up of the University will address regional imbalances in higher education level and promote overall growth & development of the Union Territory (UT).

An integrated multi-purpose Corporation was also cleared for Ladakh. The corporation will help in infrastructure cooperation and will act as the main construction agency in the newly-carved out UT.

UNI NK SHK1642
Terrorists carry out 29 attacks on Syria's Idlib zone: Russian Reconciliation Center 28 Jul 2021 | 6:21 AM Moscow, Jul 28 (UNI/Sputnik) The Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group (banned in Russia) shelled Syria's Idlib de-escalation zone 29 times over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry's Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria said at a briefing. see more..

WTO members fail to agree on patent waiver for COVID-19 vaccines 28 Jul 2021 | 6:19 AM Geneva, Jul 28 (UNI/Sputnik) The World Trade Organization member countries have failed to reach a consensus on a temporary waiver of intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines, WTO spokesman Keith Rockwell said on Tuesday following the General Council session. see more..

Biden warns of war with a superpower over Cyberattacks 28 Jul 2021 | 2:44 AM (Correcting title and first paragraph)

Washington, Jul 27 (UNI/SPUTNIK) US President Joe Biden on Tuesday during remarks to the US national intelligence community warned of a possible threat of war with a superpower stemming from cyberattacks, and claimed that Russia is meddling in next years midterm elections in the United States. see more..

Biden warns of war with Russia over Cyberattacks, says Russia meddling in 2022 Election 28 Jul 2021 | 2:30 AM Washington, Jul 27 (UNI/SPUTNIK) US President Joe Biden on Tuesday during remarks to the US national intelligence community warned of a possible threat of war with Russia stemming from cyberattacks, and claimed that Russia was already meddling in next years midterm elections in the United States. see more..
KELLIE FOY is Editor in Chief for The Vidette. She can be contacted at vidette_kafoy1@ilstu.edu Follow Foy on Twitter at @kellie_foy

IF YOU SUPPORT THE VIDETTE MISSION of providing a training laboratory for Illinois State University student journalists to learn and sharpen viable, valuable and marketable skills in all phases of print and digital media, please consider contributing to this most important cause. Thank you.


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48th Gibraltar International Art Exhibition

Gibraltar Cultural Services, on behalf of the Ministry of Culture, is inviting entries for the 47th Gibraltar International Art Competition. Entries will be exhibited at the Gustavo Bacarisas Galleries from the 3rd to the 13th November 2021.

The competition is open to anyone aged 16 and over as at 22nd October 2021. A maximum of two paintings and two sculptures may be submitted by each artist with a 10 per entry fee applicable.

Works must be original and not previously entered competitively.

Prizes are:

1st Prize The Gustavo Bacarisas Prize 5,000

2nd Prize The Jacobo Azagury Prize 2,000

3rd Prize The Leni Mifsud Prize 1,500

Best Gibraltar Theme The Rudesindo Mannia Prize 1,000

Best Young Artist (16-24 yrs) The Mario Finlayson Prize 1,000

All the above listed winning artworks will become the property of the Ministry of Culture. Entry forms and conditions are available from:

The Fine Arts Gallery, Casemates

The Mario Finlayson National Art Gallery, City Hall

Gibraltar Cultural Services, John Mackintosh Hall, 308 Main Street Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Online: www.culture.gi

Entries must be handed in at the Gustavo Bacarisas Galleries from Wednesday 20th October 2021 from 3pm to 7pm. Closing date for receipt of entries is Friday 22nd October 2021. Entries will be exhibited at the Gustavo Bacarisas Galleries from the 3rd November to 13th November 2021.
Cancellation of Large Events

The Government has today said it regrets that it has proceeded to cancel all large events between now and September planned for Government premises.

The only events that will for the moment proceed with will be smaller, seated, ticketed events, and only with patrons being double vaccinated and having had a negative COVID test within the previous 24 hours.

Government is saddened by the fact that it has had to take this step, once the community had for some months been able to once enjoy a more normal social life, but has had to respond to the rapid growth in COVID-19 cases, and in particular recent hospitalisations.

The Ministry of Culture and the Office of Civil Contingencies will be reaching out to event organisers to explain the rationale, and the Ministry will of course assist in holding these events in the future when the situation once again improves.

The Government calls on private bars, restaurants and nightclubs to be cautious in the events that they hold, to strictly control numbers and to ensure that clients are vaccinated and have a negative COVID-19 test result.

At this point in time the Government says it is not considering introducing legislation to control catering establishments and nightclubs, but this is of course a possibility should cases continue to rise regardless.

'While all of this is inconvenient and burdensome, it is important that we continue to work together, as we have done up to now, in reducing the risk of transmission and once again obliterating COVID-19 in the community.'
The Customs Administration of the Republic of Serbia officially welcomed the SECO-WCO Global Trade Facilitation Programme (GTFP) on 22 July 2021.

The launching of this virtual event was attended by representatives of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, in particular from the Ministries of Finance, Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications, Plant and Veterinary Directorate, SECO headquarters and SECO Country Office, as well as representatives of private sector associations. The Customs Administration of Serbia welcomed this collaboration and highlighted the important benefits it will achieve in support to the implementation of the customs strategic goals and trade priorities in Serbia.

The launch of the Programme in Serbia was also the opportunity to officially install the first meeting of the National Project Steering Committee (NPSC) and approve the GTFP Work Plan for years 2021 and 2022, as well as the GTFP capacity building activities in the country. Members of the NPSC include representatives of the Serbian Customs Administration, SECO, the WCO and other relevant national bodies involved in trade facilitation and modernisation in Serbia as well as representatives of business associations.

For more information on the GTFP, please, contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org
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West Hartford (06107)

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Thunderstorms this evening followed by a few showers overnight. Low 64F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

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Thunderstorms this evening followed by a few showers overnight. Low 64F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Couple Sought In Paducah Shooting Arrested

By West Kentucky Star Staff

PADUCAH - Two people were arrested Wednesday in connection to the shooting of a man at his home on Washington Street early Sunday morning.Paducah Police said 28-year-old Zach Hulpa and 18-year-old Mikayla Little, both of Paducah, were arrested Wednesday at an apartment building where they had been staying on Hovekamp Road in McCracken County.Hulpa was charged with first-degree assault, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, and possession of methamphetamine after a search of Hulpa allegedly uncovered methamphetamine. Little was charged with complicity to first-degree assault..Paducah police said the shooting happened at a home in the 1600 block of Washington Street. The victim told officers he invited a couple to his home when an argument ensued, and the victim was shot in the upper back. The man and woman fled the scene. The victim was taken to a local hospital with reported non-life-threatening injuries.Along with the charges from the shooting, Hulpa was additionally served with a warrant charging him with second-degree assault after he was reportedly identified as the man who pistol-whipped another man last Friday at a motel on Bridge Street.He also had a warrant for his arrest from Fulton County charging him with violating an emergency protection order.
COVID Closes Oscar Cross Summer Camp

By West Kentucky Star Staff

PADUCAH - The Oscar Cross Boys & Girls Club of Paducah has closed, bringing an early end to its summer camp following a Covid-19 exposure. However, they do plan to open back up when kids go back to school.The club made the announcement on their Facebook page Thursday, saying, "We have enjoyed serving our members this summer, and as always, their safety is our number one priority. It is our plan to be open again on August 18th, as kids are heading back to school."
McCracken Relay For Life Meeting Tonight

By West Kentucky Star Staff

MCCRACKEN COUNTY - The American Cancer Society's Relay For Life of McCracken County will hold its monthly planning meeting this evening at 5:30 at Heartland Worship Center's Fellowship Hall in Paducah.Tonight's agenda includes updates on Relay fundraising events leading up to the Relay Survivor Celebration. The Celebrations is scheduled for Friday, October 8th and will take the place of a traditional Relay. This year's fundraising goal is $100,000. The deadline for this goal is December 30th.The meeting is open to the public. Refreshments will be served. If you, your business, church or group would like to take part, please attend tonight's meeting. You can also contact Relay chair Cindy Malray at 270-441-5325 or Cindy.Malray@pad.pppo.gov.On the Net:
Paducah Job Fair Set for August 4

By West Kentucky Star Staff

PADUCAH - To help employers showcase available job opportunities, the West Kentucky Workforce Board has joined forces with several partners to sponsor a job fair on August 4.The event will take place at the Julian Carroll Convention Center from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.Job seekers will be able to explore full-time and part-time jobs in multiple industries, from positions requiring no high school diploma or GED to positions requiring advanced college degrees.Attendees will also have an opportunity to connect with companies that offer Second Chance Employment.Joining the Workforce Board in sponsoring the event are the City of Paducah, Four Rivers Society of Human Resource Managers, Greater Paducah Economic Development, Kentucky Career Center, Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce, and more."For folks who need help writing a resume, if you're looking for a job, or just want to talk with an HR professional, this is going to be a very all-inclusive type of job fair," said City of Paducah Communications Manager Pam Spencer. "It's not just looking for a job. You're going to find out what some of these companies do that maybe you don't even know that they have jobs you might be interested in. So it's a variety."Any employers interested in registering for the event should contact the Customer Experience Department at Paducah City Hall by calling 270-444-8800.
Paducah Man Arrested For Trailer Theft

By West Kentucky Star Staff

PADUCAH - A Paducah Man was arrested Wednesday following an investigation into a trailer theft.The McCracken County Sheriff's Office says an enclosed trailer was reported stolen on Lovelaceville Road Friday. Deputies were able to obtain surveillance video of the theft and a McCracken County Court Security Officer recognized the vehicle that was involved in the theft.Later that evening detectives obtained and executed a search warrant at a home in the 2300 block of Monroe Street in Paducah. Detectives said they were able to find the majority of the tools that were in the trailer, but did not locate the trailer or the suspect.The Paducah Police Department was able to locate the trailer in an alley on Saturday.Detectives and deputies went back to the home of the suspect on Monroe Street Wednesday and after a search of the home they found 49-year-old Carl Morton hiding in the attic. Morton refused to come out of the attic and then fell through the ceiling where he was then taken into custody.Morton was also wanted for failure to appear on a previous fleeing or evading charge and other felony criminal charges as well as jumping bail.Morton was charged with the warrants and theft by unlawful taking over $10,000 and criminal mischief 1st degree.
More Details in Dippin' Dots Facility Explosion

By West Kentucky Star Staff, The Associated Press

PADUCAH - The investigation continues after an explosion Wednesday in a building used by the Dippin' Dots company.Paducah Police said they received a call about the explosion on Charter Oaks Drive at 4:03 p.m. Early reports said there were ten people injured and transported to Paducah hospitals. The severity of their injuries is unknown.The explosion happened as a truck was unloading liquid nitrogen, but police are not yet sure what caused the blast.The building where it occurred is owned by Dippin Dots but is not where they manufacture ice cream. Instead it is used to manufacture ingredients for a third-party company.Dippin' Dots CEO Scott Fischer released the following statement on Wednesday:"My heart is with our employees, especially those injured in this afternoons terrible incident. I care deeply for our employees  they are family to me. Please join me in praying for our employees. Your support will be greatly appreciated by the Dippin Dots extended family during this difficult moment."
Suspect Sought in North Side Paducah Shooting

By West Kentucky Star Staff

PADUCAH - Police are investigating an early-morning shooting on Paducah's north side that left a man hospitalized.The Paducah Police Department says officers were called at 4:05 a.m. to a home in the 1100 block of North 12th Street. They arrived to find a 26-year-old man had been shot. He was taken to a local hospital, and was then transferred to an out-of-state hospital for treatment.Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Paducah Police Department at 270-444-8550. Information also may be provided anonymously through West Kentucky Crime Stoppers by texting WKY and your tip to 847411 (tip 411), or by downloading the app WKY Crime Stoppers from the Apple Store or Google Play.Information leading to an arrest or indictment may result in a reward of up to $1,000.
KY Small Cities Get $157M For COVID Expenses

By West Kentucky Star Staff

WESTERN KENTUCKY - On Thursday Governor Beshear announced more than $157 million in funding for more than 360 cities in Kentucky from the American Rescue Plan Act.The funding to offset expenses related to COVID includes $6.4 million for Paducah, $5 million for Murray, and $2.2 million for Mayfield.The first half of funding will arrive as soon as next week, with the second half to come next spring. It can be used for expenses incurred by the city for items such as personal protective equipment, vaccination clinics, loss of revenue, and payroll.Cities with populations under 50,000 that did not file for a different distinction with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, were required to submit budget certification forms to the Department for Local Government.Here is the list of cities in our area receiving funds and the total amount they will receive:Barlow $166,769.60Kevil $151,232.06La Center $248,341.68Bardwell $174,279.41Hazel $48,712.50Murray $5,004,900.67Marion $735,702.53Fulton $548,993.09Mayfield $2,542,200.54Wingo $150,564.00Clinton $323,957.71Columbus $39,620.73Salem $187,227.36Smithland $74,580.19Eddyville $659,050.66Kuttawa $173,502.53Benton $1,155,734.03Calvert City $648,692.30Hardin $156,411.24Paducah $6,439,015.63Cadiz $691,679.50
MSU Foundation Receives $1.5 Million Donation

By West Kentucky Star Staff

MURRAY - Arthur Fields, a 1967 accounting and 1968 MBA alumnus of the Arthur J. Bauernfeind College of Business at Murray State University, recently donated $1,500,000 to the Murray State University Foundation.One million dollars of the donation was used to establish the Arthur W. Fields Fund for Excellence in the College of Business to support scholarships and operational funding for business students and programs. The remaining $500,000 was used to establish the Arthur W. Fields Sigma Chi Scholarship to offer financial support for good-standing, active members of the Epsilon Tau Chapter of the Sigma Chi fraternity."We are deeply grateful to Mr. Fields for his tremendous generosity with this transformational gift. His gift will have an immense impact on the Arthur J. Bauernfeind College of Business and our students, including much-needed scholarships. We greatly appreciate his vision and support as we work to advance the University," said Murray State President Dr. Bob Jackson.Fields believes the education he received at MSU has been instrumental in his professional and financial success. Accordingly, he has established multiple endowments at the MSU Foundation.Fields was recognized by Murray State in 2000 as a distinguished alumnus and was honored by Murray State's Beta Alpha Psi national accounting fraternity as its outstanding alumnus during the same year.
Heres something to think about: You could spend two, or even three, decades in retirement. To meet your income needs for all those years, youll generally need a sizable amount of retirement assets. How will Social Security fit into the picture?
Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-21 15:05:26|Editor: huaxia

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PHNOM PENH, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Wednesday registered 812 new COVID-19 infections including 279 imported cases, bringing the national total caseload to 69,608, the Ministry of Health (MoH) said in a statement.

Nineteen more fatalities were recorded, taking the overall death toll to 1,168, the ministry said, adding that 740 other patients recovered, raising the total number of recoveries to 61,779.

The MoH's secretary of state and spokeswoman Or Vandine renewed her call for people to continue wearing face masks, washing hands with soap frequently, and keeping physical distancing of 1.5 meters to prevent COVID-19 infection.

"These measures will protect you from COVID-19 transmission. Doing them properly and frequently to join our effort to suppress virus transmission ASAP," she said on social media.

The Southeast Asian nation launched a COVID-19 vaccination drive on Feb. 10, with China being the key vaccine supplier.

Vandine said that so far, 6.2 million people, or 62 percent of the 10 million targeted adult population, have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

World Health Organization (WHO) representative to Cambodia Li Ailan urged unity and greater community participation to curb transmission.

"Our top priority right now is to work together with solidarity to suppress virus transmission & minimize social disruption, including ensuring education, safety & health," she wrote on Twitter. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-21 20:06:17|Editor: huaxia

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A health worker prepares a dose of COVID-19 vaccine during a mass vaccination campaign for students from 12 to 17 years old in Tangerang, Indonesia, July 22, 2021. (Xinhua/Agung Kuncahya B.)

JAKARTA, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia on Wednesday recorded 33,772 newly-confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 1,383 deaths in the past 24 hours, the country's Health Ministry said.

This has been the highest daily number of fatalities the country ever reported since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Based on the latest data, the total of coronavirus cases in the Southeast Asian country is 2,983,830, while the COVID-19-related death toll has increased to 77,583.

An additional 32,887 recovered patients were discharged from hospitals, raising the total number of recoveries to 2,356,553.

The virus has spread to all the country's 34 provinces and the more transmissible Delta variant has contributed to the surge in cases in some regions.

The Southeast Asian nation is accelerating its massive vaccination program while maintaining restrictions on community activities amid the deteriorating second wave of outbreak. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-21 23:15:22|Editor: huaxia

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Citizens transport their property on a flooded street in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province, July 21, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang)

BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities on Wednesday raised the emergency response for flood control to Level II, the second-highest level in the response system, as heavy downpours continued to lash the central China province of Henan.

Extremely heavy rainfall hit Henan on Tuesday, with precipitation in Zhengzhou, the provincial capital, exceeding the highest level on local weather records, the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) said.

The rainstorm has caused the water level in a reservoir to rise rapidly, said the ministry, adding that all residents downstream were relocated in advance.

From 8 a.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Wednesday, the average rainfall in Zhengzhou was 458.2 mm, with accumulated precipitation in some areas even surpassing the city's total average yearly rainfall, the China Meteorological Administration said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday demanded that authorities at all levels must give top priority to ensuring people's safety and property, and carefully and strictly implement the flood prevention and disaster relief measures.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in an important instruction after continuous heavy rainfall hit regions including central China's Henan Province, causing heavy casualties and property losses.

The death toll from torrential rains in central China's Henan Province has risen to 25, with seven people missing, local authorities told a press briefing on Wednesday afternoon.

Since July 16, over 1.24 million people have been affected by the extremely heavy rainfall, and about 164,710 people have been relocated to safe places, said Xu Zhong, director of the office of the Henan provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.

China has a four-tier flood-control emergency response system, with Level I being the most severe.

EMERGENCY WORK

Government bodies, organizations, and companies have been moving quickly regarding emergency work in Henan Province.

The MEM has dispatched a working team to the affected areas in Henan to help local authorities with disaster relief work.

A rescue team of 1,800 firefighters has been deployed to the flood-hit region from seven neighboring provinces, together with boats, pumping vehicles, and flood rescue kits.

Firefighters pump rainwater out of a road in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, July 21, 2021. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan)

The heavy rainfall has caused cuts in electricity and coal supply shortages, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said.

The NDRC is working to increase clean-energy power generation and enhance gas-power generation output to deal with the coal shortage problem.

By 8 a.m. Wednesday, the power supply was restored to 450,600 households, according to the NDRC.

The All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) immediately activated its emergency response and allocated 2 million yuan (about 308,475 U.S. dollars) to its Henan subsidiary to assist the disaster-affected employees.

The ACFTU said it would pay close attention to the disaster conditions and is well-prepared for future relief work.

The State Post Bureau (SPB) also launched an emergency response timeously, calling for preparations for heavy rainfalls and efforts to ensure the safety of employees in the express delivery industries.

By 9 a.m. Wednesday, no casualties were reported in the express delivery sector in Henan Province, said the SPB.

Traffic has been disrupted in up to 30 sections of national and provincial highways in Henan due to flooding and collapsed roads, the Ministry of Transport said.

As of 7 a.m. Wednesday, 26 expressways in the region have reported partial closures, but there are not currently high numbers of vehicles and travelers stranded, said the transport ministry.

In this aerial photo, firefighters pump rainwater out of a road in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, July 21, 2021. (Photo by Ma Xiaoran/Xinhua)

Floods and downpours have also affected flight and train services. With a red alert for flight delays in place from 8 p.m. Tuesday to noon on Wednesday, all flights due to land at the airport in Zhengzhou were canceled.

Parts of the Zhengzhou-Xi'an high-speed railway and the Lianyungang-Lanzhou railway saw tracks and equipment flooded, as well as trackbed collapses, said the China State Railway Group.

To restore the storm-damaged communication networks in Zhengzhou, local telecommunication companies rushed to repair at least 6,300 base stations and 275 kilometers of optical fiber cables as of 10 a.m. Wednesday, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said.

WEATHER FORECASTS

China's national observatory Wednesday morning renewed an orange alert for rainstorms, the second-highest alert in its color-coded weather warning system, in many parts of the country, including Henan.

From Wednesday morning to Thursday morning, heavy rains and rainstorms will continue in Henan and its neighboring provinces, the observatory said. Parts of Henan and Hebei will see rainstorms with up to 280 mm of daily precipitation.

The observatory warned that some areas are likely to see over 70 mm of hourly rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms and gales. 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-22 00:12:27|Editor: huaxia

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JERUSALEM, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Israel has announced an agriculture reform plan to reduce prices of fruits, vegetables, eggs and other products, the Israeli Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture said on Wednesday in a joint statement.

"This is the largest-scale reform in Israel's agriculture field in the last 30 years. We are launching an agricultural revolution in favor of consumers, innovation and farmers," said Israeli Agriculture Minister Oded Forer.

The program, which implements the recommendation of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), is expected to increase competition in Israel's agriculture industry and expand the range of products by easing regulation, and thus reduce consumer prices, the ministries said.

They noted that the prices of fruits and vegetables in recent years have jumped by more than 80 percent on average, adding that the new plan will thus save 2.7 billion shekels (824 million U.S. dollars) per year for Israeli consumers.

It is expected to enhance competition by reducing the import taxes imposed on all fruits and vegetables, including an immediate cancelation of taxes imposed on eggs, avocados, lychees, and pineapples.

The program also includes a broad support package for Israeli farmers, such as tax benefits, cost reductions, and grants for innovation.

Israel's finance minister Avigdor Lieberman said that the reform will support Israeli farmers while reducing consumers' living costs. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-22 11:14:31|Editor: huaxia

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Ice blocks are placed to help cool off as people wait to receive COVID-19 tests outside a testing site at the Hexi compound of the Nanjing First Hospital in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, July 22, 2021. A total of 13 locally transmitted COVID-19 confirmed cases and nine asymptomatic carriers were reported as of 1 p.m. Thursday in Nanjing after new infections emerged at an airport earlier this week. The city launched an all-inclusive nucleic acid testing campaign Wednesday. (Xinhua/Yang Shaogong)

NANJING, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, launched an all-inclusive nucleic acid testing campaign Wednesday after 17 airport workers tested positive for COVID-19.

Medical personnel continued the testing campaign overnight in residential communities. Community workers and volunteers have been mobilized to help maintain order as people queue for tests.

The mega-city with a population of more than 9.3 million has classified 10 areas as medium-risk for COVID-19 and implemented closed management.

The 17 airport workers were tested positive for COVID-19 during a routine nucleic acid testing for airport staff.

The municipal government has urged residents not to leave the city unless necessary. Anyone leaving the city must produce a negative nucleic acid test certificate issued within 48 hours of their departure. The rule does not apply to transit passengers. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-22 11:24:36|Editor: huaxia

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Cargos are transported on automatic vehicles at the automatic dock of the Qingdao port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Jan. 14, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhang Jingang)



JINAN, July 22 (Xinhua) -- China's Shandong Province saw its foreign trade with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative rise 45.5 percent year on year to over 423.48 billion yuan (about 65.47 billion U.S. dollars) in the first half the year, official statistics have shown.

The province's trade with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) accounted for more than 45 percent of its total trade volume with Belt and Road countries during the period, according to statistics announced at a press conference held by the provincial government.

Exports to Belt and Road countries hit 227.58 billion yuan, up 41.8 percent year on year, and imports from these countries grew 50.1 percent to 195.9 billion yuan.

The top commodities exported to Belt and Road countries were mechanical and electrical products, as well as steel. 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-22 15:21:39|Editor: huaxia

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Aerial photo taken on Jan. 11, 2021 shows a view of the Pacific international container terminal at Tianjin Port in north China's Tianjin Municipality. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that facing the sudden strike of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Arab states have helped each other, set a good example of jointly battling the pandemic, and opened up new areas of mutually beneficial cooperation.

ALGIERS, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday that the purpose of his trip to Syria, Egypt and Algeria is to push forward the implementation of the consensus reached by Chinese President Xi Jinping and the heads of state of the three Mideast countries, and to enhance friendship.

Wang made the remarks during an interview with Chinese press as he wrapped up his visit to the Middle East.

He said that his visit is also to strengthen mutual trust, deepen cooperation, promote regional peace and stability, push forward unity and cooperation among developing countries, and safeguard international fairness and justice.

Wang said that he and his hosts have agreed to strengthen strategic communication and coordination, continue to support each other on issues involving their respective core interests and major concerns, and make new contributions to the building of a China-Arab community with a shared future.

Workers carry boxes of medical equipment donated by China in Damascus, capital of Syria, on June 24, 2020. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua)

All parties have also agreed that the joint construction of the Belt and Road serves the fundamental interests of both China and Arab states, and the two sides will continue to deepen cooperation in such fields as infrastructure, industrial parks, energy and transportation, information and communication, aviation and aerospace, personnel training, in a bid to achieve common development, said the senior diplomat.

"We all agree that it is urgent to realize peace and stability in the Middle East and all parties should work together to find a permanent solution," he added.

Wang also noted that facing the sudden strike of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Arab states have helped each other, set a good example of jointly battling the pandemic, and opened up new areas of mutually beneficial cooperation, adding that China has donated and exported over 72 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to 17 Arab countries and the Arab League.

China and the Arab states hold that the origin tracing of the virus is a scientific issue, which should be carried out by professionals in a scientific manner, Wang said, adding that politicization of the pandemic should be rejected.

Workers upload a batch of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines onto a truck in Cairo International Airport, Egypt, Feb. 23, 2021. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)

In the next stage, China will work with Arab countries to further carry out joint production of vaccines, promote fair distribution of vaccines, oppose "vaccine nationalism," and continue to contribute to the world's final victory over the virus, he added.

Trampling on the sovereignty of other countries in the name of democratic transformation is an unpopular practice, Wang said, noting that instigating "color revolutions" and forcing regime changes are even more harmful.

The international community should urge the United States and the West to immediately lift all unilateral sanctions and economic blockades against Syria, and on that basis quickly carry out cross-line humanitarian assistance on the premise of respecting Syria's sovereignty, he said.

China is committed to upholding sovereign independence and territorial integrity of all countries, and Syria is no exception, he said, adding that China is ready to work with the international community to make due contribution to restoring stability and realizing reconstruction in Syria.

Wang noted that the Palestinian issue concerns the root cause of unrest in the Middle East. A settlement of the issue cannot be delayed indefinitely, and Palestine's dream to build an independent state should not be shelved indefinitely, he said.

China welcomes Palestinian and Israeli representatives to hold direct talks in China, and calls for an international peace conference led by the United Nations (UN), with the participation of permanent members of the UN Security Council and all stakeholders in the Middle East peace process, so as to truly step up efforts to resolve this historically unsolved case, Wang said.

China will continue to provide much-needed assistance to Palestine on the existing basis and donate another one million doses of vaccines to the Palestinian side, Wang said.

China will also work with Egypt to jointly provide 500,000 doses of vaccines to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, relying on the vaccine packing plant established jointly by the two countries in Egypt, he added.

Staff members unload medical donations from China at Algiers International Airport, Algeria, April 21, 2020. (Xinhua)

Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the People's Republic of China's lawful seat in the UN, Wang said that over the past 50 years, China and other developing countries have always supported each other, vigorously boosted the democratization of international relations, world multi-polarization and economic globalization.

Developing countries have also always extended valuable support to China over the issues concerning China's core interests, and become China's strong reliance, he said.

China and other developing countries should resolutely defend fairness and justice, safeguard sovereignty and territorial integrity, oppose hegemonism and power politics, practice genuine multilateralism, and resist a minority group imposing its rules on the international community, Wang said.

China and other developing countries should back each other in searching for paths of development that fit their national conditions, and promote such common values as peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom, which are shared by all humankind, Wang said. 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-22 16:44:24|Editor: huaxia

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War-weary Afghans celebrated the annual Muslim religious festival Eid al-Adha on Tuesday amid both hope and frustration, as the Taliban outfit has been expanding its grip on the conflict-battered country.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-22 17:05:19|Editor: huaxia

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HONG KONG, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) on Thursday reported one new imported case of COVID-19, taking the total tally to 11,971.

A total of 25 cases have been reported in the past 14 days, including 24 imported cases and one import-related case, according to the CHP.

The CHP said epidemiological investigations and relevant contact tracing on the confirmed cases are ongoing, and contacts to relevant cases are subjected to compulsory testing and self monitoring.

As far, some 2.92 million residents have taken at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccines since the launch of the vaccination drive in late February, accounting for 43 percent of the eligible population. About 2.09 million people have been fully vaccinated. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-22 18:01:55|Editor: huaxia

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PHNOM PENH -- Cambodia on Thursday received a new batch of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine, giving the kingdom another boost to its vaccination campaign, a health official said.

The anti-COVID-19 jab purchased from Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm arrived in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, by a flight, health ministry's secretary of state Yok Sambath said. (Cambodia-China-COVID-19 vaccine)

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SEOUL -- South Korea's daily COVID-19 cases broke records for two straight days amid the cluster infections in the Seoul metropolitan area, the health authorities said Thursday.

The country reported 1,842 more cases of the COVID-19 for the past 24 hours, raising the total number of infections to 184,103. (South Korea-COVID-19 cases)

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CANBERRA -- Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said on Thursday that coronavirus lockdowns around the country were costing the economy around 300 million Australian dollars (220.4 million U.S. dollars) a day.

Frydenberg said he expected Australia's GDP to be affected in the current quarter as a result of ongoing lockdowns. (Australia-Coronavirus lockdowns-Cost)

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MANILA -- The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported on Thursday 5,828 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 1,530,266.

The death toll climbed to 26,891 after 17 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH said. The Philippines has detected 12 additional highly infectious Delta variant cases, the DOH said Thursday. (Philippines-COVID-19) Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-22 19:01:28|Editor: huaxia

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The State Council Information Office holds a press conference on the novel coronavirus origin-tracing work in Beijing, capital of China, July 22, 2021. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The claim that the SARS-CoV-2 leaked from a Wuhan lab goes against science, a senior official of the National Health Commission (NHC) said Thursday.

Zeng Yixin, vice director of the NHC, said he was surprised to hear that some people have claimed the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, escaped from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).

The claim is disrespectful to common sense, and goes against science, Zeng told a press conference on the coronavirus origin-tracing work, which is held by China's State Council Information Office.

Yuan Zhiming, director of the National Biosafety Laboratory at the WIV, said that his lab, which studies class four pathogens and boasts the highest biosafety rating, has not had any incidents of leakage since it was put into operation in 2018.

Zeng added that some claims, such as so-called infection of three WIV staff, or the gain-of-function experiment on the novel coronavirus by the lab, are just rumors that have already been quashed.

He noted that it is widely accepted by genetic engineers that the artificial modification of a virus will definitely leave traces. Novel coronavirus has no such trace, which totally rules out the theory that it was man-made.

Up to now, none of the WIV staff members have been infected by the novel coronavirus, the lab has not carried out the gain-of-function experiment on the pathogen, and there is no so-called artificial novel coronavirus in the WIV, he reiterated.

World Health Organization (WHO) experts said after visiting the WIV that it was "extremely unlikely" that the virus spread from a lab leak, Zeng added. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-22 19:12:04|Editor: huaxia

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SUVA, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Fiji reported 918 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, and 15 more deaths from July 19 to 21, health authorities said on Thursday.

The death toll stood at 161, among which 159 were recorded during the latest wave that started in April this year.

A total of 179 recoveries were reported during the period, taking the active cases to 16,403.

Fiji has recorded a total of 21,361 cases since the first case was reported in March last year, with 4,729 recoveries.

Fijians above the age of 18 years are urged to get the COVID-19 vaccine as deaths from the virus are surging.

Currently around 71.5 percent of the target population have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 14.7 percent of the population are now fully vaccinated. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-22 19:55:05|Editor: huaxia

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HONG KONG, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The office of the commissioner of the Chinese foreign ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has strongly disapproved and firmly opposed the so-called Investment Climate Statements issued by the U.S. state department, which smeared the national security law in Hong Kong.

A spokesperson for the office said on Thursday that the U.S. has grossly interfered in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs at large, and violated international law and basic norms governing international relations.

The spokesperson said that the national security law in Hong Kong has put an end to "Hong Kong independence", "black violence" and "mutual destruction". Hong Kong's social order has returned to normal, the environment for governance has been improved, and social justice has been fully upheld.

Hong Kong's economy and finance continue to be strong, its market and investment environment are more stable, and it's status as an international financial, trade and shipping center remains robust, the spokesperson said, adding that foreign investors, including U.S. investors, feel more secure and confident in operating in Hong Kong.

The spokesperson said that U.S. saying of the national security law impacting Hong Kong's business environment is just a lie. Facts have shown that the national security law has safeguarded China's national security, Hong Kong's social stability and tranquility for Hong Kong people.

The spokesperson pointed out that the HKSAR is governed by the rule of law, where laws shall be abided by and rigorously enforced, and no one shall be above the law. The national security law aims to punish a small handful of anti-China, destabilizing forces in Hong Kong who seriously endanger national security, and it protects the vast majority of Hong Kong residents who enjoy the lawful rights and freedoms.

A very small number of people have been arrested, prosecuted and tried by Hong Kong law enforcement and judicial authorities on suspicion of violating the national security law and the local laws of the HKSAR, with sufficient evidence, due procedure, and open and law-based verdict, the spokesperson said.

The U.S. side has been talking about safeguarding the rule of law in Hong Kong, but it pressured and coerced the independent performance of duties of law enforcement and judicial authorities in Hong Kong, tried to whitewash criminals and put political manipulation above the law. This kind of logic is ridiculous, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson stressed that since Hong Kong's return to the motherland, the principles of "one country, two systems", "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy have been effectively implemented, and Hong Kong has made widely recognized achievements.

"We believe that with the in-depth implementation of the national security law and the improvement of Hong Kong's electoral system, with the advancement of the 14th Five-Year Plan and Hong Kong's greater integration into the overall development of China, Hong Kong will be safer, freer, more democratic and more harmonious," the spokesperson said, urging the U.S. side to manage its own affairs, bring in mind its own interests and image, and immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs in any form. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-22 20:33:26|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on July 14, 2020 shows the Golden Bauhinia Square in south China's Hong Kong, July 14, 2020. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaochu)

The national security law in Hong Kong has put an end to "Hong Kong independence", "black violence" and "mutual destruction". Hong Kong's social order has returned to normal, the environment for governance has been improved, and social justice has been fully upheld.

HONG KONG, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The office of the commissioner of the Chinese foreign ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has strongly disapproved and firmly opposed the so-called Investment Climate Statements issued by the U.S. state department, which smeared the national security law in Hong Kong.

A spokesperson for the office said on Thursday that the U.S. has grossly interfered in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs at large, and violated international law and basic norms governing international relations.

The spokesperson said that the national security law in Hong Kong has put an end to "Hong Kong independence", "black violence" and "mutual destruction". Hong Kong's social order has returned to normal, the environment for governance has been improved, and social justice has been fully upheld.

Hong Kong's economy and finance continue to be strong, its market and investment environment are more stable, and it's status as an international financial, trade and shipping center remains robust, the spokesperson said, adding that foreign investors, including U.S. investors, feel more secure and confident in operating in Hong Kong.

The spokesperson said that U.S. saying of the national security law impacting Hong Kong's business environment is just a lie. Facts have shown that the national security law has safeguarded China's national security, Hong Kong's social stability and tranquility for Hong Kong people.

Photo taken on July 7, 2021 shows a view of the Hong Kong Island seen from Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong, south China. (Xinhua/Wang Shen)

The spokesperson pointed out that the HKSAR is governed by the rule of law, where laws shall be abided by and rigorously enforced, and no one shall be above the law. The national security law aims to punish a small handful of anti-China, destabilizing forces in Hong Kong who seriously endanger national security, and it protects the vast majority of Hong Kong residents who enjoy the lawful rights and freedoms.

A very small number of people have been arrested, prosecuted and tried by Hong Kong law enforcement and judicial authorities on suspicion of violating the national security law and the local laws of the HKSAR, with sufficient evidence, due procedure, and open and law-based verdict, the spokesperson said.

The U.S. side has been talking about safeguarding the rule of law in Hong Kong, but it pressured and coerced the independent performance of duties of law enforcement and judicial authorities in Hong Kong, tried to whitewash criminals and put political manipulation above the law. This kind of logic is ridiculous, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson stressed that since Hong Kong's return to the motherland, the principles of "one country, two systems", "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy have been effectively implemented, and Hong Kong has made widely recognized achievements.

"We believe that with the in-depth implementation of the national security law and the improvement of Hong Kong's electoral system, with the advancement of the 14th Five-Year Plan and Hong Kong's greater integration into the overall development of China, Hong Kong will be safer, freer, more democratic and more harmonious," the spokesperson said, urging the U.S. side to manage its own affairs, bring in mind its own interests and image, and immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs in any form. 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-22 21:26:19|Editor: huaxia

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The State Council Information Office holds a press conference on the novel coronavirus origin-tracing work in Beijing, capital of China, July 22, 2021. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The claim that the SARS-CoV-2 leaked from a Wuhan lab goes against science, a senior official of the National Health Commission (NHC) said Thursday.

Zeng Yixin, vice director of the NHC, said he was surprised to hear that some people have claimed the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, escaped from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).

The claim is disrespectful to common sense, and goes against science, Zeng told a press conference on the coronavirus origin-tracing work, which is held by China's State Council Information Office.

Yuan Zhiming, director of the National Biosafety Laboratory at the WIV, said that his lab, which studies class four pathogens and boasts the highest biosafety rating, has not had any incidents of leakage since it was put into operation in 2018.

Zeng added that some claims, such as so-called infection of three WIV staff, or the gain-of-function experiment on the novel coronavirus by the lab, are just rumors that have already been quashed.

He said among the viruses found by the WIV in bat samples, the RaTG13 is most closely-related to the SARS-CoV-2. But it is only 96.2 percent identical in genome sequences to the pathogen.

He noted that it is widely accepted by genetic engineers that the artificial modification of a virus will definitely leave traces. Novel coronavirus has no such trace, which totally rules out the theory that it was man-made.

Up to now, none of the WIV staff members have been infected by the novel coronavirus, the lab has not carried out the gain-of-function experiment on the pathogen, and there is no so-called artificial novel coronavirus in the WIV, he reiterated.

World Health Organization (WHO) experts said after visiting the WIV that it was "extremely unlikely" that the virus spread from a lab leak, Zeng added.

Yuan said, in 2012, a research team of WIV received 13 serum samples of four miners working in Mojiang County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, who had developed a pneumonia-like illness.

After repeated nucleic acid tests, antibody and genome sequencing, the team had not found any bat coronavirus in the miners' samples. The result indicates that the miners' cases have nothing to do with the novel coronavirus, he added.

He also said the RaTG13 is a virus sequence detected by a WIV team in the biological samples collected in Mojiang County in 2013, not from those miners' serum samples, and there is no evidence that RaTG13 and similar bat coronaviruses are linked to the disease Mojiang miners suffered from in 2012.

Yuan mentioned that an interview of professor Shi Zhengli, a researcher at the WIV, published in Science Magazine in 2020, said that it could take from 20 to 50 years to make up the evolutionary divergence between SARS-CoV-2 and RaTG13. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-22 21:29:25|Editor: huaxia

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TAIYUAN, July 22 (Xinhua) -- North China's Shanxi Province saw its foreign trade surge by 108.4 percent year on year to 113.03 billion yuan (about 17.46 billion U.S. dollars) in the first half (H1) of this year, local authorities said Wednesday.

In the first six months of this year, the province's imports rose by 92.4 percent, year on year, to 44.25 billion yuan, the provincial statistics bureau said.

During the period, Shanxi's exports soared to 68.79 billion yuan, a steep increase of 120.2 percent from the same period in 2020.

Shanxi's foreign trade growth rate is much higher than the national increase rate of 27.1 percent, said the bureau.

The inland province's trade with major trading partners, namely the United States, Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), respectively hit 19.23 billion yuan, 13.88 billion yuan and 11.99 billion yuan in the first half of this year, said Taiyuan customs on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Shanxi's foreign trade with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative reached 26.09 billion yuan, a steep year-on-year increase of 107.5 percent.

Exports of cell phones and solar cells witnessed robust growth of 155.6 percent and 55.1 percent, respectively, hitting 41.13 billion yuan and 810 million yuan, said the customs.

Over the period, Taiyuan customs handled 87 China-Europe freight trains. The trains transported cargo worth 50.58 million yuan, up 61.4 percent, said He Jianping with Taiyuan customs.

Moreover, the province witnessed its GDP grow 12.2 percent to 960.67 billion yuan in the first six months of 2021. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-22 23:28:23|Editor: huaxia

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LAGOS -- Nigerian police had rescued two more students kidnapped by gunmen in early July from a secondary school in the northwestern state of Kaduna, an official said on Thursday.

The kidnapped victims were rescued on Wednesday by police operatives in the Rijanna area of the state, said Muhammad Jalige, a police spokesperson in Kaduna in a statement on Thursday. (Nigeria-Students-Rescue)

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ISLAMABAD -- At least 15 people were killed and 26 others were injured in separate rain-related incidents during a recent spell of heavy rains in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said on Thursday.

The PDMA said in a report that children and women were among those who lost their lives in heavy monsoon rain-triggered flash floods and different rain-related incidents in various areas of the province over the past seven days. (Pakistan-Rain-Deaths)

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BISHKEK -- A suicide bomber suspect who arrived from abroad has been detained in Kyrgyzstan, the press service of the country's State Committee for National Security (GNKB) said Thursday.

The detainee maintained stable ties with terrorist groups operating in certain countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), provided them with ideological support, and also planned a suicide bomber attack in one of the CIS countries, it said. (Kyrgyzstan-Suicide Bomber-Arrest)

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TEHRAN -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Thursday inaugurated a major onshore pipeline that allows the country to bypasses the Hormuz Strait for crude oil exports.

The pipeline, with some 1,000 km in length, will transfer the pumped oil from facilities in Goureh on the southwestern shores to the Oman Sea port of Jask on the southeastern shores of the country. (Iran-President-Pipeline) Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-23 00:09:43|Editor: huaxia

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-- Companies, social forces and many seemingly unrelated individuals have joined China's massive rescue and relief efforts after a record rainstorm left 33 dead and eight missing in Henan Province.

-- From a hairdresser in a rescuer's helmet to cinema staff sheltering stranded pedestrians in screening halls, ordinary Chinese are expressing solidarity with the hard-hit city of Zhengzhou in their own ways.

-- Donations and rescuer teams are also pouring in from other parts of the country in a nationwide mobilization.

by Xinhua writers Yao Yuan, Zhai Zhuo, Liu Jinhui and Liu Fangqiang

ZHENGZHOU, July 22 (Xinhua) -- After a record rainstorm ravaged central China's Henan Province, Zhou Jing, a resident in neighboring Anhui Province, lost contact with her longtime hairdresser.

Text messages and phone calls went unanswered, which never happened in the past, Zhou said. Only later did she know that the barber had rushed to Henan in his second identity: a professional rescuer.

The barber, Yu Tao, is a member of the Blue Sky Rescue Team in Hefei, capital of Anhui. He said his team, a non-governmental organization, assembled overnight and rushed to Henan in the wee hours of Wednesday after torrential rains unleashed deadly floods there.

On China's popular microblogging site Sina Weibo, Zhou heartily praised her barber for "dropping his scissors to save lives," one of the many messages showing solidarity with the flood-hit Henan.

Aerial photo taken on July 21, 2021 shows submerged roads in flood-hit Zhengdong New District of Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province. (Xinhua/Li An)

"Every ordinary person around you may become a hero to save others on a special day," Zhou said in a post forwarded 71,000 times.

A video interview by a local media outlet showed Yu standing in ankle-deep floodwater and wearing a blue helmet and a red life jacket, apparently stunned by his overnight fame on social media.

"I do not see myself as special or outstanding. All the team members put aside their daily work to come and help," Yu later told Xinhua.

Thirty-three people have died, and eight remain missing after an unprecedented rainstorm walloped the populous province of Henan. In the provincial capital Zhengzhou, road traffic was paralyzed and many passengers were trapped in waterlogged subway trains after the city's rainfall over three days neared the average annual amount.

The country has launched massive rescue and relief efforts. By Wednesday afternoon, the Central Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) had sent over 5,700 soldiers, armed police troops, and militias to join the rescue in Henan, in addition to 148 vessels and vehicles.

Aerial photo taken on July 22, 2021 shows rescuers evacuating stranded people outside the Fuwai Central China Cardiovascular Hospital in flood-hit Zhongmu County of Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)

China's Ministry of Finance Wednesday earmarked 100 million yuan (about 15.42 million U.S. dollars) for disaster relief in Henan.

Social forces are also on the move to offer timely assistance.

On Tuesday evening, Zhengzhou's library, its science and technology museum, and some schools volunteered free overnight shelter for people trapped on their journeys home by rising floodwater. Many private house owners and companies also joined the initiative.

Online travel service provider Fliggy said Thursday that 487 hotels in nearly 20 cities in Henan are offering free resting space for people in need. Fliggy said the hotels' information could be found by searching "Hang on Henan" on its app.

A cinema in downtown Zhengzhou took in over 1,000 stranded residents, allowing them to sleep on seats in its screening halls on Tuesday evening.

Yang Zhen, a staffer with the Oriental Jiahe Cinema, said he encountered many stranded pedestrians on his way home and guided them to the cinema after the cinema management agreed to his proposal to open up the halls.

The cinema has decided to suspend business until Friday to continue to shelter the displaced and those whose homes had no electricity or water supply, Yang said.

"Operation costs are not our concern at this moment. As part of the city, we're supposed to share weal and woe with Zhengzhou," he said.

Rescuers evacuate stranded villagers in flood-hit Longtou Village, Dengfeng City of central China's Henan Province, July 20, 2021. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan)

Aid also poured in from other parts of the country, as celebrities, companies, and ordinary netizens expressed solidarity with the province.

Alipay said its users had donated 100 million yuan through the online payment platform, 36 hours since it dedicated a donation section for Henan.

Wuhan, capital of neighboring Hubei Province, sent a team of engineers to help pump waterlogged streets and tunnels in Zhengzhou.

"Wuhan received generous support from people in Henan during the epidemic. Now we should repay their kindness as they are in difficulty," said Yang Lei with the Wuhan Water Authority.

Rescuers from east China's Jiangxi Province drain rainwater out of a road tunnel in flood-hit Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province, July 22, 2021. (Xinhua/Li An)

Yang Xidao, one of the 392 firefighters dispatched to Zhengzhou from the eastern province of Jiangxi, uttered a similar view.

"Last year, when the severe flood hit Poyang Lake, support poured in from across the country to help us overcome the difficulties. Now we feel obliged to help when Zhengzhou is in trouble," Yang said. 

(Xinhua reporters Wang Shuo, Yuan Yueming, Qiang Lijing, Tian Chenyu, Wang Zichen, Yang Kai, Yang Hao and Yao Ziyun contributed to this story; video editor: Hong Ling; video reporters: Zhang Caixia, Li Lijing, Yang Jinxin, Ren Zhuoru, Feng Yuanyuan and Yang Yuhua.)


Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-23 00:44:05|Editor: huaxia

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JERUSALEM, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Israel reimposed several coronavirus-related restrictions on Thursday, limiting entrance to large events, restaurants, gyms and other places only to people who have been vaccinated.

The Coronavirus Cabinet approved the return of the "Green Pass" at events with more than 100 people, starting from Thursday, the Prime Minister's office said in a statement.

Under the "Green Pass," only people who have been vaccinated or have recovered from the COVID-19 viruses could participate in indoor and outdoor events with more than 100 people.

The measure still needs to be approved by the government, which is expected to approve it on Sunday.

Starting from Sunday, unvaccinated people will need to pay for coronavirus tests if they wish to get tested. Until now, coronavirus tests in Israel were offered free of charge for all Israeli citizens.

The cabinet also added Britain, Georgia, Cyprus and Turkey to the list of "red states," countries to which travels are banned.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in a statement that the recent restrictions are part of the government's plan to fight against the quickly spreading Delta variant.

The Israeli Health Ministry has reported a steady rise in the number of infections, driven by the spread of the Delta variant. On Wednesday, the ministry reported 1,336 new cases in the country, with 72 of them being in serious condition.

About 61 percent of the country's 9.3 million citizens have been vaccinated with at least one dose, and about 56 percent with two doses. Most of them received the Pfizer vaccine. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-23 01:08:49|Editor: huaxia

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ZAGREB, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic announced on Thursday additional, stricter epidemiological measures in four Dalmatian counties as COVID-19 infections rise.

The new measures limit mass gatherings in order to prevent the new spike in infections from jeopardizing the tourist season.

"After a very good nine weeks, we have a significant increase in the number of infected people for the first time and we must be careful," the prime minister said at a government session.

Decisions on holding events attended by larger numbers of people will be made on a case-by-case basis at local civil protection headquarters to avoid misunderstandings.

Plenkovic stated that by Thursday 1.6 million people, or 46 percent of Croatia's adult population, had been administered the first COVID-19 vaccine dose. He said that 94 percent of those hospitalized were not fully vaccinated.

The prime minister called on his compatriots to get vaccinated as the country faces a fourth wave of cases in the autumn.

According to Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ), there were 179 new coronavirus infections and one death in the past 24 hours. Currently, Croatia has 918 active cases, of whom 124 are hospitalized and 14 are on ventilators. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-23 01:36:59|Editor: huaxia

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Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi holds the first round of strategic dialogue at the foreign ministers' level with Portuguese Minister of State and Foreign Affairs Augusto Santos Silva via video link in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 22, 2021. (Xinhua/Liu Kun)

CHENGDU, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday that China stands ready to strengthen cooperation with Portugal and other European countries on research and development and fair distribution of vaccines and drugs, and jointly oppose "vaccine nationalism" and "political virus".

Wang made the remarks when holding the first round of strategic dialogue at the foreign ministers' level in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, with Portuguese Minister of State and Foreign Affairs Augusto Santos Silva.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, China and Portugal have supported each other in times of difficulty. The traditional friendship between the two countries has stood the test and opened up new opportunities, Wang noted.

Noting that the origin tracing of the virus is a scientific issue, Wang said it is hoped that the two sides will jointly oppose political manipulation of the origin tracing issue, jointly resist the "political virus" and safeguard the overall situation of solidarity against the pandemic.

There is no conflict of fundamental interests or opposition of real interests between China and Europe, Wang said. "We hope that the current difficulties can be overcome as soon as possible to bring bilateral relations back to the track of sound development. It is believed that Portugal will continue to play a constructive role to this end."

Silva expressed condolences to China over the severe flood disaster in Henan province, thanked China for providing anti-epidemic supplies to Portugal, and expressed readiness to cooperate with China on vaccines.

The Portuguese market will always be open to Chinese enterprises, Silva said, hoping to further cement the ties between the two sides in the post-epidemic era.

The two sides also exchanged in-depth views on international and regional affairs of common interest. Both sides are satisfied with the success of the first round of strategic dialogue at the foreign ministers' level. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-23 03:19:18|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, July 22 (Xinhua) -- UN humanitarians on Thursday warned that hundreds of thousands of people in southern Madagascar face food insecurity due to one of the worst droughts in more than 40 years in the region.

The severe lack of rains and sandstorms have made it nearly impossible for farmers to grow their own food, leaving at least 1.31 million people -- nearly two in every five people in the Grand Sud -- severely food insecure, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The UN resident coordinator in Madagascar, Issa Sanogo, who visited the Grand Sud region recently, reported that needs will rise further as the lean season begins if urgent action is not taken now, said OCHA.

In some regions visited by Sanogo, malnutrition is almost quadruple the five-year average. In Amboasary Atsimo, about three-quarters of the population is facing severe hunger and about 14,000 people are estimated to be on the brink of famine, it said.

Madagascar is the only conflict-free country that is experiencing catastrophic levels of hunger, with the severe food insecurity in the Grand Sud due to the consequences of the climate crisis, said OCHA.

Since the beginning of this year, donors have provided more than 40 million U.S. dollars, enabling humanitarian partners to reach 800,000 people with desperately needed and life-saving assistance. However, the Flash Appeal, which is now being revised, is just 53 percent funded as of the end of May, it said.

Humanitarians in Madagascar are calling on the international community to step up their support to aid organizations in the country, and urgently provide more funding to save lives and alleviate suffering in the Grand Sud, said OCHA. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-22 20:21:59|Editor: huaxia

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LAGOS, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian police had rescued two more students kidnapped by gunmen in early July from a secondary school in the northwestern state of Kaduna, an official said on Thursday.

The kidnapped victims were rescued on Wednesday by police operatives in the Rijanna area of the state, said Muhammad Jalige, a police spokesperson in Kaduna in a statement on Thursday.

"The victims were currently receiving medical attention in preparation for a reunion with their respective families," Jalige said.

Unknown gunmen in large numbers had in the early hours of July 5 stormed the Bethel Baptist High School located in Chikun local government area of the state and abducted an unspecified number of students.

A joint team of the Nigeria police, army and navy succeeded in rescuing 26 students and a female teacher safely while in pursuit of the attackers later on July 5.

Nigerian police is yet to confirm the number of those kidnapped.

The northern region of Nigeria has witnessed a series of attacks by armed groups in recent months. There have also been recurring incidents of livestock rustling and armed banditry in the region. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-22 13:42:40|Editor: huaxia

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ULAN BATOR, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia on Thursday reported 1,309 new locally transmitted COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, pushing the national tally to 152,539, the country's health ministry said.

Meanwhile, six more deaths and 2,997 recoveries were reported in the past day, bringing the national counts to 782 and 144,245, respectively.

The Asian country launched a national COVID-19 vaccination campaign in late February, aiming to cover at least 60 percent of its population of 3.3 million.

Nearly 58 percent of residents have been fully vaccinated. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-22 14:16:36|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on July 22, 2021 shows a new batch of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Cambodia on Thursday received a new batch of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine, giving the kingdom another boost to its vaccination campaign, a health official said. The anti-COVID-19 jab purchased from Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm arrived in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, by a flight, health ministry's secretary of state Yok Sambath said. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua)

PHNOM PENH, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Thursday received a new batch of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine, giving the kingdom another boost to its vaccination campaign, a health official said.

The anti-COVID-19 jab purchased from Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm arrived in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, by a flight, health ministry's secretary of state Yok Sambath said.

Cambodia launched an anti-COVID-19 vaccination drive on Feb 10.

"To date, Cambodia has inoculated 6.33 million people, or 63.3 percent of the 10 million targeted adult population," Sambath said at the Phnom Penh International Airport.

The kingdom reported 811 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, pushing the national total caseload to 70,419 with 1,188 deaths and 62,577 recoveries, according to the health ministry. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-22 14:52:16|Editor: huaxia

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SEOUL, July 22 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's financial regulator said on Thursday that foreign cryptocurrency exchanges targeting South Korean people are required to register business with the country's anti-money laundering body by Sept. 24 under the revised law.

The Financial Services Commission (FSC) said in a statement that all the virtual asset service providers (VASPs) are required to register with the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit (KoFIU) by Sept. 24 as the act on reporting and using specified financial transaction information went into effect on March 25 with a six-month grace period.

The KoFIU already sent a notice to 27 foreign VASPs to make sure of their obligation to register as the law equally applies to domestic and foreign VASPs, according to the FSC.

If foreign VASPs fail to register with the KoFIU, they shall cease business operations targeting South Korean people from Sept. 25.

If they continue to operate business without registration, they will be subject to up to five years of imprisonment or a maximum fine of 50 million won (about 43,500 U.S. dollars).

The FSC said the KoFIU will notify the unregistered foreign VASPs of their illegal activities beyond the Sept. 24 deadline and take actions such as blocking access to their websites.

It noted that the KoFIU will also bring charges against the unregistered foreign VASPs with the investigative authorities and actively seek other tools such as close cooperation with foreign FIUs and international judicial mutual assistance in criminal matters. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-22 20:41:29|Editor: huaxia

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ISLAMABAD, July 22 (Xinhua) -- At least 15 people were killed and 26 others were injured in separate rain-related incidents during a recent spell of heavy rains in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said on Thursday.

The PDMA said in a report that children and women were among those who lost their lives in heavy monsoon rain-triggered flash floods and different rain-related incidents in various areas of the province over the past seven days.

The authority said that most of the casualties happened due to roof collapse and flash floods incidents in Kohat and Lower Dir districts of the province, adding that dozens of houses and buildings were also partially or fully damaged due to heavy downpour.

The civil administration along with rescue teams and police have been carrying out rescue and relief operations in the affected districts. Authorities also cleared several roads for traffic after they got blocked due to land sliding.

The PDMA has also directed the local authorities to accelerate the pace of relief work and stay vigilant as there are predictions of more rain in several districts of the province. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-22 22:14:08|Editor: huaxia

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BISHKEK, July 22 (Xinhua) -- A suicide bomber suspect who arrived from abroad has been detained in Kyrgyzstan, the press service of the country's State Committee for National Security (GNKB) said Thursday.

The detainee maintained stable ties with terrorist groups operating in certain countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), provided them with ideological support, and also planned a suicide bomber attack in one of the CIS countries, it said.

In connection with the military-political situation in Afghanistan, international terrorist organizations are attempting to send terrorists to their countries of origin, it added.

The GNKB called on the civilian population to be vigilant and report any signs of terrorist crimes. Enditem
Wang Yi Talks about Four-point Consensus of China and Algeria

2021/07/20

On July 19, 2021 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra jointly met with the press in Algiers.

Wang Yi said I had in-depth and friendly meetings and talks with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Foreign Minister Lamamra and reached important consensus.

We will add new connotations to the traditional friendship between our two countries. China thanks Algeria for always standing firmly with China on issues concerning China's core interests. China will continue to uphold justice and speak up for Algeria on sovereign independence and territorial integrity.

We will open up new prospects of pragmatic cooperation. We will conduct consultations on signing a new five-year plan for comprehensive strategic cooperation between China and Algeria and the implementation plan for jointly building the Belt and Road as soon as possible, and make solid progress in the El Hamdania Central Port and other key cooperation projects to help Algeria accelerate the realization of independent and sustainable development.

We will work together to win the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. China will do its best to continue to meet Algeria's demand for vaccines, and offer all necessary assistance to Algeria, so as to help the country overcome the pandemic at an early date. China thanks Algeria for providing convenience and support for its "Spring Sprout" program, an inoculation drive for Chinese citizens living overseas.

We will make new contributions to maintaining international and regional security and stability. China and Algeria should strengthen strategic communication, actively push forward the political settlement of hot issues, maintain peace and stability in the Middle East, and defend international equity and justice.
Acting Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, says an estimated 150 000 jobs are at risk in the aftermath of looting and destruction of property that swept through KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

In a briefing on efforts to recover and rebuild after the wave of destruction, Ntshavheni on Tuesday said Ministers in the economic cluster are consolidating proposals for a government package of interventions, including for small businesses that are largely uninsured.

Ntshavheni said data and estimates provided by the SA Property Owners' Association (SAPOA) showed that in KZN alone, 161 malls, 11 warehouses and eight factories were affected, with 161 liquor outlets and distributors being extensively damaged.

The Minister said estimates place KwaZulu-Natal's loss at R20 billion. Work is, however, still underway to assess the total cost of the damage to property.

Furthermore, 1 400 ATMs have been damaged and 300 banks and Post Office outlets vandalised. Ninety pharmacies were damaged.

"... 150 000 jobs are at risk as we speak... 50 000 informal traders were affected, 40 000 businesses were affected and [it is] currently estimated that the [impact to the KZN GDP] is R20 billion," Ntshavheni said.

The impact of this will be felt both in KZN and across the rest of the country, the Minister warned.

She said SAPOA will later in the week collate data on the cost of damage in Gauteng.

Proposals to support for small businesses being considered

Ntshavheni said after a challenging two weeks, the country has turned the tide and is well on a trajectory of stability, rebuilding the economy and ensuring social cohesion.

She said in the past 24 hours, there were no reported incidents of looting and violence in both provinces.

Government's stabilisation efforts include the South African Police Service (SAPS) maintaining high visibility in areas that have the potential for a resurgence in violence and looting.

Ntshavheni said members of the South African Defence Force (SANDF) are working together with the police in conducting roadblocks, vehicle control points, foot and vehicle patrols, cordoning and searching vehicles, clearing roads that were blocked and recovering stolen goods.

"The South African Special Risk Insurance Association (SASRIA), in which government is a sole shareholder, will conduct an assessment of the full extent of the damage.

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"The economic cluster Ministers are consolidating proposals for a government package of interventions, including for small businesses that are mostly uninsured.

"The Department of Small Business Development is working with SAPOA, business associations such as the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry; SA Franchise Association; National Healthcare Professionals Association; the SA Informal Traders Association and others to ensure that interventions also benefit small business directly and quickly. The package will also [provide for small households]," Ntshavheni said.

Large retail chain stores have reported that the supply of food to SA stores and neighbouring States affected by disruptions in the KZN supply chains are largely back on track.

Ntshavheni said most shopping malls that were closed due to violence and looting in Soweto, including the iconic Maponya Mall, have reopened their doors for the community to start buying the products they require.
In its decision of June 29, 2021 delivered via email to the defense on 20 July, 2021 the Constitutional Court of Cape Verde considered that there is no international normative basis that would impose on the State of Cape Verde a duty to comply with a request for provisional measures made by the Human Rights Committee (para 4.5.3.).

The ruling was in response to a simple letter sent by Alex Saab to the Constitutional Court informing it that the United Nations Human Rights Committee had registered a complaint against Cape Verde and had sent Cape Verde a request for interim measures, including a request to suspend the extradition procedure. The Constitutional Court issued a lengthy ruling in which it attempted to justify its refusal to comply with the provisional measures ordered by the United Nations Human Rights Committee, inviting Cape Verde, among other things, to suspend Alex Saabs extradition to the United States.

Alex Saab's defense team regrets the position adopted by the Constitutional Court.

Firstly, the Court takes a strictly positivist and voluntarist approach to international law, with the sole purpose of justifying the violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). It does not take into consideration the practice of the vast majority of States parties to the ICCPR and the Optional Protocol, which usually comply with the Committee's interim measures, with the exception of States such as Belarus.

Second, it is unfortunate that the Constitutional Court has not accepted its role as a guarantor of human rights. Rather than seeing the Committee's interim measures as a form of interference, the Constitutional Court could have simply decided to take international human rights law and Cape Verde's international human rights obligations seriously. The Committee was doing nothing more than requesting the adoption of measures to preserve the physical integrity and right to life of Alex Saab. This request was neither hostile nor illegitimate. On the other hand, to reject it with such force is disproportionate.

Thirdly, the Constitutional Court limits itself to a purely formalistic and basic reading of the binding nature of international law and the decisions of human rights bodies. It limits itself to an analysis of the legally binding or non-binding nature of the norms set out by the United Nations committees, taking the view that, since they are not jurisdictional bodies, their decisions are not binding.

This position, which is totally anachronistic in public international law, reflects the obvious lack of experience of the Constitutional Court in the implementation of international human rights law. The Committee is not an enemy of the domestic courts; its sole purpose is to help States parties to the Covenant to comply with their obligations under the ICCPR. The Constitutional Court could have considered the UN Committee as an institutional ally, and agreed to implement the interim measures, not on the basis of compulsion, but simply because these measures were intended to contribute to the respect of the human rights of the ICCPR.

In other words, just because the interim measures are not, in the Court's view, legally binding, does not mean that they should not be implemented and respected. They must be implemented because they are tools for the protection of human rights and human dignity. This is the persuasive force of these measures, which the Constitutional Court was asked to take seriously.

Fourthly, the Constitutional Court oddly concludes that it cannot suspend the examination of the constitutional appeal because of the non-binding nature of the interim measures. On this last point, there is no disagreement, and the honourable Court has not been asked by the Human Rights Committee, or anyone else, to suspend the examination of Alex Saabs constitutional appeal. On the other hand, all the actors concerned invite the Court, when it pronounces on the merits, to render a decision that respects human rights, the rule of law and the fundamental values of both the constitution and the treaties binding Cape Verde.

The Defense team repeats its previous calls for Cape Verde to comply with the 15 March 2021 ruling of the ECOWAS Court of Justices (which was reiterated on 24 June) declaring Alex Saabs arrest and detention illegal, that he be released immediately and the extradition process be terminated.
The arrest of another separatist activist wanted by Nigeria sends a clear message that President Buhari won't tolerate secessionist aspirations. But critics say there's much more at play than just arresting figureheads.

Activist Sunday Adeyemo, known popularly in Nigeria as Sunday Igboho, was arrested in neighboring Benin on Monday evening, according to media reports. He was about to take a flight to Germany at the time. A senior Benin police official confirmed the arrest, saying Igboho "will be extradited to Nigeria as soon as the two countries have agreed on conditions." It is unclear whether the extradition has taken place.

Nigeria's Department of State Services (DSS) has accused the activist of plotting "to wage a violent insurrection against the Nigerian state." A DSS spokesman said earlier that the agency had found a stockpile of weapons during a raid on Igboho's residence in the southwestern city of Ibadan on July 1.

Igboho's appeal to ethnic Yorubas to break away from Nigeria has made him yet another public enemy in the eyes of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, according to DW's Fred Muvunyi.

"He has a (potential) following of more than 40 million people. ... And his calling for the total separation of the north and southern region makes him a target of the government," Muvunyi reported from Lagos.

Giving in to 'big brother'

Umar Ardo, a politician for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) called the arrest of Igboho "a success" that showed that "laws that are defined both in Nigeria as well as in the international community will be respected if Nigeria uses recognized platforms for its diplomatic interactions.

"It also shows that that security agreements of either bilateral or multilateral nature have benefits for all parties involved," Ardo told DW.

Security risk management specialist Kabir Adamu told DW that the government of Benin hardly had any other choice, with Nigeria flexing its regional muscle as Benin's "big brother."

"Benin cannot oppose Nigeria because Benin depends on Nigeria heavily, economically," he said, adding that the Nigerian government was using similar tactics elsewhere on the African continent as well.

Nigerian dissidents under threat

Igboho's arrest is seen as part of a trend in Nigeria, which is intensifying its efforts to pursue dissident voices, especially those who are classed as threats to national security. The government has repeated shown that it does not shy away from going beyond Nigeria's borders in its endeavors to fight separatist sentiments:

Nnamdi Kanu, the 53-year-old leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) group, which has been campaigning for the southeast of the country to secede, had been arrested in an undisclosed location outside of Nigeria last month and returned to the country to face trial -- having spent four years on the run.

His wife claimed that the arrest happened during a business trip to Kenya, though this has not independently been confirmed. Several governments have, however, since challenged Kanu's arrest:

The UK has asked Nigeria to explain why and under what exact circumstances the separatist leader -- who holds British citizenship -- was arrested. Protests against the arrest were staged in Nigeria. Europe and beyond.

"I even saw one in Israel," security analyst Adamu told DW about Kanu, who is a convert to Judaism.

"This arrest is further agitating their supporters to further oppose the Nigerian state," he said, highlighting that Yoruba and Biafran secessionist movements weren't going anywhere. Adamu added that the "arrests of Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday (Igboho) cannot be said to bring about the end of the agitation or secession ... in Nigeria."

Buhari's message of zero tolerance

Not everyone shares that view. Political scientist Abubakar Umar Kari told DW that the arrests amount to a "great setback for the two separatists groups." He said that, in addition to the demoralizing aspect, the arrests also provide an opportunity for more moderate voices among Yoruba and Biafran activists to distance themselves from their fallen leaders.

The arrests and the impending trials, however, will also further cement Buhari's uncompromising approach to dissidence, he said: "The fact that these men were arrested is the clearest testament that indeed Buhari and his government will go to any length to ensure that this kind of dissidence, this kind of secessionist activities are not going to be tolerated."

Claims of 'genocide' lodged with ICC

Some Yoruba voices claim that the clampdown is about much more than just political dissidents, and that there is a genocide against their people underway in Nigeria.

A group of 22 international organizations led by the Yoruba Strategy Alliance have filed claims to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague against leading members of the Nigerian government, including Buhari. The complaint accuses multiple members of the Nigerian government of genocide, torture and crimes against humanity, among other charges.

"The state-sponsored terrorism against the Yoruba people has to stop," attorney Aderemilekun Omojola, who filed the claim at the ICC, said in a statement. He supported his submission at the ICC with extremely graphic video images alleging the use of rape as a weapon of war and arbitrary beheadings of Yorubas.

The ICC confirmed that it has received the complaint. The Office of the Prosecutor will now make a decision as to whether an official investigation will be opened into these grave allegations.

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No safe place left in Nigeria

While the outcome of that claim at the ICC might take weeks if not months to be processed, Nigeria continues to face violent dissidence practically in all four corners of the country:

In addition to Yoruba and Biafran separatist aspiration, the country has been rocked in recent weeks by banditry in the northwestern Zamfara State, where locals were kidnapped for ransom and held for weeks. The criminal groups also shot down a military plane just days ago.

Zamfara's neighboring Katsuna and Kadina states have also been affected by similar acts of criminal violence, not to mention the activities of the Islamist Boko Haram group in the northern Kano state and beyond. The so-called Islamic State of West Africa group is also now present in various parts of Nigeria, most notably the northeast.

Political scientist Kari said that "the larger issue of insecurity, particularly in the northern half of the country, is still going on almost unabated" while the government focuses on its fight against separatist movements.

"On a daily basis, kidnappers and bandits have been unleashing violence, killing people, causing serious fright and tension," Kari said. "The government appears to be more concerned, appears to be deploying more resources and more energy on secessionists than on these bandits and kidnappers," he added.

Ubale Musa and Shehu Salmanu contributed to this article.
An Islamic group, MURIC, had condemned the state government for fixing school examinations during Sallah holiday.

The Akwa Ibom State Government on Wednesday postponed the ongoing promotional examinations for SS II students because of the Sallah festival.

The Civic Education examination that was to hold today, Wednesday, has been rescheduled for another date across the state.

The action by the Akwa Ibom State Government is coming a day after an Islamic group, Muslim Rights Concerns (MURIC) berated it for directing schools in the state to go ahead with the examinations despite the nationwide public holiday declared by the federal government for Tuesday and Wednesday because of the Muslim festival.

At least two Muslim parents in Akwa Ibom told PREMIUM TIMES that they reluctantly forced their children to forgo the Sallah celebrations for the Tuesday examination.

MURIC had said it was "arrogant, insensitive, and intolerant" for the state government to fix examination on Sallah day.

"The government of Akwa Ibom State is fully aware that there is a remarkable percentage of Muslim population made up of both indigenes and non-indigenes in the state.

"We strongly condemn the state government decision to hold examinations during a Muslim festival and on a public holiday," the group had said in a statement from its founder and director, Ishaq Akintola.

"We wonder what the reactions and comments will be if a core Northern state should do something similar on Christmas Day," he added.

On Wednesday, students who went to school for the examination were seen returning home early in the morning, with some of them clustering and discussing along the road.

A students in Uyo High School, Uyo, Iniobong Akpan, told our reporter that they were directed by the school security guard to return home because examination had been rescheduled.

The Commissioner for Education in the state, Idongesit Etiebet, and her counterpart in the Ministry of Information, Ini Ememobong, did not respond to calls seeking their comments.
Dapo Olorunyomi, publisher of Premiums Times, believes that the best way out is to establish a fact-check unit in every newsroom.

It used to be so easy. A reporter brings a story and the excited editor goes through it and simply publishes it, confident that the claims are correct.

Very often, impressed editors offered some morale boosting rewards - a bottle of wine. Lunch. Dinner. Cash. And even more. Trust was mutual.

Not anymore. With the prevalence of fake news, most editors also known as gatekeepers no longer trust the frontline soldiers and would use every available binocular to search for the truth.

Analysts have said that it is difficult to blame the editors for being more careful, considering the many cases of gaffes, brazen lies, fake news and wrong information the conventional media embarrass themselves with on daily basis.

Few weeks ago, an influential media house published a story quoting the World Health Organisation (WHO) as saying that 146 million Africans die of tobacco-related diseases every year.

The editor so trusted the reporter and did not ask how many Africans would have been left after just two or three years of such harvest. The reporter had added three zeroes to her copy.

Not long ago, a media house published a story quoting a state governor as pouring encomiums on his estranged predecessor at a birthday ceremony.

Very harmless story. Easy pick for every editor. But trouble started immediately the story went out. It was fake. No such ceremony took place. The reporter just imagined it.

Last year, a report announced the opening of airports after the COVID-19 lockdown. Eager prospective passengers rushed to book tickets only to be turned back. What they read was false. Fake. The reporter just deceived everyone.

The craze for fake news has indeed taken over today's media space, with both the social and traditional media struggling to outdo each other in the spread of hoaxes.

The instances are just everywhere.

Aside from the fake news, photos or videos are purposefully created and spread to confuse and misinform. Photos or videos are also manipulated to deceive, while old pictures are often shared as new.

In some cases, photos from other shores are shared in the Nigerian space, ostensibly to create the impression that they are local scenes.

Umaru Pate, a Professor of Mass Communication and Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Kashere, says the trend is "dangerous, unethical, provocative and subversive to peace and societal serenity".

"Fake news misinforms and misdirects society with severe consequences on individual and national systems. It heightens tension, builds fear and mistrust among people."

Information minister, Lai Mohammed, has equally deplored the trend, declaring recently that fake news could "threaten and destroy" the country. He has also launched a campaign against it.

The minister recently observed that every news manager was faced with the challenge of managing fake news, and expressed the fear that the purveyors could push the country into crises.

Sylvester Usman, a university teacher, has echoed similar worry.

"Fake news will make media practice lose its appeal; it will challenge the credibility which is the base of journalism practice," he said.

He challenged editors to rise up against the bastardisation of journalism by the new media, and emphasised the resuscitation of investigative journalism to tackle national challenges and help government plan better.

But as the scourge rages on, analysts have continued to wonder why the tendency to lie appears more common in the information age.

Emeka Madunagu, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Metrostar, an online publication, says fake news prevail because journalists pursue traffic, rather than accuracy.

Mr Madunagu, former Editor, Saturday Punch, advised media managers to equip newsrooms with gadgets and technologies that could detect and remove fake news and images.

Mr Pate believes that fake news is partly caused by the absence, or late arrival, of official information, which creates a vacuum filled by rumours and imaginations.

According to him, "desperate politicians, ethnic jingoists, foreign interests and mischief makers have also taken advantage of the explosion in social media platforms - Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Google, Nairaline and WhatsApp - to spew fake news and hate messages which inflict confusion into the society".

While urging media houses to focus more on investigative reporting, he cautioned against selective reporting and the promotion of prejudicial stereotypes about groups and individuals based on incomplete facts, mischief and ignorance.

More training

Analysts have also called for more training to boost research capacities among media professionals so as to minimise shallow reporting and episodic attitudes in news coverage and programme production.

They have also cautioned the media against promoting statements of politicians, ethnic champions, religious zealots and other interested parties without critical inquiry about specific social conflicts.

"Such groups are usually prone to spreading fake news against perceived rivals," Aminu Mohammed, one such analyst, says.

While urging media gatekeepers and news content managers to be more critical, the analysts have pointed out that publishing fake news could confer legitimacy, credibility and massive reach to such fakery and confuse the audience about truth and falsehood.

Worried by the effects of such misinformation, many Nigerians have always wondered if it is possible to quickly spot fake news to avoid being misled.

Strategies

Dapo Olorunyomi, publisher of Premiums Times, believes that the best way out is to establish a fact-check unit in every Newsroom.

Mr Olorunyomi, whose outfit has established a channel "Dubawa", through which it trains media practitioners on fact-checking, emphasises the need to build wide contacts and use the internet to carry out a fact-check on every story to determine its integrity before publishing or airing same.

He also suggests the need for readers, listeners or viewers to check multiple sources, and try to establish trusted brands over time.

Mr Madunagu has a more proactive approach to the menace.

"When a reporter comes with a sensitive story, I will calm him down and ask him to relax.

"When he relaxes, I will debrief him. In the course of doing that, I will try to see whether he brought himself into the story. There are times I did that and the reporter told me to kill the story. It means he was not so sure of the exciting claims he penned down," he said.

He said that the situation is serious and warned editors against rushing to publish any "beautiful scoop" filed by reporters who are out there on the field.

"Editors should not totally trust reporters. These days, I don't.

"Editors must have phone numbers of other Editors. These days, hunger is pervasive; for little money, people can tell lies. They can write anything. So, one must be very careful. When editors are handling sensitive stories, they must be very careful," he said.

Consensus

Most editors agree with Mr Madunagu and believe that Nigeria will be the better for it if editors in traditional mediums, who determine information the public is served, strive for reliable information which is crucial to her growth.

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But even as the editors strive for accurate information, some have noted the challenges of ownership influence, social malpractices and corruption, media professionals acting as judges or advocates for hidden interests, and cases of senior editorial staff acting as consultants to politicians and religious groups.

The existence of cartels among reporters covering specific beats has also been noted as another factor responsible for the adulteration of what is reported.

Very often, the cartels form "gangs" that decide what information to publish with pecuniary interests threading through the discussions.

Analysts say that such "unholy fraternity" has often led to the "burial" of some hard truths that would have been useful in the nation's search for greatness.

Another challenge is the "copy-me" syndrome, a practice where reporters receive reports of events they did not cover, from colleagues, and publish same, not minding if what they had been "copied" is fake news.

Not a few reporters have lost their jobs to this scary practice, yet it still persists.

Unfortunately for editors in most media houses, the heat is usually extended to them with no one concerned about their pleas or claims to innocence.

Such sweeping sanctions, analysts say, have forced editors to suspect every story with some "dodging" sensitive reports they believe have the potential to create trouble.

Mr Madunagu captured it more succinctly.

"These days, I use every binocular to check the veracity of every story. I won't want to take medicine for what should not be my headache."

Unfortunately for the reporters, most editors today have similar fears over their copies. Such fears rule most newsrooms today. (NANFeatures).
The Social Democratic Party SDP has called on Nigerians to work together in a bid to restore the country's lost glory.

Its national chairman, Dr Olu Agunloye made the call in his Eid-el-Kabir message to Nigerians entitled " Spread Hope for Justice, Equity and Equality For Peace.

The message which was signed on his behalf by the party's National Publicity Secretary, Ambassador Rufus Aiyenigba said "we all need to work together to restore the lost glory of the country by doing the right things and doing things right to ensure redemption.

Agunloye enjoined Nigerians "to seek help through continued prayers for the remediation of the current challenges of a worsening economy, social architectural disorder and rising insecurity bedevilling the country.

He added that "Nigerians should emulate the Islamic tenets of sacrifice, love and tolerance while spreading hope for justice, equity and equality across the land for sake of peace.

"We are reminded once again that the significance of the Eid-el Kabir season is mostly on sacrifice, tolerance and love for one another as characterised by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and these traits are not only great tenets demanded by Islam but are worthy to be emulated by all Nigerians irrespective of their status, regions or religions

"Our country is currently in great agitations for peace, justice and security and this auspicious Holy event of Eid-el Kabir calls not only all Muslims but all Nigerians to unite in strength with Allah to spread hope for justice, equity and equality for peace in the land".

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The former minister tasked all Nigerians to demonstrate and show true love to fellow human beings, and to the country in the spirit and essence of Ed-El-Kabir.

He enjoined the people to seek help through continued prayers for the remediation of the current challenges of a worsening economy, social architectural disorder and rising insecurity bedevilling the country.

"We all need to work together to restore the lost glory of the country by doing the right things and doing things right to ensure redemption.

The former minister congratulated President Mohammadu Buhari for the Sallah and charged him to "decisively imbibe principles of social justice to unite the country and to ensure that all the sacrifices made by righteous leaders, well-meaning Nigerians, and especially youths are not wasted.

Vanguard News Nigeria
"As a preacher, my assignment is to preach words that heal, not hurt, words that help, not harm."

A Pentecostal pastor has publicly apologised to a popular Nigerian nightlife entrepreneur, Obinna Iyiegbu, popularly known as Obi Cubana over a controversial comment.

Mr Cubana, a few days ago, thrust himself, his brand, his friends, and his Oba community in Anambra State, Nigeria's South-east, into limelight when he buried his late mum with style and glamour that seemed unheard of in any part of Nigeria.

Aside from numerous celebrities, amazing gift items, including hundreds of cows, wads of naira notes were frequently thrown into the air by Mr Cubana's friends during the burial.

Clips of the ceremony, posted on the Internet, got Nigerians talking - several people who attacked Mr Cubana, questioned his source of money, while others defended him as "a good and generous man".

"The place where you are standing to spray money, the road is not tarred... . Can't you see the stupidity of illiteracy," Ntia Ntia, the pastor of Full Life Christian Centre, Akwa Ibom State, reportedly said of Mr Cubana.

Mr Ntia's remark attracted outrage from several Nigerians who said Mr Cubana was a better man and "more godly" than many Nigerian pastors.

'I'm sorry!'

The pastor retracted his statement and apologised to Mr Cubana, after the backlash.

Mr Ntia said, in a clip that is being circulated on Facebook, that he immediately changed his perception about Mr Cubana after watching a BBC interview where the celebrity businessman talked about his humble beginning, his struggles, and how he made his first N1 million.

The pastor said his comments on Mr Cubana were "very harsh and unkind".

"I want to say that the comments came out very wrong and prematurely. With further information, the life that the man has affected, the people that the man has lifted, the destinies that he has invested in, sincerely I want to say that it is not my intention as a preacher to preach to cause hurt or to cause pain or to preach to discredit anybody, at all.

"As a preacher, my assignment is to preach words that heal, not hurt, words that help, not harm. Therefore, in any way those comments might have caused harm or pain, I sincerely apologise."

He also apologised to Mr Cubana's friends and others who may have been hurt by his comment.

Mr Ntia said Mr Cubana is "a great man, with the things he has done".

He said he regretted his comment, and that he has "100 per cent" respect for the businessman.

"We need more of such people who have a heart for others and would go to a great extent to invest in others," he said.

Besides, Mr Ntia said his wife is from Anambra State, and, therefore, Mr Cubana is his in-law.

Cubana speaks about his life, mum's burial

Meanwhile, Mr Cubana, a graduate of Political Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, said, in the BBC interview, that wealth comes through hard work, and not "native doctor" or "miracle".

The 46-year-old busimessman said he made his first N1 million through a commission paid to him as a property agent in Abuja shortly after his National Youth Service Corps programme in the Federal Capital Territory.

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According to him, he has gone through rough times, including being a food vendor, and sleeping in a one-room apartment with six friends.

He had never been involved in any unlawful business, he said.

"No be everything we you dey see today work-o, some no work. Some we put hand, we lost money," Mr Cubana said in Pidgin English.

He said he and his family were planning a carnival for his mum's 80th birthday, but that since she did not live to that age, they had to convert the plan and the "energy" into her burial.

His mum was a teacher in a local school, he said.

He said the act of throwing money into the air, which is frowned upon by the Nigerian authorities, was a demonstration of love for him by his friends.

Apparently justifying the act, he said he and his friends were free to do whatever they like with their money
Biodun Stephen, a Nollywood filmmaker, has narrated how some officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) broke into her hotel room in Lagos.

In a post on her Instagram page, the filmmaker expressed shock over the development.

"That is how I slept in a hotel whilst filming last week. Next thing, I open my eyes at a little past 3 am. What did I see? Two men dressed in black weapons. I thought I was dreaming. Then I heard the door to my room close."

"I sprang up and without thinking shouted: 'stay right there!!! Who are you!!! They replied: 'We are EFCC'. My head sparked. Are you kidding me? You enter into my room unannounced?? EFCC: Madam, we knocked but no response. You decided to enter my room?? You should have kept knocking.

"I was sleeping like every normal person would. One just opened his mouth and said: "Where is the man of the room. I was confused at first. The who? He replied: 'your partner.'

She said one of the officials apologised to her when they realised that she was not the one they were after.

"Anger well up inside me... Is this one roving mad man? His partner realised his folly because he quickly apologised. 'You are not the one we are looking for.'"

"I watched as they interviewed guests rudely and arrested a few. They knew the people they were after. I lost sleep afterwards. Then I heard, this is the new thing with EFCC.

"They burst into hotel rooms in the middle of the night. Not caring who you are, in what state you are. I mean, the hotel is a really decent one so I couldn't understand how this could happen. They alleged that the EFCC barrages their way in... A mess I tell you."

Earlier in the month, the EFCC made the headlines after raiding Parktonian Hotel in Lekki Lagos in search of alleged internet fraudsters.

In response to the backlash over the incident, Wilson Uwujaren, spokesman of the commission, alleged that fraudsters known as "Yahoo Boys" were using naked ladies to distract EFCC officials.
SUB: Many people have been killed in a fresh communal crisis between Ochoro and Bonta communities of Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State....

Many people have been killed in a fresh communal crisis between Ochoro and Bonta communities of Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State.

In April, the military had sacked Bonta community following the killing of 12 soldiers who went to quell crisis in the area.

There was a bit of stability after the military invasion.

But a fresh rivalry broke out between Bonta and Ochoro, a neighbouring community, two days ago.

About 50 houses were reportedly razed in the crisis.

Witnesses from both sides of the warring communities admitted that the crisis broke out on Monday and escalated on Tuesday night.

A witness from Konshisha told our correspondent that the renewed crisis could be an offshoot of the age-long rift between Bonta and Ukpute.

"The lingering Bonta-Ukpute crisis escalated on Monday at Ochoro with Tiv militia attacking the community."

"Over 30 women and kids massacred. And over 50 houses were razed. Ochoro is neighboring community of Bonta and Ukpute. It is a community in Oju that has no issue with neither Bonta nor the militia."

However, the Chairman of Oju LGA, Clement Onaa, told newsmen in Makurdi, the state capital, that he was aware of the crisis and had called his Konshisha colleague to commiserate with him.

"The attack of yesterday (Tuesday) was not in Oju but Konshisha, though, Ochoro community is dominated by Igede people One thing you must know is that Oju and Obi people who are of Igede live in Gwer East and even Konshisha LGAs or any other Tiv areas."

The Council Chairman of Konshisha, James Ijirgba, also confirmed the fresh crisis to journalists.

"I'm aware of the crisis but it is still a rumour until I hear from the DPO who promised to get details and brief me but I have not heard from him, you know that the place is far from the LG headquarters."

Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Benue, DSP Catherine Anene, however, did not respond to calls put through her telephone.
The seven percent surcharge on imported aircraft and spares has finally been removed, airline operators have confirmed.

The duty has been a subject of controversy between the indigenous operators under the aegis of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for several months.

Confirming the development, on Wednesday, the AON commended the Customs for the support it has given to the operators.

Vice-Chairman of AON, who is also the Chairman and CEO of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, also frowned at what he called the media distortion of the proceedings of the Senate on July 6, 2021, when he made presentation on behalf of the airlines on the challenges the operators are facing.

According to him, an online medium reported the meeting as an issue concerning Air Peace alone and brought ethnic dimension to it, which he said was highly condemnable.

Onyema explained that the Senate Committee on Aviation held an interactive meeting with all the aviation agencies in Nigeria led by the Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, together with all Nigerian airlines represented by the AON leadership in which he represented the association as Vice President and made presentation on behalf of the body.

He said, "The meeting was called by the Senate to discuss the reasons for the recent upsurge in flight delays and flight cancellations amongst other issues and challenges facing the aviation industry. It was on this occasion that AON made its presentation of challenges facing all the airlines.

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"Our member airlines were present but we made an articulated collective presentation to the Senate, which I read as the Vice President on behalf of the association.

"It was on this occasion that AON presented the issue of the partial implementation of the Finance Act 2020 which prohibits the payment of duties and VAT on imported aircraft and aircraft spares by the Customs Service. Of note, was the presence of a 7 per cent Surcharge on the assessed duties which was not supposed to be. This caused delays in the clearance of aircraft and aircraft spares leading to grounding of aircraft that would have been flying," he explained.

The AON Vice Chairman stated that after the Senate meeting, the airlines contacted the Minister of Finance and Minister of Aviation on the aforementioned challenges and both Ministers, "as representatives of a responsible government, swung into action immediately."

He said that contrary to the insinuations that only Air Peace was singled out by Customs to pay those contested surcharges; it was all the airlines that were affected.

The AON Vice Chairman said the present government, in its pursuit for the growth of indigenous airlines helped in getting the Bill removing duties and VAT from imported commercial aircraft and aircraft spares passed while the President wasted no time in giving his assent and signing into law, describing the move as commendable.
Titular de la PCM: El Bicentenario debe ser una ocasion especial para reelaborar la historia de nuestro pais y reconocer que mujeres y hombres hemos sido parte de esta construccion. pic.twitter.com/crtyveEh98
Presidente @FSagasti: Este tratado multilateral nos permite reforzar el crecimiento descentralizado y afianzar la descentralizacion de nuestro pais, reforzando la actividad economica y ayudando al progreso de muchas regiones.#CPTPP pic.twitter.com/LYCFOdSoVE
Ahora | El presidente @FSagasti, junto con los ministros de @CancilleriaPeru y @MINCETUR, lidera la ceremonia de ratificacion del Tratado Integral y Progresista de Asociacion Transpacifico #CPTPP, que entrara en vigor en 60 dias.

?? En vivo: https://t.co/DuL1eX39I6
Comunicado Oficial del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores.

?https://t.co/x6dnecbXkV pic.twitter.com/qYu4wHaUSA
YEREVAN, JULY 22, ARMENPRESS. Despite the unprecedented situation, in particular the suspension of the operation of the Nuclear Power Plant and the Hrazdan 5th energy block, the loss of NPPs in Artsakh and the high consumption of electricity conditioned by the weather, Armenia is fully ensuring its demand for electricity with domestic resources and continues exporting it to Iran. Armenia doesnt import electricity from Georgia from July 11, but doesnt rule out an import again if an affordable offer is made, Hakob Vardanyan, deputy minister of territorial administration and infrastructure told Armenpress.

At the moment we do not import electricity from Georgia, we have imported it only for economic effect, in other words, at that moment Georgia offered it at a cheaper price than the price of Hrazdan thermal power plant was, therefore, preference was given to the import. We had to spend much more gas in the Hrazdan TPP in order to give a production, whereas we imported from Georgia at a cheaper price. From July 11 no import is made because there is no additional electricity in Georgia at this moment, the deputy minister said.

He stated that Armenia and Georgia have always imported electricity from one another. Electricity is expensive there in winter, only the thermal power plants are operating. If we offer cheaper electricity, we give and vice versa. Seasonal exchange or mutual purchases have always existed, he said, adding that this year this import fact is more outlined as people had concerns with the suspension of the NPP for a long period of time.

Mr. Vardanyan notes that the electricity produced by the NPP is quite cheap, and if it would not have suspended, Georgia could not offer a competitive price against it. Armenia has started importing electricity from Georgia from May 5.

Thus, Armenia not only satisfies its domestic demand, but also continues the export to Iran.

Due to the recent war we lost NPPs in Artsakh, the nuclear power plant has been suspended for a long time, the Hrazdan 5th energy bloc is suspended for technical problems. The situation is unprecedented. There hasnt been any such situation from 1995 to this day, consumption is very high connected with hot weather as many air conditioners are operating. It is also a low water year. And we ensure it in this situation, the deputy minister said, adding that at the moment Armenias problem is that it doesnt have many resources.

As for the NPP, the deputy minister said works are going on in accordance with the schedule. The Armenian NPP has been suspended on May 15 for 141 days.

Interview by Anna Grigoryan

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, JULY 22, ARMENPRESS. At the beginning of todays Cabinet meeting, caretaker Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan commented on the recent decision of the Constitutional Court which kept unchanged the Central Electoral Commissions decision over the results of the June 20 snap parliamentary elections.

Pashinyan stated that the snap elections in Armenia were held in accordance with democracy standards, noting that their final results express the peoples will.

Thus, the Parliament of 8th convocation will consist of 107 MPs  the Civil Contract party will have 71 seats, the Armenia alliance  29 seats and I Have the Honor alliance  7 seats, he said.

Pashinyan congratulated all on the holding of free and competitive elections in crisis conditions.

I congratulate the Armenia and I Have the Honor alliances on election to the Parliament. I want to note that for the first time in the history of Armenia elections have become a way of overcoming the domestic political crisis, whereas in the past we were used to the practice of having political crises with the results of elections, Nikol Pashinyan said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, JULY 22, ARMENPRESS. At the beginning of todays Cabinet meeting, caretaker Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan commented on the ongoing military-political situation in the region.

Unfortunately, the military-political situation in our region remains tense. Azerbaijans provocative actions and maximalist aspirations create new threats for our region, Armenia and Artsakh, Pashinyan said, highlighting the key role of Russia in ensuring regional security and stability.

The joint group of the Armenian and Russian armed forces and the Russian peacekeeping mission in Nagorno Karabakh are of vital importance for ensuring peace in the region. At the same time, I continue to believe that Azerbaijan aims at thwarting the implementation of the November 9 and the January 11 trilateral statements, in particular relating to the unblocking of regional communications and the blockade of Armenia, Pashinyan said, adding that Armenia attaches great importance to the opening of these communications and is ready to continue the work on this direction.

We expect that Azerbaijan will quickly fulfill its verbal commitment on returning captives, hostages and other persons held. Armenia reaffirms its proposal of solving the crisis through the withdrawal of the units of the two sides from the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in mirrored fashion, and the deployment of Russian border guards or international observers along the border, which can create necessary conditions in the direction of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border demarcation and delimitation. The government of Armenia is committed to fulfilling the mandate gained from the Armenian people on opening a peaceful development era for Armenia, Artsakh and the region in general, Nikol Pashinyan said, adding that Armenia is ready for the peaceful negotiation process.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, JULY 22, ARMENPRESS. The growing trend of new coronavirus cases in Armenia will continue in coming days, Deputy minister of healthcare Lena Nanushyan said at the Cabinet meeting today.

If last week we were recording up to 200 cases, this week we have already surpassed 200. Yesterday we have reported 220 new cases, today this number is 225. According to our forecasts, the growth trend will continue in coming days. Currently, 3790 infected people receive treatment, 660 of whom in hospitals. 282 of them are in serious condition and 48 in critical condition, the deputy minister said.

She urged the people to get vaccinated to prevent the new wave of the disease. The virus in the region is in tense situation, and the death cases are less in those countries where a lot of vaccinations are carried out, she noted.

The deputy minister informed that the number of daily vaccinations in Armenia against COVID-19 passes 5000.

In his turn caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said more than 200 new cases of coronavirus have been registered in the country over the past two days. He called on to separate the number of Armenians and foreigners who get vaccinated and highlighted the importance of raising the vaccination rates which, he said, would allow to live normally under coronavirus and would not lead to lockdown.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, JULY 22, ARMENPRESS. Armenias caretaker minister of healthcare Anahit Avanesyan has departed for Greece to take part in the summit on the required actions to address the impact of the COVID-19 on mental health and service delivery systems, the ministry reports.

The summit is held under the auspices of the ministry of healthcare in cooperation with the World Health Organizations Europe Region.

The summit is attended by representatives of the political leadership of the WHO member states, as well as experts.

In her remarks Anahit Avanesyan said that in the first months of the outbreak of COVID-19 Armenia has declared lockdown as a result of which separate groups of the people, individuals have been quarantined. Of course, such measures at that stage were the necessary and only means of fighting the virus. But its understandable that the quarantine of the people left also its negative impact on the mental health, she said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, JULY 22, ARMENPRESS. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has published another judgment against Azerbaijan, recording that Azerbaijan has tortured and illegally deprived of liberty citizen of Armenia Artur Badalyan, who got lost and found himself in the territory of Azerbaijan, ARMENAPRESS reports citing the ECHR website.

The Court obliged Azerbaijan to pay Artur Badalyan 30,000 euros in nonpecuniary damage.

The Court said that on 9 May 2009 the applicant disappeared and was captured by the Azerbaijani forces. His relatives contacted the Armenian authorities, after which he was registered as a missing person in Armenia and a search for him was undertaken. However, his whereabouts remained unknown to his family and the Armenian authorities until 5 November 2010 when he was registered by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as an Armenian captive held in Azerbaijan. Thereafter the applicant was regularly visited by the ICRC in detention until 17 March 2011 when he was released to the Armenian authorities through the mediation of the ICRC as part of an exchange of captives.

Following his arrest by the Azerbaijani forces, Artur Badalyan was held captive for 22 months in different military facilities. He claims that he was not given enough food and was often not allowed to go to the toilet, thus having to care for his needs in the cell. Moreover, he was subjected to harsh torture and mental anguish, as he was deemed to be a military prisoner, and was regularly harassed to divulge information. He was often beaten on his legs, so that he could not feel or move them. Electric wires were frequently attached to his fingers and the power switched on, causing severe pains. His cell door was hit with metallic objects, as a result of which he now suffers from a hearing disorder.

Thus, he applied to the ECHR, in accordance with Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

The Court unanimously accepted the appeal.

The Court held by six votes to one, that there has been a violation of Article 3 of the Convention (prohibition of inhuman and degrading treatment); that there has been a violation of Article 5 of the Convention (right to liberty and security).

The Court obliged Azerbaijan to pay the applicant, within three months from the date on which the judgment becomes final in accordance with Article 44  2 of the Convention, EUR 30,000, plus any tax that may be chargeable, in respect of nonpecuniary damage.
YEREVAN, JULY 22, ARMENPRESS. The trial of 13 Armenian prisoners of war has ended in the administrative building of the Baku Court of Appeal. ARMENPRESS reports, citing Trend, the court sentenced them to 6 years of imprisonment under false charges in general regime colony, and after serving his sentence they will be expelled immediately.
YEREVAN, JULY 22, ARMENPRESS. According to the information gathered by the staff of the Artsakhs Human Rights Defender, on July 22, a resident of Aygestan community of Askeran region got lost in the area of Khramort community and entered the territory under Azerbaijani control, ARMENPRESS reports, Human Rights Defender of Artsakh Gegham Stepanyan informed.

"With the intervention of Russian peacekeepers, the person was returned to the Armenian side. His life and health are not in danger," Stepanyan informed.
Education

EDUCATION

Auburn school board meeting goes from silent protest to shouting match

Kelly Rocheleau / Kelly Rocheleau, The Citizen A group of district residents and students held up signs during the public to be heard portion of an Auburn Enlarged City School District Board of Education meeting at Auburn High School Tuesday night as part of a silent protest of the board. Kelly Rocheleau / Kelly Rocheleau, The Citizen The crowd was packed at an Auburn Enlarged City School District Board of Education meeting at the Auburn High School Library Tuesday night.

With a few exceptions, Auburn Enlarged City School District Board of Education meetings have attracted few if any members of the public over the last few years.

But since a district budget hearing in mid-May, residents have been turning out in increasing numbers to air out a variety of concerns. Those include the process involved in a possible renaming of the high school that was later paused by the board, concerns that board members were using their positions to implement their personal and political agendas, and complaints that the board has not taken school bullying seriously enough.

On Tuesday, with the agenda including the election of a board president and vice president for the 2021-22 fiscal year, the high school library was packed for the board's regular meeting. By the time it was over, people were shouting and extra police officers had arrived.

Board members Ian Phillips and Dr. Eli Hernandez were voted to those respective roles at the beginning of the meeting. After the board moved through its routine agenda, the time came for the public to be heard portion, a change from the normal routine of taking public comments toward the start of meetings. Auburn district Superintendent Jeff Pirozzolo said one reason for moving public comment to the end of the meeting is that often, residents speak and then leave, but he said he would be available at the end of the meeting to answer specific questions.

Parent Rachel Czyz, who ran for a school board seat earlier this year, was the first person scheduled to speak. She introduced herself at the library's podium, and then said nothing. Instead, she and the other people lined with her held up folders with messages written on them such as "Accountability," "Transparency NOW," "YOU ARE NOT LISTENING" "We will be watching!" "Every child MATTERS" and "STOP HARASSING US."

This group, which included adults and students, stood in silence with their makeshift signs for over a minute before people in the back of the room, began humming the song "Lift Every Voice and Sing," which is often called the "Black National Anthem." One person in the crowd said they felt the humming was inappropriate. Another questioned how it was inappropriate, while others, including parent Michele Rivoli, interjected that the people humming needed to stop.

A woman in the group, who did not identify herself, spoke up to say her daughter had been attacked two days prior at a district bathroom. With her voice cutting through the room, she said her daughter had been bullied for years without anything being done.

Shouting ends meeting as Phillips, Hernandez elected to Auburn school board leadership posts AUBURN  During a contentious meeting that ended with a police presence, the Auburn Enlarged City School District Board of Education's leadership for the 2021-22 school year was decided.

As Czyz's time to speak expired, Rivoli then took to the microphone and spoke up, asking the board members to read the signs displayed, and saying the group would appreciate it if the board president didn't roll his eyes while the group was speaking. Rivoli then said the board uses "bully tactics" and addressed Phillips directly. Another voice chimed in with "Do you guys really care at all?"

"We can't engage when you bring individuals into it. I'd be happy to have a discussion when we close this meeting," Phillips said. He and Rivoli then spoke back and forth, and as another voice in the crowd spoke up, Phillips asked that one person speak at a time, noting there was a limited amount of time for public comments. Rivoli replied that the board extended time for people to speak in January, when various students and adults advocated for the high school name change at a virtual meeting.

"You extended the time when everybody was here supporting what your agenda was. In this particular case, you have intentionally tried to create a situation because you don't want to hear what we have to say. That's why we're trying not to talk," Rivoli said, using her folder to point at the board. "Because you don't hear us, because you don't care. It gets in the way of your own personal and political agendas. We've had enough, and we will be taking our concerns to the (state education) commissioner."

Following a pause, another voice spoke out in the crowd, and Rivoli said she would speak for that person. Phillips said she couldn't do that, and shouting filled the room until parent Elizabeth A. Cuddy took the microphone and moved to the podium.

Cuddy said "this is not about the name change" and that many more people beyond those at the meetings have concerns.

"There are people who are afraid to come out and show their face and speak because they're afraid their children will be retaliated (against,) they're afraid they won't be employed by the district," she continued. "There are many, many more people, so please, I promise you, it is not just the people who show up to the meetings. There are many, many people intimidated."

Judy Garrett, a district employee, next came to the podium and defended Phillips and what he has done for the district, noting his efforts to advocate for more state aid. One person then asked Garrett if she was on the list to speak, which prompted more shouting.

"Order! This is a really, really bad example for our children," Phillips said, which prompted some claps from the audience. Rivoli shouted that Phillips was a bad example.

Phillips then said the 15 minutes set aside for public comments was up, and added that "we would love to extend the time, but we're not going to do it when people are shouting with each other," saying he would talk to people about their concerns. As Rivoli shouted that their group didn't need to be lectured, the board voted to adjourn the meeting.

Several people began yelling over each other at this point. A man in the crowd starting yelling at Hernandez, who got out of his chair and walked into the crowd. He and the man confronted each other, as concerns such as critical race theory came up. The man repeatedly said "You're dismissed" to Hernandez. Other verbal confrontations continued until school resource officer William Morrissey of the Auburn Police Department raised his voice to say that the meeting was over. The yelling dissipated somewhat and people started leaving the library.

By that point additional APD officers had arrived at the school, with around seven to eight patrol vehicles in the parking lot. Some officers were in the lobby while others were in the lot.

According to APD call records, Dia Carabajal called police at about 8:15 p.m. Tuesday to report what the call log classified as a fight at the high school. Carabajal, who was at the meeting and is a former school board member and former city councilor, is now the chair for the Cayuga County Democratic Committee. Phillips held that position for six years before he resigned from the role last month and soon declared his intention to seek the board presidency.

School resource officers have been present at school board meetings since May as crowds have become larger. But that will change.

Roger Anthony, APD deputy chief, said in an interview with The Citizen Wednesday that the department doesn't feel it is appropriate for SROs to be at those meetings and doesn't plan on having SROs at board meetings in that capacity in the future.

Road patrol officers would be at meetings if requested, but Anthony said the APD doesn't feel SROs should be at board meetings.

"The school board is an elected body. If they're having political issues, that's not what the purpose of SROs are. Our SROs are there for the kids, for school security, for mentorship, for building relationships, and that's where we will place them," Anthony said.
A priest active in Auburn in the 1960s has been accused of sexually abusing children in a new lawsuit.

The Rev. John Merklinger, who was the priest at St. Alphonsus Church on East Genesee Street from July 1962 until his retirement in June 1969, is accused of sexually abusing the plaintiff in the lawsuit when he was 8 years old. The plaintiff filed the complaint anonymously, through the New York Child Victims Act, in the Supreme Court of the State of New York in April.

The complaint goes on to accuse Merklinger of abusing "numerous children" during his tenure as a priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester.

According to the complaint, Merklinger began abusing the plaintiff in 1967, when he was a student at St. Alphonsus. The abuse continued for about two years. The plaintiff was a "heavier child who had speech issues," the complaint says, making him more vulnerable. The plaintiff believes Merklinger recognized this and befriended the child for that reason.
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP)  Smoke from wildfires in the western U.S. and Canada is blanketing much of the continent, including thousands of miles away on the East Coast. And experts say the phenomenon is becoming more common as human-caused global warming stokes bigger and more intense blazes.

Keep scrolling for an interactive tracker of the western wildfires and a gallery of images

Pollution from smoke reached unhealthy levels this week in communities from Washington state to Washington D.C.

Get used to it, researchers say.

"These fires are going to be burning all summer," said University of Washington wildfire smoke expert Dan Jaffe. "In terms of bad air quality, everywhere in the country is to going to be worse than average this year."

Growing scientific research points to potential long-term health damage from breathing in microscopic particles of smoke. Authorities have scrambled to better protect people from the harmful effects but face challenges in communicating risk to vulnerable communities and people who live very far away from burning forests.

Here's what you should know:

Why so much smoke and how dangerous is it?
In 1955, as plans for a federal interstate system took shape, a preliminary route was proposed that would have wiped out some white-owned and -operated businesses, according to the Tennessee State Library and Archives.

In 1967, after the route was changed to its current course, Love Sr. and other residents sued, alleging racial discrimination meant to harm North Nashville, its Black businesses and higher education institutions. The case made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to hear it.

Some 128 businesses were demolished or relocated, making up almost 80% of Nashvilles African American proprietorships, the state library says.

Love Sr. and his wife had moved nearby after living for years on Scovel Street, one block away from Jefferson, and the demolition plans caught them by surprise.

Our homeplace was 2109 Scovel St., so I know that personally we never received any advance notice of a public hearing, Love Sr. testified in 1967, saying they were near the last to be notified of the interstate route.

The idea of capping the interstate came up but never caught on, stalled by community distrust of the federal government, said Faye DiMassimo, Coopers senior transportation adviser.
Two days after Canada announced it would be loosening its pandemic-inspired border restrictions, the U.S., rather than reciprocate, went ahead and extended its restrictions another 30 days  and the upstate New York economy will suffer for it.

Canada announced Monday that fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents looking to visit Canada for nonessential travel will be able to cross the border beginning Aug. 9. U.S. officials, though, rather than let restrictions expire Wednesday as planned, extended the non-essential travel ban through Aug. 21.

The northern border has been closed to non-essential travel since March 2020 to combat the spread of COVID-19. Upstate New York congressional representatives have been asking in recent months for some movement on the issue, Canada has offered to do whatever it can to help, and at this point there doesn't seem to be a strong argument for keeping the restrictions in place.

Now that Canada's vaccination rate is on par with the U.S.  and given what we now know about the effectiveness of vaccines in helping stop the spread of the virus  the time has come to allow vaccinated people to travel back and forth.
CHATSWORTH, Calif.Carnal Media announced Thursday that it has acquired BangBangBoys.com. The deal encompasses the BangBangBoys site, library, rights and intellectual property.

Carnal Media owner Legrand Wolf commented, BangBangBoys is a known classic brand for porn consumers who agree that Brazilian men are some of the sexiest men to roam the earth. BangBangBoys shares a common history with Falcon, Raging Stallion, Nightcharm and so many other classic gay porn brands that have all been part of the GunzBlazing family. Most got started there, but others have remained there for years. We did not want BangBangBoys to suffer the fate of many other sites purchased as token gay properties by big straight companies. We made an offer to buy BangBang and keep it in Carnal Medias Gunz Blazing Bareback Network for good. And the timing with the launch of CarnalPlus.com is great. Also, for three years, we have been producing content in Brazil and Spain for several new sites, and some of that content will now appear on BangBangBoys.

BangBangBoys, known for showcasing Brazilian and Latin men, first debuted in 2006 with owner Gil Even at the helm. BangBangBoys produced over 800 videos with well-known Latin models like Marcio Pitbull, Danny Lopez and Adriano Morales.

BangBang has showcased the most unbelievably hot Brazilian and Spanish mengay, bi and straight," Wolf continued. "From hung young studs to beefy men. This was an amazing addition to our already rapidly expanding catalog of carnal series.

Carnal Media continues to add fan favorite brands to its CarnalPlus.com network, including MasonicBoys.com, the relaunch of Carnal's Mormon Boyz banner, restored to its original look, concept and cast. With the addition of BangBangBoys, CarnalPlus members now get access to 13 sites for one subscription.

Our release schedule for new content fashioned by a growing list of pervy producers for Q3 and Q4 makes CarnalPlus.com the leading platforms in the adult market for gay content," Wolf said. "And BangBangBoys is the perfect way to jumpstart our Latin category.

For more information and promotional items, or to inquire about promotional materials to help maximize profits, contact Carnal Medias sales team by emailing Tyler ([email protected]) or Mike ([email protected]) or Scott ([email protected]).
He did not have a lot of upbringing because of the loss of his dad. It still does not make any excuse for what has happened, but all we have to do is have mercy, she said. We wanted to let him know that he does have a family who loves him in spite of this.

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She hoped DeLeon could find it in her heart to forgive her nephew, she said.

Lands attorney, Lindsay Smith, similarly asked Nichols to consider Lands trauma suffered throughout his childhood and adulthood as mitigating factors

If we look at [Lands past], is anybody surprised?, Smith asked. When we dont take care of our children and the state doesnt get involved or pay attention until something like this happens, how can we be surprised?

This isnt to say that he isnt responsible ... but context is important, she added.

Prosecutor Ammon Barker pointed to Lands history of previous convictions and the circumstances of the robbery, including an accomplice and the usage of a deadly weapon, as cause for a lengthier sentence.

It wasnt like he one day woke up and decided to rob a jewelry store. He has been doing this. It has been, or had been, his occupation, Barker said.
Wednesday's flooding was the fourth time in just over a week that Russo said she has stood outside her house and watched water rush past. She and her fiance just bought the house in May.

We live here with our 1-year-old daughter. She's actually had a lot of fun with this because she got to play in mud and watch big tractors, Russo said.

Indeed, the water appears not to have dampened Russos spirits either.

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Between her home and the drainage sit several large concrete barriers and a number of sandbags. Even so, water has found a way past, flowing through Russos parking space and into the street. But Russo said the barriers seemed to be doing their job much better overall this time than past days.

Russo said they did get some water inside the house on Tuesday of last week, when flooding started to show its ugly head in the city. That day, water seep into the living room, damaging about 2 inches of drywall along that side of the house.

And with her and her fiances wedding just a few days away, they decided that while this may be their home, they should move some of the most important things out of the house.

Namely, Russo said, her wedding dress is now kept at her mother-in-law's house in Greenlaw.
A poem inspired by the recent flood, made through copy & paste. A poem composed from some quotes, reorganized in a more logical sequence, ...and line breaks...., the whole poem is all quotes.

At first, where I begin with is also a quote, " I apologize if dark humor isn't your cup of tea" LYJiang

I've read more poems on these days than in my whole life. I am drowning in a sea of poems. What is poem? Here is what I came up with: a poem could be a pile of regular or irregular sentences or phrases, inserted with a deep breath by a line break in the middle of a full sentence, with or without rhyme or rhythm, of or off meaning or raving. Of course this is not all about poem. 

A 'once in a 1000 year' rainstorm had plunged into Henan province ,China, with the strain that had flooded cities, breached dams and claimed dozens of lives.

Using dialectical thinking is what I am trying to express my current sentiment.

Water

Nothing is softer or more flexible than water,

yet nothing can resist it.

Thousands have lived without love,

not one without water.

Water is the driving force of all nature.

If there is magic on this planet,

it is contained in water.

In one drop of water,

are found all the secrets of all the oceans.

The cure for anything is salt water:

sweat, tears or the sea.

We forget that,

the water cycle and the life cycle are one.

Water gives life,

and water takes away life.

[Literature]:

https://blog.cwf-fcf.org/index.php/en/8-quotes-that-illustrate-why-water-is-life/

Please let me know whether you feel poetic or not. Appreciated.

If you have not been bothered enough, try this one.

https://bbs.wenxuecity.com/mysj/239325.html
JOHNSON LAKE  A 3-year-old girl drowned after falling into Johnson Lake without a life jacket Wednesday evening.

Avery Grace Mendiola was riding a floatation toy, without a life jacket, when it drifted out of the swim beach area near Medos Resort. Witnesses told members of the Gosper County Sheriffs Office the toy flipped over and the child fell in the water.

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The Lexington Volunteer Fire Department dive team and Nebraska Game and Parks searched the lake, starting around 6 p.m., until the search was called off around 10:30 p.m.

The search resumed at 6:30 a.m. on Thursday and her body was recovered about 7:30 a.m. northwest of where she fell in the water.

An autopsy will be conducted, according to the Gosper County Sheriffs Office.

The Gosper County Sheriffs Office was assisted by Elwood Fire and Rescue, the Nebraska State Patrol and the Dawson County Sheriffs Office.

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To enhance your next exploration of the Yellowstone River, Our Montana has finished a cell phone app that will provide everything from a heads up about floating hazards to info on public access sites, state parks and historic points of interest.

Our Montanas goal in creating the Explore Yellowstone River app was to encourage and assist more people to use the Yellowstone River as a destination for camping, fishing, boating, wildlife viewing, hiking, bird watching and more, said Mike Penfold, a member of the nonprofit group.

Data available on the Explore Yellowstone River app stretches from the rivers headwaters in Yellowstone National Park to its confluence with the Missouri River near the Montana-North Dakota border, a distance of almost 700 miles.

In addition to river-related information like water levels and boat launches, the app also provides data on towns, museums and galleries. Historical points of interest, such as the camping spots William Clark and his portion of the Corps of Discovery used on their trip down the river in 1806, is another unique feature of the app.

The free app is available via Google Play or Apple Store. It can also be downloaded from Our Montanas website, ourmontana.org.
I talked to my family members, as it was something I wanted to do, but I didnt want them to stress out, said Gaschk. My kids just said, Mom, its what you do.

Trinity Chavez, secretary of the board for Big Sky International Balloon Rendezvous, said Gaschks nomination stood out to the board because of her retirement.

She didnt have to, Chavez said. And we thought that was really amazing. A lot of us all bucked up and did what we had to do during the pandemic, and Vicky did what she didnt have to do, and that was really meaningful to all of us on the board.

Gaschk has been a nurse on staff at Billings Clinic since 1998, and shes been in the obstetrics field since graduating in 1985 from Montana State University. After college, she joined the Air Force, where she spent three years in active duty and then joined the active reserves. Shes been coast to coast with the Air Force, working as an OBGYN nurse for her entire military career. Shes also been called back to active duty as medical personnel several times since, including during Operation Desert Storm.

Ive just always jumped in and helped, as long as Im able to, if things get crazy, said Gaschk. I would feel bad if I didnt help, if I was capable.
Plans for a large solar farm west of Dillon advanced this week as developer Clenera secured a sales contract with NorthWestern Energy.

The 80-megawatt Apex Solar project is Boise-based Cleneras third Montana development to secure terms in the past year. Apex pushes the companys contracted Montana generation to 230 megawatts, the most of any solar developer.

We really view that, for Montana, this is one of the best solar resources in the state, Jared McKee, Cleneras director of business development, said of Apex. Its pretty much due west of Dillon.

At 80 megawatts, Apex has enough power to electrify about 16,000 homes, reports Clenera.

Over 25 years, Apex is expected to produce $15 million in tax revenue for Beaverhead County and $3.4 million for the state of Montana, the company said.

Apex is expected to come online in November 2022, which would increase the nameplate solar capacity in NorthWesterns Montana portfolio nearly fivefold.
The Alder Creek Fire, which is burning in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest near Wise River, is the top-priority fire in the nation.

The state has seen 1,500 fire starts this year and 200,000 acres have burned, with 500 of those starts happening in July.

The state started the fire season with its fire fund full at $105 million, and so far this season suppression costs have reached about $8.9 million, according to the briefing.

Montana is facing a fire season fueled by dry conditions and a heat wave that has killed hundreds around the western U.S. Earlier this month the Associated Press reported that a study done by a team of scientists found the heat wave could not have occurred without human-caused climate change.

In June, Gianforte withdrew Montana from a multi-state climate coalition, saying that he felt innovation and not government mandates was the best way to address climate change. The move was criticized sharply by advocates working to address and adapt to climate change.

A release from the governor's office said Gianforte also met with the Forest Service's regional forester, Leanne Marten, on Wednesday.
I dont think its going to be very effective as it is right now, Carrera said. Theres a long journey to improve these (pricing) requirements.

The primary issues are a lack of standardization in what hospitals are required to report and arbitrary regulations set by CMS.

With multiple components to the total charge from facility charges to physician charges to supplies, there is no clear template on how to define a price or how prices should be posted, Carrera said. Rather, defining hospitals fees is open to interpretation.

St. Vincent Healthcares cost calculator estimates a patient without insurance would pay $1,546 for a CT scan of the pelvis. The estimate lists contrast medications for imaging as included in the total, but does not include professional charges for the radiologist or lab work, despite requirements from CMS that hospital fees must be included in the estimate.

Billings Clinic estimates the out-of-pocket cost for the same procedure without insurance would be $1,651. Professional fees are included in the Billings Clinic estimate, totaling $273 and other hospital charges coming to $1,378. It is not clear what is included in the hospital fees, or if the discount for uninsured patients is factored in.
The nine-day North Dakota State Fair gets underway at the State Fairgrounds in Minot this weekend.

It's the first fair in two years -- last year's event was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It was only the second cancellation of the event since it became the official state fair in 1966. It also was called off in 2011 due to Souris River flooding that swamped part of Minot and prompted the evacuation of thousands of people.

The fair attracts about 300,000 people each year -- making it the largest annual event in the state -- and pumps tens of millions of dollars into the economy of North Dakota's fourth-largest city. It began in 1922. A new grandstand was built in 2010.

Rock 'n' roll legend Lynyrd Skynyrd will kick off grandstand performances with a Friday concert. The State Fair Parade is Saturday, beginning at 9:15 a.m. on the corner of Broadway and Burdick Expressway and running to the fairgrounds on the east side of Minot.

Pride of Dakota Day is Monday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. under a large tent near the southwest corner of the fairgrounds. A $1 lunch will be served from 11 a.m. 1 p.m. Nearly 500 North Dakota companies are members of the state's Pride of Dakota branding program.
A draft environmental impact statement for a new rail bridge across the Missouri River is available for public comment.

BNSF Railway has wanted to replace the aging Bismarck-Mandan Rail Bridge with a new one for several years. Local nonprofit Friends of the Rail Bridge wants to stop the railway from demolishing the 138-year-old bridge, and believes the draft EIS is flawed. Federal officials overseeing the process say they'll consider all comments before making a final decision.

The preservation group and railroad signed an agreement with the Coast Guard in January outlining paths to either keeping or removing the bridge. The Coast Guard decides on projects proposed along that part of the Missouri River, and the draft statement is part of the permitting process for the new bridge.

The railway in April asked the Coast Guard to move forward with the process to remove the existing bridge, citing the preservation group's lack of a public partner to help manage the bridge if it remains and unmet deadlines, among other issues.

The draft statement lists removing the existing rail bridge and constructing a new one as a proposed alternative, and retaining the bridge and building a new one with three potential designs as others.
Forrest was a Confederate cavalry general who amassed a fortune before the Civil War as a plantation owner and slave trader in Memphis. After the war, he was a leader of the Klan, which terrorized Black people as it sought to reverse Reconstruction efforts and restore white supremacy.

Earlier this year, Tennessees Historical Commission voted 25-1 to move the three busts just north of the Capitol building to the states museum, noting it was better equipped to furnish the appropriate historical context.

However, the Statehouse's top Republican leaders argued that the bust could not be removed without approval from the State Building Commission. House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Senate Speaker Randy McNally both expressed disappointment with Thursday's outcome.

No one is arguing that Forrest is not a problematic figure. He is. But there is more to his story. His life eventually followed a redemptive arc which I hope is outlined in great detail in our state museum, McNally said in a statement, adding that the vote signaled that some advocates will likely find another monument to demand that we again kneel at the altar of political correctness.

The GOP-controlled General Assembly has refused for years to advance legislation calling for the bust's removal.
The letter ordered Dodson to turn in her state-issued uniform and badge before receiving her final paycheck May 21. State records show she had worked at the prison since at least 2004, starting as a radiological technologist before becoming a registered nurse in 2013. She earned $75,252 in 2020.

Dodson and Council 61 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, a union representing prison staff, appealed her firing earlier this month. The appeal to the Iowa Public Employment Relations Board argues that Dodson was unjustly terminated, and asked that she be reinstated with back pay and held blameless for this incident.

Union spokesman Troy Price said the overdoses happened after the prison abruptly switched from using the Moderna vaccine to the Pfizer version. Pfizer packages its vaccines in vials that contain six doses apiece and must be diluted with saline solution before use. Modernas vaccine does not require dilution.

Price said the nurses were given 90 minutes notice and no training on the change in how the new vaccines were to be prepared and delivered before they were to begin administering shots.

The Department of Corrections has an obligation to ensure proper training of its employees and they should have notified the nurses earlier and provided adequate training, he said.
Sen. Ray Holmberg, R-Grand Forks, tasked the Government Finance Committee with studying the law and issuing recommendations by Oct. 1, for the Legislature to address when it meets in November for redistricting.

The committee on Thursday heard historical and legal analyses of the law from legislative staff. Members discussed increasing the federal funding limit from $50 million to $75 million or $100 million.

The committee next meets in September to consider bill drafts for changes to the Emergency Commission spending limits. A panel of top lawmakers that guides the Legislature's interim work would have to approve any bill draft the committee sends out.

The Emergency Commission approved nearly $2 billion in the 2019-20 interim -- far beyond the two-year average of $33 million from 2007-18. Federal coronavirus aid accounted for most of the seven-figure spending.

Items over $50,000 go to the Legislature's Budget Section, which could previously only approve or deny the requests. The new law allows the group of budget writers and floor leaders to amend items over $3 million.
Hong Kong security minister Chris Tang denied that the arrests would trigger a white terror  a term referring to a climate of fear caused by political repression  among journalists.

Whoever committed an offense will be arrested, disregarding their background, whatever they do, or what are their professions, he said.

It doesnt really matter. If they committed an offense, they will be arrested. And if there is any evidence, they will be prosecuted.

The Hong Kong Journalists Association criticized the repeated targeting of journalists from Apple Daily, stating that it was shocked and puzzled by the arrest of Lam since the newspaper had already ceased operations.

The association also asked the government to explain how news and publishing work which has been legally carried out and is protected under the city's mini-constitution, the Basic Law, could endanger national security.

Freedom of the press and the freedom to publish are important cornerstones for the success of an international city, it said in a statement on its Facebook page.
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On June 24, Hong Kong police raided the headquarters of Apple Daily and froze all major assets, forcing the news service to shut down its business and publishing. Ever since, any remnant of Jimmy Lai has been forcibly destroyed in order for CCP to remain in complete control. []

On Thursday, four staff members from the now-shuttered pro-democracy newspaper, Apple Daily, were denied bail in a Hong Kong court. The four have been accused of colluding with foreign forces under Hong Kongs National Security Law, or NSL, in its pursuit of absolute censorship.

Hong Kong police, who typically keep anonymous those under investigation, said late Wednesday that they had charged four individuals, aged 51 to 57. Public broadcaster RTKH reported national security judge Victor So rejected their bail applications because there was not enough evidence to show that the defendants will not commit further acts endangering national security.

The denial came a day after Hong Kong police arrested Lam Man-Chung, the editor-in-chief of the pro-democracy newspaper founded by longtime Acton friend, Jimmy Lai.

According to Reuters, Man-Chung was detained at his house Tuesday morning on suspicion of conspiring to collude with foreign countries or foreign forces to endanger national security.

His is the latest arrest for violating Hong Kongs National Security Law. If the NSL is left uncontested, it will enable the Chinese Communist Party, or CCP, to further restrict freedom of speech and press in China. Hong Kong officials have cited the NSL to defend their investigations and arrests, insisting dozens of Apple Dailys articles may have violated it, and proper action must be taken.

When the NSL was first passed in June 2020, Hong Kongs Chief Executive Carrie Lam defended its purpose, saying that safeguarding national security is the constitutional duty of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Next Digital, the corporation founded by Jimmy Lai and the publisher of Apple Daily, has not commented on the most recent arrest.

On June 24, Hong Kong police raided the headquarters of Apple Daily and froze all major assets, forcing the news service to shut down its business and publishing. Ever since, any remnant of Jimmy Lai, has been forcibly destroyed in order for CCP to remain in complete control. This has gone so far as the recent story of the librarian who was suspended from her job for promoting non-political writings from Jimmy Lai.

Every arrest and infringement of basic human rights continues to serve as a reminder to individuals outside of China the reality that the Chinese people are forced to face every day. Every arrest the CCP makes with those affiliated with Apple Daily revives the memory of Jimmy Lai and his hand in Chinas pro-democracy movement.

The CCP uses fear to suppress freedom. It will take bravery and sacrifice to stand up to the CCPs reign of terror.
The Cuban government is built on longstanding lies and the systemic oppression of its own people. For Americans to also be duped by the regimes propaganda is a tragedy of ignorance. []

It has become routine for Bernie Sanders and other self-described democratic socialists to praise Cuba for its high literacy rates and universal health care. More recently, Black Lives Matter released a statement supporting the communist regime while criticizing U.S. sanctions against Cuba.

Meanwhile, the Cuban people cry for freedom and protest in the streets.

Why would a country with such a healthy and well-read population be so unhappy with their rulers? Why would Cubans risk their lives to traverse the 90-mile strait to Florida?

Let us peel back the layers around what so many self-described socialists admire about Cuba  which are the very same things Cubans risk their lives to escape.

First, while Cuba does not rank high on many other worldly standards, it excels in literacy. When Fidel Castro took power in 1959, he and his ruthless central planner Che Guevara saw education as critical  not for the pursuit of knowledge, but for the pursuit of indoctrination. Cubas educational system is focused around Marxist ideology.

Given that almost everyone can read and write, cant the Cuban people simply choose to read something else? Perhaps some Adam Smith or Russell Kirk? Unfortunately, the government decides which books are allowed and who can read them, with a specific focus on children.

So can everyone in Cuba read and write? It is debatable.

Regardless, the Cuban people do not have the freedom of expression or press to make such literacy fully meaningful. A literate population does not necessarily translate to being a learned population.

Bernie Sanders and other self-described socialists assert Cuba got at least some things right, particularly when it comes to free healthcare. Yet ambulances can rarely go out in time. Understaffed and underfunded, immediate care transportation more often looks like Cubans commandeering a nearby taxi to take the person to the hospital. The nice hospitals are reserved for the elites and the tourists.

What about Cubas reputation as a wonderful exporter of doctors? Cuba does send many doctors out around the world, which was a key part of former Fidel Castros original strategy for establishing multinational influence. Yet overseas doctors are monitored closely and are often mistreated by their home government. Some even try to escape once they are placed overseas, but are held back because of family left in Cuba.

Self-described socialists and others are duped into believing the Cuban regimes facade for true state ownership and oppression. Meanwhile, the Cuban president, Miguel Diaz-Canal (and more recently Black Lives Matter) blames U.S. sanctions, claiming them to be a policy of economic suffocation. Maybe so, but people are not protesting the embargo in front of the U.S. embassy; they are protesting communism and the prevailing regime of their homeland.

Another instance of economic suffocation is the communist partys grip on Cubans making $30 a month, even as the Castro family amasses extravagant wealth, estimated by Forbes magazine at $900 million dollars, $400 million more than Queen Elizabeth.

Communism is the next and inevitable step of socialism. According to Alexander William Salter, a business professor at Texas Tech University, socialism is not public services, but rather state ownership of the means of production eerily similar to that next step of communism.

Cuba has been built by inducing fear among its own people and every political device is a way to control the population. For Americans to also be duped by the regimes lies is a tragedy of ignorance.

Practically, the ideals of communism in Cuba act as a smokescreen so dictators like Fidel Castro can seize power, wealth, and control their people  limiting their freedom, indoctrinating their children, and denying them the opportunity to live a healthy and flourishing life.
The neon Tango Dancers are coming back to Elmwood Avenue, thanks to Washington developer Douglas Jemal.

One of Buffalo's best-known artistic displays, the giant neon sign with flamenco dancers had graced the facade of the mixed-use building at Elmwood and Bidwell Parkway for decades, its two figures appearing to move with the lights as they performed the tango.

Designed by Laura Rankin, Dan Sack and Andy Ferullo, the art deco sign was put up in 1982 as part of an economic revitalization effort, to welcome visitors to that portion of the Elmwood strip. The iconic sign depicts the dancers in three different positions as the lights change.

But it was neglected over the years and fell into disrepair. Its lights had been turned off for some time until a nonprofit group, the Buffalo Argentine Tango Society, raised money to get it partially lit again.

Six years ago, it was taken for much-needed repairs and put in storage. The former building owner didn't want it anymore, and many in the neighborhood feared that the building itself was destined for demolition. Ciminelli Real Estate Corp. later acquired a cluster of 11 properties  including that complex  and planned to replace them with a pair of new five-story apartment buildings with about 100 units in its since-scrapped Arbor + Reverie project.
The next phase of work at Elmwood Crossing is poised to begin in just over a month, with a little-noticed conversion project would bring low-income seniors to live in a former hospital buildings.

People Inc., the region's largest social services nonprofit agency, plans to transform the former Maternity Building at the old Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo into a senior housing facility.

The vacant 49,410-square-foot building is part of the main hospital complex that developers Nick Sinatra and William Paladino acquired from Kaleida Health after the hospital moved to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

Plans by Silvestri Architects for the Folwell Apartments call for 44 affordable rental apartments, all targeted for seniors 55 and older, with incomes below 60% of the area median. That will include 40 one-bedroom and four-two-bedroom units. Five of the apartments will be aimed at households earning less than 30% of the area median, while 30 will be reserved for those earning less than 50% of the income target.
The contest for Erie County comptroller  mostly obscured by the 2021 marquee elections for Buffalo mayor and Erie County sheriff  is easing into the region's political discourse as Republican-backed Lynne M. Dixon issues a new plan outlining her priorities for the office.

The 25-point proposal, to be released today, revolves around "helping senior citizens, small businesses, and taxpayers," her campaign said. Her "signature item," she added, is allowing senior citizens on a fixed income and small business owners to pay property taxes monthly, instead of annually.

GOP names Dixon as Erie County comptroller candidate Erie County Republicans have officially chosen Lynne M. Dixon as their candidate for comptroller this year.

Rising property taxes have driven too many senior citizens out of their homes and have added to the financial struggles small business owners face every day. They both need our help." Dixon said. "I will study the process and propose a plan to the Legislature that will eliminate the large tax bill seniors pay right after Christmas, replacing it with manageable monthly payments that fit better into their lifestyle."

Dixon, a former county legislator who waged a competitive but unsuccessful campaign for county executive in 2019, faces Democrat Kevin R. Hardwick in November after current Republican Comptroller Stefan I. Mychajliw Jr. opted against re-election in favor of a bid for Hamburg supervisor.
Police said there were no reports of any shots fired inside.

Mykalya Cole, a 14-year-old student who was inside the school, said police came into her classroom and removed two boys.

Cole said she saw no gun while inside the school and said she did not feel like she was in danger.

For a time during the lockdown, she and her classmates "had to go to a corner where there were no windows," she said.

At about 1:10 p.m., a police officer told a group of about 50 to 60 parents gathered outside the school that students would be released in about 15 minutes.

"No one's child is hurt. No one is injured. No one is in trouble. No one's going to jail," the officer told the crowd.

While the school lockdown was in effect, visitors at the Buffalo Museum of Science, which is attached to the school, were being allowed to move about freely inside the facility, but guests were not allowed to exit the building and new visitors were not allowed to enter, said Amy Biber, the museum's director of external relations.

K-9 units searched outside the school, located in Martin Luther King Jr. Park. A helicopter circled above the area.
A Town of Tonawanda police officer who admitted lying about his role in a 2019 crash returned to the town payroll last week and soon will receive roughly $220,000 in back pay, town officials said.

Officer Howard M. Scholl III, who was suspended without pay for nearly 2 years, now is on paid leave as the town continues trying to fire him and he awaits prosecution on criminal charges over the incident.

The state Appellate Division's Fourth Department in May ruled the town owed Scholl back pay and benefits and must begin paying him again. The town opted not to appeal the ruling.

"I hate to do it, but the court said we've got to do it," Supervisor Joseph Emminger said Wednesday.

The appellate court also ruled the town could move forward with disciplinary proceedings against Scholl, with the Town Board meting out the punishment. Any final decision on discipline for Scholl could be months away because the Town of Tonawanda Police Club is seeking to appeal that ruling.

On Jan. 19, 2019, Scholl and his wife, Aimee, were driving home from a restaurant when their SUV slid through a stop sign and struck a vehicle on Englewood Avenue that had the right of way, authorities said.
Once a new strategy is in place that aligns the plants physical assets with our national interests, the plant can be retrofitted as needed and current workers can be rehired, the letter to the president said.

Viatris spokeswoman Jennifer Mauer issued a statement that the decision to cease operations at Chestnut Ridge as part of a global, multi-site restructuring initiative was one we did not take lightly and in no way reflects upon the companys appreciation for the commitment, work ethic and valuable contributions of our employees.

She added the company's intent has been to provide generous comprehensive severance packages for those being let go. Viatris formed in 2020 and sought incorporation in Delaware, with global centers in Pittsburgh and Hyderabad, India, and Shanghai, China

Some industry groups have lobbied for enhancing the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain. The Association for Accessible Medicine in April 2020 proposed a blueprint for the federal government to establish a list of essential medicines for the U.S. and expand domestic production.

But the loss of the Morgantown plant won't have a major impact on domestic production of generic medicine, said Rachel Schwartz, a spokeswoman for the Association for Accessible Medicine.

Our Revolution's letter to Biden said the Morgantown workers include union members, researchers and scientists who together can produce more than 18 billion doses of life-saving generic drugs each year. But Schwartz said nearly 150 manufacturing sites remain nationwide, together producing more than 60 billion of generic medicine doses annually.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
TERNATE, Indonesia (AP)  An Indonesian man with the coronavirus boarded a domestic flight disguised as his wife, wearing a niqab covering his face and carrying fake IDs and a negative PCR test result.

But the cover didn't last long.

Police say a flight attendant aboard a Citilink plane traveling from Jakarta to Ternate in North Maluku province on Sunday noticed the man change the clothes in the lavatory.

"He bought the plane ticket with his wife's name and brought the identity card, the PCR test result and the vaccination card with his wife's name. All documents are under his wife's name," Ternate police chief Aditya Laksimada said after arresting the man upon landing. He was only identified by his initials.

Police took him for a COVID-19 test, which came back positive.

The man is currently self-isolating at home, and police said the investigation will continue.

Indonesia is in the grip of the worst coronavirus surge in Asia with 33,772 new confirmed cases and 1,383 deaths in the last 24 hours. The total number of reported cases is 2.9 million with 77,583 fatalities.
TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan has ordered a further 36 million doses of Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine, the government said on Thursday, as it seeks to lock in deliveries for the months ahead.

Taiwan has received about 9 million doses to date of Moderna and AstraZeneca Plc, including almost 6 million doses donated by Japan and the United States, enabling it to speed up its inoculation programme.

Cabinet spokesman Lo Ping-cheng told reporters that the new order for Moderna vaccines, which comes on top of 5 million already ordered, was signed on Wednesday.

"This number is slightly more than the 30 million doses we had originally expected," Lo said, though he declined to say when they might start arriving. "We must strive for smooth delivery according to the scheduled time."

Moderna did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

More than 20% of Taiwan's 23.5 million people have received at least one dose in the two-shot vaccine regimen.

A domestic outbreak of the coronavirus in Taiwan is now well under control after cases spiked in May, and the government is considering whether to lower the alert level.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Yimou Lee. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
WASHINGTON (AP)  The United States and Germany have announced a deal to allow the completion of a controversial Russian gas pipeline to Europe without the imposition of further U.S. sanctions. The agreement aims to stanch fears about European dependence on Russian energy, but it was immediately assailed by critics who said it doesn't go far enough.

Under the terms of the deal Wednesday, the U.S. and Germany committed to countering any Russian attempt to use the Nord Stream 2 pipeline as a political weapon. And, they agreed to support Ukraine and Poland, both of which are bypassed by the project and fear Russia's intentions, by funding alternative energy and development projects.

The United States and Germany are united in their determination to hold Russia to account for its aggression and malign activities by imposing costs via sanctions and other tools," they said in a joint statement that covered Nord Stream 2 as well as Russia's support for separatists in Ukraine.

Should Russia attempt to use energy as a weapon or commit further aggressive acts against Ukraine, Germany will take action at the national level and press for effective measures at the European level, including sanctions, to limit Russian export capabilities to Europe in the energy sector, it said.

The Nord Stream 2 project has posed a major foreign policy dilemma for the Biden administration. U.S. officials from both parties have long feared that it would give Russia too much power over European gas supplies. But the pipeline is almost completed and the U.S. has been determined to rebuild ties with Germany that were damaged during the Trump administration.

Poland and Ukraine expressed their displeasure over the decision to allow the pipeline's completion and said the efforts to reduce the Russian security threat were not sufficient.

This decision has created a political, military and energy threat for Ukraine and Central Europe, while increasing Russias potential to destabilize the security situation in Europe, perpetuating divisions among NATO and European Union member states, the Polish and Ukrainian foreign ministers said in a joint statement.

Story continues

The agreement is not a clear political win for either President Joe Biden or German Chancellor Angela Merkel, an unabashed supporter of the pipeline who will step down later this year. For Biden, he risks appearing weak as it relates to Russia, and Merkel's governing party faces a serious challenge from Germany's Green Party, which opposes the pipeline, in September elections.

Still, the two sides committed to supporting a $1 billion fund for Ukraine to diversify its energy sources, of which Germany will provide an initial $175 million grant. And, Germany guaranteed that it would reimburse Ukraine for gas transit fees it will lose from being bypassed by Nord Stream 2 until 2024, with a possible 10-year extension.

The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Merkel on Wednesday and they discussed the possibility of extending a deal on transit of Russian gas via Ukraine after 2024.

In a nod to Poland, Germany also agreed to sign onto the Three Seas Initiative, an EU and U.S.-promoted scheme that aims to boost investment, infrastructure development and energy security among the countries bordering the Baltic, Black, and Adriatic seas. The German government, the statement said, would help to contribute up to $1.7 billion of European Union funding for the initiative through 2027.

Despite the agreement, there remains strong bipartisan opposition to the pipeline in Congress, as well as in Ukraine and Poland, and like the Trump administration before it, the Biden administration also says it opposes the pipeline. U.S. officials have said sanctions won't stop it.

The top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, said he had no doubt Russia will use the Nord Stream 2 pipeline as a weapon of coercion against Ukraine and transatlantic energy security as soon as it is operational. Promises to invest in future Ukrainian energy projects and ambiguous threats of consequences wont change that reality."

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, also objected, calling it weak," and several Democrats, including Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, have been consistently critical of the administration's approach.

I am not yet convinced that this agreement  or any bilateral agreement  can sufficiently provide assurances to our European allies and minimize the considerable economic impact and security implications of this pipelines completion, Shaheen said in a statement.

The State Department's third-ranking official, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland, categorically denied reports that Ukraine had been warned against publicly complaining about the agreement and noted that the State Department's counselor, Derek Chollet, was visiting both Kyiv and Warsaw this week to inform them of the deal. She told lawmakers on Wednesday that the deal was the best way to deal with the situation.

In another effort to appeal to Ukraine the White House announced that Biden would welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Washington on Aug. 30. An invitation for later this summer had been announced in June before Biden met Putin in Geneva, but a date had not been set until Wednesday.

The visit will affirm the United States unwavering support for Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russias ongoing aggression in the Donbas and Crimea, our close cooperation on energy security, and our backing for President Zelenskyys efforts to tackle corruption and implement a reform agenda based on our shared democratic values, the White House said.

Bidens approach to Ukraine is also a sensitive political subject. Former President Donald Trumps attempt to pressure Zelenskyy to dig up dirt on Biden and his son led to Trumps first impeachment. He was later acquitted by the Senate.

Nord Stream 2 has been a topic of intense debate between U.S. and German officials for some time and it was a major agenda item during Bidens meeting with Merkel last week. Like the Trump administration before it, the Biden administration regards the pipeline as a threat to European energy security and has imposed sanctions on some of those involved in building it.

Nuland said the U.S. continues to oppose the pipeline but said Biden had waived sanctions against the German company constructing the pipeline and its top executives because the penalties would have been counterproductive to broader U.S. interests.

She and others have defended the waivers, saying they can be rescinded at any time and that threat actually gives the U.S. more leverage. Biden administration officials have said repeatedly that the pipeline was a foregone conclusion by the time the president took office. That argument has been scoffed at by pipeline opponents.

Matthew Lee, The Associated Press
Tamara Dus, left, administers a first COVID-19 vaccine to personal support worker Anita Quidangen at a hospital in Toronto on Dec. 14, 2020. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press - image credit)

The debate over mandatory COVID-19 vaccines for health-care workers is growing louder in Canada as more countries move forward with the controversial approach in order to safeguard health-care settings and fight the spread of more contagious variants.

Requiring vaccinations as a condition of employment in hospitals, long-term care homes and other sectors involving hands-on work with patients is not new in Canada  and experts feel it should be no different when it comes to this pandemic.

Canada lacks detailed data on the percentage of health-care workers who have been vaccinated. But more than 80 per cent of eligible Canadians have at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and close to 60 per cent have two  an amazing feat, no doubt, but one that is already showing signs of tapering off.

Health-care workers were among the first to get access to COVID-19 vaccines in Canada in order to protect them and their patients from infection and prevent hospitals and long-term care homes from being overwhelmed by outbreaks.

But the question of whether they should now be required to get vaccinated to do their jobs is growing more urgent as Canada's vaccination campaign slows, ahead of the reopening of the border to U.S. travellers and the start of school in September.

Evan Mitsui/CBC

"I absolutely think we should make COVID-19 vaccines mandatory in health care  I think it's a no brainer," said Dr. Nathan Stall, a geriatrician at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto and a member of Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization.

"It's extremely important that we have those who are caring for our most vulnerable with direct, hands-on care be fully vaccinated. There should be no ifs, ands, or buts to that."

Debate over mandatory vaccines in Canada

France has ordered all health-care workers to get vaccinated by Sept. 15 as the more contagious and potentially more deadly delta variant drives COVID-19 levels back up. Greece and Italy also have put similar rules in place.

Story continues

The Ontario Medical Association and the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario have called for mandatory vaccines for health-care workers in Canada's largest province, where delta is estimated to make up more than 90 per cent of latest COVID-19 cases.

But Ontario Premier Doug Ford said last week that health-care workers have a "constitutional right" to opt out of v, despite the province mandating immunization policies for long-term care home staff in order to protect vulnerable residents.

"I think it's their constitutional right to take it or not take it," he told reporters Thursday. "No one should be forced to do anything."

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has also repeatedly dismissed the notion of mandatory vaccines in the province, even amending the province's Public Health Act to remove a 100-year-old power allowing the government to force people to be vaccinated.

"These folks who are concerned about mandatory vaccines have nothing to be concerned about," he told reporters during the Calgary Stampede last week.

WATCH | Canada lacks national standards for proof of COVID-19 vaccinations:

Proponents of mandatory COVID-19 vaccines for health-care workers are quick to point out they've already been required to be vaccinated against other highly infectious diseases for decades  including some less severe than COVID-19.

"I have to be vaccinated against hepatitis B, I have to be vaccinated against measles, and I have to do a tuberculosis test periodically, otherwise I can't work at my hospital," said Dr. Kashif Pirzada, an emergency physician in Toronto.

"There's no reason why a COVID-19 vaccination would be unconstitutional in that framework. We already require vaccinations against other diseases as a term of employment, so I don't see why this is any different. And this is a much deadlier disease."

'COVID-19 is not influenza'

A recent viewpoint published in the medical journal JAMA argued that just as health-care workers should not "inadvertently spread contagious infections," like measles and influenza, to their patients and colleagues, COVID-19 should be no exception.

An analysis in the Canadian Medical Association Journal earlier this year called for each provincial and territorial government to mandate vaccines for all private and public health-care workers because of their increased risk of catching and spreading COVID-19.

Flu shots aren't mandated for Canadian health-care workers, and the authors of the CMAJ paper cite a 2019 case won by nurses in British Columbia against mandatory flu vaccines. But they say the same should not be true in the pandemic, because "COVID-19 is not influenza."

The debate around mandating flu shots for Canadian health-care workers in the past may be driving the recent concerns in the pandemic, Stall said. But he argues that the case for compulsory COVID-19 vaccines is much stronger.

"We know that this is more transmissible, the consequences at the patient level are much more severe than influenza and the disruption to both the health-care workforce and the health-care system is much more severe with COVID-19," he said.

"Health-care workers have a fiduciary responsibility to place the needs of their patients and those that they're caring for first. I don't think that those individuals should be providing direct, hands-on care to long-term care residents and other frail and vulnerable individuals."

WATCH | What COVID-19 vaccines mean to health-care workers on the front lines:

Raywat Deonandan, a global health epidemiologist and associate professor at the University of Ottawa, says while it's unethical to deny someone life-saving care if they have a deeply held belief against vaccines, it is ethical to refuse them a job.

"If you're a health-care worker who is denying vaccination, well, you need to get a different job  and you have that option," he said.

"But for a patient, it's probably your right, to some extent, to be skeptical about pharmaceuticals  [and] you have a right to health care while you figure that out.

"So there's that delicate balancing act. We have to accommodate some of this, but not all of it."

Reasons for vaccine hesitancy

Toronto-based pharmacologist Sabina Vohra-Miller, who co-founded Unambiguous Science and the South Asian Health Network, says that not all health-care workers should be put in the same category.

"If you're talking about physicians that's one thing. But if you're actually looking at the fuller spectrum of health-care workers it's a different situation," she said. "You don't necessarily have people coming from as much either privilege or accessibility."

Vohra-Miller says health-care workers can include personal support workers, long-term care workers and community outreach staff that could have different barriers to getting vaccinated, including education, paid sick leave or childcare.

"They're working multiple jobs at any given time. They're working crazy hours, just to make ends meet," she said.

"When people think of health-care workers, they just automatically think doctors and nurses and people who have access and have all this education on vaccines and should be able to make these decisions  but that's not necessarily the case."

Impact on the health-care system in a 4th wave

Pirzada says if a significant proportion of health-care workers remain unvaccinated in the fall, when COVID-19 levels are expected to rise again, there could be significant impacts on the Canadian health-care system.

"When the rates of the virus increase in the community, it's going to start hitting health-care workers," he said. "If let's say 30 per cent of our workers are not vaccinated, you're going to knock out a large portion of the workforce, right at the time when we need them, when community transmission is going to be at its highest."

Stall says ensuring as many health-care workers are vaccinated as possible will maintain stability in the health-care system and mitigate future outbreaks in settings linked to under-vaccinated staff, like long-term care homes, as recently seen in Burlington and Hamilton.

"We know the havoc that an individual outbreak can cause in terms of the health-care system," he said.

"We need leadership on this issue. We need to do it now while case counts are low  before the fall, before it's too late, when we may have outbreaks in our health-care settings."
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 22)  The Philippines on Thursday morning received 1.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines made by Chinese firm Sinovac, officials said.

The shipment arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3. Another one million Sinovac shots are expected to reach the country on Friday.

These two shipments will bring the total Sinovac deliveries this July to five million. Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje earlier said around six million doses from the Chinese firm will come in tranches this month.

All 26 million Sinovac doses bought by the national government is expected to be delivered by September, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles earlier said.

On Tuesday, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. reported the country now has more than enough supply in its inventory to meet the public's inoculation needs for over a month.

The country has so far received 29.98 million vaccines. Around 15.6 million doses have already been administered, with five million Filipinos now fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 22)  The country's major telcos should expect a heightened head-to-head battle as an initial one million subscribers are expected to avail of mobile number portability following its implementation by end-September.

"Initially, were projecting a million. But in other countries we see about 30% of the subscribers porting out, so we will prepare for it," said Melanie Manuel, general manager of Telecommunications Connectivity Inc.the joint venture of Globe Telecom, PLDT's wireless arm Smart Communications, and DITO Telecommunity.

"Were setting it at about a million at the initial stage," she added.

TCI will focus on facilitating the porting in and porting out service.

READ: Smart, Globe, DITO a step closer to cell number portability

Dominant telcos Globe Telecom and PLDT ended the first quarter with 79.8 million and 71.8 million mobile subscribers, respectively.

Meanwhile, new player DITO Telecommunity just hit the one million mark last June, three months after it launched its services in the market.

Once the service is up and running, Manuel said telco carriers would be further encouraged to bolster their networks, and improve and expand their products.

This, as the Mobile Number Portability Act will not limit subscribers in switching to other providers that offer the best service.

Prepaid or postpaid subscribers are covered by this law. But Manuel said they have to first clear their financial obligation with their current service provider before tapping other networks.

Manuel noted that subscribers also need not worry about shelling out money, as telcos are committed to shouldering the porting fees.

Last week, the telcos completed the initial tests of their technical capabilities and interoperability.

The outcome of the technical tests is "within expectations," the industry players said in a previous statement.
(CNN) -- About 2.5 billion metric tons of food is wasted around the world each year, roughly half of which is lost on farms including in Europe and the United States. That's having a huge impact on the climate.

A report published Wednesday by the World Wildlife Fund and UK grocery retailer Tesco reveals that the amount of food lost is nearly double previous estimates by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, which last conducted an analysis of total waste from farm to fork in 2011.

Food lost on farms amounts to 1.2 billion metric tons, with a further 931 million metric tons wasted by retailers and consumers. The remainder is lost during transport, storage, manufacturing and processing.

The updated figures indicate that 40% of all food produced goes uneaten, according to the study, which attempts to quantify the amount of food wasted on farms for the first time in a decade.

"We have known for years that food loss and waste is a huge problem that can be minimized, which in turn could reduce the impact of food systems on nature and climate," Pete Pearson, global food loss and waste initiative lead at WWF said in a statement.

"This report shows us the problem is likely bigger than we had thought," he added.

According to the study, food waste accounts for 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions, higher than a previous estimate of 8%.

That's the equivalent of nearly twice the annual emissions produced by all the cars driven in the United States and Europe, where in recent days raging wildfires and catastrophic floods have served as a painful reminder of the grave threats posed by the climate crisis.

"Producing food uses a huge amount of land, water and energy, so wasted food significantly impacts climate change," the report said.

Despite its outsized effect on the environment, just 11 of the national carbon plans submitted by 192 signatories to the Paris climate agreement include measures to address food loss and waste.

Most of the plans that do come from African nations tackling post-harvest losses, even though farming in more industrialized nations, with higher levels of mechanization, is a bigger contributor to food waste than previously thought.

Richer countries in Europe, North America and Asia contribute 58% of wasted harvests globally despite having only 37% of the global population, according to the report. Yet efforts to reduce food waste in wealthier countries tend to focus on retail and consumption.

"Farm-stage food loss is a significant but overlooked food waste hotspot," the report said. The reasons for the waste include a disconnect between markets and farmers, which can lead to mismatches in the volume of production, the types of crops planted and the timing of harvest.

Unfair trading practices and the higher priority given to exported crops by farmers and governments over those for domestic consumption are also factors.

The report calls on governments and the food industry to set food waste reduction targets, measure and report waste and devise strategies to address it within operations and supply chains.

Tesco CEO Ken Murphy said that several of the retailer's suppliers will report on their own farm food loss and waste for the first time this year, "helping us to tackle waste in the earliest parts of our supply chain." The company has been working with 71 of its largest global suppliers to reduce food waste, reporting a reduction of more than 40% when compared to a 2016-2017 baseline, Murphy added.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Farms are wasting 1 billion tons of food. That's a disaster for the climate".
(CNN)  Several kosher grocery stores around the United States have decided to pull Ben & Jerry's from their shelves after the company's announcement this week that it would stop doing business with a licensee in Israel that sells ice cream in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.

Dani Secemski, the owner of Glatt Express, a kosher supermarket in Teaneck, New Jersey, said the company made the decision to drop Ben & Jerry's almost immediately upon seeing its announcement.

"I thought this was an anti-Semitic statement about the evil situation in the Middle East," Secemski told CNN. He says that before this, Glatt Express sold about $8,000 worth of Ben & Jerry's ice cream per year. "If they can reverse their decision, then we'll 100% carry them on our shelves again, and I'll be the first person to tell other businesses to do the same thing."

Secemski says Glatt Express still has about $1,200 worth of Ben & Jerry's ice cream left over from before the decision was made, but they're keeping it in a storage freezer while they wait and hope for the company to reverse its decision. If that doesn't happen, they might donate it.

Glatt Express is one of several kosher grocery stores along the East Coast that dropped Ben & Jerry's as a supplier this week. Others include Shop Delight, Seasons Kosher, Aron's Kissena Farms and Gourmet Glatt, all based in New York.

Eli Siegel, the owner of Market Maven in Baltimore, is also saving Ben & Jerry's inventory in the hopes that the company retracts Monday's statement. If it doesn't, he said, dropping the ice cream brand is "something we're willing to commit to long-term."

Market Maven serves mainly Orthodox Jews who Siegel says love Ben & Jerry's non-dairy products because they meet high kosher standards, and religious Jews don't eat dairy and meat in the same meal. "People love it, people look for it, people request it," he said. "Financially, it was a hard decision to make."

Siegel says Market Maven would have done the same thing if it felt another community was being discriminated against. Last summer, he says, they put up a Black Lives Matter sign to show solidarity with the Black community of Baltimore. "As a community supermarket, we feel that the right thing to do is to stand up for everybody," he said.

One grocery store in South Florida posted an Instagram story of a man taking pints of Ben & Jerry's Phish Food from the shelves and throwing them directly into a garbage can. "I was really hoping to create some more freezer space," the man said. "And then Ben & Jerry's did it for me!"

The largest supermarket to take a stance against Ben & Jerry's so far has been New York-based Morton Williams, which decided Monday evening to reduce the brand's products in its 16 stores by 70%, according to the New York Post.

The ice cream company, which is owned by Unilever, has been doing business in Israel since 1987. But the socially conscious brand has come under pressure in particular because its products are available in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law. On Monday, Ben & Jerry's opted not to renew its contract with its Israeli manufacturer, saying it was inconsistent with the company's values.

The company's ice cream will, however, continue to be sold in Israel, "through a different arrangement," Ben & Jerry's said.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Kosher grocery stores drop Ben & Jerry's after its decision to stop selling ice cream in Palestinian territories."
(CNN)  Toddlers who were breastfed for any amount of time had lower blood pressure than those who were not breastfed at all, according to a new study, suggesting once again that "breast is best" for health.

The reduction in blood pressure found in the study "is of clinically important magnitude and surprising," Dr. Lori Feldman-Winter told CNN in an email. Feldman-Winter, who was not involved in the study, is the chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Breastfeeding.

"I may have expected a difference to be apparent just prior to or during adolescence, but the fact that these differences were seen as early as three years of age indicates that breastfeeding participates in metabolic programming that spans the life cycle," wrote Feldman-Winter, who is a professor of pediatrics at Rowan University's Cooper Medical School.

Any breastfeeding helped

The study, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association, used data from almost 2,400 children who are part of the CHILD (Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development) Cohort Study. CHILD is a longitudinal study that tracks the health of thousands of Canadian mothers and their children born between 2009 and 2012.

The study analyzed data on the length of time infants were breastfed and compared it to their blood pressure at age 3. Across the board, breastfed children had lower blood pressure regardless of the amount of time spent breastfeeding.

The finding was unexpected, said senior study author Meghan Azad, deputy director of the CHILD Cohort Study, an associate professor of pediatrics and child health at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada.

"We found, contrary to our expectations, it did not matter how long you were breastfed, whether it was two days, two weeks, two months or two years," Azad said. "We saw an improvement of blood pressure profiles from any breastfeeding at all."

Prior research shows extended breastfeeding from six months to over a year lowers an infant's risk of obesity, diabetes, gastrointestinal infections and more, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It also reduces the mother's risk of some cancers, diabetes and high blood pressure.

A "dose response" is often seen, meaning "the longer, the better" in relation to protecting against infections and asthma, Azad said.

The official recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics is to breastfeed exclusively for the first six months, then continued with complementary foods such as infant cereals, fruits and vegetables for a year or more.

The World Health Organization recommends the same for the first six months, with continued breastfeeding and complementary foods for up to two years of age or longer.

Breastfeeding immediately after birth 'crucial'

Previous studies attempting to examine the link between breastfeeding and children's blood pressure have been inconsistent, likely due to varying definitions of breastfeeding, the study noted.

Researchers for the current study categorized the children based on the duration of breastfeeding in the first days of life. One such category was "early limited breastfeeding," defined as breastfeeding that only occurred in the hospital.

Unlike previous research on the subject, Azad said the study was unique because they had this very detailed information about breastfeeding during the hospital stay after birth. This information allowed them to come to the conclusion that even breastfeeding only for the limited one to three days in the hospital is linked with lower blood pressure at age 3.

In these early days of breastfeeding, the mothers are producing colostrum, known to be especially nutritious and immunity-boosting for the infant.

"The first few days are really crucial," Azad said.

The reduction in blood pressure seen in the breastfed children is significant when comparing it to the levels of blood pressure in adults that are associated with lower risk of conditions such as hypertension and stroke, said lead study author Dr. Kozeta Miliku, a postdoctoral fellow at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and a clinical science officer at the CHILD Cohort Study.

"The findings that we see on breastfeeding and blood pressure could be clinically relevant," Miliku said. "As a new mom-to-be, this research means a lot to me because it's important to understand that every drop counts."

Though any amount helps, sustained breastfeeding should still be supported, Miliku added.

Azad recognized different reasons women do not breastfeed: They may not be educated on its impacts, they may feel shamed from societal attitudes toward breastfeeding in public, and some may have clinical reasons for not breastfeeding, among other factors. These must all be acknowledged and tackled by policy makers and health care providers, she said.

In light of its findings, the study authors emphasized the need for immediate postpartum lactation support and increased education about breastfeeding to new and expecting mothers.

Similarly, Feldman-Winter said the study makes the case for policies that "work to improve maternity care practices that support breastfeeding initiation."

Azad and Miliku hope to continue following this cohort and monitoring whether these differences in blood pressure levels at age 3 impact the participants' health into adulthood. They also seek to learn more about colostrum and breast milk to understand why they are linked to reduced negative health outcomes.

Breastfeeding resources

For new mothers who are breastfeeding, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends knowing the signs of correct nursing:

Make sure that your baby's mouth is open wide, with their chin and nose resting against the breast.

The baby should take as much of the areola into their mouth as they can and suckle rhythmically in short bursts.

If you can hear your baby swallow regularly and your nipple feels comfortable, you are nursing correctly.

Incorrect nursing signs include your baby's head not being in line with their body, your baby is sucking on the nipple only but not on the areola and your baby's cheeks being puckered inward.

If you aren't hearing your baby swallow regularly or if you experience pain or nipple damage, you may want to seek advice from your pediatrician or or a lactation consultant such as La Leche League, a non-profit agency dedicated to providing education and support for breastfeeding mothers.

This story was first published on CNN.com Breastfeeding for any amount of time linked to lower blood pressure in toddlers, study finds
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 22)  Filipino photojournalist Jilson Tiu has decided to withdraw as one of the brand ambassadors of Canon Philippines after the company faced backlash for a campaign void of diversity.

Canon on Monday released its list of brand ambassadors for 2021 composed of 11 male photographers from different fields.

It was heavily criticized for not including any woman or LGBTQ+ photographers in the lineup.

In a statement, Canon Marketing Philippines Inc. said it supports camera enthusiasts and content creators regardless of gender, culture, customs, language, or race.

Netizens, however, pointed out that the statement was a "non-apology."

Tiu broke his silence on Wednesday. Clueless about the details behind the campaign, he said he was hopeful a woman can be added to the roster, which was revealed in batches.

A photographer working with Canon for years now, Tiu said this incident was his "tipping point" and he was dropping the opportunity to become one of the brand's ambassadors.

"What I dont like is they didnt apologize for the mistake that theyve done," he said in a Facebook post. "They should make up for it and apologize publicly."

Tiu said his decision came about after the realization that he does not have the same principles as the brand.

"Thank you Canon for the three years, I will continue to use your camera as a tool, but I dont want to be an ambassador to a brand that doesnt align with my principles," the lensman stated.

"Paalam at salamat, magkaiba tayo ng daan na nilalakaran [Good bye and thank you. We are taking different paths]," he added.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 22)  The Department of Health has confirmed the local transmission of the more contagious COVID-19 Delta variant.

"Following the phylogenetic analysis conducted by the University of the Philippines - Philippine Genome Center, and case investigation by the DOH Epidemiology Bureau and the regional and local epidemiology and surveillance units, clusters of Delta variant cases were seen to be linked to other local cases, therefore, exhibiting local transmission," the DOH said in a statement.

Early Thursday, the department reported 12 new local cases linked to the Delta variant, bringing the total to 47.

The Alliance of Health Workers earlier warned the Philippines will not be able to handle a severe impact of the feared coronavirus variant, similar to what's being experienced in Indonesia.

Prior to the confirmation, the country has been imposing travel bans on nations with Delta variant cases.

Upon the detection of local cases, the government enhanced response in areas where these were located through the implementation of the "four-door strategy," the DOH said. All levels of government have also been intensifying prevent, detect, isolate, treat, and re-integrate response strategies, and increasing health care capacity, it added.

Meanwhile, authorities are ensuring there are still enough COVID-19 dedicated wards, ICU, and isolation beds across the country, especially in areas experiencing a surge in infections. Preparations are also being undertaken to ensure enough supply of medicines, oxygen tanks, and critical care equipment in hospitals, as well as augmentation of human resources.

With this development, the DOH reiterated the importance of following minimum health protocols and getting vaccinated against COVID-19. The public is also advised to avoid unnecessary travels and gatherings.

Local governments are also urged to shorten duration of case detection to isolation and immediately isolate symptomatic patients. Vaccination of senior citizens and those with comorbidities should be also hastened.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 22)  Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez on Wednesday said he is against more restrictions on businesses amid the threat of the COVID-19 Delta variant spreading in the country.

He said current protocols are enough even after President Rodrigo Duterte said there may be a need to reimpose stricter measures as more cases of the infectious variant are recorded locally.

RELATED: PH can't handle Indonesia-like surge driven by Delta variant  health workers group

Kita din naman natin, napakaingat, dahan dahan yung pagbubukas diba? Lopez said. Nagrereklamo na nga yung mga negosyo pero talagang nag-iingat tayo because of the Delta variant.

[Translation: As we can see, we are very careful, slowly opening the economy. Businesses are complaining, but we are really cautious because of the Delta variant.]

The DTI chief said he will not recommend any restrictions during the meeting of the governments pandemic task force this week, adding Duterte still has the final say on the matter.

The Department of Health has reported 35 Delta variant cases in the country, including locally acquired infections. There are currently eight active cases, while deaths stood at three.

More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities had implemented at times weeks of strict enhanced community quarantine when infections spiked. This was to control movement across borders and curb the transmission of the virus.

However, this also meant business operations temporarily shut down, billions of incomes lost, and more unemployed workers.

So far, only a travel ban on countries with recorded Delta cases is in effect, while the public is urged to strictly follow health protocols and get vaccinated against COVID-19.

CNN Philippines correspondent Rex Remitio contributed to this report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines)  The clock is ticking for President Rodrigo Duterte and Congress to pass laws that would be part of their legacy.

Less than a year before stepping down, Duterte has signed only 15 out of over 50 priority measures  based on the list the legislative and executive leaders agreed to be most urgent.

Dutertes clout in Congress has not translated to the enactment of a lot of his pet bills and campaign promises, but some controversial measures made the cut.

Heres a look at the Duterte administrations contribution to the rules of the land, and what other changes may be coming in his last year in office.

Tax reform

Twin laws overhauled the countrys two-decade-old taxation system.

Duterte signed the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law or TRAIN Law in December 2017, slashing personal income taxes while increasing excise taxes on petroleum products, automobiles, sweetened beverages, and other goods. Critics opposed the trade-off.

Political analyst Dennis Coronacion said its one of a number of controversial measures Duterte and his administration would be known for.

By enacting those controversial laws, I would say that the Duterte administration has shown its determination and seriousness in terms of achieving its legislative agenda, Coronacion said.

Senate Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri pointed out that it was passed pre-pandemic.

"Actually, kung nagkaroon ng pandemic, baka hindi maipasa yung TRAIN (if the pandemic happened before, TRAIN would not have been enacted)when the economy has gone down to very low levels, I think taxing the people is the worst thing to do," Zubiri said.

The Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act or CREATE Act was signed into law in March, cutting the corporate income tax rate from 30 to 25 percent  a much-needed relief for ailing industries.

CREATE Act makes the Philippines at par with its regional neighbors and thus more attractive for foreign investors, according to George Barcelon, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the private sector's representative to the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).

LEDAC advises the President on policy making. The chief executive chairs the 20-member body which includes members of the Senate, House of Representatives, the Vice President, and representatives from the local government, youth, and private sectors.

Other landmark laws from LEDACs list are the Free Higher Education Act, Ease of Doing Business Law, Universal Health Care Act, and the national ID system, among others.

Pandemic year

Duterte delivered his fifth State of the Nation Address in July 2020 as the nation grappled with an economic slowdown and a health crisis. He announced a wish list of 21 bills he wanted lawmakers to ratify.

As the pandemic raged on a year later, only four reached his table and ended up being enacted, including the CREATE law.

The Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Bayanihan 2 earmarked 165.5 billion for pandemic response, but billions were unspent when the law lapsed on July 1. A third COVID-19 stimulus package worth 401 billion hurdled the House of Representatives, but senators said they needed to study if there are enough funds.

The Financial Institutions Strategic Transfer Act now lets banks and other financial institutions sell bad loans in a bid for recovery.

Lastly, the Coconut Farmers and Industry Fund Act allows farmers to benefit from the 100 billion coconut levy funds and assets from taxes imposed during martial law.

Meanwhile, 17 other priority measures were overtaken by the Anti-Terrorism Act, arguably the most controversial law signed by Duterte. Thirty-seven sets of petitioners are asking the Supreme Court to junk the law, saying its overly broad definition of terrorism and other provisions are unconstitutional and pose a threat to government critics.

Zubiri said the 2017 Marawi siege down south fast-tracked the passage of the law despite strong opposition from local and international human rights institutions.

The President wanted to make sure that he sends a strong signal among terrorist groups that the government will not take this lightly and thats why it was prioritized at the time, the Mindanaoan senator said.

Coronacion said while the Duterte government may have the best intention, the anti-terrorism law added to its reputation as a human rights violator.

Since the beginning of the (Oplan) Tokhang campaign back in 2016, the Duterte government has already created that image that it would do everything in order to implement, o kaya [or] in order to achieve its goal of getting rid of illegal drugs, kaya nga lang [however] in doing so, it would have to violate human rights of a good number of people," Coronacion said.

WATCH: Where Duterte's war on drugs is today

One last push

Dutertes sixth and final SONA on July 26 will be a report of his achievements as well as an appeal for Congress to work on his legislative agenda. He will be known not just for laws he lobbied for and signed, but for those he would fail to deliver as well.

In 2019, Duterte rejected the proposed Security of Tenure and End of Endo Act despite his campaign promise of ending contractualization. "Endo" or "end of contract" is widely practiced in the country  workers are hired for not more than five months, so employers wont be forced to regularize them on the sixth month as mandated by the Labor Code.

Sayang kasi (Its a wasted opportunity because) it could have been a part of his legacy, Coronacion said. Malaking sayang iyon kasi (Its really regrettable because) it would have helped a lot of Filipino workers whose rights are being abused by huge companies. These workers could not get the benefits that they deserve.

A week before Dutertes last SONA, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque urged Congress to pass the refiled anti-endo bill  to the dismay of Senate President Vicente Tito Sotto III.

The President vetoed it. What do they want us to do? We passed it, Sotto told CNN Philippines The Source. Tell us what you want there.

In June 2019, Duterte abandoned the shift to federalism, another one of his campaign promises. He still pushed for charter change  not to transition to a different form of government, but to ease restrictive economic provisions in the Constitution.

The supermajority in the House passed a resolution seeking to amend these provisions, but the Senate adjourned session in June this year without tackling it. Its one of several bills that sailed through the House but are now awaiting Senate action.

READ: Senate may tackle economic cha-cha after Duterte's SONA

Instead of economic charter change, most senators favor opening up the country to foreign investments through amending three laws  the Public Service Act, Retail Trade Liberalization Act, and Foreign Investments Act.

Zubiri said these are part of a doable list of laws Congress can still pass, along with the bills creating the Department of Overseas Filipinos or DOFIL, establishing a tax system for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators or POGOs, and modernizing the Bureau of Fire Protection.

Mukhang isang departamento na lang maipapasa natin ngayon, which is the Department of OFWs, Zubiri said. Napakamahal gumawa ng bagong departamento. You need billions to fund that.

[Translation: It seems we can only create one department, which is the Department of OFWs. Its too costly to establish a new department. You need billions to fund that.]

The House has passed bills creating the DOFIL and the Department of Disaster Resilience. Speaker Lord Allan Velasco said the chamber is also working on the establishment of the Virology Science and Technology Institute and the Philippine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Meanwhile, the return of death penalty  which Duterte has mentioned in all his SONAs after 2016  may not see the light of day. Velasco said the lower chamber will try, but he expects a big hurdle in the Senate.

Zubiri said it would only raise the mounting death toll from COVID-19. He and his colleagues instead propose a maximum-security prison system in isolated and uninhabited islands.

That will be, for me, a bigger deterrent," Zubiri said. "Kung alam nila habambuhay in isolation po sila, sa tingin ko mas lalong matakot 'yan kaysa kamatayan (If they know they would be in isolation for life, I think that would be scarier than death).

"And I think that would be the best way to do it, the more humane way to do it rather than pushing for the death penalty, he added.

Election season

So many bills, so little time. Zubiri said the next three months after SONA, or until October, may be the only window of opportunity to get some of the laws passed due to the May 2022 elections.

"Ang next balik namin ay (We will resume session in) November, thats usually just one session month going towards the break of December," the senator said.

"Most possibly, many of our colleagues in the House of Representatives and the reelectionists in the Senate, baka umiikot na 'yan (may already be campaigning) at that time," said Zubiri, a reelectionist himself. "Kaya talagang napakanipis ng panahon, napakaliit ng panahon na naiiwan (We have very little time left)."

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon is also sounding the alarm over deliberations for the 2022 national budget, saying it should be guarded against those who would try to insert funds for campaign purposes.

CNN Philippines' Xianne Arcangel contributed to this report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 22)  Five more personalities may complete the senatorial lineup of the Lacson-Sotto tandem, Senate President Tito Sotto III said on Thursday.

"There are about four or five names that we're looking at, and all are experienced," Sotto said in a virtual briefing, but stopped short of identifying the possible candidates.

In an exclusive interview on July 20, Sotto told CNN Philippines that he would be running for vice president and Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson will be his running mate. He said an official announcement would be made on August 4.

A list of potential senatorial candidates who would be supported by the two was revealed.

The names include that of Leyte 4th District Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez, former Senator JV Ejercito, and former Comelec Commissioner Goyo Larrazabal.

Sotto said Torres-Gomez was inclined to support their group.

"The legislation that we approved, we support, she's in line with most of them if not all," he said.

"She sent word to me that she is joining the group, and she is okay makasama sa Senate lineup namin," he added.

[Translation: She sent word to me that she is joining the group, and she is okay with being included in our Senate lineup.]

Sotto said he has spoken with most of the people in their list except Senator Richard Gordon who has yet to reply. He added the lineup would be clearer come October, or the filing of certificate of candidacy.

When asked about whether his nephew, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, could be included, the Senate president said, "Hindi pa pwede si Vico, underage e. At saka kailangan pa siya ng Pasig."

[Translation: Vico is still underage. And Pasig still needs him..]

"Careful about alliances"

In the same briefing, Sotto admitted about taking caution in engaging in alliances..

"We're very careful about alliances in the NPC (Nationalist People's Coalition) dahil nadala na kami. Noong araw kasi meron kaming coalition...with LP (Liberal Party), with PDP-Laban, tapos yung mga kandidato namin na incumbent, pinapalabanan nila. Hindi pupuwede yun...kaya kami maingat na ngayon at very tentative na kami," he said.

[Translation: We're very careful about alliances in the NPC because we've had bad experiences before. We previously had a coalition with LP, with PDP-Laban, and they would go against our candidates who are incumbent. We can't let that happen...that's why we're very careful and tentative now.]

Sotto also said he would consult with his party mates before accepting other groups to support their candidates.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 22) - Malacanang on Thursday said it is "confident" China is not conducting oil exploration in the disputed Scarborough Shoal.

The Palace statement comes after Filipino fishermen found what's believed to be an oil exploration equipment with Chinese markings early this month.

The ocean bottom seismometer was discovered north of the shoal - raising suspicion that Beijing may be conducting illegal activity in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

However, the government has received no report of a Chinese oil exploration vessel in the area, according to Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque. Without such a ship, he said the seismometer is useless.

"So for now, we're confident na wala naman pong exploration na nagaganap diyan sa [there's no oil exploration being carried out in] Scarborough," Roque said in a briefing.

If proven otherwise, he vowed the government will take "the corresponding action."

Roque added they will not ask China for an explanation on the recovered device, saying the allegations are only "based on speculation." However, he said authorities are currently investigating why the seismometer was there.

Calling for a Congressional probe into the matter, Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate said the Palace should not "dismiss this issue outright and once again protect China's imperial interests."

"Aside from harvesting our giant clams and depleting our fisheries resources, this may be the primary reason why China's coast guard and maritime militia bar Filipino fishermen from fishing in Scarborough shoal. They may be mainly looking for oil in our EEZ," he added.

Malacanang and local authorities earlier denied reports that Filipino fishermen are being blocked by Chinese ships in Scarborough Shoal.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 22)  The Philippine embassy in Bangkok has asked the Thai government for wider COVID-19 vaccination among Filipinos in Thailand as the country battles a surge in infections.

"We have been in touch with the Filipino community as well as the Thai authorities, because we have been appealing for a wider access to the vaccination," Ambassador Millicent Cruz-Paredes told a Palace briefing on Thursday - the same day Thailand hit a record-high increase in cases with around 13,600 more reported.

Cruz-Paredes said the embassy has launched its own registration portal for Filipinos who wish to get their coronavirus shots. This would help the Thai government in contacting those eligible for inoculation, she added.

"May mga portals din po ang [There are also portals created by] Thai authorities for our Filipino community to register. We have always put that on our website, because we have been getting a lot of requests din po [too]," she said.

The envoy also said the embassy is currently processing repatriation requests, with some 90 Filipinos having already signified their intent to return home.

There are around 30,000 Filipinos in Thailand, according to Cruz-Paredes. She said at least 30 caught the coronavirus - all but one have already recovered.

Thailand has so far tallied over 450,000 COVID-19 cases, based on figures from its government. Data from Johns Hopkins University also showed Thailand has already administered at least 14.8 million vaccine doses, with around 5% of the population now fully vaccinated.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 22) The Philippine government will still not cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) should it launch a probe into the Duterte administration's war on drugs, despite a Supreme Court ruling saying it is compelled to do so, Malacanang said Thursday.

"Unfortunately, the lack of enforcement mechanism cannot compel the Philippines to cooperate when the President has clearly said we will not do so," Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque told reporters in a briefing.

One of the high court's remarks in a 106-page resolution dated March 16 but released only on Wednesday was that the Philippines is still obligated to cooperate with ICC proceedings that commenced before the country formally withdrew from the tribunal.

President Rodrigo Duterte first announced the country's pullout from the ICC in March 2018  citing the supposed attacks against him and his administration, as well as the court's attempt to put him under its jurisdiction. The withdrawal took effect in 2019.

"Even if it (state party) has deposited the instrument of withdrawal, it shall not be discharged from any criminal proceedings. Whatever process was already initiated before the International Criminal Court obliges the state party to cooperate," read the SC ruling.

"Until the withdrawal took effect on March 17, 2019, the Philippines was committed to meet its obligations under the Rome Statute. Any and all governmental acts up to March 17, 2019 may be taken cognizance of by the International Criminal Court," it added.

Pressed about the matter, Roque argued that the part of the resolution was "obiter dictum," or an incidental opinion by a judge that is not binding.

"An obiter dicta does not really have jurisprudential value. It is on the side. It is not on the merits, it is not the main ruling of the court, and we are not of course at in any way concerned about that obiter," Roque said, maintaining there will be "no changes" in the government's position on the matter.

The release of the SC's decision comes weeks after the request of outgoing ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda for a probe into alleged crimes against humanity committed in Duterte's anti-drug campaign. The executive department at that time also rejected the ICC's move.

Latest government data showed over 6,000 people have died in the war on drugs since 2016, but local and international human rights groups believe the death toll is much higher.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 22)  The latest report of a group of researchers monitoring the country's pandemic trends painted a worrying picture of the ongoing COVID-19 situation in Metro Manila.

OCTA Research said the National Capital Region's reproduction number or R0 from July 15 to 21 rose to 1.15, from the previous week's .91, adding "this is a cause for serious concern." The R0 is the number of people infected by a single coronavirus-positive individual.

OCTA noted that the recent R0 trend shows a pattern similar to "the period which signified the start of a surge in the NCR." The group was referring to the trend during the February 12 to 19 period - when the R0 went up to 1.30 from 1.06.

Metro Manila logged a daily average of 813 infections from July 15 to 21 - a 27% increase from the 638 tallied the week prior, OCTA said, adding it's still unclear what exactly is triggering the uptick in infections.

Delta - described by experts as the most contagious among all variants of concern - was recently detected in Metro Manila.

RELATED: PH detects 12 new local Delta variant cases, total climbs to 47

OCTA said "there is still time to reverse this trend in the NCR," by implementing tighter measures such as stricter quarantine status, as well as expanded testing and contact tracing. NCR eased to the regular general community quarantine on July 15.

The group also urged local governments to reduce capacity inside establishments, lengthen curfew hours, and strictly monitor compliance with minimum health standards. The researchers also encouraged the people to get vaccinated and limit non-essential gatherings.

The Department of Health earlier said Metro Manila has the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates among all regions.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) For most of his political career, Rodrigo Duterte was known as a local official who transformed Davao City from a security risk to a thriving economy.

The nation noticed his no-nonsense, unconventional governance, and in 2016 elected Duterte to the highest position in the land.

In the twilight of the chief executive's term, CNN Philippines looked back at some of his major campaign promises:

End illegal drugs and criminality

Duterte vowed to end drugs and corruption three to six months into his term. He said at the time, If I become president, there's no such thing as bloodless cleansing. I propose to get rid of drugs within three to six months.

This was translated into a bloody war on drugs a campaign that earned the ire of human rights groups.

The President also vowed to step down if he failed to deliver on this promise. However, he did not resign and, instead, asked for an extension.

I feel so bad about all of these things. Kasi nalaman ko, paano ko ma-kontrol in three to six months, ang mga generals na pulis nandiyan. Tapos yung mga Bureau of Customs na inaasahan ko, p*******ina nasa droga. How will I succeed, e nasa droga...Alam ko na nagkamali ako. Nagkamali talaga ako, Duterte said.

[Translation: I then learned, how can I control this in three to six months, the police generals are there. Those at the Bureau of Customs whom I trust, they are in drugs. How will I succeed? They are in drugs I know I made a mistake. I really made a mistake.]

Despite this, the President remained popular.

If there's one thing that set apart Duterte from past presidents, political analyst Carmela Abao said he shed light on issues close to the masses: poverty and inequality.

Abao said the president captured the imagination of Filipinos but lacked the system to put these into action.

It really reflects social problems that other presidents may not have tackled before, Abao said. Drugs, for example, has not been tackled by any other president before. Apparently, with Duterte, we are not sure hanggang saan niya talaga dadalhin (up to where he will go with this)."

She further described the president's style. "In political science, sometimes they call it, performative governance. Its in the realm of symbolic politics. You're not really doing it, but as long as your language says you are, your appearance says that you are, then you will get people to believe that you're actually delivering, Abao said.

Promise to increase salaries

Duterte also vowed to double the salary of the police and military.

He raised the pay of law enforcers, frequently visited military camps and fast-tracked modernization programs.

However, Abao differentiated law enforcement at the local and national levels.

Kung baga trinansport lang niya 'yung ginawa niya sa Davao dito sa ginawa niya sa [national level], she said.

[Translation: Its like he transported what he did in Davao here at the national level.]

Promise to end corruption

Duterte also promised to put an end to corruption within the first six months of his term and if he fails to do so, he will step down.

According to Abao, it is not as easy to strike down corruption as it seemed.

If you're really after crooks, put in a system. Make sure there's a possibility for people to go to jail," she said.

But after more than four years, Duterte would say it was impossible to leave a clean bureaucracy.

Promise to end insurgency

As the first president from Mindanao, Duterte promised to end insurgency.

To his credit, the Moro rebellion finally ended through a landmark peace deal, with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front now a key implementer of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.

On the other hand, the peace talks with the communist rebel was a lost cause.

The unprecedented challenge

At the twilight of his term, Duterte faced the biggest challenge yet: the COVID-19 pandemic.

As in previous occasions, he delegated key tasks in the COVID-19 response to former military officials.

Defending the move, the chief executive explained they get the job done.

But Abao said government institutions may have been undermined in the process.

I think it revealed the limits of populist governance. So you're basically undermining institutions, but in a pandemic we see how important institutions are and how important systems are. Like 'yung healthcare system natin, komplikado siya e (Like our healthcare system, its complicated), Abao said.

Abao added there has to be a system and parameters when it comes to addressing a major health crisis like COVID-19.

Yung governance niya is not evidence-based. Not even evidence-informed. For example, sabihin niya, 'by the end of this year, back to normal na tayo.' Paano magbaback to normal e wala pa nga nababakunahan? Tapos 30,000 pa lang nababakunahan sasabihin mo, 'Oh its excellent.' That kind of [behavior] is not just detrimental but it has caused deaths, she added.

[Translation: His governance is not evidence-based. Not even evidence-informed. For example, he says, by the end of the year, we're back to normal. How can we go back to normal where there's no vaccination yet? And when 30,000 have been vaccinated, you say Oh, its excellent.]

Despite criticisms, Duterte scored high in independent surveys even at the latter part of his term, which is unusual for a president.

Abao said this has something to do with his father image.

[B]ecause a father can do wrong but he will always be forgiven. When you're a father, you may have done something really wrong but you will remain a father. But a government official, if you do something wrong you're not supposed to remain in government. So I think that imagery of being a tatay (father) really absolves him of so many accountabilities, she explained.

Abao said it is a political strategy combined with a social condition that makes Duterte popular despite his shortcomings.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 22)  The tandem of Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson and Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III is proposing an alternative to federalism without having to amend the Constitution.

Instead of creating regional governments under a federal setup, Sotto said their budget reform program would decentralize funds to the provinces, municipalities, cities, and even barangays.

Sotto said the acronym for the program is BRAVE, or Budget Reform Advocacy for Village Empowerment.

"'Yung BRAVE would be the answer. I doubt if we could push for federalism at this point," Sotto said in a briefing.

Sotto added that Lacson has been pushing for the program since a few years back.

"It encompasses the entire...needs and necessities and problems of the entire country," Sotto said. "This budget reform program may be the answer to the salient feature of a federal form of government. Pwede nang maging parang style ng federalism siya [It can be sort of a federalism style] without changing the Constitution because you bring down the money to the people."

Sotto said shifting to federalism would take too long and would be of little benefit to a president who endorses it.

"In NPC we had a seminar, we had a workshop on federalism. We wanted to know if we were going to support it. Doon sa nakuha namin at napag-aralan namin [From what we got and studied], the transition period would be from five to 10 years. The president who will push for it will no longer be president by the time the transition point comes in," he added.

As for economic charter change, which has been passed by the House of Representatives, Sotto said even if the Senate would approve it soon, it will have to wait until a plebiscite is held simultaneously with the 2022 elections.

He reiterated that the best option would be amendments to key economic measures, which the Senate plans to prioritize when sessions resume next week.

CNN Philippines correspondent Eimor Santos contributed to this report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 22)  House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco is leaving to the 19th Congress the fate of broadcast network ABS-CBN after his chamber rejected its franchise renewal last year.

"I believe sa next Congress na po talaga matatalakay iyan (that will be tackled in the next Congress)," Velasco told CNN Philippines' The Source in a taped interview on Thursday.

Velasco said the 18th Congress "already decided on the issue" and will prioritize many key measures when it resumes session on July 26.

ABS-CBN first went dark on May 5, 2020 after it received a cease-and-desist order from the National Telecommunications Commission. The Lopez-owned company failed to get back on air after the House Committee on Legislative Franchises thumbed down its bid for a fresh 25-year license for its broadcast operations with an overwhelming 70-11 vote.

READ: House panel denies ABS-CBN's bid for fresh franchise

Velasco, an ally of President Rodrigo Duterte, said in February that the House is "bent on finishing the remaining priority measures" of the administration to ensure that the President "fulfills his campaign promise" to the public. In that same month, Duterte said in his televised address he will forbid ABS-CBN from resuming operations unless the Lopezes settle their allegedly unpaid taxes.

ABS-CBN has repeatedly denied the accusations and maintained it has no outstanding tax liability. The Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Securities and Exchange Commission said last year the network has been compliant with regulations, contrary to allegations lodged against the company.

READ: TIMELINE: ABS-CBN franchise
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 23)  The National Task Force Against COVID-19 assures steady supply of COVID-19 vaccines in the next six months after the government secured 164 million doses through procurement and donations.

In a statement, the task force said almost 28 million doses have already arrived in the country. Of these, 13.2 million doses were purchased by the government, 2.2 million by the private sector and local governments, 10.2 million doses were from the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility, and 2.1 million from bilateral donations.

Of the total secured supply, 89 million doses were procured by the government from vaccine brands Sinovac, Pfizer, Moderna, and Sputnik V; 24 million doses were purchased by the private sector and LGUs from Moderna and AstraZeneca; 2 million doses were from bilateral donations; 44 million from the COVAX facility; and 5 million from a cost-sharing agreement between the Philippine government and COVAX.

We are now awaiting the delivery of 136.1 million additional doses, NTF Chairman Delfin Lorenzana said. On track in our vaccination program implementation, we are looking forward to having a better Christmas this year.

NTF Chief Implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. also assured that the country is on schedule with its targets given the steady supply. He also noted that LGUs are able to administer more than 400,000 shots per day.

For next year, Galvez said the government is negotiating for 26 million doses to serve as transition supply. It is composed of 10 million Sinovac shots, 10 million Novavax doses, and 6 million doses from Johnson & Johnson.

We are now venturing on the possibility of including in our procurement the transition supply so we will not have any zero quarter, he said.

Galvez noted that this will allow the government to continue its immunization program and avoid what happened in the first quarter of 2021 when the country had only 2 million doses on hand.

Currently, about 16 million doses have been administered, wherein over 5 million people have received their two-shot vaccines.

However, this is still far from the goal of vaccinating 70 million Filipinos to achieve herd immunity by yearend.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 23)  Philippine National Police chief Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar said Friday he ordered the Cebu Provincial Police Office to conduct a probe into the killing of veteran radio commentator Reynante "Rey" Cortes.

All angles will be investigated to determine the motive in the crime, especially if this was related to his profession. The local police will also investigate if there were threats to his life prior to the incident, Eleazar said in a statement.

Eleazar appealed to the public to let the police know if they have any leads to help bring to justice those responsible for Cortes' death.

Cortes was shot dead after his show on Thursday morning. He was gunned down in front of DYRB-AM radio station along N. Bacalso Avenue in Mambaling, according to Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak. Tumulak was also at the radio station hosting his own show at the time of the shooting.

Cortes was immediately rushed to the Cebu City Medical Center but doctors declared him dead on arrival. The radio commentator sustained a gunshot wound in the chest.

Tumulak said riding-in-tandem assailants fired at Cortes while he was standing near his car outside the radio station.

The city councilor said Cortes was a hard-hitting commentator and believed that the killing was related to his work as a blocktimer.

Tumulak earlier called on the police to immediately launch an investigation as he branded this as a threat to press freedom.

Meanwhile, Police Major Dindo Juanito Alaras said the assailants were still unidentified.

Alaras said they are looking at different angles to the killing, including that it may have been the handiwork of enemies Cortez made due to his commentaries.

For its part, the Presidential Task Force on Media Security expressed dismay over the "brutal murder" of Cortes.

"Rest assured that we will get to the bottom of this heinous crime," task force executive director Usec. Joel Sy Egco said in a statement Thursday.

"We have already directed law enforcement agencies to use all available resources to bring to justice the perpetrators," he added.
(CNN)  Researchers in Britain reported Wednesday they had found more evidence that two doses of Pfizers and AstraZenecas coronavirus vaccines protect people well against the Delta variant of coronavirus.

But a single dose of either vaccine provides very little protection against Delta, also known as B.1.617.2, the researchers reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The team looked at overall vaccine efficacy in England first when the Alpha variant, known also as B.1.1.7, was the predominate variant, and then when Delta took over.

The vaccines being given in England are Pfizers two-dose vaccine and AstraZenecas two dose vaccine.

Effectiveness after one dose of vaccine was notably lower among persons with the Delta variant than among those with the Alpha variant; the results were similar for both vaccines, Dr. Jamie Lopez Bernal of Public Health England and colleagues wrote.

Against Delta, a single dose of either vaccine was only about 30% effective, they found.

With the BNT162b2 (Pfizer/BioNTech) vaccine, the effectiveness of two doses was 93.7% among persons with the Alpha variant and 88.0% among those with the Delta variant. With the ChAdOx1 (AstraZeneca) nCoV-19 vaccine, the effectiveness of two doses was 74.5% among persons with the Alpha variant and 67.0% among those with the Delta variant, they added.

Only modest differences in vaccine effectiveness were noted with the Delta variant as compared with the Alpha variant after the receipt of two vaccine doses," it continued.

Englands complete database of medical records helped the team do the research.

The large scale of testing and whole-genome sequencing in the United Kingdom, as well as the recording of vaccination status in a national vaccination register, allowed us to analyze vaccine effectiveness within a few weeks of the Delta variant first emerging in the United Kingdom, they wrote.
(CNN)  Disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein pleaded not guilty to 11 sexual assault charges in a Los Angeles courtroom on Wednesday, a day after he was moved across the country from his New York prison.

Weinstein, 69, appeared in a wheelchair in the hearing, while a medical mask covered his mouth and sat under his nose.

His use of a wheelchair reflects what his attorneys have said is his deteriorating physical health in recent years. During his criminal trial in New York early last year, he arrived to court each day using a walker, and he appeared at his sentencing in March 2020 in a wheelchair.

In the short court hearing Wednesday, Weinstein did and said little. His lawyers filed a motion to dismiss three of the 11 counts against him, saying the statute of limitations has expired. The attorney also requested a medical evaluation, which the judge granted.

The 11 charges include four counts of forcible rape, four counts of forcible oral copulation, two counts of sexual battery by restraint, and one count of sexual penetration by use of force. The alleged assaults involve five women between 2004 and 2013.

His next court appearance is July 29.

"He absolutely, unequivocally and categorically denies the allegations in this indictment," said Mark Werksman, Weinstein's lawyer. "They're unprovable, unproven, uncredible, and unsubstantiated, and that will become clear as we litigate this case."

Weinstein is going blind in one eye and is in a wheelchair for issues related to his spinal stenosis, the attorney said.

"They made representations to the court that they would attend to his medical needs and we expect them to," Werksman said. "And we've asked the judge to order that they do and I expect that they will."

Gloria Allred, who represents two of the victims in this case, took issue with Werksman's comments about the allegations in the indictment.

"Allegations of sexual assault and rape do take a long time to report, so the idea that they may not have disclosed to a law enforcement officer for many years does not mean that those are not credible," she said.

She wants Weinstein to get all the medical care he is afforded. "We want him to be in good shape for the trial."

Weinstein is serving a 23-year sentence

The court hearing comes nearly four years after investigative stories by The New York Times and The New Yorker revealed Weinstein's alleged history of sexual abuse, harassment and secret settlements as he used his influence as a Hollywood power broker to take advantage of young women.

The revelations led to a wave of women speaking publicly about the pervasiveness of sexual abuse and harassment in what's known as the #MeToo movement.

Weinstein was found guilty last year in New York of first-degree criminal sexual act and third-degree rape and is serving a 23-year prison sentence at a maximum security prison outside of Buffalo. He did not testify in his own defense, but at his sentencing last March he offered an unexpected, rambling speech that oscillated between remorse, defense of his actions and confusion.

"I'm not going to say these aren't great people, I had wonderful times with these people, you know," Weinstein said of the women who accused him of assault. "It is just I'm totally confused and I think men are confused about all of these issues."

Due to his declining health, his attorneys have decried the lengthy prison term as a de facto life sentence. His legal team filed an appeal earlier this year, saying a biased judge and a biased juror tainted the trial.

Last month, a New York judge approved his extradition to Los Angeles County for him to face further charges.

He was originally charged in Los Angeles County in January 2020 with sexually assaulting two women in separate incidents over a two-day period in 2013. In April, prosecutors added an additional charge that stems from an alleged incident at a Beverly Hills hotel in May 2010, and in October prosecutors added six new charges.

He has denied the allegations, according to his spokesman Juda Engelmayer.

"Harvey Weinstein has always maintained that every one of his physical encounters throughout his entire life have been consensual. That hasn't changed," Engelmayer said.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Harvey Weinstein, in a wheelchair, pleads not guilty to sexual assault charges in Los Angeles."
(CNN)  For much of last year, it seemed like Indonesia had managed to keep its COVID-19 outbreak largely under control.

Now, the island nation  home to about 270 million people  has become Asia's new epicenter of the pandemic, reporting more daily cases and deaths than hard-hit India as a devastating second wave rips through the archipelago.

With tens of thousands of infections being recorded daily, experts say the country's health care system could be pushed to the brink of disaster if the spread of the virus continues unabated.

Here's what you need to know about the crisis in Indonesia.

How did Covid-19 cases and deaths surge in Indonesia?

Infections started rising toward the end of May, following the Eid Al-Fitr holidays to mark the end of the Islamic fasting month -- and soon grew exponentially.

According to health experts, the crisis is being fueled by the spread of the more infectious Delta variant, first identified in India.

"Every day we are seeing this Delta variant driving Indonesia closer to the edge of a Covid-19 catastrophe," Jan Gelfand, head of the Indonesian delegation of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said in late June.

Experts have blamed the government for its slow response in not implementing strict lockdowns last year after cases were first reported in the country, and its alleged failure to invest in efficient testing and tracing systems.

As of July 20, Indonesia had recorded nearly 3 million total cases and more than 76,000 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. But experts fear the figures underestimate the real spread in the country due to a lack of testing.

A World Health Organization (WHO) report in July said inadequate testing continues to be a problem, with more than 50% of provinces reporting a testing rate below the recommended benchmark.

"Without appropriate testing, many provinces are unable to isolate confirmed cases on time," the report said.

Indonesia's Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin told CNN in early July that authorities at first did not realize how quickly the virus had been spreading during this latest wave.

The islands of Java and Bali were placed under emergency lockdown on July 3 along with other cities across the archipelago. Domestic travel is not restricted, though it is dependent on a negative Covid-19 test.

On July 20, Indonesia extended Covid-19 restrictions to July 25.

Which areas of Indonesia are affected?

Indonesia's most populous islands, Java and Sumatra, have seen cases skyrocket during the second wave.

In Kudus, central Java, cases jumped nearly 7,600% in the four weeks following Eid Al-Fitr, Reuters reported on June 11, citing Wiku Adisasmito of Indonesia's Covid-19 task force.

Hospitals across Java are being pushed to the brink and the country's oxygen supply is running dangerously low, while prices of oxygen have surged. More than 60 people died in a single facility in early July after a hospital on Java nearly exhausted its oxygen supply, though a hospital spokesman could not confirm if all the dead had contracted Covid-19.

In Jakarta, nearly half of the capital's 10.6 million residents may have contracted Covid-19, according to a health survey published July 10. Out of 5,000 people tested between March 15-31, 44.5% had antibodies, indicating they had been infected with the virus.

In Riau province, Sumatra, daily cases more than doubled from early April to over 800 by mid-May, while the positivity rate was at 35.8% in early June, according to Wildan Asfan Hasibuan, an epidemiologist and provincial task force adviser.

And according to WHO, there has been an increasing trend in Covid-19 cases in most provinces in Sumatra since April.

Who is affected by Indonesia's second wave?

The second wave has affected every age group, according to experts. However, the number of children dying from the virus in Indonesia has quadrupled in recent weeks, according to the country's pediatric society.

More than 550 children have died since the start of the pandemic -- about 27% of whom died in the first few weeks of July.

Parents often think mistake the symptoms for a common cold and don't get children tested, according to Aman B. Pulungan, president of the Indonesian Society of Paediatrics.

"When they realize this is Covid-19, the condition is already bad," Aman said. "When they take the children to the hospital, sometimes we do not have enough time to save the children. This is happening a lot."

Frontline workers have also been affected by the surge. In early July, more than 350 doctors and medical workers in Java caught Covid-19 despite being vaccinated with Chinese-made Sinovac. Most of the workers were asymptomatic and self-isolating at home, but dozens were hospitalized with high fevers and falling oxygen-saturation levels.

What's Indonesia's vaccine rollout like?

Indonesia has mostly relied on Sinovac in its national vaccination program, which began in January, with health care workers receiving the first batch, followed by public servants and the general public.

The rollout had a sluggish start, amid concerns raised about Sinovac's efficacy against more infectious variants -- and authorities are struggling to get enough people inoculated.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo said July 14 that vaccines are the country's "hope to recover from this global health crisis." But as of July 20, Indonesia had fully vaccinated just 6% of its population, according to CNN's Covid-19 vaccine tracker.

In Jakarta, more than 2 million people -- about 23% of the capital's population -- have received both doses, according to government data.

Indonesia has received more than 11.7 million AstraZeneca shots through COVAX, according to Gavi, which coordinates the global vaccine sharing program. The country has also received more than 4.5 million does of Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine, donated by the United States.

Indonesian health minister Budi said in a news briefing July 11 that all health workers would receive a third shot of Moderna's mRNA vaccine as a priority, adding it will also be used as a first and second shot for the unvaccinated public.

On June 28, the government opened the Sinovac inoculation drive to children ages 12 to 17, with Widodo urging the expanded rollout to "kick off immediately."

What role does misinformation play?

One major obstacle to controlling the outbreak is the spread of misinformation across the country.

According to a UNICEF report in May, false claims on social media have resulted in fear and anxiety among some people, leading to vaccine hesitancy and lax social distancing efforts.

A nationwide survey conducted last year by the Communications and Information Ministry and Katadata Insight Center also found 64-79% of respondents could not recognize misinformation online. An overwhelming majority said they primarily seek information through social media.

"Since Covid-19 is a new disease, even the experts are still learning about it," said Rizky Syafitri, UNICEF communication specialist. "As a result, many people have struggled to find the most up to date information, giving some individuals the opportunity to benefit by making false claims."

Are other countries helping Indonesia?

In addition to the US, several countries have donated vaccines and medical supplies to ease Indonesia's Covid crisis.

On July 1, Japan sent almost 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

On July 7, Australia said it would send a health package to help Indonesia, which includes $8.8 million for medical equipment, including 1,000 ventilators, up to 700 oxygen concentrators, and more than 170 oxygen cylinders.

Canberra also sent more than 40,000 rapid-antigen test kits and 2.5 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses.

"Australia stands with our close partner and neighbour Indonesia as it responds to a significant surge in Covid-19 cases," a statement from Marise Payne, the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs said.

In a statement July 20, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had arranged for regular shipments of emergency oxygen supplies to Indonesia.
Monica had been planning to move to an older sisters home Wednesday in preparation for classes at Southeast Community College in Lincoln, Susan Chohon said.

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She was wonderful in speech and drama, she was very involved in her faith life at church and school, her mother said. She was just a light to anyone she met.

James was sweet and full of energy, she said. He loved to shoot guns with his brother and brother-in-law and worked on the family farm, loving every minute of it.

Andrew was a loving, sweet, deep-thinking little boy, she said.

The couple said they are grateful for the outpouring of support.

Weve got lots of support in the family and from the community, Allen Chohon said. We are so thankful and overwhelmed by all the family, friends and community support.
Source: A video screenshot, Youtube, La Prensa Grafica Noticias de El Salvador

A group of protesters has taken to the streets outside the National Assembly in El Salvador to voice their disdain for President Nayib Bukeles Bitcoin Law, an act that will make bitcoin (BTC) legal tender as of September.

Opposition voices have made their feelings clear in the nations media, much of which is hostile to Bukele and what they feel is becoming an increasingly autocratic regime.

Bukele effectively steamrolled the law through parliament in a matter of days  using his Nuevas Ideas partys massive majority in the assembly. Opposition efforts to derail the bill using the courts have also come to naught so far, although critics say this is largely due to the fact that Bukele has replaced previously hostile judges with legal experts allied to his populist cause.

Left-wing parties once dominant in the country, have been left fragmented and in disarray following Bukeles spectacular rise to the top of Salvadorian politics. But they have attempted to unite under the banner of opposition to the BTC law, after multiple polls showed most surveyed Salvadorians are opposed to the act. Many business owners are put off by the idea that they will be forced to accept BTC payments if requested by customers. However, if they want, this BTC can be instantly converted into USD.

In a video shared by the newspaper La Prensa Grafica, protesters were shown carrying banners reading:

We dont want bitcoin in El Salvador.

Other banners read The bitcoin law = money laundering, and No to bitcoin!

Others still, though, appeared to be protesting Bukeles rule, with some banners reading Fight against Bukeles regime.

There were also banners on display for the Frente Social y Sindical Salvadoren (Salvadoran Social and Trade Union Front) and the Bloque de Resistencia y Rebeldia Popular (Popular Resistance and Rebellion Block)  two left-wing movements that have expressed their displeasure with the law.

The minority FMLN party, two of whose MPs have attempted to launch a parliamentarily bid to block the bill, also shared a video of the protests  showing a heavy media presence.

The videos featured a speech from an activist named Idalia Zuniga, representing the Bloque de Resistencia y Rebeldia Popular, telling reporters that the law would create legal insecurity and could be used to defraud citizens and facilitate money laundering. She added that citizens refused to accept this law without adequate consultation.

The Bloque also posted flyers around the area, featuring a cartoon of a woman angrily throwing an object at an anamorphic coin marching in her direction and emblazoned with the BTC logo while a man fled from the menacing-looking token.

The cartoon was accompanied by text reading:

The Salvadorian public rejects bitcoin. [] Protest the Bitcoin Law!

Critics have claimed that the government is hiding behind coronavirus pandemic-mitigating social distancing measures in an effort to suppress larger demonstrations against the law.

After sweeping to power at the age of 37 in 2019, Bukele's Nuevas Ideas party won a landslide victory in a legislative election held in Spring this year, returning a massive majority in the house.

___

Learn more:

- Unconfirmed Stablecoin Report Brings Confusion Amid Bukeles Bitcoin Law

- El Salvador Govt: Were Giving out Bitcoin  but Dont Convert it to Fiat

- El Salvador Will Be a Serious Test for Bitcoin's Layer-2 Networks

- Pundits Label Paraguayan MPs Crypto Bill a Huge Nothing Burger
Military

editor's pick top story

Mount Holly Springs

Veterans' charity in Mount Holly Springs launches campaign to purchase building

Jason Malmont, The Sentinel Thomas Noteboom, Air Force veteran and program manager for Operation Veterans Hope, located at 7 N Baltimore Ave, Mount Holly Springs, keeps the store shelves stocked and neat and helps customers Tuesday morning, July 20, 2021. Jason Malmont, The Sentinel Gregory Kerdeman, Navy veteran and store manager for Operation Veterans Hope, located at 7 N Baltimore Ave, Mount Holly Springs, keeps the store shelves stocked and neat Tuesday morning, July 20, 2021. Jason Malmont, The Sentinel Operation Veterans Hope, located at 7 N Baltimore Ave, Mount Holly Springs, is trying to raise money to purchase their current facility in order to help more veterans. Jason Malmont, The Sentinel Operation Veterans Hope, located at 7 N Baltimore Ave, Mount Holly Springs, is trying to raise money to purchase their current facility in order to help more veterans. Jason Malmont, The Sentinel Jon Locke, owner of Operation Veterans Hope, located at 7 N Baltimore Ave, Mount Holly Springs, is trying to raise money to purchase their current facility in order to help more veterans. Jason Malmont, The Sentinel Jon Locke, owner of Operation Veterans Hope, located at 7 N Baltimore Ave, Mount Holly Springs, is trying to raise money to purchase their current facility in order to help more veterans.

Since November 2017, Operation Veterans Hope has operated a thrift shop out of the front portion of the first floor of the building at 7 N. Baltimore Ave.

The rear portion of the first floor houses up to four veterans who put in hours in the shop as part of whats called the Work2Stay program.

In early June, the charity was informed by the landlord of plans to put the building up for sale sometime in the near future, said Jon Locke, chief executive officer and founder of Operation Veterans Hope.

Operation Veterans' Hope offers a thrift shop in Mount Holly Springs Jon Locke can relate to the stories he has heard from veterans who struggle with the transition to civilian life.

Though the landlord has yet to specify a timeframe, Locke has set the end of this summer as the goal to raise much of the $155,000 still needed to purchase the building.

As of Monday, the charity had about $33,000 on-hand to put toward the anticipated $188,000 purchase price, according to Locke. That money was raised through a combination of donations and retail sales.

To publicize the campaign, organizers have sent out mailers and posted notices in newsletters and on social media. They have also reached out to local American Legion and VFW posts for help.

Weve had some interest, Locke said. The word is slowly getting out there.

If the purchase is successful, Operation Veterans Hope could remodel the second-floor apartment into space to house up to 10 homeless veterans by the onset of winter.

Eagle Scout project honors veterans buried in Mount Holly Springs Cemetery Cumberland County officials Thursday honored Eagle Scout Casey Essig for his work in identifying veterans buried at the Mount Holly Springs Cemetery who had missing flag holders.

That project would enable the charity to expand the retail space of the thrift shop to much of the first floor while using a garage included in the purchase as space to store inventory.

A Carlisle native, Locke graduated from Carlisle High School in 1997. He enlisted in the Army serving one deployment in Afghanistan and two deployments to Iraq in less than six years.

Locke retired in 2007 as a staff sergeant in the military police. In 2016, he started Operation Veterans Hope as a charity to help veterans coping with substance abuse issues.

That mission changed in August 2017 when Locke learned of the plight of homeless veterans while trying to help a man find a stable residence. The man was a veteran who wanted more than a daily shelter but could not pursue affordable housing options.

Currently, the thrift shop is both the workplace and residence of two homeless veterans who put in as much as 40 hours a week and receive a regular stipend based on what is sold, minus utilities.

Mount Tabor church in Mount Holly Springs listed on National Register of Historic Places The Mount Tabor AME Zion Church and Cemetery has been officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a state historic preservation specialist announced in an email this afternoon.

The number of hours each veteran can put in depends on their employment status. If the veteran is unemployed, he can put in the full amount of hours over a five-day work week. If he obtains a part-time job, his store hours are adjusted down with further changes being made if they obtain a full-time job.

The Work2Stay program includes not only the shop, but also a bunk room for the veterans to sleep, a day room for them to relax, prepared meals and a fully equipped bathroom and shower.

Right now, the program has enough space for four homeless veterans. If remodeled, the second-floor apartment could bunk three veterans in its master bedroom, three veterans in its day room and two veterans in each of the two smaller bedrooms.

Remodeling the apartment would open up the program to female veterans but require a second bathroom. Volunteers are ready to provide labor, and donated materials are on-hand to proceed with the work if and when the charity can finalize the building purchase.

The landlord has been very helpful from the beginning, Locke said, adding how the first floor was rent free during the first year the shop had been in operation.

The goal of Work2Stay is to not only provide job skills to veterans, but also opportunities for them to screen through the donated goods for necessities. To qualify for help, each veteran must provide a copy of their discharge papers to verify their military service.

The 40 hours per week applies not only to time spent in the thrift shop but also to any activity that helps the veteran grow, such as updating his resume, looking for a job, applying for benefits and counseling.

Photos: Operation Veterans Hope Close
Across the country, tens of thousands of COVID-19 patients were accepted by nursing homes, more than 250,000 in the 12 months through March 1, according to federal data.

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The number in Pennsylvania was relatively unremarkable, about 12,300. That was eighth in the country for a state that is fifth in population, with one of the nations highest proportions of residents who are 65 and over.

The orders by the four governors administrations  all Democrats  were criticized for potentially fueling the spread of the virus and drew the attention of then-President Donald Trumps Department of Justice in the midst of the presidential campaign.

In Pennsylvania, the order was the subject of particularly sharp criticism from Republican lawmakers and candidates, but it is far from clear that the policy led to an outbreak or death.

No investigation has thus far pointed to the policy as a cause of death or outbreak.

Meanwhile, nursing home trade associations in Pennsylvania say they are not aware of a nursing home that was forced to accept a COVID-positive patient against its will, or that the order led to death or an outbreak. No nursing home has come forward to make that claim, either.
An expansion of Pennsylvanias voter ID requirements became one of the many aims of Republican lawmakers in wider-ranging election legislation that Wolf, a Democrat, vetoed last month.

When Wolf vetoed that bill June 30, he cited a list of reasons, including imposing additional voter ID restrictions, adding excessive and burdensome requirements on mail-in voting and setting earlier deadlines to register to vote and apply for a mail-in ballot.

Hours later, at a news conference, he said, we can have that conversation about whether Pennsylvanias existing voter ID requirements are enough.

On Thursday, he said, Im willing to have a conversation about voting reform, and Im not sure what form that takes. ... But if youre trying to suppress the vote, thats just a nonstarter for me. If you want to increase access to the polls, if you want to make our democracy stronger, Im all for it.

Asked if he has seen any way of expanding Pennsylvanias voter ID law that he does not view as being more restrictive or suppressing the voter, he said, I havent seen any.

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The national deal would be part of the ongoing effort to address the nationwide opioid addiction and overdose crisis. Prescription drugs and illegal ones like heroin and illicitly produced fentanyl have been linked to more than 500,000 deaths in the U.S. since 2000. The number of cases reached a record high in 2020.

If approved, the settlement will likely be the largest of many in the opioid litigation playing out nationwide. Its expected to bring more than $23 billion to abatement and mitigation efforts to help get treatment for people who are addicted along with other programs to address the crisis. The money would come in 18 annual payments, with the biggest amounts in the next several years.

Krasner said Philadelphia would get only $5 million to $8 million per year out of the agreement, with loopholes that he said could allow the companies to pay less or nothing at all. He said the city plans to continue pursuing its own lawsuits, predicting enormous legal awards that would dwarf what the city would receive under the national settlement.

We are expecting a number that looks, frankly, enormous, compared to this number, Krasner said.

The proposed national settlement would deliver about $1 billion to Pennsylvania  but that assumes full participation by local governments, which have five months to decide.
The package also requires skilled nursing facilities to comply with the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regulations and requirements, which the Wolf Administration said will make the state Department of Healths oversight process more efficient, create consistency and eliminate confusion in the application of standards.

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LeadingAge PA, an association representing service providers, took issue with the first set of regulations.

In its own proposal, the Wolf administration discloses its not even sure of the implications but acknowledges nursing home providers will bear much of the cost at a time when everyone understands they can least afford to do so, association president and CEO Adam Marles said in a statement. Our members support best staffing practices and provide high-quality senior care, but a lack of state funding continues to stretch our resources to the very limit. This administration has never provided a Medicaid funding increase or supported any funding initiatives by the General Assembly. This latest unfunded mandate for staffing couldnt come at a worse time as long-term care facilities are still fighting a pandemic while suffering the worst staffing crisis in generations.

Review process
Her order also required homes with occupancy below 80% to create a unit dedicated to residents with the virus. Hospitals had to send recovering COVID-19 patients back to their nursing facilities  if they had a dedicated unit, protective equipment for staff and enough beds  or to regional hub nursing homes.

Republican lawmakers have accused the governor of fueling the spread of the virus in places with vulnerable residents. There is no evidence the policy led to infections, however. Whitmer has said it complied with federal guidance. State officials and the long-term care industry have said outside community spread, including from infected workers, is the strongest predictor of cases inside the facilities.

Whitmer spokesman Bobby Leddy said no nursing home was ever forced to take COVID-positive patients.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson announced his statewide COVID-19 vaccine incentive program on Wednesday, but St. Francois County Health Center Director Linda Ragdale isnt sure how big of a difference it will make in the county.

I do hope this campaign will boost our vaccination rates, although I have not seen any data on how incentives have increased rates across the country, she said. I feel some people in our community will get vaccinated just to be able to be included in the MO VIP drawing, but I dont think it will be enough to put St. Francois County COVID vaccination rates where we would like it to be.

The vaccination rate for St. Francois County is 30.4% for those who have completed vaccination, which lags behind the states 40.4%.

The health center is still strongly encouraging and promoting the vaccine, Ragsdale said.

With the delta variant on the rise across the state and children under 12 unable to receive the vaccine, it is the best defense we have right now, she added.

According to a press release from Parsons office, over the next three months, 900 Missourians who have or will choose to be vaccinated will win cash or education savings account prizes in the amount of $10,000 in the MO VIP campaign.
Parkland Health Center President Annette Schnabel is making a plea for area residents to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

On Wednesday night, the same day that Missouri Governor Mike Parson announced his new vaccine incentive program, Parkland posted a blog update from Schnabel about the severity of the virus in the state and the need for more vaccinations.

Missouri makes up 1.99% of the total United States population and yet currently represents 7.29% of the total COVID-19 cases in the United States, she said in her update. This is clearly off balance.  In addition, the same states that have low vaccination rates are experiencing the current surge of COVID cases. The delta variant now accounts for over 90% of the cases in Missouri. This variant is attaching itself to a younger population.

To stress the severity, Schnabel detailed a Zoom meeting she attended about the status of the pandemic in the state. Three hospital presidents from in and around Greene County told heart-wrenching stories of what their teams are facing right now, such as the need to do early C-sections on pregnant women and then place the women on vents due to the severity of their illness and how people who once spoke against vaccinations are experiencing severe illness for themselves or for their loved ones.
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The decision wasnt easy as we recognize the impact that this has on our fellow associates and are fully committed to helping them through this change, the company said. Impacted associates have been provided at least 60-days notice and are encouraged to [apply] for open positions across our various locations.

Employees who are not hired for another job at Capital One will be eligible for severance packages that include retraining assistance and outplacement services, the company said.

Capital One employs about 13,000 people in the Richmond region at its West Creek office park, offices in Henrico County and a data center in Chesterfield County. It also has two Capital One Cafe banking locations.

Separately, Capital One said it is planning to hire about 3,000 people this year for various technology jobs such as software engineering.

Those hires will happen in the Richmond region, as well as at other Capital One locations around the nation, said Mindy Ferguson, Capital Ones managing vice president for technology. These will include jobs that are part-time remote and part-time at an office.
Anderegg agreed, saying it usually takes between a year and 18 months to plan and start an emergency department.

We had 180 days, he said. I think it really comes down to herher drive and trust in me and her ability to funnel the monies, the ideas and being open-minded to how we could accomplish the goals.

Dr. Perina said there were numerous reasons she nominated Meador.

Shes extremely competent and a very quick learner. Shes not afraid to take the bull by the horns when that has to happen, said Dr. Perina. Not a lot of people have that skill set. And it was really her fortitude and knowledge base and willingness to tackle what was a seemingly insurmountable situation and make it happen.

The Greene County Board of Supervisors needed to approve the creation of the new EMS department, but also allocate funding for its use. Supervisors approved using federal funds to build a new station that is under construction now.

In the short time from the boards OK to the start of the service, Meador hired Anderegg and he started in August 2020. From there, the pair hired full- and part-time staff to run the two ambulances 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
As vaccination rates have increased in the district, vaccine doses have become more widely available, with many locations offering walk-in vaccine appointments.

There are so many vaccines available at this time, said Dr. Joshua Jakum of Piedmont Pediatrics. For those who are hesitant, we hope we can answer the questions you have and bring you peace of mind about that decision.

Dr. Jakum said the availability of the vaccines is one of the countrys greatest strengths at the moment.

As a pediatrician, we are the backbone of vaccine-preventable illnesses, he said. Its what I do on a daily basis. I hope that you would consider getting vaccinated. It is the thing thats going to bring us back to normalnormalcy in our lives, in our economy, to see your grandchildren, for kids to go back to school. Its going to be thing that ensures we can fight this virus with success.

Dr. Trice Gravatte, lead physician at UVA Primary Family Care of Culpeper noted that more than 570,000 Americans had died from the virus and that more than 45,000 currently are hospitalized.

In his comments, he weighed the risks of not getting the vaccine against contracting COVID-19.
If youve been looking forward to returning to a seat in the theater, heres your chance to share your feedback on what youd like to see when the curtain rises.

Live Arts is presenting two virtual talks with Artistic Director Susan E. Evans to get opinions on possible shows for the 2021-2022 season. The Zoom events will begin at 7 p.m. Friday and Tuesday.

Head to livearts.org to make reservations for the A Conversation with the Community Zoom events, which are free. Youll be emailed a link to the meeting you choose.

Christmas news in July

American Shakespeare Center in Staunton has announced that its production of Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol will take place from Dec. 10 until Jan. 2, 2022.

In the meantime, its summer productions of Macbeth, Henry V and Alls Well That Ends Well at Blackfriars Playhouse will continue through November, so audience members can see actor-managers Brandon Carter, John Harrell, Chris Johnston and Zoe Speas in action.

To learn more about the shows, go to AmericanShakespeareCenter.com. For tickets, dial (877) 682-4236  or, to keep it easier to remember, (877) MUCH ADO.
The traffic and parking plan is the only plan related to the event that has not been formally approved, Ayers said. The board approved the permit because Purpose Driven Events received signatures from all relevant regulating agencies for their plans.

We have gone above and beyond our due diligence with both the revisions of our music festival ordinance and in our consideration of the application for the Blue Ridge Rock Festival, Bob Warren, chairman of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors, said in a prepared statement. I am confident that all of the planning will allow this event, as well as the two that were previously permitted, to proceed safely and efficiently.

The Blue Ridge Rock Festival is the third and largest music festival at the Blue Ridge Amphitheater in Blairs that has received a permit from the board.

During a special called meeting on June 22, supervisors approved permits for Worship at the Mountain  a three-day Christian Music festival expected to draw in more than 8,000  and the Blue Ridge Country Festival, which is also expected to have more than 10,000 attendees. Worship at the Mountain is scheduled for Sept. 3-5 and the Blue Ridge Country Festival is scheduled for Oct. 1-3.

New ordinance
The Virginia guidance urges wearing masks in elementary schools, but it is more lenient with middle- and high-schoolers. State officials said school districts should require masks at a minimum for unvaccinated older students. Schools should consider universal mask-wearing if spread in school becomes severe or community transmission of a certain COVID-19 variant, such as delta, that spreads more easily among children begins to increase substantially.

Virginia has followed the science throughout this pandemic, and thats what we continue to do, Gov. Ralph Northam stated in a news release. This guidance takes into consideration recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics, and will provide necessary flexibility for school divisions while ensuring a safe, healthy and world-class learning environment for Virginias students.

A spokesperson for the governor said it was important to empower school divisions to make their own decisions on masks. School divisions in the state have seen varied responses to mask mandates, from protests at school board meetings to urging from community members to remain masked up.
Supervisor Liz Palmer said people with concealed handgun permits already are carrying guns in county parks.

People with concealed permits are carrying guns in there right now. We just dont know when they do because they are concealed, she said.

Farley said its also illegal to shoot wildlife in county parks now, unless its a self-defense situation.

People are carrying with concealed carry permits, its happening now, were not really changing that for them if we give that exemption, and I think its the cleanest way to move forward, Palmer said.

Palmer asked if county staff thinks the buildings would need metal detectors.

County Executive Jeff Richardson noted that the county has full-time ambassadors at the front door of both county office buildings, who are public safety officers with a contracted agency. He said if the county were to consider metal detectors, that would be a next step to harden the buildings.

And Im not prepared tonight to tell you whether we would take that step or whether we would not, he said. I didnt answer your question as to whether we would do it or not. That would be something that we would have to analyze.
Notice has to be posted at all entrances of buildings and parks and recreation and community center facilities, and Farley said staff was recommending expressly including that notice provision in the ordinance.

So if the sign is not there, its not enforceable there, she said.

Violation of the proposed ordinance, if adopted, would be a Class 1 misdemeanor, which carries a sentence of up to a year in jail and/or a fine as high as $2,500.

The rally attendees had moved out to the area designated for expressive activity along the street, but later moved back under the shade.

Harvey, who said he was going to run again for the board in 2023, said the ordinance was attacking people like me  those who have a concealed handgun permit. He said he would still not be in favor of an ordinance that just allowed concealed permit holders to still carry.
The whole idea is not to lock it away and say its done, but for it to be a living trail that leads to ongoing research and deepens the story of the founding, French said.

The Montpelier Foundation, which operates James Madisons Montpelier, looks forward to collaborating with the Descendants Committee on the project, a spokeswoman said.

The foundation started returning Black history to Montpeliers landscape in 2004 by restoring the Gilmore Cabin, and then the South Yard, home and work area of some of the Madisons enslaved people, in 2011.

In 2017, the foundation opened its award-winning exhibition The Mere Distinction of Colour, which shares narratives of Montpeliers enslaved people as told by their descendants.

Among the landmarks that received grants from the National Trust this year are Virginias Fort Monroe, where enslaved Africans first landed in English-occupied North America; the Prince Hall Masonic Lodge in Atlanta, where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. had an office; and the home of Marian Anderson, the contralto who sang at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., after the Daughters of the American Revolution refused the use of its stage at then-segregated Constitution Hall.
Don Murphy, owner of Murphys Bar and Grill in Chinatown, says he noticed nearby restaurants asked patrons for vaccination cards but received backlash.

He said: They got eaten alive on social media. I dont want to put my staff through that.



MONTGOMERY, Ala.  With COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations up sharply over the last month in Alabama but still far below when the pandemic was at its worst early this year, school officials have said vaccines wont be required in the fall and local systems can decide on their own whether to require masks or other precautions.

While the American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending that schools require face masks for children older than 2 and all adults, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey disagrees, an aide said.

Governor Ivey believes students need to be in the classroom without any type of mask requirement. She continues to encourage all eligible Alabamians to roll up their sleeves and get the vaccine to make COVID-19 a distant memory, spokeswoman Gina Maiola said Monday.



LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  Arkansas hospitalizations due to the coronavirus jumped by 106 over the weekend as the state led the nation in new cases per capita.
Cloud

Air Force taps Google Cloud for aircraft maintenance system

The Air Force Rapid Sustainment Office (RSO) announced an agreement with Google Cloud to build an open, agile and globally scalable system for aircraft maintenance.

Announced July 16, the initiative, known as Project Lighthouse, will enable RSO to optimize maintenance readiness, increase staff productivity and reduce costs. Project Lighthouse creates a unified ecosystem that helps the office accelerate its goals and digitize for the future.

This project simplifies digital technology integration and creates a robust foundation for scaling to the enterprise, Allen McCormick, chief of strategic communications and engagement at RSO, wrote in an email to GCN. The sustainment mission has long been subject to slow innovation cycles, disparate legacy maintenance information  systems, and reliance on antiquated processes. This technology accelerates that cycle of change to make aircraft maintenance more responsive, efficient and cost-effective.

This new aircraft maintenance system will provide seamless integration for all Air Force technology providers, including those delivering predictive maintenance software, manufacturing robotics and augmented reality headsets and other hardware. Apigee, Google Clouds API management platform, and Anthos, its managed application platform, will power the system. The aircraft maintenance system will be prototyped, validated and tested for scalability within the Air Forces technology environment before it is launched.

The technology enables rapid integration of RSOs pipeline of technologies within a single ecosystem, McCormick said. Imagine a maintainer using a point of maintenance data capture system linked with an augmented reality headset during hands-on maintenance, feeding leadership with situational awareness of the squadrons mission capability, and allowing for live data synchronization with legacy maintenance systems. Traditionally this would be accomplished by multiple radio calls, manual data entry, and lots and lots of paper. This technology enables that capability in real time with as little redundant manual actions as possible.

He declined to disclose the terms of the contract, including a timeline for the projects roll out.

The secretary of the Air Force established RSO in 2018 to increase mission readiness by rapidly identifying, applying and scaling technology essential to the operation and sustainment of the service. RSO has more than 329,000 active-duty personnel and 170-plus operational locations worldwide.

In a press statement, Nathan Parker, deputy of RSOs Program Executive Office, called the partnership with Google Cloud a significant milestone for RSO on our journey to adopt Industry 4.0 technologies.

This article first appeared on GCN, a Defense Systems partner site.
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Ukraine's monopolist telephone company Ukrtelecom JSC has expanded the coverage of its fibre-optic network in the Zaporizhzhia region.

According to a statement from the Ukrainian operator, the town of Molochansk in the Pologiv municipality and the village of Terpinnia in the Melitopol municipality have been covered with the network.

"For this purpose, about 80 kilometers of fiber-optic lines have been laid. Subscribers who switch to the optical network have a higher Internet speed, the ability to use interactive TV," it said.

Zaporozhye region's fifty settlements have optical Internet now, the Ukrainian national operator added.

Last week, Ukrtelecom has expanded the coverage of its fibre-optic network in the Vinnitsia region, in the town of Kopaygorod in the Bar municipality.

In 2020 Ukrainian fixed broadband operator Ukrtelecom deployed 9.500km of new fibre-optic lines  a record figure for the company, which it noted was achieved despite the restrictions of compliance with COVID-19 quarantine measures.
Uzbekistans state provider Uzbektelecom claims to have made significant strides in its push to replace its copper communication networks with fibre-optic infrastructure.

According to CommsUpdate, within the first half of 2021 the network modernisation programme connected around 700,000 homes to fibre in the Samarkand region, including remote rural settlements as well as the larger cities of Farhod, Ingichka, Kattakurgan, Khishrav, Kimyogar and Samarkand itself.

Additionally, a further 700,000 homes in the Fergana region received coverage. This included 550 rural settlements as well as homes in the cities of Fergana, Kokand, Margilan and Quvasoy.

Uzbektelecom also noted that it has installed fibre-optic cables enabling the connection of 33,000 homes in the Andijan region and 35,000 homes in the Bukhara region. The operator is also providing free devices as part of a campaign to encourage adoption of new technology standards in rural communities.
The Enterprise City Council is looking for ways to better enforce city codes following concerns expressed by residents.

Council member Sonya Rich explained in Tuesdays meeting that the city began looking into code enforcement after she had concerns about areas not only in her district, but around the city, that are overgrown and not up to city code. Rich said she and Councilman Eugene Goolsby met with Barry Mott, city engineer and public works director, and several other city employees to discuss the problem.

Theyre really actively looking at our code, Rich said. And this is not just for our homeowners. This is for our businesses and for all aspects of our city to get cleaned up and make it look better and have that type of consistency.

Mott, along with other city employees, gave the council an update on their work on looking into improving the citys code enforcement. Mott said they are taking a more aggressive approach to properties that are not up to compliance and have sent letters out to repeat offenders.

The number one focus of our department, the engineering department, is public safety and to make sure were upholding the ordinances that the city has adopted, and I just want you to know were taking that very seriously, Mott said.
A Florida teenager was sentenced in March to three years in prison for his role in the hacking operation. Graham Ivan Clark pleaded guilty to multiple fraud charges as part of a deal with Hillsborough County prosecutors.

Andrew Warren, the Florida state attorney who prosecuted Clark, said in an interview Wednesday he still considers him to be the mastermind of the plot.

Warren said Clark was involved in the social engineering and hacking to get access to the Twitter accounts, as well as selling the accounts and sending out the tweets.

And hes the one who collected six figures worth of Bitcoin, Warren said.

The complaint against O'Connor on Wednesday said he conspired with Clark and others to benefit from the hack of Twitter accounts. Online chats obtained by investigators show that during the hack O'Connor expressed interest in buying some high-profile accounts, including Donald Trump's.

Prosecutors have said the plot originated in an online forum for people looking to obtain social media usernames that carry some prestige. Such coveted usernames, known as OG or original gangster accounts, are typically short and might have been created when Twitter was in its earliest stages more than a decade ago.
A Wallace Community College instructor with 52 years in the classroom has been honored for her work in adult education.

Linda McCoy of Dothan was recently named Adult Education Instructor of the Year by the Alabama Association for Public Continuing Education and Adult Education. McCoy teaches in the Adult Education Department at Wallace Community College and said her 14 years in adult education has been her most rewarding assignment.

I enjoy getting to know my students, she said. Each one has a story. They come from all kinds of backgrounds.

Those backgrounds are very real to McCoy, whose first assignment came in the newly integrated Girard Middle School in Abbeville in 1967. After retiring with 28 years in middle schools and high schools in Alabama, McCoy realized she was not ready to leave the profession. She taught six years more in Georgia before coming to Wallace in 2007.

Through adult education McCoy says she can still mentor teens while also assisting adults of all ages. Despite their age differences, McCoy notes her students share one common goal: to improve their lives.
The two Dothan Rotary Clubs rolled out the red carpet to Rotary District 6880 for a fun night of fellowship and celebration as it hosted its District Governor Installation on Friday, June 25, at Wiregrass Rehabilitation Center in Dothan. There were about 100 Rotarians throughout the District in attendance as we reflected on the last year and also thought about what lies ahead for Rotary.

Participating in the nights festivities were a host of current and former Rotary leadership from across our District including Barry Cavan (PDG), Skip Dotherow (PDG), Sam Adams (PDG) and Jim Golson (PDG). The night was full of surprises as Jerry Blacklaw was presented with a Paul Harris Fellow plus 8 pin. Richard Bollinger was recognized posthumously with the prestigious Harry Hall Award and our district also recognized Cheryl Bollinger with a Paul Harris Fellow plus one in his honor.
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP)  A couple whose gender reveal ceremony sparked a Southern California wildfire that killed a firefighter last year were charged with involuntary manslaughter, authorities announced Tuesday.

Refugio Manuel Jimenez Jr. and Angela Renee Jimenez pleaded not guilty Monday to charges involving the El Dorado Fire, San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson announced at a news conference. The charges included one felony count of involuntary manslaughter, along with other felony and misdemeanor counts related to the fire.

The El Dorado Fire erupted on Sept. 5 when the couple and their young children staged a baby gender reveal at El Dorado Ranch Park in Yucaipa, at the foot of the San Bernardino Mountains.

A smoke-generating pyrotechnic device was set off in a field and quickly ignited dry grass on a scorching day. The couple frantically tried to use bottled water to douse the flames and called 911, authorities said.

Strong winds stoked the fire as it ran through wilderness on national forest land, about 75 miles east of Los Angeles.
"Ive been here from 9:30 a.m., and hired a man to stand in the line for me while I was having my ID card copied and filled in forms. But the institute closed earlier than usual, so we had to have lunch here and wait for them, hoping they would open in the afternoon," another man said, adding that without a negative test result, he could not enter the industrial zone to work.

"I will return to Bac Ninh and do the test."
A woman receives the AstraZeneca vaccine shot at a stadium in District 11, July 22, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Ha An.

For its fifth Covid-19 vaccination campaign, HCMC aims to administer 930,000 doses across all 21 districts and Thu Duc City.

Launched Thursday, the campaign will give priority to more than 62,000 poor and vulnerable citizens under preferential treatment as regulated by the state.

Others to get the shot include those working in healthcare facilities, joining the Covid-19 frontline, military personnel, policemen, workers, teachers, medical workers' family members, as well as those providing essential services.

On the list to be vaccinated are also 50,000 people above 65 and 100,000 suffering chronic diseases including kidney failure, lung failure, hypertension and diabetes.

As per its first four campaigns, vaccination stations would be set up across the city, though this time, those above 65 or suffering other comorbidities would receive the jab in hospitals so doctors could keep track of their progress and offer immediate emergency aid.

HCMC resident Hong Minh Hai, 72, receives a Covid-19 vaccine shot at a hospital in Thu Duc City, July 22, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Ha An.

The ongoing campaign will last two to three weeks, with 600 stations operating to administer a maximum 120 shots per day.

Depending on the actual situation, more stations would be opened later, said Nguyen Huu Hung, deputy director of the city's Health Department.

Among the doses for the ongoing campaigns are AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer and a small amount of Sinopharm, he said.

Ho Chi Minh City with 13 million people including migrants has so far inoculated 991,322, with 48,107 getting two shots.

At a government meeting Wednesday, the city was promised three million more doses of Covid-19 vaccines, expected to arrive in late August and early September.

HCMC is suffering its worst Covid-19 community outbreak ever.

Now the epicenter of Vietnam's ongoing Covid-19 wave that started in late April, the city has recorded 43,776 infections.
Part of an expressway under construction in the Mekong Delta, January 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran.

An expressway linking Mekong Delta capital Can Tho City with Ca Mau Province will be 31 kilometers shorter than projected.

According to the new plan, the expressway will run from Can Tho through Kien Giang Province instead of Soc Trang Province before reaching Ca Mau, the southernmost province in Vietnam.

"This option shortens the distance the most, has low construction costs and will have the route mainly pass through agricultural land, which facilitates site clearance," Tran Van Thi, director of My Thuan Project Management Board, assigned by the Ministry of Transport to prepare the plan, said Wednesday.

Work is expected to start next year for the project to run nearly 125 kilometers (77.6 miles) with 112 bridges and 13 intersections.

With a total investment of nearly VND50 trillion ($2.17 billion), it will start near the borders of Vinh Long Province and Can Tho City, and end in Ho Thi Ky Commune of Ca Maus Thoi Binh District.

In connecting the deltas economic center Can Tho with Ca Mau, the expressway would pass through the provinces of Vinh Long, Hau Giang, Soc Trang, and Bac Lieu, boosting connectivity across Vietnam's agriculture hub.

It will have four lanes with a width of 25 meters and a maximum speed of 100 kph once completed, which is set for 2025.

The expressway is among several planned or being constructed in Mekong Delta, home to Can Tho and 12 provinces with over 17 million residents. The region is one of Vietnam's most important economic zones, contributing 17.7 percent of the nation's entire GDP.

In 2019, the region contributed 54 percent of rice, 70 percent of seafood and 60 percent of fruit output for the whole country.

Lawmakers and officials have been saying for years the lack of infrastructural connectivity between Ho Chi Minh City and numerous Mekong Delta provinces was proving to be a development bottleneck for the region.
The company plans to focus initially on verifying the historic resources, then turn its attention to the exploration targets.

We look forward to unlocking the full potential of the Bruner Property with the goal of building a new mining operation in another historic mining district in Nevada, Dickson said.

According to the agreement, Endeavour will pay $10 million in cash for 100% of the Bruner Gold Project, which includes mineral claims, mining rights, property assets, water rights, and government authorizations and permits. Completion of the transactions under the agreement is subject to customary closing conditions and is subject to Canamex shareholder approval.

Endeavour Silver Corp. is a mid-tier precious metals mining company that owns and operates three high-grade, underground, silver-gold mines in Mexico. Endeavour is currently advancing the Terronera mine project towards a development decision and exploring its portfolio of exploration and development projects in Mexico and Chile.

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CARSON CITY  The Nevada Department of Public Safety (DPS) State Fire Marshal Division is pleased to announce the 5th annual State of Nevada 2021 Fire Prevention Week Poster Contest.

Fire prevention week is Oct. 3-9. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) theme this year is Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety. For more information about this years theme, please visit the NFPA website at https://www.nfpa.org/fpw.

Winners of the contest will be selected from four school grade categories; elementary levels; 1st through 4th grades, elementary levels; 5th and 6th grades, middle school and high school.

The students artwork will be featured on billboards in the Elko, Reno/Sparks, Carson City and Las Vegas areas. Each winner will receive a plaque from the Nevada State Fire Marshal Division and recognition from the National Fire Protection Association.

The Nevada Department of Education will be assisting the State Fire Marshal by providing contest information to school districts across Nevada. Educators and parents may contact the State Fire Marshal for information.

Posters must be submitted to the Nevada State Fire Marshal Division by Sept. 10, 2021.

Attn: 2020 Fire Prevention Poster Contest
Walker, who is also a staunch Trump supporter, took in more than $200,000 over the three-month stretch. He could emerge as the strongest challenger to McCrory if Budd falters or fails to gain widespread support among former Trump voters.

McCrory said in a news release that his campaign has contacted new outlets across the state to gauge their interest in hosting debates. He also took to Twitter on Thursday to call on his two competitors to agree to the debates.

Despite our strong lead in the polls and fundraising, I believe all GOP primary voters need to be exposed to candidates records, accomplishments, plans for the future, and their pathway to victory in the general, McCrory wrote.

Walker agreed to the debates but wants rural communities considered as potential locations. He replied to McCrory on Twitter, saying, On the debate stage, Super PACs and DC money cant protect a candidate with a bad record. Say when and where."

Jonathan Felts, a senior advisor to Budd, said the congressman hasn't discussed anything yet in terms of debates, noting that discussion will be on my schedule, not McCrorys.
The United States is one of a number of countries across the world to be struggling to contain a surge in covid-19 cases, believed to be linked to the more infectious delta variant. There are fears that the new strain could really start to take hold in the autumn, just as various pandemic-era support programmes are due to finish.

The most notable is the additional unemployment benefits that have been funded by the federal government throughout the pandemic. The programmes provide an additional $300 weekly payment for out of work Americans, as well as other benefits for those classed as self-employed or gig workers.

Elizabeth Forsythe, economist and assistant professor at the University of Illinois, has admitted: Its certainly possible we could have another round of economic contraction in certain areas if theres an outbreak And the unemployment system wont be there for people the way its been over the past year.

What is happening to additional unemployment benefits?

The relief legislation passed during the pandemic has provided a vital short-term lifeline for tens of millions of households, but the federal government is now looking to more long-term initiatives to fuel the recovery. The $300 additional payments, along with the other pandemic-era unemployment programmes, will expire on 6 September and there are no plans for an extension.

In fact, some states have even taken it upon themselves to end the support early, with 26 governors arguing that the extra payments are incentivising people to remain unemployed. President Biden has urged the states, 25 of which are Republican-led, to reconsider and reinstate the support.

The federal government has said that it has no legal recourse to force the states to sanction the additional support, but groups of residents have taken on their states and are having considerable success.

At least five states have faced legal challenges over their rights to deny residents access to the federal programme, with courts in Maryland and Indiana ruling that the payments must continue until the original 6 September deadline.

As it stands, residents in Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas are still waiting for a decision on their own attempts to reverse the states decisions, but some warn that this inconsistent approach will lead to inequalities. Rebecca Dixon, executive director of the employment law project, told the New York Times: It is really a shame that depending on what state you live in, because unemployment insurance is such a patchwork of rules and weeks, determines how well you weather this crisis.

Jobs market uncertainty as Biden ponders next step

The most recent jobs report, released at the end of June, showed that the US jobs market had had a mixed month in terms of recovery. While around 850,000 jobs were added, only 151,000 entered the workplace and the national unemployment rate actually rose slightly from 5.8% to 5.9%.

This mixed picture leaves Biden with something of a headache as he looks to plot the next stages of the US economic recovery. Although it is very unlikely that the pandemic-era unemployment support will be extended beyond September, at which point it will have been in place for around 18 months, some new federal mechanism may be needed to ensure that the recovery does not stall and attractive job opportunities continue to be created.

I think most of our economic policy has been predicated on a status quo of the pandemic, said Arindrajit Dube, professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Pandemic economics is not necessarily over.
-- Record rainstorms that have swamped central China's Henan Province since the weekend have left 25 people dead, seven missing, and over 1.24 million people affected.

-- Chinese authorities have raised the emergency response for flood control to its second-highest level, and Henan initiated its highest-level emergency response.

-- Massive rescue and relief efforts are underway to deal with the impact of the prolonged heavy rainfall.

by Xinhua writers Xu Ruiqing, Liu Jinhui, Sun Qingqing, Feng Dapeng, Niu Shaojie

ZHENGZHOU, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities have launched massive rescue and relief efforts in response to record rainstorms that have swamped central China's Henan Province since the weekend, leaving large areas under water and at least 25 people dead.

In the provincial capital city of Zhengzhou, 617.1 mm of rainfall fell over a three-day period starting on Saturday night, close to the city's average annual amount.

The city registered a record hourly precipitation rate of 201.9 mm from 4 p.m. Tuesday. The city also broke its own single-day precipitation record, hitting its highest level on local weather records.

So far, a total of 25 people have been killed and another seven reported missing in the torrential rains in Zhengzhou. Across the province, over 1.24 million people have been affected and about 164,710 people relocated to safe places.

Floods are seen in Longtou Village, Dengfeng City of central China's Henan Province, July 20, 2021. Longtou Village was hit by mountain torrents on Tuesday. Rescuers have transferred over 50 villagers to safer places. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan)

Massive rescue and relief efforts are underway to deal with the impact of the prolonged heavy rainfall.

President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, on Wednesday demanded that authorities at all levels must give top priority to securing people's safety and property, and should carefully and strictly implement the flood prevention and disaster relief measures.

Xi also ordered authorities at all levels to promptly organize flood prevention and disaster relief forces, properly accommodate those affected, strictly prevent secondary disasters, and minimize casualties and property losses.

Meteorological researchers said the havoc was the result of extreme weather conditions. The terrain on Henan's Taihang and Funiu mountains lifted up the easterly air, causing heavy rainfall to persist in the mountainous western and northwestern areas of Henan.

The heavy rain has significantly increased the risk of mountain torrents and geological disasters in the mountainous western and northwestern regions of the province.

A car is inundated by rainwater in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, July 20, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang)

The water levels of small and medium-sized rivers and reservoirs in the Yellow River and Haihe River basins have risen rapidly, and large-scale urban waterlogging and farmland flooding have occurred.

On Tuesday afternoon, Zhengzhou Metro announced a halt to all of its services. Water had gushed into stations of metro line 5 and left over 500 passengers in waist-high floods.

"I was really scared. The most terrible thing was not the water, but the air that was getting thinner and thinner. Many people had symptoms of breathing difficulties," recalled a female survivor surnamed Li.

Floods and downpours have also affected rail services and flights. With a red alert for flight delays in place from 8 p.m. Tuesday to noon on Wednesday, all flights due to land at the airport in Zhengzhou were canceled.

Services were suspended for more than 160 trains at Zhengzhou East Railway Station, stranding a large number of passengers.

A courier wades through a waterlogged road in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, July 20, 2021. (Photo by Hou Jianxun/Xinhua)

Traffic has also been disrupted in a number of national and provincial highways in Henan due to flooding and collapsed roads.

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) raised the emergency response for flood control to its second-highest level, and Henan initiated its highest-level emergency response.

The MEM has dispatched a working team to the affected areas in Henan to help local authorities with disaster relief work.

A rescue team of 1,800 firefighters has been deployed to the flood-hit regions from seven neighboring provinces, together with boats, pumping vehicles and flood rescue kits.

Flood-control workers prepare to patrol Danhe River in Chenzhuang Village, Motou Township, Bo'ai County of Jiaozuo, central China's Henan Province, July 20, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Jianan)

As of 5 a.m. Wednesday, Henan has also dispatched 17,280 firefighters to help with the rescue work.

To restore the storm-damaged communication networks in Zhengzhou, local telecommunication companies have rushed to repair at least 6,300 base stations and 275 km of optical fiber cables.

(Video Reporter: Yuan Yueming, Ren Zhuoru, Shang Kunlun; Video editor: Zhu Cong)

[ Editor: Zhang Zhou ]
Photo taken on July 21, 2021 shows an Airbus A350 aircraft delivered to China Eastern Airlines at the Airbus Tianjin Widebody Completion and Delivery Center in north China's Tianjin. Airbus has inaugurated its A350 aircraft project at its widebody completion and delivery center in north China's Tianjin. It is the first time the European planemaker has launched such a project for the A350 outside Europe. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue)

by Xinhua writers Hu Tao, Song Rui

TIANJIN, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Airbus has inaugurated its A350 aircraft project at its widebody completion and delivery center in north China's Tianjin. It is the first time the European planemaker has launched such a project for the A350 outside Europe.

It delivered an A350 aircraft to China Eastern Airlines at the Airbus Tianjin Widebody Completion and Delivery Center on Wednesday.

"Airbus values China as a long-term strategic market. We have full confidence in the resilience and dynamics of China's economy and its aviation industry," said George Xu, executive vice president of Airbus and chief executive officer of Airbus China.

"The new move demonstrates our commitments to deepening the win-win cooperation with China and better serving local customers through more localized solutions and resources," Xu added.

A350 WIDEBODIES COMING

A total of five A350 widebodies will be delivered in Tianjin in 2021, and more deliveries to Chinese customers are underway as the center has ramped up its production rate and market demand is recovering, according to Airbus China.

The A350 is Airbus' new generation of widebody aircraft, which highlights environmental performance, flight range and comfort. To date, the company has received 915 orders for the aircraft and delivered some 430 worldwide. Approximately 10 percent of the deliveries were to the Chinese market.

Located near the site of the Airbus A320 Family Final Assembly Line in Tianjin, the Airbus Tianjin Widebody Completion and Delivery Center includes a cabin equipping and furnishing facility and a paint shop.

Rolling off the final assembly line in Toulouse, France, the unfinished green A350 aircraft will fly to Tianjin. Green aircraft means that the aircraft has not been painted with its outermost layer paint and has not yet been fully completed.

"They will receive the full scope of aircraft completion activities here, such as the cabin installation, aircraft painting, engine run, flight test and customer flight acceptance. The aircraft will then be delivered to customers," said Dr. Christoph Schrempp, general manager of Airbus Tianjin Delivery Center.

CHINA-EUROPE COOPERATION

"Tianjin is endeavoring to become an aviation industry cluster. We are confident that the new project will deepen our long-term cooperation and inject strong impetus to the high-quality development here," said Ma Shunqing, executive vice mayor of Tianjin.

The city targets to build eight related centers, including fields of assembly, production support, engineering, maintenance, logistics, professional training, customer services and financial services.

Tianjin is now the world's only non-European city that could deliver both single-aisle and widebody Airbus aircraft. Airbus inaugurated the final assembly line for its A320 single-aisle aircraft here in 2008, and the completion and delivery facilities for widebody aircraft in 2017.

"In joint hands with Chinese partners, we are building role model projects of China-Europe cooperation," said Xu.

Through these projects, Airbus shares its expertise and management experiences in manufacturing with Chinese partners. And the strengthening Chinese aviation industry has greatly sustained the Airbus global supply chain.

COMMON COMMITMENTS TO FUTURE

"China's civil aviation industry is a fully competitive market. The country has also led the recovery of the global civil aviation industry. We believe that there is huge potential for our strategic cooperation," said Xu.

Airbus plans to enhance services to local customers in fields such as aircraft maintenance, passenger-to-freight aircraft conversion, digitalization and energy conservation and emissions reduction.

"Airbus has a core value of making the aviation industry sustainable. We share common commitments with China." Xu said that Airbus is pursuing a sustainable aviation goal by adopting sustainable aviation fuel and developing hydrogen-driven aircraft, among others.

China is forging ahead in renewable energy development amid its transition to a low-carbon economy. The country has announced that it would strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.

"It shows a great nation's responsibility and determination. Our commitments and goals integrate," Xu said, adding that Airbus' commitments to China remain unchanged, with more potential ahead. Enditem

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[ Editor: Zhang Zhou ]
A Long March-2C carrier rocket carrying a new remote-sensing satellite group blasts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Xichang, southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 19, 2021. China successfully launched a new remote-sensing satellite group from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province at 8:19 a.m. (0019 GMT) on Monday. The satellites were sent into orbit by a Long March-2C carrier rocket. This is the 10th group belonging to the Yaogan-30 family. Also aboard was Tianqi-15, a satellite belonging to the Tianqi constellation. Monday's launch was the 380th mission of the Long March rocket series. (Photo by Zhu Jihan/Xinhua)

XICHANG, July 19 (Xinhua) -- China successfully launched a new remote-sensing satellite group from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province at 8:19 a.m. Monday (Beijing Time).

The satellites were sent into orbit by a Long March-2C carrier rocket. This is the 10th group belonging to the Yaogan-30 family, and will survey the electromagnetic environment and verify relevant technologies by adopting multi-satellite network mode.

Also aboard was Tianqi-15, a satellite belonging to the Tianqi constellation, which will serve the Internet of Things data collection.

The Long March-2C carrier rocket, developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, measures 43 meters in length and has a takeoff mass of 242 tonnes.

The rocket is capable of sending two tonnes of payloads to the solar synchronous orbit at an altitude of 500 km.

Monday's launch was the 380th mission of the Long March rocket series that also marked the conclusion of the launch of the Yaogan-30 family.

The Long March-2C has sent all 10 groups of Yaogan-30 satellites into orbit with high accuracy since September 2017, with a 100 percent launch success rate.
The United States, a country self-claimed as "the beacon of human rights", always interferes with and suppresses other countries with the excuse of "protecting human rights". However, in the shadow of the beacon is America's serious discrimination against and cruel persecution of Muslims. It can be said that the halo of the stained "beacon of human rights" has dimmed. The US not only has no intention and ability to address the serious domestic discrimination against Muslims but also practices interventionism in the name of human rights to deliberately instigate conflicts, spread hostility, interfere with other countries international affairs in disregard of bottom lines, and ignore the Muslim community's safety. Various disgraceful US actions discriminating and persecuting Muslims have exposed the unction of American human rights.

Deep-rooted racism

Nearly 20 years have passed since the September 11 attacks, Muslims in the US are still subject to stigmatization, marginalization, and endure fear, threats, and unacceptable surveillance. The hate crimes against Muslims have always been rampant. In the US Midterm Elections 2018, anti-Muslim rhetoric surged sharply, politicians also played a part in the conspiracy theories against Muslims, which gradually becomes a political mainstream. The report by the Council on American-Islamic Relations in 2018 also shows that since 2016, the number of anti-Muslim groups in the US had doubled. Claire Bolderson of BBC, who noticed the pressure facing young Muslims in the US and the measures to prevent them from being alienated from the mainstream, filmed the documentary "American and Muslim", which tells a story about the marginal living conditions of Muslims in the US.

In addition, some negative descriptions of Muslims in films and cultural works based fully on racism also helped promote discrimination, hostility, and violence against Muslim individuals and communities. A report named "Missing and Maligned" by USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found that, in the highest-grossing films released in the UK, the US, and Australia during 2017 to 2019, Muslims are always playing the characters of the outsider, or in such negative roles as killers and invaders. Less than 10% of Muslims may play positive roles. Riz Ahmed, the first Muslim British actor and rapper who has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, established a fund response to this report to help fight the "poisonous descriptions" of Muslims in films.

Extreme suppression by legal means

As the only country that has issued a Muslim ban, although the US tries to shape its multi-cultural, inclusive and open international image, the ideology of white supremacy is deeply rooted in the country. Donald Trump, who kept making comments discriminating and attacking Muslims since the time of the election has intensified his behaviors after taking office. On September 25, 2017, the Trump administration issued the 3rd edition entry ban, which restricted the citizens of Muslim countries including Iran, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Chad, s well as the citizens and governmental representatives of North Korea and Venezuela from entering. Washington considered these countries did not meet America's requirements for security check and information sharing concerning the visa applicants. Facing the collective rage and protests of domestic and international religious groups and humanitarian organizations, the US Supreme Court approved Donald Trump's executive order in a close vote of 5:4 on June 26, 2018. The publishing of the president's executive order, which broke through the boundaries of political correctness ignoring the world's opposition, is a problem itself. The conservative justices who supported this order claimed that the parliament has given the president the power to guarantee border security, therefore the president has extensive discretion to decide who may enter the country. Despite Donald Trump's inflammatory personal remarks in the past about the threat Muslims pose to the US, his functions and powers should not be curtailed. "Anti-Muslim racism has become a law in the US", says an article in German media, the US Supreme Court's judgment that "legalized" Trump's Muslim ban is the first time institutionalizing and legalizing the hostility against Islam in US history, which has violated the US Constitutions promise of providing everyone equal protection and the right to a fair trial.

The US always adopts a double standard when it comes to foreign Muslims for its own benefits in the name of human rights. Although the US claims that it is concerned about the Muslims wellfare, in fact, it has launched wars in Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq and the massive massacre has injured and killed tens of millions of innocent Muslim people with the excuse of "counter-terrorism" since the beginning of this century. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the US continues to sanction several countries including Iran, which worsened the local living conditions, resulting in economic depression and public suffering.

In the face of the Palestine-Israel conflict, the US repeatedly singly voted for Israel against the consensus of all member states. despite Israel's disproportionate and cruel massacre of the Pakistanis, the US stands on the opposite side of human conscience and morality. On May 16, 2021, the US prevented UN Security Council for the third time from adopting a joint statement calling for Palestine-Israel ceasefire to stop violence and protect civilians and agreed to sell precision guided missiles worth $735 million to Israel. As the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, "although the US claims that it is concerned about Muslims human rights, it does not care about the Pakistanis suffering." The US tactics are nothing but a disguise. Human rights are a political weapon to conceal the ulterior motives of the US to continue its evil racism in violation of international conventions, morality, and conscience.

Translated by Fei Jinglun

[ Editor: Zhang Zhou ]
The Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has strongly disapproved and firmly opposed the far-fetched allegations in the "2021 Trafficking in Persons Report" released by the U.S. State Department, which vilified the national security law in Hong Kong to smear the efforts and achievements of the HKSAR in combating trafficking in persons.

The report ignored the fact, smacked of political bias, and was part of the contemptible scheme to seize every possible chance to demonize the national security law in Hong Kong, a spokesperson of the office said.

The spokesperson pointed out that the national security law in Hong Kong targets crimes that gravely endanger national security. It punishes a very small handful of criminals while protecting the vast majority of residents, and in no way impedes the normal exchanges and cooperation between the HKSAR government and the Hong Kong community, including non-governmental organizations.

The United States has a notorious record for trafficking in persons, where forced labor and human trafficking cases abound, the spokesperson said.

But instead of reflecting upon itself, the United States has been busy pointing fingers and dictating at others, and has even distorted the truth with trumped-up charges in order to serve its ulterior political agenda, the spokesperson said, noting that it is outright hypocrisy and shamelessness.

The spokesperson emphasized that Hong Kong affairs are China's internal affairs, which no external force shall meddle with. The spokesperson urged the U.S. side to get its place right, manage its own affairs well, immediately stop malicious vilification of the national security law in Hong Kong, and stop the boring performance of discrediting the HKSAR government in whatever form and on whatever pretext.

Editor: JYZ
Hong Kong on July 1st held various events to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the 24th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland.

China's national flag and the flag of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region were hoisted and the national anthem was played at the Golden Bauhinia Square in a flag-raising ceremony held by the HKSAR government.

Helicopters flew over Victoria Harbor and a fireboat sprayed a water salute. A torch relay race was also held.

Hong Kong's smooth return to the motherland is an important part of the CPC's great achievements over the last 100 years, Acting Chief Executive of the HKSAR John Lee said Thursday morning during the events held in celebration at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center.

Lee vowed continued efforts to safeguard national security, improve the implementation of "one country, two systems" and forge ahead with pragmatic approach and the spirit of rising to the challenge.

With the leadership of the CPC, the strong support of the nation and the success in implementing "one country, two systems," Hong Kong compatriots will be able to share the glory of a prosperous and strong nation, said Chen Dong, deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR.

Chuang Tze-cheung with the Hong Kong Celebrations Association said Hong Kong will continue to give full play to its unique advantages under "one country, two systems" and make greater achievements with the effective administration of the HKSAR government and concerted efforts of the society.

A series of celebrations were organized across Hong Kong, including parades of buses and fishing vessels. A commemorative movie named "1921" is on the big screens in multiple cinemas.

Editor: JYZ
Da Shu, also named Greater Heat, is the 12th of the 24 solar terms, and it is the hottest time in the year. As an old Chinese saying goes, "In Xiao Shu (Lesser Heat), it is not hot enough, while in Da Shu, it is really hot."

Heat is a physical experience. In depicting heat, painters transform the feeling of the body into emotional reflection and presents it in an artistic way.

In Summer, a painting by Li Xiaoke, we see old trees with their branches entangled standing along the boulevard, forming a canopy shielding pedestrians from the scorching heat. Their dense leaves are almost melted by the strong sunlight, turned into a body of thick greenness. At the end of the boulevard, there is a white space, which reminds of a phrase  "white heat". The painter thus transforms a physical phenomenon into colors and create a vivid visual impact.

In A Summer Day, a print, the painter Li Congling also depicts the theme of heat with trees and shade. The painting is a mixture of light and shade. In the sunlight, the leaves are dry, yellowish, and brittle. In the shade of trees, the green moss rolls back, revealing clods of yellow soil. The summer heat seems to flow from the brushstrokes of the painting and dryness peculiar to prints, and diffuse quietly.

Han Tianheng's traditional Chinese painting "Heat Defying Lotus" depicts the charm of a lotus pond in summer. Employing the splash technique of traditional Chinese painting, the painter vividly presents the vibrant lotus leaves in the heat in a bold yet not exaggerated way. The strong green color of lotus leaves enables the viewer to experience the summer heat through contrast of colors.

Apart from natural scenes, human activities during Dashu are also a favorite theme of painters. Drawing inspiration from a poem by Su Shi, a famous Song Dynasty poet in the 11th Century, Xie Xingtao produced a painting entitled "Washing Feet in the Stream in Summer". It is a lively scene of one washing his feet under the willows, watched by the crane across the stream.

In Greater Heat, a painting by Dai Shuliang, children and buffaloes are playing in the water. In the distance, several people, wearing bamboo hats, are working in the field. The painting presents an idyllic rural scene of both pleasure and hard work.

Many old ways of spending summer during Dashu remain popular today, such as eating herbal jelly and chasing fireflies. These artistic creations as well as folk customs are special ways in which the Chinese spend a hot summer.

[ Editor: JYZ]
Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (1st L, Front) and his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry (2nd L, Front) attend a ceremony marking the joint production of 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine in Egypt, in Alamein, Egypt, on July 18, 2021. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai)

ALAMEIN, Egypt, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry on Sunday attended a ceremony marking the joint production of 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine in Egypt.

The ceremony was held during Wang's official visit to Alamein, a coastal city in northern Egypt.

After China and Egypt inked a letter of intent for cooperation on COVID-19 vaccine production in December 2020, a Chinese company signed an agreement with an Egyptian firm and sent technical teams to Egypt to facilitate the local production of the vaccine.

Only half a year after the signing of the agreement, the Chinese vaccine was officially put into production in Egypt and reached the output of 1 million doses in a short time.

As the first batch of vaccines rolled off the production line, Egypt became the first country on the African continent to cooperate with China in the COVID-19 vaccine production.

The local production of the Chinese vaccine in Egypt, which demonstrates China's determination and sincerity in promoting international anti-pandemic cooperation, marks a concrete move to actively implement Chinese President Xi Jinping's pledge to make the vaccine a global public good. It is also an important step taken by China to promote equal distribution of the vaccines and bridge the immunity gap.

This project is not only of great significance to Egypt's fight against COVID-19 pandemic, but also will greatly help Africa and the Arab region prevail over the pandemic at an early date.

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[ Editor: WXL ]
U.S. President Joe Biden will meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington on August 30, the White House said on Wednesday.

"President Biden looks forward to welcoming President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine to the White House on August 30, 2021," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement.

"The visit will affirm the United States' unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia's ongoing aggression in Donbas and Crimea," she said in the statement.

In addition, according to Psaki, Zelensky's visit to the United States will also confirm "our close cooperation on energy security and our backing for President Zelensky's efforts to tackle corruption and implement a reform agenda based on our shared democratic values."
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky looks forward to a substantive and productive meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House on August 30 to discuss important issues of strategic partnership between Ukraine and the United States.

"Look forward to a substantive and productive meeting with President Biden on August 30. The United States is our top strategic partner. We will have frank and vibrant discussion regarding serious security threat Nord Stream 2 poses to Ukraine, peace in Donbas, return of Crimea and the economic development challenges Ukraine faces," Zelensky wrote on Twitter on Wednesday.

Earlier on Wednesday, the White House said that Biden will meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Zelensky in Washington on August 30.
Head of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto arrived in Kyiv.

"The visit of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Peter Szijjarto to Ukraine started with a joint laying of flowers with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba to the Wall of memory of those who died for Ukraine, "the Ukrainian Embassy in Hungary said on Twitter.

As reported, Szijjarto and Kuleba will hold talks, the key topics of which will be the security situation in the region, the political and diplomatic settlement of the Russian-Ukrainian Armed conflict, interaction with the Council of Europe, as well as topical issues of relations between Ukraine and Hungary.
Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), Ambassador Heidi Grau said about the continuing deterioration of the security situation in eastern Ukraine.

"However, I have to note that the security situation continued to deteriorate over the recent months: in particular, the territory around the disengagement area near Zolote is turning into a hotspot. In addition, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission continues to record an increase in the use of heavy weapons," Grau said in a statement.

She said that a comprehensive ceasefire can be achieved provided that "the sides demonstrate the necessary political will, but the current consultations of the TCG participants do not allow us to reach practical solutions."

In addition, "pending procedural issues again prevented the Political Working Group from holding a formal session [from February 2021]."

Once again, it was not possible to achieve progress on the issue of opening new entry-exit checkpoints in the settlements of Zolote and Schastia of Luhansk region.

At the same time, according to Grau, "participants in the Humanitarian Working Group exchanged updated lists of persons they are looking for. Besides, they discussed the 'procedural clearance' of those already released."

It was also possible to move forward in the discussion on the creation of an expert group to study the situation in the flooded mines along the contact line.

It is noted that the TCG meeting on July 21 was the last with the participation of Ambassador Grau. On August 1, she will be replaced by diplomat from Finland Mikko Kinnunen.
The Ukrainian side did not join the negotiations and agreement on the package of agreements between the United States and Germany on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Oleh Nikolenko said.

"The Ukrainian side did not join the negotiations and coordination of the package of agreements between the United States and Germany. At the same time, we continue the dialogue with all our partners in the vision of ways to reduce key energy threats from Russia and enhance the energy stability of Ukraine and Central Europe as a whole," Nikolenko told Interfax-Ukraine on Thursday.

He said "there is no doubt that the only 'beneficiary' of the crisis in our region is Russia."

"Accordingly, we believe that the United States and Germany should take a responsible attitude towards neutralizing the threats of Nord Stream 2," Nikolenko said.

Earlier in the U.S. Department of State, he said at a briefing that before signing an agreement with Germany on Nord Stream 2, the United States interacted with Ukraine and included its contribution and ideas in this statement.

"We shared details and ideas, including the text of the statement itself, that it remains controversial and delicate," he said.
Representatives of the Supervisory Board of the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center Natan Sharansky and Senator Joe Lieberman met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington, the Memorial's press service said.

"We are grateful for such a warm and friendly welcome," Sharansky said at the memorial. "The United States plays a leading role in protecting and promoting human rights and democratic values. The fight against anti-Semitism, manifestations of xenophobia and intolerance for me is a marker of human development. We were pleased to inform the U.S. Secretary of State about the progress of the project of memorializing Holocaust victims from bullets, which is extremely important for Ukraine and all of Eastern Europe. Babyn Yar in Kyiv is the most famous symbol of this international tragedy," Head of the Supervisory Board Sharansky said.

He said the Secretary of State was told about "the unprecedented support of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which this year will allow the opening of the first stage of the memorial and museum complex in Babyn Yar."

"The memory of the victims of the Nazis was erased by the Soviet regime for half a century. But now, with Ukraine gaining true independence, we see real changes. The memorial will allow us to transmit memory and teach new generations, develop them and change the world for the better," he said.

In turn, the head of the U.S. State Department on Twitter, following the meeting, emphasized the global challenges of democracy, the plight of political prisoners around the world and the importance of combating anti-Semitism in all its forms, including the distortion and denial of the Holocaust.

"It was an honor to meet renowned Soviet dissident and human rights defender Natan Sharansky. The United States echoes his call for the release of political prisoners around the world, and we join him in condemning anti-Semitism in all its forms," Blinken said.
Mykhailo Podoliak, advisor to the head of the President's Office, has said that the claim of the Russian Federation as a state with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) against Ukraine has no legal perspective, since Russia itself does not comply with the decisions of the European court.

"The leadership of Russia decided to use the instrument of the claim to the ECHR after it provided itself at the constitutional level with the opportunity not to execute the decisions of the ECHR. If someone was looking for a standard of cynicism, then it was provided by the Russian Federation. This complaint has no legal perspective and practical meaning, except purely propaganda - from every source in the Russian Federation and in the territories occupied by Russia they will broadcast that the ECHR allegedly does not work," Podoliak said in a comment to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

According to Podoliak, Ukraine cannot be held responsible for the consequences of military actions unleashed by Russia, since this would be contrary to common sense and internationally recognized legal positions.

"Russia, as a state that controls the occupied territories of Ukraine, bears full responsibility for the situation in these territories, for all human rights violations, crimes and plundering of the economic potential of these territories. It will have to bear responsibility," he said.

The advisor to the head of the President's Office also noted that the substantiation of the complaint submitted by Russia to the ECHR indicates that the North Crimean Canal is allegedly the main source of fresh water for the inhabitants of the Crimean peninsula.

"If for more than seven years of occupation of Crimea they could not understand in the Russian Prosecutor General's Office which sources of fresh water in Crimea are the main ones, then it remains only to state the complete degradation of this Russian institution," the advisor to the head of the President's Office emphasized.

Podoliak added that "in this situation, Russia's demands for interim measures on this complaint look absolutely cynical and absurd."

"If Russia refuses to comply with the decisions of the ECHR even after they have been passed and are beyond doubt, then how can this same Russia count on a favorable decision for itself even before the complaint itself is considered? Please note that this is the tool that raiders often use. They prescribe the requirement of interim measures on the claim so that it would be possible, even before considering the claim, to get the decision for which the claim was started. Probably, no one has ever tried to use the ECHR in this way for such a raider scheme," he concluded.

Earlier on Thursday, Russia for the first time applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) with an interstate complaint against another state - Ukraine, the complaint concerns a number of violations, including the death of civilians, the suppression of freedom of speech and the water blockade of Crimea.

Russia also indicated in an interstate complaint to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) that the responsibility for the crash of the Malaysian Boeing MH17 in Donbas lies with Ukraine - the country did not close the airspace over the war zone and did not later investigate this circumstance.
The claim of the Russian Federation against Ukraine with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) was filed for propaganda purposes and has no chance of being satisfied, said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

"Without interfering with the ECHR justice, I can absolutely assure that this court claim has no chance of being satisfied, and it was filed by Russia solely for propaganda purposes. This request will not have any other results, except for information noise and the time spent by the court on writing the answer," said Kuleba at a joint briefing with Minister of Foreign Economy and Foreign Affairs of Hungary Peter Szijjarto in the JFO zone on Thursday.

Earlier on Thursday, Russia for the first time applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) with an interstate complaint against another state - Ukraine, the complaint concerns a number of violations, including the death of civilians, the suppression of freedom of speech and the water blockade of Crimea. Russia also indicated in an interstate complaint to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) that the responsibility for the crash of the Malaysian Boeing MH17 in Donbas lies with Ukraine - the country did not close the airspace over the war zone and did not later investigate this circumstance.
Harvey Weinstein departs New York Criminal Court following another day of jury deliberations in his sexual assault trial in the Manhattan borough of New York City, (Photo : REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/File Picture)

Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was extradited from New York to Los Angeles on Tuesday to face trial on rape and sexual assault charges.



Weinstein was convicted in New York in February 2020 for sexual assault and rape and was sentenced to 23 years in prison.



In Los Angeles, he is wanted for trial on 11 charges of attacking five women from 2004 to 2013.



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The Los Angeles charges include forcible rape, forcible oral copulation, sexual battery by restraint, and sexual penetration by use of force. If convicted, Weinstein could spend the rest of his life in prison.



Los Angeles police said Weinstein had arrived in Los Angeles and "after being medically cleared for booking, he will be booked into custody with LA County Sheriffs."



No date was given for his first appearance in court.



Weinstein, 69, is appealing his New York conviction and sentence, and has denied having nonconsensual sex with anyone.



He had been fighting extradition on medical grounds, citing diabetes and cardiac, back and eyesight problems.



"We will be fighting so that Harvey can receive his needed medical care and of course, so that he can be treated fairly. Due process, presumption of innocence and a fair trial are all still his right," his spokesman Juda Engelmayer said in a statement on Tuesday.



Weinstein was one of the most powerful movie and TV producers in Hollywood before allegations by more than 80 women of sexual misconduct in 2017 led to criminal charges and fueled the wider #MeToo movement.



He co-founded the Miramax film studio, whose hit movies included "Shakespeare in Love" and "Pulp Fiction." His own eponymous film studio filed for bankruptcy in March 2018.


A representation of the virtual cryptocurrency Ethereum is seen among representations of other cryptocurrencies in this picture illustration taken (Photo : REUTERS/Edgar Su/Illustration)

Core Scientific Holding Co said on Wednesday it would go public through a merger with a blank-check company backed by BlackRock Inc, in a deal that values the cryptocurrency miner at $4.3 billion.



The deal with Power & Digital Infrastructure Acquisition Corp will fetch $300 million in cash proceeds, but the companies did not disclose a private investment in public equity (PIPE) round that typically accompanies blank-check mergers.



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Core Scientific said it had mined 928 bitcoins in the second quarter and forecast revenues of $493 million and $1.1 billion for fiscal 2021 and 2022, respectively.



The company said it was 100% net carbon neutral and aims to remain so as it grows. Bitcoin is virtual but mining the asset consumes a lot of energy as it is created using high-powered computers around the globe.



Some cryptocurrency firms have recently managed to gain sky-high valuations, even as investor enthusiasm has waned for the digital assets whose values have plunged following global regulatory crackdowns.



Bullish, a crypto firm backed by billionaire entrepreneur Peter Thiel, agreed to a $9 billion blank-check deal earlier this month, while FTX Trading on Tuesday said its valuation had risen to $18 billion following a fresh funding round.



Despite the wild price swings in bitcoin, the most popular cryptocurrency, conglomerates like Japanese investment giant SoftBank Group Corp have given their seal of approval to some crypto firms including FTX and Mercado Bitcoin.



Special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Power & Digital raised $345 million in an upsized initial public offering in February.



SPACs use the pool of capital raised through their IPOs to merge with a private company and take it public, typically within two years of listing.


Flags of the Union Jack and European Union are seen ahead of the meeting of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Photo : Olivier Hoslet/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo)

Britain is demanding the European Union agree to rework the post-Brexit rules governing trade with Northern Ireland, saying it had considered taking unilateral action but would try once more to find a new relationship.



To avoid creating a hard border on the island of Ireland, Britain agreed to a deal in which Northern Ireland remained aligned with the EU's single market. The Brexit deal was signed and approved by the British parliament in December 2020



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But it created a regulatory border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom, causing serious trade friction for goods and raising fears about the delicate peace in the province.



Frost told the upper house of parliament that the government was looking to urgently open discussions to secure "significant change" to the protocol.



He said the government had considered using Article 16, which enables either party to take unilateral action if the protocol leads to serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties, but that now was not the right time.



Below are the details as set out by David Frost, the British minister who leads Brexit negotiations.



- Under the new plans, the United Kingdom said it did not need to rework the whole protocol but just the parts that affect trade.



- It said it needed to find a way of ensuring that full customs and sanitary and phytosanitary checks were only applied to goods destined for the European Union.



- It said the regulatory environment in the province should tolerate different rules, allowing goods made to UK rules and regulated by UK authorities to circulate freely in Northern Ireland, as long as they remain there.



- It said governance of the protocol should not ultimately be policed by EU institutions including the Court of Justice.



- It said it was willing to look at exceptional arrangements for "deep reciprocal sharing of data on trade, close cooperation with authorities across the EU and in Ireland, inspection processes, collective analysis of trade flows" and possibly specific arrangements for certain goods.



- It said it was willing to bring in legislation to prevent anyone in the province from exporting to Ireland goods which do not meet EU standards, or evade enforcement processes.



Frost told the House of Lords:



"We have looked carefully at the safeguards provided by Article 16 of the protocol, these exist to deal with significant societal and economic difficulties, as well as with trade diversion.



"It is clear that the circumstances exist to justify the use of Article 16, nevertheless, my Lords, we have concluded that it is not the right moment to do so.



"We see an opportunity to proceed differently, to find a new path, to seek to agree with EU through negotiations, a new balance in our arrangements covering Northern Ireland, to the benefit of all."


American Airlines flight 718, the first U.S. Boeing 737 MAX commercial flight since regulators lifted a 20-month grounding in November, lands at LaGuardia airport in New York, U.S. (Photo : REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo)

U.S. carriers American Airlines and Southwest Airlines on Thursday posted quarterly profits helped by a bookings rebound and federal aid and vowed to resolve hiccups across their operations as passengers return in droves.



Airlines quickly scaled back flying when the coronavirus gripped the industry in early 2020. Now they are rushing to return airplanes and workers to the skies as demand returns quicker than they had expected.



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Both American and Southwest had to cancel summer flights due to labor shortages, bad weather and less network flexibility. Now they are recalling crews and resuming hiring.



"It's messy," Southwest Chief Executive Gary Kelly told investors and media.



He said the company is "intensely focused" on improving its operations and flagged the time it will take to hire and train new workers as a key concern going forward.



"We are in the midst of an unprecedented recovery," American Chief Executive Doug Parker said on an investor call where the company also outlined plans to pay down about $15 billion of debt by the end of 2025.



U.S. airlines received $54 billion in COVID-19 relief for workers' salaries during the crisis, without which Parker said restoring operations would have been even harder because so many workers would have left the industry.



"I can't imagine how hectic it would be in terms of not just the airline industry but for our entire economy," he said.



Airlines have also been grappling with a rising number of unruly passengers on increasingly crowded airplanes, including thousands who have refused to wear masks.



Domestic leisure travel has nearly recouped 2019 levels, and American said it sees domestic business travel fully recovering next year. Southwest said it is seeing a 5-point improvement in business bookings each month.



While international travel remains beset by entry bans, American said there is a "quick and dramatic increase in bookings" whenever restrictions are lifted.



Revenues at American, the world's largest airline, jumped 361% to $7.48 billion, beating forecasts, as it carried 44 million passengers, five times more than a year ago.



Total operating revenue at Southwest, which is more focused on domestic travel, rose nearly 300% to $4 billion from a year earlier but fell about 32% from 2019.



More flying and higher fuel prices will weigh on the airline's costs in the third quarter, it warned.



Southwest shares lost 3.5% in late trading and American stock lost 1.5% tracking U.S. airline index losses after two days of gains.



American, the world's largest carrier, turned a $19 million profit for the second quarter to June, including federal aid, compared with a loss of $2.07 billion, a year earlier.



Southwest posted net income of $348 million, or $0.57 per share, also including aid. Excluding items, Southwest's net loss was larger than analysts had forecast.



However, both airlines said they were profitable in the month of June even without federal funds, a first since the pandemic began in early 2020.



Alaska Air Group on Thursday reported a $397 million profit, or $3.15 per share, in the second quarter, including aid.



Executives from the three airlines said they have not seen any impact from the rapidly spreading Delta variant of the coronavirus, echoing recent comments by rivals Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.



United's CEO Scott Kirby warned, however, of "ups and downs" until more people are vaccinated against the virus.


French Junior Minister for European Affairs Clement Beaune speaks during a press conference to outline France's strategy for the deployment of future COVID-19 vaccines (Photo : REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/Pool)

France's Europe minister Clement Beaune rejected on Thursday Britain's request to renegotiate the Brexit deal governing trade with Northern Ireland, dismissing British accusations of European dogmatism as a "tall tale".



Britain on Wednesday demanded a new deal from the European Union to govern post-Brexit trade with the British province, saying it already had cause to step away from parts of the deal that it struck with Brussels only last year.



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London accuses Brussels of being too purist, or legalistic, in interpreting what the deal means for some goods moving from Britain to Northern Ireland.



The European Commission earlier on Thursday said it would not renegotiate the deal and work on "creative solutions", but the first reaction from France showed some members states were getting impatient with Britain.



"The European Union has dedicated days and nights for the past five years to find pragmatic solutions with the United Kingdom," Beaune told Reuters. "The narrative of a rigid and dogmatic Europe is a tall tale."



France has consistently taken a hard line in Brexit negotiations, often expressing out loud what other member states said privately.



Beaune, the rising star of the French government, is a close ally of President Emmanuel Macron. He first worked as Macron's Europe adviser before being named a cabinet minister, and has followed Brexit negotiations behind the scenes from the onset.



"We have been working for months to make the protocol requested by the British government and voted by the British parliament work," he said.



"We can still work on practical solutions, but not empty the protocol of its substance or renegotiate it," he added.



"How could we renegotiate with a partner that cannot respect its own commitments?" said Beaune.


Rebels in Ethiopia's war-hit Tigray have carried out operations against pro-government troops in neighbouring Afar region, a spokesman said Sunday, opening a new front in the widening eight-month conflict.

The "very limited action" targeted special forces and militia fighters from Oromia region, Ethiopia's largest, who were massing along the Tigray-Afar border, the rebel spokesman, Getachew Reda, told AFP.

"We took those actions to ensure those forces are sent back to Oromia, and we have managed to do that," Getachew said, adding that there were some casualties but he could not provide figures.

"Our action was very limited to dispersing the peasant militia from Oromia that was mostly press-ganged into fighting the useless war."

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops into Tigray last November to detain and disarm leaders of the region's then-ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).

He said the move came in response to TPLF attacks on federal army camps.

The 2019 Nobel Peace laureate declared victory in late November after government forces took the Tigray capital Mekele, but TPLF leaders remained on the run and fighting continued.

Last month the war took a stunning turn when pro-TPLF forces retook Mekele, Abiy declared a unilateral ceasefire and the army mostly pulled out of Tigray.

But after rebel leaders launched a new offensive intended to regain control of western and southern Tigray -- contested areas that have been occupied by fighters from Amhara region, which borders Tigray to the south -- Abiy vowed to "repel" them.

The government has since mobilised forces from regions that had previously been untouched by the conflict, including Oromia.

A spokesman for Afar region did not respond to requests for comment Sunday.

'Ethiopia's cancer'

A state media report published Saturday night accused the TPLF, which the government deems a terrorist organisation, of blocking aid into Tigray via Afar using "heavy shelling" and "heavy artillery."

"Rejecting the ceasefire by the federal government, TPLF is trying hard to expand the conflict into Afar region," the Ethiopian News Agency report said.

Getachew denied any aid delivery had been disrupted.

"Where the fighting happened, there is no major highway that is being used for aid purposes," he said.

Getachew confirmed Sunday that rebel units were also active in northern Amhara region, where last week AFP journalists saw thousands of militia fighters mobilising in border towns in advance of planned anti-TPLF operations.

"We have also conducted successful operations in Wag Hemra, which is in Amhara region, and even as we speak some units are operating in between Mai Tsebri (in western Tigray) and adjoining Amhara territory," he said.

In a statement posted on Twitter Sunday, Abiy referred to the TPLF "junta" as "Ethiopia's cancer".

"As the saying goes, a Satan which stays long cannot be removed immediately," he said.

"It is inevitable that it rests in one way or another. But surely, the junta will be removed so that it will not grow again."

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted to DR Congos President Felix Tshisekedi on Tuesday the importance of the African Unions role in reducing conflict and mediating the talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Tensions between Sudan and Egypt on the one hand and Ethiopia on the other recently increased after Addis Ababa informed the two downstream countries earlier this month that it had started the second phase of filling the dams reservoir, a step that Egypt and Sudan have condemned.

Egypt and Sudan call for a binding deal on the filling and operation of the dam that they say would preserve their water rights and protect their people against potential significant harm.

Their demand has been met with Ethiopian resistance, leading rounds of AU-sponsored talks on the issue to collapse and causing Egypt and Sudan to resort to the United Nations Security Council earlier this month.

The US has frequently voiced its commitment to exerting efforts to reach an agreement on the GERD that preserves the water and development rights of all parties.

Blinken and Tshisekedi spoke about a number of topics, including the GERD, the deteriorating situation in Ethiopias Tigray, and the Congolese chairmanship of the AU, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.

Blinken stressed that the US has grave concerns about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Ethiopias Tigray region, read the statement.

Fighting started in Tigray between the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and government forces last November, after the government accused the TPLF of attacking its military bases, an accusation the TPLF has denied.

According to Reuters, the conflict has caused the death of thousands of people, the displacement of about 2 million, and has left 5 million people relying on emergency food aid.

Blinken and Tshisekedi discussed the need for prioritising environmental protection and combating the climate crisis during DR Congos chairmanship of the AU.

Blinken hailed Tshisekedis leadership of the AU, the statement added.

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The Ethiopian foreign ministry said a win-win solution to its dispute with Egypt and Sudan over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is still within reach, but that Addis Ababa will not sign any permanent, legal agreement on the massive dam, Al-Jazeera reported

Ethiopias foreign ministry spokesman Dina Mufti said in a press conference on Thursday that Addis Ababa is ready to resume the GERD talks whenever the African Union, which sponsors the negotiations, decides.

Tensions between Sudan and Egypt and Ethiopia were aggravated earlier this month after Ethiopia informed Egypt and Sudan that it had started the second phase of filling the dams reservoir, a step that the two downstream countries have condemned.

Ethiopia said this week that it has completed the second stage of filling the dams reservoir.

Egypt and Sudan call for a binding deal on the filling and operation of the dam that they say would save their water rights and protect their people against potentially significant harm.

Their demand has been met with Ethiopian resistance, leading rounds of AU-sponsored talks to collapse and causing Egypt and Sudan to resort to the United Nations Security Council earlier this month.

During the press conference, Mufti affirmed that the second filling did not cause any significant harm to Egypt and Sudan.

Mufti also hailed Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisis statements on the GERD earlier this month as "positive," affirming his country's support for the cooperation and joint development called for by President El-Sisi.

On Thursday, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed posted a tweet in Arabic claiming that the second stage of the filling will not cause any harm to the downstream countries.

To my sisters and brothers in the downstream countries, the second filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Abay River (Blue Nile) took place on the 20th of July 2021, and as I promised you in advance, on the 9th of July, Ethiopia filled its dam during the rainy season with caution and in a way that is beneficial to reduce flooding at the direct downstream country, Ahmed said.

He claimed that the dam will remain a real gain and a symbol of joint growth and cooperation."

Egypt and Sudan have warned of the negative impact of completing the filling over the coming years without a binding agreement and highlighted the risks it can cause to people and agricultural lands.

Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said in a speech at a Security Council session on the GERD that the project may lead to a cumulative shortage of water estimated at 110 billion cubic metres.

He also warned that this shortage will make it harder for Egyptians to obtain clean drinking water and will deprive millions of agricultural workers from obtaining enough water for their lands.

Shoukry said this may cause the destruction of thousands of feddans of arable land.

The Sudanese Foreign Minister also addressed the UNSC, saying the filling and operating of the dam without an agreement threatens the lives of millions in Egypt and Sudan.

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Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed on Thursday with Peter Lurssen, the CEO of the German shipbuilding company Lurssen, developing the maritime industry in Egypt, a statement by the Presidency read.

El-Sisi and Lurssen discussed the plans for the technological development needed for this strategic industry, especially in light of the Egyptian states keenness to upgrade all aspects of the maritime industry and shipbuilding, the statement read.

The presidency also affirmed that this goal requires comprehensive development in the training of manpower, including engineers and technicians.

The meeting was attended by commander of the Egyptian navy Ahmed Khaled, head of the naval armaments department Mohamed Shalaby and Mohamed Al-Makhzangi from the naval forces command.

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El-Sisi also met with Jan Pieter De Nul, the owner of the Belgian Jan De Nul Group for marine engineering and dredging, where they discussed Egypts promising opportunities in this field and how to achieve them within the framework of the state's strategy for sustainable development Egypt 2030.

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Prosecutors in Madagascar said Thursday they had foiled an attempt to assassinate President Andry Rajoelina and made several arrests.

"Several foreign and Madagascar nationals were arrested on Tuesday, July 20, as part of an investigation into an attack on state security," prosecutor Berthine Razafiarivony said in a statement released overnight.

There was "a plan to eliminate and neutralise various Madagascan figures, including the head of state," Razafiarivony said.

"At this stage of the investigation, which is ongoing, the prosecutor-general's office assures we will shed light in on this case," she added.

Two French nationals are among those who were arrested on Tuesday, diplomatic sources told AFP.

The two are reputedly retired military officers, according to the Taratra, a local news agency operation to the communications ministry.

During the country's Independence Day celebrations on June 26, the gendarmerie announced they had foiled an assassination attempt on their boss, General Richard Ravalomanana, who is also Rajoelina's right-hand man.

Rajoelina, 47, first seized power in March 2009 from Marc Ravalomanana with the backing of the military.

He won the last vote in December 2018, beating his main rival and predecessor Ravalomanana in an election beset by allegations of fraud.

Stretching across 587,000 square kilometres (nearly 227,000 square miles), Madagascar is the world's fourth largest island, bigger than Spain or Thailand in size.

The country is world-renowned for its unique wildlife and vanilla but has a long history of coups and unrest since gaining independence from France in 1960.

- 'DJ' Rajoelina-

Rajoelina made his mark in events management and media before bursting on to the political scene in 2007. He earned the nickname of "Disc Jockey," a reference to the parties he used to host in the capital Antananarivo.

After becoming the city's mayor, he used his own Viva broadcasting channel to help generate a national following, putting himself forward as the leading opponent to Ravalomanana.

In 2009, he came to power as leader of the "High Transitional Authority" and pushed through a constitutional change that, among other things, lowered the minimum age for presidential candidates from 40 to 35, thus making him eligible to bid for the top job.

Under international pressure, Rajoelina did not contest the 2013 election and instead backed his victorious former finance minister, Hery Rajaonarimampianina.

The two quickly fell out, however. In 2016, Rajoelina vowed to win back office at the ballot box, achieving his goal in December 2018 after hotly-contested elections in which he hosted lavish rallies with performance artists and fireworks.

Rajoelina has portrayed himself as a champion of the poor and sees business as the key to easing poverty, although critics say his plans are often wild or lack substance.

Madagascar is heavily dependent on foreign aid, and nine out of 10 people live on less than $2 a day. The country has virtually been under a lockdown since the Covid-19 pandemic hit last year and its southern region is in the grips of a famine.

In April 2020, the president was the front man for the launch of a locally-made herbal drink called Covid-Organics that he claimed would prevent and cure coronavirus.

The drink was massively promoted in Madagascar and sent to other African countries in a sales pitch, despite warnings by the UN's World Health Organization (WHO) about proclaimed cures that have no scientific validation.

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Israel has been granted official observer status at the African Union, officials said Thursday, a goal the country's diplomats have been working towards for nearly two decades.

Israeli ambassador Aleli Admasu presented his credentials Thursday to Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairman of the African Union Commission, at AU headquarters in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, according to statements from both sides.

"This is a day of celebration for Israel-Africa relations," Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid said in a statement from his office.

Observer status would enable Israel to further help the AU in fights against the coronavirus pandemic and terrorism on the continent, the statement said.

Israel previously held observer status at the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), but was long thwarted in its attempts to get it back after the OAU was disbanded in 2002 and replaced by the AU.

"This corrects the anomaly that has existed for almost two decades and is an important part of strengthening the fabric of Israel's foreign relations," Lapid said.

"It will help us strengthen our activities on the African continent and with the member states of the organisation."

Israel currently has relations with 46 African countries "and has wide ranging partnerships and joint cooperation in many different fields including trade and aid," Lapid's statement said.

Palestine already has observer status at the AU, and Israeli diplomats have smarted at recent AU statements on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In May Faki condemned Israeli "bombardments" in the Gaza Strip as well as "violent attacks" by Israeli security forces at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem, saying the Israeli army was acting "in stark violation of international law."

Pro-Palestinian language is typically featured in statements delivered at the AU's annual summits.

Faki used the 2020 summit to denounce then-US President Donald Trump's peace plan for the Middle East, drawing applause in the AU's main hall when he said it "trampled on the rights of the Palestinian people".

In his statement Thursday Faki underlined that the AU "has been very clear on its position that in the issue of Palestine and Israel, a Two State Solution is necessary for a peaceful co-existence."

Faki's spokeswoman Ebba Kalondo said there are more than 70 non-African embassies and non-governmental organisations currently accredited to the AU.

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Inspired by her late father's career, Mona decided to join the military and the first group of Saudi women soldiers to work in Islam's holiest sites, where they are helping secure the haj annual pilgrimage.

Since April, dozens of female soldiers have become part of the security services that monitor pilgrims in Mecca and Medina, the birth places of Islam.

Dressed in a military khaki uniform, with a hip-length jacket, loose trousers and a black beret over a veil covering her hair, Mona spends her shifts roaming in the Grand Mosque in Mecca.

"I am following the steps of my late father to complete his journey, standing here at the Grand mosque in Mecca, the holiest place. To serve the worshippers is a very noble and honourable task," said Mona, who declined to give her family name.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has pushed through social and economic reforms as part of plans to modernise the conservative Muslim kingdom and attract foreign investment under a diversification drive.

Under his reform plan, known as Vision 2030, the crown prince lifted a driving ban on women, allowed adult women to travel without permission from guardians and granted them more control over family matters.

Saudi Arabia has restricted the haj to its own citizens and residents for the second year in a row, barring millions of other pilgrims from abroad in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Samar, another soldier watching pilgrims near the Kaaba said she was encouraged by her family to join the military, after psychology studies.

"This is a huge accomplishment for us and it is the biggest pride to be in the service of religion, the country and the guests of God, the most merciful," she said.

Short link:


Tunisia rescued Thursday 166 migrants stranded at sea for nearly a week, recovering the bodies of 16 others who died attempting the dangerous Mediterranean crossing to Europe, security officials said.

The migrants, who included 65 Moroccans, 62 Bangladeshis and 15 Egyptians, and who were aged between 15 and 48, set off from Libyan coast overnight Friday to Saturday, Tunisian defence ministry spokesman Mohamed Zekri said.

Their boat broke down off neighbouring Tunisia near the southern port Zarzis.

National Guard spokesman Houcem Eddine Jebabli confirmed 16 of the group had died on board, and said investigations were underway to determine the cause of death.

The route between Libya and Europe is considered the most dangerous one across the Mediterranean.

Over 890 people are known to have died attempting to cross the Mediterranean so far this year, a rise of 130 percent on the same period of last year, the International Organization for Migration said last week.

Since the start of summer, the number of crossings have increased as migrants take advantage of the good weather and calmer seas.

Despite being plunged into chaos after the fall of Moamer Kadhafi's regime in 2011, Libya has become a favoured springboard for migrants seeking what they believe will be a better life in Europe.

Short link:


Hospitals in crisis-hit Lebanon Thursday warned of a looming "catastrophe" as some were only hours away from running out of fuel to keep life-saving equipment on during endless state power cuts.

Lebanon's worst financial and economic crisis ever is battering an already fragile health sector as it faces the latest wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

The state electricity supplier has all but stopped supplying power in recent weeks, forcing homes, businesses and hospitals to rely on backup generators almost around the clock.

But the syndicate of private hospitals on Thursday warned they were struggling to procure enough fuel to keep theirs on.

"Hospitals are unable to find fuel oil to power generators during power outages of at least 20 hours a day," it said in a statement.

"A number of hospitals risk running out in coming hours, which will put the lives of patients in danger," it warned, without specifying how many facilities were at immediate risk.

The syndicate called on officials to "immediately work to solve the issue to avoid a health catastrophe".

As foreign reserves plummet, the Lebanese state is struggling to buy fuel for its power plants, increasing electricity cuts to up to 23 hours a day in some parts of the country.

The crisis has caused the local currency to lose more than 90 percent of its value, and forced hundreds of thousands of Lebanese with drastically reduced incomes to contend with shortages.

Earlier this month, medicine importers said they had run out of hundreds of essential drugs because the central bank had not released the promised dollars to pay suppliers abroad.

Short link:


US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman will travel to China this weekend to address deteriorating ties, the two countries announced Wednesday, in the highest-level visit under President Joe Biden.

The trip is going ahead despite near-daily new rifts between the two powers, including on human rights and cybersecurity, with both sides saying they at least want to try to bring more stability in a relationship often described as the most consequential to the world.

Sherman, who will meet Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Xie Feng, a top China-US relations envoy, hopes to show Beijing "what responsible and healthy competition looks like," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.

"We welcome that stiff competition, but we also want to make sure that the playing field is level and, importantly, that competition doesn't veer into conflict. We want to make sure that this is a relationship that has guardrails," Price said.

In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said they welcomed the chance for "consultation" over a range of issues but warned Sherman that attempts to discuss "China's internal affairs" from Xinjiang and Taiwan would fall flat.

"China will make clear to the US its principled stand pertaining to developments in Sino-US relations and its firm attitude on safeguarding its own sovereignty, security and development interests," Zhao told reporters.

The July 25-26 trip will not have the trappings of a full-fledged official visit. Sherman will not go to Beijing, but instead spend two days starting Sunday in Tianjin, a northeastern port city.

John Kerry, the former secretary of state turned US climate envoy, is the only other senior official from the Biden administration to have visited China, as the world's two largest emitters pledged to work together on the planetary crisis, despite their differences.

Kerry did not hold talks in the capital either, but met with his climate counterpart in Shanghai, where there were few public sightings of the usually media-friendly former senator.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security advisor, met in March in Alaska with Wang and top official Yang Jiechi in a visibly tense meeting in which the Chinese side berated the United States in front of the cameras.

- Suspense on trip-

Since last week, the United States publicly accused Beijing of carrying out the massive hack in March of Microsoft Exchange and issued a business advisory warning of risks in Hong Kong. The US Senate also voted to ban imports from Xinjiang due to allegations of forced labor.

China denounced what it called a "fabricated" campaign by the United States, which rallied allies, including NATO, for a rare joint condemnation on purported cyber attacks.

Like Blinken before the Alaska talks, Sherman is seeking to show a united front by traveling to Japan, South Korea and Mongolia before Tianjin.

A State Department announcement of her travel last week raised eyebrows by not including China, indicating the two sides were continuing to negotiate the visit.

Biden has largely kept the hawkish stance on China of his predecessor, Donald Trump, with US policymakers across party lines saying an increasingly assertive Beijing is the pre-eminent challenge for the United States.

But Biden has promised a more focused approach of working with allies on China and has toned down the more vitriolic statements from late in Trump's tenure.

The State Department also announced Sherman would continue on to Oman.

The Gulf sultanate has been the key go-between for the United States and Iran, diplomacy in which Sherman was closely involved under former president Barack Obama.

Short link:


The EU on Thursday said 200 million Europeans had been fully vaccinated, more than half of the adult population but still short of a 70 percent target set for the summer.

European Commission spokeswoman Dana Spinant told reporters that based on the latest data of the European Centre for Disease Control "54.7 percent of the adult population is fully vaccinated with either two doses or one dose in the case of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine".

Short link:


Tajikistan on Thursday checked the combat readiness of its armed forces in the biggest such exercise in the country's history as the Taliban makes sweeping gains in neighbouring Afghanistan.

The 230,000 members of the Central Asian country's security forces were alerted for the test at 4 am (0100 GMT Wednesday) on the order of President Emomali Rakhmon.

Dushanbe also relocated 20,000 troops to strengthen its force on the border with Afghanistan.

The Taliban in recent weeks have brought huge swathes of Afghanistan under their control as foreign troops draw down, including the main Shir Khan Bandar border crossing with Tajikistan.

The military inspection was the first of its kind in the ex-Soviet country's 30-year history.

It involved testing of all weapons used by the Tajik army, including ground, aviation and artillery forces.

The operation was broadcast on Tajik state television and ended with a military parade headed by Rakhmon in which he called on Tajiks to be "ready to defend peace and stability" in the region.

"The situation in our neighbouring country -- the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan -- especially in its northern regions that border our country -- remains extremely complex and uncertain," Rakhmon said.

"It is getting more complicated day by day and even hour by hour," he said.

He called on the armed forces and law enforcement agencies to "ensure the highest level of combat readiness to prevent potential threats" and to "ensure the protection of the state border".

Rakhmon, who has led Tajikistan since 1994, then spoke to his Russian ally, President Vladimir Putin.

The Kremlin said the pair discussed the situation in Afghanistan and that the phone call took place "on the initiative of the Tajik side".

The test comes after Russia said it would stage military drills with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan near the border with Afghanistan next month.

The Taliban's offensive has seen a stream of Afghans make their way across the Tajik border.

Short link:


Malta reversed plans to introduce a ban on unvaccinated travellers just hours before it was due to come into effect Wednesday, with those without coronavirus jabs able now to quarantine.

"Persons who arrive to Malta from any of the countries listed... without being in possession of a vaccination certificate shall be required to submit themselves to a period of quarantine," the government said in a legal note issued late Tuesday.

The length of the quarantine period was not immediately clear, although Malta had already imposed a requirement for those arriving from certain "red" countries to spend 14 days in self-isolation.

The Mediterranean island nation last week said it would become the first European country to impose a ban on unvaccinated travellers after a spike in Covid-19 cases.

But that announcement drew criticism from the European Commission, as it risked undermining an EU-wide travel certificate that shows whether someone is vaccinated, has recovered from coronavirus or has recently tested negative.

Health minister Chris Fearne had appeared to shut the door completely on US tourists and others, saying last Friday that only a Maltese, British or European vaccination certificate would be valid for entry.

However many more countries are included in the new legal notice, which comes into effect on Wednesday, including most of the United States, Japan and others.

Unvaccinated Malta residents who found themselves outside the country when the rules changed can show a negative PCR test, as long as the country involved is on the approved list.

Short link:


US highlights importance of AUs role in mediating GERD talks



Ahram Online, , Thursday 22 Jul 2021



The US has frequently voiced its commitment to exerting efforts to reach an agreement on the GERD that preserves the water and development rights of all parties



US Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted to DR Congos President Felix Tshisekedi on Tuesday the importance of the African Unions role in reducing conflict and mediating the talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).



Tensions between Sudan and Egypt on the one hand and Ethiopia on the other recently increased after Addis Ababa informed the two downstream countries earlier this month that it had started the second phase of filling the dams reservoir, a step that Egypt and Sudan have condemned.



Egypt and Sudan call for a binding deal on the filling and operation of the dam that they say would preserve their water rights and protect their people against potential significant harm.



Their demand has been met with Ethiopian resistance, leading rounds of AU-sponsored talks on the issue to collapse and causing Egypt and Sudan to resort to the United Nations Security Council earlier this month.



The US has frequently voiced its commitment to exerting efforts to reach an agreement on the GERD that preserves the water and development rights of all parties.



Blinken and Tshisekedi spoke about a number of topics, including the GERD, the deteriorating situation in Ethiopias Tigray, and the Congolese chairmanship of the AU, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.



Blinken stressed that the US has grave concerns about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Ethiopias Tigray region, read the statement.



Fighting started in Tigray between the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and government forces last November, after the government accused the TPLF of attacking its military bases, an accusation the TPLF has denied.



According to Reuters, the conflict has caused the death of thousands of people, the displacement of about 2 million, and has left 5 million people relying on emergency food aid.



Blinken and Tshisekedi discussed the need for prioritising environmental protection and combating the climate crisis during DR Congos chairmanship of the AU.



Blinken hailed Tshisekedis leadership of the AU, the statement added.



https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/417525.aspx
Tajikistan tests combat readiness as Taliban advances



AFP, , Thursday 22 Jul 2021



Tajikistan checked the combat readiness of its armed forces in the biggest such exercise in the country's history as the Taliban makes sweeping gains in neighbouring Afghanistan



Tajikistan on Thursday checked the combat readiness of its armed forces in the biggest such exercise in the country's history as the Taliban makes sweeping gains in neighbouring Afghanistan.



The 230,000 members of the Central Asian country's security forces were alerted for the test at 4 am (0100 GMT Wednesday) on the order of President Emomali Rakhmon.



Dushanbe also relocated 20,000 troops to strengthen its force on the border with Afghanistan.



The Taliban in recent weeks have brought huge swathes of Afghanistan under their control as foreign troops draw down, including the main Shir Khan Bandar border crossing with Tajikistan.



The military inspection was the first of its kind in the ex-Soviet country's 30-year history.



It involved testing of all weapons used by the Tajik army, including ground, aviation and artillery forces.



The operation was broadcast on Tajik state television and ended with a military parade headed by Rakhmon in which he called on Tajiks to be "ready to defend peace and stability" in the region.



"The situation in our neighbouring country -- the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan -- especially in its northern regions that border our country -- remains extremely complex and uncertain," Rakhmon said.



"It is getting more complicated day by day and even hour by hour," he said.



He called on the armed forces and law enforcement agencies to "ensure the highest level of combat readiness to prevent potential threats" and to "ensure the protection of the state border".



Rakhmon, who has led Tajikistan since 1994, then spoke to his Russian ally, President Vladimir Putin.



The Kremlin said the pair discussed the situation in Afghanistan and that the phone call took place "on the initiative of the Tajik side".



The test comes after Russia said it would stage military drills with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan near the border with Afghanistan next month.



The Taliban's offensive has seen a stream of Afghans make their way across the Tajik border.



https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/417538.aspx
KYODO NEWS - Jul 22, 2021 - 18:11 | Japan, All, Coronavirus

The Japanese government is considering asking Pfizer Inc. to speed up its delivery of COVID-19 vaccine beyond the fall amid concern about a supply shortage, a government source said Thursday.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is expected to make the request in an upcoming meeting with the U.S. pharmaceutical giant's CEO, Albert Bourla, the source said.

Under existing agreements with Pfizer, Japan will receive 100 million vaccine doses by June, 70 million between July and September, and another 20 million in or after October.

According to the source, the government wants the last batch of 20 million doses earlier in order to ease concern among local authorities that have been forced to halt reservations to administer shots to residents after Taro Kono, the minister in charge of vaccination efforts, warned that demand was beginning to outstrip supply.

In April, Suga successfully asked Bourla by phone to increase the amount of Pfizer vaccine being provided to Japan. The request led to an agreement for an additional 50 million doses.

About 23 percent of Japan's population has been fully inoculated against COVID-19 as of Tuesday, with about 35 percent having received at least one shot.

The government is reluctant to call for more supply than already agreed upon, as many poorer countries are much further behind in their vaccination efforts.

Related coverage:

Experts warn of "critical" COVID surge in Tokyo during Olympics

Most major cities in Japan revise vaccine plans amid supply crunch

Japan's COVID-19 vaccine czar pumps brakes amid supply crunch
Bengaluru:

The voters in Karnataka have given their verdict  a fractured verdict that though puts the Bharatiya Janata Party in the lead but short of majority and queered its pitch and robbed a chance to make Karnataka Congress-mukt, as it were.

The fractured mandate has put the ball firmly in Governor Vaju Bhai Walas court as the scene shifted to the Raj Bhavan with the two sets of contenders staking respective claims to form the government in the state. While the BJP claimed that it was the largest single party and hence had the first shot at forming the government, the Congress-Janata Dal (S) combine with a tally of 116 plus support of two independents claimed numbers to form the government.

With the appeal now pending with the Third Umpire (the governor), all eyes are now focused on the Raj Bhavan as to which of the precedents the governor would follow. The buzz in the BJP circles was that the governor was inclined to invite the largest single party to form the government and give it adequate time to prove its majority on the floor of the house.

The Congress and the Janata Dal have threatened to move the courts for justice if Yeddyurappa was invited to form the government first as it had no chance of getting the requisite numbers.

But even in that eventuality of governor giving Yeddyurappa the first shot at government formation, the Janata Dal (S) and Congress are confident that the BJP will fail the floor test as it cannot break neither the Congress nor the JD (S).

Said outgoing chief minister Siddaramaiah, the BJP has tried in the past, but this time it is bound to fail. Even the two independents who are elected are supporting the Congress-JD (S) combine.

Janata Dal (S) spokesperson Javed Syed Aslam said, There is no chance of any party MLA breaking ranks and help the BJP.

Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda had even before polling had said that the BJP must be stopped at all costs. He had even said that if his son Kumaraswamy went with the BJP, as it was being suspected, he would disown him.

As feared by some political analysts, Karnataka turned in a fractured mandate, with the result none of the three contenders  the Congress, the BJP and the regional Janata Dal (S) -- were in a position to form a government on their own. The BJP though was within a striking distance, the Congress googly left it high and dry.

By late afternoon, the BJP tally stopped at 104, 9 short of the 113 majority mark in a 224 member assembly. The numbers of Congress 78 and the JD (S) 38 presented a chance to the Congress to deny the BJP the satisfaction of forming a government in Karnataka. For the BJP it was so near and yet so far.

The Congress had all but given up, but against the run of play, as it were by lunch time, the BJP appeared heading for a 120 seats tally and celebrations began in the state unit headquarters at Malleshwaram in Bangalore.

But the fast-changing trends gave a heart attack to the BJP supporters when the combined tally of the Congress and the JD (S) crossed the half way mark. It was around 2.30 pm when the former AICC president Sonia Gandhi hurled a bouncer  declaring support to Janata Dal (S) chief HD Deve Gowda in a phone call from Delhi and deputed two of the partys veterans  Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ashok Gehlot  to seal the deal with the former Prime Minister.

The deal was to support Deve Gowdas son HD Kumaraswamy to form the government with outside support of the Congress, which was shot down. It was only after the Congress agreed to join the government that Gowda relented and accepted the offer. For a change, the Congress moved with speed, something it did not and lost out Goa to the nimble footed BJP in a somewhat similarly placed situation with the Congress becoming the largest single party in Goa Assembly. But it was cheated out there by the BJP which cobbled up a majority.

In a tit-for-tat kind of a political power play, the Congress moved in fast and sealed the deal before the BJP could even realise what had happened. It was when BJP chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa was about to fly to Delhi to invite PM Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah for his swearing-in ceremony that the Congress bomb exploded.

He had to cancel his ticket and get down to deal with a situation that the BJP was somewhat unfamiliar and clearly short of numbers. I will discuss the issue with party leadership, Amit Shah ji and take a decision" was all that he would say when media persons pressed him about his future course of action.

On a day of fast paced developments, the JD (S) lost no time and descended upon the Raj Bhavan staking its claim to form the government. The JD (S) CM candidate was armed with a letter of support offered by the Congress party for him to become the head of the government.

It was then that as per directives of Amit Shah, Yeddyurappa and union minister H Ananthakumar reached the Raj Bhavan and staked claim to form the government, with a request to prove majority on the floor of the house.

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New Delhi:

At least 12 of the total 78 MLAs of the Congress didnt reach Karnataka Party Congress Committee office in Bengaluru to attend the partys legislative meeting.

The MLAs went "incommunicado" amid the Congress partys claims that the BJP, which fell short of the majority to form a government in Karnataka, was trying to poach its lawmakers.

They (BJP) are poaching our MLAs, we know that. Every day there is a lot of pressure. But it is not so easy because two parties have the necessary number. People are watching this, Congress leader DK Shivakumar said.

Another Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy said that the BJP was trying hard to get their MLAs but they were all happy within the party.

We believe in all our MLAs. BJP is trying hard to get them. They don't believe in democracy, BJP just wants power. All the people are happy, nobody is unhappy here, Reddy said.

Similar claims were made by the JD-S and party leader HD Kumaraswamy alleged that the BJP was offering Rs 100 crore each to their lawmakers to switch sides.

"JD-S MLAs are being offered Rs 100 crore each. Where is this black money coming from? They are supposedly the servers of poor people and they are offering money today," Kumaraswamy claimed.

"Where are the income tax officials?" he asked.

Earlier there were reports that two JD-S MLAs -- Raja Venkatappa Nayaka and Venkata Rao Nadagouda -- were missing from the JD(S) legislative party meeting which was held in a Bengaluru hotel.



Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was rushed to the state to seal the deal with the JD-S, expressed confidence in the partys MLAs and dared BJP to try whatever they want.

JD(S) has all the faith in their MLAs. Nobody is going to go away. Let BJP try, whatever they want to, Azad said.

LIVE | Yeddyurappa meets Governor, stakes claim to form government
New Delhi:

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Jammu on Saturday, five Pakistani terrorists have reportedly crossed over to the Indian side through a tunnel, according to the Border Security Force (BSF).

Director General BSF KK Sharma said that a successful infiltration bid took place on Monday in Samba district.

Sharma said that an alert was issued in the entire Jammu region and security agencies were asked to remain extra vigilant and verify intelligence inputs.

The infiltration before Modis visit was a serious issue but our sister agencies and the police are fully aware of it and appropriate measures have been taken, the BSF chief said.

The prime minister is scheduled to visit Jammu on May 19 to inaugurate several development projects.

To stop infiltration, smart fencing along the border soon

The BSF DG, who was in Jammu to pay floral tributes to a BSF soldier killed in Pakistani firing in Samba, termed Pakistan a hostile neighbour, which helps terrorists to infiltrate into the Indian border.

Pakistani forces fire into the Indian side every year at the time of harvesting and keep making attempts of infiltration, ceasefire violations but we always give them a befitting reply, he said.

Soon Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh would inaugurate the smart fencing along the border to stop terrorists infiltration, he added.

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New Delhi:



Counting for West Bengal Panchayat elections started from 8 am on Thursday. Ballot boxes were used instead of EVMs for the elections. In total, the counting is held across 271 centres of the 20 districts of the state.

The ruling party Trinamool Congress has already won 34 per cent of the seats in Gram Panchayat uncontested.

According to the results available till now, the TMC is set to win all the 20 Zila Parishads with a clean sweep, with a possibility of winning more than 80 per cent of the Panchayat Samiti and Gram Panchayat samiti seats. Whereas, the BJP is coming out as the distant second followed by the Left.

The West Bengal Panchayat polls witnessed massive violence, blood fights among the parties, with the opposition accusing the TMC of deploying dirty tactics, and the counting days were also the same. The violence resulted police personnel Lathi charge the TMC and the BJP workers who clashed outside a counting centre at Birbhum.

WATCH: Security Personnel lathi charge TMC and BJP workers who clashed outside a counting centre in Birbhum. #WestBengal #PanchayatElections pic.twitter.com/KP1rT0EK1a  ANI (@ANI) May 17, 2018

The repolling was done in a single phase on Monday. The polling was overshadowed by violence which saw at least 12 people losing their lives. In return, PM Modi sternly criticised the ruling TMC in the state.

The West Bengal Panchayat system is three-tiered, with 20 Zila Parishad, under it comes 9240 Panchayat Samiti and the 48650 Gram Panchayat are at the lowest level of the tier.

The TMC will be hoping for a clean sweep in the Zila Parishads with seat expectancy of around 75 per cent in Panchayat Samiti and Gram Panchayats.

West Bengal: TMC workers celebrate as their party is leading in #PanchayatElections. Visuals from North 24 Parganas. Counting still under progress. pic.twitter.com/ZJyC8JdlK3  ANI (@ANI) May 17, 2018

The BJPs performance in this election is a one to watch, with many believing that they will emerge as the second biggest political party in West Bengal.

The TMC won 13 of the 17 Zila Parishads in 2013. They also won 57 per cent of Panchayat Samitis and 51 per cent of the Gram Panchayats.

The Live Update of the Results:

# 08:20 PM: I condemn horse trading, in general, as it's bad for all. We always respect democratic institutions. Problem is today somebody may come in power & tomorrow he may not be in power but if we violate the constitution, it's going to have an adverse effect on us: WB CM Mamata Banerjee

# 08:10 PM: TMC has emerged victorious in 90% seats despite the opposition parties coming together. This shows how strong we are at the grassroot level: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

Zilla Parishad:

TMC- 351

BJP- 9

Left- 2

Cong- 4

Others - 0

Panchayat Samiti:

TMC - 3541

BJP-281

Left-100

Cong-62

Others-1

Gram Panchayat

TMC- 24254

BJP- 1957

Left - 486

Cong- 196

Others- 511

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New Delhi:

A part of an under-construction flyover collapsed near Cantt Railway Station in Varanasi on Tuesday, news agency ANI reported.

More than 18 people were reportedly dead and several people feared trapped under the debris, the report added.

Varanasi: Portion of an under construction flyover collapses near Cantt railway station, labourers feared trapped  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 15, 2018

More than 12 people dead, several feared trapped after portion of an under construction flyover collapses in Varanasi's Cantt. area pic.twitter.com/h7LB1hC5fb  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 15, 2018

SpotVisuals from #Varanasi: Portion of an under construction flyover collapses near Varanasi Cantt railway station, several feared trapped pic.twitter.com/126cWZhEbj  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 15, 2018

#SpotVisuals More than 12 people dead, several feared trapped after portion of an under construction flyover collapses in Varanasi's Cantt. area pic.twitter.com/09byRFwSPx  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 15, 2018

#Visuals from the site of collapse of portion of an under construction flyover, in Varanasi's Cantt. area; 12 people dead, several feared trapped, death toll expected to rise pic.twitter.com/5ABKL6hB4v  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 15, 2018

On Tuesday, Varanasi witnessed a dreadful incident as a part of a flyover collapsed near Varanasi Cantt Railway station, killing more than 18 people.

Extremely saddened by the loss of lives due to the collapse of an under-construction flyover in Varanasi. I pray that the injured recover soon. Spoke to officials and asked them to ensure all possible support to those affected.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 15, 2018

I spoke to UP CM Yogi Adityanath Ji regarding the situation due to the collapse of an under-construction flyover in Varanasi. The UP Government is monitoring the situation very closely and is working on the ground to assist the affected.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 15, 2018

I was at a distance of 50 m from the flyover when it collapsed, trapping people under it. 4 four-wheelers, an auto-rickshaw & a minibus were crushed by it. The help came after an hour: Eye-witnesses at Varanasi's Cantt area where portion of under-construction flyover collapsed. pic.twitter.com/Q70kiNUSHK  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 15, 2018

I express grief over the incident, my condolence with the affected families. I have sent Dy CM & minister Neelkanth Tiwari to the spot. Formed committee to look into the incident, report to come in 48 hours: UP CM on under-construction flyover collapse in Varanasi's Cantt pic.twitter.com/8VPs13WpfP  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 15, 2018

5 teams of NDRF (250 jawans) with full equipment rushed to the spot of accident, in Varanasi. Compensation of Rs 5 lakh for kin of those dead and Rs 2 lakh for seriously injured in the incident: UP CM Yogi Adityanath pic.twitter.com/d5DHfEiq0a  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 15, 2018

16 bodies recovered, 3 people have been safely rescued: Relief Commissioner Sanjay Kumar on Varanasi under-construction flyover incident pic.twitter.com/d8iyTu0J3P

 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 15, 2018

Rescue & relief operations underway at the site of Varanasi under-construction flyover collapse incident. 16 bodies have been recovered till now, death toll expected to rise. 3 people rescued.



Rescue & relief operations underway at the site of Varanasi under-construction flyover collapse incident. 16 bodies have been recovered till now, death toll expected to rise. 3 people rescued. pic.twitter.com/hsTq0F1Uob  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 15, 2018

Over 50 people are reportedly trapped with many vehicles crushed in the collapse.

Meanwhile, several labourers are trapped and the rescue operation is underway as per the reports.

Death toll is expected to rise as more reports are awaited.

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New Delhi:

Over 50 Palestinians were killed while thousands injured when Israeli forces shot the protestors along the Gaza border on Monday. The people were protesting against the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem.

May 14 proved to be the deadliest day of cross-border violence since the disastrous 2014 war between Israel and Gazas Hamas rulers.

Gaza protesters continued their massive agitation throughout the day and set tires ablaze and hurled firebombs and stone toward the Israeli armed forces across the border. The Israeli military, which has come under scrutiny for using excessive force and strength against unarmed protesters, said that Hamas attempted to carry out bombing and shooting attacks under the cover of protesters.

At least 55 Palestinians, including four minors and a young girl, lost their lives, the Gaza Health Ministry said. The ministry also informed that 1,204 Palestinians were injured by gunfire, including 116, who were in critical condition.

There was no mention of the Gaza violence at the inauguration ceremony of the new embassy on Monday. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and other top bureaucrats joined an American delegation of US President Donald Trump administration officials and Republican and evangelical Christian supporters.

Trumps son-in-law and chief Mid-east adviser Jared Kushner headlined the US delegation along with his wife Ivanka Trump.

(with agency inputs)

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New Delhi:

The chopper carrying Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was on Tuesday forced to land on a field instead of the makeshift helipad at a school in Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh.



Adityanath, however, landed safe and attended the scheduled programmes, Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar said in Lucknow.



Yes, the chief minister is safe, Kumar told PTI.



It was a case of major security lapse as the chopper carrying the CM was scheduled to land on the grounds of the Kasturba Gandhi Vidyalaya, but it was forced to land on a field a kilometer away from the school.



Adityanath is on a days visit to the place to meet the members of a family whose three members were recently murdered at Pharauli village under Sahawar tehsil of the district. After visiting the family, he reviewed the developmental works and law and order situation in the district.



The chief minister distributed the cheques and all the programmes were held successfully, SP Kasganj Piyush Srivastava told PTI.

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Bengaluru:

After Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala's invitation to form the government, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader BS Yeddyurappa on Thursday took oath as the Chief Minister of the southern state for the third time.

Yeddyurappa, who had once broken away from the BJP in the 2013 general elections and ended up splitting the BJP vote and paved the way for Congress to return to power, was welcomed back into the BJP and entrusted with the job of conquering Karnataka.

Pushing 75, Yeddyurappa is still a bundle of energy that was very much in play as all through the months preceding the general elections toured the length and breadth of Karnataka on a parivartan yatra, whipping up passions in favour of the BJP, preparing for the onslaught against the Congress government led by Siddaramaiah.

Even if Siddaramaiah was seemingly slighted by the central leadership that snubbed him and denied a ticket to his son in the 2018 general elections, he let it pass and the practical politician in him concentrated on the job at hand  wresting Karnataka from the Congress and making the state the gateway to South India ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Yeddyurappa, hailing from the sugar belt of Mandya that has also seen the highest number of suicides by the farmers, was educated in Bangalore. Born on February 27, 1943 in his native village of Bookanakere village, Krishnarajpet taluk of Mandya district to the farmer couple -- Siddalingappa, and Puttatayamma, Yeddyurappa launched his career in politics on the strength of his powerful oratory and articulation.

As a teenager, he was influenced by the RSS and joined the Shaka and his initial assignment was at Shimoga, way back in 1965. Later on he rose up the ranks and became the Sangha Karyavahaka at Shikaripura taluk of Shimoga district. Incidentally Shikaripura is the constituency Yeddyurappa represents in the new assembly as well.

From here to becoming a town municipality member in 1975 was only logical progression of this politically active youngster. In two years, he was elected the Janatha party president and later was elected to the Karnataka legislative assembly for four consecutive terms.

Yeddyurappa became the state BJP president in 1988 and late for the second term in 1998-99 and rose to become the national secretary of the BJP in 1992. In 2000-2004 he was elected as the member of the legislative council.

He then became the 19th chief minister of Karnataka but was evicted from the post due to allegations of corruption that later were found to be debatable. He also had to face a jail term after the Lokayukta so decreed in corruption cases against him. For this once-upon a time first division clerk in the state governments social welfare wing, it has been such a journey to become the chief minister. After quitting the government job, he came to Shikaripura where he met his future wife, the daughter of a mill owner and his life changed.

Even in college, Yeddyurappa was involved with RSS activities and he became the chief of the head of the Shikaripura unit of RSS in 1970. This was the first step in public service that would eventually take him to the chief ministers post. From here, he became the member of Shikaripura municipality in 1975. He was among the opposition politicians in emergency and later in 1980 he was made the chief of the BJP unit in Shikaripura and progressed onto become the president of Karnataka unit of the party in 1988.

Along with this, he was also elected to the Karnataka legislature, six times representing the Shikaripura constituency. He was a member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly through the seventh, thirteenth, eighth, ninth, tenth and twelfth Legislative Assemblies. After a short-lived experiment with a coalition government with JD (S) in 2006, as per which Yeddyurappa was to become CM in 2008. But since HD Kumaraswamy refused to honour the agreement acrimony ensued.

In the assembly elections in 2008, Yeddyurappa won the majority and formed the first BJP government on its own  leading the BJP to a historic win in Karnataka. But, his role as the CM was not free of scams. There were allegations that he misused his power to get the prime real estate in Bangalore, among other allegations.

The Karnataka Lokayukta report of mine scam, land scam by misusing his powers as CM to get land allotted unfairly in Bangalore and Shimoga drew curtains on his chief ministerial stint in 2011.

It was then that Yeddyurappa broke away from the party in the ensuing elections in 2013 and ensured that the BJP got defeated. His party, in fact, ended up fourth. But after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed the office of the Prime Minister, Yeddyurappa returned to the party and was given pride of place.

For the 2018 assembly elections, the BJP had declared him as the Chief Ministerial candidate, as he brought to the table considerable clout of the Lingayat community behind the BJP. And the results of the 2018 elections proved that if Yeddyurappa was the wrecker-in-chief of BJP chances in 2013, this time around the Lingayat leader was the person who brought the BJP very close to the magic number.
New Delhi:

Congress national general secretary Ashok Gehlot on , holding the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) responsible for fuel prices hike, said that fuel prices that remained stagnant for 19 days have started rising again after the Karnataka election results.



After a 19-day pre-Karnataka poll hiatus, petrol price was hiked on by 17 paise a litre and diesel by 21 paise as PSU oil firms began passing on the spike witnessed in international rates to consumers.



"Fuel prices remained stagnant for 19 days and have started rising again. What is surprising is that the government has now resumed daily price revision of fuel right after Karnataka elections 2018 came to an end. How did government manage to keep prices stable for 19 days?" Gehlot said in a statement.



Gehlot also took to Twitter and wrote that the rising fuel price was a huge burden for common people. He held the BJP responsible for the situation.



"It is bewildering to note that government is fleecing public of its hard earned money. Since the BJP has come to power, we have only seen prices go up of petrol and diesel," he said in a tweet.



Oil PSUs had kept rates unchanged for nearly three weeks before Karnataka went to polls despite input cost spiking. They, however, reverted to daily revision in prices no sooner elections were held in the state on .

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New Delhi:

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said that the results Karnataka Assembly polls would have been very different, had the Congress formed an alliance with the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S).

Congratulations to the winners of Karnataka polls. Those who lost, fight back. If Congress had gone into an alliance with JD-S, the results would have been different, very different, Banerjee tweeted.

According to the latest trends, the BJP was projected to win a clear majority in the Karnataka Assembly elections.

The saffron party was leading in 112 constituencies, the number required for a simple majority in the Assembly. The ruling Congress was ahead in 70 seats, while former prime minister HD Deve Gowdas JD-S was leading in 38 constituencies.

The Congress party accepted the defeat and said that its local leadership failed to en-cash Rahul Gandhis efforts.

Rahul Gandhi did his best, but it is we who have lost the elections. We, the local leadership, should have en-cashed it in a proper way and because of which we lost it, Karnataka minister DK Shivkumar said.

Also Read | Karnataka Election Results LIVE: BJP crosses majority mark, takes lead in 113 seats
New Delhi:

Narendra Modi-led NDA government on Wednesday directed security forces not to launch anti-terrorists operations in Jammu and Kashmir during the holy month of Ramadan.

The Centre asks Security Forces not to launch operations in Jammu & Kashmir during the holy month of Ramzan, Ministry of Home Affairs tweeted.

The ministry said that the decision to halt operations was taken to help the peace-loving Muslims observe Ramzan in a peaceful environment.

The ministry, however, said that the security would reserve the right to retaliate if attacked or if essential to protect the lives of innocent people.

Reacting to Centres move, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh and all the parties who helped reach consensus towards the decision.

I wholeheartedly welcome the Ramadan ceasefire & would like to thank Narendra Modi ji and Rajnath Singh ji for their personal intervention. My gratitude also to the leaders & parties who participated in the All Party Meeting & helped build consensus towards this announcement. Mufti tweeted.

The chief minister hoped that the decision would pave a way for the peaceful and amicable environment in the state.

The month of Ramadan is a harbinger of peace & such a decision will go a long way in creating a peaceful & amicable environment for a sustained dialogue, she said in a series of tweets.

Earlier, Mufti had demanded a unilateral ceasefire by the security forces during Ramzan and Amarnath yatra in the valley.

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New Delhi:

As trends projected the BJP heading towards simple majority in Karnataka, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday said that it was the victory of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's good governance.

People of Karnataka want good governance and that is why they have chosen BJP. This is a big victory for the party. Congress is losing state after state & we are winning state after state, Javadekar, who was also the BJP Karnataka in-charge, said.

Javadekar said that the BJP won because it was a party of the masses while the Congress was a party of a dynasty.

"This is a victory of Modi and party president Amit Shah's strategy," he added.

Also Read | Karnataka Election Results LIVE: BJP crosses majority mark, takes lead in 114 seats

According to the Election Commission figures, the BJP was leading in over 112 seats and appeared set for getting the majority.

Union minister and his cabinet colleague Nirmala Sitharaman said that it was a historic day for the BJP as people rejected Congress divisive, toxic and negative politics.

Another Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad took a swipe at Congress president Rahul Gandhi after trends projected an impressive victory for the BJP. Referring to Gandhis PM remark during the campaigning, Prasad said that somebody was dreaming of becoming prime minister.
New Delhi:

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday filed the first chargesheet against diamantaire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi in connection to India's largest ever financial scam worth Rs 14 thousand crore in the Punjab National Bank.

"PNB scam case: Central Bureau of Investigation submitted charge-sheet in Special CBI Court in Mumbai," the news agency ANI reported.

Hours after the CBI filed the chargesheet against the fraudstars, the DFS (Department of Financial Services) has directed the directors of PNB and Allahabad Bank to divest all the powers of the officers, who are accused in the case.

"We have initiated the removal of 3 board level officers, 2 ED officers of Punjab National Bank and 1 MD of Allahabad Bank," DSF secretary Rajiv Kumar said.

WATCH Live via ANI FB: DFS Secretary briefs media on PNB scam case https://t.co/3mo97GEPcV pic.twitter.com/RgwgHgDit8  ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2018

With DFS initiating the removal action, the PNB has decided to divest ED officers to replace them.

The decision was taken after a PNB board meeting took place on Monday.

The Allahabad Bank too will call a board meeting soon and then decide to divest the power of Chief Managing Director (CMD) named in the CBI charge sheet.

The chargesheet, filed in a Mumbai court, detailed the alleged role of the PNB's former chief Usha Ananthasubramanian. She is currently serving as the CEO and MD of the Allahabad Bank. The CBI recently questioned Ananthasubramanian in connection with the scam.

Besides these, the names of several other top officials along with the PNB executive directors K V Brahmaji Rao and Sanjiv Sharan, and general manager (international operations) Nehal Ahad were also mentioned in the chargesheet.

Read | PNB Fraud Case: Punjab National Bank moves Hong Kong High Court against Nirav Modi

The CBI has detailed the roles of Nirav Modi, his brother Nishal Modi and Subhash Parab, an executive in Nirav Modi's company, an official closed to the development told PTI.

PNB scam case: Central Bureau of Investigation submitted charge-sheet in Special CBI Court in Mumbai.  ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2018

The chargesheet basically deals with the first FIR registered in the case relating to the fraudulent issuance over Rs 6,000 crore of Letters of Undertaking to Diamond R US, Solar Exports and Stellar Diamonds.

The agency has not given in detail the role of Mehul Choksi in the present chargesheet. It is likely to come up when the CBI files supplementary charge sheets in the case related to the probe of the Gitanjali group.

The CBI has registered three separate FIRs in connection with the alleged fraud in the public-sector bank by the companies of the nephew-uncle duo of Modi and Choksi. CBI has arrested 19 people in connection to the PNB scam so far.

Read | SBI, PNB put 15 NPAs worth Rs 1,063 crore for sale

Earlier, on April 21, the Punjab National Bank moved a Hong Kong court against the billionaire jewellers in order to recover an amount of over USD 5 billion.

Both Modi and Choksi had left the country before PNB filed the complaint with the CBI. They are at large after defrauding PNB of over Rs 14,000 crore using 1,200 illegally secured letters of undertakings (LOUs).

(With inputs from agencies)

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Kabul: Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh gave a scathing reply to Pakistan trolls on social media on Wednesday (July 21, 2021) after giving evidence of Pakistan's help to the Taliban, a terror group. In fact, Saleh posted a picture of General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, in charge of Pakistan's Eastern Command, surrendering to India in the 1971 Indo-Pak war on his Twitter handle. This photo is often enough to tease Pak supporters.

We don't have such a picture in our history and won't ever have. Yes, yesterday I flinched for a friction of a second as a rocket flew above & landed few meters away. Dear Pak twitter attackers, Talibn & terrorism won't heal the trauma of this picture. Find other ways. pic.twitter.com/lwm6UyVpoh ? Amrullah Saleh (@AmrullahSaleh2) July 21, 2021

Saleh posted the picture and wrote, 'We have not and will not have any such picture in history. Yes, for a while I was shaken when the rocket came out of our top and dropped a little away. So Pakistan's beloved Twitter attackers, the Taliban, and terrorism will not be able to heal the wounds of this photo, so find another way.' The photo posted by Saleh has received more than 23,000 likes and more than 8,000 retweets by the time the news was written.

However, many Pakistanis are happy with the wrong idea that they have never lost any war to India. In fact, when Ashraf Ghani was praying at Rashtrapati Bhavan on the occasion of Bakrid in Kabul, there was a rocket attack. The Vice President had reacted strongly after which he was attacked by Pakistani trolls through Twitter. This historical picture posted by Saleh is dated December 16, 1971. The photograph was taken during the Bangladesh liberation struggle when senior Pakistani army officers surrendered before the Indian Army along with 93,000 soldiers in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). India celebrated its military victory over Pakistan as a 'Golden Victory Year.'

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Nepal marks Dhan Diwas on Asar 15, a very important agricultural festival for the country. While farmers in the Kathmandu valley were photographed planting saplings, playing in the mud, singing and dancing, away from Kathmandu, farmers in some parts of Terai were seen using modern equipment to plant the saplings there.

But of course, this was not the first time they used mechanical assistance in farming. Megh Nath Timalsena, a senior agricultural officer of the Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Project (Project Implementation Unit, Chitwan), says Nepal has been using machines to plant rice saplings since 2014.

When I was in Jhapa, one Hari Silwal had returned to Nepal after studying in Europe. He might have observed and learned the European style and agricultural technologies there, hence he brought with him a four-wheel-drive riding-type rice planter, a combined harvester and 5,000+ plastic trays. In 2014, he introduced them in the Kankai municipality of Jhapa, he explains.

In his current workplace in Chitwan, by then, farmers had already adopted the machines. So far, agricultural modernisation efforts have been expanded to all 77 districts of Nepal. But, high costs of the machines among other issues have barred the countrys agriculture modernisation and mechanisation drive, the stakeholders say, adding the government needs to take initiatives to resolve them.

It is not that the government has not done anything. Following a decision on January 10, 2017, the Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Project came into existence for 10 years with a budget of Rs 130 billion. Yet, it is failing, owing to the lack of support from the political leadership level, the officials complain.

Machinisation and rewards

For ages, humans have been using their hands to plant saplings. They break a sweat, get tanned in the sun and tirelessly continue to work in the field. It seems the change was never easy for people.

But, thanks to Silwal, Timalsena had his first experience watching how modern machines could change the face of agriculture. Still impressed by the modern marvel, he says, Traditional methods are precious and we should definitely respect them, but modernisation in agriculture is important to adopt new ways and result in efficient harvest.

But, do the farmers really need mechanisation instead of following the old ways? PMAMP Programme Director Baikuntha Adhikari says yes. The whole agricultural scenario has seen a decline in Nepal. There are physical risks involved, which drives people away naturally. Agriculture also requires more labour so people today refrain from that. And on top of all, people now have new, better, easier sources of income, driving them further away, he justifies, So, in this scenario, we need mechanisation not just to maximise the human resources we have but also to maximise the productivity and make it uniform.

Sandesh Poudel, an agricultural engineer at the same office, seconds Adhikari. The machines can decrease the labour input, making farmers more efficient and resulting in more harvest. This in return makes them independent.

For example, the rice planter machine used today allows farmers six saplings at a time instead of one and decreases the labour by 40-50 per cent. According to Poudel, the saplings are treated and kept in a tray that then efficiently places them into the soil. The machine can cover one bigha (around 72,900 square feet) of land per hour, decreasing the time spent in the field.

Combine harvester being experimented in Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Project (Project Implementation Unit, Sunsari). Photo: PMAMP website

Likewise, another useful modern marvel is the bailer machine that collects the hays, rolls and bundles them into a bale. This can be packaged and sold as cattle feed and a requirement for mushroom farming. This reduces costs and the farmers can avoid burning them.

According to some case-based data collected by the Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Project (PMAMP), maize farming in Chitwan saw a decrease in seed sowing cost by 14 to 25 per cent and a decrease in labour cost by half. In another case, Bardiya saw a 70 per cent cost reduction in land plotting, and the use of reaper has reduced the labour cost by more than 70 per cent whereas the use of thresher has reduced the labour cost by more than half.

On the other side of the country, Manang, Mustang and Jumla saw a 1,000 per cent increase in apple production (from 300 per hectare to 3,000) and a decrease in fruit-bearing years with the adoption of high-density apple farming. Similarly, there was an increase in potato production in Bardiya, Nuwakot, Sindhupalchok, and Dadeldhura. Also, the increase in hybrid maize production in Khotang, Morang, Jhapa, and Dang gave new hopes to farmers.

It has been at least six years since the new technology was adopted. Yet a conclusive study about the overall impact, though obvious, has not been studied, says the duo. Neither has anyone conducted a cost-benefit analysis. Nevertheless, in the recent chaite dhan (winter paddy) harvest, we saw a 5 to 10 per cent increase in production. But, because the crops were earlier treated with salt water, that might have increased the production too,

However, even with the benefits, he adds, there is hesitation among farmers to adopt the new technology, We are still in the adaptation phase. Many are reluctant to change. Those who have changed their ways are benefitting, but full adaptation will still take time and strong advocacy to accelerate the transition.

Mechanising approach

Drum seeder being experimented in Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Project (Project Implementation Unit, Parbat). Photo: PMAMP website

The project says there are different kinds of machines of various sizes and usages that are in operation across the country. They assist farmers in various stages and aspects of farming, production and marketing.

In total, according to the data collected by the project up to the financial year 2019/20, there are 2,368 machines in use. Out of them, harvester, thresher, reaper and rice transplanter used in the rice production account for up to 120 machines.

According to stakeholders, the concept and technology of most machines used in Nepal started in Japan and Korea whereas the machines imported are from Korea but with Japanese technology. It is also the technology used in the majority of South Asia, explains Timalsena.

Critical concerns

Though beneficial, there are very few farmers, if any, who has purchased the machines on their own. The majority in operation today were purchased with the aid of the government. They need government sponsorship or heavy subsidiaries to be able to use it. In Jhapa, the authorities gave machines with 85 per cent aid, an official says.

Farmers cannot afford it. A single heavy machine is heavy and costs an investment of two million rupees. Also, because the machines are used only for around a month and shelved for the next 11 months, it gives a low return in investment (or ROI) and more burden to the farmers to buy on their own, the official adds.

For example, Surya Bogati, a local farmer in Khairhani municipality-13 of Chitwan, says he has purchased the harvester in cooperation with other farmers that they use in turn. It has been five to seven years that we have been using it. It takes four hours to cover two bighas of land.

But, in Biratnagar, Nepal Krishi Company in support of Buddha Air has purchased the machine solely, Timalsena adds, The government only distributes seeds and organises occasional training, which is not enough. If we are to accelerate the modernisation, we need the proper equipment.

On the other hand, Adhikari says neither the number nor the pace of progress is satisfactory. There are many factors starting from the budget itself. In five years, the project has spent some 61 per cent of the budget but the mobilisation of the resources is not satisfactory.

The projects fate

Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Project Programme Director Baikuntha Adhikari. Photo: Aryan Dhimal

He feels the Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Project has failed to meet the expectations of stakeholders in the country.It came into existence to introduce modern approaches in the Nepali agriculture space. The project aimed to better the production, make Nepal self-sufficient and promote the agro-economy of the country. For this mechanisation, modernisation and alternative agricultural approaches have been pushed forward simultaneously, he argues, But, not just the people outside but those within the organisation are not fully in sync with the organisation view. On top of that, the ecosystem among the departments of the Agriculture Ministry and other ministries [roads, infrastructure development] also has been poor and it has resulted in us lagging behind our work.

Everyone thinks it is our responsibility alone; there is no coordination that we need.

So far there are 4,372 pockets, 606 blocks, 106 zones and 16 super zones. The project supervises them with 58 operating PIA units in 77 districts of Nepal. But, we lack enough human resources. We have four or five officials where we need 20.

He adds the political instability, coupled with frequent changes in the project office team, has hindered its progress.

Given the current progress, Adhikari predicts that the office will not be able to meet its objectives at the end of the project maturity, five years later. With todays graph, we can sadly only achieve 70 per cent of the objective.

But, we still have five years. If we can change our ways, mobilise the resources, get all the stakeholders from ministries to the local level to coordinate and even get the additional budget, the original objective of the project can be achieved. We can only hope.
Core is liquid and larger than expected

For the first time, the researchers were also able to estimate the size of the Martian core using seismic waves. According to this work, the radius of the core is around 1,840 kilometres, which is about half the radius of the Earths core. This means that the Martian core is a good 200 kilometres larger than had been assumed 15 years ago, when the InSight mission was planned. Having determined the radius of the core, we can now calculate its density, Stahler explains. Since the researchers know the average density of the entire planet, and the average density of the crust and mantle can be estimated from studies of Martian meteorites, its possible to calculate how much material must still be in the core.

If the core radius is large, the density of the core must be relatively low, Stahler explains: That means the core must contain a large proportion of lighter elements in addition to iron and nickel. The lighter elements include sulphur, oxygen, carbon and hydrogen. However, since their proportion appears to be unexpectedly large, the researchers conclude that previous estimates of the composition of the mantle need to be reconsidered. Nonetheless, the current investigations confirm that the core is liquid  as suspected  even if Mars no longer has a magnetic field like Earth. On our planet, currents in the liquid metal of the outer core create a permanent magnetic field.

The relatively large core also rules out the possibility of Mars having a lower mantle like in the Earth; on our planet, the extremely high pressures that exist at more than 700 km depth lead to the formation of a mineral called bridgmanite. Instead, the measurements on Mars show that the Martian mantle is mineralogically similar to Earths upper mantle, which is composed mainly of the mineral olivine. Based on the seismic measurements on Mars, Khan concludes: Mineralogically, the Martian mantle is a simpler version of Earths mantle. But the seismology also reveals differences in chemical composition, suggesting that Mars and Earth were formed from different building blocks.

Analysing different waveforms

The researchers obtained the new results by analysing seismic waves generated by marsquakes. During an earthquake, energy is released in the form of primary as well as secondary waves, which propagate from the source in all directions. The same is true of marsquakes. The primary P waves oscillate in the direction of propagation, like sound waves in air. The secondary S waves oscillate transverse to the direction of propagation and are slower than P waves. Measuring the time difference between the arrival of the P and S waves at a certain location makes it possible to calculate the distance from this location to the quakes epicentre.

The InSight missions seismometer, whose data acquisition and control electronics system were developed in Professor Domenico Giardinis group at ETH Zurich, has been monitoring marsquakes since early 2019. The data is sent via NASAs Deep Space Network and two centres in the United States and France to the Marsquake Service at ETH Zurich. There it undergoes initial analysis under the direction of John Clinton of the Swiss Seismological Service. More than 1,000 marsquakes have been recorded so far. We could already see P and S waves in the InSight data, so we knew how far away from the lander the marsquakes were, Giardini says, but for a long time we were stuck at that level of understanding.

Stahler adds: To say something about the internal structure of planets calls for more than just P and S waves. You need other waveforms. By this he means seismic waves that are reflected e.g., below the surface or at the core. The researchers speak of PP and PPP phases when a P-wave is reflected once and twice from underneath the Earths surface, respectively. Now, for the first time, researchers have succeeded in observing such phases on Mars.

Like Apollo 11 on the moon

The task proved particularly complicated because the seismograms on Mars contain a lot of echo, which typically occurs when seismic waves pass through shallow layers of porous rock. This complicates the analysis of seismic phases that have traversed the deep interior of the planet. Similar observations were made on the moon after the Apollo 11 astronauts first set up a seismometer there, which is why it took 40 years to detect the moons core. This task has now been accomplished on Mars in just two years. Earth, the moon and Mars are the only celestial bodies whose interiors have so far been studied with the help of seismology. The Marsquakes recorded so far are of low magnitude, below 4. Quakes of this magnitude on Earth would be hard to detect from the same distance. But since Mars does not have oceans, it is generally quieter and we detect smaller events, Stahler says.

In their observations of Mars, the researchers focused on quakes that occurred between 1,500 and 4,500 kilometres from the InSight lander. The farther away the quakes are, the deeper the waves penetrate the planets interior and the more we can say about it, Khan explains. In his work on the Martian upper mantle, he and an international team studied the seismic phases reflected from underneath the surface. Meanwhile, for their study, Stahler and other colleagues at ETH factored in the seismic phases reflected at the core to look even deeper into the Martian interior. The ETH researchers were also involved in the third paper on the Martian crust that is part of the trilogy of papers being published.

We determine the speed of the seismic waves as a function of depth, Khan says. If the seismic wave velocity with depth is known, this provides clues to the chemical composition and thermal state of the planet. If the wave speed changes suddenly, this discontinuity typically corresponds to a transition to a different chemical composition. Such discontinuities are evident in the crust-mantle and mantle-core interfaces. Now, using seismology on Mars, the researchers are looking for more discontinuities deep in the mantle and for an inner core like the one that exists on Earth. These new insights into the Martian interior will help us learn more about the planets formation and evolution, Khan concludes.
(Removes out of date chart, no change to text)

* Italian 10-yr yields drop to lowest since April

* ECB meets for first time since policy tweak

* Market expects extended period of stimulus

By Abhinav Ramnarayan and Yoruk Bahceli

LONDON, July 22 (Reuters) - Euro zone bond yields fell and Italian yields briefly touched their lowest in over three months on Thursday, after ECB President Christine Lagarde elaborated on a new target that will keep rates at record lows for longer.

The European Central Bank, in its first official policy statement since it tweaked its inflation target, pledged not to hike borrowing costs until it sees inflation reach its 2% target "well ahead of the end of its projection horizon and durably".

The decision was the first since the ECB adopted a symmetrical inflation target earlier in July, implying that it may tolerate inflation moderately above target for a transitory period.

German 10-year bond yields, the benchmark for the bloc, fell nearly 3 basis points to -0.423% at the start of ECB chief Lagarde's press conference, nearing their lowest since February. They later gave up much of that fall and the yield was down 1 basis point at -0.405% by 1408 GMT.

Italy's 10-year bond yield fell as much as 5 bps to 0.638%, its the lowest since early April, before giving up some of the drop to last trade at around 0.67%. Its five-year yield meanwhile briefly turned negative for the first time since April. .

"There was some disappointment that there wasn't more detail about the (Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme), but the general perception is that the forward guidance was on the dovish side, which is why we see the market react this way," said Daniel Lenz, rates strategist at DZ Bank.

Lagarde reiterated that "any particular exit" from the PEPP would be "absolutely premature". She added that the Governing Council had not discussed conventional bond purchases, which many analysts expect will be expanded to compensate once the PEPP, which is due to expire in March 2022, is withdrawn.

Story continues

"Also, the hint was the Delta variant will prevent the ECB from slowing the pace of purchases anytime soon," DZ Bank's Lenz said, referring to comments from Lagarde that the COVID-19 variant poses a risk to the euro zone's economy.

The closely watched spread between Italian yields and German Bunds, the euro zone's benchmark, narrowed and was last at 106 bps, still a distance from July's low of 98.72 bps.

After initially edging lower, the euro rose 0.3% to the day's high of $1.1831 as traders who had positioned for a weaker currency took profits when the meeting's dovish tone was in line with expectations.

"The forward guidance is a bit more dovish and allows for more easy policy. The recalibration is about the duration of support rather than the size of the support," said Piet Haines Christiansen, chief strategist at Danske Bank.

"This is more aligned to the new strategy outcome rather than a new policy signal," he said, adding that the wording on bond buying was unchanged.

The euro remains close to 3-1/2 month lows versus the dollar and the moves on Thursday were contained, with investors saying the currency would remain under pressure given the ECB's pledge to keep rates lower for longer. Euro zone bank stocks initially ticked higher but gradually erased their gains and were trading down about 0.2% on the day at 1406 GMT. (Reporting by Abhinav Ramnarayan and Yoruk Bahceli; additional reporting by Dhara Ranasinghe, Tommy Reggiori Wilkes and Julien Ponthus; Editing by Catherine Evans)
NEW YORK, July 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Argus Capital Corp. (the "Company" or "Argus"), a special purpose acquisition company ("SPAC") targeting businesses across the tech-driven media landscape, today announced that it has filed a registration statement on Form S-1 (the "Registration Statement") with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") relating to the proposed initial public offering ("IPO") of 30,000,000 units at a price of $10.00 per unit. Each unit consists of one share of Class A common stock and one-third of one redeemable warrant, with each whole warrant exercisable to purchase one share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share. The Company has applied to have its units listed on the NASDAQ.

(PRNewsfoto/Argus Capital Corp.)

Argus' business purpose is to effect a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. While Argus may pursue an initial business combination opportunity in any industry or sector, it intends to identify and complete a business transaction with a company in the tech-driven media industry.

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co LLC are acting as the joint book running managers for the offering.

The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. When available, copies of the prospectus may be obtained from Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282, Attn: Prospectus Department, by telephone at 866-471-2526 or by emailing prospectus-ny@ny.email.gs.com ; Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Attn: Prospectus Department, 180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10014, Email: prospectus@morganstanley.com .

The Registration Statement relating to the securities of the Company has been filed with the SEC, but has not yet become effective. These securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the Registration Statement becomes effective. 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 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.

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Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements," including with respect to the proposed initial public offering and the anticipated use of the net proceeds. No assurance can be given that the offering discussed above will be completed on the terms described, or at all, or that the net proceeds of the offering will be used as indicated. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of Argus, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of Argus' registration statement on Form S-1 and preliminary prospectus for Argus' offering filed with the SEC. Copies are available on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov . Argus undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this press release, except as required by law.

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SOURCE Argus Capital Corp.
Carahsoft and Vendor Partners Showcase Solutions in Carahsoft Demo Booth

RESTON, Va., July 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

WHAT:

Carahsoft Technology Corp., The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, will be joined by 12 of its technology partners at Sea-Air-Space 2021, The Navy Leagues Global Maritime Exposition at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. This event brings the U.S. defense industry and key military decision makers together for the largest maritime exposition in the nation. Exhibitors and attendees will network and collaborate with end users and policy makers to explore the latest advances in maritime, defense and energy technology.

WHO:

Carahsoft vendors will be demonstrating their solutions that support defense agency missions in booth #911 on the following dates:

Monday, August 2 Tuesday, August 3 Wednesday, August 4  SAP NS2  Systecon  SolarWinds  ForgeRock  Salesforce  Markforged  Liferay  Forcepoint  Micro Focus  Nuvolo  SAP  RSA Security

Additional Carahsoft partners will also be exhibiting at the event, including:

 Cloudera Government Solutions (#3300)  NCS Technologies (#650)  Decision Lens (#3202)  ServiceNow (#703)  Microsoft (#1719)  Smartsheet (#916)

WHEN:



MondayWednesday, August 2-4, 2021

WHERE:

Gaylord National Convention Center

201 Waterfront Street

National Harbor, MD 20745

Directions

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

To learn more about Carahsofts participation in the Sea-Air-Space Exhibition, contact Ariana Crespo at (571) 662-4997 or SeaAirSpace@carahsoft.com; or visit Carahsofts Sea-Air-Space event site.

About Carahsoft

Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, supporting Public Sector organizations across Federal, State and Local Government agencies and Education and Healthcare markets. As the Master Government Aggregator for our vendor partners, we deliver solutions for Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Open Source, Customer Experience and Engagement, and more. Working with resellers, systems integrators and consultants, our sales and marketing teams provide industry leading IT products, services and training through hundreds of contract vehicles. Visit us at www.carahsoft.com.

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Contact

Mary Lange

(703) 230-7434

PR@carahsoft.com




Australia's increased wine shipments to new and existing markets were not able to offset the 45 per cent decline in sales to mainland China in the financial year that ended in June, industry group Wine Australia's latest export report shows.

While the decline in exports to mainland China was the main driver of an overall 10 per cent drop in Australia's total wine exports to A$2.56 billion (US$394.7 million), a shortage in wine available for export - especially from three consecutive low-yielding vintages in 2018, 2019 and 2020 - also accounted for the slower trade, according to Wine Australia's general manager of corporate affairs and regulation, Rachel Triggs.

"Exports increased to the UK, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan and Hong Kong by a combined A$240 million [US$177 million], but they did not offset the decline in exports to mainland China," Triggs said.

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Excluding the drop in exports to mainland China, Australia's wine exports rose by 12 per cent.

The value of Australia's wine exports to mainland China - its biggest wine export market - from last July to June was A$606 million. Before bilateral tensions worsened between the two countries last year, Australia's wine exports to China were valued at roughly A$1 billion [US$736 million] a year, on average.

After Canberra pushed for an independent investigation into the origin of the coronavirus without consulting Beijing in April 2020, China imposed anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties of between 116.2 per cent and 218.4 per cent on Australian wine in containers of two litres or less and unofficially restricted wine imports from Australia, forcing many Australian exporters to withdraw shipments for fear of delays and detentions at Chinese entry points.

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Since the imposition of import tariffs, exports of Australian wine to mainland China dropped dramatically, Wine Australia added. As an example, total exports for the third and fourth quarters of the 2020-21 financial year that ended in June were worth just A$13 million, compared with A$419 million in the same period the prior year, before the tensions and trade disruptions started.

But despite the drop in exports, China remains Australia's biggest overseas market, with the A$606 million in exports ranking well ahead of the A$472 million worth of wine that went to Britain.

The wine trade with Britain grew 23 per cent in the past financial year due to increased purchases during coronavirus lockdowns and exporters rushing shipments before Brexit took effect, Wine Australia said. And a lot of that trade was dominated by unpackaged bulk wine exports imported to be bottled locally.

Bottled Australian wine sales suffered as a result of tensions with China, but some exporters said they were considering exporting wine in larger containers to China to get around the newly imposed duties.

Other exporters such as South Australian export consultant Michele Zhuang, who previously focused her time on the wine trade with China, have diversified their interests. Zhuang has been selling oats and other Australian products to other parts of Asia since the conflict started.

She recently helped South Australian-based food manufacturer and exporter Healthy Garden secure a deal with Japanese group Fuji Trading to ship oats to Japan and South Korea.

"The sentiments of trade between China and Australia [for wine] are not good. [Chinese] importers are still not keen to touch Australian wine," she said.

The resilience of exporters means that, for those still sticking with wine exports, other markets are growing, even if they lack China's buying power.

Exports into Europe reached their highest level in 10 years, with year-on-year sales growing 18 per cent to A$724 million, while exports to regions such as Southeast Asia also posted growth.

However, exports to the United States declined by 7 per cent to A$400 million due to volatile sales activities caused by the pandemic, Wine Australia said.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2021 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2021. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
DALLAS, July 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dalfen Industrial announced the acquisition of a newly developed, 3-building, 711,855 square feet industrial park in the Seattle suburb of Tacoma, WA. The property is in close proximity to I-5, SR-512, and the Port of Tacoma.

Tacoma Supply Chain Center

The Tacoma Supply Chain Center, located in Frederickson off of 176th Street, was acquired off-market and is situated within the broader Pierce County industrial submarket of Seattle. This submarket experienced 67% of Seattle's total net absorption in 2020 and continues to be in high demand. Tenants are migrating south of Seattle's Kent Valley submarkets in search of better value, newer/more functional product, and a stronger labor market.

"What's occurring in Frederickson is a testament to the continual evolution of Seattle and growing demand in the submarkets south of the Kent Valley. The property provides best-in-class, modern property amenities and ideally meets the tenant demand of the area," said Rich Weiss, Market Officer for Dalfen's west region.

"Dalfen is focused on expanding our west coast portfolio, with this asset being the third acquisition in two months," said Sean Dalfen, President and Chief Investment Officer. "The last mile fundamentals of this project are outstanding with close proximity to the Port of Tacoma and major thoroughfares, as well as a large workforce and customer base."

Over the last 12 months, Dalfen Industrial has acquired and developed well over $1.5 billion of industrial properties in key metros across the United States.

About Us

Dalfen Industrial LLC is one of the nation's largest buyers and developers of industrial real estate and is a leader in the last-mile property sector. Their investment focus is on strategically located urban infill warehouses and distribution buildings. Dalfen currently owns and operates millions of square feet of premier industrial properties throughout the United States.

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Media Contact:

press@dalfen.com

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SOURCE Dalfen Industrial
Former female employees of Activision Blizzard (ATVI) are coming forward to share their experiences at the company after a California state agency filed a civil rights lawsuit against the gaming giant alleging widespread sexual harassment and gender and racial discrimination.

The suit, which seeks compensatory and punitive damages, as well as unpaid wages, has kicked off a firestorm against the Call of Duty and World of Warcraft maker, with users across social media platforms lambasting the company for its alleged behavior and several employees claiming they were also discriminated against at Activision Blizzard.

I was there from 2015 to 2016, and it was as bad as described in the documents then, Cher Scarlett, a former software engineer for Activision Blizzards Battle.net, told Yahoo Finance.

In response to the suit, Activision Blizzard said it takes allegations of misconduct and harassment seriously and that action was taken in cases related to the suit. But the company also moved to discredit the allegations made by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH).

Bobby Kotick, chief executive officer of Activision Blizzard, attends the annual Allen and Co. Sun Valley media conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, U.S., July 10, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

The DFEH includes distorted, and in many cases false, descriptions of Blizzards past, the company said. We have been extremely cooperative with the DFEH throughout their investigation, including providing them with extensive data and ample documentation, but they refused to inform us what issues they perceived.

Activision Blizzard's 'frat house' atmosphere

The suit portrays a company that allowed unchecked harassment to fester for years, with men groping female colleagues and women being denied promotions and raises. One woman died by suicide due to a relationship with a male supervisor, the complaint alleged. The same woman was also allegedly harassed by other coworkers who shared a nude image of her at a holiday party.

The suit, in particular, alleges Scarletts former team fostered a frat house atmosphere.

According to the suit, one employee noted that women on the Battle.net team were subjected to disparaging comments, the environment was akin to working in a frat house, and that women who were not huge gamers or core gamers and not into the party scene were excluded and treated as outsiders.

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Jennifer Klasing, who worked for Activision Blizzard from 2013 to 2020, tweeted that she experienced similar gender discrimination to those mentioned in the suit.

I would get told I was too direct with my manner of speaking, while male coworkers were never similarly chastised. I was called emotional, unreasonable, and unprofessional, she wrote.

I have heard of male coworkers getting in screaming matches with their manager, and [getting] promoted after.

Racial discrimination was also a problem, according to the suit. When one African American female employee asked to take time off, she had to submit a one-page summary of how she would spend that time something her colleagues didnt have to do, the complaint alleged.

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Sexual harassment and gender discrimination pervade the gaming industry. French gaming giant Ubisoft faced a similar reckoning in 2020, leading to the resignation of five executives, while a 2018 Kotaku report found women at Riot Games, creator of the popular League of Legends, experienced widespread harassment and discrimination. The company acknowledged the matter and developed its own diversity and inclusion team.

The roughly half of women who are gamers have faced discrimination, as well. Notoriously, a misogynist movement known as Gamergate began in 2014 and targeted female game developers and gamers under the guise of ethics in games journalism.

The California case will likely take time to wind its way through the courts, but its unlikely to be the last time a gaming company finds itself under fire for its treatment of women.

For Scarlett, theres only one solution to the industry-wide problem.

Legal repercussions would be the only way to stop this form being so pervasive, she said.

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25 Year Model Program with Expected Project Revenues in Excess of $31 Million Over Life of the Initial Five Megawatt Project

KMB Design Group is a Full Service Engineering Solutions Provider that has Provided Designs and Engineering Services for Over 1,000 Projects Nationwide with Over 1,500 MW of Solar Designed.

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / July 22, 2021 / Green Stream Holdings Inc. (OTC PINK:GSFI) ("the Company") (https://greensolarutility.com), an emerging leader in the solar utility and finance space, previously announced earlier this month that it had engaged KMB Design Group, a nationally known a full service engineering solutions provider with extensive international expertise in the solar renewable energy field providing photovoltaic design and engineering services, to assist the Company in installing three ground-mount solar farms. Today, the Company is announcing that the survey for one of the three sites is completed, and that the property owner has signed an agreement.

KMB was initially hired to conduct solar feasibility studies for three separate locations in the State of New York. Each site is 37 acres. Their study will determine the most efficient configuration for the arrays, estimated production matters, utility interconnect feasibility & process, as well as identifying any potential incentive programs.

The survey for the first of the three locations, 312 Cornish Hill Road, Cooperstown, NY, is completed and the owner has signed a 25-year lease for the property.

A picture containing text, blue, solar cell, tennisDescription automatically generated

KMB is a full service engineering solutions provider that has provided designs and engineering services for over 1,000 projects and 1,500 MW for a wide range of solar installations from small scale to large scale. KMB Design Group is at the forefront of the escalating solar industry, and is considered a leading consulting firm in the renewable energy field providing photovoltaic design and engineering services. Licensed in 50 states. They have the ability to work nationally without limitations. https://www.kmbdg.com/services/solar-engineering/

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About KMB Design Group

KMB is a full service engineering solutions provider licensed in the United States and Europe. We take a systematic approach to developing comprehensive solutions for our clients; guiding projects from conception through site acquisition, engineering and construction. We focus on collaboration and communication throughout the process to achieve mutual success for our clients and our firm. We take a systematic approach to develop comprehensive engineering solutions for our clients; guiding projects from conception through site acquisition, engineering & construction. We focus on collaboration and communication throughout the process to achieve mutual success for our clients and our firm.

KMB Design Group, LLC was founded by a team of seasoned professionals who have been working together for over 15 years. Their extensive experience in the engineering and telecommunications industries provide a great foundation for a successful design firm. KMB's focus on technology and continuous improvement enables the firm to keep up with the latest innovations and provide state-of-the-art design solutions for our clients. KMB continues to look for strategic acquisitions as well as potential joint ventures to grow the firm and expand our services.

KMB is licensed in 50 states and in Europe allowing us to do business both nationally and internationally. https://www.kmbdg.com

About Green Stream Finance, Inc.

Green Stream Finance, Inc., a solar utility and finance company with satellite offices in Malibu, CA and New York, NY, is focused on exploiting currently unmet markets in the solar energy space, and is currently licensed in California, Nevada, Arizona, Washington, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Colorado, Hawaii, and Canada. The Company's next-generation solar greenhouses constructed and managed by Green Rain Solar, LLC, a Nevada-based division, utilize proprietary greenhouse technology and trademarked design developed by world-renowned architect Mr. Antony Morali. The Company is currently targeting high-growth solar market segments for its advanced solar greenhouse and advanced solar battery products. The Company has a growing footprint in the significantly underserved solar market in New York City where it is targeting 50,000 to 100,000 square feet of rooftop space for the installation of its solar panels. Green Stream is looking to forge key partnership with major investment groups, brokers, and private investors in order to capitalize on a variety of unique investment opportunities in the commercial solar energy markets. The Company is dedicated to becoming a major player in this critical space. Through its innovative solar product offerings and industry partnerships, the Company is well-positioned to become a significant player in the solar space. Please visit: https://greensolarutility.com

About Chuck's Vintage:

Chuck's Vintage, a division, provides its clients access to historical fashion accessories, garments and complete ensembles from a bygone era. In these times of uncertainty, and ever-changing conditions, , Chuck's Vintage is doing its best to provide clients with a consistent white glove experience. Come to Chuck's for the denim, but stick around and complete your look with the founder's sampling of vintage American workwear: rugged military and work boots, buttery leather bomber jackets, and soft, perfectly worn-in vintage 70's rock tees. Classic American Cool.

Chuck's Vintage was founded by GSFI former CEO Madeline Cammarata (fka Madeline Harmon), who hailed from an illustrious background in fashion. Her career began as a fashion model, where she was soon discovered by the iconic and provocative fashion photographer Helmet Newton, launching Cammarata to the runways of Europe. Returning to the US, Madeline found a powerful niche in the high fashion world of denim, where she was instrumental in providing fabric development for powerful brands like 7 For All Mankind and provided thousands of pieces to celebrity and business elites from Steve Jobs to Morrisey and everywhere in between. https://chucksvintage.com/

Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is subject to the safe harbor created by those sections. This material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. That includes the possibility that the business outlined in this press release cannot be concluded for some reason. That could be as a result of technical, installation, permitting or other problems that were not anticipated. Such forward-looking statements by definition involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Green Stream Finance, Inc. to be materially different from the statements made herein. Except for any obligation under the U.S. federal securities laws, Green Stream Finance, Inc. undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

For All Inquiries Contact:

+1 (424) 280-4096

president@greenstreamfinance.com

Website: greensolarutility.com

Instagram: chucksvintage original

Phone number: 646) 669-7007

SOURCE: Green Stream Holdings Inc.





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/656548/Green-Stream-Holdings-Inc-OTC-PINKGSFI-Nationally-Recognized-Solar-Engineer-Completes-First-Feasibility-Study-for-Three-37-Acre-Multi-Meg-Solar-Farms




ClearRT Significantly Improves Image Quality, Facilitating the Delivery of More Precise and Accurate Treatments to Patients

SUNNYVALE, Calif., July 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Accuray Incorporated (NASDAQ: ARAY) announced today that the medical care team at Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital (HKSH) in Hong Kong treated the first cancer patient in Asia using the Radixact System, the next-generation TomoTherapy platform, with ClearRT helical fan-beam kVCT imaging. With the installation of ClearRT the team has raised the bar for other hospitals using radiation therapy as an option in cancer care. The integrated helical imaging and radiation delivery system will enable the HKSH team to generate clear, high-fidelity images that improve their ability to see the tumor and adjacent healthy tissue, and will make it easier to provide more targeted treatments to more patients each day.

Accuray Incorporated (PRNewsFoto/Accuray Incorporated) (PRNewsFoto/Accuray Incorporated)

The HKSH medical care team was the first in Asia to treat patients with the Accuray proprietary Synchrony technology on both the CyberKnife M6 and Radixact Systems and is now the first to use ClearRT with Radixact, which supports their commitment to providing excellence in cancer care using the most advanced technology available. The ability to significantly improve clarity in imaging was especially important to the team when treating their first patient, a 35 year-old man diagnosed with tongue cancer. The treatment region included the oral cavity and neck lymph nodes, so minimizing dose to nearby critical organs was crucial. ClearRT improved soft-tissue visualization, enabling the HKSH team to deliver a highly accurate and precise treatment.

"The HKSH team is excited to expand on the Radixact System's capabilities with the addition of the ClearRT imaging technology. The ClearRT imaging modality provides enhanced image quality and better soft-tissue visualization. With this new feature, the scanning time was reduced by 77% for this case. The registration time required was also significantly shortened. The patient throughput can be increased with abbreviated treatment time, so more patients can benefit from this precise and advanced technology," said Dr. Daniel Chua, Associate Director of Department of Radiotherapy.

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ClearRT is a novel, helical CT imaging solution that, when integrated with Synchrony Real-time Motion Synchronization and Adaptive Treatment Delivery Technology, on the Radixact System provides a powerful tool that enable medical care teams to deliver extremely accurate and precise ultra-hypofractionated treatments, especially to tumors that move during treatment. ClearRT helical kVCT images can be used within the Accuray PreciseART automated dose trending tool for clinicians to evaluate if plan adaptation would be beneficial, enabling the most personalized patient care.

"Accuray is honored to have the opportunity to further our long-standing partnership with the HKSH team. They are forward thinking and put a priority on investing in innovative technology that will help them to provide more effective outcomes for their cancer patients," said Suzanne Winter, President of Accuray. "ClearRT on the Radixact System represents an evolution of the TomoTherapy platform that we believe will lead to meaningful improvements in the treatment of cancer for clinicians and their patients and increase the range of patients and tumors that can be treated."

Important Safety Information

For Important Safety Information please refer to https://www.accuray.com/safety-statement.

About Accuray

Accuray is committed to expanding the powerful potential of radiation therapy to improve as many lives as possible. We invent unique, market-changing solutions that are designed to deliver radiation treatments for even the most complex caseswhile making commonly treatable cases even easierto meet the full spectrum of patient needs. We are dedicated to continuous innovation in radiation therapy for oncology, neuro-radiosurgery, and beyond, as we partner with clinicians and administrators, empowering them to help patients get back to their lives, faster. Accuray is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with facilities worldwide. To learn more, visit www.accuray.com or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.

Safe Harbor Statement

Statements made in this press release that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements and are subject to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements in this press release relate, but are not limited, to the anticipated benefits of ClearRT to clinicians and patients, the potential for ClearRT to lead to meaningful improvements in the treatment of cancer, clinical applications, clinical results, patient experiences and patient outcomes. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if any of the company's assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the company's ability to achieve widespread market acceptance of its products, including new product innovations and releases; the company's ability to develop new products or improve existing products to meet customers' needs; the company's ability to anticipate or keep pace with changes in the marketplace and the direction of technological innovation and customer demands and such other risks identified under the heading "Risk Factors" in the company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on April 30, 2021, and as updated periodically with the company's other filings with the SEC.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statements are made and are based on information available to the company at the time those statements are made and/or management's good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events. The company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual performance or results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information, except to the extent required by applicable securities laws. Accordingly, investors should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements.

Accuray

Beth Kaplan

+1 (408) 789-4426

bkaplan@accuray.com

Christy Maginn

Havas

+1 (703) 297-7194

christina.maginn@havas.com

Cision

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SOURCE Accuray Incorporated
PRAIA, Cape Verde, July 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In its decision of June 29, 2021 delivered via email to the defense on 20 July, 2021 the Constitutional Court of Cape Verde considered that there is no international normative basis that would impose on the State of Cape Verde a duty to comply with a request for provisional measures made by the Human Rights Committee (para 4.5.3.). The ruling was in response to a simple letter sent by Alex Saab to the Constitutional Court informing it that the United Nations Human Rights Committee had registered a complaint against Cape Verde and had sent Cape Verde a request for interim measures, including a request to suspend the extradition procedure. The Constitutional Court issued a lengthy ruling in which it attempted to justify its refusal to comply with the provisional measures ordered by the United Nations Human Rights Committee, inviting Cape Verde, among other things, to suspend Alex Saabs extradition to the United States.



Alex Saab's defense team regrets the position adopted by the Constitutional Court.

Firstly, the Court takes a strictly positivist and voluntarist approach to international law, with the sole purpose of justifying the violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). It does not take into consideration the practice of the vast majority of States parties to the ICCPR and the Optional Protocol, which usually comply with the Committee's interim measures, with the exception of States such as Belarus.

Secondly, it is unfortunate that the Constitutional Court has not accepted its role as a guarantor of human rights. Rather than seeing the Committee's interim measures as a form of interference, the Constitutional Court could have simply decided to take international human rights law and Cape Verde's international human rights obligations seriously. The Committee was doing nothing more than requesting the adoption of measures to preserve the physical integrity and right to life of Alex Saab. This request was neither hostile nor illegitimate. On the other hand, to reject it with such force is disproportionate.

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Thirdly, the Constitutional Court limits itself to a purely formalistic and basic reading of the binding nature of international law and the decisions of human rights bodies. It limits itself to an analysis of the legally binding or non-binding nature of the norms set out by the United Nations committees, taking the view that, since they are not jurisdictional bodies, their decisions are not binding. This position, which is totally anachronistic in public international law, reflects the obvious lack of experience of the Constitutional Court in the implementation of international human rights law. The Committee is not an enemy of the domestic courts; its sole purpose is to help States parties to the Covenant to comply with their obligations under the ICCPR. The Constitutional Court could have considered the UN Committee as an institutional ally, and agreed to implement the interim measures, not on the basis of compulsion, but simply because these measures were intended to contribute to the respect of the human rights of the ICCPR. In other words, just because the interim measures are not, in the Court's view, legally binding, does not mean that they should not be implemented and respected. They must be implemented because they are tools for the protection of human rights and human dignity. This is the persuasive force of these measures, which the Constitutional Court was asked to take seriously.

Fourthly, the Constitutional Court oddly concludes that it cannot suspend the examination of the constitutional appeal because of the non-binding nature of the interim measures. On this last point, there is no disagreement, and the honourable Court has not been asked by the Human Rights Committee, or anyone else, to suspend the examination of Alex Saabs constitutional appeal. On the other hand, all the actors concerned invite the Court, when it pronounces on the merits, to render a decision that respects human rights, the rule of law and the fundamental values of both the constitution and the treaties binding Cape Verde.

The Defense team repeats its previous calls for Cape Verde to comply with the 15 March 2021 ruling of the ECOWAS Court of Justices (which was reiterated on 24 June) declaring Alex Saabs arrest and detention illegal, that he be released immediately and the extradition process be terminated.

MEDIA Contact:

Sara Flounders

International Action Center

https://www.iacenter.org

E-mail: iacenter@iacenter.org

Tel: +1 212-633-6646




NAPANEE, ON, July 22, 2021 /CNW/ - Shelter workers at the Lennox and Addington Interval House (LAIH) asked their neighbours to support their bargaining following their employer's refusal to negotiate normally.

Local 414 solidarity leaflet action. (CNW Group/Unifor)

"Unifor members who work at Interval House love their jobs, and are committed to safely serving survivors and preventing violence against women and children," said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. "There is no excuse for this refusal to even negotiate, that's why these members have taken to the streets this week to ask their wider community to unite with them."

Negotiations stalled between the employer and Unifor Local 414 while in a conciliation process, and the employer refuses to return to the table and is instead insisting on negotiations by email. Lennox and Addington Interval House (LAIH) is a shelter that serves women and children leaving domestic violence.

Workers are leafletting in Napanee July 21-23, asking members of the community to phone LAIH management and call them back to the bargaining table.

The current collective agreement has been expired for more than one year and covers approximately 20 workers at LAIH. Workers are seeking the same or similar processes and benefits that sister agencies in neighbouring communities have, aiming to address issues of representation, disciplinary actions and job postings.

"Make no mistake, Unifor members are still here to serve community members who need a safe haven from violence at home," said Gord Currie, Unifor Local 414 President. "But this week, Interval House workers need their community to step up for them, and ask the employer to bargain fairly and respect the job they do."

Throughout the pandemic, members have often worked short staffed, attempting to maintain a high-level service while the employer left positions unfilled.

"This type of work is more than just a job, it's a calling. Staff won't allow the clients to be without support because we are short, so it often means working outside of our job description or taking on more work," said Brooke Phillips, member of Unifor Local 414 at LAIH. "We are almost always short staff often for a long time with nothing posted about filling the vacancy. This can be fixed, but we can only have those conversations at the bargaining table."

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Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.

SOURCE Unifor

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First U.S. based company to Join Global Partnership and Complete Reporting Protocol

DENVER, July 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Jonah Energy has taken the industry-leading step of becoming the first U.S. oil and gas producer to submit methane emissions data and is on track to earn a "Gold Standard" emissions rating from the United Nations-sponsored Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP). Jonah Energy was also the first U.S. company to join OGMP in late 2020.

Jonah Energy

The Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP) is an initiative launched by the UN Environment Programme and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition as the only broad multi-national and multi-stakeholder partnership working on methane emissions measurement and reporting protocols. OGMP creates a credible platform to help member companies demonstrate actual emission reductions.

OGMP's Gold Standard rating is predicated on establishing a pathway to verified emissions measurement at both a source and an overall site level. Measurement is conducted with a variety of technologies, including ground-based fixed measurement devices, drone-based sensors, aerial laser scanning, and satellite-based asset-wide measurement. These tools provide a far more accurate accounting of a company's emissions profile, allowing for continuous reduction and elimination of emission sources.

"We believe that natural gas will play an important role in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the global energy value chain, but the industry must be transparent for natural gas to achieve its full potential," said Tom Hart, Jonah Energy's President and CEO. "The OGMP 2.0 framework is the leading example of an independent, verifiable and measured performance standard that will help create that transparency."

"Jonah Energy's participation in OGMP 2.0 is just one component of our Responsibly Produced Gas initiative, which seeks to make us a leading low emission producer and preferred partner for utilities and their customers concerned about the impacts of climate change," Hart continued.

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Jonah's multi-year efforts to innovate around emissions monitoring, measurement and reduction have resulted in one of the lowest documented emissions profiles of any producer in the US. Jonah's work, and similar efforts by other producers who take this challenge seriously, will result in a differentiated gas marketplace for consumers concerned about emissions. Furthermore, a market for differentiated, low-emission American natural gas will also support global climate goals through its global export as liquified natural gas.

"We applaud Jonah Energy's leadership and congratulate Jonah for being the first US company to join the OGMP 2.0 reporting framework," said Manfredi Caltagirone, interim head of UNEP's International Methane Emissions Observatory. "The framework is the highest standard of methane reporting in the oil and gas industry and has a performance element that focuses on reduction approaches, technology advancement and policy development, aiding the oil and gas industry in achieving deep, transparent reductions in mineral methane emissions."

Producing natural gas responsibly means avoiding and minimizing environmental impacts. Jonah Energy works with state and federal agencies, conservation groups and local stakeholders on innovative ways to reduce emissions as well as protect habitat, wildlife and water resources. Jonah also consistently exceeds what is required by regulation.

Find out more information about Jonah Energy's environmental, social and governance work with its July 2021 ESG report.

About Jonah Energy LLC

https://www.jonahenergy.com

Jonah Energy is an oil and gas exploration and development company headquartered in Denver, Colorado and operating in the Jonah and Pinedale Fields in Sublette County, Wyoming. The company is one of the largest privately held natural gas producers in the US and focuses on producing natural gas in an environmentally responsible manner.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Paul Ulrich, Jonah Energy

Paul.Ulrich@JonahEnergy.com

Cell: (303) 330-6346

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SOURCE Jonah Energy LLC
BURNABY, BC, July 22, 2021 /CNW/ - Terry Beech, Member of Parliament for Burnaby North  Seymour and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages (B.C.), on behalf of the Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages will provide details on funding to support the development of British Columbia as a world leader in quantum technology.

Media Advisory, Burnaby, B.C. (CNW Group/Western Economic Diversification Canada)

Following remarks, Terry Beech will be available to answer questions from the media.

Date: Friday, July 23, 2021



Time: 11:00 a.m. PT / 12:00 p.m. MT / 1:00 p.m. CT / 2:00 p.m. ET



Location: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UEGpxb6uTF6BBmMGKGCTHQ

Follow Western Economic Diversification Canada on Twitter: @WD_Canada

SOURCE Western Economic Diversification Canada

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Middlefield Canadian Income PCC Net Asset Value

Middlefield Canadian Income PCC

Middlefield Canadian Income - GBP PC

(a protected cell company incorporated in Jersey with registration number 93546)

Legal Entity Identifier: 2138007ENW3JEJXC8658

Net Asset Value

As at the close of business on 21 July 2021 the estimated unaudited Net Asset Value per share was 126.43 pence (including accrued income, which excludes an amount of 1.275 pence per share in respect of the quarterly dividend to be paid on 30 July 2021).

Investments in the Companys portfolio have been valued on a closing price basis.

Enquiries:

JTC Fund Solutions (Jersey) Limited

01534 700 000




Brynn Anderson/AP

Kamala Harris made history on Jan. 20, 2021, when she was sworn in as vice president, becoming the first woman and the first person of color to hold the position. It was a muted inauguration for Harris and President Joe Biden, who took their offices amid the COVID-19 pandemic and in the aftermath of the attack on the U.S. Capitol just two weeks earlier. Instead of having everyday Americans in the crowd at the National Mall to witness the transfer of power, about 191,500 U.S. flags covered the area to represent the people who couldnt attend the invitation-only event.

Find Out: Just How Rich Are Oprah, Bill Gates and Other Big Names?

Learn More: These 47 Billionaires Got Richer During The Pandemic

Many women who watched the inauguration from home opted to do so while wearing pearls, which Vice President Harris has worn to mark all big events since her college days at Howard University.

Check Out: How Much Is President Joe Biden Worth?

After graduating from Howard, Harris got her law degree from the Hastings College of the Law at the University of California. Harris, who is of Indian and Jamaican roots, was the first Black person and first woman elected district attorney of San Francisco (2004-11) and attorney general of California (2011-16). In 2017, Californians elected her to the U.S. Senate, the first Black person to hold the office from the state.

As vice president, Harris earns an annual salary of $235,100 and lives at Number One Observatory Circle, a Victorian mansion on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Observatory. But what does the rest of her financial portrait look like?

Kamala Harris Net Worth

Kamala Harris and her husband, Douglas Emhoff, have an estimated $7 million in assets, Forbes reported. That includes real estate, two California government pensions for Harris and at least $1.2 million in Emhoffs retirement accounts. Harris married Emhoff, an attorney, in 2014. He recently left his position as a partner at the international law firm DLA Piper to fulfill his duties as Second Gentleman.

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The couples 2020 tax returns show income of $1.9 million, almost three-fourths of it coming from Emhoffs pay. Harris earned about $150,000 as a U.S. senator and close to $300,000 as a writer. In 2019, when Emhoff wasnt on the campaign trail, the couple earned $3.3 million, per Forbes.

Check Out: The 5 Highest- and Lowest-Paying Jobs in Government

Kamala Harris Potential Future Earnings

At 56, Harris could have years ahead of her in politics. Whenever she decides to leave elected office, however, she likely has a big payday ahead of her. In the four years between his time as vice president and being elected president in 2020, Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, earned about $16.7 million, largely in speaking fees and a book deal.

In April, Harris predecessor, Mike Pence, signed a two-book contract with publisher Simon & Schuster worth between $3 million and $4 million, CNN reported. Since leaving the White House, Barack and Michelle Obama also have inked deals with Netflix and Spotify for an undisclosed amount.

More From GOBankingRates

Jami Farkas contributed to the reporting for this article.

Financial figures are accurate as of July 21, 2021.

Last update: July 21, 2021

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Much Is Vice President Kamala Harris Worth?
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 22, 2021) - NEO Battery Materials Ltd. (TSXV: NBM) (OTC: NBMFF) ("NEO" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has entered into a second licensing agreement (the "Agreement") with Yonsei University-Industry Foundation ("YUIF") in South Korea. NEO will be granted an exclusive worldwide license for the patent regarding silicon anode nanocoating technology for lithium-ion batteries.

Name of Invention Patent No. / Registration No. 1 Silicon composite for lithium secondary battery and manufacturing method thereof KR 10-2021-0092783



The Agreement is with regards to a modified carbon nanotube (CNT) coating material that is directly integrable and suitable with NEO's current silicon (Si) nanocoating technology and process. This modified CNT coating technology presents substantial improvements in long-term stability and output characteristics compared to conventional CNT/silicon mixture anodes. The patent in the Agreement is currently pending in South Korea, and NEO will file the same invention through the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) for international IP protection.

While the Company is expediting the process of commercializing the main elastomer nanocoating technology, NEO is also planning to utilize this modified CNT coating technology as another product pipeline for its nanocoating material on silicon anodes and exploring the opportunity to scale this additional material for production.

Spencer Huh, President and CEO of NEO, commented, "We are excited to have licensed another key technology from YUIF to strengthen NEO's product portfolio. Striking this licensing agreement has been successful due to the consistent progress of our collaborative development with Yonsei University. We are expecting to strengthen our IP portfolio by adding more patents going forward."

"When formulating Si anodes, NEO has great confidence in realizing greater cost reductions through utilizing both solution-based coating technology and metallurgical-grade Si microparticles. Further detailed technical updates on NEO's CNT coating technology will be provided continually," said Dr. J. H. Park, Director and Chief Scientific Advisor of NEO.

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CNTs have been used as a conducting agent for existing cathode materials. Due to its superior conductivity compared to existing conductive additives, CNTs have been implemented into high-performance secondary (rechargeable) batteries, and recently, the materials have been applied to silicon anodes such as those in the Porsche Taycan. According to ResearchAndMarkets, the global CNT market is expected to grow to $1.7B USD by 2026 with a CAGR of 14.4% from 2021. The expansion of this market will be mainly driven by the growth of the energy and storage industry due to the rising demand for renewable energy sources and clean technology initiatives.

About Dr. Jong Hyeok Park

Dr. Jong Hyeok Park is the Chief Scientific Advisor and Director of NEO Battery Materials Ltd. He has served as a Senior Researcher for LG Chem and is the co-developer of LG Chem's core innovative technology of the Safety-Reinforced Separator (SRS). Dr. Park owns a total of 92 patents related to battery technology and energy innovations. Recently, he has solely received the prestigious S-OIL 2020 Next-Generation Scientist Award in the Energy Field and was selected as one of the Top 100 Leading Scientists for Renewable Energy Technology by the Korean Academy of Science and Technology. Dr. Park is currently a Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Yonsei University in Seoul.

About Yonsei University-Industry Foundation

The University-Industry Foundation of Yonsei University (YUIF) was founded in 1991 as the Yonsei University Office of Research Affairs to accelerate the initiative to become the leading global research-focused university. Since then, YUIF has achieved noticeable synergies and accomplishments with domestic and international companies through licensing their diverse portfolio of patents and intellectual properties.

About NEO Battery Materials Ltd.

NEO Battery Materials Ltd. is a Vancouver-based resource company focused on battery metals and materials. The Company has staked new mining claims in Golden, BC, along a strike with a quartzite bed, targeting silica in the quartzites for a total of 467 hectares. NEO is also focusing on developing silicon anodes, which provide improvements in capacity and efficiency over lithium-ion batteries using graphite in their anode materials. The Company intends to become an integrated silicon producer and anode materials supplier to the electric vehicle industry. For more information, please visit the Company's website at: https://www.neobatterymaterials.com/.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Spencer Huh

President and CEO

604-697-2408

shuh@neobatterymaterials.com

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements as well as management's objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions. Forward looking statements are frequently identified by such words as "may", "will", "plan", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "intend" and similar words referring to future events and results. Forward-looking statements are based on the current opinions and expectations of management. All forward-looking information is inherently uncertain and subject to a variety of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, including the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, fluctuating commodity prices, the effectiveness and feasibility of technologies which have not yet been tested or proven on a commercial scale, competitive risks and the availability of financing, as described in more detail in our recent securities filings available at www.sedar.com. Actual events or results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements and we caution against placing undue reliance thereon. We assume no obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements except as required by applicable 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 release.

THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/90975
Updated with changes, July 22 at 9 a.m. CDT

OTTAWA, ON, July 22, 2021 /CNW/ -

Thursday, July 22, 2021, Winnipeg, Manitoba

1:00 p.m CDT  Minister Hajdu will announce funding and launch the 2021 national call for proposals through the Substance Use and Addictions Program. A media availability will follow the announcement.

Location:

Memorial Garden  Stephen Juba Park, approximately 288 Waterfront Dr, Winnipeg, MB

2:30 p.m CDT  Minister Hajdu will visit the Ma Mawi Chi Itata Centre, an Indigenous community and program service provider. The centre currently provides COVID-19 rapid testing and vaccinations, and recently received funding through the Government of Canada's Immunization Partnership Fund.

Please note due to indoor gathering restrictions this will be closed to media.

SOURCE Health Canada

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SALISBURY, Md., July 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of a commitment to education, The Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Perdue Farms, joined The Richard A. Henson Foundation today in awarding matching $1.25 million grants to Junior Achievement of the Eastern Shore. The funds will help create the Perdue Henson Junior Achievement Center, a 25,000-square foot, state-of-the-art experiential learning center, ensuring the financial literacy of students for future generations.

The Perdue Foundation and Richard A. Henson Foundation donated matching $1.25 million grants to help fund the new Junior Achievement Center in Salisbury, Md. From (L to R) are Stacey McMichael, exec. director of the Henson Foundation; Steve Farrow, Henson Foundation board member; Jayme Hayes, president of JA of the Eastern Shore; Chris Perdue, director of e-commerce at Perdue and JA Center campaign council member; Kim Nechay, Perdue Foundation exec. director; Jim Perdue, chairman of Perdue Farms

"This will be a true game-changer for the students on the Eastern Shore, our community, and for thousands of students in our region who deserve real-world experiences that prepare them for the future," said Junior Achievement of the Eastern Shore President and CEO Jayme Hayes. "It will enhance our ability to impact more youth with experiential programming that fuels the workforce pipeline and ensures that area youth grow into career-ready, financially responsible, and entrepreneurially minded citizens."

The Perdue Henson Junior Achievement Center is scheduled to open in Perdue's hometown in Fall 2023. Junior Achievement (JA) of the Eastern Shore has launched a $5.5 million capital campaign to fund the facility. JA also received an anonymous $1 million donation, bringing the total of the campaign to $3.5 million.

"At Perdue Farms, we are committed to improving the quality of life in our communities. Junior Achievement of the Eastern Shore is such an asset to our hometown community, and the future of financial education for students in the region is about to get a lot more fun thanks to the opportunities available through the Perdue Henson Junior Achievement Center," said Jim Perdue, Chairman of Perdue Farms. "It is because of the foresight of Frank Perdue and Mr. Henson that, together through our Foundations, we can carry on their philanthropic legacies with this joint gift to a program they both helped bring to the Eastern Shore decades ago."

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The Perdue Henson Junior Achievement Center will house Junior Achievement's capstone programs, Biztown and Finance Park, as well as a Career Center. These programs include an in-classroom curriculum that culminates in an engaging real-life simulation to help students learn crucial life skills. A mock city will provide students the opportunity to build a foundation upon which they can make intelligent financial decisions that last a lifetime.

There are 58 similar Junior Achievement facilities in the U.S., including three in Maryland and one in northern Delaware. It is the first facility on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

"This new Perdue Henson Junior Achievement Center will help to continue to provide hands-on learning experiences to middle and high school students across the Eastern Shore. We are incredibly proud of the work of Junior Achievement and the hundreds of volunteers annually, helping to elevate and prepare our youth for exciting futures," said Greg Olinde, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Richard A. Henson Foundation.

This facility will serve students from eight of the nine counties on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Accomack County in Virginia. Upon completion, JA estimates that more than 10,000 students will visit the facility each year. It is planned that during the K-12 experience, students will visit the center three different times above and beyond their two to three in-classroom interactions as well.

About Junior Achievement of the Eastern Shore

Junior Achievement of the Eastern Shore has been serving Delmarva since 1985 teaching students about financial literacy, workforce readiness, and entrepreneurship. To learn more about Junior Achievement and this project, visit www.easternshoreja.org

About The Richard A. Henson Foundation

The Richard A. Henson Foundation was established to provide for and to assure the continuation of the philanthropic spirit, objectives, and ideals of Richard A. Henson to enrich the quality of life primarily in the Greater Salisbury, Md., area and to provide challenging opportunities and act as a catalyst for the better of the community. Richard A. Henson was an aviation pioneer, entrepreneur, civic leader and philanthropist. He founded Henson Aviation in the Depression-era 1930s in Hagerstown, Md. He later moved the company to Salisbury, Md., and sold it to Piedmont Airlines in 1983. To learn more about the Foundation, visit www.richardhensonfoundation.org.

About the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation



The Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Perdue Farms, was established in 1957 by company founder Arthur W. Perdue and is funded through the estates of Arthur W. Perdue and Frank Perdue. As part of our belief in supporting the communities where and with whom we do business, the Foundation provides grants on behalf of Perdue Farms in communities where large numbers of our associates live and work. At Perdue Farms, we believe in responsible food and agriculture.

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.

Perdue Farms Logo

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SOURCE Perdue Farms
In terms of energy resources, Australia is truly blessed. The island-nation is already an important fossil fuel exporter with the potential to become a heavyweight in the upcoming renewables sector. Its enormous landmass is dominated by large deserts with an abundance of solar and wind energy which could herald the next development phase of Australia's energy sector. The latest announcements underscore the likely scenario that the country will remain an indispensable and influential part of the worlds energy system.

A lucrative business

The resource base for Australias energy sector is impressive. The country is already the worlds largest exporter of coal. Low domestic demand means that producers can ship significant quantities to international buyers. In 2018, Australian mines produced 301.1 Mtoe of coal of which 249.4 was exported, accounting for a market share of 29 percent of the global total.

In addition, Australia has quickly ramped up the production of LNG during the past decade, even overtaking Qatar at one point to become the worlds largest exporter. In 2019, the country produced 88 million tonnes while the Arab state produced 77. Geography is a major advantage due to Australias proximity to the world's largest buyers in East Asia such as Japan, South Korea, and China.

LNG

The countrys economic interests in the fossil fuels business have consequences. Criticism is growing for Australias weak track record on sustainability and continued support for coal and natural gas. However, the inescapable truth of climate change is influencing voters' perception of the energy business. The evidence is undeniable that natural disasters are growing both in numbers and ferocity.

At the same time, the fossil fuel industry employs thousands and is an important source of revenue for the government. Therefore, the transition is not easy for a liberal-national coalition that has been in power since 2013 and prides itself on the country's economic achievements. It seems, however, that the political establishment has changed its opinion on renewables as massive projects provide a sustainable alternative.

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Renewables and hydrogen

The potential of Australias future renewables sector is massive due to sun-scorched deserts and windy coastal regions. The enormous Sun Cable project could provide the countrys northern cities, such as Darwin, with electricity while exporting a significant chunk. Singapore is willing to import the electricity through a yet-to-be-built 3,750 kilometers subsea pipeline that could provide the city-state with 20 percent of its energy needs.

The technical difficulties and the projects estimated price tag of $22 billion are serious challenges. If all goes according to plan, construction could start in late 2023 after a financial close in the same year. According to Michael Gunner, Chief Minister of Australias Northern Territory, massive projects dont happen overnight and this is genuinely massive.

Related: Oil Prices Crash After OPEC+ Reaches Deal To Ease Cuts

Furthermore, in the past few years, hydrogen has become an important topic where Australias potential is significant. With the availability of large volumes of cheap electricity produced from solar and wind becoming a certainty, green hydrogen could decarbonize major industries.

Due to the significant losses in the electrolysis process to produce hydrogen, cheap electricity is a necessity. Australias sun and wind potential combined with vast open territories, low population density, and a business-friendly government make it an ideal choice. The recently announced Western Green Energy Hub is currently the worlds largest announced renewables project.

The initiative includes a massive 50 GW of solar and wind that would cover 5,900 square miles (or 15,000 square kilometers) which is half the size of Belgium. With a price tag of $75 billion, it costs three times more than the Sun Cable project.

The vast majority is intended for export purposes. According to Martin Tengler, BloombergNEFs lead hydrogen analyst, while its too early to tell, most of the hydrogen will be exportedThe question will be how much demand Japan and Korea will have by then and how much they can supply domestically.

The project is intended to reach its financial close in October 2023. There remains a healthy dose of uncertainty about whether it will come to fruition. Nevertheless, Australia's significant environmental potential, geographic advantages, and necessity of alternatives for its coal and natural gas industries ensure continued interest from the government's perspective. If the international economic outlook remains upbeat, expect more positive news from Australia.

By Gerald Jansen for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:

Read this article on OilPrice.com
12:20 p.m.

The Prime Minister will participate in the National Summit on Islamophobia.
By Michael Shields

ZURICH (Reuters) -Swiss drugmaker Roche said on Thursday that strong demand for COVID-19 tests had helped it rebound from a weak start to the year, as it posted better-than-expected sales for the first half.

However, the Basel-based company flagged an anticipated slowdown in demand for the tests, which have helped it fare better than some drugmakers as the number of routine hospital visits and demand for other medicines fell during the pandemic.

"As expected, demand for COVID-19 tests peaked in the second quarter and is likely to decrease in the second half of the year (although this) depends on how the pandemic develops," Chief Executive Severin Schwan said on a call with reporters, adding that there were still significant uncertainties.

Overall sales in the six months to June rose by 8% at constant currency rates to 30.71 billion Swiss francs ($33.48 billion) with core earnings up 6% to 10.56 francs per share. Analysts on average had expected sales of 29.93 billion francs and earnings of 10.10 francs per share, according to Jefferies.

Roche's shares were down 1.6% to 350.15 Swiss francs by 1204 GMT, the biggest decliner on the European pharmaceuticals index.

Strong momentum in other routine testing also boosted sales at the diagnostics division, which masked a 3% decline in pharmaceutical sales in the first six months.

ZKB analysts acknowledged that turnover was "significantly" better than expected, but said the lift from diagnostics was more likely to be considered a "flash in the pan".

Roche offers tests for everything from active COVID-19 infections to the antibodies that document immunity after somebody has been infected or vaccinated.

It is also in discussions with U.S. authorities over the use of its Gantenerumab drug as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease, which if approved could see it become a blockbuster.

Roche, which expects to increase its dividend this year, maintained its forecast for 2021 sales to grow at a low- to mid-single-digit rate at constant exchange rates, with core earnings per share growing by a similar amount.

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"This virus will stay with us, it will continue to mutate, and as such there will be a continued need for vaccines, for new vaccines and boosters, as well as tests and medicines," CEO Schwan said.

JPMorgan analysts, however, said the move to leave guidance unchanged after a strong first-half performance could be seen as conservative.

($1 = 0.9174 Swiss francs)

(Reporting by Michael Shields in Zurich and Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru; Editing by Edmund Blair and Kirsten Donovan)
DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla., July 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- All Star Healthcare Solutions, a full-service healthcare staffing company specializing in locum tenens and permanent job opportunities, announced today that it has earned Energage's 2021 Top Workplaces National Culture Excellence quarterly employer recognition awards for Compensation and Formal Training.

All Star Healthcare Solutions Wins 2021 Top Workplaces National Culture Awards for Compensation and Formal Training

The Compensation Award goes to organizations that achieve the highest scores for employees stating they believe the pay they receive is fair for the work they do. The Formal Training Award is testimony that an organization is providing the formal training employees want for their careers.

"Our people are our most treasured assets," said Keith Shattuck, All Star's CEO. "Receiving recognition because they feel valued and amply compensated for the important work they do  as well as effectively prepared to grow and thrive at All Star  is extremely meaningful. We care about them and are grateful to have them on our team. And we appreciate the 'Red Carpet' Service they deliver to our providers, client facilities, patients, community, and each other. Their personal and professional development is a top priority, and we're absolutely dedicated to giving them the tools and training they need to succeed."

Last quarter, All Star earned employer recognition awards in four categories: Appreciation, Direction, Empowering Employees, and Values. The company also received the Specialty Award for Training as part of the Sun Sentinel's Top Workplaces awards earlier this year.

In addition to these prestigious awards, All Star also received seven Culture Badges from Energage for 2021, which highlight an organization's strongest culture drivers. It reached the top five percent for Employee Appreciation, and top 25 percent for Leaders In-The-Know, Meaningful Work, Company Direction, Clued-In Employees, Cross-Team Cooperation, and Strong Values.

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Shattuck added, "We are honored by these remarkable distinctions and humbled by this heartening feedback from our All Star family."

About All Star Healthcare Solutions

All Star Healthcare Solutions is one of the fastest-growing healthcare staffing companies in the country. Founded in 2003 and based in Deerfield Beach, Florida, the company places physicians and advanced practitioners on locum tenens (i.e., temporary) assignments and in permanent positions at hospitals, health systems, medical practices, clinics, and other healthcare facilities throughout the United States, delivering exceptional care to patients who might otherwise go without it.

All Star Healthcare Solutions Logo (PRNewsfoto/All Star Recruiting)

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SOURCE All Star Healthcare Solutions
Two teenagers have been arrested following a pursuit in Stafford Monday involving a stolen vehicle, authorities said.

Sheriffs spokeswoman Sarah Maroney said the Sheriffs Office was called to the area of Widewater Road about 3 p.m. for a report of a reckless driver. The caller provided a picture of the Volkswagen Jetta that showed the license number.

Deputy R.T. Kulbeth ran the tags and learned that the car had been reported stolen in Prince William. A short time later, Kulbeth spotted the vehicle on Norman Road near the Pick-A-Part.

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As Kulbeth approached the vehicle, the driver got out and fled on foot. Kulbeth was chasing the suspect when he heard the vehicle accelerating toward him. Maroney said the deputy ran out of the vehicles path and saw that it was being driven by the male who had been in the passengers seat.

Other deputies responded to search for the suspects. The teen who had allegedly driven toward Kulbeth was forced to drive back toward Pick-A-Part because there was no other road out of the area, Maroney said.

The 17-year-old Woodbridge boy was ordered out of the vehicle and taken into custody without further incident. A credit card belonging to the cars owner was found in his possession.
The next steps are uncertain, but the bipartisan group insists it is close to a deal and expects to finish soon.

Were voting no today because were not ready, but were saying we do want to take up this bill as soon as we are, said Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, a leader of the effort. I think thatll be Monday.

At least 11 Republicans signed on to a letter to Schumer saying they would vote yes to proceed on Monday, if certain details about the package are ready.

Republican Sen. Todd Young of Indiana was among the Republicans who signed the letter and said he was cautiously optimistic they can reach a bipartisan deal.

Restless Democrats, who are facing a crowded calendar while trying to deliver on Biden's priorities, nevertheless said they are willing to wait if a deal is within reach.

"Im willing to give it another chance next week, said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. But we need to fish or cut bait.

The senators in the bipartisan group were joined for a private lunch ahead of the vote by the two leaders of the Houses Problem Solvers Caucus, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., a bipartisan group generally supportive of the effort.
"Moreover, the applicant ... makes it abundantly clear that she has no intention of running a commercial riding and boarding stable on the property. It is intended solely for the applicants personal use," Ulfelder said at the meeting, adding that he had visited the property and wanted to personally thank the Youngkins for reinvigorating equestrian use of the property and for good stewardship of the land.

Later, at the June 2020 meeting of the board of supervisors, Suzanne Youngkin said that while she didn't intend commercial use, she was leaving open the possibility that she would "share" one of the barns, according to a video on the county's website.

The Youngkins did not seek a commercial operation and don't intend to, the campaign said. They overhauled the farm, according to the Normandy Farm website, which calls it a "Premier, boutique barn and historic horse farm located just 18 miles from the heart of Washington, D.C. dedicated to the well-being and training of equine athletes. ... With state-of-the-art facilities, full-service care, the area's top trainers and care-givers, attention to detail and a club-like environment, The Stable at Normandy Farm excels at providing a high-end, healthy environment for horses and riders alike."

The Youngkin campaign said the training and boarding on the farm is minimal.
Methodist Fremont Health is the latest collection site for the Mothers Milk Bank of Iowas milk collection program.

Milk from approved donors will be collected at Methodist Fremont Health, gathered by the Mothers Milk Bank of Iowa and dispensed to locations across the United States. The program launched earlier this month, according to a press release.

Methodist Fremont Health is the fourth collection site in Nebraska. Methodist Womens Hospital in Elkhorn and Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs, Iowa, also serve as milk depot collection locations.

Other depots are located in Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

The Mothers Milk Bank of Iowa donated 86% of its milk to 52 hospitals in 13 states.

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We are very pleased to be part of this important initiative and to help meet the essential nutritional needs of babies throughout the country, said Tracy Moore, lactation consultant and OB nurse navigator at Methodist Fremont Health in a press release. We know we have many moms in our community and area who will be interested in participating, and we cant wait to help make a difference in the lives of other families.
JOHNSON LAKE  A 3-year-old girl drowned after falling into Johnson Lake without a life jacket Wednesday evening.

Avery Grace Mendiola was riding a floatation toy, without a life jacket, when it drifted out of the swim beach area near Medos Resort. Witnesses told members of the Gosper County Sheriffs Office the toy flipped over and the child fell in the water.

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The Lexington Volunteer Fire Department dive team and Nebraska Game and Parks searched the lake, starting around 6 p.m., until the search was called off around 10:30 p.m.

The search resumed at 6:30 a.m. on Thursday and her body was recovered about 7:30 a.m. northwest of where she fell in the water.

An autopsy will be conducted, according to the Gosper County Sheriffs Office.

The Gosper County Sheriffs Office was assisted by Elwood Fire and Rescue, the Nebraska State Patrol and the Dawson County Sheriffs Office.

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Figures from the NHS on Thursday showed a record 618,903 alerts were sent to users of the app in England and Wales in the week ending July 14.

Many critics say the app is being unfairly singled out and that the widespread pinging has more to do with a sharp increase in infections the U.K. is recording as a result of the spread of the more contagious delta variant and the lifting of lockdown restrictions.

The worry is that the sight of empty shelves may prompt consumers to start panic-buying again, creating a self-perpetuating cycle. Though retailers insist there is no need for customers to change their shopping habits, calls have grown for the government to radically change the isolation rules to limit the number of absentees and the ensuing impact on the economy.

The British Retail Consortium, for example, wants the government to exempt fully vaccinated workers, or those who test negative for the virus, from the requirements of a ping.

What we are seeing is pockets of issues in specific places where case numbers are particularly high, and the most important thing is that the government acts now before the situation does get more serious, so we dont see more empty shelves in more places, British Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson said.
A war of words between Pakistan and Afghanistan has escalated dramatically on social media and reverberated up the political ranks, threatening a diplomatic breakdown and highlighting security concerns in the region.

An Afghan vice president taunted Pakistanis on July 22 with an image from a humiliating national defeat a half-century ago and accused "thousands of Pakistani activists" of celebrating Taliban militants' recent gains in Afghanistan.

Senior Pakistani officials meanwhile accused their Afghan counterparts of being "hyenas" and "spoilers" who issue "idiotic statements" aimed at thwarting peace efforts.

The public drama follows Kabul's accusations that Pakistan's military is protecting Taliban fighters who are furiously battling Afghan government forces as international troops withdraw -- a charge that Pakistan has rejected.

It also follows both sides' withdrawal of their ambassadors after an allegation that the daughter of the Afghan envoy to Islamabad was abducted last week and "tortured" before being released, although Pakistani officials have rejected that account.

Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh posted a historical photo of Pakistan surrendering what is now Bangladesh to end the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, vowing that "we don't have such a picture in our history and won't ever have."

"Talibn [sic] & terrorism won't heal the trauma of this picture," Saleh tweeted. "Find other ways."

Pakistani national-security adviser Moeed Yusuf in turn accused senior Afghan officials of "embarrassing" their country with "idiotic statements" and "vitriolic and delusional statements" intended to divert attention "from their own failures."

Yusuf insisted Pakistan was "committed" to encouraging an inclusive political settlement in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan has long accused Pakistan of supporting armed Taliban elements, and the United States in 2018 suspended military aid to Islamabad amid reports of frustration that Pakistan was providing safe havens for fighters and cross-border attacks.

Pakistani authorities pledged to fully investigate the alleged kidnapping of Afghan Ambassador Najib Alikhil's daughter while she was riding in a taxi in Islamabad on July 16. But Pakistani Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said that after reviewing closed-circuit footage and searching 200 taxi cabs the authorities concluded "There is no case of kidnapping."

Taliban Surge

Pakistani and Afghan officials have sparred publicly for decades over the ongoing threat from cross-border violence by Pakistani-based Taliban and other militants.

But the recent accusations take on added gravity with Taliban militants overtaking dozens of districts since U.S.-led international forces officially began withdrawing after two decades in Afghanistan.

Saleh last week accused Pakistan's air force of radioing a threat to Afghan warplanes "trying to conduct an air strike on the Taliban and their Pakistani militias," in the words of a spokesman.

Rezwan Murad, the spokesman for Saleh, told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi on July 16 that the threats in question were "recorded voices and the messages are saved."

After Saleh taunted Pakistan with the 1971 image of surrender to pro-Bangladeshi militants on July 22, Pakistani Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry responded bluntly via Twitter.

"Afghanistan belongs to brave people of Afghanistan unlike hyenas [sic] like you, a bunch of you have little interest in Afghanistan or even this region you are just a scavenger will fly to safe heavens when the time [will] be up," Chaudhry tweeted.

Intra-Afghan talks begun last year in Doha between government and Taliban representatives have mostly stalled.

Meanwhile, the Taliban has waged major offensives all over the country and taken control of sparsely populated districts, including areas on Afghanistan's borders with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said during a regional conference last week that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had "unfairly" accused Islamabad of playing a "negative role" in the Afghan peace process.

He said his country "will be most affected by turmoil in Afghanistan," adding, "The last thing Pakistan wants is more conflict."

Khan also suggested that waiting to negotiate seriously with the Taliban until after international troops' withdrawal was announced was a mistake.

"[W]hy would they listen to us when they are sensing victory?" Khan asked.

Based on reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal, RFE/RL's Radio Azadi, Dawn, and The Diplomat
DUSHANBE -- Amid swift Taliban advances in northern Afghanistan, Mohammad Zaher felt that fleeing to neighboring Tajikistan was his only chance to survive.



Zaher -- the head of a border communications unit in the Khwahan district of the northeastern province of Badakhshan -- is among the hundreds of Afghan forces who have crossed the border into Tajikistan in search of safety since late June.



Afghan National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib said on July 6 that 2,300 Afghan personnel who fled to Tajikistan had rejoined the Afghan National Defense and Security Force (ANDSF). A Tajik security official told RFE/RL's Tajik Service on July 7 that some 600 Afghan servicemen had been flown back to Afghanistan.



Zaher said resisting the Taliban was a losing battle as a large group from the local Public Uprising Forces had decided to join the militant group and fight pro-government troops. The forces -- which include volunteers -- fight under the umbrella of the government to help maintain security in different areas of the country.



Zaher added that the group had a significant amount of arms and ammunition.



"The Public Uprising Force seized government equipment and struck a deal with the Taliban. We no longer had the strength to resist and came to Tajikistan," Zaher told RFE/RL.



Like Zaher, Afghan soldier Mohammad Vali said fighting the Taliban with little support was "suicide." Therefore, he and his colleagues retreated across the Tajik border.



Zaher and Vali spoke to RFE/RL's Tajik Service on July 5 from the city of Kulob. They are believed to have returned to Afghanistan.



But the fighting in Afghanistan could force more soldiers to retreat to Tajikistan and other neighboring countries, including Uzbekistan, where many have also already fled.

Rapid Gains



Local officials in Badakhshan told Radio Azadi that 26 of the 28 districts in the northern province have fallen to the Taliban advance. Tajik officials have said the Taliban now controls 900 kilometers of the 1,357-kilometer border with Tajikistan.



The Taliban currently has control of more than half of Afghanistan's 398 districts -- most of those falling since U.S. and other international forces began their withdrawal from the war-torn country on May 1.

The extremist group's rapid gains amid the near complete pullout of U.S. forces have created major concern in Afghanistan and neighboring countries, which fear an influx of refugees and potential instability.



"The retreat of military forces without a fight and the evacuation of Badakhshan [by government forces] has shocked people and confronts them with questions and doubt," the Afghan daily Hashte Sobh wrote in a recent commentary, noting that many of Badakhshan's districts had fallen like dominoes in a few days.



Some of the Taliban advances have been met without a major fight amid the retreat of some Afghan forces and the surrender of others. Afghan officials have said that, in some cases, the retreat of government forces was tactical.

On July 8, the Taliban captured Afghanistan's main border crossing with Iran in the latest advance amid a series of attacks on government-controlled districts by the militia group, which has become emboldened as the result of the foreign forces' withdrawal.



Some Afghan border guards and servicemen were even reported to have fled to Iran's side of the border. Local officials said government forces in two districts in the western province of Herat had retreated to avoid civilian casualties.



Massouda Karokhi, a female member of the Afghan parliament, suggested that in some districts in the country servicemen feel that fighting the Taliban does not make sense.



"The soldiers there don't have any support: they don't receive food and are not provided with any facilities so they say 'why should I sit here with nothing and fight the Taliban -- it makes more sense for me to surrender my arms and go,'" Karokhi said in an interview with Noor TV.

Government Pushback



In some cases, Afghan forces have managed push the Taliban back and regain control of some districts. In Qala-e Naw, the capital of Badghis, officials told Radio Azadi on July 7 that government forces had repelled the Taliban after the militant group managed to enter the city and take control of some government buildings.



Enayat Najafizada, the founder and CEO of the Kabul-based Institute of War and Peace Studies, told RFE/RL that the withdrawal of U.S. forces has affected the morale of Afghan forces.



"Poor military leadership and bad governance at the local level are some of the factors behind the fall of the districts and army checkpoints," he added.



"Nevertheless, in places where the [ANDSF] and the local uprising forces stood against the Taliban, not only did the Taliban fail to gain any territory, but its forces were also thoroughly defeated," he said.

In some areas -- particularly in the north -- the Taliban has in the past worked with community elders in order to persuade soldiers to surrender and abandon their posts, Najafizada said, adding that in some cases the tactic had been affective.



"These community elders were challenging the Afghan forces by asking them: 'Who are you fighting? Why are you defending people when you're not getting paid on time?'"



Yet Najafizada believes that as the United States and NATO continue their military, political, and technical support to the Afghan government, it will be "in a very good position."



Afghan President Ashraf Ghani admitted on July 8 that his country faced a difficult situation as U.S. troops depart the country. But he insisted that government forces could handle the challenge and withstand Taliban forces.

With reporting by Radio Azadi
Afghanistan's Interior Ministry has accused Taliban fighters of raiding homes and killing at least 100 civilians in attacks in the southern Kandahar Province, near the border with Pakistan.

The accusation, which could not be independently confirmed, was made by ministry spokesman Mirwais Stanekzai, who was quoted by Tolo News as saying the "brutal terrorists" had "ambushed the homes of innocent Afghans in certain areas of the Spin Boldak border town, looted the homes, and martyred 100 innocent people."

The head of Kandahar Central Hospital, Mohammad Daud Farhad, told Radio Azadi late on July 21 that in the preceding 10 days, 346 wounded had been brought to Mirwais Hospital from Kandahar's war zones, including Kandahar City, Dand District, and Spin Boldak.

"As a result of the fighting in Kandahar, 77 bodies have also been brought to our hospital in the last 10 days, most of them unidentified, and it seems that many civilians are among those killed," Farhad said.

Taliban fighters are said to control most of Spin Boldak.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied the group's involvement in the killing of civilians, Tolo reported.

The report of the Spin Boldak deaths comes with Taliban militants reportedly winning control of dozens of districts around the country since the U.S.-led international forces officially began their withdrawal on May 1.

The Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman alleged that the attackers in Spin Boldak had acted on orders from "bosses" across the border in Pakistan, which is on increasingly tense terms with its neighbor since Kabul last week accused Islamabad of sheltering wounded Taliban fighters during Afghan military operations.

Islamabad has rejected allegations of support for violence, and senior Pakistani officials reiterated on July 22 that they are committed to peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Tolo quoted a member of the Kandahar Provincial Council, Fida Mohammad Afghan, as saying that unidentified gunmen had pulled two of his sons from his home in Spin Boldak this week and shot them to death.

He suggested those gunmen were not associated with the Taliban but that "whoever they are, they must be apprehended and they must be brought to justice."

With reporting by TOLOnews and RFE/RL's Radio Azadi
The Taliban controls 90 percent of Afghanistan's borders, a spokesman for the group told Russian media on July 22 as militants continue to make territorial advances across the war-torn country while U.S.-led foreign forces near the completion of their pullout.

"Afghanistan's borders with Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran, or about 90 percent of the border, are under our control," Zabihullah Mujahid told the RIA Novosti news agency, a claim that could not be independently verified.



Mujahid's claim came a day after the top U.S. general said the Taliban controls almost half of the country's roughly 420 district centers.

General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said July 21 that the Taliban appears to have the "strategic momentum" in their sweeping offensive, added that the militants' victory is far from assured.



However, Milley said that the militants controlled none of Afghanistan's main cities, and Afghan government troops are "consolidating their forces" to protect residents of major cities.

"A Taliban automatic military takeover is not a foregone conclusion," he said.



Tajikistan, one of Afghanistan's Central Asian neighbors, on July 22, held a large-scale military check -- the first of its kind in the country's 30-year history.

The Taliban's offensives in recent weeks have forced Afghan refugees and government troops to flee across the Tajik border.

Russia, which maintains bases in Central Asia, said it would stage military drills with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan near the border with Afghanistan next month.

With reporting by AFP, Reuters, and AP
Pikes Peak Library District's 2021 All Pikes Peak Reads program will feature two adult selections, a teen selection and a children's title, and includes the 2020 biography "Hidden Valley Road," by Robert Kolker, about the Colorado Springs Galvin family who dealt with schizophrenia in six of the 10 sons. The books are available now at all PPLD branches and online at ppld.org.
The Bench, 424 S. Nevada Ave., posted a farewell on Facebook on July 5, announcing the last day of business was July 11. Owners Tyler and Jenny Sherman opened the neighborhood Colorado Springs bar in 2018.

The attraction of our extremely desirable location and the continued development of our great city proved to be a combination that was too much for a mom-and-pop restaurant to stand in the way of, the announcement said. Were currently looking for a new location and are excited about what the future holds.

The bar and cafe location was also home to the Garrison Tavern before The Bench was launched.

In the meantime, stay tuned to social media for updates and visit the couples other restaurant, Odyssey Gastropub, 311 N. Tejon St., where some of the dishes from The Bench menu might appear here and there.
Alonzo Bodden will be at 3E's Comedy Club Friday and Saturday. The Los Angeles-based comic was the winner of season three of NBC's "Last Comic Standing" in 2004. He's also a regular panel member on the NPR news quiz show, "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me."
State health officials Tuesday night "strongly" recommended school districts use layers of infection control efforts such as masking and distancing, but they stopped short of mandating any measure, instead leaving those decisions to local policymakers.

In a document released by the state Department of Public Health and Environment, officials urged using a mix of masking, distancing, hand washing, improved ventilation and other prevention measures. Those recommendations were especially aimed at areas with high disease spread, and the officials wrote that areas or individual schools with vaccination rates below 70% "should continue to use heightened COVID-19 protections."

"When schools and/or their communities have low vaccination rates and are experiencing high rates of community transmission ... the local public health agency should work with schools and school districts to institute higher precautionary measures," the officials wrote in the guidance. Those measures include "masking, increased physical distancing, COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, targeted quarantining, (and) limiting high risk activities."

The state's recommendations follow guidance released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which also supports -- but doesn't require -- masking in elementary school students who aren't yet able to be vaccinated. But they clash with more stringent guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which earlier this week recommended masking for all students, vaccinated or otherwise, over the age of 2.

Two Colorado health experts said masking was the safe, "logical" approach, but both acknowledged the "politicization of masking."

"Given the large numbers of unvaccinated school children (including all kids under 12 years), I believe that a universal mask-wearing policy in schools will be a very beneficial and low-cost strategy to reduce transmission," Glen Mays, of the Colorado School of Public Health, said in an email Wednesday. "I anticipate that many school districts will need to consider such a policy this fall, despite the fact that mask requirements remain unpopular among some groups."

Masks were required when school was in session for in-person learning last year. But the state officially removed that requirement in early July while also relaxing outbreak requirements that had prompted disruptions to in-person learning. The same day the order ending the school-masking requirement was released, five members of the state Board of Education released a letter urging Gov. Jared Polis to use "little to no state-level regulation of in-person learning" for the coming academic year.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Polis embraced that position.

"It is of course up to individuals and families and schools exactly how they integrate mask wearing, testing, into promoting a safe school environment," he said. "In different areas of the state, there's a different social license and a different balance, and we really respect that local ability to implement the guidance that we've issued at the state level, echoing the best science from the national level."

Amie Baca-Oehlert, president of the Colorado Education Association, similarly placed the focus on local leaders, but the association would like to see all of the CDC's guidance followed. In a statement, she urged local officials to "seek the counsel of educators; the professionals who are with students all day, ever day."

Mays said requiring masking was a "logical and feasible protection. And Jon Samet, the dean of the public health school, called the pandemic's picture in August "worrisome" with school returning and the benefits of summer -- no school and warm weather -- ending.

"School re-opening will bring more mixing," he said, adding that "requiring masks per the (American Academy of Pediatrics) is a 'no-regrets' strategy. Probably helps some and is without harm  setting aside the politicization of masks."
The Fountain City Council approved a request last week that will add nearly 1,200 single- and multi-family homes, a new school and several businesses on the citys northeastern boundary.

The council unanimously approved a new design plan for an approximately 275-acre development called Corvallis, located south of Fontaine Boulevard and west of Marksheffel Road. It will be along a rapidly growing corridor surrounded by other developments, including Banning Lewis Ranch to the north and Lorson Ranch to the east.

Last weeks approval overrides a previous master plan approved in 1989 for residential and commercial development in this area, known as Crescent Heights, Fountain Planning Supervisor Kristy Martinez said. Since then, the property has been used for agricultural grazing, but now owner HPHR Properties LLC will develop the land in a similar manner to the 1989 master plan, she said.

Corvallis will include at most 1,180 single- and multi-family homes, a 12-acre elementary school site for the Widefield School District, about 45 acres of open space, and 36 acres of retail, restaurant and office space, said Jason Alwine of Matrix Design Group, the planner and engineering firm for the Corvallis development. A future public safety center site, which Fountains fire and police departments could use, is also planned, he said.

The controversial proposal drew criticism from adjacent residents concerned there wont be enough water to support additional development. They also worried traffic would increase as more people moved into an area they said is already crowded.

Stop sardining us, said Rachel Detoy, who lives in Cottonwood Grove, directly to the east of the proposed development. What are we doing? Cookie-cutter, close-proximity houses. Hows that quality of living in Colorado?

When developers brought the new design plan to city planners they first sought to build 1,794 single- and multi-family homes in Corvallis, Alwine said. But after some community pushback the developer reduced the number of homes back down to a maximum of 1,180, matching what was originally approved 32 years ago, he said.

The new plan calls for 275 acres of space compared with the 308 acres approved in the original plan, which boosts density from 3.38 units per acre to 4.29 units an acre, he said.

The developer also removed 33 acres  or 51%  of commercial space, reduced Corvallis residential areas to 57% of the overall development, and increased parks and open space from the originally approved 13 acres up to 46 acres, meeting documents show.

Were a little smaller at 257 acres versus 308, Alwine said. But we have less residential acreage even though we have the same amount of units.

Detoy said water supply is a concern because Fountain currently owns enough water to serve just over the equivalent of 1,200 taps, and developers have said they envision quadrupling the city's size up to about 40,000 homes. Fountain City Manager Scott Trainer has said the citys chances of adding more than 30,000 homes are slim to none.

Is it going to be like this in the future? Detoy said. To approve a plan without looking at the devastation it could have on the future is irresponsible. Its immoral.

The Widefield Water and Sanitation District will provide water and wastewater services to the new development. The district has indicated it has enough water to supply Corvallis, planners said. The Widefield and Security water and sanitation districts serve about 20% of Fountains land.

Residents were also concerned about increased traffic in an area where they said it is already an issue. The site is located at the intersection of Fontaine Boulevard and Marksheffel Road, two of the citys major roadways.

Were going to continue to grow with these new development plans, and traffic is a huge, huge issue. Its going to become worse, said Traci Herrera, who lives in The Glen at Widefield, south of Corvallis.

Developers plan to widen Fontaine Boulevard and will complete road connections to The Glen at Widefield to provide multiple north and south access routes to Fontaine Boulevard, Mesa Ridge Parkway, the proposed elementary school and commercial areas within Corvallis, Alwine said.

The cities of Fountain and Colorado Springs, El Paso County and the Colorado Department of Transportation are also involved in discussions about how to improve roadways and address traffic locally, Alwine said.

Those studies are happening today whether or not this project gets approved or moved forward, he said.
Colorado Springs Utilities is aiming to help encourage housing construction by setting aside money to help cover the cost of infrastructure. This year, it is setting aside $2 million specifically for housing projects that will serve low-income residents.
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 62F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 62F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.
Iconic and historical buildings in Colorado Springs help serve as reminders of key eras  the wealth of the gold mining days can be seen in the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, and the tuberculosis huts scattered around the city help remind us of when patients flocked to town for the dry air.
Looking north toward Castle Rock, heavy traffic moves along Interstate 25 in December 2016. As work to widen the Gap between Monument and Castle Rock expands, state and regional officials have launched I-25 MyWay to incentivize commuters to use public transportation or carpool options to reduce traffic congestion along the construction area.
"Did you do any research, did you confirm with any other experts: 'Hey, is this guy just making this up or is this true,' or did you just take it at face value and include it based on that?"
Colorado requires accessibility to state, local government websites

Colorado now requires that both state and local government agencies meet website accessibility standards.

HB-1110, signed by Gov. Jared Polis on June 30, calls for the states Office of Information Technology (OIT) to develop web accessibility standards and hire a software developer to help state agencies implement them, according to a report in Colorado News Online.

The legislation requires state agencies to submit website accessibility plans to OIT by July 1, 2022, and implement them by July 1, 2024. Local agencies must also meet OITs standards by July of 2024.

Agencies that havent implemented the accessibility features and consequently exclude people with disabilities from receiving services or benefits could face penalties including a court order to fix the websites, monetary damages or a fine of $3,500.

State and local agencies are already required to meet accessibility standards under the Americans with Disabilities Act, but adding protections to state laws means discrimination lawsuits can be filed in state court instead of just federal court.

Advocates said they hoped the new law will get governments into compliance with the standards of the ADA, the news outlet said.
Rural water utilities vulnerable to cyberattacks

Water utilities in some small and rural communities may be vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks because they are understaffed and havent been trained on compliance with federal regulations, state and local infrastructure advocates told a Senate panel.

"People don't see what's going on in our small towns," said Sophia Oberton, special projects coordinator for the Delmar Public Works Department in Maryland. "In small areas, you don't have enough employees to cover some of the day-to-day things that need to get done. You need to come down off that chair and come see what's really going on in our areas, and sit down and have conversations and know what the specific needs are. Because each utility is different. Each utility is not the same."

During a July 21 Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing, Oberton urged lawmakers to provide additional funding toward technical training and assistance programs like the Rural Water Circuit Rider Program.

The initiative was launched in 1980 with the goal of providing hands-on federal training and technical assistance to water utility managers and other specialists on a range of issues, including compliance with federal regulations and all other aspects of water utility management. Oberton said the program, though currently underutilized among smaller communities and utilities susceptible to cyberattacks, can provide critical cybersecurity training and technical assistance for those areas and local specialists.

A majority of water utilities, however, have not even fully assessed their own IT assets, according to a June survey from the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Water-ISAC) that included responses from more than 530 organizations. Dozens of firms responded that they were "not sure" if they had experienced a cyber incident.

Other witnesses also stressed the need for further training and funding to meet the cybersecurity goals featured in President Joe Biden's cybersecurity executive order released in May, which outlined aggressive deadlines for all agencies and stakeholders to begin improving their cyber posture.

Shailen Bhatt, president and CEO of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, said some water utilities, other private contractors and federal agencies have been successful in responding to cyberattacks after taking implementing the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Cybersecurity Framework.

"The playbook that I would recommend is the NIST framework for all of the stakeholders," he said. "Their framework for cybersecurity talks about identifying the threats to your system, protecting against those vulnerabilities, detecting attacks on your system, responding to them and then recovering."

This article was first posted to FCW, a sibling site to GCN.
If approved, the settlement will likely be the largest of many in the opioid litigation playing out nationwide. It's expected to bring more than $23 billion to abatement and mitigation efforts to help get treatment for people who are addicted along with other programs to address the crisis. The money would come in 18 annual payments, with the biggest amounts in the next several years.

This is likely to be the biggest group of settlements, but other companies, including OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, generic drugmaker Mallinckrodt and the consulting firm McKinsey have all reached or nearly reached national settlements over opioids, too. Some drugmakers, smaller distributors and pharmacy companies are still being sued by thousands of government entities.

A group of advocacy organizations, public health experts and others are pushing for governments to sign on to a set of principles for how settlement money should be used. They include establishing a dedicated fund for combating the epidemic with the settlement money and making sure that it doesn't just replace other funding streams in the budget.
Prosecutors sent subpoenas to the fire department, the ambulance service and the hospital, seeking all records, audio and video recordings and other files related to Jackson's treatment.

Lawyers for Jackson asked Judge Lars Anderson to quash the subpoenas, saying they covered privileged medical records. They cited an Iowa law that says medical professionals shall not disclose any confidential communication in court proceedings that they obtained from their patients.

Prosecutors argued that Jackson had waived his privilege because police officers called to investigate the homicides were present when he made statements related to his injuries. Eventually, their focus shifted and Jackson became a suspect after speaking with an officer at the hospital.

Anderson sided with prosecutors in a ruling Tuesday, saying that neither Jackson nor medical personnel asked the officers to leave or to give them privacy. That means Jackson waived his privilege, he wrote, citing an Iowa Court of Appeals ruling in a similar case.

Jackson is in custody at the Linn County jail on a $3 million cash-only bond, and faces life in prison if convicted. He's expected to be formally arraigned and plead not guilty later this month.

Authorities have not revealed a motive for the slayings but say Jackson told police that his father had recently told him to get a job or move out of the home. He denied killing his family in the police interview.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Community foundation-sponsored DAFs with less than $1 million would be exempt from the requirement. But donors with more than $1 million in such accounts would qualify for upfront tax benefits only if they distributed at least 5% of their assets annually or gave their money to a charity within 15 years. Under current law, assets can remain in a DAF indefinitely, tax-free.

This is about as common sense a bill as Ive ever seen, said King, who caucuses with Democrats.

The idea of getting a tax deduction today for money that may not be paid out for 50 years makes no sense, the senator added. I understand you might want to put it into a fund and have someone else manage it. But its got to go out within a reasonable period of time. Otherwise, its an abuse of the tax code.

The proposed reforms have opened a rift in philanthropy circles among billionaire donors, community foundations and trade associations and have sparked intense lobbying efforts both for and against the legislation.
Not until 2016 did Virginia get into the business of underwriting the extension of broadband fiber into unserved areas. (Some basic economics here: Telecoms have no problem laying their own fiber in populated areas because the investment pays for itself; but they're not so keen on laying fiber in rural areas where there are far fewer customers. This is one of those pesky problems that the free market alone can't solve.) That first year then-Gov. Terry McAuliffe proposed $2.5 million for the newly created Virginia Telecommuication Initiative; the Republican-run General Assembly cut that to $1 million. (Maybe a Democratic-run General Assembly would have done the same; who knows? But this is how it played out.) Some more context: While Virginia was putting up $1 million for rural broadband, Minnesota  then a state with a Republican legislature  was putting up $35 million. Our effort looked pretty puny, then and maybe politics had nothing to do with that, just priorities. The reality is that rural broadband has been the rare issue that has garnered bipartisan support; some of the most creative legislation about how to extend broadband into rural Virginia has come from Del. Israel O'Quinn, R-Washington. He sponsored legislation that allows telecoms to piggyback on work being done by Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power Co. He says the pilot test of that program in Grayson County will turn that county from one of the least-connected counties in the state to one of the best-connected.
Here are the air quality categories, according to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality:

 Code Green: Poses little or no health risk.

 Code Yellow: Unusually sensitive people should consider reducing strenuous outdoor activities.

 Code Orange: Active children and adults, and people with heart or lung disease (including asthma) should limit or reschedule strenuous outdoor activities.

 Code Red: Active children and adults should limit or reschedule strenuous outdoor activities. People unusually sensitive to air pollution, especially those with heart or lung disease (including asthma), should avoid strenuous outdoor activities.

 Code Purple: Active children and adults should avoid prolonged strenuous outdoor activities. People unusually sensitive to air pollution, especially those with heart or lung disease (including asthma), and older adults should avoid all outdoor strenuous activities.

High air pollution levels can impair breathing, cause lung damage, coughing and eye irritation and put extra strain on the heart. Air pollution also can aggravate asthma, bronchitis or emphysema.
GREENSBORO  Community Theatre of Greensboros slate for its 71st season ranges from annual presentations like The Wizard of Oz to Broadway powerhouses like Dreamgirls.

CTG, which had to cancel its season last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Wednesday the shows for this season.

We are really looking forward to our upcoming season, which includes a mix of audience favorites and new works, Executive Director Rozalynn Fulton said in a news release. The pandemic kept CTG from providing great mainstage and youth theatre productions on our stage for nearly 18 months, and now  with the support of community members of all ages  were ready to return, stronger than ever.

The theater groups main productions are:

Exit Laughing: Oct. 1524 at CTGs Starr Theatre, 520 S. Elm St. Follow the follies of friends Connie, Leona and Millie, three Southern ladies from Birmingham, as they borrow the ashes of their friend from the funeral home for one last card game in this comedy by Paul Elliott.
GREENSBORO  Nora Carr, the long-time chief of staff for Guilford County Schools, has been hired as the new assistant director at the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation.

The private, family foundation headquartered in Winston-Salem awards grants across the state with a mission to improve the quality of life for all North Carolinians.

At Z. Smith Reynolds, Carr rejoins former Guilford County Schools Superintendent Maurice Mo Green, who is the foundations executive director. Green, who joined the district as superintendent in 2008, left in 2016 to lead the nonprofit.

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We are thrilled to have Nora join our team, Green said in a news release. Having worked closely with Nora both at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and at Guilford County Schools, I am confident that Nora will be a tremendous asset to the foundation.

Carrs first day will be Aug. 9.

In her 13 years as chief of staff with Guilford County Schools, Carrs responsibilities have included leading the districts strategic plan development and implementation and serving on the districts executive team.
The so-called Gerald Hege bill has cleared the General Assembly after the state Senate approved the legislation Thursday.

The bill goes to Gov. Roy Cooper, who has 10 days after it is presented to sign it, veto it or let it become law without his signature.

Hege is the controversial former Davidson County sheriff.

House Bill 312 would bar felons, including those who have had their records expunged, from running for sheriff.

The legislatures website has not listed the final Senate vote. The House approved the bill by a 118-1 vote on April 1.

The bill does not name Hege, the Republican sheriff of Davidson from 1994 until he resigned in 2004. His name was not mentioned during debate about the bill.

However, Hege is apparently the only sheriff candidate in recent memory whom the bill would affect.

Hege pleaded guilty in 2004 to two felony counts of obstruction of justice after facing 15 felony counts. His convictions, though, were later expunged, meaning they were removed from his record. He ran for sheriff in 2007 and in 2018.
Walker, who is also a staunch Trump supporter, took in more than $200,000 over the three-month stretch. He could emerge as the strongest challenger to McCrory if Budd falters or fails to gain widespread support among former Trump voters.

McCrory said in a news release that his campaign has contacted new outlets across the state to gauge their interest in hosting debates. He also took to Twitter on Thursday to call on his two competitors to agree to the debates.

Despite our strong lead in the polls and fundraising, I believe all GOP primary voters need to be exposed to candidates records, accomplishments, plans for the future, and their pathway to victory in the general, McCrory wrote.

Walker agreed to the debates but wants rural communities considered as potential locations. He replied to McCrory on Twitter, saying, On the debate stage, Super PACs and DC money cant protect a candidate with a bad record. Say when and where."

Jonathan Felts, a senior advisor to Budd, said the congressman hasn't discussed anything yet in terms of debates, noting that discussion will be on my schedule, not McCrorys.

Pat McCrory is a master debater, Felts said. But if hes so fired up to present his ideas to the people, he ought to get out of Charlotte and start showing up at the grassroots events across North Carolina. Were there. Congressman Walker is there. But usually, no McCrory.

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.
Cubans risked their lives fleeing to Miami through the Straits of Florida, leading to a Cuban population in the United States today of more than 1 million. The U.S. instituted a trade embargo without stopping Cubas trade with other nations.

Americans who kind of like the communist regime have submitted to propaganda through written articles or visits to Cuba with strict rules amounting to blindfolds. They speak of constantly improving living conditions; the Cuban refugees, who know the truth, speak of political imprisonment, hunger and oppression around every curve. President Barack Obama eased the embargo, to the joy of a benefited military and rich power mongers, while President Donald Trump undid the deal that improved nothing for the poor.

The U.S.-Cuba history has been a fairly long one, with Teddy Roosevelt leading a charge with his Rough Riders up Cubas San Juan Hill in 1898 in the Spanish-American War. We won the war and freed the Cubans from Spain. We are for freedom now, surely one reason many of the protesters are wearing American flags. Even though Cubas president has already sent out gun-wielding police to make things worse and blames us for the bad conditions of the moment, we exported more than $175 million worth of goods, including medicine and food, to Cuba in 2020.
She said the vaccine has been effective against the Delta variant, which is surging across the country. She said more than 80% of the cases in the United States are with the Delta variant, which is a coronavirus mutation that spreads easier.

She said the virus is now like a tornado and coming through communities and hitting people who are not vaccinated.

Montana reported 141 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the states total to 115,143. Of those, 112,750 people have recovered. There are 698 active cases, 1,695 deaths and 71 current hospitalizations. There have been 5,629 hospitalizations overall.

There are 439,246 Montanans who are fully immunized, which is 48% of the residents. The state reported that 1.4 million tests have been given.

Lewis and Clark County, according to the state, reported one new case on Wednesday, a man in his 80s.

Gallagher said people in the 40-49 age group in Lewis and Clark County are being vaccinated at a higher rate than those who are 50-59. She said age is a critical factor in determining risk. And she said the 30-39 group is creeping up on that.

St. Peters has had plenty of people in their 50s hospitalized and lost to the virus, she said.
The U.S. government on Wednesday extended the closure of the land borders with Canada and Mexico to non-essential travelers until at least Aug. 21.

The announcement by the Department of Homeland Security came two days after the Canadian government announced it would begin letting fully vaccinated U.S. citizens into Canada on Aug. 9, and those from the rest of the world on Sept. 7.

It's unclear how, or if, the U.S. decision will affect the Canadian decision.

People in both the U.S. and Canada have been pushing for the reopening of the border to resume the flow of visitors and tourist dollars between the two countries.

The U.S. announcement notes that vaccination levels in the United States and Canada have increased and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lowered the COVID-19 risk level in the two countries from "very high" to "high."

"Given the outbreak and continued transmission and spread of COVID-19 within the United States and globally, the Secretary (of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas) has determined that the risk of continued transmission and spread of the virus associated with COVID-19 between the United States and Canada poses an ongoing 'specific threat to human life or national interests,'" the announcement said.
While local governments and agencies around the state have applied for $13.7 million more in water and sewer projects than the Legislature allocated earlier this year, the demand for rental assistance and a return-to-work bonus has lagged behind available funding.

But administrators say they're looking at other ways to use the rental money and that the worker bonuses still need time to play out.

The state said Wednesday 320 applications have been made for water and sewer grants totaling $919.7 million. The Legislature, through House Bill 632, put $906 million toward those types of projects from the roughly $900 million it divvied up in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding. More than $2 billion is coming to the state under the law Congress passed earlier this year.

The sheer volume of applications for water and sewer grants underscores the importance of applying ARPA funding toward responsible, long-term investments which the state has not made before, Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte said in a press release. The funding and applications are in addition to projects the Legislature put money toward in various infrastructure bills that also passed earlier this year.
Todays Highlight in History:

On July 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln presented to his Cabinet a preliminary draft of the Emancipation Proclamation.

On July 22:

In 1587, an English colony fated to vanish under mysterious circumstances was established on Roanoke Island off North Carolina.

In 1934, bank robber John Dillinger was shot to death by federal agents outside Chicagos Biograph Theater, where he had just seen the Clark Gable movie Manhattan Melodrama.

In 1937, the U.S. Senate rejected President Franklin D. Roosevelts proposal to add more justices to the Supreme Court.

In 1942, the Nazis began transporting Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto to the Treblinka concentration camp. Gasoline rationing involving the use of coupons began along the Atlantic seaboard.

In 1946, the militant Zionist group Irgun blew up a wing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, killing 91 people.

In 1963, Sonny Liston knocked out Floyd Patterson in the first round of their rematch in Las Vegas to retain the world heavyweight title.

In 1975, the House of Representatives joined the Senate in voting to restore the American citizenship of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

In 1991, police in Milwaukee arrested Jeffrey Dahmer, who later confessed to murdering 17 men and boys (Dahmer ended up being beaten to death by a fellow prison inmate).

In 1992, Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar escaped from his luxury prison near Medellin. (He was slain by security forces in December 1993.)

In 2011, Anders Breivik a self-described militant nationalist, massacred 69 people at a Norwegian island youth retreat after detonating a bomb in nearby Oslo that killed eight others in the nations worst violence since World War II. A jury in Cleveland convicted Anthony Sowell of killing 11 poor, drug-addicted women whose remains were found in his home and backyard. (Sowell was later sentenced to death; he died in prison in February 2021.) President Barack Obama formally signed off on ending the ban on gays serving openly in the military.

In 2013, the Duchess of Cambridge, the former Kate Middleton, gave birth to a son, Prince George, who became third in line to the British throne after Prince Charles and Prince William.

In 2015, a federal grand jury indictment charged Dylann Roof, the young man accused of killing nine Black church members in Charleston, South Carolina, with 33 counts including hate crimes that made him eligible for the death penalty. (Roof would become the first person sentenced to death for a federal hate crime; he is on death row at a federal prison in Indiana.)

In 2016, Democrat Hillary Clinton told supporters in a text message that she had chosen Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine as her vice-presidential running mate. A gunman opened fire at a mall in Munich, Germany, killing nine people before taking his own life. Thomas Sutherland, a teacher who was held captive in Lebanon for more than six years until he was freed in 1991, died in Fort Collins, Colorado, at age 85.

In 2020, the mayor of Portland, Oregon, was among those tear-gassed by U.S. government agents as he appeared outside a federal courthouse during raucous protests; Ted Wheeler and hundreds of others were objecting to the presence of federal police sent by President Donald Trump. Trump announced that he would send federal agents to Chicago and to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to help combat rising crime; the White House said the program would be expanded into Cleveland, Detroit and Milwaukee. California surpassed New York as the state with the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases. Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser issued an executive order making face masks mandatory outside the home; the order did not apply to any employees of the federal government while they are on duty. A tally by The Associated Press found that more than 60 Confederate statues, monuments or markers had been removed from public land across the country since the May 25 death of George Floyd. Twitter said it would crack down on accounts and content related to the far-right conspiracy theory QAnon.

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BLOOMINGTON  A Decatur man was arrested Thursday on money laundering, unlawful transaction structuring and tax fraud charges for his role in a 2018 burglary ring across Central Illinois, police said.

U.S. marshals task force members and Bloomington Police Department detectives arrested Joseph D. Laramee, 59, at his business, Laramee Jewelers, 415 N. Main St., Decatur, after a lengthy investigation by Bloomington police, the Illinois Department of Revenue and the Illinois Attorney Generals Office.

Laramee is accused of working with Floyd E. Brown, 42, of Springfield, in laundering stolen proceeds from residential burglaries committed between April 1, 2018, and Dec. 31, 2018, in Bloomington, Normal, Champaign and Peoria.

Eight counts of unlawful structuring of a currency transaction (class 2 felony), one count of money laundering between $100,000 and $500,000 (class 1 felony), one count of money laundering between $10,000 and $100,000 (class 2 felony), and one count of filing fraudulent Illinois tax returns (class 4 felony) are filed against Laramee.

Brown was previously arrested in March 2019 hours after killing U.S. Marshals Deputy Jacob Keltner after jumping out the third-floor window of a Rockford hotel.

Brown then led authorities on a high-speed chase into Central Illinois, reaching 150 mph at times. He barricaded himself when his car stopped in a ravine and police arrested Brown after a six-hour standoff near Interstate 55 north of Lincoln.

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Keltner was attempting to serve several active Central Illinois warrants at the time, including three McLean County warrants for residential burglary.

Brown was tied to 50 burglaries throughout Central Illinois in 2018.

Bloomington police said no further information can be released about Laramees charges due to the ongoing investigation.

Anyone with information about these crimes is asked to contact Bloomington Police Sergeant Jared Bierbaum at 309-434-2807.

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UI Health, which includes University of Illinois Hospital on Chicago's West Side, will require its employees to get COVID-19 vaccines, the system announced Wednesday.

The announcement came the same day the University of Illinois system said it would require faculty and staff to be vaccinated by the start of the fall semester.

In requiring shots, the health system joins a growing number of hospital systems across the state and country mandating the vaccines for workers. Loyola Medicine and University of Chicago Medicine made similar announcements in recent weeks.

UIC faculty and staff are being asked to disclose their vaccination status through an online portal by Aug. 1. People who request and receive exemptions will be required to undergo weekly, on-campus COVID-19 saliva testing and quarantine if exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

For UI Health workers, some aspects of the mandates implementation will be different, and details were expected to go out on that Wednesday.
A Richlands, Virginia, man, who authorities said was injured in 2020 by his own illegal explosives, will serve seven years in federal prison.

Cole Carini, 24, pleaded guilty in January in U.S. District Court in Abingdon to possessing and manufacturing an unregistered explosive device.

When he stockpiled bomb-making materials and actually designed and manufactured an improvised explosive device designed to cause significant harm, the defendant put the safety of the community at risk and committed a serious federal crime, acting United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar said Thursday in a news release.

Bubar said he hopes the sentence sends a message to the public that such behavior will not be tolerated.

Carini suffered serious injuries to his hands and fingers when explosive devices he had at his property in the Richlands area detonated. Bubar said the devices could have caused additional damage or injuries if law enforcement officials hadnt discover them.

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On June 3, 2020, Carini went to a hospital in Richlands after suffering injuries, including shrapnel wounds to his neck and throat. Carini told authorities his injuries were caused by a lawn mower accident at his home.
Two of the drug companies sued, Purdue Pharma and Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, have dropped out via bankruptcy. Endo Pharmaceuticals is the only company left.

In April, Chancellor E.G. Moody, who has been presiding over the lawsuit, issued a default liability judgment against Endo  a rare legal punishment that essentially ruled the drug company liable for damages before the case went to trial. Now, the only thing left to establish at the trial is how much it owes. The local governments involved are seeking $2.4 billion.

Sullivan County officials arent the only group set to discuss the opioid lawsuit as the case goes to trial Monday. On Tuesday, according to a meeting agenda, the Bluff City Board of Mayor and Aldermen held a called meeting to discuss one item: settlement of opioids lawsuit. And the Washington County Commission published plans for an emergency meeting Wednesday evening to consider settlement of a pending litigation matter, according to its website.

At a November 2020 Sullivan County Commission meeting, Staubus shared that there was talk of a settlement with Endo in the case. But when asked about it Wednesday, he said he had no comment. J. Gerard Stranch IV, managing partner of Branstetter, Stranch & Jennings, the firm representing the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, could not be reached Wednesday for comment.
We needed to set some clear boundaries  some definite consequences that would get Vladimir Putins attention  and, from what little we know, it looks like we might have succeeded in that. Once Biden called out Putin on the issue one-on-one, hacking giant REvil disappeared. Hacking collectives have an agenda. The cybersecurity company Cybereason reports that the ransomware these hackers are installing first scans a computers installed languages for Russian, Ukrainian, Syrian Arabic and others that are native to Russian-allied countries. If the computer has one installed, the ransomware stops dead in its tracks.

In mid-June, cybersecurity became a principal topic of the summit between Biden and Putin. In a press conference, Biden said that he gave a list to Putin listing 16 specific entities; 16 defined as critical infrastructure under U.S. policy which are off-limits to attack. He followed this comment saying, Of course, the principle is one thing. It has to be backed up by practice. Responsible countries need to take action against criminals who conduct ransomware activities on their territory.
A skeptic might say at this point, if scientific knowledge is contingent and subject to change, why should I believe what is generally accepted at any given point in time? If what is true today might not be true tomorrow, why accept what is generally believed to be true by the scientific community today?

A key commonality across the examples mentioned is that initial beliefs were theoretical, coming prior to the rigorous gathering of data/evidence. Astronomers prior to Galileo were technologically limited in the extent to which they could test Ptolemys belief that the Earth was at the center of the universe (telescopes had not yet been developed). When COVID-19 first emerged, it was a novel virus. Scientists did not initially know with certainty how COVID spread and what best practices were for preventing infections given an absence of prior research.

To fill the research void, scientists conducted rigorous, controlled trials. Researchers at Hong Kong University, for example, carried out a study on the efficacy of masks in preventing the spread of COVID. In the study, two groups of hamsters, one group that was infected with COVID-19 and one group that was not, were placed in cages close to one another with a fan blowing air from the infected cage to the healthy cage (hamsters were used in the study given obvious ethical considerations involved with exposing humans to COVID for experimental purposes). The researchers found that when an outstretched mask was placed between the two cages near the healthy hamsters, infections within a week went down from two-thirds to one-third. When an outstretched mask was placed between the two cages near the infected hamsters, only one-sixth in the other cage became infected. The experiment demonstrated that masks tend to reduce the spread of COVID and that they are particularly useful for preventing transmission when filtering the air close to those who are infected.
The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoards Dairyman.

The Klussendorf Association is pleased to announce winners of the 2021 Klussendorf and McKown scholarships. The $1,500 scholarships will be awarded to seven individuals at the Dairy Shrine Awards Banquet held September 30 in conjunction with World Dairy Expo.

To be eligible, students must be in their first, second or third year of study at a 2 or 4-year college or university in the U.S. or Canada majoring in a field that will allow them to develop the skills needed to pursue a career in the dairy industry. Winners demonstrate an affinity for leadership, participation in extracurricular activities and a special interest and ability in showing dairy cattle in their best natural form.



Klussendorf Scholarship

The Klussendorf Scholarship is representative of the late, legendary showman and dairy cattle fitter Arthur B. Klussendorf. The association honors those who most nearly exemplify his character and ethics.

Three students will each receive $1,500 scholarships. Abby Foss from Cambridge, Minnesota Is a freshman at the University of Minnesota. Abby raises Brown Swiss heifers on her family farm and leases them out to 4-H members who would like to experience showing a heifer. Over her 4-H career she mentored 15 kids from four different counties through her leasing program.



Another Klussendorf scholarship winner is Gracelyn Krahn from Albany, Oregon, a freshman at Linn-Benton Community College. Throughout high school Gracelyn was heavily involved in her familys dairy herd and on-farm processing operation. She helps with daily management of the herd, in addition to coordinating all activities of their show herd including marketing, managing IVF processes and organizing sale consignments.

A third Klussendorf scholarship winner is Mackenzie Ullmer from Seymour, Wisconsin. Mackenzie is a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Mackenzie takes an active role in her familys operation, Ullmstar Dairy, where they milk 80 registered Holsteins and Ayrshires. Through her activities in and out of the show ring, Mackenzie was the first to be recognized as Outstanding Junior by the Wisconsin Ayrshire Breeders Association.



McKown Scholarship

Friends and family of the late Robert Whitey McKown established the McKown scholarship to honor the 1992 Honorary Klussendorf recipient and long-time Holstein enthusiast. Four students will receive $1,500 scholarships in 2021.

One of those recipients is Caitlyn Cox from Carthage, Indiana, a second-year student at Purdue University. In addition to showing at local, state and national shows, Caitlyn has been a leader in the Indiana Junior Holstein Association, in her local 4-H and FFA chapters and on the Purdue campus as well.

Hayley Fernandes from Tulare, California is another McKown Scholarship recipient, a junior at Cal Poly. Hayley is active showing animals from her familys herd of Holsteins and Jerseys, and has participated in dairy cattle and dairy products judging contests. She takes active leadership roles as well, serving as president and vice president of the California Junior Holstein Association and on the National Holstein Association Junior Advisory Committee.



A third recipient of the McKown Scholarship is Carly Strauss from Lake Mills, Wisconsin who is a sophomore at Iowa State University. She credits the work she has done on her familys fifth-generation dairy farm with fueling her passion to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. Carly has also been active showing animals at state and national shows, including mentoring young would-be exhibitors.

Also receiving a McKown Scholarship is Bryce Windecker from Schuyler, New York. A junior at Cornell University, Bryce is actively involved in his familys 100-cow registered Holstein organic dairy. Prior to attending Cornell, Bryce was active on the judging team at SUNY-Cobleskill where he was top individual among post-secondary school participants. In addition to judging awards, he highlights a junior all-American nomination for his bred-and-owned five year old cow.

For more information about the students being recognized by National Dairy Shrine, or to obtain tickets for the Awards Banquet, contact the NDS office at info@dairyshrine.org. Additional information on National Dairy Shrine membership and its many activities is available at www.dairyshrine.org. Dairy enthusiasts are encouraged to become part of this respected dairy organization whose mission since 1949 has been to inspire future dairy leaders, honor current and past dairy leaders, and preserve the history of the dairy industry.




Dr. Elliot A. Tanis, who retired from the Hope mathematics faculty in 2000 after teaching at the college for 35 years, died on Thursday, July 22, 2021. He was 87.

A specialist in statistics, he began teaching mathematics at Hope in 1965. During his tenure, he was department chairperson from 1971 to 1982, and from 1995 to 1997; a faculty representative to the Board of Trustees from 1975 to 1977; and interim dean for the natural sciences in 1993. Five times he enjoyed taking Hope College students to Japan for May Term at Meiji Gakuin University. In 1989, the colleges graduating senior class presented him the 25th annual Hope Outstanding Professor Educator (H.O.P.E.) Award.

He was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1934. He also lived in Waupun, Wisconsin; Kalamazoo, Michigan; and Pella, Iowa. After graduating from Pella High School, he attended Central College in Pella and graduated in 1956 with a major in mathematics.

He began graduate studies in mathematics at the University of Iowa but was drafted during his first semester and spent the following two years in the U.S. Army. In January 1959, he returned to the University of Iowa, where he studied probability and statistics under Robert V. Hogg. After completing his Ph.D. in January 1963, he taught at the University of Iowa and at the University of Nebraska prior to coming to Hope.

He developed many ways to use technology in his teaching and scholarly activities, including applications in mathematics, art (especially in replicating M.C. Eschers tessellations) and statistics. He gave talks in England, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, Canada and the United States.

He and Hogg co-authored the textbook Probability and Statistical Inference, which was initially published in 1977 and across the decades which followed was released in several new editions, including in Chinese. His other books included Probability and Statistics: Explorations with MAPLE, co-authored with Dr. Zaven Karian of the Denison University faculty, and he had also written numerous articles concerning probability and statistics.

He served the Michigan Section of the Mathematical Association of America as chairperson (1976-77) and section governor (1989-92). The section awarded him a teaching award in 1992 and a distinguished service award in 1996.

He married Elaine Buteyn, who survives him, in 1959. Survivors also include their three children, Philip Tanis 87 and Gretchen Schoon Tanis 99, Joel Schoon-Tanis 89 and Kathryn Schoon Tanis 95, and Ellen Tanis 90 Awad and Habeeb Awad; and grandchildren.

Arrangements are by Dykstra Funeral Home. A visitation will take place on Wednesday, July 28, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Dykstra Mulder Chapel, located at 188 W. 32nd St. A memorial service will be held on Thursday, July 29, at 1 p.m. at Third Reformed Church.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Tanis Family Scholarship Fund at Hope College or the Mission Memorial Fund at Third Reformed Church, located at 111 W. 13th St. For more information or to sign the online register book, please visit dykstrafuneralhome.com
Foreign Minister of Maldives Abdulla Shahid (Photo Credit: Twitter)

New Delhi [India], July 21 (ANI): Foreign Minister of Maldives Abdulla Shahid on Wednesday arrived in New Delhi for his official visit, said External Affairs Ministry (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

"Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives and President-elect of UNGA76 @abdulla_shahid arrives in New Delhi on an official visit," Bagchi wrote in a tweet.

Abdulla Shahid, who is also President-Elect of the 76th General Assembly of the United Nations (PGA), will pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will hold talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on key international, multilateral, regional and bilateral issues of mutual interest.

Shahid will also share his vision for United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Presidency through a virtual public address titled "Presidency of Hope: COVID Pandemic and Need for Reformed Multilateralism" on July 23 at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) premises at Sapru House, New Delhi.

" The visit of Shahid will provide an opportunity to exchange views with him on several global challenges that the United Nations is currently seized with. It will also give us an opportunity to reiterate India's abiding commitment to multilateralism and to the UN's leadership in confronting these challenges," the MEA said in the release.

India would be the first country that Shahid would be visiting in his official capacity as PGA-Elect since his election on June 7, 2021.

PGA-elect had last visited India in April 2021 in his capacity as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives.

Maldives occupies a central place as part of India's Neighbourhood First policy and the SAGAR vision of the Prime Minister and the two Ministers are also expected to review the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation between the two sides.

The discussions are expected to give further momentum to the rapidly expanding ties between the two countries. An Agreement for High Impact Community Development Projects to be implemented with Indian grant assistance in the Maldives will also be signed during the visit, the release added. (ANI)
Washington, Jul 22 (PTI) A group of over two dozen US lawmakers have written to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging him to appoint a special envoy to combat the alleged rise in attacks against the Muslim community in different parts of the world including China, India and Myanmar.

Terming Islamophobia a 'global problem', the lawmakers, in their letter written on Wednesday, called for a comprehensive strategy for establishing US leadership in combating it worldwide.

They also suggested that state-sponsored Islamophobic violence and impunity for such acts be included in next year's annual human rights reports.

The letter comes after the new findings of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) showed that anti-Muslim hate was on the rise. They included over 500 documented complaints in 2021 alone.

These included a sudden rise in anti-mosque incidents in May and June involving cases of vandalism and an attempted stabbing, and several physical assaults targeting Muslim women wearing hijab (religious head covering).

'As part of our commitment to international religious freedom and human rights, we must recognise Islamophobia as a pattern that is repeating in nearly every corner of the globe,' the lawmakers said in their letter.

'It is past time for the United States to stand firmly in favour of religious freedom for all, and to give the global problem of Islamophobia the attention and prioritisation it deserves,' they said.

The lawmakers said, 'From the ongoing atrocity crimes being committed against Uyghurs in China and the Rohingya in Burma (Myanmar), to the significant restrictions on Muslim populations in India and Sri Lanka, to the stoking of Islamophobia by political actors that is leading to violence in North American and Europe, to the severe human rights violations against certain sects of Muslims in Pakistan and Bahrain, this is a genuinely global problem that the United States should tackle globally.' 'For this reason, we are writing to strongly urge you to appoint a Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combatting Islamophobia, and to specifically include anti-Muslim violence per se in next year's annual human rights reports,' they said.

Separately, Congresswoman Ilahi Omar, who is among the lawmakers who wrote to Blinken, said, 'Anti-Muslim hate is on the rise both here at home and around the world.' 'This year has seen over 500 incidents of hate in the US and those are just the ones that have been reported,' she said.

'Last month, we witnessed a deadly attack wipe out three generations of a Muslim family in Canada. In countries around the world, from China to India to Myanmar, Muslim communities are being discriminated against. We must all stand united against this horrific rise in hate,' she said. PTI LKJ DIV DIV
Police vehicle outside Hallby prison in Sweden. (Photo Credit - Reuters)

Stockholm [Sweden], July 22 (ANI): Two prison guards who were taken hostage on Wednesday (local time) at a penitentiary outside the Swedish city of Eskilstuna by two convicted men of serious crimes have been freed, local media reported.

Citing Dagens Nyheter, euronews reported that by 9.30 pm both of the guards had been freed and were unharmed. The two prisoners have been taken to Eskilstuna police station that is around 120 kilometres (75 miles) west of the capital, Stockholm.

Earlier, both convicts had broken into guard room during lunchtime at Hallby Prison armed with razor blades and barricaded themselves in with the hostages, reported euronews.

They demanded a helicopter for their use and 20 kebab pizzas for themselves and other inmates on their ward, reported Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet.

Pictures were later published showing pizzas being loaded into a car in Hallby, understood to be bound for the prison.

The Swedish Prison and Probation Service said it was a "very dangerous situation" The Swedish news agency TT said the pair were convicted murderers aged 24 and 30. (ANI)
CONCORD  Terry Crawford, who represents District 5 and is currently serving as Mayor Pro Tem on the Concord City Council, is announcing his plan to run for reelection and serve the City of Concord for four more years.

My focus when I first ran for office four years ago was to make Concord a best in class city to Live, Work and Play in North Carolina, and I plan to continue that theme as I run again for City Council, said Crawford.

Crawford has stayed focused on these themes during his first term, which saw a great deal of change and challenges across all three areas. He is proud of the many successes that he and his fellow Council members were able to accomplish.

"To Live": I have supported and collaborated with fellow Council members to form the Concord Family Enrichment Association (CFEA) serving as a co-founder and a board member, said Crawford. The CFEA is a nonprofit organization that will focus on building affordable housing units across all spectrums of income, to include workforce affordable housing for our teachers as well as fire and police personnel so they can actually live and work within the City of Concord. These key personnel play too important a role in our community and should be able to afford a home close to where they work.
During the groups stop at the speedway, Officer Jason Shupings wife and parents were present, taking time to view the trailer and the faces on it. Next to the door on the right side of the trailer, Officer Shupings face was found among hundreds of others who died in the line of duty in 2020.

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On Dec. 16, 2020, Shuping was killed in the line of duty while responding to a call for service involving a vehicle crash. He was with the Concord Police Department for 1 years before making the ultimate sacrifice in service to his community.

At the May 2021 City Council meeting, Concord Police Chief Gary Gacek posthumously awarded Shuping the Medal of Valor and a Purple Heart. The Medal of Valor is the Concord Police Departments highest commendation and is awarded for exceptional bravery at the imminent risk of death or serious bodily injury that goes beyond the call of duty. The Purple Heart is awarded for serious bodily injury or death while confronting a criminal element during the course of police interaction with the public.

As the Shuping family, police officers and the public viewed the mobile memorial, the groups road captain, Jason Vallieres, took a moment to talk about how the End of Watch Ride to Remember connects families and co-workers across the nation who have experienced the same loss.
Its editors didnt respond to requests for comment Thursday about how they obtained the data. The report said only that the data came from one of the data brokers that aggregate and sell app signal data, and that the publication also contracted an independent data consulting firm to authenticate it.

There are brokers that charge thousands of dollars a month for huge volumes of location data, some of which is marketed not just to advertisers but to landlords, bail bondsmen and bounty hunters, said John Davisson, senior counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center. He said someone looking to reverse engineer a particular persons data from that bulk package could potentially get it from any of the many customers in the data chain.

It is surprisingly and disturbingly cheap to obtain location data derived from mobile phones, Davisson said. Its easy enough that a determined party can do it.

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, said the incident confirms yet again the dishonesty of an industry that falsely claims to safeguard the privacy of phone users.
It is really, really sad, and it is really frustrating," he said.

Burmood recalled how his mother had recently fallen ill and "was trying to tell me that vaccinated people got her sick, and it wasnt even COVID. I just shut her down. I said, Mom, I cant talk to you about conspiracy theories right now. ... You need to go to a hospital. You are going to die.

His mother, who is in her 70s, has since recovered.

In New York City, workers in city-run hospitals and health clinics will be required to get vaccinated or get tested weekly as officials battle a rise in COVID-19 cases, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday.

De Blasios order will not apply to teachers, police officers and other city employees, but it's part of the citys intense focus on vaccinations amid an increase in delta variant infections.

The number of vaccine doses being given out daily in the city has dropped to less than 18,000, down from a peak of more than 100,000 in early April. About 65% of all adults are fully vaccinated, compared with about 60% of public hospital system staffers, said system leader Dr. Mitchell Katz.
Advocates who urged the Finance committee to vote down the legislation expressed their main concerns that medicinal use could lead to recreational use.

The Rev. Mark Creech of the Christian Action League said Wednesday that, if medical marijuana is approved, it should be taxed similarly to tobacco and alcohol, rather than as a prescription drug.

Creech said he feared a statewide black market potentially emerging from N.C. medical marijuana centers, as he said has occurred in Colorado and Oregon.

Rabon, a cancer survivor, has said SB711 would not serve as a gateway to recreational marijuana use.

Recreational marijuana use is not something we want in our state, Lee said, but added that the prohibition should not keep North Carolina from doing the right thing for people with chronic and debilitating conditions.

Lowe has said bill sponsors reviewed legislation in piecing together SB711.

We realized that, for some states, it has worked out well, while for others it was just a recreational product, Lowe said. Thats not the goal with this particular bill on our state.
Il green pass al bar e al ristorante dovra essere esibito solo al tavolo, se la consumazione avverra all'interno del locale. Non all'aperto ne tantomeno al bancone. La conferma, a quanto apprende l'Adnkronos, arriva dalla cabina di regia col premier Mario Draghi in corso a Palazzo Chigi. La cabina di regia, gia terminata, avrebbe inoltre confermato la proroga dello stato di emergenza al 31 dicembre.

L'uso del green pass per accedere ai mezzi di trasporto pubblici -leggi bus e metro- non sara nel dl anti-Covid che il governo dovrebbe varare nel pomeriggio, "ma dovra essere affrontato a stretto giro". Questa, a quanto apprende l'Adnkronos, la premessa che e stata fatta nel corso della cabina di regia che, prima del Cdm, ha delineato il quadro delle misure. Nel dl non ci sara nemmeno l'obbligo di vaccinazione per i docenti e i dipendenti della scuola.

La cabina di regia, e subito dopo il Cdm fissato per le 17, sono chiamati a decidere dell'uso del green pass nei confini nazionali, con una stretta sull'uso che spinga, tra le altre cose, indecisi e ritardatari a vaccinarsi. A seguire la conferenza stampa col premier che illustrera le misure.

Ma per i cronisti che prenderanno parte all'appuntamento -solo 25 per via del Covid- l'ingresso nella sala Polifunzionale non sara possibile mostrando il green pass -indiscusso protagonista della conferenza stampa- ma solo mostrando l'esito negativo di un tampone antigenico rapido effettuato non oltre le 24 ore precedenti. Una decisione che ha fatto storcere il naso, in queste ore, a molti cronisti alle prese con l'accredito per la conferenza stampa.
MATTOON  A man wanted on a Missouri arrest warrant has been charged with failing to register as a sex offender in Mattoon.

A Mattoon Police Department in a statement reported that Richard W. Beckler, 54, who was homeless at the time, was arrested at 5:30 p.m. Saturday in the 800 block of Richmond Avenue on preliminary charges of failure to register, plus felony theft, obstructing justice, and fugitive from justice.

The charges allege that Beckler stole several items from Walmart and then provided officers with a false name. The press release reported that officers discovered during the course of the investigation that Beckler was wanted by the Missouri warrant and that he is a registered sex offender. The charges allege that he failed to notify authorities about his change of address after traveling to Mattoon.

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Regarding the Missouri warrant, the police department reported that Beckler was wanted on a parole violation charge for a case in which he was charged with arson of a teen rehab center.

Following his arrest, Beckler was transported to the Coles County jail. The State's Attorney's Office subsequently filed felony charges of failing to register and theft of merchandise against him.

During a court hearing on Monday, Beckler's bond was set at a level at which he would need to post $15,000 for the fugitive from justice charge and $10,000 for the other charges to be released from custody. His preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Aug. 2. Public Defender Anthony Ortega has been appointed to represent him.

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Insteel makes steel-wire reinforcing products largely for infrastructure projects. Steel material represents 70% of the companys total product costs.

Woltz said Insteel remains concerned about ongoing supply constraints and sharply escalating raw material prices in both domestic and international markets.

Woltz said those factors are creating heightened uncertainty for our customers and having an unfavorable impact on our operations.

While we are seeking to supplement domestic steel availability with offshore supplies, we do not expect significant relief from tight supply conditions through the end of the calendar year.

Despite these challenges, we expect favorable demand and strong financial performance for our fourth fiscal quarter.

Insteel reported that as of June 30, it had no debt and $89.8 million of cash on hand.

Insteel did not provide an update in its quarterly report on the impact of a surge in low-priced imports of PC strand into the U.S. marketplace.

The surge was the result of increased production of downstream products by foreign producers to circumvent the Section 232 tariffs and expand their market share in the U.S.
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The mortality rate from COVID for those admitted to hospitals, Priest said, is 4 to 5%. At the height of the pandemic, that rate ran to 15%.

Part of the reason for the decrease is that physicians have learned better how to treat the disease.

And part of it has to be that the average age of patients being admitted to hospitals is now 47. During the darkest days of the pandemic, it was 61.

Younger patients are better able to fight infection.

Duh.

Darwinanother scientistnailed that one.

The good news, such that it is, is that some 60% of North Carolinians over 18 have had at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccination.

Thats far short of, say the 84% reported in Vermont and less than the 70% actual scientists and qualified experts say is needed for herd immunity.

But its something.

Shots on every corner

The question for the skeptics, the stubborn and the plain stupid has now become this: Whats it going to take?

If Priest said it once, he said it four times in as many different ways over the course of 30 minutes.
Background

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Krawiec said in late June that she believes in the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine, has taken it and encourages family members and other adults to do the same.

There is no state public health or educational requirement for young people to get the COVID-19 vaccine prior to the start of the 2021-22 school year.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Advisory committee on Immunization Practices recommended May 11 the use of the Pfizer vaccine for ages 12 to 15 under the same Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorization approved April 7 for those ages 16 and older.

The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services was required to sign off on the federal recommendations  which it did on May 12  before vaccine providers in North Carolina could proceed.

At that time, the state reported nearly 123,000 residents 17 and younger had tested positive for COVID-19.

Having a vaccine for our younger teens brings us that much closer to being able to end the pandemic, Dr. Mandy Cohen, the states health secretary, said May 12.

About 25% of North Carolinians ages 12 to 17 are considered fully vaccinated as of Wednesday.
Carl Armano decided Thursday it was just time to get his first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Armano and his wife, Carol, didnt come to the Forsyth County Department of Public Health because of the availability of a $25 gift card for getting their first doses.

And it wasnt because Gov. Roy Cooper had scheduled a tour of the countys vaccination site for late Thursday morning.

Rather, Armano, 68, said, I decided it was time to stop being stupid.

Ive known for six months that I needed to get the vaccine, but I worried about the potential side effects, whether it actually works or not.

Armano said he changed his mind the more he became aware of how contagious the delta variant has become. He also cited a close call when a health insurance worker visited his home, and he was told two days later that the worker tested positive.

Its time to play it safe, Armano said.

Armanos change of heart was cited as another public-health success story by both Cooper and Forsyth health director Joshua Swift.

After speaking with the Armanos, Cooper praised that they followed the advice of their physician about the vaccine.
BEIJING (AP)  The bodies of all 14 workers trapped when a tunnel under construction was flooded last week have been recovered, authorities in southern China said Thursday.

A brief statement on the Zhuhai city governments social media site gave no further information about the cause of the July 15 disaster or the deaths.

The Shijingshan tunnel is a section of an expressway under construction that passes beneath a reservoir in the Guangdong province city that lies close to Hong Kong and Macao.

The rescue effort involved divers, remote-controlled submarines and other high-tech equipment, while workers on the surface rushed to pump out water from the tunnel. Work was hampered at times by carbon monoxide fumes from machinery being used in the tunnel as part of the operation.

While the cause remains unclear, reports said an abnormal noise was heard and bits of material started falling off one side of the two-tube tunnel. An evacuation was ordered as water rushed in, but the 14 who died were unable to escape in time.

The construction project appeared to have had safety problems for some time. In March, two workers died in another part of the tunnel.
Should human suffering not include the number of people imprisoned by Castro and his successors? As one might expect, Cuba does not publish information about the number of humans suffering in their prisons, but in 2012, Reuters reported that Cuban authorities acknowledged 57,337 of its 11.2 million population were incarcerated. The Cuban Prisoners Defenders group, based in Madrid, estimates the number is far higher  123,000, which would make it first in the global ranking of prison populations per capita.

Steven G. Ullman, a School of Business Administration professor and chair of Department of Health Sector Management and Policy at the University of Miami, told UM News that while universal health care in Cuba may have been a good idea in theory, in practice it is a failure:  the doctors and nurses have very few supplies, including antibiotics, with which to treat patients, so prevention and treatment become problematic. Thats in addition to a lack of potable water. There is a significant shortage of supplies in the most populated rural areas. For example, clinics now require patients to bring their own bedding and food. There is a deterioration in sterilizing processes, reusing syringes, issues associated with old X-ray machines, no film available. With this breakdown, the theoretical concept has also fallen apart.
Instead of constantly shouting Get out!, a simple Thank you every now and then would be muy bueno.

Yet, Republicans refuse to acknowledge the obvious: That many Americans are addicted to undocumented immigrant labor because it makes their lives cushier, that jobs currently being done by the undocumented would never be done by U.S. workers, that the U.S. economy would flounder without undocumented immigrants and that Americans work ethic is weak but their sense of entitlement is strong.

The more Republicans talk about immigration, the more sour notes they hit.

And what do Democrats do about this? Nothing. That is, they offer nothing in response. They just go to Latinos and say: Vote for us. Were not Republicans.
There is one thing we must insist upon, however: absolutely no voting while they are dead.

Andy Miller

Kernersville

Regarding vaccinations

The July 18 article N.C. scientists study COVID-19 vaccination rate suggests that scientists have concluded that many people, because they are apathetic, are not getting vaccinated to protect themselves against the strains of the coronavirus. And none of the attempts to motivate them to get vaccinated, including financial incentives, seem to be having much success.

Therefore, I would like to offer a suggestion for the health care authorities and media to seriously consider.

I believe that if the various media provide frequent personal testimonials by unvaccinated people who have experienced a serious case of the coronavirus that necessitated their hospitalization or who had an unvaccinated family member who died, many of the people who have been apathetic about being vaccinated will realize the inappropriateness of their past apathy and will make a wise decision to get fully vaccinated.
Matt Talbot Kitchen and Outreach hosted the annual Feeding the Soul of the City fundraising event on June 17 at Junto Wine. Because of the generosity of 50 corporate and individual sponsors, the 225 guests who attended and the many who gave donations prior to the event, Matt Talbot raised a gross total amount of nearly $140,000.

The money raised will support the day-to-day hunger relief and homeless prevention services of the community kitchen and outreach center.

Compassion in Action Awards were presented to John Turner and the St. Francis & St. Clare Hunger Relief Team.

Turner, who currently works at Nebraska Investment Finance Authority, has been a long-time partner of Matt Talbot during his nearly 30-year career of addressing housing barriers and advocating for people experiencing homelessness, substance use and mental health challenges.

The St. Francis & St. Clare Hunger Relief Team is a multi-generational family that has served a homemade and nutritious dinner on the fourth Thursday of every month (including Thanksgiving!) for 21 years and counting.
Govt-and-politics

editor's pick alert top story

Gold's Building up for sale; lack of historic tax credits scuttles redevelopment plans

JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star file photo A redevelopment plan to create about 180 mostly one-bedroom units and renovate the first floor of the Gold's Building has died. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star The exterior of Gold's Building is seen from O Street.

The owner of the Golds Building -- the once venerable downtown department store anchoring 11th and O streets -- says he plans to demolish the building after the latest redevelopment plans fell through.

Two things happened that will cause the building to be demolished, said Gerard Keating, a Nebraska native who bought the building in 2019. One, the city refuses to relocate its derelict, unpoliced, filthy bus transfer station, ... (and) the National Parks Service (which administers historic tax credits) rejected a request to put windows on the south facade. Its ridiculous.

In May, the City Council approved a $50 million redevelopment agreement to turn the building into apartments and first-floor commercial space, including authorizing $6.1 million in tax-increment financing for what would have been one of the largest apartment projects in downtown history.

Jeff McMahon, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate who has his own real estate company in the Kansas City area, negotiated the agreement with the city and planned to buy the building from Keating, who owns Keating Resources.

The plan would have created about 180 mostly one-bedroom units, renovated the first floor for commercial use, the rooftop into amenities for residents, and the basement into storage for building residents or businesses.

Developers also would have razed a vacant building next door at 1023 O St. to create a small park or open space for residents and the developer would have taken over use of the skywalk leading to the old Centrum parking garage, where 220 stalls would have been reserved for residents.

The problem: McMahon needed historic tax credits to help pay to add windows to the south side of the building. The National Park Service, which administers the program, said no.

When that happened, McMahon didnt go through with buying the building. Keating said it remains on the market but he doesnt think anyone will buy it because of the bus transfer area on 11th and N streets along the sides of the building and because the parks service wont allow windows on the south side of the building.

Thanks to that, it will end up in the dump, like many historical buildings, and that makes me sad, he said.

Keating Resources bought the building in December 2019 for $2.3 million, and announced plans for a 110-room hotel and remodel of the four-story south portion of the building for the tenants, which were state offices.

Then the pandemic happened, and its effect on the hotel industry led the company to rethink its plans and put the building up for sale in November.

Dan Marvin, the citys urban development director, said after Keating bought the building the city negotiated with him in an effort to compress the amount of space used for bus transfers so it wouldnt impede the entrance to the planned hotel.

There are numerous Federal Transportation Administration guidelines the city must follow to move a transfer station, either temporarily or permanently, which has complicated the issue, Marvin said.

Negotiations with Keating went dormant after the pandemic closed everything down, and when they started up again, they were with McMahon, Marvin said.

Part of the new redevelopment deal that the city had worked on with McMahon was to use $500,000 in TIF to raze the old police station at 233 S. 10th St. to make way for a bus transfer station. When he didn't get the historic tax credits and the redevelopment deal fell through, that TIF money was no longer available.

Marvin said the city needs a grant to build a transfer station, which it has wanted for years. It has applied for a grant, but it hasn't heard yet whether it's been approved. Two other grant applications were unsuccessful.

Keating doesnt believe the transfer station is necessary and is angry the city wont agree to move the transfer lanes away from his property. People urinate and defecate on the sidewalk because there are no bathrooms, and the area isnt policed, he said, and he spends $4,000 a month steam-cleaning the sidewalks.

Instead of focusing on providing a safe, clean transfer station, they want to build a Taj Mahal where people will buy $5 lattes, he said.

Marvin said its possible the building could sell, noting that Keating bought the building with the transfer station there and no windows on the south side.

Demolishing the building for a surface parking lot would be an expensive venture, Marvin said, saying similar demolitions of large buildings have cost millions.

It would be a very expensive parking lot, he said.

Marvin said its not all that unusual for projects like this to fall through, noting that plans for the Journal Star building and one at Ninth and O streets initially fell through but both are on track with new projects.

Plans to buy the Journal Star building at Ninth and P streets and turn it into apartments, offices and commercial space fell through when the developer couldnt secure financing, but now an Indiana company plans to demolish the building and build a 13-story apartment building.

The Holiday Inn Express soon to open at Ninth and O streets wasnt the first project slated for that corner, Marvin said, but came to fruition after the first plan fell through.

Absolutely we are disappointed, Marvin said about the Golds project. I think the better course of action would be to save the building, but Im not the owner of the building.

The existing lease for state government offices, the remaining tenants in the Gold's Building, will expire in October, at which point the offices will be relocated to other state government buildings.

Todd Ogden, president and CEO of the Downtown Lincoln Association, said hes also disappointed but remains hopeful that the owner can find a developer that can make it work. There are developers looking for space for downtown residential projects, he said.

The redevelopment plan was perfect, he said.

It fit well with the downtown master plan, and Keating has already made improvements to the building and had a vision for it. Other projects in downtown, including plans to rehab the Atrium, will help spur other development, he said.

Im confident well see something, he said.
Why would someone order a Wagyu tenderloin at a local tavern?

Because if the establishment was named Tavern 180, the tender, fat-marbled, rich-tasting steak  along with the rest of the menu items  was likely prepared with precision, expertise and care.

Mike McClure commented that the name of the south Lincoln restaurant could be thought of as a complete turnaround of the stereotyped image of a tavern  a haven for flavorful food and a classy atmosphere.

We are a casual fine dining establishment, with a bar, he said. (Lincolns Tavern 180 is the second of four Tavern 180s, with the first in Omaha and sister restaurants in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Ankeny, Iowa.)

The Lincoln 180 opened in March 2019, achieving a customer following before COVID-19 struck. The virus effect and the public response to COVID was so profound that the restaurant shut down for much of the pandemic.

But management decided to make the shutdown into something positive by using the time to make some changes  streamlining the restaurants menu and making adjustments based upon customer comments. Reopening this past Memorial Day weekend, customers discovered a Tavern 180 with a remodeled interior, a private party room and a new patio seating area.
Cindy Lange-Kubick Columnist Cindy Lange-Kubick has loved writing columns about life in her hometown since 1994. She had hoped to become a people person by now, nonetheless she would love to hear your tales of fascinating neighbors and interesting places. Follow Cindy Lange-Kubick Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

This column originally ran on May 15, 2002. Look for an update at the end.

One afternoon each spring, Dorris and Jack Botts back out of their driveway and head east, leaving the city behind.

They wait for the perfect day. A day without rain. Without too much wind. A day when the sun hurts your eyes and the sky is so blue it reaches down and wraps around your bones.

A day like Monday.

They are searching for the song of the lark.

All of the other songbirds have come to town, says Dorris, an Iowa farm girl who met her future husband here in 1948 and raised four children with him in the cedar-sided house with green shutters on North 42nd Street.

But not the meadowlark.

The meadowlark is a country bird. A sturdy bird with a yellow breast and a brown-speckled body. Our state bird.

It thrives in the tall grasses, builds its nests deep inside and covers it over, making tiny tents in open prairie.

"They like a full field," says Jack, as he eases the family minivan along. "You won't find them in the ditches."
A 27-year-old inmate has been sentenced to 36 to 50 years more time for a serious assault at the Nebraska State Penitentiary last year that sent staff members to the hospital with injuries.

Joshua Collins, formerly of North Platte, pleaded guilty to charges of assault on an officer causing serious injury and second-degree assault.

Lancaster County District Judge Susan Strong sentenced him Wednesday.

Prosecutors said that on Feb. 22, 2020, Collins viciously struck a case worker, knocking him unconscious by punching him in the head and face, then emptying his pepper spray canister on him and violently hitting him in the head with the empty canister.

When another staffer arrived, the inmate hit him in the head numerous times with the pepper spray canister. The staffer was able to use his pepper spray on the inmate, who was restrained when help arrived.

The case worker suffered serious injuries to his head and brain.

The case manager suffered cuts to his head that required staples to close.

At the time, Collins had been nearing his parole eligibility on a 9- to 16-year sentence on robbery, burglary and weapons charges out of Lincoln County in 2016.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSpilger

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He alleged that he repeatedly complained and refused to participate in alleged illegal activities by the company, including hiring workers who lacked authorization to work in the United States, changing names on government and company documents so workers could avoid paying taxes or child support, and misclassifying workers as "independent contractors" to avoid payment of taxes.

Lucar also claimed that company executives failed to address his complaints about discriminatory conduct against some workers because of their immigration status or ethnicity. Later, before he was fired, he alleged he was yelled and cursed at, excluded from meetings and training sessions, and accused of wrongdoing.

The lawyer who filed the lawsuit, Kathleen Neary of Lincoln, said people may claim the lawsuit was politically motivated, but it was not. Lucar, she said, had filed a complaint with the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission in April 2020, before Pillen became a candidate for governor.

"This case has substantial merit that a jury needs to hear," Neary said.

Trail, the Pillen campaign spokesman, said that Neary works for the law firm led by Vince Powers, a former state Democratic Party chairman, and that the lawsuit by Lucar was a  false and clear effort by Democrats to smear Pillen.

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Developers also would have razed a vacant building next door at 1023 O St. to create a small park or open space for residents and the developer would have taken over use of the skywalk leading to the old Centrum parking garage, where 220 stalls would have been reserved for residents.

The problem: McMahon needed historic tax credits to help pay to add windows to the south side of the building. The National Park Service, which administers the program, said no.

When that happened, McMahon didnt go through with buying the building. Keating said it remains on the market but he doesnt think anyone will buy it because of the bus transfer area on 11th and N streets along the sides of the building and because the parks service wont allow windows on the south side of the building.

Thanks to that, it will end up in the dump, like many historical buildings, and that makes me sad, he said.

Keating Resources bought the building in December 2019 for $2.3 million, and announced plans for a 110-room hotel and remodel of the four-story south portion of the building for the tenants, which were state offices.

Then the pandemic happened, and its effect on the hotel industry led the company to rethink its plans and put the building up for sale in November.
By noon on Wednesday, cars were once again flowing through 68th Street, where drivers now have to navigate a series of three roundabouts at the interchange with the future South Beltway.
JOHNSON LAKE  A 3-year-old girl drowned after falling into Johnson Lake without a life jacket Wednesday evening.

Avery Grace Mendiola was riding a flotation toy, without a life jacket, when it drifted out of the swim beach area near Medos Resort. Witnesses told members of the Gosper County Sheriffs Office the toy flipped over and the child fell in the water.

The Lexington Volunteer Fire Department dive team and crews from Nebraska Game and Parks searched the lake, starting at about 6 p.m., until the search was called off at about 10:30 p.m.

The search resumed at 6:30 a.m. Thursday and the girl's body was recovered at about 7:30 a.m. northwest of where she fell in the water.

Johnson Lake is about 8 miles southwest of Lexington.

An autopsy will be conducted, according to the Gosper County Sheriffs Office.

The Gosper County Sheriffs Office was assisted by Elwood Fire and Rescue, the Nebraska State Patrol and the Dawson County Sheriffs Office.

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She was wonderful in speech and drama, she was very involved in her faith life at church and school, her mother said. She was just a light to anyone she met.

James was sweet and full of energy, she said. He loved to shoot guns with his brother and brother-in-law and worked on the family farm, loving every minute of it.

Andrew was a loving, sweet, deep-thinking little boy, she said.

The couple said they are grateful for the outpouring of support.

Weve got lots of support in the family and from the community, Allen Chohon said. We are so thankful and overwhelmed by all the family, friends and community support.

Investigators determined that Monica Chohon was driving a Pontiac Grand Am southbound on Nebraska 109 with her two brothers as passengers at about 7 p.m. The Pontiac stopped at the intersection before Chohon tried to cross U.S. 77. The car then was struck by an eastbound Dodge Ram 3500 driven by Hartung.

The crash caused the Pontiac to roll into the south ditch of the intersection.

On Wednesday, the Nebraska State Patrol had been looking for the driver of a third vehicle it believed had stopped in the left lane of U.S. 77 prior to the crash.
The critical question now is whether to cancel weekend Guard drills in August, which typically take place the first or second week of the month. Some soldiers and airmen also have not yet completed two weeks of annual training. They could also lose two months of Guard pay.

Those are checks that they count on to support their families, to feed their families, and to go to college and all those sorts of things, Neely said.

In Nebraska, Bohac said, top priority is given to soldiers who need training to receive credit for a year of service toward retirement as well as members of units that are deploying soon. That includes a pair of units slated to join the border patrol mission in October.

Were preserving where we can, Bohac said.

The National Guard has been exceptionally busy in the past two years. Guard units aided with food distribution and vaccination clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic, security during Black Lives Matter protests in various cities last summer, and support for U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents along the U.S-Mexico border.

Thats in addition to the aid provided after natural disasters such as the March 2019 floods that hit both Nebraska and Iowa.
And, in the process of getting his flight training at Pensacola, Florida, he met his wife Barbara while on leave in New Orleans. After dating a year, they were married and the Navy sent them to California, where he commanded the first Navy F-18 training squadron. In case youre not aware of it, the F-18 jet is the plane that the Navys Top Gun flies.

There isnt adequate space in this publication to detail Partingtons 32 years in the Navy, his time in the Pentagon coordinating the Navys F-18 operations, his work at the Naval facility on the Great Lakes . . . let alone the birth of his three daughters in California. Just know that as he served our country, he did so with distinction. Ted Carter, retired Navy admiral and president of the University of Nebraska, attests to Admiral Partingtons incredible reputation.

Yet after all those years in posts across the United States, Partingtons roots in Nebraska always tugged an invitation to return when he could. And following his distinguished career in the Navy, in 1992, Jim and Barbara Partington left the Great Lakes and settled back on the Great Prairie of Nebraska.
BURLINGTON  A Burlington man allegedly assaulted a woman at a playground and told her to go to Mexico.

David J. Marshall Jr., 23, of the 400 block of West Chestnut Street, was charged with four felony counts of bail jumping and misdemeanor counts of battery and disorderly conduct.

According to a criminal complaint:

At 7:12 p.m. Sunday, an officer was sent to Wehmoff-Jucker Park, 416 E. Washington St., for a report of an intoxicated man that was assaulting a woman at the park.

Upon arrival, the officer was met by four women and two men. The victim had a picture of the suspect and the officer was able to identify him as Marshall.

She said that she was at the park for a birthday party and her grandson had been playing by the playground. The grandson approached another child and made a pawing motion but never touched her. Marshall then approached and said watch your (expletive) child. She explained to him that her grandson had autism and that she was sorry for his actions. He repeated what he told to her and then left the park.
Theres no crime, he said. Theres been no evidence to show that a crime has been committed here  certainly not intimidating a witness.

While the defendant uploaded the video to his social media, he did not identify the witness, may not have known the witness, and did not tag them when the video was posted, Kostal said.

Further, Kostal noted the state provided no evidence the individual was actually a witness to a crime, or to what crime they were a witness.

Assistant District Attorney Jessica H. Lynott countered that as a result of Langs actions in uploading the video, a witness was threatened.

She pointed out Lang zoomed in on the face of the person talking to Nuttall, zoomed in on their car, and posted the video online.

As a result of his own video, threats were made to that individual, Lynott said.

0:23 Permitless Gun Carrying Becomes Legal In 3 States Thursday marks a new era for gun owners in a handful of states. Beginning July 1, permitless carry in Iowa, Tennessee and Wyoming will be lega

Lynott attempted to argue that Nuttall also experienced suspicious activity because he believed someone had followed him out of the park, but Kostal countered there were no charges relating to Nuttall, so that information was irrelevant.

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The mayor called the ARPA the most significant piece of legislation passed since the New Deal.

Mason added: The ARPA is a lifeline to the city and our residents after more than a year of economic hardships caused by the pandemic.

The pandemic

After 16 months, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to present challenges for the city.

Mason reflected on how far the city has come while acknowledging there is a way to go before residents are back to normal.

Every day I am both proud and astonished by how incredibly resilient this city and our residents are, Mason said. While this last year was hard for so many reasons, many really positive things have happened.

He pointed out that people are gathering and interacting again.

It is like the city is coming back to life, he said.

While COVID infection rates are as low as theyve been during the pandemic, Mason expressed concern that the infection rate was ticking up again and that variants, such as the delta variant, have proven to be more infectious than the original.
1. Yes. It would certainly be a start. The added foot traffic would encourage growth.

2. Yes. If enough other services are combined in one location, it could be a huge boon.

3. No. Putting an office building downtown wont solve all the problems the area faces.

4. No. Too many churches and businesses have left downtown. Its too little, too late.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say what effect it would have without knowing the full plan.

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Killeen, TX (76540)

Today

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 76F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

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A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 76F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.
Killeen, TX (76540)

Today

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 75F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 75F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
JOHNSON LAKE  A 3-year-old girl drowned after falling into Johnson Lake without a life jacket Wednesday evening.

Avery Grace Mendiola was riding a floatation toy, without a life jacket, when it drifted out of the swim beach area near Medos Resort. Witnesses told members of the Gosper County Sheriffs Office the toy flipped over and the child fell in the water.

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The Lexington Volunteer Fire Department dive team and Nebraska Game and Parks searched the lake, starting around 6 p.m., until the search was called off around 10:30 p.m.

The search resumed at 6:30 a.m. on Thursday and her body was recovered about 7:30 a.m. northwest of where she fell in the water.

An autopsy will be conducted, according to the Gosper County Sheriffs Office.

The Gosper County Sheriffs Office was assisted by Elwood Fire and Rescue, the Nebraska State Patrol and the Dawson County Sheriffs Office.
Citing the need to assist a fellow state that is battling a wave of illegal immigration, Gov. Pete Ricketts on Thursday defended his decision to dispatch Nebraska State Patrol troopers to the Texas border with Mexico without assurance that Nebraska will be reimbursed for the $500,000 in estimated expenses.

Nebraska signed an agreement that it would not seek reimbursement with the understanding that a special session of the Texas legislature might provide some funding for expenditures, Ricketts told a news conference.

But, he said, "Democrats are holding up that reimbursement possibility by fleeing the state."

That was a reference to the decision by Democratic lawmakers to leave Texas and fly to Washington in an effort to deny the legislature a quorum that is necessary to enact a package of proposed voting restrictions that prompted the special session.

It is common practice for states to help one another with security needs, Ricketts said, usually with compensation, but sometimes without such guarantees.

"We knew there was no guarantee that we would be reimbursed," he said. "There's still an opportunity. I hope there is reimbursement."
By Debbie Burke

@burke_writer

Were all aware of the staggering rise of identity theft that can screw up our credit. According to the Insurance Information Institute, in 2020, the FTC received 4.8 million reports of identity theft and fraud, a 45% increase from 2019.

But if a criminal claims to be you, does that mean you could be locked up for an outstanding warrant?

In the case of Jonah Scott Miller, yes.

When Zin Mali McDade, a transient, was arrested in Brevard County, Florida, he claimed his name was Jonah Scott Miller, who had been a childhood acquaintance. Both were born in December, 1985, six days apart. However, Jonah is 62 and Zin is 57.

The real Jonah, who works security for a hospital, was arrested during Bike Week in Daytona Beach in 2019 on a failure to appear warrant for shoplifting, a warrant actually meant for Zin.

When Jonah told police they had the wrong man and he had never been to Brevard County, the arresting officer accused him of lying. According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, she said:

I suggest you get a lawyer because somebodys lying. If its not you lying to me, its somebody you know because they know way too much about you. They knew your date of birth, your social, where you were born, your address and they have your tattoos.

Jonah protested his tattoos couldnt match anyone elses because they were the names of his kids.

Apparently, no one at the scene brought up the mugshot from Zins arrest.

Jonah was booked into Volusia County Jail. There, officers discovered the mugshot on file didnt match the real Jonah. The fingerprints on record also didnt match the real Jonah. Yet, despite the obvious mistake, the innocent victim of identity theft spent the night in jail.

Attorney Steve Weisman of Scamicide.com recommends being proactive if someone impersonates you. Contact a lawyer, law enforcement, and the prosecutor/district attorney to file a report that you are the victim of identity theft. Show your drivers license, passport, or other photo ID to prove who you are. Request a letter from the district attorney explaining the situation. In some states, you can request an Identity Theft Passport that may help if you are detained because a criminal steals your identity.

Whatever happened to Zin Mali McDade (alias Jonah Scott Miller)? He currently resides at the Brevard County Jail in Cocoa, FL.

~~~

TKZers: Have you ever been the victim of mistaken or stolen identity? Would you obtain an Identity Theft Passport?
Creating a map that lines county district and city ward boundaries up was important to some officials, including county staff who argued that having scattered, overlapping voting wards during elections disenfranchises some voters and creates more work with more ballot styles.

Others argued that focusing on being coterminous with the city of La Crosse leaves smaller communities disadvantaged.

Im going to have a hard time justifying to people in Holmen why La Crosse would get to have all their supervisors be only for La Crosse but for Holmen that isnt going to be the case, nor is it the case for Onalaska, said supervisor Pam Viner. At some point well have to make some decision on that because whats fair to the one has to be fair to the others.

And, staff warned, changing the number of districts would create more work, potentially compromising the committees ability to get maps drawn before the self-imposed deadline of Dec. 1.

One official recommended reaching out to the city of La Crosse to discuss whether it values remaining coterminous with the countys electoral districts. There is no city official represented on the La Crosse County Redistricting Committee, though several of the members are residents of the city.
What everybody needs to know is that Andy was so overly cautious with anything with his kids, a neighbor said. Theres no way if there was any danger that Andy saw that he would have had his kids anywhere near it.
Isnt that exactly what this committee is supposed to be doing? This is a committee to do the research, to do the deep diving, to talk to law enforcement, Simpson said. I guess Im confused as to what the ask is and why its being brought back to us because that is what this committee is supposed to be doing.

Some officials pushed for more discussion from the subcommittee who researched the issue for the past year, but members were hesitant, saying it undermined that work and argued that if the purpose of the pause was over police concerns, the discussions should be done on their side.

Others were more cynical, calling the referral a stall tactic, and one CJMC member argued that some supervisors would be against the oversight board no matter what for fear of not being re-elected.

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If Im being honest, and Im speaking for myself, I didnt have much faith that this was going to go anywhere, said CJMC member Suthakaran Veerasamy, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. During Wednesdays discussion he used an analogy that people of color are like squirrels living in a cage built for elephants, saying the process revealed racial divisions in the community.
Quarantine will continue to be required for those who test positive for COVID-19 or are close contacts.

As always, this guidance is subject to change based on new understandings of the science of COVID-19, the further advice of experts, and the changing conditions in our community, Engel said. If case rates go up, or we have outbreaks in schools, we will likely have to wear masks again for a period of time, so please be prepared. Thank you for your understanding and flexibility as we begin a new school year.

Dr. Robyn Borge of Gundersen Health System says she believes the safest way for kids (under 12) to stay safe in school is with masking and distancing if possible. Weve found that masks are effective in preventing covid and transmission of covid. this is particularly true in unvaccinated populations. It may well be that masks are a part of COVID mitigation strategies.

The goal, Borge says, Is to keep kids in school and to keep them protected.

The CDC has faced some pressure to reinstate masking overall due to the rise in cases nationwide from the Delta variant, but as of Thursday CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said no change in guidance is currently planned.
The nations oldest fair  which actually predates the founding of the United States  is set to return this year.

The York Fair has gone through plenty of changes since 1765, including announcing a move from the fall to the summer and changing its name to the York State Fair, following the 2019 fair.

Last years cancellation during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic was the first time the fair had been postponed since another pandemic, the influenza outbreak of 1918.

If youre headed to the York State Fair this year, heres some helpful information you may need to know.

About the fair

 When: The York State Fair will be held from Friday through Aug. 1. It opens at noon Mondays through Thursdays, and at 11 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

 Where: The fair is held at the York Expo Center, 334 Carlisle Ave., York.

 Admission and parking: Admission for adult over 18 is $8. Children ages 6 and up, as well as college students with IDs, are $4. Children 5 and under are free. Parking is $7. A pass for the full fair this year is $75 per person, which includes parking.

 Midway info and prices: The Midway at the York State Fair opens at 2 p.m. and features several carnival rides and attractions. Mondays through Thursdays, and at noon on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Guests can buy wristbands for unlimited rides: wristbands are $20 Monday-Thursday, and $25 Friday-Sunday.

 Tickets: Tickets purchased for last years events will be honored for this years fair, and new tickets for the 2021 fair are on sale be at the York Fair website.

 Rides: A list of the names of rides that will be at the fair, as well as their height requirements, can be found on the York State Fair website at yorkfair.org.

 Animals: Pets and emotional support animals are not permitted on the fairgrounds. Service animals as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act are permitted.

Special event days

 Friday: Peoples Bank Dollar Day, where admission is $1 per person, and riding any ride at the fair is $1.

 Sunday: UPMC Heroes Appreciation Day, with free admission plus one guest for all firefighters, police, emergency medical service and health care personnel, and both active duty military and veterans. A proper ID is necessary.

 Tuesday: PA Lottery Senior Citizens Day, with free admission for all senior citizens with a Medicare card from noon-4 p.m.

 Wednesday, July 28: Weis MarketsDay, with free admission to everyone with a Weis Markets Card and up to four guests.

 Friday, July 30: Froggy 107.7 Pre-School Pals Day, with free admission for one adult with a preschooler from 11 a.m.3 p.m. Kiddie Kingdom ride wristbands will also be $10 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and can be used until 4 p.m. that day.

Concert schedules and changes

The shows scheduled for the York State Fair this year will include both concerts and other live events held at the Bobcat of York Grandstand Stage. Here is the current lineup, as well as a few changes from the previously announced schedule. The performance with Sam Hunt scheduled for Friday has been postponed until the 2022 fair. Information on how to request a refund can be found on the York State Fair website. The performance with Pitbull scheduled for Sunday has been canceled due to a scheduling conflict. Refunds will be issued automatically via credit cards, according to the York State Fair website.

 Friday: Jake Owen with special guest Chase Rice. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $25-$45.

 Saturday: REO Speedwagon & Styx. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $30-$50.

 Sunday: Alabama with special guest Jake Hoot. 7 p.m. Tickets: $35-$65.

 Monday: Kane Brown w/ Restless Road and Adam Doleac. 8 p.m. Tickets: $50$75.

 Tuesday: Warrant and Slaughter with special guests KIX. 7 p.m. Tickets: $30-$35.

 Wednesday, July 28: Get the Led Out and a Battle of the Bands. 7 p.m. Tickets: Free, seating available on first-come, first-served basis.

 Thursday, July 29: Casting Crowns with special guest Cain. 8 p.m. Tickets: $20-$35.

 Friday, July 30: Halestorm with special guest Small Town Titans. 8 p.m. Tickets: $25-$40.

 Saturday, July 31: Blippi The Musical. 6 p.m. Tickets: $15-$30.

 Sunday, Aug. 1: Demolition Derby. 4 p.m. Tickets: free, seating on first-come, firstserved basis.

Other events and exhibits

There is another event being held in the Pennsylvania Room:

 Friday, July 30: Blind Cornhole Tournament. 6 p.m. Cash prizes are $200 for first place, $150 for second place, $100 for third place and $50 for fourth place. Registration is from 6-6:45 p.m. and costs $5; the tournament is doubleelimination and a blind drawing will be done for partners. Participants can bring their own bags, or bags will be provided. The York State Fair will include numerous exhibitions on display and contests to be judged throughout the 10-day event. For additional information, visit yorkfair.org.
For every child who was ever bullied; for every child whose parents didnt treat them well, for every child who didnt get the love they deserved, there is Matilda.

Matilda the Musical is the musical adaptation of Roald Dahls beloved book about a little girl who learns to stand up for herself against the cold, cruel world.

The lively musical, created by Dennis Kelly and Tim Minchin, and which premiered with the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2010, is sure to inspire and delight youngsters, whether they are still young or all grown up. Matilda the Musical comes to the Ephrata Performing Arts Center stage today through Aug. 7.

IF YOU GO What: Matilda the Musical. Where: Ephrata Performing Arts Center, 320 Cocalico St., Ephrata. When: Various show times today through Aug. 7 More info: 717-733-7966, ext. 1, ephrataperformingartscenter.com.

As creative director Ed Fernandez notes, Matilda is a show for everyone. Everyone can relate to dealing with unkind people, whether they be so-called friends, teachers, or even family members. And while most kids dont have families as rotten as Matildas self-centered parents or as evil as headmistress Miss Trunchbull, Matilda serves to offer hope that even the sweetest souls can be naughty enough to overcome the very meanest people they meet in life.

At the center of Matilda, the shy little girl who stands up to wickedness with some supernatural powers, is Matilda Wormwood herself. In EPACs performance, Matilda is portrayed by 11-year-old Carly Geiter. Geiter is the daughter of Lauren and Don Geiter of Lancaster, who have encouraged their daughters natural gifts for singing, dancing and acting.

A sixth grader at Lancaster County Christian School, Geiter has been doing local theater for about three years. She already has a powerful role lined up as Helen Keller at Yorks Belmont Theatre, and has performed in productions of Annie, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Honk Jr. Her role as Matilda is her first leading role, and she says she has enjoyed getting into her character.

She is gentle, but tough. She has learned to stand up for herself, says Geiter. She is also very, very smart, and thats why her parents hate her so much. They are not very smart at all.

Matilda is able to escape her situation with the help of a few supernatural powers, like being able to move things with her eyes, explains Geiter. Through some rather sneaky trickiness, Matilda is able to toy with her parents and play a few pranks on them, like turning her fathers hair green.

Since the musical Matilda premiered on the British stage, the cast traditionally uses British accents. Geiter has mastered a charming accent, and sings two of the most popular songs in the show, including the catchy Naughty and the thoughtful Quiet, which is in contrast to Mrs. Wormwoods raucous song Loud.

I watched the movie Matilda and it helped me understand my character. She is timid and shy, and goes through such hard times that make her stronger, says Geiter, who describes herself as very outgoing. Thank goodness she has Miss Honey.

Miss Honey is Matildas sweet and shy teacher, played by 18-year-old Maya Burdick, a recent Ephrata High School graduate. Like her character, Burdick confesses that she too is rather quiet and introverted. Put her on stage, though, and she takes on her role, whether its Penny in Hairspray or the tomboy Anybodys in West Side Story. The daughter of Stacy and Clinton Burdick, she has grown up in theater and at EPAC, where her parents volunteer doing set construction and costumes.

To practice my accent, I sort of channeled Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins, says Burdick, who wound up with a genteel British accent that would be well-suited for a Jane Austen film.

She was able to relate well to Miss Honey, who has been mistreated and put down by other characters in Matilda. As a result of empathizing with Matilda, the two form a loving mother-daughter-like bond, and Miss Honey proves to be Matildas salvation.

She learns to come out of her shell and defend Matilda, which makes them both stronger. They help each other, says Burdick, who sings Pathetic, This Little Girl, and My House in her lovely, clear soprano voice.

The sweetness and charm of Matilda and Miss Honey are sharply contrasted by the pure evilness of Miss Trunchbull, the wicked headmistress of Crunchem Hall. The role of Miss Trunchbull is traditionally played by a man, much like Edna Turnblad in Hairspray.

EPAC found its perfect Miss Trunchbull with Drew Becker, 26, an actor from Hanover who had been living and working in New York City until the pandemic forced him back to central Pennsylvania. When he heard that EPAC was planning to do Matilda, he asked a mutual friend of Fernandez to tell the director than he should cast him as Miss Trunchbull. When Becker read for the part, Fernandez knew he had exactly the right guy to be the certifiably insane Miss Trunchbull.

It was kind of a joke, but I always wanted to do that part. She is just the evilest of evil, out to get the purest of pure, Becker says. I guess the best way to describe her is that hurt people need to hurt people.

To clinch the role, Becker adopted an other-worldly accent with a touch of Moira from Schitts Creek, the Wicked Witch of the West, and a very scary British nanny. It was like nothing Fernandez had ever heard before, and it was hysterical.

I just tried to imagine myself as the frustrated ex-Olympic hammer thrower who hates children and winds up as the headmistress of Crunchem Hall. She loves to prey on the vulnerable, says Becker, who sings The Hammer and The Smell of Rebellion.

Even though Matilda delves into the cruelty of bullies like Miss Trunchbull and the awful Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood, the kindness of Matilda and Miss Honey manage to vanquish evil in this satirical look at the power of kindness.

This is one of my favorite casts, Fernandez says. Its so great to have all these fresh, young faces. These kids are unreal. And the show is hilarious, yet poignant.

The rest of the Matilda cast includes Isaac Silver and Erin Quinn as Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood, Brandon Cameron as Rodolpho, Rachel Romack as Mrs. Phelps, and Preston Cuer as the Doctor. As for the kids. Maeve Larrimore is Lavender, Zane Zangwell is Bruce, Abby Leiboff is Amanda, Patrick McCarthy is Tommy, Nala Samuel is Alice, Maeve Sasse is Hortensia, Will Sensenig is Michael, Zach Sensenig is is Eric, and Noah Woods is Nigel. The cast also includes Damian Hemsley, Conner Moodie, Susanna Schelling, Emily Witmer. Zack Haines, Tori Nicktern and Meredith Stone.

Fernandez is director with Megan Riggs as assistant director. Music director is Cheryl Markle, executive director is Andi Jo Hill, choreographer is Kristin Pontz and stage manager is Mike DiSciullo.

I think everybody bonded so well. We are like family, says Becker, with an intimidating cackle. But seriously, it was so much fun to be so evil.
Elizabethtown Colleges investment in in-demand careers appears to be paying off.

The college will welcome its largest incoming class in the past five years, and enrollment is up again for the second straight year, Elizabethtown announced Tuesday. The class of 2025 consists of more than 475 new students, the college said.

College President Cecilia McCormick credited Elizabethtowns growth to a robust academic program which includes real-world experiences and produces strong student outcomes for our graduates to be successful in their careers and in life.

In the past two years, the college has added high-demand majors including exercise science, robotics, physicians assistant, social media and media analytics, and public health. It also launched an RN to BSN program in addition to majors such as occupational therapy, engineering, biology, business, education, humanities and political science.

We know our new students value our commitment and dedication to providing an in-person, experiential education model and engaging student life experience, McCormick said.
Editor's note: Justo Smoker pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, kidnapping and other charges. Click here to read more.

Justo Smoker, the man charged with abducting and killing Linda Stoltzfoos, the Amish woman who went missing last June as she walked home from church, intends to plead guilty on Friday.

Smoker, 35, of Paradise Township, is charged with homicide, kidnapping and false imprisonment in Stoltzfoos death. He is being held at Lancaster County Prison without bail.

The Lancaster County Court calendar says Smoker is scheduled to enter a guilty plea at 9 a.m. Friday, but it does not specify to which charges. His attorney, Christopher Tallarico, confirmed Smoker will plead guilty in the case, but declined to provide specifics. District Attorney Heather Adams has a news conference scheduled for Friday after the hearing but also declined comment on Wednesday.

Mervin Fisher, who is Linda Stoltzfoos uncle by marriage, said he plans to be at the guilty plea, but at this point, her parents do not, though that may change.

In Pennsylvania, homicide covers a range of culpability, from a less-serious charge of voluntary manslaughter to first-degree murder, which carries a potential punishment of the death penalty or life in prison without possibility of parole.

Prosecutors believe Stoltzfoos, 18, was abducted from near her Upper Leacock Township home last June 21 and killed shortly afterward.

Her body was found on April 21. She had been buried about 42 inches deep on Amtrak property behind Smokers former employer, Dutchland Inc., located on Rte. 41 south of Gap. The area had previously been searched, though the location where the remains were found is not easily accessible, Adams said at the time of recovery.

Stoltzfoos had been strangled and stabbed once in the neck, according to Lancaster County Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni. The cause of death was asphyxia -- lack of oxygen to the brain -- as a result of strangulation and suffocation, with the stab wound a contributing factor.

Stoltzfoos was given a proper burial on April 26 at the Myers Cemetery burial grounds on East Eby Road, just a couple miles far from the Stoltzfoos family home.

According to prosecutors, Smoker had been driving around the area where Stoltzfoos lives, stalking Amish females last June 20 and 21.

Stoltzfoos was walking home from church when prosecutors contend Smoker abducted her at a farm lane intersecting Beechdale Road, just four-tenths of a mile from her parents home.

Prosecutors said they zeroed in on Smoker after reviewing footage from a home surveillance camera that showed his car on Beechdale on the day Stoltzfoos disappeared. He was arrested last July 10 at his work and initially charged only with kidnapping and false imprisonment.

Prosecutors added the homicide charge on Dec. 21 -- exactly six months after Stoltzfoos went missing -- after revealing that DNA samples collected by swabbing Smoker's cheeks matched DNA samples found on Stoltzfoos' blue bra and white stockings. Pennsylvania State Police found the items July 10, 2020, while searching a wooded area near a Ronks business.

A witness and data from Smoker's cell phone had placed him in the area of the business.

Smoker had been released from prison in February 2019 after serving the minimum of a 12-1/2- to 30-year sentence for a series of armed robberies he committed in 2006 with his brother.
Editor's note: Justo Smoker pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, kidnapping and other charges. Click here to read more.

Its been just over one year and one month since Amish teenager Linda Stoltzfoos disappeared on her way home from church, and three months since Lancaster County officials found her remains near where Justo Roberto Smoker, the man charged with killing her, worked.

Friday, July 23, Smoker pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, kidnapping and other charges.

Heres a look at what we do and dont know ahead about Linda, her disappearance, Smoker and whats next.

What we know

Linda Stoltzfoos went missing in June 2020.

Stoltzfoos was an 18-year-old Amish woman from Upper Leacock Township, about six miles east of downtown Lancaster. She went missing June 21, 2020, while walking from church on Stumptown Road to her familys home on Beechdale Road.

A video surveillance camera at a home on Beechdale captured Smokers red Kia Rio stop and a figure -- believed to be Stoltzfoos -- approach the car the day she went missing. This led investigators to conclude she was abducted, and searches continued for months afterward. Searches totaled about 15,000 hours, Adams said.

Based on where Smokers cell phone information placed him and other information, searchers focused on the Welsh Mountain area some 13 miles east of where Stoltzfoos went missing.

By fall 2020, formal searches were off.

Within a month, Smoker was charged with her kidnapping.

On July 10, 2020, police charged Smoker with kidnapping and false imprisonment in Stoltzfoos disappearance. They arrested him at his work, Dutchland Inc., on Route 41 south of Gap.

Investigators say they had reason to believe Stoltzfoos was harmed because they found her bra and stockings buried behind a business on Harvest Lane in Ronks, where Smokers car had been seen.

Smoker denied knowing missing Stoltzfoos to investigators, but genealogy and newspaper records show the two are third cousins once removed.

Smokers charges.

Smoker was charged with homicide, kidnapping and false imprisonment. The district attorneys office filed new charges of abuse of corpse, tampering with evidence and possession of an instrument of crime against Smoker on Thursday, July 22, 2021.

Smoker was officially charged with third-degree murder, kidnapping and other charges. False imprisonment was dropped in the plea agreement because it was a lesser charge than kidnapping.

Investigators found Stoltzfoos body nine months later.

Stoltzfoos body was found on April 21, 2021, along with a bonnet, dress and shoes "consistent with the clothing worn ... the day of her disappearance," Adams said.

Linda's remains were found buried in a hole up to 42 inches deep and wrapped in a tarp on Amtrak property behind Dutchland.

Lancaster County Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni determined that Stoltzfoos had been stabbed once in the neck and strangled. The cause of death was asphyxia -- lack of oxygen to the brain -- as a result of strangulation and suffocation.

Adams said she and her team believe Stoltzfoos' body was first buried near the Ronks business where investigators found her bra and stockings and later moved to the area behind Dutchland. Searchers had looked for Stoltzfoos near Dutchland, but Adams said where her body was found was not easily accessible.

How investigators found her body.

In exchange for a third-degree murder charge, Smoker drew a map for investigators as to where Stoltzfoos' body was. After investigators were unable to find her body, they took Smoker to the scene, where he identified the location in-person.

Smoker will get 35 1/2 years to 71 years in prison.

The plea agreement was made with the intention of keeping him in prison for the rest of his life. Stoltzfoos' family agreed with the decision, said family spokesman Sam Blank.

He may also get up to 17 years in prison for violating parole from a previous armed robbery.

Whats Smokers background?

Smoker was a former high school wrestling all-star who had a 3.0 grade point average and earned a place on the Lancaster-Lebanon wrestling all-star team in 2003, according to LNP|LancasterOnline reporting.

But he and his brother, Victor, committed a string of armed robberies of businesses in eastern Lancaster County using a BB gun between Aug. 8 and Aug. 13, 2006.

Both pleaded guilty. At Justos sentencing, his defense attorney said he had been living on the street, just trying to survive, when he was adopted at age 7 by Vernon and Deb Smoker.

Justo was sentenced 12 1/2 to 30 years in prison and was released in 2019 after serving the minimum. Victor was released from prison in 2016.

What we dont know

Smokers motive.

While investigators havent given a motive in Stoltzfoos killing, prosecutors said Smoker had been driving around the area where she lived, stalking Amish females the day and day before she disappeared

Timeline on Stoltzfoos death.

Adams said that Stoltzfoos likely died within hours of being abducted, but there's not yet a concrete timeline.

How, when or why Stoltzfoos body was moved.

Adams has not given a detailed timeline when the body was moved from the first location, where her bra and stockings were found, to where it was found near Smokers work.
Learning from home during the pandemic was more than an inconvenience for Jessica Torres and her son. It was a threat to their livelihood.

When her 14-year-old son wasnt logging on for school, Torres, a single mother, had to make a choice  keep working as her son falls behind or quit her job to help him.

I had to sacrifice my job and stay home with my son, she said.

But helping Fernando didnt pay the bills. She wasnt facing eviction with a nationwide rent moratorium in place, yet she needed help to pay her landlord.

A social worker by profession, Torres had always referred clients to the PA 211 East call center run through the United Way of Lancaster. Now, she needed to make the call for herself.

A call specialist referred the 38-year-old mother to an agency near her home in Columbia to help her file for six months of rental assistance.

If she hadnt had 211 to call, Torres said I would have been on the streets. I would have been homeless.

And shes not the only one.

More than a quarter of Lancaster County households are living paycheck to paycheck and could slip into poverty when pandemic safeguards like the rent moratorium are lifted, according to a recent United Way of Pennsyvania survey.

Before the situation becomes too dire, Kevin Ressler, president and CEO at United Way of Lancaster County, said these families should follow Torres example and call 211, a toll-free number available 24/7. Ressler said callers to the Lancaster County-based regional PA 211 East call center are referred to as many as 600 local agencies providing human services from rental assistance to mental health counseling.

Dial 211 or text your zip code to 898-211 to talk with a resource specialist for free. Visit https://www.pa211.org/ to view available resources.

Contact 211 Dial 211 or text your zip code to 898-211 to talk with a resource specialist. Visit https://www.pa211.org/ to view available resources. A chat service is available on the website on a limited level.

PA 211 East handles calls from Lancaster and six other counties: Berks, Carbon, Lebanon, Lehigh, Northampton and Schuylkill. In 2020, Toni Gainer, PA 211 East director, said the center fielded 69,377 requests through phone calls, emails, an online chat function and texts, making more than 100,000 referrals. Nearly 36,000 of those requests were from Lancaster County alone.

Pennsylvanias 1.3 million households living one emergency away from crisis are experiencing even greater financial strain after an entire year facing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the United Way of Pennsylvanias second COVID-19 Impact Survey, conducted in March. Over the last year, these families were more concerned about paying their housing expenses than the risk of a household member contracting COVID-19.

The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions national eviction moratorium, to protect tenants from eviction despite being unable to make rental payments, expires on July 31.

Any household living above the Federal Poverty Level that still cant afford the cost of household essentials falls under the Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) threshold, according to the United Ways March report. Conducted exactly one year after the pandemic began, the United Way report found that housing stability, health and mental wellbeing, childcare, internet access and food insecurity are major concerns for Pennsylvanians at or below the ALICE level.

What is ALICE? ALCE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. An ALICE household or individual lives above the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) but less than the cost of living in their county, according to United for ALICE, a research project based out of United Way of Northern New Jersey. The FPL varies by household size. According to the latest ALICE research from 2018, at an income of $12,140or lower, seniors and single adults fall at or below the FPL. A family of four hits the mark at $20,100 a year. The FPL is normally less than half of what is considered an ALICE household survival budget  an estimate of the minimum total cost of household essentials such as childcare, food and transportation. A family of four might struggle to afford basic necessities with an income under $69,648. A senior survival budget is slightly different, accommodating lower food costs, less transportation and increased health needs. A seniors yearly survival budget is $26,436 compared to $23,544 for a single adult. More than a quarter, or 27%, of Pennsylvania households are considered ALICE households. Lancaster Countys ALICE households constitute 26% of its population. Adding in those who live below the FPL add 12% and 8%, respectively, to the total households struggling to survive.

With ALICE families, when youre basically living paycheck to paycheck, you dont have extra to put into savings, said Kristen Rotz, president of the United Way of Pennsylvania. Now we know theres a lot of backup, for example, with housing and rent payments, and a lot of thats going to come home to roost.

The Federal Poverty Level for a family of four in 2018 was an income of $25,100 per year, according to United For ALICE, a research project based out of United Way of Northern New Jersey.

Out of Lancaster Countys 202,490 households, 8% are living in poverty and 26% are ALICE households, according to 2018 ALICE data.Pennsylvania compiles data through United For Alice every two years. Data on ALICE families in 2020 will be available in 2022.

Helping ALICE families

The significant disruption caused by COVID-19 means that the number of ALICE households will increase in communities statewide, according to the report.

"Lifting households in poverty into the ALICE threshold and bringing ALICE families to financial stability is an economic investment, said Rebecca OShea, advocacy engagement coordinator for the United Way of Pennsylvania. If all households in the state were above the ALICE threshold, for example, their additional earnings and tax revenue from those earnings would add $130.2 billion per year to Pennsylvanias gross domestic product, according to ALICE data.

This ALICE population, theyre going to spend that money when it comes to them, OShea said. All these stimulus checks, the earned income tax credit at the federal level, the child tax credit that were getting this month and throughout the rest of the year  all of that money will be spent.

United Way of Pennsylvania advocates for a state Earned Income Tax Credit, which helps low to middle income earners by returning their earnings back to the household.

At the community level, Ressler suggests financially supporting the nonprofit sector.

If youre doing well, that doesnt mean that everybody else is doing well, he said. If youre doing well, its really great if you can help share your resources.

How to donate time or money Lancaster residents who wish to help can donate to a specific nonprofit directly or donate to United Ways Impact Fund. Lancasters United Way Impact Fund distributes donations to maximize the moneys influence on the community, focusing mainly on education, income and health. United Ways Project SOS accepts money from those who did not need their stimulus checks and gives up to $500 for households making less than $48,000 and $200 to $250 to individuals making less than $21,000. Donations can also be made directly to United Ways 211 call center. If a monetary donation isnt possible, volunteering is a free alternative to get involved in the community. United Ways volunteer center can connect people with nonprofits that need assistance.

Ressler said donating to United Ways Impact Fund ensures resources will be distributed to nonprofits in need, but it is also beneficial to donate to specific organizations that assist Lancaster residents with the biggest concerns such as housing, mental health and education.

Biggest concerns for the most vulnerable in Pennsylvania

Approximately two thirds of survey respondents in the United Ways March report who are below the ALICE threshold reported that paying for housing is one of their biggest concerns. The data checks out. A top need expressed by 211 callers is how to find and pay for housing, Gainer said.

While secure households tend to have two months or more in savings for unexpected expenses or emergencies like job loss or illness,  common problems that Pennsylvanians faced during the pandemic  68% of respondents with an income below the ALICE threshold had one month or less in savings to make rent, buy groceries or pay for childcare despite unexpected emergencies.

The number is down from 77% of respondents in United Ways 2020 COVID-19 Impact Survey, indicating that pandemic safeguards such as stimulus checks, unemployment insurance, and other forms of assistance helped Pennsylvania families stay afloat.

With 65% of respondents below the ALICE threshold reporting job loss, temporary lay-off or job change, those safeguards were necessary.

More than half of ALICE households reported either reducing hours or leaving their job to care for their children.

Its no surprise then that mental health and well-being was the second largest concern for respondents of any household income.

This past year, especially not just for the ALICE population but for all populations, just really caused a lot of people to take a pause and think about what they want in life and if they truly agree with the life that they're living, OShea said.Mental health, and the lack of access to mental health providers, is an essential point to talk about.

In Lancaster County, there are 127.5 mental health providers per 100,000 residents. Juniata County has the least number of providers with just 12.2 providers per 100,000 residents and Montour Countyhas the most with 470.7 per 100,000 residents.

When Lancaster residents call 211 to connect with a mental health provider or a rental assistance program, they might just end up getting help from Torres.

As she looked to find a new job, Torres was pleased to find a position at PA East 211.

Now shes getting the calls; she works as a coordinated entry housing specialist for the center.

It all played out perfect, she said. It wasnt easy and it wasnt fun. I had to be very patient.
Editor's note: Justo Smoker pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, kidnapping and other charges. Click here to read more.

Prosecutors filed additional charges on Thursday that could hint at what Justo Smoker may plead guilty to in the kidnapping and death of Linda Stoltzfoos, the young Amish woman who went missing last June as she walked home from church.

Smoker, 35, of Paradise, is scheduled for a guilty plea hearing before Lancaster County President Judge David Ashworth at 9 a.m. Friday, though neither District Attorney Heather Adams nor defense attorney Christopher Tallarico would say what exactly he will plead to.

The filing by the prosecution, called an information, lists the newly added charges: abuse of corpse, tampering with evidence and possession of an instrument of crime. It also lists a criminal homicide charge with a designation indicating a first-degree felony. That would include the possibilities of first-, second- and third-degree murder, along with voluntary manslaughter.

First- and second-degree murder carry sentences of life without possibility of parole. Though prosecutors can seek the death penalty in certain instances of first-degree murder, prosecutors in Smoker's case have not filed notice that they intend to seek the death penalty; regardless, Gov. Tom Wolf imposed a moratorium on the death penalty in Pennsylvania in 2015.

Third-degree murder carries a maximum penalty of 20 to 40 years in prison.

Smoker is also charged with kidnapping -- a felony that enables prosecutors to seek a second-degree murder conviction -- and false imprisonment. Those charges were filed July 10, 2020 -- the day he was arrested. The homicide charge was filed Dec. 21, after prosecutors revealed that DNA samples collected by swabbing Smoker's cheeks matched DNA samples found on Stoltzfoos' blue bra and white stockings. Pennsylvania State Police found the items the day of his arrest while searching a wooded area near a Ronks business.

Thursday's filing of abuse of corpse, tampering with evidence and possession of an instrument of crime -- all misdemeanors -- would seem to indicate those charges are part of an expected plea.

The two evidence tampering charges accuse Smoker of burying Stoltzfoos body somewhere in Lancaster County, then digging the body up and reburying it on Amtrak property behind his former employer, Dutchland Inc., on Route 41 south of Gap. Those accusations also support the abuse-of-corpse charge. The possession of an instrument of crime charge accuses Smoker of having zip-ties and shoe laces and using them to tie up Stoltzfoos as part of her abduction and killing.

Prosecutors believe Stoltzfoos, 18, was abducted on Beechdale Road in Upper Leacock Township last June 21 and killed shortly afterward.

Prosecutors zeroed in on Smoker after reviewing footage from a home surveillance camera that showed his car on Beechdale on the day Stoltzfoos disappeared -- just four-tenths of a mile from her parents home. According to police, Smoker had been driving around the area where Stoltzfoos lived, stalking Amish females last June 20 and 21.

Stoltzfoos' disappearance prompted numerous massive searches targeting areas where Smoker had traveled, according to cell phone data, including the Welsh Mountain area. Ultimately, her body was found buried about 42 inches deep on April 21 behind Smokers workplace. The area had previously been searched, though the location where the remains were found is not easily accessible, Adams said at the time of recovery.

Stoltzfoos had been strangled and stabbed once in the neck, according to Lancaster County Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni. The cause of death was asphyxia -- lack of oxygen to the brain -- as a result of strangulation and suffocation, with the stab wound a contributing factor.

Stoltzfoos was given a proper burial on April 26 at the Myers Cemetery on East Eby Road, just a couple miles far from the Stoltzfoos family home.

Smoker had been released from prison in February 2019 after serving the minimum of a 12-1/2- to 30-year sentence for a series of armed robberies he committed in 2006 with his brother.
Editor's note: Justo Smoker pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, kidnapping and other charges. Click here to read more.

A 34-year-old Paradise Township man was arrested with kidnapping Linda Stoltzfoos, an 18-year-old Amish woman who had been missing since June 21, 2020.

Investigators found Stoltzfoos' body in April; a motive hasn't yet been determined.

Justo Roberto Smoker, of the 3200 block of Lincoln Highway, was released from prison in 2019, according to the state's online inmate locator.

Smoker was sentenced to serve 12 1/2 to 30 years in prison after a string of armed robberies in 2006.

He was a former high school wrestling all-star who had a 3.0 grade point average and earned a place on the Lancaster-Lebanon wrestling all-star team in 2003, according to LNP | LancasterOnline reporting.

Smoker pleaded guilty to the robberies, during which he and his brother, Victor, used a BB gun to rob four different businesses between Aug. 8 and Aug. 13, 2006.

Victor was released from prison in 2016.

Judge Joseph Madenspacher told Justo Smoker at the sentencing hearing in 2007 that he could have fashioned a sentence that would have kept him in prison for twice as long, if not for the rest of his life, according to LNP | LancasterOnline reporting at the time.

But, Madenspacher said, he imposed a sentence that ensures "society is protected, but that you could still come out and lead a reasonable life."

In addition to the prison sentence, Smoker was ordered to pay $7,286 in restitution.

He ended up serving nearly the minimum on that sentence and was released on Feb. 28, 2019.

According to court documents, a week after Stoltzfoos was reported missing, several witnesses told police they had seen a red or orange car in the Gap area with an Amish woman in the passenger seat and a man driving. Later, enhanced surveillance video taken from near where she was abducted showed a red car with a license plate police traced to Smoker on July 8, 2021.

When East Lampeter Township police, state police and the FBI arrested Smoker, he was at work at Dutchland Inc., a water treatment supply company, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

He had told police earlier that he was not in the area where they found articles of Stoltzfoos' clothing buried, but then recanted and said he sometimes drove the back roads around there, police said.

Smoker is currently in Lancaster County Prison being held without the possibility of bail.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)  Pennsylvania's high court on Wednesday dealt a blow to victims of child sexual abuse, throwing out a lawsuit by a woman whose lower court legal victory had given hope to others with similarly outdated claims who'd sued in the wake of a landmark report that documented decades of child molestation within the Catholic church in Pennsylvania.

The 5-2 decision ended plaintiff Renee Rice's legal effort to recover damages from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown for allegedly covering up and facilitating sexual abuse she said had been inflicted on her by a priest in the late 1970s.

Rice sued in 2016, but the court majority said that was too late under the Pennsylvania statute of limitations.

A Superior Court panel in 2019 had ruled there were enough facts to let a jury decide if Rice had been prevented from learning about the alleged cover-up of her abuse.

As a child, Rice had been brought in to clean the living space of her alleged attacker, Rev. Charles F. Bodziak, and was a church organist. Bodziak has denied the allegations.

The Supreme Court majority said the two-year statute of limitations began to run when Rice was last assaulted by Bodziak, purportedly in 1981, although it may have expired in 1987, when she turned 20. Rice did not pursue her claims until a 2016 grand jury report into abuse in the diocese.

We need not resolve the issue as it is clear the statute of limitations expired decades ago, wrote Justice Christine Donohue for the majority.

Donohue said that whether courthouse doors should be opened for suits based on underlying conduct that occurred long ago is an exercise in line drawing that includes difficult policy determinations" and that courts are ill-equipped to make that call.

Rice's lawyer, Alan Perer, said the high court's decision ends his client's lawsuit.

Once a child knows theyve been assaulted by a priest, it puts them on notice that they should have suspected and investigated whether or not the diocese was aware of this priest conduct, concealed it, hid it from the parishioners, including the plaintiff, Perer said.

The diocese's lawyer, Eric Anderson, hailed the decision.

They're going to apply the statute of limitations the way it should be applied in Pennsylvania, Anderson said. It's been the law, established law, for a long period of time. There's nothing unique or different about this case.

The lower court ruling on Rice's side had generated a slew of new cases filed within two years of a landmark August 2018 grand jury report that detailed the sordid history of hundreds of abusive priests across the state over seven decades.

Anderson and Perer both said those cases are probably not going to succeed, given the new decision.

This is going to have a significant impact on the viability of those cases, Anderson said.

Victims' hopes to overcome the time limits on civil litigation now rest in the Pennsylvania Senate, where Majority Leader Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland, has signaled no interest in moving legislation similar to a bill that passed the House in April. The proposal would allow now-adult victims of child sexual abuse to sue the perpetrators or institutions that did not prevent it when it happened years or decades ago.

A constitutional amendment to provide a two-year litigation window was badly fumbled by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf's administration earlier this year, putting it years behind schedule.

Many childhood victims of sexual assault lost the right to sue in Pennsylvania when they turned 18 or were young adults, depending on state law at the time.

The Associated Press typically does not name people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they want to be identified, as Rice has indicated she does.

Rice alleges Bodziak abused her at St. Leos Church in Altoona, including attacks in the choir loft, a car and a cemetery.
Lancaster policeASSAULTLANCASTER: Michael Koch, 48, of Lancaster, was charged with aggravated assault after throwing a man to the ground and p
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THE ISSUE

A month after an owner of Lancaster Nursing and Rehabilitation Center was sanctioned for three deaths tied to understaffing at a Darby nursing home, state inspectors found that Lancaster Nursing and Rehabilitation, formerly known as Conestoga View, was not properly staffed for nearly two weeks, LNP | LancasterOnlines Tom Lisi reported Wednesday. The details are laid out in the first state Department of Health inspection since Aprils change of ownership to Imperial Healthcare Group. At that time the company listed as its registered agent Lakewood, New Jersey, resident Chaim Charlie Steg. In June, the state attorney generals office announced Steg pleaded no contest to three counts of reckless endangerment stemming from the deaths of three Darby, Delaware County, nursing home residents who died of preventable injuries when Steg managed the home, which was understaffed, according to the criminal complaint.

We really wish that our worries about the former Conestoga View had gone unrealized.

That, of course, is the 446-bed facility at 900 E. King St. in Lancaster Township that used to be known to locals simply as the county home.

In early June we wrote: Those who opposed Lancaster Countys sale of Conestoga View to a private company 16 years ago were right to be concerned. Were concerned now, too.

We wrote that after learning that Steg had pleaded no contest to three counts of reckless endangerment of residents at the St. Francis Center for Rehabilitation & Healthcare in Darby  and about a month after the former Conestoga View had been sold to Imperial Healthcare Group, a New Jersey company registered under Stegs name.

We werent the only ones worried.

As Lisi reported in June, current and recently departed Conestoga View staff members told LNP | LancasterOnline that they were concerned for the safety of residents due to staff cuts and departures.

We are the Titanic, one person told Lisi. Were going down, and I dont think anything can stop it.

Clearly, sadly, that prediction may be turning out to be true.

As Lisi reported, Steg has to pay $15,000 in restitution to victims families, as part of his plea agreement in the St. Francis case, and is no longer allowed to operate, manage or be a majority owner of any nursing home in the state for five years.

However, he remains a minority owner, according to a Pennsylvania Department of Health spokesperson. And, as Lisi reported, Steg appears to have been CEO and president of Imperial Healthcare Group for at least part of the state DOHs in-person inspection that turned up understaffing at Lancaster Nursing and Rehabilitation.

Low standard

Lisi reported that of the 14 days state inspectors reviewed Lancaster Nursing and Rehabilitation, 13 of those days did not meet staffing standards under state law, which requires 2.7 hours of direct care for each resident at nursing facilities per day.

From May 16 to May 22, and from May 29 and June 4, the facility averaged about 2.4 hours of direct care per resident, according to the report.

As Lisi reported, most nursing home facilities in Lancaster County show staffing ratios between three and five staff hours per resident, according to the state Department of Health website.

As weve maintained before, the Pennsylvania standard is woefully inadequate. Federal research states that average direct-care staffing of 4.1 hours per resident per day is needed at nursing homes, given the age and morbidity of residents.

This is labor-intensive work that requires the safe lifting and movement of some residents who cannot move on their own, and close attention to those who are experiencing memory loss.

When a long-term care facility is understaffed, the result can be the horrors suffered by three patients at the Darby facility that was under Stegs management: death from preventable pressure wounds, sepsis, dehydration and bowel obstructions.

Proposed change

The Wolf administration introduced a proposal Wednesday to raise the states direct-care minimum standard by 1.4 hours, so nursing homes would be required to provide at least 4.1 hours of direct care per patient per day.

This was a welcome and long-overdue announcement: Pennsylvanias current skilled nursing facility regulations have not been updated since 1999.

We know that long-term care facility operators will find this proposed regulation to be a hardship. Indeed, Zach Shamberg, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Health Care Association, which represents more than 400 care facilities, called it an unattainable, unfunded mandate.

But the commonwealth should be raising staffing standards for long-term care facilities. And both state officials and facility operators need to work together to figure out how to meet those higher standards.

A ghost town

In the meantime, though, there needs to be a more immediate solution for the residents of Lancaster Nursing and Rehabilitation, which has not even been meeting the states weak standard.

Levels of 2.4 hours per resident, or even lower, as inspectors detailed on certain days in May and June, are alarmingly low, David Hoffman, a former chief counsel at the Pennsylvania Department of Aging and federal prosecutor, told Lisi.

Hoffmans consulting firm has served as a court-appointed monitor of long-term care facilities, Lisi noted.

To residents and their family members at Lancaster Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, at those moments it mustve felt like a ghost town inside the facility, Hoffman said.

Were sure it felt exactly like that.

Its incredibly frustrating to search for assistance when a family member requires it. Even worse is being the unattended person in need of help.

The residents of the former Conestoga View had it tough during the early months of this pandemic.

As we noted last month, the facilitys rebranding as Lancaster Nursing and Rehabilitation Center could not obscure the reality that the center had more COVID-19 deaths than any other long-term care facility in Lancaster County.

Despite the heroic efforts of nurses and aides who were caring for patients living three or four to a room, according to previous LNP | LancasterOnline reporting, only five other such facilities in Pennsylvania saw more COVID-19 deaths.

Most of the facilitys residents rely on Medicare to pay toward their housing. This cannot be allowed to translate to inadequate care.

Nonchalant, snarky

But how else could the following be characterized?

As Lisi reported, inspectors of Lancaster Nursing and Rehabilitation found that one person with medical problems and a history of weight loss issues lost 16 pounds in a week  16 pounds  and did not receive any timely interventions.

Another citation involved a resident who received a type of hand restraint with no documented consent, Lisi noted.

Inspectors also found that health care staff who perform kidney dialysis treatment for a resident gave that person two shots of the Moderna vaccine without the knowledge that another set of staff had already given the individual two shots of the Pfizer vaccine.

The first response of Lancaster Nursing and Rehabilitation? The resident was assessed by a practitioner with no negative outcomes from receiving extra doses of COVID vaccine.

When inspectors found that apple juice and potato salad were served at incorrect temperatures, this was part of the facilitys response: Residents on third floor had no negative effects from receiving potato salad and apple juice out of temperature range.

These no-harm-done responses seem aimed at minimizing the importance of these issues. They suggest an appalling nonchalance.

Diane Menio, executive director at CARIE, an advocacy group for the elderly based in Philadelphia, called the centers submitted responses, like the one about the potato salad and apple juice, snarky. The regulations for nursing homes arent just about bodily health, she said, but also quality of life.

That to me  it just shows the disregard for the seriousness of this work, Menio said.

We completely agree.

And we would be livid if we, or our loved ones, were subjected to such disregard.
It is unfortunate that every American citizen will not have the opportunity to read the column (Its not racist to support election integrity laws) by Kay C. James that was printed in the July 17 LNP | LancasterOnline.

How refreshing it is to hear a voice of reason and honesty on this issue, as opposed to the shrill, alarmist voices of the Biden administration, Democratic politicians and the mainstream media, which I believe inundate us daily with false charges of racism and voter suppression.

These demagogues need to be challenged to show us the names and faces of American citizens who are supposedly being denied the right to vote.

And LNP | LancasterOnline needs to be challenged to give more publicity to the voices of the many Black intellectuals and commentators, such as James, who are standing up and refuting the lies of the Biden administration and its media allies.

It is my opinion that the increasing shrillness and recklessness with which these people are spewing their own big lie indicates their fear that the American public, including many Black voters, is on to them.

They are, I believe, panic-stricken about their prospects in 2022. I believe that the old adage Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me  when applied to the promise of the Biden campaign, contrasted with the reality of the Biden administration  will be their downfall.

And their dishonestly titled For the People Act must be understood for what I believe it actually is  the Fear the People Act.

Linford Youndt

Elizabeth Township
This article appears in the July 23, 2021 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

Afghanistan: Terrorism, War and Drugs

Or Peace Through Development

[Print version of this article]

Russian Railway Proposal for Afghanistans Regional Development View full size



July 17The editorial in the July 16 issue of EIR by Helga Zepp-LaRouche posed the issue facing humanity in the wake of the failure and collapse of the 20-year NATO war in Afghanistan:

The strategic turbulence caused by the withdrawal of NATO troops from Afghanistan, offers an excellent opportunity for a reassessment of the situation, for a correction of political direction and a new solution-oriented policy. The long tradition of geopolitical manipulation of this regionin which Afghanistan represents in a certain sense the interface from the 19th century Great Game of the British Empire to the arc of crisis of Bernard Lewis and Zbigniew Brzezinskimust be buried once and for all, never to be revived. Instead, all the neighbors in the regionRussia, China, India, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States and Turkeymust be integrated into an economic development strategy that represents a common interest among these countries, one that is defined by a higher order, and is more attractive than the continuation of the respective supposed national interests.

Were Afghanistan to be left in the hands of drug lords and their armies following the withdrawal of NATO forces, every man, woman and child in the world would feel the impact, given the fact that a destabilized Afghanistan would continue as the source of 80% of the worlds opium and as a training ground for ISIS and al-Qaeda.

The only option which could prevent such a disaster is that referenced by Zepp-LaRouche, and proposed by her husband, the late Lyndon LaRouche, even before George W. Bush launched the war on Afghanistan 20 years agothat is, to allow Afghanistan to end its history as the graveyard of empires, and to become the hub for an expanded New Silk Road, with rail lines connecting the landlocked countries of Central Asia to the ocean via a north-south rail line through Kabul and Pakistan, as well as east-west connections following the ancient Silk Road.

LaRouches proposals began with the necessity that all the countries in the region meet and cooperate with the Afghans to integrate development of the entire region, to the benefit of all. There are now, over this past week, developments which convey the very real potential that such cooperation and integration is possible. The U.S. military withdrawal after 20 years of useless, destructive, deadly warfare, has sparked actions by all of the regional nations, which came together in a series of meetings this week largely focused on the urgency of bringing real development to Afghanistan. These included:

The foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which includes China, Russia, India, Pakistan and four of the Central Asian stans, as well as ten other nations as Observers or Dialogue Partners, met in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on July 13-14. At the center of the discussions, including the sideline discussions, was the idea that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) could be extended, branching out from the rail line running from China through Pakistan to the Gwadar Port on the Arabian Sea. From Islamabad, the branch would pass westward through Peshawar, the Khyber Pass, to Kabul, Afghanistan, then onward north to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and eventually on to the Eurasian Land-Bridge lines connecting China to Europe.

This plan was launched in February in a meeting of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan, who called the plan the Khyber Pass Economic Corridor. A proposal has been submitted to the World Bank, although the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and other Asian credit institutions could also become involved. In that light, Pakistan this week proposed the creation of an SCO investment bank. Pakistan and Afghanistan have also agreed to the construction of a highway from Kabul to Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

Preceding the SCO forum, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Turkmenistan, which is not a member of the SCO, but has a border with Afghanistan, to consolidate security and energy cooperation. Turkmenistan is Chinas largest supplier of natural gas, through a series of pipelines which run through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

On July 15-16, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan travelled to Uzbekistan to meet with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Their Joint Statement declared that regional integration and connectivity was the cornerstone of economic development and progress, and reiterated their support for the Khyber Pass Economic Corridor project.

Also on July 15-16, the International Conference on Central and South Asia Regional Connectivity, Challenges and Opportunities was held in Tashkent, with representatives of 40 regional and international governments attending. Uzbekistan began organizing this event following the February launching of the Khyber Pass Economic Corridor. Dilshod Saidjanov, an Uzbek official, told Indias ANI: Economic development is the way to make Afghanistan stronger and probably more peaceful. Everyone wants better development in Afghanistan.

Development Must Proceed Politics

Diplomatic efforts to resolve the political crisis are also taking place, aimed at bringing the Taliban and the Afghan government, currently led by a shared leadership of Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, to an agreement for a peaceful settlement of the war and to create some form of shared power. It is clear to all that without a development program which uplifts the entire population, such a political agreement would be stillborn. Meetings in Doha, Qatar sponsored by the United States, between the Taliban and the Afghan government, began in 2018, with the U.S. represented by former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Zalmay Khalilzad, an Afghan-American.

There has been little progress, if any. A new round of talks began on July 17 under the current, dramatically changed circumstance. Abdullah Abdullah called for serious efforts toward an agreement, saying, We cannot pay the price for this in blood and we cannot escape responsibility for it. Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Talibans deputy leader and negotiator, pledged that the Taliban will make efforts for talks to have positive result.

Will the U.S. join the efforts for development? Lyndon LaRouche has famously argued that resolving intractable conflicts must put real development ahead of political agreements, addressing the common needs of both sides for economic well-being before a political agreement can be sustained. Chinas Belt and Road Initiative, which evolved from LaRouches proposal following the collapse of the Soviet Union for a New Silk Road to unite the nations of Eurasia in shared development, is based on that principle.

But the British and the war party in the U.S., subsuming most of both political parties, are working in high gear to prevent any U.S. positive engagement with this regional development policy, instead escalating the anti-China hysteria, wildly accusing China of genocide and declaring the Belt and Road to be a devious plot to take over the world.

There is a sliver of hope, however, that the Biden Administration will take the sane approach of cooperation in development. A State Department release on July 16 was titled, Announcing the U.S.-Afghanistan-Uzbekistan-Pakistan Quad Regional Support for Afghanistan-Peace Process and Post Settlement. These are indeed the nations through which the Khyber Pass Economic Corridor would pass. The announcement states that the parties intend to cooperate to expand trade, build transit links, and strengthen business-to-business ties. The U.S. did send significant representatives to the July 15-16 Tashkent Conference referenced aboveboth Zalmay Khalilzad and the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, Dr. Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall. However, it is not at all certain whether they are following the State Department policy of demonizing China and the Belt and Road, or if they are listening to the nations in the region calling for international cooperation to actually transform Afghanistan.

According to CGTN, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in his presentations and private meetings at the SCO Foreign Minster meeting, pressed the group to weigh in on the United States to join in on the reconstruction of Afghanistan. He noted that the U.S. recently expressed its readiness to help Afghanistan maintain stability and conduct a peaceful reconstruction following the US and NATO withdrawal, so the SCO member states should urge the U.S. to honor such commitments.

Such a shift from the now-normal U.S. policies of sanctions, wars and regime change subversion should be strongly encouraged. President Joe Bidens engagement with Russias President Vladimir Putindespite equally vitriolic denunciations and sanctions from the Congress and from within his own administration against Russia as against Chinacould and should be repeated with China and President Xi Jinping. The Afghan Ambassador to China, Javid Ahmad Qaem, was quoted in Global Times July 17:

The only place where the U.S., China, and India could really cooperate, or at least there could be a starting point to cooperate between these rivals, if I can call them that, is Afghanistan.

An international agreement to cooperate with Afghanistan and its neighbors to transform the region into a central hub for the global Belt and Road process would also serve as a model for other crisis spots, including the war-ruined nations of Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Yemen. This is the principle of the Schiller Institutes Coincidence of Oppositesbringing seemingly irreconcilable conflicts to an end by addressing the higher-order principle located in the common interests of all people, for peace through development. Such an optimistic approach may seem impossible, but the alternative is unthinkable. Humanity has risen up out of Dark Ages in the past, creating a renaissance when nothing less could work. This moment must find a people armed with no less than the creative will required to build such a new Renaissance.
EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR THURSDAY, JULY 22, 2021

End of an Era: Afghanistan Can Be the Last Regime Change War and Beginning of Peace Through Development

July 21, 2021 (EIRNS)In 1979, Tony Blair, the imperial Prime Minister of the United Kingdom., who had given us the war in Iraq and the subsequent regime change wars, presented his justification for what was to come. The age of the Peace of Westphalia, said Blair, which gave birth to the concept of the sovereign nation-state, was finished. The more civilized nations, he proclaimed with a stiff upper lip, must no longer allow tyrants and dictators to do as they wish within their nations, but we, in our infinite wisdom, must determine when they are mistreating their citizens. We have a responsibility to protect those citizens, he intoned, through covert operations, such as those of the National Endowment for Democracy or its privatized version under George Soross Open Society, and failing that, to use our military forces under the guise of humanitarian intervention to bring democracy to the people. Witness Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Yemen.

With the utter failure of the 20-year U.S. and NATO misadventure in Afghanistan, after similar deadly failures in Southwest Asia under the Bush and Obama regimes, that era has come to an end.

Helga Zepp-LaRouche today addressed this phase-change in history in her weekly strategic webcast for The LaRouche Organization:
Antonov on U.S. Media Fake News about Russian Foreign Policy

July 21, 2021 (EIRNS)In an interview with RTs Rich Sanchez yesterday, Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov commented on his dismay at all the fake news in the U.S. media on Russian foreign policy.

Sanchez opened discussing Merkel and Bidens decision to drop any opposition to Nord Stream 2, and then asked Antonov if he thought Bidens insistence that Nord Stream 2 is a Russian geopolitical project stemmed from his need to save face with respect to U.S. relations to Ukraine.

Antonov responded, I dont understand what you are talking about. What kind of political interest United States administration has in Ukraine? Ukraine is too far. He went on.

I discussed this issue with many politicians and sometimes, frankly, Im not kidding... but some of them dont know where Ukraine is! So I dont understand why its so important for United States. It seems to me that some political figures, some politicians just only would like to use Ukraine as a tool to press on Russia, to change Russian independent foreign policy, or Russian economic policy. Or, as you, the United States call it, as malign activities of Russian Federation on the international scene.

Sanchez asked him about what Americans hear from the media, that Russia has expansionist ambitions, seizing Crimea, wanting to take over Ukraine, and his about that? Antonov replied: You have touched a very interesting issue. Every morning when I wake up, I open American newspapers, and I switch on my TV.... And sometimes I am shocked to get so much fake news, fake information about the Russian foreign policy, he said.

What I see today, we see a lack of confidence, a lack of trust between the United States and Russia. I am trying to find a day when Russia has become an enemy or a rival for the United States, and its rather difficult to say when it happened. It seems to me that maybe ten years ago, but not when the Ukrainian crisis started, it goes without saying.

Sanchezs last question, Is there a way to put our relationship back together again? drew the following from Antonov: We have to fix it, the Russian government and American administration as well. Because, to have good relations between the United States and Russia is in the interests of the United States people, as well as Russian Federation. I could say, we are doomed for cooperation, he said, and then echoing President Putins January 2020 call for the P5 summit, he went on:

We are the main nuclear states. We are permanent members of [the UN] Security Council. We bear special responsibility for peace. Thats why we have no time to quarrel. We have to fix many problems that we face today. For example, fighting against terrorism, climate change, and ... we see what is going on now in Afghanistan after United States decision to withdraw their forces from this country. I understand how much we have to do together. I would like to say, if anybody would like to create an island of security somewhere, in the United States, or in Europe, or in another continent, it will be a mistake. We can win together. When we are together, we can solve any issue, any problem that we face today,

Antonov concluded.
Edward Snowden Smacks Down Limp Washington Post Editorial on Pegasus Spyware Scandal

July 21, 2021 (EIRNS)Former National Security Agency analyst, turned whistleblower, Edward Snowden had some choice words about the Washington Post editorial today on the scandal around Pegasus spyware made by the Israeli NSO Group, tweeting: WaPos editorial solution to the NSO scandal is so embarrassingly weak that it is itself a scandal. These companies (and their hosts) claim transparency, accountability, and licensing requirements are already in place! You ask for less than nothing.

After observing that the private spyware industry is thriving unrestrained, the Post carefully calls for ensuring that transparency requirements and accountability requirements are subject to rigorous review, that governments should act more responsibly in determining when a license is approved, and that countries with a history of using these technologies against their own citizens, be prevented from purchasing them, as in the case of Saudi Arabia. How about just demanding a total ban on this spyware? Snowden retorted.

After praising the Guardian, which had published an interview with him on July 19, for taking a much tougher stand on this issue, Snowden dismissed the NSO Groups claim that its Pegasus malware was programmed to prevent American phones from being infected. NSOs claim that it is technologically impossible to spy on American phone numbers is a bald-faced lie: a exploit that works against Macrons iPhone will work the same on Bidens iPhone. Any code written to prohibit targeting a country can also be unwritten. Its a fig leaf. Snowden tweeted. Snowden replied to his own tweet:

How else can NSOs country-code targeting prohibition be bypassed? Simple:

1) Target a specially-prepared device *you control* in an eligible country code 2) Forensically capture each exploit stage as its served to your trap device 3) Reverse it 4) Retarget anyone, anywhere

Sputnik points to a joint investigation of the NSO Group conducted by the Forbidden Stories consortium and Amnesty International showing that NSO had targeted for surveillance more than 50,000 phone numbers in more than 50 countries since 2016. Possible targets include phone numbers with the +1 country code (for the U.S.) including in the Washington, D.C. area. One of the targeted phones is that of U.S.-Iran negotiator Robert Malley as well as other UN diplomats. In its Pegasus Project, Forbidden Storiesa network of journalists that ensures that journalists under threat can secure their informationasserts that this technology has been systematically abused for years.
2021 State of Black America, The New Normal; Diverse, Equitable & Inclusive Highlights the Urgency of Repairing Structural Flaws Unmasked by the Coronavirus Epidemic

The COVID-19 pandemic not only unmasked the stark racial inequities in the nations economic, health care and public safety status quo; it gave rise to a fierce resistance to that status quo and fueled demand for racial justice that grows more intense with each passing month.

The National Urban Leagues 2021 State of Black America report, The New Normal: Diverse, Equitable & Inclusive, charts a path forward as the nation emerges from these three pandemics.

The United States finds itself at crossroads of racial reckoning, National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial said. One path leads backward, toward the old normal: a return to the marginalization, discrimination, and segregation that left Black and Brown Americans exceptionally vulnerable to a deadly virus and economic desperation. The other path leads toward a nation where police approach the communities they serve as allies and collaborators, and not hostile combatants; where every citizen has equal access to the ballot box, where fatal complications in pregnancy are just as rare for Black mothers as for as white mothers, where the value of a home is not determined by the race of its owner.

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Analysis from research partners Brookings Institution, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity, and Center for Policing Equity not only reveal how structural and institutional racism magnified the devastation inflicted by COVID-19 infection and death, economic collapse and police violence, but also offer a glimpse of a more equitable future.

Among the findings: Higher rates of unemployment, lower household incomes and net worth, and the crushing burden of housing costs left Black Americans uniquely vulnerable to COVID-19s economic fallout; economic burdens like lack of high-speed internet access and a dearth of health-care facilities in Black neighborhoods contributed more to the vaccine racial gap than hesitancy; and overpolicing of Black communities  particularly frequent stops of Black boys, is associated with more crime among those boys, not less.

The report highlights innovative solutions for overcoming racial barriers, such as free and low-cost banking services that allow households to build wealth and a credit history, an approach to treating hypertension that focuses on social needs like housing and transportation, and virtual responses to some police calls.

The New Normal: Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive makes the case that dismantling structural racism  identifying and repairing the cracks in our national foundation  will result in more resilient and dynamic institutions that expand opportunity for everyone, Morial said. To quote a flippant sentiment frequently shared on social media, equal rights for others does not mean less rights for you. Its not pie.

Featured authors include:

 Kristen E. Broady, Fellow at Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program

 Andre M. Perry, Senior Fellow at Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program

 California Congresswoman Katie Porter

 Dr. Lisa A. Cooper, Founder, and Director at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity

 Illinois Congresswoman Robin Kelly

 Matthew McCurdy, Director of Programs at Health DesignED, and President & Co-Founder of BLKHLTH Inc.

 Thasunda Brown Duckett, President & CEO at TIAA

 Lauren-Brooke Eisen, Director for the Justice program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law School

 Wade Henderson, Interim President and CEO, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and Founding Board Member, Center for Responsible Lending

 Former U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr., Chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee

 Geoffrey Starks, Commissioner of the United States Federal Communications Commission

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The report includes a focus on two major policy proposals the National Urban League developed in 2021 to address racial inequities in public safety and the economy. 21 Pillars for Redefining Public Safety and Restoring Community Trust is a comprehensive framework for criminal justice advocacy that takes a holistic approach to public safety, the restoration of trust between communities and law enforcement, and a path forward for meaningful change. The Lewis Latimer Plan for Digital Equity and Inclusion is a strategy for leveraging the tools of the information economy to create a more equitable and inclusive society.

The 2021 report does not include an Equality IndexTM, a calculation of the social and economic status of African Americans relative to whites. Since 2018, the Index is calculated every other year. The 2022 Equality Index is expected to reflect the upheaval of the pandemic.

The report also includes a tribute to the late Vernon E. Jordan, who served as President of the National Urban League from 1971 to 1981, issuing the first State of Black America in 1976. Jordan passed away in March of this year.

This transitional moment in history would have been familiar to Jordan, who assumed leadership of the National Urban League at a time when the United States was adapting to the sweeping changes of the Civil Rights Era, Morial said. We were, as he put it, dealing with the rubble of the walls we tore down in the 1960s. Now we are dealing with the rubble of the walls torn down by COVID.

To elevate and expand on the report, a dynamic virtual series, sponsored by AT&T, DoorDash, Geico, and Zendesk, will premiere at 2pm Eastern Time on StateOfBlackAmerica.org, featuring some of the nations most important thought-leaders and influencers including:

 Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, author, minister, social activist, and Vanderbilt University professor

 Dr. Tracie L. Keesee, co-founder and Senior Vice President of Social Justice Initiatives, Center for Policing Equity

 Ed Gordon, Emmy-winning broadcaster, and author of Conversation in Black: On Power, Politics and Leadership

 Jennifer Jones Austin, Esq., CEO and Executive Director, Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies

 Earl Butch Graves, Jr., President and CEO, Black Enterprise

Marc H. Morial is President and CEO of the National Urban League, the nations largest historic civil rights and urban advocacy organization. As Mayor of New Orleans from 1994 to 2002, Morial led New Orleans renaissance, and left office with a 70% approval rating. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Economics and African American Studies, he also holds a law degree from the Georgetown University.
Advocates Say States $10 Million Fund for Ethnic Media Is Great Start

In recognition of a mass communication sector that has been struggling from dwindling advertising dollars and intense competition from well-funded media conglomerates and a field of small niche publishers since the inception of the internet, Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature appropriated $10 million in new funding for ethnic media in the state budget for 2021-22.

The funding was approved as part of the Asian Pacific Islander Equity Budget created to respond to the surge in hate crimes against Asian American and Pacific Islanders. It will be used to improve outreach to Asian and Pacific Islanders as well as other underserved California communities, including African Americans and Latinos.

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The money will be channeled through state agencies working with Asian, African Americans, Latino and other ethnic media outlets who have audiences of monolingual and underserved communities, according to the governors office.

Advocates who have been fighting in the trenches for decades to include minority-owned media in state outreach programs say the funding is historic because it earmarks funds specifically aimed at expanding communications with ethnic and racial populations through ethnic-owned media with an eye to creating more racial equity in the state. They say these outlets play a critical role in preserving the countrys democratic system by holding institutions, public and private, accountable and informing the public.

It recognizes the indispensable role ethnic media play to inform, educate and engage our communities about critical issues that impact their lives, said Sandy Close, director of Ethnic Media Services (EMS).

It also provides a template that can later be scaled for requiring state agencies to include the full spectrum of ethnic media  including hyper-local outlets traditionally excluded in media buys by advertising agencies  in their public awareness campaigns to our underserved communities, she added.

Regina Wilson, executive director of California Black Media (CBM), applauded the appropriation, too, she also thanked ethnic press for always finding a way to crank out valuable and high-quality journalism even though many of them are under-resourced.

This is an exciting news, she said.

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Wilson said the murder of Minnesota resident George Floyd by a White police officer, Derek Chauvin, who has been sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison, alongside the COVID-19 pandemic, has served as an inflection point for communities of color. It has made us look at our humanity. We are neighbors who must stand up for one another.

Wilson said the funding is a good start, but more work needs to be done and is concerned that the two longest serving ethnic media advocacy groups in the state, EMS and CBM, were not included in the discussions that led to the allocation.

Close and Wilson say CBM and EMS will be convening a briefing with government and ethnic media leaders to make sure the funds truly benefit the full spectrum of minority-owned media in the state.
Bishop Frank Stewart Retires as Pastor of Zoe-L.A.

Thirty-seven years ago, Bishop Frank Stewart organized Zoe Christian Fellowship of Los Angeles and over the years, he witnessed the hand of God working to grow the ministry to positively impact hundreds, even thousands of lives.

But now, after a successful ministerial career, Stewart is stepping down from pastoral duties, however, hes not retiring from life. On the contrary, his efforts will now focus on teaching, preaching and serving the people of God.

In response to why hes retiring as a pastor, Stewart earnestly replied, Im 84-years-old. Its time to quit. Ive had a wonderful life, a tremendous life, but I think its important for a person to know when to start something and its important to know when to stop and I think its just time for me to stop pastoring.

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Still, Stewart will be busy. He will be instructing an online class called Nuggets of Wisdom for Black Men on Tuesdays at 11 a.m. at zcfla.org. Also, he will offer relationship classes for single and married people.

I want to help people to live a good life liked I lived. The counseling classes will teach people how to get along with each other. I think that God has given me wisdom and skill in that [area]. I plan to use the knowledge that God has given me and the experiences Hes given me to help singles and married know how to cooperate with each other and work together. Thats what I look forward to, he said.

Stewart has gained lots of godly knowledge and experience during his eight decades of life. Born and raised on east 46th Street in Los Angeles, he was blessed with devout Christian parents, who taught him fundamental and valuable life lessons, he recalled. Those lessons served me well and have lasted a lifetime.

Growing up in the Church of God in Christ denomination, Stewart worked closely with his uncle, Bishop E.B. Stewart, who founded Pacific Mount Olive COGIC in Los Angeles. He served as a youth leader, Sunday School teacher and in other areas of the church.

After graduating from high school, Stewart first attended East L.A. College, but later transferred to Pepperdine University where he earned a Bachelors degree in business administration. He also obtained employment with a pharmaceutical firm. Everything appeared to be going well and then he received the call to the ministry and he answered that call by becoming the assistant pastor at Mt. Olive and later joining the staff of Crenshaw Christian Center at the request of Apostle Frederick K.C. Price.

I was an assistant pastor with Fred Price for five-and-one-half-years, from 1976 to 1981, remembered Stewart. Then the Holy Spirit directed me to leave the church, but He didnt tell me to start another church, so from 1981 to 1984, I traveled to different parts of the world doing evangelistic work. I visited Africa, Asia, Europe  I was all over the place, he said with a laugh.

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It was during this season of his life that Stewarts faith in God really grew because, he said, that God took care of him and his family  literally and financially. He was still a young man and married with children, so he trusted the Lord to provide to see him through.

I kept believing God and God took care of me. I left Crenshaw Christian Center staff, not because I was unhappy. I wasnt unhappy, I was just doing what I believed God told me to do and it was one of the best experiences of my life, Stewart said.

In 1984, God directed Stewart to start Zoe Christian Fellowship and he made an even bigger difference in the lives of people. Over the next four decades, he planted and oversaw more than 23 Zoe churches both domestically and internationally. In 2016, he appointed Bishop Edward Smith to be the overseer of the Zoe Churches.

Also, he established the Zoe Christian Leadership Institute, a training course designed to aid adults in discovering their purpose, leadership potential and divine calling. More than 3,000 people have graduated from the course.

The bishop also launched a community center offering classes for young people in arts, crafts and life skills. The curriculum is designated as the Summer Adventure Club and it accommodates up to 130 children each year. In 2003, the center opened a pre-school program.

Stewart founded the Zoe Christian Fellowship Endowment Foundation in 2005 to assist pastors in fulfilling specific visions to empower their communities. The foundation guided ministries in developing financial infrastructures and forming fundraising campaigns to improve the quality of life for residents in their neighborhoods.

Despite directing all of these activities, the bishop still devoted time to writing a number of books. He is the author of Together We Stand Strong, The Secret Gifts of Black Americans and the best-seller, How to Share the New Birth and the Gift of the Holy Spirit.

As he embarks on the next phase of his life, Stewart will likely stay just as busy doing Gods work as he has in the past. My main thing in life is to follow what I believe the Holy Spirit is directing me to do. Im just retiring from pastoring, but not from preaching and teaching, he insists.

I believe in letting God tell me what to do. I have a deep prayer life and meditate a lot, asking God what He wants me to do. A ministers success comes from what he believes God is telling him what to do.
Charles Drew University Receives Historic $50 Million Allocation

State budget designates one-time amount to fund four-year medical degree program at CDU

A historic moment occurred in the life of Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science with the institutions receipt of $50 million to fund its own four-year medical degree program.

The allocation came courtesy of the California legislature, which earmarked the huge amount for the school in the states 2021-2022 budget and Governor Gavin Newsom signed off on the apportionment.

As a result, CDU will have 60 additional spots for Black and Latinx students pursuing a healthcare degree to complement the existing 28 slots that the university offers through its joint program with UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. In addition to further diversifying the profession, the new medical program transforms the vision of the CDUs founders and the community into a reality.

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This has been a dream of the people in South Los Angeles, probably going back in the early 1950s with the Charles R. Drew Medical Society advocating for a medical school in South L.A., , said Dr. David M. Carlisle, CDU president.

Since our founding by leaders in the community like Lillian Mobley, Nolan Carter, Johnnie Tillman, and others, there has been a desire for this area to have a four-year medical degree program, added Angela Minniefield, CDU senior vice president of Advancement and Operations.

We are deeply appreciative of this support from Governor Newsom and the state legislature. With this funding, CDU aims to increase the number of Black medical graduates practicing in the State of California by almost 30% and the number of Latinx graduates by nearly 20%, Carlisle noted.

This will not only enhance our attractiveness and reputation as a health professions university, but it will also help us address our mission in a very direct way by providing us the additional resources and infrastructure necessary to train the health professionals who will address the medical needs of the communities where they live and work.

The new medical degree program will begin in Fall 2023. To house the program, a new 100,000-square-feet building will be constructed in 2022. The facility will contain classrooms, virtual and standard anatomy laboratories, staff and faculty offices, as well as common spaces to support all students in the universitys three schools and colleges.

As expected, CDU staff expressed excitement about the independent four-year program and credited the schools long-standing commitment to social justice and health equity for underserved populations.

The university has a legacy of training very diverse health professionals. Over our 55-year history, we have been placing providers where they need to be and making sure that the complexion of the provider matches the complexion and culture of the community where theyre going to be, said Minniefield.

We made a case to the state legislature for investment in the university and the increased capacity of our university to launch a four-year medical degree program. The governor signing the budget that includes $50 million for the university is vote of confidence as well as a testament to our legacy of training Black and Brown providers for Los Angeles communities that are most under-resourced, she shared.

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Carlisle described the allocation as an optimal alignment of all the various elements that occurred at this juncture. One contributing factor was the report by the California Future Health Workforce Commission of 2019, of which he was a member, that called for CDU to start planning for our own four-year medical education program he said.

Another reason for the funding, Carlisle believed, is that all of the commissioners and many of the state policy makers recognized the universitys historic contributions to the diversification of the physician workforce and other health professions in California as well as our commitment to primary care and our demonstrated production in terms of getting people into underserved, under-resourced communities to provide health care.

A report by the California Wellness Foundation, which validates Carlisles comment, estimated that one-third of all minority physicians practicing in Los Angeles County are graduates of the CDU medical schools. Since its founding in 1966, the university has graduated in excess of 600 physicians, 1,270 physician assistants and 1,700 other health professionals. Also, more than 1,400 professionals have earned degrees at CDUs Mervyn M. Dymally School of Nursing since it opened in 2010.

The presidents passion for providing medical professionals and resources to disadvantaged populations is only matched by his deep humility in serving as the chief executive for CDU.

Its just an honor for me to be in this role and I want to do everything I can to make the university stronger, bigger and better, insisted Carlisle, so that we can be more effective in addressing the healthcare needs of South Los Angeles.

Sentinel Managing Editor Brandon I. Brooks contributed to this report.
Company Will Pay You $125 to Participate in Research Project

Evitarus, a Black-owned Los Angeles-based public opinion research firm, is surveying African Americans in California to gauge opinions on healthcare and racism. The goal of the project, the company says, is to gather data that can influence healthcare policy.

We are conducting one of the largest scale studies of Black people in the US regarding their perspectives on health and experiences with health care, said Shakari Byerly, partner and principal researcher at Evitarus.

This research will be focused on Black Californians with the goal of changing both practice and policy as it relates to health care delivery and the elimination of racism in the health care system in California, Byerly added.

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People Evitarus select for the one-hour interview will be paid $125 for their time. Researchers plan to interview 3,200 people.

During the second phase of the survey, researchers will conduct interviews with African Americans to discuss their personal experiences with the healthcare system, healthcare disparities and the impact of racism.

Participants in the survey need a stable, high-speed internet connection since the interviews are all being conducted via Zoom. The researchers are also asking potential interviewees to make sure that they have access to a quiet room and a dedicated telephone, and that they should be willing to share their experiences and opinions for approximately one hour.

Byerly, former director of the California Governance Project at the Center for Governmental Studies, is also a National Academy of Sciences Ford Foundation Fellow, a Rev. James Lawson Teaching Fellow at UCLA, and a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research.

She is also active in a number of African American-focused statewide and local civic and community-based organizations, including serving on the boards of Black Women Organized for Political Action, the African American Community Empowerment Council, and the Los Angeles African American Womens Political Action Committee.

Byerly said, with the study, Evitarus intends to do a deep dive into the demographics of African Americans in California.

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We are especially interested in reaching Californians in harder to reach segments of our community, including those 70+ years of age, men of all ages, the LGBTQ+ community, lower income Black Californians, and those in key regions such as the Far North, Central Valley, Central Coast, and Orange County and San Diego counties, she said. That said, all Black Californians are encouraged to participate.

For more information about participating in this project, visit https://evitarus.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_enXQ1qkDsWWQfau .
Framing Our Tasks With Fanon: Reconsidering Critical Questions of Life

Without a doubt and with no real reason for reservation, Frantz Omar Fanon stood out for our organization Us and remains as a model and mirror of the revolutionary thought and practice which we committed ourselves to and dared. We did not then and do not now find the need to accept the opinions and assessments of him from others hostile or who feel a faddist deconstructionist need to find fault with heroes and heroines, great men and women. Nor do we abandon a water-worthy ship when the tide turns or wind-up spitting in the wind to see which way a new wind or wave is blowing. Our respect for Fanon, like all the models and mirrors we use to ground and measure ourselves, is based on a deep reading and reasoning as the African tradition of excellence teaches and demands.

In this month of July, the month of Fanons birth (July 20, 1925). We turn to reread and renew our understanding of him in still other and more expansive ways. For he aids us in dealing with some of the critical questions of life and thus also critical questions of struggle. Fanon writes, as we live still, in a context of severe and savage oppression and righteous and relentless struggle to end it and create an ever-expanding realm of human freedom.

In the chapter titled On National Culture in his masterpiece, Wretched of the Earth, Fanon begins with an often-quoted passage. It is: Each generation must out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfill it or betray it. The relative obscurity Fanon speaks of is a lack of clarity and sometimes difficulty we experience in trying to discern what we should give our lives to or what vocation we should pursue. Thus, it is an implicit admonition against assuming we know without due consideration what lifes work we should be about. And it suggests we must think deep about such an important decision, even when it might seem on the surface obvious. For we can indeed read both texts and times wrongly and therefore, need to reread and re-think them regularly.

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Again, Fanon is living, writing and fighting in the midst of a revolution and he wants us to think deeply about the times and circumstances we live in and ask ourselves critical questions of identity, purpose and direction. These are questions that center us and give grounding and meaning to our lives. In Kawaida, we see culture as the central source for ways to engage and answer these interrelated and critical questions of life and struggle. And it is here that we agree with him and Haji Sekou Toure, Haji Malcolm and Amilcar Cabral that in the context of oppression and resistance, the demand for national culture and the affirmation of the existence of such a culture represent a special battlefield. Thus, we have since the 60s claimed and reclaimed African culture as the central source of our self-understanding and self-assertion in the world.

Fanon tells us, then, that whatever other mission we have, in the context of oppression, none is more important than choosing, pursuing and fighting for freedom. It is, he suggests, as his contemporary, Haji Malcolm taught, part of what it means to be human. That is to say, it is normal and necessary to struggle to achieve freedom, be free and exercise freedom to live good lives, think new thoughts and dare to constantly expand the realm of good in the world. He wants us to reject the corrupt and corruptive views, values and practices of our oppressors. He urges us to waste no time in sterile litanies and nauseating imitation of our oppressor. Indeed, he condemns our white supremacist and racist oppressors who are never done talking of abstract man yet murder (real) men (and women) everywhere they find them.

Fanon criticizes the racists, colonialists and imperialists who stifled almost the whole of humanity in the name of a so-called spiritual experience. And this so-called spiritual experience was a racialized Christianity constructed to use religion as a tool of conquest and willing submission, getting their white-faced and white-fashioned god to underwrite and sanction radical evil in the world. But in spite of their claims of salvation from sin and savagery, we know we were not saved from the sin of the sinner, nor the savagery of the savage, for our enslavers and oppressors were the evil ones they preached about and projected on us. And Fanon mocks them saying that after all that arrogant and racist raging and ranting about sin, salvation, savagery and such, they have not saved and searched themselves. And now look at them today swaying between atomic and spiritual disintegration.

But Fanon wants us to know that struggle for freedom and growth to be ourselves and free ourselves requires sacrifice, discipline and dedication. For as he says in various ways, the battle and war are not won by removing the oppressor from our land and lives. But also removing them from our hearts and minds. For he says to us concerning culture that to free ourselves from the views and values of the oppressor, we must fight to liberate our culture. But to fight for our culture is in the final analysis to fight for the liberation of the nation, the liberation of our people themselves. That is to say to fight for that material keystone which makes the building of culture possible. Indeed, he concludes, There is no other fight for culture which can develop apart from the struggle of the people.

Here Fanon teaches of that love of the people and respecting their capacity to free themselves and build their lives and future. There is no stronger expression of his love of our people than the one in which he teaches that they, themselves, are the source of their own salvation, indeed, their own liberation in every sense and substantive meaning of the word. In a word, he teaches, as we say in Kawaida, we are the source of the magic and miracles we must perform and make. Furthermore, we are own liberators and a people that cannot save itself is lost forever.

Thus, Fanon teaches us that any leader, organizer, teacher, political or social educator must dare and discipline themselves to provide an education of liberation, one that is dedicated to opening the minds and awakening the people to their own capacity and potential. In other words, he says, it is urgent and morally imperative that in our effort to educate the masses that we try relentlessly and passionately to teach the masses that everything depends on them; that if we stagnate, it is their responsibility and that if we go forward it is due to them too; that there is no such thing as a demiurge (Platos minor deity responsible for the world); that there is no famous man (or woman) who will take responsibility for everything, but rather the demiurge is the people themselves and the magic hands are finally only the hands of the people. Likewise, the miracle and magic making minds are only the minds of the people. And those hands and minds, our sacred text teaches us, must be about the world of bringing and sustaining good in the world.

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Let us then, Fanon tells us and teaches us, dare to reconsider the question of humankind. Let us not do what our oppressors do or as we say in Kawaida, our oppressor cannot be our teacher. For indeed Fanon tells us, Humanity is waiting for something from us other than such an imitation which would be almost an obscene caricature. On the contrary, he concludes, we must think deep, think new and in the interest of African and human good and the well-being of the world. In a word, he says, we must work out new concepts and try to bring into being a new man (and woman) and initiate a new history of humankind. We talk here of a history that is dignity-affirming, life-enhancing and world-preserving in the best tradition of our ancestors and in the best moral reasoning and practice we can achieve.

Dr. Maulana Karenga, Professor and Chair of Africana Studies, California State University-Long Beach; Executive Director, African American Cultural Center (Us); Creator of Kwanzaa; and author of Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture and Essays on Struggle: Position and Analysis, www.AfricanAmericanCulturalCenter-LA.org; www.OfficialKwanzaaWebsite.org; www.MaulanaKarenga.org
HACLA & Build Hope Inc. partner with LAPD Community Safety Partnership to award over $130,000 to graduating seniors and continuing students

On Thursday, July 15, 2021, The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) hosted the 9th Annual Build Hope Inc. (formerly known as Kids Progress Inc.) Scholarship Celebration. Although COVID19 restrictions have begun to lift, the organizations decided to host this years event virtually for the second time. Over 90 students, either beginning or continuing their post-secondary education and reside in HACLA and Community Safety Partnership (CSP) communities in the City of Los Angeles, were awarded $134,250 in scholarships to support their academic success. Some of the schools the students will be (or are currently) attending include: UC Berkeley, UCLA, Yale, Spelman College, Morehouse College, San Francisco State, and various California State Universities. The event was well attended by students, families, sponsors and colleagues and included two surprise messages from the LA Dodgers and LA Rams celebrating the scholars accomplishments.

Welcome remarks were given by HACLA Board Chair, Cielo Castro, followed by HACLA President and CEO, Doug Guthrie. Poet & Actress Marquesha Babers provided the students with two uplifting spoken word pieces and Danielle Brazell, General Manager, Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, brought an inspirational Keynote address. A special Heart of Lion scholarship was also presented by Chief Emada Tingirides and Joel Lopez of the CSP Program.

Thank you for this enormous opportunity, which will affect so many students in a positive way, said Deputy Chief Emada Tingirides. The CSP officers who have worked tirelessly with the youth will be able to continue to watch them follow their dreams and eventually become leaders in the community. The families of these students will also have a little less to worry about now, as they support and encourage them to dream big.

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The scholarship event was supported in part by the Los Angeles Rams and the Ballmer Foundation and was also made possible through the generosity of donors including the County of Los Angeles Probation Housing Based Day Supervision (HBDS) Program, and HACLAs Section 3 Partners Xerox, Yardi, efi global, Labor Compliance Pros, Goldfarb & Lipman LLP and AEI Consultants.

Since 2012, Build Hope Inc. (BHI) has been providing college scholarships to high school seniors in HACLA housing communities, said Build Hope Inc. President Jenny Scanlin. With the generous support of our sponsors and donors this year, we were able to award returning scholars who continue to demonstrate a strong commitment to higher education.

If you are interested in donating to Build Hope Inc., please contact (213) 252-5458 or visit www.haclabuildhope.com.
In the Wake of Rising COVID-19 Cases, Mothers In Action Provides Vaccine Access on Crenshaw

Mothers In Action (MIA) has made getting the community vaccinated its priority.

MIA president Tracy Mitchell is urging everyone who hasnt been vaccinated to get vaccinated. The recent surge of the Delta variant has recently increased the number of hospitalizations and deaths in L.A. County with most cases being unvaccinated people.

Mothers In Action is doing everything we can to prevent deaths and hospitalization in our community due to the COVID-19 pandemic by providing access to our community in the Crenshaw District, said Mitchell.

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On Friday, July 16, MIA hosted another vaccine pop-up site at the Los Angeles Sentinel for ages 12 & up. Appointments and walk ups were both welcomed by the organization. They cant stress enough how important being vaccinated is for the community.

It is imperative that we recognize that COVID-19 has killed over 600,000 people in the United States alone, said Mitchell. More people have died from the COVID-19 virus then from the COVID-19 vaccine.

She continued, It is highly recommended by scientist and the medical community that we are better off with the vaccine then without it, because death and hospitalizations have been greatly reduced by the vaccinated population of people.

When asked what some of the concerns of community were when it came to being vaccinated, Mitchell shared people stated they were worried about long term affects.

They are afraid of possible side effects and some just do not trust the vaccine. Simply, some people are afraid of needles.

Michell also shared that some members of the community do not believe the COVID is real.

MIA partnered up with the Los Angeles Department Public Health Mobile Vaccine Clinic and media partners at the Sentinel to assist with outreach by using their parking lot for pop-up vaccine dates. The PFIZER vaccine was available for ages 12-years-old and up.

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MIA wants the word to get out that they are providing vaccines for the community. They are asking for everyone to share emails with their church, family and network.

Do it for your children, family, loved ones or your community, stated Mitchell.

There will be another vaccine pop-up on Saturday, August 7, from 8:00 am to 12:00pm at the 23rd Annual Back to School Health Fair and supply give away at Exposition Park Parking Lot, located at 3998 Hoover Street, Los Angeles, CA 90037. Please email Mothers In Action for more information at [email protected]

MIA would like to thank Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson of Council District 8 and Councilmember Curren Price, Jr. of Council District 9 for their support of Mothers In Actions pop-up PFIZER Vaccine and continued support of Mothers In Action.
Make Your Voice Heard  Redistricting will determine the future of Black political representation

Black communities through the Los Angeles region, from Pasadena and Pomona to Long Beach and Los Angeles, have endured a lot over the last 18 months. The COVID-19 pandemic, the murder of George Floyd, the follow up of regional and nationwide protests and the reimagining of policing, and now the importance of vaccinating our entire community are just a few.

The latest battle is heating up, and its called redistricting.

Every ten years, hundreds of jurisdictions throughout the State of California  cities, counties, school districts, special districts, the state legislature, and Congress  are required to use the latest Census data to redraw political boundaries (districts) so that each district is substantially equal in population. This process, called redistricting, is taking place throughout our communities right now, including the statewide proceedings of the 2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission (wedrawthelinesca.org). In less than six months, this Commission will decide the boundaries and the opportunities for Black political representation for the next ten years throughout the State of California for the State Assembly, the State Senate, Congress, and the Board of Equalization.

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The importance of ensuring Black political representation in our State has never been more apparent. In Los Angeles County, currently seven of the 120 members of the State Legislature are Black and from Los Angeles County (5 Assembly Members and 2 State Senators). Thats 70 percent of the current members of the California Legislative Black Caucus. Only three members of Congress from California are Black, as well as one member of the Board of Equalization. Two of the members of Congress come from Los Angeles County as well, while the other seats are held in Northern California. Redistricting determines which neighborhoods and communities are grouped together into a district for purposes of elections, and the Black community needs to get engaged now to ensure our communities are grouped together as they have been historically over the last several decades.

The State of California needs your help in identifying where the Black communities are located throughout the region, and what the communitys boundaries are. Collecting information on Communities of Interest, the term used to describe communities, is one of the most important parts of the redistricting process. Our voices must be heard throughout the process to protect Black communities from being split up and ensure we have the opportunity to select candidates of our choice from our communities in the future. Submitting your comments for state legislative, congressional, and Board of Equalization districts can be done in writing via email ([email protected]), by submitting a map and comments to the State Commission (drawmycacommunity.org), or providing verbal testimony at one of the upcoming meetings for the Los Angeles region.

https://www.wedrawthelinesca.org/meetings

Upcoming Meetings for the Los Angeles region

Fri July 30, 2021  4-8pm

Thurs August 12, 2021  1-7pm

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Wed September 8, 2021  1-7pm
Mitchell Joins LA-Tech to Connect South L.A. Youth with Industry Careers

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At a press conference on July 14, Mitchell and executives from LA-Tech.org and mobile app HopSkipDrive unveiled a paid internship program to prepare young people for jobs in the burgeoning field.

Officially called the South LA Intern Initiative, Mitchell said the enterprise is part of a wider mission to create talent pipelines that help expose low-income groups who have been historically disconnected from the tech sector to opportunities within L.A.s tech industry.

First and foremost, we are building the pipeline for young people of color, who have the capacity, but just need the opportunity, Mitchell said.

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Its about making sure our youth even understand what these jobs are. [I want] to make sure that the students in the areas I represent are prepared and exposed through the internships and that theyre ready and I know they will be, she added.

According to Adam Miller, co-chair of the nonprofit LA-Tech.org and founder of Cornerstone OnDemand, the South LA program is part of the 1,000 Intern Initiative formed by LA-Tech and companies like HopSkipDrive, which is a student transportation service, to provide opportunities to youth in economically disadvantaged Black and brown communities.

To participate, young people between the ages of 16-to-24-years-old can submit an application at LA-Tech.org. LA-Tech staff will conduct the initial screenings and forward the applications to tech companies, who will interview the candidates. The company will also assist high school juniors and seniors in securing a work permit.

We supplement the program to help people get ready for their interview, internship and to work. We give training in soft skills like how do you dress at work, how do you act at work, do you text or call. So we help people understand how to prepare for the job, explained Miller.

During the internship, students will be introduced to the array of jobs in the technology field as well as learn technical skills. Also, the program offers counseling, networking sessions and guest speakers.

People in the tech community often network because one set of relationships lead to the next set of relationships, which often leads to the next job. So we want to encourage that kind of networking and supplement it with additional training, he noted.

Also, well have speakers and executives from the top companies [coming in] who will talk about whats a job like in sales or marketing, what it means to be a lead developer and help people understand what the opportunities are, how to manage their time, how to manage their relationships and be more effective, Miller said.

Applications will be accepted at LA-Tech.org until September 14. The selected participants will receive 120 hours of paid work experience in areas such as business development, design, IT, and software development. Students also must commit at least 20 hours per week, have access to a device and Wi-Fi and provide proof of residence. After applying, candidates will be asked to complete a pre-recorded interview.

If you run into any snags, call my office at (213) 974-2222 and well have staff to walk you through [the application process] and connect the dots, Mitchell said.

For the application and information, visit LA-Tech.org.
Newsom Signs AB 331 to Stop Organized Retail Theft

Asm. Reggie Jones-Sawyer sponsored legislation to extend sunset date of the crime of organized retail theft

Governor Gavin Newson called up Assembly member Reginald Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles) as Newsom signed into law AB 331 to help the state apply resources to reduce crime and stop organized retail theft.

The signing took place July 21 at The Hangout, a small business in Long Beach. Jones-Sawyer sponsored the legislation to extend the sunset date to January 1, 2026 of the crime of organized retail theft and the California Highway Patrol Organized Retail Crime Task Force.

Among the African American law enforcement members attending the event were CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray and San Francisco Chief of Police William Scott. Also on hand were mayors of the states 13 largest cities including L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia and Santa Ana Mayor Vicente Sarmiento along with L.A. Police Chief Michel Moore and several other top police executives.

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Among the most basic needs for all Californians is to feel safe at home, at the park, or walking to school, Newsom said. As we pursue nation-leading criminal justice reforms  all with an eye to making our communities safer  a more holistic approach is called for. We must invest in public safety while, at the same time, tackling the root causes of these increases.

Explaining why he spearheaded the bill, Jones-Sawyer said, When this first came out with Gov. Jerry Brown, we were really talking about how do we deal with retail theft in a smart way. Number one, we wanted to make sure we went after the organized retail theft felons who were victimizing, not only the people they got involved in this, but also victimizing our retail businesses.

We also wanted to make sure that we had a heart and that individuals who were homeless or on drugs would be able to get services. So, I want to thank this governor for putting in billions of dollars to make sure those individuals can move into services like drug rehab, education and employment and permanently get out of organized retail theft, he said.

Thats the ultimate goal here  both philosophies coming together to cure a problem thats plaguing California right now. Its so important that we continue this work that the CHP has been doing successfully for the last few years, added Jones-Sawyer.

Commissioner Ray said that in the last three years, the CHP Task Force participated in 668 investigations resulting in 252 arrests and the recovery of over $16.3 billion in stolen merchandise. AB 331 will allow the task force to continue its efforts to reduce retail crime with the following actions:

Collaborate with allied law enforcement agencies and district attorneys to identify and prosecute organized theft rings, recover lost merchandise and reduce associated crime.

Collaborate with the retail industry to reduce incidents of theft and strengthen locational safety for shoppers.

Launch a web-based portal for the public and California retailers to report tips directly to the CHP.

Continue to partner with allied agencies to offer specialized training and general law enforcement assistance related to auto theft and organized retail crimes.
One-Fifth of Officers Slow to Turn on Body Cameras in Use-of-Force Incidents

Officials told the Los Angeles Police Commission that while 96.3% of officers involved in use of force incidents during a one-year period activated their body-worn cameras, nearly 20% of them did so late and inconsistent with department policy.

The Office of the Inspector General report analyzed 53 incidents involving 262 Los Angeles Police Department officers between June 2019 and July 2020. The department defines categorical uses of force as incidents of deadly force by an officer, and the incidents reviewed by the office of Inspector General Mark Smith included 33 shootings by officers, nine unintentional firearm discharges, six uses of force that hospitalized someone, two head strikes with an impact weapon, one in-custody death, one carotid restraint control hold and another use of deadly force.

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According to the report, 96.3% of officers either activated their body- worn cameras or were justified in not doing so. However, 19.5% of those officers were delayed in activating their cameras in a matter inconsistent with the LAPDs policy. Seven of the 53 reviewed incidents were not captured on video because officers did not activate their cameras. Additionally, 13.9% of officers who were supposed to activate their digital-in car video cameras failed to do so.

The Office of the Inspector General recommended that the police department boost compliance by maintaining a rigorous program of accountability measures, such as conducting random inspections and taking remedial action when someone acts out of policy. The department implemented a program of periodic inspections in August 2020, according to Django Sibley, assistant inspector general at the LAPD.

The report also urged the department to evaluate the effectiveness of

the notices given to officers as reminders about the body-worn camera and

digital-in car video policies.

Police Chief Michel Moore told commissioners that he welcomed the report and recommendations.

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This, as you know, has been a matter over the last two years and as weve seen failures in instances where there has been a lack of compliance, we have instituted added notices, education, reminders, and also increased the level of progressive discipline and accountability for those matters, Moore said.

The departments policy requires all officers to activate their body- worn cameras before initiating any investigation or enforcement activity involving a civilian, such as traffic and pedestrian stops and calls for service.

Body-worn cameras are constantly rolling when powered on, so once activated, the camera also captures two minutes prior to activation. However, 24% of the recordings reviewed by the Inspector General had less than a two- minute buffer period. Fifty of the 51 cases involving a reduced buffer video involved officers who initially had their cameras powered off, according to the report.

Since 2018, keeping that device powered on when in the field or when working in the station and likely to become involved in contact with the public has been a requirement, Sibley told police commissioners.

Officers were issued three notices in 2020 reminding them to keep their body-worn cameras powered on while in the field. Beginning in June 2020,

the department began a program to review officers performance during previous incidents when they are found to have acted out of policy during a categorical use of force review, Sibley said.

If a pattern of deviation from policy is found, the department will take remedial action as it deems appropriate when they identify shortcomings as a result of those inspections, according to Sibley.
Popular College Choice for Black Students Survives Lawmakers Shutdown Attempt

When the California Legislature passed the states 2021-2022 budget last month, lawmakers voted to defund Calbright College, the only statewide completely digital community college.

However, after negotiations with Gov. Gavin Newsom, the colleges funding has been reinstated.

But Senate Bill 129, the budget trailer bill Newsom signed on July 12, contains language saying that any legislation passed that eliminates the college would be binding.

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Calbright College is Californias 115th community college and it is currently tuition free.

The idea for a community college offering only online programs statewide was the brainchild of former Gov. Edmund G. (Jerry) Brown Jr. He believed increasing online course availability would make college more accessible and affordable for working adults. He envisioned it as another public option for Californians between ages 25 and 34 that would help them improve their work skills and allow them to earn certifications to move into better-paying jobs not requiring a college degree.

African American students are overrepresented in Calbrights student body. About 23% of its students are Black. At traditional community colleges in the state, African Americans represent just 5.9% of students. Black students are also overrepresented in the states for-profit institutions, where they are 18% of students. These institutions can cost up to nine times more per unit than a community college. Students incur higher debt and student loan default rates are higher. Course completion rates for students across these institutions are some of the lowest.

When the Legislature passed the California Online Community College Act in 2018, Calbright was given seven years  from July 2018 through June 2025  to build a portfolio of programs and support infrastructure for adult students seeking to improve their job and financial status. The Act appropriated $100 million in state funds for startup costs, and initially about $20 million annually was allocated for operating expenses.

Currently, Calbright offers four programs at no cost to California residents  Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Platform Administration (Sales force Administrator), Information Technology Support (A+), Cyber security (Security+), and Medical Coding for Professional Services. These are competency-based education programs that are self-paced and not constrained by academic calendars like traditional community colleges. Upon completion, students can take an industry recognized exam for a Certificate of Competency that would qualify them for jobs in their field of study.

To Calbrights supporters, including Brown, Newsom, California Community Colleges (CCC) Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley and the California Community Colleges Board of Governors, the college has the potential to become the public solution to costly predatory for-profit institutions that target adults and low-income workers and saddles them with excessive student loan debt

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Since its inception, Calbright has had distracters. Much of its opposition comes from the community college faculty union. Critics, including many Legislators argue that Calbright programs are duplicative of those offered at traditional community colleges and that the millions of dollars allocated to it would be better used by the states underfunded community colleges.

Although Calbright began offering programs in October 2019, by February 2020 its critics requested a legislative audit to assess its progress toward creating online programs, enrolling students, building relationships with employers and collaborating with other community colleges.

The results of the audit, which cost the state over $300,000, were published in May 2021. In the letter accompanying the Calbright audit report, California State Auditor Elaine Howle revealed It is behind in accomplishing key milestones and must act quickly to demonstrate its ability to achieve its mission.

She explained, A primary reason why Calbrights progress is not on track is that its former executive team failed to develop and execute effective strategies for launching the college.

Howle also said many Calbright executives left during its first year due to leadership failures.

Calbright has struggled to adequately enroll the students it was intended to serve, took longer than it should have to develop a student support system, and did not adequately partner with employers in the development of its educational programs, she added.

But, the audit also pointed out that Calbrights new leadership has initiated actions to address the deficiencies that were uncovered.

Currently, Calbright offers African American students a tuition free alternative for gaining new job skills certificates. Unlike students taking courses at for-profit colleges, Calbright students who are unsuccessful in gaining sought-after credentials are not severely financially penalized.

Calbrights critics have pushed back on Howles assessment that Calbrights potential value to the State is significant. They also have failed to acknowledge that their most repeated complaint against the college is disputed in the audits finding that Calbrights pathways are not duplicative when compared to the other programs we reviewed.

In February 2021, before the legislative audit report was released, Assembly Bill 1432, an act to make Calbright inoperative at the end of the 2022-23 academic year, was introduced by Assembly Member Evan Low (D-Silicon Valley) and coauthored by Assembly Member Jose Medina (D-Riverside).

On May 6, before the audit report was published, the Assembly passed AB 1432 by unanimous vote (71-0). The bill was sent to the Senate for approval, but the Senate Education Committee decided not to hear it at its July 14 meeting. That killed any chance for the bill to be enacted this year. No comment was provided by Committee Chair Senator Connie M. Leyva (D  Chino) when California Black Media reached out to find out why the bill was not heard.

According to the budget deal that Newsom accepted, if AB 1432 had been approved by the Senate, Calbright would be closed.

Although, Calbright survived this years Legislative attempt to close it, those who oppose it have not given up. They emphasize that Calbright leaders must deliver on its mission on the timetable provided in the audit report and meet the milestones the Legislature established when the college was created.

We need to see substantial progress for Calbright to earn our trust and show that this has not been a wasteful experiment coming at California taxpayers expense, Low says.
Removing Educational Barriers, Especially High Textbook Costs

Textbooks cost too much. Can you remember being surprised at the high price tag on the books you needed during your college days? I am tired of textbook publishers taking advantage of college students. I am not sorry about making this public statement, but I will apologize to students, particularly Black students, for not doing more to make books and materials more affordable. Nows the time to tackle the high cost of textbooks, to ensure that higher education is affordable and accessible. As president/chief executive officer of Compton College, I take this issue personally. It is an essential part of my job to find and implement solutions that ensure all students who wish to attend college are able to do so. The cost of attending college has steadily increased in recent years, making higher education unaffordable for many people, especially for Black students. We can see the struggle of this student group in data, with Compton College Black students outpacing other community college students in housing and food insecurity by up to nearly 15%. And the profound impact of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County created additional challenges.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic upended so many lives, students were struggling to pay school fees in addition to covering the cost of books, computers/technology, and living expenses. This final article of my Unapologetically Fighting for Black Student Success series will discuss the true cost of attending college and how we are working to lower those costs while removing the barriers that keep students from reaching their goals.

The Total Cost of Attending College

Education should not be considered a privilege; it is a right. I know many current students who are willing to make the investment in themselves and pursue their education, but the price keeps it out of reach. On top of academic costs (fees, books, computers, and supplies) students are responsible for other expenses such as transportation, food, and housing. Many students must make difficult choices every day  sometimes skipping meals  in order to pay for their education. Then the COVID-19 pandemic exposed a lack of accessible educational resources, and students who were not prepared for online classes were left at home, struggling alone. At Compton College, we are actively addressing these obstacles through several initiatives, such as a collegewide laptop loan program and by delivering meals to students homes.

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We also support students through the Compton College Oliver W. Conner Promise Program, which gives eligible high school graduates two years of enrollment fee waivers and access to a support system to help them through the enrollment process and all the way to graduation. Many students in this important program are the first in their family to attend college so they are taking a big, bold step toward changing their lives while building a strong and lasting college-going culture in their families and communities.

The Rising Cost of Textbooks

The Compton College Oliver W. Conner Promise Program also provides up to $400 per year for textbooks and course materials and supplies. This is an important part of the program because the exorbitantly high cost of textbooks adds to the financial obligations of attending college. For some students, this is what keeps them from attending classes. These required costs particularly affect low-income, underrepresented minority groups, including Black students. It makes sense that textbook cost reductions can support equity goals, but how is that done? I am honored to partner with the Michelson 20MM Foundation to solve this problem. Founded by Dr. Gary K. Michelson and Alya Michelson, the Michelson 20MM Foundation is a leader in ensuring equitable college opportunities that lead to meaningful careers, which aligns with Compton Colleges mission. For the last decade, Michelson 20MM has advocated for the adoption of open educational resources (OER) as a way to dramatically improve access and equity in higher education by offering materials freely and legally through open licensing for instructors and students to use, adapt, share, and reuse. As a result, we can lower educational costs that can serve as a barrier to entry, particularly for students of color. Research from Achieving the Dream found that 17% of underrepresented minority students indicated that the cost of educational materials forced them to drop courses. Research also shows that 52% of underrepresented minorities say that OER courses will have a significant impact on their ability to afford college. Accessing books and other materials digitally can be a real game changer, with additional research showing improved grades as well.

In 2010, Michelson 20MM seeded the largest nonprofit open educational resources publisher, OpenStax. This year alone, over 4 million students across our nations institutions of higher education will benefit from using OpenStax, a library that has grown to include 42 textbooks and produced over $1.2 billion in student savings. Californias community colleges are amongst its benefactors, thanks to incredible faculty who have taken the initiative to revise their curriculum and replace costly textbooks with free materials. Every dollar invested in OpenStax has produced over $14 in student savings.

Weve long been a proponent of OER as free, open materials bring down the cost of education and improve the classroom experience for both students and instructors, Phil Kim, Chief executive officer, Michelson 20MM. Studies have shown that OER has significantly improved end-of-course grades for students, particularly for minority students who experience nearly twice the grade increase of their white peers. Furthermore, the adoption of OER has resulted in a decline in drops, withdrawals, or failure grades among those same populations. OER is an effective tool for achieving equitable outcomes that all our faculty and colleges should utilize.

Our statewide elected officials have recognized that the high cost of textbooks is harming community college students. In the recent state budget, the legislature fully funded Governor Newsoms $115 million proposal for the Zero-Textbook Cost (ZTC) Degree program. Advocates, including Compton College and the Michelson Center for Public Policy, are applauding this historic investment, as the ZTC program allows students to start and finish their degree programs without paying anything for costly textbooks and other instructional materials. Experts believe the $115 million could produce an estimated 240 ZTC degree and certificate pathways across the state of California.

Besides the cost savings, OER can be used to highlight diverse voices and perspectives in academic materials. Instruction in an OER environment can promote a culturally relevant classroom that considers difference and diversity as an asset, not a deficit, so that students can build on their knowledge and realize that there are many ways to learn and understand the material. In addition, OER can be easily adapted to incorporate narratives and perspectives that are often not found in traditional textbooks and other curricular resources, leading to equity-minded teaching and learning for everyone. At Compton College, we have started using OER and intend to have 85%-100% of all courses and degree programs utilizing open educational resources by fall 2035. Plans are underway to make this happen. These efforts are being supported by a generous grant from the Michelson 20MM Foundation, who will also join Compton College as a thought partner in this work.

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Closing the Loop

When students dont have to worry about their financial situation, including textbook costs, they do better in their classes and become more engaged in their learning. In the last year, we guided a massive, multilayered transition to digital learning at Compton College and established successful online learning models that will continue even when we offer in-person instruction again. Online education is here to stay, making open educational resources even more important. We also look forward to seeing the potential impact OER can have on Dual Enrollment for high school students taking community college courses. Add in the vital work of creating culturally responsive teaching and we are on the way to offering learning that is truly relevant to many students who have spent their lives not seeing themselves and the stories of their culture in traditional textbooks.

This concludes my four-part series, where we discussed ways to help Black students achieve success, such as examining data to make innovative changes, enlisting alumni support, and providing solutions for the high cost of textbooks. Many topics remain as we continue Unapologetically Fighting for Black Student Success, but I hope these articles have started something. Maybe an inspiration to think differently about obtaining and utilizing helpful resources, or even the motivation for a meaningful, active dialogue about what it will take to ensure the success of Black students now and into the future. We will find answers by working together and offering no apologies for making this happen.
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, will join a Congressional delegation to San Diego to participate in the Christening Ceremony for the USNS John Lewis, the first ship in the T-AO Fleet Oiler Program. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is leading the Congressional delegation. The program is dedicated in honor of the late Congressman John Lewis of Georgia. The ceremony will take place July 17, 2021, one year after the Congressmans passing.

John Lewis legacy and impact on this world is undeniable and I am so pleased to join Speaker Pelosi for this Congressional delegation to honor our beloved friend and guiding light, said Congresswoman Maxine Waters. John Lewis was more than a fighter. He was a giant who looked injustice in the eye, rolled up his sleeves, and got to work. He was an incredible and fearless leader of the Civil Rights Movement and worked tirelessly to make sure that the United States lived up to its promise of equality and justice for every person. I was very proud and honored to walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama every year in recognition of the struggle that took place where John Lewis was almost beaten to death.

As we continue John Lewis fight against voter suppression legislation one year after his passing, the way in which he lived his life and advocated for an inclusive and fair democracy continues to be a source of inspiration during these trying times, continued Congresswoman Maxine Waters. I hope that with the christening of the USNS John Lewis, Americans from every walk of life will join us in honoring his legacy and commit to doing everything in their power to protect the right to vote for all Americans.

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The USNS John Lewis is the lead ship of the John Lewis class T-AO oilers, which are designed to transfer fuel to the Navys carrier strike groups operating at sea. The remaining oilers in the John Lewis class will be named after prominent civil rights leaders: USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO 206), USNS Earl Warren (T-AO 207), USNS Robert F. Kennedy (T-AO 208), USNS Lucy Stone (T-AO 209), and USNS Sojourner Truth (T-AO 210).
Waters Statement on the Passing of Dr. Emma Daniels McFarlin

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, issued a statement following the death of her friend, Dr. Emma Daniels McFarlin.

The passing of my dear friend, Dr. Emma Daniels McFarlin, affectionately known as Dr. Mc or Ahma, brings me great sadness, and I extend my most heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, and all those who knew and loved her. She was an exemplary woman with a passion for helping others  something she did without pause from the very beginning of her life. Of course, she is known for her trailblazing work at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, becoming the first Black woman to ever lead operations for the departments western region, and for her work in local government as an assistant city manager, and as an aide to a city councilman and Mayor Tom Bradley of Los Angeles. As a successful Black woman who achieved high-level positions, she served as an inspiration to me and everyone who followed in her footsteps. Yet, it was not just her career and her historic accomplishments that made her the amazing woman who so many looked up to. It was her unwavering commitment to her family, to her friends, and to her community.

Dr. McFarlins wisdom and ability to surround everyone with so much kindness, love, and happiness is evident in the way that so many referred to her as Den Mother and the fact that her home was a sanctuary where people could go to laugh and share in community. It was even known that on Thanksgiving dinners, her door was always open to those who had nowhere else to go.

Even in this difficult time, I hope that Dr. McFarlins life and the way she carried it out continues to bring us peace, and that her loved ones can find solace in the fact that she had an incredible and unforgettable impact on so many.

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At least 25 people have died from heavy rains in China's central province of Henan. Twelve of them died in a flooded underground train in Henans capital, Zhengzhou.

Officials had to provide shelter for about 100,000 people in Zhengzhou. The floods stopped the city's rail and road transportation. Thousands of military troops have started a rescue effort in the area.

City officials said rescuers pulled more than 500 people to safety from the flooded subway. Social media images showed people who were riding the subway walking through deep waters in the dark. One subway station looked like a brown lake.

"The water reached my chest," one flood survivor wrote on social media. "I was really scared."

A local person whose family name is Guo said he had to spend the night at his office. Guo added that the rain stopped bus services in Zhengzhou.

"That's why many people took the subway, and the tragedy happened," Guo told Reuters.

At a news conference on Wednesday, officials said at least 25 people have died and seven remained missing since last weekend.

More rain is predicted across Henan for the next three days.

From last Saturday to Tuesday, 617.1 millimeters of rain fell in Zhengzhou. That is close to its yearly average rainfall of 640.8 millimeters.

The three days of rain equaled a level seen only "once in a thousand years," local weather broadcasters said.

Scientists told the Reuters news agency that the rainfall in China was likely linked to worldwide climate change, just like recent heat waves in the United States and Canada and extreme flooding seen in Western Europe.

Johnny Chan is a professor of atmospheric science at City University of Hong Kong. He said, "Such extreme weather events will likely become more frequent in the future."

He added that local and national governments must develop ways "to adapt to such changes."

'Flood prevention difficult'

Henan is a major center of transport with a population of about 100 million. Many train services in the area have had to stop. On one train just outside the city limits of Zhengzhou, hundreds of people have been trapped for two days with little food or water. Major roads were severely flooded in many cities of the province. Flights have been delayed or canceled.

In a statement broadcast by state television, Chinese President Xi Jinping said, "Flood prevention efforts have become very difficult."

Schools, hospitals cut off

Some schools and hospitals in Henan were trapped by floodwaters. People caught in the floods sought shelter in places like libraries, movie theaters and museums.

"We've up to 200 people of all ages seeking temporary shelter," a worker at the Zhengzhou Science and Technology Museum said.

"We've provided them with instant noodles and hot water. They spent the night in a huge meeting room," added the museum worker, whose family name is Wang.

The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou is the city's largest hospital. After it lost all power, officials tried to find transport for about 600 severely ill patients.

Im Jill Robbins.

Ryan Woo and Stella Qiu wrote this story for Reuters. Jill Robbins adapted it for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

province  n. any one of the large parts that some countries are divided into

subway  n. a system of underground trains in a city

frequent  adj. happening often

chest  n. the front part of the body between the neck and the stomach

scared  adj. afraid; nervous or frightened

adapt  v. to change your behavior so that it is easier to live in a particular place or situation

library  n. a place where books, magazines, and other materials (such as videos and musical recordings) are available for people to use or borrow

museum  n. a building in which interesting and valuable things (such as paintings and sculptures or scientific or historical objects) are collected and shown to the public

instant  adj. (of food) able to be made very quickly: partially prepared by the manufacturer so that final preparation is quick and easy

noodle  n. a thin strip of dough that is made from flour, water, and eggs and that is cooked in boiling liquid

ill  adj. sick

What do you think of the recent severe weather? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.


Cuba largely kept coronavirus infections low last year. But now, the Caribbean nation has the highest infection rate per person in Latin America. That is threatening the countrys health care system and has led to protests of the communist government.

The country of 11 million people reported nearly 4,000 cases per million people over the last week. That is nine times higher than the world average and more than any other country in the Americas for its size.

The sharp rise in cases is being fueled by the highly infectious Delta variant. Hospitals in the area of Matanzas are very crowded and are close to failing. State media reports have shown images of patients in beds. They also have reported that doctors say there is a lack of oxygen and other supplies.

Cubas handling of the pandemic was one issue that drove thousands to the streets last Sunday in anti-government protests. People also protested shortages of food and medicine.

Cuba is not alone in struggling with the pandemic. But the countrys strong healthcare system is a politically important part in keeping the countrys one-party system in power.

Daniel Rodriguez is a Cuban-American historian. He wrote a book on the countrys medical politics. The government, he said, has made the case that one of the main accomplishments of the revolution is its world-class medical sector.

When cases of the virus began to rise sharply, he said, it appeared increasingly the revolutionary government was no longer able to protect Cuban lives, and the result was an extraordinary repudiation of the revolution itself.

The spread of the virus and the resulting restrictions are also hurting Cubas already struggling economy. There are fewer numbers of flights. Many Cubans work in the tourism industry and depend on travelers to bring in money and goods -- including medicine.

Rodriguez said food and medicine shortages because of the pandemic have been damaging to the government.

Cuba's government has blamed the demonstrations on U.S.-financed "counter-revolutionaries." The government is largely blaming Cubas struggling economy on American sanctions that were made stricter during the pandemic.

Several countries and non-government organizations called on the U.S. to lift sanctions this week.

On Saturday, officials organized pro-government protests across the island. Thousands of people attended.

But many Cubans have aimed their anger at their own government's handling of the economy and the pandemic.

"We are hungry, there's nothing at the moment, not even medicine," said Aylin Sardina. She is 33 years old. She attended a protest in Havana.

Cuba has had some pandemic successes. The country has produced five possible vaccines. Two of them are more than 90 percent effective, based on Cuban data.

Many Cuban doctors went to help other countries deal with the pandemic. The country has one of the highest number of doctors per person in the world.

And generally, cases per person are still under the worldwide average. Deaths per person, while rising, are still just one-third of the worldwide average. The Cuban government says those successes are because of its free, universal healthcare and its experimental medicine.

But with cases now rising fast, Cuba's economic crisis is worsening. Many officials do not want to require strict lockdowns. Many people already have to stand in lines for hours to get goods like food.

So far only about two million people - less than 20 percent of the population - are fully vaccinated.

The country aims to have 70 percent of the population fully vaccinated by September. But experts warned that in the next few weeks, COVID-19 deaths would likely continue to rise.

Libia Ortega is a restaurant worker in Matanzas city. The restaurant is closed because of the pandemic and food shortages.

"You go out onto the street to buy food," she said, "and someone says to you: do you know who else died?"

Im Dan Novak.

Sarah Marsh reported this story for Reuters. Dan Novak adapted for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

_____________________________________________________

Words in This Story

handle  v. to deal with (a person, situation, etc.) successfully

transmissible  adj. able to be spread to other people, animals, etc. : capable of being transmitted

accomplishment  n. something done, achieved, or accomplished successfully

revolution  n. the usually violent attempt by many people to end the rule of one government and start a new one

sector  n. an area of an economy : a part of an economy that includes certain kinds of jobs

repudiate  v. to refuse to accept or support (something) : to reject (something or someone)

tourism  v. the activity of traveling to a place for pleasure

sanction  n. an action that is taken or an order that is given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that country, etc.

lockdown  n. a state of isolation or restricted access put in place as a security measure
As the race to launch space tourism flights continues in the United States, two small American towns have entered the action.

On Tuesday, American billionaire Jeff Bezos flew to the edge of space on a rocket built by his company Blue Origin. Three other people took the quick trip with him: Bezos brother, a Dutch teenager and an 82-year old pilot.

The space tourism trips permit passengers to experience weightlessness and observe Earth for a few minutes after crossing into space.

On July 11, British billionaire Richard Branson made a similar trip. He flew on a rocket plane built by the company he founded, Virgin Galactic. Two pilots and three company officials joined him.

The flights by Branson and Bezos officially launched a new industry that promises any citizen the chance to visit space. Such trips will be costly, however. Virgin Galactics price for a single flight is $250,000 and Blue Origin has not yet announced its rate.

Both businesses established operating bases, called spaceports in rural areas of the U.S.

Virgin Galactics 70-square kilometer Spaceport America is in the desert near the town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. About 5,800 people live in the town.

Blue Origins New Shepard flight operations center is outside the Texas town of Van Horn, home to about 1,800 people.

As Blue Origins flight took off, some locals watched from Van Horn High School, about 40 kilometers from the launch site. Angel Herrera, who lives in nearby El Paso, was there. He told The Associated Press the experience gave him goose bumps. He added: The hair on the back of my neck stood up, just witnessing history.

A pizza shop owner in Van Horn, Jesus Ramirez, also watched the launch, which he called a ride only for the wealthy. However, Ramirez said he hoped Blue Origin would bring other companies to town and increase business for existing local companies.

Valentina Muro works at a local eatery in Van Horn. She said the buzz of the event had kind of put Van Horn on the map a little more than it was.

For many years, the official welcoming sign for Van Horn has read: Farming, ranching, mining. While some of these activities are still there, local officials are now looking to space tourism as a way to possibly lift the economy.

Our biggest driving force is in the tourism dollar, Van Horn Mayor Becky Brewster told the AP. She said that while employees of Blue Origin had been working in the area since 2005, they started to become more involved in the community in the last several years.

When they were in the development stages, Blue Origin was so secretive about what was going on, their people couldnt really socialize because they couldnt talk about their work and things like that, Brewster said. It was like, here are the Blue Origin people and here are the Van Horn people. But thats starting to change for the better.

Virgin Galactics Spaceport America is about 30 kilometers from Truth or Consequences. Sandra Whitehead, the towns mayor, spoke about the importance of Bransons local launch to the Albuquerque Journal. Spaceport (America) has been in the works for over 20 years, and this is finally the launch that we have waited for, she said.

The towns economy mainly depends on tourists visiting its hot mineral springs and nearby Elephant Butte lake. Now, locals are hoping Virgin Galactic will draw a continuous flow of visitors to support the local economy.

Town manager Bruce Swingle told Reuters the space company had brought real pioneering stuff, opening up the heavens to the entire world.

When locals Val Wilkes and her wife Cydney bought a small hotel in Truth or Consequences 10 years ago, they named it the Rocket Inn. Now, Wilkes says, "I love living around the corner from where science fiction is becoming science fact."

Hotel bookings have improved as pandemic restrictions have eased, and Wilkes expects this to continue throughout the town. When asked if people may choose to stay in larger cities in connection with visits to Virgin Galactic, Wilkes predicted: "If people want to come to our town, they'll come."

Im Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from The Associated Press, Reuters, the Albuquerque Journal, Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin. Caty Weaver was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

Quiz - Space Tourism Companies Bring Excitement to Small American Towns Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz



___________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

tourism  n. the activity of traveling to a place for pleasure

goose bumps  n. a roughness on the skin produced by a sudden feeling of cold, fear or excitement

buzz  n. a feeling of excitement, energy or pleasure

ranching  n. the activity of keeping animals on a ranch (a very large farm)

stage  n. a period of development

pioneer  n. a person who helps create or develop new ideas, methods
Under the supervision of Fulton Countys information technology director, employees of the West Chester-based software company Wake TSI took backups of data on computers used in ballot-counting, complete hard drive images of the computers and complete images of two thumb drives that had been used on election night to transfer results files, the county elections director wrote.

Wake TSI agreed not to disturb or manipulate any election equipment, and they were watched at all times by county staff, the county elections director wrote.

But, Degraffenreid wrote on Tuesday, neither Fulton County nor the vendor, Dominion Voting Systems, nor the Department of State can verify that the impacted components of Fulton Countys leased voting system are safe to use in future elections."

About 8,000 votes were counted in Fulton County's 2020 election, with voters backing Trump by almost seven-to-one over Democrat Joe Biden. Biden went on to win Pennsylvania by more than 80,000 votes.

Fulton County officials did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
The second recipient was Dale Biehl, who got a bit of a surprise. Biehl was drafted in 1963 and reported for basic training in 1964.

He served in the Army Special Weapons Service and still cannot talk about specific details to this day, as records are still classified. He was discharged and came home in December 1965.

The surprise for Biehl came when his granddaughter, Abbie Owens, daughter of Toby and Amy Biehl-Owens, revealed a secret. Owens had told her grandfather the quilt she was working on was for Gary Reiber, but in reality it was for him.

Glenda Parker did the quilting, while Owens put on the binding; Biehl was clearly touched by the gesture.

Keeping with the veteran theme of the presentation, speakers were on hand to tell the crowd about the Heartland Military Museum, Dawson County Area Hero Flight and work on the Lexington Veterans Pavilion.

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Terry Lauby said in 1991, a permanent site for the museum was obtained at the Lexington I-80 exit and in 1998, a 16,000 square foot Visitor Center was constructed. It houses all types of military vehicles from World War II to the present, while displays include items dating from World War I onward.
Lewiston, ID (83501)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 72F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 72F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Lewiston, ID (83501)

Today

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 72F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 72F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Lewiston, ID (83501)

Today

Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 72F. W winds shifting to S at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 72F. W winds shifting to S at 10 to 15 mph.
An alleged member of the 18th Street gang on Tuesday filed a motion seeking the identity of a confidential informant used by the Santa Maria Police Department and that person's role in the investigation into the December 2020 shooting death of a 20-year-old man on West Donovan Road.

The motion was filed on July 20 by Erica Sutherland, an attorney with the Santa Barbara County Public Defender's Office representing 20-year-old Jesus Garcilazo. Garcilazo is accused of shooting and killing Kevin Nunez-Escamilla shortly before 4:30 p.m. Dec. 18, 2020, in the 800 block of West Donovan Road, according to court records.

The criminal complaint filed Dec. 24, 2020 accused Garcilazo of membership in the 18th Street gang, considered a transnational criminal organization by the FBI, and killing Nunez-Escamilla, who was allegedly a member of the rival West Park gang.

Garcilazo was charged with murder and three enhancements, including that he was a member of a criminal street gang and used a firearm to cause great bodily injury. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.

+2 Murder charge upheld against Santa Maria man accused in shooting death A murder charge was upheld Wednesday against a Santa Maria man who is an alleged gang member charged in the shooting death of a rival on West Donovan Road in December 2020.

Sutherland and Deputy District Attorney Jordan Lockey did not provide comment on the motions.

In addition to the identity, the motion seeks pretrial discovery for other information regarding the confidential informant, including a list of cases and investigations in which the person acted as a cooperating witness, or while undercover, and a list of criminal convictions.

The informant was recruited by the SMPD in 2018 to work off criminal charges and became a paid informant in December 2020 after establishing credibility and providing information in other gang-related investigations, according to the July 20 motion filed in Superior Court.

The Santa Maria Police Department did not respond to requests for comment.

Additionally, Garcilazo filed a motion on June 29 seeking to quash a search warrant for more than a year's worth of Facebook and Snapchat data, including private messages. In the motion, Sutherland argued the warrant's probable cause was supported by "sweeping generalizations" and that it was too broad, claiming the scope of the search was not specific enough to satisfy the particular requirement of the Fourth Amendment.

The two motions are scheduled for a hearing at 8:30 on Aug. 2 in Dept. 7 of Superior Court in Santa Maria.
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
The show begins in 2012, near the end of Duntschs reign of error, as two doctors (Alec Baldwin and Christian Slater) who are determined to stop Duntsch from entering an operating room again. But they face a health care system designed to protect doctors, and the charismatic Duntsch knows how to use it, how to present an air of confidence and certainty even with evidence piling up against him.

Later episodes dig deeper into Duntschs life through flashbacks, but the show never quite answers the question posed by Baldwins character early on: Was Duntsch incompetent, or a sociopath? Jacksons layered, canny performance suggests a bit of both: that Duntsch was a raging narcissist unable to face the truth that he was dangerously bad at his job, as well as more concerned with his reputation than the well-being of his patients.
The Beer Cave and its history is part of what makes CamRock Park unique, Stinson said.

Id love to see it connect our park users to the history of the site and the community, Stinson said. We always want to provide recreational opportunities for everyone, whether you want to be a mountain biker and hop in and see it or youre a history buff.

Dane County Supervisor Dave Ripp, who is the chair of the Parks Commission, echoed the connection to the past: "It's just a slice of history."

Bill Lunney, president of Foundation for Dane County Parks, said the Beer Cave is an example of the historic features in county parks that draw users out into nature.

The role of parks is to provide opportunities for people to go out and not only interact with nature but interact with our cultural history, Lunney said. The Beer Cave is a classic example of what volunteers can do to support and enhance our county parks.

This restoration would probably have taken years to occur without his passion and dedication and willingness to step forward, Lunney said.

For Moen, work on the Beer Cave started out as something that needed to get done. It was just him and the stones and trees and sky.
With those returns in mind, DHS officials and Gov. Tony Evers stressed the importance of widespread vaccination.

Getting vaccinated now means we can help make sure our students are back in the classroom and wont have to miss out on in-person classes or extracurricular activities, Evers said in the release. The COVID-19 vaccines are the best protection we have against the virus and make it possible for our kids to get back to learning safely and without disruption.

The release noted that those who are fully vaccinated will not need to quarantine if they come in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19, as they otherwise would under CDC and DHS guidance.
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With so much work left undone in the 2021-23 state budget as passed by the Legislature, the final chapter of the story of the biennial budget fight has yet to be written. The question is: Will it be a saga of missed opportunities or a tale of the triumph of the will of the people?

When Gov. Tony Evers introduced his budget proposal in February, he called on us, the people of Wisconsin, to believe that we could bounce back from the COVID-19 global health pandemic and the hardship it caused to our families, communities and economy. He told us, don't let anyone tell you we can't afford to invest in our priorities, from health care to public education to clean water to roads and broadband.

His plan lived up to those words, with bold investments and proposals for our state government to do what its supposed to  help all our communities. It included measures with broad public and bipartisan support, like expanding BadgerCare and bringing back billions in federal funding to our communities instead of sending it to other states, making sure we had clean drinking water whether we lived on a city block or a family farm, reforming marijuana policy, making historic investments in public schools and more.
Kreuser also said, Do we all wish this would have all gone faster, that thousands of troops could have arrived immediately to prevent the fatalities, injuries and damage to property caused by the rioting? Of course. But you cant push an Easy button and have the National Guard float down from the sky.

Kenoshas Republican County Sheriff, David Beth, who coordinated law enforcement during the unrest, said the states response was fantastic and Evers sent everything that we asked for.

Republican Steil, now rated among the most partisan representatives in Congress, proves with his lie about the governor that hes certainly earned that rating.

Jodi Muerhohff

Kenosha
The House voted overwhelmingly Thursday to allow in thousands more of the Afghans who worked alongside Americans in the Afghanistan war, citing the urgency of protecting those on-the-ground allies from Taliban retaliation as the U.S. military withdrawal enters its final weeks.

Florida Republican and Vietnam war veteran Rep. Neal Dunn evoked the scenes of the U.S. military withdrawal from Vietnam, which left many Vietnamese whod worked with American forces fearing  and sometimes meeting  death and detention.

We cannot do this again. We must not do this again. We must bring back  all the people who were so important to us in combat, Neal said, urging fellow lawmakers to vote for the bill. Please do not abandon friends of America again.

The bill, by Rep. Jason Crow, a Colorado Democrat and former Army Ranger who fought in Afghanistan, allows 8,000 more visas for translators and others who worked with U.S. government troops and civilians in Afghanistan. It also eases some requirements for the visas.

Currently, 26,500 of the special Afghan visas are allocated.

The House passed the new measure 407-16, sending it to the Senate. All of the no votes were from Republicans.
Today is Thursday, July 22, 2021. Let's get caught up.

Here's what you should know today: COVID-19 cases have nearly tripled over two weeks amid an onslaught of vaccine misinformation; wildfires in the American West are hurting air quality along East Coast; and two rulings on transgender restrictions are victories for LGBTQ advocates.

Keep scrolling for today's top stories, this date in history and celebrity birthdays.

TOP STORIES

US virus cases nearly triple in 2 weeks amid misinformation

MISSION, Kan. (AP)  COVID-19 cases nearly tripled in the U.S. over two weeks amid an onslaught of vaccine misinformation that is straining hospitals, exhausting doctors and pushing clergy into the fray.

Our staff, they are frustrated," said Chad Neilsen, director of infection prevention at UF Health Jacksonville, a Florida hospital that is canceling elective surgeries and procedures after the number of mostly unvaccinated COVID-19 inpatients at its two campuses jumped to 134, up from a low of 16 in mid-May.
Making sure well owners have an easy way to test and treat their drinking water to protect against PFAS is vital, and Im proud to introduce this common sense legislation with colleagues on both sides of the aisle, he said. Ill keep working to address PFAS contamination and ensure all Wisconsinites have access to safe, clean drinking water.

If passed, the bill would create an online tool on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys website where resources on how to get your well tested and then break down and understand the results will be housed.

The legislation comes as the many communities grappling with PFAS contamination await more guidance from the EPA and federal government. Research and regulation on the chemical group is still relatively young, and there is currently no federal standard for rates of PFAS in drinking water, and the federal government still requires airports to use the firefighting foam believed to at least one source of the contamination on French Island.

Every living organism requires water to survive. The EPA should be a resource for all communities by setting standards for safe drinking water and enforcing them, said Lee Donahue in a statement, the town of Campbell health, education and welfare supervisor.
Q: Shifting gears to You Are a Star, Ruth Bader Ginsburg (publishing Dec. 7), your book about this former Supreme Court justice is timely, given her death in September. Had you wanted to write about her for a long time or did you feel the time was right given her death?

A: I admired her for years, but had never considered writing about her because there are so many childrens books on the subject. I read through many of these books and was struck by how many were earnest and serious in their treatment of her life. In reality, Ruth herself was funny and playful. I thought it would be fun to write a different sort of book about her. I wanted to tell the tale of her fight for equal rights in a way that would be immediately appealing for children, featuring humor and eccentric details. To help accomplish that, Sarah Green, the books illustrator, uses a lively comic book style.

Q: Given how much there is to say about Ginsburg, how did you decide what to include and how to focus the book? I especially enjoyed the bit about ice cream and prunes.
Parthenon Gyros has earned plenty of loyalists in its 49 years.

I had a 55-year-old friend visiting from California who grew up in Madison, and the State Street restaurant was one of a handful of places he wanted to eat.

When three of us arrived at dinnertime on a Friday, there was a hive of activity behind the counter.

The employee who took our order at the counter sincerely thanked us for the tip. It wasnt until we were upstairs that my friends told me that the workers ring a bell and yell Opa! when they get tipped. I didnt make that connection.

As a child in Chicago, when my parents took me to Greek restaurants, waiters would yell Opa while lighting saganaki on fire. Opa! is a lively Greek expression of emotion.

Its a way of just saying thank you and giving back energy and excitement, said Dimitri Vranas, the third-generation owner, who, with his wife, Erin Vranas, bought the restaurant from his parents in 2017.

Both of my friends ordered the reliable gyros ($8.99) and had no complaints.
Authorities on Thursday began draining the pond behind the Windsor home of a man accused in the killing of his father and suspected in the disappearance of his mother after a cadaver dog indicated the possible presence of human remains at the site.

Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said after the Madison police K-9 team took a dog onto the water, it showed some particular behavior that leads us to believe there may or may not be some evidentiary items in the area.

After marking several areas in the pond where the dog reacted with yellow buoys, authorities began hooking up hoses and a large pump to lower the pond from about 12 feet at its deepest to about 5 feet to help the Sheriffs Offices dive team search for evidence.

Investigators were assisted in the search by officers from the state Department of Natural Resources as they searched the pond behind the home at 4595 Oak Springs Circle, where 23-year-old Chandler Halderson lived with his mother, Krista, 53, and father Bart, 50, whose torso was found earlier this month in a wooded area in the town of Cottage Grove. Krista Halderson has not been seen since before the July Fourth holiday.
A grand jury has indicted a New Mexico man who was arrested in Janesville last month for attempted sex crimes involving a child, according to the office of acting U.S. Attorney Timothy M. OShea

Matthew D. Engelhardt, 32, of Roswell, was charged with using a means of interstate commerce to persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity and with traveling in interstate commerce with the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with another person. The child actually was an officer posing as a child, according to the criminal complaint.

The indictment alleges that from April 18, 2019 to June 30, Engelhardt used Facebook Messenger to attempt to persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity for which a person could be charged with second-degree sexual assault of a child in Wisconsin, OShea said.

The indictment also alleges that on June 23, Engelhardt traveled in interstate commerce with the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with another person.

Engelhardt was arrested in Janesville on June 30, and is being held at the Dane County Jail.
Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services on Thursday encouraged anyone over the age of 12 who will attend K-12 school as well as college or universities in the upcoming year to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

The COVID-19 vaccines are the best protection we have against the virus and make it possible for our kids to get back to learning safely and without disruption, Evers said in a statement.

Those who are fully vaccinated do not need to quarantine after close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and DHS guidance, which could lessen the possibility of students having to miss out on in-person school and extracurricular activities such as sporting events after being exposed to the virus.

COVID-19 cases have increased over the past several weeks in Wisconsin after a period of regular decline. The seven-day average of new confirmed cases was 242 on Thursday, almost three times higher than the 85 daily cases just two weeks ago, according to DHS.

The increase in Wisconsin has taken place amid reports of surges in new cases from states across the country. Those new cases were most commonly attributed to the more-transmissible delta variant.
It could create a competitive disadvantage for cities where the uniform building code is not adhered to, said Tracy Johnson, president of the Commercial Association of Realtors of Wisconsin, one of the groups behind the lawsuit. Businesses and their commercial real estate partners rely on the uniform building code to ensure certainty in cost and delivery.

Madison Audubon Society: Take down bird feeders until more known about mystery illness The Wisconsin DNR said the unidentified illness has not been linked to any bird deaths in Wisconsin, but the department has received scattered reports of birds with symptoms associated with the disease.

The suit asks the court to declare the ordinance unlawful and prevent the city from enforcing it. It was filed on behalf of Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin, the Commercial Association of Realtors of Wisconsin, NAIOP Wisconsin (a chapter of the Commercial Real Estate Development Association), the Wisconsin Builders Association and the Wisconsin Realtors Association.

The suit follows a warning the groups filed with the city in March.

Assistant City Attorney John Strange said the city would evaluate the case, but defended the ordinance as a valid exercise of zoning authority.
President Joe Biden's press secretary admitted recently that the government is monitoring our conversations on social media and colluding with Facebook to suppress our free speech. If this were not enough, Facebook is encouraging us to report our friends who are "extremists" or who are of the opinion that getting a vaccine is their choice and not a decision the government should make for them.

This awakens terrifying memories from my childhood growing up in Nazi Germany.

The government encouraged "Denunzianten" -- people reporting their neighbors to the authorities for what they said or did that was not approved by the "Fuehrer." My own father barely escaped a concentration camp because our neighborhood Denunziant reported that my father took us children to church on Sundays instead of to the Hitler rallies.

We must wake up. We are in danger of losing our First Amendment rights, and we are scarily close to living in a country were you have to constantly be looking over your shoulder, in fear that someone or the government doesn't like what you say or do.
Similar to alcohol, marijuana is an intoxicant. It slows reflexes and impacts coordination, Twin Falls County Sheriff Tom Carter said.

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Safety and abiding by laws are important to Thrive, Erminio said.

We want it to be safe, and obviously using and driving is against the law and something that we are not behind, he said.

Thrive plans to let customers know the difference in legality between Idaho and Nevada, Erminio said.

If you are going to purchase from Thrive, we want to make sure that we are compliant with the laws and we follow the rules, he said.

As far as the politics are concerned, Carter said Nevadas choices are not his business nor anyone elses in Idaho.

My opinion has been the same since the get-go, Carter said. I am not interested in getting involved in Nevada politics.

Deputies have been sent to drug recognition school and have training in spotting drivers operating under the influence of marijuana, he said.

I have a good team of deputies, Carter said. If there is an issue, they will deal with it as they always have.
For Lt. Vernon Bakers bravery while the world was at war, he received the Distinguished Service Cross  the second highest honor for heroism for the Army.

But because Baker was Black, the highest honor  the Medal of Honor  would be out of reach for him for years...
TWIN FALLS  Soaring above the Magic Valley, county commissioners and Idaho Conservation League staff got a birds-eye view Wednesday morning of the potential Lava Ridge Wind project site.

The project, a proposed wind farm 25 miles northeast of Twin Falls, is owned by Magic Valley Energy, an affiliate of LS Power. The farm would be on Bureau of Land Management lands.

The BLM is expected to start the formal permit process in early August. The agency is required by the National Environmental Protection Act to release an initial scoping notice and outline any issues that will be addressed in an Environmental Impact Statement later in the process.

If approved, construction could begin in 2022 and the site would be operational in 2023.

Lincoln County Commissioner Joann Rutler participated in the first of three flight tours Wednesday. Rutler said she appreciates LS power trying to educate the public through town hall meetings.

There is a stigma in Idaho about green power but education is key and listening to people, Rutler said.

She has heard concerns from the public regarding the potential impacts on farming, aesthetic value and housing for construction workers. One resident also voiced concerns about vibrations from the farm.
It's an important step for the state, if we are really invested in creating space where people can report sexual violence, Hightower said. I think we should expect better of our lawmakers, and I am happy that there is some process for accountability that is ongoing.

In a Facebook post Tuesday, Giddings claimed House Speaker Scott Bedke had weaponized the ethics hearing against her and asked people to donate to her defense. Both Giddings and Bedke, who couldnt be immediately reached for comment, are running for lieutenant governor.

After reviewing the formal complaints, the House Ethics Committee found probable cause that misconduct may have occurred regarding a portion of each complaint. The public ethics hearing is set for Aug. 2 at the Idaho Statehouse.

In one complaint filed April 19, Rep. Greg Chaney, a Republican from Caldwell, said Giddings mischaracterized the ethics investigation against von Ehlinger on social media, created a hostile work and retaliatory environment for the intern and wrongly accused other lawmakers of illegal conduct by claiming the investigation into von Ehlinger was tainted or done for financial gain.
Opinion: Like it or not  and there are a lot of people who wont like this  the Idaho Freedom Foundation is the most powerful lobbying group in Idaho.

There isnt even a close second.
The project has several moving parts in a short window of time. Some factors include migratory birds, migrating fauna, recreational seasons and even weather.

Based on the analysis weve done, we have some time constraints as well, Poff said about the real-time speed of the project. There is only certain times we can be in certain areas. There is so many different factors going into it. If it was up to me, we would just snap our fingers and it would all be done.

Speaking about Bald Mountains appearance, Dani Southard, Northern Rockies program manager with the National Forest Foundation, also expressed another component to why the project is useful.

I think it is also important to note that if we are not doing enough, quick enough, then what is the result? Southard said. The results are we are content with a brown or black viewshed, so there is definitely a piece of it where we need to be balancing (the three components) that Zach mentioned and how quick we can get after some of these challenges.

Theres good news for recreationists who visit Baldy: The thinning has opened up new acreage to ski and ride in during the winter season.
He said Norris was the first funeral home in Virginia to bring technology with pre-arrangements online.

It just happened in the last couple years. To where someone doesnt have to come into the funeral home to do a pre-arrangement. They can do everything online. They can provide the information on pre-arrangements, they can pre-pay, one payment or multiple payments, but its all done outside the funeral home. You couldnt do that before, he said.

Now weve got the technology, some laws have been amended to allow it and so were bringing that technology not only to our funeral home, but to Virginia. Its been very popular, and weve seen a lot of people  especially if a daughter or son lives away  they can do all the documents online. Cremation or funeral service, they can do everything over the internet and thats been very popular.

Its what the next generation is looking for. What theyre used to, Michelle Norris said.

Were excited. Were looking forward to it, David Norris said about acquiring Stevens Funeral Home.
The guidance urges mask wearing in elementary schools, but is more lenient with middle and high schoolers. State officials said that school districts should require masks at a minimum for unvaccinated older students. Schools should consider universal mask wearing if spread in school becomes severe, or if community transmission of a certain COVID-19 variant, such as Delta, that spreads more easily among children begins to increase substantially.

Virginia has followed the science throughout this pandemic, and thats what we continue to do, Gov. Ralph Northam stated in a release. This guidance takes into consideration recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics, and will provide necessary flexibility for school divisions while ensuring a safe, healthy, and world class learning environment for Virginias students.

A spokesperson for the Governor said it was important to empower school divisions to make their own decisions on masks. School divisions in the state have seen varied responses to mask mandates, from protests at School Board meetings to an urge from community members to remain masked up.
Mubadala Investment Company, one of the investment vehicles of Abu Dhabi Emirates, has increased its shares in Russian energy company En+ Group to 2.8 per cent, up from 0.2 per cent, reports say.

The Emirati sovereign funds ordinary shares in the company now stand at 16,641,700.

En+ Group according to Faris Sohail Al Mazrui, Head of Mubadalas Russia & CIS Investment Program is a market leader in the clean energy and aluminium sectors.

The Moscow-based company is listed on the Moscow Stock Exchange, while its GDRs are tradeable on the London Stock Exchange.

The $243-billion funds has been on an investment spree. In May it injected $497 million into UK-headquartered IVC Evidensia, Europes largest veterinary care provider.

In April its oil company, Mubadala Petroleum, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Delek Drilling to acquire 22 per cent of the Israeli companys participation in Tamar natural gas field offshore in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The deal is valued at $1.1 billion.

The funds global portfolio spans six continents with interests in multiple sectors and asset classes, including significant investments in Masdar, a global leader in renewable energy, and Emirates Global Aluminium, a leading aluminium producer, Zawya notes.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

The rapid spread of the Alpha variant of COVID-19 resulted from biological changes in the virus and was enhanced by large numbers of infected people "exporting" the variant to multiple parts of the UK, in what the researchers call a "super-seeding" event.

Results of the largest phylogeographic analysis ever conducted, published today in the journal Science, maps the spread of the variant (also known as lineage B.1.1.7) from its origins in Kent and Greater London in November 2020 to all but five counties in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England by 19 January.

Dr. Moritz Kraemer, lead author on the study and Branco Weiss Research Fellow in Oxford's Department of Zoology, says, "At the beginning of December 2020 the epicenter of COVID-19 transmission in England shifted rapidly from the North West and North East to London and the South East, as the Alpha variant took hold. "As people traveled from London and the South East to other areas of the UK they 'seeded' new transmission chains of the variant. This continued as a national 'super-seeding' event which did not start to slow until early January. Although travel was curbed, after travel restrictions were introduced on 20 December, this was compensated for by the continued exponential growth in Alpha variant cases."

The rapid spread of the Alpha variant across the UK led to initial reports that it could be up to 80% more transmissible than the original strain. This study, published today by researchers at universities including Oxford, Northeastern and Edinburgh, shows mobility significantly affected its spread and early growth rates. According to the researchers, this highlights the need for epidemiologists to work closely with virologists and geneticists rapidly to create accurate transmissibility estimates for new variants.

Professor Oliver Pybus, lead researcher of the Oxford Martin Programme on Pandemic Genomics, explains, "Estimates of Alpha's transmission advantage over previous strains were initially 80%, but declined through time. We found Alpha's emergence was a combination of virus genetic changes and transient epidemiological factors. An initial wave of Alpha variant export to places in England with low rates of infection, from the massive outbreak in Kent and Greater London, explains why at first it spread so fast.

"The Alpha variant does contain genetic changes which makes it more transmissible. It is likely the Alpha variant was 30% to 40% more transmissible than the initial strain. And the early estimates were higher because we did not know how much its growth was exacerbated by human mobility and by how many contacts different groups of people have. Crucially, as more variants emerge and spread in other countries worldwide, we must be careful to account for these phenomena when evaluating the intrinsic transmissibility of new variants."

Verity Hill, co-author and researcher from the University of Edinburgh, expands, "The Alpha variant began by spreading mostly within London and the South East, even during the November lockdown in England. Once this was lifted, it spread rapidly across the country, as human movement increased significantly. Our ability to be able to trace the origins of the Alpha back to a point source in the South East of England has important implications for how new variants arise and how they will spread across the UK."

Dr. Samuel V. Scarpino, lead researcher from the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University and External Faculty at the Santa Fe Institute, highlights the importance of integrative pathogen surveillance systems, "Only by integrating high-resolution genomic, case, testing, and aggregated, anonymous mobility data were we able to identify the drivers of Alpha variant emergence and spread in the UK.

"Uncovering the mechanisms of B.1.1.7 emergence allows governments to respond more effectively and advances our scientific understanding of epidemics. The challenge now is to build similar surveillance systems globally. Equitable, ethical data systems will be critical for ending this pandemic and preventing future ones."

Dr. Kraemer concludes, "As new variants emerge we expect they will spread significantly before travel restrictions are put in place, as likely happened with the Delta variant. Given the scale of its current outbreak, it seems probably that the UK is now an important exporter of the Delta variant across Europe and some other parts of the world.

"The UK has decided to ease its restrictions because of our high vaccination rates and a confidence that we have protected the most vulnerable people in society. But that's not the case in most other countries and the Delta variant could be starting this process again elsewhere, highlighting the urgent need for faster and equitable distribution of vaccines worldwide."
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Argentina has complained to Russia about delays in delivering second doses of its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in a letter warning of breach of contract repercussions, the government in Buenos Aires said Thursday.

The letter, dated July 7, was sent to Russia's Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which financially backed Sputnik V, presidential adviser Cecilia Nicolini told reporters, confirming a report by La Nacion newspaper.

In December, Argentina became the first Latin American country to approve the Sputnik vaccine, with the president and his deputy among the first to receive it in a public show of confidence.

The letter said Argentina "urgently" needed delivery of second doses and warned that "the entire contract is at risk of being publicly cancelled."

Inoculation with Sputnik V, produced by Russian institute Gamaleya, requires two doses that differ from one another and cannot be swapped or mixed with other vaccines.

The letter said Argentina understood there had been "production difficulties".

"But now, seven months later, we are still far behind, while we are starting to receive doses from other providers on a regular basis, with schedules that are met."

The country of 45 million people had signed a deal with Russia for 30 million Sputnik V doses, of which it has received fewer than 12 million, according to Nicolini.

It has received 9.37 million doses of the first shot, but only 2.49 million of the second.

At the start of its vaccine campaign, Argentina sought to give a first dose to the largest number of people, to be followed three months later by the second.

Most people who received their first Sputnik V shot are still awaiting the second one more than three months later.

The government has in recent weeks sought to accelerate its vaccination driven in a bid to preempt a rise in infections driven by the highly-contagious Delta virus variant, not yet circulating in Argentina.

Argentina is also using the AstraZeneca and Sinopharm vaccines, and recently received a donation of Moderna shots from the United States.

Just over 17 million Argentines have received a first shot of one of the vaccines, and fewer than six million have received two jabs.

The country has registered some 4.79 million coronavirus cases and nearly 103,000 deaths.

Russia registered Sputnik V last August ahead of large-scale clinical trials, prompting concern among experts over the fast-tracked process.

It has since been declared safe and over 90 percent effective in a report published by leading medical journal The Lancet, restoring confidence in Russia's jab.

The RDIF has signed production agreements with several countries, including India, which is expected to produce several hundred million doses per year.

The RDIF says its two-dose vaccine has been approved in 68 countries and that it has applied for registration in the European Union.

 2021 AFP
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

The World Health Organization on Wednesday sought to reassure pharmaceutical companies that a proposal to suspend patent rights on COVID-19 vaccines was not a bid to "snatch" their intellecutual property rights.

With more than four million dead and the toll likely to reach much higher, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said vaccine makers should be offered incentives in return for temporarily waiving their the rights.

"Of course, we can't snatch your property," Tedros said via video link from Tokyo at the start of a meeting with the World Trade Organization, pharma companies and global financial institutions.

"With so many lives on the line, profits and patents must come second," he said, without giving any details on the proposed financial incentives.

Waiving intellectual property rights would help meet the 11 billion doses of vaccine the WHO says are needed to protect 70 percent of people in every country by mid-2022.

This is the second meeting in Geneva to try to bridge differences on how to increase supply of jabs and cut the vaccine inequity that sees rich countries eyeing booster shots while health workers in poor countries go without.

Of the 1.1 billion doses produced globally in June, "only 1.4 percent went to Africans, who account for 17 percent of the global population", WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweal said in her opening speech.

"Only 0.24 percent went to people in low-income countries. And both shares declined even further in the first half of July," she said.

In addition to the suspension of patents, barriers to the trade in vaccine ingredients must be removed and laboratories agree to transfer their technology, Tedros said.

Explore further Waiving IP will not boost vaccine production: pharma group

 2021 AFP
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 40 percent of nurses and other health care workers had risks associated with an increased likelihood of burnout, reports a survey study in the August issue of the American Journal of Nursing (AJN).

The study identifies risk factors for poor well-being as well as factors associated with greater resiliencewhich may reduce the risk of burnout for hands-on care providers, according to the new research by Lindsay Thompson Munn, RN, Ph.D., and colleagues of a North Carolina healthcare system. They write, "The insights gained from this study can help health care leaders to target these risk factors and develop strategies that allow organizations to better support well-being and resilience among clinicians."

New evidence of pandemic's impact on well-being in health care workers

The researchers conducted an online survey of nurses and other non-physician health care workers (HCWs), and received responses from 2,459 participants who provided direct patient care. The survey focused on risk factors for decreased well-being: a key contributor to the epidemic of burnout among health care professionals.

The survey also evaluated aspects of resilience. Defined as the ability to cope with and adapt positively to adversity, resilience is an important contributor to well-being. Data were collected in June and July 2020, providing a snapshot of well-being and resilience among HCWs a few months into the pandemic.

At that time, 44 percent of HCWs surveyed had "at risk" well-being, which is associated with increased risk of burnout, fatigue, and patient care errors. Analysis of the responses identified several factors associated with increased odds of poor well-being, including:

Having low scores on a measure of resilience

Believing that supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) were insufficient

Feeling that the organization did not understand health care workers' emotional support needs during the pandemic

Believing that workload had increased

Believing that staffing was inadequate to safely care for patients

Having a lower degree of psychological safety (feeling that the work environment was conducive to vulnerability and interpersonal risk-taking)

Feeling that the organization did understand emotional support needs

understand emotional support needs Believing that staff were being redeployed to areas of critical need

Having a higher degree of psychological safety

In contrast, opposite levels of some of the same factors were associated with higher scores for resilience:Less than one-fourth of health care workers had used available resources to support their well-being and resilience (such as meditation apps, employee assistance programs, and counseling). Perhaps reflecting high levels of stress early in the COVID-19 pandemic, those who used such resources were more likely to have "at risk" well-being.

Dr. Munn and coauthors believe their study has practical implications for health care leaders to promote well-being and resilience among health care workers, during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

"While it may seem obvious that nurses and other HCWs would sustain burnout and poor well-being after dealing with providing care under arduous circumstances, it's important to establish the contributing factors and to learn how some were able to mitigate the effects of the stressors," notes Maureen Shawn Kennedy, MA, RN, FAAN, Editor in Chief of AJN. "We're in serious need of successful strategies to support frontline caregivers."

The researchers discuss steps that may help to support resilience while addressing modifiable factors that negatively affect well-being in the health care work environment. "[L]eaders can take crucial steps toward optimizing workers' well-being by paying careful attention to workload and staffing, creating a culture of psychological safety within teams and units, and recognizing and actively addressing the unique challenges posed by the pandemic," Dr. Munn and colleagues conclude.

Explore further Physical activity may curb health care worker burnout

More information: Lindsay Thompson Munn et al, Well-Being and Resilience Among Health Care Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic, AJN, American Journal of Nursing (2021). Lindsay Thompson Munn et al, Well-Being and Resilience Among Health Care Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic,(2021). DOI: 10.1097/01.NAJ.0000767352.47699.0c
In this July 14, 2021, file photo, people wearing face masks wait while caskets with bodies are queued outside a crematorium at the Yay Way cemetery in Yangon, Myanmar. Images of bodies burning in open-air pyres during the peak of the pandemic in India horrified the world in May, but in the last two weeks Myanmar and two other Southeast Asian nations have surpassed India's peak per capita death rate as a new coronavirus wave tightens its grip on the region. Credit: AP Photo, File

Indonesia has converted nearly its entire oxygen production to medical use just to meet the demand from COVID-19 patients struggling to breathe. Overflowing hospitals in Malaysia had to resort to treating patients on the floor. And in Myanmar's largest city, graveyard workers have been laboring day and night to keep up with the grim demand for new cremations and burials.

Images of bodies burning in open-air pyres during the peak of the pandemic in India horrified the world in May, but in the last two weeks the three Southeast Asian nations have now all surpassed India's peak per capita death rate as a new coronavirus wave, fueled by the virulent delta variant, tightens its grip on the region.

The deaths have followed record numbers of new cases being reported in countries across the region which have left health care systems struggling to cope and governments scrambling to implement new restrictions to try to slow the spread.

When Eric Lam tested positive for COVID-19 and was hospitalized on June 17 in the Malaysian state of Selangor, the center of the country's outbreak, the corridors of the government facility were already crowded with patients on beds with no room left in the wards.

The situation was still better than in some other hospitals in Selangor, Malaysia's richest and most populous state, where there were no free beds at all and patients were reportedly treated on floors or on stretchers. The government has since added more hospital beds and converted more wards for COVID-19 patients.

Residents wait on line to receive shots of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at the Central Vaccination Center in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, July 22, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit

Lam, 38, recalled once during his three weeks in the hospital hearing a machine beeping continuously for two hours before a nurse came to turn it off; he later learned the patient had died.

A variety of factors have contributed to the recent surge in the region, including people growing weary of the pandemic and letting precautions slip, low vaccination rates and the emergence of the delta variant of the virus, which was first detected in India, said Abhishek Rimal, the Asia-Pacific emergency health coordinator for the Red Cross, who is based in Malaysia.

"With the measures that countries are taking, if people follow the basics of washing the hands, wearing the masks, keeping distance and getting vaccinated, we will be seeing a decline in cases in the next couple of weeks from now," he said.

In this July 5, 2021, file photo, people queue up to refill their oxygen tanks at a filling station in Jakarta, Indonesia. Images of bodies burning in open-air pyres during the peak of the pandemic in India horrified the world in May, but in the last two weeks Indonesia and two other Southeast Asian nations have surpassed India's peak per capita death rate as a new coronavirus wave tightens its grip on the region. Credit: AP Photo/Dita Alangkara, File

So far, however, Malaysia's national lockdown measures have not brought down the daily rate of infections. The country of some 32 million saw daily cases rise above 10,000 on July 13 for the first time and they have stayed there since.

The vaccination rate remains low but has been picking up, with nearly 15% of the population now fully inoculated and the government hoping to have a majority vaccinated by year's end.

Doctors and nurses have been working tirelessly to try to keep up, and Lam was one of the fortunate ones.

After his condition initially deteriorated, he was put on a ventilator in an ICU unit filled to capacity and slowly recovered. He was discharged two weeks ago.

But he lost his father and brother-in-law to the virus, and another brother remains on a ventilator in the ICU.

"I feel I have been reborn and given a second chance to live," he said.

In this July 14, 2021, photo, workers in protective gear lower a coffin of a COVID-19 victim to a grave for burial at the Cipenjo Cemetery in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia. Images of bodies burning in open-air pyres during the peak of the pandemic in India horrified the world in May, but in the last two weeks Indonesia and two other Southeast Asian nations have surpassed India's peak per capita death rate as a new coronavirus wave tightens its grip on the region. Credit: AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim

With India's massive population of nearly 1.4 billion people, its total number of COVID-19 fatalities remains higher than the countries in Southeast Asia. But India's 7-day rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per million peaked at 3.04 in May, according to the online scientific publication Our World in Data, and continues to decline.

Indonesia, Myanmar, and Malaysia have been showing sharp increases since late June and their seven-day averages hit 4.37, 4.29 and 4.14 per million, respectively, on Wednesday. Cambodia and Thailand have also seen strong increases in both coronavirus cases and deaths, but have thus far held the seven-day rate per million people to a lower 1.55 and 1.38, respectively.

Individual countries elsewhere have higher rates, but the increases are particularly alarming for a region that widely kept numbers low early in the pandemic.

In this Feb. 5, 2021, file photo, workers wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) carry the body of a victim of the coronavirus disease at a Muslim cemetery in Gombak on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Images of bodies burning in open-air pyres during the peak of the pandemic in India horrified the world in May, but in the last two weeks Malaysia and two other Southeast Asian nations have surpassed India's peak per capita death rate as a new coronavirus wave tightens its grip on the region. Credit: AP Photo/Vincent Thian, File

With the Indian experience as a lesson, most countries have reacted relatively quickly with new restrictions to slow the virus, and to try to meet the needs of the burgeoning number of people hospitalized with severe illnesses, Rimal said.

"People in this region are cautious, because they have seen it right in front of them400,000 cases a day in Indiaand they really don't want it to repeat here," he said in a telephone interview from Kuala Lumpur.

But those measures take time to achieve the desired effect, and right now countries are struggling to cope.

Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous nation with some 270 million people, reported 1,449 deaths on Thursday, its deadliest day since the start of the pandemic.

Daily cases through about mid-June had been about 8,000, but then began to spike and peaked last week with more than 50,000 new infections each day. Because Indonesia's testing rate is low, the actual number of new cases is thought to be much higher.

Residents wait on line to receive shots of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at the Central Vaccination Center in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, July 22, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit

As hospitals there began to run out of oxygen, the government stepped in and ordered manufacturers to shift most production from industrial purposes and dedicate 90% to medical oxygen, up from 25%.

Before the current crisis, the country needed 400 tons of oxygen for medical use per day; with the sharp rise in COVID-19 cases, daily use has increased fivefold to more than 2,000 tons, according to Deputy Health Minister Dante Saksono.

Though the production of oxygen is now sufficient, Lia Partakusuma, secretary general of Indonesia's Hospital Association, said there were problems with distribution so some hospitals are still facing shortages.

In Indonesia, about 14% of of the population has had at least one vaccine dose, primarily China's Sinovac.

There are growing concerns that Sinovac is less effective against the delta variant, however, and both Indonesia and Thailand are planning booster shots of other vaccines for their Sinovac-immunized health workers.

A health worker administers a shot of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at the Central Vaccination Center in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, July 22, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit

In Myanmar, the pandemic had taken backseat to the military's power seizure in February, which set off a wave of protests and violent political conflict that devastated the public health system.

Only in recent weeks, as testing and reporting of COVID-19 cases has started recovering, has it become clear that a new wave of the virus beginning in mid-May is pushing cases and deaths rapidly higher.

Since the start of July its death rate has been climbing almost straight up, and both cases and fatalities are widely believed to be seriously underreported.

"With little testing capacity, low numbers in the country vaccinated, widespread shortages of oxygen and other medical supplies, and an already beleaguered health care system under increasing strain, the situation is expected to get increasingly worse in the coming weeks and months," said ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, a regional advocacy group.

Residents wait for a dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at the Central Vaccination Center in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, July 22, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit

"Meanwhile, the junta's confiscation of oxygen, attacks on health care workers and facilities since the coup, and the lack of trust in any services they provide by the majority of the population, risks turning a crisis into a disaster."

On Thursday, the government reported 6,701 new cases and 319 new deaths. There are no solid figures on vaccinations, but from the number of doses that have been available, it's thought that about 3% of the population could have received two shots.

Officials this week pushed back at social media postings that cemeteries in Yangon were overwhelmed and could not keep up with the number of dead, inadvertently confirming claims that hospitals were swamped and many people were dying at home.

Cho Tun Aung, head of the department that oversees the cemeteries told military-run Myawaddy TV news on Monday that 350 staff members had been working three shifts since July 8 to ensure proper cremations and burials of people at Yangon's seven major cemeteries.

A health worker prepares a shot WLDof the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for people at the Central Vaccination Center in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, July 22, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit

A health worker administers shots of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at the Central Vaccination Center in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, July 22, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit

Residents wait on line to receive shots of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at the Central Vaccination Center in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, July 22, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit

Residents wait on line to receive shots of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at the Central Vaccination Center in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, July 22, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit

Residents wait on line to receive shots of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at the Central Vaccination Center in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, July 22, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit

Residents wait on line to receive shots of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at the Central Vaccination Center in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, July 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit) wait on line

He said workers had cremated and buried more than 1,200 people on Sunday alone, including 1,065 who had died at home of COVID-19 and 169 who had died in hospitals.

"We are working in three shifts day and night to inter the dead," he said. "It is clear that there is no problem like the posts on Facebook."

Explore further Red Cross warns Indonesia faces coronavirus catastrophe

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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The EU on Thursday said 200 million Europeans had been fully vaccinated, more than half of the adult population but still short of a 70 percent target it had set for the summer.

European Commission spokeswoman Dana Spinant told reporters that based on the latest data of the European Centre for Disease Control "54.7 percent of the adult population is fully vaccinated with either two doses or one dose in the case of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine".

"We have 68.4 percent of adults in the EU who have already had their first dose," she added.

"We are now among the regions of the world that have vaccinated the most, but it is important that this progress is distributed in a more balanced way so that there are no pockets where the virus can spread and mutate," she added.

The EU's rollout began more slowly than in Britain and the United States because of supply shortages, and drew heavy criticism during the first months of the year.

The European Commission, which coordinated vaccine orders for the 27 member states, was the subject of many of the complaints.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen had announced on July 10 that the EU had enough doses to vaccinate "at least 70 percent of the adult population this month".

According to official data compiled by AFP, just over 440 million doses have been administered in the European Union. That is 98.4 doses per 100 inhabitants, while the United States are at 102.4 per 100 inhabitants.

Explore further EU hits goal of delivering vaccines for 70% of adults

 2021 AFP
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More than half of all European adults are now fully vaccinated, the EU said on Thursday, as countries across Europe and Asia battled fresh outbreaks blamed on the fast-spreading Delta variant.

The European Central Bank said uncertainty over the wave of infections meant it was keeping the cash taps open to ensure the nascent economic recovery isn't snuffed out.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said cases in her country were rising "exponentially", while in Japan the delayed Olympic Games were set to open with almost no spectators and with a blanket of COVID rules in place.

The spotlight, meanwhile, once again turned on the origins of the virus after the WHO called for an audit of the Chinese lab at the heart of speculation about where it first emerged, sparking a fiery response from Beijing.

More than four million people have died from the virus since December 2019, and though rates of vaccination are picking up globally, Delta is fuelling a rise in infections and prompting governments to re-impose anti-virus measures.

The EU said on Thursday that 200 million Europeans had been fully vaccinated, more than half of the adult population but still short of a 70 percent target set for the summer.

The fresh data came as Merkel urged more Germans to get jabs, sounding the alarm over a fresh spike in cases in Germany.

"We are seeing exponential growth," she told a news conference in Berlin, adding that "every vaccination... is a small step towards a return to normality".

Germany has seen an incidence rate of 12.2 new cases per 100,000 people over the past seven daysmore than double rates in early July.

"With a rising incidence rate, it could be that we need to introduce additional measures," she said.

Dominant Delta

Germany joins a number of European nations that have seen cases climb in recent weeks fuelled by the Delta variant, first detected in India.

European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde warned of growing economic uncertainty caused by Delta, as the bank kept its vast stimulus for the eurozone firmly in place following a meeting of its 25-member governing council.

"The euro area economy is rebounding strongly," Lagarde said, but the Delta variant could damp the post-lockdown recovery "in services, especially in tourism and hospitality", she said.

France this week rolled out new rules requiring a so-called health pass for all events or places with more than 50 people before being extended to restaurants, cafes and shopping centres in August.

People need to show proof of vaccination or a negative test to gain access, after the country reported a new surgemore 21,000 new cases on Wednesday, the highest level since early May.

Italy on Thursday also said a health pass would be mandatory for people wishing to access bars, restaurants, swimming pools, sports facilities, museums and theatres from August 6.

It will also be necessary for people wanting to attend sports events, concerts and seminars.

Cases are also soaring in the UK, where most restrictions were lifted this week, and on Thursday British supermarkets warned of possible food shortages because staff were being forced to self-isolate.

On Thursday, a one-day international cricket match between the West Indies and Australia at the Kensington Oval in London was cancelled at the last moment due to a positive COVID test from a "non-playing member of the West Indies team".

A furious Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis meanwhile blasted his country's Olympic team as six athletes and officials tested positive for coronavirus in the Olympic Village. He called the incident a "scandal".

Countries in Asia are seeing some of their worst outbreaks to date, with Indonesia becoming a new global hotspot as Vietnam and Thailand face new anti-virus rules.

In Tokyo, the Olympics were due to open on Friday after a year-long pandemic delay.

Spectators are mostly banned, and athletes, journalists and organisers are subject to strict virus measures.

"It's completely different from the last Games (in 1964) when the whole city was filled with festive mood," said 80-year-old Tokyo resident Michiko Fukui.

With no clear end to the pandemic in sight, attention turned once again to the international probe origins of the virus.

The WHO said last week that the probe should include audits of Chinese labs, but Chinese Vice Health Minister Zeng Yixin said on Thursday that he was "extremely surprised" by the WHO plan, which he said showed "disrespect for common sense and arrogance towards science".

Explore further Germany weighs new travel rules amid rise of Delta variant

 2021 AFP
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Diabetes was a fatal disease before insulin was discovered on July 27, 1921. A century ago, people diagnosed with this metabolic disorder usually survived only a few years. Physicians had no way to treat their diabetic patients' dangerously high blood sugar levels, which were due to a lack of the hormone insulin. Today, though, nearly 1.6 million Americans are living normal lives with Type 1 diabetes thanks to the discovery of insulin.

This medical breakthrough is usually attributed to one person, Frederick Banting, who was searching for a cure for diabetes. But getting a reliable diabetes treatment depended on the research of two other scientists, Oskar Minkowski and Sren Srensen, who had done earlier research on seemingly unrelated topics.

I'm a biomedical engineer, and I teach a course on the history of the treatment of diabetes. With my students, I emphasize the importance of unrelated basic research in the development of medical treatments. The story of insulin illustrates the point that medical innovations build on a foundation of basic science and then require skilled engineers to get a treatment out of the lab and to the people who need it.

Basic research pointed to the pancreas

Diabetes had been known since antiquity. The first symptoms were often a prodigious thirst and urination. Within weeks the patient would be losing weight. Within months, the patient would enter a coma, then die. For centuries, no one had any clue about what caused diabetes.

People had, though, been aware of the pancreas for centuries. The Greek anatomist Herophilos first described it around 300 B.C. Based on its anatomical location, people suspected it was involved in the digestive system. But no one knew whether the pancreas was an essential organ, like the stomach, or extraneous, like the appendix.

In 1889, Oskar Minkowski, a pathologist at the University of Strassburg, in what was then Germany, was one of the most talented surgeons of his time. As part of a study, he performed a surgical feat that was thought to be impossible: keeping an animal alive after totally removing its pancreas.

The dog he operated on survived the surgery, but to Minkowski's surprise, it began exhibiting all the symptoms of diabetes. Minkowski had discovered that removing the pancreas caused diabetes. Today, this is known as an animal model of the disease. Once an animal model of a disease is established, researchers can experiment with different cures in the animal in hopes they'll find something that will then work in people.

Can you grind up a pancreas and feed it to a diabetic animal to cure or alleviate the symptoms of diabetes? No, that didn't work. The problem, understood in today's terms, is that the pancreas has two functions: producing enzymes for the digestive system and producing insulin. Mixed together, the digestive enzymes destroyed the insulin.

Isolating the insulin

In 1920, Fred Banting, a small-town doctor in London, Ontario, had an idea. He thought that he could surgically tie off the ducts between the pancreas and the digestive system in an animal. Wait for a few weeks, while the part of the pancreas that produces those digestive enzymes decays, then remove the pancreas completely. This decayed pancreas, he thought, would contain the insulin, but not the destructive enzymes.

On July 27, 1921, he concluded this experiment in the laboratory of J.J.R. Macleod at the University of Toronto. Banting, working with a Toronto student named Charles Best, prepared an extract from the atrophied pancreas of a dog. Then he injected the extract into another dog that had induced diabetes, due to the removal of its pancreas. The animal's diabetes symptoms began to disappear.

Although Banting's experiment was successful, his method of insulin purification was impractical. J.J.R. Macleod assigned the biochemist James Collip the task of coming up with a practical method of purifying insulin from a pancreas.

Collip developed a method based on alcohol purification. The concept was simple: He'd mash up a fresh pig pancreas, readily available from butcher shops, and mix it into a solution of alcohol and water. Collip slowly increased the percentage of alcohol in the solution. He found that the insulin would stay dissolved in the solution until he reached a critical concentration of alcohol, then it would suddenly fall out of solution, no longer dissolved in the liquid. By collecting that solid precipitate at the bottom of a flask, he had a purified form of insulin.

Collip's extraction of insulin allowed Banting and others at the University of Toronto Hospital to begin treating patients. The first injections took place in January 1922. Within weeks, the results were miraculous. These injections of insulin helped dozens of patients who were close to dying regain normal activities. Word spread. Demand for insulin increased.

Insight from a brewery

But disaster struck when Collip failed to purify larger batches of insulin. He was puzzled why, following the exact same recipe as he'd used before, his preparations lacked insulin. J.J.R. Macleod now turned to Eli Lilly and Company, a commercial firm in Indiana that made medicinal capsules, for help.

At Eli Lilly, the purification problem fell to George Walden, a 27-year-old chemist. Walden thought of a measure that Danish chemist Sren Srensen had introduced a dozen years before.

Srensen was the director in the early 1900s of the Carlsberg Laboratory, set up by the beer company to advance the science of brewing. He introduced the concept of pH as a way to quantify the acidity of a solution. A higher pH during the brewing stage leads to a more bitter-tasting beer.

When Walden measured the pH of the pancreas solution, he discovered that the acidity was far more important to the solubility of insulin than the alcohol concentration. He set up a purification procedure like Collip's but based on pH rather than alcohol concentration. Collip's failure to scale up purification of insulin was probably because he neglected to control the pH of the solution carefully.

This insight allowed for mass production of insulin.

Vanquishing a human disease

By May 1924, diabetes was no longer a fatal disease. Physician Joseph Collins, writing in The New York Times, described it this way: "One by one the implacable enemies of man, the diseases which seek his destruction, are overcome by Science. Diabetes, one of the most dreaded, is the latest to succumb."

Today, the implacable enemies of man include cancer, Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia. The cures for each will likely be built from advances made by basic research.

Explore further FDA approves UVA-developed artificial pancreas

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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A new quantitative study suggests people seeking asylum are more likely to experience mental health deterioration as they spend more time living in refugee camps, backing up qualitative evidence from aid organizations.

The research, co-authored by Dr. Francisco Urzua from the Business School (formerly Cass) alongside practitioners from Moria Medical Support (MMS) and academics from Universidad del Desarrollo, Chile and University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands measured incidences of acute mental health crises arising from extended stays in the Moria refugee camp on the western Greek Island of Lesbos.

Key findings from the study include:

Acute mental health crises were significantly linked with the length of time somebody stayed in the Moria refugee camp: the longer a refugee stayed in the camp, the more likely they were to suffer a mental health crisis.

A 10 percent increase in the number of days spent in the camp led to a 3.3 percent increase in the chances of a refugee suffering a mental health crisisa significant factor given an average length of stay of 70.6 days.

Refugees of Iranian, Iraqi and Syrian ethnicity were most significantly affected by longer stays in the refugee camps, with male refugees more likely to experience incidences of acute mental health crises than women as time spent in the refugee camp increased.

The study used three months of anonymised data from MMS, a transitory clinic that offered night-time medical services to the island at the time, between January and April 2018. This included Psychological First Aid (PFA) and psychiatric crisis management, with patient data on age, gender, ethnicity and length of stay in the camp.

An acute mental health crisis is defined as a case of somebody either harming themselves through a non-accidental implemented wound, a suicide attempt requiring hospital care, or a state of unease constituted by anxiety, nervous agitation or undirected aggression.

Dr. Urzua said that results supported prior claims about the quality of life in refugee camps, and that actions should be taken to safeguard inhabitants throughout the asylum process.

"The EU-Turkey deal of 2016 has seen camp populations multiply in size, but adequate mental health care provisions have not been expanded or improved in equal measure," Dr. Urzua said.

"Our study expands upon existing qualitative evidence that the prolonged system of asylum has detrimental effects on mental health, brought on by poor living conditions of refugee camps.

"This mental health deterioration not only affects the individuals themselves but also has significant repercussions for fellow refugees with increased physical violence and the destabilization of an often close-knit social environment, which in turn affects the mental wellbeing of others. Furthermore, the implications of deteriorating mental health most likely continue even after release, which makes it harder for refugees to integrate into a new society.

"It is clear to see from our study and prior anecdotal evidence that mental health in these camps is a serious problem, and it is imperative that policymakers from across Europe take action and uphold the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention to protect the rights and wellbeing those awaiting and granted asylum."

Dr. Willemine van de Wiel, doctor and coordinator at Moria Medical Support said more needed to be done to support conditions at the Moria camp and others in the northern hemisphere.

"During our time on the Island of Lesbos, my overwhelming feeling was frustration at the conditions in the campa sentiment shared by many seasoned NGO-workers.

"In our experience, refugees are better off in many camps in the global south in terms of safety, housing, access to food, sanitation and medical services.

"I hope this research adds to public awareness about the psychological impact of life in these camps and inspires the development of a more humane asylum process."

"Mental health consequences of long-term stays in refugee camps: preliminary evidence from Moria' is published in BMC Public Health.

Explore further Greek travel chaos after heavy snowfall

More information: Willemine van de Wiel et al, Mental health consequences of long-term stays in refugee camps: preliminary evidence from Moria, BMC Public Health (2021). Journal information: BMC Public Health Willemine van de Wiel et al, Mental health consequences of long-term stays in refugee camps: preliminary evidence from Moria,(2021). DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-11301-x
Device helmet with 3 oncoscillators securely attached. The oncoscillators are connected to a controller box powered by a rechargeable battery. Credit: Houston Methodist

Houston Methodist Neurological Institute researchers from the department of neurosurgery shrunk a deadly glioblastoma tumor by more than a third using a helmet generating a noninvasive oscillating magnetic field that the patient wore on his head while administering the therapy in his own home. The 53-year-old patient died from an unrelated injury about a month into the treatment, but during that short time, 31% of the tumor mass disappeared. The autopsy of his brain confirmed the rapid response to the treatment.

"Thanks to the courage of this patient and his family, we were able to test and verify the potential effectiveness of the first noninvasive therapy for glioblastoma in the world," said David S. Baskin, M.D., FACS, FAANS, corresponding author and director of the Kenneth R. Peak Center for Brain and Pituitary Tumor Treatment in the Department of Neurosurgery at Houston Methodist. "The family's generous agreement to allow an autopsy after their loved ones' untimely death made an invaluable contribution to the further study and development of this potentially powerful therapy."

In a case study published in Frontiers in Oncology Baskin and his colleagues detailed the journey of their pioneering patient who suffered from end-stage recurrent glioblastoma, despite a radical surgical excision, chemoradiotherapy and experimental gene therapy.

Glioblastoma is the deadliest of brain cancers in adults, nearly always fatal, with a life expectancy of a few months to two years. When the patient's glioblastoma recurred in August 2019, Baskin and his team, already working on the OMF treatment in mouse models, received FDA approval for compassionate use treatment of the patient with their newly invented Oncomagnetic Device under an Expanded Access Program (EAP). The protocol also was approved by the Houston Methodist Research Institute Institutional Review Board.

The treatment consisted of intermittent application of an oscillating magnetic field generated by rotating permanent magnets in a specific frequency profile and timing pattern. First administered for two hours under supervision in the Peak Clinic, ensuing treatments were given at home with help from the patient's wife, with increasing treatment times up to a maximum of only six hours per day.

The Oncomagnetic Device looks deceptively simple: three oncoscillators securely attached to a helmet and connected to a microprocessor-based electronic controller operated by a rechargeable battery, an invention by case study co-author Dr. Santosh Helekar. During the patient's five weeks of treatment, the magnetic therapy was well-tolerated and the tumor mass and volume shrunk by nearly a third, with shrinkage appearing to correlate with the treatment dose.

Co-authored by associate professor of neurosurgery Santosh Helekar, M.D., Ph.D., research professor Martyn A. Sharpe, Ph.D., and biomedical engineer Lisa Nguyen, the case study is entitled "Case Report: End-Stage Recurrent Glioblastoma Treated with a New Noninvasive Non-Contact Oncomagnetic Device." The ongoing research is supported by the Translational Research Initiative of the Houston Methodist Research Institute, Donna and Kenneth Peak, the Kenneth R. Peak Foundation, the John S. Dunn Foundation, the Taub Foundation, the Blanche Green Fund of the Pauline Sterne Wolff Memorial Foundation, the Kelly Kicking Center Foundation, the Gary and Marlee Swarz Foundation, the Methodist Hospital Foundation and the Veralan Foundation.

"Imagine treating brain cancer without radiation therapy or chemotherapy," said Baskin. "Our results in the laboratory and with this patient open a new world of non-invasive and nontoxic therapy for brain cancer, with many exciting possibilities for the future."

Explore further Experimental glioblastoma therapy shows curative powers in mice models

More information: David S. Baskin et al, Case Report: End-Stage Recurrent Glioblastoma Treated With a New Noninvasive Non-Contact Oncomagnetic Device, Frontiers in Oncology (2021). David S. Baskin et al, Case Report: End-Stage Recurrent Glioblastoma Treated With a New Noninvasive Non-Contact Oncomagnetic Device,(2021). DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.708017
(HealthDay)Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine provides surprisingly robust protection against the highly infectious Delta variant of COVID-19but only if you've gotten both doses.

Fresh data out of England shows that two doses of the messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine is 88% effective in protecting people against the Delta variant, compared with about 94% effectiveness against the original strain of COVID.

However, effectiveness among folks who only got one dose was drastically lower, around 31%, researchers reported July 21 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

"The data is mounting that the mRNA vaccines are the solution to the Delta variant," said Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore. "It is also apparent that the second dose of these vaccines is needed to augment the immunity from the first dose, for a person to be resilient to the variant."

The Delta variant has developed seven different mutations in the coronavirus' "spike" protein, compared to the original Alpha strain, said Richard Kennedy, co-director of the Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group.

"Some of these mutations help the virus infect cells, produce more virus in infected cells, or spread from person to person more easily," Kennedy said. "Several of these mutations occur at specific regions of the spike protein where antibodies bind and prevent the virus from entering the cell."

Vaccines will only remain effective if they can withstand such attempts by the coronavirus to evolve around the immune system defenses created by inoculation, experts said.

In the case of the Pfizer vaccine, it appears that the two-dose series produces protection that can withstand the Delta variant's mutations, Kennedy said.

"This is likely because two doses create a lot more antibodies," Kennedy said. "Antibodies that don't work as well can still work, especially if you have enough of them."

This new study, which was led by Jamie Lopez Bernal from Public Health England, evaluated all COVID-19 cases in the United Kingdom through May, with researchers checking to see if the infected folks have been previously vaccinated.

"Vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization for the Delta variant is uniformly high for the Pfizer vaccine. It's all good news," said Dr. Kathleen Neuzil, director of the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

"These mRNA vaccines are really exceeding all of our expectations. It's terrific news that the effectiveness is this high despite these variants. It absolutely supports that our emphasis needs to be on getting the unvaccinated vaccinated," Neuzil continued.

These results are even more impressive because they're occurring in real-world situations, rather than in carefully controlled clinical trials, she added.

"The fact that these results are being seen in a general population under routine conditions of use just really substantiates the power of these vaccines," Neuzil said.

No one's sure yet why these mRNA vaccinesthe first ever deployedwork so well in humans, Neuzil said.

One possibility is that the way these vaccines work, by deploying genetic material directly into cells, provides some added benefit over prior vaccine designs.

"These vaccines very easily get themselves directly to the immune cells that are needed for a response," Neuzil said. "You may not lose a lot of vaccine in the arm, or they're presented effectively right to the immune system."

Two-dose vaccines employ a prime-boost strategy, in which the first dose makes the immune system aware of a harmful virus or bacteria, and the second dose dramatically amps up future response by prompting the body to produce a lot more immune cells.

On top of having more antibodies, people who've gotten the second dose also might have immune cells that are prepared to attack the coronavirus in a broader variety of places, Neuzil said.

"The first time our bodies see an antigen, it's really very specific," she said. "But the second time, the T- and the B-cells are revved up a little bit, which allows it to have this greater breadth, which is so useful and evident as we see these variants."

Folks who only got one dose of an mRNA vaccine like Pfizer or Moderna and skipped their second appointment shouldn't worry, Neuzil added. They can still get their second shot without restarting the series, even if it's been a few months.

"People should not be concerned if there was a delay, if they missed their appointment for their second dose," Neuzil said. "It will absolutely still work. They will still get a robust immune response, and they don't need to start over."

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Eco Health And Vulnerability. Credit: University of Notre Dame

For more than 30 years, scientists on the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have focused on human-induced climate change. Their fifth assessment report led to the Paris Agreement in 2015 and, shortly after, a special report on the danger of global warming exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The Nobel Prize-winning team stressed that mitigating global warming "would make it markedly easier to achieve many aspects of sustainable development, with greater potential to eradicate poverty and reduce inequalities."

In a first-of-its-kind study that combines assessments of the risks of toxic emissions (e.g., fine particulate matter), nontoxic emissions (e.g., greenhouse gases) and people's vulnerability to them, University of Notre Dame postdoctoral research associate Drew (Richard) Marcantonio, doctoral student Sean Field (anthropology), Associate Professor of Political Science Debra Javeline and Princeton's Agustin Fuentes (formerly of Notre Dame) found a strong and statistically significant relationship between the spatial distribution of global climate risk and toxic pollution. In other words, countries that are most at risk of the impacts of climate change are most often also the countries facing the highest risks of toxic pollution.

They also measured other variables, including the correlation of the spatial distribution of toxic environments, total mortality due to pollution and climate risk, and they found a strong interconnection. They write in their in their forthcoming PLOS paper, "Global distribution and coincidence of pollution, climate impacts, and health risk in the Anthropocene": "Deaths resulting from toxic pollution are highest where the distribution of toxic pollution is greatest and, critically, also where the impacts of climate change pose the greatest risk."

"It is not surprising to find that these risks are highly correlated, but this article provides the data and analysis to inform policy, data and analysis that were previously lacking," Javeline said.

To complete the study, Javeline, Marcantonio, Field and Fuentes used data from three indexes. ND-GAIN is an index of 182 countries that summarizes a country's vulnerability and exposure to climate impacts risks and its readiness to improve climate resilience. EPI ranks 180 countries on 24 performance indicators across 10 issue categories covering environmental health and ecosystem vitality. Lastly, GAHP estimates the number of toxic pollution deaths for a country, including deaths caused by exposure to toxic air, water, soil and chemical pollution globally.

In order to make their results the most advantageous for policymakers, the authors created what they call "Target," a measure that combines a country's climate impacts risk, toxic pollution risk and its potential readiness to mitigate these risks. Based on these criteria, the top 10 countries they recommend concentrating on are Singapore, Rwanda, China, India, Solomon Islands, Bhutan, Botswana, Georgia, the Republic of Korea and Thailand. Among those countries appearing at the bottom of the list are Equatorial Guinea, Iraq, Jordan, Central African Republic and Venezuela. These nations are most likely to have outstanding governance issues that currently stand in the way of effectively addressing pollution.

"Notably, our results find that the top one-third of countries at risk of toxic pollution and climate impacts represent more than two-thirds of the world's population, highlighting the magnitude of the problem and unequal distribution of environmental risk. Given that a large portion of the world's population lives in countries at higher toxic pollution and climate impacts risk, understanding where and how to target in pollution risk mitigation is critical to maximizing reductions of potential human harm," they write.

The authors also note that by mitigating toxic pollution in large countries with high populations such as China and India, neighboring countries will also benefit. China's Air Pollution and Prevention and Control Action Plan of 2013, which specifically targets toxic emissions, is producing impressive results. Researchers have found a 40 percent reduction in toxic emissions since the plan was enacted.

"The idea of Target is to highlight where action can be taken to reduce risk to human health and flourishing, but how that targeting is donee.g., incentives vs. sanctionsrequires moral reflection to determine what actions should be taken and who should take them. This is especially true given the general inverse relationship between who is most responsible for producing these risks versus who is most at risk," Marcantonio said.

During the 2021-22 academic year, the University, through its annual Notre Dame Forum, will engage in a series of conversations devoted to the theme "Care for Our Common Home: Just Transition to a Sustainable Future." Inspired by Laudato Si' and Pope Francis' continued emphasis on these issues, the forum will feature a wide range of discussions and events over the coming year. Since its establishment in 2005, the Notre Dame Forum has featured major talks by leading authorities on issues of importance to the University, the nation and the larger world, including the challenges and opportunities of globalization, the role of presidential debates, immigration and the place of faith in a pluralistic society.

Explore further New analysis reveals global distribution of toxic pollution and climate change

More information: Richard Marcantonio et al, Global distribution and coincidence of pollution, climate impacts, and health risk in the Anthropocene, PLOS ONE (2021). Journal information: PLoS ONE Richard Marcantonio et al, Global distribution and coincidence of pollution, climate impacts, and health risk in the Anthropocene,(2021). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254060
This soft, stretchy skin patch uses ultrasound to monitor blood flow to organs like the heart and brain. Credit: Nature Biomedical Engineering

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a soft and stretchy ultrasound patch that can be worn on the skin to monitor blood flow through major arteries and veins deep inside a person's body.

Knowing how fast and how much blood flows through a patient's blood vessels is important because it can help clinicians diagnose various cardiovascular conditions, including blood clots, heart valve problems, poor circulation in the limbs, or blockages in the arteries that could lead to strokes or heart attacks.

The new ultrasound patch developed at UC San Diego can continuously monitor blood flowas well as blood pressure and heart functionin real time. Wearing such a device could make it easier to identify cardiovascular problems early on.

A team led by Sheng Xu, a professor of nanoengineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, reported the patch in a paper published July 16 in Nature Biomedical Engineering.

The patch can be worn on the neck or chest. What's special about the patch is that it can sense and measure cardiovascular signals as deep as 14 centimeters inside the body in a non-invasive manner. And it can do so with high accuracy.

"This type of wearable device can give you a more comprehensive, more accurate picture of what's going on in deep tissues and critical organs like the heart and the brain, all from the surface of the skin," said Xu.

"Sensing signals at such depths is extremely challenging for wearable electronics. Yet, this is where the body's most critical signals and the central organs are buried," said Chonghe Wang, a former nanoengineering graduate student in Xu's lab and co-first author of the study. "We engineered a wearable device that can penetrate such deep tissue depths and sense those vital signals far beneath the skin. This technology can provide new insights for the field of healthcare."

Ultrasound patch worn on the neck. Credit: Nature Biomedical Engineering

Another innovative feature of the patch is that the ultrasound beam can be tilted at different angles and steered to areas in the body that are not directly underneath the patch.

This is a first in the field of wearables, explained Xu, because existing wearable sensors typically only monitor areas right below them. "If you want to sense signals at a different position, you have to move the sensor to that location. With this patch, we can probe areas that are wider than the device's footprint. This can open up a lot of opportunities."

How it works

The patch is made up of a thin sheet of flexible, stretchable polymer that adheres to the skin. Embedded on the patch is an array of millimeter-sized ultrasound transducers. Each is individually controlled by a computerthis type of array is known as an ultrasound phased array. It is a key part of the technology because it gives the patch the ability to go deeper and wider.

The phased array offers two main modes of operation. In one mode, all the transducers can be synchronized to transmit ultrasound waves together, which produces a high-intensity ultrasound beam that focuses on one spot as deep as 14 centimeters in the body. In the other mode, the transducers can be programmed to transmit out of sync, which produces ultrasound beams that can be steered to different angles.

"With the phased array technology, we can manipulate the ultrasound beam in the way that we want," said Muyang Lin, a nanoengineering Ph.D. student at UC San Diego who is also a co-first author of the study. "This gives our device multiple capabilities: Monitoring central organs as well as blood flow, with high resolution. This would not be possible using just one transducer."

The phased array consists of a 12 by 12 grid of ultrasound transducers. When electricity flows through the transducers, they vibrate and emit ultrasound waves that travel through the skin and deep into the body. When the ultrasound waves penetrate through a major blood vessel, they encounter movement from red blood cells flowing inside. This movement changes or shifts how the ultrasound waves echo back to the patchan effect known as Doppler frequency shift. This shift in the reflected signals gets picked up by the patch and is used to create a visual recording of the blood flow. This same mechanism can also be used to create moving images of the heart's walls.

Ultrasound patch wired to its full experimental setup. Credit: Nature Biomedical Engineering

A potential game changer in the clinic

For many people, blood flow is not something that is measured during a regular visit to the physician. It is usually assessed after a patient shows some signs of cardiovascular problems, or if a patient is at high risk.

The standard blood flow exam itself can be time consuming and labor intensive. A trained technician presses a handheld ultrasound probe against a patient's skin and moves it from one area to another until it's directly above a major blood vessel. This may sound straightforward, but results can vary between tests and technicians.

Since the patch is simple to use, it could solve these problems, said Sai Zhou, a materials science and engineering Ph.D. student at UC San Diego and co-author of the study. "Just stick it on the skin, then read the signals. It's not operator dependent, and it poses no extra work or burden to the technicians, clinicians or patients," he said. "In the future, patients could wear something like this to do point of care or continuous at-home monitoring."

In tests, the patch performed as well as a commercial ultrasound probe used in the clinic. It accurately recorded blood flow in major blood vessels such as the carotid artery, which is an artery in the neck that supplies blood to the brain. Having the ability to monitor changes in this flow could, for example, help identify if a person is at risk for stroke well before the onset of symptoms.

The researchers point out that the patch still has a long way to go before it is ready for the clinic. Currently, it needs to be connected to a power source and benchtop machine in order to work. Xu's team is working on integrating all the electronics on the patch to make it wireless.

More information: Chonghe Wang et al, Continuous monitoring of deep-tissue haemodynamics with stretchable ultrasonic phased arrays, Nature Biomedical Engineering (2021). Journal information: Nature Biomedical Engineering Chonghe Wang et al, Continuous monitoring of deep-tissue haemodynamics with stretchable ultrasonic phased arrays,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41551-021-00763-4
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Around 50,000 people suffer sudden cardiac arrest in Germany every year. When occurring outside a hospital, the chances of survival are only ten percent. Survivors often suffer from severe permanent neurological damage. On July 21st, 2021, researchers from the Faculty of MedicineUniversity of Freiburg, Germany, published together with German and US colleagues a review article in the journal Nature Reviews Neuroscience. They describe the most important therapeutic factors for successful resuscitation. The scientists name the therapy concept based on these factors CARL (Controlled Automated Reperfusion of the whoLe body). In recent years, the Freiburg physicians and perfusionists have already developed a special and mobile heart-lung machine for resuscitation that allows a CARL therapy for the first time. One of the first persons treated with CARL therapy successfully survived a cardiac arrest after about 120 minutes of resuscitation. The affected person suffered no brain damage.

"After decades of research, we were able to develop a new treatment method to reduce the physical damage that would otherwise occur after cardiac arrest and resuscitation. Our findings and the device we developed could be of great importance for emergency medicine," said Prof. Dr. Friedhelm Beyersdorf, Medical Director of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at Medical CenterUniversity of Freiburg. "The CARL method incorporates the latest basic research and state-of-the-art cardiac surgical techniques. Through innovative medical technology developments of our own, we now have the opportunity to apply this new treatment principle inside and outside the hospital. This raises the prospect of people surviving much longer and better after cardiac arrest than was previously thought," Beyersdorf said.

Success factors for resuscitation

As a result of cardiac arrest, blood vessels in the brain swell, making them less permeable to gas exchange. "By maintaining a high, pulse-like blood pressure during controlled whole-body reperfusion (CARL therapy), we can resuscitate the brain most quickly," Beyersdorf says. Oxygen levels must be low and increased only slowly. Otherwise, free radicals are generated in the tissues. These very aggressive molecules can then attack, among other things, the mitochondria, the power plants of the cells. A reduced calcium concentration in the blood also helps to protect the mitochondria. "It is very important to lower the body temperature of the patients as quickly as possible in order to slow down metabolic processes," explains the Freiburg cardiac surgeon, who published the study together with colleagues from Yale University, USA, and Max Planck Institute for Metabolic Research, Germany.

CARL: For the first time, resuscitation therapy in its complexity is possible

Some of the aspects were known in principle, but not in the depth of detail. In addition, various aspects of therapy were not technically feasible until now. That is why scientists at the Medical CenterUniversity of Freiburg founded the startup Resuscitec a few years ago, where they developed a device that specifically meets the complex requirements of resuscitation: the CARL system.

"To our knowledge, CARL is the first device that was developed specifically for resuscitation and can take over the complete cardiopulmonary function of the patient. With CARL we can treat the damage caused by cardiac arrest and the associated lack of oxygen. This is possible because we can immediately measure and control all the important parameters, such as blood values, that are necessary for successful resuscitation," says Prof. Dr. Christoph Benk, Head of Perfusion at the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at Medical CenterUniversity of Freiburg.

A unique dual-pump control system enables the necessary high pulsatile blood flow and realizes a high blood pressure, oxygen levels can be precisely controlled, and a mobile cooling unit allows the patient's body to be cooled down quickly and safely. "The device is designed relatively small and light so that it can fit in the ambulance and be carried directly to the patients," explains Benk.

First CARL deployments give great hope

In an initial pilot study, the doctors were able to save many of the patients treated with CARL therapy even though resuscitation time was very long, ranging from 50 to 120 minutes. "In the case of a 43-year-old patient, resuscitation was successful after 70 minutes. The patient has fully recovered and is back to working as a teacher," says Prof. Dr. Georg Trummer, Head of cardiovascular surgical Intensive Care Unit in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at Medical CenterUniversity of Freiburg. In another case, a patient suffered cardiac arrest at home and was brought to the Medical CenterUniversity of Freiburg by helicopter after first responder resuscitation. "Here, the patient was immediately connected to the CARL device andafter 120 minutessuccessfully resuscitated," Trummer said. The patient suffered no brain damage and was able to return to her job. To back up these initial promising results, a study is now planned at three European universities as part of the European Commission's Horizon 2020 program.

Explore further Refractory cardiac arrest patients brought to hospital with ongoing CPR can recover

More information: Stefano G. Daniele et al, Brain vulnerability and viability after ischaemia, Nature Reviews Neuroscience (2021). Journal information: Nature Reviews Neuroscience Stefano G. Daniele et al, Brain vulnerability and viability after ischaemia,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41583-021-00488-y
Its so easy to forget how fragile people in long-term care facilities can be, said Bailey Fosdick, associate professor of statistics and first author of a new paper available in preprint. Credit: sabinevanerp/Pixabay

The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted long-term care facilities, resulting in the deaths of 8% of residents nationwide, or 1 in 12 people. As coronavirus case rates decline and health restrictions are lifted, people who manage these facilities must now define policies to reduce disease transmission.

What should that look like, with varying numbers of staff, a variety of shifts for workers, data on vaccinated employees and residents, and various levels of interactions between staff and residents at facilities?

Researchers from Colorado State University hope a new model and online dashboard they've created will provide insight for health and other officials making their way in this "new normal."

The tool helps compute continued risk for COVID-19 infections within a facility, given a designated testing schedule and vaccine requirements. A paper from the team, "Model-based evaluation of continued COVID-19 risk at long term care facilities," was published July 7 as a preprint on medRxiv.

Dr. Nicole Ehrhart, a professor and director of Columbine Health Systems Center for Healthy Aging at CSU, said there was a lot of guesswork taking place in terms of best practices during the pandemic.

"All of these different conditionshow often you test, which test you use, vaccination acceptance among staff, variants, what are public health masking orders, are visitors allowedhave to be taken into account simultaneously if a mitigation or prevention strategy is going to work," she said.

Ehrhart and CSU Professor Greg Ebel, who led a groundbreaking effort in early 2020 to test asymptomatic health care workers in skilled nursing facilities, had a large amount of data after working with these facilities for months. They could see how small changes in any one of these variables could influence the successor lack thereofof keeping new infections from spreading. But what could they do to help?

Modeling system 'not a crystal ball'

Enter CSU's Bailey Fosdick, associate professor of statistics, and Jude Bayham, assistant professor of agricultural and resource economics. The scientists and computer modeling experts created numerous COVID-19 models for the university during the pandemic to help decision-makers and leaders on campus.

Bayham was also a member of the Colorado School of Public Health's COVID-19 modeling group, which informed statewide decisions.

He said the dashboard they've created is meant to be a decision support tool, a way to help facility managers understand the risks they face regarding COVID-19 outbreaks.

"It's not a crystal ball that will tell you what's going to happen at your facility," said Fosdick, first author of the paper. "This is much more of a tool that will answer: If I adopt this testing regimen or the other, do I see a big or a little difference in outcomes given the other factors that are unique to this facility?"

Fosdick said facility managers or public health officials could then pick whichever route is potentially more cost effective or impactful.

The tool also allows facility managers to be proactive and nimble rather than reactive, said Ehrhart.

The "beauty" of the modelwhich she credits to the genius of Fosdick, Bayham and Research Assistant Jake Dilliottis that it includes as factors potential new variants of SARS-CoV-2, vaccination rates and community prevalence.

"Being able to build all of those things into the model simultaneously is extremely powerful," she said. "As the pandemic continues, this is the tool people need to help make informed decisions."

Fosdick said the team's work is also a reminder that people still need to be on guard about the ongoing threat of COVID-19.

"It's so easy to forget how fragile people in long-term care facilities can be," she said.

The team is exploring expanding this work and the dashboard to include other types of infectious diseases in the future.

Explore further Care home residents are at risk of COVID-19 even after being fully vaccinated

More information: Bailey K. Fosdick et al, Model-based Evaluation of Continued COVID-19 Risk at Long Term Care Facilities, medRxiv (2021). Bailey K. Fosdick et al, Model-based Evaluation of Continued COVID-19 Risk at Long Term Care Facilities,(2021). DOI: 10.1101/2021.07.06.21259931
Vaccine confidence is essential if the pandemic is to be brought under control. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The COVID-19 pandemic continues apace, with high- and lower-income settings struggling to contain outbreaks. The vaccine rollout is relatively speedy in some countries such as the UK. However, vaccine demand is much greater than supply. This, combined with the hoarding of surplus doses from high-income countries, means that the continent of Africa is left with very few doses to protect its countries' populations.

As of 13 July 2021, Our World in Data report that only 2.95% of the African population had received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. In Ghana, this figure is just 2.8%.

West Africa has handled the pandemic response relatively well thus far, with lessons learned from the 2014/15 Ebola outbreak. However, with the highly transmissible Delta variant now known to be present in Ghana, the vaccine rollout is arguably more important than ever. The Ghanaian population has very little immunity to this novel coronavirus, and is thus almost entirely susceptible to infection. It is essential that people accept vaccines when doses arrive in the country.

As we know from existing international guidance, vaccine acceptance requires time, laborious engagement, planning and monitoring to be successful. In 2019, before the pandemic, the World Health Organization described vaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten greatest threats to global health.

Much of the existing literature and knowledge focuses on the richer countries, but the scenarios faced in Ghana may be very different. Previous research has suggested there are differences in types of misinformation across countries and continents.

Also, a false sense of confidence may emerge because Ghana has a long history of successful mass vaccination campaigns, for example pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccines. COVID-19 is different in that it is driven by a novel emerging pathogen, and the knowledge base is rapidly evolving. The general public know the impact on quality of life of existing vaccine-preventable diseases like polio. But the strength of Ghana's infrastructure and health workforce is up against widespread misinformation about this novel pathogen.

Our multi-disciplinary team from Ghana, Togo and the UK has conducted surveys in Ghana repeatedly over time. We focused on COVID-19 and assessed trends between August 2020 and June 2021, key drivers of willingness to vaccinate, and vaccine hesitancy.

The key findings

The first survey was conducted in August 2020 before any COVID-19 vaccines had been approved. The second round was in March 2021 at a time when the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines had arrived in the country. Hesitancy significantly decreased between those two time pointsfrom 36.8% to 17.2%.

Our new report includes findings from the latest survey, which took place in June 2021, and includes 1,295 Ghanaian respondents. We saw a significant decrease in willingness, and therefore an increase in hesitancyfrom 17.2% to 28.5%. Within this 28.5% subgroup, 15.1% reported that they were undecided, and 13.4% indicated they would not accept the vaccine if offered. Both of these proportions had increased since the previous survey in March.

Around one-third of respondents had read stories (for example on CNN) about the indecision surrounding the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine in Europe and North America on social media. Worryingly, a high proportion of respondents suggested that these stories made them feel concerned about accepting a COVID-19 vaccine in the future. COVID-19 will always be a global problem that requires international collaborations and solutions. Thus, the actions of a few countries can easily have an impact beyond their borders, and this may be what we are witnessing here with observed hesitancy in Ghana.

We found the groups more likely to be hesitant were women, Christians, opposition party supporters and people with higher education.

Research in higher-income settings often shows that more years of education correlates with stronger vaccine confidence. But in other research covering African nations, there is a mixed set of findings regarding education status. It may be that younger urban populations are more likely to be educated and also have access to the internet, and thus be exposed to a mixture of good and bad information about vaccines. There may also be different voting patterns in younger education groups that affect level of trust in government messaging.

In Togo, we carried out one survey in January 2021. Hesitancy was higher than in Ghanaat 32.3%. The two main reasons provided were that the vaccines were dangerous (stated by 90% of the hesitant respondents) and that they did not trust the current government (40% of the hesitant respondents).

Considering the results across Ghana and Togo, there is a clear need for strong health promotion ahead of any future arrivals of vaccine doses. It is difficult to push good public health messages through the noise of uncertainty, misinformation, and outright conspiracy theories. For maximum impact, the information must come from trusted sources, and this may differ depending upon the receiving demographic.

Approaches to health messaging

Our results show that, generally, the Ghana health service is a highly trusted source. Many respondents obtain their vaccine-related information directly or indirectly via social mediaparticularly Facebook. Therefore, Ghana health service messaging via electronic platforms such as Facebook and Whatsapp can potentially be effective, but the use of multiple methods and sources will be vital.

Our research required use of the internet and access to a device. Thus, there will be an additional need to assess vaccine confidence in rural and hard-to-reach areas where access to information will be different to urban areas.

Vaccine confidence is essential if the pandemic is to be brought under control. Vaccinating a population is the end point, and there must be proactive approaches to health promotion and community preparedness. The Ghana health service may be the best organization to take the lead on this, but the government, opposition political parties and employers can all contribute positive messaging ahead of the next delivery of COVID-19 vaccines.

Explore further Survey shows rise in vaccine hesitancy in Ghana

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
The sentencing date for an Arlee man who shot and killed two people and wounded two others, including a Montana Highway Patrol trooper, has been pushed to November.

Johnathan A. Bertsch, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of deliberate homicide and three counts of attempted deliberate homicide in June 2020. Both are felony charges.

Missoula County District Judge Shane Vannatta presided.

The sentencing dates are now set for Nov. 16 and Nov. 17. The court noted that because the victims and their surviving family members have been waiting over two years for closure, sentencing may not be continued again.

Defense filed a motion to continue sentencing on Wednesday on the grounds the defense counsel required more time to prepare for the hearing.

In March 2019, Bertsch fired multiple rounds at a pickup truck which was carrying three people  Shelley Hays, Julie Blanchard and Casey Blanchard, Julies son. Hays and Julie both died as a result of the shooting, and Casey survived after being shot eight times.

While in pursuit, Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Wade Palmer was shot by Bertsch and survived his injuries, which were described as life-threatening in court documents.
Montana state Sen. Bryce Bennett, a Democrat from Missoula, is resigning his legislative seat to take a job with a national group that works helping voters learn how to cast their ballots early.

Bennett was first elected to the state Legislature at 25 and served in the state House from 2011 to 2019 before being elected to the state Senate in 2018. In 2020 he ran for Secretary of State, losing to Republican Christi Jacobsen.

His resignation is effective Aug. 2.

I am beyond grateful for the trust Missoulians have given me to serve you for 10 years in the Montana Legislature, '' Bennett said in a press release. Despite the immense challenges we have faced, I have always loved this work because it matters. Whether it was leading the charge for voting rights, standing up for LGBTQ+ equality or defending so much of what makes Montana special, its been an honor to be in the arena for our values.

Bennett was the first openly gay man to serve in the state Legislature. He focused on bills related to elections and voting access, as well as the role of money in state politics. He also spoke out against legislation advocates said would harm LGBTQ+ Montanans.
It's back in the spotlight because of the new law, which sets several benchmarks for water systems to meet. Supporters of the bill  which passed without any opposition in the Legislature  say it's about time that lawmakers move forward with tracking and replacing lead pipes.

One persistent criticism, though, has been a provision of the law that allows water systems to pass at least part of the cost of the job onto customers. The price tag is yet to be determined, but nonpartisan legislative analysts estimated the initial inventory could cost local water systems $29 million and replacement could tally $2.65 billion.

Gary Brune, a policy manager at the nonprofit, nonpartisan New Jersey Future group, said the law's authorization that customers carry some of the cost is a big, concerning issue for cities and towns with poorer residents.

The bill sets several benchmarks: Within 30 days of enactment, an initial inventory of lead service lines and unknown pipes must be compiled; that initial inventory must be sent to the state Department of Environmental Protection within six months, with a more detailed report in a year and follow-up reports two years after enactment until all the lead pipes are replaced. The goal is to have all lead service lines replaced within 10 years.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  Smoke and ash from massive wildfires in the American West clouded the sky and led to air quality alerts Wednesday on parts of the East Coast as the effects of the blazes were felt 2,500 miles (4,023 kilometers) away.

Strong winds blew smoke east from California, Oregon, Montana and other states all the way to other side of the continent. Haze hung over New York City, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

The nations largest wildfire, Oregons Bootleg Fire, grew to 618 square miles (1,601 square kilometers)  just over half the size of Rhode Island. Fires also burned on both sides of Californias Sierra Nevada and in Washington state and other areas of the West.

The smoke blowing to the East Coast was reminiscent of last fall, when large blazes burning in Oregons worst wildfire season in recent memory choked the local sky with pea-soup smoke but also affected air quality several thousand miles away. So far this year, Seattle and Portland have largely been spared the foul air.

People in parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and elsewhere with heart disease, asthma and other health issues were told to avoid the outdoors. Air quality alerts for parts of the region were in place through Thursday.
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.  A couple whose gender reveal ceremony sparked a Southern California wildfire that killed a firefighter last year have been charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Refugio Manuel Jimenez Jr. and Angela Renee Jimenez pleaded not guilty Monday to charges involving the El Dorado fire, San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson announced at a news conference.

The charges included one felony count of involuntary manslaughter, along with other felony and misdemeanor counts related to the fire.

The El Dorado fire erupted on Sept. 5 when the couple and their young children staged a baby gender reveal at El Dorado Ranch Park in Yucaipa, at the foot of the San Bernardino Mountains.

A smoke-generating pyrotechnic device was set off in a field and quickly ignited dry grass on a scorching day. The couple frantically tried to use bottled water to douse the flames and called 911, authorities said.

Strong winds stoked the fire as it ran through wilderness on national forest land, about 75 miles east of Los Angeles.
The state will put $3.9 million in federal coronavirus aid funding toward schools who expand their internet, technology and remote learning access.

The money comes from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA), which was passed by Congress and signed into law late last year.

The funding will go to schools around the state that educate students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

Were committed to expanding distance learning opportunities, closing the digital divide in our rural classrooms, and creating a better learning environment for students in every corner of our state, Gianforte said in a press release. Nothing replaces in-person learning, but throughout the past year, weve seen how technology can enhance learning opportunities, especially in rural Montana. We look forward to continuing to support technological innovation that ensures our students have access to the best education possible to prepare them for the future.
"My daughter and I are still masked because she's not vaccinated," Kors said.

She said that until her daughter, who's under 12 years old, becomes eligible for her shot, her family will continue to distance from others when they're out. However, health officials worry that not everyone seeking out smoke-free activities indoors this summer will take the same precautions if they are unvaccinated.

To the north in Flathead County, Joe Russell, the county health officer, said he's tracking a roughly 50% increase in COVID cases over the past two weeks, mostly from unvaccinated people catching the virus at events.

"These are activities that are happening specific to events or settings, and they are indoors," he explained.

Russell said his team is more closely investigating new clusters to see if people went inside to escape heat and smoke. About 6 of 10 county residents who are eligible for COVID vaccines have not gotten them, and Russell is worried these large clusters could get worse if more people gather indoors.

The dangers of the pandemic appear to have waned in people's minds as they gather in indoor public spaces, many of which dropped masking and physical distancing requirements earlier this year.
Eli Siegel, the owner of Market Maven in Baltimore, is also saving Ben & Jerry's inventory in the hopes that the company retracts Monday's statement. If it doesn't, he said, dropping the ice cream brand is "something we're willing to commit to long-term."

Market Maven serves mainly Orthodox Jews who Siegel says love Ben & Jerry's non-dairy products because they meet high kosher standards, and religious Jews don't eat dairy and meat in the same meal. "People love it, people look for it, people request it," he said. "Financially, it was a hard decision to make."

Siegel says Market Maven would have done the same thing if it felt another community was being discriminated against. Last summer, he says, it put up a Black Lives Matter sign to show solidarity with the Black community of Baltimore. "As a community supermarket, we feel that the right thing to do is to stand up for everybody," he said.

One grocery store in South Florida posted an Instagram story of a man taking pints of Ben & Jerry's Phish Food from the shelves and throwing them directly into a garbage can. "I was really hoping to create some more freezer space," the man said. "And then Ben & Jerry's did it for me!"
Young people who have been emancipated from their parents would be exempt from the provision.

Krawiec said in late June she was responding to constituents concern, particularly parents not wanting their children to get the vaccine.

Parents should not have to worry that this might happen without their consent, Krawiec said.

The vaccines  are only approved for emergency use authorization. Parents should make these decisions with their children and should not be excluded.

Public health experts point out that all vaccines are required to undergo the same rigorous testing, whether they are approved for emergency use or through a typical license.

The bill was originally focused on allowing pharmacists to administer injectable drugs and cleared the House by a 111-0 vote on May 11. That language remains in HB96.

If it clears the Senate, the House must approve the parental consent provision before the bill could be sent to Gov. Roy Cooper.

Background

Krawiec said in late June that she believes in the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine, has taken it and encourages family members and other adults to do the same.
SkyWest currently has two daily flights to and from Salt Lake most days arranged through Delta.

SkyWests proposal had major advantages over Boutiques, since it includes daily flights to two major cities for the annual essential air service subsidy. A 2019 survey showed strong support in Butte for flights to Salt Lake.

Boutique has had commuter operations since 2014 but its proposal would have cost the feds nearly twice as much in annual subsidies  between $1.77 million and $1.84 million  and of 36 weekly flights, 12 would go to Seattle and the rest to either Bozeman or Billings.

SkyWest and United had competing proposals for the subsidies in 2019, with SkyWest going to Salt Lake and United going to Denver. The U.S. DOT chose SkyWest that year.

In its order Thursday, the agency noted community support for the SkyWest proposal and cited a May 5 letter from Dave Holman, who chairs the airport board.

SkyWest has provided exceptional air service to our community for the past 30 years, Holman said in the letter. We feel their proposal to offer service to both Salt Lake International Airport (SLC) and Denver International (DEN) will greatly benefit our passengers and strengthen air travel out of Butte.
Danny McClafferty and his wife, state Sen. Edie McClafferty, are longtime residents of the Greeley Neighborhood in District 4 who back the plans and are eager to take part.

I live in the house I was raised in and Ive just seen my neighborhood go from a good, strong family neighborhood to year after year after year slipping down into more decay, Danny McClafferty said.

There are old tires and junk trailers and vehicles about, he said, and some residents are turning their yards into landfills because theyre too lazy or unable to clean up and take things to the actual landfill near Rocker.

McClafferty said he told Gallagher before the November election that he would throw some votes your way if he tried to help and Gallagher has now stepped up to the plate.

I want to help my neighborhood and help my neighbors and Ive got several behind us who want to see how much of this stuff we can get out of District 4 north of Grand Avenue, he said.

District 4 covers parts of northeast Butte south of current mining operations and Continental Drive, with Marcia Street forming most of the southern boundary.
Tracy Stone-Manning and I both worked in the United States Senate in 2008. As part of being Senate staffers we were given frequent and detailed instructions on the ethics rules that govern Senate staffers. These rules  and associated training  are in place to ensure that we as Senate staffers serve the nation first instead of our personal interests.

Not only did Tracy Stone-Manning violate ethics rules while a Senate staffer, she also withheld this information until questioned by senators. Last week, Stone-Manning, the Biden Administrations nominee to head the Bureau of Land Management, admitted in a filing to the U.S. Senate that she violated congressional ethics rules and likely committed mortgage fraud with the undisclosed gift in the form of a loan from a political donor.

Let me be clear. Tracy Stone-Manning not only directly violated Senate ethics rules governing gifts, but may also be guilty of breaking the law related to Federal mortgage disclosures and lying under oath to Congress. Couple this with her shady past of eco-terrorism and we have an individual unfit for federal office.
WEST LIBERTY  At the sound of the word Go, 9-year-old Peyton Harmsen started pedaling the pedal-powered tractor for all she was worth, while the trailer dragging behind progressively added weight to the ride.

She was almost to the end of the Kiddie Tractor Pull course when the weight got to the point she was not able to pedal any more. She took a ribbon given to her by one of the judges and went to sit in the stands with her father and one of her friends. The tractor pull was one of the first events that she did at the Muscatine County Fair, but there are still four more days to go.

I thought I could do it because I ride my bike all the time when we are at the campground and so I thought I could do this, she said with a grin.

For about two years Peyton had been looking forward to getting back to the fair. With the annual event being one of her main summer pastimes, she was eager. This year, she said, would be the first time she would show an animal in a contest. She plans to show a goat for a friend of her father later in the week. She is also looking forward to riding the rides. She also hoped to cheer her friend up, as her friends mother is having surgery this week.
In other than very specific cases, it has stopped all foreclosure-related activity through the end of the year on occupied properties for mortgage and home equity customer.

Veridian has offered more than 1,000 loan extensions, Christensen said. From early on, she added, Veridian changed how it communicated to be more proactive, reaching members after a payment is missed so we could really partner with them as soon as possible to find a solution.

When we realized that this wasn't going to be so much of a temporary situation, that it could be a more of a long-term situation, that's when we really became more intentional about our communication approach, Christensen said.

As the moratorium expires, borrowers who anticipate difficulty staying current on their payments should be touch with lenders so they understand their individual circumstances and can identify the best way to help them going forward, lenders said.

We want to make sure that what we do today is going to set you on the path, the right path moving forward, so you're going to be able to stay in your home and be able to afford it, Christensen said.
CHICAGO (AP)  Dozens of people are asking a court to throw out their drug convictions, alleging they were framed by the same former Chicago Police sergeant who judges have determined shook down other residents of one of the city's poorest communities.

Tuesday's court filing on behalf of 88 people is the latest development in one of the darkest chapters in the history of the city's police force. A unit led by a Black sergeant, Ronald Watts, for nearly a decade until 2012 planted drugs or falsely accused housing project residents and others of drug crimes unless they paid the officers off.

In court hearings that began five years ago, residents of Ida B. Wells public housing on the South Side told strikingly similar stories of doing nothing more dangerous than parking their cars, walking in the hallway or sitting on a bench when Watts or others on his team shook them down.

On Tuesday, some of those named in the petition told of how their lives were devastated by their convictions.

I lost my apartment, had to be separated from my children. I was homeless, on the streets for 15 years," Laurarence Coleman told reporters at a news conference Tuesday.
CHICAGO (AP)  The getaway driver in the 2013 fatal shooting of a Chicago high school honor student who just days before her death had performed at President Barack Obama's second inauguration festivities was sentenced Tuesday to 42 years in prison.

Cook County Circuit Judge Diana Kenworthy on Tuesday ordered Williams to serve 35 years for the murder conviction and seven more years for aggravated battery.

Pendleton died just days after she performed as a majorette with her high school band at Obamas inauguration festivities. The scene of the shooting is about a mile from the former president's home in Kenwood on Chicago's South Side.
Organizing committee president Seiko Hashimoto said opening ceremony director Kentaro Kobayashi has been dismissed.

He was accused of using a joke about the Holocaust in his comedy act, including the phrase Lets play Holocaust, in one of his shows.

His dismissal comes the day before Friday's opening ceremony of the pandemic-delayed Games.

Earlier this week, a composer whose music is expected to be used at the opening ceremony was forced to resign because of past bullying of his classmates, which he boasted about in magazine interviews.

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A frontline worker, adorned in full PPE, oversees the buses for loading repatriating citizens to the quarantine facility.
Editor

Zaldy Dandan is the recipient of the Best Editorial Writer Award of the Society of Professional Journalists, and the CNMI Humanities Award for Outstanding Contributions to Journalism. His three books are available on amazon.com
The Nigerian Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has recently frozen MultiChoices bank account for allegedly owing R63 billion (1.8 trillion naira) in taxes.

FIRS said the DStv provider had not paid VAT since its inception. It has subsequently appointed Nigerian Deposit Money Banks to freeze and recover 1.8 trillion naira from MultiChoice Nigeria and MultiChoice Africas bank accounts.

MultiChoice acknowledged the report, saying it is in discussions with the FIRS regarding its bank accounts being frozen.

The company said the matter is based on unfounded allegations that MultiChoice Nigeria has not fully disclosed all existing subscribers to authorities.

We have engaged openly with FIRS, and the engagements are ongoing in a transparent and constructive manner. We believe that this matter will be amicably resolved, MultiChoice said.

Vaughan Henkel, head of equity research at PSG Wealth, said the fine imposed on MultiChoice is excessive, and it is unrealistic to expect the company to pay this fine.

He highlighted that it is eight times MultiChoices annual revenue in Nigeria and higher than its assets in the country.

MultiChoice Nigeria has approximately R4 billion in assets, of which about R2.3 billion in cash. The entity also has around R23.4 billion in liabilities, he said.

As such, we believe it is unrealistic for the group to entertain paying more than what the assets are worth, as it would be in the groups best interest to simply exit Nigeria.

Henkel likened the MultiChoice fine to the $5.2 billion fine handed to MTN by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in 2015. MTN and the NCC negotiated the fine down to $1.671 billion.

It is not the only time Nigeria hit MTN with a large fine. Three years ago, the Central Bank of Nigeria ordered MTN to bring back $8.1 billion it alleged the company had illegally repatriated.

After protracted negotiations, the matter was resolved after MTN agreed to a resolution payment of $53 million.

Henkel expects the same to happen in the MultiChoice tax case.

We believe that the MultiChoice fine is excessive and will eventually be negotiated down, Henkel said.

Given the size of MultiChoices Nigerian assets, we think the fine in a worst-case scenario would be in the region of R4 billion to R5 billion.

He said the market seems to have already priced in a fine of a similar size.
A judge has dismissed part of a lawsuit brought by the home-sharing company Pacaso against the city of St. Helena, in a dispute centering on a definition of a timeshare.
We were so interested in the election, Collins explained on Tuesday during a tour of his Napa ceramic studio.

In the days after Nov. 4, You just didnt know, which way the results would go, both nationally and statewide. But teenage Thomas was avidly following the daily changes.

Commemorating the achievement in his own way, We made these plates for you to honor the great work that you have done and will do, wrote his father.

Collins dishes are created using a ram press which makes multiple reproductions of a plate he originally made out of clay.

The porcelain plates are then hand-lettered by Cann.

Collins usually signs the back of each plate with his name, an N for Napa and adds a small infinity sign as his makers mark.

If they dont break it, it will probably last that long, he said with a laugh.

Hes been a ceramics artist for more than 50 years, but this is only the second time hes sent a piece of his art to a president or vice president.

Before the Joe Biden and Kamala Harris plates, he sent a large platter with a quote on the back to then-President Jimmy Carter.
A head-on, three-vehicle collision Wednesday afternoon east of Petaluma killed one person and injured three others, including a Napa man.

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The California Highway Patrol reports that officers responded to a 4:39 p.m. report of a major injury collision on Adobe Road, west of Stage Gulch Road (Highway 116).

The initial investigation determined that two vehicles were traveling east: a Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck driven by 78-year-old Arnold Riebli, of Sonoma; and a Chevrolet Silverado pickup driven by 51-year-old Israel Montanez Rodrigues, of Napa.

Traveling west was a Chevrolet Volt driven by a man accompanied by one female passenger.

The investigation has not yet determined why, but officers said the Colorado collided with the rear end of the Silverado, which then traveled across the double-yellow lines into the westbound lane and collided with the Volt.

The passenger in the Volt died of her injuries. The CHP has not released her name, or the name of the Volt driver, pending notification of relatives.

Montanez Rodrigues and the driver of the Volt were airlifted to Providence Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital with major injuries. Riebli was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
Most themes on talk radio or television networks like Fox, Newsmax or One America News are more subtle or philosophical.

The vaccine is experimental, still not fully approved, is one line of attack. Wait and see. There's no reason for young people to get it. Natural immunity is better. It's none of your business what I do. Government  the Biden administration especially  is intruding upon your life, trying to take control of your body.

"The advice they are giving you is not designed to help," Carlson said Monday on his show, the most popular on cable news. "It is designed to make you comply."

Two hours later, Ingraham said that it was President Joe Biden and his allies, not conservative media figures, who are "superspreaders" of COVID-19 misinformation.

The cumulative effect of the stories is to raise doubt in the minds of people who may already be looking for a way to avoid the jab of a needle and syringe full of chemicals going into their bodies, said Kristin Urquiza, who started the organization Marked By COVID after her father died of the virus.

"They do not come out and say, 'Do not get the vaccine,'" Urquiza said. "Their strategy is to create a culture of confusion."
"Due to these upgrades  the system hardening and the distribution microgrids  we do not expect a return to the large scale PSPS events of 2019," Sarkissian said.

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In 2019, numerous power shutoffs occurred throughout wildfire season, leaving hundreds of thousands of Northern and Central California residents without power for up to several days at a time. This May, the CPUC ordered PG&E to pay $106 million in fines and customer bill credits in response to several violations that occurred during the 2019 shutoffs. Chief among those violations was their website being unavailable during the PSPS events, preventing impacted residents from being able to access resources and information.

Sarkissian said PG&E has learned from the 2019 outages and made backend improvements to its website to prevent it from going down during future PSPS events. Residents can also sign up for text, call or email alerts for when a PSPS event might impact them or a relative.

Though PSPS events are a "last resort" for PG&E, Sarkissian encouraged customers to plan ahead for resources they may need in case of a long-term shutoff. Customers who depend on power for medical needs can register for PG&E's Medical Baseline Program, which  along with an additional energy allotment each month  includes extra notifications about upcoming PSPS events.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP)  Indonesia has converted nearly its entire oxygen production to medical use just to meet the demand from COVID-19 patients struggling to breathe. Overflowing hospitals in Malaysia had to resort to treating patients on the floor. And in Myanmars largest city, graveyard workers have been laboring day and night to keep up with the grim demand for new cremations and burials.

Images of bodies burning in open-air pyres during the peak of the pandemic in India horrified the world in May, but in the last two weeks the three Southeast Asian nations have now all surpassed Indias peak per capita death rate as a new coronavirus wave, fueled by the virulent delta variant, tightens its grip on the region.

The deaths have followed record numbers of new cases being reported in countries across the region which have left health care systems struggling to cope and governments scrambling to implement new restrictions to try to slow the spread.

When Eric Lam tested positive for COVID-19 and was hospitalized on June 17 in the Malaysian state of Selangor, the center of the countrys outbreak, the corridors of the government facility were already crowded with patients on beds with no room left in the wards.
Casillero del Diablo sources grapes from the Maipo and Rapel valleys, located a few hours drive from Santiago, Chiles capital and largest city. Rodriguez said that Chiles extensive central valleythe slim countrys latitude runs for over 2,000 miles from its border with Peru and Bolivia in the north to its southern terminus at the chilly region of Patagoniais as ideal for growing grapes as Sonoma or Napa counties.

The Valle Central, nestled between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west, offers a Mediterranean climate and mineral-rich soils ideal for growing several varietals.

Maipo Valley is well-suited for Bordeaux varieties, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon, thanks to mineral-focused soils irrigated by snowmelt from the Andes Mountains, Rodriguez said. To the south of Maipo, Rapel Valley offers a warm, dry climate, ideal for growing premium Carmenere .
We shall go to the parliament and continue our struggle, represent the interests of our people, and use that platform. Artur Vanetsyan, the leader of the opposition "I Have Honor" bloc and the chairman of the opposition Homeland Party, said this in an interview on Public TV.

Asked whether they were going to the parliament, Vanetsyan gave a positive answer. "Yes, I will go to parliament."

To the remark that the spokesperson of the "I Have Honor" bloc stated that the bloc will be a radical opposition in the National Assembly, and what radicalism is, Vanetsyan stated that it is better not to call it radicalism. "Yes, we will be a tough opposition, we will criticize the authorities, we will continue our struggle; that is, to remove these authorities. But if one day the authorities bring a good bill that will protect the interests of Armenia, the national and state interests will be promoted, of course we will vote for [it.]"

To the remark, Calling a spade a spade? Vanetsyan answered, Unequivocally.

To the question whether they are ready to cooperate with the authorities in the National Assembly, Vanetsyan stated: "We are not ready to cooperate with the authorities; we will be an opposition force."

To the remark that the Armenian opposition and the authorities need to cooperate and work with each other at the PACE, the Council of Europe, Vanetsyan said. "I have already mentioned: what will be related to the promotion of the state interest or the national interest of the Republic of Armenia: yes, we are ready to cooperate with everyone; not only with the authorities, but with all political forces in general."
Turkey discussing with Azerbaijan issue of ensuring security in Kabul

Moscow court announces verdict for murderers of Armenian boxing champion Ashot Bolyan

There are reports that Armenian ecclesiastical complex in Deir ez-Zor is blown up (VIDEO)

Mass media: Russia MOD meets with Armenia acting defense minister in Moscow

Armenia patrol officers apprehend citizen on suspicion of battery, find out he is wanted for complicity in arbitrariness

Azerbaijan, Russia agree on cooperation for seasonal exchange of natural gas

ArmLur.am: Close friend of candidate for Armenia parliamentary speaker to be chief of staff of parliament

Acting chairman of Armenia Supreme Judicial Council receives National Security Service Investigation Department head

Karabakh MFA: Baku is leading a terrorism policy

Baku declares that "Zangezur corridor will become new corridor stretching from fraternal Pakistan to Turkey"

Turkish MPs planning to visit Shushi

Leaders of South Korea and North Korea agree to restore ties

Armenian analyst: Baku's main goal is to have a corridor through Armenia

Digest: Armenian soldier commits suicide, US urges to reconsider visiting Armenia amid COVID-19

Armenia opposition 'I Have Honor' bloc to propose to set up standing parliamentary committee on Karabakh

TALK TIME: Tension in Armenia's Yeraskh may be linked to Turkish factor

Artur Vanetsyan will be leader of opposition 'I Have Honor' bloc's faction of Armenia parliament

Ambassador: As long-time partners, US values Armenia's dynamic, global diaspora

Dollar drops again, euro also falls in Armenia

Armenian serviceman who died from firearm injury was veteran of 44-day war in Karabakh (PHOTO)

Yerevan Brandy Factory initiates restoration works of main building's facade (PHOTOS)

'Armenia' bloc will announce unified candidate for deputy parliamentary speaker after discussions with 'I Have Honor'

Karabakh emergency situations service: Remains of another Armenian serviceman found in Mataghis

Armenia President meets with Japan Bank for International Cooperation Executive Managing Director

Karabakh representative: Armenia government has started solving housing issue for displaced citizens

Armenia acting economy minister to pay two-day visit to Georgia

Armenian MFA: Azerbaijan's idea of opening a corridor completely distorts content and purpose of trilateral statements

Artsakh rescuers conduct search operations near Mataghis

21,900 citizens of Armenia receive Russian citizenship in 6 months

Turkey speaks on recognition of Crimea as part of Russia

US State Department calls on its citizens to reconsider visiting Armenia, as well as not to go to Artsakh

New details on soldier's death case: He committed suicide

One case of COVID-19 confirmed in Artsakh: 130 tests performed in a day

World oil prices are rising

Turkey has no intention to accept new migrants due to situation in Afghanistan

Soldiers death circumstances are being clarified

Coronavirus in Armenia: 7 new deaths reported

US announces resumption of illegal immigrants accelerated deportation

Soldier killed in yet unknown circumstances, Artsakh Defense Army says

Biden, Kadhimi seal agreement to end U.S. combat mission in Iraq

Armenia opposition 'I Have Honor' bloc: Nomination for deputy parliamentary speaker will depend on result of talks

Armenia President appoints new ambassadors to Colombia, Bolivia, Cuba, Turkmenistan and Egypt

Driver's head broken after Azerbaijanis throw stone at his head while he was driving in Armenia's Kut village

Armenia government official registers relatives of missing servicemen to meet with acting PM in turns

Artsakh Ombudsman: Azerbaijan Armed Forces beat resident of Karabakh's Machkalashen, right leg injured (PHOTO)

2.2-magnitude earthquake felt 4 km southeast from Spitak city of Armenia's Lori Province

Alen Simonyan: Armenia's acting Deputy PM and ex-parliamentary speaker will continue to serve on ruling party's board

Alen Simonyan: Armenia parliament to set up committee for probe into 44-day war in Nagorno-Karabakh

Russia MOD, Armenia acting defense minister discuss ensuring of regional security

Civil Contract Party and 'Armenia' bloc take parliamentary mandates, 'I Have Honor' bloc to take them tomorrow

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan fired at Yeraskh from time to time, but not intensively during the day

Ambassador visits Armenian-Azerbaijani border, says US rejects use of force in the case of demarcation

US Ambassador to Armenia visits Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Digest: Azerbaijanis open fire near Armenia-Azerbaijan border, Armenian captured in Karabakh

Armenia court rejects motion filed by Kajaran mayor's attorneys, they leave courtroom

Bodies of 37-year-old mother and her 9-year-old son found in apartment in Armenia's Gyumri (PHOTO)

Karabakh Defense Army: Relatively stable situation still maintained on line of contact of Artsakh-Azerbaijan forces

Armenia Investigative Committee chairman is on working visit to Syunik Province

Ameriabank. The Largest Taxpayer among Armenian Banks according to the Results of the Second Quarter of 2021

Head of Karabakh's Machkalashen: Resident has been returned from captivity through Russian peacekeepers' mediation

Armenia Supreme Judicial Council rejects motion to subject Ruben Vardazaryan to disciplinary liability

Armenia acting PM in a closed meeting with newly elected MPs of ruling party

Armenian POWs Davit Davtyan and Gevorg Sujyan face up to 15 years in Azerbaijani prison

Session of Armenia's newly elected parliament to be held on Aug. 2, 7 items on agenda

Economic activity index in Armenia grows by 5%

Russia-based Armenian citizen's 15-year-old son dies in car accident in Armenia's Gegharkunik Province (PHOTO)

US: 430 people die in shooting incidents in a week

Over 40 civilians killed by Taliban in Afghanistan

Armenia acting environment minister introduces his newly appointed deputy

Karabakh Ombudsman: 32-year-old resident of Machkalashen village captured

No government official has met with the relatives of missing Armenian servicemen yet

Cicilline and Bilirakis lead Congress campaign to block US drone technology transfers to Turkey

MO: Azerbaijan opens fire on Armenian positions in Gegharkunik and Ararat provinces

Coronavirus in Armenia: 3 new deaths

Bitcoin price nears $ 40,000

Record frosts in Africa

3 people killed in series of shootings in Seattle

Oil is getting cheaper

Armenian wounded soldier regains consciousness, nothing threatens his life

French President calls actions of French protesters cynical

UK national debt tops  2.2 trillion

Clash between Yemeni government forces and Houthis leaves 17 people killed

French Senate approves new measures to fight COVID-19

166 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Armenia per day

Vatican reveals its real estate holdings

Taliban shadow district governor killed in Afghanistan

Armenia Police ban signature campaign demanding Syunik Province community leaders release

One new case of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party delegation meets with Canada special envoy to Armenia

Armenia employers union chair: Many investment projects in progress

Russias Lavrov speaks on situation with declaration against Christianophobia in OSCE

Armenia army General Staff chief receives Bulgaria military attache

Employers union chairman: Migrant workers can now receive same salary in Armenia

Armenia acting PM Pashinyan attends last farewell ceremony for Djivan Gasparyan

Biden permits allocating $100m to help Afghanistan refugees

Djivan Gasparyan's body seen off with applause from Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall in Yerevan

Search for remains of fallen Armenians continues in Artsakh

Armenia employers union chairman: There is business revival in country since this year

Tourist bus crashes in Russia, 2 dead

Armenia President in Japan, attends official reception hosted by Emperor Naruhito
Azerbaijan has been prohibiting Armenian clergymen from entering Dadivank Monastery for the past three months already. The Azerbaijanis arent even letting them enter the premises of the monastic complex.

During a conversation with Armenian News-NEWS.am, Father Nerses Harutyunyan of Dadivank Monastery said Azerbaijans reasons arent substantiated.

Dadivank Monastery is the designated place for permanent service for six Armenian clergymen. Despite the problems with living conditions at the monastery, Armenian clergymen have continued their service, but they havent been able to enter or exit the monastery since May.

Dadivank Monastery is in conditions that arent like the conditions of any other monastery of the Armenian Holy Apostolic Church. There is a ban on entrance or exit. The Azerbaijanis are deliberately creating a situation to not allow Armenian clergymen enter, Father Nerses said.

Azerbaijan has also prohibited the entry of pilgrims as well, and again, without any justification. Now the clergymen of Dadivank Monastery are at Gandzasar Monastery. The Russian side is negotiating with the Azerbaijanis to let the clergymen enter Dadivank Monastery.

Located in the Karvachar region that has been under Azerbaijans control since the signing of the statement of November 9, 2020, Dadivank Monastery is one of the oldest Christian monasteries of the Armenian Holy Apostolic Church, and one of the observation posts of the Russian peacekeeping contingent is located next to the monastery to ensure security.
The Russian Federation, which has close ties with both Armenia and Azerbaijan, pays special attention to the Armenia-Azerbaijan border and, of course, the current situation in Nagorno-Karabakh where Russian peacekeepers are deployed. This is what Spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova said today, adding the following:

Of course, Russia is concerned over any manifestation of growth of escalation in certain sectors of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border which is having an extremely negative impact on the situation in the region and isnt contributing to the regulation of dialogue between Yerevan and Baku. Our stance is clear  the border incidents need to be resolved only through politics and diplomacy. It is necessary to work hard and in a coordinated manner to seek mutually acceptable concessions, and Russia is disposing both sides to that.

According to Zakharova, Moscowis certain that only through the immediate launch of works for demarcation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the successive delimitation will it be possible to ensure sustainable de-escalation. Russia is ready to support these efforts through the provision of cartographical information. The Russian side has prepared several documents that may help make the discussions constructive, she said.

Zakharova recalled that regional stability was the main issue on the agenda of the negotiations that the President of Russia held with the acting Prime Minister of Armenia on July 7 and with the President of Azerbaijan on July 20. In spite of the complication and scale of the issues in the region the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia affirmed their determination to continue their joint efforts to find optimal solutions and stayed resolutely loyal to the consistent and comprehensive implementation of the agreements reached on November 9, 2020 and January 11, 2021. Russia mentions, with satisfaction, that the task force  set up in accordance with the agreements of the three countries leaders  has held several substantive discussions and earmarked the actions required for restoration of transport and economic links. We hope the group resumes sessions soon, Zakharova said.

According to her, the Russian side continues to make significant contributions to the maintenance of stability and establishment of peace in Nagorno-Karabakh and is regulating the urgent humanitarian issues, including the return of prisoners of war and the return/exchange of the remains of deceased servicemen.
HKers step up to help Covid-hit Nepal

Oxygen cylinders are loaded on to a truck at Linyi in Shandong province, ahead of a 3,000km trip to the border with Nepal. Photo: Submitted

A patient in remote Karnali province is given oxygen. The cylinder was donated by a Hong Kong initiative. Photo: submitted

A Nepalese porter helps to reload oxygen cylinders onto a truck after the had to be carried by hand around a landslide. Photo: submitted

AnneMarie Evans reports

A Hong Kong philanthropist couple and a local ex-servicemens association have sent hundreds of oxygen cylinders, around half a million facemasks and other medical supplies to Nepal to assist remote areas badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.



Sean Hotung, and his wife, Mary, were contacted by a close friend, an ex-Gurkha, who had realised that while India was in the headlines, its landlocked neighbour Nepal had been hit hard.



Sean Hotung told RTHK that when he asked Nepals health ministry what was needed most urgently, they were told: oxygen.



Hotung and a Nepalese businessman, former Gurkha Yem Gurung, sourced a factory in Shandong province last month that supplied 450 oxygen cylinders that were then transported 3,000 kilometres via Sichuan and Tibet to the border with Nepal.



There were a lot of challenges, Gurung says. The trucks had to wait three days at the checkpoint, after which the road was blocked by a landslide in heavy rain.



All the cylinders were taken off the trucks, hand-carried around the landslide area and then put on to new transport. After arriving at Kathmandu, they were then redistributed to more remote hard-hit areas, including Karnali province.



Back in the SAR, the Hong Kong Ex-Servicemens Association has also been working with the Hotungs on a fundraising drive and also collecting public donations of facemasks, oxygen concentrators, antigen tests and other medical goods to be sent on Cathay Pacific cargo flights to Nepal.



Each oxygen concentrator can be used by two people, says Hotung. It pushes oxygen into their lungs and helps them breathe.



Hong Kong has an historic link to Nepal, with many Gurkhas serving with the British military here over the decades since the 1960s. Many remain in Hong Kong, as have their children and grandchildren, making up a 20,000 strong community here.
Multi-year brand evolution highlights the power of Visas trusted global network, enabling modern money movement and expanding economic access

SAN FRANCISCO -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Inviting the world to Meet Visa, the global payments technology company today unveiled the initial phase of its brand evolution spotlighting the diverse capabilities of its network and commitment to enabling global economic inclusion. Aligned closely with the companys business strategy, this phase includes the debut of a dynamic global marketing campaign and a preview of a modernized look for Visas iconic brand.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210721005260/en/

More than 60 years ago, when Visa was founded, few could imagine a world beyond cash and checks. Visas founding vision to introduce a more secure, reliable and convenient currency in digital form began with a simple question: what if money became fully electronic? Today, Visa continues to anticipate the future of digital commerce, providing access through its secure global network working for everyone, everywhere.

People think they know Visa. Consumers and businesses trust the power of those four letters and see it when they open their wallet, pay a vendor, walk into a store or check out online. What they dont see is how those four letters operate the most dynamic network of people, partnerships and products, said Lynne Biggar, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer, Visa. We are on a mission to ensure that Visa is seen as more than a credit card company and understood as a trusted network that drives commerce forward.

While Visa continues to shape the physical and digital credit or debit card transaction, it also increasingly sits at the center of enabling money movement. A company built on access to economic inclusion, the Visa network connects 3.6 billion credentials, over 70 million merchant locations, tens of thousands of partners and powers more than $11 trillion in total volume annually. Over the last five years alone, Visa has invested $9 billion in technology to shape the future of commerce, delivering a differentiated set of products, services and benefits.1 Visas network helps enable a gig-worker with the flexibility to get paid in real time, facilitates person to person payments that can send and receive money between billions of cards and accounts worldwide, and large corporate payments to be made more effortlessly across borders, as just a few examples.

Illustrating the scope of Visas capabilities, initial elements of Visas brand evolution include:

Meet Visa films spotlight the power of the network. Developed by Visas global creative agency of record, award-winning Wieden+Kennedy, Visa is unveiling a short film directed by Malik Hassan Sayeed that invites the world to Meet Visa, a network working for everyone. Complementing this introductory film is a series of shorter digital films and photography that showcase the breadth of the Visa network working to provide access and advancing commerce for real people in real places around the world. Brought to life by some of the best and most diverse creative talent including Sayeed, Visa also worked with photographer Camilla Falquez and Argentinian directing team Pantera & Co.  Brian Kazez, Pato Martinez and Francisco Canton  to vividly capture moments such as:

New Visa brand identity symbolizes change. Visa has long stood for trust, security, acceptance and inclusion. These core values, in addition to the goal of enabling access for everyone to participate in the global economy, will be expressed through a modernized, dynamic visual brand identity, built in partnership with leading global brand design firm Mucho. The Meet Visa campaign shares an initial glimpse into the evolved visual brand identity launching later this year, featuring refreshed colors for digital impact, a custom font created for optimal digital experiences and an updated brand symbol designed to express the purpose behind the organization.

Over the course of 2021, Visas new brand identity will become visible in all 200+ countries and territories Visa operates in, cutting across the companys primary business strategy encompassing:

Consumer payments, focusing on expanding access and moving the $17 trillion spent in cash and checks globally to digital payments. New payment flows including cross-border person-to-person payments and a range of value-added services that help businesses of all sizes navigate todays landscape; identify new growth opportunities; and maintain our mission of making Visa the most secure, resilient and reliable network. A diversity of offerings and solutions through burgeoning partnerships with fintechs and established brands, relationships with governments around the world and innovative technology built for the future.

We are capturing the bold ambition of Visa with this brand evolution as a way to express what we stand for and what we strive for, continued Biggar. With the world reopening and with money increasingly moving in new ways, theres no better time to showcase the work we do and the impact a purpose-driven brand with Visas scale can have to enable individuals, businesses and economies to thrive.

For more information on Meet Visa, visit https://usa.visa.com/our-purpose/leading-by-example.html.

About Visa Inc.

Visa is the worlds leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable and secure payment network  enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet, provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The companys relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid growth of connected commerce on any device. As the world moves from analogue to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce. For more information visit usa.visa.com/about-visa.html, usa.visa.com/visa-everywhere/blog.html and @VisaNews.

1 Visa Financial Analysis 2020

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210721005260/en/

CONTACT:

Visa Inc.

Kryssa Guntrum

kguntrum@visa.com

There is power in those four letters, recognized by almost everyone, and standing for trust, security, acceptance and inclusion. As part of a multi-year evolution of its iconic brand, Visa is sharing an initial glimpse into its evolved visual brand identity, launching in late 2021, which features refreshed colors for digital impact and a new brand symbol designed to express the purpose behind the brand. (Graphic: Business Wire)

The Meet Visa campaign shares an initial glimpse into the evolved visual brand identity launching later this year, featuring refreshed colors for digital impact, a custom font created for optimal digital experiences and an updated brand symbol designed to express the purpose behind the organization. (Graphic: Business Wire)

Inviting the world to Meet Visa, the global payments technology company today unveiled the initial phase of its brand evolution spotlighting the diverse capabilities of its network and commitment to enabling global economic inclusion. (Graphic: Business Wire)
At least two individuals were injured in New York after a car that had been surrounded by a crowd of people protesting police brutality attempted to drive away Wednesday evening.

Justin Burgos, 18, was allegedly driving near Bleecker Street and 10th Avenue as the crowd gathered outside the New York Police Departments 6th Precinct calling for the firing of Sgt. Joseph Cuervo, who was accused of assaulting a gay black man in 2013.

Burgos, reportedly the son of an NYPD deputy inspector, allegedly attempted to drive beyond the crowd of about 25 people but was prevented from doing so.

FORECAST: 1.8M ILLEGAL MIGRANTS UNDER BIDEN, WORST EVER YEAR

The crowd had overflowed onto the street and obstructed his vehicle, videos from the scene showed. He allegedly hit the car horn multiple times before accelerating and running over a bike.

Police officers who were on the street observing the protest attempted to help the situation and removed the bike lodged under Burgoss car. He allegedly sped off, hitting several people.

The incident occurred at about 10:20 p.m., officials said.

At least one individual and a police officer were struck by the vehicle and sustained minor injuries.

Officers followed Burgoss vehicle before stopping him several blocks away on Grove Street, according to the NYPD.

Burgos was arrested and charged with reckless endangerment and leaving the scene of an accident.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

In 2015, New York paid Michael Watson $150,000 as part of a settlement for his alleged exchange with Cuervo, who was an officer at the time.

Watson claimed he was mocked with homophobic slurs during a marijuana bust two years prior.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: Protests, Crime, Police, New York City, Law Enforcement

Original Author: Lawrence Richard

Original Location: 18-year-old injured after driver hits anti-police protesters who had surrounded his car
Julia Hennessy Cayuela died in a motorcycle accident while on a trip with her husband, local media outlets reported. @juliahennessy/Instagram

Brazilian influencer Julia Hennessy Cayuela died in a motorcycle accident, G1 and O Tempo reported.

Cayuela, 22, was transported alive to a local hospital but died from her injuries.

G1 reported that highway authorities suspect the accident involved a truck crossing lanes.

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Brazilian influencer Julia Hennessy Cayuela died in a motorcycle accident while traveling across the country with her husband on July 15, Brazilian media outlets including G1 and O Tempo reported.

Cayuela was a 22-year-old influencer with over 335,000 Instagram followers. According to her Instagram bio, Cayuela had been an influencer for seven years and was a student studying biomedicine. On her Instagram account, she frequently documented aspects of her life and her studies. She was married to Daniel Cayuela, an entrepreneur and influencer with over 110,000 followers on his own Instagram account, and according to G1, lived in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais.

"Life is short, let's be crazy," she wrote in Portuguese in her final Instagram post, which shows her and her husband in motorcycle helmets.

G1 reported that the accident involved a truck that the Brazilian Federal Highway Police said they suspect was crossing lanes on the BR-277 in the metropolitan region of Curitiba.

Cayuela was rescued alive and taken to the Hospital do Cajuru in Curitiba but died of her injuries in the early morning on Friday, July 16, according to G1. Her husband was also taken to the hospital with his own injuries, as Women's Health and People reported.

O Tempo reported that family and friends held a service for Cayuela on Saturday, July 17, in Belo Horizonte.

Jeronimo Onofre, Cayuela's stepfather, told G1 that the family was at home in Belo Horizonte when they learned about the accident and immediately flew to Curitiba after the hospital contacted them. Onofre said that the family told Daniel, Cayuela's husband, about her death.

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"We lost my daughter, my love, she was going to graduate this year in biomedicine, she was looking for a place to open her own clinic, this is all very sad," Onofre told G1 in Portuguese. "God gave her to us, God took her away from us."

Daniel Cayuela did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Insider
Jul. 22VERNON TOWNSHIP  A Meadville-area foundry is getting new ownership later this year.

Advanced Cast Products, which has more than 220 employees at a plant in the Kerrtown section of Vernon Township, is being sold to Grede of Southfield, Michigan, by Neenah Enterprises Inc. of Neenah, Wisconsin.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The sale is expected to close by Sept. 30, according to the two privately-held firms.

Advanced Cast Products (ACP) makes ductile iron and austempered ductile iron castings.

Ductile iron is a durable, fatigue-resistant metal that has high strength which may be bent, twisted or formed without fracturing. Austempered ductile iron is processed by a special heat treatment, resulting in a material which may be used to cast complex shapes.

Advanced Cast Products has two molding lines and can do both vertical and horizontal molding of ductile and austempered ductile iron at its 229,000-square-foot facility. It also specializes in ductile iron and austempered ductile iron castings from 1 pound up to 60 pounds, according to Neenah Enterprises' website.

Neenah also is selling the heavy truck business of its Neenah Foundry to Grede.

"Neenah is transitioning out of the heavy truck market, and our products are a natural fit with Grede's light vehicle, truck, and industrial business portfolio," Tom Slabe, Neenah's president and chief executive officer, said in a statement. "We are confident our customers and ACP employees will be in very good hands with Grede."

The acquisition gives Grede increased capacity and capabilities, according to Cary Wood, Grede's chief executive officer.

"This transaction will allow Grede to further accelerate growth of our business in the commercial vehicle and industrial end markets," Wood said in a statement.

Grede will add the more-than-220 Advanced Cast Products employees in Meadville as well as all ACP operations.

Grede will transition the Neenah Foundry commercial vehicle book of business into Grede's other existing plants in Brewton, Alabama; New Castle, Indiana; Reedsburg, Wisconsin; and St. Cloud, Minnesota, during the next 12 months.

"Importantly, the acquisition brings Grede significantly closer toward achieving our objective of creating a $1 billion plus enterprise serving industry-leading customers across the automotive, commercial vehicle and industrial end markets," Wood said. "We look forward to welcoming the employees of Advanced Cast Products into the Grede family."

Keith Gushard can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at kgushard@meadvilletribune.com.
NKANDLA, South Africa (Reuters) -Former President Jacob Zuma, whose jailing this month led to South Africa's worst outbreak of violence in years, was granted compassionate leave to attend the funeral of his younger brother on Thursday.

He was back in prison by the afternoon, the government said.

Zuma, wearing a dark suit and white shirt, was flanked by family members as he walked from his homestead to his brother's neighbouring property in Nkandla, in KwaZulu-Natal province, a Reuters journalist said.

Soldiers patrolled nearby and military and police vehicles were stationed along the road.

Zuma has been incarcerated at Estcourt prison since handing himself over on July 7 to serve a 15-month sentence for contempt of court. The prison is in Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Zuma was granted compassionate leave as he was considered a short-term, low-risk inmate, the department of correctional services said in a statement. Zuma was not required to wear an offenders' uniform outside prison walls, it said.

"He was accompanied by correctional officers supported by law enforcement agencies. And we are to confirm that he has returned back to the Estcourt correctional facility as we speak," cabinet minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni told a news conference on Thursday afternoon.

Zuma, 79, was sentenced last month for defying a constitutional court order to give evidence at an inquiry investigating high-level corruption during his nine years in office until 2018.

Protests by his supporters broke out when Zuma handed himself over and escalated into riots involving looting and arson that President Cyril Ramaphosa has described as an "insurrection".

The unrest swept across Kwa-Zulu Natal and spread to the country's economic heartland where Johannesburg is located. Ntshavheni said the death toll had risen to 337.

Thousands of soldiers were deployed to help quell the violence, among the worst since the governing African National Congress won South Africa's first democratic elections in 1994 to replace white minority rule.

(Reporting by Siyabonga Sishi in Nkandla, Wendell Roelf in Cape Town and Alexander Winning in Johannesburg; Editing by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo and Angus MacSwan)
Reuters

(Reuters) -Sixteen-year-old Viktoria Listunova won the womens artistic gymnastics all-around title at both the European and Russian Championships earlier this year. However, despite placing sixth overall in the qualifying round on Sunday, the Russian Olympic Committee athlete will not get the chance to try for another all-around crown at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. There is a long list of athletes who over the years have been left out of Olympic finals because of the two-per-country rule, first introduced at the 1976 Montreal Games for apparatus finals.
By Yoruk Bahceli

(Reuters) - European governments' efforts to stamp out outsized bids from hedge funds at bond sales appear to be bearing fruit, with order books for the most recent issues showing a steep decline from levels seen at the start of this year.

Reuters reported in April that huge bids for new bonds officials deemed inflated had become a headache for borrowers such as France, Spain, and the European Union, forcing them to take measures such as capping orders.

That came after a series of bond sales where hedge funds consistently submitted bids far in excess of what they could reasonably hope to receive.

Their aim, bankers say, was to maximize the tiny allocations they receive, in order to "flip" or sell on the bonds for a profit. But for debt offices and bankers sifting through floods of orders, gauging true demand levels and pricing the bonds became increasingly difficult.

Now, several months on, order books are significantly smaller, helped by the issuers' efforts, four bankers involved in recent deals said.

France has seen the biggest change, with this month's sale of 30-year debt receiving 28 billion euros in bids, versus 75 billion euros seen at January's 50-year deal.

"I think the accounts are starting to be aware of how we behave," France's debt management office chief Anthony Requin told Reuters.

"We tell (hedge funds) it will not be by the size of their order that the allocation will be determined. On the contrary, the bigger the number, the lower the allocation will be."

Requin said hedge funds and some other "relative value players" -- investors who quickly flip the securities -- comprised 80% of the order book for France's 50-year syndication in January, he estimated that the figure for the most recent deal was half that.

Overall, hedge funds now put in orders ranging between 50 and 500 million euros for French syndications, compared to over a billion euros before the measures were taken, Requin added.

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CAPS

Few dispute hedge funds are important to debt sales; they add liquidity, making it easier for the debt to be bought and sold in the market, and bankers say they are still significantly present in the deals.

But problems associated with inflated orders came into stark relief in January and February when many hedge funds pulled out of Spanish and Italian bond deals when the sovereigns cut the yield on offer as the lower yield made flipping the securities less profitable.

In their latest debt sales, books for Spanish and Italian syndications have shrunk to roughly half of early-2021 peaks.

Italy has not changed its allocation policy, but "has intensified" discussions with hedge funds, asking them to submit realistic orders, debt management chief Davide Iacovoni recently said. Spain's Treasury, which has a cap on orders, did not respond to requests for comment.

"We don't have this anymore," one banker involved in recent deals said, referring to mass order cancellations.

"This is what we tried to remove, because the fact that you had peaks and drops, in a way you lose trust in the execution process," the person said, adding that while investors probably still inflated orders, it no longer impacts the execution process.

Graphic: Order books shrink after DMO efforts: https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/byvrjoljbve/dAsIH-order-books-shrink-after-clampdown-on-hedge-fund-bids.png

The French DMO's Requin said a handful of hedge funds continue to submit very large orders despite the measures, but they have received much smaller allocations on the deals than they would have, even in absolute numbers, had they taken the guidelines into account.

The one entity still seeing huge books is the European Union though it too caps hedge fund orders. Last month's 20 billion-euro debt sale, the first for its pandemic recovery fund, saw over 142 billion euros of orders -- a near-record for a single bond.

Bankers involved with EU debt said its sales still attracts large bids from hedge funds but demand from "real money" investors -- like pension and insurance funds -- has grown sharply too. The amount it is raising per debt sale has also been larger than individual sovereigns.

Spokespeople for the European Commission said it does not openly communicate its allocation policy. It works on the principle that all orders can be fully allocated, they added.

(Reporting by Yoruk Bahceli; editing by Sujata Rao and Toby Chopra)
Google has long run an Android Auto beta program, but joining it was almost impossible before today. Those who tried to take part often got an error message that said the program was maxed out. Thankfully, that's no longer the case. Google is expanding the program, giving anyone with an Android device and a willingness to put up with bugs the opportunity to test the platform's latest features before they're available to the public.

"As a beta tester, you can help us build a better version of Android Auto. You can test how well new features work with your specific phone and vehicle in your part of the world," Google says of the initiative on a support page. "When you share your feedback, we'll use it to help plan improvements for future releases."

You can join the program by visiting the beta opt-in page Google has set up. Click the "Become a tester" button, and then download the beta version of Android Auto from the Play Store. If you eventually decide using unstable software isn't all it's made out to be, you can leave the program.

With Google inching closer to the official release of Android 12, the company likely wants to avoid a repeat of last year's Android 11 release. While the operating system was buggy as a whole at release, Android Auto suffered from some particularly rough bugs. There were numerous audio issues and missing apps. In some instances, the software was also known to 'soft-brick' devices like the Pixel 3 XL. So it's no surprise Google wants more help testing the software.
Proud Boys provide security at a 2nd Amendment rally on May 1, 2021 in Salem, Oregon. Proud Boys from throughout Oregon had previously been laying low following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. capitol. Nathan Howard/Getty Images

Teens with Midwest Youth Liberation Front published racist posts allegedly from Kansas school board candidate Joshua Wells.

Wells espoused white nationalism and claimed to be a member of the Proud Boys and militia groups, according to the Kansas Reflector.

Wells said he has no plans to drop out of the school board race in Haven, Kansas.

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A group of anti-fascist teens tricked a man running for a local school board in Kansas to share his racist and white-supremacist beliefs with them - and then later made them public, according to media reports.

Teenage members of the Midwest Youth Liberation Front told the Kansas Reflector that they contacted Josh Wells, who's running for school board in Haven, Kansas, through Signal after seeing his posts in a White Lives Matter forum.

The group later shared Wells' messages and posts publicly on Twitter.

In messages brought to light by the teens, Wells identified himself as a Proud Boy leader, said he was a former member of the anti-government Three Percenters militia, promoted white supremacy, and pushed conspiracy theories about COVID-19 and the January 6 Capitol insurrection, the Reflector reported.

Wells did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

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After his messages were shared publicly on Twitter, Wells told The Wichita Eagle that he's "not a racist."

He added that he had no plans of dropping out of the school board race.

"I'm not dropping out of the school board race and I'm not going to ask everyone to agree with me and my beliefs but I will always do what's right for our children and their futures," he told The Eagle. "I will not go along with what the superintendent or any of the administration feels I have to do. It's a school board meeting not superintendent/school board meeting. I will not be bullied or intimidated into voting on what they say it's what's best for the kids and parents not administration."

He added that him being a Proud Boy is "irrelevant in the race."

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BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) -Argentina, one of the first countries to widely use Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine, has ratcheted up pressure on Moscow over delays in the arrival of second doses that are holding back the South American nation's inoculation campaign.

The Argentine government sent a letter to Russian state entity RDIF dated July 7, in which it said it urgently needed component 2 doses of the vaccine, which are different from the first dose, and warned that the supply agreement was at risk.

"At this point the entire contract is at risk of being publicly canceled," the government wrote in the letter, which was reported by local newspaper La Nacion on Thursday and confirmed publicly by two senior officials.

"We understand the shortage and the production difficulties of a few months ago. But now, seven months later, we are still far behind, as we are starting to receive doses from other providers on a regular basis, with schedules that are met."

Argentina, with a population of about 45 million, has administered 22.9 million first shots of a COVID-19 vaccine, though only 5.8 million people have been fully inoculated with two doses, one of the biggest lags between first and second jabs in the region.

The country was an early and important advocate of the use of the Sputnik V vaccine, though it has recently looked to amend local legislation to allow more vaccines to arrive from the United States and has tied up a major deal with Moderna Inc.

Health Minister Carla Vizzotti acknowledged the letter to radio station El Destape on Thursday and said it was common practice to push suppliers to help ensure contracts were met. The "pressure" had helped speed things up, she added.

The minister said some 500 liters of the second component of the Sputnik V vaccine would arrive in the coming weeks, enabling domestic production of a further 880,000 second doses by local firm Laboratorios Richmond. More would arrive after that.

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"As a result of this intense negotiation, the panorama regarding component 2, which is our big focus, is becoming clearer," Vizzotti said.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which is responsible for marketing Sputnik V overseas, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Argentina's health ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Cecilia Nicolini, an Argentine presidential adviser, in an interview with Radio con Vos also confirmed the letter and said it was one of many sent between Argentina and Russia as part of negotiations over the purchase and supply of Sputnik V.

(Reporting by Walter Bianchi, Adam Jourdan and Agustin Geist in Buenos Aires, Anton Zverev in Moscow; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Paul Simao)
A 39-year-old man has been arrested in the fatal shooting of a Kansas City, Kansas, woman who was found dead in her home earlier this month.

Verlee McCullough faces a charge of first degree murder in Wyandotte County, Nancy Chartrand, a spokeswoman for the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department, said in a statement Wednesday. McCullough is being held on $1 million bond in the Wyandotte County jail.

The victim, Ashley Jones, was found shot to death on July 8.

Authorities were summoned to Joness home in the 1400 block of North 8th Street for a medical call about a woman experiencing respiratory arrest, police said at the time.

Arriving officers found Jones with an apparent gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Joness killing remains under investigation by the departments major case unit. Police are encouraging anyone with information to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).
Atlantic City lawmakers voted to close the tourist towns 14-year-old needle exchange site on Wednesday, raising fears of a coming health crisis amid HIV outbreaks and skyrocketing drug overdose deaths nationwide.

Its going to be devastating for people  its already devastating, said Carol Harney, who heads the needle exchange site in Atlantic City, called the Oasis Drop-In Center, which serves 1,200 people in the area. Oasis is one of only seven so-called harm-reduction sites, and the largest in the state of New Jersey, providing clean needles, health screenings, overdose-prevention drugs, addiction treatment, and other medical services to people who use drugs and people in recovery.

The highly contentious decision was made in a 72 City Council vote, with 48 out of 50 public comments in favor of keeping the site open. Its just the latest fight to play out nationwide between public health advocates, who see needle exchange programs as saving the lives of deeply vulnerable people, and local officials, who often see exchange programs as hurting businesses, blighting parks and streets, and attracting people who use drugs.

Drug overdoses killed more than 93,000 people in the US last year, a record-high number of deaths after promising signs that the opioid epidemic was beginning to level off. And troubling HIV outbreaks have surfaced in West Virginia and Boston. In the nearly three-hour Atlantic City hearing, public health advocates and people in recovery testified that closing Oasis would inevitably lead to more overdoses and deaths, as well as more cases of HIV, hepatitis, and other illnesses spread by sharing needles.

Needle exchanges have been shown to limit HIV outbreaks by 50%, according to the CDC, and are a gateway to better healthcare, providing overdose prevention medication and addiction recovery services. The citys medical director recommended keeping the facility open, the council members were told at the hearing.

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Most City Council members disagreed on the importance of healthcare for people who use drugs, instead complaining about needle litter and open drug use. The members supporting the closure also argued that Atlantic City had shouldered a disproportionate amount of the services for people who use drugs in a state where very few needle exchanges exist. They called for moving the syringe services site out of the citys tourism district, preferably into other towns, despite the fact that most of its clients lack cars to travel there. One council member who voted to shutter the site claimed he had sustained injuries after being brutally attacked by supporters of the needle exchange. City police are reportedly still investigating the claim.

It doesnt make sense for Atlantic City to be the only place that has to deal with the drug crisis, said City Council President George Tibbitt, who during the meeting held up a plastic jug partly filled with needles he said he had picked up from a park. Were all here to protect our reputation and our children.

LaToya Dunston, a council member who voted to keep the site open, complained that the city had no plan to deal with the 1,200 clients of the needle exchange, most of whom live in Atlantic City. Any loss that could have been prevented falls in our hands as well, said Mo Delgado, a council member who also voted against the closure.

The City Councils vote entirely rejected decades worth of public health science, said Jennifer Oliva, a public health law scholar of the Seton Hall University School of Law, by email.

For Atlantic City and lots of places with tourism, the reality is that there will still be drug use, said Harney, the Oasis chief executive officer. Oasis will continue offering the other health services it provides to the people who rely on the clinic, she added. There are a lot of folks who come to Atlantic City for economic reasons, and then they dont get a job and end up here on the street. They are living here now.

Oasis now has 50 days to end its syringe services program. Oliva said that New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has the authority to halt the decision under the states recently extended authority over Atlantic City. (According to the Governors office, however, the administration does not have that authority and legislation would need to be enacted in order to extend that, said press secretary Alyana Alfaro.) While the governor condemned the closure, Murphy said he hopes to work with the council to find a solution, in a statement. I am deeply disappointed by the Atlantic City Councils decision to close the citys syringe access program. This action will endanger some of the citys most at-risk residents, Murphy said. We remain committed to preserving access to these evidence-based and life-saving services for Atlantic City and area residents.

At the hearing, some council members said state officials were actively looking to find another site for the syringe program. But Harney said she wasnt aware of a specific plan and noted that a previous attempt to move to a new site next to a city homeless shelter was shut down by officials after the bill to close the needle exchange was announced.

Tibbitt noted at the hearing that Kentucky, a state hit hard by the overdose crisis but with half the population of New Jersey, has more than 40 syringe services. Everyone on both sides of the vote agreed that New Jersey needed more than seven programs, said Oliva, but towns across the state simply dont want them in their backyards, and have veto power. Nevertheless, she added, The state should seriously consider invoking its authority and intervening in order to save lives and stop the inevitable spread of communicable diseases.

UPDATE

Jul. 23, 2021, at 00:28 AM

More on this
A day after Chicago saw a series of mass shootings in a matter of hours, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland appeared in the city Thursday to meet with police and community leaders as the Justice Department launches new efforts to stem the flow of illegal firearms here.

Garland, who grew up in north suburban Lincolnwood, began the day in Washington, D.C., to announce the formation of strike forces aimed at going after gun traffickers in several cities, including Chicago, at a time when urban America had seen spikes in gun violence.

He then traveled to Chicago to meet with U.S. Attorney John Lausch, who will oversee the local strike force, as well as police and community leaders, officials said.

Garland also traveled to the Harrison District police station on Chicagos West Side to visit its strategic decision support center, a nerve center that crunches crime data and helps police supervisors determine where to deploy cops.

Flanked by numerous officials, Garland walked slowly through a hallway in the station where he was greeted by Mayor Lori Lightfoot, police Superintendent David Brown and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.

Several local and federal law enforcement and city officials followed him into the cramped nerve center, where a police officer and crime analyst guided Garland through the numerous TV screens that crowded the room.

The screens showed video surveillance of street corners, a map and information about suspects accused of crimes on the West Side.

Asked about how the strike forces will be different from last federal efforts In Chicago, Garland said the feds are learning from past initiatives to be more effective here.

Were learning from the past. This is a particular tactic, Garland said at his second stop of the day, at St. Agatha Catholic Church. The strike forces would work against networks of gun-trafficking, he said.

The networks bringing the guns into the city, (and the strike forces) trying to take those down, Garland said.

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He was asked how the new initiative is different from Operation Legend, a federal law enforcement anti-violence strategy instituted by former President Donald Trumps administration.

This is just one piece of the overall package ... a set of tactics aimed at a particular kind of problem, Garland said.

Late Thursday, Lightfoot said she had a very good visit with Garland and thinks the task force will make a significant difference by coordinating federal resources against gun trafficking across state lines.

Many guns in Chicago are streaming across the border from neighboring states and the South, and the task force will put more focus on the issue, Lightfoot said.

I feel very, very confident of that, the mayor said.

(Some) have said, Well, theres no additional resources, thats not the point, Lightfoot said. Its focused coordination, collaboration, across state lines. Thats going to be a game-changer.

Lightfoot also said people in Chicago neighborhoods are more afraid of federal prison time. Echoing Lightfoot, Brown said the real benefit of federal help is that it will allow illegal gun purchases to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Later in the day, Garland participated in a group discussion with a community organization that mediates gang conflicts and provides support for people most at risk of being a party to violence, either as a victim or perpetrator.

That meeting was held at St. Agatha, about a mile south of the police station.

That stop was symbolic for two reasons: Its within a few blocks of two mass shootings that happened Wednesday evening, leaving nine people wounded and a 15-year-old boy dead. And its the headquarters for READI Chicago, an anti-violence organization that helps people at risk of being involved in violence with therapy, job training and other support.

President Joe Bidens administration has pushed for $5 billion in funding for groups like READI, short for Rapid Employment and Development Initiative.

At a news conference during the visit, Garland walked jovially into a classroom at the church, remarking quietly about how it was weird that he was apparently told by his entourage to stand over an empty chair to address reporters. There, he alluded to his Chicago visit as a homecoming for him, but he sought to draw on his considerable experience prosecuting violent street gangs as a way of showing familiarity with the type of gang problem that has plagued Chicago for decades.

He said prosecutions of violent criminals these days are now contingent on community support coupled with advancements in technology to help law enforcement fight crime.

The strike forces will be led by Lausch and other U.S. attorneys in their respective cities.

Were going to try and mesh it up with grants for communities, Garland said, to prevent violence, to interrupt violence and to provide the kind of relationship from the police and the community necessary to build trust.

Afterward, he walked into another part of the church appearing more relaxed without his blazer, and sat in a circle with Durbin and members of READI, including its Senior Director Eddie Bocanegra, and lauded the groups efforts to prevent violence on Chicagos streets.

We do have money for violence prevention and violence intervention, and what we want to do is find the programs that really work, help them as much as we can in the cities which are really suffering, and then transport that policy around the country to other cities, Garland told the group.

The strike forces  a mix of federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and other law enforcement agencies  will be tasked with identifying and disrupting pipelines that are responsible for bringing illegal guns onto city streets. Law enforcement officials for years have blamed lax gun laws in neighboring states like Indiana and Wisconsin for making it easier for Chicago criminals to obtain guns when theyre not allowed to own them.

Bidens administration announced similar strike forces being formed New York, Los Angeles, the Bay Area/Sacramento region and Washington, D.C.

The teams are the latest strategy in the federal governments effort to fight gun violence, and Chicago has been a focal point of that fight.

Last year, under the Trump administration, Chicago and other cities received a surge of federal agents to fight violence as part of Operation Legend, named in honor of 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed in Kansas City, Missouri. In Chicago, the operation involved a few hundred federal agents from the ATF, Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Chicago police and other big-city police departments routinely work with federal law enforcement on criminal investigations. Such partnerships over the years have included Project Exile, aimed at shifting more gun prosecutions to federal court for tougher penalties, and Project Safe Neighborhoods, designed to better coordinate federal resources and local intelligence on crime.

One of the key missions of the federal anti-violence effort is also to be more aggressive in going after straw purchasers, people who make legal purchases of guns on behalf of criminals. Such rogue purchases can potentially be made under the noses of licensed firearms dealers, even in Illinois where the gun laws are considerably stricter than Indiana and Wisconsin.

Garlands visit comes as Brown on Monday announced a separate strategy to expand the departments own firearm investigation efforts.

The Police Department announced that a dedicated 50-person unit, which started work last weekend and consists of already existing teams of cops, will go after illegal gun traffickers, including straw purchasers.

The department will also focus on people who have guns even though their state-issued firearm owners identification cards have been revoked, Brown said. He said his new effort, first organized in the spring, will complement the federal gun-trafficking strike forces.

Brown is facing pressure from aldermen and other critics of the Police Department who want a quick reduction in shootings and homicides that have crippled parts of the city this year.

Homicides were down 3% over 2020 with 410 homicides, statistics show, 11 fewer than last year. But shootings  incidents where at least one person was shot fatally or nonfatally  were up 9% over last year and 60% over 2019, according to official CPD statistics through Sunday.
The Daily Beast

Chip Somodevilla/GettyOn July 22, Chairman Bennie Thompson announced the senior staff for the fledgling 1/6 committee. On paper, the choices were beyond reproach. Until you saw who was named staff director, and just how sketchy his professional past is.Thompsons announcement described David Buckley in glowing terms. He was staff director of a congressional intelligence committee, showing that he was not afraid to go up against the most recalcitrant of executive branch agencies. That kind of exp
Ben & Jerrys and its parent company Unilever have an unusual acquisition agreement that allowed the famously liberal company to stop selling ice cream in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, even though it has created tension between the two parties.

Unilever, a London-based multinational corporation, acquired Vermont-based Ben & Jerrys in 2000 in a $326 million deal. It included an agreement that an external board would be created to oversee Ben & Jerrys social mission. That board was vested with the authority to push back against Unilever.

On Monday, the company generated waves when it released a statement: We believe it is inconsistent with our values for Ben & Jerrys ice cream to be sold in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). We also hear and recognize the concerns shared with us by our fans and trusted partners.

The statement also added that it has a licensing agreement with an Israeli franchisee but is not looking to renew that when it expires next year. It went on to say that while the ice cream wont be sold in the contested areas, Ben & Jerrys will stay in Israel through a different arrangement.

ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER WARNS OF SEVERE CONSEQUENCES, INCLUDING LEGAL, FOR BEN & JERRYS

Unilever then released its own statement that noted the complexity of the geopolitical situation in the Levant and emphasized that the corporation remains fully committed to our presence in Israel, where we have invested in our people, brands and business for several decades.

Unilever highlighted the terms of the 2000 agreement and said it has always recognized the right of the brand and its independent board to handle the ice cream companys social mission. We also welcome the fact that Ben & Jerrys will stay in Israel, it added.

But the independent boards chairwoman, Anuradha Mittal, told NBC News that Ben & Jerrys had intended to put out a different statement than the one issued, one that made no reference to the continued ice cream sales in Israel at all. She said Unilever broke the terms of the 2000 agreement by publishing the statement without the independent boards approval.

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I am saddened by the deceit of it, Mittal said. This is not about Israel. It is about the violation of the acquisition agreement that maintained the soul of the company. I can't stop thinking that this is what happens when you have a board with all women and people of color who have been pushing to do the right thing.

Mittal described the acquisition agreement as amazingly unique in that it ties the hands of Ben & Jerrys chief executive officer and Unilever.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

After the controversial move to nix sales in the disputed territories, Unilever received pushback from Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who spoke with the head of the conglomerate after the decision. Bennett told Unilever CEO Alan Jope that he takes a very serious view of the decision by Ben & Jerrys to boycott Israel. He characterized the move as a clearly anti-Israeli step.

The Washington Examiner contacted both Ben & Jerrys and Unilever for comment about the decision but didnt receive responses.

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Tags: News, Business, Israel, Food and Beverage, Activism, Foreign Policy, Palestinians

Original Author: Zachary Halaschak

Original Location: How Ben & Jerry's nixed West Bank sales while being part of giant conglomerate Unilever
President Joe Biden has imposed new sanctions on Cuba's defense minister and special forces brigade amid growing political pressure to respond punitively to the regime's human rights abuses during recent protests.

This is just the beginning  the United States will continue to sanction individuals responsible for oppression of the Cuban people, Biden said in a statement Thursday.

The Treasury Department singled out Cuban defense minister Alvaro Lopez Miera for having played an integral role in the repression of ongoing protests in Cuba.

The Cuban government deployed a Ministry of the Interior special forces unit, known as the Boinas Negras, or Black Berets, "to suppress and attack protesters," according to a department statement.

HOW BIDEN'S CUBA HANDLING WEIGHS ON BATTLEGROUND FLORIDA

The White House urged the regime to release people detained during the protests last week.

"We continue to call for the swift release of peaceful protesters who have unjustly been detained," press secretary Jen Psaki said.

Last week, a senior administration official said numerous prominent activists were missing following the government's crackdown.

Record numbers of protesters joined last week's unusual demonstrations on the island, prompting dozens of arrests and taking the regime by surprise, a senior administration told reporters last week.

In terms of whether the Cuban regime was caught unawares  I think all of us were caught unawares even though we knew that the level of oppression had increased, this person said.

Biden at the time said the U.S. "stands firmly" with them and their clarion call for freedom, but lawmakers and outside activists have urged him to take stronger action.

On Thursday, the administration said it would work with private corporations to help bring secure internet to the island, a plan backed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Marco Rubio, both Republicans. And it is reviewing a policy on remittances for people with family members in the country.

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The White House has also engaged Cuban American activists and leaders as it weighed its response.

Democratic political operative Sasha Tirador, who was part of a group briefed by administration officials, voiced support for the move.

"This is the right thing," Tirador told the Washington Examiner on Thursday.

Speaking to the Washington Examiner last week, Tirador had voiced frustration over Biden's approach, stating, He has the opportunity to make history and do the right thing.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

She added, "Otherwise, the Democrats can kiss the state of Florida goodbye for years to come."

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, White House, Biden Administration, Joe Biden, Cuba, Sanctions

Original Author: Katherine Doyle

Original Location: Biden administration sanctions Cuban defense minister and special forces unit
Biden Cuba Haiti (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

US President Joe Biden has announced a plan to sanction top Cuban officials while hammering the governments treatment of what it called political prisoners.

A statement from the president on Thursday condemned the Cuban governments response to recent unrest in the country, where in recent weeks both pro- and anti-government demonstrators have rallied in the streets.

Today, my Administration is imposing new sanctions targeting elements of the Cuban regime responsible for this crackdown  the head of the Cuban military and the division of the Cuban Ministry of the Interior driving the crackdown  to hold them accountable for their actions, said Mr Biden, adding: This is just the beginning  the United States will continue to sanction individuals responsible for oppression of the Cuban people.

His statement came shortly after White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed that the State Department and Treasury Department would put out specific information regarding the new sanctions later on Thursday afternoon.

The president added in his statement that the US was working to restore internet access a  which is limited on the island mostly to cell phones a  and provide consular services to Cubans at the US embassy in Havana.

We are working with civil society organisations and the private sector to provide internet access to the Cuban people that circumvents the regimes censorship efforts, said the president.

Cubas government and the US have offered opposing explanations for the economic troubles of the country cited by some anti-government demonstrators, which is facing food shortages and other issues exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Cuban officials say the problems are a result of the ongoing US trade embargo, which has lasted for decades, while US leaders maintain that the communist governments officials enrich themselves at the expense of their citizens.

The country developed its own vaccine for Covid-19, and has fully vaccinated just over 18 per cent of its population. It is the only country in Central America to not join the COVAX initiative, preventing it from receiving vaccines donated by the US and other wealthier nations.
The Biden administration named a special envoy to Haiti on Thursday as a new interim government took power and the Caribbean nation prepared to bury its assassinated president, Jovenel Moise.

Ambassador Daniel Foote, who has served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Haiti and previously as the U.S. Ambassador to Zambia, will engage with Haitian and international partners to facilitate long-term peace and stability and support efforts to hold free and fair presidential and legislative elections, State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

He will also work with partners to coordinate assistance efforts in several areas, including humanitarian, security, and investigative assistance, Price added.

Ambassador Daniel Foote

Bidens team has been urging that democratic elections take place this year amid the countrys protracted economic and political crisis, despite concerns within Haiti that gang violence could stifle the vote.

The U.S. government is currently assisting the Haitian National Polices investigation into Moises murder and has offered broad assistance to the interim government. The Biden administration also delivered 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the country last week  Haitis first vaccine doses  and says that more are on the way.

But Biden has ruled out sending U.S. troops to the country after the government requested security assistance to secure its ports and election infrastructure in the wake of Moises death.

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken praised the formation of a new interim government under Prime Minister Ariel Henry and repeated his call for elections.

We remain committed to supporting the Haitian governments investigation into the assassination of Jovenel Moise, expanding COVID-19 vaccination efforts, working with the Haitian National Police to promote security and the rule of law, and coordinating with the international community to establish the conditions necessary for Haitians to vote as soon as feasible, Blinken said.

We call on all Haitians to work together to maintain peace and will continue to support the Haitian people as they strive to build a stable, prosperous, and democratic country.
President Biden said Wednesday that Republicans are lying when they say Democrats want to defund the police.

The president went on to explain the various ways that policing should be reformed and also denied ever calling for police to be defunded.

"Ive never said defund the police," Biden claimed.

"Theyre lying," Biden said during a CNN "town hall" when asked about Republican claims that the Democratic party supports defunding the police.

Biden also said it would be a good idea to bring social workers, including psychiatrists, to crime scenes.

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Last summer, Biden expressed support for taking money from police departments and reallocating it to other places.

CALIFORNIA POLICE CHIEF WARNS $18 MILLION BUDGET CUT LEAVES THE CITY LESS SAFE

"Yes, absolutely," Biden said on the campaign trail when asked if he agrees that "we can redirect some of the [police] funding."

In the town hall, Biden also called for more police on the streets.

"We need more policemen, not fewer policemen but we need them involved in community policing," Biden said.

Many prominent members of the Democratic Party have explicitly called for police departments across the country to be defunded, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who scoffed at a proposal to strip a billion dollars from the New York Police Departments budget and suggested it wasnt enough.

"Defunding police means defunding police," the New York Democrat said in a statement . "It does not mean budget tricks or funny math. It does not mean moving school police officers from the NYPD budget to the Department of Educations budget so the exact same police remain in schools."

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Several Democratic-run cities have also moved to defund police departments including in Minneapolis, where George Floyds death caused massive unrest last summer, where local officials attempted to disband the police before backtracking after stern pushback from the community .

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Joe Biden Drew Angerer/Getty Images

President Biden announced new sanctions against Cuba on Thursday, in response to the government's crackdown on historic protests on the island. But some progressives, experts on U.S.-Cuba relations, and Biden's own State Department say the sanctions probably won't do all that much.

The sanctions will target Cuba's defense minister and the communist nation's special forces brigade, reports CNBC. "This is just the beginning  the United States will continue to sanction individuals responsible for oppression of the Cuban people," said Biden. Cuban Defense Minister Alvaro Lopez Miera "played an integral role in the repression of ongoing protests in Cuba," the U.S. argues. But as USA Today notes, Miera likely doesn't hold any U.S. assets that would be affected by sanctions, and Cuba's interior ministry was already blacklisted by the Trump administration.

"The sanctions architecture built around Cuba makes these designations entirely redundant," Ryan C. Berg, an expert on Latin America at the Center for Strategic and International Studies told USA Today. "The sanctions are purely symbolic and meant to give the impression that the Biden administration is responding rapidly to the Cuban protests when these actions really are not doing much."

State Department spokesperson Ned Price discussed the sanctions with reporters on Thursday, but acknowledged that the practical effects would be minimal, at least for now. Price said there was "an important messaging element" to the sanctions. "It's an important signal of our determination to hold accountable those responsible."

The Biden administration is promising that the sanctions are just the first of many actions  USA Today notes that the protests have seemingly changed Biden's mind on his campaign promise to take a softer approach on Cuba and ease sanctions. And symbolic or not, many experts and lawmakers do think the sanctions are likely the right decision. Progressives and advocates who argue the U.S. embargo on Cuba is contributing to the current unrest are unlikely to agree that more sanctions are the answer.

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An attempted burglary in California turned sour for a pair of intruders when the homeowner shot them, killing one and injuring the other.

The homeowner fought back when two people broke into his home in Guinda shortly after 9 p.m., killing a male suspect while a female suspect survived. The surviving suspect was taken to a local hospital with a serious injury.

The unnamed homeowner said he saw headlights in his driveway, which gave him time to get his firearm and stand ready when the suspects tried to break in, FOX 40 reported.

"He did not go out to confront these people," Lt. Gary Hallenbeck with the Yolo County Sheriffs Office said. "He stayed in the house, and eventually, these people came into the residence."

The Yolo County Sheriffs Office told Fox News that the initial investigation "did not find any reason that the homeowner would have been prevented from possession of a firearm."

CHICAGO DRIVE-BY SHOOTING LEAVES 8 INJURED IN THIRD MASS ATTACK IN SIX HOURS, POLICE SAY

"The firearm that was believed to have been used was legal to possess under California law," Hallenbeck said.

The homeowner claimed he had come home earlier that day and found tools and a firearm missing, which put him on edge. Investigators have not yet determined whether the same suspects committed the initial burglary.

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The homeowner cooperated with deputies when they arrived on the scene.

Hallenbeck said it was rare for a homeowner to actually shoot intruders.

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"Its a decision the homeowner had to make and a decision hes going to have to live with," Hallenbeck told CBS 13 Sacramento.

The identities of the suspects have not been released.

Deputies said the homeowner was not injured during the encounter.
Activision Blizzard is facing a lawsuit filed by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing for fostering what the agency describes as a "frat boy" workplace. As first reported by Bloomberg Law, the DFEH sued the gaming giant after a two-year investigation wherein it came to the conclusion that the company discriminated against female employees. In addition to receiving smaller salaries than their male counterparts, female employees were also allegedly subjected to constant sexual harassment.

The DFEH enumerated several findings from its investigation in its complaint (PDF). Activision Blizzard's workforce is only about 20 percent women, and very few of them reach top roles in the company, the court document reads. Further, those who do reach higher roles earn less salary and total compensation than their male peers. Other female employees in non-executive roles are also paid less, promoted more slowly and terminated more quickly.

DFEH also said that the defendant's "frat boy" culture is a "breeding ground for harassment and discrimination against women." Female employees constantly have to fend off unwanted sexual comments, the agency wrote. They have to endure being groped during "cube crawls," in which male employees would drink alcohol as they make their way around various cubicles, as well. The document mentioned one particularly egregious case, in which a female employee took her own life during a business trip with a male supervisor who brought sex toys with him on the trip. According to Bloomberg, that employee was severely harassed prior to her death, with her nude photos passed around during a company holiday party.

Activision Blizzard's HR department received a lot of harassment, discrimination and retaliation complaints, the DFEH said. However, the defendant allegedly failed to take "effective remedial measures in response" to them. Also, people were apparently discouraged from making complaints, since human resource personnel were known to be close to the alleged harassers.

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The state agency has filed the lawsuit to force the video game titan to comply with California's workplace protections. It's also seeking unpaid wages and pay adjustments for female employees.

Activision Blizzard, however, denies DEFH's allegations. In a statement, the company said that the agency's lawsuit "includes distorted, and in many cases false, descriptions of Blizzard's past." It called the DFEH's complaint "inaccurate" and described the lawsuit as the "type of irresponsible behavior from unaccountable State bureaucrats that are driving many of the State's best businesses out of California."

The whole statement, courtesy of Kotaku, reads:

"We value diversity and strive to foster a workplace that offers inclusivity for everyone. There is no place in our company or industry, or any industry, for sexual misconduct or harassment of any kind. We take every allegation seriously and investigate all claims. In cases related to misconduct, action was taken to address the issue.

The DFEH includes distorted, and in many cases false, descriptions of Blizzards past. We have been extremely cooperative with the DFEH throughout their investigation, including providing them with extensive data and ample documentation, but they refused to inform us what issues they perceived. They were required by law to adequately investigate and to have good faith discussions with us to better understand and to resolve any claims or concerns before going to litigation, but they failed to do so. Instead, they rushed to file an inaccurate complaint, as we will demonstrate in court. We are sickened by the reprehensible conduct of the DFEH to drag into the complaint the tragic suicide of an employee whose passing has no bearing whatsoever on this case and with no regard for her grieving family. While we find this behavior to be disgraceful and unprofessional, it is unfortunately an example of how they have conducted themselves throughout the course of their investigation. It is this type of irresponsible behavior from unaccountable State bureaucrats that are driving many of the States best businesses out of California.

The picture the DFEH paints is not the Blizzard workplace of today. Over the past several years and continuing since the initial investigation started, weve made significant changes to address company culture and reflect more diversity within our leadership teams. Weve updated our Code of Conduct to emphasize a strict non-retaliation focus, amplified internal programs and channels for employees to report violations, including the ASK List with a confidential integrity hotline, and introduced an Employee Relations team dedicated to investigating employee concerns. We have strengthened our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and combined our Employee Networks at a global level, to provide additional support. Employees must also undergo regular anti-harassment training and have done so for many years.

We put tremendous effort in creating fair and rewarding compensation packages and policies that reflect our culture and business, and we strive to pay all employees fairly for equal or substantially similar work. We take a variety of proactive steps to ensure that pay is driven by non-discriminatory factors. For example, we reward and compensate employees based on their performance, and we conduct extensive anti-discrimination trainings including for those who are part of the compensation process.
Axios

A widespread heat wave has begun across the contiguous U.S., with at least 30 million people likely to see temperatures reach or exceed 100F by the end of the week. At least 17 states are under heat warnings or advisories on Tuesday.Why it matters: The hot weather, which comes courtesy of another heat dome building across the Southwest, Rockies and then sliding into the western Plains, will only aggravate drought conditions and worsen many of the western wildfires.Stay on top of the latest mark
Captain America: The First Avenger architects Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely explain how Chris Evans fundamentally changed original conception of Cap and alternate storylines that wound up being cut.

Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely were an established team with solid credits when they entered into the orbit of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2008. After meeting in a creative writing program in 1994, the respective Buffalo, N.Y., and Bay Area natives forged a partnership and subsequently collaborated on the HBO biopic The Life and Times of Peter Sellers (2004), the indie mobster drama You Kill Me (2007) and, most prominently, the Chronicles of Narnia trilogy (2005-10).

Joining Marvel, however, would change everything  and ultimately place them among the top three most successful screenwriters of all time thanks to their work on the saga-capping Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019).

But it all began with Captain America: The First Avenger, the first of three Cap movies they would co-write, and which opened in theaters 10 years ago, on July 22, 2011.

It started with a theoretical conversation, before Marvel was even making movies, where we said, Wouldnt it be neat to make a comic book movie starring a superhero at the time when they were actually created? Markus told us in a recent joint interview with McFeely to commemorate the films anniversary (watch above).

Their agent later alerted them the Kevin Feige-led Marvel Studios was doing exactly that with its first Captain America movie. Directed by Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park III, Jumanji, The Rocketeer), the film would trace the origin story of Steve Rogers as he transforms from a scrawny Brooklyn kid into a super soldier squaring off against Nazis in World War II.

We then chased Cap all year, McFeely says. And remember, these are early days for that studio. Theres six people in the whole building, theyre above a car dealership, theyre not the Marvel we think of now.

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Markus and McFeely landed the gig, boarding Cap well before its eventual star, Chris Evans.

And they worked in a production office loaded with concept art featuring other actors in the role. They would do sketches of the costumes and sometimes theyll just pick an actor and put him in the costume, McFeely remembers. Maybe its a wish-fulfillment thing or something but I remember a lot of Jake Gyllenhaal-as-Cap pictures.

Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan in 'Captain America: The First Avenger' (Paramount/Marvel)

They also watched Sebastian Stan audition for the title role before he was ultimately cast as Steves closest friend, Bucky Barnes, the future Winter Soldier.

He carried some of what he carried into Bucky, which then carried into [the 2014 sequel] The Winter Soldier, which is he has a darkness to him, Markus recalled about Stans take on Cap. Thats a more troubled Steve Rogers than I was counting on. But we do have a guy who could be troubled right over there! His troubledness has played off in spades.

Evans was initially reluctant to take on such an iconic role, especially after a pair of critically lambasted Fantastic Four movies. However, once he joined, he proved eager to help reshape Rogers.

He was very conscious of not wanting snark, Markus says. It was a very good understanding of Captain America, which is that if this guys going to fly as a character and as an authority figure, eventually, hes got to have the gravity right away, no matter what the situation. Which is what we all came to realize, that Steve Rogers was born Captain America, he just didnt have the body for it. And Evans got that. I think he may have taken a joke or two out is what I remember.

The script changed dramatically from the time Markus and McFeely came onboard in 2008 to its eventual release in 2011, with the writers saying the biggest difference involved a huge Hydra robot.

A large chunk of the third act was Cap fighting this robot, Markus reveals. It was a Nazi super robot under the control of the villainous Red Skull (Hugo Weaver) called Panzermax.

I think eventually it was a budget and time thing, Markus explains. Where it was like, We really cant be spending that much time.

Chris Evans in 'Captain America: The First Avenger' (Paramount/Marvel)

Cap never fought that huge Nazi super robot, but if you ask Markus and McFeely, the star-spangled hero did get into another type of entanglement offscreen.

The question of if and when Steve Rogers ever lost his virginity after being frozen in ice for 60-plus years has long been theorized and joked about by Marvel fans and pundits. One popular opinion is that Rogers didnt have sex until he stayed in the past to grow old with Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) following the time-hopping climax of Avengers: Endgame.

I think he loses his virginity! McFeely reacts emphatically. Why do people think hes a virgin?

McFeely suggests that Steve might have been doing a little more than singing and dancing during his USO Tour across the nation to introduce him as Captain America and promote war bonds.

If you look like that, and youre going to city to city, and youre signing autographs for the likes of the ladies that hes signing the autographs for, Ive got to imagine that [he lost his virginity], McFeely explains.

Yeah, Markus agrees. And the thing to remember is Steve Rogers isnt a prude. He may be occasionally presented that way. Hes a guy that believes in right and wrong and all these things, but hes not a choirboy. Hes a World War II veteran.

Since wrapping up their work on Avengers: Endgame, the second-highest-grossing film of all time, Markus and McFeely have been plenty busy themselves. Theyre now partners in AGBO, the production studio formed by Avengers directors Anthony and Joe Russo, and have several projects currently in the works. Among them: Cambridge Analytica, a drama about whistleblower Christopher Wylie; the Millie Bobby Brown-starring The Electric State; and a reunion with Evans in The Gray Man, which also stars Ryan Gosling.

 Video produced by Anne Lilburn and edited by Jimmie Rhee

Watch Markus and McFeely talk all about Avengers: Endgame:

Read more on Yahoo Entertainment:
Chinese tech giants - including Alibaba's Taobao and Tencent QQ have been fined for distributing soft porn sticker packs and sexually suggestive videos with underage children in them. Budrul Chukrut/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Chinese tech giants were fined for distributing "soft porn" sticker packs and sexually suggestive videos with minors in them.

The companies have been told to remove related content on their sites.

The internet watchdog also imposed a blanket ban on people under 16 from appearing in livestreams.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Chinese tech giants including Alibaba's Taobao, Tencent QQ, social media site Weibo, short video platform Kuaishou, and Chinese online shopping platform Little Red Book, have been fined for distributing content that exploits minors on their platforms, the Cyberspace administration of China (CAC) said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Chinese internet regulator said the companies were fined for the distribution of "soft pornography" sticker packs featuring minors and videos of underage children behaving in a sexually suggestive manner. The companies have also been ordered to scrub their sites of related content.

Tencent, Alibaba, and Little Red Book did not immediately respond to queries from Insider.

The fines were part of China's wider crackdown on regulating the internet for young people, with the CAC saying that it wanted to "create a healthy online environment for minors."

Under the campaign "Summer cleanup of the internet for minors," the CAC issued a blanket ban on young people under 16 from appearing on livestreams, which have become an extremely popular way for Chinese e-commerce sites to sell goods.

The statement did not detail how the agency is going to impose the ban, which would likely be left up to companies to comply.

The internet regulator said the move is aimed at preventing young people from "worshipping money" and selling "extravagant pleasure." The CAC also pledged to clean up videos and animations containing violence.

Popular e-commerce sites in China, like Taobao and Little Red Book, have come under fire from the public and state media in recent months over the use of sexually suggestive photos and videos of minors to sell items, reported AP.

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The move by the CAC was welcomed by Weibo users, with the hashtag "banning under 16s from livestreaming" trending on China's Twitter-like platform.

This is not the first time China is regulating online activities for minors. In 2018, it banned users under 14 from signing up for Weibo, and in 2019, it imposed a ban on young people under 18 from playing video games between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. Earlier this month, Tencent rolled out a midnight patrol that uses facial recognition to boot out under 18s from playing video games at night.

Read the original article on Insider
A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued a survivor of a bear attack after spotting his SOS sign on top of a shack at a remote mining camp in Alaska, according to the agency. The man told the aircrew the bear harassed him nightly for several days after the attack.

The crew spotted the man while flying from Kotzebue, Alaska, to Nome last Friday, the Coast Guard said in a statement Tuesday. Near Nome, the crew saw the SOS sign and the man waving his hands.

The crew landed and assessed the man. The Coast Guard said he appeared to have suffered a leg injury and a bruised torso.

An aerial photo shows a remote mining camp near Nome, Alaska, where a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued a survivor of a bear attack July 16, 2021. / Credit: U.S. Coast Guard

The Coast Guard didn't identify the man, but his rescuers told the New York Times he was in his late 50s or early 60s.

"At some point, a bear had dragged him down to the river," Lieutenant Commander Jared Carbajal, one of the helicopter pilots, told the newspaper.

Carbajal told the Times the man had a pistol and he said he hadn't slept in a few days. By the time he was rescued, the man only had two rounds of ammunition left, Petty Officer First Class Ali Blackburn, a Coast Guard spokeswoman, told the paper.

The crew transported the man to Nome for treatment. Carbajal told the paper the crew wouldn't have spotted him if their flight path hadn't gone by the camp.

"If we would have been in the next river valley over," he said, "we would have totally missed him."

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By Oliver Griffin

BOGOTA (Reuters) -Colombia has arrested 10 people accused of involvement in attacks on a helicopter carrying President Ivan Duque and a military base last month that officials said on Thursday were planned by former FARC rebel leaders based in Venezuela.

The car bombing at the base in the northeastern city of Cucuta, home to the army's 30th Brigade, wounded 44 people, including two U.S. military advisers. Later in June, a helicopter approaching the city with Duque and other officials aboard was strafed by bullets.

The 10 people captured in Norte de Santander province are former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels who reject a 2016 peace deal, Attorney General Francisco Barbosa said in a news conference broadcast via social media, and belong to the dissidents' 33rd front.

Three of them took part in the planning and execution of both attacks and have been detained and charged, while another is a retired army captain, Barbosa said.

Orders to carry out the attacks came from former FARC leaders who are operating from Venezuela, Defense Minister Diego Molano said during the news conference.

Molano said the attacks demonstrated that the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro sheltered FARC dissidents, referring to them as "terrorists."

"It's clear that this attack against the president, against the 30th Brigade, was planned from Venezuela," Molano said.

Colombia's government has long accused Maduro of turning a blind eye to the presence of Colombian rebels on his country's territory. Maduro, in turn, has said Venezuela is a victim of criminals from Colombia.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza responded on Twitter, accusing Molano of pointing at Venezuela in an effort to distract from Colombia's internal problems.

"Once again they use Venezuela to try to hide the tragedy of their country," he said, adding that Colombia was riddled with violence and armed groups, with an economy reliant on drug trafficking.

(Reporting by Oliver Griffin in BogotaAdditional reporting by Vivian Sequera in CaracasEditing by Joe Bavier and Paul Simao)
A Colorado judge ruled last week that the lengthy arrest affidavit for Barry Morphew, who is charged with murdering his wife Suzanne, will remain sealed, according to a freedom of information group in the Centennial State.

The decision comes after numerous news outlets filed a request to be able to see the 130-page document.

The media consortium includes the Associated Press, the Denver Post, Fox affiliates KDVR-TV and KXRM-TV as well as a half-dozen other outlets, Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition Executive Director Jeffrey Roberts wrote on his organizations website Wednesday.

BARRY MORPHEW'S NEW DEFENSE TEAM TANGLES WITH PROSECUTORS IN PRETRIAL MURDER HEARING

"The Media Consortium questions the legitimacy of denying public access to the entire Affidavit based upon the length and details contained within it and also questions the likelihood that this information cant be redacted," District Court Judge Patrick W. Murphy wrote in an order published to the CFOIC site. "However, it wasnt merely the details and length of the Affidavit that resulted in the Courts decision to restrict public access."

Murphy explained that he wanted to give more time to both prosecutors and the defense team to offer input on what to redact from the affidavit before allowing its release  especially since the Morphews have daughters.

Steve Zansberg, a media lawyer and president of the CFOIC, had argued that the media and public have a "presumptive right" to see the affidavit.

Arrest affidavits generally contain much greater detail than what is released in investigators statements to the media, providing insights into possible motives, specifics of the crime and a timeline of events. They include firsthand accounts from detectives, witness statements and other key information  sometimes even photographic evidence.

COLORADO AUTHORITIES FILE NEW CHARGES AGAINST BARRY MORPHEW IN WIFE'S DISAPPEARANCE, SUSPECTED DEATH

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Although Morphews affidavit remains secret, District Attorney Linda Stanley said in May that her office and investigators felt they have gathered enough to charge him with a slew of felonies.

Suzanne Morphew was reported missing on May 10, 2020  Mothers Day  after she was believed to have gone out for a bike ride. Chaffee County prosecutors said they believe she had been killed that day or the day prior. Police found her bicycle on a trail near her home in Salida, Colo.

On May 19, Chaffee County prosecutors added two felonies, tampering with a deceased human body and possession of a dangerous weapon, to his previous list of charges: first-degree murder after deliberation, tampering with physical evidence and attempt to influence a public servant.

The only information provided regarding the pair of new charges were outlined in an amended complaint released on May 19. Regarding the weapon possession charge, court papers allege Morphew possessed a short rifle "between and including May 9, 2020 and March 4, 2021."

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As for the charge of tampering with a deceased human body, Morphew "destroyed, mutilated, concealed, removed, or altered a human body, part of a human body, or human remains with intent to impair its or their appearance or availability," court papers state. Morphew did so between May 9, 2020 and May 10, 2020, "believing that an official proceeding was pending, in progress, or about to be instituted, and acting without legal right or authority," the document states.

Morphew is due back in court for a virtual hearing at 1 p.m. local time on Thursday.

Fox News Stephanie Pagones contributed to this report.
Almost nobody is happy with the U.S.-Germany deal on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. On the Hill, Republicans like Sen. Ted Cruz expressed outrage and Democrats like Sen. Tim Kaine voiced concern. In Europe, the Ukrainians feel bullied and the Poles disappointed.

The big picture: Ukraine and U.S. allies on the eastern flank of NATO argue the pipeline will make it easier for Moscow to isolate Kyiv and pressure Europe. They say the U.S.-Germany deal doesn't sufficiently address those concerns.

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For Russia and Germany, though, the deal is confirmation a natural gas pipeline the Biden White House has called "a Kremlin geopolitical project that threatens European energy security" will be completed.

Driving the news: The Biden administration argued Wednesday it was Donald Trump who missed a chance to stop the pipeline by implementing sanctions sooner.

Officials say they secured the best deal they could from Germany on a pipeline 90% complete when they took office.

Germany pledged to "take action at the national level and press for effective measures at the European level, including sanctions," if Russia tries to "use energy as a weapon" or cuts off gas to its neighbor.

That would now be much simpler as Nord Stream 2 circumvents Ukraine, unlike existing pipelines carrying Russian gas to Europe.

Between the lines: The administration was careful to emphasize that Ukraine had been consulted throughout the process. But an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tells Axios the steps announced Wednesday fall well short of their expectations and utterly fail to address Ukraine's security concerns.

Ukraine and Poland also released a joint statement saying the steps were "not sufficient."

Asked by Axios about the Ukrainian objections, a senior administration official insisted the deal would reduce the risk to Ukraine and would hopefully "enable us to move forward with conversations in a number of other areas, including on security, rather than only talking about Nord Stream 2."

Behind the scenes: While members of the Biden administration were finalizing their deal with Germany, they were working with the Ukrainians to set a date for Zelensky's White House visit, which the Ukrainian president had initially stated would be this month.

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The Ukrainians felt the administration was effectively linking the White House visit to Ukraine's position on the Nord Stream deal and pressuring them not to speak out. A senior administration official denied that in a statement to Axios.

But the visit is now set for Aug. 30, at which point Congress will be out of session and Zelensky will have a much harder time rallying opposition in D.C. to the pipeline.

Worth noting: Zelensky's visit was announced a day after the Ukrainian president criticized Biden's approach to Nord Stream 2 in an interview with Axios and pleaded for a meeting before the June Biden-Putin summit.

The latest: The White House probably could have done without this headline out of Moscow on Wednesday night: "Putin, Merkel express satisfaction with prompt completion of Nord Stream 2 construction in phone call."

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Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D., N.J.) lamented the Biden administrations decision to re-incarcerate thousands of federal convicts who were temporarily discharged during the pandemic to reduce COVID transmission in prison facilities. She claimed that the prisoners have proven to be valuable members of society during the break.

The unanticipated reprieve brought on by Covid-19 proved it is possible to safely reduce the prison population. Meanwhile, these inmates have shown to be contributing members of society, improving the wellbeing of their families and communities, the legislator noted.

The convicts are scheduled to return to jail as soon as the Biden administration ends the COVID-related national emergency.

This is an extremely disappointing decision, Watson Coleman wrote in a statement Wednesday. It directly conflicts with President Bidens commitments to criminal justice reform and the overall reduction of our prison population.

The lawmaker cited the exorbitant cost of imprisoning criminals, which she alleged America does at a disproportionately higher rate than the rest of the world. She suggested that it is unfair to deploy crucial funds for incarceration rather than for social priorities such as poverty, homelessness, health insurance coverage, and veterans.

Todays decision by the Biden administration is a failure to address the overpopulation crisis in a way that does not require Congress or the Courts. In this respect, this action is both cruel and unnecessary, she added.

According to Watson Colemans statement, President Bidens action applies to approximately 4,000 non-violent inmates, who will be required to serve the remainder of their sentences once the pandemic comes to a close per a memo issued in the final days of the Trump administration.

The memo stipulated that federal Bureau of Prisons must recall prisoners in home confinement to correctional facilities once the national emergency order is lifted, according to Reuters. Biden has yet to reverse this Trump-era policy.

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Former Attorney General William Barr directed the BOP to release non-violent federal inmates with certain qualifications into home confinement in March 2020 before Biden assumed office.

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Nicole Young officially filed for divorce from the rapper in 2020 and has been receiving temporary spousal support

Dr. Dres separation from Nicole Young continues to get ironed out in the public eye. According to recent reports, the rapper will have to pay $300K a month in spousal support to his ex.

As theGrio has previously reported, Dr. Dre and his estranged wife have been in the midst of a tense separation for quite some time now. Young filed for divorce from the rapper in June 2020, and over a year later the proceedings still continue.

She originally requested $2 million per month for spousal support. Now, per a new Page Six report, court documents reveal Dre, born Andre Romelle Young, will have to pay a smaller, though still substantial, amount to his ex.

Dr. Dre and Nicole Young attend the City of Hope Spirit of Life Gala 2018 on Oct.11, 2018, in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

According to court documents obtained by Page Six on Thursday, Dre will have to pay $293,306 per month in spousal support starting on Aug. 1. Per the report, Dre will have to continue paying monthly until she remarries or enters into a domestic partnership  or unless the court orders otherwise at a later date.

The agreement will also end if either one of them dies, court documents say.

He also has to continue paying for her health insurance and the homes that they once shared, including one in Malibu and another in Pacific Palisades.

While nowhere near what Young initially demanded, the number is reportedly consistent with the temporary spousal support she had already been receiving from Dre two months after filing. Young and Dre were married for 24 years and have two children together, Truice and Truly. The couple was declared legally single in June.

Nicole Young, Dr. Dre attend the premiere of Straight Outta Compton on Aug. 10, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

As TheGrio previously reported, according to official court documents, Young alleged that Dre had been physically abusive to her in their relationship, citing that the rapper had punched her in the face.

While Dre denied the allegations, Young shared in a statement earlier this year, I have also offered extensive and painful testimony about Andres relentless campaign of abuse and control over me for more than half of my lifeit is misleading, revolting, and insulting for Andre to suggest that I have not been abused because, as a victim of relentless abuse and isolation, I did not create and maintain a contemporaneous record of abuse inflicted on me.

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TheGrio also extensively covered Dr. Dres brain aneurysm in January of this year. While he was eventually sent home to recover, the rapper spent several days in the ICU at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

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The post Dr. Dre to pay $300K a month in spousal support to ex Nicole Young appeared first on TheGrio.
Hunter Biden is set to meet with prospective art buyers at two separate shows in the near future, raising more ethics concerns about the possible influence peddling through the 51-year-old son of President Joe Biden.

The younger Biden is expected at a small event in Los Angeles and a larger showing in New York City to present his creations, which Georges Berges Gallery estimates will fetch up to $500,000.

When asked if Hunter Biden would be present, a spokesperson for the gallery told CBS News, "Oh yes. With pleasure. He's looking forward to it. It is like someone debuting in the world. And of course, he will be there. "

The development creates a whole new ethics quandary as the gallery previously vowed to withhold transactional records from the exhibits, including the identities of bidders, final buyers, and the amounts paid for the artwork. The agreement would also keep buyers secret from the White House and the president.

ETHICS EXPERTS CONCERNED ABOUT HUNTER BIDEN'S ART SHOW

Hunter Biden will not discuss pricing or purchase details during either of the affairs, a source told CBS News, but questions remain.

"Is Hunter Biden going to walk around the art show with a blindfold on?" said Walter Shaub, former head of the Office of Government Ethics during President Barack Obama's administration. "It just goes to show you the focus isn't on government ethics. It's just showing the child of a president can cash in on the presidency."

Similar concerns were voiced earlier in the month even as the White House defended the handling of Hunter Biden's debut art show.

The initial reaction a lot of people are going to have is that hes capitalizing on being the son of a president and wants people to give him a lot of money, said former Bush administration chief ethics lawyer Richard Painter, pointing to the arts awfully high prices.

The whole thing is a really bad idea, Painter, who served under former President George W. Bush from 2005 to 2007, told the Washington Post.

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The lack of transparency and the younger Bidens own spotty background also cause concern.

Because we dont know who is paying for this art, and we dont know for sure that [Hunter Biden] knows, we have no way of monitoring whether people are buying access to the White House, Shaub said.

He added: What these people are paying for is Hunter Bidens last name.

Art curator Jeffry Cudlin agreed, saying the face value of the art is worth relatively nothing due to its amateurish style.

How much of that value is due to the art itself? That's easy: None of it, Cudlin, a professor of art curatorial studies and practice at the Maryland Institute College of Art, told the Washington Examiner.

They're fine decorative amateur work. Hey, everybody needs a hobby! he said, suggesting the artwork should go for a more modest $850-$3,000.

The White House touted the handling of controversial first son Hunter Biden's debut art show.

The president has established the highest ethical standards of any administration in American history, and his familys commitment to rigorous processes like this is a prime example, said Andrew Bates, the deputy White House press secretary, in a statement earlier this month.

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Hunter Biden, a lobbyist-investor better known for his $50,000-a-month role on the board of Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma Holdings and his struggles with alcohol and drug addiction, told the New York Times last year painting was "literally" keeping him sober and sane.

Former President Donald Trump targeted Hunter Biden for his business dealings and tabloid personal life during the 2020 campaign against his father.

Trump's interest in Biden's work with Burisma, given his lack of energy sector experience and the fact it was offered when his former vice president father was responsible for foreign policy in the region, was central to his first impeachment by House Democrats in 2019.

Biden's financial transactions in China are now suspected to be the basis of a federal investigation into his taxes. That investigation dates back to 2018 and involves allegations of money laundering, including a 2.8-carat diamond he was gifted by a Chinese tycoon.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, Ethics, Arts, Art, Art Gallery, Biden Administration, White House

Original Author: Jake Dima

Original Location: Ethics brushed aside, Hunter Biden expected to schmooze with prospective art buyers
By Francesco Guarascio

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -EU countries have so far donated just a tiny portion of excess COVID-19 vaccines to poor nations, mostly AstraZeneca shots, less than 3% of the 160 million doses they plan to give away in total to help tame the global pandemic, an EU document shows.

The European Union has committed to helping inoculate the most vulnerable across the world but, like other wealthy countries, EU states have so far focused on buying shots to inoculate their own citizens, contributing to a shortage of vaccines elsewhere.

EU states, with a combined adult population of 365 million, have so far received about 500 million doses from drugmakers and expect nearly a billion by the end of September.

But as of July 13, they had donated less than four million shots, the internal document, compiled by the European Commission and reviewed by Reuters, shows.

In total, it says EU countries have committed to sharing about 160 million doses, mostly without preference about their destination. The tally of shipments and pledged total have not been reported before.

Brussels has previously said EU nations plan to donate at least 100 million doses by the end of the year. There is no timeline for the target listed in the document.

In a statement on Thursday, the EU Commission said member states were on track to exceed the initial target, with 200 million doses to low- and middle-income countries this year. It did not say how many had already been shipped.

According to the document, those distributed so far went mostly to countries and territories with a link to the donor as member states seek to boost relations with nearby countries and deepen diplomatic ties.

A spokesman for the Commission declined to comment on the document and the donations because these decisions were made by national governments.

The small shipments are likely to stir the debate about how wealthy countries are sharing their surplus shots while poor countries still struggle to get supplies.

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The World Health Organization has called on Western governments to donate shots to the COVAX programme it runs with vaccine charity GAVI to ensure fair and equitable distribution to the world's neediest.

The EU said on Thursday that most of the 200 million doses would be shared through the programme.

Many poor countries rely on COVAX for their vaccines, but it has so far delivered only 135 million shots globally and is highly dependent on donated doses. Plans to buy shots on its own were temporarily derailed by vaccine makers' production problems and export restrictions in India.

The EU has received enough vaccines to fully inoculate 70% of adults, while South Africa has given only 7% of its adult population one dose and Nigeria only 1%.

The EU shipments are also small compared with more than 15 million doses donated by Washington and shipped over the past month to countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America as part of the U.S. pledge to give away 80 million vaccines. A big portion of those have been through COVAX.

While the tally is effective from July 13, the numbers can change relatively quickly.

ALMOST ALL ASTRAZENECA

EU governments have repeatedly been urged by the EU Commission to speed up donations and share portions of all types of vaccines they receive, EU officials said.

But EU countries have so far promised to donate almost exclusively AstraZeneca shots, the document shows. Johnson & Johnson is the second most frequent choice for donations, although a large portion of pledges are for unspecified shots.

Many EU countries have set limits on the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine as well as J&J due to concerns about extremely rare blood clotting, reducing the capacity to use them.

The Commission spokesman said that all vaccines used in the EU were safe and could be donated.

Germany, the EU's largest country, has committed to donating 33 million doses, the document says, 30 million of which were AstraZeneca and J&J and the other three million yet to be specified.

German officials said donations would begin in August and confirmed the numbers and types of vaccines to be donated.

France is by far the EU's main donor in terms of pledges. It has promised 60 million doses, mostly to COVAX and largely without any preference on their final destination.

However it has so far delivered only about 800,000 doses, half of which went to its former colonies Senegal, Mauritania and Burkina Faso, the document shows.

The document does not clarify which vaccines Paris has donated or intends to donate.

An official with the French finance ministry said nearly five million AstraZeneca doses had been given so far via COVAX, and J&J and Pfizer vaccines will be donated by the end of the summer.

(Reporting by Francesco Guarascio @fraguarascio; additional reporting by Andreas Rinke in Berlin, Matthias Blamont in Paris and Tsvetelia Tsolova in Sofia; editing by Josephine Mason and Nick Macfie)
Rep. Madison Cawthorn, a North Carolina Republican, on Thursday introduced a bill that would forbid the use of federal funds to compensate airlines that transport illegal immigrants throughout the country.

If the legislation, dubbed the No-Fly for Illegals Act, was to be enacted, the government would be banned from picking up the tab for migrant air travel, provided that "the presence of such alien in the United States is unlawful," a copy of the proposal, which was obtained by the Washington Examiner, read. The bill makes exceptions if the flight serves to expel the illegal immigrants from the country or if it protects the person "from an imminent threat to the life or physical safety of the alien," including hospital visits.

Illegal immigrants are being flown to, and relocated across, our once secure nation with no regard to our nations laws or families safety," Cawthorn said in a statement. "Im deeply troubled by the reports regarding the crisis at our southern border and the dangerous and unlawful immigration policies of the Biden administration. Under President Trump, we saw a secure border. Under President Biden, we see no border at all. I refuse to watch illegal aliens be unlawfully flown and relocated to our beautiful states on the taxpayers dollar. This is why I introduced the No-Fly for Illegals Act.

TUCKER CARLSON REPORTS BIDEN ADMINISTRATION USING TEXAS AIR FORCE BASE TO TRANSPORT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS 'SECRETLY'

COVID-19 does not constitute an "imminent threat to ... life or physical safety," according to the bill.

Republican Reps. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Jeff Duncan of South Carolina, Greg Steube of Florida, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, and Randy Weber of Texas were listed as co-sponsors of the legislation.

President Joe Biden has faced bipartisan backlash for his handling of a crisis at the southern border after unprecedented numbers of migrants, including unaccompanied children, have flooded into the U.S. since he assumed office on Jan. 20. GOP leaders throughout the country have sounded the alarm over concerns that the administration is employing airlines to ship migrants throughout the country without first alerting local leaders.

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Republican Govs. Kim Reynolds of Iowa and Bill Lee of Tennessee in June demanded a congressional hearing over the matter. On May 2, Iowa officials were alerted about an April 22 flight that landed overnight in Des Moines, Iowa, the two governors wrote in a letter to Sen. Chuck Grassley.

Federal authorities initially disputed a report regarding the plane, though state officials reviewed surveillance footage and began to press executives in the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Similarly, on May 20, Tennessee lawmakers lashed out after local reporters revealed that four planes arrived at Chattanoogas Wilson Air Center under the cover of darkness.

Children offloaded the aircraft with matching bags before packing into buses owned by Coast to Coast Tours as part of a contract with the Department of Defense. Two of the buses, which reportedly hold 30 to 50 minors, were sent to Miami and Dallas, while at least 10 minors were brought to a dormitory in Highland Park, Tennessee.

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Earlier in the month, Fox News host Tucker Carlson claimed leaked correspondence from Laughlin Air Force base proved that "passenger aircraft" were utilizing runways under the direction of ICE and Border Patrol. Carlson said that the email was obtained from a "whistleblower," adding that the information was confirmed by the Pentagon.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, Congress, Transportation, Border Crisis, Border Security, Air Travel, Foreign Policy, Immigration, Budgets and Deficits

Original Author: Jake Dima

Original Location: EXCLUSIVE: Cawthorn bill would ban using federal funds to compensate airlines for illegal immigrant flights
Jul. 22A federal appeals court has ruled the Madison Schools violated a grandfather's free speech rights during the debates over its gun policy and an attorney says the penalty could be "in the six figures."

Madison schools grandfather Billy Ison, his family and a friend sued the schools in February 2019 in the U.S. District Court in Cincinnati. They claimed the school board violated their right to free expression and made it virtually impossible for them to speak their views about the controversial concealed carry gun policy during school board meetings.

They asked District Court Judge Michael R. Barrett to issue a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to stop the district from requiring in-person registration and enforcing a policy section that says the presiding officer may "interrupt, warn or terminate a participant's statement when the statement is too lengthy, personally directed, abusive, off-topic, antagonistic, obscene or irrelevant."

Barrett determined the school board's policy was proper. The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals recently decided the board's policy for the most part was constitutionally sound but restricting "viewpoint speech" is wrong.

"The restrictions on 'antagonistic,' 'abusive' and 'personally directed speech' prohibit speech because it opposes, or offends, the board or members of the public, in violation of the First Amendment," the opinion reads.

The court remanded that part of the case back to Barrett to determine monetary damages. Ison's attorney Jennifer Kinsley told the Journal-News awards in other cases where people's First Amendment rights have been violated "have gone into the six figures."

She filed an evidentiary hearing request Tuesday and in it she gave several examples of other First Amendment violation awards that ranged from $12,500 up to a $900,000 settlement.

Ison was removed from a May 2018 school board meeting while trying to express his displeasure with the school board's decision to arm staff. The policy was instituted in the wake of a school shooting that injured four students in 2016.

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The 6th Circuit said School Board President David French should not have stopped Ison from speaking just because the board didn't agree with his viewpoint. The court also said the board's characterization of Ison's speech was contradicted by the video evidence.

"The video contradicts much of French's testimony. Billy spoke calmly, used measured tones, and refrained from personal attacks or vitriol, focusing instead on his stringent opposition to the Board's policy and his belief that the Board was not being honest about its motives ..." the opinion reads. "Having already found the "abusive" and "personally directed" restrictions facially unconstitutional, their application to Billy's comments also constitutes impermissible viewpoint discrimination."

Kinsley said Ison was also upset by the fact another school board member interrupted him mid-speech and demanded he be ejected from the meeting.

"Being escorted out of a public meeting by an armed security guard is pretty stigmatizing and it's pretty upsetting," Kinsley said. "And I think that's something that really stuck with Billy."

She said she will ask the court for damages for Ison's treatment, attorneys fees and for an injunction to stop the district from enforcing the policy that restricts the public from giving their viewpoints.

Ison also challenged the fact the school district requires people to register two days in advance if they want to speak at meetings and every person must fill out their own form. Ison's family members were barred from speaking at a meeting because they hadn't filled out their own registration forms.

The 6th Circuit ruled those provisions of the policy are fine.

Neither school board members nor their attorneys would comment on the case.

The school district was dealt a blow last month by the Ohio Supreme Court when in a split decision it found armed staff need the same training as peace officers after several parents sued.
Jul. 22First Lady Jill Biden will lead the U.S. delegation at the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo on Friday and on Saturday dedicate a room in the Chief of Mission Residence to the late Irene Hirano Inouye and Sen. Daniel K. Inouye before traveling to Honolulu Saturday and Sunday to visit a vaccination clinic at an unidentified high school, the White House said today.

"The president and first lady want to show the highest level of support for our Olympic athletes and the Games, while following strict protocols and precautions set by the White House COVID team, the government of Japan, and the Olympics to keep the public, athletes and the delegation safe, " the White House said in a release. "As part of her travels, she will also visit Alaska and Hawaii where she will continue the administration's ongoing efforts to encourage all Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19, as well as honor the work and service of military families."

Biden was expected to stop at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska today where she will greet military and veteran families who are staying at Alaska Fisher House. She will then visit the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage and encourage all Alaskans to get vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the White House.

On Thursday, the first lady will land in Tokyo at Yokota Air Force Base where she will be greeted by the foreign minister and U.S. and Japanese base officials and later have dinner with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Mrs. Mariko Suga at Akasaka Palace.

The following day, Mariko Suga will host Biden for a bilateral engagement at Akasaka Palace, the White House said. Biden will later hold a virtual get-together with members of Team USA before greeting Emperor Naruhito of Japan at the Imperial Palace. In the evening, she will attend the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium as head of the U.S. delegation.

On Saturday, Biden will dedicate a room in the Chief of Mission Residence to the Inouyes. Daniel Inouye, a U.S. senator, was one of the most influential politicians in Hawaii history. Biden will then host a U.S. vs. Mexico softball watch party with foreign service officers and their families at the U.S. Embassy.

"After, the first lady will cheer on Team USA at various Olympic events before departing Tokyo, " according to the White House release.

After Tokyo, the first lady will travel to Honolulu Saturday and Sunday before departing for Washington, D.C.
The first direct flight between Dubai and Miami arrived at Miami International Airport on Thursday.

The arrival marks Emirates launch of four weekly flights between the two cities. The company canceled the same service from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport last year.

Passengers on the new route of about 15-16 hours in the air will travel on Emirates Boeing 777 jets, which feature eight private suites in first class, and operate on Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Bigger cargo opportunities and more international connections lured the United Arab Emirates airline to Miami, said Essa Ahmad, Emirates divisional vice president for the U.S. and Canada.

Weve seen that there is an economic viability on this route...the prospect of increasing the business is much higher, said Ahmad. It makes better sense to go out of Miami.

Thursdays flight was the first Emirates flight to Miami in the airlines history and the first-ever direct flight between the two cities. Pilots waved U.S. and U.A.E. flags out the cockpit windows as the plane pulled into its Miami gate following a water cannon salute from green Miami-Dade Fire Rescue trucks.

Emirates currently operates four weekly passenger flights between Orlando International Airport and Dubai, in addition to service to 11 other U.S. airports.

First class seating set up for dining, inside the Boeing 777-300ER operated by Emirates.

Miami International Airport is the fifth largest cargo airport in the country, measured by landed weight, according to the FAA. Cargo infrastructure allows airlines that operate passenger flights from the airport to take on cargo business, too, which is an added perk, said Chris Mangos, director of marketing for the Miami-Dade Aviation Department. Emirates began cargo-only flights from MIA in October 2020.

Florida is the sixth-largest exporting state to the U.A.E., according to a 2020 report by the countrys Washington, D.C., embassy. That year, computer electronic product manufacturing and machinery manufacturing were the largest exporting sectors, the report found.

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Current bookings on the new MIA route are mostly made up of people going on vacation or visiting family and friends, said Ahmad. Business travel bookings are starting to pick up, but still lag at this point in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emirates is the fourth airline to announce its launch from MIA in the last year, following Southwest Airlines, JetBlue and Spirit Airlines, which previously operated exclusively from Fort Lauderdale in South Florida.

We are grateful another airport has lost Emirates for our gain, said Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
Ashley Moody, the Republican attorney general of Florida, tweeted on Wednesday that she has tested positive for COVID-19.

Moody, 46, had been vaccinated for the virus earlier this year, she said.

Thankfully, I am only experiencing mild symptoms and my family is in good health, Moody tweeted. I want to encourage Floridians to be vigilant about their health.

The news of Moodys positive test comes four days after she flew on the state plane with Gov. Ron DeSantis and Senate President Wilton Simpson to the U.S.-Mexico border in Del Rio, Texas, for a press conference with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

At the press conference, which was in an open-air airport hangar, Moody also came in close contact with dozens of state law enforcement officers.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Rick Swearingen, Florida Highway Patrol Colonel Gene Spaulding, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Colonel Brian Smith and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton were also at the press conference and interacted with Moody.

DeSantis office did not respond to a text message and email seeking comment late Wednesday on whether the governor would get tested for COVID-19 or take any precautions after coming in close contact with Moody over the weekend.

DeSantis received a COVID-19 vaccine earlier this year.

Wednesday night, DeSantis was with Sen. Marco Rubio and Fox News host Sean Hannity at Versailles restaurant in Little Havana for a town hall about the pro-democracy protests in Cuba. No one was wearing a mask or social distancing.

Simpson tested positive for COVID-19 last December, just hours before he was to oversee the states awarding of 29 electoral votes to President Donald Trump. At the time, limited numbers of coronavirus vaccines were just beginning to roll into the state.

Moodys positive coronavirus test is the second high-profile infection reported among vaccinated Florida elected officials this week. U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, said on Tuesday he had contracted the virus despite his own vaccination. Like Moody, Buchanan, 70, said he is experiencing mild symptoms.

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Although the coronavirus vaccines have proven effective in preventing severe illness, they are not a surefire prevention against getting COVID-19. Florida is currently in the middle of a summertime coronavirus wave, with the state reporting about 6,500 cases every day for the seven-day period ending July 15.

Hospitals across the state are adding COVID-19 patients at rates that are alarming to some local officials. The extremely contagious delta variant of the virus is spreading quickly. But across the state, healthcare professionals are reporting that the patients theyre treating are largely unvaccinated.

Justin Senior, the CEO of the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida, said he believes Florida hospitals will be able to withstand the surge in large part because of the protection offered by vaccines.

What becomes dangerous from a public health standpoint is if we see a variant thats really evading the vaccines, Senior said. Were not seeing that.
TOKYO (Reuters) - Focus on rowing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics:

THE ABSOLUTE BASICS

* There are two distinct categories of events, contested on a 2,000m course: sculling and sweep.

* Sculling involves the use of two oars per person, with competitors rowing solo or in teams of two or four.

* Sweep teams of two, four and eight race with competitors using one oar each.

HOW MANY MEDALS?

There are 14 gold medals up for grabs, with eight sculling events and six sweep.

WHAT HAPPENED IN RIO?

Britain topped the medal table for the third Olympics in a row, while New Zealand's veterans also shone, with Mahe Drysdale claiming his second gold medal in the men's single sculls and Eric Murray and Hamish Bond retaining their 2012 title in the coxless pair.

The United States picked up a third straight gold in the women's eight.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT IN TOKYO?

With Drysdale having retired, there is a battle brewing for the top of the podium in the men's single sculls, as concerns over water quality and conditions loom over the Olympic venue.

WHAT'S NEW?

This year's rowing programme will feature an equal number of events for men and women for the first time. The women's coxless four has been added to the programme, while the men's lightweight coxless four was removed to accommodate it.

WHEN IS IT HAPPENING?

The events kick off on Friday and run through July 30.

WHERE IS IT HAPPENING?

Sea Forest Waterway in Tokyo Bay.

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

The sport is woven into the very fabric of the Olympics with Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Games, having been an avid rower himself. Rowing made its debut at the 1900 Games, though it had been on the programme four years earlier only to be cancelled due to bad weather.

WELL FANCY THAT

Rowers are widely considered among the greatest athletes pound-for-pound in the Olympics, with the sport demanding lean frames able to produce an enormous amount of power over a short competition. "The toll it takes on the body is just super significant," British Rowing Performance Director Brendan Purcell told Reuters.

(Reporting by Amy Tennery in Tokyo; Editing by Ken Ferris)
PARIS (Reuters) -French President Emmanuel Macron will hold a special cabinet meeting on Thursday morning to discuss investigations into the Pegasus spyware case, government spokesperson Gabriel Attal said.

Attal said progress was being made in the investigations after Amnesty International and a group of international media organisations said spyware made and licensed by a company based in Israel was used in hacks of smartphones belonging to journalists, government officials and human rights activists.

"The president will this morning hold a special defence council meeting at the Elysee (palace) on the Pegasus case and on cyber-security", Attal told France Inter radio.

French daily Le Monde has reported that Macron's phone was on a list of potential targets for potential surveillance on behalf of Morocco in the spyware case.

Prime Minister Jean Castex said Macron had called for a series of investigations into the case.

"The president is monitoring the case very closely", Attal said.

Morocco has denied buying or using the Pegasus spyware licensed by Israel-based NSO group after Amnesty and the group of 17 international media organisations reported that it had targeted thousands of phone numbers.

The company has denied the allegations in the report.

(Reporting by Matthieu Protard; Editing Dominique Vidalon and Timothy Heritage)
Julien (Jordan Alexander), Max (Thomas Doherty), Aki (Evan Mock), and Audrey (Emily Alyn Lind) in Gossip Girl. (Still from HBO Max)

Gossip Girl has returned to our screens, and in this reboot of the teen drama, Thomas Doherty and Evan Mock play socialite teenagers attending a prestigious private school. Doherty plays flirtatious and immoral Max Wolfe, while Mock plays peacemaker Aki Menzies. Along with the other core characters, their turbulent social lives are what drive the drama of the series. But were their own growing up years just as stormy? Yahoo Lifestyle SEA talked to the pair about their school years, social media, and playing wealthy students on screen.

"I just went to a public school in Scotland, and [Gossip Girl] is nothing like it at all," said Doherty of his school years. "And I think this is testament to how much social media has changed how young people operate and work, and I just missed the social media thing, and it's amazing."

"I look at sixteen-year-olds now, and I cringe," the Scottish actor laughed. "It's completely unrelatable."

"Back with the original [Gossip Girl], [social media] wasn't really there, it didn't really exist," the 26-year-old said. But for this sequel series, it's been integrated in a way that's more genuine.

"It has completely engulfed us," said Mock, who was homeschooled his whole life.

"I've never put on a school uniform, ever," he said of his experiences.

The half-Filipino actor went on to share that "this has been quite the experience of high school drama, because I've never dealt with high school drama, at a school at least."

Mock shared more about his Hawaiian upbringing, explaining that his great grandparents came to Hawaii to work in sugarcane fields, back when it was a big producer of sugarcane. In fact, "there are more Filipinos than Hawaiians in Hawaii, now," said Mock. "When I think about Filipino culture, I think about the food and chicken fighting."

Aki (Evan Mock), Max (Thomas Doherty), Audrey (Emily Alyn Lind), Obie (Eli Brown), Julien (Jordan Alexander), Monet (Savannah Lee Smith), and Luna (Zion Moreno) rule the school in Gossip Girl. (Still from HBO Max)

Who would they ship on Gossip Girl?

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The pair went on to talk about their characters on the show  and who they'd ship them with.

"I think he just wants a finger in every pie," said Doherty of his character Max. In the show, Max is involved in a web of sexual  and possibly romantic  relationships with several characters.

Thomas Doherty as Max Wolfe in Gossip Girl. (Still from HBO Max)

Mock joked that "I'm 57 years old, so I don't know what 'ship' means." But the 24-year-old shared that "my character right now, he doesn't know what he wants. So I couldn't give you an answer."

In Gossip Girl, Mock's character, bi-curious Aki, is in the process of exploring his identity.

But after some thought, Mock went for the most practical option. "For a viewer watching, I would be super down for Obie. It's got to be Obie. He's the richest, come on! I'm securing my life right here!"

Obie is played by Eli Brown on the show, and he's the resident nice guy  who also happens to be extremely wealthy.

Audrey (Emily Alyn Lind), Aki (Evan Mock), Max (Thomas Doherty), Obie (Eli Brown), Luna (Zion Moreno), Julien (Jordan Alexander), and Monet (Savannah Lee Smith) hang out in Gossip Girl. (Still from HBO Max)

Challenges on Gossip Girl

Doherty and Mock also talked about their experiences on the set of Gossip Girl.

"For me, the biggest challenge was definitely the accent," said Doherty. His character speaks with an American accent on the show, and the Scotland-born actor spoke with his natural Scottish accent in the interview.

"When I'm on set, I want to be really present and really focused with what I'm doing, and it's really hard because you're thinking about two things at once."

For Mock, it's been a learning experience. "It's easier to kind of relate as you film more episodes."

New episodes of Gossip Girl are out on HBO GO every Thursday.

Read also:

Get more TV and movie news from Yahoo Lifestyle on our Entertainment page.
Vice President Kamala Harris vowed to campaign for Gov. Gavin Newsom as he faces a recall effort in California.

When asked whether she would back the Democratic governor, the longtime associate of Newsom answered, "Yes."

Harris, a former California attorney general and senator, did not elaborate further as she departed the Capitol.

Harris previously voiced support for Newsom, saying she backed him "100%" in a video message before officials announced the recall effort attracted enough verified signatures to proceed in late June.

NEWSOM WILL NOT BE LISTED AS DEMOCRAT ON RECALL BALLOT AFTER MISSING REGISTRATION DEADLINE

Newsom endorsed Harris in her 2020 presidential bid, saying he was "enthusiastic" about her candidacy.

"I've known her for decades, not only as district attorney, where she did an extraordinary job with a very progressive record, but I watched her up close as lieutenant governor when she served as attorney general, and I have the privilege of working with her as a U.S. senator," Newsom said in February 2019. "I think the American people could not do better.

Despite rebounding approval ratings as California gradually reopened in recent months, Newsom suffered widespread criticism at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a grassroots movement to recall him.

State officials set the gubernatorial recall election for Sept. 14 after authorities determined organizers obtained enough valid signatures. California residents withdrew only 43 signatures in the allotted 30-day period from April 26 to June 8, leaving 1,719,900 verified signers  surpassing the roughly 1.5 million required to proceed with their bid.

Earlier this month, Sacramento Superior Court Judge James Arguelles decided Newsom would appear on the ballot without his Democratic Party affiliation, ruling the governor's argument his lawyer made an error last year was insufficient to favor Newsom's claim against Secretary of State Shirley Weber, whom the governor appointed.

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In February 2020, Newsom responded to the recall petition, meeting a seven-day window to do so. However, he did not include his party preference.

Thomas Willis, the governor's attorney, took the blame for the mistake and told authorities he was unaware of the law that stipulated he denote party affiliation, which took effect two months before the governor's office's response.

Newsom signed the rule change in 2019 after recall subjects were previously forbidden from indicating Republican or Democrat on the ballot.

Though the recall campaign began in June 2020 in response to Newsom's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, there was prior interest over high taxes and crime concerns, said Anne Dunsmore, campaign manager for Rescue California-Recall Gavin Newsom.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

"Laws he endorsed favor foreign nationals, in our country illegally, over that of our own citizens," leaders behind the recall petition said in February while specifying their grievances with the governor. "People in this state suffer the highest taxes in the nation, the highest homelessness rates, and the lowest quality of life as a result. He has imposed sanctuary state status and fails to enforce immigration laws. He unilaterally overruled the will of the people regarding the death penalty. He seeks to impose additional burdens on our state by the following; removing the protections of Proposition 13, rationing our water use, increasing taxes, and restricting parental rights."

If Newsom prevails in the recall effort, he will be up for reelection in 2022.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom, California, Recalls

Original Author: Jake Dima

Original Location: Harris vows to campaign for Newsom amid recall battle
House Republicans have already stripped Rep. Liz Cheney of her leadership post. Now, they have one procedural tool left to punish the House member from Wyoming over what they view as political apostasy for repeatedly criticizing former President Donald Trump.

The House Republican Conference could, in theory, take away Cheney's sole committee assignment on the Armed Services panel. It's an option more GOP lawmakers could come to view favorably as the work of the Jan. 6 commission ramps up.

Cheney, at least for now, is the only Republican who will be a member of the select committee charged with investigating the Jan. 6 riots at the Capitol, when Trump supporters tried to disrupt the Electoral College count in the House and Senate, which made Joe Biden the next president. Cheney agreed to be a select committee member and was tapped for the role by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

On Tuesday, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy withdrew his five appointees after Pelosi nixed two of them, Reps. Jim Banks of Indiana and Jim Jordan of Ohio.

That leaves Cheney largely alone in the Republican Conference. As for taking away her committee assignments, GOP leaders, for now, are largely mum on the possibility.

McCarthy, a California Republican, told the Washington Examiner Thursday, when pressed whether Cheney would lose her committee assignment over her position on the Jan. 6 appointment by Pelosi, a California Democrat, he replied, I think its a conference decision.

In early July, when Cheney's name first surfaced as a possible across-the-aisle appointment by Pelosi, McCarthy told reporters, Im not making any threats about committee assignments. But you know how Congress works.

McCarthy added at the time, You get elected by your district, and you get your committees from your conference," adding, "I dont know in history where someone would go get their committee assignments from the speaker and expect to have them from the conference as well.

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'CIVILIAN CLIMATE CORPS' TO BE PART OF SENATE DEMOCRATS' INFRASTRUCTURE BILL

Since then, Cheney became a member of the committee through Pelosis appointment. And Cheney, Republican colleagues say, has become a more distant figure.

Cheney is often missing or seen by herself these days, according to GOP House lawmakers. The embattled Wyoming Republican seldom communicates with her fellow Republicans since she made it clear she thinks Trump encouraged rioters to attack the capitol on Jan. 6.

Shes rejected the GOP, not the other way around, a Midwestern GOP member told the Washington Examiner. But I dont see her anywhere. She doesnt circulate the floor on the R side. She just sort of hides.

Republican rank and file are particularly incensed at Cheney over her vocally supporting Pelosis rejection of the Jan. 6 committee appointments made by McCarthy.

Shes fairly on her own and thinks she can maximize her influence by being on this committee, but shes actually minimizing her ability to influence others, a Western Republican lawmaker said, adding, Shes effectively siding with Pelosi.

Cheney defenders, though, reject the notion that she is a pariah among conference members and that her policy stances are as conservative, if not more so, as Republican lawmakers.

Cheney, a two-term member, who was removed from conference leadership as its chairwoman back in May, now sits in judgment of her own GOP colleagues on the Jan. 6 committee as the only Republican member presently appointed by Pelosi.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Cheney, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, backed up Pelosis rejection of Banks and Jordan. McCarthy, Cheney told reporters on Thursday, is politicizing the investigation and wants to prevent the American people from understanding what happened to block this investigation.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, Congress, Liz Cheney, Kevin McCarthy, January 6, Nancy Pelosi

Original Author: Kerry Picket

Original Location: House Republicans could target Liz Cheney's committee assignment
The House on Thursday voted to expand a visa program that would allow more Afghans who helped the U.S. military quickly immigrate to the United States, the New York Times reports.

Why it matters: Last month, the Biden administration made plans to evacuate many of the Afghans who worked with the U.S. military before completing the troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. These individuals and their families face threats of retaliation from the Taliban because of their service to the U.S. military.

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Details: The bill, which would expand the special visa program from 11,000 to 19,000, passed by a vote of 407 to 16.

The legislation further broadens who is eligible for the program, removing some application requirements.

For example, applicants will no longer need to provide a sworn statement that they faced threats or worked a "sensitive job" with the U.S. military, per the NYT.

What they're saying: "Many of us have expressed grave concerns about the challenges our allies face in navigating the application process," Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D- Calif.) said.

"They will be killed if we dont get them out of there," Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said. "Please, Mr. President, get them out before they are killed."

What to watch: The bill still faces a vote in the Senate.

Go deeper: U.S. to evacuate some Afghans who helped troops before withdrawal

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An Illinois police department released dashcam footage this week that purported to show three suspects, who have been indicted on attempted murder charges, beating and strangling an officer during a traffic stop last month.

Video shows an officer with the Aurora Police Department pulling over a vehicle at around 10 p.m. on June 21 when Paul Sherrod Taylor, 28, hops out of the car and allegedly says, "I'm gonna knock you out, bro." The officer repeatedly tries to tell the man to "get back into the vehicle," though when he tries to place him under arrest, he walks away and two women are seen exiting the car.

He eventually takes off running, and the officer pursues before the alleged attack occurs off camera.

THREE CHARGED FOR ALLEGEDLY BEATING AND STRANGLING OFFICER ILLINOIS OFFICER DURING TRAFFIC STOP

Law enforcement said the two females "began striking the officer with closed fists and kicking his body and head." One of the two women purportedly "placed her forearm around the officers neck and applied significant force to his windpipe, causing him to lose the ability to breathe."

When backup arrived, the two women were seen on top of the officer as a separate policeman started to pry his colleague free.

On Friday, Sheba Taylor, 26, Jennifer Taylor, 24, and Paul Sherrod Taylor were each indicted by a grand jury on attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, and resisting a peace officer. Paul Sherrod Taylor faced an additional charge of threatening an officer.

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The incident drew the attention of city Mayor Richard Irvin, who railed against the "act of malice and cowardice."

This type of lawlessness and violence against our police officers cannot and will not be tolerated, he said in a statement. This was an act of malice and cowardice, and I will absolutely seek that the perpetrators are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Lets keep this officer in our prayers as the officer makes a full and complete recovery.

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Similarly, Chief Kristen Ziman said, Our Aurora police officers are entrusted with keeping our community safe from harm. I am at a loss of words when an officer is physically attacked from something that would have been a simple traffic ticket. We will not allow our city to become a place where criminals feel emboldened and lawlessness ensues.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The officer was transported to a local hospital, though his condition has not been revealed.

Both Jennifer Taylor's and Sheba Taylor's bail were initially set at $50,000, while Paul Sherrod's bail was set at $75,000. The relationship between the three suspects has not been disclosed.

Jennifer Taylor and Sheba Taylor have since been released from confinement after the Chicago Community Bond Fund, a liberal criminal justice reform organization, posted their bail, according court records viewed by the Washington Examiner.

The organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, Illinois, Police

Original Author: Jake Dima

Original Location: Illinois police release dashcam footage after three suspects indicted for strangling officer during traffic stop
Index Ventures has closed a trio of new funds: a $900 million early-stage fund, a $2 billion growth-stage fund and a previously announced $200 million seed-stage fund. The close gives Index $3 billion in new capital, its largest tranche yet, to deploy into emerging startups and existing portfolio companies, which include the likes of Plaid, Deliveroo and Revolut, which was just valued at $33 billion.

Indexs new capital comes a little over a year since it closed its last funds, which were a duet of $1.2 billion for growth-stage investments and $800 million for early-stage investments. It also is announced while venture dollars more broadly seem to be growing at an unprecedented rate -- In recent weeks, Accel announced that it has closed $3 billion across three funds, too, and Andreessen Horowitz landed a $2.2 billion fund dedicated entirely to crypto startups.

The influx of money means that check sizes and valuations are growing across the entire ecosystem. Index, for example, said that it has grown its Series A check size from $10 million to $15 million, while it increased its growth check from $35 million to $50 million. Its check size in the United States is about 20% higher compared to its check size in Europe, meaning that the former represents between 55% to 60% of the firms total investing dollars.

While Indexs check size is growing slightly bigger to keep up with competition, partner Mark Goldberg said that the firm is staying disciplined so it doesnt fall prey to FOMO rounds or buzzy valuations.

There have been situations where two years ago, I would have engaged, in a competition for a late-stage round, he said. And now I say that we probably are not going to compete  because at the heart of the matter, I think capital is a commodity. The partner didnt point to Accels $3 billion close, but instead noted how Tiger Global and other crossover funds have created a new capital product, which means that Indexs ability to compete must look different than just offering a ton of money.

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If youre just looking for capital, were probably not going to be the best product for you, Goldberg added.

Index Partner Martin Mignot thinks that a "bifurcation is really happening" in the fundraising market, where some founders are able to raise easily, but many continue to struggle if they're not "at the right sector in the right place at the right time." Mignot has been spending time looking at Africa as a potential investment area that continues to be underresourced. He hinted that an official initiative focused on Africa startups may be underway.

The firm said it has "several initiatives in place related to diversity including increasing the number of individuals on our investment from underrepresented groups and diversifying our investment funnel" but said that it does not track diversity statistics at a portfolio company level "yet." Index said that its investment team is composed of 38% of individuals who identify as female and 14% of individuals who come from underrepresented groups, although its unclear whether they have check-writing power. Update: Index said that every member on the investment team has check-writing power, that varies in degree based on seniority and type of deal.

Index appears to be going through a period of experimentation when it comes to the services offered to portfolio companies. While the firm declined to give too many specifics on upcoming initiatives around diversity or more generally, it did note its growing TikTok presence as part of its strategy.

The Index Ventures TikTok has over 28,000 followers. Its most viewed video is about Costcos business model, with 4.8 million views followed by an interview clip from Scale AI founder Alexandr Wang, with 315,000 views.

It's not something where I think the next deal comes from the TikTok account, but it's one of those initiatives where  I think it will pay dividends in helping Index reach a younger audience that isnt active on tech Twitter or Clubhouse. Indexs TikTok, led by Molly Alter and Rex Woodbury, is reminiscent of how some emerging fund managers are approaching creative deal flow.

The firm is also experimenting with incubating startups in-house, which has historically never been a major focus. A tweet suggests that Index is actively recruiting entrepreneurs to join the incubator, which could be divided thematically. Goldberg declined to give more specifics around how incubation programs are structured and what the terms are, saying that the Index Incubator is not an official product yet.

That said, one can only imagine that a firm freshly capitalized with billions of dollars probably has some money to spare  from incubated projects to those growth-stage companies in need of active investors.
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is preparing to negotiate directly with the chief executive of Pfizer as soon as this week for early delivery of 20 million vaccine doses, domestic media reported on Thursday.

Suga is planning to meet the executive in person in Tokyo, media reported, citing government sources.

(Reporting by Mari Saito; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
Whether it's because of incentives such as cash and college scholarships, or out of fear of the delta variant, vaccinations are starting to pick up in some states where COVID-19 cases are soaring, White House officials said Thursday.

At the same time, some hospitals are getting strained and nearing full capacity as the pace of new cases rises again, more than tripling in the last month. Deaths appear to be trending upward as well, though not as fast.

White House coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zients said several states with the highest proportions of new infections have seen residents get vaccinated at higher rates than the nation as a whole. Officials cited Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri and Nevada as examples.

The fourth surge is real, and the numbers are quite frightening at the moment, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said on a New Orleans radio show. COVID hospitalizations in the state are up from 242 on June 19 to 913 in the latest report.

In Missouri, which is second only to Arkansas and Louisiana in the number of new cases per capita over the past 14 days, officials have rolled out a vaccine incentive program that includes $10,000 prizes for 900 lottery winners. The state lags about 10 percentage points behind the national average for people who have received at least one shot.

About 60% of the adult population and nearly 50% of the entire U.S. population are fully vaccinated, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The highly infectious delta variant is fueling the latest spike, and public health officials and government leaders are pleading for the vaccine-hesitant to get the shots.

We are yet at another pivotal moment in this pandemic, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said. We need to come together as one nation.

Also in the news:

Atlanta Public Schools, whose students return to classrooms Aug. 5, will require masks for all students and teachers in school and on buses.

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The European Union said Thursday it will donate more than 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to middle- and low-income countries before the end of the year.

An infected Indonesian man boarded a domestic flight disguised as his wife, wearing a veil and carrying fake IDs and a negative PCR test result, authorities said. A flight attendant discovered the ruse when the man changed clothes in the lavatory.

Tokyo hit another six-month high in new COVID-19 cases Thursday, one day before the Olympics begin. Four more residents of the Olympic Village have tested positive, including skateboarder Candy Jacobs of the Netherlands and table tennis player Pavel Sirucek of the Czech Republic.

Children under 12 years old could start getting vaccinated for the coronavirus within a few weeks, President Joe Biden says. But it likely will be longer.

Today's numbers: The U.S. has had more than 34.2 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and 609,900 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The global totals: More than 192.2 million cases and 4.1 million deaths. More than 162 million Americans  48.8% of the population  have been fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.

What we're reading: A Houston hospital has its first case of the lambda variant of the coronavirus, but public health experts say it remains too soon to tell whether the variant will rise to the same level of concern as delta. What to know.

Keep refreshing this page for the latest news. Want more? Sign up for USA TODAY's Coronavirus Watch newsletter to receive updates directly to your inbox and join our Facebook group.

NFL threatens forfeits, loss of paychecks for games canceled due to unvaccinated players

The NFL is putting financial and competitive pressure on players to get vaccinated.

The league told clubs Thursday in a memo that they would risk forfeiting games that have to be postponed because of COVID outbreaks among unvaccinated players. The NFL also said players from both teams would not get paid for those games that are postponed and can't be rescheduled during the season.

As opposed to last year, when the league had contingency plans for an extra week of play for postponed games but did not need it, the NFL's memo says, "We do not anticipate adding a 19th week to accommodate games that cannot be rescheduled within the current 18 weeks of the regular season.

-- Mike Jones

Outbreak at New York state sleepaway camp: 31 children under 12 test positive

The effectiveness of COVID vaccines and the vulnerability of those who have not been inoculated -- especially now with the delta variant raging -- is illustrated by an outbreak at a boys and girls camp in Columbia County, New York.

Jack Mabb, director of the county's public health department, told the New York Times that 31 of the 550 campers have tested positive for the coronavirus as of Thursday morning. They're all under 12, and therefore not eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

About half of the participants at the sleepaway camp are ages 12-17, and none have tested positive. Mabb said all but a handful have been vaccinated. Though none of the campers infected with the virus have gotten seriously sick, Mabb said he's worried about what this outbreak portends for the upcoming school year.

I think that when the kids go back to school, we could see this, and Im concerned about that, he told the newspaper.

Is it a cold or COVID? Testing is the only way to know

Last year's flu season was nearly nonexistent, thanks in large part to the masking and social distancing required by the coronavirus pandemic. Now that restrictions have been lifted across the country, health experts are seeing a surprising rise in cold cases that are more typical of the fall and winter months.

Colds and COVID-19 have several symptoms in common  fever, runny nose, sore throat, a cough and general fatigue  which may lead some people to conclude they've contracted the coronavirus.

The only real way to know is to get tested, but regardless of the diagnosis, the strategy for both is the same.

Stay home and take care of yourself and reduce the exposure, said Dr. Len Horovitz, a pulmonary specialist and internist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

-- Adrianna Rodriguez

China rejects plan to study origin of virus

China on Thursday rejected the World Health Organization's plan for the second phase of a study into the origins of COVID-19, dismissing a theory that the virus might have leaked from a Chinese lab as a scientifically unsupported rumor. A previous joint investigation including WHO and China found it "extremely unlikely" the virus escaped from the Wuhan Institute of Virology lab. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus last week unveiled a plan to revisit labs and markets in Wuhan, the city where the first cases were identified. Tedros also called for greater transparency from Beijing.

It is impossible for us to accept such an origin-tracing plan, Zeng Yixin, vice minister of the National Health Commission, said at a news conference.

The U.S. and some allies claim China has not been forthcoming about details of the early days of the pandemic. Former Vice President Mike Pence, who led President Donald Trump's virus response team, last week claimed evidence strongly suggests the coronavirus "leapt out of the Chinese lab."

China accuses critics of politicizing an issue that should be left to scientists.

New infections have more than tripled in a month

Coronavirus cases hit a low point in the United States on June 22. In the month since, new weekly cases have more than tripled, a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. The U.S. had been reporting about eight cases every minute. Now it's about 28. The nation has already reported about 164,000 more cases in July than in all of June. Cases have been rising in almost every state. Some of the changes echo the dark days from earlier in the pandemic. From June 22, the pace of new cases is up 762% in Alabama, 666% in South Carolina and 603% in Louisiana.

Recurring themes behind the increases: vaccine hesitancy and the delta variant.

Some hospitals have been besieged. The number of likely COVID-19 patients tripled in Nevada on July 17 from a month earlier, a USA TODAY analysis of U.S. government data shows. COVID patient counts almost doubled in Arkansas and Mississippi. Alaska went from 13 hospitalized COVID patients to 64.

The pace of deaths has traditionally fallen a few weeks behind case reports. COVID-19 was killing about 217 Americans a day at the low point a couple of weeks ago. Now it's killing about 245.

 Mike Stucka

Hospital association: Require healthcare workers to get vaccinated

The nation's largest hospital association is calling for all healthcare workers to get vaccinated as cases rise around the country. To protect all patients, communities and personnel from the known and substantial risks of COVID-19, the American Hospital Association strongly urges the vaccination of all healthcare personnel, the organization said in a policy statement. The AHA also supports hospitals and health systems that adopt mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies for healthcare personnel, with local factors and circumstances shaping whether and how these policies are implemented.

The AHA  which represents nearly 5,000 hospitals  is the largest healthcare group to endorse mandatory vaccine requirements for health workers. Health officials said the best protection remains vaccination, noting the shots reduce the risks of serious illness, hospitalization and death.

The vaccines are very robust, Dr. Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told USA TODAY. What were seeing now in the United States, as the CDC director said, is a pandemic of the unvaccinated. Thats where the risk is.

On Thursday, the head of the Henry Ford Health System in Michigan defended the organization's decision to require its employees to get vaccinated, saying it is "the right thing to do for the health and safety of our patients, our workforce and the communities we serve.''

US beach volleyball player tests positive, likely out of Olympics

American beach volleyball player Taylor Crabb tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving in Japan and is unlikely to compete at the Tokyo Olympics, according to reports Wednesday. The Orange County Register and an NBC affiliate in Los Angeles each reported that Crabb, 29, recorded a positive test over the weekend, which would likely preclude him from competing in his first scheduled match with partner Jake Gibb on Sunday.

Crabb would be the first U.S. athlete to be ruled out of competing at the Olympics after testing positive for COVID-19 in Japan.

USA Volleyball confirmed in a statement that one of its members tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival but declined to provide any other additional details, including the identity of the person.

"In alignment with local rules and protocols, the athlete has been transferred to a hotel,'' the organization said. "Out of respect for the individuals privacy, we cannot provide more information at this time."

- Tom Schad, USA TODAY

Contributing: Associated Press.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL pushes players to get vaccinated; White House sees vaccine uptick
Madagascar said Thursday it had foiled an attempt to assassinate President Andry Rajoelina and arrested six people, two of whom were French nationals.

"Several foreign and Madagascar nationals were arrested on Tuesday, July 20, as part of an investigation into an attack on state security," prosecutor Berthine Razafiarivony said in a statement.

"According to evidence in our possession, these individuals devised a plan to eliminate and neutralise various Madagascan figures, including the head of state," she said, giving no details about the alleged operation.

Public Security Minister Fanomezantsoa Rodellys Randrianarison said six arrests had been made, comprising "a foreigner, two dual nationals and three Madagascans."

"The police had information about this affair for months," he told a news conference.

They swooped to make simultaneous arrests in different locations and seized money and weapons, he said.

"There are also official documents which prove their involvement," he said. "The foreigner hid his harmful schemes behind his business activity."

Two French men are among those who were arrested on Tuesday, diplomatic sources told AFP. Their wives are also in custody.

The French foreign ministry confirmed it had been "informed" of their arrests, but gave no details.

Named in Madagascar state media, they were both identified as retired military police officers.

A LinkedIn profile matching one of the names describes him as the director of an investment company and as advisor to international investors in Madagascar.

The other individual is a French-Madagascan dual national who was an advisor to Rajoelina until 2011 and also a former French gendarme.

Rajoelina, 47, first seized power in March 2009 from Marc Ravalomanana with the backing of the military.

He won the last vote in December 2018, beating his main rival and predecessor Ravalomanana in an election beset by allegations of fraud.

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- Troubled country -

Stretching across 587,000 square kilometres (nearly 227,000 square miles), Madagascar is the world's fourth largest island, bigger than Spain or Thailand in size.

The country is world-renowned for its unique wildlife and vanilla but has a long history of coups and unrest since gaining independence from France in 1960.

The announcement of the assassination plot comes after several months of turbulence and threats to journalists reporting on the country's coronavirus pandemic and a burgeoning famine in the south of the country.

On Madagascar's Independence Day celebrations on June 26, the gendarmerie announced they had foiled an assassination attempt on their boss, General Richard Ravalomanana, who is also Rajoelina's right-hand man.

In April, nine TV and radio programmes were blocked on the grounds that they were "liable to disturb public order and security and harm national unity."

Rivo Rakotovao, a former caretaker president, said he condemned any kind of assassination bid but feared that the announcement could be a precursor for a heavier hand by Rajoelina, who is already under fire for his grip on the levers of power.

"The situation should not be exploited to harm democracy in Madagascar," he told AFP.

- 'DJ' Rajoelina -

Rajoelina made his mark in events management and media before bursting on to the political scene in 2007.

Promoting a youthful, energetic image, he earned the nickname of "Disc Jockey," a reference to the parties he used to host in the capital Antananarivo.

After becoming the city's mayor, he used his own Viva broadcasting channel to help generate a national following, putting himself forward as the leading opponent to Ravalomanana.

In 2009, he came to power as leader of a transitional authority and pushed through a constitutional change that, among other things, lowered the minimum age for presidential candidates from 40 to 35, thus making him eligible to bid for the top job.

Under international pressure, Rajoelina did not contest the 2013 election and instead backed his victorious former finance minister, Hery Rajaonarimampianina.

The two quickly fell out, however, and after a hotly contested 2018 election -- during which Rajoelina hosted lavish rallies with performance artists and fireworks -- the courts confirmed him as the winner.

Madagascar is heavily dependent on foreign aid, and nine out of 10 people live on less than $2 a day.

The country has virtually been under a lockdown since the Covid-19 pandemic hit last year and its southern region is in the grip of a famine.

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Jul. 22Members of Maine's congressional delegation have requested funding for more than 150 projects from Kittery to the St. John Valley through the earmark process, a special discretionary spending mechanism that returned to Washington this year.

Officially known as congressionally directed spending items, earmarks allow lawmakers to ask for money for specific projects within their state or district, such as funding for road and bridge repairs, substance use treatment programs, water infrastructure upgrades and land purchases. Not all of the earmarks proposed by members of Maine's congressional delegation will ultimately get funding, but they provide some insight into lawmakers' priorities.

Earmarks were long a part of the legislative process until Congress banned them a decade ago after several scandals led to concerns about corruption and waste. Democrats  with the support of House Republicans  opted to bring them back this year with some precautions, on the basis that including funding for specific projects important to individual representatives and their constituents would help achieve compromise.

Government entities and nonprofits are eligible for earmarked money, but private, for-profit companies are not. Lawmakers are required to certify that neither they nor any of their family members have a financial interest in a project for which they are earmarking funds.

Nearly all congressional Democrats have proposed earmarks, while some Republicans have been more hesitant, although Sen. Susan Collins, who serves on the appropriations committee, is among those in her party who has participated, submitting more than 70 requests. Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, has proposed more than 100.

While there are no limits for senators, House Democrats limited their members to 10 requests. Reps. Chellie Pingree of the 1st District and Jared Golden of the 2nd District, both Democrats, each submitted that amount. In some cases, two or three members of Maine's delegation submitted a request on behalf of the same entity or project.

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Emergency management projects were the most common type of funding request from Maine's delegation, with proposed earmarks for new fire stations in the towns of Corinna, Washburn, Limerick, Howland and Rumford, as well as firefighter training facilities in Scarborough and Auburn.

Collins also asked for $850,000 for a new emergency management facility in York County, while Golden is seeking $300,000 to purchase ambulances for the East Millinocket Rural Ambulance Service and King proposed $1 million to replace the Cumberland County Emergency Management Agency's radio system.

Several of Pingree's requested earmarks were related to health care, including funding for a community-based dental care initiative for children and two programs for substance use treatment in Portland and Augusta.

The size of proposed earmarks varies greatly. Smaller requests include $38,000 sought by King to upgrade public bathrooms along Moosehead Lake in Greenville and $75,000 from Collins to survey the Georges River in Knox County and prepare for dredging.

Larger asks include $10 million requested by Collins to improve safety on a stretch of Route 1 in Camden, $12.8 million from King to replace the Badge Island Bridge in Kittery and nearly $13 million requested by both Maine senators for rail updates in Aroostook County. Collins also requested nearly $94 million for updates to the Coburn Gore port of entry in Franklin County, by far the largest spending request from any member of Maine's delegation.

Lawmakers could take up earmarks as they consider spending bills for fiscal year 2022 later this summer. Many requests will not make it into a final bill this fall, as earmarks are only permitted to account for 1 percent of discretionary spending. For a full, searchable list of earmarks proposed by members of Maine's congressional delegation, see the table below.
Jul. 21Hummus is a versatile Mediterranean treat used as a dip, spread and condiment. It's also easy to make  and customize  at home.

Classic hummus is made with cooked chickpeas, a sesame seed paste called tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and spices like cumin.

Once you know the classic, you can create variations. There are two main schools of thought about switching up hummus, according to Rob Dumas, food science innovation coordinator at the University of Maine. You can either add ingredients to the basic hummus, or you can swap in some of the ingredients and take, as Dumas said, some "creative license" with what hummus fundamentally is.

Dumas said that he prefers to just add things to the original recipe.

"I think it's helpful to remember that hummus comes from the Middle East so it has a natural affinity for Middle Eastern flavors, like preserved lemon, pine nuts, cilantro, mint [and] roasted red peppers," Dumas said. "What I have been doing recently is elaborate garnishing of hummus [with] interesting things like Greek yogurt, labneh, pine nuts, browned, seasoned lamb sprinkled over it with a nice healthy topping of sumac, tangy red paprika [and a] healthy amount of grilled vegetables.You end up with something not only really delicious but really beautiful."

You can also swap out chickpeas for many other beans for a twist on the classic hummus, like black beans and cannellini beans.

"You could use any legume to make a hummus in theory, though it would be a loose interpretation of hummus," Dumas said. "You can do something where you take a local heritage bean like a yellow-eyed pea or a Marfax or Jacob's cattle and you can cook those like you would a chickpea."

You can even use a mix of beans. Courtney Jean Perry, co-owner of Shovel and Spoon in Limington, said that though she and her husband, Tomer Kilchevsky, are committed to "authentic flavor" in their hummus, they do add the untraditional lima bean to their specialty Middle East Coast hummus.

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"The lima bean is my favorite bean," Perry said. "They're so buttery and a little bit sweet and really creamy. We use the same procedure as if we did it just with chickpeas. We might balance the lemon juice or the salt level a little bit differently but I think it would be safe to swap out another bean one-to-one if people wanted to experiment with a different bean."

Certain starchy roasted vegetables, like beets, sweet potatoes and carrots, have also been used as a swap for chickpeas.

Dumas said that he is generally not a fan of the roasted vegetable substitutions for chickpeas in hummus, which he sees in some ways as "disrespecting the history of hummus."

"Call it roasted beet dip," he said. "If you are going to call it hummus, maybe have some chickpeas and tahini in there."

However, he does make an exception for cauliflower.

"Cauliflower can be roasted or boiled and pureed to make a carbohydrate-light version of hummus that's also ethereally light in texture," Dumas said.

Dumas said to take a whole head of cauliflower, trim away the foliage and stem so it can sit on its base and heat it up on a cast iron skillet with a neutral oil like vegetable oil.

"Allow it to reach a sizzle over medium heat and put in a preheated 375 degree [Fahrenheit] oven and roast it until caramel and tender," Dumas said. "Take it out and puree. You can also cut it into large florets, toss that with oil and salt in a rimmed baking sheet and [roast] 375 [degrees Fahrenheit] and you'll get a nice tender roasted cauliflower like that as well."

Tahini can be replaced with nut butter or even pumpkin seed butter, which has a similar consistency and savoriness. However, Dumas thinks that veers more into non-hummus territory.

"It's almost not hummus if it doesn't have tahini," Dumas said. "It gives it that fat, that richness, that nutty flavor."

No matter what kind of hummus you are making, there are certain tips to make the final product smooth, creamy and delicious.

"People struggle to make good hummus at home," Dumas said. "I struggled for a little while."

One of the biggest tips Dumas learned was that tahini is hydrophilic, which means it is water loving.

"There's no water in tahini, so you add it and it seizes up," Dumas said. "It will eventually relax but you have to add quite a bit of water. The trick is to exclude the tahini until the very end."

Perry said to make sure you get a quality tahini, too, not one that has "been sitting on the grocery store shelf for months and separated."

Dumas also recommended using an immersion blender rather than a food processor to get a truly creamy blend of ingredients.

"Food processors, in my approximation, also yield a somewhat more coarse puree than a Vitamix or immersion blender," Dumas said. "I encourage everyone to invest in an immersion blender."

If your hummus is a little thin, leaving it in the refrigerator for a little while might help, Dumas said. Also, add moisture incrementally.

"You can always add more but you can't take it out," Dumas said. "That's the most important thing about getting a good puree."

When it comes to the right balance of ingredients and flavors, you might need to experiment a little bit  especially if you are switching up the beans.

"There's also just getting the balance right of salt and lemon juice," Perry said. "If your hummus isn't tasty yet it's probably because you haven't added enough salt."

More articles from the BDN
(Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

Chris Suljak was mowing the lawn at his Missouri home over the weekend, when he heard a splash and saw the "pretty good-sized tail" of an alligator disappear into the creek that borders his backyard.

Hearing his yell of shock, Mr Suljaks stepdaughter came running out to see what had happened, reports Newsweek.

She says, Are you OK?, and I said, No, I just saw an alligator, and she started laughing," Mr Suljak told KTVI. "So needless to say, everyone started running down here."

American alligators are not native to Missouri because they cannot survive the states cold winters  it later turned out that the animal was a pet that belonged to a neighbour, and had escaped a fortnight ago.

Mr Suljak and his family members used a dog leash and a makeshift catch pole to try and capture the alligator, which turned out to be a tricky job.

While the animal was a relatively small specimen  Mr Suljak estimated that it was around 54 inches long  it still took the family three hours to catch it because "he kept outsmarting us", said Mr Suljak.

His 11-year-old stepson told the alligator, "I know, buddy, you lost the battle today", as it was lifted out of the water, and it reportedly replied with a hiss as its mouth had been duct-taped shut.

A wildlife control officer came to take the alligator into custody after Mr Suljak called the Bi-State Wildlife Hotline.

After posting about the experience on Facebook, Mr Suljak said that a neighbour got in touch to say that the alligator was his pet, and had escaped its enclosure two weeks earlier.

"He told me it happened to climb the fence. He said it had never done that," Mr Suljak said. "I think the things name is Fluffy."

It is not illegal to own alligators in Missouri, but the state require owners of those that are more than eight feet in length to register their pets with the health department.

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Jared Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump's eldest daughter. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

Michael Cohen said he thought Jared Kushner had flipped on his father-in-law, Donald Trump.

New York prosecutors are pursuing a criminal investigation into Trump's business empire.

Cohen said it was noteworthy that Kushner's name had been absent in proceedings so far.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former personal attorney, said he thought Jared Kushner had already flipped on his father-in-law as the criminal investigation into Trump's business empire intensifies.

Cohen did not offer any evidence but said he thought that was the case because of how little Kushner had been mentioned.

Cohen tweeted on Wednesday that Kushner's name had been absent from "all the controversy, indictments and arrests" related to the investigation. He speculated that this was because Kushner was already cooperating with prosecutors.

"Interesting how @jaredkushner (#SecretaryOfEverything) name appears to be absent from all the controversy, indictments and arrests," Cohen tweeted. "Is he next to fall or a cooperating witness? Knowing what a snake he is, I bet the latter!"

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Cohen was one of Trump's most trusted confidants, but their relationship deteriorated in 2017. Federal prosecutors investigated Cohen over hush-money payments made to women who said they had affairs with Trump and over Cohen's comments to Congress about Trump's business dealings in Russia.

Cohen pleaded guilty to federal crimes including lying to Congress, tax evasion, and bank fraud. Cohen, who is serving the rest of his sentence under house arrest, has become one of Trump's most vocal critics.

Cohen has cooperated with prosecutors and provided evidence against his former boss since at least 2019 in a bid for a more lenient sentence.

Representatives for Kushner did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

On July 1, the Manhattan district attorney's office issued a 15-count indictment against the Trump Organization and Allen Weisselberg, its chief financial officer, including charges of grand larceny and tax fraud. Prosecutors described a years-long scheme by executives at the company to avoid taxes.

Story continues

Read more: The definitive oral history of how Trump took over the GOP, as told to us by Cruz, Rubio, and 20 more insiders

The indictment against Weisselberg twice listed an unnamed co-conspirator, leading to speculation that one of Trump's immediate family members could be the next to face charges.

Weisselberg, one of Trump's most trusted staffers, had told prosecutors that he would not flip on his boss, The Washington Post reported in June.

Commentators have since speculated that the prospect of criminal charges and prison time could tempt members of Trump's family to turn on him.

Cohen alleged in June that Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, had been involved in creating false documentary evidence on Donald Trump's behalf. No evidence of that has emerged.

Mary Trump, the former president's estranged niece, has speculated that Ivanka could be persuaded to provide evidence against her father.

"As counterintuitive as this might sound, I think Ivanka has, one, more to lose, and, two, more to hang on to. Her husband's family is legitimately very wealthy," she told The Daily Beast earlier in July.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Minnesota House Democrats appear unlikely to take immediate action to expel or punish embattled state Rep. John Thompson.

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Driving the news: House Speaker Melissa Hortman indicated Wednesday that she'll wait until any ethics complaints or court proceedings are resolved to take action against the St. Paul Democrat.

State of play: Hortman, along with other DFL leaders, have called on Thompson to resign over a series of domestic abuse allegations that recently came to light.

Thompson, who hasn't been convicted of domestic violence, denies wrongdoing and has so far refused to step down.

On Wednesday, following a conviction on an unrelated misdemeanor charge, he said he needed a few days to make a decision, Fox9 reports.

What she's saying: In a letter to House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt, Hortman cited House protocol and guidance from legal counsel. It wasn't clear how Wednesday's court proceeding would impact her timing.

The other side: Daudt called Hortman's response disappointing and said in a statement that Democrats' resignation calls "ring hollow when they refuse to take any steps to hold [Thompson] accountable."

Of note: Hortman did move to strip GOP Rep. Matt Grossell of his committee assignments based on police reports related to a drunken altercation at an area hospital in 2019.

Unlike in this case, Grossell didn't dispute those allegations, the Pioneer Press notes.

What's next: The House Ethics Committee will hear another, unrelated complaint filed against Thompson on Friday.

Hortman told Daudt he is free to file a complaint of his own.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

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Missouri officials are sending ambulances, staff and other aid to Springfield and Greene County as southwest Missouri continues to weather an onslaught of COVID-19 cases driven by the aggressive delta variant, Gov. Mike Parson announced Thursday.

But they escalated a request for an alternate care site to relieve strain on local hospitals to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

We will continue to do all we can to support the Springfield area and surrounding communities as we experience this increase in COVID-19 spread, Parson said in a news release.

Springfield and Greene County health and emergency management officials made the request on July 14 as the influx of COVID patients swamped local hospitals. Thirty-five percent of people in the county have been fully vaccinated, lower than the states 40%.

The local officials had to resubmit the request for the alternate care site on Monday. They want to convert a local hotel into a medical facility to treat patients in less severe condition, according to Parsons news release, freeing up hospital beds for those who are more sick.

Aaron Schekorra, spokesman for the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, said officials there hope to continue working with SEMA [the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency] and FEMA to bring this resource to southwest Missouri soon to provide much needed support for our healthcare workers.

CoxHealth and Mercy hospitals in Springfield had 310 COVID inpatients on Thursday, according to their executives. Greene County officials said earlier this week the number of COVID cases in the county rose by 22% compared to the week before.

CoxHealths public relations department on Monday took the rare step of releasing photographs of overwhelmed staff inside one of the hospitals COVID ICU units in the hopes of prompting the public to get vaccinated. They show health care workers wrapped in white suits, beds separated by makeshift dividers and a do not resuscitate sign on one bed.

Missouri officials are contracting with the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management to send ambulance strike teams in the form of 10 advanced life support ambulances, 20 medical personnel, two strike team leaders and one logistics specialist to Greene County for two weeks to transport COVID patients.

The state also is sending personnel and equipment to help local clinics set up a monoclonal antibodies treatment center, where COVID-positive patients at high risk severe disease or of being hospitalized can get infusions of proteins that help their bodies fight off the virus.
(Reuters) - Angered by doctors' support for anti-junta protests, Myanmar's military has arrested several doctors treating COVID-19 patients independently, colleagues and media said, as the health system struggles to cope with a record wave of infections.

Since the military overthrew the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi in February, the ensuing turmoil and protests have thrown Myanmar's COVID-19 response into chaos, as activists say scores of doctors have been arrested for their prominent role in a civil disobedience movement.

Myanmar registered on Thursday over 6,000 new COVID-19 infections after reporting 286 deaths a day earlier, both record highs. Medics and funeral services say the real death toll is far higher, with crematoriums unable to keep pace.

To help people who either refuse to go to a state hospital, because of opposition to the military, or find hospitals are too strapped to treat them, some doctors participating in the anti-junta campaign have offered free medical advice over the telephone, and visited the sick at home in some cases.

But according to doctors and media reports in the past few weeks nine volunteer doctors offering tele-medicine and other services have been detained by the military in Myanmar's two largest cities - Yangon and Mandalay.

The information team of the army-led State Administration Council issued a statement denying reports that five doctors had been arrested in Yangon, but omitted any reference to the alleged arrests in Mandalay, which included doctors active in the civil disobedience movement.

All telephone calls from Reuters to a spokesman for the junta were unanswered.

A doctor, who asked not to be named for fear of being targeted by the military authorities, said four of his colleagues from the "Medical Family - Mandalay group" had been arrested.

They included Kyaw Kyaw Thet, who had been tutoring medical students, and senior surgeon Thet Htay, who the doctor said witnesses had seen handcuffed and bruised before being led away on July 16.

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Their group was set up to advise virus sufferers over the telephone how to breathe, how to use an oxygen concentrator, which medicines to buy and how to administer them.

"We have been giving medical treatment to hundreds of patients per day," the doctor said, adding that many more of those patients could have died if they had not been attended to.

Media reports from Yangon, which have been denied by the junta, said three doctors from a COVID-19 response group were arrested after being lured to a home by soldiers pretending to need treatment. The junta also denied Myanmar News portal reportthat security forces had arrested two doctors during a followup raid on their offices in the North Dagon district of Yangon.

The National Unity Government, set up as a shadow body by army opponents, and media reports had also accused security forces of taking oxygen cylinders, protective wear and medicine for their own use during those raids.

"WEAPONISING COVID"

It was unclear why any of the doctors would have been detained, but the military has arrested medical staff previously for their conspicuous support for the civil disobedience movement.

An activist group, Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, has said hundreds of doctors who joined the anti-junta campaign have been charged with spreading false news and 73 have been arrested.

The consequent shortage of staff at hospitals and clinics has added to public mistrust of the junta.

A junta spokesman urged people last week to cooperate with the government in order to overcome the epidemic. And according to some doctors, the latest arrests could be an attempt to force people to rely more on the military authorities.

Denying the reported arrests in Yangon, the military administration referred to information about COVID-19 patients being secretly treated and charged high prices or being directed to online cures, adding that lives were being lost unnecessarily.

Yanghee Lee, a former U.N. Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar now on an advisory council, has accused the junta of "weaponising COVID-19 for its own political gain."

(Reporting by Reuters Staff; Writing by Ed Davies; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
The Texas Senate on Thursday recognized Fort Worths Opal Lee for her efforts to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. During the proceedings, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said hed recommend her portrait hang in the Senate chambers.

Lee, 94, was at President Joe Bidens side in June as he signed a bill designating the new federal holiday commemorating the June 19, 1865, announcement of General Order No. 3, declaring the freedom of slaves in Texas. The announcement came nearly two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Lee has long advocated for June 19 to be a federal holiday, walking 1,400 miles from Fort Worth to Washington and organizing an online petition in support of national recognition of the holiday. Tarrant County Sen. Beverly Powell brought to the floor Senate Resolution 19 recognizing Lee, the grandmother of Juneteenth.

Texas senators took turns thanking Lee from as she listened on. Taking a moment to address the lawmakers, Lee said she was flabbergasted and humbled.

Getting Juneteenth to be a national holiday is a we thing, not a me thing, but a we thing, and theres so much more to do. So much more, she said. We must get the stories to the children.  Weve got to let people know what actually happened, so it doesnt happen again. So we can heal from it.

Lee was joined in the Senate by members of her family. Powell said Lee has been a Texas hero for decades as she recounted Lees work in the community. She also discussed how when Lee was 12 a white mob set fire to Lees family home on Juneteenth.

Because of her determination, every year, American people will pause now on June 19th to remember that dark part of our history and to celebrate whats possible when we unite, when we become, as Ms. Opal says, one people, said Powell, a Burleson Democrat.

Sen. Kelly Hancock, a North Richland Hills Republican, said those in Fort Work know Lee for more than her work to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.

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She has in our neighborhoods, in our backyards, in our hometown, always been about those in need, he said. Those in need of an education, she has taught. Those in need of encouragement, she encouraged. Those in need of nourishment, she nourished. And she didnt just start these things and get them started and leave and abandon, but she persisted.

You are due flowers today, Sen. Royce West, a Dallas Democrat, told Lee.

Patrick told Lee that her portrait should be hanging in the Texas Senate chamber for all of eternity.

After leaving the Senate chamber to greet family members and take photos, Lee told the Star-Telegram she was numb as she listened to the words about her from Texas senators. And of the portrait announcement, Lee said she was going to pinch myself and see if Im awake.

People arent born hating, she said, asked about her message to folks back home. And if people can be taught to hate, they can be taught to love.

Thursdays recognition comes during what has been a contentious special session after House Democrats left for Washington to block legislation they say would disenfranchise voters. Nine Senate Democrats left for Washington in solidarity and have since returned to Austin.

Ms. Opal united 31 hearts in the state Senate today and a host of other staff members and the lieutenant governor. Were so grateful for your presence today, Powell said to Lee. We needed a dose of Ms. Opal.
ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria received its first six A-29 Super Tucano planes, the air force said on Thursday, four years after the United States agreed to sell the West African country the light attack aircraft to fight insurgents.

Nigeria is battling rising insecurity, including mass school abductions in the northwest, Islamist insurgencies in the northeast and kidnappings for ransom and armed robberies nationwide.

The planes, the first half of an order of 12, arrived in the northern city of Kano on Thursday, the air force said in a statement.

The United States under then-President Donald Trump agreed to sell the planes to Nigeria in 2017, resurrecting a deal frozen by the Barack Obama administration after the Nigerian Air Force bombed a refugee camp. [https://reut.rs/3zrt08U]

The aircraft order, including thousands of bombs, rockets and a servicing agreement, came at a cost of $593 million.

The propeller-driven planes, which have reconnaissance, surveillance and attack capabilities, were built in Florida through a partnership between Brazil's Embraer and privately held Sierra Nevada Corp of Sparks, Nevada.

(Reporting by Camillus Eboh; Writing by Chijioke Ohuocha, editing by Libby George and Giles Elgood)
A quarter-pound of beef, fresh leaves and 15 live giant land snails  it's not a recipe, but the confiscated contents of an airline passenger's luggage earlier this month. U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced the discovery Tuesday, saying that the snails are capable of causing rare forms of meningitis in humans.

CBP said in a statement that the snails were recovered at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas. The passenger who brought the giant land snails, also known as banana rasp snails, was traveling from Nigeria. She initially only declared that she had brought dried beef with her, but later added the snails to her declaration, CBP said.

Agriculture specialists who were inspecting the passenger's luggage in Houston then found three zip-locked plastic bags that had the live snails inside, along with fresh leaves and about 0.25 pounds of beef, CBP said.

"Our agriculture specialists remain vigilant in protecting the U.S. from foreign animal and plant disease that could threaten U.S. crop production and livestock industry or be transmitted to humans," Houston CBP port director Shawn Polley said in a statement.

Related video: Officials urge residents not to dump pet fish into lakes

The USDA has taken control of the snails, and said on its website that it is "one of the most damaging snails in the world." It can grow to be almost 8 inches in length and 5 inches in diameter, about the size of an adult's fist, the USDA said.

Giant land snails pose a "potentially serious threat" to humans and the environment, CBP said. Along with negatively affecting agriculture and ecosystems, the West Africa natives are known to carry a parasite called the rat lungworm that can cause rare forms of meningitis in humans.

More than 2,800 cases of the disease have been reported from 30 countries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The parasite doesn't survive for long within the human body, the CDC said, and serious complications, such as neurologic dysfunction or death, rarely occur.

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Pour one out for Haulover Sandbar, the popular strip of sand in Florida where floating concession stands serve ceviche and sandwiches that will soon disappear.

As a sandbar, of course, it does this regularly as the tide rolls in and out over the north end of Biscayne Bay in Miami. When the weather is good, the sandbar is highly visible, with people crowded on the sand left behind by the inlet currents to hang out and party.

But despite the party vibes, Haulover is slated to be dredged by the US Army Corps of Engineers later this summer. The buildup of the sandbar is blocking boat traffic, and the Corps feels that the beach-quality sand can better be used to shore up nearby Bal Harbour Beach. The plan has been in the works for at least two years but has recently encountered opposition from locals, who argue that destroying the sandbar would be damaging to the overall economy that has sprung up around it.

All sandbars are by definition impermanent  the inlet where Haulover is located was itself created in 1925 to increase access to the Atlantic Ocean  and dredging in Miami is also not new. Many beaches in Miami are supported by sand from elsewhere as the city combats rising sea levels. Last year, the US Army Corps of Engineers spent $16 million to import sand from a mine on the Gulf Coast to shore up Miami Beach. Using local sand would cut down on the cost of protecting coastlines.

Photojournalist Eva Uzcategui recently went to Haulover with Stephen Leatherman, a professor of earth and environment at Florida International University, to see what was at stake on the sandbar. Leatherman is known as Dr. Beach for his expertise on coastlines and his criteria for ranking what makes a good beach. Leatherman notes that while the popularity of the sandbar makes it a very good beach, it does need to be dredged for the good of the coastline.
Photograph: Shawn Thew/EPA

The House speaker, Democrat Nancy Pelosi, announced on Wednesday that she would veto the two top Republicans appointed by the House minority leader, Kevin McCarthy, to the new select committee investigating the Capitol attack, saying the Trump-allied congressmen could threaten the integrity of the investigation.

But the move triggered McCarthy to pull all five of the Republicans he had chosen off the committee if Pelosi wouldnt seat the whole cohort  and threaten to set up their own investigation into the 6 January Capitol attack.

With Pelosi refusing to back down and saying the committee would go ahead, the rejected Republicans said they considered that she had rejected all five.

The Republican House minority leaders actions also spurred Liz Cheney, the lone Republican appointed to the committee by Pelosi and therefore not one of the five effectively withdrawn by McCarthy, to stand on the steps of the Capitol on Wednesday afternoon and decry his actions as despicable and disgraceful.

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Cheney also accused McCarthy of trying to prevent Americans from knowing the truth of how the Capitol attack occurred.

The American people deserve to know what happened. The people who did this must be held accountable, it must be an investigation that is sober and gets to the facts, she said, adding that, however at every turn the minority leader has tried to get the people not to know what happened.

Pelosi had earlier already controversially appointed Cheney to the committee, alongside seven Democrats.

Related: Capitol attack committee chair vows to investigate Trump: Nothing is off limits

Pelosi said in a statement that she was rejecting Republicans Jim Banks and Jim Jordan from the panel because of their remarks disparaging the inquiry and their ties to Donald Trump, who will be the subject of the select committees investigation.

Pelosi said her move was an unprecedented but necessary step given the gravity of the select committees inquiry into 6 January, when supporters of the former president stormed the Capitol in a violent insurrection that left five people dead and nearly 140 injured.

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I must reject the recommendations of Representatives Banks and Jordan to the select committee, Pelosi said. The unprecedented nature of January 6 demands this unprecedented decision.

The move also demonstrated Pelosis far-reaching and unilateral authority to steer the direction of the investigation. Pelosi made her decision after deliberating with her leadership team and her picks for the panel, according to a source familiar with the matter.

McCarthy had included Banks and Jordan  both outspoken Trump allies who voted against certifying Joe Bidens election victory  among his picks on Monday, foreshadowing a bitter partisan fight over the direction of the inquiry.

The top Republican in the House slammed her move as an egregious abuse of power that would irreparably damage this institution.

This panel has lost all legitimacy and credibility and shows the speaker is more interested in playing politics than seeking the truth, McCarthy said. Republicans will not be party to their sham process and will instead pursue our own investigation of the facts.

Still, Congresswoman Liz Cheney, the one Republican member picked by Pelosi to serve on the select committee after she castigated Jordan on the House floor on 6 January, blaming him for the attack, told reporters that she supported Pelosis decision.

I agree with what the speaker has done, she said.

The decision by Pelosi to block the pair from serving on the select committee came after a series of calls between Pelosi, her leadership team and the Democratic caucus on Tuesday morning, the source said.

House Democrats were outraged with Bankss appointment in part because of a statement released on Monday night in which he inexplicably blamed the Biden administration for its response to the 6 January attack, which took place during the Trump administration, the source said.

Banks also drew the ire of Pelosi and House Democrats after he arranged a trip for House Republicans to join Trump at a recent event at the southern border alongside an individual who participated in the Capitol attack itself.

Pelosi also expressed deep concern about the selection of Jordan, the source said, especially given he may have spoken to Trump as rioters stormed the Capitol and disparaged attempts to investigate the deadliest attack on the Capitol since the war of 1812.

The chairman of the select committee, Bennie Thompson, previously told the Guardian that any conversations that involved Trump on 6 January would be investigated by the panel, raising the prospect that Jordan would end up examining his own conduct.

Vivian Ho contributed reporting
The library of the vice president's official residence in 2006 (left) and 2016. Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images, Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Vice presidents live at Number One Observatory Circle on the grounds of the US Naval Observatory in Washington, DC.

Different vice presidents have decorated the 9,150-square-foot home according to their tastes.

The Cheneys decorated in neutral tones, the Bidens preferred colorful walls, and the Pences added personal touches.

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In 1977, Walter Mondale, who served under President Jimmy Carter, became the first vice president to move into Number One Observatory Circle.

Joan Mondale in the official residence of the vice presidential family in 1977. AP

Charles Denyer, author of "Number One Observatory Circle," wrote that the home was still in need of upgrades when the Mondales moved in. Part of the basement floor was still dirt, faucets would spout rust-colored water, and the vice president's first shower at the residence turned cold halfway through.

Upon moving in, second lady Joan Mondale offered a tour of the official residence to members of the press.

Joan Mondale in the official residence of the vice presidential family in 1977. AP

Mondale decorated the house's ground floor with paintings, sculptures, and floral arrangements.

In 1978, the Mondales displayed works of art by Joseph Cornell.

Joan Mondale and Harry Parker, director of the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, in the vice presidential residence in 1978. Jeff Taylor/AP

The pieces of art were loaned to the Mondales from the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts.

Walter Mondale made a Thanksgiving turkey in the home's kitchen.

Vice President Walter Mondale in the kitchen at the vice president's residence in 1977. AP

"Every Thanksgiving, I make the turkey and let my wife sleep," Mondale said, according to AP.

Vice President George H.W. and Barbara Bush added a beige rug to the entryway in the 1980s.

Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, President Ronald Reagan, and Vice President George H.W. Bush gather at the vice president's residence in 1981. David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images

The Mondales' sculptures and large vases were replaced with smaller flowerpots.

The beige motif continued in the dining area.

Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, President Ronald Reagan, and Vice President George H.W. Bush at the vice president's residence in 1981. David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images

The Bushes upholstered dining chairs with red fabric.

In the living room, the Bushes added a patterned rug, floral chairs, and green drapes.

George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush at the vice president's residence in 1983. David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images

The Bushes posed in the living room for a portrait in 1983.

Bush took a call in a sitting room furnished with beige walls, a rich colored rug, and a neutral patterned chair.

Vice President George H.W. Bush answers a phone call in the vice president's residence circa 1983. David Hume Kennerly/Getty

Money for maintenance of the home, as well as additions or renovations, comes from private funds or donations to the Vice President's Residence Foundation, which was founded in 1991.

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Vice President Al Gore opted for burgundy curtains and rugs.

Vice President Al Gore meets with Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers in the dining room of his official residence. TIM SLOAN/AFP via Getty Images

Like when the Bushes lived at the home, the dining chairs featured red cushions.

In the living room, Gore swapped out the Bushes' green curtains for white, and he put down beige carpeting instead of a rug.

Vice President Al Gore speaks from his residence in 2000. Pool Photo/Newsmakers/Getty Images

Gore gave a televised address from the vice presidential residence announcing he would contest the results of Florida's presidential vote in 2000.

Dick and Lynne Cheney decorated the residence in neutral colors.

Dick Cheney bidding farewell to Joe Biden following their visit at the vice president's residence in 2008. David Bohrer/White House/AP Photo

They enlisted interior designer Frank Babb Randolph to help with the transformation, according to the Washington Post.

The library, where Cheney often held meetings, featured cream furniture, walls, and rugs.

Vice President Dick Cheney meets with former chief of staff to the vice president David Addington in the library of the vice presidential residence in 2006. Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

Cheney's dogs Jackson and Dave also made themselves at home.

Upstairs in the private quarters, the neutral furniture was offset with dark green walls and floral curtains.

Vice President Dick Cheney, his wife Lynne, and their daughter Mary tour the private quarters of the vice president's residence in 2001. M. Spencer Green/AP

The Cheneys have two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth.

Interior designer Victoria Hagan helped Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden redecorate the official residence when they moved in.

The entryway of the vice president's residence in 2016. Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images

"It wasn't necessarily about the decorating, it was about helping them feel comfortable and putting the bits and pieces together so they could entertain in a public, formal way, as well as have their own private moments," Hagan told the Washington Post in 2017. "It's a very welcoming home and not pretentious."

The living room was painted a brighter yellow, and the furniture and artwork were swapped out to feel more homey.

The living room of the vice president's residence in 2016. Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images

"We chose a palette that reflected them: a strong sapphire blue in the dining room, deep forest green in the library and daffodil yellow in the living room," Hagan told the Washington Post.

The Bidens brought a pop of color to the dining room, painting it "Biden blue."

The dining room of the vice presidential residence photographed in 2016. Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images

It's the same shade as the dining room at their home in Delaware.

Hagan transformed the library from neutral colors to a vibrant space with green striped wallpaper and a plush leather couch.

The library of the vice president's residence in 2016. Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images

A colorful rug, light green drapes, and dark lampshades added dimension to the space.

The Bidens' favorite room in the home was the Solarium, decorated with a cream couch accented with green pillows and plants.

The Solarium in the vice presidential residence. Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images

"I love to go in that room and sit on the couch and grade papers or have meetings," Jill Biden told the Washington Post in 2017. "Often they put a round table in there and we would have dinner or lunch."

Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence removed the green accent pillows, but they kept the Solarium's white furniture.

Second Lady Karen Pence meets the wife of Singapore's prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong. @SecondLady

Karen Pence met with the wife of Singapore's prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, in the Solarium in 2017.

The dining room remained Biden blue, but the Pences added their own personal touches.

Vice President Mike Pence in the dining room of the vice presidential residence in 2017. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

Pence added a photo of his grandfather's home in Ireland to the mantle of the fireplace in the dining room.

The Pences also incorporated artwork that paid tribute to their home state of Indiana.

Karen Pence with artist Douglas David. @SecondLady

Artist Douglas David gifted the second family with a painting of peonies, the Indiana state flower.

In the living room, the Pences put down a different rug and swapped the colorful artwork for a large mirror.

The vice president's official residence living room decorated for Christmas in 2020. Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

The Pences went all-out decorating the residence for Christmas in 2020.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff moved into Number One Observatory Circle in April after it underwent renovations.

Senator Lisa Murkowski's photos from a dinner at the vice presidential residence posted to Twitter. @lisamurkowski/Twitter

There aren't many photos of the revamped residence yet, but Senator Lisa Murkowski shared snapshots from a dinner for female senators that Harris hosted showing the dining room had been painted a lighter grey-blue color.

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Fittingly for a movie awash in lovely penmanship, The Last Letter From Your Lover announces its writerly trappings at the outset. It begins with a quote from A Farewell to Arms and then, a short time later, finds two of its characters sparring over Evelyn Waughs Scoop. The literary references, perfunctory and obvious though they may be, do their part to signal the kind of movie were watching: a forbidden romance set against the hustling-and-bustling world of the British press. (The movie is based on a novel by the English author and journalist Jojo Moyes.) There are movie allusions aplenty too: You neednt look too hard to spot the echoes of An Affair to Remember, down to the fateful, near-fatal car crash that derails a lovers reunion.

Its in the immediate aftermath of that accident that we meet Jennifer Stirling (Shailene Woodley), a 1960s socialite who returns to her handsomely oppressive London home with a scar on her cheek and no recollection of recent events. Her husband, Larry (a frosty Joe Alwyn), clearly wants to keep things that way. But when Jennifer begins finding letters tucked in her old hiding spots, addressed to her by an unknown but passionate lover, some of her memories are triggered and her curiosity is awakened. Ours too, as the movie whisks us to a series of luscious extended flashbacks set in the South of France, where Jennifer and Larry are shown first crossing paths with a dashingly ill-mannered journalist, Anthony OHare (Callum Turner).

With her inattentive husband frequently called away on business (hes a stranger to her even before the amnesia hits), Jennifer spends a lot of this summer holiday with Anthony on leisurely walks, sailing trips and top-down drives along the Riviera coast. The clothes and scenery are gorgeous and so are they, and its only a matter of time before their respective miseries  hes divorced and has a son he never sees, shes trapped in a loveless marriage  drive them into each others arms. Amid longing looks, missed connections and atmospheric lashings of rain, the stage would appear to be set for a satisfyingly anguished drama of love and betrayal, the kind that the movies, to their detriment and the audiences, rarely seems to invest in anymore.

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But for all their respectful if somewhat timid nods to the Hollywood romances of yesteryear, the director Augustine Frizzell and the screenwriters Nick Payne and Esta Spalding, following the busy contours of Moyes novel, have set themselves a trickier challenge. Like the Nicholas Sparks adaptation The Notebook, another rain-soaked love story set in seesawing motion by an intimate collection of writings, The Last Letter From Your Lover is framed as a story of Then vs. Now.

Its forgotten romance is shipped to us courtesy of a present-day London journalist, Ellie (Felicity Jones), who stumbles on some of Jennifers old love letters during research. Herself an emotional wreck after having recently ended a long relationship, Ellie sees in this private correspondence a swoon-worthy throwback to a time when love was both simpler and more complicated.

Back then, the possibility of real, lasting human connection may have been hampered by antiquated social mores, but it was also mercifully free of the fickle whims and soulless technologies that govern the modern dating scene. Rather less objectionable than 2016s ableist romantic fantasy Me Before You, another Moyes adaptation, The Last Letter From Your Lover is at least partly about the frustrations of love in any era, and via any channels of communication. (It could well have been titled That Unanswered Text From Your One-Night Stand.)

Naturally, Ellie gets another chance at love, this time with Rory (Nabhaan Rizwan), a newspaper archivist whose by-the-book rigidity, which gradually gives way to his growing affection for Ellie, is one of the movies significant pleasures. As they chase the Jennifer-Anthony paper trail, Ellie becomes convinced theyve stumbled on a romance for the ages  and the makings of a potentially great story.

You could say something similar about The Last Letter From Your Lover, even if that story never fully comes into focus. You catch glimpses of it in between the busy, mechanical lurchings of the plot, in the swirling movement of a camera pan and the ardent commitment of the actors. If Woodley initially seems miscast in Jennifers stuffy English milieu (its later explained that she originally hails from New York), shes good enough to make that incongruity feel like the point; her skill as an actor lies in her utter guilelessness, the transparency of her desires and longings. Turners Anthony, by contrast, hides his feelings beneath a sardonic veneer that sometimes cracks, never more forcefully than when he begs Jennifer to leave her life of joyless privilege and run away with him.

There are real surges of feeling in those moments of reckoning (aided by key performances from Diana Kent and Ben Cross), and also in the rom-com sparks that fly between Ellie and Rory, who lighten the melodrama with their fizzy, slightly neurotic millennial energy. Frizzell has a nice feel for actorly chemistry, as she showed in her directing debut, Never Goin Back, a Texas stoner raunchfest about two teenage girls and their gleefully vulgar misadventures. The heroines of The Last Letter From Your Lover may seem positively repressed by comparison, insofar as neither of them defecates in a bucket or projectile-vomits in response to someone defecating in a bucket (and mores the pity, really). But theyre appealing enough to keep you watching, and reading, in a double-decker romance that sighs, squeals and fitfully delivers.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Lawyers for Rodney Reed, a Black man who maintains he was wrongfully convicted in the 1996 murder of a White woman, called a man they claim is the victim's real killer to testify during an evidence hearing on Thursday.

Reed has spent decades on death row after he was sentenced to die in the murder of 19-year-old Stacey Stites in Bastrop, Texas, but the state's highest court issued a stay days before his scheduled execution in November 2019. As his execution date loomed, the case gained national attention. Nearly 3 million people signed a petition urging clemency and high-profile figures such as Kim Kardashian West, Rihanna, Beyonce, Meek Mill and Oprah voiced support for Reed.

Stacey Stites, left, and Rodney Reed, right. / Credit: CBS Austin

The Court of Criminal Appeals remanded the case back to the trial court to weigh whether Reed deserves a new trial.

Reed has said he was having an affair with Stites and had consensual sex with her the day before her death, but he has long denied killing her.

In the Bastrop County court hearing that began Monday, lawyers for Reed have been introducing evidence and testimony in an attempt to implicate Stites' fiance, Jimmy Fennell, a White former police officer. Fennell, who later served time in prison for kidnapping a woman while on duty, on Thursday denied having anything to do with Stites' murder.

"I know the truth is going to come out," said Fennell, reports CBS Austin's Bettie Cross. "I'm on the side of Stacey."

At Reed's 1998 trial, prosecutors claimed Stites spent an evening at home with Fennell before she left and drove to work, and during the drive, they said Reed intercepted her, raped and strangled her and left her body in a remote area. They cited Reed's sperm found inside Stites' body as evidence of Reed's guilt.

Reed's defense team says the small amount of sperm found inside Stites' body actually supports Reed's claim that the two had consensual sex the day before she died. During the hearing this week, Reed's defense called two forensic experts who testified that the state of Stites' body indicated she was killed hours earlier than prosecutors claimed, at a time when she was at home with Fennell.

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Grilled by Reed's defense attorney Andrew MacRae about the testimony, Fennell said of the experts, "Both of them are lying."

Jimmy Fennell / Credit: CBS Austin

Reed's defense earlier in the week called witnesses who described a volatile relationship between Stites and Fennell. One witness said he saw Fennell "screaming" at Stites in the parking lot of the grocery store where she worked, Cross reports. Another witness, a former co-worker, said she saw fingerprint-like bruises on Stites' wrists, "like someone grabbed her and pulled her." Another co-worker reportedly said Fennell was "very jealous and very controlling, threatening," and that Stites wasn't sure she wanted to go through with their wedding, which was days away.

Other witnesses said they had seen Stites and Reed together at the grocery store. One former co-worker, Alicia Slater, testified Stites "said she was not excited to get married because [Stites was] sleeping with a Black man named Rodney," Cross reports.

Reed's defense also called a man who was once incarcerated with Fennell, who said Fennell had confessed to killing Stites. The man, Arthur Snow, said he had been involved in the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang and that Fennell asked him for protection. Snow claimed Fennell told him, "You wouldn't believe how easily a belt would break when you strangle a n------loving whore." The belt that was used to strangle Stites was found in two pieces.

Another man who was formerly jailed with Fennell, Michael Bordelon, testified that Fennell told him: "I took care of the problem. I took care of her and that damn n----- is going to do the time. The problem has been taken care of."

Testifying Thursday, Fennell denied that Stites and Reed were having an affair, and said the testimony from the former inmates and Stites' co-workers was untruthful.

When MacRae told Fennell, "A reasonable person could conclude that it was you who killed Miss Stites, not Rodney Reed," Fennell replied, "No."

"A reasonable person could conclude that it was you who killed Miss Stites, not Rodney Reed," said Reed's defense attorney Andrew MacRae. "No," said Jimmy Fennell. "They're just telling what they think they heard. They're lies."

 Bettie Cross (@BettieCrossTV) July 22, 2021

An attorney for Fennell has questioned why the witnesses waited so long to come forward, and pointed to past assault allegations against Reed, including a 1987 rape in which he was acquitted. Thursday, Fennell said Stites "deserved to live a happy life" and that he felt responsible for her death because "I didn't get up and take her to work."

"I was a police officer and I couldn't even protect my own family," he said.

When asked by prosecutors why he didn't marry Stites, Fennell replied, "Because Rodney Reed murdered her," evoking an audible response from Reed's supporters in the courtroom.

Prosecutors have maintained that Reed murdered Stites and said there was no error in his original trial. In an opening statement for the prosecution Monday, Lisa Tanner, an assistant Texas attorney general, said there's no proof of a "secret affair," Cross reported. Tanner said Reed's attorneys have had four different versions of what happened the night of Stites' murder, and said prosecutors are defending Stites' honor against their latest theory.

"Our evidence is not new and not anything we haven't been saying for 25 years," Tanner said.

A judge is not immediately expected to rule after the two-week hearing over whether Reed deserves a new trial. A final decision will ultimately be handed down by the appeals court.

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Long before the current political divide over climate change, and even before the U.S. Civil War (1861-1865), an American scientist named Eunice Foote documented the underlying cause of todays climate change crisis.

The year was 1856. Footes brief scientific paper was the first to describe the extraordinary power of carbon dioxide gas to absorb heat  the driving force of global warming.

Carbon dioxide is an odorless, tasteless, transparent gas that forms when people burn fuels, including coal, oil, gasoline and wood.

As Earths surface heats, one might think that the heat would just radiate back into space. But, its not that simple. The atmosphere stays hotter than expected mainly due to greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and atmospheric water vapor, which all absorb outgoing heat. Theyre called greenhouse gases because, not unlike the glass of a greenhouse, they trap heat in Earths atmosphere and radiate it back to the planets surface. The idea that the atmosphere trapped heat was known, but not the cause.

Foote conducted a simple experiment. She put a thermometer in each of two glass cylinders, pumped carbon dioxide gas into one and air into the other and set the cylinders in the Sun. The cylinder containing carbon dioxide got much hotter than the one with air, and Foote realized that carbon dioxide would strongly absorb heat in the atmosphere.

Image of the journal showing the article

Footes discovery of the high heat absorption of carbon dioxide gas led her to conclude that  if the air had mixed with it a higher proportion of carbon dioxide than at present, an increased temperature would result.

A few years later, in 1861, the well-known Irish scientist John Tyndall also measured the heat absorption of carbon dioxide and was so surprised that something so transparent to light could so strongly absorb heat that he made several hundred experiments with this single substance.

Tyndall also recognized the possible effects on the climate, saying every variation of water vapor or carbon dioxide must produce a change of climate. He also noted the contribution other hydrocarbon gases, such as methane, could make to climate change, writing that an almost inappreciable addition of gases like methane would have great effects on climate.

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Humans were already increasing carbon dioxide in the 1800s

By the 1800s, human activities were already dramatically increasing the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Burning more and more fossil fuels  coal and eventually oil and gas  added an ever-increasing amount of carbon dioxide into the air.

The first quantitative estimate of carbon dioxide-induced climate change was made by Svante Arrhenius, a Swedish scientist and Nobel laureate. In 1896, he calculated that the temperature in the Arctic regions would rise 8 or 9 degrees Celsius if carbon dioxide increased to 2.5 or 3 times its level at that time. Arrhenius estimate was likely conservative: Since 1900 atmospheric carbon dioxide has risen from about 300 parts per million to around 417 ppm as a result of human activities, and the Arctic has already warmed by about 3.8 C (6.8 F).

Nils Ekholm, a Swedish meteorologist, agreed, writing in 1901 that The present burning of pit-coal is so great that if it continues  it must undoubtedly cause a very obvious rise in the mean temperature of the earth. Ekholm also noted that carbon dioxide acted in a layer high in the atmosphere, above water vapor layers, where small amounts of carbon dioxide mattered.

All of this was understood well over a century ago.

Initially, scientists thought a possible small rise in the Earths temperature could be a benefit, but these scientists could not envision the coming huge increases in fossil fuel use. In 1937, English engineer Guy Callendar documented how rising temperatures correlated with rising carbon dioxide levels. By fuel combustion, man has added about 150,000 million tons of carbon dioxide to the air during the past half century, he wrote, and world temperatures have actually increased .

A warning to the president in 1965, and then 

In 1965, scientists warned U.S. President Lyndon Johnson about the growing climate risk, concluding: Man is unwittingly conducting a vast geophysical experiment. Within a few generations he is burning the fossil fuels that slowly accumulated in the earth over the past 500 million years. The scientists issued clear warnings of high temperatures, melting ice caps, rising sea levels and acidification of ocean waters.

In the half-century that has followed that warning, more of the ice has melted, sea level has risen further and acidification due to ever increasing absorption of carbon dioxide forming carbonic acid has become a critical problem for ocean-dwelling organisms.

Scientific research has vastly strengthened the conclusion that human-generated emissions from the burning of fossil fuels are causing dangerous warming of the climate and a host of harmful effects. Politicians, however, have been slow to respond. Some follow an approach that has been used by some fossil fuel companies of denying and casting doubt on the truth, while others want to wait and see, despite the overwhelming evidence that harm and costs will continue to rise.

In fact, reality is now fast overtaking scientific models. The megadrought and heat waves in the western U.S., record high temperatures and zombie fires in Siberia, massive wildfires in Australia and the U.S. West, relentless, intense Gulf Coast and European rains and more powerful hurricanes are all harbingers of increasing climate disruption.

The world has known about the warming risk posed by excessive levels of carbon dioxide for decades, even before the invention of cars or coal-fired power stations. A rare female scientist in her time, Eunice Foote, explicitly warned about the basic science 165 years ago. Why havent we listened more closely?

Neil Anderson, a retired chemical engineer and chemistry teacher, contributed to this article.

[Get our best science, health and technology stories. Sign up for The Conversations science newsletter.]

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Sylvia G. Dee, Rice University.

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Sylvia G. Dee receives funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
BTS is scheduled to be back at the UN General Assembly in New York this September, to represent South Korea as its presidential envoys. BTS/Twitter

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has named seven-member boy band BTS as his diplomatic envoys.

The boyband is set to represent South Korea at the United Nations General Assembly in New York this September.

The seven-member band was invited to speak at the UN back in 2018 and 2020.

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BTS has a new official role as South Korea's presidential envoys for public diplomacy.

The seven-member boy band - composed of members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook - received this appointment on Thursday from South Korean President Moon Jae-In, per South Korean news outlet MBC News.

As South Korea's presidential envoys, the band will attend international conferences like the 76th United Nations General Assembly this September, according to Blue House spokeswoman Park Kyung-mi.

"We plan to organize various activities (with BTS) to promote international cooperation in solving global challenges, such as improving the environment, eliminating poverty and inequality, and respecting diversity," said Park in a statement on Thursday.

Park added that BTS will "send a message of consolation and hope to everyone around the world."

The Blue House's official statement posted on Twitter noted that the band will be part of South Korea's efforts to publicize what the country is doing regarding sustainable development and youth-related issues.

BTS and its members have spoken at the UN several times. Last year, the group spoke at the 75th United Nations General Assembly to deliver a message of hope and reassurance during the COVID pandemic.

In 2018, the band's leader, rapper RM, also gave a speech at the UN General Assembly in New York on efforts the band has participated in to end violence against children.

The group this month released its latest single, "Permission to Dance," their fifth track to top the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

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ST. PETERSBURG  The City Council passed a resolution declaring support for protests against the Cuban government that have erupted across the island nation and Florida.

Cubans took to the streets in early July to demand food and COVID-19 vaccines, calling for the end of the island nations decades-old dictatorship. Many Floridians followed, holding protests in cities across the state to rally behind the overseas demonstrators.

The resolution, brought forward by council Chair Ed Montanari, passed unanimously, with council member Deborah Figgs-Sanders absent.

I wanted to send a message from the city of St. Petersburg that the protesters in Cuba are being heard. Weve heard their cries for freedom and democracy, Montanari said.

Montanari said his grandmother, who lived in Cuba before the countrys revolution in the 1950s, knew Fidel and Raul Castro as a child. His grandfather is buried in Cuba, and his mother was born there, he said.

Im glad that we can support the Cuban peoples right to the same freedoms that we have and we enjoy here in this country, he said.

Tempers flared at Tampas City Council last week when council member Luis Viera brought forward a similar resolution supporting protests. The resolution, which dissenting council member Bill Carlson called a publicity stunt, passed 5-2. A one-sentence resolution later brought forward by Carlson expressing general support for the Cuban peoples economic and political freedom passed unanimously.

There was no dissent among council members over St. Petersburgs resolution.

The Cuban people deserve openness, they deserve information, they deserve dignity, they deserve quality of life and they just deserve freedom, council member Robert Blackmon said.

Lisset Hanewicz, a candidate for City Council District 4, asked the council to approve the resolution. The Cuban government killed her grandfather before her grandmother fled to Tampa prior to her birth, she said.

What did they gain here? Freedom, she said.
In June, a loaded gun was on display at a Fort Worth gun show when an attendee picked the pistol up and accidentally shot a woman in the foot. Neither the vendor or gun show staff checked the guns to make sure they were unloaded, as per policy, according to a Fort Worth police report.

On June 26, Premier Gun Shows produced the Original Fort Worth Gun Show at the Will Rogers Convention Center in Fort Worth. According to gun show rules and policies, guns at the show cannot be loaded, according to a statement from the city. All guns are supposed to be unloaded and inspected at the show.

Premier Gun Shows did not respond to repeated requests for comment about the incident. The vendor, Myrls Country LLC, was banned from future gun show events. Myrls Country LLC did not immediately respond to requests to comment.

In reference to the Original Fort Worth Gun Show, Assistant City Manager Jay Chapa said the event producer is responsible for making sure each vendor follows the procedures to ensure weapons are not loaded.

The city said in a statement after the shooting that staff will work with the show organizer to determine what changes are needed to make sure this type of incident doesnt happen in the future.

Accidental shooting

On June 26, a vendor with Myrls Country LLC brought in 14 firearms and 59 weapon accessories to display at the gun show, according to the Fort Worth police report obtained by the Star-Telegram. Staff did not check the large assortment of firearms at the door. Instead, staff at the event told vendors with a large amount of guns to set up their booths first and then notify a staff member. The staff member is then supposed to check the weapons to make sure they are unloaded and safe, the police report says.

The booth vendor told police that he informed staff when he was done with his booth. A staff member came over, but the staff member not check any of the weapons, the police report says. The booth vendor also did not check the weapons.

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The first day of the gun show, an attendee was looking at the guns at Myrls Country booth. The attendee picked up a black Palmetto State Armory KS47 AR Pistol and aimed it at the floor while pulling the trigger, thinking it was not loaded.

A bullet in the chamber ricocheted off the floor, went through a plastic container, flew through an empty gun case and hit a woman in the left heel. The bullet went through her foot, the police report said.

The man who shot the gun panicked and said he did not know the gun was loaded, the police report said. He left the gun show, later telling police he did not know anyone was hurt when he left.

Bystanders bandaged the womans foot and Medstar arrived to taken her to the hospital. Meanwhile, the man heard the woman had been shot, and he returned to the gun show and the booth.

Premier Gun Shows is hosting another Fort Worth gun show in August, according to their website.
We call Miami Dade College the communitys college because our mission is grounded on our commitment to provide opportunities for young people, by expanding access to quality education and meaningful employment. Our hard work and dedication have had a laser focus to deliver on these important outcomes.

Recently, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 1507 (REACH Act) into law, further expanding these opportunities for young people. It is a bold step to modernize the pathway for students into the future of work, while providing a new framework for greater collaboration between high schools, community colleges, workforce agencies and industry. House Speaker Chris Sprowls led this effort to establish a blueprint for Floridas workforce programs to ensure that the state has the talent it needs to remain competitive in the new global economy with the delivery of a talented workforce.

This law, and important funding that comes with it, will allow students as young as high schoolers to start apprenticeships and other job training, and eventually enter Floridas high-demand job market. As these students gain invaluable exposure to the jobs of the future while in high school, they will enter our campuses with a clearer vision of how they want to leverage our institution for their initial and life-long learning.

Equipped for life

Students who arent exactly sure where they fit into the future of work will have guided pathways and support teams at MDC to help them select their career tracks.

As these students enter the workforce, they must also be lifelong learners to keep up with rapidly evolving technology and innovation. The investments we are making in groundbreaking learning technologies and artificial intelligence today will pave the way for them to receive quality, accessible and low-cost continuing education while maintaining full time employment. We see our role as not just providing the initial preparation for students entering the workforce, but to keep them equipped for life in an ever-changing job market.

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I have long advocated for workforce agencies, colleges and industry to converge to create a uniform set of credentials and skills that align education and training to specific workforce needs. The REACH Act is a major step toward this goal by requiring Floridas workforce agencies to collaborate with business and industry leaders to create a state-approved list of rapid credentials that align training with workforce demands. As the MDC staff and I collaborate with important industry leaders on the specific applied knowledge, life and digital skills our learners will need to succeed, our innovative faculty will bring their pedagogy as the mission-critical asset to the table. As coursework is aligned with workforce needs, and delivered in an environment of inclusion and equity, great things will continue happening in Florida.

We have a long tradition of key industry partnerships at MDC with more than 200 top business leaders serving on our workforce advisory boards. I started my own educational journey at Miami Dade College and have experienced and observed the outcomes that a college like MDC can provide to build highly competent and well-equipped employees, leaders and entrepreneurs. To continue to deliver on that promise, we need more open dialogue, and more integrated curriculum development with the companies that will hire our students. At MDC, we welcome these conversations that foster greater collaboration with businesses around the state and country because we know this cooperation will yield a better qualified, more engaged, and stronger workforce.

Strengthen the workforce

One of our key partners is longtime collaborator Career Source that we again joined with recently to launch an innovative automotive technician apprenticeship program, offering free tuition, health insurance, books and tools to students. Like us, Career Source is also a partner with the county mayors Renew305 initiative to upskill and retrain workers in Miami-Dade County to drive the regions pandemic recovery while meeting the demands of industry.

We are fortunate to have partners here and in the Legislature who continue being committed to leveling the playing field and providing economic opportunity to the next generation workforce. A stronger workforce in Florida means a stronger Florida, and we will do our part to ensure the REACH Act serves as a case study that can be replicated nationally.

A large segment of the student population today needs a faster and more affordable pathway to good jobs. There is no institution better positioned to deliver on this need for rapid credentials and to maximize the goals of the REACH Act than Miami Dade College. As always, we are ready to meet this challenge and continue serving as the engine of our workforce and economy.

Madeline Pumariega is the president of Miami Dade College.