Hong Kong: SJ meets pupils

Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng

Young people are our future hope. Rational opinions put forward by them deserve our attention. I am happy to hear their views because direct communication with young people not only allows me to understand their thinking but also helps us formulate policies. Yesterday, I met a group of students from Secondary 3 to 6 who participate in the Army Cadets Association and the Basic Law Ambassador Training Scheme. They not only have great academic results and exemplary conduct, but also gave objective and rational opinions.

In the beginning, I briefly introduced the relationship between the Constitution of the Peoples Republic of China and the Basic Law. I also talked about the background of which the central authorities adopted the National Security Law before I invited them to express their views. I was pleased to know that they possess an accurate concept about the constitutional order and understand that the Basic Law solidly and clearly provides the legal guarantee for the implementation of one country, two systems in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

We then discussed the significance of the National Security Law. They agreed that stability has been restored and members of the public no longer live in terror since the enactment of the law. I also took the opportunity to clarify a number of misconceptions among the international community, hoping that the students can help disseminate accurate information about the National Security Law to their peers.

I encourage the students to take part in the programmes under the Vision 2030 for Rule of Law organised by the Department of Justice. Among them, those with the theme Empowerment focus on the rule of law education for schools, with activities including Rule of Law through Drama and Rule of Law Enlightenment.

Through a wide range of activities organised by the department, I wish we are able to nurture young people who have a strong sense of national identity and social responsibility, respect the rule of law and abide by the law, and that they will give full play to their strengths to serve Hong Kong and contribute to our country in the future. They are probably too young to join the governance right now, however, I sincerely invite them to call on their parents, relatives and friends to vote in the upcoming Legislative Council election on December 19 with a view to building a brighter future for Hong Kong and our younger generations.

Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng wrote this article and posted it on her blog on December 12.

This story has been published on: 2021-12-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
RTHK: New Caledonia votes no in controversial referendum

The French territory of New Caledonia voted against independence in a referendum on Sunday, provisional results showed, amid a big drop in turnout due to a boycott of the vote by the independence movement.

The indigenous Kanak population, who largely favour independence, had called for non-participation in the referendum because they are in a 12-month mourning period following a September surge in coronavirus infections.

Provisional results published by French authorities showed support for a "no" to independence was at 96.5 percent, while turnout stood at 43.9 percent. Sunday's vote, the third and final ballot on the issue, follows two previous polls in 2018 and 2020 in which the "no" vote got 57 percent and 53 percent respectively.

"The Caledonians have chosen to remain French. They decided that freely," French President Emmanuel Macron said in a televised address.

"We can't ignore that the electorate remained deeply divided over the years. (...) A period of transition is now starting," he added.

New Caledonia's congress president, Roch Wamytan, a pro-independence leader, said he regretted the French government had rejected their call to postpone the third referendum to September 2022 out of respect for local mourning customs.

"This referendum, for us, is not the third referendum. We consider that there are only two legitimate referendums. 2018 and 2020. This referendum is the referendum of the French state, not ours," he said on Franceinfo radio.

Analysts fear a "no" vote will anger independence supporters, creating instability.

"The worst of scenarios? A "no" vote which bans independence, but whose legitimacy is rejected by the Kanaks via a massive abstention rate motivated by Paris's refusal to postpone the vote," Francois Heisbourg, an analyst for the IISS think-tank said on Twitter. (Reuters)

This story has been published on: 2021-12-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
RTHK: Israeli PM makes history with UAE visit

Naftali Bennett arrived in the United Arab Emirates Sunday for the first official visit by a prime minister of Israel, after the countries established diplomatic ties last year.

The trip announced by Bennett's office comes with Israel making a renewed diplomatic push against international talks which global powers resumed with its arch foe Iran over the Islamic republic's nuclear programme.

Bennett on Monday meets Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan to discuss "deepening the ties between Israel and the UAE, especially economic and regional issues," the prime minister's office said.

There was no immediate comment from the UAE on the visit which Bennett called "historic".

He was received in Abu Dhabi by UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and an honour guard, according to his office.

The prime minister said he appreciated the "very warm hospitality".

"I'm very excited to be here... as the first official visit of an Israeli leader here. We are looking forward to strengthening the relationship."

In a video issued earlier, Bennett said relations between the two states were "excellent and extensive, and we must continue to nurture and strengthen them, and build the warm peace between the people".

The UAE last year became the third Arab nation to establish full diplomatic relations with Israel after Egypt and Jordan.

Bahrain and Morocco then followed as part of a series of deals brokered by then US president Donald Trump. Sudan also agreed to normalise ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords, but full relations have not yet materialised. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2021-12-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Have Sheriff Offices in North Carolina, possibly even Beaufort County's Sheriff Office, become too political in the discharging of their sworn constitutional duties? No, the sheriff is a constitutional officer. Yes, the Sheriff Office, on strong occasion, often reverts back to political patronage in the dispensation of their sworn constitutional duties. I feel that heavy politics, and law enforcement is a strange marriage of dutiful aspirations. 214 total vote(s) What's your Opinion?



poll#143

Should Beaufort County elected officials demand that every alleged incident of Child Rape be investigated in Beaufort County? Yes, without fail, irrespective of the parties involved; this heinous crime must be investigated, and the truth be known, and responsible parties prosecuted. No, some Beaufort County citizens are more elite than others, and these types of investigations can be most damaging to the alleged party in question. 385 total vote(s) What's your Opinion?



I had the opportunity to talk with Michael Sheppard a couple of days ago to see if he could add anything to the article I wrote about Sheriff Coleman being untruthful on the witness stand in front of a federal judge. I thought I had most of the details, but Michael added a few more troubling points about the Sheriff and his Office.As I stated in Part I, the Sheriff eventually terminated Michael's employment with the Sheriff's Office because Michael refused to remain quiet when a white Deputy pointed his service weapon at a black deputy and called him the N-word. Michael immediately reported the incident to Lt. Kelly Cox because the Deputy that pointed a gun was Michael's Sergeant. The Sergeant had pointed his service weapon at his own head on other occasions after taking the magazine out but leaving a live round in the chamber. This action bothered several Deputies that witnessed it. Neither the Command Staff nor the Sheriff took any disciplinary action against this Sergeant.One month after the incident, the Sheriff demoted Michael without explanation and transferred him to Narcotics under Lt. Russell Davenport. Michael asked why he was doing this and was told to shut up. Michael said he knew the reason for his demotion and transfer was because he would not remain silent.The Sheriff terminated Franks. Shortly after that the Sheriff terminated Michael. The Sheriff did not want to hear what Michael had to say. Rose told Michael he was being terminated because he would not forget what happened to Franks. Sgt. Ragland was not punished for pointing his handgun at Franks.During the court hearings, Ernie kept saying the incident was. Ernie was asked if he ordered the incident investigated. Ernie said he did not because the incident wasin his opinion.During the deposition phase of the lawsuit Ernie referred to himself in the 3rd person. Michael's attorney asked him if he always talked that way but no answer was given. Ernie wanted to focus on Michael's bad background and bad family but never provided any evidence to support that claim. Ernie did not want to settle because he considered the entire incident. Ernie stated again he did not conduct an internal investigation.Ernie's attorney and Michael's attorney reached a settlement agreement, and Ernie's attorney informed the judge. Ernie claimed he had no knowledge of his attorney's actions. His attorneys filed paperwork to void the settlement, but the Judge did not want to do that. The Judge set a hearing date to determine what happened. He wanted to hear directly from Ernie and his attorney.At some point prior to the hearing, Ernie's attorney became aware of how Ernie planned to testify. Because Ernie's attorney attended the settlement hearings with Ernie, he became a witness against Ernie. The county had to hire a third attorney to represent Ernie.On the stand, Ernie denied any knowledge of the $150,000.00 offer. The Judge reminded Ernie he was under oath. The Judge asked the question again and once again Ernie denied any knowledge of the offer. The Judge then gave him another chance to consider his testimony. Ernie stated again he had no knowledge of the offer. The Judge told Ernie to step off the stand and watch his step as he left. Ernie told the Judge he had more to say. The Judge again told him to step off the stand and Ernie did. When Ernie got back to the table with his lawyer he sat down, then stood to speak. His attorney grabbed him and pulled him down.Judge Dever did not seal the information in this case. He wanted the public to see how this North Carolina Sheriff acted in court. He found Ernie's conductaccording to Michael. Ernie's attorney testified against Ernie's interest and the Judge found ErnieEarly on, Ernie engaged in a smear campaign against Michael to discredit him. Chief Deputy Charlie Rose admitted he had no evidence to support the claims. With Charlie on the stand, Michael's attorney asked him about racing on Highway 17 Bypass. Charlie admitted racing the Tahoe and Charger, with another Deputy, from Washington to Chocowinity on the Bypass. The loser had to buy Mountain Dews for everyone. Can you imagine what the young, impressionable Deputies are doing on county roads with this type of leadership from Chief Deputy Rose? Drive defensively and keep a look out for speeding patrol cars.Ernie punished two Deputies that reported racist, dangerous behavior performed by a superior officer and did not punished the Sergeant that committed those acts. How does this impact a young Deputy's thinking? He is being taught that telling the truth will get him punished. He has also learned that lying in court has no penalty. Can the public trust any Deputy's testimony under the current Sheriff? What will a defense attorney do with this information?I put that in quotes because those are not my words. Ernie will continue to poison the minds of Deputies and, unfortunately, nothing in that agency will get better under the present lack of leadership.
Sputnik V vaccine production factory to be built in Vietnam in one year

A factory producing Russias Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 will be built in Vietnam within one year and is expected to produce 30-40 million doses annually, Chairman of Russian pharmaceutical company Binnopharm Dmitry Zubov told Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Russia.

Sputnik V vaccine (Photo: AFP/VNA)





Earlier this month, Binnopharm and the Russian Direct Investment Fund signed a memorandum of understanding with Vietnams T&T Group on the transfer of production technology and the formation of a facility with full cycle production capacity of Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine in Vietnam.



Sputnik V vaccine production factory to be built in Vietnam in one year hinh anh 2

Chairman of Russian pharmaceutical company Binnopharm Dmitry Zubov (Photo: VNA)

According to Zubov, the time of one year for construction is feasible, as Binnopharm has just built another factory in Belarus in eight months.



He said this will be a multi-purpose and closed-cycle factory using advanced German equipment. It can produce other vaccines as well.



He considers this an important basis for Russia to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam on pharmaceuticals, thereby entering the Southeast Asian market.
Opening of Nha Trang to Russian holidaymakers proposed

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism is seeking the Ministry of Public Security's approval for a pilot programme to allow foreign visitors to the southern central province of Khanh Hoa.



The move came following the proposal of Anex Vietnam Travel and Trading Company to receive international travellers in Khanh Hoa, between December 25, 2021 and March 23, 2023.





A beach in Nha Trang



Anex Vietnam will co-operate with Azur Air and Anex Tour Russia Company to transport around 336 Russian visitors with vaccine passports to Khanh Hoa on December 25.



All visitors are requested to test negative for Covid-19 using the Real time-PCR method three to five days before their arrival in Vietnam.



During the first seven days, travellers have to stay at designated resorts and hotels that meet pandemic safety requirements, while complying with several travel restrictions.



Anex Vietnam is the leading travel firm for Russian visitors to Vietnam over recent years. In 2019, the company brought 340,000 Russian travellers to Khanh Hoa, accounting for two-thirds of Russian visitors in Vietnam that year.
TCM deeply involved in prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of COVID-19 in China

15:26, December 11, 2021 By Yang Yanfan ( People's Daily

In treating COVID-19 patients, China has always adhered to the principle of combining traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine, and adopted TCM throughout the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of COVID-19 to provide the best possible services for patients, according to an official with China's health authority.

A pharmacist of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) dispenses a prescription for epidemic prevention medicine at a TCM hospital in Huaian city, east Chinas Jiangsu province, August 19, 2021. (Photo by Wang Hao/Peoples Daily Online)

Guo Yanhong, an official with the medical administration and supervision department under China's National Health Commission (NHC), made the remarks at a recent press conference held by the State Council joint prevention and control mechanism against COVID-19 in response to the latest waves of outbreaks at home.

In the pandemic responses of Chinese cities including Dalian, Heihe and Lanzhou, TCM has shown its unique advantages and played a key part in ensuring early identification, reporting, isolation and treatment.

After Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu province, reported new COVID-19 cases, Zhang Zhongde, vice president of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in south China's Guangdong province, hurried to Lanzhou on Oct. 20 to help contain the spread of the virus. It was the ninth time he had been to the front line of the fight against the pandemic.

On the night upon his arrival in the city, Zhang studied and analyzed local cases with other experts.

Unlike previous cases, few of the newly confirmed ones in Gansu had a fever. But most of them showed symptoms like xerostomia, dry throat and dry cough, and some had symptoms similar to those of a cold, such as headache and runny nose, Zhang said.

TCM that is helpful for nourishing people's energy can effectively alleviate patients' symptoms like dry mouth, dry throat and dry cough, he added.

Taking into consideration the virological characteristics, syndrome, geographical and climatic features of the outbreaks, Chinese experts have adjusted and improved TCM diagnosis and treatment formulas in time and emphasized the importance of tailoring prescriptions for patients according to their respective symptoms.

TCM has once again demonstrated its unique merits and curative effects in China's efforts to cure COVID-19 patients.

Medical workers give traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) decoction to people for free to help them prevent diseases in front of a hospital in Jieji township, Suqian city, east Chinas Jiangsu province, August 1, 2021. (Photo by Xu Changliang/Peoples Daily Online)

TCM has been prioritized in the treatment of mild cases, according to Guo, who said that TCM has been proven effective in easing patients' clinical symptoms including fever, cough, poor appetite, and fatigue.

Close combination of TCM and Western medicine has prevented the condition of mild COVID-19 cases from deteriorating, Guo noted.

As regards critically ill patients, some TCM has been proven effective in reducing high fever and other aspects, Guo added.

TCM emphasizes preemptive prevention of disease. Last year, Wuchang district, Wuhan city, central China's Hubei province, created a common TCM formula against COVID-19 based on its experience in fighting the pandemic and took the lead in giving out TCM in residential communities, witnessing good results in strengthening people's immunity and reducing COVID-19 infection rate.

TCM decoction, as important preventive means of TCM for thousands of years, is useful for protecting the susceptible population, said Tian Xingjun, head of the Sichuan Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

To give full play to TCM's role in COVID-19 prevention, Sichuan province has widely spread knowledge about TCM and anti-pandemic measures and provided the public with guidance on maintaining and improving health, Tian pointed out.

It should be noted that TCM has also helped with patients' rehabilitation. After patients finish their course of treatment, they receive a TCM prescription for further recovery, which is aimed at enhancing their immunity, said Qi Wensheng, director of the emergency department of Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences.

On Nov. 3, the first three cured COVID-19 patients in Gansu's latest outbreaks were discharged from the hospital. They then went through a 14-day rehabilitation and health self-monitoring period, during which TCM decoction, Baduanjin qigong, Taijiquan, and other TCM therapies were employed to help them get back to their normal life as soon as possible.

In the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, TCM is able to play a role in the whole course of treatment, according to Zhang Boli, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering and honorary president of the Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Noting that Chinese and Western medicine have their own strengths and specialties, Zhang said that by inheriting the traditional essence of TCM and continuously seeking innovation in practice, TCM practitioners have made important contributions to safeguarding people's health amid the pandemic.

(Web editor: Bianji, Du Mingming)
Commentary: China -- A great growth globalizer

Xinhua) 09:40, December 12, 2021

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)

China, as the world's second largest economy, now stands as a great growth globalizer that is well positioned to further boost economic globalization and common prosperity worldwide at the same time, a new form of globalization described by many as "growbalization."

BEIJING, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Over the past 20 years since its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), China has embarked on an odyssey to embrace globalization by constantly deepening its integration into the global economy.

Along the way, China has not only honored its WTO commitments, but also played a major role in stimulating growth and electrifying development around the world.

The biggest challenge facing economic globalization today is whether it can reward everyone participating in this unstoppable trend so as to ensure a balance between economic efficiency and social justice. In fact, China, as the world's second largest economy, now stands as a great growth globalizer that is well positioned to further boost economic globalization and common prosperity worldwide at the same time, a new form of globalization described by many as "growbalization."

Why can China become a great growth globalizer?

The first reason is that China, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, has achieved the two miracles of rapid economic growth and enduring social stability.

People visit the 4th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in east China's Shanghai, Nov. 5, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xiang)

Over the last two decades, China's economic size has grown from the sixth to the second largest in the world, and its outbound direct investment has risen from the 26th place to the first. It has been the largest contributor to global growth for 15 years running, and the world's second largest importer for 11 consecutive years.

Think about it: It would be very unlikely for China to make substantial contributions to the rest of the world if it failed to develop itself and maintain stability within its own borders in the past two decades.

The other reason is China's rock-solid commitment to openness as well as its sustained readiness to share development opportunities.

Over the years, Beijing has taken a host of concrete steps to improve its business environment and level the playing field for domestic and foreign firms, like rolling out the Foreign Investment Law and gradually shortening the foreign investment negative list.

China fully understands that its progress is very much linked to a robust global development. That is why it has proposed the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in a bid to help kickstart economic growth in the developing world, and set up platforms like the China International Import Expo (CIIE) so that the bounty of the Chinese market can be better shared with the wider world.

More importantly, China has also been a strong supporter for global free trade and investment by upholding the multilateral trading regime with the WTO at its core, practicing true multilateralism, and supporting the inclusive development of the multilateral trading regime.

Sida Phengphongsawanh (C), a trainee for China-Laos railway train driver, learns to inspect a train from a Chinese instructor at the China Railway No. 2 Engineering Group (CREC-2) railing base for the China-Laos railway, on the northern outskirts of Vientiane, Laos, Sept. 12, 2021. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua)

For example: Thanks to years of relentless collective efforts from China and other participating countries, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, now the world's largest free trade agreement, will enter into force next month.

Considering rising trade protectionism worldwide, such a victory for multilateralism is hard won.

Looking ahead, China will continue to play the role as a great growth globalizer and stay true to its promise of promoting an economic globalization that it is more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial for all.

On the one hand, the Chinese economy is still capable of maintaining its growth momentum and long-term resilience against headwinds and uncertainties. It has a consumer market of unparalleled size and growth potential, a complete industrial system as well as prudent, pragmatic and flexible economic policy-making.

On the other, by sticking to the goal of joining the rest of the world to build a community with a shared future for mankind, China will continue to carry forward with high-quality opening-up and strengthen cooperation of mutual benefits.

To that end, China has been fostering a new development paradigm of "dual circulation" featuring domestic and overseas markets reinforcing each other with the domestic market as the mainstay.

People visit the 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) at Shougang Park in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 6, 2021. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

With the proposal of a Global Development Initiative, China has also vowed to make global development more equitable, effective and inclusive, so that no country will be left behind. The initiative can be interpreted as a message of long-term development opportunities from China.

Executives from Honeywell, McDonald's, Boeing and a number of other U.S. companies recently have all underscored the importance of the Chinese market and its growth opportunities. Foreign investors were also found to have purchased Chinese government bonds as a global reserve asset through most of the year 2021.

"We will not change our resolve to open wider at a high standard; we will not change our determination to share development opportunities with the rest of the world," Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed when addressing the opening ceremony of the fourth CIIE last month.

Over the last 20 years, China has made extra efforts to honor the WTO spirit through its energetic and persistent "growbalization" drive. Marching forward, the great "growth globalizer" will continue to keep faith with its commitment to the global community by making this world a better place not only through rallying words, but also real actions.

(Web editor: Liang Jun, Bianji)
Scholars say countries should explore own paths to democracy

Xinhua) 09:53, December 12, 2021

BEIJING, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Countries should explore their own paths to democracy in alignment with their national conditions, enhance national governance, and improve their people's wellbeing, according to scholars attending an international forum on democracy.

From Thursday to Friday, more than 100 guests from over 50 countries and regions, including representatives of international organizations and the media, as well as experts and scholars, joined the dialogue on democracy and national governance during the second phase of the International Forum on Democracy: The Shared Human Values.

They voiced their opposition to the zero-sum mentality, the instigation of ideology-based confrontation, and certain countries' act to maintain their own hegemonies under the guise of protecting democracy.

The definition and practice of democracy vary in different countries, which depend on their peoples' lifestyle, culture, location, geographical structure, education as well as many other things, explained Kalyan Raj Sharma, president of Nepal China Friendship Forum in Nepal.

The experts expressed their concern that certain individual countries are actually stoking confrontation under the pretext of promoting their so-called democracy.

Michael Frederick Dunford, a British professor with University of Sussex, said a particular political and legal system in Western capitalist countries is claimed by these countries to be the only form that democracy can assume and a model that these countries have the right to impose selectively on other countries.

The selectivity indicates that what drives this ambition is not certain values, such as democracy and freedom, but certain interests which these values and principles serve to legitimize, Dunford added.

Regarding China's achievements in practicing its own democracy, many participants of the forum expressed their recognition.

The spirit of the Chinese people is always positive and optimistic about the future. Therefore, the Communist Party of China (CPC) must be doing something very right, said Helga Zepp-LaRouche, founder and president of the Schiller Institute in Germany.

The forum is scheduled to be held in three phases, with the upcoming third phase slated for Dec. 14-15.

The event was hosted by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council Information Office and co-organized by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China Media Group and China International Publishing Group.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
Iran's president says "good agreement" reachable in nuke talks

Xinhua) 09:56, December 12, 2021

Ebrahim Raisi attends his first press conference after winning the election in Tehran, Iran, on June 21, 2021. (Photo by Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua)

TEHRAN, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- If the United States lifts anti-Iran sanctions, a "good agreement," which Iran is looking for, will be reached in nuclear negotiations, Iran's President said on Saturday.

"The Islamic Republic participated in the negotiations with dignity, and showed by presenting the text (proposals) that it is serious in the negotiations," Raisi was quoted as saying by the presidential website.

The Iranian president, who was making the remarks at a meeting of ambassadors and heads of missions of Iran to the neighboring countries, said that "if the other side is determined to lift the sanctions, a good agreement will be reached and we are looking for that."

Ebrahim Raisi attends a swearing-in ceremony in Tehran, Iran, on Aug. 5, 2021. (Photo by Javad Salarheyli/Xinhua)

Underlying his administration's policy for improving relations with the neighboring states, he noted that Iran's neighborhood policy and relations with neighbors to counter and neutralize sanctions is a strategic, not a tactical move.

Iran and other remaining parties to the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), reconvened in the Austrian capital of Vienna on Thursday to discuss the ways for the revival of the JCPOA, the fate of which was uncertain after the withdrawal of the former U.S. administration in 2018.

(Web editor: Liang Jun, Bianji)
U.S. "Summit for Democracy" lost opportunity for detente: Slovenian expert

Xinhua) 10:10, December 12, 2021

LJUBLJANA, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The so-called "Summit for Democracy" led by the United States was a lost opportunity for new global detente, a Slovenian publicist and political scientist told Xinhua on Friday.

"Primarily Washington will have to realize that a new democratic world order is not possible without the cooperation of China and Russia," said Uros Lipuscek, who is an expert on China.

"From this point of view, the virtual 'Summit for Democracy' in Washington was a lost opportunity for a new global detente," he added.

The summit represented "a continuation of a so-called missionary diplomacy, which was started by (former) U.S. president Woodrow Wilson during the First World War," said the expert, noting "its purpose was the global prevail of the American-style liberal democracy."

"Obviously, the newest U.S. administration has not given up on that goal in spite of the deep crisis in which the ever more divided U.S. society finds itself," he added.

"The United States will have to solve their internal issues before setting the norms of global democratic development," said Lipuscek.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Bianji)
Top political advisor expresses full confidence in realizing China's complete reunification

Xinhua) 10:18, December 12, 2021

Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, addresses the 13th Straits Forum in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, Dec. 11, 2021. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

XIAMEN, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Resolving the Taiwan question and realizing China's complete reunification is a historic mission and an unshakable commitment of the Communist Party of China (CPC), China's top political advisor Wang Yang said Saturday.

"We have full confidence in achieving the goal," said Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, when addressing the 13th Straits Forum held in the coastal city of Xiamen in east China's Fujian Province.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and intentional obstruction by certain people from Taiwan, people across the Taiwan Strait have actively participated in the forum both online and offline, Wang noted.

The wide participation has fully shown that the momentum of cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation is unstoppable, and no one can go against the will of the people on both sides to get closer to each other, he added.

The mainland will strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification with utmost sincerity and efforts, but will never leave any space for "Taiwan independence" separatist activities, said Wang.

"We have the ability to transform the disaster-ridden Chinese nation from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong. We have the ability to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects on the once poverty-stricken mainland with a large population. We, of course, have the ability to make Taiwan compatriots enjoy a better life," Wang said.

Wang pledged efforts to fully implement the Party's overall policy for resolving the Taiwan question in the new era and promote the peaceful and integrated development of cross-Strait relations.

Efforts will also be made to improve the systems and policies which safeguard the wellbeing of Taiwan compatriots and ensure that they enjoy the same treatment on the mainland as local residents, said Wang, adding that Taiwan compatriots, especially the young people, are welcomed to fulfill their aspirations on the mainland.

Eric Chu, chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, said in his address via video link that the Chinese KMT party shoulders an important responsibility in maintaining stable cross-Strait relations, and it will be committed to the goal of boosting people's wellbeing, and further advance the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.

Wu Cheng-tien, chairman of Taiwan's New Party, said in his address that Taiwan's New Party will unwaveringly endeavor to make efforts that are conducive to peaceful reunification as well as development and exchanges across the Taiwan Strait.

Prior to the opening of the forum, Wang met with some of the representatives of the attendees and organizers of the event.

During his stay in Fujian, Wang also visited an urban community in Xiamen dedicated to youth from across the Strait, a religious site, and an enterprise to better understand the cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Bianji)
Chinese language schools serve as a bridge to share culture with Americans

Xinhua) 11:16, December 12, 2021

SAN DIEGO, the United States, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese language schools in the United States serve as cultural centers for their communities, Allan Yang, secretary general of the Chinese School Association in the United States (CSAUS), told Xinhua on Friday.

These schools can act as "bridges to facilitate not just educational and cultural exchanges but also promote friendship between the United States and China," he said at the 13th National Convention and Chinese Education Conference held in San Diego.

The event, which kicked off on Friday, is scheduled to run from Dec. 10-12. CSAUS, a non-profit organization established in 1994, has invited representatives and teachers of Chinese language schools from all over the United States.

Noting that there are member schools in San Francisco that have been around for 137 years, CSAUS Chairperson Lorna Xing said, "Those schools played a historic role in enabling Chinese Americans to get their rights during the years of the discriminatory Chinese Exclusion Act."

Their classes, primarily held in the evenings and at weekends, are open to anyone interested in learning Mandarin or experiencing Chinese culture and arts, regardless of their ethnic and cultural background. Five to 10 percent of their students are Americans or non-Chinese, Xing said.

CSAUS data showed that the association now has around 400 member schools, 20,000 teachers -- most of them volunteers -- and about 150,000 students.

Raising awareness of Chinese and Chinese history is also a growing part of their agenda. "Teaching Chinese and Chinese American history in U.S. schools is not something we want to do, it's something we need to do," said Yang.

Illinois is the first U.S. state to officially include Asian history in their public school curriculum, followed by New Jersey, Maryland, and Massachusetts.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
Chinese vice premier stresses continuous development of Hainan free trade port

Xinhua) 11:20, December 12, 2021

Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and head of the leading group on deepening all-around reform and opening-up in Hainan, chairs a meeting of the group in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2021. Han Zheng has urged efforts to comprehensively implement major national strategies and promote new development at the Hainan free trade port. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

BEIJING, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng has urged efforts to comprehensively implement major national strategies and promote new development at the Hainan free trade port.

Han, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and head of the leading group on deepening all-around reform and opening-up in Hainan, made the remarks while chairing a meeting of the group on Friday.

Noting the progress in policy implementation, function realization and risk management since the release of the port's master plan, he called for accelerating infrastructure planning and construction and concentrating on developing advantageous industries at the port.

Measures should be taken to put environmental protection in a prominent position and advance building of the island as a national pilot zone for ecological civilization, said Han.

He also underlined work to implement stress tests for high-level opening-up, further explore rules for trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and strengthen the prevention and control of major risks.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
U.S.-held "Summit for Democracy" thwarts democracy under pretext of democracy: Chinese FM spokesperson

Xinhua) 12:33, December 12, 2021

BEIJING, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The so-called "Summit for Democracy", held by the United States recently, sought to thwart democracy under the pretext of democracy, incite division and confrontation, and undermine the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order underpinned by international law, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Saturday.

The spokesperson said that the so-called "Summit for Democracy", drawing the ideological line and turning democracy into a tool and a weapon, sought to divert attention from U.S. internal problems. The United States attempted to preserve its hegemony over the world.

This move by the United States goes against the trend of the times, and has been widely opposed by the international community, according to the spokesperson.

The spokesperson said the United States is not a "beacon of democracy", and the American-style democracy has deviated from the essence of democracy. The American-style democracy is full of malaises. Problems like money politics, identity politics, partisanship, political polarization, social division, racial tension, and wealth gap are getting worse. The American-style democracy is a money-based game for the rich.

"Ninety-one percent of congressional elections are won by candidates with greater financial support. It is 'one person one vote' in name, but 'rule of the minority elite' in reality. The general public are wooed when their votes are wanted but get ignored once the election is over," said the spokesperson.

The check and balance has become "vetocracy", with partisan interests put above national development. The flaws of such an electoral system are self-evident, including the rampant use of gerrymandering to manipulate the division of electoral districts that compromises fairness and justice. The dysfunction of the American-style democracy is a fact that cannot be covered up -- the Capitol riot that shocked the world, the death of George Floyd that sparked mass protests, the tragic mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the harsh reality of the rich becoming richer and the poor poorer, according to the spokesperson.

"Is American democracy good? Let's hear out the American people." The spokesperson said surveys show that 72 percent of Americans believe that democracy in the United States has not been a good example for others to follow in recent years, and 81 percent of Americans believe that there are grave domestic threats to the future of American democracy.

"Does American democracy work? Let's hear out the people of the world." The spokesperson said surveys show that 44 percent of respondents across the world regard the United States as the biggest threat to global democracy. Even in U.S. allies, most of the people there see American democracy as a "shattered, washed-up has-been", and 52 percent of respondents in the European Union believe the democratic system in the United States does not work.

The spokesperson stressed that a country's path to democracy should be chosen independently by its own people, rather than imposed from outside.

The spokesperson noted that as a common value of humanity, democracy is the right of people in all countries. It is not a prerogative of a small number of countries. Whether a country is democratic or not should be decided by its own people, not by a handful of finger-pointing outsiders. A country's democratic system and its path to democracy should be chosen independently by its own people in light of their national reality. Nothing works better than the most suitable.

"China promotes its democracy in accordance with its national conditions and realities. China's democracy is people's democracy. Its essence and core is that the people are the masters of the country. China practices whole-process people's democracy under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. It combines electoral democracy with consultative democracy, and integrates all links of democracy, including democratic election, democratic consultation, democratic decision-making, democratic management, and democratic oversight. It covers economic, political, cultural, social, ecological and all other fields, so that the people's wills are represented and their voices heard in every aspect of political and social life," said the spokesperson.

The spokesperson said whole-process people's democracy integrates process-oriented democracy with results-oriented democracy, procedural democracy with substantive democracy, direct democracy with indirect democracy, and people's democracy with the will of the state. It covers all aspects of the democratic process and all sectors of society. It is the most broad-based, real and effective socialist democracy. China's democracy has contributed to the country's development and social progress, and delivered a happy life for the Chinese people.

The spokesperson pointed out China has completed the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects. With the eradication of absolute poverty, the 1.4 billion Chinese people are now marching toward common prosperity. China has made the biggest advance in individual freedom in thousands of years, and the creativity of the hundreds of millions of Chinese people has been fully unleashed.

Stoking division and confrontation in the name of democracy is to backpedal in history, and will bring nothing but turmoil and disaster to the world, the spokesperson said.

For a long time, the United States has been imposing its political system and values on others, pushing for the so-called "democratic reforms", abusing unilateral sanctions and inciting "color revolutions", which have caused disastrous consequences, the spokesperson said, adding that democracy has become a "weapon of mass destruction" used by the United States to interfere in other countries' affairs.

As US media commented, if there is one country that is still seeking global hegemony, coercing other countries and defying rules in the 21st century, it must be the United States. Since 2001, the wars and military operations waged by the United States in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria have claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, caused millions of injuries, and displaced tens of millions of people. The fiasco in Afghanistan has shown that imposing American democracy on others simply does not work, according to the spokesperson.

Till this day, the United States is still trying to divide the world into "democratic" and "non-democratic" camps based on its criteria, and openly provoke division and confrontation. Such practices will only bring greater turmoil and disaster to the world, and face strong condemnation and opposition from the international community, the spokesperson said.

Facing the impact of COVID-19 and major changes unseen in a century, the spokesperson said countries have become more interconnected and interdependent. The international community needs more than ever to strengthen solidarity and cooperation based on the norms governing international relations represented by the UN Charter.

"China stands ready to work with all countries to promote peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, which are common values of humanity, and advance democracy in international relations. We should choose solidarity over division, dialogue over confrontation, and democracy over hegemony. We should firmly reject and oppose all forms of pseudo-democratic and anti-democratic practices and political manipulations under the cover of democracy, and make tireless efforts toward the building of a community with a shared future for mankind," the spokesperson added.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
U.S. "Summit for Democracy" aimed at gaining political, military hegemony: Polish expert

Xinhua) 14:47, December 12, 2021

WARSAW, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The so-called "Summit for Democracy" convened by the United States aimed at gaining political and military hegemony in the world, said Zbigniew Wiktor, a professor of political science and China expert in Poland.

He also said the summit was a faulty policy by the U.S. government.

"Creating such a concept, the 'Summit for Democracy,' is not appropriate," said Wiktor. "In a time when the world is becoming multi-polar, such a policy (of seeking hegemony) is dangerous for the U.S. itself, as well as for the entire world."

Wiktor emphasized that over the years democracy has developed, and there are different models and forms of democracy. He said China has its own democratic system, which he has been studying for decades.

He said every country has the right to choose its own system of rule, and no country has the right to intervene in another's internal affairs.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
China issues 10 application challenges for new generation supercomputer

Xinhua) 15:53, December 12, 2021

BEIJING, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- China has issued a list of 10 application challenges for its new generation supercomputer, with an aim to build a quintillion-scale supercomputing application ecology, Science and Technology Daily reported on Friday.

The list includes the fusion simulation of a magnetic confinement fusion reactor, fluid mechanics simulation of a full-size aerospace vehicle, dynamic simulation of a digital cell atomic system, as well as refined numerical weather forecasting.

It also covers efficient and high-throughput virtual drug screening, a super-scale artificial intelligence pre-training model, and high-resolution sky survey image processing for Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) observation data.

The application challenges also include global seismic full waveform inversion, whole-brain neuron dynamic simulation, and sub-mesoscale global ocean numerical simulation in full resolution.

The 10 application challenges for the new generation supercomputer, which is capable of processing one quintillion calculations per second, were jointly issued by China's National Supercomputer Center in Tianjin and dozens of other research teams on Wednesday, according to the newspaper.

The center's chief scientist of supercomputer application research and development Meng Xiangfei said with these applications in place in the future, supercomputers will continue to play an important role in driving high-quality development.

(Web editor: Liang Jun, Bianji)
WZ-10 attack helicopters fire at targets

China Military Online) 16:08, December 12, 2021

WZ-10 attack helicopters attached to an army aviation brigade under the PLA 72nd Group Army hover at an ultra-low altitude over the sea during a live-fire training exercise in early November, 2021.(eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Zhang Huanpeng)

WZ-10 attack helicopters attached to an army aviation brigade under the PLA 72nd Group Army hover at an ultra-low altitude over the sea during a live-fire training exercise in early November, 2021. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Zhang Huanpeng)

(Web editor: Liang Jun, Bianji)
Local government launches open day to address matters of public concern

Xinhua) 16:28, December 12, 2021

CHONGQING, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Jiangbei District of Chongqing Municipality, southwest China, has launched an open day, inviting 405 people to visit 29 government departments and convey their concerns.

The event was organized to hear voices of local people and aimed at improving services for local people, according to sources with the district government.

Ma Jiajun, an enterprise representative in the district, previously had difficulties in starting a company due to his unfamiliarity with the relevant procedures.

After hearing of the government open day at the end of November, he signed himself up, hoping to identify a clear set of application steps.

"A staff member told me how to prepare the files, and that I can check the relevant steps online. It's so convenient," said Ma.

He added that although the question he raised was trivial, the civil servant answered it with patience and respect.

Attending the event, citizens can talk face to face with government officials who are familiar with the relevant affairs.

Wang Shiwei, a local citizen, raised questions for Ai Yu, deputy director of the market regulation administration of the district. Wang expressed concern about food safety in the takeout delivery business.

Ai said that the district government has carried out the inspection of 3,147 restaurants registered on online catering apps. Some restaurants without certifications were required to close.

The practice of government open day in Jiangbei District will be promoted across the whole of Chongqing next year, said an official with the general office of the Chongqing municipal government.

Chongqing has adopted multiple measures in hope of more effectively responding to grassroots concerns and demands.

The city has continued to dispatch government officials on the ground to act as spokespersons, interacting directly with local residents over fishing bans, tax services and garbage sorting, among other issues connected with people's daily lives.

"Residents have the right to be informed, ask questions and supervise officials," said Xu Zuguo with the city's information office. Xu said relevant activities are advancing this process and encouraging the wider grassroots engagement. En

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
China's Henan sees foreign trade hit record high

Xinhua) 16:30, December 12, 2021

ZHENGZHOU, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The imports and exports of central China's Henan Province topped 718.53 billion yuan (about 112.81 billion U.S. dollars) from January to November this year, according to customs authorities in Zhengzhou, the provincial capital.

Henan's foreign trade volume increased 24.7 percent year on year during the period, they said.

The top three markets for Henan's foreign trade so far this year are the United States, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the European Union.

The province's trade volume with countries and regions along the Belt and Road grew 15.8 percent year on year, reaching 158.37 billion yuan.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
Photo taken on July 21, 2019 shows the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, China's Taiwan. [Photo/Xinhua]

The latest remarks from China's top political advisor Wang Yang have served to once again hammer home the point that Beijing's resolve to defend the nation's sovereignty and territorial integrity and throttle any attempts to split Taiwan from the motherland is ironclad.

Addressing the 13th Straits Forum in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province, on Saturday, Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said resolving the Taiwan question and realizing China's complete reunification is a historic mission and an unshakable commitment of the Communist Party of China.

"We have full confidence in achieving the goal," he said, stressing that the Chinese mainland will strive for peaceful reunification with utmost sincerity and efforts, but it will never leave any space for separatist activities aimed at "Taiwan independence".

Wang also pledged efforts to promote the peaceful and integrated development of cross-Straits relations and to improve the systems and policies which safeguard the well-being of Taiwan compatriots and ensure that they enjoy the same treatment on the mainland as local residents.

The wide participation of people across the Taiwan Straits in the forum both online and offline indicates the unstoppable momentum of cross-Straits exchanges and cooperation. It also serves as a barometer showing that peace and reunification are the common aspirations of the Chinese people.

Wang's message was a timely reminder to the Democratic Progressive Party administration on the island that its pro-independence stance is unpopular. Its attempts to play with fire and sabotage the one-China principle are doomed to fail.

On Friday, Nicaragua severed its so-called diplomatic ties with the Chinese island and signed a joint communique with Beijing on the resumption of diplomatic relations. By making the right decision to recognize the one-China principle, Nicaragua has followed some other Central American countries in choosing to stand on the right side of history. In recent years, Costa Rica, Panama, Dominica and El Salvador have one after another severed official ties with the Chinese island and established diplomatic ties with Beijing.

All this shows the one-China principle accords with the will of the people and the trend of the times, and is unstoppable. The Nicaraguan move should teach the Taiwan administration a lesson that colluding with foreign forces, the United States in particular, and challenging the one-China principle will lead to nothing but a dead end.

The DPP should change course and return to the one-China framework and strengthen cross-Straits cooperation to promote the well-being of Taiwan compatriots.
The "Summit for Democracy" that the United States hosted on Thursday and Friday unfolded exactly as expected. Being staged purely for the purpose of dividing the world and attacking China, it was a farce from start to finish.

Providing representatives of the secessionist-minded Democratic Progressive Party of Taiwan island with a platform to issue a so-called state declaration, inviting a Hong Kong rioter to speak, and accusing Chinese entities and individuals of unfounded wrongdoing and putting them on a blacklist on Friday, Human Rights Day, expose the summit for what it was, a contrived publicity stunt to blacken China's image in the name of democracy and human rights.

As a country that feels no qualms about intervening in the internal affairs of other countries or practicing long-arm jurisdictions so it can divide the world for its own narrow ends, the US is not qualified to lecture the world on values.

Although it claims to be championing democracy and human rights, it is the US that is the true "authoritarian force".

All of the US' anti-China tricks, whether conducted in the open for all the world to see or in an underhand way, only serve to consolidate China's resolve to defend its core interests as well as sovereignty and territorial integrity.

It has been nearly one month since the top leaders of China and the United States held a virtual meeting, in which they agreed on the importance of Sino-US relations and the need to avoid miscalculation and a new Cold War. Although the Chinese side has fully demonstrated its patience, foresight and practicality in acting accordingly, the US has not honored its words.

The US should discard the fantasy that it can compel China to follow its rules. China only accepts the international system with the United Nations as the core, and the international order with international laws as its foundation.

The US democracy is fundamentally the institutional exploitation of the majority by the few: that is how it views the world and how it has shaped the global governance system. The US' strategic anxiety about China's rise originates from its fear that the fairer and more equitable international order China calls for as a representative of the less-developed countries will put an end to its privilege and hegemony, which it has taken for granted after emerging from the Cold War as the sole superpower.

That being said, the US-orchestrated "summit" was a travesty of democracy. It was simply a tired hurrah for an enervated monarch refusing to accept his decline.
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Press Release

December 12, 2021 Rule of law must prevail in times of pandemic - Gordon Senator Richard J. Gordon has underscored the importance of all governments to respect the rule of law in addressing the scourge of COVID-19 pandemic, especially in protecting the people against abuses, rapacity, and abuse of power. Speaking before an international "2021 Open Parliament Forum" last Dec. 3, Gordon said it is the duty of Congress, notably the Senate, to exercise its oversight function to ensure that public funds are judiciously spent and well accounted for. "[W]e are tasked to perform the act of protecting the Senate, of protecting the institutions of the Constitution, maintaining our duty to balance the powers and most importantly, of ultimately protecting the people from corruption, rapacity, and abuse of power which run counter sometimes presidential acts," he said. "We act not merely to assert our Constitutional prerogatives, but also to ensure that the balance of powers remain stable, which is the very essence of democracy," he added. The two-day forum was organized by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO), the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the United States' National Democratic Institute chaired by former US State Secretary Madeleine Albright. Other speakers included Australia House of Representatives MP Kevin Andrews, Open Government Partnership Deputy Director for Country Support Shreya Basu, Deputy Director and the R&D Advisor in Chief, 21st Century Foundation, R.O.C. (Taiwan) Dr. Chou Yun-tsai, and Lukas Savickas, Member of Seimas, Lithuania. It was also graced with the presence of R.O.C. (Taiwan) President Tsai Ing-wen, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, UK House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle, former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, among other foreign parliamentarians and academicians. Gordon, who chairs the Philippine Senate Committee on Public Accountability of Public Officers and Investigation (Blue Ribbon), pointed out that Congress should assert the principles of separation of powers and its power of checks and balances, especially against populist leaders. "The rise of populist leaders throughout the world who try again and again to erode traditional and constitutional balance, attempting to arrogate unto themselves powers and privileges constitutionally allocated to other departments does not augur well for our future," he said. "Now is a time better than any for those of us, upon whom our laws have assigned mandates and duties to perform, to ensure that the balance is maintained; and where the balance is skewed, to ensure that the balance is restored," he added. In the performance of its oversight function, Gordon explained that the Senate has encountered numerous problems in its current inquiry on government's anomalous procurement deals of pandemic response medical supplies and equipment. He cited these obstacles as the uncooperative witnesses, their refusal to submit pertinent documents, personal attacks, and a presidential directing barring attendance of Cabinet officials that have slowed down proceedings. "[W]e did not stop with our investigations. We surged on despite the President's diatribe against my person and the Senate as an institution, public insults, and even threats, for we believe that the power to investigate is not merely an exercise of discretionary competence on the part of Congress," he said. "Rather, it is a duty imposed on us by the Constitution, and by the people who have elected us to public office," he stressed. It may be recalled that Gordon has issued several contempt charges against several officials of Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation, including the detention of two of its top executives at Pasay City jail for refusal to cooperate. Gordon has continued gained the public trust by pushing for the improvement in government's pandemic response, putting emphasis on the welfare of healthcare workers, among others. He made sure that PhP50 billion would be earmarked in the Department of Health's 2022 budget, appropriated for the healthcare worker's special risk allowance in recognition of their heroic effort in preserving human lives during the pandemic.
Gordon lauds conversion of 1st high school near Pag-asa island

Senator Richard J. Gordon hailed the conversion of the Pag-asa Elementary School located within the disputed Spratly Islands into an integrated school that would cater both elementary and junior high school students.

Gordon said he was elated to learn that students residing in Pag-asa Island, which is part of Kalayaan, Palawan, will not need to travel to the Palawan mainland to enjoy their constitutionally mandated access to free education.

"The government's move to establish Pag-asa Integrated Elementary and Junior High School for next school year ushers hope and relief to the young residents and the parents of Kalayaan island," he said.

"Tulad ng pangalan ng kanilang isla, ito ay naghahatid ng mensahe ng tunay pag-asa sa mga batang mag-aaral dahil ito ay makakatulong sa pagtupad ng kanilang pangarap tungo sa isang pagiging mabuting mamamayang Pilipino," he added.

At present, high school students residing in the 37-hectare island located 285 nautical miles west of the mainland Palawan island need to travel by sea or reside with relatives just to go to school.

The establishment of the junior high school significantly reduces risks involved during travel, including possible capsize of boats and harassment from foreign naval forces patrolling the region.

Pag-asa, or Thitu Island, is part of the nine-part Kalayaan Group of Islands under the sovereignty of the Philippine government.

It is within the disputed Spratly Island region where several countries, including the Philippines, China, Vietnam, and Malaysia, have laid claim part or the whole sea, including its various islands, sandbars and atolls.

Gordon, who chairs the Senate justice and human rights committee, underscored the importance of the school's conversion for it bolsters the country's outstanding claim of sovereignty over the Kalayaan region.

"Never can any foreign government claim that it hold dominion over Pag-asa. The upgrade of our educational facilities only tightens the grip of the nation's tricolors in this tiny speck of land in the middle of the West Philippine Sea," he added.

The Senator has constantly supported and asserted the Philippines' claim over the disputed region in various instances.

Recently, Gordon urged the next government leadership to champion a pro-Philippine stance over the disputed waters, a turnaround from the current diplomatic attitude favoring China.

"Ang ating mga senador, congressman, lahat ng tao, magkaisa at ipaglaban [ang ating karapatan]. Kung 'di natin gagawin 'yan, itutulak-tulak lang tayo [ng China]," he said.
Press Release

December 12, 2021 Lacson Warns Rights Abusers under Anti-Terror Law: You Will be Held Liable More at: https://pinglacson.net/article/lacson-warns-rights-abusers-under-anti-terror-law-you-will-be-held-liable The law is the law and there should be no "special treatment," but those who violate human rights must be held accountable and even criminally liable. Sen. Panfilo "Ping" M. Lacson stressed this as he said the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 should penalize only those committing acts of terrorism. "No matter who you are, if you commit acts of terrorism, you will be answerable under the law. The law is the law. Walang target ito kundi ang nagko-commit ng acts of terrorism (The law is the law. It should target no one else but those committing acts of terrorism)," Lacson said at a news conference in Dumaguete City Saturday afternoon. Lacson, one of the authors and the sponsor of the measure in the Senate, earlier welcomed the Supreme Court's ruling that deemed the law still constitutional overall. But he also warned that those who violate human rights - including those potentially abusing their authority to implement the law - will be held accountable and liable. "A human rights violation is a human rights violation. People responsible for violating the human rights of others must be held accountable and criminally liable," he said. On the other hand, Lacson questioned some groups for casting aspersions on the high court's ruling. "First they were claiming victory. Next they claim partial victory. Now they are whining and saying they will appeal, they are not happy. Which is which? There is no partial victory. This is a victory for peace," he said.
Lacson to PNP: Solve Journalist's Murder ASAP

More at: https://pinglacson.net/article/lacson-to-pnp-solve-journalists-murder-asap

CATARMAN, Northern Samar - "One life lost is one life too many."

Sen. Panfilo "Ping" M. Lacson thus exhorted the Philippine National Police Sunday to act with dispatch in solving the murder of journalist Jesus "Jess" Malabanan in Calbayog City in Samar last Dec. 8.

Lacson, who headed the PNP from 1999 to 2001, noted it has been the police agency's policy to prevent crimes - or if it failed to do so, to at least solve them soonest.

"If you cannot prevent, at least solve mo ang hindi mo na-prevent (If you cannot prevent a crime, at least solve what you failed to prevent)," he said at a press briefing here.

He said the formation of a task group to solve Malabanan's murder is "the first right move," but added the police must "act with dispatch."

"Ang problema, kailangan with dispatch ma-solve ang kaso ni Malabanan (The priority now is to solve the case with dispatch)," he said.

Lacson, who is running for President under Partido Reporma, visited this province Sunday along with his Vice Presidential candidate Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III, who is running under the Nationalist People's Coalition.

With them were Partido Reporma senatorial bets Minguita Padilla, Guillermo Eleazar, and Monsour del Rosario.
Indigenous Youth Speak Out November 2015

"Indigenous Youth Speak Out" was release in November 2015, and a project conducted by the Native American Community Board in Lake Andes, SD.

Our youth face issues of parental neglect, drug abuse, sex trafficking, suicide, the school to prison pipeline and policy issues of dual jurisdictions, corporate encroachment, and the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968, which does not provide Native Americans the same civil rights protections that all other American citizens have. A pdf format of the report can be found at: www.nativeshop.org/images/pdf/2015-11-indigenous-youth-speak-out.pdf
Ama (mother)

Join Us!? We call for justice for the thousands of Native American women who were victims of forced or coerced sterilization practices.

It is estimated over a twenty-year period between 1960 and 1980 that tens of thousands of Native American women were sterilized without their knowledge or consent. Due to poor record keeping during this era the exact number will never be known. Many of these women went to their graves having suffered this incredible abuse of power. We will petition the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs to introduce a bill calling for a public apology to the individuals and their Tribal Nations.

We ask individuals around the world to stand by the victims of this horrific abuse by signing our petition.

Reports of forced sterilization of Native American women began to surface in the 1970s.* Of the 100,000 to 150,000 Native American women of childbearing age during this period experts estimate up to 70,000 of these women were involuntarily sterilized through tubal ligation or hysterectomy.* Many women were not given a choice to refuse to undergo the sterilization procedure and some were even coerced into signing consent forms, making it appear that they had willing given consent. Recent evidence has suggested that the sterilization procedure was often carried out under the pretence of other operations, routine check ups or during emergency surgery relating to pregnancy or abortion when the women were experiencing high stress. Many of the victims didn't know they were sterilized until years afterwards.

https://www.change.org/p/united-states-government-to-offer-public-apology-to-native-american-women-who-were-victims-of-forced-sterilization

Find out more of the story at: https://www.amamovie.com/
Despite the announcement by the United States on December 10, 2021, regarding the approval of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Greece of Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) ships, it was announced that Greece has already signed an agreement with France for the purchase of three French-made FDI HN or Belharra-class frigates.

Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link

Artist rendering of FDI HN or Belharra-class frigates for Hellenic Navy. (Picture source Naval Group)

The acquisition of new frigates for the Hellenic Navy is a top priority for the Greek government, as well as the upgrade of existing warships. Greece could invest 5 billion euros in the acquisition of four new frigates.

According to news published by the French newspaper "Le Figaro" on December 11, 2021, Greece has confirmed that the project for the acquisition of three frigates will continue.

In May 2021, French company Naval Group has announced an offer to provide four FDI HN frigates to the Hellenic Navy and also to modernize MEKO ships.

In September 2021, Navy Recognition has reported that Nikolaos Panayotopoulos, the Greek Minister of Defence, Pierre Eric Pommellet, CEO of Naval Group, and Eric Beranger, CEO of MBDA, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to open negotiations to provide the Hellenic Navy (HN) with three Defence and Intervention frigates (FDI HN) and their equipment as well as an optional additional frigate.

The FDI (Fregate de defense et d'intervention - English: Frigate for defense and intervention) is a French military program to design and create a planned class of frigates to be used by the French Navy. The FDI-HN frigate is marketed for export under the name Belharra.

The Belharra frigates will be able to conduct a wide range of missions such as anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, anti-aircraft warfare, patrol, maritime security, control of exclusive economic zone (EEZ), asymmetric warfare, and Special Forces activities.

She will have a length of 122 m, a beam of 17.7 m, and a displacement of 4,460 tons. The ship will have a crew of 110 people as well as an aircrew detachment of approximately 15 people. She will also have a flight deck and one hangar to accommodate one unmanned VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft or one NH-90 naval helicopter.

The Belharra frigates can be armed with one Oto Melara 76mm Super Rapid gun (mounted in stealth cupola), two 20 mm remotely operated automatic cannons, 8 Exocet MM-40 Block 3 anti-ship, two Sylver A50 8-cell VLS (Vertical Launching System) for MBDA Aster 15/30 surface-to-air missiles and two dual torpedo tubes with EuroTorp MU90 Impact torpedoes.

She will be powered by a combined diesel and diesel (CODAD) propulsion system. She will have the capability to reach a top speed of 27 knots (50.0 km/h) with a maximum cruising range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km) at 15 knots (27.8 km/h).
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SpaceCast Weekly is a NASA Television broadcast from the Johnson Space Center in Houston featuring stories about NASA's work in human spaceflight.

They include the International Space Station and its crews and scientific research activities, and the development of Orion and the Space Launch System, the next generation American spacecraft being built to take humans farther into space than they've ever gone before.

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By Trend

The Horadiz-Agband railway is expected to be commissioned in Azerbaijan in the first quarter of 2023, chairman of the Azerbaijan Railways Javid Gurbanov told journalists, Trend reports.

Gurbanov added that the work is planned to be completed by late 2022.

Some 40 kilometers of land have been prepared, chairman of the Azerbaijan Railways said. We will soon start to lay the top layer of the railway. The work on tunnels and bridges is underway. The railway is 11 kilometers long. The demining operations are also underway. The work will probably be completed on a 50 kilometer-section by late 2021.
By Azernews

By Vafa Ismayilova

Azerbaijan has faced information, hybrid and psychological wars from the first days of its independence, Azerbaijani presidential aide Hikmat Hajiyev has said.

He made the remarks at the opening of the International Strategic Communication Summit (Stratcom Summit 21) held in Istanbul.

"Azerbaijan faced this at a time when the world didnt yet realize, didnt understand meaning of disinformation. At that time, we werent ready for this war, and therefore, while Armenia occupied our lands every day, the world condemned Azerbaijan, and the killing our people by Armenian armed forces was misrepresented to the world as the killing Armenians by Azerbaijanis. This propaganda was carried out under the name of a fictitious 'Armenian genocide'," Hajiyev said.

Efforts to convey truth to world

He noted that against the background of all this, Azerbaijan waged its just struggle and sought to convey the truth to the world.

"However, we realized that this wasnt enough. There was a huge need for even more activity to convey the truth to the world, and to present it in the format of strategic communication. As a result, we decided to strategically combine our military, diplomatic and information policies, implementing it against Armenia and the Armenian lobby pursuing a policy against Azerbaijan around the world. All this happened amid the silence of the rest of the world, which didnt want to hear about what was happening," added the presidential aide.

He stressed that Armenia presented itself as a country suffering from conflict, while innocent people of Azerbaijan were killed in Karabakh, Khojaly.

"Having faced such problems from the first days of the Karabakh conflict against the background of this fake presentation, we began a long struggle. Therefore, having formed a 30-year strategic communication during this struggle, we started to implement it. Our main goal was a coordinated delivery of all politics and messages of Azerbaijan," Hajiyev noted.

Azerbaijan was able to convey the truth to the world despite the difficult war late last year.

"As its known, on September 27 last year, Armenia unleashed a new war against Azerbaijan, our civilians, and the Azerbaijani people began their just struggle. The proper formation and conduct of strategic communication here was one of our most important goals, as Armenia continued its provocations based on hybrid and psychological war," Hajiyev noted.

He underlined that "many doors in the world media continued to remain closed for Azerbaijan. The information monopoly in the world media posed obstacles which we had to overcome. In this context, the struggle that was waged by President Ilham Aliyev through establishing direct contacts with the world media should be emphasized".

Hajiyev recalled Aliyev's almost daily long-hour inetrviews to over 30 leading, most authoritative international TV channels, media agencies for 44 days of the second Karabakh war.

Horrifying situation

Speaking about the situation in Azerbaijan's liberated lands liberated, Hajiyev described it as horrifying.

"The situation in Aghdam is comparable to Hiroshima, perhaps even worse.Impression is that Armenians used nuclear weapons in the previously occupied Azerbaijani territories. We faced the destruction of our culture. These realities terrify people. Armenians kept pigs in destroyed mosques in Karabakh. This is unacceptable. The world witnessed nothing like this before," Hajiyev noted.

He added that the restoration of Karabakh, its turning into a paradise again is one of Azerbaijan's main goals.

Armenia's aggression and illegal occupation caused irreparable damages to Azerbaijan's cultural heritage, which includes thousands of cultural values, including monuments of the world and national importance, mosques, temples, mausoleums, museums, art galleries, sites of archaeological excavations, libraries and rare manuscripts.

Sixty-four of 67 mosques and Islamic religious sites were destroyed, greatly damaged, and desecrated.

More than 900 cemeteries were destroyed and vandalized. The evidence of illegal "archaeological excavations" and so-called "restoration work" was found on the liberated Azerbaijani territories, confirming previous reports of Armenia's attempts to hide and falsify cultural, historical and scientific evidence.

A modern workshop for the production of "ancient" khachkars - Armenian cross-stones, which was discovered in liberated Kalbajar, were oxidized and vinegar was used in the process of artificial aging and then they were buried as "indisputable evidence" of "centuries-old Armenian roots" in this region.

Hundreds of cultural institutions, 927 libraries with a book fund of 4.6 million, 22 museums and museum branches with more than 100,000 exhibits, 4 art galleries, 8 culture, and recreation parks, as well as one of the oldest settlements in the world in Fuzuli region - Azykh (Azikh) Cave, the Shusha State Historical and Architectural Reserve had become victims of the Armenian vandalism.

Occupied by Armenian forces in 1993, Aghdam is known as the Hiroshima of the Caucasus for the level of destruction.

In 2020, 100 Azerbaijani civilians, including 12 children were killed and over 400 were wounded in Armenia's targeted missile attacks on Azerbaijani cities outside the war zone (Ganja, Barda, Tartar, and others). International human rights watchdogs Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch also verified the use of banned cluster bombs and rockets by Armenia in its attacks against Azerbaijani cities.

Armenia extensively damaged the ecosystem, wildlife and natural resources in and around occupied Karabakh.
By Trend

The minefield maps provided by Armenia so far are not fully accurate, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Jeyhun Bayramov told reporters, Trend reports.

Bayramov added that only about 25 percent of these maps are accurate.

"New minefield maps given by Armenia are being analyzed by the experts," the minister said. "It will take time. We can prevent the growing number of deaths as result of mine explosions."
By Trend

A meeting of the deputy foreign ministers of five countries, namely, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Iran and Armenia, was held in Moscow a few days ago, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told reporters, Trend reports.

"The Azerbaijani and Turkish presidents initiated the "3 + 3" format," Bayramov added. "The negotiations were held upon this initiative. Armenia also did not dare to join this regional initiative. It made contradictory statements that excluded each other. Nevertheless, Armenia joined this format."

The minister added that the results of the negotiations on the first meeting can be highly appreciated.

"All sides discussed the restoration of peace and security in the region, including the implementation of transport projects," Bayramov said.

The minister stressed that a decision was made to hold the next meetings in other capitals of the abovementioned countries on a rotation basis.

"The foreign ministers will play a coordinating role in this sphere," Bayramov said. "The summits may be held in the future."
By Trend

The only way to avoid tension on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border is to start the delimitation process, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told reporters while commenting on the recent tension on the border, Trend reports.

Bayramov stressed that Armenia has not allowed launching this process by using various pretexts.

"Unfortunately, from time to time, Armenia makes provocations on the border," the minister added. "This is a very unpleasant situation."

"As a result of these provocations, people are dying," Bayramov said. "Armenia must understand that by resorting to such provocations, it will not achieve anything. It will result in severe consequences for Armenia. We think that Armenia must stop these actions."
By Trend

A new mine search regiment of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Emergency Situations has been created in the Azerbaijani territories liberated from the Armenian occupation, Azerbaijani Minister of Emergency Situations Kamaladdin Heydarov told reporters, Trend reports.

The minister stressed that from the first days, employees of the Fire Protection Service of the Ministry worked in these territories.

"We trained 74 new mine detector specialists," Heydarov said. "Some 120 mine detecting devices were imported and handed over to these specialists. The new regiment, together with Turkish specialists and personnel of Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) continues to hold demining operations."
By Trend

Iran supports cooperation in the "3 + 3" format, Trend reports referring to Twitter of the Iranian Embassy in Azerbaijan.

Iranian Assistant Foreign Minister and Director General for Eurasian Affairs of the Iranian Foreign Ministry Alireza Agigiyan supported cooperation in the "3 + 3" format.

He said the "3 + 3" format is in line with Iran's regional policy.
The north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) is showcasing its diverse business ecosystem along with vast investment opportunities across key sectors such as food processing, tourism, textiles, healthcare and the MSMEs at the India Pavilion in Expo 2020 Dubai.

UP will be promoting its key sectors, government initiatives and cultural heritage with various business focused sessions and performances till December 23 as part of the state week at the expo which kicked off yesterday (December 10) with a recorded inaugural address by the Chief Minister of UP Yogi Adityanath.

This was followed by the virtual keynote address from Sidharth Nath Singh, Minister for MSME, Textile and NRI, and Satish Mahana, Minister for Industrial Development in the presence of senior state government officials including Maneesh Chauhan, Director, Industries and Dr Muthukumarasamy B, Special Secretary, Infrastructure & Industrial Development Department.

The largest state in the country, Uttar Pradesh is developing a defence corridor to create a manufacturing ecosystem that will not only support the Indian defence enterprises but will also develop products for exports.

The defence corridor policy is one of the major policies of the state government that is on display in the India Pavilion during the ongoing State Week.

Outlining the business-friendly initiatives associated with the states defence corridor policy, Dr Muthukumarasamy said: "We are developing six nodes -- Aligarh, Agra, Jhansi, Chitrakoot, Kanpur and Lucknow under Defence Corridor. We have strong ancillary base to support the needs of defence manufacturing and ensuring continuous supply of raw materials, labour and other needs of the industry."

The state has existing manufacturing bases that include Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, and we also have prominent ordinance factories in Uttar Pradesh -- Bharat Electronics and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

"We are also focusing on Research & Development and innovation base, said Muthukumarasamy, adding that investors can come and invest in the six identified nodes.

"We have good land parcels available. We have recently allotted land to BrahMos missile and manufacturing unit will be coming in Lucknow. We have allotted land to Bharat Dynamics also. We have nearly 3,000 hectares of land proposed to be notified and we will purchase these lands and will be made available to investors," he added.

To make it easier for the firms investing in the UP Defence Corridor in terms of connectivity, the state nodes are located on the expressways, which includes Bundelkhand Expressway that is in the completion stage.

"There is no connectivity issue and manufacturing units will be well connected to the expressways," said the top official.

"We are mobilizing SME ecosystem, small scale units, which can come and invest. We are developing export-oriented manufacturing base for defence sector. We would like to bridge the market gaps and connect the ancillary units in the state to meet the requirements of defence Public Sector Units," he added.

As part of the state week, the UP delegation will be meeting potential investors, industry associations in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, and heads of global companies to explore trade and investment opportunities for the state.

The discussions will be mostly around the handloom and textile, tourism and culture, healthcare and pharmaceutical, agro, food processing and dairy, education and skill development, infrastructure, defence, aerospace, homeland security, logistics and warehousing and electric vehicle manufacturing.

The team will highlight the sectoral advantages and policy frameworks, investor & sector perspectives, with representatives inviting investors to participate in the states success.

The delegation will also participate in Elevate, the start-up pitching session organised by Invest India on December 14 and attend sessions on Indias education system on December 15.

The state will host an array of cultural performances and food festival throughout the week to highlight the states cultural diversity and heritage.-TradeArabia News Service
Gulf Islamic Investments (GII), a leading shariah-compliant global financial services firm, has announced that it has acquired the Glen Forest Office Portfolio; a best-in-class, core-plus suburban office development in Virginia, US, for $100 million.

The acquisition is GIIs first in Virginia, thus bringing the value of the firms US real estate assets unde management (AUM) to over $350 million and a total AUM of $3 billion.

The Glen Forest Office Portfolio (Portfolio) consists of eleven-buildings strategically situated on an 85-acre campus between Glenside Drive, Forest Avenue, and Interstate 64 in Richmond.

The Richmond metropolitan area is 110 miles from Washington, DC and considered one of Americas strongest office sub-markets and routinely ranks among the top 50 cities for living, work and travel in the US.

Mohammed Alhassan, Founding Partner and Co-CEO of GII, said: "The successful acquisition of the Glen Forest Office Portfolio marks a significant milestone in the GII growth story as we strategically advance our real estate footprint in the US."

"Our investment in the Portfolio amply demonstrates GIIs diligence and vigilance when it comes to curating exceptional investment opportunities that provide attractive returns for our investors. As we head into 2022, GII is ready to embark on its next stage of expansion, leveraging our firms global reach and rich expertise to better serve our investors and stakeholders," he added.

Located within 15 minutes from Richmond International Airport, the portfolio is the nearest premium office destination for some of Richmonds most affluent communities and newest apartment developments.

It spans 567,000 sq ft - including eight Class A office buildings, one medical office building, and two Class B office buildings - and offers a campus-style working environment and state-of-the-art facilities; including an on-site cafe and fitness center, said the GII statement.

The portfolio is 86% leased to a diverse mix of tenants, including medical, financial, consulting, and legal enterprises; with an average lease term of 4.9 years, it added.

Founding Partner and Co-CEO Pankaj Gupta said: "As thematic investors, this acquisition adds immediate and meaningful breadth and scale to our portfolio, while enhancing our positioning as we further develop our investment activities in the US."

"The Glen Forest Office Portfolio in particular, is a prime example of GIIs approach towards commercial real estate; where we analyze geographic and demographic shifts in Americas emerging metropolitan areas, identifying cities that cater to savvy young professionals and tenants in growing sectors," he noted.

"Richmond, in particular, demonstrates rising appeal with millennials due to its pro-business attitude, low-cost of living and proximity to Washington, DC. We are delighted to make this investment in the portfolio and look forward to significant synergies in the region," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Saudi-based Alkhorayef Water and Power Technologies Company said it has been awarded a SR132 million ($35 million) storm water maintenance contract by the Jeddah Municipality.

As per the contract, Alkhorayef Water and Power Technologies Company will perform the works related to the maintenance and optimisation of the storm water networks and ground water level reduction networks in the South and East of the Saudi city for a three-year period, said the company in its filing to Saudi bourse Tadawul.

The Jeddah win comes close on the heels of a seven-year contract from National Water Company to one of Alkhorayef's subsidiaries for the operation and maintenance of the water and environmental treatment services in the central cluster (Riyadh Region).

The contract worth SR358 million ($97.4 million) was clinched by Erwaa Water Company, a consortium of Alkhorayef Water and Power Technologies Company (which has a 49% stake) and French water and energy management company Veolia, it added.
Invest in Dubai Real Estate, a major initiative of the Dubai Land Department, in partnership with the International Property Show, launched two new offices in the US.

The offices, located in Orlando (Florida) and New Jersey (New York), will cater to North and South American clients, facilitating investments towards real estate in Dubai.

It will help American investors, clients and audiences to collaborate and learn new investment trends, as well as learn more about investing in Dubai real estate.

The new offices will also play a significant role to better inform investors and clients about Dubais investment climate, as well as how to make wise investment decisions, in order to make the most out of their investments.

Through this initiative, DLD said it aims to bring in real estate investments to Dubai once again, creating bigger opportunities for both realtors in the UAE and American Investors.

Speaking at the launch, Invest in Dubai Real Estate President Dawood Al Shezawi said: "I am proud to inaugurate our new offices in the US, because it is a positive initiative for Dubais future. Since the start of 2021, we were able to create significant milestones in the real estate industry by bringing in real estate investments which benefited Dubai, as well as investors."

"Our new offices in the US will facilitate real estate investments by providing knowledge and support, as well as resources to American investors interested in Dubai real estate," he added.

Invest in Dubai Real Estate will be back once again at the Dubai Exhibition Centre from March 24 to 26.

The next edition will bring together participants from different fields to develop innovative solutions to particular challenges in their respective sectors in order to help uplift the real estate industry," added Al Shezawi.-TradeArabia News Service
Saudi developer Dar Al Arkan said it has partnered with Compass Project Consulting to set up an integrated real estate development consultancy in the region.

A key Saudi group, Compass offers clients fully tailored project development solutions that can take an initial concept all the way through to construction completion and handover, with continued support.

With this move, a leading Saudi developer will be for the first time, bolstering a regional project management consultancy, enhancing property acquisition, development and supervision offerings.

Ziad El Chaar, Vice Chairman of Dar Al Arkan Properties, said: "We are extremely proud of this progressive partnership which brings together two industry leaders who are best in their field. This will allow for Dar Al Arkan to power Compass with expert development insight and the opportunity to reach new heights. Dar Al Arkan will provide development, procurement, business development services for the new partnership."

Compass Chairman Nawfal Khudairy said the strategic partnership was in line with its continued aspirations and will enhance the group's offering of developer-led services to its clients.

"The partnership will allow both parties to work together across the region, end-to-end, bringing in high return on equity and attracting top line projects," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Fine Hygienic Holding (FHH) has unveiled its newly remodelled showroom in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, one-stop shop that houses its well-known brands and solutions for businesses and homes.

Located at the National Products Centre and Chamber of Commerce, the showroom is an extension of Fines business model that provides customers in the capital with easy access to its diverse product portfolio.

In a short period after its official opening, the Executive President of Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Centre has awarded FHH with a certificate of recognition to acknowledge the great value that the showroom adds to the shopping experience for the centres visitors. The certificate also mirrors Fines efforts to improve the lives of its customers and raise the bar higher in the hygiene and wellness industry.

James Michael Lafferty, Fine Hygienic Holding CEO, said: Our newly revamped showroom allows us to provide our customers with greater access to our variety of hygienic products and solutions. Within our facility, they will learn more about the unique features of our offerings allowing them to make an informed purchasing decision. This step reflects our goal to have a best-in-class store that truly represents our brand and put our unique customer service standards into action. We look forward to welcoming our new and existing customers to our showroom, where we promise the best experience for them.

In addition to the possibility of buying from this outlet, Riyadhs residents can also order Fine products through FHHs online stores www.thefineshop.com for individuals and www.finestore.com for businesses.-- TradeArabia News Service
The Equate Group, a global producer of petrochemicals and the worlds leading supplier of Ethylene Glycol, was an official sponsor of the just concluded 15th Annual Gulf Petrochemicals & Chemicals Association (GPCA) Forum, in Dubai.

The forum addressed the theme "Redefine. Reshape. Reinvent: the chemical industry in a post-pandemic reality" from December 7th to 9th, with the goal of redefining the challenges, reinventing strategies to capitalise on market opportunities, and reshaping a renewed future for the chemical industry.

This year, Naser Aldousari, President and CEO of Equate Group, led a panel discussion titled "Beyond the Pandemic  The GCC Perspective to Creating Resilient, Purpose-Driven, and High-Performing Organizations," in which industry leaders shared their thoughts, knowledge, and insights on developing trends that are shaping the industry, as well as future strategic plans for potential disruptions.

President and CEO Naser Aldousari commented on Equate Group's participation, saying: "The petrochemical industry is a significant contributor to economic diversification and a leading job-creation industry. The last two years have been turbulent, focusing attention on critical issues such as sustainability, digitalisation, and self-sufficiency."

As we emerge into a post-pandemic world with new learnings, there is no better time for business leaders to come together to share knowledge and embrace innovation, so that together, we can continue to provide value for our customers, and develop sustainable solutions that adhere to global standards.

Equate Group also participated in a youth program Leaders of Tomorrow, where industry stakeholders and youth collaborated in shaping skills and preparing the future industry leaders with the required skills set.

Speaking at the opening of Leaders of Tomorrow, Aldousari, said: Equate Group is dedicated to inspiring and empowering the younger generations to join the industry and support its development. The youth are societys most valuable resource, with the ability to contribute to sustainable economic growth.

The Leaders of Tomorrow initiative provides a platform for students and young professionals to engage in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects; as well as learn and connect with leading industry experts at GPCAs networking events.

As one of the founding members of the GPCA, Equate Group has been dedicated to supporting the regions petrochemical and chemical industry through advocacy, networking and thought leadership initiatives that help member companies to connect, share and advance knowledge, contribute to international dialogue, and become prime influencers in shaping the future. --TradeArabia News Service
The largest state of India, Uttar Pradesh (UP) has, at Expo 2020 Dubai, invited investors to participate in its plans to develop a defence corridor in the state. The corridor will create a manufacturing ecosystem that will not only support the domestic defence enterprises but also develop products for exports.

To make it easier for the firms investing in the UP Defence Corridor in terms of connectivity, the state will set up six nodes, which will be located on the expressways, which includes Bundelkhand Expressway that is in the completion stage.

The defence corridor policy is one of the major policies of the state government that is on display at the India Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai during the ongoing State Week, which has been inaugurated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Outlining the business-friendly initiatives associated with the states Defence Corridor policy, Dr Muthukumarasamy B, Special Secretary, Infrastructure & Industrial Development Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh said: We are developing six nodes -- Aligarh, Agra, Jhansi, Chitrakoot, Kanpur and Lucknow under Defence Corridor. We have strong ancillary base to support the needs of defence manufacturing and ensuring continuous supply of raw materials, labour and other needs of the industry.

The state has existing manufacturing bases that include Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, and we also have prominent ordnance factories in Uttar Pradesh -- Bharat Electronics Ltd and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. We are also focusing on Research & Development and innovation base, he said, adding that investors can come and invest in the six identified nodes.

We have good land parcels available. We have recently allotted land to BrahMos missile and manufacturing unit will be coming in Lucknow. We have allotted land to Bharat Dynamics also. We have nearly 3,000 hectares of land proposed to be notified and we will purchase these lands and will be made available to investors, said Dr Muthukumarasamy.

There is no connectivity issue and manufacturing units will be well connected to the expressways, he said.

We are mobilising an SME ecosystem for small scale units, which can come and invest. We are developing export-oriented manufacturing base for defence sector. We would like to bridge the market gaps and connect the ancillary units in the state to meet the requirements of defence Public Sector Units, added Dr Muthukumarasamy.-- TradeArabia News Service
Dubais Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) has revealed that the emirate welcomed 4.88 million visitors between January-October 2021 with international visitation during October alone reaching over one million.

Reflecting the growth momentum and stability of the industry, strong international visitation was complemented by a robust domestic tourism market, boosting the hospitality sector resulting in 9.4 million room nights sold between January-October 2021 in comparison to seven million room nights sold in the same period in 2019.

The latest figures were released at the second bi-annual City Briefing of 2021 held by DET to provide stakeholders with updates on the tourism sectors growth and insights into current and future strategies and global marketing campaigns, Emirates News Agency WAM reported.

The forum featured a presentation on domestic and global developments, including an overview of increasing visitor numbers, hotel occupancy, and activities in international markets.

The meeting was presided over by DET Director General Helal Saeed Almarri, and was attended by more than 1,150 representatives from leading establishments in the hospitality, travel, and tourism sectors.

The forum was part of DETs regular dialogue with business leaders to encourage collaboration and exchange insights to ensure the industry is seamlessly aligned with tourism growth initiatives and strategies. Held at Ain Dubai, the forum discussed ways to further accelerate growth in the industry, leveraging the latest landmark attractions to open in Dubai.

Almarri said: "Our multi-pronged strategy to combat the pandemic and deployment of wide-ranging initiatives to increase our global competitiveness and attractiveness is a hallmark of Dubais progressive public-private partnership model, which has been a cornerstone of not only what was achieved in 2021 but what will be achieved in the next 12 to 24-month period.

"Expo 2020 also provides us a platform to engage with the global community as all hotels and tourism partners work closely to facilitate visits for their guests to maximise this opportunity."

Dubais reputation for safe travel has resulted in both domestic and international tourism growth, as seen by the improved hotel performance. In a year-to-date study in October 2021, occupancy was at almost 64 per cent, while the length of stay showed a 12% increase from 4.1 nights to 4.6 nights.

During this period, there were 24.74 million occupied room nights across the emirate at an average daily rate of AED384 ($105), in comparison to 15.66 million occupied room nights at an average daily rate of AED335. Room inventory is now 6% higher than 2019.

Taking a closer look at the profile of international visitors, research showed that in the first half of 2021, Dubai visitors were balanced across genders with 52% male visitors and 48% female visitors. During this time, the emirate also attracted a higher first-time visitors volume, reflecting the attractiveness of the city despite the pandemic, when compared to the first half of the previous year.

Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing CEO Issam Kazim said: "We are proud to be part of the success Dubai has achieved so far in 2021. Over the last five decades Dubai has transformed into a global tourism and business hub and through effective citywide management of the pandemic, the city has strengthened its position as one of the safest destinations in the world.

"Dubais ability to evolve and adapt, with the support of our stakeholders and partners, has been critical in ensuring that the city continues to retain its position at the forefront of the worlds leading travel and business destinations."

To ensure that Dubai was top-of-mind and seen as the destination of choice for 2021, DET launched an integrated global marketing campaign via Dubai Presents that broadcast over 3,500 assets across 25 languages and specifically targetted audiences that were seeking international travel, had engaged with previous campaigns or were searching for Dubai on digital channels.

By creating Hollywood inspired trailers with A-list actors Jessica Alba and Zac Efron, DET simultaneously highlighted the emirates multiplicity of offerings and reinstated its profile as the happening city.

In the last year, the emirate built momentum in business tourism as Dubai gave more flexibility and options for talent to visit and stay by introducing new categories and programmes, which included the Golden Visa, the Property Investor Visa, the Entrepreneur Visa, the Retire in Dubai Visa and the Virtual Working Visa.

The focus for DET for the upcoming year is to continue to drive growth across all sectors. Initiatives will be introduced to further catalyse Expo 2020 visitor numbers, strengthen relationships with the travel trade and explore new channels to source visitors.

By highlighting Dubais versatility, DET plans to demonstrate its position as a thriving global hub for business and tourism, gastronomy, sustainability, weddings, retail and events.
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Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) Vice President Prof. Salim Engineer said the farmers issues should be debated at all levels and lessons must be drawn from their agitation.

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NEW DELHI  Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) Vice President Prof. Salim Engineer Sunday termed the farmers agitation a victory of democracy that signified the value of the peoples opinion in a democratic country.

In a statement, the JIH Vice President underlined that the farmers protest movement was a show of strength of unity in diversity that reflected the communal harmony of the country and the people of all faiths, castes and regions united in the fight for their rights.

Noting that the farmers have not withdrawn their agitation but merely suspended it, Prof. Salim Engineer said, As they do not have confidence and trust in the government. This loss of confidence and trust is quite concerning and is a result of the past policies and experience with the government. In a vibrant democracy, the opinion of people must be valued and no decision by the government should be declared as irrevocable, which is in direct contrast to authoritarianism. The government is compelled to value the opinion of people. However, it is important to decipher if the decision by the government to roll back the unjust farm laws was due to electoral compulsions or guided by the democratic and constitutional spirit. The decision should have been taken much earlier by the government if it had valued the interests of the farmers at heart. Such a belated decision to repeal farm laws appears to have been forced on the government as it saw possible defeat in forthcoming assembly elections. Hence, the decision of the government does not gain back the confidence of farmers.

Asking the government not to look at the farm laws from the perspective of farming and agriculture, Prof Salim said that rather it is going to impact the entire economy of the country as the agriculture sector still accounts for a substantial percentage of GDP and is the nations largest source of livelihoods.

Urging the government to come out with policies that leverage the needs and wants of the market with the requirements of an agrarian economy, the JIH Vice President said, It appears that we are blindly following the diktats of international bodies and agencies by forgoing national interests. A holistic approach for the solution of farmers problems is required.

Lauding farmers agitation, Prof Salim noted that it gave impetus and proved that even today the peaceful agitations and expression of legitimate demands within the framework of democracy and the Constitution can become a vehicle to convey the demands in front of the government.

Stating that the farmers issues should be debated at all levels and lessons must be drawn from their agitation, he added, the biggest lesson is that in a democracy the opinion of people should be valued.
BEIJING, Dec. 11 -- Its reported that India's Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and several others died in a helicopter crash on December 8, 2021. China's Ministry of National Defense has expressed sympathy and condolences to the Indian side.
By Ben Singh, Research fellow, University of South Australia

Shutterstock

Wearable fitness trackers will be on many Christmas shopping lists this year, with a vast range of devices (and an ever-increasing number of features) hitting the market just in time for the festive season.

But what does the latest research say about how effective they are?

Fitness trackers are trendy

Currently, about one in five Australians own one of these wearables, and about a quarter use a mobile app or website to monitor their activity levels and health. And sales are predicted to grow over the next five years.

The landscape of the market is fast changing. For years, Fitbit and Garmin were the market leaders. But Australians now favour Apple watches (used by 43% of people owning a wearable tracker) over Fitbit (35%) and Samsung watches (16%) over Garmin (13%).

So far fitness trackers have mostly been taken up by younger people: about one in four Australians aged 2040 report using one, compared to just one in ten people aged 60 or older.

However, manufacturers are on a mission to change this, by adding features that allow users to monitor not just their fitness activity, but several other aspect of their health.

For instance, recent wearable models from all the leading manufacturers claim to measure a host of medical metrics, such as blood pressure, body fat levels, the amount of oxygen in your blood, your heart activity, and even identify when youve taken a fall (with a feature that lets you call for help).





Read more:

Do we really need to walk 10,000 steps a day?





Wearables get the basics right

Firstly, a multitude of studies have looked at the accuracy of wearable fitness trackers for measurements related to physical activity, including step counts, heart rate and number of calories burned. They show step counts are generally highly accurate, while heart rate and calories burned are reasonably accurate.

When study participants wear two different activity trackers at the same time, the numbers of steps, minutes of activity and calories burned arent exactly the same, but they are correlated. That is, when one goes up so does the other, and vice versa. This suggests they are generally capturing the same information, albeit with slightly different sensitivity.

Evidence for sleep tracking is a little patchier. Wearables are pretty good at detecting bed time, wake time and overall sleep duration. But estimates for more technical metrics such as the phases of sleep  such as REM sleep  dont marry with medical-grade measurements taken by polysomnography.

Sometimes wearables go beyond the basics

In a 2019 Apple-sponsored study reported in the New England Medical Journal, 419,297 participants without known atrial fibrillation wore an Apple Watch. During the study, 2,161 of them received an irregular pulse notification, of which 84% were subsequently confirmed to have atrial fibrillation (an irregular and rapid heart beat).

This is a serious medical condition that requires treatment to prevent stroke.

The ability to alert users of a potential undiagnosed cardiac condition seems highly beneficial. Although, others have cautioned the Apple Watch can also miss cases of undiagnosed atrial fibrillation  which emphasises the importance of never relying on wearable metrics for medical purposes.

Another study published in September reaffirmed the Apple watchs electrocardiogram feature can detect serious cardiac irregularities. A similar study is currently underway to evaluate Fitbits electrocardiogram feature, but results arent out yet.

Building a more advanced tracker

In terms of detecting falls (which would be very useful for older individuals), scientists are developing wrist-worn devices that can accurately do this using accelerometer technology, which is the same underlying technology already used by wearables. So the technology is there, but at this point its unclear whether the promising lab results will translate to accuracy in commercial wearables.

Meanwhile, the newest Samsung watch claims to measure blood pressure and body composition (such as fat mass, muscle mass and bone mass). Body composition is measured using a method called bioelectric impedance analysis.

When the user touches the watch with their opposite hand, it passes a weak electrical signal through the body and back to the watch. The body composition is then calculated using algorithms and the manually entered body weight.



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At this stage, theres no data in the scientific literature to support the accuracy of these measurements, so wed recommend taking them with a pinch of salt. Then again, only a few years ago the same criticism was made of electrocardiogram measurements from wearables  and these have subsequently shown to have merit.

Evidence says your effort will pay off

So thats the run down on accuracy, but do fitness trackers make a difference in peoples lives?

Hundreds of studies have used wearable activity trackers to try to increase physical activity in various general and patient populations. Meta-analyses (which involve combining results of multiple studies) suggest the devices are effective in helping people become more physically active and lose weight.

A meta-analysis of 35 studies in various chronic disease populations suggested users added around 2,100 additional steps per day after they started using a wearable activity tracker. Other meta-analyses have suggested weight loss in the order of 1 to 1.5 kilograms, on average, over the duration of the studies (with the duration varying between studies).

And studies that look specifically at step-tracking over long periods suggest the benefits gained are still present (although smaller) up to four years after the device was first worn.

Accuracy and effectiveness aside, wearable users typically report being satisfied with their devices. So if you happen to get one in your Christmas stocking this year, keep in mind it could help with those New Years fitness resolutions.





Read more:

Health apps track vital health stats for millions of people, but doctors aren't using the data  here's how it could reduce costs and patient outcomes





Carol Maher receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Medical Research Future Fund, the National Heart Foundation, the South Australian Department for Innovation and Skills, the South Australian Department for Education, Healthway and Hunter New England Local Health District.

Ben Singh does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Originally published in The Conversation.
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She said taking part in the trial has been an amazing experience for her daughter Juliana, 11, and son Gabriel, 8. They were also relieved they wont have to get two more shots to get vaccinated, which would have been the case if they had received a placebo, she said.
McNally had taken a while to walk out on stage, leaving the awards presenter, Karen Olivo, to nervously stare at her monitor. And he came out with attached breathing apparatus, tubes dangling, as if with a certain intentionality. In play after play, McNally wrote about gay Americans confronting early deaths that could have been avoided, had people outside the theater industry given more of a darn. His own appearance put that back in mind. Broadway artists love to complain about the grip of the patriarchy. But an inconvenient truth is that the patriarchy  if you mean straight, white, WASP-ish men  never gave two shakes about the theater. This industry was never banking, or even Hollywood.
His eldest child was the executor and said that his dad had recently changed his will, giving one third of his estate to each of his two remaining children and then dividing the remaining third among all of the grandchildren (there are seven, two of them are my children).
Interview With the Vampire, in which reporter Daniel Molloy interviews Louis de Pointe du Lac, was Rices first novel but over the next five decades, she would write more than 30 books and sell more than 150 million copies worldwide. Thirteen of those were part of the Vampire Chronicles begun with her 1976 debut. Long before Twilight or True Blood, Rice introduced sumptuous romance, female sexuality and queerness  many took Interview With the Vampire as an allegory for homosexuality  to the supernatural genre.
Till, who was 14 and from Chicago, went to Mississippi to visit relatives during the summer of 1955. On Aug. 24, witnesses said he whistled at a white woman in a rural grocery store, a violation of the Souths racist societal codes at the time. In return, he was rousted from bed and abducted from a great-uncles home in the predawn hours four days later.
In our most optimistic scenario, the impact of omicron in the early part of 2022 would be reduced with mild control measures such as working from home, said Rosanna Barnard of the schools Center for the Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases. However, our most pessimistic scenario suggests that we may have to endure more stringent restrictions to ensure the (health service) is not overwhelmed.
The defendant then threw the victim onto a table, then onto desks and finally onto the ground, Peterson said. Skinner then is accused of holding the teen down, putting his knee on the boys chest and his hands around his upper torso and neck, as shocked students watched and recorded the incident on their phones, according to authorities. The teen had shortness of breath, Peterson said.
You are here: Arts

A photo exhibition marking the 80th anniversary of the Flying Tigers and America's Second World War Air Defense of China opened to visitors here on Saturday.

The opening ceremony was held on the USS Midway, a historical naval aircraft carrier museum located in downtown San Diego at Navy Pier.

The Flying Tigers, the nickname of the First American Volunteer Group, consisted of pilots fighting alongside the Chinese army and people against the Japanese invasion during World War II.

"Today, as we look at these old photographs and revisit that part of the history, we are deeply touched by Flying Tigers' bravery and sacrifice," Zhang Ping, Chinese consul general in Los Angeles, said when addressing the event.

The Flying Tigers' legacy, Zhang noted, is a splendid chapter of China-U.S. collaboration during the war, and is an important part of the history of China-U.S. relations.

The exhibition, co-organized by the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation and others, put more than 100 historical photos on display.
Zhong Nanshan, a renowned respiratory disease expert in China, speaks during the Greater Bay Science Forum 2021 in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 11, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua]

China's vaccination against the novel coronavirus is highly expected to reach the herd immunity level by the end of 2021, according to a leading Chinese respiratory disease expert.

"As many as 1.15 billion people in China have already been fully vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, laying a solid foundation for herd immunity in the country," said Zhong Nanshan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

Zhong made the remarks during a life science meeting, part of the Greater Bay Science Forum 2021, which opened on Saturday in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province.

Zhong estimated that China's vaccination rate would be able to reach over 83 percent by the end of the year, given its current rate has reached 81.9 percent.

Zhong called on joint efforts by Chinese scientists and their international counterparts to develop vaccines against the Omicron, as the new variant of the coronavirus had posed new challenges in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The pandemic has now become a new normal, and it has to be handled in a systemic, scientific and standardized way," he said.

Theoretically, China would achieve its herd immunity only when its vaccination rate reaches 83 percent, according to Zhong.

"We know little about the Omicron variant, from the source, its transmission rule and pathogenic mechanism to therapeutic targets of the virus. We also know little about vaccine antibody and drug research against the variant," said Zhong.

The top priority to contain the virus is vaccination, according to Zhong.

"A certain proportion of the population should be fully vaccinated within one year to achieve the herd immunity," he said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the Greater Bay Science Forum 2021, which opened in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province, on Saturday.



Noting that the world today is undergoing major changes unseen in a century, Xi said the global scientific and technological innovation is in full swing, and a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation have made profound impact on global economic structure.

Xi urged Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to focus on its strategic positioning of building an international scientific and technological innovation hub, strive to make itself a global highland for scientific and technological innovation, and foster the development of emerging industries.

China is willing to work with scientists around the world and international science and technology organizations to conduct close international scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation, strengthen the research on major scientific problems, promote breakthroughs in common scientific and technological challenges, and deepen collaborations on key science programs to jointly promote the development of the world's scientific undertakings and better benefit humankind, he added.

The Greater Bay Science Forum 2021, themed "Exploring the Future, Sharing Scientific Achievement," is hosted by the Guangdong provincial government.
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If the United States lifts anti-Iran sanctions, a "good agreement," which Iran is looking for, will be reached in nuclear negotiations, Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi said on Saturday.

"The Islamic Republic participated in the negotiations with dignity, and showed by presenting the text (proposals) that it is serious in the negotiations," Raisi was quoted as saying by the presidential website.

The Iranian president, who was making the remarks at a meeting of ambassadors and heads of missions of Iran to the neighboring countries, said that "if the other side is determined to lift the sanctions, a good agreement will be reached and we are looking for that."

Underlying his administration's policy for improving relations with the neighboring states, he noted that Iran's neighborhood policy and relations with neighbors to counter and neutralize sanctions is a strategic, not a tactical move.

Iran and other remaining parties to the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), reconvened in the Austrian capital of Vienna on Thursday to discuss the ways for the revival of the JCPOA, the fate of which was uncertain after the withdrawal of the former U.S. administration in 2018.
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The China-ASEAN High-level Think Tank Forum was held on Saturday in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province.

With the theme of working in solidarity and focusing on development to promote the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership, more than 200 politicians and experts from China and ASEAN countries shared their opinions both online and offline during the one-day forum.

Special sessions on the Hainan free trade port, the deepening of China-ASEAN strategic trust and China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation were also held during the forum.

Since China and ASEAN forged their dialogue relations 30 years ago, comprehensive cooperation between the two sides has given a strong boost to their cultural, economic and social development, bringing tangible benefits to over 2 billion people in 11 countries, and greatly contributing to peace, stability and prosperity in the region and the world at large, Wang Jiarui, chairman of the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, said at the forum's opening ceremony.

Over the past three decades, trade between China and ASEAN has skyrocketed 85-fold. Last year, China remained ASEAN's largest trading partner for the 12th consecutive year, while ASEAN became China's largest trading partner.

"ASEAN had for the first time surpassed the EU as the largest trading partner of China amid COVID-19-induced economic fall-out last year. Indeed, the pandemic has enhanced the China-ASEAN solidarity and economic inter-dependability enormously," said Ong Tee Keat, chairman of the Centre for New Inclusive Asia.

"The China-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is all set to be a new booster, capable of propelling the long intertwined interests of both sides to a higher plane," the chairman added.

Countries need multilateralism to promote people-to-people exchanges, said Bhokin Bhalakula, former president of the Thai Parliament in his video speech.

"Cooperation will strengthen our power to overcome humanity's common enemies including natural disasters, pandemics, and any other obstacles. It will also lead to our success in win-win scenarios to achieve common prosperity together," Bhokin Bhalakula noted.
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The so-called "Summit for Democracy" put together by the United States on Thursday and Friday has been criticized at home and abroad for stoking division and confrontation around the world.



Many analysts and officials have pointed out that the United States, with a deep-rooted Cold War mentality, is trying to use the summit as a political tool to maintain its own hegemony.

The summit is the result of a faulty policy by the U.S. government that is aimed at gaining political and military hegemony in the world, which is "harmful and can lead to unnecessary conflicts in the world," Zbigniew Wiktor, Polish professor of political science and a China expert, told Xinhua.

"The very fact that one side decides who will be present and who will not is completely contrary to all democratic principles," Zoran Spasic, director of the Serbian Center for Cooperation with Asian Countries, told Xinhua.

"The U.S. democracy summit is designed to advance U.S. geopolitical objectives using the democracy card to serve its strategic interests," Philippine political analyst Anna Rosario Malindog-Uy wrote in an article recently published by The ASEAN Post.

The event "will only give rise to new divisions and fuel ideological confrontations and will bring commotion and instability to the world," the analyst said.

The two-day online event, meant to launch a new global race between two camps, is based on "a purely American classification," wrote Abdel-Moneim Said, ex-chairman of Egypt's Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, in an opinion piece on the Egyptian news website Ahram Online.

Speaking to Xinhua recently, Henok Tilahun, an Ethiopian independent political analyst, said "the U.S. gathered and grouped nations with the mentality of the Cold War based on their definition, not based on a universal understanding of democracy."

Furthermore, to many experts, officials and media outlets worldwide, the United States is not entitled to call itself a leader of democracy given the democratic mess in its own backyard and the bloody democracy experiments it has launched overseas.

In his article published recently in the French newspaper Les Echos, French political scientist Dominique Moisi said that after the 9/11 attacks, America's military adventures in the Middle East have weakened the United States itself and the cause of democracy around the world.

"It is always difficult to preach what one does so badly itself," Moisi said, adding that democracies are in crisis, starting with the United States.

In fact, a poll released last week by the Harvard University Kennedy School's Institute of Politics showed 52 percent of young Americans believe that U.S. democracy is either "in trouble" or "failing."

Survey results released in June by the Pew Research Center showed that most people in countries or regions the United States deemed "allies" view American democracy as something they don't aspire to.

All the criteria on which this summit was based are abnormal and illogical, Syria's Presidential Political Advisor Buthaina Shabaan told Xinhua in a recent interview, adding economic activities around Syria have been disrupted by the U.S. sanctions which are "the biggest challenge facing human rights in Syria."

Today, despite the U.S. claim to portray "high democracy in the world," there is "more awareness of the reality" in the country among people of the world and even in the United States, the Tehran Times said in an op-ed.

The summit did not even sell in America's domestic market. Actually, on the first day of the event, American activists carried out a protest outside the United Nations headquarters in New York to pressure the White House on voting rights legislation.

The New York Times, in an article published Thursday, quoted Cliff Albright, a co-founder and executive director of Atlanta-based nonprofit group Black Voters Matter Fund, as saying that "you can't be the global fireman when your house is on fire."

For example, Lucy Cooke from California wrote that "in America Money and Military rule."

The United States is not in a position to portray itself as a leader in terms of democracy, Duke University professor Bruce Jentleson has recently said, lamenting that such an "invitation-only" gathering puts a misguided emphasis on divisive ideological differences at a time when global cooperation is sorely needed.
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Countries should explore their own paths to democracy in alignment with their national conditions, enhance national governance, and improve their people's wellbeing, according to scholars attending an international forum on democracy.

From Thursday to Friday, more than 100 guests from over 50 countries and regions, including representatives of international organizations and the media, as well as experts and scholars, joined the dialogue on democracy and national governance during the second phase of the International Forum on Democracy: The Shared Human Values.

They voiced their opposition to the zero-sum mentality, the instigation of ideology-based confrontation, and certain countries' act to maintain their own hegemonies under the guise of protecting democracy.

The definition and practice of democracy vary in different countries, which depend on their peoples' lifestyle, culture, location, geographical structure, education as well as many other things, explained Kalyan Raj Sharma, president of Nepal China Friendship Forum in Nepal.

The experts expressed their concern that certain individual countries are actually stoking confrontation under the pretext of promoting their so-called democracy.

Michael Frederick Dunford, a British professor with University of Sussex, said a particular political and legal system in Western capitalist countries is claimed by these countries to be the only form that democracy can assume and a model that these countries have the right to impose selectively on other countries.

The selectivity indicates that what drives this ambition is not certain values, such as democracy and freedom, but certain interests which these values and principles serve to legitimize, Dunford added.

Regarding China's achievements in practicing its own democracy, many participants of the forum expressed their recognition.

The spirit of the Chinese people is always positive and optimistic about the future. Therefore, the Communist Party of China (CPC) must be doing something very right, said Helga Zepp-LaRouche, founder and president of the Schiller Institute in Germany.

The forum is scheduled to be held in three phases, with the upcoming third phase slated for Dec. 14-15.

The event was hosted by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council Information Office and co-organized by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China Media Group and China International Publishing Group.
Over 500 church leaders from across the UK have written to the government to say they are prepared to face criminal charges if a conversion therapy ban is introduced.

In the letter, they say that they will "continue to do our duty to God" even if the proposed ban comes into force.

"It should not be a criminal offence for us to instruct our children that God made them male and female, in his image, and has reserved sex for the marriage of one man and one woman. Yet this seems to be the likely outcome of the proposed legislation," they write.

"We therefore very much hope (and pray) that these proposals will be dropped in their current form. We have no desire to become criminals, and place a high value on submitting to and supporting our government.

"Yet we think it important you are aware that if it were to come about that the loving, compassionate exercise of orthodox Christian ministry, including the teaching of the Christian understanding of sex and marriage, is effectively made a criminal offence, we would with deep sadness continue to do our duty to God in this matter."

The open letter, which is still collecting signatures online, has been sent days before a government consultation on the proposed ban ends on Friday. Christians are being urged to participate in the consultation to make their concerns known.

Dr Ian Paul, a theologian and member of the Church of England's General Synod, said the current proposals were "ill considered and ill conceived".

"As the consultation document itself states, many of the issues highlighted are already illegal," he said.

"The term 'conversion therapy' is ill defined, and the proposals appear to be driven by an ideological agenda rather than real concern and clear thinking.

"There is a real risk that pastoral ministry will be criminalised, and that human rights, including the right to religious belief will be trampled on."

Rev Dr Matthew Roberts, Minister of Trinity Church York, warned that standard Christian teaching on sexuality and gender stands to be criminalised under the proposed ban.

"It is deeply concerning that the government seems to be considering legislation that would criminalise normal, loving Christian ministry, while stopping us from helping young people who are being caught up in the horrible damage being done by transgender ideology," he said.

"Nothing we do could be considered 'therapy'. But the proposals are drafted so badly, and with such apparent ignorance of basic Christian teaching, that entirely standard Christian teaching would be criminalised in the name of something that has nothing to do with us.

"'Conversion', as Christians understand it, is an amazing thing: realising that life is not all about focusing on ourselves, but on the God who made us. It is deeply wrong that this proposed legislation implies that being converted to Jesus Christ is akin to violence or abuse."

Rev Roberts also expressed concern about the rights of Christian parents to raise their children in accordance with their beliefs.

"Being able to raise children in their own faith is a legal right, and one which these proposals would take away. The government cannot do this without running into serious legal difficulties," he said.

"The Queen is appointed to be the Defender of the Faith. It would be very strange indeed if Her Majesty's Government legislated against the faith of their own sovereign."

Dr Julie Maxwell, a paediatrician and youth worker at St Mary's Basingstoke, said she was especially concerned about the potential impact of the proposed ban on pastoral youth work.

She warned that the ban would leave adults scared of sharing their views on gender and sexuality with young people.

"As we know children and young people need direction from adults around them regarding all sorts of lifestyle issues. Teenagers are navigating huge changes associated with puberty and issues around sexuality and gender are important topics that need to be discussed," she said.

"As Christians we seek to support young people who are seeking to follow Jesus Christ to understand these issues from the perspective of Biblical teaching regarding God's creation of men and women and his design for marriage.

"To find ourselves in a situation where parents, youth workers and other adults are afraid to address these issues risks leaving children and young people confused and vulnerable.

"There is already a significant increase in mental health problems in children and young people and being unable to support those struggling with issues around sexuality and gender identity will negatively impact on this."

Rev Graham Nicholls, Director of the Affinity church network, said he was prepared to go to prison to defend his traditional Christian beliefs.

He said: "We particularly wanted to write from the perspective of practitioners, people who are pastors, youth workers, and counsellors.

"We don't know how this law about conversion therapy could impact their work and their ordinary, everyday work of chatting with people, encouraging people, praying with people that could be severely impacted. So we thought it was important from the point of view of practising pastors.

"Those who are campaigning for the law, their stated aim is that prayers or any kind of encouragement to do what we would say the Bible is teaching in terms of sexual ethics, should be prohibited.

"We don't know how the law will work out, but I think if those demands were met, then really any conversation with your family or if your child asks a question about their sexuality or their gender and you give them some advice, potentially, that could fall foul of the law - if you give them advice from a Christian perspective that questions or suggests there is a good or a bad path to follow."
Army personnel carry out an investigation procedure at the crash site in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu, on December 9, 2021 a day after an army helicopter crashed, killing 13 people, including Indian defence chief General Bipin Rawat. (Photo: AFP)

New Delhi: The armed forces were able to identify the mortal remains of six more military personnel who were killed along with Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat in the Mi-17V5 helicopter crash on Wednesday near Coonoor. Their mortal remains were sent on Saturday to their respective states by air for last rites.

The severity of the air crash had led to difficulty in positive identification of the mortal remains of those killed. Initially, only the mortal remains of Gen. Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and Brig L.S. Lidder (Defence Advisor to the CDS) could be identified. Their final rites were conducted on Friday with military honours.

Among those whose mortal remains have now been identified, two are from the Indian Army and four are from Indian Air Force. The mortal remains of all Indian Air Force personnel who died in the crash have now been identified.

Out of the total 14 persons onboard the ill-fated helicopter, 13 had succumbed to their injuries, including Gen Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat.

Now, the mortal remains of four personnel have been left to be identified, including Lt. Col. Harjinder Singh (Gen Rawat's Staff Officer), Havildar Satpal Rai, Naik Gursewak Singh, and Naik Jitendra Kumar.

"Positive identification of mortal remains of Lance Naik B Sai Teja and Lance Naik Vivek Kumar has been done," said a senior Army officer on Saturday morning.

He said that their mortal remains have been released to close family members.

"Mortal remains will move by air for last rites with appropriate military honour," he said. The officer said that efforts to "positively identify remaining mortal remains are continuing."

"Identification of all 4 IAF personnel completed," said a senior Air Force officer. They are Wing Commander Prithvi Singh Chauhan, Squadron Leader Kuldeep Singh, Junior Warrant Officer Rana Pratap Das, and Junior Warrant Officer Arakkal Pradeep.

"I express my condolences to all brave warriors who died in the helicopter crash on December 8. The demise of India's first CDS Gen. Bipin Rawat, is a loss to every patriot. He was brave and worked hard to make the country's armed forces self-reliant, the nation is a witness to that," said Prime minister Narendra Modi during a rally in Balrampur.

Mr Modi said that India is mourning "but despite being in pain, neither do we stop our pace nor our development. India won't stop." "India won't be at a standstill. Together, we Indians will work hard & face every challenge inside and outside the country," said Mr Modi. The Prime Minister also said that doctors are working hard to save the life of Group Captain Varun Singh. "I pray to Maa Pateshwari to save his life. The nation stands with his family. The country also stands with the families who lost those brave soldiers, '' he added.
The judge was dealing with a batch of petitions filed by the 2019 batch first year MBBS students of Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences. (Representational Image/ PTI)

Hyderabad: Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy of Telangana High Court clarified that courts cannot direct any university to add grace marks, as it is the prerogative of the varsity. He said that when it came to academic issues, courts do not interfere unless there were instances of gross illegalities.

The judge was dealing with a batch of petitions filed by the 2019 batch first year MBBS students of Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences. They had failed both in the regular and supplementary exams in the new pattern conducted early this year.

Their grievance was that the university had not included multiple choice questions (MCQ) but they had used them in exams conducted for the earlier batches.

The sought direction to the university to grant five grace marks to all those who had failed and to declare that digital evaluation mode of correction of answer sheets was illegal and arbitrary. However, the court refrained from passing any directions.

If there is any deviation in setting question papers, the deviation is minor and cannot be said to have impacted the performance of students. It is not as if the students joined the course with the firm belief that there would be MCQs in the question papers, Justice Reddy said.
Mumbai: India's largest syringe and needle manufacturer has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to revoke an order to suspend production, part of a broader factory shutdown imposed by a state regulator to curb heavy pollution in the region.

Hindustan Syringes and Medical Devices (HMD) has shuttered its factories on the outskirts of New Delhi following the directive from a state pollution control board, triggering concerns of an acute shortage of syringes and needles in India just as its COVID-19 vaccination programme is in full swing.

"The closure of needles and syringes manufacturing factories will create disruption in the supply chain," said Rajiv Nath, managing director of HMD, in a letter to Modi's office which was released to media.

"This may impact healthcare delivery across the country in general and the COVID-19 vaccination programme in particular, resulting in major shortage and other related issues," Nath said, adding that authorities must permit factories to operate under the National Disaster Management Act.

The directive was issued to more than 228 factories in the region by the Haryana Pollution Control Board as part of a drive to combat pollution and improve air quality.

HMD, which provides more than 60% of the needles and syringes which India needs for curative healthcare and immunisation, said it will take adequate measures to ensure its factories are not polluting the region.

"We assure the government that we will not use our diesel generator sets and have fully equipped our plants with renewable energy sources," said Nath, adding that syringe supplies were already running short in India and in global markets.

Air quality in India's capital and its neighbouring region remains very poor, forcing the government to take emergency measures.

Schools and colleges were also ordered to shut as the government intensified various dust-control steps such as using fire trucks to spray water.
Hubballi: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday hinted that the draft of the anti-conversion bill would be approved by the state cabinet and it may be introduced in the winter session of the assembly in Belagavi.

The cabinet is expected to meet during the Belagavi assembly session, which begins from December 13.

"A majority of people want to ban religious conversion. The law department is reviewing it (draft bill). After the review, it will be cleared in the cabinet meeting," he told reporters here.

"In all probabilities, the draft rule proposed by the law department would be approved and the subject may come up for discussion (in the assembly session)," Bommai said.

Claiming that religious conversion was not good for the society, the CM said the downtrodden people should not succumb to it.

He explained that his government is trying to bring a law to curb religious conversions to prevent people from facing hardship in the families.

He, however, clarified that people of all religious communities need not panic with respect to the anti-conversion law.

"Hindus, Christians, Muslims and Sikhs are the faiths recognised by the constitution and there is no problem for people to pray or follow their respective religions. However, there is no scope for misusing someone's poverty to lure them to change their faith," Bommai said.

The Chief Minister said religious conversion had always been a matter of debate since the days of country's independence, and several states have introduced anti-conversion laws.

Many Christian organisations, including the Archdiocese of Bangalore, have opposed the proposed anti-conversion bill.
According to reports, thrips have damaged crops over nearly five lakh hectares during the current season. (Representational Image/ PTI)

Vijayawada: Insects, mainly chilli thrip, are putting chilli farmers in great distress by destroying their crops across the state. According to reports, thrips have damaged crops over nearly five lakh hectares during the current season.

Chilli farmer G. Srinivasa Rao of Karucholu in Edlapadu mandal of Guntur district expressed anguish that tamara purugulu (western flower black thrips) have caused a major damage to his entire crop, even though he has applied all available insecticides, including costly ones, available in the market.

Srinivasa Rao recalled that in the past, farmers successfully used phosalone and DDVP when thrips attacked their crops. But these have since been banned. He appealed to the government to reconsider and allow the banned products for safeguarding their remaining chilli crops.

Another chilli farmer V. Anil Kumar, along with others from Pamulapadu in Tadikonda mandal of Guntur district, said they are highly distressed because of tamara purugulu. The government should have provided some alternative pesticides. But it has not done so. Anil Kumar demanded that the government immediately provide the required pesticides or find a suitable solution to save rest of their chilli crop.

When contacted, officials maintained that it is the central government that has banned 27 pesticides, including DDVP and phosalone. Only the centre can review the ban, they felt.
Chandrababu pointed to central governments stand in Parliament that special status is a closed chapter. Union minister concerned has declared that no railway zone will be formed at Visakhapatnam. Vizag Steel Plant is also being privatised with total disregard to people's sentiments.  Twitter

VIJAYAWADA: Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday demanded that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy make all his 22 party MPs resign to pressurise central government into conferring special status on Andhra Pradesh.

Naidu offered that his three TD MPs too will resign and join the fight for achieving all major state reorganisation promises like special status, Polavaram and Vizag railway zone.

The leader of opposition recalled that it was Jagan Mohan Reddy before 2019 elections who declared he would wring the neck of centre and his party MPs would even resign if necessary to achieve special status for AP.

Addressing a press conference here, the TD chief said it is time for Chief Minister to decide whether or not to fight for promises made by the centre at the time of states bifurcation. He pointed to central governments stand in Parliament that special status is a closed chapter. Union minister concerned has declared that no railway zone will be formed at Visakhapatnam. Vizag Steel Plant is also being privatised with total disregard to people's sentiments.

Naidu sought to know from the Chief Minister and YSRC MPs what they have achieved for the state in the past two-and-a-half years.
The AIMIM had organised the rally for various demands like the implementation of Muslim reservations in the state, the use of Waqf board lands. (PTI)

Mumbai: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has accused the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra saying it was turning a blind eye towards a demand for a reservation for the Muslim community.

"Reservation is the right of the Muslim community and it is the only way to ensure its development," he said while addressing a rally at Chandivali in Mumbai on Saturday.

Despite Mumbai police commissioner banning the permission due to the omicron threat in the city, Mr Owaisi held the rally. He mocked the MVA government asking whether it would ban if (Congress leader) Rahul Gandhi held the rally.

Muslims have been lagging behind the Maratha community in the state in several sections like jobs, education, employment etc. If reservation is given, the community will make rapid progress, he said.

The Triranga Yatra launched by the AIMIM from Aurangabad concluded in Mumbai. Citing Covid-19 pandemic situation, the Mumbai police had denied a permission to hold a public rally in the city.

Earlier, speaking in Pimpri-Chinchwad during the rally, AIMIM MP Imtiyaz Jaleel slammed the MVA government for creating hurdles in the rally. "The Congress and the NCP used the Muslim community only as a votebank. The NCP perceives the AIMIM as a threat to its vote bank and it is trying to obstruct the rally," he said.

The rally, led by Mr Jaleel, was also halted by police at Ahmednagar, leading to protests by AIMIM workers. Later, it was allowed to proceed under the condition that it will not obstruct the traffic and be conducted in a peaceful manner.

Home minister Dilip Walse-Patil said that public rallies are not allowed in the city as the Mumbai police commissioner has announced a ban on congregation of people due to the rising omicron threat. "Such things need to be avoided keeping in mind the omicron threat and some recent law and order problems in the state. However, the fint decision on whether to allow the rally will be taken by the police," he added.

The AIMIM had organised the rally for various demands like the implementation of Muslim reservations in the state, the use of Waqf board lands and other issues related to the community.

While the Congress-NCP government had promulgated an ordinance in 2014 providing five per cent reservation to Muslims in educational institutions and public employment, the Bombay HC later upheld the quota only in educational institutions in Maharashtra.
If there is one thing that is seriously under threat under the BJP-RSS it is the art of civilised discourse, shastrartha. Dialogue itself happens spontaneously because of an inherent belief that truth is a byproduct of cerebral search, not fiat. In the Indian tradition, truth can be a theoretical assertion, but it must be accompanied by the intellectually elevating aversion to shallow certitudes. This is something we need to ponder about as we deal with the brittle certainties that dominate public discourse today.

Around 200 years before the birth of Christ, and possibly earlier, there lived a man called Bharat Muni. Bharat wrote the Natya Shastra, consisting of 36 chapters and 6,000 shlokas. At one level, the Natya Shastra was a compendium for the arts with a detailed manual of instructions  and this is remarkable enough. But the works real genius was that it was simultaneously a meditation on aesthetics, rasa, or what the anubhav or artistic experience should be, both for the creator and the observer.

The interesting thing is that for a long time it was believed that aesthetics as a philosophy began as a series of articles on The Pleasures of the Imagination by the journalist Joseph Addison in the magazine The Spectator in 1712! The fact that India had a highly sophisticated and developed concept of the artistic experience millennia earlier  when in most parts of the world people had not yet come down from trees  is hardly known in the West or to our own high priests of culture.

Bharats notion of rasa was the result of a cerebral dialogue between the art object, its creator, and the observer. That dialogue cannot take place when the observer approaches art with an a priori conviction that it is undesirable.

Predetermined hostility  as is much in evidence these days  asphyxiates the possibility of dialogue. It replaces intellectual suppleness with fiat. Art, then, is judged not for its intrinsic merit, but for its amenability  or not  to an extraneous agenda.

Without dialogue, Indian civilisation would not be what it is. If we pause to think for a moment, the three foundational texts of Hinduism are a dialogue. The Upanishads are a dialogue; the Bhagwad Gita is a dialogue; and the tikas or commentaries on the Brahma Sutras invariably incorporate the ideological opponents point of view. One of the great dialogues of our past, which became a turning point in the evolution of Hinduism, was that between Adi Shankaracharya and Mandana Mishra in the eighth-ninth century. Shankara was a votary of the jnana marga, and Mandana of the karma kanda path. Ideologically, they were opponents. But they were prepared to sit down and discuss their differences, with Shankara able to defeat Mandana  not in a violent duel  but through dialogue. Few people know that in Kalyan in Karnataka, in the kingdom of King Bijjala II in the 12th century CE, there was constructed the Anubhava Mantapa or the hall of spiritual experience. Men and women from all social and economic backgrounds could come to the Mantapa to openly discuss spiritual questions, or any other matter of public importance. It was at the Mantapa that Mahadevi, also known as Akka, stood nude covered only by her tresses, and discussed bhakti with the great Lingayata founders, Basavanna and Allama Prabhu.

Dialogue assumes legitimate differences in points of view, and the belief that they can be harmonised through civilised discourse. That is why, Hindu philosophy has not one but six systems of philosophy.

That is why, too, Hinduism accepts as part of its fold, the Charvaka school of materialist thought, which considers the Vedas to be untrue. Our epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, are replete with dialogues. In my book, Yudhishtara and Draupadi, I pay tribute to the amazing dialogue between Yudhishtara and the Yaksha in the Mahabharata. The Yaksha asks: O, Arya, tell me what in this world is most wonderful? And, Yudhishtaras famous reply is: Millions pass on, yet the living think they wont die; what can be more wonderful than this wonderful lie.

When the habit of dialogue erodes, the approach to knowledge suffers a fatal flow. It becomes silo driven; the entire emphasis is on the superficial rebuttal; and, there is a propensity to focus on the immediate rather than the holistic. Such an approach was seriously frowned upon by our seers. The ancient treatise Vishnudharmottara (mid-fifth century CE) has this revealing dialogue between a sage and a king. The king wants to learn the whole meaning of art, but the sage tells him to first know the theory of dancing. The king agrees, but is then asked to learn painting. When he accepts to do so, he is told that he must commence studying music. The essential point is that the shrill and narrow is an antidote to meaningful discourse.

The great Mughal emperor Akbar (1556-1605) was a follower of the more inclusive Chishti school of Sufism and was fond of open religious dialogue between scholars of different faiths under a platform he created, the Din-i-Ilahi. His religious liberalism can be gauged from his pronouncement that the wisdom of Vedanta is the wisdom of Sufism, and his belief that all religions are either equally true or equally illusionary. However, his religious broadmindedness was staunchly opposed by the powerful orthodox Islamic clergy, the ulama, who declared him a heretic, and even issued a fatwa for all Muslims to revolt against him.

Ultimately, whether in Hinduism or in Islam, the real enemies of dialogue are the bigoted. Islam has a lesser tradition of tolerance to heterodoxy, but Hinduism is a sanatana dharma precisely because it was, and is, inherently accommodating of diversity. Shastrartha, or civilised discourse, is the hallmark of Indian civilisation. If we destroy it, we destroy the central pillar of our civilisation.
The Kremlin is allegedly pushing the buttons of NATO, and the US gets what it wants. There is more to Putin's master plan than packing the south border of Russia close to Ukraine that is more than sending men and armor rolling over the border.

Allies said Moscow wanted to retake Ukraine, something the Russian leader planned for a long time. This includes troops in the Ukraine border and the border chaos in the Belarus-Poland border to weaponize natural gas, leaving a gap for energy dependence and bad border policies that induced confusion in the EU.

Putin's plan on the Ukrainian border

Russian leader Vladimir Putin sent more than 100,000 troops plus armor to the Ukraine border by his orders. This alarmed the allies that another move of Crimea is in the works, like in 2014 and the Kremlin's game, reported the Express UK.

One month earlier, Dmytro Kuleba, Foreign Minister of Ukraine, remarked the Russian border is "seriously deteriorating," and a rollout of forces to the other side is possible.

Last December 7, US President Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin had a teleconference to diffuse the tension. The US leader had another conference with UK PM Boris Johnson and the EU chief on dealing with Moscow's possible encroachment of Ukraine like Crimea in 2014, cited the Arab down.

Everyone in the European Union agreed with Washington over the Russian buildup of its forces and the message of the Kremlin. But, Putin's master plan is more sophisticated than brute force.

Read Also: Putin Deploys 700 Russian Sharp Shooters to Four Border Locations in Ukraine, Sparks WW3 Fears

According to Downing Street, PM Johnson pledged Britain to push non-military tools to force the Russian leader to back off, send back troops, and demilitarize the borders of Ukraine.

Kremlin intends West to back off

Some analysts see deeper into the Kremlin's intentions, and the allies see narrowly. There's no need to take Kiev, but it's a tool to get at the western allies and the United States.

Adeline van Houtte, lead analyst of the Economist Intelligence Unit, whose input about Moscow's intentions is surprising, saying Putin has deceived the west. Even the US president or the UK PM or the EU chiefs cannot have guessed, noted Politico.

Van Houtte said they've been misled so much but persist in believing Russians intent. There are countless troops and armor but less air defense than what is needed, and there should be more than what is stationed.

A naked show of strength will not help capture Kiev like Crimea, too blatant to have such numbers this time. It is different from 2014, and the allies allegedly don't know better.

The Russian leader will not risk an assault on Ukraine forces, for it will not be wise to commit the troops under the Kremlin's command.

Putin will not risk anything politically in Russia, but his end game is more elaborate than the allies think. He wants the west to back off his red lines and support Kiev.

The meeting with Biden establishes Putin as a serious threat to the western allies. That done and Putin' master plan has to point is realized and outclassed them, but allies still think Ukraine is the goal not easing them from the Kremlin's interests.

Related Article: Expert Predicts Joe Biden's Failure To Stop a Ukraine Invasion As West Hesitates After Russian Weapon Demo

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Pope Francis critiques the European Union for policies that he called too 'elderly and haggard' how the bloc has betrayed its promise to its citizens. He added it comes close to getting too dictatorial that is not beneficial.

During the week, the Pope expressed disappointment in the organizations allowing woke influences to color its policies. He opposed the radicalization of the mindset that is sowing chaos in the US, which has no place in Europe.

Pope calls on EU for being "bureaucratic"

Pope Francis is saddened that the word 'Christmas' is getting censured by the bloc like a dictatorship. On the flight back to the Vatican City, he added that the EU should not even allow any stain of wokeness that is ideological colonization, reported the Express UK.

The European Commission was severely lashed for its memo to restrict 'Christmas' as more inclusive.

The source of all the critiques is a 30-page guide author by EU communications that got scoured by critics who call the attempt to institutionalize Christian on celebrating Christmas, cited Eagle's Vine.

Coming from a five-day trip to Greece and Cyprus, he said that autocrats and dictatorships have historically tried to co-opt ideology but failed.

He mentioned the time of Napoleon and the Third Reich and the communists who had not succeeded in controlling people. Such actions are doomed to failure and decline in time, and they do not last.

It called on Brussels not to fall into the trap of wokeness from America, divisive and destructive to the bloc's solidarity. According to Pope Francis critiques, the European Union should not allow it.

Read Also: Vatican Confirms First Coronavirus Case, Pope Francis Health a Primary Concern

Pope' visions for a better bloc

For the record, it's the first occasion that the Vatican's key representative has thrown barbs at the bloc, although called the EU too much into red and bureaucratically unhinged.

During 2014, he spoke to the bloc's parliament that reforms were needed more than ever. It was stressed that reforming policies are required to survive.

The Pope told the MEP's that a spread of mistrust of the body's policies is spreading to all citizens of member countries. Citizens think the guidelines are antipeople and not grounded in reality.

He panned such actions that killed the dynamism that kept Europe moving were getting lost because of politics and institutions. Adding that Europe's founding fathers, the EU, is getting too old and unresponsive, noted Tecnocharger.

He expressed a vision of a European bloc that accommodates all ideas and has the freedom to do anything within reason as a bloc member.

He called on all the EU members to be a family together, and everyone can do what is needed for co-mutual support. Pope Francis said they are one family, not separate peoples.

The address of the Pope was given kudos by Nigel Farage, who was the head of the UKIP, and said the Vatican head expressed his words.

During the address to the MEPs, Matteo Renzi, the Italian prime minister, said the Pope was right and needed reform. One of the Vatican's stances is the welfare of immigrants, and immigration policies need to be tweaked. Pope Francis critiques the European Union for getting involved in woke policies that drive a wedge against unity, and ideological poisoning is not tolerated.

Relate Article: Italy Imposes Lockdown on 16 Million People as Coronavirus Cases Surge

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A Russian general cautioned Kiev that any military action against Russian separatists or border attacks would be costly and ill-advised.

The army deployed nuclear, and hypersonic missiles are reminders that Moscow is not playing games at its southern border. Kyiv still claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to take over Ukraine despite the clarification.

Russia will stay on stand by

General Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, informed that about ninety-five percent of Moscow's land-based nuclear forces are on standby, should they need to be used, reported the Sun UK.

General Gerasimov added that any moves by Kiev against Donbas would not prosper as it would be met with force by the Russian army. He stated this during the briefing with foreign military envoys present.

Furthermore, these Strategic Missile Forces are getting improved and modernized for use in the field. The Avangard missile system is also preparing for combat use, citing TASS.

General Gerasimov remarked that the Bulava, a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, will be part of a naval force tasked with nuclear weapons launch. These are modernized nuclear forces will be effective with the use of long-range standoff missiles to hit targets.

General Gerasimov told the briefing members regarding the Airborne divisions' combat capabilities, which will be used if the tensions at the Ukraine border would breakout and affect the Russian separatists. There is an expectation that the forces will attack in 2022.

Read Also: Putin Deploys 700 Russian Sharp Shooters to Four Border Locations in Ukraine, Sparks WW3 Fears

In 2021, two more airborne assault regiments were formed, and Russia added another support group designated as unmanned aviation units.

General Gerasimov state that the hypersonic weapons are getting readied, and all the tests for the Zircon ship-based launchers are already done with trials. The tensions felt between the two forces, like the West and Moscow, suggest a possible Ukraine invasion.

Tension at the Ukraine border

The US said that 175,000 Russian soldiers were massed on the border about a week before. Something which might lead to an invasion that the Kremlin vehemently denied.

Next, the Russian air force scrambled a fighter to fly up and force a US spy plane to turn back that was getting too close to the border over the Black Sea, noted the DW.

But despite what amounts to provocation, the Kremlin says there are no plans to run over Ukraine. The alliance has pledged support for Kiev but won't risk facing the Russian forces that would risk another world war.

Vladimir Putin has told NATO that allowing Kiev membership ship is not acceptable and said to Washington to stop giving military support in the region. But Ukraine commanders sought help from the West because they knew that Russian forces could overrun their country easily in a few hours.

The head of Ukraine's military intelligence service, General Kyrylo O Budanov, said that the country needs to be objective regarding the situation with the Kremlin. He added that their military forces would fold if the Russians decided to attack. But the Russian General said that if Russian separatists or the border have threatened, they will surely give a response.

Related Article: Ukraine Tension Shifts to Fears of Security Breach as Russia Could Tap UK Undersea Cable

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The former Chicago police superintendent, Eddie Johnson, has spoken out against Jussie Smollett, who claimed he was assaulted. He added it was all staged, and he had proof it was all a hoax.

He had misgivings that the alleged victim was not telling the truth, and there was more to it. Also, the ex-policeman had a sneaking suspicion that the victim had it staged; he cited clues that gave it away as a hoax.

Jussie Smollett lied about hate crime

Johnson said that he noticed something was out of place on that night when the alleged assault occurred. The victim's sandwich was not affected as claimed, The Blaze reported.

Last Friday, he had an interview in NewsNationNow's on 'Morning in America.' Related that Smollett went to a fast-food sandwich shop at around 2 am when the attack occurred. He claimed this was when the scuffle happened, and the attackers poured bleach on him.

As he was getting back to his apartment residence, the video showed that the sandwich was still intact. That detail was very unusual and unlikely it would be in his hands. It raised suspicion that something was wrong with how the attack had happened, making the victim's claim very suspicious.

Ex-Chicago police superintendent Johnson explained something was not right about the case, and he added that Jussie Smollett's story is not a legitimate hate crime.

Read Also: Biden Waves to Russian Leader During Video Conference Puzzling Observers Over Tough Rhetoric About POTUS

Johnson thought that Smollett's tell-tale signs did not match such a case. Despite doubts, they believed Smollett's story, but things changed once they discovered the video revealing what happened.

Smollett wasted police's resources

How the alleged victim acted with the noose around him revealed that he was unconcerned at best. In the video, Johnson says that seeing a black person with a noose on his neck is odd and not ordinary if he would not immediately take it off.

All the nuances of the Smollett case, which is supposed to be race-related, did not add up. But the ex-policeman said the police department would gather the evidence before charging the alleged hate crime victim for fraud, cited CNBC.

It was not just the former police officer but also former Mayor Rahm Emanuel who were enraged at the fraud perpetrated by the claimed victim. They explained that it was not a legitimate case, and he wasted the police department's resources.

However, Smollett was determined to continue the charade if they would not have arrested him, and he showed no attempt at an apology.

Johnson remarked it was upsetting for him and the then Mayor Emanuel that the offense stained the city and wasted manpower. Nothing more than an overblown hoax that is avoidable as the victim was lying all the time.

Johnson was happy with the verdict against Smollett. He retired in 2019 when he was found sleeping in his SUV on October 17 due to medication, but Mayor Lori Lightfoot said he was drunk.

Related Article: Expert Predicts Joe Biden's Failure To Stop a Ukraine Invasion As West Hesitates After Russian Weapon Demo

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After NASA abandoned a hypersonic nuclear missile engine design, Chinese engineers are tinkering with it to have a better transonic power plan for its modern missile weaponry.

China is hopeful that completing the NASA design with superfast missiles that zoom to 6000-miles per hour will be ahead of the United States.

The US is increasingly wary of the People's Liberation Army rocket forces getting ahead in such a crucial technological advantage.

Chinese develops missile from NASA abandoned design

Reports of Chinese research and development of the technology using a design that NASA abandoned more than twenty years ago, the Sun UK reports.

A standard layout for transonic planes has its engine on the undercarriage. Instead, the new design has two engines on the sides called the experimental Two-Stage Vehicle (TSV) X-plane under research.

According to the South China Morning Post, it was presented by Ming Han Tang, a Chinese American engineer in the NASA hypersonic project in the later 1990's. When the engine is in hypersonic speed mode, that drives the X-plane to transonic speed five times.

Chinese technology ahead over the US

The PLA is sure that it will get funds from Beijing to develop the arms to have an equal or better military force than any nation on earth.

Professor Tan Huijun and his fellow scientists at the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Jiangsu; have constructed the machine to the Tang specifications of the NASA hypersonic nuclear missile engine.

Read Also: Russia Launches Secret Missile, Military Jets in Test Flight as NATO Allies Practice Drills in Black Sea

In a paper by Tan and others published by the Chinese Journal of Propulsion Technology, the design explained everything needed to achieve hypersonic flight with plane and engine.

One common reaction in US intelligence circles is that they never thought China would leapfrog the US in devising such technologies soon after the US has issued reports of its projects.

Recent testing of a hypersonic glide body that circled the earth last October gave Washington and the Pentagon something equal to ultimate shock.

The missile test was successful, only missing its target by 24-miles off the nuclear-capable high-speed vehicle launched last August, as cited by the Financial Times.

These tests highlighted how Beijing had moved forward in its research in hypersonic technology showing the gaps in the US program when American scientists thought they had the lead.

New ultra-fast HGV launched

The average supersonic speed is 768 miles per hour, but hypersonic is fives time the speed of sound and a range of 1500 miles. This is the same technology used by Russia in its high-tech missile program.

China is in the new arms race to beat the US and the Allies, especially in the Indo-Pacific. A source that has ties to the PLA confirms the weapon is under research by the Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics.

China announced most of its test launches, but they kept the August test under wraps and secret to the West. Defense experts say that there is no way current missile defenses or radar could stop or detect a raid by such an excellent weapon. The shock value of the NASA hypersonic nuclear missile engine is immense if it is finally perfected.

Related Article: Experimental Laser on the Tip of Chinese Hypersonic Missile Makes It Faster

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A horrific Hippo nearly killed a woman when it attacked and punctured her cousin's stomach, exposing her innards. The victims were shocked after an encounter with the large animal. The incident happened on a petting farm at Jessica's Place in Hoedspruit, Limpopo, where the hippo allegedly attacked, but the owner said it was not his hippos.

Hippopotamuses are unpredictable large mammals known to attack without provocation, mistaking their comical appearance as friendly because they are still wild.

Unknowing woman gets attacked by hippo in petting farm

The woman claims that a hippo grabbed her and got bashed like a ragdoll while her cousin tried to save her. The beast ripped her stomach open with innards falling out, reports the Sun UK.

The victim, Natasha Vrany, 39, from Alberton, South Africa, said the rampaging beast went out of the river and knocked her down by the semi-aquatic animal.

The hippopotamus that attacked was called Richie, alleged to be 9-years old. The woman remarked that 'Richie' charged from the water according to IOL.

Vrany was looking the opposite way when it occurred. Knocked down, she tried to get up, but the hippo bit her leg, then shook her like a rag doll. The giant animal applied more pressure while biting down. Vrany added that her cousin, 62, Belinda Newman, was there to help and got injured trying.

All the while, the crazed beast wanted to drown Vrany, trying to pull her to the water. Tony Joubert and Shirley, owners of the park, went to assist. They hit the animal to stop it, while the horrific hippo nearly killed its victim.

Read Also: Zookeeper Fatally Wounded As He Tried to Escape Rogue Siberian Tiger That Leapt From Its Cage

Newman leaped on Richie's back to save her cousin from near death.

Cousin survives after intestines ripped open

Vrany said Richie let goof her but slammed her cousin to the ground and punctured the stomach, but luckily survived. After getting away from the beast, she ran to get a rifle from Joubert, but she passed out upon reaching the kitchen.

Vrany woke up later to see Newman looking over her, very worried, while all the time was trying to keep her innards inside with her hands. Both women were alive and survived Richie's wild rampage that nearly ended both their lives. Both were rushed to the hospital for treatment, and Natasha remarked that it was the most traumatic experience to happen.

Richie is one of the two hippos living in the park after being rescued by the Jouberts. Another older hippo, Jessica, 21 years old, also lives in the park owned by the Joubert's, cites the Daily Mail.

The park's owner stated that the almost fatal attack last November 12 did not happen on their property. He added that he came upon the attack on the two and helped them.

Mr. Joubert told the outlet he struck the hippo in the soft bone area over the eyes, which caused the beast to let her go. Furthermore, even if he was at risk, he saved them nonetheless. He denied that his resident hippos did not attack the women, and claimed it was a wild beast.

Richie was rescued in 2012 when only a newborn barely several hours old, in a terrible storm where his mother was never found. The same also happened with Jessica, orphaned in March 2000 after bad flooding.

Related Article: Hippopotamus Assault Leaves Man Covered in Blood After Biting Its Arms, Shoulder, and Torso

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Nicole Ari Parker, Kristin Davis, Sarah Jessica Parker and Karen Pittman pose with cast members at the red carpet premiere of the 'Sex and The City' sequel, 'And Just Like That' in New York City, Dec. 8. Reuters-Yonhap



Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte are 20 years older, and their beloved New York has been ravaged by COVID-19, but the sassy women are back  without Samantha  in HBO Max's "Sex and the City" revival, which premieres Thursday.



The hotly anticipated "And Just Like That..." picks up long after the landmark series and two so-so movies left off, with the forever friends taking on a new phase of life  their 50s.



In the 10 new episodes, onetime sex and dating columnist Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) is married and learning to work with her podcast co-host (Sara Ramirez)  one of several new characters created to widen the cast's diversity.



Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) is back in school for a new Master's degree and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) is the uber power mom  a far cry from the characters' amusing sexcapades that made the show must-see TV in the late 1990s and early 2000s.



"We don't try to make a point of: "Look, they're mature, they're better, they're smarter'," Parker told The New York Times.



"Sex and the City" broke ground with its frank portrayal of female friendships and sexual relationships, spawned fashion trends, and generated tours of locations made famous by the show. Can lightning strike again with this reimagining?



For journalist and author Candace Bushnell, whose columns for the New York Observer were the basis for the original show, the series is about empowerment.



"I think what 'Sex and the City' brought to women is really the message that I've been trying to give women since I was eight years old. And that's really a message of feminism, of behaving independently, of having your own money and of becoming your own Mr. Big as opposed to looking for a Mr. Big to marry," Bushnell told AFP.



Michael Patrick King, who worked on the original series, returns as a writer and director for the new episodes.



But one major contributor to the success of the original is missing this time  Kim Cattrall, who played the sexed-up Samantha, announced after the second film that she would no longer portray the character.



"We did everything we could to make it be worth a trip back," King told The Hollywood Reporter.



"The city's different, the world's different and the conversations are different." (AFP)


gettyimagesbank



By Nam Hyun-woo





Ri Yong-gil, North Korea's minister of People's Armed Forces

A fresh set of U.S. sanctions against North Korea is feared to dampen the momentum for South Korean President Moon Jae-in's proposal to declare an official end to the Korean War, as it comes as a virtual rejection of Pyongyang's demand for the U.S. to withdraw its "hostile policies" against it, which is a precondition that the bellicose regime set for end-of-war declaration talks.



The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced on Friday (local time) that it has designated 15 individuals and 10 entities "for their connection to human rights abuse and repression in several countries around the globe, pursuant to multiple sanctions authorities."



Among those designated are North Korea's Central Public Prosecutors Office, the Scientific and Educational Film Studio of Korea and Ri Yong-gil, minister of People's Armed Forces who was until recently minister of social security.



The OFAC accused the prosecutors' office and Ri of human rights violations in policing activities.



"The DPRK Central Public Prosecutors Office and court system reportedly are used to prosecute and punish persons for political wrongdoing in a legal process involving fundamentally unfair trials. These trials sometimes end in sentencing to the DPRK's notorious prison camps, run by the Ministry of State Security and the Ministry of Social Security," the OFAC said in a press release. The DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.



North Korea's Ministry of Social Security is a policing organization monitoring not only North Koreans but also foreign residents. The OFAC mentioned the death of U.S. college student Otto Warmbier as an example of the ministry's human rights abuses.



The sanctions were the first U.S. sanctions targeting North Korea since U.S. President Joe Biden took office. The Biden administration extended a travel ban in September and retained North Korea in the list of countries of particular concern regarding religious freedom last month, but those were not additional sanctions.





U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Del., Saturday (local time). AP-Yonhap
President Moon Jae-in and his wife enter the presidential plane Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Dec. 12. Yonhap



President Moon Jae-in left for Australia on Sunday for a four-day state visit that is expected to focus on deepening bilateral ties and securing a stable supply chain raw materials and core minerals.



Moon is the first South Korean president to pay a state visit to Australia in 12 years. He is also the first foreign leader that the country has invited since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said.



In Canberra on Monday, Moon will hold a summit with Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Strengthening cooperation in the fields of carbon-neutral technology, the hydrogen economy, defense industry, space and cyberspace is expected to top the agenda.



After the summit, Moon will attend a state luncheon hosted by Australian Governor-General David Hurley.



Also on Monday, Moon will visit a monument for Australian veterans of the 1950-53 Korean War and pay his respects at the Australian National Korean War Memorial. Australia fought alongside South Korea during the war to help defend the South from North Korea's invasion.



On Tuesday, Moon will visit Sydney, where he will meet with Anthony Albanese, leader of the opposition Australian Labor Party, and hold a meeting with Australian business leaders on a supply chain issue of key mining products, Park said.



It will be the first time in 12 years for a South Korean president to pay a state visit to Australia.



South Korea and Australia mark the 60th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties this year.



A senior presidential official said that Moon's visit to Australia is expected to help South Korea secure key mining products, such as rare earth and lithium, amid the pandemic-related disruption of global supply chains.



"The value of strategic cooperation with Australia is significant as demand for key mining products, such as lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare earth, are expected to jump," the official said on the condition of anonymity.



Australia also hopes that it will expand exports of key minerals to South Korea, the official said.



The two nations will upgrade their relations to a "comprehensive strategic relationship" in the wake of Moon's visit, the official said.



Moon will return home on Wednesday. (Yonhap)






South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong has met bilaterally with his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi for the first time since Hayashi's inauguration last month as they attended a Group of Seven foreign ministers' meeting in Britain, Seoul's foreign ministry said Sunday.







The two top diplomats briefly held a meeting on the sidelines of the G-7 meeting in Liverpool on Saturday and shared the consensus to improve strained bilateral ties, the ministry said.







Chung delivered the Seoul government's stance on the victims of wartime forced labor and comfort women and suggested the two sides resolve the issues through dialogue, the ministry said.







Hayashi said Seoul and Tokyo as well as Washington should cooperate to move forward the peace process on the Korean Peninsula, and Chung agreed on the need for trilateral cooperation for the regional stability, it noted.







"The two sides agreed that South Korea and Japan should strengthen communications at all levels, from high-level to working-level officials, to positively develop the bilateral relations," the ministry said.







Relations between South Korea and Japan have been stuck in a row over wartime forced labor since Japan imposed export curbs against the South in 2019 in retaliation against South Korean Supreme Court rulings that Japanese firms should pay compensation to forced labor victims.







Japan has claimed all reparation issues stemming from its 1910-45 colonial occupation of the Korean Peninsula were settled under a 1965 treaty that normalized relations between the two countries, and urged the South to come up with acceptable solutions.







South Korea has maintained that the government cannot intervene in civil litigation due to the constitutional separation of the executive, judiciary and legislative powers. (Yonhap)






By Kwon Mee-yoo







Korea has gone through corruption in the political and public sectors this year, with people in these sectors deceiving the public altogether, a group of Korean professors said, Sunday.







According to Kyosu Shinmun, a weekly journal for professors, Korean professors picked "myoseodongcheo" (), literally meaning that a cat is with a rat instead of catching it, as the four-character idiom representing 2021. The journal has been releasing phrases describing the social situation of each year annually since 2001.







Typically, rats are likened to thieves, stealing crops, and cats catch rats. The situation of a rat and a cat together is abnormal, so "myoseodongcheo" refers to a situation in which those who chase thieves join thieves. The idiom first appears in Liu Xu's "Old Book of Tang," which was written in the 10th-century Tang Dynasty.







Yeungnam University philosophy professor Choi Jae-mok recommended the idiom, saying that there were many disputes over injustice throughout the year.







"We have seen many incidents this year in which those who have to enforce a law fairly or monitor its fairness were in cahoots to swindle for their own profits," Choi explained over why he picked the idiom.







One such incident is the real estate speculation scandal involving employees of Korea Land and Housing Corp., in which dozens of worker at the state-run agency used confidential information to buy real estate in lands that were subject to massive land development projects, raking in huge gains.







Another social science professor, who selected the idiom, said, "Politicians from ruling and opposition parties are both 'thieves,' but they accuse each other of being thieves," while another said, "The people and organizations that were supposed to manage the state's property commit illegalities and breach of trust without feeling guilty."







Some other professors picked the idiom as a reference to next year's presidential election as both of the leading candidates are embroiled in scandals over corruption and abuse of power.







"We have to choose the 'lesser-evil' candidate to stake the national destiny," one professor said.







The second-most suitable idiom for this year was "Ingonmapip" (), which means both man and horse are tired, coming from the tale of Liu Bei on refuge in "Records of the Three Kingdoms," the newspaper said.







Suh Hyuk, a Korean language and literature professor at Ewha Womans University, compared the long COVID-19 pandemic to Liu Bei's long time in retreat. "People and the country are all tired of eluding COVID-19," Suh said.







Other professors who also backed the idiom said the public is tired of politics as well as the pandemic.







"People are already suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic and the political circles show irrational behavior," a professor said.





The professors warned of the chaotic political situation

as well, when they selected "asitabi" (), an idiom meaning that means "I'm right, you're wrong."


Lawmakers break promise to eliminate pork barrel projects



Lawmakers repeated their time-old practice of pork barrel politics during the National Assembly's budget deliberation this year. As a result, there are 76 new projects that were not in the government's budget bill, increasing infrastructure spending by 400 billion won ($338 million) next year. The major political parties have continued to break their promises to eliminate this practice, which is aimed at increasing government spending on local projects to win votes.



Almost all legislators  ruling and opposition  competed to secure the Korean version of "earmarks," once rampant in the U.S. Congress. Spending on social infrastructure rose to a record high of 28 trillion won in the government's 2022 budget plan, reflecting numerous requests by lawmakers conscious of their electorates. Still, too many legislators have failed to get rid of such old-fashioned politics that diverts taxpayers' money to woo voters.



The government's budgeteers drew up the mega-budget of 604.4 trillion won for 2022, including a plan to issue deficit-financing bonds of 77.6 trillion won, resulting in more than 1,000 trillion won in national debt. Therefore, the Assembly should have ferreted out wasteful and inefficient projects through strict screening. However, the lawmakers even added their pork barrel projects to the budget. They flaunted their "budget victories" in text messages and on banners. When lawmakers do not care about the nation's fiscal health to pursue only re-election, voters end up setting a fox to keep the geese.



There are too many problems with earmarked spending. Most legislators thrust in pork barrel projects in the final hours of fixing the budget. As the feasibility studies of such projects are not possible at this stage, the practice shakes the foundation of the principle of budgeting: the efficient distribution of limited resources. The Ministry of Economy and Finance has concluded that these earmarks are illegal solicitations that violate the Anti-Bribery and Graft Act. The practice is also against the National Assembly Act, which stipulates that any budget increases must undergo the screening and approval processes of related Assembly committees. However, too many lawmakers are just bent on continuing this spending spree of taxpayers' money, even though it breaches the trust of voters.


A view of the Han River from Mount Gung's Soaknu Pavilion in 2021 Robert Neff Collection



By Robert Neff



If you are a bicyclist and frequent the Han River bike lanes on the western side of Seoul, you have probably, unknowingly, passed Mount Gung and the remains of Yangcheon Fortress located at the foot of a hill. Few people, unless they live in the immediate area, are familiar with this little treasure trove along the Han River.



Mount Gung is a small nondescript hill near the entrance (from the bike lanes) to Magok-dong. Although it is easily accessible, it is also easy to miss  you actually have to be looking for it. I went in search of Yangcheon Fortress and must confess that at first I was a little disappointed. The fortress  said to have been built during the Unified Silla era  helped guard the river but, as with many things associated with Mount Gung, I could not find much information about its historical role. It is said that General Gwon Yul (the reason for my visit) stayed in the fortress for a few days prior to moving across the river to Haengju Mountain Fortress in early 1593 where he defeated a large Japanese army .



Yangcheon Fortress has  for the most part  been erased. There is a small section of wall  barely noticeable (this has become a recurring theme of this article)  and a large round flat area on the hill's peak covered in grass and graced with a beautiful view of the river. It is a popular place for residents to stroll about and forget about the bustling metropolitan world that surrounds this little oasis of tranquility  even the sounds of traffic from the nearby highway are muffled.





Along the wall of Yangcheon Fortress in 2021, not much remains except wonderful walking paths and beautiful views of the river. Robert Neff Collection



However, despite the initial disappointment, I learned that there were other things to see, such as Yangcheonhyanggyo, a Confucian school. According to one of the signboards here:



"Yangcheonhyanggyo was established in 1411 as a Confucian school for the education of local youths in Yangcheon-hyeon. The precincts of such local Confucian schools were largely divided into two sections: the shrine section, of which Daeseongjeon Hall served as the major structure, and the education section, represented by Myeongnyundang Hall. At this particular shrine-school, the main shrine (Daeseongjeon) was located on a hill at the rear of the grounds, while the lecture hall (Myeongnyundang) stood at the front."



The descriptions given on these boards are at best informative, but often bland and boring. Fortunately, Matt VanVolkenburg (who in the past has guided tours in the area for Royal Asiatic Society Korea) was kind enough to point out an article that appeared in The Independent (Korean-English language newspaper) in February 1898.





A painting by Jeong Seon (1676-1759) of the Yangcheon area. Jeong Seon was a leader of the region from 1741 until about 1746. Courtesy of Matt VanVolkenburg



Reportedly, in the first week of February, three travelers took lodging at one of the district's small inns  a smart precaution as tigers, leopards and (about a decade later) wolves frequented the region. Unfortunately, not all of the predators were wild animals. Just after midnight, one of the companions got up and quietly packed his goods (along with his companions' goods) and left the inn. Apparently he wasn't quiet enough. Accoding to The Independent:



"The inn keeper heard a noise in the guest chamber and went out in the yard to investigate the cause of the untimely commotion. He caught a glimpse of the departing thief and immediately aroused the other guests and gave chase. The thief was overtaken at an inn two miles distant. He had donned the garb of the Confucian disciple and was sitting with the bar-maid exchanging with her sweet sentiments. The pursuers pounced upon him and bound him. A messenger was dispatched to the magistrate of the district asking him to take charge of the thief. The latter sent a squad of police and lodged him in jail. The Confucian disciples of the district became very indignant over the action of the magistrate for treating their fellow-scholar with such unceremonious procedure and they threatened to break the jail and set the prisoner free. The magistrate requested the governor of the province to send police [re]inforcements to protect the jail."



It is an amusing little anecdote but the magistrate did have reason to be concerned. Unrest was rampant outside the city gates and there are more than a few articles bemoaning the lawlessness of the land as bands of highwaymen terrorized small villages and pirates waylaid junks and other small boats on the river.





A painting of the Yancheon area by Kim Hui-seong in the late Joseon period. The image is from a signboard at the site of the Yangcheon Government Office in 2021. Robert Neff Collection



VanVolkenburg was also kind enough to provide some information of the spirit tablet and the guardian spirit or goddess. According to him:



"The prefectural government complex was laid out in a way similar to Seoul. Just as the Hyanggyo was a local branch of Seonggyungwan, there would have been a Sajikdan, or altar to the gods of soil and grain here to the west of the magistracy, and yeodan, an altar for abandoned ghosts to the north, and the magistrate here would have carried out rites at both. The gods of soil and grain needed to be appeased to call for rains, while abandoned ghosts [had to be placated or they would] cause epidemics."





The entrance to Yangcheonhyanggyo in 2021 Robert Neff Collection



Walking up the steep trails I didn't encounter any "abandoned ghosts" but I did encounter a number of hikers wearing masks in an effort to keep the malevolence of our present pandemic at bay.



I find it interesting that in all of the accounts I have read of Western visitors to Korea in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, I have not found any references to this site  even though its location would have been favorable for foreign "explorers." The only reference I can think of was made by one American in the 1880s of a ghost that haunted the river near here or at the base of Haengju Fortress.





The beauty of Yangcheonghyanggyo is highlighted by blue plastic stools and vegetables drying in the late fall sunlight of 2021. Robert Neff Collection



There are other little niches of the past secreted away on this small hill, including a Japanese military storage tunnel (there is a very small museum with free admission), a beautiful view of the river from Soaknu Pavilion and lots of paths to enjoy nature while hiking. If you get a chance  once the pandemic has died down  take VanVolkenburg's RAS Korea tour and learn about the history of not only Mount Gung but of the Yangcheon area of Gangseo District.



My appreciation to Matt VanVolkenburg for kindly providing me with information from his tour.





The past is surrounded by the present in 2021. Robert Neff Collection





Placating the abandoned spirits and the fickleness of nature in 2021 Robert Neff Collection





Soaknu Pavilion in 2021. According to the signboard, it was built on the site of a former pavilion (Akyangnu) by Lee Yu, the magistrate of this region during the reign of King Yeongjo (reign 1724-1776). It was a favored location for artists as it provided a commanding view of the river and the distant peaks. Robert Neff Collection





Looking up at Mount Gung from the bike lanes in 2021 Robert Neff Collection


By Scott Shepherd





I once flew in an Airbus A380. It's a big plane, so big that it actually has two decks; in fact, it's the largest passenger plane in the world.







The Airbuses operated by Korean Air have 409 seats. Picture that plane full of people sitting in their chairs: upstairs in the posh section where they all have cocktail glasses, down below where they clutch their plastic cups  everyone waiting idly for take-off. Look down the aisles at all the faces, some smiling and chatting, some dozing, but all waiting, all facing the same way, all with the same destination. The crew walk up and down chiding passengers for not wearing their masks properly and for leaving bags in the aisles. It's a big plane, so there are perhaps three pilots and six or seven members of the cabin crew.







Now imagine that every person on the plane is a coming to Korea in the hope of receiving protection and recognition as a refugee. It's true; a few of them may really be economic migrants hoping to come for work, but there are many, many people on this plane because they have no choice. They are fleeing in desperation from their homes and families, from everything they know.







Of all these people on this plane, how many of them will be granted refugee status in Korea? Maybe half of them? The peasants down in economy? Or just the lords and ladies on the top deck? (I should of course point out that North Koreans are not included as "refugees" or "nanmin." They are defined as "defectors from the North" or "talbukmin," and categorized differently within Korean migration regulations.)





So how many on the plane will be granted asylum? According to statistics from a

published by Rights Exposure, of all the people on this vast Airbus, the only people who will be recognized as refugees are, in fact, the crew  that is, 2 percent of the applicants.







Only the crew.







Around 33 or 34 passengers, or 8 percent, will receive a "humanitarian status" visa, which is more precarious even than recognition as a refugee, and offers few opportunities for work. The rest of the people on the plane are doomed either to be refused asylum relatively rapidly or else to spend years waiting in a state of uncertainty while they proceed through a series of applications and appeals, before they too are sent away.







In fact, the real proportion of people accepted as refugees is actually much lower still, as the Rights Exposure report highlights. Ninety percent of those who were "pre-assessed" at ports of entry in 2019 were prevented from even applying. That year, in a world of 7.5 or so billion people, with all its war and strife and persecution, out of 15,452 applicants  nearly 38 Airbuses packed full of people  there were only 79 applicants who actually received refugee status in Korea. And of them, 60 were granted this status "for resettlement or family reunion." That is to say, in a whole year, only 19 new refugees were accepted here on the basis of their own applications.







So if all the asylum seekers on our imaginary plane have no family members in Korea, now we're looking at just half of one captain being acknowledged as a refugee. Even the most fervid xenophobe can't seriously believe that only this minute fraction of asylum seekers really deserves recognition and protection.







This situation has not arisen because Korea lacks laws for granted asylum to refugees; it is because they are not implemented properly. Many workers in the Korean refugee application system, including interpreters, act unprofessionally and dishonestly. This problem is well documented in several places, and my wife witnessed it first-hand during her time working with a charity for refugees.







Indeed, just last month, I was in the Immigration Center in Incheon when I saw a Korean official refuse to help a refugee and his friend, despite the fact that they had all the required paperwork and a legitimate issue that needed to be addressed.*







They couldn't speak Korean and the official could not or would not speak English. She instead spoke to them pretty rudely, safe in the knowledge that she was the one with the power and that they couldn't understand her words (though her disrespect certainly had the power to penetrate through languages). Seeing the situation, I offered to try to help translate.







It turned out that they had already been in contact by phone and had been told that they would be able to sort out their issue. At the desk, however, the immigration official simply told me to tell them that their request was impossible. She would listen to no pleas, look at no paperwork. They had to go home, dejected. I kept in touch, and I'm glad to say that they were eventually able to find a way to resolve the problem.







The weird thing is that from my experience, in some other contexts, Koreans are often some of the kindest people you'll ever meet. It is a mystery, therefore, how we've managed to gather together the rudest, most condescending members of the population and get them all to work in the immigration offices. And remember: the refugee I met was one of those vanishingly rare people whose application was actually successful.







Within living memory, hundreds of thousands of Koreans were forced to leave the country by a devastating war; and millions of others left as, yes, economic migrants searching for work in richer countries. Now, thanks to the effort and sacrifice of several generations, Korea has become a place where people flee to, rather than from. There are real issues that accompany migration; of course there are. But the way the bureaucracy treats refugees is a disgrace to this country's good name, a stain on the honor of a nation that has achieved so much in such a short time.







None of us know when we may find ourselves in a situation where we need to seek refuge. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it has shown us that we can't complacently put our trust in the fact that we live in a rich country. It's true that we don't live in Afghanistan or Syria or Egypt, but really we never know when we'll be the ones sitting on that plane, desperately hoping to be granted asylum by an official in a strange land. For now, while we are in the position of power, we should show a little more care and love to those who are not.







* In order to protect their privacy, I have been intentionally vague about the identity of the people I met and the nature of their problem. They consented for their story to be told.











Dr. Scott Shepherd is a British-American academic. He has taught in universities in the U.K. and Korea, and is currently assistant professor of English at Chongshin University in Seoul. The views expressed in the article are the author's own and do not reflect the editorial direction of The Korea Times.


Britain's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss hosts U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other Group of Seven counterparts for weekend talks in the northwest England port city of Liverpool, Dec. 11, as the wealthy nations club faces growing tensions with Russia, China and Iran. AP-Yonhap



The Group of Seven richest democracies on Saturday sought to dissuade Russia from invading Ukraine, putting on a united front to warn of dire consequences for any incursion and urging Moscow to return to the negotiating table.



Led by British foreign minister Liz Truss, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the European Union and foreign ministers from France, Italy, Germany, Japan and Canada met in the northern English city of Liverpool.



The G7 meeting comes as the West frets over China's military and economic ambitions, the possibility that talks to prevent Iran pursuing a path to nuclear weapons could fail, and as Russia masses troops on the Ukrainian border.



A senior U.S. State Department official described the day's talks as "intense" and said there was still a diplomatic path to de-escalate the tensions with Russia.



"If they (Russia) choose not to pursue that path, there will be massive consequences and severe costs in response, and the G7 is absolutely united in that," she said. ""The kinds of costs that we are talking about are designed to be implemented very very fast."





Britain's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss wearing a face mask to combat the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) poses for a photograph before a bilateral meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken ahead of the G7 foreign ministers summit in Liverpool, Dec. 11. Reuters-Yonhap



Addressing the opening session of the talks, British foreign minister Liz Truss had urged the G7 to speak with one voice.



"We need to defend ourselves against the growing threats from hostile actors and we need to come together strongly to stand up to aggressors who are seeking to limit the bounds of freedom and democracy," said at the start of the meeting.



Ukraine is at the center of a crisis in East-West relations as it accuses Russia of massing tens of thousands of troops in preparation for a possible large-scale military offensive.



Russia denies planning any attack and accuses Ukraine and the United States of destabilizing behavior, and has said it needs security guarantees for its own protection.



"We need to take every action to return to dialogue," German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock told reporters. Germany takes over the rotating G7 leadership from Britain next year.



Washington is sending its top diplomat for Europe, Assistant Secretary Karen Donfried, to Ukraine and Russia on December 13-15 to meet with senior government officials.



"Assistant Secretary Donfried will emphasize that we can make diplomatic progress on ending the conflict in the Donbass through implementation of the Minsk agreements in support of the Normandy Format," the U.S. State Department said in a statement.





G7 foreign ministers pose in a socially distanced manner for a group photo at the Museum of Liverpool, Dec. 11. From left, Italy's Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly, Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Britain's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Japan's Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and European High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell. AP-Yonhap
People dressed as Santa Claus attend an event at Regina Margherita children's hospital to bring best wishes to doctors, families and children hospitalized at the hospital on the occasion of the eleventh edition of "A fit Santa Claus," Turin, Italy, Dec. 11. EPA-Yonhap



A Roman Catholic diocese in Sicily publicly apologized to outraged parents after its bishop told a group of children that Santa Claus doesn't exist.



In a Facebook post and subsequent comments Friday, the diocese of Noto insisted that Bishop Antonio Stagliano didn't mean to dash the dreams of the youngsters two weeks before Christmas.



The diocesan communications director, the Rev. Alessandro Paolino, said Stagliano was trying to underline the true meaning of Christmas and the story of St. Nicholas, a bishop who gave gifts to the poor and was persecuted by a Roman emperor.



Italian news reports quoted Stagliano as saying during a recent religious festival that Santa doesn't exist and that his red costume was created by the Coca-Cola company for publicity.



''First of all, on behalf of the bishop, I express my sorrow for this declaration which has created disappointment in the little ones, and want to specify that Monsignor Stagliano's intentions were quite different,'' Paolino wrote on the diocesan Facebook page.



''We certainly must not demolish the imagination of children, but draw good examples from it that are positive for life,'' he continued. ''So Santa Claus is an effective image to convey the importance of giving, generosity, sharing. But when this image loses its meaning, you see Santa Claus aka consumerism, the desire to own, buy, buy and buy again, then you have to revalue it by giving it a new meaning.''



But, if the public comments section of the Noto page were any indication, the Sicilian parents weren't having any of it.



While several welcomed the bishop's attempt to focus on the Catholic meaning of Christmas, others faulted Stagliano for interfering with family traditions and celebrations, and crushing the spirits of children whose early years were disrupted by the pandemic.



''You are the demonstration that, when it comes to families, children and family education, you don't understand a thing,'' a commenter, identified as Mary Avola, wrote. (AP)


Britain's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, left, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during the G7 summit of foreign and development ministers in Liverpool, England, Sunday. AP-Yonhap



The Group of Seven warned Russia on Sunday of massive consequences and severe costs if President Vladimir Putin attacks Ukraine, according to a draft statement seen by Reuters.



U.S. intelligence assesses that Russia could be planning a multi-front offensive on Ukraine as early as next year, involving up to 175,000 troops.



The Kremlin denies it plans to invade and says the West is gripped by Russophobia. Moscow says the expansion of NATO threatens Russia and has contravened assurances given to it as the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.



At a meeting in the northern English city Liverpool, the G7 delegates said they were united in their condemnation of Russia's military build-up near Ukraine and they called on Moscow to de-escalate.



"Russia should be in no doubt that further military aggression against Ukraine would have massive consequences and severe cost," the draft statement said, confirmed by G7 sources.



"We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the right of any sovereign state to determine its own future," the draft said.



For Moscow, the growing NATO embrace of a neighboring former Soviet republic - and what it sees as the nightmare possibility of alliance missiles in Ukraine targeted against Russia - is a "red line" it will not allow to be crossed.



Putin has demanded legally binding security guarantees that NATO will not expand further east or place its weapons close to Russian territory; Washington has repeatedly said no country can veto Ukraine's NATO hopes.



In 2014, Russia seized the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea from Ukraine, prompting the West to slap sanctions on Russia.



The Kremlin said on Sunday that Putin told U.S. President Joe Biden that Russian troops posed no threat and that Moscow was being demonized for moving troops around its own territory.



Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there were very serious conceptual differences between Russia and the United States on Moscow's "red lines".



The G7 comprises Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada and the United States, and includes a representative from the European Union.



"We call on Russia to de-escalate, pursue diplomatic channels and abide by its international commitments on transparency of military activities," the G7 said in the draft.



"We reconfirm our support for the efforts of France and Germany in the Normandy Format to achieve full implementation of the Minsk Agreements in order to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine," the draft said. (Reuters)




Blugold Central - Bursar's Senior Financial Specialist POSITION : A full-time university staff position is available in Blugold Central beginning January, 2022. The working title for this assignment is Blugold Central: Financial Specialist Senior with an official title of Financial Specialist Senior. This is an expected-to-continue assignment, which requires a six-month probationary period. The expected hourly hiring salary of $18.76, which is the minimum starting salary for this classification. The work schedule for this position is Monday  Friday, 7:45 am to 4:30 pm. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS : Applicants must have experience with customer service and interpreting and analyzing rules and regulations. In addition, they will need to possess excellent written and verbal communication skills, attention to detail and accuracy, and the ability to effectively manage multiple tasks with efficiency. A qualified candidate must be self  motivated and willing to learn a wide variety of job duties. They must also demonstrate commitment to equity and inclusiveness and ability to bring diverse perspectives and experiences. They would also need to be to be proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel, email, internet, and data entry on databases, including the ability to create and maintain Excel spreadsheets with simple formulas. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: Loan servicing, administration, or maintenance and / or accounts receivable collections experience, plus demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusiveness. DUTIES : This position does work of a complex nature involving specialized loan collection and administrating, servicing, and maintenance of Federal Perkins and Institutional Loans. It is responsible for a wide variety of financial and collection duties including, but not limited to, collecting past due accounts, processing borrower correspondence, closing loan accounts, auditing loan forms, posting payments, processing files, reconciling monies and preparing deposits. UNIVERSITY and EAU CLAIRE COMMUNITY : UW-Eau Claire, an institution of approximately 11,500 students and 1,400 faculty and staff, is consistently recognized as a top comprehensive university in the Midwest and is widely known as a leader in faculty-undergraduate research and study abroad. We strive for excellence in liberal education and select graduate and professional programs through commitment to teaching and learning and dedication to our core values of diversity, sustainability, leadership, and innovation. The City of Eau Claire, situated at the confluence of the Chippewa and Eau Claire rivers, is at the center of a metropolitan area of approximately 100,000 people located 90 miles east of Minneapolis/St. Paul. The area features beautiful parks and trails, strong public schools, a vibrant arts scene and local food culture, and abundant recreational opportunities. APPLICATION PROCEDURE : Applications are submitted electronically. Please follow instructions found on the following UW-Eau Claire Web site: http://www.uwec.edu/Employment/uweccareers.htm. You must create an account and login before you can apply. If you have not yet registered, click on the "Click here to Register" link to begin the registration process. If you are already a registered user, input your "User Name" and "Password" and select "Login." Click the link to the Blugold Central Financial Specialist position (Job ID # 17358) and then click the "Apply Now" button to submit your application electronically. Your application will not be considered complete until all required documents are attached and all required fields are completed. Please be sure you have included the following in PDF format: Letter of application

Resume

Names and contact information for three references. Please direct requests for additional information to: Shellie Patwell; patwelmt@uwec.edu To ensure consideration, completed applications must be received by December 31, 2021. However, screening may continue until position is filled. The university reserves the right to contact additional references with notice given to the candidates at an appropriate time in the process. A criminal background check is required prior to employment. UW-Eau Claire is an AA/EEO/Veterans/Disability employer dedicated to enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

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: Yellen (), : Stock

 : AP

: BBS  (Sat Dec 11 12:59:39 2021, )









San Francisco's vaunted tolerance dims amid brazen crimes



SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  Caitlin Foster fell in love with San Francisco's

people and beauty and moved to the city a dozen years ago. But after

repeatedly clearing away used needles, other drug paraphernalia and human

feces outside the bar she manages, and too many encounters with armed people

in crisis, her affection for the city has soured.



It was a goal to live here, but now Im here and Im like, Where am I

going to move to now? Im over it,' said Foster, who manages Noir

Lounge in the trendy Hayes Valley neighborhood.



A series of headline-grabbing crime stories  mobs of people smashing

windows and grabbing luxury purses in the downtown Union Square shopping

district and daytime shootings in the touristy Haight-Ashbury  has only

exacerbated a general feeling of vulnerability. Residents wake up to news of

attacks on Asian American seniors, burglarized restaurants, and boarded-up

storefronts in the city's once-vibrant downtown.



San Franciscans take pride in their liberal political bent and generously

approve tax measures for schools and the homeless. They accept that trashy

streets, tent encampments and petty crime are the price to pay to live in an

urban wonderland.



But the frustration felt by Foster, who moved from Seattle in search of more

sunshine, is growing among residents who now see a city in decline. There

are signs that the city famous for its tolerance is losing patience.



The pandemic emptied parts of San Francisco and highlighted some of its

drawbacks: human and dog feces smeared across sidewalks, home and vehicle

break-ins, overflowing trash cans, and a laissez-faire approach by officials

to brazen drug dealing. Parents despaired as public schools stayed closed

for most of last year as nearby districts welcomed children back to the

classroom.



Meanwhile, residents and visitors scurry past scenes of lawlessness and

squalor. Just steps from the Opera House and Symphony Hall, drug dealers

carry translucent bags filled with crystal-like rocks or stand outside the

public library's main branch, flashing wads of cash while peddling heroin

and methamphetamine.



Theres a widespread sense that things are on the wrong track in San

Francisco, said Patrick Wolff, 53, a retired professional chess player

from the Boston area who has lived in the city since 2005.



In a sign of civic frustration, San Franciscans will vote in June on whether

to recall District Attorney Chesa Boudin, a former public defender elected

in 2019 whose critics say he's too lenient on crime. His supporters say

there's no crime surge, and that corporate wage theft is a more pressing

issue than cases like that of a San Francisco woman finally arrested after

stealing more than $40,000 in goods from a Target over 120 visits. She was

released by a judge and arrested again on suspicion of shoplifting after she

failed to show up to get her court-ordered ankle monitor.



Wheres the progress? If you say youre progressive, lets get the

homeless off the street, and lets get them mental health care, said

Brian Cassanego, a San Francisco native who owns the lounge where Foster

works. He moved to wine country five months ago, tired of seeing dealers

sell drugs with impunity and worrying about his wife being alone outside at

night.



The day before he moved, Cassanego stepped out to walk his dogs and saw a

man who "looked like a zombie," with his pants down to his knees and

bleeding from where a syringe was stuck on his hip. A woman cried out nearby

in shock.



I went upstairs, and I told my wife, Were leaving now! This city is

done! he said.



Reports of larceny theft  shoplifting from a person or business  are up

nearly 17% to more than 28,000 from the same time last year. Requests to

clean dirty streets and sidewalks are the majority of calls to 311, the city

s services line.



Overall, though, crime has been trending down for years. More than 45,000

incidents have been reported so far this year, up from last year when most

people were shut indoors, but below the roughly 60,000 complaints in

previous years.



San Francisco's well-publicized problems have served as fodder for

conservative media outlets. Former President Donald Trump jumped in again

recently, releasing a statement saying the National Guard should be sent to

San Francisco to deter smash-and-grab robberies.



Elected officials say they're grappling with deep societal pains common to

any large U.S. city.



A high percentage of an estimated 8,000 homeless people in San Francisco are

struggling with chronic addiction or severe mental illness, usually both.

Some people rant in the streets, nude and in need of medical help. Last year

, 712 people died of drug overdoses, compared with 257 people who died of

COVID-19.



LeAnn Corpus, an administrative assistant who enjoys figure skating, avoids

the downtown rinks and won't take her 8-year-old son there after dark

because of all the open drug use. Still, the city's urban ills have crept

into her Portola neighborhood far from downtown.



A homeless man set up a makeshift tent outside her home using a bike and a

bed sheet, and relieved himself on the sidewalk. She called the police, who

came after two hours and cleared him out, but at her aunt's home, a homeless

person camped out against the backyard for six months despite attempts to

get authorities to remove him.



This city just doesnt feel the same anymore, said Corpus, a third-

generation native.



San Francisco residents who are generally uncomfortable with government

surveillance have installed security cameras and deadbolts to prevent break-

ins, and they have started eyeing outsiders with suspicion.



The other night, Joya Pramanik's husband spotted someone wearing a ski mask

on what was an otherwise warm evening on their quiet street. She worried the

masked man was up to no good  and it pains her to say that, since what

she loves about San Francisco is its easy embrace of all types of characters.



Pramanik, a project manager who moved to the U.S. from India in her teens,

cheered Trump's failed reelection bid but says she realized too late that

Democratic activists have hijacked her city.



If I say I want laws enforced, Im racist," she said. Im like, No,

Im not racist. Theres a reason I live in San Francisco.'



Last year, Wolff, the retired chess player, helped launch a new political

organization that aims to elect local officials focused on solving pressing

problems. Families for San Francisco will elect Democrats, but it's

organized outside the city's powerful Democratic Party establishment, he

said.



Wolff hopes to change a civic mindset that no longer expects much in the way

of basic public services.



In hip Hayes Valley, for example, business owners tired of seeing garbage

strewn about and the city not doing anything to address the issue banded

together to lease enclosed trash cans from a private company, said Jennifer

Laska, president of the neighborhood association. After the lease expired,

the association managed to get the city to agree to buy and install new

public garbage cans designed to keep trash in and pilferers out.



That was four months ago.



Were still struggling just to get the trash cans actually purchased,

Laska said.



In the Marina, a wealthy neighborhood with stunning views of the bay and

Golden Gate Bridge, dozens of residents recently hired private security

after an increase in auto burglaries.



Lloyd Silverstein, a San Francisco native and president of the Hayes Valley

Merchants Association, said businesses are considering hiring security

guards and installing high-definition security cameras. He rejects the idea

that any one city official is to blame for the situation, and he's

optimistic the city will recover.



We have been through big earthquakes and depressions and lots of stuff,

but we have a pretty good bounce-back attitude. Weve got some problems,

but well fix them," he said. It may just take some time.





--

 :WWW  mitbbs.com [FROM: 2600:1700:9a61:]


National

Cong demands probe into BJPs alleged link with lottery king

Santiago Martin (File)

CHENNAI, DEC 11 (IANS) | Publish Date: 12/11/2021 1:46:31 PM IST

The Tamil Nadu BJP is in a spot after the Pradesh Congress Committee (TNCC) president, K.S. Alagiri alleged that the BJP has received an amount of Rs 100 crore during the 2021 assembly elections from lottery king, Santiago Martin. The Congress has demanded transparent and impartial probe into it.

The Congress leader wondered as to how the BJP was going to help Martin as a token of gratitude for receiving such huge money. He also said that the BJP is taking money from all shady characters in Tamil Nadu.

The Congress leader said that people like Martin were providing huge money to the BJP to protect themselves from the long arm of the law. K.S. Alagiri said that there must be a transparent and impartial probe into the relationship between BJP and people like Martin.

The Congress leader wondered whether the BJP would help Martin overcome the Income Tax cases registered against him and said that the BJP as a political party has been thoroughly exposed over this.

Santiago Martin is a lottery king based out of Coimbatore with lottery business in northeastern states. He is believed to be worth more than Rs 30,000 crore asset base, and the ED had conducted several raids at his premises in Coimbatore and other parts of the country. Martin was a labour contractor in Myanmar and landed back to TN in 1988 and commenced his lottery business. He was jailed during the Karunandihi government under several charges. He was also close to the CPI-M government of Kerala and had donated liberally to the coffers of the party and there were allegations of the party leaders accepting Rs 2 crore as advertisement for its mouth piece Deshabhimani.
Regional

Former Bdesh PMs daughter who sheltered in Tripura in 71 back to say thanks

Seemin Hossain Rimi

Sonamura (Tripura), Dec 12 (PTI) | Publish Date: 12/12/2021 1:46:18 PM IST

Sixty-year old Seemin Hossain Rimi, daughter of the first prime minister of Bangladesh who along with her family escaped to Tripura after a murderous military crackdown during the 1971 war for liberation of Bangladesh, has made the journey back to thank the people of the tiny northeastern state.

Sonamura a small town bordering Comilla district of Bangladesh, sheltered thousands of refugees from East Pakistan during the war and also housed a training camp for Mukti Bahini (Free Bangladesh forces) as well as a makeshift hospital for them.

Rimi, now a Member of Bangladeshs Parliament, is the daughter of Tajuddin Ahmad, who led the Provisional Government of Bangladesh as its prime minister during the Liberation War in 1971 and is regarded as one of the leaders instrumental for the birth of Bangladesh.

I cannot believe that I am standing before the bungalow of the then Sub-divisional Officer, who arranged for our shelter and gave us security. My tears now are of joy... the educational institutions were closed in Tripura during that time to provide us shelter, she said while reminiscing of those tumultuous days on Thursday.

She went to Delhi to attend a programme to celebrate fifty years of Bangladeshs freedom and friendship between the two countries and on the way back made a detour to Tripura for three days to pay her tribute to the people of the state.

When her father was despatched to India by the Awami League to lead his countrymens war efforts, her mother Syeda Zohura Begum along with four minor children went into hiding to escape the marauding Pakistan army, and then moved from one safe home to another on her way to India and safety.

She narrated the familys harrowing seven-day-long journey from Dhaka to Boxanagar, a distance of about 80 kms.

I was nine and started our journey from Dhaka by a motor launch with my mother, sisters and one year-old brother. There was not a single drop of drinking water, so I lifted water by a mug and drank ... but after five minutes saw blood soaked bodies floating in the river whose water I was drinking, she said.

In another incident, she said, they were travelling in an open boat and suddenly a Pakistani soldier standing on a bridge opened fire at the boat killing passengers. Somehow the Ahmad family survived.

Sometimes, we traversed through water-logged jute fields. At one point of time we were caught by Rajakars (militia working with the Pak army). They were poor and told us that if we paid a bribe they would guide us up to Boxanagar, she said.

Sometimes they had to cross rivulets through `Bansher Shako (narrow bamboo bridges) with every possibility of falling down into the rivulets. The Pakistani army camps were nearby and soldiers could be seen, any noise would have meant being discovered and sure death soon afterwards.

When we reached near Boxanagar, firing was going on. We were starving for two days and thought that we would be caught in the crossfire and would not live anymore. However, we crossed the border and finally reported to the officer-in-charge of the Boxanagar police station, who provided us boiled rice, dal and brinjal fry. I am trying to recollect his name to pay my respects, she said.

Sub-divisional officer of Sonamura, Himangshu Roy Chowdury, arranged their stay at Sonamura and next morning offered them breakfast. Rimi had a nostalgic reunion with Roy Chowdhury on Friday, who was awarded the Padmashree by the Indian government for his contribution to the war effort and towards refugee rehabilitation.

During the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, Tripura had sheltered refugees from the other side of the border surpassing its own population.

The state was also the war headquarters of the liberation forces, from where they launched guerrilla attacks on the Pakistani army in different parts of the then East Pakistan.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina while visiting the convocation programme of the Tripura University in January 2012, had said Tripura was in those days flooded with refugees, who were more than its own population. It was indeed a unique situation. Nevertheless, through the nine months of our liberation war, the people of Tripura and India stood by our side and helped selflessly the forsaken millions, giving them food, shelter and other basic necessities.
International

Macron, Scholz meet in Paris, vow to enhance ties

French President Emmanuel Macron with the new German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Paris.

Paris, Dec 11 (IANS) | Publish Date: 12/11/2021 1:55:50 PM IST

French President Emmanuel Macron met the new visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz here in a bid to strengthen relations between the two leading European nations.

This was Scholzs first foreign visit since taking the reins from his predecessor Angela Merkel on Wednesday.

In a press conference following the meeting on Friday, Macron said that during initial exchanges, there was a solid convergence of views and a desire to make our two countries work together, reports Xinhua news agency.

The leaders discussed the future of the European Union (EU) with regards to immigration, new energies, border protection and relations with other states.

France on Thursday presented its agenda for the upcoming French presidency of the Council of the EU.

It plans to review the EUs budget policy and deficit rules, in order to promote post-Covid-19 economic recovery.

The German Chancellor said that it is a question of maintaining this growth, which was engendered by the stimulus pact.

At the same time, we must work on the solidity of our finances, said Scholz.

The Chancellors coalition of his Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Greens unlike the previous German government, has indicated it could agree to a reform.

After Paris, Scholz arrived in Brussels later on Friday, where he met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
Sports

Top doubles player Herbert pulls out of Australian Open over vaccine stance

Pierre-Hugues Herbert

Melbourne, Dec 11 (IANS) | Publish Date: 12/11/2021 2:02:10 PM IST

Former Australian Open doubles champion and winner of five mens doubles titles at majors, Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert, has revealed that he will not compete in the opening Grand Slam of 2022 as he is not vaccinated. The Australian Open begins on January 17. The Australian Open director Craig Tiley had recently stated that only fully-vaccinated players will be allowed to compete in the tournament, adding that no exceptions will be made.

The 30-year-old Herbert, who won the Australian Open mens doubles title in 2019 partnering Nicolas Mahut, is ranked No. 8 on the ATP, while his singles ranking is 110.

Personally, I am not vaccinated and the trip to Australia was not an option for me, Herbert was quoted as saying by French outlet LAlsace and reported by 7news.com.au on Saturday.

I do what I can. But because of my singles ranking, it may have been a bad thing (to go to Australia) for a good start, said Herbert, who dropped out of the top-100 in singles ranking recently.

Yes, for my part, it is a personal choice not to be vaccinated. I dont know how long it will last, I dont know if its feasible today to be a tennis player without being vaccinated.

There is not only Australia. Today, there are the United States, Austria... it is a rather complex topic, added Herbert.

The Frenchmen was in contention for clinching the doubles title in Melbourne Park as he has won at Roland Garros this year, which took his grand slam titles to five.

Herberts partner Mahut too is reportedly unsure about his Australian Open participation as he has received only one shot of the Covid-19 vaccine.

I am vaccinated. I had been positive, so I had only one jab three months after I was positive, Mahut had said last month. And today its not enough to go there (to Australia). We need the two jabs. One jab after being positive does not allow you to go there. I need to have a blood test to show if I have enough antibodies. If the rate is high enough it wouldnt be prudent to have a second jab.

World No.1 and winner of 20 majors, Serbias Novak Djokovic, too has not yet committed to the tournament and repeatedly declined to reveal his vaccination status.
International

Ukraine leader hopes for talks with Russia amid tensions

Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Kyiv (Ukraine), Dec 11 (AP) | Publish Date: 12/11/2021 1:59:14 PM IST

Ukraines president said Friday that more opportunities for talks with Russia may arise thanks to the US diplomatic effort to help de-escalate tensions after Moscow massed troops near Ukraines border, stoking fears of a possible invasion.

US President Joe Biden spoke with both Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin this week, as the United States moved to take a more direct role in diplomacy between Kyiv and Moscow.

The US president proposed joining the Europeans in negotiations not just to settle the conflict in eastern Ukraine but to address Putins larger strategic objections to NATO expanding its membership eastwards.

In an interview aired Friday by the Ukrainian TV channel 1+1, Zelenskyy said that thanks to the US, one more platform for talks with Russia may appear, in addition to the so-called Normandy format that involves France and Germany.

The two European countries in 2015 brokered a peace agreement that helped end large-scale hostilities in Ukraines east, where Ukrainian forces have been fighting with Russia-backed separatists since 2014.

But efforts to reach a political settlement of the conflict that has since killed more than 14,000 people have failed, and sporadic skirmishes have continued along the tense line of contact.

Zelenskyy said Friday that with the support of the US and Ukraines European allies, he doesnt rule out direct talks between him and Putin -- something he has proposed to the Russian leader several times to no avail.

I see the support for this path from both our European partners and the US, Zelenskyy said.

Tensions between Moscow, Kyiv and its Western allies have worsened in recent weeks over the invasion fears.

Russian officials have repeatedly denied plans to attack Ukraine, and in turn, blamed Kyiv for its own allegedly aggressive designs. Putin has urged the West to provide guarantees that would preclude NATO from expanding to Ukraine or deploying troops and weapons there.

Zelenskyy said Friday that the message he got from Biden during Thursdays call was the Russia assured the US and the whole world that it doesnt intend to continue the escalation against the territory of our independent state.
| | | | | Chapter 2: A Visit from her Ladyship Westminster Lodgings 1599 Scene 1: John tries to balance the books Jane is rocking a baby in a cradle at her feet. Margaret, the maid-servant, clears the remnants of a meal. John grumpily lifts a ledger he is studying from the table. These were trying times for my husband and the debtors prison was never far from our thoughts. John had spent a deal of money serving the realm in Ireland but Lord Essex was now charged with treason and John's main hope of gaining preferment at court seemed blocked. John is working intently, struggling to balance figures. The results are not to his liking. He swigs from a goblet of wine - not his first drink of the day - then he pushes the book angrily away. Scene 2: John Damns Essex Jane: "John!" John: "Damn Tyrone - damn Essex and all them that support him." Jane: "..the servants" John doesn't care who hears. "I'm done with him. Years of loyal service to her majesty and I'm poorer now than when I started" "Don't lose your humour John - I'll speak to Lady Essex and plead her to be helpful" "Helpful! Lady Essex! - Then ask her where the dowry is she promised for our wedding. There's a cold day in hell when she opens her purse!" Scene 3: The casket And there the casket stayed for three months in my house until her ladyship requested its return.

Scene 4: The casket is returned to Lord and Lady Essex Jane's servant, Margaret, hands over the casket to The Secretary in the presence of Lord and Lady Essex, who seem pleased at its return, but not at what it contains. Scene 5: A visit from Lady Essex The very next day we were graced by a visit from her Ladyship - at dawn. Jane - in her nightclothes - greets Lady Essex as she sweeps into the room. Her ladyship is struggling to compose herself. "My Lady. What an honour - if you'd sent word -" "Jane - the casket has been opened and some letters taken." "Letters? Oh, my Lady! You cannot think..." "Go. Call your husband." "John - John!" Scene 6: Heated Discussion John and Lady Essex are in the midst of a heated discussion. Jane anxiously waits outside the room. The door is ajar and she peers through, catching fragments of the ensuing argument. "And you know naught of this?" "No your Ladyship. Perchance one of the servants -" "Very well then, make enquiry." "You have my word." "Today - Daniell - if you please." Lady Essex sweeps past Jane with a curt goodbye. Scene 7: Jane is anxious "John -These letters cannot simply - vanish. Who could have taken them?" "I'll wake the servants." Jane is left anxious and perplexed by the turn of events.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-12-12 00:48:56|Editor: huaxia

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A woman casts her vote at an election center in the West Bank city of Hebron, Dec. 11, 2021. Local elections began Saturday morning in the West Bank only and not in Gaza Strip, to choose their local representatives for village or city councils. (Photo by Mamoun Wazwaz/Xinhua)

RAMALLAH/GAZA, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinians on Saturday held the municipal elections in the West Bank despite the opposition of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), which has been ruling the Gaza Strip since 2007.

The local vote came after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas cancelled the parliamentary and presidential elections in the Palestinian territories earlier this year.

Hana Nasser, chairman of the Palestinian Central Elections Commission (PCEC), told a news briefing that more than 405,000 Palestinians have the right to cast ballots for representatives in 154 village councils in the West Bank.

The polling stations were opened to voters in the 154 West Bank villages on Saturday morning, and closed at 7 p.m. local time (1700 GMT). Municipal votes in the major West Bank cities had been postponed.

Nasser called on the Palestinians, who have the right to vote, to participate in the municipal elections, saying all necessary arrangements had been made to facilitate the arrival of the voters to the polling stations.

"Around 1,600 local and international observers were watching the polling and will do the counting right after the ballots are closed in the evening," Nasser told reporters. "The results of the votes counting will be immediately declared."

In September, the Palestinian government of Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye decided to divide the municipal elections into two phases, with the first on Dec. 11 and the second in March 2022.

The first phase of the municipal vote was held in the West Bank only, excluding the Hamas-ruled Gaza. The elections won't be held in East Jerusalem either because of Israel's rejection.

Hamas and the less-influential Palestinian Islamic Jihad said in two separate statements that they reject the exclusion of the Gaza Strip from the Palestinian municipal elections.

The two Islamic groups called on President Abbas to abide by the previous understandings to hold the general elections in all the Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem. Enditem

A man casts his vote at an election center in the West Bank city of Nablus, Dec. 11, 2021. Local elections began Saturday morning in the West Bank only and not in Gaza Strip, to choose their local representatives for village or city councils. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-12-12 09:43:02|Editor: huaxia

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A medical worker takes a swab sample from a resident for nucleic acid test at a sampling site in Xiangfang District of Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 6, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhang Tao)

BEIJING, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland on Saturday reported 49 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, the National Health Commission said in its daily report on Sunday.

Of the new local cases, 38 were reported in Zhejiang, 10 in Inner Mongolia, and one in Heilongjiang, the commission said.

Also reported were 26 new imported cases in nine provincial-level regions, according to the commission.

One new suspected case arriving from outside the mainland was reported in Shanghai and no new deaths from COVID-19 were reported on Sunday, it added. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-12-12 13:54:30|Editor: huaxia

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A ship loaded with cargoes leaves a container terminal in Lianyungang, east China's Jiangsu Province, July 13, 2021. (Photo by Wang Jianmin/Xinhua)

BEIJING, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- China's container shipping sector registered steadfast growth this year amid headwinds from the COVID-19 pandemic and container shortages, indicating the country's robust foreign trade and economic resilience.

Cargo throughput at China's ports totaled 12.87 billion tonnes in the first 10 months, up 7.8 percent year on year. During the period, container throughput reached 235 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), expanding by 8.4 percent from a year earlier.

As domestic ports have been bustling with containers, China's foreign trade in the first 11 months surged 22 percent year on year to 35.39 trillion yuan (about 5.56 trillion U.S. dollars), customs data showed.

The figure, already surpassing the 32.16-trillion-yuan total for all of 2020, marked a 24 percent increase from the pre-pandemic level in 2019.

Effective epidemic prevention and control measures adopted by the Chinese government contributed significantly to stabilizing industrial chains, boosting the overseas shipping orders of Chinese companies.

Praising the successful implementation of China's epidemic-prevention strategy, chairman of China's state-owned shipping giant China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited (COSCO Shipping) Wan Min said the company handled around 22.45 million TEUs of containers in the first 10 months, representing year-on-year growth of 5.7 percent.

"China's potent epidemic-containment efforts and fast resumption of work and production accelerated the growth of demand for cargo transportation, and brought about hope for global shipping companies," said Liu Wen, assistant general manager of the Shanghai branch of Singapore-based Pacific International Lines (PTE) Ltd.

Most of the company's vessels were dispatched to operate in the Chinese market, Liu added.

When the container shortage hampered China's container shipping industry, government organs and businesses adopted multiple measures to boost supply and ensure the smooth flow of goods.

Under coordinated government actions led by the Ministry of Transport, shipping giant COSCO Shipping transported 13,469 empty containers back to domestic ports in March, quenching the country's container thirst.

The supply of new containers has also been boosted by container manufacturers accelerating production. In September, the monthly container production capacity in China surged from 200,000 TEUs to a record high of 500,000 TEUs, official data showed.

The constant introduction of favorable policies also propelled China's foreign trade growth. The business environment has been optimized with a slew of reform measures including facilitating cross-border trade and promoting trade and investment in pilot free trade zones.

This has not only boosted the confidence of market players, but also helped to further strengthen China's opening up, said Bai Ming, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the Ministry of Commerce.

In the country's southern island province Hainan, an international maritime transport and trade hub is taking shape in Yangpu Port, with favorable measures targeted at investment, administrative approvals and financial support for small and micro-sized firms attracting more and more foreign trade companies to the area.

"The favorable policies in the Hainan free trade port, especially the value-added processing policy first implemented in the Yangpu free trade port area, have given us incredible business opportunities," said Zhang Hui, general manager of an international food company. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-12-12 18:16:34|Editor: huaxia

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An ambulance runs past a hospital in Kommunarka outside Moscow, Russia, on Dec. 12, 2021. Russia registered 29,929 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, taking its total caseload to 10,016,896, the official monitoring and response center said in a statement Sunday. (Photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr/Xinhua)

MOSCOW, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Russia registered 29,929 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, taking its total caseload to 10,016,896, the official monitoring and response center said in a statement Sunday.

The nationwide death toll grew by 1,132 to 289,483, while the number of recoveries increased by 31,391 to 8,741,355.

Meanwhile, Moscow, Russia's worst-hit region, reported 2,862 new cases, taking its total to 1,984,378. The Russian capital was followed by Saint Petersburg with 2,012 new cases.

Over 74 million Russian citizens had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of Friday and more than 67 million had been fully vaccinated.

The level of herd immunity in the country stood at 55.7 percent, data released on Friday showed. Enditem

A medical worker wearing protective gear moves an ambulance trolley at a hospital in Kommunarka outside Moscow, Russia, on Dec. 12, 2021. Russia registered 29,929 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, taking its total caseload to 10,016,896, the official monitoring and response center said in a statement Sunday. (Photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr/Xinhua)

An ambulance is seen at a hospital in Kommunarka outside Moscow, Russia, on Dec. 12, 2021. Russia registered 29,929 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, taking its total caseload to 10,016,896, the official monitoring and response center said in a statement Sunday. (Photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr/Xinhua)

An ambulance is seen at a hospital in Kommunarka outside Moscow, Russia, on Dec. 12, 2021. Russia registered 29,929 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, taking its total caseload to 10,016,896, the official monitoring and response center said in a statement Sunday. (Photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr/Xinhua)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-12-12 18:35:07|Editor: huaxia

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This is the portrait of Thubten Gyaltsen taken on May 11, 2021. Thubten Gyaltsen, 81, led a miserable life before the democratic reform in Tibet in 1959. His parents passed away because of heavy workload as serfs in his childhood. To make a living, Thubten started working for the rich at the age 13. "Being in rags and starvation was the most profound memory of my adolescence," he recalled. Thubten embraced a brand new life in 1959 when democratic reform was launched and feudal serfdom was finally abolished in Tibet. "The Communist Party of China has liberated us and we have finally stood up." said Thubten, a Party member who has served the people for three decades. Living with his family in a spacious house, Thubten is now enjoying a happy life. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)

Thubten Gyaltsen (R) talks with his family in Xigaze, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region on May 11, 2021. Thubten Gyaltsen, 81, led a miserable life before the democratic reform in Tibet in 1959. His parents passed away because of heavy workload as serfs in his childhood. To make a living, Thubten started working for the rich at the age 13. "Being in rags and starvation was the most profound memory of my adolescence," he recalled. Thubten embraced a brand new life in 1959 when democratic reform was launched and feudal serfdom was finally abolished in Tibet. "The Communist Party of China has liberated us and we have finally stood up." said Thubten, a Party member who has served the people for three decades. Living with his family in a spacious house, Thubten is now enjoying a happy life. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-12-12 19:33:24|Editor: huaxia

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Iraqi protesters take part in a demonstration against the presence of U.S. troops in the country, in Baghdad, capital of Iraq, Jan. 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)

BAGHDAD, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi said on Saturday that the withdrawal of U.S.-led coalition combat forces from Iraq confirms the ability of the Iraqi forces to maintain security and stability in the country.

"In a few days, we will witness the withdrawal of all combat forces of the international coalition from Iraq according to the strategic agreement with the American side," al-Kadhimi said in his televised speech during a ceremony on the occasion of the centenary of the founding of the modern Iraqi state in 1921.

"Their (remaining forces) role will be in the advisory areas, indicating the ability of the Iraqi forces to preserve the security of Iraq, the stability of its people," al-Kadhimi added.

In the midst of the political debate about the results of Iraq's early parliamentary elections, "everyone must be reassured. We will not allow any impact on your security and stability," the Iraqi prime minister noted.

"The path of building the Iraqi state may be difficult and painful, but it is the only path that our children and grandchildren can take," al-Kadhimi said.

On Dec. 9, Iraqi National Security Adviser Qasim al-Araji announced the end of the combat mission in Iraq and the withdrawal of the U.S.-led coalition forces from the country.

On Nov. 24, Tahseen al-Khafaji, spokesman of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, said the foreign combat forces would leave Iraq within 15 days, except for some advisers who will stay to support the Iraqi forces.

On Jan. 5, 2020, the Iraqi parliament passed a resolution requiring the government to end the presence of foreign forces in the country.

In July this year, the United States and Iraq held a session of strategic dialogue, during which the two countries agreed on withdrawing all U.S. combat troops from Iraq by Dec. 31. 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-12-12 20:01:10|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)

SINGAPORE, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- China has achieved very meaningful economic outcomes since joining the World Trade Organization (WTO), which are beneficial not only to the country, but also to the rest of the world, Cai Daolu, a visiting senior fellow at the Business School of the National University of Singapore.

Joining WTO has facilitated China in becoming both a big exporter and a big importer, the scholar said.

Noting that China is a big source of overseas investment, Cai said the country's outbound investment could translate into more employment and help stabilize the region, which is beneficial to everyone.

"The world needs a prosperous China, and China would be better with a prosperous world," said Cai.

Besides, talking about supply chain problems in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cai stressed it is crucial to have an open trade system where goods can flow smoothly from one country to another.

When the entire supply chain is interconnected and intertwined, he said, people can produce goods at a cheaper cost.

With the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership coming into force soon and with China's recent application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, it's extremely valuable that China is sending a strong signal to the rest of the world to reassure its belief in trade and investment at a time when protectionism is on the rise, he said.

With its commitment to trade and investment, and with its remarkable success in eliminating poverty, "I am confident that China would be a tremendous player in the economy in the world in the future," Cai added. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-12-13 01:20:29|Editor: huaxia

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Video: Death toll may rise to 100 after at least 30 tornadoes swept through six states Friday evening in the central parts of the United States, including Arkansas, Mississippi, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri. (Xinhua)



"Last night was one of the most shocking weather events in my 40 years as a meteorologist -- a violent tornado (in December!) drawing comparisons to the deadliest and longest-tracking tornado in U.S. history," tweets Jeff Masters.



NEW YORK, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Search and rescue teams in western Kentucky and nearby states were combing through rubble for survivors on Sunday after a series of tornadoes ripped through the region, killing at least dozens, while the number of deaths in Kentucky alone could exceed 100, The Wall Street Journal quoted state officials as saying.

The tornadoes tore through states including Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee, said Bill Bunting, the operations chief at the Storm Prediction Center. The New York Times (NYT) quoted officials as warning that the toll, now 80 in Kentucky alone, was almost certain to rise as the sifting continued on Sunday.

The tornadoes were part of a weather system that was wreaking havoc in many parts of the United States, causing substantial snowfall across parts of the upper Midwest and western Great Lakes. State officials were still assessing the extent of the damage. Power outage has affected at least 77,000 customers in Kentucky and 53,000 in Tennessee.

The National Weather Service has issued several tornado watches and warnings overnight for parts of the Midwest, including Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois and Missouri. In a statement, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas advised residents to stay on alert, as severe weather remains a threat in the southeast United States.

Photo taken on Dec. 11, 2021 shows houses damaged in tornadoes in Mayfield, Kentucky, the United States. (Photo by Caromirna Sanchez/Xinhua)

MOST DEVASTATING

Friday evening, more than 30 separate tornadoes moved with devastating power and speed across six U.S. states stretching from Mississippi in the south to Illinois in the north, killing over 80 people so far, including workers in a candle factory in a flattened Kentucky town, lakeside vacationers in Tennessee and a nursing home resident in Arkansas, reported The Washington Post on Sunday.

Desperate search and rescue operations are unfolding during the weekend. "This has been the most devastating tornado event in our state's history ... the level of devastation is unlike anything I've ever seen," Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear told reporters on Saturday at a late-morning news conference, calling the scale of damage "indescribable."

"Last night was one of the most shocking weather events in my 40 years as a meteorologist -- a violent tornado (in December!) drawing comparisons to the deadliest and longest-tracking tornado in U.S. history," tweeted Jeff Masters, a U.S. meteorologist and expert on extreme weather. The longest paths in the disaster on record topped 200 miles.

Calling the tornado "an unimaginable tragedy," U.S. President Joe Biden has declared a federal emergency for Kentucky, freeing up the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance and federally subsidized aid. He said on Saturday that "the federal government will do everything, everything it can possibly do to help."

A man walks past a heap of rubble after tornadoes in Mayfield, Kentucky, the United States, on Dec. 11, 2021. (Photo by Caromirna Sanchez/Xinhua)

TORNADO ALLEY

Tornadoes are relatively localized, short-lived weather events. "In recent years tornadoes seem to be occurring in greater 'clusters,' and that a so-called tornado alley in the Great Plains -- where most tornadoes occur -- appears to be shifting eastward," reported NYT on Sunday.

"This is what we would call a tornado outbreak, where you have a storm system which produces a number of tornadoes over a large geographical area," Dan Pydynowski, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather, was quoted as saying. However, such a large and powerful system in December is highly unusual, and something the region usually experiences in May or April.

"It's certainly not unheard-of," Pydynowski said, "but to have an outbreak of this magnitude, with this many tornado reports -- it's a little unusual for this time of year." Temperatures in Arkansas and Kansas on Friday were "spring weather," and "it was unusually warm, and there was moisture in place," he said.

Even though scientists are observing more clusters, "it is unclear the role that climate change plays," said the report. "For a lot of our questions about climate change and tornadoes, the answer is we don't know," Harold Brooks, a senior research scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Severe Storms Laboratory, was quoted as saying. 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-12-12 20:58:14|Editor: huaxia

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LAGOS, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian government on Sunday announced its intention to ban arrivals from Canada, Britain, Argentina and Saudi Arabia from Tuesday, following the four countries added Nigeria on their red list and banned foreign travels from the country after detection of a new coronavirus variant.

The decision was to reciprocate restricted flights from Nigeria into those countries over the new COVID-19 variant Omicron, said Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika at a news conference in Lagos, Nigeria's economic hub.

Sirika said if those countries placed Nigeria on a red list, they lacked the moral right to have their airlines fly into Nigeria on commercial operations.

"I participated in a meeting with the COVID-19 task force, and we gave our input that it is not acceptable to us and we recommended that Canada, the UK, Saudi Arabia and Argentina be put on the "red list," he said.

"As they did to us, if they do not allow our citizens into their countries...They are not supposed to come in. I am very sure in the next three days, on Monday or Tuesday, all those countries will be put on the red list of COVID-19," said the minister.

Sirika apologized to Nigerians, intending to travel to those countries, but said the Nigerian government's decision was in the interest of the country.

Nigerian authorities have confirmed six imported cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the country since the country reported first Omicron cases On December 1. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-12-12 10:00:31|Editor: huaxia

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DHAKA, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The American-style democracy can't be considered as a "beacon of democracy" for the world, a Bangladeshi political veteran has recently said.

The American-style democracy did not meet the local conditions to sustain in other countries, said Dilip Barua, general secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist-Leninist), during an interview with Xinhua.

Commenting on the so-called "Summit for Democracy" led by the United States, Barua pointed out that U.S. military operations in many countries have led to the deaths of thousands of people and displaced tens of millions of others in the past decades.

"At least this America has no right to hold a summit on democracy," he said, noting that the United States should better look into its own democracy which is not functioning properly.

"What we expect from U.S. is that it leaves other countries alone and let them decide for their own," said the party leader, adding that the "U.S. should no more sell its democratic ideas to other countries." Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-12-12 12:03:21|Editor: huaxia

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DHAKA, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Bangladeshi Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen slammed the U.S. sanctions on officials of the country's Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) over alleged rights abuse, saying the move was "very unfortunate" and "not fact-based."

"I would expect from (the) USA more solid fact-based response," Momen said on Saturday, ensuring that Dhaka would review if it was an outcome of any "geopolitics," according to the national news agency BSS.

He made the remarks after the Foreign Ministry summoned the U.S. envoy in Dhaka, Earl R. Miller, to convey Bangladesh's "discontent" over the development.

Replying to a question of whether the development could strain Bangladesh-U.S. relations, the foreign minister said, "I don't think so," but quickly added that "it depends on the United States."

Momen said the allegations of gross rights violations by the anti-crime elite police unit were not "based on facts" and RAB was a disciplined institution that instead "has been securing human rights for the people of Bangladesh."

On Friday, the U.S. Departments of Treasury and the Department of State imposed human rights-related sanctions on RAB and seven incumbent and former top officials of the elite force, including incumbent Bangladeshi Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed. He previously commanded the elite force as its director-general.

The foreign minister said the U.S. claimed that RAB killed 600 people in 10 years, but "we have no information who were killed," saying the U.S. decision should have been backed by facts. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-12-12 12:45:17|Editor: huaxia

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PHNOM PENH, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The so-called "Summit for Democracy" served as a platform for the United States to strengthen small circles, Cambodian experts have recently said.

Such an event reflected a Cold War mentality, according to Phay Siphan, chief spokesman for the Cambodian government, adding that democracy has different forms, and that there is no one-size-fits-all model.

The United States, he suggested, should not try to apply its democracy style to other countries.

Joseph Matthews, a senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, said that the United States always interferes in the internal affairs of other countries under the banner of democracy.

"The U.S. violates the sovereignty of other countries, and breaks the basic principles of international law and the basic norms of international relations," he said. "This superpower always instigates contradictions and ideological opposition and creates new divisions."

Matthews said the United States hosted the so-called summit only to divert the attention of the public away from its domestic issues.

Democracy, the scholar explained, is a system by the people and for the people's rights, socio-economic development, education, healthcare, infrastructure development and employment opportunities to all without discrimination.

"In Western countries, especially the U.S., the false beliefs and notions of democracy is a system where people go and vote after every four years, and that's it," he said. "Democracy is a system where people's needs and wants are being cared for and provided by the government."

Sharing his view on China's democracy, Matthews said the Chinese model of democracy is firmly and primarily engrained into the grassroots level of leadership.

Kin Phea, director-general of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said that the special characteristics of Chinese democracy is that it attach great importance to the roles, the rights and the needs of the people.

The Chinese democratic system "greatly contributes to the development of China because it meets the country's realities, follows the trend of the times, and brings about economic development, social stability and progress, and better lives for the people," Phea added. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-12-12 16:57:03|Editor: huaxia

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DHAKA, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Organizers of Bangladesh's National Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Fair held since Dec. 5 in capital Dhaka hope the participants would tap the potential of overseas markets, especially China.

Md Mofizur Rahman, managing director of the SME Foundation in Bangladesh, noted that China is opening up even wider and sharing development opportunities with the rest of the world.

"Our SME entrepreneurs have a huge potential all over the world including China," he said.

Shamim Ara Dipa, a female entrepreneur and owner of Rahela Jute Craft, said, "Even during this COVID-19 pandemic, my products could be sold to Chinese customers."

Dipa added that she uses Chinese accessories to make her products beautiful and unique. "We've to collect these accessories from China."

She said she went to the Canton Fair in southern China since 2019 as part of her efforts to fetch orders from China, which has granted duty-free access to 97 percent of the Bangladeshi products beginning July 1, 2020.

The arrangement makes things different to Bangladeshi exporters and businesses, according to her.

However, maybe in the future, Dipa would not have to go abroad to get the overseas orders.

The SME fair organizers in Bangladesh have an ambition to expand the fair. Rahman said, "Our goal is to transform this fair into an international SME products fair so that foreign buyers can participate in this fair," adding related work is underway to facilitate the attendance of foreign SME entrepreneurs.

In inaugurating the fair, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged to promote entrepreneurship in the South Asian country as it can help create jobs and make the nation rich.

In particular, the prime minister said her government is attaching an importance to agriculture and food-processing industries over the increasing market demands worldwide.

Rahman also said this year the SME fair was arranged in a slightly different way compared to those in the previous years.

It paid a special attention to such vulnerable groups as the disabled people, who can participate for free, setting up small stalls and selling products, he said.

"We've allotted 311 stalls in this fair, and there are 325 people as entrepreneurs. What we need now is to increase their capacity. Transferring technology to them and producing good quality artisans are very important," he said. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-12-12 21:24:17|Editor: huaxia

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TOKYO, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- "Three or four thousand Chinese, with their arms tied behind them, were driven in groups of four in four columns, to the coal port north of Nanjing, where they were shot with two heavy machine guns," reads the diary of Kenrou Kajitani, a sergeant at the Second Anchorage headquarters of the Japanese military on December 17, 1937.

December 13 marks the 84th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre and the eighth National Memorial Day for Nanjing Massacre Victims.

Lin Boyao, an overseas Chinese in Japan, gave a lecture on the history of the Massacre at the YMCA Asian Youth Center in Tokyo, on Saturday. Nearly 100 Japanese people attended the gathering, organized by the No More Nanjing movement.

Apart from Kajitani's diary, Lin also presented the personal diaries of senior military commanders Kesago Nakajima and Toichi Sasaki.

"We broke through the enemy's position before dawn and fired 15,000 rounds at those who gathered on the river bank and the remaining soldiers," Sasaki wrote.

The number of people taken to the riverbank and the location of the shooting correspond with Kajitani's diary. The lecture featured videos of Chen Degui and Pan Kaiming, two survivors of the massacre who described the same scene.

Hiroshi Tanaka, representative of No More Nanjing, told reporters that the association was founded in the hope that the Japanese people, already familiar with "No More Hiroshima", should also remember the Nanjing Massacre. "Only by facing the facts can we truly move on from the tragedy and think about the future," he said.

Despite the evidence, some Japanese politicians still deny the facts. In his speech, Nobuo Kono, a retired history teacher at a Tokyo public high school, criticized the Japanese government's manipulation of textbooks and curricula to obscure Japan's role in the War of Aggression Against China.

For example, some Japanese politicians called the Nanjing Massacre the "Nanjing Incident", called the War of Aggression against China the "Japan-China War", denied the number of victims of the Nanjing Massacre, and constantly blurred the historical truth with unclear statements.

"Each time the government revises small details," Kono said. "Eventually, the truth is completely destroyed." Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-12-12 21:40:59|Editor: huaxia

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by Nurul Fitri Ramadhani

JAKARTA, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The eruption of Mount Semeru in East Java province has raised concerns over the status of other active volcanos across Indonesia, home to more than 270 million people.

Over the week after Mt. Semeru's eruption, three volcanos have been on the level three alert status, the second highest, according to a volcano activity report from Indonesia's Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG).

The three volcanos are Mt. Merapi, one of the world's most active volcanos located on the border between the provinces of Central Java and Yogyakarta, Mt. Sinabung in North Sumatra province, and Mt. Lewotolok in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

Meanwhile, Mt. Semeru, the highest volcano on Java island, remains on the level two caution status.

Mt. Merapi spewed hot clouds on Sunday within the radius of 2,000 meters, according to the Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG).

"Hot ash clouds were recorded on Dec. 12 at 10:18 a.m. It also spewed lava three times," the BPPTKG's head Hanik Humaida said in a press release on Sunday.

The BPPTKG has warned local residents not to carry out any activities in the potential hazardous area, because if the volcano erupts, the spread of volcanic materials can reach the radius of three km.

No tourism activities are allowed within the radius of five km from the peak of the mount, and all mining operations should be stopped.

The volcano agency has observed thick and high intensity of fog at Mt. Sinabung.

Local residents and tourists have been warned not to conduct any activities within the radius of three km from the mountain's peak.

Due to heightened activities of the volcano, the PVMBG has suggested that people wear masks outdoor to avoid volcanic ash. Residents living near the rivers surrounding the mountain were told to remain cautious over potential of lava.

Mt. Sinabung, with an altitude of 2,460 meters above the sea level, erupted in August 2010, the first time in hundreds of years. The latest deadly eruption of Sinabung was in 2018, and no fatal explosion of the volcano was recorded since then.

As of Sunday, the peak of Mt. Lewotolok has been covered by smog and its crater has become white with thick and high smokes.

The PVMBG has recorded volcanic earthquakes and light burst of volcanic materials. No activity within the radius of three km is allowed due to the potential of hot clouds.

Citing the danger of the volcanic ash, the agency has warned that local residents wear masks and use other protection means to cover eyes and skins.

Newest data from the PVMBG showed that Indonesia currently has a total of 127 active volcanos, the highest number in the world, with more than 20 of which being considered to be the most active.

The latest massive eruption occurred at Mt. Semeru on Dec. 4.

As of Dec. 12, the death toll has reached 46, while nine people remain missing and hundreds of families have been forced to move to shelters, according to data from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).

Besides Mt. Semeru, there are 10 other volcanos in the archipelago that have been on the status of level two. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-12-12 17:40:08|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken with a drone shows Italian firefighters and rescuers working at a methane gas explosion site in the Sicilian town of Ravanusa, Italy, Dec. 11, 2021. Three people were killed and six others remain missing after a residential building collapsed in a methane gas explosion in Italy's Sicilian town of Ravanusa, the National Fire Corps tweeted on Sunday. (National Fire Corps/Handout via Xinhua)

ROME, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Three people were killed and six others remain missing after a residential building collapsed in a methane gas explosion in Italy's Sicilian town of Ravanusa, the National Fire Corps tweeted on Sunday.

Two people have been so far pulled from the rubble alive, the Fire Corps said, while 50 families have been evacuated from surrounding buildings, according to RAI News 24 public broadcaster.

The explosion that occured on Saturday night has destroyed three buildings, the ANSA news agency reported.

Agrigento Fire Brigade Commander Giuseppe Merendino told ANSA the gas had accumulated either underground or in a closed environment.

"The leak could have been caused by landslides or adverse weather," he added. Enditem

Photo taken with a drone shows Italian firefighters working at a methane gas explosion site in the Sicilian town of Ravanusa, Italy, Dec. 11, 2021. Three people were killed and six others remain missing after a residential building collapsed in a methane gas explosion in Italy's Sicilian town of Ravanusa, the National Fire Corps tweeted on Sunday. (National Fire Corps/Handout via Xinhua)

Photo taken with a drone shows Italian firefighters and rescuers working at a methane gas explosion site in the Sicilian town of Ravanusa, Italy, Dec. 11, 2021. Three people were killed and six others remain missing after a residential building collapsed in a methane gas explosion in Italy's Sicilian town of Ravanusa, the National Fire Corps tweeted on Sunday. (National Fire Corps/Handout via Xinhua)

Italian firefighters and rescuers work at a methane gas explosion site in the Sicilian town of Ravanusa, Italy, Dec. 11, 2021. Three people were killed and six others remain missing after a residential building collapsed in a methane gas explosion in Italy's Sicilian town of Ravanusa, the National Fire Corps tweeted on Sunday. (National Fire Corps/Handout via Xinhua)

An Italian firefighter works at a methane gas explosion site in the Sicilian town of Ravanusa, Italy, Dec. 11, 2021. Three people were killed and six others remain missing after a residential building collapsed in a methane gas explosion in Italy's Sicilian town of Ravanusa, the National Fire Corps tweeted on Sunday. (National Fire Corps/Handout via Xinhua)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-12-12 18:35:38|Editor: huaxia

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ZAGREB, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The United States has a series of major problems with democratic standards, Croatian political scientist Davor Gjenero has said in a written interview with Xinhua.

For a long time, the United States considers it has a monopoly on democracy, and it is supreme to decide whether a country is democratic or not. However, it all comes down to the interests of American politics regardless of whether Republicans or Democrats are in power, Gjenero noted.

Today, the United States is losing its long-term vision of the development of democratic societies, and few people believe that the United States is at the forefront of democratic change that provides its citizens with more freedom and equality, Gjenero said.

Moreover, the United States also has problem with the model of "exporting democracy," Gjenero said, adding that it has been proved to be tragic in Afghanistan, and the consequences will be felt by the Afghan people for years to come.

Today, the U.S. arms industry certainly has an interest in exporting democracy by tanks and weapons, but it will no longer be a model that everyone in the world will accept, Gjenero said.

Meanwhile, compared with the U.S. model of democracy, the Chinese model is simply great. "The country has a vision ... It is simply a professional model of the modern world," Gjenero stressed.

The United States just does not want to admit that other countries are making incredible efforts in the development of democracy and have great results in this regard, Gjenero concluded. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-12-13 02:24:10|Editor: huaxia

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PARIS, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron hailed on Sunday the outcome of the third independence referendum of New Caledonia, a French overseas territory east of Australia in the South Pacific.

In a press release, Macron said that 96.49 percent of the Caledonians have voted against independence from France.

"Caledonians have chosen to remain French. They decided it freely. For the entire nation, this choice is a source of pride and recognition. Tonight, France is more beautiful because New Caledonia has decided to stay," Macron said.

Under the Noumea Accord (named after New Caledonia's capital) signed in 1998, the French overseas territory was granted the right to three referendums on its future political status.

The first referendum was held in 2018, with 56.7 percent of the voters against independence, and the second in 2020 showed a 53.3 percent of population against independence. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-12-12 10:22:56|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on Dec. 11, 2021 shows a heap of rubble after tornadoes in Mayfield, Kentucky, the United States. Death toll may rise to 100 after at least 30 tornadoes swept through six states overnight in the central parts of the United States, including Arkansas, Mississippi, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri. (Photo by Caromirna Sanchez/Xinhua)

CHICAGO, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- At least 84 people are likely to have died after dozens of tornadoes swept through several U.S. states overnight, officials said.

Tornadoes hit and destroyed a candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky, when there were about 110 people inside, Governor Andy Beshear told reporters on Saturday.

"I'm pretty sure that number is north of 70 ... it may, in fact exceed 100 before the day is done," Beshear said when estimating the death toll, while describing the disaster as "the most severe tornado event in Kentucky's history."

Photos from Mayfield show roads are lined with ruined walls, with trees toppled and electric poles cut by half with wires lying on ground.

At least six people died at an Amazon warehouse building in Illinois after it was hit by a tornado on Friday night, according to Governor J.B. Pritzker.

Arkansas, Missouri, and Tennessee have also reported tornado-related deaths, which totaled at least eight.

According to PowerOutage.US, at least 331,549 utility customers in four states affected have been left without power.

When issuing tornado warning early Friday, the National Weather Service said that at least 25 million people were under threat from massive thunderstorm systems tearing through the region. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-12-12 15:47:06|Editor: huaxia

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SAN DIEGO, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- A photo exhibition marking the 80th anniversary of the Flying Tigers and America's Second World War Air Defense of China opened to visitors here on Saturday.

The opening ceremony was held on the USS Midway, a historical naval aircraft carrier museum located in downtown San Diego at Navy Pier.

The Flying Tigers, the nickname of the First American Volunteer Group, consisted of pilots fighting alongside the Chinese army and people against the Japanese invasion during World War II.

"Today, as we look at these old photographs and revisit that part of the history, we are deeply touched by Flying Tigers' bravery and sacrifice," Zhang Ping, Chinese consul general in Los Angeles, said when addressing the event.

The Flying Tigers' legacy, Zhang noted, is a splendid chapter of China-U.S. collaboration during the war, and is an important part of the history of China-U.S. relations.

The exhibition, co-organized by the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation and others, put more than 100 historical photos on display. Enditem
THE fuel crisis that has affected the country in the past week has sparked increases in transport costs, with transporters hiking their fares ahead of the festive season.

Since last week, transport operators have hiked fares by over 100% with a local route usually pegged at $60 now costing $200.

It has also resulted in the black market fuel resurfacing, with five litres going for US$12, up from US$7.

Last week, government said the fuel shortages were being caused by maintenance works at Beira in Mozambique.

Operators plying the Harare-Bulawayo route increased their fares from US$15 to US$25, while those plying rural routes also increased their fares.

The Passengers Association of Zimbabwe (PAZ) yesterday warned unscrupulous operators, adding the unsanctioned increases were a cause of concern.

They urged government to intervene.

PAZ president Tafadzwa Goliath said: Fares can only increase if there is a fuel hike, and also if government has approved it. People do not have money, they were affected by the COVID-19 lockdown, and they are still incapacitated. The operators should understand all this and be kind to the passengers.

Goliath said transport operators should desist from taking advantage of passengers by sticking to their normal fares since salaries were too low, and they were already languishing in poverty.

However, he said some operators were forced to increase fares due to the high demand of transport sparked by the fuel shortages.

Transporters overcharge commuters during the festive season due to demand. They also want to profit in anticipation of huge volumes of travellers during the festive season. But we dont encourage the illegal hikes, Goliath said.

He warned travellers against using private transport, adding that they should adhere to World Health Organisation set regulations and protocols to avoid contracting COVID-19.

Government last week said the fuel crisis was being addressed, adding that the situation would normalise beginning today. Motorists have, however, been hoarding the precious liquid in anticipation of a dry festive season. Newsday
WITH social distancing rules in place and nightclubs and bars closing earlier than usual, sex workers around the city have seen their incomes disappear almost overnight as a result of the coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19).

Fearing for their livelihoods, as well as their health, some are offering services online to keep their business going, while others are turning to charities for help.

Ntando Ncube* has worked as a hooker for the past 10 years in Bulawayo, carefully building relationships with her clients.

But the spread of Covid-19 and the need for social distancing has prompted a drop in sex work, leaving her worried that her efforts will go to waste.

Its fair to say that if Im not working for six months, a lot of people are going to forget me, she says.

I cant contact my clients and just have a conversation with them. That doesnt work in my industry. We need to build intimacy and thats just not possible in the current environment.

Before the Covid-19 outbreak, Ntando says she was earning an above-average income, and was able to get herself decent accommodation in North End.

Now nearly all her income has been lost. She has tried to adapt by moving her business online through WhatsApp, but says that cannot replace physical contact.

Unfortunately, there are things that cant be translated, she says.

I have made efforts to go online but not everyone is tech savvy. Some of my clients dont even really know how to use a smartphone.

While the Central Government has outlined a clear roadmap to reopening restaurants and cafes, there has been no plan for the sex industry.

That uncertainty, coupled with the many unknowns surrounding the virus itself, has left many sex workers with deep anxiety.

Im scared that all my work will come back to zero and I will just have to start hustling like I did when I first started out, Ntando says.

She also fears for her clients health.

Are they even going to be there? she says.

Theres a lot of nervous energy going around.

Thats left sex worker collectives and advocacy groups calling for members of the public to donate to emergency funds.

These have been a real lifeline to sex workers for immediate bill paying, access to food and other key needs.

Some sex workers have been forced to continue working, risking hefty fines or exposure to the virus.

In this country, sex workers are often the main breadwinner for the whole family, for their siblings, their children and their grandparents. So, this affects the whole extended family, Ntando says.

But some sex workers find themselves unable to keep working  even if they would choose to. In Bulawayo, police have been patrolling the streets arresting anyone found on the streets during the curfew period.

In Zimbabwe, the Government set 9pm to 6am as curfew times in an effort to curtail the spread of the pandemic.

We cannot work now, so we dont have any income, which is scary, says Pinky, who didnt want to give her real name.

Pinky supports three children who live with her sister back in her rural village. She came to the city eight years ago when she was just 16. Although she needs money, she worries about the dangers of working during the pandemic.

Even if we could work, peoples lives are at risk from the virus. Wed be scared to go to bed with our clients anyway, as we dont know who is affected, she says.

Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, thousands of Johns would make use of their services every day and night. Many of the women and children who have turned to prostitution are victims of some sort of abuse with many of the younger ones runaways from family abuse.

A lot of us either ran away or were thrown out of their homes as children. We lived on the streets and eventually turned to sex work to make ends meet, says Patience Munyandu, who originally comes from Masvingo.

I came to Bulawayo when I was 11, lived on the streets and was eventually raped when I was 14. After being raped, I couldnt report my attacker because I didnt even know his name. He just picked me up off the streets and promised me a home.

He took me to his house where he raped me all night before kicking me out in the morning, Patience told Sunday News.

I decided I may as well start making money from my body and maybe get off the streets. And for three years now I have worked on the streets, Patience said.

While the Government and local aid organisations have delivered some emergency funds to the women, Patience says it has not been enough and some women received nothing at all.

The amount of donations theyve received from the Government or NGOs does not cover much, she says. Sunday News
ZANU PF has threatened to suspend party members hobnobbing with former national commissar Saviour Kasukuwere amid accusations that some were putting his image as well as that of the late former president Robert Mugabe on party WhatsApp groups.

The party also wants party members to always denounce its former commissar, popularly known as Tyson, who relocated to South Africa after the November 2017 coup that toppled Mugabe and ushered in President Emmerson Mnangagwas rule.

Kasukuwere has been linked to a plot to challenge Mnangagwa in the 2023 general elections, a move that has heavily polarised ruling party structures, with some opposed to Mnangagwas rule seemingly warming up for his return.

The ruling party is now sweating over Kasukuweres possible return, a development that will further split the party already polarised along Mnangagwa and his deputy Constantino Chiwenga factions.

Zanu PF insiders have disclosed that secretary for war veterans Douglas Mahiya a fortnight ago told party members at the ruling partys Harare headquarters that a decision had been taken to suspend anyone, who will be found having links to Kasukuwere.

Mahiya initially put a notice to that effect on the notice board before removing it. He went on to read it to party members from Harares zone 4.

The purpose of the meeting was to announce the elevation of Harare Provincial Affairs minister, Oliver Chidawu into the politburo.

Chidawu wanted to be Harare provincial chairperson before his appointment into the politburo.

There is a memo advising party structures that anyone, who is found supporting Kasukuwere will be suspended from the party, a party insider said.

Mahiya told party structures that anyone found with Kasukuweres picture on their WhatsApp status or party group icons will be suspended. This also included Mugabes picture.

The party wants to dilute Kasukuweres perceived support base in the ruling Zanu PF party.

According to the insider, Mahiya repeatedly threatened stern action against party members, who violated the order during the district coordinating committee (DCC4) meeting.

It was made clear that all meetings should denounce Kasukuwere and the G40 cabal without fail and anyone who is seen posting pictures of him, even with Mugabe in that picture, should face disciplinary action, the insider added.

Mahiya refused to comment yesterday saying: I cannot comment on that issue.

Mahiya is reported to have taken the same message to other provinces to try to destroy Kasukuweres perceived support within the party structures.

Zanu PF is using mostly 2014 party structures that worked with Kasukuwere as the commissar.

There have been reports that most party structures opposed to Mnangagwa and are currently backing Chiwenga to take over, are backing Kasukuwere.

Zanu PF is having sleepless nights over a possible G40 resurgence amid reports that a faction within the ruling party was rooting for the former Local Government minister to come back and lead the party ahead of the 2023 harmonised elections.

Some politburo and central committee members, insiders claimed, were reaching out to Kasukuwere although publicly blasting the former commissar.

Last month, Zanu PF confirmed that a witch hunt was underway to flush out those suspected to be linked to Kasukuwere who the party suspects was behind a push through legal and other means to oust Mnangagwa and reclaim the party.

Zanu PF has accused Kasukuwere of being behind the High Court application by party activist Sybeth Musengezi challenging Mnangagwas ascendancy to power in 2017 following the military coup that led to the ouster of Mugabe.

Kasukuwere has denied the allegations. Standard
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The recent journalistic disclosure, repeated graphically by defence counsel before the High Court in October, that the CIA had planned to murder Julian in London  even that was ignored.

by John Pilger

Let us look at ourselves, if we have the courage, to see what is happening to us  Jean-Paul Sartre

Sartres words should echo in all our minds following the grotesque decision of Britains High Court to extradite Julian Assange to the United States where he faces a living death. This is his punishment for the crime of authentic, accurate, courageous, vital journalism.

Miscarriage of justice is an inadequate term in these circumstances. It took the bewigged courtiers of Britains ancien regime just nine minutes last Friday to uphold an American appeal against a District Court judges acceptance in January of a cataract of evidence that hell on earth awaited Assange across the Atlantic: a hell in which, it was expertly predicted, he would find a way to take his own life.

Volumes of witness by people of distinction, who examined and studied Julian and diagnosed his autism and his Aspergers Syndrome and revealed that he had already come within an ace of killing himself at Belmarsh prison, Britains very own hell, were ignored.

The recent confession of a crucial FBI informant and prosecution stooge, a fraudster and serial liar, that he had fabricated his evidence against Julian was ignored. The revelation that the Spanish-run security firm at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where Julian had been granted political refuge, was a CIA front that spied on Julians lawyers and doctors and confidants (myself included)  that, too. was ignored.

The recent journalistic disclosure, repeated graphically by defence counsel before the High Court in October, that the CIA had planned to murder Julian in London  even that was ignored.

Each of these matters, as lawyers like to say, was enough on its own for a judge upholding the law to throw out the disgraceful case mounted against Assange by a corrupt US Department of Justice and their hired guns in Britain. Julians state of mind, bellowed James Lewis, QC, Americas man at the Old Bailey last year, was no more than malingering  an archaic Victorian term used to deny the very existence of mental illness.

To Lewis, almost every defense witness, including those who described from the depth of their experience and knowledge, the barbaric American prison system, was to be interrupted, abused, discredited. Sitting behind him, passing him notes, was his American conductor: young, short-haired, clearly an Ivy League man on the rise.

In their nine minutes of dismissal of the fate of journalist Assange, two of the most senior judges in Britain, including the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Burnett (a lifelong buddy of Sir Alan Duncan, Boris Johnsons former foreign minister who arranged the brutal police kidnapping of Assange from the Ecuadorian embassy) referred to not one of a litany of truths aired at previous hearings in the District Court  truths that had struggled to be heard in a lower court presided over by a weirdly hostile judge, Vanessa Baraitser. Her insulting behavior towards a clearly stricken Assange, struggling through a fog of prison-dispensed medication to remember his name, is unforgettable.

What was truly shocking last Friday was that the High Court judges  Lord Burnett and Lord Justice Timothy Holyrode, who read out their words  showed no hesitation in sending Julian to his death, living or otherwise. They offered no mitigation, no suggestion that they had agonized over legalities or even basic morality.

Their ruling in favor, if not on behalf of the United States, is based squarely on transparently fraudulent assurances scrabbled together by the Biden administration when it looked in January like justice might prevail.

These assurances are that once in American custody, Assange will not be subject to the Orwellian SAMS  Special Administrative Measures -- which would make him an un-person; that he will not be imprisoned at ADX Florence, a prison in Colorado long condemned by jurists and human rights groups as illegal: a pit of punishment and disappearance; that he can be transferred to an Australian prison to finish his sentence there.

The absurdity lies in what the judges omitted to say. In offering its assurances, the US reserves the right not to guarantee anything should Assange do something that displeases his jailers. In other words, as Amnesty has pointed out, it reserves the right to break any promise.

There are abundant examples of the US doing just that. As investigative journalist Richard Medhurst revealed last month, David Mendoza Herrarte was extradited from Spain to the US on the promise that he would serve his sentence in Spain. The Spanish courts regarded this as a binding condition.

Classified documents reveal the diplomatic assurances given by the US Embassy in Madrid and how the US violated the conditions of the extradition , wrote Medhurst, Mendoza spent six years in the US trying to return to Spain. Court documents show the United States denied his transfer application multiple times.

The High Court judges - who were aware of the Mendoza case and of Washingtons habitual duplicity -- describe the assurances not to be beastly to Julian Assange as a solemn undertaking offered by one government to another. This article would stretch into infinity if I listed the times the rapacious United States has broken solemn undertakings to governments, such as treaties that are summarily torn up and civil wars that are fuelled. It is the way Washington has ruled the world, and before it Britain: the way of imperial power, as history teaches us.

It is this institutional lying and duplicity that Julian Assange brought into the open and in so doing performed perhaps the greatest public service of any journalist in modern times.

Julian himself has been a prisoner of lying governments for more than a decade now. During these long years, I have sat in many courts as the United States has sought to manipulate the law to silence him and WikiLeaks.

This reached a bizarre moment when, in the tiny Ecuadorian embassy, he and I were forced to flatten ourselves against a wall, each with a notepad in which we conversed, taking care to shield what we had written to each other from the ubiquitous spy cameras  installed, as we now know, by a proxy of the CIA, the worlds most enduring criminal organization.

This brings me to the quotation at the top of this article: Let us look at ourselves, if we have the courage, to see what is happening.

Jean-Paul Sartre wrote this in his preface to Franz Fanons The Wretched of the Earth, the classic study of how colonized and seduced and coerced and, yes, craven peoples do the bidding of the powerful.

Who among us is prepared to stand up rather than remain mere bystanders to an epic travesty such as the judicial kidnapping of Julian Assange? What is at stake is both a courageous mans life and, if we remain silent, the conquest of our intellects and sense of right and wrong: indeed our very humanity.

Author Bio: John Pilger is an award-winning journalist, filmmaker, and author. Read his full biography on his website here, and follow him on Twitter: @JohnPilger. This article is distributed in partnership with Globetrotter.

Source: Globetrotter
For all the noise, what do the gullible ones gain?

by A.G. Noorani

The presidents of the United States and the Russian Federation, Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin, did well to have virtual talks on Dec 7. But as the phrase goes, this was only breaking the ice.

Relations between the two countries have sunk to their lowest since the end of the Cold War in 1999. It is unlikely that the distrust between them was dispelled in the two hours of talk or will be dispelled at the summit in person which they both hope to hold.

The root cause of the problem is the US feeling of triumph over a perceived victory in the Cold War and president George H.W. Bush breach of faith with the Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev. He had consented to Germanys reunification even if it remained a member of Nato provided that the military alliance did not spread eastwards. It did.

In 2009, when, at the prompting of European states that had uneasy ties with Russia, the EU launched the Eastern Partnership, Moscow came up with the idea of a Eurasian economic union, where Ukraine would have a focal role. This was a strategic move by an anxious Russia that did not want to see its former components attracted by Nato or entering the EU fold, especially in the case of Ukraine, given its geographical proximity to both Russia and the EU.

The regime change in Ukraine on Feb 23, 2014, had shaken Moscow. Just a couple of days earlier, Ukraines president, who had refused to sign a free-trade agreement with the EU, inked a deal with the opposition for early polls and reinstatement of a parliamentary system, the aim being to stop the months-long bloody protests in Kiev. The agreement was brokered by EU mediators in the presence of a Russian representative.

But on Feb 22, the pro-Russia Ukrainian president fled the country. An interim president replaced him. An angry Russia invaded the country and annexed Crimea. The so-called Minsk agreement failed to establish peace. Once again, the unusual Russian build-up in the area has ignited fears of a major offensive, with the American president reportedly warning Moscow of economic sanctions.

Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, told this writer when he was in Mumbai, that there was little debate on Natos expansion. Nato acquired new members including the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Albania and Croatia. The EU had a smaller list to boast about.

For all this noise, what do these gullible ones gain? Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty was signed in 1949, more than seven decades ago, in a different context. It reads: The parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all; and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognised by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the party or parties, so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.

Any such armed attack and all measures taken as a result thereof shall immediately be reported to the Security Council. Such measures shall be terminated when the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to restore and maintain international peace and security.

At the time of the hearings on the treaty before the Senates Foreign Relations Committee, the then secretary of state Dean Acheson was clear that Article V did not mean that America would automatically help the victims of aggression. He said: This naturally does not mean that the United States would automatically be at war if one or the other signatory nation were the victim of an armed attack. The obligation of this government under Article V would be to take promptly the action it deemed necessary to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.

That decision would, of course, be taken in accordance with our constitutional procedures. The factors which would have to be considered would be the gravity of the attack and the nature of the action which this government considered necessary to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.

When Acheson was asked by a lawmaker: Is there or is there not anything in the treaty that pledges us to an automatic declaration of war in any event? He replied, There is nothing in the treaty which has that effect, senator.

Clearly then, Americas pledge where the treaty is concerned will not appear credible.

The writer is an author and a lawyer based in Mumbai.
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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

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951

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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(0x7f3ff2589e38)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3ff2020908)', '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(0x7f3ff2589e38)') 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(0x7f3ff2020908)') 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(0x7f3ff256c8c8)') 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(0x7f3ff2020908)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3ff2020908)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3ff2022100)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3ff2411418)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3ff2411418)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

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

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951

/var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



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(0x7f3ff2845960)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3ff284c830)', '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(0x7f3ff2845960)') 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(0x7f3ff284c830)') 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(0x7f3ff2928dc0)') 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(0x7f3ff284c830)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3ff284c830)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3ff20211d8)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3ff284f828)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3ff284f828)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

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

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951

/var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



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(0x7f3ff2a12fe8)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3ff2a12958)', '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(0x7f3ff2a12fe8)') 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(0x7f3ff2a12958)') 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(0x7f3ff28bbde8)') 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(0x7f3ff2a12958)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3ff2a12958)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3ff2020d40)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3ff29fc650)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3ff29fc650)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
The disgusting and brutal act of lynching the Sri Lankan citizen defamed the whole of Pakistani society where majority of people are very caring and considerate for the people belonging to other religions.

by Ali Sukhanver

Pakistanis had to witness a very painful rather heart-breaking incident just a few days back; the brutal murder of a factory manager belonging to Sri Lanka. The incident took place in Sialkot; an industrial city of Pakistan. Though reports say that it was an act of some individuals and the whole nation including the religious strata of society strongly condemned it but this incident certainly damaged the gradually strengthening soft image of the country.

Moreover, this incident severely hurt the feelings of Pakistans all-weather friend Sri Lanka which is the largest eye-donor to Pakistan. Reports say that since 1967 Pakistan has received more than 35,000 corneas from Sri Lanka. The disgusting and brutal act of lynching the Sri Lankan citizen defamed the whole of Pakistani society where majority of people are very caring and considerate for the people belonging to other religions. Moreover, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have maintained very close, cordial and mutually supportive relations since 1948. Pakistan's supply of high-tech military equipment and positioning of some of its highly trained army officers in Sri Lanka had played a key role in the ultimate defeat of Tamil Tigers. It was Pakistan which supplied the state-of-the-art weaponry to Lankan army to accelerate its counter-insurgency operations against the LTTE in 2009. It all finally ended with the killing of Tamil chief Vellupillai Prabhakaran.

Though the whole Pakistani nation is grieved rather ashamed at what had happened there in Sialkot but blaming and condemning the whole nation on the basis of this single incident is something very unfair. Today, very, unfortunately, this sad incident is being celebrated officially in our neighbouring country India. All newspapers and all TV channels there are trying their utmost to exploit this incident against Pakistan. They are intentionally ignoring the fact that the whole of Pakistani nation was not involved in that brutality; it was an act of a small group of people; such incidents do occur so many times all over the world. From India to New Zealand and to Myanmar, the list of such horrible incidents is very long.

Aljazeera reported on 17th June this year that the military set a village Kin Ma in central Myanmar on fire after a clash with opponents, leaving at least two elderly people burned to death, according to several people who lived in the village. The blaze was large enough to be recorded by NASAs satellite fire-tracking system. The security forces set the fires after confronting opponents of the coup and that at least two people were killed, said the villagers talking to media. In May 2018, the lynching of 10 Muslim travelers in retaliation over the murder and rape of a Buddhist Rakhine woman ignited a new wave of violence in Arakan state. Escalating incidents of violence included further rapes, murder, arson and torture and the main target were Rohingya women and children. This violence resulted in burning of entire villages and displacement of more than 100,000 people. Myanmars Rohingya community is considered one of the most persecuted communities in the world. On 2nd September 2018, the Reuters reported killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim captives by Buddhist villagers and Myanmar troops. Brutally they all were dumped in a shallow grave while some of them were still alive. One grave for 10 people, said Soe Chay, 55, a retired soldier from Inn Dins Rakhine Buddhist community who said he helped dig the pit and saw the killings. The soldiers shot each man two or three times, he said. When they were being buried, some were still making noises. Others were already dead.

In India, situation regarding lynching and burning is more horrible. In 2015, the BBC reported the mob lynching of a 50-year-old man in Dadri area of northern India. His name was Akhlaq and he was a poor Muslim. That horrible night, rumours engulfed the whole locality that the family of Akhlaq had been storing and consuming beef at home. It was around 10.30 at night when a frenzied mob, wielding sticks, swords and cheap pistols burst into their home, accusing the family of having slaughtered a cow and consuming it. Akhlaqs 75-year-old mother, Asghari said talking to media with tearful eyes, They came from everywhere. Over the walls, through the gate, they just barged into the house, shouting that we had slaughtered a cow. Some of our immediate Hindu neighbours tried to intervene, telling the mob to leave the family alone, but to no avail. She further said, The mob bashed his head with a sewing machine lying nearby and dragged him and his son Danish out of the house. From that point the beating became even more brutal. Both Akhlaq and his son Danish were beaten with bricks, kicked and stabbed repeatedly.

In the lynching case of Akhlaq, we see that a few Hindu neighbours played a very positive role and did all possible to save Akhlaq but a few individuals could never compete with a mob. Same thing happened there in Sialkot with the Sri Lankan factory manager. Some of the factory workers and particularly an assistant manager tried all their best to save the unlucky poor soul but could not do so. Those who tried to rescue him were the Muslims just the same way in Akhlaqs case, the rescuers were the Hindus. On the basis of some individuals non-sense behaviour, we cannot blame and frame the whole society. By doing so, we do nothing but promote hatred and enmity.
President Gotabaya in his third year in office is likely to be confronted with more mundane existential issues, than about gaining brownie points for the Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour agenda

by Col R Hariharan

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa completed two years in office on Nov 17. The 72-year old veteran of Sri Lanka army was elected with an overwhelming majority by Sinhala voters, with the hope he would use his terminator magic to achieve new heights as a nation as brother and former president Mahinda Rajapaksa puts it. His election manifesto - Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour (VPS) has been adopted as a national policy framework after he assumed office. It has ten key policies, with an elaborate and detailed action plan, not designed for the nation yet to recover from the unhealed wounds of three decades of continuing ethnic confrontation. In fact, the VPS prioritises only Buddhism of the Sinhala ethnic kind.

Unlike his Chinese counterpart Xi Pings Chinese Dream, Vista's vision was over-ambitious for a presidential term of five years. Some of its modest goals are probably achievable, if people were inspired to make sacrifices. However, the Presidents style, depending upon military-bureaucratic regimentation, rather than leveraging political strength, can hardly inspire people already suffering from trust deficit in politics.

Moreover, he had inherited a degraded government, empty coffers and the national economy groaning under a decade of mounting debt burden. The COVID-19 global pandemic, mutating every day, provided convenient excuses, but aberrations of governance make economic recovery more complex. Under this emerging scenario, President Rajapaksa rule is probably heading for a turbulent third-year in office.

The takeaways from his actions so far, shorn of political rhetoric surrounding them, expose the soft underbelly of governance. Its features seem to be: firming up the Rajapaksas' grip on the nation, pampering Buddhist clergy and the Sinhala majority and neutralising the influence of political satraps on the government through the use of military men (including veterans) and ViyathaMaga loyalists.

The countrys participatory democracy, never fully allowed to bloom, has been reduced to partial democracy. It is in danger of deteriorating into autocracy, supported by the military and Rajapaksa loyalists. So when President Rajapaksa talks of a new constitution (indicated in the VPS framework), political parties of all hues including minority parties fear formalisation of his style of governance.

The Presidents talk of being beholden to Sinhala majority support and reverting to unitary form of government under the new constitution stoke minority fears of further marginalisation from the national mainstream.

The President has constituted a committee of experts, not a committee of elected members of parliament, to prepare the draft constitution. Earlier, the Sirisena government went through the same charade of drafting a new constitution. It was still born because of trust deficit between various ethnicities. Under the present dispensation, even the small gains made by earlier governments to gain the confidence of the Tamil minority through influential diaspora bodies like the Global Tamil Forum (GTF), have been snuffed out after they have been banned again. After the LTTE was wiped out, its overseas elements lost control over diaspora Tamil bodies like GTF. The ban has come at the wrong time, when the government needs to use diaspora Tamils to find a working equation with the aggrieved Tamil minority within a united Sri Lanka. The present governments ban of even moderate diaspora groups, has given a lease of life to LTTEs overseas elements, still democratically fighting for the cause of independent Eelam. Their calls for international action are likely to get more shrill.

In October, the President appointed the hard-line Buddhist monk Galagoda Aththe Gnasara to head a 13-member task force to prepare a draft law for implementing the One Country, One Law as promised during the election. It is to replace the present laws based on different ethnic cultural traditions, that have existed from colonial times. The monk gained notoriety by leading the anti-Muslim hate campaign of Bodhu Bala Sena, Buddhist fringe group in 2013. His legal experience is limited to being found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment for criminally intimidating a witness in court in 2016. Of course, he was conveniently pardoned by President Sirisena just before he laid down office in 2019. His perspective on Sri Lanka is summed up by a statement attributed to him: This is a government created by Sinhala Buddhists and it must remain Sinhala Buddhist. Democratic and pluralistic values are killing the Sinhala race. The composition of the Task Force was in keeping with the sentiment. Originally, it had four Muslim members but ther was no representative from Tamil minority. However, after representations were made by various parties, three Tamil members were added. But the damage to its credibility has been done.

It is in this environment the exercise of drafting a new constitution is being undertaken. As the Colombo daily The Island editorialised One can only hope that the Constitution which is said to be on the anvil will not be an exercise to compass the political ends of those in power, especially the ruling family, which has a deep batting line up, as it were."

However, President Gotabaya in his third year in office is likely to be confronted with more mundane existential issues, than about gaining brownie points for the VPS agenda. These include finding money to import oil and other essential daily needs like rice, pulses and vegetables, ways to service foreign debt after Sri Lankan rupee has been further discounted and credit rating is sliding dangerously. On national security, house cleaning is urgently required to ensure accountability in the wake of Easter Sunday jihadi bombings, lest rogue elements within the system getaway with it. In the emerging disturbing strategic scenario in the Indo-Pacific, Sri Lanka can expect more overt and covert arm twisting from China, as demonstrated by what followed the Chinese organic fertilizer import fiasco. So it may have to take a relook at its long term relationship building with China. Internally, the President may be required to seriously look at his political support base as the feud between the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) seems to be gathering momentum.

[Col R Hariharan, a retired MI specialist on South Asia and terrorism, served as the head of intelligence of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka 1987-90. He is associated with the Chennai Centre for China Studies ]
With exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above their territories, States have the responsibility and authority to close their airspace where certain safety threats may warrant that action.

by Dr. Ruwantissa Abeyratne in Montreal

There are known knowns, things we know that we know; and there are known unknowns, things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns, things we do not know we don't know. ~ Donald Rumsfeld

What Donald Rumsfeld did not say explicitly is that there are also things we ought to have known. Perhaps these are the known unknowns he is referring to. One of the first things law school taught me nearly 50 years ago is that a person is guilty of an offence if he knew the outcome of a result of his act that harmed another, or he ought to have known of the grave probability of the result of his act. In simple tort law terms this is called negligence which, in aviation parlance, is called gross negligence  negligence that is attributable to persons who are given the responsibility of ensuring the safety of those in their care.

As this article was being written, President Biden and President Putin had just concluded a two-hour long conference, and foreign ministers of the G-7 (United States, Canada, Japan, Germany, France, The United Kingdom and Italy) countries were meeting in Liverpool to discuss inter alia, the grave and acute tension caused by the deployment of 100,000 Russian troops near the Ukrainian border. Looming over the sobering gloom was the specter of Flight MH 17 which was shot down over Ukraine in July 2014.

With less than three weeks to go for this year to end and unless something catastrophically happens that is man-made, the downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS 752 over Iran which killed all persons on board would remain the most egregious act against humanity known to have been volitionally caused (barring of course the senseless killing resulting from political unrest, bigotry, and ineptitude) over the past two years during this pandemic period.

On January 8, 2020, the Islamic Republic of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 shortly after it took off from Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran.

On June 24 2021 The Government of Canada released its report on the tragedy entitled The Downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752: Factual Analysis which says inter alia: First, Iranian authorities had the opportunity and responsibility to put in place a plan to ensure the safety of its airspace following the Iranian attack on US positions in Iraq and the expectation of a counterstrike. The Forensic Team assesses that this would have been discussed at a high level. Iran positioned anti-aircraft systems on high alert directly adjacent to an international airport, and despite these proximate military threats, the decision was made not to close the airspace over Tehran. Information suggests that senior Iranian civilian and military decision makers prioritized defence over the safety of civilian air traffic.

Iran contends that its decision to keep its airspace open and its corresponding airspace management decisions were justified and based on sound risk assessment. Irans risk assessment, as presented in the Final Report, failed to address contradictory information suggesting that risk levels were much higher. Irans air defences represented a clear and present danger. Its military was on high alert and tasked with monitoring airspace where multiple civilian aircraft would be present. Iran implemented a single mitigation measure that required military pre-authorization for flights before take-off from Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA). Irans determination that the risk was low, the decision to keep its airspace open over Tehran, and the implementation of only one preventative measure were all flawed decisions. It is the Forensic Teams assessment that this fell short of internationally recognized standards in place to ensure airspace safety.

Furthermore, Iran did not provide official notification of the increased risk to airlines and pilots before Flight PS752 departed or adequately explain why this basic measure was not implemented. Iranian military authorities were the only ones who were aware of the recent military activities and high alert resulting from Irans launch of missiles into Iraq. Only they knew that SAM units had been deployed in proximity to an international airport. Despite having knowledge of International Civil Aviation Organization guidance from 2018 with respect to conflict zones, Iran chose not to notify airlines of this danger (my emphasis). This lack of pertinent threat-related information deprived airlines (such as Ukraine International Airlines) of the full and up-to-date picture of conditions necessary to determine whether it was safe to fly.

I have stringently maintained in my classes on aviation law and policy that the greatest affliction in the air transport world is the lack of communication between parties involved in assuring the safety of the travelling public. A few days ago I followed an informative webinar involving an expert panel on Canadas Safer Skies initiative where Transport Canada says People travelling from one part of the world to another should have confidence that they will not be exposed to safety and security risks that conflicts pose to civilian flight operations. Through the Safer Skies Initiative, Canada is working with international organizations, the civil aviation industry, and the International Civil Aviation Organization, to enhance the level of safety and security for commercial airlines travelling in higher risk areas and to prevent future tragedies.

The panelists emphasized that timely, reliable, and comprehensive information sharing was key to ensuring the safety of passengers. Under this initiative has been formed the Safer Skies Forum which is an international forum focused on conflict zone risk management. It brings together expert partners from countries and regions around the world, international organizations, and the civil aviation industry. The first Safer Skies Forum took place virtually from December 8-9, 2020. This is intended to become an annual event to keep the momentum and dialogue going with a view to sustaining ongoing efforts and collaboration towards ensuring safer skies.

The International Civil Aviation Organization correctly maintains that as a matter of best practice, in the presence of threats from a conflict zone  which is considered a reportable hazard for air navigation information as specific as possible should be shared regarding the nature and extent of threats arising from the conflict and its consequences for civil aviation. In pursuance of this position States should strictly adhere to Article 9 of the Chicago Convention of 1944 which gives them the ability, for reasons of military necessity or public safety, to restrict or prohibit uniformly the aircraft of other States from flying over certain areas of its territory, provided that no distinction in this respect is made between the aircraft of the State whose territory is involved, engaged in international scheduled airline services, and the aircraft of the other contracting States likewise engaged.

With exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above their territories, States have the responsibility and authority to close their airspace where certain safety threats may warrant that action. Aircraft and airline operators are responsible for assessing global airspace risks communicated by States, and/or third parties, before deciding where they fly. Consequent upon a similar tragedy in July 2014 where Flight MH 17 was shot down by a missile fired by rebels over a dangerous conflict zone in Eastern Ukraine, ICAOs Task Force established the same year came out with recommendations to assist States and airlines with a more effective means of sharing risk information.

The problem is that none of this is taken seriously when it comes to the spontaneous combustion of human conflict and revenge. For those of us who believe that global collaboration is necessary for safety in aviation no persuasion is necessary. Yet, for those who do not believe in collaboration and best practices, no persuasion is enough.

Dr. Abeyratne is the author of War and Peace  The Aviation Perspective (America Star Books: March 9, 2012)
The designation of these two Sri Lankan individuals is not the only action we are taking in support of accountability for gross violations of human rights in Sri Lanka.

We are determined to put human rights at the center of our foreign policy, and we reaffirm this commitment by using appropriate tools and authorities to draw attention to and promote accountability for human rights violations and abuses, no matter where they occur.

The United States appreciates the coordinated actions taken today by the United Kingdom and Canada under their respective sanctions programs to target Burmese military actors responsible for violence and repression. We also welcome the close coordination with the EU, UK, and Canada last week on our strongest sanctions package to date on Belarus, which jointly imposes costs on the Lukashenka regime for its continued repression of the Belarusian people. The United States looks forward to continuing our partnerships with allies, partners, and civil society alike in defending human rights and promoting accountability and good governance.

In further recognition of Human Rights Day 2021, the Department is designating 12 officials of foreign governments under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriation Act, 2021. This law provides that in cases where there is credible information that officials of foreign governments have been involved in a gross violation of human rights or significant corruption, those individuals and their immediate family members are to be designated publicly or privately and are ineligible for entry into the United States.

The Department of State is designating under Section 7031(c) the following individuals for their involvement in gross violations of human rights:

Abel Kandiho, Major General and head of the Chieftancy of Military Intelligence within the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces, for his involvement in a gross violation of human rights, namely torture. Kandiho was also designated this week by the Department of the Treasury under the Global Magnitsky sanctions program in connection with serious human rights abuse.

Shohrat Zakir, Erken Tuniyaz, Hu Lianhe, and Chen Mingguo, current and former senior PRC officials in Xinjiang, China for their involvement in gross violations of human rights, namely arbitrary detention of Uyghurs, who are predominantly Muslim, and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang. Shohrat Zakir and Erken Tuniyaz were also designated today by the Department of the Treasury under the Global Magnitsky sanctions program in connection with serious human rights abuse.

Ihar Kenyukh and Yauheni Shapetska, heads of the notorious Akrestsina Detention Center in Minsk, Belarus, for their involvement in gross violations of human rights, namely the torture and/or cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment or punishment of detainees in the aftermath of the fraudulent August 9, 2020 presidential election.

Benazir Ahmed, current Inspector General of the Bangladesh Police and former Director General of Bangladeshs Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and Miftah Uddin Ahmed, Lieutenant Colonel and former commanding officer of RAB Unit 7, for their involvement in a gross violation of human rights, namely the May 2018 extrajudicial killing of Teknaf City Municipal Councilor Ekramul Haque in Teknaf, Coxs Bazar District, Bangladesh. The RAB, Benazir Ahmed, and five other officials were also designated today by the Department of the Treasury under the Global Magnitsky sanctions program in connection with serious human rights abuse.

Chandana Hettiarachchi, a Sri Lankan naval intelligence officer, for his involvement in gross violations of human rights, namely, the flagrant denial of the right to liberty of at least eight Trincomalee 11 victims, from 2008 to 2009. Sunil Ratnayake, a former Staff Sergeant in the Sri Lanka Army, for his involvement in gross violations of human rights, namely the extrajudicial killings of at least eight Tamil villagers in December 2000. The designation of these two Sri Lankan individuals is not the only action we are taking in support of accountability for gross violations of human rights in Sri Lanka.

a Sri Lankan naval intelligence officer, for his involvement in gross violations of human rights, namely, the flagrant denial of the right to liberty of at least eight Trincomalee 11 victims, from 2008 to 2009. a former Staff Sergeant in the Sri Lanka Army, for his involvement in gross violations of human rights, namely the extrajudicial killings of at least eight Tamil villagers in December 2000. The designation of these two Sri Lankan individuals is not the only action we are taking in support of accountability for gross violations of human rights in Sri Lanka. Mario Plutarco Marin Torres, a former governor of Puebla, Mexico, for his involvement in a gross violation of human rights in Mexico, namely, the arbitrary detention of journalist and human rights defender Lydia Cacho in December 2005. We commend Mexican authorities for arresting Marin Torres in February on torture charges.

Additionally, the Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control is imposing sanctions on 15 individuals and 10 entities including for roles in serious human rights abuse and repression across several countries. A complete list of the Department of Treasurys additional actions can be found here. These designations underscore our support for human rights and commitment to promoting accountability for human rights abusers and violators the world over.
The Perspective

Atlanta, Georgia

December 12, 2021





December 9, 2021

J Yanqui Zaza of The Perperstive Challenges David Malpass of the World Bank

Honorable David Malpass

President of the World Bank

1818 H Street, NW

Washington, D.C. 20433



Re: Who Benefits from the $157m Loan World Bank Approved in June 2021 for Liberia?



Dear President David Malpass:



The public would want to know why the World Bank is serving as Liberias economic adviser and at the same time serving as Liberias largest money-creditor. The Bank should focus on making profits from lending money to poor countries and abandon its 1945 original vision to fight poverty, disease, and ignorance.



The suggestion that the Bank should focus on profit is not new; others have offered similar views. For instance, employees of the Bank had advised Dr. Jim Young Kim, the former President of the World Bank to focus on profit-making or go back to the World Health Organization (WHO), where the fight to reduce poverty is the priority, according to Mr. Andrew Rice:

(https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/04/27/is-jim-yong-kim-destroying-the-world-bank-development-finance/). In his article called Is Jim Kim Destroying the World Bank - or saving it from itself, Mr. Rice stated that some employees had advised the former President of the World Bank, from 2012 to 2019, to leave the World Bank and return to the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO). Dr. Kim who served as Director of WHOs HIV/AIDS department from 2003 to 2005 was a vociferous critic of the Bank, and also blamed the World Bank for the economic hardship in many countries such as Peru, his home country, Mr. Rice stated.

Many critics of the World Bank, relying on empirical evidence, have stated that the economic policy of the World Bank and its affiliates, in many cases, does not benefit its clients. A case in point was the operational evaluation conducted by the Operations Evaluating Department of the World Bank in 1999 . The author of the study found within this link (www.inweb90.worldbank.org) concluded that nongovernmental agencies owned by the World Bank performed at a rate of 33% unsatisfactorily when governments funded projects financed by money borrowed from the World Bank.

Where are the anti-poverty policies for Liberia, if the World Band implemented recommendations from its internal Division? Liberia continues to import food, and at the same time cash crops investors (rubber trees, palm oil trees, etc.) are driving away residents from their farmland. Or how come Liberias economic adviser (W/B) did not encourage Firestone (i.e., established in 1926) to finance public high until 2006? Or how come the W/B did not help Liberia to use donors USD 5 Billion to finance social programs, according to Liberian Citizens Guide for fiscal periods; 2012/13 through 2018/19? Would not have the World Bank given prudent advice if it was not involved within the money-lending industry?



Business creates relationships, and some relationships might be unfavorable to weaker parties. And in most cases, the party with influence dictates who wins and who losses. In the case of the World Bank, big business has the leverage. It owned 82% of the total assets of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), one of the five subsidiaries of the World Bank, according to page # 14 of the 2020 Audited Financial Statements of IBRD, played a role. Certainly, Liberia, with good advice, could have used the USD 5 Billion to finance different industries such as food production, education, healthcare, etc. Well, such developments might have encouraged stakeholders to ask good questions and subsequently request for a fairer share of the dividends of the country's natural resources. Unfortunately, big business dictates the policy of the World Bank, and by extension, policies for Liberia.



Propping up or lending money to corrupt government is an economic arrangement that big business uses to manipulate poor countries. For example, big business welcomes or embraces corrupt officials since stolen and/or mismanaged money has to be replaced. For example, the Editorial of the Daily Observer-Liberia implicitly stated, in June 2021, that the World Bank approved USD 157M loan to Liberia to make profits. It makes more profits by discouraging the government to play a limited role in managing its natural resources; and it earns more profits when corrupt bureaucrats do not use the revenue to improve programs, rather, they acquire personal wealth.



The public wonders how Liberia accumulated USD 1.5 Billion debt when money-lenders canceled USD 4.7 Billion debts in 2010. This is the question since donors gave Liberia about USD 5 Billion from 2012/13 through 2018/19. However, the World Bank can help Liberia to fight poverty, disease, and ignorance if it is not a de facto subsidiary of big business by ending its borrowing money from big business and lending money to poor countries should be the beginning of instituting good policies. I recommend that the Bank reviews and reconsiders the following items below even if it were to recuse itself from money-lending activities:

That the Bank should advise Liberia to share in the revenue of its natural resources in order to generate cash to finance social programs as governments do in Angola, Algeria, Botswana, Nigeria, Germany, Japan, etc. Those countries that waive 100% of ownership and management of their natural resources to multinational corporations might end up relying on loans to finance their budgets. For example, many Africa countries that institute this kind of economic arrangement usually get minuscule revenue because tax based on profits is calculated after questionable deductions such as administrative expense, royalty fees, management fees, etc.

In fact, the African Union Committee Illicit Financial Flows, headed by the former President of South Africa, Mr. Thabo Mbeki stated that multinational corporations are responsible for 95% of the USD 60 Billion stolen from Africa each year, according to the 2014 investigation. In the case of Liberia, our government awarded 66 fraudulent concessionary agreements of the 68, according to the 2014 Investigation concluded by Moore Stephens Forensic Audit Firm based in Europe. International



If Liberia and the World Bank continue to do business as usual, the debt picture might not be different from the countrys USD 4.7B debts, which donors canceled in 2010.

The total debt was USD 2 Billion in 1989 when the civil war began, but it increased to USD 4.7 by 2010. Why so? Interest payment was high. For instance, the principal for banks was USD 713 Million, while the interest was USD 1.7 Billion, according to page # 47 of the 2017 CBL Annual Reports. For Nigeria, the interest and other charges were extranormal, according to The New York Times. The writer stated that Nigeria borrowed USD 5 billion, had paid USD 16 billion and still owed USD 32 billion, stated Mr. Victor Oguejiofor Okafor, Ph.D. (www.laits.utexas.edu).

1. That the Bank ends its function as an owner of nongovernmental agencies, according to Global Policy Forum. (www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/177-un/31512-the-world-bank-a-ngos.html). Global Policy Forum stated that the Bank does not only use its power and money to substantially influence activities of non-Bank NGOs but it can cause splits among non-Bank NGO coalitions. 2. Finally, Liberia should end the practice of adding Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) as cash and owned by the Liberian government, thereby, encouraging officials and third parties to believe that the country has good cash positions. For example, while Liberia was indebted to commercial banks of USD 260M in 2016, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf reported that Liberia had USD 153M excess cash in reserves. Page # XV of 2009 Central Bank Annual Report that Liberias excess cash increased from $49.6M in 2008 to USD 269M in 2009.

IBRD 2020 AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/521601597072122154-0340022020/original/IBRDFinancialStatementsJune2020.pdf

Thanking you in advance for your understanding.

J. Yanqui Zaza

New York State Certified Public Accountant (NYS CPA)

J. YANQUI ZAZA, MPS CPA

VOA PAYNESVILLE, LIBERIA

011-231-776-491-322

jyanqui@aol.com
The Perspective

Atlanta, Georgia

December 12, 2021





Nat Bayjay, Father of the Victim

Monrovia, December 11, 2021: As a head of the family of a 7-year baby who was repeatedly raped between September 2020 and April 2021 right on the premises of the Embassy of Liberia near Abuja, Nigeria, we wish to make the following preliminary observations in light of December 8, 2021, Press Statement by the Embassy of Liberia near Abuja, Nigeria under the leadership of Ambassador Al-Hassan Conteh:

Foremost, the statement by the Embassy of Liberia near Abuja confirms our contention that Ambassador Al-Hassan Conteh has and continues to demonstrate a pattern of callous attitude underpinned by a lack of any sense of humility and decency toward the plight of our 7-year-old daughter who was raped multiple times at the diplomatic premises of the Mission he heads.





The statement by the Embassy of Liberia near Abuja validates our position that Ambassador Al-Hassan Conteh in apparent ca-hoots with some officials within the corridors of power in Liberia, particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have in the last eight months designed a strategy to employ the constraining legal term of sub judice as an alibi to suppress and silence the voice of our family from publicly speaking and seeking legitimate interventions inclusive of social justice, humanitarian, and psycho-social support given the rapidly worsening condition of our daughter and our trauma.





The statement by the Embassy of Liberia near Abuja solidifies our assertion that Ambassador Al- Hassan Conteh and his cahoots are more concerned about the image of the mission he heads rather than the deteriorating health of a young Liberian child.





The statement by the Embassy of Liberia near Abuja which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has unfortunately decided to use as a template response to this very inhumane situation shows no semblance of interest in common humanity. That singular act demonstrates the Ambassadors disregard for my familys plight, further revealing why he sought to ignore and delay the plight of our baby just to uphold the image of the embassy and the perpetrators and their guardians who fall directly under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. By that statement, our Ambassador in Abuja has further demonstrated that the issue of the babys mental and physical health is lesser of his concern and as a father, he has fallen short of that moral duty and embarrassingly too.



The statement by the Embassy of Liberia near Abuja only exposes more how the Ambassador's posture reflects lip service to his so-called zero-tolerance on rape as he would have a few to believe in his statement which evidently exposes the high degree of hypocrisy and partiality of Ambassador Al-Hassan Conteh in the rape case of our daughter wherein he claims a zero tolerance to all forms of sexual molestations, gender-based violence and all forms of discrimination against women and girls, but yet he refused to allow the Nigerian Police to take statements from the perpetrators of the rape act at the Embassy of Liberia near Abuja inasmuch both Liberia and Nigeria consider rape as a major offense.





The statement by the Embassy of Liberia near Abujas reference to me being seconded from the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism as if the Ambassador has no jurisdiction over those under the umbrella of the embassy is just a disguised way of shifting from his responsibility as our countrys Ambassador in Abuja who should account for every action that occurs within the premises of the Mission he heads. That the Ambassador and his Foreign Ministry ca-hoots would only now call on the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism to urgently address the legitimate needs after nearly nine months of this coming to our public knowledge validate my claims of the Ambassadors lack of any human feeling for our baby but only being pretentiously said now because I have become constrained to come public on this matter.





For the record, we again state the facts as contained in medical reports and testimonies: that there were violent, multiple acts of rape  not just a Rape Incident  perpetrated against our daughter at the Embassy of Liberia near Abuja. The acts of rape occurred frequently between September 2020 and April 2021 when the opportunity existed for the rapists to sexually abuse our daughter. Contrary to the insinuation by the Al-Hassan Conteh-led Embassy of Liberia near Abuja, we believe there is a sea difference between a rape incident occurring in September 2020 but only coming to light in mid-April 2021 and acts of rape regularly committed between September 2020 and April 2021.



That the statement by the Embassy of Liberia near Abuja even contemplates libelous action for a hurting father whose baby was sexually abused right under the Ambassadors noses to which he continues to show no empathy but hides under matter in court excuse comes across like an Ambassador who is likely a chief specialist in covering up rape. Instead of the Ambassador showing some empathy and sympathy as well as emotional support for such an emotional battle, he and his cahoots are more concerned with reputational damage. Such acts are worrisome of what could lay beneath a lot of other covered issues not only at the Abuja Mission but at our countrys various missions across the world.



That the statement by the Embassy of Liberia near Abuja would now become the official response from the Foreign Ministry further justifies our concerns that my own direct employer, the Government of Liberia, cares less about the welfare of the child. As the custodian of all Liberian Foreign Missions, the Foreign Ministry should not be taking such a posture with its acceptance of this insensitive statement, disowning its own jurisdiction over those under the umbrella of the Abuja Mission. This is the worst disappointment of such an embarrassing and shameless response that the Foreign Ministry now considers as the best answer to unanswered questions of why our babys welfare is still being completely ignored eight months down the line and a week after I publicly lamented our Governments lack of interest in our babys welfare and post-traumatic recovery process.



The statement by the Embassy of Liberia near Abujas neglect of the raped survivals welfare says one thing: as clearly that the welfare of a raped seven-year-old cant be a priority, same can be said about the interests and welfares of thousands of Liberians in the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Republics of Benin and Equatorial Guinea, three countries to which the Abuja Mission has concurrent accreditations.



Finally, while we shall not go down low as Ambassador Al-Hassan Conteh in his show of pride and unfeeling, we would like to urge and remind Ambassador Conteh to come clean by making public all communications inclusive of email exchanges, investigative reports, and the timeline of his so-called interventions, interactions and exchanges  both physical and via telephone  he made since the commission of multiple acts of rape against our 7-year baby by two preying sexually-active rapists got to our and his attention.

Amidst it all, all my family seeks in the aftermath of this traumatic experience is humanity: cater to the medical and mental health of a Liberian child who suffered sexual assault in the premises of the Liberian Embassy in Abuja. With God and the compassionate public on our side, we shall overcome! Our sincere thanks.

Nat Bayjay (Dad to the Rape Survival) On Behalf of the Family
The Perspective

Atlanta, Georgia

December 12, 2021



(Disclaimer: Do not take a single part of this selection guide and judge a person by it. You must weigh candidates entirely against measures listed herein; you must hear from potential presidential candidates and ask a lot of questions to gauge their true positions and capabilities. Never vote for anybody who does not tell you his plans and how he will achieve them.)

The role of a president is tenfold. It requires you to be is a legal scholar, a philosopher, a social and developmental economist, a diplomat, an environmentalist; in essence, you must be a well-read, well-rounded individual who is tested and comfortable with making executive decisions. The president fears nothing but the wrath of the people. The best person for the office is the one who has prepared all his life to occupy this position  exposure matters.



The presidency is not a place for a flunky, especially in the 21st Century! S/he must fully understand the functioning of every government agency and the capabilities of those he appoints to lead and execute his vision, the rules and regulations governing these bodies, and especially the Constitution of the Republic. He is the head, the commander-in-chief, on whose directives everything succeeds or fails. That person must have an actionable, national vision. It is a position like none other; not just anybody should be given such awesome responsibility especially when it is noticeably clear that he does not grasp the full weight and duties of the office. The presidency is not a joking matter; this is not where you put your friends or those you love or the celebrities you have come to admire  people's lives are dependent on the decisions he makes. This office is entirely reserved for the best and brightest among us, the very people with the aptitude, intellect, preparedness, and eagerness to actualize our national vision  people who can hold their own in the company of world leaders with confidence and the proper readiness to execute. S/he is our face, with an in-depth knowledge of our problems and our national aspirations; whoever we put in this seat will determine how far we go as a nation.

Moreover, the presidents responsibility increases daily  the extent to which that responsibility grows will depend on how well he plans to lead. Gauge the persons, time-tested preparedness skills. Is this individual willing to set aside his ambitions to entirely devote his efforts to the affairs of the state? Is he willing to put the interests of the state far above partisanship and relationships?

Secondly, the team that is chosen to implement the presidents plans must be equally prepared with an equal commitment to seeing the plans come to fruition. Is this person a good judge of character? Watch the company he keeps and the caliber of people s/he surrounds himself with. What are his decision-making capabilities? The president must be farsighted enough to understand the consequences of his decisions and the burdens they bring to the country. How developed are his organizational skills? Does he understand the essence of leadership? S/he must plan better than most; look for this in the previous decisions she has made. Simple things like being married to the same person and having all your kids by one person can tell you a lot about a persons character  can they withstand adversities in a small unit such as the family? Is s/he a responsible father/mother? Have they developed their family unit and societal skills enough to be able to lead a unit as big as the nation? Examine his life choices and the decisions he has made up to date. Do not take anything lighted  this person can make or break a nation.

Consequently, avoid anybody who had a negative affiliation with our just-ended civil war even in the smallest capacity; none of those people should be considered for any elected post or any public position for that matter. Passover individuals with tainted characters, criminals, political prostitutes, bootlickers, people who are just in it to make a living, and especially formal corrupt officials. This privileged position is about solidifying a legacy  it has nothing to do with earning an income.

Remember, the issue of equitable governance requires a commitment to a higher ideal, consistency, and tactfulness; you cannot find these traits in vagrants! Political prostitutes have no vision; no self-control, they move with the tides in whichever direction it flows. Close all doors in front of these parasites. The presidency is not a post for the indigent; this does not mean you have to be rich to occupy the position. This is a role for the dignified, people who have achieved a high level of socio-economic standing with unblemished character, the educated  not just formally but holistically as well. This person must show he has the discipline to excel at an extremely high level of leadership. Furthermore, this leader must exude confidence in himself and his abilities, and the role he occupies. He or she must be a top predator with zero self-doubts but at the same time clothed with the humility required of a selfless commander.

Our captain must believe in the possibilities of Liberia more than anybody else, be able to convincingly articulate and present plausible solutions to Liberias pressing issues with relatable understanding. His presentation must be his own  his vision and not somebody elses. He must be able to clearly present a step-by-step guide on how he will get us to total national revitalization and economic vibrancy. There must be a proven track record that said individual has successfully performed at exceedingly high levels of leadership in the past, not necessarily in government but in the private sector as well. This individual must be a result-producing, well-seasoned leader before coming to the presidency. Secondly, he must subscribe to higher virtuous principles than most with total reverence for the people whom he serves.

His vision must adequately address:

The economy and how to grow the national budget beyond $1.5B in 10 years, and grow our GDP to over $6B in 15 years

The issues of security and full implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions Report

Reduce unemployment below 25% in 5 years and how we can build local industries for national economic growth

Social, political, and judicial (inequalities) issues facing most of our people  How do we give dignity back to our people? How do we rebuild the family unit?

How can we leverage the financial might of Diaspora Liberians to enhance national economic growth?

Education (grades 1-12, plus trade schools being the focus) to lower the high illiteracy rate in the country

National infrastructure and building public institutions  shifting the focus from individualized projects to national projects; electricity, roads, etc. The issue of institutional governance

Foreign and global understanding, diplomacy; someone with the proper pedigree to mingle on an equal footing with foreign counterparts at a high level. Can he convincingly present Liberias case?

Embrace and have a spiritual reverence for Liberias Cultures and Traditions

In this vein, the president must embody who we are as a people. She is our face and carries our dreams and aspirations! Can we proudly present this person to the world with absolute confidence that she will represent us well? After you have weighed all these traits in their entirety and determined that a person has set himself apart in preparation for this awesome responsibility, then, in that person, you have found your next president who will succeed no matter what!
The Bahrain Economic Development Board (Bahrain EDB) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Japan External Trade Organization in Dubai (Jetro Dubai) to promote direct investments.

This new partnership will further strengthen relations between Bahrain and Japan, resulting in a stronger partnership, and will help highlight Bahrain as an investment destination for Japanese companies, said an EDB statement.

The signing ceremony was held today (December 12) at the Bahrain Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Bahrains strategic location coupled with its strength in sectors such as logistics, ICT, and finance makes it an attractive destination for Japanese investments," said Nobuhiko Sasaki CEO/Chairman of Jetro. Through this MoU, we look forward to creating new opportunities for Japanese companies looking to launch or expand businesses throughout the Middle East.

Bahrains developed regulations , competitive operating landscape, and skilled workforce are some of the key reasons why we continue to be an attractive destination for international investments from various markets. said Khalid Ebrahim Humaidan, Chief Executive of Bahrain EDB. We are excited for the this partnership which will further solidify Japan as a key strategic market for us, and we look forward to a fruitful collaboration with Jetro.

The MoU has several key aims, including:

 Exchange of information in order to attract investment in both countries;

 Creating interaction opportunities between companies in Japan and Bahrain in order to facilitate investment in various areas;

 Providing advice on activities by both parties which will promote the development of a two-way economic and investment cooperation;

 Paving the way for economic and investment cooperation between companies in Japan and companies in Bahrain;

 Promotion of strategic sectors with mutual benefits to both Bahrain and Japan.

As a gateway to the regions $1.4 trillion GCC market, Bahrain also provides unique technical skills. The Kingdom was recently ranked first in the GCC for availability of advanced computer programming talent in ICT as a percentage of the population, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Japans current FDI in Bahrain is already amongst the top 10 by stock and flows and Bahrain looks forward to growing this ranking further through initiatives such as this MoU that will facilitate more Japanes corporations to establish presence in the Kingdom, EDB said.

Bahrain has recently embarked on a National Economic Recovery Plan to drive growth. -TradeArabia News Service
Total foreign trade between Russia and the UAE is set to reach around $4 billion by the end of this year, said Sergey Cherimin, Minister of the Government of Moscow, head of the Moscow Department for Foreign Economic Activity and International Relations.

In 2020, this figure stood at $3.3 billion.

In an exclusive interview with Emirates News Agency (WAM), following the signing of a programme of cooperation between the Abu Dhabi Government and the Government of Moscow, Cherimin said trade turnover between the organisations registered in Moscow and their UAE's partners was 1.6-fold higher in H1 2021, compared to the same period of 2020.

"As of today, several dozens of operating companies with Emirati funds in their authorised capital are registered in Moscow. In return, Russian companies have opened offices in the UAE, and today there are more than 4,000 of them," he said.

Commenting on the signed cooperation agreement, Cherimin highlighted that the framework of the programme involves close cooperation in the fields of economy and trade, health, education, culture and urbanism, including an exchange of professional delegations and sharing best practices.

"I am sure that the signing of the Cooperation Programme between the two capitals will define a new stage in the relations between our cities, and will contribute to the existing partnership relations between our countries," he said.

Moscow is one of the largest megalopolises in the world and the centre of attraction for domestic and foreign investments thanks to its well-developed infrastructure, human capacity, high intellectual, scientific and consumer potential, which attracts not only foreign companies, but also millions of tourists.

The Russian capital accounts for about 14 percent of all investment in fixed capital and about half of the foreign direct investment in the country. According to the Financial Times rating of the most attractive cities for foreign direct investment in Europe (fDi's European Cities and Regions of the Future 2018/19), Moscow ranked second in investment attractiveness among major European cities and first among the cities of Eastern Europe.

The Russian official clarified that more than two-thirds of the investments are focused on banking, consulting and insurance services, IT, as well as in mechanical engineering, electronics, communications and aircraft construction.

"Foreign investors are attracted by the reduced cost of doing business, favourable legislation, and the measures taken by the Moscow City Government to improve the investment climate, including support for the real sector, especially during the pandemic. We urge the UAE investors to actively explore the Moscow market, which currently has great opportunities for business development," Cherimin said.

The programme of cooperation between the Abu Dhabi Government and the Government of Moscow was signed within the framework of the Days of Moscow in the UAE.
Bahrain Technology Companies Society (BTECH) has appointed Abdulaziz Qambar as its new CEO, as part of its efforts to develop its strategy in accordance with the government's recent ICT-focused economic recovery plan.

Ubaydli Ubaydli, Chairman of BTECH, welcomed the new CEO and expressed his faith in Qambar's abilities to lead the BTECH team to improve networking with diverse ICT players. This is in addition to bringing about a qualitative shift needed to advance the society's function as a key channel between the private sector and government organisations involved in the ICT sector.

Qambar expressed his enthusiasm at joining BTECH, emphasising his resolve to devote his efforts to the society's ambitious objectives, which include growing the number of members of ICT enterprises. All of this, he said, will take place under the umbrella of comprehensive plans aimed at integrating the public, private, and public sectors to grow Bahrain's ICT industry.

Qambar holds a master's degree in science and technology from the Japan Advanced University of Science and Technology. He has nearly 20 years experience in the ICT business, having worked for noted corporations in a variety of capacities both inside and outside Bahrain.

These include the Saudi Telecom Company and the Zain Group. He has developed and contributed to the foundation of telecommunications and information technology enterprises, as well as their regional and worldwide expansion, and has made several contributions to the ICT field.-- TradeArabia News Service
Marriott International has announced it expects to debut more than 30 luxury hotels in 2022, creating enriching experiences that luxury travellers crave with its portfolio of luxury brands.

The annnoucement came at the International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) in Cannes, France.

Through the hospitality hallmarks of The Ritz-Carlton, Ritz-Carlton Reserve, St. Regis, W, The Luxury Collection, Edition, JW Marriott and Bvlgari, Marriott International continues to elevate travel, creating contextualised, distinct brand experiences that signal the future of luxury.

With a network of more than 460 luxury hotels and resorts in 68 countries and territories, Marriott International is poised to expand its luxury footprint with nearly 190 properties in the development pipeline, including the 30 hotels expected to open in 2022, in destinations from Mexico to Portugal and Australia to South Korea.

Marriott International Senior Vice President-Luxury Brands Chris Gabaldon said: Our guests are seeking deeper, more immersive experiences that allow them to indulge in global exploration while sparking personal regeneration."

A global luxury trends study conducted in collaboration with creative agency Team One revealed that todays affluent travellers are shifting from a box checking mindset to a travelling well mindset.

Gabaldon observed: As people re-examine and re-prioritise what matters to them most, a shift that has accelerated over the past two years, were seeing a real embracing of deeper travel. Our guests are focusing more on where they travel and why they make the journey, seeking to foster a more meaningful connection to the destination as well as the people they meet.

Marriott International is poised to meet this evolving set of aspirations, inviting people to view travel as a canvas for regeneration that leads to lasting positive impact on locals and destinations. From the worlds most desirable destinations to undiscovered gems, we strive to go beyond offering moments of transformation for our guests and hope to create experiences that will inspire a newfound sense of personal wellbeing and joy, said Gabaldon.

Ritz-Carlton

With a focus on destination-driven design and service, The Ritz-Carlton brand was introduced in some of the worlds most coveted locales, including the Maldives, Turks & Caicos, and Mexico City in 2021. In 2022, the brand expects to expand in Arizona with The Ritz-Carlton Paradise Valley, The Palmeraie, as well as in New York City, debuting in the NoMad neighbourhood, where guest rooms feature sweeping city views.

The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne is slated to grow the brands footprint in Australia. Ritz-Carlton Reserve anticipates expanding its portfolio, debuting its sixth rare estate in the Chinese valley of Jiuzhaigou. In keeping with the brands design aesthetic, The Ritz-Carlton Moscow, The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, and The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, are all expected to celebrate major renovations in the year ahead. Additionally, the brand expects to mark the inaugural voyage of The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection in May 2022.

St. Regis

Through its rituals, heritage, and spirit, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts is blazing a path from hospitality brand to a global luxury icon and in the year ahead expects to debut its 50th property. In 2021, the brand grew its footprint in the Middle East by introducing two properties each in Cairo and Dubai and, in the year ahead, anticipates further expanding the brand in the region with the opening of The St. Regis Marsa Arabia Island, The Pearl in Qatar.

In 2022, St. Regis is slated to debut in Chicago, with a Jeanne Gang designed building on the Windy Citys skyline, and the brand also expects to bring its bespoke service and avant-garde style to Belgrade. St. Regis continues to grow in leisure destinations, expecting to nearly double its number of resort properties over the next five years.

This year saw the debut of The St. Regis Bermuda Resort, Marriott Internationals first property on the island and, in the year ahead, the brand anticipates marking the opening of The St. Regis Kanai Resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico, which will feature ocean views from nearly every vantage point. The St. Regis San Francisco also expects to celebrate the completion of a comprehensive renovation, debuting a new look and feel in 2022.

W Hotels

In 2021, W Hotels brought its lens on luxury to destinations including Nashville, Osaka, Philadelphia, Melbourne, Xiamen, and Rome, where a 162-room hotel comprised of two 19th century palazzos marked the brands debut in Italy. With nearly 60 hotels around the globe, W is defined by detail-driven design, inspiring energy, a cocktail and dining culture, as well as elevated programming localised by destination.

With a focus on redefining and elevating the W experience, the brand is slated to open next year in destinations including the Algarve, Sydney, Dubai and Toronto.

Edition Hotels

Edition Hotels brought its hospitality experience to Reykjavik and Dubai in 2021. The brand, recently named the hottest in the world by Forbes, offers sophisticated design, a curated taste of the destination, and modern service. Edition Hotels announced its anticipated expansion in 2022 with the slated opening of six new properties, including sites in Madrid, Rome, Doha, Tampa, Riviera Maya in Kanai, and Ginza, the second property in Tokyo.

With 14 hotels worldwide currently, all within the luxury space, the brand is expected to reach a footprint of 20 properties globally by the end of 2022.

The Luxury Collection

The Luxury Collection is a growing ensemble of nearly 120 hotels in more than 40 countries and territories. In 2021, the brand made its debut in Hungary with the opening of the transformed UNESCO world heritage site Matild Palace in Budapest, expanded its footprint in North America, brought elevated alpine interiors and Rocky Mountain vibrancy to Vail through The Hythe, and showcased heritage-inspired design in South Korea with the opening of Josun Palace.

With each hotel offering experiences and serving as a portal to the destinations charms, The Luxury Collection is slated to debut properties next year in locations including Spain, India, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Tbilisi, Georgia.

JW Marriott

Inspired by its namesake, JW Marriott celebrated recent openings in Charlotte, Monterrey, Shanghai and Tampa. With over 100 properties in more than 35 countries and territories, JW Marriott is committed to delivering experiences and environments that encourage guests to foster meaningful connections.

In the coming year, JW Marriott anticipates continuing to cater to travellers with new openings in destinations from Cairo to Istanbul, and Mexico to Jeju Island, South Korea.-TradeArabia News Service
Washington, Dec 12 (UNI/Sputnik) US President Joe Biden says Washington never planned to send troops to Ukraine, but the US has warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that there will be consequences in case of any aggression.

"They never were on the table," Biden told reporters on Saturday when asked about why the US had decided to abandon plans of sending combat troops to Ukraine.

The US president added that in case Russia decides to attack Ukraine, the US will boost American troop presence in NATO countries and Moscow will "pay a terrible price" in terms of its world image, as well as economy.

"Ive made it absolutely clear to President Putin  that if he moves on Ukraine, the economic consequences for his economy are going to be devastating," Biden said, adding that the US "will have to send more American and NATO troops into the eastern flank" and "the impact of all of that on Russia and its attitude, the rest of the world's view on Russia, will change markedly."

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Greek TV channel ANT1 on Saturday that Russia is not planning any attacks on Ukraine. Peskov also criticized Turkey for selling its drones, which are used by Kiev in Donbas, to Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a secured telephone call with Biden on Tuesday, discussing the alleged gathering of Russian troops near Ukraine's borders.

Over the past several weeks, Kiev and some Western countries have accused Moscow of amassing troops near its border with Ukraine. Moscow, for its part, has repeatedly rejected the accusations saying that the West wants to use them as an excuse to deploy NATO military equipment near the Russian border.

The US State Department said on Saturday that Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Karen Donfried, will visit Moscow and Kiev on December 13-15, and will then meet with EU representatives in Brussels to discuss a diplomatic resolution of the situation in Ukraine.

UNI/SPUTNIK GNK
Former 'Empire' actor Jussie Smollett was convicted Thursday on charges he staged an anti-gay, racist attack on himself nearly three years ago and then lied to Chicago police about it.

In the courtroom as the verdict was read, Smollett stood and faced the jury, showing no visible reaction. He and his family later left the courthouse without comment.

The jury found the 39-year-old guilty on five counts of disorderly conduct -- for each separate time he was charged with lying to police in the days immediately after the alleged attack. He was acquitted on a sixth count, of lying to a detective in mid-February, weeks after Smollett said he was attacked.

Outside court, special prosecutor Dan Webb called the verdict 'a resounding message by the jury that Mr. Smollett did exactly what we said he did.'

Smollett ' wreaked havoc here in the city for weeks on end for no reason whatsoever,' then compounded the problem by lying under oath to the jury, Webb said.

Defense attorney Nenye Uche said Smollett would appeal the conviction. He said Smollett was disappointed but 'holding up very strong,' and is 'committed to clearing his name.' He expressed confidence the actor would be cleared by an appellate court.

'Unfortunately we were facing an uphill battle where Jussie was already tried and convicted in the media and then we had to somehow get the jury to forget or unsee all the news stories that they had been hearing that were negative for the last three years,' Uche told reporters after the verdict.

Judge James Linn set a post-trial hearing for Jan. 27, and said he would schedule Smollett's sentencing at a later date. Disorderly conduct is a class 4 felony that carries a prison sentence of up to three years, but experts have said if convicted, Smollett would likely be placed on probation and ordered to perform community service.

The damage to his personal and professional life may be more severe. Smollett lost his role on the TV program 'Empire' after prosecutors said the alleged attack was a hoax, and he told jurors earlier this week, 'I've lost my livelihood.'

The jury deliberated for just over nine hours Wednesday and Thursday after a roughly one-week trial in which two brothers testified that Smollett recruited them to fake the attack near his home in downtown Chicago in January 2019. They said Smollett orchestrated the hoax, telling them to put a noose around his neck and rough him up in view of a surveillance camera, and that he said he wanted video of the hoax made public via social media.

Smollett testified that he was the victim of a real hate crime, telling jurors 'there was no hoax.' He called the brothers 'liars' and said the $3,500 check he wrote them was for meal and workout plans. His attorneys argued that the brothers attacked the actor -- who is gay and Black -- because they are homophobic and didn't like 'who he was.' They also alleged the brothers made up the story about the attack being staged to get money from Smollett, and that they said they wouldn't testify against him if Smollett paid them each $1 million.

In closing arguments on Wednesday, Webb told jurors there was 'overwhelming evidence' that Smollett staged the attack, then lied to police about it for publicity. He said Smollett caused Chicago police to spend enormous resources investigating what they believed was a hate crime, and that surveillance video contradicted key moments of Smollett's testimony.

Asked Thursday if Smollett could be charged with perjury for lying on the witness stand, Webb said perjury charges 'generally' don't happen after a defendant is convicted, but that it was unclear what would happen in Smollett's case.

He also said the Chicago Police Department was vindicated by the jury's verdict.

'A lot of times people say, 'well, police officers sweep things under the rug,'' he said. 'This police department responded.'

But Uche said Chicago police should have investigated the case 'much more,' and that there were some witnesses who were never interviewed.

He called the jury's split verdict 'inconsistent,' saying it made no sense for Smollett to be convicted of five counts but not the sixth charge, since 'everything stems from one incident.'

An attorney for Abimbola and Olabingo Osundairo, the brothers who testified against Smollett, said her clients 'could not be more thrilled and pleased with the results.'

Chicago police 'got this one right,' Gloria Rodriguez said.
The two new cases were reported from Andhra Pradesh and Chandigarh

nurse prepares a ward that is set up to treat patients infected with the Omicron coronavirus variant, at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad. (PTI Photo)

Chandigarh: A 20-year-old man with a recent travel history abroad, who had come to meet his relatives, has tested positive for Omicron, becoming the first patient of the new COVID-19 variant in Chandigarh, health department officials here said on Sunday.

Another case of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus was reported from Andhra Pradesh on Sunday. With this, the country-wide tally of Omicron cases rose to 35.

"He was currently living in Italy. He had come to see some of his relatives here recently His report for whole genomic sequencing has been received late night on December 11 and has been found positive for Omicron variant," Director, Health Services, Chandigarh, Dr Suman Singh told PTI over the phone.

The youth, who is fully vaccinated, is currently in institutional quarantine.

The Andhra Pradesh patient is a 34-year old foreign traveller, who came from Ireland.

So far, 15 foreign travellers who came to Andhra Pradesh were found Covid-19 positive and all the samples were sent to CCMB for genome sequencing.
This piece is a personal tribute to an extraordinary general, gentleman and my battalion commanding officer

Four days is a long time. Earlier this week, I was planning to write a piece on the victory of the fifth battalion of 11 Gorkhas in the 1971 war. A fateful Wednesday morning changed that, when a helicopter carrying Indias first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat crashed in the Nilgiri Hills, ending their lives. This piece is a personal tribute to an extraordinary general, gentleman and my battalion commanding officer.

On July 4, 1994, I arrived at my battalion stationed in Uri, Kashmir. I was a newly commissioned Second Lieutenant, exuberant but wet behind my ears. Summoned to the Adjutants office, I walked in and saluted the well-built, strapping senior Major, sitting behind the desk. After a brief welcome over tea, he handed me a series of minor errands in the unit.

Feeling like an underemployed youngster, in a melee of busy officers and men at battalion base, I strutted off to the quarter guard, company barracks, armory et al, asking questions and trying to look important. After a while, I returned to the adjutant's office, smug in the belief that I had found the right answers to the tasks. I was wrong. The adjutant, phlegmatic and unfazed, popped a few questions that I hadnt figured, despite the efforts. How could that happen?

I was promptly dispatched on another round of errands on the missing answers, with additional tasks of scouring war diaries, preparing a brief on the battalions area along the Line of Control, etc. The cycle continued and each time I returned with responses, he would lob a thought that invariably had eluded me. That was the Adjutants way of getting me to learn the units functions, operations and about the troops.

What struck me then was how the adjutant, despite an awfully busy day on relentless phone calls, monitoring operations and filing reports in a vital location in Kashmir, found time to spend an hour with me, with patience to correct my innocuous blunders. The adjutant wasnt one to waste the first day of a young Indian army officer and wanted me to hit the ground running in the unit.

That was my first meeting with Major Bipin Rawat.

One morning, in my early days in the unit, a succession of solar powered rockets rained from the Pakistani area across the Jhelum and LoC, exploding on our side. One of them blew away the temporary accommodation to smithereens. Taken by surprise due to the boom, flash and flying rockets that threatened troops on our side, we realized after a couple had been fired that these rockets were timed to launch every fifteen minutes.

Amidst the mayhem, I remember Major Rawats composed voice on radio from the unit headquarters directing me to figure out the pattern of rocket strikes. His calmness and the presence of another unruffled figure at that place, Colonel Durga Prasad, was my first lesson on decision-making under pressure. After over a decade of service, I left the army for a corporate career.

Over the years, Colonel Rawat went on to command the unit and take it to greater heights. Yet, he remained firmly anchored to personal relationships, with officers and families from the regiment or from the wider armed forces community. The larger fauji fraternity reminisces about refined conduct of both the general and his wife.

Once, around 2001, when Colonel Rawat was posted at the Army headquarters, a young newly commissioned lady officer Lieutenant Madhvi Singh (wife of a fellow battalion officer) visited his South Block office. He received the young officer at the gate and after the meeting, saw her off past the labyrinthine lanes of the building.

The Generals wife, Madhulika Rawat, whose brother went to the same school as I (Daly College, Indore), was a kind hearted lady who many families will miss. On one occasion, a wife of a retired officer of the unit was recovering from cancer in Mumbai. Mrs Rawat decided to visit their house in Juhu, Mumbai, to spend time with the ailing lady. It sent the neighborhood security into a tizzy.

For those who knew of Gen Rawat as China-focused in recent times, his erstwhile battalion adjutant Major Manish Mall reminded of how, way back in 2001, when the nation was obsessed with Pakistan, Gen Rawat recognized China as the bigger threat in a presentation to a visiting corps commander.

In 2017, before starting on my debut book on the untold 1967 battles, I met General Rawat, then our Army chief. Since my book was to be based on events in the 1960s that warranted visits to units, regimental centers and key locations, I sought his thoughts. As I briefly narrated the story to him, the Chief squinted his left eye, tilted his head to a side and lightly tapped the pencil on his desk  a mannerism that, over years, was well known to unit officers as a popular giveaway about the General's liking for a topic.

China? I am happy youre writing on the subject. Bataa, how can I help? he greeted my idea with typical reassurance and advised on the people and places for sources. I sought his wishes and left.

A remarkable aspect of the Generals aura was his immaculate sense of timing. Often, he read the tea leaves early. A few months ago, I met him at a literature fest where he delivered the valedictory address. Before he arrived at the venue, a Bangladeshi war hero on a panel rued how the victory of 1971 was often reduced to an Indian victory, though Bangladeshis had contributed too.

In walked the CDS and announced to the entire gathering, 1971 was a victory for the people of India and Bangladesh. In the tea for participants that followed, the Bangladeshi war hero sidled up to me and gushed in Bangla, Did you hear the CDS? No wonder he is a true leader.

With one inclusive stroke, General Rawat had turned around the opinion of the veteran.

A week ago, the battalions officers and jawans, serving and retired, along with their families gathered in Delhi for celebrations of the 1971 war victory. The CDS and his wife attended each event. The unit was his home: he socialized freely amongst troops, officers, families and children amidst food and banter in barakhanas and dinners; behind a tough exterior was a leader with a humane side.

Destiny ordained that everyone in the battalion came together last weekend to bid a final goodbye. At dinner last Saturday, I discussed my next book idea with him. Like earlier, he was enthused and said we must write more military history that drew people to read. I promised to meet him soon. That was my last conversation with my former commanding officer.

It has been an honor to have served alongside General Bipin Rawat, Indias first CDS, a military hero, a glorious officer of the regiment and a gentleman.

Major (retd) Probal DasGupta is the author of the bestseller, Watershed 1967, an Indian Army veteran, who served General Bipin Rawat as his battalion officer.
Firefighters in Sicily are digging through the rubble of a collapsed apartment building in the search for six missing people after an explosion apparently caused by a gas leak killed at least three, authorities say.

The building was occupied by nine members of an extended family, and two visiting relatives -- a heavily pregnant woman and her husband -- were also on the premises when the explosion occurred late on Saturday in the town of Ravanusa, firefighters said.

Two women were rescued overnight. One of them, 80-year-old Rosa Carmina, told La Repubblica daily that the lights went out suddenly "and the ceiling and floors collapsed". Her sister-in-law, who lived on the floor above her, also survived and was rescued from beneath a pile of rubble.

The explosion also collapsed three other buildings that appear to have been unoccupied, and shattered windows in three more.

"It was certainly a gas leak that created created a bubble of methane," the head of Sicily's civil protection agency, Salvatore Cocina, told ANSA.

He said that a preliminary finding indicates that the functioning of an elevator may have set off the explosion, which was then fed by a gas space heater.
ALBANY  More than 400 towns and villages across New York have opted to block local marijuana dispensaries and consumption lounges as a statewide deadline to do so nears, with many officials deciding to stay out of the upcoming market until regulators provide more clarity.

The law that legalized recreational marijuana in New York this year gives municipalities until Dec. 31 to opt out of hosting dispensaries or on-site consumption lounges once retail sales start in a year or so. Localities cannot ban legalized possession.

With three weeks left to act, more than a quarter of the New Yorks towns and 31% of its villages had voted to become the cannabis equivalent of dry towns when it comes to dispensaries  at least initially. Numbers were slightly higher for consumption sites. Relatively few cities have officially opted out, and none of the state's largest ones, according to an online tracker maintained by the Rockefeller Institute of Government.

Passage of the legalization law in March prompted local debates around the state, with residents touting the lifestyle and economic benefits of dispensaries facing off against people opposed to pot sales in their hometowns.

We are concerned that dispensaries in our neighborhoods will normalize the use of marijuana even further than it already is, said Anita Seefried-Brown of the Watertown-based Alliance for Better Communities, which is focused on reducing underage substance abuse.

Watertown, a city of 25,000 in northern New York, opted out after hearing from Seefried-Brown and other residents this summer.

Many local officials who voted to opt out said they were leery about green-lighting sales before the state Office of Cannabis Management provided more information about the market. Town boards like the one in Chautauqua in rural western New York opted out with the knowledge they could reconsider later when more details are in hand.

The fact that they havent really published any rules or laws on it yet, it made us kind of nervous that, you know, what are we opting into? We dont know yet, said Chautauqua Supervisor Donald Emhardt.

The Office of Cannabis Management will compile the opt-out information so license applicants know which localities are off-limits.

Given the time needed to adopt regulations and grant licenses, dispensaries could open by the end of 2022, said Jeffrey Schultz, an attorney who represents cannabis interests. He said operations could open a bit earlier depending on how the state issues licenses.

As of Friday, 252 towns and 164 villages opted out of retail dispensaries. Municipalities typically opted out of both dispensaries and consumption sites. Though the numbers for consumption sites were higher: 279 towns and 179 villages, according to the Rockefeller Institute of Government.

"Theres no surprise that theyve acted ahead of the deadline, and we expect some will chose to fully join the marketplace as we build a new, safe, regulated cannabis industry that protects public health and creates opportunity, said Freeman Klopott, a spokesperson for the office.

Dispensary oppositions tended to break along generational lines in many places. In the Town of Goshen north of New York City, older people tended to support a ban with younger people saying local sales should be allowed, said Superintendent Douglas Bloomfield.

And passions ran high around the state.

I didnt see a whole lot of middle of the road people, said Al Stauber, mayor of the Village of McGraw in central New York.

With interest so intense, the village board put the issue up to a vote last month. Residents who wanted local sales won by a single vote: 77-76.

And if somebody would like to, perhaps, open a dispensary on our Main Street, which has a number of storefronts that are vacant and where everybodys hurting for business, that could possibly be another revenue stream, Stauber said.

New Yorks marijuana market is shaping up to mirror other states where dispensaries cant operate in every town and city.

In California, 70% of cities ban retail cannabis businesses, according to Hirsh Jain of Ananda Strategy. And in neighboring New Jersey, which also is moving toward a legal retail market, about 70% of the municipalities entirely opted out of allowing different types of cannabis establishments, said Mike Cerra, executive director of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities.

But similar to New York, some towns that opted out before New Jersey's Aug. 21 deadline might have taken a wait-and-see approach before regulations were issued.

It appears that some of the towns that have opted out are now in the process of reconsidering, Cerra said.

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AUBURN  The first six months for the city of Auburn's special board addressing nuisance properties have been busy.

Auburn Assistant Corporation Counsel Nate Garland updated the Auburn City Council on the city's nuisance abatement board at last week's council meeting. Council supported a proposal from city staff in April to activate a board to hear about and deal with property or neighborhood issues. The board had been on the city's books for years but had never been used before. Meetings of the board, consisting of the city manager, police chief and fire chief, started in June.

At Thursday's meeting, Garland said he felt good about the board's progress.

"Frankly, in my opinion, it's been a resounding success," he said.

An inspiration for using the board was the troublesome property at 8 Delevan St. on Auburn's west side. The location was the site of a homicide in November 2019. Three people have been convicted in that case, with a fourth still facing murder and other charges. One of the defendants was sentenced last month to a term that could include life in prison.

But in addition to that deadly incident, the Auburn Police Department responded to over 100 calls stemming from that home over a couple of years. In August, the APD enforced a court order to shut down 8 Delevan St., removing residents from the structure and boarding it up.

Garland said the property had been the subject of nine separate police investigations within six months, "which, by the city's nuisance chapter, made it eligible for an action to be filed." Showing photos taken after the city took control, he said there were signs of "clear illicit drug activity."

Showing an image of the property's garage, Garland said "There's just many, many items that, in my opinion, are somewhat random. You'll see there's a power washer there, a snow blower, some electronic equipment, things that I think if you asked a police officer they would tell you that there's no doubt that those items were almost certainly stolen and were waiting to be sold to get money to purchase drugs." He also added "drug-seeking behavior was clearly happening" and indicated that prostitution activity had taken place.

But beyond 8 Delevan St., there have been dozens of complaints to the nuisance board regarding different properties, Garland said, noting that complainants can be anonymous. Complaints come in to the city manager's office and are filed, he continued, and there is a cut-off date to get a particular property on the nuisance board's agenda. Once that date is reached, an internal meeting takes place where city staff discuss those particular properties.

Garland said there is a "multidisciplinary approach," as the APD, the Auburn Fire Department, code enforcement, corporation counsel, the city manager's office and the planning and economic development office are all involved.

Over a dozen properties have been evaluated so far.

An example of a property where concrete action resulted from a nuisance board complaint involved 41 Morris St. Garland said many of the former residents of 8 Delevan St. began occupying 41 Morris St., which had been condemned for years.

Packages started disappearing on Morris Street, Garland said, with camera footage "showing that it was pretty clear who was taking the packages and where they were going." Around five to 10 residents on that street had ongoing dialogue with the city about the property.

Noting it's unlawful to occupy a condemned property, Garland said code enforcement put up postings at 41 Morris St. declaring it a public nuisance. The building was officially cleared by mid-October, and the doors and windows were boarded up. A section of the city's municipal code was used to "expeditiously get the property vacated within 30 days," Garland said

Garland believes the nuisance abatement process has achieved results. Letters have been sent to property owners informing them that the city has received complaints. Some property owners hired attorneys who have informed the committee that problem tenants were being evicted.

"We have had people (who are) subjects of the complaints, homeowners, residents, show up and say, 'Hey, we understand this is a real problem. It's a problem for us too, we're going to do whatever we can to make things better, be better neighbors,'" Garland said.

The nuisance abatement process also has been successful in "the forum that that it's created for neighbors to talk about issues that they otherwise really wouldn't have an outlet for," Garland said.

He praised the departments who have been involved and said the efforts of Shelly Lowe, the secretary to the city manager, have been "invaluable."

Councilor Terry Cuddy lauded the city staff and departments and City Manager Jeff Dygert and thanked Garland and Corporation Counsel Stacy DeForrest for "looking at what's on the books to address some of the issues that have really been plaguing Auburn for years."

Garland said after meeting that the issues at 41 Morris St. came to the board's attention shortly after 8 Delevan was closed. He said the board has largely seen issues best handled by code enforcement, but said that with the different departments involved, "whatever most department is most appropriate, the committee has directed them to take that particular action."

Staff writer Kelly Rocheleau can be reached at (315) 282-2243 or kelly.rocheleau@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @KellyRocheleau.

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BUFFALO  Nurses employed by Long Island-based Northwell Health have been sent to western New York to help at two hospitals dealing with a surge in coronavirus infections, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Saturday.

The 16 clinical professionals and two team leads are from the downstate region including the New York City and Long Island areas. They include intensive care, emergency and medical-surgical nurses. They were sent to Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo and the University of Rochesters Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester for two weeks, the governor said in a statement.

Tom Quatroche, CEO of Erie County Medical Center, said the nurses arrive as the 573-bed hospital deals with extremely high patient volumes and staffing shortages.

Northwell officials noted they received help from other health systems when New York City and Long Island were overrun with virus cases early in the pandemic.

We offered to send nurses there after hearing about a staffing crunch in the region and seeing COVID-19 cases peaking there," said Northwell President and CEO Michael Dowling. "We remember when the pandemic hit us hardest and we were at our worst.

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Canada has threatened to impose increased tariffs on American goods and suspend parts of a North American trade deal if Washington decides to reward electric cars made in the US union shops which the country sees as a detriment to its auto sector.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, in a letter to US senators, conveyed that Ottawa is 'deeply concerned' by the electric vehicle tax credit that has been proposed in the Build Back Better Act.

The letter said that this move violets the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The proposed EV tax credit is equivalent to a 34 per cent tariff on Canadian assembled EVs. Freeland added that this is a significant threat to Canadian automotive industry and is a de facto abrogation of the USMCA.

(Also read | No more petrol vehicle sales in the US after 2035, orders Joe Biden government)

The proposal that is included in US President Joe Biden's $1.75 trillion spending package that is still pending in Congress, encourages US production of electric vehicles by offering big tax credits for local union-manufactured EVs. It also directs to phase out import of EVs after five years.

Along with Canada, Mexico too has argued that it threatens the integrated North American auto supply chain enabled by the USCMA signed in 2020. If the proposal is passed, Freeland said Canada will move towards the imposition of retaliatory tariffs on the US auto industry and several other sectors. It will also suspend US access to the Canadian dairy market and hold up implementation of new copyright rules in the USMCA. She also added that a list of US products that may face Canadian tariffs will be soon released.

(Also read | Mexico threatens legal action over subsidies offered on Made-in-USA EVs)

Non-union automakers like Toyota and Tesla have expressed their dissatisfaction regarding the proposal and also added that this will hinder the smooth transition towards an electric auto industry.

(with inputs from AFP)
Maruti Suzuki is currently analysing customer feedback to see if the Jimny brand could be introduced in the country as a part of the automaker's overall plan to strengthen its SUV portfolio, a senior official told PTI. While the three-door Jimny SUV is manufactured at the automaker's Gurugram plant, it is meant for export to Middle East and African markets.

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The model which is known for its off-road prowess has been in the global market for over 50 years. The SUV was also showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo held in the country before the start of the coronavirus pandemic. "We have collected some very good feedback from the customers. We are studying this feedback and we will definitely see if we can introduce the product here," MSI Senior Executive Director - Sales and Marketing, Shashank Srivastava, told PTI.

(Also read | Maruti Suzuki Baleno scales one million sales mark)

He added that while the lifestyle SUV segment in the country is small, there still is a class of customers who want that kind of a vehicle. "The volumes are less but such vehicles lift the image of an OEM. At the same time, it also helps support many customer aspirations," Srivastva said.

He noted that before the launch of any new product in the market, various aspects such as pricing to component supply need to be evaluated. Though there have been delays due to coronavirus, Maruti is now looking to consolidate its position in the mid-SUV segment in the country, where its market share in the segment remains low as compared to the rivals. In the SUV segment our market share is around 13-14 per cent," Srivastava said.

Maruti S-Cross in that space is not giving enough volume. So clearly we have a low market share in a growing segment We need to strengthen our product portfolio in this particular segment," he elaborated.
MG Motor India is exploring the opportunity of overseas shipments from the country to markets such as the UK and South Africa besides tapping other right-hand-drive markets in the world. Despite the ongoing chip shortage, MG aims to prepare for a long-term vision of enhancing its export opportunities from the country.

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With UK and South Africa being right-hand drive markets, MG is still exploring the opportunity of exporting Hector SUVs to these countries. "We have got inquiries from the UK because the UK is right-hand market. So, we are also exploring the opportunity of exporting and MG Hector to the UK," the company's President and Managing Director, Rajeev Chaba, told PTI.

The carmaker's operations in South Africa still have to start and has been delayed because of Covid-19. "It's not ruled out... once MG operation starts in South Africa that also will be a potential market," he said. He added that right-hand-drive countries could be potential export markets" for the company's Hector SUV.

(Also read | Hyundai, MG Motor to expand affordable EV space, challenge Tata might)

As MG has started exporting to Nepal, the company is preparing for the long term to make India an export hub for the neighbouring markets. The carmaker has already dispatched its first batch of Hector SUVs to Nepal and plans to add Astor and ZS EV to the lineup in the Himalayan country next year.

The company is focusing on exports despite the chip shortage and order backlog in the domestic market as it is essentially looking at preparing for the future with a long-term outlook. This export is for the long term and and we are seeding the markets right now, to start with a lower volumes, but when the situation improves that say, in a year from now, this will give us a good diversification of our sales footprint," Chaba said. He added that it takes time to develop the brand and develop the market network.
Porsche Cars Australia has partnered with contemporary artist Nigel Sense to commission a bespoke Australian artwork livery for its fully electric vehicle, Porsche Taycan. The artwork has been transformed into a vehicle livery for the EV to create three unique digital works of art in the form of multimedia photographs.

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The sportscar maker collaborated with the German NFT collectables start-up Fanzone.io for the project. Non-fungible tokens or NFT is a non-interchangeable unit of data stored on a digital block ledger. NFTs can be used to represent items such as photos, videos, audio, and other types of digital files.

(Also read | Two Porsche Taycan EVs become canvases on wheels)

These NFTs will be auctioned through an online platform SuperRare.com, a digital art marketplace using Ethereum technology. Porsche shares that this collaboration is part of the 70 years presence of the company in Australia and it represents the first digital artwork project based on the blockchain technology Ethereum. The automaker also informed that these NFTs were minted in a carbon-neutral way by offsetting them via the Porsche Impact program. The proceeds from this auction will go to the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art.

The automaker also informed that Senses pieces are also popular amongst Porsche owners. (Porsche)

Taking inspiration from the American abstract expressionists and pop artists of the 1960s, artist Nigel Sense has given the Porsche Taycan EV a look that makes it stand out from the crowd. Launched in 2019, the Taycan EV is the first electric vehicle from the luxury automaker. The brand also informed that Senses pieces are also popular amongst Porsche owners. My work is maps and painted lines that lead to the unknown with symbols and imagery that I have corrected on the way," said Sense.

(Also read | Porsche goes retro, this time with portable cassette player)

Porsche recently also collaborated with Art Battle, an international organisation that acts as a competitive platform for budding artists. Two artists, Rei Misiri and Megan Claire Keho expressed their artistic ideas on the Taycan 4S that acted as their canvas.
WASHINGTON  As Congress seeks solutions to a supply chain crisis thats leaving shelves empty and consumers frustrated this holiday season, one suggestion keeps recurring: Address the trucker shortage.

The American Trucking Associations says theres a need to fill 80,000 trucker jobs to satisfy Americas demand to move freight. The association asserts the jobs pay well but that there have not been enough quality candidates.

That theory stands in stark contrast to the views of an organization representing independent drivers, as well as those of at least four academics who study the industry.

They say there isnt really a shortage at all.

High turnover and an inefficient supply chain that often leaves truckers waiting for hours without pay has given an impression of a shortage when whats really needed is working conditions that retain drivers, they say.

The driver shortage this year has become a fault line in schisms that were maybe already in the industry, said David Correll, a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Transportation and Logistics.

Correll said he understands that the trucking industry feels theres a shortage. However, he said, the perceived shortage is not a headcount shortage  its just the people they have are really underutilized.

At a recent hearing of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Correll testified that U.S. Census data indicates there are 1.8 million heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in the U.S. But theyre underutilized in part because long-haul drivers drive for an average of 6.5 hours every day, he said. The rest of that time, he said, is spent waiting to be loaded and unloaded.

If that time driving were increased by 18 minutes a day per driver, he said, it would meet that need. I think were really squandering a lot of that workforces time, he said.

Bob Costello, the trucking associations chief economist, said the problem is far more complicated.

Demographics  including a shortage of female drivers and an aging workforce, as well as consistent churn in the industry as drivers hop from one company to the next  is contributing to the shortage, he said. The pandemic has added to the problem, he said, with fewer truckers entering the workforce because of shuttered licensing agencies and driver training centers.

I wish it was as simple as all we have to do is keep raising pay and it will go away. he said. But the fact of the matter is, there are many different reasons for the shortage.

Citing the shortage, the ATA successfully fought for a provision in the bipartisan infrastructure law that created a pilot program to allow drivers younger than 21 to be part of apprenticeship programs allowing them to operate in interstate commerce, which was previously against federal regulations.

Many economists and analysts pin the perceived shortage on a lack of retention, saying the industry isnt doing enough to keep drivers.

Deregulation

Michael Belzer, a professor of economics at Wayne State University, said the issue is a direct outgrowth of the 1980 decision to deregulate interstate trucking. He said deregulation and the resulting collapse of Teamster representation of most truckers led to declining wages and poor job conditions that have effectively pushed drivers out of the industry.

Its true they cant get drivers, he said of the trucking industry. Thats not a shortage. If you dont pay minimum wage, you shouldnt be shocked that you cant hire drivers.

He said truck drivers are largely exempted from the Fair Labor Standards Act, meaning many are not getting paid overtime. When truckers are forced to sit for hours waiting to drop off or pick up loads, theyre often not paid for that time. And, because they eat the loss, theres no particular incentive for others to speed up the process. If all their time had to be paid, their time would be valuable, he said.

Many are also classified as contractors, meaning theyre barred from protections other employees might have.

The disconnect has highlighted a divide between groups like the ATA  which represents 37,000 members, including trucking companies ranging from large motor carriers to smaller operations  and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which represents owner-operators and professional drivers.

The former argues that the problem is one of finding enough high-quality truckers to fill the need to move freight, with the problem particularly acute in long-haul trucking.

The latter says the problem is centered on how truckers are treated.

Most of the very people saying we have the shortage know exactly how to correct the turnover problems, said Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. They just choose not to do it.

Steve Viscelli, an economic sociologist at the University of Pennsylvania, called the shortage a myth aimed at helping the trucking industry get fewer regulations and more public subsidies.

What they really need is really cheap, really flexible drivers, he said of the industry.

The bottom line is [drivers] end up recording 30 hours, 40 hours less a week than they actually work, Viscelli said, adding that counting those underreported work hours, many new truckers actually make less than minimum wage.

Paid to wait

Costello dismisses that notion. I would challenge that person to go talk to a trucking company, he said, saying that finding quality drivers with clean driving records who can pass drug tests has become an issue.

He said many truckers in the long-haul sector are, in fact, paid for their time spent waiting, though it often kicks in after two hours.

Spencer, of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, said adding more drivers would only exacerbate problems at clogged ports.

The supply chain crisis thats taking place at the ports of LA and Long Beach is, for all intents and purposes, the direct result of the amount and the volume of cargo thats been trying to be squeezed through these ports, he said, saying that volume has just way surpassed ability of those ports to handle it.

Where is the benefit of putting more drivers in that line that cant get loaded or unloaded? he said.

Ellen Voie, president and CEO of Women in Trucking, a nonprofit that seeks to recruit women into trucking, said the industry has to tell prospective drivers what theyre in for. Driving, she said, is a lifestyle, and not a job.

She said some companies are doing it right by putting drivers on a salary with overtime if their drivers exceed 40 hours. There are best practices out there, she said. But the industry is slow to change.

She suggests the issue is one that needs to be solved by industry.

We dont really want the government imposing more regulations, she said. The industry needs to solve this.

Costello, however, argues the empty shelves are indicative of larger supply chain problems.

Theres tons of pressure points all the way through the system, he said, saying the truck driver shortage is one of those pressure points.

If the driver shortage continues to get worse, thats our future, he said, warning that empty shelves may be a sign of the future. I think its sort of a foretelling if we dont we dont figure out this driver shortage thing.

Rodney Morine, an independent truck driver based in Opelousas, La., and an alternate board member at the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association whose father was also a trucker, said there are plenty of drivers, but the problem is theres not plenty of companies that are willing to compensate the driver adequately.

He and many of his colleagues work 70-hour weeks but are paid as much as the average 40-hour-per-week worker, with many stretches of the workday  the hours spent waiting and not driving  unpaid. But airline pilots, he said, are paid for those hours when they sit on the runway or inspect the plane to ensure its safe. He said the pay and poor working conditions spur many drivers to opt to work construction or at a Walmart warehouse instead.

If youre not making any money, at least youre at home not making any money, he said.

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One in five students at Coconino Community College is Native American.

Often, the Native American students who arrive at CCC are the first in their family to pursue a college education and may also come from challenging economic situations. As a result, they might face barriers in obtaining a college degree.

In an effort to increase Native American student course success, completion rates and a sense of belonging in the college community, CCC has received a $2.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Called the Native American-Serving Nontribal Institution (NASNTI) grant, the funds will be distributed over a five-year period.

CCC values the sacred land on which we live and serve and the indigenous peoples who have inhabited it for centuries, said CCC Provost Nate Southerland. One in five students at CCC is Native American, and we look forward to providing these students with culturally responsive teaching, enhanced support, and interpersonal connections to help them be successful in their studies.

Need apparent

According to a 2015 study by Northern Arizona University, the median household income on the Navajo Nation was $25,827, with 42% of tribal members falling below the federal poverty line. And with regard to education, there is a continual gap in high school completion and college-going rates between Native Americans and other demographic groups in Coconino County. According to the 2019 American Community Survey, 82% of Native Americans in the county have graduated from high school compared to 98% for non-Hispanic whites. Additionally, the survey states that only 8% of Native Americans in the county have a bachelors degree or higher, while 55% of non-Hispanic whites do.

Finally, when Native American students do enroll at CCC, they experience lower levels of course success and degree or certificate completion than non-Native students -- particularly in the foundational English and math courses.

Brian Francis, senior manager of Academic and Career Advising, who is heading up the project, said, Its about strengthening Indigenous student success. Therefore, the project will honor the call to action by being named Strengthening Indigenous Student Success (SISS). Im really excited about it.

The project will get underway in January 2022.

Francis said that over the next five years, the project will focus on three goals: Increase success rates for Native American students in foundational English and math courses; increase completion and transfer rates of Native American students; and enhance a sense of belonging at CCC among Native American students and their families.

The intent, Francis added, is to approach education from a Native American perspective by including ideas of home, of youth, of teaching, and of extended family into the educational process.

Getting started

The project will contain three main elements to achieve the goals. The first is the establishment of Native American Success Centers at the Lone Tree Campus in Flagstaff and at the Page Center in Page. There will be a dedicated space at the two locations specifically for Native American students. Each center will also have textbook and technology lending libraries for the students.

Its creating a sense of home away from home, Francis said, adding that each Native American Success Center will be staffed with advisors, peer mentors and tutors. Its an extended family model, just like back home.

The project will also contain a Summer Bridge program, that will offer, at no cost to the students, an eight-week experience for new Native American students -- 40 in Flagstaff and 20 in Page. The bridge program will have the students take a college English composition class and a college success skills class for a total of six credits. Tutors and peer mentors will help the students. The students will also work with advisors to create an academic roadmap. They will apply for financial aid, register for classes.

The third element will include a professional development component, which will deliver, over the period of the project, 150 full- and part-time faculty trained in culturally responsive teaching methods. Faculty will incorporate strategies and tools into their course syllabi and teaching practices.

Past success

To round out the project, Francis said that CCC will convene a Native American Advisory Board, made up of indigenous community leaders, tribal elders and CCC staff to advise the president and the provost during the course of the project.

Francis has had experience with the NASNTI grant. Before his arrival at CCC, he worked at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, which had been a recipient of the grant and had positively impacted the success rates of the Native American students there.

Now, CCC gets that chance.

I feel like we planted the seed, Francis said. Now its started popping out of the ground and now is the opportunity to start growing it. Its going to be for Native students, but I want everyone in the college involved in the project, and Im excited about that.

For more information about CCC, visit www.coconino.edu. For more information about the NASNTI grant from the U.S. Department of Education, visit https://www2.ed.gov/programs/nasnti/index.html.

Larry Hendricks is the senior manager of public relations and marketing at Coconino Community College.

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Near the Tidal Basin in Washington, crews have cleaned grime off the white marble exterior of the Jefferson Memorial and fixed cracked stone to prevent falling debris. At the Statue of Liberty, plans are in the works to waterproof the exterior of the massive stone fort built in 1807 that serves as the monument's base.

And at New River Gorge in West Virginia, one of the newest national parks, historical masonry grills have been restored near the Grandview Visitor Center, which features a breathtaking overlook of the valley and waterway 1,400 feet below.

Under legislation passed by Congress in 2020, some of America's most spectacular natural settings and historical icons, from the monuments of the East Coast to the Grand Canyon and Yosemite in the West, are getting a makeover.

The Great American Outdoor Act dedicates up to $1.6 billion a year for the next five years to extensive maintenance and repairs that have been put off time and time again. The funding will go toward critical projects in national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and recreation areas, according to the Department of the Interior. It also includes funding for tribal schools.

Some of the first projects being funded are smaller ones that will preserve historical structures like the grills at New River Gorge and the marble walls of the Jefferson Memorial. But dozens of other projects are coming, some more urgent than others.

In Puerto Rico, plans call for stabilizing a cliffside eroded by wind, rain and waves at San Juan National Historic Site to stop rocks from falling on a popular recreation trail below.

Another project will repair the failing left abutment of a 146-year-old masonry dam on the Potomac River at the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park to prevent possible loss of life from a sudden release of water.

At the Grand Canyon, a massive Swiss chalet-style building with oversized balconies, windows and eaves is in line for an upgrade that will bring the now-vacant structure up to code and stabilize it while the park determines how best to use it.

Some of the projects planned for the next year will fix problems with infrastructure that park visitors might not immediately notice: repaving roads, repairing leaky lodge roofs and replacing outdated utilities that pose safety risks.

One such project will replace dilapidated high-voltage transmission lines and towers at Yosemite National Park. The lines constructed in the mid-1930s provide power to the entire Yosemite Valley.

Several campgrounds will see improvements, including one in the Rocky Mountains that will get new utility lines to provide consistent clean water and power as well more electric hookups and parking.

The Great American Outdoors Act overall, with the amount of funding available, offers us really a once in a generation opportunity to take care of some of the large projects, the large needs, of the national park service," while also addressing several critical smaller projects, said Mike Caldwell, National Park Service acting associate director of park planning, facilities and lands.

New River Gorge, where one of the first maintenance projects was completed in October, attracted about 70,000 visitors annually before being designated a national park last year. Attendance has increased with the new status, especially at Grandview, a popular place for hiking, picnics and taking in the dramatic landscape, spokeswoman Eve West said.

Its one of the prettiest areas in the park. Its 1,400 feet from the very top down to the river so you get some phenomenal views of the park looking out from the main overlook, West said.

Masonry hearths built in the 1930s in Grandviews picnic area had deteriorated in the elements, and the grills sat mostly unused until September when crews arrived to make repairs.

Crews replaced the brick and mortar and installed new grates, said Moira Gasior, historic preservation steward at New River Gorge. Gasior worked to help obtain $280,000 in funding for the project, which included repairs to a large fireplace in a picnic shelter built by the Civilian Conservation Corp before World War II.

At the Jefferson Memorial, the $3.8 million project to clean and restore the structure below its dome wrapped up in late October after several months of work to clean grime that had spread over the white marble, making it darker  even black in places  said Mike Litterst, spokesman for the National Mall.

The Jefferson Memorial certainly had had a deteriorating appearance over last several years due to the biofilm, and the cleaning has restored it to the bright white that people expect and, to be perfectly honest, Thomas Jefferson deserves," Litterst said.

In the coming years, several other high priority projects are slated for funding, including a new water line at the Grand Canyon that serves more than 6 million visitors and year-round residents.

Grand Canyon spokeswoman Joelle Baird said the park expects funding in fiscal year 2023 for the pipeline that has broken more than 85 times in the past 10 years, leading to costly repairs that require supplies and workers to be flown in by helicopter.

The cost to replace the line, which is decades beyond its life expectancy, easily tops $100 million, Baird said.

Its going to be a very large undertaking but ultimately is going to have huge benefits to the infrastructure and water delivery to the entire park, she said.

Associated Press writer Felicia Fonseca in Flagstaff contributed to this report.

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Most Americans know the Bill of Rights. But too few Americans know that the way we enjoy those crucial rights today is inextricably linked to the way our Constitution was transformed after the Civil War.

The first 10 amendments to the Constitution mark 10 early steps America took along what we at Constitutional Accountability Center call the arc of constitutional progress. Many people in the founding era opposed ratifying the Constitutions original articles because they believed, as James Madison explained to the first Congress in 1789, it did not contain effectual provision against encroachments on particular rights. To remedy these objections, the Bill of Rights, Madison said, expressly declare(s) the great rights of mankind secured under this constitution.

Today, we know many of these rights by heart. Freedom of speech and press. Freedom from government establishment of religion and free exercise of religion. The right to be secure from unreasonable government searches and seizures. The rights to due process of law and against self-incrimination, and many others. In fact, the Ninth Amendment tells us the Bill of Rights isnt exclusive, and that we, the people, have other rights not specifically mentioned in the Constitution.

As advanced as it was for its time, however, the Bill of Rights still fell critically short. It applied only to the actions of the federal government, allowing states to run roughshod over these rights. Even worse, these promised great rights of mankind stood in brutally stark contrast to the institution of slavery, ringing as hollow mockery in the face of the most fundamental deprivations of life and liberty.

In the wake of the Civil War, however, African-Americans, abolitionists and other Americans joined together to further expound the meaning of freedom. The ratification of the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments to the Constitution brought about what has been called a Second Founding, revolutionizing our governing charter to prohibit chattel slavery, promise citizenship to all born in America, offer equal protection under the law, and protect the right to vote from racial discrimination.

Americas post-Civil War Second Founders updated the Bill of Rights in two ways.

First, they widened the umbrella of its majestic protections to cover everyone in America, to prevent state and local governments from violating our rights without fear of consequence. Most of the Supreme Courts most celebrated rulings vindicating the rights set out in the Bill of Rights  cases such as New York Times v. Sullivan, Gideon v. Wainwright, and Miranda v. Arizona  are actually 14th Amendment cases. Without the 14th Amendment, states would be free to violate every single right listed in the Bill of Rights, as states in fact did to perpetuate the institution of slavery.

It is because of the effort of our Reconstruction framers that our fundamental rights are guaranteed no matter where in the United States you live. To be sure, the promise of the transformed Constitution has not always translated into a lived reality for far too many in this country. But there is power in the words generations of activists fought so hard to write into our national charter  we know what should be ours, and we demand change when constitutional promises are illusory.

Second, the 14th Amendment expanded the meaning of freedom beyond the fundamental rights in the Bill of Rights. As my colleague, Constitutional Accountability Center Civil Rights Director David Gans, has explained, the 14th Amendments framers sought to safeguard fundamental rights that have no explicit textual basis in the Bill of Rights but that are crucial to equality and liberty.

At the Second Founding, in fact, the framers of the 14th Amendment said, It is the Declaration of Independence placed immutably and forever in our Constitution.

The Bill of Rights, therefore, remains timeless and essential to our civic life. But it is just part of Americas struggle to become a more perfect union. As our ancestors taught us, that work is never finished. Through times of war and peace, and even pandemic, they showed us that America is best when the arc of our Constitution bends ever toward progress and liberation.

Elizabeth Wydra is president of Constitutional Accountability Center, a public interest law firm and think tank dedicated to promoting the promise of the Constitutions text, history and values. She wrote this for InsideSources.com.

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With industrial parks (IZs) continuing to be established and key national projects being implemented in the area, it is a great opportunity for Thua Thien Hue to accelerate its development in the coming time. To make good use of these opportunities, the intra-provincial transport system, especially the "life-lines" to industrial zones, needs to be invested soon and synchronously.

La Son - Tuy Loan expressway is about to be put into use, paving the way for goods from La Son, Phu Bai, and Phu Da industrial zones to flow smoothly.

Not to miss the chance

At the end of 2019, Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) was interested in coordinating with Thua Thien Hue province to invest in the Terminal T2 project at Phu Bai International Airport with a total capital of 2,250 billion VND (from ACV's Development Investment Fund). The project includes items, passenger terminal, fence system, roads, expanding aircraft parking lots meeting eight aircraft parking positions, car park, and ancillary items, etc. It is expected that at the end of 2022, this project will come into service.

Having an interview with Mr. Nguyen Duc Tien, Director of Phu Bai International Airport recently, Phu Bai airport is not only a significant location for traffic connection but also the stature of the largest airport in the Central region. This opens opportunities for a series of other economic sectors in the area to develop together, such as industry, services, logistics, tourism, and urban development.

Expanding the Provincial Road 28 connecting Phu My - Thuan An roads

There are many projects of the central government that have been implemented in the area, such as Hai Van 2 tunnel , having just been completed with a cost of more than 7,296 billion VND, and La Son - Tuy Loan and Cam Lo - La Son Expressways being speeding up the inter-regional connection construction. Besides, Thua Thien Hue has recently decided to establish three more industrial zones, including Phu Bai Industrial Park (Huong Thuy) stage IV, phase 1 with an area of about 85.87 ha, invested by Industrial Zone Infrastructure Investment and Development Limited Company with a budget of more than 127 billion VND.

The Gilimex Industrial Park is a part of Phu Bai Industrial Park (Huong Thuy), with an area of more than 460ha. Particularly, Gilimex Industrial Park Joint Stock Company is an infrastructure investor with a capital of about 2,614 billion VND; and, Tu Ha Industrial Park phase 1 (Huong Tra) belongs to Tu Ha Industrial Park with an area of about 37.6 hectares, invested by Vietnam International Hello Joint Stock Company with a capital of about 210 billion VND.

As a result of a series of infrastructure projects and industrial parks that have been built, in the coming years, the growth momentum of the province will be increased when investors pour in capital to take advantage of the infrastructure system. Since when a locality that has both an airport and a seaport, with an abundant labor force, it will possibly attract many corporations and businesses to invest capital.

Quality going along with quantity

With great development momentum in the coming time, one of the urgent requirements for Thua Thien Hue is to quickly improve the intra-provincial transport network, especially the artery roads to the industrial zones, so as not to miss the opportunities. The modern and synchronous intra-provincial transport system not only helps Thua Thien Hue seize development opportunities but also contributes to the resonance in increasing the development momentum.

Monitoring the road surface to prepare for the of asphalt covers on Cam Lo - La Son highway going through Hue city

However, before the development opportunity, the local transport system has not yet met the actual requirements. Many provincial roads to industrial zones in the area currently have created "congestion" in travel and goods circulation. For example, despite the daily heavy traffic volume, with only a length of more than 10km, connecting Hue city with Phu Da Industrial Park (Phu Vang), the provincial road 10 is narrow and degraded.

Similarly, the provincial road 16 passing Huong Xuan, Huong Van, and Tu Ha areas connecting Binh Dien hill with Tu Ha Industrial Park (Huong Tra Town), with a length of 20km, has long been dubbed the "suffering road" because of the deterioration being full of "potholes," "elephant holes." The provincial road 9 passing through Phong Xuan commune, Phong An, and Phong Dien town connecting with Phong Dien Industrial Park (Phong Dien) is also seriously degraded.

The representative of the Department of Transport said that based on the reality, the department had considered to submit the proposal to invest and expand the existing roads to have a basis to meet the development of transport infrastructure of the whole province in the future. This is a field that the 16th Provincial Party Congress, term 2020-2025, determined to create a breakthrough in socio-economic development.

Recently, the Provincial People's Council has approved the agreement on the scale of investment in many transport projects in the period 2021-2025, such as investing in extending To Huu road fromHue City center to Phu Bai airport with a length of 7km with a budget of more than 751 billion VND, or expanding and upgrading the provincial road 16 through Huong Tra area with a length of 20km, with more than 396 billion VND.

Some other roads are also invested, such as expanding the provincial road no.15 from Hue's bypass to Phu Bai Industrial Park, having a length of nearly 2km, with an investment of more than 100 billion VND; the road from the non-tariff zone to Chan May port area being nearly 2km long with a cost of 150 billion VND; and Ring Road 3 in the west of Hue city with a length of 4.7km, phase 1 with the investment of 200 billion VND.

In addition, the province is focusing on investing in coastal roads with a length of 100km from Phong Dien to Phu Loc in phase 1 with a capital of about 2,400 billion VND. In addition, the Department of Transport also proposed the Provincial People's Committee to invest in upgrading roads such as the provincial road 12, Thuan Hoa road (in Huong Thuy) with the length of 3.4km, connecting with Phu Da Industrial Park (Phu Vang), etc.

The current problem is the investment capital for the above transport projects. Among these, there are many projects that have to be invested with thousands of billions of VND, which is what the leaders of the departments and the people are concerned. However, with a specific mechanism to bring Thua Thien Hue into a city directly under the Central Government by 2025, which the Government has just approved, it is an opportunity for the locality to have good mechanisms and policies to create a driving force for comprehensive development in all fields; which will mobilize resources to "pave the way" to connect with the future.

Story and Photos: MINH VAN
China will provide basic public services in a targeted manner in healthcare, one of the fields that concern people the most, the Central Economic Work Conference said Friday, with efforts to further slash prices for drugs and nucleic acid tests and push forward medical reform.





The annual meeting was held in Beijing from Wednesday to Friday to chart the course for China's economy in 2022.

The country has announced a new medicine list for 2022 under its medical insurance system, with 74 new drugs added to the list, according to a notice (link in Chinese) published in early December by the National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA).

The notice also said that 67 other drugs not included in the list will enjoy negotiated prices, with an average price reduction of 61.71 percent, including two drugs for COVID-19 treatment.

The latest move is expected to reduce the burden on patients by over 30 billion yuan ($4.7 billion) next year, NHSA said (link in Chinese). It will benefit a wide range of patients, including those for tumors, chronic diseases, infections and rare diseases.

The new list including 1,486 western medicines and 1,374 Chinese proprietary medicines, will come into effect on January 1, 2022, according to the notice.

The NHSA has conducted six batches of massive drug procurements since its foundation in 2018, with negotiated prices of selected drugs plunging by an average of 53 percent.

The negotiated prices have reduced the burden on patients by nearly 200 billion yuan over the past four years through the national medical insurance system that covers more than 95 percent of its population and is the largest in the world.

In mid-November, the NHSA also launched a third round of national price adjustments and required local authorities to reduce prices of COVID-19 nucleic acid tests in public hospitals by December 15 to help reduce costs for residents amid a new wave of cases.

After the adjustment, the price shall not exceed 40 yuan per person for a single test or 10 yuan a person for group tests. As of Friday, a total of 30 provinces and municipalities have finished the price adjustments, NHSA said (link in Chinese).

Starting from Saturday, Beijing cuts the price to 35 yuan per person for a single test, and the price for a group is lowered to 8 yuan per person, the lowest price in this round of adjustment.

The prices of nucleic acid tests and antibody tests in the country have been slashed by more than 70 percent and 40 percent respectively, since the country added medical supplies and medicines used in COVID-19 treatment to the national medical insurance coverage catalog in June 2020, according to the Global Times' report.

In September, China has released its latest medical security plan (link in Chinese) designed for the 14th Five Year Plan period (2021-2025) in order to improve the medical insurance system to better meet people's needs for medical services and drugs amid the new round of medical reform.

The country will establish a multi-tiered medical insurance system with universal coverage of both urban and rural residents, enhance the medical-insurance system, and build up a strong supporting system with a solid legal basis and better digital services, according to the plan.

(Source: CGTN)
The union that repped Columbia University student teachers like the tragic PhD candidate murdered last week wanted to cut all ties with the NYPD  and many undergrads continue to push banning cops from campus.

Despite the student blood spilled in recent years near the Ivy League institution and nearby Morningside Park  where grad student Davide Giri was killed last week and Barnards Tessa Majors was slain in 2019  many on the famously liberal campus remain defiantly anti-NYPD.

In a now-bitter irony, the organizing committee of Local 2110 of the student workers union in June 2020 declared its loyalty to George Floyd protesters in de-funding and fighting the police state.

In their Statement on Policy Brutality, the union called for Columbia to immediately cut ties with the NYPD and the New York City Police Foundation, and divest from any funding for police, ban police from all Columbia campuses, and redirect funds toward supporting Black and Indigenous people.

A student workers union called for Columbia University to cut all ties to the NYPD in 2020. Helayne Seidman

The student-teacher union issued its anti-police statements just seven months after Majors death and a year and half before its own member, Giri, would be killed. Local 2110 did not respond this week to messages seeking comment.

A petition started two years ago demanded that Columbia immediately cease any partnership or contract with the New York City Police Department has been signed by nearly 14,000 people.

NYPD has no place on our campus. I have been stopped and frisked by NYPD three times in my life for no good reason. I have been pulled over multiple times for no good reason and have been treated with disrespect by the officers frisking me. I do not feel safe on campus around NYPD, wrote one signer.

Giri, 30, a native of Italy and a teaching assistant at the college, was knifed to death Dec. 2 just blocks from campus in a stabbing spree that wounded another Columbia student, Roberto Malaspina, 27.

Majors, 18, was stabbed to death in a botched robbery in Morningside Park, a block from Columbia, in December 2019.

Despite the killings of Tessa Majors and Davide Giri Columbia University and Morningside Park remain defiantly anti-NYPD. Twitter; Instagram

After each killing, the university pledged to beef up security patrols and increase cooperation with the NYPD.

Columbia President Lee Bollinger has pledged to work directly with the NYPD in the wake of Giris murder.

The NYPD has stepped up presence after 7 p.m. in Morningside Park, and the Parks Department has deployed more of its enforcement officers. The university added foot patrols along parts of Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, and dedicated more vehicle patrols to Morningside Drive and the perimeter of Morningside Park.

While some in and around the campus agree with Columbias efforts to step up its security, others are crying foul.

Lots of students dont want a large presence of cops. When you are on campus you want to feel you are in a safe space from police violence, Sayla Roman, 19, a Columbia University sophomore, told The Post outside the campus on Broadway Saturday. It makes sense [to have more security] with the recent stabbing, but I dont want more police presence, adding, Its terrible. Especially at the subway station, there are always public safety officers there. There is just a lot of them. Its a serious problem.

Columbia University President Lee Bollinger has pledged to work directly with the NYPD. David McGlynn

Echoed Columbia student Jack Hietpas, 21: There is no need for more police here. Its a pretty safe neighborhood. The stabbing is not representative of this neighborhood.

A freshman student, Juara, 30, who declined to give his last name, said the stepped-up security makes no difference. This is a huge area.

The additional security isnt welcome, he added, because they antagonize the student body even more. Increasing police presence on campus makes the students feel more alienated. The NYPD has a mixed reputation.

The student newspaper offered a similar temperature of the vibe on and around campus.

In the past two years, two Columbia students have been killed in or near Morningside Park. Columbia Public Safety and the NYPDs responses to the murders have been nearly identical, and neither have been popular in the community, wrote the Columbia Daily Spectator, the Universitys newspaper, this week.

Derrick Haynes, a Democratic County Committee Member and director of Block Renovation City Community Services, told the paper that public safety changes in Morningside Park could be seen and felt  and are not wanted by residents of the nearby Grant and Manhattanville public housing projects.

In the evenings after a certain time, pretty much nobody is outside. And its not just because of the cold. Its because of the uptick in the police presence, Haynes said. This is not how we want to live.

Giris accused killer, Vincent Pinkney, a 25-year-old gang member with a lengthy rap sheet, was ordered held without bail after being arraigned Sunday on murder charges.

On Saturday morning, a guard sat in the booth at the Morningside Park entrance on 116th Street, and an NYPD van just parked at the corner. A Columbia University public safety unit also was on patrol.

Columbia Public Safety and the NYPDs responses to the murders have been nearly identical, and neither have been popular in the community, wrote the Columbia Daily Spectator. Helayne Seidman

Riya Guo, 23, Columbia student, noted the extra security on Broadway and some streets near campus. Still, she admits, Im worried about my safety.

The NYPD will continue to work in close partnership with Columbia University and elected officials, the department told The Post Friday. Extra patrols, which have been in place since the incident, consisting of uniformed officers, marked vehicles, Parks Department Officers and light towers will continue to be visible in and around the area of Morningside Park and Columbia University in order to address concerns and keep residents safe.
We have reason to believe and it makes sense that well continue to see declines because thats what epidemics typically do," he said.

If the general mandate is lifted, the board or Upham could still impose a mandate on a particular school should there be a need. Even if lifted, masks would continue to be an option for all students.

One factor that has changed is the ability for 5- to 11-year-olds to receive vaccines.

By mid-January, families will have had the opportunity to be completely vaccinated, said Upham. But I think moving as far as SD2 is concernedI think well continue to see numbers decline, and so projecting a little bit on what that looks like is cautiously optimistic. Obviously if we see spikes we would consider not lifting the mandate.

Second semester instruction begins Jan. 18.

Mixed opinions

Community members have voiced both support and concern for lifting the mandate that can be found on the school boards public email stream.
In post-COVID recovery, we look at all the factors. We take a whole body approach and treat each patient differently, Kjono said.

When Nieset identified the need for the program, he knew that ease of access would be critical in order to serve the huge number of patients reporting prolonged symptoms. So, with the Medicare expansion to include coverage for telehealth, Nieset changed the traditional medical landscape.

Eighty-five percent of the time the answer is through history takingwhen we talked with patients, people prefer the phone. Zoom is not the future, Nieset said.

Follow-ups to assess response to medication can also be done via phone call.

The recovery program is booked at least for the next two months serving Montanans as far as the eastern part of the state as well as patients from Washington, North Dakota, Idaho and Wyoming, according to Kjono.

Denise lives in Billings, but has only traveled once for a full day of testing at Benefis since her June intake phone call.

Before she found the program, she was preparing to move her whole life to Salt Lake City, which had the nearest COVID recovery program she could find.
Well, its been almost a year since the Republicans took office in Montana. Its a good time to reflect on how they have been doing.

With a legislative majority and control of the governors office, Republicans moved to violate the constitutional separation of powers by taking control of the judiciary. The Legislature tried to force the Supreme Court to turn over records, which the Court refused to do since it was nothing but a Republican witch hunt. In the end there was lots of smoke and not much fire. The Supreme Court refused to knuckle under to the overreach of the Legislature.

Then the Legislature eliminated the State Judicial Nominating Commission and replaced it with executive fiat, allowing Gianforte to just pick people to fill vacant judicial positions. Recently he chose Andrew Bruener to fill a judgeship in Bozeman. In addition to being a lawyer, Breuner served on the boards of the Petra Academy and Love in the Name of Christ, two religious organizations heavily tied to Gianforte. Not sure whether that is religious bias or old-fashioned cronyism. Probably a bit of both.
As a student and teacher of history, my classrooms discussed the impact of disease on Americas past. A recent visit to the Western Heritage Center and the exhibit Conquering Diseases of the Past reinforced how governments, business, and schools united to defeat epidemics in the 20th century.

In 1905 smallpox enveloped Billings. City government guards enforced quarantine and forbade public gathering; churches cancelled services. The city mandated vaccines. Elected officials realized their role was to protect citizens against threats to the whole community. By 1949 smallpox case disappeared in the United States. At WWIs end, when flu swept into Billings, The Gazette published a list of steps to eliminate the illness. The city once again ordered citizens to wear masks.

During the 1940s, the United States declared war against polio  waged nationally and locally. The March of Dimes raised millions of dollars to develop vaccines. When Jonas Salk developed his vaccine in 1954, Montana volunteered to pilot vaccinations; these Polio Pioneers showed it was safe. Because of government and citizen leadership, polio disappeared by 1979 in the U.S.




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"Seeing the monster's head looming above the dark waves, Andromeda quickly

whipped out her iPhone and dialed a number and Hermes's winged sandals flew

Perseus in in no time," The old man turned and pointed to a cluster of rocks

off-shore "and that was where Perseus slayed the dragon and saved the princess."

The tour guide, a lively squat gentleman in his 60s, with a wrinkled and

sun-tanned face under a head of snowy hair, charmed a group of about two dozens

of people as he went on telling stories from Greek mythology and the Bible.

"You see the port over there?" He pointed to a few white granite houses on a

cliff down the shoreline. "That's Old Jaffa where Jonah set off to the sea,

disobeying God, and soon was swallowed by the fish. The moral? There is no

running away from fate."

It was their sixth day in Tel Aviv. A 15hr-flight away from San Francisco, Bill

and his colleagues were visiting the company headquarters as new employees.

From a distance, the city looked familiar. The airport, the freeways, the hotels,

the malls, and the office towers, etc., felt the same as in any modern metropolis.

The details varied, however. Taxis cars were mostly Mercedes and Jettas and

fares were in shekels and not cheap. The streets were safe and patrolled by many

armed young people in uniforms. After being thoroughly searched at the entrance,

one found nothing special in the mall. August in the east Mediterranean fell

in-between Beijing and SF. It was warm, slightly muggy, and comfortable enough

for a vibrant outdoor night life.

The jetlag, however, prevented Bill from enjoying much of life, day or night.

Breakfast was the highlight of the day for him before his mind went groggy. The

dining hall was small but the buffet boasted an abundance of sashimi, fresh from

the sea. He felt dozy soon after he entered the shiny office building in the

Ramat Gan distrct, a 20min shuttle ride away from the hotel. At work, he nodded

through lectures and seminars on corporate culture and processes. Their hosts

were understanding and friendly. Lunch was free but the food tasted bland. Many

of the locals smoked heavily. Bill had a hard time matching foreign names, e.g.,

Omer, Ariel, Tal, etc., to the faces. He spoke no Hebrew and felt shy in his

limited English. He stuck with his group of 90% Indian engineers.

Things got better toward the weekend and they toured Jaffa and were put on a bus

to see Jerusalem. Everything was planned to the minute, of course, which seemed

to be a cultural strength of Bill's new employer. They had a few stops before

reaching the holy city and visited recent war sites following David, a young man

wearing a kippah and carrying a Hebrew Bible which, as Bill learnt, omitted the

New Testament. To Bill, Israel was unreal until he came to the land.

At one stop, as they played team-building games out in a Mosaic wilderness, a

file of school kids on a field trip passed by. Marching on a dirt trail 30 yards

away, they were in black pants and white shirts, school uniforms no doubt, and

chattering and hollering in their guttural note-rich native language.

"We love China!" they turned and shouted in English and waved as soon as they

saw Bill. He was stunned. He was among colleagues from all the world, and yet

the children picked him and identified his nationality! Looking at their

innocent faces, he quickly dismissed the thought that this could have been

planned, too. Feeling chosen to represent his motherland, Bill waved in return:

"China loves you back!"
Merlin is the central mythical character in the world of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. A shadowy and untameable figure who seldom takes a single form for long enough to show us his true nature, he eludes definition today, just as he did a millennium ago, and his origins and fate remain mysterious. His character was probably an amalgam of Myrddin Wyllt, a bard and wild man of the Caledonian forest in Welsh tradition, Ambrosius Aurelianus, a warrior-prophet who was among the last of the Romans in Britain, and possibly a local pagan god whose cult was associated with the Welsh town of Carmarthon (from Caer Myrddin, meaning Merlins fort or castle).

Merlin tells his prophecy of Arthur to Uther Pendragon, with Igraine watching from a tower, Langtofts Chronicle of English History (N. England, 130727): Royal MS 20 A II , f. 3v

As a fortune-teller and shape-shifter, Merlin became associated with necromancy and the dark arts in the imagination of medieval Christians. The story of his birth was founded in the religious legend of the Harrowing of Hell. The demons of Hell, annoyed by Christs interference and his rescuing of souls from their domain, plot their revenge through the birth of an Antichrist.

Christ rescues souls from Hell while the devils plot revenge, Estoire de Merlin (St Omer or Tournai, 1316): Add MS 10292 , f. 76r

They send a devil to impregnate an innocent princess of Dyfed in Wales, but when the child is born, their evil plans miscarry as the devout mother finds a priest to baptise him before he is pulled into their evil orbit. This is Merlin, a child prodigy with magical powers and the ability to foretell the future, attributes that he decides to use on the side of good rather than evil.

Merlin is conceived by a devil lying with a Welsh princess, Estoire de Merlin: Add MS 10292 , f. 77v

The earliest of the Arthurian texts to include Merlin was Geoffrey of Monmouths account in his Historia regum Britanniae (History of the Kings of Britain). For more information on this work and the surviving manuscripts of early legends, see, our article on Early Latin Versions of the Legend of King Arthur published on the Polonsky Medieval France and England, 700-1200 website.

Merlin first appears when, following the massacre of the British chieftains by the Saxon leader, Hengist, in the treacherous Night of the Long Knives, the British King Vortigern flees to Wales where he tries to build a strong tower to protect himself. But every night, the progress made by his builders is mysteriously undone when the foundations crumble. His wizards claim that only by mixing in the blood of a child who has no mortal father will he make the foundations sound. Merlin is found and brought to Vortigern for his purpose, but he is able to see a pool beneath the tower, in which lie two sleeping dragons, one white and one red, and he explains that the white dragon (i.e. the Saxons) will triumph over the red (i.e. the British). He then enters a trance and foretells the future of the Britons to the end of time, predicting the coming of a great king by the name of Arthur.

Vortigern and his tower with the red and white dragons, Roman de Brut (England, 132550): Egerton MS 3028 , f. 25r

Perhaps Merlins most remarkable achievement is single-handedly transporting a ring of magical stones known as the Giants Dance from Ireland to Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire to build Stonehenge. The earliest surviving picture of Stonehenge, showing Merlin helping to place the huge stones, is in a copy of the Roman de Brut, a verse chronicle of British history by a poet from Jersey named Wace, written in Anglo-Norman French.

Merlin helps build Stonehenge, Roman de Brut (England, 132550): Egerton MS 3028 , f. 30r

Merlins next undertaking is to orchestrate the marvellous conception, birth and education of the future King Arthur. As he foretells, the young boy pulls the sword from the stone and inherits his rightful kingdom and - with Merlins help and guidance - achieves greatness. But though Merlin uses his powers to warn his young protege about the future, he is powerless to change events that have been ordained. One day he appears in the form of a young boy to Arthur, who is out hunting in the forest, revealing that Arthur is son of King Uther and of Igraine. Later, changing into an old man, he prophesies that Mordred, the son who Arthur has conceived with his half-sister Morgause, will one day destroy his father and the court at Camelot.

Merlin meets Arthur hunting in the forest, Livre de Merlin (Arras, 1310): Add MS 38117 , f. 76r

Though he is a trusted adviser to kings, Merlin remains an unpredictable character with strange habits and a menacing laugh that announces his sometimes-macabre intentions. In one episode, he changes into a deer and is served up as Caesars dinner, later returning as a wild man to interpret the Emperors dreams.

Merlin, disguised as a stag, is served at the Emperors feast, Estoire de Merlin: Add MS 10292 , f. 160v

When he becomes obsessed with the fairy huntress, Niniane, he performs bizarre stunts for her that include setting two harpists alight with sulphur, saying they are evil sorcerers.

Merlin sets two harpists on fire with sulphur in front of Niniane, Livre de Merlin: Add MS 38117 , f. 186r.

In the end Niniane brings about Merlins downfall. Having tricked him into revealing all his magical knowledge to her, she uses one of his spells to seal him in a stone tomb in the forest of Broceliande, or in some versions in an oak tree, until the end of time.

Stories of King Arthur and Camelot, alongside some of the most celebrated tales in medieval manuscripts, are featured in my recently published book, Dragons, Heroes, Myths & Magic: The Medieval Art of Storytelling, now on sale now in the British Library shop. Perhaps it would make the perfect Christmas gift for a medieval story-lover?

Chantry Westwell

Follow us on Twitter @BLMedieval
Author Anne Rice, best known for her 1976 novel Interview with a Vampire, died Saturday at age 80. Rice wrote more than 30 Gothic novels, including the Vampire Chronicles series.

"Earlier tonight, my mother, Anne Rice, passed away due to complications resulting from a stroke," her son Christopher Rice posted on Twitter.

From The New York Times:

Born in New Orleans on Oct. 4, 1941, Ms. Rice was most widely known for the novel series "The Vampire Chronicles," the first of which was "Interview With the Vampire," published in 1976. It was adapted into a movie starring Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Kirsten Dunst and Antonio Banderas. Over the next five decades, Ms. Rice would write more than 30 books, more than a dozen of which are part of the vampire series. Ms. Rice was married to the poet Stan Rice, who died in 2002. They had two children, Michelle, who died of leukemia at 5, and Christopher. She regularly interacted with her readers on her Facebook page, which has more than a million followers, and her book signings were eccentric shows attracting dancers and fans in costume. Christopher Rice, also an author, wrote two historical-horror novels with his mother.

"She taught me to embrace my dreams, reject conformity and challenge the dark voices of fear and self-doubt," her son said in a statement. "As a writer she taught me to defy genre boundaries and surrender to my obsessive passions. In her final hours, I sat beside her hospital bed in awe of her accomplishments and her courage, awash in memories of a life that took us from the fog laced hills of San Francisco Bay Area to the magical streets of New Orleans to the twinkling stars of Southern California."
Western New York was cleaning up Sunday from a powerful storm the day before that toppled trees, knocked out power, damaged homes and caused flooding.

Utilities said they were making progress in restoring power to customers.

National Grid said 1,000 additional crew members from other utilities and contractors were brought into the region ahead of the storm, in light of the dire weather forecast. Those crews were brought in to both assess damage and restore power.

And more crew members were due to flow into the region on Sunday, said David Bertola, a spokesman for the power company. "More help is on the way."

Bertola said the storm's severe and prolonged winds posed a challenge to crews who worked late Saturday into Sunday. Even as they restored power to some areas, other areas lost power amid the fierce conditions, he said.

The destruction was extensive. National Grid reported 110 broken power poles, the result of wind driving trees into the poles. And 75 transformers were damaged and needed replacing.

"This is a really unique, powerful event," Bertola said.
In a written statement, Brown said, I'm not aware of contributions made, but I do know Ms. Ross is the first African American woman to hold the position of US Attorney in Western New York and that is what should be recognized and celebrated. Throughout her career Ms. Ross has demonstrated the highest professional ethics and integrity. We are fortunate to have a person with Ms. Ross legal experience and character as the top federal prosecutor in the Western District.

Ross said she has contributed to candidates campaigns because she supported their public policies.

As a public citizen, Im concerned about the government and whos governing, Ross said. When you see the country going in a direction that maybe you dont agree with, and you have to do something, you do what you can.

Ross noted that as U.S. attorney, she is bound by the Hatch Act, which limits the political activities of federal employees.

The probe

The FBI investigation of Browns administration appears to be aimed at uncovering public corruption.
Malatras, a longtime aide and adviser to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, submitted his resignation letter under pressure Thursday after text messages surfaced of him denigrating Lindsay Boylan, a woman who had worked for Cuomo and would later accuse him of sexual harassment.

Under growing pressure, SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras stepping down Malatras resigned amid rising criticisms and calls for his firings from lawmakers, watchdog groups and others for his role in trying to contain sexual harassment allegations by Andrew Cuomos first accuser, former aide Lindsey Boylan.

UB Vice President John DellaContrada said Tripathi has no comment about the reports that he is being considered for the chancellor's post. Tripathi has not been contacted by the SUNY Board of Trustees about any interim role, he said.

It would be logical, however, for Tripathi and other current SUNY system presidents to be considered to fill in temporarily as chancellor until the governor's race is decided next year, assuming the board intends to look in-house for a successor.

It certainly makes sense that they are looking at President Tripathi for this position," said Buffalo State Sen. Sean Ryan of the New York Post story. "Hes been a strong leader for the University at Buffalo for the past decade."

SUNY comprises 64 higher education institutions across the state and enrolls roughly 375,000 students.

The governor controls nearly all seats on the SUNY board.
James Comerford, who heads the city's Department of Inspections and Permits, said in a statement Sunday that "we were out there yesterday and today. We are having a drone inspection tomorrow to determine the extent of the damage."

Tim Tielman, who edited the 1990 book "Buffalo's Waterfront: A Guide" that highlighted the grain elevators and wrote the landmark application when the Great Northern was locally landmarked, said the brick wall was weather-protective sheathing and the damage to it doesn't threaten the building's structural integrity.

"The brick doesn't support the elevator structurally," Tielman said. "The steel bins support themselves, and they and the framework are structurally independent, so the elevator itself is in no danger of collapse."

The one-of-a-kind colossus was locally landmarked in April 1990 by the City of Buffalo in response to an attempt by Pillsbury Co. to tear it down. ADM acquired the building in 1993 and tried to have it demolished in 1996 and again in 2003. A spokesman for Illinois-based ADM did not return a message to comment on Sunday.

The Great Northern is considered eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
The worst of Saturday's wild weather is over in Western New York.

Winds which topped out at more than 70 mph have diminished to sustained speeds of 20 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 40. The National Weather Service's high wind warning, which went into effect at 1 p.m., is set to expire at 11 p.m.

Temperatures hit a record 67 degrees at 1 p.m., then fell into the mid 30s by 10 p.m., en route to an overnight low of 32. In Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties, there were snow showers. Sunday will see highs around 40 and it still will be breezy.

Streets and highways along Lake Erie, the Niagara River and the Erie Canal in the Tonawandas spilled over their banks. The Skyway, which closed at 6 p.m., is scheduled to reopen at 4 a.m. Route 5 was closed along the lake shore in Hamburg.

A ban on empty tractor-trailers and high-profile vehicles, as well as empty tandems, went into effect on portions of the Thruway at noon Saturday, the state Thruway Authority announced.

The ban, which will remain in effect until further notice, pertains to the I-90 between exits 42 and 61, as well as the I-190.
National Grid reported about 60,000 customers without electricity in the region, more than 30,000 of them in Erie County. NYSEG reported that nearly 30,000 of its customers had lost power.

By 10 p.m., National Grid had restored power to about 13,000 customers and NYSEG had brought electricity back to about 8,000.

The high wind warning, posted by the National Weather Service at 1 p.m., expired at 11 p.m. Lake shore flood warnings also expired at 11.

Buffalo received approximately 25 calls for traffic signals being completely out or on flash or signals that may have been damaged. Power had been restored to most locations by about 9:30 p.m. but there are a few still on flash that crews will address.

Due to rising waters, two intersections in Buffalo were closed around 6:30 p.m. at Niagara and Tonawanda streets and Hamburg and South streets, according to Department of Public Works officials. By 10 p.m., the intersection at Hamburg and South streets had been reopened.
The British retaliated by firing back and then launching a commando raid on the U.S. side of the Niagara River, where they killed an American sailor and sent a burning steamship flying the stars and stripes over Niagara Falls.

President Martin Van Buren, fearful that the fighting would escalate into another war between Great Britain and the United States, interceded to stamp down the populist support for the Canadian-American insurgency,

But the raids continued and spread along the border, as far west as Detroit and as far east as the St. Lawrence River. British, Canadian and American blood was spilled in more than a dozen battles over the next 12 months.

When the war fizzled out, the British hanged 11 Americans, summarily executed four others and sent scores more to its penal colony in Australia.

The Patriot War of 1837-38 is little remembered today in the United States, but it was not without consequence. It awakened Britain to the corruption and oppression in its North American colony, and contributed to the federation of Canada three decades later.
In Ghana, skin whitening or lightening is as widespread as it is in parts of Africa due to unfettered access to various brands of bleaching creams, often blamed on the continents lax regulations. Beauty standards, often promoted by the media and advertising companies, have reinforced the bias that lighter skin tone is more desirable, forcing men and women of colour to bleach.

"Here, light skin is equated with beauty and most of our women and even the men do it because they believe its prestigious, Naa Dei, a resident of Chorkor-Chemuenaa, a coastal community in Ghanas capital, told Africa Calling.

Among certain Ghanaian ethnic groups - such as the Ga - skin whitening is seen by both sexes, including the old and young, as a symbol of beauty, attractiveness and self-esteem. Women from Deis neighborhood bleach more, especially during festive seasons like naming ceremonies and Christmas celebrations.

When our women give birth, they bleach to look more beautiful and be admired during the naming ceremony of their new born babies. Its community thing, she says, holding a cream she bought from a pharmacy to treat a skin rash but ended up altering her skin colour.

What drives the decision to alter the skin varies for each individual. Men and women engaged in the act do so because of factors such as insecurities, family influences or the desire to move upward in their social circles.

Newer forms of bleaching

In many other African countries, the practice of skin bleaching is a lucrative business, raking in billions of dollars annually.

Skin-bleaching products are reported to contain ingredients that prevent the production of Melanin, the body chemical that darkens skin. One such ingredient is hydroquinone, a depigmenting agent used to lighten the skin. Even though the practice has been associated with a number of adverse health effects including skin cancer, kidney, liver or nerve damage, there appears to be no end in sight.

Story continues

Pills and injectables containing bleaching ingredients like glutathione have now become the new frontiers for those seeking a lighter complexion. Such infusions, mostly patronized by the affluent cost a minimum of 175 a shot.

In Ghana, the sale of glutathione injections are mostly done online with some marketers claiming it corrects uneven skin tone.

Now the fastest way to bleach is to do the intravenous which quickly changes their complexion because it goes directly through the veins and it is very dangerous, warns Professor Edmund Delle, a dermatologist with Accra based Rabito Clinic.

What is sad is that the users dont even know the chemical composition of what they are spending so much of their money to buy. These newer forms pose greater risks to health as they expose users to irreversible skin conditions, can damage the liver and lead to all manner of life-threatening diseases like cancer and even lead to deformation of unborn babies, he explains.

In October, Ghanas regulatory Food and Drugs Authority warned citizens against the use of glutathione for skin bleaching.

It follows a similar move in 2017, when it banned all creams containing hydroquinone due to its damage to the skin. This however, has not stopped importers from bringing the products into the country by either using illegal routes of entry or concealing them from being seized by authorities.

Despite regulatory bans and warnings, the use of skin bleaching products is still on the rise, often attributed to the countrys lax regulations and failure on the part of authorities to sanction those who break the law.

Looking forward

In Accra, many skin care advocates including female skin care specialist, Nikki Boa-Amponsem, are campaigning against skin bleaching.

Now everyone is bleaching and it is even the educated and wealthy ones who are deeply involved-- even more alarming is the fact that mothers are bleaching their newborns, says Boa-Amponsem who is deeply concerned about the rising trend.

I decided to educate people against the dangers associated with it because anything that affects the skin is something I am interested in, she adds.

Currently, there is no documented data in Ghana on how many of these skin bleaching products are imported into the country and those who are actively using them, making it difficult for researchers to know the extent of use.

Even though several warnings and campaigns against skin whitening and its consequences have been publicly communicated, many believe that the quest for a lighter complexion will not stop as long as the act is seen as a pinnacle of beauty.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 12)  The Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP) has urged the public to do their part to not fall prey to the rising financial cyber crimes.

"An important reminder: You will never be a victim of cyber crime if you would never give your personal information, such as one-time password, to other people," BAP president Jose Arnulfo Veloso said in a statement on Sunday.

"If you do not give your personal information to others, cyber criminals will never be able to steal your money," he also said.

His statement came after BDO Unibank faced an uproar online from several account holders who were victims of unauthorized online bank transfers.

The Sy-led lender assured its affected clients that it would compensate their losses.

READ: BDO vows to reimburse fraud victims, strengthen security controls

Veloso said that customers should also monitor their banks' social media platforms as the companies have launched their "cybersafe campaign," informing clients on how to be safe while banking online.

"It is not enough to just know how to avoid cyber criminals," he said. "You are our ally when it comes to stopping them from harming other people."

"Whenever you encounter a cyber criminal, immediately report it to your respective banks and the police," the BAP official added. "This is so we can work together to take down cyber criminals, such as the fake bank websites they are using to trick others."
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 12)  The country's largest lender BDO Unibank has assured scammed clients that it will refund their losses.

In a statement Sunday, BDO acknowledged there was "a sophisticated fraud technique" that affected some of its clients.

"We assure our affected innocent clients that we will reimburse their losses," it said.

The Sy-led bank also said that it has beefed up its security measures to block threats and to protect bank credentials.

BDO reiterated that clients should secure their accounts by updating their passwords.

"Changing their password improves account security and prevents fraudsters from accessing their hard-earned money," it said.

"We at BDO are continuously investing and working towards improving our security infrastructure to protect our clients money, the firm added. "While we have put back-end measures in place, we appreciate our clients continued vigilance to combat fraud."

BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno on Sunday morning said they have been monitoring the spike in complaints buzzing social media platforms since early last week.

"We are in close coordination with BDO as well as UBP (UnionBank of the Philippines) on this incident to ensure that remedial measures are being undertaken, including reimbursement of affected consumers," Diokno said in a statement.

"BSP will do everything to ensure the safety and integrity of the financial system as well as the protection of financial consumer," Diokno said.

A Facebook group called "Mark Nagoyo BDO Hacked" was created on Friday, gathering not just fraud victims but also observers.

Several netizens, who are BDO customers, posted screenshots of unauthorized online bank transfers to a certain Mark Nagoyo, who uses multiple UnionBank accounts.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 12)  The Department of Health on Sunday logged 402 new COVID-19 cases nationwide, with the total reaching 2,836,592.

Official data shows 380 or 95% of the newly reported cases occurred within the last 14 days. Metro Manila is the top contributing region, accounting for 98 of these infections, followed by Mimaropa with 42, and Calabarzon with 37.

Active cases are now down to 11,255, which make up 0.4% of the total number of infected.

Based on the update, 876 of the currently sick are asymptomatic, 4,334 are classified as mild cases, 3,683 as moderate, 1,961 as severe, and 401 as critical.

The death toll also jumped to 50,280 with 184 newly reported fatalities, but the DOH clarified only six of these occurred in December.

The 178 others were encoded late as they were erroneously tagged as recoveries in previous reports. It said 35 of the added deaths transpired in November, 73 in October, 54 in September, and the remaining 16 from February to August.

Meanwhile, 509 more have beaten the viral illness, raising the number of survivors to 2,775,057.

The DOH said three testing laboratories did not send their data on time, while four did not operate on Dec. 10.

These seven facilities contributed an average of 0.5% of all samples tested and 0.1% of all positive cases over the last 14 days, according to the DOH.

The department also said it deleted six cases which were duplicated, along with 164 more which were found to have tested negative after final validation.
(CNN)  British graffiti artist Banksy has announced that he will be selling T-shirts to help those charged with pulling down the statue of slave trader Edward Colston during Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.

Anti-racist protesters toppled the statue in the city of Bristol in southwest England on June 7, 2020, during a demonstration in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder in the US.

The protesters tied rope around the bronze statue of Colston and pulled it down from its plinth. They then took it to Bristol Harbour and threw it into the River Avon, which runs through the city.

Four people were charged by police over the removal and are due to go to trial next week. Banksy said his souvenir T-shirts would "mark the occasion" and would be available from outlets in Bristol from Saturday for 25 ($33).

Writing on Instagram, the anonymous artist  who is also believed to be from Bristol although relatively little is known about his identity  said he would send "all proceeds to the defendants so they can go for a pint."

Banksy also shared a photo of the T-shirts, emblazoned with the stenciled word "Bristol" above an image of the empty plinth where the statue formerly stood, with the rope hanging down from it, and a protester's placard lying next to it.

Bristol's Ujima Radio said the T-shirts would be available for purchase from five independent stores in the city, with only one permitted per customer. PA Media reported thousands of people were queuing to buy the limited edition items on Saturday.

Colston was a slave trader and merchant who helped transport tens of thousands of people from Africa as slaves across the Atlantic and sold them for labor, primarily for work in sugar plantations in the Caribbean and Virginia

His statue, installed in 1895, is just one example of the way he was honored in his home city of Bristol, with roads, schools and buildings also being named after him  although many have since been renamed.

At the time of the toppling, Banksy suggested one idea for the statue's future would be to "put him back on the plinth, tie cable round his neck and commission some life size bronze statues of protesters in the act of pulling him down."

The statue is now temporarily on display at the M Shed museum in Bristol, alongside placards from the protest where it was pulled down. It was placed there in June and will stay until at least January 2022 while a consultation takes place on its future.

After the murder of George Floyd and the global rise of the Black Lives Matter movement last year, Banksy  who has been confirmed in interviews to be a White man  shared an anti-racist statement online.

"People of colour are being failed by the system. The white system," he wrote. "Like a broken pipe flooding the apartment of the people living downstairs. This faulty system is making their life a misery, but it's not their job to fix it.... this is a white problem."

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Banksy to sell T-shirts in aid of protesters facing trial over removal of slave trader statue."
(CNN)  Former President Donald Trump railed against his one-time close ally Benjamin Netanyahu in a new interview series, saying he felt betrayed by the then-prime minister of Israel's video message to Joe Biden congratulating him on winning the presidency.

"It was early. OK? Let's put it this way -- he greeted him very early. Earlier than most world leaders. I've not spoken to him since. F**k him," Trump told Israeli journalist Barak Ravid during an April interview which was published by Axios Friday.

Discussing his decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel -- upending decades of US policy and international consensus -- as well as recognizing Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights, captured from Syria during a war in 1967, Trump laid out why he felt so embittered.

"There was no one who did more for Netanyahu than me. There was no one who did for Israel more than I did. And the first person to run to greet Joe Biden was Netanyahu. And not only did he congratulate him -- he did it in a video. If you look at the leaders of other countries -- like Brazil -- he waited months. Putin. Many other leaders. Mexico. All of them also felt that the election was over. But they, too, were waiting. No one did more than me for Bibi. Money too. We gave them a lot of money and gave them soldiers. We did everything."

Netanyahu did post his congratulations on Twitter and in a video on November 8, 2020, the day after the race had been called in Biden's favor.

Netanyahu said in that post he and Biden have had a "long & warm" personal relationship for almost 40 years and sees him as "a great friend of Israel" and looks forward to working together.

In a separate Twitter post, Netanyahu thanked Trump "for the friendship you have shown the state of Israel and me personally, for recognizing Jerusalem and the Golan, for standing up to Iran, for the historic peace accords and for bringing the American-Israeli alliance to unprecedented heights."

Despite posting his congratulations online, Netanyahu was slow to call Biden after the election, waiting two weeks to call the President-elect, which drew criticism from some in Israel.

Ravid spoke to the former President twice in 2021 as part of research into a new book about the Abraham Accords, which will be published Sunday. The quotes from the interview appear in Friday's addition of Israel's best-selling daily Yedioth Ahronoth, as well as the US-based news website Axios.

This story has been updated to correct that Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Joe Biden in a video message.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Trump accuses Netanyahu of disloyalty for congratulating Biden after 2020 win: 'F**k him'"
(CNN)  A top State Department official traveled to Venezuela this week and met with detained Americans as the Biden administration continues to seek their release, multiple sources confirmed to CNN Friday.

Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens' quiet visit to the capital city of Caracas represents a significant development as efforts to free the men, many of whom have been imprisoned for years by the government of embattled Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, have yet to succeed.

"We can confirm that the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens traveled to Caracas for discussions about the welfare and safety of US nationals in Venezuela," a State Department official said Friday.

"We continue to advocate for the immediate and unconditional release of all wrongfully detained US nationals in Venezuela at every opportunity," the official said.

According to a source familiar, the administration was able to work with the Maduro government to arrange the visits to check on a group of detained oil executives known as the "CITGO 6," who have just begun their fifth year in Venezuelan detention, as well as three other Americans who have been detained since 2020. This source said the Maduro government was accommodating of the visit.

No American officials had been able to meet in person with the detained men in years, as the US severed diplomatic ties with Maduro under the Trump administration.

Carstens traveled with a small State Department delegation, the source familiar said, and national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken personally advocated for the trip.

According to family members of the CITGO 6, Carstens visited with the men -- Tomeu Vadell, Gustavo Cardenas, Jorge Toledo, Alirio Jose Zambrano, Jose Luis Zambrano and Jose Angel Pereira -- for about an hour and a half at El Helicoide, where they are imprisoned.

The State Department briefed the families about the visit on Friday, after Carstens had returned to Washington. The Associated Press was first to report on Carstens' trip.

His meeting with the CITGO 6 came as a total shock, several of the family members told CNN.

Carstens "actually brought pictures of him with our families" to prove his identity to the detained Americans, said Alexandra Z. Forseth, the daughter of Alirio Jose Zambrano and niece of Jose Luis Zambrano. She said it seemed that the guards at the prison gave the men some privacy to meet with Carstens.

"I think it was very uplifting for both parties," she told CNN.

One of the men recognized Carstens and was so taken aback that he asked to touch his face to see if it was really him. Carstens gave each of the men a hug before he left, the source familiar said.

The CITGO 6 -- five US citizens and one permanent resident -- were summoned to Venezuela in November 2017 for an emergency work meeting, where they were arrested on corruption charges.

As CNN reported in recent weeks, the men have become pawns in the geopolitical confrontation between the US government and the Maduro regime. Carstens' visit comes follows increased public scrutiny from the families over the lack of progress in securing the group's release.

The US envoy was also able to meet jointly with Luke Denman and Airan Berry, two US veterans arrested in May 2020 on accusations by Maduro that they were attempting a coup, as well as with Matthew Heath, another US veteran who was arrested in September 2020 and accused of being a terrorist.

Denman's brother Mark described it as a "welfare check" and said the meeting lasted about 45 minutes. Heath's family said Carstens "was able to conduct a brief wellness check."

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Top State Department official travels to Venezuela to meet with detained Americans"
(CNN)  More than 100 people are feared dead after a series of tornadoes ripped through several states in the Midwest and South and transformed homes and businesses into piles of rubble late Friday into Saturday.

In Kentucky alone, the death toll is at least 80 and is going to exceed 100, Gov. Andy Beshear told CNN on Sunday morning -- making it the deadliest tornado event in the state's history.

During a Sunday news conference, Beshear said 18 counties are reporting tornado-related damage. As of Sunday morning, between 36,000 -- 50,000 individuals were without power, Beshear said.

"To the people of America, there is no lens big enough to show you the extent of the damage here in Graves County or in Kentucky," the governor said.

Several state parks across Kentucky have been opened to help house families that have lost their homes, Beshear said.

"We are taking them in. We are trying to guarantee everyone a two-week stay so they're not worried about tomorrow," Beshear said. "They can worry about finding their relatives, making sure their kids have enough to eat."

Speaking on CBS' "Face the Nation," Beshear confirmed a 3-year-old in Graves County and a 5-year-old in Muhlenberg County were among the dead.

"We're going to grieve together. We're going to dig out and cleanup together, and we will rebuild and move forward together," Beshear said during the news conference.

Beshear also announced that more than 300 National Guard troops are on duty across nine counties. More than 100 of them are stationed in Graves County, said Brig. Gen. Robert Larkin, who is a part of the Kentucky National Guard leadership team.

As a result of the catastrophic damage in Kentucky, federal agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency are also helping.

"Because housing, we know, is going to be such a tremendous need, we are sending in one of our housing experts that will be here tomorrow to begin the strategy for how we're going to be able to help with the long-term housing needs and the recovery of these communities," said Deanne Criswell, FEMA administrator.

Criswell also indicated Beshear requested a major federal disaster declaration from the federal government. President Joe Biden's administration approved a disaster declaration on Saturday, but a major disaster declaration would allow for even more federal resources and funds to the affected areas.

Tornadoes and storms wreak havoc across Midwest and South

Arkansas officials have reported two weather-related deaths; Tennessee has confirmed four; Illinois has reported six; and Missouri two. Though Beshear said the death toll in Kentucky was at least 80, the state has not released an official number.

Across the region, destroyed buildings, downed power lines and wrecked vehicles lined the streets in hard-hit areas, making it tougher for rescuers trying to reach communities left with no working phone or power lines. More than 50,000 customers in Kentucky were without power as of Sunday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.US.

At least 50 tornadoes were reported across eight states, according to the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center. CNN meteorologists said a stretch of more than 250 miles from Arkansas to Kentucky might have been hit by one violent, long-track twister.

As of Sunday, five EF-3 tornadoes were identified in the following localities: Defiance, Missouri; Edwardsville, Illinois; Bowling Green, Kentucky; Saloma, Kentucky and in Kentucky between Cayce and Beaver Creek, an area that includes the devastated town of Mayfield.

According Criswell, the FEMA administrator, the severe storms are the "new normal" in an era of climate change.

"The effects we are seeing of climate change are the crisis of our generation," Criswell said. "We're taking a lot of efforts at FEMA to work with communities to help reduce the impacts that we're seeing from these severe weather events and help to develop systemwide projects that can help protect communities."

Despite her assertion, scientific research on climate change's influence on tornadoes is not as robust as for other types of extreme weather like droughts, floods and even hurricanes. The short and small scale of tornadoes, along with an extremely spotty and unreliable historical record for them, makes assessing their relationships to long-term, human-caused climate change very difficult.

Candle factory collapse in Kentucky

In Mayfield, Kentucky, a city of around 10,000 people, the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory collapsed into a massive pile of debris, and rescuers used their hands and machines to dig through the destruction.

"There's at least 15 feet of metal with cars on top of it, barrels of corrosive chemicals that are there. It will be a miracle if anybody else is found alive in it," Beshear said. "Downtown is completely devastated."

Eight people died at the candle factory and eight others are unaccounted for as of Sunday night, company spokesperson Bob Ferguson told CNN on Sunday.

"We know for sure that more than 90 employees escaped with their lives on the night of the tornadoes," Ferguson said.

Troy Propes, CEO of the company that owns the factory, said he believed workers there followed the proper tornado safety protocols.

"Our factory was built as a manufacturing facility and the concrete walls and the steel frame and the structure," he said. "You would have thought it would have been one of the safest places but ironically, as you can see with this devastation, there wasn't anything safe about this storm."

"I think hindsight is always an incredible lens to look through but I think everybody made the best decisions and the right decisions with the information that they had," he added.

Mayfield Mayor Kathy O'Nan told CNN's Pamela Brown she heard that the number of actual casualties at the candle factory is lower than was originally reported.

"In the days to come we will find that out -- that quite possibly maybe only half of the casualties, but we can't say that for sure," she said.

There's still a search-and-rescue effort going on at the factory, O'Nan said law enforcement officials told her, and that's expected to last 10 days from when teams started going through the site. After that, she said, the mission will be changed to a recovery effort.

Some family members are still searching for relatives who worked inside.

Paige Tingle, who was looking for her mother-in-law, Jill Monroe, said time is of the essence. The last time the family spoke with her, she was in the bathroom in the safe shelter area," Tingle said Saturday.

"She (Monroe) has lung problems, she has heart problems," Tingle said. "We've got to get her."

The family checked local hospitals but they haven't found her. Calls to her phone have gone unanswered.

Ivy Williams was at the Mayfield site Saturday looking for his wife of 30-plus years, Janine Williams, who was at the factory.

"I hope she's somewhere safe," Williams said, through tears. "Please call me ... I'm looking for you, baby." He last heard from her before the tornado hit, and was shocked to find the building leveled when he arrived at the scene.

First responders have pulled people out of the rubble -- some of them alive, storm chaser Michael Gordon told CNN Saturday from the scene.

"It's kind of hard to talk about. ... They're digging in that rubble by hand right now," Gordon said.

Power outages and road-blocking debris

Beshear visited some of the affected areas Saturday to assess the damage. In his father's hometown of Dawson Springs, which has a population of about 2,700, some remain unaccounted for.

"One block from my grandparents' house, there's no house standing and we don't know where all those people are," Beshear said.

The death toll in Dawson Springs grew to 13 -- up from 10 on Saturday -- with two victims recovered Sunday, Hopkins County Coroner Dennis Mayfield said. The dead included two elderly sisters who lived together, as well as a husband and wife.

The fatalities range in age from 34-86, Mayfield said. The missing persons list is still more than 100, but he said officials believe most of those are people who left town and haven't checked in yet.

As for those who lost homes, "hundreds and hundreds are displaced," said Nick Bailey, the director of emergency management in Hopkins County.

"Almost an entire city has been displaced at this point," Bailey said.

The state has deployed the National Guard to conduct searches, clear debris from roadways, and take generators to help power shelters and hospitals. The governor urged people in affected communities that still have power to stay off the roads.

"Let our first responders get to everybody. Don't go to these areas to see it. We need to make sure those who do this work can do it at the fastest possible speed," he said.

Kentucky State Police Lt. Dean Patterson said the destruction is unlike anything he's seen before. And the rescue and recovery effort will come with challenges.

"It's a very thorough and slow process, because you have to be careful when you are dealing with so much debris, and so many unknowns. One wrong move and you could actually cause more damage, so it's a slow, methodical process."

A hospital in Paducah, Kentucky, around 27 miles north of Mayfield, has been treating tornado victims. A majority of them had chemical burns, long bone injuries and crush injuries, Mercy Health Lourdes Hospital spokesperson Nanette Bentley said.

Tornadoes also caused destruction at the courthouse in Graves County, Kentucky, about 17 miles southwest of Mayfield. District Judge Brian Crick died during the storm, according to a statement from Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice John D. Minton Jr.

"This is shocking loss to his family, his community and the court system, and his family is in our prayers," Minton's statement reads.

National Weather Service Chief Meteorologist John Gordon told a news conference in Kentucky that the tornado event was a "worst-case scenario."

"Warm air in the cold season, middle of the night -- this sickens me to see what has happened," he said. "Look at the pictures on your screens. Homes, totally impaled, two-by-fours through cars, 18-wheelers thrown 30 feet moved in the northwesterly direction -- that takes a lot of force."

Amazon warehouse and nursing home also collapsed

In addition to Kentucky, deadly destruction was also reported in Illinois, Arkansas, Missouri and Tennessee.

At least six people died at the collapsed Amazon warehouse in the Illinois city of Edwardsville, Fire Chief James Whiteford said. The recovery phase is expected to take three more days and first responders will continue to search the site for evidence of life, he said.

The six dead ranged in age from 26 to 62, the Edwardsville Police Department said.

One of the victims was identified as Clayton Cope, a 29-year-old US Navy veteran. He had worked for Amazon for just over a year as a maintenance mechanic, his mother, Carla Cope, said. His father also worked at the facility in the same position.

"Had (Clay) not been there, my husband would have," she said.

An Amazon representative said a tornado warning siren sounded 11 minutes before the storm's arrival.

"Managers were on the loudspeakers telling people to get to the shelter-in-place area. They were also being guided by other managers and other employees who were trying to get everybody to that safe location," Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel told CNN affiliate KSDK on Sunday.

She said employees sheltered in two unspecified safe areas. Nantel said dispatchers also contacted Amazon delivery drivers in the area and told them to shelter in place.

In the northeastern Arkansas city of Monette, at least one person was killed at a nursing home damaged by a tornado, Mayor Bob Blankenship said.

A second person died after the storm hit a Dollar General store in nearby Leachville, officials said. That person was identified Sunday as store assistant manager June Pennington of Mississippi County, Arkansas, according to county spokesman Tom Henry.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday it was a "miracle" that only one person died at the nursing home.

"As I went to that facility, it was like heaven sucked up the roof and all the contents of it. And it's just a miracle with 67 residents that we only lost one there. And that's because of the heroic efforts by the staff and also the fact that we had 20 minutes of warning," he said.

Officials confirmed two storm-related deaths in Missouri, including a woman killed at home in St. Charles County and a young child killed at home in Pemiscot County, the governor said.

Tennessee was reporting four weather-related deaths from the severe weather. Two were in Lake County, one in Obion County and one in Shelby County, Tennessee Emergency Management spokesman Dean Flener said.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "More than 100 feared dead after tornadoes hit central and southern US."
(CNN)  A formal investigation has been launched by the University of Florida after an internal report detailed a culture of fear among faculty members claiming political influence on campus as well as instances of pressure to destroy and delay publication of Covid-19 research data.

Vice President of UF Research David Norton announced the investigation in an email to faculty and staff Friday morning, according to the university. The email indicates the results of the investigation will be made public upon completion, but did not give a timeline.

"UF Research became aware of possible violations of the UF Policy on Research Integrity," Norton wrote in an email, saying the possible violation relates "to the reported destruction of COVID-19 research data at UF."

Asked if the university was aware of actual destruction of data, the school said the investigation would be looking into that.

The allegations were detailed in the Faculty Senate report, released Monday.

The committee did not name specific individuals, in order to protect the jobs of faculty members, Dr. Danaya Wright, a professor at the University of Florida and one of six authors listed on the report told CNN.

"I don't know that we need a smoking gun, in particular, to say that this is coming from state government, governmental entities," Wright said.

The report identifies challenges in the partnership with the State of Florida, with which the university worked jointly on Covid-19 research.

The issues noted in the report include, "external pressure to destroy deidentified data, barriers to accessing and analyzing deidentified data in a timely manner, and barriers to publication of scientific research." These issues created "challenges" for faculty to contribute scientific findings during a world-wide pandemic, the report summarized.

A spokesperson for Florida's governor denied any involvement.

"Governor (Ron) DeSantis does not interfere with the internal matters of UF, which this is. Nobody from our office has told UF professors to refrain from criticizing any state policies," said spokesperson Christina Pushaw.

"Everyone in the academic community is free to share their opinions and critiques of policies. The governor is confident in UF leadership and proud that the university has risen in the national rankings to one of the top 5 public research universities in the country," Pushaw said.

The Faculty Senate report was the result of a three-week investigation looking into academic freedom at the university after three full-time professors were barred from testifying as paid experts in a lawsuit brought against the state that dealt with voting rights.

The university later reversed its decision after facing intense public criticism.

CLARIFICATION: This story has been updated to make clear there has been no confirmation that Covid-19 research data has been destroyed.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "University of Florida launches formal investigation after reports of pressure to destroy Covid-19 research data."
The state Department of Health reported 431 new cases of COVID-19 and three additional deaths this weekend's two-day report in Cumberland County.

The DOH reported 284 new cases for the county Saturday (the highest single-day case total for the county since January) and 147 new cases for the county Sunday.

The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Cumberland County increased to 123 in Sunday's report, up seven from Friday. The 14-day average for hospitalizations in the county sits at 109.9, the highest rate since Oct. 26.

There are 26 adults in intensive care (the same as Friday) and 21 on ventilators (down two from Friday). Five adult ICU beds remain open of the 117 currently staffed across the county, and 39 of 94 ventilators in the county are in use.

The county finished November with 33 deaths after reporting 55 deaths in October. It has 28 deaths reported in the first 12 days of December.

Sunday's two-day report included 809 test results for Cumberland County, with 78 probable cases. Comparing just the number of negative tests (378) and confirmed positive tests (353), the county saw 48.3% of its tests come back positive.

Franklin County reported 111 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 Sunday (the same as Friday), with two of 30 currently staffed ICU beds available in the county and 15 of 36 available ventilators in use. There are 18 adults in intensive care and 14 on ventilators.

Dauphin County reported 167 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 Sunday (up 11 from Friday), with 23 of 198 currently staffed ICU beds available in the county and 90 of 177 available ventilators in use. There are 46 adults in intensive care and 30 on ventilators.

School-age children

In its weekly update for the 15th week of the school year, the department reported 126 cases among children aged 5-18 in Cumberland County during the week of Dec. 1-7, the same number of cases that had been reported the previous week. The total number of cases in Cumberland County for this school year is 2,017.

Statewide, the number of cases among 5- to 18-year-olds saw its largest increase of the school year with 9,214 cases reported during the week of Dec. 1-7, compared to 6,574 during the previous week. The state said the total number of cases in that age group for the school year is 103,485.

Early Warning Dashboard

Cumberland County saw a decrease in its in percent positivity and its incidence rate per 100,000 people in the Health Department's weekly update to its Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard Friday. Its percent positivity decreased to 14.9% for the week of Dec. 3-Dec. 9, down from 18.2% the previous week. The incidence rate per 100,000 people decreased to 239.2, down from 256.1 the previous week.

In the southeast region, Lebanon County featured significant increases in the Health Department update Friday, with its percent positivity jumping to 25.9% (up from 21.5% the previous week)  the second highest percent positivity in the state for the week behind Potter County (28.5%). Lebanon's incidence rate jumped to 458.4 (up from 345.6 the previous week). Sullivan County featured the highest incidence rate per 100,000 people for the week at 692.4.

Philadelphia County, which includes the city of Philadelphia, had the lowest percent positivity in the state for the week of Dec. 3-9 at 7.1%. Cameron County had the lowest incidence rate per 100,000 people in the state at 239.2.

Penn State Health update (Dec. 10)

Penn State Health lists a COVID-19 dashboard on its website tracking cases at each of its acute care hospitals  Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center, Hampden Medical Center and Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center. The dashboard will be updated every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Friday's update shows 155 total cases (152 adults, 3 pediatrics) in the health systems four hospitals, a decrease of 16 cases since Dec. 3. Twenty-nine are fully vaccinated (18.7%) with seven in an ICU and five on ventilators; 106 are nonvaccinated (68.4%) with 32 adults in an ICU and 17 adults on a ventilator, and 20 are unknown status patients. Three unvaccinated children are hospitalized and one is in an ICU and one on a ventilator.

Holy Spirit Medical Center in Camp Hill has 36 COVID patients. Seven are fully vaccinated adults (one in ICU and one on a ventilator) and 29 are unvaccinated adults (four in an ICU and four on a ventilator).

Hampden Medical Center has five COVID patients, all five of them unvaccinated (one in an ICU, no one on a ventilator).

Vaccinations

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention labels Cumberland County as having "high" transmission of the virus  the highest level, which is the transmission level for every county in the state. Community transmission is determined by the number of new cases per 100,000 people in the last seven days and the positivity rate over the last seven days, so the classification could vary from day to day based on those numbers.

In data updated Saturday evening, the CDC says Cumberland County has seen 59.3% of its total population of 253,370 become fully vaccinated. For the county's population of people ages 12 and older, 67.4% have been fully vaccinated. For the county's population of people ages 5 and older, 62.6% have been fully vaccinated.

County numbers in the southcentral region (for Dec. 12 - this is a two-day report):

Adams County (pop. 103,009): 161 new cases; 15,520 total cases (12,517 confirmed, 3,003 probable); 45,297 negatives; 254 deaths (+1); 49.4% of county population vaccinated

161 new cases; 15,520 total cases (12,517 confirmed, 3,003 probable); 45,297 negatives; 254 deaths (+1); 49.4% of county population vaccinated Bedford County (pop. 47,888): 65 new cases; 8,172 total cases (5,543 confirmed, 2,629 probable); 13,059 negatives; 202 deaths; 35.8% of county population vaccinated

65 new cases; 8,172 total cases (5,543 confirmed, 2,629 probable); 13,059 negatives; 202 deaths; 35.8% of county population vaccinated Blair County (pop. 121,829): 263 new cases; 21,924 total cases (17,326 confirmed, 4,598 probable); 48,618 negatives; 457 deaths (+2); 47.1% of county population vaccinated

263 new cases; 21,924 total cases (17,326 confirmed, 4,598 probable); 48,618 negatives; 457 deaths (+2); 47.1% of county population vaccinated Cumberland County (pop. 253,370): 431 new cases; 33,355 total cases (25,697 confirmed, 7,658 probable); 106,782 negatives; 679 deaths (+3); 59.3% of county population vaccinated

431 new cases; 33,355 total cases (25,697 confirmed, 7,658 probable); 106,782 negatives; 679 deaths (+3); 59.3% of county population vaccinated Dauphin County (pop. 278,299): 396 new cases; 40,031 total cases (33,907 confirmed, 6,124 probable); 133,148 negatives; 721 deaths (+5); 55.4% of county population vaccinated

396 new cases; 40,031 total cases (33,907 confirmed, 6,124 probable); 133,148 negatives; 721 deaths (+5); 55.4% of county population vaccinated Franklin County (pop. 155,027): 215 new cases; 25,441 total cases (20,187 confirmed, 5,254 probable); 65,517 negatives; 511 deaths (+2); 44.8% of county population vaccinated

215 new cases; 25,441 total cases (20,187 confirmed, 5,254 probable); 65,517 negatives; 511 deaths (+2); 44.8% of county population vaccinated Fulton County (pop. 14,530): 33 new cases; 2,856 total cases (1,360 confirmed, 1,496 probable); 5,133 negatives; 40 deaths; 33.2% of county population vaccinated

33 new cases; 2,856 total cases (1,360 confirmed, 1,496 probable); 5,133 negatives; 40 deaths; 33.2% of county population vaccinated Huntingdon County (pop. 45,144): 89 new cases; 8,021 total cases (6,551 confirmed, 1,470 probable); 21,868 negatives; 191 deaths (+2); 47.3% of county population vaccinated

89 new cases; 8,021 total cases (6,551 confirmed, 1,470 probable); 21,868 negatives; 191 deaths (+2); 47.3% of county population vaccinated Juniata County (pop. 24,763): 40 new cases; 3,573 total cases (3,258 confirmed, 315 probable); 6,878 negatives; 137 deaths (+3); 37.1% of county population vaccinated

40 new cases; 3,573 total cases (3,258 confirmed, 315 probable); 6,878 negatives; 137 deaths (+3); 37.1% of county population vaccinated Lebanon County (pop. 141,793): 342 new cases; 24,394 total cases (20,798 confirmed, 3,596 probable); 64,860 negatives; 367 deaths (+1); 49.3% of county population vaccinated

342 new cases; 24,394 total cases (20,798 confirmed, 3,596 probable); 64,860 negatives; 367 deaths (+1); 49.3% of county population vaccinated Mifflin County (pop. 46,138): 57 new cases; 8,632 total cases (8,165 confirmed, 467 probable); 18,138 negatives; 231 deaths; 45.3% of county population vaccinated

57 new cases; 8,632 total cases (8,165 confirmed, 467 probable); 18,138 negatives; 231 deaths; 45.3% of county population vaccinated Perry County (pop. 46,272): 81 new cases; 6,352 total cases (4,941 confirmed, 1,411 probable); 13,993 negatives; 137 deaths (+2); 42.5% of county population vaccinated

81 new cases; 6,352 total cases (4,941 confirmed, 1,411 probable); 13,993 negatives; 137 deaths (+2); 42.5% of county population vaccinated York County (pop. 449,058): 1,055 new cases; 75,136 total cases (60,809 confirmed; 14,327 probable); 200,107 negatives; 1,109 deaths (+9); 52.7% of county population vaccinated

ZIP code-level counts (updated Dec. 12):

17013: 3,936 positives, 16,465 negatives - +63 since Dec. 10

17015: 2,371 positives, 8,089 negatives - +49 since Dec. 10

17050: 3,756 positives, 17,201 negatives - +47 since Dec. 10

17055: 4,187 positives, 19,091 negatives - +59 since Dec. 10

17011: 3,802 positives, 15,811 negatives - +35 since Dec. 10

17007: 582 positives, 2,100 negatives - +13 since Dec. 10

17065: 429 positives, 1,417 negatives - +24 since Dec. 10

17324: 465 positives, 1,441 negatives - +20 since Dec. 10

17241: 1,068 positives, 3,542 negatives - +16 since Dec. 10

17257: 2,635 positives, 7,952 negatives - +33 since Dec. 10

17240: 267 positives, 720 negatives - +2 since Dec. 10

17025: 1,795 positives, 6,577 negatives - +19 since Dec. 10

17070: 1,695 positives, 6,168 negatives - +33 since Dec. 10

17043: 574 positives, 2,363 negatives - +9 since Dec. 10

17019: 2,062 positives, 6,253 negatives - +34 since Dec. 10

17266: 38 positives, 144 negatives - +1 since Dec. 10

School district and college case counts (updated Dec. 10)

The Sentinel's case counts for Cumberland County school districts and colleges or universities are updated Fridays. The policy for each school districts reporting is noted in the list below.

Big Spring School District (reports active cases in past 14 days with school exposure): 10 student cases and 2 staff cases being monitored as of Dec. 10.

(reports active cases in past 14 days with school exposure): 10 student cases and 2 staff cases being monitored as of Dec. 10. Camp Hill School District (posts chart that includes total case count): 2 new student cases and no new staff cases since Dec. 3; 107 student cases and 9 staff cases this school year (started Aug. 25.) Chart last updated on Dec. 10.

(posts chart that includes total case count): 2 new student cases and no new staff cases since Dec. 3; 107 student cases and 9 staff cases this school year (started Aug. 25.) Chart last updated on Dec. 10. Carlisle Area School District (reports cases as they occur and updates a chart): 17 new cases since Nov. 23; 239 cases this school year (started Aug. 25) according to the charts last update on Dec. 3.

(reports cases as they occur and updates a chart): 17 new cases since Nov. 23; 239 cases this school year (started Aug. 25) according to the charts last update on Dec. 3. Cumberland Valley School District (reports weekly and total number of cases with school exposure): 37 cases since Dec. 3; 392 cases this school year (started Aug. 31) as of the charts last update on Dec. 10.

(reports weekly and total number of cases with school exposure): 37 cases since Dec. 3; 392 cases this school year (started Aug. 31) as of the charts last update on Dec. 10. Mechanicsburg Area School District (chart lists total cases actively being monitored, updated Tuesday and Friday): 30 positive and presumed positive cases being monitored as of Dec. 10.

(chart lists total cases actively being monitored, updated Tuesday and Friday): 30 positive and presumed positive cases being monitored as of Dec. 10. Shippensburg Area School District (reports weekly and total confirmed case counts involving school exposure): 13 new cases since Dec. 3; 240 cases this school year (started Aug. 19) as of charts last update on Dec. 8.

(reports weekly and total confirmed case counts involving school exposure): 13 new cases since Dec. 3; 240 cases this school year (started Aug. 19) as of charts last update on Dec. 8. South Middleton School District (posts notices as cases occur, updates table of case counts weekly on Fridays): 103 cases this school year (started Aug. 25) as of the charts last update on Dec. 3.

(posts notices as cases occur, updates table of case counts weekly on Fridays): 103 cases this school year (started Aug. 25) as of the charts last update on Dec. 3. West Shore School District (reports active cases with school exposure within past 14 days): 48 student cases and 7 staff cases being monitored as of Dec. 10.

(reports active cases with school exposure within past 14 days): 48 student cases and 7 staff cases being monitored as of Dec. 10. Dickinson College : 2 new student cases and 1 employee case since Dec. 3; 57 student cases and 32 employee cases this semester (started Aug. 30.) Chart last updated on Dec. 10.

: 2 new student cases and 1 employee case since Dec. 3; 57 student cases and 32 employee cases this semester (started Aug. 30.) Chart last updated on Dec. 10. Messiah University : 22 new student cases and 5 new staff cases since Dec. 3; 127 student cases and 52 employee cases this semester (started Aug. 7.) Chart last updated Dec. 10.

: 22 new student cases and 5 new staff cases since Dec. 3; 127 student cases and 52 employee cases this semester (started Aug. 7.) Chart last updated Dec. 10. Shippensburg University: 23 new student cases and 1 new staff case since Nov. 19; 232 student cases and 29 employee cases this semester (started Aug. 1). Chart last updated on Dec. 6.

(Counties with a percent positivity above 5% in a week go on the Department of Health's watch list)

Pennsylvania: Percent Positivity - 14.4% last 7 days (15.2% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 321.4 (290.8 previous 7 days)

Adams County: Percent Positivity - 20.5% last 7 days (18.3% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 330.1 (255.3 previous 7 days)

Cumberland County: Percent Positivity - 14.9% last 7 days (18.2% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 239.2 (256.1 previous 7 days)

Dauphin County: Percent Positivity - 15.9% last 7 days (16.4% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 276.3 (230.7 previous 7 days)

Franklin County: Percent Positivity - 20.7% last 7 days (22.8% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 341.9 (294.8 previous 7 days)

Lebanon County: Percent Positivity - 25.9% last 7 days (21.5% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 458.4 (345.6 previous 7 days)

Perry County: Percent Positivity - 23.5% last 7 days (30.1% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 354.4 (412.8 previous 7 days)

York County:

Percent Positivity - 21.5% last 7 days (23.8% previous 7 days)

last 7 days (23.8% previous 7 days)

Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 405.3 (384.1 previous 7 days)

Email Jeff at jpratt@cumberlink.com. Follow him on Twitter @SentinelPratt.

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This story was supposed to be about how shoplifting raiders stole thousands of dollars in merchandise from the North Face store on Michigan Avenue two days in a row.

Not any more.

Chicago police are investigating after a smash-and-grab team stole an estimated $2 million worth of wristwatches from a luxury car dealership near the Mag Mile on Saturday afternoon. Less than an hour earlier, at least six thieves mobbed an Oak Street retailer and escaped with over $20,000 worth of coats.

And it all happened as the Chicago Police Department supposedly had a special plan and extra resources in the area to make sure the downtown retail strips remained safe.

Shortly after noon on Saturday, two men entered the Bentley, Lamborghini, and Rolls-Royce dealership at 834 North Rush Street. One of the men used a hammer to smash a display case containing extremely expensive watches.

How expensive? According to initial information, the timepieces are Richard Mille brand  watches advertised as a racing machine on the wrist. They retail for hundreds and hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions, of dollars. Each.

The thieves, described as two Black males wearing black clothing, reportedly snagged several of them from the car dealers display and then escaped in a vehicle that was waiting on nearby Delaware Place.

Earlier on Saturday, a group of between six and nine men wearing ski masks stormed Moose Knuckles, 54 East Walton, and escaped with over $20,000 worth of high-end winter coats. One of the offenders punched an employee on the way out. The crew escaped in a black Dodge Charger and a silver Dodge Durango, both of which are stolen.

On Friday afternoon, two men snagged more than $1,000 worth of merchandise from Nike, 669 North Michigan. The heist seems almost quaint compared to other thefts in the area.

Later, around 5:30 p.m., two offenders stole about $3,000 worth of coats from North Face, 875 North Michigan. The same store lost about $10,000 in products to a two-man theft team on Thursday afternoon, according to a CPD statement.

The North Face thieves used the same gray 2004 Honda Accord on both days. On Thursday, the suspects were described as two Black men in their 20s, one of whom wore a Rugrats letterman-style jacket and another who wore a cream-colored hoodie.

Our exclusive and original reporting is 100% reader-funded. Please make a contribution to our operating fund or purchase a subscription today.
My wife and I searched for a number of years before deciding Greene County would be the location of our retirement home. Greene County offered beauty hard to find elsewhere in Virginia, and the people seemed to share a pride in the rural nature maintained by the inhabitants and the County leadership. It was goodbye to the big, highly congested Virginia Beach and hello to peaceful Greene. That was 11 years ago, and we have not been disappointed in our decision to move. Now things appear on the verge of changing.

Communities, towns and cities have generally started at the location of a focal pointlike a general storea business that serves the community and helps it grow. Community leadership evolves, more businesses materialize and more people move to the surrounding area. Community services are established to meet the growing population and before anyone realizes how it happened, a Virginia Beach existswith increased taxes to fund it all. In a sense, the cycle is often followed with many community members leaving for a more affordable and peaceful existence.
Some Oregon inmates released early from prison through commutations ended up committing new crimes once they were out on the streets.

One of the more serious repeat offenders was an Albany man serving time in prison for armed car robbery and who had his sentence commuted by Gov. Kate Brown this year. Once out, he promptly stole another car and landed back in prison, but not before leading officers on a dangerous pursuit.

The mans name is Pablo Francisco and, according to the Governors Office and the Oregon Department of Corrections, he was released early because of the COVID-19 pandemic. So far, 3,853 inmates in custody have contracted the virus, according to a Department of Corrections COVID-19 dashboard, and 44 have died.

Local criminal justice officials call the commutations an overreach of executive authority that erodes the publics trust in law enforcement.

When you commute that many sentences, then youre creating a new de facto sentencing scheme, Linn County District Attorney Doug Marteeny said. You go through this entire system, but then you go to, for lack of a better term, the Caesar in Salem who gives a thumbs up or thumbs down of whether this sentence meets the criteria of approval.

The Governors Office says that the commutations reflect a changing mentality in criminal justice systems in general. With respect to commutations due to COVID-19 concerns, they point to the need to prevent deaths.

Francisco was serving a 30-month sentence in connection to two car theft charges, one from November 2018, and the other in March of 2019. While out on a conditional release  even before he had been sentenced on those charges yet  he stole the property of another victim, particularly an iPad, valued at more than $1,000. That tacked another conviction onto his lengthy criminal record.

His sentence was commuted on March 25 of this year. Less than two months later, he was arrested and accused of similar crimes.

It was May 16. Albany police officers were dispatched to a call of a reckless driver on Santiam Highway near Goldfish Farm Road. The driver of a white Ford Fiesta, confirmed by police to be stolen, led police on a high-speed chase through residential neighborhoods along Geary Street.

Per the probable cause affidavit by arresting Officer David Hoffman, the vehicle was clocked at speeds over 50 mph in a 25 mph zone. The driver failed to stop at posted signs and almost hit a pickup truck.

When the driver finally bailed from the car in the 1100 block of Southeast Second Street, police allege he attempted to run into a nearby residence, but the door was locked. Officers took the man into custody and identified him as Francisco.

Once booked at the jail and placed in a holding cell, Pablo was wiping feces from his groin area and throwing toilet paper all over the floor and walls of the cell, the affidavit states.

Francisco was sentenced to just over five years in prison in connection to these crimes in July, though he has appealed his conviction. He is serving that sentence at Deer Ridge Correctional Institution in Madras.

Franciscos attorney did not return a call for comment.

So why was he released in the first place?

The Department of Corrections commutation form states that Francisco was at a high risk for COVID-19.

We are collecting information for the Governors Office to identify adults in the Department of Corrections custody who may be considered for sentence commutation due to vulnerability to COVID-19 or are within six months of release, the letter to Marteeny reads.

Brown had directed the Oregon Department of Corrections to evaluate adults in custody for consideration of commutations that fall under both of these two categories: those who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 and who were within a few months of their release.

In the case of COVID-19 concerns, representatives of the Governors Office said the decisions were handed down in order to save lives.

On commutations during the pandemic, the majority of commutations were granted to prevent serious COVID-related illness and death among medically vulnerable adults in custody serving sentences for nonviolent offenses, deputy communications director Charles Boyle said by email. As COVID-19 spread in jails and prisons across the country, Gov. Brown and many other governors took action to prevent further loss of life.

Benton County too

Linn County isnt the only place with turnstile offenders. One Benton County case spotlights how difficult it can be to calculate when an inmate is near that six-month mark that would make one eligible for a commutation.

Corvallis resident Avery McGrath, 28, was serving time for three separate 2016 cases in Benton County when Gov. Brown commuted one of his sentences last year. At the time, he was within a few weeks of his scheduled release date.

McGrath was handed a total of 60 months  five years  in prison for 15 separate convictions in Benton County Circuit Court on Jan. 31, 2017. His crimes include identity theft, delivery of methamphetamine, theft, felon in possession of a firearm, unauthorized use of a vehicle and possession of a stolen vehicle.

According to the Department of Corrections, the 60 months were for one count of meth dealing and one count of vehicle theft. The rest of the charges ran concurrent with the 60 months, so they did not increase the actual time to be served.

These were hardly his first offenses. McGrath had previously served a 14-month sentence for 2015 convictions of unauthorized use of a vehicle and eluding police. After getting out of prison on Dec. 22, 2015, McGrath violated his post-prison supervision with the aforementioned crime spree, starting in August 2016.

When Brown commuted McGrath in October 2020, it was for his 30-month sentence for delivery of meth. According to Jennifer Black, communications manager for the Oregon Department of Corrections, McGrath had served 23 months and eight days of that sentence when it was commuted. At that point, he had served 44 months and eight days of his total 60-month sentence.

McGrath was released from custody on Oct. 8, 2020. Based on previous time served credit and his earned time credit, McGraths projected release date was Oct. 31, 2020. According to DOC guidelines, that made him eligible for commutation.

How the math in sentencing works

When simply looking at the numbers, McGrath wouldnt have qualified for a commutation at all. He served 44 months out of a 60-month sentence, 10 months shy of hitting that six-month window.

He was admitted into the custody of DOC on Jan. 31, 2017, which would presumably make his release five years from that date. However, with earned time credit, convicted criminals dont always serve their full sentence as stated in court documents.

But the public isnt always privy to these numbers and the way it affects a release date. Throw a commutation on top of that, and the sentence that appears in court documents doesnt always play out in real life.

And the entire commutation process, despite involving public records, is all done largely out of the public eye. While trials and sentencings happen in open court, the DOC makes recommendations to the Governors Office and then the governor determines whether to grant the commutation or not.

The public rarely learns that someone is being considered for commutation until after the fact.

It lacks transparency, Marteeny said. The hard work we do in the courts is all done in the open.  You have the victim in the room and then you have the wise judge who makes the final choice as to where the justice lies.

"And these (commutation) decisions, as far as I can tell, are made in some office up in Salem.

Other DAs agree this sweeping approach is problematic.

When assessing criminal matters, doing so on a case-by-case basis gives us the best opportunity to assess this, Benton County District Attorney John Haroldson said. If we move away to a more generalized model, then we increase the risk (and) the chances of overlooking a risk.

Another alleged crime spree

Since hes been out, McGrath has been a busy man. After being released from prison in October 2020, he has been accused of committing crimes throughout 2021  in January, May and October.

There are currently five open cases in Benton County with McGrath as the defendant. Hes facing charges of:

DUII

Reckless driving

Careless driving contributing to an accident

First-degree theft

Unlawful possession of a controlled substance

Felon in possession of a firearm

Unlawful possession of a firearm

Failure to drive within a lane

The charges run the gamut of misdemeanors, violations and felonies, meaning McGrath may end up back in prison if convicted. His next court appearance for all cases is Jan. 20.

Bigger trends

This all follows a trend of increased commutations throughout the state.

Statewide, there have been about 900 commutations since the start of the pandemic, according to the most recent data provided by the Department of Corrections. Of those, 54 involved Linn County convicts. More rounds of commutations are already in the works.

The controversy comes on the heels of similar conversations over the Governors Office commuting the sentences of violent juvenile offenders. In October, the governor announced the commutations of 70 juveniles sentenced for crimes as significant as aggravated murder and rape.

The move sparked outrage from the public and prompted district attorneys to speak out, including Marion County District Attorney Paige Clarkson. About a week after the announcement, she and Marteeny specifically focused on the effect these commutations have on the victims of the crimes they committed.

An offenders sudden or unknown release (or lack of meaningful input regarding the same) is one of the most common and fundamental concerns that prosecutors hear from victims during the criminal justice process, she said in a news release. The governors method here only serves to fuel those fears.

Marteeny echoed similar concerns in a follow-up interview.

Its a principle of the criminal justice system that Oregon has moved away from: truth in sentencing, he said, so that the public hears a sentence and then it actually happens.

Boyle, the spokesman for the governor, said the rationale behind these commutations is in line with SB 1008, which altered the sentencing for violent offenses by juveniles in Oregon.

Governor Brown believes that we must put more emphasis on preventing crime and rehabilitating youth than on harsh punishments and lengthy and costly prison sentences, he said in an email. We can no longer rely solely on imprisonment as the only solution.

In general, Boyle says that the increase in commutations reflects a changing mentality over effective criminal justice, particularly when youths are involved.

Measure 11, passed in 1994, for instance, imposed mandatory minimum sentences on convictions for serious violent and sex-related crimes. It prohibited earned time on Measure 11 offenses and automatically tried minors as adults.

Measure 11 has specifically been the topic of criminal justice reform since the turn of the millennium.

Youth should be held accountable for their actions, but the fact is that adolescent brains are still growing and developing, especially in skills such as reasoning, planning, and self-regulation, Boyle said. Yet, too often our criminal justice responses do not take this into account. In particular, Measure 11 removed many routes for young people to demonstrate their capacity for change and positive growth.

Criteria for early COVID-related release

The DOC criteria stipulates that only inmates who are within six months of their expected release are eligible. They also must have received a sentencing judgment that precludes them from getting out via other alternative incarceration programs or short-term transitional leave, both of which are programs that already allow an inmate to be released early.

Other requirements include that they must not be serving a sentence for a person-on-person crime, they must have a record of good conduct for the last year and they must have their out-of-custody health care needs assessed prior to their early release.

The final point in the DOCs updated guidelines: The inmate must not present an unacceptable safety, security or compliance risk to the community.

Given these criteria, its difficult to see how Francisco or McGrath fit the bill. While Francisco was still serving his remaining time for a property crime  car theft  he had also served sentences on such charges as assault and robbery, both crimes against people.

Now they stand accused of committing new offenses once they were released.

The seeming discrepancies, and the lack of transparency surrounding these commutations, are why district attorneys say this action erodes the publics faith in law enforcement institutions.

I respect, certainly, the executive branchs ability and duty to commute sentences, Marteeny said. But its not being done with care.  When you build it in the huge sweeping way that it was, it really significantly changes our system and it wastes a lot of taxpayer money.

Troy Shinn covers healthcare, natural resources and Linn County government. He can be reached at 541-812-6114 or troy.shinn@lee.net. He can be found on Twitter at @troydshinn.

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Some Denton bars have discreet ways for uncomfortable patrons to ask for help

Jeff Woo/DRC file photo An employee makes a drink at Cool Beans in March 2020. At the Hickory Street bar, if a patron orders a halo shot, its a signal to bar staff that the individual needs help, either in getting out of the bar swiftly and quietly or getting police involved.

Whether its ordering a specialty shot or asking for Angela, some bars in Denton have methods for patrons to go up and ask for help if they feel uncomfortable with someone.

Posted between the mirrors in the ladys room at Cool Beans on Hickory Street is a sign telling patrons to ask any staffer for a halo shot if they feel unsafe with somebody. The phrase signals bar staff that the individual needs help, whether its simply getting out of the bar swiftly and quietly or getting police involved.

Jackson Boyd, the manager at Cool Beans, stressed Wednesday that staff at Cool Beans didnt create the concept. While they havent had major incidents, he said they still keep the poster up.

Im slightly proud to say weve only had that happen maybe like twice ever since Ive worked here, he said. One of them, they said they saw the sign [in the bathroom] and they came up and theyre like, Hey, this guy is weird. And so we closed them out [of their bar tab], took their receipts to them, and then they just left through the back.

Boyd has been the manager at Cool Beans, one of the bars next to the University of North Texas thats frequented by college students, for more than three years. While the halo shot hasnt been brought up a lot by patrons, Boyd said there have been a few incidents over the years that were handled without a fuss.

Its the bars version of the Denton Police Departments Ask for Angela initiative.

Allison Beckwith, a spokesperson for the Police Department, said the department officially launched the Ask for Angela initiative with Dentons bars on Sept. 4, 2019, intentionally lining it up with the start of the school year.

We had various meetings with managers of the local bars, she said. I dont have a list of the ones that attended, but there was a lot of participation among our local bars, especially the ones on Fry Street, the Square and just off the Square.  At this point, since its been a few years and we recognize there is turnovers, we are currently working on rolling out updated training and flyers and reconnecting with bar staff.

Beckwith said she realized a lot of these programs are catered toward women but added its for anyone who feels unsafe.

They can go up to any staff member of a bar and ask for Angela, who is a fictional employee, Beckwith said. They ask for that, and thats kind of the bar members signal that something is wrong. When someone asks for Angela, that should then queue the employee to try to direct the individual to a safe place, discuss whats going on and what they need.

What someone needs can vary from simply getting away from someone discreetly, securing a safe ride home through a rideshare application or even getting the police involved. Beckwith said its all up to what the individual needs, and police arent required to be notified if the person doesnt want them involved.

Boyd said the second time someone explicitly ordered the halo shot, staff knew exactly what to do. Boyd said they quickly got the woman out of the bar, and she got home safe.

Theres a little area by the walk-in, and its just like  somebody [on staff] stands with them and then just makes sure they get in like their Uber or in their friends car or whoevers picking them up, and then they go, Boyd said.

Boyd said the sign is only in the womens restroom because a majority of the people they see being harassed and accosted around the Fry Street bars are women and people presenting as female.

Jazz Binning, the manager at Lucky Lous, said theyre more familiar with Ask for Angela, which came from the Police Department. He added the bar has a good relationship with customers, so patrons typically come up to bar staff if they feel uncomfortable.

I dont think its ever gotten to the point where we really needed to step in, but its more of a, Hey, this one. Look out for this one, Binning said. But our customers know, especially our regulars, if they ever feel uncomfortable, theyll come up and talk to us. We dont ever have many issues here.

Binning said recognizing someone is uncomfortable is also part of training for the bar staff, from those manning the door, to barbacks, to the bartenders.

Honestly, its body language, he said. Eye contact when they walk up to the bar, they can give you a look, you know? And then the other individual that might be bothering them, [look at] how intoxicated they are, their mannerisms.  Our barbacks, when theyre picking up dishes, will kind of go walk over [to] that table a little more often and make sure whoever it is isnt being bothered and stuff like that.

One of the managers at Riprocks Bar and Grill, Hero Major, said the bar has not had any specific program in place since she moved up the ranks last year, but that it was something the bar should consider. She said the bar had posters passed out to staff to post in bathrooms but added theyve deteriorated over the years.

She echoed Binnings statement on bar staff surveying the atmosphere and checking in on customers to see if anything is out of the ordinary. Major said she once went up to a couple, learned the woman was uncomfortable and then tried to get the man to leave. Major said she made it clear her first request was polite and that the second time, she wouldnt be as nice.

Bar staff around Fry Street also have their own Facebook group for bar safety.

We will describe the person to everybody, and its a warning to all the bars that if youre in the area, they need to not let this person in, Major said.
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Which team are you the most optimistic about as we start 2022?

You voted:
The U.K. Health Security Agency says existing vaccines appear less effective in preventing symptomatic infections in people exposed to omicron, though preliminary data show that effectiveness appears to rise to between 70% and 75% after a third vaccine dose.

More than 80% of people age 12 and up in Britain have received two doses of vaccine, and 40% of adults have had three doses. Giving the rest a booster in the next three weeks will be a huge challenge, requiring almost 1 million doses delivered a day. Johnson acknowledged that many routine medical procedures would have to be postponed to meet the goal.

Johnson's announcement came hours after the government raised the countrys official coronavirus threat level, warning the rapid spread of the omicron variant had pushed the U.K. into risky territory.

The chief medical officers of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland said the 1of the highly transmissible new strain adds additional and rapidly increasing risk to the public and health care services at a time when COVID-19 is already widespread. They recommended raising the alert level from 3 to 4 on a 5-point scale. The top level, 5, indicates authorities think the health care system is about to be overwhelmed.
Operating two child care centers in Ozark, Tomekia Crews is familiar with the challenges and frustrations facing the industry.

Our wait list is extremely long right now because we dont have the appropriate staff, so we have to put kids on a wait list, said Crews, who operates Bright Futures Childrens Center. Our rooms are not open because we cant find quality workers, and we cant accept any more kids in. Its like were at a standstill.

Challenges in the child care market have been around for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic magnified the problems. Now along with all the other issues, child care is plagued by declining enrollment and labor shortages as working parents juggle keeping their children safe while trying to make a living.

While adding to problems, the pandemic also revealed the importance of child care to local economies.

Before the pandemic, Crews said she had enough staff. During the pandemic, however, she had to close her two Ozark centers and reduce capacity for months. At first, she could only accept children of essential workers such as health care employees, first responders, law enforcement and government workers. They had to send other children home.
Ms. Todd stated "Are we supposed to praise you for bringing less of our tax dollars back into our state than what we paid out?" Ms. Todd is entirely wrong. In 2019, the state of Alabama received $68.79 billion in federal spending versus $35.76 billion in taxes so Alabama was a net recipient of $33.03 billion in spending. Alabama has been a net recipient of federal funding for decades and is #8 in net receipts. You can cuss New York (#50) and California (#47) as well as several other liberal states all you want, but many have been net payers in federal spending for decadesm so they are supplementing Alabama citizens. A minor tidbit but Sen, Mitch McConnell's Kentucky is #2 with a $63 billion net receipts in federal funding. Power has advantages.

Ms. Todd indicated that 10% of the infrastructure bill was on actual infrastructure and 90% on pork for the privileged. A simple read of the actual law on the Congress.gov website shows she is wrong again. In fact, the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill only contains around $550 billion new spending as each year Congress passes infrastructure funding which $650 billion would have been passed anyway. Of this new spending, $283.8 billion is actually for hard transportation infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, rail, airports, ports, etc.; $65 billion for power grid; $63.3 billion for water; $47.2 billion for natural resource restoration/resilience, and $21 billion for legacy pollution, ie cleaning up Superfund/Brownfield sites, reclaiming abandoned mines, and capping orphaned oil and gas wells. So $480.3 billion of the $550 billion in new spending, or 87.3%, goes for actual infrastructure. The only remaining part is $65 billion for broadband which I think could be considered pork unless you happen to be someone living in a rural area without internet service, which most are Republicans.
Damage after devastating outbreak of tornadoes ripped through several U.S. states, in Mayfield, Kentucky, U.S., December 11, 2021. Photo by Reuters/Cheney Orr

The Vietnamese leadership has sent the nation's condolences to the U.S. over devastating tornadoes that so far have killed over 80 people.

In messages sent to U.S. President Joe Biden Sunday, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh condoled the deaths and widespread destruction wreaked by many tornadoes in the U.S.

They also thanked the U.S. for giving Vietnam more than 24 million Covid-19 vaccine does via the Covax facility, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

More than 30 tornadoes that appeared on the night of Dec. 10 swept through six states in central and southern U.S., including Arkansas, Chicago, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee and Mississippi, killing more than 80 people, and the death toll is expected to rise, possibly to more than 100, especially in Kentucky.

President Biden has called the events an "unimaginable tragedy."

Kentucky declared a state of emergency Friday, with at least 100 people feared dead as of Sunday evening, Reuters reported.

Saying the disaster was likely one of the largest tornado outbreaks in U.S. history, Biden told reporters he would be asking the Environmental Protection Agency to examine what role climate change may have played in fueling the storms. He also raised questions about tornado warning systems, the report said.
Central Hoi An Town has become Vietnams first to phase out dog and cat meat consumption in an effort to become a tourist-friendly destination.

The central Vietnam town authorities on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with animal welfare organization Four Paws to phase out the sale of cat and dog meat as part of efforts to eliminate rabies and create a tourist-friendly environment.

The MoU would take effect at the end of this year and remain effective for two years.

Julie Sanders, Four Paws director of Companion Animals, said over 5 million dogs and cats in Vietnam are sold yearly to be consumed as meat, representing community health risks. The initiative pioneered by Hoi An could be replicated across localities, she added.

Nguyen The Hung, vice chairman of Hoi An Peoples Committee, said it wants to bolster animal rights, eliminate rabies and phase out the sale of dog and cat meat through the agreement.

"It would help the town become a green tourist destination," he said. "The aim is to convince people not to consume dog and cat meat, and to continue preventing rabies."

Hung added families that sell dog and cat meat cannot be banned from doing so, only encouraged to drop the practice.

There are over 2,500 dogs and cats in Hoi An, of which around 70-90 percent have been vaccinated against rabies.

Hoi An ancient town has been named the winner of Asia's leading cultural city destination category at 2021 World Travel Awards.

Hoi An served as a busy international port from the 16th to 19th centuries, as merchant ships from many different countries passed by here. It has managed to preserve its tranquility and slow pace of life to become one of the most famous tourist hotspots in Vietnam.

It was recognized as a UNESCO world cultural heritage site in 1998.
Construction of the large Rhyolite Ridge lithium project in Esmeralda County could begin in the second half of next year if the U.S. Bureau of Land Management issues a record of decision by then, said ioneer Ltd. Executive Chairman James Calaway, who is optimistic about ioneers joint venture with Sibyanye-Stillwater Ltd.

The joint venture is dependent upon permitting for Rhyolite Ridge, but the companies have a binding agreement so that when we get the permits, the money starts to flow, Calaway said. Sibyane has very serious people with excellent work experience, and they put our project through extensive due diligence.

Permitting from the BLM is on hold, however, until after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issues a final decision regarding the listing of Tiehms buckwheat for protection under the Endangered Species Act, said Jess Harvey, public affairs specialist with the BLMs Battle Mountain District.

Fish and Wildlife published the proposed rule listing the plant in the Federal Register on Oct. 7, opening a 60-day comment period. The agency then has up to a year to issue a decision.

The Center for Biological Diversity has been a major opponent of Rhyolite Ridge, and the Nevada director of the center, Patrick Donnelly, said USFW cannot use economic reasons to pick between lithium or a wildflower.

He said the buckwheats location is the only place the plant will grow, and were very clear on our stance and will continue to pursue it in court, if the BLM permits the project. This mine is not moving forward anytime soon.

South Africa-based Sibanye-Stillwater plans to invest $490 million in the Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron project. The agreement also allows Sibanye-Stillwater an 18-month option to acquire a 50% interest in the North Basin exploration asset near Rhyolite Ridge for an additional $50 million.

The project operator will be ioneer, which is based in Australia.

Project plans

Calaway said the total project cost is estimated at $800 million, including a full-blown processing plant that is expected to produce 175,000 tons of boric acid and 22,000 tons of lithium per day. And the project will involve 600 workers during construction and 250 to 300 jobs for regular operations.

This will transform Esmeralda County, he said in a phone interview. Its two years of construction and six months of commissioning.

The biggest town near Rhyolite Ridge is Tonopah.

Calaway said Rhyolite Ridge will be mining lithium and boron ore, processing the ore with 10% sulfuric acid and 90% water, creating lithium and boric acid products. The lithium in clay on site will be stockpiled for potential production later if the production becomes economically viable.

The boric acid product will be a white powder used in housing insulation, cell phone covers, glass-top stoves, televisions and much more.

There are 130 uses for the material, Calaway said.

Lithium will be produced from the same process, with nine tons of boric acid to one ton of lithium. Calaway said the lithium will be produced at $2,500 all-in sustainable costs per ton because of the credit offset from the boric acid.

He said the processing will be a very high-tech operation.

There will be a relatively small pit for mining the deposit, Calaway also said, pointing out that there will be no tailings dam and the project already has state water permits.

More on wildflower

His optimism about Rhyolite Ridge covers the companys plans to nurture the Tiehms buckwheat on 10 acres of the project site after USFWs decision to propose the endangered listing for the wildflower.

He said ioneer expects the agency to list the Tiehm Buckwheat at the edge of the roughly 2,000 acres of the project site, which he said would make the plants status clear to all.

We supported it actually. It is better to declare it an endangered species, said Calaway, who lives in Texas. Weve had to do a lot of work to develop the plan that allows us to save the mine without touching the plants, and we intend to move forward on that basis.

The managing director of ioneer, Barnard Rowe, said in an Oct. 5 reaction to the Fish and Wildlife decision that ioneer has invested considerable funds into undertaking the most comprehensive studies and efforts into Tiehms buckwheat management strategies to date to ensure the species is not only protected but that its populations are expanded in the years to come.

Calaway said that ioneer is looking at increasing the size of the buckwheats habitat another 50 to 100 acres within a half mile of the current population of the plant and protecting the species against further animal attacks. Rodent attacks on the Tiehms buckwheat destroyed plants last year.

Almost half of them were destroyed by drought and by animals, he said, adding that in the five years ioneer has been working on the project we never, ever hurt the plants. There was nothing suspicious about it. There was a bumper crop of rodents.

An investigation showed animals were to blame, according to Calaway.

Donnelly said he disagrees with ioneers expectation that the wildflower can be established near the current growing site, and attempts to propagate the plants failed. They all died, so ioneer doesnt have a plan. Their plan is bunk and doesnt reflect the consensus of the scientific community.

He said the Center for Biological Diversity does not oppose lithium mining, and lithium is all over the place in Nevada, but ioneer wants the Rhyolite Ridge site because the boron makes it less costly to extract.

There is no compromise. They cannot hurt the buckwheat, Donnelly said in a phone interview.

Calaway said the only issue raised so far about Rhyolite Ridge has been focused on the 10 acres of Tiehm buckwheat, which the BLM already classifies as a sensitive species, and were shovel ready. The last little bit of tweaks will be for avoidance of the Tiehm buckwheat, then were ready to go to public comment.

He said Rhyolite Ridge is about climate change, and were not building a coal mine or a gold mine. Its a very important asset, with a strong environmental benefit. We plan to be excellent stewards.

The lithium produced at Rhyolite Ridge would be used for batteries that power electric cars that would in turn reduce carbon emissions.

We better get on it right now and build these facilities right now, because electric cars are going to be a big part of this countrys future but without lithium production in the U.S. battery production will rely on foreign sources, Calaway said. I think people are waking up to the need.

He said he cannot understand why opponents of the Rhyolite Ridge lithium project seem to think the project could be relocated when the deposits are the only ones of that type  at least found so far.

It is the only material like this on Earth, he said, adding that the discovery came because of a white hill that stuck out of the ground.

Rowe is credited with realizing the potential of the site when he visited the deposit in 2016. He secured a 12-month option over the project to give the company time to assess the deposit, later named Rhyolite Ridge, according to the companys website.

Buying ioneer shares

Along with the JV agreement, the companies entered into an agreement for the strategic placement of $70 million in ioneer shares with Sibanye-Stillwater, and the arrangement was completed on Oct. 28, after approval by shareholders of both companies on Oct. 21.

Sibanye-Stillwater stated that the company is pleased to be joining the ioneer share register as a supportive strategic partner and looks forward to working together with ioneer as joint venture partners to develop the Rhyolite Ridge Lithium Boron Project into a leading U.S. lithium operation.

The chief executive officer of Sibanye-Stillwater, Neal Froneman, had said when the JV was announced in September that the arrangement with ioneer is the second lithium transaction and the third transaction in the battery metals sector for the company. The company has the Keliber lithium site in Finland and the Sandouville nickel site in France. 

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Welcome ceremony held at Gim Hae military airport in the RoK for then NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan in April, 2018 (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese Ambassador to the RoK Nguyen Vu Tung made the remark during an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency on the threshold of the visit, which will start on December 12.

Tung said that the Vietnam-RoK relations have thrived in a fast and effective manner across all spheres.

The countries maintained contacts high-ranking officials via both in-person and virtual meetings amid COVID-19. Diplomatic activities reflecting mutual understanding and trust between the countries have been strengthened.

The ambassador underlined that economic cooperation is considered a key factor and greatly contributes to the bilateral relations, even in the context of COVID-19.

At the eighth Mekong-RoK Business Forum (Photo: VNA)

According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, Vietnam-RoK trade hit 56.4 billion USD in the first nine months of 2021, posting a year-on-year expansion of 18.7 percent.

The RoK has been among leading foreign investors of Vietnam. The country channelled 4.36 billion USD into Vietnam in 11 months of this year, up 20 percent compared to the same period last year.

As of late November, total registered capital of the RoK had reached 74.14 billion USD with 9,203 valid projects, coming first in terms of registered capital and project number out of 141 countries and territories investing in Vietnam.

The Northeastern Asian nation is the second largest official development assistance (ODA) provider of Vietnam, offering 1.5 billion USD in the 2016-20.

It is also the second major labour market of Vietnam and the two sides renewed a memorandum of understanding on the issue this year.

The RoK is a significant source of tourists for Vietnam and the tourism cooperation is projected to recover in the coming time.

More than 216,000 Vietnamese are living in the RoK, and the RoK community in Vietnam comprises about 160,000 people. Over 60 Vietnamese localities inked cooperation agreements with their RoK counterparts.

The countries successful cooperation has offered a new international position for both nations, the diplomat said.

A forum looks to promote the RoK's ICT investment in Da Nang city of Vietnam (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam and the RoK are joining hands in the implementation of the RoKs New Southern Policy and cooperation programmes in the framework of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), thereby contributing to peace, stability in the region and maintaining ASEANs central role.

The visit will demonstrate Party and State leaders' attention to the Vietnamese community in the RoK, Tung said, adding during his trip, the NA Chairman will attend an inaugural ceremony of the new headquarters of the Vietnamese Embassy in the RoK.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the RoK Nguyen Vu Tung (Photo: VNA)

The ambassador said that Vietnam and the RoK hold huge potential and opportunities for cooperation thanks to political determination and vision of the two countries' leaders, together with similarities in the nations history and culture./.
An overview of a meeting of UN Security Council (Photo: VNA)

This is the fourth and also final meeting chaired by Vietnam in its post as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the 2020-2021 tenure.

In his opening remarks, Anh thanked members of the working group for their cooperative and constructive contributions.

In the past two years, as the Chair of the working group, Vietnam has helped promote dialogue between the group and the Chair and the prosecutor of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) to complete the mechanisms tasks assigned by the UNSC, thus promoting the observance of the UN Charter and international law, he added.

Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Stephen Mathias hailed the efforts of the judge, and staff of the IRMCT in overcoming difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to maintain and speed up the judging activities.

He also lauded the cooperative attitude and efforts of the groups members, especially Vietnams performance as the Chair of the group in maintaining the groups operations and dialogues with the mechanism amidst the complicated situation.

The Informal Working Group on International Tribunals was established in June 2000 to deal with a specific issue pertaining to the statute of the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991 (ICTY).

It was subsequently mandated to deal with other legal issues pertaining to ICTY as well as the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Genocide and Other Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of Rwanda and Rwandan Citizens Responsible for Genocide and Other Such Violations Committed in the Territory of Neighbouring States between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 1994 (ICTR)./.
At the conference (Photo: VNA)

Deputy Defence Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien of Vietnam and Lao Deputy Minister of Defence Lieut. Gen. Vongkham Phommakone attended the conference.

Addressing the event, Deputy Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien highly valued results of the agreements implementation over the past three years, thus contributing to maintaining peace, stability and development of each countrys border areas, boosting the socio-economic development of Vietnam and Laos, and consolidating the special friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States and armies.

Over the past three years, the two sides maintained the regular exchange of information and close cooperation in joint patrols and experience sharing in border protection and management, anti-crime, while strengthening the COVID-19 prevention and control work. They also coordinated to carry out drills to ensure order and security in the border areas, organise border friendship exchange programmes in order to promote the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two armies.

At the conference, both sides agreed that the two countries border guards will continue coordinating to implement contents of the Cooperation Protocol for the 2020-2025 period and the cooperation plan for 2022 between the two defence ministries, particularly in fighting crime, illegal immigration and the COCID-19 pandemic./.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the event (Photo: VNA)

He made the remark while attending the third edition of a national forum on the development of Vietnamese digital enterprises in Hanoi on December 11.

Themed Digital transformation - driving force for economic recovery and development, it is a large-scale annual event of digital enterprises in Vietnam held by the Ministry of Information and Communications.

Digital transformation is a global matter and serves all people so that it requires a global approach as well as a people-oriented approach, according to the PM.

He underscored that the national spirit must be part of digital transformation, adding that all sectors and businesses are requested to work to raise awareness of digital transformation, speed up the process and develop human resources in the field.

Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung said that despite COVID-19, the number of Vietnamese digital technology enterprises and their revenues enjoyed a growth rate of nearly 10 percent this year.

In 2021, more Make-in-Vietnam digital products were created, helping address some current issues and raise Vietnams rankings in digital technology.

He called on digital technology enterprises to engage in the development of national digital transformation platforms.

At the event, participants put forth solutions and ideas for the development of Vietnamese digital enterprises so as to contribute to economic recovery in the post-pandemic period.

An award ceremony honouring outstanding Make-in-Vietnam tech products this year and an exhibition on such products were held at the forum./.
Sputnik V vaccine (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Earlier this month, Binnopharm and the Russian Direct Investment Fund signed a memorandum of understanding with Vietnams T&T Group on the transfer of production technology and the formation of a facility with full cycle production capacity of Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine in Vietnam.

Chairman of Russian pharmaceutical company Binnopharm Dmitry Zubov (Photo: VNA)

According to Zubov, the time of one year for construction is feasible, as Binnopharm has just built another factory in Belarus in eight months.

He said this will be a multi-purpose and closed-cycle factory using advanced German equipment. It can produce other vaccines as well.

He considers this an important basis for Russia to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam on pharmaceuticals, thereby entering the Southeast Asian market./.
President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Do Van Chien (L) meets with Bishop Alphonse Nguyen Huu Long (Photo: VNA)

He informed participants about the countrys socio-economic situation and praised active contributions of Catholics nationwide and those in Nghe An province to the success of the countrys big events, and socio-economic achievements.

The VFF leader urged them to continue joining pandemic control efforts and support the VFFs movement to achieve the nations socio-economic development targets.

Bishop Alphonse Nguyen Huu Long affirmed that the Vinh Diocese will actively take part in patriotic emulation movements and campaigned launched by the VFF, and contribute more to the nation building and safeguarding cause.

Vinh Diocese comprises nearly 51,000 households with over 290,000 Catholics, accounting for 9 percent of Nghe Ans population./.
Ismailiia criminal court sentenced on Wednesday Abdel-Rahman Nazmy  nicknamed Dabour  to death for decapitating his neighbour and attempting to murder two others in October of 2021.
Firefighters are battling a blaze at South Africa's national Parliament Building in Cape Town, an official confirmed Sunday.
Egypt targets a 5.7 percent GDP growth in FY 2022/23, which runs from 1 July, to record six percent in FY 2024/25, Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait said on Wednesday.
Sisi said Egypt hopes the project will serve as a new addition to the joint Egyptian-Russian achievements throughout history

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and a number of officials discussed on Monday the executive situation at the Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), the first Egyptian nuclear energy facility, a presidential statement said.

The meeting, held at the presidential palace in Cairo, was attended by Electricity Minister Mohamed Shaker and the chairman of the Nuclear Power Plants Authority Amgad Al-Wakil, as well as Alexey Likhachev, the director-general of ROSATOM, Gregory Sosnin, deputy director of ROSATOM, and the Russian ambassador to Egypt, Georgy Borisenko.

El-Sisi said Egypt hopes the project will serve as a new addition to the joint Egyptian-Russian achievements throughout history, the statement added.

He also voiced his confidence in what he described as "the well-established" experience that Russia possesses, adding that this "will certainly be reflected in the establishment of the plant in accordance with the highest technical and technological standards and nuclear safety."

According to the statement, the director-general of ROSATOM said the project is a priority for Russia, which is keen on completing it according to the specified timeframe and the highest standards.

Likhachev praised the technical expertise of the Egyptian human cadres and construction companies that take part in the construction of the plant, noting that the project will add much to Egypt's capabilities in electricity production and support the process of sustainable development.

He praised the current investment and economic climate in Egypt that allows the establishment of joint development projects.

He also congratulated the president on the successful containing of the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic in Egypt, as well as achieving unique, positive growth rates during the current year.

On 19 November 2015, Egypt and Russia signed an agreement to build Egypts first nuclear power plant in Dabaa, Matrouh governorate in northern Egypt.

The plant consists of 4 VVER-1,200 nuclear reactors, making the total capacity of the power plant 4,800 MW.

The NPP is expected to begin producing power in 2026.

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El-Dabaa nuclear power plant belongs to the 3rd generation of modern nuclear plants that are characterized by the highest degrees of safety and self-protection, as per the IAEA Safety Standards

Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi directed bodies concerned to apply international safety standards at El-Dabaa nuclear power plant being built in Matrouh Governorate on the Mediterranean coast.

El-Sisi made the directives during a meeting with director of the Military Academic College Maj. Gen. Ismail Mohamed Kamal and Presidential Adviser for Urban Planning Maj. Amir Sayed Ahmed.

The meeting discussed the outcome of the work of a higher committee concerned with ensuring compliance with all safety measures at the nuclear power plant being built in cooperation with Russia, said a presidential statement.

El-Dabaa nuclear power plant belongs to the 3rd generation of modern nuclear plants that are characterized by the highest degrees of safety and self-protection, as per the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Safety Standards, Kamal told the president during the meeting.

El-Sisi also instructed officials to review the density of population and urban planning of the area around El-Dabaa plant, while suspending all construction activities within the scope of the circular area dedicated to the project, whose radius measures 32 km, according to relevant international standards.

El-Sisi also emphasized the need for coordination among all the bodies involved in the project, including the Egyptian Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA), the Egyptian Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority (ENRRA) and the General Authority for Urban Planning (GAUP).

This coordination should aim to carry out a thorough study of future population growth around the project area, in cooperation with the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), El-Sisi directed.

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Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin had a phone call on Monday where they touched upon several topics, including means of boosting Egyptian-Russian relations, particularly in terms of economic, industrial, and energy cooperation.

They also discussed the latest developments regarding the Dabaa nuclear power plant, Egypts first nuclear plant in Marsa Matrouh, Egyptian Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said.

The plant, which is being implemented by Russian nuclear energy corporation Rosatom under an agreement signed between Egypt and Russia in 2015, is expected to begin producing power in 2026.

El-Sisi and Putin also exchanged views on the latest developments concerning the establishment of the Russian industrial zone in eastern Port Said.

In July, the Russian authorities and Egypts Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) signed a preliminarily agreement to expand the Russian industrial zone in the Suez Canal.

The final agreement is expected to be signed before the end of the year, according to a previous statement by SCZone Chairman Yehia Zaki.

The Russian zone, under the new agreement, will be extended to eastern Port Said and Ain Sokhna over an area of 5 million square metres.

El-Sisi expressed his appreciation for the long-standing Egyptian-Russian partnership, saying it has culminated with the conclusion of the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement signed between the two countries.

The two leaders signed the partnership agreement during a bilateral summit in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi in October 2018.

The move, El-Sisi said, opened new horizons for bilateral cooperation in many fields and joint projects.

Putin, on his part, affirmed his countrys keenness to continue to promote the fruitful and close cooperation between the two friendly countries, Rady said.

The Russian president also highlighted his keenness to foster regular coordination and consultation with the Egyptian president regarding various regional and international issues.

Furthermore, Putin expressed his appreciation for the regional and international efforts exerted by President El-Sisi.

These efforts strengthened the political paths for settling crises in the region, a matter that has consolidated Egypts role as the centre of gravity for maintaining peace and security in its surrounding region, Putin added.

Moreover, he added that Russia is keen to continue intensive cooperation and coordination between the two countries in this regard.

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Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday urged world powers to take a hard line against Iran in negotiations to curb the country's nuclear program, as his top defense and intelligence officials headed to Washington amid the flailing talks.

Israel has been watching with concern as world powers sit down with Iran to jump-start talks on the tattered nuclear deal. Iran last week struck its own hard line as talks resumed in Vienna, suggesting everything discussed in previous rounds of diplomacy could be renegotiated. Iran also isn't slowing down the advances in its atomic program, further raising the stakes in the talks, which are crucial to cooling years of tensions boiling in the wider Mideast.

Talks in Vienna aimed at re-imposing curbs on Iran's nuclear program restarted last week after a more than five-month hiatus.

Israel has long opposed the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, saying it didn't go far enough to halt the country's nuclear program and doesn't address Iran's military involvement in countries bordering Israel.

``I call on every country negotiating with Iran in Vienna to take a strong line and make it clear to Iran that they cannot enrich uranium and negotiate at the same time,'' Bennett told a meeting of his Cabinet. ``Iran must begin to pay a price for its violations.''

Israel is not a party to the negotiations but it has made a point of keeping up lines of communication with its European and American allies during the talks, which are set to resume this week.

Israeli spy chief David Barnea headed to Washington late Saturday on a previously unannounced trip and Defense Minister Benny Gantz leaves Wednesday for meetings with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Foreign Minister Yair Lapid was in London and Paris last week to discuss the talks with Israel's European allies.

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The unique world of the late Cairo-based Armenian-Egyptian photographer Van Leo is captured in an exhibition which continues until 22 February 2022.

The exhibition takes a special approach to the presentation of its hero, as it takes us to his studio reproduced in the Future Gallery's hall at the AUC Tahrir campus.

It is in those settings that the viewer has an opportunity to explore life and work of Van Leo (1921-2002), while uncovering the place where the photographer took the shots of the intellectual elite of movie stars, those of the nightlife of Cairo theaters and cabarets, anonymous ordinary people, and foreigners living in cosmopolitan Cairo after World War II and until the 1990s.

In fact, the American University in Cairo (AUC) has this whole treasure of thousands of photos in its possession. In 1998, encouraged by his friend, Professor Barry Iverson, Van Leo bequeathed his entire fortune in photographs, his entire studio, to the AUC where his friend was teaching.

"I wanted to recreate his studio in the city center where he had always lived," explains Ola Seif, exhibition curator and director of the photo library and cinema collection at AUC.

A reproduction of the studio has been carefully planned by the AUC Rare Books Library and Special Collections Managers.

When entering the exhibition, the visitor is surrounded by small objects reminiscent of the Van Leo studio: a wonderful set-up made of a white screen, and a black wall on which are hung frames belonging to the artist, all placed in a contemporary way.

The entire exhibition design can be seen as a lesson in how to design an artistic exhibition by simply summoning the genius of the place.

On the left is the art-deco style office where Van Leo was already photographed and where he stored his negatives and photos on the shelves. Further on, the platform on which his clients came to pose.

This preamble to the world of Van Leo is obvious through two very significant photos; the first shows the artist at the top of the pyramid of Giza and the second, a landscape of the famous place Tahrir in the 1940s. Both refer to this Armenian from Egypt belonging to the country and underscoring his special attachment to Cairo, and its city centre in particular.

It was in Cairo that the young Leo van Boyadijian settled in 1927, fleeing the Turkish genocide. He worked at Studio Venus, then in the family house where he remained close to his brother Angelo. In 1941, the latter left for Paris, and Van Leo founded a new studio which witnessed years of glory and downfall of an entire city.

Known for his indisputable portraits, Van Leo is distinguished by the series of inventive self-portraits which reflect his depths, his inner self. As for the portraits, he captured numerous national figures of the time such as Taha Hussein and Doria Shafik. He also managed to capture the unknown side of big cinema stars such as like Omar Sharif, Rouchdi Abaza, Faten Hamama or Samia Gamal. In each photograph, we feel there is a unique friendship between Van Leo and objects of his works.

The viewers can explore the irreplaceable world of Van Leo at the Future Gallery, American University in Cairo, Tahrir Campus, until 22 February 2022.

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Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said the success of the multilateral security work system under the umbrella of the African Unions Committee of Intelligence and Security Services (CISSA) will directly serve regional and international security objectives.

In a recorded speech to the 17th conference of CISSA, held in Cairo on Sunday, El-Sisi called for continuously developing the tools of African integration in a way that responds to the many emerging and non-traditional challenges.

During the conference, Egypts General Intelligence Service (GIS) took over the presidency of CISSA, an intelligence provider to the African Union states, for 2022 from Nigeria.

El-Sisi pledged during Egypts presidency of the committee to continue CISSAs contributions to achieving security integration and raising its capabilities to help overcome security threats facing African nations, a statement by the Egyptian presidency said.

African security and intelligence chiefs attending the conference have expressed their keenness to enhance the role of the committee under the Egyptian chairmanship.

El-Sisi hailed the committees role in confronting all challenges facing the continent, on top of which is cross-border terrorism, which fragment societies and destroy the concepts of the national state through promoting extremist thought.

The Egyptian president warned that such extremist thoughts, which call for hatred of others, thwart efforts of advancing humanity and obstruct the African countries steps toward achieving the desired development and prosperity.

This requires intensifying coordination among all relevant continental mechanisms, including CISSA, to dry up the terrorism resources, besiege its activities, and protect African people from its dangers, El-Sisi affirmed.

The president highlighted the pivotal role played by CISSA and all African security authorities to contribute to facing the coronavirus pandemic, which, he said, represents a growing threat to security and stability in African nations.

He also hailed these authorities efforts in monitoring and following up on other security challenges facing the continent, including irregular migration, unemployment, cyber security, and organized crime.

Established in 2004 in Nigerias Abuja, CISSA is concerned with providing timely and perceptive intelligence required for decision making to the intelligence services of its more than 50 member states through borderless cooperation.

CISSA secures a platform for the member states intelligence services to exchange experiences and information required for tackling transnational security threats facing the African continent.

African leaders inaugurated the committees headquarters in Ethiopias Addis Ababa in February last year on the sidelines of the 33rd AU Summit that El-Sisi chaired as then-president of the AU.

Egypts taking over of CISSA comes at a time while the continent is mired in armed conflicts and heightened terrorist activities.

In November, Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry called for intensifying coordination among African countries to eliminate all forms of terrorism.

Addressing the AUs Peace and Security Council (PSC), Shoukry also urged serious and urgent cooperation between African countries and regional, continental, and international institutions to confront the growing connection between funding terrorism and other forms of financial crimes.

Egypt has repeatedly affirmed keenness to share its expertise in facing extremist thought and terrorism financing.

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A number of Egyptian MPs teamed up on Sunday to voice their discontent regarding Canadas decision to ban travel from Egypt and other African countries on 1 December due to concerns over the Omicron variant.

In a statement before parliament, Karim Darwish, the head of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, said that Canada took everyone by surprise when it announced that it has decided to add Egypt, Malawi, and Nigeria to a travel ban list and that this decision came amid concerns over the spread of the Omicron variant.

I ask that Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry consult with the ambassador of Canada in Cairo on the reason and duration of this decision.

We are really surprised, and we think that this decision raises a lot of questions, as the World Health Organisation announced that no cases of the new Omicron variant have been detected in Egypt so far, and that the country is taking quick preventive measures, said Darwish.

Canada previously banned entry to travelers from Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

Darwish revealed that he has contacted the Canadian parliament and that MPs there said they would communicate with the Canadian government to clarify the true reasons behind this decision.

We also contacted the Egyptian embassy in Canada, but we did not receive adequate responses, or we can say we just received a diplomatic response, said Darwish, adding that putting Egypt on Canadas travel ban list could have negative implications for the tourist industry.

Independent MP Mostafa Bakri said Canadas travel ban list including Egypt and a number of African countries is shocking.

They took this decision even though Egypt is Canadas top trading partner in Africa. This gives me the impression that this is may be a politically motivated decision and it needs an explanation and follow-up from the foreign ministry, said Bakri.

Bakri also criticized a report issued by the Foreign Ministry of Holland on the situation of human rights in Egypt, saying the report is very aggressive and represents a part of an anti-Egypt campaign in European circles.

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Egypts food industry exports totalled $3.1 billion in the first nine months of 2021, up from the $2.8 billion in the same period last year, recording a 19 percent year-on-year increase and ranking third among other Egyptian sectors exporting to foreign markets, Trade and Industry Minister Nevine Gamea stated on Sunday.

Gameas remarks came during her inauguration of the sixth edition of the Food Africa Exhibition on Sunday, which is being held in Egypts International Exhibitions Centre for two days from 12 to 14 December with the participation of 400 local and international companies.

During her speech, which came on behalf of Egypts Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Gamea said that Egypts exports of agricultural crops in the first nine months of 2021 hit $1.9 billion, compared to the $1.8 billion achieved in the same period last year, recording an 8 percent increase.

Gamea noted that the most important agricultural crops exported include rice, grains, onions, garlic, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, citrus fruits, and peanuts, for which Russia, Saudi Arabia, Britain, and the United Arab Emirates are the most important markets for such Egyptian exports.

The exhibition  held under the patronage of the Prime Minister and the Ministries of Trade and Industry, Supply, and Internal Trade  will include more than 22 national pavilions, with Russia  this years guest of honour  participating with 30 of its companies.

The exhibition will also witness the presence of a delegation of more than 500 international buyers.

The sixth edition of the Food Africa Exhibition reflects the current approach of the Egyptian state to develop and enhance its economic and trade relations with all countries of the African continent, Gamea noted.

The minister stressed that the exhibition is now one of the largest international trade fairs specialised in the food and agricultural industries on the continental level.

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Egypt is a key supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the Turkish market, with seven cargoes shipped in the fourth quarter of 2021, Standard and Poors (S&P) Global said.

S&P data also showed that seven Egyptian LNG cargoes have shipped to Turkey since October, including 7.2 million mt/year shipped from Egypts Shell-operated Idku plant and 5 million mt/year shipped from Eni-operated Damietta facility.

Turkey is set for record high gas demand in 2021, of as much as 60 Bcm on the back of strong consumption in the power sector. At the same time, Ankara is facing the prospect of more of its long-term import contracts expiring in the near future after deals with Azerbaijan for pipeline supplies and Nigeria for LNG already timed out in April and October, respectively, S&P explained.

S&P pointed out that Turkey has a current long-term LNG contract with Algeria's state-owned Sonatrach, which is due to run until 2024.

The new regular supply of LNG comes after Turkey and Egypt re-established formal diplomatic relations in early 2021, S&P said.

In September, Egypt and Turkey agreed to continue engaging in exploratory talks between them after eight years of tensions.

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Egypt signed a contract with Czech UJV Rez Research and Development company to consult on the El-Dabaa nuclear plant, Chairman of the Egyptian Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority (ENRRA) Sami Shaaban announced on Sunday.

The chairman spoke about the agreement on Sunday during the 15th edition of The Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy Conference in Aswan.

He stated that the authority launched an international tender earlier to select the best global consultant in the nuclear and radiology fields, especially in the field of nuclear power plants.

Shaaban added that 13 consultancies applied to this tender, which UJV Rez won in the end.

According to the company, it signed a long-term million-dollar agreement with the ENRRA in Cairo in late November.

UJV Rez stated that, according to the contract, it will provide technical assistance to the Egyptian supervisory authority in licensing the nuclear plant in El-Dabaa.

Our services will focus mainly on independent control of documents and services supplied by the Russian side and on support activities for Egyptian supervision in a number of other areas including human resources development, development of integrated regulatory management system, inspection plans during the nuclear plant construction, international missions, development of legislation, evaluation of license documentation," said the Czech company.

The El-Dabaa plant, which is being implemented by Russian nuclear energy corporation Rosatom under an agreement signed between Egypt and Russia in 2015, is expected to begin producing power in 2026.

The Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy Conference is organized by The Arabic Agency for Atomic Energy in cooperation with the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority.

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The Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed in a statement its full commitment to the principles of good neighborliness, and not interfering in the internal affairs of other countries.

The Sudan News Agency (SUNA) publishes unofficial translation of the text of the statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:-

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Sudan followed up with astonishment the news published by the Ethiopian state Fana Broadcasting Corporate on December 9, 2021, in which it accused Sudan of supporting the Tigray Liberation Front, and also claimed that Sudan harbored and trained elements of the Tigray People's Liberation Front to confront the Ethiopian government forces.

In the face of these arbitrary allegations that are contrary to the truth, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would like to affirm Sudan's full commitment to the principles of good neighborliness and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, and that what was reported by Fana agency is absolutely untrue and baseless.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Sudan also calls on Ethiopia to stop accusing Sudan of taking aggressive stances and practices that are not supported by evidence on the ground, and would like to affirm that Sudan controls all of its internationally recognized territories and borders with neighboring Ethiopia, and has never, and will never, allow its use for any aggression.

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The Libyan government said Sunday it is ready to hold the country's presidential election as planned on December 24 despite persistent uncertainty that the crucial vote will go ahead on time.

"We are ready for the elections," said Ramadan Abu Jnah, interim head of government since premier Abdulhamid Dbeibah announced he would run for the presidency.

"The government has spared no effort to support the electoral commission (HNEC). We have the chance to make December 24 a historic day," Abu Jnah said.

Libya descended into chaos following a NATO-backed 2011 revolt that overthrew and killed dictator Moamer Gadhafi.

The December 24 polls are intended to help the oil-rich North African country move past a decade of violence.

But the process has been undermined by bitter divisions over the legal basis for the elections, their dates, and who should be allowed to run, with a string of controversial figures stepping forward.

"Nobody should deprive Libyans of this historic deadline and we will not let anybody do so," Abu Jnah told a press conference in the capital Tripoli, surrounded by several ministers.

He said the transitional executive was "ready to hand over power to an elected government".

Less than a fortnight from the planned vote, the election campaign is yet to begin, and the vote body on Saturday delayed publication of a final list of candidates.

Interior Minister Khaled Mazen called for the presidential vote to be held on time, and said his ministry had "carried out its work to protect and secure voting centres" despite "obstacles".

A year of relative peace in Libya followed an October 2020 ceasefire between warring eastern and western camps, but analysts have warned that violence could easily flare again over the elections.

An electoral law signed this September by the speaker of the eastern-based parliament, Aguila Saleh, sparked anger in the country's west, where many accuse him of bypassing protocol and pushing through legislation favouring a run by his ally, Khalifa Haftar.

The following month, the eastern-based House of Representatives said a legislative vote also planned for December 24 had been delayed to January.

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Egypts Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry said on Sunday that Egypt was coordinating with the Gulf Cooperation Councils (GCC) countries on all regional issues.

In a press conference held in Riyadh following the launch of the political consultation mechanism between Egypt and the GCC, Shoukry stated that the security of the Arabian Gulf was an integral part of the security of both Egypt and the Arab world.

He also spoke on the necessity to boost coordination between the GCC and Egypt against the unprecedented challenges in the region, adding that the relations between Egypt and the councils countries were strategic.

Furthermore, General-Secretary of the GCC Nayaf bin Al-Hajraf said during the presser that Egypt was the pillar of security and stability in the region.

He added that Shoukry and the GCCs ministers discussed relations between Egypt and the GCCs member states and ways to boost these relations in different fields.

Al-Hajraf stated that the discussions also included international and regional issues of mutual concern and a convergence of views was demonstrated in these discussions.

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan stated during the press conference that coordination between the GCC and Egypt is an essential factor in the stability of the region.

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As Prime Minister Naftali Bennett starts the first official trip by an Israeli premier to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, here is a timeline of key recent developments between the two countries.

The rapprochement between Israel and several Arab states began in August 2020 with a UAE-Israel normalisation deal, and was followed by similar announcements between Israel and Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.

'Historic'

In a surprise announcement on August 13, 2020, then US president Donald Trump announces Israel and the UAE have reached a "historic" agreement to normalise ties.

Previously, Egypt and Jordan were the only Arab states to have peace agreements under which they recognise Israel.

The UAE says that under the deal Israel agrees to "suspend" its annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank, although then Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu says it has simply been put off.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas calls the deal a "betrayal" of their cause, including their claim to Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem as capital of their future state.

First direct flight

On August 30, the UAE lifts a boycott of Israel.

The next day, an Israeli El Al aircraft makes the first commercial flight between the two countries, linking Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi.

Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law heading an Israeli-US delegation on board, says Saudi Arabia allowed the plane to overfly its airspace.

'Stab in the back'

Trump announces 10 days later that Bahrain and Israel will also normalise ties.

On September 15, the two Gulf states, which have never been in conflict with Israel, sign the normalisation accords at the White House.

The Palestinians condemn the agreements as a "stab in the back".

On October 23, Sudan also decides to normalises ties, although the deal is not signed until January.

In exchange, Trump agrees to take it off a US sanctions blacklist of states which allegedly sponsor terrorism.

In December, Morocco likewise normalises relations with the Jewish state.

Diplomatic representation

In early 2021, Israel announces it will open a mission in the UAE, naming Eitan Naeh as its representative.

In March, the first Emirati ambassador to Israel, Mohamed al-Khaja, presents his credentials to then president Reuven Rivlin.

Investment and media

On March 11, the UAE announces the creation of a $10 billion investment fund in Israel focused on strategic sectors.

The international television channel i24News in June opens a permanent bureau in Dubai, a first for an Israel-based media outlet.

Embassies

In late June, Yair Lapid visits the UAE to open Israel's first embassy in the Gulf and also opens a consulate in Dubai, on the first official visit by an Israeli foreign minister since the normalisation accord.

The UAE opens an embassy in Tel Aviv on July 14, becoming only the third Arab country after Egypt and Jordan to have an embassy in Israel.

Joint exercises

In November, the UAE and Bahrain stage five days of joint naval exercises with Israel in the Red Sea.

First visit by Israeli PM

On December 12, Bennett arrives in Abu Dhabi for the first official visit of an Israeli prime minister to the Gulf state.

He is scheduled to meet the following day with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan.

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Egypts Public Prosecution ordered on Sunday the referral of well-known businessman Hassan Rateb to criminal court over charges of financing a gang to illegally excavate antiquates.

Rateb, detained since 29 January, is accused of providing funds to an excavation gang believed to be led by former MP Alaa Hassanin, who was also referred, among others, to the criminal court as per Sunday's order.

Rateb had been arrested nearly one week after Hassanin and 17 others were caught in possession of 201 pieces of antiquities in a warehouse in Old Cairo.

The investigations of the Public Prosecution revealed that Rateb funded Hassanin, his brother, and the other gang members with millions of pounds to illegally excavate antiquities.

Rateb, the former owner of Al-Mehwar satellite channel, is the chairman of Sinai University, Sama Group, and the Sinai Cement Company.

Rateb in 2017 officially accused Hassanin of defrauding him of $3 million in commercial transactions but later withdrew his complaint to the police after Hassanin seemingly returned the money, according to local reports.

The stealing, unlicensed excavation, spoiling, and smuggling of antiquities are punishable by hefty fines and tough prison sentences in Egypt that amount to life imprisonment (25 years in prison).

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Egypts General Intelligence Service (GIS) took over the presidency of the African Union Committee of Intelligence and Security Services (CISSA) for 2022 from Nigeria.

This comes as Cairo is hosting on Sunday the 17th conference of CISSA, an intelligence provider to the African Union states.

Addressing the heads of the African intelligence and security authorities during the conference, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi highlighted the necessity to continue to exert maximum efforts to protect Africas security and achieve the aspirations of people.

Established in 2004 in Nigerias Abuja, CISSA is concerned with providing timely and perceptive intelligence required for decision making to the intelligence services of its more than 50 member states through borderless cooperation.

CISSA secures a platform for the member states intelligence services to exchange experiences and information required for tackling transnational security threats facing the African continent.

African leaders inaugurated the committees headquarters in Ethiopias Addis Ababa in February last year on the sidelines of the 33rd AU Summit that El-Sisi chaired as then-president of the AU.

Egypts taking over of CISSA comes at a time while the continent is mired in armed conflicts and heightened terrorist activities.

In November, Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry called for intensifying coordination among African countries to eliminate all forms of terrorism.

Addressing the AUs Peace and Security Council (PSC), Shoukry also urged serious and urgent cooperation between African countries and regional, continental, and international institutions to confront the growing connection between funding terrorism and other forms of financial crimes.

Egypt has repeatedly affirmed keenness to share its expertise in facing extremist thought and terrorism financing.

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Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry arrived in Riyadh on Sunday to meet with foreign ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to launch a political consultation mechanism.

The mechanism furthers the "well-established" Egyptian-Gulf relations, which are "deeply-rooted" at various levels, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Hafez said in a statement early on Sunday.

He added that the step reflects the interest of both sides to hold continued consultation and coordination, especially towards the common challenges facing the Arab region that necessitate a unified response.

The statement added that the security and stability of the Gulf are an integral part of Egyptian national security.

More to follow..

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Egypt will host the 9th session of the Conference of States Parties (CoSP) to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) from 13 to 17 December in Sharm El-Sheikh, according to UNs official website.

The conference, which is held every two years, is one of the world's largest anti-corruption gatherings and brings together people from Member States, parliaments, inter-governmental organisations, civil society and the private sector.

The conference will review of the implementation of the UNCAC, the only legally binding universal anti-corruption instrument, discuss preventing corruption and improving international cooperation to better tackle corruption and asset recovery.

The agenda for the ninth session will include a review of the implementation of the UNCAC, the provisional agenda for the 10th session and the adoption of the conferences report.

The 2021 edition will be attended by 2,170 representatives from 144 countries, which is the highest number of attendances in the history of the convention.

According to Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Ghada Wali, participants will include five heads of state, more than 50 ministers, 30 heads of anti-corruption bodies and 257 civil society members.

Half of this number will physically attend, while the other half  including all the heads of state  will attend virtually due to the pandemic, Wali said in TV statements on Saturday.

Egypt joined the agreement in December 2003, out of its belief in the importance of international cooperation to prevent corrupt practices around the world.

The last session of the CoSP took place in Abu Dhabi in December 2019. The first session was held in Amman in 2006 after the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention against Corruption Resolution 58/4 of 31 October 2003. The UNCAC came into force in December 2005.

The convention, which has been signed by 189 countries, comprises eight chapters and 71 articles. It covers five main areas: preventive measures, criminalisation and law enforcement, international cooperation, asset recovery, and technical assistance and information exchange. The convention also covers many different forms of corruption, such as bribery, trading in influence, abuse of functions and various acts of corruption in the private sector.

In November, Egypts Administrative Control Authority (ACA) organised a simulated conference of Mondays UN summit, which was attended by 140 Cairo University students and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

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Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Serbian Parliament Speaker Ivica Dacic discussed ways to enhance bilateral relations in the fields of health, energy and tourism, as well as military cooperation, during a meeting in Cairo on Sunday.

The meeting also dealt with the latest regional and international developments of common interest, including the Palestinian issue, in addition to means of consolidating security and stability in the region in light of Serbia's balanced stances towards supporting Arab causes.

El-Sisi highlighted the century-old relations between Egypt and Serbia, expressing Egypt's aspiration to strengthen bilateral cooperation mechanisms at various levels.

He noted that Egypts massive nationwide development projects provide huge investment and industrial opportunities, Egyptian Presidential Spokesman Bassm Rady said in a statement.

During the meeting, Dacic praised the "pivotal" role Cairo plays in consolidating peace and stability in the Middle East, Africa and the Mediterranean, hailing the "positive" economic developments in Egypt under the leadership of President El-Sisi.

He also voiced his country's interest in developing relations with Egypt in all fields and activating Egyptian-Serbian cooperation mechanism, especially at the parliamentary level, the statement added.

The meeting was attended by Hanafy El-Gebali, speaker of Egypt's House of Representatives.

Both countries have formed a joint committee for economic and trade exchange and cooperation.

In July, both countries signed a military cooperation protocol in Cairo in the presence of Egypts Defence Minister Mohamed Zaki and Serbias Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic.

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Egypt reported 879 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, bringing the total infection tally officially to 368,335 since the outbreak began in February 2020.

The Egyptian Ministry of Health in its daily coronavirus update statement reported 49 new deaths in the past 24 hours nationwide, bringing the total number of deaths from the virus to 21,015.

The statement added that 454 patients have been discharged from hospitals after recovering from the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries to 306,106.

Egypt, currently suffering from a fourth coronavirus wave, has administered about 48 million coronavirus vaccine doses to citizens, according to Acting Health Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar last week.

More than 50 million vaccine doses that are still available for use.

Egypt has also vaccinated around half a million children aged 12 to 15 years old against coronavirus as part of its campaign. Health officials have affirmed that the vaccination of children is optional.

Starting this month, Egypt is barring unvaccinated people from entering government institutions, and starting last month, unvaccinated state employees are no longer allowed into their workplaces without presenting negative PCR tests.

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When Rwandan motorcycle taxi driver Evode Niyorurema converted his fuel guzzler to an electric motorbike, he had no idea he was on the frontlines of the East African nation's fight against climate change.

"The reason I switched to an electric motorbike is because I wanted to avoid fuel costs, which are always rising, and also the cost of going to the garage all the time (for servicing)," the 37-year-old told AFP.

The firm responsible for revamping his ride, Rwanda Electric Motors Ltd, has converted around 80 motorcycle taxis so far, the most common form of public transport in the capital Kigali and developed another 200 brand-new electric motorbikes for use.

The project, which is funded by Rwanda's government and the United Nations Development Programme, is part of an ambitious national push to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 16 percent by 2030 and a further 38 percent over the following decade.

In July the government waived import taxes on electric and hybrid vehicles as well as equipment used by charging stations, saying it hoped the move would accelerate Rwanda's transition from fuel-based transport and "reduce greenhouse gas emissions".

Rwanda Electric Motors CEO Donald Kabanda told AFP his pitch to riders rested on the long-term affordability of electric vehicles.

He said a single electric battery charge could cover up to 60 kilometres (37 miles) compared to 35 kilometres for a litre of petrol.

It costs around 900 Rwandan francs (87 US cents) to charge the battery compared to around 1,000 Rwandan francs for a litre of petrol, he added.

"So if you compare economically there is an advantage for the riders," Kabanda said.

In addition to his firm, two Kigali-based companies Ampersand and Safi Moto also assemble electric motorbikes, while German giant Volkswagen began importing electric vehicles in October 2019 for its ride-hailing platform Move.

Low demand

Although taxes on non-electric imported vehicles run high in Rwanda -- between 40 to 80 percent -- demand for electric or hybrid cars remains low, despite the fact that they cost less than their fuel-guzzling counterparts.

Kigali-based Victoria Motors told AFP it had sold just 37 hybrid vehicles between 2019 and 2020, mainly to NGOs and private firms.

With Rwanda's GDP per capita amounting to less than $800 according to the World Bank, electric vehicles are out of reach for the vast majority of its 13 million people.

Instead, the government is looking to public transport as the main driver of change.

The authorities plan to convert 30 percent of motorcycles, 20 percent of buses and 25 percent of mini and micro buses to electric power by 2030.

But with few charging stations set up across the country, travelling long distances by electric vehicles is still a challenge, said motorcycle taxi driver Niyorurema.

"They move so well and quietly compared to the fuel motorbikes. The only problem is that the distance they cover is relatively small."

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Five months after foreign soldiers arrived to help Mozambique battle an insurgency in northern Cabo Delgado province, militants have widened their battleground in an evolving conflict, witnesses and analysts say.

Having been pushed from some of their traditional turf, insurgent attacks have spilled over into neighbouring Niassa province, as well as across the border into Tanzania, they say.

And their tactics remain brutal.

Over the last week, insurgents set fire to dozens of homes, beheading one person and shooting two others dead in Cabo Delgado's Macomia district, according to residents.

After gunning down one elderly woman, they threw her corpse into a burning building, leaving only charred remains for her grieving family, resident Abudo Sitaupe told AFP.

"The people are seeking refuge," he said.

Islamic State-linked militants have been wreaking havoc in gas-rich Cabo Delgado since 2017, raiding towns and villages.

A major coordinated attack on the port city of Palma in March that killed dozens and displaced thousands prompted foreign intervention.

Mozambique's neighbours in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Rwanda have deployed troops, while US and European forces are training up Maputo's military.

But almost as alarming as the latest attacks, witnesses said, was the total absence of security forces.

"The army was stationed in a nearby village," said another witness, who added that he belonged to a community vigilante group.

"The people living in the surrounding villages are going to the city," Judite Paulino, a trader who lives in Macomia town, told AFP.

"They are scared."

Spreading out

Macomia is a coastal district in Cabo Delgado, the mostly Muslim province that is home to Africa's largest-ever single foreign investment: a $20-billion gas development by France's Total.

That project, along with other multi-billion-dollar deals, have been on hold since the attack on Palma, the town nearest the offshore gas fields.

"There are rumours of instability in Niassa province in Mecula, clear that up quickly," Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi said, during a police officers' graduation ceremony in the central province of Sofala on Friday.

While claiming to want to form a caliphate, the insurgents have found supporters among residents, angry that they have yet to benefit from the enormous investments in their region.

With 3,100 foreign fighters at its side, Mozambique has reclaimed Palma and promised that the situation is improving.

"The priority of the Rwandans is to protect the Total installation and things around Palma," said Johan Viljoen, a researcher with the Denis Hurley Peace Institute, part of the South African Catholic Bishops' Conference.

He returned last week from a visit to the region and said he had also been "getting reports of attacks across the border in Tanzania, and into neighbouring provinces."

Borges Nhamire, a Mozambique analyst for the Institute for Security Studies, said that the insurgents appear dispersed into smaller groups that are now staging attacks across a broader area.

"This is something that was expected, that the conflict would evolve, and that it would imply that the insurgents spill into small groups and to find a way to survive," he told AFP.

"Tanzania and the northern bank of the Ruvuma River was also the new target of a small group," he added.

'To be expected'

In neighbouring Niassa province, insurgents attacked a hospital and looted shops, witnesses told AFP this week.

"People are scared and want to leave," said Mecula town resident Carlitos Mucuna.

At least 3,578 people, including 1,575 civilians, have been killed since the insurgency emerged, according to US-based conflict tracking organisation, ACLED.

More than 800,000 others have been displaced, according to government and UN agencies.

While the foreign forces have helped Mozambique reclaim key towns, little work has been done to either engage politically with the insurgents or to rein in the leaders.

"In a sense, this is to be expected with an insurgency like this," said Darren Olivier, director at African Defence newsletter.

"Neither Rwanda nor SADC have really harmed the group's leadership or strength, and they have been able to melt away into deeper rural territories and conduct opportunistic strikes."

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The head of Mali's military-dominated government on Sunday promised west Africa's regional bloc he would provide it with an election timetable by January 2022.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) suspended Mali following military coups in August 2020 and May 2021, sanctioning officials deemed responsible for delaying elections and threatening further measures.

West African leaders on Sunday were due to hold a summit in Nigeria's capital Abuja to discuss how to respond to Mali's failure to hold elections by February 2022 before a return to civilian rule.

The head of Mali's transitional government, Colonel Assimi Goita justified postponing the election and holding a national consultation which he said would be "indispensable" for peace and stability.

"Mali... commits to providing you with a detailed timetable by January 31, 2022 at the latest that could be discussed during an ECOWAS mission," Goita wrote to the heady of the bloc of West African states head, Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, in a letter obtained by AFP.

"The return to constitutional order is and will remain my number one priority," Goita said.

Goita emerged as Mali's strongman leader after a coup that toppled former president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in August 2020.

Several civil society organisations are boycotting the consultation launched on Saturday.

The ECOWAS summit will also discuss vaccine supplies, travel bans imposed on African countries and Guinea, which has been under military rule since September after a coup ousted former president Alpha Conde.

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Tigray rebels on Sunday recaptured the north Ethiopian town of Lalibela, home to a UNESCO world heritage site, local residents told AFP, 11 days after Ethiopian forces said they had taken it back.

Tigrayan fighters "are in the town centre, there's no fighting," said a resident reached by telephone on Sunday afternoon. "They came back. They're already here," said another.

The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) rebel group's military leadership said in a statement shared with pro-TPLF media they had launched "widespread counter-offensives" in numerous locations including along the road linking Gashena and Lalibela.

"Our forces first defended and then carried out counter-offensives against the massive force that was attacking the front at Gashena and the surrounding areas to achieve a glorious victory," it said.

Communications have been cut in the conflict zone and access for journalists is restricted making it difficult to verify the claims.

The government did not immediately respond to AFP's requests for comment.

War in northern Ethiopia erupted in November 2020 after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent the army to the northern Tigray region to remove local authorities from the TPLF who challenged his authority and whom he accused of having attacked military bases.

The rebels recaptured most of Tigray at the end of June, then advanced into the neighbouring regions of Afar and Amhara.

The more than 13 months of conflict have plunged 9.4 million people "into a critical situation of food assistance" in the regions of Tigray, Afar and Amhara, the United Nations says.

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Israel's prime minister announced that he would make the first official visit to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday as part of a blitz of regional diplomacy amid the backdrop of struggling nuclear talks with Iran.

Naftali Bennett's office said he will be meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and discussing strengthening economic and military ties.

The UAE visit will be the first by an Israeli prime minister. Israel and the UAE had long enjoyed clandestine security cooperation over their shared concern over Iran, but formalized ties last year as part of the U.S.-brokered ``Abraham Accords.``

Bennett's one-day trip is timed to coincide with ongoing nuclear talks between world powers and Iran. Israel is not a party to the negotiations, but is looking on with concern. In recent weeks, Israel has fanned out its top diplomat and its defense and spy chiefs to meet with allies in Europe, the U.S. and the Mideast to push for a firmer approach to Iran.

Israel says it is determined to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, while Tehran insists its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes.

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Iran plans to cut oil output and prioritise defence spending in its 2022-2023 draft budget because of sanctions and US-Israeli threats linked to its nuclear programme.

Iranian news agencies reported that the draft, presented Sunday, projects GDP growth of eight percent.

President Ebrahim Raisi submitted the draft to parliament for a vote expected by the end of 2021.

In Iran, the New Year starts on March 21.

Iran plans to produce 1.2 million barrels per day at a projected price of $60 a barrel. That is down from 2.3 million bpd at a price of $40 a barrel, leaving revenues of $26.3 billion against $33.5 billion in the last budget.

Industry experts say the estimate is too high, given that Iran currently sells around 600,000 barrels a day.

Oil sales account for a quarter of revenues in the budget, with another 25 percent from a sharp increase in taxes.

The 2022-2023 budget allocates about $5 billion to boost "defence capacities and strategic research", Tasnim news agency said, up from $4 billion the previous year.

Washington, which has imposed stringent sanctions on Tehran, warned in October of "other options" if diplomacy fails on Iran's nuclear programme, while Israel has reserved the right to use force.

A 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers has been disintegrating since then US President Donald Trump pulled out three years later.

The accord ensured sanctions relief for Iran in return for tight curbs on its nuclear programme.

Trump also re-introduced sanctions, including on its oil exports, prompting Tehran to start disregarding the deal's limits on its nuclear activities in 2019.

Trump's successor Joe Biden has said he wants the US to return to the agreement, but international negotiations in Vienna on reviving the accord have so far failed to make significant progress.

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Three members of Hamas died Sunday when shooting erupted at the funeral procession of a member of the Islamist movement in a South Lebanon Palestinian refugee camp, the group said.

Hamas official Raafat al-Murra said militants from the rival Fatah movement "shot at the funeral procession" of a Palestinian killed in a blast Friday at the Burj al-Shemali camp, outside the port city of Tyre.

Six people were wounded, he said.

A camp resident told AFP an armed clash followed the shooting and that elements of both Fatah and Hamas had been deployed.

An electrical short circuit in a store containing oxygen supplies for Covid patients caused Friday's blast, Hamas had said, denying media reports that an arms depot blew up.

The explosion blackened the walls and shattered windows of a nearby mosque.

"The fire caused damage to property but the impact was limited," Hamas said, without detailing casualties.

According to a Palestinian official, one man died of his injuries from Friday night's explosion, which also left a few people wounded.

Officially, Lebanon hosts about 192,000 Palestinian refugees, most of whom live in the country's 12 camps, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

By longstanding agreement, the Lebanese army does not enter the camps, leaving security inside to Palestinian factions.

Hamas and Fatah, the secular party led by Mahmud Abbas, have been at odds since 2007 when the Islamists seized Gaza after a week of deadly clashes.

Though based in Gaza, Hamas operates branches elsewhere in the Middle East including Lebanon.

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US rescuers desperately searched for survivors Sunday after tornadoes killed at least 94 and left towns in ruin, with emergency crews racing against time to find dozens still missing from a collapsed Kentucky factory.

President Joe Biden called the wave of twisters, including one that traveled more than 200 miles (320 kilometers), "one of the largest" storm outbreaks in American history.

"It's a tragedy," a shaken Biden, who pledged support for the affected states, said in televised comments. "And we still don't know how many lives are lost and the full extent of the damage."

With the death toll all but certain to rise, scores of search and rescue officers were helping stunned citizens across the US heartland sift through the rubble of their homes and businesses overnight.

More than 80 people are dead in Kentucky alone, many of them workers at a candle factory in Mayfield, the state's Governor Andy Beshear said Sunday as he raised the confirmed toll by 10 fatalities.

And the forecast was grim. "That number is going to exceed more than 100," Beshear told CNN.

Meanwhile, at least six died in an Amazon warehouse in Illinois where they were on the night shift processing orders ahead of Christmas.

Emergency crews worked through the night into Sunday at both locations, but the Kentucky governor's somber remarks suggested his state's residents should brace for the worst.

Of the 110 employees working Friday night in the candle factory, "about 40 of them have been rescued and I'm not sure we're going to see another rescue," Beshear said.

"I pray for it," he said, but "it would be an incredible miracle" if more factory victims were found alive.

As Americans grappled with the immensity of the disaster, condolences poured in, with Pope Francis saying he is praying "for the victims of the tornado that hit Kentucky."

Biden's Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, in a break from tense bilateral relations, said his country "shares in the grief" of those who lost loved ones and expressed hope that victims quickly overcome the tornadoes' consequences.

The catastrophe has shaken many Americans, including officials who have worked in the aftermath of tornadoes and other big storms.

"This event is the worst, most devastating, most deadly tornado event in Kentucky's history," Beshear said Saturday, adding he fears "we will have lost more than 100 people."

"The devastation is unlike anything I have seen in my life, and I have trouble putting it into words."

The head of the US Federal Emergency Management Agency, Deanne Criswell, was to arrive in Kentucky Sunday.

The largest tornado among the swarm that smashed through the US South and Midwest had rumbled along the ground for over 200 miles (320 kilometers), Beshear said, one of the longest on record.

The longest a US tornado has ever tracked along the ground was a 219-mile storm in Missouri in 1925. It claimed 695 lives.

'Hope For A Miracle'

The western Kentucky town of Mayfield was reduced to "matchsticks," its mayor Kathy O'Nan said.

"There's always hope" for survivors among the missing, O'Nan told NBC Sunday. "We hope for a miracle in the days to come."

The town of 10,000 was described as "ground zero" by officials, and appeared post-apocalyptic: city blocks leveled; historic homes and buildings beaten down to their slabs; tree trunks stripped of their branches; cars overturned in fields.

Some Christmas decorations could still be seen by the side of the road.

David Norseworthy, a 69-year-old builder in Mayfield, said the storm blew off his roof and front porch while the family hid in a shelter.

"We never had anything like that here," he told AFP.

In one demonstration of the storms' power, when winds derailed a 27-car train near Earlington, Kentucky, one car was blown 75 yards up a hill and another landed on a house. No one was hurt.

Deaths In Multiple States

Reports put the total number of tornadoes across the region at around 30.

At least 14 people were killed in other storm-hit states, including six at the Amazon facility in Illinois.

Four were killed in Tennessee, two died in Arkansas, while Missouri recorded two fatalities. Tornadoes also touched down in Mississippi.

Biden said he planned to travel to the affected areas.

Amazon Workers Trapped

At the Amazon warehouse in the southern Illinois city of Edwardsville, around 100 workers are believed to have been trapped inside.

"We identified 45 personnel who made it out of the building safely... and six fatalities," Edwardsville fire chief James Whiteford told reporters.

But he said the operation had turned from rescue to focus "only on recovery," fueling fears the toll will rise.

Amazon chief Jeff Bezos said he was "heartbroken" at the deaths.

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Egypt is ready to join JP Morgans Emerging Markets Bond Index (EMBI) as of January 2022, Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait announced on Sunday.

After almost three years of discussions, JP Morgan said in October that Egypt was set to join EMBI by the end of January 2022, asserting that the country is eligible to join the index with an estimated weight of 1.8 percent with 14 government bonds with a total value of $24 billion.

The company also said that 90 percent of the investors it surveyed supported the inclusion.

In addition to Egypt, South Africa will also join the index.

Egypt will also join the JP Morgans Environment and Governance Index by end of January 2022 with 1.1 percent of the index, based on Egypts issuance of its green bonds in October 2020, according to the minister.

Maait noted that Egypt will join this index with 14 government bonds valued at $26 billion, adding that the action will allow large investment funds and foreign investors to invest in Egypts debt instruments in local currency.

$1 billion in new investments are expected to be pumped in the Egyptian governmental equity market as a result of the action, Maait pointed out.

Egypt was removed from the EMBI in June 2011 on the back of economic and political instability amid the 25th January Revolution, which eroded the countrys ability to meet its requirements.

Such a development comes in line with the Egyptian governments efforts to reduce the cost of public debt as part of the country's economic reforms, according Maait.

Deputy Finance Minister for Financial Policies Ahmed Kojok said that the action comes as a result of the ministrys strategy to raise the efficiency of public debt management with a medium-term plan to decrease debt and its service costs.

Egypts total external debt to be repaid in 2022  including medium and long-term debt  is valued at $17.9 billion. Of this, $11.9 billion will be repaid in the first half of the year, according to the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE).

CBEs data also showed that Egypts external debt size is in a safe zone, at 34.2 percent of the countrys GDP by end of June.

In October, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected Egypts government gross debt to hit 91.4 percent of its GDP in 2021, up from the 89.8 percent recorded in 2020.

In its Fiscal Monitor Report, the IMF expected this ratio to decline in 2022 to 89.5 percent, declining to 78.2 percent in 2025, and 74.1 percent in 2026.

Moreover, the report predicted Egypts general government net debt to jump to 83.5 percent of GDP in 2021, up from the 79.2 percent in 2020.

The governments net debt to GDP ratio is expected to begin declining in 2022 to reach 82.2 percent, then 78.8 percent in 2025, and 68.2 percent in 2026, according to the report.

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Egypt has recovered nearly 30,000 illegally smuggled artifacts from abroad since 2011, including 5,300 in 2021 alone, General Supervisor of the Repatriation Antiquities Department Shaaban Abdel-Gawad said on Saturday.

Recovery efforts are conducted by a technical committee staffed by experts, who scour international antiquity auctions, Abdel-Gawad explained during an interview with Al-Hayat satellite channel.

He also stressed that antiquities are recovered from abroad thanks to bilateral agreements with Cyprus, Greece, Jordan, Lebanon and a number of European Union countries.

Concerning the 5,300 artifacts recovered in 2021, Abdel-Gawad stated that they are now shown at the Coptic Museum in Cairo after they were in the possession of the Museum of the Bible in Washington.

The negotiations to recover these artifacts started in 2016 between Egypts Ministry of Foreign Affairs and authorities in the United States, he said.

The Department of Repatriation in the Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities is also tracking black-marketed auctions and internet sales, including on eBay and Amazon.

He pointed out that the ministry is cooperating with other Egyptian ministries, noting that monitoring antiquities on social media sites or other places of sale "is a difficult matter because it is not easy to track account holders."

On 6 December, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on the repatriation of cultural property after it was supported by 111 countries, Greeces Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Twitter.

In response, Osama Abdel-Khaleq, the Egyptian Permanent Representative to the United Nations, stated that Egypt supported this resolution to enhance international efforts to repatriate the smuggled ancient artifacts.

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To celebrate the 46th anniversary of the inauguration of the Luxor Museum on Sunday, a temporary antiquities exhibition will be on display tonight and will last for 12 months.

The exhibition will display a collection of 155 artefacts unearthed by a Spanish archaeological mission at the tomb of an 18th Dynasty vizier, Amenhotep Huwi.

Alaa El-Menshawi, the director of the museum, explains that among the most important artefacts is a limestone stela with a religious scene engraved on it, a lid of a clay vessel that was probably used in the Heb Sed ceremony for King Amenhotep III, a limestone ostracon that was used in hand paintings decorated with a man holding tools of harvest.

A collection of ushabti figurines (small statues), amulets, and scarabs are also on display at the exhibition.

The museum is considered one of the most beautiful regional museums in Egypt. It is located on Luxors west bank, overlooking the magical Nile River.

It was officially inaugurated on 12 December 1975, and the Cachette Hall was added in 1991, which displays what was unearthed in Luxor Temple in 1989, followed by the Glory of Thebes Hall in 2004.

The museum includes a collection of 6,000 artefacts, 3,000 of which are exhibited across its five exhibition halls, documenting the history of Egyptian art since ancient Egyptian times to Islamic times.

Among the most important objects in the museum are a very distinguished statue of king Amenhotep III with the deity Sobek, a quartzite statue of king Amenhotep III standing, a stela of king Kamose, and the mummy of king Ahmose I  who expelled the Hyksos out of the country.











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KYODO NEWS - Dec 12, 2021 - 16:49 | All, Japan

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and his Australian counterpart Marise Payne have pledged to promote security cooperation of the Quad group, also including the United States and India, in response to China's rising assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.

In a meeting Saturday in Liverpool, England, Hayashi and Payne agreed to elevate the two countries' "special strategic partnership" to a higher level as part of efforts to achieve a free and open Indo-Pacific, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

They underscored the significance of a deal by Japan, Australia and the United States plus Micronesia, Nauru and Kiribati, to build a new undersea cable to improve internet connectivity to the three Pacific island states, the ministry said.

It was the first in-person talks between the two ministers since Hayashi took up the post in early November.

They met on the sidelines of the two-day meeting of the Group of Seven foreign ministers through Sunday.

Payne was invited to expanded sessions Sunday along with her peers from South Korea, India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, in an apparent move by the G-7 nations to tighten the noose around Beijing, whose military and economic clout in the Info-Pacific has been growing.

Related coverage:

Japan eyes not sending ministers to Beijing Olympics: sources

Japan, U.S. vow to boost alliance capabilities to counter China

G-7 foreign ministers exchange views on Beijing Winter Olympics

During his first overseas trip as foreign minister, Hayashi had separate talks with his counterparts from Germany, France, Italy and Canada.

Hayashi and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock affirmed they will strengthen bilateral security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and beyond following the launch of "two-plus-two" security talks involving the two countries' defense and foreign ministers and a visit to Japan by the frigate Bayern earlier this year.

Hayashi welcomed the inauguration of the new German government under Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Baerbock as foreign minister.

In a separate meeting, Hayashi and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian agreed to deepen security and defense cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and work together for a successful 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris.
By Keita Nakamura, KYODO NEWS - Dec 13, 2021 - 01:53 | World, All

The Group of Seven foreign ministers expressed concern Sunday about China's "coercive" economic policies in what critics call "debt-trap" diplomacy toward developing countries, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said.

The ministers also discussed "the situations in Hong Kong and Xinjiang," where Beijing has been accused of human rights abuses, and the "importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," according to a statement issued by Britain, the G-7 chair, after their two-day talks in Liverpool, England.

In a separate statement, the G-7 ministers and their counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, who attended a part of the meeting, reaffirmed their "shared interest in maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region," in a veiled counter to China's attempts to alter the regional status quo with its growing military and economic clout.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi stressed that ASEAN is key to achieving a free and open Indo-Pacific, according to his ministry.

The G-7 foreign ministers held talks with their counterparts from the ASEAN countries for the first time, as well as from Australia, South Korea and India, on the second day of the G-7 gathering, apparently to coordinate with the 10-member ASEAN and three other regional powers over policy on China.

Of the ASEAN member states, military-ruled Myanmar was excluded from the gathering as the country was thrown into political turmoil following a coup in February.

On the ASEAN side, Brunei and the Philippines attended the meeting in person, while seven others joined virtually due to the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The G-7 ministers also called for "complete, verifiable and irreversible abandonment" of North Korea's nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles and that Pyongyang "resolve the abductions issue immediately," according to one of the statements.

During two days of talks, the foreign ministers of the G-7 -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus the European Union -- shared concerns about Russia's military buildup near the border with Ukraine.

Other than the chair's statements, the G-7 ministers issued a statement on Russia and Ukraine, saying Moscow would face "massive consequences and severe cost in response" if it engages in further military aggression toward Ukraine, condemning the Russian military buildup and aggressive rhetoric.

The G-7 reaffirmed their "unwavering commitment" to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russian aggression while commending the Eastern European nation's "posture of restraint."

The United States and its European allies are concerned that the movement of Russian troops and weapons to the border area may be a prelude to an invasion.

As for Iran's nuclear activities, the G-7 ministers welcomed the resumption of talks late last month between Tehran and Washington over the Middle East nation's return to the 2015 multilateral nuclear deal, under which Iran agreed with six major powers to limit its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.

Meanwhile, they urged Iran to "stop its nuclear escalation."

The crisis in Myanmar was also among the agenda items of the expanded G-7 sessions, with the foreign ministers expressing "deep concern over recent developments" there, such as the sentencing of ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Regarding the pandemic, the G-7 and ASEAN agreed to promote cooperation in ensuring recovery from the economic fallout from the virus's spread, according to Japan's Foreign Ministry.

Related coverage:

Japan's Hayashi plays "Imagine" on piano at Liverpool G-7 dinner

Japan, Australia vow to step up Quad cooperation with China in sight

Japan urges "appropriate response" from S. Korea over wartime issues
KYODO NEWS - Dec 12, 2021 - 19:55 | All, Japan

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi has called for an "appropriate response" from Seoul to resolve bilateral disputes over wartime compensation and the issue of "comfort women" in his first contact with his South Korean counterpart, Japan's Foreign Ministry said Sunday.

Hayashi agreed with South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui Yong on the need to speed up diplomatic dialogue to restore "healthy" bilateral ties when they briefly chatted on Saturday at an informal dinner party of a Group of Seven foreign ministerial meeting in Liverpool, England, the ministry said.

Chung approached Hayashi and initiated the chat. While standing, Hayashi explained Japan's consistent position on the issues, and Chung responded to the call for an "appropriate response" based on South Korea's stance, the ministry said, without providing further details.

Hayashi and Chung also confirmed cooperation along with mutual ally the United States to deal with North Korea, which has resumed ballistic missile tests, according to the ministry.

Hayashi has not had any telephone talks with Chung since taking office last month, in a sign of soured bilateral ties that were further dampened after South Korea's top police official recently visited a pair of South Korea-controlled islets in the Sea of Japan, known as Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea.

Tokyo-Seoul relations deteriorated sharply in late 2018 after South Korea's top court ordered a Japanese company to pay damages for forced labor during Japan's colonial rule.

Japan maintains the issue of compensation was settled "completely and finally" by a 1965 bilateral agreement that provided South Korea with financial assistance and has called on the administration of President Moon Jae In to resolve the issue.

The countries are also at odds over the issue of "comfort women," a euphemism for women from the peninsula and elsewhere who were forced to work in Japan's wartime military brothels.

Chung was invited to expanded sessions of the two-day G-7 gathering through Sunday along with foreign ministers from Australia, India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, except Myanmar.

When Chung met then Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi in May on the sidelines of the G-7 foreign ministerial meeting in London, Chung was quoted by South Korea's Foreign Ministry as saying it would be impossible for the two sides to resolve the issues unless Japan has a "correct" perception of history.

Motegi had demanded that South Korea present at an early date a solution that would be acceptable to Tokyo over the issues, the Japanese Foreign Ministry has said.
KYODO NEWS - Dec 12, 2021 - 23:24 | World, All

The French territory of New Caledonia voted against independence on Sunday in a third and final referendum on the issue, amid a big drop in turnout due to a call by the independence movement to boycott the vote.

The final count showed an overwhelming 96.5 percent of voters in the Pacific island territory supported remaining with France, while only 3.5 percent favored independence.

However, only 43.9 percent of eligible voters participated in the final ballot on the issue.

The independence movement, made up largely of the indigenous Kanak population, had vowed nonparticipation in Sunday's vote after France refused to postpone the referendum.

The independentists had sought a postponement due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, which did not allow for adequate campaigning, and to observe a customary mourning period for those lost to COVID-19.

With pro-independence parties having vowed not to recognize the results, uncertainty over the future of New Caledonia remains, despite a formal recognition of the result by French President Emmanuel Macron in a televised speech Sunday night.

"The independentists had a perfect right to vote," said a 55-year-old woman as she exited the polls. "If they chose not to, that is their right, but they must live with (the results)."

Many European residents in New Caledonia, which comprises dozens of islands in the South Pacific, have expressed a desire to maintain the status quo, with the territory receiving financial support from the French government.

There has also been speculation that independence for the territory could see an increase in China's influence in the Pacific.

Under the Noumea Accord signed in 1988, after violence in the archipelago, New Caledonia was given a total of three opportunities to hold independence referendums.

Sunday's result was a far cry from the close counts of the previous two referendums held in 2018 and 2020, which saw the vote in favor of staying with France at 56 to 44 and 53 to 47 percent, respectively.
New Delhi:

Asking India and Pakistan to exercise restraint, China on Tuesday said they should avoid actions that unilaterally change the status quo and exacerbate tensions between them as it voiced serious concern over the situation in Kashmir. China also expressed its opposition to Indias move to create a separate Union Territory of Ladakh.

In New Delhi, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, India does not comment on the internal affairs of other countries and similarly expects other countries to do likewise.

"So far as India-China Boundary Question is concerned, the 2 sides have agreed to a fair, reasonable&mutually acceptable settlement of boundary question on the basis of Political Parameters & Guiding Principles for Settlement of India-China Boundary Question," he added.

Also read: Article 370: Imran Khan warns India of more Pulwama-like incidents, to approach United Nations

The Indian government on Monday revoked Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and proposed that the state be bifurcated into two union territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Asserting that Chinas position on Kashmir was clear and consistent, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying in Beijing said the issue is a legacy of history between India and Pakistan, which is also the consensus of the international community.

Hua, in a written response to queries on exchange of fire along the Line of Control and the Indian governments move to revoke Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, said China is seriously concerned about the current situation in Kashmir.

The parties concerned should exercise restraint and act with caution, especially to avoid actions that unilaterally change the status quo and exacerbate the tension, she added. We call on the two sides to peacefully resolve relevant disputes through dialogue and consultation and safeguard regional peace and stability, she said. This is the second statement issued by China on the Kashmir issue in recent weeks.

Also read: UAE backs Modi government on Kashmir issue, says revoking Article 370 is Indias internal matter

On July 26, China said India and Pakistan should peacefully settle the Kashmir issue and other disputes through dialogue and expressed its support to the international community, including the US, in playing a constructive role to improve ties between the two countries.

The statement was issued in response to US President Donald Trumps offer to mediate between India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue during his meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in Washington.

India rejected Trumps offer, saying that Kashmir is a bilateral issue. Over the years, Chinas official stand on Kashmir has been that it is an issue left over by history and should be properly addressed by India and Pakistan through consultation and negotiations. In a separate statement, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson objected to the formation of Ladakh as Union Territory highlighting Chinas claims over the area.

China always opposes Indias inclusion of Chinese territory in the western section of the China-India boundary under its administrative jurisdiction, she said. This position is firm and consistent and has never changed. The recent unilateral revision of domestic laws by the Indian side continues to undermine Chinas territorial sovereignty, which is unacceptable and will not have any effect, she added.

She urged the Indian side to be cautious in its words and actions on the boundary issue, strictly abide by the relevant agreements reached between the two sides and avoid any move that further complicates the boundary issue.

In response to a query on comments made by the Chinese spokesperson, Kumar said India and China have agreed to a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary question on the basis of the Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for the Settlement of India-China Boundary Question.

Pending such a settlement, both sides have agreed to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas on the basis of the relevant agreements, Kumar said in New Delhi.

India and China have 3,488-km long Line of Actual Control (LAC) between them. The two countries have held 21 rounds of Special Representatives talks so far to resolve the boundary dispute.

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Delhi:

Union Home Minister Amit Shah set the record straight on Pakistan Occupied Kashmir during the debate on the Article 370 in Lok Sabha on Tuesday. During the fiery discussion and opposition by the Congress lawmakers, when asked on what is the status of the PoK, Shah remarked, when we talk about Jammu and Kashmir, we talk about the entire state, which includes PoK too. Jaan de denge iske liye (we will give our lives for this cause). He also added that whenever he talks about Jammu and Kashmir, it not only includes Pakistan Occupied Kashmir but Aksai Chin also. (KASHMIR DEBATE LIVE)

Taking the Congress political battle in the Lower House, party leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury asked, How can Jammu and Kashmir be an internal matter?... The entire party wants to be enlightened by you. He also attacked the Modi government and said, You violated all rules and converted a state into a Union Territory overnight. To this Shah replied, Parliament has the right to make laws on Jammu and Kashmir.

Also Read: Day after Article 370: 'No agitations held', 'Peace, normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir,' says report

At one point during the debate, Choudhury questioned the Modi government and asked: If Indira did Shimla Agreement and Vajpayee did Lahore declaration, then how is Article 370 internal issue, when United Nations is monitoring? The Union Home Minister shot back and said, Please confirm if this is the Congress partys official position.

Also Read: JK Governor reviews security scenario with Armys northern command chief in Srinagar

On Monday, the government on Monday revoked Article 370 to take away Jammu and Kashmir's special status, and proposed the bifurcation of the state into two union territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, a bold and far-reaching decision that seeks to redraw the map and future of a region at the centre of a protracted militancy movement. Fulfilling an electoral promise of the BJP less than 90 days after the Modi 2.0 government took power, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the decision in the Rajya Sabha, which approved both the resolution and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation bill. The chiefs of the two parties, NC's Omar Abdullah and PDP's Mehbooba Mufti, as well as People's Conference's leader Sajjad Lone were arrested in Srinagar on Monday evening, officials said.

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Senior Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday backed Modi governments move on Jammu And Kashmir & Ladakh and its full integration into union of India. Scindia took to Twitter and wrote, I support the move on Jammu And Kashmir & Ladakh and its full integration into union of India. Would have been better if constitutional process had been followed. No questions could have been raised then. Nevertheless, this is in our countrys interest and I support this.

I support the move on #JammuAndKashmir & #Ladakh and its full integration into union of India. Would have been better if constitutional process had been followed. No questions could have been raised then. Nevertheless, this is in our countrys interest and I support this.

Earlier, Congress veteran Janardan Dwivedi extended his support to the abrogation of Article 370, Haryana Congress legislator Kuldeep Bishnoi has also welcomed the move of Modi government saying its a good decision. "Move to remove Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir is a good decision. When it was implemented, even Nehru had said that it's temporary. My personal opinion is that it is a welcome move. This amendment will be successful when we will make Kashmiris believe that they are part of integral India," Bishnoi tweeted.

Congress leader Ranjeet Ranjan also supported government's move and said that the the decision to revoke Article 370, that was anyway temporary & had to be revoked, is the right decision.

Modi governments move has clearly left the Congress party a divided house with several other leaders openly supporting the abrogation of Article 370. Earlier, Congress leader Deepender Hooda, who is considered a member of Team Rahul, said that there isn't a need to have Article 370 in the 21st century."

"The move is not only in the interest of the country but also for the benefit of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India. It is the responsibility of the government to implement the move in a peaceful environment," Deepnder Hooda, the son of former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, said.

Another leader of the grand old party, Jaiveer Shergill, also took to Twitter to welcome the move to make Article 370 inoperative. "My Personal Point of View: I support abrogation of Art 370 (as opening words say it's temporary) but Only and Only in accordance with provisions and methodology provided by the Constitution of India which mandates consent of J&K State Assembly -any other way is Unconstitutional," he tweeted.

Aditi Singh, Congress MLA Raebareli Sadar, also shared her views on Article 370. "I'm in absolute support of the decision. It will help in integrating J&K into the mainstream. It's a historic decision. It should not be politicised. As an MLA, in my capacity, I welcome this decision," she was quoted as saying by ANI.
Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke down as he paid a very emotional, teary-eyed tribute to Sushma Swaraj. Swaraj died after a massive cardiac arrest on Tuesday. She was 67. PM Modi paid tributes at the residence of former External Affairs Minister on Wednesday. The Prime Minister was seen consoling Sushma Swarajs daughter Bansuri and her husband Swaraj Kaushal. A visibly emotional PM was seen standing quietly next to the casket in which Swarajs mortal remains have been kept for the last glimpse. On Tuesday, soon after her death was confirmed by an official AIIMS announcement at 11 pm, PM Modi took to Twitter to express his shock and grief. India remembers Sushma Swaraj: LIVE UPDATES

In a series of tweets, PM Modi had lauded Swarajs exceptional oratory skills. Sushma Ji was a prolific orator and outstanding Parliamentarian. She was admired and revered across party lines. She was uncompromising when it came to matters of ideology and interests of the BJP, whose growth she immensely contributed to, PM Modi had tweeted.

Also Read: Offering medical visas to Pakistanis to supervising 'Raahat': How Swaraj was people's minister

An excellent administrator, Sushma Ji set high standards in every Ministry she handled. She played a key role in bettering Indias ties with various nations. As a Minister we also saw her compassionate side, helping fellow Indians who were in distress in any part of the world, he said in another tweet.

I cant forget the manner in which Sushma Ji worked tirelessly as EAM in the last 5 years. Even when her health was not good, she would do everything possible to do justice to her work and remain up to date with matters of her Ministry. The spirit and commitment was unparalleled, he further added.

Sushma Jis demise is a personal loss. She will be remembered fondly for everything that shes done for India. My thoughts are with her family, supporters and admirers in this very unfortunate hour. Om Shanti, the Prime Minister said on the micro-blogging site.

Also Read: Sushma Swarajs mortal remains reach her residence, last rites today at 3 pm

Sushma Swaraj was only the second woman to hold the portfolio after Indira Gandhi, who briefly kept the external affairs ministry under her while being the prime minister. Several path-breaking measures such as the passport infrastructure expansion and enhanced engagement with the East were the highlights of her tenure as the external affairs minister. Swaraj had many firsts to her credit such as being the youngest cabinet minister in the Haryana government, first woman chief minister of Delhi and the first woman spokesperson for a national political party in the country. She started her political life with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the RSS student wing, and later joined the BJP. She was the Information and Broadcasting Minister in the 13-day Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 1996 and got the Cabinet portfolio again after he led the BJP to power in 1998.

(With agency inputs)

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New Delhi:

At least five people were killed and 11 other were injured in a fire that broke out in a multi-storey building in Delhi's Zakir Nagar on Monday night. Around 20 people have been rescued from the building. Authorities have rushed five fire tenders to the spot and the fire has been doused.



"5 patients are in the intensive care unit (ICU), some are in the ward and one is in Pediatric ICU," said Doctor Mala, Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Holy Family Hospital.



Last month, three people died in a major fire that broke at a rubber factory in Jhilmil industrial area of northeast Delhi. According to the fire officials, the information about the blaze was received at 9.25 am and 31 fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The fire broke out at the factory manufacturing household tools and equipment in Shahdara's Jhilmil industrial area around 9 am, according to fire officials.




Delhi:

National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah is neither detained nor arrested, Union Home Minister Amit Shah clarified in Parliament on Tuesday. Union Home Minister had to make the statement in the Lok Sabha after several lawmakers raised the concern over the National Conference chiefs wellbeing. DMKs Dayanidhi Maran and NCPs Supriya Sule said that the Speaker should enquire about Abdullahs current status. Shah made these remarks when Sule said Abdullah used to sit next to him in the House. She said he is not in House and his voice is not being heard. "He is neither under detention nor under arrest. He is at his home on his own will," Shah said. When Sule wondered whether the National conference leader was unwell, Shah said it was up to the doctors to say. "I can't carry out the treatment, it was up to doctors," he said. (KASHMIR LIVE UPDATES)

Apart from Sule, DMKs Dayanidhi Maran also asked Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to take stock of the situation. In fact, he also claimed that the National Conference chief has been arrested. Outside Parliament, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also raised the issue and voiced concern over the state of Kashmiri leaders under house arrest.

Taking up the issue of house arrest of the Kashmiri leaders, Banerjee said that, I have no information about Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti. I appeal to the government that they should not feel isolated. They are not terrorists. They should be released in the interest of the democratic institutions.

Putting an end to all wild speculations and online and offline rumours, the Narendra Modi government on Monday revoked the Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also proposed the bifurcation of the state. The third key takeaway of todays big announcement was the scrapping of Article 35A, which empowered Jammu and Kashmir state's legislature to define permanent residents of the state and provide special rights and privileges to those permanent residents. The Mondays big announcements will have far reaching effects on the ground.

The Monday move ended the seven-decade old history of Article 370. Two months after India won independence 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh, the then ruler of Jammu and Kashmir, signed a Treaty of Accession for the state to join the rest of the union, formalised in Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. Article 35A of India's constitution permitted the local legislature in Kashmir to define permanent residents of the region. The article came into being in 1954 by a presidential order under the constitution's Article 370.

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New Delhi:

Toni Morrison, the first African-American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature and one of Americas best loved writers, has died following a brief illness, her family said in a statement Tuesday. She was 88.

It is with profound sadness we share that, following a short illness, our adored mother and grandmother, Toni Morrison, passed away peacefully last night surrounded by family and friends, they said.

Although her passing represents a tremendous loss, we are grateful she had a long, well lived life, the statement added, describing her as the consummate writer who treasured the written word.

Morrison wrote 11 novels, many of them touching on life as a black American, in a glittering literary and award-laden career that lasted over six decades.

She also penned numerous essays, poems and speeches and was often referred to as Americas conscience for her poignant takes on race and human rights, never afraid of commenting on the days weightiest political issues.

She won the Pulitzer Prize and the American Book Award in 1988 for her 1987 novel Beloved. Set after the American Civil War in the 1860s, the story centered on a slave who escaped Kentucky to the free state of Ohio.

The book was later turned into a film starring Danny Glover and Oprah Winfrey.

Morrison received numerous other accolades including the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993.

In 1996, she was honored with the National Book Foundations Medal of Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.

In 2012, Barack Obama presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and in 2016 she received the PEN/Saul Bellow Award for Achievement in American Fiction.

She was a great woman and a great writer, and I dont know which I will miss more, Robert Gottlieb, Morrisons longtime editor at Knopf publishers, said in a statement sent to AFP.

Sonny Mehta, chairman of Knopf, said he could think of few writers in American letters who wrote with more humanity or with more love for language than Toni.

Her narratives and mesmerizing prose have made an indelible mark on our culture. Her novels command and demand our attention. They are canonical works, and more importantly, they are books that remain beloved by readers, he said.

Morrison was born in Ohio on February 18, 1931. The Bluest Eye, her first novel, was published in 1970 when she was almost 40 years old.

She followed up with Sula in 1973, going on to publish another nine novels, including the acclaimed Song of Solomon in 1977 which won the National Book Critics Circle Award.

Her writings touched many, including Obama who recalled reading Song of Solomon as a child and not just trying to figure out how to write, but also how to be and how to think. Morrisons life was also touched by tragedy. In 2010 her son Slade died of pancreatic cancer aged just 45.

She spent time as an editor at Random House and taught at Princeton University.

Morrison died at the Montefiore Medical Center in New York on Monday.

(With inputs from PTI)

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New Delhi:

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Wednesday condoled the demise of former Union minister Sushma Swaraj. Swaraj passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi on Tuesday night after suffering a cardiac arrest. The senior BJP leader was 67.



Deeply shocked to learn of the passing away of Sushma Swaraj, a senior political leader of India and former External Affairs Minister. Heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies to the Government and people of India as well as to the bereaved family members, news agency ANI quoted him as saying.



The body of former Swaraj will be kept for three hours at the BJP headquarters on Wednesday for party workers and leaders to pay tributes, BJP working president J P Nadda said. Her last rites will be performed at the Lodhi crematorium.



Prime Minister Narendra Modi while paying tributes said a glorious chapter in Indian politics had come to an end. "A glorious chapter in Indian politics comes to an end. India grieves the demise of a remarkable leader who devoted her life to public service and bettering lives of the poor. Sushma Swaraj Ji was one of her kind, who was a source of inspiration for crores of people," he tweeted.



In a series of tweets, PM Modi remembered Sushma Swaraj as a prolific orator and outstanding Parliamentarian. She was admired and revered across party lines. She was uncompromising when it came to matters of ideology and interests of the BJP, whose growth she immensely contributed to, he tweeted.



An excellent administrator, Sushma Ji set high standards in every Ministry she handled. She played a key role in bettering Indias ties with various nations. As a Minister we also saw her compassionate side, helping fellow Indians who were in distress in any part of the world, he further added.





I cant forget the manner in which Sushma Ji worked tirelessly as EAM in the last 5 years. Even when her health was not good, she would do everything possible to do justice to her work and remain up to date with matters of her Ministry. The spirit and commitment was unparalleled, PM Modi tweeted.

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Delhi:

Geeta, the hearing and speech-impaired woman who returned to India from Pakistan in 2015 following extensive efforts by Sushma Swaraj, on Wednesday said she has lost a "guardian" and "motherly figure" in the death of the former external affairs minister. A tearful Geeta, through sign language, said Swaraj used to be concerned about her well-being "like a mother". Swaraj, who died in New Delhi on Tuesday night after a massive cardiac arrest at the age of 67, had a deep emotional attachment with Geeta.

In November last year, the then external affairs minister described Geeta as "Hindustan ki beti" (daughter of India), and said "even if she does not meet her family, she will never be sent back to Pakistan. The Indian government will foster her."

Following her return to India in October 2015, Geeta, who is believed to be in her late 20s, has been staying and studying at an institution for deaf and mute people run by an NGO at Indore in Madhya Pradesh, under the supervision of the social justice department.

Sandeep Pandit, the warden of the NGO's hostel where Geeta has been staying, told PTI that the news of Swaraj's death was given to her on Wednesday morning. "Geeta has been very sad and in tears since then. We are consoling her," he said. According to Pandit, Geeta, through her sign language, said "she felt as if she had lost a guardian". "Swaraj was always worried about her well-being like a mother," Pandit quoted Geeta as saying. "Geeta said Swaraj used to talk to her and discuss about all her problems and progress in studies," he added. Geeta was found alone on board the Samjhauta Express at Lahore in Pakistan when she was about eight years' old. She was taken care of by the Edhi Foundation in Pakistan.

After her repatriation in 2015, she met Swaraj several times in Delhi and Indore. Following her return, more than 10 families from across India claimed Geeta was their missing daughter. However, none of the claims could be verified in the government's investigations and a search for her family was still on.

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Delhi:

A day after India scrapped the Article 370 and 35A in Jammu and Kashmir, the US struck a cautionary tone over the issue. In a late-night statement, the US State Department said that, "We call on all parties to maintain peace and stability along the Line of Control." US State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus statement didnt name Pakistan. "We are closely following the events in Jammu and Kashmir. We take note of India's announcement revising the constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir and India's plan to split the state into two union territories," Ortagus added. However, the US has also said that it is concerned over the human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir. "We are concerned about reports of detentions (in J&K) and urge respect for individual rights and discussion with the affected communities," Ortagus further said.

Also Read: Urge all parties to exercise restraint: UN Chief Antonio Guterres on Kashmir situation

Earlier in the day, Ministry of External Affairs briefed the envoys of the P5 nations -- the US, the UK, China, France and Russia -- about Indian government's decision to scrap Article 370 and bifurcate the state into two union territories. With Article 370 becoming history, Jammu and Kashmir will not have separate state flag. With President Ram Nath Kovinds nod to scrapping of Article 35A, every Indian will now be able to buy property in Jammu and Kashmir. Instead of the Ranbir Penal Code, the entire region will now fall under the jurisdiction of the Indian Penal Code. With these announcements, the Modi government at the Centre will have right on land and police power in Jammu and Kashmir.

Also Read: Parliament building lit up in multiple colours as it celebrates Article 370 revocation in J-K

As against the trifurcation buzz, the Modi government announced the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir. Shah also moved a bill proposing bifurcation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories -- Jammu and Kashmir division and Ladakh. Shah, who introduced the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation bill, said the union territory in Ladakh will have no legislature like Chandigarh. The other union territory of Jammu and Kashmir will have a legislature like Delhi and Puducherry.

The Monday move ends the seven-decade old history of Article 370. Two months after India won independence 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh, the then ruler of Jammu and Kashmir, signed a Treaty of Accession for the state to join the rest of the union, formalised in Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. Article 35A of India's constitution permitted the local legislature in Kashmir to define permanent residents of the region. The article came into being in 1954 by a presidential order under the constitution's Article 370.

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New Delhi:

The Armys northern command chief Lt Gen Ranbir Singh met Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Monday night and briefed him about internal and external security situation, a Raj Bhawan spokesman said.

Lt Gen Singh, accompanied by General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps Lt Gen KJS Dhillon, met Malik at the Raj Bhawan and informed him about the security management in the state after the Centre abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution, which accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

The Army officer also apprised him of the preparedness for addressing any eventuality, the spokesman said.

The governor laid stress on realtime coordination between security forces and agencies for ensuring safety of the people and protecting territorial integrity of the state, he added.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah moved a resolution in Rajya Sabha to abolish Article 370 of the Constitution, which accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir, after the president issued a notification, and introduced a Bill to divide the state into two Union TerritoriesJammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The Rajya Sabha approved both the resolution and the the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019.

JK Governor reviews security scenario with Armys northern command chief in Srinagar The Armys northern command chief Lt Gen Ranbir Singh met Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Monday night and briefed him about internal and external security situation, a Raj Bhawan spokesman said. Lt Gen Singh, accompanied by General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps Lt Gen KJS Dhillon, met Malik at the Raj Bhawan and informed him about the security management in the state after the Centre abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution, which accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The Army officer also apprised him of the preparedness for addressing any eventuality, the spokesman said. The governor laid stress on realtime coordination between security forces and agencies for ensuring safety of the people and protecting territorial integrity of the state, he added. Union Home Minister Amit Shah moved a resolution in Rajya Sabha to abolish Article 370 of the Constitution, which accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir, after the president issued a notification, and introduced a Bill to divide the state into two Union TerritoriesJammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The Rajya Sabha approved both the resolution and the the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019. Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir, Governor Satya Pal Malik, Raj Bhawan

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Delhi:

As the Narendra Modi government and the Opposition parties debated the Article 370 in the Lok Sabha, DMK lawmaker Dayanidhi Maran made a startling claim that may have far-reaching effect on the volatile situation in Jammu and Kashmir. During the discussion, Maran claimed that National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah, who is also Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar, is missing. He later claimed that Abdullah has been arrested. Maran further said that, we have no intimation. You (Om Birla) as a Speaker should protect the members. You should be neutral. Farooq Abdullah was last holding an all-party meet at his Srinagar residence over the weekend. After that, in the backdrop of unprecedented troop build-up, the Narendra Modi government scrapped the Article 370 and 35A that granted special status and power to the administration of Jammu and Kashmir. (KASHMIR LIVE UPDATES)

The DMK has maintained its opposition of Modi governments Kashmir decision. Strongly condemning the Centre's move to revoke Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, the DMK leadership said it was a "murder of democracy". DMK president MK Stalin had said the measures should be held back till a democratically-elected government assumed office in the state. Meanwhile, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam leader TTV Dhinakaran said people's sentiments should have been respected and the government should have take a decision after holding a referendum.

In an unprecedented move that is likely to spark unrest in the Valley, the Narendra Modi government on Monday scrapped part of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also moved a resolution in the Lok Sabha for bringing a bill to reorganise the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh amid a walkout by opposition parties.

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New Delhi:

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has convened a second meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) in three days on Wednesday to discuss the current situation in Kashmir, officials said. The meeting is being held after the meeting of Corps Commanders and joint session of parliament on Tuesday.

The NSC is the highest forum of civil and military top leadership to come together and discuss important matters of national security.

Imran Khan on Tuesday said India's move to revoke Article 370 of the Constitution, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, will create more Pulwama like incidents across the Valley. However, Pakistan will not be responsible for those happenings, the PTI leader added.

"This racism on display by India, stemmed in racial superiority and pride, may create Pulwama type incidents, which will result in quick acceleration of actions and reactions, which will have grave consequences," Khan was quoted as saying. He made the remarks while speaking at the joint session of Parliament this afternoon.

The Indian government on Monday revoked Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and proposed that the state be bifurcated into two union territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, in a bid to tackle head-on the vexatious 72-year-old problem wracking the soul of the nation.

Government in India are involved in mob lynching on the mere supposition of having eaten beef is part and parcel of their racist ideology. This ideology has continued in Indian Occupied Kashmir yesterday".

He said, "The Indian State wishes to change the demography of Kashmir. It is anathema to the Geneva Convention, and to the Indian Constitution itself", adding that it will further fuel the fire in Kashmir.

"India desires ethnic cleansing in Kashmir, along with demographic changes. This will incense the Kashmiris towards retaliation. They are watching their inalienable rights and guarantees taken away by brute force and it will exacerbate Kashmiri resistance and create chaos," Khan went on to claim further.

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New Delhi:

Reacting to Home Minister Amit Shah's statement that the government has not detained Farooq Abdullah, the National Conference leader clarified that the leaders, including him, have been placed in the House Arrest.

" I have a problem of blood pressure & I am arrested in the House. Whatever Home Minister has said is baseless. No one is allowed to enter my house.," Abdullah was quoted as saying by CNN News 18.

He further added that he is also not being allowed to visit his daughter. Talking about the government's decision on Article 370, Abdullah said that the decision is unconstitutional.

#WATCH: National Conference leader & J&K Former CM Farooq Abdullah: Home Ministry is lying in the Parliament that I'm not house-arrested, that I am staying inside my house at my own will. #Article370 pic.twitter.com/OXzHjEmTnx  ANI (@ANI) August 6, 2019

"We don't want to get separated from the country. But we want honour, give us dignity," he added.

"Why would I stay inside my house on my own will when my state is being burnt, when my people are being executed in jails? This is not the India I believe in," he said.

Also read: Farooq Abdullah neither detained, nor arrested, he is wilfully staying at his own home: Shah

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah is neither under detention nor arrest and he is at his home of his own will, Home Minister Amit SHah informed Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

He made these remarks when Supriya Sule (NCP) said Abdullah used to sit next to him in the House. She said he is not in House and his voice is not being heard.

He is neither under detention nor under arrest. He is at his home on his own will, Shah said.

When Sule wondered whether the National conference leader was unwell, Shah said it was up to the doctors to say. I cant carry out the treatment, it was up to doctors, he said.

Also read: Article 370 in Lok Sabha: 'Farooq Abdullah has been arrested,' Dayanidhi Maran's startling claim

The House is debating a motion to abrogate provisions of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and a bill to split the state into two union territories.

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New Delhi:

Amid a sudden spike in tension across the Valley following Narendra Modi government's decision to revoke Article 370, Pakistan is considering to call back its High Commissioner from India, according to reports. The High Commissioner-designate of Pakistan to India is currently in Pakistan but is scheduled to take charge on August 16. However, the Imran Khan government is planning to call back the Acting High Commissioner for consultaions anytime soon.

"High Commissioner designate of Pakistan to India is already in Pakistan, he is to take charge on 16th August. However, Acting High Commissioner to India can be called back for Consultations: Pakistan media," the news agency ANI reported quoting Pakistani media.

High Commissioner designate of Pakistan to India is already in Pakistan, he is to take charge on 16th August. However, Acting High Commissioner to India can be called back for Consultations: Pakistan media https://t.co/BrbW6M4NWH  ANI (@ANI) August 6, 2019

Earlier on Monday, Pakistan summoned Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria to the Foreign Office and conveyed a "strong demarche on the announcements made and actions taken" by the Government of India over Jammu and Kashmir.

READ | Article 370: Imran Khan warns India of more Pulwama-like incidents, to approach UN

The Indian government on Monday revoked Article 370 of the Constitution which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and proposed that the state be bifurcated into two union territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

"The Foreign Secretary conveyed Pakistan's unequivocal rejection of these illegal actions as they are in breach of international law and several UN Security Council resolutions," Foreign Office said in a statement.

Pakistan's "resolute condemnation of the unlawful actions aimed at further consolidating the illegal occupation" of Jammu and Kashmir was underscored, it added. The foreign secretary also condemned the "preceding pre-meditated steps" such as complete lock-down of Kashmir, deployment of additional troops, imposition of curfew, house arrest of Kashmiri leaders and suspension of communication services, among others, it said.

READ | Firmly stand by Kashmiris, shall go to any extent to fulfil our obligations: Pakistan Army

Pakistan's consistent opposition to all Indian "attempts to change the demographic structure and final status" of Jammu and Kashmir was emphasized, the statement added. The foreign secretary called upon India to "halt and reverse its unlawful and destabilizing actions, ensure full compliance with UN Security Council resolutions, and refrain from any further action that could entail serious implications". He reiterated that Pakistan will continue to extend political, diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmiri people's "struggle for realisation of their inalienable right to self-determination".

(With inputs from agencies)

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New Delhi:

Astronomers have found out that an asteroid will approach dangerously towards the Earth on August 10, 2019. Yes, you read it right. Only three days to go. The asteroid named as 2006 QQ23 is bigger than the Empire State Building and is labelled as potentially hazardous by NASA. It is to be noted that the size of Asteroid 2006 QQ23 is 1,870 feet in diameter while the Empire State Building is 1,454 feet tall. That means the asteroid 2006 QQ23 is around 36 stories larger than the Empire State Building. Yes, the space rock is massive. However, theres no need to panic as the gigantic asteroid will fly past the Earth and will not collide with our planet.

You all must be aware that in the recent times, many deadly asteroids approached towards the Earth, but did not hit our planet. Also, it is a known fact that asteroids can bring tsunamis, shock waves and flattening winds that could be catastrophic. Asteroids are small, rocky objects that orbit the Sun. The space rocks (asteroid) approach towards the Earth due to the gravitational forces that affect them. According to a report published by spacetelescope.org, there are more than 7 lakh asteroids that have been found in space. Asteroids are mainly found in an area called the main belt, between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

Also Read: Is Earth near extinction? 7 asteroids heading towards our planet THIS August, may hit us

Also Read: Supermassive black hole V616 Monocerotis coming dangerously close to Earth: Will Earth survive?

Coming back to the asteroid 2006 QQ23, NASAS CNEOS estimated that the space rock will come within about 4.55million miles of the Earth and will be whizzing past at 10,400 miles per hour. It is likely to zip past the Earth from 4.55 million miles away. It is worth mentioning here that the distance may seem like theres no risk at all but any fast moving space object that comes within around 4.65 million miles is considered to be "potentially hazardous" by the space organisations.

Also Read: NASA chief Jim Bridenstine issues warning of deadly collision between Earth, asteroids

Also Read: Asteroid triggered mega-tsunami on Mars 3.7 billion years ago? Find out here

This asteroid hasn't got this close to Earth since 2001. After its fleeting flypast on August 10, the asteroid is not expected to come near our planet again until February 15th 2022. In the meantime, NASA has detected a total of seven asteroids that will be heading towards Earth this August. The gigantic asteroids are named as 2013 BZ45, 2018 PN22, 2016 PD, 2002 JR100 and 2019 OU1.

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New Delhi:

The Narendra Modi government, in a muscular move, scrapped special status of Jammu and Kashmir by removing several clauses of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. The government also said that it will support a Bill to divide the state into two Union Territories (UTs) of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

In anticipation of the announcement, which is likely to spark unrest, the government had flooded the Valley with thousands of additional troops and evacuated tourists and Hindi pilgrims. Mainstream politicians, including former chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah along with many others have been arrested and taken to unknown locations.

The authorities have also closed educational institutions and severed communication channels. Kashmiris living outside the state expressed their angst against the shut down of internet and mobile services as they were unable to contact their families living in curfew like situation in the Valley.



Here are all the LIVE updates:

10.30 pm: The Congress Working Committee late Tuesday deplored the "unilateral, brazen and totally undemocratic" manner in which provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution was abrogated and the state of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated by the government into two Union Territories.

9.40 pm: UP CM Yogi Adityanath on resolution to revoke Article 370 and the J&K Reorganization Bill, 2019 passed in Parliament: The dream of one India that our freedom fighters saw has been completed by PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah today. I congratulate the residents of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

9.35 pm: DMK President MK Stalin calls for an All-Party meeting on August 10 to discuss the next course of action regarding the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Bill, 2019 passed in Parliament, today.

9.13 pm: Srinagar: NSA Ajit Doval took review of security situation in meeting attended by senior stakeholders. He gave directions that common people shouldn't face any hardships. Essential food supplies, emergency assistance and provisions should be made available on a priority basis.

9.09 pm: Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party: We asked if 24 seats in PoJK will be filled, if PoJK will be a part of our map, after Article 370 gets revoked? If Jammu and Kashmir is the crown of India, we should at least know the map of our crown. Our question wasn't answered, that's why we boycotted voting.

9.07 pm: PM Modi terms passing of J-K Reorganisation Bill as momentous, fitting tribute to Sardar Patel, Ambedkar.

9.05 pm: Government in Lok Sabha proposes to withdraw The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Second Amendment) Bill 2019.

8.16 pm: Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting underway at All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi. Rahul Gandhi chaired the meeting as Congress president.

Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting underway at All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi pic.twitter.com/ct5CFCNUym  ANI (@ANI) August 6, 2019

7.35 pm: Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill passed in Lok Sabha by 370-70 votes

7.00 pm: Resolution revoking Article 370 from Jammu & Kashmir passed in Lok Sabha.

6.45 pm: There are laws for environment in the nation and they will be implemented there as soon as Article 370 is revoked. Jammu and Kashmir was heaven on earth, it is heaven on the earth and it will always remain so, says Amit Shah.

6.37 pm: The curfew wasn't put in place because the law and order situation has deteriorated. It is precautionary, it has been put in place so the situation doesn't deteriorate, says Amit Shah.

The curfew was not put in place because the law and order situation has deteriorated. It is precautionary, it has been put in place so the situation doesn't deteriorate, says @AmitShah #OneIndiaUnitedIndia



Follow LIVE updates here: https://t.co/ivZhCI0k2Z pic.twitter.com/qNNjvq2rdi  News Nation (@NewsNationTV) August 6, 2019

6.30 pm: Asaduddin Owaisi said we are going to commit a historical mistake. We're not going to commit a historical mistake, we're going to correct one. After 5 years, seeing development in Jammu and Kashmir under leadership of PM Modi, people of valley will understand drawbacks of Article 370.

6.17 pm: History will decide if this decision (to revoke 370) is right or not, but whenever it will be discussed, PM Narendra Modi will be remembered by the people, says Amit Shah.

6.15 pm: Who took Kashmir to the United Nations? It was Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru: Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Lok Sabha.

5.45 pm: Amit Shah speaks in Lok Sabha on Jammu and Kashmir Re-organisation Bill.

5.00 pm: Asaduddin Owaisi in Lok Sabha: I stand to oppose the bill. Definitely BJP has lived up to electoral promise in their manifesto, but you have not lived up to your constitutional duties. You've indulged in breach of a constitutional promise.

4.32 pm: Amit Shah in Lok Sabha: I'm saying it for the 4th time and I've the patience to say it for the 10th time, Farooq Abdullah has neither been detained nor arrested. If he isn't well, doctors will take him to hospital. House shouldn't worry. If he wasn't well, he would not have come out.



4.27 pm: Telugu Desam Party MP Jayadev Galla in Lok Sabha: Our leader Chandrababu Naidu and our party support the proposed reorganisation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.... Complete integration of J&K into India will be one nation with one flag and one constitution.

4.25 pm: Home Minister Amit Shah in Lok Sabha: I have made it clear thrice, Farooq Abdullah ji is at his home, he is not under house arrest, he is not under detention. He is in good health, mauj-masti mein hain, unko nahi ana hai toh gun kanpatti par rakh kar bahar nahi la sakte hum.

4.09 pm: Farooq Abdullah, National Conference in Srinagar: Why would I stay inside my house on my own will when my state is being burnt, when my people are being executed in jails? This is not the India I believe in.

4.08 pm: Why we think it is indeed a black day? Because two former Jammu and Kashmir CMs Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti are under arrest and the whereabouts of our own colleague Farooq Abdullah are still unclear. We still want to know where he is? asks Congress leader Shashi Tharoor.

Shashi Tharoor, Congress: Why we think it is indeed a black day? Because two former J&K CMs Omar Abdullah&Mehbooba Mufti are under arrest & the whereabouts of our own colleague Farooq Abdullah are still unclear. We still want to know where he is? pic.twitter.com/Wdouz2LKDP  ANI (@ANI) August 6, 2019

3.45 pm: Jamyang Tsering, BJP MP from Ladakh in Lok Sabha on Article 370 Revoked: What will be lost with this decision? Sirf do pariwar rozi-roti khoyenge aur Kashmir ka bhavishya ujjwal hone wala hai.



3.25 pm: Indian High Commission in Pakistan asks Pakistani authorities to tighten up security around its premises.



3.20 pm: S Sule, NCP: You divided state (J&K),I don't know why? A lot was talked about Andhra. I was here when it was debated. Two wrongs don't make a right. Just because something went wrong that time, doesn't mean you need to make the same mistake. What's the difference between this and that government? You are dividing the state, my only question is when will you have elections which are fair and transparent? Why does Ladakh not have an Assembly?



3 pm: Rahul Gandhi on Twitter: Kashmirs mainstream political leaders have been jailed at secret locations. This is unconstitutional & undemocratic. Its also short sighted and foolish because it will allow terrorists to fill the leadership vaccum created by GOI. The imprisoned leaders must be released.



2.30 pm: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress: Since 1948, Kashmir has been under monitoring mechanism of the United Nations. So, in the wake of bifurcation of J&K state, what should be the stand & status of our country?



2.20 pm: Pralhad Joshi, BJP, in Lok Sabha: When the country is celebrating, Congress is speaking in the voice of Pakistan. Pakistan govt official statement said it's a dark day. Congress leaders have stated it's a dark day. What does it mean? Pak says it's a dark day&you're joining them?



2.07 pm: JDU walks out of Lok Sabha over J&K Re-organisation Bill.



2.05 pm: Common man rejoicing in Srinagar over abrogation of Article 370, says Jitnedra Singh.



2 pm: Implementation of Article 370 should not be through dictatorship, says Rajasthan Minister Ashok Chandna.



1.55 pm: Jammu and Kashmir policy planning group of Congress party to meet today.

1.50 pm: Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Choudhury embarrassed his party with his statement in Lok Sabha that 'Article 370 not an internal issue'. You say that it is an internal matter. But it is being monitored since 1948 by the UN, is that an internal matter? We signed Shimla Agreement & Lahore Declaration, what that an internal matter or bilateral? Choudhury said during a heated debate on Modi governments move of revoking Article 370.

He said the government had thrown rules and regulations out of the window by proposing to create two Union territories out of Jammu and Kashmir.

1.40 pm: Indresh Kumar, RSS on Article 35A &370 revoked: I welcome the decision. Even UNO will not oppose it. UNO justice will also support India in this.



1.35 pm: Jitender Singh responding to allegations of not having engaged the stakeholders in the situation, he says the Parliament is a great stakeholder.



1.30 pm: We cannot support this bill. We cannot vote for this bill. They should have spoken to all political parties and the Kashmiris. If you need to arrive at a permanent solution, then you have to talk to all stakeholders. I have no information about Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti. I appeal to the government that they should not feel isolated. They are not terrorists. They should be released in the interest of the democratic institutions: Mamata Banerjee

1.23 pm: Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti not terrorists. Must be releassed immidiately: Mamata Banerjee



1.21 pm: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee says can't support bifurcation bill



1.20 pm: Ruckus in Parliament of Pakistan as the Opposition objects to Prime Minister Imran Khan's absence from the joint session to hold a discussion on Kashmir. Session proceedings stopped even before starting as the Speaker left for his chamber.



1.15 pm: Indian Army: Major Infiltration bid foiled in Macchal Sector of J&K at 2:30 AM today. 5-6 terrorists infiltrated 500m into Indian territory, in exchange of fire one soldier injured and evacuated.



1.10 pm: Jitender Singh calls Article 370 blunder of history.



1 pm: Pakistan has intensified its efforts at increasing the strength of terrorists in launch pads along the Line of Control over the past few days, says Indian Army



12.50 pm: DMK leader, T R Baalu says, he would have supported the bill had it not converted a strong state government in two Union Territories.



12.45 pm: Rahul Gandhi: "National integration isnt furthered by unilaterally tearing apart J&K, imprisoning elected representatives and violating our Constitution. This nation is made by its people, not plots of land. This abuse of executive power has grave implications for our national security"



12.40 pm: First time in history that a state has been converted into union territory: Manish Tewari



12.35 pm: Manish Tewari: Today when you're scrapping Article 370, what message are you sending to northeastern states?



12.30 pm: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress, in Lok Sabha: You say that it is an internal matter. But it is being monitored since 1948 by the UN, is that an internal matter? We signed Shimla Agreement and Lahore Declaration, what that an internal matter or bilateral?



12.25 pm: BJP MP from Jammu, Jugal Kishore Sharma said the Article 370, which gives special status to J&K, is a blot on history.



12.20 pm: According to the instrument of annexation, any changes in the Constitution can be made only with the consensus of the state government. In Jammu and Kashmir, where is the Constituent Assembly?, says Manish Tewari.



12.15 pm: Manish Tewari, Congress: In last 70 yrs, several times we saw demands that union territories be converted into states but this is probably the first time in history that a state has been converted into union territory. There cannot be a bigger blow to federal structure than this.



12.10 pm: DMK MP, Dayanidhi Maran in Lok Sabha: Mr Farooq Abdullah, a member of this House is missing. He is arrested. We have no intimation. You as a Speaker should protect the members. You should be neutral.



12.05 pm: That you can revoke Article 371 tomorrow? By imposing President's rule in the north eastern states, and using the rights of their Assemblies in the Parliament, you can scrap Article 371 too? What kind of Constitutional Precedent are you setting in the country?, says Manish Tewari



12 pm: Jawaharlal Nehru had protected J&K when it was under attack from Pakistan: Manish Tewari



11.55 am: Aditi Singh, Congress MLA from Raebareli Sadar on Article370 revoked: I'm in absolute support of the decision taken. It will help in integrating J&K into the mainstream. It's a historic decision. It should not be politicised. As an MLA, in my capacity, I welcome this decision.



11.50 am: You can't remove Article 370 without the presence of contituent Assembly in J-K, says Congress leader Manish Tiwari.



11.45 am: US State Dept. spokesperson Morgan Ortagus: We are closely following the events in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. We take note of Indias announcement revising the constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir and Indias plan to split the state into two union territories.



11.40 am: General Officer Commanding in Chief,Northern Command, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh chaired a meeting of the Core Group of Intelligence and Security agencies at Srinagar today,to review the operational readiness.He said,"necessary security arrangements put in place for ensuring peace and security"



11.35 am: Congress leader Manish Tiwari speaks.



11.30 am: Home Minister Amit Shah in Lok Sabha: Parliament has the right to make laws on Jammu & Kashmir.



11.25 am: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress, in Lok Sabha: You say that it is an internal matter. But it is being monitored since 1948 by the UN, is that an internal matter? We signed Shimla Agreement & Lahore Declaration, what that an internal matter or bilateral? S Jaishankar told Mike Pompeo a few days before that Kashmir is a bilateral matter, so don't interfere in it. Can J&K still be an internal matter? We want to know. Entire Congress party wants to be enlightened by you.



11.25 am: 'Jaan de denge iske liye': In Lok Sabha, Amit Shah sets record straight on Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.



11.21: PoK an integral part of India, will give my life for PoK, says Amit Shah.



11.15 am: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress, in Lok Sabha: I don't think you are thinking about PoK, you violated all rules and converted a state into a Union Territory overnight.



11.15 am: Union Home Minister Amit Shah moves the resolution to revoke Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, in Lok Sabha.



11.15 am: Uproar in Parliament as Union Amit Shah proposes Article 370 bill.



11 am: Lok Sabha proceedings begin, all eyes on Article 370 debate.



10.40 am: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has written to UN Secretary-general on Kashmirs present situation. Qureshi has also briefed P5 Nation Ambassadors -- the US, the UK, China, France and Russia -- on India's decision to abrogate Article 370.



10.30 am: Jammu and Kashmir, which has lost its special status after Modi government revoked Article 370, has food supply for three months. "Kashmir valley has more than three months' supply of rice, wheat, mutton, eggs, and fuel. There will be no shortage of food or civil supplies in the state," Principal Secretary, Planning Commission in Srinagar, Rohit Kansal was quoted as saying by NDTV. The statement indicates that the lockdown in the Valley, where section 144 has been imposed and the mobile and internet services have been suspended, is expected to continue for a long time.



10.15 am: Government Sources on the situation in Jammu & Kashmir post-revocation of Article 370: There is peace and normalcy in J&K. It has been event free, no agitations held. People also moving about for essential work.



10 am: A meeting of Lok Sabha MPs of Congress party, chaired by Sonia Gandhi, will be held at 10:30 am today in Parliament.



9.50 am: Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, over J&K issue, to be held later today. Meeting can be postponed for tomorrow if the Parliament proceedings extends.



9.45 am: Security forces deployed in Doda as Section 144 is imposed in the area.



9.30 am: A day after India scrapped Article 370, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi wrote to UN Secretary-general on Kashmirs present situation. Qureshi has also briefed P5 Nation Ambassadors -- the US, the UK, China, France and Russia -- on India's decision to abrogate Article 370.



9 am: The Armys northern command chief Lt Gen Ranbir Singh met Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Monday night and briefed him about internal and external security situation, a Raj Bhawan spokesman said.





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In the context of Nepal today, temperature warming and snow melting have been elevated as a public concern and a dire issue. Due to the climate change-induced rising heat and the snow melting, numerous detrimental consequences have been witnessed so far. It has affected several sectors and ecosystems of Nepal, entailing the forests, water, mountains besides other aspects.

Below are major highlights of the impact of rising heat and snow melting on different ecosystems in Nepal.

1. Phenology alteration

Unseasonal rainfall destroyed rice plants ready to be harvested,, across Nepal, in October 2021.

Once the heat rises earlier than average in a forest ecosystem, it can create severe consequences in the flowering and fruiting of the plants in the forest. The alteration in plant and animal phenology has severe effects on their reproduction.

Thus, in turn, rising heat affects the interaction of plant pollination. It is, hence, not surprising to depict that early fruiting and flowering in higher altitudes have been visualised. Several research findings prioritised the early flowering of Ficus religiosa and Bombax ceiba in the tropical lowlands.

The increase in the winter temperature has caused early ripening of the fruits within two weeks, thereby causing a decrease in the size of Myrica esculenta, as stressed by the research findings. There was the early flowering season in the case of Rhododendron species in roughly one month in the mid-hills of Nepal.

The flowering time of Rhododendron arboreum was recorded delayed by three to six weeks in the western part of the sub-alpine regions. Both early and delayed flowering and fruit ripening have significant consequences on seasonality. Besides these, a series of outcomes could lead to Nepals forest biodiversity.

2. Habitat shift

Representational image: A forest

There is a shift in the population range and an alteration in the species migration due to rising heat and snow melting. In the eastern Himalayan, R arboretum is coping with the changing heat conditions. Several researchers insisted on the findings of migrating R arboretum in upslope by 0.26 m in the central part of Nepal. Juniperus indica and Alnus nepalensis have been migrating in the forests as well.

The research further illustrates that rising heat has caused the plant species to expand their distribution range by 300 metres. From this scenario, we could conveniently believe how the heat rise causes detrimental impacts on the species of the forest ecosystem.

It is noteworthy that until and unless the species do not get a favourable environment, it may affect the species population, contributing to the habitat shrinking and expansion. The upward shifting has been recorded in the case of Ficus roxburghii and Schima wallichii, besides Castanopsis hystrix.

The cold lover snow leopard is vulnerable due to rising heat in its natural forest environment. Thus, they are shifting towards the north due to their loss in habitat by 40 %. The snow leopard moves upwards with the increase in treeline shift due to the warmer climate. Without a doubt, it could have a severe influence on the prey-predator relationship, food chain, food web, and the high-altitude forest ecosystem.

Rising heat has critically impacted Bos mutus, and Ursus arctos, the species recorded in the alpine and the sub-alpine regions of the Himalaya due to treeline shift. The snow melting excessively has degraded the habitat of Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora and Ophiocordyceps Sinensis, the medicinal plants found in the high altitude.

3. Invasions

Mikania in Chitwan National Park. Photo: Courtesy Bharat Babu Shrestha

Undoubtedly, when the plant species in a forest ecosystem get more heated than the normal one due to rising heat, they may invade several surrounding species. It leads to species invasion with restrictions in the proper growth and development of the plant species in the natural and artificial surroundings. Once the snow melts on a massive scale, it results in flooding. It creates a wide array of impacts on the Himalayan forest diversity, thereby sweeping away all the plant species and deteriorating the forest environment.

As a result of this flood, there is excessive growth of the invasive plant species, which entails Parthenium hysterophorus, Lantana camara, Mikania micrantha. For instance, Mikania micrantha targets the habitat of one-horned rhinoceros in the Chitwan National Park of Nepal.

It suppresses the growth of the grasslands, keeping the rhinoceros survival into threat. There are a series of impacts caused by the invasion of plant species by the rising heat, which is the inclusion of deteriorating the soil quality, losing the soil nutrients, and creating an alteration in the species composition in any region.

Due to the rising heat, Eichhornia crassipes in the Taudaha lake have invaded the other plant species. Besides these, the warming trend in the Himalayan region is increasing tremendously.

Taking the forest ecosystems into account, the researchers have even revealed that the tigers from the low land could be on the brink of extinction once the alien species invade their natural habitat. It may have drastic consequences in agroforestry too.

Someone might be surprised to know that even in the high altitude regions, exotic species of the lowland Cirsium spp have invaded the grazing pasturelands due to rising heat.

4. Drought

Representational image: Drought. Photo: Pixabay

The high snow loss due to rising heat may lead to the desertification of the forest. The vegetation might die due to a lack of appropriate water supply. This water deficiency influences the sowing of the seeds.

On the other hand, drought conditions may also lower agricultural yields. The impact of rising heat has already become a problem in the Terai belt of Nepal. But, there is minimal research concerning high altitude forest research.

5. Water oxygen deficiency

File: A fish pond

The increase in rising heat-induced climate change possesses numerous impacts. Regarding the wetland ecosystem, thermal stratification may occur after excessive heating and, in turn, fluctuates the water level. Once the water level fluctuates, it is inevitable that aquatic organisms such as fish are hampered. To sum it up, rising heat could lead to the lack of oxygen in the water.

6. Wetlands

File: Jagadishpur lake/reservoir

Melting snow may lead to the shrinkage of the wetlands of Nepal. Since wetlands act as a breeding spot for several native and migratory species upon the water fluctuations, it can negatively affect the macro-invertebrate and other aquatic organisms.

The aquatic vegetation may reflect changes gradually. The marine organisms that rely on the planktons get seriously hampered. The rising heat as a cause of anthropogenic-induced activities may enhance eutrophication and boost algal bloom.

Because of this, the heat could not penetrate directly into the lower water surface and affect the fish and the other aquatic creatures. Considering the case of Nepal, in the Jagadishpur reservoir, a Ramsar listed wetland, many migratory birds arrive from Siberia in the wintertime. When the heat rises, it may threaten their behaviour and the migratory pattern.

7. Higher altitude communities

File: A view from Patale, Solukhumbu

Several research findings make us realise the detrimental impact of rising heat and snow melting on the domestic water resources in the Mount Everest region of Nepal. Since higher-altitude residents depend on the glacier water resources, it threatens the communitys livelihood.

The Khumbu valley of Nepal contributes significantly to serving the water for the communities. On the snowpack declination resulting from rising heat in Nepal, it has been detected that roughly two-thirds of the water arises from the glacial period during the dry season.

Compared to others, research concerning the snow melting effects in the Himalayas of Nepal seems very limited. The indigenous communities who rely on the fish for survival get affected following massive snow melts, hampering the fishing.

8. Lower regions

A landslide in Sitganga municipality of Arghakhanchi district, on Saturday, September 26, 2020.

The snow and the glacier melting contribute roughly 14 Km3/year, accounting for 10 % of the annual river flow in major catchments of Nepal. The studies highlight that elevation zones between the range of 5,000 m to 7,000 m in Nepal are likely to be affected by climate change-induced alterations.

Surface runoff is also affected by rising heat. In sum, it does hamper the river flow system and the riparian vegetation. The birds dependence on the riverine resources might displace their natural habitat and induce a stark difference in their behaviour. The several research works are consistent with each other, reflecting the findings that the species are getting more adverse effects.

9. Natural beauty

File: A mountain range as seen from Dhampus, Kaski

It is heart-wrenching to depict that when the rising heat targets the mountains of Nepal, it does deteriorate the quality of the mountains. The snow caps that had enhanced the hills pristine natural beauty do get degraded.

It is pretty much apparent that rapid melting and consequently a loss of the snow caps have impacts on almost all sectors including agriculture, forestry, aquatic ecosystems, local livelihoods such as fishing, and much more.

The dirty pollutants and threatening viruses absorbed from the atmosphere are deposited into the ice. Such activities undoubtedly make the glaciers absorb more heat, and melting coincides, releasing such millions of years old pollutants and viruses in our environment.

Conclusion

Nepal is too affected by global warming at an alarming rate. The genuine pride of our Nepal, glaciers, once melted heavily, undoubtedly create several catastrophic devastations in a wide array of sectors such as water, forest, agriculture, mountain, and many more. It looks pretty worrisome to see the glaciers melting as a cause of rising heat.

The current devastation concerning the rising heat has made us think twice before acting anymore. Therefore, it seems substantial to halt the warming at any cost and assure the conservation of our forests, water resources, mountains, and much more. It could, without a doubt, control the disasters induced by warming and provide a positive message to us and the future generations for nature conservation in the coming days.
(Adds British foreign minister)

By William James, Alexander Ratz and Humeyra Pamuk

LIVERPOOL, England, Dec 12 (Reuters) - While Russian President Vladimir Putin keeps the West guessing over Ukraine, it was the might of Chinese President Xi Jinping that garnered the long-term strategic focus when the diplomats from the Group of Seven richest democracies met this weekend.

The United States and its other G7 allies are searching for a coherent response to Xi's growing assertiveness after Chinas spectacular economic and military rise over the past 40 years.

Putin was the immediate tactical focus at talks in the English city of Liverpool between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his counterparts. There was support for President Joe Biden's attempt to support Ukraine and deter Putin with a clear warning of severe economic sanctions.

"Theres a huge amount of convergence about what will unfortunately be necessary if Russia makes that very bad choice," a senior U.S. State Department official said.

The West is concerned that Russia might be preparing to attack Ukraine. The Kremlin denies it plans to invade Ukraine but has demanded legally binding security guarantees that NATO will not expand further east.

Concerns were raised about alleged Russian disinformation campaigns but there was no clear agreement on, for example, whether or not to slap penalties on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, according to sources with knowledge of the discussions.

Russia was included in what became the G8 in 1997 but was suspended in 2014 after annexing Crimea from Ukraine. Moscow says the G7 - the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan - is making aggressive accusations.

If Putin, 69, was the short-term concern, Xi's China was the strategic puzzle on everyone's lips.

There were "very, very intense discussions especially on China," said one official who attended the talks.

'ANTI-CHINA CLUB'?

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The re-emergence of China as a leading global power is considered to be one of the most significant geopolitical events of recent times, alongside the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union that ended the Cold War.

China in 1979 had an economy that was smaller than Italys, but after opening to foreign investment and introducing market reforms, it has become the worlds second-largest economy and is a global leader in a range of new technologies.

Founded in 1975 as a forum for the West's richest nations to discuss crises such as the OPEC oil embargo, the G7 scolded both China and Russia after a summit meeting in Cornwall in June.

China, which has never been a G7 member, retorted in June following that meeting that "small" groups no longer ruled the world.

"Its tremendous that theres such a focus on the Indo-Pacific here," said a second State Department official.

The first State Department official said that foreign ministers discussed the situation in Hong Kong, the Xinjiang region and the importance of peace in the Taiwan straits.

The need to support Lithuania was also discussed. China downgraded its diplomatic ties with the Baltic state and suspended consular services after the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania opened on Nov. 18.

"We have been clear at this meeting this weekend that we are concerned about the coercive economic policies of China," British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss told reporters.

The G7 wants to act together over Beijing but without seeming to be an anti-China club.

Western officials point out that the G7 combined still packs a powerful punch: it has about $40 trillion in economic clout and includes three of the world's five official nuclear powers.

There was serious discussion about G7 coordinated action to counter China over disinformation and to support countries snared in what critics cast as China's global debt-trap web, officials said.

Canada joined Australia, Britain and the United States in a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing on Wednesday. China has said https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/china-says-australia-britain-us-pay-price-wrong-acts-2021-12-09 those countries will pay a price for their snub.

At the G7, Japan and Germany were still undecided and Italy was skeptical about the boycott.

Blinken heads https://www.reuters.com/world/blinken-heads-southeast-asia-deepen-cooperation-china-pushback-2021-12-12 to Southeast Asia on Monday in an attempt to forge a united front against China in the Indo-Pacific. (Writing by Guy Faulconbridge Editing by Frances Kerry)
By Andrea Shalal

WILMINGTON, Del. (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday said he told Russian President Vladimir Putin that Russia would pay "a terrible price" and face devastating economic consequences if it invaded Ukraine.

Biden told reporters the possibility of sending U.S. ground combat troops to Ukraine in the event of a Russian invasion was "never on the table," although the United States and NATO would be required to send in more forces to eastern flank NATO countries to beef up their defenses.

"I made it absolutely clear to President Putin ... that if he moves on Ukraine, the economic consequences for his economy are going to be devastating, devastating," he said after remarks about the deadly tornadoes that hit the United States on Friday.

Biden, who spoke with Putin by telephone for two hours last week, said he had made clear to the Russian leader that Russia's standing in the world would change "markedly" in the event of an incursion into Ukraine.

Biden spent the weekend at his home in Wilmington.

Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven richest democracies on Saturday sent a similar message to Moscow after a meeting in Liverpool, warning of dire consequences for any incursion and urging Moscow to return to the negotiating table.

G7 finance ministers are meeting virtually on Monday to review economic concerns, including inflation, but will also touch on potential sanctions against Russia if it moves against Ukraine, officials said.

Ukraine has accused Russia of massing tens of thousands of troops in preparation for a possible large-scale military offensive.

Russia denies planning any attack and accuses Ukraine and the United States of destabilising behaviour, and has said it needs security guarantees for its own protection.

Biden last week promised Central European NATO members more military support amid growing concern over the buildup, which countries near Russia's border worry could result in a similar outcome as Russia's 2014 annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine, Lithuania's presidential adviser said.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal and Makini Brice and Tim Gardner; Editing by Chris Reese and Daniel Wallis)
Nazdar Sharif, right, the mother of Twana Mamand, a migrant who has been missing since his boat sank in the English Channel on Nov. 24, 2021, at the family's home in the Sulaimaniya, Iraq. (Jane Arraf/The New York Times)

SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq  The boat packed with migrants was about halfway across the English Channel when one of the passengers spotted two orange life jackets bobbing in the water.



The seas were rough, and it was only when they got closer that Zana Hamawandani saw the vests contained dead bodies.



Soon, other bodies started appearing. As Hamawandani watched, the current pushed one of them under his inflatable boat, where it collided with the whirling blades of the outboard motor.



It came up again, but I saw it floating for just a few seconds before the waves took it away, he said. He remembered it was the body of a man wearing baggy pants.



Another migrant, Karzan Mangury, said he was so horrified by the corpses that he tried to look away. Our boat was surrounded by dead bodies, Mangury said. At that moment my entire body was shaking.



Their accounts, in phone interviews from an immigration facility in England, are the first time they have spoken to news media and are among the only witness descriptions of the last minutes of the disaster. At least 27 people are believed to have died, the biggest single loss of life in the channel since the International Organization for Migration began collecting data in 2014.



Along with the accounts of relatives of some of the victims, their descriptions also tell a story of hours of frantic and futile calls for help to French and English authorities as the migrant boat was sinking. At one point, Mangury said, he made 10 calls to a number French police had given him to try to report his location, and no one answered.



His description of his phone calls is the first public account by a migrant who spoke directly with English and French police to report the sinking.



A few minutes after seeing the corpses, Hamawandani and Mangury said, they saw a mostly submerged, deflated boat with at least two people clinging to it  believed to be the only survivors of a migrant boat that sank in the channel Nov 24.



They were shouting; we could hear them yelling for help, said Hamawandani, a 21-year-old Iraqi Kurd.



Eventually the British Coast Guard rescued Hamawandanis vessel, and a French fishing boat picked up the two survivors of the sunken boat.



In reporting from cities and towns in the Iraqi Kurdistan region where many of the victims came from, my colleagues and I first heard about Hamawandani from his family, who feared he had been one of the victims after he told them he was in a boat crossing the channel and then dropped out of touch.



Hamawandani eventually put us through to Mangury, who spoke to us on the same phone. A location app indicated they were at a facility that local immigration activists confirmed is used to house migrants in Crawley, a town in southern England.



The disaster has injected a new sense of urgency into efforts by European countries to control high-risk channel crossings better. Activists also believe the deaths, which included children, highlight a contentious, ineffective partnership between Britain and France that has failed to improve the protocols for rescuing migrants in distress.



Hamawandani and Mangury set off with 23 other people early Nov. 24. After more than 10 hours in the water, the engine on their own boat was failing, and they were running out of fuel when they spotted the bodies.



Mangury said their boat was in French waters when they saw the two people clinging to the deflated boat. He started calling 112, the French distress number. I told them there is a boat broken and people dead. Please help them and help us, he said.



He said French police asked him to send his location, but he could not send to a three-digit number. They gave him another number to try, but he said it went unanswered 10 times. Eventually he was able to get a number to send a location via WhatsApp.



I said Ten times I called! Please answer me, he recalled. Please help me!



He said that after an hour the French Coast Guard had not arrived. About 12:30 p.m. he reached English police, who told him they had alerted the French.



About 40 minutes later, after their own boat engine had stalled, Mangury said they saw a helicopter circling and British Coast Guard boats heading toward the bodies.



His account raises new questions about the response of the French and British rescue teams. Many of the victims relatives accuse the two countries of deflecting responsibility by saying the boat was in each others waters and failing to respond to distress calls.



The British Coast Guard said in a statement that early Nov. 24, in response to distress calls, it began a search and rescue operation that included a border patrol boat and a helicopter. It did not specify which distress calls it received.



Three small boats were located and those onboard rescued, a spokesperson said. No other small boats or people in the water were identified in the search area.



In France, both judicial and local authorities in the north declined to comment about whether they had received calls from the migrant boat or from Mangury, saying they could not discuss a case while it was under investigation. A spokeswoman for maritime authorities in northern France said they had been alerted to the ill-fated migrant boat only by fishermen who found it adrift in the channel.



The only two known survivors of the sinking were an Iranian Kurd and a Somali, presumed to be the migrants seen by Mangurys boat.



They told Iraqi Kurdish television network Rudaw that their inflatable boat had sprung a leak and started to deflate while taking on water.



The Somali migrant, identified by Rudaw as Mohammed Isa Omar, said they were frantically calling both French and British police as the flimsy boat started to sink.



Most of the calls were to Britain saying Help. Help us. They said Send us the location; we didnt have the chance, he told the network. He said at that point the leaking boat capsized, throwing everyone in it into the water along with their phones.



The other known survivor, an Iranian Kurd living in Iraq identified by Rudaw as Mohammad Shekha Ahmad, described fellow migrants holding hands in the frigid water and said that one by one they lost the strength to hold on and were carried away.



Hamawandani and Mangury said they were haunted by not being able to help the two surviving migrants holding onto the sunken boat.



Some of us said, Lets go and help them, but most of them were afraid because they saw the dead bodies in the sea, and they thought the same thing would happen to us, Hamawandani said.



Many of the victims were Iraqis from the Kurdistan region in northern Iraq, and the sinking has sent waves of grief and anger through Kurdish towns and villages.



More than two weeks after the sinking, none of the families have been officially notified of their relatives' fates.



In the picturesque mountain town of Hajiawa, Nazdar Sharif swung between desperate hope that her son Twana Mamand was still alive and resignation that he was among the victims.



Twana had tried six times over the last two months to cross the channel to Britain, where his sister has lived for years, said his brother, Zana Mamand. Each time, he was caught by French authorities and sent back.



On his seventh attempt, Twana set off with a relative. He sent his brother a live location showing them roughly in the middle of the channel, Zana Mamand said.



He told him by speaker phone that they would be in British waters in an hour. Mamand could hear the passengers on the other end of the line.



Everybody was happy and laughing, Zana Mamand said.



An hour later, when he was no longer able to reach his brother, he called their sister and brother-in-law in London. The brother-in-law, who for privacy reasons asked to be identified only by his last name, Abdullah, said he spoke to the relative Twana was traveling with about 1 a.m. and told him to call police.



He said two hours later his relative told them other people on the boat had called French and English police but had been told they were in each others waters.



That was the last time he was able to reach him.



At the Mamand familys home near the town of Ranya, where hundreds of young men have left for Britain in the past few months, Twanas mother emerged from a back room, distraught, wearing a string of blue plastic beads meant to ward off harm.



I tell myself he is coming back, said Sharif, 49, leaning against another of her sons for support. I need an answer soon whether he is dead or alive. I want my son.

 2021 The New York Times Company
Hierocoin, a community-based digital token, is developing a Decentralized Autonomous Organization structure to aid hip-hop artists in their businesses. The project hopes to establish a decentralized environment through a crowdfunding exercise.

Oakland, CA, Dec. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (via Blockchain Wire) Hierocoin aims to create a platform whereby artists and the hip-hop community can leverage blockchain technology to secure their hard earned returns.

Why Heirocoin Is Banking on DAO



Hierocoin represents a digital token that targets to transform the music industry. It is an innovative platform built by Brooks Boyd. The project came to life in 2014 through Jonathan Owens as a beta version. It launched in December 2021 after years of research and tests.

Hierocoin's DAO will enable users to design policies which favor the entire platform. The DAO system implements the set rules where no third-party will become involved.

The structure could also deal with power-related issues since there will be collective participation from the community.

What Heirocoin Represents

Hierocoin borrows its name from the legendary music group known as Hieroglyphics. The platform, however, guarantees that it doesn't associate its milestones or failures with Hieroglyphics and Hieroglyphics LLC.

The project's native asset is known as BAR and runs on the Binance Smart Chain. BAR's primary use case aims at building a DAO system that supports market scarcity of the token.

Farming is the second use case that allows investors to stake coins and receive rewards in return. Besides, individuals can use BAR in the Hiero farms to generate more BAR tokens. The users' staking amount and the pool's staking rates will have an impact on their rewards.

According to the platform, the Hierocoin Bar token's goal is to help embrace art and promote upcoming artistic projects.

Users can also spend their BAR tokens on Hierovr.com, the project's metaverse world. Hence, BAR acts as a regular currency that enables users to shop and encounter several experiences in the metaverse.

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It further supports a gaming network whereby players participate in completing quests for hidden tokens and is able to bridge virtual items with real-world purchasing.

BAR has a total supply of 93M and a circulating supply of 3,207,200 tokens. The initial liquidity amount accounts for 50M BAR together with another liquidity contribution of 33,810,000.

The distribution chart also dedicates 9M tokens to the Hieroglyphics music group. Lastly, airdrops and Hierocoin use 300,000 BAR and 7,500 BAR tokens, respectively.

Hierocoin's Recent Presale and Auditing Spells Success

The project successfully held its presale which began on 25th November to 8th December, 2021. BAR is currently available for purchase on PancakeSwap. KYC and auditing procedures provide startups with security for their investors.

Hierocoin therefore has two auditing reports from popular security firms known as SolidityFinance and OpenZeppelin.

An additional KYC examination was done by SolidProof, a German-based firm offering blockchain security solutions. Carrying out both procedures gives users a sense of trust and security in their investments.





CONTACT: Jonathan Owens Info (at) hieroglyphics.com




A copy of the newspaper article about the attack on Pearl Harbor from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin was displayed at the ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The event took place Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, at New Hope Ministries in East Naples. (Photo by Andrea Stetson)

Its a shame that the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor received so little public attention. We are living in an era that holds some unpleasant resemblances to the period before the Japanese attack. And we are losing the capacity for surprise that could help us anticipate or avert a similar catastrophe in the future.

First resemblance: In three separate theaters, the United States faces formidable adversaries with aggressive territorial designs.

Last time: Germany in Europe, Japan in Asia and Italy in the Mediterranean and Africa. This time: Russia, which may soon invade Ukraine in almost cheery defiance of the Biden administration; China, which is building a war machine to seize Taiwan and, if necessary, defeat the United States in open warfare; and Iran, which has turned Lebanon, Syria, parts of Iraq, Gaza and Yemen into client states or satrapies while getting closer to being a threshold nuclear state.

Bret Stephens

Second resemblance: In each case, the challenge isnt just territorial. Its ideological.

Russia, China and Iran fundamentally reject the notion of a liberal international order. They reject democracy and human rights as political ideals. They see a West in which personal freedoms lead to moral decadence and a diminished capacity for collective sacrifice. They think illiberal authoritarianism  made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science, to quote Winston Churchill  is the wave of the future, not an atavism from the past.

Third resemblance: The direct targets of their aggression are relatively weak.

Taiwan has plans to boost its military budget but now spends barely 2% of its gross domestic product on defense. Ukraine has been worn down by years of low-grade conflict with Russian-backed separatists, to say nothing of the corruption and incompetence that has typified its 30 years of independence. Iran has taken advantage of the chaos that followed the Arab Spring and Americas retreat from the Middle East to arm and embolden proxies from Hamas to Hezbollah to the Houthis.

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Fourth resemblance: The U.S.  like Britain, France and America in the 1930s  is an ambivalent, wounded and inwardly focused power, unsure as to whether it wants to remain the guarantor of the safety of threatened nations.

In 1935, just before Italy invaded Abyssinia (as Ethiopia was then called), the British weekly Punch mocked the Wests weak response in the face of dictatorial aggression with a satirical poem:

We dont want you to fight,

But, by jingo if you do,

We shall probably issue a joint memorandum

Suggesting a mild disapproval of you.

Compare this to some of the ideas now being adopted or entertained for punishing our adversaries. With China, the U.S. will send athletes, but not diplomats, to the Winter Olympics in Beijing. With Russia, the Biden administration is considering blocking Russian oligarchs from using Visa and Mastercard credit cards, according to The New York Times. And with Iran, the administration warns that it is prepared to use other tools if diplomacy over Irans nuclear programs fails  a warning that would sound more ominous if it hadnt been American diplomatic boilerplate for nearly two decades.

Fifth resemblance: The balance of military power is increasingly shifting against the West.

The United States may still have the worlds most powerful and technologically sophisticated military, much as Britain had the largest navy and France a huge army before World War II. But the U.S. would be hard-pressed to bring decisive power to bear against China in a war for Taiwan, which China would try to win quickly while holding Americas heartland at risk with its growing nuclear arsenal. The Pentagon has also made the mistake of concentrating firepower in a small number of expensive and vulnerable platforms, such as aircraft carriers, rather than distributing power in vast numbers of good enough platforms.

In other words, the U.S. military has in some ways itself become one large Pearl Harbor  a magnificent row of battleships of imposing size but dubious utility, complacently anchored in a port we imagined was secure.

Some readers will want to poke holes in these historical analogies, and surely there are many. Vladimir Putin may be a revanchist dictator, but hes not Hitler. China has sought reunification with Taiwan for over 70 years  it does not automatically follow that it seeks its own version of a Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. And Iran, for all of the regimes malevolence, is a second-rate power at best.

But not all of the nonresemblances cut in our favor. Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill were great leaders capable of inspiring national confidence, even among their partisan opponents. Joe Biden and Boris Johnson are not. After Pearl Harbor, Americans were determined, in Roosevelts ringing phrase, to win through to absolute victory. Would we be today? And the West proved that it could respond to terrible surprises with surprises of our own, imposing devastating costs on enemies who imagined, unwisely, that we were soft.

Is that what we remain now? Or have we forgotten  much as weve all but forgotten Pearl Harbor?

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Commentary: The West remains vulnerable to suprise attack
LONDON, Dec. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Northern Ireland would vote to stay in the UK in a referendum tomorrow  but most believe a border poll in 10 years' time would result in a united Ireland, according to new polling from Lord Ashcroft.

Ulster and the Union: the view from the North  new poll by Lord Ashcroft

His latest report, Ulster and the Union: the view from the North is published today. The research includes a survey of over 3,000 Northern Ireland voters together with focus groups throughout the province. Key findings include:

49% said that in a border poll tomorrow they would vote to remain in the UK, 41% said they would vote for a united Ireland and 10% said they did not know: a majority of 54% to 46% for the Union among those voting.

63% thought a border poll tomorrow would produce a majority for staying in the UK  but by 51% to 34%, NI voters thought a referendum 10 years from now would result in a united Ireland. Only 64% of Unionists thought the province would choose the UK in a decade.

Only 33% of NI voters  and just 56% of Unionists  said they thought the Westminster government very much wanted or would prefer for NI to remain in the UK. At the same time, only 52% of all voters thought the Irish government in Dublin would like to see unification between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

Voters as a whole were more likely to think that prices, housing costs, tax rates and unemployment would be higher in a united Ireland than that they would be lower, while public spending and welfare benefits were more likely to be lower. Business investment was thought more likely to be higher. Voters thought opportunities for young people and (by a small margin) parity of esteem were more likely to be better than worse in a united Ireland  though 78% of Unionists disagreed on that point.

Nearly 9 in 10 (88%) said they thought Brexit had contributed to shortages of food and other goods in NI shops. However, Unionists were more likely to blame the Northern Ireland Protocol: 78% of them said the Protocol had been a major factor in shortages, compared to 38% who said the same of Brexit in general.

One third (33%)  including 66% of Unionists and 96% of those intending to vote TUV at the next Assembly election  said the NI Protocol was wrong in principle and should be scrapped. A further 9% said it is currently too much of a burden and needs serious reform, while 36% (including 67% of 2017 Alliance voters) said it would be acceptable with some adjustments. Just over one in five (21%), including 56% of 2017 Sinn Fein voters, said they thought there were no problems with the Protocol.

Overall, two thirds (67%) of NI voters  including 34% of Unionists  said they thought Brexit had made Irish unification in the foreseeable future more likely.

2017 DUP voters rated TUV leader Jim Allister higher than both their own leader Jeffrey Donaldson and First Minister Paul Givan. They were also the least likely of all the major parties' voters to say they would to stick with their 2017 party at the next Assembly elections.

Story continues

Ulster and the Union: the view from the North is available to download for free at LordAshcroftPolls.com, together with full data tables from the poll.

LORD ASHCROFT KCMG PC is an international businessman, philanthropist, author and pollster. He is a former treasurer and deputy chairman of the UK Conservative Party, and honorary chairman and a former treasurer of the International Democratic Union. His political books include Call Me Dave: The Unauthorised Biography of David Cameron, Going for Broke: The Rise of Rishi Sunak and Red Knight: The Unauthorised Biography of Sir Keir Starmer.

LordAshcroftPolls.com // LordAshcroft.com // Twitter/Facebook: @LordAshcroft

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As teenagers, they fell in love and started to make plans for their wedding after their high school graduation.

As the date grew closer to the wedding, Kay and Jim realized it was not the best time to get married. They ended the relationship and went on to college. Four years passed until they saw and spoke to each other at a mutual friends wedding. We immediately picked back up where we left off, Kay said. The couple was married six months later.

They soon welcomed two daughters, Kerrieanne and Hailee, and decided to move to Bullocks Road in Caroline County. There the daughters could raise and show horses, which led them to careers that involve caring for horses.

It wasnt until 2011, at a yearly doctor visit that a blood test showed Kays kidney function was deteriorating. She developed kidney disease from taking a prescribed medication that with long-term use has caused the disease to her kidneys. I was feeling fine at the time, so it was a surprise to me, she said.

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MAYFIELD, Ky. (AP)  A monstrous tornado, carving a track that could rival the longest on record, ripped across the middle of the U.S. in a stormfront that killed dozens and tore apart a candle factory, crushed a nursing home, derailed a train and smashed an Amazon warehouse.

I pray that there will be another rescue. I pray that there will be another one or two, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said, as crews sifted through the wreckage of the candle factory in Mayfield, where 110 people were working overnight Friday when the storm hit. Forty of them were rescued.

We had to, at times, crawl over casualties to get to live victims, said Jeremy Creason, the citys fire chief and EMS director.

In Kentucky alone, 22 were confirmed dead by Saturday afternoon, including 11 in and around Bowling Green. But Beshear said upwards of 70 may have been killed when a twister touched down for more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) in his state and that the number of deaths could eventually exceed 100 across 10 or more counties.

The death toll of 36 across five states includes six people in Illinois, where an Amazon facility was hit; four in Tennessee; two in Arkansas, where a nursing home was destroyed; and two in Missouri.
Britain has pledged a further 75 million pounds ($100 million) in aid to Afghanistan to help the country address its humanitarian crisis.



Foreign Secretary Liz Truss announced the aid on December 11, saying the money would help save lives, protect women and girls, and support stability in the region.



The additional financial support will bring the United Kingdom's commitment to Afghanistan to 286 million pounds ($380 million) this year. The new funds will be used to provide support for victims of gender-based violence and to fund essential child protection services.



The pledge came after discussions among G7 foreign ministers, who are meeting in England, about what coordinated action can be taken in Afghanistan and how to engage with the Taliban-led government.



Officials said no funds would go directly through the Taliban, which has not been recognized by any country or the UN, but would instead be funneled through the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund, the World Food Program (WFP), and other organizations.



David Beasley, executive director of the WFP, said the 34 million pound donation the organization will receive would "help us save many lives."



"What we are seeing on the ground is heart-breaking -- 23 million people are facing severe hunger in a country crippled by drought, conflict, and an economic crisis," he said, according to Britains Press Association.



"Women and children are bearing the brunt of this suffering and, as the harsh winter descends, more and more are slipping into malnutrition and starvation each day."

The economic situation in Afghanistan has steadily worsened since the Taliban swept across the country, seizing power in Kabul on August 15. The United States and other donors cut off financial aid as the Western-backed government collapsed and the U.S. military and other international forces withdrew.



Martin Griffiths, the UNs humanitarian chief, this week warned that Afghanistan's economic collapse was "happening before our eyes" and urged the international community to take action to stop "the free fall" before it leads to more deaths.



The pledge from the U.K. came a day after the World Bank said donors had approved the transfer of $280 million from a frozen trust fund to two aid agencies to help Afghanistan respond to the humanitarian crisis.



The funds will be transferred by the end of the year from the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) to two UN programs, UNICEF and the WFP, the World Bank said.

With reporting by the dpa and the Press Association
Pakistani police said on December 12 that an officer who was guarding a polio vaccination team in the northwestern town of Tank has been shot dead by militants in the second such deadly attack there in two days.

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the previous day's attack, which killed one police officer and injured another.

In the second incident, gunmen fired on police as they were accompanying health workers conducting the door-to-door inoculation campaign on the morning of December 12, killing one officer.

Noor Aslam, a local police official, told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal that the attackers fled the area and a search operation is under way."

No group has claimed responsibility for the second attack.

The December 11 shooting took place two days after the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group declared an end to a monthlong cease-fire amid peace negotiations with the government.

Militants in Pakistan often target polio teams and security officers assigned to protect them, claiming the vaccination campaigns are a Western plot to sterilize children.

In October, a police officer guarding a polio vaccination team was shot dead by two TTP militants riding on a motorbike in Dera Ismail Khan, in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.

In September, an officer escorting a vaccination team was also shot dead in the city of Kohat in northwestern Pakistan.

Polio is an incurable disease caused by a virus that usually travels from the gut to the nervous system, causing paralysis and death.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where polio is still considered endemic.
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When she thinks about a situation in Colorado Springs widely described as a crisis, Rabbi Iah Pillsbury thinks of Passover.

You havent completed your celebration of Passover until every individual in your community has had an opportunity to attend Seder and enjoy the same quality of food, and the same wine and the same everything.

When it comes to housing in the city, Pillsbury of Temple Beit Torah doesnt see things so evenly shared. Nor do other leaders sitting on Colorado Springs Faith Table, a small, progressive group representing various creeds and denominations.

They share an ideal to affirm the dignity of all in our community, their mission statement reads, especially those on the margins.

The Rev. Daniel Smith of Ascension Lutheran Church sees the margins growing.

We dont have housing for everyone in the city anymore, said Smith, who co-chairs Faith Table with Pillsbury. That doesnt mean for the poorest of the poor. It means people who are working as teachers and nurses and mechanics, things like that.

And from a faith perspective, to me, its a lack of recognizing one another as neighbors.

Housing has been the keen focus of Faith Table as of late.

This year, Smith hosted a forum attended by nearly 200 concerned residents and decision-makers to discuss complex problems and potential solutions. Recently, a few pastors put on hard hats and toured the construction of what was intended to be an affordable housing apartment complex, but the project leader explained higher building costs translated to higher rents. Also recently, clergy partnered with a nonprofit committed to retirees  because this super impacts seniors who want to downsize or have a nice mother-in-law suite with their children, Pillsbury said.

Faith Table members have sought to rally congregations and lobby to the City Council, carrying out a goal to look at upstream causes, as Smith put it.

The goal has been to put faith in action, said Jen Williamson, youth minister at Grace and St. Stephens Episcopal Church.

To show that were not these impassable stone buildings that are mysterious, she said. Were out in the world living out our faith.

Faith Table has aligned with Pro-Housing Partnership, a grassroots initiative by recent Colorado College grads. As the organization formed, Faith Table was seen as an important constituent, said co-founder Max Kronstadt.

Faith is very, very important to a lot of people in our community, he said. And I really appreciate faith leaders weve worked with who are stepping up and saying, Its not enough for us to preach on Sundays or fill this sort of by-the-book responsibility, but to also interact with their neighbors and the systems that govern our lives.

Pro-Housing Partnership shows charts putting the issue in perspective: a stagnant line for the median household income locally since 2011, below soaring lines for median home prices and rents.

Last year, the partnership celebrated the legalization of accessory dwelling units in single-family zones  allowing for additional living quarters to be built in yards. Now the group is campaigning for more housing in those zones, such as duplexes, triplexes and townhomes.

Faith Table supports the idea. The amount of diversity of housing in our city has not kept pace with our growth, Smith said.

But its a locally controversial idea, as it is nationally. Across historic neighborhoods in particular, opponents see the move as allowing more people and automobiles in landscapes that cant handle them, or landscapes with characters that would be changed. They also suspect money-hungry speculators taking advantage of revised zones.

Smith recognized differing opinions. But at least we pretty well agree (housing) is a problem we face, he said. In such a partisan world, this is pretty commonly seen as an issue.

Pillsbury recognized separation of church and state and Faith Tables support of that. But more than a political issue, leaders see housing as an ethical one.

I live my life by the basics of Christianity: love God and love your neighbor, Williamson said. And loving your neighbor means making sure that everybody in your community has what they need.

Leaders see wrongs within their congregations. Families forced out of apartments they cant afford anymore. Military families assigned to other stations who want to return to the city but cant. Young people who graduate high school and college and look to put down roots elsewhere.

It makes Pillsbury think of another Jewish lesson.

One of our sacred legends, she said. When God first created the world, it was just a ball of light, just goodness. And then for some reason, God drops the ball, and it shattered, and all of this light goes everywhere. With every good deed, with looking out for somebody else, its our job to repair a little bit of that shattering until one day we live in that awesome light.
Colorado Politics senior political reporter

Joey Bunch is the senior correspondent and deputy managing editor of Colorado Politics. His 32-year career includes the last 16 in Colorado. He was part of the Denver Post team that won the Pulitzer Prize in 2013 and he is a two-time finalist.
A new report from the business-oriented Common Sense Institute finds Colorado awash in a tsunami of crime.

Colorado led the nation in its rates of increased property crimes and, separately, auto thefts in 2020, the report found.

The average monthly crime rate in Colorado is 28% higher than it was a decade ago, and the violent crime rate spiked 35% over 2011, according to the report. Nationally, the increase was just 3%.

The two authors of the report directly trace the steep climb in crimes to the states criminal-friendly public policy, Colorado Politics reporter Joey Bunch wrote Thursday.

The Legislature has focused on being offender-friendly vs. victim-friendly, Republican George Brauchler, former Arapahoe County district attorney, told me. He coauthored the report with Democrat Mitch Morrissey, a former Denver DA.

Others like current Denver District Attorney Beth McCann and Sen. Pete Lee of Colorado Springs, a criminal justice reformer, see a wider range of factors involved in the increase.

Lee said the report disregards things like the recent increase in domestic violence, the rise of anger because of social media, the increase in the number of guns and other societal causes. McCann sees economic and societal hardships from COVID as drivers as well as Colorados acute lack of adequate mental health resources and the havoc wreaked by the opioid epidemic.

The more important question to me, right now, is what does Colorado do to bring those rates down?

Brauchler and Morrissey would focus on policies that tighten up rules regarding personal recognizance bonds and low-cost bonds and overturn reforms that have let more criminals out of jail and restricted the range of enforcement actions by police.

The governor, on the other hand, plans to focus more on prevention.

The governor is fighting for real solutions to address the pandemic-induced rise in crime, including more and better policing, and the governors plan to prevent crime from ever taking place through better drug treatment, mental health, youth violence prevention, and important new investments in funding for police officers, the governors spokesman, Conor Cahill, told our reporters and editors.

What approach our state could and should take to reduce crime promises to be a rigorous and important debate in the upcoming election year, and clearly Republicans see an issue that could help them.

What, I wondered, can todays policymakers learn from earlier, extremely successful efforts to bring crime rates down?

Back in the 1990s, crime fell sharply in Colorado and across the United States.

U.S. homicides plunged 43% from 1991 to 2001; violent and property crime fell 34% and 29%, respectively. Between 1992 and 2001, homicides in Denver dropped 59.1%.

Steven Levitt, an economist at the University of Chicago, did an exhaustive, well-known study of the reasons crime went down back in the 90s that could inform the approaches we take to reducing crime in this new wave.

He found four things that had a big impact and six things that he found played little or no role in the decline.

More police. One of the first political responses to increases in crime is to hire more police. Levitt found that a number of studies reached the conclusion that more police are associated with a reduction in crime, and increases in the number of police on the street in the 90s reduced crime 5-6%. After the push to defund police in 2020, most policymakers now seem to agree that more police are needed on our streets.

Putting more people in prison. The 1990s was a period of enormous growth in the number of people behind bars, Levitt found. He cited two reasons why this worked in the 90s  offenders were removed from the street and the increased threat of punishment deterred criminals not to commit crimes. But once most of the likely repeat criminals are in prison, putting more people in prison has diminishing returns, Levitt found. Since his study was issued 15 years ago, many other studies have documented the collateral damage done to minority communities by the drive to imprison more people. Sen. Lee also believes there is a kind of If you build it, they will come effect to prison building. He and other reformers argue that if we built many more mental health clinics, that would have a much bigger impact on permanently reducing crime.

The receding crack epidemic. Crack cocaine exploded in the 1980s and resulted in extreme patterns of violence associated with it. But once cities cracked down on crack from 1991-2001 and its prevalence ebbed, young black males experienced a homicide decline of 48%, Levitt found. Targeting specific drugs as root causes of crime increases makes sense this time around as well, as opioid and fentanyl use and abuse soars in Colorado.

Roe v. Wade The fourth big factor cited by Levitt is one that surprised me: Roe v Wade. In 1999 and again in 2005, Levitt and economist John Donahue concluded that the legalization of abortion was responsible for as much as half of the crime decline. They hypothesized that a drop in unwanted children led to better parenting and fewer delinquent young men. This finding has been challenged in recent years, but is worth paying some attention to as the prospect of the overturn of Roe v Wade becomes a possibility.

The next six factors are ones Levitt found had little or no real impact:

A strong economy. Real GDP per capita grew by almost 30% between 1991 and 2001 and unemployment fell from 6.8% to 4.8%. If economic good times help reduce crime rates, then the economy of the 90s should have been a big factor. But most studies see a statistically significant but small relationship between unemployment rates and property crime. Violent crime, however, does not vary with the unemployment rate. This finding probably means that crime isnt going to go down as the economy gets better post-pandemic.

Changing demographics. The aging of the baby boomers represents a profound demographic shift, Levitt wrote. Since older folks generally commit fewer crimes, Levitt found that there were just fewer people during the 90s in the prime crime-committing ages. But he didnt see this as a major factor. Demographic shifts may account for a little more than one-sixth of the observed decline in property crime in the 1990s, but are not an important factor in the drop in violent crime, he wrote.

Better policing strategies. When New York began its broken windows policing strategy in the 1990s, in which police cracked down on small crimes in an effort to prevent bigger crimes from happening, many researchers believed the approach was a key contributor to the big drop in crime in the 90s. But Levitt found that New Yorks crime rate was on the way down when Broken Windows was instituted, and its impact was probably exaggerated. Most cities like Denver have moved away from a broken windows strategy. Lately, co-responder strategies in which mental health professionals accompany police on some calls have seen a huge success rate in reducing arrests. Lets hope our policy makers expand such proven strategies.

Gun control laws. There is little or no evidence that changes in gun control laws in the 1990s can account for falling crime, Levitt concluded. He also found that gun buy-back programs were largely ineffective.

He called for more research on the topic and noted that policies that raise the costs of using guns in the commission of actual crimes, as opposed to targeting ownership, would appear to be a more effective approach to reducing gun crime.

Concealed weapons laws. After surveying numerous studies on whether laws allowing concealed weapons helped deter criminals, ultimately, Levitt concluded, there appears to be little basis for believing that concealed weapons laws have had an appreciable impact on crime.

Increase in capital punishment. The number of prisoners put to death in the 1990s quadrupled to 478 from the 117 executed in the 1980s. But Levitt pointed out that even after the increase, the likelihood of a criminal being executed after committing murder was still less than 1 in 200. He argues that the death penalty is not used enough in the United States or in a consistent way to be an effective deterrent, and that any deterrent effect on homicides cannot explain the decline in other crimes in the 90s.

Its interesting that Levitts finding cut across partisan lines, and speak of a time when policymakers across the political spectrum came together to truly make us safer rather than emit sound bytes to help their parties.

The time has come for more of the same.
One person was killed early Sunday morning after he was thrown from his vehicle in a rollover crash in Teller County, according to Colorado State Patrol.

The driver was southbound on Colorado 67 around 1 a.m. when he went off the right side of the road in a left curve about three miles south of Divide, state patrol said in a news release. The driver overcorrected and steered hard to the left causing the vehicle to travel across both lanes and off the east side of the road, where it became airborne and landed in a field. The vehicle rolled multiple times, ejecting the driver.

State patrol identified the man as a 68-year-old from Palmer Lake. Gazette news partner KKTV reports that no one else was in the vehicle.

Northbound Colorado 67 was closed until shortly before 6 a.m.
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A defendant who dies of natural causes while their appeal is pending no longer has an obligation to pay restitution to their victims, the Colorado Supreme Court decided on Monday.
Richard Skorman moseyed into the empty dining area wearing a kitchen apron and K-95 mask.

I was slicing tomatoes, he said.

Even 45 years after he launched Poor Richards, a bookstore, pizzeria, gift shop and cafe in downtown Colorado Springs, customers can still find Skorman in the restaurant's kitchen  slicing tomatoes.

Skorman, 69, started the first iteration of Poor Richards in 1977 with a selection of used books and a menu of soups, sandwiches and salads almost completely prepared by him.

Over the years, Poor Richard's weathered low points like economic downturns and enjoyed high points such as the opening of a popular toy store. Most recently, Skorman's business battled challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through it all, Skorman continued to stay in the kitchen for the same reason his business lasted throughout the decades  passion. It's the same quality colleagues say he brought to the community when he was elected to the Colorado Springs City Council, a post from which he's stepping down next month to devote more time to his businesses.

I love our food, Skorman said. I think we keep trying to make it better and better, we use a lot of good, healthy ingredients, and in cases organic, but we feel  I feel  really proud of that.

Skorman learned his love of food from growing up in a Jewish family. And he got a taste of business being raised among a family of merchants.

His grandfather, Simon, started an Ohio discount store known as Miracle Mart. As a youth, Skorman worked in the family-run store serving customers popcorn.

You sold things at a low markup and high volume, you had people help themselves, you know, you just kind of cut open the boxes and people help themselves, Skorman said.

The store, one of the first of its kind, spread throughout Ohio with multiple locations.

A couple years into it, this guy named Sam Walton shows up and spent a week with my father and wanted to learn all about the business because he was going to open up a discount store in Arkansas.

Walton's store was called Walmart.

After growing up in Ohio, Skorman went on to attend Colorado College in the Springs. He was set on attending school in the West after watching the television show "Bonanza."

During his senior year in 1975, Skorman bought a collection of used books from a store he worked at that was going out of business.

Skorman built bookshelves out of ammunition cases from Surplus City for 29 cents each.

Some of them would have bullets in them, Skorman said.

He sold the books out of a house on North Tejon Street and his business model mirrored that of his family's discount store. Customers would help themselves, put cash in the cash box and calculate their own sales tax.

Two years later, in 1977, Skorman opened Poor Richards Feed and Read in the 300 block of North Tejon Street  a combination bookstore and cafe whose name he borrowed from Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac.

During those early days, Skorman would come in at 4 a.m. and chop vegetables. At the time, he employed two people. By the start of 2020, his business employed 50.

But his business growth didn't happen overnight. It took years of commitment to nurture it even in the face of hardship.

In 1982, Skorman's restaurant caught fire and the prospects of rebuilding looked bleak.

We were under insured ... significantly, Skorman said.

But the community wasnt going to let the downtown business disappear. Friends, neighbors, carpenters, painters, customers and even a famous poet whom Skorman cold-called came together to volunteer and raise funds to rebuild the store.

(Allen) Ginsberg came down for the opening of the store, Skorman said of the poet and writer. I paid him, but he came back for free to do a benefit for us for the fire.

At that time, part of Skormans space also was dedicated to a mini movie theater where he showed films with two 16 millimeter projectors.

I had a parrot there that used to scream in the middle of movies, Skorman said. ... something would happen in the movie and all of a sudden the parrot would just start screaming.

With books, movies and food, Skorman continued to build up his little corner of Colorado Springs.

In 1986, however, Skorman pivoted his career and lifestyle in a quest for adventure. He sold the business and moved to New York City to write a book about independent films  "Off-Hollywood Movies: A Film Lover's Guide," which was published in 1990.

He would ride the subway carrying film reels to watch movies in his apartment and write about them.

Thats when he met Patricia Seator. Introduced through mutual friends, Seator became his film viewing partner and eventually his wife.

Skorman returned to Colorado with Seator so he could return to Poor Richard's. He bought back his business in 1992.

This time he brought a taste of New York City with him.

I fell in love with New York-style pizza, Skorman said.

He learned the craft of pizza making while training at the Pizza Emporium in Yonkers and introduced the thin-crust, hand-tossed pies to Poor Richards menu.

That wasnt the only addition to Poor Richard's; Seator joined Skorman as his business partner.

Today she runs the retail side of Poor Richard's, including the toys, books and gifts. Their business complex now is composed of Poor Richard's Restaurant, Little Richard's Toy Store, Rico's Cafe and Wine Bar and Poor Richard's Books and Gifts.

The best marriages are the marriages where you work things out  and learn how to be together, Seator said.

So we were very, very happily married and then we started being business partners, she said. And we kind of had to go through the whole process again, relating to business.

In 1995, the couple sold the theater side of their business to Kimball Bales, who owns Kimballs Peak Three Theater a few blocks south of Poor Richards, and Skorman and Seator opened a toy store instead.

We borrowed money, Skorman said. It was a little bit of a risk, but what saved us was Beanie Babies.

Customers would line up around the block during the wee hours of the morning waiting for the release of the latest collectables  stuffed animals that became a sensation in the 1990s.

Beanie Babies are what really created that whole successful toy store, Skorman said.

Poor Richards success continued throughout some of the toughest times, such as the Great Recession.

We were actually growing in 2008, because people were so devoted to their local bookstores, Seator said.

Customers rallied around the store during the COVID-19 pandemic, too, which forced business and restaurant owners to innovate.

For Poor Richards, that meant installing electric stone ovens, respacing restaurant seating and creating online retail. Skorman and Seator also plan to expand their outdoor patio to host live music, book signings and other events.

The two used the lull of the pandemic to implement some of those changes and reopened the restaurant Nov. 15 after a prolonged closure.

Each new horizon, however, brings new challenges.

That's why Skorman says he's stepping down in January from his City Council seat. He's served two stints totaling 12 years on the council, from 1999 to 2006 and from 2017 until now.

During that span, he gained a reputation as a supporter for open space and parks funding, wildfire mitigation, homeless services, affordable housing and the decommissioning of the Market Drake coal-fired plant in downtown Colorado Springs that many critics have called an eyesore.

"The leadership he has brought in those areas, as well as his passion for small business and for creating a more welcoming and inclusive community, I think of as hallmarks, in his professional career, both as a political leader and as a small businessman," said Susan Edmondson, the Downtown Partnership's president and CEO.

As a businessman, Skorman's won't be the only bookstore along downtown's busy Tejon Street retail and restaurant corridor.

The Tattered Cover, Colorado's largest independent bookstore and a Denver-area fixture for a half-century, plans to open a new location early next year at 112 N. Tejon St.

Despite Tattered Cover's arrival, Skorman and Seator are optimistic they'll survive the competition just as they've weathered the pandemic and poor economies.

We really believe that because we've had such loyal customers who have always supported us through hard times that, that will be the case when Tattered Cover opens, Seator said.

What we're concerned about," she said, "is providing the service that we always have, and continuing to have that relationship with our community that has always been very positive and has always been supportive of us.
MercyOne North Iowa Hospice is celebrating 40 years of caring.

With a dream of Ann McGregor and the support of area communities, MercyOne developed end-of-life care in 1981 to support and serve patients and their families in North Iowa.

The hospice team works to provide personalized care around the clock to meet the needs of its patients and families. Professionals and volunteers work together to manage symptoms so a persons last days may be spent with dignity and quality, surrounded by their loved ones.

Working as a hospice nurse, I get to know our patients and their families, says Doreen Hanson. I love hearing stories about their lives and experiences. They often say these stories have not been shared for decades.

MercyOne North Iowa Hospice serves Mason City and eight surrounding communities. Hospice care is a team approach with health care providers, the Hospice Board of Directors and volunteers all sharing ideas on how to provide the best care to patients and their families.

Hospice care does not end at the death of a loved one, many services are available for families and children to deal with grieving process. To receive information about MercyOne North Iowa Hospice care, call 641-428-6208. To learn more of our history visit online at https://www.mercyone.org/about-us/news-events/mercyone-north-iowa-hospice-celebrates-40-years-of-compassionate-care

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Tomorrow, my husband and I hope to get a Christmas tree. We will decorate it with a flock of fake red birds, some snowflakes that my grandmother crocheted long ago, and a few tacky, but treasured, ornaments.

For me, it doesnt take much to make Christmas wonderful. I dont need gifts. Id rather give them. And I surely dont need treats. Except snickerdoodles that my husband makes.

Basically, to celebrate, I need just a few things: Family and friends. Movies (Elf and Love Actually.) Music (O Holy Night and Ill Be Home for Christmas.) A Christmas tree. And a candlelight service to remind me that Im celebrating the gift of a child, who was born in a barn to save the world.

Thats about it. Today, I baked cookies, but not for Christmas. Theyre an everyday kind I call The All-Time Easiest and Best Peanut Butter Cookies Ever.

I make them often. More often than I should. My grandkids love them. Even Wiley, whos a cookie connoisseur. Once, when I gave him one made of oatmeal, Wiley said, Nana, I dont want to hurt your feelings, but this doesnt look like a cookie.

OK, Ill give you the recipe for my peanut butter cookies. Ive posted it before, but if I dont do it now, Ill get a ton of requests. (Readers like to read, but they really love to eat.) Here it is:

Combine one cup of peanut butter with one cup of sugar and an egg. No flour. Mix well. Spoon onto a greased pan to form 12 cookies. Flatten with a fork. Sprinkle with salt. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Cool, and try not to eat them all at once.

I gave most of the ones I made today to my husband and two of his buddies who are having fun playing music in our garage.

Listen. Can you hear them? I can. They sound good. The cookies probably help.

I like those guys a lot. I especially like what they mean to my husband. Theyve been his friends and fellow musicians for years. Making music is their way to spend time together. Its like a book club without the books.

Last week, I spoke at a luncheon for a group of women whove been meeting monthly for more than 30 years to talk about books and life. During the pandemic, they began meeting only online. The luncheon was their first in-person meeting in almost two years.

I wish you couldve been there. It felt like a family reunion.

One of things I love best about Christmas is the way it brings us together with family and friends and even with strangers, who smile as we pass on the street, and we smile back and wish each other, Merry Christmas!

On his first Christmas album, Andy Williams sang what would become a classic, Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

It was 1963, a year much like the present one, when violence and conflict threatened to tear our lives and our nation apart.

U.S. military involvement in Vietnam was escalating. That August, more than 200,000 people marched on Washington, D.C., in support of civil rights and heard the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. deliver his I Have a Dream speech. And on Nov. 22, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

Some years, more than others, we need Christmas to be the most wonderful time of the year.

A time thats filled with family, friends, music and laughter, and candlelight services to remind us of why we are celebrating.

A time that makes us thankful for all we have, and happy to help those who have less.

A time that brings us together, with all our many differences, in peace and hope and joy.

Heres wishing us all the kind of Christmas we needa most wonderful time of the year.

Yes, the cookie recipe is your gift.

Collection: The latest from Sharon Randall Govt. & Politics alert top story North Iowa local elections list Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that Luella Rodemeyer has withdrawn as a candidate for Hampton City Council Ward 2. Sinc

Sharon Randall is the author of The World and Then Some. She can be reached at P.O. Box 922, Carmel Valley CA 93924 or at www.sharonrandall.com.

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A recent job posting that seeks temporary critical care nurses for a major Des Moines hospital offered pay of $100 per hour and a weekly stipend of about $1,200 for three months of work.

The demand for so-called traveling nurses from other states has risen as longstanding nursing shortages have been exacerbated by a surge of COVID-19 hospitalizations.

There were 777 people infected by the coronavirus who were receiving inpatient treatment at Iowa hospitals on Wednesday, the highest number yet this year, according to state data. That number was up 8% in the past week.

Hospitals are in a staffing crisis, said Jennifer Nutt of the Iowa Hospital Association. The staffing shortages have been terrible for a while now. The current surge will also have an impact.

State officials are in the process of hiring 100 temporary nurses and respiratory therapists to help alleviate those shortages at 17 facilities that provide higher levels of care, said Sarah Ekstrand, a spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Public Health.

That plan was first reported by Bleeding Heartland.

Mason City's MercyOne North Iowa is receiving that assistance in the form of seven nurses, according to spokesperson Angie Anstine.

"In addition to this assistance, we continue to actively see to fill positions across our health system," Anstine said.

Ekstrand said the state will use federal funds to cover the costs. She declined to elaborate on the total estimated cost, how the health care workers will be hired, and whether the state has previously paid for supplemental hospital staff during the pandemic.

There are about 100 hospitals that were not eligible for the additional help, but Ekstrand said those mostly rural hospitals will have more opportunities to transfer critically ill patients to the larger facilities, allowing their teams to focus on care for those who are less critically ill.

MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center, one of the largest hospitals in the state, will get eight of the supplemental staff, said Marcy Peterson, a MercyOne spokesperson.

Several UnityPoint Health hospitals will also receive the extra help, but the location in Fort Dodge didnt qualify, said Shannon McQuillen, a spokesperson for that hospital.

I wish we did, she said. Everybody is experiencing nursing shortages. Its nationwide.

The shortages have been an issue for years as the United States older adult populations have swelled. The total number of people ages 65 and older  who are more likely to require medical help than younger people  grew about 34 percent in the last decade, according to U.S. Census data.

Last year, the state conducted its first-ever Iowa Nursing Demand Survey of those who employ nurses, and finding qualified candidates was the most commonly reported workforce challenge. About half of the employers said they increased overtime or hours for their current staff because of nurse shortages. About 19 percent said they hired a less-qualified job candidate.

North Iowa Editor Jaci Smith contributed to this story. This story is republished with permission of Iowa Capital Dispatch.

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SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  Politically liberal San Franciscans are used to living cheek by jowl with open drug use, feces-infested streets and petty crime. But a surge in home break-ins and brazen shoplifting has some residents feeling that the city they fell in love with is in decline.

Caitlin Foster is among San Francisco shopkeepers who have repeatedly had to clear away used needles and other drug paraphernalia outside the bar she manages. And after too many encounters with armed people in crisis, the Seattle transplant's affection for her adopted city has soured.

It was a goal to live here, but now Im here and Im like, Where am I going to move to now? Im over it, said Foster, who manages Noir Lounge in the trendy Hayes Valley neighborhood.

A series of headline-grabbing crime stories  mobs of people smashing windows and grabbing luxury purses in the downtown Union Square shopping district and daytime shootings in the touristy Haight-Ashbury  has only exacerbated a general feeling of vulnerability. Residents wake up to news of attacks on older Asian Americans, burglarized restaurants, and boarded-up storefronts in the citys once-vibrant downtown.

The pandemic emptied parts of San Francisco and highlighted some of its drawbacks, including a laissez-faire approach by officials to open drug dealing just steps from the Opera House and Symphony Hall. Parents despaired as public schools stayed closed for most of last year as nearby districts welcomed children back to the classroom.

Theres a widespread sense that things are on the wrong track in San Francisco, said Patrick Wolff, 53, a retired professional chess player from the Boston area who has lived in the city since 2005.

San Franciscans will vote in June on whether to recall District Attorney Chesa Boudin, a former public defender elected in 2019 whose critics say hes too lenient on crime. His supporters say theres no crime surge, and that corporate wage theft is a more pressing issue than cases like that of a San Francisco woman finally arrested after stealing more than $40,000 in goods from a Target over 120 visits.

Wheres the progress? If you say youre progressive, lets get the homeless off the street, and lets get them mental health care, said Brian Cassanego, a San Francisco native who owns the lounge where Foster works.

Cassanego moved to wine country five months ago after stepping out one day to find a man who looked like a zombie, with his pants down to his knees and bleeding from where a syringe was stuck on his hip. A woman cried out nearby in shock.

I went upstairs, and I told my wife, Were leaving now! This city is done! he said.

While crime overall has been trending down for years, reports of larceny theft  shoplifting from a person or business  are up nearly 17% to more than 28,000 from the same time last year. They remain lower than the more than 40,000 larceny theft cases reported in 2019. Requests to clean dirty streets and sidewalks are the majority of calls to 311, the citys services line.

San Franciscos well-publicized problems have served as fodder for conservative media outlets. Former President Donald Trump jumped in again recently, releasing a statement saying the National Guard should be sent to San Francisco to deter smash-and-grab robberies.

Elected officials say theyre grappling with deep societal pains common to any large U.S. city.

A high percentage of an estimated 8,000 homeless people in San Francisco are struggling with chronic addiction or severe mental illness, usually both. Last year, 712 people died of drug overdoses, compared with 257 people who died of COVID-19.

LeAnn Corpus, an administrative assistant, said a homeless man set up a makeshift tent outside her house using a bike and a bed sheet, and relieved himself on the sidewalk. She called the police, who came after two hours and cleared him out, but at her aunts home, a homeless person camped out against the backyard for six months despite attempts to get authorities to remove him.

This city just doesnt feel the same anymore, said Corpus, a third-generation native.

In Hayes Valley, business owners tired of seeing garbage strewn about and the city not doing anything to address the issue banded together to lease enclosed trash cans from a private company, said Jennifer Laska, president of the neighborhood association.

After the lease expired, the association managed to get the city to agree to buy and install new public garbage cans designed to keep trash in and pilferers out. That was four months ago.

Were still struggling just to get the trash cans actually purchased, Laska said.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Civil rights leader the Rev. William J. Barber II preached to a crowd of several hundred in Richmond on Saturday against the Mountain Valley Pipeline, calling projects like the proposed natural gas line an abusive sin that would harm the poor.

Barber was the keynote speaker at a rally in advance of a state regulatory board vote on an aspect of the proposed natural gas line. The line would run more than 300 miles from West Virginia to Virginia  into Pittsylvania County. The proposal has led to years of intense political fights over environmental quality in all three states.

The Virginia State Water Control Board is to vote Tuesday on whether to allow pipeline construction in wetlands and across more than 200 of Virginia waterways. There will be no public comment at the meeting, so groups opposing the pipeline coordinated the rally at Byrd Parks Dogwood Dell, where people symbolically announced each of the projects more than 300 violations of Virginias water protection laws.

Barber noted that the developers of the defunct Atlantic Coast Pipeline pulled the plug on that project in 2020. It faced similar opposition from environmental groups and landowners.

We had to fight against one pipeline, he said. They should have learned by now, Virginians arent having this stuff. West Virginians arent having it. North Carolinians arent having it. They must not know who we are, but theyll learn.

He called the MVP construction and environmental impacts abusive to poor communities.

It is your right, it is your duty to throw it off and alter the course of history and the continuation of this kind of bad public policy. ... This is sin, and weve got to call out sin.

The companies behind the pipeline wont give up easily, he said.

Youve got to have more tenacity than they have money. Youve got to have more commitment than they have money.

And he said people should draw inspiration from the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycotts in fighting over a long period of time.

Fight until you throw off this abuse. Fight  until you stop this pipeline. Fight  until you change the direction of this nation  and if you fight long enough God will come beside you.

Barber, a former president of the North Carolina NAACP, is a chair of Poor Peoples Campaign: A National Call For Moral Revival and president of Repairers of the Breach.

Natalie Cox, a spokesman for Mountain Valley Pipeline, said in a written statement that the project developers strongly disagree with Barbers description of the project as sinful, which we believe is an uninformed and unproductive comment. The MVP project team is proud to be constructing this critical infrastructure project, designed to provide reliable, affordable, clean-burning natural gas to homes and businesses in Virginia and throughout the eastern United States.

The proposed North Carolina extension was dealt a setback Dec. 3 when Virginias State Air Pollution Control Board voted 6-1 against a permit for a gas compressor station that would be located in an area of Pittsylvania County with a higher percentage Black population than the state.

Jessica Sims of Henrico County, the Virginia field coordinator with the group Appalachian Voices, helped coordinate the rally and said in an interview that the rejection of the air permit, while specific to the extension, speaks to the volatility of the project.

She said the event was meant to bring people in solidarity from those communities that have been impacted for now seven years by this unneeded, ruinous project. This is a way to kind of re-frame the narrative.

DEQ tries to control the process, the ability to speak about it, the ability to engage in what should be a very public facing process. So this is an opportunity to bring light to the over 300 violations that have been charged and enforced by the DEQ and the attorney generals office and to remind the State Water Control Board members that this is a project that should be denied.
The same is true for existing employees, who must adapt or find themselves out of work.

But for companies such as Arrival and Toyota, with its planned battery plant, the new facilities represent a net gain in production, employees and revenue, while also boosting local communities and the state economically.

North Carolina is well positioned to capitalize on the continued growth of the EV sector, OConnor said.

Economy and environment

Even as electric vehicle production and consumption increase in the U.S., cost remains the biggest barrier to EV domination of the market.

Batteries are easily the most expensive element of electric vehicles and why theyre more expensive, explained Matt Abele, director of marketing and communications at the N.C. Sustainable Energy Association.

Most experts predict price parity  the point at which it costs the same to build electric vehicles and those with combustible engines  to be five to seven years away, he said.

At that point, the argument against purchasing an electric vehicle really diminishes, Abele added.
This was a seasoned, senior investigator, assigned to the highest priority cases, and was now on trial for the murder of his wife.

Ive covered cases in Henry County for 38 years, and David and I crossed paths a few times. He was always courteous and soft-spoken and said very little.

And now here he was, on trial regarding the murder of his wife.

Actually, the evidence pointed to David allegedly conspiring to have his wife killed, but the law in Virginia says that a person is guilty of the murder, even if they didnt actually do it, as long as they conspired to do so and were successful.

I can see why they think the way they do, Morse said of investigators who concluded he had his wife killed.

But Morse explained that he thought his girlfriend was merely arranging an opportunity to divulge to his wife the affair he was having.

At the crux of the trial, the question that David couldnt explain away, was why it was reasonable to understand that his girlfriend had arranged for two strangers to visit his home at about four in the morning to explain the affair to his wife.
There really is no other way to say this: Texas current governor is engaged in a brazen attempt to increase white power after the previous one had to explain why a racist slur greeted visitors to his familys property. And while Democrats have certainly done their share of gerrymandering  for example, many of the new districts that progressives in Illinois recently drew up look more like a satellite image of an oil spill than a community  they dont give the middle finger to the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Consider this: Latino Texans make up nearly 40% of the population, but just seven of the 38 congressional districts are predominantly Latino. Since 2010, Latino growth has outpaced that of white residents 11 to 1, and this new map is Abbotts response. Or how about this: Texas is home to the largest Black population in the country, and not one of the 38 congressional districts in the state will be predominantly Black. Whats happening in Texas isnt underrepresentation by happenstance, it is deliberate suppression.

State Sen. Joan Huffman, who oversaw the redistricting, said, We drew these maps race-blind.
Sheriffs office again helping collect toys

The Rockingham County Sheriffs Office will again be teaming up with the Salvation Army to collect new in box, unwrapped toy donations for hundreds of local families in need.

Through Wednesday, those wishing to donate can drop new toys off at the Rockingham County Sheriffs Office located in the Law Enforcement Center at 130 Justice Center Drive in Reidsville 24 hours a day. Toy donations can also be dropped off at the Salvation Army of Rockingham County, 704 Barnes St. in Reidsville, or 314 Morgan Road in Eden, during their regular business hours.

If you have a donation and are unable to make it to one of the drop-off points, call the Rockingham County Sheriffs Office at 336-634-3232.

Wedding venue will have holiday event

The Blissful Ridge Art and Wedding Venue in Wentworth will offer Taste of the Holidays from Around the World Dec. 16-19.

Doors open at 5 p.m. with seating at 6 p.m. and dinner at 6:30 p.m.

As guests arrive, they will have the opportunity to bid and shop handmade art from UMAR participants.
In a foreign country, U.S. citizens are subject to that countrys laws, even if they differ from those in the United States. Consular officers provide a list of local lawyers, but cannot provide legal advice.

The Department of State understand that some U.S. citizens want to open their homes and adopt children who appear to be in need of permanent placement. It can be extremely difficult in such circumstances to determine whether children who appear to be orphans truly are eligible for adoption and immigration under U.S. laws. At this time, Belarusian children are not being placed with U.S. prospective adoptive families because intercountry adoption is not possible between our respective countries.
Do you think we are headed toward civil war? The question is jarring, but not absurd.

It was two weeks before the 2020 elections and I was sitting in my living room on a Zoom call when it was asked. I knew there were groups such as the Boogaloos who fetishize the idea of civil war. I knew, too, that there were serious threats to our electoral system  thats what the Zoom meeting was about.

But my answer to this question was still a clear-eyed no. As hard as the year had been, as dangerous as the extremists had become, and, yes, as horribly as many of us had behaved during a year spent too exclusively online, I believed that our common needs and common ground tie us together. I still do.

Yet, the conventional wisdom is that we are more divided than ever. One can see why: When it comes to our values and beliefs, 70% of both Democrats and Republicans think that our country is greatly divided (Monmouth, 2019). A month before the 2020 elections, eight in 10 voters said that our differences were about core values, not just politics and that the other side would bring lasting harm to society (Pew, October 2020). No wonder someone was asking about civil war.
We take those opportunities seriously. They represent chances for A&T students to learn from real-world experiences and employment opportunities at graduation. Because of their skill and expertise, our STEM grads are in particularly heavy demand. We expect many more will remain here for opportunities created by Toyota, the coming Apple campus in Research Triangle Park and other major businesses whose plans have yet to be disclosed.

We are committed to such a future, and are developing A&T to support it. In February, we will open the Engineering Research and Innovation Complex, a $90-million facility that will enhance instructional and research capabilities in engineering, computer science, advanced manufacturing and related fields. We are also planning a magnet elementary school that will raise to three the number of outstanding public schools at A&T, where K-12 students enjoy access to the many resources of a research university. Those projects at opposite ends of the education spectrum illustrate what a time of progress we are enjoying, to the benefit of our students and the Triad.

So, we welcome our friends from Toyota. Were sure theyll appreciate the opportunities here, and equally sure they wont be the last partner to say yes to the Triad in the near future.

Harold L. Martin Sr. is in his 13th year as chancellor of N.C. A&T State University. He is also a former senior vice president for Academic Affairs in the UNC System and a former chancellor at Winston-Salem State University.
ISIS mercenaries carried out a violent attack on military points and sites belonging to the " Liwa al-Quds " and the 17th Division in Damascus government forces, within the Al-Masrab desert, west of Deir al-Zor.

The attack resulted in killing of 7 members of the " Liwa al-Quds and the 17th Division", in addition to wounding about 17 others, who were transferred to Deir al-Zor Military Hospital, according to Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The attack coincided with violent clashes that erupted between the "National Defense Forces and Liwa al-Quds" from on one side, and ISIS mercenaries on the other side, in Jabal al-Bshri area southwest of Deir al-Zor.

Sh-S

ANHA
Women's Council for Martyrs' Families in NES issued a statement regarding the killing of the Kurdish detainee, Xareb Jezar, in one of Turkish state's prisons.

Xareb Jezar, contacted with her family and told them that she had been subjected to the most severe types of physical and psychological abuse. She also reported that she was stripped of her clothes in front of the guards, beaten, harassed, and left without treatment.

Women's Council for Martyrs' Families in NES denounced the immoral practices of Turkish state against Kurdish political detainees in fascist Turkish state's prisons, and denounced the inhumane practices that lack the lowest human rights standard and international laws.

The council noted to the historical resistance in prisons and history, and said: "The flower of freedom grew out of the martyr Sakena jansiz resistance, the martyr of freedom, and it did not end with Xareb Jezar. Therefore, Turkey exerting pressures to undermine the free will of militant woman, and to strike the democratic nation's project by various means, and on all political and military arenas.

The Council called on UN to show its stand about these immoral acts, stressing that these practices lack the lowest of human rights standard.

Women's Council for Martyrs' Families in North and East Syria also called on United Nations to investigate these practices and violations that affect every individual whose rights are claimed.

It stressed that they will continue the struggle until the liberation of leader Abdullah Ocalan, and all the political detainees.

SH-S

ANHA
WASHINGTON (AP)  A special Customs and Border Protection unit used sensitive government databases intended to track terrorists to investigate as many as 20 U.S.-based journalists, including a Pulitzer Prize-winning Associated Press reporter, according to a federal watchdog.

Yahoo News, which published an extensive report on the investigation, also found that the unit, the Counter Network Division, queried records of congressional staffers and perhaps members of Congress.

Jeffrey Rambo, an agent who acknowledged running checks on journalists in 2017, told federal investigators the practice is routine. When a name comes across your desk you run it through every system you have access too, thats just status quo, thats what everyone does, Rambo was quoted by Yahoo News as saying.

The AP obtained a redacted copy of a more than 500-page report by the Homeland Security Department's inspector general that included the same statement, but with the speaker's name blacked out. The border protection agency is part of Homeland Security.

The revelations raised alarm in news organizations and prompted a demand for a full explanation.

We are deeply concerned about this apparent abuse of power, Lauren Easton, APs director of media relations, said in a statement. This appears to be an example of journalists being targeted for simply doing their jobs, which is a violation of the First Amendment.

In its own statement, Customs and Border Protection did not specifically address the investigation, but said, CBP vetting and investigatory operations, including those conducted by the Counter Network Division, are strictly governed by well-established protocols and best practices. CBP does not investigate individuals without a legitimate and legal basis to do so.

An employee at Storymakers Coffee Roasters, a small storefront shop Rambo owns in San Diegos Barrio Logan neighborhood, said Saturday that Rambo was not immediately available to comment. He lives in San Diego.

The new disclosures are just the latest examples of federal agencies using their power to examine the contacts of journalists and others.

Earlier this year Attorney General Merrick Garland formally prohibited prosecutors from seizing the records of journalists in leak investigations, with limited exceptions, reversing years of department policy. That action came after an outcry over revelations that the Trump Justice Department had obtained records belonging to journalists, as well as Democratic members of Congress and their aides and a former White House counsel, Don McGahn.

During the Obama administration, federal investigators secretly seized phone records for some reporters and editors at the AP. Those seizures involved office and home lines as well as cellphones.

Rambo's and the unit's use of the databases was more extensive than previously known. The inspector general referred possible criminal charges for misusing government databases and lying to investigators, but the Justice Department declined to prosecute Rambo and two other Homeland Security employees.

Rambo complained to Yahoo News that Customs and Border Protection has not stood by him and that he has been unfairly portrayed in news reports.

What none of these articles identify me as, is a law enforcement officer who was cleared of wrongdoing, who actually had a true purpose to be doing what I was doing, he said, and CBP refuses to acknowledge that, refuses to admit that, refuses to make that wrong right.

Rambo had previously been identified as the agent who accessed the travel records of reporter Ali Watkins, then working for Politico, and questioned her about confidential sources. Watkins now writes for The New York Times.

Rambo was assigned to the border agency unit, part of the National Targeting Center in Sterling, Virginia, in 2017. He told investigators he initially approached Watkins as part of a broader effort to get reporters to write about forced labor around the world as a national security issue.

He also described similar efforts with AP reporter Martha Mendoza, according to an unredacted summary obtained by Yahoo News. Rambos unit was able to vet MENDOZA as a reputable reporter, the summary said, before trying to establish a relationship with her because of her expertise in writing about forced labor. Mendoza won her second Pulitzer Prize in 2016 as part of a team that reported on slave labor in the fishing industry in Southeast Asia.

Dan White, Rambos supervisor in Washington, told investigators that his unit ran Mendoza through multiple databases, and CBP discovered that one of the phone numbers on Mendozas phone was connected with a terrorist, Yahoo News reported. White's case also was referred for prosecution and declined.

In response, APs Easton said, The Associated Press demands an immediate explanation from U.S. Customs and Border Protection as to why journalists including AP investigative reporter Martha Mendoza were run through databases used to track terrorists and identified as potential confidential informant recruits.

It was Rambo's outreach to Watkins that led to the inspector general's investigation. While he ostensibly sought her out to further his work on forced labor, Rambo quickly turned the focus to a leak investigation. Rambo even gave it a name, "Operation Whistle Pig," for the brand of whiskey he drank when he met Watkins at a Washington, D.C., bar in June 2017.

The only person charged and convicted stemming from Rambo's efforts is James Wolfe, a former security director for the Senate Intelligence Committee who had a personal relationship with Watkins. Wolfe pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with reporters.

In the course of conversations with FBI agents, Rambo was questioned extensively about his interest in Watkins. He used the travel records to confront her about her relationship with Wolfe, asserting that Wolfe was her source for stories. Watkins acknowledged the relationship, but insisted Wolfe did not provide information for her stories.

Rambo said Watkins was not the only reporter whose records he researched through government databases, though he maintained in his interviews with the FBI that he was looking only at whether Wolfe was providing classified information. Rambo said he conducted CBP record checks on "15 to 20 national security reporters," according to a FBI summary of the questioning that was contained in the inspector general's report.

New York Times spokeswoman Danielle Rhoades-Ha said new details about the investigation of Watkins raised fresh concerns.

"We are deeply troubled to learn how U.S. Customs and Border Protection ran this investigation into a journalists sources. As the attorney general has said clearly, the government needs to stop using leak investigations as an excuse to interfere with journalism. It is time for Customs and Border Protection to make public a full record of what happened in this investigation so this sort of improper conduct is not repeated.

Watkins said she, too, was deeply troubled at the lengths CBP and DHS personnel apparently went to try and identify journalistic sources and dig into my personal life. It was chilling then, and it remains chilling now.



Associated Press writer Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Three semi-trucks hauling a combined load of about 70 tons of hay left Helena Sunday morning and headed to help an area of central Montana devastated by a fire that roared through town and destroyed nearby ranches and farms.

For the folks hauling the hay and organizing the cow chow convoy to Denton, there was really no other choice.

Ranching is a different culture, said Jim Dusenberry, a rancher who owns J&D Truck Repair and Towing, adding he had a good field of hay this year and Id just as soon share it.

The group of good Samaritans included Dusenberry Casey Fitzsimmons, John Novotny, Andrew Gould and Joe and Julie Dooling.

Joe Dooling said he was called by Fitzsimmons shortly after the West Wind fire burned 10,644 acres in an around Denton, destroying ranches and hay supplies, and was told We have to do something for these guys.

"If you throw in a drought on top of a wildfire it's a one-two sucker punch," Dooling said, adding a cow eats 30 pounds a day, either from the winter pasture or hay.

He said if both are burned you have to fill that hole and it would be six months until there was green grass.

Dooling said if he had lost his haystacks, fences and barn Id have trouble lifting my head off the bed.

He said hay sells for about $325 a ton, and the supply driven up to Denton was worth about $22,750. He said some folks donated money for fuel to truck the hay to Denton.

The West Wind fire, which started in late November, destroyed 25 homes, 18 secondary structures and six commercial buildings in its path. Among the structures destroyed were four grain elevators that were more than 100 years old. The blaze was 100% contained Dec. 5, officials said.

Dooling and Dusenberry met early Sunday at Smiths Place in East Helena for a breakfast, courtesy of the restaurant, as a bit of a blustery wind blew down Main Street.

These guys are doing a great deed for a community up north," Joe Wieck, manager of Smiths said, adding the trip to the town 180 miles away should go fine. Theyre going to have the wind at their backs.

Dusenberry said the offer to help someone in need is not unusual among ranchers.

Dooling and Dusenberry said they hoped their donation would inspire others to give as well.

Its just kind of the Montana way, Dooling said. Were just helping out.

To make a donation to help people in Denton, go to 406gives.com.

Assistant editor Phil Drake can be reached at 406-231-9021.

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Before Denise, 51, was hospitalized with a severe COVID-19 infection, she loved how beautifully she could carry a melody and was proud of the way her words resonated when she spoke. A year after a battle with COVID dragged her to deaths doorstep, she is still too weak to sing and a low rasp lingers in her voice.

Long and arduous symptoms from COVID-19 have been known to make simple tasks like doing the dishes or laundry nearly impossible and often oxygen support is needed.

As for Denise, who asked The Gazette only use her first name for privacy reasons, she used full oxygen support for at least 11 months after returning home from the hospital and has only recently been able to decrease her usage.

COVID takes your life as you know it. It takes your brain, it takes your memory, your breath. It takes everything, said Denise.

Denise has lived in Billings most of her life and before spending eight days on a ventilator, she used to voice commercials for the radio. But after COVID, her lungs no longer have the capacity they once had.

"On June 11 this year, my vocal cords were so swollen and damaged, the ear, nose and throat doctor was trying to figure out what was wrong, Denise said.

At the time of her hospitalization, Montana was beginning a steep ascent into crippling case numbers and hospitalizations. From Sept. 30, 2020, to Nov. 20, 2020, cases increased by 322% and hospitalizations increased 141%.

Denise tested positive for COVID on Sept. 23, 2020, and six days later her oxygen levels dropped, sending her into the Emergency Department at Billings Clinic. Denise is diabetic, which puts her at higher risk for severe COVID illness. Her medical condition and sinking oxygen levels put her at the top of the list for immediate care. Or as immediate as possible. She spent 27 hours in the ED before a bed in the hospital became available.

Denise was initially hospitalized for 15 days spanning from Sept. 29 until Oct. 13, 2020. She turned 50 while in the hospital.

When she was well enough to walk in place for three minutes and keep her oxygen above a certain level, doctors sent her home. Her room was needed for sicker patients, Denise said.

She was home for nine days before her oxygen levels plummeted again, sending her directly into the intensive care unit and onto a ventilator for eight days.

COVID long-haulers

Readmission due to COVID-19 is just one part of the medical history doctors at the Post COVID Recovery Program at Benefis Hospital in Great Falls look for when completing intake appointments for COVID long-haulers, an increasing population of patients whose symptoms persist for more than 12 weeks after the initial infection.

About 10% of COVID patients continue to have lasting symptoms that manifest as phantom smells or tastes, persistently low oxygen levels, debilitating brain fog, memory loss, cardiac irregularities, gastrointestinal problems, and numbness or burning in their extremities, mental and emotional distress, rash, hair loss and many more symptoms tied to multiple organ systems.

When Denise got sick, her family rallied in Billings to help care for her and her 12-year-old son. Her parents pitched in wherever they could, her dad in a hotel and her mom with her niece, and stayed from the time she was diagnosed until November 2020. One of her older sons and his wife also arrived from North Dakota. Another son, who is active duty in the military, flew in to help.

"They were my rock," Denise said.

Denise lost significant muscle memory after more than a week under sedation and started her physical therapy while still at Billings Clinic. At the time, hospitals were operating well beyond capacity. It was during the first National Guard stint in the hospitals, and extremely ill patients lined hallways.

You have to work hard on physical therapy and you have to be self-motivated because everyone is so busyThey told me to do these exercises three times a day, but they couldnt get to me three times a day, Denise said.

Even after she finally went home, she was back at Billings Clinic weekly for treatment of her lasting symptoms.

Post-COVID recovery

COVID is a 30-day illness, it waxes and wanesbut by 12 weeks you should have recovered on your own, said Dr. Brad Nieset, palliative care doctor and manager of the recovery program.

To add to the mystery, there seems to be no correlation between severity of illness and whether or not one will battle symptoms months later, according to Dr. Walter Lajara-Nanson, neurologist in the program.

Mild COVID has been disabling as well, said Lajara-Nanson.

The Benefis post-COVID recovery program is the only organized, multidisciplinary COVID recovery program in the state aiming to serve the estimated 19,159 Montanans experiencing prolonged COVID symptoms.

Part of the problem is that there are a lot of patients that werent diagnosed. I worry about those kinds of patient that were never seen. We need to educate patients that there is help for them, Nieset said.

Adding to the COVID burden, patients with moderate symptoms probably couldnt get into the ED if they tried.

When hospitals run out of beds completely, ambulances are diverted, transfers are stopped and a triage protocol goes into effect. Even people with time sensitive trauma such as heart attacks or strokes have had difficulties finding a bed during these times.

Nieset recognized there was a need for a more organized system for long-haulers when an overwhelming number of patients started reporting symptoms months after infection.

Early on, it was assumed that it all tied back to the respiratory system, resulting in a flood of referrals to the pulmonary department, said Jason Kjono, physicians assistant at Benefis.

Kjono remembers one week when about 50 referrals came into the department.

Though long COVID does largely affect the pulmonary realm, COVID wreaks havoc in multiple organ systems, demonstrating the need for a multi-disciplinary approach, Kjono said.

The recovery program employs pulmonologists, cardiologists, gastroenterologists, neurologists, ear, nose and throat specialists and a behavioral health specialist who all work together to create a whole body approach to treating long-haul symptoms.

In post-COVID recovery, we look at all the factors. We take a whole body approach and treat each patient differently, Kjono said.

When Nieset identified the need for the program, he knew that ease of access would be critical in order to serve the huge number of patients reporting prolonged symptoms. So, with the Medicare expansion to include coverage for telehealth, Nieset changed the traditional medical landscape.

Eighty-five percent of the time the answer is through history takingwhen we talked with patients, people prefer the phone. Zoom is not the future, Nieset said.

Follow-ups to assess response to medication can also be done via phone call.

The recovery program is booked at least for the next two months serving Montanans as far as the eastern part of the state as well as patients from Washington, North Dakota, Idaho and Wyoming, according to Kjono.

Denise lives in Billings, but has only traveled once for a full day of testing at Benefis since her June intake phone call.

Before she found the program, she was preparing to move her whole life to Salt Lake City, which had the nearest COVID recovery program she could find.

Denises journey with COVID has been frustrating while she spent at least 10 months hearing that there was nothing the Billings Clinic team could do to help her low oxygen levels, short-term memory loss, inability to recall words, numbness in her feet and weakness on her right side.

'Its been a journey'

Denise loves the little things in life, like her coffee. A year and three months after testing positive, a chemical taste has replaced the rich flavors of her favorite hot beverage. Its the same with peanut butter. Phantom smells like burning electrical and cigarette smoke are the new normal.

For Denise, COVID snuck in when life was slowly approaching overwhelming levels. Her close friend was in need of a long-term living facility when all were closed to new residents and many were hotbeds for COVID infections. She moved in with Denise temporarily.

Denise also cared for her 12-year-old son and three additional children whose home lives were unstable until a foster family could be found. She took them all under her wing while working full-time from home.

I got a little over extended and I let my stress take over. That was all COVID needed. I thought well be fine. We did everything right, Denise said. When you get COVID you dont realize that in a year youre still going to be fighting it.

Doctors in overwhelmed health systems have had little scientific evidence to guide their care when it comes to long COVID and have not developed a universal protocol for patients with symptoms like Denises.

Her symptoms were treated on an individual basis, but overall she saw very little improvement.

For 10 months I heard that they couldnt fix me, Denise said. I was feeling sorry for myself and being pissed off because there was no hope.

So far, Denise has been the sickest patient ever treated in the post-COVID program and has come the farthest in her recovery, according to Nieset.

Difficulties with word recall happen every once in a while for most people, but for Denise it was happening about 20 times a day, she said.

In March of 2021 Denise started back at her job working only four hours a day training people how to use software at media companies. She has slowly increased her working hours, only making it back to full-time in August 2021, nearly a year after contracting the disease.

She was put on temporary disability in order to keep her job.

Like early dementia or ADD

When she told Nieset about her cognitive issues, she was referred to Lajara-Nanson, the neurologist in the program. He brings patients in for neurocognitive testing that looks at memory, ability to organize information, reaction time and ability to plan.

So far, Lajara-Nanson has seen severe attention problems and memory loss in his long COVID patients.

When Denise was tested for cognitive function she completely failed the testing, successfully completing only 1% of the scenarios.

At this point in the COVID-19 pandemic, the mechanism for the cognitive effects are unknown, according to Lajara-Nanson.

There is no clear marker in the spinal fluid or in the blood. No inflammation in the brain, Lajara-Nanson said.

But what is known is that the virus attaches to receptors that are present in most tissues throughout the body, which might provide an explanation as to why so many organ systems are affected.

Its the perfect virus, Lajara-Nanson said.

But there has been one consistent pattern when it comes to brain fog: long COVID patients resemble people struggling with early onset dementia or attention deficit disorder.

He has prescribed traditional medications for these cognitive issues and within a few months, hes seen great improvements in his patients. So far, he has been able to wean patients off the medication after about three months with their brain fog symptoms improved.

Insomnia is also a common problem with minimal options for treatment. Long COVID patients seem to be resistant to the typical medications used, Lajara-Nanson said.

This is particularly a challenge for mothers who are working, going to school and taking care of their families. Many have developed secondary anxiety and depression, Lajara-Nanson said.

The Benefis program screens for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health disorders. Dr. Stephanie Burcusa is in the recovery team, prepared to treat patients dealing with loss, grief, anxiety, prolonged stress and more.

Dealing with severe illness in isolation is incredibly mentally taxing, leaving many to struggle months later.

Today, Denise still has nightmares from her time being intubated. Little things like a commercial or a song that played while she was sedated triggers hazy memories of her eight days in the ICU, including the day they woke her up to tell her they were going to remove the tube from her throat.

She has since started seeing a counselor as she works through a new and unknown chronic illness. She is also addressing her fear of going out in public where she worries she could catch the virus again.

Normal people dont understand our anxiety. Im not doing my life, Denise said, adding that she doesn't want to miss another year of her son's Christmas concerts.

Denise still has her groceries delivered. She has only just started venturing out to lunch with people she feels safe with and still wears her mask at all times outside of her home.

She is frustrated that people chose not to believe in the virus while she lives with the devastating aftermath of COVID-19.

And her disappointment in Montanas leadership is palpable.

I get so angry at how our government is handling it, how our leadership is handling it. I voted for Gianforte, but the first thing he did with the mask mandate and made vaccination (requirements) illegal its disheartening for people like meas a person whos fought this, it is difficult, Denise said.

Both Denise and her son are absolute believers in masks and social distancing, and her son was mortified that he could have brought the virus home from school.

Needed someone to believe her

One of the first things Denise said about the Benefis program was finally, someone believed her.

Since she tested positive, doctors have linked her battle directly back to her diabetes, diminishing the fact that her life has forever been changed by COVID.

They automatically blame it on the things they can see, Denise said. Not everything happens because Im diabetic.

Throughout her battle with COVID, she learned to be her own best advocate for her health care, feeling empowered by her decisions to go forward with the long COVID recovery program.

I fired the Billings Clinic pulmonology department because Dr. Nieset was giving me answers that I had never heard of before, Denise said. He was asking me questions no one had ever asked me.

Originally, her doctors put her on a nebulizer treatment with albuterol, a medication that works by relaxing the muscles around the airways so that they open up. But after pulmonary tests done at Benefis, it was apparent that her lungs werent strong enough to breathe in adequately.

A nebulizer treatment with a steroid prescribed by Nieset showed almost immediate results. Suddenly, Denise was doing laundry, emptying the dishwasher and doing one more chore before she needed a break or support from her oxygen tank, which has become an extra appendage since she was hit with COVID.

She went on ADD medication suggested by Lajara-Nanson, and now her brain fog and memory are improving.

Within a couple weeks, it worked! I started to not have those memory lapses, I was finding those words, Denise said.

Her general practitioner has started working closely with the Great Falls team so she can continue her care from Billings.

She is also committed to raising awareness. Shes enrolled in a Johns Hopkins study of COVID long-haulers, hoping that even if she can change one mind about COVID that she will have made a difference.

Since she started the post-COVID program, she has hope she will recover and shes made a commitment to getting better.

Right now I still need Dr. Nieset, over a year later," Denise said. "But someday I will get my singing voice back. It might not be this year, but I will get it back."

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Its no surprise Montanas Republican politicians were feeling their oats after sweeping every statewide office in the last election. But their arrogance in the Legislature, combined with some very serious incompetence in governance, has sparked a backlash among Montanans.

Whats worth noting is that unlike the rest of the superheated political arena where everything seems to be painted in terms of R vs D, red vs blue, the uprising against the Republican officeholders has everything to do with the policies they are enacting, not the letter behind their name.

Given that the education of our children is one of the primary responsibilities of government, you can bet things must be really bad on the ground for so many varied rural and urban school districts to do what has never been done in Montanas history. And no, it didnt mention political party affiliation but concentrated on Arntzens utter incompetence in governing and her seeming lack of understanding that church and state are separate under the Montana Constitution.

In a similar move, a number of wildlife, conservation, and hunting organizations and individuals have decided they, too, need to protest whats going on with the privatization of the states public wildlife  namely, elk. In a well-penned column that hit print late last week they clearly state that Montanas prized elk are not to be owned and sold by private interests and denounce efforts to make Montana more like Texas, where wildlife is a commodity.

Citing both the Legislatures efforts as well as Gov. Greg Gianfortes appointees to the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission as problematic, they urge that our elk management must return to being for all Montanans, not just the wealthy. To that end, they are forming a coalition to develop a citizens elk management proposal and urge concerned citizens to join the effort at montanaelk.org. Again, there is no mention of political affiliation, it is the policies that are the problem.

While politicians like to keep the populace divided as they play their two-party game of us versus them, it is apparent the public is growing increasingly disgusted with the resulting policies that affect their lives, their children, and their love of Montanas public wildlife. Indeed, this is the same game the last president played so often until the public had the opportunity to remove him from office  and did just that.

One might think Montanas latest batch of officeholders might heed such signs as critical to their political future, which they seem to care about more than the future of our state and its citizens. They might also note that the growing backlash has nothing to do with their political party, but is firmly focused on the impacts of their policies on the diverse and dearly held values of Montanas population.

Yet, as detailed in a great editorial in the Daily Montanan last week, the silence from the governor, attorney general, and superintendent of public instruction is deafening. Despite pitiful attempts to dodge accountability, their policies and failures at governance cannot and will not stand against this growing, nonpartisan citizen backlash.

George Ochenski is a longtime Helena resident, an environmental activist and Montana's longest-running weekly columnist.

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MATTOON  The power contained in the storm that swept through Mattoon on Friday night isnt lost on Kylie Dawkins.

It twisted the steel beams  just made them look like a twist tie, said Dawkins, assessing the damage to the Alton Delivery and Warehousing facility north of Mattoon.

Dawkins, the companys marketing and customer relations manager, estimated that the back one-sixth of the warehouse on the buildings west end was destroyed, with the roof and walls all blown in. The office portion on the structures east side also sustained some damage.

The center of the building is actually pretty intact right now, she said. But the west end, there's going to be some major reconstruction there. We'll have to close off the end of the building and then kind of rebuild from there.

Thankfully, none of the companys 20 employees or owner-operator truck drivers were present at the 110,000-square-foot structure when the storm hit Friday evening.

Dawkins said the company will be able to rebuild, but likely wont be up and running full capacity for a couple of weeks, probably.

The former LSC Communications building located nearby the Alton warehouse also was damaged. A Mattoon Police Department dispatcher indicated there were some homes that were severely damaged.

The storm that hit Mattoon was part of a massive front that wreaked havoc across the Midwest.

The National Weather Service confirmed the presence of EF-2 tornado damage near Herrick in southern Shelby County, with surveys still pending in Moultrie and Coles counties.

Shelby County Emergency Management Agency Coordinator Troy Agney confirmed that the Herrick area took the brunt of it, but said there was damage across the county.

One resident who lives near Herrick was taken to a Springfield hospital after sustaining injuries caused by the collapse of his home, which Agney described as a total loss. He received another report of a home farther west that was shoved off the foundation, but it could not be immediately reached due to downed power lines.

Agney said it was easy to follow the tornados path across from the southwest to the northeast, with damage also present near Cowden, Lakewood and Windsor before eventually moving into Gays in Moultrie County.

The South Central fuel terminal over between Windsor and Gays was basically wiped off the map, Agney said. The office is gone and the warehouse is gone. I think they have three tanks left standing out of the five.

Agney said they are cleaning up that mess now.

Preliminary reports from the National Weather Service show the first report of a tornado from a storm spotter in Moultrie County came at 9:52 p.m. two miles west of Gays and a second sighting was reported one minute later.

At 10 p.m., the weather service had a report of high winds in the area of the Rural King Distribution Center along Illinois 121 in Mattoon that resulted in a truck being overturned. At 10:02 p.m. trained weather spotters reported a tornado in southeast Coles County and at 10:04 p.m. a tornado was reported in northwest Coles County that resulted in a family being trapped in a damaged home. No additional information on that report was available.

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Updated at 8:33 p.m.

The National Weather Service in St. Louis says a "radar-confirmed tornado" is heading into the Metro East communities in southwestern Illinois. The storm system had been moving through the St. Louis region earlier.

A Lighting Alert also was issued for Macon County.

Updated at 7:56 p.m.

The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Watch until 2 a.m. for the following counties:

CHAMPAIGN, CLARK, CLAY, COLES, CRAWFORD, CUMBERLAND, DE WITT, DOUGLAS, EDGAR, EFFINGHAM, FORD, IROQUOIS, JASPER, KANKAKEE, LAWRENCE, LIVINGSTON, LOGAN, MACON, MCLEAN, MOULTRIE, PEORIA, PIATT, RICHLAND, SHELBY, TAZEWELL, VERMILION, WOODFORD.

Our earlier story ...

LINCOLN  Rain and storms are in store for several Central Illinois communities, National Weather Service meteorologists said Friday.

Their reports said rain rolled across the Bloomington-Normal area Friday afternoon, with morning fog that lingered later that day in some parts. A warmer high crested at 60 degrees, but the night's low was expected to drop just shy of freezing at 35 degrees.

Forecasters said thunderstorms are possible after 5 p.m. Friday around the Twin Cities. Showers may pass through before 1 a.m. Saturday, as will storms with possible severe wind threats. The NWS weather report said 15-20 mph breezes heading south-by-southeast will gain another 5 mph in speed after midnight. And, nightly gusts may hasten gales up to 45 mph.

Between one-quarter to half an inch of rain could fall in and near Bloomington-Normal.

Decatur shared Bloomington's wet and foggy conditions Friday, with more showers expected after 4 p.m., per the reports. Additional rain is feasible in Macon County through the following morning, stopping between 3 to 5 a.m. Saturday. Friday's low is set for 36 degrees, with evening breezes similar in speed to Bloomington's and heading off west-southwest.

Mattoon could see storms after 3 p.m. Friday, as showers and patches of fog remained that afternoon. It topped that day's high at 63 degrees.

Nightly gusts could be hazardous in Decatur and Mattoon, maxing out at 41 mph for both cities. The NWS said rain and thunderstorms may continue through Macon County before 3 a.m. Saturday, and 4 a.m. Saturday in Coles County, with showers possibly extending another hour. Mattoon's low was listed around 39 degrees.

Meteorologists predict sunshine to return to Central Illinois Saturday, with clouds clearing around the middle of that morning. Breezes will remain up to 25 mph in Bloomington and Mattoon, and up to 23 mph in Decatur. Gusts in the mid-40 mph range could persist in all three cities (maxing out at 50 mph in Bloomington), but winds will calm down in the afternoon.

Saturday's high is projected at 40 degrees in the Twin Cities and 41 degrees in Decatur. That day's high is expected to be 44 degrees in Mattoon, falling to 36 degrees by 5 p.m. Saturday.

Mattoon and Bloomington could see the the coldest Saturday night temperatures, diminishing to 28 degrees.

A Wind Advisory is in place until 3 a.m. Saturday.

READER SUBMISSIONS: Send us photos, video of storm damage What are weather conditions like where you are? Send us photos and video of storm damage. Email chris.coates@lee.net.

Earlier story ...

Potential for tornadoes, other severe weather in Chicago-area forecast, depending on how conditions develop later today

Shanzeh Ahmad

Chicago Tribune

The weather system moving into the Chicago area late Friday holds the potential for tornadoes and other forms of severe weather, the National Weather Service said.

A tornado watch wouldnt be issued until later Friday  if at all  depending on how weather conditions play out the rest of the day, meteorologist Jake Petr said. But weather could be severe.

Tornado watches are most often issued two to three hours before those specific weather conditions are expected, while a tornado warning would only be issued if a tornado is expected to form soon or has already formed.

The potential for tornadoes and severe weather threats are for 9 p.m. Friday to 2 a.m. Saturday. The weather service recommends people ensure they have set up multiple ways to get weather alerts, especially ones that can wake a person up if theyve gone to sleep.

Petr said an updated forecast can be expected Friday afternoon.

Friday started off with fog and colder temperatures with low clouds, but temperatures and humidity levels are expected to rise rapidly after sunset, the weather service said via Twitter.

Expect strong winds between 3 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, Petr said, with gusts up to 45 to 50 mph, especially Saturday morning.

Petr said while not all that common, its not unheard of for one or two winter systems to have potential for severe weather and tornado conditions during the late fall and early winter time frame.

He said a tornado was recorded on Dec. 1 three years ago in downstate Taylorville, Closer to Chicago, tornadoes were recorded on three December dates since 1950: LaSalle County on Dec. 3, 1955; Jasper County, Indiana, on Dec. 8, 1966; and Iroquois County on Dec. 4, 1973.

Other recorded tornadoes in the area during the winter season were on Jan. 7, 2008, when a tornado made its way from Poplar Grove in Boone County to Harvard in McHenry County, and on Feb. 28, 2017, when a total of 10 tornadoes were confirmed across northern Illinois.

MAKAYLA HOLDER

The Southern

All of Southern Illinois should brace for significant severe weather Friday night through the early Saturday hours as the National Weather Service is predicting unusual winter weather resulting in a few strong tornadoes, damaging gusts and large hail.

Moderate severe weather risks such as this is highly unusually for the area, Michael York, a NWS meteorologist, said.

Theyre not very common. A couple or three times a year in a typical year we have a moderate risk, York said. This year I dont know if weve had any. A moderate risk implies a fairly widespread severe weather event. Usually it includes the possibility of a few strong tornados and of course large hail and damaging straight-line winds.

Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes are likely caused by a cold front moving across the region along with lots of moisture and wind shear in the atmosphere.

The timing of the system covering Southern Illinois will be from around 7 p.m. through 3 a.m.

The thunderstorms are expected to develop by late today into the early evening across Southern Illinois, Southeast Missouri and possibly West Kentucky.

They will continue through the overnight hours crossing into Indiana and western Kentucky, NWS said.

Outside of the thunderstorms, strong wind gusts of 30 to 40 miles per hour are possible this evening into early Saturday morning.

A couple long-track tornadoes are highly possible as well.

Nighttime tornadoes are one of the biggest problems because they happen when people are normally asleep, York said. We recommend having a means of being woken up at night by a weather radio. Then you can take some protective actions.

The greatest tornado threat is close to the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, near Cairo, according to NWS.

It is advised that you have multiple means of receiving weather updates throughout the storm and that you have a safety plan in place.

Contact Brendan Denison at (309) 820-3238. Follow Brendan Denison on Twitter: @BrendanDenison

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The assignment will take a spin on the math side of the floral business this week when Cox will ask his students to tabulate what their arrangements would cost at the wholesale and retail levels. The students also will be asked to critique their designs and to self-reflect on their experiences.

Plant sale proceeds

The floral design course is not only the most artistic-driven horticulture course; its also one of the most expensive offerings in the horticulture curriculum, said Cox.

An annual sale of plants grown by the horticulture students each spring helps to pay for the supplies needed for the floral design course, which usually is offered at the school every other year.

Cox estimated the plant sale brings in a substantial $10,000 that is primarily used to help run all horticulture activities, not just floral design. A smaller portion of the proceeds is returned to organizing the plant sale for the next year.

Last week, the students got to incorporate fresh roses into their floral designs, an extravagant flower used in class after students have developed stronger design skills. Cox said he spent more than $400 on flowers just last week for each student to make the one arrangement.
We were very excited to have the opportunity to host the SkillsUSA Western North Carolina Postsecondary Leadership conference, said CVCC SkillsUSA Executive Director Tammy Muller. SkillsUSA is a very important part of everything we do at our college and we appreciate the executive officers of SkillsUSA North Carolina taking the time to meet and discuss plans for this years competitions and activities. We are also grateful for the ongoing strong support we have from our CVCC SkillsUSA advisers. Their hard work and commitment are the key to our success. We would not have one of the top SkillsUSA chapters in the country if it was not for the strong support of our college President Dr. Garrett Hinshaw and our Executive Vice President Dr. Larry Putnam.
Prosecutors recommended probation for Indiana hair salon owner Dona Sue Bissey, but Judge Tanya Chutkan sentenced her to two weeks in jail for her participation in the riot. The judge noted that Bisssey posted a screenshot of a Twitter post that read, This is the First time the U.S. Capitol had been breached since it was attacked by the British in 1814.

When Ms. Bissey got home, she was not struck with remorse or regret for what she had done, Chutkan said. She is celebrating and bragging about her participation in what amounted to an attempted overthrow of the government.

FBI agents obtained a search warrant for Andrew Ryan Bennett's Facebook account after getting a tip that the Maryland man live-streamed video from inside the Capitol. Two days before the riot, Bennett posted a Facebook message that said, You better be ready chaos is coming and I will be in DC on 1/6/2021 fighting for my freedom!.

Judge James Boasberg singled out that post as an aggravating factor weighing in favor of house arrest instead of a fully probationary sentence.
At times, this is because democratic states are the victims of aggression, as the United States was with the attack on Pearl Harbor that led to entry into World War II. But at other times, democracies have been the aggressors, engaging, for example, in imperialistic or colonial wars for material benefit.

So if Kants argument, which implies that democracies in general should be pacific, not just peaceful in relation to one another, is flawed, why have there been few, if any, wars between democratic states?

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It might be that there is a third factor that accounts for what appears to a link between democracy and peace. Free market capitalist states, for example, tend to be democratic and may also be more peaceful given that globalized states may seek to avoid war so as not to disrupt trade and harm their own economic interests. If so, it could be that it is free-market capitalism and international trade, rather than democracy, that leads to peace.

Or it could be that peace facilitates the development of democracy rather than democracy leading to peace. A war-like environment may result in states centralizing power in order to meet external threats, whereas a peaceful environment may better allow for states to decentralize and democratize.
" " Bass Reeves was a Black deputy marshal in the 1800s, a frontier hero and the possible inspiration for "The Lone Ranger." Wikipedia/HowStuffWorks

He stood 6 feet, 2 inches (1.88 meters), weighed 180 pounds (82 kilograms) and could reportedly whoop two men at a time with his bare hands. He was as quick on the draw as he was deadly accurate with his Winchester rifle, capable of taking down a running target at a quarter-mile (402 meters). He wore a thick handlebar mustache and spit-shined boots unless he was in one of his clever disguises. In the storied American West of the late 19th-century, where duty-bound lawmen pursued murderous outlaws for high-priced bounties, none deserved their fame as much as Bass Reeves.

Born into slavery in 1838, Bass escaped to Indian Territory during the Civil War and emerged as a skilled marksman and tracker who could speak multiple Native American languages. Reeves was hired as a deputy U.S. marshal, one of several Black and Native American lawmen to patrol the hardscrabble territory on behalf of the Federal government. It was a notoriously hazardous profession  at least 114 deputy U.S. marshals were killed on duty in Indian Territory before it became the state of Oklahoma in 1907.

But Bass Reeves was no ordinary officer of the law. Over his three-decade career, Reeves arrested more than 3,000 individuals, survived countless skirmishes with armed outlaws, and killed at least 14 men while defending his life and others'. He was, in a word, a hero.

"Bass Reeves was the greatest frontier hero in American history," says Art T. Burton, former history professor and author of "Black Gun, Silver Star: The Life and Legend of Frontier Marshal Bass Reeves." "He walked into the valley of death every day for 32 years. He helped people regardless of their race, their religion or their background his entire life."

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From Fugitive Slave to Lawman

Not much is known about Bass's early life other than that he was born in Arkansas into an enslaved family owned by Arkansas state legislator William Reeves and then his son George Reeves. The family was moved to Texas where George Reeves organized and led a cavalry regiment for the Confederacy. Bass served alongside Colonel Reeves in the Civil War as his body servant and the two men formed a close bond. But that bond was broken when they got to arguing over a card game and Bass punched the colonel out cold.

"For a slave to hit his master in Texas was punishable by death," says Burton, "So Bass didn't wait around to see what the consequences might be."

He spent the next few years living among the Creek, Cherokee and Seminole tribes, learning their languages, studying their hunting and tracking techniques, and according to some accounts, fighting for the Union in guerilla regiments.

After the war, Reeves returned to Arkansas a free man, married his wife Jennie, and started working as a scout for federal lawmen patrolling the neighboring Indian Territory. In 1875, a new judge took over the Fort Smith federal courthouse in Arkansas and called for the hiring of 200 more deputy U.S. marshals to chase down lawbreakers who escaped into the territories. Bass Reeves was one of them. While Bass wasn't the first Black deputy U.S. marshal, he was easily the most famous.

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The Life of a Deputy U.S. Marshal

As a Black man with a badge in the Reconstruction-era South, Bass had arresting authority over whites, American Indians and fellow freedmen. He even arrested some white men for lynchings. If a member of an Indian tribe committed a crime against another Native American, those were handled by tribal police and tribal courts, but Reeves and his fellow deputy U.S. marshals handled all other crimes committed in Indian Territory.

"Things like murder, attempted murder, rape, and theft of horses and cattle," says Burton. "The illegal trade of whiskey was a very big problem for the deputy U.S. marshals."

Like other formerly enslaved people, Reeves was never taught to read or write, but he developed the uncanny ability to memorize a pile of arrest warrants and associate each crime with the "shape" of an individual name. The system worked. While other deputies would return to Fort Smith with three or four captured fugitives, he routinely delivered a dozen or more wanted men.

An 1882 notice in The Fort Smith Elevator reported that "Deputy Marshal Bass Reeves came in on Monday with sixteen prisoners," including men wanted for attempted murder and arson.

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The Best Bass Stories

The tales of Bass Reeves' bravery and cunning are legendary and legion, and Burton chronicled some of his favorites in "Black Gun, Silver Star."

There was the time when Reeves was in pursuit of a band of outlaw brothers laying low at their mother's house in Chickasaw territory. Reeves had a whole posse with him, but he knew they'd be spotted miles away. So, Reeves disguised himself as a tramp with holes in his shoes, a big floppy hat and a cane. He walked 28 miles (45 kilometers) across the parched plains and arrived on the mother's porch begging for some food and water.

When her sons came home, the mother introduced Reeves like an old friend and the group started scheming up a crime they could all pull together. The outlaw brothers awoke the next day handcuffed to their beds and Reeves marched them all the way back to his camp on foot.

"Momma was hot," laughs Burton. "I think she followed Bass for about 10 miles [16 kilometers] cursing at him."

Then there was the time that Bass was ambushed by the three Brunter brothers, each wanted for multiple counts of horse theft, robbery and unsolved murders. The brothers told Reeves to drop his weapons, but he played it cool and calmly asked the men for the day's date. When asked why, Reeves said so he could mark it down on their arrest warrants when he brought them to court.

The Brunter brothers almost fell over laughing, thinking the outgunned lawman was out of his mind. But Reeves seized the opportunity to whip out his Colt revolver, shoot two of the men dead and grab the muzzle of the third brother's revolver before beating him over the head with it.

One of Burton's favorite Bass Reeves stories was the time that Reeves was called in by his fellow deputy U.S. marshals to help smoke out a stubborn fugitive. After an hourslong shootout, the outlaw made a run for it.

"The rest of the posse started shooting at him as he's running across the field but they were missing," says Burton. "Then Deputy U.S. Marshal Bud Ledbetter hollered, 'Get him, Bass!' And Bass said coolly and calmly, 'I will break his neck.' Bass took his Winchester rifle at a quarter of a mile and broke this man's neck."

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The Inspiration for the Lone Ranger?

In his book, Burton makes the bold yet believable claim that Bass Reeves was the real-life inspiration for the Lone Ranger, a masked hero first created for radio in the 1930s before becoming a movie and TV star.

"Bass is the closest thing to the Lone Ranger to exist in reality," says Burton. "The Lone Ranger handed out silver bullets. Bass handed out silver dollars. Bass worked with an Indian sidekick and rode a white horse. Bass worked in disguise throughout his career. The Lone Ranger's last name is Reid, which is very close to Reeves."

Also like the Lone Ranger, Reeves was known for his strong moral compass and dedication to justice. When Reeves' own son was wanted for the murder of his wife, he solemnly requested the warrant and brought his boy in for trial. Reeves also arrested the preacher who baptized him. In need of money, the congregation had convinced the preacher to run bootleg whiskey, but Reeves wouldn't have it.

Burton believes that Detroit might provide the connection between Bass and the Lone Ranger. The original radio program was created at a Detroit radio station in 1933 and most of the outlaws that Bass arrested in the 1880s and 1890s were sent to the Detroit House of Corrections to serve out their sentences. Did the writers of the white Lone Ranger take inspiration from local legends of a morally upright Black lawman who patrolled the Wild West? Burton thinks so, although he admits there is no conclusive proof.

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The End of a Legendary Life

By the time Bass Reeves retired from his long career as a Federal lawman, he was famous throughout Indian Territory. There were folk songs written about his heroics and he could nab a fugitive by the power of his reputation alone. The story goes that Belle Starr, an outlaw known as "the female Jesse James," turned herself in at Fort Smith when she heard that Bass had her warrant.

Despite being hunted by aggrieved outlaws for most of his life, Reeves died of natural causes at age of 72. One obituary published in The Daily Ardmoreite wrote: "No history of frontier days in Indian Territory would be complete with no mention of Bass Reeves and no tale of the old days of 'Hell on the Border' could be told without the old deputy marshal as a prominent character."

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Now That's Cool More than a century after his death, Bass Reeves is finally getting his due. The Black lawman was featured in the first episode of HBO's "Watchmen" and is the subject of a TV series being developed by Morgan Freeman based on Burton's books.
" " Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said her lace collar was her favorite, as worn in this photo celebrating her 20th anniversary on the bench in 2013. Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post via Getty Images

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died Sept. 18, 2020, from complications to pancreatic cancer, made history for a variety of reasons: She was the first Jewish female  and second female justice ever  to serve on the Supreme Court. But in addition to her endlessly impressive resume and renowned reputation, she left a lasting legacy with her fashion choices, too. According to Town and Country Magazine, Ginsburg had "jazzed up her black robes with some truly dazzling neckwear" for years, and her accessories were more than aesthetic choices  many believe she quietly and consistently attached political opinions to each of her signature neckpieces.

" " Ginsburg wore this jazzy "majority opinion" neckpiece to attend President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech in 2013. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

In fact, the Notorious RBG made such a splash with her statement jabots and necklaces throughout the years, she inspired a top fashion brand to pay tribute to her subtle but significant style choices. As Harper's Bazaar reported, Ginsburg "has worn the same sparkling Banana Republic bib necklace as a sartorial way to express her disapproval" since 2012. She's worn it repeatedly whenever she's disagreed with a Supreme Court decision, and perhaps most famously wore it the day after Donald Trump was elected president in 2016. When asked why she chose the bedazzled black piece to make such strong statements, she told Katie Couric in 2014 that it "looked fitting for dissents."

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Last year, Banana Republic reissued the original collar necklace for a limited time and donated half of the proceeds from each sale to the ACLU Women's Rights Project, an organization co-founded by Ginsburg.

"The Notorious Necklace is a re-issue of Banana Republic's original design from 2012," a Banana Republic spokesperson says via email. "As a brand co-founded by a woman, empowerment has always been part of our DNA and it was a great opportunity to benefit the advancement of women's rights as a continuation of our brand commitment to champion equality."

But the dissent collar is just one of the main jabots Ginsburg had in her collection. As she showed Couric, she had a "majority opinion collar" (a glitzy yellow and rose floral design gifted to her by her law clerks), a replica of Placido Domingo's black and white collar in "Stiffelio" purchased at the Metropolitan Opera Gift Shop, and her favorite all-purpose piece: a lacy white piece purchased in Cape Town, South Africa.

Another iconic Ginsburg collar is the one she wore in her first official court portrait with then newly appointed Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. For the photo, RBG wore a Stella & Dot necklace that Town and Country described as "a cross between a feathered wing and spiky armor," and anyone inclined to look for meaning in her fashion messaging could have interpreted the look as "her prickly disapproval" of Kavanaugh.

" " Ginsburg wore this "cross between a feathered wing and spiky armor for the official photo at the Supreme Court after Brett Kavanaugh joined the bench in 2018. Was that meant to convey "prickly disapproval"? MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

But RBG is, at her core, a woman of the people, as evidenced by a sweet 2015 anecdote in which a Reddit user reported making Ginsburg a lovely lace collar and then receiving a gracious thank-you note in return. Redditor Sahrabee shared a photo of the note (written on official RBG letterhead!), which read, "Dear Ms. Harvin, The lace collar is elegant. I will wear it often, with appreciation for your artistry and caring. Ruth Bader Ginsburg."

Ginsburg's sartorial choices came a long way in their evolution over the years. When she first joined the Supreme Court in 1993, she opted for a more traditional white jabot that lacked the razzle-dazzle of her later looks. As she told the Washington Post, "[Y]ou know, the standard robe is made for a man because it has a place for the shirt to show, and the tie. So Sandra Day O'Connor and I thought it would be appropriate if we included as part of our robe something typical of a woman. So, I have many, many collars."

" " In her earlier days, Ginsburg favored more traditional lace jabots, like this one seen in her 2010 Supreme Court portrait next to Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy. TIM SLOAN/AFP via Getty Images

Now That's Interesting: The Banana Republic dissent collar may no longer be available, but you can still get your hands on fan-made replicas, like this one on Etsy.
RALEIGH  For the first time in a while, Nikole Leggard doesn't feel like she has to live looking over her shoulder.

That's because the fear of going to a jail for a minor traffic violation from over two years ago is now gone. The Wake County District Attorney's Office agreed to remove an outstanding arrest warrant from her record, thanks to a new partnership between the DA and nonprofits focused on criminal justice reform.

"I've been living on the edge for the last year and a half," said Leggard, 42. "This going to be helpful to me ... being able to clear this without having to be arrested or without having to go through the whole jail system to get bail or bond out."

Leggard's warrant stems from failing to appear in court after receiving a citation for a rolling stop in 2019. Her request for a new court date was denied in early 2020, just before the pandemic shut down the courts and prevented her from fixing the situation, she said.

"I can't afford to lose any time off work to turn myself in to be arrested," said Leggard, who works full time in addition to looking after her two children and her own mother.
Mind you, this is the same man who picked a fight with Big Bird. Go figure.

Carville went so far as to denounce stupid wokeness, faculty lounge talk and lunacy as serious impediments to the Democratic Party agenda, and chided wokeness as a major reason for Republican Glenn Youngkins victory in the Virginia gubernatorial race last month. Maher sees so-called woke ideology as overdramatic, pessimistic rhetoric whose overriding thrust and ideology is that America is rotten to the core, irredeemably racist  oppressive, sexist and homophobic.

Yes! Indeed! Opinions are sharp and the passion has reached a fever pitch. For the record, as a college professor, I can say say it appears as though Carville has not spent that much time in college faculty lounges. The majority of professors do not ascribe to the politics of wokeness.

In a 1962 New York Times op-ed titled If Youre Woke You Dig It, novelist William Melvin Kelley wrote about the appropriation of Black idioms by beatniks. During the civil rights movement, activists took the gospel song Woke Up this Morning with My Mind on Jesus and changed it to Woke Up This Morning with My Mind on Freedom.
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To this day I have no idea why I did that or what I was thinking, he says about not simply reusing the Sue Ann Nivens character. If there is a television hell, I will be going there.

But White, as always, kept going. She did Love Boat episodes. She guest-starred on Mamas Family. Finally, in 1985, she signed on for a new ensemble comedy, The Golden Girls. She would play Blanche, the aging sexpot. Rue McClanahan was up for Rose, the naive farmgirl.

Then the producing team had a last-minute brainstorm: Have the stars switch roles.

How can you do this to me? moaned White, who had already prepared for the other part. But the change-up was genius. And in Whites hands, Rose became the sweet, daffy heart of the show, which ran until 1992. It even spawned a brief spin-off, The Golden Palace.

When that went off the air, too, White was 70. But why slow down now?

She joined another sitcom, Maybe This Time. When that went belly-up, she did a campy giant crocodile movie, Lake Placid, and signed on for a stint on Boston Legal. She briefly joined a soap, The Bold and the Beautiful, and then returned for another hit sitcom, Hot in Cleveland.
It proved to be driven by incentives, and we were outbid, Hunt said in 2005 when discussing the deals with Mercedes. We knew then that we were not competitive in incentives and didnt have the tools to attract highly capitalized companies that offered the potential for industry clusters.

The art of negotiation

Industry clusters, by the way, would be other companies that follow the big-name automakers to supply needed parts and materials and other services an influx of new employees might require.

Thats the theory, anyhow. But as anyone whos ever spent a weekend in Greenville  the one in South Carolina, with the fantastic waterfall and world-class fine dining  can tell you, there is merit to the argument.

Within the first 10 years of the Mercedes deal in Alabama, the German automaker expanded its plant to the point that it was making nearly 80,000 M-Class SUVs every year. Academics suggested that Alabama reaped more than 70,000 jobs from that one deal.
That included stops within the Mississippi River Chemical Corridor, sometimes referred to as Cancer Alley. The region contains several spots where cancer risks are far above levels deemed acceptable by the EPA.

As I look at many of the folks in these communities, they look just like me, he said during the tour. They look just like my son, and its really tough to see them question the quality of their drinking water.

On Saturday, Regan talked about the resolve of the four A&T students who launched the sit-in movement in 1960 and told the graduates they all have to decide what they will fight for in life.

I found that something a long time ago, protecting the environment and peoples health and advancing environmental justice for Black and brown communities, he said.

Regan previously led North Carolinas Department of Environmental Quality under Gov. Roy Cooper. And he spent decades working as an environmental regulator as part of the administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, as well as serving as an associate vice president for the Environmental Defense Fund advocacy group and as head of his own environmental and energy consulting firm.
Larry Anderson, working in back with the hams, showed off boxes of trimmings and ham hocks. Those items are popular with many cooks, he said.

These folks down here want stuff like that to flavor their beans with, he said. They come in just for that. They come here from Elkin and up in Virginia and come here because this is the only place they know they can get it, and know it is good.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed some things about Ronnies Country Store. Formerly, the store was closed only on Sunday and Wednesday. But for some time now the store has been open only on Thursday, Friday and Saturday each week. Fewer people were working downtown. But business has been good, Horton said.

During the pandemic, it is amazing how people have supported us, he said. Part of it is people cooking at home. They have come back to it. These good cooks are what have kept this store going for what will soon be 97 years. And ... people have found out how good that home cooking is. And a lot of them havent gone back to restaurants yet; they are still cooking at home. And the sales about bear that out.
He said that going door to door in search of victims is out of the question in the hardest-hit areas: There are no doors.

We're going to have over 1,000 homes that are gone, just gone, the governor said.

With afternoon high temperatures forecast only in the 40s, tens of thousands of people were without power. About 300 National Guard members went house to house, checking on people and helping to remove debris. Cadaver dogs searched for victims.

Kirks said she and her boyfriend were about 10 feet apart in a hallway when someone said to take cover. Suddenly, she saw sky and lightning where a wall had been, and Ward had vanished.

I remember taking my eyes off of him for a second, and then he was gone, she said.

Later, she got the terrible news  that Ward had been killed in the storm.

It was indescribable, Pastor Joel Cauley said of the disaster scene. It was almost like you were in a twilight zone. You could smell the aroma of candles, and you could hear the cries of people for help. Candle smells and all the sirens is not something I ever expected to experience at the same time.
I asked Selay, 19, whether, when she had time to think, she thought about the past  all that she has lost  the unsettled present, or the unknown future. Quickly, she said she thought about the future. She had completed one semester in the university when she and her family were forced to flee Kabul. In Afghanistan I wanted to be a lawyer, she said. But in America I want to be a doctor.

But I worry, Selay added. The family is guaranteed only two years in the U.S., during which time they can apply for asylum. What if it isnt granted? Will I have to go back to Afghanistan?

Theyre making their way, but its hard to put down roots when you dont know where youre going to live.

From Kabul the family flew to Qatar where they spent three days. That was followed by two days in a hangar outside of Washington, D.C., and three months living in a tent on Quantico Marine Base in Virginia, which Noor assured me was very comfortable. They fed us and gave us clothes and there was a play area for children.

Finally, on arrival in Winston-Salem, they moved into a house generously provided by a local church. But the house was available for just one month.
Of course we feel sorry for the desperate and deranged people who use cops as a final solution. We also should also feel sorry for the officers who have little choice but to shoot a clearly disturbed human being. They deserve better.

I hope our own county and city officials are looking into ways to deal with this problem.

David Hatcher

Winston-Salem

A safer school

I believe that we need to improve security for Ledford High School. For example, I believe we need to get more officers into the school to make people feel safer and more comfortable.

Also, what could be really helpful is having someone to talk to in high school when a student is going through a lot  to make that person feel needed and happier.

Also, I think it could be helpful to let teachers pay more attention to some students who may be acting as if theyre a little down  just to take a little extra time after class or before to talk to them  if theyre willing to talk about it.
Internal investigations at LPD by their nature are confidential, making it impossible for outsiders to review the information independently unless the matters result in lawsuits or go to trial.

The female officer who talked to the Journal Star fears losing her job and said things haven't gotten any better for women at LPD since Williams left in March 2019. It's still difficult to come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct without feeling targeted and not believed.

"I think the hard part is that everybody thinks, 'No way. A police officer would report right away.' Or they think that a victim looks a certain way. Like it means you're weak if you're sexually assaulted or raped," she said.

She said that's why she didn't report right away when she was sexually assaulted. That, and she felt like she'd been groomed as early as the department's training academy not to report.

She said she sees how reports from female officers have been handled and how the investigations seem to focus on them, rather than on what happened.
What's really unique about this program is that it allows for individuals who may not otherwise be able to get out to a food distribution because of a mobility issue or like we saw in our community in the last two years, problems with quarantine, said Meagan Liesveld, executive director of United Way.

Currently, people are only receiving shelf-stable foods such as rice, pasta, oatmeal and canned meat, vegetables and fruits. However, Ride United hopes to expand the options to fresh produce and meat next year.

With United Ways support and the donors' support, going into 2022 we are really trying to look into healthier products, said Katie Nungesser, network capacity manager at the Food Bank.

Next year, Ride United hopes to deliver 10,000 bags of food through the program. To reach that goal, though, United Way is raising $25,000 to ensure it has enough food for all those seeking it.

Allo and Nelnet will match each donation for the first $12,500 raised.

Food banks across the country, including the Food Bank of Lincoln, have worked to overcome significant challenges since the beginning of the pandemic to get more food out to more people in need.
Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson won't seek reelection in 2022, according to a note he wrote to family and friends that was obtained by the Journal Star on Saturday.

Peterson, a Republican who previously was assistant state attorney general, was first elected in 2014 and ran uncontested in 2018.

During his tenure, Peterson notably opposed several policies that were put in place by the Obama administration.

In October 2015, Texas, Kansas and Louisiana filed a federal lawsuit  which Nebraska and Wisconsin later joined  over a part of the Affordable Care Act that required states to pay a portion of the Health Insurance Providers Fee to help fund the health insurance law.

Then in 2018, Nebraska joined seven states suing the federal government to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program protecting undocumented immigrants brought into the country as children from deportation.
It wasnt an Oklahoma land rush or California Gold Rush. It wasnt a rush at all.

Homesteaders showed up steadily for three decades. They took the train.

If the railroad comes to that community in 1877, then homesteading explodes in 1878, said Jonathan Fairchild, historian at Homestead National Historical Park near Beatrice.

Many who boarded those trains didnt arrive thinking that the land would be an heirloom passed down generations. Many planned to profit and then skedaddle.

Most people didnt come to stay, said David Wishart, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln geography professor and editor of Encyclopedia of the Great Plains. You really have to understand the degree of speculation that went on in the frontier.

Taking land, farming it for five years, then selling it at the first opportunity made a mountain of sense to many homesteaders, who often came from desperate circumstances.

Roughly one of five arrived in Nebraska directly from Europe, according to Rick Edwards, retired director of UNLs Center for Great Plains Studies. Many were new Americans, who had moved from, say, Germany to Ohio to central Nebraska in short order.
The video summit between President Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin didnt resolve the most dangerous foreign policy crisis so far for the Biden presidency: Can the United States and its NATO partners prevent Russia from taking over Ukraine by force?

Amazingly, no one is yet certain whether Putin has massed nearly 100,000 Russian troops on three borders of Ukraine with the intent to invade  or is using them to pressure the West into consigning that country to Russian domination.

We still do not believe President Putin has made a decision, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told the press after the video call on Tuesday.

But the fact that the video call was held on Dec. 7  the anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor  is truly symbolic. If Putin can take control of a European country by threatening or using force, it will erase the principles of international conduct that have kept peace in Europe since World War II. The international system will be set back decades, Admiral James Stavridis told MSNBC.

China would certainly take keen notice in deciding whether to move on Taiwan. And NATOs remaining cache, following on the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, would be gone.
I continue to be concerned by the comments of Gov. Pete Ricketts and other elected officials who are critical of the diversity plan of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I would request that the governor define "Nebraskan," as he has asked that Nebraskans oppose the proposed plan.

Who is a Nebraskan and what does he or she look and sound like? Are Nebraskans the people that look like and share the views of those currently in authority while denying or minimizing the history, contributions and struggles of others, particularly people of color within the state?

"E Pluribus Unum," the motto of the United States translates into "out of many one." Our races are gifts from God, our Creator and not to be maligned, minimized or ignored. These negative statements not only about the diversity plan but of the UNL leadership do nothing to bring people together but further alienate and polarize individuals at a time when we need to be working together for the good of all.

As William Shakespeare wrote, "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars but in ourselves." As I understand it, public officials took an oath to represent the people under their watch and care, not just of those who share similar philosophies to the exclusion of others.
For much of high school, Logan Jeppesen wasnt planning on going to college.

Even though hed taken Gateway Technical College dual enrollment courses in high school and earned 10 credits, Logan was still unsure whether he would enroll in college after graduation.

That quickly changed, though. Logans high school teacher submitted his name for a Wisconsin Technical Excellence Scholarship  a full, three-year technical college scholarship  and he was selected to receive it.

When that happened, he decided to continue his college education at Gateway.

Initially unsure whether college was a good fit for him, Logan has become a strong advocate for Gateway and the benefits of a technical education.

Gateway is where I learned to love learning, says Logan. I am who I am today because of the folks at Gateway.

Logan earned two Civil Engineering degrees at Gateway, Highway Technology and Fresh Water Resources. He now uses skills gained through his degree every day in his chosen career field working at a local department of public works.

I love the atmosphere at Gateway  you build a connection with the instructors, the staff and the college, says Jeppesen. My instructors are basically family to me now.

Jeppesen said Gateway prepared him well for his career. He had a position lined up before he even graduated.

Gateway did a fantastic job of preparing me for my field  the skills I learned at Gateway I can apply every day in my work. Getting familiar with the land survey equipment, the GPS systems, having that foundation in the basics really helped me, says Logan.

It helped me during the interview process, too. When I was asked about what technology Ive used, what knowledge I have and when they started asking me questions about land surveying  I was confident. I was confident in my answers because of my training and how well I was prepared, and that was because of how I was taught at Gateway.

Logan says hes also attended other colleges but Gateway, by far, works the hardest to help its students succeed.

At Gateway, they genuinely work hard to make sure you understand before you leave the classroom. I had a lot of one-on-one work with my instructors, and that was invaluable to me.

Logans love of civil engineering began early in life. As a child, he pondered the world around him.

As a kid, I was always wondering how things work. I like drafting, AutoCAD, stuff like that. I like the process, and that inspired me to ask even more questions on how things work.

Engineering and civil engineering, theyre the science of how things work. I think I would have liked mechanical engineering, but civil engineering really seemed geared to me and what I like. I love the science of roadways and how curves and such are calculated. I love the chemistry and science of concrete. I love bridges and all that goes into building one. I realized this is where I want to go in life and this was the career for me.

Jeppesen said he also wanted a career where he could be out and about, working outside for at least part of the day. I wont want to sit in an office  I want to be outside, working.

Logan says hes happy he decided to come to Gateway, and he hinted he might return in the future.

I really liked the camaraderie of Gateway, and I feel you get a great education. There are hard courses, but there are some that are easy, too. Gateway has a great mix of staff and students, too  a real diversity. You end up learning a lot from other students, too.

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Dec. 6-10

This list is not comprehensive. Municipalities are listed as they appear on the criminal complaint. Suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. To see mugshots of the accused, visit journaltimes.com/gallery. Additional information about the complaints can be found at: journaltimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts.

Brandon M Baker-Kinsey, 2000 block of 90th Street, Sturtevant, burglary of a building or dwelling, operating a motor vehicle without owners consent, criminal damage to property, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of methamphetamine, obstructing an officer.

DeAndre Lee Blair, 1200 block of Marquette Street, Racine, unauthorized use of an entitys identifying information or documents, uttering a forgery, fraud against financial institution (value between $500-$10,000), felony bail jumping.

Anthony L Carter, 900 block of Marquette Street, Racine, misdemeanor bail jumping, felony personal ID theft (financial gain), operating without a license (2nd offense within 3 years).

Charles W Cook, 500 block of Ninth Street, Racine, misdemeanor battery (domestic abuse assessments), disorderly conduct (domestic abuse assessments).

Xavier U Grandberry, 2000 block of Washington Avenue, Racine, misdemeanor battery (domestic abuse assessments), disorderly conduct (domestic abuse assessments).

Montreal (aka Lil Pimp) D Greer, 1900 block of Marquette Street, Racine, criminal damage to property, disorderly conduct.

Jesus Hernandez Jr., 500 block of Hamilton Street, Racine, disorderly conduct.

Alexandro Jaramillo 1700 block of 11th Street, Racine, criminal damage to property (domestic abuse assessments), disorderly conduct (domestic abuse assessments).

Theodore Kern, 2000 block of West Boulevard, Racine, obstructing an officer.

Terrance D Lang, Waukegan, Ilinois, possession of a firearm by outstate felon, carrying a concealed weapon, obstructing an officer.

Anthony D Lewis, 2000 block of Kinzie Avenue, Racine, strangulation and suffocation (domestic abuse assessments), disorderly conduct (domestic abuse assessments), misdemeanor bail jumping.

Rashad R Lewis, 1100 block of Carlisle Avenue, Racine, disorderly conduct (domestic abuse assessments), criminal trespass (domestic abuse assessments), felony bail jumping.

Sean J Mandli, 31100 block of Weiler Road, Burlington, felony bail jumping (domestic abuse assessments), misdemeanor battery (domestic abuse assessments), disorderly conduct (domestic abuse assessments).

David Perez Matias, Memphis, Tennessee, possession with intent to deliver/distribute/manufacture THC (200-1,000 grams), maintaining a drug trafficking place.

Tyler L Mitchell 500 block of Three Mile Road, Racine, possession of THC, operate motor vehicle while revoked, felony bail jumping.

Peter T Nelson, 800 block of 17th Street, Racine, possession with intent to deliver narcotics, possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a firearm while intoxicated.

Joseph (aka X Joe) R Nyland, 1600 block of Winslow Street, Racine, misdemeanor battery, disorderly conduct, misdemeanor theft.

Damien Wade Orr, 1100 block of Oakes Road, Mount Pleasant, stalking (domestic abuse assessments), disorderly conduct (domestic abuse assessments), misdemeanor battery (domestic abuse assessments), strangulation and suffocation (domestic abuse assessments), resisting an officer.

Marques Enrique Ortiz, 9000 block of Florence Drive, Sturtevant, misdemeanor battery (domestic abuse assessments), criminal damage to property (domestic abuse assessments), disorderly conduct (domestic abuse assessments).

Gavin J Pallesen, 300 block of Mill Avenue, Union Grove, physical abuse of child (recklessly cause great bodily harm), physical abuse of a child (repeated acts intentionally causing great bodily harm), physical abuse of child (intentionally cause bodily harm), strangulation and suffocation.

Antonio C Rhinehouse Jr., 1700 block of Birch Road, Kenosha, misdemeanor battery, criminal damage to property, felony bail jumping.

Justin John Robinson, Muskego, possession of THC, possession of drug paraphernalia.

Carlos Rosas-Diaz, Wind Lake, repeated sexual assault of a child, child enticement, exposing genitals, intimate parts or pubic area, obstructing an officer.

Michele L Sekula, 23600 block of Burmeister Road, Union Grove, disorderly conduct (domestic abuse assessments).

Peter M Valente, 1200 block of Douglas Avenue, Racine, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence (5th or 6th offense, general alcohol concentration enhancer), misdemeanor bail jumping.

Ramiro C Vasquez, 8800 block of 41st Avenue, Kenosha, possession of THC, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence (2nd offense), operate motor vehicle while revoked (4th+), felony bail jumping, misdemeanor bail jumping.

Paul J Velasquez, 1200 block of Martin Luther King Drive, Racine, misdemeanor battery (domestic abuse assessments), disorderly conduct (domestic abuse assessments).

Zachary P Wendt, 600 block of Meadow Lane, Burlington, sexual intercourse with a child, sexual assault of a child by a person who works or volunteers with children, possession of child pornography, exposing intimate parts.

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CALEDONIA  The Village of Caledonia is receiving temporary federal assistance to pay the salaries for six of its firefighters. That assistance will end in about 16 months.

Village leaders are trying to figure out what to do, considering changes made at the state level during Gov. Scott Walkers two terms effectively ban governments from raising taxes.

Background

The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant was awarded to the village in March 2020. The village is forecasting for March 2023 when the approximately $906,680 will run out.

The SAFER grant covers 75% of firefighters salaries the first and second years, and 25% the third year. After that, the village is 100% financially liable.

The Caledonia Fire Department currently has 46 sworn personnel. Keeping six firefighters that were hired last year staffed at the department, all wages and benefits included, would cost the village an estimated $600,000 yearly.

The pie is only so big

At a Caledonia Village Board meeting Monday, an agenda item called for discussion on future funding of what the SAFER grant is currently covering.

Village President Jim Dobbs said because the village is set to transfer the Caledonia-Mount Pleasant Memorial Park to the county, the village will not have any operational costs in 2022 for the park. As such, some money from that transfer could go towards paying for firefighters.

Dobbs previously requested Village Administrator Kathy Kasper put together some Nostradamus projections for how the village could fund the positions in 2023.

However, Kasper said trying to run projections is difficult because the village does not have accurate numbers on net new construction for 2023, which affects levy limit and expenditure restraint, or an accurate idea of expenditure increases that would be forecasted for 2023.

Last year, we budgeted all the way up to our levy limit, Kasper said. We dont have a ton of capacity to levy any more dollars against our constituents for these services.

Caledonia has more firefighters than police officers. The police department is set to be staffed with 36 sworn personnel in 2022, an increase from 35 personnel in 2021, and fire is to remain at 46 sworn personnel for 2022.

That is highly unusual in any municipality in the State of Wisconsin. I think its probably highly unusual in any municipality in the country, Kasper said. I have not found one in the state that has more fire than has police. Were the only one.

Kasper said that it is not a question of how the village pays for these people. Its a question of if the village funds these positions, and how the fire department looks now and into the future.

The pie is only so big, and the way that we cut that up, serve it and disperse the funds that are available, is important to me as administrator, Kasper said.

Trustee Kevin Wanggaard said the village is trying to get people or businesses to locate to the area.

If Im a company, whats going to make me want to come to this village knowing that our protective services are not what they should be to protect my investment? Wanggaard asked.

Dobbs said cutting staffing for an ambulance in a highly populated area would be tragic.

Now I know we dont have a lot of money for some levy limits. We cant raise taxes, Dobbs said. We cant talk about, in my mind, reducing this. We have to find the money.

He then suggested putting the topic on the next election ballot as a referendum.

Trustees Fran Martin and Tom Weatherston agreed a referendum would be a good idea.

Trustee Lee Wishau said holding a public meeting or public hearing might be a good first step before diving into referendum paperwork.

Rapidly changing numbers

Since 2018, the Caledonia Fire Departments call volume has increased 24% and the net has increased 53% over the last six years, said Caledonia Fire Chief Jeffrey Henningfeld.

A station 12 ambulance by noon on Monday had responded to 508 rescue calls this year-to-date.

That is a substantial quantity of rescue calls, Henningfeld said.

In addition, in 2018, the average response time was 6:46. The second ambulance at station 12 has reduced average response time to 5:58.

The CFD doesnt have the ability to refuse service to anyone, and that is a reason why call volume to senior care facilities has gone through the roof since 2018, Henningfeld said. In 2018, calls to the Parkview Senior-Living Community totaled 201. This year-to-date, its been 441.

Its important to note that these numbers are changing rapidly, he said, and that I would implore that this board finds a way to seek out additional funding and support the fire department in whatever way possible.

Its possible to apply for additional SAFER grants and also send a referendum to voters, he said. He suggested bringing the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin, the state division of the International Association of Firefighters, on board to help craft a referendum statement.

He noted with an increase in calls, the departments revenue increases, and theres a substantial increase in projections for ambulance revenues next year.

Its important to note that were going to have to find a way to support this however we can, Henningfeld said. And I know the pie is limited, but I think there are some alternatives out there.

Police vs. fire

Police Chief Christopher Botsch said getting the SAFER grant might be difficult because funds are limited and everyone is vying for them.

I understand fire got to a number that they felt they were comfortable with, but it is to the detriment of the police department, and thats just the reality of the situation, Botsch said. If we are going to talk about maintaining the fire department, I think we are doing a disservice to the community if we dont have a corresponding conversation as to how were going to fund the police department to a similar level.

He noted that at the time the SAFER grant was instituted, the village had 33 police officers and 39 firefighters, a gap of six personnel. Now theres an even greater gap  10 personnel.

I just think Id be remiss if I did not at least put that information out there, because those numbers should be much, much closer, Botsch said. To keep the disparity that we currently have, would mean that we got it right here in Caledonia, and everyone else got it wrong  We would be saying that our statistics are so unique, that they dont exist anywhere else, but they exist here in Caledonia. And I dont think that is an accurate statement.

Dobbs, a retired Racine police lieutenant, said it is possible the village could ask for money for additional police staff, but separately. Were more likely to have success with firefighters. Police have gotten such a bad light in this country the last couple of years, but everybody still loves fire.

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RACINE  With new report cards and a pandemic to boot, Racine Countys school district hierarchy has shuffled. But some things remain constant.

Despite the changes to the report and challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, one thing has remained the same: The highest rated district in the county, which also happens to be the smallest. The Norway J7 district, which consists of Drought Elementary School, has exceeded expectations or significantly exceeded expectations since the 2012-2013 school year.

For the past two report card years, Drought Elementary has been at the head of the pack and significantly exceeded expectations, something Superintendent and Principal Carrie Reid believes is a product of the small class sizes and nearly constant teaching staff.

Our goal for the year is never to score the highest report card or anything like that, but we have sort of this utopic environment for learning, Reid said. Because we have smaller class sizes, we have staff members who have been on staff for a number of years, and we really have had these strong roots in relationships with our kids, Reid said.

There is no doubt that the Norway J7 district is small, spanning a whole 9 square acres and serving about 100 K-8 students, which allows for more individualized attention for students. Besides their numbers, Reid also pointed to a supportive community and school board that promote the utopic learning environment.

Outside of being proud of the districts report card, Reid said the school is excited about being back to in-person education and resuming events, such as Thursday nights holiday concert.

Were just very much looking forward to seeing all the parents together in one spot, and just the the warmth and excitement that everybody brings, Reid said. Its my favorite event of the year, the holiday concert.

Whats in a report card?

School report cards focus on four priority areas and previously included student achievement, school growth, closing gaps, and on-track/ postsecondary readiness. Target group outcomes replaced closing gaps and focuses on students in the school with test scores in the lowest quartile in order to focus support on the learners who need it most, while also improving outcomes for all students, according to DPI.

Per state statutes, different areas of the report card are weighted differently based on the unique challenges some districts face.

For example: Districts that have a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged students receive a higher weight in the growth area, according to DPI, allowing schools and districts to be rewarded for advancing students progress regardless of their starting level.

Another change for the year was a disclaimer: It urges caution when interpreting the report, given the pandemics impact on students learning the last two school years, a fact that was heavily emphasized by the Burlington Area School District, which dropped from exceeds expectations to meets expectations, and the Racine Unified School District, which stayed at the meets few expectations rating.

While we are disappointed in our results, we also must acknowledge that our students were out of school for nearly a full year, RUSD Spokesperson Stacy Tapp said in an email. They came back to school and immediately took the Forward Exam. For some students, this was the first computer-based exam they had ever taken.

BASD also reportedly found errors in how its data was calculated, specifically its graduation rate and absentee data, errors that the district is hoping to correct, according to district communication with families. For instance, special-needs students in the PAC House program, which serves students ages 18-21, were reported as dropouts rather than continuing their education, according to the district.

As DPI and school districts contend, the report cards are only one way of measuring a districts, or a schools, success.

This report card is arguably somewhat superficial to a degree, because there are things that we dont ever see, RUSD Board member Scott Coey said at a recent meeting.

But, when DPI began the renovation process of its report cards in 2019, the Office of Educational Accountability convened an Accountability Advisory Group of public and choice school leaders, along with other stakeholders, to develop and implement the report card improvements, according to DPI Spokesperson Chris Bucher.

After meeting throughout 2020, a preview report card was released in January 2021, after which Bucher said the department sought public feedback via survey before finalizing the new report cards.

Ultimately, our goal throughout this improvement process has been to make report cards more reliable, actionable, and user-friendly to schools, districts, and the public, Bucher said in an email.

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As we get close to the end of 2021, Wisconsin is glad to put some of the mayhem of the past two years in the history books.

The Kenosha riots are fading into the past and the Kyle Rittenhouse trial has thankfully concluded.

But before we close those books, we might want to look ahead and see how we can change things to prevent or at least diminish the chances of a repeat of the circumstances that fueled the fires that burned a good portion of the city and led to two deaths.

Yes, there are many aspects to this ongoing debate  everything from police response as the violence escalated, the presence of self-styled militia on the city streets and the delayed response in calling in the National Guard to quell the disturbance.

Today well focus one just one element of those sad days: Allowing open carry at public demonstrations and protest marches. Anyone who saw the news photos of armed vigilantes parading down the street, ostensibly to protect businesses  even though their help had been rejected by Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth  knew we were headed toward a train wreck.

The presence of long guns and openly carried sidearms at demonstrations can only inflame tensions and lead to violence. Thats a lesson we can take from Kenosha.

At the same time, if we do not want armed citizens at protests then the government needs to protect life and property. When protests turn into riots, looting and burning of buildings the government  law enforcement and the National Guard  must end it quickly and not let it fester. There is a tendency to set a perimeter around an area and just let the mayhem occur. That has to stop.

We would urge the state Legislature and Gov. Tony Evers to take a page from the state of Washington, which last spring banned the open carry of weapons within 250 feet of permitted public demonstrations and on the grounds of its state capitol.

We would expand such a ban to include impromptu protests as well, and the Washington law does that by allowing local government officials to designate a protest as a permitted event. Washingtons law also has an exemption for property owners or renters even if the demonstration is inside the 250-foot perimeter. The law does not ban lawful concealed carry by permitted individuals.

Washington became the ninth state, along with the District of Columbia, to enact such a ban.

We dont kid ourselves that given the divisiveness of our country over disputes on everything from social justice issues, school shootings, abortion, gun control, mask mandates and police policies that the coming year wont bring more protest marches and demonstrations.

Thats protected under our Constitutional rights to free speech and free assembly.

The vast majority of those demonstrations will be peaceful. A study by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project and Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund found there were more than 30,000 public demonstrations in the United States in the 18 months between January 2020 and June 2021.

Of those, at least 560 demonstrations include the presence of an armed individual, other than law enforcement. While armed demonstrations represent a small proportion of the total number of events, the subset is significantly more likely to involve violence or destructive behavior, the study said.

Roughly one out of every six demonstrations where firearms were present included reports of violent or destructive activity. For demonstrations where no firearms were identified that figure is one out of 37. While armed demonstrations account for less than 2% of the total number of demonstrations in the United State, they account for 10% of all violent or destructive demonstrations, the study said. Armed demonstrations turn violent or destructive about 16% of the time, compared to 3% if the time for unarmed demonstrations.

That data bolsters our call for a ban on open carry at protests, marches and peaceful demonstrations. Its even more timely in this era where we have seen standoffs and conflicts between protesters and counter-protesters.

We dont need a deja vu of the killings in Kenosha. Protests and marches will surely come our way again, but they can be made safer and less incendiary by banning the open carry of weapons.

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1. Crime. Too much violence, too many shootings. Police have to get a handle on it.

2. Coronavirus. The omicron variant and others to follow threaten the community.

3. Roads. Killeen-area roads are still a mess after last years storm  a serious problem.

4.Government. Elections are on the horizon, and voters will have hard choices to make.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say which single issue will stand out at this point.

Vote

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Jan. 15 will be the last day for the Redemption Bookstore at 201 Sand Lake Road in the Center 90 shopping center in Onalaska, unless someone comes forward to take it over.

A store-closing sale began Nov. 26 at the Christian bookstore, which sells religious merchandise such as Bibles and other books, gifts, artwork, jewelry, coffee mugs, greeting cards and music. It opened in February 2016 as a division of the then-new nonprofit Redemption Ministries Inc.

Bonice Sipley, who has managed the store ever since it opened, said it is closing because she is ready to retire, the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on sales, and the stores lease expires Jan. 31. Its an asset to the community, and its closing will be a loss, Sipley said, adding she is open to the possibility of someone taking over the store.

Before Redemption Bookstore opened, Sipley had 18 years of experience working in and managing Shepherds Voice Christian Bookstore and Living Word Christian Bookstore at various La Crosse and Onalaska locations.

The bookstores hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and closed Sunday. For more information, call 608-881-6300 or visit www.redemptionministries.center/bookstore or Facebook.

La Crosse-based Logistics Health Inc. has been renamed OptumServe Health Services, OptumServe announced last week. It will continue to be headquartered in La Crosse.

Local businessman Don Weber founded LHI in 1999 and sold the company in 2011 to OptumHealth, part of health care giant UnitedHealth Group of Minnetonka, Minn.

LHI has been an important part of OptumServe, the federal health services business that helps federal, state and others achieve their mission of providing quality and reliable health care services, OptumServe said in a news release. OptumServe provides health policy research, analytics and consulting; military and veteran health services; health IT solutions, health care data and analytics; health care operations; and population health management, it said.

While our name is changing, we remain committed to our culture and our team members, the customers we are so fortunate to serve, and to the La Crosse community, said Ed Weinberg, OptumServe Health Services CEO.

Briana M. Harris opened KIDSPACE in November at 531 Main St. in downtown La Crosse, and will hold an open house from 4 to 7 p.m. Jan. 14.

KIDSPACE is an inclusive therapeutic play studio and community space for kids of all ages and abilities and their families, Harris said. I provide private developmentally-focused occupational therapy services for children, adolescents and adults.

Harris is a registered and licensed pediatric occupational therapist who has been practicing since 2005.

She practiced occupational therapy in the greater Los Angeles area and Chicago, and returned to the Coulee Region to be closer to family. She began to establish her private practice while renting space at Coulee Health in West Salem for a year before opening KIDSPACE in downtown La Crosse.

KIDSPACE uses a developmental, play-based framework influenced by sensory integration theory and the DIR Floortime model. Sessions move forward at the childs pace and include parent participation as much as possible. Telehealth therapy session also are available.

Services are available by appointment Monday through Friday. And reservations are available for community play hours on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for small groups of up to four participants and their parents, Harris said.

For more information, call 608-812-8787 or visit www.couleekidspace.com or Facebook.

First Evangelical Lutheran Church plans to open the First Light Early Learning Center daycare facility in February in the former St. Pauls Lutheran Church next door at 420 West Ave. S. in La Crosse.

The center will be open to the public, as well as to members of the church, said Jenny Hackbarth, the centers director. Its mission is to assist families throughout the greater La Crosse area by providing a safe and nurturing environment with a Christ-centered curriculum, she said.

The center is for children ages 3 months through preschool and will hold an open house from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. next Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 18 and 19. Enrollment will begin on Dec. 20, At the open house parents will be able to set up a time to begin the enrollment process, Hackbarth said.

The center will be able to accommodate up to 100 children.

For more information, call the center at 608-784-1050 or visit http://firstlight.firstlacrosse.org or Facebook.

Steve Cahalan can be reached at stevecahalan.reporter@gmail.com.

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MILWAUKEE  Milwaukee County prosecutors indicated Friday there will be no criminal charges for three police officers who fatally shot a man with a gun in August.

Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm said in a letter that officers were justified in shooting Broderick "Baldie" Shelton outside a gas station, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Shelton was pointing a semi-automatic pistol at police officers and a bystander at a gas pump, according to Chisholm.

Shelton's family has said he suffered from mental health issues and was known to spend time at the gas station. Community members have said Shelton was usually friendly and did not carry a gun.

But Chisholm found that Shelton took the gun from another person at the gas station. A shootout ensued, with Shelton firing 16 rounds and the police officers firing 34 rounds. Shelton was shot in the head, abdomen and elbow.

"I find the use of force by the officers to be reasonable under all the circumstances and consistent with their affirmative obligation to protect the lives of endangered citizens as well as their own lives in the performance of their duty," Chisholm said in the letter.

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Olivia Herken Reporter Olivia Herken is the local government reporter at the La Crosse Tribune and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism. She can be found on Twitter @oherken, and reached at 608-791-8217. Follow Olivia Herken 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

A couple of Saturdays ago, on my 25th birthday, I was standing in the doorway of my moms bedroom repeating questions a nurse was asking on the other end of the phone. Was she short of breath? Did she feel any abdominal pain? When did her symptoms start?

We at first thought it was just the flu, but when I got to her house it seemed like she had since drifted off into another world. She wasnt responding to my questions and two different readings showed an alarming fever of 103 degrees. At about 2:45 p.m. we brought her to the emergency room in Baraboo on the nurses advice.

The infection my mom would battle eventually turned out to be sepsis and pneumonia, an often deadly combination. But we were faced with a different battle before we even spoke to a doctor: an overwhelmed hospital.

It wasnt until just after 4 p.m. that my mom was finally able to be seen in the ER, more than an hour after she first arrived.

Oxygen levels low. Worries about COVID. Worries about infection. May have to be admitted, but there arent any open beds here or Madison, my sister texted shortly thereafter. So if she has to stay, shell stay in an ER room until a bed opens.

She waited another hour-and-a-half for a COVID test, which came back negative (mom had gotten her booster shot a week prior). It was a big relief, partly because the hospitals COVID wing was full at the time. Instead, she would need to be admitted to the ICU  but they were full across the state.

We had planned to end the day with a homemade meal, but instead my family spent it waiting for answers from outside a hospital.

At 9:50 p.m. we got word that an ICU bed had finally opened up after more than eight hours of waiting in the ER.

My mom stayed in the ICU for a day, moving to a regular room Sunday night, in part to free up the critical care bed sooner. She came home a week later on oxygen, and theyve since told us that it was likely a rushed discharge to free up space.

The doctors told us we got her to the hospital at just the right time. If we had spent any more minutes in the in-between, would it have given us different results? How close were we to becoming another tragic collision caused by those who no longer take this pandemic seriously?

My family has faced a lot of challenges with my moms health  were used to the hiccups that often come with hospital stays. And while those hurdles have felt unfair and out of my control, the new set we faced a few Saturdays ago felt different and worse, because they were not in place by accident or chance.

Hospitals continue to be crowded and overwhelmed  and getting worse  and nurses and doctors continue to be overworked and underappreciated.

According to the latest data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, nearly 92% of all hospital beds around the state are in use, and more than 95% of all ICU beds, with hospitalizations growing in most regions of the state. We are full. Period, the head of Milwaukees Froedtert Hospital said earlier this week.

We know that the unvaccinated are disproportionately those who continue to be hospitalized by COVID-19, overwhelming the system. According to data from October, Wisconsinites who are unvaccinated are about 15 times more likely to die from COVID-19 and about 11 times more likely to be hospitalized with the virus.

And the continued, misinformed hesitancy and resistance to getting vaccinated means this trend is not going away.

We didnt plan for my mom to be in the hospital that Saturday. Just like we dont plan car accidents or heart attacks or other emergencies that desperately need a hospital bed.

At a check-up just the other day, my moms doctor wanted to admit her to the hospital again. Deemed not too urgent of a case, they said there likely wasnt an open bed anyway, and she went home. But when the time comes that they cant just send her home, Im still not so sure there will be room for her.

My family did our part  my siblings, parents and I are all vaccinated, some of us with boosters already  and the pandemic still almost took my moms life.

This isnt just a pandemic of a deadly virus. Its also a pandemic of misinformation and a pandemic of a rushed desire to get back to a before were not yet ready for.

Ive been searching and searching for something profound to say that might change a few minds here. What I wanted to say was simple: Get the vaccine, trust in facts and use your voice if you have one.

But in reality, these messages are just white noise, already beaten to death and filed away by people too tired to listen, too numb to any voice outside their own.

Instead Ive found myself wondering what the rush is.

Trust me, I am ready to get back to the normal we once knew, too. But hurrying back causes damage that cant be undone, because there are people who cannot return unless we each do our part to make it safe for them.

If some of us can move forward like nothing has happened, but our neighbors cant, how fair is that? If remaining unvaccinated is your way to maintain freedom over your own body, but it comes at the expense of others access to health care, how just is that? How united is that? How true is that freedom? Should our future have space for our neighbors?

If we rush into this long-desired normal too quickly, it leaves people behind  literally. People waiting in ER waiting rooms for help that may not be coming.

And is that a normal we really want to live in anyways?

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LA Mayoral Candidates to Meet in First Public Forum Sunday

The five main candidates in next years Los Angeles mayoral election will appear in their first public forum together tomorrow.

City Councilmen Joe Buscaino and Kevin de Leon, City Attorney Mike Feuer, Rep. Karen Bass and Jessica Lall, CEO of the Central City Association, have confirmed their participation, according to The Stonewall Democratic Club, which will host the event. The Los Angeles chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists and The Minority AIDS Project will be co-hosts.

The forum will take place at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Minority AIDS Project at 5149 W. Jefferson Blvd., in a hybrid online and in-person format in a Zoom meeting, as well as simulcast from the Stonewall YouTube channel and Facebook page, organizers, said. Stonewall Democratic Club members will vote to endorse a candidate at the conclusion of the forum. Freelance journalist Jarrett Hill and Spectrum News 1 anchor Tanya McRae will serve as moderators.

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In-person attendance will be limited to candidate staff, selected guests and the press. Prior to entering the facility, all attendees must provide proof of immunization against COVID-19 and must wear masks while inside the facility at all times unless appearing on stage.

Founded in Los Angeles in 1975, The Stonewall Democratic Club touts itself as the home for progressive Democrats who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and straight allies of the LGBT community. The group says it advocates for and encourages diversity, social equity, and inclusion.

The primary for the 2022 Los Angeles mayoral election will take place June 7, with the top two finishers squaring off in the general election Nov. 8. Other candidates running to replace a termed-out Eric Garcetti include real estate agent Mel Wilson, entrepreneur Ramit Varma and marketing executive Craig Greiwe.
LBPD Officer Suspended for Allegedly Making `Biased and Prejudiced Remarks

A Long Beach Police Department officer has been suspended for allegedly making biased and prejudiced remarks in electronic communications, and authorities are reviewing his past use of force incidents and arrest reports, police said today. Officer Maxwell Schroeder, a five-year veteran of the department, was suspended Thursday. He was most recently assigned to Field Support, according to the LBPD.

On August 19, the Long Beach Police Department was notified that one of our officers had made biased and prejudiced remarks in electronic communications with a non-LBPD employee, according to an LBPD statement.

The department immediately launched an internal administrative investigation and re-assigned the officer to a desk assignment. In the weeks since, the department has acquired additional evidence and, yesterday, internal affairs investigators interviewed the officer as part of the internal administrative investigation, police said.

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The announcement comes days after the state Attorney Generals Office announced it was launching a probe into the Torrance Police Department in response to revelations of racist text messages shared among a group of a dozen or more officers for years. Those messages have led to the dismissal of hundreds of criminal cases in which the officers were involved due to concerns about racial bias, the Los Angeles Times reported. The Times report identified Schroeder  a former Torrance police recruit  as among those possibly implicated in the Torrance police investigation.

In announcing the state investigation Wednesday, Attorney General Rob Bonta said where there is evidence of potentially pervasive bias or discrimination, it can undermine the trust that is critical for public safety and our justice system.

The Long Beach Police Department on Friday cited the serious nature of the allegations against Schroeder and based its decision to suspend him on a preliminary review of the evidence and investigation. The suspension is pending a final determination of the administrative investigation. The Long Beach Police Department holds all its employees to the highest standards of integrity and professionalism  and we have zero tolerance for all forms of prejudice, police said.

The investigation is expected to be completed in the coming weeks. The department is reviewing previous use of force incidents and arrests reports made by Schroeder, raising the potential that some criminal cases in which he was involved could be in jeopardy. Details of the remarks allegedly made by Schroeder were not released.

This department does not tolerate biased or prejudicial behavior by any employee  this officers actions do not reflect the morals held by our officers who engage with our diverse community, Long Beach Police Department Chief Robert Luna said in a statement. Every Long Beach resident deserves to be treated with equity and respect when they interact with our personnel.
Los Angeles Public Library Dedicates Vermont Square Branch To Rita Walters

The Los Angeles Public Library has dedicated its Vermont Square branch to Rita Walters, the first Black woman elected to the City Council.

On Friday, local officials gathered at the library, 1201 W. 48th St., to unveil a commemorative plaque marking the dedication, which was approved by the Board of Library Commissioners after a three-month consideration period.

Rita Walters life and legacy is an inspiration, from her work fighting for racial integration in our schools as a member of the LAUSD Board of Education to her efforts to steward LAPLs expansion on the L.A. City Council and the Library Commission, Mayor Eric Garcetti said. She broke so many glass ceilings and contributed so much to our city. It is truly humbling to have the chance to honor her today.

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Walters, a former teacher, served on the Los Angeles Unified School District board from 1979-91 before being elected to the City Council, filling the Ninth District seat left vacant by the 1990 death of Councilman Gilbert Lindsay.

Councilman Curren Price, who holds the Ninth District seat occupied by Walters from 1991-2001, said Walters achieved many firsts throughout her life and opened the doors for others to follow. She spent her life with a keen focus on the issues that matter the most to the people of District Nine and would not back down from getting into some good trouble, Price said.

She was an advocate for children, workers rights, and for all of the underserved members of society. Simply put, Rita Walters was a giant who laid the groundwork for Blacks and other people of color for generations to come, Price added.

Walters was appointed in 2002 to the citys Library Commission, on which she served for 15 years.The spirit of Rita Walters will forever be felt by our organization and the city, said John F. Szabo, city librarian for the Los Angeles Public Library.

She was a fierce advocate for libraries and the vital role they play in strengthening communities throughout the city. Dedicating our Vermont Square Branch in Rita Walters honor preserves her legacy today and for future generations. Walters was a graduate of Shaw University, in North Carolina, and held a masters degree in business administration from UCLA.

She was also a longtime civil rights advocate, working with groups including the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP. She taught adult education courses and ESL classes in Watts before being elected to the school board. Walters died in 2020 at age 89.
State questions Potters decisions in Daunte Wright arrest

A police sergeant at the scene when Daunte Wright was shot testified Friday that he was holding Wrights right arm with both hands to prevent him from driving away, as prosecutors sought to build their case that suburban Minneapolis police officer Kim Potter acted unreasonably when she shot and killed him.

Potter, who resigned from the Brooklyn Center police force two days after she killed Wright, said she meant to draw her Taser when she shot the 20-year-old after pulling him over on April 11 and discovering there was a warrant for his arrest. She is charged with manslaughter.

Mychal Johnson, a supervisor of Potters at the time, testified that he was holding Wrights right arm with both hands to prepare him for handcuffs, but that he dropped the arm when he heard Potter yell Taser, Taser, Taser!

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Prosecutor Matthew Frank pointed out that Johnson, who is now a major in a sheriffs department southeast of Minneapolis, did not draw his own Taser or gun. And Johnson testified that department policy dictated that Tasers shouldnt be used on people operating vehicles to avoid incapacitating the person and causing an accident, though Wrights car wasnt moving when Potter shot him.

Potter, 49, is charged with first- and second-degree manslaughter in the killing of Wright, who was pulled over for having expired license plate tags and an air freshener hanging from his rearview mirror.

Neither charge requires proof that Potter intended to kill Wright. The first charge requires prosecutors to prove that she acted recklessly and the second requires them to prove culpable negligence.

Prosecutors say Potter was a veteran officer who had received extensive Taser training that included multiple warnings about not confusing it with a handgun.

Defense attorneys counter that Potter made a mistake but also would have been justified in shooting Wright if she had consciously chosen to do so because other officers, including Johnson, might have been dragged if Wright drove away.

Johnson testified under questioning by defense attorney Earl Gray that officers had acted properly by trying to arrest Wright after they discovered there was a warrant for his arrest that was issued after he missed a court date on a gross misdemeanor weapons possession charge. And Johnson acknowledged that officers had a duty to check on the welfare of the woman in the car because someone had obtained a restraining order against Wright.

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Johnson agreed with Gray that Potter had the right to use force because he might have been injured or killed if Wright had driven away.

Frank noted that Johnson stood up as the car drove away instead of being dragged. He also noted that the car didnt move until after Potter shot Wright.

After Gray earlier got Johnson to acknowledge that Potter had been marked as exceeds expectations in evaluations, Frank struck back by asking Johnson: Does it exceed expectations to draw a gun and shoot somebody to death instead of their Taser? The judge sustained an objection to the question.

Johnson testified that he opened Wrights passenger-side door after Wright started to pull away from another officer, and that he leaned into the car, pushed the shift knob forward to make sure it was in park and reached for the keys to try to turn off the vehicle.

He said he then grabbed Wrights right arm with both hands to prevent him from putting the car in drive and to handcuff him. Johnson said that at the time, he couldnt see the other officer, Anthony Luckey, and didnt know what Potter was doing.

Body camera footage shows that as Potter yells Taser, Taser, Taser!, Johnson is using both of his hands to hold Wrights hand and arm.

Johnson testified that he heard the Taser command followed by a loud pop, which he initially thought was a Taser. Composite video appeared to show Johnsons hands still in the car at the time the shot was fired.

After he was shot, the car drove down the street and crashed into another vehicle.

Jurors also saw the most extensive video yet of Potters reaction right after the shooting. Johnsons body camera recorded him trying to comfort her after the shooting as she cries and rocks back and forth on the ground with her head in her hands.

Kim, take a breath. Kim, youre OK, he tells Potter. He also says: Kim, that guy was trying to take off with me in the car.

Johnson is also shown taking her gun, for evidence, and putting his own in her holster. Later, after another officer expresses fear she might harm herself, Johnson retrieves his gun, empties it of bullets out of Potters view, and gives it back to her.

As portions of Johnsons video were shown in court, Potter put her head in her hands at the defense table, shook slightly and cried. Wrights mother, Katie Bryant, also cried quietly.

Potter is white and Wright was Black, and the shooting happened as former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was standing trial nearby in George Floyds death. Wrights death set off days of protests and clashes with law enforcement in Brooklyn Center.

The case is being heard by a mostly white jury.

State sentencing guidelines call for just over seven years in prison upon conviction of first-degree manslaughter and four years for second-degree, though prosecutors have said they plan to push for even longer sentences.

___

Associated Press writer Tammy Webber contributed from Fenton, Michigan.

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Find the APs full coverage of the Daunte Wright case: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-daunte-wright


China is aiming to make its foreign military training schools a more popular choice among military officials from developing countries.

That information comes from a report by a British research organization. It found that a record number of officers from African Commonwealth countries are training in China. Commonwealth countries are those formerly governed by Britain.

Since the 1950s, the British armys well-known Sandhurst has often been the first choice for developing countries to send their best military officers for training. But China is making gains.

Spreading influence

Researchers Radomir Tylecote and Henri Rossano are writers of the report Chinas Military Education and Commonwealth Countries. They are with the London-based policy research group Civitas. The researchers say Chinas military training programs are part of its effort to gain influence over developing countries.

The researchers wrote that China increasingly uses its military training for foreigners as a method of promoting its models of governance They said during the training, China promotes its Party-Army model. This is where the army serves the ruling party. They noted that such a system goes against multi-party democratic systems.

Civitas said that China has trained thousands of officers at middle and top levels from over 100 countries in recent years. The numbers are rising, with a large amount from African Commonwealth countries.

Belt and road initiative

Many countries joining the foreign military training programs are also receiving loans and financial support from Chinas Belt and Road Initiative, or BRI. Both the United States and the European Union have criticized the BRI. They say it is used for economic coercion and that the loans are used to force Chinas political purposes.

China has denied the accusations.

Tobias Ellwood is chairman of the British parliaments defense committee. He told Britains The Times newspaper last week China has trapped many countries into long-term economic programs. He said these countries cannot pay for the programs and China is using that to reshape the international system. He said it is no surprise to learn Chinas increasing influence now includes military training schools.

The Global Times, a newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, has said the military training programs help to change foreign officers false ideas about China.

Political effects

Some Western politicians and researchers are warning there is evidence that the relationships China is creating with foreign military officers may have political effects. This includes changing the political systems of some developing countries.

They used Zimbabwe as an example. It was once a member of the Commonwealth. Zimbabwes former leader, Robert Mugabe, was a student at Chinas International College of Defense Studies. He identified as a Marxist for much of his rule.

Other Commonwealth countries receiving Chinese military training include Cameroon, Rwanda, Guyana, Kenya, and Uganda. China is supporting politico-military schools in Ghana, Tanzania, and Uganda. China is also supporting a school in Namibia and developing training programs for the Sri Lankan military.

Im Gregory Stachel.

Jamie Dettmer reported this story for Voice of America. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

____________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

promote  v. to help (something) happen, develop, or increase

coerce  v. to make (someone) do something by using force or threats

afford  v. to be able to pay for (something)

Marxism  n. the political, economic, and social theories of Karl Marx including the belief that the struggle between social classes is a major force in history and that there should eventually be a society in which there are no classes
Scientists have reported new progress in creating pre-embryo models from stem cells in a laboratory.

Stem cells are simple cells in the body that can develop into one of many specialized cells.

Researchers say the models can provide an effective and ethical way to study human development and to seek new discoveries in reproductive technology.

The latest efforts are described in a study that recently appeared in the publication Nature.

The lab-created pre-embryo structures are called blastoids. They act as a model for blastocysts, collections of cells that form during the early period of human embryonic development. Blastocysts form a few days after an egg has been fertilized, but before it attaches to the uterus to become an embryo.

Scientists have successfully used human cell material to create pre-embryos.

Nicolas Rivron is a researcher at the Austrian Academy of Sciences who helped lead the study. He said the models are a very good research alternative to human embryos. This is partly because donated embryos are hard to get and can be difficult to work with in a lab.

Rivron said it is extremely difficult to use human embryos to make molecule and gene discoveries in a lab. He added that this limits the ability of scientists to better understand development and also make biomedical discoveries.

But Rivron said lab-created versions can be made, changed and studied in large numbers to expand human embryonic research. This opens the possibility for new scientific and biomedical discoveries, he added.

For example, Rivron said studying blastoids could lead to the development of birth control treatments that do not contain hormones.

To create the blastoids, Rivron said his team used two different kinds of stem cells: embryonic stem cells from already established cell lines and stem cells reprogrammed from adult cells. No new embryonic cell lines were made for the research.

Rivron said blastocysts were grown separately to compare them side-by-side with the lab-created structures.

The study showed that the blastoids effectively reproduced important parts of early embryo development. Some were placed in contact with cells from the lining of a uterus that had been given hormones. About half of the blastoids attached to the cells and started to grow in the same way as blastocysts would.

Rivron said the researchers stopped the blastoid growth after 13 days and examined the cells. At that point, he said the collection of cells did not show the level of growth or organization that would be expected after 13 days in an embryo.

Rivron said ethical concerns were also considered. A 14-day rule has long guided researchers growing embryos in the lab. Earlier this year, the International Society for Stem Cell Research urged changes to the rule in limited cases.

Rivron said blastoids are not subject to that rule. But he noted the guidelines state that they should never be placed into an animal or human.

It is very clear that blastoids are not embryos...and if they are not, then why would we apply the 14-days rule to these structures? he said. But Rivron added that his team decided to stop after 13 days "for the sake of transparency and for making sure things are very well understood by the public.

Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz is an expert in stem cell biology at the University of Cambridge in Britain. She was not involved in the study. Zernicka-Goetz noted that it is not the first time scientists have created a human blastoid. But she noted that every single step is significant, in helping researchers improve the process and create better models.

Im Bryan Lynn.

The Associated Press reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

Quiz - Researchers: Progress Made in Creating Pre-embryo Models Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

____________________________________

Words in This Story

ethical  adj. relating to what is right or wrong

alternative  n. one of two or more things that you can choose between

hormone  n. a natural substance that is produced in the human body and determines how the body grows and develops

transparent  adj. honest and open; not secretive

significant  adj. important or noticeable
Vaccine makers are racing to make changes to their COVID-19 shots. They hope to make sure their vaccines are effective against the newest coronavirus threat even before it is clear a change is needed.

Experts doubt that current COVID-19 vaccines will become useless. But they say it is critical to see how fast companies can produce a new vaccine and prove it works. The newest version of the virus, Omicron, appeared just a few weeks ago. But, scientists know it will not be the last.

Omicron is pulling the fire alarm, said E. John Wherry. He is an immunologist at the University of Pennsylvania.

Wherry added, Whether it turns out to be a false alarm, it would be really good to know if we can actually do this -- get a new vaccine rolled out and be ready.

It is too soon to know how vaccines will perform against omicron. Early data have been mixed: Lab tests suggest two Pfizer doses may not prevent an Omicron infection but they could protect against severe illness. And a third booster shot may provide enough protection to do both.

The World Health Organization has appointed an independent scientific group to advise about possible vaccine changes. But officials have not directly said what conditions might necessitate making such changes.

Ugur Sahin is chief of BioNTech, Pfizers vaccine partner. He said shortly before Omicrons discovery that a company could propose to market a newer vaccine, but what happens if another company makes another proposal with another variant? We dont have an agreed strategy.

If vaccines are to change, there is still another question: Should there be a separate Omicron booster or a combination shot? And should a combination shot target the first version of the virus along with Omicron, or the currently dominant Delta variant plus omicron?

Companies are not starting from the beginning

COVID-19 vaccines work by causing production of antibodies that recognize and attack the spike protein that surrounds the new coronavirus. Many of the vaccines are made with new technology that is relatively easy to update, or change. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines can be changed the fastest. Those vaccines include genetic material that directs the body to make harmless copies of the spike protein. That messenger RNA can be changed based on new versions of the virus.

Pfizer expects to have an Omicron-specific vaccine candidate ready for the Food and Drug Administration to consider in March.

Moderna is predicting 60 to 90 days to have an omicron-specific candidate ready for testing. Other manufacturers that make COVID-19 vaccines, including Johnson & Johnson, also are working on possible updates.

Pfizer and Moderna already have successfully created experimental doses to match Delta and another variant named Beta. Those shots have not been needed. But the experiments offered valuable information.

Unclear if changes are needed

So far, the original vaccines have offered major protection against earlier variants. Pfizers early lab testing, released Wednesday, suggests that might be the case with omicron, too.

Antibodies are not the only line of defense. Vaccines also cause the growth of T cells that can prevent serious sickness from infection. Pfizers first tests showed, as expected, T cells do not seem to be affected by Omicron.

Also, memory cells that can create new and somewhat different antibodies form with each dose.

How to tell if updates work

The U.S. FDA has said companies would not need massive studies of updated vaccines. Instead, they would only need small studies to measure if people given the updated shot have immune reactions comparable to the original, highly effective shots.

Wherry does not expect data from volunteers testing experimental Omicron-targeted shots until at least February.

What about combination shots?

Flu vaccines protect against three or four different kinds of influenza in one shot. If a vaccine update is needed for Omicron, officials will have to decide whether to make a separate Omicron booster, add it to the original vaccine, or follow the flu model and try a combination.

There is some evidence that a COVID-19 combination shot could work. In a small Moderna study, a so-called bivalent booster containing the original vaccine and a Beta-specific dose caused a bigger antibody jump than either an original Moderna booster or its experimental Beta-specific shot.

And scientists already are working on next-generation vaccines that target parts of the virus less likely to change.

Im Ashley Thompson.

And I'm Bryan Lynn.

The Associated Press reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.

_______________________________________________________

Words in This Story

doubt - v. to be uncertain about (something) : to believe that (something) may not be true or is unlikely

alarm - n. a warning of danger

immunologist - n. a doctor who treats health issues brought on by the immune system problems (immune system: the system that protects your body from diseases and infections)

booster (shot)- n. an extra amount of a substance (called a vaccine) that is injected with a needle into a person or animal to help protect against a particular disease

original - adj. happening or existing first or at the beginning
The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for the Sweet Home area that runs to noon on Monday. And then Jack Frost could make things even more interesting with snow and ice for the Cascade foothills.

The agency also has a winter weather advisory for the Cascade Mountains until midnight on Tuesday, and anywhere from 8 to 14 inches of snow could dump on the Tombstone Pass and other areas on Sunday night and Monday.

According to the National Weather Services predictions for the Cascade foothills, including Sweet Home, the snow level will generally hold at 1,500 to 2,000 feet on Sunday night, with new snow accumulation of 3 to 8 inches. Heavy showers could drop snow levels a bit more at times, with snow possible down to 1,000 feet and up to 2 inches of snow in spots.

Travel could be very difficult due to the weather in the northern Oregon and southern Washington Cascade foothills, the National Weather Service advisory states.

The advisories were issued at about 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The National Weather Service has predicted a wintry mix of rain and snow on Monday and Tuesday for the Sweet Home area. Monday nights forecasted low temperature is 31 degrees and the snow level is predicted to hit 1,300 feet. New snow accumulation of less than a half-inch is expected on Tuesday. On Tuesday night, the temperature also is expected to reach 31 degrees and the snow level will drop to 900 feet.

Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Albany Democrat-Herald.

For the Albany and Corvallis areas, Monday night and into Tuesday brings a chance of snow and a low temperature of 32 degrees, according to the National Weather Service forecast. Little to no snow accumulation is anticipated.

Tuesday brings a chance of snow showers to Alsea and other communities in the central Coast Range, though no snow accumulation is expected. Low temperatures of 33 degrees are expected for both Monday and Tuesday night in the Coast Range, however, according to the agency forecast.

Kyle Odegard can be contacted at 541-812-6077 or kyle.odegard@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter via @KyleOdegard.

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Also at Mondays meeting:

 Centrals Eagle Viewing facilities will be open to the public once again this year after being closed last year due to the pandemic. The facility at Johnson No. 2 Hydroplant and the Kingsley Dam facility will both open on Dec. 26 and be open every weekend through the end of February. Hours are 8 a.m., to 1 p.m., at the J-2 site and 8 a.m., to 2 p.m., at Kingsley.

 The board approved the operating budget for the 2022 fiscal year, which goes into effect on Jan. 1. The budget anticipates total revenue of $18.6 million, including $10.4 million from the sale of hydroelectric power, $4.25 million from irrigation delivery service and $3.73 from other sources.

 The board gave approval of a work order for $950,000 for the Mako Chi Mni geotube project. Due to material delivery being delayed, the project is now expected to take place starting in April 2022. In addition to the original project, a second 450-foot two-tier design has been added to the shoreline protection project at Lake McConaughy.

 Hydraulic Project Operations manager Cory Steinke reported that Lake McConaughys elevation as of Monday was 3,238.6 feet above sea level (60.8 percent of capacity). Inflows are averaging around 960 cubic feet per second with releases of about 600 cfs.
Rambo's and the unit's use of the databases was more extensive than previously known. The inspector general referred possible criminal charges for misusing government databases and lying to investigators, but the Justice Department declined to prosecute Rambo and two other Homeland Security employees.

Rambo complained to Yahoo News that Customs and Border Protection has not stood by him and that he has been unfairly portrayed in news reports.

What none of these articles identify me as, is a law enforcement officer who was cleared of wrongdoing, who actually had a true purpose to be doing what I was doing, he said, and CBP refuses to acknowledge that, refuses to admit that, refuses to make that wrong right.

Rambo had previously been identified as the agent who accessed the travel records of reporter Ali Watkins, then working for Politico, and questioned her about confidential sources. Watkins now writes for The New York Times.

Rambo was assigned to the border agency unit, part of the National Targeting Center in Sterling, Virginia, in 2017. He told investigators he initially approached Watkins as part of a broader effort to get reporters to write about forced labor around the world as a national security issue.
How to watch and vote

To vote for Schmidt: The Americas Choice competition will award a $5,000 scholarship to the winner. Go to spotfund.com/teams/americaschoice2022 and click on Schmidt's profile. Each dollar donated equals one vote, and the candidate with the most donations will win the Americas Choice scholarship.

To view the competition from home: Two nights of live preliminary competitions will be available for streaming at WatchMissAmerica.com at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 12, and Monday, Dec. 13. Schmidt will be recognized on-stage during the preliminary competition, and 50% of donations will go to the Miss Wisconsin Organization for Scholarship Awards.

The Forever Miss Americas pre-show is scheduled for Dec. 16 at 6 p.m. and is to be followed by the final 100th Anniversary Miss America Competition" show at 7 p.m. on NBCUniversals streaming service, PeacockTV.com.
As we approach year three of the pandemic, its safe to say weve learned to be more cautious and flexible with our plans. And with the omicro
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Middleton author Kathleen Ernst has written more than 40 books, but Nov. 30 marked the publication of a new character  Hanneke Bauer  someone she has been envisioning for nearly 40 years. Lies of Omission features Hanneke, a Pomeranian immigrant to Watertown in the mid-1800s. Upon arrival, she confronts unimaginable challenges.

Q: Youve written 11 books featuring Wisconsin sleuth Chloe Ellefson. What made you want to start a new series?

A: Im not abandoning Chloe. That series will continue as well. After writing the very first Chloe Ellefson mystery some years ago, and giving it to my agent, I started the Hanneke Bauer project. The Chloe manuscript sold and Hanneke got put on hold. I finally had time to dust the manuscript off a year or so ago, and had great fun finally finishing the story. Its a lot to juggle, but I do plan to keep both series going.

Q: So Hanneke Bauer will be a series as well?

A: Yes. The publisher offered a three-book contract. Im currently working on the second Hanneke Bauer mystery and the 12th Chloe Ellefson mystery.

Q: What was your inspiration for Hanneke?
BOISE  Leontine Kelly raised her children a few streets away from Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia, once the capital city of the Confederacy. Lining Monument Avenue were enormous memorials to Confederate leaders like Jefferson Davis and Stonewall Jackson.

Kelly had no idea, passing by the statue of Robert E. Lee riding a horse, that someday an image of him would be taken down and replaced with one of her.

All the Monument Avenue confederate monuments were removed over the last two years. The statue of Lee, former commander of the Confederate Army, was the last one standing. It was removed on Sept. 8.

On the other side of the country, residents of Boise recently reckoned with their own object honoring Lee. The Cathedral of the Rockies First United Methodist Church had a stained glass featuring the general standing with presidents Abraham Lincoln and George Washington that was put up in 1960. It was taken down in August 2020.

We voted to remove it, not knowing whom we would put in the window, but we would figure out something to represent, Duane Anders, senior pastor, told the Idaho Statesman. ... So for a year and a half the windows have been clear. In a sense, we let some light in.

On Tuesday, that window was finally replaced with a new person: Kelly, the first Black woman  and second woman ever  to be selected as a Methodist bishop. The ceremony in which she was chosen was held in the Cathedral of the Rockies in 1984.

Anders said the hunt for the next figure to be honored started with about 50 names submitted by the congregation.

As we started working through the names, one just kept rising to the top, because of our connection to the person and their connection to Boise, Anders said. And thats Bishop Leontine Kelly.

The window was made for $25,591 by the Minnesota stained glass studio Willet Hauser Architectural Glass and was bought through the churchs endowment fund.

Kelly died in 2012. Her daughter, Angella Current Felder, didnt want to presume what her mother would have said about the new window. But she had no such reservations about sharing her own thoughts.

The Lord finally got it right, she said with a laugh in a phone interview with the Idaho Statesman. He straightened it out.

The day Kelly was elected in Boise was a historic one. Current Felder flew down at the last minute for the ceremony. She recalls the Cathedral of the Rockies filled to the brim and buzzing with excitement. Current Felder wore a lei of orchids and a purple Nigerian dress meant to be symbolic of the presence of the ancestors. She later included this moment in her book about her mother Breaking Barriers: An African-American Family and the Methodist Story.

Some people were saying it cant happen, its not going to happen, Current Felder recalled. So the fact that it happened, for those of us who recognize and believe in the Holy Spirit, it was divinely guided.

Kelly wasnt the only history-maker that day. The first Japanese-American bishop, Roy Sano, and the first Hispanic bishop, Elias G. Galvan, were elected as well. Both bishops names are included in the window, along with a small image of Martin Luther King Jr.

Kelly served the San Francisco Episcopal Area until her retirement in 1992. According to the National Womens Hall of Fame, as the bishop of the California-Nevada Annual Conference and president of the Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops, Kelly was the chief administrative officer and spiritual leader of more than 100,000 United Methodists in California and Nevada.

Born March 5, 1920, Kelly was at other times a teacher, professor and social activist. She first became a church leader when her husband, Methodist minister James David Kelly, died in 1969. Kelly was one of the only college-educated people in the Edwardsville, Virginia, community, according to her son John Current, and the congregation asked her to step into the role in his place.

What she inherited there was a wooden church that had been built 100 years earlier, probably right around the time of the emancipation of the slaves, and a hole that had been dug for a new foundation for a new church, Current said. She, confronted with Where do I go from here? responded, God.

As she rose through the ranks of church leadership, Kelly was firm in her belief that she belonged there.

We must recognize the kind of culture in which Jesus and his disciples lived, she told USA Today in 1989. It was a very male-dominated culture. However, Jesus did violate the customs of the culture in that he talked with women, shared with women. Women were part of the entourage of Jesus Christ. God calls whomever God would call.

Her children hope to travel to see the window someday. Current followed in his mothers footsteps and serves as senior pastor at the Hope United Methodist Church in San Francisco.

Her life is a culmination of many generations in the Methodist Church, Current said. She was a daughter of a Methodist pastor, sister of a Methodist pastor, she married a Methodist pastor and shes the mother of Methodist pastors. Thats a unique legacy, and were honored to see her memory in stained glass.

The Lee window will be preserved in the Idaho Black History Museum and used as an educational tool. Museum Director Phillip Thompson hopes it will get people asking questions, such as why the window was first erected, and why it stayed up for so long. The move, said Thompson, is an example of a community resolving an issue without having to destroy.

The Idaho Statesman reported last year that a committee investigating the origins of the window discovered that then-pastor Herbert E. Richards likely had helped choose the image of Lee with Lincoln to promote a spirit of reconciliation between white Northerners and Southerners living in Idaho.

Thompson pointed out that the museum is housed in a former church. In some ways, the item has come full circle: it will still be symbol of the past and reconciliation, but the things being remembered and reconciled are different.

Kelly window The image of her in the window was taken from a striking photograph that shows Kelly standing calm at a protest against nuclear armaments whil

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BOISE  Federal workplace safety officials have fined a central Idaho logging company after an investigation into the death of a worker in July.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Tom Mahon Logging Inc. for a serious violation following the July 20 death of Trevor Menter, 30, of Council while he was harvesting timber in the Boise National Forest. The finding after a months-long review prompted by the fatal incident includes a $5,461 financial penalty.

The maximum possible fine for such a violation is more than two times that amount, or $13,653. That total is typically reserved for situations in which an employer is responsible for a willful violation, meaning they were indifferent or intentionally disregarding, or sometimes have a lengthy history of violations, said David Kearns, director of OSHAs Boise Area Office.

Before the July incident, Tom Mahon Logging had not been the subject of either an OSHA workplace investigation or enforcement action for at least the past two decades, the federal agency previously told the Idaho Statesman.

This employer, like most employers, is made up of good people who are almost always well intentioned, but our position is that the employer did not take sufficient steps to make sure workers were a safe distance away before trees were moved, Kearns told the Statesman in an interview. Logging is well recognized as one of most dangerous industries out there, which is why it is so critically important that they really follow and ensure folks are following safe work practices.

Menter remembered as a hardworking, honest man

Menter was part of a logging crew working over the summer on the West Scriver Creek Stewardship timber sale project within the Emmett Ranger District. He died at the site from blunt-force trauma when a log being pulled up a hill with a chain device, known as a choker, hit a stump and spun around, striking Menter in the chest, according to the Boise County Coroners Office.

Mark Mahon, co-owner with his brother Joe Mahon of the Council-based logging company, said Menter was a well-trained veteran of the industry. The incident occurred during a particularly hot stretch of the summer and exhaustion toward the end of a shift may have been a factor, he said.

We all know the risks when we get up in the morning and put our boots on. He was just trying to provide for his family, Mark Mahon told the Statesman by phone. Its unfortunate. So what needs to be remembered is that he was a veteran of the armed services. He was a father, just a good, hardworking, honest man. He was a logger.

He said the company wont contest the fine or the incidents designation as a serious violation  the most common infraction in fatal accidents, according to OSHA  in an effort just to move forward.

Safety has been driven into our company from Day One, Mahon said. We have regular safety meetings, and these men were trained.

The company does not plan to complete more work next year on the West Scriver Creek Stewardship timber project, he said.

Tom Mahon Logging provides safety improvement plan

OSHA required Tom Mahon Logging to respond with its safety improvement plan by this week, which has already happened, Kearns said. The fine must be paid by early January, he said.

Logging is consistently ranked among the most dangerous lines of work in the U.S. by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The industry accounted for the nations second-highest rate of fatal injuries to workers, at about 69 deaths per 100,000 employees, according to a 2019 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics study, which is the most recent available.

Of Idahos 36 work-related deaths that year, 10 fell into the category of the agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting industries.

OSHA conducts random, unannounced annual safety and health inspections of worksites as part of its proactive programs to prevent accidents. Follow-up inspections within a year are also often prioritized for companies that experience a fatality, Kearns said.

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Until the mid-1990s, the disposal of the Magic Valleys trash was a bit of a free-for-all. Each county had numerous garbage dumps where residents took their household waste, broken furniture and appliances, leaves and grass clippings, and old tires.

Even barrels of toxic chemicals found their way to some of these makeshift landfills.

In many of these dumps, folks were free to scrounge around in piles of trash to take home treasures others had cast off over the years.

In addition to sanctioned sites  such as the old dump at Blue Lakes Boulevard and Rock Creek  the Snake River Canyon and desert areas in the Magic Valley have been used illegally as dumpsites for decades.

But things have changed.

The Southern Idaho Solid Waste District now takes care of all the trash in the seven counties of Jerome, Twin Falls, Cassia, Minidoka, Blaine, Gooding and Lincoln.

In 1988, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed changing its rules regulating the disposal of solid waste. Known as the Resource Conservation and Recovery Acts Subtitle D, these rules require landfills to meet stringent design, operation and closure requirements.

The new regulations pushed counties to get serious about trash. Construction of todays mammoth Milner Butte Landfill was completed April 6, 1994, four days ahead of the federally mandated deadline.

But the prior decision-making process was fraught with contention.

In southern Idaho, a planning group was formed in 1989 to explore ways to meet the EPA rules and do away with the many local dumpsites.

In 1991, the Idaho Legislature authorized the formation of regional waste districts to comply with the federal mandate and, in 1992, the Southern Idaho Regional Solid Waste District was created.

The planning group first chose the Hansen Butte, just three miles west of Murtaugh, for the site of the proposed new regional landfill. The group, in June 1992, brought a conditional-use permit application before the Twin Falls County Planning and Zoning Commission, which approved the permit.

But locals stringently objected and petitioned against the permit.

Twin Falls County commissioners overturned the waste districts conditional-use permit in July 1992.

This has been a divisive, difficult issue from the beginning, said Terry Schultz, an employee of the South Central Public Health District who organized the solid waste district and eventually became its executive director.

Twin Falls County then pulled out of the district and built its own landfill at Hub Butte south of Twin Falls  a decision spurred largely by frustrations over not having control of the district proportional to how much it paid into it, the Times-News wrote at the time.

But the county hired the regional organization to manage its Hub Butte landfill in 1995 and made a full return to the district in 2000.

Schultz shepherded a truly tortuous process of selecting a site for a regional landfill and getting seven of the eight south-central Idaho counties to eventually sign on, the Times-News wrote in a June 2010 editorial upon Schultzs retirement.

Josh Bartlome, who started at the Milner Butte Landfill in 2006 as an environmental specialist and in 2011 took over as director, says he is proud of what the waste district has accomplished.

The district today features a state-of-the-art landfill and 14 waste transfer stations where folks can take their trash if they dont have garbage pickup at home. The district also boasts a transportation system with 15 trucks, a 2.6-megawatt gas-to-energy facility, a massive waste diversion system to save space in the landfill, a public information and education network, a special waste management system for problem waste, and 78 employees, Bartlome said Friday.

Weve met or exceeded all projections, he said. And we have the lowest tipping fees in the nation. Thats something really important to us.

The landfill takes in 300,000 tons of trash per year, Bartlome said.

Nearly half the waste processed by the landfill comes from Twin Falls County, he said, meaning the county pays the largest portion of the costs.

The gas-to-energy program helps defray overall costs to the district. The program created $710,500 in revenue in 2021, according to the districts environmental manager, Nate Francisco.

The process converts landfill gases  methane, carbon dioxide and nitrogen  into electricity. A third generator will soon produce another 1.3 megawatts.

Organic material in the landfill begins producing methane within six weeks, Bartlome said. Production peaks in the first six to 18 months but continues for 40 to 60 years.

Instead of burning the gas, the district jumped at the chance to tap into the landfills potential.

We have an opportunity to capitalize on a resource that will be there a long, long time, then Cassia County commissioner and solid waste district board Chair Paul Christensen told the Times-News in 2018.

As the areas population continues its massive growth, the district prepares to grow with it.

We are already preparing to expand to the west, Bartlome said. The district has purchased land next to the landfill and has begun the permit process.

The landfill has used up 90 acres of its total 245-acre footprint. Twenty-eight acres are under final closure, he said.

A promising pilot program is being implemented at the Ohio Gulch Transfer Station in Hailey to pull usable materials for resale, which would save space in the Milner Butte Landfill.

Building Materials Thrift Store in Bellevue is working to take gently used items brought into Ohio Gulch.

Bartlome says if the pilot program is successful, hed like to see similar initiatives at the other transfer stations.

Anytime we can divert waste, we save space and save money hand over fist, he said.

Many dont realize the full role of the district, Bartlome said, not even the seven county commissioners who serve on its board of directors.

We manage all of the waste, from start to finish, he said. The only time anyone else touches the waste is when its hauled by any of the multiple independent haulers, like Western Waste Services and PSI Environmental.

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BOISE  An inmate from Twin Falls at the Idaho State Correctional Institution was believed to have been beaten to death early Saturday by another inmate, according to the Idaho Department of Correction and the Ada County Sheriffs Office.

A suspect has been arrested.

At 2:25 a.m. Saturday, security workers at the prison south of Boise responded to an altercation in a housing unit, according to a news release. Gerald B. Cummings Jr., 57, was found unresponsive with injuries that appeared consistent with a beating, the release said.

Security workers began lifesaving efforts, and Ada County paramedics responded. A physician declared Cummings dead at 3:38 a.m., the release said.

The Ada County Sheriffs Office will lead an investigation into the suspicious death at the medium-security mens prison, the release added.

The other inmate was arrested on suspicion of having inflicted the beating, according to Patrick Orr, a spokesperson for the sheriffs office.

Cummings was serving out three sentences for possession of a controlled substance convictions in Twin Falls County District Court, according to court records.

He would have completed his final sentence in July 2025, according to Department of Correction records.

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SALEM, Ore.  An eastern Oregon legislator is being called on his declaration that he would advance the idea of moving portions of Oregon to Idaho  if county commissioners asked.

Such legislation would be a big step forward for a quixotic political effort to reject governance by Oregon officials and seek the embrace of a more Republican, more conservative Idaho government.

And it would bring the dissatisfaction coursing through many areas of rural Oregon to the capital.

State Sen. Lynn Findley, R-Vale, is considering doing so even though hes not enthusiastic about the idea.

In October, he told a gathering in John Day that if county commissioners would bring him a letter requesting legislation, he would act.

Sandie Gilson, manager of a title company and the Grant County leader of the Move Oregons Border movement, was at that meeting. She asked him if hed introduce legislation to help the cause.

He responded that he would like a letter from the county commissioners requesting the bill to be brought to the Senate, Gilson said in an email recounting the meeting.

On Wednesday, the Grant County Court  the equivalent of a county commission  produced just that, signing a letter to Findley and state Rep. Mark Owens, R-Crane.

County Judge Scott Myers said he signed the letter reluctantly.

We did the letter because Sen. Findley asked us to, said Myers.

Myers finds the whole matter a distraction and waste of energy.

The letter noted that in May, 62% of the Grant County voters casting ballots supported a measure requiring local government discussions about the border move.

We ask that you move this item forward to the Oregon Legislature in the near future, said the letter, signed by Myers and Commissioners Sam Palmer and Jim Hamsher. We, as the governing body of Grant County, do not intend to show favor or opposition, but only to represent the will of the people.

Findley, a former city manager and BLM fire manager, said I dont have an opinion on whether any portion of Oregon should be surrendered to Idaho.

He said any legislation he introduced would be because he often introduces legislation at the request of constituents.

Findley said he has asked legislative lawyers to outline for him what would be the next legal steps toward a transfer.

This is a big lift, said Findley, who added he doesnt think the idea is practical.

Mike McCarter, the LaPine man who is the driving force behind Move Oregons Border, said Wednesday that he appreciated Grant Countys actions.

He said legislators are the decision makers regarding any boundary shift. He said at this point he wants legislators to form a committee or work group to sit down and starting to look at what this would look like, to release rural counties to Idaho.

He said hes not after a legislative vote now on the move itself.

Shifting boundaries would take approval by the Oregon and Idaho legislatures and Congress.

Palmer, one of the Grant County commissioners, said he doesnt think local voters really were backing a move to Idaho.

They wanted to send a message to the governor and thats why they voted the way they did, Palmer said.

Myers thinks more Grant County residents oppose the idea than support it. He said of letters flowing to the county commissioners, most object to living in Idaho.

One or two think it is a great idea, Myers said.

Besides Grant County, voters in Baker, Union, Malheur, Lake, Harney, Jefferson and Sherman counties have backed measures requiring county officials to discuss the idea. This week, the movement turned in what it said were enough signatures to force similar votes in Douglas and Klamath counties next year.

The idea of carving off a chunk of Oregon and handing it to Idaho leaves public officials wondering how that would work.

Palmer wants to know, for instance, what would happen to cases pending in Oregon state courts or to those licensed in professions and trades in Oregon who would go under Idahos jurisdiction.

McCarter himself has questions. Hes curious, for instance, what would happen to state pensions for Oregons retired public employees.

Findley said he talks often on the floor of the Senate about the frustration level of eastern Oregon  Eastside residents, rural Oregon residents, do not feel they get a fair shake.

Findley said no other county commission has asked him to back such legislation. He said if he did advance it, hed offer other legislators the chance to join him as co-sponsors.

He said he wont do so in the session scheduled for February, when legislators are limited to introducing two bills. Findley said he already has his two in.

As for legislation regarding border-moving issues?

Thats a long way away, Findley said.

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BOISE  Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden and the group Idahoans for Openness in Government invite elected officials, government staff, reporters and members of the public to attend an online seminar focused on public records and open meetings.

The virtual event will be streamed 2-4 p.m. Jan. 5 on YouTube. The seminar will also be archived on YouTube for those who cannot attend the training live, according to a press release from the AGs office.

Wasden, Chief Deputy Attorney General Brian Kane and IDOG President Betsy Russell will serve as panelists. The seminar is a continuation of the 50 open government trainings Wasden has hosted with IDOG since 2004, according to the release.

The COVID-19 pandemic sidelined our in-person trainings the last two years, so were overdue to talk to Idahoans about government transparency, Wasden said. I often hear from constituents who have questions about Idahos open meetings and public records laws, and I know there are a lot of new public officials and reporters who are navigating these waters for the first time. The virtual seminar is a good way to address this demand statewide.

The event is free and open to anyone interested in learning more about Idahos open meetings and public records laws. Those interested in attending can register online. Questions can be emailed during the event to questions@ag.idaho.gov.

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Children with hard-to-control asthma may get relief from adding an injectable antibody drug to their standard treatment, a clinical trial has found.

The drug, called dupilumab (Dupixent), has been available for several years to treat stubborn asthma in adults and teenagers. Based on the new findings, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently gave it the green light for children aged 6 to 11.

The drug, which is injected every two weeks, was shown to cut severe asthma attacks and improve kids' lung function over one year.

It's not a replacement for standard inhaler medications, researchers said, and it's only for certain kids.

"This is intended for patients for whom standard therapy is not meeting their needs," said lead researcher Dr. Leonard Bacharier, professor and chairman of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn.

Childhood asthma often responds well to standard "controller" medications, Bacharier said. But, he added, a "substantial portion" of kids continue to have asthma attacks, miss school and even land in the hospital due to severe symptoms.

Dupilumab is one of several effectiveand highly expensivemonoclonal antibodies approved in recent years for managing such cases of severe asthma. The drugs are lab-engineered antibodies that target particular immune-system substances involved in generating asthma symptoms.

People with asthma all have similar symptomsincluding shortness of breath, cough and chest tightness. But the disease actually has numerous forms, based on the underlying biology, said Dr. Michael Wechsler, an asthma specialist who was not involved in the trial.

On a broad level, Wechsler said, asthma is divided into two groups: type 2 and non-type 2. Type 2 is marked by a systemic allergic response that triggers inflammation. An estimated two-thirds of people with asthma have type 2 inflammation, according to Wechsler, who directs the Cohen Family Asthma Institute at National Jewish Health in Denver.

The kids in the current trial had type 2 inflammation, which was assessed by measuring certain markers in their blood.

"Dupilumab is very effective in the subgroup of asthma patients with type 2 inflammation," Wechsler said.

The studypublished Dec. 9 in the New England Journal of Medicine  was funded by Dupixent's makers, Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.

It included 408 children aged 6 to 11 whose asthma was uncontrolled despite standard inhaler medication for preventing symptom attacks.

The children were randomly assigned to add either dupilumab or a placebo to their usual treatment. The medication injections were given every two weeksat first by a health care provider, and then at home if families were comfortable with it, Bacharier said.

Over one year, children on the drug showed a roughly 60% reduction in severe asthma attacks, compared to the placebo group. About 78% had no severe asthma attacks, compared with 59% of kids given the placebo.

The drug also improved kids' overall lung function, and cut their need for oral steroids, which can impair growth and bone development.

Wechsler said that children with severe asthma are at risk of abnormal lung development, which later in life can raise their odds of lung diseases like emphysema. So improving asthma control in kids this age is especially critical, he said.

A big obstacle in the real world, though, is cost. Monoclonal antibody drugs carry a hefty price tag, and dupilumab's can be as high as $45,000 a year.

Bacharier said insurers generally make coverage decisions on a case-by-case basis. So families would need to have their child thoroughly evaluated by a specialist to see whether dupilumab, or a different monoclonal antibody, is appropriate.

A limitation of the current study, Wechsler said, is that most patients were whitea characteristic of many clinical trials in medicine. Yet in the United States, Black children have a particularly high rate of asthma, including severe asthma. And in his own research, Wechsler has found that Black children can respond differently to standard asthma medications, compared with white kids.

He said it's likely that the current findings extend to Black children, toobut ideally, trials with more children of color should be done.

Bacharier agreed. "We really do need studies of these underrepresented populations to understand the clinical efficacy of these treatments," he said.

Explore further International study supports dupilumab for treatment of moderate-to-severe asthma in children

Copyright  2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Three clinical studies led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center demonstrated enhanced responses for patients with high-risk lymphoma treated with axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy. These results were reported at the 2021 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting.

Axi-cel is an autologous anti-CD19 CAR T cell therapy manufactured from the patient's own T cells, which have been extracted and then reprogrammed with CAR molecules to help the T cells recognize cancer cells. The reengineered T cells are infused back into the patient to attack the cancer. Based on the pivotal ZUMA 1 study, axi-cel was approved by the FDA in 2017 for the treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory (R/R) large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) who already have received two or more lines of systemic therapies.

Durable responses after two years for patients with indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma (Abstract 93)

Follow-up data from the Phase II ZUMA-5 trial showed a long-term survival benefit with axi-cel in patients with R/R indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma (iNHL) who have failed two or more prior lines of therapy. Principal investigator Sattva Neelapu, M.D., professor of Lymphoma and Myeloma, presented results from the ongoing trial.

"Indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a slow-developing chronic disease in which patients frequently relapse, which leads to the need for new treatment strategies," Neelapu said. "It is encouraging to see that axi-cel provided a continued benefit over two years and may provide a lasting treatment for these patients."

The current analysis includes 110 patients treated on the trial, including 86 with follicular lymphoma (FL) and 24 with marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) after a median follow-up of 30.9 months for FL and 23.8 months for MZL. The treatment was well tolerated, as reported in previous studies with this therapy.

In the patients with FL, 94% had an objective response, including 79% with a complete response (CR). The estimated duration of response (DOR) and progression-free survival (PFS) medians were 38.6 months and 39.6 months in patients with FL, respectively. Median overall survival (OS) was not reached, but the study reported an estimated 81% OS rate at 24 months. At data cutoff, 57% of eligible patients with FL had ongoing responses.

Among patients with MZL, 83% had an objective response, with 63% achieving a complete response. Median DOR and OS were not reached, but patients had an estimated 70% OS rate at 24 months. Median PFS was 17.3 months. At data cutoff, 50% of eligible patients with MZL had ongoing responses.

In March 2021, data from the ZUMA-5 study led to the first FDA approval of CAR T therapy for follicular lymphoma after two or more lines of treatment.

The abstract can be found here.

Axi-cel demonstrates potential as first-line therapy for patients with high-risk large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL)(Abstract 739)

The Phase II ZUMA-12 trial expands on the ZUMA-1 findings by evaluating the use of axi-cel as first-line therapy for patients with high-risk LBCL. In this study, axi-cel demonstrated a high rate of rapid and complete responses in a population with high, unmet need. Neelapu also presented the results from this study.

"ZUMA-12 is the first study of front-line CAR T cell therapy for high-risk LBCL, and we look forward to confirming the results in a randomized trial," Neelapu said. "Although additional studies are needed, this study shows axi-cel to be effective and suggests patients may receive durable benefit from receiving the treatment before being exposed to other therapies."

High-risk LBCL is a subgroup of the disease in which patients have double- or triple-hit lymphoma or additional clinical risk factors identified by the International Prognostic Index (IPI) or interim positron emission tomography (PET) scan. Historically, around half of these patients do not achieve long-term disease remission with typical treatment approaches like chemoimmunotherapy.

Forty patients with high-risk LBCL were enrolled and treated with axi-cel. Ninety-five percent had stage III/IV disease, 25% had double or triple-hit status per central assessment, and 78% had an IPI score 3. The treatment was well tolerated with no new safety signals.

The analysis showed that 89% of patients treated with axi-cel experienced an objective response, and 78% had complete response. At data cutoff, 73% of patients had an ongoing response after median follow-up of 15.9 months. Medians for DOR, event-free survival (EFS), and PFS were not reached; 12-month estimates were 81%, 73% and 75%, respectively. The estimated OS at 12 months was 91%.

The investigators plan to conduct continued follow-up to confirm durability of the patients' responses to the treatment. Additional clinical trials are needed to definitively demonstrate that CAR T cell therapy is superior to existing standard of care with chemoimmunotherapy in these high-risk patients.

The abstract can be found here.

Second-line axi-cel demonstrates improvement in event-free survival for patients with large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL)(Abstract 2)

In the Phase III ZUMA-7 trial, axi-cel showed a clinically significant advantage in EFS relative to standard of care (SOC) high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplant. The trial results published today in the New England Journal of Medicine and Frederick Locke, M.D., of Moffitt Cancer Center, will present the results at ASH. Jason Westin, M.D., associate professor of Lymphoma and Myeloma, is senior author of the research.

"For nearly 30 years, the standard treatment for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who are refractory to or relapse after initial therapy has been very high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplant. This trial aimed to determine if a new therapy, a CAR T cell therapy called axi-cel, could improve outcomes and become a new standard of care," Westin said.

The trial was the first randomized Phase III trial of CAR T cell therapy and enrolled 359 patients with R/R LBLC to receive second-line therapy with either axi-cel (170) or SOC (179).

At 24.9 months median follow-up, median EFS was significantly longer with axi-cel versus SOC. Median EFS was 8.3 months for axi-cel compared to 2 months for SOC treatment. The overall response rate for axi-cel was 83% compared to 50% in SOC, with a corresponding CR rate of 65% and 32%.

The safety of axi-cel was manageable and consistent with third-line therapy. Treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 155 patients receiving axi-cel and in 140 patients in the SOC cohort. In those treated with axi-cel, grade 3 cytokine release syndrome occurred in 11 patients and grade 3 neurologic events occurred in 36 patients.

Westin concludes: "This is a paradigm-shifting trialwe are moving from the high-dose chemotherapy era into the targeted therapy era. Our patients will benefit from this change. Axi-cel should be considered as a new standard of care."

The abstract can be found here.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Viagra might help treat Alzheimer's disease, according to researchers who have been using the impotence drug to study the effects it has on the brain.

Though more studies are needed, researchers in Cleveland found that men who were taking the blue pill, also known as sildenafil, had a lower risk of Alzheimer's, following analysis of a database of over 7.2 million patients spanning six years, BBC News reported Monday.

The team also found in lab studies that those who took higher than usual doses of the pillbest known for erectile dysfunctiondisplayed an increase in brain cell growth and reduced protein accumulation, according to the outlet.

"Because our findings only establish an association between sildenafil use and reduced incidence of Alzheimer's disease, we are now planning a mechanistic trial and a phase II randomized clinical trial to test causality and confirm sildenafil's clinical benefits for Alzheimer's patients," research leader Dr. Feixiong Cheng reportedly told the Nature Aging journal.

Until that research is completed, University of Edinburgh Professor Tara Spires-Jones, an expert on brain research, advises people "not rush out to start taking sildenafil as a prevention for Alzheimer's disease."

Dr. Jack Auty, a Medical Sciences lecturer at the University of Tasmania, similarly said this is hardly the first indication of a drug that could help with Alzheimer's, though that has yet to pan out, according to the BBC.

To repurpose an already existing drug would be both a cheaper and overall more efficient path than developing an entirely new treatment for the disease.

Originally meant to treat the heart, Viagra's ability to relax blood vessels and subsequently improve blood flow in other parts of the body led to its use for ED as well as pulmonary hypertensionfor men and women alikewhich affects the lungs, according to the outlet.

Though the exact causes of Alzheimer's, a type of dementia, are still being probed, it's known that those who have it have abnormal protein deposits in their brains, BBC reports.

Explore further Study identifies sildenafil as candidate drug for Alzheimer's disease

More information: Jiansong Fang et al, Endophenotype-based in silico network medicine discovery combined with insurance record data mining identifies sildenafil as a candidate drug for Alzheimer's disease, Nature Aging (2021). Journal information: Nature Aging Jiansong Fang et al, Endophenotype-based in silico network medicine discovery combined with insurance record data mining identifies sildenafil as a candidate drug for Alzheimer's disease,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s43587-021-00138-z

2021 New York Daily News.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
People wear face coverings as they walk through Westminster, in London, Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced tighter restrictions to stem the spread of the omicron variant. He is again urging people to work from home and mandating COVID-19 passes to get into nightclubs and large events. Credit: AP Photo/Frank Augstein

The British government raised the country's official coronavirus threat level on Sunday, warning the rapid spread of the omicron variant had pushed the U.K. into risky territory.

The chief medical officers of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland said the emergence of the highly transmissible new strain "adds additional and rapidly increasing risk to the public and health care services" at a time when COVID-19 is already widespread. They recommended raising the alert level from 3 to 4 on a 5-point scale. The top level, 5, indicates authorities think the health care system is about to be overwhelmed.

The doctors said early evidence shows omicron is spreading much faster than the currently dominant delta variant, and that vaccines offer less protection against it. British officials say omicron is likely to replace delta as the dominant strain in the U.K. within days.

"Data on severity will become clearer over the coming weeks but hospitalizations from omicron are already occurring and these are likely to increase rapidly," they said.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson was due to make a televised statement about Britain's coronavirus situation and the booster vaccination campaign on Sunday evening.

Concerns about the new variant led Johnson's Conservative government to reintroduce restrictions that were lifted almost six months ago. Masks must be worn in most indoor settings, vaccine certificates must be shown to enter nightclubs and people are being urged to work from home if possible.

Many scientists say that's unlikely to be enough, however, and are calling for tougher measures.

Johnson's government is trying to avoid that, but aims to offer everyone 18 and over a booster shot by the end of January.

Scientists in South Africa, where omicron was first identified, say they see signs it may cause less severe disease than delta, but caution that it is too soon to be certain.

The U.K. Health Security Agency said Friday that both the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines appear less effective in preventing symptomatic infections in people exposed to omicron, though preliminary data show that effectiveness appears to rise to between 70% and 75% after a third vaccine dose.

Explore further UK scientists urge more restrictions to fight omicron surge

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
People wear face masks as they exit Westminster underground station, in London, Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021. Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson said beginning next Monday, people should work from home if possible. Starting on Friday, the legal requirement to wear a face mask will be widened to most indoor public places in England, including cinemas. Next week, having a COVID-19 pass showing a person has had both vaccine doses will be mandatory to enter nightclubs and places with large crowds. Credit: AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali

The British government may need to introduce tougher restrictions to slow the growth of the omicron variant and prevent a new surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths, British scientists said Saturday.

U.K. health officials say omicron is spreading much more quickly than the delta strain and is likely to replace it and become the dominant variant in Britain within days. The U.K. recorded 58,194 coronavirus cases on Friday, the highest number since January, though what portion were the omicron variant is unclear.

Concerns about the new variant led Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative government to reintroduce restrictions that were lifted almost six months ago. Masks must be worn in most indoor settings, vaccine certificates must be shown to enter nightclubs and people are being urged to work from home if possible.

Many scientists say that's unlikely to be enough.

Modeling released Saturday by scientists at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine suggested omicron is likely to cause a large wave of infections by January, and could cause between 25,000 and 75,000 deaths in England in the next five months if no other measures are taken.

The most pessimistic scenario foresees half a million people hospitalized with the virus by the end of April and says daily hospital admissions could be double the previous peak in January 2021. The study by the scientists, who help advise the British government, has not been peer reviewed.

A person wears a face mask while walking in Westminster underground station, in London, Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021. Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson said beginning next Monday, people should work from home if possible. Starting on Friday, the legal requirement to wear a face mask will be widened to most indoor public places in England, including cinemas. Next week, having a COVID-19 pass showing a person has had both vaccine doses will be mandatory to enter nightclubs and places with large crowds. Credit: AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali

A woman wears a face covering as she crosses Westminster Bridge in London, Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced tighter restrictions to stem the spread of the omicron variant. He is again urging people to work from home and mandating COVID-19 passes to get into nightclubs and large events. Credit: AP Photo/Frank Augstein

A woman wears a face mask as she crosses Westminster Bridge in London, Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced tighter restrictions to stem the spread of the omicron variant. He is again urging people to work from home and mandating COVID-19 passes to get into nightclubs and large events. Credit: AP Photo/Frank Augstein

The number of infections will depend on how much the variant escapes protection from vaccines, and how effective booster shots are at bolstering immunity, both of which remain unclear.

Scientists in South Africa, where omicron was first identified, say they see signs it may cause less severe disease than delta, but caution that it is too soon to be certain.

"In our most optimistic scenario, the impact of omicron in the early part of 2022 would be reduced with mild control measures such as working from home," said Rosanna Barnard of the school's Center for the Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases. "However, our most pessimistic scenario suggests that we may have to endure more stringent restrictions to ensure the (health service) is not overwhelmed."

Johnson's government says it is not considering tougher measures, but aims to offer everyone 18 and over a booster shot of vaccine by the end of January.

The U.K. Health Security Agency said Friday that both the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines appear less effective in preventing symptomatic infections in people exposed to omicron, though preliminary data show that effectiveness appears to rise to between 70% and 75% after a third vaccine dose.

Explore further UK says omicron to become its dominant variant within days

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

One of the earliest, peer-reviewed studies looking into the Omicron variant of COVID-19 suggests that people previously infected with COVID, and those vaccinated, will have some, "stronger than basic" defence against this new strain of concern.

However, the test tube (or 'in-vitro', scientifically) samples of Omicron examined in this new research do show it "exceeds" all other variants in its potential capability to evade the protection gained from previous infection or vaccination.

Published in Emerging Microbes & Infection, the findings also suggest that although a third-dose enhancement strategy can "significantly boost immunity", the protection from Omicron "may be compromised"but more research is needed to better understand this.

Reporting on this very early study, lead author Youchun Wang, Senior Research Fellow from the National Institutes for Food and Drug Control in China, says their results support recent findings in South Africa which highlight Omicron was "easy to evade immunity".

"We found the large number of mutations of the Omicron variant did cause significant changes of neutralization sensitivity against people who had already had COVID," Wang says.

"However, the average ED50 (protection level) against Omicron is still higher than the baseline, which indicated there is still some protection effect can be observed."

Wang, who is Former Chairman of the Medical Virology and Vice Chairman of the Medical Microbiology and Immunology of the Chinese Medical Association, does adds caution though.

He says that because the antibody protectionin the form of previous infection or vaccinationdecreases gradually over a period of six months, Omicron "may be able to escape immunity even better".

Plus, his team's paper predicts that whilst "a third-dose enhancement strategy can significantly boost immunity", the "protection from Omicron may be compromised".

The expert team of 11 scientists looked at 28 serum samples from patients recovering from the original strain of SARS-CoV-2. They tested these against in-vitro Omicron samples, as well as four other strains marked 'of concern' by the World Health Organization (such as Delta), and two variants marked as 'of interest'.

"This study verifies the enhanced immune escape of Omicron variant, which sounds the alarm to the world and has important implications for the public health planning and the development of matching strategies," Wang summarizes.

Now, the team states that more research, carried out not just in-vitro but in real-world studies is urgently needed to better understand Omicron. And, specifically, whether it can "escape from the vaccine elicited immunity to cause more severe disease and death".

"It needs to be re-evaluated whether the antibodies can still be effective against the Omicron variant," the authors state.

"The exact impact to human protection may be influenced by more factors such as the infectivity of Omicron variant relative to other variants to human populations and the viral fitness of Omicron once the humans are infected.

"More population studies including the level of immune protection and symptoms among people infected with Omicron are needed to fully establish the global impact of Omicron to the control of COVID-19 pandemic."

The major caveat of this study is that it is in-vitro in nature and that it used pseudotyped (manufactured) viruses. However, previous studies have used in-virto as an established measure of "good correlation" and the current vaccine literature "has established that the in vitro neutralization assays are good predictors of vaccine protection efficacy and real-world vaccine effectiveness".

Therefore, the authors state, their data "may well predict the potential reduction of vaccine protection against the new Omicron variant".

Explore further UK says omicron to become its dominant variant within days

More information: Li Zhang et al, The significant immune escape of pseudotyped SARS-CoV-2 Variant Omicron, Emerging Microbes & Infections (2021). Li Zhang et al, The significant immune escape of pseudotyped SARS-CoV-2 Variant Omicron,(2021). DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2021.2017757
Courtney Murphy, a Missoula ceramic artist, wants her work to look beautiful, well-considered and practical.

Its my favorite thing when people come and tell me that they use my mug every day, she said, or if people mock-fight over who gets to use it.

She prefers throwing on the wheel instead of using molds, because of the subtle variations it creates, and she decorates them with tight, hand-drawn lines and patterns influenced by textiles in welcoming color combinations.

IF YOU GO The 14th annual Missoula Holiday MADE Fair is back in person this year. After an online-only version in 2020, one of the largest art and craft markets in town is returning to the Adams Center on the University of Montana campus. It runs from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 12. For $10, you can get VIP entry from 10 a.m.-11 a.m., with proceeds going to the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center. There will be a happy hour from 4-6 p.m. with select artists. As in years past, the curated lineup includes more than 200 local and regional creators  expect alternative and contemporary art and craft, from 2D and 3D art to clothing, woodworking, apothecary goods and more. Go to handmademontana.com for more information. Masks are not required but highly recommended.

Shes one of more than 200 artists who will appear at the 14th Missoula Holiday MADE Fair this Sunday, Dec. 12, at the Adams Center. (See box for details.)

Shes participated in MADE Fairs, a homegrown nonprofit effort from HandMADE Montana, for eight years, whether the version is summer, holiday or the events in Helena and Bozeman. The art fair season is a big sales time, when production ramps up  in her case it means preparing somewhere around 150 cups, her highest-selling item, not to mention the other pieces.

Patterns, lines, dots

Her current work  mugs, coffee pour-overs, vases and platters  might have a base of shiny gray, off-white or muted black  with decorative line drawings of underglaze she makes with a small bottle and needle applicator that leave an illustrated hand-drawn effect.

The line style varies by the piece: tight blocks of gridded lines or vertical stripes, tree rings, wide X-patterns, chevrons. A few newer ones include sets of long curved lines that find just the right point of ambiguity  shes heard they look like mountains, trees, cathedrals, bird wings or feather patterns. Everybody has their own take on that, she said.

Another popular design is scattered colored dots on a black base  theyre constellations, but one person recently read them as fireworks.

The decision to move toward stark black or off-white came after years of a lighter palette. Ive just been really enjoying contrasting brighter colors on the black background lately, she said.

A new focus

Right before the pandemic, she did a two-week residency at North Carolinas Penland School of Craft, where she was able to experiment with new glazes and new forms. The pandemic provided time, and it was good to have something new to focus on, she said. That platform fed into all those new ideas  platters with scalloped rims; small vases with very small mouths and all the new patterns and designs.

While the pandemic canceled many shows in and out of town, she also started teaching classes at her home studio, from kids to adults, and was able to sell more on her website and Instagram account. After the upcoming markets, like Western Cider on Dec. 15 and the Showroom Missoula on Dec. 19, there will be a quieter month ahead when she can afford to experiment.

I like to take January to try new things, she said.

Making Missoula home

In her early 20s, Murphy was living in Brooklyn when she took a class at a community center and saw a posting from an artist who was looking for an assistant. While she didnt have much experience yet, the two became friends and she saw a model for a successful full-time artist. How do you get to do this? How do you make this happen? she recalled thinking.

Pottery was the first thing I ever, ever found that I would completely lose track of time, she said. So she moved cross-country to Portland to attend the Oregon College of Art and Craft. Having only driven through Montana, she came to Helena for a summer residency at the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts in 2009, and then returned that winter for a two-year residency from 2010-12.

It really pushes you to be around people who are that talented, and working that hard, she said, and who could provide answers for any technical questions she had.

She continued staying in Montana by following residencies into different parts of the state and making connections. After one at the Red Lodge Clay Center, she moved here for a long-term residency at the Clay Studio of Missoula.

After that was completed, she decided to stay, and now works out of her home studio.

Missoulas just been so amazingly supportive, she said.

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I've known various members of the Helmville Geary family for decades. Irish literally to their core, they wear the map of Ireland on their faces and in their hearts.

This Helmville tribe is a blend of County Cork and County Limerick, the Fogartys and the Gearys. This original ancestor was a miner, who came to this country sometime in the 1850s, before making his way to what would become the Treasure State.

Dick Geary, a fourth-generation Helmville rancher spent years as a columnist for the Missoulian. His great-grandfather Mike started the Geary Brothers Ranch, a ranch that Dick loved for his whole life and managed for some years.

He first started out penning columns for weekly newspapers in his neck of the woods  the Silver State Post, Phillipsburg Mail and Blackfoot Valley Dispatch.

Geary, 74, died last year and his family and friends gathered all 368 columns together in a self-published, 625-page, two-pound book big enough to be the weight the back of your truck needs in a Montana snowstorm.

Sparse words, a voice all his own, and a deep understanding of the ranching heritage he was born into and fully embraced all make Geary's columns a joy to read.

Eventually, he was "discovered" by the Missoulian and wrote a weekly column for the paper for almost six years.

It's a volume of page after page of ruminations about haying in Helmville in the 1940s, ranch cats, the Lawrence Welk Hour, calving, Irish families, beaverslides, fence repair, blizzards and pickup trucks. Then more pages reflecting on his time with the Peace Corps in Brazil as an ag extension agent. Then pages more of just plain Dick Geary "Reflections."

And yes, on page 486, he understatedly jokes of himself as a renaissance man in company with all of Montana's "other" famous writers.

How did this column come about?

According to Kim Briggeman, retired veteran Missoulian reporter, the Missoulian subscribed to all the local weeklies and "I saw his column in the Silver State Post. Our dads knew each other, had gone to high school together in Deer Lodge.

"I had no idea about his writing, and I ran into him at the Helmville Rodeo. Even then, he wasn't happy about his writing. He was reticent to put himself out there. I went to our editor, Sherry Devlin, and said 'this is a good, hometown column. "

And that was the beginning of a love affair between Missoula and Dick Geary and Helmville.

"Richard Geary ... And That's All I Know: The Collected Columns of Dick Geary 2013-2020" is for sale on Amazon for $15.

This book is being carried by Missoula's Fact and Fiction, and his sister Joyce has sold  so far  500 copies out of her own Missoula home. As of this writing, his family had had no luck having it carried by Bozeman's Country Bookshelf or Vargo's.

In his matter-fact way, Geary managed to lay out his heart. These columns are Dick and the day-to-day of ranching, not the John Wayne-in-a-sunset view of western life.

Briggeman added, "Everything he wrote is kind. Not a word you hear much when talking about columnists' work."

His sister Elaine told me once that he was a "real" cowboy. Not the romanticized Marlboro Man movie version that some young men have of ranch work  until they actually have to calve in a snowstorm, or do fence repair in a snowstorm, or figure out a way to get another season out of a baler that saw its best days more than 20 years ago, or ride a horse that isn't interested in having you aboard.

He was the cowboy that would have seamlessly fit into a ranch of a century ago.

"We got so much positive feedback," Briggeman continued. "To read him is to know him. His face is out of the Old West. That sideways Irish twinkle." It was a salute to his talent that Missoula, which doesn't exactly skew agricultural, ate up Geary's columns.

He also was brave enough to personally tackle a subject taboo on so many levels  sexual abuse by the local priest. It was in a June 6, 2015, Missoulian column where he wrote about being sexually assaulted as a little boy by the Rev. Leonard Spraycar, an Anaconda native.

Spraycar died in 1984. He was one of dozens of Western Diocese priests that the diocese would eventually settle legal claims against, including Geary's. Of the dozens of priests listed on a Diocesan website as sex offenders, five served in the Helmville parish. It makes one wonder if the Church has it in for Helmville.

He noted wryly in his column ("Priest," page 501) that the diocesan abuse settlement was enough for a used car.

He also wrote about another heartbreak  working for the Grant Creek Ranch, owned by Denny Washington. His family tells me he loved that job more than any other he had in his life, but he got crossways with a couple other employees and lost the beloved job (page 585).

Here's what amazon.com has to say about the book:

"Dick Geary was a man of many facets; rancher, paratrooper, Peace Corps volunteer, ag extension agent in Brazil, trained audiologist, recovered alcoholic, misanthrope, cynic, and yet somehow a trusting believer."

An Amazon review by reader Bruce Bair, who was in the Peace Corps with Geary, states, "This book is like the ranch he was brought up on, greater than its parts. The voice is unsurpassed. Dusty, acerbic, erudite on many subjects (when he strayed from ranching, especially practical ones, disgusted at the state of humanity, kind and patient with all animals, master of bathos.

"I'll make a plea at the end of this to editors and publishers, journalists and just plain readers. Don't miss this book. It's an American Classic if there ever was one. It could be read as the definitive ranch novel, the definitive ranch history, a study of interpersonal ranch dynamics, a monumental bitch weather and so on. Dick took every ranch cliche I have ever read and made literature.

Dick, I could not have said it better myself.

Speaking of the Peace Corps  Geary was a Helmville rancher who spoke fluent Portuguese because of his time in Brazil. He almost died in Brazil, too. One of the weeklies he wrote for realized it hadn't received a column from him in weeks and called his family. Turns out, he was deathly ill, had all his money stolen and was at death's door. His sister Joyce got on the phone with the U.S. Embassy to obtain an emergency visa. Friends in Missoula created a GoFundMe page and raised thousands of dollars to get him back home. All in a couple of days.

In case you haven't figured out how "unique" Geary and his family are, he has another sibling in Missoula who recently had a local badger move into his home. It lived under his stove until it was ready to move on.

His sister Elaine once told me that she thought all her brother wanted out of life was "just  to matter." I've been watching this family for decades and I think he just wanted his daddy to love him.

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Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is proposing new elk management strategies to the Fish and Wildlife Commission at their Dec. 14 meeting. The proposal is a boon for private landowners and commercial outfitters at the direct expense of Montana elk hunters.

If you've been dreaming of drawing a coveted limited entry bull tag, your dreams are jeopardized by FWPs new proposal. But if you are wealthy or own a lot of land, you can hunt those bulls without entering a drawing like us common folk.

The current proposal would reduce the number of randomly drawn bull permits by 50% for hunters on some public lands, while allowing unlimited harvest of "trophy" bull elk on private land. Some landowners feel that they are harboring too many elk on their property, and FWP refers to those areas as over objective. Objectives for elk numbers are set by landowner tolerance, and dont reflect how many animals the land will actually support.

FWPs stated goal is to decrease the number of elk on private land, but this proposal wont help control herd sizes. Population size is controlled by the number of cows in the herd. If FWP was serious about helping private landowners solve their supposed too many elk problem, they would issue unlimited cow tags and drastically limit bull tags, but they are proposing the opposite. The real result of this proposal is to make it easier for private landowners to sell multi-thousand-dollar, commercial bull elk hunts.

The guides and outfitters who organize commercial hunts are a huge driver of our economy and an important part of our heritage. FWP is right to consider the valuable services they provide when making management decisions, but they also have a duty to work in the public trust and manage resources for multiple users  not prioritize one group over another.

Landowners do have a right to be included in elk management decisions. Montana's elk  like all wildlife  are owned equally by all Montanans. Public land hunters have just as much right to consideration by FWP as private landowners. This fundamental wildlife management concept is essential for preserving our hunting heritage for generations to come.

FWPs proposal is clearly an attempt by some monied interests to exploit bull elk for their personal gain, while thumbing their noses at Montana hunters. It contradicts Montana's hunting tradition, which treats hunters and landowners as partners in wildlife management. It is not fact-based, and it undermines the belief that wildlife is a public resource for all Montanans.

Similar approaches died during the last legislative session, thanks to vocal opposition from elk hunters across the state. Unfortunately, these bad ideas can be enacted by just four of the governor's handpicked political appointees on the Fish and Wildlife Commission. Please contact the commissioner for your district and tell them you oppose privatizing wildlife.

Marilyn Marler (D-Missoula) is an avid hunter and represents House District 90 in the Montana Legislature.

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Active cases of COVID-19 continue to climb in Burke County more than two weeks after the Thanksgiving holiday.

Active cases of the virus were up to 217 on Friday, according to a media briefing from the Burke County Health Department. Thats up from the 195 active cases listed on the countys online COVID-19 dashboard Wednesday.

The county has added 43 cases to its cumulative total since Wednesday, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic up to 16,757, the health department said.

Thats 113 new cases of the virus since Monday, when the county reported a cumulative total of 16,644 cases, according to the county health department.

The countys positivity rate was listed at 4.91% in Fridays media briefing, but the county still is listed at as having a high rate of community transmission by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the county health department said in its briefing.
Two of Butte-Silver Bows top officials  one who strives to preserve historic buildings and features in Butte and the other in charge of keeping the countys buildings alive and running  are bidding farewell to local government.

Historic Preservation Officer Mary McCormick and Butte-Silver Bow Building Manager Pat Holland retired this week. Their last day on the job was Friday.

But theyre not leaving Butte. They love it here and will keep calling it home.

I moved here in 1985 and I worked for the Corps of Engineers in Seattle for three years, from 2011 to 2014, and I liked Seattle in so many ways, but I really missed Montana and I really missed Butte, and this is my home, McCormick said.

Said Holland: I was born here, raised here and Im fortunate enough to stay here.

Holland was administrator at the Waterford, an assisted-living center in Butte, when then Butte-Silver Bow Chief Executive Paul Babb hired him as buildings manager in 2008.

He started his working career in construction and was a pipefitter for the Anaconda Company for 10 years, then spent 17 years in the plumbing wholesale business before joining the Waterford.

McCormick had earned a masters degree in historic preservation from Colorado State University when she was hired as an architectural historian in 1985 by Fred Quivik, who ran an historic preservation firm in Butte. She worked in similar roles for the Army Corps in Seattle and in the late 1980s for Montana Power.

In 2015, then Chief Executive Matt Vincent hired her as historic preservation officer, a post at the heart of the countys efforts to protect Buttes past.

The Montana Standard asked McCormick and Holland this week to reflect on their time with Butte-Silver Bow.

Mary McCormick

There is a lot to being historic preservation officer in Butte-Silver Bow.

Officially, the person is in charge of coordinating programs to identify, evaluate, promote and protect historic resources here and ensure compliance with local, state and federal historic preservation laws and ordinances.

Thats a tall order anywhere but especially in Butte, where nearly 10,000 acres and 7,900 buildings and other resources make it and nearby areas the nations largest national historic landmark district.

For me, Butte is so visually rich, McCormick said in early 2016 during her first full year at the helm. Its really a dream job.

But a hard one, especially in a place that used to have more than 70,000 people.

There are only half that many now and that has left many buildings standing but empty decades later. Proposed demolitions have pitted preservationists against others and divided commissioners and the public for years.

The discord played out several times during McCormicks tenure, including this year, when she and others tried to spare the so-called Blue Range prostitution cribs on Mercury Street in Buttes once-thriving Red Light District.

They lost in the end, but McCormick was true to her convictions and job duties.

You have to have a passion and a desire to preserve historic buildings and  that is the lens that I feel like someone in this position has to do that job through, she said. The Blue Range  that is a building I really believed could be saved and was a one-of-a-kind resource.

Its tough to make those decisions when theyre not supported by other people, necessarily, but youre making your recommendation, and in the end if it doesnt go through, it doesnt go through, but youve got to stand by your professional principles.

McCormicks passion and commitment never waned during her tenure. She was meticulous in her research and presentations and recommendations, and despite rough waters at times, says the job has been rewarding.

There have been some really great things weve been able to accomplish, she said.

Among them was a project to restore a decorative transom window that for decades adorned the Sewells building on East Park Street in Uptown Butte.

It was organized by the countys Historic Preservation Commission (HPC), Butte Citizens for Preservation and Revitalization (Butte CPR) and building owner Joe Floreen. It also attracted a cadre of 20 volunteers, and the work lives on.

It provided a skill base in Butte that was needed and CPR was able to build on that project and do restoration of two or three more windows, McCormick said. And there were some contractors that worked on that project and learned how to do those repairs.

With McCormicks help, the Jacobs House across the street from the courthouse got a major facelift. It was built in 1878, was one of the first brick houses in the city and was home to Henry Jacobs, Buttes first mayor.

McCormick is pleased that mothball provisions were added to the countys vacant building ordinance last year. They require owners to ensure their vacant buildings are watertight and free from pigeons and rodents. Buckled walls and sagging roofs must be repaired.

Damaged or missing windows on the first floors of commercial buildings must be replaced with glass and those on upper stories must be replaced with glass or high-grade plywood cut to fit.

The Historic Preservation, Community Development and Community Enrichment departments worked together in drawing up the provisions. The idea is to prevent damage and decay that makes buildings ugly and unsafe and too often leads to demolitions.

Weve really worked as a team on that, McCormick said. Maybe they cant be rehabbed right now but at least they can be made secure so theyre not going to be facing demolition.

The county is working to enforce the provisions, and efforts to meet the law have been or are being deployed in several Uptown buildings. They include the Uptown YMCA building, the Iona Cafe on South Main Street and others.

That has been really rewarding, she said.

McCormick has also worked with the HPC and others in Butte-Silver Bow to establish a strong education program on historic preservation that someone else can come in and build on.

She is leaving her post at a time when investment in Butte is on a major upswing  a great thing in her field. As just one example, she points to Montana Studios taking over the sprawling complex at 40 East Broadway, once home to NorthWestern Energy.

The old turquoise facade has come down and the building fronts are being restored to their historic looks of decades ago. A big part of McCormicks job is ensuring that renovations and new developments meet historic standards.

Theres a lot of people coming in with a lot of interest in buying and rehabbing historic buildings, she said. So its almost like all this work that people have put in all these years to help keep the buildings in Uptown Butte is finally taking off.

The county has posted the now-open position in numerous publications and sites and a committee will evaluate applications and ultimately recommend a new historic preservation officer for Butte-Silver Bow.

Pat Holland

For 13 years now, Pat Holland has been a landlord of sorts  the one tenants call for problems big and small when something isnt working or is falling part.

But Holland doesnt have one or two or a handful of properties to worry about. Hes got 51 buildings on his plate that Butte-Silver Bow operates or oversees in one form or another.

Hes usually not the one who makes the actual repairs, but hes responsible for arranging the work and getting the jobs done. And its never-ending.

We get calls every day, from a leaky faucet to an office move. A leaky roof. No heat, Holland said. Same thing (as a landlord), theres just a lot more of it.

Some take up more time than others. The courthouse, of course, is more than 100 years old, and home to numerous offices and courts and is the place where so many citizens interact with their local government, so it demands constant attention.

The Public Works and Water Company buildings keep Holland and work crews busy, and maybe more than any other building, the Butte-Silver Bow Detention Center  the jail  is probably our number one maintenance building.

Theres just a lot of locking mechanisms, among other things, he said.

Holland, like all county officials, could get a lot more done if there was a lot more money. But like most families, the county only has so many dollars to spend each year.

That means putting some projects off  sometimes for months, sometimes for years, or doing them in phases. And theres planning and finances involved in all of that.

Butte-Silver Bow is a large infrastructure and theres only a certain pocket of money to draw from, and there are others drawing from that money, Holland said. So everybodys trying to do a good job and its balancing all that to get where you need to go.

With all of that comes a lot of deferred maintenance  things that need fixing but will have to wait. That can be frustrating but Holland says it comes with the territory.

You dont have a lot of control over some things, he said. But when things hit the hard times and you need to get it done, they (other county officials and commissioners) step in and theyll get you through that.

One of the biggest projects Holland oversaw  at least in terms of publicity and recognition  was restoration of the ornate, stained-glass dome that sits atop a courthouse constructed from 1910 to 1912.

The dome had deteriorated over the years, the glass panels were coming apart and changing shapes, and things got so bad a decade ago, a net was placed below it to catch falling debris.

It was just age and an ad-hoc instillation back in the day because they didnt have some of the materials (needed), Holland said. They installed it the best they could.

At a cost of $209,000, the county had the dome analyzed and restored, with Mominee Studios in Indiana overseeing the project and Iowa-based Bovard Studio doing the contract work. To get the job done, the stained-glass panels were removed, shipped to an out-of-state workshop to be cleaned and re-leaded, and shipped back.

When the work was being done in 2015, Holland said the goal was to make it last another 100 years. When asked this week whether it would do that, he said, No doubt in my mind.

In fact, it may go long beyond that, he said. Thats mainly because the technologies and the installation is a whole different thing now. So unless theres a catastrophic event, it should last a long, long time.

Projects like that are rewarding, Holland said, because you can see them through from planning to completion. Others on his watch included major renovations of the Law Library in the courthouse and turning dingy, unused space in the courthouse into a new Veterans Court.

Its a pain-in-the-butt to get through those projects, especially when youre doing them in-house, but when you get done, you can stand back and say, Look what has been accomplished  and that is really a benefit to the taxpayer, he said.

Not all of Butte-Silver Bows countys buildings serve government functions. The county owns the Clark Chateau and the Belmont Senior Center, for example, and must keep their basic functions operational.

The Butte Center for the Performing Arts leases and operates the Mother Lode Theatre and it has raised and spent millions of dollars on restoration over the years. But the county owns the building, so a much needed fire-suppression system is its responsibility.

In this case, the county has $475,000 in grant money to get the job done  or most of it, anyway  but cant find anyone to do it. It has put the project out for bid twice, and twice there have been no takers. Holland says the labor shortage is at least partly to blame.

But he has taken that in stride, too, telling commissioners recently, Whatever we need to get this project done, thats where we will be going.

Butte-Silver Bow is turning that duty, and all others Holland handles, to John Sullivan. He was a boiler technician in the U.S. Navy for six years and has held posts at MycoTech, the Butte Convalescent Center, St. James Healthcare and Vemco Inc.

Holland says Sullivan knows both old and new building mechanics, systems and controls and he often turned to him for expertise, advice and work in the past.

He comes to us with a wealth of knowledge and really an outstanding reputation in his field, so were very, very fortunate to have John join, Holland said.

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EDITORS NOTE: The Buy It in Butte initiative is a team effort on the part of Butte media outlets, including The Montana Standard, ABC FOX Montana, Cherry Creek Media, KBOW/KOPR, KXLF, and NBC Montana. Also promoting shop local for the 2021 holiday season are the Butte-Silver Bow Chamber of Commerce and Butte Local Development Corp.

As a part of this seasonal program, The Montana Standard will be profiling some of the participating businesses each week in December.

This week the businesses include the Mother Lode Theatre, Butte Floral, Beautiful Things on Broadway and Cub Power. All have some unique gifts to share.

Soon, Christmas will be here, but a couple of weeks still remain to find those special gifts for family and friends.

Shopping local is a gift as well. Not only will you be putting a smile on the face of the person receiving your gift, youre also giving a local business owner who depends on your business to stay open a reason to smile.

So, time to don your coat and cap and head to these local stores. Happy shopping!

Mother Lode Theatre, 316 W. Park St.

Buying local is the only way for the Mother Lode Theatre to offer live performance music, dance, and drama to the public. Without support from the community to attend live events the theatre would not be able to open its doors and organizations who rely on a venue such as the Mother Lode Theatre may not be able to attract artists and programs to Butte. Our programming assists other businesses such as shops, hotels and restaurants with additional revenue from patrons who attend events.  Robin Busch, managing director

Whats your most popular item this holiday season?

Live holiday performances featuring local and internationally recognized artists such as Butte native, Curt Olds. We also offer a limited edition Mother Lode Theatre Christmas ornament to support the theatre to provide a variety of quality programs.

What does your store offer that cant be found online?

We offer live theatre performances, including music, dance and drama featuring local, regional, and national productions. Arts and culture are best enjoyed live, and the Mother Lode Theatre is iconic to our arts and cultural heritage. The Mother Lode Theatre has been entertaining the Butte community since 1929, first as a movie theater and since 1994 as a live performance venue.

Store days/hours

Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Number of employees

Four permanent/11 temporary

What puts you in the Christmas spirit?

What puts me into the spirit of Christmas is the gathering of friends and family and the traditions we share to celebrate during the Christmas season.

***

Butte Floral, 1707 Continental Drive

"Buying Local" supports our community as well as our families.  Jennifer Hardesty, owner

Whats your most popular item this holiday season?

Our "Letters to Santa" fresh holiday arrangement

What does your store offer that cant be found online?

Amazing customer service

Store days/hours

Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Number of employees

Four

What puts you in the Christmas spirit?

Being a local that is able to give back to my community and others.

***

Beautiful Things on Broadway, 27 W. Broadway St.

When local persons support the shop, it means we can keep a roof on our fabulous building, ensure the boiler continues to operate, and maintain the existing architectural features of our historic building. It also means that we can pay those taxes that keep going up.  Rick Chappel, owner

Whats your most popular item this holiday season?

Our Christmas window, which is one way we can say thank you to Butte.

What does your store offer that cant be found online?

Frankly, I sell online, because of the quality and types of products that are being purchased by not only Butte but from all over the entire 50 states. What can you buy at my store that you can't find elsewhere in Butte? Beautiful bar ware, candles that don't run all over your tablecloth during dinner, Frasier fir, framed art, and my charm.

Store days/hours

Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Number of employees

One-and-a-half

What puts you in the Christmas spirit?

Well, I am so damn old; the blessed fact that I made it to another Christmas is inspirational. Treasured Christmas ornaments and decorations that come out this time of year, remind us of the glory of the holiday. For instance, I hung our stained-glass window of the Holy Spirit today.

***

Cub Power, 1369 Harrison Ave.

It means keeping a community vibrant and unique.  Nate Howe, owner

Whats your most popular item this holiday season?

Skateboards

What does your store offer that cant be found online?

A complete full-service skateboard shop.

Store days/hours

Wednesday-Saturday, 1 to 7 p.m.

Number of employees

One

What puts you in the Christmas spirit?

The lights and the joy of getting to see family.

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John Schneider wanted his day in court, but not like the one he got Thursday.

More than a year ago, an altercation over face masks at the Helena restaurant Schneider manages led to a now-dropped felony charge of assault with a weapon. On Thursday, Rodney Roger Smith instead pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor charge of disturbing the peace and will pay a $100 fine. That came after he reached an agreement with the state Attorney Generals Office, who prosecuted the case instead of the Lewis and Clark County Attorney.

The resolution of the case has left Schneider frustrated, both at the outcome and the role played by the state Attorney General's Office.

To not even get the chance to have our voices heard, to have the employees that were there to just say what they heard, what they saw, that's all I would want, Schneider said in a November interview.   That was just something we were very much looking forward to and always feeling like, Hey, we're gonna get this opportunity to at least tell our version of what happened. If this guy has some sort of contradictory version, he's entitled to his defense as well.

Smith was initially accused in court documents of exposing his handgun and saying "Im going to get you" to Schneider after the two fought when Smith was asked to wear a face mask in Hokkaido Ramen and Izakaya downtown.

Smith disputed the claim and last year denied the felony charge, as well as misdemeanors for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit and doing so in a prohibited place.

Then state Attorney General Austin Knudsen's Office got involved. The office's role, including a plea agreement to lesser charges than the original, left Schneider visibly angry in court Thursday.

Schneider told Lewis and Clark County District Court Judge Kathy Seeley he wasn't consulted by Derek Oestreicher, the AG's general counsel, until Nov. 24. The plea agreement was signed by Smith Nov. 8 and Oestreicher on Nov. 10.

"I was not given the opportunity to voice my view before disposition and when I expressed my concerns with the potential plea deal I was met with defensiveness and laughed at on the phone," Schneider wrote in his victim impact statement filed with the court Dec. 8.

In an email Friday, a spokesperson for the Attorney General's Office disputed Schneider's statement.

"We disagree with the characterization of the phone call we had to obtain his views prior to cases disposition," Kyler Nerison wrote, confirming the call happened Nov. 24. "Also, during that call, he shared with us that in the nine months preceding the Lewis and Clark Attorneys Office asking the Department of Justice to take the case, they did not ever attempt to contact him."

In court, Oestreicher told Lewis and Clark County District Court Judge Kathy Seeley their plea agreement was similar to one offered by deputy county attorney John Nesbitt in February. But Seeley pointed out the February offer still contained a felony charge with a three-year deferred sentence that would have prohibited Smith from possessing weapons and to have a chemical dependency evaluation.

Earlier this year Knudsens office asked Lewis and Clark County Attorney Leo Gallagher for his documents in the case and after reviewing them directed Gallagher to drop two misdemeanor conceal-carry charges. Gallagher said he had probable cause and could not dismiss those charges and still "comply with my oath of office." He then requested the case be reassigned and the Attorney Generals office took over.

On Thursday, Oestreicher gave the judge an email showing the deputy county attorney, John Nesbitt, in February offered to drop the two misdemeanor charges as part of a plea agreement, citing a new state law passed after the incident that struck the parts code Smith was accused of breaking.

In an email late Thursday, Nerison was critical of Gallagher over Nesbitt's previous offer to dismiss the misdemeanor charges.

"Despite his comments, his office had already offered to drop the charges the Attorney General ordered him to dismiss. Mr. Gallagher and his office withheld this information when it transferred the case file to the Department of Justice. Instead of being honest about the situation, he chose to pursue his own partisan political agenda," Nerison wrote Thursday evening. "The disingenuous and contrived scene caused in the courtroom by Deputy County Attorney Nesbitt to further this political charade is also concerning."

Seeley allowed Nesbitt to address the court Thursday, and he disputed Oestreicher's characterization of his plea offer.

On Friday, Gallagher said that the attorney general requested the case files be turned over rapidly, which could have led to the email being missed. Nesbitt told MTN News after the hearing the deal proposed in February was part of negotiations common in this kind of process.

The deal reached with the Attorney General's Office also included an amendment to dismiss three of the original charges, including the felony count, against Smith. That meant the judge considering the plea was limited to weigh only the misdemeanor disturbing the peace charge when deciding to accept or reject the agreement.

Lingering frustration

The way the legal process played out left Schneider and his wife, Jessie, feeling like their side of the story wasn't heard. Jessie was John's fiancee at the time of the altercation and told the court Thursday she was also assaulted by Smith. She is a server at the restaurant.

In a November interview, John Schneider said he understood Smith disputed his account of events, including if Smith had a handgun. That's why, Schneider said, he wanted to go to trial and have a jury make a final determination. Instead, Thursday's hearing ended with Smith admitting the misdemeanor and then the Schneiders telling the judge they feared for their lives and still suffer following the altercation.

Oestreicher told the judge he didn't believe he could have prosecuted the case as originally charged because the evidence in the case files didn't support the allegations.

Body camera footage from law enforcement that night shows interviews with Schneider and Smith, both telling their versions of what happened. Everyone involved recounted a physical interaction where Schneider held Smith in a headlock, though each has a different take on who was the aggressor.

After that, the stories diverge significantly.

I think everybodys telling the same story to a point, the footage captured one officer telling another.   Its when the firearm becomes involved is where everything gets different. Ive got three different stories.

Schneider told an officer that night Smith assaulted Jessie Schneider and had a gun.

He flashed his gun and said hes going to get us, Schneider told the officer interviewing him.

In his own interview, Smith denied having a gun in the restaurant but did say he had an empty holster.

"There never was a gun out, there never was a gun anywhere," Smith told the officer, adding that he put the gun in his van's glove box before entering the restaurant because it served alcohol.

Dashboard camera footage captured Smith in his van when law enforcement arrived. The video shows him "pull something from his waistband and then place it in the glove box of the van, as described in an affidavit, calling the motion consistent with drawing a handgun from a holster on the right side of his body.

Schneider told an officer that while he didnt know much about handguns, Smiths was black. Smith told officers he had a Glock 17, a black handgun, in his glove box.

At one point when Smith was being questioned and denied he had a gun on him in the restaurant, an officer who had just spoken to Smith's wife, Stacy Smith, approached.

Why would your wife say different? the officer asked Rodney Smith. She said when you guys got out of the restaurant, when you got back to the car, she said,  Ron, what are you doing? Put that gun away. And that's when you put it in the glovebox.

Smith denied that.

In his victim impact statement filed with the court, Schneider again claimed Smith had a gun.

I genuinely feared for my life and the safety of others on the night of the assault, Schneider wrote. I continue to fear for my life as a result of the threat made by Mr. Smith.

In an email in November, Smiths attorney, Palmer Hoovestal, said there was a lack of video of the dispute and witnesses who were present substantially disputed the events, including whether Mr. Smith was even carrying a firearm.

On Thursday, Hoovestal submitted an affidavit from Paul Hermes, who was with the Smiths at the restaurant that night.

At no point during this entire incident did Rod take his gun out saying youre going to get it, Hermes said in the affidavit. Furthermore, at no point did Rod ever threaten the manager or anybody else either personally or with a gun.

In his November email, Hoovestal said Schneider was quite vocal in asserting that there was video of the event, but he could not and did not produce it when asked for it, because it didnt exist. Hoovestal pointed to a segment of state law saying that at trial, a jury should view weaker evidence with distrust if it appears it was within the power of a party to offer stronger evidence, though this case did not go to trial.

Schneider in his statement to the court said that restaurant security footage showed Smith had a gun, and that he believed the video was supplied to law enforcement. It's no longer available because the restaurants security footage is only stored for up to a week.

The inability to view the footage doesnt change the fact that he did have the gun and did threaten me with it, Schneider wrote.

Hoovestal also said a prior dispute between Stacy Smith and the Schneiders gave (John Schneider) motive to lie about what occurred.

In a November interview, John Schneider acknowledged a dispute over his child's education at a preschool where Stacy Smith was a teacher and said he sent a strongly worded email that was forwarded to Stacy Smith. After that, the couple withdrew their child from the school.

Schneider said while he knew Stacy Smith that night at the restaurant, he didnt know Rodney Smith was her husband.

In a November interview, Jessie Schneider, Johns wife, closed her eyes as she recounted what happened.

I said, Get out of the restaurant. And then he came for me, pushed me, she said. While she told law enforcement that night she didnt feel any pain, she said she later did and had a panic attack the next day.

When she addressed the court Thursday, Schneider, a military veteran, said she has suffered depression following the altercation and is unable to perform at work.

"Mr. Smith put his hands on me, he grabbed me hard on my shoulders and aggressively pushed me back, Schneider said.  ... I have nightmares that my husband or myself will be shot by him."

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When I saw the news that Bidens vaccine mandate had been blocked, I felt as though a ton of bricks had been lifted from my shoulders. Several co-workers and I went running to each other to share the news.

Much of the credit is due to our Attorney General Austin Knudsen who took immediate action by filing a lawsuit against the federal mandate requiring all healthcare workers to get jabbed or lose their jobs. In doing so, he stood up for the rights of healthcare workers and all Montanans. He has been the initial front, standing firm against an unconstitutional federal overreach on our personal liberties. Without this lawsuit and request for a preliminary injunction, many healthcare workers would have been suspended December 6th and then terminated if still non-compliant. This would have affected patients access to care.

Watching what was happening in our hospitals prompted a group of us to band together and support others that were feeling alone in this fight. We created a group called Big Sky Liberty Alliance and have been overwhelmed by the number of people who were afraid but searching for a way to stand firm on what they thought was right. We are so grateful for all the Montanans that have stood up at rallies and linked arms with us.

The preliminary injunction issued by federal court in Louisiana is in effect pending the resolution of the lawsuit, or until there are further orders issued by the courts, so our fight isnt over. There are reports of Montana hospitals that arent backing down and still encouraging medical staff to submit exemptions and get vaccinated in anticipation that the mandate is ultimately upheld.

Montanans should also know that the stance the Montana Nurses Association is taking does not represent many Montana nurses. The organization joined a lawsuit against the state seeking to overturn state law that protects healthcare workers from discrimination based on vaccination status. It is clear the organization has become more interested in pursuing a political agenda than fighting for the interests of its own members. Instead of protecting Montana nurses, the Montana Nurses Association is ultimately using our own money against us. Thankfully, Attorney General Knudsen is defending the rights of health care workers in that case as well.

As a Registered Nurse for 15 years, its been my duty to advocate for my patients. Now, Im advocating for myself and my fellow nurses. While Im optimistic that federal judges will ultimately strike down the mandates I will not stop fighting for my rights and the rights of my colleagues across the state.

If we bend our knee to government overreach now, where will it end? President Biden cant be allowed to force us to take an injection or soon we wont have any personal liberties left. In the order blocking the mandate, the federal judge wrote: During a pandemic such as this one, it is even more important to safeguard the separation of powers set forth in our Constitution to avoid erosion of our liberties The liberty interests of the unvaccinated requires nothing less.

This is an attack on our personal liberties, and like many Montana health care workers, I will not give in. Where there is risk there must be choice and I am choosing to not take the risk associated with the vaccine. As a Montana native Ive never been more grateful to live under the Big Sky where I have the backing of the Attorney General to help safeguard our right to make this choice.

Corinne Hammond is a registered nurse in Billings and a spokesperson for Big Sky Liberty Alliance.

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The issues we face in rural New Mexico are going to take a back seat, Nibert said.

He also warned the new political map could further undermine support in Congress for petroleum extraction on federal lands. Surging oil production in New Mexicos portion of the Permian Basin  much of it on public lands  has catapulted the state past North Dakota to become the nations No. 2 oil producer.

Those (oil) interests are going to be divided and apparently championed by three separate congress (people) who are likely to be from the metro area and know nothing about that industry, Nibert said.

The 2nd District seat is currently held by first-term Republican U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell, a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump who defeated a one-term Democrat in 2020. The redrawn district would slightly favor Democratic candidates, according to an analysis commissioned by the Legislature.

The states two other seats have been held by Democrats for more than a decade. The redistricting plan would wrap several rural, conservative-leaning counties into the 1st District, where Democratic U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury won election in a June special election to succeed Deb Haaland after her appointment as Interior Secretary.
ST. LOUIS (AP)  At least two people in Missouri have died and hundreds of homes and buildings are damaged or destroyed after a massive Friday night stormfront that killed dozens in several states, Gov. Mike Parson's office said Saturday.

Mark Borgmann told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that a tornado killed his mother and injured his father overnight in St. Charles County. His parents, Ollie and Vernon Borgmann, both 84, were at home when the tornado hit. The tornado swept his parents single-story home and a neighbors house off their foundations, scattering debris at least a half-mile. Parson's office said two others in St. Charles County were hospitalized.

Parson's office said that a young child was killed at home and at least nine people were transported to hospitals in Pemiscot County in the Bootheel region.

The storm system's death toll includes people in a Kentucky candle factory, an Arkansas nursing home, an Illinois Amazon facility east of St. Louis and others in Tennessee.

Overnight Friday, the National Weather Service issued 31 tornado warnings for Missouri, the governors office said.
DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP)  With a smile, 9-year-old Naiyah Lee took a seat at the bench and put her hands to the keys of a black grand piano.

Her fingers began to flick and dance, producing the melody of her favorite song, Twister.

Its fun to play and easy to memorize, Naiyah said. I love that one.

For the duration of the short performance, the smile never left her face.

For the past two years, Naiyah has been learning how to play piano at Northeast Iowa School of Music in Dubuque. Part of the schools mission is making the joy of learning an instrument as accessible to as many people as possible, and for school officials, Naiyah is a sign of that missions success. Throughout her time at the school, Naiyah also has been the recipient of a scholarship for low- and moderate-income students.

Accessibility is very important for us, said David Resnick, a Dubuque City Council member who is the executive director of NISOM. We have parents who call and say they would love to have their kids take lessons, but its too expensive. These scholarships make those lessons affordable.
Marianas High School juniors Carson Lin, James Lin, Jaehoon Son, and Dip Roy are the winners of the 2021 Congressional App Challenge with their app, Aayuda.
Standard Bank and Lightstone Properties have confirmed that the banks LookSee platform exposed the personal information of property owners in South Africa.

LookSee is one of Standard Banks home services platforms, which provides property valuations and trends. It uses information from Lightstone for valuation and market intelligence on properties in South Africa.

Regrettably, the initial investigations have shown that personal information of some property owners, including individual names, identity numbers, entity registration numbers, marital status and physical addresses may have been exposed, the companies said in a joint statement on Friday.

The personal information does not contain any banking details, cell-phone numbers or email addresses.

The companies said the appropriate containment and risk mitigation plans were implemented, and the breach was reported to the relevant authorities, including the Information Regulator.

Standard Bank and Lightstone are working closely together to give this investigation the support and urgency that it deserves and have implemented immediate remedial measures, they stated.

As a precaution, the companies urged property owners to remain vigilant and employ sound security practices on all their digital platforms, including banking and social media.

They also advised customers do the following:

Keep a close eye on their bank statements, query any suspicious transactions, and subscribe to SMS notification services offered by their financial services provider.

While no banking details were exposed, it is good practice to ensure that passwords are secure  use long, unique passwords for all online accounts and implement strong authentication mechanisms such as biometrics where supported.

Do not share personal details, banking details or one-time pins (OTPs) with anyone via telephone, text messages or email.

Register with the Southern African Fraud Prevention Service (SAFPS) for protective registration. If anyone tries to apply for banking products; with your ID, it will be declined or referred for further review.

Those property owners concerned that their property ownership details might have been compromised can contact Standard Banks call centre on 0860 123 000 or the Lightstone call centre on 010 001 8068.
In Armenia, as of 11:00 on Sunday, 133 new cases of infection with the new coronavirus were registered, the total number of infected reached 342,538 cases. Armenian News- NEWS.am was informed about it at the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the RA Ministry of Health.

In total, 2,447,762 tests were carried out over the last day, of which 7,135 were carried out over the past day.

In fact, 7,866 patients are currently undergoing treatment.

According to the latest data, the number of cured was 325 394, of which 560 people - in the last 24 hours.
The representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) visited the servicemen captured by Azerbaijan during the hostilities on November 16, said the head of communication programs of the ICRC delegation in Armenia.

Zara Amatuni also said that she had met with other prisoners of war held in Azerbaijan.

The ICRC representatives were informed about the state of health of the prisoners, got acquainted with the conditions of their detention, the prisoners contacted their families.
Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov said that aggressive rhetoric from the US does not in any way help to defuse tension in relations between Moscow and Washington, TASS reports.

We have been hearing too much aggressive rhetoric from across the ocean in recent weeks. This, unfortunately, does nothing to ease tensions, he told the Moscow speaking radio station on Sunday.

Earlier, US President Joe Biden said that the United States intends to send its troops to neighboring NATO countries in the event of an allegedly possible invasion of Russia.

During an online summit, he said, during an online summit, he told Russian leader Vladimir Putin that in the event of an invasion, American troops would be sent to the Bucharest Nine (B9) countries located on NATO's eastern flank.

The presidents of Russia and the United States held 2-hour talks by video link on December 7.
8 police and military killed in Kazakhstan: 317 more wounded

Protesters in Kazakhstan tear down Nazarbayev's monument

Special representatives of Armenia and Turkey meeting to take place on January 14 in Moscow

Azerbaijani defense ministry denies news of servicemen deaths

State of emergency introduced throughout Kazakhstan

EU calls on all sides in Kazakhstan to avoid escalation and violence

Azerbaijan starts receiving Turkmen gas through Iran

Prime Minister Pashinyan congratulates Armenians on Christmas

Protesters seize Almaty airport in Kazakhstan

Andranik Grigoryan is the CEO of Converse Bank, Chairman of Executive Management

France intends to help Azerbaijan in search of missing persons during 1st Karabakh war

Aeroflot cancels flight to Almaty: Aktau airport not working

Arnak Avetisyan appointed Armenian State Property Management Committees chair

Armenia appoints new ambassador to Russia

Christmas Eve liturgy takes place in Armenia's Etchmiadzin

Attempts to demolish a monument of Nazarbayev in Kazakhstan

Armenia deputy PM Mher Grigoryan to co-chair intergovernmental joint commission with Iran

Media: Internet cut off in Nursultan and Almaty

Armenia Prosecutor General to head for Moscow

Armenia premier to send 10-member delegation to Russia

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Kazakh president delivers new speech to nation

Kazakhstan protesters disarm police: Mir TV channel's office vandalized

Kazakhstan presidential residence set on fire

Almaty commandant: More than 500 civilians are beaten

OSCE calls for de-escalation of Kazakhstan situation

Protesters try to break into residence of Kazakhstan's president

Kazakh security forces take the side of protesters

Kazakh protesters seize Kazakh president's residence and destroy TV channels premises

Baghdad military base hit by missile attack

Armenian traces destroyed in occupied Shushi

Prosecutor's office building is on fire: State of emergency in Almaty

Azerbaijan declares 2022 year of occupied Armenian city of Shushi

Justice minister not commenting on arresting Armenian captives returned from Azerbaijan

Yerevan homeless shelter residents picketing in front of Armenia labor, social affairs ministry

Hong Kong imposes ban on flights from 8 countries due to COVID-19

Protesters in Almaty riot hospitals and clinics

PM: I have hard time imagining how Omicron variant cannot enter Armenia

New council of Armenias Parakar does not convene first session, new village mayor not elected

7 new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Armenia cargo transportation via railway drops but passengers increase in 2021

Government hands over Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine certified rights with 15% Armenia-owned shares

Borrell says EU cannot be a neutral spectator in talks with Russia

Armenian PM urges to throw plastic bags out of life

Oil prices stabilize after jump

Premier recalls that anti-tobacco law has entered into force in Armenia as of January 1

129 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Kazakhstan President accepts governments resignation

Armenia State Property Management Committee dismissed

Armenia PM: We are entering 2022 with quite serious start to reforms

New council of Armenias Parakar convenes first session, village mayor election on agenda

New York prosecutor drops sex crime case against ex-governor Cuomo

England, Wales to make taking pictures of breastfeeding mothers in public illegal

Paraguay presidential guard dies after being impaled by deer while on duty

Flights delayed at Kazakhstan's Aktau airport as rallies continue

NATO foreign ministers to hold videoconference ahead of meeting with Russia

Ford to double production capacity for electric version of F-150 pickup

Oil prices rise by 1%

Borrell not to discuss Nord Stream 2 during Ukraine visit

Mercedes-Benz presents new electric car Vision EQXX

Kazakh authorities to satisfy protesters' demands for lower gas prices

Flooding in Iran: at least 8 people killed

Turkish lira drops for another 4%

Taliban army to be reinforced with suicide bombers

Doctors reveal details of Brazil presidents health condition

NATO head plans special meeting with Russia amid Ukraine crisis

Russian peacekeepers ensure safe entry to Karabakh for about 2,000 vehicles

Wave of protests against COVID-19 measures across Germany

Karabakh President holds new years first working consultation with law enforcement agencies heads

Coronavirus vaccines in Armenia are complemented with another one

Armenia soldier remanded in custody for inflicting fatal gunshot wound to fellow serviceman

Gas futures price in Europe exceed $ 1,000

US holds virtual inauguration ceremony for COVID-19-infected mayor

US court forbids Pentagon to punish military personnel refusing vaccinations

Armenia PM: We need to open new strategic page for transformation of customs service

Armenia ambassador delivers lecture for U.S. Naval War College students

5-month-old baby dies in Yerevan hospital

Armenias Vardenis town hall chief of staff signs mayor-elect inauguration session minutes

Georgia to not attend 2nd 3+3-format meeting in Turkey either, its ambassador says

Turkey airline applies for conducting flights between Istanbul and Yerevan
Hong Kong reports five imported Covid-19 cases

Hong Kong reported five new Covid-19 infections on Sunday, all imported. Image: Shutterstock

Hong Kong on Sunday reported five new imported Covid-19 cases, with the patients flying in from the United Kingdom and the Philippines.



Both countries are listed as high-risk by the SAR's health officials.



The Centre for Health Protection said two of the cases were picked up at the airport, two were confirmed during their stay at a quarantine hotel.



The fifth patient had returned an indeterminate result during quarantine, and later tested positive after she was admitted to the hospital.
Britain faced with Omicron 'tidal wave', PM warns

Boris Johnson makes his address to the public on British television. Photo: AP
Israeli PM makes history with UAE visit

Naftali Bennett chairs a meeting of Israel's cabinet ahead of his historic visit to the UAE on Sunday. Photo: AP

Naftali Bennett arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday for the first official visit by a prime minister of Israel, after the countries established diplomatic ties last year.



The trip announced by Bennett's office comes with Israel making a renewed diplomatic push against international talks which global powers resumed with its arch foe Iran over the Islamic republic's nuclear programme.



Bennett on Monday meets Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan to discuss "deepening the ties between Israel and the UAE, especially economic and regional issues," the prime minister's office said.



There was no immediate comment from the UAE on the visit which Bennett called "historic".



He was received in Abu Dhabi by UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and an honour guard, according to his office.



The prime minister said he appreciated the "very warm hospitality".



"I'm very excited to be here... as the first official visit of an Israeli leader here. We are looking forward to strengthening the relationship."



In a video issued earlier, Bennett said relations between the two states were "excellent and extensive, and we must continue to nurture and strengthen them, and build the warm peace between the people".



The UAE last year became the third Arab nation to establish full diplomatic relations with Israel after Egypt and Jordan.



Bahrain and Morocco then followed as part of a series of deals brokered by then US president Donald Trump. Sudan also agreed to normalise ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords, but full relations have not yet materialised. (AFP)
The US Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Bangladeshs elite paramilitary unit, after widespread allegations of serious human rights abuse. The Treasury said as part of the Bangladeshi government's war on drugsthreaten US national security interests by undermining the rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the economic prosperity of the people of Bangladesh. RAB is a joint task force founded in 2004 and composed of members of the police, army, navy, air force, and border guards seconded to the RAB from their respective units. Its mandate includes internal security, intelligence gathering related to criminal activities, and government-directed investigations. NGOs have alleged that RAB and other Bangladeshi law enforcement are responsible for more than 600 disappearances since 2009, nearly 600 extrajudicial killings since 2018, and torture. Some reports suggest these incidents target opposition party members, journalists, and human rights activists. RAB is designated for being a foreign entity that is responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or indirectly engaged in, serious human rights abuse. Additionally, the following individuals are designated for being foreign persons who are or have been a leader or official of RAB, an entity that has engaged in, or whose members have engaged in, serious human rights abuse relating to their tenure-Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, Director General; Benazir Ahmed, former Director General; Khan Mohammad Azad, Additional Director General (Operations); Tofayel Mustafa Sorwar, former Additional Director General (Operations); Mohammad Jahangir Alam, former Additional Director General (Operations); and Mohammad Anwar Latif Khan, former Additional Director General (Operations). The US Department of State has announced visa restrictions on Benazir Ahmed due to his involvement in gross violations of human rights, making him ineligible for entry into America. Responding to the development, Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen slammed the sanctions, saying the move was "very unfortunate" and "not fact-based". "I would expect from (the) US more solid fact-based response," Momen said on Saturday, ensuring that Dhaka would review if it was an outcome of any "geopolitics", Xinhua news agency reported. The Foreign Ministry has also summoned the US envoy in Dhaka, Earl R. Miller, to convey Bangladesh's "discontent" over the development. On whether the development could strain Bangladesh-US relations, Momen told reporters: "I don't think so," but quickly added that "it depends on the US". He said the allegations of gross rights violations by the anti-crime elite police unit were not "based on facts" and RAB was a disciplined institution that instead "has been securing human rights for the people of Bangladesh". The Foreign Minister said the US claimed that RAB killed 600 people in 10 years, but "we have no information who were killed", saying the decision should have been backed by facts. (Sanjeev Sharma can be reached at Sanjeev.s@ians.in) --IANS san-ksk/ ( 477 Words) 2021-12-12-11:45:47 (IANS)
According to Badrudin, head of the culture and information department of the province, the murder took place on Saturday in the capital of Farah and the culprits fled the scene after committing the crime, reports Xinhua news agency.

Badrudin said security personnel have launched a search operation for the perpetrators.

No group or individual has so far claimed responsibility for the incident.

--IANS ksk/

( 95 Words)

2021-12-12-14:10:05 (IANS)
On Sunday, Priyanka took to Instagram and shared her experience working on the Russo Brothers' project.

"It's a wrap on #CitadelPhew.. a whole year of doing the most intense work during the most intense time. It could not have been possible without this incredible lot of people. Some you see here some you don't. It's been hard but when you all see it.. it will be worth it! Onwards and upwards," she wrote.

Priyanka also posted a string of images from the sets. One of the images showcases her bruised look.

'Citadel' is touted as an action-packed spy series. The 'Game of Thrones' star Richard Madden is also a part of it.

The show will be out on Amazon Prime Video soon. (ANI)
On the occasion, his well-wishers gathered outside his Chennai residence to wish him.

In videos and pictures, a huge crowd can be seen standing together and expressing their happiness on Thalaiva's 71st birthday.

"We all are happy for Thalaiva's birthday. He has completed 71 years of his life today. We are here to wish him on his special day. We always wholeheartedly support him," one of Rajinikanth's female fans told ANI.

A few fans even carried gifts along with them. Many even wished Rajinikanth on social media.

Meanwhile. on the work front, Rajinikanth will soon reportedly start working on his 169th film, which will be directed by Desingh Periyasamy. (ANI)
Marking the occasion, Sidharth's close friend and actor Kamya Punjabi took to Twitter and recalled the heart-filled conversation she had with the former on his birthday last year.

"Last year on this day maine tujhse kaha tha ki tu 80yrs ka bhi ho jayega toh bhi budha nahi hoga... kitna hasse the hum. Tune toh 80 ka honi hi nahi chaha. (Last year on this day, I told you that you won't be old even when you turn 80...we had a good laugh over it! But you never desired to be of 80)," she wrote.

For the unversed, during his stint on 'Bigg Boss 13', Sidharth was age shamed by several of his fellow contestants such as Rashami Desai, Paras Chhabra, Mahira Sharma, and Vishal Aditya Singh. They used to address him as "buddha" on the show.

The King of one-liners, Sidharth, gave them a befitting reply on his 40th birthday.

"To @TheRashamiDesai #ParasChabbra @MahiraSharma_ #VishalAdityaSingh ..... and who so ever it may concern ....I am now officially 40 saal ka ... but still not a Buddha ..(joke plz take it like one)," he had tweeted on December 12, 2020.

Who would have thought that Sidharth was celebrating his last birthday last year as on September 2, 2021, he passed away after suffering a heart attack. (ANI)
Kuwait will suspend direct commercial flights with South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zambia, and Malawi, except for cargo planes, Kuwait's Center for Government Communication said.

Kuwaiti citizens coming from those countries will be in quarantine for seven days starting from November 28, and they will be required to do a PCR test on arrival and another on the sixth day of arrival, Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, non-Kuwaitis coming from those countries, whether they come directly or through other countries, will be barred from entry unless they stay in a third country for at least 14 days.

Kuwait's government called on citizens to avoid travelling to those countries at present, except in case of necessity.

--IANS int/khz/

( 157 Words)

2021-11-28-05:00:02 (IANS)
The Tamil Nadu health department has vaccinated over 20.45 lakh people against Covid-19 on Saturday during the 14th mega vaccination camp held in various parts of the state. The state health department put the figure at 20,45,347 who were inoculated during the 14th mega vaccination camp held on Saturday. A total of 6,81,346 people were given the first dose while 13,64,001 people were vaccinated with the second dose. State Health Minister Ma Subramanian told IANS, "Till date 7,74,53,917 have been vaccinated in the state so far and this is time for cheer as the second dose coverage of the state has crossed 50 per cent and we will soon achieve the national average of 53 per cent." The minister also thanked doctors, nurses, health inspectors, village health nurses, sector health nurses, and field staff of the department for the services they have provided for making the camps successful. He also said that the daily average of vaccination in the state has increased to 3.10 lakh. The minister also said that till Saturday, 10,005 people from 'at-risk' countries were tested for Covid-19 at the four international airports in the state, and 11 tested positive. Subramanian said, "There is no case of Omicron variant of the coronavirus in Tamil Nadu and the samples of those tested were sent to Instem Bengaluru for further clarification." --IANS aal/skp/ ( 243 Words) 2021-12-12-10:42:36 (IANS)
The study, published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, found that healthy men between the ages of 20 and 65 who vaped nicotine daily were more than twice as likely to report experiencing erectile dysfunction, CNN reported.

"Our analysis accounted for the cigarette smoking history of participants, including those who were never cigarette smokers to begin with," study author Omar El Shahawy from New York University, was quoted as saying.

For the study, the team involved nearly 46,000 adults and looked at information reported by men who regularly used e-cigarettes, restricting their analysis to only those who were otherwise healthy.

"We excluded people with high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease, which is a big reason for ED, and we excluded those with a history of smoking," Shahawy said.

The researcher further mentioned that it is possible that daily e-cigarette vaping may be associated with higher odds of erectile dysfunction regardless of one's smoking history.

--IANS vc/ksk/

( 192 Words)

2021-12-12-13:08:46 (IANS)
Joint Commissioner, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments, Chelladurai said that devotees must have a copy of Covid-19 vaccination certificate for entering Madurai Meenakshi Sundareswar temple from Monday onwards, and those without it, would not be permitted entry.

The Tamil Nadu government had made it mandatory to have vaccination certificates if they move in public places including shrines, shopping malls, and any other place where people converge in large numbers.

Around 30,000 to 50,000 people frequent the famous Madurai Meenakshi Temple daily.

In Rameswaram also, the authorities have erected hoardings at vantage locations directing the visitors and devotees to get vaccinated. The hoardings inform people that vaccines are ready and people were given the jabs on the spot.

Around 50,000 people from all areas of south India reach the Sri Ramanathaswamy temple at Rameswaram on a daily basis. The noted Yercaud Dargah is also located in Rameswaram.

The Tamil Nadu Health Department is conducting intense screening for people who arrive from Kerala even if they have taken two doses of vaccine.

--IANS aal/vd

( 217 Words)

2021-12-12-19:23:03 (IANS)
In an attempt to send a positive message that people are with the union government's decision to repeal the three farm laws to end the farmers agitation, the BJP is using all its might to win the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation election, the first one in north India after the repeal of the three farm laws. Knowing the importance of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation polls which will influence the Punjab and Uttarakhand assembly elections, the BJP is fighting it like state polls and fielding union ministers and chief ministers for campaigning. The election will be held on December 24 and counting of votes will take place on December 27. The emergence of the AAP and delimitation of municipal wards is a major concern for the BJP. After delimitation, the number of wards in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation area has increased to 35 from the previous 26. In the last corporation election five years ago, the BJP won 21 of the total 26 wards. The saffron party had contested 22 and its former ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had contested four wards. A BJP insider said that the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation election is the first one after the three farm laws were repealed by Parliament in the ongoing winter session and the results will reflect the public sentiment about the Centre's decision. "Many within the party believe that the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation results will be seen as the people's verdict on the Centre's decision before the assembly polls in five states next year. The BJP won almost all the seats in the last election and this time we are trying to retain the same strength in the Corporation. Losing or a drastic decrease in seats will be seen as people being against the government's decision to repeal the farm laws," he said. The saffron party believes that despite being an urban centre, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation results will have an impact on the Punjab and Uttarakhand assembly polls to be held early next year. Leaving no stone unturned, the saffron party is eyeing the migrants from Himachal Pradesh, Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand to keep its position intact in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation. The BJP is also eyeing people from South India. To woo voters from Himachal Pradesh, union minister Anurag Thakur and chief minister Jairam Thakur will campaign for BJP candidates. Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and union minister Ajay Bhatt will seek votes for party candidates from people from Uttarakhand. Bhojpuri star turned parliamentarian Manoj Tiwari will also address about half a dozen rallies to woo Poorvanchali voters (people from Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand). The saffron camp also feels that the AAP emerged stronger after inducting former Chandigarh Congress president Pradeep Chhabra. A BJP leader said that with Chhabra's organisational skills and understanding of the city, the AAP is now posing a challenge but the impact or damage can only be assessed after the result. --IANS ssb/bg ( 511 Words) 2021-12-11-20:18:34 (IANS)
With Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls nearing, BJP heavyweights are visiting the state and heaping praises on the state government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also frequenting the state to inaugurate or lay foundation stones for various developmental schemes. According to political analysts, the BJP is always in election mode. Even Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has claimed that the BJP will win more than 300 seats in the 403-member UP Assembly that will go to the polls early next year. BJP MP from Kaushambi, Vinod Sonkar, who is also the party's national secretary and a poll strategist, said that people of the state have seen all sorts of alliances -- 'Bua-Babua' (Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav), 'Do Babuon Ki Jodi' (Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi) etc. The people of the state have also seen and understood how anarchy and corruption prevailed in the state for 15 long years before the BJP returned to power in 2017, he said, adding that the party's rule, the state has developed. On the SP-RLD combine, Sonkar said that RLD chief (Jayant Chaudhary) is the son of a person (late Ajit SIngh) who had time and again criticised the Samajwadi Party. "How can people accept this mismatch," he asked. BJP's poll strategists said that in 2014, 2017, 2019 polls, Jats in Western Uttar Pradesh were with the saffron party. "The Jat community was miffed with the appeasement policies of the opposition parties, and the BJP helped it get rid of them," Sonkar said. On opposition alliance, BJP's poll strategists said that how can those whose party symbols are not safe fight the BJP. "In the previous polls, Om Prakash Rajbhar had bagged 7 per cent votes. All his MLAs were Scheduled Caste. How many OBC MLAs are there," Sonkar asked. People have seen many big alliances, be it SP-BSP or SP-Congress, but they rejected them all and continued to support the BJP, he said. People will no longer accept the opportunists and those who are doing caste-based politics, he said. With polls nearing, polarisation has started with words like 'laal topi' (red cap) and 'abbajaan' (father). When asked about the use of such words, the BJP leader said that the SP cannot fight the elections on the basis of law and order and development in the state, and that is why (Muhammad Ali) Jinnah is being invoked to divert the issues. The BJP government in the state has set up 35 medical colleges, but during the SP's tenure, people had to stand at kiosks to charge their mobile for Rs 10. Today, the state government is supplying power for 14 to 20 hours. "The SP and the BSP know that if they fight the polls on development issues, they won't be even able to open their accounts in the state," he said. While BSP chief Mayawati is focusing on secure seats, Sonkar feels that those seats will also go to the saffron camp. Sonkar said that Scheduled Caste people had trusted Mayawati, and made her the Chief Minister four times but can anyone list one work that she did for the said community? On the BSP accusing the BJP of taking credit for schemes introduced during Mayawati's tenure, Sonkar said it will be decided by the public. "Not only the BSP, even the SP is saying the same thing, but people know everything," the BJP leader said. "We are inaugurating the projects for which we have laid foundation stones. Our projects are neither delayed, nor lost or stuck," he added. --IANS vkt/svn ( 600 Words) 2021-12-11-20:18:35 (IANS)
The President of the Samajwadi Party's Backward Classes Cell, Rajpal Kashyap, has claimed that the BJP will face historic defeat when the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly goes to the polls early next year. The Samajwadi Party (SP) has sounded the poll bugle in Uttar Pradesh, projecting itself as the main rival to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Speaking to IANS about SP's poll strategy to defeat the BJP, Kashyap said that the party is fighting all 403 seats in the state to "gherao" the saffron party. On the SP-RLD seat-sharing formula, Kashyap said that it will be decided by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary, but the people of the state have already sounded the bugle for "parivartan" (change). "To take on the BJP in Eastern UP, the SP has allied with Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) President Om Prakash Rajbhar. There are many other parties which have strong caste equations. To fight in Western UP, we have tied up with RLD," he said. "We will fight the polls together with the RLD and form the next government in the state," the SP leader asserted. On polarisation of voters, Kashyap said: "Red colour is the symbol of change. That is why the ruling party is afraid of it," indirectly referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent "lal topiwala" (red cap) jibe at Akhilesh Yadav. "The SP will show them (the BJP) the exit door," he claimed. On poll preparations, Kashyap said that SP has a full-proof plan ready, right from the booth to the sector level. The SP leader said that the BJP has cheated every secion of the society, as the Backward Classes, Dalits, farmers etc. all are disappointed with the saffron camp. Every section of the society is looking at SP with hope, he said. "Akhilesh Yadav is holding 'Rath Yatras' in the state. I have also taken out a Rath Yatra, so did the party's state unit chief Naresh Uttam. Besides women's conventions are also being held. The BJP will face historic defeat at the hands of Samajwadi Party this time," Kashyap claimed. --IANS vkt/svn ( 370 Words) 2021-12-11-20:22:08 (IANS)
Believing that a perfect opposition unity exists only theoretically in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP is focusing its strategy on getting over 50 per cent votes in the 2022 Assembly polls to blunt any consolidation against them. To further consolidate its Hindu votes, the saffron party has also planned to highlight the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya and redevelopment of the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi in the run up to the Assembly polls. To achieve the target of over 50 per cent vote share in its favour, the saffron party is working on two fronts, firstly strengthening organisation at the booth level and secondly banking on the development and welfare measures that have taken place in Uttar Pradesh in the last five years under the BJP government at the Centre and state. In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP got nearly 50 per cent votes and 64 seats out of 80. In the last Assembly polls in 2017, the BJP and its alliance partner won 324 seats out of 403 in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP got around 40 per cent of total votes polled in the last Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. "We are working on getting over 50 per cent of the vote this time also and it will be the key strategy in Uttar Pradesh. In the last 2019 Lok Sabha polls, despite facing the challenge from the biggest alliance of Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), we won 64 seats with our alliance partner Apna Dal, and also got 50 per cent vote share. Perfect opposition unity only exists theoretically in Uttar Pradesh and on paper," BJP Uttar Pradesh vice president Vijay Bahadur Pathak said. To achieve the target to get over 50 per cent vote share, the BJP has launched "booth jeeto, chunav jeeto (wins booths, win elections". The BJP has constituted committees at over 1.53 lakh polling booths in Uttar Pradesh. The ruling party also completed the appointment of 'panna pramukh' at each page of the electoral roll. These workers at the booth level have started reaching out to the voters with works of Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath government. In view of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, the BJP is also enrolling over 1.5 crore new members in the state. Currently the BJP has over 2.5 crore members in Uttar Pradesh. "As per plan, the BJP workers are making a minimum 100 new members at over 1.53 lakh polling booths, where the party has a committee, in Uttar Pradesh. During the membership drive the party is targeting to enroll a minimum 1.5 crore members in the state," a party leader said. On its core ideological agenda of Hindutva, the BJP has made a month-long celebration from December 13 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate the massive redevelopment and beautification of the Kashi Vishwanath temple to the nation. On the social engineering front, to woo all the communities ahead of next year's Assembly polls, the party has started holding a caste specific outreach programme for Other Backward Class (OBC) and Schedule Caste (SC). As per the strategy, programmes will focus on all the castes and sub castes of OBCs and SC. Special focus will be on OBCs caste as they constitute over 50 per cent of total electorate of state. The non- Yadav OBCs have played an important role in the rise of the BJP in recent times. "OBCs are electorally important in Uttar Pradesh. This time we are also trying to win support of all OBC communities especially of non - Yadav," a party insider said. Among SC communities, the BJP trying to make in roads of the BSP vote bank by projecting former Uttarakhand Governor and party national vice president Baby Rani Maurya as its Dalit face in the state against former Chief Minister Mayawati. Both Maurya and Mayawati belong to the dominant Jatav community, which accounts for more than half of the Dalit community. Jatav consitutes 11 per cent of total 21 per cent of the Dalit population in Uttar Pradesh. Jatavs are still with Mayawati and any dent in Jatav vote bank will weaken Mayawati and strengthen the BJP. --IANS ssb/dpb ( 711 Words) 2021-12-11-20:22:10 (IANS)
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which has been left with only four MLAs in Uttar Pradesh Assembly, has reiterated that it will go solo in the 2022 polls as it has an "alliance" with the state's population. The BSP has lost 15 of its 19 MLAs to other parties. BSP chief Mayawati has said that like 2007, the party will come to power with complete majority as it has formed an "alliance with the people of the state". BSP national spokesperson Sudhindra Bhadoria told IANS: "The party has decided to go it alone. It will not stitch alliance with any other party." On forming an alliance with the Congress, Bhadoria said that talks were on, but whether the alliance will happen or not is yet to be seen. Though the Congress has opened its door for the BSP, the latter does not want to enter into alliance with any big party, especially the SP. In 1996, the BSP fought the polls in alliance with the Congress. But, for the 2022 polls, the BSP seems to be reluctant in having an alliance with the Congress, thereby 'proving that the previous alliance was a failure'. Alliance politics in the state started in 1993 when the BSP and the SP challenged the BJP. The SP-BSP combine had won 176 seats, of which the SP had won 67. But after the 1995 Guest House scandal, the SP-BSP relationship turned sour. After that the BSP continued to take support from the BJP and Congress and tried to strengthen the party. In 1996, the BSP fought in alliance with the Congress and the former bagged 67 seats and its vote percentage increased to 27 per cent. In 2017, it formed an alliance with the SP and the Congress, but did not get anything as the Modi wave swept the state. --IANS ptk/svn/dpb ( 320 Words) 2021-12-11-20:22:11 (IANS)
The Congress is banking on the big-ticket promises being made by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the run-up to next year's Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, with the party General Secretary focusing on the women voters in the state. On Wednesday, Priyanka Gandhi released a manifesto for women titled 'Shakti Vidhan', which it thinks could be a game-changer for the party in the elections to the 403-member UP Assembly. Priyanka Gandhi has promised that if voted to power, the Congress will allot 40 per cent of the 20 lakh new jobs it aims to create in the state to women. Also, businesses raising their female headcount to 50 per cent will be provided incentives, including tax exemptions. The manifesto also promises 25 per cent reservation for women in the state police force, while each police station will have at least one woman officer and constable. A law will be made for the suspension of officers, if Section 4 of Atrocities Act is not followed within 10 days of receiving any complaint for offenses like rape. Apart from these, every girl studying in 10+2 will get a smartphone, while girls enrolled in undergraduate programmes will get a Scooty. As per the manifesto, women will travel free of cost in state-run buses, besides receiving three free gas cylinders every year. These are among the many promises made in 'Shakti Vidhan'. But the Congress has its task cut out in Uttar Pradesh, as the main fight here is between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP), with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) also in the fray. The Congress had managed just seven seats in the last Assembly elections in 2017. Unlike last time, there has been no concrete talk of Congress entering into any alliance yet. However, on Thursday, senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut met Priyanka Gandhi in the national capital and said that his party might form an alliance with the Congress for the next year's Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and Goa. Some may look at this possible alliance as Congress' attempt to gain credibility among the Hindutva voters. Of late, Priyanka Gandhi herself has been frequently spotted visiting temples. She also chanted 'Durga Stuti' before beginning her speech at a rally in Varanasi recently. In November, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had made a remark that if the BJP forms the government in the state, all opposition leaders would be seen rendering 'kar seva' outside temples. Responding to that, Priyanka Gandhi said on Thursday, "Does Yogi ji know which temple I go to? I have been keeping a fast since the age of 14. I do not need certificates from anybody on my religion or faith." The Congress is trying to question SP chief Akhilesh Yadav over his role during the CAA-NRC agitation, with Priyanka Gandhi asking at a recent rally in Moradabad, "Where was the leader of the Samajwadi Party when the CAA agitation was going on?" The party has also roped in Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel as the AICC senior observer for the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, and is banking on his OBC credentials. Congress leader and MLC Deepak Singh said, "Congress has three Chief Ministers -- Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi is from the Dalit community, while Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and Baghel belong to the OBC. So it is the Congress, and not the BJP, which wants to empower the downtrodden." While the Congress is trying hard, political experts feel that it might have created a buzz that will show real results in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. --IANS miz/arm ( 614 Words) 2021-12-11-20:22:13 (IANS)
Speaking at an event here in Mumbai, Raut said, "Around 25 years ago, NCP chief Sharad Pawar had said that BJP does not want unity in the country, but we (Shiv Sena) could understand it only in 2019 and Shiv Sena took a "long time to realise" it."

The Sena MP was speaking at a book launch where a collection of Sharad Pawar's speeches in Marathi at various political rallies was released.

Raut further added that Pawar had said that BJP is dividing the country and is taking the country in the opposite direction.

Referring to the book's title 'Nemkechi Bolane', Raut said the book should be gifted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he "needs to know certain things". 'Nemkechi Bolane' roughly translates to speaking with brevity.

Shiv Sena severed ties with its ally Bharatiya Janata Party after the Maharashtra Assembly elections in 2019 over the chief ministerial post. Later, Uddhav Thackeray-led party formed the government in the state with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress. (ANI)
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday sent out a tough message to the cyber criminals, saying time has come to wage a war on cyber crimes. "Go after the cyber criminals, come what may there should be no compromise, we have zero tolerance for them and the time has come to wage a war on cyber crimes," he said. He made the remarks while speaking after launching the 'Cyber Secure Karnataka' campaign. The Chief Minister said the state has introduced the CIR number system. It is the first of its kind in the entire country, wherein an FIR would be registered and bank accounts of the victim and the offenders would be frozen following just a mobile phone communication. "Even the Prime Minister has appreciated it and it is being emulated by other states as well," he said. Referring to use of Dark Web in narcotics supply, child trafficking and illegal arms supply, Bommai said: "All this come through cyber route. Our government started CEN (Cyber, Economic offences, Narcotics) police stations when I was the Home Minister." "Our government has declared a war against narcotics. However only police stations are not enough. We need technology, modern equipments and funds. I can provide you everything to enable you to go after this cyber criminals. Come what may there is no compromise, we have zero tolerance against drug trafficking," he said. Quoting a saying, "crime leads the law", he stressed the need for Cyber laws to catch up with criminals to deal with them swiftly and effectively. As the criminals have a wide network, we need to widen the Cyber Security Network, the Chief Minister said, suggesting the officials to seek the cooperation and suggestions from the Central government in this regard. He called upon the youth to use their digital knowledge and gadgets as a weapon. "Use the technology for good cause with social responsibility to better their future." --IANS mka/pgh ( 332 Words) 2021-12-11-23:04:22 (IANS)
She is undergoing treatment at the Zydus Hospital in Ahmedabad, and is on life support system.

According to Zydus Hospital sources, Patel was admitted to the hospital on Thursday evening with dengue. She gradually suffered multiple organ failure. Her heart and lungs are weak, and her liver and kidneys are not functioning.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel visited her on Saturday at Zydus Hospital and assured her family members of providing all the necessary help and support. The minister of state, Brijesh Merja also visited her at Zydus Hospital. He said: "Ashaben is in ICU, and unconscious."

The state government has moved a team of doctors from the government-run U.N. Mehta hospital to the private Zydus Hospital in attempt to provide further medical assistance to the BJP leader.

Patel was diagnosed with dengue after having fever on December 7, after she returned from Delhi where she met several top BJP leaders.

Initially, she was treated at a local hospital in Unjha for two days, and was later shifted to Zydus Hospital in Ahmedabad on Friday.

Former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani who visited the private hospital, said "Ashaben's condition was worrying".

--IANS amc/pgh

( 235 Words)

2021-12-11-23:22:14 (IANS)
Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan on Saturday said that Kerala has a very very dim future if party loyalty becomes criteria instead of merit in appointments in Universities of the state. Speaking to ANI, Muraleedharan said, "I have never heard of such a thing before with the head of the state saying that he would like to demit the office of the chancellorship. He (Governor of Kerala) has also talked about political interference in appointment to various positions in the university." Muraleedharan further stressed that Universities are supposed to be autonomous bodies and no government has the authority to intervene in appointments or any other policy. "Instead of merit, if party loyalty becomes the criteria, then I am sure Kerala is going to have a 'very very dim future'," he added. Earlier, Kerala governor Arif Mohammad Khan had written to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over political appointments in Universities of the state. He had said, "My advice to you is to amend Acts of universities and you personally assume the position of Chancellor so that you can carry out your political objectives without any dependence on Governor." In the letter to the CM, Khan had said, "The existing scene today is that the authorities Of the universities are packed with political nominees and non-academics are taking academic decisions." (ANI)
Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala has claimed that the government has been trying to politicise the higher educations system in Kerala for the last five years. "We are raising this issue but the government did not take it seriously. Now the Governor has raised very serious allegations against the government," he said. This comes after Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, who is also the Chancellor of universities in the state, in a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had expressed his displeasure over political appointments in state's universities and urged him to amend the Acts of the Universities and take over as Chancellor. Meanwhile, UDF Convener MM Hassan said that as a Chancellor, the Kerala Governor should act as per the laws and Constitution. "He must act to stop the politicisation of state universities. We support the Governor's sentiments. He should not make complaints but act as per powers given to him," he said. In the letter to Vijayan, the Kerala Governor advised the Chief Minister to amend the Acts of the universities. "My advice to you is to amend the Acts of the universities and you personally assume the position of the Chancellor, so that you can carry out your political objectives without any dependence on the Governor. Once the universities come under the direct control of the government, there will be no scope for anybody to make allegations of political interference," the Governor wrote in his four-page letter. Expressing his intention to vacate the position, the Governor advised the Chief Minister: "You can ask the Advocate General to prepare a legal document through which the Governor can transfer the powers of Chancellor, to the Chief Minister. I am confident it should not be difficult for the Advocate General to find a legal method to do so." "It has become impossible for me as Chancellor to protect the universities from the baneful continuous political interference and erosion of their autonomy," he added. (ANI)
Speaking to ANI, Jaganath said, "Mamta Banerjee never obeys the law, she does whatever she wants. She chairs a meeting in the name of administration without calling our MLAs. She considers West Bengal as her property that's why she does what she wants to do."

"She never obeys the constitution. You can see the violence that was reported in the state after the state assembly elections. The High Court scolded them, even then they are not ashamed," he added.

Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress won 213 seats in the West Bengal Assembly elections that concluded last month. The Bharatiya Janata Party garnered 77 seats in the 294-seat state assembly.

Violence has been reported in several parts of West Bengal after the results of the Assembly elections were declared on May 2. (ANI)
Movable 'solar trolley' helped the farmers to continue year-long protest at Ghazipur border against the three farm laws amid power shortage. Speaking to ANI, Amandeep Singh, said, There was a time when the problem of electricity had to be dealt with because the government had cut the power supply. The farmers came up with a new way and made a solar panel by investing Rs 10 to 12 lakh. Installing the solar panel helped us with charging our mobile phones and gave relief from the intense heat during summer days." Speaking about the efficiency of solar power, Amandeep told that once fully charged, it can get work for two days to power air conditioner and cooler. Jagga Singh, a farmer, said that all the money that has been donated here were being given to the farmers. "We organise langar here and other works in the favour of people. Langars were being organised from the first day of protest." Farmers have taken down their settlements and have vacated the borders around Delhi, which were their protesting sites for the last year."The protest has come to an end and in the favour of farmers. We are all returning to our homes, now," added Jagga Singh. On November 19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Centre will bring necessary bills in the Winter Session of Parliament beginning later this month to repeal the farm laws. Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha passed the Farm Laws Repeal Bill on the first day of the winter session on November 29. President Ram Nath Kovind has also given his assent to the Bill that completes the process of repealing the three farm laws. The farmers were sitting on dharna on the Delhi borders since November 2020 against the three farm laws. (ANI)
A video in which Class 10 students of a Karnataka school could be seen "harassing" an elderly teacher at the classroom by putting a dustbin on his head has gone viral on the social media. The teacher, Prakash, who is left with one year's service before retirement is seen teaching Hindi, while a group of students in Nalluru Government High school in Chennagiri taluk of Davanagere district starts "teasing" him. The students could be seen pushing the teacher, and giggling. One of the boy students puts dustbin on his head while he is writing on black board and the entire class "celebrates". After the shocking video of the incident went viral, local MLA Madal Virupakshappa and others visited the school and inquired about the incident. Afterwards, the leaders of a student organisation called the students, and told them to respect the teachers. On being asked the reason behind their act, the students said others "pushed them" to do it. The students were admonished and asked to touch the feet of the teacher and apologise. The teacher forgave them with a smile on his face, and asked them not to repeat such an act with any other teacher in future. --IANS mka/pgh ( 212 Words) 2021-12-12-01:40:15 (IANS)
As per an official statement from Prime Minsiter's Office, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, MoS Finance and RBI Governor will also be present on the occasion.

"Deposit insurance covers all deposits such as savings, fixed, current, recurring deposits, etc. in all commercial banks, functioning in India. Deposits in State, Central and Primary cooperative banks, functioning in States/Union Territories are also covered," said the PMO.

"In a path-breaking reform, bank deposit insurance cover was enhanced from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh," it added.

With deposit insurance coverage of Rs 5 lakh per depositor per bank, the number of fully protected accounts at end of the previous financial year constituted 98.1 per cent of the total number of accounts, as against the international benchmark of 80 per cent.

The first tranche of interim payments has been released by the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation recently, against claims received from depositors of 16 Urban Cooperative Banks which are under restrictions by RBI. Payout of over Rs 1,300 crore has been made to alternate bank accounts of over 1 lakh depositors against their claims, informed the PMO. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Prakash Reddy on Saturday lauded the Centre for focusing on handloom developmental works and said that Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao should waive off handloom weavers loans in the state. Speaking to ANI, Reddy said, "The textile minister KT Rama Rao demands only money from the Centre. He doesn't want any other facility for handloom weavers in place of money." Earlier, KT Rama Rao demanded the Centre to sanction funds for the powerloom clusters. Reacting to this, BJP leader Prakash Reddy said that the Central government is committed to developing the handloom clusters as the handloom industry is the second biggest industry after agriculture in the country. Slamming the Telangana government, Reddy said, "Telangana government declared that they are going to develop Handloom clusters in Warangal. KCR declared this in his 2014 manifesto. Till now, the government has not provided minimum facilities in that cluster." "CM KCR had told that he would waive off the loans of handloom weavers in Telangana. As per my records, 4000 people took loans in this sector of which the government waived only 500 handloom weaver loans," he said. Meanwhile, on September 7 this year, Telangana Industries Minister KT Rama Rao announced that the state government has released Rs 73.5 crore for the welfare of handloom weavers and ancillary workers towards various schemes. "As per the instructions of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR), measures are being taken to ensure the monthly income of the workers is over Rs 15,000," stated Minister KTR. KTR said the state government is taking up measures to ensure institutional and structural development of the handlooms sector in the state and different welfare schemes and programmes are being implemented accordingly. (ANI)
The pigeons had a ring-shaped small device fitted around their legs.

"These birds came and sat on a fishing boat at the sea on December 5. The fishing boat returned on Saturday, after which the boat owner informed the police," Porbandar Deputy SP, Smit Gohil said.

"The boat owner informed the police that a person working on his boat found two suspicious pigeons with a ring-shaped small device on the pigeons' legs," he said.

"We are investigating the matter. The device will be removed from the birds' legs after consulting the forest department. Later, the ring will be sent to Gandhinagar for FSL tests," he added.

Earlier in May this year, a chip-fitted pigeon was caught in Gujarat's Vadodara. (ANI)
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), the country witnessed as many as 306 COVID-related deaths in the last 24 hours. As many as 4,75,434 people have succumbed to the infection so far.

8,464 people recovered in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative recoveries to 3,41,22,795. The recovery rate is currently at 98.36 per cent which is the highest since March 2020.

"The daily positivity rate (0.65 per cent) is less than 2 per cent for the last 69 days. The weekly positivity rate (0.70 per cent) is less than 1 per cent for the last 28 days," the ministry said.

Meanwhile, 65.58 crore samples have been tested for the presence of the virus so far.

Over 132.93 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive. (ANI)
Mayor of Mumbai, Kishori Pednekar had received a letter from an anonymous sender threatening to kill her. Pednekar had registered her complaint in the police station soon after receiving the letter.

Speaking to the reporters here, Patil said, "After the Mumbai Mayor received the threat letter, we have provided them security. The search operation of the sender is on. Whosoever is found to be the culprit, would be punished harshly."

Notably, the Mayor had earlier received the death threat last year over the phone. (ANI)
More than 200 pairs of buffaloes participated in various competitions during the race.

Kambala is a folk sport, held traditionally by local Tuluva landlords and households in coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udipi of Karnataka and Kasaragod of Kerala, a region collectively known as Tulu Nadu.

In 2017, Former President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday approved promulgation of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, allowing to conduct 'Kambala', an annual buffalo race organised in Karnataka.

The sport generally starts in November and lasts until March. (ANI)
The remains arrived at the Amritsar Air Force station this morning and will be taken to his residence in Dode Village of Patti Tehsil in Tarn Taran District.

The 35-year-old soldier was among the 13 people killed when the IAF helicopter carrying them crashed on December 8.

Gursewak is survived by his wife Jaspreet Kaur, three children- two daughters aged nine and seven- and a son aged three and his father.

The victims of the military helicopter crash included Chief of Defence Staff General Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, his Defence Adviser Brigadier Lakhbinder Singh Lidder, Staff Officer Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh and nine other Armed Forces personnel including the Air Force helicopter crew.

Group Captain Varun Singh the lone survivor of the mishap and is presently on life support in Military Hospital, Wellington. (ANI)
This message was recorded on December 7.

In the recorded video, CDS Rawat had paid tribute to the armed force personnel who lost their lives on the line of duty.

"Greetings to the armed force personnel on the occasion of Swarnim Vijay Parv. Vijay Parv is being celebrated to commemorate 50 years of India's historic victory in the 1971 war. I would like to pay tribute to the armed force personnel who sacrificed their lives on the line of duty," General Rawat said in the message.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday inaugurated Swarnim Vijay Parv celebrations, earlier in the day to commemorate 50 years of India's historic victory in the 1971 war and Indo-Bangladesh friendship.

During the event, major weapons and equipment used during the 1971 war have been displayed along with snippets of major battles.

The closing ceremony will be held on December 13, which will be attended by Rajnath Singh. Many dignitaries, including from Bangladesh, will be present. (ANI)
Public representatives, administration officials and common people reached the air cargo to pay their tributes.

His body will reach his ancestral village Dhamanda for the funeral.

13 people were killed when the IAF's helicopter carrying them crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on December 8.

Those who died in the crash include Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, his Defence Adviser Brigadier Lakhbinder Singh Lidder, Staff Officer Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh and nine other Armed Forces personnel including the Air Force helicopter crew. (ANI)
Special Court, Jaipur has remanded them to the ED custody till December 24.

"ED has arrested Jai Narayan Sharma and Nizamudin in Navjeevan Credit Co-operative Society Scam Case. The Special Court, Jaipur has remanded them to the ED custody till December 24, 2021. One day before, ED carried out searches and seized cash of Rs 62.60 lakh and 20 kilograms of silver," the law enforcement agency tweeted.

Further probe in the matter is underway. (ANI)
: There is melancholy, certain shades of relaxed autumn dusk that never leave the nine-interlinked stories. At times, you can almost see filmmaker Wong Kar Wai in his trademark dark shades smiling from beneath the pages. She says that as a reader it is this mood that has always attracted her, something which she has tried to capture in her debut work 'The House Next to the Factory' (HarperCollins India). The book, which she wrote over a long period, set in Delhi between 1980 revolves around Kavya and her post-Partition family. There is alienation, doubts, desires ---and life asserting itself amidst them all. But it is the delicacy with which the author threads the tales that speaks volumes about her craft. Washington-based Sonal Kohli tells IANS that when she was about a third of the way into the book, she questioned herself if she should now figure out the theme and write the remaining stories to fit that. "But it felt like a forced approach. I wanted the connections, if any, to be natural, organic. So I kept writing the stories as they came to me. I was out on an evening walk when I suddenly saw how the characters connected with each other. It was a moment of revelation. All at once the disjointed pieces fell into place and the whole picture emerged," she remembers. Another thing that strikes is the vivid imagery -- page after page. Not dense, but always leaving enough space for the reader to imagine. Keeping descriptions as short and sparse as possible, often striving to capture an image through only a telling detail or two and letting the reader fill in the rest. She adds, " D.H. Lawrence is not particularly known for his stories, but from him, I learnt how to describe a character, without talking about his/her physical features. In one of his stories set on a beach, he describes a woman just by the way the sunlight glances off her shoulders. It's a description that never leaves and I am always striving towards this sort of economy of words to create a visual." Despite the acclaim the book has been garnering, the writer admits that once she started writing, she encountered several misgivings. Kohli worried about craft, language, about not having a formal education in literature or writing. " It took me a long time to trust my instincts. Now, especially after publishing this book, I have more confidence in my aesthetic," says the author of the book on which she worked for ten years. "When I started to write this book, all I knew was that it was a collection of stories. I wasn't sure what form it would take and I hoped to discover and understand that as I wrote." Talk to her about the fact that the role of book editors is seldom highlighted, and she is all praise for the very talented Rahul Soni, who edited her book. "Rahul is gentle, kind and wise, and these qualities pervade all his interactions. He is a wonderful editor. He helped bring this book to its current form. He's also been a guide as I stepped into the world of publication. He even went out of his way and took up the responsibility of submitting my book to publishers in the UK and the US. I too feel that book editors need to be acknowledged. Their name deserves to go on the book -- Rahul's certainly does." Kohli, who has a MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia, UK, feels the degree was much helpful in building her confidence in my work. "At UEA I was continuously writing new stories and workshopping them. Finding that my early drafts were well received by my colleagues was just the boost that I needed. Also, when I provided feedback to my peers' novels and stories, it trained me to look at my own work from a distance and read it critically," concludes Kohli who is now working on a short novel. --IANS sukant/shs ( 686 Words) 2021-12-12-07:43:07 (IANS)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that 'aarthik sashaktikaran' (financial empowerment) is the ultimate goal of the Centre and it has saved banks and provided security to the depositors. While addressing the 'Depositors First: Guaranteed Time-bound Deposit Insurance Payment up to Rs 5 lakh' programme in the national capital, the Prime Minister said, "We intend to introduce uniformity in the banking system for everyone instead of catering to a reserved section of the society. Baking for all is our aim." "Aarthik Sashaktikaran is our ultimate goal and we will ensure to scale it to new heights with dynamic reforms for the common man," PM Modi said. "Smaller banks merged with larger public sector banks to strengthen their capacity, capability, transparency. If banks are to be saved, depositors have to be provided security; we have saved banks, provided security to depositors," he said. He stated that financial inclusion, ease of access to credit provided by the government has helped women most. "Of the crores of bank accounts opened under Jan Dhan Yojana, more than half belong to women. Also, 80 per cent of women in India have bank accounts. The impact is immense," he said. The Prime Minister appreciated the Digital India programme and said that the people are able to access their banking system digitally 24*7, from anywhere. In the event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed over symbolic cheques to the depositors of the banks that failed to return their money, under the 'Depositors First: Guaranteed Time-bound Deposit Insurance Payment up to Rs 5 Lakh' scheme. Citing the effectiveness of the increased cap for the depositors, he said, "Increased depositors' amount is a landmark reform in the financial system and one-of-its-kind not only in India but among various developed nations." "We have understood the challenges faced by the poor people and therefore increased the depositors' amount. The increased amount is a sense of security to them, in case any bank faces a financial crunch," he added. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das were also present at the event. (ANI)
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Central government and said that 'Hindutvavadis' only want power and they are in power since 2014 and urged people to throw Hindutvavadis out of power and bring back Hindus who follow the path of truth. Speaking at the Mehangai Hatao Rally here, the Wayanad MP said, "Hindutvavadis spend their entire life in search of power. They want nothing but power and can do anything for it. They follow the path of 'Sattagrah' (search of power), not 'Satyagrah' (search of truth). This country is of Hindus, not of Hindutvavadis." "Hindutvavadis only want power and they are in power since 2014. We need to throw these Hindutvavadis out of power and bring back Hindus," he said. "Who is Hindu? The one who embraces everybody fears nobody, and respects every religion, while a Hindutvavadi bow down before his fear," Rahul Gandhi said. "In Indian politics today, there is a competition between two worlds -- 'Hindu' and 'Hindutvavadi'. The two words have different meanings. I am Hindu but not Hindutvavadi... Mahatma Gandhi was a Hindu but Godse was Hindutavadi," he added. Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were also present at the Jaipur rally. Speaking earlier, the Congress General Secretary had alleged that the BJP-led Centre was selling everything created by Congress. "When you elected them (BJP), you laid your trust in them that the country will progress. They used to say that Congress did not do anything in the past 70 years. But I want to ask them, what did you do in the last seven years? Show us one institution that you built for education, one AIIMS that you built for the healthcare system. The airport that you use to fly was also built by Congress. Today the government wants to sell everything that Congress made to its friends," she alleged. Rajasthan Assembly polls are slated to be held in 2023. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party state president K Surendran has demanded a judicial enquiry into all appointments made in various universities of Kerala after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan assumed office. Addressing reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, K Surendran alleged that universities have become the centre of CPIM's political appointments and demanded an answer from the chief minister. "The only merit required is an influence in CPIM. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan should come forward and answer publicly to all allegations raised by the governor. A detailed probe into the appointments made by the government for the last six years should be conducted," he said. "The Honourable governor's direct allegation is against the chief minister himself. With the political interference and appointment of immediate relatives of CPIM leaders and ministers in various universities, the merit is totally ignored. Political influence is the merit in Kerala. So chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan should speak against the allegation raised by the governor," the BJP leader added. Surendran accused the Kerala government of sabotaging the autonomy of the state universities and demanded a judicial enquiry in the university appointments in the last six years. "The entire system collapsed and the Pinarayi Vijayan government is trying to sabotage the autonomy of universities in Kerala. The allegation of Governor Arif Muhammad Khan is a serious concern. So BJP demands a Judicial enquiry in university appointments made in the last six years. There were a lot of political appointments and we want a Judicial enquiry in this," Surendran said. Earlier, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala claimed that the government has been trying to politicise the higher educations system in Kerala for the last five years. "We are raising this issue but the government did not take it seriously. Now the Governor has raised very serious allegations against the government," he said. In a letter to Vijayan, the Kerala Governor advised the Chief Minister to amend the Acts of the universities. "My advice to you is to amend the Acts of the universities and you personally assume the position of the Chancellor, so that you can carry out your political objectives without any dependence on the Governor. Once the universities come under the direct control of the government, there will be no scope for anybody to make allegations of political interference," the Governor wrote in his four-page letter. Expressing his intention to vacate the position, the Governor advised the Chief Minister: "You can ask the Advocate General to prepare a legal document through which the Governor can transfer the powers of Chancellor, to the Chief Minister. I am confident it should not be difficult for the Advocate General to find a legal method to do so." "It has become impossible for me as Chancellor to protect the universities from the baneful continuous political interference and erosion of their autonomy," he added. (ANI)
The Chief Minister also assured that Naik's daughter will be given a job.

"We are proud that Naik Jitendra Kumar was born in Madhya Pradesh. He was a very brave soldier. His family is my family now. We will give Rs.1 crore to his family and his daughter Sunita will get a job. The village school will be named after him", he tweeted.

13 people were killed when the IAF's helicopter carrying them crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on December 8.

Those who died in the crash include Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, his Defence Adviser Brigadier Lakhbinder Singh Lidder, Staff Officer Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh and nine other Armed Forces personnel including the Air Force helicopter crew. (ANI)
Sixteen heirs of the erstwhile Nawab of Rampur will finally get their share of the royal property after a five-decade battle in court. Property worth over Rs 2,650 crore of the erstwhile Nawab of Rampur, Raza Ali Khan, will be divided among his 16 legal heirs according to Shariat rules. The court of Rampur district judge has now given the verdict on the 'partition scheme', following the Supreme Court's order of July 31, 2019. Advocate Mukesh Saxena, counsel for one of the heirs, Kazim Ali Khan, said "The file has been sent to the apex court for the final decree." Nawab Raza Ali Khan, who let Rampur join India in 1949, was survived by three wives, three sons and six daughters after his death in 1966. The government recognised the eldest of his three sons, Murtaza Ali Khan, as the sole inheritor according to the customary law. This was challenged in court by his siblings in 1972 and thus began a long battle in the family. The heirs include late Murtaza's daughter Nikhat Bi, son Murad Mian and late Zulfiqar Ali Khan Bahadur's wife Begum Noor Bano (a former MP), her son Naved Mian and others. The share of Syeda Mehrunnisa Begum, descendant of the late Nawab and wife of Pakistan Air Marshal Abdul Rahim, will be handed over to the custodian of enemy property, which is the Indian government, as she is now a Pakistani national. It may be recalled that in February 2020, the strongroom of the family at Khasbagh palace was opened as part of the exercise to evaluate the royal treasures. When the locks of an armoury in the palace, spread over 450 acres, was broken, the evaluation team found guns with intricate designs, gem studded swords and handcrafted knives. A garage had vintage cars imported from the US and Europe that included a Plymouth (1957), Dodge convertible (1954), Austin convertible (1956), Buick (1939) and Willys Jeep (1956). The immovable properties to be divided among 16 claimants include the 200-acre Benazir Bagh palace, Sarhari Kunda palace, Shahbad Bagh palace and a private railway station. District government counsel Arun Prakash Saxena said, "As per the partition plan, all 16 legal heirs will get a share. Two of the legal heirs have died during the long court battle, and their heirs would be entitled to get their share." The Muslim law recognises two types of heirs, sharers and residuaries. Sharers are those who are entitled to a certain share in the property, and residuaries would take their share in the property that is left after the sharers have taken their parts. --IANS amita/dpb ( 452 Words) 2021-12-12-10:27:37 (IANS)
Speaking to media persons in Hubli, he said, "Legislature session is being held in Belagavi after two years. The state government has completed all the preparations for a smooth session. I wish to have fruitful debates on issues related to development and redressal of grievances of the people of the state."

People of Northern Karnataka are keen to witness serious debates, especially about issues related to the comprehensive development of their region. "We want to make decisions on many important issues," Bommai said.

The 10-day winter session of the Karnataka Assembly session will be held at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, Belagavi from December 13 to 24.

The session will commence on December 13 and on the first day, the governor will address both the State Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council. (ANI)
According to a study for a doctoral dissertation, organisations should pay much more attention to the situation of the partners of their international employees. The research was presented by Kaisu Kanstren at the University of Vaasa in Finland. Kaisu Kanstren's doctoral dissertation examined the career identities, career capital development and subjective well-being of expatriate partners. For her dissertation, Kanstren interviewed thirty Finnish career-oriented expatriate partners. "Although the comfort of partners is very important for the success of international assignments and recruitments in general, companies and organisations still do not pay sufficient attention to the situation of relocating partners," said Kanstren. The results of the study showed that global mobility had a significant impact on the career identity of expatriate partners. In the worst-case scenario, moving abroad for the sake of a partner's work could lead to the loss of the career identity of the accompanying partner; at best, it could be the start of a new career and the reconstruction of a career identity. Living abroad also seemed to offer diverse learning experiences that developed skills and increased the career capital of the partners. The partners felt that their self-awareness, self-confidence, coping skills in a foreign environment, intercultural interaction skills, language skills and understanding of international business developed. In addition, living abroad brings about significant changes in the resources that affected the subjective well-being of the partners, such as their own career and financial independence, as well as social support networks. Achieving resources, on the other hand, seemed to have a stronger impact on well-being than losing them. The partners actively sought to find new resources that produced well-being to replace lost ones, for example, by replacing the loss of paid work with voluntary work or hobbies or studies related to their own profession. Expatriate partners felt excluded from the support offered by companies and organisations, unlike their working partners. The results of the doctoral dissertation also emphasised the importance of the partners' own career management skills, active participation and self-directedness behind the achievement of a positive experience abroad. "I encourage companies and organisations that either post their employees abroad or recruit international experts to Finland to develop support programmes for partners and to involve the accompanying partners from the very beginning in planning to move and live abroad," she said. Kanstren also thought that partners should more often be seen as potential experts whose skills could be more widely utilised. This would benefit all parties, and moving abroad would not mean that the partners had to give up their own careers. The results of Kanstren's doctoral dissertation are based on three substudies that examined career transitions of expatriate partners and the effects of transitions on the partners' career identities, the development of career capital and the partners' subjective well-being in the context of working abroad. (ANI)
The Covid-19 pandemic and incessant rains have badly affected almost all business sectors of Tamil Nadu just like the rest of the country, but the weavers of the state are one of the hardest hit with many ending their lives and several changing their profession. Handlooms, according to a study by the Tamil Nadu labour department, is the second major job provider in the state next to agriculture but the sector is now dogged by poverty and desperation. Tamil Nadu based social organization and think tank, Centre for Policy and Development Studies (CPDS), has mooted a proposal to the Tamil Nadu government and the Centre to make handloom cloth mandatory for school uniforms. A study conducted by the organization, according to its office bearers, has found that there are more than 2.5 lakh weavers in Tamil Nadu and the number of school-going students in primary, secondary and higher secondary classes in the state is around 1.25 crore. C. Rajeev, Director of the Centre for Policy and Development Studies and a researcher on the handloom industry, told IANS that the "Handloom sector is the second-largest employment provider in Tamil Nadu in the unorganized sector maybe after agriculture and the people who have unique talents in craft, art and making of the cloth are in bad shape. While they were never rich, the sector was surviving as the quality of work from Tamil Nadu was excellent and matching global standards. However, the closure of the sector due to the Covid pandemic and the incessant rains of 2021 have put the weavers in dire straits. Some people died, several quit the profession. The government has to intervene." He said that according to his study, if the state government makes it mandatory that all the schools buy only handloom cloth for uniforms, there will be a surge in demand and the sector could be lifted up. Sekhar, a weaver from Kancheepuram famous for its silk weavers, told IANS, "I was earning around Rs 25000 a month prior to the pandemic and my life was comfortable with that money but after the pandemic, everything derailed and we all lost jobs. When the industry was slowly looking up, rains came and again we have suffered. I am seriously thinking of quitting this and try my luck as a helper to a mason or something like that." The CPDS is conducting an awareness campaign in association with the Tamil Nadu Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society (Co-optex) among the weaving community not to quit the profession and to develop an alternative for their survival. Rajeev said, "Tamil Nadu has 1232 handloom weavers cooperative societies, 133 powerloom weavers cooperative societies and 18 cooperative societies of spinning mills with only 5 now functioning." He said that these cooperative societies are employing more than 3 lakh people directly and 15 lakh people indirectly in the sector and if the sector is given regular orders from schools, it can be saved. Mahesh Krishnamoorthy, Tamil Nadu state joint convenor of the Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, informed IANS that "This is a good initiative and we will also support the campaign leading to schools of the state and the education department turning into buyers of handloom cloth for uniforms. This unique craftsmanship of Tamil Nadu will survive if a boost is given to the sector." The CPDS has presented a detailed report on the proposal to the state government and is working on the intricacies regarding the implementation of the scheme during the next academic year. Rajeev said if the schools provide regular work to the handloom workers, they would become more confident. After the school season from February till June, the rest of the time the sector can easily produce different clothing lines that could be tapped into the international market. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin has already roped in the Non-Resident Tamil diaspora to market the state in their respective countries and a 12 member committee with the state industries minister as chairman has been constituted. The CPDS in its appeal to the state industries minister has proposed a presentation to this panel so that the sector can produce material according to the preference of the consumers in those countries. This, according to Rajeev, can be done after the school year ends in June. From July onwards if the weavers are engaged in producing unique Tamil Nadu style clothelines, the takers will be plentiful and the sector will be reinvigorated. "For the weavers to be decently employed after the school season, we have mooted the idea of connecting the handloom sector with the Tamil diaspora and the 12 member committee chaired by the state industries minister could be roped in for the purpose. For making these products unique and standing out, we are trying to rope in globally acclaimed designers of the country including US-based designer, Sanjana John who designs clothes for the Oscar film awards," Rajeev added. --IANS aal/bg ( 832 Words) 2021-12-12-10:42:38 (IANS)
In a shocking incident, an unknown person attempted to attack a church priest with a sword in Belagavi district of Karnataka, said the police, which have launched an investigation to hunt down the miscreant. Father Francis of Saint Joseph's 'The Worker Church' was attacked on Saturday evening and is said to be out of danger. The police said the incident took place at the residence of the Father Francis, where the miscreant had been hiding. The attacker tried to hit Father Fransis with his sword as soon as he (Father) came out of the house to check on a dog, which was barking continuously. Father Francis managed to escape the attack and ran away from the spot. Though the attacker tried to chase, he ran away after seeing people rushing towards the Father, the police The police have obtained the CCTV footage of the incident and also collected a statement from Father Francis. Further investigation is on. --IANS mka/dpb ( 170 Words) 2021-12-12-10:46:06 (IANS)
A man, who was in an inebriated state, forgot the location after parking his car and filed a police complaint of carjacking near here in Noida, an official said on Sunday. According to the official, the man identified as Ashish, lodged a complaint with the Phase 3 police station, stating that two motorcycle borne unidentified miscreants on Saturday forcibly took away his I-20 car from Sector 71, Noida. "As soon as we got the information, a police team was deployed to gather all details about the incident," the official said. In a bid to trace the location of carjackers, the cops went through the CCTV footage of the area where crime took place. To their surprise, they were not able to see any such crime which raised suspicion about the authenticity of the complaint. As they continued the probe, it was found that complainant Ashish had filed a fake complaint of carjacking as he was in intoxicated that time. The probe further revealed that Ashish had parked his car at Noida e-cycle docking stand in Sector 120 and from there he went to his residence by an auto-rickshaw. Later, as the truth spilled out, complainant Ashish acknowledged his mistake and apologised to the police. He was then handed over his vehicle after completion of all official formalities. --IANS uj/skp/ ( 233 Words) 2021-12-12-10:46:07 (IANS)
The notice was issued to the professor for not turning up at a selection committee meeting.

Two days ago, the LUTA had given 24 hours to the authorities to revoke the notice. Since the notice has not been revoked, the Association has decided to stage the protest in two phases.

In the first phase, which will begin from Monday, teachers will observe 'Teacher Harassment Day', followed by the 'University Act Defence Day' on Tuesday and 'Save Lucknow University Day' the next day.

All teachers will take classes with a black band on their arm on all these days.

In the second phase, the LUTA and Lucknow University Associated College Teachers' Association will jointly protest and stage a dharna at the Saraswati Vatika on Thursday.

On Friday, LUTA members will march from the university to the residence of deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma and submit a memorandum.

On Saturday, the teachers will march till Raj Bhavan.

LUTA General Secretary Professor Vineet Verma, said: "We will not tolerate this injustice. If any teacher talks about the university Act or statute, will they be served show-cause notice? The dean arts had only questioned if the university Act was being followed.

"If the notice is not taken back by the end of this week, then from next week, we will be forced to boycott classes."

--IANS amita/ksk/

( 261 Words)

2021-12-12-10:52:27 (IANS)
Tamil Nadu education department has directed all elementary and higher secondary schools in the government sector to install complaint boxes for students on campuses. According to a statement from the Tamil Nadu education department, 31,214 elementary schools and 6,177 government higher secondary schools will install complaint boxes in their respective schools. The complaint box will prominently display the helpline number of the state education department, '14417' and a flex board for awareness regarding the aspects of student safety. An amount or Rs 1,000 will be sanctioned for each school to set up the complaint box and awareness flex board. The state education department further stated that an amount of Rs 61 lakh would be sanctioned for installing complaint boxes and flex boards for the government higher secondary schools while an amount of Rs 3.12 crore will be sanctioned for elementary schools. The 'Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan' (SSA) will fund the project, according to the state education department. The school principals have been instructed to prominently display these complaint boxes in front of the principal's office with a label titled 'Manavar Manasu'. Every 15 days members of the Students Safeguarding Advisory Committee (SSAC) will check these boxes and will take immediate action if there are genuine complaints. The education department has been in the process of creating awareness among the student community and has asked students to raise complaints if they are harassed in schools. The SSAC's will create awareness and training on various aspects of child safety and both teaching and non-teaching staff will be given awareness on child mental health and harassment. --IANS aal/dpb ( 275 Words) 2021-12-12-10:56:12 (IANS)
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane, Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, Indian Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar and other military officers also paid their tributes to Lt Colonel Harjinder Singh.

Thirteen people were killed when the IAF's helicopter carrying them crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on December 8.

The mortal remains of Chief of Defence Staff General Rawat his wife Madhulika Rawat and his Defence Adviser Brigadier Lakhbinder Singh Lidder were cremated with full military honours in the Brar Square crematorium in the national capital on Friday.

Those who died in the crash include CDS Rawat, his wife, his Defence Adviser Brigadier Lidder, Staff Officer Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh and nine other Armed Forces personnel including the Air Force helicopter crew.

Group Captain Varun Singh is the lone survivor of the crash and is presently on life support in Military Hospital, Wellington. (ANI)
The last rites were performed by his daughter Preet with a senior military official standing beside her.

Ahead of last rites, Lt Col Singh's wife and daughter paid their last respect to the mortal remains of the officer.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who was also present at the cremation ceremony condoled with the family members of Lt Col Singh.

Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane, Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, Indian Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar and other military officers also paid their tributes to Lt Colonel Harjinder Singh.

13 people were killed when the IAF's helicopter carrying them crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on December 8.

The mortal remains of Chief of Defence Staff General Rawat his wife Madhulika Rawat and his Defence Adviser Brigadier Lakhbinder Singh Lidder were cremated with full military honours in the Brar Square crematorium in the national capital on Friday.

Those who died in the crash include CDS Rawat, his wife, his Defence Adviser Brigadier Lidder, Staff Officer Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh and nine other Armed Forces personnel including the Air Force helicopter crew.

Group Captain Varun Singh is the lone survivor of the crash and is presently on life support in Military Hospital, Wellington. (ANI)
Today's temple visit organised under the guidance of Suklabaidya also attracted active participation from the common people as well as BJP workers across the Dholai region.

Varanasi is all set for the inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 13. The estimated cost of this entire project is close to Rs 800 crore. It will connect Kashi Vishwanath Temple with the Ganga river.

At Kashi Vishwanath Dham Corridor, devotees will also see a statue of Maratha Queen Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar, who once reconstructed the temple. The entire event will be aired live across the country.

The corridor aims to give the temple area a decongested look that the historic city grapples for. Multiple constructions such as temple Chowk, Varanasi city gallery, museum, multipurpose auditoriums, hall, devotee facilitation centre, public convenience among others have also been constructed. (ANI)
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday said the proposed Anti-Conversion Law that the state government intends to introduce in the winter session of Assembly is only to prevent religious conversions by inducements. Speaking to media persons here on Sunday, he said that the people need not worry about the proposed Anti-Conversion Bill. The chief minister said that the proposed law will not affect any religion, their practices and traditions that are guaranteed under the Constitution. "Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and Sikhism are constitutionally recognised religions. There would be no hindrance to the worship and religious practices of people belonging to any religion. The bill is only to prevent religious conversions by inducements," the Chief Minister assured. He further said that religious conversion is not good for society. "The poor and vulnerable sections of the society should not fall for it. Conversions bring problems within the families. So, the bill is being proposed," he added. Bommai said that the issue of religious conversions is being debated for a long time in the post-independence era. Many states have enacted anti-conversion laws. The majority of people want similar laws to be brought in the state after studying the laws enacted in other states. "In this background, the Law department is studying the laws enacted in other states. Then the draft would be placed before the state cabinet. If the Law department submits the draft then it would come up for discussion in the Belagavi session of the state legislature," Bommai said. Earlier in April this year, Gujarat Vidhan Sabha had passed the 'Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2021' with a majority to bring more stringent punishment against forced religious conversions through marriage. Gujarat had become the third state after Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh to make a law against forced religious conversions. The session will commence on December 13 and on the first day, the governor will address both the State Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council. The 10-day winter session of the Karnataka Assembly session will be held at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, Belagavi from December 13 to 24. (ANI)
On the auspicious occasion of the inauguration of Kashi Vishwanath corridor on Monday, the city of Varanasi will witness the presence of around 3,000 saints from across the country. Varanasi is all set for the inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 13. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers conducted the cleanliness drive in Varanasi which will witness the footfall of almost 3000 saints on the day of inauguration. On Sunday morning, BJP workers took to the streets with brooms. The cleanliness drive was started by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan last week and it was culminated today by BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh and Party's co-incharge of Uttar Pradesh Sunil Oza. The sweeping drive started from Maidagin square and ended at Vishwanath temple. BJP National General Secretary, Tarun Chugh who reached Varanasi along with other BJP members to ensure arrangements told ANI, "Around 3000 saints will witness the inauguration of Kashi Vishwanath corridor tomorrow by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. So we along with other social workers will clean the road which saints will pass by." "Volunteers will come out with a water bucket and broom to clean the roads. The chant of 'Har Har Mahadev' will be sung along with cleaning the roads. Everybody is giving their participation by every manner," said Chugh. "Around 250 years later Kashi Dham is being decked up with lights all over the city. Every shop, house, street, ghat will be decorated with light and earthen lamps," he added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Kashi Vishwanath corridor on December 13 and will have a discussion the next day with the core members of Varanasi BJP. (ANI)
Varanasi is all set for the inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 13.

On Sunday morning, BJP workers took to the streets with brooms. The cleanliness drive was started by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan last week and it was culminated today by BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh and Party's co-incharge of Uttar Pradesh Sunil Oza. The sweeping drive started from Maidagin square and ended at Vishwanath temple.

One of the BJP worker told ANI, " Prime Minister Narendra Modi started the 'Swachhata Abhiyan' in 2014. In seven years its has become a people movement. Everywhere people has adopted the campaign. We are cleaning the road Kashi Vishwanath Dham temple. Tomorrow is a great day for Kashi as Prime Minister will inaugurate the corridor."

Besides sanitization, fogging was also conducted in Varanasi.

The ruling party in Uttar Pradesh is paying special attention to cleanliness as dignitaries from all over the world, thousands of VIPs and union ministers will be present in the inauguration of Kashi Vishwanath Dham Corridor.

Kashi Vishwanath Temple has been decked up before the grand inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Known to be Prime Minister's dream project, this corridor will shorten the time span and will set a direct link between the temple and the Ganga river. (ANI)
The Meenakshi Amman Temple administration on Sunday withdrew its order stating that only fully vaccinated persons would be allowed to enter the temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu from December 13. The Temple administration on Saturday had said that only fully COVID-19 vaccinated persons will be allowed to enter the temple. The order came after the Madurai administration banned non-vaccinated people from entering public places. The people who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 would not be allowed entry into public places in Madurai district from December 13, District collector Dr S Aneesh Sekhar has informed. "Those who have not been vaccinated in Madurai will be barred from entering public places including fair price shops, business establishments, supermarkets, theatres, wedding halls, shopping malls, garment shops, banks and liquor stores," the order issued by the District collector read. The notice further stated that the district administration has been taking measures to send those who have not been vaccinated to nearby centres.Earlier, the administration had given one week's time to people to get at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. "One week's time has been given to people to get at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, failing which those unvaccinated people to be not allowed to enter public places like hotels, shopping malls and other commercial establishments," the District Collector had said. Meanwhile, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Tamil Nadu has administered as many as 7,64,71,285 COVID-19 vaccine doses so far. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency Varanasi from Monday, during which he will inaugurate phase 1 of the newly-constructed Kashi Vishwanath Dham constructed at a cost of around Rs 339 crores.

"Tomorrow, 13th December is a landmark day. At a special programme in Kashi, the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham project will be inaugurated. This will add to Kashi's spiritual vibrancy. I would urge you all to join tomorrow's programme," PM Modi said in a tweet.

According to Prime Minister's Office (PMO), it was the vision of the Prime Minister for a long time, to facilitate the pilgrims and devotees of Baba Vishwanath, who had to encounter congested streets and surroundings with poor upkeep, when they practised the age-old custom of taking a dip in the holy river, collecting Gangajal and offering it at the temple.

A total of 23 buildings will be inaugurated in phase 1 of the project.

"They will provide a variety of facilities to the pilgrims visiting Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple, including Yatri Suvidha Kendras, Tourist Facilitation Centre, Vedic Kendra, Mumukshu Bhavan, Bhogshala, City Museum, Viewing Gallery, Food Court, among others," it said.

The project involved the purchase and acquisitions of more than 300 properties around Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple. (ANI)
Kerala reported the first case of Omicron variant of COVID-19 in Kochi, said state Health Minister Veena George. The man who returned from the UK to Kochi on December 6 had tested COVID positive on December 8 and after genome sequencing, he was found positive for omicron. "First case of Omicron reported in Kochi, Kerala. The concerned person had returned from the UK to Kochi on December 6. He had tested Covid positive on December 8," said Veena George. She further said that the high-risk passengers who were seated next to him have been informed. "There is no need of panic. His condition is stable. His wife and mother tested positive for COVID. He has been shifted to an isolation ward. Mother and wife shifted to an isolation ward. We have taken all precautions," the Health Minister added. She further said that all action as per central government guidelines has been taken and it is as part of that the co-passengers were also informed. Chandigarh reported its first case of Omicron after swab samples of a fully vaccinated 20-year-old male passenger from Italy, who had tested COVID-19 positive on December 1, revealed the presence of the new variant of the novel coronavirus. States including Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Gujarat have reported cases of the new COVID-19 variant with the total number of Omicron cases in the country going up to 38. On November 26, the WHO named the new COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529, which has been detected in South Africa, as 'Omicron'. (ANI)
His mortal remains were buried in his agricultural land as per his family traditions.

Lance Naik Teja was serving as CDS Rawat's Personal Security Officer at the time of the crash.

The mortal remains of Lance Naik were first sent to New Delhi from Tamil Nadu where the incident occurred. After that the remains were taken to Bengaluru and finally, it reached his native village on Sunday morning.

The funeral procession was taken out from Chikalabylu Check Post at Andhra Pradesh Border till his native village Eguvaregada.

Several people in large numbers participated in the procession, chanting slogans 'Vande Mataram' and 'Sai Teja Amar Rahe' with the tricolour flag in their hands.

Thirteen of the 14 people on board the Mi-17V5 helicopter, including India's first chief of defence staff (CDS), his wife Madhulika Rawat were among those killed after it crashed on December 8.

Those who died in the crash include Chief of Defence Staff General Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, his Defence Adviser Brigadier Lakhbinder Singh Lidder, Staff Officer Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh and nine other Armed Forces personnel including the Air Force helicopter crew.

Group Captain Varun Singh is the lone survivor of the crash and is presently admitted at Air Force Command hospital in Bengaluru for further treatment. (ANI)
"A 20-year-old male resident of Italy who was reported positive for Omicron variant has now tested as COVID negative today. His seven family contacts who had been quarantined and were negative earlier were retested today for COVID 19. Out of these five have tested as positive and one as negative. The report of one family member is awaited," it said.

A 20-year-old male, a resident of Italy, had landed in India on November 22.

He had come to visit his relatives in Chandigarh.

He was under home quarantine and was found COVID-19 positive on retesting on December 1.

As per the protocol, he was then put under institutional quarantine. His COVID-19 positive sample was sent for whole-genome sequencing to NCDC, New Delhi.

The traveller was asymptomatic throughout. He had been fully vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine in Italy.

His report for whole genomic sequencing was received late night on December 11 and was found positive for the Omicron variant. (ANI)
Authorities have started removing barricades placed at the protest sites in Singhu on the Delhi-Haryana border as farmers leave for their homes after the suspension of their year-long protest following the withdrawal of the three farm laws by the central government. Farmers,who were protesting against the three farm laws on different borders of Delhi since November 26, are now dismantling their makeshift accommodations at the border sites. Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait had said that all farmers will be leaving the protest sites by December 15. The farmers are heading back to their respective states in large convoys of tractors and trucks, in the same way, they arrived at the sites at the Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri on the outskirts of the national capital a year ago, to protest the Centre's three agrarian laws. The farmers are returning to their homes after the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Thursday announced the suspension of their year-long farmers agitation. Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh had laid siege to the Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri borders in November 2020 to demand the repeal of the three farm laws, which were finally withdrawn in the Winter Session of Parliament earlier this month. The farmers will hold a review meeting on January 15. "If the government does not fulfil its promises, we could resume our agitation," the SKM had said in its statement. On November 19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Centre will bring necessary bills in the Winter Session of Parliament beginning later this month to repeal the farm laws. Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha passed the Farm Laws Repeal Bill on the first day of the winter session on November 29. President Ram Nath Kovind has also given his assent to the Bill that completes the process of repealing the three farm laws. The farmers were sitting on dharna on the Delhi borders since November 2020 against the three Farm laws. (ANI)
Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated an exhibition on Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) at Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University in Hyderabad on Sunday. Organised by the Regional Outreach Bureau, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, this exhibition highlights the various interesting aspects of the paired states of Haryana and Telangana like art forms, cuisine, festivals, monuments, tourism spots etc, The exhibition will be open for viewing from December 12-14, 2021 at Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University Campus, Nampally, Hyderabad. Noteworthy books brought out on the themes of art and culture have been put up on display by the Publications Division at the exhibition. Sharing his thoughts on the occasion, Naidu said that such initiatives will go a long way in propagating the rich cultural heritage of the paired states and promoting people-to-people contacts. He complimented the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting for this initiative that brings people from both States together and creates awareness about the country's rich & diverse cultural heritage. Telangana State Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali, Vice Chairman, Telangana State Planning Board, B. Vinod Kumar, attended the event. The senior officers of the Ministry of I&B from ROB, PIB, DPD and AIR were present on the occasion. The Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme is a unique initiative by the central government to promote the spirit of national integration and to strengthen the fabric of emotional bonds between the people of our country. The Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) programme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 31, 2015 on the occasion of the 140th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who played a significant part in the unification of the country post-independence. (ANI)
Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh on Sunday expressed concern over certain States withdrawing general consent to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate cases but nevertheless holding on the prerogative to give selective consent where it suits them. He was speaking at the investiture ceremony organised by CBI as the chief guest. There are at least seven states at present that have withdrawn general consent to the CBI requiring the agency to seek case-specific permission. They are Mizoram, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Kerala and Jharkhand. The Union Minister called upon these State governments to rethink their decision to withdraw general consent to CBI to investigate cases. The Minister said that many cases are also referred to the CBI by the States under public pressure which indicates that people have greater faith in CBI. Similarly, complex and urgent cases are also assigned to CBI by the judiciary on many occasions, he added. Singh reiterated that the Modi Government is committed to uphold, preserve and strengthen the independence and autonomy of CBI and all such other investigating institutions. He also said that zero-tolerance for corruption, transparency and citizen centricity are the three main mantras that determine the administrative outlook of the government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also presented 48 medals to CBI awardees during the ceremony for excellence in duties. Speaking on the occasion, Director CBI Subodh Kumar Jaiswal congratulated all the CBI awardees. Jaiswal reiterated the unflinching commitment of CBI to work towards the national goal of Zero Tolerance against Corruption stating that CBI has over the years evolved into a multidisciplinary premier investigating agency of the country inducting professionals from different fields. Jaiswal also delved into "Vision 75" of CBI in the context of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav being observed in the 75th year of India's Independence. He said CBI has identified 75 practices, which need to be discouraged so as to enhance the efficiency of the organization. He initiated a comprehensive internal process of modernization, upgradation of capacities, setting higher benchmarks for investigation and preventive vigilance and for leveraging cutting edge capabilities to combat new-age crime. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia on Sunday took a jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his comment on the "difference between Hindus and Hindutvavadis" saying that the Congress leader is neither a Hindu nor a Hindustani. "Rahul Gandhi says he is Hindu and not a Hindutvavadi. But the country says that Rahul Gandhi is neither a Hindu, nor a Hindutvavadi, or a Hindustani. The reason is that a conspiracy is being run by Gandhi family to defame Hindu and Hindutva and compare it with terrorist organizations like Boko Haram and ISIS," said Bhatia. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that Hindutvavadis only want power and they are in power since 2014 and urged people to throw Hindutvavadis out of power and bring back Hindus who follow the path of truth. "Hindutvavadis spend their entire life in search of power. They want nothing but power and can do anything for it. They follow the path of 'Sattagrah' (search for power), not 'Satyagrah' (search for truth). This country is of Hindus, not of Hindutvavadis," said Rahul Gandhi at a rally in Rajasthan. Reacting to this statement of Congress leader, Bhatia said," Every citizen in this country, even a small child, knows that if anyone is greedy for power, that it is the Gandhi family. For the sake of power, you orchestrated riots in 1984, you did corruption, you ask for proof of surgical strike and say only some trees have fallen during Balakot airstrike." "Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had said that Hindutva means killing of Sikhs and Muslims. This clearly shows hatred of Gandhi family towards Hindu religion. That hatred is coming out in view of upcoming assembly elections," said Bhatia. "Every citizen of this country, especially Hindus will teach them a lesson, after which Rahul Gandhi would know that Hindu religion means sacrifice. Although, I am sure Gandhi family wouldn't ever understand this," he added. Alleging that Rahul Gandhi only spews poison in his speeches, Bhatia said, "I don't think Rahul Gandhi likes harmony that is present in BJP-ruled states. He always spews poison through his speeches. It seems like you don't like the progress country is witnessing under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi." Connecting the statements made by Congress leader in Rajasthan with the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, the BJP leader said, "Muzaffarnagar riots happened when you were in the government at the Centre and Samajwadi Party's government was there in Uttar Pradesh. These poisonous sentences are being spoken in view of the upcoming assembly elections, especially in Uttar Pradesh. I would dare you to make such indecent remarks on any other religion except Hinduism." "Rahul Gandhi does not have the courage to make such provocative speeches from the soil of Uttar Pradesh. He knows that CM Yogi Adityanath government will take immediate action. He goes to Rajasthan where there is a Congress party government. From there he makes such statements because he knows that the government will spew their poison and Ashok Gehlot will remain silent," said the BJP leader. "The people of this country want to ask Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra why they don't comment on petrol-diesel prices which are highest in Rajasthan, the price of electricity which also highest in Rajasthan. We (BJP) talk about the development you spew poison. The end is near of this kind of hate politics, which Gandhi family practices," Bhatia said. "It seems that Rahul Gandhi's is a twin brother of Nathuram Godse. Baburam Chaurasia, who is a Godse devotee, was accepted by the Congress party in Madhya Pradesh. I would like to ask were Rahul Gandhi's lips tied that he could not utter a single word and throw out Baburam Chaurasia. Rahul Gandhi himself talks about Godse because he wants to spread hatred. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party are the ones who follow the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi in his rally on Sunday said, "Hindutvavadis only want power and they have been in power since 2014. We need to throw these Hindutvavadis out of power and bring back Hindus. Who is Hindu? The one who embraces everybody fears nobody, and respects every religion, while a Hindutvavadi bows down before his fear." "In Indian politics today, there is a competition between two words -- 'Hindu' and 'Hindutvavadi'. The two words have different meanings. I am Hindu but not a Hindutvavadi...Mahatma Gandhi was a Hindu but Godse was a Hindutavadi," he added. Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were also present at the Jaipur rally. Rajasthan Assembly polls are slated to be held in 2023. (ANI)
After spending more than 10 months in a jail in Bangladesh, two Indian nationals from Tripura returned safely to their homeland on Sunday. Rajib Debbarma and his cousin Gurupada are residents of Asharambari, a remote village in Tripura's Khowai district. It was more than ten months that the brothers were lodged in Bangladesh's Moulvibazar jail. They were arrested from the international borders as "doubtful infiltrators". However, Rajib and Gurupada's wish to return home was fulfilled on Sunday when both of them finally crossed over to Indian territory through Kailashahar, in Unakoti district. The brother due was given a warm reception at the Indo-Bangla borders on their arrival. Rajib and Gurupada were working at their agricultural field located just ahead of the barbed fencing just like another day but the fate was unusual for them. Recalling the day, Rajib said some BGB (Border Guards of Bangladesh) troops reached their field and after a quick spell of interrogation arrested them. Later, they were shifted to Moulvibazar jail. Rajib Debbarma expressed his gratitude towards the authorities of India and Bangladesh. He said, "I am happy that we could come back home. We had got some clue a few months back that the embassy had initiated some process to bring us back to our homeland. We are really thankful to the state government as well as the central government." As soon as the matter came to the notice of the Tripura government, the process to bring them back was initiated. Union Minister State Pratima Bhoumik wrote a letter to the Ministry of External Affairs on August 24 last. Tripura Tribal Affairs Minister Mevar Kumar Jamatia also wrote to the Indian envoy to Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswamy for initiating the process for their release. Finally both of them were released and on Sunday the Border Guards of Bangladesh handed them to the Indian authorities. Tripura Tribal Welfare Minister Mevar Kumar Jamatia received the Indian nationals at Kailashahar borders while Moulvibazar MP Abdul Saed arrived with the Bangladesh border guards to repatriate them to their country. Speaking over the issue, the Minister said, "I am grateful to the authorities of Bangladesh for bringing them back. They were under the custody of the Bangladesh government after being mistakenly arrested by the Border Guards of Bangladesh. I urge upon the authorities to make special provisions for the farmers who stay in the bordering areas. Most of them have their lands beyond the borders and thus it calls for special care from the bordering forces like BSF and BDR." Sub-divisional Magistrate Kailashahar Shanti Ranjan Chakma, on the issue, said, "Two persons who are residents of Tripura's Khowai district have been brought back to Tripura through Kailashahar borders. They were arrested ten months back from the Indo-Bangla borders." The borders witnessed an emotionally charged ambience as the relatives of both Rajib and Gurupada reached the borders to bring them back home. Locals of Kailashahar said the heartwarming reunion scene strengthened the long-standing camaraderie between India-Bangladesh. (ANI)
Chief Ministers of 12 states and deputy chief ministers of nine states will be present during the inauguration of the Vishwanath Corridor project, that connects two iconic landmarks in the temple town - the Kashi Vishwanath temple to the Ganga ghats in Varanasi on Monday. Varanasi is all set for the inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 13. Chief Ministers of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand will be present at the auspicious occasion. According to Prime Minister's Office (PMO), "At around 1 PM on December 13, Prime Minister will visit Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple and offer prayers, after which he will inaugurate phase 1 of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham, constructed at a cost of around Rs 339 crores." The foundation stone of the project was laid by the Prime Minister on March 8, 2019. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will present artworks crafted by artisans of Kashi to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Security has been beefed up in Varanasi. Personnel of the National Security Guard (NSG), Anti Terror Squad (ATS), and Uttar Pradesh Police have been deployed ahead of the Prime Minister's visit. Known to be Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream project, this corridor will shorten the time span and will set a direct link between the temple and the Ganga river. A total of 23 buildings will be inaugurated in phase 1 of the project. They will provide a variety of facilities to the pilgrims visiting Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple, including Yatri Suvidha Kendras, Tourist Facilitation Centre, Vedic Kendra, Mumukshu Bhavan, Bhogshala, City Museum, Viewing Gallery, Food Court, among others. The project involved the purchase and acquisition of more than 300 properties around Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Speaking to ANI, Shrikant Mishra, Priest at Kashi Vishwanath temple said, "The city is filled with enthusiasm as the temple is ready to become 'Vishwanath Dham' after years. PM Modi is going to inaugurate the corridor on December 13." "Significantly, 'Jyotirling' of Kashi Vishwanath temple is considered to be the most important among other twelve Jyotirlingas, that's why lakhs of devotees come here to offer prayers. Earlier, this temple was only situated 2,000 metres, but now it has been spread over 50,000 square metres," the priest said. The temple's lighting has been done keeping in mind its blue theme and heritage look. "The temple has now flourished in its true form. All the arrangements have been made here for devotees. Now, the devotees will get mesmerised by the lighting of the temple as the number of lighting experts were working on it. The lighting has been done keeping in mind its blue theme and heritage look. The walls are adorned with blue lights," said Suresh, lighting expert at Kashi Vishwanath temple. The project was designed to provide easy access for the disabled and old age people with the provision of ramps, escalators, and other modern facilities. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Tourism Minister Neelkanth Tiwari said that the project has been built at a cost of Rs 399 crores. "It has been built at a cost of Rs 399 crores and is not only taking forward the dignity of Kashi but also creating a possibility of the boom in the religious tourism of Varanasi. The tourism sector is expected to grow insignificantly," Tiwari said. During the visit to Varanasi, the Prime Minister will also visit Kaal Bhairav Temple at around 12 noon and witness Ganga Aarti while on-board a Ro-Ro Vessel at around 6 pm on December 13. On December 14, at around 3:30 pm, Prime Minister will attend the 98th-anniversary celebrations of Sadguru Sadafaldeo Vihangam Yog Sansthan at Swarved Mahamandir in Varanasi. With Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh round the corner, the BJP will showcase the project as one of its key achievements. During the two-day visit, Prime Minister will also participate in a conclave of Chief Ministers of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, along with Deputy Chief Ministers from Bihar and Nagaland. The conclave will provide an opportunity to share governance-related best practices and is in line with the Prime Minister's vision of furthering team India's spirit. (ANI)
It was the daughters who lit the pyres of four defence personnel who were not only their fathers but also their best friends and heroes and had died in the chopper crash. They thought perhaps it was destined. The last rites of four out of the 13 personnel who died in the chopper crash last week were performed by their daughters and not their sons or other male family members as they were blessed only with daughters. Coincidentally, all these four last rites were performed in Delhi. The last rites of Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat were performed on Friday by their two daughters, Kritika and Tarini. Similarly, the last rites of Brigadier LS Lidder were performed by his almost 17-year-old daughter Aashna at the Brar Square crematorium in Delhi Cantonment on Friday. "I am going to be 17. So, he was with me for 17 years. We will go ahead with happy memories. It is a national loss. My father was a hero, my best friend. Maybe it was destined and better things will come our way. He was my biggest motivator," Aashna told ANI. Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh's daughter Preet Kaur performed his last rites by lighting the pyre on Sunday. However, Harvinder Singh's brother also helped her in lighting the pyre. Thirteen of the 14 people on board the Mi-17V5 helicopter, including India's first chief of defence staff, his wife Madhulika Rawat were among those killed after it crashed on December 8. Those who died in the crash include Chief of Defence Staff General Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, his Defence Adviser Brigadier Lakhbinder Singh Lidder, Staff Officer Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh and nine other Armed Forces personnel including the Air Force helicopter crew. Group Captain Varun Singh is the lone survivor of the crash and is presently admitted at Air Force Command hospital in Bengaluru for further treatment. (ANI)
The family feud between Lalu Prasad and his brother-in-law Sadhu Yadav intensified on Sunday with the latter alleging that the RJD founder defamed him by financing a movie which used his name and portrayed the character in bad light. "Lalu Prasad had given money to filmmaker Prakash Jha for the movie 'Gangajal' to defame my name, Sadhu Yadav alleged. "Prakash Jha is alive. Ask him (Prakash) who had financed his film?" Sadhu Yadav, the former MP, asked. "I was in Singapore when Gangajal was released. My supporters protested against that film in Patna and several other cities of Bihar. Then, Lalu Prasad called me up to remove the protesters from theatres and allow movie's release," Sadhu Yadav said. "Lalu Prasad, during the emergency, had taken shelter in my home in Gopalganj. When Lal Topi (Police) came to my house to arrest him, he fled in agricultural field. I was the one who provided him safe stay in my house and the houses of other relatives across the district. My mother cooked for him. When she died, he did not even attend her cremation. He did the same during my father's last rites as well," Sadhu Yadav said. "Who would have known Lalu Prasad if my family would not have stood by him. Lalu got married with my sister. While staying in my house, socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan gave him ticket of Janata Party and he become an MP from Gopalganj," Sadhu Yadav claimed. Agitated over his maternal uncle Sadhu Yadav's remark against his brother Tejashwi Yadav's inter-caste marriage, Lalu Prasad's elder son Tej Pratap Yadav on Saturday called the former a "kans mama". Sadhu Yadav on Friday accused Tejashwi of demeaning the image of the Lalu family by marrying a girl from a different community. "Tejashwi does not deserve to be called the Leader of Opposition of the Bihar Assembly," Sadhu Yadav said. "He is being arbitrary in the family and party matters. He wants to rule us. We cannot allow him to do so. We will boycott him. We will teach him a lesson," said Sadhu Yadav, who was not invited for the marriage. He said that Lalu Prasad's old aide Prem Gupta is a "corrupt" person. "In fact, all the invited persons who attended the wedding were corrupt," Sadhu Yadav said. Tej Pratap alleged: "Sadhu Yadav was the murderer of Shilpi Jain and Gautam Singh. The double murder took place in July 1999 and Sadhu Yadav was asked to undergo a DNA test." "My father Lalu Prasad was defamed for 15 years due to Sadhu Yadav's criminal activities. Sadhu Yadav is not worth even Rs 2. He has used the name of Lalu Prasad to become a millionaire. He does not have the guts to stay in front of me. I am in Vrindavan right now. Wait for my return, I will teach him a lesson. People of Bihar will beat him with shoes," Tej Pratap said. Tej Pratap alleged that due to Sadhu Yadav's criminal activities during 15 years tenure of the RJD government, Lalu Prasad had to pay a heavy price, by losing power in Bihar. Tej Pratap's sister Rohini Aacharya has also slammed Sadhu Yadav. She uploaded a post on Twitter, saying: "Kans remains in the society and he (Sadhu Yadav) has proved it. Respect the relations like Krishna. Don't become Kans." Counter attacking Tej Paratap, Sadhu Yadav accused the former of having many illicit relationships with girls. "He had illicit relation with a girl of Danapur and Lalu Yadav gave her Rs 5 crore and purchased her a shop in Connaught Place, New Delhi. He was also having physical relationship with other girls of Musallahpur, Masaudhi and other places. His marriage broke due to his wrongful activities," Sadhu Yadav alleged. "The elder son of Lalu Prasad had already demeaned his social and political status, and now the younger son did the same. Why did Tejashwi marry secretly? Why did he not invite his friends and relatives in social and political circles? Sadhu Yadav asked. "I suggest Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi to control their sons, failing which they will defame the entire family," Sadhu Yadav said. Tejashwi tied the nuptial knot with his long-time friend Rachel Godinho, who is a Christian, in Delhi on Thursday. --IANS ajk/svn/skp/ ( 721 Words) 2021-12-12-17:04:11 (IANS)
In his response to Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan's allegation on political interference in the functioning of universities, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday denied the allegations and said his government has not tried to take away the rights of chancellor and will never try. Speaking to reporters in Kannur, Chief Minister said that Governor should continue in Chancellor's post as the Kerala government never desired for the post. "University chancellor post is not something that we are desire. We do not have any such intention. The government has not made any such move. What government wishes is that the Governor should continue in that post," he said. The Chief Minister further said that Chancellor's rights are given through law. "Government has not tried to take away those rights and will never try. I am giving that assurance from the government. He should continue in the chancellor post given to him by the legislative assembly. Governor has made some statements related to this. Hope that he will see the government's open mind and back off from this. As chancellor, governor has all the freedom to express his opinion," Vijayan said. Vijayan was answering the allegation raised by the Governor that he cannot perform his duties as chancellor of universities due to political interventions. "The appointment of the Vice-Chancellor of Kannur University was signed by the Governor. The denial after signing was not correct. The rejection of the signed order may be due to other interference. Deviations in the Governor's position may be due to pressure," the Chief Minister added. Governor had sent a letter to Chief Minister on December 8 asking him to bring an ordinance to hand over the powers of chancellor to Chief minister. Opposition parties Congress and BJP have criticized Chief Minister and State Government for nepotism and political interference in universities. Opposition parties also demanded judicial enquiry on all appointments in universities made by Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in the last six years. Meanwhile, Union Minister for States V Muraleedharan has said that instead of answering to the issues in the public domain, Chief Minister was trying to confuse the people of the state by replying to some of his own creation. "He is trying to put the needle of suspicion on the governor by saying that it was on the basis of an agreement of the governor that the procedure was violated," he said. (ANI)
Police said on Sunday that the daughter of the deceased could not reach her on the phone so she asked a neighbour to check. When the neighbour entered the residence, the victim was found lying on the floor.

After registration of a case at Rajinder Nagar Police Station, the investigation was started and the accused was arrested.

Police recovered a mobile phone, jewellery belonging to the deceased and Rs 2,000 from the accused.

The police are investigating whether any other person had helped the accused in the crime or was involved in any way in the offence. (ANI)
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday slammed the Congress party alleging that it was celebrating the launch of its poll campaign in Goa when the nation was mourning the death of Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and 12 others in a chopper crash. Addressing a rally in Haldwani, the Uttarakhand Chief Minister alleged that Congress do not respect the martyrs. "The day CDS Rawat's last rites were performed, a political party was celebrating. They should be ashamed. After all, they live in this country. They are in this country only physically but their soul is somewhere else. That is why they do not care," Dhami said criticising Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who was recently seen dancing with tribal women in Goa. He further said that they should be ashamed of themselves for dancing in Goa during an election campaign. Condoling General Bipin Rawat's demise, CM Dhami said, "We have lost the bravehearts of the country. The entire country is mourning. He was connected to Uttarakhand. He always used to think of Uttarakhand's development." Dhami said that the family that ruled India for 55 years had no feelings for martyrs. The minister was addressing a gathering in Uttarakhand's Haldwani where he inaugurated and laid foundation stones of various development projects. "I have inaugurated various projects related to roads, schools, hospitals, worth about Rs 90 crores, in Nainidanda. We aim to increase tourism opportunities and make the state country's best state by 2020," he said. Addressing another event in Rudrapur, Uttarakhand CM said that the government has decided to remove East Pakistan from the certificates of the people who had migrated to India. "We can't forget the contribution of the Bengali community in this region, which is why we decided to remove East Pakistan from certificates of the people who had migrated (to India). East Pakistan is an offensive term," he said during a community marriage event in Rudrapur. (ANI)
Thirteen of the 14 people on board the Mi-17V5 helicopter, including India's first chief of defence staff (CDS) Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat were among those killed after it crashed on December 8.

Those who died in the crash include CDS General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, his Defence Adviser Brigadier Lakhbinder Singh Lidder, Staff Officer Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh and nine other Armed Forces personnel including the Air Force helicopter crew.

Group Captain Varun Singh is the lone survivor of the crash and is presently admitted at Air Force Command hospital in Bengaluru for further treatment. (ANI)
Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday called for proactive and concerted efforts to increase the number of translations of literary classics in various Indian languages and suggested leveraging technological advancements in translation to make the rich heritage of regional Indian literature accessible to people in their own mother tongue. Naidu was addressing the audience at the Foundation Day celebrations of the Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University in Hyderabad. In particular, Naidu praised the efforts of institutions such as Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University in translating classics such as 'Amuktamalyada' by Sri Krishnadevaraya into other Indian languages. He called for more such efforts from similar universities to preserve and promote the use of different languages in India. The Vice President lauded the university's commitment to preserve Telugu language, literature and history through various research initiatives. He paid tributes to the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, late N.T. Rama Rao, who took the initiative to establish the university. He also appreciated the efforts of the Telangana state government and the Chief Minister, K. Chandrashekar Rao in developing the university and furthering the cause of Telugu language and culture. Noting that globalisation has had a widespread impact, Naidu stressed that it must be ensured that the youth must not lose touch with their cultural heritage. Noting the importance of language in forming one's identity and boosting self-confidence in the youth, he said that people must take pride in speaking in their mother tongue. He observed that the National Educational Policy, 2020, aims at promoting Indian languages and encourages primary education to be in the child's mother tongue. He said the medium of education must be in the mother tongue up to higher education and for technical courses too. In this regard, Naidu called upon the universities to undertake advanced research in languages and improve the scientific and technical terminology in Indian languages in order to facilitate their wider reach and use in academia. On this occasion, the Vice President presented awards to Dr Kurella Vittalacharya, poet and critic and Shri Kalakrishna, Kuchipudi dance proponent. (ANI)
A large number of people had gathered to pay homage to the fallen soldier, who was one of the security personnel of Gen Rawat.

The ill-fated helicopter crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu, killing the CDS, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 others including Naik Jitender Kumar.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan who arrived in Dhamanda village to pay homage to the martyr announced an assistance of Rs 1 crore to his family.

The Chief Minister also said that Kumar's wife Sunita Verma would be given a government job, adding the state government would provide education to his children -- one daughter and a son, free of cost.

"Naik Jitender Kumar's wife Sunita Verma will be given a government job and a school will be named after the martyr's name and also a memorial of the martyr will be built," Chouhan said after paying homage to Kumar on Sunday.

Earlier on Sunday, wrapped in a Tri-colour, Kumar's mortal remains were received at Raja Bhoj airport in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal with full military honours.

A Guard of Honour was also given before his body was taken to Dhamanda village.

--IANS pd/pgh

( 256 Words)

2021-12-12-19:46:13 (IANS)
Madhya Pradesh has witnessed over six instances of religious conversions of Hindu persons in a span of one-and-a-half month, triggering a controversy in different parts of the state. In all cases, Christian missionaries have been accused of the conversion. Following a fresh episode, the Madhya Pradesh police claimed to have arrested a couple in Barwani district for allegedly trying to lure tribal women to convert to Christianity. Those arrested for their alleged involvement in religious conversion, have been identified as Anar Singh Jamre, 35, and his wife Laxmi Jamre, 32, residents of Nawalpura village, the police said. The police told IANS that the couple has been booked under the provisions of Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act (MP-FRA). The police action was initiated following a written complaint filed by a resident of Barwani district on Friday. "As per the complaint, the couple had been luring the tribal women for conversion to Christianity by offering money, free education, free medicines, employment and other facilities after inviting them to their residence," a senior police official in Barwani district said, claiming that they have also seized some related literature, pen drives and other material from the couple's house. The amended Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act penalises religious conversions through fraudulent means including those for the sake of marriage. In cases involving religious conversion of members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and minors, a provision has been made for imprisonment of two to 10 years and Rs 50,000 fine. Recently, a school run by a Bhopal-based Christian missionary was vandalised in Vidisha district by a right-wing group accusing the school management of being involved in alleged conversion of Hindu children. However, the police had arrested five persons involved in vandalising and creating violence at school premises. The National Confederation for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) had also directed the district administration to investigate the matter. A similar case was reported on December 10 in Sagar district, in which a father of two children had alleged that Christian missionary school (St. Francis Sevadham) forced his children to "eat cow meat and read Bible". The NCPCR has directed district Superintendent of Police (SP), Sagar to investigate the issue, and take appropriate action. On November 10, the NCPCR had inspected a Christian missionary run women hostel in Raisen district in Madhya Pradesh and had claimed that it had uncovered an alleged conversion racket wherein Hindu girls were being converted to Christianity. Last month, the police in Madhya Pradesh had arrested 11 people including seven from Rajasthan and Gujarat, in two cases of religious conversion in Khargone and Jhabua districts. --IANS pd/svn/pgh ( 447 Words) 2021-12-12-20:12:23 (IANS)
Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan on Sunday slammed Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over alleged political interference in the appointment of Vice-Chancellors of different universities in the state and asked him to apologize to the people for putting suspicion on the Rajbhavan. The minister said Governor Arif Mohammed Khan wrote a letter to Vijayan and had openly mentioned that the quality of higher education is on the downside in the universities of Kerala. Instead of addressing the matter, the Chief Minister is trying to confuse the people of the state, he said. Muraleedharan alleged that the Chief Minister is trying to put the needle of suspicion on the governor. "Vijayan should apologize to the people for putting suspicion on the Rajbhavan and the first citizen of the state," he said. "He should come out openly accepting the mistakes of the state government and assure of the state that the sanctity of the post of the governor and autonomy of the universities will be protected," he said. Earlier, the Governor, in a letter to Vijayan, has expressed his displeasure over political appointments in state's universities and urged him to amend the Acts of the Universities and take over as Chancellor. (ANI)
Speaking to ANI, a trainer, Jignesh Brahmakshatriya, said, "The main aim behind setting up a dog hostel was to provide shelters in the case of emergencies. In this hostel, we provide the basic facilities of walking two times a day."

He added, "Pets are being freshened up for four times. Meanwhile, puppy training and grooming are being provided once a week." (ANI)
AIMIM chief Asaddudin Owaisi on Sunday asked Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav if he would appoint a Muslim for the post of deputy chief minister of Uttar Pradesh in case his party wins the state Assembly polls. Addressing a public rally here in Kanpur, Owaisi said, "Do not care who will be Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. If Samajwadi Party wins the UP polls, will its chief Akhilesh Yadav appoint a Muslim Deputy CM?" The AIMIM chief said his party will contest 100 seats in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections. He said AIMIM is open to forming an alliance. He added, "My Masjid (Babri) was demolished. People who demolished it, disrupted the foundation of India and the rule of law...Did anyone from SP, BSP or Congress say anything? They turned a blind eye as my Masjid was demolished but not theirs." Emphasizing Muslims' representation in the government and policymaking, Owaisi said, "Yadavs formed Mulayam Singh and Akhilesh's government. Dalits made Mayawati the chief minister. Thakur and Brahmins have formed the current BJP government in Uttar Pradesh. It will no more be decided by touts that where Muslims will cast their votes. I tell the Muslims of Uttar Pradesh that they do not need to be afraid and if the Muslims of Uttar Pradesh want to move forward, then no one will be able to stop them." Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh is due for early next year. In the 2017 Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party bagged 312 seats out of the 403-seat Uttar Pradesh Assembly while Samajwadi Party (SP) bagged 47 seats, Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) won 19 and Congress could manage to win only seven seats. The rest of the seats were bagged by other candidates. (ANI)
To improve 'Ease of Living' and 'Ease of doing business, the Centre has decided to further reduce the compliance burden on businesses and citizens, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry informed on Sunday. As per the press release, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had interacted with Secretaries of various departments in September and discussed ways and means to reduce the compliance burden. A meeting was also chaired by Secretary DPIIT, Anurag Jain with several stakeholders to discuss the way forward. To take this mission forward, a National Workshop on the 'Next Phase of Reforms for Reducing Compliance Burden' is being organized on December 22, 2021. The outcomes of the breakout sessions of the workshop would be presented to Cabinet Secretary. The workshop would see three breakout sessions which would be attended by secretaries of various ministries, representatives from various state governments and other senior officials. The theme of the first session would be 'Breaking Silos and enhancing synergies among government departments. The session would focus on integration between Central ministries or departments and state single window systems and departments. It will also discuss issuing of combined certificates for CIN, PAN, TAN, GST, LIN, Import-Export Code (IEC) etc, creation of Single business IDs to subsume multiple IDs and standardization and rationalization of information across Ministries/States/UTs, the statement said. The second breakout Session would be themed 'National Single Sign-on for Efficient Delivery of Citizen Services. It would see deliberations on onboarding all citizen services by Central and State Government services under one roof - "National Citizen-Centric Portal" and the creation of a 'National Digital Profile' for all citizens that shall be used to pre-fill Government forms. Citizen Benefits discovery and delivery would happen through the National Citizen-Centric portal. Enabling interoperability of the Digilocker facility for instant transfer of digitally self-attested documents would also be discussed. These initiatives would lead to a citizen-centric approach and would help create a National Citizen-Centric Portal with all citizen services by Central and State Governments available under one roof, the release said. Eventually, all government agencies would begin accepting digitally approved documents and there would be clarity of applicability of citizen welfare benefits to all, it said. The third Breakout Session would be themed 'Effective Grievance Redressal'. The session would see discussions on the effectiveness of the Centralized Public Grievances Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) and other channels of grievance redressal. It would also discuss an accountability-based mechanism for enhanced effectiveness of redressal quality and use of next-gen technologies ineffective grievance redressal. Initiatives taken by States in building effective grievance redressal mechanisms would also be reviewed. The outcome of the discussions would be initiatives to better the quality of grievance redressal Central and state governments and the creation of a grievance redressal system with reduced dependency on human behaviour. (ANI)
A new study by Yale University has identified crucial ways that immune system cells congregate and communicate with each other to identify and eradicate tumours. The research has been published in the 'Cell Journal'. These findings might pave the way for new vaccines that may help increase survival rates in several forms of cancer. In recent years, scientists have found that patients who are most likely to survive lung cancer often develop lymph node-like structures around tumours. And like lymph nodes, these structures produce a host of immune system cells such as CD4 helper T cells, which identify tumours; B cells, which produce antibodies against cancer; and CD8 killer T cells, which can attack cancer cells. "The field has been trying to figure out how these mini-immune systems are set up in the tumour micro-environment and why do they correlate to great outcomes," said Nikhil Joshi, assistant professor of immunobiology and co-senior author of the paper. It turned out that these immune system cells communicate with each other. For the study, a team led by Joshi, Can Cui, a PhD student and physician at Yale School of Medicine, and Joseph Craft, the Paul B. Beeson Professor of Medicine (rheumatology) and professor of immunobiology, analyzed tumour genetics of cancer survivors and then created mouse models with genetic characteristics similar to those survivors. Their analysis found that B cells actually do more than simply make antibodies against cancer. In order to also unleash a robust response by CD8 killer T cells, the B cells must first interact with CD4 helper T cells in order to identify tumours to target. "T cells and B cells need to talk to each other before tumours can be targeted," Craft said. Several cancer vaccines were already under development designed to spur the production of T cells which had taken up residence around several types of cancer, including melanoma and glioblastomas, as well as lung cancer. In fact, both BioNTech and Moderna -- which during the COVID-19 pandemic helped develop vaccines to help the human body identify and fight the virus -- were initially formed in part to develop cancer vaccines. "The model is already in place," Joshi said. Cui suggested that future cancer vaccines may be more effective if they can jumpstart both antibody-producing B cells and helper T cells to bolster a broader immune system response. Such vaccines could be used in conjunction with traditional immunotherapy treatments to increase survival rates of patients with several forms of cancer, the researchers said. (ANI)
When Kishore Indukuri, an alumni of IIT Kharagpur and University of Massachusetts, returned home to Hyderabad after a six-year stint at Intel Corporation in the US, he decided to work with a mission to provide pure unadulterated milk to families around him. Starting from a small dairy farm in 2013 on the outskirts of Hyderabad, supplying milk to a few families, today Kishore is leading a 100-plus strong team at Sid's Farm, serving 15,000 households daily and benefiting over 1,500 farmers. Sid's Farm started with a herd of 20 cattle and began supplying milk directly to the customers in Hyderabad. "I wanted to do agriculture. I was always interested in agriculture. People suggested that dairy farming could be a good option. When we went to the market to sell the milk, we were getting little money for the produce. Then we decided to sell the milk directly to the customers," Kishore, Founder and Managing Director of Sid's Farm, told IANS. The startup slowly brought tech into its operations and launched an app to sell milk. Today, the company has 250 delivery partners and serves about 15,000 customers, selling 22,000 litres of milk daily. Spread over 4 acres of land, Sid's Farm has a 4,000 sq ft milk processing facility along with a model dairy farm with a total of 100 cows and buffaloes. In addition to its own dairy farm, Sid's Farm also works with a network of 1,500 farmers who produce pure milk for Sid's Farm. "Each litre of milk procured goes through rigorous testing to check for antibiotics, hormones and preservatives before chilling and pasteurisation. Today our state-of-the-art laboratory conducts over 2,000 tests daily to look for any adulteration in milk," said Kishore, who plans to expand to other cities. He proudly says that Sid's Farm is selling pure milk, free from antibiotics, hormones and preservatives. He believes that by paying good prices for their produce, farmers can be motivated to deliver quality. After earning his Bachelor's degree from IIT Kharagpur, Kishore moved to the US to secure a Masters and Ph.D. in Polymer Science & Engineering from the University of Massachusetts. He then started his corporate career at Intel Corporation in Chandler, Arizona, working in various roles as quality and reliability engineer, senior process engineer and senior materials engineer for around six years. Startups in agriculture and allied sectors are making their mark in Hyderabad, which is fast emerging as a key hub for startups in the country. While the state has witnessed emergence of several startups in sectors like healthcare, edutech, fintech, electric vehicle, software as a service (SaaS), logistics, internet of things (IoT), machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain etc. during the last few years, the startups in agriculture and allies are also attracting attention. Some of the technologies developed by deep tech startups are also being used for agriculture operations. For instance, drones designed and assembled by Marut Drones can be deployed in the agriculture sector. "We have drones for a variety of applications. Our agricopters help in easing the process of farming with less labour and time consumption with Agri automation and Agri intelligence. Agri automation helps for labour shortage and farmer's health through precision spraying, direct seeding, input application, and pollination. Agri intelligence helps in farming through growth monitoring of crops, soil management, nutrient management, pest management, and yield estimates," Prem Kumar Vislawath, Founder and Chief Innovator of Marut Drones, told IANS. The Seedcopter of Marut Drones helps in reforestation. It can be used for aerial survey and mapping, community seed ball activity, aerial seeding of seed balls, and post-planting monitoring and data hub creation. The Telangana IT, Electronics and Communication Department and the Forest Department have signed an agreement with Marut Drones to launch a drone-based afforestation project named Hara Bahara'. The drone company will plant over 50 lakh trees in over 12,000 hectares of land in forest areas across all the 33 districts of the state. To foster innovation in the agriculture sector, the state government in August this year launched AgHub, an innovation hub for agriculture at the Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agriculture University (PJTSAU) in Hyderabad. Set up with the help of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), AgHub will support agritech startups through innovation, incubation, and acceleration. NABARD has granted Rs 10 crore for this incubator, which would be run with the help of a team of agribusiness industry management professionals. Structured in the hub and spoke model, the hub will cater to students as well as entrepreneurs at national and even global level. According to PJTSAU Vice Chancellor V. Praveen Rao, there will be spokes at the district level to cater to Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), women self-help groups, and rural innovators. AgHub would also support promotion of rural entrepreneurship for building agribusiness enterprises promoted by rural youth, women, farmers, and FPOs etc. These rural innovation centres would cater to the capacity building of FPOs and building FPO-led enterprises for building up crop value chains in select key crops of the state. The facility is to keep the doors of the AgHub open for all, especially farmers and rural innovators, to provide them a platform to showcase their inventions for the benefit of scores of their fellow farmers. --IANS ms/arm ( 892 Words) 2021-12-12-09:56:26 (IANS)
The pandemic-induced lockdowns and fear of Covid-19 spread pushed schools, colleges and educational institutes towards the remote form of online learning last year, and the edtech startups jumped on to the bandwagon. As the pandemic disrupted the traditional brick-and-mortar education, the edtech startups rushed to help schools transition from offline to online. According to KPMG, there are more than 3,500 edtech startups in India today. India's edtech sector is poised to become a $30 billion industry in the next 10 years, according to RBSA Advisor, a transaction advisory firm. According to the report, vigorous growth will drive the growth in the K-12 edtech opportunity in the user base. "Amid the pandemic, students were online which led to an increased adoption of online learning tools to ensure continuity in learning. This rise has disrupted the education industry, paving the way forward for edtech startups and companies towards the future of learning," Manan Khurma, Founder and Chairman at online maths and coding platform Cuemath, told IANS. Reports have also shown that since the lockdown, Byju's added over 33 million users to its platform to touch the 75 million-mark, while Unacademy's user base tripled to 40 million users by January 2021. In the first nine months of FY 2020-2021, UpGrad, a platform providing online courses for upskilling, grew 100 per cent in terms of number of users. The highly competitive edtech space has seen the players develop innovative approaches towards the hybrid structure of learning that combines classroom engagement with digital learning tools to give students a more personalised approach to learning, while also promoting classroom engagement. "We as an industry worked together to address the long-standing issue of quality education being affordable and accessible to the mobile-first generation. Not only is the industry supporting the school curriculum and assisting candidates with exam preparation, but it is also underlining the value of extracurricular activities," said Vamsi Krishna, CEO and Co-founder, Vedantu. The use of advanced technologies such as AI/ML, AR/VR along with content analytics is the future of edtech, resulting in improved learning outcomes. "New concepts such as gamification, machine learning enhanced by data analytics will intensify as primary technological drivers of the EdTech revolution and the wider trend of personalisation," Khurma added. The National Education Policy (NEP), introduced by the HRD Ministry in the FY 2020-2021, integrates with edtech that can lead towards inclusive, cohesive, and productive education in the country. The NEP recognises the role of technology in making education more effective, and also for imparting training to teachers for creation of high-quality online content. However, the tier 2 and 3 markets and rural India with patchy internet connectivity are going to be extremely crucial for the future penetration of education. Further, the lack of uniform government policies, financial incentives for research and innovation in the edtech space are some of the impediments to the growth trajectory of this sector. Another major concern is the absence of a regulatory body for the sector. "EdTech is a new segment that is emerging very rapidly. Within online higher education - while there are no regulatory bodies in edtech yet - higher education is governed by regulations laid down by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Ministry of Education (MoE). These regulations also apply to higher EdTech companies who need to abide by these rules to uphold the standards of higher education," Mayank Kumar, Co-founder and MD, upGrad, told IANS. A comprehensive ed-tech policy that provides access to learning, especially to disadvantaged groups; facilitates teacher training and continuous professional development; along with improvement in governance systems including planning, management, and monitoring processes will be key for the sector to grow. (Rachel V. Thomas can be contacted at rachel.t@ians.in) --IANS rvt/na/arm ( 631 Words) 2021-12-12-09:56:29 (IANS)
As the Indian startup/unicorn ecosystem goes through a stupendous growth, a level-playing field must exist for all the participants and stakeholders of the ecosystem and not just 'desi' startups, Sijo Kuruvilla George, executive director of the Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF) said on Sunday. In an interaction with IANS, George said that in the long run, only fair markets and an open Internet will be able to sustain innovation and growth and guard the health of any ecosystem. "The antitrust and anti-competitive challenges posed by global big tech companies make the work of bodies such as ADIF all the more important. It is near impossible for small, single players to stand up, much less take on the might of the big Tech majors that command unprecedented and unbridled power to even shut them out of business in an instant," George emphasised. India has now emerged as the third largest startup ecosystem in the world after the US and China. According to George, it is imperative that the stakeholders organise into a unified alliance for a stronger voice, enlist some of the larger outfits to come forward to provide leadership for the cause and advocate with the government/relevant authorities to intervene in the form of legal and/or legislative actions. "It is important to highlight the issues that affect our startups and ecosystem, along with data and information in the form of research reports, publications and stakeholder discussions. It's only awareness that can bring about informed decision-making and discourse of possible solutions - be it in the sphere of policy or business," he told IANS. The Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF) has collaborated with the US-based Coalition for App Fairness to ensure a competitive digital marketplace in India. The alliance now has more than 460 startups under its umbrella, and is growing. "No developer should be forced to operate in an anti-competitive marketplace that hinders innovation, success, and the ability to grow," said George. The ADIF had hit out at Google, calling its Play Store commission cut a deflect and distract tactic -- nothing but a reduced 'Lagaan'. "The interim relief petition with the CCI on the Google Lagaan matter is an instance of one such intervention and the writ petition being considered on the challenges pertaining to ad tech is another," George informed. On December 10, Google said it is extending the timeline for developers in India from March 31, 2022 to October 31, 2022 to help them better integrate with Play Store's billing system. The ADIF said that this move gives developers short-term relief for their anxiety. "The reality is that app owners have been in a very tough spot as they are unsure if they should unwillingly comply with Google's new policies and be hopeful of a Competition Commission of India's (CCI) intervention on the interim relief petition for maintaining the status quo. Google's deadline extension certainly gives them more time but doesn't take away their uncertainty," George stressed. In the long run, it's proactive and progressive legislation that will best address the underlying issues and also pave the wave for ecosystem growth in the long term. "Most of our existing laws are either inadequate or ill-equipped to address & enable the unique nature of some of the new and nascent industry categories. A fair amount of our efforts hence will also be working towards enabling legislation," the ADIF executive added. The ADIF recently condemned Amazon's "predatory playbook" of allegedly copying, rigging and killing Indian brands, urging the Centre for timely intervention. "The manner in which the e-commerce giant has targeted the Indian market and leading brands in the country is highly deplorable and brings into question the credibility of Amazon as a good faith operator in the Indian startup ecosystem," George had said. (Nishant Arora can be reached at nishant.a@ians.in) --IANS na/skp/ ( 650 Words) 2021-12-12-10:05:24 (IANS)
As we celebrate the phenomenal rise of the Indian startups, especially in the last two years, a number of global macro-economic factors served as tailwinds to help achieve this feat. The global pandemic resulted in a digital transformation and adoption of technology at a societal level. Moreover, tech sector regulatory changes/crackdowns in China, availability of large pools of private capital were all positive factors for the Indian startup ecosystem to grow and produce a record 40 unicorns in 2021 alone. Today, India has 82 unicorns with a total funding of over $38.4 billion (from 2014 till December 4, 2021), according to data provided by leading startups publication Inc42. India emerged as the third largest startup ecosystem in the world this year, after the US and China, according to Hurun Research Institute. In the third quarter (Q3) this year, Indian startups received record fundings, with investment totalling $10.9 billion across 347 deals, according to the PwC India. India's unicorns are currently worth more than $168 billion. The last two years witnessed the coming of age of the Indian startup ecosystem. The two seminal events that served as distinct markers of this were the IPOs of food delivery platform Zomato headed by Deepinder Goyal and software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider Freshworks run by Girish Mathrubootham. "Another factor that contributed to making the Indian startup ecosystem click was startups truly turning into an asset class. This resulted in the sector attracting interest and capital from a larger and diverse pool of investors, including retail -- the subscription levels of PolicyBazaar, Nykaa, et al stand testament to this," Sijo Kuruvilla George, Executive Director, Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF), told IANS. According to K.R. Sekar, Partner, Deloitte India, the demand and customer base for India is huge and an improved network and better telecom policy will further pave the way for the growth of startups. "The IPO market is also booming in India and a lot of unicorns are planning for IPO, both in India and the US. The government has also addressed some of the teething challenges on direct tax on startups. However, the success of startups and growth is dependent not only on the market, but also on the policies of the government," Sekar said, adding that the government should further relax the regulatory compliances and make India more attractive for investment in startups. Going forward, SaaS-based EV and Blockchain startups can herald further momentum for the ecosystem in 2022. According to Kushal Nahata, CEO and Co-founder of SaaS startup FarEye, the firms have started adopting technologies like SaaS solutions that provide much-needed agility and speed to fulfil the ever-changing demands of the customers. "SaaS has also become a hot category for investors so there is an availability of a lot of capital. This along with the pandemic-driven surge in e-commerce, the rapid shift of businesses to online and the need for innovation has caused the Indian startup ecosystem to explode," Nahata told IANS. Over the past five years, the number of software-as-a-service (SaaS) firms have doubled in India and SaaS firms in the country are poised to reach $30 billion in revenue by 2025. India now has 13 SaaS unicorns and between seven and nine companies with over $100 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR). The investments in Indian SaaS companies rose to $4.5 billion in 2021 -- an increase of 170 per cent from 2020, according to management consulting firm Bain & Company. "Our aim is to empower businesses to provide Amazon Prime-like delivery experience and redefine how products are delivered across diverse logistics networks," said Nahata. Niraj Singh, Founder and CEO of used car retailing platform Spinny that has become the youngest unicorn, said the pace of growth is at an all-time high with innovation and technology leading the way to find solutions for every problem and every smart idea is invested in today. "This has grown significantly in the last couple of years, especially during the pandemic as, people seek better options to meet their needs and value purpose and quality service. There is a sea of opportunities with the ongoing momentum in the startup ecosystem in India," Singh told IANS. Although massively under-penetrated when compared to the US and China, online penetration of food services market, especially e-grocery, in India is set to grow two times by 2025 with the right tailwinds -- it is likely to clock a gross merchandise value (GMV) of $13 billion, according to RedSeer. Shan Kadavil, CEO and Co-founder, FreshToHome, told IANS that in the sub-segment of e-grocery, they have seen a huge shift in consumer behaviour who trust brands that give hygienic, direct from the source food products free of chemicals. "Our business growth of nearly 5x in the last two years is a testimony to how the startup ecosystem has fared in India in the recent years," he said. "The pandemic was a watershed moment in accelerating the shift towards online purchase habits and digitisation across all industries in India," he added. Kunal Shah, Founder of CRED, said that for the next round of growth, one needs to work towards driving the participation of women in the workforce. "The GDP expansion and building a robust startup ecosystem is much harder when half the population doesn't work. To make this happen, we need to introduce interventions across education, opportunities, and social/financial support for women to join the workforce," Shah emphasised. (Nishant Arora can be reached at nishant.a@ians.in) --IANS na/arm ( 919 Words) 2021-12-12-10:05:26 (IANS)
Private space sector startup Skyroot Aerospace Private Ltd, which is progressing fast in realising its first rocket, is targeting five per cent market share in the satellite launch vehicle, said a top company official. He also said the various draft policies announced by the Department of Space (DOS) that allows private sector players have been liberal and forward looking. Raising about Rs 92 crore as capital till date, the Hyderabad based Skyroot Aerospace has a headcount of about 100, including several experienced hands from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) with expertise from different fields. As a matter of fact, the two Co-Founders Pawan Kumar Chandana, CEO and Chief Technology Officer and Naga Bharath Daka, COO, Head Avionics & GNC (Guidance, Navigation and Control) were earlier with ISRO. The company is developing three rockets -- Vikram 1, 2 and 3. Recently, Skyroot Aerospace tested its cryogenic engine called Dhawan-1 to be fixed in the upper state of the company's rocket Vikram-2. The company said Dhawan-1 is India's first privately developed cryogenic rocket engine fueled by liquid natural gas (LNG) and liquid oxygen (LoX). The engine uses LNG and LoX at cryogenic temperatures as propellants, which are high performance, low-cost, and green. "These are the rocket propellants of the future, and this test makes us one of the very few companies in the world to have successfully demonstrated this technology," said Chandana. "With this milestone, we have successfully demonstrated all the three propulsion technologies in our Vikram series of space launch vehicles in the first attempt itself, exhibiting great maturity of our team," said Daka. "The complex engine start and shut-off transients are perfectly smooth, combustion was very stable, and pressure was rock steady," said V.Gnanagandhi, a Padma Shri awardee and Senior Vice President - Propulsion. Welcoming the draft policies issued by DOS covering various segments of the space sector Chandana told IANS: "Separate policies for Space sector are required and are being built by IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre -- the sectoral regulator for private companies) under Department of Space." According to him, all the draft policies are liberal and forward looking. Chandana said the IN-SPACe is being established at the optimum speed possible and hoped the company's programme should not get delayed due to regulatory roadblocks. On the market potential for the rocket makers, he said the global satellite launch services market is about $6 billion per year and is growing. "Our goal is to achieve up to five per cent market share in a few years," Chandana said. He said the company is targeting a test launch to orbit by the end of 2022. Skyroot Aerospace has signed an agreement with DOS so that it can access the facilities and expertise of ISRO towards the development and testing of subsystems/systems of its rockets. (Venkatachari Jagannathan can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in) --IANS vj/dpb ( 486 Words) 2021-12-12-10:36:36 (IANS)
UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss plans to allocate another batch of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, in the amount of 75 million pounds, the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office informs, reported Sputnik.

The foreign office specified on Saturday that out of the total aid package, 34 million pounds will go to the UN World Food Programme (WFP).

Truss welcomed the Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers on Saturday in Liverpool, where they discussed global conflicts and regional crises, including Afghanistan, reported Sputnik.

The UK foreign secretary called for the broadening of international cooperation in order to prevent humanitarian catastrophes and avoid high risks of migration.

To avert a humanitarian crisis, the UK has doubled its aid to Afghanistan and the region to roughly USD 380 million (286 million pounds) this year, reported Sputnik.

In September, the UK sent 30 million pounds in assistance to countries neighbouring Afghanistan. Another 50 million pounds were allocated in October.

Earlier this month, Truss discussed Afghanistan and related humanitarian issues with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Ministerial Council in Stockholm. (ANI)
The incident took place in Tank, Dera Ismail Khan District of KP, when armed men on a motorcycle attacked the polio security team, killing one security official and injuring another, reported Geo News, citing the district health officer.

The armed men fled the scene, and a police search operation to find them is underway, DHO Sajjad Ahmed told Geo News.

The body of the killed security personnel and injured are being shifted to the hospital, said Ahmed.

Extremist groups often target polio teams and security assigned to protect them, claiming the vaccination campaigns are a conspiracy to sterilise children.

In August, constable Dilawar Khan was on his way to polio duty in Dera Ismail Khan when unidentified assailants opened fire on him near the Atal Sharif area of Kalachi Tehsil, killing him on the spot while the accused fled, police had reported.

In a second attack in the month of August, a Frontier Reserve Police officer was shot dead by unidentified persons in Peshawar within the limits of the Daudzai police station.

Meanwhile, the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed that its fighters attacked the polio team in Tank, reported Geo News.

The WHO deemed Pakistan and Afghanistan as dangerous countries in a recent statement by the Thirtieth Polio IHR Emergency Committee, stating that the two countries have failed to eradicate polio fully and may be responsible for the virus's global spread. (ANI)
"Great to meet with my good friend @MarisePayne today. We reaffirmed both our nations' deep commitment to a peaceful and secure Indo-Pacific, COVID-19 economic recovery and resilience, and cooperating to deliver results for our citizens and partners around the region," tweeted Blinken.

Both leaders met on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialised nations' Foreign Ministers meeting held in the UK.

They discussed deepening the US-Australia alliance, the importance of committing to ambitious climate action in the next decade, and the need for like-minded allies and partners to continue to defend, strengthen, and renew democracy around the world, read State Department spokesperson Ned Price statement.

They also expressed concern over Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine and reiterated support for a peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues without resorting to threats or coercion and emphasized Taiwan's important contributions to global health development.

Both leaders recommitted to the joint efforts in the region and to build back better from COVID-19, added the statement.

They also agreed on the importance of having a Senate-confirmed Ambassador in place in Canberra as soon as possible in light of the scope and scale of shared challenges. (ANI)
The country's Minister of Islamic Affairs made an announcement on social media directing the mosques to warn people against associating with them during the Friday sermon.

"His Excellency the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dr.#Abdullatif Al_Alsheikh directed the mosques' preachers and the mosques that held Friday prayer temporary to allocate the next Friday sermon 5/6/1443 H to warn against (the Tablighi and Da'wah group) which is called (Al Ahbab)," tweeted Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Islamic Affairs.

The Saudi government also asked mosques to inform people about the danger that Tablighi Jamaat poses to society.

Minister Dr Abdullatif Al Al-Sheikh also directed that the should include a declaration of the "misguidance, deviation and danger of this group" and note that it is one of the "gates of terrorism, even if they claim otherwise."

In addition, it should mention their "most prominent mistakes", that they are a "danger to society" and issue a statement that "affiliation with partisan groups, including (the Tablighi and Da'wah Group) is prohibited in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."

Tablighi Jamaat, a transnational Sunni Islamic missionary movement that focuses on exhorting Muslims and encouraging fellow members to follow the pure form of Sunni Islam. (ANI)
Tornados rip through across the Midwest and southern US including states of Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee, with dozens feared dead and tens of thousands of households running out of power. At least 30 tornados were reported overnight, with Kentucky being the hardest-hit state, Xinhua news reported, citing a leading US-based media network. "We believe our death toll from this event will exceed 50 Kentuckians, probably end up closer to 70 to 100 lost lives," Kentucky's governor Andy Beshear said at a briefing Saturday morning on the storm damage and the state's response. "It has been one of the toughest nights in Kentucky history," Beshear said. "Some areas have been hit in ways that are hard to put into words." Calling the storms that hit the state "the most severe tornado event in Kentucky's history," Beshear declared an official state of emergency. Speaking to the media network, Kentucky Director of Emergency Management Michael Dossett described the damage caused by tornadoes in his state as "one of the darkest days in the state's history." "This will be one of the most significant, the most extensive disasters that Kentucky has faced," Dossett said on Saturday, urging residents to remain indoors unless it's an emergency. Dossett said that "all assets" are heading to Western Kentucky, one of the hardest hit areas, including the National Guard and incident management teams. Bob Blankenship, mayor of Monette, Arkansas, said on Saturday that his town was in a "daze" after a tornado ripped through the area overnight. Two deaths were reported as of this morning in Monette and one in a nearby town, Blankenship said. Power is also out in the town, and Blankenship said he does not know when it will be back. As of 8:30 a.m. (1330 GMT) on Saturday, over 136,000 customers alone in Tennessee, are without power, show data from PowerOutage.US reports. An Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois, partially collapsed in the storm. The town's police chief Mike Fillback confirmed in a press conference Saturday morning at least two people were dead, and rescue efforts are going slowly for the safety of first responders. Fillback said dozens of people were able to leave the scene without serious injury, although it is impossible to give an exact number since some were able to walk away without assistance. --IANS int/shs ( 396 Words) 2021-12-12-00:31:06 (IANS)
"We will try making the government and its allies realise the detrimental effects of a mini-budget," Shahbaz said, adding that the current government has become a threat to national security, reported Geo News.

Pakistan's economic sovereignty is in trouble, presenting a mini-budget is similar to treating cancer with aspirin, said Shahbaz.

According to the PML-N president, Pakistan's economic sovereignty is in trouble, and the Opposition will devise a plan to halt the presentation of a mini-budget, emphasising that the government should not present the IMF-prepared mini-budget, reported Geo News.

"A tsunami of change has engulfed the economy, jobs, and happiness of the people. They have not been able to get relief from the fall in oil prices in the world market," stated Shahbaz.

Speaking about the economic relief programme, Shahbaz stated that it has had "no effect," albeit that the prices of electricity, gas, and commodities had "increased further."

To meet the conditions set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the revival of its USD 6 billion loan, the Imran Khan government is all set to table a mini-budget before Parliament next week. (ANI)
In a bid to sever their ties from Buddhist culture and to make them think of themselves as "Chinese" instead of Tibetan, China is separating children from their families in boarding schools, according to Tibet Action Institute report. According to official data, approximately 8,00,000 Tibetan children between the age of 6 to 18 are living in colonial boarding schools. Parents are compelled to send their children to boarding schools due to a lack of alternatives and are unable to advocate for other options in Tibet's repressive environment, reported National Review magazine. The Tibet Action Institute report also said that students are at risk of losing their mother tongue and connection to their cultural identity due to various reasons. These reasons include: classes are primarily taught in Chinese, they live apart from their families and communities and are, therefore, unable to practice their religion or access the most authentic expressions of Tibetan culture and traditions and they (Children) are subjected to a highly politicized curriculum intended to make them identify as Chinese. Researchers have shown Tibetan boarding school students to be experiencing great emotional and psychological distress, including extreme feelings of loneliness and isolation, as a result of being separated from their families, communities, and culture, said the reported cited by National Review. Earlier, the Chinese authorities in Lhasa have banned the teaching of Tibetan language in the schools to implement President Xi's idea of "Tibetan Buddhism with Socialist Character". Further, China has stopped the Tibetan medium at school levels and made Mandarin the only language of instruction. Now the diktat bans the teaching of basic Tibetan in private Tibetan schools, which are run with public efforts during non-school hours or during winter holidays according to PRG's Strategic Insight. (ANI)
The United Arab Emirates recently ordered to stop work on a Chinese facility in the country after American officials stated that Beijing intended to use the site for military purposes, according to a top UAE official. Last month, reports had emerged that the Biden administration managed to halt the construction of a secret development inside of a Chinese shipping port in the UAE, one of the US's closest Mideast allies, after intense pressure from the US. Emirates ordered work stopped at the site at Washington's behest, said Anwar Gargash, a diplomatic adviser to the UAE's leadership. The UAE, he said, didn't believe the facility was intended for military or security uses, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported. This project, near Abu Dhabi, was halted after several rounds of meetings and visits by US officials, WSJ had reported citing people familiar with the matter. After the intelligence agencies in Washington learned that Beijing was secretly building what they suspected was a military facility at a port, the Biden administration warned the Emirati government that a Chinese military presence in its country could threaten ties between the two countries. Although the project was portrayed as purely commercial, US intelligence has observed ships disguised as commercial vessels that officials recognized as a type typically used by the Chinese military for signals intelligence collection entering the port, the report said. In a statement, a spokesperson for the UAE Embassy in Washington had said that the UAE "never had an agreement, plan, talks or intention to host a Chinese military base or outpost of any kind." This development comes as Beijing has sought to develop commercial ports in outposts around the world in what experts believe is a clear effort to enhance its military foothold. China has already developed commercial ports in Pakistan and Sri Lanka and its first overseas military base in Djibouti. Earlier, the former Trump administration had sought to pressure the UAE to put a stop to the project at the port, which is run by a Chinese shipping conglomerate. (ANI)
"As fellow free-market democracies with historic ties, they agreed that the UK and France must make common cause in promoting freedom and democracy globally and challenging aggressors like Russia. The Foreign Secretary stressed the need for a practical, pragmatic approach to bilateral issues like migration, fishing rights and trade," the British Foreign Office said in a statement.

This meeting comes amid the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers' Meeting, which is taking place from December 11 and 12.

During the meeting, the two ministers also discussed cooperation in the Sahel, and agreed on the importance of deepening economic, security and development ties with allies and working together to boost economic growth in low and middle-income countries.

"Good discussion with Foreign Minister JY Le Drian in Liverpool at the G7. We are working with France on: Rightwards arrow Promoting freedom and democracy globally. Rightwards arrow Standing up to malign actors, including Russia. Rightwards arrow Practical, pragmatic solutions to bilateral issues," Truss tweeted after the meeting.

In the past few weeks, Kyiv and other US allies have accused Moscow of amassing troops near its border with Ukraine. Moscow, for its part, has repeatedly rejected the accusations saying that the West wants to use them as an excuse to deploy NATO military equipment near the Russian border.

Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephone call with US President Joe Biden and discussed the alleged gathering of Russian troops near Ukraine's borders. (ANI)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has said that the withdrawal of US-led coalition combat forces from Iraq confirms the ability of the Iraqi forces to maintain security and stability in the country. "In a few days, we will witness the withdrawal of all combat forces of the international coalition from Iraq according to the strategic agreement with the American side," al-Kadhimi said in his televised speech during a ceremony on the occasion of the centenary of the founding of the modern Iraqi state in 1921. "Their (remaining forces) role will be in the advisory areas, indicating the ability of the Iraqi forces to preserve the security of Iraq, the stability of its people," Xinhua news agency quoted al-Kadhimi as saying. In the midst of the political debate about the results of Iraq's early parliamentary elections, "everyone must be reassured. We will not allow any impact on your security and stability," the Iraqi Prime Minister noted. "The path of building the Iraqi state may be difficult and painful, but it is the only path that our children and grandchildren can take," al-Kadhimi said. On December 9, Iraqi National Security Adviser Qasim al-Araji announced the end of the combat mission in Iraq and the withdrawal of the US-led coalition forces from the country. On November 24, Tahseen al-Khafaji, spokesman of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, said the foreign combat forces would leave Iraq within 15 days, except for some advisers who will stay to support the Iraqi forces. On January 5, 2020, the Iraqi parliament passed a resolution requiring the government to end the presence of foreign forces in the country. In July this year, the US and Iraq held a session of strategic dialogue, during which the two countries agreed on withdrawing all US combat troops from Iraq by December 31. --IANS int/shs ( 316 Words) 2021-12-12-06:03:16 (IANS)
China is struggling with fulfilling its claim of making the country COVID free for the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022, scheduled to be held in February next year. The Chinese authorities are willing and doing, everything that is required to keep the caseload to remain at zero. Despite strict protocols, some regions in China are reporting fresh cases daily. China has implemented zero local transmissions, an official policy, at the cost of people's freedom and violation of rights. Citing a CNN report, Hong Kong Post reported that despite the strict monitoring, "cases have been detected over the past week in the country's largest cities, from Beijing and Shanghai to Guangzhou". However, China claims that Beijing is isolated from the rest of the country during the period of the Winter Games to ensure that the virus does not enter the capital city. At the beginning of the week, at least 61 new cases of COVID-19 were reported from the Chinese mainland, as per local media. The Winter Games are already controversial because several countries led by the United States announced a diplomatic boycott. Canada is the latest country to join the diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics, first initiated by the United States. The two other countries are Australia and the United Kingdom. Human rights activists have raised their voices against China's detention of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang province and crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. In March, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and the European Union imposed sanctions on four Chinese officials and one entity for alleged human rights violations in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, according to Sputnik. (ANI)
Bangladeshi Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has criticised the US sanctions imposed on officials of the country's elite police force over rights abuse, saying the move was unfortunate and not fact-based. On Friday, the US had imposed sanctions on Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and seven incumbent and former top officials of the elite force, including incumbent Bangladeshi Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed. Rejecting the US claim that RAB killed 600 people in 10 years, Momen said, "we have no information who were killed." He added that the US decision should have been backed by facts. "I would expect from (the) USA more solid fact-based response," Momen said on Saturday, ensuring that Dhaka would review if it was an outcome of any "geopolitics," Momen was quoted as saying by the national news agency BSS. The minister made the remarks after the country's Foreign Ministry summoned the US envoy in Dhaka, Earl R Miller, to express Bangladesh's "discontent" over the sanctions. Replying to a question of whether the development could strain Bangladesh-US ties, the foreign minister said, "I don't think so," but quickly added that "it depends on the United States." Momen said the allegations of rights violations by the RAB were not "based on facts" and the anti-crime police unit was a disciplined institution that instead "has been securing human rights for the people of Bangladesh." Apart from Bangladesh, the United States on Friday imposed human rights-related sanctions on dozens of people and entities in China, Myanmar. The financial and visa sanctions came on the final day of President Joe Biden's virtual Summit for Democracy, where he unveiled policies to bolster democracy against threats around the world and appealed for solidarity among some 100 participants. Notably, Bangladesh was not invited to the democracy summit. (ANI)
After India dispatched its first consignment of 1.6 metric tonnes of life-saving medicines to Afghanistan, the Taliban responded by thanking New Delhi stating that ties between the two countries is "very vital". The aid, which consisted of life-saving medicines was sent on Saturday from New Delhi to Kabul by a special flight. Taking to Twitter, the Afghan ambassador to India, Farid Mamundzay said the aid will help many Afghan families in this difficult time. "All kids need a little help, a little hope and somebody who believes in them.' The first consignment of medical aid from India arrived to Kabul this morning. 1.6 metric tonne of life-saving medicines will help many families in this difficult time."Gift from people of India," Mamundzay had tweeted. In a tweet, Ahmadullah Wasiq, deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) on Saturday said: "India is a leading country in the region. Afghanistan-India relations are very vital." The Ministry of External Affairs earlier yesterday said in view of the challenging humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, the government of India has dispatched a consignment of medical supplies on a return flight that brought evacuated Indians and Afghanistan. The special flight on Friday brought 10 Indians and 94 Afghans including members of the Hindu-Sikh minority community from Afghanistan to the national capital under operation Devi Shakti as a part of an evacuation mission undertaken by India, the Ministry of External Affairs said. Under "Operation Devi Shakti", a total of 669 people have now been evacuated from Afghanistan, the MEA said. This comprises hundreds of Indians and Afghans, which includes members of the Afghan Hindu/Sikh minority community. 565 people including 438 Indians were evacuated from Afghanistan earlier in the month of August 2021. (ANI)
Badrudin, head of the culture and information department of the province, stated that the murder took place on Saturday in the provincial capital of Farah and the culprits fled the scene after committing the crime, Xinhua news agency reported.

He also said security personnel have launched a search operation for the perpetrators, according to Xinhua. (ANI)
After nearly a month-long protests in the port city of Gwadar, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has finally taken notice of ongoing demonstrations by the people in the southwestern province over a slew of issues. "I have taken notice of the very legitimate demands of the hardworking fishermen of Gwadar. Will be taking strong action against illegal fishing by trawlers and will also speak to CM Balochistan," Imran Khan tweeted on Sunday. This follows the protests by the residents of Gwadar that have been going on for over 20 days. Pakistani authorities have issued orders to send thousands of police officers from various other districts for maintenance of law and order and on anti-riot duties. Since the past few weeks, thousands of people marched on the main streets of the port city of Gwadar in support of the "Gwadar ko haq do" movement. On Friday, a massive protest rally was held in the port city which included women and children. The participants took out a procession carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans in support of their demands, Dawn newspaper reported. The protestors also chanted slogans against the government. Among other things, thousands of residents continue to demand access to clean drinking water and an end to the "trawler mafia". The demands also include the removal of additional check-posts at Pushkan, Sarbandan and Gwadar City, and the opening of the Pak-Iran border. Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman, Balochistan general secretary of Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), earlier this week had said the protest was actually a referendum against the provincial and federal governments and the people would continue their struggle till the achievement of their rights. "It is the movement of the deprived and oppressed people of Balochistan comprising fishermen, poor labourers and students, which will continue till all their demands are accepted and implemented," the JI leader declared. This comes after the arrest of senior Pakistani politician and Baloch Muttahida Mahaz (BMM) president Yousuf Masti Khan in Gwadar. Yousuf Khan was arrested on Thursday on the charge of making a "provocative and anti-state" speech at a protest sit-in staged by the people of Gwadar, Dawn reported. (ANI)
Moon is the first South Korean president to pay a state visit to Australia in 12 years. He is also the first foreign leader that the country has invited since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Yonhap News Agency reported citing officials as saying.

In Canberra on Monday, Moon will hold a summit with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Strengthening cooperation in the fields of carbon-neutral technology, the hydrogen economy, defense industry, space and cyberspace is expected to top the agenda, according to the officials.

After the summit, Moon will attend a state luncheon hosted by Australian Governor-General David Hurley.

Also on Monday, Moon will visit a monument for Australian veterans of the 1950-53 Korean War and pay his respects at the Australian National Korean War Memorial.

Australia fought alongside South Korea during the war.

On Tuesday, Moon will visit Sydney, where he will meet Anthony Albanese, leader of the opposition Labor Party, and hold a meeting with Australian business leaders on a supply chain issue of key mining products.

South Korea and Australia marked the 60th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties this year.

--IANS ksk/

( 233 Words)

2021-12-12-10:00:17 (IANS)
During the talks, the two leaders discussed the ways to unlock the negotiation process in the Normandy format, designed to end the conflict in Ukraine's eastern region of Donbas through diplomatic means, reports Xinhua news agency.

Zelensky said that Kiev stands ready to continue active work within the Normandy Four, which comprises Ukraine, France, Russia and Germany.

Zelensky and Macron stressed the need to resume the effective functioning of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) to achieve an effective ceasefire, the release of hostages and the opening of the checkpoints in Donbas.

The TCG, consisting of representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, was formed to facilitate a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Donbas.

On Thursday, Zelensky held a telephone conversation with his American counterpart Joe Biden to discuss the security situation around Ukraine and the prospects for intensifying the peaceful settlement in Donbas.

It is reported that Zelensky will meet Macron on December 15 in Brussels.

--IANS ksk/

( 194 Words)

2021-12-12-10:42:37 (IANS)
The German parliament has passed a resolution on deepening ties with Taiwan amid rising tensions between Taipei and Beijing, local media reported on Sunday. The Petitions Committee of Germany's new parliament, which met for the first time in October following a federal election in September, passed a resolution on December 9, urging the government to deepen exchanges with Taiwan, reported Focus Taiwan. The committee also decided to refer an earlier motion on establishing formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan to the foreign ministry and each parliamentary caucus. The resolution said that since Germany and China established diplomatic relations in 1972, the country has adhered to the so-called "one-China" policy which excludes the possibility of forging diplomatic ties with Taiwan, reported Focus Taiwan. The resolution further said that Germany is supportive of conducting close political, economic and social engagement with Taiwan and expanded cooperation with Taipei is in the interest of Germany and Europe. According to Focus Taiwan, the motion asking Germany to establish diplomatic relations with Taiwan was initiated by German national Michael Kreuzberg in May 2019 and received more than 50,000 signatures in October that year, which required that it be advanced to parliament for discussion. The Petitions Committee of the Bundestag, the German federal parliament, held a public hearing in December 2019 on the motion. During the public hearing, Petra Sigmund, the director-general for Asia and the Pacific at the German Federal Foreign Office, said Taiwan and Germany share values, such as democracy and freedom, and conduct frequent exchanges in the economic, cultural and academic spheres. Germany plans to expand ties with Taiwan. Meanwhile, Taiwan's representative office in Germany welcomed the passage of the December 9 resolution and thanked German lawmakers for supporting stronger relations with Taiwan, saying it looks forward to seeing the German government's response to the motion, reported Focus Taiwan. China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. Despite being governed separately for more than seven decades, Beijing claims sovereignty over Taiwan. China has also threatened that "Taiwan's independence" means war. (ANI)
Nicaragua broke ties with Taiwan at China's behest at a time when Taiwan was attending the US Summit for Democracy to which China and Nicaragua, both authoritarian regimes, were not invited. Nicaragua and China timed their announcements of Managua's diplomatic break with Taiwan to be "a great gift" from Beijing to Washington on the first day of the US Summit for Democracy, according to the Voice of America. Nicaragua announced that it was establishing diplomatic relations with China, and both announced their decision to coincide with Taiwan's presence at the Democracy summit. Earlier, more than 100 countries attended the summit, including liberal democracies, weaker democracies and even several states with authoritarian characteristics, according to Voice of America. Nicaragua's government said that it recognized the People's Republic of China as "the only legitimate government that represents all of China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory." Meanwhile, Taiwan also followed suit by breaking diplomatic ties with the Central American country and accusing latter of disregarding a "longstanding and close friendship between the two peoples." Earlier, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said the island will not bend to pressure or change their determination to uphold democracy. "The more successful Taiwan's democracy is, the stronger the international support, and the greater the pressure from the authoritarian camp," she said in response to Nicaragua's announcement. On the other hand, in Nicaragua, since anti-government protests erupted in April 2018, government forces have killed more than 300 people, and the Ortega government has adopted repressive laws that restrict civil society and activism in the country. (ANI)
The Dharamshala-based Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) launched an online database of Tibetan political prisoners on Human Rights Day, and said that 1,809 people are currently detained in Chinese prisons. The initiative is in collaboration with Geneva-based HURIDOCS' (Human Rights Information and Documentation Systems) application Uwazi, Phayul reported. It further reported that the database with information on 5,518 Tibetan political prisoners has been compiled since 1990. According to Phayul, researcher Tenzin Dawa said 3,067 prisoners have been released whereas 1,809 people are still detained in Chinese prisons. The database which is launched on the occasion of Human Rights Day on Friday, will be updated with new information procured from observers, TCHRD said. Human Rights Day is celebrated on December 10 every year in all countries of the world under the supervision of the United Nations. On December 10, 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was declared by the General Assembly of the United Nations. "The database was compiled after reviewing older documents in TCHRD's archive and cross-checking with other similar databases. The database includes county-level GPS coordinates of each prisoner's place of origin," Phayul quoted the press release. "5,518 is not a small number. These are verified cases which have been put in the database with sufficient proof. This alone should make China answerable for their atrocities, if only it were a country that accepted the truth," researcher Nyima Woeser said. The group further claimed that the data is only cases procured from open sources, suggesting that many unknown cases are yet to be unearthed. Over 300 cases of detention lie unresolved in TCHRD's records as no information was received after the prisoners completed their sentences, Phayul reported. Meanwhile, the human rights organization urged the global community to condemn ongoing Chinese atrocities on Tibetan soil that largely go unnoticed. "We call on the international community including the United Nations, organizations, and individuals to pressure China to put an immediate halt to its state-sponsored policy of cultural assimilation in Tibet," the human rights organization said. Tibet is ruled by the Chinese Communist Party government based in Beijing, with local decision-making power concentrated in the hands of Chinese party officials. Tibet was a sovereign state before China's invasion in 1950 when the People's Liberation Army (PLA) entered northern Tibet. (ANI)
Meta, which owns Facebook, has deactivated over 500 accounts tied to a Chinese-based internet misinformation network. The accounts pushed the allegations of a fictitious Swiss scientist named "Wilson Edwards," who claimed the US was interfering with the search for Covid-19's origins, a media report said. Chinese official media channels prominently covered Edwards' remarks. However, the Swiss embassy stated that this individual was very unlikely to exist, reported The Singapore Post. The Meta's analysis has found that the social media efforts were aimed at English-speaking audiences in the US and the UK, as well as Chinese-speaking audiences in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Tibet, was "mostly ineffective", said the Singapore-based publication. Posing as a Swiss biologist called Wilson Edwards, a Facebook and Twitter account, in July stated that Washington was placing pressure on WHO researchers studying the roots of COVID-19 in an attempt to pin the virus on China. China's state media including CGTN, Shanghai Daily, and Global Times have mentioned the so-called scientist based on his Facebook page. In August, the Swiss Embassy had urged Chinese news organisations to remove any reference of Wilson Edwards, stating that "there was no record of a Swiss citizen with the name Wilson Edwards and no scholarly works under that name". Facebook analysed the public allegations about the bogus Swiss scientist and stated that it has deactivated 524 Facebook profiles, 20 pages, four groups, and 86 Instagram accounts. The persona's original post was shared and liked by phoney Facebook accounts before being forwarded by genuine users, the majority of whom were workers of Chinese state infrastructure businesses in over 20 countries, The Singapore Post quoted Meta as saying. (ANI)
Chinese youngsters show little interest in democracy but they are not satisfied with the present Communist system, said reports. The Western media explained that fading interest in democracy is due to China suppressing free speech and brainwashing people through its education system. According to National Bureau of Statistics, some 208.5 million Chinese were born between 1990 and 1999 -- roughly equal to the combined populations of Russia and the United Kingdom and if followers of a democratic movement did exist, or still exist today, then surely a strident vanguard would have emerged. Yet their silence was deafening, said Zhou Xin in an opinion piece in Nikkei Asia. Also, China's youths clearly have not swallowed everything they learned in school, and are practicing their ideas in ways that differ from the values of the ruling Communist party. Further, the logical extension of this dictum to the economy has led to incredible changes still unthinkable in many Western democracies. Consider China's sharing economy and electronic payments system, which have resulted in economic growth much faster than in the West. However, the price that China's rulers have had to pay for the younger generation's confidence is unimaginable. Maintaining the sustained growth of an economy that is almost 75% connected to the US cannot be solved by slogans from the Mao era, according to Zhou Xin. Also, the truth is China's people want more, the writer said. (ANI)
A Chinese court in Tibet has given a 10-year prison term to Tibetan writer and educator Go Sherab Gyatso known for expressing loyalty to exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, with the sentence handed down in a secret trial, according to Radio Free Asia (RFA). Earlier, Go Sherab Gyatso had written books and articles describing restrictions on Tibetans living under Chinese rule. Further, Go Sherab Gyatso, a 46-year-old monk at Kirti monastery in Sichuan's Ngaba (in Chinese, Aba) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, was taken into custody on unknown charges by State Security agents on Oct. 26, 2020 in Sichuan's capital Chengdu. Meanwhile, Gyatso will be moved soon to a prison near Tibet's regional capital Lhasa, sources close to Gyatso said. No details are available regarding the charges on which he was convicted, according to RFA. Speaking to RFA, a Tibetan scholar living in exile described Gyatso - who had written books and articles describing restrictions on freedom of expression under Chinese rule - as an "open-minded individual who advocates the preservation of Tibetan language, religion and culture." "It's sad news to hear about his 10-year sentence on Human Rights Day, and I want to call on the United Nations, governments around the world, and the international community to look into this matter immediately," he added. Earlier, the Chinese government in October responded to a July 16 letter from U.N. human rights experts asking about Gyatso's case, telling them that Gyatso had been placed in criminal detention "in accordance with the law on suspicion of inciting secession." (ANI)
A report released on Thursday by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank found that China is using its existing relationships with US universities to collect information and technological know-how "to achieve Chinese military dominance," Fox News reported.

"China's civilian university system plays a major role in China's military-industrial complex, including its nuclear and cyber-espionage programs," the report found.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has "ordered" civilian universities and all students to comply with its military-civil fusion strategy to integrate military, civilian and commercial investments to "advance China's interest," Fox News reported.

According to the report, there are 34 US universities that continue to work with Confucius Institutes (CI), which are CCP sponsored programs intended to promote educational and cultural ties worldwide.

The report found that four US universities, including Stanford University, the University of California in Santa Barbara, the University of Utah and Pacific Lutheran University in Washington, have open partnerships with Chinese universities that have been flagged as allegedly supporting China's nuclear program, Fox News reported.

A spokesperson for the University of Utah said it would be ending its partnership with the Confucius Institute in June 2023 when their contract is set to terminate, adding that, "We haven't had any concerns about the U's institute being a hub for espionage or propaganda."

"The institute has played an important role in increasing linguistic and cultural literacy about China among Utahns," Chris Nelson, interim Chief Marketing & Communications Officer for the university told Fox News. (ANI)
"We received 19,65,600 doses of the Moderna vaccine from the COVAX facility today (Sunday)," The Kathmandu Post quoted senior officer at the Logistic Management Section under the Department of Health Services, Badebabu Thapa, as saying.

These vaccine doses will be administered to children between 12 and 17 years in Nepal's 57 districts from December 20, the country's Ministry of Health and Population said.

Chief of the National Immunisation Programme, Sagar Dahal, told The Kathmandu Post that preparations are underway to roll out the Moderna vaccine from December 20 and students will be jabbed at their respective schools.

Under the COVAX facility, Nepal received 1,88,400 doses of the Moderna vaccine on December 4 and 14,97,600 doses of the vaccine on December 9.

For Nepal, the Moderna is the fifth COVID-19 vaccine which the country is going to use after AstraZeneca, Vero Cell, Janssen and Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines. (ANI)
Muttahidda Qaumi Movement's (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain has appealed to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Indian Parliament to come for the freedom of Sindh and Balochistan on war footing basis. The people of these two Pakistan-occupied territories are in a miserable state and looking forward to the UN, UK and the world's largest democracy, India for help. These Democratic countries must not ignore the legitimate call from the people of these two Pakistan-occupied territories and must execute their influence and practical support for their freedom as per the charter of the UN. The terror-exporting ghoulish military of Pakistan has converted Pakistan a safe haven for terrorist organisations Taliban, ISIS, LeJ, etc on the same pattern of Afghanistan. Thus the peace of the region and the entire world is seriously at stake. The silence over demands of the people of Pakistan-occupied territories of Sindh and Balochistan will be tantamount to allowing the demonic military of Pakistan to play with the lives of the millions of people all over the world. While addressing the Muhajir Martyrs' Day gathering organised by the UK MQM chapter in London, Saturday, said that there are facts in the history of Britain about how the British Empire occupied the subcontinent, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs belonging to all religions were fighting together against the occupation of the subcontinent and there are the big guerrillas involved. These guerrillas have been martyred for freedom, hanged. And the Hindu freedom fighters were brutally martyred and their bodies were riddled with bullets. The British adopted the policy of "fight and rule" to maintain their occupation. They divided the people of India on the basis of religion. Hindus and Muslims practiced two different religions. Today, history has proved that Maulana Hassan Madani and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and their like-minded dignitaries were correct in saying that a nation is not formed by religion but is related to geography. There are no adherents of any one religion or creed in the geography of any country. No nation is a unit but consists of people belonging to different religions and beliefs. Hussain said that the division of the subcontinent India was the biggest mistake of human history as a result of which not only geography was divided but millions of people fell victim to it, millions were raped, families were divided. He said that every year on the occasion of Eid, Holi, Diwali and every festival on the border of Pakistan and India, soldiers exchange gifts and hug each other but when we talk of friendship between India and Pakistan, we are accused of being pro-India. The MQM Supremo appealed to the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, his Government, the Parliament of India and the people that the partition of India was the fault of our forefathers, they committed a huge sin and we the Muhajirs are paying the cost of that huge sin. The land there has been narrowed for them, India must open doors for Muhajirs."I promise we will reverse the mistake and repay the debt of kindness by our deeds."Hussain said that the partition of India was not by the poor Muhajirs but by the Muslim Nawabs, feudal lords and the rich elite who had become agents of the British. Together they divided India while those who had lived together for thousands of years became enemies of each other. Just as the elite of Sindh today has become agents of the Punjab and the army using the Sindhi card to keep Sindh enslaved for their vested interests. Sindh has been turned into a satellite colony of Punjab and its the land and resources are robbed by the ghoulish military of Pakistan. They are closing down the doors of jobs to the Muhajirs. He said that like the Sindhi elite has become the pimps of the army and are working to enslave the poor Muhajirs. He appealed to the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, the Government of India and the people of India to help liberate Sindh in the same way that you liberated East Pakistan. "We promise that we will not form a union with Pakistan but will form a union with India like the European Union." He said that Punjab and army have sold Balochistan and Sindh to China. Please save Sindh and Balouchistan and help the people of Sindh and Balochistan to get freedom from Pakistan and China. Pakistan has become an open threat to world peace and will torment the whole world through its terrorism. He said that a few days ago, hundreds of policemen were killed and injured by those who were shouting slogans against the extremist organisation, TLP. The Pakistani military hugged them, monetised their terrorism and supported them. Likewise, the military hugged Taliban terrorists and has provided them safe haven and jobs. On the other, the demonic military of Pakistan imposed sanctions on Muslim Muhajirs and used force to stop them from performing the rituals on Martyr's Day. The manner in which the paramilitary Rangers brutally tortured MQM workers, sisters, journalists and photographers on Martyrs' Day in Azizabad is indescribable. Hussain appealed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Government of India and the people of India, saying that Altaf Hussain is begging you for help, help us for God's sake, as we are facing genocide. Addressing the Muslims of India, he said that they should consider India as their homeland, be with the government and the people there, treat the Hindus there with love, the Hindus of India do not hate you, if that happened then more than 200 million Muslims would not live in India today. Addressing the Muhajir nation in Pakistan, Hussain said that they should create unity and harmony among themselves and be ready to make all kinds of sacrifices for their survival and the better future of future generations. Otherwise, our next generations will be left as slaves in the occupied territories. Hussain paid rich tributes to the martyrs of MQM and prayed for them. (ANI)
Chinese authorities targeted dissidents, rights lawyers and activists and their families by putting them under house arrest, round-the-clock surveillance and restrictions on their children's school attendance on Human Rights Day, a media report said. Rights activist Li Wenzu and rights lawyer husband Wang Quanzhang said that they were placed under house arrest on December 9, with unidentified security guards refusing to let them leave to take their child to school, reported Radio Free Asia (RFA). Li had asked the people stopping them from leaving to identify themselves, but she did not get a clear answer. "Would you please show your ID? In what capacity are you here right now?" Li is heard saying in a video clip posted to her Twitter account. Other similar incidents were also reported. Activist Xu Yan and her rights lawyer husband Yu Wensheng said that around nine people were outside the door of their apartment at 6.00 am on Thursday, and they were unable to get out at all, reported Radio Free Asia. "Would you please show your ID? In what capacity are you here right now?" Li is heard asking one guard in another clip. "Is this really necessary?" comes the reply. "It's not as if we've only just met." Fellow activist Xu Yan and her rights lawyer husband Yu Wensheng said around nine people were outside the door of their apartment at 6.00 a.m. on Thursday, and they were unable to get out at all. "They were not letting me open the door. They pushed back pretty hard a couple of times, and my ribs are still hurting " Xu told RFA. The incidents were reported when US President Joe Biden hosted Summit for Democracy, stressing that democracies could unite to resist authoritarian rule. (ANI)
Paris [France], December 12 (ANI/Sputnik): French presidential candidate Eric Zemmour welcomed on Sunday the decision of New Caledonians to remain a part of France, which was expressed by the majority of voters at an independence referendum that took place earlier in the day. "Dear New Caledonians, your will is irrevocable. You are the French and will remain them! I want the times of transition statuses to end. The electorate will thaw, and we will not plan any other independence referendums. Long live France!" Zemmour tweeted. The referendum was the third vote on independence from Metropolitan France in the Pacific archipelago. The voting showed a record low turnout due to the boycott declared by those supporting independence. Earlier in the day, the French 1ere broadcaster reported on provisional voting results, demonstrating that at least 96.2 per cent of voters spoke against the secession. The first referendum on independence was held in November 2018, and 56.7 per cent voted for remaining a French territory. The second vote took place in October 2020, when 53.3 per cent of citizens said they would not like to separate from France. New Caledonia became a part of France in 1853. Now, the area has a special administrative status and population of 2,70,000. (ANI/Sputnik)
Prague [Czech Republic] December 12 (ANI/Sputnik): About 500 people in Prague are protesting on Sunday against mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for the elderly and people working in certain areas, due to take effect in the Czech Republic on March 1, 2022, a Sputnik correspondent reported. The protesters have gathered on Wenceslas Square and are collecting signatures on the petition against the mandatory vaccination. The demonstrators will hand over the document to the Czech government during the march after the rally. "We, the Czech citizens, are urging the government to adhere to the constitution of the republic when taking actions and to never break the main law even for the sake of the highest good. Every citizen is entitled to decide on their own whether to get vaccinated against coronavirus or not," Jakub Olbert, the leader of the Otevreme Cesko - Chcipl PES initiative, said at the rally, adding that the mandatory vaccination violates the Czech constitution. The demonstration is going on without breaching public order so far, a police officer told Sputnik. On December 6, the government approved the health ministry's proposal to introduce mandatory vaccination for people aged 60 and over and medical staff, police officers, firefighters, the military, and social workers. On Friday, the corresponding amendments were published in the register of legislation. (ANI/Sputnik)
In what may be seen as the Taliban 2.0, the group held a meeting with the Islamic Ulema to consult on how to manage the Islamic Emirate government in the country. Speaking at a press conference on Sunday in Kabul, the spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, Zabiullah Mujahid said that the Ulema would share their opinions regarding women's rights with the government, reported Tolo News. "We need to adjust some government issues with the Islamic values, and therefore the Islamic Ulema will share their views on controversial issues, including women's rights with the government, so we can run the government affairs based on their decision," he said. Civil activists and specifically women's rights activists expect the meeting to yield good results on women's access to work and education. They stressed that female Islamic scholars should also be invited to the meeting, reported Tolo News. "If the decision of the meeting is not in the interest of the people, especially women, then it will not only fail to solve the problems but will intensify the crisis," said Armaghan Malikzada, a women's rights activist. The Taliban has re-imposed repressive laws and retrograde policies on Afghan women that defined its 1996-2001 rule when they enforced their version of Islamic Sharia law. When it ruled Afghanistan, the Taliban forced women to cover themselves from head to toe, banned them from working outside the home, severely limited girls' education, and required women to be accompanied by a male relative when they left their homes. The Islamic Emirate has been questioned by the international community for violating human rights, women's rights, the rights of minorities and of forming a non-inclusive government. (ANI)
"5 Islamic Emirate force members were killed and 4 were injured when their vehicle overturned in Parwan province on Sunday, said Awal Gul Haqparast, head of the Parwan security dept," tweeted Tolo News.

Haqparast, Parwan police chief, said the incident took place at two lanes of Bagram and that the victims were Islamic Emirate forces.

The security situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated after the establishment of the Islamic Emirate by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Seven big security incidents occurred in the country, since November 13, that caused 630 cases of death or injury, reported Tolo News.

Islamic State (IS)-affiliated terrorists have staged several bomb explosions in Kabul and other places since Taliban's takeover in mid-August. (ANI)
Seoul [South Korea], December 13 (ANI/Global Economic): Korean researchers have developed molecular diagnostics technology that can detect Omicron variants. The technology development has been currently completed, and it is expected to take time for commercialization. POSTECH announced on the 10th that a research team led by Professor Lee Jung-wook of the Department of Chemical Engineering has developed molecular diagnostic technology that can detect the Omicron variant in just 20-30 minutes and will publish the results online. Omicron is a variant in which 26-32 mutations in the spike, which is used to infect cells by the COVID-19 virus. According to the research team, molecular diagnostics technology can distinguish mutations at the single-nucleotide base, so it can detect 'Stealth Omicron,' which are difficult to be detected by PCR tests. Currently, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is using three methods to detect COVID-19 variants: whole-genome analysis, target DNA (mutations such as spike protein) analysis, and PCR test. In the case of the Delta variant, it can be detected by the current PCR test, but Omicron cannot.The newly developed technology this time is not a sequencing method that reads DNA or RNA sequences, but the molecular diagnostic technology. The existing technology screens only specific areas of the virus, but the molecular diagnostic technology was designed to cause nucleic acid-binding reactions only when the COVID-19 RNA exists, enabling rapid detection. According to Professor Lee, Omicron has a strong signal for N genes in PCR tests but has a weak signal for S genes. In the case of 'Stealth Omicron,' both N and S genes confirmed positive, making it difficult to distinguish from other variants. The molecular diagnostic technology works in different mechanisms from PCR, detecting the Omicron variant efficiently. Unlike conventional technology that generally processes up to 96 samples per device, the new technology can process more than 125 in 30 minutes (more than 250 samples per hour). In addition, this technology does not need specialized equipment, thus can make diagnostic kits simply and easily. As the method can develop the diagnosis kit in 4 days, it is expected to respond quickly even if a new variant or virus occurs in the future. "I hope the disclosure of this technology will help us return to normal daily life as soon as possible," said Professor Lee. "We will try to quickly diagnose and respond to new variants that may come out after COVID-19." This technology is currently before commercialization. However, it can be used as an auxiliary in current situations where the PCR test for Omicron has not been developed. Professor Lee said, "I think this technology will be close to commercialization in the second half of next year after clinical trials. The reason why I disclose the technology is to share it with others to develop better technologies for overcoming COVID-19 and to allow underdeveloped countries also analyze COVID-19 variants." (ANI/Global Economic)
Seoul [South Korea], December 13 (ANI/Global Economic): Sales of Hyundai Motor and Kia have continued to decrease in the Chinese market. According to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) on the 10th, Hyundai Motor and Kia's combined share of the Chinese market fell 1 per cent from 3.1 per cent (2.2 per cent for Hyundai Motor, 0.9 per cent for Kia) in November last year to 2.1 per cent (1.4 per cent Hyundai Motor, 0.7 per cent Kia) in November this year. Last month, retail sales of automobiles decreased by 13 per cent year-on-year to 1,845,000 units in the Chinese market. The sales of passenger cars (including sedans, SUVs, and MPVs) fell 13 per cent to 1,816,000 units and commercial vehicles fell to 28,000 units, similar to last year. However, Hyundai Motor and Kia's performance was far below the market average. Retail sales of Hyundai Motor Beijing fell 42 per cent year-on-year to 26,000 units in November, and Dongfeng Kia fell 30 per cent to 13,000 units. Sales of Hyundai Motor Group have significantly decreased in the Chinese market since the 2016 THAAD crisis. Hyundai Motor is reorganizing the local business organizations by selling its Beijing plant 1, Hyundai Motor's first global production plant. Hyundai Motor released various new models and launched the Genesis brand to boost sales in the Chinese market, which has a strong influence in the global electric vehicle (EV) market. However, the performance has continued to be sluggish, with only 69 units of the strategic EV model 'Mistra EV,' released earlier this year, sold from March to September. On the other hand, EV manufacturers such as Tesla and BYD and China's Geely Automobile saw strong sales performance. Tesla and BYD sold 32,000 units and 90,000 units, respectively, in November. The market share of Tesla was 1.7 per cent (+0.7 per cent) and BYD was 5.0 per cent (+3.7 per cent). Sales of Geely Automobile fell 12per cent, but the market share increased by 0.1 points. Japanese and European brands also showed a decline in the market share. Song Seon-jae, an analyst from Hana Financial Investment, said, "The retail sales in China decreased by 13 per cent year-on-year in November. This was effected by various factors such as chip shortages, COVID-19 pandemic, and drop in consumption demand due to the recession." Song said, "The production disruptions caused by semiconductor shortages have been relatively resolved. CPCA expects the component shortages to be further alleviated." (ANI/Global Economic)
BTS appeared on the James Corden Show aired on the 8th (local time) and had a performance of 'Butter'.

Following the performance of 'Permission to Dance' on the 23rd last month, they had an ending stage this time, celebrating the 1000th episode of the James Corden Show.

At the show, BTS came out of the audience seats singing 'Butter.' While the audience enjoyed the music, the seven members moved from the seat to the stage and showed an exciting performance.

BTS will also appear in the 'CROSSWALK CONCERT,' the corner of the James Corden Show, on the 16th.

The James Corden Show previously announced on its official SNS that BTS will perform an incredible stage of 'Butter' and it will also reveal that 'BTS Crosswalk' will air on the 16th.

Meanwhile, BTS is dominating year-end charts and music awards this year with 'Butter.' (ANI/Global Economic)
He was greeted by UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed. Bennett thanked Zayed for his warm welcome and said that he looks forward to strengthening bilateral ties on the first-ever trip, reported The Times of Israel.

Bennett said bin Zayed, "I appreciate your warm hospitality. This is a wonderful welcome. I am very excited to be here on the first official visit by an Israeli leader here. I look forward to strengthening the relationship between our two countries."

Bennett's UAE meeting also marks the first visit by an Israel leader to UAE. Israel had earlier signed the "Abraham Accords," a US-backed initiative to normalize relations between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.

Bennett is expected to meet with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed to discuss bilateral relations.

Economic and regional issues will also be discussed by both leaders. (ANI)
Growing up in a small town in Pakistan where electricity and running water were scarce, Urwa Hameed had two things in abundance: energy and encouragement.

Both have served her well. This month, Hameed, now an 18-year-old Vernon resident, will graduate from Boston College, where she double-majored in political science and international studies and minored in business. From January to May, she will work with a nonprofit she founded, to help immigrants file their taxes. She has just published a book about women politicians in her native Pakistan. And she is studying for her Law School Admissions Test.

I am a high-energy person. School is not enough for me. I always am doing something, says Hameed.

Hameed graduated from Rockville High and started at Boston College when she was 15 and finished there in 3 years, going to summer school, traveling the world, doing research for professors, participating in campus activism and writing poetry in Urdu, one of four languages she knows fluently.

Hameed will get her diplomas in the traditional graduation ceremony in May, with her classmates.

Hameed made many friends at Boston College, despite at first not wanting to discuss what set her apart from everyone else on campus.

I was hesitant to bring up my age. I didnt want that to be the only lens through which people could look at me, she says. Very few people knew that I was that young.

It is easy to believe Hameed is older than her years. Impressively intelligent, poised and confident, with a quick and precise manner of speaking, she gives off the air of an experienced professional woman.

Hameeds drive to succeed began in her childhood in a rural town in the Multan province, in the Punjab region of Pakistan. Summer temperatures soared above 100 degrees, many had no electricity and drinkable water could be scarce.

The desert was 20 minutes away. The groundwater was sour. There were filtration systems, but without electricity, you cant use them, she says.

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In this atmosphere, Hameed grew up, admiring her father. He owned farmland, where wheat, mangos and cotton were grown. He also was an immigration attorney who traveled frequently in his work to the United States and Great Britain. As part of his work, he ran a pro bono legal clinic for the poor.

He was a government advocate for ushr and zakat, which is a way of redistributing alms to the poor. Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam, she says. He helped people file paperwork, get green cards.

The importance of education was instilled in Hameed from a young age.

It was very hard. The closest school was 2 hours away by bus, she says. I had to go to Quran school, too. I got up early and wouldnt get home until 10, 10:30 at night.

As she got older, she moved to Islamabad, the countrys capital.

My sister and I ... had to live there to get access to education, she says. In Islamabad, she missed her family.

The void was always there.

Later, her father decided to bring his family to the United States. Then tragedy struck. Always sickly and often overworked, her father died while processing his familys final immigration paperwork. The rest of Urwas family  her sister, her two brothers and their mother  went ahead with the plans to go to America. They settled in Vernon, where several of Hameeds aunts lived.

Hameeds education here got off to a rocky start.

I was initially placed in Vernon Center Middle School. I was quite upset. I told my mother, this is really easy, she says. The math and English classes were teaching me things I had learned four years ago. I was intellectually unchallenged and frustrated.

Later, she was pushed up two grades and finished at Rockville High before moving on to Boston College.

Hameed is fluent in Punjabi and Urdu. She can fluently read and write Arabic, which she learned in Quran school. She learned English in Pakistan, but didnt become verbally fluent until emigrating.

I never spoke to anyone in English there, she says. She also speaks Saraiki, a Pakistani language, at about 90%.

The tribe who worked on our farmland, they spoke it. My family interacted with them, she says. Since coming to America, she has learned a bit of Spanish.

At Boston College, Hameed got a job in the office of residential life and she did research for professors who were writing books. As a freshman, she traveled to the Balkans to study the philosophy of war and peace. She unsuccessfully ran for student body president and she advocated for Halal food and a mosque on campus.

She also traveled back to Pakistan three times to research her self-published book titled Steering Toward Change: Women Politicians Challenging Patriarchy, Class and Power in Pakistan, for which she interviewed and profiled 45 Pakistani women politicians.

Every one of these women had to overcome a patriarchal culture to succeed. Politics is seen as the realm of men, where women are not welcome. They have to work every day to keep their space, she says. Womens interests are not represented in politics. They have that urge to represent women.

She was happy at Boston College, a Catholic school, although she is Muslim. The student body, about 9,000 people, has about 250 Muslims, she says.

I am a practicing and believing Muslim. I was more comfortable being my religious self in a religious school than I would have been in a secular school, she says.

Now she is preparing her next step. She may go to law school. If she doesnt, she will enroll in a masters program in international affairs. Remembering her days in Islamabad, she wants to stay close to home.

I want to be close to the area, close to my family, somewhere in New York, Massachusetts or Connecticut, she says.

Susan Dunne can be reached at sdunne@courant.com.
Several Amazon workers are currently unaccounted for

At least two Amazon workers have died and others were confirmed injured on Friday night following the collapse of an Amazon warehouse near East St. Louis, Illinois. The facility collapsed after tornadoes and strong storms hit the area.

According to police, the two bodies were found after rescuers searched the rubble on Saturday. Police Chief Mike Fillback told reporters that several more people remained unaccounted for.

Weve been closely monitoring the terrible situation in Edwardsville, and are heartbroken over the loss of our team members, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy posted on his Twitter on Saturday. Our thoughts are with their families at this difficult time.

At least two workers were confirmed dead when an Amazon warehouse collapsed near St. Louis after tornadoes and strong storms roared through the areahttps://t.co/4YHjQg3Jiz  RTE News (@rtenews) December 11, 2021

The tragedy local police and fire departments have termed a mass casualty incident, happened when a football field-length wall and the warehouses roof collapsed around 8:30 p.m. on Friday, entrapping employees.

According to Fox 2 News, as many as 50 to 100 employees were inside the building during the collapse.

Nearly 100 emergency vehicles from service departments in the surrounding area arrived on the scene, where reports said nearly a dozen of employees were trapped.

At least 30 workers were bused from the facility to Pontoon Beach to be reunited with their families, said Fillback. However, Fillback said the official count is unclear because the warehouse did not have a set staff.

Numerous deadly tornadoes ripped through the Kentucky bend and states in the midwest, including Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas late on Friday.

According to the Associated Press, at least five deaths have been confirmed including three in Tennessee, one in Arkansas and one in Missouri.

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The death toll is expected to rise, with Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear warning that the tornadoes may have killed as many as 100 people across five counties.

A collapsed roof is seen at an Amazon distribution center after a tornado hits Edwardsville, in Illinois, U.S. December 11, 2021. (PhotoCred: REUTERS/Lawrence Bryant)

Sarah Bierman said she is worried about the safety of her husband who works at the center, after not hearing from him since the incident.

I talked to him about eight oclock tonight, a little before I texted him, and he was returning to the warehouse to drop his van off, she said to a reporter.

And I havent heard from him since, I just heard through the news and we live in Edwardsville; we lost power. So I decided to come down here to see what was going on, and I had no idea the building looked that bad. And Im just; Im worried sick, she added.

Fillback said the local fire department, with help from local construction companies, is working on clearing out the debris.

My prayers are with the people of Edwardsville tonight, and Ive reached out to the mayor to provide any needed state resources, said Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on his Twitter on Friday.

Our @ILStatePolice and @ReadyIllinois are both coordinating closely with local officials and I will continue to monitor the situation.

Have you subscribed to theGrio podcasts, Dear Culture or Acting Up? Download our newest episodes now!

TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today!

The post 2 Amazon workers confirmed dead after tornado hit IL facility appeared first on TheGrio.
The Daily Beast

GettyEven as daily new COVID cases set all-time records and hospitals fill up, epidemiologists have arrived at a perhaps surprising consensus. Yes, the latest Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus is bad. But it could have been a lot worse.Even as cases have surged, deaths haventat least not to the same degree. Omicron is highly transmissible but generally not as severe as some older variantslineages is the scientific term.We got lucky. But that luck might not hold. Many of the same epid
A 14-year-old student has been arrested in connection with a social media threat that caused confusion at Oxnard High School on Thursday, officials said. Two 16-year-old Pacifica High students were arrested Friday in a separate case involving online threats.

Police in Oxnard have arrested three teenage students in connection with two recent incidents of social media posts that included threats of violence at high school campuses.

On Thursday, a 14-year-old student was arrested after allegedly making posts that threatened a shooting at Oxnard High School, the Oxnard Police Department reported.

Thursday's incident created some chaos at the campus as screenshots of the threats spread on social media. Hundreds of students fled the school and extra police officers were on hand, although the school was never locked down and classes continued.

Related: Anonymous threats bring police presence to Oxnard High School

Police officials said Friday they had determined the threat was not credible and had identified the responsible student and made an arrest by the end of the day. The student reportedly admitted there had never been a real threat to the school, according to police.

In a separate incident on Friday at Oxnard's Pacifica High School, students circulated an online post about a school shooting planned for lunchtime. The campus' school resource officer identified two students, both 16, who allegedly posted the threat.

The Pacifica students admitted to police they had posted the message as a joke, authorities said.

The three teens were arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats of violence to a school campus.

Police officials said in a statement they take every threat seriously.

Separately, several school-threat incidents have been reported in the Ventura County Sheriff's jurisdiction in the past week or so, officials said. Unlike the Oxnard incidents, the sheriff's office has received phone calls warning of a shooting or bomb threat at campuses in Camarillo, El Rio and, on Friday, in Ojai.

Deputies responded to each call but found no evidence of any threat. The incidents appeared to coincide with finals week at the schools, an official said.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Threats to Oxnard High School, Pacifica High School lead to arrests of 3 teens
SantaCon. Reuters/Peter Nicholis

Every country has its own Christmas traditions.

The US is no different, and there are many American traditions that baffle the rest of the world.

Hiding a pickle ornament and drinking eggs are some of the most interesting US Christmas traditions.

Some Americans hide pickle ornaments in Christmas trees, but no one can really agree on how this tradition got its start.

Pickle ornaments. Matt McClain for the Washington Post/Getty Images

Many Americans have a pickle ornament for their Christmas tree. Traditionally, the ornament is supposed to be hidden somewhere on the tree, and the first child to find it receives an extra present, but it's unclear where this tradition started. One website, Why Christmas, points to two potential origin stories.

The first legend goes that two boys were killed by an evil innkeeper, who put their bodies in a pickle barrel, but a passing Saint Nicholas was able to magically revive them.

The other suggests that a German-born soldier in the American Civil War was imprisoned, and begged for one last pickle before he died. A guard took pity on him and gave him a pickle, which miraculously sustained him.

Another theory posits that the pickle ornament got its start in Germany, though few people there have heard of it. It is more likely that it was a marketing stunt invented by those importing glass decorations from Germany.

Popcorn is another decoration seen on American Christmas trees.

Popcorn on the tree. Marie C Fields/Shutterstock

While Christmas trees as we know them are said to have originated in Germany in the 16th century and brought to German settlements in Pennsylvania, the popcorn garland is an American thing.

As Christmas trees were a relatively new idea, people had to get creative with their decor. Apparently, recently transplanted German Americans favored using fruits and nuts, thus turning to popcorn, which was ubiquitous.

Per the Daily Meal, this practice was originally meant to help feed birds during harsh winters.

However, the rest of the world might have a hard time understanding why everyone's favorite movie theater snack would appear on a Christmas tree.

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Drinking egg yolks is an American tradition that people from other parts of the world just don't understand.

The classic rum milk punch. NSC Photography/Shutterstock

According to The Spruce Eats, eggnog has its roots in posset, a punch with ale, raw eggs, and figs, served warm. British monks drank posset all the way back in the 13th century.

It eventually crossed over to America, where it was renamed eggnog. Its first known use dates back to 1775, according to Merriam Webster.

Eggnog typically consists of egg yolks beaten with sugar, milk, and/or cream and your choice of alcohol. Rum, whiskey, and sherry are all acceptable options.

While eggnog might not seem that strange to Americans  even George Washington had his own recipe  it's a hard sell to the rest of the world, who might not see drinking eggs as appetizing, let alone when mixed with rum.

Getting drunk dressed as Santa is one festivity that's spread to other parts of the world.

A SantaCon reveler. REUTERS/Seth Wenig

SantaCon's roots are believed to be in '70s Danish performance art, but it eventually crossed over to San Francisco in the '90s, as a protest called Santarchy.

A secret society called the San Francisco Suicide Club was dedicated to pranking the city and generally causing chaos for fun. One of their events, Santarchy, began with members dressing as Santa, sneaking into bars and parties, and inciting mayhem.

Over the years, it became a giant pub crawl. One of the biggest SantaCons takes place in New York City every year, and has been advertised as a charity event.

According to Newsweek, the NYC SantaCon raised over $400,000 in the five years leading up to 2018 by asking participants for donations. The money goes to charities across the city, such City Harvest, The Secret Sandy Claus Project, and The Food Bank for New York City.

Mostly, though, it's a drunken, debaucherously good time.

Raging bonfires help Santa find his way to homes in Louisiana.

Fireworks and fires during the Festival of the Bonfires in Lutcher, Louisiana, where it's said the fires from the Cajun tradition help show Santa Claus the way to homes on Christmas Eve. Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Christmas bonfires are a Christmas Eve tradition in Louisiana, where tree-shaped bonfires are lit up on the levees that keep the Mississippi River under control.

It's a Cajun tradition, Cajuns being the descendants of French Canadians driven from French colonies in Canada by the British in the 18th century. The bonfires are said to help Papa Noel (Santa Claus) find his way in the dark.

Hundreds of raging fires up and down the Mississippi River might not be everyone's idea of an idyllic Christmas Eve.

Read the original article on Insider
Debra and Bobby Walls.

Bobby and Debra (Monk) Walls of Alma celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Dec. 11.

Bobby was self-employed at Walls Construction and is now enjoying retirement. Debbie managed the automotive department at Walmart for several years and now works at Petals & Stems Florist in Alma.

The couple has two children, Tracie Walls Griffith and Robby Walls, both of Alma; and a grandson.

A drop-in reception will be held from 1-3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12, at Alma United Methodist Church. Friends and family are invited to attend.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Walls: 50th wedding anniversary
South Africa on Sunday paid an official tribute to FW de Klerk, the final president of white rule, who freed Nelson Mandela from prison and steered the country from apartheid to democracy.

De Klerk died on November 11 aged 85 following a battle with cancer. Four days of national mourning were declared in his honour.

He served as president from 1989 to 1994 and is remembered most for leading South Africa's transition from white-minority rule to the first multi-racial elections in 1994.

De Klerk also shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Mandela in 1993 after freeing him from prison in 1990. Mandela then became South Africa's first black president after his African National Congress party won the 1994 election.

President Cyril Ramaphosa attended Cape Town's Protestant Groote Kerk -- one of South Africa's oldest churches -- on Sunday morning to deliver a eulogy in De Klerk's honour.

"He was often misunderstood due to his over-correctness," De Klerk's widow Elita Georgiadis told around 200 attendees.

"I shall never forget this man who mesmerised me, who made me want to help him achieve this huge task ahead of him."

A private mass and the national anthem preceded the ceremony, which featured a portrait of De Klerk between two candles and a choir decorated with white flowers.

Despite a positive reputation abroad, De Klerk divided opinion in South Africa and his death prompted mixed reactions.

Critics say he remains inseparable from apartheid-era crimes and could have been held accountable for them had he lived longer.

De Klerk represented the National Party, which in 1948 formally established apartheid's racial segregation and disenfranchisement of South Africa's non-white majority.

Outside the church, a small group of protesters held signs saying "Justice denied" and "Justice for apartheid victims" and were swiftly led away by police.

The surrounding area was closed to traffic and placed under high security.

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Comments in his final years also tarnished De Klerk's image amid criticism for his failure to apologise officially for the crimes of apartheid.

In 2020, he denied apartheid was a crime against humanity before retracting the statement and apologising.

De Klerk's foundation issued a posthumous video apologising "for the pain, hurt, indignity and damage that apartheid has done" to South Africa's non-white populations.

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"Saturday Night Live" addressed the trial and subsequent verdict in the Jussie Smollett trial during its "Weekend Update" segment this week.

Co-hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che reconvened after taking last week off to discuss the top headlines of the day, which meant that the high-profile case in Chicago was simply impossible to ignore. The former "Empire" actor was found guilty on five of six counts that he lied to police and staged a hoax hate crime against himself in January of 2019.

"On Thursday, a Chicago jury declared Jussie Smollett really bad at acting," Jost joked at the top of the segment, referencing the fact that Smollett was accused of lying to police on six occasions about the hoax.

"Its the worst staged hate crime since my all-Christian production of Fiddler on the Roof," Jost added.

SNL' COLD OPEN SHOWS FAUCI DISPELLING CORONAVIRUS MYTHS -- WITH HELP FROM CUOMOS, TED CRUZ

Weekend Update hosts Colin Jost, Michael Che commented on the verdict in the Jussie Smollett case. Will Heath/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images

In 2019, he claimed that two men attacked him due to his skin color and sexual orientation.

He was found guilty of telling a police officer he was a hate crime victim, telling an officer he was a battery victim, telling a detective he was a hate crime victim, telling a detective he was a battery victim and then telling a detective again he was battery victim. He was not found guilty on a sixth charge of telling a second detective he was an aggravated battery victim.

From there, the "Weekend Update" segment shifted into politics where the two comedians pulled no punches in mocking former President Donald Trump over the news that he will be subpoenaed in New York.

"In legal news where someone definitely wont get convicted, Donald Trump will be subpoenaed by New York Attorney General Letitia James," Jost said. "James wants to depose Trump under oath on Jan. 7."

He added: "Come on, give the guy a break, thats the day after his big anniversary."

PETE DAVIDSON, MILEY CYRUS REVEAL THEY GOT MATCHING TATTOOS AFTER SNL APPEARANCE

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Jost was referencing the one-year anniversary of the now-infamous riot that took place at the U.S. Capitol while the Senate was meeting to certify the election results in favor of President Joe Biden.

The duo did however seem to pull some punches when it came to skewering Vice President Kamala Harris

"According to a new report, a former staff member for Vice President says that she often fails to read briefing material and is unprepared for meetings," Che joked. "It feels really amazing to finally see someone in the White House who is just like me."

Jost kept things political with a rib at Americas past while reporting on the recent deployment of troops by Russia to the Ukrainian border.

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Michael Che seemed to go easy on Vice President Kamala Harris in this week's "Weekend Update." Will Heath/NBC

"Russia has deployed 90,000 troops to its border with Ukraine leading many people to believe Vladimir Putin plans to invade the country," he said. "No offense to Ukraine, but why? Is Russia running low on tracksuits and counterfeit cologne?"

He concluded: "At the same time its tough for America to criticize countries who take land from their neighbors. I mean, its not exactly a secret where we got New Mexico."
WAYNE, NJ  Patch reviews this past week's top stories around Wayne.

Wayne Woman Stole Identity, Took Out $100K In Loans: Police

The woman was charged with six counts each for theft by deception, forgery and wrongful impersonation.

Entenmann's Bakery Outlet Closes Permanently In Wayne

The closure leaves one Entenmann's store left in New Jersey.

Woman's 'Toys For Tots' Heist Begins In Wayne Police Lobby: Cops

The women stole 10 items from the Toys for Tots donation bin, police said.

St. Joseph's Health Limits Hospital Visits Amid COVID Concerns

Patient volume continues to remain steady with slight upticks, according to St. Joseph's Health.

35 New COVID Cases In 4 Days Reported At Wayne Schools

The development came weeks after Wayne Public Schools saw progress in reducing coronavirus cases.

With COVID On The Rise, How Are Hospital Capacities Near Wayne?

NJ hit its highest number of suspected or confirmed COVID hospitalizations since April 30. Here's how hospitals in the Wayne area are doing.

Land Rover Stolen Just Outside Wayne: Police

A passenger got out of an SUV that drove up and then walked into the Land Rover and drove away, according to police.

Wayne Valley Assistant Principal Wins Prestigious NJ Award

The New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association named Scott Wisniewski its Visionary Leader of the Year.

Wayne-Based Company Named Among Top 100 'Next Gen' Workplaces

Getinge, a medical-device company, has many of the workplace credentials that Gen Z seeks, according to RippleMatch's list.

Man Kidnapped, Raped Passaic Co. Girl He Met Online: Prosecutor

The man traveled from Long Island and took her to a remote location, according to authorities.

No Charges For Officer After Fatal Crash During Passaic Co. Chase

A Wyckoff man crashed into a civilian vehicle while a Clifton officer pursued him. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Thanks for reading. Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter and follow the Wayne Patch Facebook Page.

This article originally appeared on the Wayne Patch
Pilot Ruth Law and socialite Ellen Gouletin on a Wright Model B on the beach in 1914.

The beach was the Daytona Beach area's first road, but less appreciated was that it was also the area's first airstrip.

The Clarendon Hotel in Seabreeze hosted aircraft rides since 1912 when Phillips Ward Page flew a 1912 Burgess-Wright Model F and arranged to build a hangar on the beach near the hotel.

Ruth Law became the first woman in Florida to pilot an airplane when she took off from the beach on Jan. 12, 1913. She, too, would take winter visitors aloft from near the Clarendon Hotel from 1913-1916.

S.S. Pierson, 75, told The News-Journal readers that her ascent with Law in 1916 was not scary. "I had no sense of fear," she wrote. "My only evidence was I noticed myself tightly clinging to the bars at each side and that I put a good deal of pressure on the footboard."

In the 1920s, the beach was a natural landing and takeoff spot for several aviators including Ed Schlee and Bill Brock, who tried to circumnavigate the globe in 1927. Later that year they brought their airplane, The "Pride of Detroit," to try for an endurance record from the beach.

Howard Hughes was among the visitors who landed on the beach here in the 1920s when he paused at a shack on the beach south of the Main Street pier that was a popular spot for pilot refueling, both literally and metaphorically.

Winder "Red" Cowan operated Red's Place, where he pumped airplane fuel and was also known to serve liquor that he had flown into town during Prohibition.

Cowen was sentenced to four years in prison for bootlegging in 1930 and his small, square, wooden building was swept into the sea during a storm surge in 1932. "It just floated away like a houseboat," Cowan told The News-Journal. After prohibition ended, he operated a legit bar on Main Street.

 Mark Lane

Do you have vintage photos to share?

Do you have photos that depict the people, landmarks and story of Volusia and Flagler counties? Don't leave them hidden away in boxes and albums. Send a scan or photo to mark.lane@news-jrnl.com for possible use on future historic photo pages.

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A monoplane flying past the pre-Bandshell Boardwalk in Daytona Beach in a postcard photo.

After his New York to Daytona flight in 1919, Erwin "Eddie" Ballough took passengers on plane rides from the beach near the pier.

The "Pride of Detroit" airplane with the famous flying team of Ed Schlee and Bill Brick on Daytona Beach in November 1927. The team had previously attempted a flight around the world.

Phillips Ward Page pilots a Burgess-Wright Model F biplane in winter 1912 with a female passenger. Note the belt around her legs to keep her skirt in place. Page flew guests at the Clarendon Hotel.

A racer and Wright biplane on the beach at Seabreeze in 1911.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: The beach at Daytona Beach was the area's first airplane runway
Lt. Thomas A. Whatley, left, of the Akron Fire Department, talks to a resident (not pictured) about a fire safety plan as firefighter William Carter installs a carbon monoxide detector on the first floor of the home during a fire prevention and safety inspection in Akron.

Recently, two firefighters with the city of Akron went to a West Akron home and installed new smoke detectors, a carbon monoxide detector and went through fire safety measures including a fire safety plan  all for free.

For Tanya Robinson, whose mother continues to live in the family home since her father died a few years ago, the visit gave her peace of mind.

I left there feeling an additional layer of security, she said.

For the fire department, ensuring residents are protected from a fire is key, said Capt. Michael Haas, who oversees the Akron Fire Departments fire prevention bureau and community service division.

Betty Lin-Fisher

The city of Akron partners with the American Red Cross to provide and install free smoke detectors. The American Red Cross also works with other fire departments throughout the Akron region and nationally to ensure peoples homes are protected with smoke detectors.

Robinson of Copley has been working on a checklist of things to try to ensure her mom can safely stay in the home shes lived in for 56 years.

Robinson heard about the program for free smoke detectors when she saw a television news report after a recent fire where a little boy died.

Robinsons family home had smoke detectors and a carbon monoxide detector, but that was something her late father always handled.

He was always up on the ladders, etc., said Robinson. You get a false sense of Oh, Dad always took care of this.

On a recent day, Robinson was at the house following the firefighters around as they pointed out fire and safety hazards, such as a rug that didnt have anti-slip backing on it and could cause her mom to fall. Robinson also already had a fire-escape plan set up for her mom, but altered it after getting more advice from the professionals.

I dont think people should take it for granted that nothing will ever happen, Robinson said.

Akron firefighter William Carter marks the date on a smoke detector he is about to install in an Akron home.

The smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in the family home were working, but both were upgraded with the free ones installed by the fire department.

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Robinson didnt even know about the city's brand new program to offer carbon monoxide detectors, in addition to the Red Cross partnership for free smoke detectors.

Haas said the city believes it is the first in Ohio to install free carbon monoxide detectors. Akron won a grant in 2019 from the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) for 1,500 carbon monoxide detectors. Delays, including COVID and shipping delays, meant the carbon monoxide detectors only recently arrived in the city, said Haas.

Haas had reached out to me after an August column I wrote about an Akron couple who said that reading a column of mine had saved their lives. In April, I had written about former Beacon Journal home writer Mary Beth Breckenridge and an unusual smoldering situation she had at her home, which brought firefighters out twice in two days. In that column, I also had some fire-prevention safety tips, including checking on your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.

More: Column prompts couple to replace carbon monoxide detectors. It likely saved their lives

More: Betty Lin-Fisher: Former home writer's smoldering issue is a chance for education and a catch-up

Haas and I wanted to be sure the carbon monoxide detectors were in town and ready to be installed before we shared this important information.

Importance of detectors

Working smoke detectors could save someones life, said Haas.

We've had several deaths in the city of Akron this year, and in a lot of those homes were homes with no working smoke detector, he said. The importance of a smoke detector is to give you an early warning in your house so you can get out and get out safely.

But just as important in the installations, which are done by Red Cross volunteers or local community firefighters, said Haas, is fire prevention education like the one at Robinsons mothers house. That includes pointing out extension cords that may be overloaded or too many items plugged into an outlet, he said. The reports are left with the homeowner and are suggestions, he said. Firefighters also go through a fire-exit plan, making sure there are always two ways out of the house and a meeting place once residents are outside, he said.

The installations are quick and easy, said Haas.

With our program, we can be in and out of your house in 15 minutes. We provide you with free smoke detectors on every floor, professionally installed by our own firefighters, and we install them correctly, he said.

The Red Cross program offers a free smoke detector on each floor of the home, professionally installed. The city of Akron has some extra smoke detectors from previous grants and can install them in each bedroom as well, Haas said. Akron also has smoke detectors for the hearing impaired available, he said.

The free carbon monoxide detectors with 10-year-lithium batteries  available right now only to Akron homes through the Akron grant  are another level of protection and can also save lives, said Akron Fire Lt. Joseph Falkenstein, who wrote the grant.

Carbon monoxide is the silent killer, he said. It is odorless and tasteless, yet many people have appliances or things in their home that produce it.

Firefighter William Carter prepares to install carbon monoxide detectors and fire alarms in a home during a fire prevention and safety inspection in Akron.

Unfortunately, Capt. Haas and I and many firefighters have been on calls where it has been too late where people have succumbed to their injuries or the effects of carbon monoxide. We want to make sure that doesnt happen, said Falkenstein. If we can protect our citizens and do what we can for our hometown, that's what were here for.

Added Haas: Joe and I both feel that the very next smoke detector we install or carbon monoxide detector we install could be the one that saves someones life.

The Akron Fire Department regularly canvasses neighborhoods within days of a fire fatality, knocking on doors to offer free smoke detector installations or leaving a flyer to call for free detectors, Haas said.

We're looking for any way  when people are on high notice  to say, Why dont we put smoke detectors in your home? Haas said.

The canvasses often generate calls from neighbors.

How do I get free detectors?

To make this easy, the American Red Cross will coordinate all requests for free smoke detectors and fire safety inspections in our region, said Rachel DAttoma, executive director of the American Red Cross of Greater Akron and the Mahoning Valley.

Lt. Thomas A. Whatley of the Akron Fire Department informs a resident that an old fire extinguisher should be replaced during a safety inspection.

The American Red Cross Smoke Alarm Hotline is 330-535-2030.

If a resident lives in Akron, the Red Cross will pass along the persons contact number to Haas department, which will arrange for the free smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and inspections. If you have a loved one in another part of the state or country, have them reach out to their local Red Cross chapter to get connected for free smoke detectors, D'Attoma said.

If you don't need a smoke detector, you can still call the hotline to get connected to your local fire department for a free fire home safety inspection, she said.

The Red Cross will also direct callers to the appropriate local fire department for free smoke detector installation and if there is not a program, Red Cross volunteers will install the detectors. Some communities may have free carbon monoxide detectors or other programs but not on a wide scale, so connection through the Red Cross would be best, said Haas.

The free detectors are available to any homeowner regardless of income. Haas suggests anyone without a working smoke detector or with one that's more than 10 years old to call for a free replacement.

Falkenstein also hopes the grant Akron received will encourage other fire departments to apply for similar programs. Similarly, many area fire departments also get private and corporate donations of smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, which can help residents, said Haas. He encourages anyone wanting to donate to contact their local fire department.

Red Cross program

The free smoke detector program and fire-safety inspection program first started in the Cleveland market 30 years ago and now is offered nationwide, said DAttoma. The smoke detectors all have 10-year lithium batteries. Residents are asked to test the detectors once a month, she said.

While the Red Cross is often known for its disaster-relief assistance or assistance after a tragedy, like a fire, DAttoma said fire prevention is probably even more important.

Firefighter William Carter installs a carbon monoxide detector in a second floor hallway of an Akron home.

No one needs the Red Cross until you need them, but we firmly believe, alongside with our fire partners, that we are the community safety net when it comes to home preparedness, she said. The free smoke detector program is funded through corporations and individual donations through the Red Cross and will take place regardless of funding, DAttoma said.

We always want to ensure our families and our community is safe. If we can do everything we can to prepare them for really what could be the worst day of their life, thats what our organization is about.

Beacon Journal staff reporter Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or blinfisher@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her @blinfisherABJ on Twitter or www.facebook.com/BettyLinFisherABJ. To see her most recent stories and columns, go to www.tinyurl.com/bettylinfisher.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Betty Lin-Fisher: Read details about free detectors that could save your life
LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) - Britain told Iran on Sunday that there was still time for Tehran to save the nuclear deal but that this was the last chance for Iranian negotiators to come to the table with serious proposals.

"This is the last chance for Iran to come to the negotiating table with a serious resolution to this issue, which has to be agreeing the terms of the JCPOA," British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said.

"This is their last chance and it is vital that they do so. We will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon."

(Reporting by William James; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)
By Michel Rose and Colin Packham

CANBERRA/PARIS (Reuters) -The French territory of New Caledonia voted against independence in a referendum on Sunday, provisional results showed, amid a big drop in turnout due to a boycott of the vote by the independence movement.

The indigenous Kanak population, who largely favour independence, had called for non-participation in the referendum because they are in a 12-month mourning period following a September surge in coronavirus infections.

Provisional results published by French authorities showed support for a "no" to independence was at 96.5%, while turnout stood at 43.9%. Sunday's vote, the third and final ballot on the issue, follows two previous polls in 2018 and 2020 in which the "no" vote got 57% and 53% respectively.

"The Caledonians have chosen to remain French. They decided that freely," French President Emmanuel Macron said in a televised address.

"We can't ignore that the electorate remained deeply divided over the years. (...) A period of transition is now starting," he added.

New Caledonia's congress president, Roch Wamytan, a pro-independence leader, said he regretted the French government had rejected their call to postpone the third referendum to September 2022 out of respect for local mourning customs.

"This referendum, for us, is not the third referendum. We consider that there are only two legitimate referendums. 2018 and 2020. This referendum is the referendum of the French state, not ours," he said on Franceinfo radio.

Analysts fear a "no" vote will anger independence supporters, creating instability.

"The worst of scenarios? A "no" vote which bans independence, but whose legitimacy is rejected by the Kanaks via a massive abstention rate motivated by Paris's refusal to postpone the vote," Francois Heisbourg, an analyst for the IISS think-tank said on Twitter.

One of five island territories spanning the Indo-Pacific held by France, New Caledonia is the centrepiece of Macron's plan to increase its influence in the Pacific.

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Sunday's vote is the third prescribed by a deal hammered out a decade after talks on the island's future began in 1988, and which called for a series of independence referendums.

Fighting erupted in the 1980s in the nickel-rich territory, 1,200 km (750 miles) east of Australia and 20,000 km (12,000 miles) from France, between supporters of independence and those who wanted to stay French.

(Reporting by Colin Packham in Canberra, Michel Rose in Paris; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Jane Merriman)




A Canadian citizen accused of being the English-speaking narrator on multiple recruitment videos for the Islamic State (ISIS) pleaded guilty to aiding the terrorist organization on Friday.

Saudi-born Canadian citizen Mohammed Khalifa, 38, pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, resulting in death, at a hearing in the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III accepted Khalifa's plea.

The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison, according to the Associated Press. Khalifa's sentencing is scheduled for April 15.

Khalifa, who also goes by "Abu Ridwan Al-Kanadi" and "Abu Muthanna Al-Muhajir," traveled to Syria to join ISIS in Nov. 2013, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Khalifa said in an email that he was inspired to do this by Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S. citizen who joined al-Qaeda before being killed in a 2011 drone strike, per court records.

Because of his fluency in both English and Arabic, Khalifa was recruited to join ISIS's media department, per the U.S. Attorney's Office. He allegedly spent more than four years in the department and assisted in translating approximately 15 videos distributed by the organization.

Prosecutors say he narrated the infamous ISIS propaganda film "Flames of War: Fighting Has Just Begun," released in 2014, and its 2017 sequel "Flames of War II: Until the Final Hour."

Each of those videos includes a scene in which Khalifa, wearing a mask, executes a Syrian soldier after speaking to the camera, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. They also portray ISIS attacks in the U.S. and other violent scenes involving ISIS fighters.

Khalifa's unit also publicized videos showing the murders of American reporters James Foley and Steven Sotloff, the FBI affidavit stated, according to an FBI affidavit.

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Khalifa allegedly fought for ISIS, as well.

He was captured by Syrian Defense Forces in Jan. 2019 and held overseas before being brought to the U.S. to face charges.

"As one of the leading figures in ISIS's English media section, Mohammed Khalifa contributed to the radicalization of individuals through his English narration of ISIS recruitment propaganda," said Steven M. D'Antuono, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office in a statement.

"While many Americans are aware of the brutal and violent crimes committed by many ISIS actors, ISIS's efforts to radicalize individuals to travel to Syria and commit violence on its behalf were equally horrendous."
Julianna Chappell crowns Casana Fink the winner of the 2021 Miss Gainesville Scholarship Pageant on Saturday at Howard Bishop Middle School in Gainesville. [Chris Watkins/Special to The Sun]

At the local Miss Gainesville competition a small audience waited in anticipation as Julianna Chappell, Miss Gainesville 2020, took her last walk across the stage before the new champion was crowned.

The small crowd erupted into applause when it was announced that Casana Fink would reign as Miss Gainesville 2021.

The Miss Gainesville Scholarship Pageant is a local event where young girls and women can compete for a title, crown and scholarship.

The competition is divided between two categories: Miss Gainesville Outstanding Teen where girls ages 13-18 can compete for a $250 scholarship, and Miss Gainesville where women ages 18-26 vie for the title of Miss Gainesville and a $1,000 scholarship.

The winners then advance to the Miss Florida Competition which is will be held on June 25.

Ashlee Combee, 13, won the title of Miss Gainesville Outstanding Teen 2021.

Miss Gainesville 2020 Julianna Chappell crowns winners during the Miss Gainesville Scholarship Pageant on Saturday at Howard Bishop Middle School in Gainesville. [Chris Watkins/Special to The Sun]

The winning candidates were chosen by a panel of five judges.

The competition was thrown by the Miss Gainesville and Miss Florida Gator Scholarship Pageant, a local nonprofit that is dedicated to providing competition to young women and girls in North Central Florida.

The nonprofit is a local franchise of the Miss America organization.

More: Gainesville's warm December weather to continue this week

Scene Calendar: Fun things to do Dec. 10-16, 2021

The Miss Gainesville Scholarship competition was brought to the city in 2008 by Merissa Maimo, a former beauty competition candidate and a board of director for Miss Gainesville Pageant, who competed in the Miss Miami competition.

Maimo said she graduated college debt free from the scholarship money she won from competing.

"And I was surprised when I moved here and we did not have a Miss Gainesville. With such a huge university, and great community support, it was shocking that we didn't have any local representation at the state level," Maimo said.

She said throughout the years the Miss Gainesville Scholarship Pageant has crowned women and young girls with other titles such as Miss Florida Gators, Miss Ocala and Miss Lake City.

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The event was organized by Rachel Dickhaus, executive director of the organization, and her husband, John.

Dickhaus held the title of Miss Gainesville in 2013 and 2015 while she was a student at the University of Florida.

"And then once I had officially moved here and gotten married, Merissa kind of trained me up and helped me start running this as the director," Dickhaus said.

Participants had to fill out an online application with the local organization and then the day of the show, do a private interview with the judges.

Women showcase their talent, give a social impact statement and answer an on-stage question.

"And then for teens, it's pretty similar except for instead of doing a social impact statement they do fitness," Dickhaus said.

Outgoing Miss Gainesville Julianna Chappell speaks with Asahna Shah 15, Miss Wekiwa Springs Outstanding Teen, at the Miss Gainesville Scholarship Pageant on Saturday at Howard Bishop Middle School in Gainesville. [Chris Watkins/Special to The Sun]

Fink said her winning the title of Miss Gainesville has been a long time coming.

"I was Miss Gainesville Outstanding Teen, I want to say in 2015, and I always looked up to Miss Gainesvilles, Miss Floridas and Miss Americas," Fink said.

However, Fink said, she hadn't competed in a pageant in four years so she found entering the competition to be a little intimidating.

She's also held the title of Miss Lake City Outstanding Teen and Miss Ocala Outstanding Teen.

Combee was one of the youngest candidates to compete in the competition.

"I'm very excited that I can pursue this and just from the few moments I've been out of this the girls have been very supportive, and I am just really excited to be around that competition for next year," Combee said.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Casana Fink crowned Miss Gainesville 2021
Charlotte Latvala

My husband looked up from his iPad. Its just the two roads, right?

Yep. The turnpike and then 76 West. Its easy. You cannot possibly get lost.

We were discussing the route to our daughters college because we were headed there for her weekend dance performance. Because of our work schedules, I was going up a day early. Ergo, we would be driving separately. Ergo, much discussion.

Which turnpike entrance do you usually get on? he asked. Because I was thinking Cranberry might be quicker than Chippewa.

I shook my head. Nope. Its not quicker. Trust me.

I have made this trip 1,000 times, and driven every possible configuration of roads to do so. To take our older daughter to college, and now the younger one. And for decades before that, to travel to my moms house west of Cleveland.

I grew up in northern Ohio and even though I havent lived there since the mid-1980s, it still feels like home. And this particular route? I know every bump in the road, I know which fruit stands are worth stopping at, and I know exactly how long it takes at a normal rate of speed.

Well, I usually go up 65, I said, slowly, with firm and meaningful emphasis on the I. Then I take the back roads into Ohio, to Route 7 and then the Ohio Turnpike. Coming back that way is also a lot cheaper because you miss the Pennsylvania tolls. Its the best way.

My husband pondered my words, allowing them to soak into his consciousness like a fine wine, carefully considering my sage advice. I nodded graciously.

Youre welcome, I may have said.

He frowned. Im thinking Cranberry might be quicker. And I dont want to take any convoluted back roads.

I have to say, I saw it coming, this stubborn inability to see reason. Here I was, offering my hard-earned pearls  no, more like giant rocks  of wisdom, and he was blatantly disregarding them. Its happened before. I washed my hands of it.

Well, just allow yourself plenty of time and it doesnt matter which way you go. I sighed. And why are we even talking about this? Just put on your GPS.

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(I must admit this conversation went on for about 15 minutes after this, which is 15 minutes longer than it should have. Frankly, it never should have taken place at all, but at the very least the phrase GPS should have come up earlier.)

How did we end up here? Sometime in the last few years, we have turned into stock figures from a sitcom, the ancient couple who spends way too much time carping about directions. Who rejoice at (and later discuss) hitting all the green lights on a certain stretch of road. Who talk ad nauseum about construction, and potholes, and which rest areas are the cleanest.

In other news, the dance concert was fantastic. And I came home on Route 7.

Charlotte is a columnist for The Times. You can reach her at charlottelatvala@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Latvala: Spouses travel different roads to get to the same place
By William James, Alexander Ratz and Humeyra Pamuk

LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) -While Russian President Vladimir Putin keeps the West guessing over Ukraine, it was the might of Chinese President Xi Jinping that garnered the long-term strategic focus when the diplomats from the Group of Seven richest democracies met this weekend.

The United States and its other G7 allies are searching for a coherent response to Xi's growing assertiveness after Chinas spectacular economic and military rise over the past 40 years.

Putin was the immediate tactical focus at talks in the English city of Liverpool between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his counterparts. There was support for President Joe Biden's attempt to support Ukraine and deter Putin with a clear warning of severe economic sanctions.

"Theres a huge amount of convergence about what will unfortunately be necessary if Russia makes that very bad choice," a senior U.S. State Department official said.

The West is concerned that Russia might be preparing to attack Ukraine. The Kremlin denies it plans to invade Ukraine but has demanded legally binding security guarantees that NATO will not expand further east.

Concerns were raised about alleged Russian disinformation campaigns but there was no clear agreement on, for example, whether or not to slap penalties on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, according to sources with knowledge of the discussions.

Russia was included in what became the G8 in 1997 but was suspended in 2014 after annexing Crimea from Ukraine. Moscow says the G7 - the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan - is making aggressive accusations.

If Putin, 69, was the short-term concern, Xi's China was the strategic puzzle on everyone's lips.

There were "very, very intense discussions especially on China," said one official who attended the talks.

'ANTI-CHINA CLUB'?

The re-emergence of China as a leading global power is considered to be one of the most significant geopolitical events of recent times, alongside the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union that ended the Cold War.

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China in 1979 had an economy that was smaller than Italys, but after opening to foreign investment and introducing market reforms, it has become the worlds second-largest economy and is a global leader in a range of new technologies.

Founded in 1975 as a forum for the West's richest nations to discuss crises such as the OPEC oil embargo, the G7 scolded both China and Russia after a summit meeting in Cornwall in June.

China, which has never been a G7 member, retorted in June following that meeting that "small" groups no longer ruled the world.

"Its tremendous that theres such a focus on the Indo-Pacific here," said a second State Department official.

The first State Department official said that foreign ministers discussed the situation in Hong Kong, the Xinjiang region and the importance of peace in the Taiwan straits.

The need to support Lithuania was also discussed. China downgraded its diplomatic ties with the Baltic state and suspended consular services after the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania opened on Nov. 18.

"We have been clear at this meeting this weekend that we are concerned about the coercive economic policies of China," British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss told reporters.

The G7 wants to act together over Beijing but without seeming to be an anti-China club.

Western officials point out that the G7 combined still packs a powerful punch: it has about $40 trillion in economic clout and includes three of the world's five official nuclear powers.

There was serious discussion about G7 coordinated action to counter China over disinformation and to support countries snared in what critics cast as China's global debt-trap web, officials said.

Canada joined Australia, Britain and the United States in a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing on Wednesday. China has said https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/china-says-australia-britain-us-pay-price-wrong-acts-2021-12-09 those countries will pay a price for their snub.

At the G7, Japan and Germany were still undecided and Italy was skeptical about the boycott.

Blinken heads https://www.reuters.com/world/blinken-heads-southeast-asia-deepen-cooperation-china-pushback-2021-12-12 to Southeast Asia on Monday in an attempt to forge a united front against China in the Indo-Pacific.

(Writing by Guy FaulconbridgeEditing by Frances Kerry)
(Reuters) -Veteran television journalist Chris Wallace announced on Sunday that he is leaving Fox News after about 18 years and he is set to join rival CNN's upcoming streaming service as an anchor.

Wallace, 74, hosted the program "Fox News Sunday," and announced his departure on the show. He was one of the most prominent journalists at Fox News, including moderating a presidential debate last year between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden.

"I want to try something new, to go beyond politics to all the things I'm interested in. I'm ready for a new adventure," Wallace said.

CNN said Wallace will join the company as an anchor for its streaming service CNN+, which will debut early next year.

"I am thrilled to join CNN+. After decades in broadcast and cable news, I am excited to explore the world of streaming," Wallace said in a CNN statement, adding that he also looks forward to the "new freedom and flexibility streaming affords."

In a statement, Fox News said other journalists from the network will host "Fox News Sunday" until a replacement is named.

During last year's presidential debate, Wallace sought to stop Trump's interruptions, asking the then-president at one point: "Why don't you observe what your campaign agreed to as a ground rule. Okay, sir?"

Trump at another point objected to a Wallace question on healthcare policy, saying, "I guess I'm debating you not him (Biden). But that's okay. I'm not surprised."

Wallace is the son of the late broadcast journalist Mike Wallace.

(Reporting by Juby Babu in Bengaluru; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Will Dunham)
The Sarasota County Administration Center.

Bakery owner Kelly Erdmann told Sarasota County commissioners last Tuesday that three of her employees cant find affordable housing.

One team member at her Nothing Bundt Cakes store had to move back in with her family after her landlord raised her rent.

Another employee is temporarily residing with one of the store's managers.

And a third is living in a van with her spouse and two pets. They recently bought a trailer that they plan to convert into a living space.

But until then, they shower at a local health club every evening, where they have met several people just like them, living out of their vans  all due to a lack of affordable housing, Erdmann said.

Background: Sarasota County commissioners mull over how to use $84.2 million in COVID-19 relief money

Subscribers: Sarasota County picks developer for affordable housing

Previously: Sarasota County commits $250,000 to nonprofit's effort to purchase affordable housing

The small business owner was one of many people who urged the commission to prioritize affordable housing in allocating federal COVID-19 relief money.

Commissioners are determining how to spend $84.2 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a COVID-19 relief bill Congress passed last March.

County staff developed a list of proposed uses for the federal money, including dedicating $5 million to affordable housing and $5 million to mental health. Community members urged the board to increase the allocations for those two categories, as they only comprise a fraction of the countys total ARPA funds.

Board members seemed to support raising those two amounts, but they have not decided on exact numbers yet. County staff members will make adjustments to their list of proposed projects, and the commission will continue the discussion at a meeting in January.

Other news: Florida Commission on Ethics finds probable cause in Baugh, Fried complaints

Advocates urge more urgency on affordable housing

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Numerous representatives of local nonprofits and agencies told the commission about the current housing crisis in Sarasota County. One example was Chris Johnson, the CEO of Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness, an organization that receives calls from families at risk of becoming homeless.

We have a 213% increase in call volume to Suncoast Partnership for families seeking assistance, because theyre at risk of homelessness, Johnson said.

Some residents are seeing large increases in their rent, according to Johnson. The Herald-Tribune has reported that apartment rents in Sarasota and Bradenton increased more than 40% from October 2020 to October 2021.

Johnson said Sarasota County has a once in a generation opportunity with these ARPA funds to move the needle on affordable housing. He asked the commission to dedicate 25% of the funds to that need.

A few lawyers and members of the business community also asked the commission to prioritize affordable housing. Lisa Krouse, the CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County, said the shortage of affordable housing is an issue for businesses looking to move to the county and for companies hoping to expand here.

Theres a limited supply of housing affordable to our workers, she said.

A county survey conducted this fall showed that many community members also believe that affordable housing should be a priority. The survey, to which 727 county residents or business owners responded, asked people to identify their top interests in spending American Rescue Plan money. The most popular area of interest was affordable housing, followed by homelessness prevention and support.

Commissions discussion

County staff had originally recommended allocating $31 million for the Phillippi Creek Septic System Replacement Program, which is replacing residential septic tanks with sewers in the Phillippi Creek drainage basin. But the commission wants to reduce the proposed allocation for this project.

Commissioner Nancy Detert suggested increasing the allotment for affordable housing to $10 or $15 million.

Were almost at a crisis point, and $5 million out of $84 million is ridiculously low, she said.

Commissioners Mike Moran and Christian Ziegler wanted the county to exercise caution as it works on affordable housing.

I mean, affordable housing, the only way thats going to get solved is through the market, Ziegler said, adding that the county should pursue affordable housing programs that give the county a good bang for our buck and that make sense.

The commission did, though, seem to support increasing the amount going toward affordable housing.

Jon Thaxton, a long-time housing advocate and executive with the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, was pleased by this news. He noted that government incentives are necessary for companies to build affordable housing.

We want to invest this money in affordable housing that, without the government incentive money, the market wont build, he said.

Anne Snabes covers city and county government for the Herald-Tribune. You can contact her at asnabes@gannett.com or (941) 228-3321 and follow her on Twitter at @a_snabes.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: American Rescue Plan: advocates urge county to prioritize housing
A recent shift in weather patterns caused meteorologists to revise their forecasts for December 2021 in the High Desert.

Winds may clobber trees and power lines in the heart of the High Desert as rain falls across the region early this week, forecasters say, marking the arrival of a recent weather pattern change that could produce snow as the month goes on.

The National Weather Service has issued a high wind watch to take effect Tuesday from 4 a.m. to 7 p.m. for residents in and around Apple Valley, Lucerne Valley, Victorville and Hesperia. A similar advisory was in effect for these areas last Thursday, followed by a freeze warning for other desert areas north and south on Saturday morning.

The coming work week is set to start with a near certainty of rain across the High Desert, according to the NWS' Las Vegas and San Diego offices.

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Daylight hours Monday will likely be clear, with forecasts Sunday predicting a 10% chance of rain in the Victorville area and no chance under partly sunny conditions in the Barstow-Daggett and Twentynine Palms areas.

That changes Monday night. Forecasters say the likelihood of rain after the sun goes down is up to 80% for Victorville, 60% for Barstow-Daggett and 30% for Twentynine Palms.

Rainfall becomes almost certain Tuesday, when forecasts of precipitation were at 80% in Twentynine Palms and 90% in both Victorville and Barstow-Daggett. The NWS' website described its expectations as heavy rain and windy for Victorville, and showers and breezy for the other two areas.

Odds of rain stay strong into Tuesday night. The NWS forecasts an 80% chance in Twentynine Palms until about 10 p.m. and 60% in both Victorville and Barstow-Daggett until 11 p.m., with partly cloudy and breezy conditions expected to follow in all three.

"Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines," the NWS forecasts for Tuesday in the valleys of Apple and Lucerne. "Widespread power outages are possible. Travel could be difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles."

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Gusts will be 30 to 40 mph, with some peaking perhaps as high as 65 mph, the federal agency forecasts.

The NWS' San Diego office oversees the Victorville area and is responsible for the Tuesday advisory.

No such advisory had been issued for other High Desert areas as of Sunday by the agency's Las Vegas office, which oversees Barstow-Daggett and Twentynine Palms. It forecasts slightly weaker but still noticeable winds in both areas Tuesday of about 13 to 24 mph, peaking at about 37 mph.

Alex Tardy, a meteorologist with the NWS' Las Vegas office, previously told the Daily Press that forecasters are changing their tunes about the final month of 2021 in Southern California because weather patterns recently altered over the Pacific Ocean.

"In simple terms, its a shift, slightly, in the jetstream," he said. "All the cold air thats been caught up in the Gulf of Alaska has shifted south."

This has created a new "storm track" that's set to run into an "atmospheric river," ultimately translating to a wetter and colder December for the High Desert and its neighbors.

The change was already being felt in Northern California on Sunday as snow forced drivers to wrap their tires in chains. The storm promised to drop up to 8 feet of snow on the highest peaks and drench other parts of California, forecasters said.

In the High Desert, snow is a near certainty for nearby mountainous regions like Big Bear Lake, which itself will be under an NWS' winter storm watch for nearly a day starting Tuesday morning.

For the High Desert, a white holiday season is less of a certainty but still a fair possibility.

The wave of moisture at the start of this week was forecast to clear up Wednesday, when the NWS predicts mostly sunny conditions across the High Desert. The agency expects frostiness to begin that night and stretch into Thursday morning for Victorville.

For the Barstow-Daggett area, the NWS was forecasting a slight chance of rain Thursday night and a "slight chance of rain and snow showers" on Friday. A slight chance of rain early Thursday night was also in the cards for Victorville, while clear conditions are the consistent expectation for the rest of the week in Twentynine Palms.

Charlie McGee covers the city of Barstow and its surrounding communities for the Daily Press. He is also a Report for America corps member with the GroundTruth Project, an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization dedicated to supporting the next generation of journalists in the U.S. and around the world. McGee may be reached at 760-955-5341 or cmcgee@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @bycharliemcgee.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Damaging winds, heavy rain on track for California High Desert
Someone get Dax Shepard a cup of water.

The "Armchair Expert" podcast host found himself in quite the pickle when he started hiccuping out of nowhere early last week. While patiently waiting for it to go away, Shepard realized that they weren't slowing down and he was in fact hiccuping for 21 hours straight.

"I came across some hiccups," Shepard said in an Instagram video that wife Kristen Bell shot.

While speaking with her, Shepard asked her if she heard him hiccuping throughout the night and she replied, "all night long."

Although the whole ordeal seemed very frustrating, Shepard said he found his dilemma quite "funny" and was just glad that there were moments where his hiccups went away.

"They went away for stretches today," the "Parenthood" actor said. "A couple of hours in the afternoon and I want to say there was an hour of freedom."

However, things quickly got worse. In another video, Shepard was seen laying on a bed as he struggled to get a word out. He said that his hiccups had "escalated" to "hiccup-induced puking."

But a few hours later, everything seemed to be fine for the comedian. Shepard captioned his Instagram clips, "What a ride!!! 50 hours of hiccups. Worry not. We have been hiccup-free for five days today. For anyone who has permanent hiccups, god bless. I dont know if I could have gone a week with those without intervening with a cycle of cyanide. #hiccups #burps #robertdurst."

According to Dr. Andrea Paul, chief medical officer at BoardVitals.com, the hiccups occur when the diaphragm contracts very quickly and the vocal cords slam shut. Due to this, the body starts to suck in air very quickly which leads to people making the "hiccup" sound.

One way to stop this is to increase how much carbon dioxide is in your bloodstream.

When your CO2 numbers go up, that triggers your brain to breathe, Dr. Alexandra Kejner, an otolaryngologist at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, told TODAY. By increasing your C02, it changes your breathing a little bit and can often break that reflex.

But if that doesn't work, Paul said you can always go old school and just drink a glass of water without taking a breath or breathe into a paper bag for around 20 seconds.
Dec. 12CONCORD  A judge has told lawyers for the New Hampshire Catholic Church and a right-wing Catholic news outlet to come to an agreement about how much information the church will disclose about one of its high-ranking priests.

Issued last week, the judge's order sets some limits on how much information the Diocese of Manchester will have to provide about its canon law expert, the Very Rev. Georges F. de Laire.

Earlier this year, de Laire sued Michigan-based St. Michael's Media, editor Gary Michael Voris and a reporter claiming defamation in several articles about the church's dispute with a religious sect in Richmond. As the diocese's judicial vicar and vicar for canonical affairs, de Laire figured prominently in the church's handling of the sect, the St. Benedict Center.

St. Michael's Media has subpoenaed the Diocese of Manchester seeking information about de Laire's dealings with St. Benedict Center, his oversight of annulment cases and any complaints received about de Laire.

In his order, Judge Joseph A. DiClerico Jr. noted that the diocese is not a party to the lawsuit, and federal rules caution that any subpoenas of third parties cannot be burdensome.

In general, he told the media outlet to narrow the scope of its requests. At one point, the judge even rebuked the company for raising clergy sex abuse as a reason to not allow a blanket exemption to subpoenas.

"Such gratuitous remarks do not advance the defendants' cause," DiClerico wrote.

But DiClerico also questioned how the diocese can turn over some documents but claim a First Amendment exemption to releasing others.

"To the extent the Diocese has disclosed some documents but withheld others, any privilege may have been waived," the judge wrote.

Officially, his order denies a request by St. Michael's Media to force the diocese to produce the documents. But he said the organizations' lawyers should try to work out their differences without involving the court, and if they don't, St. Michael's Media can resurrect the issue.

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"Counsel do not appear to have communicated as effectively as might be necessary to accomplish that purpose," DiClerico wrote.

De Laire is pastor of St. Pius X Church in Manchester and heir to a family fortune made in the French perfume business. He divides his time between the parish and a home on Baboosic Lake in Amherst, which figured prominently in the coverage de Laire has sued over.

mhayward@unionleader.com
BGR

So many people right now are looking for COVID test kits on Amazon and other online retailers. That makes sense, of course, since theyre sold out in local stores across much of the country. The coronavirus pandemic is spiking yet again, and this time the numbers are off the charts. In the past week alone,  The post Amazon has COVID-19 rapid test kits in stock today if you hurry appeared first on BGR.
Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Getty

On the seventh day, the book of Genesis says, after creating the universe from scratch and in the dark, God rested. This model of self-care is the whole reason that Jews observe the Sabbath and there are reduced trading hours in many countries on Sundays. Gods rest implies that, like humanity, God needs to rest. But the idea of God having a body that requires downtime would strike many contemporary Christians as absurd if not outrageously heretical. Omnipotence and naps are unlikely bedfellows. But a revolutionary new book by a distinguished Bible scholar argues that this is just one of the myriad ways that we need to take Gods body, and the Bibles description of it, more seriously.

In her remarkable book God: An Anatomy, accomplished University of Exeter Professor of Hebrew Bible Francesca Stavrakopoulou takes us on a gripping yet rigorous journey through Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern ideas about God. In general, the gods of Southwestern Asia were lusty, muscular, passionate, and hungry. They had limbs, eyes, ears, and genitalia and they used those body parts to act and interact. Yahwehthe God of the Hebrew Bibleis no different. With the precision of a surgeon, she dissects and analyses Gods body from head to toe and, ahem, everywhere in between. Her arguments are not outlandish. As she meticulously shows descriptions of Gods body are everywhere.

Just when it comes to the question of sleep there is a multiplicity of evidence for divine burnout and rest. Beyond taking a personal day at the end of the first week, the Hebrew Bible refers to the sleeping arm of God. In Isaiah 51 the prophet begs God to wake up: Awake, Awake, Put on Strength O Arm of the Lord. In the aftermath of the Babylonian attack on Jerusalem in the sixth century BCE, one psalmist cried Rouse yourself! Why do you sleep, O Yahweh? Awake! Do not cast us off forever! While God was sleeping hisand thus his peoplesdefenses were down, and the city had been ransacked. Though modern Christians dont think about God sleeping they do use these passages. The verse from Isaiah, for example, decorates the cover of Bible journaling notebooks. We know about this idea we just dont think about it.

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That Yahweh took naps wasnt that unusual. As Stavrakopoulou details in her book, deities in ancient Southwest Asia often retreated to their beds to get away from it all. According to an Ancient Near Eastern lament, the Sumerian deity Enlil was known to do this. After causing a famine, he barricaded himself in his Temple and pretended to be asleep. Its passive aggressive, to be sure, but at least he had boundaries. Divine sleep could also index other rhythms in the world: the changing seasons, famine, drought, and other events were all a sign that God was taking time off for himself. Most commonly, however, it was a symptom or cause of divine neglect. When the god Baal fails to respond to the petitions of his prophets in the Bible, explains Stavrakopoulou, Elijah suggests that Baal simply fell asleep.

Of course, the idea of the God-who-naps, Stavrakopoulou told me, has caused no shortage of anxieties both ancient and modern. In the ancient world, she said, the concern was practical: a deity who is off duty; a deity whos stopped watching out for his worshippers, whos stopped listening to them, [has] stopped intervening in their lives. Thats a problem. For those influenced by Plato and more abstract understandings of transcendent deities, the concern is more philosophical. The idea of a God who needs to rest is suggestive of limits, human frailty, and even disability: we get the impression of a god whos over-exerted himself, a god whos exhausted. It emphasizes the enormity and impressive wonder of his creative work, but still leaves us with a god whos not all-powerful but has his limits. For lots of people, a God with limits isnt much of a God.

This makes Christians nervous because the Christian God is supposed to be both omnipotent and completely unlike us. This is bound up in religious competition and claims the God of the Bible is the best of all deities. Stavrakopoulou shows us that Biblical texts try to distinguish between the uniquely powerful God of Judaism and Christianity and the false human-shaped but profoundly weak deities of other traditions. These foreign gods, she told me, Are disabled deities, who have eyes but do not see, hands but do not feel, noses but do not smell, etc. By contrast, Gods body works perfectly well.

As a historian, Stavrakopoulou is interested in reading the Bible as a collection of ancient texts without getting caught up in or influenced by more recent religious commitments. Her goal, she told me, is to offer a portrait of God in his natural habitat in ancient southwest Asia during the first millennium BCE, when he was a god much like any other deity in the ancient world. Her book is perfect for secular readers who previously dismissed the Bible as dull or irrelevant.

This doesnt mean, however, that practicing Christians or observant Jews should steer clear of her book. Not only is it a riveting read its also a treasure trove of thoroughly researched material that can serve as a reference work for believers, pastors, and teachers. In fact, the humanness of God is profoundly theologically important to the heirs of these traditions. After all, our bodies are created in the image of God. More important, Stavrakopoulou says, we cant quite do without the human-like features of God. Theologians tell us that we are in a relationship with God. But its difficult to have a relationship with the abstract. Were a highly social species, and its by means of our bodies that we socialize  its how we forge and maintain relationships. Ultimately, Gods body rendered the divine more social. The same is true today. Our religious connection with God isnt just spiritual, its also embodied: Christians ask God to hear our prayers, to be present with us, and to carry us. These might be metaphors but they are also modes of interaction.

Moreover, recognizing the softersome might say frailer aspects of Gods body could help people who feel alienated by traditional portraits of the divine. For decades scholars interested in gender, disability, and race have criticized the hyper-masculine, ruggedly muscular, pale God of European Christianity. Stavrakopoulou challenges us to look behind the legacy of Renaissance artwork to what the Bible actually says. The God who needs rest and wheelchair (what else do you call a throne with wheels?) to move around inas God does in Ezekiel and subsequent Jewish traditionis more approachable to people with disabilities.

This God is just more relatable. For two thousand years Christians have tried to emulate Jesus, the incarnate deity. What would Jesus do and what God wants are one and the same. But often, living up to divine standards is hard. For those who are overworked and overburdened the God who takes naps may be easier to connect with than the God who judges.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Diablo Canyon, California's last nuclear power plant, is scheduled to begin shutting down in 2024. (Michael A. Mariant / Associated Press)

California is approaching an energy crossroads. In three years, its last nuclear plant will begin to power down and the state will lose its largest single source of emissions-free electricity.

A 2018 law requires state regulators to avoid any increase in greenhouse gases as a result of closing the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant on the Central Coast. But if they dont move more quickly to replace its electricity with renewable energy from wind, solar and geothermal, the void will almost certainly be filled by burning more natural gas, which increased last year to account for nearly half of Californias in-state electricity generation.

California cant allow the retirement of Diablo Canyons nuclear reactors to prolong its reliance on gas plants or increase planet-warming and health-damaging emissions. But the states preparations for shutdown of an around-the-clock power source that supplies more than 8% of Californias in-state electricity generation have not inspired confidence; there have been no assurances that an uptick in carbon emissions will be avoided.

That uncertainty has created an opening for a new push to extend Diablo Canyons life. A recently launched campaign, whose supporters include former U.S. Energy secretaries Steven Chu and Ernest Moniz, and fashion model and nuclear influencer Isabelle Boemeke , wants California to abruptly reverse course and keep Diablo Canyon operating for another 10 or even 20 years.

Proponents say this would reduce climate pollution, bolster grid reliability and buy time during a crucial period in the states transition toward solar, wind and other renewable energy sources, citing a recent report by Stanford University and MIT scientists that lends support to the idea. The Biden administration has chimed in receptively, with Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm suggesting in a recent interview that California might reconsider closing the facility to avoid losing an always-on source of clean electricity.

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But the idea is misguided, and at this point remains largely divorced from reality. The plant's closure should instead serve as an impetus for California do more to accelerate the shift to renewable energy and set a realistic course to meet the states target of getting 100% of its electricity from carbon-free sources by 2045.

Those floating the idea of keeping Diablo Canyon open seem to ignore many practical considerations, including how to address seismic risks, the ecological harm of using seawater for cooling, and what to do with spent nuclear fuel. The cooling system and earthquake safety upgrades that would be required for the facility to keep operating after 2025 are so extensive they would likely exceed $1 billion, according to the Public Utilities Commission.

The plants operator, Pacific Gas and Electric Co., agreed in 2016 not to pursue license renewal, in part because closing the plant and replacing it with other zero-carbon energy sources and storage would cost less than keeping it open. The utility has shown no interest in reconsidering, nor has the Public Utilities Commission received any proposals to revisit its 2018 decision to allow the plant to shut down.

Still, the pro-nuclear camp is right in pointing out that the urgency of fighting global warming has only increased in the five years since the decision to close Diablo Canyon. Wildfires and other climate impacts are worsening at an alarming clip. Last year, California experienced its first rolling blackouts in nearly two decades thanks to climate-fueled heat waves that forced the state to burn more planet-warming gas to keep the power on. And the recent global climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, showed that world leaders aren't yet acting with the urgency needed to avert catastrophic warming.

But there are good reasons to eschew nuclear power as a solution. The world is still dealing with repercussions from the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear disasters, which rendered huge zones uninhabitable and spread radioactive isotopes across the globe; and closer to home, the cleanup of the 1959 partial nuclear meltdown at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory near Simi Valley. Because the United States has no designated repository for high-level radioactive waste, spent nuclear fuel is stored on site at power plants across the country, posing ongoing risks. We can and should curb the dangers of fossil fuel combustion and nuclear fission at the same time, not use the threat of one to prop up the other.

Replacing Diablo Canyon responsibly will require faster deployment of wind and solar farms and rooftop panels as well as batteries to store energy for use when the sun isnt shining or the wind isnt blowing. Upgrades to transmission lines are also needed to make more carbon-free energy available.

The Public Utilities Commission took an important step in June, when it approved an order requiring utility companies to bring online a massive amount of new clean electricity resources by 2026 to help fuel demand during extreme heat events and replace generation from old, retiring gas plants and Diablo Canyon. But environmental advocates say the state's plan moves too slowly and leaves the door open to a rise in fossil fuels to create electricity. That's what happened in 2012, when California's greenhouse gas emissions rose by 2%, in part because of increased used of gas plants following the unanticipated closure of the malfunctioning San Onofre nuclear power plant.

This time, regulators have had years to prepare for Diablos retirement and should not leave things to chance. Gov. Gavin Newsom and the incoming PUC president he recently named, Alice Reynolds, need to do more to get renewable energy sources operating as quickly as possible, and should carefully track them and impose requirements that they reduce climate pollution. It's our planet at stake, and California's leaders must ensure the sunset of nuclear power is not followed by a damaging rise in greenhouse gases.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
ORANGE CITY  Wildlife officials predict another grim winter ahead for the Florida manatee, but for now, Blue Spring remains a refuge for the gentle giants.

"Thats really where we hope the long-term future of the population is. Theres a lot of work that has to be done to safeguard those," said Pat Rose, executive director of Save the Manatee Club, of the spring and similar habitats throughout the state.

Blue Spring is a natural winter habitat for the warm-blooded manatee, its waters hovering at a comfortable 72 degrees year-round, and it's functioning ecologically, providing plenty of aquatic vegetation for the slow-moving mammals to devour.

At least 1,038 manatees have died in Florida waters in 2021, according to data from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The total shattered the previous record of 830 deaths set in 2013.

Many of the deaths were concentrated in the Indian River Lagoon, and while the cause of the die-off remains under investigation, researchers speculate starvation could be to blame.

Manatees at Blue Spring State Park in Orange City, Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021.

The starvation crisis, explained: Feds declare manatee deaths in Indian River Lagoon an 'unusual mortality event'

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Wild Florida: Your guide to 9 great kayaking spots in Volusia County's rivers & springs

Florida manatees are a threatened subspecies of the West Indian manatee that can reach 1,200 pounds. Packing on that much weight requires an enormous amount of food, and manatees spend most of their time feeding or resting. Manatees are herbivores and get much of their nutrients from munching on seagrass beds.

But since 2009, 58% of the seagrass in the lagoon system has disappeared, choked off from sunlight because of poor water quality, according to the St. Johns River Water Management District.

The FWC estimates more than 10% of the state's manatees died this year, though the population hasn't been counted since 2016, when researchers estimated 8,810 roamed the state. That survey led the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to upgrade Florida manatees' classification from endangered to threatened in 2017.

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To starve or to freeze?

Manatees in the Indian River Lagoon system have been stuck with a deadly choice this winter: stay in the warm water near the power plants, where there is no food, or venture into other areas and risk dying from the cold.

Manatees are vulnerable to dying of hypothermia if the temperatures drop too low. Rose said manatees have a relatively low metabolic rate as far as marine mammals go.

"Theyre really not geared physiologically to withstand water temperatures below 68 degrees Fahrenheit for any length of time," Rose said. "They are marine mammals and theyre large. They have a good bit of fat, but they dont have a complete blubber layer like a seal."

In cold conditions, manatees are believed to reduce the amount of blood flowing to their skin and extremities, which can eventually result into tissue death that produces lesions on the animals' flippers and tails. They tend to stop feeding because the digestive system is failing. Every breath taken above water drops their core temperature farther.

"If they dont get to warm water soon enough they can literally die," Rose said. "It can be kind of a slow death."

Wildlife authorities aim to battle starvation this winter by taking the unprecedented step to feed manatees gathered at FPLs Cape Canaveral power plant romaine lettuce.

"The goals of this limited, small-scale feeding trial are two-fold: 1) to reduce manatee mortality and 2) to reduce the number of animals in need of rescue, allowing the limited space in permitted critical care facilities to remain open for animals needing rehabilitation for other reasons," the agencies announced Wednesday.

Few details are available about the feeding plan, but FWC and the USFWS have created a Unified Command Incident Management Team, whose communications team did not respond to questions posed by The News-Journal for this story.

It remains illegal for individuals to feed manatees.

Rose said the first few months of 2022 will likely see deaths proceed at a similar clip, but the sooner feeding can begin the better.

"We are probably looking at pretty devastating mortality in January, February, even into March, depending on how successful this supplemental feeding can be and how many rescues can be undertaken," he said, adding that the sooner feeding begins, the better. "We had hoped the decision would be made months ago so that better preparations could be done."

Volusia County's 73 deaths stacked up in the first four months of 2021, with 54 sea cows dead by the end of April and 19 more perishing in the months since.

Northern boundary extended: Does the Indian River Lagoon end at Ponce Inlet? 5 years ago, the answer changed

Blue Spring a warm water refuge for manatees

The Indian River Lagoon system has seen more than 300 manatee deaths in 2021, more than any other water body in Florida. About three in every four manatee deaths in Volusia County occurred in the lagoon and connected Halifax River.

However, only two occurred in the St. Johns River, where manatees continue to flock by the hundreds in the winter months.

"It is a learned behavior, taught by mothers to offspring," Rose said of the migrations. "They have very good memories about their habitat, not that dissimilar to one of their closer land relatives, the elephant."

On Friday, a spokeswoman at Blue Spring State Park said just 23 manatees were in the spring  a result of recent warm weather that causes the creatures to go into the St. Johns River in search of food.

That contrasts with Dec. 1, when 539 manatees were counted at Blue Spring. That was after a cold snap that dropped the temperature of the St. Johns River, leading so many manatees to return to the spring.

Much of the manatee-food around the spring is "emergent vegetation," meaning it rises above the surface along shallow shorelines, according to Ashley Evitt, of the St. Johns River Water Management District.

It includes grasses, sedges, pennywort and spatterdock, a water lily variety.

A manatee feeds on the vegetation at Blue Spring State Park in Orange City, Friday, Sept. 4, 2020.

"Manatees near Blue Spring mostly feed on the emergent vegetation in the marsh areas fringing the channel of the St. Johns River, both upstream and downstream of the Blue Spring Run," Evitt said.

"As far as we can tell, they are not reaching their carrying capacity and there is sufficient forage available for them to be able to make it through the winter and do well," Rose said.

That the river's vegetation remains healthy is no accident, according to Evitt and Rose.

The Blue Spring Interagency Working Group  consisting of members from the water management district, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, FWC, USFWS, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Volusia County, Save the Manatee Club and the Blue Spring Alliance  came together in the early 2000s. They meet annually to devise a management plan for aquatic plants in the Blue Spring region.

"There is a moratorium on aquatic plant control spraying in the Blue Spring region in order to maintain a food source for manatees using Blue Spring as a warm water refuge," Evitt said.

"We think that needs to be expanded," Rose said.

How to report a sick, injured, dead, or tagged manatee:

Call FWC's Wildlife Alert toll-free number at 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922) and press 7 to speak with an operator.

If you're calling from a cellphone, you may dial *FWC or #FWC

Explore other ways to help: savethemanatee.org/how-to-help/

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Are Florida's rapidly dying manatees safe in Blue Spring? Yes, for now
The Foo Fighters have canceled an appearance at the Formula One race in Abu Dhabi after one of the members suffered "unforeseen medical circumstances."

The organizers offered no further details about the medical issue when announcing the news on Sunday. They only stated that Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters were "unable to travel" to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for Sunday's concert.

"The band apologizes for any inconvenience or disappointment caused by this unexpected turn of events," the statement added. The band offered no immediate comment about the issue on its social media.

FOO FIGHTERS POSTPONE WEEKEND CONCERT IN LOS ANGELES AFTER TEAM MEMBER TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19

The Foo Fighters canceled an upcoming show in Abu Dhabi due to some kind of medical circumstances. Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Children's Hospital Los Angeles

It's unclear if the reason has anything to do with COVID-19.

Representatives for the band did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.

Emirati state-linked newspaper The National quoted concert promoter John Lickrish as saying that a member of the band was rushed to a hospital from an airport in Chicago, where the band stopped on the way to Abu Dhabi. He didn't elaborate on what happened but said the band managers had called him to cancel.

The Foo Fighters last performed in Fresno, California, on Thursday and had been scheduled to end their rock tour in Abu Dhabi.

GUNS N' ROSES, FOO FIGHTERS RETURNING TO THE STAGE

Instead, organizers said that Dutch DJ Martin Garrix and Frances DJ Snake would perform at the concert that closes the Formula One season at Yas Island, off the east coast of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.

The Foo Fighters have been on the vanguard of bringing back live performances since everyone in the industry had to take a big, unexpected break in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In June, they performed at the grand re-opening of Madison Square Garden in New York City.

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However, that's not to say that the band isn't being cautious when it comes to the coronavirus. In July they postponed a concert in Los Angeles after a member of the band tested positive for the virus.

"Despite having made every effort to follow CDC Covid protocols and local laws, there has been a confirmed Covid-19 case within the Foo Fighters organization. Out of an abundance of caution and concern for the safety of the band, crew and most of all the fans, Saturdays show at the Los Angeles Forum is being postponed to a later date," the statement read at the time.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
After nearly two decades, Fox News anchor Chris Wallace announced Sunday that he is leaving the news network and heading to CNN.

The veteran news anchor, who joined Fox News Channel in 2003, announced his immediate departure from the program Fox News Sunday at its conclusion on Sunday, saying he wants to try something new.

Eighteen years ago, the bosses here at Fox promised me they would never interfere with a guest I booked or a question I asked. And they kept that promise. I have been free to report to the best of my ability, to cover the stories I think are important, to hold our countrys leaders to account. Its been a great ride, he told viewers.

Wallace is headed to CNNs upcoming streaming service, CNN+, the network confirmed in a statement. CNN recently had its own anchor shake-up with its firing of prime-time host Chris Cuomo earlier this month.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin gives an interview to Fox News Channel anchor Chris Wallace in 2018. Wallace moderated two general-election presidential debates and interviewed several U.S. presidents and world leaders while with Fox News. (Photo: Alexei Nikolsky via Getty Images)

Wallace, 74, said in a statement that he is thrilled about the move and particularly excited to explore the world of streaming.

I look forward to the new freedom and flexibility streaming affords in interviewing major figures across the news landscape  and finding new ways to tell stories, he said.

Wallaces time with Fox News has included moderating two general-election presidential debates and interviewing several U.S. presidents and world leaders. Before joining Fox News, he was a senior correspondent with ABC News and prior to that a White House correspondent with NBC News.

I want to try something new, to go beyond politics to all the things Im interested in, Wallace said Sunday. Im ready for a new adventure. And I hope youll check it out. And so  for the last time, dear friends  thats it for today. Have a great week. And I hope youll keep watching Fox News Sunday.

A permanent replacement for the anchor has not been found, a spokesperson for Fox News Media said in a statement to HuffPost that praised the work of Wallaces team over the years.

Wallace, seen awaiting the arrival of former Vice President Al Gore on the set of

We are extremely proud of our journalism and the stellar team that Chris Wallace was a part of for 18 years. The legacy of FOX News Sunday will continue with our star journalists, many of whom will rotate in the position until a permanent host is named, the statement read.

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Wallace  whose father was Mike Wallace, one of the original correspondents for CBSs 60 Minutes and a moderator for NBCs Meet the Press  had inked a deal in 2017 that would keep him with Fox News past the 2020 election. His contract was reportedly set to expire this year and Wallace did not want to renew it, CNN reported, citing a person with knowledge of the matter.

Reflecting on Wallaces departure, the president of Media Matters for America, a nonprofit media watchdog that regularly targets Fox News coverage, said the anchor gave the network a thin veneer of respectability; and now, the veneer is gone.

Fox executives routinely pointed to Chris Wallace in defending themselves from criticism that the network is a dangerous propaganda channel, Angelo Carusone said in a statement to HuffPost.

Carusone pointed out that the most praise Wallace gave the network in his farewell speech on Sunday was that it did not interfere with his work, which he said should have been the norm for any news program at a news network.

That Wallace felt like this was the best he could say illuminates the way things are done over there, he said.

Media Matters similarly called Fox News surprise 2019 on-air resignation of chief news anchor Shepard Smith a disaster for the network. Smith, like Wallace, had been widely praised as having news credibility amid a network of outspoken conservative news pundits.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.




The Group of Seven (G7) countries warned that Russia will face "massive consequences" if it attacks Ukraine as the military buildup at the border between the two countries continues, according to a statement obtained by Reuters.

"Russia should be in no doubt that further military aggression against Ukraine would have massive consequences and severe cost," a draft statement from the G7 said according to Reuters. "We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the right of any sovereign state to determine its own future."

This statement came one day after the Russian Embassy in London condemned Britain's use of the phrase "Russian aggression" during a G7 meeting that was held this weekend.

"The overuse of the term 'Russian aggression' is particularly evident and deliberate, highlighting British G7 presidency's obsession with finding a common cause for 'a show of unity'. The repeated accusation itself is a cause for concern, as it misleads the followers," the embassy said.

"It is important to reiterate that 'the eventual Russian aggression against Ukraine' is a bogus slogan, which the British politicians and loyal media seem to pull out of their hats one time too many," it added.

During the G7 meeting, host British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss called for "a show of unity against global aggressors" including the "malign behaviors" of Russia towards Ukraine.

Numerous countries such as Germany and the U.S. have warned Russia against any aggression against the Ukraine, though American lawmakers have insisted that military options of response are not on the table.

On Sunday, the G7 released a statement formally condemning Russia's military buildup at the Ukrainian border. They stated they will "intensify" their cooperation in responding to Russia's aggression.

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"We call on Russia to de-escalate, pursue diplomatic channels, and abide by its international commitments on transparency of military activities as President Biden did in his call with President Putin on 7 December," said the G7. "We reconfirm our support for the efforts of France and Germany in the Normandy Format to achieve full implementation of the Minsk Agreements in order to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine."

The G7 ministers voiced their continued commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and commended the country for its "posture of restraint."

Updated 12:34 p.m.
Grace Episcopal group raises $7,500+ for Marion County women and children in need

The Grace Episcopal Church Women (ECW) hosted the 75th annual Church Bazaar in the parish hall on Nov. 13, according to an email from Mary Baggs, an ECW member.

The Grace Episcopal Church Women hosted the 75th annual Church Bazaar on Dec. 4, raising more than $7,500 to benefit local Marion County women and children in need.

More than $7,500 was raised to benefit local Marion County women and children in need through the donations and purchases of holiday decor, baked goods, frozen meals, jewelry, raffle tickets and more, Baggs said.

Fr. Jonathan French and Bazaar co-chairs Carolyn Ayres and Elaine Heitman extended their gratitude to all in the community who created, donated and/or purchased items.

Dunnellon H.S. Air Force ROTC performs services for community

The Air Force Junior Reserves Officers Training Corps of Dunnellon High School hosts a number of events that are directed toward teamwork, leadership and building citizens of good character, Cadet Devin Mannifield said, according to an email from Lt. Col. Dwayne Gray, JROTC instructor at DHS.

The Dunnellon High School Color Guard presents and bares the colors during the opening ceremony at River Life Church for Veterans Day.

The goal of the program is to prepare our students for the future, Mannifield said in the email. However, the program is also responsible for hosting events that support the community. We select opportunities presented to us by our community and school to help others, learn about ourselves, and build our leadership skills.

One example was the Veterans Day event at River Life Church, the email said. The Color Guard presented and bared the colors during the opening ceremony.

The Dunnellon High School Air Force JROTC cadets present the colors during the DHS football game's opening ceremonies.

JROTC also helps with parking at DHS home football games and present the colors on the field, the email said.

MCCS of the Civil Air Patrols Florida Wing holds annual awards banquet

The Marion County Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrols Florida Wing celebrated several cadet and senior member achievements on Dec. 6 during the annual awards banquet at the Ocala Shrine Club, according to a press release from Cynthia Moody.

Cadet awards included three Billy Mitchells at the Marion County Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrols Florida Wing annual awards banquet. This award signifies a cadet's progress into a command phase. From left: First Lt. Nic Ward, Second Lt. William Lasseter, First Lt. Alicia Cajamarca and Second Lt. Nathaniel Ward.

The MCCS Cyber Patriot team, featuring cadets Ian Price, Ryan Boss, Emmitt Roberts and Alicia Cajamarca, was recognized in 2020 for its national level achievements: 41st in the nation for All Services and first for Florida All Services, the release said.

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First Lt. Nic Ward, who will be leading the Cyber Patriot team in 2022, received the Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., award for his own achievements as a senior member, the release said.

Cadets opened the Marion County Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrols Florida Wing annual awards banquet with a presentation of the colors. From left: A1C Santos, Sgt. Lasseter, Amn Faley and Amn Stewart.

Cadet awards included three Billy Mitchells  named for CAPs first National Commander. This award signifies a departure from both learning and leadership phases in cadets progress into a command phase, the release said.

First Lt. Nic Ward, who will be leading the Cyber Patriot team in 2022, received the Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., award for his own achievements as a senior member at the Marion County Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrols Florida Wing annual awards banquet. From left: Col. Luis Negron and Ward.

The honorees: First Lt. Nic Ward, Second Lt. William Lasseter, First Lt. Alicia Cajamarca and Second Lt. Nathaniel Ward.

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This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Grace Episcopal bazaar helps local women and children
LIVERPOOL, England  The Group of Seven economic powers told Russia on Sunday to "de-escalate" its military buildup near the Ukrainian border, warning that an invasion would have "massive consequences" and inflict severe economic pain on Moscow.

Foreign ministers from the United States, Britain and the rest of the G-7, joined by the European Union's foreign affairs chief, issued a joint statement declaring themselves "united in our condemnation of Russia's military buildup and aggressive rhetoric towards Ukraine."

The G-7 called on Russia to "de-escalate, pursue diplomatic channels, and abide by its international commitments on transparency of military activities," and praised Ukraine's "restraint."

"Any use of force to change borders is strictly prohibited under international law. Russia should be in no doubt that further military aggression against Ukraine would have massive consequences and severe cost in response," the statement said.

Russia's movement of weapons and troops to the border region dominated weekend talks among foreign ministers from the G-7 wealthy democracies in the English city of Liverpool.

More: Biden warns Putin of harsh consequences if Russia invades Ukraine

Serviceman walk in a trench at the line of separation near Sentianivka, Luhansk region, controlled by Russia-backed separatists, eastern Ukraine, Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021. Russia's military warned the Ukrainian government Thursday against trying to settle a separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine with force, a statement that adds to the tensions sparked by a Russian troop buildup near the Ukrainian border.

The U.S. and it allies worry that the buildup could be precursor to an invasion, and have vowed to inflict heavy sanctions on Russia's economy if that happens.

Moscow denies having any plans to attack Ukraine and accuses Kyiv of its own allegedly aggressive designs.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, the conference host, said the G-7 was sending a "powerful signal to our adversaries and our allies."

Democracy summit: 'Democracy needs champions': Biden calls on world to fight authoritarianism, corruption at inaugural summit

The statement promised a "common and comprehensive response" but contained no details. Truss said the G-7 was "considering all options" when it came to economic sanctions. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that "we are prepared to take the kinds of steps we've refrained from taking in the past" if Russia didn't step back.

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The U.S. and its allies have played down talk of a military response to defend Ukraine, with efforts focusing on tough sanctions that would hit the Russian economy, rather than just individuals.

In the U.S., reporters asked President Joe Biden on Saturday about the possibility of sending combat troops to Ukraine, and he said that idea was never considered. "Are you ready to send American troops into war and go into Ukraine to fight Russians on the battlefield?" he said.

Biden, who spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on a video call last week, said he had made clear that in the event of an invasion, "the economic consequences for his economy are going to be devastating. Devastating."

More: A 'house on fire': Biden democracy summit comes as US grapples with own democratic crisis

Truss said Biden had made clear to Putin that the U.S. stance "carries the support of the G-7 countries as a whole. And that should be very concerning for Vladimir Putin."

China's muscle-flexing in the Indo-Pacific region and the ailing Iran nuclear deal were also on the agenda for the meeting of top diplomats from the U.K., the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan at the dockside Museum of Liverpool.

Getting a unified response to global crises from the G-7, a group of countries with disparate interests, has often proved tough.

Germany plans on getting gas from Russia soon through the contentious Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which bypasses Ukraine  though Blinken said it was hard to see the pipeline becoming operational "if Russia has renewed its aggression on Ukraine, if it takes renewed action."

"So I think President Putin has to factor that in, too, as he's thinking about what he's going to do next," he said.

Britain, which isn't dependent on Russian gas, also has criticized the pipeline  but faces tricky questions about London's financial district and property market, both hubs for Russian money.

U.K. bank and financial authorities have long been criticized for allegedly turning a blind eye to ill-gotten gains.

Truss insisted Britain has "very strong anti-corruption and anti-money laundering rules," but also suggested that Russian money and Russian gas came at a high price.

"We cannot have short term economic gain at the expense of our long term freedom and democracy," she said.

G-7 nations are also increasingly concerned about China's growing economic and technological dominance, especially in developing countries. The G-7 has launched a "Build Back Better World" initiative to offer developing nations funding for big infrastructure projects as an alternative to money from China that, the West argues, often comes with strings attached.

Truss, who also invited ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to the Liverpool meeting, said the G-7 was "concerned about the coercive economic policies of China."

"What we've set out is a positive agenda about making sure that countries have alternative sources of investment, alternative sources of trade," she said. "And that we're making sure that we abide by  and ensure others are abiding by  the rules based international system" for trade.

A unified stance towards China continues to prove elusive, however, with the U.S. and Britain generally more hawkish than other G-7 members.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Group of Seven asks Russia to 'de-escalate,' condemns military buildup
Tony Choate

Mark Twain is often given credit for saying history doesnt repeat itself, but it rhymes. Whether Twain actually said those exact words, the phrase expresses an important truth about historical events and figures.

Even casual observers of history can see parallels in the ways constants of the human condition such as war, poverty, greed, and corruption are addressed throughout time.

Much like different words in the lines of a poem, different players through eras of history often sound a lot alike.

For example, it may be difficult to know which historical figure made the following remark.

I don't give a %@#* what happens. I want you all to stonewall it, let them plead the Fifth Amendment, cover up or anything else, if it'll save it, save this plan. That's the whole point. We're going to protect our people if we can.

While the quote would fit in well with current news, Richard Nixon made that statement almost 50 years ago while attempting to avoid prosecution for his crimes in the Watergate scandal. Although Nixon claimed executive privilege as a sitting president, those claims were rejected by the Supreme Court.

A similar but more extreme strategy is being used today, as former president Trump pushes his claim of executive privilege in the investigation of the violent January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

That claim was formally rejected December 9 by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

In the ruling, Judge Patricia A. Millett wrote the following.

On the record before us, former President Trump has provided no basis for this court to override President Bidens judgment and the agreement and accommodations worked out between the Political Branches over these documents. Both Branches agree that there is a unique legislative need for these documents and that they are directly relevant to the Committees inquiry into an attack on the Legislative Branch and its constitutional role in the peaceful transfer of power.

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That seems to rhyme with the Supreme Court ruling rejecting Nixons claim of executive privilege in 1974.

Although the courts will afford the utmost deference to Presidential acts in the performance of an Art. II function, when a claim of Presidential privilege as to materials subpoenaed for use in a criminal trial is based, as it is here, not on the ground that military or diplomatic secrets are implicated, but merely on the ground of a generalized interest in confidentiality, the President's generalized assertion of privilege must yield to the demonstrated, specific need for evidence.

Trump is widely expected to appeal the case decided by three judges appointed by Democrats to the Supreme Court, where six of the nine justices were appointed by Republicans.

Trump, his supporters and his attorneys have made the decision to stonewall and delay the investigation, hoping the Supreme Court or the Republican controlled Congress they anticipate may end it. Therefore, they didnt bother to offer any reason for their claims of executive privilege.

According to the appeals court ruling there was a failure even to allege, let alone demonstrate, any particularized harm that would arise from disclosure, any distinct and superseding interest in confidentiality attached to these particular documents, lack of relevance, or any other reasoned justification for withholding the documents.

Trump has exhibited no remorse for his role in promoting a violent attack on our democracy. and continues the unethical and dishonest behavior that led to the violence on January 6.

It is obvious even to casual observers that the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol would not have happened if Trump and his Republican followers in Congress had not repeated false claims of election fraud.

Despite spending millions of dollars and countless hours trying to find evidence for those claims, there is still no evidence of voter fraud. Nevertheless, the former president and his followers continue to promote the idea that the 2020 election was stolen and encourage attacks on democracy.

History records Richard Nixon famously making a speech proclaiming I am not a crook.

More recently, history records former president Trump expressing pride in promoting the violent attack on our democracy.

Trump spokesperson Liz Harrington recently posted the following on Twitter. Anybody that doesnt think there wasnt massive Election Fraud in the 2020 Presidential Election is either very stupid, or very corrupt!

Of course, the use of a double negative meant the post was actually saying anyone who believes the election was stolen is either very stupid, or very corrupt!

Despite the grammatical error, this offers another instance of Trump publicly expressing pride in promoting the violent attack on our democratic institutions.

Nixon proclaimed, I am not a crook, while Trump offers support for insurrectionists.

We can only hope and pray we dont hear the final line to that rhyme.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Ardmoreite: Guest column: Rhymes of the times
For too long, Ohioans have had to pay too much to get the prescription drugs that we depend on. We pay three times more for the same medications as people do in other countries, and many of us are rationing pills or forgoing essential medications altogether because of cost. In 2018, a third of Ohios residents reported that they did not fill a prescription due to cost. This is all while big drug and insurance companies keep bringing in record-breaking profits.

Randi Clites

The Build Back Better Act works to put an end to these injustices.

Recently, the House passed President Bidens Build Back Better Act, which includes measures to lower health care costs for every American. This legislation addresses the broken system that forces millions to choose between putting food on the table or paying rent and affording the medications they need to survive.

I became a patient advocate when my son was diagnosed with two rare disorders within his first year and a half of life. We had no family history of any chronic health conditions and our life was turned upside down. We had no idea what underinsured really meant,

that our health insurance would not actually have to cover all of the medications and treatment that our sons doctor was prescribing to keep him alive and help him thrive. I figured out very quickly that the patient and caregivers' voices were not being considered in legislation or the administration of health care.

Families that have high-cost medical needs are struggling to get a job that has coverage that doesnt discriminate against them, and then fear retiring with the security of knowing that they can get access to the coverage that theyre going to need. The Build Back Better Act is a critically important step in truly making access to health care more affordable to all Americans.

Build Back Better gives Medicare the power to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices, caps seniors out-of-pocket costs, and limits insulin copays to $35 for diabetics. The legislation also extends coverage to millions by closing the Medicaid coverage gap,

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drives down premium costs for people like small business owners and farmers purchasing insurance on their own, invests $150 billion in home care for seniors and people with disabilities, and expands Medicare benefits to include hearing. These measures will level the playing field for working families and reduce stark racial inequities in health care.

Its no surprise that special interest groups spent more than $250 million in a failed effort to try to stop this legislation. But no matter how many lies theyve tried to push, the American people have remained unswayed in their support for reform. Reducing drug and health care costs have consistently ranked as top priorities for voters here in Ohio and across the country. Polling has shown that 87 percent of Ohioans are concerned about the cost of prescription drugs. This is an issue that transcends party lines, with broad support for Medicare negotiation from Democrats, independents, and Republicans alike.

By voting for Build Back Better, Democrats like Congressman Tim Ryan voted to put people over profits. However, every single Republican in Congress voted against this plan  standing with special interests to protect the status quo and reject reforms that lower costs for the American people.

I know Im not alone when I say Ohioans cant wait any longer. This is the most significant expansion of affordable health care in more than a decade. Now its up to the Senate to pass the Build Back Better Act as soon as possible so families like mine can finally worry a little less when we go to sleep at night.

Randi Clites of Ravenna is the rare disease policy director at the Little Hercules Foundation and the state policy director at Ohio Bleeding Disorders Council. Clites is also a former State Representative for Ohios 75th District, which includes most of Portage County including Kent, Ravenna and Streets

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Guest opinion: Legislation will help end to health care injustices
Michael Dalby, president and CEO of the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, has announced that the chamber is including early childhood education in its 2022 public policy agenda.

As Collier County grows and evolves, so too does our need for a talented workforce.

Once thought of as just a cool place to retire, recent years have seen an influx in younger families to Collier County. Theyre attracted to our high quality schools, pristine open spaces, and the opportunity to live, work and raise their families in paradise.

This surge of newcomers has been a boon for our economy, but has also highlighted some of our regional workforce challenges. From restaurants and healthcare providers to hoteliers and manufacturers, we regularly hear from employers who say the lack of a skilled workforce is a barrier to economic growth.

As the voice of business in Collier County, the Greater Naples Chamber has regularly supported initiatives aimed at addressing local and regional workforce challenges. We have supported efforts to expand access to workforce training, launched programs aimed at educating students on local career opportunities and lobbied for fully funded career and technical education.

That dedication to addressing our workforce needs, both now and in the future, is why the Greater Naples Chamber has included early childhood education in our 2022 public policy agenda. This decision, recently approved by our board of directors, comes after discussions with employers, who say limited childcare options have impacted their ability to recruit and retain workers.

Michael Dalby

While limited access to childcare was a concern prior to the pandemic, COVID-19 exasperated the issue. Safer-at-home orders led some early learning centers to temporarily close their doors. When they reopened, many were forced to reduce operations due to safety concerns and staffing availability.

And some, didnt reopen at all.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, at least 15 early learning centers in Collier, Lee, Hendry and Glades counties have closed, displacing more than 800 children. Several more centers have reduced operations, serving fewer children than they did in previous years.

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This has a direct impact on our current workforce. Parents who once depended on these centers are now having to make difficult decisions, such as leaving the workforce, to care for their children. For some, leaving the workforce isnt an option.

It isnt a feasible option for employers, either. Employers throughout the region have long said they are having difficulty recruiting and retaining workers. This has only worsened in recent years, as businesses try to meet the demands of a growing population while balancing the needs of workers.

Early learning centers are experiencing these same challenges. There are approximately 100 childcare positions open in Collier County, with workers making between $12 to $15 an hour. This has led many childcare workers to look for less demanding jobs or better pay elsewhere.

But early childhood education is not just about accommodating the workforce of today, its also about preparing our workforce of tomorrow. Childcare, at its best, is education and its education that occurs at the most critical moment in a childs development. While Collier County schools boast an A-rating, only about 50% of students are kindergarten-ready when they start school.

We believe taking a cradle to career approach to talent development is critical to our future economy. By working to expand early childhood education, we can set a framework to ensure our future workforce excels.

At the Greater Naples Chamber, we believe that our focus on both early learning and workforce development speaks to our mission of cultivating economic opportunity for all. This is a talent issue, and we are committed to working together with our local, regional and state partners to identify solutions.

To learn more about the Chambers public policy platform, visit www.napleschamber.org/wherewestand.

Michael Dalby is the president & CEO of the Greater Naples Chamber.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Naples Chamber of Commerce announces public policy agenda to include early childhood education
With the third-quarter round of 13F filings behind us it is time to take a look at the stocks in which some of the best money managers in the world preferred to invest or sell heading into the fourth quarter of 2021. One of these stocks was Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc (NYSE:ARE).

Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc (NYSE:ARE) shareholders have witnessed a decrease in hedge fund sentiment of late. Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc (NYSE:ARE) was in 26 hedge funds' portfolios at the end of September. The all time high for this statistic is 29. There were 28 hedge funds in our database with ARE holdings at the end of June. Our calculations also showed that ARE isn't among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds (click for Q3 rankings).

At Insider Monkey, we scour multiple sources to uncover the next great investment idea. For example, lithium prices have more than doubled over the past year, so we go through lists like the 10 best EV stocks to pick the next Tesla that will deliver a 10x return. Even though we recommend positions in only a tiny fraction of the companies we analyze, we check out as many stocks as we can. Keeping this in mind let's view the recent hedge fund action regarding Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc (NYSE:ARE).

Chris Hohn's top 10 stock picks

Chris Hohn of TCI Fund Management

Do Hedge Funds Think ARE Is A Good Stock To Buy Now?

At third quarter's end, a total of 26 of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey held long positions in this stock, a change of -7% from one quarter earlier. By comparison, 25 hedge funds held shares or bullish call options in ARE a year ago. So, let's examine which hedge funds were among the top holders of the stock and which hedge funds were making big moves.

Among these funds, TCI Fund Management held the most valuable stake in Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc (NYSE:ARE), which was worth $199.5 million at the end of the third quarter. On the second spot was Zimmer Partners which amassed $126.6 million worth of shares. Adage Capital Management, Long Pond Capital, and Echo Street Capital Management were also very fond of the stock, becoming one of the largest hedge fund holders of the company. In terms of the portfolio weights assigned to each position Masterton Capital Management allocated the biggest weight to Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc (NYSE:ARE), around 5.16% of its 13F portfolio. Socorro Asset Management is also relatively very bullish on the stock, dishing out 3.04 percent of its 13F equity portfolio to ARE.

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Because Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc (NYSE:ARE) has faced bearish sentiment from hedge fund managers, it's easy to see that there were a few hedgies who were dropping their positions entirely in the third quarter. Interestingly, Ken Griffin's Citadel Investment Group dumped the largest stake of the 750 funds watched by Insider Monkey, comprising about $67.8 million in stock. Chris Rokos's fund, Rokos Capital Management, also said goodbye to its stock, about $18.2 million worth. These moves are interesting, as total hedge fund interest was cut by 2 funds in the third quarter.

Let's also examine hedge fund activity in other stocks similar to Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc (NYSE:ARE). We will take a look at MPLX LP (NYSE:MPLX), Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE:CCL), Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE), Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO), Orange SA (NYSE:ORAN), Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE:TSN), and AMETEK, Inc. (NYSE:AME). This group of stocks' market valuations resemble ARE's market valuation.

[table] Ticker, No of HFs with positions, Total Value of HF Positions (x1000), Change in HF Position MPLX,8,90948,-3 CCL,36,520667,5 NUE,25,199344,-7 VLO,32,289108,-6 ORAN,3,20523,0 TSN,33,865195,0 AME,38,1320239,0 Average,25,472289,-1.6 [/table]

View table here if you experience formatting issues.

As you can see these stocks had an average of 25 hedge funds with bullish positions and the average amount invested in these stocks was $472 million. That figure was $490 million in ARE's case. AMETEK, Inc. (NYSE:AME) is the most popular stock in this table. On the other hand Orange SA (NYSE:ORAN) is the least popular one with only 3 bullish hedge fund positions. Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc (NYSE:ARE) is not the most popular stock in this group but hedge fund interest is still above average. Our overall hedge fund sentiment score for ARE is 62.8. Stocks with higher number of hedge fund positions relative to other stocks as well as relative to their historical range receive a higher sentiment score. Our calculations showed that top 5 most popular stocks among hedge funds returned 95.8% in 2019 and 2020, and outperformed the S&P 500 ETF (SPY) by 40 percentage points. These stocks gained 31.1% in 2021 through December 9th and still beat the market by 5.1 percentage points. Hedge funds were also right about betting on ARE as the stock returned 10.4% since the end of Q3 (through 12/9) and outperformed the market. Hedge funds were rewarded for their relative bullishness.

Get real-time email alerts: Follow Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc. (NYSE:ARE)

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Disclosure: None. This article was originally published at Insider Monkey.
DETROIT  Nancy Galloway remembers it all. How she stood with her friend Susan Deur for hours in the 35-degree chill before the sun came up outside Pfizer's manufacturing site in Portage, Michigan.

She didn't mind the early hour or how cold it was that December morning a year ago because she was a witness to history.

Galloway's eyes filled with tears as she watched the caravan of semitrucks  led and tailed by unmarked police cars  leave the plant, filled with the promise of the nation's first COVID-19 vaccines amid a pandemic that had killed so many.

"It was surreal. "Still to this day, we talk about how exciting it was," said Galloway, 64, who lives in Plainwell, about 20 minutes north of the Pfizer manufacturing site. "When we first saw those trucks roll out, we were in tears, you know? Crying. It was great."

She was among millions who wept, cheered and prayed one year ago as the first doses of vaccine to slay the coronavirus rolled out of the plant on Dec. 13, 2020, destined for arms and the promise of ending the pandemic.

It was a difficult time in American history. COVID-19 had killed more than 300,000. Hospitals brimming with patients had to turn the sick away. Mortuaries overflowed. Much of the nation was on lockdown, and the outlook for Christmas was bleak.

Susan Deur, left, and Nancy Galloway of Plainwell, Mich., hold up the newspaper clipping from the December 2020 day trucks filled with the nation's first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine rolled out of the manufacturing plant in Portage, Mich.

Then came that remarkable moment of hope, one perhaps unequaled since the polio vaccine was released in 1955.

In just 11 months, a vaccine had been created to fight a newfound human scourge. It was the fastest ever created, beating out the vaccine for mumps, which took four years.

I had tears in my eyes watching the trucks roll, said Dr. Gregory Poland, director of the Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group.

The Trump administration had pulled off what no one thought possible.

Operation Warp Speed was a bold initiative  and it worked, said Poland, editor-in-chief of the journal Vaccine. For 40 years, Ive labored in the trenches of vaccinology. Ive been on every single U.S. vaccine committee there is. I had never seen something like this happen.

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The remarkable $10 billion bet, and the decades of painstaking biomedical research that came before it, paid off.

As of this week, more than 237 million Americans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 60.5% of the population is fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The vaccine has been a gift, said Dr. Warner Greene, a virologist at the Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco.

I do not believe that I'm going to die of this coronavirus. I don't believe my family will die of this coronavirus because they've all been vaccinated, Greene said. That just changes my whole perspective.

The first shots

The first doses arrived on hospital loading docks in the early hours of Monday, Dec. 14. The heavily insulated boxes full of dry ice, about the size of a dorm fridge, were quickly whisked to ultra-cold freezers where the precious vials were stored.

The first formulation of the vaccine had very specific, and finicky, storage requirements. It had to be kept between 76 and 130 degrees below zero, then carefully thawed and diluted. Even the mixing requirements were delicate and precise.

Dry ice is poured into a box containing the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine as it is prepared to be shipped at the Pfizer Global Supply Kalamazoo manufacturing plant in Portage, Mich., Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020.

You couldnt shake it. You just had to gently invert it 10 times, said Dr. Kelly Moore, president of Immunize.org, which educates providers about vaccines.

No one complained. The lifesaving liquid was a shot of hope, in the words of Sandra Lindsay, director of critical care nursing at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York.

Lindsay was likely the first person in the United States to get the newly authorized COVID-19 vaccine.

That morning I woke up early, I just couldn't wait to get on-site where the vaccine was being offered, she said. When that shot, that needle, pierced my arm, I just felt like a boulder just rolled off my shoulders.

Lindsay and her colleagues had been in the trenches for many months, caring for the severely ill with limited treatments and helplessly watching people die, as they tried to stay safe themselves.

The day the vaccine arrived was one of joy.

Some people had moved out of their homes to protect their family. They felt like they could move back in again. We could have a good Christmas. I could hug my kids again," Lindsay said. "I could come into work and not feel that anxiety and fear.

Sandra Lindsay, a nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, is inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine by Dr. Michelle Chester.

In Los Angeles, Dr. Brian Thompson was one of the first on the West Coast to be vaccinated that morning. He felt profoundly honored.

I remember thinking, This is a major point in history to be a part of, said Thompson, an emergency room physician with Kaiser Permanente. The scientific community had created a means to beat a disease that could wipe out a large part of humanity. It was very, very overwhelming.

Even the people giving the shots cried.

Dr. Rebecca Weintraub watched the nurses, physicians and respiratory therapists at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston work night shift after night shift, putting their own lives at risk caring for patients.

It was an absolute privilege as a provider to be able to offer that immunity to my colleagues," recalled Weintraub, who delivered some of the first shots.

A dream realized

For many who work in the field of immunology and infectious diseases, the realization that humanity had a chance against the virus came a few months earlier, when results came in from final-stage clinical trials of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

I remember it was a Sunday night, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease physician.

He got a call from Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer, telling him the trial results were far better than anyone had expected. The vaccine was 95% effective.

Fauci said he knew at that moment it would save millions of people.

It's very difficult to explain the emotion associated with that, he said.

He wasnt the only one astounded by the protection the new vaccine offered.

When Moore first got a look at the Pfizer-BioNTech data, one graph leaped out. It showed two jagged lines snaking across the page. One rose inexorably. The other started flat and stayed flat.

The first line showed people in Pfizers vaccine study whod gotten a placebo. They kept getting COVID-19. The other line, the one that stayed low and flat, showed the people whod been given the actual vaccine. Almost none got sick.

The graph revealed how staggeringly well the vaccine worked. It floored her.

I just kept thinking, This is so much better than we ever dreamed, Moore said. I wanted to either get a poster for my wall or maybe a tattoo!

The day the vaccines were shipped out, the Rev. Arielphilip Flores sat with his two children at bedtime. Together, they offered prayers in Thanksgiving.

After I put them to sleep, I turned on the television and I was watching the trucks roll out and calculating how long it would take to get to Los Angeles, said Flores, a chaplain at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

Arielphilip Flores, a hospital chaplain with UCLA Health in Los Angeles.

The next day when he went into work, he saw rows and rows of chairs full of employees. They'd been there since 6 a.m. waiting for their shots.

As he walked through, several asked him to stop and pray with them, for peace and healing.

That day is etched into my memory," he said. "Im still grateful to God for it.

Lost chances

The joy and rejoicing of those early days of the vaccine rollout stand in stark contrast to the vaccine hesitancy and misinformation that has taken hold among some in the country.

The turn surprised Thompson. As a Black physician, he expected some distrust in his community because of the nations long history of racism in medicine.

I didnt anticipate so many people not of color opposing it on the grounds that its their right as a human being. Why would you want the right to die? It defies logic, he said.

Dr. Brian Thompson, an emergency room physician at Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles gets his second COVID-19 shot. Thompson was one of the first on the West Coast to be immunized with the new vaccine on Dec. 14, 2020.

Physician Paul Offit has spent the pandemic caring for children at Philadelphia Childrens Hospital. He helped create the vaccine against rotavirus, which once killed more than 2,000 children a day around the globe.

It has been a huge disappointment to him that people have died from COVID-19 because they wont get immunized. About 1,200 Americans a day are still dying of COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University, and the death toll was expected to top 800,000 in the coming days.

Working the wards of his hospital at the beginning of this month, Offit said, "Of all the COVID patients we admitted who were 12 and over, not one of them was vaccinated. And their parents werent vaccinated either.

Seeing the needless suffering is just so hard, he said. I always imagined that if there was this sort of pandemic a vaccine would be our ticket out."

The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates if all eligible adults were to have been vaccinated between June and the end of November, more than 163,000 Americans who died of COVID-19 would still be alive.

Denny La Point, 75, lives near Pfizers Michigan plant. He recalls standing outside it with his camera the morning the trucks rolled out with the first doses, eager to document hope on wheels. Two months later, when he was eligible for his first dose, La Point rolled up his sleeve for his first shot of the hometown vaccine at the Kalamazoo County Expo Center.

A #inittogether banner is seen at Pfizer Global Supply in Kalamazoo, Mich., Friday, Dec. 11, 2020.

But the fierce pride many of his neighbors felt for the vaccine has taken a hit these last 12 months. Politics and misinformation have fueled anti-vaccine sentiment, he said, even among his own relatives.

I'm disappointed in the number of people that haven't gotten it, he said. I think they're just prolonging the pandemic.

Galloway, and her friend Deur, are more than ready for it to be over. A year after braving the cold to witness history, they are looking forward to a normal Christmas.

They got their first doses of vaccine at a drive-thru clinic in March at Kalamazoo Central High School and have stayed healthy since.

"We spent last Christmas outside, in my sister's garage. They brought out heaters and stuff," Deur, 63, said. "We're not doing that this year."

Once they were fully vaccinated, Galloway and Deur slowly mustered the courage to do things they hadn't done in a year  dine in restaurants, get together with friends. After getting boosted, Deur let go of pandemic angst.

"I'm actually quite sick of the fear," she said. "I made the conscious decision just after I got the booster that I can't live in fear anymore."

Contributing: Karen Weintraub

Contact Elizabeth Weise at eweise@usatoday.com.

Contact Kristen Shamus: kshamus@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @kristenshamus.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: History made, millions saved: One-year anniversary of COVID-19 vaccine
Dec. 12The messages blow up the Frazers' phones every night.

Ding. "Good morning sister." Ding. A picture of a child sitting in front of a bloody corpse lying in the street. Ding. A video of a man filming himself while he runs for his life from Taliban soldiers.

The notifications carry on until midnight, then pick up again in the morning.

"I wake up knowing that the first thing I'm going to see if I open that message is going to be a dead person," Nicole Frazer said. "So sometimes I open it when I get to work instead of when I roll out of bed."

The messages, sent by Afghans over the encrypted app Signal, have been a constant in Nicole and Scot Frazer's lives since August, when the U.S. withdrew its troops from Afghanistan. Every evening, as the sun rises over the war-torn country 7,000 miles away, a flurry of messages in broken English, often full of fear and despair, pour in and the Frazers answer.

Scot Frazer became friends with Afghan soldiers in 2005 and 2006 when he was serving in Afghanistan. He trained Afghan fighters and turned some into a crisis response team. A few of his men went on to become commandos, part of an elite force of about 22,000 that did much of the fighting against the Taliban in the past decade.

When the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan and the country fell to the Taliban, thousands of commandos were left stranded. Scot Frazer said he believes at least 2,600 commandos are hiding from the Taliban.

In the months leading up to the withdrawal, the Biden administration promised interpreters and other Afghans who had aided U.S. forces that they could come to the United States, but that offer was not officially extended to the Afghan special forces the U.S. government expected to hold off the advancing Taliban fighters. While a historic U.S.-led airlift brought some 100,000 people out of the country, most of the Afghans who got out in the chaotic evacuation were not the former interpreters and other U.S. allies who qualify for the Special Immigrant Visa program.

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The U.S. has broken its promise to get its allies to safety, Scot Frazer and thousands of other veterans say.

Many Afghan commandos and their families are in limbo. Some fled their homes in August and flocked to major cities, hoping to fly out of the country. The Frazers say the commandos find themselves stuck in safehouses, broke, hunted by the Taliban and with little reason to hope they'll escape soon.

With many American veterans accusing the U.S. government of doing relatively little to evacuate allies, the Frazers and other veteran families are conducting an informal sustainment mission.

The Frazers, who live in Spokane Valley, are constantly messaging half a dozen commandos, soldiers and an interpreter, four of whom Scot Frazer knew when he was in Afghanistan. They're giving them updates, trying to keep their spirits up, searching to find them an exit and sending them money so they can feed themselves and their families.

"There's soldiers like myself all over the U.S. that are doing the same thing," Scot Frazer said.

Time isn't on the commandos' side. The longer they sit and wait in Afghanistan, the greater the odds of the Taliban finding them.

"We're fighting a time clock right now that's not good," Scot Frazer said.

Chaos from the start

Scot Frazer landed in Afghanistan in 2005 as an Army administrator, a paper pusher by his own description, and a supply man. A large part of his job was paying Afghan soldiers and making sure they were supplied with whatever they needed to fight, including food, fuel, ammo and truck parts.

Like many veterans of the war in Afghanistan, Frazer said operations on the ground were an utter mess. He said he was specifically frustrated with how little training Afghan soldiers were getting before being sent into battle. They were dying at rates far higher than U.S. troops, and Frazer said it was largely because they lacked the training U.S. soldiers had.

"I started getting pretty irritated with the casualties we were getting," he said. "I had guys that were RPG (rocket propelled grenade) gunners who had never fired an RPG before."

He asked for permission to give Afghan soldiers more training, and got it. Back in America, one of his assignments had been training Army trainers, so even though it wasn't his official job, instruction was part of his skill set.

One day, Frazer was helping a group of Afghan soldiers set up a roadblock. He got called away from the roadblock to attend a meeting.

Soon after leaving the men, he heard a fiasco over the radio. A suicide bomber had driven into the roadblock, killing five soldiers and wounding six. The men were personal friends of his and he was furious. He said their lives could have been saved if they'd been given some simple training.

Frazer asked to have his assignment changed again. He wanted to spend more time with the soldiers at the company level, giving them training when they weren't on missions. His request was granted.

In hindsight, Frazer said it was incredible that his role changed so dramatically.

"I never should have been in the position that I was in," he said.

After about two months of giving the soldiers additional training, Frazer concluded it still wasn't enough. The casualty rates on missions were still too high. He had another idea.

He wanted to create a crisis response team, a small group of elite soldiers that would have the training necessary for missions that called for finesse, not all-out assaults. The crisis response team would be able to operate in close quarters and clear rooms.

They'd be like a U.S. Special Forces unit, albeit with three months' training instead of two years.

Frazer again got permission to put his idea into action. He took 45 volunteers and, with the help of a Green Beret, put them through a grueling hell week. Ultimately 12, plus the battalion commander, made it through the full training.

The crisis response team worked, Frazer said. They captured a bomb maker on their first mission without firing a single shot.

"They flowed like water," he said. "Instead of just pulling up and emptying a magazine, we tiptoed up and evaluated the situation and communicated effectively, and it was off to the races after that."

Frazer taught some of the original team how to train future crisis response teams. After he left the country in 2006, many crisis response team fighters became bodyguards for Afghan military leaders, but others became commandos.

Fifteen years later, many of the men Frazer trained and fought with are dead, but he and his wife are messaging four men he knew when he was in Afghanistan. The Frazers are communicating with half a dozen men over Signal.

The Frazers haven't been able to get any of their friends out of Afghanistan. It's not for lack of trying.

They've reached out to Washington Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, as well as Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, urging the politicians to do something. The Frazers said McMorris Rodgers was kind enough to meet with them, but no conversation they've had with any politicians has brought about results.

At this point, a big part of the Frazers' mission is sending their Afghan friends money so they can at least keep themselves and their families fed. Many commandos can't go outside of their safehouses to work , plus the entire country is experiencing an economic collapse and famine.

The Frazers estimate they've sent about $2,000 to the commandos and others they're talking with in the past few months using Western Union and Moneygram.

"It's all of our disposable income," Scot Frazer said.

The Frazers said multiple Gold Star families, whose sons died in Afghanistan, have also contributed hundreds of dollars.

Kim and Gary Lallier are one of the families that has pitched in. Their son, Army Spc. Jarrod Lallier, died in Afghanistan in 2012 when he was 20, just two years after graduating from Mead High School.

"I want to help, so I'm glad Scot and Nicole are trying to do what they're doing," Kim Lallier said. "The way that that all ended (the U.S. withdrawal) was a real slap in the faces of all of the veterans and the fallen."

Prepare for the worst, hope for the best

The Frazers have day jobs. Scot works in cybersecurity. But their phones keep dinging and buzzing until about midnight, when they go to bed.

They're used to the constant messages by now, but hearing from people who are so distraught is stressful. Nicole Frazer said part of her is glad to hear the notification sounds, because they mean her friends are still alive, but the noise also makes her anxious.

"I'm happy every day I get the messages ... just to know that everybody made it through the day or the night," she said.

Last month, Nicole Frazer got a particularly terrible message from one man.

"He told me he needed to sell his son," Nicole Frazer said. "I thought it was a language issue. Then, when I realized it was true, I sent them money and he did not have to sell his son for food for his wife.

"Now, when I don't respond within a few minutes, he freaks out, so I literally always have my phone with me just in case," she said.

Scot Frazer said, as a veteran, he's almost immune to the grisly pictures and videos the commandos circulate among each other and share with him.

"You can't focus on it, you have to put it behind you," he said. "There's nothing you can do to change it."

He isn't completely numb to the messages, though. The decapitation pictures are hard to see, he said, and he added that he's only been getting three to four hours of sleep a night.

"My brain doesn't stop," he said. "I'm battle planning, trying to fix, fix, fix."

The Frazers said hearing about so much pain and suffering has changed their conversations with American friends.

"It is harder to do some stuff and I feel bad when we go out and have fun because they (the commandos) are stuck in their house," Nicole Frazer said.

Scot Frazer noted he almost feels a sense of disgust when he hears his American friends complain about minor things, like a grocery store being out of 2% chocolate milk.

"I've gotten significantly worse in my lack of empathy for my fellow Americans," Scot Frazer said. "First-world problems are just not my problem right now."

Fortunately, not all of the messages are depressing.

"There are days where it's serious and it is awful," Nicole Frazer said. "And then the next day it's comical and cracks me up."

Scot Frazer grins when he talks about how the men he trained still call him, "Coach," or "Mr. Commander." Nicole Frazer has a longer list of names, some of which are translation misunderstandings or terms of respect: Moon, Sunshine, Aunt Nicole, Ms. Nikolai, Mother and Victorious People  which is roughly what Nicole means in the original Greek.

A few weeks ago, Nicole Frazer got a video message from a family after she'd sent them $100 so they could buy food. The video pans from kid to another.

"Thank you, we love you Ms. Nikolai," one says.

"It's the cutest stinking video," Nicole Frazer said. "They don't know that my name's not Nikolai, and I'm like whatever, it's cool. The other little kid doesn't know that my name's not Mom."

The Frazers hope that all of the commandos, soldiers and the interpreter they're talking with can get out of Afghanistan with their families.

Not all of them have applied for visas  the Frazers say they can focus on that once they've safely left the country  but Scot Frazer said he's confident all of his men will qualify, since their service as U.S. allies was well documented.

Scot Frazer said there's one commando in particular he's focused on getting out of Afghanistan.

The commando, a combat medic with a wife and three kids, was one of Scot Frazer's original 12-man crisis response team. Scot Frazer said the medic could have received a visa to come to the U.S. in 2015 but chose not to, because his medical expertise was so desperately needed in Afghanistan.

Staying in touch with the medic can be nerve-wracking, the Frazers said.

"I've thought (he) was dead twice now," Nicole Frazer said.

The Frazers asked that the medic's name not be used to protect to his identity from the Taliban.

If the medic and his family can make it to the U.S., they'll live with the Frazers. The Frazers say the medic already looks forward to going on walks  "patrolling"  with Kira, the Frazers' 15-year-old dog.

Since the initial exodus a few months ago, the number of Afghans getting out of the country has slowed. The Taliban control the airports and land border crossings.

The Frazers say leaving over land is difficult, not impossible, but they're also aware that the situation might not end well for many commandos.

"We've lost some already, and I hope that we don't lose any more," Scot Frazer said. "But part of my brain knows that we all got to die sometime. I just refuse to accept that (he) will not someday be sitting on my couch."

S-R reporter Orion Donovan-Smith and S-R high school intern Shafiq Moltafet contributed to this story.
Firefighters were dispatched to Camelback Mountain after receiving reports of an injured hiker on Dec. 11, 2021.

A man was rescued Saturday evening at Camelback Mountain after injuring his leg while hiking up the trail, according to the Phoenix Fire Department.

Technical Rescue Teams were dispatched to the Echo Canyon Trailhead near 4925 E. McDonald Drive just before 5:15 p.m., according to Capt. Todd Keller with the fire department.

Crews found a 30-year-old man about three-quarters up the mountain with a lower leg injury from a fall. According to the fire department, the man said he was unable to make his way down the trail, and firefighters determined to use a helicopter to fly him off the mountain.

Once down the trail, the patient was assessed again but he refused to be taken to the hospital, the fire department said.

No further details were available.

Phoenix Technical Rescue Teams staff assess an injured hiker after flying him in a helicopter off Camelback Mountain on Dec. 11, 2021.

Reach breaking news reporter Laura Daniella Sepulveda at lsepulveda@lavozarizona.com or on Twitter @lauradNews.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Man rescued by helicopter at Camelback Mountain
ABU DHABI (Reuters) -Prime Minister Naftali Bennett began the first official visit by an Israeli leader to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, seeking to strengthen Gulf ties at a time of heightened regional tension as world powers try to revive a nuclear deal with Iran.

Bennett, a far-right politician who took office as the head of a broad Israeli coalition government in June, plans to hold talks on Monday with the UAE's de facto leader, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.

The diplomatic outreach comes as world powers negotiate with Iran on salvaging a 2015 nuclear deal opposed by Israel and abandoned in 2018 by then-U.S. President Donald Trump.

Since August 2020, the UAE, followed by Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco, have moved to normalise ties with Israel under a U.S.-sponsored initiative dubbed the "Abraham Accords" after the biblical patriarch revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims.

Bennett's UAE trip is the first by an Israeli premier to any of those countries since the accords.

On arrival in Abu Dhabi after a flight from Tel Aviv, Bennett was welcomed by an honour guard and the UAE's foreign minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed.

"What a wonderful reception. I am very excited to be here on behalf of my people (on the) first official visit of an Israeli leader here," Bennett said. "We are looking forward to strengthening the relationship," he added.

Israel has broached setting up joint defences with Gulf Arab states that share its concern over Iranian activities. Pursuing economic, health and energy ties with its new ally, the UAE has signed dozens of memorandums of understanding with Israel since the Abraham Accords were signed.

Yet the UAE has also reached out to its Iran, sending its senior national security adviser there last Monday to meet his Iranian counterpart and President Ebrahim Raisi.

A flight-tracking app showed Bennett's El Al Israel Airlines plane overflying Saudi Arabia, which does not have formal ties with Israel, en route to Abu Dhabi. Riyadh agreed last year to allow Israel-UAE flights to cross its territory despite the absence of official ties.

The rapprochement in the Gulf has been condemned by Palestinians, whose diplomacy with Israel stalled in 2014.

(Writing by Jeffrey Heller in Jerusalem, Additional reporting by Rami Ayyub, Ali Sawafta, Nidal al-Mughrabi and Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Ari Rabinovitch, Raissa Kasolowsky, Pravin Char and Jane Merriman)
TORONTO (AP)  David Kampf took a lucky carom off the end boards and scored with 1:20 left in the third period to give the Toronto Maple Leafs a 5-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night.

As Chicago goalie Kevin Lankinen went behind his net to stop Morgan Riellys shot into the zone, the puck bounced to Kampf, who scored an easy goal against his former team. Lankinen gave up five goals on 26 shots.

This season, Kampf has four goals and two have been important ones against the Blackhawks. On Oct. 27, he scored the tying goal in a game the Maple Leafs won 3-2 in overtime in Chicago.

It doesnt matter, Kampf replied when asked if scoring against his old team was special. It was a lucky bounce, and I had an open net.

William Nylander had a goal and two assists, John Tavares and Auston Matthews each had a goal and an assist and Pierre Engvall also scored for Toronto, which won for the second time in five games without injured forward Mitch Marner.

Torontos Petr Mrazek made 31 saves in his first start since being sidelined with a groin injury on Oct. 30.

Mrazek stopped a breakaway by Patrick Kane midway through the third period. He attempted to beat Mrazek through his pads.

You dont have time to think about it, Mrazek said of Kanes breakaway. I think I got a piece of it with my stick and then squeezed my pads.

Jonathan Toews, Connor Murphy, Dominik Kubalik and Jake McCabe scored for the Blackhawks.

Blackhawks interim head coach Derek King made his first appearance behind an NHL bench in Toronto. He scored 45 goals in 161 games for the Maple Leafs in the late 1990s. He also spent six seasons as an assistant coach with the AHL Toronto Marlies before moving to the Blackhawks organization.

The Maple Leafs blew a 4-1 lead and fired only three shots on goal in the middle 20 minutes. Chicago cut into the lead near the end of the second period. Then Kubalik scored early in the third period, and McCabe scored on drive with 9:18 remaining in regulation time.

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I think we just lost track of our process, the way we want to play, said Nylander.

I think we started to give pucks away and werent able to get pucks deep and play behind their goal line, which is what led to the game opening up like that.

Marner (shoulder), Jason Spezza (suspension), Travis Dermott (shoulder) and Rasmus Sandin (knee) missed the victory for Toronto.

Chicago grabbed an early 1-0 lead when Maple Leafs rookie defenseman Kristians Rubins got caught and his teammates were slow to cover for him. The result was Toews scoring his second of the season off the rush. It took him 26 games to score his first goal of the campaign in Montreal on Thursday after missing the entire 2020-21 season with chronic immune response syndrome.

The Maple Leafs then struck for three goals, two on the power play, to earn a 3-1 lead after the first period.

Tavares scored on a soft wrist shot Lankinen misplayed on the power play. Nylander went unchecked by Blackhawks center Kirby Dach and knocked in a pass from behind the goal line from Tavares.

Matthews deposited a pass from Ondrej Kase on the power play to make it 3-1. After his two-goal outing against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, Kase was elevated to the right side of Matthews on the top line.

The fourth line increased Torontos lead to 4-1 early in the second period on a wrist shot from Engvall. Rookie Alex Steeves picked up the second assist on the goal for his first career point in his third game.

Chicago's Murphy scored on a wrist shot off Mrazek, 10 seconds after an interference penalty to Torontos Michael Bunting had expired.

Early in the third period, Chicago forward Philipp Kurashev outraced two Toronto defenders to slap the puck to a wide-open Kubalik to pull the Blackhawks to within 4-3.

Its the same story that its been here with just too many chances against, Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe said. Too many freebies, too many guys behind us, same issues that were hurting us when we werent winning games early in the season.

The fact that we won tonight is a good thing, fortunate to get a little bit of a bounce there, but to me, we won the game on special teams and goaltending, but got outplayed pretty badly at five-on-five.

UP NEXT

Blackhawks: Host Calgary on Monday in the first of a three-game homestand.

Maple Leafs: At Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday in opener of a four-game trip.

___

More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
The Daily Beast

NH AGThe father of Harmony Montgomery, a 7-year-old who was reported missing two years after she was last seen in New Hampshire, has been arrested in the latest twist in the investigation. Adam Montgomery, 31, was booked Tuesday evening on an array of charges, including felony second-degree assault in connection with 2019 conduct against his daughter, Harmony, the New Hampshire Attorney Generals Office said. Prosecutors have also charged Montgomery with one misdemeanor charge of interference wi
Local police departments are asking for the community's help locating a teenager last seen Friday.

Jude Sumner, 14, was last seen in the 3000 block of Eagle Pass, according to Audubon Park Police and Louisville Metro Police. Sumner, who is white, is about 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs 115 pounds.

Anyone who sees him or how has information is asked to call LMPD at 502-574-5673 or 911.

More headlines: Kentucky reacts to devastation after overnight tornadoes rip through commonwealth

Mary Ramsey is a breaking news reporter for The Courier Journal. Reach her at mramsey@gannett.com, and follow her on Twitter @mcolleen1996. Support strong local journalism in our community by subscribing to The Courier Journal today.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville missing persons: 14-year-old Jude Sumner last seen Dec. 10
Lucy the Elephant open for tours during the holidays

Tours of Lucy the Elephant will be permitted to resume for a short period of time due to construction material delivery delays. Tours will begin at 11 a.m. Dec. 15 and continue daily through Jan. 2, except no tours on Christmas Day or New Years Day. Hours are from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends, except 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 2.

Lucy has been closed for tours since Sept. 20 to allow for a complete replacement of her exterior metal skin. The Worlds Largest Elephant has been hidden inside plastic covered scaffolding. We are thrilled to be able to offer tours inside Lucy for the holidays and give our visitors a chance to see the $2 million restoration up close said Richard Helfant, chief executive officer of the Save Lucy Committee.

Permission to allow tours had to be given by general contractor, Merrell and Garaguso of Swedesboro. We discussed this with our people and took the necessary steps to make it happen said Michael Garaguso, president of the firm. We also took the additional step of bringing in a safety compliance company to ensure visitors and staff would have a safe and enjoyable experience. We all love Lucy and are happy that we are able to allow these limited time tours. Access to Lucy will be through the gift shop. No one will be permitted in the park or on Lucys howdah riding carriage on her back during this period.

Also, the gift shop will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 21, Presidents Day.

For information, visit lucytheelephant.org.

Ava Blando, a junior at Robbinsville High School, and the artistic activism coordinator for New Jersey Student Sustainability Coalition, served as the master of ceremonies for the virtual awards ceremony honoring six teams from South Jersey who were the winners of the New Jersey Student Climate Challenge.

Sovereign Avenue School students take top honors in New Jersey Student Climate Challenge

The Plastic Free AC Team from Sovereign Avenue School in the Atlantic City School District was among the teams honored by Atlantic City Electric, Exelon, the Drumthwacket Foundation and Sustainable Jersey their New Jersey Student Climate Challenge action projects, which offer local solutions to the issue of climate change.

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As part of the inaugural year of program, local student teams were tasked with developing and executing a school or community-based climate action project and creating a digital story/video to accompany the project. Student team winners and their teacher mentors were recognized at a virtual awards ceremony hosted by the Drumthwacket Foundation with New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy.

This generation of students will feel the impact of climate change more than any other and they understand the critical need for innovative climate action, said First Lady Tammy Murphy. The creativity, passion and advocacy displayed by our students through their projects fills me with hope for the future and certainty that New Jerseys youth will be the future leaders of the climate movement for our nation and the world.

The New Jersey Student Climate Challenge is a pilot program, funded by Atlantic City Electric and its parent company, Exelon, that was created to foster the growing role young people are playing in addressing climate change. The initiative builds on New Jerseys efforts to increase climate literacy among young people across the state, including its first-in-the-nation effort to incorporate climate change education across all Kindergarten through 12th grade state academic standards.

The students participating and receiving grants represent the best of the best across South Jersey and demonstrate a bright future for the next generation that will shape our continued efforts to combat the climate crisis, said Melissa Lavinson, senior vice president of Federal Governmental and Regulatory Affairs and Public Policy for Exelon Utility, which includes Atlantic City Electric. Climate Change continues to impact our communities. From the recent EF3 tornado in Gloucester County to more severe thunderstorms and hurricanes, programs like the New Jersey Student Climate Challenge have never been more important in helping to raise awareness of the need to act and respond.

The Drumthwacket Foundation worked with Sustainable Jersey, the program facilitator, to use a $500,000 grant, provided by Atlantic City Electric and Exelon, to develop the contest. During the inaugural year, the pilot program provided support and recognition to teams of students from public middle and high schools in Atlantic City Electrics service area.

Winners were selected by a panel of judges that included educators and representatives from local non-profits, state agencies and the partner organizations. Winning schools receive a grant to support their climate education initiatives.

This years NJ Student Climate Challenge is now open to New Jersey public schools and students in grades six to 12 across the state. Middle and high school students are encouraged to identify and complete a school or community project to address a cause or impact of climate change. The students then create a short digital story video to highlight what they accomplished.

To support and inspire student action, educational sessions are offered. The sessions spotlight local impacts of climate change and strategies to address them, as well as success stories about what students are already accomplishing. Students participate through their respective schools.

There is no cost to schools or students to participate.

Entry deadline is April 1.

For information, visit bit.ly/NJStudentClimateChallenge.

Stockton Assistant Professor of Environmental Science Aaron Stoler (left) and research assistant Ryan Hegarty install tubing to expand the number of red maple trees being tapped at Stockton University to 400.

Stockton Gets $500,000 USDA Grant to Expand Maple Syrup Production Project

GALLOWAY - The Maple Grant project at Stockton University was awarded a second grant of nearly $500,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expand maple syrup production in the region.

In 2020, Stockton received a grant from the USDA to promote maple sugaring research and outreach. Both grants are being paid out during a three-year period.

The second grant is earmarked for production hubs in South Jersey counties and Philadelphia. Each hub will receive equipment to collect sap and produce maple syrup, as well as consulting to set up their operation. In exchange, hub owners agree to tap trees on their property and receive syrup from local community members.

The second grant is about getting the industry started. This requires two things: People who are excited to produce syrup and a community that is excited to taste and buy the syrup. We need what Vermont has, said Aaron Stoler, a Stockton University assistant professor of environmental science who is leading the grant team.

Last year, 90 red maple trees were tapped on the Stockton campus and in backyards throughout the region. The community connected with nature, spent time outside and made syrup.

The first grant was about building engagement and excitement and developing a sugarbush on campus to show people a Vermont-style sugarbush in southern New Jersey, Stoler said.

This year, a two-mile web of blue tubing weaves about 400 red maples trees into a network that feeds into a collection tank and quadruples the size of the sugarbush from last year.

The trees translate into the potential to harvest 4,000 gallons of sap that can be boiled down into 60-80 gallons of syrup.

About 12 students will be working at Stocktons sugarbush this season, and production will be managed by the grants research assistant, Ryan Hegarty.

Its been a lot of hard work and long hours in the forest this fall to expand our sugarbush to 400 trees for this tapping season. I have enjoyed nearly every second of it because it is so peaceful and quiet working in the forest, said Hegarty, who graduated with an environmental science degree this year.

The syrup produced on Stocktons campus is not for sale, yet.

Researchers are investigating optimal collection and production methods, and all produced syrup will be donated. However, in 2023, maple syrup will be available for purchase to sustain Stocktons hub by funding repairs and employing students who will get hands-on experience.

For information, visit Stockton.edu.

Stockton University is offering a special summer tuition and housing package for students who want to live, learn and earn at the Jersey shore this summer.

Stockton offers summer live, learn and earn package at Atlantic City campus

Stockton University is offering a special summer tuition and housing package for students who want to live, learn and earn at the Jersey shore this summer.

Stockton will offer a 20 percent discount on undergraduate tuition and fees during the 2022 summer sessions for students who live in the Stockton Atlantic City Residential Complex for the summer.

The Board of Trustees approved the discount at the Dec. 8 meeting.

The goal is to give college students the opportunity to live and work in the Atlantic City area during the summer while also continuing their education.

There are many summer job and internship opportunities for college students at the shore, but the cost of housing in the summer can be prohibitive, said Stockton Director of Residential Life Steven Radwanski. This option gives students the chance to live on the Boardwalk in a safe and secure facility at a reasonable rate.

The Stockton Atlantic City Residential Complex, located at Albany Avenue and the Boardwalk, opened in fall 2018 and can house more than 530 students. There is security on site and swipe-card access for students.

Summer housing begins May 16 and runs through Aug. 15. The cost is $30 per day for Stockton students, and $40 per day for non-Stockton students. Stockton academic-year residential students may also opt-in to a 12-month contract for summer for a rate of $1,913.

More than 375 courses are being offered during the summer, with more than 250 offered online. With the 20 percent discount, undergraduate in-state students would pay $357.45 per credit, or $1,430 per four-credit course, a savings of $357. The rate for undergraduate out-of-state students is $528.86 per credit or $2,115 per course.

Registration for summer courses opens on Jan. 4. There are three summer sessions starting in May and June and lasting either six or 10 weeks, plus 12-week internship and independent study programs.

For information, visit stockton.edu/summer.

Protect your health with free vaccinations

The Atlantic County Division of Public Health reminds residents about the availability of free vaccinations at its weekly clinics, including flu shots and the choice of the Johnson & Johnson or Moderna COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters.

Residents age 18 and older may obtain vaccinations and/or boosters from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday through Thursday at 201 S. Shore Road in Northfield, and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday at 310 Bellevue Ave., in Hammonton. Identification and insurance cards are not required, but vaccination cards should be presented.

COVID-19 boosters provide a boost of protection as vaccine efficacy can decrease with time, thereby reducing the amount of protection against the virus.

Boosters are available to all adults who received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine two or more months ago and those who completed the two-dose Moderna or Pfizer vaccine six or more months ago. Residents may mix or match the booster vaccines according to current Centers for Disease Control guidelines. They may prefer the vaccine type they originally received or may choose to get a different booster.

The Division of Public Health also provides first and second doses of Moderna vaccines or one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine for age 18 and older.

For those who are 65 years and older and immunocompromised, a third dose of Moderna vaccine is available four weeks after completion of the primary two-dose regimen.

Clinics are available on a walk-in basis without an appointment.

Face masks are required for entrance.

For information, call (609) 645-5933.

COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are also available at pharmacies, pop-up clinics, through health care providers and more. To find a location, visit https://covid19.nj.gov/pages/finder.

American Red Cross announces area blood drives

The American Red Cross Penn-Jersey Blood Services Region has issued an appeal for blood donors. All blood types are needed, but especially O positive, O negative, B negative and A negative in order to meet patient demand and prevent a blood shortage.

The following blood drives are scheduled in Atlantic County:

11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 16, Fusion Church, 6300 E. Black Horse Pike, Egg Harbor Township.

2 to 7 p.m. Dec. 17, Presbyterian Church, 6001 Main St., Mays Landing.

1:30 to 6:30 p.m. Dec. 20, Pleasantville Recreation Center, 411 Brighton Ave., Pleasantville.

7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 22, VFW Post 2189, 500 Bethel Road, Somers Point.

1 to 6 p.m. Dec. 22, American Legion Post No. 28, 560 Jersey Ave., Absecon.

1 to 6 p.m. Dec. 23, Congregation Beth Israel, 2501 Shore Road, Northfield.

8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 26, AtlantiCare Life Center, 2500 English Creek Ave., Egg Harbor Township.

To make an appointment, call (800) GIVE-LIFE or visit www.redcrossblood.org.

Send community news and event items to lvoit@gannett.com. Help support local journalism with a subscription to The Daily Journal/Courier Post/Burlington County Times.

This article originally appeared on Vineland Daily Journal: Lucy the Elephant open for holiday tours
FARMINGTON  Nikunj Bhatt is a physician, but he also is a commander in the U.S. Navy. So it seems only logical that he processes many of his experiences from a military perspective and frames them in those terms.

When it comes to describing the medical community's sense of urgency related to the effort to limit the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate its more severe effects, he offered the following assessment.

"In some ways, this is our World War II," he said.

Bhatt is one of several members of a Naval Medical Readiness Training Command team from San Diego that was deployed to the San Juan Regional Medical Center on Dec. 3.

Their 30-day mission is to assist the hospital's staff in managing its unprecedented COVID-19 caseload. He and three other members of the team sat down with The Daily Times on Dec. 11 to discuss their experiences here and how their assignment has affected them.

Bhatt's description of the overall fight against the spread of the disease as comparable to a generation-defining global challenge perhaps belies a growing consensus that the battle against COVID-19 will not end anytime soon.

As the pandemic approaches its second anniversary early next year with no end in sight, Bhatt said that even though the setting may have changed for members of his team with this deployment, the objective remains the same.

Hospital Corpsman Second Class Jessika Gomez, left, Hospital Corpsman Second Class Brian Rice, Cmdr. Nikunj Bhatt and Lt. Bob Geis of the Naval Medical Readiness Training Command team out of San Diego converse in the garden at San Juan Regional Medical Center on Dec. 11.

"We've been battling this throughout the world in multiple locations," he said of teams like his.

Bhatt noted that the environment in Farmington may not be the same as it is at his team's home institution, but adjusting to those kinds of differences comes with the job. Learning to develop flexibility and coping skills is one of the best things about being in this position, he said.

"It's been a powerful experience and a very rewarding experience," he said. "  All of us have volunteered with the expectations that we will be doing these kinds of missions."

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He said that as his team gains experience, it will be even better prepared to handle emergencies like this in the future.

"It's about optimizing what we can do to support and help the hospital care for their patients," he said.

Hospital Corpsman Second Glass Jessika Gomez, a respiratory therapist, said her work with the team has been a great opportunity for professional development early in her career.

Hospital Corpsman Jessika Gomez and Hospital Corpsman Second Class Brian Rice are both respiratory therapists attached to the Naval Medical Readiness Training Command team from San Diego that has been deployed this month to the San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farrmington.

"This is a huge skill builder for a lot of us in terms of being malleable and being able to mobilize quickly," she said. "That experience helps us grow in our knowledge and our assessments.  Sharing that knowledge and integrating that into our own practices is win-win for everyone."

Hospital Corpsman Second Class Brian Rice, another respiratory therapist, said he only recently completed his training. He believes the work he is doing here will pay significant dividends for him down the line.

"I'm seeing more patients than I've ever seen," he said. "That's going to make me better prepared."

Lt. Bob Geis, an internal medicine physician, said responding to the challenge of a situation like the one being faced by the San Juan Regional Medical Center is just the kind of thing his team was designed to handle.

"This is right in our wheelhouse," he said.

This deployment has been very smooth so far, Geis and Bhatt said, lauding the professionalism and welcoming nature of the hospital administration and staff. Bhatt said the members of his team were seeing patients within 24 hours of arriving at the hospital.

More: Federal medical team leader touts positive experience in San Juan County after recent deployment

That short time frame stands in contrast to the experience of other teams in other locations, he said, where it sometimes can take a couple of days just to iron out the differences in procedures, expectations and responsibilities between the hospital staff and the military or federal teams that have been deployed to augment their efforts.

Geis said his team's integration into the hospital's work flow here has been expedited and that its members have been made to feel appreciated by the community.

Cmdr. Nikunj Bhatt, left, and Lt. Bob Geis of the Naval Medical Readiness Training Command team out of San Diego both say their experience at the San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington has been made easier by the professionalism of hospital officials and staff members.

That kind of reception makes a difference, Bhatt said, explaining that the members of his team are here for a minimum of 30 days and could be deployed at the hospital even longer if civilian authorities request that their stay be extended. Either way, that means he and his associates will be away from their families during the holidays, he said.

Gomez said she is sorry she won't have the chance to spend Christmas with her 1-year-old son because of her deployment here. But she said she understands the value of the work she is doing because her father died of COVID-19 early in the pandemic.

"I was so thankful to his health care team, and I want to give back," she said.

More: San Juan County COVID-19 vaccine tracker: 57% of people fully vaccinated

In some ways, her work has been a tonic for her as she deals with her grief, she said.

"It was a little bit tough at first," she said. "But as I learn more, it really has become therapeutic in a way. Knowing I'm working alongside such good people who are teaching us a ton, it's been a good experience."

Bhatt encouraged people who are not part of the medical profession to do their part by getting vaccinated, thus limiting the spread of the virus and helping reduce the demands on a severely taxed health care system.

"A lot of people can't get preventative care (for other issues) because the system is overloaded," he said.

More: San Juan County sets new COVID-19 case count in November, beating last December

He said while the virus clearly doesn't care about the politics of the folks it afflicts, it increasingly has become a pandemic of the unvaccinated. Addressing those who have chosen not to get vaccinated, he said, "Being a part of a community and being Americans, we can do our part to help fight this disease."

Geis said taking that kind of action benefits everyone.

"If you can prevent yourself from going to the hospital, that opens up the hospital for other patients," he said.

Mike Easterling can be reached at 505-564-4610 or measterling@daily-times.com. Support local journalism with a digital subscription.

This article originally appeared on Farmington Daily Times: Navy medical team sent to Farmington assists with COVID-19 case surge
While Afghanistan has long been linked with heroin, in recent years meth production has also boomed

Heaped in plastic bags in a small room in rural southern Afghanistan, the white crystals glisten.

They are "export quality" methamphetamine, and will be trafficked to countries as far away as Australia. Once there, the 100kg (220lb) stored in this room will have a street value of around 2m ($2.6m).

Outside, smoke billows from two barrels where new batches of meth are being cooked.

Drugs are big business in Afghanistan, and under the Taliban, trade is booming. The country has long been linked with heroin, but in recent years, it has also emerged as a significant producer of crystal meth - another dangerously addictive drug.

One source involved in the trade says that about 3,000kg of crystal meth are now manufactured every day by more than 500 makeshift "factories" in a single remote drug-producing district in the south-west of the country.

The rise of meth has been fuelled by a discovery that ephedra - a common, wild herb known locally as "oman" - can be used to make one of the drug's key ingredients: ephedrine.

At a bazaar deep in the desert that serves as the central node of Afghanistan's meth trade, there are huge mounds of the plant on sale, on a scale not previously seen before.

Previously, the Taliban were understood to charge tax on ephedra. But recently, they have announced a ban on its cultivation, in a decree that was not widely publicised.

For the moment though, they're continuing to allow the meth labs to function. One Afghan involved in the trade told us with a wide grin that the ban on ephedra had simply caused the wholesale price of meth to double overnight, while there were still warehouses full of supplies of the plant to use for future production.

Dr David Mansfield is a leading expert on Afghanistan's drug trade who has tracked the growth in meth production with the help of satellite imagery identifying labs involved in the process.

He says the ban on ephedra comes at a time of the year when the crop has already been collected, "so the true impact will not even be felt until July next year when the ephedra harvest is due".

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For the moment, the Taliban are continuing to allow meth labs to function

Dr Mansfield believes the amount of meth being produced in Afghanistan could outweigh the amount of the country's other more established drug, heroin.

Opium harvested from the country's poppy fields is already estimated to be the source of about 80% of the world's supply, and it too appears to be booming.

In recent weeks, farmers across Afghanistan have been busy preparing their fields and planting opium seeds. "We know it's harmful," says Mohammad Ghani, while raking the earth outside the city of Kandahar, "but nothing else we grow makes any money."

Afghanistan's economy is collapsing following the withdrawal of international support in response to the Taliban takeover earlier this year, and for many farmers, opium seems like the safest option. Decreasing water levels, exacerbated by drought, are also forcing their hands, they say.

"We have to drill wells, and if we grow okra or tomatoes, we won't even make half of what the wells cost us," says Mr Ghani.

Speculation the Taliban might eventually ban opium cultivation has led to a rise in prices, which in turn, according to farmers, is encouraging them to plant more of it.

For now, the trade is flourishing. Opium dealers, who used to pay off corrupt government officials and sell bags of the thick black paste in secret, have now set up stalls in markets.

"Since the Taliban liberated the country, we have become totally free," one wholesaler says, with a smile.

The Taliban, however, are still sensitive about the trade. In Helmand province, they prevented the BBC from filming a large and notorious opium bazaar, describing it as a "restricted area".

"We know it's (opium's) harmful... but nothing else we grow makes any money.", Source: Mohammad Ghani, Source description: Opium farmer, Image: Mohammad Ghani

When pressed on whether the ban on media coverage was rooted in allegations some Taliban members were profiting from the trade, Hafiz Rashid, the head of the provincial cultural commission abruptly ended an interview and threatened to smash a camera unless the footage was deleted.

In neighbouring Kandahar, we were initially given permission to film an opium bazaar, but on arrival told it would not be possible.

Bilal Karimi, a Taliban spokesman in Kabul, told the BBC the group was "trying to find alternatives" for farmers. "We can't take this away from people without offering them something else," he said.

During the group's first stint in power, they did eventually ban opium. During their insurgency, however, taxes on it became a source of revenue, though in public they refute that.

Scales and bags of opium can be seen at a market in Kandahar, Afghanistan

Some traders say that if the Taliban want to, they will be able to effectively enforce a ban on the drug again. Others are sceptical.

"They've achieved what they have thanks to opium," one farmer says, indignantly. "None of us will let them ban opium unless the international community helps the Afghan people. Otherwise we'll go hungry and won't be able to look after our families."

Dr Mansfield warns that increases in costs of food and agricultural products linked to the economic crisis will lead farmers and lab owners to ramp up the volume of trade, "just to maintain their income".

In parts of Afghanistan, the drug industry is deeply enmeshed in the local economy.

Gandum Rez, a remote cluster of villages in Helmand, is only reachable by a dusty gravel track. But it's at the centre of the global heroin trade.

As well as a large number of market stalls devoted to the sale of opium, it's home to factories, employing 60-70 people each, which process it into heroin. The drug is smuggled into Pakistan and Iran, and then westwards to the rest of the world, including Europe.

According to one local source, a kilogram of heroin for export sells at around 210,000 Pakistani rupees (900; $1,190).

A former drug trafficker in the UK told the BBC that by the time a kilogram reached Britain and had been cut with various mixing agents, it would have a street value of around $66,000.

Most of that profit is made by those transporting the drugs internationally, but the Taliban do levy taxes on producers.

According to Dr Mansfield, the amounts earned by the group from drugs are often overstated, and less significant than other sources of revenue. But he estimates that in 2020, they received around $35m from taxes on drug production - money that they need.

"The first time the Taliban came to power, it took them six years before they actually enforced a ban on drugs and that was just opium at the time," he says.

To do so now, given the state of the Afghan economy, Dr Mansfield says, would be seen as punishing a constituency that has previously given the Taliban "succour and support".

Taliban spokesman Bilal Karimi told the BBC that eradicating drug production would help both Afghanistan and the international community, "so the world should help too".

Drug users gather on the side of the road in the capital, Kabul

The country's drug trade doesn't solely revolve around exports. It has also had a devastating impact on the Afghan population, in which high levels of addiction are seen.

By the side of a busy road on the outskirts of the capital Kabul, a few hundred men are huddled together in small groups, smoking crystal meth and heroin.

"Now the drugs are made in Afghanistan, they're much less expensive," says one man, "before they used to come from Iran. A gram of meth was 1,500 Afghani ($15), now it's 30 to 40 Afghani ($0.31 to $0.41)."

Conditions are squalid, with some living inside sewage ditches. "Even a dog wouldn't live the way we do here," says another man.

The Taliban often roughly round them up and take them to under-resourced rehab centres, they say, but most end up straight back here.

For now, more drugs look set to hit the streets both in Afghanistan and abroad.

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It was a little rude, a little disrespectful. But I let it slide because its Paul Rudd, so. said the 34-year-old actor

Michael B. Jordan has been dethroned as PEOPLEs Sexiest Man Alive, a title that the actor perhaps wasnt ready to give away just yet.

After actor and fellow Marvel Cinematic Universe alumnus Paul Rudd was named the 36th Sexiest Man Alive in November, Jordan, appeared on Live with Kelly and Ryan and joked that the experience was a reminder of how quickly the world moves on.

I mean, they just throw you out. Like, two weeks ago I was all the rave and now Im just former Sexiest Man Alive,' the 34-year-old told hosts Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK  DECEMBER 09: Michael B. Jordan attends the world premiere of A Journal For Jordan at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on December 09, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Sony Pictures)

The A Journal For Jordan actor said he received no warning prior to the announcement and recalled arising one morning to learn the news along with the rest of the world.

Actually, I just woke up to the news. They didnt give you a heads up, no. It was a little rude, a little disrespectful. But I let it slide because its Paul Rudd, so.

You know what Im gonna do? Ripa responded, Im gonna send PEOPLE a strongly worded letter. Through laughs, Jordan said, Thank you!

Reflecting further on his year-long reign, Jordan explained the Sexiest Man Alive title was both a gift and a curse.

To all my friends its just a target on your back, you know? The group chats, I mean, all the memes and the GIFs  they just have a ball with just giving me crap, he said.

Rudd, 52, told PEOPLE he was also the recipient of so much grief from his close friends.

As they should. I would, the Ghostbusters: Afterlife star said. I mean Im going to lean into it hard. Im going to own this. Im not going to try to be like Oh, Im so modest. Im getting business cards made. But all of my friends will destroy me and I expect them to. And thats why theyre my friends.

Im hoping now that Ill finally be invited to some of those sexy dinners with Clooney and Pitt and B. Jordan, Rudd added. And I figure Ill be on a lot more yachts. Im excited to expand my yachting life. And Ill probably try to get better at brooding in really soft light. I like to ponder. I think this is going to help me become more inward and mysterious. And Im looking forward to that.

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A Journal for Jordan, directed by Denzel Washington, is based on Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Dana Canedys life. The movie will focus on Canedys love affair with First Sergeant Charles Monroe King, portrayed by Jordan, according to Variety.

Virgil Williams, an Oscar-nominated screenwriter, penned the script. Jordan will produce the film through his Outlier Society production company along with Washington. Escape Artists Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, and Steve Tisch are also set to produce.

theGrios Brianna Rhodes contributed to this report.

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The post Michael B. Jordan reacts to PEOPLE transferring Sexiest Man Alive honors to Paul Rudd appeared first on TheGrio.
Amara Schulte, 2, with her mom Kristin Schulte, visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus as portrayed by Barney and Eileen Combs on Saturday at Cooper's Landing. The Combses volunteer with Missouri River Relief, of which Kristin Schulte is the nonprofit's education director, and had arranged a fundraiser for the nonprofit.

A couple of special visitors were seen Saturday at Cooper's Landing  Santa and Mrs. Claus.

They were there to not only greet guests but teach them how to be stewards of the Missouri River.

But it wasn't the real Santa and Mrs. Claus. They're still at the North Pole preparing for Christmas. It was two of Santa and Mrs. Claus' many helpers  Barney and Eileen Combs.

"We have been busy getting things ready and it is quite an undertaking," Barney Combs said this week.

The couple moved to Columbia a few years ago to be closer to family and are volunteers with Missouri River Relief.

They held the peer-to-peer fundraiser for the nonprofit Saturday with a goal to raise $5,000, as part of the CoMoGives campaign going on through the rest of this month.

Giving Tuesday: How CoMoGives campaign will support nearly 150 central Missouri nonprofits

Depending on how this fundraiser goes for Missouri River Relief, it could be a lot of fun to do it next year, Combs said.

The Combses do quite a bit for Missouri River Relief, said Lisa Cole, development manager. Cole's role is to work with individuals, groups and businesses who want to support the work of Missouri River Relief.

The Santa at the River idea the Combses had was fabulous, Cole said, adding they have "astounding involvement" with the nonprofit.

Santa and Mrs. Claus, as portrayed by Barney and Eileen Combs, held a fundraiser Saturday at Cooper's Landing in support of Missouri River Relief as part of the CoMoGives Campaign. They are joined by their elves, grandchildren Wyatt and Lucas.

To have a family and youth-focused event is important to the mission of Missouri River Relief, Cole said.

"It inspires (youth) to want to take care of the river. It is really valuable to have family opportunities," she said.

Something new for Missouri River Relief

The Santa at the River event is something new for Barney Combs and Missouri River Relief. He has portrayed Santa Claus before, but not for the nonprofit.

"I believe it was 2019, they had a thing called Cookies with Santa with (Columbia Parks and Recreation)," Combs said. "My wife and I thought it was so cool to have all these children come up wide-eyed and seeing Santa Claus."

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More: Missouri River Relief celebrates 20 years of connecting people to the Big Muddy

That event was canceled the last couple of years because of the COVD-19 pandemic. So the couple wanted to create an event by connecting the Missouri River and Santa Claus.

"We thought that would be a great thing. It is outdoors and outdoors seems to be a fairly safe place," Combs said this week. "It just seemed like a good chance to get people out to (Cooper's Landing) to see the river and also to see Santa Claus."

The event took place from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

John Brady, fleet manager for Missouri River Relief, chats with guests at the Santa at the River event Saturday organized by Eileen and Barney Combs. The fundraiser was a peer-to-peer fundraiser for Missouri River Relief as part of the CoMoGives campaign.

The Combses took donations from guests to be able to see and take photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus. There also was an informational booth about Missouri River Relief.

"Some of the trash we have taken out will be there, so they can see some of the oddities we have removed from the river and how it got there," Combs said this week. "... I think if people see what the river is like and see the amount of plastic pollution, they would think twice about what we need to be doing as a nation to be handling pollution.

"It's really quite amazing when you see how much trash there really is and that is where we get our drinking water from."

More: YouthBuild becomes steward of Missouri River with clean-up project

Children attending could create holiday cards, and if they chose, could leave them to be distributed at assisted living and nursing facilities for older residents who may not receive cards at the holidays, Combs said.

"We hope it (was) a real festive event that people could see Santa and, as a backdrop, could see the Missouri River and how beautiful it is to see it up close and personal," he said.

Cookies and hot chocolate were served, along with allergy-friendly options.

Getting connected to Missouri River Relief

When Barney and Eileen Combs moved to Columbia a few years ago, they were looking for volunteer opportunities, Barney Combs said. Their son, Dave, directed them toward Missouri River Relief.

Barney Combs is a longtime volunteer. He had lived in St. Louis before moving to Columbia. When in the St. Louis area, he was a historical interpreter portraying Daniel Boone at the home in Defiance.

"I knew something about the river and I knew how Daniel Boone was connected to the river, but for most people like myself seeing the river was probably from a bridge, driving over it in a car," he said.

More: Missouri River Relief goes virtual with annual fourth-grade field trips

Once involved with Missouri River Relief, he saw how much of a resource it is for the state and the country. The river is an important environmental cause to help preserve because so many people rely on it for drinking water, he said.

"We are crew members for Missouri River Relief," Combs said. "We have been involved in cleanups. We really like Missouri River Days, which (the nonprofit) has not had the past couple of years because of COVID."

Benny Baker, 3, and mom, Amy Baker, enjoy some hot chocolate Saturday at Cooper's Landing as part of the Santa at the River event organized by Eileen and Barney Combs, volunteers with Missouri River Relief. The Combses created the event as a fundraiser for the nonprofit.

The organization still has been able to hold a variety of events, both virtual and in-person.

The Missouri River Days is a field trip for Columbia fourth-graders to visit the river, Combs said. A virtual version was developed for last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, including a YouTube video and teacher guide.

"They (would) get a boat ride and an expert on the river to explain how it operates. It's basically sand dunes that shift all over the place," Combs said.

More: Rivermiles passes paddle of MR340 race to Missouri River Relief

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Santa and Mrs. Claus help raise funds for Missouri River Relief
Authorities have identified the victim of a murder-suicide that occurred on Thanksgiving Day.

Mayra Uriarte, 36, was shot and killed by the father of her child, Hector Manuel Altamirano Martinez, 37, according to the Santa Barbara Sheriffs Office. The suspect then turned the gun on himself.

Authorities say Martinez was from Mexico.

According to a GoFundMe page created to raise funds for Uriartes funeral, the couple had been previously married.

We unfortunately lost a daughter, sister, and mother of three, said the fundraisers creator, Cristina Ayala-Arriaga. We lost her unexpectedly on Thanksgiving Day through a very tragic event  she was a victim of a murder-suicide at the hands of her ex-husband.

Uriarte, who is from West Valley City, Utah, was described as a very strong, independent, single mother raising her three young daughters.

Detectives responded to the Best Western Motel at approximately 11:10 a.m. on Nov. 25 in Goleta, California, according to the sheriffs office's original release. Upon arrival, deputies found the couple suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.

Both parties were transported to area hospitals. Martinez was pronounced dead at 11:44 a.m., while Uriarte died at 3:40 p.m., according to the sheriffs office. Both died of single gunshot wounds.

Detectives with the sheriffs office say there are no other suspects in their investigation.

My heart is devastated, my daughters life was taken, Uriartes mother wrote in Spanish on Facebook. Now you are with God, beautiful daughter, I will never forget you, and I will always have you in my heart. I love you very much, daughter.

The victims family, Best Western, and Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Office did not immediately respond to requests made by Oxygen.com.

Video: Long Island woman saved neighbor's family from fire
By Frank Jack Daniel and Drazen Jorgic

(Reuters) - A creeping barrage of U.S. sanctions on top Central American officials has made China an attractive partner for governments resisting Washington's push to tackle corruption and democratic backsliding in the region, officials and analysts say.

The trend was thrust into focus this week when Nicaragua re-established ties with Beijing, severing a longstanding relationship with U.S. ally Taiwan, which relies heavily on diplomatic recognition from small countries.

Other countries in the region are also courting China. Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele ratified his country's new economic cooperation accord with China earlier this year after Washington put close aides of his on a corruption blacklist.

Bukele, who this week accused Washington of demanding "absolute submission or bust", in May celebrated that China had made $500 million public investments "without conditions."

Nicaragua's decision to embrace China followed a slew of sanctions against aides to President Daniel Ortega following his re-election for a fourth consecutive term in a campaign steeped in the arrests of leading opposition figures.

While Nicaragua's case is "unique" in Central America due to its increasingly authoritarian bent, the international isolation of Ortega played a role in his switch to China, according to a senior U.S. official, who noted:

"As the sanctions tighten, they look for other avenues and economic partners, there is an element of that."

U.S. pressure on Central American officials ranges from visa revocations to Treasury sanctions, effectively cutting them off from the global banking system. For El Salvador, Washington is also readying criminal charges against two senior Bukele allies.

Beijing offers respite from U.S. pressure, a strategy that has previously thrown economic lifelines to leaders isolated from the West elsewhere in the region, including Venezuela, said R. Evan Ellis, a professor at the U.S. Army War College.

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"China, in pursuing its strategic economic interests, is sustaining authoritarian populists in power, leading to a region which is ever less democratic," said Ellis, an expert on China's engagement with Latin America.

'DEBT DIPLOMACY'

Seeking to rebuff Chinese advances in the region, U.S officials have cast Beijing as an unreliable partner for nations desperate for investment to ratchet up faltering economies.

Pointing to China's investments across the globe that the United States terms "debt diplomacy", U.S. officials allege Beijing leaves poorer nations swamped with debts.

Beijing, which refutes such claims, says it deals with allies as an equal partner and does not meddle in their domestic affairs - an enticing prospect for leaders in a region where the United States has historically wielded vast influence.

In private though, Guatemalan business leaders, for example, fret that U.S. pursuit of political elites for graft will drive government officials towards more forgiving allies.

Still, Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei, who was not invited to a U.S. summit on democracy this week, traveled to Washington anyway and pledged his loyalty to Taiwan.

In Honduras too, the incoming government of President-elect Xiomara Castro has committed to Taipei for now, and close relations with Washington, despite openly toying with a switch to Beijing during her election campaign.

The United States has welcomed that, with the senior U.S. official saying Washington is willing to provide a "surge" in aid to help Castro https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/honduras-next-government-maintain-taiwan-ties-now-transition-team-says-2021-12-10 meet her priority of alleviating Honduras' dire economic situation.

Still, some Castro allies, including Rodolfo Pastor, a senior member of her transition team, say his country must keep its options on China open https://news.trust.org/item/20211210182535-z0yl8, harboring the possibility that Honduras could recognize Beijing in the future.

"I suspect the price Honduras will be trying to extract from its Taiwanese patrons not to flip just went up significantly," said Ellis at the U.S. Army War College, pointing to Nicaragua.

(Additional reporting by Matt Spetalnick in Washington, Gustavo Palencia in Tegucigalpa and Sarah Kinosian in San Salvador; Editing by Dave Graham and Daniel Wallis)
A Cook County judge on Sunday released a fledgling suburban police officer on bail after prosecutors said he barged into a Proviso West High School honors classroom and tossed a student around after he ordered the teen not to draw on a whiteboard.

But the unidentified 17-year-old had the permission of his honors civics class teacher to draw on the whiteboard when security guard Eligah Skinner entered the class unprompted and told him to stop and to go back to his desk, prosecutors told a judge during a bail hearing broadcast on YouTube.

The student refused, telling Skinner that it was OK for him to be drawing on the board, according to authorities.

Skinner, 25, of Bellwood, who faces aggravated battery and official misconduct charges for the Friday incident at the Hillside high school, then allegedly threw a deflated dodgeball at the student, as well as a bottle of lotion and a water bottle, Assistant States Attorney Krista Peterson told the court.

All three items hit the student, but he didnt react, Peterson said. Skinner then flicked a marker out of the students hand and attempted to grab another when the teenager picked up a second one.

Skinner, a suburban Phoenix police officer in training who is listed on court documents as being 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, then allegedly grabbed the student by his shoulder and chest, lifting him up from a chair, and moments later struck him in the chest with both hands and grabbed his sweater, Peterson said.

The student attempted to throw a punch, but it didnt connect, she added.

The defendant then threw the victim onto a table, then onto desks and finally onto the ground, Peterson said. Skinner then is accused of holding the teen down, putting his knee on the boys chest and his hands around his upper torso and neck, as shocked students watched and recorded the incident on their phones, according to authorities. The teen had shortness of breath, Peterson said.

After releasing the student, Skinner was later arrested by Hillside police. In custody, he admitted throwing the items at the student, but claimed the teenager rushed him, Peterson said. In police interviews, the teens teacher and classmates all said Skinner was the main aggressor, authorities said.

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Skinners attorney, Richard Blass, said his client was an active Phoenix police officer who had been stripped of his police powers and weapons. In asking for a personal recognizance bond, Blass said Skinner, who graduated from Proviso West in 2015, had no prior criminal record and had been a part-time officer in Franklin Park.

Judge Kelly Marie McCarthy instead released Skinner on $500 bail, and ordered him not to have contact with the student or school grounds during the case. Officials at Phoenix police couldnt be reached for comment Sunday.

Proviso Township High School District 209 released a brief statement on its website, showing support for the student. This assault was unprovoked. We will not tolerate anyone treating our scholars in this manner, the statement read. We had the (school resource officer) arrested immediately.

Skinner is scheduled to return to court next week.
The Guardian

The right has recognized that the system is in collapse, and it has a plan: violence and solidarity with treasonous far-right factions On the edge of civil war? The political problems are both structural and immediate, the crisis both long-standing and accelerating. Illustration: Anthony Gerace/The Guardian Nobody wants whats coming, so nobody wants to see whats coming. On the eve of the first civil war, the most intelligent, the most informed, the most dedicated people in the United States co
Modern technology has made finding that perfect gift a lot easier. Multiple websites offer many options for shopping, and through various delivery services those gifts can find their way to our doorsteps  only to be swiped by criminals.

Porch pirates, as they have come to be known, are a modern plague who prey upon our ability to have merchandise shipped from around the world to our homes. With so many packages being delivered as Christmas approaches, this is the most wonderful time of the year for these crooks. Just this past week, Detroit police discovered 41 stolen packages in a minivan when they made a traffic stop after being told the vehicle had driven away from a crash. All of the packages had been reported stolen in Farmington and Farmington Hills.

More: Detroit police find 41 stolen packages from Farmington, Farmington Hills on traffic stop

The way these thieves operate is theyll drive or walk through neighborhoods looking for unattended packages. Lenawee County Sheriff Troy Bevier said police have heard of thieves even following delivery vehicles, just waiting for that one delivery to happen at that one home that looks like nobodys there, nobodys paying attention, they dont keep things up. If it looks like youre not home and youre not going to notice the package gone or it looks like youre an easy target, then thats what theyre looking for.

Detroit officers recovered what police said were 41 stolen packages from Farmington and Farmington Hills during a traffic stop.

The thieves might not even take the package. They might take the time to open it to see whats inside first. If they like what they see, the owner might return to an empty package.

Local police say porch piracy is not a common problem in Lenawee County. Adrian Police Chief Vince Emrick said in the past month there was one report of a theft where $79 worth of clothing was taken from a porch in the 200 block of South Locust Street. Bevier said he could not find any reports of package theft reported in the past three months.

Still, no one wants to be victimized and there are ways to minimize the chance of having someone walk off with your purchases. Bevier said package theft is a crime of opportunity.

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With Christmas being a busy time for package deliveries, thieves have more opportunities to steal items that have been left at homes. Police and delivery services offer tips on how to avoid becoming a victim of so-called "porch pirates."

The more opportunity you take away from them, the less you are likely to be a victim, he said.

There are many ways to use technology to help avoid theft, Bevier said. Online stores and shipping services offer the ability to track packages while theyre in transit. They can even give an estimated date of delivery. The U.S. Postal Service has a delivery notification service called Informed Delivery that will email images of letters and other flat items and give tracking numbers for packages that are en route. Amazon has its own delivery service now, and its drivers will email or text a photo of the delivered package along with time of delivery to the recipient.

That way, if its not delivered, youre able to contact the business back to see why it wasnt, or youre able to get a text to let you know that it was delivered, Bevier said.

This screenshot shows a package delivery notice from Amazon.

Of course, just because something doesnt arrive when the online trackers say they will doesnt mean something has been stolen, Bevier said. Its possible its just delayed. There is another form of technology that can help watch for packages to verify when something is delivered: security cameras.

Modern technology has made security cameras more available. Some even place cameras in or near a doorbell button, giving a view of a porch, lawn and driveway. Bevier recommends placing cameras and motion detectors around a home for a more complete view. He said if a package seems to be late, check the cameras to see if a delivery person was there.

More: Porch pirates, be gone! Here are 4 ways to protect your parcels this holiday season

There also are lockable storage bins that can be used to store packages. Some can even read the tracking bar code on a package, which unlocks the box so the delivery driver can open it to store the package. Others have a camera, motion sensor and two-way voice communication to allow the courier and recipient to talk to each other. Others are like a mail box you might find outside a post office.

Ring, a popular manufacturer of doorbell cameras, has a service called Ring Neighborhood, Bevier said. People can sign up to share images from their cameras with other people in their neighborhood. Ring allows people who dont have Ring devices to get those notifications, too.

Ring and other security systems will place signs around their customers homes to deter thieves from approaching.

There are several video doorbells and outdoor cameras available on the market, but many require a monthly cloud subscription to look back at video from a previous hour, day or week (live chats with guests are free). Instead, Lorexs 2K Wi-Fi Video Doorbell ($179) does not charge for this as video is stored locally, plus it also supports remote viewing via an app.

Requiring a signature on delivery or having packages delivered to where you work is another option to avoid people cruising neighborhoods, looking for unattended packages.

Another option, Bevier said, is to have items shipped to a store, if the items were purchased from the stores website.

For people who expect to receive many packages throughout the year, a PO box might be a good solution.

Package thefts should be reported to police, Bevier said. The sheriffs office offers an online reporting form that people can fill out with basic information about what happened, then someone from the sheriffs office will call to get more details. It is similar to the form the sheriffs office offers for reporting car-deer crashes. Find the online reporting form by going to the sheriffs office page on the countys website, lenawee.mi.us/261/Sheriffs-Office, and clicking on "CLEMIS Citizen On-Line Reporting in the left-hand menu of the page.

If youre comfortable with it, you can allow a vetted Amazon courier to open your garage door to drop off packages inside, and then close it again before you leave. A compatible chamberlain myQ garage system is required.

Amazon, perhaps the most popular online retailer, offers a variety of options to its regular home delivery service. In Adrian, packages can be sent to the Rite-Aid store on South Main Street. Amazon Prime customers with a myQ Smart Garage Hub can have Amazon drivers deliver packages inside their garage. Prime customers can also designate up to two days a week when they want to have packages delivered. All Amazon deliveries might come with an estimated 2- to 4-hour delivery window.

The U.S. Postal Service Inspection Service offers these tips:

Customize delivery by going to usps.com and entering the package tracking number and entering delivery instructions to authorize the mail carrier to deliver the package to a specific location at your home, with a neighbor or at work.

If you are sending a package, choose the hold for pickup option so the recipient can get the package at their local post office.

If you expect to be away from home for a few days, use the post offices hold mail service to have your mail held at the post office. This only holds mail delivered by the post office, not other delivery services.

Along with signature confirmation, the post offices registered mail service offers another level of protection that gives special handling to mail and documents the chain of custody from sender to recipient.

UPS offers customers options to help ensure their packages are delivered safely.

UPS, another common shipper, offers these tips:

Customers can sign up for a free service called UPS My Choice, which sends an email alert that lets them know when their package is scheduled to be delivered.

If customers are at work during the day, they can use UPS My Choice to have packages delivered to where they work or a UPS Access Point location. They can also choose to have their deliveries sent to a relative or neighbor who is home during the day.

Customers can tell our driver where they would like packages left with UPS My Choice. For example, they may want the package left in the shed in the backyard or behind the garage. UPS drivers can also enter that information into their handheld computers for future deliveries.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Police give tips to avoid package theft, aka 'porch piracy'
The 83-year-old pilot of the small plane that crashed in Bermuda Dunes on Saturday died later that night.

James Wallace, 83, of Palm Desert, died at 9:34 p.m. on Saturday, according to the Riverside County Coroner's office. He had been hospitalized with serious injuries after first responders freed him from the plane wreckage, according to fire officials.

The crash occurred in the 78-000 block of Discovery Bay, east of Palm Desert, according to the Riverside County Fire Department. It was reported at around 12:30 p.m.

Wallace had a pilot license with a medical certification that was renewed in 2019.

The Federal Aviation Administration, in a statement, said preliminary reports indicated the plane was a single-engine Moul Willis RV-3 and that Wallace was the only occupant. There were no reports of injuries on the ground.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board were investigating the incident.

City News Service contributed to this report

Ani Gasparyan covers the western Coachella Valley cities of Desert Hot Springs and Cathedral City. Reach her at ani.gasparyan@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Bermuda Dunes airplane crash: Pilot James Wallace, 83, dies
Happy Monday! Let's get you all caught up on what's happening locally to start today off on an informed note.

First, today's weather:

A beautiful sunny day. Breezy. High: 51 Low: 36.

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Here are the top stories today in Bedford:

Plane Crash: Investigators Search For Clues: Investigators looking for clues to find out what caused a small plane to crash and burst into flames on the shore of the Merrimack River in Bedford. The small plane from Castle Aviation was flying from Essex County Airport in New Jersey to the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport Friday night. The pilot reported having engine trouble as he approached the runway. The Bedford police department started receiving 911 calls just after 11:30 p.m. According to Bedford police, officers found the wreckage of a twin-engine plane engulfed in flames just across the river from the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. The pilot and sole occupant of the plane, Emanuel Vomvolakis, 23, of Linden, Michigan, did not survive the crash. Authorities are asking people to avoid Technology Drive while the crash s being investigated. (WMUR) Booster Blitz, In-Home Shots: If you were unable to get an appointment for a booster shot during the state's recent Booster Blitz on Saturday, Dec. 11, you can make an appointment at pharmacies or find a walk-in location by calling 211, the state's COVID-19 hotline. The states mobile vaccine van is also offering booster doses. State health officials say another Booster Blitz is planned as New Hampshire is battling the highest amount of new cases in the country, with hospitals at capacity. New Hampshire Individuals who may need a booster shot given to them in their home can find out more here: (NHPR) Harlem Globetrotter Meets Kids At SNHU Arena: A few Granite State kids had a chance to meet Chris "Handles" Franklin from the Harlem Globetrotters on Thursday. The meeting was part of Make-a-Wish Ambassadors Day held at SNHU Arena. Franklin signed and gave away items for the kids and took pictures with everyone. Families can see the Harlem Globe Trotters play at the SNHU Arena on Dec. 29 at 2 p.m. or 7 p.m. (WMUR)

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Today in Bedford:

The Craftworkers' Guild Annual Holiday Fair (10:00 a.m.)

Sled, Tree And Countdowns Workshop (6:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

Animal Rescue League of N.H.: "We are excited and honored to have finalized a partnership with Chris' Hero Pets yesterday!" (Facebook)

Bedford (NH) Public Library: "A big thank you to all of our crocheters and knitters who participated in the Red Scarf Project!" (Facebook)

Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains: "Girl Scouts across our council are brightening their communities this holiday season! Girl Scouts from Laconia and Gilford laid wreaths at the Boscawen Veterans Cemetery." (Facebook)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed! See you tomorrow morning for another update.

 Paula Constance

About me: I am a freelance writer, author, and media producer. I am committed to media projects that empower, engage, and help make the world a better place.

This article originally appeared on the Bedford Patch
Dec. 11Police arrested a Bridgton man early Saturday morning on assault and robbery charges.

Jon Mitchell, 21, of Bridgton, was charged with aggravated assault and robbery. A person who witnessed the assault of a woman in progress in the 100 block of Portland Road in Bridgton called police and told them that Mitchell had fled into the woods. Mitchell was located by the K-9 unit with the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office and arrested at about 4 a.m. on Saturday.

This story will be updated.
Bishop Barreto knows all the danger spots in the area

Juan Carlos Barreto peers up at a map of the dense jungles and rivers of Colombia's Choco region.

Passing his hand along the map, he explains where armed groups plant landmines.

He describes how communities in some regions are being forcibly confined by militias setting curfews and blocking residents from moving around freely.

There are some areas where the left-wing guerrillas dominate, others where the right-wing paramilitaries are gaining ground, and yet others where urban gangs are making power grabs.

"All around, there's a fight for control," he concludes solemnly.

He sounds like an army commander preparing for battle, but Juan Carlos Barreto is no militia member like the ones that control the area. He is a bishop.

In Colombia's conflict zones, clergy like Bishop Barreto play a different role than ones in sleepy suburban communities.

On the front lines

They often work on the front lines of the most dangerous zones in Latin America. In remote areas like Choco, they fill the voids left by the state, document the conflict, and use their role to pressure authorities and armed groups.

"We go where the local authorities don't," says Bishop Barreto.

The Atrato river serves as a highway in this area of dense jungle

With three in four people - including those who belong to armed groups - in Colombia describing themselves as Catholic, being a member of the clergy affords a measure of safety.

Members of armed groups may not have any moral qualms about threatening and killing people, but "in one sense they are really, really Catholic", explains Gimena Sanchez, Andes director for the think tank Washington Office on Latin America. And that is their respect for priests, Ms Sanchez says.

As a result, in zones where activists face constant violence, religious leaders like Bishop Barreto tend to enjoy a certain level of protection which allows them to travel to areas too dangerous for others to traverse.

"They speak to the groups and say 'give this kid back to his mother' or 'don't kill that person'," Ms Sanchez says. The priests tend to act as arbiters, "and the groups tended not to kill them, at least not on purpose".

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You may want to read:

Historically, the Catholic Church in Latin America played a more traditional role, but there have been thousands of so-called "activist priests" who fight for the rights of rural and poorer populations, even pressuring the Catholic Church to confront its role in human rights abuses committed during the colonisation of Latin America.

During the most bloody years of General Pinochet 's military rule in Chile, the Church acted as one of the loudest voices of opposition and led efforts to search for people who had been forcibly disappeared.

In the 1970s and 80s, in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala, some priests took a leading role in pushing for radical change as these countries were embroiled in bitter civil wars or revolutions.

Susan Fitzpatrick Behrens, a historian at California State University, says that the the killing in 1989 of six Jesuit priests by the military in El Salvador "shocked the world" and drew attention to the crises in the region.

"As the communities they supported are violently repressed church leaders gained this role as very articulate defenders of human rights," Prof Fitzpatrick Behrens says.

In one of the more extreme cases a priest, Camilo Torres even joined a left-wing guerrilla group in Colombia.

But the activism of some priests was not well viewed by the pope at the time, John Paul II. His clamp-down on their activities in turn spurred a backlash, with one priest quoted as saying in a 1980 Washington Post article that "the Pope has no clear notion of the realities of Latin America".

Drawn to activism

Sterlin Palacios says it was precisely this activism which drew him to the priesthood.

Father Palacios grew up in a small settlement along the Atrato River in Colombia, a waterway winding south hundreds of miles from the border with Panama.

Throughout his childhood, members of the church would often pass through his village and lend a hand to his community, providing the motivation for him to become a priest 24 years ago.

While the Atrato river is used by locals to move through the region by wooden canoe, armed groups use it to smuggle drugs.

Father Palacios joined the priesthood at a time of great conflict in Colombia and he soon found himself travelling the river to recover bodies from areas where armed groups banned others from going.

He would help people escape the clutches of armed groups and escort hundreds of villagers fleeing the violence which blighted the area.

Risky travel

"Being a part of the Catholic Church gives you a certain protection, but it's not absolute," Father Palacios says.

"Your life is always at risk, you are always a thorn in the side of these armed groups."

But he continues to visit to communities like the one he grew up in, documenting what is happening and raising the alarm about human rights abuses.

Julia Susana Mena, a leader of the Afro-Colombian organisation Cocomacia, says priests like Father Palacios are vital in helping her group access areas where there is conflict to verify what is happening.

The presence of priests helps groups like Cocomasia enter areas controlled by gangs

In October, Father Palacios and other priests travelled with human rights defenders like Ms Mena to check on communities who have been forcibly confined to their areas by the criminal group known as the Gulf Clan.

Father Palacios says their main task when they visit communities which have been threatened by armed groups is "to keep hope alive".

"The most important thing we've done in these regions is to ensure that life endures," he says. "That life is our main achievement."
Patricia Garcia De Santamarina Roca as the Sugar Plum Fairy in Saint Augustine Ballet's "The Nutcracker," which takes the stage Dec. 18 and 19 at Flagler College's Lewis Auditorium.

The Sugar Plum Fairy, the Mouse King, Clara, toy soldiers and the rest of The Nutcracker characters will come to life this holiday season when Saint Augustine Ballet presents its 13th annual performance.

The timeless classic features music by Tchaikovsky, professional ballet dancers and dance students from St. Augustine and surrounding areas.

Performances are 1:30 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 19, at Lewis Auditorium at Flagler College.

Local nonprofits: As the holidays near, St. Johns County nonprofits appeal to donors for support

Getting into the holiday spirit: St. Augustine distilleries, wineries offer unique gifts

Directed by Luis Abella, the annual Nutcracker ballet will feature more than 50 area dance students performing ballet, tap and tumbling. The students auditioned in August and have been in rehearsals every Saturday through December.

'The Nutcracker' puts everyone in the mood for the holidays, and this is a family ballet that everyone can identify with, said Abella, a professionally trained dancer from Cuba who toured professionally before moving to St. Augustine and creating Saint Augustine Ballet. We update the scenes each year to make it more audience-friendly. Even if guests dont know about ballet, they will still understand the timeless story.

The cast of Saint Augustine Ballet's "The Nutcracker," which takes the stage Dec. 18 and 19 at Flagler College's Lewis Auditorium.

Local students Annabelle Hucke and Meadow Kuc will share the role of Clara, the young girl who receives a toy Nutcracker for Christmas. As she falls asleep on Christmas Eve, Clara dreams of helping The Nutcracker defeat the Mouse King in a battle royale. The Nutcracker toy turns into a real prince, and together, Clara and her prince go on an adventure through the land of Snow and Sweets, meeting some very colorful characters in the process.

Guest Artists Patricia Garcia de Santamarina Roca and Jennifer Villalon Perez will share the role of Sugar Plum Fairy.

Patricia Garcia De Santamarina Roca as the Sugar Plum Fairy in Saint Augustine Ballet's "The Nutcracker," which takes the stage Dec. 18 and 19 at Flagler College's Lewis Auditorium.

Garcia de Santamarina Roca, a professional ballet dancer and instructor, was born in London in 1995, and then attended the Cuban National Ballet School from 2005 through 2013. She became a member of the National Ballet of Cuba, directed by Alicia Alonso, from 2014-18, performing in productions such as Giselle, Don Quixote, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and The Nutcracker, among many other dance productions. From January 2019 through July 2021, she was a member of Acosta Danza in Havana, Cuba. She recently joined Saint Augustine Ballet as a dance teacher, and is a choreographer and assistant director of The Nutcracker.

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Villalon Perez was born in 1994 and started at age 5 at the National Ballet School in Cuba. She graduated in 2012 with a superior level in classic ballet, and was selected to be a part of the National Ballet of Cuba, directed by the Prime Ballerina Alicia Alonso. In 2014 she participated in the International Festival of Ballet in Havana, integrating a body of work of dance from the great classics like Giselle, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Coppelia, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, Las Sifides, Bayadera, Paquita, and others.

Also in 2014, she performed in The Nutcracker in Burlington, Canada. In 2016, she was invited by Jose Manuel Carreno, artistic director of Silicon Valley Ballet in California, to perform in Giselle. In 2016, she joined the Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami, and has been performing classic and contemporary performances. She is a guest teacher at Saint Augustine Ballet, offering workshops in ballet, pointe, repertoire and Flamenco.

Guest artist Mikail Hernandez will play the Nutcracker/Prince. Elea Woodward, a Saint Augustine Ballet student for more than 10 years and a 2021 high school graduate, will play the Dew Drop Fairy. Chris Pacetti, operations chief for the St Augustine Fire Department, will reprise the role of Mother Ginger. Other area celebrities will be featured in the opening scene during this community performance.

Saint Augustine Ballet is a nonprofit organization that believes dance is an essential part of any thriving community. Its mission is to involve community members of all ages in meaningful dance experiences, whether as a participating dancer or audience member.

We are thrilled to present the annual ballet to the St. Augustine community and its visitors, Abella said.

Tickets are $35, $40 and $50 per seat in Lewis Auditorium at Flagler College, 14 Granada St., downtown St. Augustine. Tickets are available at saintaugustineballet.org or by calling 855-222-2849.

This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: St. Augustine Ballet performs 'The Nutcracker' at Lewis Auditorium
Students take part in learning activities as part of the Arizona Science Center's STEM education programs.

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Arizona Science Center had to close its three-story downtown Phoenix building. The lockout ceased access to about 300 hands-on exhibits. Field trips from schools near and far stopped completely.

The center, however, found a way to carry on with the learning.

In July 2020, the center launched Connect, an online portal of programs focused on STEM learning and teaching. Connect has become a key learning resource for more than 20,000 Arizona students and teachers in the last fiscal year.

"There is this need to be able to continue to support STEM at home," the center's chief curiosity officer Sari Custer said. "Because even if you are familiar with teaching, a lot of teachers and parents, in particular, aren't comfortable teaching science, technology, engineering and math topics."

The program is designed to assist students from low-income families  a group historically underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.

The nonprofit received a grant from The Arizona Republic's Season for Sharing campaign, which supports programs for at-risk children and families, helps teachers and students, and provides services for older adults.

HOW TO DONATE: Make a gift to Season for Sharing here

Last year, Season for Sharing raised $2.1 million and provided more than $30,000 in grants to organizations working to provide STEM education to students, including:

$15,000 to Arizona Science Center for comprehensive and engaging STEM education programming at no cost to low-income children in our community.

$7,500 to the Arizona Museum of Natural History Foundation to assist teachers with quality experiences to replace field trips connecting children with science and for professional assistance with the new science standards.

$7,500 to the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy for support of a multimedia STEM curriculum for elementary students that encourages critical thinking to understand how an ecosystem works.

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The Arizona Science Center, through Connect, also provides professional development programs to teachers.

'Anybody can do STEM'

From the comforts of their home, students log in to the Connect platform and engage with numerous activities and demonstrations that build up their knowledge of STEM curriculums.

Chemistry courses allow students to observe chemical reactions with commonplace supplies found at homes. Students blast-off rockets propelled by Alka-Seltzer. Demonstrations show survival skills of different animals and insects.

According to the Arizona Science Center, Connect has provided STEM education programming at no cost to 1,966 low-income students.

"The idea is that anybody can do STEM," Custer said. "Everybody can be involved in science. Being able to find those relevant activities are really important."

STEM education connotes privilege, though, Custer said. Students from low-income households may disproportionately find barriers to learning and excelling in STEM fields.

According to a report backed by the Education Commission of the States, a nonpartisan interstate alliance for education policymaking, schools are becoming more segregated by income that has created "STEM deserts" for students from poor families.

In 2015, more than half of the students in poorer schools did not participate in hands-on science activities at least once per week. Sixty-one percent of students in wealthier schools experienced it at least once per week. The report also found only 26% of poor high schools provided access to computer science classes, as compared to 62% of their wealthier counterparts.

The U.S. census estimates 16.8% of children aged under 18 live below the poverty line.

"Our mission is to inspire, educate and engage curious minds through science," Custer said. "So being able to have a program like Connect makes it really easy to instill that passion and help create this pipeline of both future STEM workers and this future lover of science that we need in everyday life."

Future of workforce

A monthly subscription to Connect costs $29.99. An annual subscription, which includes a membership to the Arizona Science Center, costs $160.

While some of the activities and course materials are pre-recorded videos, instructors frequently conduct live demonstrations and classes. Four to 16 staff members of the center are working on the program at any given time.

Running the program does not come cheap, Custer said.

"Everything we do, there is a cost associated with it. And we try to keep our expenses as low as possible to make programs accessible where we can," she said. "That's where support like grants really come in to help offset those costs."

Connect is also for teachers. About 1,500 educators participated in professional development programs utilizing the Connect platform, such as the center's Science Teacher Residency program. Among the hundreds of teachers enrolled in Connect, 65 are currently able to take the courses for free.

Title 1 schools, which receive federal funds to serve low-income students, and schools in rural parts of the states are mostly taking advantage of Connect, Custer said. The center is working on partnerships with various school districts to incorporate the learning materials in more ways.

"I think diversity in STEM is really important too. We're seeing that having a diversified workforce just adds to that richness," Custer said. "We can be able to solve problems better with all different viewpoints and thinking differently about things."

How to Donate to Season for Sharing

With the help of Republic readers, Season for Sharing has raised and given away more than $70 million to Arizona nonprofits during the last 28 years. Help us continue helping our neighbors in need.

5 ways to give

Fill out the secure, online form at sharing.azcentral.com.

Text SHARING to 91-999 and click on the link in the text message.

Go online at facebook.com/seasonforsharing and look for the DONATE HERE post.

Clip the coupon on Page 4A of The Arizona Republic, fill it out and mail it to P.O. Box 29250, Phoenix AZ 85038-9250.

Scan the QR code with your smartphone camera, click on the link to donate.

Scan the QR code with your smartphone camera and click on the link to donate to Season for Sharing.

Where does the money go?

When you give to Season for Sharing, you're helping nonprofits that support education, feed the hungry and help struggling families. The Republic pays all administrative costs, so 100% of donations go back to the community.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: STEM education: In pandemic, Season for Sharing helped kids at home
Amy Riggins, recreation facility supervisor for the city of Shawnee.

Hey, Shawnee! Its December, and as promised this Oklahoma weather is unpredictable! So far its been warm and in the 70s, as well as cold with wind chill below freezing!

Speaking of December, we will celebrate December birthdays all day on Tuesday, December 14 at the Senior Recreation Center at 401 N. Bell Avenue. Well have snacks and decorations, as well as our December Birthday poster. If you happen to have a birthday in December, stop by to add your name to our poster and let us celebrate with you!

Here at the Senior Rec Center, youll find programs and services for individuals aged 55+. We have ongoing groups, fitness classes, music, pickleball, crafts, and games. Our hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.  5:00 p.m., and we are operated by the City of Shawnee Recreation Department.

Our advisory committee, the Senior Citizens of Shawnee Board holds its meetings on the second Tuesday of each month. Their next meeting is Tuesday, December 14, at 9:30 a.m., and you can attend as a guest. We currently have an open board slot, so if you are interested in applying, please let us know at 405-878-1528.

As a part of our Wellness Wednesdays, blood pressure checks will be provided by Barry from Heartland Home Health on Wednesday, December 15, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Stop in during that time to get your blood pressure checked and visit with Barry about all the services Heartland provides.

Coming up this Friday, December 17 is the Christmas Billiards Tournament. Double elimination 8-Ball pool play competition will begin at 1:00 p.m., but you must be signed up by Thursday, December 16. Even if you dont want to play, you can come cheer on your favorite player!

Also on Friday, Dec. 17, the Senior Rec Center will host a special extra December Bingo at 1:00 p.m. Due to the pool tournament, we will play in a different room, but we wanted to get a second Bingo Day in this month before we close for Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas and the holidays, our schedule will include holiday closures on December 23, 24, and 31. The Senior Rec Center will be open all other days in December. Please note that the Project Heart lunch program will continue to serve their meals at the Community Center on a take-out basis only. The Project Heart holiday schedule includes closures on December 17 through 24 and 31. For more information about Project Heart and their lunch program, call them on Monday-Friday 8:00-11:00 a.m. at 405-275-4530.

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Have you ever listened to the Mike in the Morning Show with Mike Askins on KGFF? Mike hosts this fun morning show and you can find it at 100.9 FM or 1450 AM on your radio dial. Each Wednesday at 8:30 a.m., Mike provides a senior activity focus update. Come listen in!

Take care, stay active and healthy, and we will see you at the center!

This article originally appeared on The Shawnee News-Star: Shawnee Senior Happenings: Christmas billiards tournament
Gov. Greg Abbott approved the deployment of state search-and-rescue resources to assist federal efforts to help western Kentucky recover after a tornado devastated the region.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Saturday it was the deadliest tornado in the state's history and he estimated more than 70 people died.

Headed to Kentucky are 10 Texas A&M Task Force 1 personnel to assist the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The Texas A&M Urban Search and Rescue Task Force members will also bring equipment to assist members of FEMA's Urban Search and Rescue teams.

"Thank you to the members of Texas A&M Task Force 1 who are making their way to Western Kentucky to help those in need," Abbott said in a statement Saturday. "I ask all Texans to join Cecilia and me in praying for those affected by these horrific tornadoes."

More: Kentucky governor estimates at least 70 dead after tornadoes, storms hit multiple states overnight

The tornado was one of many reported amid a massive storm system. The most destructive tornado that began in Arkansas touched down for 227 miles, most of which was in Kentucky.

Tornadoes and severe storms devastated multiple states, including Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri Friday night and Saturday morning.

More: At least 6 die as tornado devastates Amazon warehouse in Illinois

More: Kentucky reacts to devastation after overnight tornadoes rip through commonwealth

I have authorized the deployment of @txtf1 to assist our friends in Kentucky following the deadly tornadoes that shook their state overnight.



They will assist in recovery efforts.



I ask all Texans to join Cecilia & me in praying for those affected by these horrific tornadoes. pic.twitter.com/oaRa4K7xhl  Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) December 11, 2021

Contact Nusaiba Mizan at nmizan@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @nusaiblah.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Abbott sends search-and-rescue resources for Kentucky tornado recovery
Photo credit: Karsten Moran/Redux

Some holiday parties can be as stiff as eggnog peaks, but then theres Jacqueline Greaves and Antonio Mondas twist on yuletide tradition. Held in the couples Upper West Side apartment, the get-togethers are packed with Manhattans cultural elite and more Jamaican- and Italian-inflected food than those guests know what to do with. Fifteen years after the Mondas hosted their first holiday blowout, the event remains something of an underground phenomenona charming bit of alchemy, given that the fete overlooks Central Park.

Jacquie, a food writer, and Antonio, a writer, professor of film at New York University, and artistic director of the Rome Film Festival and the literary festival Le Conversazioni, have lived in New York for most of their adult lives, but their party is as much a celebration of their cultural heritages as it is about any holiday. Antonio was born outside Rome; Jacquie in Kingston, Jamaica. Mixing elements from their upbringings, the couple have set into motion a new tradition of their own design.



With all due respect to Antonio, who is responsible for the live pianists playlist and selecting the pasta course, the bash would be a nonstarter without Jacquie. Shes the one who begins preparing a good six months before party time (her Jamaican Christmas cake calls for fruits to steep in port for half a year) and who spends a week before the event preparing tomato tarts and saltfish fritters, staying in the kitchen on the day of the party until the pasta course is served.

Photo credit: Franco Origlia - Getty Images

And its Jacquie who monitors the atmosphere, ensuring that the vibe remains warm and cozy, sexy but safe. (Guests are asked to kindly leave social media at the door.) Hers is the only house party where Patti LuPone will sidle up to the piano and lead 150 revelers in both Christmas carols and show tunes, or where Marina Abramovic will slip into the kitchen to ask how she can help.

Speaking via Zoom from her daughter Caterinas apartment in Milan, Jacquie calls to mind another Jacqueline, with her onyx bob and wide-set eyes. There is a playful coyness to her mien, and a fierce protectiveness when it comes to discussing her guests. We dont just invite people, she says. We invite people that we like. Its important to maintain an element of mystery, she adds, when speaking not just with the press but with anyone who might walk through her door.

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Antonio has made a profession out of his enthusiasm for the citys cultural life, and he has subsequently befriended seemingly everyone. Among those who have been spotted mingling in the Mondas living room are writers Zadie Smith, Marlon James, and Nathan Englander; architects Renzo Piano and Daniel Libeskind; and such Hollywood heavyweights as Francis Ford Coppola, Frances McDormand, and the Coen brothers. Donna Tartt, the reclusive author, has swung by. So too has Cindy Sherman, sans disguise.

Photo credit: Ernesto Ruscio - Getty Images

Magic is the word Libeskind uses to describe what the Mondas conjure up in the apartment, where he once sank into the sofa with Philip Roth for an hourlong conversation. Antonio is like an avant-garde poet who has been able to step into civil society and share his riches with mere mortals. And Jacquie is one of the best chefs and food historians in the world, Libeskind says. What they do together is take something so not normal and make it feel normal. Youre in a home with books and art, youre not in a palazzo, and these people youve heard about feel like neighbors from around the corner.

When talking to an outsider about her parties, Jacquie can be thoughtful to the point of closed off. All bets are off, though, when the subject turns to food. Her smile lights up as she expounds on her passion. She marries Jamaican and Italian traditions, which means guests start with an aperitivo hour of sorrel punch and hors doeuvres, like smoked eggplant patties and crostini with basil pesto, before moving to more substantial fare and Italian wine. She swears by her Caribbean tiramisu, which involves banana bread and citrus syrup. I call it adaptation, Jacquie says. I dont like the word fusion, which I feel is a very colonial thing.

Photo credit: Melissa Hom

Shes got all the right ingredients, says Tamu McPherson, a Milan-based fashion influencer who recently attended a Jamaican dinner that Jacquie threw for 16 at her daughters apartment. There was stunning glassware and flowers aplenty, but thats to be expected. More exceptional was the history lesson Jacquie gave to a room of mostly Italian guests on the geopolitical origins of the dishes. She explained that this was food created during slavery, and went on to explain how the ingredients made their way from Africa to the Caribbean. And then we all ate, and it was delicious.

Jacquies culinary awakening didnt take place until after she graduated from Barnard and was studying in Spain. She fell head over heels for Basque cuisine, taking trips into the mountains of Guernica in search of snails that she preserved in beds of salt. The flavors! Her eyelids close and she raises her hands to her temples as if her brain hurts.

Back in New York, a mutual friend introduced her to Antonio, and the couple married six years later, in 1991, while she was a graduate student in Latin American studies at Columbia. They lived in Rome before returning to Manhattan, where she, by then fluent in Italian, worked at the Italian Trade Commission and her husband rose through the citys cultural ranks. Given his passion for conversation and hers for cooking, a salon was inevitable.

They open their doors for regular Sunday lunches as well as the holiday party, which is held on the Sunday before Christmas. Their children, 29-year-old twin daughters Caterina and Marialuisa and 25-year-old son Ignazio, regularly swing by. Some of their friends come too, Jacquie says. The people we invite may not know each other, but they know of each other. My guests will say, Hi, I really liked that film you did, or Im reading your book right now. Maybe it develops into a new friendship or maybe it doesnt, but something happens.

Guests linger into the evening and play party games led by Antonio, who goes around the room asking revelers to share their favorite movie or guilty pleasure (for Jacquie the answers are the 1946 Jean Cocteau film Beauty and the Beast and BBCs Pride and Prejudice miniseries, which she watches every year).

The party steadily got bigger until last year, when the world was in the pandemics grip. The plan is to resume this year, on a smaller if no less charming scale. You come to a party because you dont know who youll meet, Jacquie says. Thats what makes it interesting.

This story appears in the December/January 2022 issue of Town & Country.

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Death at our VR door

Facebook has changed its name to Meta. So, whats the big deal? They are leading their followers right off the cliff of innocence. Virtual reality is about to take away the life of most of the youths of the world with this experiment. And the end is already foretold in the very name of Meta. You see, in Hebrew this word means death. How appropriate for the end of our minds.

Jerry Rodeheaver, Dunnellon

Who's to blame?

Voters are blaming the current administration for the shortages and high prices plaguing the nation, yet they have decided to block out the past two years.

Two years ago the price of gas was dramatically high because people were going to work and traveling, and schools were open. Last year, with all of the shutdowns, people were working from home, only a handful of people were traveling and schools did not need buses. There were no backlogs at ports or shortages at stores because people were not buying things that were not necessary.

Now we are facing shortages because people are traveling and going to work, and schools are open. There is a backlog at ports due to hundreds of thousands of workers having quit their jobs. There are no workers at the ports to unload the ships, there are limited truck drivers to take the cargo across the country, and warehouses are seeing a shortage of workers. This is the busiest time of the year, and we have a shortage of workers to process online sales. Shelves at stores have limited supplies available due to the fact that customers are overbuying items.

The prices are going up not only because of the lack of workers but the fact that we had several months of severe weather. Texas was hit with a severe winter storm, killing thousands of chickens. Floods hit the middle of the country, destroying crops. The Midwest was hit with the worst drought in history, also destroying crops. The list goes on and on, yet voters are forgetting what other factors have contributed to the skyrocketing prices and shortages. The current administration can be blamed for a few issues, but what is going on today is the result of what happened the past 18 months.

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Theresa Grimes, Belleview

Christmas thieves

Twas the weeks before Christmas when all through the towns cheerful faces were turned into frowns.

All the stores were stocked with gifts and glittering decor to entice shoppers to spend more.

The smash-and-grab thieves were gathering their gangs to unleash their horribly wicked crimes. Children were worried that the toys they hoped to receive from Santa would be stolen or broken and swept away and they hugged their pets closer who shared in their sorrow.

Milo shared his feelings with the children vowing to do more and went outside to plan his actions against the ruthless thieves.

Milo rounded up his four-legged friends. There were shepherds, cocker spaniels, terriers and all breeds ready to help him get rid of the smash-and-grabbers.

The thieves arrived in their fast cars, leapt out, ran inside the store doors and began to smash the display cases that held the pretty gifts and toys.

The dogs, led by brave Milo, chased the thieves, bearing their teeth and biting them wherever they could. An immense din filled the store with barks and growls, and the thieves ran outside with their bitten  but empty  hands.

Milo and his buddies returned to their homes, pleased with their actions and seeing happy faces again.

Merry Christmas!

Teresa Cook, Ocala

Write to us

Send a letter to the editor (up to 250 words) to osbletters@starbanner.com. Letters must include the writer's full name and city of residence. Guest columns of up to 750 words are also accepted on a limited basis. More information on submitting letters and columns can be found at bit.ly/starbanneropinion.

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Readers on Christmas thieves, supply shortages and virtual reality
Im writing in response to the Nov. 14, 2021 Your Turn column ("White Peoples Inaction Just Perpetuates Injustice") written by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, in which they stated, "White people elect the officials who appoint police chiefs. Police chiefs are overwhelmingly white. The people we pay to protect and serve are killing and brutalizing Black people before our very eyes. And were letting them get away with it."

It is important to keep history in front of us and not expect the passage of time by itself will heal past injustices or the relationship between police and communities of color. And while were disappointed that progress on major initiatives such as police reform or reeling in qualified immunity hasnt materialized, there are still signs of hope.

The Brewster, Chatham, and Orleans police chiefs have been meeting and talking with the Martin Luther King Action Team, a multi-racial group, for about 18 months. These conversations have allowed us to create an environment of trust such that People of Color have openly shared their often negative experiences, issues and concerns with the chiefs.

And the chiefs have shared the new approaches they take in their effort to prevent racist/bias based policing. The chiefs are listening and learning about the impact some actions taken by police can have on People of Color in an attempt to improve the relationship and hopefully avoid these tragic interactions. And we are learning about the challenges police face serving our communities.

Together, we are taking action.

Have these conversations eliminated racial injustice? Of course not. But they help us all get a better understanding of each other and our implicit biases and create a path forward so that we can continue to make progress.

We should all look for opportunities to work against racial injustice.

Jeff Spalter is a member of the Martin Luther King Action Team/Nauset Interfaith Association.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Martin Luther King Action Team works with Cape Cod police chiefs.
President Joe Biden speaks about the COVID-19 relief package in the State Dining Room of the White House, Monday, March 15, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

The years following World War II saw Americas ascendancy as leader of the democratic world. Today, on the eve of President Bidens global democracy summit, authoritarian governments challenge our nations fundamental principles while the COVID-19 pandemic cries out for leadership. America must rise to meet these challenges.

It was a moral imperative and in Americas self-interest to expand democracy as a bulwark against Soviet communism. President Biden has put America back onto the international stage, reinvigorating our democratic alliances and rejoining the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Accord. The president has gone a step further by inviting more than 100 democracies around the globe to a December Summit for Democracy, a public conversation on the challenges of our system of government.

Echoing the words of his predecessors during the Cold War, President Biden asserts that it is a moral imperative and in Americas self-interest to speed up global COVID-19 vaccinations. The Palm Beach Posts Dec. 4 editorial said that "vaccinating the world against COVID-19 is the next great challenge, and America is the nation best equipped to lead the effort.

Kelly Amerson Lopez, Lake Worth

Once reliable Post Office not so good today

In olden days the mailman was your best pal. Today, it is another story. What is wrong with the U.S. Post Office? I sent my daughter-in-law who lives in Atlanta, Ga. a holiday gift greeting card a week before Thanksgiving. She has not received it as of Dec. 8. We need to explore the shortcomings of the Post Office and fix what needs to fixed.

Marcia Grobman, West Palm Beach

CNN-Fox comparison doesn't add up

A recent letter writer makes an attempt to unfavorably compare the management of Fox News to that of CNN. It's an apples to oranges comparison that blows his argument out of the water. He correctly states that both Tucker Carlson and Chris Cuomo are opinion writers, and makes no bones about his strong distaste for Carlson's opinions and his utter disdain for Fox News. I'm sure his views are shared by a few million of his liberal brethren. A few million of my conservative brethren share the very same strong distaste for Cuomo's opinions, and the same utter disdain for fake news CNN. So, even-Steven. But the writer also correctly states that Cuomo was fired for serious ethical transgressions not related to his show. If, and when Carlson does the same, I'm sure he will meet the same fate. If not, only then will the writer have a credible argument. By not comparing apples to apples, the writer's argument becomes nothing more than another tired ideological rant, and in my opinion, we have more than enough of those.

Story continues

Francis Brousseau, Wellington

The Palm Beach Post is committed to publishing a diversity of opinions. Please send your views to letters@pbpost.com or by mail to Letters to the Editor, The Palm Beach Post, 2751 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, FL 33405. Letters are subject to editing, must not exceed 200 words and must include your name, address and daytime phone number (We will publish only your name and city).

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: U.S. role in fighting COVID globally will set position as world leader
Mexico's musical legend, Vicente Fernandez has died. The king of ranchera music died in a hospital in Guadalajara, in his native state of Jalisco. He was 81 years old.

Rest in Peace Mr. Vicente Fernandez. We regret to inform you of his death on Sunday, December 12 at 6:15 a.m," was the message on his Instagram account.

It was an honor and a great pride to share with everyone a great musical career and to give everything for his audience. Thank you for continuing to applaud, thank you for continuing to sing," the message said.

Fernandez died on the same day as Mexico celebrates the feast of the Virgen de Guadalupe, or Virgin of Guadalupe. For Mexicans and Mexican Americans, December 12th holds special significance. It marks the date in 1531 when the Virgin Mary purportedly appeared to Juan Diego, an Indigenous Mexican, in the last of several apparitions.

Fernandez was such an icon that Telemundo interrupted its live broadcast of Mexico's Virgin of Guadalupe celebrations to announce his death. News of his death quickly flooded social media as major Mexican publications announced his passing.

 Recordamos las ultimas presentaciones de Vicente Fernandez en los escenarios.



Detalles de su partida  https://t.co/0vRPhUKePS pic.twitter.com/AVqiXYId3z  Noticias Telemundo (@TelemundoNews) December 12, 2021

Hace unos momentos se confirmo la muerte de Vicente Fernandez, "El Charro de Huentitan. El cantante mexicanos murio a las 6:15 am. pic.twitter.com/0imXQ4sVyT  Azteca Noticias (@AztecaNoticias) December 12, 2021

Fernandez was known for iconic songs that were familiar to people across the Spanish-speaking world and U.S. Hispanics, including Volver, Volver, "El Rey" and Por tu maldito amor.

Story continues

In 1998, Fernandez received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He won three Grammys and eight Latin Grammys among other honors.

Fernandez had undergone surgery almost a decade ago due to a tumor in his liver and had other health complications.

Earlier this year, Fernandez has been hospitalized after a fall at his ranch.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com.
West African leaders meeting at a summit in Nigeria on Sunday demanded military-ruled Mali stick to plans for February polls, threatening further sanctions if Bamako fails to commit to returning to democracy.

"The heads of state... decided to keep the (deadline) of February 27, 2022 for elections in Mali," president of the West African ECOWAS bloc Jean-Claude Brou told reporters in Abuja, adding sanctions would be imposed in January if Mali did not move to stage polls.

The head of Mali's government had earlier on Sunday promised he would provide the bloc with an election timetable by the end of January 2022.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) suspended Mali following military coups in August 2020 and May 2021, sanctioning officials deemed responsible for delaying elections and threatening further measures.

Malian procrastination and the possibility of a stronger response from ECOWAS were the main items for discussion among African leaders, along with the situation in Guinea, Covid-19 and economic recovery.

ECOWAS also decided to maintain sanctions against the junta that seized power in Guinea on September 5, demanding a timetable for the return of civilian rule there.

The head of Mali's transitional government, Colonel Assimi Goita justified postponing the election and holding a national consultation which he said would be "indispensable" for peace and stability.

In a two-page letter to ECOWAS, Goita hihglighted the need to "create the conditions for transparent and credible elections", including stepped-up security operations, a new electoral law and the beginning on Saturday of a series of national forums aimed at building a consensus for the return to civilian rule.

Several civil society organisations boycotted the consultations.

Mali's junta has cited persistent insecurity for delaying elections.

"The return to constitutional order is and will remain my absolute priority," Goita said.

Story continues

The country has been plagued by jihadists and other armed groups, along with violence of self-proclaimed vigilantes and bandits.

Despite the deployment of UN, French and foreign forces, the violence has spread to neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger.

The regular forces are also accused of abuses, and there has been no improvement in Mali's security situation since the military took power.

- Guinea too -

At a previous summit in November, West African leaders had been informed by Goita that Malian authorities would not be able to respect their earlier commitment to hold elections by February.

ECOWAS has frozen the financial assets and banned from travelling within West Africa all those it deemed guilty of delaying the elections: about 150 people, including the prime minister and almost the entire government, and their families.

Brou did not specify what new measures ECOWAS might take.

After Mali, ECOWAS was confronted in September with its third putsch in a year, with the overthrow in Guinea of President Alpha Conde.

It suspended Guinea and sanctioned the members of the junta, calling for elections to be held within six months.

Guinea's strongman, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, has promised to return power to civilians. But he refuses to be dictated to by a transitional period.

sd-lal-pbr/har
police lights cmyk for web only.jpg

MISHAWAKA  Police are investigating two shootings that injured four people on Saturday evening.

The first shooting occurred around 7:15 p.m. at a house in the 1600 block of Maplehurst Avenue. When police arrived, they found a 16-year-old boy with a gunshot wound to his neck.

According to a press release from Mishawaka Police, there were 10 other juveniles inside the house at the time. The victim was conscious, alert and able to talk to police. He was taken to an area hospital with injuries believed to be non-life threatening.

A little more than two hours later, St. Joseph County dispatch received several 911 calls about shots being fired in the parking lot of the Family Express convenience store at 1030 W. Edison Road. Officers from the Mishawaka, South Bend and St. Joseph County police departments responded to the scene where they found a 42-year-old woman inside a vehicle who had been shot.

More: Mishawaka Police continue to chase leads in Parkview Terrace homicide

One of the rounds also struck a 61-year-old man who was inside a nearby residence in the 1500 block of Hickory Road. Police said that the man was in his bed when a bullet, believed to fired at Family Express, struck him in the side.

Police said that during the investigation, a third gunshot victim, a 25-year-old man, came to the emergency room at a local hospital. That man, who had been shot in the abdomen, told hospital staff that he had been shot at Family Express.

Police did not name any of the victims of the convenience store shooting, who they said are in critical, but stable, condition.

Email South Bend Tribune reporter Howard Dukes at hdukes@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DukesHoward

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Three injured in shooting at Mishawaka gas station, teenager also shot
DAWSON SPRINGS, Ky.  Getting lost in your own city is bad  but thats what I feel like," said Chasity Chappell of Dawson Springs, as she surveyed a 360-degree, mile-wide swath of rolling hills littered in piles of debris from what were once homes and personal belongings.

"I dont recognize this place today.

Trees were shredded, many homes flattened, and lives of people in this town of 2,600 in Hopkins County, changed forever.

Live updates from Kentucky: Get the latest news on storm damage here

Its just catastrophic. Id easily prefer the 2009 ice storm we had here in Kentucky over this, Chappell said.

Search and rescue crews were combing a wide area of a predominantly residential area of Dawson Springs anchored by a community park.

More: 1 dead in Taylor County; residents assess storm damage, look to rebuild

At one point, there was the grim scene of two womens bodies being pulled from a heaping mass of rubble where their home once stood.

Family members sank to their knees, clutched their heads in their hands, and grieved.

It was a scene repeated all too often on Saturday throughout the region. Dawson Springs was one of many communities that found itself in the path of a Friday night tornado of historic proportions.

James Pollard rode the tornado out in his Dawson Springs apartment. He was able to manage a smile after reflecting on the fact that he lived to tell about it.

I was laying on the couch. I was watching TV and knew it was coming. Before I could get up and get to the bathroom the windows shattered and the wall fell in.

The whole thing probably didnt last over a minute, Pollard said, but I walked outside and saw that the whole place was gone.

Rather than deal with his own material losses, Pollard immediately went to work helping to dig other people out, who were trapped in the massive, unending rows of rubble.

A couple of blocks away, Jerry and Tracy Bruce stood vigil over the crumbling wreck that was once their house. Jerry was able to take some solace in knowing that some of their family Christmas presents already wrapped, were not damaged.

Story continues

More: Warren County Public Schools cancel classes Monday and Tuesday following Kentucky tornado

The Bruces biggest concern was finding their lost dog, Raven, who had been seen by neighbors after the storm.

Walking down a street littered on all sides by the tornado debris, a deeply saddened Joy Fugate said, The tornado killed my aunt. All that was left of her house is the foundation.

Officials are still assessing the damage and loss of life in Dawson Springs.

There are still people unaccounted for, Chappell said.

Were doing whatever we can to get to them. Last night I put a lady on a wrought iron headboard of a bed and we packed her over a mile away from the damage area, she said.

Gov. Beshear visits Dawson Springs

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear became tearful more than once Saturday when meeting with longtime residents of a Dawson Springs community that is part of his own family heritage.

The small town where his grandparents are buried, violently ripped up by the powerful tornado, is looking to Beshear and leaders at all levels of government for help.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear speaks during a press conference at Dawson Springs Municipal Building in Dawson Springs, KY., on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021.

It hurts, Beshear said when asked what it feels like to see a large area of Dawson Springs reduced to ruin by one of the most violent twisters in U.S. history.

Beshear, after surveying damage in Mayfield and Dawson Springs, called it the deadliest tornado event in the history of Kentucky.

Even war zones dont look this bad. We saw four separate tornadoes hit Kentucky, with the main one staying on the ground for 227 miles, Beshear said.

More: Where did Kentucky tornadoes hit? See damage by county

He said his administration is committed to doing everything it can with the recovery.

We know were going to have months and years of this rebuilding effort, he said.

Beshear said the state Transportation Cabinet is working to open up roads so we can get to all the people in Dawson Springs and all these communities who need our help.

With colder weather returning, he said warming shelters are also being set up, but Beshear noted that the best way the neighborly residents of Dawson Springs can help is by sharing their homes.

Its too early to know how many people perished in Fridays tornadoes across Kentucky.

Beshear said the commonwealth will probably exceed 100 deaths, and Dawson Springs, part of Hopkins County, will likely see loss of life in double digits.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Dawson Springs Kentucky works to come to grips with tornado's wrath
Germany is expanding its power grid to aid the transition to renewable energies, but local residents in some areas are holding up the process over concerns about wildlife.

"I am not saying that the energy transition is not necessary. But we don't want these pylons," Hartmut Lindner, 75, told AFP.

Lindner has been campaigning for 15 years against a planned high-voltage power line in the Schorfheide-Chorin nature reserve, a few kilometres from Berlin.

Energy company 50Hertz is planning to install around 115 kilometres (71 miles) of new lines between the towns of Bertikow and Neuenhagen, replacing an existing network of smaller pylons.

The new network is intended to supply the region with wind energy produced in northern Germany.

But it could pose a threat to "thousands of species of birds, some of them endangered" in the nature reserve, according to Lindner, a retired teacher.

Together with several hundred local residents, Lindner started a campaign in 2008 to oppose the project.

After years of public consultations and discussions, he is unhappy about the "lack of response" from 50Hertz, which has refused to change the route of the line and began construction work earlier this year.

- 12,000 kilometres -

Lindner is one of a growing number of Germans fighting against the construction of electricity pylons near their homes, a trend that risks slowing down the transition to renewables.

The country is planning to phase out both coal and nuclear energy in the coming years, with renewables such as wind energy playing an increasingly important role in keeping the lights on.

"The problem is that wind energy is produced largely in the north, while many needs, especially industrial ones, are in the south. This electricity must therefore be transported using new networks," Dierk Bauknecht, an expert at the Oeko-Institut research centre, told AFP.

To meet these needs, the German government has launched more than one hundred new power line projects over the past few years spanning 12,000 kilometres, according to official figures from the economy ministry.

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And the trend looks set to continue, with Germany's new ruling coalition of the Social Democrats, Greens and Free Democrats aiming for renewables to make up 80 percent of the energy mix by 2030.

- 'Too slow' -

But the construction work on new power lines has been "too slow" due to "procedures" and "local resistance to these projects", Bauknecht said.

According to a study by energy price comparison company Check24, the German network will be expanded by only 120 kilometres in 2021 -- a third less than in 2020.

If nothing is done to speed up the process, Germany could "miss its objectives in terms of ecological transition", Bauknecht said.

In a bid to address the problem, Berlin introduced new rules last year that simplify the bureaucratic procedures required for the approval of power lines and limit the possibilities for appeal.

But Lindner and his fellow campaigners, backed by environmental association NABU, still won a key legal victory this summer leading to the temporary suspension of construction on a section of the 50Hertz line.

A court will decide next year whether 50Hertz can continue with construction as planned or whether it must yield to the campaigners' demands that it be rerouted or moved underground to protect the region's biodiversity.

Such solutions have so far been ruled out by 50Hertz, which considers them too expensive.

50Hertz did not immediately reply to AFP's requests for comment.

In a field a few kilometres from Lindner's house, the huge pylons have already been built. But he still has hope of saving the wetlands a few hundred metres away, along with the birds that inhabit them.

"We must protect this unique place," he said.

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The spirt of the Christmas season burns brightly in the heart of Diane Paul.

The way the Plumstead woman sees it, were all here to help each other. Its that compassionate outlook thats compelled Paul to donate to The Intelligencers annual Give A Christmas fund for years.

People dont necessarily realize that there are community members in need in Bucks County, but the reality is that there are local people dealing with circumstances beyond their control  circumstances that are not their fault  that need a little help, said Paul. Ive been blessed, and if I can help bring a little light to someone elses life, its my responsibility to do so.

Give A Christmas: How to give & get help

Who you're helping: Give A Christmas helps hundreds of Bucks County families every year. Here are their stories

Need grows: Bucks County has been generous to local nonprofits. The help is needed now more than ever

Other folks who have consistently donated to Give A Christmas over its more than 30 years of existence give similar reasons for their contributions. Like Paul, they appreciate that the charitable holiday season initiative directly benefits people in need who live in the community.

Benefiting low-income people in Central and Upper Bucks County, as well as Eastern Montgomery County and the North Penn and Indian Valley communities, the fund provides a variety of assistance. That includes everything from help with buying gifts and groceries, to paying for rent, medicine, bills and utility expenses.

Money not dispersed during the holidays is used to support locals in need throughout the year with everything from food and rent to employment assistance.

Nancy and Clarence Walbert have been donating to Give A Christmas ever since they moved back to the area more than 20 years ago following their time living in New Jersey. They appreciate that the funds benefit people who live locally.

Weve always been local givers. It feels good to give back to our community, said Clarence.

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Added Nancy: Hundreds of families have benefitted from this wonderful fund and go on to contribute themselves. Its at the top of our list for holiday contributions and needed now more than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Bucks County Opportunity Council (BCOC), which administers the fund in partnership with The Intelligencer, can confirm the truth of that statement, saying that need remains elevated in a year beset by local natural disasters and continued COVID-caused economic hardships foisted on the areas most vulnerable people.

Give A Christmas is a great way for people to support the needs of local families, said Joseph Cuozzo, director of development at BCOC, which shares 10% of the proceeds with the Souderton-based nonprofit Keystone Opportunity Center.

David Creamer agrees with Cuozzo.

Creamer is treasurer of the Montgomery County-based Francis J. Raab Foundation, a philanthropic organization that supports veterans, worthy charities and more. The Rabb Foundation has been among Give A Christmas most faithful givers, donating annually for more than 30 years now.

I like that its local and that the support is going to people in need in the neighborhood, said Creamer. Its the Christmas spirt to help out folks who need help. Thats why we do it, and why well continue to do it.

Without such altruism, Give A Christmas would not be able to execute its mission, said Cuozzo.

It was generous individuals, businesses, families, nonprofits, places of worship and other organizations that empowered the fund to achieve a record fundraising tally of more than a quarter-million dollars. This years goal is $165,000  a mark BCOC would be happy to surpass.

Without donors, there is no Give A Christmas, Cuozzo said. BCOC and Keystone couldnt help families during Give A Christmas without the support. The donors are Give A Christmas. BCOC is only the conduit to bring people together. Thats what BCOC and community action are all about  bringing people together to help others.

How to support Give A Christmas

The 2021 holiday season marks the 34th year of the Give A Christmas fund. Over that time, the community has contributed nearly $3 million to help those less fortunate.

This years Give A Christmas fund goal is $165,000.

The Give A Christmas fund is administered by the Bucks County Opportunity Council with 10 percent of the proceeds shared with Keystone Opportunity Center. The two nonprofit agencies work on behalf of Give A Christmas to identify individuals and families needing financial assistance during the holidays.

The fund provides for a variety of assistance  from traditional help buying gifts and groceries to rental assistance, medical bills or utility needs. After the program satisfies eligible requests for assistance during the holidays, the remaining fund balance may be used by the agencies to provide similar types of assistance needed at other times of the year.

TO GET HELP: If you wish to inquire about eligibility for Give A Christmas assistance, call the Bucks County Opportunity Council at 215-345-8175 x200 if you reside within the following Bucks County school districts: Centennial, Central Bucks, New Hope-Solebury, Palisades, Pennridge or Quakertown Community, as well as the Montgomery County school districts of Upper Moreland and Hatboro-Horsham and their adjoining communities. Call the Keystone Opportunity Center at 215-723-5430 if you reside within the Souderton or North Penn school districts.

TO GIVE HELP: To mail a donation, use the donation coupon from the newspaper or download a copy at www.theintell.com/giveachristmas. Make checks payable to BCOC-Give A Christmas and mail them in care of The Bucks County Opportunity Council, PO Box # 1807, Doylestown, PA 18901. To use a credit card, visit http://weblink.donorperfect.com/GAC21

This article originally appeared on The Intelligencer: Meet local Give A Christmas donors whose support helps local families
RgStudio / Getty Images

One of the most dramatic storylines to come out of 2021 was the unprecedented state of the labor market. America learned terms like the Great Resignation and the Big Quit. Businesses that were eager to reopen after pandemic shutdowns couldnt hire enough staff to meet the demand, no matter how much they offered to pay. Corporations across the country doled out big signing bonuses and imaginative benefits to average applicants.

Find: 24 Tips To Change Your Career and Land Your Dream Job

See: 10 Risky Career Moves That Can Pay Off

Will 2022 remain an applicants market? What new trends will emerge  and what should todays job hunters do to prepare for tomorrow?

GOBankingRates asked the experts.

Labor Shortages Will Continue To Steer the Job Market

Nikki Attkisson, CEO of the Powdersville Post, the flagship publication of the South Carolina Media Group, believes it will still be a job-seekers market in 2022.

Theres plenty of data to back up that assertion. Indiana Universitys Kelley School of Business recently predicted that labor shortages will continue to be a running theme throughout the new year.

That means more opportunities for first-time job seekers to land decent positions if they play their cards right, Attkisson said.

Check Out: Companies Hiring for 2021- And Beyond

That Could Lead to Higher Salaries in Lower-Tier Fields

The labor shortages that defined 2021 have been forcing salaries up in higher-paying fields all year long. In 2022, that trend will likely filter down the food chain.

Job seekers can expect higher salary offers in many industries, not just in tech, science, or medicine, said Paul French, founder and managing director of executive e-commerce recruiting site Intrinsic Search. Labor shortages resulting from an amalgamation of factors such as retiring workers, an aging workforce, and limits on immigration will continue to push employers to raise salaries to attract top talent. It is important to know your worth to leverage this prediction.

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See: When To Consider Job-Hopping To Maximize Your Pay

Businesses Will Focus on Employee Experience and DE&I

Higher salaries are only part of the response to the economy-wide labor shortage that appears poised to continue into 2022. Another big part will be a focus on employee experience.

Companies are now making it a priority to ensure that their employees are happy, they have a sense of belonging, they feel a sense of fulfillment, and that they have the resources, tools, and the support that they need, said Dr. Shirley Davis, president and CEO of HR strategy firm SDS Global Enterprises. Diversity, equity, and inclusion is going to continue to be a primary focus in 2022 for job seekers. 80% of workers have also said that they want to work for a company that is diverse and that values equity and inclusion. Companies will need to make sure DE&I is embedded in everything that they do, including their values, policies, practices, performance expectations, leadership development, and cultural competence.

Find: The 26 Highest-Paying Jobs That Let You Work From Home

Freelancers and Inexperienced Workers Will Find Opportunities Beyond the Entry Level

The high rate of turnover caused by the Great Resignation is forcing many companies either to pay a premium for more experienced employees or to hire cheaper newbies and train them on the job.

I expect many of them will opt for the second option, Attkisson said. Alternatively, they might increase their reliance on freelancers to offset some of the workload. Both first-time job-seekers and freelancers share a common advantage over more experienced full-timers. If they could just keep their compensation expectations marginally lower than those of full-timers, they will easily have the edge in the market.

Read: 10 Steps To Help Get Your Career Back on Track

The Hiring Process Will Speed Up

Its very likely that 2022 will see an expedited hiring process as employers move faster to secure talent in a tight labor market.

Speed of hire is now a competitive edge, said Lisa Hennessey, chief people officer for Happy Money. For job seekers, this will mean that you may have multiple companies running you through their recruiting process quickly to beat the competition to offer.

Hennessey suggests that you manage the expectations of hiring teams and be transparent with your timeline.

If you receive multiple job offers, its okay to let the companies know that you have other offers to consider and will need time to evaluate which opportunity is best for you, she said. Be careful not to take too much time as it could be considered a lack of interest in the company or role or the perception that you may be pitting offers against each other. Companies want to know they are engaging with someone who is honest and transparent, just as much as you want that from them.

Discover: 30 Odd Jobs That Pay Insanely Well

Skills That Match the Realities of the Times Will Be in High Demand

Its no secret that the pandemic changed the way America went to work. In 2022, many changes that were supposed to be temporary fixes will start to become permanent.

With the emergence of the Omicron strain and following travel bans, it seems like the coronavirus and the isolated world as we know it today is here to stay, said David Farkas, founder and CEO of The Upper Ranks.

Hennessey agrees.

While many companies initially planned to be back in the office this fall, were seeing an increasing number of employers announce that their return to the office is postponed indefinitely  largely in light of the COVID variants. I anticipate this trend toward remote, hybrid, and fully distributed work will only continue to climb in 2022.

The workers who have the skills needed to implement those transitions will be in high demand.

So, the applicants proximity to the company location is no longer relevant, but their skills are of utmost importance, Farkas said.

Because of the shift to remote work, e-commerce and online marketing, Farkas believes the following skills will be among the most highly sought after in 2022:

Data analysis

Social media marketing

Website development

Campaign management

More: 5 Things To Negotiate at Your Job Other Than Salary

Tips for Job Hunting in 2022  and Beyond

Brian Snedvig, CEO and founder of resume and cover letter service provider Jofibo, provides the following tips:

Start creating a shortlist based on interview timelines: It can take more than three months to complete the interview process and some people simply dont have that time. It makes sense to start creating a list of companies you are confident, or perhaps even sure because of research and networking you have already done, have a short interview process.

Your name is your brand  make sure it appears the same everywhere: Assume that employers are doing Google searches on your name and reputation. If you havent already, you should make an effort to ensure that employers in 2022 can locate your name in the same way, both online and offline. Consider utilizing the middle initial or full middle name if you have a common name. Consider using it at conferences you attend or present at, papers or articles you create or collaborate on, or in one-on-one or group chats.

Avishai Weiss, career and recruiting expert at PeopleSmart, offers this:

Take the time to apply with intent: Dont just mass mail your resume to every open role on the market, but instead, select the positions youre actually interested in and communicate the why in your cover letter.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Workers Should Prepare For the Job Market in 2022
During a recent medical test, I noticed my face mask had slipped down.

Sorry! I said to the technician, who was also masked. Im vaccinated and boosted, and you are too, right? Slight pause.

Im healthy, he said, using a favorite dodge of the unvaccinated.

Why would anyone whose job requires close contact with people who could be sick or immune-compromised take such a risk for himself, his patients and co-workers?

He said he had decades of experience, including at a hospital where tuberculosis patients coughed in his face, and was healthy. He doesnt buy the need for vaccinations against COVID-19, thinks they could be harmful, and believes the number of reported COVID deaths is inflated.

Scientists, however, agree vaccinations help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and its severity and are less risky than the disease.

Most health care workers voluntarily take the commonsense precaution of vaccinations. Still, about 30% of workers in hospitals were unvaccinated as of September, according to a Centers for Disease Control study.

Last month, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued rules requiring vaccinations for health care workers and for businesses with 100 employees or more. Both rules are stalled, at least temporarily, by court challenges.

The health care rule would require all workers in facilities that accept Medicare and Medicaid funding to be fully vaccinated, with no exceptions, or facilities could lose federal funding. The OSHA rule includes a provision that allows workers who do not get vaccinated to be tested weekly and wear masks on the job.

President Joe Biden was reluctant to impose such vaccination mandates, but after incentives and voluntary behavior werent enough, he earlier rolled out requirements for federal workers and employees of federal contractors to be vaccinated.

The mandate for contractors, which included limited exceptions for medical and religious reasons, was blocked Tuesday in federal court. The White House vows to continue fighting for mandates.

Many private employers have imposed vaccination mandates on their own. They realize the economy wont get back to normal  whatever that is  until more of the population is protected against this deadly, unpredictable disease.

The latest troubling news about the fast-spreading omicron variant has led public health officials to urge everyone eligible to get vaccinations and booster shots. New research from Pfizer and BioNTech indicates a booster shot may help protect against omicron, but its too soon to know.

Opponents argue vaccination mandates are an example of federal overreach. Politicians like to claim they personally are pro-vaccine but anti-mandate. They conveniently forget they and their children had to receive vaccinations against other diseases to enroll in school.

But COVID-19 vaccination mandates are seen as a potent political issue for the midterm elections. The Senate voted Wednesday to repeal Bidens mandate for companies with more than 100 employees. All Republicans and two Democrats  Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Jon Tester of Montana  voted to nullify the mandate.

The 52-48 vote was largely symbolic, if not a political stunt. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is unlikely to bring the measure up for a vote in the House, and if it were to pass, the White House said Biden would veto it. It would be his first presidential veto.

Opponents of mandates say their constituents fear mandates will cost jobs and wreck the economy, but instead of working to educate the uninformed, politicians pander.

Encouraging and requiring are two different things, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito. Republican of West Virginia, told reporters. More than killing the American economy, she said, the vaccine mandate is killing the American spirit of being able to make decisions about yourself, to be respected for that.

Oh, please.

Vaccination mandates may be more popular than Republican politicians think. Half of Americans support the mandate for businesses with at least 100 employees, while 47% oppose it, a Wall Street Journal poll reported this week. Slightly more  55%  support vaccination mandates for public safety workers, such as police and firefighters.

Everyone is sick of the pandemic, but it shows no sign of waning. We all need to take responsibility to fight it. To everyone whos eligible, except those with a legitimate medical excuse: Get your vaccinations and boosters.

Marsha Mercer writes from Washington. You may contact her at marsha.mercer@yahoo.com.

Marsha Mercer writes from Washington. You may contact her at marsha.mercer@yahoo.com.
A banner appeared in my neighborhood lately. It read: Biden is Satan.

Ones mind goes back to what Lindsey Graham said about Biden, back in 2015:

Joe Biden, Republican Senator Graham said, is about as good a man as God ever created. (And the nicest person I think Ive ever met in politics.)

Whom are we to believe: Sen. Graham, who has known Biden for years, and who had  in 2015  no political reason to say what he really felt? Or my neighbor, who hoisted that banner to serve a clearly political purpose? The question answers itself.

Either my neighbor believes as good a man as God ever created to be Satan  which suggests hes pretty profoundly out of touch with reality  or hes willing to demonize a decent man if that helps his political side to prevail.

Either crazy, or someone with no scruples about truthfulness, like the political hero whose banner my neighbor also put out: Donald Trump.

***

Historically, when the American people have faced a common threat  in war, in blizzards and floods, etc.  we have unified to surmount the challenge. Not now.

In 1905, in the case Jacobson v. Massachusetts, the Supreme Court declared:

[T]he liberty secured by the Constitution of the United States to every person within its jurisdiction does not import an absolute right in each person to be, at all times and in all circumstances, wholly freed from restraint. There are manifold restraints to which every person is necessarily subject for the common good... Upon the principle of self-defense, of paramount necessity, a community has the right to protect itself against an epidemic of disease which threatens the safety of its members. (Emphasis added.)

Very sensible. A principle followed throughout American history, and by every free society in our world during this COVID pandemic.

Republican governors in important states  like Florida and Texas  have gone out of their way to block effective measures, taking positions directly contradicting not only the global consensus of the experts, but also the sensible principle pronounced by the Supreme Court generations ago.

Meanwhile, many Republicans, following their leaders, have turned this national challenge into yet one more thing to fight over.

***

Twice before here, Ive described the conduct of the Republicans in Congress as placing their priority on making President Biden fail, rather than on helping America succeed.

Any reader who doubted that description need only consider the clear and dramatic evidence the Republicans have just provided.

The bipartisan infrastructure bill passed the House with the help of the votes of 13 Republicans. (More Republicans had voted for it in the Senate some months before.) Polls showed the American people strongly favored the passage of such a bill, so the nation could make much-needed improvements.

Nonetheless, not only did the great majority of the House Republicans vote against that bill, but those who voted for it have been attacked by the Republican leadership  with Trump declaring they deserve the scorn from Great Republican Patriots. And those Republicans who helped pass this constructive and popular measure have received death threats from the pro-Trump world for the sin of helping America achieve something while Biden is President.

It doesnt matter that it has been clear for years  to both parties  that something like this was needed, that it will make the nation stronger, more prosperous, healthier.

That the party wants to punish those Republicans who helped get something done thats good for the nation proves my point: making Biden fail is more important to the GOP than helping America succeed.

***

Weve been getting repeated reports that recent years constitute almost all the warmest years ever recorded.

Yet a recent poll says that only 29% of Republicans believe the planet is warming.

For more than 40 years, the mighty oil companies have recognized the growing crisis. They responded, in partnership with the Republican Party, by launching a systematic campaign of lies to paralyze this nation from taking action.

For decades, it has worked.

***

Ive tried lately to imagine there arising in the Republican world, in 2023, the ideal conservative candidate for the presidency.

Ideal would mean that this conservative candidate would:

be guided by the most important conservative values;

show good character, embodying the most important conservative virtues;

act like a patriot to serve America to the best of his/her ability.

and lead in a way that brings out the best in conservative Americans.

(I cant imagine how any conservative would disagree with that characterization of what would be best in a potential next Republican president of the United States?)

Ive tried to imagine what that ideal candidate would say, were he/she to run for president? What kind of speech could be delivered that might win the Republican presidential nomination in 2024?

But I discovered that I couldnt imagine anything that even a charismatic, telegenic, eloquent, bearer of a good message, could do in reaching out to todays Republican world, that would inspire the Republican base to turn to him to lead them in directions that serve good conservative values, including the good of the nation.

I cant see how anyone could wrest the banner of leadership from that likely Republican presidential candidate who is completely the opposite in all those ideal respects.

Andy Schmookler is the author of The Parable of the Tribes: The Problem of Power in Social Evolution.
Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh): Andhra Pradesh on Sunday reported its first case of Omicron variant of COVID-19.

A 34-year-old foreign traveller came from Ireland to Mumbai Airport, tested and found negative for COVID-19 RT-PCR test. He was allowed to travel and came to Visakhapatnam on November 27, 2021. On conducting a re-test at Vizianagaram, the RT-PCR test was found positive for COVID-19. His sample was sent to CCMB, Hyderabad for genome sequencing and the result was declared as Omicron positive, informed Andhra Pradesh Health Department today.

However, he was tested negative for the virus on December 11.

He does not have any symptoms and was re-tested on December 11, 2021, and RT-PCR result was found to be negative. There are no other Omicron cases in the state. This is the first case of Omicron identified in Andhra Pradesh, it read.

So far, a total of 15 foreign travellers were found COVID-19 RT-PCR positive and all the 15 samples were sent to CCMB for Genome sequencing. Whole genome sequencing reports were received in which one of them found Omicron positive, as per the official communique.

The Andhra Pradesh Health Department advised the public to not worry or pay any heed to rumours. However, it asked them to continue to take precautions and follow social distancing, wearing of mask and washing of hands regularly.

States including Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Gujarat have reported cases of the new COVID-19 variant now.

On November 26, the WHO named the new COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529, which has been detected in South Africa, as Omicron.
New Delhi: Kerala reported the first case of Omicron variant of COVID-19 in Kochi, said state Health Minister Veena George. The man who returned from the UK to Kochi on December 6 had tested COVID positive on December 8 and after genome sequencing, he was found positive for omicron.

First case of Omicron reported in Kochi, Kerala. The concerned person had returned from the UK to Kochi on December 6. He had tested Covid positive on December 8, said Veena George.

She further said that the high-risk passengers who were seated next to him have been informed.

There is no need of panic. His condition is stable. His wife and mother tested positive for COVID. He has been shifted to an isolation ward. Mother and wife shifted to an isolation ward. We have taken all precautions, the Health Minister added.

She further said that all action as per central government guidelines has been taken and it is as part of that the co-passengers were also informed.

In Andhra Pradesh, a 34-year old foreign traveller from Ireland tested positive for the Omicron variant.

He had arrived at Mumbai Airport and upon testing was found negative for Covid-19. He was allowed to travel and reached Vishakhapatnam on November 27. On conducting re-test at Vizianagaram, the RT-PCR report was found Positive for COVID-19 and testing for genome sequencing found that he was Omicron positive. However, he tested negative for the virus on December 11.

Chandigarh reported its first case of Omicron after swab samples of a fully vaccinated 20-year-old male passenger from Italy, who had tested COVID-19 positive on December 1, revealed the presence of the new variant of the novel coronavirus.

20-year-old Italy returnee has been tested negative for COVID-19 on Sunday, informed Chandigarh Health Department.

A 20-year-old male resident of Italy who was reported positive for Omicron variant has now tested as COVID negative today. His seven family contacts who had been quarantined and were negative earlier were retested today for COVID 19. Out of these five have tested as positive and one as negative. The report of one family member is awaited, it said.

States including Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Gujarat have reported cases of the new COVID-19 variant with the total number of Omicron cases in the country going up to 38.

On November 26, the WHO named the new COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529, which has been detected in South Africa, as Omicron.
The Human Services Advisory Council honored Robert Fenner and his late wife, Elaine, at its annual awards luncheon Friday, along with Anita Hall and Diane McKee.

The Fenners received the Volunteer of the Year Award for their work with the Catholic Charities Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault program.

Since 2008, Bob and Elaine have made a significant impact touching and enriching the lives of survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking at Catholic Charities Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault program, formerly the Phoenix House, their nomination stated.

From 2009 to 2012, Bob and Elaine donated their culinary expertise to the Art of Healing, Phoenix Houses annual fundraiser event, the nomination stated. They were voted our volunteers of the year in 2010 for their sustained and selfless voluntary service to our shelter. With the use of their own vehicles, they shop for our groceries and pick up donated foods from local grocery stores and our partner restaurants twice weekly for our shelter residents.

They have been invaluable to our staff and shelter residents, knowing that we will have food coming weekly for our clients staying with us in our shelter, said Diane McKee, program manager.

The couple has donated more than 6,000 hours of volunteer service to the program, showing true service and selflessness, according to their nomination.

Elaine Fenner passed away on Oct. 7, 2021 at the age of 75.

Sadly, Elaine is no longer with us, yet they are still an integral part of our community, McKee said. Elaines legacy and memories will remain forever. Bob is continuing on with his dedication to us.

Bob Fenner credited his wife for their involvement.

She is probably the primary driver of this, he said. She touched the lives of many people in the community.

Diane McKee was honored with the Mike Barker Award for Lifetime Achievement. McKee has been the program manager of Catholic Charities Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault program for 32 years, according to Julia Davis, who presented the award.

Diane has dedicated her entire professional career to the Catholic Charities Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault program and the Movement to End Violence, Davis said. Diane started as a volunteer 32 years ago in a program that had one staff member and since then has been the trailblazer for the growth of the program.

Under Dianes leadership, the program raised money and built a 10,000-square-foot facility with a 24-bed shelter, she said. The program has grown to 30 staff members, has an enhanced housing and economic assistance element, a sexual assault and human trafficking component and has expanded services to survivors in nine southwest Iowa Counties.

Diane has always been a warm and welcoming person to everyone that has walked through the doors, Davis said. She has an amazing ability to be present  regardless of her heavy schedule  at a moments notice to meet with a client or staff and be attentive to their needs. She is very well respected in the communities, the state coalitions and the grantors for her contribution to the program. Rain or shine, 24/7, any need the program, staff or clients have or the burnt-out light, leaky faucet, she is there with her calm presence and handywomanship. She is hanging (up) her tools and will be off to new adventure at the end of this year after creating an excellent roadmap for the next person to continue to support the survivors and march on the path to end violence.

I am very blessed, McKee said. Im only stepping away because of a really solid, solid team.

McKee commended the HSAC for fostering collaboration between nonprofit organizations.

Ive seen HSAC go through changes over the years, and it has remained a solid organization that brings agencies together. Thank you for all you do, because as we say, we all need help sometimes.

Anita Hall was presented the Arlene Steege Award for Human Service Professionals. She has been a case manager at All Care Health Center for seven years.

Anita Hall is All Cares case manager who visits both of our shelter clinics on a weekly basis, said Kristen Hendershot, quality improvement director at All Care. She goes door-to-door every week at MICAH House to welcome new guests and to make sure they have food assistance and healthcare assistance, including transportation that they may need. When one local homeless shelter placed guests in motels due to COVID-19, Anita chose to knock on individual doors to make sure food was available and healthcare needs were met. She added this motel location to her weekly rounds.

Anita takes social work students under her wing and helps them to feel comfortable at the shelters in a setting that may be new and unsettling, she said.

Anita helps individuals on a much more personal level than a typical case manager and stays calm in crisis situations, Hendershot continued. She helped to secure nursing home placement for at least three guests of a homeless shelter, who were not only homeless but had severe chronic conditions and needed a higher level of care. For several months, she searched and made connections on the outskirts of the county to accomplish this feat for each individual. This personalization continues when Anita helps with food assistance applications. She freely gives out her personal cell phone number to answer calls, even in the evening and on weekends, to assure that applications are processed in a timely manner when individuals may not have access to a phone or have the ability to answer.

Hendershot said she has encouraged Hall to turn off her phone at the end of the work day, but she wont do it.

She puts in lots of extra hours, Hendershot said.

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SIOUX CITY (AP)  Experimenting with a toy compass, Perry Creek Elementary School third graders Liam Cadena and Kaiden Schubert were learning the rules of electromagnetism.

When left alone, the compass will always point north. But by introducing a magnet, the compass needle follows the magnet.

The needles going crazy, Kaiden said as Liam moved the magnet around the compass. That is so cool.

The Sioux City Journal reports that Perry Creek, along with Nodland and Sunnyside Elementary School, is currently in the candidacy phase of becoming an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School.

According to Perry Creek principal Amy Denney, the third grade unit on magnetic forces will help in the schools efforts to become IB-certified.

Students are naturally curious about the world around them, she said. This allows children to develop that curiosity, allowing them to engage in complex problem solving.

So, what does it mean to have an International Baccalaureate education?

Developed in Switzerland in 1968, the IB curriculum was originally taught at international schools attended by children of American diplomats.

Over time, the curriculum  which emphasizes independent thinking  is being adapted into more traditional school settings.

The best way to prepare our students for the future is by allowing them to become critical thinkers, Denney explained.

The IB curriculum encourages kids to experience different cultures, languages and histories.

Such global learning practices can be applied to English, math, science, social studies and the arts.

Denney said the International Baccalaureate program is inclusive for every student from pre-kindergarten to high school.

The program allows kids to learn in a very hands-on fashion.

While it may look like third graders Lucas Strub and Vainqueur Makengo are playing with magnets, they are actually learning.

Some magnets attract while others do not, Vainqueur said. I wonder why that is?

By letting kids to experiencing things, first-hand, it also allows them to be curious and ask questions, Denney said. That is what the IB curriculum is all about.
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Weather Alert

...WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON CST THURSDAY... ...WIND CHILL ADVISORY WILL EXPIRE AT NOON CST TODAY... * WHAT...Sub zero wind chill indicies are expected the remainder of this afternoon. * WHERE...Portions of east central and northeast Nebraska and west central Iowa. * WHEN...Wind Chill Advisory will end at noon CST today. For the second Wind Chill Advisory, from 6 PM this evening to noon CST Thursday. * IMPACTS...The cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Use caution while traveling. Wear appropriate clothing, a hat, and gloves. &&
The ambassadors of Morocco and Israel to the United States, Lalla Joumala and Michael Herzog hosted a joint event in Washington to celebrate the first anniversary of the Morocco-Israel-USA tripartite agreement which triggered a dynamic of cooperation in the service of development and peace, with, in particular, the resumption of Moroccan-Israeli diplomatic relations.

Actually, Morocco and Israel established diplomatic ties under the trilateral agreement in December 2020.

Ambassador of Morocco to the United States Lalla Joumala Alaoui and Israeli ambassador Michael Herzog celebrated this milestone together along with the State Departments Acting Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Yael Lempert, several members of the US Congress including Representatives Ted Deutch and Steve Cohen, as well as diplomats and representatives of the political, economic and cultural circles of the American capital.

In an address on this occasion, the Moroccan diplomat described the tripartite agreement as a historic milestone which paved the way, with the Abrahamic Accords, to an unprecedented momentum in favor of peace, prosperity and partnership, and mutual respect in the region.

Under the stewardship of H.M. King Mohammed VI, a bold step was taken a year ago, to re-establish diplomatic ties with Israel and open a new chapter in our bilateral relations, the Moroccan diplomat said, noting that this initiative represents the natural evolution of an already rich, multifaceted and long-standing relationship, marked by the Kingdoms deep attachment to its Moroccan Jewish community and the firm commitment of the sovereign and his ancestors, in favor of the preservation of the Hebrew culture and heritage of our country.

The seeds of peace planted over the past year are already starting to bear fruit by positively impacting the life of the peoples of the region, argued Lalla Joumala Alaoui, deeming that it is difficult not to be filled with optimism for the future when one observes the enthusiasm and significant momentum that the trilateral agreement and the Abrahamic Accords have generated since 2020.

Collectively, we must work tirelessly to ensure that the achievements of the past year are broadened and deeply rooted at the human level. This will be the engine of a dynamic of lasting peace in the region, underlined the Moroccan diplomat.

This new chapter in our special relationship goes much deeper than aligned geopolitical interests, the Israeli ambassador on his part said.

The relations between the Jewish people and Morocco are ancient, unique and noteworthy. Generations of Jews have found refuge all over Morocco at various points over the last few thousand years, the diplomat said.

He recalled, in this regard, that the late Mohammed V courageously resisted the Nazis, preventing them from eradicating the Moroccan Jewish community during the Holocaust.

Today, this legacy of generosity and protection from the royal family is all the more significant, he said, noting that King Mohammed VI took a historic step by ordering the integration of the study of Jewish history into the Moroccan education system.

Equally historic, was the Kings initiative to rehabilitate Moroccan Jewish schools, synagogues and cemeteries, he added.

For Israel, said Mr. Herzog, Morocco is a very important player in the Middle East and Africa, as it is a voice of reason, moderation and conciliation.

Together, we can advance our shared vision for a peaceful, thriving and stable region. I strongly believe that the relations between us, as well as the relations between Jews and Muslims at large, could make a significant contribution in this respect. They could become a game-changer in many critical areas such as healthcare, climate change, food security, high tech and so much more, the Israeli diplomat stated further.

The renewal of diplomatic relations between Morocco and Israel is a turning point that has deepened existing historical ties, which is likely to favor a broader peace in the Middle East, said US Acting Assistant Secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs, Yael Lempert.

We see the Moroccan-Israeli normalization agreement not only as a positive element for Israel and Morocco individually, but also as an agreement that will contribute to the stability of the region and a really important element in achieving our strategic objectives, Lempert pointed out during the event.

A strong relationship between Israel and Morocco has the potential to contribute to a broader peace in the Middle East, including between the Israelis and the Palestinians, she said.

Commenting the centuries-old ties between the Kingdom and the Jewish community, the US official noted that they are among the oldest in the world.

Just around the corner from the American Legation in Tangier is one of the citys oldest Jewish cemeteries, now protected by Muslim guards, a testament to Moroccos incredible tradition of religious tolerance, she stressed, adding that the process of re-establishing diplomatic relations has revived and deepened the historic ties between Morocco and Israel.

Israelis and Moroccans are already benefiting as trade and tourism are developing, creating new opportunities for all, including young people and marginalized communities, cultural programs and academic exchanges bridge the gaps and strengthen a culture of tolerance, the US official said, recalling that very recently, Israel and Morocco signed a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation.
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***

No one knows who decided  at the last minute, likely for security reasons  to send Dodge City-based Company D of the U.S. Armys 137th Infantry Regiment through North Platte on Dec. 17, 1941.

Meanwhile, North Plattes Company D of the 134th Infantry Regiment was riding the rails farther south.

Its members would meet the 137th and other 35th Infantry Division units at Fort Ord, near San Francisco, beginning an odyssey that would win the 35th lasting glory in Europe.

We dont know how those Kansans remembered their few minutes at North Plattes 1918 Union Pacific Depot. (What you read above is extrapolated from North Platte news stories about that day.)

But the experience inspired the young woman who boarded their train  25-year-old Rae Wilson  to write a letter published the next morning in the North Platte Daily Bulletin (which would merge with this newspaper in November 1946).

We had a canteen that served troop trains during World War I, Wilson wrote. We can do it again.
The dual marriage licenses came to light the following year after the first wife attempted to file her income taxes as married filing jointly with Johnson. The IRS had rejected her filing, informing her that Johnson had already filed income taxes as married filing jointly with Forney. That led to a police investigation, bigamy charges being filed, and rulings by both county court and district court judges that Johnson was guilty of bigamy.

State law, according to Fridays ruling, allows a person to remarry if a spouse has died or has been absent for at least five years, or if they reasonably believed they were eligible to remarry.

But the Supreme Court ruled that didnt apply to Johnson, because, during oral argument, his attorney conceded that the marriage with the first wife was not void.

While the first marriage might have been voidable, the court ruled that Johnson had not taken steps to file for an annulment to make it invalid, or to obtain an divorce.
This is also an interesting read: https://www.vox.com/2019/12/30/21004981/fandom-history-changes-corporate-marvel-veronica-mars-k-pop

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Yes! I've been waiting patiently for the other parts to this original.

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lmao sorry I'm a flop! I promise I'll finish it!

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It's ok. Take your time.

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yeah, take the time you need because it's excellent.

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Honey, you are doing more work than Kim did to pass the baby bar. Take your time

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This is great. I wrote a paper about Taylor swift and how she creates parasocial relationships with her fans when I was in university. The most successful artist doing it rn in my opinion.

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It's been a thing in author circles for a while now, and I think it's known as "community building". But the idea is that you set up your own Facebook groups and make sure to have a group of fans that become your inner circle who do a lot of free PR for you. It was always weird seeing someone as big as Taylor doing it, but it made sense once social media fan wars became a thing because she had amassed this literal army.

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Smoking a bowl and settling in to read this! The last two posts were really interesting and people had some really thought-provoking comments.

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Same here. Wake n bake and im hft. Exciting

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Did Olivia have her baby yet?

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My personal belief is she had it weeks ago and they are keeping it quiet to avoid confirming timelines. Jen Kirkman tweeted OM had already had the baby at the time OM did her last big interview.



I feel like a psychopath having this in my brain lol



Edited at 2021-12-12 05:15 pm (UTC)

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Nah, she looked full-term the last time I saw her, so that makes sense.

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Who is Jen

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Jen Kirkman admitted she made that up

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HFT

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I hate how celebrities cultivate these fans who froth at the mouth and then tacitly sick them on people and other fandoms who criticize the celebrity.

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If the results werent so shitty itd be fascinating - oh to be a fly on the wall when a celeb realises they fed that beast too much and its now uncontrollable

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I wish I did, but I don't believe celebs ever have that moment. Even if they get bad PR for it, it's easy for them to write it off as "haters" when they're already at the level of delusional where they're manipulating fans. Maybe if their fans then turned on them, but I can't recall any scenarios like that happening.

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And then when the frothers turn on their owner...

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I remember there was a graham norton episode back when one of the xmen movies was coming out where he showed macavoy and fassbender fanart drawn of their characters and I still cringe thinking about it to this day, like it felt deeply socially inappropriate to bring that into the room lol

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These days I see a lot of actors and actresses interacting with fanart (putting it on their stories, commenting, liking, etc) of their characters.

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I'm really glad Graham stopped doing those. They came off as needlessly cruel to the fans and super embarrassing and awkward for the celebrities.

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Great post! I definitely thought I was immune to this, but over the pandemic I watched 200+ episodes of critical role and it changed me lol.

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I used my months of unemployment to go through campaign one, slowly getting through the second while keeping up to date with the third will be interesting for the forseeable futureXD

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OP I feel like you should use this as a thesis/dissertation to get your PhD. It's laid out well and thoughtful

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Idunno if having a Doctorate from ONTD University will get me very far in life. Might actually be a hindrance.

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DOCTOR Shittysoup.

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lmao. But honestly I feel like you could get away with it. There was a guy who did his dissertation on Survivor for his sociology degree I think.

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Other Ways Celebrities Connect



Are we going to discuss the infamous Eli Roth on ontd blueberries incident or

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ONTD would like to erase that from our herstory.

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I cant read suddenly. I dont know 

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Lady Gaga is Italian???

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I've been thinking about pre-social media parasocial relationships a lot, having watched the whole Beatles doc. Clearly they're not really new, and of course theirs had some of the worst possible outcomes.

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I feel like the rise of cons has made fans/groups even more annoying/intense. I have flashbacks to how Stephen Amell/Emily would pander to Olicity fans and how they were treated like play things at cons. But hey....they got A LOT of money out of it so...

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This is very much me inserting myself into a conversation, but I've run into her twice in Vancouver and both times she glared at anyone who dared to look at her and I wanted to pull her aside and be like, "Honey you're not *that* famous."



But I can imagine that if she had to cultivate that kind of fan relationship she probably gets mobbed in public if she does encounter someone who watches Arrow.

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lol this is so funny to me because I'm not proud of it but I did watch every episode of Arrow :(((( and I still don't think I would recognize her beige self irl, so those fans have far better dedication and eyes than me

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I'm always especially weary of the celebs at cons who are OTT friendly with fans and go along with everything they request, because it seems like those are the ones who more often cross the line with said fans (eg. James Marsters, who went on to marry a significantly younger fan)

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Sustained efforts by the US to boost domestic solar PV manufacturing capabilities by imposing anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese modules have comprehensively failed, a Rystad Energy report reveals. Although the tariffs have indeed decimated direct shipments from China, they have been unsuccessful in decreasing overall US dependency on imports, which are set to hit a new annual record in 2021. The US is on track to import a record 27.8 gigawatts (GW) of solar PV panels in 2021 from a range of countries, up from 26.7 GW last year. If recent import trends continue, solar PV imports for 2021 will be worth $8.9 billion in total, a marginal increase from the 2020 total of $8.7 billion, which was also a new record at the time.

In 2008, 22% of all PV modules imported into the US were of Chinese origin. A year later, Chinese PV manufacturers deployed a new business strategy with aggressively low margins which enabled them to outcompete their peers and dominate the US market. As a result, by 2011 the share of Chinese PV imports had risen to 57%. Tariffs on Chinese modules introduced by the US in 2012 led to a rapid decline in the market share of Chinese manufacturers, with 2021 estimates now below 1%.

Related: Activist Investors Call On Exxon To Replace Its CEO However, the goal of stimulating domestic manufacturing capabilities was not achieved, as the US instead filled its supply vacuum with panels from other Asian countries. In 2021, US-manufactured solar PV modules are projected to total 5.2 GW, compared with the 27.8 GW expected from imports. Of this 5.2 GW, around half will come from thin-film panel manufacturing, primarily by First Solar, the world leader in thin-film production. The other half is the more widely used imported composite silicon (cSi) panels, although the projected 2.5 GW represents a mere 50% of total US manufacturing capacity.

Diving deeper into the origin of US solar PV imports, Malaysia became the market leader in 2020, capturing 42% of the US import market share, followed by Vietnam with 38%. In 2021 to date, these countries account for 31% and 28.8% respectively, with Thailand in third place at 26.2%. The decrease in market share for Malaysia and Vietnam illustrates a rise in imports from other nations, including Thailand and South Korea. Only 1% of 2021 year-to-date imports come from regions outside of Asia.

As the solar industry in the US has grown in recent years, the government has strived to protect its domestic solar PV manufacturing capacity, primarily through imposing tariffs on Chinese imports. However, these punitive policies are doing little to boost domestic production. Instead, they are pushing the cost of panels higher and shifting their country of origin to other Asian nations.

The US tariffs are doing little to boost domestic production. Instead, they are pushing the cost of panels higher and shifting their country of origin to other countries in Asia. Policymakers should reconsider their strategies for the US to rise in the global PV manufacturing market and supply domestic demand. A way forward could be emulating the tax credit schemes that have been instrumental in solar and wind capacity deployments in the country, says Marcelo Ortega, renewables analyst with Rystad Energy.

Although these imported modules originate from Southeast Asia, the manufacturers are typically Chinese enterprises that have offshored the assembly phase, the last step in PV module production. Some efforts to counteract these strategies by Chinese companies have been proposed by the US but have so far fallen short.

In 2018, the Trump administration doubled down on attempts to foster a domestic supply chain for solar PV panels, enacting Section 201 tariffs on imported cSi. The policy heavily impacted PV imports and capacity installations in 2018, lowering imports to 6.8 GW, down 66.7% from the 10.2 GW imported in 2017. However, the industry bounced back in 2019 and 2020 thanks in part to a temporary tariff exemption and the scheduled phasing down of tariffs.

Related: Carbon Capture Innovations Will Play A Key Role In Net-Zero Ambitions

In August 2021, the US Department of Commerce received an anonymous petition to investigate Chinese manufacturers circumventing anti-dumping tariffs by relocating facilities to Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The move could have expanded the tariffs to include these countries but the request was rejected in November. If passed, the impact on US manufacturing would likely have been negligible.

In 2015, a similar investigation into Taiwan-manufactured PV modules led to a tariff extension covering Taiwan and effectively killed its panel exports to the US. However, instead of US manufacturing stepping up, facilities were moved to elsewhere in Asia, such as Malaysia. Extending anti-dumping tariffs to other nations does not seem to incentivize US domestic manufacturing.

Despite the US cSi PV module manufacturing capacity of 5.5 GW per year, this capacity is exclusively module assembly and relies on imported PV cells produced overseas. Asia is the PV cell market leader, with 52% of US imports of solar cells so far this year coming from South Korea, 25% from Malaysia and 15% from Thailand. The US is set to import a record volume of PV cells in 2021, with 3 GW expected by the end of the year, eclipsing the 2.5 GW imported in 2019.

This suggests that while US domestic module assembly capabilities are ramping up, current import levels indicate a meager 50.8% manufacturing capacity utilization rate without accounting for any domestic PV cell production.

The US benefits from some domestic polysilicon production, but after the 2012 tariffs imposed on Chinese panels, China retaliated with duties on solar-grade polysilicon imported from the US, thereby propping up Chinese domestic production and setting the scene for it to become the worlds largest supplier. China now holds 97% and 79% of all silicon wafer and cell production, respectively, which indicates that practically no US-produced silicon makes it back into a PV cell or module.

Without meaningful change, the US solar industry is at risk of becoming assembly-only, continuing its reliance on overseas commodities for the early stages of the supply chain in order to ramp up solar capacity to meet demand, Ortega concludes.

By Rystad Energy

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Meteorologists now say the narrative is flipping from warmer weather to colder weather again

Since mid-October, U.S. natural gas futures have been beaten down 40% as the narrative of colder weather and tight supplies quickly flipped and crushed bullish traders. As the Northern Hemisphere winter is less than two weeks away, new weather models suggest "significantly colder" temperatures could return for parts of the U.S. later this month into early 2022.

Meteorologists at private weather forecasting firm BAMWX expect a bullish setup for natgas futures. They say the narrative is flipping from warmer weather to the complete opposite as an Arctic polar vortex could plunge parts of the U.S. into a much colder weather pattern in January than today's currently mild, above-trend temperatures.

"Seeing an interesting pattern developing ahead leading up to Christmas and into early January '22, as higher pressure looks to finally re-establish towards Alaska and the North Atlantic, pushing cold from the Arctic down into the US (after a record warm start to the month). If the MJO (Madden-Julian Oscillation) can continue to progress through phase 7 into 8 (and possibly into 1) mid to late December, this can also increase the potential for a Polar Vortex displacement event, sending more consistent cold air deeper into the USa big risk to watch for the energy markets ahead," Kirk Hinz, the chief meteorologist at BAMWX, noted.

BAMWX outlines now could be the time to find a long entry into natgas futures, or as they put it, "long UNG," the United States Natural Gas Fund, LP. ETF. Their reasoning behind the play is quite simple:

Long UNG Equity, Why? Polar Vortex Jan 2022 Northeast - Front-month NG1 40% drawdown in 6 weeks - Things can change on a dime but the setup is very good in our view - When you get a nice - healthy- capitulation puke ahead of this kind of possible shift typically leads to drama reversal - seasonal pattern - GFS (global forecasting system) pointing to an increased probability of Polar Vortex disruptions - decent chance forecasts suddenly get significantly colder to end Dec and open up 2022. Much of the Street got caught very long in Sept, anticipating a brutally cold winter, along with supply risk - then came above ave temps and then the "flush" exit, a now a polar vortex? -BAMWX

Natgas traders should carefully monitor temperature forecasts and heating degree day estimates for the U.S. to gauge future energy demand. Natgas futures have found support on an upward sloping diagonal trend line. Bloomberg reported earlier this week that traders were buying the dip on the prospects of colder weather later this month.

Looking across the Atlantic, colder weather and tight supplies sent Dutch natural gas for next month, the European benchmark, over the 100 euro mark and near all-time highs.

The divergence between U.S. and European energy prices is remarkable and may also suggest a reversal in U.S. natgas is nearing.

If BAMWX is right, a monster reversal in U.S. natgas futures could be ahead if forecasts pan out.

By Zerohedge.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Washington plans to send a delegation led by Robert Malley, the special U.S. envoy for Iran, to Vienna over the weekend.

The U.S., participating indirectly, is warning that if diplomacy cannot get on track, it will have to take additional measures to restrict Irans revenue-producing sectors.

Nuclear talks with Iran have hit a stalemate following a seventh round of talks last week.

As Tehran and world powers seeking to revive the moribund 2015 nuclear deal resumed talks in Vienna, the United States warned that it would take "additional measures" to block Iran's ability to earn revenue if diplomacy over the country's nuclear program fails. "Given the ongoing advances in Iran's nuclear program, [President Joe Biden] has asked his team to be prepared in the event that diplomacy fails and we must turn to other options," White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said on December 9.

"If diplomacy cannot get on track soon and if Iran's nuclear program continues to accelerate, then we will have no choice but to take additional measures to further restrict Iran's revenue-producing sectors."

A seventh round of talks began last week between the remaining signatories  Iran, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and China -- after a five-month break caused by a new hard-line government assuming power in Tehran.

The United States is participating indirectly because it withdrew from the accord in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump. President Joe Biden has signaled that he wants to rejoin the deal.

European diplomats urged Tehran to come back with realistic proposals after the Iranian delegation made numerous new demands last week that U.S. and European negotiators rejected.

EU diplomat Enrique Mora, who is chairing the Vienna talks, said he had observed a renewed sense of purpose by the parties to bring the accord back to life.

Related: The Biggest Threats To Oil Have Already Been Priced In Whether that will be confirmed and endorsed by negotiations on the details, we will see in the coming days, Mora told reporters.

According to U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price, it will take a few days to judge whether Iran is showing flexibility in the talks.

Asked if Iran might be playing for time in the talks and seeking to exploit U.S. weakness, he told reporters: "I can assure you that, if the Iranian regime suspects the United States of weakness, they will be sorely surprised."

Ali Bagheri Kani, Iran's top negotiator, said Tehran was serious about reaching an agreement if the ground is paved.

The fact that all sides want the talks to continue shows that all parties want to narrow the gaps," he told reporters.

The United States has repeatedly cautioned Iran against drawing out negotiations while continuing to advance its nuclear program, warning that Washington will pursue other options if diplomacy fails.

The accord sealed in Vienna in 2015, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was meant to curb Iran's nuclear program in return for loosened economic sanctions.

Related: The Multi-Billion Dollar Start Of A Nuclear Fusion Boom

Following the U.S. decision to withdraw from the JCPOA, Tehran gradually ramped up its nuclear program in response to the reimposition of sanctions and suspected Israeli attacks on its nuclear facilities and scientists. Iran has also restricted monitors from the UN nuclear watchdog from accessing its nuclear installations.

The main hurdles in negotiations center on the technical aspects of bringing Iran back into compliance with its nuclear commitments and the timing and extent of sanctions relief. Iran is demanding that all U.S. sanctions be lifted and wants guarantees that a future U.S. administration wont trash the deal.

Washington plans to send a delegation led by Robert Malley, the special U.S. envoy for Iran, to Vienna over the weekend.

By RFE/RL

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Staff absences and unfilled positions lead to a random rotation of teachers covering classes they are not certified to teach, the educators said. And because of staffing shortages, class sizes are sometimes bigger, and at times, large numbers of students are put into a room or cafeteria with one or two adults.

After the school board meeting last month, The World-Herald requested an interview with Superintendent Cheryl Logan to discuss the concerns raised by OPS staff. Instead, the newspaper was granted an interview with Chief Talent Officer Cecil Hicks, Student and Community Services Chief Officer Lisa Utterback and Chief Strategy Officer Fateama Fulmore.

Fulmore said that when she sees teachers having a difficult time, she doesnt see teachers ready to throw in the towel but teachers looking for resources and support.

What you saw at the board meeting that night is what we do as educators, Fulmore said. We advocate for our children. We advocate for what we need to be best for our children.

Fulmore said students are returning to school with a lot of emotions and some confusion about what has happened in their life over the past two years.
MINDEN, La. (AP)  The oldest brother of Kansas City Chiefs cornerback LJarius Sneed was killed by a woman in northern Louisiana on Friday night, police said.

TQarontarion TQ Harrison was stabbed in Minden, KTBS-TV reported. Police Chief Steve Cropper said the 32-year-old died from a single stab wound to his back, that punctured his lung. A large kitchen knife was recovered.

Harrison tried to drive himself to a local hospital but crashed his vehicle into the building, according to Cropper. He was transported to another medical center, where he died following an emergency surgery.

Angela Washington, 47, was arrested and charged with second-degree homicide. Authorities didnt offer a motive, and it wasnt immediately clear if she had an attorney who could comment on her behalf.
The Energy Department has also invested $400 million to help build a small modular reactor, or SMR, power plant in Idaho designed by Oregon-based NuScale Power. The test plant is expected to be completed by 2029.

Bostelman said that some new-generation reactors would be small enough to fit on the back of a truck and that the small modular reactors could be stacked together, or added later, to create an electric generation station as small or large as needed. The smaller size and simpler design of SMRs would require less water, she said, so they could be located in desert climates.

What about waste? Bostelman said some of the new plants use spent nuclear fuel. And despite a decades-long battle that ultimately canceled plans for a national repository for high-level radioactive waste in Nevada, there have been no incidents involving nuclear waste in the U.S., she said.

The new technologies are the result of 60 years of research, and are a tremendous improvement over reactors now in use, Bostelman said.

I would very much encourage people to do research on this and not to hold onto old myths, especially related to waste, she said.
Name: Angelique Racki

Position: Founder of BCAI Cultural Arts & Humanities

1. What is the BCAI?

The BCAI" is actually BCAI Cultural Arts & Humanities; we are a culturally and socially aware expression platform for creatives  available to everyone regardless of income and in honor of every background. BCAI stands for Breaking Chains Advancing Increase, which means we utilize arts as a catalyst for higher levels of consciousness  to create protected space for beings to access themselves as much as, and as freely as, possible, thereby increasing awareness of self, community, culture.

2. What is the "why" for BCAI-CAH?

For generations, neuro-divergence has been shamed, segregated and stigmatized. Those that are neuro-divergent, instead of being admired and supported openly, we experience isolation and anxiety. When an individual feels safe enough to access their imagination, what can only be labeled as pure power is dispersed and, in true contagion form, infects those around, thereby influencing bystanders into their own liberation. It isn't just neuro-divergence, but also those with various levels of trauma that most systems they're part of, such as school, health care, etc., never take into account. Visionaries and creatives need to be honored and protected while they learn how to contribute to society in positive and productive ways, breaking generational and societal cycles and trauma.

Our "why" is sacred space  for every identity, no matter how they identify, to reach their next level safely.

3. What are the core programs at BCAI right now and who do you typically partner with?

Hip Hop Elemental Arts, Step Inn Performance Team, BCAI's Break Team (breakin/breakdance), Summer Arts Exposure (three-week summer camp), martial arts, various dance and visual arts classes; we are available for all ages 3 and up.

As for partners, this is a long list! However, frequent or recent partners include Stay Relentless: Life & Hip Hop Initiative (Chicago) and locally, McLean County Museum of History; Central IL Community Educators; Afro-Socialist Caucus; Conexiones Latinas; BN Latine Network; Coffee Hound; uptown Normal; Not In Our Town; Integrity Counseling; Creative Healing Art Therapy LLC; Hopeful In Victory LLC; Illinois Wesleyan University; Illinois State University; and artists such as Kendall Miles (Miles Ahead band), Ollie Bravo (Oliver Johnson, engineer, producer), Darius Williams, Seven Six Supah (Chicago), Famous Doug, Haven Ryburn and so many more!

I must point out significant financial support as well because in this, we are partners reaching aligned goals: McLean County Art Center, Illinois Arts Alliance, IL Prairie Community Foundation, State Farm, Oes Freelancing, Sara Almaraz, Terry and Shena Palmer, Ella Zona, Angelica Taylor, Terrence Smith and the Afro-Socialist & Socialists of Color Caucus as a whole and certain members such as Robert Garcia, Sonny Garcia and Georgene Chissell. I must also acknowledge our patrons on Patreon (www.Patreon.com/BCAI_arts)  their contributions have funded numerous scholarships, professional trainings in Chicago and now, a lineup of professional trainings such as resume building, trauma/consent, self-defense and CPR/first aid for our teens and staff.

4. Do you have any events coming up?

Yes! Our annual Mix.Fuze.Evolve. fundraiser! On April 16 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Hansen Student Center, we will be celebrating the Latine influence and contributions to hip-hop culture. The funds raised at MFE fund scholarships (50%), student opportunities (30%) and general BCAI needs to further our mission (20%). This event is crucial, not just for the financial assistance but because it always brings together our community and encompasses an entire year of BCAI into one interactive event: youth, culture, community, multi-faceted art, family. There will be amazing food, visual art, performance art and even a live mural that guests can participate in. We are bringing in guests from all over, including Detroit. We are still welcoming event sponsors and look forward to meeting new partners!

Also upcoming is the release of our official music video to the track "Get Right" that our Hip Hop Elemental Arts Session 2 participants created from scratch  their instrumental, their vibe, their emotion, their words. Release date is Dec. 25 at 9 a.m. via YouTube. And in late spring we will be releasing our second track into the world after Session 4 finishes March 19. "Get Right" is streaming on every platform, and if you download via www.BCAI-CAH.Bandcamp.com, the amount you download for will go directly into the program itself.

5. Since you work predominantly with youth, what message do you have for adults in general?

As this year has taught me in various ways, as a teacher and a parent, it is imperative that we as adults are constantly checking our own traumas and conditioning to prevent continuing any and all destructive cycles. If we're prone to yelling  check it. If there are insecurities floating around in your relationships  check it. Our childhoods are not our faults, but as adults, it is 100% our responsibility to heal and not perpetuate further damage.

The other huge one  if you are not listening to and learning from the generations that come after you, you are foolish and part of the problem. (This includes your own children.)

Before you decide to send your "problem child" to therapy, make sure they aren't just being entirely misunderstood  which then brings us full circle to constantly checking our own selves first.

Again, the most important voice on this topic is from the youth themselves. Download and/or listen to their "Get Right" track, streaming on all platforms. Their prompt was literally, "What would you like to say to adults that you don't typically feel like you can say?"

Contact Kade Heather at 309-820-3256. Follow him on Twitter: @kadeheather

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BLOOMINGTON  Prosecutors have until April 1 to file a motion to dismiss Barton M. McNeils petition for post-conviction relief from his 1999 murder conviction for his 3-year-old daughters death.

McNeil, now 62, is serving a 100-year prison sentence for his daughter Christinas 1998 suffocation death, but he has claimed his innocence since. He has accused his ex-girlfriend, Misook Nowlin, of the murder which occurred June 15, 1998, on the same night McNeil broke off the relationship with Nowlin.

Nowlin, who now has the last name Wang, was convicted in 2012 of murdering her 70-year-old mother-in-law, Linda Tyda, by strangulation in September 2011.

Lawyers from the Illinois Innocence Project and the Exoneration Project filed a 65-page petition for post-conviction relief and a new trial for McNeil's daughters death based on new DNA evidence and advances in scientific evidence.

McLean County Assistant States Attorney Mary Koll said in a court hearing Friday that she chose to file a motion to dismiss McNeils petition  which, if granted, would significantly curb McNeils renewed effort toward exoneration  instead of bypassing the step to an evidentiary hearing on the petition, which she raised as a possibility in McNeils last hearing in November.

McNeils lawyers John Hanlon, Stephanie Kamel, Leanne Beyer, Lauren Myerscough-Mueller and Karl Leonard have until April 21 to respond to the states attorneys motion to dismiss McNeils petition. Defense lawyers indicated Friday that they will file a response.

Judge William Yoder scheduled a half-day hearing for May 12 for arguments regarding the states attorneys request to dismiss McNeils petition for relief.

McNeil is expected to be present at the May 12 hearing. He was not present at the hearing Friday or in November.

If the judge rules in McNeils favor following the May 12 arguments, an evidentiary hearing would be set. That hearing would focus on the details and new evidence laid out in McNeils petition. It also would include expert testimonies and cross-examinations.

McNeil, who has gained more hope and attention after the innocence projects picked up his case, and when his and Nowlins stories were told in an episode of the Oxygen Networks Snapped: Behind Bars, said in a brief interview with The Pantagraph Friday morning that hes elated about the continuous and increasing support.

I think its just fantastic, McNeil said from the Pinckneyville Correctional Center prior to Fridays status hearing. As long as my words are being heard, Christina now has a voice. And her voice has been unheard all these years, so more than anything, Im glad that the truth is finally becoming known of who really stole my daughters life, and hopefully some larger-scale justice will come from this.

Jeff Boyer is a close friend of McNeil after they worked together at a Bloomington restaurant. McNeil was a manager, while Boyer was working there during his time as a student at Illinois State University.

Boyer, who attended Fridays hearing, said he lost connection with McNeil after his conviction, but that McNeil reached out to him a few years ago. They now write to each other every few months.

I believed in him at the time when I visited him at the jail when he was locked away, Boyer said after Fridays hearing. Just my conversations and the time that I spent with Bart, it was watching movies, it was listening to music, it was talking about his daughter at the time.

When asked about the time passing between status hearings, Boyer said, Its the process that we have to go through.

Theres been some momentum building up to this point and I think thats the thing to keep in perspective here, is that getting justice for Christina and getting justice for Bart is going to take some time, Boyer said. Hopefully this man will be set free because theres a lot of us here that knew Bart as a kind and loving person, so this man hasnt even been able to mourn the loss of his daughter the right way, and so, it may just take some time.

Contact Kade Heather at 309-820-3256. Follow him on Twitter: @kadeheather

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CLINTON  Communities in Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York and Maryland will receive more than $4.3 million to support critical needs, thanks to annual giving campaign contributions from Exelon Generation employees and the Exelon Foundation.

Workers at the fleet's 12 nuclear power plants and fellow corporate employees pledged nearly $2.9 million to more than 2,200 different charities in their surrounding communities this year. For every dollar employees pledged, the Exelon Foundation donated 50 cents to their local United Way.

Employees at the Clinton Power Station in Clinton pledged more than $237,000 to 196 charities during this year's giving campaign.

Organizations supported by this pledge include Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois, DeWitt County Museum, Neighborhood Care Center and The Vault Community Center.

The donations will be distributed throughout 2022.

Exelon recently donated $5,000 to The Vault in Clinton to help support recreational programs including tutoring, summer career camps and more.

"Exelon Generation is a strong community partner that helps raise money for so many local nonprofit organizations," said Tammy Wilson, executive director of The Vault. "Because of the generosity of the Clinton Power Station, we are able to serve over 200 teens each week by providing recreational programs, tutoring, crisis resources, enrichment classes, business and leadership programs, summer career camps and community service opportunities  all of which help them recognize their value, realize their potential and ultimately reach their goals."

Exelon also recently donated $5,000 to the Neighborhood Care Center to support the Neighborhood Market.

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SPRINGFIELD  Downstate Illinois is continuing to hollow out, with U.S. Census data, released Thursday afternoon, confirming the regions losses as the main driver of the states population loss over the past 10 years.

All but 14 of Illinois 102 counties experienced population decline this past decade, but the distribution was uneven, with eight counties in populous northeastern Illinois (Cook County, the five suburban collar counties and exurban Grundy and Kendall counties) combining for nearly 149,000 in population growth.

But, the rest of the state combined to lose nearly 167,000 people, creating a net loss of more than 18,000 residents and making Illinois just one of three states to lose population this decade.

Insofar as population growth plays into economic development, human capital, those sorts of things, then the total picture is certainly not anything to celebrate, said Kent Redfield, a retired professor of political science at the University of Illinois Springfield.

There were some pockets of downstate growth, with Champaigns population increasing 8.2% to 88,302, making it one of the states 10 largest cities. Bloomington also registered a 2.6% jump to 78,680.

Other areas of growth included Carroll, Effingham, Johnson, Monroe and Williamson counties.

Peoria and Springfield registered modest declines, while Decaturs population declined 7.4% to just above 70,000. The citys population has now declined 25% since reaching a peak of more than 94,000 in 1980.

Alexander County, at the far southern tip of the state, registered the steepest decline, 36%.

Counties with state universities, perhaps still feeling the impact of the state's 2015-2017 budget impasse or a loss of students from COVID-19, registered some steep losses.

Coles County, home to Eastern Illinois University, was down 13%. Jackson County, home of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, was down 12%. McDonough County, home of Western Illinois University, had a 16.5% decline.

The data also confirmed that, like the rest of the country, Illinois has become more diverse, with its share of non-Hispanic/Latino whites declining more than 14% while those identifying as Hispanic or Latino increasing by more than 15%. The states Asian population also increased more than 28%. The states Black population decreased by just over 3%.

About 61% of Illinois residents identify as white, 18% as Hispanic or Latino, 14% as Black and 6% as Asian. A record number of people identify as some other race or two or more races.

I think we're seeing something that we expected to see, which was Latino populations becoming fairly prominent not just in the state but across the country, said Julie Dowling, an associate professor of sociology and Latino studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago. And so we're seeing increasing diversity in our country.

Dowling said this in part is fueling the disparity between the gains of the more-diverse Chicago region versus the losses of the less-diverse rural areas of the state.

The report definitely stressed that urban communities are where we're seeing a lot of this growth, Dowling said. And urban communities tend to also be more diverse than rural communities. So mainly, it's like that divide between urban and rural.

This uneven divide in population loss also has the potential to fuel the next redistricting battle as state lawmakers prepare to return this fall to redraw U.S. congressional district lines.

The state's population decline resulted in the loss of a seat in Congress. With state legislative Democrats controlling the process, it is likely conservative downstate will lose representation as the party seeks to maximize its political advantage, which lately has been the Chicago suburbs.

That's the area that has become the political battleground, Redfield said. If the Democrats are gaining ground in the suburbs and losing ground downstate or the Republicans are gaining ground downstate and losing ground in the suburbs, then those demographic trends obviously favor the Democrats.

The General Assembly approved state legislative districts earlier this year but waited for more accurate census data to draw congressional lines. That process can now move forward since the redistricting data has been delivered.

But a date has not yet been set for lawmakers to return to tackle the topic.

While the information does come out today, we will need the time to receive and analyze the data, said Jaclyn Driscoll, spokesperson for House Speaker Chris Welch, D-Hillside. I dont have any additional information at this time.

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NORMAL  The holidays truly are for helping one another.

Dozens volunteered Saturday at the 39th annual Children's Christmas Party, serving about 185 low-income families and 700 children with groceries and holiday cheer. It was hosted at Midwest Food Bank in Normal and sponsored by the Bloomington & Normal Trades & Labor Assembly and the McLean County Chamber of Commerce.

Candy, produce and toys were donated by Blains Farm and Fleet, the Tinervin Family Foundation, Illinois Wesleyan University and Darnall Printing. Additionally, Meijer, Hy-Vee and the Gingerbread House provided toys and candy at a discount. Pantagraph Medias Goodfellow Fund was an additional sponsor of the event.

Mike Matejka, retiree of the LiUNA Local 362 construction union, said that for some families, this is Christmas. This is going to be it.

So this is very significant in terms of brightening the holidays for families who may not have much.

He said families had their choice between ham and turkey, provided by Tinervin, and were given age-appropriate toys for their kids during the drive-through event.

The event started in 1982, when Matejka said there was high unemployment in the Bloomington-Normal area and 800 children were served. He said they had always done it at Bloomington High School, and had games and activities along with the gifts.

Charlie Moore, CEO of the McLean County Chamber of Commerce, said the Christmas party has continued through the decades, and they figured out how to overcome challenges caused by COVID.

Moore said they got creative minds together and determined they could mimic the food drive that the food bank does for Thanksgiving.

He gave many thanks to the food bank for letting them use the facility, adding that without it, the party wouldnt be possible.

John Penn was one of the original organizers of the Christmas party. He noted that several generations of volunteers are showing up, and he expects the event to carry on forever.

Wed love to not do it if we dont have unemployment, but we know thats not going to happen, Penn said.

Many of these folks have jobs, but they have two or three part-time jobs, Matejka said. They may be working, but theyre not making it.

And they still need assistance, he added.

Penn said labor and management have always had a great relationship in McLean County, and this serves as an example to other communities.

This is the perfect example, seeing the chamber and labor sitting here today, Penn said.

Local 362s Lorinda Chastain of Maroa said she brought her kids, Raylan and Avery, to teach them about how its amazing to help each other out.

Its what were supposed to do, she said.

Santa Claus made a visit to Midwest Food Bank, too, along with Mrs. Claus, who both noticed the little helpers lively work ethic. Santa told the two children they were doing great work  and he offered them a job at the North Pole, once they turned 16.

I need a good cookie maker, he told the youngsters.

Also there was McLean County Judge Carla Barnes, who was sworn in this February as the first African-American judge in the 11th Circuit Court.

Barnes told The Pantagraph shes there for the holiday spirit, and she was happy to be present.

It's a wonderful way to connect with people and do some things that are making you feel good, and you see the smiles on their faces," she said.

She added it helps her appreciate the holiday season, especially with everything thats gone on during the pandemic.

It makes you really appreciate the connection that we can have with people during this time," Barnes said.

McLean County States Attorney Don Knapp echoed her enjoyment for the event. He said theyve always had a great relationship with laborers and the Penns, and volunteering at the party helps put him in the Christmas spirit.

Kevin Callis of Bloomington volunteered Saturday as well.

Its a very important time, he said. This is the whole community coming together for the holidays, and were helping people who might need a little extra help at an important time of the year.

Steve Childers, of Normal, was another laborer with Local 362 lending a helping hand. He said hes grateful  and blessed  for what he has. And its nice to give back.

He noted there are people out there struggling to find a place to live and have food on the table.

Its a beautiful thing thats going on here, said Peter Woods, who picked up food on Saturday. He said hes glad the program is around.

With him was Cate Ward. She said Woods workplace, Ashers Bar and Grill in Farmington, burned down on Thanksgiving Day.

This was the only place we could get help, said Ward.

Bloomington's Cortney Shipp drove in to pick up some gifts, and said shes very happy for the help. She described it as a blessing.

After getting a gift card, she said it put a smile on my face."

And, it turned my frown upside down.

Contact Brendan Denison at (309) 820-3238. Follow Brendan Denison on Twitter: @BrendanDenison

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NEW YORK (AP)  Anne Rice, the novelist whose lush, best-selling gothic tales, including Interview With the Vampire, reinvented the blood-drinking immortals as tragic antiheroes, has died. She was 80.

Rice died late Saturday due to complications from a stroke, her son Christopher Rice announced on her Facebook page and his Twitter page.

As a writer, she taught me to defy genre boundaries and surrender to my obsessive passions, Christopher Rice, also an author, wrote. In her final hours, I sat beside her hospital bed in awe of her accomplishments and her courage.

Rice's 1976 novel Interview With the Vampire" was later adapted, with a script by Rice, into the 1994 movie directed by Neil Jordan and starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. It's also set to be adapted again in an upcoming TV series on AMC and AMC+ set to premiere next year.

Interview With the Vampire, in which reporter Daniel Molloy interviews Louis de Pointe du Lac, was Rice's first novel but over the next five decades, she would write more than 30 books and sell more than 150 million copies worldwide. Thirteen of those were part of the Vampire Chronicles" begun with her 1976 debut. Long before Twilight or True Blood, Rice introduced sumptuous romance, female sexuality and queerness  many took Interview With the Vampire as an allegory for homosexuality  to the supernatural genre.

I wrote novels about people who are shut out life for various reasons," Rice wrote in her 2008 memoir Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession. This became a great theme of my novels  how one suffers as an outcast, how one is shut out of various levels of meaning and, ultimately, out of human life itself."

Born Howard Allen Frances OBrien in 1941, she was raised in New Orleans, where many of her novels were set. Her father worked for the postal service but made sculptures and wrote fiction on the side. Her older sister, Alice Borchardt, also wrote fantasy and horror fiction. Rice's mother died when Rice was 15.

Raised in an Irish Catholic family, Rice initially imagined herself becoming a priest (before she realized women weren't allowed) or a nun. Rice often wrote about her fluctuating spiritual journey. In 2010, she announced that she was no longer Christian, saying I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control.

I believed for a long time that the differences, the quarrels among Christians didnt matter a lot for the individual, that you live your life and stay out of it. But then I began to realize that it wasnt an easy thing to do, Rice told The Associated Press then. I came to the conclusion that if I didnt make this declaration, I was going to lose my mind.

Rice married the poet Stan Rice, who died in 2002, in 1961. They lived amid the bohemian scene of Haight-Ashbury in 1960s San Francisco where Rice described herself as a square, typing away and studying writing at San Francisco State University while everyone else partied. Together they had two children: Christopher and Michelle, who died of leukemia at 5 in 1972.

It was while grieving Michelle's death that Rice wrote Interview With the Vampire," turning one of her short stories into a book. Rice traced her fascination with vampires back to the 1934 film, Dracula's Daughter, which she saw as a young girl.

I never forgot that film, Rice told the Daily Beast in 2016. That was always my impression of what vampires were: earthlings with heightened sensibility and a doomed appreciation of life.

Though Rice had initially struggled to get it published, Interview With the Vampire was a massive hit, particularly in paperback. She didn't immediately extend the story, following it up with a pair of historical novels and three erotic novels penned under the pseudonym A. N. Roquelaure. But in 1985, she published The Vampire Lestat, about the Interview With the Vampire character she would continually return to, up to 2018's Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat.

In Rice's Vampire Chronicles, some critics saw only cheap eroticism. But others  including millions of readers  saw the most consequential interpretation of vampires since Bram Stoker.

Let me suggest one reason why the books found a mass audience. They were written by someone whose auditory and visual experiences shaped the prose," Rice wrote in her memoir. "I am a terrible reader. But my mind is filled with these auditory and visual lessons and, powered by them, I can write about five times faster than I can read.

Rice's longtime editor, Victoria Wilson, recalled her as a fierce storyteller who wrote large, lived quietly, and imagined worlds on a grand scale."

She summoned the feelings of an age long before we knew what they were," Wilson said in a statement. "As a writer, she was decades ahead of her time.

Rice will be interred during a private ceremony at a family mausoleum in New Orleans, her family said. A public celebration will also be planned for next year in New Orleans. Ramses the Damned: The Reign of Osiris, a novel Rice wrote with her son Christopher, will be published in February.

Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP

This story has been updated to correct the title of Interview With the Vampire in the first paragraph.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
CHICAGO - A 26-year-old man was fatally wounded early Saturday morning while standing on a friends porch, and at least six other victims were injured in city shootings since 9 p.m. Friday, Chicago police said.

The fatal shooting happened about 3:25 a.m. in the Palmer Square neighborhood in the 2100 block of North Palmer Avenue.

Police said the victim was standing on the porch of a friends home when he suffered a gunshot wound to the head. His friend discovered him there after hearing a loud sound of gunfire. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

No one was in custody, and detectives were investigating.

In non-fatal shootings overnight Friday into Saturday morning:

Around 2 a.m. Saturday, a 22-year-old man was shot in the leg, and taken to Advocate Trinity Hospital where he was listed in good condition. Police said the victim was uncooperative and would not tell officers any details about the shooting.

Around 12:30 a.m., a 42-year-old man was shot in the 3400 block of West Lake Street in East Garfield Park neighborhood. Police said the man was outside when he was shot multiple times to. the body. He was taken in critical condition to Mount Sinai Hospital.

Around 11:35 p.m. Friday, a 20-year-old man was grazed by gunfire while driving in the 800 block of South Kedzie Avenue in the Homan Square neighborhood, police said. The victim was attempting to make a left turn at a traffic light when he heard several shots and felt pain. The victim believes someone traveling in a white SUV opened fire. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital with a graze wound to the head, and listed in good condition.

Shortly before 10:15 p.m., a 25-year-old man was shot while driving in the 3700 block of South Hermitage Avenue in the McKinley Park neighborhood. The victim was traveling south when someone exited a gangway and began shooting in his direction. The victim suffered a leg wound, and was taken to Stroger Hospital where he was listed in good condition, police said.

Around 9 p.m., a 39-year-old woman and a 27-year-old man were both shot in the 7100 block of South Western Avenue in the Marquette Park neighborhood. Both victims were outside when they heard several shots and felt pain. The woman suffered a gunshot wound to the buttocks, and the man suffered two shots to the stomach area. Both victims were taken to Holy Cross Hospital in fair condition, but were expected to be taken to Mount Sinai Hospital for further treatment, police said.

No one was in custody for any of the shootings, and detectives were investigating.

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CHICAGO  The family of a 14-year-old boy fatally shot by a Chicago police officer more than seven years ago has reached a $1.2 million lawsuit settlement with city officials.

The family had disputed accounts from the officer that Pedro Rios Jr. pointed a gun at the officer multiple times during a foot chase before the officer shot the teen in July 2014.

Rios family attorney Mark Brown told the Chicago Sun-Times that the case was weeks away from a trial when the settlement was reach. Brown said that while Rios was carrying a gun at the time, there wasn't evidence that he pulled it from his waistband before he was shot in the back.

Chicago's Independent Police Review Authority, which preceded the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, investigated the shooting and ruled it justified.

"It is possible if not likely" that Rios "turned to see whether and how closely the officer was in pursuit and, in so doing, gave the officer the impression that he was threatening use of the gun," the authority's final report said.

A City Council committee was scheduled to consider the settlement on Monday.

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CHICAGO - A Chicago police officer was charged with first-degree murder in the Thursday homicide of a 29-year-old woman who was found shot in the chin in the Galewood neighborhood, police said.

Pierre Tyler, 29, of the 100 block of North Leavitt Street, was charged with first degree murder in the death of 29-year-old Andris B. Wofford, who died of a gunshot wound to the head, according to the Cook County medical examiners office and the Police Department.

An autopsy Friday determined her death was a homicide.

Earlier officials said a Chicago police officer was under arrest and being questioned by Area 5 detectives, according to Officer Steve Rusanov, a police spokesman. The officer was relieved of police powers, Rusanov said.

Thursday, officers responding to a wellbeing check found Wofford with a gunshot wound to the chin, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Tyler was identified as the person who allegedly shot Wofford. He was placed into custody, charged and scheduled Saturday to appear at a bail hearing.

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EDWARDSVILLE  The death of Randy Gori has left his friends and family with immense emotional, mental, and physical anguish, his survivors told his murderer and a Madison County judge Friday.

Timothy Banowetz, a 30-year-old former Missouri college student, was sentenced to 70 years in prison for the murder of Gori, a prominent Edwardsville attorney and philanthropist, and two counts of armed robbery against Gori's teenage children.

It was the maximum possible sentence, and Banowetz must serve at least 65 of those years. At the earliest, Banowetz will be 93 years old when he's released.

The three family members who addressed the court Friday advocated for the maximum sentence. Several of Gori's friends and family members in attendance burst into tears when the sentence was read.

Gori's wife, Beth Gori, gave a written statement that was read out loud by a family friend before Judge Kyle Napp.

"The PTSD will most likely follow (our children) throughout their lives," she said. "No one should have to live in fear that way. We've all three undergone intensive therapy to help us through this horrific event.

"I do not know how long that therapy will continue, but this nightmare continues every day of our lives."

Beth Gori characterized her husband as a trusting man who helped everyone he ever met.

Judy Gori, Randy Gori's mother, has been hospitalized for much of the nearly two years since her son's murder, her husband Lee Gori said in his statement. Judy Gori was not in attendance. After her son's death, she's struggled with depression, dehydration, loss of appetite, trouble sleeping, and mental stability, according to her husband.

Laura Perkins Moore, Judy Gori's sister and Randy Gori's aunt, told those assembled in Napp's courtroom that her sister "forever lost her soul" when her son was murdered.

"He gave so much to everyone he knew, personally and professionally," Lee Gori said. " ... (Banowetz) should be offered no leniency."

In addition to Gori's wife, father, and aunt, two family friends submitted victim impact statements that were given to Napp, but not shared with the courtroom.

As the family was leaving the Justice Center, Perkins Moore said she didn't think hearing about the sentencing would help her sister heal.

"She's going up and down mountains," Perkins Moore said of how her sister had been handling meetings and updates about Gori's murder case.

Banowetz makes another surprise change

Shortly before opening arguments were set to begin in his trial on Oct. 5, Banowetz accepted a deal from Madison County and changed his plea to guilty. The jury hadn't been seated yet.

The moments before his sentencing hearing Friday were similarly dramatic. While reporters, sheriff's deputies, and friends and family of Gori settled into the courtroom, Banowetz told his court-appointed attorney he did not want her to represent him anymore, and that he would be representing himself.

Judge Napp asked Banowetz about his educational background and whether he had any legal experience; he didn't. She asked if he was under the influence of any substances or had been threatened or intimidated into rejecting professional counsel; he told her he was making a conscious choice.

Napp advised him that there was a lot on the line and a lot at risk for him, but allowed him to represent himself.

Initially, Banowetz tried to retract his guilty plea and claimed that he had never been provided with the documents from the pre-sentencing investigation, which both the judge and the public defender disputed.

"I'm not going to let you play games," Napp told Banowetz, citing previous refusals to cooperate during the investigation.

After that, Banowetz did not object to any evidence submitted by the prosecution and offered no mitigating evidence of his own. Several times, Judge Napp had to say that Banowetz was shaking his head for the record because he didn't actually speak.

At the end of the hearing, Napp asked Banowetz if he had anything else to say.

"It really doesn't matter," he replied. "You're going to give me the maximum."

In a press conference after the hearing, Madison County State's Attorney Tom Haine said Banowetz showed "absolutely no remorse," and characterized him as a "delusional, violent narcissist."

Haine said Banowetz's decision to represent himself was a terrible idea. Even if he were being represented by an attorney, though, Haine said he believed Banowetz would have received the maximum possible punishment anyway.

But Banowetz didn't do himself any favors, and painted himself into a corner if he were to try to appeal his sentencing, Haine said.

"There is an appeals process, and that process will play out, but in this case, when you plead guilty to a crime, that does reduce your appeal options," Haine said. "You can argue fewer problems with the process  the trial didn't take place, and you admitted that you did it. Similarly for the sentencing hearing today, when you represent yourself, when you put on no evidence of mitigation, the judge warns you that it's a bad idea, again, that limits the appeal options you have."

Ultimately, Haine said his hope was that the Gori family was able to mourn in peace, without media scrutiny.

"There's a lot of interest in this case, which is reasonable, it was a terrible case," he said. "But the Gori family should be allowed to rest. ... (Banowetz) is a man who should go into obscurity now."

The case against Banowetz

Police found Gori dead in his rural home northeast of Edwardsville while responding to a 911 call around 9 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020. The following Monday, former Madison County State's Attorney Tom Gibbons announced that Banowetz was being charged with first-degree murder, armed robbery, aggravated unlawful restraint and an offense related to vehicle theft.

Banowetz ambushed Gori and his two minor children, binding their hands behind their backs with zip-ties before using a knife to stab Gori, according to evidence submitted by the prosecutors. He then stole cash and two cellphones before fleeing in Gori's Rolls-Royce.

Surveillance footage from outside Gori's home captured when Banowetz first ambushed the family just outside of their home. As the footage played in a nearly-silent courtroom, Banowetz kept his eyes on the video of himself.

Perhaps the most disturbing evidence investigators collected was was a handwritten list reportedly in Banowetz's possession when he was apprehended on the morning of Jan. 5, 2020, near Gori's home in rural Edwardsville.

According to the prosecutors, the list read, "Watch with binoculars from woods, use gun and knife to subdue, zip-tie hands and Duct-tape mouth, have withdraw $4 to $6 million from bank, kill all of them and take zip ties and Duct tape off, burn bodies and house."

A search of Banowetz's computer also showed that he had viewed photos of Gori and his children on social media on several occasions, that he searched Google Maps for directions to Gori's home, and that he Googled the question, "What does a million dollars look like."

Banowetz also was carrying more than $4,000 in cash stolen from Gori's kitchen and wearing clothes stained with Gori's blood, prosecutors said.

Authorities believe Banowetz was homeless at the time of his arrest. He had been attending pharmacy school in St. Louis and was in debt, prosecutors said.

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Jussie Smollett walked out of the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Thursday evening stone-faced, surrounded by family, followed by a swarm of reporters shouting questions and photographers angling for a shot.

The courthouse frenzy at the conclusion of Smolletts criminal trial was nothing new for his case, which for nearly three years has drawn a level of attention typically reserved for serious offenses such as public corruption, sexual abuse or murder.

Smollett, by contrast, stands convicted of one of the lowest-level felonies Illinois has on the books  and the likelihood of him seeing prison time is probably low.

A jury on Thursday found Smollett guilty on five out of six counts of disorderly conduct, a Class 4 felony, alleging he falsely reported to police that he was a victim of a hate crime attack in the early morning hours of Jan. 29, 2019.

The verdict capped off eight days of a closely watched trial, during which prosecutors successfully argued Smollett orchestrated a phony assault on himself with the help of two brothers who, at his request, yelled slurs and tried to wrap a noose around his neck.

To many it was a Keystone Kops crime that embarrassed the city, costing taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars in police overtime to investigate and providing endless fodder for late-night comics. But in the end, what punishment is appropriate?

That decision is up to Judge James Linn, who presided over Smolletts trial and will have a range of options come sentencing. Class 4 felonies carry penalties of one to three years in prison, but also probation or conditional discharge, which is similar to probation but with less strict conditions.

Smollett was convicted on five counts, but it is likely that if he is sentenced on each of them, they will run concurrent with each other, said Darren OBrien, a former Cook County prosecutor who has written guides to sentencing published by the Illinois State Bar Association.

Linn would, however, have the option to impose consecutive sentences if he determines it is necessary to protect the public from further criminal conduct by Smollett, OBrien said.

I dont think hes going to jail at all, thats my opinion, OBrien said. Most people wouldnt under these circumstances.

Linn also could impose a fine as well as order restitution, a monetary amount either agreed upon by the prosecution and defense, or determined at a sentencing hearing.

If Smollett is sentenced to prison time, he would be eligible for day-for-day credit for good behavior  meaning he would only need to serve half of his sentence.

While prison seems unlikely in the Smollett case, there are a few wild cards that make predictions uncertain, experts said.

While the underlying felonies are minor, the case is undeniably high-profile  a national embarrassment for the city of Chicago that allegedly cost taxpayers more than $130,000 in police overtime.

And special prosecutor Dan Webb told reporters Thursday that he would probably point out during a sentencing hearing that Smollett took the stand in his own defense and lied for hours and hours and hours.

I think this will probably be a point that Ill make at sentencing, that not only did Mr. Smollett lie to the police and wreak havoc in this city for weeks on end for no reason whatsoever, but then he compounded the problem by lying under oath to a jury, which I dont think should happen, Webb said.

Defendants are not generally prosecuted for perjury when they testify at their own trials, but Linn may not look kindly on the alleged falsehoods at sentencing.

Either way, there are still some legal hurdles to clear before a sentencing hearing, which is likely months away.

First, the defense will file a motion for a new trial, a standard request that typically outlines all their allegations of the judges errors over the course of the trial as well as at previous pretrial hearings. Such motions are rarely granted.

If the defenses request for a new trial is rejected, then the case will move forward once a pre-sentencing report is completed. Criminal sentencing can involve a lengthy hearing at which both prosecutors and defense can present witnesses and argument if they so choose. Smollett himself will also have a chance to address the judge.

Linn, meanwhile, has been all over the map in sentencing defendants, at least in cases that have garnered media attention.

He sentenced a health care worker to probation for failing to report a boys abuse. In another case, he imposed a nine-year prison term for a non-fatal DUI, records show.

In one of his more high-profile cases in recent years, Linn gave 32 years to a teenager who pushed a woman down a flight of steps to her death while trying to rob her of her cellphone on a CTA platform.

His leniency in sex offense cases has been well-documented, particularly in a Better Government Association investigation last year.

In 2011, Linn threw out his own finding of guilty for a man who was convicted of sexually assaulting a woman he met on an online dating site, and then convicted him instead on lesser charges and sentenced him to just 90 days in jail, according to a Tribune report.

Perhaps more relevant to the Smollett case is an unusual requirement Linn imposed in 2013 on an Alsip man who pleaded guilty to putting a noose around the neck of a Black teenager.

Like Smolletts case, the attack in December 2011 drew a firestorm of media attention and led to Matthew Herrmann being charged with felony counts of committing a hate crime, unlawful restraint and battery.

But in an unusual deal with prosecutors, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery and agreed to participate in a peacemaking circle with the victim, his family, clergy and school counselors.

Linn agreed to the deal and added his own provision: Herrmann, a philosophy student at a suburban community college, had to write an essay on lynching and read it aloud at one of the peacemaking sessions.

Meanwhile, whatever Linns sentence winds up being for Smollett, it might only be the beginning of an extended legal saga.

The actors lead defense attorney Nenye Uche told reporters Thursday that they are confident Smollett will be exonerated on appeal.

If youve been convicted of something that you did not do, why wouldnt you want to appeal? Uche said.

Uche also underscored the drama that unfolded between the lawyers and even with the judge during the hot-button case, which he called a very unusual proceeding.

Ive handled homicide-type cases I have never felt this you know, go through the emotional roller coaster that we went through in this one, he said. Thats the most diplomatic thing I will say. But I dont for one second believe that justice was done today.

The combative undertone of the trial lasted right up through jury deliberations, when Uche and other members of Smolletts team accused Linn of improperly giving the jury a copy of Smolletts full interview with Good Morning America in the weeks after the attack, even though the jury had not requested it and only snippets of the recording had been played at trial.

During a discussion Wednesday about which trial exhibits could be sent back to the jury room, prosecutors asked for the full video to be included for jurors consideration. Linn denied the request, since only a portion had been played for the jury. He reconsidered the next day, saying that since the full video had formally been entered as a trial exhibit, jurors could have the whole thing.

During an in-chambers conference with attorneys in the middle of Thursdays deliberations, defense attorneys strongly objected.

I think its completely and entirely improper to be sending a TV interview, not under oath, not by police officers, the jury heard a minute or two. You want to send back the whole 17 minutes, Uche said, according to a transcript of the proceedings.

Linn said he was perhaps being too cautious the day before when he restricted what the jurors could view.

I will note that this is an exhibit in ... in great part created by the defendant himself talking about everything about the case himself voluntarily, he said, noting Uches objection. But the jury can decide what they want to think about it.

That discussion came three days after prosecutors filed a petition for contempt against defense attorney Tamara Walker, arguing she violated an agreement to not speak to the media during the trial by making inflammatory comments to the Tribune about an incident during a sidebar hearing earlier in the trial.

Walker had claimed that Linn lunged at her after Smolletts defense team moved for a mistrial, an allegation Linn strenuously denied. Prosecutors withdrew the petition Friday, according to a spokeswoman for the defense team.

The atmosphere also grew tense on the second day of trial, when jurors viewed a short clip of the brothers police interrogation, during which one officer apparently referred to Smolletts pretty face. Uche asked a detective on the stand if he thought that was appropriate, leading to an objection from prosecutors.

Amid crosstalk, Linn said from the bench: He can say that. So what? That prompted one of Smolletts supporters seated in the front row of the gallery to repeat in apparent shock and disbelief, So what?

Uche hinted he might be asking for a mistrial; Linn sent the jury out of the room while defense attorneys conferred. When Linn called jurors back in, he told them: Things get testy from time to time.

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Officials on Sunday will continue to assess the path and strength of at least four tornadoes that hit Missouri and Illinois near St. Louis Friday night.

The two strongest locally claimed at least seven lives. A child was also killed Friday night in Pemiscot County, in Missouri's bootheel.

On Sunday, officials will also survey damage associated with a possible tornado near Ellington, in Reynolds County about two hours west of Cape Girardeau.

The Weather Service said Saturday night that the tornado that collapsed an Amazon fulfillment center near Edwardsville reached the EF3 category  the third-strongest rating on the Fujita Scale, with winds between 136 miles per hour and 165 miles per hour. At least six people died in the building, officials have said.

The tornado touched down just northwest of the intersection of Interstates 255 and 270, then traveled northeast into Edwardsville.

Another EF3-rated tornado touched down northwest of Augusta and traveled northeast, past Defiance and across the Missouri River before returning to St. Charles County.

An 84-year-old woman, Ollie Borgmann, was killed when her Defiance home was blown off its foundation.

A EF0 hit the area of Wellsville, in Montgomery County, and a EF1 started near Sorento, Illinois, in Bond County, and moved northeast. It strengthened to a EF2 and traveled through Montgomery, Fayette and Shelby counties for dozens of miles, although Marshall Pfahler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said officials don't yet know if path was continuous.

Another tornado was reported that traveled from Shelby County through Moultrie and Coles counties in Illinois, and another in Cass County.

Two tornadoes were reported near Fayette, Missouri, in Howard County.

The tornadoes here were part of a storm system that included a tornado that his Mayfield, Kentucky, and traveled for hundreds of miles. That state's governor says the death toll from the storm there could top 100 people, as a candle factory was destroyed.

Robert Patrick  314-340-8131 @rxpatrick on Twitter RPatrick@post-dispatch.com

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MAYFIELD, Ky.  Rescuers combed through fields of wreckage after a tornado outbreak roared across the middle of the U.S., leaving dozens dead and communities in despair.

A twister carved a track that could rival the longest on record as the stormfront smashed apart a candle factory, crushed a nursing home and flattened an Amazon distribution center.

I pray that there will be another rescue. I pray that there will be another one or two, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said, as crews sifted through the wreckage of the candle factory in Mayfield, where 110 people were working overnight Friday when the storm hit. Forty of them were rescued.

We had to, at times, crawl over casualties to get to live victims, said Jeremy Creason, the citys fire chief and EMS director.

In Kentucky alone, 22 were confirmed dead by late Saturday, including 11 in and around Bowling Green. But Beshear said upwards of 70 may have been killed when a twister touched down for more than 200 miles in his state and that the number of deaths could eventually exceed 100 across 10 or more counties.

The death toll of 36 across five states includes six people in Illinois, where an Amazon facility was hit; four in Tennessee; two in Arkansas, where a nursing home was destroyed; and two in Missouri.

6 killed in Illinois Amazon warehouse collapse, authorities say Authorities were uncertain Saturday evening whether anyone was still missing because workers were in the midst of a shift change when it was struck.

If early reports are confirmed, the twister will likely go down perhaps as one of the longest track violent tornadoes in United States history, said Victor Genzini, a researcher on extreme weather at Northern Illinois University.

The longest tornado on record, in March 1925, tracked for about 220 miles through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. But Genzini said this twister may have touched down for nearly 250 miles (400 kilometers). The storm was all the more remarkable because it came in December, when normally colder weather limits tornadoes, he said.

Debris from destroyed buildings and shredded trees covered the ground in Mayfield, a city of about 10,000 in western Kentucky. Twisted metal sheeting, downed power lines and wrecked vehicles lined the streets. Windows and roofs were blown off the buildings that were still standing.

The missing at the candle factory included Janine Denise Johnson Williams, a 50-year-old mother of four whose family members kept vigil at the site Saturday.

Its Christmastime and she works at a place thats making candles for gifts," her brother, Darryl Williams, said. To give up the gift of life to make a gift. We havent heard anything, and Im not presuming anything. But Im expecting for the worst.

He said Johnson Williams called her husband overnight to report the weather was getting bad, the last time anyone heard from her.

Kyanna Parsons-Perez, an employee at the factory, was trapped under 5 feet of debris for at least two hours until rescuers managed to free her.

In an interview with NBC's Today, she said it was absolutely the most terrifying event she had ever experienced. I did not think I was going to make it at all.

Just before the tornado struck, the buildings lights flickered. She felt a gust of wind, her ears started popping and then, Boom. Everything came down on us. People started screaming, and she heard other workers praying.

Kentucky State Trooper Sarah Burgess said rescue crews were using heavy equipment to move rubble at the candle factory. Coroners were called to the scene and bodies were recovered, but she didnt know how many.

Rescue efforts were complicated because Mayfields main fire station and emergency services hub were also hit by the tornado, Creason said.

After a wall at a nursing home in Mayfield collapsed, Vernon Evans said he rushed to help firefighters pull people out, only to find one resident lying dead in a few inches of water.

All I could do is sit there and hold their head up, he said. I never experienced nothing like this.

President Joe Biden approved an emergency disaster declaration for Kentucky on Saturday and pledged to support the affected states.

I promise you, whatever is needed  whatever is needed  the federal government is going to find a way to provide it," Biden said.

Six people were killed in the collapse of the Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois, with another injured worker airlifted to a hospital, fire Chief James Whiteford said.

Investigators searched the rubble throughout the day for additional victims and 45 people survived, Whiteford said. Authorities were uncertain Saturday evening whether anyone was still unaccounted because workers were in the midst of a shift change when it was struck by the tornado about 8:30 p.m. Friday.

This is a devastating tragedy for our Amazon family and our focus is on supporting our employees and partners," Amazon spokesperson Richard Rocha said in a written statement.

The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which has been trying to organize workers at an Amazon facility in Alabama, criticized the company for keeping the Illinois site open during a weather emergency.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parsons office said the storms killed at least two people in the state and initial assessments indicate they destroyed or did major damage to hundreds of homes and buildings.

Workers at a National Weather Service office had to take shelter as a tornado passed near their office in Weldon Spring, Missouri, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of St. Louis.

This was an incredible storm that lasted a long time and covered a lot of territory, said Larry Vannozzi, meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service office covering the Nashville area.

Meteorologists havent determined whether the storm spawned a single tornado or multiple tornadoes, he said.

In Arkansas, a tornado struck a nursing home in Monette, killing one and trapping 20 people inside as the building collapsed, Craighead County Judge Marvin Day told The Associated Press.

Another person died when the storm hit a Dollar General store in nearby Leachville, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said.

Probably the most remarkable thing is that theres not a greater loss of life, Hutchinson said after touring the wreckage of the nursing home. It is catastrophic. Its a total destruction.

Four storm-related deaths were confirmed in northwestern Tennessee, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said.

This is about the saddest thing I've ever seen, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said after touring the community of Dresden, which saw its downtown corridor ripped apart. The whole town, the whole town.

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How far have we come?

Some 160 years ago, Black lives mattered in Central Illinois, but for different reasons.

Back then  1862, to be exact  although a free state and home of Abe Lincoln, 70% of Illinois voters cast ballots in a special election to forbid Blacks from moving to Illinois and, of those already living here, deny them their civil rights. In McLean County, the results were even more definitive: 86% of voters here supported denial of civil rights to Blacks.

Everyday life in the 1800s?

Consider these, too:

 The average age of a Central Illinois farmer back then was between 25 to 30. Forty was just way too old.

 Champion of dirty-joke telling was a popular guy of the area who could also draw a crowd while telling them  Abraham Lincoln himself.

 Sugar Creek served as the communitys sewage system. In fact,  the creeks water (was) so contaminated that fish cannot live in it, the cattle will not drink it; it is so filthy the hogs do not like to even wallow in it. Worms cannot exist along its shore

 Only 125 years ago, the vice president of the United States lived not in New York City or Boston or Philadelphia but at 901 N. McLean St., Bloomington.

 With no motorized travel, McLean County farmers in the late 1800s literally walked their cows, sheep and pigs  to Pekin. For land-locked Bloomington, Pekin  on the Illinois River  was the closest port of entry to the rest of the world.

 Bellflower, in southeastern McLean County, is today a quiet farm area  but some 290 years ago, 800 people were slain near there.

 The original McLean County Courthouse was used for court, church and a Saturday night party house  so much so, upon entering it on a Sunday morning, the first thing encountered for church were, said the Rev. Lemuel Foster, the bottles, and glasses, and nutshells, and filth from a previous gathering.

And so it goes, as life always will.

From whence does all this grist, knowledge and lifestyle relics of 19th century McLean County commence?

Welcome to Greg Koos life for the past five years, over 5,000 hours, perusing more than 2,800 newspaper stories and 800 other published works, the result of which is 225,000 words in book form and for Koos, a life consummation, perhaps.

His forthcoming book  Freedom, Land And Community: A History of McLean County, Illinois, 1730 to 1900  is available for pre-order and ideal for Christmas-giving through the McLean County Museum of History.

Koos is certainly qualified to be the one to tell it.

Every area, in fact, needs a Greg Koos.

Bloomington-born, now 72, hes been part of the local history scene professionally since 1977, but studying it long before that and well after, as retired director of the history museum downtown, rated one of downstates finest.

And now, as a crowning touch, he is churning back all that he has learned to preserve it for all the rest of us.

It comes in the form of a mammoth 642-page book.

Even at that, he says, a lot of stuff ended on the cutting-room floor.

A studious bookworm type, called back at Holy Trinity Grade School and high school (todays Central Catholic) the professor or "the egghead (a term of endearment first tagged in the 1950s to B-Ns most intellectual son, politician and world statesman Adlai Stevenson II), Koos future as McLean County historian laureate could easily have been predicted.

A grandfather (Bert Rodgers) of the Koos clan (Gregs older brother, Chris, is mayor of Normal) was a State Farm retiree back during the Koos boys childhood and, by Gregs account, a guiding influence for his love for history. But even then the Koos granddad became exposed to Gregs insatiably curious sponge of a brain. At age 10, only a fourth-grader, Koos already was reading historical biographies, including Farmer From Merna, a bio of State Farm founder George Mecherle.

I remember, says Greg, asking him, 'If the Mecherles started the company, how come the Rusts now run it?' And he replied, 'Greg, never hire a lawyer who is smarter than you are.'

Some 60 years later, the Koos book, filled with illustrations, is a story-telling tour of McLean County, circa the 1800s, and while a testament to a fully different time, day and era, interestingly also is a reflection of today.

He shares stories that represent a meaningful spectrum of experience (of the 1800s), says Ruthie Cobb, another McLean County author of its history who helped edit Koos book. The people, places, events and ideas show how McLean County was directly tied to the broader world in so many ways.

Human nature never really changes, says Koos. The things that concern us today, or make us hot under the collar, are similar to the things that bugged people in the past.

Another example?

Among the many historical gems uncovered by Koos is an 1880s clipping out of this very newspaper, not on slavery, or post-Civil War, or Reconstruction, or westward expansion, but instead something far more concerning from a local sense.

It was an editorial that complained that snow removal in downtown Bloomington was just not fast enough.

To coin it again, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

And so it goes, still.

Bill Flick is at bflick@pantagraph.com.

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Hollard Ghana, with subsidiaries Hollard Insurance and Hollard Life Assurance, has signed a formal agreement with the University of Energy and Natural Resources for the next three years, to execute its corporate social investment initiative, Hollard X Academia, to enable student corporate readiness beginning January 2022.



The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) provides the platform for enhanced collaboration between the countrys favourite insurance group and the university to enable a better future for the academic community through Hollards Streetwise Finance, mentoring, engagement, and resources sharing programmes.



Speaking at the socially distanced ceremony, Group Chief Executive Officer of Hollard Ghana, Patience Akyianu described the partnership as a vital corporate social investment initiative into the communities within which the business operates.



I am excited to kickstart our first Hollard X Academia partnership with the University of Energy and Natural Resources. Partnerships form an integral part of our business as an unconventional company. With our business purpose to enable more people to create and secure better futures, were aiming for a triple win for the university, its students and Hollard. With this initiative, we have carefully created 5 modules that we believe will greatly benefit Academia. These modules

include the Hollard Prize, Hollard Scholar Programme, Hollard Streetwise Finance Engagements, Hollard Corporate Experience and Thought-leadership Events.



As a company that does well by doing good, we understand the role of tertiary education in nation-building. This initiative will provide students with a privileged experience to ready them for the job market, she added. On his part, Vice-Chancellor of UENR Prof. Elvis Asare-Bediako expressed his appreciation to Hollard Ghana for the opportunity.

We are thankful for this collaboration, especially being the first institution selected for the Hollard x Academia initiative. As a public institution, we desire to partner organizations to enhance the learning experiences of our students as well as the exchange of academic and corporate resources. Regarding the exciting modules under Hollard X Academia, we believe our entire student population will be motivated and prepared adequately for the future through the Hollard experience. I commend Hollard for such a gesture and look forward to the next three years engaging with them, he noted.



About Hollard Ghana

The countrys favourite insurance group is Hollard Ghana, with subsidiaries Hollard Insurance and Hollard Life Assurance. The group combines its deep local knowledge of the market having previously operated in Ghana for 25 years as Metropolitan Insurance with the world-class expertise of an international insurance brand in 18 countries across the world. With feet firmly planted on Ghanaian soil but headquartered in South Africa, Hollard delivers innovative insurance solutions customized to the unique risks Ghanaians face. Hollard offers various life and general insurance products including funeral, personal accident, motor, business, travel, home, and more; and can be reached via the following means: 0501603967 (Hollard Insurance) and 0501533698 (Hollard Life). Beyond various nationwide office branches and Hollard 2U franchise shops, Ghanaians can find Hollard at Shell Fuel Station Welcome Shops, Melcom stores and online at www.hollard.com.gh and www.jumia.com.gh for all their insurance needs.

Source: peacefmonline.com









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Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.
The decision of the former member of parliament for Tema East constituency in the Greater Accra Region, Hon Daniel Nii Kwartei Titu-Glover to contest for the national organizer position in the NPP, has sparked new hope and excitement among NPP grassroots. The exclusive information intercepted by the Daily Ghanaian Guide in recent days has been confirmed by the sudden appearance of posters of the member of parliament.



Many NPP supporters, sympathizers, and delegates who spoke to this newspaper in confidentiality preferred Hon Titu-Glover to the rest of the aspirants. Their reasons being that the national organizer of NPP must be a hardworking and mature politician who is well respected and respectful.



In the estimation of these NPP interviewees, Hon Titu-Glover stands tall in all the above-mentioned qualities. For most of them as well, Hon Titus-Glover brings on board the long-lost organizational style of Mr. Agyenim Boateng, Mr. Lord Commey, etc.



We will vote for Hon Titus-Glover to be able to break the 8, anonymous NPP delegates.

Source: peacefmonline.com









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

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President Nana Akufo-Addo has said, as part of his fight against corruption, his government, through the Attorney General, is prosecuting some high-profile persons for various offences including fraud, economic crime, procurement breaches and money laundering.



Speaking at the National Anti-Corruption Conference on Friday, 10 December 2021, President Akufo-Addo said the Office of the Attorney General and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), in addition to the countless cases being prosecuted around the country, have successfully prosecuted a number of high-profile cases, including a case of stealing in the Republic vs. Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie & Others.



Many other high-profile prosecutions involving corruption, economic crime, fraud, procurement breaches and money laundering, like the Republic vs. Alhaji Collins Dauda & 4 Others in the Saglemi Scandal; Republic vs. Ernest Thompson & Others; Republic vs. Dr Kwabena Duffuor & Others are ongoing. It is worthy to note that these cases have, as their sole object, the principle of holding public officers to account, and involve sums in excess of $850 million and GH2 billion, he added.



The President also said the Attorney General, on behalf of the government, is currently leading the effort to enact a law on the conduct of public officers.



He said, inasmuch as public officials are required to declare their assets upon taking office as a tool of fighting corruption, I am, however, of the candid opinion that existing legislation on corruption, relating to the conduct of public officers in Ghana, appears to be inadequate to deal extensively with public office accountability.



According to the president, the need to lay down a set of far-reaching and a more fit for purpose set of regulations for the conduct of public officers, which will give effect to the provisions of Chapter 24 of the Constitution on conduct of public officers, is, in my view, now self-evident.



To this end, he revealed that the Attorney General, over the past four months, has undertaken various stakeholder consultations with a number of public sector organisations, civil society and other interest groups to this end.



When passed into law, President Akufo-Addo indicated that the Conduct of Public Officers Act will follow the example of legislation in other jurisdictions like the United States Ethics in Government Act of 1978, Public Officers Ethics Act of Kenya, and the U.K. Constitutional and Governance Act of 2010, in addressing issues regarding financial portfolios held by public officers before assuming public office, links to family business, improper enrichment, care of public property, professional practices, property, investments/shareholdings and other assets, self-dealing, partiality in the performance of duties, use of public or confidential information to further private interest, amongst others.



The Bill provides a gamut of stringent administrative measures and sanctions to deal with violations of the law, ranging from a bar against holding public office for limited and indefinite periods to penal measures. The Bill also seeks to strengthen the role of CHRAJ in the investigation of allegations of contravention of or non-compliance with the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, including conflict of interest, non-declaration of assets, and illicit enrichment, the President added.



Updating the Conference about some of the important contributions of the Office of Attorney General in the detection and prosecution of high-profile corruption cases, as well as in the protection of the public purse, the President acknowledged that the states tight purse is very much affected by the award of judgment debts, in various unconscionable transactions.



The recent example of a financial house claiming payment of interest of some GH1.3 billion after 11 years, from a transaction involving a meagre GH268,000 in 2008, even after the state had already paid some GH79 million, comes to mind.



Through the effort of the Attorney General, the Supreme Court declared further payment as unlawful, saving the State some two hundred and thirty million dollars (US$230 million), he said.



He also told the gathering about how, on 31 July 2021, the Attorney General succeeded in setting aside a judgement debt in excess of US$15.3 million imposed by the High Court, Kumasi, in an action arising out of the activities of the erstwhile Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining about two years ago.

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The Sekondi High Court has rescinded its decision to effect the arrest of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Jomoro, Madam Dorcas Afo Toffey (mother of Ghanaian musician Fantana).



The court, presided over by Justice Sedinam Agbemava, rescinded the decision when the MP appeared before the court last Thursday.



The court, on December 6, 2021, issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Madam Toffey for failing to appear in court to provide documents on her alleged dual citizenship before the December 7 Parliamentary elections, which amounted to contempt of court.



Context



The court fixed December 20, 2021, to look into the contempt case while the substantive matter of alleged dual citizenship before her contesting as a candidate in the 2020 general election would continue on February 16, 2022.



MrJoshua Emuah Kofie of Nuba-Mpataba in the Jomoro Constituency initiated contempt proceedings against the MP.





In the case, Madam Toffey was ordered by the court to furnish and deposit documents, indicating that she had renounced her alleged Ivorian citizenship.



She, however, filed a stay of execution, which was dismissed by the court.









Source: GNA









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The Executive Director of the Concerned Voters Movement (CVM) has indicated that the National Democratic Congress will demonstrate the height of dishonesty should its flagbearer aspirant Dr. Kwabena Duffuor fail in his latest bid to lead the party to the 2024 polls.



With the greatest of respect and in all humility and sincerity if NDC voters want to select a presidential candidate who is honest, has impeccable credibility, solid achievements and track record over the period, I dont think they should bypass Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, he asserted while speaking on Kumasi-based Ultimate 106.9 FM.



He told host Julius Caesar Anadem, the two-time failed presidential candidate of the NDC, former President John Dramani Mahama stands no chance competing with Dr. Duffour over achievements chalked both in private and public life.



Look at the number of jobs that he has created in the country and the group of companies he has established; his contribution to the national economy, to the public sector and all that. He far, far outweighs all the candidates putting themselves up for the position, he argued.



Mr. Kojo Poku however contended that he would not be surprised if delegates of the NDC overlook the competencies of Dr. Duffour and go in for its 2020 flag bearer John Dramani Mahama at the polls.



I dont think they should bypass Dr. Kwabena Duffour and choose any candidate who doesnt have any investment whatsoever in this country and has not established anything to employ anyone in this country. But it is unfortunate the NDC delegates will put him somewhere and vote for another candidate who has questionable integrity and credibility and a questionable track record, he bemoaned.



The former Governor of the Central Bank, former Finance Minister and founder of the HODA Group of companies comprising financial institutions, mining consortiums, a media empire among others; is poised to lead the charge of the opposition NDC as it eyes the presidency in 2024

Source: 3news









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" " Santa Claus rides a float at the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade. Peter Kramer/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

All over the world, Christmas celebrations reflect local culture and traditions. The festivities can be startlingly different from country to country, focusing on different aspects of the nativity story.

But whether you're celebrating Sheng Dan Jieh in China or awaing Pere Noel in France, you're sharing in the wonder and magic of the Christmas season. In the following pages, we'll take a look at Christmas traditions in countries around the world, from Sweden to Australia, from England to China.

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Christmas Traditions in Australia In Australia, December 25 falls during summer vacation, so many of the country's Christmas festivities take place outdoors. The most popular event of the Christmas season is called Carols by Candlelight. People come together at night to light candles and sing Christmas carols outside. The stars shining above add to the sights and sounds of this wonderful outdoor concert.

Christmas Traditions in China The small number of Christians in China call Christmas Sheng Dan Jieh, which means Holy Birth Festival. They decorate their homes with evergreens, posters, and bright paper chains. Families put up a Christmas tree, called a "tree of light," and decorate it with beautiful lanterns, flowers, and red paper chains that symbolize happiness. They cut out red pagodas to paste on the windows, and they light their houses with paper lanterns, too.
" " President Donald Trump's former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn pled guilty to lying to the FBI. Trump announced a sweeping full pardon for Flynn in November 2020. Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images

"It is my Great Honor to announce that General Michael T. Flynn has been granted a Full Pardon," President Donald J. Trump announced on Twitter in late November 2020, two weeks after he lost his bid for reelection [source: Lucas].

Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser, had been the only member of the Trump Administration to be charged with a crime as part of the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign and the question of whether there had been links to or coordination with the Trump campaign [sources: Lucas, Mueller Report]. Flynn pled guilty in 2017 to lying to the FBI about his contacts with the Russian ambassador, and cooperated with prosecutors, but then changed his mind and tried to withdraw his plea [source: Lucas].

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Trump's pardon of Flynn drew fire from critics in Congress, who saw it as an effort by Trump to erase the investigation into his campaign's connections with Russia, which Trump angrily had denounced as "a hoax" [source: Panetta]. "Donald Trump has repeatedly abused the pardon power to reward friends and protect those who covered up for him," Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, responded on Twitter [source: Lucas].

The outcry increased after the White House released the specifics of the pardon, which absolved Flynn of not just of the original charges, but also of "any and all possible offenses within the investigatory authority or jurisdiction of the Special Counsel" [source: Clemency notice]. One legal expert, Margaret Love, a former pardon attorney for Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, told Politico that Trump's pardon of Flynn was the most sweeping in history, even more so that President Gerald Ford's 1974 pardon of his predecessor, Richard Nixon, for any crimes he might have committed during Watergate [source: Gerstein and Cheney].

But the critics' concerns didn't make any difference. Trump, like every president before him, had the unique ability to override the federal justice system, release anyone he chose from paying a fine, and return a person to the state of innocence he had before he ever committed a crime.

The president isn't required to explain or justify his actions to you, me, Congress or anyone else for that matter. The power to pardon is left solely to the discretion of the president, and cannot be reviewed or overturned by any of the other branches of government.

Perhaps it's because, in the U.S. government of separated and balanced branches, this unique power stands out like a sore thumb  a president in full-pardon swing more resembles a king than an elected official. In fact, the basis of the presidential pardon can be found in the royal Prerogative of English Kings (more on that later).

So where does this power come from? Why did it make it into the U.S. Constitution? What does it do and how exactly does it work? In this article, we'll answer these questions and look at some noteworthy presidential pardons.
The construction of the Dumitra HPP in the Jiu River Gorge National Park on one of the last unobstructed rivers in the Southern Carpathians. Credit: Calin Dejeu

Hydropower is renewable, but mostly not environmentally friendly. A study led by the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) shows for Romania how the expansion of hydropower runs counter to the goals of EU environmental policy. Hydropower conflicts with the requirements of the Flora-Fauna-Habitat Directive (Natura 2000) and the European Water Framework Directive (WFD): Around half of the existing and planned hydropower plants in Romania are located in nature conservation areas. These are mostly small plants that contribute only 3 percent of Romania's electricity generation, but threaten biodiversity. Therefore, European energy policy urgently needs to be aligned with the goals of the EU Biodiversity Strategy, the researchers warn. Otherwise, there is a risk of significant losses of freshwater biodiversity, and the goals of the EU Green Deal would not be achievable.

Compared to other European countries, Romania still has many natural and near-natural freshwaters that are biodiversity hotspots. Yet at least 545 hydroelectric power plants (HPPs) have been built so far, and the construction of more is to be subsidized. In their overview of the geographic distribution, the researchers show that 49 percent of the existing and planned power plants are located in EU Flora-Fauna-Habitat areas or other protected areas; 17 percent of the HPPs were built in near-natural or natural river systems that are in "very good" or "good" ecological status under the European Water Framework Directive and therefore should not be harmed.

"It is true that a European guideline basically specifies the requirements that hydropower plants located in EU Flora-Fauna-Habitat areas must meet. Unfortunately, however, there is a lack of implementation of these requirements, because small hydropower plants become uneconomical if, for example, they are equipped with functioning fish passes in order to meet the environmental requirements. Unfortunately, the legally binding nature of environmental requirements at hydropower plants is also controversial, both for new and existing hydropower plants," said Martin Pusch, co-author of the study from IGB, explaining the basic problem.

Fish like brown trout and European bullhead strongly affected

The hydropower plants studied significantly affect fish populations both upstream and downstream of the dam, for example by diverting water from the main course, as a barrier to migration, and through river regulation. The research team compared current abundances of brown trout and the EU-protected European bullhead at 32 monitoring sites in Carpathian streams to reference data collected before the HPP construction. "Sixty-two percent of upstream and downstream reaches of the streams have lost one or both fish species compared to the reference period. Thirty-eight percent of upstream and 19 percent of downstream reaches now lack one fish species, and 24 percent of upstream reaches and 43 percent of downstream reaches lack both fish species that were expected there. This is a frighteningly negative result," emphasized Gabriela Costea, first author of the study and former IGB-researcher.

In particular, the mass of small hydropower plants is problematic

The hydropower boom in Romania is mainly due to the implementation of the European Renewable Energy Directive, which is accompanied by subsidies for the construction and operation of HPPs. As a result, many small HPPs with up to 10 MW capacity were built, which hardly contribute to energy productiononly three percent of total energy production comes from these more than 500 small plants. Environmental standards were often not sufficiently taken into account during construction. "Environmental impact assessments are carried out for very large hydropower projects in Romania, but very rarely for smaller ones. And in the few cases where these reviews are made, their quality is far from meeting the standards of the relevant European directive," explained Martin Pusch.

At present, numerous other HPPs are in the planning or construction stage. Particularly controversial is the construction of the Dumitra HPP in the Jiu River Gorge National Park on one of the last unobstructed rivers in the Southern Carpathians. The construction permit for this HPP was annulled by the Court of Appeal in Bucharest because it is expected to have a negative impact on the protected habitats and animal species in this EU Flora-Fauna-Habitat area. However, the national environmental protection agency does not want to recognize this legally binding ruling and wants to carry out a new environmental assessment in order to obtain a building permit after all.

"However, the problem does not only concern Romania or Southeastern Europe, but requires fundamental clarification. The EU should urgently make its own environmental and energy policies coherent in order to resolve the serious conflicts of objectives. Otherwise, the goals of the EU Green Deal will hardly be achieved with the current regulations. Fortunately, there is the possibility to switch to renewable energy supply and to preserve or renaturalize most of the streams and small rivers in Europebecause their low hydropower is negligible for the success of the energy transition," Martin Pusch summed up.

Explore further Rethinking hydropower for energy and environmental sustainability

More information: Gabriela Costea et al, A review of hydropower plants in Romania: Distribution, current knowledge, and their effects on fish in headwater streams, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews (2021). Gabriela Costea et al, A review of hydropower plants in Romania: Distribution, current knowledge, and their effects on fish in headwater streams,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2021.111003
QUEENSBURY  A Whitehall woman was charged Saturday evening with two counts of grand larceny in connection with the theft of more than $4,600 worth of merchandise from the Target department store in Aviation Mall, police said.

Shyla S. Stafford, 26, was arrested on charges of third-degree grand larceny and fourth-degree grand larceny, both felonies, according to a Warren County Sheriff's Office news release.

The stolen merchandise from Saturday was recovered and valued at over $3,100, police said.

During the investigation, police said they determined Stafford was responsible for a theft totaling more than $1,500 from the same Target store on Friday.

Police did not offer details on what merchandise was stolen.

Saturday's shoplifting incident was reported at about 7:30 p.m. When police arrived at the store, the woman was spotted in the mall. She then fled to the parking lot, where she was detained, police said.

Stafford was placed in police lockup pending arraignment.

The arrest was made by sheriffs Patrol Officer R.C. Schroeck.
QUEENSBURY  West Glens Falls Volunteer Fire Company responded to a fire at 6 Gregwood Circle at approximately 5 a.m. Thursday.

First Assistant Chief Tyson Converse said that when firefighters arrived on the scene, it was discovered that an electrical fire had started in the bathroom of the residence.

Fire personnel were able to locate and contain the fire to the bathroom.

They were able to extinguish the fire quickly, according to Converse.

The American Red Cross provided immediate emergency aid to the two residents affected by the fire. Converse said that the bathroom was unusable as a result of the fire, so the Red Cross placed the two somewhere until they are able to get it fixed.

The rest of the residence was in good condition, according to Converse.

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Editor:

Kyle Rittenhouse  a 15-year-old who illegally purchased an assault weapon, crossed state lines,and killed two people  is a Republican hero. Rep. Boerbert yells anti-Moslim threats, Sen. Gosar pictures himself killing AOC, Republicans send Christmas cards with their children carrying guns. Gov. DeSantis creates a private militia, he and Abbott rage against masks and vaccine mandates, while unvaccinated die. Books burned. People screaming at teachers, nurses. Election officials threatened, replaced, for not changing votes from Biden to Trump. States create extreme gerrymandering, suppress voting rights, give electoral authority to legislators. Gantz, Gosar, Greene, Jim Jordan now Republican leaders. Disloyal Republicans cast out. Theyre crazy! Dangerous.

Some finally quit. After 16 years, Goldberg and Hayes resign from Fox News, calling Tucker Carlsons Patriot Purge  about Jan. 6 insurrection  a collection of incoherent conspiracy theory mongering, riddled with factual inaccuracies, half-truths, deceptive imagery amplifying the false claims and bizarre narratives of Trump. How much sacrifice of integrity, soul, before speaking truth? How much damage?

The question isnt Democrats vs. Republicans but democracy vs. fascism.The American Rescue Plan and Infrastructure Bill provide monies to states for education, police, firemen, housing, roads, bridges, broadband, mass transportation, water pipes, septic systems, while Stefanik and Republicans claim credit for all they voted against. Unemployment lowest since 1969, wages rising, our economy growing. The Build Back Better would continue growth: universal prekindergarten, workforce training, funding for child care, family leave, reducing pharmaceutical costs, cutting carbon, methane, shifting to renewable energies, building a livable earth for our children.

We can choose. Willful ignorance and misinformation, hatred and violence against the other, autocratic rule. Or democracy: government serving people, recognizing the dignity and value of all beings, our interdependence and connection to each other and to the earth. Peace on Earth and Good Will to All.

Bernice Mennis, West Fort Ann

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The latest school shooting tragedy, in Michigan on Nov. 30, shares many common traits with those that came before it. The suspect was a young male student at the school in the midst of a noticeable crisis. He had communicated intent to do harm. He got a firearm from a family member who had failed to store it securely.

But one crucial thing is different  the suspects parents have been criminally charged for their role in the crime. This decision is a powerful reminder that no child kills in a vacuum, and it might be key to unlocking legislative action that could help prevent school shootings.

The 15-year-old boys father purchased a semi-automatic pistol four days before the shooting as a gift for his son. Over the weekend, the boy and his mother both posted about the gun on social media. After the boy was caught at school Monday searching for ammunition on his phone, his mother texted, LOL Im not mad at you. You have to learn not to get caught.
The unions internal numbers on assaults against CTA rail and bus operators have more than doubled from last year, reaching close to 400, Hill said. In 2020, when the pandemic kept many at home, that number was about 150, and in 2019 it was under 300. Hill said the recent injuries also appear to be more serious.

CTA spokesman Brian Steele said the agencys data do not show attacks against operators have skyrocketed, however. The number of assaults that led to hospitalizations was 44 in 2019, 54 in 2020 and 38 so far this year  a finding Hill said is unfair because the union figures include violence against members that dont require hospitalization but still interfere with the job.

When a reporter asked for members who were victims of attacks to speak at the rally, Hill responded, Youre looking at a whole group of people who has been assaulted.

Cordell Daniels said he was robbed at gunpoint in 2016 while eating lunch as a bus driver.

I mean, what are we supposed to do out here when youre robbed at gunpoint? Daniels said. When theres anything that can happen to us?
After that, Banowetz did not object to any evidence submitted by the prosecution and offered no mitigating evidence of his own. Several times, Judge Napp had to say that Banowetz was shaking his head for the record because he didn't actually speak.

At the end of the hearing, Napp asked Banowetz if he had anything else to say.

"It really doesn't matter," he replied. "You're going to give me the maximum."

In a press conference after the hearing, Madison County State's Attorney Tom Haine said Banowetz showed "absolutely no remorse," and characterized him as a "delusional, violent narcissist."

Haine said Banowetz's decision to represent himself was a terrible idea. Even if he were being represented by an attorney, though, Haine said he believed Banowetz would have received the maximum possible punishment anyway.

But Banowetz didn't do himself any favors, and painted himself into a corner if he were to try to appeal his sentencing, Haine said.
Ive handled homicide-type cases I have never felt this you know, go through the emotional roller coaster that we went through in this one, he said. Thats the most diplomatic thing I will say. But I dont for one second believe that justice was done today.

The combative undertone of the trial lasted right up through jury deliberations, when Uche and other members of Smolletts team accused Linn of improperly giving the jury a copy of Smolletts full interview with Good Morning America in the weeks after the attack, even though the jury had not requested it and only snippets of the recording had been played at trial.

During a discussion Wednesday about which trial exhibits could be sent back to the jury room, prosecutors asked for the full video to be included for jurors consideration. Linn denied the request, since only a portion had been played for the jury. He reconsidered the next day, saying that since the full video had formally been entered as a trial exhibit, jurors could have the whole thing.

During an in-chambers conference with attorneys in the middle of Thursdays deliberations, defense attorneys strongly objected.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.  The investigation into the lynching of Black teenager Emmett Till nearly 70 years ago ended as it began, with a mystery that might never be solved. All these decades later, it's still not even clear whether the gruesome homicide was the work of a pair of racist brutes or a larger group of conspirators.

Two white men publicly confessed to the slaying after being acquitted by an all-white jury in Mississippi in 1955, but a Justice Department report released last week said at least one more, unnamed person was involved in Till's abduction. Experts who've studied the case believe others participated, from a half-dozen to more than 14.

The lack of answers to decades-old, nagging questions has created a void for Till's family. Thelma Wright Edwards, a relative who recalled putting diapers on Till as a child, talked about the emptiness left by the decision to end what will likely be the final investigation into his death.

"Nothing was settled. The case is closed, and we have to go on from here," she told a news conference in Chicago.

In a sense, the nation as a whole was denied a proper ending to an awful tale because the true story of one of the most infamous hate crimes of the last century may never be known.
Recent digging from Wired and the Center for Investigative Reporting examined how cavalier Amazon appears to be with the vast empire of customer data it manages on the retail side of its business. The reporting indicated that Amazons oversight had become so sprawling, fragmented and promiscuously shared within the company that the security division couldnt even map all of it, much less adequately defend its borders. Amazon disputed that account, noting what it described as a strong track record around digital security. It also emphasized its dedication to securing systems throughout the company.

Given that governments and corporations have outsourced so much of their network management, and given how the internet has become as essential as other necessities such as water and electricity, it would be useful to think of cloud services as a public utility of sorts  with all of the requisite disclosure and supervision that comes with that. After all, its hazardous out there. Microsoft said on Monday that a federal court gave it the go-ahead to seize 42 websites from Chinese hackers who had been on intelligence-gathering sprees targeting government agencies, think tanks, universities and human rights organizations. Last week, a rural electric utility in Colorado serving 34,000 customers disclosed that a recent hack of its network led to 90% of internal controls and systems becoming corrupted, broken or disabled. It also said that a majority of historical data dating back more than 20 years was lost.
The Richmond Ballet's Nutcracker by Stoner Winslett returns to Carpenter Theatre after skipping last year because of the pandemic. The ballet
And so the organization reached out to the Hampton Park neighborhood of Midlothian and found homes to participate and began planning the first light tour last year.

The driving light tour features 11 spots, beginning at Woodlake United Methodist Church before moving through various neighborhood blocks to the 10 homes. Each home represents one of the 10 schools that works with Communities in Schools, and each participating home has a red-and-white lawn banner with a school name on it.

Participants can download a guided tour app for the lights, where audio clips explaining the mission of Communities in Schools and its programs are paired with each home. Children can also participate in a scavenger hunt that features a mix of questions about Communities in Schools and decorations featured at some of the homes.

The 14-day event, which started Dec. 6, is free of charge to remove any cost barriers for families to participate, but the organization is looking to raise $3,000 through ticket and sponsor donations. As of Sunday afternoon, $1,215 had been raised.
MAYFIELD, Ky.  A monstrous tornado, carving a track that could rival the longest on record, ripped across the middle of the U.S. in a stormfront that killed dozens and tore apart a candle factory, crushed a nursing home, derailed a train and smashed an Amazon warehouse.

I pray that there will be another rescue. I pray that there will be another one or two, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said as crews sifted through the wreckage of the candle factory in Mayfield, where 110 people were working overnight Friday when the storm hit. Forty of them were rescued.

We had to, at times, crawl over casualties to get to live victims, said Jeremy Creason, the citys fire chief and EMS director.

In Kentucky alone, 22 were confirmed dead by Saturday afternoon, including 11 in and around Bowling Green. But Beshear said upward of 70 may have been killed when a twister touched down for more than 200 miles in his state and that the number of deaths could eventually exceed 100 across 10 or more counties.

The death toll of 36 across five states includes six people in Illinois, where an Amazon facility was hit; four in Tennessee; two in Arkansas, where a nursing home was destroyed; and two in Missouri.
On an overcast October afternoon, clouds cloaked the top of Poor Mountain as a construction crew worked to string a natural gas pipeline across the highest point in the Roanoke Valley.

At 3,720 feet above sea level, this is one of the places where concerns about the Mountain Valley Pipeline begin.

When it rains, dirt unearthed by clearing land and digging a trench for the pipe turns to mud and silt. The sediment is washed downhill, channeled by a 125-foot-wide strip cut into the mountain. Some of it reaches the streams and wetlands below.

Although much of the controversial project is completed, Mountain Valley still needs state and federal approval to cross the remaining water bodies, either by digging through or boring under them.

If the State Water Control Board grants a permit when it meets Tuesday, opponents say it will replicate a known harm.

MVP has shown an inability to construct without violating water quality standards, so crossing streams in the remaining steepest portions of the route will inevitably bring more sediment pollution and harm to water resources, said Jessica Sims, state field coordinator for Appalachian Voices, one of the groups fighting the pipeline.

At public hearings in September, many speakers pointed to the companys environmental record  more than 300 violations of sediment and erosion control regulations since work began in 2018  in urging the board to deny the permit.

Yet the Department of Environmental Quality, which cited Mountain Valley for those infractions, is recommending approval.

DEQ does not agree that there have been widespread impacts and destruction related to the construction of MVP, the agency said in written responses to the comments, prepared in advance of Tuesdays meeting.

In fact, there has never been any reported evidence of fish kill, nor has any fish kill been observed by DEQ inspectors.

But fish kills are most frequently caused by something like a chemical spill, according to David Sligh, a former DEQ environmental engineer. Sedimentation from construction leads to displacement and slower deaths by blocking light for aquatic plants and allowing dirt and silt to settle on stream bottoms, destroying the habitat for insects that fish feed on.

You can do great damage to the aquatic life in a stream and not have a fish kill. They know that, said Sligh, who is now conservation director for Wild Virginia, which has joined Appalachian Voices and other groups in legal battles against the pipeline.

If thats their standard for determining if a problem exists, he said, thats totally inadequate.

Paperwork violations?

Two years ago, Mountain Valley settled a lawsuit filed by DEQ and the water board, agreeing to pay $2.15 million for the damage it had caused to Southwest Virginias mountains and waters.

Attorney General Mark Herring said at the time that a consent decree reached in the case really sets a new standard for resolution of environmental damages cases in Virginia.

A different description can be found in documents DEQ recently submitted to the water board. A majority of the infractions were paperwork violations that did not have any lasting impact on water quality or the environment, the agency said.

Of 345 cases of noncompliance, 42 involved sediment that had been swept off the pipeline right-of-way by storm waters, the documents state. Mountain Valley failed to repair an erosion control device 180 times, did not properly maintain piles of dirt 65 times, and installed inadequate temporary stabilization 58 times.

Sediment made its way into nearby streams in only about 20 cases, DEQ said.

Wild Virginia contends that DEQs assessment falls far short of reality. In a report released Friday, the organization says there have been at least 70 releases of sediment into water bodies, degrading habitats and violating water quality standards.

The report is based on an examination of 895 DEQ inspection reports, as well as thousands of pages of documents from a private firm contracted to help the state monitor construction. Wild Virginia obtained the reports from McDonough Bolyard Peck through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Together, the two sets of documents show a serious problem with DEQ monitoring and enforcement, the report stated.

Mountain Valley has blamed the runoff problems on record amounts of rainfall in 2018. Those challenges have since been addressed with additional protections, Robert Cooper, vice president for construction and the head of the project, told the water board at a September public hearing.

Over the last two years, these measures have resulted in an exceptionally strong compliance record under very difficult circumstances, he said.

The consent decree mandates stipulated penalties for additional violations. There have been 51 such cases, for a total of $85,000, from September 2019 through June, according to DEQ spokesman Greg Bilyeu.

In West Virginia, where the 303-mile pipeline begins, state regulators have fined the company another $569,000.

In its written presentation to the water board, DEQ said Virginia law does not allow a permit like the one Mountain Valley is seeking to be denied based solely on past violations.

Many of the comments to the board from opponents were based on conjecture, based on potential circumstances versus actual circumstances, contain misinformation, and are made with a lack of understanding of construction projects in general and pipeline construction in particular, DEQ said.

Sligh was taken aback by those remarks.

I dont know if Ive ever seen DEQ, in writing, accuse the public of being dishonest, he said. I think its deplorable for a public agency to refer to people that way.

Landowners grow frustrated

The tree cutters showed up on Jeffrey Barletts land in Montgomery County in early 2018. Hes still waiting for the construction workers that followed to leave.

The pipeline is approximately 300 feet from my home and we have been looking at dirt, pipe and rotting logs for way too long, Bartlett said in written comments submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission by Mountain Valley.

Bartlett asked that the company be allowed to finish work so that he and other affected property owners can finally be rid of this mess.

All of the starts and stops in construction caused by legal challenges from environmentalists have disrupted farming operations along the pipelines route, according to another landowner.

Our cropping and dairy operations have been adversely affected on too many occasions to count, Roger Jefferson of Pittsylvania County wrote.

Mountain Valley contends that completion of the pipeline, which will involve final restoration work such as vegetation being planted on the right of way, is the best way to resolve environmental problems.

Many people agree. Of nearly 8,000 written comments submitted to DEQ as part of its public comment session, about 5,400 supported the granting of the permit, Bilyeu said. Approximately 2,500 comments were made in opposition. Nearly 7,500 of the comments were form letters.

The results were much different four years ago, when DEQ solicited public input for an earlier permit for Mountain Valley. Of more than 8,000 comments, only about 100 expressed clear support for the pipeline.

DEQ officials said at the time that a decision would not be based on a popular vote, but rather a scientific analysis of whether water quality standards could be met.

The board, composed of seven citizens appointed by the governor, voted 5-2 in December 2017 to approve a permit that covered work in upland areas. That allowed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to issue a blanket permit a few weeks later that applied to all stream crossings.

Mountain Valley completed more than half of nearly 1,000 water body crossings in Virginia and West Virginia before a federal court threw out the federal approval.

Under a new plan submitted earlier this year, the company is proposing to ford the remaining streams and wetlands by one of two ways: either with an open-cut method, which involves temporarily damming the water flow and digging a trench along the bottom of the water body, or by a trenchless operation in which a tunnel for the pipe will be bored beneath a stream or river.

Permits for the open-cut crossings will be decided by the Virginia water board and then the Army Corps; the boring method will be governed by FERC, the lead agency overseeing pipeline construction.

Mountain Valley has 236 remaining stream crossings in Virginia, 92 of which will be done by boring, spokeswoman Natalie Cox said.

If the water board approves a permit at its meeting Tuesday, similar action would have to be taken in West Virginia before the Army Corps would then make a final decision. A boring decision by FERC must also be made before Mountain Valley can complete the pipeline, which it hopes will happen next summer.

A bureaucratic logjam

Since a joint venture of energy companies first proposed building Mountain Valley in 2014, getting the pipeline across streams and wetlands has been one of the largest regulatory dams.

After running into legal issues with its blanket approval issued by the Army Corps, Mountain Valley decided to seek to seek an individual permit, which requires a stream-by-stream analysis by both federal and state agencies.

In May, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wrote in a public comment submitted to the Army Corps that the latest application does not meet its guidelines.

Although the letter has been described by pipeline opponents as a major blow for Mountain Valley, its language is actually more nuanced.

Jeffery Lapp, head of the wetlands branch for EPAs Region III, wrote that the agency recognizes the need for the pipeline, and that it looked forward to working with Mountain Valley to resolve any problems.

In a follow-up email sent to DEQ in October, EPA said its earlier concerns dealt with the impact on aquatic resources, and whether they complied with the Clean Water Act. The agency suggested changes that, if made, will assure that the project can proceed.

DEQ has since revised its draft permit to accommodate all EPA concerns that can be addressed within the authority of state law, Bilyeu said. The Army Corps is working with Mountain Valley on the matter, a spokesman said.

Even if it makes it across streams, Mountain Valley may not be out of woods yet.

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is considering two other legal challenges from environmental groups. One contests an opinion by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that found endangered species would not be jeopardized; the second questions a permit that allows the pipeline to pass through the Jefferson National Forest.

Decisions are expected by later this month or early next year.

A ruling against Mountain Valley could further delay the project, which was originally forecast to be completed by late 2018.

Capstone, a global policy analysis firm for corporate and investor clients, recently cited the uncertainty in lowering its odds from 75% to 39% that the pipeline will be completed next year.

Roanoke cites concerns

Long before bulldozers broke ground for the largest natural gas pipeline ever built in Virginia, city officials in Roanoke were worried.

The pipeline will cut through the heart of the Roanoke River watershed, burrowing under about 130 major and minor tributaries. It will cross the river proper in the Lafayette area near the Roanoke-Montgomery county line, about 12 miles upstream from where the river enters the city from west.

According to Mountain Valleys own estimates contained in a FERC report, sediment equalibriums will increase by at least 2%  about 1,000 more tons per year  in the part of the river that flows through Roanoke.

In 2017, the Roanoke City Council passed a resolution asking DEQ to require Mountain Valley to either completely control runoff or to pay for cleaning it up. The cost was estimated at $36 million or more.

However, there is currently no way to determine if pipeline construction has increased the sediment load in the Roanoke section of the river.

DEQ has installed 12 gauges immediately upstream and downstream of where the pipe crosses the river or its tributaries. But the agencys pipeline monitoring plan does not extend as far downstream as Roanoke, according to spokeswoman Ann Regn.

There have been no recent discussions between the city and DEQ, she said.

The best measuring stick for Roanoke appears to be a United States Geological Survey gauge beneath the Peters Creek Road bridge that spans the river. Suspended by cables from the bridge, the instrument records a number of variables every 15 minutes, including the water temperature, dissolved oxygen concentrations and the level of turbidity in the river.

Samples are sent to a lab to determine the suspended sediment concentration, according to USGS hydrologist James Webber. A detailed analysis will then be conducted, followed by a report or article in a peer-reviewed journal.

It will likely be late 2022 or early 2023 before a final conclusion  which would show the tons per year of sediment load and a comparison to previous years  is reached.

The data collected will not be able to determine a specific source of sediment, Webber said.

But city councilman Bill Bestpitch said that shouldnt be a mystery. Where else could it be coming from? he said. There arent any other major construction projects that are going to put that much sediment into the river.

Asked if Mountain Valley would be willing to compensate the city, spokeswoman Natalie Cox wrote in an email that a number of stream crossings have already been completed with no adverse affects.

The company has changed its plans to cross the Roanoke River, now saying that it will bore under the water body rather than dig a trench along its bottom.

Trenchless crossing methods have historically reduced the risk of surface water impacts, which we expect would be the case at this crossing, Cox wrote.

The citys concerns expressed in 2017 remain today and are heightened in many ways by the performance of MVP in inadequately addressing these concerns during construction of the pipeline thus far, City Manager Bob Cowell wrote in a letter submitted in October to DEQ as part of its public comment period.

There has been no evidence to date of contamination of public water drawn from the river by the city of Salem or the Western Virginia Water Authority, spokespersons for the two entities said last week.

Federal and state authorities require the city of Roanoke to reduce sediment loads from all sources. Also known as nonpoint source pollution, sedimentation is the nations largest water quality problem, according to the EPA.

Bestpitch said hes frustrated by the possibility that there may be no way to hold Mountain Valley accountable for what it contributes to the problem.

What weve done so far appears to have had a negligible effect, he said when asked if additional action may be taken by the city. And I dont think theres any strong reason to believe that another statement made by the Roanoke City Council will make any difference.

Pipeline prisoners

The view from the top of Poor Mountain was much different on a recent December day.

Construction workers were nowhere to be seen. The 42-inch diameter steel pipe had been buried on the steep slopes on both sides of Honeysuckle Road, which follows the ridgeline not far from a row of television and radio towers visible from the valley below.

From a distance, the completed right-of-way resembled a ski slope waiting for its first blanket of snow.

Two plastic tubes protruding from the ground offered the only hint of what was below: Warning. Gas Pipeline. MVP.

The yellow and black lettering is a standard warning for all pipelines, meant to prevent any digging that might disturb the highly pressurized natural gas that will be shipped through the region.

But to Roberta Bondurant, a longtime pipeline opponent who lives nearby, the signs stand for much more.

The route of a mega-pipeline across steep slopes raises the risk of water pollution, landslides, explosions, marring of the landscape and other dangers for residents in its path, who Bondurant called pipeline prisoners.

On Tuesday, she said, the water board has the opportunity to do real environmental justice.

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DUBLIN  For two years, the dream of a free store lived only in the minds of Sabrina Davidson-Ratcliffe and Hazel Wines.

The two Pulaski County women bonded over their desire to help people who are struggling financially. This fall the Pulaski County Free Store became a reality  first operating out of a storage unit and now in its own storefront on Dublins Main Street.

Weve already served more than 500 people in just 28 hours of being open, Davidson-Ratcliffe said. Our refrigerator empties out every day. We cant keep towels and bed linens on the shelves. We know theres a need.

The volunteer-run shop of food and gently used items is now open on alternate Sunday afternoons. Davidson-Ratcliffe and Wines hope to add weekday hours when they have more volunteers. But in the meantime, their community refrigerator is accessible to hungry people at all hours.

That is huge for people needing food after hours and on weekends. Theres no waiting  and no judging  with us, Wines said.

Davidson-Ratcliffe still tears up when she talks about the woman who galvanized her campaign to serve others who are experiencing hardship.

My daughter and I were visiting New York City, going to lunch in the Chelsea district when we saw her  an elderly lady sleeping on the sidewalk. People were stepping over her, ignoring her like she was nothing. It still hurts to think about her. No one is disposable; everyone deserves their basic needs met.

When Davidson-Ratcliffe met Wines, who was involved in pop-up clothing banks and mutual aid projects, they started tossing around ideas. A community center would be nice, but expensive. Or maybe they could do kiosk clothing and food banks around the county. They kept coming back to the concept of a free store open to everyone.

I know we have the resources, Wines said. We have enough for everyone in this country, more than enough. Every year more than 100 billion pounds of food are thrown away. So many things that people can still use end up in landfills.

The two women, both originally from Montgomery County, say there are more homeless people in Pulaski County than many people realize. According to federal data, one out of every seven county residents lives below the federal poverty level. Some families are only a paycheck or two away from losing their homes, Wines noted.

They might end up living in their cars or storage sheds, she said. Theyre in plain sight, but others dont realize whats going on with them. Were such an individualistic society; we think were all supposed to take care of ourselves and that something is wrong with people who hit a hard patch they cant manage.

We just want to help people with necessities so they can get ahead of their bills, said Davidson-Ratcliffe. Many people are proud; they dont want to accept charity. But our stuff is free to everyone who needs it with no stigma attached. If someones blood sugar drops while theyre walking around Dublin, they can stop by our fridge. Its a community resource.

Initially she and Wines tried to find an unoccupied building in downtown Pulaski, where they felt the need might be greatest. When the search for a property owner who would waive the rent proved fruitless, they tried setting up shop with items gifted by friends on social media in a storage unit for several Sundays.

We just didnt have enough space, Davidson-Ratcliffe said. So my husband, Terry, stepped up and bought the shop space in Dublin.

Now Im landlord to tenants who dont pay rent, Terry Ratcliffe said, joking about his business model.

The shop, located in a small strip mall at 260 W. Main St., contains seven small rooms of gently used merchandise, all donated and all free. Entering shoppers are greeted with the sight of dozens of childrens gifts under a decorated Christmas tree. The rest of the room is stuffed with toys children can play with while their parents shop and take home afterward.

Other rooms are filled with childrens clothes, baby things, shoes, womens and mens clothing, kitchen items and home decor. Theres a hallway full of books, DVDs and canned goods, a shelf chock full of games and another housing electronic items. One can also find toothbrushes, glittering jewelry, baby strollers, soap, paintings and Christmas decorations in this well-organized shop. For some, the hunt is almost as much fun as the find.

So far, the women say no one has taken unfair advantage of the free shop. No one has cleaned out the fully stocked fridge in one swoop.

Well, someone did run off with the refrigerator, Davidson-Ratcliffe said.

The theft of the fridge was actually just a big misunderstanding, she said. When the couple who took it found out it wasnt being given away, they brought it back.

The shops main needs right now are for food, especially for vegetables, fruits, eggs, cheeses, frozen microwaveable meals, canned and fresh meats, soups, juices, and baby food. Homeless shoppers especially need clean blankets, gloves, hats, socks, lip balm, and personal hygiene items. The Free Store is also looking for people with carpentry skills to build a shelter for the outdoor refrigerator.

Donations are welcome during the stores open hours of noon to 3 p.m. on first and third Sundays of each month (Dec. 19, Jan. 2, Jan. 16, etc.). Items should not be left outside the shop at other times because the small volunteer staff cant process them. The Free Store has applied for 501c nonprofit organization status and expects to achieve it in 2022. For more information, visit the stores Facebook page, www.facebook.com/freestorepc, or email freestorepc@gmail.com.
HAMPTON  It took four pens to complete one signature  Gov. Ralph Northams  that sealed the final transfer of land from the U.S. Army to the state: the 4.97 acres underneath The Chamberlin.

With that, some $80,000 a year that the owners of the retirement community had been paying the Army will flow into state coffers.

More revenue! Northam joked Thursday afternoon.

The transfer marked the end to 10 years of complex negotiations over various parcels of Army land at the former headquarters for the Training and Doctrine Command and before that for the Coast Artillery, said Northam, who had served for years on the board of the Fort Monroe Authority, the state agency that runs the property.

This is a special place in my mind, he said.

The forts history  it is on the site where the first enslaved Africans arrived in English North America in 1619, and was where the first slaves were freed during the Civil War  makes it an important site for all Americans, he said.

If you want to know where youre going, you have to know where youve been, he said.

Northam arrived at the fort to sign the deed transferring The Chamberlin land after stopping at Norfolk State University to announce the budget he will present to the General Assembly as one of his last acts in office will include $297 million for the states four Historically Black Colleges and Universities: NSU, Hampton University, Virginia State University and Virginia Union University.

We have a $2.6 billion budget surplus and we can level the playing field for these schools, he said.

After heading to the Peninsula, he signed the deed that will transfer the land under The Chamberlin, and with that the 50-year ground lease that the owners of the old hotel signed with the Army.

It will not mean any changes to the operation or business of The Chamberlin itself, Fort Monroe Authority executive director Glenn Oder said.

A unit of the Roanoke-based senior living firm Smith/Packett acquired The Chamberlin in 2012 from the Newport News-based corporation that restored the historic hotel in 2006.

The building had been hit hard by storms in 2009 and 2011, with damage that made the building difficult to insure. The Newport News firm and its bank asked Smith/Packett to step in and take over, according to Smith/Packetts online description of the property for potential investors.

Restoration and continued operation of The Chamberlin since then is an example of the kind of redevelopment that Oder hopes partnerships between the authority and the private sector across the former fort.

Last month, the Fort Monroe Authority issued a request for proposals to redevelop around 300,000 square feet of building space at four separate sites at the fort.

Earlier this year, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission approved work planned for a $40 million project to redevelop Fort Monroes marina area. That project calls for replacing the Old Point Comfort Marina with a 300-slip facility, a 90-room hotel, a marina building, a deck with a pool on pilings and a promenade deck on pilings.
The quality of social services in Virginia varies so wildly from locality to locality that one county might have a department that takes sterling care of its charges and pursues innovative approaches to helping children and families overcome their challenges  but cross the line into the next county over, and you could find a department turning a blind eye to horrific, even fatal abuse, and facing no consequences for doing so.

Roanoke Times reporter Alison Graham chronicled examples of both in her long-term investigative series Social Services Under Strain, funded by a fellowship from the Blacksburg-based Secular Society.

Graham brought to light that Virginias social services system has been afflicted with the same problems for more than 40 years. The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission repeatedly determined that many local departments werent in compliance with state standards and yet the state has done little to nothing to address the problems.

Virginias social services system lacks strong central oversight, so local social services employees are rarely held accountable for lax or harmful decisions. If a regional office does find problems in a local office, the state has no system in place to see to it that any recommendations for improvement that the regional office makes will be followed.

One recent positive development, legislation sponsored by departing Del. Chris Hurst, D-Montgomery, resulted in formation of the childrens ombudsman office, which gives people someone to petition if they have complaints about social services departments.

So much more is needed, though. We want to discuss possibilities for how this system can be fixed, as we promised in our previous editorial on Grahams investigative project (Nov. 7, Lessons learned from Social Services Under Strain).

Even wishing that the sprawling social services complex could be fixed smacks of pie in the sky ideals, as no candidate for state office runs on a platform of social services reform. Its not a topic that attracts floods of campaign donations or even social media clicks.

Whether or not its politically advantageous, theres no question that reform is necessary. Innocent lives hang in the balance.

Before meaningful reform can begin, the states systems need to be evaluated as a whole from a figurative altitude of 30,000 feet, a view that takes in the entire network, not just individual types of services or buckets of funding.

Few responses to requests for action trigger eye rolls like, Well form a committee, but even that would be more than whats currently being done. A committee could request and digest comprehensive data about all the systems interlocking challenges, including social worker caseloads, foster parent recruitment, the placement of special needs children in private day schools and disparities in what services are available to what communities.

Such a committee could determine the price tags for ideas to modernize the system.

Issues with the administration of Childrens Services Act funds, which require a funding match from localities, often only get attention when the state-mandated expenses rise to the point of blowing up a county or citys budget, as has happened in recent years in places like Franklin County. Local governments abruptly facing a budget crisis often focus solely on whichever issue is running up the tally, such as foster care or day placement expenses, but dont take a look at the whole picture.

The same phenomenon exists statewide, with every community in its own social serves silo and weak state oversight. A good look at the entire picture would be helpful not just for state authorities but for local governments trying to get a handle on whats causing the leaks in the financial dyke.

A few rural counties have banded together to share resources and shore up each others weaknesses. The state could encourage such collaborations by identifying which localities have common needs, which localities have services available that could assist with those needs and by offering financial incentives for joining forces, such as grants.

The states budget for the Department of Social Services exceeds $2 billion, and yet the typical social worker might only earn about $30,000 as they deal with a caseload thats double or triple what the state recommends.

Pay for social workers should be higher to help combat turnover and burnout. At this level, too, incentives could be offered, such as assistance with or forgiveness of student loans, to encourage graduates entering the field to take jobs in underserved parts of the state.

Either the central office or the states five regional offices should be given more power to regulate, investigate and intervene if necessary. As currently practiced, the state-supervised, locally administrated system puts walls between local departments and renders the state office almost superfluous.

Exploring these solutions and implementing them will require additional funding in the beginning, but in the long run they would bring an efficiency that would save both state and local governments money, and through them, taxpayers.

The investment would also realize the most important goal: better outcomes for the children that the system was built to serve. The shortages of funding, resources and services mean that these kids cant always get what they need, and then the system fails them.

If localities had more access to services, could better coordinate collaborations and receive assistance from the state, they could do so much more for their communities and the vulnerable citizens in them.

Beyond the onus on government, news outlets should pay more attention to whats happening in the system, and not just when there is a crisis. Graham often found she was one of the few, if not the only, journalists covering state meetings of the social services board.

If more media paid attention to what was happening in social services, perhaps more politicians would too.
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
" " NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik makes a spacewalk in November 2009, during the final space shuttle flight to or from the International Space Station. His spacesuit protected him from the UV rays. NASA

NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong gazed through overlapping shields. While the Ohio native took his "one small step" onto the moon, he was wearing a transparent, bubble-shaped helmet fitted with visors that could be raised or lowered at will. The innermost visor and the bubble itself were made of polycarbonate shielding  a material that helped protect Armstrong from getting an overdose of ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

Like visible light beams, UV rays are electromagnetic waves released by our sun. Moderate exposure to some of those waves can do a body good. Contact with ultraviolet B (UV-B) rays, for example, prompts human skin to manufacture vitamin D3. But when we absorb too much of this radiation, DNA can get irreparably damaged, opening the door for skin cancer. And of course, we're all familiar with sunburns, another potential side effect of UV overexposure.

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Besides UV-B, there are two other major UV radiation categories: ultraviolet A (UV-A) and ultraviolet C (UV-C). Each type moves at a different wavelength, with UV-A's being the longest. Rays of UV-C are considered especially harmful to human beings. We're very lucky, then, to have an ozone layer that absorbs nearly all of the UV-C rays  and most of the UV-B ones  that enter Earth's atmosphere.

Sunscreen offers us Earth-dwelling folk some measure of defense against the UV rays that pass through the ozone barrier. (FYI: Wearing appropriate clothes is a good idea, too.)

Yet the moon doesn't have much of an atmosphere, so its surface is awash in ultraviolet radiation. There's evidence to suggest that the abundant UV rays may be partly responsible for the levitating clouds of lunar dust we've observed on Earth's natural satellite.

With so much unfiltered UV radiation afoot, you might think that astronauts who visit the moon would come home with terrible sunburns. But that didn't happen to Armstrong and company. Spacesuits  including those donned by the Apollo explorers  are made with heavy fabrics that block out UV rays.

The suits also come with see-through helmets. For these  and for some of the attached visors  designers use ultraviolet-stabilized polycarbonate, an ultra-tough plastic that protects astronauts' faces from UV radiation. A lesser building material could leave the space travelers vulnerable to "snow blindness" and other optic conditions that may arise when UV rays damage parts of the human eye.

As it stands, there's really no need for a spacesuit-clad astronaut to put on sunscreen. That said, a member of the Gemini 9 crew did get a triangular sunburn on his back in 1963. Gene Cernan had been in low-Earth orbit, working on the exterior of his spacecraft, when the outer seams on his suit ripped, exposing him to intense solar heat.

The risk of contracting sunburn goes way down when astronauts are inside a spaceship. Aboard the International Space Station for example, astronauts regularly do their work in nothing but ordinary cotton shirts and pants. To protect them from sunburns, the ISS uses UV-blocking windows, as do most space exploration vessels.

Back on the moon, though, extraterrestrial UV radiation may have claimed some nonhuman victims. You know those six American flags that were planted up there? Some astronomers think that decades of bombardment from powerful UV rays could've bleached them white by now.

Learn more about the challenges of interplanetary exploration in "Interplanetary Outpost: The Human and Technological Challenges of Exploring the Outer Planets" by Erik Seedhouse. HowStuffWorks picks related titles based on books we think you'll like. Should you choose to buy one, we'll receive a portion of the sale.

NOW THAT'S INTERESTING On the Apollo 12 mission, a TV camera was ruined when astronaut Alan Bean  the fourth man to ever walk on the moon  accidentally aimed it at the sun.
" " The American Society of Civil Engineers considers the Panama Canal one of the seven Modern World Wonders. Canal de Panama

In the heated jungles of Central America in the early 1900s, thousands of workers toiled in the rain and mud trying to cleave Panama in half in order to join the Pacific Ocean with the Caribbean Sea. The difficult, dirty work involved more than digging and dynamiting, though. Working on the Panama Canal in the early days was about simply surviving.

But for all the groundbreaking engineering feats accomplished in creating the Panama Canal  one of the American Society of Civil Engineers' seven Modern World Wonders  it was a decision that dealt more with man than machine that proved most critical.

Thousands of workers  perhaps as many as 22,000  died while the French first tried to dig the canal. Yellow fever was rampant, as was malaria. On-job accidents killed and maimed. Close to 80 percent of the workforce was fleeing when the Americans took over the job in 1903.

When famed engineer John Frank Stevens arrived in 1905, his first job was to stop the carnage. And that meant accepting the relatively new idea that controlling mosquitoes  a measure favored by U.S. Army physician William Crawford Gorgas  would make the job site safer.

"Men of that era couldn't conceive of a mosquito being able to kill a strong man. They just couldn't respect that," says J. David Rogers, a professor of geological engineering at Missouri University of Science & Technology. "The thing you had to conquer to make that project work was the sanitation issues."

With Gorgas' guidance and under Stevens' orders, swamplands were drained and grasslands close to workers were cut to control the mosquitoes. Insecticides were used. Workers' quarters were screened. Adult mosquitoes were captured. Quinine was administered to the men. The result: Yellow fever in the area was all but eradicated. And, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, deaths from malaria in the total population were reduced from a maximum of 16.21 per 1,000 in July 1906 to 2.58 per 1,000 in December 1909.

That medical success paved the way for the engineering marvel that followed.

" " Construction on the Panama Canal began in the early 1900s and was brutal and slow. More than 22,000 men died during construction, many from malaria. Library of Congress

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Why Build the Panama Canal?

After seeing the relative success of another waterway  Egypt's Suez Canal, which opened in 1869  America envisioned a shortcut through Central America as a way of strengthening its position as a two-ocean power.

Before the Panama Canal opened, ships had to travel all the way around South America to get to the other side of the country. Soon after the USS Maine was sunk in Havana Harbor in 1898, the USS Oregon sailed from the West Coast around Cape Horn on the southern tip of Chile all the way to Cuba. The trip took 66 days. It would have taken around 21 days if the Panama Canal were operational and saved some 8,000 miles (12,874 kilometers) of travel.

For years, the U.S. had been considering building a canal through Nicaragua. But engineering concerns  not to mention worries about active volcanoes in the area  prompted President Teddy Roosevelt to continue with the failed French site in Panama instead. In 1903, he agreed to pay the French $40 million (it'd be about $1.2 billion now), and the Americans assumed control of a project that would take more than a decade to complete.

"The French [who had helped build the Suez Canal in Egypt] didn't realize how massive and complex this was," Rogers says. "It was like two different worlds."

As the Americans took control, the building of the Panama Canal became an audacious example of American ingenuity and know-how. "It was a national pride project," Rogers says. "We just kept writing checks."

By the end, the U.S. had shelled out some $375 million (somewhere close to $11 billion today). The project came in some 444 percent over budget.

" " A cruise liner approaches the first of the Panama Canal Locks, Gatun Lock, with the lock gates just opening to allow entry. A cargo vessel is in the second parallel lock. Both vessels are heading west toward the Pacific Ocean. elmvilla/Getty Images

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The Hurdles Faced

Besides the deadly diseases that plagued the early days of the construction, the difficult weather (tropical rains and intense heat) and the costs, engineers debated the very nature of the Panama Canal early on. They finally abandoned ideas about a sea-level canal (like the Suez), with Stevens instead insisting upon a series of locks that would raise or lower ships as needed. But that design necessitated construction of another big project.

Gatun Dam, at one time the largest dam in the world, had to be built across the sometimes-raging Chagres River to ensure the proper flow of water between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic. That formed Gatun Lake, a major component of the canal's operation (more on that below).

And then there was the sheer scope of the project: Between the French and American builders, some 7.2 billion cubic feet (268 million cubic yards) of earth and rock had to be excavated, three times what was removed to build the Suez Canal. Most of the muck was placed onto railcars, shipped to the coasts and dumped into huge piles in the ocean. It now forms breakwaters and the foundation for towns and a military base. Much was dumped into the adjacent jungle, too.

"The efficiency in earth-moving was staggering," Rogers says. "The earth had never seen anything like that before. And it didn't afterward for a long time."

Also a continuing problem: landslides. Yet despite the constant challenges, the Panama Canal opened in August 1914, with the SS Ancon becoming the first ship to officially make the trip through.

" " A massive expansion of the Panama Canal extended the locking gates to allow larger cargo ships and aircraft carriers to pass through. Canal de Panama

"They had to learn a lot while they were going," Rogers says. "They used up all of the vitrified clay pipes to be produced in the United States, and all the cement produced in the United States, and all of the dynamite produced in the United States. All over this 10-year period, all diverted down to Panama."

In its first five years, decreased traffic because of World War I and a series of landslides (which closed the passage for almost all of 1915 and would continue for years), the canal was barely used. That would soon change.

The Panama Canal was traveled extensively by U.S. warships in World War II, and now has become a major shipping route between East and West.

At one time, engineers again looked at making the passage a sea-level canal, which would eliminate the need for locks and decrease travel time. That idea was scrapped. After World War II, when military ships became too big to pass through, engineers also considered "nuclear excavations"  effectively, creating canals through the use of underground nuclear devices. That, too, was dismissed.

In 1977, the signing of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties returned control of the canal from the United States to Panama, effective Dec. 31, 1999. Since then, the Panama Canal has been expanded  the locks used to be about 100-feet (30-meters) wide; now they're 175- to 185-feet (53- to 56-meters) wide  so that now even the biggest aircraft carriers and cargo ships can pass through.

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How the Locks Work

The goal once a ship enters the Panama Canal is to get them up and over the terrain  and up 85 feet (26 meters) above sea level to Gatun Lake. That's where the locking system comes in. A locking system was chosen for the Panama Canal design because the Pacific Ocean sits at a higher sea level than the Atlantic. So rather than excavating down to sea level, engineers determined that a series of massive locking gates that could raise ships above sea level into a large man-made lake (Gatun Lake) would be the best option.

Ships entering the Panama Canal from the Atlantic enter the first of three Gatun Locks, where the massive chamber fills with 26.7 million gallons of water. To fill the chamber with water and raise the ship, the miter gates and lower lock valves are closed, while the upper valves are opened. The water from Gatun Lake rushes in through 20 holes in the chamber floor. It takes about eight minutes for the chamber to completely fill and raise the ship. The process is repeated two more times until the ship is level with Gatun Lake.

The ship then travels through Gatun Lake until it reaches the Pacific Ocean where it enters the Pedro Miguel Locks and the process goes in reverse  it's lowered through two locks from Gatun Lake back to sea level. The entire trip  from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific  takes an average of 8 to 10 hours.

The ships don't go through the Panama Canal for free. They pay a toll based on the measurements of the vessel each time they enter. And it earns Panama more than $2.5 billion a year. The 50-mile (80-kilometer) long canal hosts nearly 14,000 trips a year, mainly by container ships and others carrying fuel, coal, grains and minerals/metals, though other small ships make the crossing, as well.

Now, more than 100 years after its opening, you can see why it remains an engineering wonder.

NOW THAT'S INTERESTING The 46 locking gates are instrumental to the success of the Panama Canal  and they are massive. All of them are 65 feet wide by 7 feet deep (19 meters wide by 2 meters deep). Their heights vary, though, and range anywhere from 47 to 82 feet (14 to 24 meters). The Miraflores Gates are the tallest because of the Pacific Ocean tides. But all of the gates weigh between 353.8 and 662.2 tons (321 and 600 metric tons).
" " Sir Francis Galton did pioneering work on human intelligence, as well as on twin studies, weather maps and fingerprint collection. Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images

The 19th-century British polymath Francis Galton could have been as well-remembered as his famous first cousin, Charles Darwin. Galton had a passion for counting and measuring everything he could get his hands on, which drove him to do pioneering work in fields as diverse as meteorology, psychology, statistics, biometrics, forensics and anthropology.

But Galton also had a fatal intellectual flaw, a fascination with applying Darwin's revolutionary discovery of natural selection  and the popular scientific notion of the "survival of the fittest"  to humans. With a head full of casually racist Victorian assumptions about the superiority of the white, British male, he launched a full-throated endorsement of selective human breeding and coined the term "eugenics."

Galton's ideas would give rise decades later to forced sterilization of the "unfit"  including in the United States  and ultimately the horrors of the Nazi extermination camps.

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A Victorian Man of Science

Galton's career can be divided into two parts: his early life as an explorer, travel writer and scientific innovator; and then his later obsession with eugenics following the release of "On the Origin of Species."

Galton was born in 1822 and was considered to be a child prodigy. Soon after he graduated from university, his father died, leaving him the family fortune inherited from an industrialist grandfather. Free from the tyranny of earning a living, young Galton indulged his passion for travel and hunting, going on expeditions to Egypt and the Holy Land. Galton's cousin Darwin got him an introduction to the Royal Geographical Society, where he hatched a monthslong expedition to map unexplored corners Africa.

During his African journeys, Galton showed a real talent for the detailed measurements of mapmaking, hinting at the patient dedication to data collection would serve him well throughout his career. He proved less successful, however, at international diplomacy. After attempting to win passage through a tribal king's land by presenting him with cheap gifts, Galton returned to his tent to find the king's own peace offering, a nude young woman smeared in butter and ochre dye.

Galton had her "ejected with scant ceremony," as he put it, less for moral reasons than a concern about staining his white linen suit. Galton wrote that she was "as capable of leaving a mark on anything she touched as a well-inked printer's roller." The king, needless to say, told Galton to scram.

Back in London, Galton wrote a popular account of his African travels as well as how-to guides for would-be adventurers. Then he began to indulge his scientific curiosity on all manner of subjects still in their scientific infancy.

First was a fascination with meteorology. If you think today's weather forecasts are bad, imagine how awful they were in the 1850s when The Times of London began publishing the first predictions of tomorrow's weather. Galton approached the problem like he would dozens of others in his career: He went out and collected data.

In 1861, he set up a system by which meteorologists across Europe collected weather data  temperature, wind speed and direction, barometric pressure  three times a day at the exact same hours for a month. Galton then analyzed the data for recognizable patterns of cause and effect, and in the process discovered the phenomenon known as an "anticyclone."

But perhaps Galton's greatest contribution to weather forecasting was inventing some of the first weather maps that included wind speed arrows, temperature discs, and simple symbols for rain and sunshine.

Even some of Galton's notable early failures became wild successes. In 1864, he and some fellow Victorian notables launched a weekly scientific journal called The Reader, which disbanded after two years. Some other colleagues revived the journal a few years later under the name Nature, now one of the world's most respected scientific publications.

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Darwin Changes Everything

It's hard to overstate the scientific and societal impact of Darwin's publication of "On the Origin of Species" in 1859. Galton was enthralled by his cousin's theory of natural selection and even more taken with Herbert Spencer's notion of the "survival of the fittest" and the emerging philosophy of "social Darwinism." By the logic of social Darwinism, the wealthy white elite were by nature the fittest, while the poor and nonwhite masses were obviously less equipped for the struggle of survival.

Galton was eager to find data that could prove that desirable and undesirable human traits were inherited from one generation to the next. So, he started examining the family trees of "great men"  scientists, writers, judges and statesmen  and collecting data on the admirable qualities shared by fathers, sons and grandsons. This being the mid-19th century, women were completely ignored.

He published his results in the 1869 book "Hereditary Genius," concluding that greatness was indeed inherited. Never mind that Galton dismissed the educational and social advantages enjoyed by the elite, or that the questionnaires that he sent to his eminent research subjects were clearly biased, Galton's work was also pioneering in many ways. He was the first to use family trees and questionnaires to gather data about inherited traits, a technique that would form the basis of later work in genetic science.

"Hereditary Genius" got mixed reviews. Nature was mildly positive. Darwin gave it two (opposable) thumbs-up. But there were also critics who insisted that inherited "nature" alone didn't determine one's abilities or place in the social order. Equally important were the life experiences and educational opportunities that we collectively call "nurture."

"Universal knowledge of reading, writing and ciphering and the absence of pauperism would raise the national grade of ability far quicker and higher than any system of selected marriage," wrote The Times.

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Statistics, Twins and Fingerprints

To answer his critics and prove the dominance of nature over nurture, Galton went back to what he did best, collecting hard data. In one study, he asked 205 sets of parents and their children to report their respective heights. When he plotted the heights on a graph, he found that the children of tall people tended to be slightly shorter on average than their parents, while the children of short people tended to be taller on average than their parents.

Galton repeated the experiment with sweet peas and found the same result. Plants that sprung from large seeds produced peas that were smaller, not larger on average than the parent seed. What he had discovered was the statistical phenomenon of "regression to the mean" and even developed a formula called the regression coefficient. For that reason alone, Galton was a pioneer in biological statistics.

In a similar stroke of genius, Galton realized that the best way to prove the unchanging influence of inheritance was to find sets of identical twins who had been separated at birth and raised in radically different circumstances. If they remained similar in health, character and achievements, then his theory would be validated.

Galton struck out at finding his separated identical twins, but he went on to perform some of the first twin studies in the history of science. In an 1875 paper, he reported on 94 sets of twins who shared striking similarities, not only in physical appearance, but in taste and temperament. Again, Galton's conclusions show a clear bias toward his hypothesis, but that first 1875 twin study laid the groundwork for what has become an indispensable tool of behavioral genetics research.

Galton also made his mark (pun painfully intended) on forensic science. Others had done important work in the field of fingerprinting, but it was Galton who ultimately convinced Scotland Yard to adopt the forensic technique by proving  once again through massive data collection and careful analysis  that no two fingerprints are exactly alike and that fingerprints remain unchanged over the lifetime. We can also thank Galton for inventing the fingerprint classification system of arches, loops and whorls.

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From Social Darwinism to Sterilization

Sadly, Galton's contributions to science have been almost entirely overshadowed by his abiding belief in eugenics, which Galton defined as "the scientific study of the biological and social factors which improve or impair the inborn qualities of human beings and of future generations."

Galton coined the term eugenics in 1883, but he was writing about his idea of a eugenetic utopia a decade earlier. In an 1873 article in Fraser's Magazine, he described a future in which the genetic elite were incentivized by the state to procreate, while the genetically "unfit" would be barred from reproducing at all. In an earlier letter to the Times he proposed that Africa be given over to the Chinese people, saying "the gain would be immense" if the Chinese were to "'outbreed and finally displace" the Africans.

It's important to point out that Galton was far from alone in his views, and that talk of superior and inferior "stock" was common in a Victorian era steeped in racism and classism. When Galton gave a lecture on eugenics in 1904, prominent thinkers were invited to respond. The author H.G. Wells sounded skeptical at first, arguing that the relative genetic superiority of individuals was too hard to quantify. But then he concluded with this shocker:

"The way of nature has always been to slay the hindmost, and there is still no other way, unless we can prevent those who would become the hindmost being born," wrote Wells. "It is in the sterilization of failures, and not in the selection of successes for breeding that the possibility of an improvement of the human stock lies."

Yikes.

Tragically, some of Galton's most offensive ideas were ultimately put into practice. Not only in Nazi Germany, where millions of genetically or racially "unfit" individuals  the disabled, mentally ill, homosexuals, gypsies and Jews  were rounded up and exterminated. But also in the United States, which has its own shameful history of forced sterilization programs targeting Mexican-Americans, African Americans and Native Americans, as well as convicted criminals and the mentally ill.

Galton received many honors, including a knighthood in 1909. He died in 1911, leaving behind no children (his wife of 43 years died in 1897). Ironically, he lived long enough to see Britain lay the beginnings of the welfare state, with pensions for the elderly and free school meals, measures that would help the neediest and disavow a eugenics future.

Now That's Interesting In 1904 Galton established a research fellowship in eugenics at University College London (UCL) and left most of his papers to the university. When students and professors campaigned to remove Galton's name from a prominent science building because of his racist views, many scientists came to his defense. "The individuals we have honored at UCL are commemorated not on political grounds but for discoveries that laid the foundations of several new sciences," said genetics professor Steve Jones to the Observer.
CHICAGO (AP)  Search efforts at an Amazon facility in Illinois where at least six people were killed in a tornado were expected to take several days, but authorities said they did not expect to find additional survivors.

The company has not said how many people were in the building not far from St. Louis when the tornado hit at 8:35 p.m. Friday  part of a swarm of twisters across the Midwest and the South that leveled entire communities. Authorities said they didn't have a full count of employees because it was during a shift change and there were several part-time employees.

Both sides of the warehouse used to prepare orders for delivery collapsed inward and the roof caved, according to Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford. Authorities received reports of workers being trapped and the fire unit arrived within six minutes, Whiteford said. Police helped pull people from the rubble. While 45 employees survived, six people were killed and a seventh person was airlifted to a hospital.

Whiteford said crews would search the rubble for several days.
Actress Elizabeth Olsen, known for her role as Wanda in the Marvel movies and series "WandaVision," is staring in an HBO Max limited series "Love and Death," parts of which are filming in and around Seguin.
Seguin Police Chief Terry Nichols applauds Seguin Police Sgt. Bradlee Flippin after presenting the officer with a Purple Heart during a special ceremony Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021 at the city's Special Utilities Operations Center.
Islanders on the Pacific territory of New Caledonia voted overwhelmingly on Sunday to remain part of France in a third referendum that was boycotted by pro-independence groups, raising fears of new tensions.

With all ballots counted, 96.49 percent were against independence, while only 3.51 percent were in favour, with turnout a mere 43.90 percent, results from the islands' high commission showed.

"Tonight France is more beautiful because New Caledonia has decided to stay part of it," President Emmanuel Macron said in a recorded video message that made no direct mention of the boycott.

Police reinforcements have been sent to the resource-rich territory known as "the pebble", which is of strategic importance to France and part of a wider tussle for influence in the Pacific between Western countries and China.

The boycott and crushing nature of the "No" vote will raise fears of protests as well as questions about the democratic legitimacy of the result on the archipelago, which lies 2,000 kilometres (1,250 miles) east of Australia.

Macron noted "the high abstention rates" but said France could be "proud" of a more than 30-year process designed to settle the islands' status under which residents were asked in three separate referendums if they wished to break away.

Having rejected independence in 2018 and then again last year, inhabitants were called on Sunday to answer one last time whether they wanted New Caledonia "to accede to full sovereignty and become independent".

Pro-independence campaigners boycotted the vote, saying they wanted it postponed to September because "a fair campaign" was impossible with high coronavirus infection numbers.

- Loyalist joy -

The result could exacerbate long-standing ethnic tensions, with the poorer indigenous Kanak community who generally favour independence staying away from polling booths on Sunday.

The wealthier white community turned out in large numbers.

Story continues

"We have decided in our souls and consciences to remain French," Sonia Backes, a senior pro-France figure, told supporters on Sunday evening.

"The sad dreams of an independence at the cost of ruin, of exclusion and misery have crashed on the reef of our pioneering spirit, our resilience and our love for our own land," she added.

The main indigenous pro-independence movement, the FLNKS, had called the government's insistence on going ahead with the referendum "a declaration of war".

Noone from their side commented on the results on Sunday night.

Kanaks had also been called by their traditional community leaders to observe a day's mourning on Sunday for those killed by the coronavirus.

Around 2,000 police and troops were deployed for the vote, which passed off largely without incident except for an attempted roadblock on an outlying island.

- Chinese influence -

At stake in the vote was one of France's biggest overseas territories which is home to about 10 percent of the world's reserves of nickel, which is used to make stainless steel, batteries and mobile phones.

The islands are also a key part of France's claim of being a Pacific power, with New Caledonia granting Paris rights to the surrounding ocean, as well as serving as a military staging post.

Experts suspect that an independent New Caledonia would move closer to Beijing, which has built up close economic links and political influence on other Pacific islands.

"A period of transition is beginning. Free from the binary choice of 'Yes' or 'No', we must now build a common project, while recognising and respecting the dignity of everyone," Macron added in his message.

He added that "we will have to build a place for New Caledonia in the Indo-Pacific region which is in flux and subjected to major tensions."

France has 13 separate overseas territories, home to 2.7 million people, which are generally poorer and have higher unemployment than the European mainland, leading to long-standing accusations of neglect.

Some such as French Polynesia have been granted large degrees of autonomy, which could serve as a model for New Caledonia.

Macron underlined how the three referenda had shown New Caledonia "remained profoundly divided" and spoke of "the necessary reduction in economic inequalities which weakens the unity of the archipelago".

The pro-independence movement has threatened not to recognise Sunday's result and vowed to appeal to the United Nations to get it cancelled.

The territory was largely spared during the pandemic's first phase, but has suffered close to 300 Covid-19 deaths since the Delta variant arrived.

Some observers fear tensions could spark a return of the kind of violence last seen in the 1980s when clashes broke out between the pro-independence Kanaks and the white community.

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CHICAGO (AP)  A Chicago police officer has been charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a woman who was the mother of their child during what a prosecutor said was an argument.

A Cook County judge ordered Saturday that 29-year-old Pierre Tyler be jailed without bond. Tyler faces a first-degree murder charge in the death of 29-year-old Andris Wofford, who died of a gunshot wound to the head, according to the Cook County medical examiners office.

Assistant States Attorney Craig Engebretson said Wofford had learned this past week that Tyler had a pending child support case involving another woman with whom he had a child around the same time he was dating Wofford, the Chicago Tribune reported.

A video camera at Woffords home showed Tyler walking into her place Wednesday night and neighbors heard the two arguing, a loud muffled bang and then no further yelling, Engebretson said. A camera showed Tyler later leaving the home and Woffords body was found the next day.

Tylers attorney Tim Grace told the judge he believe the case was largely circumstantial.

Officer Steve Rusanov, a police spokesman, said Tyler had been relieved of police powers.

For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Chicago Tribune.

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Living in the Playboy Mansion -- or even being a reality show star  doesnt help sell homes.

Just ask Kendra Wilkinson, who hit the books, passed the California real estate exam and now sells homes in Los Angeles.

The celebrity thing has not helped me at all, says Wilkinson, one of Hugh Hefners former girlfriends and now the star of Kendra Sells Hollywood. I am starting fresh, starting raw and its 100 percent real. I see myself as a single motherdoing all I can to start a new career.

The bottom line? Its really scary with all eyes on me.

A reality series veteran, Wilkinson has starred in The Girls Next Door (about her time in the Playboy mansion), Kendra and Kendra on Top. Wilkinson met Hefner at his 78th birthday party and, soon thereafter, was asked to be one of his girlfrends. The status led to plenty of reality show work and an introduction to her future husband, Hank Baskett, a Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver. They married (at the Playboy Mansion, of course) and moved to Calabasas, California, then Indianapolis. In December 2009, she gave birth to a son and, in May 2014, a daughter. She and Baskett divorced in 2018.

What I focus on now is what I need to do to survive, what I need to do to learn and to improve myself, Wilkinson says.

The Playboy connection, she says, means nothing to potential buyers. People want to trust me with the biggest purchase of their lives. Its about being likeable. I get it. But Playboy and my past really have no play in this business moving forward.

Getting a cubicle with her name on it, Wilkinson says, was, honest to god, the highlight of my entire life. It takes the cake over anything because thats where I want to be. Ive worked so hard on myself these last three years, healing from my divorce, so that I can make my children proud. That cubicle is for my kids.

When producers saw how determined Wilkinson was to make a new start, they were eager to chronicle the shift in a series.

We wanted the unfiltered version of her, says Betsy Ayala, senior vice president for programming and production for HGTV. We want to see this journey  which weve never done  with somebody starting off in real estate.

While selling shows have proliferated on cable channels, Wilkinsons isnt in the same league as Selling Sunset or Million Dollar Listing. Breaking into the real estate business is a different ballgame, she says. I have a great following on my social media  and Im thankful for it. But being a celebrity has no play in it.

Signed with the Douglas Elliman agency in Los Angeles, she gets business like other agents  one client at a time. Peers, she says, are teaching me every single thing I need to know. I plan on taking my business cards and putting them at my dentists office and, like, handing them out on the streets.

Already, she says, the job hasnt been easy. Ive already been through my fair share of trials and errors and ones that real estate agents probably wouldnt want on camera. Im giving you the raw, authentic journey of what its like to start a business.

Producers say she has not been afraid to show those mistakes  and her emotions.

Its the best TV I have filmed in my life and Ive filmed TV since I was 18, the 36-year-old says. Were getting, like, gold and its not because Im flaunting anything else other than who I am.

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A bipartisan group of Iowa and Illinois lawmakers this week called on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to prioritize funding included in the recently passed federal infrastructure bill to finally rebuild river locks and dams.

U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, joined Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and U.S. Reps. Cheri Bustos, D-Moline, and Ashley Hinson, R-Marion, in writing a letter calling on the Corps of Engineers to prioritize funding of lock and dam upgrades on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers utilizing $2.5 billion set aside for inland waterways provided in the new infrastructure bill.

The $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden last month, includes $550 billion in new funding to rebuild roads and bridges, water infrastructure and more.

Lawmakers said the Army Corps of Engineers must soon tell Congress which specific projects it plans to fund.

The letter calls for priority funding to modernize and expand seven outdated locks at the most congested lock locations along the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers as well as fund more than $1 billion in ecosystem restoration.

The projects "will create almost 50 million person-hours of living wage construction jobs," according to the letter from lawmakers.

A 2019 study released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed that rebuilding river locks would inject $72 billion more dollars into the U.S. economy.

Among those who signed onto the letter include U.S. Reps. Cindy Axne, D-West Des Moines, and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Ottumwa, and U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. Ernst and Miller-Meeks, along with Hinson, voted against the infrastructure bill.

Grassley was among 19 Republicans who backed the bill when it passed the U.S. Senate in August. Grassley noted many of the infrastructure bills components were measures that had bipartisan support as stand-alone legislation  including to modernize the nation's aging river locks.

Lawmakers say the $2.5 billion authorized in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, plus annual spending, could finally speed long-delayed replacement of river locks that are "well beyond their 50-year design life and cannot accommodate modern tows," Grassley said in a July 13 floor speech.

Most of Americas locks and dams were built in the 1920s and 1930s and are critical for Midwest farmers who rely on the river to export corn and soybeans.

Congress originally authorized Upper Mississippi River locks modernization in 2007. The Army Corps included $4.5 million in its fiscal year 2020 work plan for planning and design work on new Upper Mississippi locks and environmental restoration. But no construction funds have been appropriated.

"It is important for NESP to receive new start funding so construction on these improvements can start taking place," Grassley said of the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability, a long-term project to renovate the upper Mississippi River system over a 50-year period.

Grassley, Hinson, Bustos and Durbin note agriculture industries stand firmly behind the infrastructure prioritization.

In addition to facilitating the movement of about 630 million tons of cargo a year valued at $232 billion, the inland waterway system supports more than a half million jobs, according to Grassley.

"Our nations inland waterway system also provides a safe, cost-effective, fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly way to move our bulk products," Grassley said on the Senate floor. "This translates into more than $12 billion annually in transportation savings to the American economy."

One gallon of fuel allows one ton of cargo to be shipped 647 miles by barge compared to 477 miles by rail and 145 miles by truck, generating far fewer greenhouse gas emissions, Grassley said.

"By moving goods on the inland waterways we are helping to relieve congestion on roadways and adding to the nations economic prosperity," he said.

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LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (AP)  New Yorks ski resorts are hoping to build on a 2020-21 season that saw them supplant Vermont as the third-biggest ski and snowboard state in the country, behind Colorado and California.

The COVID-19 pandemic was considered a significant factor as the appetite for outdoor recreation was strong. In addition, Vermonts strict quarantine rules on outsiders crossing the state line may have led to more people hitting the slopes elsewhere.

Those restrictions have been lifted, and the Albany Times-Union reported demand has been high for season passes in both Vermont and New York. Some resorts have already sold out of passes.

It is an incredible success story, in the cloud of COVID, Scott Brandi, president of the I Ski NY trade group, told the newspaper.

New York had 4.2 million skier visits last year, while Vermont had 3.5 million. Colorado led the nation with 12 million visits, followed by California with 6.75 million.

In New York, the Belleayre ski center in the Catskills had 160,988 visits in 2020-21, an 11-year high and more than 12,000 more visitors than in 2018-19, before the pandemic hit. Most ski centers closed about 30 days early at the end of the 2019-20 season.

Belleayre also saw a 180% rise in mid-week skiers, possibly the result of more people working from home and taking days off. Nationally, the percentage of skier visits in mid-week was over 47%, compared to about 30% during most years, according to the National Ski Areas Association.

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LONDON (AP)  Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Sunday that Britain faces a tidal wave of infections from the omicron coronavirus variant, and announced a huge increase in booster vaccinations to strengthen defenses against it.

In a televised statement, Johnson said everyone age 18 and older will be offered a third shot of vaccine by the end of this month in response to the omicron emergency. The previous target was the end of January.

He said cases of the highly transmissible variant are doubling every two to three days in Britain, and there is a tidal wave of omicron coming.

And Im afraid it is now clear that two doses of vaccine are simply not enough to give the level of protection we all need, Johnson said. But the good news is that our scientists are confident that with a third dose  a booster dose  we can all bring our level of protection back up.

He announced a national mission to deliver booster vaccines, with pop-up vaccination centers and seven-day-a-week getting extra support from teams of military planners and thousands of volunteer vaccinators.

Johnsons Dec. 31 target applies to England. The other parts of the U.K.  Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland  are also expected to speed up their vaccination campaigns.

The U.K. Health Security Agency says existing vaccines appear less effective in preventing symptomatic infections in people exposed to omicron, though preliminary data show that effectiveness appears to rise to between 70% and 75% after a third vaccine dose.

More than 80% of people age 12 and up in Britain have received two doses of vaccine, and 40% of adults have had three doses. Giving the rest a booster in the next three weeks will be a huge challenge, requiring almost 1 million doses delivered a day. Johnson acknowledged that many routine medical procedures would have to be postponed to meet the goal.

Johnson's announcement came hours after the government raised the countrys official coronavirus threat level, warning the rapid spread of the omicron variant had pushed the U.K. into risky territory.

The chief medical officers of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland said the 1of the highly transmissible new strain adds additional and rapidly increasing risk to the public and health care services at a time when COVID-19 is already widespread. They recommended raising the alert level from 3 to 4 on a 5-point scale. The top level, 5, indicates authorities think the health care system is about to be overwhelmed.

The doctors said early evidence shows omicron is spreading much faster than the currently dominant delta variant, and that vaccines offer less protection against it. British officials say omicron is likely to replace delta as the dominant strain in the U.K. within days.

Data on severity will become clearer over the coming weeks but hospitalizations from omicron are already occurring and these are likely to increase rapidly, they said.

Concerns about the new variant led Johnsons Conservative government to reintroduce restrictions that were lifted almost six months ago. Masks must be worn in most indoor settings, COVID-19 certificates must be shown to enter nightclubs and people are being urged to work from home if possible.

Many scientists say thats unlikely to be enough, however, and are calling for tougher measures, which the government so far has resisted.

Scientists in South Africa, where omicron was first identified, say they see signs it may cause less severe disease than delta, but caution that it is too soon to be certain.

Follow APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic

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SIOUX CITY -- What's the going rate for a two-month-old, apricot-colored Goldendoodle named Yukon? Saturday's 86th installment of the Little Yellow Dog Auction answered that question with an emphatic: $18,500.

The winning bid for Yukon, who was born at Heartland Classics, in Lyons. Neb., on Sept. 21, came from Sioux City Foundry CEO Andy Galinsky who made the offer around 1:07 p.m. in the in the atrium of the Ho-Chunk Centre in downtown Sioux City.

"(It's) the first time I've been to a Little Yellow Dog and I'm glad I did," Galinsky said after the auction concluded and Family Pet Hospital's Kerry Johnson had handed Yukon over to his new owner. Galinsky then said that Yukon would be plenty comfortable in his new environment: "We've got a big house. I used to raise seven boys in it and there's plenty of room."

Along with the $18,500 that Yukon fetched, several thousand dollars in checks came from the 60-plus people in attendance while Pam and Greg Wells gave $10,000 of their money which all goes to provide toys and books at Christmastime to children in need.

At about 12:02 p.m., Yukon made his way down the main aisle in the Ho-Chunk Centre toward the auction stage, which was flanked by poinsettias in the shape of the letter "w," and even gave a kiss to one blonde-haired child in the crowd.

"Eight-thousand kids are expecting us to do our job," Charlie Stone, a KSCJ Radio personality and emcee for the event, reminded the audience while Yukon continued to mill about the atrium. In due time, auctioneer extraordinaire Bruce Brock, who's marshaled money for the event for years, took to the stage and started the bidding off at the modest amount of $500.

Sporting a black cowboy hat and a white fringe coat, Brock solicited bids with a machine-gun patter and within two minutes of starting the process the price had already climbed to $5,000. Organizers then called for a break so that they could collect donations and let the Sioux City All-America Band play a rendition of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."

Before the shindig restarted, the Sioux City Journal's Bruce Miller, who was also emceeing, took time out to thank local artist Brenda Schoenherr-Thelen who, for the past 16 years, has painted a portrait of the Little Yellow Dog that the winning bidder receives as well. Miller pointed out that this year was different for Schoenherr-Thelen though as she was diagnosed with cancer in June. In total, it took Schoenherr-Thelen about 18 hours to bring Yukon to life on her 11-by-14 canvas.

Less than a minute after resuming at 12:28 p.m., the amount for Yukon got over $7,500.

At 12:30 p.m., it was $8,000.

Brock then paused the proceedings at $8,100 so that Yukon could go upstairs and meet the people peering down from the upper-level. At the same time, Brock's adolescent associate (Barrett Cargin) made the rounds with the pup to collect donations from people. Eventually, that money was chucked over the railing and in the deluge of dollars came Franklins and Grants and Jacksons.

Once the money had rained down, two awards were given out to Little Yellow Dog helpers Dave Nixon (also master of ceremonies) and Pat Kuehl (an auction club board member).

Coming out of the final break of the day, the price had gotten to $10,400 which means that bidders, including Galinsky, pushed it up by more than $8,000 in a matter of minutes. Galinsky thanked his fellow bidders and said that he and his entire family had plenty to be happy about. Well, almost his entire family.

"The only one that's not going to like it is my cat," Galinsky said.

WATCH NOW: 2020 Little Yellow Dog, Charli, brings $17,000 at auction; Wells family donates matching sum The total figure raised at the auction, $34,000, is the highest price a Little Yellow Dog has realized since 2011. An anonymous group of donors made the winning $17,000 bid.

The dog auction is a yearly tradition that goes back to 1936 -- the dog auctioned that year, Skippy, sold for $25. Mr. Goodfellow Charities, a tradition established in 1914 and sponsored by the Journal, predates the Little Yellow Dog Auction.

Mr. Goodfellow Charities is still working toward its fundraising goal this year of $135,000.

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday pledged to empower private citizens to enforce a ban on the manufacture and sale of assault weapons in the state, citing the same authority claimed by conservative lawmakers in Texas to outlaw most abortions once a heartbeat is detected.

California has banned the manufacture and sale of many assault-style weapons for decades. A federal judge overturned that ban in June, ruling it was unconstitutional and drawing the ire of the state's Democratic leaders by comparing the popular AR-15 rifle to a Swiss Army knife as good for both home and battle. California's ban remained in place while the state appealed.

Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers in Texas this year passed a law banning abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, which normally occurs at about six weeks into pregnancy. The Texas law allows private citizens to enforce the ban, empowering them to sue abortion clinics and anyone else who aids and abets with the procedure.

Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Texas law to remain in effect while abortion clinics sue to block it. That decision incensed Newsom, a Democrat who supports abortion rights.

If states can now shield their laws from review by the federal courts that compare assault weapons to Swiss Army knives, then California will use that authority to protect people's lives, where Texas used it to put women in harm's way, Newsom said in a statement released by his office at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Newsom said he has directed his staff to work with the state's Legislature and its Democratic attorney general to pass a law that would let private citizens sue to enforce California's ban on assault weapons. Newsom said people who sue could win up to $10,000 per violation plus other costs and attorneys fees against anyone who manufactures, distributes, or sells an assault weapon in California.

If the most efficient way to keep these devastating weapons off our streets is to add the threat of private lawsuits, we should do just that, Newsom said.

The legal fight over the Texas abortion law has focused on its unusual structure and whether it improperly limits how the law can be challenged in court. Texas lawmakers handed responsibility for enforcing the law to private citizens, rather than state officials.

The case raised a complex set of issues about who, if anyone, can sue over the law in federal court, the typical route for challenges to abortion restrictions.

Newsom's gun proposal would first have to pass Californias state Legislature before it could become law. The Legislature is not in session now and is scheduled to reconvene in January. It usually takes about eight months for new bills to pass the Legislature, barring special circumstances.

State Sen. Brian Dahle, a Republican from Bieber, would oppose the plan but predicted it could probably pass California's Democratic-dominated state Legislature. He said the proposal was most likely a stunt for Newsom to win favor with his progressive base of voters ahead of a possible run for president in the future.

The right to bear arms is different than the right to have an abortion. The right to have an abortion is not a constitutional amendment. So I think hes way off base, Dahle said. I think he's just using it as an opportunity to grandstand.

But Newsom's Saturday night declaration is a fulfilled prophecy for some gun rights groups who had predicted progressive states would attempt to use Texas' abortion law to restrict access to guns. That's why the Firearms Policy Coalition, a nonprofit group that advocates for gun rights, filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court opposing the Texas law.

"If Texas succeeds in its gambit here, New York, California, New Jersey, and others will not be far behind in adopting equally aggressive gambits to not merely chill but to freeze the right to keep and bear arms," attorney Erik Jaffe wrote on behalf of the Firearms Policy Coalition.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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RENO, Nev. (AP)  Nevada conservationists and state wildlife officials are stepping up efforts to find and destroy hollow PVC pipes that are used to mark mining claims across the West but also serve as death traps for nesting birds that get stuck inside them.

The plastic pipes sticking upright in the ground tend to attract cavity nesters  birds that rely on confined spaces for secure breeding grounds. The birds fly into the tubes but cannot escape the smooth-sided cylinders and eventually die from dehydration or starvation.

Nevadas Legislature outlawed the tubes a decade ago and authorized the removal of markers people find on public land, but there may still be hundreds of thousands of markers throughout the state.

Christy Klinger, a biologist with the Nevada Department of Wildlife, told the Reno Gazette Journal areas near historic mining districts have the greatest densities of markers. She has identified 55 bird species that have been found in the pipes, plus bats, lizards, snakes and other wildlife.

In northern Nevada, the Mountain Bluebird, Nevadas state bird, is one of the most susceptible to becoming trapped in the pipes.

Mining claims historically were marked with piles of rocks or wooden stakes. But in the 1970s and 80s, PVC became a cheap and visible way to mark claims because the white pipes stood out in the beige desert hills.

Pushed by conservation groups, the Nevada Legislature in the early 1990s ordered claimants to cap their markers or change them. But Klinger said the legislation was ineffective because claimants ignored it and because caps blew off in the wind.

Conservation groups persisted and Nevadas Legislature authorized the removal of the tubes by anyone starting in 2011. People who find PVC markers on public land can legally remove them and lay it next to where it once stood so birds no longer are attracted to them.

Klinger said the legislation drew a flurry of media attention that spurred wildlife campaigns, but she said they lost momentum as public interest waned over the years.

Part of the problem is there isnt a comprehensive database of where the claims are or how they are marked, she said.

Chris Cutshaw, northern Nevada stewardship manager for Friends of Nevada Wilderness, said there are likely hundreds of thousands of markers still standing throughout the West, posing an ongoing hazard for wildlife.

A lot of folks who are keeping their claims active went and switched them out, Cutshaw said. But a lot of them were just abandoned.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management referred to the mine markers as death traps for cavity nesting birds in a report in 2013.

The agency reported there were more than 200,000 active mine claims and more than 800,000 abandoned claims on land managed by the bureau in Nevada.

Over a roughly two-year period, the bureau and partnering state agencies and volunteer groups knocked down nearly 13,000 markers on 1,500 square miles (3,900 square kilometers) across the state. For every two markers that were knocked down, one dead bird was found.

A study by the American Bird Conservancy of Nevada mining markers from around the same period found 879 dead birds in 854 markers, as well as 113 reptiles and mammals.

Ash-throated flycatchers and mountain bluebirds were the most recovered carcasses from the pipes. Other dead birds found included woodpeckers, sparrows, shrikes, kestrels and owls.

Earlier this year, volunteers with Friends of Nevada Wilderness headed out to Gabbs Valley about 140 miles (225 kilometers) southeast of Reno to remove markers. They removed 279 markers in one day, finding almost 300 dead birds as well as bats, lizards and bees trapped inside.

While some markers were empty, one had about 30 birds in it while another had about two dozen.

On this trip we averaged at least one bird per marker. If youre talking about hundreds of thousands of mining claims in Nevada, that turns into a big issue, Cutshaw said.

Klinger said people who come across standing, uncapped markers should remove them and lay them next to where they were standing because they don't attract the birds when they are no upright.

She also recommends turning them upside down to empty any contents and then filling the hole where the marker was with rocks and dirt to prevent it from serving as a pitfall for other wildlife.

For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Reno Gazette-Journal.

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RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  Hundreds of opponents of a natural gas pipeline rallied on Saturday in Virginias capital in advance of an upcoming key regulatory decision.

The Virginia State Water Control Board is expected to vote Tuesday on whether to allow construction of portions of the Mountain Valley Pipeline in wetlands and across over 200 Virginia waterways, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.

The Rev. William Barber, a North Carolina-based civil rights leader, told the crowd at Byrd Park that projects like the proposed pipeline are an abusive sin that would harm the poor.

The planned 303-mile (488-kilometer) mile pipeline will take natural gas drilled from the Marcellus and Utica shale formations and transport it through West Virginia and Virginia. A 75-mile extension into central North Carolina is also proposed.

Barber, who is now the head of the national Repairers of the Breach movement among other roles, pointed out how developers of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline cancelled the project in 2020 following fierce opposition by environmental groups and residents along parts of the lines path.

We had to fight against one pipeline, Barber said. They should have learned by now, Virginians arent having this stuff. West Virginians arent having it. North Carolinians arent having it. They must not know who we are, but theyll learn.

Mountain Valley Pipeline spokesperson Natalie Cox called Barbers message that the project is sinful an uninformed and unproductive comment. The pipeline, Cox added, is designed to provide reliable, affordable, clean-burning natural gas to homes and businesses in Virginia and throughout the eastern United States.

The proposed North Carolina extension took a hit earlier this month when Virginia's State Air Pollution Control Board voted against a permit for a gas compressor station located in a county that borders North Carolina.

For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Richmond Times-Dispatch.

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WARSAW, Poland (AP)  Germanys new chancellor, Olaf Scholz, stressed Sunday that Europe won't tolerate attempts at undermining the territorial integrity of its nations and said that diplomatic tools like the Normandy Format should be used to de-escalate tensions after Russia massed troops near Ukraines border.

Scholz was speaking alongside Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in Warsaw, where the two leaders held talks about migration, energy, European Union matters and fears of potential Russia's aggression on Ukraine.

Were watching the troop movements along the Ukrainian border with great concern, and we are making it very, very clear that the borders in Europe cannot be violated and that we consider the integrity of the borders of countries to be inviolable -- and that no one should think that they could simply be violated without serious consequences, Scholz said.

France and Germany took the lead in brokering a 2015 peace deal between Ukraine and the Russia-backed rebels, in whats known as the Normandy Format.

Scholz said the Belarus government of President Alexander Lukashenko's apparent pushing of Middle East migrants at Poland's and EU's eastern border is inhumane and a major current challenge that Europe has the duty to reject.

He vowed solidarity with Poland "against this inappropriate manner of hybrid warfare. Poland has sealed the border with Belarus to prevent thousands if illegal crossings into the EU.

Referring to the intensifying rule-of-law dispute between Poland's government and the European Commission, the EUs executive arm, Scholz stressed that the 27-nation bloc is united by the principles of democracy and said it would also be very good and helpful if the continuing discussions could soon lead to a very good, pragmatic solution, and the EU would therefore continue to be bound by these principles of democracy and the rule of law.

Morawiecki said he briefed Scholz on Poland's proposals for solving the standoff.

The European Commission is withholding pandemic recovery funds from Poland saying the governments policies erode judicial independence there.

Regarding the divisive Nord Stream 2 pipeline that is to carry Russian gas directly to Germany, Morawiecki repeated Poland's position that it exposes Europe and Ukraine to pressure from Moscow, and said it was best for it not to be opened.

Scholz insisted the pipeline was a purely energy project whose role will be diminishing with the development of renewable energy sources in Germany. Germany's regulator has suspended the approval procedure for the completed pipeline because of legal issues.

Scholz was greeted by Morawiecki, with military honors, in front of the Polish premiers office. It was one of Scholzs early visits after he was sworn in with his coalition Cabinet on Wednesday.

They also discussed complex bilateral relations under Germanys new government. The good neighborly ties are still overshadowed by World War II, especially under Poland's current right-wing government, which is saying Germany owes Poland compensation for wartime damages.

Agnieszka Lada-Konefal, the deputy director of the German Institute for Polish Affairs in Darmstadt, Germany, expects Scholz's government to continue dialogue and contact with Poland, which is an important member on EU's eastern flank and Germany's fifth-largest trading partner.

The visit comes 30 years after the two parliaments ratified a treaty on good neighborly relations and friendly cooperation.

On Friday, Scholz met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris and later with EU and NATO officials in Brussels.

Scholz, a 63-year-old center-left politician, became Germanys ninth post-World War II chancellor, opening a new era for the EUs most populous nation and largest economy after Angela Merkels 16-year tenure.

His government is made up of a coalition of his center-left Social Democrats, the environmentalist Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats.

Emily Schultheis in Vienna contributed to this report.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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CANTON, Mass. (AP)  Artifacts once owned by Paul Revere's family are up for auction.

The items were found in the attic of a home in Canton, Massachusetts believed to have been owned by the family of the legendary Revolutionary War figure, The Boston Globe reports.

They include tools such wrought iron calipers, letters and other personal items. There's also an account book belonging to Paul Reveres descendants and a sign painted black bearing the name of Paul Revere's son, Joseph W. Revere.

John McInnis Auctioneers in Amesbury is selling the items as a single lot in an auction that runs from Friday to Saturday. The auction house estimates the items could fetch between $1,000 and $2,000.

Owner John McInnis told the Globe that the sign is likely related to the casing company the Revere family owned in Canton, a Boston suburb.

Revere was famed for his midnight ride on April 18, 1775, in which he warned the American colonial militia that the British Army was approaching ahead of the battles of Lexington and Concord. The ride was immortalized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellows 1861 poem, Paul Reveres Ride.

Revere was born and lived mostly in Boston. He purchased a home in Canton in 1801 and later opened the Revere Copper Company on the land, and his descendants built other operations there.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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People typically have two complaints about roads. First is that they are in terrible condition. The second is their aggravation caused by road construction.

Iowa is 25th in area but seventh in number of bridges. The state has identified needed repairs on 15,308 bridges at an estimated cost of $3.1 billion.

Repairing and maintaining this system is essential for our agricultural and manufacturing industries. Charese Yanney, a Regulars columnist and Iowa Department of Transportation commissioner, provided an excellent review of the recently enacted federal infrastructure bill's impact on Iowa in her Aug. 15 column.

Another element of infrastructure that is overlooked is water treatment and distribution. Some people criticized its inclusion in the federal bill, even though it is very much the definition of infrastructure. The legislation will result in replacing lead water lines, and provide testing and remediation at schools.

Even low levels of lead have been shown to cause neurological and intellectual impairment and damage organs. According to a Dec. 4 article in the Sioux City Journal, children in Iowa have elevated levels of lead in their blood at nearly twice the national rate. Only three states had a higher detectable level of lead among children than Iowa. We are literally poisoning ourselves and our children.

Our fellow citizens experience lifelong health and intellectual problems because of this problem. The lost potential these Americans face is an individual tragedy, but also negatively impacts the strength and vitality of our country. The adverse effects may prevent individuals from serving in the military, starting a business, or many other opportunities. Failing to address this has long-term economic, human, and national costs.

The new law also has measures to reduce other contaminants in drinking water. It includes funds for building or upgrading wastewater treatment, with at least 60 percent of the resources going to rural communities. These towns have the least capacity to address their issues, and cumulatively could have the largest effect on reducing impacted waterways. That will benefit the residents and those downstream.

Just as there are measures to prevent poisoning ourselves through drinking water, the law has measures to reclaim abandoned mines and to cap orphan gas wells. Both are known to leak methane and other toxins, contaminating land, air, and water and create safety hazards.

Owners of the mines and wells are supposed to have bonds or insurance that cover the costs to prevent damage to the public if the business fails. In the name of cutting regulation and costs, these requirements were often ignored. We can work to address the problem, or issue recrimination once explosions occur, as has happened in Colorado and Pennsylvania.

No legislation is perfect. It's reasonable to point out elements that might go too far, don't go far enough, or could be implemented differently. Much of the criticism, however, went well beyond reason.

Some legislative supporters of the measure were threatened. Police in New York arrested an individual for threatening the life of Republican congressman Andrew Garbarino. Another congressman who supported the measure received voice messages hoping for the deaths of his family and staff.

The member who was directly threatened put much of the blame on his fellow members of Congress. He was quoted as saying, I dont think my colleagues want to get me killed, but they should stop with the rhetoric.

There are legitimate reasons to be for or against the bill. Votes on legislation to improve our roads and clean our water shouldn't be met with threats of violence. The silence of some legislative leaders toward those escalating the rhetoric has been deafening. In addition to the water, we need leaders to eliminate the toxicity of political discourse.

Next week: Linda Holub

A Sioux City resident, Steve Warnstadt is government affairs coordinator for Western Iowa Tech Community College. He is a former Democratic state senator and retired Army National Guard brigadier general. He and his wife, Mary, are the parents of one son and one daughter.

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Our advice columnists have heard it all over the years. Each Sunday, we dive into the Dear Prudie archives and share a selection of classic letters with our readers. Join Slate Plus for even more advice columnsyour first month is only $1.

Dear Prudence,

Several years ago my husband had an affair that resulted in a child. Although were still married and he has no interest in a divorce, he lives with the child and her mother. Our family has been shattered, and my children occasionally say things that let me know they still carry a tremendous burden of hurt. But we all believe the child bears no responsibility and deserves a father. The mother of the child, however, will never be accepted into our lives. A major problem arises around the holidays. My husband insists on coming over for Christmas, but isnt present in any meaningful sense. He just stares straight ahead. He criticizes little things, opens gifts but never takes them with him, and refuses any offers of food. Nothing we do makes him happy and the harder we try the unhappier he seems. I know therapy for everyone is the answer but hes never been one to open up and previous efforts have been fruitless. What can we do to make his Christmas visit a little less awkward and perhaps even pleasant? I hate to see him so unhappy, but were tired of having to tiptoe around him all day.

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You all deserve a zombie-free Christmas this year. Scrooge had nothing on your husband with his thousand-yard stare, his nastiness, and his refusal to interact with his own children or take part in the holiday. I dont even understand why he comesunless its to make everyone glad he left. If you are able to communicate with him, you need to have a conversation explaining that merely showing up is not enough. If he cant interact pleasantly with his family, his presence will cause more pain than his absence. More important than Christmas, however, is addressing your oversight in not making this man your ex long ago. He has abandoned all of you, yet apparently shows up once a year to play paterfamilias, an impersonation that could better be described as paterunfamiliar. As a gift to yourself, hire a divorce lawyer, end the marriage, and get your financial and custody issues addressed. Surely, your children would be helped by having this kind of clarity. I agree about the benefits of therapy, but your I hope soon-to-be-ex does not have to accompany you. You and your kids all need help in sorting out the pain their father has inflicted and guidance in taking steps toward healing. Your children need to understand his leaving, and even his strange Christmas behavior, has nothing to do with them; sadly their father is a troubled and limited man. Once the lawyers get involved, they can help work out a schedule for visitation so that your husband can establish a relationship with his children separate from you. Its likely he will take your kids to his new home. That would mean they interact with their half sibling and her mother, which I know would be painful for you. But for your New Years resolution, decide to work at ending this limbo and moving on. Emily Yoffe

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From: Help! My Husband Abandoned Us but Returns to Sulk During Christmas. (Dec. 12, 2013)

Dear Prudence,

I have been with my husband for seven years and we have been married for a little less than one. He is the love of my life and we have a lot in common but there is one thing we cannot seem to agree on. A couple of times a month, I like to go out with my friends dancing or to a bar, generally from about 9 p.m. until after midnight. My husband says this is inappropriate for a married woman. Were all in our late 20s and early 30s. Its a mostly female group, but our male friends are invited and often come as well. Most of us are in long-term relationships and we mostly enjoy each others company, dance, drink, play games, and so on. Ive invited my husband but he doesnt like to be up and out late and when he does come he becomes a wet mop, telling me to stop dancing, counting my drinks, and pushing to leave early. Heres the solution weve settled on: I go out, he stays home, we agree on when Ill be home and roughly how many drinks I will have, and I make sure Im reachable at all times. Prudie, my parents trusted me enough not to give me a curfew when I was a teenager! Despite this arrangement, my husbands mood often sours before I leave and stays bad through the following day, and the haggling over the terms of my hanging out feels like a fight we keep repeating with no resolution.

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Ive asked what he doesnt like about my going out and whether he worries Im going to cheat on him. He says he doesnthe just thinks its inappropriate. He doesnt mind when I go out to brunch with friends or other daytime activities. My thoughts are that I am not doing anything wrong, and I should be able to go out with my friends without feeling like I need to abide by his rules. He thinks I need to stop acting like Im single. Am I wrong?

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There is no one right way for a wife to act, and your husband is attempting to avoid taking responsibility for his own feelings, fears, and insecurities by claiming that going out with friends a few times a month is simply inappropriate for any married woman to do. Unless you have a history of getting wasted and behaving badly at these events (and it doesnt sound like theyre drunken bacchanals), theres no reason for your husband to begrudge you a few drinks with friends or to insist on knowing your whereabouts. Im not sure what underlies this insecurity on your husbands partdoes he feel like the two of you dont spend enough time together? Does he depend on you to organize his social life? Is he unable to make plans of his own that he might enjoy on your occasional nights out? Why does he conflate spending time with friends in public with acting single? Now that the two of you are married, does he think you need to change the way you socialize since youre his now? But he needs to get honest about what hes afraid of, with you and with himself. Moreover, he needs to stop trying to control your behavior in order to manage his own anxieties because thats the quickest way he can drive you away from him. Daniel M. Lavery

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From: Help! My Husband Hates It When I Go Out Dancing With My Friends. (Aug. 16, 2018)

Dear Prudence,

This is going to sound like a ridiculous problem. I work part time at my moms office, and one of my co-workers repeatedly tickles me. If I happen to be standing while sorting out documents or something, she will sneak up behind me and either poke or tickle my sides. It irritates the hell out of me as I am an extremely ticklish person. I usually burst into giggles and she seems to find this amusing. I have asked her to stop, politely and firmly, then angrily. She thinks the whole thing is a joke and doesnt take me seriously. I am the youngest employee here, and she does this only to me, maybe because she thinks its a cute way of relating to the little girl who works at the office. I have to restrain myself from punching her in the face because its been going on for several weeks. I cant exactly avoid her in a small office, either. When I told Mom how annoying this co-worker was, she didnt really respond, because, Mom, Sally at work keeps tickling me doesnt sound like a big problem. Im thinking of quitting my job because this is so annoying and I HATE, HATE, HATE being tickled. Can you offer any advice on how to get her to stop?

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This is not a little problem, this is abuse. Im startled your mother wouldnt pull this co-worker aside and tell her to keep her mitts off her daughter. The next time Funny Fingers approaches you, say in a voice loud enough for those around you to hear, Shirley, dont ever touch me again. If she lays a hand on you, you of course must do what you can to get away from her. You dont want to punch her in the face, but you are certainly free to elbow her away (yes, I expect to hear from the lawyers now) or stomp on her foot to protect yourself. If this doesnt stop the attacks, go to the boss. And if you have to, yes, find a job elsewhere. E.Y.

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From: Cat fanciers, fat boyfriends, violent video games, and risque wardrobes. (May 16, 2011)

Dear Prudence,

My oldest son is engaged to who I thought was a lovely, upstanding girl. I admit the wedding details have been difficult, and they had to change the dates twice due to family illness and other events, but I never thought they would secretly elope. Apparently last week, my son called up his brother and told him to come down to City Hall. They were going to get married with no family, no priest, only a clerk and some of her college friends. My sons wife said the wedding was too stressful for her to deal with. I only found out because I overheard my youngest son telling his girlfriend about it! I am very hurt. I was denied and lied to. Neither of them know that I know and the thought of continuing to plan the charade of this wedding with my now daughter-in-law just makes me ill. Should I confront them or just go through with this charade?

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I hope, in a quieter moment, you can reread your own letter and see the clues as to why your son and daughter-in-law decided to elope. Im sure you are also a lovely, upstanding person, but you have been denied nothing. Your son does not owe you a wedding. He and his wife are not planning a charade while snickering behind your back. They are planning a public celebration of a wedding they have already commemorated privately. Its interesting to me that you mention your son got married with no family even though his brother was actually in attendance. I think what you mean is that he got married without you, and thats what stings.

The larger ceremony is not somehow fraudulent because they decided to exchange vows in a more intimate fashion. The longer you think of your sons wedding as an act of betrayal he committed in order to hurt you, the more needless pain youll put yourself and your family through. If you want to have an honest conversation with your son about the fact that hes already gotten married, thats one thing, but drop the idea of confronting them over a perceived wrong they didnt commit. This is not about you, and treating it as such will only deny yourself the opportunity to share in your childs happiness. Take a long walk and cry it out, or write an angry letter you then burn in the fireplace, or talk to a therapist, but find a way to deal with your sense of having been wronged on your own time. If you cant stand the thought of keeping this secret for the rest of your life, consider this as an alternative to a furious confrontation: Keep this to yourself until the wedding, and then when you send off the happy couple at the end of the night, tell them, I know you eloped, but Im so glad we still got to celebrate your wedding together. Have a wonderful honeymoon. This would shock and delight, rather than shock and upset them. D.L.

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From: Help! My Son Eloped and Im Still Stuck Planning the Charade of His Wedding. (July 14, 2016)

More From Dear Prudence

My GF and I recently started having sex. Im not sure the best way to explain it, so Im going to just give you some examples of things she says during sex. Youre doing great! Your technique and fundamentals are really good. (While going down on her:) Yes! Keep going! You can do it! Wow! Thats good. You must have been practicing! Mind you, let me reiterate, these are things she is saying WHILE we are having sex. What is this all about?
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said that he is outraged by the Supreme Court decision that allowed Texas to maintain its ban on most abortions once a heartbeat is detected. But he vowed to use it as a model to pass legislation that would give private citizens the authority to enforce a ban on the manufacture and sale of assault weapons in California. SCOTUS is letting private citizens in Texas sue to stop abortion?! Newsom tweeted. If thats the precedent, then well let Californians sue those who put ghost guns and assault weapons on our streets. If TX can ban abortion and endanger lives, CA can ban deadly weapons of war and save lives.

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Newsom had been highly critical of the Texas law, but now appears to have taken an if you cant beat them, join them mentality. As far as Newsom sees it, by refusing to strike down the Texas law, the Supreme Court has outlined the way legislation can be written to protect it from federal court review. If states can now shield their laws from review by the federal courts that compare assault weapons to Swiss Army knives, then California will use that authority to protect peoples lives, where Texas used it to put women in harms way, reads the statement published by Newsom over the weekend. The reference to Swiss Army Knives relates to the way a federal judge in June struck down Californias three-decade-old ban on assault weapons by comparing the guns to pocketknives.

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Under the new Texas law, all abortions are banned after about six weeks of pregnancy. But it isnt the state that enforces the ban, but rather private citizens can file lawsuits against anyone who aids or abets an abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected. California will use the same strategy for its anti-gun legislation, Newsom said, allowing private citizens to sue manufacturers and distributors of assault weapons as well as ghost gun kits or parts for at least $10,000 per violation. If the most efficient way to keep these devastating weapons off our streets is to add the threat of private lawsuits, we should do just that, Newsom said.

Legal experts had predicted something like this would be coming after the Supreme Courts decision to let the Texas abortion ban stand. Its precisely why some gun rights groups had opposed the Texas abortion law. Even Chief Justice John Roberts had warned it would create a model that others could apply to different issues. Newsom is choosing to pick up the baton at a time when he has been trying to increase his national profile after beating back a Republican-led recall effort. But none of this is likely to become a reality anytime soon. Any new gun control law would first have to pass the state legislature that usually takes around eight months to get new bills approved.
Powerful storms like the ones that devastated several Midwest and southern states Friday are going to be our new normal, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said Sunday. The effects that were seeing from climate change are the crisis of our generation. The nations top federal emergency management official said it was incredibly unusual to see such powerful tornadoes so close to the new year. We do see tornadoes in December. That part is not unusual, Criswell said on CNNs State of the Union. But, at this magnitude, I dont think we have ever seen one this late in the year. But its also historic. Even the severity and the amount of time this tornado or these tornadoes spent on the ground is unprecedented.

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Criswell sounded the alarm as desperate search and rescue efforts continued Sunday to try to figure out the full extent of the damage from the devastating series of tornadoes that hit several states late Friday night and early Saturday morning. Officials fear the powerful tornadoes killed more than 100 people only in Kentucky, which was by far the hardest-hit state. I know weve lost over 80 lives, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said on NBCs Meet the Press on Sunday.  I think its going to be over 100. Mayfield suffered the worst of the destruction as the twisters destroyed a candle factory as well as numerous homes and offices in the small town of around 10,000 people. Its devastation like none of us have ever seen before, Beshear said on CBS Face the Nation.

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Elsewhere, six people were confirmed killed in an Amazon warehouse in Illinois. At least two people were killed in Arkansas, where a tornado hit a nursing homes. Authorities also reported three deaths in Tennessee and two in Missouri.

Experts agree that the string of deadly tornadoes was extremely rare and President Joe Biden said he would call on the Environmental Protection Agency to analyze the role climate change may have played in fueling the storms. Even though history is replete with examples of devastating December tornadoes  the tornado rampage from Arkansas to Illinois on Friday night and early Saturday morning rose to another level, unlike anything seen in modern records, notes the Washington Posts Jason Samenow.
Holy Mass is held in the 1910 chapel once a year.

Slovakia's only bark-lined chapel in Horna Bzova waits for more tourists to visit it. (Source: Silvia Tannhauserova/TASR)

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An old wooden chapel in the heart of Slovakia, several kilometres outside Hrinova, is an extraordinary sacral construction that many tourists have not discovered.

The building, located in the hamlet of Horna Bzova, which is part of the village of Podkrivan, Detva district, is lined with fir bark on the inside and outside, which makes it one of its kind in the country.

The large slabs of fir bark are immensely impressive for their silver colour, said Nikola Sibylova from the regional tourism organisation Turisticky Novohrad a Podpolanie, as quoted by the TASR newswire.

The colour especially stands out in the interior, she added, as it evokes the atmosphere of soft lightning. The chapel, which was built in 1910, is equipped with a small altar, a bell tower and two rows of benches.

Holy Mass once a year

The wooden construction stands on a small steep hill near a foresters hut, and it was Count Stefan Zici who decided to have it built here. He lived on his estate in the village of Divin, which can be found just a few hills away, but he often hunted in the woods between his home and Hrinova.

The remoteness of the area encouraged the count to build this nearly unknown chapel. Moreover, in winter, it was impossible for people and forest workers living in the remote areas of the region to descend into the villages and take part in church services. The count decided to help them.

The chapel is consecrated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Holy Mass is held here once a year, Sibylova said.

Replica in Cierny Balog

The chapel underwent reconstruction in 2019, when the old dusty bark, among other things, was replaced with a new one on the outside. In addition, locals have long kept it in good condition by painting the chapel with coats of paint containing beeswax.

Holy Mass in the bark-covered chapel from September 2021:

video //www.youtube.com/embed/xzGuDsrhbbI

Tourists can reach the small sacral building by following an asphalt road from Dolna Bzova, but they can set out on a trip to the chapel from Hrinova-Kosutky as well.

A replica of the chapel also stands in the open-air museum in Vydrova near the popular central Slovak village of Cierny Balog.

Spectacular Slovakia travel guides
https://sputniknews.com/20211211/israel-consulted-us-prior-to-covert-strikes-on-iranian-nuclear-site-missile-factory---report--1091449769.html

Israel Consulted US Prior to Covert Strikes on Iranian Nuclear Site, Missile Factory - Report

Israel Consulted US Prior to Covert Strikes on Iranian Nuclear Site, Missile Factory - Report

The Israeli government reportedly consulted with US officials prior to carrying out covert airstrikes against an Iranian nuclear facility in Karaj and a missile factory just west of Tehran.

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tehran

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washington dc

sabotage

joint comprehensive plan of action (jcpoa)

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The Israeli government consulted with US officials prior to carrying out covert airstrikes against an Iranian nuclear facility in Karaj and a missile factory just west of Tehran, The New York Times reported on Saturday, citing individuals briefed on the actions.The outlet's report was based on discussions with over a dozen US and Israeli officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Israel has not accepted responsibility for either strike.The first referenced attack was the June strike on an Iranian nuclear facility in Karaj. The strike - deemed a "terrorist attack" by Tehran - resulted in the destruction of the International Atomic Energy Agency-monitored site.The nuclear facility was responsible for the manufacturing of nuclear centrifuges, noted those briefed on the June attack.The later attack was conducted on a factory that belonged to the Aerospace Industries Organisation's Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group, which handles matters related to Tehran's liquid-fueled ballistic missile programme. Satellite images produced by ImageSat provide a look at the damage sustained in the September 27th strike. Officials revealed that in the days leading up to the indirect US-Iranian nuclear talks, it was made clear that Washington and Tel Aviv had different approaches concerning Tehran's nuclear ambitions.During a "contentious" call last week, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Iran was attempting to blackmail the US into signing a "reckless" agreement that would ultimately allow the country to reach bomb-grade uranium enrichment levels.Additionally, reports emerged late last month detailing that senior Israeli officials were concerned that the US-Iranian nuclear talks in Vienna would result in Washington accepting a "less-for-less" deal that would allow Tehran to receive partial sanctions relief in exchange for a pause or rollback on its nuclear work.Bennett pledged to not make the same "mistake" as the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) agreement, and said that Tel Aviv will maintain freedom of action in the event that Tehran and other world powers draft a new nuclear agreement.US officials told the NYT that such an offer is not currently on the table.The American side also expressed reservations regarding the counter-productive nature of covert Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, arguing that such acts allow Tehran to rebuild their facilities with more efficient and modern technology.Israeli officials, however, have been left with doubt and fear that US officials are having secret discussions with Iran in Vienna, Austria.On Saturday, Ali Bagheri Kani, Tehran's top negotiator in the ongoing US-Iranian nuclear talks, emphasised that several issues "which require decision-making at the high-level" remain unresolved. Iran has accused Israel of conducting a number of attacks against its nuclear programme, including the November 2020 assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a top Iranian nuclear scientist. While Israel has called on the US to tighten sanctions against Iran and implement restrictions on its missile programmes, Tehran has asserted that all sanctions must be lifted and the agreement must not include unrelated missile clauses.In May 2018, then-US President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the US out of the JCPOA agreement - also known as the Iran nuclear deal - and reimposed sanctions that crippled the Iranian economy. Tehran soon after abandoned its commitments under the agreement.Following the election of US President Joe Biden, negotiations to revisit the agreement kicked off in April but stalled in June, when Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi took office. Talks more recently saw a pause from the US after American officials concluded that Iran was "not serious" about the ongoing talks in Vienna.

https://sputniknews.com/20210930/irans-nuclear-chief-says-june-sabotage-inflicted-severe-damage-on-karaj-facility-1089554371.html

https://sputniknews.com/20211126/israel-reportedly-concerned-us-may-strike-partial-nuclear-deal-with-iran-1091027693.html

https://sputniknews.com/20211205/iran-blames-us-stubbornness-on-sanctions-for-breakdown-of-vienna-nuke-talks--1091266267.html

sharknbake21 off course, Israhell and USA have been killing together and ,undermining democracies worldwide. They are in a security pact since 1950.. The 2 regimes share similar a lust for power and lawlesness, cruelty, barbarism. But,Iran is not a pushover. 9

Zeke Aln Democracy is swiftly becoming the most corrupt and greatest evil earth will have ever known! 9

9

tehran

tel aviv

us

israel

iran

washington dc

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Evan Craighead

tehran, tel aviv, us, israel, iran, terrorism, washington dc, sabotage, joint comprehensive plan of action (jcpoa), airstrikes
https://sputniknews.com/20211212/ally-anxiety-us-may-block-another-french-naval-deal-after-approving-94-bln-sale-to-greece-1091450751.html

Ally Anxiety: US May Block Another French Naval Deal After Approving $9.4 Bln Sale to Greece

Ally Anxiety: US May Block Another French Naval Deal After Approving $9.4 Bln Sale to Greece

Earlier this year, Washington revealed that it would deliver Australia's first nuclear-powered submarine as part of a new trilateral security partnership... 12.12.2021, Sputnik International

2021-12-12T01:11+0000

2021-12-12T01:11+0000

2021-12-12T04:24+0000

aukus

france

us

australia

deal

lockheed martin

defense contract

nato

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The US State Department has reportedly approved a foreign military sale geared toward the modernisation of Greece's Hellenic Navy (HN) MEKO Class frigates and the delivery of four Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) ships, according to a Friday release from the Pentagon's Defence Security Cooperation Agency. Per the announcement, Greece is seeking to pay up to $6.9 billion to obtain a variety of naval equipment, including at least four MMSC ships; five Vertical Launch Systems; and five COMBATSS-21 Combat Management Systems, the latter an Aegis-derived system marketed as a cheaper alternative for next-generation surface fleets. Lockheed Martin is the sole principal contractor for the sale of the weapons. Meanwhile, the other approved sale covers repairs, updates and enhancement of the HN's existing MEKO Class frigates. The modernisation of the fleet is estimated to cost around $2.5 billion. Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, BAE Systems, and VSE Corporation are the principal contractors associated with this sale. The US approval of the combined $9.4 billion in naval weapons sales comes after France's Naval Group announced in September that it would sell three frigates to Greece as part of a tentative $3.4 billion deal. The agreement included an option for the future procurement of a fourth frigate.At the time, French military spokesman Herve Grandjean noted that Paris expected the agreement with Athens to be finalised within "a period of three months".Though it's unclear whether the newly-approved US deal with Greece will torpedo France's tentative contract, the move could be perceived as Washington slighting its NATO ally for a second time this year.In September, France's Naval Group expressed "deep disappointment" in Australia's decision to adopt a new nuclear submarine initiative as part of its new AUKUS affiliation. The move nixed a $90 billion submarine contract with the French defence contractor.

https://sputniknews.com/20210916/morrison-touts-tomahawk-missile-procurement-says-nuclear-subs-will-be-in-the-water-in-10-years-1089115095.html

Hess France deserved very much. It is a US vassal. In 2015, France had cancelled a deal to deliver two Mistral-class helicopter carriers to Russia after was told to do so by the US. Don't cry for the Fascist French. 11

Uninformed All this year and more on TV it's said Greece is Broke? 9

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france

australia

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Evan Craighead

france, us, australia, deal, lockheed martin, defense contract, nato
https://sputniknews.com/20211212/debt-ceiling-deal-have-dems-just-fallen-into-a-trap-set-by-gop-leader-mcconnell-1091464721.html

Debt Ceiling Deal: Have Dems Just Fallen Into a Trap Set by GOP Leader McConnell?

Debt Ceiling Deal: Have Dems Just Fallen Into a Trap Set by GOP Leader McConnell?

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell decision to offer the Democrats a one-time exemption to the filibuster on raising the debt ceiling appears to be part of the GOP's broader strategy to win the upper chamber in 2022.

2021-12-12T17:13+0000

2021-12-12T17:13+0000

2021-12-12T17:13+0000

joe biden

us senate

mitch mcconnell

chuck schumer

news

world

us

republicans

democrats

debt ceiling

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President Joe Biden on 10 December signed a bill to fast-track the process to raise the US debt limit.The measure was passed in the House of Representatives on 7 December by a vote of 222-212 after weeks-long negotiations between Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky), and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).14 Senate Republicans on 8 December helped advance the deal concluded by McConnell and Schumer to set up a one-time exemption to the filibuster on raising the debt ceiling. The upper chamber on Thursday voted 64-36 to close debate on the bill. Later in the day, the US Senate passed the one-time rule change in a 59-35 vote to allow Democrats to suspend debt limits ahead of next weeks deadline."The nations full faith and credit has always been a shared responsibility", President Biden tweeted on Friday. "The bipartisan support of this legislation shows that it is still possible for leaders to work across the aisle and deliver".At the same time, McConnell came under criticism from his fellow party members for letting the Dems off the hook: earlier, The Wall Street Journal predicted a fierce partisan battle over the debt ceiling akin to the one that unfolded in September-October 2021. The Senate minority leader "blinked again", allowing the Dems to suspend the debt limit and go ahead with their spending agenda, the Daily News announced.In October, McConnell's offer to raise the debt limit to a specified figure through December broke the deadlock and was interpreted as a win for the Democratic Party. "McConnell caved", Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) told reporters at the time. "And now we're going to spend our time doing child care, health care and fighting climate change".While Axios suggested in October that McConnell was apparently threatened by the Democrats' fresh calls to go nuclear and modify the filibuster, The National Review argued that the Senate minority leader had set nothing short of a trap for the GOP's political opponents.According to a National Review editorial published on 7 October, McConnell was planning to manipulate the Dems into raising the debt limit on their own via the reconciliation mechanism  something that the latter vehemently opposed. The media outlet explained that the Dems had tried to avoid a party-line vote on the debt limit, fearing that it would make them vulnerable to GOP attacks ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. It appears that the National Review's observation was spot on: McConnell has indeed advanced a debt-ceiling measure that "lets Democrats eventually dodge economic disaster all on their own", as Business Insider noted on 9 December. In addition to that, the Senate Republican leader deprived the Dems of an argument in their long-standing effort to weaken the filibuster.The Senate minority leader is looking ahead to the 2022 midterms and apparently likes what he sees: the Democrats are "reeling"; "Bidens approval rating is in the toilet"; the GOP won last month's gubernatorial race in largely Democratic Virginia; "Democratic infighting has kept the presidents already-shrunken economic agenda stalled in the Senate", The Atlantic notes.While McConnell was set to reach his major goal  to leave the Dems raising the debt ceiling on their own  he decided to avoid a protracted fight, according to The Atlantic. On the one hand, it was fraught with a risk of economic fallout. On the other hand, such a partisan fight "would also allow Biden to shift attention away from his own struggles and back to the GOP, reminding voters about the partys penchant for obstruction", the magazine notes.McConnell is intent to "keep the midterm campaign a referendum on Biden and his party", The Atlantic says, adding that while the Dems have "gladly" accepted the Republican politician's offer, "the broader victory  a return to the Senate majority  might yet be his".

https://sputniknews.com/20211015/mcconnells-trap-is-gop-using-looming-default-to-gain-political-scores-ahead-of-2022-midterms-1089954342.html

https://sputniknews.com/20211103/gops-virginia-win-mini-referendum-on-biden--temperature-gauge-for-2022-midterms-observers-say-1090446398.html

Mike S They expect us to believe voting works after they tampered with several elections. they expect us to believe the elected will do what they pledged during their campaign. Most of both parties are lying scum and traitors. 2

TelhasTeezee Are they banging elbows in the picture because of COVID? Just wondering because they're not wearing masks. 1

3

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Ekaterina Blinova

joe biden, us senate, mitch mcconnell, chuck schumer, news, world, us, republicans, democrats, debt ceiling, us midterm elections
https://sputniknews.com/20211212/g7-leaders-pledge-severe-cost-in-event-of-russian-military-aggression-in-ukraine-1091468544.html

G7 Leaders Pledge 'Severe Cost' in Event of Russian 'Military Aggression' in Ukraine

G7 Leaders Pledge 'Severe Cost' in Event of Russian 'Military Aggression' in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier told his US counterpart Joe Biden that Russian troops are located within the country's territory and pose no threat.

2021-12-12T18:12+0000

2021-12-12T18:12+0000

2021-12-12T18:12+0000

g7

world

russia

ukraine

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Ministers of the G7 countries have vowed "massive consequences" and a "severe cost" in the event of Russian "military aggression" against Ukraine, according to a Sunday statement from the group."We call on Russia to de-escalate, pursue diplomatic channels, and abide by its international commitments on transparency of military activities as President Biden did in his call with President Putin on 7 December", the statement read. "We reconfirm our support for the efforts of France and Germany in the Normandy Format to achieve full implementation of the Minsk Agreements in order to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine".The G7 ministers also underlined that "any use of force to change borders is strictly prohibited under international law". They also proceeded to "reaffirm our unwavering commitment to Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity".The statement comes amid Moscow's condemnation of the "Russian aggression" narrative. Particularly, earlier on Saturday the Russian Embassy in London criticised the UK's frequent references to alleged aggression by Moscow, saying it only ramps up Russophobia.Over the weekend, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov offered his take on the Tuesday video call between Russia's Vladimir Putin and the US' Joe Biden, revealing that Putin had told his counterpart that Russian troops are stationed within Russia's own borders, and do not pose a threat to anyone.Besides, the importance of addressing the concept of "red lines" was underscored once again. Moscow has numerous times said that it deems NATO's expansion eastward unacceptable, along with the West deploying offensive weapons in Ukraine or any other country neighbouring Russia. According to Peskov, Russia and the United States face "very serious disagreements" in regard to the "red lines" concept.Still, the two presidents held a "respectful" conversation and discussed a broad range of acute issues, according to the Kremlin. Per Peskov, Putin told Biden that he would like to meet again.

Alba1970 the sheer nerve of this crowd is breath taking bombing of Serbia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria and the overthrowing of the democratically elected president of Ukraine with the help of neo nazis and this mob accuses Russia of aggression 8

Golem Yes, their megalomania and hubris knows no bounds and I partly blame the Russians myself for letting them get away with things for this long and now they feel its their "right" to boss the world around and that whatever they say goes. This will not end well because the world is now dealing with rabid people infected with the same virus that infected nazi germany. 7

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ukraine

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Daria Bedenko

g7, world, russia, ukraine
https://sputniknews.com/20211212/how-bidens-summit-for-democracy-helps-solidify-growing-cooperation-between-russia-and-china-1091470203.html

How Biden's 'Summit for Democracy' Helps Solidify Growing Cooperation Between Russia and China

How Biden's 'Summit for Democracy' Helps Solidify Growing Cooperation Between Russia and China

Joe Biden's attempts to take on Russia and China simultaneously may facilitate growing cooperation between Moscow and Beijing.

2021-12-12T21:07+0000

2021-12-12T21:07+0000

2021-12-12T21:02+0000

joe biden

cold war

world

us

russia

asia & pacific

opinion

china

democracy

nato

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US President Joe Biden's "Summit for Democracy" has turned into a punching bag for domestic and international observers across the political spectrum who have criticised the US president for not being "democratic enough."Bloomberg columnist Matthew Yglesias subjected the recent virtual gathering to criticism. In contrast to other observers, however, the journalist urged US leadership to "relax its commitment to democratic norms." According to Yglesias, the virtual gathering "was an effort to raise the ideological stakes in the competition between the US and China." Still, if Biden really wants to "contain" China, offers the journalist, he needs to stop pushing Russia into Beijing's arms. Citing former US President Richard Nixon's strategy of pitting the People's Republic of China against the USSR, he suggested seeking rapprochement with Moscow. "The fight for democracy needs some hypocrisy," Yglesias quipped.'Biden Got Stuck in Cold War Mindset'The assumption that Biden's snubbing of Moscow and Beijing are further facilitating Sino-Russian rapprochement is accurate, according to American independent journalist and geopolitical analyst Max Parry.Parry notes that over the decades following the collapse of the USSR, China and Russia have considerably improved their relations, to the displeasure of the US foreign policy establishment. "An informal alliance between Moscow and Beijing has developed and become an existential threat to American primacy," the journalist remarks.Nevertheless, the Biden administration is continuing to poke both Moscow and Beijing on multiple fronts.Biden challenged the One China policy by inviting Taiwan to the "Summit for Democracy", instead of Beijing. The White House on 6 December announced a US diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics, which will be hosted by China. The US president also tightened restrictions against Chinese telecom giants Huawei and ZTE last month, following in the footsteps of his predecessor, US President Donald Trump.Washington is also, according to some, peddling a groundless narrative of an "imminent invasion" of Ukraine by Russian troops and threatening Moscow with new restrictive measures ranging from axing Russia's SWIFT membership and the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to increasing the US military presence on its doorstep.Last month, NATO's November Global Thunder drills prompted deep concern among Russian and Chinese military, with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, and his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe, agreeing that provocative US-NATO behavior poses a threat both to Moscow and Beijing. The Russian and Chinese ministers of defence, in response, have reportedly intensified joint strategic exercises and patrols.The Russo-Chinese rapprochement is a potential nightmare for US geostrategists. Earlier this year, American foreign affairs experts and retired US Army combat officers warned the Biden administration in a series of op-eds that "Washington's high-risk policy of military brinkmanship with Russia and China could end in the unthinkable." They argued that "avoiding a two-front war with China and Russia must rank among the foremost objectives of contemporary US grand strategy."According to Parry, the Biden administration's belligerent posture is not based on strength or coherent strategy: in reality, the White House "remains in a fixed Cold War-mindset of American unipolarity which everyday appears to be in steep decline."Washington's Democracy Export Machine is Out of WhackBiden's "Summit for Democracy" exposed the demise of US strategic thinking and a lack of unity at home, according to the journalist.It's especially hard for Washington to uphold its post-WWII role of the "leader of the free world," given its long record of military invasions, coups, and violating the sovereignty of countries throughout the global south, according to Parry.To complicate matters, "the domestic US political system, be it electorally, economically or judicially, bears all the characteristics of an authoritarian and corrupt plutocracy," the journalist remarks, adding that by accusing others of "authoritarianism", Washington is de facto "displacing its own signature ills onto its geopolitical opponents."

https://sputniknews.com/20211211/why-joe-bidens-summit-for-democracy-is-facing-criticism-from-all-directions-1091446339.html

https://sputniknews.com/20211208/is-aggressive-us-rhetoric-against-russia-the-result-of-bidens-poor-standing-at-home--1091363298.html

https://sputniknews.com/20211211/did-us-learn-cuban-missile-crisis-lesson-right--could-moscow-and-washington-avert-its-repetition-1091425391.html

https://sputniknews.com/20211211/ex-un-expert-bidens-summit-for-democracy-is-sheer-hypocrisy-amid-us-effort-to-persecute-assange-1091443360.html

Notta Snowflake I do not think it will make a difference if Russia never invades as IMO the USA will pre-emptively and clandestinely destroy the Siberian natural gas wellheads through sabotage then claim that Russia cut off Western Europe deliberately. It is very wise of President Putin to bolster the Motherland's Far East defences. The more SPAAG's the better. Also, the Russian Federation does not need a European market where China and even India will take all the natural gas Russian wellheads provide. When not if the CROWCASS Armies of the West do what they do best which is genocide of defenceless but inconvenient minorities in places like the Donbass, the favour is easily returned on a non-nuclear basis. Just take out the Henry Hub with(4) 250 kg aerial bombs dropped from cargo planes or executive aircraft as well as at the Fort St. John, BC, Canada natural gas wellhead and Pipeline #5 in MIchigan. Easy-peasey, cheaper, faster, better and no nukes involved. 1

Porra Besides that, he invited Brazil' Bolsonaro who is well known for not respect human rights, minority right, women rights, gays right and every right in Brazil, besides being a well known corrupt he and his sons. 0

2

china

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joe biden, cold war, world, us, russia, asia & pacific, opinion, china, democracy, nato
https://sputniknews.com/20211212/jeff-bezos-heartbroken-after-tornado-kills-at-least-six-amazon-employees-in-illinois-1091451542.html

Jeff Bezos 'Heartbroken' After Tornado Kills at Least Six Amazon Employees in Illinois

Jeff Bezos 'Heartbroken' After Tornado Kills at Least Six Amazon Employees in Illinois

Edwardsville, Illinois' Fire Department has confirmed that at least six people died after an EF-3 tornado inflicted major structural damage to an Amazon... 12.12.2021, Sputnik International

2021-12-12T02:36+0000

2021-12-12T02:36+0000

2021-12-13T09:58+0000

jeff bezos

amazon

illinois

deadly tornadoes in us

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Jeff Bezos, founder and chairman of Amazon, took to social media on Saturday night to offer his condolences to the families and friends of those killed in the Friday night tragedy. Without announcing any specifics, Bezos expressed that Amazon intends to continue supporting the town of Edwardsville, Illinois, which has been home to two Amazon fulfillment centres since 2016. "We extend our fullest gratitude to all the incredible first responders who have worked so tirelessly at the site", the Amazon founder added. Bezos' post notably came after netizens called him out for gleefully celebrating his Blue Origin space journey with National Football League (NFL) Hall of Famer Michael Strahan.During a Friday evening news conference, Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford confirmed that 45 individuals were able to make it out of the warehouse prior to the collapse. One worker was critically injured and airlifted to a nearby medical facility for treatment. He noted that the warehouse's headcount varied throughout the day, as there was a shift change at the time of the tornado. Authorities do not believe that anyone is alive in the remaining rubble. "Everyone assumes that they'll be safe at work", said Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker, who was also in attendance at the news conference. "Families say goodbye in a routine fashion when their loved ones go off to their jobs. We don't think that they'll never come home. It's devastating".Madison County, which includes Edwardsville, intends to request a disaster declaration from both the state and federal governments.

Lynette Heartbroken? Why? Will Amazon have to pay out insurance? 5

Terranian The 1st Really? Hypocrite! What a lying POS, this rotten corrupt sociopathic subhuman crook + ghoul gives a total "F" about his low wage slaves, he and his goons contanly wages a dirty war against them all as they fight for better wages unions and so...and this Oligarch scumbag and this global criminal enterprise didn't pay taxes anywhere like any commoners on earth. Just a filthy PR BS Propaganda stunt. 4

7

illinois

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jeff bezos, amazon, illinois
https://sputniknews.com/20211212/joe-biden-blasted-online-for-pushing-climate-agenda-while-commenting-on-deadly-storms-in-us-1091454649.html

Joe Biden Blasted Online for Pushing Climate Agenda While Commenting on Deadly Storms in US

Joe Biden Blasted Online for Pushing Climate Agenda While Commenting on Deadly Storms in US

A swarm of storms has ravaged six states  Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee  killing at least 100 people. The storms have also resulted in widespread damage and left tens of thousands of people without power and water.

2021-12-12T09:18+0000

2021-12-12T09:18+0000

2021-12-12T10:09+0000

joe biden

missouri

arkansas

tennessee

climate change

united states

illinois

kentucky

global warming

storms

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US President Joe Biden has been blasted for pushing his climate agenda while commenting on the deadly storms that hit the Southern and Midwestern United States late on Friday. The 79-year-old made the statement in Delaware, while speaking to reporters. POTUS was asked whether the severity of the storms had anything to do with climate change. Joe Biden said the following:His statement prompted a torrent of sarcastic and negative comments on social media, with many individuals doubting the connection between the two events.Others criticised the Democrat for what they described as pushing his climate agenda during a tragedy.Local media outlets say at least 30 tornadoes were reported across six different states during the storms. Netizens mocked Joe Biden for calling the weather events "hurricanes".Others deemed that the Democrat was trying to find a scapegoat in order to deflect attention away from what they described as the government's mistakes.Yet, there were those who backed the president's assessment.Protection of the environment and dealing with the effects of climate change are some of the biggest priorities of the Biden administration. The White House plans to invest $7 trillion in clean energy and achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050. According to the think tank Heritage Foundation, the latter point could cost the economy millions of jobs and thousands of dollars of lost income for families.Biden, however, has insisted that the reforms will actually create jobs. During his presidential campaign, Biden said his plan regarding the environment would get millions of people into the clean energy sector.Around 100 people were killed in the United States after at least six states were hit by a swarm of storms late Friday. At least 6 Amazon employees died in Illinois after a roof of a warehouse collapsed. Some media outlets put the death toll at 12.At least 70 people died after a candle factory collapsed in the state of Kentucky. Rescue teams are now searching through the rubble looking for survivors. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said it would be a miracle if emergency workers find anyone else alive as he announced that the death toll is likely to rise above 100. Relief efforts have been stymied by the storms having damaged and destroyed rescue team equipment.According to CNN, over 400,000 homes and businesses lost power across six states. President Joe Biden said the government has allocated emergency funds for the affected states, while the agency FEMA will provide states with the necessary resources such as housing for people who've lost their homes.

Thomas Turk While Planet Biden heats up, Planet Earth's sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is the highest its been in nine years, increasing more than 30% from last year, while the Antarctics level is well above normal. Most years the Arctic loses ice, but this year ice extent has increased more than 77,000 square miles. Thats according to the Ocean and Sea Ice Satellite Application Facilitys High Latitude Processing Center. The Antarctic interior recorded its coldest April-to-September this year since records began in 1957. According to the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC), the average temperature at the US Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station was minus 60.9C for the six months. It was also the stations second coldest winter (June, July and August) on record, with an average seasonal temperature of minus 62.9C. This was an extraordinary 3.4C below the long-term average (1881-2010) for winter. . 2

1

missouri

arkansas

tennessee

illinois

kentucky

mississippi

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Max Gorbachev

Max Gorbachev

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Max Gorbachev

joe biden, missouri, arkansas, tennessee, climate change, united states, illinois, kentucky, global warming, storms, viral, mississippi
https://sputniknews.com/20211212/lithuania-welcomes-second-tanker-carrying-liquefied-natural-gas-from-russia-1091465654.html

Lithuania Welcomes Second Tanker Carrying Liquefied Natural Gas From Russia

Lithuania Welcomes Second Tanker Carrying Liquefied Natural Gas From Russia

A second tanker carrying liquefied natural gas from Russia has arrived to Lithuania on Sunday, the Marinetraffic.com portal showed.

2021-12-12T16:05+0000

2021-12-12T16:05+0000

2021-12-12T16:10+0000

russia

lithuania

lng

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/105797/92/1057979286_0:312:3001:2000_1920x0_80_0_0_c2a366521af160cc72a8e46cc06d84b9.jpg

The gas carrier Coral Fungia left the Russian port in the town of Vysotsk on Saturday and arrived at the Klaipeda port in Lithuania on Sunday."The vessel is currently at port KLAIPEDA, LT after a voyage of 1 day, 9 hours originating from port VYSOTSK, RU," Marinetraffic.com said.According to the schedule published by the company operating oil and liquefied natural gas in Lithuania, Klaipedos nafta, the ship was expected to deliver 9,500 cubic meters (335,489 cubic feet) of fuel.The first delivery of natural liquefied gas from Russia was completed last week.Lithuania regularly receives liquefied natural gas from Norway and Russia.

Roger Tshibangu WY The Litua Not Refuse the Liquefied Natural gas from The Aggressor Russia is be coming very Funny 2

TruePatriot Too expensive and unreliable. Cheers. 1

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russia, lithuania, lng
https://sputniknews.com/20211212/military-reportedly-besiege-headquarters-of-ousted-presidents-party-in-guinean-siguiri-1091469196.html

Military Reportedly Besiege Headquarters of Ousted President's Party in Guinean Siguiri

Military Reportedly Besiege Headquarters of Ousted President's Party in Guinean Siguiri

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - People wearing uniforms on Sunday surrounded the office of the RPG Arc-en-ciel, the party of former Guinean President Alpha Conde, in the... 12.12.2021, Sputnik International

2021-12-12T18:11+0000

2021-12-12T18:11+0000

2021-12-12T18:11+0000

africa

guinea

military coup

coup d'etat

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Police officers, gendarmes, and the military of Siguiri arrived at the spot to monitor the situation, the Media Guinee said. The access to the headquarters of the party is currently blocked.The party reportedly decided on Saturday to stage a peaceful rally for releasing the country's former leader. However, other Guinean media denied the information calling it a rumour.In early September, a group of Guinean military led by Col. Mamady Doumbouya stormed the presidential palace and detained the president. Doumbouya declared the parliament dissolved and the constitution void, imposing a nationwide curfew. Later, Doumbouya was sworn in as interim president by the Supreme Court. The Economic Community of West African States suspended Guinea's membership and urged the new leadership to release Conde.

guinea

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africa, guinea, military coup, coup d'etat
https://sputniknews.com/20211212/netizens-slam-indian-channel-for-debating-idea-of-undivided-india-1091455044.html

Netizens Slam Indian Channel for Debating Idea of 'Undivided India'

Netizens Slam Indian Channel for Debating Idea of 'Undivided India'

Modern-day India and Pakistan only came into being in 1947 once they gained independence. Before the British came to the subcontinent, it had been ruled by different dynasties over the last several thousand years.

2021-12-12T13:35+0000

2021-12-12T13:35+0000

2021-12-12T13:35+0000

nepal

bhutan

myanmar

tibet

china

afghanistan

pakistan

india

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https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0c/0c/1091461718_0:113:1201:788_1920x0_80_0_0_e7471e8432f9d2b56372e0ad0233a466.png

Indian news broadcaster CNN-News 18 has attracted criticism from around the world, after a show aired by the channel debated the idea of an "undivided India" or "Akhand Bharat".According to historical texts, the entire region from Afghanistan in Central Asia to the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) in China was under the influence of ancient kingdoms under different rulers. Modern-day India was the region's seat of power.Chanakya, an ancient Indian philosopher, is believed to be the first person to propose the idea of "Akhand Bharat" as early as the third century BC. Back then, the modern-day nations of Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Burma, Bhutan, Bangladesh, as well as China's TAR were subdivided into many small kingdoms. The biggest of them all was the Maurya Empire, which had its capital in the modern Indian state of Bihar.Then, in the seventeenth century, the borders of the Mughal Empire, with its capital in northern India, extended up to Samarkhand in Uzbekistan.CNN-News 18, jointly promoted by Network 18 and New York-based Warner Media, invited an Islamic scholar to a debate on its show "Right Perspective" on the possibility of having an "undivided India". The scholar, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi, Ulama-e-Islam, All India Tanzeem, invoked the Mughal Empire to argue the benefits of having such a concept.The anchor of the show underlined that India, in its present form, is only "35-40 percent" of the territory it used to be under ancient rulers.The anchor also argued that an undivided India would not only be a "major economic superpower", but also constitute the "world's biggest army", should it materialise.Meanwhile, the map used by the channel to promote the show depicts the entire region from Western Asia right up to Tibet as part of an "undivided India".While some social media users ridiculed the channel for hosting such a show, others expressed concerns about the effects of such a discourse on India's neighbours.Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent of India's governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has long advocated the idea of "Akhand Bharat"."There is a need to make a glorious Akhand Bharat for the welfare of the universe. That's why there is a need to awaken patriotism. India needs to be united once again", RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said in February of this year.

https://sputniknews.com/20201121/karachi-will-be-part-of-india-someday-says-bjp-leader-ahead-of-mumbai-terror-attacks-anniversary-1081231946.html

Cross Bane Building up is difficult, breaking is easy. The muselims and the christians broke in pieces Bigger India. But our deceased ancestors demand a big united India (Akhand Bharat) from us. We must give to them back what was stolen from them. Like Klaus Schwab says: Build Back Better an Akhand Bharat. 0

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Dhairya Maheshwari

nepal, bhutan, myanmar, tibet, china, afghanistan, pakistan, india
https://sputniknews.com/20211212/new-caledonia-votes-to-stay-part-of-france-1091460258.html

New Caledonia Votes to Stay Part of France

New Caledonia Votes to Stay Part of France

A referendum on independence has wrapped in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia, with 96.49% of voters saying no to the proposal and 3.51% supporting it

2021-12-12T12:51+0000

2021-12-12T12:51+0000

2021-12-12T12:51+0000

france

emmanuel macron

referendum

independence

new caledonia

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A referendum on independence has wrapped in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia, with 96.49% of voters saying no to the proposal and 3.51% supporting it.The third and final independence referendum took place in the tiny Pacific island on Sunday, which saw a record low turnout as pro-independence supporters called for a boycott over the COVID-19 pandemic.The French Embassy in New Caledonia previously said that over 41% of eligible voters had cast their ballots by 5 p.m. local time (06:00 GMT) on Sunday, as compared to almost 80% at that stage in the 2020 vote. During Sunday's vote, participants were supposed to decide on whether they "want New Caledonia to accede to full sovereignty and become independent".The pro-independence Socialist Kanak Liberation Front (FLNKS) earlier urged indigenous Kanaks not to take part in the referendum arguing that the coronavirus pandemic had made their "fair campaign" impossible.The Pacific island's 270,000 inhabitants were mainly spared during the pandemic's first phase, but they have suffered about 300 COVID deaths since the recent appearance of the Delta variant.A territory with about 185,000 voters located around 2,000 kilometres (1,250 miles) east of Australia, New Caledonia was granted three independence referendums in line with the 1988 Noumea Accord aimed at easing ethnic tensions between the poorer indigenous Kanak community favouring independence and the wealthier white portion of the population.The agreement stipulates New Caledonia holding three referendums on independence: in 2018, and two more in 2020 and 2021 if the previous ones did not result in independence. During the 2018 and 2020 votes, New Caledonians said "no" breaking away from France.

https://sputniknews.com/20201004/new-caledonia-votes-against-independence-from-france-preliminary-results-show-1080661827.html

france

new caledonia

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Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg

Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg

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france, emmanuel macron, referendum, independence, new caledonia
https://sputniknews.com/20211212/over-200000-people-left-without-electricity-in-ontario-due-to-strong-wind-1091454916.html

Over 200,000 People Left Without Electricity in Ontario Due to Strong Wind

Over 200,000 People Left Without Electricity in Ontario Due to Strong Wind

More than 200,000 people have been left without electricity in the Canadian province of Ontario due to strong wind, power company Hydro One has said

2021-12-12T07:36+0000

2021-12-12T07:36+0000

2021-12-12T10:32+0000

canada

power outage

wind

electricity blackout

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https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107589/95/1075899547_0:65:1280:785_1920x0_80_0_0_9086375ce57d3b79dda0c6746e066310.jpg

The Canadian government has issued weather warnings for the province's southern areas over strong winds gusting up to 90 or 100 kilometres per hour (55 to 62 miles per hour).

Thomas Turk And 80% of Alberta were given deadly injections.. which is worse? Western Standard. WATCH: BC Doctor reviews shocking stats from released Pfizer documents. Doctor Daniel Nagase, in an exclusive interview, reviewed recently-released safety data on Pfizer-BioNTechs COVID-19 vaccine. Nagase came under fire for giving patients an unapproved treatment for COVID-19 while working in Alberta hospitals in September and was banned from working in Alberta Health Services facilities. This shocking data was released by a FOIA request by 32 top docs, scientists and lawyers.. instead of taking the obscene 75 years as requested by criminal Phyza. 0

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canada, power outage, wind, electricity blackout
https://sputniknews.com/20211212/polish-official-says-us-softened-stance-on-nord-stream-2-to-buy-temporary-peace-1091457022.html

Polish Official Says US Softened Stance on Nord Stream 2 to Buy Temporary Peace

Polish Official Says US Softened Stance on Nord Stream 2 to Buy Temporary Peace

The United States is trying to gain several months of peace with Russia by softening its stance on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, Polish Undersecretary of State Pawel Jablonski has said.

2021-12-12T10:04+0000

2021-12-12T10:04+0000

2021-12-12T10:04+0000

us

russia

poland

nord stream 2

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https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0c/0c/1091456847_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_02ea43648c1cff3e3225dac83f3d37f3.jpg

"The US has been vocally critical [of the project], but when it comes to actual deeds, it is much less persistent. Instead, its just stepping back in hope that we will buy ourselves a few months of peace," Jablonski said in an interview with the Australian Financial Review newspaper, published on Sunday.The official went on to describe Washington's approach as "naive.""This obviously would be a strategic mistake for Europe. We should always prioritize security over business profits, especially if they are just limited to a few German companies," Jablonski stated.Nord Stream 2 is a joint venture of Gazprom, Royal Dutch Shell, OMV, Engie, Uniper, and Wintershall. The project is designed to carry natural gas from Russia to Germany beneath the Baltic Sea. On September 10, Russia's Gazprom announced that the construction of the pipeline was completed.The United States initially opposed the project, promoting its liquefied natural gas in Europe. In July, Berlin and Washington struck a deal to pave the way for the completion of the pipeline, without the threat of US sanctions.

https://sputniknews.com/20211210/germany-chancellor-reportedly-mulls-pulling-support-for-nord-stream-2-in-case-of-russia-ukraine-war-1091421671.html

CountTo5Manual Profit over security, not security over profit.. Polish pipe-dream to become Saudi Arabia of Europe ended. Fallen project.. Message... 7

Emris Rex Poland has very little real leverage in th he matter.... 6

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us, russia, poland, nord stream 2
https://sputniknews.com/20211212/russian-foreign-ministry-west-deploying-to-ukraine-militants-disguised-as-instructors-1091468051.html

Russian Foreign Ministry: West Deploying Militants Disguised as Instructors to Ukraine

Russian Foreign Ministry: West Deploying Militants Disguised as Instructors to Ukraine

Western countries are transferring to Ukraine militants as disguised as instructors, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Sunday.

2021-12-12T17:27+0000

2021-12-12T17:27+0000

2021-12-13T03:58+0000

russia

ukraine

g7

maria zakharova

military

nato

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https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0c/0c/1091468796_0:0:3083:1734_1920x0_80_0_0_8e7215de45dd5a469b52433741d746f9.jpg

"Ukraine is being pumped with armaments, meaning, direct supplies, future contracts, and, as you see, these are multi-million, billion contracts as a whole. It is about dispatching there militants disguised as instructors", Zakharova told the Russia broadcaster Krym 24.Over the past several weeks, Kiev and some Western countries have accused Moscow of amassing troops near its border with Ukraine. Moscow, for its part, has repeatedly rejected the accusations saying that the West wants to use them as an excuse to deploy NATO military equipment near the Russian border.The US State Department said on Saturday that Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried will visit Moscow and Kiev from 13-15 December and will then meet with EU representatives in Brussels to discuss a diplomatic resolution of the situation in Ukraine.While US President Joe Biden outlined that Washington never planned to send troops to Ukraine, the White House still warned Moscow that there would be consequences in the event of any aggression.Following a meeting in Liverpool, the G7 foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, along with the High Representative of the European Union, echoed the sentiment. The ministers pledged that Russia would face a "severe cost" in the event of any military aggression in Ukraine. The statements come amid Kiev announcing that the US, along with the Ukrainian border service, having launched an initiative to strengthen the country's eastern and northern borders, with Washington set to pour $20 million into the project. It was also revealed that Biden had prepared $200 million in military assistance, but postponed delivering it in order to allow more time to resolve the ongoing crisis on the border between Ukraine and Russia.

https://sputniknews.com/20211212/putin-told-biden-during-call-russian-troops-located-within-countrys-borders-pose-no-threat--1091457327.html

Golem Russia is damned if it does and damned if it doesnt, when is the penny going to drop with the Russian government that their western "partners" and "colleagues" arent interested in peace with Russia or with China or with Iran, etc.?, The demons are only out for war and subjugation by any means including using their terrorist mercenaries who by many names. Diplomacy is lost on them and Russia is only casting its pearls before swine. 8

Seam The American government is playing with fire by constantly provoking Russia and by thinking ( governor Wicker...) that a limited nuclear attack will make US win and not affect the Biosphere...The Russians will retaliate for sure..so it's a no-win situation for the whole planet..It's about time the American people tells his government that it is going in a very wrong way... 8

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ukraine

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russia, ukraine, g7, maria zakharova, military, nato
https://sputniknews.com/20211212/russian-security-council-us-laying-grounds-for-nato-like-digital-alliance-1091465878.html

Russian Security Council: US Laying Grounds for NATO-Like Digital Alliance

Russian Security Council: US Laying Grounds for NATO-Like Digital Alliance

The United States are, in fact, creating foundations for a digital alliance like NATO, where member states will be deprived of the right to make decisions, Russian Security Council First Deputy Secretary Yury Averyanov told Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

2021-12-12T16:12+0000

2021-12-12T16:12+0000

2021-12-12T16:12+0000

us

russia

nato

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/105507/07/1055070712_0:70:2969:1740_1920x0_80_0_0_71ba06474fbfbf415a31fc51518e7138.jpg

The official recalled in an interview with the Russian newspaper, issued on Sunday, that the participants of the US-led Summit for Democracy "discussed in detail" high technologies."The idea here is simple: if you want the White House to recognize your country as democratic, introduce such technological standards so that the US would be able to defend your democracy at its convenience, for example, by influencing elections in your country or controlling media," Averyanov said.The Russian politician said that the US was aware that the short period of post-Cold War American hegemony was inevitably coming to an end."The US military dominance in the world is no longer absolute, in many areas the US has to catch up with Russia and China," Averyanov added.Washington is gradually losing its economic influence as well, according to Averyanov."On the global political stage, Washington is no longer seen as the absolute truth even by separate strategic partners of the US, let alone other actors," Averyanov said.The virtual Summit for Democracy was set up by Washington this week and was attended by over 100 countries. Russia and China were not included.

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us, russia, nato
https://sputniknews.com/20211212/south-african-president-cyril-ramaphosa-tests-positive-for-covid-19-office-reveals-1091471150.html

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa Tests Positive for COVID-19, Office Reveals

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa Tests Positive for COVID-19, Office Reveals

In February, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was among the first in his country to be vaccinated against COVID-19 when he received the single-shot... 12.12.2021, Sputnik International

2021-12-12T20:43+0000

2021-12-12T20:43+0000

2021-12-12T21:12+0000

south africa

cyril ramaphosa

covid-19

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Ramaphosa's office announced on Sunday that the South African president is now receiving treatment after testing positive for COVID-19. The 69-year-old leader is said to be experiencing mild symptoms of the highly-contagious disease. Ramphosa recently returned from a week-long series of visits to Nigeria, Cote dIvoire, Ghana and Senegal. The South African president's office noted that he was tested for COVID-19 in all four West African countries."President Ramaphosa says his own infection serves as a caution to all people in the country to be vaccinated and remain vigilant against exposure," the office said, noting that "vaccination remains the best protection" against the disease. Those who may have been in contact with the South African president are being advised to get tested for COVID-19 and watch for the emergence of related symptoms. South Africa has recently been ravaged by the omicron variant, recording over 18,000 daily COVID-19 cases. Despite the spread of infections, the country's current unemployment crisis complicates the practicality of further lockdown measures. With more than 90,000 COVID-19-related deaths and over 3.2 million identified cases of the contagious disease, South Africa is regarded as the hardest-hit nation on the African continent.

https://sputniknews.com/20211212/who-omicron-strain-found-in-63-countries-might-surpass-delta-in-spreading-speed-1091468255.html

TruePatriot Well, there you go and see what happens when you want to jump the gun on an experimental therapy. Cyril didn't they tell you they were injecting the spike protein? Once again, proof positive that getting the death in a bottle jab gives you the bug. 1

Thomas Turk How could he when.. The Identity of the Virus: Health/ Science Institutions Worldwide Have No Record of SARS-COV-2 Isolation/Purification. By Christine Massey, December 05, 2021 As a spike protein cannot be idented as a virus, the 1M US$ reward by Dr. Russell Blaylock for its ident is NOT taken up. Dr. Kary Mullins, inventor of the PCR test stated that his test only idents strands of DNA from Hep. and Flu. US Dr. Elisabeth Eads studies noted that the PCR test gives 97% false positives. WHO on Jan. 20, 2021 in their Directive #202005 stated that the PCR test is of NO VALUE.. this superseding their Jan.20.2020 advice to do PCR tests. 0

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south africa, cyril ramaphosa, covid-19
https://sputniknews.com/20211212/this-is-dumb-german-police-mocked-online-for-enforcing-covid-social-distancing-with-rulers-1091462020.html

'This is Dumb': German Police Mocked Online for Enforcing COVID Social Distancing With Rulers

'This is Dumb': German Police Mocked Online for Enforcing COVID Social Distancing With Rulers

Top German health officials last month warned that the fourth wave, if it goes unchecked, could peak by Christmas. Infections hit a record high of above 74,000 a day last month.

2021-12-12T18:01+0000

2021-12-12T18:01+0000

2021-12-12T18:13+0000

germany

angela merkel

lockdown

eu

olaf scholz

covid-19

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Police in the German city of Frankfurt (am Main) have allegedly been employing folding rulers in public to enforce social distancing norms during a protest against COVID restrictions, according to a video that has emerged on social media.The demonstration reportedly took place in protest against the stricter COVID rules, as the authorities respond to the "fourth COVID wave" by implementing stricter public measures and vaccination rules.The police have been subjected to ridicule by online users over the video, which is believed to have been recorded on 11 December.While some users have described the police's action as being outright dumb, several others have reckoned that police were just "following orders" from their bosses.Germany's 'Fourth COVID Wave'Germany's outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel last month described the resurgence in COVID cases as "dramatic".During the same meeting, compulsory vaccination was discussed and Angela Merkel said that "the general compulsory vaccination should be discussed in the Bundestag, and it should make a decision on it. The federation and the states have instructed the ethical council to prepare a recommendation by the end of the year, then this general compulsory vaccination, if approved, can come into force from February 2022".Olaf Scholz, who replaced Merkel as German chancellor earlier this month, has backed the idea of mandatory vaccinations, a proposal which could reportedly be put to vote in the federal parliament in the coming weeks.Meanwhile, in response to the rising number of cases, several German states and cities last month introduced the "2G" COVID passes, which have information on an individual's vaccination status or if they have just recovered from an infection. The 2G pass determines if an individual can access public places such as bars, theatres, or other public venues and events.On 2 December, Germany announced a near total lockdown for the unvaccinated people.Scholz has vowed a harsher COVID response to the ongoing fourth wave in the country. A new law already passed by the federal government this week requires healthcare workers to be vaccinated by March next year, as per a report. The harsher measures by the authorities, including backing the idea of mandatory vaccination, has however also angered a sizable section of the population. There have been many demonstrations against stricter COVID rules in the country (and the neighbouring countries as well) since the onset of the pandemic last year.Even though large public gatherings are banned in Germany as part of the stricter COVID response, protesters have reportedly been taking out small demonstrations to express their resentment. For instance, protesters with torches reportedly gathered at the residence of the health minister of Saxony on 3 December.

https://sputniknews.com/20201213/germany-to-introduce-stricter-lockdown-measures-ahead-of-christmas-season-1081447472.html

TelhasTeezee I guess the Nazis are alive and well. 1

Michael Fahmy ...Das ist nicht ein schwien ./.. Das ist ein HUMAN ... 0

2

germany

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Dhairya Maheshwari

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germany, angela merkel, lockdown, eu, olaf scholz, covid-19
https://sputniknews.com/20211212/trump-says-he-played-rocket-man-to-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-1091465311.html

Trump Says He Played 'Rocket Man' For North Korea's Kim Jong-un

Trump Says He Played 'Rocket Man' For North Korea's Kim Jong-un

Back in 2018, then-US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was reported to have brought an Elton John CD with his song "Rocket Man" when the US delegation headed to North Korea for denuclearization talks.

2021-12-12T16:12+0000

2021-12-12T16:12+0000

2021-12-12T16:18+0000

kim jong-un

donald trump

us

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Former US President Donald Trump has claimed that he gave North Korean leader Kim Jong-un a cassette with Elton John's song "Rocket Man" and a "machine" to play it on.The ex-president revealed the fun fact during the first night of his "History Tour", which kicked off in Florida on Saturday."Rocket Man" was a nickname for the North Korean leader that Trump came up with back in 2017, when he first referred to Kim as such in a tweet.Then, he repeated the nickname during his UN General Assembly speech. Later, US diplomats told media outlets that the "Rocket Man" tweet was ill-advised.In regard to the unambiguous gift that Trump spoke about in Florida, it was earlier reported by Chosun Ilbo that then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had brought a "Rocket Man" CD for Kim Jong-un during the 2018 denuclearisation talks in Pyongyang.The newspaper said, citing a source in Washington, that the "Rocket Man" CD was the subject of discussion during Trump's lunch with Kim. When the North Korean leader mentioned Trump's nickname for him, then-president asked whether Kim knew the song, and it appeared he did not. Trump remembered the conversation and told Pompeo to bring a CD with the song for Kim.Trump's Florida anecdote is understood to be the first time he has addressed the allegation. Pompeo himself has never commented on the story.

Nonyank What a complete MORON. 5

MichaelAngelus "ROCKET MAN"? ... MEH? ... IN THE LARGER SCHEME OF THINGS, IS THAT NOT A REAL BIG DEAL? ... AND .... IS IT NOT TRUE THAT BOTH TRUMP AND POMPEO ARE EXTRAORDINARY CLOSE FRIENDS WITH ISRAEL? 1

3

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kim jong-un, donald trump, us
https://sputniknews.com/20211212/uk-cyber-spy-chief-claims-china-might-use-digital-yuan-for-surveillance-transaction-control-1091463900.html

UK Cyber Spy Chief Claims China Might Use Digital Yuan for Surveillance, Transaction Control

UK Cyber Spy Chief Claims China Might Use Digital Yuan for Surveillance, Transaction Control

GCHQ chief Sir Jeremy Fleming warns China might use digital yuan for surveillance, control of global currency transactions

2021-12-12T15:15+0000

2021-12-12T15:15+0000

2021-12-12T15:15+0000

world

china

uk

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China might use its digital renminbi for surveillance over its users and to control global currency transactions, the head of the British digital spy agency GCHQ, Sir Jeremy Fleming, has suggested in an interview with the Financial Times. He noted that while digital currencies in general present a "great opportunity" for the world, they might be misused.Fleming went on to say that efforts by a foreign state to gather information on British citizens en masse might prove "deeply intrusive" and result in an "erosion of [the UK's] sovereignty". He added that China is not coordinating its efforts in introducing digital currencies with other global powers as he would have hoped.The top UK digital spymaster further painted Beijing as the "biggest strategic issue" that London faces right now. He cited the allegedly expanding "espionage operations" and attempts to "control of digital infrastructure" by China as the main source of concern. Fleming claimed that China invests "very heavily, overtly and covertly" in digital infrastructure and is starting to shape the global rules in terms of "technology and digital context".The GCHQ head noted that London will have to "work out" a response to Beijing's current policies and aspirations. He stressed, however, that whatever the response might be, the two states need to keep their trade open and continue to cooperate on climate change.Some 140 million people have already opened digital renminbi wallets, according to the Bank of China, which oversees the online currency's development. Beijing has carried out several massive tests of the currency, giving it out to citizens and promoting companies to accept it as payment or outright paying its workers with it. One of the biggest tests took place in November, as one of the Chinese e-commerce platforms, Jingdong (JD), announced it would accept the digital yuan during the year's biggest sale dedicated to "Singles Day". However, Beijing has so far stopped short of announcing a countrywide rollout of the digital currency.

https://sputniknews.com/20211111/chinese-e-commerce-giant-to-accept-digital-yuan-during-singles-day-sale-in-major-e-currency-test-1090658127.html

monti The UK has become nothing but a sad, cold and wet little island in the Atlantic with poodles being handled by their masters across the other side of the Atlantic 8

sharknbake21 More fearmogering as UK spy chief do. They take their briefs from War-shington. pure and simple/ 4

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Tim Korso https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0a/02/1080648312_311:168:1773:1631_100x100_80_0_0_5eb98a42f89fd860368dcd2ae2d9e403.jpg

Tim Korso https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0a/02/1080648312_311:168:1773:1631_100x100_80_0_0_5eb98a42f89fd860368dcd2ae2d9e403.jpg

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world, china, uk
https://sputniknews.com/20211212/uk-police-find-body-in-south-london-park-connected-to-disappearance-of-petra-srncova-1091470526.html

UK Police Find Body in South London Park Connected to Disappearance of Petra Srncova

UK Police Find Body in South London Park Connected to Disappearance of Petra Srncova

The Metropolitan Police Service in London, England, have identified a body that is believed to be the missing nurse assistant, Petra Srncova. 12.12.2021, Sputnik International

2021-12-12T19:45+0000

2021-12-12T19:45+0000

2021-12-12T20:48+0000

london

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Police were called to the scene at Brunswick Park, SE5, a park in Camberwell, south London, on Sunday, December 12, at 11:40 and according to reports remain at the scene. Srncova lived in Camberwell. Petra was reported missing by a colleague on December 3rd and was last seen on November 28 at 10:22 p.m.On Sunday, a man who was arrested in connection with her disappearance was released on bail. Over the previous week, police had become increasingly concerned over Srncova's whereabouts. It has been reported that her family in the Czech Republic had not heard from her. Harriet Harman, her constituency MP, pleaded to the public to come forward if they had any information. Srncova is a senior nurse assistant at Evelina London childrens hospital.

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The father-son duo of trainer Brett Pelling and driver Jack Pelling teamed up twice at Freehold Raceway on Saturday (Dec. 11). They scored together with Reigning Deo in race 7, then captured the Preferred Handicap pace with Hail Christian N.

Leaving from post position seven in the eight-horse field, Jack took Hail Christian N off the lead, dropping him in seventh throughout the early stages of the race. The early leaders, led by favoured Rockin M, set an opening quarter of :27.1, followed by a first half-mile of :57.1.

As they moved up the backstretch the final time, the field began to bunch up. Jack moved Hail Christian N off the pylons and grabbed cover third-over. Entering the stretch, Hail Christian N was still about five lengths off the lead and racing in the four-path. However, Hail Christian N had all the momentum, and he flew on the outside late to win by three-quarters of a length. The final time over a 'good' track was 1:54.3.

Hail Christian N is owned by Harcourt Lodge Stables. He's won four times this year from eighteen starts, with earnings of more than $64,000.

Live harness racing continues at Freehold on Friday (Dec. 17), starting at 12:30 p.m. There's three more days left of live racing in 2021, with racing on December 18 and December 31 to conclude the 2021 season.

(Freehold)
He attended his final meeting Tuesday, his voice heard from time to time over the intercom in the county boardroom, mostly to say he couldnt hear what was going on due to technical limitations.

At the end, Culpeper County Board Chairman Gary Deal noted it was Chases last meeting along with Cedar Mountain Supervisor Jack Frazier, who will be replaced in January by David Durr.

They have certainly served the community and their districts with all-out effort, passion and heart, Deal said. I wanted to say that. Mr. Chase40 years! Sir, can you hear me?

Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

Chase responded, Yeah, I can hear you. I want to thank everyone who worked with me over the past 40 years. It has been all positive and nothing but a good experience.

He wished Gugino good luck representing Stevensburg.

She has my blessing, Chase said.

Four decades on the board is unbelievable, Deal added.
LINCOLN  The Nebraska Corn Board (NCB) and the Nebraska Corn Growers Association (NeCGA) are discouraged with the Biden Administration after its Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) proposal earlier today. The RVO falls under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) which requires at least 15 billion gallons of conventional biofuels (mainly corn-based ethanol) that will be blended into the U.S. fuel supply each year based on congressional intent. The EPA undercut the RFS through its proposal to reopen and reduce the final 2020 RFS volumes to 12.5 billion gallons, which is 2.5 billion gallons below the statutory minimum. In its delayed proposed biofuel blending volumes for 2021, the EPA again came short of the 15-billion-gallon minimum. For 2022, EPA is expected to return the conventional biofuel target to 15 billion gallons.
Kory Knight, GPS director of curriculum and assessment, said, Because we have a lot of new information about areas where students need support, were able to target some of the skills and the needs that our students have in the whole child realm, not just academics, but as a whole child. Because if were lacking in other aspects of our whole child, then test scores are going to be affected.

Most other Panhandle schools also saw drops of varying degrees, aside from Bridgeport Public Schools, which actually saw an increase of one point in ELA and no change in math. Again, though, there are a variety of reasons for why drawing these comparisons should be done cautiously.

The test results, right now are so complex in nature as to why the test scores dipped, in our opinion, and it involves, first and foremost, the COVID situation and a lot of different things regarding learning loss and quarantines that were imposed on students, where they werent able to be in school, Knight said. Plus, we had had a hybrid learning situation going on and increased trauma due to the circumstances. And lastly, the test was modified in the midst of all of this. So the test  you really cant compare. Its like comparing apples to oranges right now.
At first, Lara-Juarez said customers were somewhat wary of eating in a former gas station. Still, loyal regulars followed them from their previous location in the mall and built up Rosis reputation.

The menu has the traditional fare one might expect at a Chinese restaurant.

Only (Silvestre) kind of did his own thing with the sauces ... he tastes the sauces as hes mixing them up, he makes sure theyre proper, Lara-Juarez said.

Rosis has a diverse menu with more than 100 different options. Many of those can be customized further. For example, one customer regularly orders the beef and broccoli without beef. Another orders it without broccoli. Yet another customer routinely gets it with neither, just the rice and sauce.

This flexibility allows for customers to get the food they like without having to worry about menu items they dont. Its why they sell sides like soups and spring rolls separately.

You can come in, you can sit down and relax ... its just a calm environment, Lara-Juarez said. ...Some people say we' re not very ... traditional, but we give out good food at good portions at a good price.
Whether its a flock or herd or some random soloist...it ALWAYS elicits our awe and our wowzers! From my heart there emotes another Well, I declare! LOOK at THAT. The kudos and praise goes to Creator GOD for what gathers beneath my suspended platform.

The Apostle Paul demonstrates great humility about his declarations, And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except JESUS CHRIST and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)
This summers heat wave took a toll on conifers, but scientists and the local forestry industry still are working to learn what the long-term effects will be for the trees.

In a mini-symposium held in mid-November by Oregon State University, scientists discussed preliminary results of the heat dome in late June and early July when temperatures topped 100 degrees in much of the region. They found conifers on south- and west-facing slopes tended to suffer the most severe scorching, but there discovered variations in what parts of the trees branches and needles burned. Younger trees were hit the hardest, which is causing some local forestry industries to step up planting.

At the conference, Kat Olson with GreenWood Resources said the effect on Lewis and Clark timberland has changed the companys planting plans. GreenWood Resources manages about 230,000 acres in the United States and has about 185,000 acres of mixed conifer forests in the Washington and Oregon areas. Olson said most of what the company plants is Hemlock, but Washington properties tend to have more Douglas firs, too.

The immediate aftermath was pretty dramatic, she said, raising worries if there was enough photosynthetic potential to keep these trees alive with the amount of needles that were scorched and dropped.

GreenWood Resources staff surveyed about 17,000 acres by foot and found a quarter of those acres showed at least 40% of the trees had moderate to severe damage. Half of those were between one and three years old, so staff now are surveying every area with young trees to get more precise information.

Most of the trees planted in 2021 are sticks now, Olson said, so plans in place to plant between 600,000 and 800,000 extra seedlings to make up for this summers mortalities.

Theres still hope, she said.

Weyerhaeuser pointed to OSUs symposium, but declined to answer if the company planned to plant more trees to make up for lost seedlings or if there was a damage estimate for Weyerhaeuser land.

Trees in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest largely escaped scorching because most of the National Forest land is at higher elevations, said U.S. Forest Service Forest Silviculturist Jon Day.

Ive noticed few trees on the National Forest that were scorched or that had browning of the needles, he said. I think the biggest thing we noticed was very high flow on some of the rivers due to excessive snow/glacier melt on Mount Adams and other high elevation peaks.

Day said he noticed many conifers with brown or scorched needles while driving up I-5 and along several of the lower elevation roads in the area. Preliminary research, like that presented at the OSU symposium, suggests there will be limited long-term effects, Day said, with the most likely issue being a short decrease in tree growth due to the loss of the needles.

By next year most of the brown needles will have fallen off the trees and new green needles will be developing, he said. Barring another big heat event, the trees should recover without issue.

Dave Shaw with the OSU Extension said there three different district types of foliage scorched from the event. Some trees saw all exposed foliage burned, some saw only the new growth burned and some saw new growth live, but older growth die.

Shaw hypothesized the final scorch pattern happened on trees with Swiss Needle Cast, a foliage fungus that affects Douglas firs and makes it harder for older growth to cool off. However, more research is needed, he said.

The heat damage might predispose trees to disease and insect attack, said Danny Depinte, a Forest Health Specialist with the U.S. Forest Service. His team helped map 229,000 acres of heat damage across Washington and Oregon from planes, but said we know the actual extent of the heat damage is much larger.

From what they could see, more than 50% of the trees affected had very severe damage, 30% to 50% had severe damage and 11% to 29% had moderate damage. Somewhere between 4% and 10% had light damage and the remaining 1% to 3% had very light damage.

However, he said its possible on the damaged trees that even the remaining green foliage also is damaged or not functioning and we just cannot see it.

Presenting with Depinte was the Oregon Department of Forestrys Christine Buhl, who pointed to the need for more information and longer-term monitoring to see the true result of the heat wave, and to learn what could be done in the future.

Were going to have them again, so we really need to come together with all the data were collecting, she said.

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A new state law will assign public defenders to children earlier than they are today in Cowlitz County dependency cases based on initial findings of a finalized report released Monday.

Reunification Day event recognizes parents' work to get their children back Three years ago, Echo Isackson was in a bad place, unknowingly putting her daughter through trauma when child protective services took her away.

The Washington State Center for Court Researchs study shows children are more likely to be reunited with their biological parents if they have attorneys during dependency cases, which are legal proceedings where parents could lose custody based on safety concerns like neglect or domestic violence.

The law plans to assign free lawyers by 2027 to children 8 to 17 years old throughout their dependency cases, and children 7 years old and younger if custody is revoked.

Current local procedures

Cowlitz County Superior Court Judge Michael Evans said children 12 years old and older automatically are assigned public defenders in local dependency cases today, but there is nothing preventing younger children from being assigned representation as well.

Evans said the age limit is an unofficial standard used in the court, likely based on the childrens abilities to clearly communicate their wishes to attorneys.

Reunification Day celebrates parents' work to get their children back Nichole Brese wasnt planning on becoming a mother, but five years into her addiction her daughters birth changed her life.

Evans said the new law could speed up appeal processes for younger children because a lawyer would already be appointed to start filings. Children may want to appeal rulings such as if they disagree where they have been placed to live, like with a relative or in a group home, Evans said.

He said the goal of dependency cases is to reunite children with their parents. The 434 children with counsel in the newly released study resulted in 45% higher reunification rates with their biological parents than children without attorneys. The study also states children with representation saw a 30% reduction in placement moves and a 65% reduction in school moves outside of normal reasons like moving up grades.

The Cowlitz County children who arent represented by attorneys today would receive representation through the new law within six years through the states phased implementation. According to a report by Washington Courts, there were more Cowlitz County children 6 to 11 years old with dependency case petitions in 2016 through 2020 than any other age group, though numbers were only slightly higher than children 12 to 17 years old.

The Washington State Office of Civil Legal Aid will fund the new laws appointed counsel, according to the final bill report.

Volunteers

Local children outside the age limit for appointed attorneys receive volunteers for court guidance through the local nonprofit Cowlitz County Child Advocates, which was previously known as Court Appointed Special Advocates or CASA.

According to the Child Advocates website, volunteers collect information from children in dependency cases to enhance the decisions of judges on the childs behalf. Evans said those decisions can include ensuring children make medical appointments and approve of judges rulings, but volunteers cannot make official legal filings like licensed attorneys. Volunteers must be at least 21 years old and receive 30 hours of initial training over five weeks, according to the nonprofits website.

Evans said the court relies heavily on Child Advocates volunteers to provide guidance and a voice for children. The new law may be more necessary in counties where similar volunteer programs are not as robust, he added.

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Garena Free Fire redeem codes for December 12: Who does not like getting rewarded and that too by playing games? Garena Free Fire players must be aware about the free gifts and rewards they can earn via redeem codes. Free Fire releases redeem codes daily in order to allow players to access special items. These codes can be obtained for free. Apart from the redeem codes, Garena Free Fire also offers gamers a vast range of cosmetics like outfits, skins, and more to choose from. Free Fire players also have an option to access these additional Free Fire items and obtain them by completing and winning in-game missions.

It can be noted that players can buy these additional items from the in-game store as well but these cost plenty and not everyone wants to buy. In the meanwhile, taking to its official Twitter account Garena Free Fire has also informed that the Final Heist is live from December 11. "Today's the day! The final heist is here. Log into Free Fire to get your FREE collaboration rewards and heist it up!." it tweeted.

Players who want to redeem codes can do so by visiting the official redemption website. Here is how:

Garena Free Fire Redeem codes for December 12:

F78U OJ9H 8G7U

FY3T GWBX LP09

F87C X2AQ AZXC

FBNM KIUY TRED

F8I9 OKJH GFDS

FD7A 2WER TYU6

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Garena Free Fire redeem codes for December 12: Steps to redeem

Step 1: Players who want to get the redeem codes, will first have to visit the official Garena Free Fire code redemption website by clicking on the link- https://reward.ff.garena.com/en.

Step 2: You will then have to login on the page with either your Facebook, Google, Twitter, Apple Id, HUAWEI or VK ID to continue the redemption process. However, you need to note that your login ID must be the same as your in-game login ID.

Step 3: After logging in, copy any one of the 12 character long redeem codes from todays code list and then paste it into the text box.

Step 4: This will bring up a dialogue box for double-checking. Click on 'OK'. And your redemption code process is completed.

Step 5: In case, your redemption bid fails for some reason, you will get an Email, otherwise you have to wait for a minimum 24 hours to get your rewards to become active on your gadget.
One of the things that attracts women to the group, McCracken said, is how informal it is, saying one of the key tenets is come as you are. For some, this means arriving at an event in sweatpants. For others, it is an invitation to attend an event, no matter how they are feeling emotionally that day.

Kendra Villarreal, 39, was in the midst of opening the new location of her business  Kendra Renee Holistic Skin Nutrition & Expert Waxing in College Station  when she had a water leak that added stress and time to the process. So she was going to skip Octobers lunch bunch event, but said she knew she needed to be around those who inspire and understand her.

As a solopreneur, to have a community and have people that genuinely want you to succeed and want you to be the best that you can be, thats what WE is to me, she said.

Early on, Mousseau-Holland and McCracken tried to establish that the members are not in competition with each other, and that there is enough room for multiple people in the same type of business.

Kristin Strother, 31, real estate agent at TM5 Properties Group brokered by EXP Realty and social director of Women Entrepreneurs, said the organization helps flip the script.
My first mentor and real museum mentor was Dr. Richard Baldauf of the Houston Museum of Natural Science. He had also been the head of the wildlife department for a time at A&M. He was the first president of the board of this museum. Its kind of interesting how it came full circle. He told me so many stories about this museum, and at the time I never really thought I would end up working here. It just kind of happened. Im really glad it did.  When he passed away I was able to establish a scholarship in his honor, get it endowed. We were able to raise $25,000 to establish a scholarship for graduate students in the wildlife department in his name.  I just really wanted his name to live on at A&M because he inspired so many students, people like me. He used to tell me when I started working for him, he said, You really need to go back to school. I said, But I have a degree in music! He basically believed in me before I believed in myself. I think everybody needs someone like that.
On Thursday, the day of the threatened shootings, law enforcement put extra officers in all four schools to provide immediate response in case the threats were real.

Thank God they werent.

Too often when there has been an awful school shooting  and every school shooting is awful, to be sure  we here reports of similar threats that went unheeded because no one took them seriously.

But each such threat must  absolutely must  be taken seriously. If students see such a threat pop up on their social media, it is imperative they alert their teachers or other school officials or their parents or law enforcement  better yet, all of the above  and let them take it from there.

Staying silent is not a valid option. It is better to find out the threats are false than to learn, tragically, that they are real.

Now, Bryan police are trying to track down who posted the threats to the four schools. When they find him  or, unlikely, her  police can ascertain the motive for the postings. Was it a joke? Did the poster have real intentions that werent carried out? Is he a continuing threat to our children in school?
New this year will be an option on the form to have the Brand Recorder select an available brand for a producer. Should the 10 options conflict, the final option of being allocated an approved brand will be available using the same $50 research credit. A single symbol can be requested to be included which will be at the Brand Recorders discretion. The producer will be notified of the selected brand prior to final approval.

Also available in 2022 is a credit card authorization form that can be downloaded from the NBC website and used for payment and must accompany the application. Both application and authorization forms can be found at https://nbc.nebraska.gov/forms. Applications and authorization forms can be emailed to brand.recording@nebraska.gov, faxed in to (308) 763-2934 or mailed into NBC, 411 Niobrara Ave, Alliance NE 69301.

When brand applications are processed it will be based on their time and date stamp depending on method arrived; email and fax have a time and date stamp and are processed first, USPS are only date stamped and are processed in order of being opened.

Up to $800 million will help biofuel producers and rural Americans
One of the little girls looked at me, and she told me, Miss Acevedo, why are we even doing this? And I said, Well, were learning stuff, because we want you to get smarter and get a job. She told me, I dont need to do this. I dont have papers. I would rather just work. And wow ... I looked at her and I said, I went to Walnut Middle School. I was a student here, just like you who had no papers. She looked at me and shes like, Youre a teacher. And I said, Yeah, I am. You can do whatever you set your mind to. You have to work hard, but you can do it.
Hornady is now treating twice as much water as what was being produced a year ago, and can accommodate any future growth, Powell said.

The expansion thats happening at this Grand Island plant will not affect the capacity we have here, she said. We can probably run twice as much as we are today, and still be just fine with the system we have in place.

It was a challenge to develop this new filter system, Powell said.

Traditionally, you have wastewater that has plenty of solids, but in the case of the copper rinses and lead bullet rinses, there wasnt just enough solids and any other traditional system we would have to add a lot of polymer and chemical just to try to get a plate press, or any other traditional technology, to work, she explained.

It took nearly a full year to find a system that could filter both solids, and still meet the permit limits in place for a facility such as Hornady, Powell said.

Powell called it a great accomplishment for Hornady to receive the recognition.
KEARNEY  Eleven farmers, ranchers, and agribusiness professionals from across Nebraska have been selected for Nebraska Farm Bureaus 2022 Leadership Academy. They will begin a year-long program starting Jan. 20-21 in Kearney.

The goal of the Nebraska Farm Bureau Leadership Academy is to cultivate the talents and strengths of our members and connect their passion for agriculture to opportunities of service within the Farm Bureau organization, said Phil Erdman, facilitator of the 2022 Leadership Academy. Great leaders have a clearly defined purpose, purpose fuels passion and work ethic. By developing leadership skills, academy members can develop their passions and positively impact their local communities and the state of Nebraska.

Erdman works with Audrey Schipporeit, Nebraska Farm Bureaus director of generational engagement, to help facilitate the program. Erdman also serves as the vice president of membership for Nebraska Farm Bureau.
To allow for access to the two new classrooms, a new hallway will also need to be built.

The existing older-3-year-old room is in the center of the building, and that room has no windows and weve got to have a point of access, Allen said. Part of that room will become a hallway and the other part of it will become where we put our school-age students.

The need to include school-age children has been apparent from the start, Allen said.

We have a lot of families here and a lot of older siblings, and they have to go to a different center because I dont offer school age, she said. Its something Ive always wanted to do, but we just filled up so big and fast.

The center doesnt just provide care and activities. It also boasts a curriculum to help develop the young childrens skills and abilities and ready them for school.

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Our 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds dont have to go to a separate preschool, theyre getting ready for kindergarten here, Allen said. Were part of the Rooted In Relationships program, so our kids are learning social and emotional skills, and how to handle their emotions.
Nationally, facilities rarely attain exceeds the standard rating, so to have two for YRTC-K speaks to our teams incredible dedication and professionalism, said Mark LaBouchardiere, administrator of the Office of Juvenile Services in the Division of Children & Family Services. They are caring for our youth in a way that will help them to overcome challenges and optimally function upon their release from the facility, and providing a great service to both the youth we serve and the State of Nebraska. My hat is off to YRTC-K Facility Administrator Paul Gordon and Compliance Manager Shaylee Fortner on this outstanding report. I thank them and their staffs for all their hard work.
The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option.
A florist, a judge, a warehouse worker, a grandma: These were among the dozens of people killed during Friday night's tornadoes that ripped through five states. Read their stories here.
The United States Department of Agriculture, along with SC State University 1890 Research & Extension Program, is accepting applications for the USDA/1890 National Scholars Program.

Selected scholars are awarded full tuition and fees. The scholarship also covers books, room and board.

The USDA 1890 National Scholars Program is a great opportunity for students to advance their careers in the agricultural fields, said Dr. Louis Whitesides, vice president and executive director of 1890 Research & Extension. The agricultural industry plays a major role in the United States, as it accounts for nearly 22 million jobs. We want to position our students to be in the forefront in their respective fields, leading and taking agriculture to a new level.

High-school seniors entering their freshmen year of college, rising college sophomores and juniors are eligible to apply for this scholarship. The applicant must major in agriculture or an agriculture-related field.

High school applicants requirements:

GPA of 3.0 or higher.

A minimum ACT score of 21

An SAT score of 1080 (combined verbal/math score of 1,080 or more on the SAT

Must be accepted to an 1890 institution.

College applicants requirements:

GPA of 3.0 or higher to apply and major in one of the following agriculture or agriculture-related programs offered at SC State University.

The USDA 1890 Scholars program is an excellent opportunity for students who are seeking a degree and career in the agriculture field. The scholarship can have a major impact on a students education and career because the program pays the students tuition, fees, meals and housing for up to four years, said Travis Johnson, USDA 1890 program liaison.

Selected students are required to intern with the sponsoring agency each summer. After graduation, the student is converted to a full-time employee if he or she successfully completes the required academic and summer work requirements of the program, noted Johnson.

The scholarship program established between USDA and 1890 institutions aims to increase the number of agriculture, food, natural resource sciences and other ag-related disciplines amongst 1890 schools.

High school students should complete the 2022 high school application at 1890.info/3roEr0j and college students should complete the 2022 college application at 1890.info/3FZr2Qq, by January 31, 2022. Completed applications must be postmarked and mailed by the deadline to SC State University, 300 College Street NE, Orangeburg, SC 29117.

For more information or to receive help in applying to the 1890 UDSA scholarship, contact Travis Johnson, USDA 1890 program liaison at (202) 596-4442 or travis.johnson@usda.gov, or visit www.usda.gov/partnerships/1890NationalScholars.

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The South Carolina State University board of trustees received a report on an increase in giving to the university and its plans to continue to hammer out a comprehensive marketing plan to help draw more giving  and students  to the university.

Trustee Jameel Allen Sr., chairman of the Public Relations, Institutional Advancement and Alumni Relations committee, gave university board trustees an update on the committees activities during a Dec. 2 board meeting.

A private giving report from July 1 through Nov. 18, 2021, from the university's Office of Institutional Advancement revealed that 1,337 donors had given a total of $1,160,001 to the university. Total giving is up more than 89%. The office has increasing overall giving to $5 million among its goals.

Sonja Bennett-Bellamy, the universitys vice president for institutional advancement and external affairs, reported on a successful Giving Tuesday. The university exceeded its $100,000 goal by collecting $112, 602 which will go towards the universitys Ready All to Do and Dare fundraising campaign.

Allen said, We want to continue to encourage participation in respect to giving.

He said that a university website was also being worked on.

We do have an interim website ... that's working out quite well based on the current state. Very interactive from the social media standpoint, but the good news is we will have a long-term solution in place very soon. So that is moving forward, he said.

Allen said improving the universitys customer service was continuously being worked on, too.

Its really just  fundamentals around phone calls and having the appropriate resources in place to return those phone calls in a speed to market fashion. Weve acknowledged that, and we see an enhancement in that area, he said.

Allen said the universitys comprehensive marketing plan is also being reviewed.

We want to make sure that weve got all the right points and investments in place to carry us forward as it relates to long term sustainability, he said, noting that the universitys Board of Visitors charter is also being hammered out.

The BOV charter is in place. The lag that weve experienced is really just making sure we had SACS compliance requirements associated there. ... We will be asking for the board of trustees support as we move forward, Allen said.

He thanked Hank Allen, president of the S.C. State National Alumni Association, for his work in promoting the university.

He hosted his first quarterly meeting with the National Alumni Association on Nov. 20. ... One of the things that Hank Allen articulated was  all the strategic pillars that he's introduced to the board and the alumni chapters across the national alumni platforms, Allen said.

The strategic pillars have been well received. He has appointed leaders and delegates to take on those pillars to ensure those strategic initiatives and goals can be met in that area."

Trustee Dr. Doris Helms said she would like to see more of an emphasis on academics as part of the universitys marketing strategies.

"If I was a student looking to come here, I'd be looking for that kind of thing because, one, the future is dependent upon the kind of education I'm getting. ... If you're really looking at increasing your enrollment, we need to get people tuned in to the ways in which you advertise what we do academically and what the career opportunities are, she said.

Allen said Helms was right and that the university got to do a collaborative marketing of the entire South Carolina State University.

Bennett-Bellamy said, We've had to strategically approach how we implement this marketing communications plan based on the funding that we had. So, you know, we weren't able to invest in billboards. There are a lot of things we weren't able to do because we simply didn't have the money. So we had to get really creative about how we executed this plan.

She continued, We get to who we need to get to, but what I'm excited about is just growing tentacles and just extending our reach past what we've done and being able to even further diversify a lot of the tools that we've been putting into play."

Sponsored research and IT

Trustee William Oden, chairman of the sponsored research and information technology committee, reported that the total amount of grants and contracts funded from July 1, 2021 to Nov. 17, 2021 was $2,843,872.

Elbert Malone, associate provost for sponsored programs and research at S.C. State, said, "We want to still give kudos to the faculty. All of those awards that we presented, they were actually done by the esteemed faculty here at South Carolina State University.

Oden reported that Malone himself had been appointed by the governor to the S.C. Health Planning Committee.

The committee chairman also stated that $236,295 in federal Title 3 funding had come to the School of Music.

Of infrastructure development, Oden said, "We're doing a fantastic job of recovering from the hack," but that restoring data and trying to make sure the bad guys are out was not easy.

The universitys computer network was breached in September.

We're doing a lot of upgrades  with the monies that's going to be appropriated through some of the things we're talking about with wireless access, smart boards - things like that in the classrooms, Oden said.

S.C. State Chief Information Officer Travis Johnson noted that infrastructure development was being worked on.

Malone said, In this day and time, it's very difficult to even think of doing research without the appropriate IT infrastructure. Therefore, I do think it is a good thing to include IT as a part of the unit that's benefiting from IDC (indirect cost) monies. So we hope that we can have this done by mid-spring.

Johnson said, IT and the Office of Sponsored Programs just submitted to the NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information Administration) for some additional funding for infrastructure funding. ... The value of the grant is going to be able $3 million over a two-year span. It's a pilot program. So we do know that NTIA and the Department of Commerce is planning to fund more programs."

Contact the writer: dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5534. Follow "Good News with Gleaton" on Twitter at @DionneTandD

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President Joe Biden plans to visit Orangeburg to address December graduates in the South Carolina State University Class of 2021.

The South Carolina State University family is honored and grateful to host President Biden when he addresses our graduates as they set a course for their futures, Interim S.C. State President Alexander Conyers said. Our students will no doubt remember his words for the rest of their lives. This is indeed a privilege for all here at S.C. State.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to President Biden and Congressman James E. Clyburn for making this special occasion an unforgettable moment in the universitys history, Conyers said.

The graduation ceremony is set for 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 17, at Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center.

Clyburn had been scheduled to be the keynote speaker, but he invited Biden to deliver the commencement address in his stead, as the congressman will be receiving his own degree during the ceremony.

I am pleased to welcome President Biden back to my alma mater. The last time he was on this campus, he came to win the hearts and minds of this community. This week he will return to share with the newest graduates of South Carolina State what he is doing for them, for their families and their community to ensure that they have access to Americas greatness, Clyburn said.

Clyburn endorsed Biden ahead of South Carolinas 2020 presidential primary, which was seen as key to his victory in that race. Bidens South Carolina win solidified his place as the Democratic frontrunner.

Clyburn said, It will be a tremendous honor to share the stage with President Biden at this institution that means so much to me as I mark 60 years since I earned the degree that set me on the path to where I am today.

Clyburn will march with the class of 2021. He did not march to receive his degree from S.C. State College in 1961. S.C. State did not conduct December ceremonies in that era, so he received his credential by mail.

Commencement seating will be limited to students, faculty and invited guests in keeping with COVID-19 social distancing capacity in Smith-Hammond-Middleton.

Face coverings will be required for entry and must be worn at all times inside the arena.

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DENMARK  Voorhees College exceeded its Giving Tuesday goal on Nov. 30, raising more than $130,000.

The original fundraising goal was $125,000 in celebration and acknowledgment of the colleges 125th anniversary. Giving Tuesday is a global celebration of philanthropy and service to nonprofit organizations.

Faculty, staff, students, alumni and supporters of Voorhees College made an effort to raise as much money as possible. Businesses and corporations also donated funds to the campaign.

Throughout the day on Giving Tuesday, faculty, staff and alumni went live on social media to encourage others to give.

The funds that have been raised will be used to support scholarships for students and in other ways to ensure student success.

With the calendar year almost over, there is still time to donate. If you wish to make a donation, visit www.voorhees.edu/give or call 803-780-1013.

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(TBTCO) - Uy ban Chung khoan Nha nuoc vua ban hanh quyet inh ve viec xu phat vi pham hanh chinh oi voi ong Nguyen Vu Hieu, do khong cong bo thong tin khi so huu tu 5% tro len so co phieu co quyen bieu quyet cua mot cong ty ai chung hoac khi khong con la co ong lon.
BEIRUT  Four members of Hamas died Sunday when shooting erupted at the funeral procession of a member of the Islamist movement in a Palestinian refugee camp in south Lebanon, L'Orient Today's correspondent in the area reported, citing Hamas sources.

Earlier Sunday evening, Hamas official Raafat al-Murra said militants from the rival Fatah movement "shot at the funeral procession" of a Palestinian killed Friday in a blast in the Burj al-Shemali camp, outside the port city of Sour, AFP reported. A camp resident told AFP armed clashes followed the shooting.

Six people were wounded, he said, adding that elements of both Fatah and Hamas had been deployed.

An electrical short circuit in a store containing oxygen supplies for COVID-19 patients caused Friday's blast, Hamas had said, denying media reports that an arms depot blew up.

The explosion blackened the walls and shattered windows of a nearby mosque.

"The fire caused damage to property but the impact was limited," Hamas said, without detailing casualties.

According to a Palestinian official, one man died of his injuries from Friday night's explosion, which also left a few people wounded.

Officially, Lebanon hosts about 192,000 Palestinian refugees, most of whom live in the country's 12 camps, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.

By longstanding agreement, the Lebanese army does not enter the camps, leaving security inside to Palestinian factions.

Hamas and Fatah, the secular party led by Mahmoud Abbas, have been at odds since 2007 when the Islamists seized Gaza after a week of deadly clashes.

Though based in Gaza, Hamas operates branches elsewhere in the Middle East including Lebanon.
Reorganization at the University of Wyoming reflects a seismic shift in emphasis, long in percolating, arguably necessitated by the realities of a changing world. Skills training for the immediate job market has preempted preparation for living, and for lifelong learning. How did this situation come about? Why does it matter? What are the likely consequences for UW students?

In the aftermath of World War II, UW trustees hired a new president who grasped that a university depends most importantly on attracting and retaining accomplished faculty. Not particularly academical himself, President Humphrey understood that to carry out UWs statutory mission, and to build a strong graduate and professional program, the university required every undergraduate student to participate in a course of studies in the liberal arts. In todays toxic political atmosphere, we forget that by liberal arts is simply meant those subjects considered worthy of study by a free person; in other words, the prerequisites for an enlightened and engaged citizenry. The term liberal comes from the Latin liber; the term liberal arts appears in art. 1, sec. 23 of the Wyoming Constitution.

From the late 1950s until the mid-1980s, UW benefitted enormously from faculty belonging to the Greatest Generation. As veterans of World War II, they benefitted from the GI Bill: free college tuition and housing. This columnist was privileged to know those Greatest Generation department heads  from the fine arts, anthropology, history, the biological and physical sciences  who formed the academic leadership of the liberal arts college, the College of Arts and Sciences. These faculty leaders excelled in undergraduate teaching, in research that kept their students and themselves intellectually refreshed, and in service to Wyoming people.

Beginning in the late 1960s the campus mood changed, first in California and then nationwide. Campus demonstrations, initiated by non-students against the Vietnam War, broadened into sometimes violent condemnations of societys wrongs. That movement reached Wyoming, leading to the creation of a raft of socially relevant special interest studies, institutes, and programs, all outside the existing departmental structure. That alienated some faculty and students throughout the university; undoubtedly encouraging business and industry to accelerate their push for a different type of relevance: training for general and specialized job skills. All of which has contributed to fragmentation of the undergraduate curriculum and to the needless deconstruction of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Now, if the pandemic can teach us anything, it is that science and humanities should be inextricably interwoven. Knowledge of the principles of science and their application creates the vaccines, but that is not enough. Knowledge of the humanities helps turn individuals into solid citizens, willing and able to take moral leadership and share responsibility for the well-being of all. For starters, the study of literature, history, and philosophy reveals lessons from the past on how to lead, succeed, and fail.

Take a look at Finland, Denmark, Norway, or even Iceland  all places with natural resources challenges like ours. Starting in elementary school, their education system focuses on life skills, including but not limited to the moral, emotional, intellectual, and civic formation of the individual mind. Their best college graduates enter the elementary and secondary teaching profession, and are paid exceptionally well. No coincidence that Scandinavians enjoy the worlds highest levels of personal happiness, social trust, and economic productivity.

To be fair, UW reorganization purports to better align undergraduate instruction so that undergraduates, right after graduation, can earn well-paying jobs; and, hopefully, remain in Wyoming to grow the states economy. For many years the best faculty in the liberal arts have recommended to their majors that they minor in subjects immediately applicable to existing well-paying jobs. Similarly, the best faculty outside the liberal arts have recommended that their majors take rigorous courses in the liberal arts.

This columnist is deeply saddened by the current state of affairs at UW. But he remains convinced that, if a student wishes, he or she can obtain an excellent undergraduate education here. Given the marginalizing and defunding of the humanities, on-campus students serious about preparation for life as well as for job skills may wish to look into churches specifically serving the university community. There, whether religious, spiritual, or just curious, students will find genuine hospitality, a sense of mutual trust and friendship, moral and emotional support  all ingredients of character education.

John F. Freeman is a longtime resident of Wyoming. Trained in history, he served as community college dean, non-profit executive, and community development volunteer in the office of a former governor. He can be reached at jfreemanwyo@gmail.com.

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A lot of this job is following up  reupping emails I sent days ago, calling people on multiple numbers or checking back on court cases.

I also make plenty of records requests, which are often the easiest way to get data, documents and other information from public agencies. When you see a news story with a ton of data or direct quotes from a handbook or policy, theres likely a comprehensive records request behind it.

Need an incident report from the police department? File a request. Looking for the number of COVID cases among Casper city employees, or how many people have taken advantage of the citys vaccine incentive program? Send in a request (or you can read our coverage from this past week).

While there are federal laws for public information release, Wyoming also has its own set of guidelines. It states that if the records are readily available, they should be released immediately and people should be able to come view them during reasonable hours. If not, agencies have a week to acknowledge the request and another 30 days to fulfill it.

Some requests, of course, cant be filled  if a criminal investigation is ongoing, for example, the officers dont want the paper airing their findings in public prematurely. Ive also had requests rejected or heavily redacted out of concern for safety or privacy, like if they would contain someones medical information or home address.

But within those parameters, it seems like every agency handles their requests differently. Most places have a designated person handling them, and most of those have other jobs besides dispersing records. Some places release them within a day or two, and others I have to pester for a month.

To request a record from the city, I use a digital form on their website. For the police department or the sheriffs office, I fill out a PDF and send it in by email. To get something from the Department of Corrections, I submit an online request  and on their system, I can also see public requests made by others as well as the documents they received.

Theres also a big difference among departments in terms of how the information is given. Most of the time, I get the records by email if I can, but to get digital records from the police department I still have to go down and pick up a thumb drive. Most agencies put their data in a spreadsheet or another readable format, even though the law doesnt require them to create a new document where one doesnt already exist.

That being said, I spent about an hour this fall trying to convert a 74-page PDF of traffic stop data from the sheriffs office just so I could copy and paste it.

And then theres pricing. Most of the time, thankfully, if its an easy request then local agencies are happy to release it without any charges. But theres no statewide rubric on how much these requests should cost, or what the cost is based on  some places price it by pages, some by the hours of work needed, and some, like the Casper police, might charge only for a thumb drive.

Ive received a few steep estimates that make my (and my boss) head hurt, but for the most part those have gone down after a little back-and-forth. Those quotes generally try to guess how many man-hours a request may take  for a records tech to pull the information, for someone to spend time redacting it or for a lawyer to look it over and approve it for release.

I have a big (and growing) spreadsheet where I keep track of all my requests, a rare display of organization for someone whose daily routine at work changes every morning. Nothing gives me more joy at work than receiving a big batch of records to dive into, opening the spreadsheet and marking that request as completed.

Let me know if youve run into trouble trying to access public records, or if you have a satisfying success story. You can reach me at ellen.gerst@trib.com or drop me a line at (307) 266-0544.

Follow city and crime reporter Ellen Gerst on Twitter at @ellengerst.

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Scroll to the bottom of Harriet Hagemans campaign website and youll find a one-word link. Resources, it says.

Clicking on it takes you to a page with four different campaign logos, 16 photos of Hageman and a campaign video. Theres no text explaining the purpose of the page, but these materials have a very specific audience: super PACs.

Super PACS are a type of political action committee that can raise and spend vasts amounts of money on candidates. Unlike traditional PACs, super PACs are prohibited from donating money or communicating directly with political candidates. But theres a way around this. The photos and videos posted on campaign websites come with a wink and a nod to super PACs to use that material to help the campaign. The strategy is legal and not new, at least in other parts of the country.

To my knowledge, weve not had super PACs get involved in Wyoming elections, said Diemer True, a former state Senate president who has worked in Wyoming politics and campaigns for nearly 60 years.

While super PAC involvement may be unprecedented here, so are the fundraising numbers of Rep. Liz Cheney, the politician that Hageman is hoping to defeat in the Republican primary next summer. Given that reality, the Hageman campaigns apparent wink and nod isnt entirely shocking.

So far this year, Cheney has raised $5.1 million, as her high-profile opposition to former President Donald Trump has raised her national profile to new heights. As of the last report, the campaign has about $3.6 million in the bank.

Hageman, who has Trumps backing, got into the race in September, much later than Cheney, and only three weeks before the quarterly filing deadline. She raised $300,000 during that time. The campaign ended the quarter with almost $245,000 in cash on hand.

As more House races become more expensive, were gonna see this more and more, said Sarah Bryner, director of research and strategy at OpenSecrets, a nonprofit organization that tracks data on campaign finance and lobbying.

Along with raising major sums of money, super PACs stand out in another way. Through them, its easy to conceal who and where the money is coming from.

Super PACs typically spend most of their money on ads and receive money from corporations, unions, associations and individuals. Some super PACs will also take money from nonprofits that they have set up to conceal the names of individual donors. In other words, if someone wanted to give money to a super PAC, they could donate to the nonprofit, which would then funnel the money into the super PAC, and the receipt would not disclose the individuals name.

Thats totally legal, said Bryner.

That also makes it astronomically harder to figure out where the money is coming from.

The donation will be coming from something ... that itself is obfuscated, Bryner said. Thats kind of the best way to darken the spending.

Club For Growth, a super PAC known to be involved in unseating Cheney since the spring, has so far spent over $59,000 on the Wyoming House race, according to Joe Kildea, vice president of communications for the PAC. The super PAC does have an affiliated nonprofit, but according to OpenSecrets, it does not appear any money has moved through it. Kildea also said it has not yet been used to transfer funds.

In a recent interview on One America News Network, Hageman acknowledged the large amount of cash thats going to be coming into this race, and added that its going to be out of state money on the side of Liz Cheney.

Cheney has in fact raised a ton of her money from out of state donors. As of the end of September, only 6% of Cheneys itemized individual donations came from donors who listed Wyoming addresses, compared to almost 27% in her 2019-2020 race through the same period.

As Hageman starts to get more and more super PAC help, that money, and those super PACs, will not be entirely Wyoming-based either.

Like Hageman acknowledged on One America News Network, the high-profile nature of this race is guaranteed to bring in boatloads of cash. But its unclear how much the wads of money will actually aid the candidates.

Wyoming is truly unique because we have the smallest population in the nation, and so theres a point of diminishing returns in spending huge amounts of money because after youve communicated six times with each voter, what more can you do? True said. How much is too much?

Super PACs typically raise money to oppose a candidate, not support their favorite, but that dynamic could be problematic in the Equality State.

A really, really negative ad on either of these ladies will backfire, True said. If you dont know these candidates, you now someone who does know them. Its not six measures [of separation] between people in this state, its one.

Super PACs are known to put most of their money towards advertising, but door knocking is still believed to be the most effective form of campaigning.

The wink-and-nod strategy first became popular around 2014, when Sen. Mitch McConnell made the strategy famous when he was widely spoofed for his stock videos.

Since then, Ive definitely seen them increase, Bryner said.

There are a few hallmarks of the content that candidates produce for possible PAC use: a long walk up, handshakes, laughs, spousal scenes, speaking to crowds. Hagemans resource page has all of these.

The purpose of a campaign website is to provide voters with as much information about the candidate as possible, said Tim Murtaugh, a Hageman campaign adviser.

The Cheney campaign declined to comment.

Follow state politics reporter Victoria Eavis on Twitter @Victoria_Eavis

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RIVERTON  Only two airports in the continental United States gained passengers during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, state officials said this week: Rivertons and Sheridans.

Both airports are part of Wyomings new Capacity Purchase Agreement program, which was created to help communities that were at risk of losing air service.

It was the CPA that allowed Rivertons passenger totals to rise last year, Wyoming Department of Transportation Aeronautics Division administrator Brian Olsen told the legislatures Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Committee this week.

All the main line carriers (are) slashing routes to markets that are similar-sized to our Wyoming markets, Olsen said. So, fortunately, we have the CPA. Weve been able to secure those resources and keep them providing critical air service to Wyoming.

The CPA lasts 10 years, with re-negotiation scheduled to take place every three years. In Riverton, Olsen said the agreement for fiscal year 2021 involved a state grant of $1.04 million and a local match of about $420,000. But the state was able to put $580,000 in federal coronavirus relief toward the state and local portion, Olsen said, and Wyoming recovered almost $470,000 of its CPA expenses this year at CWRA.

Weve dramatically reduced the cost per passenger to fly out of those airports, even in the middle of the pandemic, he said. From that perspective, the CPA has been quite successful.

Riverton enplaned 7,448 people in 2020, down slightly from 2019 (7,506) but up when compared to 2018 (7,297), according to WyDOT.

In 2021, enplanements continued to increase at CWRA, and by September the total exceeded 10,000 for the first time in years, meaning the facility is again fully eligible for construction funding through the Federal Aviation Administrations Airport Improvement Program.

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The Wyoming Department of Health now recommends COVID-19 booster shots for fully vaccinated 16- and 17-year-olds.

The FDA on Thursday authorized Pfizer boosters for the age group, assuming they received their second dose of the vaccine at least six months ago.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officially expanded their booster recommendations to include 16 and 17-year-olds later that day.

All eligible groups are encouraged to get the additional shots to help enhance and extend their protection against the coronavirus, the Department of Health said in a news release Friday.

Adults who meet the following criteria are also advised to get a booster:

anyone who received a second dose of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least six months ago;

anyone who received a Janssen COVID-19 vaccine at least two months ago.

While booster recommendations continue to evolve, we also continue to encourage eligible adults and children to say yes to free, safe and effective vaccination if they havent already, state health officer and state epidemiologist Alexia Harrist said in the news release. COVID-19 vaccines continue to offer protection against COVID-19, including the variants.

Vaccines help prevent severe illness from COVID-19, Harrist added. More than 76,000 Wyomingite have received a booster shot so far.

Children 12 or older are eligible for the adult Pfizer vaccine, and 5 to 11-years can receive a pediatric dose.

The vaccines are free, and safe to get with a flu shot.

COVID-19 cases are falling in Wyoming this month after surging in late summer and early fall. Cases and hospitalizations have both declining. The number of total active COVID cases as of Friday was 1,610. That number was down 1,176 from a month ago.

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President Bidens virtual meeting Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin might be thought of as a final check-up before Russian troops invade Ukraine. Biden has displayed nothing but weakness since taking office. Even his threats of consequences sound weak. The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, sounded bolder than the U.S. president when he threatened to derail any invasion of his country by Russian forces.

Look how different the world appears after Donald Trump left office. Biden ordered a precipitous withdrawal from Afghanistan and all the administration could do is brag about what an efficient job it did in moving so many troops out so quickly, despite the 13 U.S. service members killed in the last days and the translators and Americans left behind.

China for the first time is building a naval base in the Atlantic Ocean, off the African coast. Beijing is also ratcheting up military flights over Taiwan and again threatening to invade the democratic island nation. Bidens response is to announce that he will not send government officials to the 2022 Beijing Olympics. That isnt likely to put fear into the heart of President Xi Jinping.

Iran appears to be proceeding with its program to build nuclear weapons. Why shouldnt it, given the belief by the religious regime that Allah wants them to have one in pursuit of the destruction of Israel and eventually the great Satan, which would be America.

As a Wall Street Journal editorial accurately put it: The Biden administrations problem is that it came into office believing that the main threat to world stability was Donald Trump. The editorial adds: China is buying Iranian oil in violation of U.S. sanctions, but the U.S. is also doing little about that. (A) Biden official said that was best handled diplomatically and that the President had taken it up directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Mr. Biden weakened Mr. Trumps maximum pressure campaign against Irans nuclear program and has put nothing but diplomatic entreaties in its place.

Rogue regimes only engage in diplomacy if they think they can pick the pocket of their adversary.

The West too often believes everyone wants to be like us. If that were true, wouldnt they already be more like us?

Evil must be opposed, or it grows in nations, as well as in individuals. The crime wave in America is partly the result of soft-on-crime judges, prosecutors, district attorneys and calls to defund the police. Criminals naturally see this weakness as an opportunity to loot and kill, fearing few, if any, consequences.

If Putin invades Ukraine, if China invades Taiwan, if Iran finishes a nuclear bomb, if North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un decides to move against South Korea, all of them may see this as the ideal opportunity to engage in behavior they might think twice about if America had a strong president.

Just as criminals tend to avoid places where there is effective security and bullies prey on people they perceive as unable or unwilling to fight back, so, too, do leaders of evil empires feel emboldened when they conclude they will not be effectively opposed by the strongest nation in the world, a nation that under President Biden is increasingly seen by our adversaries as feeble.

Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Look for his new book, Americas Expiration Date: The Fall of Empires and Superpowers and the Future of the United States.

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Weve asked the question so many times in recent years that weve lost count. But we never seem to get a solid answer anyway, so the number is irrelevant. Yet here we are, approaching another budget session of the Wyoming Legislature, and were about to ask it again:

At what point, lawmakers, will you consider it to be raining in Wyoming?

Of course, we dont mean raining in a good way, as in much-needed moisture quenching our parched land or unanticipated revenue falling from the sky. Most Wyoming residents know that when we talk about a rainy day, were talking about a downpour  one of those times when the rain represents so many problems hitting you at once that you need to reach for an umbrella and try to shield yourself from its impact.

For state legislators, that can come in many forms, including lower mineral prices, higher costs, crumbling infrastructure or  heaven forbid  residents in need. No matter the issue, though, the fundamental question remains: When is it time to stop socking more money into savings and start spending some of that rainy-day fund on solving the states problems?

For Gov. Mark Gordon, it appears the answer today is Well, I feel some moisture on my head, but I dont think we need umbrellas quite yet. Which is why, despite acknowledging the challenges the state faces during his presentation to the Legislatures Joint Appropriations Committee this week, his 2023-24 biennium budget still calls for adding more than $450 million to the Legislative Stabilization Reserve Account.

Committee co-chair Rep. Bob Nicholas, R-Cheyenne, seemed to agree with the governor, saying he thought it was a good budget, and emphasizing the need to remain conservative in these challenging times.

On a basic level, we dont disagree with either of them. With Wyoming still dependent on mineral extraction revenue and prices volatile, now isnt the time to go on a spending spree. But we see a variety of challenges that cant be ignored any longer, including:

Quality health care for all Wyoming residents  We could beat the drum for Medicaid expansion again, but lawmakers know we believe its essential that we finally accept federal funds through the Affordable Care Act to extend health coverage to tens of thousands of low-income residents. But lawmakers also need to address the statewide mental health crisis, which has resulted in continued high suicide rates even as they have cut funding to providers and services designed to help those in need.

Proper care for seniors and veterans  One of the most shameful cuts of the past two years was to home health care services for Wyomings senior citizens. Even as lawmakers and the governor continue to (rightly) emphasize the need to care for military veterans, they turn their backs on low-income seniors who would be better off living in their own home as long as possible than forced into a nursing home. Yes, lawmakers must fully staff the new Veterans Home of Wyoming near Buffalo during the upcoming session, but they also should restore funding for programs like Wyoming PACE, formerly operated by Cheyenne Regional Medical Center.

Funding for K-12 education, community colleges and the University of Wyoming  We were pleased to see Gov. Gordon include $36.3 million in his budget to fund the first year of the recommended external cost adjustment for K-12 schools. But the fact he wouldnt commit to both years of increases indicates hes playing politics, rather than ensuring support for local districts at a time when theyre struggling to recruit and retain quality teachers and other staff.

The budget does include money to help offset deep cuts to colleges and the university, as well as money to help pay staff more at those institutions.

Compensation for state employees  Speaking of retaining quality employees, the governor spent significant time emphasizing how tough it is to both attract and keep quality state workers, even going so far as to say the state is hemorrhaging talent and experience. A recent survey by the state Department of Administration and Information shows 38% of state employees report having to have a second job. To address this concern, the governor has recommended spending $31 million to move the workforce closer to market conditions and implement merit pay in the executive branch.

Funding for prosecutors and public defenders  Both the state Public Defenders Office and prosecutors statewide say more money is needed to fund positions to properly process cases in the states criminal justice system. Unless we want to see our relatively low crime rates spike, its time to answer these cries for relief.

Infrastructure, including state facilities, highways and school buildings  Gov. Gordon has recommended $185 million in major maintenance funding for state facilities (after deferring all such work during the early part of the pandemic) and $252 million in school capital construction spending. These levels must at least be maintained by legislators.

Funding for cities, towns and counties  After warning municipal leaders that state support could dry up completely, the governor has committed the full $105 million in local government funding from the general fund for the next two years. Regardless of the reasons for his about-face, were glad to see it happen, and lawmakers should support it, too.

These are just a few of the ways the state needs to be investing in its future, instead of allowing things to get worse. Yet after pointing out several of these challenges, Gov. Gordon seemed to take pride in the fact his current budget proposal is $600 million less than the previous biennium. When talking about adding to the rainy-day fund, he hinted that he has some other spending in mind that could reduce that $453 million a bit, but we dont get the sense it would be by much. And by June 2024, the fund is expected to reach $1.6 billion.

The wild card in all of this, of course, is how the state plans to use the estimated $1.7 billion in federal money coming through the American Rescue Plan approved by Congress earlier this year. The governor will meet with the JAC again on Dec. 16 to outline his plans for utilizing the funds he says are borrowed from future generations in ways that make sure our grandchildren get the benefit. That doesnt sound like addressing current issues to us, but we may be surprised.

Regardless of what he says at that time, we hope lawmakers will keep in mind all of the challenges Wyoming faces and will do their best to address them as completely as possible.

This column is reprinted through the Wyoming News Exchange.

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For a long time, Wyoming could look on the coarse politics of other states and be thankful that such strife and antagonism were rare in these parts. Our government may not have always been perfect, but our leaders favored a pragmatic approach that was more focused on accomplishments than insults. We celebrated politicians such as Sen. Mike Enzi, who touted his well-known 80-20 rule  that it was better to focus on the 80% we agree on than the 20% that divides us.

But its clear things are changing. Behavior that was once unacceptable  pelting a colleague with obscenities or raising the specter of violence  is now not just tolerated by some, but celebrated. For a growing number of politicians, success seems less about solving problems and more about a blistering Facebook post or a tweet that generates a wave of likes. In this world, things are black and white. Reasonable people cant disagree. A person with a different political view is a tyrant or traitor.

Weve seen this attitude growing in the statehouse. Earlier this year, one lawmaker suggested executing a government official. Another, frustrated by the direction of the latest legislative session, posted a meme imploring supporters to fix bayonets and remember its the 3rd rib. A political official suggested a senator should kill herself, and a former Speaker of the House got caught cursing a colleague on the House floor.

But the rise in incivility is also happening in our communities. Weve seen it in demonstrations where political opponents are branded as the enemy rather than people with a different idea of how government should operate. And weve observed it even at school boards or city councils. Consider that the choosing of Caspers mayor, normally a pro-forma task for a mainly ceremonial position, recently produced allegations of collusion.

Those who favor a no-holds barred approach to politics say its necessary to get things done. But its not. In fact, it has the opposite effect. The rise in incivility isnt about clutching our pearls and yearning for a more genteel time. Its about wanting effective government. Simply put: If you cant dialogue, you cant legislate.

Take the most recent legislative session. There was plenty of overheated talk, insults and attacks. But results? Lawmakers produced exactly one bill, and it does very little beyond give the governor money for a legal battle that he would have fought anyway. Meanwhile, the very real problems that plague our state  a volatile economy overly reliant on a few key industries, an unsustainable education system and the flight of young people to other states  go unaddressed.

Incivility harms our politics in other ways. It discourages qualified candidates from running for office. Think about it. Would you want to subject yourself to hyperbolic attacks from strangers on the internet? Would you be OK with hateful comments and occasional threats? Would you want colleagues, who upon hearing those threats, insist theyre justified or dismiss them as idle talk? How many people that might have been capable lawmakers, school board trustees or city council members decided not to run after considering those questions? How many good ideas did we miss out on as a result?

Our leaders can help by making clear what is right and wrong. If unacceptable behavior is swiftly addressed, its less likely to continue. But minimizing or ignoring it, or worse, justifying bad acts because you agree with the politics, only feeds the growing rot.

Its important to note that this rise in incivility is growing across the country. Its also important to recognize that social media perpetuates the hostility by pushing us into bubbles and amplifying strife. But those truths dont absolve us from responsibility. At the end of the day, the people who practice incivility were elected by the voters. Which means its the voters who will have to decide whether this is the government they want? Or more critically, they must ask themselves: Is this working?

The evidence shows that its increasingly not. Incivility is ineffective, costly and a time waster. It distracts us from real problems. And it poisons our ability to get things done. Nearly every Wyomingite would agree they want a government that solves problems. A government made up of people who practice civility is more likely to accomplish that. A government of politicians who attack and insult is not. Which would you prefer?

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The stage is being set for a showdown between the Government and unvaccinated workers employed by the State, come January 17.

With a week and a half to go, there has been no real effort aimed at defusing the looming confrontation. Meanwhile, as positions harden on each side, the public has been reduced to the role of spectator, unsure of how the banning of unvaccinated public sector employees from the workplace without pay will affect them, since, apart from the Prime Ministers statement, there has been no information regarding the public sectors Quasi Safe Zones Policy.
According to Zachary Rogers, who holds a Ph.D. in supply chain management and is the assistant professor of operations and supply chain management at Colorado State University, the two major factors behind the clogged ports are a record increase in consumer spending and a burgeoning e-commerce industry.

Were not actually seeing that supply chains are failing, Rogers said in a November lecture at Arizona State University. I think, in many ways, we are seeing sort of a heroic effort in the face of this unprecedented demand that we are dealing with right now.

Partly were dealing with this demand because we are trying to catch up from a hole we got in, and partly because Americans have a lot of money in their pockets right now.  People arent going on trips, they arent going places, they are spending all their money on goods.

With more cargo container ships than ever sailing into American ports to feed this demand, the U.S. needs more infrastructure to load and unload cargo, more space to store products, more trucks and trains to transport goods across the country, and more factories.
Its a prequel of sorts of the first mariachi opera Arizona Opera premiered in 2014, reuniting the characters in a story that foreshadowed the immigration story we saw in Cruzar la Cara de la Luna (To Cross the Face of the Moon).

Laurentino (baritone Octavio Moreno) and Chucho (bass Miguel de Aranda) have returned home to Michoacan from working in the United States just in time for Christmas.

The pair surprise their wives  Renata (sung by mezzo-soprano Cecelia Duarte) and Lupita (soprano Vanessa Alonzo)  as they are rehearsing the annual pastorela. Lupita is excited to see Chucho, who brings her a dress from America. But Renata unloads guilt onto Laurentino, asking him if he remembers when their son, Rafael (Armand Delgado), took his first steps. No you dont, she quips in song, because you werent here.

With the help of what can best be described as an angel in white (the stunning soprano Zulimar Lopez-Hernandez), Laurentino begins remembering the little moments in his life with Renata. And although it doesnt change his mind about returning to the States after the holidays, it brings him closer to his family and helps Renata to better understand his motives of wanting to provide for his family.
Sam and Mayra are typically one of the first people to connect to their weekly virtual meetings. Using a TV as a computer monitor, they and their 17-year-old son Isaac welcome smiling faces and join in a cheerful chorus of hellos.

At first, Sam and Mayra worried how their family  especially Isaac  would handle the pandemics social constraints for months on end. They were relieved to find that despite the challenges, the lively routine of worship and association on videoconferencing with their congregation of Jehovahs Witnesses was filling the gaps  and then some.

I dont think weve ever had all [our] friends in our home, explained Mayra, and now theyve been able to be in our home all at one time.

Hugs and handshakes at their Kingdom Hall were replaced by smiles and waves over videoconferencing when Jehovahs Witnesses worldwide suspended in-person meetings in March 2020 in response to the coronavirus threat.

Since then, this family has been forging friendships both in their congregation and with fellow worshippers from as far away as Mexico and Colombia right from a computer screen in their living room in Tucson, Arizona.
Wakili said things got very difficult for him once the Taliban came into power, and he decided to flee.

I thought, I have all my German visa and my passport, lets go to airport, maybe the American army can help me, Wakili said.

Wakili said he was put on a plane to the United States. He wasnt even able to say goodbye to his parents.

Wakili has been in Tucson for two months, where he works in a parking garage.

Im not ready for working because of my English language, Wakili said. I have to learn and study. I love learning, but I cant because I have to send money to my wife.

It has now been almost nine months since Wakili has seen his family. On Dec. 15, the lease is up on their rental house in Turkey. To make matters worse, her residency permit expires Dec. 18.

The most biggest problem is my wife, Wakili said. Its difficult for her to stay in Turkey without anybody to take care of them. I dont know what I should do, I lost my way.

A friend of Wakilis introduced him to Tucson Councilman Steve Kozachik, who has been trying to help Wakili reunite with his family.
First of three stories

SAN CARLOS, Sonora  On a steamy September day in San Carlos, a popular beach destination six hours south of Tucson, Cotton Cove beach is crowded with picnickers and sunbathers, including U.S. tourists and Mexican nationals.

Located on the upscale Caracol Peninsula, the sandy shore has the feel of a private beach with homes perched on the rocky cliffs and priced upward of $600,000. The tranquil cove opens into the aquamarine Bahia San Carlos with cactus-studded mountains and the iconic Tetakawi peaks on the horizon.

But to access the cove, beachgoers must follow a stream of sewage bubbling from a manhole cover at the top of the hill and flowing down a stone path to the beach, ultimately pooling near the lapping waves.

Even during a pandemic, San Carlos is a magnet for tourism, thanks to its unbeatable sunsets, plentiful beaches and outdoor recreation like deep-sea fishing, hiking and kite-surfing.

But as the resident and visitor population swells, its sewer infrastructure crisis is getting worse.

Failed sewage pumps and collapsed pipes send pools of raw sewage onto major thoroughfares and sidewalks, flowing onto beaches and even percolating up into homes.

Its worrisome to be so near the smell and sewage, Gustavo Campoy said in Spanish. The civil engineer lives in Guaymas, the county seat of the municipality that governs San Carlos.

That morning, Campoy had made the 30-minute trip to Cotton Cove beach in San Carlos, eager to show off the gorgeous beaches to friends visiting from Veracruz, on Mexicos eastern coast.

But due to the sewage leak, they didnt want to get in the water.

I didnt know this kind of thing happened here, he said.

The situation is even worse in Guaymas, a historic port city with a population of 117,000. Its obsolete sewer system is more than an inconvenience or an embarrassment; its an escalating health crisis that has been decades in the making.

In a four-month investigation, in collaboration with NPR-affiliate KJZZs Fronteras Desk, the Arizona Daily Star interviewed four former directors of the Comision Estatal del Agua, which operates the water and sewer systems in San Carlos and Guaymas, as well as environmental scientists and health experts. The Star also spoke with dozens of residents of San Carlos and Guaymas, seeking to understand the root causes, and realistic solutions, to the sewage problems plaguing the region.

The Star also took samples for water-quality testing that showed ineffective wastewater treatment in San Carlos, E. coli contamination on Cotton Cove beach, raw sewage flooding major thoroughfares and fecal contamination of a Guaymas bay.

Sewage exposure poses risks for a host of illnesses, including hepatitis A, giardia and cholera, and creates a breeding ground for mosquitoes carrying diseases like dengue fever. Even when sewage leaks dry out, health risks remain: Pathogens remain in street dust and become airborne, getting into eyes and throats.

In downtown Guaymas, nearly all residents interviewed who live close to sewage leaks reported ailments including vomiting, gastrointestinal distress, sore throats, headaches and stinging or infected eyes.

Guaymas pediatrician Dr. Consuelo Romero said shes seen a surge in conjunctivitis, which can be attributed to fecal contamination. Children, older adults and immunocompromised people are more at risk of serious illness related to sewage exposure.

Guaymas parents described feelings of powerlessness, anger and despair, having to keep their children locked inside for weeks or months in the summer rainy season, when even a modest rainfall can overwhelm the inadequate sewer system.

Good hygiene is critical in this environment, as sewage splashed on cars exteriors and onto shoes can easily bring contaminants into homes, she said. Parents must teach children to carefully wash their hands, remove shoes before coming inside, avoid eating street foods and disinfect fruits and vegetables with a chlorine solution, she said.

If we take extreme precautions, we reduce the risk of getting sick, she said.

Its stressful and maddening

Teresa Cortez hasnt had a good nights sleep all summer. The powerful smell of human waste infiltrates her home, at the bottom of a hill in downtown Guaymas.

The stench keeps her awake at night, she said. But worse is the impact on the four grandchildren she is raising.

The kids complain of headaches, stomachaches and stinging eyes. Often, they cant go out to play due to the smell and swarms of mosquitos, she said.

Its not life to live like this, she said in Spanish. Its stressful and maddening.

One afternoon in early September, Cortez steps outside her yard in the Cinco de Mayo neighborhood, and walks a few dozen meters to reach a natural arroyo thats running with pungent liquid. Just south of here, the stream will pass the Ninos Heroes De Chapultepec elementary school.

Despite the impact on her family, moving from her home of 26 years isnt an option, she said.

This is my land, my home, she said. And anyway, wherever I go, it would be the same.

Water utility widely blamed

For at least 20 years, the state water utility, the Comision Estatal del Agua, or CEA, has failed to comprehensively address what residents have long described as a health emergency.

San Carlos and Guaymas residents report that CEA usually takes weeks or months to address active sewage leaks, if they come at all  and the repairs are almost always a temporary bandage on a gaping wound, residents say.

The politicians who control the water companies budgets have little incentive to invest in the infrastructure upgrades required to address the root causes of the sewage issues, former CEA regional directors said.

Repairing or replacing underground sewer pipes doesnt have the same appeal as announcing a shining new hotel or housing development, said former CEA regional director Marco Antonio Ahumada Gutierrez, a civil engineer with a specialization in hydraulics and a masters degree in business administration. Between 2009 and 2014, he was CEA director for the region covering Guaymas, San Carlos, Empalme and the small Yaqui community of Vicam.

If you cant see it, you cannot take advantage of that as a politician, Ahumada said. The things that they do, they want people to see it so they can remember it.

Another major factor: Neither San Carlos nor Guaymas has a wastewater treatment plant, even though experts say the wastewater volume justifies multiple modern treatment plants in Guaymas alone, and a separate plant in San Carlos.

Help us

For 40 years, Guaymas resident Julieta Gurrola has lived on a narrow street in central Guaymas, where sewage coated the pavement for most of the summer. Speaking on her porch in late August, Gurrola said shed had a nasty sore throat and stomach problems, including vomiting, for a week.

Its very frustrating because its not only outside, Gurrola said in Spanish. You can feel it inside, too, from all these days that it has been ongoing, day and night. Its very constant.

The sewage in front of her home isnt the only problem. An arroyo directly behind her home typically flows with rainwater. But for more than two weeks, it has been acrid with the smell of sewage, she said. Standing next to the flow on her back porch, Gurrola gestured to her laundry station, where she hand-washes and hangs her clothes to dry.

I do it as quick as possible, she said. I feel the clothes will get dirty, the smell will get in.

Gurrola has no desire to move from her home, where she lives with her energetic puppy, Toby. But she said she feels powerless and angry at the lack of attention to the problem.

Its maddening because its a question of health, more than anything, she said.

Her message to to the state water company? Help us, she said.

Health emergency

After a catastrophic summer, the Sonoran state government is acknowledging the extent of the sewage crisis.

In early November, the CEA and the state Infrastructure and Urban Development department, or SIDUR, declared a health emergency in Guaymas due to sewage contamination.

The state of emergency will bring $10 million pesos, about $460,000, in state funding to Guaymas.

Newly elected Sonoran Gov. Alfonso Durazos administration is urgently working to address the problems, SIDUR director Heriberto Aguilar said in an interview, with plans to replace broken sewage pumps and undertake major sewer-infrastructure projects in Guaymas.

The crisis in Guaymas, with sewage flowing into the bays and flooding city streets for much of the summer, should never have happened, he said.

The problem is that there was no maintenance of the system, and now were in a very serious situation, he said in Spanish. Its a crime against nature, and the flow of sewage in the city is an indignity for the people.

But Aguilar emphasized the health emergency declaration is preemptive, and was issued to avoid reaching an actual health and environmental crisis.

If we leave more time, that will lead to a health problem, he said. We are at the limit.

Continuous discharges

Many Guaymas residents would argue the situation has blown past the limit.

Crises have already occurred, said Jose Arreola, director for the Northwest Center for Biological Research in Guaymas, known as CIBNOR, in an email.

Massive sewage spills in downtown Guaymas have resulted in mandates that outdoor food trucks stop selling street food, he said.

In the upscale Miramar neighborhood of Guaymas, collapsed sewer pipes and broken pumps mean that raw sewage is routinely discharged into the Bacochibampo estuary, which is adjacent to the most popular beach in Miramar, Arreola said.

While sewage spills on roadways and sidewalks can be temporary, and can be cleaned with chlorine solutions, the contributions of wastewater to recreational beaches are frequent or continuous, affecting greater numbers of people, he said.

Sewage discharges into water can also result in high nitrogen and phosphorous levels that cause algae blooms, and a lack of dissolved oxygen that kill fish and lead to putrification, said Francisco Zamora, senior director of programs for the Tucson-based Sonoran Institute, a nonprofit focused on promoting conservation and environmentally conscious development.

In Guaymas, the amount of wastewater has increased and will continue to increase as the population grows, Arreola said. If the problem of wastewater spills is not corrected, conditions for a public health crisis remain.

Boom time for San Carlos

During the pandemic, the formerly sleepy beach town of San Carlos has boomed.

The border closure locked many Mexican nationals out of travel options in the U.S. Eager to escape strict quarantine measures in densely populated cities like Hermosillo and Obregon, many bought or rented vacation homes in San Carlos from which to work remotely.

Hotel and housing developments are underway, and homes for sale are snapped up as soon as they hit the market.

Resale home listings went from about 500 in 2012 to 81 at one point this summer, said Tammi Miller, owner of Vive Real Estate in San Carlos.

Miller, a Silver City, New Mexico, native, has lived in San Carlos since 2006. Back then, the resident population swung between about 4,000 residents in the summer to 8,000 in winter, when American and Canadian snowbirds flocked to the beach for fishing, sailing, kite-surfing, pickleball and live music, she said.

You get here and youre young again, she said. Its like summer camp for adults  but in winter.

But that seasonal variation seems to be equalizing, she said. A surge in Mexican tourists, as well as Mexican homebuyers, means that San Carlos has been busy in the summer months, too.

While tourism used to be 80% Americans and Canadians, and 20% Mexicans, those percentages are now reversed, said Daisy Fernandez, director of Guaymas and San Carlos tourism organization.

These days, live music can be found every night of the week and sometimes, theres even a bit of traffic, Miller said.

No prevention

Guaymas native and San Carlos restaurant owner Tomas Thomas said hes hearing the same thing from friends eager to move to San Carlos.

Everybody wants a home here, said Thomas, co-owner of Marvida Taproom and Kitchen.

But while his business is thriving, Thomas has deep concerns about the capacity of San Carlos sewer infrastructure.

Over the past 18 months, on at least five occasions, a nightmare scenario has unfolded at Marvida, which opened in 2020.

On the marina-front pathway in front of the brewery and restaurant, manhole covers  stretching from one end of the marina to the other  backed up with sewage.

The last time, in August, sewage even spread onto Marvidas outdoor patio, Thomas said.

Thomas and his managers shut everything down to clean and disinfect, and tried without success to get the CEA to respond to their reports.

When we try to reach out to CEA (in Hermosillo), they say, Go to CEA Guaymas. We go to Guaymas and theyre like, No, thats CEA San Carlos, he said.

Thomas, who rents the space for Marvida, was able to get help only because his managers father is a friend of a CEA administrator. He managed to get a CEA truck from Hermosillo to come clean out the clogs in the sewer system under the boardwalk, he said.

Since then, Thomas said hes been dreading the next inevitable disaster.

They dont have a system of fixing it. They just have a system of cleaning it up afterwards, he said. Theres no prevention.

With trepidation, Thomas is watching the frenzy of development in San Carlos, including a new hotel close to Marvida.

Wheres all that sewage going to go? he said. San Carlos is going to collapse that way. Its already collapsing.

Sewage lake

Sierra Vista auto dealer and San Carlos homeowner Bill Lawley was drawn to San Carlos by its natural beauty, deep-sea fishing and small-town atmosphere.

It was like the old Mexico they sing songs about, said Lawley, who splits his time between Sierra Vista, Colorado and San Carlos. How can you beat it?

Fifteen years ago, Lawley built a home in central San Carlos, just off the main road, Boulevard Manlio Fabio Beltrones. Almost immediately after connecting to the sewer system, raw sewage backed up in the shower, he said.

After weeks without repairs, Lawley hired a worker to install a diversion pipe, redirecting the sewage from his home into the street.

All these years later, Lawleys desperate fix is still in place  and the problem has only worsened.

The street in front of his home floods with sewage every time the pump up the road breaks down. CEA workers said the construction of a hotel across the boulevard a couple years ago has pushed an unmanageable amount of waste and trash through the old pipes leading to the pump.

When CEA workers clean out the pump, it works for a while  until the next batch of tourists arrive, Lawley said.

Id pay a lot of money to not have the sewage lake out in front of my place, but it aint gonna happen, he said. Its horrible. Thats just the way it is.

In late July, a white CEA work truck pulled through the sewage lake and parked alongside the busted pump just up the road.

From inside the truck, Roberto Amador, a 23-year veteran of CEA, said he and his partner were there to get the pump going again. He knew what hed find blocking the pump, because hed seen it before: tampons, condoms and other trash.

As expected, the repair was temporary. But Lawley didnt discover that until his next visit in October.

When he reached his San Carlos home after dark, the night before a fishing tournament in San Carlos, Lawley was greeted by a bigger sewage lake than hed ever seen. Neighbors told him it had been there for weeks.

Lawley said hes done with San Carlos and he wants to sell his home, if he can. But he knows thats unlikely without action from the CEA.

There aint no way I could get anybody to buy it the way it is, he said.

Embarrassing

Lawley isnt the only one suffering. Just next door to the sewage lake is La Calaca Tacos y Cerveza, a popular Dia de los Muertos-themed restaurant that launched during the pandemic.

Before opening La Calaca, co-owner Frank Hernandez said hed been unaware of the extent of the sewage problems in San Carlos. He also owns Sunset Bar & Grill on the north side of town, which has its own septic system.

He noticed the puddle next door to his new property right away.

At the time, I didnt realize it was a problem. I thought it was just a puddle, said Hernandez, a Los Angeles native. Its rare that the water is not there.

The reality soon became apparent, especially that first summer when the odor became overpowering. Hernandez knows its affecting his business: Customers comment on the smell, and its hurting his employees morale, he said.

Its not pleasant, its not clean, its not sanitary, he said. Mainly, its embarrassing. We hate to think that people think its us, like its a personal problem, when its a city problem.

In early November, Hernandez said hes been continuously asking the local CEA office for help.

At first they were very attentive, like, Yes, were aware. Yes, were going to do something, he said. Now, they dont even want to take our phone calls.

Hernandez said hes now considering asking neighbors if theyll all chip in to buy a new pump.

Were getting desperate, he said.

In response to a question about the delay in fixing the problem, a spokesperson for CEA Sonora responded on Nov. 17 that they were in the process of repairing the pump  again.

An infuriating way to live

On a tiny street in downtown Guaymas, three little girls escape the stifling August heat, giggling in an inflatable pool on their front porch. Street dogs lounge in the shade, a few growling lazily.

Mid-block, Rosa Reyes pauses before stepping off the curb into the wet street in front of her home. The street is more like an alleyway, so narrow a single car barely fits, and its pocketed with puddles of sewage. This is an improvement over the day before, when the liquid was centimeters deep along the entire road, she said.

For the past four years, ever since CEA workers replaced a 10-inch sewer pipe with an 8-inch pipe, the sewage backups have been a regular occurrence here, she said.

The day before, after making reports to the CEA and waiting for two weeks, Reyes and six of her neighbors showed up at a nearby CEA office, threatening to create a road blockade if they didnt get help. Reyes believes that protest was the only reason CEA workers finally arrived that morning to unclog the pipe.

Reyes and her husband, Manuel Quiroz Ramirez, disinfect their home daily, cleaning the floor with bleach, aware that their shoes, and their pug Bruno, track sewage into their home each time they enter.

Its an exhausting and infuriating way to live, especially knowing that the most recent repair is only a short-term patch, Quiroz said in Spanish.

This is a never-ending story, he said.

But Reyes is most upset by the impact on her sons quality of life. Two years ago, her son Christian, now 9, had an eye infection that the doctor said was probably due to the contamination. Now, due to the regular sewage floods throughout the summer months, she doesnt let him go out much.

He cant go out to play, said Reyes, sitting at her kitchen table as Christian played video games in the living room. He cant ride his bike, he cant go roller skating. He is just sitting on the couch.

Reyes quality of life is diminished as well. She was so sick a few days before with an upset stomach and headache that she was barely standing, she said. She couldnt eat because of the sewage smell, even with the windows closed  and they are always closed. Otherwise, the smell, and the flies, fill her home.

Tainted cove

Throughout the Caracol Peninsula, the steep hills make for precarious driving and put an enormous burden on sewage pumps at the base of the peninsula, said Jim Straw, a former president of the Caracol Homeowners Association, an engineer by training and a retired commercial pilot.

He and his neighbors often have to hire their own plumbers to repair the public infrastructure. But as a result, even CEA technicians dont understand the hodgepodge sewer system, he said.

Theres no standardization, he said. Everyone is fixing their own little piece.

On Sept. 27, a Star reporter took samples of the sewage-soaked sand on Cotton Cove beach, at the base of the Caracol Peninsula. The results revealed levels of E. coli  a type of fecal coliform bacteria  of 7.3 million parts per 100 grams, according to testing done by CIAD lab in Guaymas. Fecal coliforms are the type of bacteria found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals, and theyre often used as a proxy for fecal contamination in water.

Thats the amount youd expect to find in raw sewage. Mexicos federal environmental regulations dont have a specific standard for sand samples. But wastewater must have less than 2,000 fecal coliform parts per 100 milliliters in order to be discharged into the sea or used for agricultural purposes.

Caracol residents say the same sewage leak continued on Cotton Cove beach from late September to late October. The CEA arrived to pump out the sewage in late October, but that was a temporary fix.

Without replacing the broken pump, the waste would just accumulate again in the below-ground tank until it starts spilling again from the manhole cover, Straw said.

When asked about the leak, a spokesperson for CEA Sonora responded on Nov. 17 that they had recently replaced the broken sewage pump with a new one.

While thats good news, Straw said that doesnt address the issue that there isnt a backup pump. The Caracol neighborhood had dual-pump systems in the 1990s, but the CEA took the extra pumps for use in other parts of town, he said.

Without backup pumps, another disaster is inevitable when the new pump fails  which Straw says will happen sooner than it should because the CEA does not do preventive maintenance.

The pumps are failing at probably 25% of their lifespan because the rotors are constantly regrinding the sand and dirt in the bottom of these pumping stations, he said.

The lack of long-term planning is another headache, Straw said. When a manhole cover is leaking and the CEA comes to pump out the sewage, they leave before identifying the root cause.

One such leak in Caracol went on for 10 years before the CEA finally opened up the pipes to remove the trash compacted inside, Straw said.

All of this stuff is simple plumbing and troubleshooting. And theres no impetus for them to troubleshoot it, he said. I dont know that they have the will to do it.

The sewage problems are becoming even more visible in San Carlos.

In mid-November, an arroyo in a central neighborhood was filled with sewage that poured from a nearby manhole for nearly two weeks, the green flow streaming onto the beach and into the sea.

Mabel Fragozo, who lives nearby, was outraged and posted a video of the sewage river to Facebook on Nov. 15. Shes noticed a sewage flow here for years as she walked her dog, but it has never been this bad, she said. Swimming, snorkeling and fishing are not options for her on this beach.

The smell is penetrating and constant, she wrote in a text message.

On Nov. 25, CEA workers finally arrived to suction out the sewage. CEA technician Eduardo Vega said a broken pump was to blame.

Government negligence

When La Calaca owner Hernandez moved to San Carlos in 2007, it seemed like hed found an undiscovered treasure.

It felt like it was kind of like a secret beach town that no one knew about and that I discovered, Hernandez said. Were very privileged to live in a place like this. With the mountains, and the desert and the ocean, its gorgeous.

While the community is filled with people who care deeply about San Carlos, state and local leaders need to step up, Hernandez said.

San Carlos is growing faster than what they can keep up with, he said.

Marvida owner Thomas said that without major investment and upgrades, San Carlos will lose its appeal for international visitors.

Its such a beautiful town  and theres sewer water in the road, he said.

Frustration with the governments lack of attention is growing along with the scope of the problem.

Its something so simple, it seems to me, said Guaymas resident Rosa Reyes. If the problem is for so many years, just solve it. I dont understand why they dont do it.

Contact reporter Emily Bregel at emily.bregel@gmail.com or on Twitter: @EmilyBregel. Kendal Blust, reporter for KJZZs Fronteras Desk in Hermosillo, contributed reporting for this article.
Lesher said that, as of now, of the 7,000 county workers, 386 who work with vulnerable populations still are not vaccinated, about three-fourths of whom work in the jail.

She said of those there is a small group seeking a religious exemption. And she said the county is trying to be understanding in who gets accommodated and can be placed in other positions.

A lot of people may have found God yesterday, Lesher said. Its not my place, I guess I would say in some ways, to decide. If they attest to me that it is a sincerely held religious belief, it is difficult to challenge that belief or their right to hold that belief.

In fact, Lesher said, the vast majority of those who make the claim probably qualify. And she said the county is not forcing them to answer other questions like whether they have taken vaccines against other diseases.

But thats not the end of it. While they dont have to get a vaccine, we are still going to try to make sure that theyre not working with vulnerable populations, Lesher said.

There are restrictions.
The Arizona Daily Star Editorial Team chats with Cristie Street, CEO of nextrio about cybersecurity. She shared so many simple tips to help pr
A unique musical experience, The Concert Truck, will roll into Tulsa for a series of free concerts at various locations around the city, Dec. 16-19.

The Concert Truck is the brainchild of two classical pianists, Nick Luby and Susan Zhang, who in 2016 converted a 16-foot box truck into a fully functioning mobile concert hall, complete with lights, sound system and piano. The duo has taken the Concert Truck across the country, performing just about anywhere one can park a truck and put on a show.

Intended as a mobile music venue that strengthens communities by redefining the concert experience and making live music accessible to all, The Concert Truck engages diverse communities and audiences nationwide with thoughtful, timely programming.

They have partnered with such organizations as the Kennedy Centers Washington National Opera, Virginia Arts Festival, University of South Carolina, Southeastern Piano Festival and Dallas Symphony Orchestra to deliver music to local communities. Additionally, The Concert Truck created an online childrens show in partnership with the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival that has been presented to more than 55,000 students in North Carolina schools.
Shoaf said the states public health lab used to be able to return test results for chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis within two or three days. Now they take up to two weeks or more to get results, he said. Thats a problem when Oklahoma consistently ranks near the top for some sexually transmitted infections on a population basis.

A bacterial (sexually transmitted infection) in your genitals is extremely painful, Shoaf said. A doctor could tell you that, especially for females, if something goes untreated, it can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease. Those are all really not good things to have to wait on getting treatment or to get a diagnosis.

Shoaf has filed several open records requests with the health department to get insight on the testing delays at the public health lab. Some of the sexual health and harm reduction nonprofits he works with also have expressed concerns.

Theyve never had a bad or negative word to say about the public health lab, but since the move, its been very much an uphill battle to get test results back, Shoaf said.


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Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) Vuong Dinh Hue and his entourage left Hanoi on Sunday morning for official visits to the Republic of Korea (RoK) and India from December 12 to 19.

The RoK visit is made at the invitation of Speaker of the Korean NA Park Byeong-seug, while the India trip is taken at the invitation of Speaker of the Lok Sabha (House of Representatives) of India Om Birla and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) of India Venkaiah Naidu, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

Chairman Hue is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai, Secretary General of the NA and Head of the NA Office Bui Van Cuong, Chairman of the NA Committee for External Relations Vu Hai Ha, and other NA officials and ministers.

The visits are aimed at consolidating and promoting relations between Vietnam and the RoK and India, opening a new and more substantive and effective cooperation chapter.

The Vietnam-RoK strategic partnership has made strong progress in recent years, and the two countries are actively preparing to celebrate 30 years of their diplomatic relations next year.

Despite the negative impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, bilateral trade in 2020 was equal to the level recorded before the health crisis, and is on the path to recovery this year.

The upcoming official visit by Chairman Hue is viewed as an opportunity to lift the countries strategic cooperative partnership to a new height, toward bringing two-way trade to US$100 billion.

The RoK is Vietnams third-largest trading partner, with their trade reaching $66 billion, or 12.85 percent of the Southeast Asian country's total trade with the world.

The East Asian country is also the fourth-biggest export market of Vietnam, with the latter raking in an export revenue of nearly $19.1 billion last year.

Vietnam and the RoK are working together in the implementation of the RoKs New Southern Policy and cooperation programs in the framework of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Vietnamese Ambassador to the RoK Nguyen Vu Tung told the Vietnam News Agency in a recent interview.

Meanwhile, the Vietnam-India comprehensive strategic partnership has developed well and achieved high efficiency and reliability over the past years, Nhan Dan (People) newspaper reported.

Their bilateral defense-security cooperation has become a strategic and important pillar, as they are looking to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations next year.

India has affirmed ASEANs central role in the Indo-Pacific Initiative and identified Vietnam as a pillar of its Act East policy.

The South Asian country is among the top 10 trading partners of Vietnam, with two-way trade increasing steadily.

At a teleconference last month with Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung, Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs of India Riva Ganguly Das expressed her satisfaction that bilateral trade turnover remained at a positive level, hitting $10.68 billion in 2020 and nearing $11 billion in the first 10 months of 2021, Lao Dong (Labor) newspaper reported.

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Ill never forget the story of a nine-year-old girl who was sexually abused by her stepfather after her parents got divorced, said Tran Phuong Dung, founder of The Angels Halos Organization.

The Angels Halos Organization is a group of young Vietnamese who work with other young people to prevent child abuse and offer psychological support to victims of bullying.

The organization, based in Ho Chi Minh City, currently boasts 100 members, all of whom are intent on stamping out all forms of mistreatment against children.

Phuong Dung, 18, is one of the founders of The Angels Halos Organization and has since worked to grow it into a pillar of support for young people affected by abuse and violence.

I hope to help educate others on abuse and violence against children in a way that allows me to approach both parents and young people and help anyone in need, said Dung.

Youth helping youth

Nguyen Ngoc Minh Anh, Ly Thi Minh Anh, Dang Linh Nhi, Pham Linh Dan, and Tran Phuong Dung founded The Angels Halos together in 2020.

All are university students except Nhi, who is a twelfth grader.

Dung was inspired to help found the group after hearing of a nine-year-old girl who had been abused by her stepfather.

I began researching how to start a nonprofit the moment I heard the story, Dung recounted.

Then I drew up a strategic plan and shared it with my friends.

The other four agreed to join Dung in launching the organization as they also felt sympathy for the little girl.

They split up the responsibilities evenly, with one handling communication, another taking care of human resources, and the third dealing with design.

The more they developed The Angels Halos, the more tragic stories of child abuse the founders heard, and the more effort they put into building their organization.

They keep updating their groups Facebook page with information on child abuse prevention; translating articles from newspapers, scientific journals, and prestigious organizations; and educating others on how to handle child abuse situations they may be aware of.

In June 2020, the team opened a so-called 'confession channel' which served as an online forum for young people to share their personal stories of abuse.

We once got a phone call from a tenth grader who was being bullied at school," Dung recalled.

"She cried a lot during her first call while she's trying to tell us what happened.

"Her friends had abandoned her whereas her classmates had thrown her notebooks away and poured water on them."

For two months, the group patiently listened to the student as she recounted her story.

They offered advice on approaching her parents and school administrators until the student finally started to cheer up.

Growing more mature

The Angels Halos Organization now boasts over 100 members aged 15 to 21.

I wanted to take part in a project with a mission that I feel strongly about, said Bao Tran, a member of The Angels Halos.

Through volunteering with the group, Bao Tran has learned soft skills, participated in a variety of after-school activities, and sharpened her technical know-how.

She also spends a significant amount of time learning about key issues in the fight against child abuse and childrens rights in general.

I have been transformed into a better person, she said.

I have become more mature than I was before."

Minh Anh, a first-year student at Hanoi Medical University, also volunteers with The Angels Halos by sharing reports from journals such as Psychological Bulletin and Journal of Applied Psychology.

The Angels Halos works with BlueBlue Hotline  a Hanoi-based group of young people that connects psychologists to those in need of professional mental support.

11 days working with BlueBlue Hotline BlueBlue Hotline was born from the collaboration between two teams  one in Ho Chi Minh City and one in Hanoi. It was launched with the aim of helping teenagers and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The project has helped more than 60 young people deal with mental health issues since it launched in July. The young who call the hotline are given support in coping with their individual struggles, understanding themselves, harnessing their strengths, and overcoming challenges. If the caller is in need, the group connects them with a licensed psychologist. The entire process is free-of-charge.

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Two people were killed and three others injured after a truck carrying sand crashed into a roadside market in northern Vietnam on Saturday morning.

The accident took place in Phi Nhu Commune, Dien Bien Dong District, Dien Bien Province at around 11:00 am on Saturday, vice-chairman of the commune administration Tra Dung Tru told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper later the same day.

A truck carrying sand driven by 41-year-old L.V.T. was descending a slope when it crashed into many shops at Suoi Lu roadside market, Tru elaborated.

Five people, including one vendor, two customers, and two motorcyclists, were hit by the vehicle.

The truck is on its side following the accident in Dien Bien Province, Vietnam, December 11, 2021. Photo: Tuoi Tre reader

Two of them were killed on the spot while the other three were hospitalized.

Four shops at the market were seriously damaged, and the truck was on its side following the accident.

Preliminary information showed that a brake failure could have caused the crash, the vice-chairman stated.

Further investigation is ongoing.

Shops at the roadside market are damaged following the accident in Dien Bien Province, Vietnam, December 11, 2021. Photo: Tuoi Tre reader

The site of the accident in Dien Bien Province, Vietnam, December 11, 2021 is shown in these photos supplied by vice-chairman of Phi Nhu Commune Tra Dung Tru.

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The Ministry of Health confirmed 14,638 additional coronavirus cases throughout Vietnam on Sunday, together with 1,295 recoveries and 228 virus-related deaths.

The latest infections, including 17 imported and 14,621 domestic transmissions, were reported in 58 provinces and cities, the ministry said, noting that 9,377 patients were infected in the community.

Ho Chi Minh City logged 1,216 of the newest cases, Hanoi 980, Tay Ninh Province 920, Dong Thap Province 745, Can Tho City 669, Khanh Hoa Province 590, Da Nang 442, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province 381, Binh Duong Province 375, Dong Nai Province 366, Thua Thien-Hue Province 359, Binh Thuan Province 256, Lam Dong Province 194, Hai Phong City 123, Quang Nam Province 74, and Quang Ninh Province 25.

Vietnam had recorded 16,104 locally-acquired infections on Saturday.

The country has reported 1,407,655 community transmissions in all its 63 provinces and cities since the fourth virus wave erupted on April 27. A combined 1,051,903 of them have recovered from COVID-19.

Ho Chi Minh City tops the list with 487,259 patients, followed by Binh Duong Province with 287,252, Dong Nai Province with 92,246, Long An Province with 39,167, Tay Ninh Province with 38,696, Dong Thap Province with 30,248, Tien Giang Province with 28,577, Can Tho City with 28,278, An Giang Province with 26,920, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province with 21,795, Binh Thuan Province with 21,714, Khanh Hoa Province with 19,422, Hanoi with 17,799, and Da Nang with 7,945.

Vietnam detected merely 1,570 locally-transmitted infections in total in the previous three waves.

The health ministry registered 1,295 recovered patients on Sunday, elevating the total to 1,054,720.

The toll has increased to 27,839 fatalities after the ministry announced 228 mortalities on the same day, including 78 in Ho Chi Minh City, 23 in Binh Duong Province, 18 in An Giang Province, 17 in Dong Nai Province, 17 in Tien Giang Province, and the remaining in 17 other provinces and cities.

Vietnam has documented 1,413,051 patients since the COVID-19 pandemic first hit it early last year.

Health workers have given upwards of 132.2 million vaccine doses, including 304,775 shots on Saturday, since vaccination was rolled out nationwide on March 8.

Over 74.8 million of the countrys 98 million people have received at least one dose while more than 57.4 million are now fully immunized.

Vietnam aims to fully inoculate 100 percent of its adult population this year. Many provinces and cities are immunizing children aged 12-17 against COVID-19, using Pfizer-BioNTech shots.

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Foxtel has revealed further cast for upcoming jury drama, The Twelve.

Joining the previously-announced Sam Neill, Marta Dusseldorp, Brooke Satchwell, Kate Mulvany & Hazem Shammas are Brendan Cowell (Avatar 2, Game of Thrones), Pallavi Sharda (Lion, Save Your Legs!), Ngali Shaw (RFDS, Ben 10: Age of the Multiverse), Catherine Van-Davies (Amazing Grace, Hungry Ghosts), Bishanyia Vincent (RFDS, Bump) and Damien Strouthos (Wonderland, The Tourist). Also featuring are Nic Cassim (Mr Inbetween, The Secrets She Keeps), Daniel Mitchell (The Moodys, The Jesters), Gennie Nevinson (Muriels Wedding, Between Two Worlds), Toby Blome (Privileged, Danger Close), Warren Lee (Eight, Legacy), Susan Kennedy (All Saints, Home and Away).

The 10 part series, based on a Belgian drama, centres around jurors who must decide the fate of a woman accused of murdering a child.

Brian Walsh, Executive Director  Foxtel Group said: The Twelve features an epic and diverse ensemble cast that reflects contemporary Australia. The Jurors, twelve ordinary people who behind the facade of their anonymity, bring with them their own histories. Lives that are as complex as the trial, full of fractured dreams, shameful secrets, hope, fears, personal trauma and prejudice  a must watch in 2022.

Michael Brooks, Managing Director  Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia said: Covering a murder trial through the eyes of everyday jurors gives us the perfect platform to tell topical, relatable and gripping stories of characters with varying backgrounds, histories and motives. Our twelve jurors are a brilliant mix of talent that have fully embraced their characters and are looking to make them their own.

Production is currently underway in Sydney, produced by Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia in partnership with Easy Tiger with major production investment from Screen Australia. Financed with support from Screen NSW.
In this article, we will take a look at the 15 most valuable cigarette companies in the world. If you want to skip our comprehensive analysis of the tobacco industry, go directly to the 5 Most Valuable Cigarette Companies in the World.

The Tobacco Industry: An Analysis

The tobacco industry today faces a lot of pressure from the media due to their glamorization of smoking through cigarette ads  the image of the Marlboro man, for instance, is a staple in American culture. However, the industry has managed to prosper over the years. The largest tobacco companies have continued to grow in value, and even today, the advertising and promotions budget of the most valuable cigarette companies exceeds $8 billion in the US alone.

With growing anxiety towards the dangers of cigarette smoking, many of the largest cigarette companies in the world have started to move away from a sole focus towards tobacco products, and have instead also diversified into alternatives such as oral nicotine products, e-cigarettes, and heated cigarettes. This move has also helped many of these companies financially, as sales of e-cigarettes and other similar products have increased by a whopping 177.7% in the US from 2014 to 2020.

Our Methodology

The following list outlines the fifteen most valuable cigarette companies in the world today, ranked in accordance with market capitalization. All non-US currency values have been converted to USD using the conversion rate for 26th August 2021. For clarity, the Swedish Krona has been written as Kr* while the Danish Krone has been written as Kr.

With this context and industry outlook in mind, let's now take a look at the 15 most valuable cigarette companies in the world.

15 Most Valuable Cigarette Companies in the World

15. Universal Corporation (NYSE:UVV)

Universal Corp (NYSE: UVV) started out in 1896 as J.P. Taylor & Company and their most significant segment is the Universal Tobacco Leaf Company Inc, which deals with the production of various varieties of tobacco leaf products. Headquartered in Virginia, USA, Universal Corp (NYSE: UVV) currently deals in over thirty countries and employs a team of over 30,000. With a market cap of $1.23 billion, the company stands at number fifteen on the list of the most valuable cigarette companies in the world.

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14. Philip Morris CR a.s. (PX:TABAK.PR)

Philip Morris CR a.s. (PSE: TABAK) is the largest tobacco company in the Czech Republic, with exports to forty-two countries, over one thousand employees, and a factory in Kutna Hora which was established in 1812. The company itself became Philip Morris CR a.s. (PSE: TABAK) in 1992 after Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE: PM) gained the majority of shares in the state enterprise. They produce cigarettes for several brands, such as Marlboro, Red & White, and L&M.

13. China Tobacco International (HK) Company Limited (HKSE:6055.HK)

China Tobacco International HK Co Ltd (HKG: 6055) is headquartered in Hong Kong and was founded in 1989. It mainly deals with the import and export of tobacco leaf products, the export of tobacco cigarettes, and the export of new tobacco products outside China, such as heated cigarettes. China Tobacco International HK Co Ltd (HKG: 6055) exports products from mainland China to countries like Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, Singapore, and several other locations in Southeast Asia.

12. Scandinavian Tobacco Group A/S (OMXC:STG.CO)

The Scandinavian Tobacco Group A/S (CPH: STG) is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, and specializes in cigars (both hand rolled and machine rolled), fine-cut tobacco, and pipe tobacco through their thirty-four brands. Their products are extremely popular in the US, Europe, and Denmark; according to their website, their cigars and tobacco are #1 in popularity in the US and Denmark.

11. Vector Group Ltd. (NYSE:VGR)

Vector Group Ltd. (NYSE: VGR) is a holding company based in Florida, USA, that produces cigarettes through its Vector Tobacco Inc. and Liggett Group LLC subsidiaries, alongside real-estate through its New Valley LLC subsidiary. Liggett Group is the fourth largest cigarette manufacturer in the United States, and overlooks several discount brands such as Pyramid and Eagles 20.

The company has been doing especially well in 2021, with a revenue of $1.27 billion in Q2 2021, as compared to $900.2 million for the same period in 2020.

10. PT Gudang Garam Tbk (JKSE:GGRM.JK)

Gudang Garam Tbk PT (IDX: GGRM) is the second-largest tobacco company in Indonesia, a country where cigarettes are famously prevalent  almost two-thirds of Indonesian men are smokers. The company holds about 20% of the market and has several traditional and kretek (clove) cigarette brands. Gudang Garam Tbk PT (IDX: GGRM) and its subsidiaries, including its sole distributor, PT. Surya Madistrindo, has over 30,000 employees. The company has a market share of $4.30 billion, or 61.52 trillion Rp, and as such, is number ten on the list of the fifteen most valuable cigarette companies.

9. PT Hanjaya Mandala Sampoerna Tbk (JKSE:HMSP.JK)

Hanjaya Mandala Sampoerna Tbk PT (IDX: HMSP), often shortened to Sampoerna, is the leading tobacco company of Indonesia, having held over 30% of the Indonesian cigarette market for over a decade. Sampoerna Tbk PT (IDX: HMSP) is affiliated with Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE: PM) and specializes in Machine-Made Low Tar Kretek (clove) cigarettes, most notably through the Sampoerna A brand that was established in 1989.

8. KT&G Corporation (KSE:033780.KS)

KT&G Corp (short for Korea Tobacco and Ginseng Corporation), which is currently the largest South Korean tobacco company, started out as a government monopoly with a focus on domestic production and consumption; however, after its privatization process began in the 1990s, KT&G Corp (KRX: 033780) has become globally oriented and is in competition with other international tobacco companies.

The company has multiple notable subsidiaries in the tobacco, ginseng, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industry  along with a hotel management and development company by the name of Sangsang Stay. This diversified portfolio has helped KT&G Corp (KRX: 033780) retain its status as one of the most notable corporations in South Korea.

7. Swedish Match AB (publ) (STO:SWMA.ST)

Swedish Match AB (STO: SWMA) produces snus, pouches, cigars, smoke-free alternatives, lighters, matches, and other similar products. These products are produced across seven countries, with their most notable markets being the US and Scandinavia. Swedish Match ABs most notable brands include General, Zyn, Longhorn, and Redman.

Since this list also includes tobacco companies that have segmented into alternatives-to-smoking, Swedish Match AB (STO: SWMA) comes at number seven on the list of the fifteen most valuable cigarette companies in the world. Considering that cigarettes constitute an 85% segment of the global tobacco market, it is impressive that Swedish Match AB (STO: SWMA) stands strong against its competitors despite no cigarettes in its portfolio.

6. Imperial Brands PLC (LSE:IMB.L)

Imperial Brands PLC (LSE: IMB) is a British multinational company headquartered in Bristol, England. It was established in 1901 after thirteen family businesses in tobacco met and joined forces against resistance from competitors. Imperial Brands PLC produces cigarettes like Davidoff and premium cigars like Montecristo, and also has a vaping subsidiary by the name of Fontem Ventures and a logistics subsidiary by the name of Logista that serves three hundred thousand outlets across several European countries.

With operations in over one hundred and twenty markets, 27,500 employees, and a market cap of 14.48 billion, Imperial Brands PLC (LSE: IMB) stands at number six on the list of the fifteen most valuable cigarette companies in the world.

Click to continue reading and see the 5 Most Valuable Cigarette Companies in the World.

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Disclosure: None. 15 Most Valuable Cigarette Companies in the World is originally published on Insider Monkey.
Germany's new Finance Minister Christian Lindner will be overseeing a massive green investment programme agreed by the new coalition (AFP/John MACDOUGALL)

Germany's new finance minister Christian Lindner is known for a firm hand at the wheel of his pro-business Free Democrats (FDP), which he has steered back into power after years in the wilderness.

The fast-talking 42-year-old grabbed the keys to the job he has been chasing for years at a crucial moment for the German economy.

The vintage car lover, who used to list his interests outside politics on his website as "anything that can be filled with petrol", will be overseeing a massive green investment programme agreed by the new coalition.

Two days into the job last week, Lindner announced 60 billion euros ($68 billion) in new funding for "future investment" including plans to tackle climate change, which the cabinet will review on Monday.

The new minister's vocal enthusiasm for fiscal discipline meant he was not a natural bedfellow for his new coalition partners, the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Greens.

During the election campaign, SPD deputy chairman Kevin Kuehnert called Lindner a "lightweight", criticising his "voodoo economics".

Lindner himself told public broadcaster ARD that he "lacked the imagination" to think of an offer that the Social Democrats, advocates of higher taxes and public spending, could make to entice him into an agreement.

But the FDP leader, who got engaged to his girlfriend during the campaign in Berlin, in the end agreed to tie the knot on an unlikely new political partnership.

- Late-night walkout -

Having joined the FDP as a teenager, Lindner experienced a rapid rise through the ranks of the party.

Straight out of school, he founded his own publicity company before leaving business to enter the regional parliament in North Rhine-Westphalia as its youngest representative.

Four years later, at the tender age of 25, he became general secretary of the regional party, general secretary of the national party at 30 and eventually party leader at 34.

Story continues

Lindner took control in 2014 when the FDP was at its lowest ebb, out of government and out of the federal parliament after it did not win enough of the vote to be awarded any seats.

The return to government could have come sooner. After the 2017 general election, many expected Lindner to tie up an agreement with the Greens and the party's natural allies, the conservatives.

In a dramatic reversal, Lindner burst out of early coalition talks to deliver a late-night statement where he declared it was "better not to govern, than to govern badly".

Asked about the decision in 2018 by Spiegel news weekly, Lindner said: "I have to know that it is definitely going to work."

- Savvy saviour -

Within the FDP, Lindner has been the party's "saviour", says Hans Vorlaender, political scientist at the Technical University in Dresden.

After taking the leadership, a fresh-faced Lindner set about getting rid of the party's "retirement home smell" as Spiegel put it, dispelling its image as a talking shop for old men.

He called in image consultants to give the organisation a new lick of paint in 2015, brightening up the FDP's traditional blue and yellow and adding a punkish flash of magenta to the palette.

A moody black-and-white portrait of the liberal leader was the face of the FDP's billboard campaign during the election, prompting criticism that the party had become a one-man band.

Lindner styles himself as "the representative of digitally savvy young people" on social media, says Vorlaender, and has made digitalisation and educational reform key planks in the party's platform.

The gambit seems to have paid off not just with the result, but also because the FDP polled second just behind the Greens among voters between the ages of 18 and 24.

The party's return to parliament and two successive election results in the double digits are "an incredible achievement", says Vorlaender. "Without him it would certainly never have happened."

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Russia and India are using national currencies for bilateral arms deals in lieu of the United States dollar, said Alexander Mikheev, who heads Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport. "Rosoboronexport has almost fully abandoned settlement in the US currency," RIA Novosti quoted Mikheev as saying. "As far as India is concerned, all mutual settlements are carried out in rubles and rupees." Mikheev went on further to say that Russias state arms exporter Rosoboronexport actively implements offset projects, which are also present in the contract documents signed on Monday. "This is normal current practice, one of the trends of the global market," Mikheev said.

Caspian News notes that military cooperation between Moscow and New Delhi came under the spotlight on December 6 when Russian President Vladimir Putin paid an official visit to New Delhi where he met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Russia's defense and foreign ministers accompanied Putin in a visit that saw the two countries reinforce their ties with a military and technical cooperation pact until 2031.

According to a joint statement issued by the Kremlins press service after the talks, Moscow and New Delhi agreed to continue promoting trade in national currencies, rather than the United States dollar, and had "reiterated their commitment to upgrade the defense cooperation, including facilitating joint development and production of military equipment." Both India and Russia have been in talks over the ways to promote mutual settlement of payments through the "rupee-rouble transfer" route, which will help reduce cost and time as well as risks involved in payments.

Discussions over the rupee-rouble route began since relations between Russia and the US have spiraled downward following the crisis in Ukraine in 2014. Russias economy has been operating under international sanctions for the last seven years. Russia has adopted a range of measures towards ditching American greenbacks in favor of doing business in the national currency and lowering its dollar dependency. In June, officials from Russia announced Moscow's plans to cut the US dollar from its $186 billion National Wealth Fund. Once the changes to the NWF are complete, the share of euro assets in the fund is expected to stand at 40 percent, the yuan at 30 percent and gold at 20 percent.

For India, doing business with Russia comes with risks since the US can impose sanctions on any country that conducts significant transactions with Russian defense and intelligence sectors under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). Yet, India cannot afford to sideline Russia in its defense calculus as Indias defense relationship with Russia goes back further than its relationship with the US.

Indias military-political relations and arms trade with Russia, which began in the Soviet era, have expanded in recent years despite threats of sanctions from the United States. India remains one of the largest and oldest buyers of Russian defense equipment. The Soviet Union was Indias main supplier during the cold war, and today most of its armament is Russian, or Soviet, made. About 70 percent of the Indian Air Forces equipment is Russian-made, while 80 percent of its naval fleet is Russian as well. Moscow and New Delhi currently have military contracts worth $35 billion.

Currently, India and Russia are jointly developing an extended-range air-to-air class of the BrahMos cruise missile, which is capable of downing major aerial targets equipped with an Airborne Warning And Control System (AWACS). Among joint Indo-Russian military projects, there are the development of the Sukhoi/HAL Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA), also known in India as the Perspective Multi-role Fighter (PMF), licensed production of the Su-30 warplane and the T-90 battle tank.

In October 2018, the two countries inked a $5-billion contract for the supply of five batteries of the S-400 missile systems to India. Other hefty agreements include a deal on India purchasing four Russian-made Project 11356 frigates and an accord on Moscow supplying Igla portable anti-aircraft missile systems to New Delhi.

Russia is ranked the Caspian regions largest arms exporter and the second-largest globally behind the United States, according to Global Firepowers 2021 rankings. It is a crucial weapons exporter supplying countries in Asia and Oceania, the Middle East, and Africa.
The seventh round of negotiations to restore full implementation of the JCPOA resumed in Vienna this week. The work began with a meeting of the Joint Commission of the States Parties to the nuclear deal. All parties reaffirmed their intention to make every effort to identify practical steps required to restart the comprehensive implementation of the JCPOA in its original form, without additions or withdrawals. Following the meeting, it was decided to continue intensive interaction, including at the expert level within the working groups on sanctions and nuclear issues, the Russian Foreign Ministry reports.

Meanwhile, as Al-Monitor writes, on the eve of a new round of talks, Iranian Foreign Minister expressed doubt that Western countries are ready to fulfill Tehran's demands. The US has announced "additional measures" in case of diplomacy's fail.

Caution, or perhaps a lack of optimism, filled the atmosphere in Viennas Coburg Hotel as representatives from Iran and world powers convened for a fresh round of talks on resurrecting the Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

On the eve of the new meetings, Irans Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian did not appear overoptimistic in comments that further marked the complexities ahead. We are in doubts that the Western parties are even ready to grant sanctions relief, he declared in an Instagram post. Time has come for practical measures, the Iranian minister noted, complaining that in the past eight years enough unfulfilled promises have been offered by the Western sides.

The fresh round was being held at the deputy foreign minister level, with delegations from Iran, China, Russia, the UK, France and Germany. The United States has sent its own team for an indirect engagement, seeking re-entry into the accord, which has been on life support since it was abandoned by former president Donald Trump in 2018.



Last weeks talks were concluded with Iran presenting its two separate proposals on sanctions removal, and nuclear enrichment, which has been ramped up in recent months in what is seen by the West as a serious breach of the JCPOA. And the Iranian package has complicated the prospects for a quicker pathway, as it has disappointed the European signatories.



The senior EU diplomat, Enrique Mora, who led the meeting, told reporters both sides expressed a renewed sense of purpose on the need to work and to reach an agreement on bringing the JCPOA back to life.

Irans leading negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani stressed, all parties want to narrow the gaps. He noted that Tehran will continue the talks based on its previous position. Guarantees that future US administrations will not walk away from the new deal are among the contentious conditions Iran has strictly set.

The United States has declared that all options remain on the table if Iran refuses to return to compliance. With no glimmering hopes coming from Vienna, the White House on Thursday spoke of preparation for a range of additional options and measures if diplomacy cannot get on track soon and if Irans nuclear program continues to accelerate.

On the same day, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz was in Arlington, Virginia. The Reuters news agency reported that plans for an Iran-focused joint military exercise were expected to be on the agenda.
The accuracy of the mine maps provided by Armenia is very low. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told reporters about it.

The Foreign Minister noted that the accuracy of these maps is approximately 25 percent.

"The new mine maps provided by Armenia are being analysed by specialists. It takes time. Thus, we can prevent bitter tragedies," Jeyhun Bayramov said.
Today in Azerbaijan is the day of memory of the national leader Heydar Aliyev, who died 18 years ago.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev paid tribute to the memory of the national leader together with his wife Mehriban Aliyeva and members of the family of the great Heydar Aliyev. The head of state laid a wreath at his grave, after it the national anthem was played. President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva also paid tribute to the wife of the great leader, an outstanding ophthalmologist scientist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva.

Heydar Aliyev played a crucial role in the formation of modern independent Azerbaijan. He was born on May 10, 1923 in the city of Nakhchivan. In 1944, Heydar Aliyev was sent to work in the state security authorities.

In 1969, Heydar Aliyev headed the Azerbaijan SSR, and later, in 1982, he was elected a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU, appointed to the post of first deputy chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers and became one of the leaders of the USSR.

Aliyev left the Communist Party in 1991 in connection with the Karabakh problem, then held the post of Chairman of the Supreme Mejlis of the NAR, Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijan Republic.

Heydar Aliyev was elected President of Azerbaijan on 3 October 1993 by popular vote, and in 1998 was re-elected for the second time.

The national leader passed away on December 12, 2003 at the Cleveland Clinic in the United States.
The press secretary of Vladimir Putin in an interview for the program "Moscow. Kremlin. Putin" said that the presidents of Russia and the United States in the course of negotiations use the attributes of friendly communication, but conduct a dialogue very concretely.

There is no need to be deceived here. Presidents naturally show each other the attributes of communication, good communication," said Peskov, noting that from the point of view of topics, as well as from the point of view of the tone of discussion of specific issues, the tone was extremely specific, not tolerating discrepancies, both on the part of President Putin and by President Biden.

Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden held talks via video link on December 7. The main issue for discussion was the situation around Ukraine, as well as cyber security and the Iranian nuclear deal.
The largest outdoor skating rink in Armenia was officially opened in the Winter Park in Yerevan on Saturday, Sputnik Armenia reports.

In Yerevan Lapland, adults and children saw a parade of fairytale heroes and greeted Santa Claus.

Santa Claus made the children happy with a show, lit the lights on the main Christams tree and then presented the children with festive fireworks.

The ice rink will be open every day from 12:00 to 00:00. The entrance to the Winter Park is free.
Many retailers have left apartment buildings where they had done business for years. Some shophouses on the first floor of buildings are deserted and dark in Hanoi at night.

A convenience store at an apartment building in Linh Dam new urban area has shut down, though the leasing contract still had a few more months. Because of the pandemic, the retailer has to restructure the retail chain and shut down the sales point after five years of operation.

Local residents said there is no longer a convenience store to buy essential goods.

Prior to that, a clinic on an area of hundreds of square meters nearby also shut down. A coffee trader said he would leave if he failed to renegotiate the rent with the landlord.

The row of shophouses nearby, once seen as a potential gold mine, are standing in silence. Passersby can see broken chairs, building materials and waste lying about in disorder and inside through the windows. Some shophouses are unlocked because they are empty.

Thu Thuy, a Linh Dam resident, said one year ago, the shops were always bustling and bright. But now they are closed, especially in the evening.

Linh Dam was a busy commercial hub thanks to the population, where retailers all wanted to set up shops. This explained why the retail rents were always sky high, which put pressure on tenants. So they left immediately when consumer purchasing power decreased.

The same situation can be seen at many suburban apartment buildings. Many shops on the first floor of the buildings have closed and some buildings dont have any shops open.

Tham, a resident in Trung Van of Nam Tu Liem district, complained that as convenience stores have shut down, she has to drive a longer distance and spend more time to buy food and essential goods.

I hope they (retailers) will come back when the pandemic ends. The residential quarter is now too quiet, she said.

Retail premises are also deserted in inner districts of the city. At an apartment project on Truong Chinh street, the ads for leasing retail premises hang on half of the first floor. Prior to that, the apartment had attracted many coffee, fast food and fashion brands.

The situation is worse at apartment buildings which have just opened. Do Thi Ha, a clean food trader, said though apartment buildings still have tenants, their purchasing power has dropped.

The departure of retailers has affected the income of landlords. They have had to slash rent by 20-30 percent or even 50 percent.

Duy Anh

Shophouses left idle for half a year as retailers suspend business Shophouses, which are considered money spinners, have been unused for many months amid the impact of the pandemic. They cannot be sold or leased.
If local manufacturers do not afford changes in line with sustainable and greener production, better energy conservation and higher responsibility to the environment, global clothing brands may no longer place orders to the former.

Vietnamese garment factories are supposed to save energy and water, use environment friendly materials and fulfill their corporate social responsibility

That is one of the main points given during a seminar on Vietnams textile and garment industry co-hosted by the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (Vitas) and the WWF late last month.

According to speakers at the seminar, global clothing brands have shifted their priority to be in favor of green businesses when they place orders in Vietnam. Polluting manufacturers that do not put into use energy-saving solutions and plans to consume fewer natural resources may face a refusal of their products or a halt of new orders.

James Phillips, general director of the garment manufacturer TAL Vietnam, said more than 250 global fashion brands have set standards and codes of conduct responsible to the environment applicable to their suppliers of clothing items.

Vietnamese garment businesses are therefore expected to comply with green production, which will help them do business more effectively, generate higher profit and sustain growth rates. Garment factories are supposed to save energy and water, use environment-friendly materials and fulfill their corporate social responsibility.

Tran Nhu Tung, head of the Sustainable Development Board of Vitas, contended that the majority of enterprises involved in the garment supply chain formed by global fashion brands have adopted the green requirements for production, such as assuming their corporate social responsibility, being friendly to the environment and cutting emissions.

According to Mr. Tung, the compliance with the criteria on social responsibility and the environment set by the global brands remains a fundamental commitment to be made by garment factories when they engage in a production chain.

For the immediate future, the implementation of sustainable development criteria may be a challenge to local garment businesses because these criteria require huge investment and personnel. However, in the long run, argued Mr. Tung, the credibility and brand value of the business in question will be better. Furthermore, such a business may later receive support from global clothing brands, international organizations and financial institutions.

Businesses are compelled to be adaptive to changes to further develop, said Mr. Tung, adding that aside from meeting requirements and criteria set by the global brands, green development also means a business itself has to be more responsible to the community and later generations when it comes to production.

Participants at the seminar argued also that in reality the compliance with sustainable production criteria at factories will both raise the number of new orders and facilitate more effective operations which help cut costs by using less energy and water.

Experts insisted that once an enterprise is regarded as having developed sustainably, it will create added value to the entire textile and garment industry of Vietnam. Global clothing brands will then treat Vietnamese enterprises differently and may shift more orders to the country.

Considering the many opportunities created by free trade agreements signed by Vietnam and her trading partners, the local textile and garment industry is being given a big chance. However, that comes with an enormous challenge to local businesses when they have to meet requirements for environmental protection and low emissions included in the free trade agreements.

To rise to the challenge, local textile and garment enterprises are gearing toward modern production lines and technology which opt for cleaner production, save more energy and improve competitiveness of their products. This is, however, more challenging to smaller companies whose financial capabilities are limited.

Some speakers said to give a facelift to Vietnamese textile and garment enterprises, in addition to efforts made by businesses themselves, support from the Government, financial institutions and global clothing brands is also indispensable.

Source: SGT
Flying to Cambodia and taking a long-distance bus to the border gate to enter Vietnam is now the option chosen by many overseas Vietnamese.

Overseas Vietnamese return to Vietnam via Cambodia on December 3

One Viet Kieu (overseas Vietnamese) woman told her story: On November 29, I booked a Korean Air ticket to fly from Los Angeles to Phnom P enh at $1,140. On December 4 morning, I got onboard. There were nearly no vacant seats on the flight. I guessed that 35-40 percent of passengers were Vietnamese, because I heard the Vietnamese language.

The aircraft landed at Phnom Penh Airport at 10.50 m. After receiving luggage, passengers queued up to have samples taken for Covid-19 test, which lasted 30 minutes. Those who tested negative were allowed to go.

I finished the process at 0.20 am. Cambodia seemed to be enthusiastic towards travelers. There was the phrase nothing to pay here at a desk. I hailed a taxi and paid $15 for the trip. Cambodian people accept the US dollar, so people always prepare small change in dollar for payment. I think Euros were also accepted.

I booked a room at a 5-star resort in the capital city, $45 per night, including a breakfast. At 10am, a Vietnamese driver carried me to the border gate and charged $80. At 2pm, I arrived at the border gate.

I hailed a tuk tuk and paid 1,000 Riel, or VND55,000, and tipped $2. I also gave $10 to a Cambodian officer at the border gate. They stamped my passport and then allowed me to pass. As I used passport and made a medical declaration, the procedure was very simple, while others had to queue up and pay fines.

When I was following procedures to enter Vietnam, border gate officers collected my passport and medical workers took samples for testing. My passport was kept and then given to the hotel where I finished the quarantine process.

As I did not book a hotel bus, I had to hail a taxi and pay $150 for a four-seat car to carry me to the hotel. The hotel charged VND1.2 million a day and I had to have samples taken on the seventh day for a PCR test. So, the total cost for returning to Vietnam was $1,800 or $1,900, or VND44 million.

This woman is still at a hotel in Tay Ninh. The forum where she shared her story now has 10,000 members. They are from countries all over the world and they share their experiences on how to return to Vietnam. They say no to ads and to chartered flights. They help each other find the way to return home and many have successfully returned to Vietnam.

Meanwhile, Luong Hoai Nam, an aviation and tourism expert, said one of his friends was not as lucky as the woman. He had to spend VND150 million to return to Vietnam. Another friend of his had to spend VND240 million. The costs are 3-6 times higher than the amount people had to spend to take rescue flights provided by Vietnam Airlines in March and April 2020.

The question is where the money goes - airlines or accommodation facilities.

Many other regional countries have resumed international routes.

Saigontourist CEO Nguyen Huu Y Yen pointed out that many Viet Kieu want to return to Vietnam, but there are just 20 repatriation flights a month. As a result, they have to fly to Cambodia before entering Vietnam at road border gates. The flights just profit small groups of service providers. If international air routes are opened soon, the economy will get benefits.

Tran Du Lich, an economist, said that Vietnam wont be able to reopen if it only accepts chartered flights, which are very costly.

Vietravels Chair Nguyen Quoc Ky said now is the time for Vietnam to reopen international flights and learn experiences from Cambodia, which has succeeded in reopening. Its the right time to end rescue flights and replace them with international commercial flights.

Deputy Head of CAAV (Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam) Vo Huy Cuong noted that anti-pandemic measures need to be considered when reopening international air routes. How should they deal with fully vaccinated people, recovered Covid cases, and unvaccinated people with negative testing results? Should they quarantine, and if so, how long?

If state agencies require quarantine, agencies will have to negotiate with partner countries to adjust flight frequencies, depending on the quarantine and medical facilities in localities. If arrivals are not required to quarantine, there will be no need to negotiate.

Tran Chung

HCM City awaits nod from ministry to receive foreign travelers HCM Citys travel firms are reopening to do business in the new normal but domestic demand remains low. The firms are currently seeking permission from agencies to receive foreign travelers.
Northern mountainous people are living with so-called golden mountains, but still cannot exploit the resources in the most effective way.

According to the Vietnam Academy of Forest Sciences, the northern mountainous region has total forest area of 5.73 million hectares, including 3.94 million hectares of natural forests and 1.79 million planted forests. Scientists have found more than 7,000 non-timber plant species, including plants that give fiber, or are used as food, medicinal herbs and cosmetics.

The plants used to make medicines and cosmetics alone comprise 4,000 species, of which 144 are listed among rare and precious species, including Lai Chau ginseng, sam vu diep (Panax bipinnatifidus), and hoang lien gai (Berberis julianae).

Non-timber forest products are associated with the life of nearly 15 million people in the northern midlands and mountains. People not only exploit natural forest products but also plant them to increase their income.

However, most products are exploited and sold as raw materials without preliminary processing. As a result, though herbs have high economic values, they are exported as raw materials at low prices. Very few non-timber forest products are put into deep processing to make refined products which have high value.

This explains why the exports of wood and wooden products have risen sharply in recently years, with turnover reaching $13.5 billion in 2020. But the exports of non-timber forest products brought $800 million only.

Tran Thu Ha from the Institute of Forestry Research and Development (IFRAD), belonging to Thai Nguyen Agriculture and Forestry University said that economic development under the forest canopy still is not commensurate with the potential. Farmers have been developing some models, but the capability and production scale remain small. The value chain is still weak, and deep processing is underdeveloped.

As a result, locals exploit herbs for sale at low prices while many plants have gone out of existence.

In Lao Cai province, the provinces leaders said the forest economy has begun developing and medicinal herbs bring revenue of VND900 billion, but most of the herbs are sold raw.

Northern mountainous people are living with so-called golden mountains, but still cannot exploit the resources in the most effective way.

Experts point out that the herbs in northern mountainous areas are a treasure which still cannot be opened.

In order to exploit its resources, its necessary to design policies to encourage the farming of herbs, including support for varieties, land and infrastructure development.

At present, roads are still underdeveloped in many areas, and some plant varieties grown under forest canopy have low yields because of poor quality. Northern farmers can collect five tons of cinnamon per hectare, while the yield is 16 tons per hectare in China.

Nguyen Lan Hung, an expert, said when developing economy under the forest canopy, farmers can grow plants, but raise bamboo rats, sheep and fowls.

One kilogram of canarium sells at VND120,000. One canarium plant can bring 800 kilograms each crop. One kilogram of hat doi (Michelia tonkinensis A. Chev.) is collected at VND800,000. The plants can bring high economic value, Hung said.

Minister Le Minh Hoan of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) stressed that forests are multi-use and farmers approach forests not just for timber and hydropower, but also for the forests value. If farmers can do this, they can live well under the forest canopy.

Hoan said when he visited Finland, he saw a lot of food harvested from forests on sale. In Vietnam he heard from a businessman that highlands people had sold herbs to Chinese businesses at low prices.

We need to integrate multiple values from indigenous resources and innovate to create a new face for the northern region, Hoan said, adding that resources are limited while innovation is unlimited.

He said that forests are a treasure trove, with timber to exploit, landscapes to develop ecotourism, and land to grow medicinal herbs for processing valuable food and medicine.

Hoang, while promising that his ministry will draw up a plan on the forest economy, stressed that this will not only help protect natural resources and prevent land erosion, but also give livelihoods to tens of millions of people.

Under a Government resolution on the investment policy for the sustainable forestry development program in the next five years, Vietnam strives for a growth rate of 5-5.5 percent a year in forestry production in 2021-2025.

Tam An

Vietnam tests Covid-19 herbal medicine on 260 patients A locally developed Covid-19 treatment drug called Vipdervir will be tested on 260 Covid-19 patients.
Digital transformation in the economy is expected to contribute significantly to the policy of improving efficiency in Vietnam.

The use of information technology to support anti-epidemic has brought convenience to the people of Da Nang. Photo: VietNamNet

According to the World Bank, the use of digital platforms, e-commerce sites, social networks and specialized applications in Vietnam has increased sharply in response to the COVID-19 epidemic, from 48% businesses in June 2020 to 73% in January 2021. During the same period, the rate of enterprises investing in digital solutions - such as installing equipment and software for business operations - quadrupled from 5% to 21%.

In addition, the Vietnamese Government has stepped up efforts to streamline procedures and provide public services to the people through digital tools. The number of online public services increased from 169 in March 2020 to over 1,900 services in October 2020.

By February 2020, more than 2,000 services had been standardized and integrated into the National Public Service Portal, from driver licensing to tax registration and business registration. Accordingly, traffic and transactions rose by ten times within one year, from January 2020 to February 2021.

Although the new trend of applying digital technology under impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been encouraged, the level of expertise of users is still relatively limited. Digital platforms are mainly used to streamline simple business functions such as business administration, sales and payment methods.

Only large enterprises with sufficient financial and human resources are able to use digital tools in production planning, supply chain management, and manufacturing operations.

The World Bank's survey themed Firm-level technology adoption in Vietnam 2020 shows that new technology application is at an early stage in Vietnam. Only 6% of businesses in Vietnam used cloud computing for business tasks and under 2% of businesses used big data or artificial intelligence for marketing.

Only about 6% of manufacturing enterprises used additive manufacturing (AM) or other advanced techniques, and less than 2% used robots.

The low level of digital innovation in the private sector is explained by limited business needs, inadequate government support and underdeveloped "digital" businesses.

Limited demand of businesses stems from uncertainty about the return on technology investment, weak internal capacity to use technology, financial constraints, and legal issues.

More than 75% of small and medium sized enterprises and about 63% of large corporations did not know about the return on technology investment and whether the investment is suitable for their needs.

Less than 60% of small and medium sized enterprises said they either lack information about existing technologies or lack the skills to use them. In addition, Vietnamese businesses said that access to foreign finance is still limited.

Government support was not enough for digital businesses or for those looking to invest in digital tools. Support from the public sector still focused on research and development (R&D) rather than on technology upgrading and commercialization, including adoption and diffusion of existing technologies, according to the World Bank survey.

Locally developed digital-based e-commerce platforms, such as Sendo and Tiki, could compete with regional rivals such as Lazada and Shopee. But Vietnam still had fewer digital businesses (about 250 businesses) than other countries in the South East Asia such as Malaysia (450 businesses) and Indonesia (530 businesses).

Protecting privacy

The Government's challenge is to strike a balance between allowing access to information and protecting users of digital tools. Photo: VNA

The rapid development of technology gives people more ways to access and share information on the internet, but also facilitates more sophisticated attacks on security and personal data.

The government's challenge is to strike a balance between allowing access to information and protecting users of digital tools, the World Bank warns.

According to the Global Cybersecurity Index, Vietnam has a fairly good level of cyber protection, 25th out of 194 countries and territories, 4th out of 11 Southeast Asian countries and 7th in the Asia-Pacific region.

Vietnam has promulgated the Law on Cybersecurity, effective from January 1, 2019. The law requires businesses to cooperate and comply with the law when operating in Vietnam. Also, IT companies must store data about Vietnamese users on servers located in the country.

Vietnam is a leader in the export of consumer electronics products - including half of Samsung's high-end smartphones and over 80% of Intel's central processing units for personal computers. But these products are still scarce in the domestic market due to restrictions placed on these foreign corporations.

These products are often imported by other countries and domestic consumers have to pay higher prices, while the profits are enjoyed by wholesalers and retailers.

The World Bank said that digital transformation in the economy is expected to make a significant contribution to improving efficiency in Vietnam. Such a transition has actually been accelerated by the COVID-19 shock as trade and services have become increasingly digitized in response to social distancing policies. A boom in e-commerce has occurred. In 2020, Vietnam was the fastest growing market in East Asia.

These are very promising steps.

Lan Anh

Why has Da Nang taken the lead in digital transformation? Since 2010, Da Nang has identified information and communication technology as one of the three strategic breakthroughs in socio-economic development.
Illegal trafficking of wild animals remains a problem in Vietnam despite the efforts of the Government and wildlife preservation organisations.

There has been a decline in the number of many precious, rare and endemic species, putting many of them at risk of extinction.

A grey-shanked douc langur lives at Bach Ma National Park in central Thua Thien-Hue Province.

Wild animals have been illegally trafficked not only inside Vietnam but also across the border, making the country a transit place for criminal rings in trafficking ivory, pangolin scales and rhino horns from Africa.

Over the past five years, more than 11,000 wild animals have been put up for sale on the Internet, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).

In the 2013-2017 periods, Vietnam recorded 1,504 wildlife rule violations involving 1,461 suspects. More than 180 wildlife species were illegally transported, caged, hunted and trafficked during that period.

A report by the International Environmental Investigation Agency showed that in the 2014-2019 period, Vietnam brought to light more than 600 wildlife trafficking cases, seizing 105 tonnes of ivory (meaning that more than 15,700 elephants were killed), along with 1.69 tonnes of rhino horn (equivalent to 610 animals); skins, bones and other products of about 228 tigers; and the body and scales of about 65,510 pangolins.

The results of a project to protect elephants in Vietnam in the 2013-2020 period showed that Vietnam had less than 120 elephants. Meanwhile, statistics from the International Union for Conservation of Nature revealed that in 2015, fewer than five tigers lived in nature in Vietnam. The IUCN Red Book says that tigers may have become extinct in Vietnam due to the illegal hunting and trafficking of the animal.

Regarding wild birds, Vietnamese and international non-governmental organisations have discovered hotspots in bird trading such as Thanh Hoa (Long An Province), Tam Nong (ong Thap Province) or areas around the Xuan Thuy, Cat Ba and Tram Chim national parks.

Deputy director of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Management Authority of Viet Nam, Vuong Tien Manh said wildlife trafficking has developed complicatedly in recent years with the participation of international smuggling rings.

Between 2016 and 2020, authorised agencies discovered many cases of smuggling of wild animals originated outside Viet Nam, including the seizing of 9.1 tonnes of ivory at Tien Sa port in central a Nang City in 2019 and 93kg of rhino horns at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in December last year.

Rhino horns seized at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCM City last December. Photo baotintuc.vn

Smuggling of wild animals at traditional markets has now been replaced by online methods via social networks and e-commerce sites.

Deputy director of the Education for Nature Viet Nam (ENV), Bui Thi Ha said the ENV recorded 1,759 cases of violations relating to wild animals via the internet in 2020 and 1,788 cases via social networks and e-commerce sites in the first three quarters of this year.

Stricter measures needed

Many experts and managers said although the State has issued many regulations to protect wild animals but this task has not been effective enough due to overlapping and inconsistent regulations and many problems emerging in reality without proper adjustment of related regulations. They proposed to review, amend and supplement to gradually complete the legal system about wild animals and gradually build a law on protecting wild animals.

Regarding regulations about breeding a number of rare, precious species which are at risk of extinction and prioritised for protection, Deputy director of ENV Ha said apart from guiding, encouraging and creating conditions for individuals and organisations to farm wild animals for non-commercial purposes, authorised agencies and localities needed to tighten management over the farming of wild animals for commercial purposes.

Hoang Thi Minh Hong, Director of CHANGE, a non-profit organisation that protects the environment, said most of the localities that become hot spots of illegal wildlife trading lacked strict supervision and management from local authorities. Less attention had been paid to wildlife advertisements and transactions online. Inspection and supervision tasks also faced many difficulties because it was not easy to distinguish between wild animals that are banned from hunting, trading, transporting and consuming with those allowed for trading. All urged for determination and greater efforts from local authorities, according to Hong.

In order to prevent illegal trading of wild animals and limit risk of outbreak of diseases originating from animals, agencies should review and eliminate all illegal wildlife markets, clarify the responsibilities of authorities of localities where violations happened, she said.

Manh from CITES Vietnam pointed to the need to increase inspection and strictly punish violators and promote information dissemination to raise public awareness of illegal wildlife trading and stopping consuming wild animal products.

Apart from many existing regulations, the Prime Minister issued a Directive in July 2020 on a number of urgent solutions for wildlife management, including a request to ban the imports of live wild animals and eliminate illegal wildlife markets.

To prevent wildlife violations via the internet, the Directive also stressed responsibilities of ministries and agencies in preventing and strictly handling activities abusing the internet to advertise and trade wildlife products prohibited by laws.

A rhino horn trader has been sentenced to 14 years in jail this week, the longest ever prison term a Vietnamese court has handed down for the crime, a local conservation group said on Wednesday. o Minh Toan, 36, from northern Ha Nam Province, was jailed for trading and trafficking rhino horns from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) into Viet Nam. It came after a 2019 discovery by customs officials at Ha Noi's Noi Bai international airport of 55 pieces of rhino horn - weighing around 125kg - in a carefully disguised shipment. According to ENV, the punishment is the toughest to date in the country for crimes relating to rhino horns and the wildlife trade.

Source: VNS
Since March 2020, when international flights to Vietnam were interrupted and then stopped completely because of Covid-19, Vietnamese citizens have not been able to return home unless they book rescue flights.

Rescue flights are mostly chartered flights of Vietnams air carriers and are organized by state agencies.

Such flights are recommended only for those with special conditions (expired visas, no job, no permanent residence, financial or health problems, or other legitimate reasons) as shown on the official website of the Vietnamese Embassy in the US.

Some airlines maintain routine flights to Vietnam but only carry cargo and a few special passengers to Vietnam who are specialists and managers with foreign nationality and their relatives (all of them must get approval from Vietnamese agencies).

There are also departure flights from Vietnam which allow Vietnamese youth to begin the new academic year overseas on schedule.

But flights to Vietnam are restricted. Since the pandemic, many countries have closed their borders, fully or partially, to various countries and territories. But their citizens and the people who had approval to study and work in these countries had the right to return and enter their home countries.

The strict policies applied to returnees in Vietnam make returning very costly.

The official websites of the Vietnamese Embassy in France and Germany show that passengers have to pay VND66 million, or 2,510 Euros, to return on Vietnam Airlines VN5036 flight (one way) from Frankfurt and Paris to Van Don airport on December 15, and passengers then have a 7-day quarantine at Novotel Ha Long Hotel.

For Vietnamese who live in other European countries, the cost is higher, because they must pay to fly from their residences to a Paris or Frankfurt airport and for accommodations while waiting for the flight, and also pay for the return to Europe. The additional cost is about 1,200-1,500 Euros.

As such, the total cost for a year-end return to homeland is about 4,000 Euros, beyond the payment capability of overseas Vietnamese for one trip home.

The cost is unreasonable, if noting that a normal return ticket from Europe to Southeast Asia is 1,000 Euros only, and 4-5-star hotel room rates in HaLong quoted on booking.com are between VND8 million and VND12 million, including breakfast.

Vietnam needs to allow international airlines to receive fully vaccinated Vietnamese passengers who want to fly to Noi Bai or Tan Son Nhat airports, ask them to show testing results and permit accommodation facilities to provide services to passengers.

Vietnam should allow returnees to have home quarantine under conditions applied to other Vietnamese residents.

Pham Quang Vinh

Deputy PM requests action to meet foreigners, OVs demand for coming to Vietnam Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has ordered relevant agencies to take prompt action to meet foreigners and overseas Vietnamese (OV)s demand for coming to Vietnam.
All flights to be resumed must comply with the rules from the health ministry on medical measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and ensure safety, efficiency and smoothness.

Vietnam will pilot resuming regular international flights from and to international destinations which are highly safe from Covid-19 since January 1, 2022, said the latest plan approved by the Vietnamese Government.

Accordingly, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh has given green light to restore such flights which will operate between Vietnam and Beijing/Guangzhou (China), Tokyo (Japan), Seoul (South Korea), Taipei/Taiwan (China), Bangkok (Thailand), Singapore, Vientiane (Laos), Phnom Penh (Cambodia) and San Francisco/Los Angeles (the US).

The trial plan comes amid the context that Vietnam has eased strict Covid-19 restrictions and reopened the economy under a strategy of living safely with the coronavirus since early October, around 20 months after the first novel coronavirus cases were detected in the country.

The move is aimed at restoring international passenger transport, speeding up economic and tourism recovery and enabling overseas Vietnamese to return home for the upcoming Lunar New Year, Minh said in the government directive.

While the resumption of international flights is necessary, effective pandemic control must also be ensured, Minh added, urging relevant authorities and aviation businesses to work actively to realize the approved plan.

The Deputy PM asked the Ministry of Health to promptly the medical guidance, which should be discussed with experts and businesses, for passengers entering Vietnam on regular international commercial flights.

All flights to be resumed must comply with the rules from the health ministry on medical measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and ensure safety, efficiency and smoothness, the official said.

The Ministries of Health, Public Security, and Information and Communications are told to immediately discuss and publish a medical declaration software applicable to air travel to facilitate the declaration of passengers, activities of aviation enterprises and tracing of people on entry.

The Ministry of Transport must guide airlines to restore regular international flights under the approved pilot plan and ask them to give feedback to promptly make adjustments in line with the real situation, Minh said.

Deputy PM asked the communications ministry to co-ordinate with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Transport, and press agencies to disseminate information so that people can clearly understand the purpose and meaning of restoring regular international flights as well as ensuring safety and effectiveness in the pandemic prevention.

He also requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in conjunction with the health ministry, to speed up negotiations and reach agreements with other countries and territories on mutual recognition of Covid-19 vaccination certificates, also called vaccine passports.

As of early December 2021, Japan, the US, the UK, Australia, and Belarus have recognized Vietnams vaccination certificate with a number of specific standards on vaccine types.

Meanwhile, as of December 8, Vietnam temporarily recognized the vaccination certificates of 78 countries and territories, which were officially introduced to the country's foreign ministry.

Vietnam closed its border and grounded all international flights since March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, only allowing entry for Vietnamese repatriates, foreign experts diplomats, investors, skilled workers with strict quarantine requirements.

Recently, the country has gradually opened its borders to international visitors in a pilot scheme to revive the tourism industry, after deciding to live safely with the pathogen.

Source: hanoitimes
Getting goods from here to there has become quite the challenge. Shipping containers sit marooned off the West Coast.

A backlog of ships has built up at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach despite efforts to increase container flow, said Harold Hunt, a research economist at the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University, who addressed the subject Tuesday in a press release on manufactured housing.

Production of manufactured homes increased for the sixth straight month and shows no signs of slowing despite worsening bottlenecks in the supply chain and contractions in the pool of skilled labor, Hunt said in the press release.

A shortage of truck drivers, however, is more critical than the port delays, Hunt said. The press release cites an American Trucking Association estimate of a record 80,000 unfilled jobs in the trucking industry.

A number of factors are at play for the shortage, including the retirement of older drivers, a lack of female drivers, and higher demand for time at home, Hunt said. As a result, bottlenecks at ports are expected to continue well into next year.
McLeod attended Tollivers graduation ceremony from the Mental Health Treatment Court last week and watched as Tolliver was presented a dismissal form for her felony possession of methamphetamine case and an expunction order, making the arrest disappear from public records.

I am so proud of Brittanie and her hard work in the program, McLeod said. I was pleased to see her at graduation. She looked happy and healthy, which was a big change from our first visit in my office. I know she will continue to make great progress and I wish her all the best. She will be a great ambassador for the Mental Health Court going forward.

Hodges, who presides over the court, said an important requirement for admission into the program is for applicants to have access to MHMR services because it is vital to have support and medication so they do not lapse into self-medicating with illegal drugs.

Most dont have addiction issues, Hodges said. What happens is they have been in mental health services and drop off the radar and quit going to MHMR and drop out of services. But they know they need some kind of medication, and the cheapest and easiest thing to find on the street is meth. So they end up self-medicating. Meth is cheap and very easy to find on the street.
WATERLOO  One person was rescued after the car they were driving went off a boat ramp and floated into the Cedar River.

The driver, an adult female who was not named, was the only one in a passenger vehicle that went off of a boat ramp near the Waterloo Boat House, 707 Park Road, and into the river shortly after midnight Saturday, according to Waterloo Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Bill Beck.

He said it wasnt clear if the driver or someone else had called for assistance, but when the fire department arrived with a boat, the car had floated around 150 yards offshore and the driver was clinging to the roof of the vehicle, Beck said.

The woman was taken to a local hospital with unspecified injuries. Beck didnt know the extent of those injuries or the reason the car drove off the ramp.

Waterloo Police sent four officers to assist in the rescue, according to police calls for service.

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CEDAR FALLS  High schools across the Cedar Valley saw a drop in the number of students taking the ACT last year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ten of 11 schools in Black Hawk County and the surrounding area that took part in a survey of 2021 ACT results by The Courier had fewer students or a smaller percentage take the college entrance exam.

At the same time, nearly all of them had an increase in the average composite score for their graduating class. Eight out of the 11 schools boosted that number. Increases ranged from 0.3 to 2 points.

Cedar Falls High School was at the low end of the increases, but near the top of scores for the region.

This past year our composite score was 24.6, which is the highest weve ever had, Principal Jason Wedgbury told the Board of Education during a presentation on the results last month. The previous high for the district was 24.5, which was achieved by the graduating classes of 2015 and 2016. Students take English, mathematics, reading and science tests on the ACT, which has a maximum composite score of 36.

We can celebrate that thats the case, said Wedgbury of the 2021 results. But I think we also need to take it with a grain of salt, because we didnt have as many students taking the assessment.

He noted that 160 students who graduated in the spring took the ACT, a third less than the 239 test-takers in the previous class.

The average composite score for 2021 graduates of Waterloos East, West and Expo high schools who took the ACT was 20.8, 0.8 more than the class of 2020.

And we actually had more students test, said Stephanie Mohorne, Waterloo Community Schools associate superintendent for instruction and learning. So to have more students test and to have our composite go up is great.

Test-takers grew by 21 to 246. It isnt clear, though, how much  or if  the percentage of graduates participating in the ACT increased. The number of 2021 graduates wasnt available, but state data shows 35% of 2020 Waterloo Schools graduates took the test.

The pandemic really put a pause on a lot of things, said Mohorne, including much ACT testing for a period of time. Still, the district continued encouraging its students to take the exam.

ACT is changing because we have some institutions that no longer require it, Wedgbury explained to the Cedar Falls Community Schools board. The number of students taking the ACT is dropping in our district and across the state.

According to Iowa City-based ACT testing service, 17,658 Iowa students from the class of 2021 took the exam. That accounted for 47% of those who graduated in the spring, 21 percentage points lower than the previous class. Nationwide, nearly 1.3 million 2021 graduates took the ACT, 35% of the total and 14 percentage points lower than in 2020.

Iowas average composite score rose 0.4 to 21.5. The national average is 20.3 for 2021, a drop of 0.3.

Of the nine other high schools surveyed, average composite scores went up for six and down for one. The other two, Jesup and Hudson high schools, werent able to provide full information on results from their class of 2021.

Improvements in the average scores compared with the class of 2020 were seen for Denver, Dike-New Hartford, Dunkerton, Union, Waterloo Christian and Waverly-Shell Rock high schools. Increases ranged from 0.3 to 2 points. Columbus Catholic High School had a decrease in its average composite score of 0.6.

Tony Voss, superintendent of Hudson Community Schools, cautioned against reading too much into a schools results over the two years.

I dont really like to make comparisons between one year and another because its not the same cohort, he noted. Those students are different, and I liken it to comparing apples and oranges.

Some school officials pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic when citing reasons a smaller percentage of their graduating seniors may have taken the ACT. One school declined to participate in the survey because so few seniors took the exam.

The share of graduating seniors completing the test at Denver High School dropped by 21 percentage points.

Due to COVID, the ACT requirement at many colleges became optional, and many continue to remain test-optional, said Principal Taylor Anderson. This likely impacted the number of students who chose to take the ACT over the past few years, and it will be interesting to see what this looks like in the future.

The largest decreases in the area were Dunkerton and Dike-New Hartford, with 38 and 33 percentage drops in graduating seniors taking the test.

We believe the impacts of the pandemic lessened the number of kids who took the test, said Dike-New Hartford Superintendent Justin Stockdale. The school wasnt able to offer the ACT on campus in 2020, which he believes led to fewer students taking it. Its average composite score took a big jump, though, at two points higher.

Wedgbury noted Cedar Falls graduates had an average composite and scores in each subject that exceeded the state and U.S. At 23.1 in English, 23.8 in math, 25.6 in reading, and 25.3 in science, the district was around three points higher for each than the state. The gaps were even larger compared with the U.S.

Clearly, were standing above the state and the nation across the board, he said.

While Waterloo Schools scores are not as high, Mohorne said that we saw an increase in every single area when looking at averages for specific subjects. Increases went from 20.8 to 22.3 in reading and from 18.4 to 19.3 in English with 0.3 growth in science and math to 21 and 19.9 points, respectively.

She noted that ACT results are one component in the assessments taken by students at all levels that give an overall picture of where our students are heading and where theyre at at the present time.

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WATERLOO  The Board of Education on Monday will consider asking the state for increased budget authority related to costs for enrollment levels, English language learner instruction and at-risk programming.

The board meets at 5 p.m. in the Education Service Center, 1516 Washington St.

Waterloo Community Schools will submit the approved requests to the School Budget Review Committee.

A total of $385,199 in modified supplemental spending authority is being requested because the districts certified enrollment this fall exceeded the previous years count. Another $557,497 in modified supplemental authority would help cover per pupil funds being paid to another district for students open enrolling out who werent included in last years certified enrollment count.

The district is seeking $427,766 in a modified supplemental amount for costs of providing instructional services to English language learners being served beyond the five-year period a higher level of funding is provided to districts. Also, it is submitting a request for $621,798 in modified allowable growth to cover 100% of spending authority for actual English language learner costs during 2020-21.

In addition, $3.86 million in a modified supplemental amount is being sought for funding 11 at-risk programs in the areas of credit recovery, after school, the alternative learning center, and intensive guidance and supports during 2022-23.

In other business, the board will:

Consider authorizing applications to the School Budget Review Committee for 2022-23 special education consortium administrative costs totaling $49,920 for the River Hills School and $11,732 for the Lied Center. Districts that are part of each consortium pay a pro-rated amount of costs based on the number of students they enroll.

Accept two grants from the Governors STEM Advisory Council. Those include a work-based learning mini-grant of $5,500 and a STEM Best enhancement grant of $10,000.

Install members who were elected Nov. 2, including Endya Johnson, Astor Williams, and Janelle Ewing and choose officers.

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WAVERLY  Karen Thalacker grew up hearing stories about her grandmothers experiences at the Lutheran Homes in Muscatine. Her curiosity to learn more turned into a family project with her sons, which then led to a 13-episode podcast, The Homes.

The podcast focuses on 1929 and shares both the challenges and joys of life at the rural Muscatine institution on the eve of the Depression. There are interviews with guests, family members of former residents and a local historian.

Erna Klein Thalacker died at 38, when Karens father was just 12. Erna grew up at the Muscatine orphanage and elderly home where her father, the Rev. William Klein, was superintendent from 1921 to 1941.

The family lived on the second floor of the Home of the Aged. At times during Rev. Kleins 20-year tenure, the Homes cared for over 100 children and 50 elderly residents on a daily basis, she said.

Through her initial research, she was surprised the Muscatine home wasnt listed among the more than a dozen orphanages in Iowa during and after the Civil War.

At the beginning, I was blissfully naive about what we were doing. Once we started digging, it became more of a quest, not only to save the stories of our family but to save them for other peoples families, too, who had even less information than we did, Thalacker explained.

Her son, Andrew Newell, got involved in the research and used material gathered in a history paper at Wartburg College. He also co-hosts the podcasts with his mother. Hes now a graduate student in history at University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The stories were incredibly compelling, and we felt strongly that the people who lived there, worked there and died there should not be forgotten, Andrew said.

The first episode introduces listeners to the Kleins and describes how mom and son got involved in the project. Remaining episodes offer insight into each month in 1929 at the institution.

Thalacker used the Homes newsletters, personal recollections, and newspaper articles to create a narrative that also includes Iowa and U.S. history.

Her daughter, Ella Newell, a lawyer in Lincoln, Nebraska, gave her mom the idea of creating the podcast. Karens son, Robert Newell, a TV photojournalist at WKOW in Madison, Wisconsin, was the sound editor.

We all came out of the experience with a sense of admiration for each other and allowed our individual talents to make the project better Thalacker said.

It was a special experience to collaborate with my mom and brother, but these arent just family stories. They are the stories of orphans and their families, of the dedicated workers and also of the community of Muscatine, Robert said.

Thalacker agreed. People who worked there really did sacrifice for the residents. We were able to uncover the day-to-day routines that made life possible.

A small crew managed the institution which existed on donations and some funds from the Lutheran Church, as well as their own enterprises, including a farming operation.

Thalacker was impressed by the way the elderly and young residents treated each other as family, and the institution as their home. Some children were there for a few years, while others aged out at 18. The older children pitched in and helped with the younger kids, and they worked in the kitchen. The boys helped with farming and milking cows. The model of how this place worked doesnt exist anymore.

Not all the children were orphans. Some had a parent who was unable to care for the child. There also were multiple children from a single family determined to stay together.

Each episode is 20 to 35 minutes in length. While the podcasts are primarily focused on 1929, Thalacker shares history about the Homes, founded in 1895.

Id never done a podcast before, but honestly, its the perfect way to let people know about what happened the Homes. Its an immersive experience. One of the things that has been gratifying for me is that listening to the podcasts has started conversations among families about what it was like when they were growing up.

With the podcasts completed, Thalacker now is working with Wartburg College and the Lutheran Living Senior Campus in Muscatine, which still operates on the orphanage site, to preserve the history, including photos, newsletters and memorabilia.

Although none of the old structures remain, there is a photograph of Thalackers great-grandparents hanging in one of the hallways at the senior living campus.

I was happy about that. Im committed to remembering their history and the Homes, she added.

The podcast is available on major streaming services by searching for The Homes (Life at the Homes) or listen to the podcast at https://thehomes.buzzsprout.com/. Photos and more information are available at lifeatthehomes on Instagram. To inquire about donation of items to Wartburg College, contact Thalacker at lifeatthehomes@gmail.com.

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National companies that manage Iowas privatized Medicaid system are illegally denying care to some of the hundreds of thousands of poor or disabled Iowans who depend on the public health care program, contends a report released this fall from the state auditors office.

As has become common with criticism from the auditors office, Gov. Kim Reynolds and Medicaid Director Liz Matney quickly dismissed the report as flawed and much ado about nothing.

But the immediate finger-pointing about how rates of change were calculated misses Auditor Rob Sands larger point: Wrongful denials of care hurt Iowans.

Those denials simply must be investigated further. If having private companies administer Medicaid services to Iowans was really working great, the state would crow about it and show everybody the receipts.

Straightforward documentation would back up assertions about how much money Iowa is saving and how turnaround times and outcomes are improving in comparison with the previous state-administered system.

Officials would  faced with this report alleging managed care organizations were more frequently misapplying rules for what services are covered  provide the correct figures to show why that isnt so.

But Iowans arent seeing such documentation. To be sure, the Department of Human Services collects, analyzes and publishes all sorts of data and touts testimonials from enrollees. The standard, though, should be higher than providing great service to some Iowans, adequate service to most, and no service at all to those who purportedly should qualify, particularly for a privatized system that replaced a trusted, reliable, state-operated program.

When it comes to the well-being and dignity of vulnerable people, Iowans should expect that any indication of providers falling short and letting people fall through the cracks will prompt investigation and, when needed, policy changes.

Evidence of problems has mounted in the five-plus years since the switch to private management. Needed services havent been covered. Health providers havent been reimbursed, which threatened their ability to stay open. Most of the 900 health providers who responded to a survey by Sands office in 2020 said the private system had harmed or impeded access to care in Iowa.

The assurances that Reynolds and her deputies have given as answers to such revelations suggest they want us to believe that those dreadful experiences are anomalies  though theyve been described over and over, by advocates, Medicaid recipients, family members and providers.

Their unsatisfying responses to Sands latest report, on how often administrative law judges are reversing managed care companies denials of services, fit that pattern.

Before the switch, Medicaid recipients who were told that the government wont pay for a particular service could appeal for review from a state administrative law judge. Now, recipients have an initial review that their managed care company handles alone, but they usually can still appeal to an administrative law judge.

Sands office measured similar time periods (about three years) before and after the 2016 change and found the number of appeals to the state judges has decreased. But the number of cases where judges found the companies had wrongly denied services increased, from 139 to 231.

The auditors report crunches the figures further to show an 890% increase in the percentage of cases where a judge overturned a care denial. Thats one place where state leaders have cried foul, calling it an apples to oranges comparison.

We have seen the administrative law judge reversals go up proportionally in terms of the greater pool, Matney told an editorial writer Friday. Thats not particularly surprising.

Sand has had a colorful response to that criticism  Its not even just apples to apples; its Honeycrisps to Honeycrisps, he said after the reports release. A University of Iowa expert said the offices methodology was sound.

The managed care approach has been disastrous for individual Iowans while providing no obvious benefit to most Medicaid users or to taxpayers. But the managed care approach isnt going anywhere. So the immediate task for everybody involved is to identify, advocate for and carry out incremental improvements.

That could be insisting that companies use standard medical coding in their work. It could be providing more resources to the state Managed Care Ombudsman Program, or expanding its scope. It could be ensuring that the next company to participate in managed care in Iowa is better than Iowa Total Care, which Sands report indicated is struggling to fulfill provisions of its contract with the state, such as demonstrating how much of the taxpayer money it receives is spent on health care.

Even better would be demanding a comprehensive examination of the managed care program by the Legislative Services Agency.

Remain calm, all is well! is a disappointing answer to this and earlier earnest investigations. Iowa can and needs to do better in fulfilling its Medicaid obligations. Lawmakers from both parties should agree on an independent agency that will conduct an independent evaluation that theyll take seriously  and act on. Their constituents should insist on it.

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A bipartisan group of Iowa and Illinois lawmakers are calling on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to prioritize funding included in the recently passed federal infrastructure bill to finally rebuild river locks and dams.

U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, joined Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and U.S. Reps. Cheri Bustos, D-Moline, and Ashley Hinson, R-Marion, in writing a letter calling on the Corps of Engineers to prioritize funding of lock and dam upgrades on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers utilizing $2.5 billion set aside for inland waterways provided in the new infrastructure bill.

The $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law by President Joe Biden last month includes $550 billion in new funding to rebuild roads and bridges, water infrastructure and more.

Lawmakers said the Army Corps of Engineers must soon tell Congress which specific projects it plans to fund.

The letter calls for priority funding to modernize and expand seven outdated locks at the most congested lock locations along the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers as well as fund more than $1 billion in ecosystem restoration.

The projects will create almost 50 million person-hours of living wage construction jobs, according to the letter from lawmakers.

A 2019 study released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed that rebuilding river locks would inject $72 billion more dollars into the U.S. economy.

Among those who signed onto the letter include U.S. Reps. Cindy Axne, D-West Des Moines, and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Ottumwa, and U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. Ernst and Miller-Meeks, along with Hinson, voted against the infrastructure bill.

Grassley was among 19 Republicans who backed the bill when it passed the U.S. Senate in August. Grassley noted many of the infrastructure bills components were measures that had bipartisan support as stand-alone legislation  including to modernize the nations aging river locks.

Lawmakers say the $2.5 billion authorized in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, plus annual spending, could finally speed long-delayed replacement of river locks that are well beyond their 50-year design life and cannot accommodate modern tows, Grassley said in a July 13 floor speech.

Most of Americas locks and dams were built in the 1920s and 1930s and are critical for Midwest farmers who rely on the river to export corn and soybeans.

Congress originally authorized Upper Mississippi River locks modernization in 2007. The Army Corps included $4.5 million in its fiscal year 2020 work plan for planning and design work on new Upper Mississippi locks and environmental restoration. But no construction funds have been appropriated.

It is important for NESP to receive new start funding so construction on these improvements can start taking place, Grassley said of the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability, a long-term project to renovate the upper Mississippi River system over a 50-year period.

Grassley, Hinson, Bustos and Durbin note agricultural industries stand firmly behind the infrastructure prioritization.

In addition to facilitating the movement of about 630 million tons of cargo a year valued at $232 billion, the inland waterway system supports more than a half million jobs, according to Grassley.

Our nations inland waterway system also provides a safe, cost-effective, fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly way to move our bulk products, Grassley said on the Senate floor. This translates into more than $12 billion annually in transportation savings to the American economy.

One gallon of fuel allows one ton of cargo to be shipped 647 miles by barge compared with 477 miles by rail and 145 miles by truck, generating far fewer greenhouse gas emissions, Grassley said.

By moving goods on the inland waterways we are helping to relieve congestion on roadways and adding to the nations economic prosperity, he said.

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My uncle, a St. Johns University (N.Y.) law professor, wrote a manuscript, Journey from Minsk, about my grandfather immigrating to this country around 1900.

Minsk, the Belarus capital, was controlled then (and now) by Russia, which denied Jews a public education (except in medicine) and conscripted all sons but the eldest into the army.

For younger sons, Jews used surnames of families without boys to avoid service. My grandfather, a Feldman, became Shapiro. He was educated as a pharmacist, fled to the U.S., and established two New York City pharmacies.

I toured the Soviet Union in 1987 with newspaper editors, trading a videotape with our guide (KGB) for information about my grandfathers hometown.

His finding: Not on the map, Stalin, 1936. Victims of Josef Stalins Great Purge.

I am eternally grateful my grandfather came to this country. I embrace its ideals, even those not realized.

As a journalist and history major, I crave truth and facts. African-American author James Baldwin wrote, American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone ever said about it.

K-12 history textbooks, though, specialize in what historians call herofication  facts, fables and fabrications, but with outright omissions such as: the 1921 Tulsa massacre of Blacks (only recently in Oklahoma textbooks); that Alamo defenders were fighting Mexicos anti-slavery edict; the cruelty of slavery (which required a court order to be in Mississippi textbooks) and that the first slaves were Native Americans.

Truth may have become more palatable, but not for the far-right in public schools. Three Johnston school board members were recently elected on The 1776 Pledge to restore honest, patriotic education that cultivates in children a profound love for our country.

Except its no more honest than the person who spawned the pledge, the Man of 30,573 Presidential Lies, Donald Trump, who created the 1776 Commission  without professional historians  to counter Waterloo native Nikole Hannah-Jones 1619 Project about the origins of slavery.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexi, a Native American teen living in poverty while attending an affluent school, and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, a Black teen at a private school, have come under fire from Iowas Republican truth squad.

I can tell you, if this material was in my school, Id be going to law enforcement. I would be asking for a criminal investigation. I would be asking for every single teacher who disseminated that information to be held criminally responsible, said Republican Jake Chapman, president of the Iowa Senate.

Thats kind of historical  akin to the 1798 Alien and Sedition Acts, jailing citizens for critical comments (immigrants could be deported), truth be damned, a First Amendment outrage that undermined John Adams presidency.

My uncles manuscript was herofication. I like heroes but have learned some of my historical perceptions were flawed.Unlike far-right snowflakes, I didnt melt under the sunshine of facts. True patriotism is aspirational, working toward the nations ideals, not by denying truths.

Saul Shapiro is the retired editor of The Courier, living in Cedar Falls.

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The coordinated attack on law-abiding New Mexicans Second Amendment rights by the media, gun control advocates and Democrats in the Roundhouse is already in full swing in advance of the 2022 session.

Gun control is here. The progressive leadership recently fast-tracked and bypassed public input  including the full legislative body  to pass a firearm ban in the Roundhouse. The debate was convoluted and secretive, as the progressive lawmakers opted to discuss much of the matter behind closed doors. Before the progressives stripped away the Second Amendment rights of the people, it was revealed that legislative staff had already been working behind the scenes to implement the firearm ban before any other lawmaker was made aware of the restrictive plan.

The progressive anti-Second Amendment cohort decided they would strip away the rights of even those that have a New Mexico concealed carry license. The ramifications of these feel-good policies put the safety of the public who attend hearings, our staff, and my fellow lawmakers in jeopardy. Much was discussed about safety; however, despite staff working on implementing this secretive plan, very few answers were provided  even behind closed doors.

Santa Fe Sen. and Majority Leader Peter Wirth bumbled his way through defending his actions in attacking the Second Amendment by accusing unnamed individuals of brandishing firearms at him in the Capitol building at different points throughout his esteemed near two decades in the Roundhouse. Wirth eventually walked his statements back when he was made aware that brandishing a firearm is an arrestable offense and there is no record of that crime within the Roundhouse. Unfortunately, this type of rhetoric is par for the course from progressives salivating at the opportunity to take away our Second Amendment freedom.

Activists hired by New York billionaire Michael Bloomberg testified before another interim committee that they demand passage of their gold standard for firearms storage  legislation mandating all gun owners keep their firearms unloaded and locked up at all times. Such a proposal is not only unenforceable, but also defies logic as it renders firearms unusable for self-defense in the middle of a crime epidemic. Our nations capitol had a similar firearm storage law that was struck down in the D.C. v. Heller Supreme Court case. The Heller decision found restricting immediate access to legally owned firearms was unconstitutional.

Now, paid activists are calling for data-driven solutions to stem gun violence and have proposed to add bureaucracy with an Office of Gun Violence at the cost of $20 million. We dont need to waste $20 million of public money to conclude their gun control measures are nothing more than charades that havent made the public any safer. Out-of-touch activists and radical progressives have pushed for restrictions on the Second Amendment and the result has been skyrocketing crime in New Mexico. Such bills as the universal background check law have yielded zero arrests or prosecutions in over two years, and the red flag statute has reportedly been used only four times during the first year it was in effect. Why is this data dismissed? These same activists are calling for expansions of gun laws that produce no results or data, yet so many are dying in our communities due to the failed policies of the progressive bloc of lawmakers.

New Mexicos 30-day legislative session starts Jan. 18. Ostensibly its scheduled to be a budget session, but Bloombergs gun control posse will push to erase your Second Amendment rights, even if it requires a suspension of logic, liberty and results-oriented legislation.
The Albuquerque NAACP respectfully asks that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham schedule the Bennie Hargrove Gun Safety Act as an agenda item for the January legislative session.

This request is predicated on the following compelling reasons:

1. There is a need for gun safety legislation in the name of this heroic 14-year-old student, who was killed at Washington Middle School in Albuquerque, allegedly by another 14-year-old student.

2. That student is accused of shooting Bennie Hargrove several times and taking his life, using his fathers gun, which was unsecured or easily obtained. This tragic incident could have been prevented.

3. The Bennie Hargrove Gun Safety Legislation will promote gun safety education in the household.

4. Such legislation will serve as a deterrent for lackadaisical behavior, and inappropriate conduct by parents and adults.

5. Specific language in the legislation will provide additional protection for our children, youth and the public.

6. Legislation will impose legal consequences when evidence suggests.

7. The Bennie Hargrove Gun Safety legislation will force parents and adults to be more responsible.

During Lujan Grishams tenure as governor, she has expressed deep concern for the protection and education of our children and youth. She also has a strong position on crime. The Albuquerque NAACP shares her position on these matters.

Keeping guns and dangerous weapons out of the hands of children and youth are matters of public concern. The Bennie Hargrove Gun Safety legislation will help move New Mexico forward, particularly since we are one of the few states that does not have legislation focused on gun storage and safety.

Rep. Pamelya Herndon, D-Albuquerque, is collaborating with other legislators to frame the Bennie Hargrove Gun Safety Act. New Mexico has an opportunity to enact legislation that will help prevent another tragic event from happening at a school.

The Albuquerque Branch of the NAACP strongly encourages the governor to place the Bennie Hargrove Gun Safety Act Legislation on the call for the upcoming 30-day legislative session. The legislation supports her agenda to address crime in New Mexico with common-sense preventative measures as we work together to create something positive out of a violent and deadly act that was preventable.
Book of the Week

Ethan Lockhart is doing time in a Nevada prison for armed robbery. Hes baffled to suddenly learn hes being handed 48 hours of furlough  unsupervised  to attend his sister Abbys funeral. Ethans release comes with conditions  no booze, no drugs, no possession of weapons, no driving, no leaving the state, no crime of any sort, not even jaywalking. Good luck.

Who arranged for the release and why is it unsupervised are not immediately answered.

Ethans release is the setup in Andrew Bourelles violence-spiked noir thriller 48 Hours to Kill.

The book is not about Ethan looking to kill time while hes out. No thrill there. Its about Ethan seeking to avenge what he believes is his sisters murder. The cops assume Abby is dead because of the large amount of blood she lost. But her body hasnt been recovered. At her funeral theres an open  and empty  casket into which guests drop mementos of Abby.

Bourelle said he made a conscious choice not to sugarcoat Ethans violent world in and out of prison.

Yet Ethan has a soft side. Hes shown as having been a loving older brother. And Abby has adored him.

The challenge was to create a criminal who is sympathetic, one to root for, Bourelle, an Albuquerque resident, said in a phone interview. Indeed, Ethan becomes a sympathetic character though he returns to criminality. The author said he didnt want to paint Ethan as neither completely sociopathic nor completely irredeemable.

In search of leads to find his sister, dead or alive, Ethan beats up bad guys he once worked with. He goes after his former boss, Shark, a club owner and now a major crime figure in Reno. He lands a blow to the face of Abbys neighbor who spies on and secretly photographs her. He attacks a FBI agent whos been having an affair with Abby. Ethan is pretty much a lone wolf in the hunt, except when he allows Whitney, Abbys best friend, to act as his sidekick. Both end up in harms way. The violence gets a rest when Whitney and Ethans friendship turns to romance and sex.

My goal all along was to create a narrative that keeps you moving, keeps you wanting to turn the pages, Bourelle said. He succeeds.

Its not as easy as people think to make a fast-paced read, the author added.

One literary device that effectively speeds the pace and heightens the tension is breaking the novel into very short chapters; most chapters are successive scenes in a countdown starting from two hours before Ethans release. For example, Chapter 26 is introduced with Ethan/38 hours, 21 minutes remaining. Three pages later Chapter 27 begins with Ethan/36 hours, 37 minutes remaining. The clock is ticking. I like Bourelles originality with metaphors. In one scene, Ethan and Whitney are handcuffed on a yacht on a frigid lake: The (lakes) surface was black with light reflecting from the moon, like glittering scales on a serpent whose skin stretched in every direction.

Later, when Ethan is about to reenter prison, he proclaims he wont die from his multiple injuries, though he is sounding like his vocal cords had been run over with a belt sander.

Bourelle is familiar with Nevada. He lived in the Reno area for 12 years, working as a newspaper reporter and attending graduate school. On occasion his reporting took him to the prison in Carson City. He drew on those visits in shaping the novels prison scenes.

As for Ethans unsupervised prison furlough, Bourelle said, its probably an unrealistic concept.

48 Hours to Kill was published by Crooked Lane Books with the help of a literary agent.

It took awhile to find an agent  who loved the book and championed it. So I put it in her hands, he said. Bourelle is an associate professor of English at the University of New Mexico. In that position he is expected to publish. I am busy with teaching, with committee work, so I do have to set aside time for writing. I dont sleep much. I do a lot of writing at night. I hop out of bed and try to write, catch up on schoolwork. I try not to sacrifice family time, he said.

In some of his UNM classes, he and his students talk about the difficulties of getting published, of finding an agent, the process of writing. Students are often daunted by the magnitude of writing a novel, Bourelle said. I may bring up my own books in that context. People tend to benefit from other writers experience.

Bourelles debut novel was Heavy Metal, a coming-of-age story. Its publication in 2017 was the result of his winning the Autumn House Fiction Prize.

Bourelle was also co-author with James Patterson on the thrillers Texas Ranger and Texas Outlaw. Many of Bourelles short stories have appeared in literary magazines and fiction anthologies.
Invading with helicopters, buses and vans, the Immigration and Custom Service sent 900 agents to arrest 398 mostly Latino workers at an Iowa meat processing plant in 2008.

A total of 297 of these undocumented immigrants served a five-month prison sentence before being deported back to their home countries, primarily Guatemala.

The Santa Fe Opera is presenting the world premiere of the one-act Hometown to the World, a work inspired by the raid and its impact on Postville, Iowa. Composed by Laura Kaminsky and librettist Kimberly Reed, the piece has been in development since 2017 through Santa Fes Opera for All Voices program.

Director Carmen Florez-Mansi leapt at the chance to lead Hometown. She is the 19-year music director of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi; the show marks her second world premiere. In 2019, Florez-Mansi directed Sweet Potato Kicks the Sun for Santa Fe.

The directors cathedral work often brings her into contact with the lives of immigrant families.

This was something that was very dear to my heart, she said.

Three townspeople tell the story: Linda Larson, a member of the Lutheran church who works in its charity food distribution; Linda Morales, a Guatemalan worker whose husband and son have just been deported and Abraham Fleischman; a young Hasidic Jew and a gay man being shunned by his community. Abraham seeks help from Linda Morales, who takes him in despite her ankle bracelet and infant child.

Texas mezzo-soprano Blythe Gaissert sings the role of Linda Larson. Mexico City mezzo-soprano Cassandra Zoe Velaso is Linda Morales.

They talk about all kinds of racism and how people make judgments of each other, Florez-Mansi said.

A childrens chorus of 12 forms the storys heartbeat.

The opera opens with a sung version of The New Colossus, the Emma Lazarus poem inscribed on the Statue of Liberty: A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame/

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name/

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand/

Glows world-wide welcome.

The very final chorus is called Repair the World,  Florez-Mansi said. This is modern opera; its very challenging music for all. It deals with very difficult subject matter, which is immigration and homosexuality. It is very beautifully written.

A group of Hasidic Jews brought the small agrarian town of Postville back to economic viability after they moved to Iowa from Brooklyn. One family took over the failing slaughterhouse and its prosperity lured workers from around the globe. Many came in desperation to escape poverty, violence and repressive regimes. Postville evolved into a model of multiculturalism during this renaissance.

The raid devastated the Postville community. The town, with a census population of just 2,273, lost a large percentage of its population due to the arrests. As a result, the meat plant owners filed for bankruptcy in 2008. The city council declared Postville a humanitarian and economic disaster area, but federal officials said the town did not qualify for help.

Some of the kids in this program have had this happen to them, Florez-Mansi said. So its very poignant.
While growing up in Albuquerque, Sienna Mascarenas often found herself in the minority during math classes  especially so at Valley High School.

Despite being one of very few girls in the class, she didnt let that deter her.

I grew up with my Dad, who is a math teacher in Albuquerque, she says. My mom is a STEM gal as well. She has a degree in computer science.

Its no wonder Mascarenas is a junior majoring in chemical engineering with a minor in mathematics at the University of Alabama.

The New Mexico native is also on her way to Connecticut to represent New Mexico in the Miss America competition, which begins on Sunday, Dec. 12 and runs through Thursday, Dec. 16. The finals can be streamed at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 16 on Peacock.

This years competition will allow audiences to stream the event live across all time zones for the first time ever  so the West Coast will be able to tune in at the same time the East Coast.

Its so special, she says of the honor. I never imagined I would be here, but now I can bring awareness to my social platform.

She will be competing to win a major scholarship and advocate for Girls Get Math: Breaking Gender Stereotypes in STEM.

This initiative serves to break those gender stereotypes and encourage and empower women to pursue careers in STEM  science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Im able to share my social impact and how I think young girls should have a career in math and science, she says. There werent a lot of females in math. I was one of three when I was taking advanced math classes and it could be discouraging. What drove me more to pursue a STEM career is that I can help lead the way. I was lucky enough to have Danica McKellar (actress and education advocate) as one of my mentors. Its good to have that motivation.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Miss America Competition, which was the first competition to offer a talent category and soon after, scholarship awards for young women to be able to go to college and further their education.

According to organizers, this past year, candidates were no longer judged on outward appearance, which means the elimination of the swimsuit competition and additional time and focus on the candidates voices to be heard more often.

Throughout the competition and in interviews, candidates had additional opportunities to advocate for their social impact initiatives and to demonstrate how they are uniquely qualified for the exciting and challenging 365-day job of being Miss America, the organization says. (We) stand for empowering young women across the country to be the best they can be through leadership, talent, communication skills and smarts.

Mascarenas, 20, earned her spot after being crowned Miss New Mexico on June 25, at the Flickinger Center for Performing Arts in Alamogordo.

She had the opportunity to take a semester off from college to prepare for the competition, but decided to enroll and find a balance to it all.

A typical day for Mascarenas at the University of Alabama consists of waking up at 7:30 a.m. and heading to a math class.

Then its going to practice on her dance routine for the competition.

Again, another math class.

Then I call my mom to work on questions as I prepare for the competition, she says. Its a full-time job that Im having to balance. Its a great opportunity for me to represent not only where Im from, but the person I am.

Mascarenas foray into the pageant world happened while she was in the Cinderella International Scholarship Pageant. It is a youth development scholarship program that offers opportunity for achievement and recognition.

I competed in the teen program and I was awarded an in-kind scholarship to college, she says. Im super grateful for the opportunity.

Leading up to the competition, Mascarenas doesnt know exactly what to expect.

She is familiar with the competition process.

The great thing is that none of the women competing in this has done this before, she says. Were all in the same race and it will be amazing to meet the other 50 women. I have moments of being super excited and then getting completely nervous. Ive used every free second to prepare. Im giving it my all.

On TV

The Miss America Competition will be streamed at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 16, on Peacock.




Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

Esperanza Cordova isnt afraid of the blues.

Then again, the 43-year-old isnt afraid of much.

Shes been using heroin since she was 15 and  once fentanyl showed up  overdosed plenty of times on a mix of the two. In the past year, shes seen more than a dozen people overdose and die. Not strangers, people she cared about. Too many to count.

Ive lost a lot of people, a lot of friends, a lot of family to that  myself included  but they brought me back, she said. They mix it with heroin and they dont tell you  When you go to do your regular shot, its not your regular shot.

After heroin dried up five months ago, Cordova switched to smoking fentanyl full-time. From the corner of Charleston and Chico, Cordova, who didnt have a car, said it would take her five minutes to score a $10 pill. Thats $3 if you know someone.

You can find it up here, you can find it Downtown, you can find it on the West Side  you just ask somebody, Eh, you got any blues?' she said.

As those who call the streets of East Central home see fentanyl take over before their eyes  the drug has stirred something of a perfect storm across the state. Federal authorities are seizing record amounts of fentanyl as it takes the place of other drugs and has local law enforcement fighting a spike in the violent crime and property crime that has come along with it. Health officials and doctors, meanwhile, count the rising dead from a record number of overdoses as the drug takes center stage in the opioid crisis.

A shifting landscape

The drug has changed the streets of Albuquerque.

Along the alleyways, corners and open lots of East Central, fentanyl has left its trace almost everywhere. Syringes have been replaced or, at the very least, joined by pen tubes and crinkled tin foil crisscrossed with long, black lines  tools used to smoke the pills.

An enclave off Chico hosts boxes bursting with black-lined foil amid clothing and syringe carcasses. A man on the corner of Wisconsin and Central SE chases smoke off a piece of tin foil as rush-hour traffic flies by. He takes a break when a woman holding a puppy walks up, pulls a roll of foil from his shopping cart and hands her a square  the exchange as nonchalant as a neighbor borrowing sugar.

People huddle beneath jackets on curbs and bus stop benches to smoke it, the chemical scent filling the air. The users, some as young as 12, turn to sex work and crime to get it. People are killing and others are getting killed over it.

Those who live on the streets say people are willing to sell their souls for the little blue pill. Those who do outreach for drug users say they cant get enough Narcan, an overdose reversal drug. And the things fentanyl users need: foil, pipes and fentanyl test strips  used to determine whether the substance is mixed in with other drugs  are illegal to give out and possess.

Angela, a homeless woman who did not want to be identified by her full name, said you dont have to be a user to come into contact with the drug. She, her husband and two kids are among hundreds of families living in motels off East Central.

Angela said ambulances come by the hotel at least four times a week for fentanyl overdoses. On a walk to the grocery store, she said she gets asked if she has any blues a handful of times.

Angela said on East Central people use the drug blatantly, on the bus or on the curb, and everyone carries Narcan just in case. She said her young boys have come to know what fentanyl looks like and recognize the foil used to smoke it.

Angela said, when theyve seen the blue pills, users have told her boys, You cant have that, its candy. She said she corrects them: No, its medication.

Angela doesnt use the drug but is on a methadone program after getting hooked on prescription pills following a brain surgery five years ago.

She said fentanyl is a different beast altogether.

Its not anything to be messed with, Angela said.

A game of survival

Cindy Jaramillo, an ex-heroin user and founder of Street Safe New Mexico, said many of the organizations clients have switched to fentanyl. Some of her own family members have done the same.

It scares me because I dont know if Im going to get a call that theyre dead one day, Jaramillo said. Ive just seen how its taken our community over.

She said those who use fentanyl have gotten more desperate and dangerous in their crimes to get the drug  calling the situation on East Central a game of survival.

Jaramillo said the decline of those who get hooked is rapid. She sees it every day in clients, like Cordova, who they try to help.

Its horrible seeing the change, it hurts my heart, Jaramillo said. Their attitude and the way they take care of themselves, it all goes downhill.

She said the drug, which gives users a stronger high but one that doesnt last as long, has filled a space left by heroin. Many fentanyl users believe they are doing themselves a favor because they smoke fentanyl and dont need syringes. Others turn to it because they didnt have veins left from needle use.

Compared with heroin, Jaramillo said fentanyl is particularly deadly as Narcan doesnt work as well to save someone.

With heroin you hit them once and they come back, with fentanyl you have to hit them two or three times. Its crazy, she said.

Once Jaramillo used five doses of Narcan on a man at a motel before he came back.

I was freaking out, like this is way too much  We finally got him back, he was already purple, he was gone, she said, shaken just by the memory.

He was only one of a dozen people she has resuscitated from a fentanyl overdose in the past year. At least a few didnt make it.

I was real naive

For Cordova, known on the streets as Mitchelle, the road here has been long.

She said she was raised in a family where alcohol and intravenous drug abuse was commonplace and she started using when she was 8.

I was real naive, Cordova said. At the age of 15 was my first shot (of heroin) and I loved that feeling.

From that point on, her life followed a pattern familiar to the streets.

Over nearly three decades, Cordova bounced between jail cells, treatment centers and the streets on prostitution and drug-related charges.

By 2012, according to court records, Cordova was on probation for possession and diagnosed with bipolar disorder, PTSD and epilepsy. She had lost custody of her five children.

Between the backslides there were stretches of hope.

A probation officer wrote Cordova had the potential to change her life around but occasionally succumbs to moments of weakness and unclear thinking. A year later, the officer wrote Cordova had fallen into a meth habit and her decline has been rapid and extreme.

She is now at the point where her substance abuse is having a very dangerous and negative impact on her personal health and safety, as well as the safety of those around her  if (Cordovas probation) is reinstated, she will either overdose on heroin or continue using methamphetamine.

Eight years later, another vice.

Clad in a dirty pink hoodie and plaid corset, Cordova seems resigned. Her long hair is a wash of faded gray and red locks that frames a face lined with the passing of time, nights spent on the streets. Her eyes are a deep brown, almost black.

She said she knows her tolerance with fentanyl and doesnt push past her limit.

Its just another habit I have, she said. Ive been doing this for so long, I know my tolerance. I dont overdo my tolerance unless I really want to go somewheres.

However, Cordova said she worries about the young people she sees using it on the streets. They remind her of the young, naive girl she once was.

Cordova said she thinks the drug will go away sooner or later, like crack in the 90s  another habit she fell into.

Eventually it will die down, she said. But it will still take all those lives with it.

Just a week before, 19-year-old Joseph Morales was shot to death in a car at Dallas and Copper. Cordova said he had been looking for fentanyl moments earlier.

Out here all you have is each other and you get to know certain people  you get close to them  then something drastic happens and theres not much you can really do, you just have them in memories, Cordova said. It affects me greatly, it affects everybody really, the family  their kids, mothers, fathers  it affects us out here because we lose another close friend of ours because we couldnt save them because the Narcan doesnt take them out of it.

As Cordova gathers her belongings and heads off toward the uncertainty of another night on East Central, Jaramillo and Street Safe co-founder Christine Barber search for a client named JJ.

The pair said between them, they have brought her back from a fentanyl overdose on 10 separate occasions. More than anyone else.

We told her shes not allowed to use fentanyl anymore, Barber said.  Anytime we dont see her, we figure shes ODd.

Barber scanned the parking lot  filled with tents and roving shadows  looking for JJ.

But she was nowhere in sight.

Fentanyl 411

WHAT IS IT: A synthetic opioid, used medicinally for pain relief, 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin.

STREET NAMES: Blues, Apache, Murder 8 and Tango and Cash, among others.

APPEARANCE: Counterfeit pills of Xanax, Adderall and most common, oxycodone, which are light blue and stamped M on one side and 30 on the other. According to the DEA, two out of every five illicit fentanyl pills contain a potentially lethal dose.

USAGE: Smoked atop tin foil using a pen tube or straw to inhale, also can be swallowed as a pill or used intravenously as a powder.

COMMON MYTH: Fentanyl is deadly to the touch. It would need to remain on the skin for hours to have any negative effects; anyone who comes into contact with the drug can wash it off with soap and water.




Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

In May an undercover DEA agent asked John Seibel if he could make fentanyl pills that look like Xanax, a slender, banana-yellow pill for anxiety.

Siebel obliged, according to federal court records, and in addition to those, sold the agent thousands of the typical blue pills and others that resembled Altoid mints  with no markings.

The 25-year-old told the agent he didnt use specific markings so the pills couldnt be traced back to him. In case somebody should overdose and die.

Agents arrested Seibel in June and, according to the court records, a search of his home and those of his partners turned up a commercial grade pill press, a brick of fentanyl powder, nearly 8 pounds of fentanyl pills, 41 pounds of meth, several guns and $141,000 in cash.

The fentanyl seizure, while sizeable, was a drop in the bucket compared to what the Drug Enforcement Administration has taken off the streets of New Mexico this year.

For the 12 months ending Sept. 30, 2021, agents seized 242 pounds of fentanyl, a whopping 900% increase over the prior fiscal year and well over the amount captured in the previous five fiscal years combined. For the first time, fentanyl seizure amounts actually surpassed heroin, which dropped to some of its lowest levels since 2016.

Despite those seizures, the amount of fentanyl that has slipped through the fingers of law enforcement has furthered an epidemic of overdoses in the state. Local authorities say fentanyl has overtaken local drug markets in places like Albuquerque, contributing to violent and property crimes committed by those who use it, deal it and steal it.

Albuquerque police Lt. Ryan Nelson, of APDs Narcotics Unit, said the drug is everywhere and, unlike other hard drugs, often peddled at the street-level by users.

Fentanyl is the No. 1 drug that were seeing right now  on the federal side and the state and local side  its in large quantities and there does seem to be more abundant traffickers  Nelson said. I think that has a lot to do with people trying to support their own fentanyl habits.

On Sept. 27, for the first time in several years, the DEA issued a public safety warning due to the influx and mobilized the agency to tackle fentanyl.

But the drug shows no signs of slowing. The agency seized 22 pounds in October and, in November, agents seized 26 pounds of fentanyl powder from two passengers on separate Greyhound buses as they stopped in Albuquerque.

Profit-maker for cartels

Federal officials say the drugs profit margins are unmatched and the competition is not even close.

Greg Millard, who runs the DEAs El Paso Division, said a cartel can invest $5,000 in chemicals and produce $1.5 million worth of fentanyl. He said cartels buy precursor chemicals, which are legal, from Asia and make the drug in clandestine labs south of the border.

With heroin, with cocaine, you have to grow a plant  With meth and fentanyl, its a chemical, you have to get the precursor chemicals and its a little easier, Millard said.

He said the pills made by the cartels, blue and pressed to look like oxycodone, are the most frequent type seen on the streets.

He said the size, comparable to an aspirin, makes them easy to smuggle and therefore harder to detect.

Its easy to take 1,000, 2,000 pills  have someone body-carry it, hide it on their person, or hide it in their purse or their car, drive it across, he said.

The amount of fentanyl seized dropped after the borders closed due to the pandemic, but Millard said cartels adapted. They used social media to recruit U.S. citizens and essential workers to get it across.

He said, once the drug reaches New Mexico, cartels still play a role in distribution but the DEA also sees a lot of freelancers selling the blue pills on the street-level.

Cases of people like Seibel, who authorities say pressed his own pills on this side of the border, are not nearly as common.

In 2017 Seibel was arrested after Albuquerque police allegedly found a pound of marijuana, $700 and a fully loaded pistol. That case was dismissed.

By 2021, federal authorities say he was selling massive quantities of fentanyl and meth, alongside his right-hand man Robert Pettit Sr., 51, and using the home of Barbara Dockery, 64, as a stash house.

Pettit, who went by Preacher, bought a commercial pill press in January on Seibels behalf, according to court records, sparking a monthslong DEA investigation. An undercover agent won Seibels trust and bought thousands of fentanyl pills, most of them homemade by Seibel and Pettit, between April and May.

At one point Seibel, described as a highly sophisticated and dangerous drug dealer, told the agent he didnt put a marking on the pills because he didnt want to be charged with manslaughter, according to court records.

Authorities say the comment revealed that Seibel was very much aware of how lethal fentanyl is and that the pills he made and sold were likely to result in overdose deaths.

ABQ drug market takeover

Lt. Nelson said five years ago it was meth flooding the streets of Albuquerque. Now, its fentanyl. He said the drug is so prevalent, heroin has grown scarce.

Heroin used to be quite abundant. Now, its difficult to find  90% of the time, if youre looking for heroin, youre going to get fentanyl, he said. Its, by far, way more abundant than heroin is or was now.

Nelson said with the new substance also came new sellers and a different marketplace, one that moved from the street corner to our fingertips.

There is a very young crowd of people that are using platforms like social media to traffic drugs  That hasnt been a thing in the past, he said.

Nelson said the drugs abundance has also attracted a more inexperienced group of dealers selling fentanyl. They are often users themselves and dont need to know someone to get into the business.

In terms of quantity, you can be a nobody  and you can go and buy 1,000 pills of fentanyl and you can start to sell today, he said.

More recently, Nelson said, they have been seeing pills that are a mix of fentanyl and meth. Sellers and users tell them thats what the people want.

Thats the desired effect  the lows arent as low and the highs arent as high, the old school term of speed balling, its kind of like that, he said. When they smoke these pills, it creates a yellow streak across the foil. And thats how they know its infused with meth  they call it yellow trails.

So far in 2021, there have been at least 241 offenses involving fentanyl in the city, mostly drug charges, warrants and traffic offenses, and 11,866 doses seized, according to the Albuquerque Police Departments Crime Analysis Unit. In the month of November, the number of fentanyl-related crimes overtook those involving meth  the first time any narcotic surpassed meth since January 2019.

Detectives said, more and more, they are seeing auto theft and property crime offenders propelled by a fentanyl addiction. Some, like Xavier Pino, appear to be prolific.

The 21-year-old is accused of committing 10 armed robberies, most of them in less than a months time. After his arrest, police report that Pino told them he robbed businesses to support a yearslong fentanyl habit  smoking up to 10 pills a day.

He said he would go straight from the robbery to his fentanyl dealer. Pino told police, Im on drugs, what do you expect?

During his interrogation, Pino was having withdrawals. He was fidgety and had to lie on the floor at times to keep still. Pino told police he didnt have a choice but to rob businesses to keep himself well.

When Im in this mindset, Ill do whatever and whenever  I dont give a (expletive)  to get what I need, he said.

For the narcotics unit, Nelson said the influx of novice dealers selling fentanyl to strangers over social media makes their job easier.

When youre dealing with a veteran whos been selling drugs their entire life, they take precautions that these people dont take, he said.

But there are downsides, too. Some that prove deadly.

A lot of the drug dealers will bring weapons  anticipating that they have to protect themselves and who knows what theyre going to face. So it makes it a very volatile situation where everybodys on edge, Nelson said. We saw that throughout the year, social media meets robberies gone wrong.

Fentanyl pushing violence, homicides

As Albuquerque grapples with a record-breaking number of homicides, APD Deputy Commander Kyle Hartsock said at least a quarter of those started as drug robberies.

Of those cases, he said, the majority involve fentanyl.

Fentanyl is the biggest drug that we see people trying to take from others or take the money theyre making from the fentanyl dealing, Hartsock said.

To curb the violence and drugs, he said they started targeting the common denominator: social media.

Were seeing the drug market move from the streets to Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, Hartsock said. I havent seen a TikTok drug dealer in Albuquerque yet, but its probably just a matter of time.

Snapchat released a statement in October that it is working to remove the drug from its platform by streamlining requests related to criminal investigations and increasing proactive detection and enforcement rates.

Hartsock said the sellers who market on social media are blatant and often charismatic, flaunting pictures of fentanyl with messages like Thanksgiving Sale and a list of prices.

They have sales on these things and theyll put it in there like its an Etsy order and youre just ordering fentanyl, Hartsock said.

For those selling drugs like fentanyl over social media, Hartsock wants you to know, your next buyer could be an undercover officer. Or it could be a robber.

He said witnesses in a recent case told police the robbery crew scrolled social media, looking for people selling blue pills. The dealer they chose ended up shot to death.

Most robberies go south when the seller tries to resist in some way.

It could be anything from them trying to raise a gun to defend themselves, to them just refusing to go along with the robbery, Hartsock said.  Theyre so volatile how these things happen. One little, small thing, and then the whole thing crumbles.

Hartsock said those dealers who live through an ordeal sometimes seek revenge, furthering the violence. He said the trend is very concerning.

Sometimes the violence is cyclical. Suspects can become victims.

In April, Hartsock said, Ryan Saavedra Jr. told his girlfriend to drive away after a fentanyl deal went south and the robbers fired on the car, killing the 19-year-old. At the time, Saavedra was awaiting trial in a case where he and other teens allegedly planned a drug robbery over social media that left a man dead in a West Side cul-de-sac.

Its obvious that the drug is growing in Albuquerque, and in terms of people wanting to use it. Its different than every other drug out there  how potent it is, and how easy it is to conceal and distribute, Hartsock said. The sad part is I dont think its going away anytime soon  we just want to try to tamp down how easy it is to get, slow down some of the violence associated with it.
SANTA FE  A fast-developing plan to use $335 million of New Mexicos unspent federal relief funds to bolster the states public health infrastructure was put on hold Saturday at least for now.

While backers of the proposal, Senate Bill 9, argued the state should seek transformational changes with roughly $1.1 billion in unspent money from the American Rescue Plan Act, several senators said the plan needs to be more closely scrutinized.

They also questioned how it would jibe with a separate plan to earmark $504.5 million of the federal relief funds for road repairs, broadband expansion, State Parks improvements and other projects.

That plan, House Bill 2, was approved by the House on a 65-1 vote Friday and is awaiting action in the Senate.

I dont see anything wrong here  its just timing, Sen. William Sharer, R-Farmington, said during Saturdays meeting of the Senate Finance Committee, while suggesting the public health spending plan could be more closely vetted during the 30-day legislative session that starts next month.

The plan crafted by three Democratic senators  Joseph Cervantes of Las Cruces, Gerald Ortiz y Pino of Albuquerque and Martin Hickey of Albuquerque  would appropriate $75 million to build and run a new school of public health affiliated with the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center.

It would also earmark $100 million to expand behavioral health services statewide, after the states behavioral health system was upended by former Gov. Susana Martinezs administration in 2013 amid allegations of fraudulent billing that were ultimately rejected.

This is how we can begin rebuilding the system, Ortiz y Pino said.

Several public health officials testified in favor of the spending package, including UNM College of Population Health Dean Tracie Colllins.

Collins served as secretary of the state Department of Health for eight months during the COVID-19 pandemic, before returning to her UNM job at the end of July.

The time is now to put funding toward public health, Collins said during Saturdays hearing. We need to quit wasting time.

But members of the Senate Finance Committee ultimately voted 6-1 to table the proposal, meaning its unlikely to advance during the special legislative session focused on redistricting thats expected to run into next week.

Its not because it is a bad proposal or doesnt merit further interaction, said Sen. Nancy Rodriguez, D-Santa Fe, in explaining her motion to table the proposal.

After the vote, Ortiz y Pino said he and other backers of the plan might try again to secure funding for it during the upcoming 30-day session. He also acknowledged the plan would likely need approval from the Legislative Finance Committee, an influential committee tasked with crafting a state budget recommendation, in order to move forward.

However, he also expressed frustration at the Legislatures preference for funding existing programs instead of considering new initiatives.

How do you transform the face of the earth if you dont try something different? Ortiz y Pino told the Journal.

Meanwhile, the federal pandemic relief funds were the subject of a legal dispute between a bipartisan group of legislators and Lujan Grishams office.

The Supreme Court ultimately sided with the lawmakers in the case, ruling Lujan Grisham could not spend the money without legislative approval. That prompted the Democratic governor to add spending of the funds to the agenda of the ongoing special session.
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  A congressional map that splits Albuquerque and reshapes the political landscape in New Mexico won final approval Saturday from state lawmakers.

The proposal, Senate Bill 1, cleared the state House on an 44-24 vote and now heads to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat and former congresswoman.

It would create three Democratic-leaning congressional districts  up from just two now.

But the margins wouldnt be guaranteed. An election forecasting site described two of the three proposed seats as highly competitive.

We are trying to give voters a choice  a real choice, particularly in this environment where the country is so polarized, state Rep. Daymon Ely, D-Corrales, said Saturday during a three-hour debate at the Capitol.

Republicans, in turn, slammed the proposal as a blatant attempt to dilute the voting strength of rural communities. The conservative stronghold of southeastern New Mexico would be broken into all three districts, rather than unified under one member of Congress.

I see this map as an assault on rural New Mexico, particularly agricultural areas, Republican state Rep. Greg Nibert of Roswell said.

Similar debates are playing out in capitals across the country as states reapportion their political districts to reflect new census data.

In New Mexico, this years special session is the first time in 30 years that Democrats have controlled both chambers of the Legislature and the Governors Office during a redistricting year. The map in place now was designed in court and keeps Albuquerque concentrated in one district rather than split between two as proposed.

State Rep. Georgene Louis, an Albuquerque Democrat and co-sponsor of the bill, said the proposed map ensures all of the states representatives in Congress have to answer to a diverse set of constituents.

Were making these districts really listen to the voices of both the urban and the rural, she said.

The map, she said, also adjusts some boundaries to reflect the wishes of Native American tribes. Louis is a member of Acoma Pueblo.

The proposal passed largely along party lines in both chambers of the Legislature. Every Republican who voted opposed it. One Democrat, Rep. Candie Sweetser of Deming, crossed party lines to vote no.

For Albuquerque, much of the West Side, South Valley and parts of the Barelas neighborhood would move into the 2nd Congressional District, which is otherwise rooted in southern New Mexico.

The 1st Congressional District would continue to cover most of Albuquerque and the East Mountains. But under the proposal, it would also take in most of Rio Rancho and cover a host of rural counties, stretching southeast to pick up part of Roswell.

The 3rd Congressional District would continue to cover Farmington and Santa Fe. It would also reach into the oil patch and cover part of Hobbs.

The proposal, of course, would have political consequences. Under the plan:

 The 1st Congressional District now held by Democrat Melanie Stansbury of Albuquerque would cover precincts that have leaned about 7 percentage points toward Democrats in elections, based on an analysis of voting trends over the last 10 years by Research & Polling Inc., the states redistricting contractor.

The political performance, for example, is estimated at 53.5% Democratic and 46.5% Republican.

The election forecasting website FiveThirtyEight.com  owned by ABC News  rates the proposed district as Democratic-leaning, based on its own analysis.

 The 2nd Congressional District now held by Republican Yvette Herrell of Alamogordo would have a 6 percentage point Democratic lean, according to the Research & Polling analysis of past elections.

FiveThirtyEight.com rated the proposed district as highly competitive.

 The 3rd Congressional District now held by Democrat Teresa Leger Fernandez of Santa Fe would have a 12 point Democratic lean, according to the Research & Polling analysis.

FiveThirtyEight.com, however, rated the proposed district as highly competitive.
NEW YORK  Anne Rice, the novelist whose lush, best-selling gothic tales, including Interview With the Vampire, reinvented the blood-drinking immortals as tragic antiheroes, has died. She was 80.

Rice died late Saturday due to complications from a stroke, her son Christopher Rice announced on her Facebook page and his Twitter page.

As a writer, she taught me to defy genre boundaries and surrender to my obsessive passions, Christopher Rice, also an author, wrote. In her final hours, I sat beside her hospital bed in awe of her accomplishments and her courage.

Rices 1976 novel Interview With the Vampire was later adapted, with a script by Rice, into the 1994 movie directed by Neil Jordan and starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. Its also set to be adapted again in an upcoming TV series on AMC and AMC+ set to premiere next year.

Interview With the Vampire, in which reporter Daniel Molloy interviews Louis de Pointe du Lac, was Rices first novel but over the next five decades, she would write more than 30 books and sell more than 150 million copies worldwide. Thirteen of those were part of the Vampire Chronicles begun with her 1976 debut. Long before Twilight or True Blood, Rice introduced sumptuous romance, female sexuality and queerness  many took Interview With the Vampire as an allegory for homosexuality  to the supernatural genre.

I wrote novels about people who are shut out life for various reasons, Rice wrote in her 2008 memoir Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession. This became a great theme of my novels  how one suffers as an outcast, how one is shut out of various levels of meaning and, ultimately, out of human life itself.

Born Howard Allen Frances OBrien in 1941, she was raised in New Orleans, where many of her novels were set. Her father worked for the postal service but made sculptures and wrote fiction on the side. Her older sister, Alice Borchardt, also wrote fantasy and horror fiction. Rices mother died when Rice was 15.

Raised in an Irish Catholic family, Rice initially imagined herself becoming a priest (before she realized women werent allowed) or a nun. Rice often wrote about her fluctuating spiritual journey. In 2010, she announced that she was no longer Christian, saying I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control.

I believed for a long time that the differences, the quarrels among Christians didnt matter a lot for the individual, that you live your life and stay out of it. But then I began to realize that it wasnt an easy thing to do, Rice told The Associated Press then. I came to the conclusion that if I didnt make this declaration, I was going to lose my mind.

Rice married the poet Stan Rice, who died in 2002, in 1961. They lived amid the bohemian scene of Haight-Ashbury in 1960s San Francisco where Rice described herself as a square, typing away and studying writing at San Francisco State University while everyone else partied. Together they had two children: Christopher and Michelle, who died of leukemia at 5 in 1972.

It was while grieving Michelles death that Rice wrote Interview With the Vampire, turning one of her short stories into a book. Rice traced her fascination with vampires back to the 1934 film, Draculas Daughter, which she saw as a young girl.

I never forgot that film, Rice told the Daily Beast in 2016. That was always my impression of what vampires were: earthlings with heightened sensibility and a doomed appreciation of life.

Though Rice had initially struggled to get it published, Interview With the Vampire was a massive hit, particularly in paperback. She didnt immediately extend the story, following it up with a pair of historical novels and three erotic novels penned under the pseudonym A. N. Roquelaure. But in 1985, she published The Vampire Lestat, about the Interview With the Vampire character she would continually return to, up to 2018s Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat.

In Rices Vampire Chronicles, some critics saw only cheap eroticism. But others  including millions of readers  saw the most consequential interpretation of vampires since Bram Stoker.

Let me suggest one reason why the books found a mass audience. They were written by someone whose auditory and visual experiences shaped the prose, Rice wrote in her memoir. I am a terrible reader. But my mind is filled with these auditory and visual lessons and, powered by them, I can write about five times faster than I can read.

Rices longtime editor, Victoria Wilson, recalled her as a fierce storyteller who wrote large, lived quietly, and imagined worlds on a grand scale.

She summoned the feelings of an age long before we knew what they were, Wilson said in a statement. As a writer, she was decades ahead of her time.

Rice will be interred during a private ceremony at a family mausoleum in New Orleans, her family said. A public celebration will also be planned for next year in New Orleans. Ramses the Damned: The Reign of Osiris, a novel Rice wrote with her son Christopher, will be published in February.

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Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP

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This story has been updated to correct the title of Interview With the Vampire in the first paragraph.
ELLIOTT, Iowa  A coalition of California restaurants and grocery stores has filed a lawsuit to block implementation of a new farm animal welfare law, adding to uncertainty about whether bacon and other fresh pork products will be much more expensive or in short supply in the state when the new rules take effect on New Years Day.

The lawsuit is the latest step in a tumultuous three-year process of enacting rules overwhelmingly approved by voters but that remain in question even as the law is set to begin. Since voters approved Proposition 12 by a 2-to-1 ratio in November 2018, state officials have missed deadlines for releasing specific regulations covering the humane treatment of animals that provide meat for the California market.

Most hog producers havent made changes to comply with the law. And now a coalition of business owners is seeking more than a two-year delay.

Were saying this is not going to work, said Nate Rose, a spokesman for the California Grocers Association.

While groups are working to delay the measure, the state has eased the transition to the new system. It has allowed pork processed under the old rules and held in cold storage to be sold in California in 2022, which could prevent shortages for weeks or even months.

As Josh Balk, who leads farm animal protection efforts at the Humane Society of the United States, put it, California residents need not fear pork industry claims of the apocalypse.

Put simply, the law requires that breeding pigs, egg-laying chickens and veal calves be given enough space to stand and turn around. For pigs, that means they no longer can be kept in narrow gestation crates and must have 24 square feet (2.23 square meters) of usable space.

Producers of eggs and veal appear able to meet the new law, but hog farmers argued the changes would be too expensive and couldnt be carried out until the state approved final regulations for the new standards. An estimate from North Carolina State University found the new standard would cost about 15% more per animal for a farm with 1,000 breeding pigs.

The National Pork Producers Council has challenged Californias right to impose standards on businesses in other states, but so far those efforts have failed.

California is the nations largest market for pork, and producers in major hog states like Iowa provide more than 80% of the roughly 255 million pounds (115 million kilograms) that Californias restaurants and groceries use each month, according to Rabobank, a global food and agriculture financial services company.

Without that supply, its unclear if a state that consumes about 13% of the nations pork supply will have all the meat it demands. The North American Meat Institute, an industry group, said packers and processors will do their best to serve the California market.

What will happen in California? I dont know, said Michael Formica, the general counsel for the National Pork Producers Council. One thing we know is there will be finite supplies to sell there.

Adding to the uncertainty is the lawsuit filed last month in Sacramento County by the California Grocers Association, California Restaurant Association, California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, California Retailers Association and Kruse & Sons, a meat processor. The suit seeks a 28-month delay until final regulations for enforcement of the rules are officially adopted.

Californias agriculture and health departments have said the voter-backed measure didnt give them enough time to approve final regulations. The agencies were still accepting public comments for revisions in December. That means it could be months before final rules are approved.

Given that delay, the groups claim in the lawsuit that they cant be sure theyre complying and could be subject to penalties stipulated in the law.

Our concern is the uncertainty, said Rose, of the grocers association. He said a judge has scheduled a hearing for March, but the group is pushing for an earlier date.

If the law takes effect Jan. 1, its possible the state could avoid immediate shortages or steep price increases because the industry has about 466 million pounds (211 million kilograms) of pork in storage. Not all of that meat can be sent to California, of course, but when combined with new supplies from processors that meet the new standards, it should meet at least some of the demand.

If there is a disruption, it would be significantly smoothed, said Daniel Sumner, a professor at the University of California-Davis, who teamed with colleagues to study the price and supply implications of Proposition 12.

While an earlier study projected bacon prices soaring by up to 60% in California, a UC-Davis report estimated that the uncooked pork prices rising eventually by a more manageable 8% in California.

Massachusetts has approved a similar animal welfare law that takes effect next month, but state lawmakers are considering a one-year delay because of supply concerns.

The accuracy of the California estimates could depend on how many farmers adopt the new standards and how long the transition takes.

Iowa farmer Ron Mardesen already meets the California standards, and for much of the year gives sows free rein to roam through large areas of his farm about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southwest of Des Moines.

With so much room, Theyre like a bunch of big, old sisters, he said. You can tell theyre happy. No one is squealing or crying.

Chris Oliviero, general manager of Niman Ranch, a specialty meat company in Westminster, Colorado, said he hopes Californias new rules help change a system he calls lower cost at any cost. Although Niman charges more for its pork, he said he hopes the new California rules help limit the environmental consequences of large-scale animal agriculture.

There is volatility in the markets, so I understand the fears that comes with that, but I also think most large agricultural companies have shown that when they put their mind to it theyre very capable of solving complex problems, Oliviero said.

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Follow Scott McFetridge on Twitter: https://twitter.com/smcfetridge

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This story has been updated to correct the amount of pork consumed in California and the amount in cold storage. Josh Balks last name has also been corrected.
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  Legislators on Sunday advanced a new redistricting map for the state Senate over the objection of Native American leaders  who abruptly walked out of a Roundhouse committee room as the vote was announced.

The movement came after members of the Senate Judiciary Committee agreed 7-2 to forward to the full Senate a map proposed by Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart, D-Albuquerque.

Her proposal reflected negotiations with Republican legislators and would ensure Senate Minority Leader Greg Baca of Belen and Sen. Joshua Sanchez of Bosque  both Republicans  arent paired in the same district, among other changes.

Its a departure from the original plan moving through the Senate  a map that incorporated the wishes of tribal governments and Native American leaders from throughout New Mexico.

They said the map proposed by Stewart violated the delicate consensus reached among pueblos, the Navajo Nation and other tribal communities.

Our voice is often ignored in this important democratic process, Zia Pueblo Gov. Jerome Lucero told lawmakers as they considered the competing maps.

The Native consensus plan was proposed by Senate Majority Whip Linda Lopez and Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto, both Albuquerque Democrats.

But the committee voted 7-2 in favor of the Stewart plan, sending it to the full Senate for consideration. It had support from three Republican and four Democrats.

Native leaders and their supporters walked quickly and quietly out of the room together as soon as the vote was announced.

Stewart said her proposal made only minimal changes to the Native-consensus plan to avoid the pairing of incumbent senators.

In the Senate, she said, we try very hard to be collaborative.

Sen. Katy Duhigg, D-Albuquerque, supported the Stewart map but said it was a difficult choice.

I dont see that these changes would make it so that Native American voters arent able to select the candidate of their choice, Duhigg said.

The redistricting plan was initially set for action by the full Senate late Sunday. But the vote was postponed after Democratic senators gathered for a private caucus meeting.

Acoma Pueblo Gov. Brian Vallo said late Sunday that he and other tribal leaders didnt receive the proposed map changes until an hour before Sundays judiciary committee meeting.

The committee vote was a total disregard for tribal sovereignty, Vallo said.

But he left open the possibility that tribal representatives would meet with Senate leaders before the chamber takes final action.

They need to make a commitment to hear from us and have a discussion together, Vallo said after the vote.

Sen. Bill ONeill, an Albuquerque Democrat who supported the Stewart map, said he expected discussions to continue.

This is really hard.  Were doing the best we can, ONeill said.

Democrats currently hold a 26-15 majority over Republicans in the 42-member Senate, which also has one independent member, Sen. Jacob Candelaria of Albuquerque.

The House has already approved a plan for redrawing the boundaries of its 70 districts. Both legislative chambers also have signed off on a redrawn map for New Mexicos three congressional districts.

That proposal could be acted upon by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in the coming days.

The redistricting maps are based on population changes outlined in the 2020 U.S. Census, which was released this year.

Dan Boyd of the Journal Capitol Bureau contributed to this article.
Its a year of pluses and minuses for NAIOP New Mexico.

On the plus side, the commercial real estate development associations 2021 NAIOP Annual Awards of Excellence was held indoors Friday after a year dominated by Zoom meetings sparked by the pandemic.

Top winners this year include Titan Development for the 2021 NAIOP Chairman Award, the City of Rio Rancho public/private partnership with Los Diamantes and Rio Rancho Public Schools for the 2021 Cleve Matthews Vision Award; and NAIOP New Mexicos own Lynne Andersen and husband John Gallegos, who were named winners of the Chuck Gara Community Leader Award.

Thats where the minus comes in. Andersen and Gallegos  who have headed the organization for years  are both retiring.

For the top winners, these awards matter.

Rio Rancho partnership

The City of Rio Ranchos public-private partnership revolves around the Los Diamantes master-planned community, the city and the Unser Gateway coalition.

Los Diamantes community was master planned for 578 single-family, residential units; 394 acres for a business park and multifamily; and five acres for recreational parks and open space. The plan also called for a new four-lane arterial which extends Westside from Unser beyond the new Joe Harris Elementary school, to the development, according to NAIOP NM.

Rio Rancho Public Schools had purchased land for an elementary school at a different site but lacked the system-level infrastructure to support it.

Moving swiftly against a tight schedule, Mayor Gregg Hull orchestrated instrumental meetings to strike a public-private partnership across the City, including Rio Rancho Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Sue Cleveland, and the private developer, Pierre Amestoy. After a rare joint session of the Rio Rancho Governing Body and the School Board, the board voted to change plans and build their new Joe Harris elementary school in the Unser Gateway, adjacent to Los Diamantes, NAIOP NM wrote in a release. The school was funded with a $30 million public bond. With unanimous City Council support, Mayor Hull was able to secure $3 million dollars in utility funding, to offset public infrastructure improvements.

Additional private partners contributed right-of-way for the construction and widening of the four-lane arterial, according to NAIOP NM.

Hull said in a statement that the city is really excited about this amazing public/private partnership.

This is truly a testament to the great and important work that can be accomplished when public organizations like the Rio Rancho Public School District, the City of Rio Rancho, and (Southern Sandoval County Arroyo Flood Control Authority) collaborate with private developers to raise the level of quality on projects like this one, he said.

Titan Development

Kurt Browning, one of the partners of Titan Development, said the award is confirmation of the companys work.

Titan is a full-service real estate investment company and their recognition of that is important, he said.

In the past five years, the company has raised almost $250 million, he said.

The award, he added, is about our Titan team. We work hard, play hard and are a well-oiled machine. Its a reflection of my two partners  Ben Spencer and Kevin Reid. They built the foundation.

Reid works out of the firms Austin office, while Spencer and Browning work out of Albuquerque.

We do a lot of work in our own backyard, Browning said.

Change of guard

Andersen and Gallegos said they are stepping down at the right time, leaving a strong organization to new, younger leadership. Rhiannon Samuel  who served as the director of communications for former Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry before becoming the founding executive director of nonpartisan political education group Viante New Mexico  has been named as NAIOP New Mexicos new executive director.

Andersen and Gallegos left their mark, however. Andersen, who took over in 1995 as executive director, led the groups growth from 70 members to more than 300.

It was just an incredible group of people, she said. These were all pretty small businesses by national standards, local, and in many cases their children would be coming into the business.

Nationally, NAIOP is primarily a developer organization, but in New Mexico, you could probably get all the people who develop solely in a very small meeting room.

NAIOP New Mexico expanded the businesses who could be members, Andersen said.

We are so different from national chapters, Andersen said. We are inclusive in terms of all the people who were involved in commercial real estate  architects, contractors, engineers, developers, banks, investment companies, landowners, attorneys, title companies, brokers. It became a very diverse group of people, all the people who touch a project to make it happen.

Last year, the pandemic hampered things but Zoom came to the rescue. In June, Andersen said, the organization returned to in-person meetings and events.

Half of what NAIOP is about is the networking, she said. Its the place you come to meet the people you do business with.

In the last couple of years, NAIOP entered the realm of politics.

Advocacy, Andersen said, became an important part of what we did.

No matter what youre building youve got to go to some governmental entity to get approval, even if its on your own land. Theres always that side of the equation, you just dont buy a property and build what you want on it. Its a very complex world.

Awards

The annual Awards of Excellence  which were held Friday  have also grown through the years. Initially, it was just a very small affair that sort of has become a pretty amazing production.

The awards are done by a system of nominations and peer selection.

This year 55 companies and projects were winners in categories including retail, office, mixed use and multifamily, community civic and public of more than 100,000 square feet, community civic public of less than 17,000 square feet, education, hospitality, industrial/infrastructure and medical.

The committee included co-chairs Jim Strozier and Angela Valdez, Shirley Anderson, Darin Davis, Ryan Garcia, Doug Majewski, Kevin Patton, Karl Smith and Bruce Stidworthy.

The event  co-hosted this year by Andersen, Samuel and Lance Sigmon of Allen Sigmon Real Estate Group, who will serve as NAIOP NMs chair in 2022  typically kicks off with the fun part of the show, which this year included creative skits.

The second half is where people and businesses get the credit for creating where you work, play and live.

The credit for the success of NAIOP New Mexico should go to the members, Andersen and Gallegos said.

They do the heavy lifting, Gallegos said.

Andersen agreed.

Its membership-driven, she said. Its their chapter and they feel strongly that it is their chapter.

What is NAIOP NM?

NAIOP New Mexico is a commercial real estate development association with more than 300 members who come from all industries that touch on commercial real estate, including architects, contractors, engineers, developers and more. NAIOP NM is a local chapter of the national organization.

And, believe it or not, NAIOP isnt an acronym  not anymore, anyway. The letters comes from a past version of the organizations name, which once was the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties. The national branch is now simply known as the NAIOP Commercial Real Estate Development Association.

The Journal is NAIOP NMs media partner for its annual Awards of Excellence program.
The South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club provided recreation for the elite of Pittsburgh society, back when Pittsburgh was the steel capital of the world.

In the 1880s, at the height of the first Gilded Age, the club purchased a dam and reservoir on the south fork of the Little Conemaugh River (which by New Mexico standards is anything but little), high on the western slope of the Appalachians.

Families whose names live on today in the names of major cultural institutions  the Fricks of the Frick Collection, the Carnegies of Carnegie Hall  escaped the pollution of the factories they owned by summering on the mountain lake.

The dam had been built with discharge pipes to keep rising waters from overtopping it. But at some point prior to May 31, 1889, the pipes were removed. On that day heavy rains caused the reservoir to overfill and the dam to fail.

Fourteen miles downstream was the small city of Johnstown.

An explanatory website by Casey Goldberg, hosted by Bowdoin College (which includes some startling photographs), describes what happened next: Twenty million tons of water rushed towards the city, forming a thirty-five-foot tall wall of water. A telephone operator  explained that the wave looked like a mountain coming.'

More than 2,200 people were killed in the flood. Buildings that werent swept away burned in fires fueled by ruptured gas lines.

The disaster approached the scale of 9/11, and there was never any serious doubt about who was responsible. But, as readers of David McCulloughs book The Johnstown Flood know, the final chapters of the saga provide their own shock.

All legal attempts to hold the club and its officers responsible for the disaster failed. Tort law in America had not yet developed to the point of imposing a legal duty on property owners  well, super-rich property owners, at least  to pay compensation for those they killed and whose property they destroyed through carelessness.

The lawmakers of the day, in both the judicial and legislative branches, placed a higher priority on keeping tort liability within tight limits than on providing just compensation to injured persons.

Today, in any remotely similar scenario, those directly injured by the plutocrats negligence would almost certainly prevail in their tort lawsuits. But that doesnt mean our legal system has done away with arbitrary limits on tort liability. Weve just moved the fence line, thats all.

Consider those who survive a disaster without physical injury but suffer PTSD from the scenes they witness. Goldbergs website reports that some Johnstown residents saved themselves from the flood only to watch their friends and family perish.

After all weve learned about PTSD among military veterans, no one can doubt the intensity of their suffering. But it wasnt until 1968 that American courts first gave people in their situation a right to recover for their trauma.

That year, in a landmark ruling, the California Supreme Court held that a mother who saw her daughter killed by a careless driver on a residential street could maintain a lawsuit for what came to be known as negligent infliction of emotional distress, or NIED.

But just as soon as courts recognized a bystanders right to recover for the trauma of witnessing another person killed, they erected new fences to keep the new tort within strict limits.

After all, complete strangers, seeing a little girl struck by a speeding car, would also be shocked and upset. Should they be allowed to recover, the same as the girls mother?

In New Mexico, our Supreme Court answered that question with a firm no. Here, bystanders can recover damages for NIED only if they are family members.

Our courts justify that inflexible requirement by asserting that NIED is a tort against the integrity of the family unit. But that verbal formula doesnt really explain what the courts are doing.

To be eligible to recover, an individual family member must perceive the disaster as it occurs. The individual must suffer severe emotional shock as a result. Compensation, if it is paid, goes to the individual, not the family. NIED is a tort against the individual.

In practical terms, our courts are simply continuing the long judicial tradition of placing fences around tort liability. Our judges still resist full implementation of the principle that careless people should be held responsible for the harms they cause.

New Mexico recently made international news with a tragic workplace death. I dont think anyone questions the psychological harm that could result from witnessing a co-worker die as the result of someone elses negligence.

But in the absence of a family relationship (or a change in the law), such negligently-inflicted emotional distress doesnt qualify as NIED.

Joel Jacobsen is an author who in 2015 retired from a 29-year legal career. If there are topics you would like to see covered in future columns, please write him at legal.column.tips@gmail.com.
CHICO, Calif. - A winter storm is likely to hit Northern California on Sunday morning.

A storm is fast approaching that will include rain and wind. People living in Chico are preparing by clearing leaf piles from drains and gutters.

We had to clear some gutters this morning. If we get as much rain as you guys say were going to get, its going to be a mess down here. It will be beautiful because hopefully, the wind knocks down the rest of these leaves so I dont have to do this anymore, Chico resident Jason Bragg said.

Piles of leaves may be an issue with this storm though as there needs to be room for water to travel.

One of the things that we could really ask for our community to do regarding leaf piles is to make sure they are out of the gutter. Leave a foot to 18 inches so the water can pass through and make it to the storm drains and that really helps us prevent flooding, City of Chico Public Works Department PIO Lynda Gizzi said.

Jason and Sharron Bragg who live in Chico said backups have been an issue in the past, but they are taking their own precautions to prevent it.

The years that weve been here, it can back up quite a bit. We just want to make sure we do everything we can to make sure it cant back up any more than it has to, Jason Bragg said.

Gizzi says who you call about weather-related issues during this storm is important as 911 was overloaded with calls during the last major storm in October.

One of the things that we really want to ask from our community, if theyre calling in a downed tree or flooding or other related storm issues, is to call the Chico Police Department non-emergency line, not 911 unless there is a downed power line or a tree limb on a vehicle or a home. Something that needs immediate attention, Gizzi said.

The incoming rainfall may also affect the Chico Ice Rink as one of the rinks General Managers Ernest Jannett said they will shut the rink down on Sunday if there is enough rain to cause puddles on the ice.
https://www.aish.com/tp/ss/ssw/Vayechi-5782-Youre-Doing-It-Wrong.html

GOOD MORNING! Two weeks ago the Shabbat of Hanukah coincided with the beginning of the Hebrew month  Rosh Chodesh  and synagogues all over the world had the pretty rare opportunity to remove three Torah scrolls from the Holy Ark to use during the morning service.

Earlier that week I happened to be in a meeting with a local rabbi and he mentioned that this particular Shabbat was a gabbais dream. (A gabbai is the person appointed to manage the particulars of the service  a program director of sorts.)

When I asked why, he explained that there was so much going on during the services of a Shabbat that coincides with both Hanukah and Rosh Chodesh, with plenty of opportunities to hand out so many additional honors, that a synagogue gabbai couldnt help but be super excited.

I told him that I had been a gabbai for almost forty years and yet had no special affinity for this Shabbat over any other. The rabbi asked me, Do you enjoy telling people what to do or telling them to be quiet? Do you enjoy shooting people dirty looks? When I responded in the negative, he told me, You arent a real gabbai  a real gabbai loves shushing people, a real gabbai loves being in control.

Of course, this reminds me of a joke. Upon hearing that his mother-in-law was in a terrible car accident, Bob hurries home to pick up his wife and they rush to the hospital. They see her doctor outside the emergency room and they breathlessly ask, How is she?

"Well," answers the doctor, Shes pretty critical right now.

"Oh thank God! We thought she was seriously hurt.

"I dont think you heard what I said  shes very critical! said the doctor. They looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders, Youll get used to it.

This week I would like to discuss the essence of proper criticism, which is particularly relevant to this Shabbats Torah reading.

Reuven, you are my first born [...] unstable like water [...] you desecrated and ascended my bed. Shimon and Levi are brothers [...] in their rage they killed a man and uprooted an ox [...] (49:3-7).

This week's Torah portion contains our forefather Jacobs final directives to his children, his last will and testament, as it were. Naturally, one would suppose that a final message to ones child would be one of love and empowerment.

For the most part, Jacobs individual message to each child was exactly that; describing that particular childs strength and unique contribution to the family as a whole. Yet, curiously, Jacob also singles out a few of his children for fairly severe criticisms.

Even more troublesome, the criticisms that Jacob levels at his children are related to actions that took place many decades before  almost fifty years prior. If Jacob felt that they should have been criticized for their improper behavior, then why did he wait so long to rebuke them?

The great medieval commentator known as Rashi addresses this question. In his commentary on Deuteronomy 1:3, Rashi explains that Moses waited until the end of his life to admonish the Jewish nation for their many misdeeds in the desert. Rashi points out that Moses followed the example of (his great-great-grandfather) Jacob and waited to rebuke the Jewish people until right before he died.

Rashi goes on to explain that the reason that Jacob waited until the end of his life to criticize his children was because he was concerned that if he had criticized Reuven earlier then he would have driven him away, and that Reuven would consequently attach himself to Jacobs wicked brother Eisav.

Yet, if that were true, what difference does it make when he criticizes him, either way he may end up driving him away?

Criticism is a very tricky concept. The word criticize is actually derived from the Greek word kritikos, which means to judge, and the kritikoi were the judges who gave verdicts. Thus, the very word itself implies a dispassionate view of the circumstances.

Most people do not understand this. They criticize actions of others that they find bothersome, not behavior that is detrimental to the perpetrators wellbeing. In other words, our criticism of others is usually about us, not them. A classic example of this is shushing others in synagogue.

When criticizing ones child there is yet another layer of complication. With our children we dont merely criticize actions that we find annoying; we criticize actions that we feel reflect poorly on us or our family. This comes from the mistaken notion that our children are merely an appendage, an extension of ourselves.

One of the most complicated aspects of parent-child relationships is rooted in the decisions that a child makes for himself/herself regarding profession, spouse, clothing, appearance, etc.

To be sure, often our children make poor decisions, inevitably leading to mistakes. But as much as we would like to help them avoid what we feel are mistakes, we must internalize that their lives are their own and that, in fact, their decisions might actually be the right choice for them. (Of course, there are also some extreme situations in which we must step in to save them from making a critical error, but those should be rare.)

Likewise, our forefather Jacob recognized that criticizing ones children can be fraught with peril. He was therefore extremely careful about how and when he leveled criticism at his children. To this end, he made two remarkable innovations:

First, he waited until the end of his life. At that point it was clear that the criticism wasnt about Jacobs own embarrassment stemming from their behavior. He didnt have much longer to live and how his sons then chose to lead their lives would have no emotional effect on him. It was thus clear that the criticism was about them, not Jacob.

Second, he didnt merely criticize their actions; rather, he pointed out character flaws that they could identify and work on to improve themselves. He told Reuven that his impulsive behavior led him to careless and unworthy acts, which ultimately made him undeserving of leadership.

He then told Shimon and Levi that their uncontrolled rage led them to make poor decisions, which could have very well brought peril upon the entire family. By criticizing in such a manner, he conveyed the message that he was simply trying to help his sons  not control them.

This is the key to effective criticism: We must convey that our criticism comes from a place of care and concern and not because we are bothered by what they did or because their actions reflect poorly on us. We need to express that our criticism stems from our love for them and a true desire to see them get the most out of life.

Vayechi, Genesis 47:28 - 50:26

The parsha, Torah portion, opens with Jacob on his deathbed 17 years after arriving in Egypt. Jacob blesses Josephs two sons, Manasseh (Menashe) and Ephraim (to this day it is a tradition to bless our sons every Shabbat evening with the blessing, May the Almighty make you like Ephraim and Manasseh because they grew up in the Diaspora amongst foreign influences and still remained devoted to the Torah. The Shabbat evening blessing for girls is to be like Sarah, Rivka, Rachel, and Leah). He then individually blesses each of his sons. The blessings are prophetic and give reproof, where necessary.

A large retinue from Pharaohs court accompanies the family to Hebron to bury Jacob in the Ma'arat Hamachpela, the burial cave purchased by Abraham. The Torah portion ends with the death of Joseph and his binding the Israelites to bring his remains with them for burial when they are redeemed from slavery and go to the land of Israel. Thus ends the book of Genesis!



http://www.aish.com/sh/c/ Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain 

and most fools do.

 Benjamin Franklin



In Memory of My Father



Edward Menashe Erani By His Son Chuck
Kenneth Manning, an electrician's apprentice and former correctional officer, leans on the tailgate of his Chevy Silverado after a day working inside Oklahoma City Zoo. Manning was a correctional officer at age 20 and one of his many jobs was to monitor the activity of incarcerated Oklahomans.

Kenneth Manning applied to work as a state correctional officer on his 20th birthday.

Manning was accepted into the Oklahoma Department of Corrections training academy in March 2018. He started pulling 12-hour shifts at the Lexington Assessment and Reception Center six weeks later.

Some prisoners try to take advantage of officers they perceive as weak, Manning said, particularly those who look young. He said he tried to stand his ground while maintaining a professional demeanor.

"A lot of it has to do with maturity," said Manning, who left the Department of Corrections in April 2020. "You do have inmates from time to time that will try to bribe you with stuff."

The maturity of correctional officer recruits as young as 18 could soon be put to the test.

The Department of Corrections is asking the legislature to lower its minimum hiring age from 20 to 18. The agency filed a similar legislative request in 2019, when no lawmaker agreed to sponsor the bill.

Unlike the 2019 proposal, this year's request stipulates that 18 and 19-year-olds would work as detention officers with limited job responsibilities. The positions would require a high school diploma or equivalent and a clean background check.

It's too early to tell whether the legislature will take up the proposal. The bill filing deadline is Jan. 20 and the regular session convenes on Feb. 7.

Lowering the minimum hiring age would allow the agency to introduce corrections as a viable career path to a broader demographic of young people, Department of Corrections spokesman Josh Ward said in a written statement. The corrections department competes with local law enforcement agencies and the oil industry to attract workers and has struggled for years to hire and retain staff.

"This year's request provides ODOC a new classification for correctional officers to ensure placement at appropriate posts," the statement reads. "This initiative also allows ODOC to bolster its recruiting efforts for correctional officers and offer earlier access to career-path opportunities."

Asked whether the 18 and 19-year-old detention officers would be authorized to interact with or oversee prisoners, Ward said "posts will be assigned appropriately based on ability and experience."

Where Teenagers Work in Corrections

Teenagers working in corrections are not unprecedented. While most states and the federal government set their minimum hiring age for correctional officers at 21, neighboring Texas, Kansas and New Mexico hire correctional officers as young as 18. In this state, 18 and 19-year-olds are eligible to work as detention officers at the Oklahoma and Tulsa county jails.

While other states have implemented a lower hiring age for prison employees, Manning believes most 18 and 19-year-olds aren't prepared to do the sensitive and potentially dangerous work of a correctional officer. If the younger officers are restricted to tasks that don't involve contact with prisoners, such as screening visitors, he doesn't believe there will be many roles for them to fill.

"They may not be thinking about the long-term consequences of decisions you make," said Manning, now 23 and employed as an apprentice electrician. "I just don't feel like an 18 or 19-year-old is mature enough to handle everything that comes with that job."

Bobby Cleveland, executive director of the Oklahoma Corrections Professionals group, said corrections officials informed him that the teenage detention officers would be restricted in their job duties and fill positions with minimal prisoner contact. He said he supports the proposal as long as more experienced officers are the ones overseeing housing units and recreation yards.

"We just need more people inside the prison, so I think it could be a good idea," Cleveland said.

Two years ago, State Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, said a corrections department representative reached out and asked if he would run their bill lowering the agency's minimum hiring age. Humphrey, a former probation officer and chair of the House Criminal Justice and Corrections Committee, rejected the idea as ludicrous.

"I told them not only would I not run it, but I would fight it 100%," Humphrey said.

But as prison staffing numbers continue to decline, Humphrey said he's opened up to the idea of teenagers working inside state prisons. He thinks the corrections department could garner support from the legislature if they emphasize that the teenage officers would not interact with prisoners convicted of violent offenses.

"It's all in the details," Humphrey said. "We need to see what kind of plan they're going to present and where they're planning on working them. If it's not jobs where there's going to be a high-level threat, I don't have as much issue."

Hiring, Retention Remain Challenging

The agency's request to hire teenagers comes as hundreds of corrections officers are retiring or leaving the profession.

As of Oct. 31, the corrections department employed 1,288 correctional officers and had 471 fully-funded vacancies, state budget documents show. Ten months earlier on Dec. 31, 2020, corrections administrators reported employing 1,588 officers with 218 vacancies. The agency paid $5.7 million in overtime wages from July 1 through Oct. 31.

Oklahoma isn't alone in its struggle to keep prisons adequately staffed. A handful of prisons in Georgia are reporting 70% correctional officer vacancy rates. Texas has closed six of its prisons over the past year due to understaffing.

Low starting pay, long hours and demanding working conditions make it difficult for state officials to hire and retain prison officers. The starting hourly wage for an Oklahoma corrections officer is $15.74 an hour, a rate many restaurants and retailers are competing with. Correctional officers are assaulted on the job more than any profession besides police officers and face an elevated risk of depression, suicide and PTSD.

Additionally, most of Oklahoma's prison facilities are located in rural communities that have experienced population decline over the past decade. An Oklahoma Watch review of U.S. Census data found that nine out of 14 counties with a minimum, medium or maximum security prison lost population between 2010 and 2020.

Businesses nationwide, from construction companies to restaurants to retailers, have reported difficulties hiring employees over the past year. But the consequences of understaffing are greater in prisons, where a shortage of employees can increase the risk of violence for both staff and prisoners and result in substandard living conditions for the incarcerated.

The corrections department has boosted its recruiting efforts over the past six months, advertising benefits like full health and dental insurance and 15 days of paid off per year on its website and YouTube channel. On Sept. 30, corrections director Scott Crow announced the agency would provide a $2,500 sign-on bonus to new officer recruits who stay on the job for at least a year and temporarily raise hourly pay in understaffed facilities.

Cleveland said the sign-on bonus and temporary raises are positive developments, but low starting pay remains a deterrent to people considering a career in corrections. He said he plans to push legislation that would increase the starting wage for corrections officers to $20 an hour.

"It's hard to get people to work at the salary they want to pay them," Cleveland said. "We can hire 20 people and 30 leave."

Manning thinks the corrections department could be successful in attracting 18 and 19-year-olds interested in jumpstarting a law enforcement career. But without an hourly pay increase, he said many of those recruits are likely to join the military or enroll in a police academy after a year or two.

"DOC's issue is just keeping people," said Manning. "You can hire all the people you want, but if you're not keeping them you're just setting yourself up for failure."

Oklahoma Watch is a nonprofit organization that produces in-depth and investigative journalism on important public-policy issues facing the state. The organization's website is at http://www.oklahomawatch.org.
OKLAHOMA CITY  Oklahomans ages 16-17 can now get the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine booster following yesterdays announcement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that emergency use authorization has been expanded to include this age group.

We applaud the decision to make this booster dose available to more Oklahomans, and have the inventory on hand now to immediately begin administering to anyone ages 16 and older, Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) Interim Commissioner Keith Reed said. The vaccine is safe and effective, and our best defense against severe illness from Covid-19.

Boosters are now available to all adults, regardless of which vaccine you previously received. Only the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine booster is currently available for adolescents ages 16-17. Adults ages 18 and older can get any of the three approved Covid-19 vaccines: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.

Individuals are eligible six months after completing the primary two-dose series of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, and two months after receiving the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine.

We encourage Oklahomans to consider getting their booster shot or primary vaccination series, if you havent already, to ensure you are protected and have peace of mind while you celebrate the holidays with family and friends, Reed said.

Oklahomans can find vaccine appointments for anyone five and older by visiting a local pharmacy or personal provider, using the states Vaccine Scheduler Portal, visiting vaccines.gov or by calling 211.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) protects and improves public health through its system of local health services and strategies focused on preventing disease. OSDH provides technical support and guidance to 68 county health departments in Oklahoma, as well as guidance and consultation to the two independent city-county health departments in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Learn more at Oklahoma.gov/health.
Writing in 2009 about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, the insightful Palestinian/Israeli journalist Khaled Abu Toameh observed that, What is happening on the U.S. campuses is not about supporting the Palestinians as much as it is about promoting hatred for the Jewish state. It is not really about ending the occupation, he wrote, as much as it is about ending the existence of Israel.

And that is what those who observe the campus activism against Israel have never fully understood: that being pro-Palestinian, by definition, means being anti-Israel.

It does not involve urging the Palestinian leadership to come to terms with Israel about long unsettled negotiation points about borders, Jerusalem, the return of refugees, and other key issues. Is has never involved advising Palestinians to abandon terror, or so-called resistance, as a tactic for advancing political ambitions.

Those helping to promote Palestinian self-determination have not been firm in suggesting that Palestinian leaders and other officials end incitement, stop the indoctrination of children in textbooks and lesson plans that demonize Israel and Jews and teach children to look at the Jewish state as an abomination, an illegal regime, a perverse example of the malignancy of Jews who steal land, commit genocide, and oppress an innocent indigenous people.

The Palestinians have never been told by their supporters that it morally repugnant and diplomatically lethal to engage in a pay to slay program through which terrorists and their families were financially rewarded with $183 million in 2017, for example, garnered from foreign aid heaped on the Palestinians, purportedly for humanitarian aid.

In debating the Israeli/ Palestinian conflict, social justice activists, of course, demonstrate their hypocrisy by endlessly dwelling on the many evils of Israel without bothering to examine or measure the Palestinians own central role in contributing to the many pathologies endemic to their civil society and institutions. Like many Western elites do when choosing sides, social justice warriors infantilize the Palestinian victim and assume he has no agency to ameliorate his own conditions.

Many academics in the humanities and social sciences, including activists as disparate as Black Lives Matter, Students for Justice in Palestine, and the National Association of Womens Studies, increasingly find a linkage as they seek to affirm the rights of the victimized and name the villains responsible for this oppressionforemost among them, Israel.

The more that seemingly unrelated instances of oppression can be conflated, it is thought, the greater the ability to confront these oppressors and dilute the negative effect they have on their specific victims and on society at large. This trend has been called intersectionality, and for social justice warriors, to know one victim group is to know any victim groupwith Israel being a tempting and habitual target of their opprobrium.

That has meant, as one vexatious example, that the notoriously anti-Israel Jewish Voice for Peace, working in concert with Students for Justice in Palestine and other campus radicals, have promoted the mendacious Deadly Exchange lie which accuses Israel of being complicit in promoting racist violence in the United States by training police officers on how to arrest and neutralize black suspects, using the techniques and procedures gleaned from their long oppression of Palestinians. So, the brutality, racism, and cruelty of Israel is so malignant and powerful that it negatively affects blacks in America and the intersectional circle of oppression is closed in this perverse narrative.

Victim groups on campus, including the pro-Palestinians, claim that they join forces to fight for justice, equity, and liberation, that, as SJP disingenuously claimed, The fight against anti-Semitism must be linked to the wider fight against oppression  including the fight against Palestinian oppression. But it is the pro-Palestinians who are singularly responsible for the majority of hostility on campuses today, not some other, vaguely defined and most invisible group of white supremacists, fascists, or right-wing lunatics that haunt the liberal mind.

In fact, as studies by the AMCHA Initiative, as one example, have shown, it is the presence of groups like SJP on campuses that is directly responsible for fomenting anti-Semitic expression and behavior on university campuses, not white supremacists. AMCHA reports revealed that Schools with instances of student-produced anti-Zionist expression, including BDS promotion, are 7 times more likely to have incidents that targeted Jewish students for harm than schools with no evidence of students anti-Zionist expression and the more such anti-Zionist expression, the higher the likelihood of incidents involving anti-Jewish hostility, meaning that BDS activism spreads outward on a campus, tainting the overall environment for Jewish students who may or may not even be directly involved in the Israeli/Palestinian debate.

Equally serious was the reports findings that SJPs presence resulted in incidents of Israel-related anti-Semitic harassment increase[ing] 70%. And, based on SJPs obsession with calls to boycott only Israel and suppress any and all dialogue in support of Israel, Zionism, or JewsSJPs actions on campuses have the end effect that attempts to exclude Jewish and pro-Israel students from campus activities more than doubled, with expression calling for the total boycott or exclusion of pro-Israel students from campus life nearly tripling.

Since its founding in 1993, SJP has a long history of bringing vitriolic anti-Israel speakers to their respective campuses (now numbering some 200 with chapters), and for such collateral activities as sponsoring the pernicious Israeli Apartheid Weeks, building mock apartheid walls, and sending mock eviction notices to Jewish students in their dorms to demonize Israel and create empathy for the Palestinian Arab cause.

SJP has a record on campuses nationwide of a pattern of radicalism, misbehavior, toxic speech, and regular instances of overtly antisemitic behavior. AMCHA reports also indicate a significant increase in actions which directly harm or threaten Jewish students, including physical and verbal assaults, destruction of property, harassment discrimination and suppression of speech, at schools with an SJP or similar anti-Zionist chapter.

At University of Toronto, Scarborough, anti-Israel students recently voted to forbid Kosher food on campus unless the suppliers disavowed support for Israel. CUNY law students just introduced a resolution condemning Birthright trips to Israel, as well as Stand With Us, Hillel, and other Jewish, pro-Israel groups on their campus as dangerous and destructive and wants them purged from campus, along with any Zionist ideology or support for the Jewish state.

At McGill, based on their spurious charges that Israel is a colonial, apartheid, racist regime engaged in ethnic cleansing, land theft, and an ongoing genocide of an indigenous people, anti-Israel groups and individuals outrageously petitioned the administration that, in light of these accusations, any pro-Israel ideology or expression on campus should henceforth be considered to be hate speech, or as they defined it, violent, hateful, and harmful speech.

And while Zionism, Jewish self-determination, is under attack on campuses across the country and in Canada, pro-Palestinian activists, nevertheless, claim that their hostility towards Zionism has nothing to do with anti-Semitism and their loathing of the worlds only Jewish state has nothing to do with Jew-hatred.

That these campus activists are willing, and ready, to sacrifice the Jewish state, and Jewish lives, in the name of social justice and a specious campaign of self-determination by Palestinian Arabs, shows how morally corrupt and deadly the conversation about human rights has become.

And that their dangerous and toxic activism is often genocidal in promoting the destruction of the Middle Easts only democracy, this odious campaign for social justice social should frighten us all.

Photo credit: Alisdare Hickson CC BY-SA 2.0 license
In the late 1990s, this writer took a position teaching history, government, and economics in a New York City public high school. After only two weeks, word circulated that I was a born-again evangelical and politically conservative. One of the senior teachers called me aside and, without any prior argument, said, "Communism is over in the Soviet Union, but it's alive and well at this high school." Shortly after that "welcome," it became apparent that many of the U.S. history teachers were hardcore communists. (This is decades before so-called "wokism.")

Howard Zinn's best-selling communist textbook was not included on the list of high school textbooks because it was a college textbook, but nevertheless, this cell of commies would regularly copy pages out of Zinn's book, A Peoples' History of the United States, for distribution to the U.S. History students.

The commie hostility toward people of faith was also manifested in that department. The thought that people of faith and people who don't believe can co-exist is alien to Marxists, for whom "religion is the opiate of the people." The left feels threatened by the First Amendment, which leftists believe unduly encourages people to believe in God and thereby takes away from a more realistic assessment of life where one is able to see the class struggle as our top social and political priority. On one occasion, a young female teacher began moving around in front of me in the teachers' office, taunting me by singing, "I don't have a soul, I don't have a soul." Another older left-winger called to me from across the teachers' office, "Tell me Mr. Ludwig, is God a he or a she?"

At another point in time, I was saying to another leftist colleague that if we promote a particular political ideology in the classroom, we are advancing our bias, not actually teaching. He replied that "everyone has a bias, so it is better to acknowledge our bias and defend it openly rather than pretend to be more objective." "But is it not a teacher's duty to be as impartial as possible in order to communicate with and for all the students?" this writer asked, adding, "There are a range of personalities and viewpoints in our classes." To this, the communist colleague replied, "So what?"

At one point, that same teacher who had welcomed me with his poisonous comment about the USSR spent an entire month in his teaching of AP European History explaining and extolling the virtues of the Communist Manifesto, published in 1848 by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. A group of students complained to the chairlady of the department, but she did nothing. Another member of the cell regularly distributed to students free copies of the newspapers of the Progressive Labor Party. A third member of the cell became the faculty adviser to the Gay and Straight Alliance. A fourth member advised a left-wing student political club.

In the late 1990s, there were a variety of textbooks so individual teachers could choose to use their preference when teaching. Each of these were written by either one or two authors and attempted to be balanced. Although some were clearly more "liberal" than others, this writer was able to find one or two that were coherent, informed, and relatively balanced and presented America as a unified culture, not as a hodgepodge of grievances, conflicts, and unresolved hostilities. However, after only a few years passed, a single U.S. history text was bought for all teachers to use entitled The Americans. This 1,000-plus-page textbook was written by so-called scholars, but they were all from sub-specialties of U.S. history. One specialized in geography, another was from ethnic studies, another had written many text prep books, the fourth was an African studies professor, and the fifth specialized in women's history and was the only woman of the group (surprise!). In addition, there was a long list of "contributors." Thus, clearly, this was a textbook-by-committee production coordinated and managed by Holt McDougal, publisher of the volume.

It seemed that the book covered every protest march and strike that ever happened in the United States, yet there was almost no reference to the impact of Christianity on our country either during the colonial period or during more recent centuries since the creation of our Constitution. Thus, we have a picture of the country as a divided or balkanized mess. The sense of and picture of a nation with unifying themes, such as Frederick Jackson Turner seeing westward expansion as defining our growth, are entirely missing.

What about innovation? Love of nature? Transition from agriculture to manufacturing? What about the life-and-death struggle to assure that there could not be slaves in a country founded to promote liberty and rights? What about the integration of large and diverse immigrant groups despite some resistance? While The Americans does not lift up Karl Marx or commies like William Z. Foster, it does fail to call Albert Rosenberg, who sold the secrets of the atomic bomb to the USSR, a traitor. There is no treatment of the use of the term "progressive" by today's communists in order to connect their re-ordering of today's society with the icons of American history Theodore Roosevelt (a Republican and independent) or Woodrow Wilson. Although those presidents had some socialist themes insofar as they supported unduly expanding the power of the federal government, they still were not as firmly united with today's communists as are the present leaders of today's Democrat party.

Remember that Pres. Harry Truman distanced himself from Henry Wallace, who was too sympathetic with Josef Stalin and the communists and ran for president against Truman on the Progressive Party ticket in 1948. Today's Democrats have not similarly distanced themselves from the Democratic Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders. Instead, the Biden people came out with a joint statement with Sanders in 2020 that was 110 poorly written pages before coming out with the Democrat party platform. The Democrat party platform, when subsequently published, although only 90 pages, was totally in sync with the earlier signed agreement. Sanders, who calls himself a Democratic Socialist, is neither a Democrat of the Truman or Kennedy variety nor a socialist. He always finds a way to justify the communist countries because he adheres to that philosophy.

What today's political pundits are calling woke (or some form of communism) has been on the march for decades. It was alive and well in the late 1990s and had already been in place for decades. It has gone mainstream in recent years and openly is embraced by many who were more careful not to be seen as sympathetic to Marxist ideology. It is anti-God at its core, and it clearly wants government to take over the means of production. The radical hope is to dignify the move toward undermining our republic, natural rights, private property, and the family by painting the words "anti-racism" and "gender equality" on the hammer and sickle. Then talk about electric cars and reducing carbon footprints, and hope the fear generated will change our society forever.

Image via Max Pixel.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
The political left uses the term "intersectionality" to depict all members of advanced and largely Westernized societies as oppressors and all non-white people and residents of third-world countries as oppressees. Slaves in the antebellum United States, black Americans under Jim Crow laws, and Palestinians are now one and the same. Zionism is racism, Israel equals Simon Legree, and Black Lives Matter rallies feature Palestinian flags along with anti-Israel and anti-Semitic hate speech. "Israel, we know you, you murder children, too." BLM supporter Marc Lamont Hill added that the group supports dismantling Israel. The Movement for Black Lives, meanwhile, depicted Israel as an "apartheid state" and accused it of genocide.

BLM leader Patrisse Cullors, while speaking in her capacity as a co-founder of BLM as opposed to on her own behalf, called to "end the imperialist project that's called Israel." The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance includes in its definition of anti-Semitism, "Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor." Black Lives Matter therefore appears to fit the IHRA definition of an anti-Semitic organization.

There is indeed an intersectional struggle in this world. It is not a struggle between Caucasians and non-Caucasian people; Palestinian Arabs are Caucasians. Rashida Tlaib is no more a person "of color" than I am, and I am a Caucasian. Hamas, al-Qaeda, Hezb'allah, and ISIS terrorists are almost universally Caucasians. Nor is it a struggle between technologically advanced nations and backward ones; the technologically advanced Nazis were among the most depraved violent savages in this planet's history.

The struggle is between peaceful, civilized people of all races and violent savages of all races, and free people of all races against despots of all races.

Savage Is as Savage Does

The left will immediately depict the phrase "violent savages" as racist, so we will use Belgium's King Leopold II (a white European) to exemplify yet another one. As depicted in Percival Wren's Beau Geste, the villain "[Colour-Sergeant] Lejaune had been dismissed from the Belgian Congo service for brutalities and atrocities exceeding even the limit fixed by good King Leopold's merry men." There is a photo of a father looking at the hand and foot of his five-year-old daughter after King Leopold's violent (Caucasian) savages cut them off, presumably because the father didn't harvest enough rubber. Lejaune appears as Sergeant Major Dagineau, played by Telly Savalas, in the 1966 movie.

Kurtz, the villain in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, was as Caucasian as they come. Conrad, who had been in the Belgian Congo, may have even gotten some ideas from the conduct of "good King Leopold's merry men." Spanish conquistadors also were Caucasians, and their behavior in Central and South America was particularly violent and savage. The same went for Caucasian European, American, and Arab slave traders who kidnapped black people for sale to plantations around the world. Savage is as savage does, and it comes in every conceivable skin color.

The Nazis were proud to be not only Caucasian, but Aryan and depicted Slavic and Semitic Caucasians along with black people as inferior races. Nazi savages caused the deaths of roughly forty million people, including ten percent of their own country's population. Joseph Stalin and his communists were simply another version of the same thing. Mao Zedong's communist savages committed democide (mass murder by a government) of civilized Asians during the Cultural Revolution, and the same government holds power today. It's illegal to glorify Hitler in modern Germany, but Communist China abounds with larger-than-life portraits of Chairman Mao.

Civilization Versus Savagery, Liberty Versus Despotism

Now that we have seen clearly that civilized people and savages can both be of any race, let's look at who falls into these categories today. Israel has equal rights for people of all races and religions, women, and LGBT people. "Palestinian civil society" treats as second-class citizens, or even worse, Jews, Christians, and peaceful Muslims who do not share its violent and depraved ideology. The same goes for women and LGBT people. It is telling that the left's deep concern, as expressed on campuses around the nation, for women and LGBT people ends where Hamas-infested Gaza begins. Perhaps LGBT people in solidarity with "Palestine" should organize a gay pride event in Gaza and let us know how it works out for them when (if) they come back. They will not experience any trouble in Tel Aviv.

Taiwan is a civilized nation while the Chinese communists (ChiComs for short) oppress their people, treat Muslim Uyghurs even worse, and threaten neighboring countries with violence. The Chinese communists, who actually get a Freedom House negative score for political rights, differ little from Nazis except for their possession of nuclear warheads and hypersonic rather than V2 missiles. I didn't even know before I researched this article that a country could get a score of less than zero from Freedom House. The ChiComs must have worked overtime to earn this dubious achievement.

It is, by the way, very important to say "Chinese communists" or "ChiComs" rather than "Chinese." Taiwanese, Hong Kong Chinese, Chinese-Americans, and more than a billion mainland Chinese with the misfortune to live under ChiCom rule do not share the Beijing government's oppressive and expansionist agenda. Iran's savage and violent theocratic rulers, meanwhile, oppress and murder those whom they deem to be the wrong kinds of Muslims, including Baha'is, Sunnis, and peaceful Shiites. Women are second-class citizens, while LGBT people get hanged from cranes. It is noteworthy, by the way, that BLM is not saying their names.

It is past time that the world's free civilized people of all races link arms and join together against the world's violent savages and despots of all races. This means that civilized people will line up with black Americans against white supremacist savages, and also with law-abiding people of all races against looters and rioters of all races. A BLM looting spree is simply a re-enactment of the Nazis' Night of the Broken Glass, with police being ordered to stand down and not intervene. The only real difference between today's loot-a-thons and Kristallnacht is that people of all races are on both the giving and receiving ends. Caucasians are well represented among the looters, and black Americans as well as people of all religions are among the lootees. Civilized people will also line up not only with Israel, but also with Taiwan, Hong Kong, Iranian dissidents, and Palestinian Arabs who want nothing more than to live in peace with their neighbors and build rather than destroy.

Civis Americanus is the pen name of a contributor who remembers the lessons of history, and wants to ensure that our country never needs to learn those lessons again the hard way. The author is remaining anonymous due to the likely prospect of being subjected to "cancel culture" for exposing the Big Lie behind Black Lives Matter.

Image: tomaszmichalkania via Pixabay, Pixabay License.

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As it did in the Kyle Rittenhouse case, the major media relentlessly trumpeted a false story, this time about Jussie Smollett. In both cases the tales were of white supremacists committing horrific crimes. In both cases, when the fabulist tales were rejected by jurors who heard and weighed the evidence, the outcome was ignored or downplayed. But doubtless the distrust of their fellow citizens among the Black community in Kenosha and, then Chicago, and perhaps the country, was heightened by these lies.

In both cases, celebrities and politicians bought and promoted the fake stories. And improbable it was unless you are so nuts you think two masked strangers, whom Smollett thought were White, happened to be walking around Chicago at 2 a.m. on a freezing cold night (wind chill of -40) wearing MAGA hats. And these masked men threw a noose around his neck, yelled racist and homophobic slurs, poured bleach on him and shouted support for Donald Trump. The odds against this account being true are off the charts.

Smollett was well-connected enough that the Cook County state's attorney dropped a 16-count indictment in exchange for a forfeiture of the $10,000 bail he had posted. And that would have been the end of it had not then-mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Chicago police superintendent called that a miscarriage of justice and forced the assignment of a special prosecutor who recommended charging Smollett. Let me be the first -- and perhaps the only one -- to congratulate Emanuel for bucking the tide and standing up for Chicago.

He took some heat for his action. In case you forgot, here are some comments at the NAACP awards at the time.

[Maxine Waters] Nobody got hurt, nobody got shot, nobody was killed, Jussie Smollett had never committed a crime before, she told BE. Chicago has a lot of problems; a lot of killings go on every day. I would much rather they spend time and their money and their effort to apprehend killers and folks that are wreaking havoc on that city. Hazel Dukes, the former NAACP president and the current president of the NAACP New York State Conference, also criticized the response from Mayor Emanuel, who called the dropping of charges against Smollett an unbelievable whitewash of justice. I was upset with the mayors comment, Dukes told BE. As many blacks [that have] been killed by the police officers, he never came out that it was whitewashed when they didnt get put in jail. Black-ish star Anthony Anderson, who served as the host of the Image Awards, expressed his support for Smollett, previously telling Variety that he was rooting for Smollett to win an award. I hope he wins. Im happy for him that the system worked for him in his favor because the system isnt always fair, especially for people of color, Anderson said. So Im glad it worked out for him. Its not my place or any other persons place to judge him or what not, but Im glad that hes nominated I hope he wins because Id be interested to hear his speech.

Smolletts lies cost the city a great deal of money investigating his fairy tale along with an even greater loss -- increased racial disharmony. The special prosecutors investigation resulted in a six-count felony disorderly conduct indictment, and last week a jury found Smollett guilty of five of those six counts.

Smollett bald-facedly lied throughout the trial and the special prosecutor has indicated he may seek further charges -- this time of perjury for lying under oath -- against Smollett.

As unlikely a tale as this was, the number of prominent touters of it was even larger than I recall the Rittenhouse promoters were. Im sure I will miss some, but heres a working list which reveals the broad sweep of the race-baiting pols and organizations and their media enablers.

Joe Biden

Kamala Harris

Maxine Waters

Yamiche Alcindor (NPR)

CNN

The Washington Post

NBC

Nancy Pelosi

Don Lemon

Robin Roberts (Good Morning America)

Black Lives Matter

The NAACP

Bernie Sanders

Alexandria Ocasio--Cortez

Cory Booker

Joy-Ann Reid

Rashida Tlaib

Eric Swalwell

Adam Schiff

Pete Buttigieg

I recognize that we all make mistakes now and then, but the story Smollett peddled was so preposterous, only a moron could credibly claim he believed i t. Others have offered explanations for why the celebrities, politicians, and media so quickly accepted his account. Those include it was yet another effort to tar Trump and Republicans to drive black voters and gays to the polls. Ana Navarro asserted that the fake hate story was believable to many people.

I bet scammers would pay a lot for the list and contact information for the people who truly believed Smolletts cockamamie story. Others might suggest the media covered the Smollett story without in any way questioning its believability because it was sensational, involved a well-known actor, and drew viewers and listeners. Maybe they just were afraid to stand out from the crowd of their peers.

I have another view with which I consider it fair to tar most, if not all, of the Smollett fantasy promoters: They hate you. They hate normal fellow-citizens. They hate anyone capable of the most rudimentary critical thinking. They consider voters sheep whom they can herd into the slaughter pens at their will and despise any of the flock that spot the pen and refuse to enter it. And, in their usual projection, they assume that those they hate are, in fact, hate-filled when they are not.

Here are some of their statements when the preposterous tale was spun. Read this and tell me Im wrong.

Nancy Pelosi: "The racist, homophobic attack on Jussie Smollett is an affront to out humanity. No one should be attacked for who they are or whom they love. I pray that Jussie has a speedy recovery & that justice is served. May we all commit to ending this hate once & for all.

Adam Schiff: I met Jussie Smollett at the Pride Parade in Los Angeles, and Ive seen the passion and moral clarity of his activism first hand. This week he was the victim of an horrific attack. We pray for your speedy recovery, Jussie and reject this act of hatred and bigotry.

Joe Biden: What happened today to @JussieSmollett must never be tolerated in this country.

Pete Buttigieg: While the struggle for basic hate crime legislation continues here in Indiana, this horrible attack calls all Americans to stand against hatred and violence in all its forms.

Did even one of these people assume in the face of a nonsensical explanation that the city of Chicago was populated by racist homophobes so desirous of attacking Jussie they would wander around at 2 a.m. in freezing weather with a noose and bleach to nab him as he sauntered out to Subway for a sandwich? I doubt it. They were willing accomplices in what civil rights pioneer Bob Woodson characterizes as Smolletts moral treason, a mockery of race relations and gay rights. Maybe the black and gay communities havent caught on to it yet, but the hatred of the rest of us extends to them, too. All that blather about loving you is just a mask for their manipulations.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
I offer my perspective on the Smollett hoax and verdict as a longtime Chicago resident.

It is simply incredible that anyone would believe that the "attack" would happen on a night when Chicago was having a polar vortex, and that there would be attackers yelling "MAGA country" out that night (or any night) in one of the most Democratic cities in America. (And who is carrying bleach and a rope at 2 A.M.? And what "celebrity" is going to a Subway at 2 A.M.?) My initial view three years ago when he reported the alleged incident was that Smollett must really be dumb to think that story would be remotely believable. Yet the media largely bought it, as did many progressives and professional race-baiters.

Keep in mind that the already stretched Chicago police department spent over 3,000 man-hours investigating Smollett's hoax, including $130,106 in overtime pay. How many violent crimes could have been stopped or properly investigated over the ensuing months had Smollett not taken up so much of the police force's time?

In any event, Steven Hayward nailed it when he wrote: "Has there ever been a self-immolation as complete as Smollett? Beyond the imagination of Tom Wolfe. It would be good if it marked a turning point in the media-race-hustle-industrial complex, but I doubt it. Still, it might be nice if the phrase 'You're Smollettin' us again!' caught on."

Yes, the story has a good ending: a diverse Chicago jury found Smollett guilty on five out of six felony counts. However, remember that his guilt was as obvious within days of his reporting his fake hate crime as it is today, yet Soros-backed progressive "prosecutor" Kim Foxx (one of many he's supported) tried to sweep it under the rug. Kudos to retired judge Sheila O'Brien for her herculean efforts to revive the case, and for longtime Chicago reporter John Kass for supporting her cause, when so many in the local media wanted to give Smollett a pass.

Justice will truly be served, however, only if Foxx and others like her across the country, all of whom bear significant responsibility for the crime wave sweeping cities across the country, are swept from office by the voters, and Smollett serves significant time in prison for his crimes.

Josh Kantrow is a technology lawyer in Chicago.

Image: Dominick D via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped).

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The recent election in Virginia demonstrated that public education malfeasance is driving blue state voters to change their minds on politics. Thats why I cautiously optimistic about a signature drive in California to place on the ballot a voter initiative that would establish Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) for every student in the state, funded by $13,000 annually from the state.

A bipartisan powerhouse duo is behind the push: former acting DNI and Ambassador to Germany Ric Grennell and former California State Democrat Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero. The group sponsoring the initiative, Fix California, describes the key points, including:

California now spends around $22,000 per year for each child in public school, including around $14,000 from state funds. Spending more on the current and outdated system will not yield better results. Letting parents decide which school offers the best options and learning experiences for their student better utilizes education funds. The increasing demand for alternatives will create a range of exciting educational opportunities that all students can enjoy.

This point is critical, because if the measure obtains the 997,000 signatures necessary to appear on the ballot, there will appear on the official ballot guide sent to every voter, a section called fiscal impact. That section is prominently featured and is read by virtually everyone who chooses to vote on an initiative. In this case, it will have to state that the State of California will save millions of dollars, and local schools will save an even larger amount, depending on how many students take advantage of the program.

That fiscal impact section is one major reason why Californians passed a previous ballot measure making thefts up to $950 misdemeanors. The fiscal impact section said that it would save the state big bucks, from decreased incarceration.

Romeros participation is very important, lending bipartisan appeal and directing the attention of Hispanic voters and parents to the measure. The Federalist reports:

It realizes the promise of education by saying youre not going to be trapped by zip code, Romero told The Federalist, which to me, is the five biggest digits of separation that keep children entrapped in failing schools. (snip) While she endorsed Republican radio host Larry Elder in the recall contest, Romero told The Federalist that Fix California Education was going to be launched regardless of the outcome. [Education] should mobilize parents and voters and Democrats and Republicans, Romero said, adding that she harbored skepticism Republicans would topple Newsom in the recall election to begin with. School choice, however, an issue on which shes diverged from her party platform for more than a decade in the statehouse and beyond, she says should reinforce parents of all political affiliations that they should park their party label at the door.

A very smart aspect of the plan is:

Any unused funds in the Education Savings Account, and the investment earnings of such funds, will be rolled over for future school years.

And:

Upon completion of high school or GED, up to $60,000 remaining in the students Education Savings Account will be available for that child for college or vocational school.

This will attract parents worried about college or vocational training for their kids. Which is almlost all of them.

The teachers unions will spend almost unthinkable sums of money to try to defeat the initiative if it makes it to the ballot. But my sense is that their successful demands that schools close last year and their insistence on masking now have squandered a lot of public goodwill. Many parents overheard the zoom classes their kids attended and were shocked. They also realize that their kids have fallen far behind where they should be thanks to the closures.

Meanwhile, Gavin Newsoms kids went to class at the private school they attended. At a minimum, it will be amusing watching the unions and their paid-for politicians arguing that your kids shouldnt have the same options rich people like Newsom have.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
To get a sense of Joe Biden's "experienced leadership" in foreign affairs, consider how China is suddenly talking

According to American Military News (hat tip: Trending Politics):

Chinese state media threatened on Thursday that China will attack U.S. troops who attempt to defend Taiwan if China starts war with the island nation. The U.S. has said that China is readying for an attack on Taiwan. Chinas Global Times wrote, It is credible that the PLA will heavily attack US troops who come to Taiwans rescue. Such credibility is increasingly overwhelming the deterrence that US troops may have. China conducts near-daily warplane flights around Taiwan, who governs itself as an independent nation, but which China claims as its own territory. China also conducted live bombing drills on islands in the South China Sea last week as another measure to intimidate and pressure Taiwan. The U.S. has continued its freedom of navigation flights and warship transits in the region to ensure free passage for all nations in the disputed territory. If Washington supports the Taiwan authoritys path of seeking secession and encourages the Taiwan authority to rely on it, then reunification by force will definitely happen. The more the U.S. and the island of Taiwan collude, the sooner reunification by force will come, the Global Times added.

It sounds like they are spoiling for a fight. The American Military Times notes that bluster like this is not uncommon from China but they've never directly threatened to attack U.S. troops as they are now. Anyone got confidence that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, the man who botched Afghanistan, and who telephoned up his Chinese counterparts to warn them about that awful warmonger Trump and how he'd stop him, would know what he is doing on this front? Based on this report, he was sidling up to jackals ready to attack. He couldn't scare a fly now.

The belligerance comes at a bad time, when Vladimir Putin has been rattling his sabres against Ukraine, probably does intend to invade in 2022, and has otherwise been aligning with China in military exercises. Some experts have been warning for years that the U.S. should be doing all in its power to separate China from Russia and play them off against one another instead of letting them pair up with each pursuing their imperial ambitions from west to east. What's Joe been doing?

Old foreign policy pro Joe Biden doesn't seem to have been doing this and the results now speak for themselves. What a nasty start to what looks like a newly emboldened China's long war against the West.

Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License

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Americans are aware of the term "gaslighting." Repeat a lie enough times, and people begin to wonder about their sense of reality. It is a tactic used by Democrats and the progressive left to effectively brainwash sizable numbers of the population into believing their lies. Unfortunately, unless those lies are uttered under oath or spoken as truth to federal law enforcement agencies, there is no penalty for intentionally misleading the American public.

The list of these phony non-events grows daily. Jussie Smollett's never-believable hoax (at least to folks with a lick of sense) foisted upon the city of Chicago cost the windy city over $130,000 to investigate. While the disgraced actor's story had more holes in it than Swiss cheese, the legitimacy granted it by people such as Kamala Harris, who called Smollett's plight a "modern-day lynching," and Joe Biden's "What happened today to @Jussie Smollett must never be tolerated in this country" allowed the actor's hoax to continue to be played out publicly until his inevitable conviction, though questionable actors such as BLM state that the verdict is a sham because "police always lie."

At the time immediately after Smollett's attack, President Trump took a more prudent approach, stating, "If true, it doesn't get much worse than this." Notice that neither Biden nor Harris prefaced their incendiary remarks with "if true." Whether or not our two highest elected officials actually believed Smollett's nonsense is not important. They publicly supported and lent credence to the hoax, thus ensuring that it would be played out before the entire nation.

No one in memory has been more maligned by politician and media lies than Donald Trump. From the Russian collusion/obstruction farce, the phony Steele dossier, and two sham impeachments to unwarranted blame for the devastation of the COVID-19 virus, Trump was never given a moment's peace by a bloodthirsty press. Countless millions of dollars of taxpayer money were spent on the Mueller investigation and other witch hunts promulgated by mendacious politicians such as Hillary Clinton, Jerrold Nadler, and Adam Schiff, all of whom failed to demonstrate any fraud or criminality on the part of Mr. Trump. That he chooses to continue to fight back against the legions of lies written and spoken about him says much about the strength of his character.

This past week, possibly in feigned tribute to Steven Sondheim, the marvelous songwriter/composer who died recently, Hillary Clinton was sent in and thoroughly beclowned herself by reading her intended 2016 victory speech as part of a "Master Class" she is giving on the power of resilience. It can only be assumed that we are meant to see the wonders that her election would have provided the nation in this ultimate gaslighting attempt. While details of Mr. Sondheim's funeral are unpublished at this time, it is rumored that he, barely cooled to room temperature and freshly interred, can be heard spinning through six feet of covering soil and newly placed sod. "Send in the Clowns," indeed.

While gaslighting fittingly defines what is happening in our fallacious media and the utterances of a high percentage of Democrat politicians, there is an old expression that sums it up even better: "Don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining." Perhaps their obsession with the nonsense of climate change has made the left unable to recognize the color of the precipitation, but you won't fool me with yellow rain.

Image: Chris Dodds via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.

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It's never a good thing when locals warn you to stay out of their crime-infested city.

When it's the police themselves, well, then it's pretty obvious the city has a problem.

Which has brought us this:

The Los Angeles police are telling the public not to come into the area for Christmas because its like The Purge movie. LAPD Detective Jamie McBride recently told media, My [message] to anybody considering coming to Los Angeles is Dont, he said. We cant guarantee your safety. It is really, really out of control [] Its like that movie Purge [sic]. Instead of 24 hours to commit your crime, these bad people have 365 days to commit whatever they want.

The video can be viewed at the Conservative Treehouse site here. A similar one is here:

And who better would know about the crime situation of a city than the local cops?

A rabidly leftwing Soros-financed district attorney, a wokester political class that defunds the police, zero bail, an absentee mayor, and one brazen crime after another going unpunished seem to have amounted to a petri dish for the continuous crime that is now plaguing the huge sprawling city of Los Angeles. Not even the wealthy of Beverly Hills have been able to escape it, a wealthy philanthropist's wife was recently killed in her home in the one of the wealthier and presumably more protected parts of that wealthy city-within-the-big-city -- by a two-bit lowlife robber who should have been in jail, signaling that no one in that metropolitan area is really safe. The fancy Nordstrom's over at high-end 'The Grove' shopping center not far away with the same telephone prefix as Beverly Hills was recently targeted in a smash-and-grab mass looting. Rodeo Drive has had problems and been on the alert, too, as have the area's dining establishments, whose customers have been subject to mass robbings of their purses and watches by organized robbers. It's gotten so bad that Beverly Hills residents are arming up now.

According to Michael Shellenberger, writing for the New York Post a couple days ago:

Ive always been anti-gun, said Debbie Mizrahie of Beverly Hills. But I am right now in the process of getting myself shooting lessons because I now understand that there may be a need for me to know how to defend myself and my family. Were living in fear. During Black Lives Matter protests last year, Mizrahie told The Post, her neighbors home was firebombed with Molotov cocktails. My kids were outside and they saw a huge explosion, she said. [The neighbors] backyard went up in smoke. Trees burned down  But its only gotten worse. Beverly Hills has been targeted. Mizrahie, a 40-something mother of two teenagers, isnt alone. Ever since the protests last year descended into riots and lootings, a growing number of Beverly Hills residents have been buying weapons. Its gotten to a point where residents feel insecure even going from their door to their car, said resident Shirley Reitman. A lot of residents are applying for a concealed carry weapon permit, even though thats a great challenge in LA County.

That's fancy, placid, green and lovely Beverly Hills. Imagine what the rest of the city is like.

The police union official's remarks come in stark contrast to what the police brass with their political concerns are saying -- that crime is down.

Last October, CBS2 reported that they were singing a different tune, and Los Angeles crime trends looked like this:

At the bottom of the page were statistics on shootings. There had been 1,202 shooting victims this year as of the morning briefing, an increase of nearly 20% over the 1,007 at the same point in 2020 and nearly 50% over the 802 at the same point in 2019. There had been 326 homicides, compared with 277 last year. They included 72 cases in which the victim was homeless  a 33% increase over 2020  and 35 in which the suspect was homeless.

The police chief at the time described the Los Angeles crime issue as a problem of "compounding."

Everyone knows that crime is out of control because criminals know they are going to get away with it. The police have been demonized, bail has been eliminated, and now the cops are helpless. The only thing to do now is get away from the place, as the police union official has urged. What a miserable message to see coming frrom the innards of the city. Seems Joe Friday's "the city" doesn't exist any more.

Image: Screen shot from Fox News video, via shareable YouTube

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The first Constitutional provision is contained in Article I, Section 7, Clause 1 which provides that all bills for the raising of revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives. It is relevant that the Senate cannot originate bills for raising revenue (although it can propose amendments) since, at the time the Constitution was ratified, the concept was that the House represented the people and the Senate represented individual states. The Senate was the more aristocratic chamber, representing states without regard to population, and the House was intended to be more accountable to citizens who were organized into districts to facilitate such accountability. The burdens of taxation and revenue generation were to originate in the body most attuned to popular sentiment, because the burdens to be borne by the citizenry should not be imposed outside of the legislative process most accountable to the public. Free people should have to assent, collectively, to the imposition of financial burdens necessary to achieve the objectives of the Union.

The second relevant provision is contained in Article I, Section 8, Clause 11, which provides that Congress shall have the power to declare war. This again reflects the idea that the burdens of war must be approved through the representatives who are ultimately accountable to the people.

The third Constitutional provision is contained in Article IV, Section IV, and provides that the United States shall guarantee to each State a republican form of government. In Federalist 39, Madison defined a Republic as "a government which derives all its powers directly or indirectly from the people... It is essential to such a government that it be derived from the great body of the society, not from an inconsiderable proportion, or a favored class of it; otherwise, a handful of tyrannical nobles, exercising by a delegation of their powers, might aspire to the rank of republicans." Madison further explained the rationale guaranteeing each state a republican form of government in Federalist 43: "...who can say what experiments may be produced by the caprice of particular States, by the ambition of enterprising leaders, or by the intrigues and influence of foreign powers?" Hamilton, in Federalist 21, similarly asked "who can predict what effect a despotism, established in Massachusetts, would have upon the liberties of New Hampshire or Rhode Island, of Connecticut or New York?" It is important to note that Hamilton was explicitly concerned about liberties, prioritizing them above other considerations.

One may summarize these foundational arguments by concluding that the Constitution guarantees to each State a republican form of government because that is necessary to safeguard the liberties of the people.

The Constitutional design is very well thought out, historically informed, and practical. It recognizes the people as the source of legitimate government power and authority, and recognizes that the republican form of government is congenial to this principle as well as to the paramount virtue of liberty.

We may contrast the foregoing Constitutional principles, wise and practical as they are, with a few recent vignettes.

In a 2012 commentary published in the journal mBio, Anthony Fauci argued that, with respect to gain-of-function research on influenza viruses, "...the benefits of such experiments and the resulting knowledge outweigh the risks." He made this comment just after acknowledging that those risks included a pandemic. Ignoring the hubris and unjustified assumptions that underlie his reasoning, Fauci's comments raise a couple of points. The first is that he is not elected, he is not a representative accountable to the people, yet he imposing a burden on the people, i.e. the risk of a fatal pandemic, without the people giving their consent. Furthermore, in subsequent statements, he (as well as President Biden) has insinuated that "public health" is more important than liberty, an assessment that is solely the right of the people to make for themselves. He is the epitome of an arrogant elite, Madison's "favored class" who apparently believes that he has the right to determine for the nation and the world whether they should bear the risks of a devastatingly fatal pandemic. He also seems to presume which liberties the people should do without, in the interests of what he naively thinks is science and public health.

Several state governors used the pandemic to place explicit restrictions on rights to assemble, work, attend school, travel etc. under the guise of open-ended "emergency powers." These again were executive actions, often promulgated by unelected administrative bureaucrats without the assent of people or their elected representatives. Beyond a week or so, to the extent that such interventions were reasonable at all, the deference to executive power and bureaucratic ukases were definitely not a republican form of government, and should have been limited on that basis. Likewise, when the President attempted administrative legerdemain, which he admitted was unconstitutional, such as having the CDC impose an eviction moratorium, or the OSHA impose vaccine mandates, he was imposing burdens on the people without their assent or the assent of their elected representatives. The President was not only flouting the Constitution in violation of his oath, he was demonstrating the despotism which Hamilton and Madison recognized as destructive.

The people who drafted and ratified the Constitution were aware that nations sometimes had to suffer leaders who are corrupt, stupid, opportunistic and short-sighted. They knew that what they referred to as the Blessings of Liberty were not a natural concern of the ambitious and historically ignorant. That is why they wrote a constitution and provided the institutions by which the public will directs the government. But the Constitution is an operating manual, not an insurance policy. The people still have to provide upkeep and maintenance. We have to take advantage of the processes and mechanisms available to us to defend our liberties and reject the notion that any cabal of experts, or tech billionaires, or media celebrities, or venal politicians either knows or cares what is best for us. We have to deal with the risk of being called uncaring or hateful or a supremacist of one form or the other when we assert the simple premise that liberty is more important than safety, and no bureaucratic pronouncement to the contrary is valid. We have to have the confidence to demand that no unaccountable bureaucracy can impose general burdens on the people without the peoples consent. We have to make our elected representatives affirm this. To the extent that there are any bans or mandates at all, they should be subject to legislative oversight and approval, not just administrative decree.

There can be no liberty without courage. We have to have the courage to show that we are worthy of the Blessings of Liberty that the people who drafted and ratified the Constitution left to us.

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Julian Assange has had a stroke in prison due to the constant chess game over his future, his fiancee has claimed.

The Wikileaks founder, 50, is said to have suffered a stroke at the time of a High Court battle over whether or not he should be extradited to the US.

He is being held at HMP Belmarsh, a high-security mens prison in south-east London.

Stella Moris, 38, who is the mother of his two children, tweeted: Julian Assange suffered a stroke on the first day of the High Court appeal hearing on October 27th. He needs to be freed. Now.

Stella Moris is seen outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Friday (Kirsty OConnor/PA)

In an interview with the Mail On Sunday, she said: Julian is struggling and I fear this mini-stroke could be the precursor to a more major attack. It compounds our fears about his ability to survive, the longer this long legal battle goes on.

It urgently needs to be resolved. Look at animals trapped in cages in a zoo. It cuts their life short. Thats whats happening to Julian. The never-ending court cases are extremely stressful mentally.

She added: I believe this constant chess game, battle after battle, the extreme stress, is what caused Julians stroke on October 27 he was in a truly terrible state. His eyes were out of sync, his right eyelid would not close, his memory was blurry.

Assange is wanted in America over an alleged conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information following WikiLeaks publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

US authorities brought a High Court challenge against a January ruling by then-district judge Vanessa Baraitser that Assange should not be sent to the US, in which she cited a real and oppressive risk of suicide.

After a two-day hearing in October, the Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett, sitting with Lord Justice Holroyde, ruled in favour of the US on Friday.

BREAKING: Julian #Assange suffered a stroke on the first day of the High Court appeal hearing on October 27th. He needs to be freed. Now. #FreeAssange https://t.co/yNg8HGUoAD  Stella Moris #FreeAssangeNOW (@StellaMoris1) December 11, 2021

The senior judges found that the judge had based her decision on the risk of Assange being held in highly restrictive prison conditions if extradited.

However, the US authorities later gave assurances that Assange would not face those strictest measures either pre-trial or post-conviction unless he committed an act in the future that required them.

Ms Moris said on Friday that his lawyers intend to take his case to the Supreme Court, the UKs highest court.

Justices will, however, have to decide first whether to hear the case before any appeal is heard.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice told the PA news agency it would not comment on individual cases.
Chris Wallace is leaving Fox News Channel, he announced on his program Sunday morning, and will join the CNN Plus streaming-video outlet, a move that abruptly sunders the cable-news outlets connection with one of its most recognized and independent journalists.

Wallace delivered the news himself, in the last minutes of his Fox News Sunday, which he has anchored for nearly two decades on the Fox Corporation-owned outlet. I want to try something new, to go beyond politics to all the things Im interested in. Im ready for a new adventure. And I hope youll check it out, said Wallace. The words will be the last he utters on the program.

CNN confirmed Wallaces jump less than two hours after he announced his departure, and said he would lead a daily show during which he would interview newsmakers from the worlds of politics, business, sports and culture. Fox News last announced a contract extension for Wallace in 2017, and his current agreement with Fox News is believed to coming to an end.

The move adds another chapter to the story of the 74-year-old journalist, who is the son of legendary 60 Minutes correspondent Mike Wallace and a former moderator of NBCs Meet The Press, and has developed a reputation for asking even heads of state difficult, thorny questions. And it also illustrates the growing frenzy around streaming news, as big TV networks test ways to lure a rising generation of news junkies who are increasingly getting relevant information via social media and mobile video.

Fox News Channel is expected to fill Sunday, which has been an integral part of its programing since 1996, when it was launched with moderator Tony Snow, with a rotation of hosts. Bret Baier, John Roberts, Shannon Bream, Martha MacCallum, Jennifer Griffin, Neil Cavuto, Dana Perino and Bill Hemmer are among the networks news staffers who are likely to take the Sunday seat in weeks to come, according to a person familiar with the matter. We are extremely proud of our journalism and the stellar team that Chris Wallace was a part of for 18 years. The legacy of Fox News Sunday will continue with our star journalists, many of whom will rotate in the position until a permanent host is named, the network said in a statement.

Among Fox News pantheon of on-air personalities, Wallace cut a different figure. He didnt push a particular partisan side, but instead burnished a reputation for challenging authority. People know that Im going to ask probing questions and that its not going to be softball, Wallace told Variety in 2019.

In doing so, he lent credibility to a network with opinion hosts who often generate controversy. Wallace is the first employee in Fox News Channels 25 years of existence to get nominated for an Emmy, for his July 2018 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He was also the first Fox News anchor to moderate a general-election presidential debate, in 2016. He also moderated a debate between then-President Donald Trump and then-challenger Joe Biden before the 2020 election. The debate proved chaotic as the two candidates parried around Wallaces efforts to keep order. Subsequently, President Trump revealed he had tested positive for coronavirus and Wallace and other Fox News Channel personnel were tested. Wallace tested negative.

CNN has been aggressively hiring for its soon-to-launch streaming effort, a new initiative that comes after many of its rivals have already entered the broadband market. Fox News debuted the subscription-based Fox Nation in 2018, and has since that time launched separate streaming hubs aimed at overseas customers and weather aficionados. NBCUniversal, which backs MSNBC, has also set up a portfolio of streaming products, including bespoke efforts around its Today morning franchise; a general-news service, NBC News Now; and a progressive-news outlet, The Choice, that is affiliated with MSNBC.

There is more. ABC News has a new production deal with George Stephanopoulos that has already resulted in two documentary specials for Hulu, and yesterday released coverage of Good Morning America co-anchor Michael Strahans trip to space with Blue Origin. CBS News intends to bring together its linear newsgathering with that of its streaming outlet, CBSN.

In July, CNN poached Kasie Hunt, the up-and-coming NBC News congressional correspondent, for CNN Plus, and since that time has also recruited Jenn Suozzo, the former executive producer of NBC Nightly News. CNN said in July it intended to bolster its new service with original programming that would make it distinct from its flagship cable outlet.

CNN has filled countless minutes of its schedule with criticism of Fox News Channel, but it has benefitted over the years by hiring some of its veteran personnel. Alisyn Camerota, a staple of Fox News Channels daytime schedule, has thrived at CNN in mornings and afternoons. CNN earlier this year hired Kristin Fisher, a Fox News Channel White House correspondent, to cover space and defense. And CNN famously hired Paula Zahn in 2001, and she anchored a handful of different programs until 2007.

Fox News has come under scrutiny for the amount of time it devotes to opinion programming, which represents its most popular and most watched offerings, and its news content. The network pushed Shannon Breams 11 p.m. news show, Fox News @ Night to midnight in favor of a late-night program led by Greg Gutfeld, which has proven to be one of its biggest successes in recent years. Fox News 7 p.m. hour, which had been led by Martha MacCallum, was made into an opinion-led hour, and is anchored by a rotating array of hosts.

And yet, the election wasnt the initial catalyst. The networks news division suffered a blow in perception after Shepard Smith, who led Fox News breaking-news coverage for years and sometimes challenged opinion hosts like Tucker Carlson on air, parted ways with the network in 2019. He subsequently took the reins of an evening-news program on CNBC.

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Elizabeth Hurley posed in a leopard bikini to celebrate receiving her COVID booster. (Photo by Dominik Bindl/Getty Images)

Elizabeth Hurley is celebrating in the sun.

The Royals alum, 56, took to Instagram to share some news with her followers. She posted a photo of herself sporting a leopard print bikini and white robe on the beach, with her hands to the sky, captioning the joyous pic, Yeeeessssss! Covid booster today. Thank you.

Hurleys followers applauded the post, with one writing, Gorgeous! Glad you are staying safe! Another added, This pic is an Instagram booster!

The model, who lives in the United Kingdom but lately has been spending much time on the beach filming her holiday movie Christmas in the Caribbean, previously took to Instagram to share when she received her initial vaccine doses in May.

Thank you to the NHS for my second Astra Zeneca Covid vaccine, she captioned a photo of herself holding up a pin honoring frontline healthcare workers. I am very grateful. Thank you to all the courageous NHS workers who have sacrificed so much to keep us safe. All my family in my age group and older are now double vaccinated. All my younger family members will be registering as soon as their age groups open up. I am so looking forward to downloading proof of my vaccines from the NHS app.

Hurley also routinely posts pics of herself wearing bathing suits from her swimwear collection, a project that shes particularly passionate about. She told Extra TV earlier this year of her many Instagram photos on the beach, I have my own swimwear line. I wouldnt ordinarily be prancing around in quite so much beachwear, so there is a reason behind prancing around in so many swimsuits.

Recently, the Austin Powers star bid farewell to the Caribbean, writing in an Instagram post, Bye bye glorious Caribbean- its been a blast- in spite of the sprained ankle. Thank you to the cast & crew of #christmasinthecaribbean for working around me with such grace and good humour.
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (AP)  Search efforts at an Amazon facility in Illinois where at least six people were killed in a tornado were expected to take several days, but authorities said they did not expect to find additional survivors.

The company has not said how many people were in the building not far from St. Louis when the tornado hit at 8:35 p.m. Friday  part of a swarm of twisters across the Midwest and the South that leveled entire communities. Authorities said they didn't have a full count of employees because it was during a shift change and there were several part-time employees.

Both sides of the warehouse used to prepare orders for delivery collapsed inward and the roof caved, Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford said at a Saturday news conference.

Authorities received reports of workers being trapped and the fire unit arrived within six minutes, according to Whiteford. Police helped pull people from the rubble. While 45 employees survived, six people were killed and a seventh person was airlifted to a hospital.

Whiteford said crews would search the rubble for several days.

The damage was extensive; the structure's steel support pillars were exposed after the walls and roof caved.

These walls are made out of 11-inch thick concrete, and theyre about 40 feet tall, so a lot of weight from that came down, Whiteford said.

Employee Amanda Goss had just started her first week in a new job as an Amazon delivery driver when the tornado hit.

As I look up, the corner of the building was shaking, and it comes down the garage area and then I felt the gates coming in behind me, Goss told KTVI-TV. All I do is sit there in my van hoping it dont move.

Madison County Coroner Stephen Nonn on Sunday identified the six people who were killed. Four were from Illinois: 26-year-old Austin J. McEwen of Edwardsville, 29-year-old Clayton Lynn Cope of Alton, 46-year-old Larry E. Virden of Collinsville and 62-year-old Kevin D. Dickey of Carlyle. Two others  28-year-old Deandre S. Morrow and 34-year-old Etheria S. Hebb  were from St. Louis.

Copes mother, Carla, told media outlets that her son, Clayton, was a maintenance worker and she was on the phone with him right before the building was hit and pushed him to get shelter. She said her son loved his job, fishing and his dog Draco.

The Amazon facility, among three in Edwardsville, is a 1.1 million square foot (102,193 square meter) delivery station that employs about 190 workers across several shifts, according to Amazon. The facility, which opened in July 2020, prepares orders for last-mile delivery to customers. Edwardsville is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of St. Louis.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their loved ones, and everyone impacted by the tornado, Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said in a statement. Were continuing to support our employees and partners in the area.

Amazon said that when a site is made aware of a tornado warning, all employees are notified and directed to move to a shelter.

But company officials declined to answer specific questions about when employees were warned.

A union representing retail employees that has pushed to organize Amazon employees blasted the company for dangerous labor practices for having employees work during the severe weather.

Time and time again Amazon puts its bottom line above the lives of its employees, Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union Requiring, said in a statement. Requiring workers to work through such a major tornado warning event as this was inexcusable.
The highest offer of Rs 2.4 crore was made to a student while 22 other students got offers in the CTC range of Rs 0.9-2.4 crore

IIT KGP placed 1500 plus students on the seventh day (i.e December 7, 2021) of its placement drive which surpassed all the previous years' total placement figures. (Photo: PTI/File)

Kolkata: Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur students have received more 1,600 job offers, the highest placement among all IITs, a statement issued by the premier institute said.

IIT Kharagpur achieved this feat in Phase I of placement season 2021 by achieving the target within 10 days, the statement said on Saturday.

The highest offer of Rs 2.4 crore was made to a student while 22 other students got offers in the CTC range of Rs 0.9-2.4 crore.

Due to the early progress, IIT Kharagpur has concluded the first phase of placement for this year by December 11 and the second phase is proposed to start in the second week of January 2022.

It started with the Career Development Centre (CDC) of IIT Kharagpur receiving 400 plus Pre Placement offers (PPO).

IIT KGP placed 1500 plus students on the seventh day (i.e December 7, 2021) of its placement drive which surpassed all the previous years' total placement figures.

IIT Kharagpur students bagged over 22 offers in the CTC range of Rs 0.9 - 2.4 crore of which over 10 offers were made by domestic companies. The total number of international offers are more than 35. The average number of hires per company has also increased, leading to an overall increase in the number of offers per day.

More than 245 companies have participated in this placement season thus contributing to this milestone. This year companies across all sectors including software, high-level coding, analytics, consulting, core engineering companies, banking/finance, high frequency trading, etc, have participated in the process.

In the first phase of the placement session Google, Microsoft, Micron Technology, Uber, Honeywell, Excel and many more valuable partners have led to this successful run, the statement said.

Chairman, Career Development Centre, IIT Kharagpur, Prof. A Rajakumar, thanked all the recruiters for their "wonderful cooperation and said that they look forward to nourish the relationship and expedite more."
Middle class India, from which the corporate sector draws most of its managers, is largely bilingual, often tri- and multi-lingual

Every time that a person of Indian origin becomes the head of a global corporation there is much celebratory reporting in the media in this country and much hand-wringing about the costs and benefits of talent migration. If more middle-class Indians are going up the managerial ranks internationally than they are at home, it is because most Indian companies are still largely family dominated at the top.

Apart from the one odd Natarajan Chandrasekaran heading the Tata empire or a Suresh Narayanan heading Nestle India, there are not many professionals at the top of corporate pyramids in India. Even when such managers play important roles within firms, they remain below the radar and allow members of the business family all the glory of corporate success. So, for example, many may know the names of Mukesh Ambanis children, but how many would have heard of P.M.S. Prasad, a graduate of Vivek Vardhini College, Hyderabad, who is among the elder Ambanis top managers, providing significant leadership at Reliance Industries?

There is, however, an important reason why Indians are doing so well running global firms and this does not get enough attention at business schools and in the business media.

Within a few months after the Indian economy opened up to the world in 1991, I had a chance encounter with the head of Henley Management College, located at Henley-upon-Thames in Britain. He held forth about how he would like Indian managers to participate in their management development programmes that would prepare them for roles in global firms. India is going global, Indians will have to learn to deal with non-Indians in different business and managerial circumstances, he said, and added that cross-cultural management is the key to success.

We in Britain, he told me loftily, have centuries of experience managing global business and understand cross-cultural management issues better than anyone else. From the Chinese in the East to Indians in South Asia to Africans across the continent, the British business elite have managed the most diverse cultures and so can teach a thing or two to Indians now seeking global careers.

While appreciating his point, I reminded him that India already had long experience in cross-cultural management because we have firms in Kolkata run by Marwaris, in Mumbai run by South Indians and in South India run by Punjabis. India is itself a multi-cultural nation and large Indian firms are populated from the managerial top to the working-class ground level with people from across the sub-continent. The Indian civil service, I told him, is the best pool of talent of cross-cultural managers with a young Punjabi officer posted as a district collector in Kerala and suchlike, dealing with the millions around him. Clearly, I was not very impressed by his pitch.

The Henley College, originally the Administrative Staff College and set up in 1945 to train public sector managers, was the inspiration for the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), at Bella Vista in Hyderabad. The ASCI was founded as the Indian equivalent and was meant to train middle management. India had an extremely large public sector where managers would have to have experience in cross-cultural management. A Tamilian or a Maharashtrian head of Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd, running a huge firm with thousands of employees from across the sub-continent, could only succeed if he knew the art of cross-cultural management.

After my chat with the Henley head, I suggested to the then principal of ASCI, Hyderabad, that the college should offer the kind of course that Henley was offering and it may well attract managers from across Asia and Africa and not just from within India. If the head of a British institution could claim better understanding of cross-cultural issues in management merely because Britain once had an empire on which the sun had never set, India could claim with equal pride that it has always been the original home of cross-cultural management. I have no idea what happened to that suggestion, and whether the ASCI has kept in step with the changing times.

Middle class India, from which the corporate sector draws most of its managers, is largely bilingual, often tri- and multi-lingual. Most urban Indians growing up in a cosmopolitan social environment learn to deal with different cultures from childhood onwards. This instils in Indian managers a much higher emotional quotient (EQ) that contributes to their success in cross-cultural management.

Management experts identify the key elements of emotional intelligence as self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills. Middle class urban life offers a good environment for developing such sensitivities. That is the crucible in which the Chandrasekarans, Suresh Narayanans and P.M.S. Prasads are schooled to then become top managers in large multicultural managerial environments.

So, while it is true that the rise to the top of a corporate pyramid by a Satya Nadella, an Indira Nooyi and a Sundar Pichai may be on account of the open and supportive corporate environment offered by the United States and its global firms, one must also recognise that their success in a global multicultural corporate environment also owes to their roots in the multiculturalism of our urban middle class life.

I have no idea if Henley College still runs that course. Britain has become far too insular and distant from a fast-changing world to have retained the skills of imperial management to be a relevant home for cross-cultural management education.

India is in fact a better place for managers from mono-cultural societies to learn to deal with multicultural organisations. When the Japanese and South Korean firms first set up a manufacturing base in India, they found their own nationals socially ill-equipped and lacking the EQ required to run their India operations. Many had to hire Indian CEOs.

It was perhaps no accident that Osamu Suzuki, chairman, Suzuki Motor Corporation, was pleased with his two Indian CEOs, R.C. Bhargava and Jagdish Khattar, both drawn from a great pool of experience in cross-cultural management  the Indian Administrative Service.

If more family-owned Indian firms hand over their top management to professionals, then India too would have its Nooyis and Nadellas staying home.
During the Angelus Francis appealed for peace in Ukraine and blessed the statues of the Child Jesus (Bambinelli) for the Christmas nativity scenes. Lets choose something concrete, said the Pope, that is adapted to our situation in life, and lets continue doing it to prepare us for this Christmas. He concluded offering his best wishes to Caritas Internationalis for its 70th anniversary.

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  At the end of the Angelus, Francis spoke in St. Peter's Square against the arms race. A statistic I read recently saddens me greatly: more weapons were produced this year than last year. Weapons are not the right path, he said.

In his address, the pontiff also made an appeal for the Ukraine, its Churches and its people, expressing hope that the tensions it is experiencing might be resolved through a serious international dialogue and not with weapons.

Francis focused on Christmas in the Angelus, which was recited in front of a square full of young people holding statues of the Child Jesus to be placed in nativity scenes, which the pontiff blessed.

Commenting on the Gospel in today's liturgy, the Pope focused on the question that people addressed to John the Baptist: What then should we do? (Lk 3:10). Such a question, Francis said, does not stem from a sense of duty, but from enthusiasm for His coming.

God elevates this question to a higher level: what should I do with my life? What am I called to? What will I become? Thus, By suggesting this question, the Gospel reminds us of something important: life has a task for us. Life is not meaningless; it is not left up to chance.

Advent asks us this question with special vigour. The Advent Season is meant for this: to stop and ask ourselves how to prepare for Christmas. We are so busy with all the preparations, with gifts and things that pass. But let us ask ourselves what we should do for Jesus and for others!

[T]he Gospel lists John the Baptists responses that are different for each group. [. . .] He directs a specific word to each person that responds to their actual situation in life because faith is incarnated in concrete life. It is not an abstract theory.

From this follows the question addressed to everyone: How can I do my part? The answer is Lets choose something concrete, even if it is small, that is adapted to our situation in life, and lets continue doing it to prepare us for this Christmas. For example: I can call a person who is alone, visit that elderly person or that person who is ill, do something to serve a poor person, someone in need.

More still, maybe I need to ask forgiveness, grant forgiveness, clarify a situation, pay a debt. Perhaps I have neglected prayer and after so much time has elapsed, its time to ask the Lord for forgiveness. Brothers and sisters, lets find something concrete and do it!

After the Angelus, the Pope offered his prayers for the victims of the tornadoes that struck Kentucky, United States, and warmly greeted the many Latin American faithful present in St Peter's Square to recite the rosary to Our Lady of Guadalupe on her feast day.

May the Virgin, Francis told them, move us toward conversion and the renewal of the Church and of society that we need so much in the Americas.

Finally, the pontiff concluded his address by offering his best wishes to Caritas Internationalis, the Churchs loving hand outstretched to the poor and the most vulnerable", which is celebrating its 70th anniversary.

I invite you to carry your service forward with humility and creativity, said Francis, continue your work in streamlining the organisation so that the money doesnt go to the organisation but to the poor.
Historically speaking, the F-22 Raptor must be one of the shortest-lived military fighters ever made, at least as far as the select group of airplanes that got inducted into service go.Lockheed Martin started flying it around in 1997, but it was only in 2005 that it conducted its first operational flight. The mighty machine was supposed to take on threats that kind of disappeared from sight in the meantime, like say enemy nations with organized armies.Since, at least for now (and thankfully) thats no longer the case, something had to step in and fill the gap. That something are terrorist groups, against whom the deployment of such a level of sophistication is mostly useless.So that, and restrictions imposed on exports, meant that production of the F-22 stopped six years after it was first flown for missions, in 2011. During that time, Lockheed made 195 of them, including test aircraft, and the U.S. Air Force is the only one that uses them.Given how the airplanes cost a fortune to make (an estimated $334 million per piece, including R&D), the American military didnt discard them, and still uses Raptors.Proof of that, if more was needed, is this photo here, showing one of four F-22s assigned to the 1st Fighter Wing as it conducts an integration exercise with the F-35A Lightning IIs from the 134th Fighter Squadron (these ones are not visible in this image).The drill took place at the beginning of November at the South Burlington ANG Base in Vermont. As per the USAF, the reasoning behind the exercise was to give pilots of both types of airplanes a chance to perfect their skills and be more effective in hostile environments.
ECU

Tipping the scales at 478 pounds (217 kg) dry, the KTM 1190 Adventure R isnt the lightest candidate in its class, but it does manage to be surprisingly agile on and off the tarmac. This rugged piece of machinery debuted in 2014, thus replacing the Austrian manufacturers acclaimed 990 Adventure R.The bikes liquid-cooled 1,195cc V-twin power source  whose efficiency eclipses that of its predecessor  is good for up to 148 feral horses and 92 pound-feet (125 Nm) of unrelenting torque. A six-speed claw-shifted gearbox delivers the engines oomph to an X-ring drive chain, while a selection of high-end WP suspension goodies provides optimal wheel travel for off-road conquests.KTMs gladiator boasts a humungous fuel capacity of 6.1 gallons (23 liters), which will certainly have you covered on extended trips. Now, imagine this: youre having a blast as you cruise around on a 2015 MY Adventure R and, all of a sudden, a Honda Civic bumps into your precious ride.This, ladies and gents, is precisely what happened to a fellow rider from Oakland, California. Fortunately, he was completely unharmed following the collision, but the same cant be said for his beloved 1190. The creatures bodywork had been cracked, and its chromoly frame was bent, so the owner decided to have it transformed into a bespoke 990 Supermoto-inspired stunner.He got in touch with RATicate Racing frontman David LaBree, who was more than happy to bless his two-wheeled companion with a second shot at life. Having been founded in 2017, RATicate is still a fresh name among Calis motorcycle customization firms, but weve got plenty of reasons to believe that theyre here to stay!Without further ado, lets see how David and his crew went about resurrecting the crashed KTM . Oaklands aftermarket architects wasted no time dismantling the donor upon delivery, then theyve shipped its mutilated frame to a local metalwork expert to have it straightened out.Turning their attention to unsprung territory, RATicate entrusted Denver-based Woodys Wheel Works with the fabrication of unique hubs. These modules were laced to a snazzy pair of 17-inch rims from Excel, sporting Pirellis top-shelf Diablo Supercorsa tires.To spawn some additional stopping power at the front hoop, LaBrees pros installed new brake discs, Vesrah pads, and Brembo M50 calipers. The team aimed to refine the beasts handling even further, so theyve topped things off with higher-spec master cylinders and a Scotts Performance steering damper.As far as the powertrain adjustments go, the 75-degree V-twin mill has been refurbished using upgraded internals, and it inhales via a custom-made intake unit topped with premium velocity stacks. When the 1,195cc goliath exhales, it does so through a set of titanium headers that snake their way to a single Akrapovic muffler.This whole shebang was concluded with a D.I.D drive chain and a fresh rear sprocket, while thehas been remapped to suit RATicates modifications. For the closing act, it was time to address the bikes aesthetics, and the final result is a bit of a Frankenstein ordeal.A KTM Supermoto R donated its angular fuel tank and saddle, which is joined by a base 990 Supermotos repurposed tail section. At twelve oclock, youll be greeted by a Husqvarna s headlight housing and state-of-the-art LEDs, as well as a new front fender that keeps road debris at bay.Last but not least, we arrive at the cockpit, where Davids experts fitted one-off triple clamps and a Contour handlebar from ProTapers inventory, as well as Acerbis hand guards and bolt-on mirrors. To round everything out, this reborn Adventure R was wrapped in a layer of matte-black paint and orange accents.
Handbuilt and assembled at Maevings facility in Coventry (central England), the bikes rely on over 100 years of motorcycle engineering expertise, at least according to the British startup. And not only are the two-wheelers fun to ride in and out of the city, but they are also good for the planet, as they are powered by batteries. Not only that, but by being easily removable, the batteries are easy to swap and charge at any plug socket, whether from your desk at work, from home, a cafe, and so on, making sure you dont get that range anxiety every time you are riding your motorcycle.The RM1 is described as a vehicle that balances primitive appeal with the technology of tomorrow. It has a clean, retro design, and is available in several colors: blue, black, silver, white, gray, sand, and green. Designed mostly for urban use, the bikes powertrain was developed in partnership with Bosch. By using a hub motor that directly delivers the power to the rear wheel, no chain or belt are needed, and the system also simplifies servicing.The main battery included with the RM1 motorcycle is easy to remove and offers a range between 40 and 80 miles (64 to 128 km), depending on the usual factors such as the riding mode used, the incline, or the weight of the rider, to name just a few. That should be more than enough though to use the bike for your daily commutes, as this is first and foremost a two-wheeler for urban travel.Maeving also had the connectors cleverly built into the bike, so inserting the battery once it is charged is a simple process that doesnt require you to connect any cables. All you have to do is drop it in its slot.Additionally, you can also purchase an optional second battery and double that range. With Samsung 35E cells, the 57.4V battery weighs 11 kg (24 lb) and can be fully charged in under four hours. It will cost you an extra $1,580 when bought on its own, and that price falls at $1,318 when you buy it alongside the RM1 bike. The battery comes with a two-year warranty.Back on our cafe racer , the electric motorcycle comes with three riding modes (Range, Speed, Balanced) and can reach a top speed of 45 mph (72 kph), as the RM1 is not meant to be a speedster built for highways, but rather a city cruiser.The RM1 was designed in a simple way, to make the bike easy and fun to ride. It weighs 98 kg (216 lb), is equipped with spring shocks in the rear, comes with fenders, and has a stylish, retro, but comfortable single seat. Maeving also provides a 10-liter storage space on the bike, which is accessible at the touch of a button and can also be used to carry your second battery.While the first 100 units of the RM1 e-motorcycle have sold out, you can get your name on the waitlist if you want to get one of these cool-looking cafe racers. The RM1 is priced at approximately $6,600 (4,995), and so far, Maeving only ships in the U.K. (anywhere excluding Highlands and Islands). However, the British manufacturer does encourage potential customers to contact the company even if theyre outside their delivery area.As for the availability of the next batch, Maeving specifies that its next production run is coming soon and customers will be able to reserve the new bikes in early 2022.
ATV

The first so-calledwas imagined in 1959 by John Gower, a Canadian inventor. Gower wanted to cross all types of terrain with just one machine, a sort of all-in-one thing. So get created the Jiger, a vehicle that drove on six wheels wrapped in low-pressure balloon tires.Those tires provided traction and helped the Jiger cross bodies of water, but they also offered more comfort for the driver and the passengers. To make it move, Gower used two chainsaw engines since, at the time, there was no small engine tech yet developed.The amphibious ATV got a lot of attention, and a production version was created later on that featured some improvements, including replacing the dual engine system with a single four-cycle engine. Mass production for the Jiger began in late 1965, and a few thousand models were overall made before Gower's company faced bankruptcy a few years later.Even though his business didn't survive much, the design he proposed turned out to be extremely popular in the '70s. It was the spark that ignited the interest of several companies across the globe, ultimately creating all sorts of 6x6 ATVs In the U.S., these vehicles grew so much in popularity that they led to the creation of Pine Lake Raceway in 1969, a place where racing and off-road events are still hosted today on miles of wood trails. People loved everything about the ATVs.They were used for both leisure as a fun, versatile all-in-one "toy" and for work, facilitating cargo transportation. Plenty of businesses tried to create improved designs and in 1970, one publication listed over 60 variants that were available for sale or under development.One of them stood out the most. Dubbed the Busse, it was a land-water vehicle that had a Volkswagen beating heart inside. While the engine came from the German automaker, it was not manufactured by it. Volkswagen has not commercialized any amphibious ATV. The only amphibious vehicle produced by them was a military vehicle used in WWII named the Schwimmwagen (which translates as the "swimming car").More than 14,000 such machines were manufactured between 1942 and the end of 1944, making it the most mass-produced amphibious vehicle in history. The Schwimmwagen took its power from a Volkswagen flat-four, air-cooled engine from the then-current era.However, the Beetle 's core did not only have military applications. It also breathed new life into the unique ATV that we've mentioned earlier. The Busse was powered by a 1.6 liter, 55-hp air-cooled flat-four engine, unlike many other ATVs that employed smaller two-stroke engines. The power was also put to the ground using Volkswagen's three-speed semi-automatic gearbox and torque converter.The Busse could reach a top speed of 28 mph (45 kph) on land and 10 mph (16 kph) on water. It also had enough power to climb 45-degree slopes.The exterior was made of aluminum instead of the conventional fiberglass used back then on such machines, and it was designed by Busse SJI Corp, a subsidiary of Arrowhead Systems. Volkswagen describes the Busse as "a tank among toys." It measured 10.5 ft (3.2 meters) in length, and it was 5.4 ft (1.6 wide).The vehicle weighed around 1,700 lbs (771 kg), and it was capable of carrying up to 1,500 lbs (680 kg). The amphibious ATV featured hydraulic disc brakes, 26x12-inch tires and could also be equipped for snow tracks, making the Busse an extremely versatile machine.It was built in Randolph, Wisconsin, and was marketed worldwide as a future military vehicle. However, no contract was ever signed, and its high cost limited its production. One was priced at $4,875, which was about as much as a Corvette back then.This is why these vehicles are nowadays extremely rare, with only a few Volkswagen-powered Busse ATVs still in existence. However, the Busse played its role in popularizing the amphibious ATV for decades on, paving the way for its modern siblings.
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The Army has approved 39 more Purple Hearts for U.S. soldiers wounded in an Iranian military ballistic missile attack on an Iraq base in January 2020, the Army Times first reported Wednesday.

Why it matters: Most of these soldiers sustained brain injuries, per the Army Times. Then-President Trump dismissed their injuries at the time as "headaches" and "not very serious," sparking backlash from some veterans groups.

The big picture: The missiles were in retaliation for the killing of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani in a U.S. airstrike in Iraq in early January 2020.

No American soldier was killed in the Iranian attack, but many sustained traumatic brain injuries and 23 of these were later awarded purple hearts, CBS News notes.

The Army's Human Resources command has now approved a further 39 Purple Heart submissions following a review.

What they're saying: "They continue to review an additional 11 nominations, which will be decided on the individual merits," said Army spokesman Lt. Col. Gabriel Ramirez in an emailed statement.
Why it matters: A wave of proposed reforms rose up and crashed into the status quo bulkhead. Defund the police plans fizzled. Federal voting rights and police reform bills are stalled. But U.S. history shows the walls of inequality seldom collapse all at once. Instead, cracks emerge and with time turn into larger openings.

The murder of George Floyd and the protests that followed fueled hope that the U.S. might finally reckon with systemic racism. Instead, a backlash has even some once strong allies backtracking.

The murder of George Floyd and the protests that followed fueled hope that the U.S. might finally reckon with systemic racism. Instead, a backlash has even some once strong allies backtracking.

Why it matters: A wave of proposed reforms rose up and crashed into the status quo bulkhead. Defund the police plans fizzled. Federal voting rights and police reform bills are stalled. But U.S. history shows the walls of inequality seldom collapse all at once. Instead, cracks emerge and with time turn into larger openings.

Details: The summer of 2020 saw millions across the U.S. take to the streets to demand that cities and the federal government radically change policing.

Multiracial, multiethnic demonstrators called for changes to laws protecting officers from prosecution over allegations of fatal excessive force. Often, those cases involved Black, Native American and Latino male victims.

Demonstrations also called for eradicating racist symbols, from sports mascots to street names of known white supremacists.

Puerto Ricans joined the Black Lives Matter protest in New York. Photo: Steve Sanchez/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

At first, unlikely allies like Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and white residents in small towns joined Black Lives Matter marches and calls to end systemic racism.

Navajo activists in Gallup, New Mexico, and Mexican Americans in Laredo, Texas, organized demonstrations in support of Black Lives Matter.

Yes, but: The ongoing pandemic and violent rhetoric from President Donald Trump, who falsely alleged BLM protesters were linked to Antifa, helped dampen support for racial justice demonstrations.

Street violence also erupted in Kenosha, Wisconsin, after a video went viral showing Rusten Sheskey, a white police officer, shooting Jacob Blake, a Black man, multiple times in the back.

A mom and her child walk in a burned-out used car parking lot in Kenosha, Wis., a day after a deadly riot. Photo: Russell Contreras/Axios

Police unions fought back and began publicly supporting Republicans like Trump who vowed to fight policing reforms. That starkly divided support for Black Lives Matter along party lines.

divided support for Black Lives Matter along party lines. Rising murder and violent crime rates in some major cities allowed police unions and conservatives to argue BLM demonstrations contributed to crime  despite lack of evidence to support that position.

Don't forget: Following the 2020 election, a group led by Russell Vought, a White House budget director under Trump, began a campaign to rid discussions about racism and diversity from public schools under the pretext of attacking critical race theory  a graduate school concept that examines racial inequality baked into the U.S. legal system.

Flashback: After the U.S. fought an exhausting civil war over slavery and then emancipated enslaved people, the nation allowed Southern states to roll back civil rights and adopt Jim Crow laws that legalized segregation.

Following the Civil Rights Movement and President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society programs to tackle poverty, the nation turned to President Richard Nixon to elevate "law and order" over civil rights.

Opponents of critical race theory attending a school board meeting in Yorba Linda, Calif. Photo: Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

But, but, but: Some states, like Illinois and New Mexico, have passed sweeping police reform bills that banned chokeholds and required officers to wear body cameras.

And activists were quick to denounce and draw attention to a rise of anti-Asian American violence that resulted from the COVID pandemic.

The intrigue: Voters in cities like New York supported moderates like Eric Adams, a Black former police captain and now mayor-elect, allowing them to emerge as new leaders over more progressive candidates who supported BLM proposals.

Some prosecutors stopped pursuing minor crimes amid a court backlog.

What to watch: Whether the U.S. will again retreat from addressing systemic racism and ensuring equality for all Americans, regardless of race or ethnicity, in the name of "returning to normal."
The U.S. and several of its allies in a joint statement on Friday said they were "gravely concerned" by Sudanese military General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan's decision to form a new interim ruling council weeks after he led a coup and tightened the military's grip in the country.

Driving the news: Burhan on Thursday announced the creation of a new Sovereign Council in a move the U.S., Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the European Union said "complicates efforts to put Sudan's democratic transition back on track."

Catch-up quick: The previous council, dissolved by Burhan last month, was formed after the ouster of longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir in 2019. It included members of the military's leadership, representatives of different political parties and members of the civilian government.

While the new council includes many of the same individuals on the initial council, it does not include four previous civilian members who are part of the Forces for the Declaration of Freedom and Change, the umbrella alliance that spearheaded the uprising that led to al-Bashir's ouster, per AP.

Burhan on Thursday reappointed himself to lead the council. He also reappointed Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, a powerful paramilitary leader, as the council's deputy head.

What they're saying: This unilateral action by the military undermines its commitment to uphold the agreed transitional framework, the U.S. and its Western allies said in a statement.

We urge an immediate and full return to this path to ensure that the hard won political and economic gains of the last two years are not lost, the statement added.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Twitter called for the "release all those in detention, including Prime Minister [Abdellah] Hamdok, and return to the constitutional order."

What to watch: Anti-coup protests are expected in Sudan on Saturday.
Babcock & Wilcox and Fosler Solar, a Babcock & Wilcox company, welcomed U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm today for a tour of the companys Gar Creek solar project in Kankakee, Ill., which is part of the Illinois Solar for All program.
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ORANGE  Heritage Houses long-time Santa Claus now has his own day.

The late Larry David on Saturday afternoon was honored by the Heritage House Museum of Orange County and the city of Orange for more than 40 years in service as the jolly old bearded man.

It was magical. Oh my gosh, it was 100% magic, said Oscar Mellon, a Lions Club member who recalled what it was like to come see Santa as a child. You come in and Santa knows your name. I seem to remember he knew what I wanted for Christmas already.

Just before the COVID-19 pandemic took over, David had a heart attack and died in his home. It wasnt until Saturday that the city was able to gather and honor him properly.

Mayor Larry Spears Jr., who went to high school with two of Davids children, presented Davids widow with a proclamation in front of an assembly of family and friends.

This Christmas season, we as a city and staff wanted to honor him with his very own special day in the city of Orange, Spears said. He was truly an amazing man. He gave so much to others.

The proclamation recognized David for his gentleness and patience with children, being a jolly old elf in the annual Christmas parade, sharing his famous gumbo and burgers and his service to Lions Club, the Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce, the Stark Foundation, the Malloy Foundation, the local chapter of the American Red Cross, the Evergreen Cemetery Association, and the Knights of Columbus.

Davids history also included an Army deployment to Vietnam, serving as a finance clerk, as well as becoming a deacon in the Roman Catholic Church in 2006.

His first and only assignment was working with the bishop, and he just loved that, said widow Cheryl David.

Cheryl met Larry leaving a Christmas party in 1989.

Im going, Merry Christmas! and I shake his hand and I looked into his eyes and I thought, Thats somebody I can trust, she said.

She recalled his eyes as a beautiful green. They were married for 26 years before he died.

His son Brent also recalled his fathers sincere eyes. His dad was Santa for him, too, for his first several years.

We would get dressed up, and my mom would bring me, Brent recalled. One year, I recognized his eyes.

That was when he realized his father was Santa Claus.

After the presentation of the proclamation, there were burgers, donated by Al Granger of Granger Chevrolet, which were cooked in Uncle Larry style. There was a table with cookies, brownies, punch and cider for attendees as well.

Heritage House President Adam Conrad, who also is a teacher at Vidor High School, brought several theater students dressed as elves and The Grinch. They stood with the citys new Santa for pictures with children and for general spreading of holiday cheer.

Though there is a new Santa in town, for $15 you can still have the old Santa in the form of an ornament with a picture of David on it. The photo was taken in 2019  the last year he was Santa Claus for the city. The Heritage House secretary put the ornament together.

Kimberly (Manning) designed this, said Heritage House board member Leslie Williams. We thought it would be nice to memorialize him.

rachel.kersey@beaumontenterprise.com

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BOISE, Idaho (AP)  Authorities have arrested a suspect in the apparent beating death of an inmate at the Idaho State Correctional Institution south of Boise.

The Idaho Statesman reports security workers responded to an altercation in a housing unit early Saturday morning and found 57-year-old Gerald B. Cummings Jr. unresponsive and injured. Cummings was pronounced dead a little more than an hour later.
JERUSALEM (AP)  Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday made a historic trip to the United Arab Emirates, the first visit by an Israeli premier, as part of a blitz of regional diplomacy against the backdrop of struggling nuclear talks with Iran.

Israel has watched with concern as Iran has pushed a hard line against negotiators meeting in Vienna, at once demanding sanctions relief while accelerating its nuclear program.

In recent weeks, Israel has dispatched its top diplomat and its defense and spy chiefs to meet allies in Europe, the U.S. and the Mideast to push for a firmer approach to Iran. The Israeli outreach has been accompanied by repeated threats to take military action against Iran if diplomacy fails.

Bennetts trip to Abu Dhabi, where he will meet with Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed, is a milestone for both Israel and its new leader. Israel and the UAE last year signed a normalization deal brokered by the Trump administration under the Abraham Accords, a series of diplomatic accords with Arab countries that also included Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco. Israel and the UAE have long shared common anxiety over Irans nuclear program. The deal to establish ties between the countries only increased tensions with the Islamic Republic.

Bennett was received by an honor guard and welcomed by the UAE's foreign minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

I am very excited to be here, on the first official visit by an Israeli leader," Bennett said. "We look forward to strengthen the diplomatic relations between the countries."

Bennetts trip comes on the heels of a visit by the UAEs national security adviser, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Tehran, where he met with Irans new hard-line president, Ebrahim Raisi, in a bid to ease tensions. It was a major visit for the Gulf Arab federation that has long viewed Iran as its main regional threat. Several other regional political visits, by Syrias foreign minister and the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Turkey, have also taken place recently, all with an eye on the negotiations.

Israel, which is not a party to the talks in Vienna, has turned to its allies to work together and lobby negotiators seeking to rein in Irans nuclear program.

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid recently visited Europe and Egypt and Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Mossad chief David Barnea flew to the U.S. to discuss the talks with leaders there. Earlier this year Lapid visited the UAE and inaugurated Israel's embassy there.

Israel sees the UAE as a crucial part of that outreach to its allies. Under Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabis powerful crown prince and long the de facto ruler of the Emirates, the UAE has embarked on a rapid expansion of its military forces to counter what it sees as the threat posed by Iran. During the recent Dubai air show, Sheikh Mohammed visited the pavilion of Israel Aerospace Industries, Israel's largest state-owned defense contractor.

The Emirates also hosts U.S. and French forces and its Jebel Ali port is the U.S. Navys busiest port of call outside of America.

The Vienna negotiations are working to revive the 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and six world powers. That agreement, launched by President Barack Obama, granted Iran relief from stifling sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program.

But three years later, President Donald Trump, with strong encouragement from then-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, withdrew from the deal, causing it to unravel. Since then, the U.S. has reimposed sanctions and Iran has stepped up its nuclear activities -- amassing a stockpile of highly enriched uranium that goes well beyond the bounds of the accord.

Prominent voices in Israel, including a former defense minister and former intelligence head, are now indicating the U.S. withdrawal, especially without a contingency plan for Irans continuously developing nuclear plan, was mishandled.

Talks resumed earlier this month in Vienna after a five-month hiatus that came following Raisis election. But negotiators ended the round disappointed, claiming Iran had backtracked on progress made in previous rounds and had dug in with new demands on sanctions relief.

Iran also isnt slowing down advances in its atomic program, further raising the stakes in talks. In the midst of the negotiations, the U.N.s nuclear watchdog confirmed that Iran had begun enriching uranium up to 20% purity at its underground facility at Fordo  a site where enrichment is not permitted under the deal.

Israel considers Iran to be its greatest enemy and it strongly opposed the 2015 deal. It says it wants an improved deal that places tighter restrictions on Irans nuclear program and addresses Irans long-range missile program and its support for hostile proxies along Israels borders. Israel also says the negotiations must be accompanied by a credible military threat to ensure that Iran does not delay indefinitely.

Iran says its nuclear program is meant for peaceful purposes.

If successful, Bennetts visit to the UAE could give him a boost at home at a time when he is under fire for a recent trip by his family abroad amid COVID travel restrictions and when the legitimacy of his leadership is still being questioned by opposition lawmakers and the voters who support them.

Bennett, who leads a small nationalist party in parliament, rose to the prime minister post following a deal struck by a panoply of political factions working to oust Netanyahu, a long-serving leader who portrayed himself as the ultimate statesman and defender of Israel.
YUMA, Ariz. (AP)  Yuma Mayor Doug Nicholls says an emergency situation in the southwestern Arizona border city has eased with federal officials moving in additional personnel in response to thousands of migrants.

As it sits today, people are not waiting along the border wall for very long," Nicholls said Friday, the Yuma Sun reported. It seems that the immediate issue has been resolved. Im still concerned for the long term."

Nicholls on Thursday declared a state of emergency and he said Friday he had spoken with federal officials and with the aides to Gov. Doug Ducey and to both of Arizona's U.S. senators.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is recommitting 110 agents to the Yuma area from throughout the country to help with whats going on here," Nicholls said.

Nicholls emergency declaration cited reports of over 6,000 migrants crossing from Mexico into the United States traveling through the Yuma area. The asylum-seekers were without blankets, food or water and had to wait extended periods because there weren't enough Border Patrol agents to quickly process border-crossers for release to organizations contracted to provide temporary services, Nicholls said.

Ducey on Tuesday demanded that President Joe Bidens administration do more to secure the border. He faulted the Biden administration for incrementally reinstating former President Donald Trumps policy requiring asylum-seekers to stay in Mexico as they await immigration hearings.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki last week described the policy as deeply flawed but said the administration was working to implement it under court order. The administration plans to reinstate the policy beginning Monday in El Paso, Texas.

Ducey said the piecemeal implementation led migrants to rush to other parts of the border and cross into the U.S. before the policy is rolled out more widely.
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The sanctuary of the First Congregational Church in Manchester was being celebrated, August 2021.

The First Congregational Church extends a warm invitation to celebrate Christmas Eve with two separate services of lessons, carols and candlelight, 5:30 and 7 p.m. Dec. 24.
Greg Sukiennik has worked at all three Vermont News & Media newspapers and was their managing editor from 2017-19. He previously worked for ESPN.com, for the AP in Boston, and at The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, Mass.
Jim Shulman, a Pittsfield native living in Ohio, is the author of Berkshire Memories: A Baby Boomer Looks Back at Growing Up in Pittsfield. If you have a memory of a Berkshire baby-boom landmark, business or event youd like to share or read about, please write Jim at jesjmskali@aol.com
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The Outlook is today's look ahead at the week's weather, its impact on the Berkshires and beyond. Clarence Fanto can be reached at cfanto@yahoo.com.
Plus, Bill's Message of the Day, why former President Trump cancelled his January 6th press conference.

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More than 100,000 Manitobans are newly eligible to get booster shots as the provinces vaccine task force tries to prevent a post-holiday spike in COVID-19 hospitalizations.

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More than 100,000 Manitobans are newly eligible to get booster shots as the provinces vaccine task force tries to prevent a post-holiday spike in COVID-19 hospitalizations.

Older Manitobans and First Nations residents no longer have to wait six months before getting third doses. Anyone over 60, and adults who live in First Nations communities who are 18 and up, can get their booster shots right away if their second dose was on or before July 10, the task force announced Friday.

The urgent recommendation is meant to be temporary to better protect Manitobans and the health-care system, task force medical lead Dr. Joss Reimer said.

It means only five months has elapsed between doses for those groups, but it is better for them to get a boost of immunity as soon as possible rather than wait for longer-term immune-system protection, Reimer said.

With holiday gatherings on the horizon and the recent arrival of the omicron variant in Manitoba, people older than 60 and those who live in First Nations communities are at higher risk of severe illness.

"For those individuals, the benefit of going early (to get the third dose) rather than waiting until after the family gatherings, is probably there. Theyre at higher risk of ending up in the hospital if they were to get infected, and theyre also at higher risk of having a lower immune response over time," Reimer said.

She and Dr. Marcia Anderson, lead of the First Nations Pandemic Response Co-ordination Team, announced the change in eligibility Friday afternoon, the same day Reimer received her own booster shot.

Public-health officials expect December to be one of the worst months for COVID-19 transmission because more people gather together indoors; thats why theyre expanding eligibility and urging older Manitobans not to wait until after the holidays to get their boosters.

"What we are doing right now with this latest recommendation, will help protect people, our health-care system, and, we hope, will also help bring more safety and stability into the new year," Anderson said.

Approximately half of eligible Manitobans have already had their third doses, Reimer said Friday. About 107,000 third-doses have been administered, including boosters and third shots for international travellers and people who have compromised immune systems.

Its concerning, Anderson said, that third-dose vaccine uptake in First Nations communities is lower, at about 38 per cent.

She urged people not to be "lulled into thinking" they can delay getting their third dose until after the holidays, even if case counts are low in their community, since cases spread so quickly.

About 39,106 First Nations people in Manitoba are currently eligible for boosters. Anderson said they havent generally seen severe illness or death in people who become infected a few months after receiving their second dose, but those kinds of breakthrough cases contribute to transmission of the virus and to outbreaks.

First Nations patients currently account for 22 per cent of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, and for eight per cent of patients in intensive care.

For Manitobans younger than 60 who dont live in First Nations communities, the recommendation hasnt changed; its still six months after the second dose. Its best for younger people who arent otherwise at higher risk to wait six months because research has shown their immune protection will be stronger over time.

Reimer said it likely wont take a full two weeks after the third dose for people to reap the immune-system benefits, so its best for people over 60 not to delay getting their third dose even if Christmas less than two weeks away.

katie.may@winnipegfreepress.com
JERUSALEM (AP)  Israel's prime minister announced that he would make the first official visit by a sitting premier to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday as part of a blitz of regional diplomacy amid the backdrop of struggling nuclear talks with Iran.

FILE - Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett chairs a weekly cabinet meeting at his office in Jerusalem, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021. Bennett announced that he would make the first official visit by a sitting premier to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, Dec. 12, as part of a blitz of regional diplomacy amid the backdrop of struggling nuclear talks with Iran. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit, File)

JERUSALEM (AP)  Israel's prime minister announced that he would make the first official visit by a sitting premier to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday as part of a blitz of regional diplomacy amid the backdrop of struggling nuclear talks with Iran.

Naftali Bennett's office said he will be meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and discussing strengthening economic and military ties.

The UAE visit will be the first by an Israeli prime minister. Israel and the UAE had long enjoyed clandestine security cooperation over their shared concern over Iran, but formalized ties last year as part of the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords."

Bennett's one-day trip is timed to coincide with ongoing nuclear talks between world powers and Iran. Israel is not a party to the negotiations, but is looking on with concern. In recent weeks, Israel has fanned out its top diplomat and its defense and spy chiefs to meet with allies in Europe, the U.S. and the Mideast to push for a firmer approach to Iran.

Israel says it is determined to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, while Tehran insists its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes.
The trucking industry has warned of further blowouts in delivery times and shortages of goods by early next year, if government efforts to address shortages of a key chemical used in diesel lorries are not successful.

The federal government has formed a taskforce in response to worsening shortages of a fuel additive called AdBlue, which is used in diesel vehicles, including many trucks, to lower their emissions.

Shortages of a diesel additive used by trucks have led panic buying. Credit:Bloomberg

In recent weeks, operators have been struggling to get their hands on AdBlue, after China stopped exporting the compound urea, a key ingredient in the product. The shortages have led to panic buying and sparked fears some trucks may need to be pulled off the road.

On Friday, Federal Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor called for calm and said it was unnecessary and unhelpful for people to hoard the additive. Earlier this week he said Australia had enough supplies to meet five weeks of business as usual demand, and there were also shipments of urea on their way that could produce a further two weeks supply of the additive.
Dutch-born John Schaeffer, one of Australias greatest arts philanthropists, lived a life no fiction writer would dare imagine.

As an 18-year-old cabin steward, he jumped ship in Sydney in 1957 to avoid military service at home before founding Tempo, an industrial cleaning company that by 2002 had made him a fortune of more than $200 million.

Philanthropist John Shaeffer in 2004. Credit:Michele Mossop

By then, Schaeffer owned two of Sydneys most prestigious and historic homes: Boomerang (overlooking Elizabeth Bay, which he bought for a then-record price of $20 million) and Rona (the neo-Gothic Bellevue Hill mansion he was forced to sell for $25 million in 2004 when Tempo could have gone belly-up).

His death in 2020, at the age of 79, occurred when he was knocked over in Macquarie Street, Sydneys most historic thoroughfare, by a reversing ute.
I believed for a long time that the differences, the quarrels among Christians didnt matter a lot for the individual, that you live your life and stay out of it. But then I began to realise that it wasnt an easy thing to do, Rice told The Associated Press then. I came to the conclusion that if I didnt make this declaration, I was going to lose my mind.

Rice married the poet Stan Rice, who died in 2002, in 1961. They lived amid the bohemian scene of Haight-Ashbury in 1960s San Francisco where Rice described herself as a square, typing away and studying writing at San Francisco State University while everyone else partied. Together they had two children: Christopher and Michelle, who died of leukemia at five in 1972.

It was while grieving Michelles death that Rice wrote Interview With the Vampire, turning one of her short stories into a book. Rice traced her fascination with vampires back to the 1934 film, Draculas Daughter, which she saw as a young girl.

I never forgot that film, Rice told the Daily Beast in 2016. That was always my impression of what vampires were: earthlings with heightened sensibility and a doomed appreciation of life.

Though Rice had initially struggled to get it published, Interview With a Vampire was a massive hit, particularly in paperback. She didnt immediately extend the story, following it up with a pair of historical novels and three erotic novels penned under the pseudonym A. N. Roquelaure. But in 1985, she published The Vampire Lestat, about the Interview With a Vampire character she would continually return to, up to 2018s Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat.
Greater Brisbane has more suburbs with good tree cover than any other Australian capital city, new aerial analysis has revealed.

However, like other Australian capital cities, Brisbane is feeling the pressure of rising city temperatures as developers remove trees to provide less expensive housing in small-lot, high-density estates.

Brisbane suburbs with good tree cover - including Bardon - are seven degrees cover than those with no tree cover. Credit:Tony Moore

Planners in Australia now realise residential temperatures can be reduced by planting or keeping trees that can also cut power bills by reducing airconditioning in well-planned areas.

Brisbane homes in suburbs with good tree canopies are seven degrees cooler than areas without trees, according to Brisbane City Council research.
A nightclub in Newcastle is one of the latest venues to be a cause of concern for health officials who are trying to slow the spread of COVID-19 in NSW, as Queensland prepares to open its borders at 1am on Monday.

NSW has recorded 485 new cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm on Saturday and two deaths. Of the new cases, 10 are of the Omicron variety and more cases are expected to be confirmed as a result of genetic testing.

Traffic queues at the Queensland border on Sunday, ahead of the changes overnight. Credit:Paul Harris

Queensland will allow fully vaccinated people from NSW, Victoria and the ACT to enter without quarantine just after midnight, following months of a hard border that prevented residents from returning home.

Anyone wishing to enter the state requires a border permit and negative COVID-19 test before and after arrival. Queensland police are expecting lengthy delays as the border permit system will only go online at midnight, one hour before the restrictions ease.
Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick says 120,000 jobs will be created across Queensland in the next 18 months to March 2023 as the border reopening boosts the devastated tourism industry.

Speaking on Sunday as hundreds of protesters gathered at the Queensland-NSW border just hours before its planned reopening, Mr Dick said more people would travel to Queensland, boosting industries decimated by COVID-19.

While no new local cases were recorded on Sunday, authorities warned of extensive delays at the border, with up to 50,000 extra vehicles expected to cross at road checkpoints.

Thousands gathered at the Queensland-NSW border in protest ahead of the border reopening. Credit:Zach Hope

People can cross the border from 1am on Monday by either road or air, provided they are fully vaccinated, can show proof of a negative test in the previous 72 hours, have the correct border pass, and get tested on day five.
A second man has been arrested as police investigate the alleged attempted murder of Senior Constable Luke Zannier in a Brisbane street last week.

Senior Constable Zannier, 40, was on Orange Grove Road in the southern suburb of Salisbury when he tried to intercept a vehicle by walking onto the road about 6.30am on Wednesday. Police allege the vehicle was then driven directly at the officer.

The senior constable signalled at the car to stop.

Senior Constable Zannier was taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital with back and arm injuries. The Queensland Police Union said he also had some broken ribs and abrasions.

On Friday night, police arrested a 19-year-old Marsden man in Ormeau Hills on the Gold Coast.
Protesters attend the Melbourne Freedom rally in the CBD

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New landfill controls have been expanded to include energy from waste industries that are planned for Swanbank in Ipswich.

The state government move has been welcomed by Ipswich mayor Teresa Harding, who has sought to prevent rubbish  and complaints about rubbish  piling up in the city without jeopardising jobs.

Ipswich mayor Cr Teresa Harding says state government legislation to widen protections for waste recovery businesses was good news for Ipswich businesses and potentially for recycling industries. Credit:Tony Moore

It comes as the government commits to a $2.1 billion package that will help councils offset the cost of waste management to ratepayers before imposing financial incentives to divert more waste from landfill. Councils will also have access to a $1.1 billion recycling and jobs fund.

Since 2018, Ipswich residents have registered 11,830 complaints on an odour hotline run by Queenslands Department of Environment and Science.
A failed Liberal preselection candidate has lashed out at her party, saying it only appears interested in appointing former political staffers to run for Parliament, while a senior Labor figure has accused his own party of bloodlust in its approach to selecting candidates.

The major parties are both choosing candidates for next years state election, but amid furious internal debate, Monash University political scientist Zareh Ghazarian said the Liberals attempts at renewal did not go far enough and that Labors preselection battle could cause a major headache for Premier Daniel Andrews.

Failed preselection candidate Felicity Frederico. Credit:Simon Schluter

After incumbent Brighton MP James Newbury was re-endorsed as the Liberal Party candidate for his marginal bayside electorate, his chief rival, Order of Australia recipient, former Bayside councillor and mayor Felicity Frederico, congratulated Mr Newbury but lashed out at her party.

After running in now three preselections, I think I have proven its almost impossible to win a Liberal preselection unless you have been a political staffer, she told The Age.
Liverpool, England: Russia faces massive consequences and severe costs if President Vladimir Putin attacks Ukraine, the Group of Seven warned in a statement on Sunday.

US intelligence assesses that Russia could be planning a multi-front offensive on Ukraine as early as next year, involving up to 175,000 troops.

Russian President Vladimir Putin. Credit:AP

The Kremlin denies it plans to invade and says the West is gripped by Russophobia. Moscow says the expansion of NATO threatens Russia and has contravened assurances given to it as the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

At a meeting in the northern English city of Liverpool, the G7 delegates said they were united in their condemnation of Russias military build-up near Ukraine and they called on Moscow to de-escalate.
In the centre of the storm, Richards grabbed onto the residents in their wheelchairs beside her and hauled her body on top of them, shielding them from the worst of the debris. She noticed her fellow nurses do the same. As the wind ripped pillows out of the seniors hands, they sobbed. One attendant was whacked in the head with debris. Richards told them all to sing hymns and start praying. They sang all different ones, whatever ones they could think of  anything to get them thinking about something else, she said. So they did, one song after another, as the tornado ripped through the residency, demolishing the roof and the walls, breaking the sprinkler system and causing water to soak the frail 80-, 90- and 100-year old residents.

As the wind died down, as the debris settled and the walls stopped crumbling, Richards extricated herself from the residents and placed a call on her phone for help. Firefighter Shawn Nance, 47, had seen the storm coming from his porch when he noticed a bad sign: lights flashing in the distance. It was power lines, flashing and arcing as they broke. He and his family quickly made plans to escape the storms path. Homes hit by the violent storms in the small town of Monette, in north-east Arkansas. Credit:AP Then he got a call from the local fire chief, whose truck had been battered by the tornado, leaving him stranded. Nance rushed over to pick him up. In doing so, they saw the tornados path. I said Chief, this is going right toward the nursing home,  Nance said.

Nances grandmother and his wifes grandmother, were inside. Thats the last grandmother Ive got, and the last one shes got, too, he said. The pair rushed to the scene. A satellite photo provided by Maxar shows farm buildings in Monette, Arkansas, after they were hit by a tornado. Credit:AP When they pulled up, they were greeted by two storm chasers, Jordan Hall and Scott Peake, who had arrived minutes earlier. After tailing the tornado, they had stopped the car to inspect the nearby houses that were destroyed to see if there were any survivors they could help. They thought the building they saw nearby was an old school.

And then they heard people from inside the building, Hall said, screaming for help. Loading Outside, much of the buildings roof was gone, having collapsed into the halls and rooms. Water from the fire suppression system was pouring out, flooding the building. Curiously, one of the only parts left untouched was a large wreath, still intact, hanging on the wall outside. The image that stays with Hall the most is perhaps the simplest one: an elderly resident, sitting in his wheelchair against a wall, the ruins of his former nursing home around him. He was soaked to the bone but completely unscathed. Barely illuminated in the dark, cold night, Hall could see a red Santa Claus hat on his head.

He had a blank stare on his face  super calm, but like he knew what had just happened, said the 24-year-old. It was kind of  I dont know. It was heartbreaking. Peake had gone with a group to rescue people from the southern portion of the Monette nursing home, while Hall and others went to the northern end, which was harder hit. It was nighttime, water was gushing, pipes and debris were everywhere. Exposed wires hung from walls. Elderly people in wheelchairs and on cots were trapped, some crying out for help. People salvage items in Mayfield in the aftermath of the storms. Credit:AP It felt like being in the Titanic while it was sinking. Going through those dark hallways with a little flashlight or camera phone with an officer, and the water is cascading down from the ceiling, he said. It just had that feeling  that helpless feeling. In one wrecked room, he said he found an elderly woman pinned down under cinder blocks.

Her entire roof was gone. I remember looking up and seeing nothing but lightning and trees, Hall said. And the only thing she could say is, Please help me I cant find my glasses. She kept repeating it to him. I remember wiping her face off because she had dirt on her face and I remember telling her Id get her out of there, he said. Hall recalled entering a different room to find another heart-stopping scene: It looked like multiple wheelchairs were stacked on top of each other, but there were people in those wheelchairs. And on top of that, the cinder block wall started to cave in on a couple of those residents, he said.

He worked quickly to extract each of the residents from the tower of wheelchairs. Some residents were face down covered in cinder block wall, and a couple residents [were] pinned up against the wall by other wheelchairs with people in them. And on the ground, we were starting to get flooded by the fire suppression system. So we were scrambling to get them unburied before the fire suppression system flooded up and drowned them, he said. Nurses who worked at the Monette nursing home but were not on shift that Friday showed up to help, and started a checklist to account for all residents and help any way they could. Other residents in the tight-knit community of nearly 1700 also came to pitch in. Rescuers pulled chairs from the wreckage and lined them up around running cars, propping the rescued residents on them to keep them warm. It was nighttime, the wind was fierce and it was raining. The residents shivered, in shock, as more of their neighbours were rescued from the home.

This could have been my grandparents, Peake said. We did everything we could to comfort them. Nance did find his grandma, untouched except for dust hurting her eyes. His wifes grandmother survived, too. But not everyone made it. Peake recalled helping pull out one man from the rubble. He was wearing pajamas and off-red socks. He brought the man to the open air and stepped away for the EMTs to do their work. When I came back he had the sheet over his face. And thats when I realised, Peake said.

He was dead. As the sun set Saturday night, shooting orange streaks were in the clouds above the broken nursing home, and all was quiet. The Christmas wreath still hung, tilted, at the buildings entrance - a lonely reminder of the festivities the residents had in store as the holidays approached. A few cars still in the parking lot looked as if they had been slammed by boulders, their doors and hoods were caved in. Nearby, a steel granary tower looked like aluminum foil, crumpled and tossed on the flatlands of Arkansas. Kevin Stewart, the skilled nursing facilitys administrator, walked through the remains to retrieve a few items for the evacuated residents.
Noumea: Voters in the French island territory of New Caledonia chose overwhelmingly on Sunday to stay part of France in a referendum boycotted by pro-independence forces and closely watched around the South Pacific.

President Emmanuel Macron hailed the result as a resounding confirmation of Frances role in the Indo-Pacific and announced negotiations on the territorys future status. Separatist activists expressed disappointment or resignation.

Voting ballots in Noumea on Sunday as New Caledonia went to the polls to determine its future. Credit:AP

They had urged a delay in the vote because of the pandemic and were angry over what they said were French government efforts to sway the campaign. They had called on their supporters to stay away from voting stations  and they did.

Official results showed 96 per cent of those who took part chose to stay in France. Overall turnout was just 42 per cent  less than half the people who showed up in a previous independence referendum last year, where support for breaking away was 46.7 per cent.
Broker market share could go as high as 80% in the next decade as the Australian mortgage market adapts to new regulations and advancements in technology, according to the CEO of one of the mortgage broker peak bodies.

Peter White AM, CEO of the Finance Brokers Association of Australia (FBAA) said that the combination of old school broker fundamentals such as customer service and choice of lenders, allied with tech improvements in Open Banking could see the channel hit 70 or 80% within a decade.

The other mortgage broker peak body, the Mortgage and Finance Assocation of Australia (MFAA) recently released data suggesting that broker market share had smashed previous records, jumping 6.8 percentage points in the last year and 12% compared to 2019.

Peter White was confident that brokers would be able to back up these numbers and grow them yet further.

Read more: MD sets out AMP's proposition to broker channel

Its a great sign, but the reality is that youre only as good as your last showing, he said. We have to back up and keep going.

The reality in my mind  and Im not putting the industry down, because I love this industry Ill support it until Im buried in the ground  is that Covid played an impact on this.

People couldnt get out, they couldnt go and see a banker, so what they did was talk to their broker and do things online. That has had an impact.

Brokers have never been busier, so there was always going to be an increase in the level of loans written. What we have to see now is if the data falls back again.

I hope it doesnt. I hope it plateaus and then gets ready for the next jump. The research weve done shows how satisfied borrowers are with brokers.

Mortgage broker market share could hit 80%

The FBAA released data last week that was excellent reading for brokers: 98% of customers who used a broker would use them again.

This data talks to people who have used a broker, and the vast majority say that they are going to do it again, said White. You assume that will stabilise the market share.

We can reach 70% and could probably reach 80% in the coming years. Open Banking will create a huge advantage for mortgage brokers across Australia because of what it delivers.

Mortgage brokers act under Best Interest Duty, and that play into their hands: if they do the right thing and make sure they take care of their customers, theyll win this hands down.
A new analytics platform is helping property designers to scope out housing locations sight unseen, with a development in Sydney being used as a prototype due to lockdown restrictions.

HatchRobertsDay, a leading urban strategy firm, teamed up with Neighbourlytics, a tech company, to help them plan out a development in Sydneys Castle Hill suburb, despite the architects being unable to physically visit the site due to travel restrictions from Victoria.

The partnership is of interest for property investors, as it represents the next step in location scouting that goes beyond site visits and property inspections.

In an environment where investors are getting further and further away from the properties that they buy, the ability to access vital statistics around suburb makeup and demographics could help to make better decisions on purchases.

Read more: Is the broker pay review really necessary?

Were involved in this pilot partnership with Neighbourlytics, who are a social data platform that look at the everyday activity that goes on in urban life, said Louise Ford, a strategist at HatchRobertsDay.

As architects, we always look at the buildings and the streets, but we want to look at how people are integrated with the streets and how people are using them between the buildings.

Our pilot partnership is to test a few features on their new platform, and it came at the perfect time for us  we were in lockdown and couldnt get onto site.

We were approached for a strategy at Castle Hill to align thinking and the development thoughts around architecture and ideas to make sure that whatever was produced in planning recommendations and as a strategic angle is benefiting the community.

The Neighbourlytics angle on this is to make sure that what were producing for the future of anyone who works in Castle Hill or any site has the community at the heart of what they do, not necessarily what might look good on a case study.

Property investors can use tech to help buy sight unseen

While the tech was obviously of great use to HatchRobertsDay while they were locked down, the tech can still be used after restrictions have lifted to help them make better decisions going forward.

Its valid whether youre in lockdown or not in lockdown, said Louise Ford. The idea of having data available to you for research basis is super important to our team, and all of our work at HatchRobertsDay is based on evidence, whether its through platforms like Neighbourlytics or through GIS data, demographic data and ABS data.

The place aspect can seem a little bit vague, because its a broad topic. The work we do at HatchRobertsDay is evidence-based, and we base on data from the census and can go beyond the stereotypes and reputations of an area to really understand what the community need, and what data reveals about a building project that has a community and social value.

Every strategy should be evidence-based, and the evidence that we were able to gather from Neighbourlytics enabled us to put recommendations on the table for developers in the future to look at and ask the relevant questions.

The data itself measures how people interact with businesses and services, as well as community strength for health and education and what brings the destination appeal  retail spaces, for example, are very prominent in Castle Hill because of the Castle Towers  as well as physical spaces such as public parks.

Being able to measure the success of these places, and how people interact with them, really provides an insight that goes beyond what you can get by just being stood on site. What we believe is that you need this data to back up your strategies and the work that you do, but it doesnt replace the need to get on site to understand how nuances develop on a day-to-day basis.

Having platforms like this is essential to back up on-site visits, not replace them  though it did through lockdown for us.
The Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) has urged first home buyers to take advantage of the expected 4,600 places in the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme (FHLDS) that will be coming online before Christmas.

In a statement, Adrian Kelly, president of REIA, said that the FHLDS has helped nearly 60,000 first home buyers to date.

With around 4,600 places coming online in time for Christmas, I urge aspiring first time home owners to take action by calling their local agent or mortgage broker and securing their place in the scheme, said Kelly. The FHLDS is particularly important in a rising market, especially for those who do not have access to the bank of mum and dad.

Kelly added that the reissued 4,600 places can be used for either new or existing dwellings which suits the type of housing stock first home buyers generally prefer with caps that better suit current market conditions.

According to Kelly, as the country moves into a new election cycle in 2022, it was critical that schemes that support home ownership over lifetime renting continue.

Home ownership is a significant factor in Australians enjoying a happy and secure retirement, as well as contributing to the overall housing affordability picture, said Kelly. Loan repayments for first home buyers usually sit under median rents within two to six years of purchasing a home depending on the location.

This simply means that government programs like the FHLDS and the First Home Super Save Program need to be supported and expanded, he concluded.
In the time when Bulgarian productions are at their absolute height and attention is directed straight at the screen, advertisers often choose local content to position and celebrate their brands. The titles of national origin are culturally closer to the audience, which makes them a favorable environment to reach a loyal target viewer who can draw comparison between the storyline and their own daily experience  work, time for the family and friends, as well as their cooking habits.

The first of the many upcoming new productions of bTV - Daddies, in partnership with Dream Team, provides unlimited and original opportunities as well. The series places the curious and rarely discussed topic of fatherhood, which creates not only a base for attractive storyline twists but also for original brand presence as well. Nestle was the first one to choose to consistently develop its communications in the series through a naturally placed presence within the content, in this way promoting its brand MAGGIs new liquid bouillon product line.

The popular product, which often finds a role in the kitchen, had a main part in two consecutive episodes of the series, helping characters in the preparation of the meals that keep them united. With an original integration within the storyline and in organic harmony with the mood on set, MAGGIs liquid bouillons made their on-screen premiere in the authentic context of homemade food.

By enriching its portfolio of quality Bulgarian productions, more and more opportunities open up for brands to realize an original communications approach. In this way, the partnership between the media and the brands becomes a secure source of a stable and channelled strategy, which states explicitly clear and long-term assurance in the quality and additional value of its products.

Client: Nestle Bulgaria

Season: Fall 2021

Format: Daddies

Channel: bTV

Agency: Huts JWT
Bounce, the Bengaluru-based smart mobility solutions company which unveiling its first consumer electric scooter  Bounce Infinity E1, has plans to raise funding of around $200 million to scale up operations of its electric vehicle (EV) business.

The Bounce Infinity E1 is being offered with a unique battery as a service option  the first-of-its-kind in the Indian market.

Fortunately, we are well-funded. We have the backing of our investors. We are also talking to new investors. But our vision is to make EV mainstream in India, said Vivekananda Hallekere, chief executive officer and co-founder, Bounce. This business will need at least a couple of billion dollars to take it to the scale we have in mind, he added.

Bounce is in competition with electric two-wheeler makers, such as SoftBank-backed Ola Electric, Ather Energy, Hero Electric, Bajajs Chetak, TVS Motor Company, and Boom Motors. The firm, backed by marquee investors, such as Accel, Sequoia, and B Capital Group, had raised over $220 million in funding. Bounce had acquired a 100 per cent stake in 22Motors in a deal valued at around $7 million in 2021, including its state-of-the-art manufacturing plant at Bhiwadi in Rajasthan that has an annual capacity to produce 180,000 scooters.

Considering the potential of the Indian market, the company is planning to set up another plant in South India. The plan is to have a capacity of around 500,000 scooters there. Bounce has set aside $100 million to be invested in the EV business over the next one year.

In the next few years, if we can have a battery-swapping infrastructure for 2 million scooters and if we can sell at least 1-2 million scooters on an annual basis, its a good success story for us, said Hallekere.

In 2019, Bounce became the worlds fastest-growing bike-sharing firm, doing 60,000 rides per day. That number went up to 120,000 rides a day by 2020. The firms valuation crossed $500 million after it raised $105 million last year.

The start-up, founded in 2014, was scaling on a par with global players, including US-based scooter-rental Bird and Lime. It had plans to expand in the country and also to get into markets abroad.

Then the Covid-19 pandemic hit. As the government announced restrictions to contain the spread, its users, mainly employees and students, were locked down in their homes. Bounce laid off employees and Co-Founders Vivekananda Hallekere, Varun Agni, and Anil G took a 100 per cent pay cut.

To tackle the Covid-induced downturn, the firm changed its strategy and jumped on the EV bandwagon. This included betting big on the opportunity of scaling up its battery-swapping infrastructure.
Mobile device maker has overtaken South Korean giant to grab the second spot in the branded smartphone market, with 18 per cent volume share in October this year, revealed Counterpoint Research.

Its rival ended October with 16 per cent share. Xiaomi (including its brand POCO) was at 20 per cent; Vivo at 13 per cent.

The ascent brings closer to its ambition to reach the No. 1 berth by 2022 when it hopes to sell over 40 million annually. In an interview to Business Standard recently, its Co-Founder Madhav Sheth, who built the brand in India with his partner Sky Li, said: We want to be the No. 1 smartphone brand by 2022. In the next two years, we will also be in the top five brands in consumer electronics, especially televisions, laptops, wearables, and tablets.

The October numbers mark a paradigm shift for The Chinese smartphone manufacturer has been able to grab share from its key competitors. In the third quarter (Q3) of 2021, it had 15 per cent share (Vivo was at 13 per cent), while was marginally ahead at 17 per cent and Xiaomi at 23 per cent.

It was assisted in its endeavour by its aggression in the online sales platform. It became the No. 1 brand in terms of sales on Flipkart during the festival month, with 52 per cent share of smartphone sales. It was also the top two online smartphone brands, with 27 per cent market share.

Sheth expects to end the year on a high note by selling 23-24 million phones in 2021, compared to 18 million in 2020. The company assembles all its phones in the country and claims to have a localisation of over 70 per cent.





From nobody, the brand blazed a trail in May 2018 and was one of the first players to launch 5G-enabled With an average selling price (ASP) of Rs 11,080, it offers high quality specifications at attractive price points. Clearly in terms of value, Samsungs ASP would be much higher. However, the company is now planning for the first time to launch phones at the top end of the spectrum  phones priced over Rs 50,000.

Realme is also making strides in global markets. It is available in over 60 markets across the world. If global smartphone shipments in Q3 of 2021 are any indication, it already has 5 per cent market share, according to the Counterpoint Research data.

Sheth, who has been tasked to run the global business, is concentrating on some key markets  Southeast Asia, Europe, and Latin America. The brand has already made a dent in the European Union market and has cornered 3 per cent share in Q3 of 2021.

Sheth points out that until last year, India accounted for 50 per cent of its overall sales, but he expects that to come down to 30 per cent as they expand to other global markets.

To strengthen its India reach, Realme is increasing the number of outlets to 55,000 by next year, from 30,000 currently. The company says although online sales are crucial, 70 per cent of sales still happen physically.
Tesla's plant had delivered over four lakh vehicles as of November 2021, the US electric car maker said.

Deliveries at Tesla's Gigafactory came in at 413,283 vehicles in the first 11 months of this year, up 242 per cent from the same period last year.

According to the company, it has built more than 1,000 supercharging stations, 8,000 supercharging piles and 700 destination charging stations on the Chinese mainland.

Tesla's made-in-China sedans have been exported to countries including Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands and Norway, reports Xinhua agency.

The current annual production capacity of Tesla's Gigafactory has exceeded 450,000 vehicles, with the localisation rate of parts reaching 90 per cent, the company noted, adding that 92 per cent of Tesla's metallic materials of battery cells at the Shanghai plant can be recycled.

Meanwhile, Tesla officially moved its headquarters from Palo Alto, California, to Austin, Texas.

The electric vehicle company filed an 8-K form with the US Securities and Exchange Commission to relocate its corporate headquarters to the site of its Gigafactory at 13101 Harold Green Road in Austin.

Tesla will continue to operate its electric vehicle factory in Fremont, California, and increase production there by 50 per cent.

--IANS

wh/dpb

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The bodies of all the remaining 10 armed forces personnel killed in the near Coonoor were positively identified and six of them were handed over to their families, military officials said on Saturday.

The armed forces personnel whose bodies were identified and then sent to their home towns in IAF aircraft are Junior Warrant Officer (JWO) Pradeep, Wing Commander P S Chauhan, JWO Rana Pratap Das, Squadron Leader K Singh, Lance Naik B Sai Teja and Lance Naik Vivek Kumar.

The "positive identification" of the remaining four mortal remains was done through DNA testing and they will be handed over to the family members on Sunday, an official said on Saturday night.

It is understood that the process of identification of the four bodies was completed late in the evening.

While the last rites of Lt Col Harjinder Singh are likely take place at Brar Square crematorium in Delhi on Sunday, the bodies of Havildar Satpal Rai, Naik Gursewak Singh, and Naik Jitendra Kumar will be transported to their home towns by a military aircraft.

Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika and his Defence Adviser Brigadier LS Lidder were among the 13 people killed in the crash.

Gen Rawat, his wife and Brig Lidder were cremated with full military honours at Delhi's Brar Square Crematorium on Friday evening.

The mortal remains of all the 13 people killed in the air accident were brought to Delhi from Sulur in Tamil Nadu on Thursday evening, a day after the crash.

The Army and the Air Force carried out the identification of the bodies keeping in mind the sensitivities and emotional well-being of the family members, the officials said.

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The mortal remains of Lance Naik B. Sai Teja were on Sunday sent to his hometown Madanapalle from Bengaluru Command Hospital to be handed over to the family members.

The officers of Indian Air Force (IAF) paid respects to the mortal remains of the young soldier at Yelahanka Air Base in Bengaluru. Later, they were taken to the Command Hospital on Old Airport Road.

The mortal remains will be taken in a special ambulance to his home town Madanapalle in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. Before leaving for Chittoor, army officers also paid respects to the mortal remains.

Sai Teja is survived by his wife Syamala, two children -- son Mokshagna (5) and daughter Darshini (2) and his parents. He had joined the army through a recruitment drive in Guntur in 2012. He was appointed as the Personal Security Officer to Late Chief of Defence Staff General Including General Rawat, 12 others died in the IAF helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu. The mortal remains of six jawans have been flown to the nearest airports to their native places.

Teja was one among the 13 occupants of the IAF helicopter. Few hours before the chopper crashed, Teja made a video call to wife Syamala from New Delhi. He had told his wife that he was going to Tamil Nadu with CDS General Rawat and promised her that he would call back by evening.

--IANS

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India on Sunday reported a net decrease of 996 in active cases to take its count to 92,281. Indias share of global active cases now stands at 0.42 per cent (one in 238). The country is twenty-sixth among the most affected countries by active cases. On Saturday, it added 7,774 cases to take its total caseload to 34,690,510 from 34,682,736  an increase of 0.1%. And, with 306 new fatalities, its Covid-19 reached 475,434, or 1.37 per cent of total confirmed infections.

With 8,956,784 more Covid-19 vaccine doses being administered on Saturday, Indias total count of vaccine shots so far reached 1,329,384,230. The count of recovered cases across India, meanwhile, reached 34,122,795  or 98.36 per cent of total caseload  with 8,464 new cured cases being reported on Sunday.

Now the twenty-sixth-most-affected country by active cases, third by deaths, second by total cases and recoveries, India has added 57,255 cases in the past 7 days.

India now accounts for 0.42% of all active cases globally (one in every 238 active cases), and 8.94% of all deaths (one in every 11 deaths).

India has so far administered 1,329,384,230 vaccine doses. That is 3832.12 per cent of its total caseload, and 95.03 per cent of its population.

Among Indian states, the top 5 in terms of number of vaccine shots administered are Uttar Pradesh (181616990), Maharashtra (128273293), West Bengal (101087444), Madhya Pradesh (96809724), and Bihar (91085610).

Among states with more than 10 million population, the top 5 in number of vaccine shots per one million population are Gujarat (1390157), Delhi (1343450), Kerala (1326512), Jammu and Kashmir (1316075), and Uttarakhand (1269372).

Backwards from here, the last 1 million cases for India have come in 76 days.

The count of active cases across India on Sunday saw a net reduction of 966, compared with 1,666 on Saturday. States and UTs hat have seen the biggest daily net increase in active cases are Gujarat (44), Mizoram (34), Delhi (15), Haryana (10), and Chhattisgarh (6).

With 8,464 new daily recoveries, Indias recovery rate stands at 98.36%, while fatality rate remained unchanged at 1.37%.

The Indian states and UTs with the worst case fatality rates at present are Punjab (2.75%), Nagaland (2.17%), and Uttarakhand (2.15%). The rate in as many as 14 is higher than the national average.

Indias new daily closed cases stand at 8,770  306 deaths and 8,464 recoveries. The share of deaths in total closed cases stands at 3.48%.

Indias 5-day moving average of daily rate of addition to total cases stands at 0.0%.

Indias doubling time for total cases stands at 3092.7 days, and for deaths at 1076.6 days.

Overall, five states with the biggest 24-hour jump in total cases are Kerala (3795), Maharashtra (807), Tamil Nadu (681), West Bengal (610), and Karnataka (320).

India on Saturday conducted 1,189,459 to take the total count of tests conducted so far in the country to 655,816,759. The test positivity rate recorded was 0.7%.

Five states with the highest test positivity rate (TPR)  percentage of tested people turning out to be positive for Covid-19 infection (by cumulative data for tests and cases  are Dadra & Nagar Haveli-Daman & Diu (14.76%), Kerala (12.9%), Sikkim (11.56%), Goa (11.37%), and Maharashtra (9.94%).

Five states with the highest TPR by daily numbers for tests and cases added  are Mizoram (9.04%), West Bengal (1.63%), Goa (1.41%), Manipur (1.22%), and Meghalaya (1.14%).

Among states and UTs with more than 10 million population, five that have carried out the highest number of tests (per million population) are Delhi (1684423), J&K (1333612), Kerala (1127414), Punjab (1066549), and Karnataka (806519).

The five most affected states by total cases are Maharashtra (6643179), Kerala (5190828), Karnataka (3000105), Tamil Nadu (2734715), and Andhra Pradesh (2074708).

Maharashtra, the most affected state overall, has reported 807 new cases to take its tally to 6643179.

Kerala, the second-most-affected state by total tally, has added 3795 cases to take its tally to 5190828.

Karnataka, the third-most-affected state, has reported 320 cases to take its tally to 3000105.

Tamil Nadu has added 681 cases to take its tally to 2734715.

Andhra Pradesh has seen its tally going up by 156 to 2074708.

Uttar Pradesh has added 21 cases to take its tally to 1710538.

Delhi has added 52 cases to take its tally to 1441662.
Gauteng is the smallest of South Africas nine provinces but home to a quarter of the countrys population. It is also the countrys economic power house. These factors have contributed to it becoming the epicentre of the COVID-19 epidemic. Gautengs COVID-19 surveillance aims to provide an understanding of the provinces experience. This also serves as an early warning system for other parts of the country. Public health medicine specialist Harsha Somaroo is part of the team analysing data for the Gauteng Department of Health and told The Conversation Africa what its showing so far.

Whats your data showing about COVID-19 in Gauteng?

In the four epidemiological weeks (13 November to 4 December, 2021), there was an exponential rise in new COVID-19 cases. The province officially entered its fourth COVID-19 wave on 1 December.

During this period South African scientists announced they had identified a new variant of SARS-CoV-2, which the World Health Organisation went on label a variant of concern and named it Omicron. Current data show that the Omicron variant is dominating new COVID-19 cases in the province.

The rate of increase in new cases in Gauteng has been significantly higher compared to any other period in the epidemic in the province. The weekly rates of increase in new infections, when compared to the previous week, were 71%, 341%, 379% and 272%.

Thats reflected by the steep incline in the curve for COVID-19 cases (Figure one).

The COVID-19 test positivity rate (the number of tests done that have a positive result) for the past four weeks, were 1.4%, 5.0%, 19.0%, and 33.9%. This reveals a rapid rise, and now widespread community transmission, of SARS-CoV-2 in Gauteng.

What does your data tell us about

The recent exponential rise in new COVID-19 cases, associated with the detection and domination of the variant in the province, suggests that this SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern is highly transmissible.

It is also possible to understand the severity of illness better by monitoring trends and outcomes among hospitalised patients. There are two sets of data that provide insights  hospitalisations and excess deaths. Excess deaths are deaths above the number expected in a region for that point in time, and give an indication of the COVID-19 related deaths in a region.

Compared with previous periods during which the numbers have spiked the latest numbers show that new daily COVID-19 hospitalisations and excess deaths have been lower than the rate of increase in new COVID-19 cases, suggesting that the variant may cause less severe illness.

The weekly rates of new hospitalisations have been significantly high for the past three weeks (120%; 166%; and 125%). But this was still lower compared to previous periods in which infection numbers rose. Also, the current increase came off a very low base as admission numbers had fallen after the last COVID-19 waves in Gauteng (Figure two).

Another caveat, is that some patients have been admitted for other conditions, and were diagnosed with COVID-19 due to routine testing protocols in hospital, and not because they showed symptoms. Due to the number of patients for which this information is available, this proportion could lie between 7.4% and 52.1% of new COVID-19 admissions.

Another difference the data are showing is that theres a change in the age profile of admissions. Younger age categories of patients (0-9, 10-19, and 30-39) accounted for higher proportions of hospital admissions during the past month than previously.

A significant proportion of these admissions might be due to asymptomatic COVID-19 infections which were incidental diagnoses due to routine testing for COVID-19 on admission to hospital (between 7% and 46%).

The average length of stay in hospital, for all age categories of patients, was lower in the past month compared to overall. Additionally, fewer patients were admitted into Intensive Care Units (5.6% versus 9%), and a lower proportion of patients required supplemental oxygen therapy (19.4% versus 43.1%) or ventilation (1.4% versus 8.2%) in the past four weeks compared to cumulatively (Table one).

In-hospital mortality rates were also lower in the past four weeks compared to cumulatively (2.6% compared to 22%). However, there was still higher mortality among those over 50 years old.

The early findings suggest less severe COVID-19 infections, though they should be correlated with clinical pictures and monitored closely over the next few weeks to better understand the clinical manifestations and outcomes related to the variant.

What do people need to do in the light of this information?

These early surveillance findings give us some idea of the transmission dynamics and virulence of the Omicron variant in Gauteng. Trends will need to be monitored closely over the next few weeks to fully understand the impact of this new variant.

The recent high rates of COVID-19 transmission, and continued higher death rates among older patients hospitalised with COVID-19, have important implications for public health measures. The following are critical to decrease the number of new COVID-19 cases:

physical distancing

avoidance of gatherings and poorly ventilated spaces

wearing of masks at all times when around other people

ensuring good hand and respiratory hygiene.

All eligible people, especially those aged over 50, should be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, to protect themselves against severe illness and death. They should also avail themselves for booster shots where indicated.

Harsha Somaroo, Public Health Medicine Specialist, University of the Witwatersrand

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Three more states  Andhra Pradesh, and  reported their first case of Omicron on Sunday. Maharashtra and Karnataka also reported one more case each, taking the total in the country to 38.

While a 20-year-old fully vaccinated man from Italy was detected in with Omicron, a 34-year-old foreign traveller from Ireland tested positive for the new variant in Visakhapatnam. In Kerala, a person who returned from the UK on December 6 to Ernakulam, was identified as the first patient. Two of his family members also tested positive and are currently under isolation.

According to an official statement, the man in had landed in India on November 22 and was under institutional quarantine. His seven high-risk family contacts were put under quarantine and were tested for Covid-19 by the RTPCR method. All of them tested negative.

He has been kept in isolation for the last 11 days. His report for the whole genomic sequencing was received late night on December 11 and has been found positive for the Omicron variant, the statement said. Maharashtra, leading the Omicron tally, added one more case. A 40-year-old man from Nagpur, who arrived from South Africa on December 5, was found to be infected with Omicron, according to a report of the National Institute of Virology on Sunday.
MLA Asha Patel died on Sunday while undergoing treatment for in a hospital in Ahmedabad, party colleagues informed.

The 44-year-old MLA from Unjha Assembly constituency in Mehsana district died in Zydus hospital where she was on ventilator support after being admitted on Friday evening, they said.

"I inform you with profound sadness that Unjha MLA Asha Patel is no longer with us. She was admitted in Zydus hospital at Ahmedabad for treatment of dengue, but the seriousness of her case was such that despite the best efforts by a team of doctors, she could not be saved," former deputy chief minister Nitin Patel told reporters.

Her mortal remains will be taken to Unjha and kept in the market yard for the public to pay tribute and her last rites will be held in Siddhpur crematorium on Monday, he added.

In a statement, the said Patel was suffering from soon after returning from Delhi and she lost her fight against the ailment on Sunday.

State Assembly Speaker Rajendra Trivedi said Patel suffered from multiple organ failure.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Governor Acharya Devvrat condoled her death.

Patel, who was active in the Patidar stir for quota, was elected as MLA from Unjha for the first time in 2017 on a Congress ticket, but switched over to the ruling in February, 2019 and then won a bypoll.

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India is exploring the possibility of inviting the top leaders of the central Asian countries to grace the upcoming celebrations, a move that comes in the backdrop of New Delhi's rapidly expanding ties with the region.

People familiar with the developments said on Sunday that the option of inviting the leaders of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan as chief guests is being pursued.

At the same time, they said there is no finality on the guest list yet while not ruling out other options as well.

As a grouping, India had invited leaders of 10-nation influential regional bloc ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) for the celebrations in 2018 and all of them attended it.

In the last few years, India has been focusing on enhancing overall cooperation with the energy-rich Central Asian countries, considering them to be part of its extended neighbourhood.

The upswing in India's engagement with the region followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's whirlwind tour of the five countries in July 2015 that resulted in the expansion of two-way ties in a range of areas.

The recent developments in Afghanistan also reinforced the importance of the Central Asian countries with three of them - Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - sharing borders with the war-torn nation.

The national security advisors of all the five Central Asian countries attended an India-hosted regional dialogue on Afghanistan on November 10. The NSAs of Russia and Iran also participated in it.

India did not have a chief guest this year.

It had invited British Prime Minister Boris Johnson as the Republic Day chief guest and he accepted had the invitation. However, three weeks ahead of the event, Johnson cancelled the visit to New Delhi following a surge in COVID-19 cases in the UK.

Brazilian President Jair Messias Bolsonaro was the chief guest at Republic Day celebrations in 2020 and he was the third President from Brazil to have graced the occasion.

In 2019, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was the chief guest at the R-Day parade while in 2018, leaders of ASEAN countries attended the celebrations.

In 2017, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was the chief guest at the celebrations, while the then French president Francois Hollande graced the occasion in 2016.

In 2015, the then US president Barack Obama was the chief guest.

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Defence Minister on Sunday said that India has won direct wars with Pakistan and will also win indirect one as well.

Singh was speaking after inaugurating 'Swarnim Vijay Parv' celebration at India Gate on 50 years of India's 1971 war.

Singh said, "After the defeat in 1971, Pakistan is continuously fighting a proxy war. Pakistan wants to disrupt peace in India by promoting terrorism and other anti-India activities. The Indian forces foiled their plans in 1971 and work to eliminate terrorism from its root is underway. We have won in a direct war and the victory will be ours in an indirect war as well," he added.

Talking about strong anti-India sentiment of Pakistan, Singh said, "The anti-India feeling in Pakistan can be seen from the fact that they name their missiles after invaders who attacked India - Ghori, Ghaznavi, Abdali, whereas India's missiles are named Akash, Prithvi, Agni. Now one of our missiles has also been named Sant".

Singh congratulated Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) for the successful flight test of indigenously designed and developed helicopter-launcher Stand-off Anti-tank (SANT) Missile on December 11.

The Defence Minister termed the 1971 war as among the most decisive after two World Wars. "This war tells us that the partition of India on the basis of religion was a historic mistake. Pakistan was born in the name of one religion but it could not remain one," he added.

Singh mentioned that the 1971 war is a classic example of India's morality and democratic traditions. "It will be rarely seen in history that after defeating another country in a war, a country does not impose its dominance, but hands over power to its political representative. India did this, because it is a part of our culture. India has never invaded any country, nor has it ever captured an inch of land of any other country," he said.

The Defence Minister recalled India's contribution in the establishment of democracy in Bangladesh and appreciated the fact that it has progressed rapidly on the path of development in the last 50 years, which is an inspiration for the world.

Singh said that the atrocities on the people of then East Pakistan were a threat to the entire humanity and it was India's responsibility to liberate them of that injustice and exploitation.

He paid rich tributes to the brave Indian soldiers, sailors and air warriors and their families who ensured the victory in the 1971 war, and said that the country will always be indebted to their sacrifice.

Remembering general Bipin Rawat, India's first Chief of Defence Staff, Singh said that in the untimely death of General Rawat, India has lost a brave soldier, an able advisor and a lively person.

The event will also mark the culmination of the year-long journey of the Victory Flame, the Swarnim Vijay Mashal which, having traversed the length and breadth of the country and collected soil samples from the villages of the gallant soldiers of the war, will converge in New Delhi on December 16, 2021 in a grand ceremony.

--IANS

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Suvarna Soudha, where the legislature session will be held after two years due to COVID related restrictions, is all decked up for the winter session of the assembly, which will commence from December 13.

The imposing replica of the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, which was inaugurated on October 11, 2012, has not witnessed any session since 2018. The 10-day session will be held under the shadow of the new COVID variant Omicron, whose numbers climbed to three in the state on Sunday with one more person testing positive for it. The entire premises of Suvarna Soudha has been sanitised whereas strict COVID norms have been put in place, officials said. Those attending the session will have to produce certificate of having taken two doses of COVID vaccine and a negative RT-PCR test report. According to the official sources, at least eight bills could come up for passage including the Municipal Corporation bill replacing an ordinance, University of Visvesvaraya University Bill and Ayush University Bill. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai hinted that the anti-conversion bill could be taken up during the 10-day assembly session. The CM was also optimistic about meaningful debates on development works and public grievances during the session. "The Legislature session will be held in Belagavi after two years. The state government has completed all the preparations for a smooth session. I wish to have fruitful debates on issues related to development and redressal of grievances of the people of the state," Bommai told reporters in Hubballi. He added that people of Northern are keen to witness serious debates, especially on issues related to comprehensive development of their region. The session may also witness protests by farmers, especially sugarcane growers as hinted by a few farmer leaders.

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Plans are afoot to have four cut-off dates every year for people to enrol as voters by amending the electoral law, a move which will eventually help have a common electoral roll for the Lok Sabha, Assembly and local body polls as also ensure that more eligible youngsters become part of the electorate.

The (ECI) had been pushing for multiple cut-off dates to allow more eligible people to register as voters.

As of now, for an election to be held in a particular year, only an individual who has attained the age of 18 years as on January 1 of that year or before is eligible to be enrolled in the voters' list.

The ECI had told the government that the January 1 cut-off date set for the purpose deprives several youngsters from participating in the electoral exercise held in a particular year.

Due to only one qualifying or cut-off date, a person attaining the age of 18 years on January 2 cannot be registered. Therefore, a person who turns 18 after January 1 will have to wait for next year to get registered.

The law ministry has told a parliamentary panel that "it is proposed to amend section 14(b) of the Representation of the People Act to insert four qualifying dates (or cut-off dates) -- January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1 -- of every year".

It said a comprehensive draft cabinet note "containing this proposal (of four qualifying dates) as well as a few other important electoral reform proposals taken up by the Election Commission is under preparation".

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Personnel on Friday tabled its 109th report on "Action Taken on 107th report of the Committee on Demands for Grants (2021-22) pertaining to the Ministry of Law and Justice" in the Lok Sabha.

The committee referred to its earlier observation where it had reiterated its recommendation for the implementation of a common electoral roll in the country and desired that "all-out efforts" should be made in this regard.

Responding to the recommendation, the ministry said according to section 13D of the Representation of the People Act, the electoral roll for every parliamentary constituency should consist of the electoral rolls for all the Assembly constituencies within the Lok Sabha segment and it should not be necessary to separately prepare or revise the electoral roll for any such parliamentary constituency.

"Therefore, there is a common electoral roll for both Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assembly as of now," the ministry noted.

It said according to the information provided by the ECI, 25 states and eight Union territories are presently using the electoral roll data prepared by it for preparing their electoral roll for local bodies and panchayat

"The ECI had informed that one of the reasons for the reluctance of some states to use the EC electoral roll is that there is only one qualifying date for registration or updation of the roll prepared by the EC -- 1st day of January of every year, whereas some states have multiple qualifying dates. This ensures the updation of the (electoral) roll (or voters' list) four times in a year," the ministry said.

In a bid to persuade the remaining states to use the electoral roll prepared by the ECI for holding local body elections, "it is proposed to amend section 14(b) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 to insert four qualifying dates, i.e. 1st January, 1st April, 1st July, and 1st October, of every year...", it told the parliamentary panel.

The committee observed that multiple qualifying dates will encourage the states to use common electoral rolls "so as to avoid preparation of separate voters' list, which causes duplication of the same task between two different agencies and undue expenditure".

The respective state election commissions (SECs) hold the local body or panchayat in the states.

The SECs are separate bodies and are not part or linked to the ECI.

The ECI is mandated to hold the presidential, vice-presidential, Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, state Assembly and state legislative council polls.

The legislative department in the law ministry is the nodal agency to deal with issues related to the the ECI.

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In a pre-recorded message, Late Chief of Staff General Bipin Rawat, who was killed in a chopper crash in Tamil Nadu along with 12 others, paid tributes to the Armed Forces personnel responsible for India's victory in 1971 war with Pakistan.

In the pre-recorded message shared by Indian Army, he congratulated all the brave soldiers of the on the occasion of 'Swarnim Vijay Parv' and said, "We are celebrating 50th anniversary of India Army's victory in 1971 war as the 'Vijay Parav'."

"It is a matter of great pride that Vijay Parva is being held under the flame of Amar Jawan Jyoti which was made in the remembrance of our brave soldiers," he said.

"We invite all our citizens to participate in this celebration of Vijay Parav. Apni Sena par Hai Hame Garv - Aao mil kar manayen Vijay Parva. Jai Hind!," the late Chief of Staff said.

General Bipin Rawt, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 armed forces personnel were killed in a military chopper crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on December 8.

He was on a visit to Services Staff College at Wellington in Nilgiri Hills to address the faculty and student officers of the Staff Course during which the crash happened.

Indian Armed Force is observing 'Swarnim Vijay Parv' from December 12 till December 13. The closing ceremony will be held on December 13, which will be attended by Rajnath Singh and many other dignitaries, including from Bangladesh.

--IANS

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Subhash Garg, the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) secretary during the years when the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India had flagged the issue of the finance ministry not showing bank recapitalisation as fiscally non-neutral, said the government at that time was sensitive to fiscal deficit.

The government can now show recapitalisation as affecting deficit. The government is no longer sensitive to fiscal deficit as it was raised to 9.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in the Revised Estimates (RE), from 3.5 per cent in the Budget Estimates (BE) for the current fiscal year, Garg told Business Standard.

The had raised this issue for the Budgets of 2017-18 (FY18) and 2018-19 (FY19). Garg was DEA secretary from July 5, 2017, to July 26, 2019. He was responsible for the Budget-making exercise for one of these two years  FY19. He was also finance secretary from March 1, 2019, to July 26, 2019.

I assume the government then was conscious about keeping fiscal deficit low. The governments sensitivity towards fiscal deficit is no longer there. Fiscal deficit was raised to 9.5 per cent of by paying the Food Corporation of Indias past liabilities. If it were to be done today, we should see how this RS 20,000 crore of last year or the current year has been treated on the fiscal account as asset and liability, he said.

In its report presented to Parliament last month, the had pulled up the government for not factually showing in the FY18 and FY19 Budgets that bank recapitalisation of public sector banks (PSBs) is fiscally non-neutral.

The said the government made an investment of Rs 80,000 crore in FY18 and Rs 1.06 trillion in FY19 for recapitalisation of PSBs.





Funds for these investments were raised by the government through the issue of non-transferable special securities to the same PSBs.

The CAG noticed that in the Expenditure Budget, the abovementioned expenditure on recapitalisation of PSBs had been netted against receipts from issue of special securities. In the Receipt Budget, receipts from securities had been netted against expenditure on recapitalisation.

This treatment is reflected in the computation of fiscal deficit in Budget At a Glance (BAG) and in the Medium-Term Fiscal Policy Statement (MTFPS). However, in the Union Government Finance Accounts, the securities issued to PSBs have been correctly accounted as internal debt of the government and receipts from the same as debt receipts.

CAG said netting of these receipts against expenditure on recapitalisation and investment in PSBs in BAG and MTFPS was not in line with the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act, 2003.

The finance ministry agreed that that bank recapitalisation, although cash-neutral, is not fiscally neutral since the issue of securities would get reflected in total government debt. Besides, coupon payments for special securities when made would be reflected in the fiscal deficit of the relevant year.

Fact remains that the expenditure should have been shown separately from receipts and not netted, said CAG.

If bank recapitalisation is shown in fiscal deficit, the gap between the Union governments expenditure and revenue would have increased to 3.7 per cent of in FY18, against 3.5 per cent shown in the Budget. Similarly, the Centres fiscal deficit would have risen to 3.9 per cent of in FY19, against 3.4 per cent shown in the Budget.

If recapitalisation is now shown in next years Budget as expenditure, fiscal deficit would become 9.6 per cent on account of the ~20,000 crore of recapitalisation account, from 9.5 per cent shown in the RE for 2020-21. For 2021-22, the deficit would increase to 6.9 per cent of GDP, from 6.8 per cent from the BE on account of Rs 20,000 crore of recapitalisation.

To a query whether the treatment of recapitalisation on the fiscal account was against the FRBM Act of 2003, the former economic affairs secretary said it was if one were a fiscal purist.

He said investment in banks should be shown as capital expenditure and investment by banks in bonds as borrowings of the government.

If you treat that, then the bank recapitalisation would be non-neutral on the fiscal account and it would raise fiscal deficit and by the same amount, liabilities would go up automatically. Purist fiscal treatment is this, he said.

To that extent, what the CAG said is correct, said Garg.

However, the CAG also probably noted that the government had intended to make it fiscally neutral. Worse could have been that you dont show it as an increase in government liability. But that was not done. The government transparently showed that liabilities went up. But to depress fiscal deficit or keep it lower, it was kept as neutral. It should have been disclosed on both sides as investment and borrowing and fiscal deficit should have also gone up, he said.
Prime Minister will address the function on 'Depositors First

As per an official statement from Prime Minsiter's Office, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, MoS Finance and RBI Governor will also be present on the occasion.

"Deposit covers all deposits such as savings, fixed, current, recurring deposits, etc. in all commercial banks, functioning in India. Deposits in State, Central and Primary cooperative banks, functioning in States/Union Territories are also covered," said the PMO.

"In a path-breaking reform, bank deposit cover was enhanced from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh," it added.

With deposit coverage of Rs 5 lakh per depositor per bank, the number of fully protected accounts at end of the previous financial year constituted 98.1 per cent of the total number of accounts, as against the international benchmark of 80 per cent.

The first tranche of interim payments has been released by the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation recently, against claims received from depositors of 16 Urban Cooperative Banks which are under restrictions by RBI. Payout of over Rs 1,300 crore has been made to alternate bank accounts of over 1 lakh depositors against their claims, informed the PMO.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
prices in India this week slipped to their lowest since December 2016 as a weaker rupee allowed exporters to cut rates amid climbing local supply from fresh crops.

Top exporter Indias 5 percent broken parboiled variety was quoted at $351-$356 per tonne, down from $353-$358 last week.

The touched a two-month low on Thursday.

"India has again become competitive in the world market, said an exporter based at Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh state.

Domestic rice prices in Bangladesh rose again this week despite good crops and imports, which officials blamed on hoarding by middlemen.

"Stern action will be taken against those who are creating an artificial crisis to make windfall profits," a senior commerce ministry official said.

Bangladesh, traditionally the world's third-biggest rice producer, has become a major buyer to replenish flood-hit domestic stocks, importing mostly from India.

In Vietnam, rates for 5% broken rice fell to $410-$414 a tonne from $415-$420 last week.

"The market is idle this week with high shipping costs as well as a container crunch remaining big problems," said a trader based in Ho Chi Minh City.

"Farmers in the Mekong Delta provinces are accelerating sowing seeds expected to finish by the end of this month to avoid drought and salinity," the trader added. "Major winter-spring crop season is due to complete in February.

Thailand's 5% broken rice prices narrowed to $385-$396 per tonne from $380-$397 last week, as the Thai baht strengthened against the U.S. dollar.

Some traders in Bangkok said the market is relatively quiet as the end of the year approaches, while others said some buyers were rushing to make orders before the year-end.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The government and the Centre are at loggerheads over the upcoming block auction. Being the majority owner of Singareni Collieries Company (SCCL), wants the Centre to keep out four blocks coming in the entitys area from the auction.

Against the auction move, around 41,000 employees representing trade unions had gone on a three-day strike from Thursday to Saturday. That led to a revenue loss of more than Rs 120 crore (production loss of around 140,000 tonnes per day) for the company.

A joint action committee -- including representatives of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), and Boggu Gani Karmika Sangham (TRS) -- is now looking to take a legal course on the issue, with likely support from the state government.

Telangana Chief Minister has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to direct the ministry to de-list the four blocks  Sathupally OC-III, Sravanpally OC, Koya Gudem OCIII, and Kalyanikhani block-6 UG  from tranche 13, for which electronic auctions have been scheduled for January.

Allocation of four blocks is critical for maintaining supplies to the power sector and these are extension blocks on the dip side of the existing mining leases and adjacent to operating mines ..., Rao said in his letter.

A senior official of the company said: Around 41,000 employees went on strike, which led to a loss of over Rs 40 crore per day for the company. The management informed them that it is the Centre which is the decision-making body in this regard.

Telangana holds 51 per cent in the company while the Centre has the rest.

We are planning to meet the coal minister next week. If he does not accede to our demands, we will go to court. The state government is on a strong legal footing on the issue, said INTUC leader Janak Prasad.

A senior government official did not respond to the Business Standard question on whether the state would be part of the case. A total of 88 coal mines -- 40 new mines and 48 unsold in the earlier rounds -- have been selected in the present round. These include the four blocks in Telangana.

Union Coal Secretary Anil Kumar Jain had last week said the government was getting a good response for the 13th tranche of auctions.

Raos letter, which Business Standard saw, said after the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act of 2015, had approached the coal ministry for the allocation of the four blocks concerned.

However, despite repeated requests from the state, these blocks were included in the auctions. According to the MMDR Act, allocating coal-bearing areas is done through auction, reservation under Section 17(A) (2), or allocation under Section 11 (A) of MMDR Act, 1957.

Rao asked Modi to intervene on the issue and direct the coal ministry to allocate the blocks to under Section 11 (A). Unions are also of the view that the rights to coal mining were given to by the Nizams government.

At present, SCCL produces 65 million tonnes of coal, meeting the requirements of thermal plants in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. After the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, peak power demand has increased from 5,661 Mw in June 2014 to 13,688 Mw in March 2021.
Legendary Indian actor Dilip Kumar's 99th birth anniversary was celebrated in his city of birth here in Pakistan, with the provincial Cultural Heritage Council arranging a grand function to dust up some nostalgia and pay glowing tributes in loving memory of the late thespian.

Blessed with a unique ability to underplay emotions, Kumar was credited to have brought method acting to Indian cinema.

The superstar passed away on July 7 this year after a battle with prolonged illness. He was survived by wife Saira Bano.

Born on December 11 in 1922 as Yousuf Khan to a Hindko-speaking Awan family at Mohallah Khudadad near the fabled Qissa Khwani bazaar of the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kumar spent 12 years of his childhood here before migrating to India.

He was rechristened as and found fame in the Hindi film industry.

Participants of the function on Saturday, organised by the council at Press Club, paid glowing tributes to the phenomenal career of Kumar, and also praised the achievements of some of the other legendary actors such as the late Raj Kapoor, who was also born in this city.

Secretary, Cultural Heritage Council, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Shakeel Waheedullah, Central Secretary of Communist Party Imdadullah Qazi, Provincial Secretariat Mazdoor Kissan Party Abdul Mehmood, and Tariq Khattak were some of the speakers on the occasion.

Kumar's century-old ancestral house situated in the fabled Qissa Khwani Bazar was declared a national heritage in 2014 by the then Nawaz Sharif government.

The actor had always held the city of close to his heart and would reminisce about his childhood memories.

The speakers also used the platform to shun hatred and foster peace between India and

Shunning hatred and promoting brotherhood between the two countries is our sole objective, they said.

In 1998, the Pakistan government honoured Kumar with the 'Nishan-e-Imtiaz' - the country's highest civilian award.

Often known as the Nehruvian hero, Kumar did his first film 'Jwar Bhata' in 1944 and his last 'Qila' in 1998, 54 years later. The five-decade career included 'Mughal-e-Azam', 'Devdas', 'Naya Daur', and 'Ram Aur Shyam', and later, as he graduated to character roles, 'Shakti' and 'Karma'.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
On Wednesday, the RBI in its Statement on Developmental and Regulatory Practices, announced a proposal to popularise UPI payments on Although the central bank is yet to release details of the new service, this would be the third iteration of the feature phone payments push in the country.

In 2012, the National Payments Corporation of India had launched a USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Services Data)-based mobile banking service called *99#. Initially, the facility was only available to MTNL and BSNL users. It was later expanded to all telecom service providers and linked to Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana in 2014.





The USSD 2.0 was launched alongside BHIM in 2016, incorporating all the UPI options, but it hasnt quite taken off.

In 2017-18, USSD 2.0 transactions accounted for 4.3 per cent of total UPI volumes and 1.6 per cent of total transaction value; last year, its share in volume and value transactions had fallen to 0.005 and 0.004 per cent, respectively.

Until November this year, a total of 0.85 million transactions took place via USSD 2.0, amounting to Rs 12,800 crore. In contrast, 26,850.9 million transactions on the entire UPI platform were worth Rs 49.71 trillion.


The executives had a good feeling about Jan. 10, 2022  the date when DocuSigns 7,000 employees worldwide would finally come back to work.

This deadline wouldnt be like that earlier one in May 2020, which was always a fantasy, or August 2020, which was a bit ambitious, or October 2021, a plan derailed by the Delta variant. Fourth times the charm.

Every time we delay this were pushing off the inevitable, said Joan Burke, the chief people officer, in a late November interview. At some point in time DocuSign is going to be open.

That some point in time is no longer in January. The Omicron variant interjected. Just as from Ford Motor to Lyft have done in the past week, DocuSign postponed again. In place of a new date came the companys promise to reassess our plans as 2022 unfolds.

Employees understand the evolving nature of what were dealing with makes it impossible to predict, Ms. Burke said this month. I cant even remember all the dates weve put out there, and Im the one who put them out there.

Return-to-office dates used to be like talismans; the chief executives who set them seemed to wield some power over the shape of the months to come. Then the dates were postponed, and postponed again. At some point the spell was broken. For many companies, office reopening plans have lost their fear factor, coming to seem like wishful thinking rather than a sign of futures filled with alarm clocks, commutes and pants that actually button. The R.T.O. date is gone. Its been replaced with well get back to you.

The only being dishonest are the ones giving employees certainty, said Nicholas Bloom, a Stanford professor who advises dozens of chief executives. As a parent you can hide stuff from your kids, but as a C.E.O. you cant do that to adult employees who read the news.

Some workers have returned to their cubicles in recent months, with office occupancy across the United States rising from 33 percent in August to 40 percent this month, according to data from Kastle Systems, a building security firm. But the visions of full-scale reopenings and mandatory returns, which formed as vaccines rolled out last spring, have remained nebulous.

A late August survey of 238 executives, conducted by Gartner, found that two-thirds of organizations had delayed their return to office plans because of news about variants. Apple, Ford, CNN and Google are just a handful of the employers that announced postponements, along with Lyft, which said the earliest that workers would be required to return to the office is 2023.

Earlier this fall there had been high hopes that the first quarter 2022 office reopening dates might hold up. Cushman & Wakefield, one of the worlds biggest commercial real estate companies, released a September report projecting February 2022 as an inflection point, when at least 70 percent of the global population would be vaccinated or previously infected with coronavirus, making R.T.O. dates easier to stick by. But some of the firms projections are already being tested. Its report began by laying out the assumption that the Delta strain represents the final wave of the pandemic.

The pandemic hasnt been an optimal time for assumptions of any kind. Some employers went ahead and made them anyway, trying to position themselves as bold decision makers by setting concrete R.T.O. dates. Many have since given up on that level of specificity.

Folks have hedged appropriately this time around and they understand that its a dialogue with their employees, not a mandate, said Zach Dunn, co-founder of the office space management platform Robin. If that sounds a little kumbaya, maybe. But the reality is, folks are learning that sharing the intention of their return plan is more important than sharing the plan itself.

In other words, its better to communicate ambiguity than to be wrong, according to Mr. Dunn. Executives are accustomed to projecting a sense of certainty about company policies, by necessity; its tough to get people to follow rules when even the leaders dont believe theyre enforceable. The bumpy road to office reopenings, though, has tested that ethos of confident, rigid management.

The average C.E.O. has very little command over the state and progress of a global pandemic, Mr. Dunn continued. It feels like in a moment of crisis they should be showing leadership by sharing a clear vision for what they expect, but thats backfired for most folks.

Julia Anas, chief people officer at Qualtrics, a Utah-based software company, is one of the executives who has soured on hard-and-fast R.T.O. timelines. In August, as her teams optimism about the state of the virus tempered, Qualtrics delayed its plans for a September return to office indefinitely, promising to give its nearly 5,000 employees at least 30 days notice before theyd have to report to their desks.

We decided as a leadership team, what was magical about these dates? Ms. Anas said. It was extremely liberating saying, Were going to see how this nets out and were not solving for a date.

She is unsettled by the possibility that they will still be working from home in March, two years since they first packed up their desks. But with infections spiking, Ms. Anas is relieved that the company doesnt have to weigh the merits of an early 2022 return, leaving workers to wait worriedly for updates.

If we had kicked the can to January, theyd be fixated on that, she said. We keep focused on the work. This is just a distraction.

For many organizational leaders, addressing the anxieties of their work force has been the only constant in the R.T.O. process.

With the spread of Delta, Jessica Saranich, who runs U.S. operations at the productivity software company Monday.com, got a flurry of notes from colleagues: Will we really go back to the office in August? Last month brought the news of Omicron, with a fresh set of questions: What does this mean for the January off-site gathering, with its promise of free food, partying and a Miami D.J.? Ms. Saranichs team has delayed its return to office date three times, which has left some employees pleading for more permanence in the companys policies.

Sometimes our team will say please just make a decision, pick something, make us come back to the office or make us be remote, Ms. Saranich said. But its not something that we want to rush. To be able to lean into the discomfort and say we dont know is a great gift that we can give to our team.

Still, plenty of organizations aiming for an early 2022 return havent budged.

Express Employment Professionals, a staffing provider in Oklahoma City, aims to bring half of its 300 workers back to their newly remodeled headquarters on Jan. 15. The company had originally reopened its office in July in a phased re-entry plan, which was temporarily scaled back in September. Keith McFall, chief operating officer, feels that clear R.T.O. dates serve as a force of stability for workers navigating months of tumult.

Weve learned that its best for our employees to have some certainty in their lives and an expectation of when they may have to transition from home to work, he said, always with the qualifier that wed let them know 30 days before that date whether well remain with that date or defer it again.

Mr. McFall has been optimistic about Expresss plan for an early 2022 return. But like other executives eager to see their employees in person, he acknowledged that the news about Omicron, which is a possibly more transmissible variant, brought with it a jolt of fresh doubt.

I probably cant say the words I said to myself when I first heard about it, said Marina Gonzalez, head of talent management at the Atlanta company Payrix, which is hoping for an early 2022 return to the office, though they have not set a date for it. Just when you think youve got it all figured out, something else comes along.

The uncertainty of this period has prompted some to abandon more than just their R.T.O. dates.

Charity: water, a nonprofit, had previously occupied 25,000 square feet in Tribeca and reopened a downsized office last spring. Scott Harrison, the organizations chief executive, who had moved from New York City to Nashville during the pandemic, sensed that his employees wanted him to set clear expectations about when they would have to report back.

We saw a lot of companies playing it month by month and we wanted to give our team members a much greater line of sight, he said.

But that line of sight doesnt include an R.T.O. date. Workers werent making use of the office space, Mr. Harrison found. So instead of locking down a timeline for the companys return, he picked a date of a different kind: By March 2022, Charity: water will end its lease.
Israel's prime minister announced that he would make the first official visit to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday as part of a blitz of regional diplomacy amid the backdrop of struggling nuclear talks with

Naftali Bennett's office said he will be meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and discussing strengthening economic and military ties.

The visit will be the first by an Israeli prime minister. and the had long enjoyed clandestine security cooperation, but formalised ties last year as part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President on Friday (local time) declared that an emergency exists in Kentucky after it was struck by several tornadoes.

He ordered federal assistance to supplement Kentucky and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding, and tornadoes beginning on December 10, 2021, and continuing, read the US President Statement.

The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population.

It will provide appropriate assistance required for emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the counties of Breckenridge, Bullitt, Caldwell, Fulton, Graves, Grayson, Hickman, Hopkins, Lyon, Meade, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Shelby, Spencer, and Warren, read the statement.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75 per cent Federal funding.

Deanne Criswell, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named John Brogan as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected areas, added the statement.

At least 70 people are likely dead after multiple tornadoes barreled through southwestern Kentucky on Friday.

"Now we are certain that that number is more than 70, it may, in fact, end up exceeding a hundred before the day is done," CNN reported citing Governor Andy Beshear.

.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The is planning to allocate 99.5 million humanitarian aid to

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss plans to allocate another batch of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, in the amount of 75 million pounds, the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office informs, reported Sputnik.

The foreign office specified on Saturday that out of the total aid package, 34 million pounds will go to the UN World Food Programme (WFP).

Truss welcomed the Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers on Saturday in Liverpool, where they discussed global conflicts and regional crises, including Afghanistan, reported Sputnik.

The foreign secretary called for the broadening of cooperation in order to prevent humanitarian catastrophes and avoid high risks of migration.

To avert a humanitarian crisis, the UK has doubled its aid to and the region to roughly USD 380 million (286 million pounds) this year, reported Sputnik.

In September, the UK sent 30 million pounds in assistance to countries neighbouring Another 50 million pounds were allocated in October.

Earlier this month, Truss discussed Afghanistan and related humanitarian issues with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Ministerial Council in Stockholm.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Top diplomats from the Group of Seven industrialized nations met Saturday in Liverpool for talks dominated by Russia's buildup of troops near Ukraine's border and what host country Britain called Moscow's malign behaviour around the world.

The called for a show of unity against global aggressors as it welcomed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other G-7 foreign ministers amid the Russia-Ukraine crisis and tensions with China and Iran.

We need to defend ourselves against the growing threats from hostile actors," British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said as she opened the meeting of foreign ministers from the UK, the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.

And we need to come together strongly to stand up to aggressors who are seeking to limit the bounds of freedom and democracy.

The US and its NATO allies are concerned that the movement of Russian troops and weapons to the border region with Ukraine may be a prelude to an invasion and have said they would inflict heavy sanctions on Russia's economy if that happens.

Moscow denies having any plans to attack Ukraine and accuses Kyiv of its own allegedly aggressive designs.

A senior US official who participated in Saturday's discussions said the G-7 ministers were united in their extreme concern about developments on the Russia-Ukraine border.

The official said the ministers had agreed that any Russian invasion of Ukraine would be met with a response that would bring massive consequences and severe costs from the G-7.

The official would not elaborate on what those consequences might be but said they will be implemented very, very fast if does not heed warnings to back down.

The US and its allies have played down talk of a military response to defend Ukraine, with efforts focusing on tough sanctions that would hit the Russian economy, rather than just individuals.

European Union foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell, who is also attending the two-day conference, said the ministers were determined "to make understand that anything that could represent an attack to Ukraine would have a high price.

Getting a unified response from the G-7, a group of countries with disparate interests, has often proved tough.

Germany plans on getting gas from soon through the contentious Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which bypasses Ukraine. Britain, which is not dependent on Russian gas, generally takes a tougher line on the pipeline but faces tough questions about London's financial district and property market, both hubs for Russian money.

Truss said she wanted to work with other countries to make sure that free democratic nations are able to have an alternative to Russian gas supplies. She met on the sidelines of the gathering with Germany's new foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, a politician from the environmentalist Greens who previously opposed Nord Stream 2.

Alongside efforts to agree on tough sanctions should Russia invade, efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the Russia-Ukraine crisis appear to be accelerating. The State Department announced Saturday that the top American diplomat for Europe, Karen Donfried, will visit both Kyiv and Moscow next week to reinforce the United States' commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and to seek a resolution. Donfried will go later to Brussels to talk with NATO and European Union allies.

China's muscle-flexing in the Indo-Pacific region and the ailing Iran nuclear deal were also on the agenda for the weekend meeting at the dockside Museum of Liverpool.

The gathering is taking place as negotiators meet in Vienna to try to revive an deal to limit Iran's nuclear ambitions. Blinken met German, French and British diplomats in Liverpool to discuss next steps over Iran, and the Biden administration's special envoy on Iran, Robert Malley, also stopped in the city on his way to Vienna.

Truss warned this week that the Vienna talks are the last chance for Iran to sign up again to the deal, which was meant to rein in Tehran's nuclear program in return for loosened economic sanctions.

Truss also invited ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to the Liverpool meeting, though many were joining remotely because of the pandemic.

Delegates and journalists face daily virus tests and mask mandates at the conference, as Britain records more cases of the omicron virus variant, which scientists say will become the dominant strain in the in the next week or so.

Britain is keen to work more closely with Asian nations as part of an Indo-Pacific tilt following the UK's departure from the 27-nation European Union last year -- both to boost trade and as a counterweight to China's dominance.

Truss told her G-7 counterparts that democracies needed to fight economic coercion and win the battle of technology both pointed references to Beijing's growing influence around the globe.

The G-7 has launched a Build Back Better World initiative to offer developing nations funding for big infrastructure projects as an alternative to money from China that, the West argues, often comes with strings attached.

A unified stance towards China continues to prove elusive, however, with the US and Britain generally more hawkish than other G-7 members.

The UK chose a setting steeped in British history and culture for final meeting of its year as G-7 president. Liverpool's docklands, once a symbol of Britain's global reach and economic might, came to represent the country's post-industrial decline, but now the area along the River Mersey is a prime example of 21st-century urban renewal.

A museum dedicated to the city's most famous sons, the Beatles Story Museum, was the setting for the G-7 ministers' dinner on Saturday night. Delegates were serenaded by a Fab Four cover band before eating a locally sourced meal in a recreation of Liverpool's famous Cavern Club, where the band played many of its early gigs.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
(RBI) Governor on Sunday cautioned depositors to be careful while chasing high returns as it comes with higher risk.

Das said high returns come with higher risk, so depositors should be discerning enough while chasing returns.

Speaking at the 'Depositors First: Guaranteed Time-bound Deposit Insurance Payment up to Rs 5 lakh', he said the RBI remains committed to ensuring that the banking system remains robust and resilient.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In half a century since then, the India-Bangladesh ties have seen several ups and downs. But, the relationships have been on the upswing since the advent of Sheikh Hassina as Prime minister of Bangladesh in 2009. Last week, Hassina said that the relationship between the two countries is anchored in history, culture, language and shared values of secularism, democracy, and countless other ...

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Ahead of the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, red caps have gained centre stage and are roiling the political waters in the state.

Though symbols have their own importance, political parties indulge in attacking each other on their flags, banners, posters.

The controversy over red caps started from the Uttar Pradesh Assembly when Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's address was disrupted by (SP) lawmakers who were donning red caps.

Taking a jibe at them, Adityanath had said: "Someone is wearing a red cap or a green cap. Don't know whether this has become a tradition. Don't know whether these people wear a cap even at home?"

Adityanath also narrated an incident, saying that a two-and-a-half-year-old child saw a protester wearing a cap and identified him as a goon, post which the SP lawmakers created an uproar.

During a rally in Gorakhpur, Prime Minister hit out at the SP, saying that "laal topi waale" (those wearing red caps) were like a "red alert" for the state.

If political analysts are to be believed, these statements have been made deliberately so that the opposition attacks them and both can trade barbs.

In response to the ruling party's jibe, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, along with his colleagues, went to the Assembly wearing red caps.

Akhilesh also replaced his Facebook and Twitter profile pictures with one in which he is wearing a red cap.

Following Akhilesh, his party leaders and supporters have also started replacing their pictures with ones showing them in red caps.

Now, whenever Akhilesh leaves for a programme or rally, he wears a cap.

Earlier, Akhilesh did not wear caps, but when his father and SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav asked him to do so, he started to don it regularly.

In the ongoing tussle between the SP and the BJP, the AAP has also jumped in.

Rajya Sabha MP and AAP's UP in-charge Sanjay Singh shared the Prime Minister's photo on Twitter in which the latter can be seen wearing a black cap, saying people wearing a black cap have a black heart and mind (their mind and heart are not good).

Senior political analyst Ratanmani Lal said that in the present era, leaders of a political party cannot be identified only by symbols.

The is associated with the saffron colour but all do not wear it, the BSP (blue) but Mayawati never wears blue, the SP (green), (white) and the SP also with a cap.

The SP chief has made it an identity mark of the party due to which even without taking its name, it can can be attacked.

The has tried to send across a message to the electorate of Uttar Pradesh that they have to be wary of the SP, but the latter will benefit indirectly.

The pointed it out to attack the SP but it worked as a blessing in disguise for the latter as with more people wearing red caps, they will be recognised better.

--IANS

vkt/svn/bg

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Several Opposition leaders on Sunday expressed concern over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's account being hacked briefly, and said this exposes chinks in the cyber security.

They said cyber security was as important as border and internal security and asked whether the Aadhaar data of all Indians was safe.

Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said, " of handle of Prime Minister is an issue of big concern, worry and exposes the chinks in cyber security. With advancement and reliability on technology, policy makers must realise that cyber security is equally important as border, internal security."



Shiv Sena deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Priyanka Chaturvedi said, "Prime Minister's account hacked briefly. Cyber security level exposed greatly."



Another Congress spokesperson, Shama Mohammed, said, "PM Modi's handle was hacked last night. This is a major security breach.""If the government cannot adequately secure the account of the Prime Minister, how is it protecting the biometric aadhaar data of crores of Indians which it insisted on collecting," she asked.

Indian Youth Congress president BV Srinivas made a cheeky comment in response to a tweet on the

"Good Morning Modi ji, Sab Changa Si?" he said in response to the tweet that claimed India has "officially adopted bitcoin as legal tender" was put out from the hacked account.

Srinivas also asked, "When hackers were selling Bitcoin from Modi ji's account, where was the 'chowkidaar' at the time."



"So the hackers knew, Modi ji's password didn't have the 'STREANH'?(sic)" he said in another tweet.

Prime Minister Modi's Twitter handle was briefly hacked on Sunday, and a tweet claiming that India has "officially adopted bitcoin as legal tender" was put out from it.

The Prime Minister's Office later said the account was immediately secured after the matter was escalated to Twitter.

"The Twitter handle of PM @narendramodi was very briefly compromised. The matter was escalated to Twitter and the account has been immediately secured. In the brief period that the account was compromised, any Tweet shared must be ignored," it said.

The tweet, after Modi's personal handle was hacked in the small hours, also claimed that India has officially bought 500 BTC and is distributing them among its residents and shared a link, asking people to hurry up. The future has come today, it said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Tech giant has fixed a Teams bug that led to failed 911 calls on devices using 10 or later, media reports say.

A Reddit user discovered that having Teams installed, but not signed in, would prevent emergency calls from going through, citing XDA Developers, Engadget reported.

The phone would say a call was active and ring once, but never properly initiate the connection -- call logs would show nothing.

"While all calling apps will try to create a PhoneAccount class instance in the operating system, Teams was creating instances every time a user started the app 'cold' -- that increased the chances of a sorting problem that stopped calls from going through," the report said.

Google talked to the Reddit user and revealed that both the company and were planning fixes.

In addition to the patch, Google is delivering an platform update on January 4 that should address its side of the problem.

Users can delete and reinstall Teams to clear any excess PhoneAccount instances, and staying logged in should prevent any mishaps.

--IANS

vc/dpb

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

An accidental shooting led police in New Hampshire to a house that was overrun with more than 70 cats and was declared uninhabitable because it was covered with feline feces and urine.

Police in Kensington got a call from a hospital on Wednesday that a man was admitted to the emergency room with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Police went to the hospital and spoke to the man, who said he was cleaning a rifle and put it on a workbench when it fell to the floor and discharged a round, injuring him. Police concluded it was an accidental shooting.

Police also went to the home, where they initially found at least 30 cats.

There was an overwhelming odor coming from inside the residence," Kensington Police Chief Scott Cain said in a news release Friday. It was discovered (the) inside was completely covered in feline feces and urine."

Police called the New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which removed 67 black and white cats on Wednesday. Five more were found on Friday.

Cain said that ammonia levels tested in the house were much higher than what is considered safe. A health officer was contacted, and it was determined the residence was uninhabitable and was condemned immediately," Cain said.

He said the cats' health will be determined before any criminal charges would be brought forward. He said the man would face a charge related to the rifle discharge.

Based on preliminary exams of the cats, they are in pretty good shape," Lisa Dennison, executive director of the SPCA in Stratham, said on Friday. Some were thinner, some were chunkier ... you can imagine with 72 cats fighting over food, there'll be winners and losers, just in terms of individuality and competing."

She said the cats, who range in age from kittens to adults, are scared but friendly.

Dennison said the organization just cut the ribbon on a campus expansion last Saturday, and a week later, we are using every single inch of that new space to quarantine and isolate this very large volume of cats."

She directed adoption inquiries to the organization's website.
Photo: Contributed

Police in Delta have uncovered a theft ring and seized thousands of dollars worth of stolen goods.

In early November, Delta police received a report from a delivery service of suspicious activity and missing shipments from a distribution facility in Delta.

An investigation by the Crime Reduction Unit (CRU) revealed an alleged internal theft ring involving multiple delivery contractors.

Stolen items were listed on Facebook Marketplace for resale.

CRUs investigation included covert surveillance and led to a residence in Surrey where it was believed the stolen goods were being stored and sold.

Police executed a warrant on Dec. 8 at a Surrey home and seized some $45,000 worth of items.

Many new items were seized including high-end consumer electronics, appliances, sporting goods, and apparel.

We know supply chains have experienced significant disruptions between the pandemic and then the floods. If peoples orders can make it through those hurdles, then those packages should get to their homes, said Chief Const. Neil Dubord. Im very pleased and proud that our officers were able to secure enough evidence to shut down this theft ring, and recover the stolen deliveries. It was a job well done.

Two men were arrested and later released pending further investigation.

The investigation continues today as police process the seized property. Charges of theft and trafficking property obtained by crime are expected to be forwarded to Crown Counsel in the near future.
Photo: The Canadian Press Flood waters surround a farm in Abbotsford, B.C., Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021. Nearly 15,000 people were forced from their homes in southwestern B.C., where repairs on some severed highways and bridges have been made while the Coquihalla Highway, a major route to B.C.'s Interior, is expected to remain closed until late January. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Caroline and Paul Mostertman have become accustomed to seeing their belongings floating by outside their flood-ravaged farm in Abbotsford, B.C., but it's the kindness of strangers showing up daily to clean up the mess that still startles them.

"One afternoon we were sitting in our house when the waters were at the highest and there's this massive thing floating by and I said to Paul, 'What is that?' He said, 'That's our beer fridge from our winery,'" Caroline Mostertman said Saturday.

Their nine-metre propane tank would also "come by for a visit," she said. "It was just hanging around, and it ended up miles from here."

Mostertman's family operates a winery, distillery and nursery on their property in the Sumas Prairie, a former lake bed and prime agricultural area east of Vancouver that suffered extensive damage unleashed by three atmospheric rivers last month. The breach of a dike from an overflowing river in neighbouring Washington added to the community's woes.

Nearly 15,000 people were forced from their homes in southwestern B.C., where repairs on some severed highways and bridges have been made while the Coquihalla Highway, a major route to B.C.'s Interior, is expected to remain closed until late January.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada has pegged the insured damage caused by flooding in B.C. at $450 million, as part of the most expensive severe weather event in the province's history.

Residents of Sumas Prairie have begun the long process of cleaning the wreckage of their flooded homes, where volunteers, some they've never met, arrive every day to join the effort.

"We've all been four to six feet under," Mostertman said, adding she and her husband were using their boats to rescue neighbours' livestock during the record rainfall. They also made six-hour round trips to ferry food to communities without road access at the request of the Salvation Army, which brought in supplies as an evacuation order was issued.

"We got our kids out and we got the animals out and then I went back in to help a neighbour pull out some cows. Then we just ran out of time to leave," she said.

A woman named Christa Leffers arrived at the farm and took charge and even put together a schedule of up to 30 volunteers, Mostertman said.

"Many, many other people have been fabulous," she said, adding they even brought garbage bins and Porta Potties, "all the stupid things you don't think of," because the septic system was no longer working.

"I was not mentally prepared to deal with it," Mostertman said of the generosity of strangers, including a woman who had been busy removing the drywall from her own flooded home.

"That's been the story that I hear consistently. Everybody is helping everybody here."

Leffers said she's part of a church that has joined members of two other churches to do whatever they can to help people who have lost mostly everything on their properties and are working to salvage their livelihoods.

"A lot of people are unaware that people, still today, are just getting back to their homes," she said of the extensive cleanup that is expected to continue for months.

"We've been here for a couple of weeks helping and I have promised her I'd stay on site even into the rebuild because that's what I feel I'm supposed to do," she said of Mostertman.

For her part, Mostertman said she's focusing on a new-found perspective she gained from the disaster.

"I have worried about little things. Suddenly, you're faced with a big thing like this and you don't worry about little things anymore."
Chandigarh reported its first case of Omicron after swab samples of a fully vaccinated 20-year-old male passenger from Italy, who had tested COVID-19 positive on December 1, revealed the presence of the new variant of the novel coronavirus.

Earlier today, Andhra Pradesh detected its first case of Omicron and Karnataka detected its fist case of the new COVID-19 variant. With this the tally of Omicron cases in India has gone up to 36.

"A 20-year-old male, resident of Italy, had landed in India on November 22. He had come to visit his relatives in Chandigarh. He was under home quarantine and was found COVID-19 positive on retesting on December 1. As per the protocol, he was then put under institutional quarantine. His COVID-19 positive sample was sent for whole-genome sequencing to NCDC, New Delhi," the Chandigarh Health Department said in a statement.

Seven high-risk family contacts of the man have been put under quarantine and were tested for COVID-19 by RTPCR method, the health department said adding all of them tested as negative.

The traveller was asymptomatic throughout. He had been fully vaccinated with Pfizer vaccine in Italy.

The 20-year-old had been kept in quarantine for 11 days. His report for whole genomic sequencing was received late night on December 11 and was found positive for Omicron variant.

The Health Department informed that the man had been tested for COVID-19 again today by RT-PCR method and the report is awaited.

"If he is negative he will be put under home quarantine for seven days and if positive, institutional quarantine will continue till negative. His seven high risk contacts have also been tested again today as a precautionary measure," the health department said.

Chandigarh health department appealed to the public to follow COVID-19 appropriate behaviour and urged those eligible for COVID-19 vaccine to get themselves vaccinated soon.

In Andhra Pradesh, a 34-year old foreign traveller from Ireland tested positive for the Omicron variant. He had arrived in Mumbai Airport and upon testing was found negative for Covid-19.

He was was allowed to travel and reached Vishakhapatnam on November 27. On conducting re-test at Vizianagaram, the RT-PCR report was found Positive for COVID-19 and a testing for genome sequencing found that he was Omicron positive. However, he tested negative for the virus on December 11.

Meanwhile, the third case of Omicron was detected in Karnataka. "A 34-year-old returnee from South Africa has tested positive and is being isolated and being treated in a government hospital. Five primary and 15 secondary contacts traced and their samples sent for testing,"

Karnataka Health Minister Dr Sudhakar K said today.

On November 26, the WHO named the new COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529, which has been detected in South Africa, as 'Omicron'.

(ANI)

Also Read: India logs 7,774 new COVID-19 cases in last 24 hrs
A few days after declining the US' invite for the democracy summit, top leadership in Pakistan on Saturday said that country values its relationship with the United States and was committed to expanding it in all spheres, particularly in the economic dimension.

This message was conveyed in a meeting with a delegation of US senators. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa separately met the US lawmakers on Saturday.

Pakistan Prime Minister called on the US to play its due role in maintaining peace and stability in the region. He said that a deeper and stronger partnership between the two countries was mutually beneficial and critical for the region's peace, security and prosperity.

"The Senators reaffirmed their commitment to a stable & broad-based Pakistan-US bilateral relationship. They emphasized that, given the size of Pakistan's population as well as its geo-strategic location, US and Pakistan should make determined efforts to promote trade, investment & economic cooperation," Pakistan Prime Minister's office said on Twitter.

He shared these views after a four-member delegation of the US Senate, comprising Senators Angus King, Richard Burr, John Cornyn and Benjamin Sasse.

Khan underscored the need to support the Afghan people by taking all possible measures to prevent a humanitarian crisis and economic collapse. He also highlighted imp of closer cooperation to address the security threats in the region, incl terrorism.

The US senators also met Pakistan's Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Bajwa. Matters of mutual interest, the security situation in Afghanistan and bilateral cooperation in various fields were discussed during the meeting, according to the Pak military's media affairs wing.

"The COAS said that Pakistan desires to maintain productive bilateral engagement with all regional players and wishes for peaceful, diversified, sustained relations," the statement by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

Pakistan has US ties has not been on the best of terms since US President joe Biden assumed office in January this year. Despite best efforts by Islamabad, Biden has not spoken to Imran Khan over the phone.

Earlier this week, Pakistan had turned down US' invitation to take part in the Summit for Democracy, a virtual event that took place on December 9-10.

The US had extended invitations to more than a hundred countries for the summit but China and some other countries are not included in the list.

(ANI)

Also Read: China's committing cultural genocide in Tibet, separating children from their families


Thank you, John Wilson and crew, for the headline "UTC Instructor Who Is Top Expert On Polyamory Taking Students On Sex-Themed Amsterdam Study Trip" and the subsequent, really sad, illumination of the sex biz at UTC.

Now we all know that polyamory is "the practice of engaging in multiple romantic (and typically sexual) relationships, with the consent of all the people involved." Other correct definitions would be menage et trois or a sex orgy or eight naked drunks writhing in a greasy hot tub. Yep. Same thing.

It's very much none of my business what adults and adult consenters do in the privacy of their own relationships but polyamory sanctioned by a public institution that apparently glosses over economically forced (that's duress, not consensual) sex trading is not all la dee dah ok. I reckon the next toast of the town will be Ghislaine Maxwell because she favors child polyamory.

The intimate gift and reception of one's self to/from another is a most beautiful collaboration that is natural and not dirty until it's made that way, primarily by males. We don't live in Utopia where everybody is nice and my uneducated hunch is that polyamory is attractive to those who make sex not only dirty but wicked. Sorry but, although I have been rightly accused of being stupid before, I'm thinking the polyamorist segment of our species is significantly populated by people like Jeffery and Ghislaine, Harvey Weinstein, many Nazis, a couple of still living ex-presidents and that super creepy dude from New York who flew the child from UTC and gave her spending money while he had his disgusting way with her all week. What filth! Dear God, I feel for her and her Momma and Daddy.

Yes, I'm an old fart but guess what? I like sex just like everybody else! Unless you are a cheater or hurting somebody, I think sex ought to happen every day for those who have the love and stamina. That said, this Amsterdam study trip, I guess they get college credit for it too, and beautiful young people selling sex to absolute vermin out of college dorm rooms right here in Chatt town is maddeningly indefensible.

Somebody please explain why I'm in egregious error here. Don't worry, I do have tender skin but it heals up pretty quickly.

Savage Glascock, Sr.

* * *

From middle school libraries to college professors, the teaching of Satan is well established with vile language and supported orgies. There is no room for this other than to brainwash and trash the minds of our youth.

Tell me, are there biblical courses still taught in our public school system and state colleges?

Michael G. Mansfield

* * *

t the risk of being labeled "old," "provincial," or even "out of touch," I must say that I was appalled to read that Dr. Elisabeth Sheff plans to take a group of students to Amsterdam next May to discuss polyamory with a visit to the "Red Light District."

While I think it is important that each American understand the facts about the sex trafficking tragedy that exists today and to demand that leadership at all levels of government take action to stop this evil practice, I do not think it is appropriate for the University to sponsor a trip to Europe to immerse students in the immoral and downright creepy business of selling oneself in public, even if the intent is to study it.

As a UTC alumnus, I feel that the University administration must take strong action to discourage the practice of earning money by engaging in inappropriate photography, talking with sick people on the telephone, and even offering oneself to "older men" for a large sum of money. Immorality is immorality and the administration should not look the other way when this kind of behavior is taking place, if the story reported in The Echo is accurate.

I must say that I agree with Savage Glasscock. Sr., in his comment that the practice of college students selling themselves to creepy old perverted men is indefensible. Thank you, John Wilson, for discovering and reporting on this issue in The Chattanoogan.

Tim McDonald
Fire significantly damaged part of a home on Mary Dupre Drive on Saturday afternoon.

The Chattanooga Fire Department responded to a reported residential fire at 1 p.m. in the 1600 block. Firefighters arriving on the scene reported that heavy fire and smoke were visible from one end of the structure. Crews immediately began attacking the fire and got it knocked down so they could go inside to perform a search. No one was found inside. The residents were not home.

Green Shift companies continued fighting the fire and had it under control in approximately 35 minutes. Firefighters then conducted salvage and overhaul and a fire investigator was called to the scene to determine what caused the blaze.

The American Red Cross was contacted to assist the residents. There were no injuries.

Quint 8, Ladder 7, Squad 7, Squad 13, Quint 6, Quint 21 and the Battalion Chief for District 2 responded.




For the first time in nearly a month, the Chattanooga Wrestling team was back in action. The Blue and Gold traveled to Edwardsville, Ill. to face the 23rd-ranked University of Illinois and the SIU-Edwardsville Cougars.After UTC jumped out to an early 12-3 lead, the Illini came back to defeat the Mocs 19-12 in the opening match of the day. The Mocs followed up the defeat with a 30-12 victory over the hosts.Fabian Gutierrez began the day with a 6-0 decision over Illinois Justin Cardani.After an Illinois victory at 133, Franco Valdes gave the Mocs a 6-3 advantage with a 4-3 decision at 141.UTC doubled its lead with Noah Castillos 6-4 decision at 149 pounds. The reigning Southern Conference Freshman of the Year, Weston Wichman, continued the Mocs streak of decisions with a 6-1 win at 157 pounds to put UTC up 12-3.The Illini began to fight back, winning three straight matches by decision at 165, 174 and 184 to tie the match at 12. At 197, Illinois picked up the matchs first major decision with a 12-2 victory to take a 16-12 lead. The Illini completed their comeback with a decision at 285 to complete the 19-12 victory.The second dual began with back-to-back wins for UTC by forfeit at 125 and 133. After SIUE picked up its first decision with a 3-1 victory at 141, the Mocs posted three straight wins with Castillo 8-5 decision at 149, a Wichman pin at 157 and another Cougars forfeit, this time at 165 pounds.After SIUEs second decision of the afternoon at 174, Matthew Waddell picked up his first victory of the tri-meet, a 7-2 decision at 184 pounds to put the Mocs up 30-6. The Cougars won the final two matches of the day by decision as UTC took the contest 30-12.Wichmans pin was the third of his career and first this season.MATCH 1: #23 ILLINOIS 19  CHATTANOOGA 12125: Fabian Gutierrez (UTC) DEC Justin Cardani (ILL), 6-0133: Lucas Byrd (ILL) DEC Brayden Palmer (UTC), 13-10141: Franco Valdes (UTC) DEC We Rachal (ILL), 4-3149: Noah Castillo (UTC) DEC Christian Kanzler (ILL), 6-4157: Weston Wichman (UTC) DEC Joe Roberts (ILL), 6-1165: Danny Braunagel (ILL) DEC Drew Nicholson (UTC), 6-2174: DJ Shannon (ILL) DEC Carial Tarter (UTC), 3-1184: Zac Braunagel DEC Matthew Waddell (UTC), 5-2197: Nikita Nepomnyaschiy MD Thomas Sell (UTC), 12-2285: Luke Luffman DEC Grayson Walthall (UTC), 6-1MATCH 2: CHATTANOOGA 30  SIU-Edwardsville 12125: Fabian Gutierrez (UTC) over (SIUE), FOR133: Brayden Palmer (UTC) over (SIUE), FOR141: Saul Ervin (SIUE) DEC Franco Valdes (UTC), 3-1149: Noah Castillo (UTC) DEC Caine Tyus (SIUE), 8-5157: Weston Wichman (UTC) F Max Kristoff (SIUE), 3:43165: Drew Nicholson over (SIUE), FOR174: Kevin Gschwendtner (SIUE) DEC Carial Tarter (UTC), 7-4184: Matthew Waddell (UTC) DEC Sergio Villalobos (SIUE), 7-2197: Ryan Yarnell (SIUE) DEC Thomas Sell (UTC), 4-2285: Colton McKiernan (SIUE) DEC Matthias Ervin (UTC), 3-0UTC concludes the 2021 calendar year with a tri-meet in Morgantown, W. Va. vs. West Virginia and Cleveland State on Monday, Dec. 20.
A man told police he was driving his girlfriend's white Mazda CX-5 (TN tag) and he parked the car on McBrien Road near the "E" building and left the car running while he went inside the building. He said he returned approximately 30 minutes later to find the vehicle stolen. He said he didn't have any suspect information. Police spoke with the owner of the vehicle, who said she didn't wish to prosecute at this time. Police told her she could call back in if she wished to prosecute. At this time the vehicle will not be placed into NCIC as stolen.



* * *

Police observed a Mazda CX-5 with dark tinted windows traveling east on Boynton Drive. Police attempted to make a traffic stop on the vehicle near 400 W. Martin Luther King Blvd. The vehicle got onto I-27 SB and fled from police, heading west on I-24.

* * *

A man on Carriage Parc Drive told police he lost his wallet while walking in the vicinity of his apartment that evening.

* * *

A small black purse was found in the parking lot at Zaxby's, 4815 Highway 58. It contained the Georgia ID of a woman. Police were unable to locate or make contact with her. The purse was turned in to Property.

* * *

An employee of DR Horton reported a theft. He told police the finishing crew leaves the job site, 2009 Tournament Dr., around 7 p.m. and people start arriving at 8 a.m. He said sometime in between those times, someone entered the unlocked garage and stole three 150-foot extension cords ($300), a Drummond sump pump ($100) and a 24-foot extension ladder ($200). He said this is the second time items have been stolen from this site. There is no suspect information at this time. Police placed the site on the Watch List.

* * *

An employee of Mapco, 7701 Lee Hwy., told police he wished to have two men trespassed who were on the property loitering and causing disorders. The two men are homeless. They both were officially trespassed and left without incident.

* * *

A man told police that as he was traveling north on Amnicola Highway, a dark colored SUV rear ended him and continued traveling. He said the damage was minimal, and due to no suspect information, he did not wish to have a crash report made. The man said he would speak with his insurance and make contact with police if further information was needed. No injuries were reported.

* * *

A man told police that he was walking out to his truck from Gold's Gym, 210 W 4th St., when he noticed that his passenger side window had been busted. He said the window will cost about $500 to repair. He said he noticed his Springfield .45 handgun had been stolen. It had a stream light laser on it and the total value of the gun would be about $500. He said that he placed it on the driver's side of the center console and put it in a compartment next to his leg. Police called NCIC and had them place the firearm as stolen in NCIC. Police checked for cameras, and all of them were facing away from the man's truck.

* * *

Police initiated a traffic stop at 1600 E. 37th St for a headlight out on a black Kia Optima. Police made contact with the driver, who was unaware of the light being out. She had a valid license and police gave her a warning for the light.

* * *

Suspicious activity was reported at Motel 6, 5505 Brainerd Road. The manager told police that she got a suspicious phone call from a man claiming to be Mr. Patel. She said the man began asking questions about the fire extinguishers and how much money was in the cash register. She said he was acting as though they were going to receive a package at this address. She wanted to report the incident because she thought it was highly suspicious.

* * *

During the course of patrol, officers observed a BMW 328i traveling north on Highway 153. Officers saw that the vehicle's passenger side headlight was not functioning. Officers accelerated to 60 mph to catch up to the vehicle which was going approximately 60 mph in a 45 mph zone. Officers initiated emergency equipment with the vehicle pulling to the right at 1204 Gadd Road at Thomas Lane. Officers made contact with the driver, who said his mother had asked him to take her car to the gas station for groceries. He said he was returning to the residence they were staying at when he was stopped by police. He said he did not have his license on him, with officers later learning that he had only been issued a state ID. The man was issued a verbal warning and was released from the scene.

* * *

A man on Day Lily Trail told police that sometime overnight someone entered his unlocked 2009 Subaru and stole his wallet and its contents. He said he was unaware of this until a jogger came to his residence with some of the items that were in his wallet and returned them to him.

* * *

The manager at Watt-N-Storage, 1415 Crawford St., told police that around 5 a.m. a white male cut a hole through his fence and he had video footage of the incident. He said that once inside the fence, the man went straight to Unit 273 and gained entry without damaging the lock, as if he "picked" the lock. He also said that the man placed several items outside the unit; however, the man did not appear to take anything. The man then left in a dark colored sedan in an unknown direction. The video footage was consistent with the manager's statement. There is no suspect information. The unit owner could not be reached by phone.

* * *

An accident was reported at the Chick-fil-A, 5740 Hwy 153. A woman said she was in the drive-thru line when a Chick-fil-a employee motioned for another vehicle to pull around hers. It appears that a rubber wedge, used to support granite counter tops, rubbed against the rear passenger side corner of her vehicle. The rubber wedge transferred a scuff to her vehicle. There did not appear to be any physical damage to either vehicle. She wanted a property damage report for her insurance company.

* * *

Police were dispatched to a residence on Solar Drive for an open door. After clearing the residence, it was determined that no one lived there. There were no signs of squatters or forced entry. The door was secured and locked.

* * *

A rear end accident without injuries was reported at Carter Street and West 10th. Officers spoke with the two involved drivers. Neither had any damage to their vehicles and did not wish to make an accident report. The female driver said she did wish for a miscellaneous report to be filed in case her husband thought there was in fact damage. In the case the woman changes her mind, vehicle information was obtained, as well as insurance.

* * *

A suspicious person was reported walking in the middle of Amnicola Highway. Police approached a female walking in the middle of the street and identified her. She said she was walking from Bonny Oaks Drive and was homeless, looking for someplace to go. Police ran her through NCIC and found that she had a warrant that did not verify per sessions. Police transported her to the Chattanooga Rescue Mission, 1513 N. Holtzclaw Ave.

* * *

A homeless man was reported setting up a camp behind The Hutton Company, 736 Cherry St. The woman who called police told them she saw a white male with a bucket in the back corner of a patio behind the business. Officers spoke with the man and were able to identify him. Officers told him that he could not be camping back there and that it was private property. The man was run for warrants, with no return. The man left the area.

* * *

A man told police that while leaving his house this morning he did not let his windshield defrost, causing him to strike a tree on Morin Road with the front driver's side of his vehicle. Police gathered his information and left the scene.

* * *

A person was reported "down" near the entranceway to the Walmart Super Store, 3550 Cummings Hwy. Police found a homeless man lying on the ground sleeping in the sun. EMS responded to the scene and checked his medical condition. He was found to be normal. No treatment was needed.
The Omicron variant of COVID-19 has arrived in Tennessee. The Shelby County Health Department reported two cases of the variant were identified in Shelby County on Saturday.

Dr. Michelle Taylor, Shelby County Health Director said, We did expect the Omicron variant to appear in Tennessee, as it has in 19 other states.

Shelby County has excellent COVID-19 testing capacity, with several local laboratories which perform viral DNA sequencing as a part of routine surveillance. For that reason, our laboratories were able to identify the tell-tale DNA signature of this new variant. These results indicate the variant may already be spreading in Shelby County and possibly elsewhere in the state.

While much remains unknown about the Omicron variant, what is known is that COVID-19 vaccines slow transmission of the virus and prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death, she said.

Shelby County Health Department recommends that everyone eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccination should be vaccinated as soon as possible, and fully vaccinated individuals should receive a booster dose of vaccine if at least six months has passed since their second dose. Results of early studies indicate the booster doses may provide valuable protection against the Omicron variant, as well as the more common Delta variant, Dr. Taylor said.

Officials there said, "COVID-19 vaccines are widely available all over Shelby County, and dozens of clinics and pharmacy sites. To find a vaccination site near you, go to Vaccines.gov and enter your zip code.

"COVID-19 testing is also critical to controlling the spread of the virus. The public testing sites are listed on the Health Departments COVID-19 website: https://www.shelby.community/.

"Masks are still required in schools covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, on public transportation and in certain congregate living settings. Masks are also highly recommended in all indoor settings when the vaccination status of everyone is not known. Masks, social distancing, and vaccines for those eligible to be vaccinated, provide valuable layers of protection against the COVID-19 virus, including all its variants."
The Challenge alum Jemmye Carroll recently made claims about Tori Deal and Jordan Wiseleys split in a Patreon video. Tori quickly hopped on Instagram Live to clarify the rumors that she cheated on her ex with Fessy Shafaat.

Actor Jordan Wiseley attends The Museum of Selfies Grand Opening; Tori Deal attend the Stars Scene Stealers event at Kola House | CJ Rivera; Tiffany Rose/Getty Images

Jemmye Carroll claimed Tori Deal went on vacation with Fessy Shafaat while engaged

The Challenge alum Jemmye Carroll has teased that she had undisclosed information surrounding veterans Tori Deal and Jordan Wiseleys split for a few months.

In a Dec. 2021 video posted to her Patreon, The Real World star claimed Tori hadnt ended her engagement before vacationing with co-star Fessy Shafaat in Turks and Caicos. She continued, claiming Jordan found out about the trip through social media and confronted his then-fiancee about it.

Tori and Jordan met on The Challenge, fell in love on The Challenge, and now they just hit another relationship milestone on The Challenge! #TheChallenge34 pic.twitter.com/wUvfcrZ3oW  The Challenge (@ChallengeMTV) November 10, 2019

RELATED: The Challenge: All Stars: Nehemiah Clark on Current Relationship With Jemmye Carroll

According to Jemmye, the Are You the One? star admitted she made a mistake and wanted to work on their relationship, but Jordan reportedly refused to take her back.

The New Orleans native also claimed Tori demanded her ex pay her $5,000 to leave, which he supposedly agreed to so she would move out sooner. Shortly after Jemmyes post, The Challenge veteran responded to the bunch of lies in the video.

Tori publicly denied the allegations

In an Instagram Live, Tori detailed the timeline of her breakup with Jordan to the now infamous Turks and Caicos trip. She explained her then-fiancee ended their relationship on Oct. 6, 2020, after she returned home from filming season 36s Double Agents.

After staying with a friend and her family, the 28-year-old explained she briefly returned so they could carry out a contract together before entirely moving in with her mother by Nov. 1. The three-time finalist denied Jemmyes report that Jordan paid her to leave, instead insisting he gave her money for furniture she purchased for their place.

Tori and Jordan's engagement brought the entire house together. Well, almost the entire house.



See what happens at the explosive, two-hour long The Challenge: War of The Worlds 2 reunion at 9/8c on @mtv. #TheChallenge34 pic.twitter.com/kDi2k99udR  The Challenge (@ChallengeMTV) December 17, 2019

She also noted she and Fessy vacationed together almost two months after the breakup in December. As the veteran hung out with her co-star in Turks and Caicos only a week after the announcement, she can understand why people feel she didnt handle the breakup correctly.

Additionally, Tori admitted shes not proud of her actions either, noting it cost her a friendship with Jordan, but adamantly denies cheating on her ex. She later posted a screenshot of a text message exchange with the three-time champ in which he backs her story of not cheating, calling it very badly timed.

She and Fessy vacationed in Turks and Caicos following The Challenge 36

Newcomer Fessy revealed his attraction for Tori during The Challenge 36 but noted he hadnt explored anything with her due to her then engagement to Jordan.

The Big Brother 20 star claimed he thought the two shared a genuine connection in a confessional, but seemingly nothing romantic happened while filming. Shortly after it wrapped in Oct. 2020, many fans wondered if Tori and Jordan as it seemed she moved out of their house.

Relationships often crack under pressure in this game but, the pressure is just making Tori and Jordan's relationship stronger! 



Don't miss The Challenge: War of The Worlds 2 at 9/8c on @mtv! #TheChallenge34 pic.twitter.com/rpkDSxaTbd  The Challenge (@ChallengeMTV) November 6, 2019

RELATED: The Challenge: Ashley Mitchell Says Tori Deal Treated Her Differently After Kissing Fessy Shafaat

Additionally, pictures of the veteran with Fessy in Turks and Caicos began circulating on social media of the couple hanging out at a bar. Fans also believed they heard Tori rapping in the background while Fessy went Live on Instagram from the resort.

They later admitted to the vacation but didnt pursue a romantic relationship with each other. Both have returned for season 37s Spies, Lies, and Allies, where they have had their own romances. The Challenge airs Wednesdays on MTV.
Ree Drummond announced she would be starring in a series of discovery+ episodes. The special focuses on her hometown of Pawhuska, Oklahoma and shows us what its like to spend a few days in the small town. During the special, The Pioneer Woman, her sister, and her mother have a Christmas sleepover. Heres a peek into their fun holiday weekend.

The Pioneer Woman Boarding House

Ree Drummond | Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Hearst

Drummond says she, Ladd, and their renovation team spent nine months renovating The Pioneer Woman Boarding House. The bed and breakfast is located in downtown Pawhuska, Oklahoma, and isnt far from The Pioneer Woman Mercantile. Drummond says the building was a shop and department store before it was turned into a hotel. During the renovation they added a balcony and eight rooms with unique themes. Half of the rooms were decorated by Drummond and the other half were decorated by her husband, Ladd.

Drummond says part of the reason they each decorated half of the rooms was because they couldnt agree on how to decorate. They felt the best solution was to divide the decorating. Im not going to paint a rosy picture of husband and wife working perfectly together, Drummond tells People magazine. There were definite disagreements, and that is part of why we ended up splitting the building into two halves.

Drummond, her sister, and mother had a fun Christmas sleepover

Ree Drummond | Monica Schipper/Getty Images for The Pioneer Woman Magazine

During discovery+ special Hometown Stories Season 1 Episode 3 (titled Christmas Sleepover) Drummond had a fun sleepover with her sister, Betsy, and her mother, Gerre. Drummond says it was a super fun mom-daughter girls night. Drummonds mother stayed in the hotels Butterfly Room and her sister stayed in the Photography Room. When they arrived at their rooms, they had a plate of cookies and matching plaid pajamas waiting for them.

Once Drummond and her family settled in, they met up for cocktails. Drummond presented her mom and sister with P-Towns famous Christmas mules cocktails and told them she ordered pizza from P-Town, her pizza shop. While Drummond, her sister, and mom were enjoying their pizza, Ladd came over to visit.

Nobody invited me? he asked. The Accidental Country Girl joked that Ladd could only have one slice of pizza. She also offered to let him stay for their girls sleepover, but he wasnt all that interested. No, thats fine; Ill pass, he joked.

Ree Drummond and her family enjoy hot cocoa pancakes

The next day, Drummond takes us along for breakfast of coffee, pancakes, and sausage. She introduces a new menu item at The Mercantile called hot cocoa pancakes. Its a chocolatey take on traditional pancakes and its topped with chocolate sauce and marshmallow cream. Before finishing breakfast, Drummond and her family took a selfie. Lets take a selfie before we get covered in marshmallow cream, joked Drummond. The episode ends with the three of them posing for a family photo in their matching holiday pajamas.

RELATED: The Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond Mini Peppermint Rolls Are a Dream Come True

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Pastor of one of Canadas largest megachurches placed on leave after alleged sexual misconduct

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One of Canadas largest multi-site churches has placed its lead pastor on leave after sexual misconduct allegations were made against him.

The Meeting House, an Anabaptist megachurch in Ontario, has announced that it placed teaching pastor Bruxy Cavey, 56, on a leave of absence while an external investigation looks into sexual misconduct allegations made by a woman to the churchs board of directors late last month.

We take these allegations very seriously and are committed to a thorough and transparent process. We are praying through this situation, Maggie John, the executive chair of the churchs overseers board, said in a statement reported by CityNews Toronto.

Cavey became the senior pastor of what was once called Upper Oaks Community Church in 1997. The name was changed to The Meeting House and grew to 19 campuses throughout the Toronto area with a weekly attendance of over 5,000. Its flagship campus is in Oakville.

Cavey is the author of the 2007 book The End of Religion: Encountering the Subversive Spirituality of Jesus and the 2017 book Reunion: The Good News of Jesus for Seekers, Saints, and Sinners, which has a forward written by progressive Christian activist Shane Clairborne.

According to CityNews, Cavey is not facing any criminal charges.

The churchs website describes itself as a church that exists to grow loving communities of Jesus-followers who live and share his irreligious message. It belongs to the Anabaptist denomination Be In Christ Church of Canada.

While Rev. Cavey has a larger public profile than most, our posture is still the same as it would be for all our Pastors, Charles Mashinter, executive director of Be In Christ, said in a statement to Religion News Service.

We desire reconciliation and healing for any who may experience harm involving one of our clergy. Support has been provided for those directly involved as well as counseling for those deeply affected by this news. When the investigator has concluded their work and delivered their report we, will determine next steps in keeping with these values.

Cavey gained a following through his sermons and his YouTube videos in which he would answer questions about Christianity, according to City News.

In 2018, California-based Fresno Pacific Bible Seminary, which belongs to the Mennonite Brethren denomination, removed Cavey as a guest lecturer after donors raised concerns over his theology.

In 2019, a pastor in Regina, the capital of Canadas Saskatchewan province, resigned after church leaders were told he had abused his power to harass women in his congregation.

Rev. Jerven Weekes had been the lead pastor for more than a decade at Rosewood Park Alliance Church, an evangelical Protestant church from the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada, according to CBC News. The outlet reported at the time that three women had complained to the church about sexual harassment or inappropriate behavior by him over the previous two years.
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As often happens on radio, I unintentionally stir up a hornets nest by giving a straightforward, factual answer to a question that, to my knowledge, is not controversial at all. Soon enough, I learn that, in fact, I have slaughtered a sacred cow without even knowing it.

Thats the case with the subject of the Greek word pharamakia in Revelation 18:23. Does it connect in any way to the use of pharmaceuticals today? Is it an indictment on Big Pharma? Does it tie in with the COVID vaccines?

After explaining to a caller last week that the word simply means sorcery, I followed up with an article that went more depth.

In short, among New Testament Greek scholars, there is no controversy here, which is quite telling, since they have devoted decades of their lives to studying the language. How is it that people who cannot read a word of Greek know better?

Its one thing to dispute the meaning of a verse in the Bible. Its another thing to say that an ancient word means something it does not mean.

For those who claim that the Spirit is opening their eyes to the real understanding of the word, would the Spirit tell you that up means down or black means white or truth means lies? Certainly not. In the same way, the Spirit would not tell you that a Greek word means something very different than what it actually means. He is the Spirit of Truth, after all.

Looking back through history, over 1,700 years ago, when the Aramaic-speaking Christians translated pharamakia in Revelation 18:23 into their language (Syriac), they translated it with sorcery. And over 1,500 years ago, when Jerome translated this word into Latin, he translated with sorcery, magic.

To this day, almost every English version of the Bible translates pharmakia here with sorcery or the like. That includes the KJV (sorceries), the NASB (witchcraft), the ESV (sorcery), the NIV (magic spell) and others.

If there was any connection to drugs, it would only be in the sense of producing drug-induced magical spells, not in the sense of pharmaceutical use. Thats why the related word pharmakos, found in Revelation 21:8 describing people who will be cast into the lake of fire, is translated sorcerer, not pharmacist. Obviously!

At this point, someone will doubtless say, Youre missing the whole point. Its what Revelation 18:23 says that got our attention, in context, regardless of what the Greek word means.

To quote some posts directly, Jonathan wrote,

I think you are completely wrong about revelations [sic] 18:23-24 and your antiquated look and view of the Bible is blinding you. Trying to base prophecy off of what a word originally meant is foolish. What other word would they use to try to communicate future scenarios, than the words they had at the present time? Did you know that the National Institutes of Health (Dr. Faucis organization) believes they found the gene that is responsible for faith? Did you know that they also believe that they can use their gene therapy technology to turn off that gene? It kind of makes sense when the scripture says that the lamp went out and all nations were deceived because of a pharmaceutical and they could no longer hear the voice of the bride and the bridegroom. If the gene is shut off, there you go. I know it seems far-fetched, but all the research data is there and available on their website.

Or, as expressed by Scott,

Not only is the world decieved [sic] into taking test drugs (for which the 'vaxpass' permissions resemble the mark restrictions and are being instituted by martial law in Austria, Greece, Australia and New Zealand), but it was brought about ALSO by pharmakaiea, being a lab creation funded by Fauci. Israel is almost 16 months into a deal with many nations (Dan 9:27) and the WEF is pushing a global restructuring using the pandemic as the starting point. I think this is definitely the pharmakaiea ... and the 'mighty men', the merchants of the earth described. I'm looking at Quantum Dot Tattoos as the physical mark. The reality is that no one would be equating Revelation 18, which speaks of the destruction of Babylon the Great, with Big Pharma if not for the word pharmakia. Yet, the moment you realize it is not related to pharmaceuticals in the New Testament, then the whole connection disappears. You say, You still dont get it. Big Pharma is using sorcery and witchcraft to deceive the whole world!

In reply, I repeat: if the word pharmakia was not found in Revelation 18:23, no one would have made the connection in the first place. Its time to give it up, whether you are pro-vax or anti-vax or whatever. If youre pro-truth, you need to abandon this interpretation.

Still, for those who are genuinely confused (and sadly, there appear to be many), lets take another minute to set the record straight.

In short, there is no way under the sun that Big Pharma is Babylon the Great of Revelation, the one described in Revelation 17:5 as, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE DETESTABLE THINGS OF THE EARTH.

That is Big Pharma? Really?

The next verse says that this woman Babylon was drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the witnesses to Jesus.

In other words, she was responsible for the persecution and death of righteous followers of Jesus, from the first century, when this was written, until today. Big Pharma? Seriously?

It was Big Pharma who killed Christians in Neros day? Big Pharma who killed Christians in the Muslim world in the 13th century? Big Pharma who is killing Christians today in Nigeria and North Korea and Sudan? Please!

According to Revelation 18:2: She has become a home for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, and a haunt for every unclean and despicable beast. Because of that, Gods people are called to flee from Babylon, so that you will not share in her sins or receive any of her plagues (18:4).

Does this mean that, if you are a Christian, you must stop using any and all medications, no matter how beneficial they may be? If youre a Christian doctor, you must never write another drug prescription, even if it will save your patients life? If youre a Christian hospital administrator, you must instruct all your nurses and surgeons and anesthesiologists to cease and desist from using any product manufactured by Big Pharma? Hey, the text says you must flee from Big Pharma and not share in her sins!

This is how utterly nonsensical this whole affair becomes when you actually look at verses in context.

And note again Revelation 18:24: In her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all those slaughtered on the earth.

To apply this to Big Pharma is not only bad exegesis. It is immoral.

All that being said, do I think that most people will abandon this interpretation once and for all? Sadly, no.

But some will. And so, for their sake, and for the sake of the truth, Ive written this follow-up article, as plainly and simply as I can. In fact, Ill give a quick recap of the big picture.

The COVID virus is not a plague from the Book of Revelation.

The vaccine is not the mark of the beast.

And Big Pharma is not Babylon the Great.
Christian groups aid Hurricane Ida victims as many are missing, homes destroyed

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Volunteers with faith-based humanitarian organizations are aiding victims of Hurricane Ida as they recover from the Category 4 storm that struck in Louisiana over the weekend and caused widespread damage and over 1 million people to lose power.

Since Saturday, nearly two dozen volunteers and staff from Convoy of Hope, a faith-based natural disaster relief organization, loaded 19 emergency-response tractor-trailers on the ground in Shreveport with supplies to respond in the first hours after Ida made landfall.

When the storm subsided, 23 volunteers and staff from the organization began the response by providing food, water, hygiene items, chainsaws, cleaning items, shovels, rakes and other supplies to many residents in need.

Ida struck Louisiana with 150 mile-per-hour winds early on Sunday, 16 years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the state and Mississippi. After making landfall, the hurricane weakened into a Category 1 hurricane and then to a tropical storm early Monday.

The storm winds destroyed homes, infrastructure and multiple buildings. Many houses have been flooded.

Nearly all of southeast Louisiana and areas in New Orleans have lost electricity and will remain without power for days to come.

It was a major catastrophic storm and many people are trapped in broken up and damaged infrastructure everywhere, said Ethan Forhetz, the vice president of public engagement for Convoy of Hope, in an interview with The Christian Post. It's heartbreaking.  When you are part of Convoy of Hope efforts, oftentimes, you see people on the worst day of their lives, in a helpless and hopeless state. And you realize how important little things are, such as food and water.

Dozens of search parties and rescue crews are on the ground. They sifted through scattered debris, rummaged through demolished rubble and used machinery to clear infrastructure in search of residents who've been reported missing.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said Monday that the death toll from Ida could grow considerably.

At least four people have been found dead, two in Louisiana and two in Mississippi.

In Louisiana, a man died while driving through floodwater in New Orleans and another person died after being struck by a falling tree in Prarieville. Two people were killed and 10 others injured when a highway collapsed in southeast Mississippi due to flooding.

Forhetz says its devastating to see how the storm has impacted many lives, but it's rewarding for him to participate in an effort to improve the lives of many in the aftermath of the disaster.

In the wake of natural disasters, Convoy of Hope works in partnership with churches where natural disasters occur. Volunteers from churches typically help distribute the items that Convoy of Hope provides.

The Lord put us here to help bring comfort and to be the hands and feet of Jesus during a time when so many people are in dire need, Forhetz said. We call on the local Church to help with our efforts, and its a great partnership in these circumstances because they know the area better than we do since their churches are in the communities where the natural disasters happen.

Another organization partnering with churches to aid victims of Hurricane Ida is Samaritan's Purse, an international evangelical humanitarian organization based in North Carolina.

Through Samaritan's Purse, which is headed by evangelist Franklin Graham, relief centers have been established with the help of local churches and volunteer teams that will work to clear yards, clean out flooded homes and repair damaged roofs.

"A lot of the assessments, we won't be able to get accomplished for the next couple of days because authorities are not letting people in right now," Graham told Tony Perkins on "Washington Watch" broadcast Monday. "Power lines are down across highways, trees are down across highways and they are still doing search and rescue."

Once Samaritan's Purse volunteers can access communities, Graham said the organization will be working with its church partners to search for people who are not insured and elderly individuals who don't have anyone to help them.

"When you have a storm like this, it just hits everybody in the path," Graham said.

Often, those who suffer damages to their livelihood due to natural disasters need encouragement, Forhetz explained.

People in desperate situations, he said, look for hope and the goal of Convoy of Hope is to give those in need support and to point them to Jesus.

Our work doesnt just involve providing supplies, but at times, we also give them a pat on the back, say encouraging words to them and even pray with them, he said. Its a struggle.  Imagine losing your home and livelihood and not having the power to get your life back in order. It's traumatic ... [and] devastating.  Our goal is to help as many people as we can, for as long as we can and for as long as they need it.

Forhetz said one way people can help is by giving financial donations to Convoy of Hope. For every dollar donated to Convoy of Hope, he said, 90 cents goes directly to disaster relief efforts.

Many people see on the news the reporting on natural disasters and then they wonder how they can help.  Financial donations are the best way because we are truly an organization that wants to help, he added.

To donate to Convoy of Hope, click here or text Ida to 68828 to give a donation. Those wishing to donate the Samaritan's Purse's Ida relief efforts can click here.
This week in Christian history: Wheaton College holds first classes; Oral Roberts dies

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Throughout the extensive history of the Church, there have been numerous events of lasting significance.

Each week brings anniversaries of impressive milestones, unforgettable tragedies, amazing triumphs, memorable births, notable deaths and everything in between.

Some of the events drawn from over 2,000 years of history might be familiar, while other happenings might be previously unknown by most people.

This week  Dec. 12 through Dec. 18  marks the anniversary of the death of a controversial preacher, the censorship of a prominent Catholic theologian and the first classes being held at a prominent evangelical higher education institution.

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Hundreds volunteer with Samaritan's Purse to help victims of deadly flooding in Germany

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Over 350 volunteers affiliated with the international evangelical humanitarian organization Samaritan's Purse have partnered with a church to bring emotional, spiritual and physical support to the victims of the flooding that killed over 200 people across Europe this month.

Over 177 people died in Germany as a result of the historic natural disaster. In the rural Western German district of Ahrweiler, a record amount of rainfall recently caused the regions Ahr River to pour muddy rainwater into various towns.

Nearly 200 residents of the town drowned to death because there was reportedly nowhere for the rapidly rising muddy water to travel due to the communitys valley, which has steep hills on both sides full of vineyards, according to North Carolina-headquartered Samaritan's Purse.

The Samaritans Purse German affiliate office began organizing volunteers the day after floods swept through North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatine states. Samaritans Purse has deployed 14 international disaster response specialists to support the efforts of its German affiliate office.

Samaritan's Purse disaster relief specialist Nick Bechert told The Christian Post that numerous homes and family businesses, which have been around for thousands of centuries, have been destroyed by over 6 feet of mud water. The water swept into the villages in Ahrweiler and eventually washed into the North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatine states.

After the floodwaters receded the next day in western Germany, thousands of volunteers from Evangelische Freikirche Koeln Ostheim church in Cologne, Germany, partnered with Samaritan's Purse to bring physical, emotional and spiritual support to residents in need.

Over the past week, mud has been removed from the centuries-old structures bucket by bucket. Many homes are reportedly still in the de-mudding process and various structures in the path of the flood water will have a long way to go to be rehabilitated.

There were untouched piles of debris all over entire streets  and much of the towns were filled with a thick, slippery mud, said Bechert. He is just one of the 14 international disaster response specialists for Samaritans Purse who has worked tirelessly using a bucket in his hands to remove mud from many buildings and homes.

It was hard to hear stories of how fast the water came through, how there was no time to prepare for it, leading to the loss of life and increased property damage.

Bechert, a 35-year-old Zionsville, Indiana resident who discovered his Christian faith in his early teens, said he has worked with Samaritans Purse for 11 years since the organization's response effort in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.

He said he'd had a passion for helping and extending love in times of crisis since his sophomore year at Indiana University when his Campus Crusade chapter sponsored a spring break trip to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

When you are away from your comfort zone and focused on the work God has prepared for you, you will learn, grow and see amazing things. ... Helping often leads to great opportunities to share why you are there and provide hope that goes beyond the physical support, he said.

I believe that God calls us to help our neighbor  no matter where in the world that neighbor may be. Right now, they happen to be in Germany after a flood. A major component of this response [effort in Germany] has been facilitating hundreds of Christians from all over Germany to be present and supportive, working in homes along with families and individuals working to rebuild their lives.

Bechert said Samaritan Purse has a team of counselors on staff in various villages who listen to impacted individuals and remind them that God loves them and they are not alone.

Our site leaders have been trained in spiritual and psychosocial first aid and they know the common signs of trauma to be looking out for, how best to listen and be present with hurting people, and then what resources to link to, he said.

The loss of life from this disaster has been devastating, Bechert stressed.

Please pray for the families in Germany and pray for our teams as we provide immediate aid and that God would use us to continue ministering to families in the weeks and months to come.

Local law enforcement continues to search for missing people. And within damaged businesses and homes, generations of families priceless heirlooms and personal belongings have been destroyed or lost.

For many of the survivors, Bechart said, they will remain impacted by the flood for months due to physical needs and emotional trauma.

Homeowner Michael Munn-Buschow told Samaritan Purse that he and his wife, Iris, live in a home that has been in Iris family for hundreds of years.

Within a matter of hours, not only his basement but also the first floor was underwater.

I looked out the roof window, and suddenly the Ahr came closer and closer to us, he was quoted as saying. Employees from Samaritans Purse came and helped us.

Bechert said he often reminds survivors affected by natural disasters about Gods love. However, he often receives questions, such as: Why did God let this happen? Is this punishment or a test? or How could a loving God allow such pain and suffering?

Ive learned over time that it is best to be honest that I dont have all the answers and to sit and listen and share in their lament, Bechert said. What I can be confident in is sharing about Gods love for us, not just by sending His followers from around the world in a time of crisis, but also by making a way for us to be in a relationship with Him.
Scottish charity to pay $26K for unlawfully canceling BGEA, church event bookings

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A Scottish charity, which had canceled bookings made by a local church and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association for its conference center, has apologized for violating the United Kingdoms Equality Act as part of a legal settlement.

The Robertson Trust has apologized to the BGEA and Stirling Free Church for the cancellation of 2019 bookings to use its conference center in Stirling, Scotland, for religious events and agreed to pay both entities a total of 20,000 (about $26,500) towards legal expenses.

Mark Batho, chair of the board of trustees at The Robertson Trust, said in a statement that the organization had inadvertently breached the Equality Act 2010.

The Trusts long standing funding policy (1) legitimately states that we do not fund or support the promotion of any particular religious or political beliefs, Batho said. We recognise that in applying our funding policy to the hire of our facilities, which are available at substantially subsidised rates to charities and community groups, we inadvertently breached the Equality Act 2010.

Iain Macaskill, the minister of Stirling Free Church, said in a statement shared by the Christian Institute, the legal group representing the two organizations, that it is against the law to advertise a venue as being available to all-comers but cancel the contract simply because the booking is for a religious event.

Christians have the same legal rights as everyone else and the outcome of this case affirms that, Macaskill said.

In a statement shared by the BGEA, Billy Grahams son, Franklin Graham, said the resolution of the case sends a clear message that religious freedom isnt dead.

The Trusts Barracks Conference Center was among several venues in the U.K. that had canceled events scheduled to start last May by Franklin Graham, who heads the BGEA. They cited objections to his views on homosexuality due to pressure from LGBT groups.

I have been surprised  Im not coming to speak against anybody and I dont name any groups of people, Graham told Christian Today at the time. Im coming to tell people how they can have a relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Last month, the BGEA announced its rescheduled U.K. tour from May 14 through July 16.

Even through these unprecedented circumstances, BGEA has remained committed to the goal of proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ. We are profoundly grateful for the thousands of churches of various denominations across the U.K. that have stood alongside us and continued praying for the tour, the group said on its website.

Graham said: We want all people to know that God loves them and everlasting life is available to anyone. This remains the purpose for every BGEA event, and it is why we have named the rescheduled tour the God Loves You Tour  UK.

Last February, Glasgow Sheriff Court had asked the Scottish Event Campus why it canceled the BGEA event.

Susan Aitken, Glasgow City Council leader, had said that the way Graham expresses his views could, I believe, fundamentally breach the councils statutory equalities duties. She pointed out that in 2016, Graham accused LGBT activists of trying to cram down Americas throat the lie that homosexuality is OK.

This is ultimately about whether the Scottish Event Campus will discriminate against the religious beliefs of Christians, Graham said at the time, according to Glasgow Times. More than 330 churches in the Glasgow area alone support this evangelistic outreach and their voices are being silenced. This case has wide-reaching ramifications for religious freedom and democracy in the U.K. and Europe.
Former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows discusses Jan. 6 committee, time in White House and Trump's future

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President Donald Trumps fourth Chief of Staff Mark Meadows has opened up about what took place during his year in the White House, whether he'll cooperate with the congressional Jan. 6 investigation and what he thinks the future holds for president Donald Trump.

I feel like there were so many from the left who were writing stories about President Trump, who candidly, were not present in the room, Meadows told The Christian Post in a video interview on his new book, The Chief of Cheifs, released Tuesday.

Meadows, who served as a member of U.S. Congress from North Carolina for nearly seven years, sat down for an interview last week in which he discussed whether he would agree to testify before the U.S. House of Representatives select committee on the storming on the U.S. Capitol last Jan. 6.

Due to the executive privilege invoked by President Trump, the complex legal discussions were things he was unable to discuss. He did say that he was working with the committee on a number of accommodations. But on Tuesday, Meadows declared that he is no longer cooperating with the select committee's probe, saying the committee intended to ask questions he considered "executive privilege."

"These are obviously complex legal discussions. When it comes to the executive privilege that President Trump has claimed, that is not something that I can give up," Meadows told CP. "That is not my privilege to give up."

Meadows said that he does mention the events of Jan. 6 in his book, but it's not a major focus.

You cant talk about the last year and not mention the January 6th incident, the 62-year-old said. However, spending as much time on January 6th as some of my Democrat colleagues in Congress are does not portray the right decision. I think the breach of the Capitol security came as a surprise to everyone in the West Wing. I know that many on the left want to suggest otherwise. But that is not the case. We talk about that, but that is not the main focus of the book.

I am not aware of anybody that had any advanced knowledge of a breach of security and what ultimately happened on January 6th that it was going to happen, he said. Many of us believed that this was President Trumps last address to a number of supporters that was going to happen while he was president, knowing that January 20 was right around the corner. As that happened, I think a lot of us look back, and certainly, we dont condone what happened as it relates to the breach of security there, and, in fact, condemn that. That shouldnt have happened.

Meadows said his time serving as the chief of staff was the "hardest job" he's ever had.

It was an honor of a lifetime to serve as the 45th Presidents chief of staff. It was also the hardest job I have ever done, he said. President Trump would call at all hours of the morning and night because he didnt sleep much. Because he didnt sleep much meant that I didnt sleep much. He was all about trying to get things done .

Meadows said his time in the White House  March 2020 to January 2021  is something he does not regret and would do again.

Meadows offered his thoughts about Trumps future, sharing informally that he believes Trump will run for president in 2024.

Do I believe that he would run again now? I want to make sure I am clear with this. I do not work for the president, so I do not speak on his behalf. I do talk to him a lot. I believe he is going to run, Meadows said.

He is putting together a team that will address that. And so, for those that are cheering on the fact that they want him to run again, theyll be happy. For those that dont want him to run again, they will be disappointed. Serving our country is a great honor and serving him, so prayerfully, I would  be honored if he would ask me again. Yet at the same time, knowing that its the hardest job that Ive had, I would want to make sure that hes got the best people around.

For Meadows, the chief of staff role was one that he enjoyed and he believes he served the president and God well.

Yeah, it was a busy year, but when I thought about our heavenly Father, it was all about honoring Him, he said.
UMC leadership neutral as affiliated children's home sues to stop Biden admin. LGBT policy

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Regional and national leaders in the United Methodist Church are not taking a stance on a lawsuit that a Tennessee-based UMC childrens home has leveled against the Biden administration over a rule that would require the home to place children with same-sex couples.

Holston United Methodist Home for Children sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services last week after the agency rescinded exemptions enacted by the Trump administration to an Obama-era LGBT nondiscrimination policy barring discrimination in HHS-funded foster programs based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The charitys lawsuit comes amid a much-publicized divide in the second-largest Protestant denomination in the United States surrounding same-sex marriage and homosexuality. The Christian Post reached out to the national and regional UMC bodies to comment on the charitys lawsuit.

The UMC Holston Conference, a regional UMC body where the Holston Home is located, emailed The Christian Post a statement on Tuesday saying that any questions should be directed to the charity itself.

The Holston Conference of The United Methodist Church and the Holston United Methodist Home for Children share a historic ministry connection, read the statement.

As a separate institution, Holston Home has a board of trustees that guides their decision-making process. All inquires concerning their leadership and decisions should be directed to the Holston Home for Children.

The UMC Council of Bishops is also not releasing a statement or support or opposition. A spokesperson explained to CP on Tuesday that the national leadership doesnt comment on annual conference ministries.

In the federal lawsuit, Holston Home contends that the HHS policy would substantially burden Holston Homes exercise of its religious beliefs to knowingly engage in child-placing activities in connection with couples who may be romantically cohabitating but not married, or who are couples of the same biological sex.

If Holston Home were to knowingly engage in child-placing activities concerning placements of children in connection with couples who may be romantically cohabitating but are not married, or who are couples of the same biological sex, it would need to engage in speech with which Holston Home disagrees and which violate Holston Homes religious beliefs, the lawsuit argues.

The regulation was enacted in 2016 during the Obama administration. Although President Donald Trump issued exemptions for faith-based organizations, these were recently rescinded by the Biden administration.

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia that a Catholic charity could not be excluded from the city's foster program because the organization would not place children with same-sex couples.

Chief Justice John Roberts delivered the courts opinion, concluding that the city has burdened the religious exercise of [Catholic Social Services] through policies that do not meet the requirement of being neutral and generally applicable.

Government fails to act neutrally when it proceeds in a manner intolerant of religious beliefs or restricts practices because of their religious nature, wrote Roberts.

The refusal of Philadelphia to contract with CSS for the provision of foster care services unless it agrees to certify same-sex couples as foster parents cannot survive strict scrutiny, and violates the First Amendment.

The HHS contends that the policy enacted during the previous administration permits a contractor whose purpose and/or character is not primarily religious to qualify for the Executive Order 11246 religious exemption.

[T]his  undermines the governments long-standing policy of requiring that federal contractors provide equal employment opportunity, subject to a religious exemption for contractors with primarily religious purpose and character, an HHS policy proposal reads.
Mistrial declared in case of man charged with murdering pastors wife Amanda Blackburn

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An Indiana judge declared a mistrial Monday on the first day of trial for 24-year-old Larry Jo Taylor Jr., who authorities are hoping to convict for the 2015 murder of Amanda Blackburn, the pregnant wife of an Indianapolis pastor.

Marion County Judge Grant Hawkins, who declared the mistrial, told The Indianapolis Star that some jurors learned Ms. Blackburn was pregnant at the time of her death. The defense had successfully moved to keep jurors from knowing.

The court will now have to seat a new jury for Taylors trial.

Taylor is facing four counts of murder, three counts of burglary, three counts of theft and a count of robbery in connection to Blackburns killing, according to the newspaper. One of three men charged in the wake of the killing, Taylor was also charged with criminal confinement, auto theft and carrying a handgun without a license.

Amanda Blackburn was killed some three years after moving with her husband, Davey Blackburn, from South Carolina in 2012 to start Resonate Church in Indianapolis.

On the morning of Nov. 10, 2015, while Davey was at the gym, police said his wife was shot three times, including once in the head during a home invasion. She succumbed to her injuries the following day along with their unborn daughter, Everette Evie Grace Blackburn.

Police subsequently announced the arrests of Taylor, then 18, and his accomplice, Jalen Watson, then 21, and charged them with murder and a litany of other crimes in late November 2015. Diano Gordon, who was 24 at the time, was arrested and charged in December 2015.

Earlier this year, Watson, now 27, was sentenced to 29 years in prison for robbery leading to serious bodily injury and 10 years each for two counts of burglary.

Watson also had charges, including murder, dismissed against him in a plea deal in October 2017. The agreement would see him joining Gordon in testifying against Taylor.
Supreme Court of Louisiana will hear Pastor Tony Spells case for violating COVID-19 restrictions

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The Supreme Court of Louisiana announced Tuesday that it will hear a case on whether criminal charges should remain against controversial Pastor Tony Spell for violating Gov. John Bel Edwards order against gatherings of more than 50 people during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A scheduling order said Spell must file his briefs on or before Jan. 3, while the state will have to respond by Jan. 21. The court is expected to set a time for oral arguments.

Spell, who leads Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge, made headlines as he repeatedly flouted state COVID-19 restrictions aimed at mitigating the spread of the virus by holding in-person church services. He argued that the First Amendment guarantees his right to religious freedom.

Earlier this year, a state judge refused to dismiss the charges against Spell. Last year, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito rejected the pastors request to hear his case after lower federal courts ruled the governors coronavirus restrictions were either constitutional or the case became moot once his stay-at-home order lapsed.

Earlier this year, East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore offered Spell a chance to plead no contest to one of the misdemeanor charges he faces in exchange for dropping five other charges. He didnt accept the offer.

Spell was among a vocal minority of pastors who drew national attention in 2020 for disobeying state and local COVID-19 restrictions that restricted in-person worship gatherings. In one sermon livestreamed on Facebook, the controversial pastor appeared to offer divine protection to churchgoers from the virus.

Were also going to pass out anointed handkerchiefs to people who may have a fear, who may have a sickness and we believe that when those anointed handkerchiefs go, that healing virtue is going to go on them as well, Spell noted.

Spell told BRProud in October that Edwards COVID-19 restrictions were unconstitutional at the time he faced them and he is confident he will prevail in the Louisiana State Supreme Court.

Whenever the governor put these rules and mandates in place, they were unlawful, they were unconstitutional, Spell said.

We feel confident as long as the judges in the Louisiana Supreme Court rule on our First Amendment rights, freedom to assemble, free speech, free exercise, he continued. If they dont, then American is on the course to anarchy.
LONDON (AP)  Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Sunday that Britain faces a tidal wave of infections from the omicron coronavirus variant, and announced a huge increase in booster vaccinations to strengthen defenses against it.

In a televised statement, Johnson said everyone age 18 and older will be offered a third shot of vaccine by the end of this month in response to the omicron emergency. The previous target was the end of January.

He said cases of the highly transmissible variant are doubling every two to three days in Britain, and there is a tidal wave of omicron coming.

And Im afraid it is now clear that two doses of vaccine are simply not enough to give the level of protection we all need, Johnson said. But the good news is that our scientists are confident that with a third dose  a booster dose  we can all bring our level of protection back up.

He announced a national mission to deliver booster vaccines, with pop-up vaccination centers and seven-day-a-week getting extra support from teams of military planners and thousands of volunteer vaccinators.

Johnsons Dec. 31 target applies to England. The other parts of the U.K.  Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland  are also expected to speed up their vaccination campaigns.

The U.K. Health Security Agency says existing vaccines appear less effective in preventing symptomatic infections in people exposed to omicron, though preliminary data show that effectiveness appears to rise to between 70% and 75% after a third vaccine dose.

More than 80% of people age 12 and up in Britain have received two doses of vaccine, and 40% of adults have had three doses. Giving the rest a booster in the next three weeks will be a huge challenge, requiring almost 1 million doses delivered a day. Johnson acknowledged that many routine medical procedures would have to be postponed to meet the goal.

Johnson's announcement came hours after the government raised the countrys official coronavirus threat level, warning the rapid spread of the omicron variant had pushed the U.K. into risky territory.

The chief medical officers of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland said the 1of the highly transmissible new strain adds additional and rapidly increasing risk to the public and health care services at a time when COVID-19 is already widespread. They recommended raising the alert level from 3 to 4 on a 5-point scale. The top level, 5, indicates authorities think the health care system is about to be overwhelmed.

The doctors said early evidence shows omicron is spreading much faster than the currently dominant delta variant, and that vaccines offer less protection against it. British officials say omicron is likely to replace delta as the dominant strain in the U.K. within days.

Data on severity will become clearer over the coming weeks but hospitalizations from omicron are already occurring and these are likely to increase rapidly, they said.

Concerns about the new variant led Johnsons Conservative government to reintroduce restrictions that were lifted almost six months ago. Masks must be worn in most indoor settings, COVID-19 certificates must be shown to enter nightclubs and people are being urged to work from home if possible.

Many scientists say thats unlikely to be enough, however, and are calling for tougher measures, which the government so far has resisted.

Scientists in South Africa, where omicron was first identified, say they see signs it may cause less severe disease than delta, but caution that it is too soon to be certain.

___

Follow APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
Megan Thee Stallion became Megan Thee Graduate Saturday as the rapper received her bachelors degree in health administration at the Texas Southern University commencement ceremony.

Wearing her bedazzled graduate hat  Real Hot Girl Sh*t, it read  Megan Pete was greeted by cheers when she was called onto the stage to receive get degree from TSU president Dr. Lesia Crumpton-Young:

TSU is proud of @TheeStallion and all 843 graduates whose individual stories encourage and inspire others to pursue greatness, the university tweeted Saturday.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona added, Youre graduating. Congratulations, you worked so hard for this. So proud of you. Texas is proud of you. The country is proud of you. This secretary is proud of you.

Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona congratulates @theestallion ahead of her graduation today. #HottieGrad You worked so hard for this. Texas is proud of you, the country is proud of you, the secretary is proud of you.

pic.twitter.com/3uYrzKRuJW  Megan Charts (@StallionOnChart) December 11, 2021

In addition to graduating, Megan Thee Stallion also established The Megan Fund, a scholarship to help other TSU students cross the finish line at graduation, just like Megan.

Despite her mega-stardom, Megan Thee Stallion opted to pursue her degree as a tribute to her late mother Holly Thomas, who died in March 2019 from brain cancer. I want to get my degree because I really want my mom to be proud, she told People in 2020. She saw me going to school before she passed.

The rapper gave an update on her studies earlier this summer  a summer where she headlined numerous music festivals  and encouraged her fans to pursue both their dreams and higher eduction.

My college experience has been a roller coaster! I started at PV went to some community colleges in between and Im ending at TSU, she tweeted at the time. Dont get discouraged! You can chase your dreams and your education at the same time.
MANISTEE COUNTY  Lake Michigan shoreline counties were hit with high winds and severe weather over the weekend, leaving at least 1,240 Manistee County Consumers Energy customers without power on Saturday.

The National Weather Service Gaylord office reported Manistee saw wind reports of up to 47 mph on Saturday.
PORTLAND, Maine (AP)  The father of a missing Maine toddler is expected to be interviewed 10 years after the disappearance, as part of a civil lawsuit seeking to hold him accountable for her death.

Justin DiPietro reported toddler Ayla missing in 2011 in Waterville. A judge declared her to be legally dead in 2017.

The Morning Sentinel reports that her mother, Trista Reynolds, sees the interview as an indication that progress is ramping up in the case, giving her renewed hope.

DiPietro's attorney, Michael Waxman, said there's no evidence that he has seen that supports any claim that his client had anything to do with her disappearance. Waxman said he will be present when the deposition is done virtually. No charges have been filed.

The police investigation has been the largest and most expensive in the state's history.

Reynolds filed a wrongful death lawsuit against DiPietro in 2018, seeking to hold him accountable for Aylas death. Reynolds lawyer, William Childs, said he now has documents he was seeking from the state attorney generals office, including evidence and documents from the state police investigation.

Childs is scheduled to depose DiPietro on Friday, which will be 10 years to the day that DiPietro reported Ayla missing.

Waxman said that after he has reviewed the forensic report, he will likely file for summary judgment due to a lack of evidence.

The state police investigation is still open.
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP)  Authorities in Florida arrested a 32-year-old woman Sunday in connection with the death of her mother.

The Osceola County Sheriff's Office says Natalie Marie Gonzalez is being charged with first-degree murder following the death on Saturday in a home in the Orlando suburb of Kissimmee.
MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP)  More health care workers arrived in New Hampshire this weekend to help relieve pressure at a hospital with an overwhelmed intensive care unit.

WMUR-TV reports that about two dozen health care workers arrived at Elliot Hospital in Manchester Saturday and began helping shortly after. They're from the National Disaster Medical System, with the work funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP)  Heavy snowfall covered Belgrade and much of the Balkans on Sunday, hampering traffic, canceling flights at the Serbian capitals main airport and disrupting public transportation.

Many areas across the country reported power cuts and damages to buildings due to falling trees. The icy conditions saw trucks skidding across the roads and getting stuck while ploughs were being used to pull them out.

Much of western Serbia was without electricity as authorities warned against unnecessary travel and appealed to people in Serbia to conserve power.

In the capital, several trees fell under the weight of the heavy snow, damaging cars and buildings. Some people had to be rescued after being trapped in their damaged vehicles.

Several flights from and to Belgrades main airport were canceled because of the weather conditions and a brief power cut to the main terminal, Belgrade media reported. A highway leading to the airport was closed for several hours because of a traffic jam caused by the snowfall.

Passengers on a local train to Belgrade were stuck in snow for seven hours before they were provided bus transportation to the capital

Emergency services have been assisting authorities in the cleanup operation throughout Sunday, while another alert for more snow and ice has been issued.

In Bulgaria, heavy rains and major floods have been ravaging southern parts of the country over the weekend, forcing authorities there to declare a state of emergency.

The worst-hit areas were in the Smolyan region, near the border with Greece, where rivers burst their banks to cause the overflowing of roads and the flooding of homes. Several trucks were trapped in a landslide on an intercity road.

Strong winds disrupted power supply in dozens of villages, authorities said.

Further south in Albania, authorities mobilized police, army and emergency forces to cope with floods following three days of continuous rainfall and snow.

The Vjosa River in the south flooded many areas. An older couple who had stayed overnight on the rooftop of their house in southwest Albania was rescued by police in the morning.

Many roads were temporarily blocked by landslides in the south. Elsewhere in the northeast and southeast of the country, heavy snow has hampered or temporarily blocked traffic.
NEW BERN, N.C. (AP)  North Carolinas small businesses are the lifeblood of many communities, but also an economic driver, combining to export $6.1 billion in goods in 2019.

Since the onset of the pandemic, many have struggled to stay afloat.

On Sept. 28, Duke Energy doled out $750,000 total to 30 counties across North Carolina through its Hometown Revitalization Grant program.

The $25,000 grants are meant to help the states 964,280 small businesseswhich Duke Energy sees as the heart of communitiesand their 1.7 million employees adapt to the challenging atmosphere created by Covid-19.

Eight eastern North Carolina counties received funding including Jones, Duplin, Lenoir and Beaufort.

Not only have small businesses in the coastal region of the state had to deal with the pandemic, but many are still in recovery from Hurricanes Florence, Matthew and Dorian.

With revitalization efforts getting interrupted due to natural disasters and the recent pandemic, the Duke Energy Hometown Revitalization Grant program will help push beautification in our small towns and equip the local businesses to better serve the community and its citizens, said John Bender, economic development director of Jones County in a statement.

In Jones County during Hurricane Florence, dozens of businesses were damaged with the rising Trent River and many were never able to re-open. The pandemic did not make the way any easier for already hurting entrepreneurs.

Supported by its booming plantation-centered economy, Jones County was one of the richest in the country by 1860. After the Civil War, the still mainly agricultural countys wealth started to decline.

Fast forward to today and the Committee of 100 is working to attract business and industry to Jones County, marketed by its location along major highways and in between larger cities in North Carolina.

We really want to see our economy thrive and are willing to work hard to do so. The overall state of economic development is gearing up to be the best it has been in a long time, Bender said. I predict nothing but good things to come in this county, and we are always working on achieving such.

The grant will benefit Maysville, Pollocksville and Trenton, Bender said.

The Hometown Revitalization program was announced in April and stated that 20 counties would be selected for a total of $500,000, however the overwhelming need and quality of applications caused Duke Energy to expand its parameters.

We were astounded by the number and quality of the applications, so we decided to increase the foundations commitment and help even more downtown communities bounce back, said Stephen De May, North Carolina president of Duke Energy, in the press release.

The grants are given to local nonprofits centered around downtown revitalization to set up microgrant programs. Organizations may award individual businesses microgrants between $500 to $2,500.

The grant program will focus on businesses with 50 employees or less and may be used for expenses of a past project a business has completed.

The town of Kinston, county seat for Lenoir, was driven by the tobacco industry and its lumber and cotton mills in the 1900s. Prosperity came to a halt in the 1960s and revitalization efforts started not long after.

Downtown Kinston Revitalization, previously known as Pride of Kinston is tasked with beautifying, preserving and improving what downtown Kinston has to offer and noted that the pandemic has made their goal a challenge.

Sarah Arney, community development planner for Kinston, said that the grant came at the perfect time.

Downtown Kinston Revitalization has been working throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to serve and promote downtown business owners during this incredibly challenging time. The best thing we can do to bolster small business are to help lessen the financial losses they have experienced during closings and restrictions and to help them make important changes to safely attract customers in the future, Arney said in the release.

In Beaufort County, Downtown Washington on The Waterfront has worked to support its small businesses by adjusting traffic patterns to increase traffic on Washingtons Main Street as well as create future development opportunities. For them, the grant is a way to give back to the businesses that make the town of Washington what it is.

Washingtons small businesses are the backbone of our community. They have faced recent challenges with grace and it will be wonderful to help them recover from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and hopefully grow and expand their businesses for the future, said Margaret G. Howdy, executive director.

The Hometown Revitalization program was born out of a partnership between Duke Energy and the Downtown Raleigh Alliance with the goal of revamping city storefronts. The program was successful in helping almost 100 businesses create user-friendly websites, amp-up curb appeal, build outdoor seating and foster safer spaces for customers.

Downtowns are the lifeblood of communities all across North Carolina. The vitality of downtowns comes from the local shops and restaurants that make each town unique, said Amy Strecker, director of foundation strategy for the Duke Energy Foundation. When those small businesses thrive, we all win, so the Duke Energy Foundation is proud to play a role in helping our customers and these communities bounce back.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  Hundreds of opponents of a natural gas pipeline rallied on Saturday in Virginias capital in advance of an upcoming key regulatory decision.

The Virginia State Water Control Board is expected to vote Tuesday on whether to allow construction of portions of the Mountain Valley Pipeline in wetlands and across over 200 Virginia waterways, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.

The Rev. William Barber, a North Carolina-based civil rights leader, told the crowd at Byrd Park that projects like the proposed pipeline are an abusive sin that would harm the poor.

The planned 303-mile (488-kilometer) mile pipeline will take natural gas drilled from the Marcellus and Utica shale formations and transport it through West Virginia and Virginia. A 75-mile extension into central North Carolina is also proposed.

Barber, who is now the head of the national Repairers of the Breach movement among other roles, pointed out how developers of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline cancelled the project in 2020 following fierce opposition by environmental groups and residents along parts of the lines path.

We had to fight against one pipeline, Barber said. They should have learned by now, Virginians arent having this stuff. West Virginians arent having it. North Carolinians arent having it. They must not know who we are, but theyll learn.

Mountain Valley Pipeline spokesperson Natalie Cox called Barbers message that the project is sinful an uninformed and unproductive comment. The pipeline, Cox added, is designed to provide reliable, affordable, clean-burning natural gas to homes and businesses in Virginia and throughout the eastern United States.

The proposed North Carolina extension took a hit earlier this month when Virginia's State Air Pollution Control Board voted against a permit for a gas compressor station located in a county that borders North Carolina.
The Western U.S. is bracing for the brunt of a major winter storm expected to hit Monday, bringing travel headaches, the threat of localized flooding and some relief in an abnormally warm fall.

Light rain and snow fell in Northern California on Sunday, giving residents a taste of whats to come. The multiday storm could drop more than 8 feet (2.4 meters) of snow on the highest peaks and drench other parts of California as it pushes south and east before moving out midweek.

This is a pretty widespread event, said National Weather Service meteorologist Anna Wanless in Sacramento. Most of California, if not all, will see some sort of rain and snow.

The precipitation will bring at least temporary relief to the broader region thats been gripped by drought caused by climate change. The latest U.S. drought monitor shows parts of Montana, Oregon, California, Nevada and Utah in exceptional drought, which is the worst category.

Most reservoirs that deliver water to states, cities, tribes, farmers and utilities rely on melted snow in the springtime.

The storm this week is typical for this time of the year but notable because its the first big snow that is expected to significantly affect travel with ice and snow on the roads, strong wind and limited visibility, Wanless said. Drivers on some mountainous passes on Sunday had to wrap their tires in chains.

Officials urged people to delay travel and stay indoors. Rain could cause minor flooding and rockslides, especially in areas that have been scarred by wildfires, according to the forecast. The San Bernardino County sheriff's department issued evacuation warnings for several areas, citing the potential for flooding. Los Angeles County fire officials urged residents to be aware of the potential for mud flows.

Forecasters also said strong winds accompanying the storm could lead to power outages. Karly Hernandez, a spokesperson for Pacific Gas & Electric, said the utility that covers much of California didnt have any major outages on Sunday. Crews and equipment are staged across the state to respond quickly if the power goes out, Hernandez said.

Rain fell intermittently across California on Sunday. Andy Naja-Riese, chief executive of the Agricultural Institute of Marin, said farmers markets carried on as usual in San Rafael and San Francisco amid light wind.

The markets are especially busy this time of year with farmers making jellies, jams and sauces for the holidays, he said. And, he said, rain always is needed in a parched state.

In many ways, it really is a blessing, Naja-Riese said.

Lichen Crommett, manager of the San Lorenzo Garden Center in Santa Cruz, California, said customers werent deterred by a light sprinkling of rain Sunday morning.

Its not like raincoat worthy just yet, but any second it could change, she said.

A second storm predicted to hit California midweek could deliver almost continuous snow, said Edan Weishahn of the weather service in Reno, which monitors an area straddling the Nevada state line. Donner Summit, one of the highest points on Interstate 80 and a major commerce commuter route, could have major travel disruptions or road closures, Weishahn said.

The weather follows a calm November that was unseasonably warm.

With this storm coming in, its going to be a wakeup call to a lot of folks, Weishahn said.

Vail Resorts three Tahoe-area ski resorts opened with limited offerings over the weekend after crews worked to produce artificial snow. Spokeswoman Sara Roston said the resorts are looking forward to more of the real thing.

We will assess once the storm comes in, but we do expect to open additional terrain following, she wrote in an email.

Meanwhile, the Sierra Avalanche Center warned heavy snow and strong winds on top of a weak snowpack could cause large and destructive avalanches. One man died Saturday at a ski resort in the Pacific Northwest when he was caught in an avalanche that temporarily buried five others.

___

Associated Press writer Amy Taxin in Orange County, California, contributed to this story.
BEL AIR, Md. (AP)  A Maryland man whose vehicle struck a utility pole had actually been shot while driving and later died, authorities said.

William James Doran, 29, of the Joppatowne section of Harford County, was pronounced dead at the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center following the Friday evening accident, the Harford County Sheriffs Office said in a news release.
BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP)  The new Navy combat ship the USS Savannah will be commissioned in early 2022, but the ceremony wont take place in its namesake city.

The Feb. 5 ceremony placing the vessel into active duty will instead take place in coastal Brunswick, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of Savannah, said Mike Broadway of the U.S. Navy League.
RALEIGH. N.C. (AP)  North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has been formally chosen to lead the Democratic Governors Association next year, spearheading efforts to help the party's nominees win more in a big gubernatorial year ahead.

Cooper, the current vice chair and chair-elect in 2021, was elected chair on Saturday, according to social media posts by the association, which met in New Orleans. He'll succeed the 2021 chair, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico.
When Katie Posten walked outside Saturday morning to her car parked in her driveway, she saw something that looked like a note or receipt stuck to the windshield.

She grabbed it and saw it was a black and white photo of a woman in a striped sundress and headscarf holding a little boy in her lap. On the back, written in cursive, it said, Gertie Swatzell & J.D. Swatzell 1942." A few hours later, Posten would discover that the photo had made quite a journey - almost 130 miles (209 kilometers) on the back of monstrous winds.

Posten had been tracking the tornadoes that hit the middle of the U.S. Friday night, killing dozens of people. They came close to where she lives in New Albany, Indiana, across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. So she figured it must be debris from someone's damaged home.

Seeing the date, I realized that was likely from a home hit by a tornado. How else is it going to be there?" Posten said in a phone interview Sunday morning. Its not a receipt. Its well-kept photo."

So, doing what any 21st century person would do, she posted an image of the photo on Facebook and Twitter and asked for help in finding its owners. She said she was hoping someone on social media would have a connection to the photo or share it with someone who had a connection.

Sure enough, that's what happened.

A lot of people shared it on Facebook. Someone came across it who is friends with a man with the same last name, and they tagged him, said Posten, 30, who works for a tech company.

That man was Cole Swatzell, who commented that the photo belonged to family members in Dawson Springs, Kentucky, almost 130 miles (209 kilometers) away from New Albany, as the crow flies, and 167 miles (269 kilometers) away by car. Swatzell on Sunday didn't respond to a Facebook message seeking comment.

In Dawson Springs  a town of about 2,700 people 60 miles (97 kilometers) east of Paducah  homes were leveled, trees were splintered and search and rescue teams continued to scour the community for any survivors. Dozens of people across five states were killed.

The fact that the photo traveled almost 130 miles is unusual but not that unusual, said John Snow, a meteorology professor at the University of Oklahoma.

In one documented case from the 1920s, paper debris traveled 230 miles from the Missouri Bootheel into southern Illinois. The paper debris rides winds, sometimes reaching heights of 30,000 to 40,000 feet above the ground, he said.

It gets swirled up, Snow said. The storm dissipates and then everything flutters down to the ground.

Posten wasn't alone in finding family photos and school pictures that had traveled dozens of miles in the tornadoes' paths. A Facebook group was set up after the storms so people could post photos and other items like an ultrasound image they had found deposited in their yards.

Posten plans to return the photo to the Swatzell family sometime this week.

Its really remarkable, definitely one of those things, given all that has happened, that makes you consider how valuable things are  memories, family heirlooms, and those kinds of things, Posten said. It shows you the power of social media for good. It was encouraging that immediately there were tons of replies from people, looking up ancestry records, and saying I know someone who knows someone and Id like to help.

___

Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP
MAYFIELD, Ky. (AP)  Autumn Kirks said she and her boyfriend, Lannis Ward, had been dating for about a year and were saving money to buy a house. They were both working the night shift at the candle factory for extra money when the tornado struck.

Then Ward, described by Kirks as a big teddy bear," disappeared  and all she could do was wait.

Not knowing is worse than knowing right now," she said early Sunday as she stood outside His House Ministries, a nondescript prefabricated building on the edge of Mayfield where people have been told to go to wait for word about the missing.

Later in the day, she got the terrible news  that Ward had been killed in the storm.

In the aftermath of the massive tornado that roared through the western Kentucky darkness early Saturday morning, the chances for good news seem to diminish by the hour.

Autumn Kirks brought a photo of her boyfriend to the recovery center and described his tattoo, scars and other features. She said the authorities asked her to bring back a glass or bath sponge or something that might have his DNA on it to potentially help identify him.

An unusual mid-December swarm of twisters across the Midwest and the South leveled entire communities and left dozens dead in five states. The death toll is expected to go higher in Kentucky.

In the terrible moments before the storm hit, Kirks had moved to a hallway in the innermost part of the building that housed Mayfield Consumer Products, where employees were working the night shift to crank out Christmas candles.

They said, Duck and cover, she recalled. I pulled my safety goggles down, jumped under the closest thing, and seconds later I looked to my left and instead of wall there was sky and lightning and just destruction everywhere.

The closest thing was a row of metal stands with nets across the top, used to store wax and fragrance buckets. Kirks said she and some other employees moved the buckets and took cover under the stands. She tried to keep an eye on Ward, but she is a team leader and had to make sure other co-workers were safe.

I remember taking my eyes off of him for a second, and then he was gone," she said.

An eerie silence preceded the storm, Kirks said, and then all of a sudden you hear just crumbling, and its like the whole world is just falling down around you.

Kirks said she and three co-workers were trapped under a concrete wall, but that a co-worker lifted the wall to rescue them.

I still wish I knew who it was that lifted that wall off of us, she said. He was our superman that night.

Another woman entered the building weeping. To help those struggling to cope, a state trooper came in with teddy bears. A golden retriever was there to offer pet therapy.

Autumn Kirks brought a photo of her boyfriend to the recovery center and described his tattoo, scars and other features. She said the authorities asked her to bring back a glass or bath sponge or something that might have his DNA on it to potentially help identify him later.

She was headed home to look for something that would work.
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Can I enter Canada with a criminal record? You can enter Canada with a criminal record under the following circumstances. Daniel Levy Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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Foreign nationals need to be aware that a criminal record can make them inadmissible to Canada.



While a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer can deny you entry into Canada if you have a criminal record, you still have the possibility to enter the country if you prepare in advance. The Canadian government recognizes that those with criminal records are capable of being rehabilitated and also may not necessarily pose a risk to the safety of Canadians. As such, it provides three major ways to overcome criminal inadmissibility to the country.

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How to Overcome Inadmissibility to Canada Overcome inadmissibility by clicking here: https://www.canadavisa.com/immigration-inadmissibility.html?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=Video&utm_campaign=CrimV

Temporary Resident Permit (TRP)

As the name implies, a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) is a remedy that allows an individual who is inadmissible to Canada to enter the country on a temporary basis. Its validity period can be up to three years. You need to submit a TRP application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) providing a compelling reason why you should be allowed to enter Canada, and why the benefits to Canada of allowing you entry outweigh potential risks. U.S. citizens and permanent residents are able to submit their TRP applications when they get to Canada or they can get pre-approval by submitting their application at a Canadian consulate. All other foreign nationals can submit their TRP application at a Canadian consulate. The application fee is $200 CAD.

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Rehabilitation

Unlike the TRP, rehabilitation is a permanent way to overcome criminal inadmissibility to Canada. Once you are rehabilitated, your criminal record is no longer grounds to deny you entry to Canada as long as you do not commit any further offenses. There are two forms of rehabilitation.

Individual rehabilitation is an option if it has been at least five years since the end of your sentence. The application fee is either $200 or $1,000, based on the severity of your conviction. Your application needs to demonstrate you have been rehabilitated and are no longer prone to conducting criminal acts. You can do this by providing evidence such as that you have a stable lifestyle, taken steps to improve your behaviour, and/or your offense was an isolated event.

Deemed rehabilitation is an option if your conviction was for a less serious crime and at least 10 years have gone by since you completed your sentence. You will automatically be deemed rehabilitated due to the passage of time. To be on the safe side, however, you may still choose to get a Legal Opinion Letter in case you need to prove to a CBSA officer that you should be allowed into Canada.

Legal Opinion Letter

Obtaining a Legal Opinion Letter is your third option. The letters are prepared by lawyers and they provide explanation to CBSA officers why they should permit you entry. Your lawyer can explain facts such as that you are deemed rehabilitated, or your offense was isolated or not serious, or there is no Canadian equivalent to your offense. Such letters can support your TRP or rehabilitation application.

Again, it is important to stress that it is in your best interests to prepare well in advance of your trip to Canada by getting professional advice so that you can enter the country without major difficulties.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 12)  Manila Mayor Francisco Isko Moreno Domagoso dismissed criticisms that he has been prioritizing his presidential bid over his duties as local chief executive of the country's capital.

The Aksyon Demokratiko party standard-bearer has been holding campaign sorties across the nation over the past couple of months, but he maintained this does not mean he is neglecting his responsibilities as mayor.

Basta tayo dito sa Maynila, walang tulugan [Here in Manila, we dont sleep], Moreno told reporters during a visit to San Andres, Manila.

He was in the area to provide cash aid to nearly 200 families who lost their homes in a fire last Dec. 7.

Moreno said Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna, who seeks to succeed him next year, is ready to assist him in serving their constituents while he holds his listening tour ahead of the 2022 polls.

He said Lacuna is a "battle tested" leader who is ready to prove her mettle as the next mayor of Manla.

In the media interview, he also said he is willing to waive his rights under the Bank Secrecy Law and open his bank accounts to prove he does not have any hidden wealth.

I do not have any problem with it. Wala naman tayong itinatago [Anyway, we have nothing to hide], he said.

Moreno earlier said his net worth is around 70 million.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 12)  Pfizer has submitted an application for emergency use authorization of its COVID-19 vaccine for children between five and 11 years old, Food and Drug Administration Director General Eric Domingo confirmed.

Domingo also said on Sunday that Pfizers emergency application could be approved before the end of the year.

Yes, submitted. We hope to finish evaluation before end of December, he said in a text message to CNN Philippines.

Pfizer is one of the brands currently used for the vaccination of adolescents from 12 to 17 years old.

The Department of Health earlier said the government seeks to vaccinate at least 13.5 million children aged five to 11 once the FDA allows the emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines for such age bracket.

The United States FDA earlier recommended the use of Pfizer for the COVID-19 vaccination of children in the same age group.

Clinical trial showed that it provides more than 90% protection against symptomatic disease among children, even at one-third the dose.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 12)  The Department of Health (DOH) and National Task Force Against COVID-19 (NTF) assured there is enough supply of syringes compatible with Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines and other brands.

In a joint statement, the DOH and NTF said more syringes bought from the United Nations Children's Fund or UNICEF will arrive in the country soon. It would be the second of two batches procured from UNICEF, the first of which was delivered in October, consisting of 8 million syringes worth roughly 29.1 million.

Like the first shipment, the next batch will include 0.3ml syringes (microsyringes) compatible with Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines, plus 0.5ml auto-disable (AD) ones for other brands.

The second batch, funded by multinational lender Asian Development Bank, consists of 44 million syringes amounting to nearly 152.6 million. But due to a global supply shortage, only close to 4 million pieces have been delivered so far this month. The remaining 40 million will be shipped to the country by the first quarter of 2022.

RELATED: PH faces delays in delivery of syringes for COVID-19 vaccinations

The country faced challenges in its COVID-19 vaccination program due to the delay in the shipment of syringes, other ancillary supplies, as well as logistical problems. This led the government to lower its target for the November mass vaccination drive.

RELATED: ovt lowers 'Bayanihan, Bakunahan' vaccination target, sets another three-day drive

Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddyboy Locsin on Saturday tweeted about another missed opportunity to obtain 50 million syringes. Locsin said local agencies refused to discuss the possible deal but did not specify those involved.

He also mentioned Moderna in his tweet, but did not give any further details.

RELATED: Locsin: PH 'dropped the ball' on possible syringe offer

The NTF denied on Sunday that the country refused COVID-19 vaccines from the US drugmaker. It also said the Vaccine Cluster has not received any offer for the American-made doses.

The country received over 3 million Moderna vaccines from the US through the global COVAX facility last August.
Dumaguete City (CNN Philippines December 11) - The Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) is not targeting members of the opposition, according to presidential aspirant Senator Panfilo Lacson.

"Nasa batas 'yun eh hindi naman tinatarget 'yung opposition," he told reporters in a briefing on Saturday before meeting with sectors in Dumaguete City. "Hindi ko alam kung saan nanggagaling 'yung tatargetin sila."

[Translation: It's in the law. They are not targeting the opposition. I don't know where that came from.]

The ATC is primarily tasked to implement the Anti-Terrorism Law (ATL) and may tag groups or individuals as terrorists.

"Maski sino naman [Anyone], whether they are members of the opposition or they are sympathizers of the [Communist Party of the Philippines - New People's Army] or whether you are members of media or whether you are members of Congress, if you commit acts of terrorism, you will be answerable to the law," the senator added.

Lacson - the principal sponsor of the law - gave this assurance after portions of the ATL were struck down by the Supreme Court.

RELATED: Supreme Court strikes down two parts of Anti-Terrorism Act

Lacson said he was pleased with the high court's decision, describing it as a partial victory for critics but a "total victory for peace against terror."

However, he admitted there are still some challenges when it comes to the law's implementation.

"Kasi sometimes law enforcement officers mali ang interpretation or sometimes they extend 'yung meaning or spirit ng law," Lacson said. "Meron naman tayo provisions sa batas na pwede parusahan 'yung law enforcement officers who violate the provisions of the law...just like any other law pwede subject to abuse, hindi lang 'yung ATL."

[Translation: Because law enforcement officers sometimes have a wrong interpretation or they extend the meaning or spirit of the law. We have provisions to punish law enforcement officers who violate the law...just like any other law it can be subject to abuse, but it's not just the ATL.]

Dumaguete-based journalist Roy Bustillo contributed to this report.
For voters, the election to choose Denvers next mayor still seems off on the horizon. For would-be candidates and their operatives, the time to figure it out and saddle up is much closer.
Becky Bohrer/AP

LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP)  U.S. Coast Guard authorities have halted the search for a woman who reportedly went overboard on a cruise ship near Ensenada, Mexico.

Authorities searched more than 31 hours for the woman before pausing the search on Sunday pending additional information, Petty Officer First Class Adam Stanton said Sunday.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP)  The New Hampshire Supreme Court has ruled that the Concord Police Department does not have to divulge information about its covert communications equipment.

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire and the Concord Monitor filed the lawsuit after receiving the redacted license agreement through a public records request. They say the public has a right to know what the equipment is, what it does and the name of the citys vendor.
JOHANNESBURG (AP)  South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is receiving treatment for mild COVID-19 symptoms after testing positive for the disease Sunday, his office said.

Ramaphosa started feeling unwell and a test confirmed COVID-19, a statement from the presidency announced.

He is self-isolating in Cape Town and is being monitored by the South African Military Health Service, the statement said. He has delegated all responsibilities to Deputy President David Mabuza for the next week.

Ramaphosa, 69, is fully vaccinated. The statement didnt say whether he had been infected with the omicron coronavirus variant.

Last week, Ramaphosa visited four West African countries. He and all members of his delegation were tested for COVID-19 in each of the countries during the trip. Some in the delegation tested positive in Nigeria and returned directly to South Africa. Throughout the rest of the trip, Ramaphosa and his delegation tested negative. Ramaphosa returned from Senegal on Dec. 8

Ramaphosa said his own infection serves as a caution to all people in South Africa to be vaccinated and remain vigilant against exposure, the statement said. Vaccination remains the best protection against severe illness and hospitalization, it said.

People in South Africa who have had contact with Ramaphosa on Sunday are advised to watch for symptoms or to have themselves tested, it said.

South Africa is currently battling a rapid resurgence driven by the omicron variant, health officials say.

The country recorded more than 18,000 new confirmed cases Sunday night. More than 70% of the cases are estimated to be from omicron, according to genetic sequencing surveys.

After a period of low transmission of about 200 new cases per day in early November, South Africa COVID-19 cases began rising dramatically. On Nov. 25, scientists in southern Africa confirmed the omicron variant, which has more than 50 mutations. Omicron appears to be highly transmissible and has quickly become dominant in the country. So far, the majority of cases have been relatively mild and the percentage of severe cases needing oxygen have been low, say doctors.

___

Follow APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP)  New Mexico public schools have not recovered from the 4% drop in enrollment during the coronavirus pandemic despite the return to in-person schooling.

The state had already seen enrollment decline around 1% following years of fewer births and an aging population. The closure of school doors last year accelerated the decline, as many families opted to homeschool instead of attending virtual schools.
A major test of any government is knowing when to act and when to hold your nerve.

Sadly, that is a test the Government has just failed.

By jumping to Plan B, and introducing a chaotic range of measures including mask-wearing, working from home and demands for vaccine certification, the Government is guilty of what can only be described as a knee-jerk reaction. One that may do enormous economic harm for little gain.

I am deeply sceptical that these restrictions are needed. And so are many other Tory MPs.

The record rebellion against the Government so far has been 55 MPs. It is very likely that number will be exceeded this week, leaving Boris depending on the Opposition to deliver his policy.

Only last week, the Health Secretary stood before the Commons and said that he would not trigger further restrictions unless we saw a rise in hospitalisations.

Yet we are not at that point! The overall number of Covid patients in hospital has steadily been declining since the start of November.

Omicron is very infectious, but so far it does not look very virulent. It is simply too soon to tell for sure.

David Davis: 'Plan B measures are chaotic, confused, and contradictory. Worse, in conjunction with the catastrophic loss of authority caused by Partygate, it is unlikely that many of the general population will obey. Which is in itself a tragedy'

It was always likely that the virus would mutate and that the new mutation would grow exponentially, just like all the others before them.

In short, last weeks response was nothing more than panic.

It is important to remember the progress we have made so far. The picture was bleak this time last year. The Kent variant was tearing through the population. Tier Four restrictions were only days away.

The vaccine programme  a huge gamble  had only just started and had a long way to go in protecting our population. But that was then. Today, things are radically different.

Some 89 per cent of the population over the age of 12 has now had a first vaccination. And 81 per cent have had a second.

YES, new data shows that two doses of the vaccine are less effective against the Omicron variant.

But early evidence shows that after a booster, the vaccines are likely to be just as good at preventing serious illness as they are against the Delta variant.

Thats why what we should be focusing on now is pressing on with the booster programme.

That campaign is well under way with more than 39 per cent now triple-vaccinated  including two-thirds of the over-65s.

Vaccines have proven to be effective, reliable, and accessible, but where is the evidence that vaccine passports work?

France introduced them in the summer and now has more Covid cases than it had at the March peak. Austria, Greece, and the German states that have used them are in the same position, with cases rocketing.

If passports worked, the picture in areas where they had been introduced would be markedly different from that here in England.

The vaccine passports announced last week are not merely ineffective, they are actively dangerous.

Vaccines are more than 90 per cent effective at preventing hospitalisation. But they are much less effective at preventing you from transmitting your infection to your neighbours, and what protection there is reduces over time  a key fact which is incredibly important to remember and is why the latest restrictions make no sense

This is because people who have been vaccinated think of themselves as safe, and behave accordingly  reinforced by the fact that most or all of the symptoms of Covid are likely to be suppressed.

Vaccines are more than 90 per cent effective at preventing hospitalisation. But they are much less effective at preventing you from transmitting your infection to your neighbours, and what protection there is reduces over time  a key fact which is incredibly important to remember and is why the latest restrictions make no sense.

And introducing vaccine passports will reinforce this false sense of security.

They will admit contagious individuals into noisy, packed and poorly ventilated venues and allow them to spread Covid.

How is that following the science? It is a Government-approved disaster waiting to happen.

Meanwhile, the Government is telling us that we ought to work from home, yet we are still being encouraged to attend Christmas parties and nativity plays.

Its nonsensical.

The newspapers are full of jokes about having to pretend to go to the office party in order to go to work.

Plan B measures are chaotic, confused, and contradictory. Worse, in conjunction with the catastrophic loss of authority caused by Partygate, it is unlikely that many of the general population will obey. Which is in itself a tragedy.

It was public common sense that allowed the confused, complex and badly administered lockdowns to work. Lose that common sense and that community spirit and you have lost control of the problem.

Instead of issuing ineffective diktats, we should focus our national efforts on meaningful remedies.

Since the earliest days of this pandemic, vaccines have been at the heart of our exit strategy  nothing has changed in this regard. Government data shows that in every age group the unvaccinated are hospitalised at an overwhelmingly higher rate.

Against Omicron, vaccines will continue to play a vital role. We must, therefore, use all the levers of government to supercharge our booster programme.

We are averaging 440,000 total doses a day. Yet during the pandemic, our daily average peaked at 602,000. Today, we need to be closer to one million shots per day.

That means boosting capacity, availability and the ease of access for hard-to-reach groups.

With each booster dose, we move closer to normality and further away from excessive restrictions. But alongside that, we must rapidly roll out new therapies.

For example, last month Pfizer announced the successful trial of a new treatment called Paxlovid.

The trial showed the drug to be roughly 90 per cent successful at stopping hospitalisation and death. This has the potential to revolutionise the fight against the virus in the way the vaccines did this time last year.

Since the earliest days of this pandemic, vaccines have been at the heart of our exit strategy  nothing has changed in this regard. Government data shows that in every age group the unvaccinated are hospitalised at an overwhelmingly higher rate

However, unlike vaccinations, these antiviral pills give a much better chance of avoiding the never-ending arms race against a mutating virus.

They are also easier to take and can be administered at home in the early stages of an infection. This will drastically ease pressure on an NHS that is already strained with backlogs and the inevitable winter surge we see each year.

Combined with our vaccination strategy, new therapies such as Paxlovid can help fight any rise in infections such as the one we are seeing at the moment.

Paxlovid looks to be at least 90 per cent effective.

Ten days ago I asked the Prime Minister what the Government was doing to do to rapidly secure supplies of this treatment.

While the answer given was positive  we have secured hundreds of thousands of courses of the drug  it is nothing like enough. Remember, the Prime Ministers own advisers are predicting a million infections by Christmas.

Why did we not learn the lessons from the vaccine programme and turbocharge the approval regime for these drug therapies?

In January, a raft of potential drug therapies was under consideration, and some of the Governments scientific advisers were advocating a fast development strategy and creation of drug manufacturing capacity such as that used for vaccines. This did not happen.

So the drug is still pending approval by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, which was praised for its bold and proactive and approach to vaccine approval.

Even if belatedly, the same must be done now with Paxlovid and similar treatments.

We simply cannot continue with the destructive cycle of lifting restrictions in the summer only to impose them again in winter.

Our economy cannot take any further beatings.

The Health Secretary has warned we may have more than one million Omicron cases by the end of the year.

Documents leaked from the Treasury in October suggest that the Plan B proposals would cause up to 18 billion worth of damage to the UK economy if in place for five months.

And research from the Institute of Economic Affairs backs up that cost, suggesting restrictions will cause a hit of 4 billion a month.

Our high streets, independent businesses and hospitality sector will be consigned to history with further damage.

As the Health Secretary has warned, we may have more than one million Omicron cases by the end of the year.

These new restrictions will do nothing to stop that.

We must learn to live with the virus  and that means throwing out these ill-thought out, damaging and confused policies.
The news that Northern Ireland voters would choose to stay in the UK  by a majority of 54 per cent to 46 per cent  excluding those undecided  is a welcome early Christmas gift for Unionists. In a similar survey two years ago, I found a wafer-thin margin for Ulster to join the Republic in a united Ireland.

As in Scotland, where support for independence has fallen, ideals of national identity are being edged aside by a renewed post-pandemic focus on practicalities such as public services and living costs.

Some doubt that Ireland would want to take on the North, given the current state of both economies and the extent to which Northern Ireland benefits from UK public spending.

Apart from the call of old loyalties and historical destiny, there are practical questions. What would the health service be like? Would you still get your old age pension?

The Northern Ireland Protocol was negotiated to avoid a hard border with Ireland, by effectively keeping Northern Ireland in the EUs single market for goods. Pictured: Violence broke out after a Loyalist protest, with youths attacking police officers and petrol-bombing a bus

Then theres the tenor of any border campaign, never mind the aftermath, whatever the result. All these things add up to a majority for the status quo at least for now.

But in Northern Ireland, politics is played for the long term, and with that in mind few are resting easy on the Unionist side. Most voters expect a referendum or border poll within the next decade, and while the majority believe the province would vote to remain tomorrow, only one in three think this would be the outcome in ten years time.

There are five main reasons for their pessimism. The first is simple demographics.

As one Catholic voter told us cheerfully and candidly in nationalist Strabane: We breed better than they do. They have big TVs; we have big families. More than seven in ten voters aged under 25 said they would vote for a united Ireland.

Second is Brexit. Most believe that leaving the EU was the wrong decision for Northern Ireland, and nearly nine in ten blame Brexit for shortages in their shops. More than one in five say Brexit has made them question their support for the province remaining part of the UK.

Third is the belief that the rest of the UK is indifferent to Northern Irelands place in the Union. Voters on all sides feel that their British compatriots regard them as an expensive nuisance, and that any talk of levelling up applies to the North of England, not to them.

Fireworks explode at police vehicles after being fired at police officers with a water cannon during clashes with nationalist youths

Nearly four in ten Unionists  not to mention two-thirds of nationalists  think that even if it cant say so, the Westminster Government would rather Ulster joined its southern neighbour. Boris Johnsons agreement to an Irish Sea border under the Northern Ireland Protocol only adds weight to this perennial suspicion.

Fourth is the understanding that as the Troubles become a more distant memory  and, for younger voters, not even that  traditional loyalties will count for less. In some ways, this is an answer to prayers. Were damaged goods from a time that was just awful, as one old Loyalist put it.

That generation has longed for their children to be able to grow up in a place where politics is not dominated by green and orange, Catholic and Protestant. But the more real this vision becomes, the less instinctive loyalty the Union might command  especially as the Republic looks to many like a more modern and liberal place than the North.

The final cause of Unionist gloom is their feeling that, in the political arena, they have simply been outclassed. None would want to turn the clock back on the peace process or the Good Friday Agreement.

But many believe that through a combination of patience, strategic discipline, reinvention, presentational genius and sheer persistence, the nationalists are on course to achieve their aim.

Maybe not in this decade, but within their lifetime or that of their children. Many on all sides expect Sinn Fein to become the largest party at Stormont after the Assembly elections next year.

The Unionist movement is in disarray. People on all sides watched with distaste at the way the party ousted Arlene Foster. Polls show support is half what it was three years ago.

Listening to past DUP voters in the Loyalist stronghold of Carrickfergus, their exasperation was palpable. For years, they said, they had put up with what they saw as the partys outdated stance on social issues as the price of defending the Union, yet the border between Ulster and Great Britain was drawn on its watch.

Many are turning to the hardline Traditional Unionist Voice and its leader Jim Allister  who may be just as socially conservative but at least he doesnt spout about it. The only reason many see for sticking with the DUP is to prevent a Sinn Fein First Minister next year.

But if the biggest pro-Union party has managed to make itself unattractive to many Loyalist voters, how much more is this so among younger generations for whom the Union is not the totemic issue it has been for their parents and grandparents?

Repelled by the DUPs stance on issues like gay marriage, they will increasingly look to parties and leaders who share their values, but not necessarily a commitment to Northern Irelands place in the UK.

For now, most Northern Ireland voters want to stay. The emerging generation may be persuaded that the UK offers them a better future than the alternative, but todays fractious and backward-looking Unionist parties are not exactly well placed to make the case.

Lord Ashcroft is an international businessman, philanthropist, author and pollster. For details about his work, visit lordashcroft.com or lordashcroftpolls.com. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook @LordAshcroft
There are at least two Boris Johnsons, two Prime Ministers, and they have very little in common.

The first version is the Lord of Misrule, the jolly, regulation-busting leader about whose misdemeanours we have read so much over recent days. This is the fundamental, original Boris, who wants everyone, especially himself, to have a rip-roaring time.

The second version, which has emerged since the outbreak of Covid, is the overbearing rule-maker, obedient to the diktats of scientists, ready to apply restriction after restriction  the man who only last week floated the profoundly unconservative idea of compulsory vaccination.

Perhaps such contradictions exist in many of us. We can be Cavaliers and Roundheads almost in the same breath. Certainly the Tory Party has at times put a high premium on personal liberty, while at other times extolling the rights of the state.

Boris Johnson addressed the public (pictured) to provide an update on the Covid-19 booster programme, at Downing Street on Sunday

Revelations

But the two opposing versions of Boris Johnson co-exist. He has imposed Covid rules which recent revelations suggest he was unwilling to obey at the end of last year by allowing parties in No 10, and possibly attending them.

Let me observe that yesterdays Sunday Mirror photograph  showing the PM presiding over an online quiz, flanked by two people in party garb  wasnt quite the knock-out blow the paper believes it is. There was no glass of wine in front of him. He was not personally at a party.

More damaging, to my mind, is the allegation that he mixed with guests in a restaurant in October last year, and lingered beyond the 10pm curfew, thereby infringing the regulations which then applied. Trivial, in a way, but people have been fined for less under laws introduced by this Government.

Anyway, it can scarcely be denied that Mr Johnson has not always followed the Covid rules he has promulgated. That is a very bad thing which is bound to make people wonder about his judgment, as well as his fitness for office.

Speaking for myself, though, I am more concerned about the other Boris, since his rule-making proclivities could inflict a great deal of damage on this country.

MPs will vote on the so-called Plan B tomorrow. Although there will be a rebellion of 50, 60 or even more Tory MPs, the Government is certain to get its way with the support of Labour. Somewhat undignified, but not the end of the world for the Prime Minister.

Yet already Plan C is being hinted at by Cabinet ministers such as Michael Gove, who is more coercive than even the authoritarian version of Boris. Plan C would necessitate Vaccine Passports for entrance to pubs and restaurants, among other restrictive measures.

Advised by scientific experts, and in ever-closer communion with the bossy First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, Mr Gove may be formulating Plan D and even Plan E. A ban on the mixing of households, followed by the grimness of lockdown, could lie ahead.

It can scarcely be denied that Mr Johnson has not always followed the Covid rules he has promulgated

Mr Johnsons announcement tonight that the booster roll-out will be significantly extended before the end of the year raises hopes that, for the time being at any rate, he is mounting a stand against repressive measures.

What is the rationale for the policies advocated by Mr Gove, as well as by alarmist epidemiologists with their speculative forecasts, which are accorded the status of Holy Writ by some in the media?

We were told yesterday by the Government that there have been some hospitalisations of people suffering from the Omicron variant, which is spreading like wildfire, but so far no deaths.

In South Africa, where Omicron first took root, the health minister has been upbeat about the variants severity: Preliminary data does suggest that while there is an increasing rate of hospitalisation . . . it looks like it is purely because of the numbers rather than as a result of any severity of the variant itself.

Maybe it will be different here, since South Africa has a younger population and many of them have already contracted Covid. However, it does seem possible that Omicron is less harmful than preceding variants of the virus, though apparently more easily transmitted.

Ive heard several epidemiologists argue that we need tougher rules in case Omicron turns out to be lethal. But such precautionary measures are bound to inflict enormous damage on the UK economy, besides driving some of us to madness.

Trades unions have lost no time in calling for financial assistance to mitigate the effects of Plan B. Yet the Government has already borrowed more than 400 billion to deal with the pandemic  money that will have to be paid back. Rishi Sunak will impoverish our grandchildrens grandchildren if he goes on another spending spree.

Mr Gove may be formulating Plan D and even Plan E. A ban on the mixing of households, followed by the grimness of lockdown, could lie ahead

Faith

There has to be a way other than resorting to the familiar repertoire of lockdown measures which offer only a temporary respite from the disease  while ruining the economy and shutting down society.

For isnt it likely, if not certain, that after Omicron there will be another variant, and after that a further one, and so on for the foreseeable future, perhaps for the rest of the lives of many of us?

The best way, of course, is for the Government to redouble its energies in offering booster jabs to the willing, while doing its utmost to persuade the hitherto unwilling that they should get vaccinated, for their own sake as well as for the good of society.

Instead of reaching for its usual array of repressive weapons, which, as I say, offer only short-term relief at a dreadful cost, the Government must put more faith in our collective common sense. It should stop nannying us and trust the people.

Pubs and restaurants and other venues should be allowed to decide which precautions they wish to request of their customers  and let customers work out whether or not they want to accept them.

Instead of reaching for its usual array of repressive weapons, which, as I say, offer only short-term relief at a dreadful cost, the Government must put more faith in our collective common sense. It should stop nannying us and trust the people

Risk

Let me offer a tiny example. Later this week, we are having a dinner party at home for six guests, including two doctors, all of whom have received a booster jab. My wife and I will each do a lateral flow test in the morning. So, I imagine, will the guests.

Some of them may still prefer not to come. That is their choice. We should be permitted, as far as possible, to live our lives according to our own assessment of risk. To go, or not go, to the pub is a decision which we, not the Government, should make.

Granted, some risks, such as travelling to work, are unavoidable. The way to deal with these is to wear a mask  I cant see any objection to that  and to get triple-vaccinated. Before Covid is vanquished, if it ever is, we are all going to need more boosters.

The Prime Ministers undertaking last night to speed up the booster programme suggests he may understand that Plan C isnt the solution to the new variant. For the time being, at least, he doesnt seem about to unleash another set of regulations.

Lets hope there is a third Boris Johnson  neither the irresponsible rule-breaker nor the authoritarian rule-maker, but a calm and measured leader who trusts the good sense of the people. Such a version of Boris could still save his prime ministership, and the country.
Most people avoid taking work home with them but zoo keeper Chad Staples lives for any spare moments he can spend with his beloved animals.

Not that the 42-year-old is ever far away from them, he lives at Mogo Wildlife Park in New South Wales, and shares a bedroom wall with a pride of boisterous lions.

'It is pretty special to be woken up in the night by a lion roaring in the room next door. You go from shocked, working out what has woken you up, to smiling ear to ear every time,' the father-of-four told FEMAIL.

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Chad Staples (pictured) with his 'adopted daughter' Maji who he hand raised from birth after the death of her mother

Chad says his kids love the dingo puppies and always ask if he can take them to school for show and tell

Chad, who is the director of Mogo Wildlife Park, Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park and the Hunter Valley Wildlife Park said he has always loved animals but didn't realise he could have a job revolving around them until he left school.

When he was 17 he was lucky enough to be given a chance to work as a keeper at Featherdale animal park.

'I had a few jobs before this one and I just didn't like them,' he said, explaining he even started a chef apprenticeship before joining the park.

'I don't regret those other jobs, the cooking skills I picked up were especially useful when I was doing animal meal prep,' he said.

He has now been working with the company for 25 years, a job which has given him the opportunity to watch different animals take their first steps and even hand raise a few at home.

Chad started at the bottom, cleaning enclosures and working as a keeper before becoming an educator and then being promoted to director, he is now the director of three parks and is looking to add more to his portfolio.

Chad is now the director of three zoos - a job which means he can throw time behind putting the animals on social media

The zoo keeper loves posing with his friends and says he could rub heads with Maji all day

How does Mogo Wildlife Park focus on conservation? Mogo wildlife park was developed in the late 1980s. It opened to the public in 1989. Mogo Wildlife Park supports a large collection of endangered and exotic animal species with an aim of education and conservation. The park hopes people who visit will take home a new respect for the animals and do what they can to ensure their habitats are not destroyed. They also run a breeding program which will allow them to help repopulate areas of the wild if needed. Advertisement

This role means he can focus more on the jobs he loves - like showing people at home behind-the-scenes moments and being present for births.

'That's not to say I don't help feed animals or clean enclosures but it happens a lot less now,' he said.

He is also in a position where he can adopt babies who have been rejected by their mothers or whose mothers have died.

His most recent 'adoptee', a lioness called Maji, will soon celebrate her first birthday. Chad is 'the only mum' she has ever known after hers died giving birth.

'My youngest daughter tells everyone Maji is her little sister,' he laughed, explaining the animals are adopted by the whole family.

Chad says the longer he spends with the animals the more he loves it and notices the special gifts they give him

Chad has four 'human children' who consider the lion cub their little sister - here she is before she grew into her 'big cat' title

He said the cute moments with his animal friends never get old - and he has a blessed life

'For the first six months of her life we barely spent one moment apart,' he said.

'She has been hand raised from birth, it is amazing ho something born from tragedy can be so life changing,' he said.

Chad's posted videos of Maji on social media - she is now well on her way to being a big cat, weighing in at 80kg and struggling with the idea that Chad can no longer keep up.

'I am going to cry when we can't have these moments anymore,' he said alongside a video of her licking his head - a giant paw over his face.

Chad started at Featherdale Wildlife Park - which gave him a huge appreciation for native animals - like this tree kangaroo

He is pictured here with a Quokka, a small animal native to Western Australia and the most famous residents of Rottnest Island near Perth

He also spoke about a koala called Archer who was rejected by his experienced mother.

Seven years on the koala will still climb down his tree for a cuddle and 'prefers to be carried around the park by Chad than to sit in his tree'.

'He just wants to be held by me,' he said of the koala - who is known to bite some of the other keepers.

The recent birth of giraffe, Matope, has also touched the animal lover who says the longer he works in the industry the more special the moments become.

'I recognise how rare and special these things are now, and I notice the little moments,' he explained.

Chad has a home at each of the wildlife parks so he can be 'wherever he is most needed' but spends most of his time at Mogo at the moment

Chad said this loving greeting for a day-old giraffe who decided he was a safe person to say hello too almost made him cry

Chad hanging out with some of his ape friends at one of the wildlife parks where he serves as director

When giraffes are born they are quickly mobile and very inquisitive - as it takes a few days for their mothers to teach them they are a prey item and to to be cautious.

'I was checking in on her mum the day after she was born and Matope came over to me, she was born as tall as me, and just started kissing my head.

'It's like she is saying 'Mum says you are okay'. I am so lucky to have the opportunity for these experiences - to be kissed by a one day old giraffe.

'After more than 20 years doing this these are the moments that make me want to fall to pieces and cry,' he said.

Pictured here with Maji - who is now 80kilos but still thinks she is the right size for Chad's lap

He says the young lioness gives the best hugs and doesn't understand she is quickly outgrowing him as a playmate

But there are also a great-many sad moments when you work with animals as well.

'Most of the animals we have here have a shorter life span than us - so we watch them come into the world and we watch them die.

'Saying goodbye can be hard.'

Chad, who considers himself a private person, became the poster-boy for animal conservation in 2019 when fires threatened the east coast of Australia.

He famously protected the Mogo park earning him the respect of many, since then he has kept in the spotlight by showing off the beautiful moments he has with animals every day.

Chad has worked with animals for 25 years after he was given a chance as a junior keeper at 17

Chad revealed apes are some of his favourite animals - alongside big cats, Australian natives and birds

'These are the day to day things guests don't get to see, births, beautiful behind the scenes moments.

'Not everyone can get to Africa in their lifetime, or travel to South America to see these animals in the wild,' he said.

Also explaining his love for conservation, claiming the more people see these animals and understand them the more likely they will change their lifestyle to help support the wild.

Chad, who doesn't have his kids at the zoo full time, says his job requires his attention every day of the year.

Chad had to look after dozens of animals at home when his park was threatened by fire

Giraffes are seen stranded in an open field as bushfire moves in on Mogo Zoo  as an army of 15 brave zookeepers stand guard with hoses and sprinklers to save the animals (pictured)

The downside to it is that he can't focus as much attention on other areas of his life - and struggles to go on holidays.

But he says the trade off is worth it.

'My kids are going to realise what an incredible childhood they have had, growing up in a zoo with all of these animals,' he said.

You can follow Chad and his animal friends on Instagram.
From a Halloween costume to a stuffed gecko, people from around the world have shared their most creative crochet designs.

Crochet, the process of creating textiles by using a crochet hook to interlock loops of yarn, thread, or strands of other materials, is an exceedingly creative handicraft that allows practisers to produce clothing, ornaments and toys.

Creators from around the world shared their knitted creations on social media, with the very best examples collated in a gallery by Bored Panda.

Among the examples is an American woman who fashioned a hat shaped like an entire blueberry pie. Another knitter created a whole science set.

Here, FEMAIL shares some of the best examples...

This illusion rug is the epitome of a brain puzzler, but it would be guaranteed to put a smile on the face of anyone who thought crochet was boring

You'd be forgiven for thinking the US owner of this pet leopard gecko was indeed a pet owner and not a very talented crochet artist, as is the case

Now that's showbiz baby! The Nightmare Before Christmas has created a cult following and this US creator certainly stepped up to the mark with this Jack Skellington costume

Who in their right mind would say they don't enjoy the subject chemistry with this adorable crochet set from the US on the loose?

This 11 foot dragon created by US TikTok creator @mythsnmonsterswasn't intended to be as huge as it was, but sometime there's no limit on creativity

This bright and beautiful elephant is a vibrant addition to any wall

If your plants are missing a little exotic friend to keep them company, simply crochet oneit's much quieter than the real life version

This US crochet artist decided that thanksgiving hadn't quite had enough pies, so she made one for her head

What do you do if you keep misplacing your earrings? You make a little toadstool to keep them on, or so this UK creator thought

This US artist knew that woolly hats are one thing, and Christmas hat are another, but woolly Christmas hats with festive lights are the only thing we should be wearing this winter

What could possibly get you extra marks for a university thesis? One Us student went the extra mile with crocheted Microglia And Neurons

In another spectacular lizard creation the same US crochet artist proves once again it's impossible to tell between scaly skin and wool
A waitress in America said she was fired after accepting half of a $6,158 tip from a group of guests she and another server had been waiting on.

Ryan Brandt from Arkansas told KNWA she and another waitress had been serving a party of more than 40 people who all chipped in a generous $100 each to tip the two servers.

Ms Brandt, who is from America, said the restaurant asked her to share the tip with her co-workers - meaning she would only be taking home a small percentage of the gift rather than half.

American waitress, Ryan Brandt said she was fired after accepting a large tip from a guest she had been serving

'I was told that I was going to be giving my cash over to my shift manager, and I would be taking home 20%,' she said.

In her three and a half years working for Oven and Tap, she said she had never been asked to pool her tips with her colleagues.

Grant Wise who was part of the group Ms Brandt was serving told KNWA that the party's tip was not intended for the restaurant staff who did not wait on them.

He asked for a full refund on the tip when he found the two servers would have to give most of their money away and gave Ms Brandt the cash later outside.

A 40-person party left a $4,400 tip to be split between Brandt and the other waitresses that had been serving the group however management wanted it split between all staff

After the incident, the waitress said the restaurant fired her, leaving her cash strapped and unable to pay her bills.

'It was devastating, I borrowed a significant amount for student loans. Most of them were turned off because of the pandemic but theyre turning back on in January and thats a harsh reality,' she said.

She said management let her go because she violated the restaurant's policy by telling Mr Wise she would have to pool her tips with the rest of the staff.

Brandt said the restaurant, Oven and Tap, fired her for disclosing information to the guest about splitting the tip with her co-workers

According to KNWA, Oven and Tap declined to confirm whether this was the reason for Ms Brandt's dismissal and offered a small statement saying they had honoured the guests' request to split the gratuity between the two waitresses.

Oven and Tap owners Mollie Mullis and Luke Wetzel later released a statement denying Brandt was terminated because she chose to keep the cash from Mr Wise and his party and that the other servers involved with the group are still members of the team.

Mr Wise has now started a online fundraising campaign to help Brand with her expenses.
They have long been a staple of womenswear during the festive party season; but sequins could soon be resigned to the fashion archives.

Boden, the reassuringly middle class brand that Kate Middleton is an enduring fan of, has ditched the sparkly plastic adornments in its latest range of partywear - and other fashion companies look set to follow suit.

The company, founded by Johnnie Boden in 1991, this week revealed it would no longer use sequins because of fears that the petroleum-based plastic discs could end up polluting the world's oceans.

The fashion industry continues to seek out sustainable fashion - and plant-based, biodegradable sequins could be used as an alternative in the future.

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Boden, the brand founded by Johnnie Boden in 1991 has ditched sequins from its party season collections this year, saying the decision was made 'to keep our oceans happy' Pictured: A fit and flare dress by Boden in bronze lurex

The brand, which is a favourite with the middle classes, will look to luxe fabrics including velour and chiffon and embroidery using glittering yarns to inject glamour (Pictured: a halterneck velvet jumpsuit)

Sequins are tiny, sparkly discs of petroleum-based plastic - and it's feared many find their way into the world's oceans (Pictured: an embroidered dress from Boden's partywear collection

The brand told The Sunday Times that the decision was made 'to keep our oceans happy', fearing that production could see some of the tiny, shiny discs finding their way into the oceans and rivers.

Boden has vowed to find other ways to inject glamour into his partywear range, with decadent fabrics including lurex and chiffon featuring instead this season, alongside embroidery using glittering yarns.

Dresses and jumpsuits from the partywear range typically retail at around 130.

Scientists have been working on alternative ways to come up with less toxic alternatives to the plastic fashion detail, which have been popular since the 1920s, when Flappers would wear them on tiered, tassled dresses.

Science News reported last month that a plant-based sequin made from cellulose - which breaks down more easily than plastic - could provide shimmering colour without the environmental consequences.

Kate Middleton has long been a fan of the company, wearing a Boden dress on the family's 2019 official Christmas card

The upmarket brand was founded by Johnnie Boden in 1991 and is the first major high street retailer to make a stand against using sequins

Kate Middleton remains a fan of sequins; the Duchess of Cambridge wore a sequinned gown by Jenny Packham at the No Time To Die premiere at the Royal Albert Hall on September 28

Silvia Vignolini of the University of Cambridge told the science publication that the glittering berries of the African plant, Pollia condensata, could help make fashion more eco-friendly.

The chemist said early research shows the plant's glitter could be replicated for fashion purposes, with Vignolini saying: 'I thought, if the plants can make it, we should be able to make it'.

Boden was founded in Johnnie Boden's kitchen in 1991, amid scepticism that an Old Etonian former City banker could ever succeed in the world of fashion, just eight menswear items were initially made.

But soon Boden took on womenswear and childrenswear - and the brand's popularity with middle class mums soared. Its success has made it across the Pond too; a third of sales are made in the US.
British author Richard Osman has said over 70s are often no longer seen as relevant to modern culture, as society focuses on the young.

The Pointless star, 51, who has penned two books about pensioners playing detectives, said he was 'proud' that his novels put the spotlight on the elderly.

The Thursday Murder Club and its sequel The Man Who Died Twice follow four pensioners living in a retirement home using their time to solve crimes. His debut was a huge success, with Steven Spielberg snapping up the rights to the film.

Osman, who's dating actress Ingrid Oliver, told BBC Radio 2 yesterday he feels that 'clever, brilliant' people over 70 are being ignored and underestimated by the rest of the population.

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West London-based author and presenter Richard Osman, 71, has claimed over 70s are being erased from modern culture and that no one is asking for their opinion anymore (pictured on ITV's Good Morning Britain in June 2018)

The TV brainbox said the fact the elderly are often sidelined makes them perfect detective material.

'As soon as you put those things together you think these people are so smart, know every trick in the book, have played every trick in the book, but they're underestimated,' he said.

'You think: who better to be a detective?'

The author said over 70s are enjoying their lives but have been forgotten by others, and are not asked their opinion and are not being represented on TV.

Osman, who's brother Matt was in the Britpop band Suede, said he was 'proud' of his book, which was inspired by spending time with his mother, Brenda Wright, and her friends from her retirement home.

'And they're so brilliant to write about because anyone over 70 has such a great attitude to the world,' he said.

'You've got a bit of perspective, and you know a little bit about the world,' he added.

Richard's two novels, the Thursday Murder Club and The Man Who Died Twice have been commercial success and focus on a group of four pensioners playing detective

Osman, who has enjoyed huge commercial success with his debut book, said he was the most proud of the success his books have enjoyed because they feature the elderly as the main protagonists.

In the book, pensioners Elizabeth, Ibrahim, Ron and Joyce all meet in the jjgsaw room of their retirement community each Thursday to go over old crimes and unresolved murders.

In September, Osman mother's admitted she had been 'worried' about her son's book because she did not want it to offend her friends at the retirement company.

She was so worried she even skimmed through her own copy of the book to make sure nothing would rub her friends the wrong way.

'I got to the end and I thought theres nothing in there that could upset anybody, because weve got some quite touchy people [here].

Osman, pictured in September, said he was inspired to write the novels after spending time with her mother and her friends from the retirement home

'I read it through and I thought, Oh, I like this.

Then I thought Im going to let as many people as I know, know whats coming, because I think if you know whats coming, sometimes you cope with it better,' she told the Times.

Her friends at the home tried to make out who was who as well.

'Everyone says that he was thinking of so and so, and I say: "Well, he doesnt actually know so and so." They are all wrong,' Brenda said.

In November, the BBC favourite revealed that his childhood was shattered when his father walked out on his family for another woman when he was nine.

The TV quiz show host states in a new book that his paternal grandmother then ceased all contact and never sent him so much as a Christmas card.

Osman revealed his family's split in the book, Letter to My Younger Self, which features interviews with 100 'inspiring people on the moments that shaped their lives' and is published in aid of the Big Issue.

Book thief: His debut novel, The Thursday Murder Club, has sold more than a million copies and Steven Spielberg has bought film rights

Couple goals: On a recent episode of Richard Osmans (left) House Of Games, celebrity contestant Ingrid Oliver (right) won a suitcase emblazoned with the hosts silhouette

His aunt Mabel Osman, 90, has denied the claims, saying it was his mother who cut ties with his father's side of the family.

In his interview with Jane Graham who devised and edited the book, the 6ft 4ins tall comedian said: 'I find it hard when I'm looking back at my childhood to have my dad in it in any form [his father left the family home suddenly when Richard was nine].

'Maybe he's sort of there in my head, I suppose, but he's definitely not in my heart.

'I remember very clearly when I was nine, and my world was a fairly great place, and I walked into the front room  he was there, my mum was there, my grandmother was there, which was weird, though of course I realised later that was for moral support  and they just said, 'Look, your dad is in love with somebody else and he's leaving.'

'I just thought, 'Riiight, okay.' And he left and his entire side of the family never spoke to us again.'

Osman said he met up again with his father and his paternal relatives a few years ago when he attended the 50th wedding anniversary of one of his dad's brothers.

But he risked upsetting his father's relatives in his interview for the book by describing the party as 'cold', and saying that the Osmans were the opposite of the 'loving and open' relatives from his mother's family, the Wrights.

Osman said: 'A few years ago, I went to see my dad. It was one of his brothers' 50th wedding anniversary so I thought, "I'm going to take the kids, they should really meet the rest of this family".

'But it was so cold. There were lots of them standing around, talking about what an extraordinary woman my paternal grandmother was.

'And they said to me, "What did you make of her?" I said, "Honestly, she literally never spoke to me after my dad left, never sent me a Christmas card."

'So that's not really a conversation they're going to join in on. Some families are just like that.

'The other side of my family fortunately, my mum's side, are completely the opposite. Loving and open. So, I did all right.'

But Mabel hit back at Osman's recollection, saying: 'The only one of David's brothers who had a 50th wedding anniversary would have been Richard's uncle John.
A Turner painting which was thought to be fake for over a century has been re-attributed to the painter - and fetched 1million at an auction last week.

The oil painting of Cilgerran Castle in Wales, which is a second version of another painting of the same view by J. M. W Turner, has perplexed art experts for more than 100 years over whether it was real or fake.

Art scholars have been debating the legitimacy of the painting ever since it was exhibited at the Guildhall in 1899.

It was eventually agreed that the painting was likely created at the start of Turner's career, but had alterations that were more reminiscent of the later years of his life.

Thanks to years of research and modern technology, experts were able to conclude that Turner altered the painting himself, the Telegraph reported.

An oil painting of Cilgerran Castle in Wales by J. W. W. Turner, pictured, which was thought to be a fake for over a century, has been re-attributed to the master - and it sold for 1million at a Sotheby's auction this week

And the work has now been sold for 1 million at an Old Masters evening auction at Sothebys.

It took three years to verify the authenticity of the painting, Julian Gascoigne, Sothebys senior specialist of British paintings said.

The auction house first valuated the painting for its former owner, and it was decided by the team the work required further examination, and that it should be compared to the original to help confirm it was authentic.

Ian Warrell, a Turner expert, inspected both paintings at Cragside, and concluded they were likely created 'by the same hand'.

Turner, pictured in a drawing from 1867, bought the painting via proxy, modified it and sold it again

Mr Gascoigne said: 'The final piece of the jigsaw puzzlewas that this picture was re-purchased in 1827 from Sir John Fleming Leicester, an incredibly important collector who had bought the picture years earlier, by Turner himself.

At the time of the purchase, Turner was re-purchasing some of his work with the idea of donating them to the state.

Turner had used an agent to buy back the work, which resulted in the name in the catalogue being different.

Warrell discovered a press report from the time revealing it was Turner who had bought the painting by proxy in 1827.

Gascoigne revealed that Turner, who was at a later stage of his life at the time he b ought the painting back, set out to rectify aspects of it he was not satisfied with.

After making the alteration, Turner sold it to his patron, Hugh Andrew Johnstone, Munro of Novar.

In order to assert the authenticity of the painting, the Sotheby's team used a specialised X-ray fluorescence machine in order to map its elements and components of its paint.

The painting, pictured, was bought back by Turner later in his life and he set out to rectify the aspects of his earlier work he was not satisfied with

They cross-referenced the information with their research and were able to confirm the painting was all from Turner.

Progress in technology has helped expert uncover the hidden stories of some of the most revered painters.

In October, hidden Picasso painting of a naked, crouching woman that lies underneath one of his other works was reconstructed by scientists using artificial intelligence and three-dimensional printing.

The team from University College London (UCL) said that their one-off replica of 'The Lonesome Crouching Nude' would ensure the work was no longer 'erased from history'.

Experts believe that Picasso painted over the work with some reluctance in order to reuse the expensive canvas at a time, early in his career, when he was relatively poor.

The original was first revealed under Picasso's late 1903 work 'The Blind Man's Meal'  a restatement of the Christian sacrament  by X-ray fluorescence scans in 2010.

Its discovery ended a long search for the lost work  which was known from its depiction in the background of 'La Vie', a contemporary oil painting by Picasso.

All three works come from the artist's 'Blue Period' of 19011904, which were all monochromatic and inspired in part by the suicide of his friend Carles Casagemas, as well as by Picasso's travels through Spain.

'The Blind Man's Meal'  and the earlier work it conceals  is presently held in the collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

This is not the first lost work recreated by the researchers. They previously replicated a portrait of woman hidden under Amedeo Modiglianis 1917 'Portrait of a Girl'.
When Pauline Paterson found herself racing against the clock at 6pm to pick up her toddler from nursery for the zillionth time  dashing through crowds of London commuters, praying the suburban trains wouldnt be delayed  she knew she was reaching the end of her tether.

I was dropping her off at 7.30am and then everything had to go like clockwork or it all fell apart. There had to be a less stressful way to make a living and be a mum.

So began her side-hustle Dr.PawPaw, back then a venture with a single product: a funky-coloured tube of soothing skin balm made using papaya extract.

Eight years later, Pauline is the hugely inspiring boss of a 5.5 million business  and this years winner of Inspires Aphrodite Award, sponsored by the Daily Mail, part of the prestigious Everywoman Awards for the UKs top female entrepreneurs.

Pauline Paterson, 43, (pictured) received Inspire's Aphrodite Award at a ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in central London last week

At a ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in central London last week, she received her trophy to applause from an audience of leading businesswomen in ever-more diverse fields  from distillery owners to womens health entrepreneurs, from body-positive activists to tech- industry innovators.

I was genuinely shocked to win, she says now. The calibre of women on the Aphrodite shortlist and in that room as a whole was extraordinarily high.

There was such a lovely vibe there, too, all these women supporting each other at the end of whats been another pretty tough year for everyone. I feel really proud to be part of it.

In fact, it was the toddler waiting for her at nursery  Jasmine, aged two when Dr.PawPaw launched in 2013  who inspired the brand. At the age of nine months, shed developed chronic eczema on her arms and legs.

We tried every over-the-counter cream to heal it, but nothing worked. The GP suggested steroids, but we wanted to keep it as natural as possible.

Pauline spent her childhood in Australia, where beauty balms quite routinely contain papaya, and as a last resort she tried one on Jasmine.

Instantly, the inflammation began to calm. Finding a source of papaya-based cream here proved impossible, however, and no one in Australia wanted her to import their product to the UK. So she started making it herself.

It was the move of a natural entrepreneur and yet Pauline is a hairdresser by training and has no formal education in business.

Now 43, she came to the UK at the age of 21 when she won an Australian hairdressing competition with a trip to London as the top prize.

Pauline (pictured) said Dr.PawPaw was started with 20,000  ten from her savings and ten from two friends

I asked them for an open ticket hoping to prolong the visit, and ended up staying for good, she laughs. A few years later, she met British husband Johnny, 40, who was then in marketing but now works for Dr.PawPaw.

The first key to entrepreneurialism is believing in yourself, she says. Self-doubt is honestly the biggest obstacle women face.

But the second biggest challenge is money. We started with 20,000  ten from our savings and ten from two friends  and I didnt give up my job in haircare [at the Wella Academy in central London] at first because I couldnt afford to. I had a family; I couldnt lose the house!

Having said that, I do really believe you can teach yourself any and every skill you need. You definitely need resilience to keep going, but with that and plenty of research, anything is possible.

I breastfed while learning about intellectual property law

Baby Jackson followed Jasmine in 2013, just months after the business launched.

Id be breastfeeding him while on the laptop learning about intellectual property law, she says.

Filing the relevant documents herself saved the fledgling business 30,000 in fees. I worked whenever he napped and whenever both kids were in bed at night. I still do.

Of course I was tired, but at least I wasnt doing that crazy commute or having to ring Johnny in a panic and tell him to walk out of whatever meeting he was in because I was stuck. It was definitely less stressful.

As a pure novice  and, depressingly, as a woman  she encountered her fair share of prejudice as she entered the world of business. Turned down for a bank loan, and even an overdraft, she was often dismissed as the face of Dr.PawPaw rather than its owner.

Pauline (pictured) admits that she hadn't expected her brand to take off so quickly - today there are 36 products, from lip masks to hand creams to tinted balms

Yet her tenacity proved the doubters wrong, and when Harvey Nichols said yes to her (self-taught) pitch, she supplied them with 5,000 tubes of her original multi-purpose balm, and watched them fly off the shelves.

I really hadnt expected it to take off so quickly, she says. But after that we could really start to ramp up. Today there are 36 products, from lip masks to hand creams to tinted balms in their colourful little tubes, stocked in Boots, Superdrug, Sainsburys and Waitrose, the majority priced at less than 4.

With a celebrity following including Victoria Beckham, Emma Watson and Elle Macpherson, Paulines products are also now found on the shelves of huge U.S. cosmetics chain Ulta Beauty, which has 1,200 outlets across the States. Overall shes stocked in 30 countries.

All these women supporting each other, Im proud to be part of it

Next year the brand promises a big launch of new products and a further push into the U.S. market. This year, however, has been hard, with Covid still causing havoc.

We havent made the targets we had for 2021 because were still operating in a world thats very far from normal, admits Pauline.

Shipping costs have spiralled, she says, especially to China and the U.S. Ive spent long hours learning about global logistics this year, which Id really rather not have done.

If anything good has come out of Covid, its the emergence of a new kind of self-care. I think women have really started to understand the value of taking time out for themselves, even if its just a long bath or putting a nice face mask on or reading a book.

The pre-Covid merry-go-round was very hard for working mums to get off, she says  and when women did, they often felt guilty.

Pauline said her favourite moment at the Everywoman Awards last week was when other women approached her to tell her how much they loved her products

Now I think we talk more about the importance of mental health and prioritising a balanced life. When you feel good, you project that feeling.

You make better decisions, have more confidence and, in the end, your work is more effective. By contrast, when youre low, youre much more likely to fall for bad advice and to not think clearly.

She adds: A nice body lotion or a new lipstick can have all these knock-on effects. The idea of wellness or self-care can seem trivial, but it really isnt.

Her favourite moment at the Everywoman Awards last week wasnt on stage as she was handed her prize, but afterwards when other women approached her to tell her how much they loved her products.

Best of all was one who said her son had eczema and ours was the only balm that soothed it. That really made me smile.
Her love of jewellery is no secret, whether it be a statement necklace, her favourite diamond drop earrings or a borrowed royal heirloom.

So it is no surprise that the Duchess of Cambridge's mother was seen doing a spot of Christmas shopping in the royal's favourite jewellers, Cassandra Goad in London's exclusive Sloane Street.

Carole Middleton, 66, spent some time on Friday examining some of the designer's necklaces which can range from 100 to over 33,000.

The duchess has long been a fan of the British luxury jeweller known for her innovative designs and has frequently been spotted wearing some pieces at key royal events.

Carole Middleton, 66, goes Christmas shopping for jewellery at her daughters favourite upmarket earring and necklace designer Cassandra Goad

It is no surprise that the Duchess of Cambridge's mother was seen doing a spot of Christmas shopping in the royal's favourite jewellers

Kate frequently wears the Temple of Heaven girandole pendant yellow gold earrings by the designer, which cost 1,320

Kate wore the stunning 4,360 Cavolfiore pearl stud earrings at Prince Louis's christening in 2018.

She also frequently wears another pair by the designer, the Temple of Heaven girandole pendant yellow gold earrings, which cost 1,320.

The duchess wore the statement earrings as early as 2012 at a reception to launch the Imperial War Museum Foundation's First World War Galleries.

Kate wore the stunning 4,360 Cavolfiore pearl stud earrings at Prince Louis's christening in 2018 (pictured)

Kate wearing the Temple of Heaven girandole pendant yellow gold earrings at a Dramatic Arts Reception at Buckingham Palace

And she chose them again in 2014 at a reception at Buckingham Palace and in 2017 for an event at the Natural History Museum.

Mrs Middleton also has some treats in store to make her grandchildren 'laugh' this Christmas with some novelty Nordic gnomes.

Sharing an image of the decorations on the Instagram account for her business Party Pieces, she wrote: 'I'm going to need a few more of these cheeky chaps this December to hide around the house and make my grandchildren laugh.

'As much as I love immaculate decorations, we can't be too serious at Christmas.'
A rapid test that can spot deadly drug-resistant superbugs in just 30 minutes is set to be offered to hospital patients across the country, potentially saving thousands of lives in the years ahead.

Experts have become increasingly alarmed about the spread of infections that dont respond to antibiotics on hospital wards and kill thousands every year.

The bugs can spread prolifically among patients, many admitted for minor problems such as urinary tract infections.

Until now, doctors would use tests that took at least 48 hours to return a result, by which time it was often too late to isolate the patient in order to stop the spread of the infection.

The test has been developed by scientists at Imperial College London, pictured, and can spot if an infection is resistant to powerful antibiotics almost immediately

But the new test, developed by scientists at Imperial College London, can almost instantly spot if an infection is resistant to one of the most powerful antibiotics. And crucially, it seeks out genetic clues within the bacteria that indicate how likely it is to spread.

Dr Gerald Larrouy-Maumus, molecular biologist at Imperial College London and creator of the rapid test, said: These infections could be a much bigger threat than Covid if we dont take action to address the problem early enough. Tests like these will become routine in UK hospitals in the next few years.

Antibiotics have been used as effective tools to fight infection for nearly 100 years. But in the past two decades concern has grown over the increasing number of bacteria that are becoming resistant to their effect.

Experts blame the problem on doctors overuse of the drugs, as repeated exposure to the medication helps the bug learn to evade its effect.

In England, more than 5,000 deaths a year are caused by antibiotics no longer working. Worldwide, the figure is thought to be at least 700,000. And according to the World Health Organisation, this figure could reach as many as ten million by 2050 as infections become ever more resistant.

A campaign launched in 2018 called Keep Antibiotics Working warned that if people kept using antibiotics for common conditions such as coughs, flu, or throat, ear or chest infections, standard NHS procedures including hip replacements and caesareans could become life-threatening due to drug-resistant bugs spreading within hospitals.

But the number of infections has continued to rise, and in 2019, The UK Health Security Agency (formerly Public Health England) reported more than 65,000 cases  the highest figure since records began.

Without effective treatment, commonplace conditions such as urinary tract infections, usually caused by a bacteria called E.coli, can lead to serious, deadly illnesses like pneumonia and sepsis. And if a patient in hospital is infected, the bug can easily spread to other vulnerable patients.

Detecting super bugs in hospitals can take up to 48 hours, by which time a patient's condition can deteriorate markedly while the bacteria could spread to other vulnerable people on the ward

Currently, hospitals try to control this by asking all patients with a suspected bacterial infection for a urine sample on arrival, which is sent for analysis.

But this can take up to 48 hours to process because the samples have to be sent to an off-site laboratory. In the meantime, patients will be mixing in communal areas, potentially passing on the infection.

Dr Gerald Larrouy-Maumus, molecular biologist at Imperial College London and creator of the rapid test, said: These infections could be a much bigger threat than Covid if we dont take action to address the problem early enough. Tests like these will become routine in UK hospitals in the next few years

The new test will be given to the same patient group, with the results analysed by hospital staff, for a speedy response. The tool tells doctors whether the infection is resistant to colistin, a so-called antibiotic of last resort, because it is reserved for when others fail. The test can also identify DNA molecules in the infection that suggest it may be highly infectious, and likely to spread.

If an infection is found to be resistant to colistin and is highly infectious, those with it will be isolated from other patients immediately.

The speed of the test also benefits the patient as doctors can start them on the right medication sooner, increasing their chances of survival.

According to NHS data, the number of patients resistant to colistin rose seven-fold between 2016 and 2020.

Dr Larrouy-Maumus says: We have other drug options after colistin but these can often lead to complications, such as kidney damage, so we reserve them for the very worst affected patients. If these dont work, then theres very little we can do.

Professor Anne Dell, head of Imperials Department of Life Sciences, said of the technology: It promises to play an important role in addressing antibiotic resistance and ultimately in saving lives.
Our food critic picks the books that will endure long after the latest fads have fizzled and died

Any new book by the great Claudia Roden is cause for greedy celebration, and her latest, Med: A Cookbook, is no exception. I love her writing, her wisdom and her warmth. The recipes here are not only united by this great sea, but by a sense of purity, simplicity and the fundamental joy of food. (Ebury, 28)

Nigel Slater is another rare writer where the beauty of his prose is perfectly matched to the warmth of his recipes. A Cooks Book is billed as the essential Nigel Slater. With recipes like A cure for a cold, a hangover, everything really, as well as sections on crumbles and the roast potato, this is him at his most beguiling. (HarperCollins, 30)

You can always rely on Rachel Roddy and her deep knowledge of Italian food. An A-Z of Pasta is perhaps her best yet (and thats saying something), as much work of reference as cookbook, filled with Stories, shapes, sauces, recipes. Writing to savour, recipes to delight. (Penguin, 25)

Maxs Picnic Book by Max Halley and Ben Benton is no normal outdoor eating tome, rather an inspired and rather brilliant collection of picnic menus inspired by the likes of Hunter S Thompson, Genghis Khan and Amy Winehouse. The recipes are good too. A stone-cold (and sometimes hot) al fresco classic. (Hardie Grant, 16.99)

British artisan cheese had a tough time during the pandemic. So what better way to celebrate this great art than A Cheesemongers Compendium of British and Irish Cheese, written by Ned Palmer? Beautifully illustrated by Claire Littlejohn, its a modern cheese classic. (Profile, 14.99)

I love the cooking of Virgilio Martinez  who is one of Perus finest chefs  and The Latin American Cookbook covers well-known cuisines, as well as those smaller countries, often overlooked. It is fascinating, exhaustive and quietly essential. (Phaidon, 35)

Similarly evocative to Mandy Yins Sambal Shiok (see below) is Vina Patels From Gujarat With Love, a paean to the vegetarian cuisine of this western Indian state. It is the sort of vibrant, joyous book that you will return to again and again. (Pavilion, 20)

Tim Andersons latest book, Your Home Izakaya, is a tribute to that Japanese institution the izakaya, a mix between tapas bar and pub. Flavours often (but not always) tend towards the robust, salty and spicy. Anderson deftly captures the essence of the izakayas laid-back, anything goes charm. (Hardie Grant, 25)

Ciudad de Mexico is Edson Diaz-Fuentess love letter to his native Mexico City, one of the greatest eating places on earth. He takes us through a typical day, from chilaquiles verdes and breakfast huevos divorciados to late-night pibil ribs. It pulses with the greedy, glorious, intoxicating charm of this magnificent metropolis. (Hardie Grant, 26)

Sambal Shiok was by no means Londons first Malaysian restaurant (obviously!), but its certainly one of its best. Mandy Yin, the restaurants founder, has written a Malaysian cookbook that manages to be both authoritative and deeply personal, a chilli, curry leaf and lemongrass-scented delight. (Quadrille, 25)

Owen and Tom Morgan are the brothers behind Asador and Bar 44, restaurants with some of the best Spanish food in the country. Their first book, Tapas Y Copas, is every bit the equal of their cooking, filled with Iberian beauties, classic and modern alike, the sort of tome that becomes battered and splattered with constant use. (Poetry Wales, 25)

Finally, Chefs at Home, a book of recipes from Britains leading chefs (everyone from Jamie, Gordon and Heston to Angela Hartnett, Andrew Wong and Clare Smyth), written during lockdown, with all proceeds going to the brilliant Hospitality Action. Charity has never tasted so sweet. (Jon Croft, 26)

To order any of these books at discounted prices until 1 January 2022, go to mailshop.co.uk/cookbooks or call 020 3308 9193. Free p&p on orders over 20
With her sparkling style and rebellious streak, Princess Margaret was a designers dream. And, as a new book reveals, her jewellery collection revolutionised the royal dress code. By Claudia Joseph

Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones on their wedding day, 1960. Margaret wore the Poltimore Tiara (opposite), which she had bought herself at auction

Princess Margaret was always known as the royal rebel: the sister who chose to do things differently.

And jewellery was one of the areas where her attitude was most markedly modern. Even on her wedding day, she broke protocol by eschewing a family heirloom for the Poltimore tiara, a piece she had bought at auction for less than 6,000 before her engagement. She wore it on numerous occasions before and after her marriage  most famously when she was photographed wearing it in a bathtub by her husband.

The princess was always at the height of fashion and her patronage was bountiful and much coveted. In her new book on jewellery design, author Mary Ann Wingfield reveals how Princess Margaret and her husband Lord Snowdon (born Antony Armstrong-Jones) championed young British designers in the Swinging 60s. At that time Britain was on the cusp of change. And while the Queen represented the old guard, Princess Margaret was viewed as a glamorous party girl married to a hip photographer and design aficionado.

In the books foreword, Margarets son David Armstrong-Jones writes: I inherited my love of design from my father, the 1st Earl of Snowdon, who was always fascinated by pushing the boundaries of an object to see where the design potential might end up.

It was he who encouraged my mother, Princess Margaret, to support the creative talent of the independent jewellery designers who were testing the boundaries of new possibilities in the early 1960s.

Four years after Margarets death in 2002, her jewellery was put on display for the world to see in the most anticipated auction this century: more than 1,000 buyers packed into Christies Auction House in Londons St Jamess on 13 June 2006 to bid on her iconic pieces. While models walked the room carrying the jewels and Faberge gems on plumped cushions to display to interested buyers, men in suits whispered into mobile phones to billionaire clients.

Margarets dedication to her collection was clearly evident, remembers Wingfield. Princess Margaret is a good example of a great collector  she was meticulous about keeping her jewellery in its individual boxes. Every piece had been carefully recorded and had a story to tell.

Overleaf, we profile the five designers who owe their success  at least in part  to the patronage of the princess of jewels

THE DESIGNERS WHO MADE MARGARET SHINE

The diamond artist: Michael Gosschalk

These coral and diamond ear clips  made by Gosschalk in 1960 and seen here on Margaret in 1990  were a perennial favourite

In the 60s and 70s, British jewellery underwent a revolution, writes Mary Ann Wingfield in her book Modern British Jewellery Designers. A new school of designers emerged, experimenting with gold, uncut stones and fused metals to create textured surfaces.

One such designer was former stone dealer Michael Gosschalk. His shop in Londons Belgravia  with its Rococo decor, silk drapes and intimate ambiance  was far removed from the Bond Street jeweller of the day. Described by Tatler as an artist in diamonds, Gosschalk, then 34, and his society milliner wife Jenny Fischer soon attracted a glittering clientele. He favoured modern design and semiprecious stones. So it was a meeting of minds when he met Margaret and Antony.

The year of her wedding, Gosschalk made Margaret a pair of coral and diamond ear clips, while his wife created hats for many of the guests. Forty-six years later, the ear clips  in their original box  sold at Christies for 10,800. Sadly the Gosschalks fame attracted less salubrious attention and after they lost 50,000 of jewellery in a terrifying robbery in 1965, they moved to Monte Carlo.

THE FAMILY FRIEND: ANDREW GRIMA

Margaret in Andrew Grima jewellery, including the famous lichen brooch

The man who would come to be known as the father of modern jewellery, Andrew Grima was 43 when he first met Lord Snowdon in 1964 after inviting him to tour his workshop  and a lifelong friendship ensued.

By 1966, when Grima won the Duke of Edinburghs Prize for Elegant Design  the only jeweller ever to do so  he had become the designer of choice for the fashionable crowd, who coveted his daring abstract creations, colourful gems and exotic minerals. That year he also opened his first shop, in Londons Jermyn Street. It was a glittering occasion and Lord Snowdon was guest of honour.

The lichen brooch

The Queen, Queen Mother, Princess Anne and Princess Diana all became customers  but it was Princess Margaret who was the most avant-garde. She had been presented with a Grima brooch, made of textured gold wires contrasting with brilliant-cut diamond flames, on her admission to the Freedom of the Haberdashers Company that year  it later sold for 24,000 at Christies.

But she wanted a more personal piece and asked Grima if he could cast in gold a piece of lichen she discovered on a walk at Balmoral. Grima duly obliged, charging her a token fee of 1, in 1967. Grimas generosity proved a bonus to the princesss offspring: that 1 brooch sold at Christies for 12,000 and the matching earrings made 9,600.

THE GO-TO JEWELLER: JOHN DONALD

Margarets favourite John Donald pieces included this emerald, crystal and diamond brooch; this ruby and sapphire brooch and ear clips

Another jeweller patronised by the princess during the 1960s was John Donald, a Royal College of Art graduate who set up his workshop in Londons Bayswater in 1960 and won a De Beers award for jewellery in 1963. The following year Lord Snowdon introduced his wife and mother-in-law, the Queen Mother, to the silver and goldsmith.

Margaret maintained a relationship with Donald that lasted for decades. In 1982, when she was 52, he created a brooch for her (pictured below)  a series of openwork textured gold cells with hammered edges containing carved ruby and sapphire drops and decorated with brilliant-cut diamonds  and the following year he made her matching ear clips. By the time she died, she had amassed an incredible 16 pieces in her collection, far more than any other designer.

Margaret loved these pearl and diamond ear clips

THE CREATIVE GENIUS: STUART DEVLIN

In 1977, Princess Margaret commissioned Australian jeweller Stuart Devlin to create a gold macle diamond crystal ring (below; macle refers to the twinned crystals). It later sold for 30,000  ten times its list value  at Christies, proving her ability to spot talent.

Devlin came to London in 1960 aged 29 to study at the Royal College of Art, and went on to win the competition to design the first decimal coinage for Australia.

In 1980, the Queen appointed him a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George for service to the art of design. In 1982 he was granted the Royal Warrant of Appointment as Goldsmith and Silversmith to Her Majesty. Prince Philip described him as probably the most original and creative goldsmith and silversmith of his time.

THE KING OF BLING: THEO FENNELL

In 1990, when she was 60, Margaret discovered Theo Fennell who, at 38, was making his name designing quirky pieces for celebrities such as Sir Elton John. He created a three-coloured palm-tree brooch for her (below), which sold 16 years later for 11,400. Old Etonian Fennell is the father of Oscar-winning filmmaker Emerald and fashion designer Coco.

To order a copy of Mary Ann Wingfields book Modern British Jewellery Designers 1960-1980: A Collectors Guide (ACC Art Books, 25) for 21.25 with free UK p&p until 26 December, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937

CAMERA PRESS/ED/KG, Bettmann, getty images, Tim Graham Photo Library, Christies Images, Anwar Hussein, Grima Archive, George Elam/Daily Mail/REX/Shutterstock, Bridgeman Images, Georges De Keerle, PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo
The number of women seeking help for gambling addiction has risen by a shocking 76 per cent in the past year. And new research suggests that for women  unlike men  its a method of coping with emotional trauma. Sally Williams investigates

One evening in 2018, Jessica went for a night out at the dog races. Luck was on her side and she won 5,000 from a 1 bet.

But what should have been a dream come true for the cash-strapped mental health nurse  who could now pay off her car loan  was the start of a slide into a gambling addiction.

For Jessica, now 27, a win at the dogs or on an online game  to which she eventually lost 10,000  was a way to numb the trauma of her troubled past.

Mary, 46, works in PR and lives in Devon, near her cousin, Naomi, 42, a part-time administrator. About four years ago, Mary noticed a change in her cousin. Whenever she dropped in, Naomi would be in her bedroom and her two children  then eight and 11  would be fending for themselves downstairs. Initially, Mary just assumed her cousin was feeling low. She was dealing with the aftermath of a messy divorce  Naomi had discovered her husband was having an affair  as well as grieving for her recently deceased brother. But then she started asking Mary for money. Just small amounts at first, 10 or 20 once a fortnight, remembers Mary. It wasnt a big deal. Then larger sums, like 100. Shortly afterwards, Mary confronted her cousin. She admitted she was gambling at night on her phone. Mostly slot machines, but sometimes horses.

Over a few months it all came out: she had 11 bank cards and several payday loans and had built up a debt of 70,000 over 18 months. She was depressed and using gambling as an escape.

Professor Henrietta Bowden-Jones, a consultant psychiatrist and founder and director of the National Problem Gambling Clinic in London, believes that problematic gambling (gambling in a way that is disruptive or damaging both to the gambler and those around them) in women often seems to be linked to trauma. In an in-depth audit of 80 women aged 25-55 referred to her clinic since 2016, Professor Bowden-Jones noticed a significant proportion had experienced a traumatic life event such as an abusive marriage or sudden loss. Of the group studied, most played online casino games (such as roulette, slots, bingo, cards) and some had debts of more than 100,000.

Gamblings still seen as a male activity. Shame can stop women getting help

A lot of the young men I see have inherited a vulnerability to pathological gambling  they gamble compulsively without having had any trauma. In the women, I dont see that genetic disposition. You normally hear a very complex story. Attachment, separation issues, mental health issues and trauma are all part of it.

Bowden-Jones stresses that not enough research has been done to make any firm conclusions on gender-based triggers for problematic gambling. But, based on her observations, female gamblers tend to experience an additional layer of distress from the stigma that comes from being a woman with a gambling problem. Im not saying there isnt any shame in men, but there is an enormous amount in women.

5 signs you might have gambling problem Preoccupation Often thinking about or planning to gamble can be one of the early warning signs that it could be harmful. Withdrawal Removing yourself from social and professional situations so that you can place a bet is another warning that your gambling might be going too far and that the urge to gamble is potentially harming other areas of your life. Escape Life can be overwhelming at times and you might feel like you want to escape it for a while. Using gambling as a coping mechanism is a sign of harmful gambling and can lead to losing significant amounts of money. Chasing losses The main motive of gambling is to win money. During a gambling session, that motive can change to chasing losses  where your aim goes from winning money to winning back the money you have already lost. This can be dangerous and lead to further, significant losses. Lying If you find yourself hiding how much you are spending, lying about the amount of time you are devoting to gambling or asking for money to cover bills, it could be a sign that gambling is harming your life and possibly risking your relationships with family and friends. Advertisement

Three years before her lucky night at the dog track Jessica, then 21, began dating Adam  a guy with a murky past. But two years later, he violently attacked her. Jessica believes this event marked the start of her gambling problems. She left Adam but became very withdrawn. I didnt want to talk to anyone. People would ask, Are you OK? but I wanted them to leave me alone.

She was prescribed Valium, which she hoped would shut off her brain, but by 2019 things really started to fall apart. Jessica had found a new route to oblivion: an online slot game where players paid 1 for a spin and a chance to win up to 80. She was using all her monthly salary of 1,200 to gamble and had signed up for three credit cards. She also spent 4,000 of her student loan that was supposed to fund a psychology degree. She did win money  at least 2,000 every other month  but lost more. Gambling had become her entire focus; shed even gamble on the loo. It was a way of shutting off, Jessica explains. I never thought about anything else while I was doing it.

Assessing the number of women who have gambling problems is difficult. The Health Survey for England 2018 suggested that nearly 86,000 women in England could be classed as problematic gamblers. But in December 2020 the Gordon Moody charity, which helps those most severely affected by gambling, showed a 76 per cent year-on-year rise in the number of women seeking help through their services. This accounted for more than 90,000 women across the UK  the highest figure ever recorded.

Statistics from the Gambling Commission show that more women are taking part in gambling  a rise from 41 per cent in 2018 to 43 per cent in 2019  and that the most significant growth in online gaming is also among women, from 15 per cent in 2018 to 17 per cent in 2020. But experts suspect there are many more women who are too embarrassed to come forward.

Dr Heather Wardle, a social scientist at the University of Glasgow and an expert in women and gambling, believes another issue is that we are assessing addiction using tools aimed at men. One of the key instruments is the Problem Gambling Severity Index, a self-assessment tool with nine questions developed in 2001. Wardle believes it fails to capture womens experiences. It asks questions such as, Have you ever bet more than you can afford to lose? But, says Wardle, it doesnt cover relationship difficulties and breakdowns or consider that women might experience greater stress and anxiety because of the stigma from being a woman who gambles.

What is becoming clear is that action is needed. Earlier this year, a cross-party group of MPs examining gambling harm held a forum focused on women. That was massive, says Wardle. Its very hard for a woman to talk about her difficulties when its still seen as a male activity.

Nadine Ashworth, a former gambler who works for charity Gamfam, agrees. Theyve entered a mans world and look whats happened, is how she puts it. Shame can stop women from getting help.

A recent Daily Mail articles show how prevalent female problematic gambling is

Jessica finally left a message for charity GamCare but when they called back, at first she couldnt answer. A counsellor kept ringing but I just ignored it. I was embarrassed. I was a mental health worker. I should have been fine. Eventually Jessica agreed to speak to the counsellor, who drew up a timeline of significant events and made Jessica think about how she reacted to certain scenarios. She gave me tools  for example, drawing up a budget and getting rid of my phone. That was hard, I had to tell everyone that Id lost it. Mostly, she made me feel I wasnt a bad person, I was just stuck.

Jessica hasnt gambled since March 2020 but still owes 3,000. The gambling sites should do more. If youre going through any kind of trauma, you are likely to be on your own. Who is going to tell you to stop?

Mary supported her cousin Naomi in getting help and contacted the debt charity Step Change. She must have been so lonely and scared about losing the house, about her ex-husband getting custody of the children, says Mary. Step Change were brilliant. They organised a repayment plan and told us to negotiate the debt with the companies.

Naomi last gambled three years ago. With financial help from her family, she now has 30,000 left to repay and possesses just one debit card. Its important that relatives are not judgmental, even though you might feel alarmed at the amount of money lost, says Mary. The gambler is in so much pain already. The important thing is to get them help.

Anyone concerned about their own or a loved ones gambling can contact the National Gambling Helpline for free on 0808 8020 133. Gamcare.org.uk runs a womens online group chatroom on Saturdays from 6.30pm-7.30pm

Some Names have been changed. Additional information provided by the charity GamCare, which supports anyone harmed by gambling
Styling: Holly Elgeti. Make-up: Nicky Weir using Hourglass. Hair: Alex Szabo at Carol Hayes using T3

The older I get, the more I believe that knowing when to quit is an under-appreciated life skill. Growing up, we are constantly taught that we have to keep at it, to put the effort in, to clock up the necessary distance on lifes milometer.

But no one really talks about the simple pleasure of giving up. Nothing and no one lasts for ever, and yet we expect ourselves to plug away at unfulfilling jobs and disappointing relationships simply because there is culturally more value attached to finishing a task than to moving on.

At school, I was constantly warned of the dangers of moving jobs too frequently when I got into the world of work.

Itll look bad on your CV! the careers adviser would shriek. She ignored the fact that Id put salsa dancing on there as a hobby even though Id only been to one lesson beforewell, quitting.

As a result, I stayed in jobs that didnt make me happy for far too long. During my 20s, I would let romantic relationships linger for years, even when my gut told me something wasnt right.

I was constitutionally incapable of ending a friendship, including the ones that turned out to be a bit toxic. I felt guilty if I left a party before anyone else.

In my 30s, all that changed. I divorced, and the world around me didnt collapse. I realised that no one was going to judge me as harshly as I had imagined and that my life was my own to live.

No one talks about the simple pleasure of giving up

Once I understood that, I embarked on a veritable fever of quitting. I quit my job. I quit my home. I moved countries. I changed book publishers, quitting halfway through a contract and paying back the advance.

I started leaving parties when I wanted to go to bed (truly, there is no greater high as an adult than understanding that liking sleep is absolutely a valid excuse to go home). I did all of this because I didnt want to waste one single second more trying to stick at it according to someone elses invented metric of how I should behave.

And heres the thing: once I started quitting, I created space in my life to welcome in the prospects and people who brought me joy. I met my husband. I pursued friendships that were nourishing rather than draining. I launched a podcast. I wrote books I felt passionately about. Miraculously, I was given this column and I got to share whatever was on my mind, week after week, supported by incredible editors and readers. Along the way, some of you were kind enough to write me emails and cards and letters. I have kept them all among my most cherished possessions because even if weve never met, you know me better than some of my real-life acquaintances. I feel so seen and understood by you. I am so grateful for you.

These days, I get to quit for positive reasons  not because anything is wrong, but because many things are right and I want to see what happens when I say yes to new opportunities.

Which is to say: I have loved every single second of writing this column over the past three years. During that time, my life has changed, both professionally and personally. If youre a regular reader, you will know that one of my most profound desires is to become a mother. I feel, deep down, if there is a chance of this happening, I first need to create the space to beckon it in.

So this will be my last column for YOU magazine. For now, at least. Thank you for reading me.

It has been one of the great privileges of my life to be a weekly part of yours. But lets not be sad about it. Lets simply celebrate the art of knowing when to go.

This week Im





LISTENING to the Sweet Bobby podcast: the story of a decade-long catfishing scam. Utterly riveting.

WATCHING the latest season of Selling Sunset on Netflix. If I have a guilty pleasure, then this is indubitably it.

WEARING mix-and-match charm earring hoops. Such a great idea to make your own. From 50, myfrkl.com.
From tinsel to toys, products made in China make up a large part of most households' festive shopping baskets. In fact, its vast  and growing  economy seems to stretch so far and wide across the world that it is now hard to find versions of some products that have no links to China at all.

But concerns are rising over China's use of forced labour in the production of goods that are shipped around the world.

Just last week, the UK announced a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics to be held in China in February, due to alleged human rights abuses in the country. Though Beijing denies the allegations, UK households may understandably not feel confident about the conditions under which the Christmas goods they buy from China are made.

Chic: Products with British wool are in demand along with Christmas wreaths

At the same time, British retailers are facing another difficult Christmas with the latest Covid restrictions. Many are still recovering from months of muted business due to lockdowns.

So is it possible to swerve the ubiquitous 'Made in China' label and support local firms?

Buying British instead of defaulting to products made in China is not straightforward. This year, China replaced Germany as the single biggest import market for Britain, accounting for 16.9billion of sales for the first three months of 2021 alone.

Many shoppers may not even know where the products they buy were made, until they get them home or unwrap them and spot the 'Made in China' label.

Here, The Mail on Sunday looks at ways you could go about buying British and seeks out some of the best homegrown options.

How to tell if an item really is British

Items may have Union Jacks on them or words such as 'Britain' on the packaging, but that is no guarantee they were made here.

Kate Hills is founder of Make it British, a website giving details of hundreds of UK firms supplying everything from lingerie to woolly socks.

She recommends checking the manufacturing label on or inside an item to give you a better picture of where it was actually made. She adds that opting for items made in Britain is likely to be a more eco-friendly option as well.

'Sustainability is the top concern voiced by customers,' she says. 'Rather than getting clothes from halfway round the world  perhaps made in sweat shops  you get real value for money.'

Seamus Nevin is chief economist of Make UK, which represents Britain's manufacturing sector  employing three million people. He suggests shoppers should look out for the Made In Britain kitemark, which shows part of a Union Jack with an arrow pointing upwards.

He says Make UK has seen an 80 per cent rise in companies applying to use the logo, but warns: 'Some components might come from abroad. Typically, at least 60 per cent in terms of value must be British for an item to be eligible for the kitemark.'

Christmas jumpers and clothing gifts

Patriotic: British-made Christmas decorations by Festive Productions

Textiles account for most of the Chinese imports we buy. This has brought down the price of fashion, but past investigations have found ties with garments containing cotton from the Xinjiang region of China and forced labour in the area. Buying clothes made in Britain puts paid to that risk and can help local farmers too.

Graham Clark is marketing director at British Wool, representing 35,000 sheep farmers. He says: 'Buying British supports their survival and is vital for our knitwear industry. Wool is the most fantastic environmentally friendly product. It lasts for years and does not need washing as often as your cheap throw-away imported synthetics.'

Look out for the British Wool shepherd's crook logo.

Socks also make a good gift and there are several British manufacturers, including Leicester-based Pantherella and Peper Harow in Surrey.

Festive decorations and Christmas trees

Most of our decorations come from overseas, but there are some mainstream British options. One of those is Festive Productions, which makes tinsel in its factory in Cwmbran, in Monmouthshire.

Many Christmas trees are grown in the UK too. The British Christmas Tree Growers Association gives details of where to buy one. In Scotland, the charity Caring Christmas Trees grows sustainably-sourced spruces, and profits go to the Bethany Christian Trust, helping the homeless.

The easiest way to keep track of the provenance of Christmas crackers and their parts is to make them yourself. See websites such as Little Crafty Bugs and Rock My Family.

Electronics and hi-fi

If you are planning to buy electronics as Christmas gifts, you may struggle to find British options.

Alan Porter, co-founder of electronics marketing firm Napthine Porter, says: 'Sadly, even if the branding is British, the likelihood is that the components are only put together in this country and many of the parts come from overseas, with China being a major player.

Tables are still turning: Rega, based in Southend-on-Sea, makes record players from 275

'However, we are still world-beaters in specialist areas such as the production of top-end hi-fi equipment.' One of the electronic niches Britain still specialises in is turntables. Rega, based in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, makes record players from 275  but parts it puts together might come from abroad.

Manufacturer Michell Engineering in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, is British born and bred but the turntables that it makes can cost four-figure sums.

Buy all your yuletide food at local shops

Buying at a local butcher, greengrocer or farmers' market means your festive food is more likely to be locally sourced. However, you may pay more than if filling a shopping trolley at the supermarket.

Richard Stevenson, of The National Craft Butchers trade body, says: 'The pandemic has made an increasing number of people appreciate the value of local traders.

'You can find out exactly where the meat has come from with a local butcher.

'You just have to look at the horse meat scandal of 2013, when supermarkets sold burgers and other beef products containing horse, to realise the importance of this.

Arts, crafts, jewellery and other gift ideas

Websites such as Etsy and Not On The High Street showcase thousands of creative British firms and makes of craft items, jewellery, homeware and more. Both have plenty of UK-sourced gift ideas.

Christmas markets can help support small local retailers. Visit England, Visit Scotland and Visit Wales list towns and cities that host them. Most feature stalls from local businesses and craftspeople.
Millions of Apple customers in the UK have been overcharged by the tech giant and should share in up to 1.5billion of compensation, the High Court will hear this week.

The case claims that Apple has broken competition law by charging eye-watering commission on purchases made on its App Store. Apple strongly disputes the claim.

If the case is successful, the claimants believe nearly 20 million Apple users in the UK could be in line for compensation. Google is being targeted with a similar action, where damages of up to 920million are being sought on behalf of 19.5 million Android phone users in the UK.

Battling giants: The fees are levied in games such as Fortnite when players make in-app purchases

What is it claimed that Apple and Google have done wrong?

When someone buys an app or makes a purchase within an app using an iPhone or iPad, Apple takes commission of up to 30 per cent. Google takes the same cut from Android users for purchases via its app store.

The commission is paid by the app developers, but inevitably this charge will be passed on to customers in higher prices.

The claimants say the profits this generates for the tech giants are 'unlawfully excessive'. They also allege that Apple and Google deliberately shut out any competition by requiring users to pay through the tech giants' own payment systems.

What does this mean for Apple and Google users?

Most customers do not realise they are in effect paying huge commissions. But claimants say Apple and Android users have no alternative so Apple and Google can effectively charge what they like. They say users struggle to shop around for a cheaper price.

Some users may have effectively handed over only a few pence in commission payments, others thousands of pounds. If compensation is paid out, it will be distributed accordingly.

Commission is only paid on digital purchases, as in games or for paid-for content, not goods, such as food purchases or online deliveries.

Who is bringing the case this week?

The case has been filed with the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal and the first hearing is at the High Court this Tuesday.

King's College London digital-economy lecturer Dr Rachael Kent is taking the case to the tribunal, but she plans to represent anyone who has bought an app or made an in-app purchase on an iPad or iPhone from the App Store since October 2015.

The case is opt out rather than opt in, so customers do not have to do anything to receive compensation if it is paid.

Isn't this an expensive case for a university lecturer?

Dr Kent is making the claim, but she is being represented by Hausfeld & Co, a law firm with expertise in this area. Commercial litigation funder Vannin Capital is financing the claim.

Dr Kent has spent her career focusing on how consumers interact with digital platforms and apps and how they affect society.

Former Citizens Advice expert Liz Coll is behind the Google claim, with the same backing.

When will we know the outcome?

It could be years  if the cases go ahead, that is. The first hurdle this week is for Dr Kent to be approved by the Competition Appeal Tribunal as a representative for all affected Apple users.

Why are the authorities not taking this on?

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority is separately investigating Apple's charging policies.

Elsewhere, the EU Competition Commissioner has imposed heavy fines on Google, while South Korea has passed legislation forcing Apple and Google to open their phones to competition from cheaper app store providers.

In the US, President Biden has appointed Lina Khan to lead the Federal Trade Commission. She is known for her opposition to the power of large tech companies.

What do Apple and Google have to say?

Apple says: 'We believe this law suit is meritless and welcome the opportunity to discuss with the court our unwavering commitment to consumers and the many benefits the App Store has delivered to the UK's innovation economy.'

This year, Apple cut the commission fee for app developers who earn less than $1million (750,000) a year in sales through the store from 30 per cent to 15 per cent.

Apple also said 84 per cent of apps on its App Store were free, so developers paid nothing, and the commission it takes is 'very much in the mainstream of those charged by all other digital marketplaces'. Google said it competed 'vigorously and fairly' for developers and consumers, and that its fees were 'comparable to our competitors'.
There is little more nostalgic than memories of the cherished gifts found under the Christmas tree in childhood. But while most toys and games have purely sentimental value, some of the most popular can also command considerable sums.

From board games to action figures, several childhood favourites are now worth thousands of pounds more than when they were first unwrapped.

Board games

Playing board games has been a traditional Christmas Day activity for decades, and some of the earliest versions now change hands for hundreds of pounds. Sarah McClure, who owns the online shop Vintage Playtime, says: 'Board games are right at the heart of Christmas memories for many.

Roll of the dice: Pre-war Monopoly sets, which originally came in a black box, sell for more than 100

'Despite Monopoly being the most popular, there are many others that are also cherished whose values have crept up in recent years.'

Pre-war Monopoly sets, which originally came in a black box, sell for more than 100. The age of a set can be identified by the player pieces it comes with as the iron, thimble, cannon, purse, lantern and rocking horse have all been replaced over the years. The earliest editions can change hands for 800.

Other popular games among collectors include Buccaneer and Escape From Colditz. Buccaneer is a pirate game, invented in 1938. Early sets complete with a roll-up scroll are worth about 200.

Escape From Colditz was based on the story of Major Pat Reid, who managed to break out of the prisoner of war camp during the Second World War. Early sets complete with a swastika logo on the lid change hands for at least 100.

Building toys

Many a Christmas afternoon has been whiled away with a building project with a Meccano or Lego set. This year, in particular, has made families especially nostalgic for their favourites.

Vicky Weall, managing director of toy auctioneer Vectis, says: 'Because people have been spending more time at home over the past year or so, they have been reflecting on the past  and what they used to enjoy playing with as children.

'Early Meccano and Lego is often sought out by those who may have lost their old sets and want to relive the thrill of ownership.'

Weall cautions that condition is key to value. Those with all of the pieces intact go for the highest prices. For example, a pre-war Meccano Constructor Car No2 sold for 360 in November  double its estimate. The set was complete and included the spanner and screw driver needed to build it.

The biggest sets are the most valuable, as it is rare to find them with all of the pieces intact. For example, you can pay 2,000 for a No10 set from 1939, as it contains enough components to enable you to build a working crane.

Even relatively modern Lego sets can sell for high prices because many are made in limited numbers.

In October, an unopened The Beatles Yellow Submarine set sold for 160 at a Vectis auction. These same box sets sold in shops five years ago priced at 55.

A Cafe Corner set, which cost 90 when released in 2007, now sells for up to 2,000.

Teddy bears

Teddy bears have been a popular festive gift for more than a century. Sue Pearson, who runs Bears & Bygones in Lewes, East Sussex, says: 'Many of us received our favourite bear as a child at Christmas many years ago.

'I have collectors who tell me how wonderful it is to have had a teddy bear that's always been with them through all the ups and downs of their life.'

The origin of teddy bears can be traced back to 1902, when Richard Steiff was inspired after watching bears perform at a circus. It is early examples from this German maker that are the most sought after by collectors.

Early Edwardian Steiffs are the most valuable  with even well-worn teddies going for 500.

Pearson says: 'Anti-German sentiment during the First World War led to a boom in demand for British-made teddies. One of our top soft toy makers was JK Farnell. We have a 1930s' Farnell called Buster for sale at 400.'

Shropshire teddy maker Merrythought is still going strong after 91 years in business  its oldest bears sell for 100 or more.

Pearson adds: 'Vintage teddies are great for older fans but should not be bought for young children as they fail the health and safety standards of cuddly toys today.'

Plastic toys

Even plastic figurines can fetch hundreds of pounds  but they need to be in pristine condition to command the highest prices.

Barbie is now 62 years old and an early model in which she wears a black and white swimsuit can sell for 8,000 if in its original box. When first sold, they retailed at 1.70.

Action Man started as an American GI Joe figure in 1964 before joining the British Armed Forces in 1966. Although not worth as much as Barbie, a boxed early example can sell for as much as 600.
Jupiter asset management has appointed Robey Warshaw to bolster its defences against a potential takeover bid as a merger frenzy grips the City, The Mail on Sunday has learned.

The 61billion fund group, chaired by Edward Bonham Carter until earlier this year, has hired the blue-blooded investment banking boutique as an adviser.

It is understood Robey Warshaw, which hired former Chancellor George Osborne as a partner in April, will be helping to devise a strategy to protect Jupiter from predators as bosses plan to improve the fund's performance.

Bolstering defences: Robey Warshaw hired former Chancellor George Osborne as a partner in April

The move comes amid rising speculation about which City asset manager will be the next acquisition target after a flurry of activity in recent weeks.

It emerged last month that City stalwart Martin Gilbert was in a bidding war against Premier Miton to acquire River and Mercantile. Last week, Liontrust revealed it had snapped up Majedie Asset Management for up to 120million in shares and cash.

Takeovers of British companies reached a 14-year high in the first seven months of 2021, according to Reuters. The value of deals hit 149billion  three times the same period a year before.

Jupiter, a FTSE 250 company chaired by Nichola Pease, has seen its shares plunge 16 per cent this year  one of the worst-performing listed funds and making it vulnerable to a takeover. Its market value is 1.3billion.

One investment banker said that Jupiter was on his target list and that he had conversations with a private equity firm possibly interested in acquiring a fund group.

Like many fund managers, Jupiter has seen investors withdraw their money as professional stock-pickers failed to deliver top returns.

Jupiter has suffered nearly 5billion of outflows since last summer. Sources said the arrival of Matthew Beesley as chief investment officer in January could pave the way for further cost-cutting in an attempt to whip the fund group into shape and prop up its share price, which sits at 2.34.

Analysts said the firm may look to close a number of small, underperforming investment funds which could result in job cuts.

Rae Maile, an analyst at brokerage Panmure Gordon, said: 'Historically, you would never have said Jupiter was a bid story because of its boutique culture.

'But this is no longer the case. It could make a sensible acquisition for a large US house looking to expand into the UK.'

David McCann, an analyst at broker Numis, said 'A takeover is an increasing possibility.'
Controversial: Housebuilding millionaire Jeff Fairburn has been thrust back into the limelight

Controversial housebuilding millionaire Jeff Fairburn has been thrust back into the limelight after his powerful business partners triggered a campaign to overhaul one of the sector's most famous names.

Activist investor Elliott confirmed a Mail on Sunday report from last weekend that it wanted strategic change at Taylor Wimpey  publishing a letter on Friday with a list of demands.

The open letter to the Taylor Wimpey board informed them it had secretly built a major stake in the firm, and was now a top five shareholder.

It called for an external chief executive to be appointed 'to remedy its long-term underperformance and regain credibility with investors'. Elliott said an 'experienced operator' was now required to lead the company.

Sources said Elliott's interest in Taylor Wimpey has sparked a wave of speculation at senior levels in the housebuilding sector that Fairburn  who famously accepted a 75million bonus in 2018 and was later ousted over the fiasco  could be parachuted in to run the firm or take another board role.

Such a move by Fairburn  dubbed 'Moneybags' and condemned by shareholders  would, without doubt, be highly controversial.

Sources familiar with Elliott's thinking dismissed the idea of Fairburn taking charge.

But Elliott has already lent Fairburn significant financial support, assisting his return towards the centre-ground of the housebuilding sector.

In January last year, he was appointed chief executive of Berkeley DeVeer after buying a 50 per cent stake in the firm. Just a year later, Fairburn struck a deal with Elliott to acquire northern builder Avant Homes, where he has become chairman.

The Mail on Sunday last Sunday broke the news that Elliott had taken a stake in 6billion housebuilder Taylor Wimpey. It is understood Elliott then asked to meet the company.

But on Wednesday, Taylor Wimpey chief Pete Redfern announced the shock news that he was stepping down after 14 years in charge. The company insisted his exit was not linked to the activist's arrival.

Avant's relatively modest size in an industry led by three big players  Barratt, Persimmon and Taylor Wimpey  has fuelled speculation that the role is merely a stepping stone for Fairburn.

He is said to be keen to heal his reputation after becoming an emblem of corporate greed. The nadir of the pay scandal saw him walk out of a BBC interview after being asked about his bonus, which was aided by the boom that followed the taxpayer-backed Help to Buy Scheme.

One senior industry source, who knows Fairburn personally, said: 'There's no way Jeff just wants to be concentrated on little old Avant. It only builds about 2,000 homes a year. He is keen to rehabilitate his reputation and get back to running a big entity.'

An Avant Homes spokesman said Fairburn remained 'wholly committed' to the firm, adding: 'He is not involved with nor considering any involvement in any other business.'

City sources said Fairburn last year approached private equity firms about backing a separate housing deal, and had even looked at a possible acquisition of 900million housebuilder Crest Nicholson.

The Mail on Sunday also revealed last month that Elliott was betting against housebuilders, taking short positions in Bellway and Barratt. A shortlist of executives to run Taylor Wimpey has already been drawn up, with individuals approached, it is understood. Taylor Wimpey's group operations director Jennie Daly is seen as the frontrunner.

Investor sources said executives with appropriate experience could include Barratt deputy chief Steven Boyes, former Persimmon boss Dave Jenkinson  who succeeded Fairburn  and Crest Nicholson chief Peter Truscott.

Elliott also called for two new independent directors with industry experience to be appointed. City sources speculated that Elliott's ultimate goal could be to force Taylor Wimpey's board to sell off parts of its lucrative land bank.

Last year, the builder completed a 500million equity raise to pursue a land-buying offensive  a move which Elliott claimed had stoked 'concerns about delays in the return of capital to shareholders'.
Royal Mail bosses are fighting to prevent a nightmare before Christmas after admitting that large swathes of the country are not receiving a normal service.

The postal operator apologised to customers and blamed disruption to services on 'Covid-related self-isolation, high levels of sick absence, resourcing, or other local factors'.

Analysis reveals the number of delivery offices impacted by the problems more than doubled in a week, hitting a year-high of 32 offices last Wednesday.

Writing on the wall: Royal Mail has apologised to customers and blamed disruption to services on 'Covid-related self-isolation, sick absence, resourcing, or other local factors'

Last night, some 21 offices were still experiencing difficulties, including Bristol South, Farnborough in Hampshire and Warrington. Customers have complained of going weeks without receiving a delivery.

The company is grappling with huge volumes of parcels passing through its 1,200 delivery offices, triggered by the move towards online Christmas shopping, accelerated by the pandemic.

Last week, The Mail on Sunday revealed that chief executive Simon Thompson had issued an urgent call to managers to hire hundreds of extra vans to deliver the parcels.

In a desperate late-night video message posted on an internal channel for its 137,000 employees, Thompson said: 'I wanted to share something with you about delivery vans. I don't think we've got this right. I think you're short.

'And I've been hearing the feedback now for too long and it's now time to act.' He asked employees to go to local van hire companies to source vehicles for three weeks until Christmas Eve.

Royal Mail already has the largest fleet of vans in the country, including 40,000 of its distinctive red vehicles.

Footage of one delivery office in the North, seen by the MoS, shows bulging grey sacks of mail messily piled high on top of each other in the afternoon when sorting offices should be almost clear.

Royal Mail aims to clear each office of mail every day. Several employees have blamed revisions to routes for the delays.

The company is attempting to revise hundreds of routes to make its operations more efficient and workloads fairer.

However, one source said: 'The revisions are delaying the post. It's a 'computer says no' scenario. The technology says the routes can be done but it doesn't take into account roadworks, traffic jams and blocks of flats with 30 addresses the posties have to get to.'

Senior sources denied the revisions are the cause of the delays.

Replying to an online employee post, Thompson said, 'I am not disputing the delays', but insisted revisions were not the main issue.

He added: 'Absence [and] recruitment and at times revisions are the issue  and our number one problem to solve  absence  almost double 2018 at this time  and much higher then [sic] this time last year during the pandemic.'

Royal Mail and sister firm Parcelforce Worldwide began a drive to hire 20,000 seasonal staff to handle Christmas cards, parcels and letters in October.

Thompson hopes to modernise the 500-year-old operator and stamp out longstanding issues over bullying within the organisation.

The company is also still investigating claims unearthed by the MoS that fake hours are being logged by Royal Mail employees at a string of sites around the country.

Royal Mail is already battling fierce competition from the likes of FedEx and DPD to deliver parcels for online retailers.

The trend away from high street shopping towards ecommerce has accelerated during the pandemic, boosting Royal Mail's profits and share price.

The stock suffered a sell-off in autumn but has risen 12 per cent to 4.84 over the last month, since the company announced plans to hand shareholders a 400million reward through a 200million special dividend and a 200million share buyback.
Outspoken: Chris O'Shea blames past acquisitions for the loss of focus

Centrica's chief executive, Chris O'Shea, has spent the morning talking to some of the British Gas owner's biggest shareholders. Their mood, he reports amid a full-blown energy crisis, was 'challenging'.

Speaking to The Mail on Sunday in a rare interview since taking the top job at Centrica in the spring of last year, O'Shea says: 'It's been an unhappy experience being a Centrica shareholder from 2014 onwards  and my job is to create the environment where that turns around and becomes a happier experience.'

Centrica's market value has plunged from more than 20billion at its peak eight years ago to 4billion now, it has lost three million customers over the past decade, and was relegated from the FTSE100 index in June last year. It axed the dividend at the start of the pandemic as commodities slumped and its top ten investors  which include City firms St James's Place, Threadneedle and Schroders  are now keen to see payouts restored.

So too are its army of about 500,000 individual investors, many of whom bought shares through the 'Tell Sid' campaign when British Gas was privatised in 1986.

O'Shea says: 'Shareholders make clear that the dividend is important, but they are not constantly pushing, saying 'where is my money.' I think they are equally supportive and challenging. If they think you are doing the right thing, they are very supportive. But they always want to push, which I think is a very healthy dynamic.'

However, in a candid admission of corporate failure, O'Shea  who describes himself as 'an open book'  says Centrica 'lost its way' over the past six years, that it had become 'too bureaucratic' and 'unfocused' after years of acquisitions such as the AA breakdown service and Goldfish credit card, and that its customer service had 'degraded'.

O'Shea arrived as Centrica's chief financial officer just three years ago, after a globetrotting career at firms including Shell and BG Group, now part of Shell. But he soon found himself in the hot seat, taking over as group chief executive from Iain Conn at the start of the pandemic, before being plunged into this winter's gas price crisis that has so far wiped out 26 rival suppliers.

As the storm hit, O'Shea had already launched a shake-up of the business with a radical restructuring that cut 5,000 jobs, including half its senior leadership team, triggering a dispute with trade unions and MPs over new employment contracts.

Despite the cuts, he has mapped out a plan to build better support networks for his 20,000 employees  who he says had been 'neglected.'

Other plans to lift the energy giant's lagging shares include offering more carbon-saving products, such as electric heat-pumps and hydrogen boilers, streamlining the business to focus on energy supply and home services and improving customer service.

'It's straightforward,' he says on the last point. 'Customers want to call us and talk to a person. If they go online the experience has to work well. Because we were complicated, we were unfocused. We didn't look at those things properly.'

O'Shea was born in the industrial town of Kirkcaldy in Fife, which he points out is home to former Chancellor and Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the birthplace of 18thcentury economist Adam Smith.

The 48-year-old adopts a relaxed work uniform of hooded tops and T-shirts. His management style, which colleagues describe as 'approachable' and 'down to earth' with a focus on supporting colleagues, seems a departure from previous Centrica bosses, who were criticised for high executive pay amid rising energy bills.

Old Etonian Sam Laidlaw, who ran Centrica until 2014, was dubbed 'Sammy Two Pools' in reference to his luxurious lifestyle. Iain Conn, who retired last year, lobbied against the energy price cap, blaming the consumer protection mechanism introduced in 2019 for wiping millions off Centrica's profits.

O'Shea says he supports the price cap, though he is feeding into an Ofgem review of how it could be reformed, and says that he is 'worried' by the cost of living crisis for his customers this winter. Households face paying an extra 100 on energy bills to cover the 2.6billion cost of broken firms, plus a further increase of up to 614 a year when the price cap is reset this April.

Centrica is lobbying the Government to increase regulation for energy suppliers, including a 'fit and proper person' test for directors. O'Shea is also calling for customers' deposits to be ring-fenced under regulation similar to the oversight of insurance firms by the City watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates Centrica's services business.

He says: 'The fact that companies who are going out of business have spent that money is an outrage. If a bank went under and customers' money had gone missing this would be a national scandal.

'Your readers should be very concerned about their credit balances. My entire focus is putting this [regulation] in place to protect consumers so this never happens again.'

Centrica has taken on more than 500,000 customers from failed suppliers in recent months as spiralling gas prices pushed badly hedged firms out of business, and O'Shea says it could take on more if there are further collapses this winter, adding: 'I will do everything I can to stabilise the market and reduce the cost for customers.'

Shrinking competition is returning the energy market to domination by a handful of suppliers, down from 80 at its peak. But O'Shea doesn't mourn the days of the 'big six' era, when Centrica led the pack before profits were eroded by challengers. He says: 'I want us to give customers the best service at the right price, and to win in that way.'

To help fulfil his vision, he has sold off Centrica's US business, Direct Energy, and last week said Centrica was offloading its Norwegian North Sea oil and gas operations, owned by its Spirit Energy subsidiary.

Centrica set out its plan to become a net zero company by 2045 at last month's Cop26 climate summit, promising to invest up to 100million in renewable assets each year by 2025, including battery storage, hydrogen, smart meters and electric car charging points.

A quarter of the electricity that British Gas supplies to about 7.3 million UK homes comes from nuclear power and the remainder from renewable sources. O'Shea says: 'We are the UK's largest supplier of green electricity, we just don't shout about it much.'

He calls the turnaround challenge 'manageable' and is 'excited' by the journey ahead he says, adding: 'Different shareholders want different things, but ultimately they want to know we can see opportunities to grow. Everything we do is to create shareholder value.'

So does he hope to restore Centrica to the FTSE100? He says: 'I would like to be there, because that means the share price is higher and the company was doing better. So, as recognition, absolutely.'

...and he vows to tackle 'workplace taboos'

Centrica boss Chris O'Shea has introduced a string of policies to boost inclusivity and morale among its 20,000 staff, hoping to lift performance and profits.

Guidelines on transitioning at work, fertility support and ending the 'workplace taboo' of going through the menopause have all been launched in recent months.

Centrica is also helping those affected by domestic abuse after cases soared in lockdown. Staff can receive immediate support and customers can access the Safe Spaces website on domestic abuse via British Gas's homepage.

O'Shea says: 'We have neglected our colleagues  staff engagement was pitifully low  and we've taken steps to re-engage with frontline staff. We have a simple mantra. If you look after colleagues, they will look after your customers and that will look after your shareholders.'

Centrica's 10,000 office staff, including call-centre employees, can choose their split between office and home working. O'Shea calls it 'a competitive advantage', saying: 'If they can do their job from anywhere, why would you not give them that flexibility?'
Investors have poured more than 1billion into the fund set up by Hargreaves Lansdown billionaire Peter Hargreaves.

The Brexiteer tycoon's Blue Whale fund has hit 1.1billion assets under management, up from 700million in March, after a flurry of support from its investors, who number 50,000.

Support: About half the investors are individuals using platforms such as Hargreaves Lansdown and AJ Bell

Turnover from fees rose to 4.6million in the year to March, up from 1.7million the year before, company documents show. Profits of 2.49million were split between majority shareholder Hargreaves and co-founder Stephen Yiu.

Hargreaves, founder of FTSE 100 fund supermarket Hargreaves Lansdown, owns a fifth of the fund, which he seeded with 25million, though his family investments have since risen to about 200million.

Blue Whale Growth Fund focuses on US stocks, which make up 72.5 per cent of its 27 holdings  the largest being tech firms Nvidia and Microsoft  with nearly a fifth invested in European firms.

About half the investors are individuals using platforms such as Hargreaves Lansdown and AJ Bell. The remainder are wealth managers.

Hargreaves, 75, launched the fund four years ago. He stepped down from Hargreaves Lansdown in 2015 but retains a 20 per cent stake worth about 1.2billion.

Yiu said US companies had grown fast and are 'far more profitable, with margins at 45 per cent on average compared with 30 per cent in the UK.'
Telecoms watchers held their breath yesterday as Patrick Drahi's six-month lock-out from attempting to buy BT lapsed.

The rumour mill among City bankers over the hard-nosed French billionaire's intentions has been in overdrive, despite his public support for its management and strategy. It is thought a full-blown move to take over BT could be politically fraught, but is still a distinct possibility.

Another theory is that Drahi could quickly exert his influence through bagging more stock.

On the cards: The rumour mill among City bankers over Patrick Drahi's intentions has been in overdrive

He initially broke cover with a 12.1 per cent stake, worth around 2billion, in June, borrowing shares to gain crucial voting rights without breaking City disclosure rules.

Word has it he has since been converting some of the borrowed shares into equity and could repeat his summer trick, stunning the board by swiping another large stake.

Deutsche Telekom also holds 12 per cent and could be the kingmaker if Drahi pursues an attempt to gain full control.

Could another ambush be in the works?

Hollywood bowled over by new Covid strain

The recent Covid resurgence appears to have bowled a gutter ball for bosses at Hollywood Bowl.

But the bowling alley operator is this week expected to post respectable annual figures, with profits around 10million.

Peel Hunt analyst Douglas Jack reckons it remains 'positioned as one of the winners' with new alley openings planned amid strong demand. Punchy.

EasyJet boss has pay package 'frozen'

Last year, easyJet chief Johan Lundgren took a 20 per cent pay cut for three months while the airline's planes were grounded.

The Mail on Sunday later revealed he had quietly hiked his pay back up in late summer despite the fact that the pandemic was still causing significant disruption.

Annual accounts show his package for 2021 has been 'frozen' at 794,000, up from 755,000 last year due to the pay cut.

There's no bonus and the figure is short of his 1.5million bonanza in 2018, but shareholders feeling fed up over the share price rollercoaster might be thinking he should have taken another cut.

They've endured a 1.2billion rights issue and seen shares tumble nearly 20 per cent this year alone.

Valneva shares bounce back

Valneva chief Thomas Lingelbach might want to stick a picture of his share price chart on a Christmas card to Health Secretary Sajid Javid.

The Government last year invested in the French firm's Livingston vaccine manufacturing plant, and signed up for 60 million of its Covid jabs.

Then in September, the contract was terminated when Javid claimed the vaccine was unlikely to get past UK regulators.

Lingelbach accused the Government of throwing the firm 'under the bus.' The Euronext-listed shares halved in value to 10.

However, the share price has sprung back, hitting 28 last month aided by a bumper deal with the EU.

Take that, Saj.
Leading criminologist Xanthe Mallett says the life of William Tyrrell's foster mother has been 'forever altered' by developments in the case over the last weeks - and compared her plight to Lindy Chamberlain .

Dr Mallett, who has studied the Tyrrell case in her work as a forensic anthropologist and crime behaviouralist, told Daily Mail Australia being named a person of interest has made life 'incredibly difficult' for the foster mother.

She said the 'court of public opinion' - and more recently 'the court of social media' - sometimes falsely accused people, and a prime example was Lindy Chamberlain who was wrongly convicted of her killing her nine-week-old daughter Azaria at Uluru in the 1980s when in fact she was taken by a dingo.

'I will keep an open mind. I know the water has been muddied... but no charges have been laid,' Dr Mallett said.

Top criminologist Dr Xanthe Mallett (above) says William Tyrrell's foster mother's life is 'forever altered' by new developments in the case including being named a 'person of interest'

Xanthe Mallett said the new police strategy in the William Tyrrell case had put the foster mother (above) under a lot of pressure since the high intensity dig commenced

Dr Mallett, a University of Newcastle lecturer and author, has worked closely with ex-cop and former Tyrrell strike force commander Gary Jubelin who has also staunchly defended William's foster parents since senior police said they had a sole 'person of interest'.

She said William's foster parents would be 'under a lot of pressure' and 'deserve to be considered innocent' despite any wild theories being currently spouted on social media.

'Im not saying they dont have any involvement (but) my impression is that they were telling the truth [at the inquest].

'Obviously the police have a strategy, obviously the wheels will continue to move. '(The police) are very confident and may have strong reasons, but I am yet to jump on the bandwagon.

Former NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller confirmed last month that the only person being looked at now as a person of interest was Williams foster mum.

It is not suggested that the foster mother was actually involved in William's disappearance, only that she has been identified as a person of interest.

Dr Mallett and Gary Jubelin (above, dining with crime author Duncan McNab and criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro) both believe the foster mother's account

Gary Jubelin and Xanthe Mallett have discussed forensic antropolgy and criminology on the podcast he has made since leaving the NSW Police

Xanthe Mallett said the new focus of the Tyrrell strike force would roll on, but what the public wanted was simply to know what had actually happened to William

Dr Mallett said she studied the foster parents as they delivered victim impact statements at the inquest into William's disappearance before NSW State Coroner Harriet Grahame.

While 'there are plenty of examples of crocodile tears' wept by parents who later proved to be involved in their child's disappearance, Dr Mallett saw no evidence of this in William's foster parents.

She said their emotions and grief for their lost child looked genuine and they displayed the body language of innocent people.

This included making eye contact with others in the court room when delivering their statements, and referring to William in the present tense.

Xanthe Mallett said the new police search for William Tyrrell (above) was confident and focussed but had put the foster and birth parents on an 'emotional rollercoaster'

Lindy Chamberlain was wrong convicted of killing her child Azaria but was later exonerated

Even today people falsely claim Lindy Chamberlain was guilty of killing her daughter Azaria, despite having been utterly exonerated

'To me they have always given the impression of being ... parents who have had a child taken from them,' she said.

'My impression is that they were telling the truth.

'Until there's evidence to the contrary, I don't think we should all jump to conclusions.

'There is... a formal process that we go through, the right of innocence until proven guilty.'

She said even today people falsely claimed Lindy Chamberlain was guilty of killing her daughter Azaria, despite having been utterly exonerated and paid compensation for her wrongful 1982 conviction which was overturned more than 30 years ago.

'When you are wrongly accused, your life will forever be altered. If you are wrongly accused there will always be some people who doubt, and think theres no smoke without fire.'

The criminologist said she watched the foster mother (above) deliver a victim's impact statement at the inquest and her body language was that of a genuine person

Dr Mallett said the deparure of Gary Jubelin (above, in 2018 on a search for William Tyrrell at Kendall) from the NSW Police was was a loss 'of a really great homicide detective'

Dr Mallett said although there was 'nothing accidental ' in the Tyrrell strike force actions of the last few weeks, and 'regardless of which way it goes', the public was interested in one thing.

'Everyone wants to know what happened to William. That's all that matters,' she said.

The new focus on the case had created an 'emotional rollercoaster ' for both the foster and biological parents and even if William's remains were found 'they will never get closure'.

Dr Mallett said having stood in Benaroon Drive, Kendall outside William's foster grandmother's house she did not believe he had been the victim of a pre-meditated abduction by a paedophile.

If an abductor had taken William it was 'random ... opportunistic. They (the abductor) had a reason to be there'.

Dr Mallett is the author of the book Mothers Who Murder, which examines cases of mothers wrongly accused of murdering their child, such as Lindy Chamberlain and others whose guilt has been questioned, including Keli Lane and serial killer Kathleen Folbigg.

Criminologist Xanthe Mallett, author of Mothers Who Murder, has also spoken out about the Cleo Smith case in Western Australia after the four-year-old was found alive and safe

Dr Mallett said last month police were focusing on the wrong person after naming his foster mother as a person of interest.

At the same time, former homicide detective Gary Jubelin said there was nothing to make him suspect Williams foster parents had anything to do with his disappearance.

Dr Mallett has featured on Mr Jubelin's crime podcast 'I Catch Killers' which he has worked on since leaving the NSW Police Force and being convicted of illegally recording a now-discounted Tyrrell case person of interest.

She said she believed Mr Jubelin was a loss to policing..

Ms Mallett said Gary Jubelin (above, with his defence barrister Margaret Cunneen at court) was 'deeply passionate about justice' and a loss to the police force

'I happen to think he was a really great homicide detective and a loss to the police. He is deeply passionate about justice.'

Topics often discussed by Dr Mallett according to her Twitter page include delving into 'the minds of some of the world's worst psychopaths, narcissists and sociopaths to unravel the real reasons behind their crimes'.

In March this year, Dr Mallett and Gary Jubelin caught up with crime author Duncan McNab and criminal psychologist, Tim Watson-Munro for dinner.

Mr McNab posted a photo on Twitter of the four counting Dr Mallett , Gary Jubelin and Tim Watson-Munro among the 'usual suspects' dining at Kings Cross Indian restaurant Malabar.
The announcement Australia is dumping a fleet of military helicopters adds to a line of expensive defence backflips, leaving ordinary Australians wondering how capable we are of defending ourselves as tensions with China rise.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton announced on Friday that Australia's army and navy will abandon the 47 MRH-90 Taipan helicopters and replace them with 40 US-made Black Hawks and 12 Sea Hawks.

'The Black Hawk made perfect sense, they are much cheaper to fly than what the Taipans were, the Taipans have been unreliable,' Mr Dutton told the Nine Network.

'By bringing in up to 40 new Black Hawks, it gives us a capability, we will maintain our edge in the region.'

The announcement comes at a time when the south-east Asian region is particularly unstable.

Australia's relationship with China at an all-time low following the signing of the AUKUS agreement and Mr Dutton's remarks about Australia supporting the US in any conflict with China over Taiwan.

The helicopter decision is expected to cost taxpayers $7billion, though the Defence Department had earlier estimated the total cost of the MRH-90 exercise would reach $15 billion by the time the helicopters had been due to retire in 2037.

Australia's decision to replace its fleet of MRH-90 Taipan helicopters is part of an overhaul of the Australian Defence Force as tensions rise in the south-east Asian region, where China's military force dwarfs Australia's capability

'The Taipans (above) have been unreliable,' Mr Dutton said, in a replacement exercise that will cost around $7billion

'Another huge Defence procurement disaster resulting in billions of taxpayer dollars wasted, with not one general, admiral or defence bureaucrat held to account,' Rex Patrick, independent senator and former naval officer, tweeted on Friday.

The decision comes after the controversial move to cancel a contract with France for its Attack class submarines and embrace nuclear-powered submarines via the AUKUS security agreement announced with the US and Britain.

As recently as last year, Defence Force Chief Angus Campbell had described the Taipan, first introduced to the Army in 2007 and the Navy in 2010, as 'an extraordinarily advanced helicopter that does do things that no other helicopter can do'.

In fact, the Taipans had been beset with problems for a number of years, leading to mass groundings of the fleet nine times for periods between one and three months.

Last year the Defence Department revealed that the door on the Taipans was 'too narrow' to allow its gun to fire while troops were descending out of the chopper.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton announced on Friday that Australia's army and navy will abandon the 47 MRH-90 Taipan helicopters and replace them with 40 US-made Black Hawks and 12 Sea Hawks

'Another huge Defence procurement disaster... ' Rex Patrick, independent senator and former naval officer, Tweeted on Friday

At one stage the aircraft was understood to be incapable of certain missions because it could not shut down its main engines due to problems with the on-board auxiliary power unit.

Another 27 Taipans were grounded last year to fix cabin sliding door rails.

In 2019 the entire 47-strong fleet had to be grounded because one of the Taipans had to make a precautionary landing due to issues with a tail rotor blade.

That aircraft had been on its way to pick up General Campbell when it malfunctioned and had to return.

Taipans were delivered to the Army's 6th Aviation Regiment based at Holsworthy in Sydney but were then found to be unsuitable for the special forces support role of the regiment.

'The Taipans weren't meeting their marks, it's as simple as that,' Prime Minister Morrison said about the announcement.

'In this case, sadly the Taipans didn't do what we needed them to do so we'll get the things we need to do it.'

The Defence department announced earlier this year it had been forced to spend $37 million leasing two Leonardo AW139s helicopters for use by Army A and B Squadrons of the Townsville-based 5Avn, because of the unavailability of the Taipans.

'These Taipan helicopters are just one of many defence assets with issues,' Brendan O'Connor, Labor's Shadow Minister for Defence, said in a statement to Daily Mail Australia.

'We also have the C-27J Spartan battlefield airlifters that were not fit for battle and had to be reclassified as humanitarian aircraft.

'The Future Frigates are $10 billion over budget and running years late.

'And our $3 billion Battle Management System failed cyber security tests.'

Problems also arose with the Tiger armed reconnaissance helicopters (above) the ADF acquired in 2011, which will now be replaced by 2025

In 2019 it was revealed the Defence department had maintained a closely guarded 'projects of concern' list for a decade, containing details of problematic military hardware procured by the department.

More than 25 projects had been added to the list since 2008, including the Air Warfare Destroyer project and a Deployable Defence Air Traffic Management and Control System, designed to prevent accidents between aircraft.

The list contained less serious concerns with 14 other defence systems, including amphibious ships, new air combat capability and light protected mobility vehicles.

Professor Stephan Fruhling from the ANU's Strategic and Defence Studies Centre said the decision to replace the Taipans was an attempt by the Defence department to 'cut its losses' and reduce the complexity of Australia's military helicopter fleet.

'They're spending some money to get rid of a problem that they haven't been able to solve in a decade,' Professor Fruhling told Daily Mail Australia.

'[The decision] is recognition we've engineered a force structure in helicopter aviation that was too complex for a small defence force, and there's some value in going for known design with lower operating costs.'

Professor Fruhling said when the decision was made to purchase the helicopters in the early 2000s, Australia did not appreciate how 'immature' the design was.

Similar problems also arose with the Tiger armed reconnaissance helicopters the ADF acquired in 2011. Earlier this year then Defence Minister Linda Reynolds announced the 22 Tigers would be replaced by 29 Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardians at a cost of A$4.5 billion.

Australia's Air Warfare Destroyers project (above), which delivered the HMAS Hobart in 2017, HMAS Brisbane in 2018 and HMAS Sydney in 2022, were placed on the projects of concern list in June 2014 due to increasing 'commercial, schedule and cost risks'

'There are some serious question marks around the way we decided on procurements when we acquired both of those helicopters,' Professor Fruhling said.

'It was about the same time as we tried to buy the Air Warfare Destroyers, which also ended up on the 'projects of concern' list... and there were a lot of issues about the way the government went about acquiring those.'

Professor Fruhling sees logic in the decision to buy ready-made US machines with easier access to spare parts and technical support, given the current geo-political instability in this part of the world.

'The way the international environment is going, I think we're going to see some decisions to increase the ADF force structure in coming years,' he said.

'It will be a lot easier if we are operating Black Hawks - where we buy them off the shelf - it's going to be a fleet that is much more able to be scaled up in response to strategic developments.'

'There are a number of decisions in recent weeks and months that address [our] capability that mean the ADF has a more reliable helicopter in a shorter time than they otherwise would have.

'That's a good thing because it demonstrates there's genuine effort at a political level, despite the political and financial cost, of making some of these hard decisions to put the ADF in a better space.'

Former Australian Major-General Jim Molan said recently that the ADF needed to be expanded 'significantly' to cope with a more aggressive Chinese regime.

'My estimate is that in a serious conflict the ADF only has enough missiles for days. This is not going to be resolved in days,' he said.

'We should fund defence now based on our assessment of the national security strategy which is based on the war we want to win.'

Mr Dutton's decision on the Taipans is part of a new urgency to overhaul the ADF, given the increased tensions in this part of the world.

'Defence and defence industry can no longer be satisfied with a business-as-usual mindset. Instead, they must be driven by a mission of utmost national significance and urgency,' he said at the National Press Club in November.
San Francisco's brazen crime, open drug use and trashed streets have made even the most progressive of the city's famed liberal residents demand a return to law and order as they seek to recall the woke district attorney.

News of attacks on Asian American seniors, burglarized restaurants, and boarded-up storefronts in the city's once-vibrant downtown greet the citizens of the City by the Bay on a near-daily basis.

And that was before a series of headline-grabbing crime stories in which mobs of looters smashed windows and grabbed luxury purses in the downtown Union Square shopping district.

'Theres a widespread sense that things are on the wrong track in San Francisco,' said Patrick Wolff, 53, a retired professional chess player from the Boston area who has lived in the city since 2005.

In a sign of civic frustration, San Franciscans will vote next June on whether to recall District Attorney Chesa Boudin, a former public defender elected in 2019 who critics say is too lenient on crime.

A suspect was seen running away with an armful of merchandise after stealing from a Luis Vuitton store in San Francisco's Union Square in November

Footage from the aftermath shows the glass door was shattered in the incident, and the shelves were completely empty

Many in the liberal City by the Bay blame woke District Attorney Chesa Boudin for the rise in crime. He is now facing a recall election

The move comes as residents and visitors scurry past scenes of lawlessness and squalor.

Daytime shootings in the touristy Haight-Ashbury has only exacerbated a general feeling of vulnerability.

Just steps from the Opera House and Symphony Hall, drug dealers carry translucent bags filled with crystal-like rocks or stand outside the public library's main branch, flashing wads of cash while peddling heroin and methamphetamine.

Boudin's office has only been charging people of theft in 46 percent of all cases since taking office. In comparison, his predecessor George Gascon made such charges in 62 percent of all cases in 2018 and 2019, according to city data.

Boudin has an even lower rate in petty crime and has only made charges in 35 percent of all cases, compared to Gascon's 58 percent.

Boudin has also convicted far less people of both crimes than Gascon, only convicting thieves in 79 percent of thefts and 62 percent of petty thefts. Gascon has an 82 percent conviction rate for theft and a 77 percent conviction rate for petty theft.

Overall, Boudin has charged people with crimes in 48 percent of all reported cases, while Gascon has a charging rate of 54 percent.

Boudin's supporters, though, say there's no crime surge, and that corporate wage theft is a more pressing issue than cases like that of a San Francisco woman finally arrested after stealing more than $40,000 in goods from a Target during more than 120 visits. She was released by a judge and arrested again on suspicion of shoplifting after she failed to show up to get her court-ordered ankle monitor.

'Wheres the progress? If you say youre progressive, lets get the homeless off the street, and lets get them mental health care,' said Brian Cassanego, a San Francisco native who owns the lounge where Foster works. He moved to wine country five months ago, tired of seeing dealers sell drugs with impunity and worrying about his wife being alone outside at night.

The day before he moved, Cassanego stepped out to walk his dogs and saw a man who 'looked like a zombie,' with his pants down to his knees and bleeding from where a syringe was stuck on his hip. A woman cried out nearby in shock.

'I went upstairs, and I told my wife, "Were leaving now! This city is done!" he said.

Police were parked outside a Fendi store in San Francisco amid a rise in slash and grab thefts

A police officer stood at the site of a shooting in San Francisco in early November, when two people were shot in broad daylight in the city's Haught-Ashbury neighborhood, an area that has become overrun with young homeless people

National pharmacy chain Walgreens has closed 17 of its 70 San Francisco locations in the past two years, citing shelf raiders who have swiped every kind of product not behind lock and key. The retailer claims it needs to shutter five additional stores in the city because the soft laws on shoplifting have led to rampant theft.

Walgreens insists that San Francisco's rampant crime is to blame, revealing it spends 46 times as much on security at its city stores, which face five times as many shoplifting incidents compared with those elsewhere in the country

California's Proposition 47 - lighter sentences for thieves Proposition 47 was passed by California voters on November 5, 2014. It made some 'non-violent' property crimes, where the value of the stolen goods does not exceed $950, into misdemeanors. It also made some 'simple' drug possession offenses into misdemeanors, and allows past convictions for these charges to be reduced to a misdemeanor by a court. Under California law, though, if two or more person's conspire to 'cheat and defraud any person or any property, by any means which are in themselves criminal' they can face no more than one year in county prison, a fine of $10,000 or a combination of the two. Advertisement

Reports of larceny theft - shoplifting from a person or business - are up nearly 17 percent to more than 28,000 from the same time last year, with groups of brazen looters constantly breaking into stores and grabbing everything they could get their hands on.

One of these brazen shoplifters even declared on KPIX that anti-shoplifting laws in the city are 'not very good because I've personally been able to shoplift from here with relative ease.'

Amid the crime spree, national pharmacy chain Walgreens has closed 17 of its 70 San Francisco locations in the past two years, citing shelf raiders who have swiped every kind of product not behind lock and key.

The retailer claims it needs to shutter five additional stores in the city because the soft laws on shoplifting have led to rampant theft.

Mayor London Breed disputed the company's argument, claiming that Walgreens was simply trying to slash costs and increase profits - and that retail theft was an easy scapegoat.

She recently told reporters that she thinks 'there are other factors that come into play' and San Francisco District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston tweeted that the pharmacy chain has 'long-planned to close hundreds of locations.'

But the pharmacy chain insists that San Francisco's rampant crime is to blame, revealing it spends 46 times as much on security at its city stores, which face five times as many shoplifting incidents compared with those elsewhere in the country.

Under California law, some 'non-violent' property crimes, where the value of the stolen goods does not exceed $950, into misdemeanors.

Meanwhile, requests to clean dirty streets and sidewalks are flooding the majority of calls to 311, the city's services line.

Overall, though, crime has been trending down for years. More than 45,000 incidents have been reported so far this year, up from last year when most people were shut indoors, but below the roughly 60,000 complaints in previous years.

San Francisco's well-publicized problems have served as fodder for conservative media outlets. Former President Donald Trump jumped in again recently, releasing a statement saying the National Guard should be sent to San Francisco to deter smash-and-grab robberies.

Homeless people set up camp on the side of the Tenderloin district in San Francisco

A man panhandling in a wheelchair, with open sores on his legs, makes his way past the Powell and Market Street cable car turnaround in San Francisco on December 2

Elected officials say they're grappling with deep societal pains common to any large U.S. city.

A high percentage of an estimated 8,000 homeless people in San Francisco are struggling with chronic addiction or severe mental illness, usually both. Some people rant in the streets, nude and in need of medical help. Last year, 712 people died of drug overdoses, compared with 257 people who died of COVID-19.

LeAnn Corpus, an administrative assistant who enjoys figure skating, avoids the downtown rinks and won't take her 8-year-old son there after dark because of all the open drug use. Still, the city's urban ills have crept into her Portola neighborhood far from downtown.

A homeless man set up a makeshift tent outside her home using a bike and a bed sheet, and relieved himself on the sidewalk. She called the police, who came after two hours and cleared him out, but at her aunt's home, a homeless person camped out against the backyard for six months despite attempts to get authorities to remove him.

'This city just doesnt feel the same anymore,' said Corpus, a third-generation native.

One woman, Caitlin Foster, said she once loved the people and the city's beauty, but after repeatedly clearing away used needles, other drug paraphernalia and human feces outside the bar she manages, and too many encounters with armed people in crisis, her affection for the city has soured.

'It was a goal to live here, but now I'm here and I'm like, "Where am I going to move to now?" Im over it,' she said.

A security guard kept watch outside The Real Real Store amid the rise in burglaries. Some residents have now hired private security to monitor their neighborhoods

San Francisco residents who are generally uncomfortable with government surveillance have installed security cameras and deadbolts to prevent break-ins.

More than 150 families have hired the Patrol Special Officers - who are overseen by the police commissioner - to monitor the neighborhood.

'We don't feel safe in our neighborhood,' Katie Lyons, resident of the Marina District neighborhood, told CBS San Francisco. 'We have an alarm, we have cameras on our property, but we want the extra security of having someone have eyes on our place.'

Lyons said that she, like many other residents, is cautious about walking around outside.

'Especially at night, I don't walk with a purse, I'll drive, or I'll take an Uber, and it's beginning to become a daytime problem too,' she shared.

She also said it is not uncommon for stolen property, such as emptied luggage, to be discarded right outside her home.

Residents are now starting to eye others with suspicion.

Just the other night, Joya Pramanik's husband spotted someone wearing a ski mask on what was an otherwise warm evening on their quiet street. She worried the masked man was up to no good - and it pains her to say that, since what she loves about San Francisco is its easy embrace of all types of characters.

Pramanik, a project manager who moved to the U.S. from India in her teens, cheered Trump's failed reelection bid but says she realized too late that Democratic activists have hijacked her city.

'If I say I want laws enforced, Im racist,' she said. 'Im like, "No, Im not racist. There's a reason I live in San Francisco.'"

Last year, Wolff, the retired chess player, helped launch a new political organization that aims to elect local officials focused on solving pressing problems. Families for San Francisco will elect Democrats, but it's organized outside the city's powerful Democratic Party establishment, he said.

Wolff hopes to change a civic mindset that no longer expects much in the way of basic public services.

In hip Hayes Valley, for example, business owners tired of seeing garbage strewn about and the city not doing anything to address the issue banded together to lease enclosed trash cans from a private company, said Jennifer Laska, president of the neighborhood association.

After the lease expired, the association managed to get the city to agree to buy and install new public garbage cans designed to keep trash in and pilferers out.

That was four months ago.

'"Were still struggling just to get the trash cans actually purchased,' Laska said.

In the Marina, Lloyd Silverstein, a San Francisco native and president of the Hayes Valley Merchants Association, said businesses are considering hiring security guards and installing high-definition security cameras. He rejects the idea that any one city official is to blame for the situation, and he's optimistic the city will recover.

'We have been through big earthquakes and depressions and lots of stuff, but we have a pretty good bounce-back attitude. Weve got some problems, but well fix them,' he said. 'It may just take some time.'
The 'Rust' assistant director who handed Alec Baldwin the prop gun that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins must be interviewed by state workplace safety regulators, a judge decided.

District Judge Bryan Biedscheid granted a request by the Occupational Health and Safety Bureau of the state Environment Department to issue a subpoena to Dave Halls.

Safety officials had tried to interview Halls twice, but he declined through his lawyer, citing concerns that the criminal investigation had not been completed.

Halls reportedly grabbed the gun and yelled 'cold gun' to note it was safe to use, according to search warrant reports. Although the affidavit said the gun 'was fired' by Baldwin, the actor has since said it was a misfire.

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed and director Joel Souza was wounded in the October 21 incident at the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe.

After the incident, Hall's former colleague, pyrotechnician Maggie Goll claimed that Halls never addressed weapon safety protocols in production meetings or when a firearm was to be used while working with him on a Hulu production in 2019.

Halls has said he did not know the prop gun that killed Hutchins was loaded.

Dave Halls, the production assistant for Rust, must be interviewed by state workplace safety regulators, a judge decided. Safety officials had tried to interview Halls twice, but he declined through his lawyer, citing concerns that the criminal investigation had not been completed

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins (center) was killed and director Joel Souza was wounded in the October 21 incident at the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe

According to court documents, Halls was the one who had handed Alec Baldwin the loaded gun that accidentally killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins

Safety officials have tried twice since November 2 to interview Halls but he declined both times through his lawyer and said he would not agree to an interview until a criminal investigation into the shooting was complete, according to an affidavit in the subpoena request.

The interview is needed because Halls had responsibilities for set safety, knew who was present during the shooting and had handled the gun, the application said.

Rebecca Roose, deputy cabinet secretary of the Environment Department, told the Santa Fe New Mexican that the department proposed a Tuesday interview but the judge could set another date or Halls' lawyer, Lisa Torracco, could fight the subpoena.

KOB-TV reported that Torracco told the station Halls will cooperate with state investigators.

Baldwin has said he did not know the gun contained a live round and that investigators must find out who put it in the weapon.

Complaints against Dave Halls were made by prop maker and pyrotechnician Maggie Goll after working on him on a previous production with him on Hulu in 2019 called Into the Dark.

In Goll's statement to CNN in October, she claimed that Halls never addressed weapon safety protocols in production meetings or when a firearm was to be used on the set.

Baldwin is shown after being told that Halyna had died in the hospital. He was outside the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office and had been interviewed about what happened

In October, Hall's former colleague, pyrotechnician Maggie Goll claimed that Halls never addressed weapon safety protocols in production meetings or when a firearm was to be used while working with him on Hulu's Into the Dark in 2019

Goll also said that she was told to 'watch out' for him by another crew member as Halls apparently tended to get touchy with them.

In reference to her experience on Into the Dark, Goll said she had worked with Halls between February to May of 2019 where he had neglected to hold production meetings to follow standard weapon safety protocols.

Those stipulate that any weapon being used on a set - real or fake - must be 'introduced' to the cast and the crew so that they are aware of its presence, and can follow other safety protocols.

'The only reason the crew was made aware of a weapon's presence was because the assistant prop master demanded Dave acknowledge and announce the situation each day,' Goll said in the statement.

She also added that the prop master would reprimand Halls for not acknowledging the protocol.

According to her statement, the prop master would 'announce each day when a gun would be required on camera, the disposition of that weapon --- whether it was a rubber/plastic replica, a non-firing option, or a 'cold' functional, but unloaded option, allowing anyone to inspect said weapon prior to bringing it to set and presenting it to the talent.'

'The Prop Master frequently admonished Dave for dismissing the talent without returning props, weapon included, or failing to make safety announcements.'

Meanwhile, a photograph emerged on Friday of Alec Baldwin on the set of Rust, immediately after shooting Halyna Hutchins dead.

The picture was shown on Good Morning America as the special effects coordinator from the film and another of the actors told of the harrowing moments Halyna was shot, and when they learned that she'd died by reading it in the press.

Until now, the first pictures of Baldwin after the shooting were taken in the parking lot of the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Department.

He was buckled over with grief, having just learned that she'd died, and after being grilled by investigators about how he accidentally shot her.

The new photograph was taken from behind and does not show his face. By his own recollections of the day, he didn't yet know that it was a live round that had struck Halyna, much less killed her, and was confused as to what happened.

'She goes down, I thought to myself, "Did she faint?" The notion that there was a live round in that gun did not dawn on me 'till probably 45 minutes to an hour later,' Baldwin said in an interview with ABC News last week.

He said he was in the room with her for only around 60 seconds after the shot went off and was then ushered out.

Thomas Gandy, the special effects coordinator, told Good Morning America on Friday that he was standing behind her when she fell to the ground and that she 'immediately' started bleeding 'profusely'.

Alec Baldwin is shown on the set of Rust in the immediate aftermath of the shooting that killed Halyna Hutchins. He is on the phone. It's unclear who he is sitting next to but the man to his right resembles assistant director Dave Halls, who handed him the gun

Baldwin, 63, insists it was a misfire and that he did not pull the trigger. Gandy did not speak to that in his interview with Good Morning America on Friday morning. He however told of the 'bedlam' that came after everyone realized she had been struck.

'Immediately, you can hear the bedlam going off inside this building. People were scrambling, running. No one even thought that it might have been a real bullet.

'Halyna had her back to me directly, she was wearing, I'll never forget, a sort of silvery, shiny coat. There was a hole in it and immediately, bleeding. Bleeding profusely.

'Right then, like I said, that's when it got real and still not even knowing Joel poor guy is writhing. We don't even know he's been shot through the chest at that point,' he said.

He was referring to Joel Souza, the director who was shot in the shoulder but recovered. Halyna died in the hospital afterwards.

His description of what happened is far more graphic than Baldwin's, who said he first thought Halyna might have had a 'heart attack' or 'fainted' when she fell to the ground.

Special effects coordinator Thomas Gandy told GMA that Halyna started bleeding 'immediately and profusely' when she wa shot and that the bullet 'left a hole in her coat'

Baldwin is shown sitting on the set next to a fire and a long rifle in the days before he accidentally shot Hutchins

Halyna Hutchins is shown on the set of Rust in the days before she was killed. She was described by cast and crew as being at the 'heart' of the production

The actor and his wife Hilaria - who has argued with reporters and photographers for confronting them since the shooting - were seen last week in New York City to attend their first public event since the tragedy.

Baldwin, who has cooperated with police and who says he does not think he will be criminally charged, posted an open letter written by several of the crew on Instagram on Thursday to squash descriptions of the set as 'chaotic' or 'exploitative.'

Gandy. the special effects coordinator, is among those who signed the letter.

It says: 'This letter is written on behalf of the cast and crew of the film production, Rust. It has not been sanctioned or influenced in any way by the producers.

'We, the undersigned, believe the public narrative surrounding our workplace tragedy to be inadequate and wish to express a more accurate account of our experience.

Baldwin was back on stage on Thursday night at the RFK Ripple of Hope Gala, where he was the host. He didn't mention the tragedy but said he was glad to be out of the house

Baldwin and wife Hilaria are shown leaving their Manhattan apartment after Hilaria took to Instagram to complain about media attention

'We are hurting for the loss of our friend and colleague Halyna Hutchins. We are hurting for our friends that have been targeted by the public as they themselves grieve.

'Unfortunately, in the film industry, it is common to work on unprofessional or hectic productions.

'Rust was not one of them. Rust was professional. The descriptions of Rust as a chaotic, dangerous and exploitative workplace are false and distract from what matters the most: the memory of Halyna Hutchins.'

Baldwin was hosting a human rights event last night.

He joked on the podium about wanting to get out of his home where he lives with Hilaria and their six children, telling the crowd: 'I would do anything to get out of the house for 30 minutes.'
A fake video claiming to show Jacinda Ardern smoking crack is being circulated on social media by people opposed to New Zealand's impending cigarette ban.

The doctored clip - known as a 'deep fake' - shows a woman who looks very similar to the prime minister puffing from a pipe with long acrylic nails.

In a split screen, the top video shows Ms Ardern discussing issues such as homelessness and mental health at a 2019 event hosted by Bill Gates.

The bottom half appears to show her smoking, with text superimposed on the clip reading 'Crack pipe?' and 'Such a role model'.

A deep fake video claims to show New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern smoking either crack or cannabis, depending on which version you see

Facebook has tagged the video with a warning saying: 'False information Checked by independent fact-checkers.'

But the video was also widely shared on other platforms, such as YouTube, Twitter and Instagram.

It was created by a YouTube channel called Genuine Fake, which makes 'deep fake' videos based on New Zealand politicians and celebrities.

Despite the giveaway name of the creator, some people were all too willing to believe the clip was real.

'Hmmmm that's worry. Whatever it is she certainly knows her way around it,' wrote one person.

'Explains why she's looking so old these days,' added another.

Jacinda Ardern (pictured) has just introduced legislation that aims to end smoking in New Zealand

Though the 'crack smoking' video has been around for more than a year - it was initially titled 'Jacinda Ardern Smokes Cannabis' - it has gained popularity in the past week after Ms Ardern revealed that New Zealand is going to phase out smoking in the coming decades.

People who are aged 14 and under today will never be legally able to buy tobacco.

The new legislation means the legal smoking age will increase every year, to create a smoke-free generation of New Zealanders.

The government announced the rising age alongside other measures to make smoking unaffordable and inaccessible, to try to reach its goal of making the country smoke-free by 2025.

Other measures include lowering the legal amount of nicotine in tobacco products, vastly reducing the number of outlets where cigarettes could legally be sold, and increasing funding to addiction services.

New Zealands daily smoking rates have been steadily falling  down to 11.6 per cent in 2018, from 18 per cent a decade earlier.

But smoking rates for Maori and people from Pacific Islands background were much higher  29 per cent for Maoria and 18 per cent for Pacific Islanders.
A student has narrowly avoided moving into a 'haunted' property in Sydney after she applied to rent a townhouse where a woman lay dead for eight years before being found.

The woman explained on TikTok she was looking for a place to rent near the CBD and was impressed by the newly renovated property available for $900 a week.

'Why are the only houses that I can get haunted?' she captioned the clip.

TikTok user emdeebs uploaded a video recounting the tale of her rental search (pictured) but said after she found out about the townhouse's past she will be withdrawing her application

She explained she applied for the house in Surry Hills, in the city's inner south, because it had three bedrooms and was 'super renovated'.

'All the bedrooms were a good size. Living and kitchens areas were good and I was like "sweet",' she said.

But then she searched the address online and accidentally clicked on the 'news tab'.

'I found out that a woman died in the house and was dead for eight years before they found her,' she said.

'Soo I think I'm going to remove my application.'

The house at 139 Kippax Street is the former residence of Natalie Wood who became known as 'the woman Sydney forgot'.

The townhouse was derelict (pictured) when the skeleton of Natalie Wood was found in one of the bedrooms by police in 2011 after she died in 2003

Residents of the street said the 'neatly dressed' elderly woman had a reputation for being reclusive, although she would often sit on the porch and wave to neighbours when she lived in the house in the 1990s.

In December 2003, Ms Wood, who was now in her late 70s, stopped appearing on the porch. The grass and shrubs in her yard became overgrown and the townhouse fell into disrepair.

Yet nobody stopped to check if she was OK.

It wasn't until eight years later in July 2011 that police found her remains - nothing more than a skeleton - by her bed.

The house had become derelict with paint peeling, mould covering the walls, cans of coffee and condensed milk found long past their use by dates, and part of the ceiling caving in.

How she had not been missed by her neighbours, relatives, The City of Sydney who billed her rates, or Centrelink who paid her pension was the subject of a coronial inquiry.

The townhouse in newly renovated with the TikTok user saying she was impressed to find such a good property to rent in inner Sydney (pictured)

Authorities said her cause of death might never be determined because her body had been left for so long.

Distant relatives surfaced after she was found and made claims on her estate - nearly $80,000 in cash and the townhouse worth about $800,000.

Residents on the street left flowers outside the woman's house.

'I always thought the house was derelict,' one neighbour said.

'It's terribly sad she was there so long, I was not surprised, though. People lead such busy lives,' another said.

Ms Wood was born in 1924 and lived at 139 Kippax Street as a child.

She moved away briefly at the age of 20 to Melbourne after she got married, but the union only lasted five years and she returned to the property.

Some relatives wanted her to move to a nursing home in her later years, but she was adamant that she would stay in the townhouse.

The three bedroom townhouse is available to rent for $900 a week (pictured)

Her remains were laid to rest at Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park.

Some viewers replied on the TikTok clip saying they had also rented the house.

'I just moved out of this house, Natalie was great company,' a viewer said.

'I moved in and five days later my housemates told me. We didn't stay too long,' another admitted.

'I lived here two years ago and got her room. Never heard from her so it's safe,' another said.

'Real estate agent here, we're required by law to tell you something like this,' a fourth added.
Kamala Harris needs to stop playing at politics and start performing the duties required of a vice president if she has any chance of raising her paltry poll numbers, a new op-ed in the Wall Street Journal says.

Conservative columnist Peggy Noonan offered VP Harris some advise on how to make a comeback from a recent string of negative press that has lead to record-low polling numbers in her latest WSJ op-ed titled 'Kamala Harris Needs to Get Serious.'

Noonan, a former speechwriter for President Ronald Reagan, said that Harris loves the 'politics of politics too much' instead of actually having a passion for any particular policy.

'She came from a generation of California Democrats who never even had to meet a Republican, so great was their electoral dominance,' Noonan wrote. 'It was too easy for them. She only had to speak Democrat, only had to know how they think and put together party coalitions. But half or more of the country is conservative or Republican. She never had to develop the broad political talents to talk to them too.'

Noonan pointed to recent polling that found that 39 percent of likely U.S. voters held a favorable opinion of the veep, which was two points lower than her 41 percent standing in August.

Conservative columnist Peggy Noonan said that Harris (pictured) loves the 'politics of politics too much' instead of actually having a passion for any particular policy

Conservative Peggy Noonan (pictured) offered VP Harris some advise on how to recover from weak polling in her new WSJ op-ed 'Kamala Harris Needs to Get Serious'

The Rasmussen Reports study from earlier this month found hat 57 percent of likely voters view Harris unfavorably, including 50 percent of voters who view her very unfavorably.

Additionally, only 23 percent of those surveyed said they believed she was very qualified to step in and become president of the United States, with another 17 percent calling her somewhat qualified.

Almost half, 46 percent, said she wasn't qualified at all to be president.

Noonan's op-ed suggested Harris should 'come to terms' with the often times unglamorous responsibilities of being vice president, instead of always looking to further her own political prospects.

'We face grave challenges - China, Russia, the endurance of the American economy,' Noonan wrote. 'Who leads us matters. Ms. Harris should set her mind primarily on the deep and profound responsibilities of the job she may have to fill. She should do this as an act of will. Only secondarily should she be thinking about her political prospects.'

'She seems to have the order confused,' she added. 'And when that is true everybody can tell.'

Noonan said the reports of a 'dysfunctional' office have left people uneasy, referring to the damaging Washington Post expose from earlier this month where a former staffer labeled the VP a 'bully.'

'It's clear that you're not working with somebody who is willing to do the prep and the work,' a former colleague told the paper, adding: 'With Kamala you have to put up with a constant amount of soul-destroying criticism and also her own lack of confidence, so you're constantly sort of propping up a bully and it's not really clear why.'

The Post story was published amid confirmed departures of Harris' communications director Ashley Etienne and chief spokesperson Symone Sanders, who is expected to leave by the end of the year.

Peter Velz, director of press operations, and Vince Evans, deputy director of the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs, have both told others in the vice president's office that they are also leaving, two administration officials told the Washington Post.

Noonan also slammed Harris, who took on the role of 'border czar' for the White House, for seeming 'unprepared, unfocused - unserious' during her visit to Guatemala and Mexico in June.

Symone Sanders (left), Harris' senior adviser and chief spokesperson, will leave the White House by the end of the this month. Her departure comes after Ashley Etienne (right), Harris' former communications director, left last month

White House press secretary Jen Psaki suggested in an interview for Politico's Women Rule series last month that Harris received more criticism thanks to her status as a woman and a woman of color.

'I do think it's been easier and harsher from some on the right-wing who have gone after her because she is the first woman, the first woman of color,' Psaki said.

But according to Noonan, Harris' race and gender is not why she is under the microscope, but because she is a heartbeat away from the presidency.

'The reason people watch Ms. Harris so closely isn't that she's a woman of color or a breakthrough figure, but that she could become president at any moment the next three years,' she wrote.

Last month, Harris hit back at claims she is being misused as vice president, saying she doesn't feel like she's being underutilized by Biden and dismissed her low approval ratings, which plummeted to 28% in a USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll of registered voters earlier this month.

'Polls, they go up, they go down,' Harris said. 'But I think what is most important is that we remain consistent with what we need to do to deal with the issues that we're presented with at this moment.'

Both Harris and Biden have vehemently denied that there is any tension between them, denying reports that are mostly based on the accounts of anonymous staffers.

The White House went full throat with their defense of her after a CNN report claimed Biden was distancing himself from Harris because of her sliding poll numbers, while the vice president is said to have felt isolated and frustrated with being given some of the most difficult issues for the administration in her portfolio.

White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain tweeted Harris is an 'incredible leader' and Psaki argued Harris receives more criticism because of her status as a woman of color.

Harris is the country's first female vice president and the first vice president of color.

The president has publicly said he intends to run again, although pundits say that announcing he intends to step down after a single term would turn him into a lame duck leader.

But there has been anonymous chatter among Democrats that, if he does, he should consider replacing Harris.

There's additional speculation that if he doesn't run again, Harris would not be the strongest contender to replace him. Some have suggested Buttigieg would be a better candidate for the nomination.

A recent Politico/Morning Consult poll showed the transportation secretary with a higher favorability rating than both Biden and Harris  whom he led by 12 points.
Queensland health officials have vowed to keep the Sunshine State open for Christmas despite the worrying detection of the Omicron variant in the state.

In welcome news for families separated interstate, Queensland is due to ease border restrictions from 1am on Monday, four days earlier than previously scheduled.

Fully vaccinated travellers arriving from states considered hotspots like NSW, ACT and Victoria will not be required to quarantine under certain conditions.

It comes as the Sunshine State records seven local cases of coronavirus in the last two days in the midst of a growing Omicron crisis.

All of the new community cases have been detected in areas on the Gold Coast where vaccination levels are below those recorded in Brisbane.

In welcome news for families separated interstate, Queensland is due to ease border restrictions on 1am on Monday (pictured, a family is reunited at Brisbane Airport)

The Sunshine State records seven local cases of coronavirus in the last two days in the midst of a growing Omicron crisis (pictured, pedestrians in Brisbane in October)

Queensland ministers have constantly warned the state's relatively few cases of Covid would spike once the border restrictions ended.

However, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said it was important to reunite families ahead of the festive season as her state finally reopens.

Travellers who have spent time in Covid hotspots in the last two weeks may travel to Queensland by road or air if they are fully vaccinated.

They must present a negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours of arriving in the Sunshine State and get tested on day five of their stay.

However, under the new rules they will not be required to quarantine.

For travellers arriving from Australian states not considered hotspots there are currently no restrictions or quarantine time required.

Travellers who have spent time in Covid hotspots in the last two weeks may travel to Queensland by road or air if they are fully vaccinated (pictured, travellers arrive in Brisbane)

Queensland ministers have constantly warned that the state's relatively few cases of Covid would spike once the border restrictions ended (pictured, a Brisbane student is vaccinated)

Queensland residents or those permanently moving to the state who don't meet the criteria must arrive by air and undergo hotel quarantine for two weeks.

Those arriving in Queensland from overseas must land in Brisbane International Airport and be an Australian citizen or permanent resident, or an immediate family member accompanying one.

International arrivals must be fully vaccinated, return a negative Covid test within 72 hours of their departure and quarantine at home for two weeks within a two hour drive of the airport.

Anyone else residing at the home during the isolation period must also quarantine for two weeks and have had at least one dose of a Covid vaccine.

For overseas travellers to arrive in the Sunshine State via another state or territory they must be fully vaccinated.

They must also quarantine under the state's current rules under the direction of another jurisdiction, either at home or a government-run facility.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (pictured) said it was important to reunite families ahead of the festive season as the state finally reopens to the rest of the world

If international arrivals come to Australia via hotspot they will be required to quarantine for two weeks in Queensland (pictured, people relax at Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast)

If international arrivals land in Australia via a hotspot they will be required to quarantine for two weeks in Queensland.

However, if the arrival transits through an airport from a hotspot they are considered to have arrived directly in Queensland.

For interstate travel, residents are not required to provide a negative test result if travelling between Queensland and NSW.

Those entering the NSW border zone must only remain in the southern state for as long as needed to do that activity.

However, those that are fully vaccinated and travelling between Queensland and the non-restricted NSW border zone are not subject to this rule.

Ms Palaszczuk earlier this week announced travellers no longer needed to wait a fortnight to be considered fully vaccinated with one week now sufficient (pictured, voters in Brisbane)

Residents are not required to provide a negative Covid test result if they are travelling between Queensland and NSW (pictured, travellers from Sydney arrive in Brisbane in November)

Ms Palaszczuk earlier this week announced travellers no longer needed to wait a fortnight to be considered fully vaccinated.

The Queensland premier said one week is sufficient as the state braces itself to reopen borders and learn to live alongside the virus.

The new cases detected in the state covered Broadbeach, Mermaid Beach, Mermaid Waters and Mudgeeraba on the Gold Coast, with more contact sites expected.

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said health authorities did not yet know the level of transmission on the Gold Coast and recommended residents wear masks indoors.

'We can assume there is likely to be transmission happening across the Gold Coast,' Ms D'Ath warned.

'The number of cases in Queensland is going to go up, not down, so get vaccinated today. It's a huge wake-up call for the Gold Coast.'

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath (pictured) said health authorities did not yet know the level of transmission on the Gold Coast and encouraged residents to wear masks indoors

As of Friday, 87.9 per cent of Queenslanders had now received a first dose of a Covid vaccine, with 80.11 per cent of people now double-dosed (pictured, a Brisbane man is vaccinated)

'The number of cases in Queensland is going to go up, not down, so get vaccinated today. It's a huge wake-up call for the Gold Coast.'

Meanwhile, WA Premier Mark McGowan announced Queensland will be elevated from a 'very low risk' to a 'low risk' jurisdiction from 12.01am on Monday.

Mr McGowan pointed to the community transmission that has popped up in the state and the reopening of borders with areas deemed Covid hotspots.

This means Queensland travellers must be fully vaccinated, test negative and complete 14 days' quarantine on arrival in WA.

As of Friday, 87.9 per cent of eligible Queenslanders had now received a first dose of a Covid vaccine, with 80.11 per cent of people now fully vaccinated.
Friends and relatives pleaded for Maxwell to be granted bail while awaiting trial

asked the court to allow some defence witnesses to withhold their real names

One of her lawyers has

Friends and family of alleged 'madam' Ghislaine Maxwell have asked to remain anonymous if they testify in her defence.

Maxwell, who could face an 80-year prison sentence if found guilty of six sex trafficking charges, will begin the 'fight for her life' in New York on Thursday when her lawyers launch her defence case.

The socialite stands accused of procuring women and underage girls for the billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. She vehemently denies the charges.

Maxwell, who could face an 80-year prison sentence if found guilty of six sex trafficking charges, will begin the 'fight for her life' in New York on Thursday when her lawyers launch her defence case

The prosecution rested its case on Friday after calling Annie Farmer, who testified that she was fondled and abused by Maxwell when she was 14.

Christian Everdell, a lawyer representing Maxwell, asked the court to allow some defence witnesses to withhold their real names, as they had requested, saying: 'People who testify might get a lot of unwanted attention, especially if they are testifying on behalf of Ms Maxwell'.

Judge Alison Nathan said she would consider the request.

During several bail hearings, Maxwell's friends and relatives wrote anonymously to the court pleading for her to be granted bail and vouching for her good character.

Annie Farmer, one of the four accusers in Ghislaine Maxwell's sex trafficking trial took the stand on Friday. Farmer, who is the only accuser in the case to testify under her real name, described meeting the late pedophile in New York in 1996 when she was 16. She told how Epstein brought her to his ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico where she met Maxwell

A lawyer associated with the case said: 'People's lives have been destroyed by having their names linked to Ghislaine's.

'She would support any move to protect those prepared to speak on her behalf. She is innocent and determined to prove it but is anxious no more lives and reputations are ruined.'

The defence is expected to last two or three days, which means the case could go to the jury before Christmas. Maxwell's lawyers fear jurors might then rush to deliver a verdict before the holidays.

It has still not been decided if Maxwell will testify in her own defence. A source said: 'Ghislaine is willing to take the stand. She is prepared to face the jury and fight for her life.'
NSW has recorded 485 new Covid-19 cases and two deaths as the caseload dips following two consecutive days of more than 500 infections.

The state had on Saturday recorded the highest number of cases since October 9, two days before lockdown lifted, and the second in a row with more than 500 cases.

In Victoria, there have been 1,069 new Covid infections and two virus-related deaths. This marks the seventh consecutive day Victoria has recorded more than 1,000 virus cases.

The state is now managing almost 11,400 active coronavirus cases. There are 310 Covid patients in Victorian hospitals, 74 of them in intensive care and 37 who require ventilation.

NSW's double-dose vaccination rate of those aged over 16 is 93.1 per cent. In Victoria, 92 per cent are fully vaccinated among those aged 12 and over

The total number of deaths in Victoria since the pandemic began stands at 1,416.

In NSW, 90,804 tests were recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm on Saturday, while 67,300 results were processed in Victoria.

The double-dose vaccination rate of those aged over 16 in NSW has reached 93.1 per cent. In Victoria, 92 per cent are fully vaccinated among those aged 12 and over.

As of Saturday evening, 156 people were in hospital with the virus in NSW, 23 of them in intensive care.

Genomic testing into additional Omicron cases continues with the state tally up to 45 as of Saturday.

The wait time to receive a Covid booster will be cut from six months to five in a bid to combat the spread of the new variant.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt says data from Israel shows booster jabs lead to reductions in infection rates and deaths.

Omicron is also a concern in Victoria, with authorities responding to three existing Omicron infections on Saturday.

'One of the positive cases is a returned traveller who was previously identified with the Omicron variant while in hotel quarantine,' the health department said.

'The other two positive Omicron cases sat together in the same row on a flight that landed in Melbourne from Dubai on 30 November.

'A third person who also sat in the same row has tested positive for Covid and genomic sequencing is under way to confirm the variant.'

Health authorities have expressed concerns over the spread of Covid-19 at gatherings over Christmas

Health authorities also remain concerned Christmas celebrations are driving a spike in cases and are urging caution.

'Clearly we have seen a number of outbreaks recently across Sydney,' NSW Health's Dr John Hall said on Saturday.

'We reiterate just how important it is for people to not attend social functions if they have any symptoms, even if mild.'

NSW Health is already battling to contain several large transmission events.

A trivia night at a Sydney pub sparked a new cluster of cases, with at least 46 patrons testing positive to the virus after attending the Oxford Tavern in Petersham on November 30.

Authorities are also concerned about 140 passengers who embarked on a Sydney Harbour cruise earlier in the month which has so far resulted in at least five cases of the Omicron variant.
A secretive unit within US Customs and Border Patrol peered into the personal and financial records of government staff, nonprofit workers and up to 20 journalists from outlets like the New York Times and the Associated Press.

Some of the searches were part of a probe into media leaks during the Trump administration. One investigation, dubbed 'Operation Whistle Pig' in reference to a brand of whiskey, ensnared a Senate staffer who was having an affair with a reporter.

'When a name comes across your desk, you run it through every system you have access to, that's just status quo, that's what everyone does,' CBP agent Jeffrey Rambo told the department's inspector general in a 500-page report obtained by Yahoo News and published Saturday.

Earlier this year, a prosecutor declined to press charges against Rambo, who continues to work for CBP.

News of the searches spurred immediate backlash from media outlets and privacy advocates. CBP says its actions were governed by 'well-established protocols.'

A secretive unit at Customs and Border Protection ran searches on journalists, nonprofit workers and government staff with little accountability, Yahoo News reports

Jeffrey Rambo, above, was a CBP agent who was assigned to the Counter Network Division in 2017. It was there that he and others ordered various searches on US citizens

Among those searched was New York Times reporter Ali Watkins, a national security reporter who was having an affair with a senior Senate staffer

Ariana Huffington, founder of the Huffington Post, was found to have ties to a bloated terrorist watchlist that experts say is unreliable due to its low standards of inclusion

'For two decades, we've seen how the collect-it-all, share-it-all philosophy underlying post-9/11 law enforcement floods agencies with sensitive personal information on millions of Americans,' said Hugh Handeyside, a senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties National Security Project.

'When agencies give their employees access to this ocean of information, especially without training or rigorous oversight, the potential for abuse goes through the roof.'

Agent Rambo was sent to the CBP's National Targeting Center in 2017. The center was created after the September 11 attacks to identify potential threats crossing the US border.

He was then assigned to the newly created Counter Network Division, which was designed as a bridge between law enforcement and the intelligence community, according to Yahoo News.

It was there that, under the direction of supervisor Dan White and with the help of program analyst Charlie Ratliff, he ordered various searches, running the names of prominent journalists through terrorist watchlists and other databases.

In May 2017, Rambo and a co-worker began reaching out to reporters who could help identify companies that were importing goods linked to forced labor.

'We are hoping to connect with subject matter experts outside of the traditional government circles as your "rules of engagement" are a bit different than ours and can perhaps help in pointing us in the right direction to U.S. companies that meet such criteria or are suspected of such, Rambo told Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Martha Mendoza in an email dated May 31, 2017, according to Yahoo News.

White later told investigators that Mendoza was run through multiple databases and that 'CBP discovered that one of the phone numbers on Mendozas phone was connected with a terrorist.'

Reporters for the New York Times were among those caught in CBP's web of searches. A NYT spokeswoman said the outlet was 'deeply troubled' by the revelations

An AP spokeswoman demanded an 'immediate explanation ... as to why journalists including ... reporter Martha Mendoza were run through databases used to track terrorists'

A former senior official at the Department of Homeland Security questioned the agency's work on forced labor - the alleged initial investigation that snowballed into one about media leaks - and said that CBP 'does not have the authorities to do those kinds of things.'

Nevertheless, the investigation somehow ballooned into one about government leaks to the media, which wrapped up Ali Watkins, a young reporter who was then working for Politico and was in a relationship with James Wolfe, a much older man who was the head of security for the Senate Select Intelligence Committee.

Rambo came across her reporting and reached out to arrange a meeting with her regarding his ongoing investigation into forced labor.

Before he did that, he searched her on a number of databases, including CBPs Automated Targeting System, which compares travelers against law enforcement and intelligence data; TECS, which tracks people entering and leaving the country; the Treasury Department's FinCEN, which searches for financial crimes; and the State Department's consular database, which hosts passport application details, according to Yahoo News.

'When you say vet someone, you vet them. There's no parameters on what that means,' Rambo told Yahoo in an interview. 'Vet the reporters you use,' Rambo recalls being told by his boss , '"Vet them through our systems." I vet them no different than I vet a terrorist.'

Rambo reached out to Watkins, left, about an investigation into forced labor. He searched her travel logs and found she'd been jet-setting with James Wolfe, a senior Senate staffer, right

Wolfe, above in June 2018, was eventually sentenced to two months in prison after he was convicted of lying to the FBI about his relationship with reporters

Watkins has condemned CBP's searches into her personal life. 'Those mistakes were mine, not my familys, and that their privacy was violated in this process is egregious,' she told Yahoo

During those searches, he came across travel logs showing that Watkins, then a rising star in national security journalism, took various trips with Wolfe, who was married and 30 years her senior.

They went to Cancun, London and Spain together, according to the inspector general report.

Rambo reached out to Watkins' family to see if Wolfe was related to her. That's when he found out he was a senior Capitol Hill staffer instead.

'Its reasonable for me to believe in exchange for personal trips she was given access to Guantanamo,' Rambo told Yahoo. He says that White, his boss, encouraged him to fully 'vet' Watkins.

Rambo sent her an email from a dummy account. Afterward, they had an hours-long meeting in which Rambo, who showed up under a pseudonym, warned her about Wolfe: 'Dont travel together.'

The investigation into Watkins and Wolfe's relationship developed a name, Operation Whistle Pig, based on the whiskey brand that Rambo ordered when he met Watkins at a speakeasy in Washington, DC.

'After "Operation Whistle Pig" was approved, Rambo identified 15 to 20 national security reporters and conducted CBP records checks of those reporters,' the FBI concluded.

Watkins, who now works at the New York Times, would later deny that Wolfe was ever a source in her reporting.

In December 2018, Wolfe was sentenced to two months in prison and was ordered to pay a $7,00 fine for lying to the FBI about his relationship with reporters, according to USA Today.

Rambo's unusual investigation methods appear to have been par for the course at the secretive unit.

Rambo's supervisor Dan White called his CBP team 'WOLF,' short for 'way out in left field.' He even told investigators, 'We are pushing the limits and so there is no norm, there is no guidelines, we are the ones making the guidelines.'

Government officials, congressional members and their staff and NGO workers were among the groups of people caught in various invasive searches over the years.

'There is no specific guidance on how to vet someone,' Rambo told investigators. 'In terms of policy and procedure, to be 100 percent frank there, there's no policy and procedure on vetting.'

White admitted that Ratliff regularly investigated congressional staffers' travel, Yahoo reports.

'White stated that when Congressional "Staffers" schedule flights, the numbers they use get captured and analyzed by CBP,' the inspector general report says.

He told investigators that Ratliff 'does this all the time' to look for 'inappropriate contacts between people.'

The lack of specific rules prohibiting this kind of sleuthing went on to save Rambo, White and Ratliff from any charges.

In October 2020, the CBP's inspector general referred the trio to Mark Lytle, the head of financial crimes at the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, for potential criminal charges. Lytle declined to prosecute them in January, citing, 'the lack of CBP policies and procedures concerning Rambos duties.'

Handeyside, the ACLU attorney, told Yahoo News: 'Were in a very dangerous place if having no rules means officers can't break any rules.'

AP reporter Martha Mendoza's name was run through a terrorist watchlist by CBP, an agency official told investigators

Rambo told investigators: 'There is no specific guidance on how to vet someone. In terms of policy and procedure, to be 100% frank there, there's no policy and procedure on vetting'

News outlets were quick to condemn Saturday's revelations that CBP routinely searched the personal and financial records of journalists and other people.

'The Associated Press demands an immediate explanation from US Customs and Border Protection as to why journalists including AP investigative reporter Martha Mendoza were run through databases used to track terrorists and identified as potential confidential informant recruits,' AP spokeswoman Lauren Easton told Yahoo.

'We are deeply concerned about this apparent abuse of power. This appears to be an example of journalists being targeted for simply doing their jobs, which is a violation of the First Amendment.'

New York Times spokeswoman Danielle Rhoades Ha said the newspaper was 'deeply troubled' to learn of the searches. Watkins, who was at Politico when she was approached by Rambo, now works at the Times.

'As the Attorney General has said clearly, the government needs to stop using leak investigations as an excuse to interfere with journalism. It is time for Customs and Border Protection to make public a full record of what happened in this investigation so this sort of improper conduct is not repeated,' Rhoades Ha told Yahoo.

Watkins, a target of the CBP's searches herself, also spoke out about.

'Im deeply troubled at the lengths CBP and DHS personnel apparently went to try and identify journalistic sources and dig into my personal life,' she told Yahoo. 'It was chilling then, and it remains chilling now.

'My mistakes - none of which should have concerned Jeffrey Rambo or the CBP - have been more than clearly established in various records, including my employers. Those mistakes were mine, not my familys, and that their privacy was violated in this process is egregious.'

Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington was another media figure caught in CBP's web of searches.

Ratliff, the secretive unit's program analyst, ran Watkins' name through the Terrorist Screening Database, which has more than a million names. She didn't come up, but one of her contacts did.

'Oh.and the Huffington Post owner was/is a direct contact to a TSDB on 3 phones and 1 email. LoL,' Ratliff wrote in one email to White.

A spokesperson for Huffington says she is 'completely unclear what her connection to the watchlist is.' Handeyside, of the ACLU, says the standard for getting on the list is 'so low, and the safeguards against errors and misplaced suspicion are so deficient, that its no wonder the watchlist has ballooned to well over a million people.'

CBP defended its actions in a statement to Yahoo.

'CBP vetting and investigatory operations, including those conducted by the Counter Network Division, are strictly governed by well-established protocols and best practices,' a spokesperson said in a statement.

Rambo, who sat down with Yahoo to tell his side of the story, criticized the outlet's reporting on Saturday, calling it 'sensationalized'

Rambo still works at CBP and runs a coffee shop in San Diego, where he says he's been targeted with posters featuring his photo and QR codes that lead to articles about him

'The Counter Network Division within US Customs and Border Protections (CBP) National Targeting Center (NTC) shares information with key partners, analyze threats, and enhances the U.S. governments operational ability to combat illicit networks, including those associated with terrorists and transnational criminal organizations.

'CBP does not investigate individuals without a legitimate and legal basis to do so. These investigations support CBPs mission to protect our communities.'

After prosecutors declined to bring charges against Rambo, he was taken off administrative leave and and returned to work as a CBP agent.

He now runs a coffee shop, Storymakers Coffee Roasters, in the Barrio Logan section of San Diego.

In the tight-knight Hispanic community, he's found posters identifying him as a CBP agent tied to telephone poles outside his business. Some had a QR code linking to articles about him.

'What none of these articles identify me as, is a law enforcement officer who was cleared of wrongdoing, who actually had a true purpose to be doing what I was doing,' Rambo said, 'and CBP refuses to acknowledge that, refuses to admit that, refuses to make that wrong right.'

Rambo took to his Instagram stories to dismiss Yahoo's 'sensationalized' reporting on Saturday, claiming that the news outlet made him look like a 'made-for-Netflix series character.'
Millions of thirtysomethings will be offered their booster vaccine from tomorrow  as Covid rates in the age group start to rise.

Invitations will start going out to 7.5million people aged 30 to 39 across England, with almost half of them immediately eligible to book ahead for an appointment.

And the NHS is preparing to vaccinate children as young as five years old, leaked documents have revealed.

The NHS England papers are believed to say that parental consent will be needed to vaccinate five to 11-year-olds once plans are approved by regulators.

They also state that the environment in which primary school children are given the Covid-19 jab must be 'age appropriate', according to The Times.

The documents reportedly said the vaccination process should be 'plotted through the eyes of a child' in a bid to reassure younger patients.

It comes after SAGE experts have warned that Britain's recent surge in Covid cases is now being driven by children.

There have been at least two confirmed outbreaks of the new super-mutant Omicron strain in English primary schools.

Omicron cases in Britain rose by 50 per cent today, data revealed as Government scientists warned the variant could cause nearly 2,500 daily hospitalisations this winter and tougher measures will be needed to deal with it

Some 663 new cases of the strain were detected across the UK, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said, up from the 448 recorded yesterday. It takes the country's total to 1,898, although experts suggest the true number is much higher

The mass rollout of the Covid jab for 12 to 15-year-olds began in England in September, with just 44 per cent having been vaccinated since. Children aged 12-17 are being offered two Pfizer doses 12 weeks apart.

What are the risks of Covid and vaccines to five-year-olds? Covid Most children only experience mild symptoms after being infected with Covid. Just one in 300,000 children who test positive for Covid die, according to UK Government data. And the risk of being hospitalised and getting admitted to ICU is similarly low. But the risk is higher to children with serious underlying conditions. The JCVI has yet to release its updated guidance on vaccinating children aged 11 and under. But its latest advice on recommending first jabs to over-12s suggested one Pfizer dose only prevents 131 hospital admissions per million 12-15-year-olds. And second doses only prevent nine hospital admissions for every million dished out to the age group. The figures are likely to be less for five- to eleven-year-old, who are less vulnerable to the virus. Vaccines Myocarditis  an ultrarare form of heart inflammation  is the main side effect of the Pfizer vaccine that concerns experts. Data shows the risk is slightly higher in adolescents than adults, particularly in boys. The JCVI has not released data on how many cases are expected in children aged five to 11 but studies show children in younger age groups are less at risk than teenagers. It found myocarditis cases in between 2.6 to 17.7 per million first vaccine doses in children aged 12 to 15. And the condition was found in between 20.9 to 42.2 children in the age group per million second doses dished out. Advertisement

Britain has been slower than other countries in vaccinating children, as the European Medicines Agency approved use of the Pfizer jab at one-third strength for five to 11-year-olds on November 25.

The US also approved the vaccine for use in primary school children last month, but a mere 17 per cent have so far been given the jab.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is currently 'moving at pace' to approve vaccines in the age group, with a decision expected next week.

And the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) 'won't hang around' on recommending No10 starts dishing them out across the country, one member claimed.

Vaccinating very young children still makes many scientists uneasy due to the vanishingly low risk posed to them.

Their concerns are amplified due to the slight risk of myocarditis  an ultra-rare form of heart inflammation spotted in some young people after they are jabbed.

It comes after Professor John Edmunds, an epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, called for jabs for five to 11-year-olds 'as soon as possible'.

Speaking at Royal Society of Medicine event today, Professor Edmunds said: 'We've, had a large number of cases over the last few months, and unfortunately high numbers of hospitalisations and 100 to 150 deaths a day.

'I'm not saying all of that has been driven by children, but much of it unfortunately has.

'So from taking a population perspective, I think it's it's pretty clear we do need to vaccinate our children as well as everybody else.'

Cases have been highest in under-18s since early November, with more than 32,000 recorded per day last week compared to less than 2,000 in over-75s, according to ZOE data published.

In the UK on Saturday, another 54,073 daily Covid cases were recorded, some 663 of which were the Omicron strain, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said, up from the 448 recorded yesterday.

It takes the country's total of the new highly-transmissible variant up to 1,898, although experts suggest the true number is much higher.

The JCVI  which advises Government on vaccine policy  was reluctant to recommend jabs in over-12s previously, with the decision to extend the rollout taken by Britain's four chief medical officers.

Jabs have already been licensed for all over-fives in the US, Australia and the EU, but no under-12s are currently able to get a vaccine in the UK yet.

Ireland announced yesterday that it's going ahead with the move in the 'coming days'.

Asked if the roll-out should be extended to five-year-olds in Britain, Professor Edmunds said: 'I think so. I think if the vaccine is licensed, I don't see a strong reason why it shouldn't be used.

'It's licensed in Europe for use in children I think also in North America. Epidemiologically I think there's a strong reason for it.

'Overall, my view is if it's licensed by the MHRA, I think that the benefits to risk ratio is is worth it, then we should we should introduce it as soon as possible.'

And the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation changed its advice late last month, to extend boosters to all adults under 40.

The JCVI also said people should be able to get their booster just three months after their second dose, rather than the five-month minimum gap it previously recommended.

As people can book their booster up to a month ahead, it means from tomorrow some 3.5 million people in their 30s will be able to book to have their booster between now and mid-January.

Most of the remaining four million are likely to receive their invitation to book ahead over the coming weeks.

However, some have already received an invitation and are getting jabbed imminently.

One 30-year-old from Clapham, South London, said: I got a text from Lambeth Hubs inviting me for my jab yesterday and Im having it tomorrow. Its been remarkably quick.

The booster jab text reads: You will have enhanced protection against Covid during the winter months and reduce pressure on the NHS. This also means you can enjoy Christmas with your loved ones and reduce the risk of Covid transmission to others.

As the message implies, public health bosses want to get boosters into younger arms to stop the virus spreading into older, more vulnerable age groups.

Latest government data shows the number of Covid cases in those aged 30 to 39 across England increased 14 per cent in the last week. By comparison, Covid rates are still flat or even dropping in older age groups. Health officials are particularly concerned about London, where Omicron cases are starting to take off and a larger proportion of the population is not fully vaccinated.

Yesterday, Government sources said they believed the new, highly-transmissible variant could already be making up 30 per cent of new cases in the capital.

Covid case rates among Londoners in the 20s  who are unlikely to be invited for boosters until after Christmas  have doubled in the last week, adding to concerns Omicron is starting a new surge.

Dr Emily Lawson, head of the NHS Covid vaccination programme in England, said: With the emergence of the new variant and the rising case numbers, there has never been a more important time to get boosted.

Most under-40s have yet to be invited for boosters in Scotland and Northern Ireland, while some are receiving them in Wales.
Fears Northern Ireland will vote to quit the United Kingdom are laid bare in a poll

Fears that Northern Ireland will eventually vote to quit the United Kingdom are laid bare in a poll published today.

The survey, for pollster and Tory peer Lord Ashcroft, reveals that a clear majority would to opt to stay in the Union if a referendum were held now. However, just one in three Northern Irish voters believe that would be the outcome if a so-called border poll is held in ten years time.

And Lord Ashcroft warns that in Northern Ireland, politics is played for the long term, and with that in mind few are resting easy on the Unionist side.

Based on interviews with 3,301 people, the poll records that if a vote were held tomorrow, most people would vote not to join the Republic by 54 per cent to 46 per cent (excluding dont knows).

Fears that Northern Ireland will eventually vote to quit the United Kingdom are laid bare in a poll published today. Pictured: A 'No Hard Border' poster is seen below a road sign on the Irish side of the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland

The pollster describes the result as a welcome early Christmas gift for Unionists. He adds: In a similar survey two years ago, I found a wafer-thin margin for Ulster to join the Republic in a united Ireland.

He warns that as in Scotland, ideals of national identity are being edged aside by a focus on practicalities like public services and living costs  but that in the longer term, most voters predict a different outcome in a border poll.

He writes: Most voters expect a referendum or border poll within the next decade, and while the majority believe the province would vote to remain tomorrow, only one in three think this would be the outcome in ten years.

Factors for such a change of heart include simple demographics, with one Catholic boasting we breed better than the Unionists.

A fire burns in front of the police on the Springfield Road as protests raged in Belfast during the summer

However, the peer warns that Brexit is also an issue, with more than one in five voters saying that leaving the EU has made them question their support for the province remaining part of the UK.

The results come amid a continuing row over the Government proposing an effective amnesty for both terrorists and British Army veterans to draw a line under prosecutions from the Troubles.

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis was last week forced to postpone plans to bring legislation forward amid reports Defence Secretary Ben Wallace believed plans were unfair to military veterans.

A senior Ministry of Defence source dismissed the claims yesterday as speculation, adding that the Government was committed to finding a solution.

Unionists can cheer now  but here are five reasons their joy may be short-lived, writes LORD ASHCROFT

LORD ASHCROFT FOR THE MAIL ON SUNDAY

The news that Northern Ireland voters would choose to stay in the UK  by a majority of 54 per cent to 46 per cent  excluding those undecided  is a welcome early Christmas gift for Unionists. In a similar survey two years ago, I found a wafer-thin margin for Ulster to join the Republic in a united Ireland.

As in Scotland, where support for independence has fallen, ideals of national identity are being edged aside by a renewed post-pandemic focus on practicalities such as public services and living costs.

Some doubt that Ireland would want to take on the North, given the current state of both economies and the extent to which Northern Ireland benefits from UK public spending.

Apart from the call of old loyalties and historical destiny, there are practical questions. What would the health service be like? Would you still get your old age pension?

The Northern Ireland Protocol was negotiated to avoid a hard border with Ireland, by effectively keeping Northern Ireland in the EUs single market for goods. Pictured: Violence broke out after a Loyalist protest, with youths attacking police officers and petrol-bombing a bus

Then theres the tenor of any border campaign, never mind the aftermath, whatever the result. All these things add up to a majority for the status quo at least for now.

But in Northern Ireland, politics is played for the long term, and with that in mind few are resting easy on the Unionist side. Most voters expect a referendum or border poll within the next decade, and while the majority believe the province would vote to remain tomorrow, only one in three think this would be the outcome in ten years time.

There are five main reasons for their pessimism. The first is simple demographics.

As one Catholic voter told us cheerfully and candidly in nationalist Strabane: We breed better than they do. They have big TVs; we have big families. More than seven in ten voters aged under 25 said they would vote for a united Ireland.

Second is Brexit. Most believe that leaving the EU was the wrong decision for Northern Ireland, and nearly nine in ten blame Brexit for shortages in their shops. More than one in five say Brexit has made them question their support for the province remaining part of the UK.

Third is the belief that the rest of the UK is indifferent to Northern Irelands place in the Union. Voters on all sides feel that their British compatriots regard them as an expensive nuisance, and that any talk of levelling up applies to the North of England, not to them.

Fireworks explode at police vehicles after being fired at police officers with a water cannon during clashes with nationalist youths

Nearly four in ten Unionists  not to mention two-thirds of nationalists  think that even if it cant say so, the Westminster Government would rather Ulster joined its southern neighbour. Boris Johnsons agreement to an Irish Sea border under the Northern Ireland Protocol only adds weight to this perennial suspicion.

Fourth is the understanding that as the Troubles become a more distant memory  and, for younger voters, not even that  traditional loyalties will count for less. In some ways, this is an answer to prayers. Were damaged goods from a time that was just awful, as one old Loyalist put it.

That generation has longed for their children to be able to grow up in a place where politics is not dominated by green and orange, Catholic and Protestant. But the more real this vision becomes, the less instinctive loyalty the Union might command  especially as the Republic looks to many like a more modern and liberal place than the North.

The final cause of Unionist gloom is their feeling that, in the political arena, they have simply been outclassed. None would want to turn the clock back on the peace process or the Good Friday Agreement.

But many believe that through a combination of patience, strategic discipline, reinvention, presentational genius and sheer persistence, the nationalists are on course to achieve their aim.

Maybe not in this decade, but within their lifetime or that of their children. Many on all sides expect Sinn Fein to become the largest party at Stormont after the Assembly elections next year.

The Unionist movement is in disarray. People on all sides watched with distaste at the way the party ousted Arlene Foster. Polls show support is half what it was three years ago.

Listening to past DUP voters in the Loyalist stronghold of Carrickfergus, their exasperation was palpable. For years, they said, they had put up with what they saw as the partys outdated stance on social issues as the price of defending the Union, yet the border between Ulster and Great Britain was drawn on its watch.

Many are turning to the hardline Traditional Unionist Voice and its leader Jim Allister  who may be just as socially conservative but at least he doesnt spout about it. The only reason many see for sticking with the DUP is to prevent a Sinn Fein First Minister next year.

But if the biggest pro-Union party has managed to make itself unattractive to many Loyalist voters, how much more is this so among younger generations for whom the Union is not the totemic issue it has been for their parents and grandparents?

Repelled by the DUPs stance on issues like gay marriage, they will increasingly look to parties and leaders who share their values, but not necessarily a commitment to Northern Irelands place in the UK.

For now, most Northern Ireland voters want to stay. The emerging generation may be persuaded that the UK offers them a better future than the alternative, but todays fractious and backward-looking Unionist parties are not exactly well placed to make the case.

Lord Ashcroft is an international businessman, philanthropist, author and pollster. For details about his work, visit lordashcroft.com or lordashcroftpolls.com. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook @LordAshcroft
The classic children's TV series The Clangers hid 'saucy' language behind the whistling voices of its knitted characters, the son of its creator has revealed.

A favourite of 1970s children in Britain, the innocent creatures would go on lovable adventures on a small planet and communicate in a 'swanee-whistle' language.

But the son of Oliver Postgate, the original creator and writer of the show, has now revealed that their speech - written by his father and turned into the Clanger's whistling sound by its voice actors - hid saucy language' and even swearing.

The classic children's TV series The Clangers hid 'saucy' language behind the whistling voices of its knitted characters, its creator's son has revealed.

Mr Postgate created the 'voices' by writing a script for the programme's voice actors to interpret, and translate into the whistling notices.

Long-time fans of the show have often pondered the hidden meaning behind what the pink knitted mouse-like animals -among other creatures - say to each other.

'When my dad wrote the scripts out, they sometimes call each other "you rotten rodent" and things like that,' Dan Postgate told the Telegraph.

'He had to write them out so he knew what he was aiming at when they started whistling. There are a few saucy bits of language in there, I dont want to give too much away,' Mr Postgate added.

He is now looking to publish his father's scripts for the first time under the title Clangers: The Complete Scripts 1969-1974 through crowdfunding publisher Unbound, the newspaper reported.

Mr Postgate said that he is still reading through and editing his father's scripts, saying that they include 'a bit of swearing', adding that while he didn't want to specify any words, 'they're alluded to'.

He likened the script's use of swear words to old James Bond books which would just use the first letter of certain words.

The characters' distinctive whistles were sometimes translated from swearing, Mr Postgate said, giving one specific example in the show when a rude word may have been used.

'I think if you look carefully when Major Clanger kicks the double-doors, in the double-doors episode he gives them a kick and says something quite rude at that point,' he said.

A favourite of 1970s children, the innocent creatures created by Oliver Postgate (pictured) would go on lovable adventures on a planet and communicate in a 'swanee-whistle' language

He also said that the characters The Soup Dragon 'was quite bad tempered,' telling the Telegraph that the only character not to have any translation was the Iron Chicken, who he says was more emotive.

In addition to the script, the new book will also feature kitting patterns, drawings, prose and other 'bits and bobs' Mr Postgate - who now works on a new version of The Clangers that started in 2015 - could collect of his father's old work.

So far, his crowdfunding appeal has raised 50 percent of its target.

The script, Mr Postgate says, will give new insight into his father's beloved television show, with the new words bringing the characters to life in a new way.

Dan Postgate - son of Oliver Postgate - has now revealed that their speech - written by his father and turned into the Clanger's whistling sound by its voice actors - hid saucy language' and even swearing

The Clangers was created by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin, and was first broadcast by the BBC from 1969 to 1972.

Postgate went on to create a number of other beloved children's television programmes, such as Bagpuss, Noggin the Nog and Ivor the Engine.

The new series was started in 2015 after Dan Postgate joined with his father's fellow creator Peter Firmin, narrated by Monty Python's Michael Palin.

Postgate writes many of the new episodes and voices The Iron Chicken, The Soup Dragon and her son, Baby Soup Dragon.

He has also won a Bafta for the episode 'I am the Eggbot'.
Hollie Nasser has rubbished rumours she is relishing in her newfound fame after separating from her husband and shacking up with her best friend's ex.

Hollie and Christopher Nasser and Ellie and Charlie Aitken's marriage break-ups sent shockwaves through their tightknit social circle in Sydney's eastern suburbs last month.

Until recently, they'd been raising their young families as best friends and business partners, with Ellie and Hollie regularly spotted at high society events together while Mr Nasser was on the board of Mr Aitken's investment firm.

Ms Nasser has now been forced to deny reports she is set to capitalise on her newfound fame by launching a fashion label.

Mr Aitken and his wife Ellie had been long-time friends of the Nasser's, and Mr Nasser was a director of the Aitken's wealth management company

Ms Nasser has reportedly had an invitation to serve as a bridesmaid for her longtime friend Polly Epov (pictured together) rescinded, according to Sydney Morning Herald

Hollie stepped out in a black dress and stilettos last week, after Ms Aitken was seen in $84,000 worth of jewellery

She told Daily Mail Australia she has no training or interest in becoming a fashion designer.

Instead, she said she would stick to her role as a full time mother of two and her career in psychology.

Ms Nasser temporarily changed her Instagram settings from 'private' to 'public' on December 3 - days after the scandal made headlines nationwide - and has watched her follower count climb from 700 to 1,150 in the days since.

Ellie Aitken and Hollie Nasser pictured together. 'I can confirm I am separated from Ellie Aitken and am in a relationship with Hollie Nasser,' Charlie Aitken said

Rumours were rife in the eastern suburbs after the new relationship was exposed that Ms Nasser was envious of the life her former best friend had.

Hollie was all smiles after meeting her estranged husband in a park last weekend

Some friends have reportedly distanced themselves from Ms Nasser and Mr Aitken, sympathetic for their former partners and 'horrified by how things have played out'.

'We've all distanced ourselves as much as we can,' one friend of Mr Nasser's told Daily Mail Australia.

She changed her Instagram settings from 'private' to 'public' on December 3 - days after the scandal made headlines nationwide - and has watched her follower count skyrocket from 700 to 1,150 in the days since

The glamorous lawyer, wealthy funds manager, investment banker and socialite: Inside the drama-filled lives of two high society couples as a scandalous love triangle tears them apart

Ms Nasser has not commented since news of her new relationship broke, but has been spotted several times in the days since - including once with Mr Aitken outside her marital home.

She is reportedly splitting her time between the townhouse and a serviced apartment in Bondi Junction where Mr Aitken is now living.

Ms Epov is a godparent to Ms Nasser's oldest daughter, and was part of the bridal party when she married Mr Nasser in 2016

She constantly described Mr Nasser as 'the best husband and father' she and her children could have ever hoped for - sharing photos of extravagant holidays, helicopter trips and days at sea on boats

Just five years ago, Mr and Ms Nasser were happily married in a lavish ceremony at St Mary's Cathedral, the new bride happily announcing they'd spend the rest of their lives together.

She constantly described Mr Nasser as 'the best husband and father' she and her children could have ever hoped for - sharing photos of extravagant holidays, helicopter trips and days at sea on boats.

'The most amazing husband and dad,' she wrote alongside a photo of Mr Nasser and his daughter. 'You are our everything. We love you so much.'

Mr Nasser was an investor and director of the Aitkens' wealth management company, until he resigned in early November.

It's understood he has since withdrawn upwards of $7.5million from the firm.

Charlie Aitken is now dating Ms Nasser

Just five years ago, Mr and Ms Nasser were happily married in a lavish ceremony at St Mary's Cathedral, the new bride happily announcing they'd spend the rest of their lives together
The UK and Jersey governments have issued further licences to French fishing boats to trawl British waters in an apparent attempt to ease cross-Channel tensions.

The Brussels-imposed deadline of midnight on Friday for solving a post-Brexit fishing row passed without agreement.

But in a statement yesterday, a Government spokeswoman said 18 more licences had been granted to replacement vessels that had been able to present 'new evidence' of having previously fished British grounds, with seven more boats under consideration.

A Government spokeswoman said 18 more licences had been granted to replacement vessels that presented 'new evidence'. Pictured: Fishing boats moored in the port of Boulogne, France

Meanwhile, Jersey has granted permanent licences to an additional five vessels, she said.

Vessels need to prove they have fished in UK waters for one day in each of the four years between 2012 and 2016.

Guernsey and Jersey ask for evidence of fishing for more than ten days in one year of the same period.

France had threatened to press the European Union to instigate legal action and trade restrictions against Britain if there was not a 'sign of goodwill'.

It is unclear whether the UK's latest offer will satisfy Paris.
A waitress who received a $4,400 tip from a group of good Samaritans to split between her and another server has been fired from her job after the restaurant manager forced her to cough up most of the money.

Grant Wise, who owns a local real estate company, organized the '$100 Dinner Club' to dine at the Oven and Tap in Bentonville, Arkansas, earlier this month, with each member contributing a $100 tip.

Wise told KNWA he called the restaurant ahead of the outing to confirm that its servers did not share tips, and as he presented one of the waitresses, Ryan Brandt, with a check for $4,400 to split between her and another waitress who served the group, she was left in tears.

But soon after, Brandt said, restaurant managers told her she would have to split the tip with all of her co-workers - something she said they have not requested in the three and a half years she has worked there.

'I was told that I was going to be giving my cash over to my shift manager and I would be taking home 20 percent,' Brandt told FOX 59, noting that she had never been asked to split her tip before in the three and a half years she worked there.

Brandt, who studied Spanish at the University of Arkansas, said she was 'devastated' at having to fork over the large tip as she had planned to use the money to help pay off her student loans.

A few days later, Wise found out that Brandt had been fired for 'violating' the restaurant's rules by telling Wise about its tip policy.

Grant Wise, left, who owns a local real estate company, organized the '$100 Dinner Club' to dine at the Oven and Tap with each member contributing a $100 tip

As he told Ryan Brandt she would receive a $4,400 tip to split with another server, she broke down in tears

Brandt, right, said she was planning to use the money to pay off her student loans, but was told by restaurant management she had to split it with all of the employees - something she had never been asked to do before

Wise had come up with the idea for the '$100 Dinner Club' during the pandemic, telling 5 News that he knew many servers who were struggling under COVID-related shutdowns.

He had hosted a real estate conference in Arkansas, and orchestrated the event at the Oven and Tap to pay-it-forward.

'We knew servers were really hit hard through COVID and it was something that [a friend] had come up with to help give back,' he told 5 News, noting that he chose the Oven and Tap because it was one of his and his wife's favorite restaurants.

He said he had called the restaurant beforehand to confirm the restaurant did not have a policy about tip sharing or pooling tips, and when a restaurant employee confirmed that they did not have such a policy, Wise and his wife moved forward with their plan.

They then presented Brandt, in her early 30s, with the large tip, leaving her in tears - a moment that was posted to Instagram on December 2.

'I'm so sorry to interrupt everyone's dinner, this will only take 60 seconds,' Wise begins in the video.

'We have a table full of absolutely amazing people from all over the country who have traveled here, and tonight we're hosting a $100 Dinner Club,' he says, as he wraps his arm around Brandt, and points in the distance.

'Everyone at this table has contributed or tipped $100 for you and for the other waitress who unfortunately had to go home because she's not feeling well.

'And then we put it out to our social media channels, and then we actually had a bit more money sent in, so we are tipping a total of $4,400 for you to split with the other girl who took care of us.'

Wise said he chose the Oven and Tap in Bentonville, Arkansas (pictured) because it was one of his and his wife's favorite local restaurants

Brandt was visibly in tears after the announcement, but soon, Wise said, he found out that the restaurant managers asked her to split her tip.

Wise said he tried to get in contact with the owner to 'ensure that everything was going to be OK, but was unable to connect with her outside of a few text messages that eventually stopped.'

He then went back to Oven and Tap to get his money back and hand it to Brandt directly, outside the restaurant, he said.

But by December 7, Wise posted on social media, he had found out that Brandt was fired from her job.

'I'm so saddened to hear that the girl we tipped the other night at our $100 Dinner Club has been fired from her job,' he wrote on Facebook.

'I don't fully understand why this would happen to what seems like such a sweet and kind-hearted woman.

'Nonetheless, I'm committed to showing her that there are great people in the world that will do good when they can.'

He repeated that sentiment in a video he posted on YouTube, in which he announced that he would put together a GoFundMe for the waitress.

'I hope that we can help this girl stay on top, and not let something like this get her down,' he said, noting: 'I don't fully understand it ... but I want to do as much as we can to help.'

In a statement to FOX 59, Oven and Tap officials said: 'After dining, this large group of guests requested that their gratuity be given to two particular servers. We fully honored their request.

'Out of respect for our highly valued team members, we do not discuss the details surrounding the termination of an employee.'

Wise posted on social media on December 7 that he discovered Brandt was fired

He set up a GoFundMe to help her pay her expenses until she finds another job. It raised $8,700 as of Saturday, when Wise shut it down

Wise wrote in the online fundraiser that he wanted to help Brandt 'get through the next couple o months, and to hopefully find a new job opportunity,' noting that he does 'not know Ryan outside of her waiting on us in the past' and does 'not know what type of employee she was outside of what I personally experienced and what we've read from other people commenting that were her regulars.

'My only goal is to help her get through this experience with the least amount of stress and anxiety possible and onto whatever her next opportunity may be.'

On Thursday, Wise posted an update saying Brandt was offered a job at another restaurant, and began work on December 8.

He shut down the fundraiser on Saturday, after it surpassed $8,700.
Common household cleaning products could be modified to stop terrorists being able to turn them into explosives.

The Home Office is investigating how to reduce the risk of chemicals such as bleach and disinfectant being used in home-made bombs  as in the Manchester Arena attack which killed 22 people.

Philip Ingram, an explosives expert and former colonel in British military intelligence, said: Its frightening the number of substances that could easily be turned into something that goes bang.

The Home Office is investigating how to reduce the risk of chemicals such as bleach and disinfectant being used in home-made bombs

He said the compound used in the Manchester Arena bombing  triacetone triperoxide  can be made from chemicals that, on their own, have nothing to do with explosives, adding: But if you put them together in the right order you can turn everyday household chemicals into highly explosive substances.

Counter-terrorism measures require shops and firms to report any suspicious transactions or significant thefts of substances that could potentially make bombs.

The Home Office said: We have been working with industry to develop safer alternative substances to tackle evolving threats. We have robust measures which control access to explosive precursors and poisons, and strict licensing for the most dangerous substances.

Common household cleaning products could be modified to stop terrorists being able to turn them into explosives

Mr Ingram said: For most people, if they try to get hold of these chemicals it will immediately flag them to organisations who will send a lot of coppers with lots of weapons kicking their door at 5am.

Unfortunately, the recipes for these explosives are still relatively easy to get.

Every time security services or counter-terrorism police come across a new home-made explosive, they look at all the components how they have been sourced, how they have been manufactured  and can they bring in different procedures to disrupt the ability of terrorists to turn these everyday items into explosives.
Argentine soldiers cobbled together extraordinary makeshift weapons and amateur but lethal booby traps during the Falklands War, a new book reveals.

Trapped on the islands and running low on conventional supplies, the Argentinians lashed a rocket launcher to a childrens slide, created a bizarre missile tractor and even resorted to medieval stake pits in their attempt to defeat the British task force.

Historian Ricky D. Phillips, 42, who spent years researching the previously untold story about the 1982 conflict, said: These weapons had been spoken of in hushed tones, but it took years of digging to confirm the existence of many of them and to find photographic evidence.

The Argentinians have an expression, atar con alambre, which means tied with wires and dates back to gaucho cowboys in the wild, relying on their wits to fix things.

Trapped on the islands and running low on conventional supplies, the Argentinians lashed a rocket launcher to a childrens slide, created a bizarre missile tractor and even resorted to medieval stake pits in their attempt to defeat the British task force

There is a widespread misconception that Argentine soldiers in the Falklands were conscripted kids who gave up easily. There were some, of course, but our forces mostly faced a well-trained army made up of experienced men who were used to thinking on their feet and being hugely resourceful.

Weapons were cobbled together using whatever they could find. Some were ingenious. Others, like the booby traps, pure evil.

The Falkland Islands were a gold mine of farming equipment, vehicles and items that could be transformed into weapons of war.

A rocket launcher was attached to an apple crate with rope and then lashed to the top of a childrens slide on Goose Green. It was powered by a 12-volt car battery.

The missile tractor was used as an improvised artillery unit. A Pucara rocket pod was welded to the top of a tractor and launched rockets using the tractors own battery, fired via a switch in the cab. The invaders dug stake pits  deep holes filled with wooden spikes pointing up  covered with branches and leaves intended to give way and impale the victim. There are no reports of soldiers or locals being killed or wounded in this way.

The Argentine forces also rigged booby traps in homes and buildings. Coca-Cola cans packed with nails and explosives were one popular bomb. Live grenades were even hidden under upturned teacups on kitchen tables. One grenade was put inside a hollowed-out book, which had been replaced on a bookshelf. And a mother discovered her daughters doll had been booby-trapped with wires leading to a makeshift explosive device.

Pictured: British troops surrender to Argentinian forces in April 1982

Pressure mines were found under beds in King Edward Memorial Hospital in the capital, Stanley.

One woman returned home to find that her vegetables had been dug up and anti-personnel mines concealed beneath. Other dirty tricks included shipping napalm bombs to the island (they were never used) and concealing two Exocet weapons on a hospital ship, in violation of international rules of war.

In total, 649 Argentinians and 255 British military personnel were killed during the conflict, along with three islanders.
Durham Cathedral is demanding Covid passes from worshippers  in defiance of official Church of England guidance.

Those attending Christmas services will need to show proof either that they are vaccinated, have tested negative within the previous 48 hours or have recovered from the virus.

The move has sparked anger amid claims that it is 'profoundly at odds' with the spirit of the festive season.

In its Covid guidance, the Church says it has 'a clear policy of encouraging people to be vaccinated, but, other than in very exceptional circumstances, [it is opposed] to limiting access to church services or organisations on the basis of vaccine certification'.

Durham Cathedral is demanding Covid passes from worshippers  in defiance of official Church of England guidance. Pictured: The Bishop of Durham, The Right Reverend Paul Butler

It adds: 'Such an approach would run contrary to the principle of the Church being a home and a refuge for all.'

But authorities at the 928-year-old cathedral  which is the seat of the Bishop of Durham, Paul Butler  said they have 'taken a cautious approach to the Covid-19 restrictions from the start of the pandemic and we're continuing to keep measures in place to minimise risk and reduce the pressure on our NHS services'.

Around 80 per cent of its festive services will require a Covid pass.

The Rev Jamie Franklin, one of 1,000 church leaders to send Boris Johnson an open letter describing vaccine passports as a 'fundamental betrayal of Christian belief', urged the dean and chapter to reconsider their stance.

The move has sparked anger amid claims that it is 'profoundly at odds' with the spirit of the festive season (File image)

He said: 'Christmas is a time when we remember God's willingness to be with the lowly, the outcast and the poor.

'The decision to bar from entry to church a sub-section of society who are deemed to be unclean and dangerous is profoundly at odds with the Christmas message.'

Jodie Beck, of civil rights group Liberty, said: 'Durham Cathedral should not be arbitrarily making rules that affect how people can access services.'

The Church of England said: 'We won't be commenting on Durham Cathedral.'
Punters can no longer bet on the Australian of the Year award outcome as federal police probe whether the 2020 winner was leaked.

Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister Ben Morton last week asked the Northern Territory Licensing Commission - where many online bookmakers are registered because of generous tax incentives - to implement the ban.

Within a matter of weeks leading to the January 2021 awards, odds on outsider Grace Tame slashed from $6 to $1.36.

The monumental shift prompted concerns the outcome of the award had been leaked.

Australian of the Year Grace Tame holds her award after being announced as the winner in January (pictured)

The relatively unknown 26-year-old was announced as the winner on the eve of Australia Day on January 25.

Ms Tame was a sexual abuse survivor who had won a landmark legal case allowing her to publicly name her abuser - a former teacher at St Michael's Collegiate girl's school in Hobart - which led to the state's gag laws being overturned.

She was up against chief medical officer Brendan Murphy - who until that point had led Australia through the Covid pandemic - and former NSW fire commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons, most famous for his work during the 2019/2020 bushfire season.

Both men started as favourites but were overtaken by Ms Tame in the days before the award ceremony.

The drop in betting odds was so sharp the matter was referred to Australia's crime watchdog the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission on January 25 and later to the Australian Federal Police.

Betting odds for Ms Tame plunged dramatically on most online betting platforms in December 2020 (pictured)

Ben Morton (pictured left) assistant minister to the prime minister (pictured right) wrote to the NT Licensing Commission asking them to disallow betting on the event

Ms Tame did not know she had won until the awards were announced and it is not suggested she was involved in a possible leak.

There were, however, about 180 people who knew in December before the awards who would win including staff at the National Australia Day Council and those involved in the television broadcast of the awards.

Each person was required to sign a non-disclosure agreement preventing them from discussing the awards - including a specific non-betting clause.

Ms Morton wrote to Northern Territory Attorney-General Selina Uibo asking that Licensing NT disallow betting on the Australian of the Year awards, reports Newscorp.

'The Australian Federal Police recently informed me they are investigating a suspected abuse of public office, or the use of insider information, to bet on nominees for the Awards,' Mr Morton wrote.

'While the investigation is ongoing the AFP considers the ability to bet on the awards poses a risk to the integrity and reputation of the Awards and has the potential to erode confidence in the NADC.

Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins (pictured) have risen to prominence as campaigners in 2021

The awards have now been removed from the list of approved events on which bets can be lawfully placed.

Ms Uibo later clarified she had made the request to the commissioner in charge.

A check of registered online gambling providers in Australia reveals 31 of the 46 licence holders are registered in the Northern Territory.

'Australians enjoy a bet but they want to make sure that when they're placing a bet that it's on a fair market that it's not rigged, that it's not corrupt, and there are allegations here that need to be investigated,' defence minister Peter Dutton previously said.
Medics have been told to start preparing for the mass vaccination of children as young as five years old, leaked documents have revealed.

The NHS England papers are believed to say that parental consent will be needed to vaccinate five to 11-year-olds once plans are approved by regulators.

They also state that the environment in which primary school children are given the Covid-19 jab must be 'age appropriate', according to The Times.

The documents reportedly said the vaccination process should be 'plotted through the eyes of a child' in a bid to reassure younger patients.

It comes after SAGE experts have warned that Britain's recent surge in Covid cases is now being driven by children.

There have been at least two confirmed outbreaks of the new super-mutant Omicron strain in English primary schools.

The mass rollout of the Covid jab for 12 to 15-year-olds began in England in September, with just 44 per cent having been vaccinated since. Children aged 12-17 are being offered two Pfizer doses 12 weeks apart.

Britain has been slower than other countries in vaccinating children, as the European Medicines Agency approved use of the Pfizer jab at one-third strength for five to 11-year-olds on November 25.

The US also approved the vaccine for use in primary school children last month, but a mere 17 per cent have so far been given the jab.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is currently 'moving at pace' to approve vaccines in the age group, with a decision expected next week.

And the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) 'won't hang around' on recommending No10 starts dishing them out across the country, one member claimed.

Vaccinating very young children still makes many scientists uneasy due to the vanishingly low risk posed to them.

Their concerns are amplified due to the slight risk of myocarditis  an ultra-rare form of heart inflammation spotted in some young people after they are jabbed.

It comes after Professor John Edmunds, an epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, called for jabs for five to 11-year-olds 'as soon as possible'.

Speaking at Royal Society of Medicine event today, Professor Edmunds said: 'We've, had a large number of cases over the last few months, and unfortunately high numbers of hospitalisations and 100 to 150 deaths a day.

'I'm not saying all of that has been driven by children, but much of it unfortunately has.

'So from taking a population perspective, I think it's it's pretty clear we do need to vaccinate our children as well as everybody else.'

Cases have been highest in under-18s since early November, with more than 32,000 recorded per day last week compared to less than 2,000 in over-75s, according to ZOE data published.

What are the risks of Covid and vaccines to five-year-olds? Covid Most children only experience mild symptoms after being infected with Covid. Just one in 300,000 children who test positive for Covid die, according to UK Government data. And the risk of being hospitalised and getting admitted to ICU is similarly low. But the risk is higher to children with serious underlying conditions. The JCVI has yet to release its updated guidance on vaccinating children aged 11 and under. But its latest advice on recommending first jabs to over-12s suggested one Pfizer dose only prevents 131 hospital admissions per million 12-15-year-olds. And second doses only prevent nine hospital admissions for every million dished out to the age group. The figures are likely to be less for five- to eleven-year-old, who are less vulnerable to the virus. Vaccines Myocarditis  an ultrarare form of heart inflammation  is the main side effect of the Pfizer vaccine that concerns experts. Data shows the risk is slightly higher in adolescents than adults, particularly in boys. The JCVI has not released data on how many cases are expected in children aged five to 11 but studies show children in younger age groups are less at risk than teenagers. It found myocarditis cases in between 2.6 to 17.7 million first vaccine doses in children aged 12 to 15. And the condition was found in between 20.9 to 42.2 children in the age group per million second doses dished out. Advertisement

In the UK on Saturday, another 54,073 daily Covid cases were recorded, some 663 of which were the Omicron strain, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said, up from the 448 recorded yesterday.

It takes the country's total of the new highly-transmissible variant up to 1,898, although experts suggest the true number is much higher.

The JCVI  which advises Government on vaccine policy  was reluctant to recommend jabs in over-12s previously, with the decision to extend the rollout taken by Britain's four chief medical officers.

Jabs have already been licensed for all over-fives in the US, Australia and the EU, but no under-12s are currently able to get a vaccine in the UK yet.

Ireland announced yesterday that it's going ahead with the move in the 'coming days'.

Asked if the roll-out should be extended to five-year-olds in Britain, Professor Edmunds said: 'I think so. I think if the vaccine is licensed, I don't see a strong reason why it shouldn't be used.

'It's licensed in Europe for use in children I think also in North America. Epidemiologically I think there's a strong reason for it.

'Overall, my view is if it's licensed by the MHRA, I think that the benefits to risk ratio is is worth it, then we should we should introduce it as soon as possible.'

Omicron cases are could be spreading even faster in England than in South Africa, he added.

He said it is 'extremely likely' there are more cases of the mutant variant in the community than have already been confirmed by testing.

Professor Edmunds: 'With the speed of spread of this virus, we may well have really significant numbers of cases by Christmas.

'I suspect that whatever we do now, we are unlikely to overreact.'

The JCVI, which holds the final say on recommending the jabs, is also thought to be keen on getting vaccines into young children as quickly as possible.

A JCVI member told The Independent: 'I do think that public opinion is shifting about vaccination of younger children which could widen our discussions.'

The US and Israel were two of the first countries to begin vaccinating 12- to 15-year-olds, with the JCVI holding back.

Jabs were approved in 12- to 15-year-olds in the UK after experts noticed myocarditis in all age groups was lower than in other countries.

They believe the 12-week gap in vaccinations in Britain helped keep numbers low, with a slightly higher risk found in second jabs which were being given out after a three-to-four week gap in other countries.

Experts also believe the risk of myocarditis is lower in younger children than adolescents.

Pfizer's vaccine is found to prevent two cases of intensive care admission per million healthy children and 100 per million in those with chronic health issues.

Although children mostly only get mild symptoms of Covid, some public health experts believe Immunising them should be a priority to reduce the virus' continued spread, which could theoretically lead to the emergence of a dangerous new variant.

It comes after Professor John Edmunds (pictured), an epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, called for jabs for five to 11-year-olds 'as soon as possible'

Researchers disagree on the extent to which children have influenced the course of the pandemic.

Early research suggested they did not contribute much to viral spread.

But some experts say children played a significant role this year spreading the Alpha and Delta variants.

And emerging evidence in South Africa suggests the Omicron strain could be more transmissible in children.

South African officials warned higher hospital admissions among children during the fourth wave of infections in the country should prompt vigilance but not panic, will infections so far being mild.

A large number of infants admitted with Covid last month in Tshwane, the metropolitan area that includes the capital Pretoria, raised concerns that the Omicron variant could pose greater risks for young children than other coronavirus variants.

Scientists have yet to confirm any link and have cautioned that other factors could be at play.

Ntsakisi Maluleke, a public health specialist in the Gauteng 'ground zero' province, said that out of the 1,511 Covid-positive patients in hospitals in the province, 113 were under nine years old, a greater proportion than during previous waves of infection.

'We are comforted by clinicians' reports that the children have mild disease,' she said.

Health officials and scientists are investigating what was driving the increased admissions in younger ages and were hoping to provide more clarity in the coming two weeks, she said.

Since only a small percentage of South Africa's positive Covid tests are sent for genomic sequencing, officials do not yet know which variants the children admitted to hospital have been infected with.

Maluleke said healthcare workers could be acting out of an abundance of caution. 'They would rather have a child under care for a day or two than having a child at home and complicating, but we really need to wait for the evidence,' she said.
Cancer patients 'written off' by doctors claim they are 'silenced' in bid to save maverick doctor

Cancer patients who say they were written off by doctors are leading a backlash against an effort to strike a world-renowned oncologist off the medical register.

The patients claim to have been silenced by a disciplinary panel that will this week decide the fate of Professor Justin Stebbing, a Harley Street oncologist and Imperial College cancer researcher.

In October, Prof Stebbing admitted 30 charges relating to over-treatment, not obtaining full patient consent, dishonesty and inappropriate behaviour in regards to 12 of his patients.

But supporters say evidence from some of the hundreds of patients satisfied with his care has been dismissed out of hand by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS), which rules on cases brought by the General Medical Council (GMC).

Leading oncologists and medical researchers  some with personal experience of Prof Stebbing treating friends or family  also wrote to the MPTS to back him. In all, 600 messages of support arrived, of which 25 were submitted  but rejected  as potential evidence to the MPTS.

Extracts from letters praising the oncologist have also been passed to The Mail on Sunday, without the knowledge of Prof Stebbing or his legal team.

Professor Justin Stebbing (pictured) is a Harley Street oncologist and Imperial College cancer researcher

Restaurateur Graham Rebak, 47, who credits the oncologist with saving him from colon cancer, said: I dont understand why the GMC has done this to Justin. He only wants to help people. Another unnamed man with an extremely rare cancer claimed he was told by another private oncologist that he would not risk his career or pension to prescribe drugs that strayed from the standard protocol.

By contrast, he recalls, Prof Stebbing has supported me, adding: If you have a rare or more complicated cancer in the UK you might as well be dead, as there is no room for thinking outside the box.

Some former patients allege that insurance companies wanted to see Prof Stebbings wings clipped.

Efforts by Prof Stebbings lawyers to have testimonials admitted as evidence were twice rejected by an MPTS panel, which ruled them to be of little (if any) value.

Medics at leading institutions including Imperial College London and Columbia University in New York have also written in his support.

Restaurateur Graham Rebak, 47, (pictured) credits the oncologist with saving him from colon cancer

During a hearing last week to determine Prof Stebbings future, his barrister Mary ORourke QC argued the MPTS panel should give weight to positive patient and colleague testimonials. Please bear in mind these people are alive to tell the tale, when they tell you they were sent away to die by other clinicians, she said.

Ms ORourke also noted that five of the 12 cases were generated by AXA insurance via a doctor who did an investigation of some 2,000 [of Professor Stebbings] patients and was doing so at the behest of the firm. None of the 12 patients whose cases were examined made a written complaint before they died and in only two cases was it a relative or family solicitor who contacted the GMC.

The GMC is urging the panel to strike Prof Stebbing from the medical register. The MPTS said it cannot comment on the independent decisions of its tribunals. Axa did not respond when contacted for comment.
Matthew Leveson's grieving parents have issued a poignant tribute to their son on what should have been his 35th birthday.

Four years after his body was found in a makeshift bush grave, Matthew's parents revealed he would 'always [be] nearly 21 in our eyes'.

Matthew was last seen leaving Darlinghurst's Arq nightclub on September 23, 2007 with his then partner Michael Atkins, then 44, who was later acquitted of murder.

'Happy 35th Matty. Stolen from us way too soon,' Mr Leveson wrote in a touching Twitter tribute on Sunday.

'Always nearly 21 in our eyes, but forever in our hearts. Death leaves a heartache that no one can heal, love leaves a memory that no one can steal.

'Hope you're dancing and partying hard somewhere mate. Love Mum and Dad.'

His father Mark Leveson took to Twitter to mark the poignant milestone on Sunday, posting a sweet photo of his son (pictured) accompanied by a touching message

Matthew (right) was last seen leaving Darlinghurst's Arq nightclub on September 23, 2007 with his then partner Michael Atkins, then 44, (left) who was later acquitted of murder

Mr Leveson posted a photo of Matthew superimposed on a tree reminiscent of the cabbage-tree palm his body was found underneath in 2017.

After Matthew's remains were exhumed, the tree was dug up and relocated to his family home.

In 2015, the heartbroken parents convinced authorities to resume a coronial inquest into their son's disappearance and presumed death.

The coronial inquiry was initially suspended when Atkins was charged with Matt's murder in August 2008.

Atkins was compelled to give evidence at that inquest and, after complex legal agreements, eventually directed police to a spot where they found his body.

'Always nearly 21 in our eyes, but forever in our hearts. Death leaves a heartache that no one can heal, love leaves a memory that no one can steal,' Matt's father tweeted on Sunday

The couple farewelled their beloved boy more than a decade after he went missing at a funeral in the South and West Chapels of Woronora Cemetery in Sutherland in March of 2018

Matt's remains were recovered from underneath a palm tree in the Royal National Park in Sutherland Shire in Sydney's south in mid-2017.

Despite admitting he had buried Matt in a shallow bush grave, due to a lack of evidence of exactly how Matt died and a series of deals Atkins made to protect himself he could not be further prosecuted for any crime.

The final version of events he gave police had him finding Matt dead of a drug overdose in their apartment at Cronulla, south of Sydney.

Instead of calling an ambulance, attempting CPR - which he was trained to do - or contacting police, Atkins set about planning how best to dispose of Matt's body.

Having wrapped his lover's body in a blanket or sheet he carried him to the boot of Matt's Toyota Corolla and drove to the Royal National Park.

Matt's remains were recovered from underneath a palm tree in the Royal National Park in Sutherland Shire in Sydney's south in mid-2017

Before Matt's remains were recovered, the Levesons' (pictured in 2017) campaigned for further investigation into his death and personally conducted searches for his body

There, Atkins dug an 80cm deep hole roughly 2m long and 1m wide then buried the man he said was the greatest love of his life.

In December 2017, Deputy State Coroner Elaine Truscott announced she had been tasked with conducting another inquest into Matt's disappearance.

His grieving parents were desperate for answers as to how, why and where their beloved son died.

'The evidence established that the only person who knew the answers to those questions was Michael Atkins,' Ms Truscott said.

'I do not accept Mr Atkins as a witness of truth,' the coroner said.

'In any event the lies he has told do not allow me to make a finding that any act performed by him caused Matt's death.'

'He was a very caring kid who put thought into presents he bought you and made his own cards,' Matt's mother Faye told guests at his funeral in March of 2018

Faye and Mark Leveson (pictured) convinced authorities to resume a coronial inquest into their son's disappearance and presumed death in 2015

Atkins was eventually charged with murder but acquitted by a jury in 2009.

He has since relocated to Queensland where he works as an electrician.

Before Matt's remains were recovered, the Levesons' campaigned for further investigation into his death and personally conducted searches for his body.

Even today, Mr Leveson routinely retweets missing person's alerts from the NSW Police Force after his own son vanished without a trace for over a decade.

The couple finally farewelled their beloved boy at a funeral in the South and West Chapels of Woronora Cemetery in Sutherland in March, 2018.

Atkins (pictured in 2016) was eventually charged with murder but acquitted by a jury. He has since relocated to Queensland where he works as an electrician

Hundreds of friends and family members attended Matt's funeral in March, 2018, to support the Levesons' as they paid tribute to their 'bright, vibrant and creative' son

Hundreds of friends and family members attended the ceremony to support the Levesons' as they paid tribute to their 'bright, vibrant and creative' son.

Attendees had been asked wear bright colours and a splash of Matt's favourite colour purple as they celebrated his 20 years of life.

The service included Matt's favourite songs, photographs and stories to show guests what he was like through his childhood, schooling and early adulthood.

'He was a very caring kid who put thought into presents he bought you and made his own cards,' Matt's mother Faye told guests.

'He was just a lovely kid and we want people to see that side of him, not what's been put in the paper.'
A Washington DC woman was allegedly killed by an ex-con who began mercilessly stalking and beating her after serving two decades in prison for terrorizing the same woman - before he was freed earlier this year because of a COVID-19 outbreak at the jail.

Sylvia Matthews, 71, was found unconscious and with serious head injuries in her Southwest Washington home on December 3 after prosecutors ignored charging Michael Garrett, 66, in two attacks on Matthews in October.

The two had met when she worked at a local prison where he was serving time before his release in 1998. Garrett soon began stalking her and was sent back to prison for 24 years in 1999 after being convicted for breaking into the same Elmira Street home where she was found dead last week.

71-year-old Sylvia Matthews (pictured) was taken to a local hospital and died from her serious head injuries after police arrived to her home on December 3

Earlier that day neighbors called police at 7:30 am after someone smashed the windows of Matthews' car and tried to break into her basement

He was free to hound the woman again after being sprung on compassionate release in March due to a COVID-19 outbreak among inmates, despite The U.S. Attorney's Office opposing his release, WUSA9.com reported.

Within months he was accused of stalking and beating her again.

On October 7, Garrett was arrested at Matthewss front door and charged with threatening her but prosecutors declined the case.

Two weeks later, on October 22, police said that Garrett beat Matthews outside her home, but prosecutors suspended prosecution for unknown reasons, WUSA9 reported.

On the day of the killing, Matthews called police at around 7:30 am to report that Garrett was breaking into her car and attempted to break into her house, but by the time police arrived to the home Garrett was gone.

Matthews then called police again at about 8:44 am to say she saw Garrett outside and she had him on the phone.

Police arrived and spoke to Garrett on Matthews' phone and told him to leave her alone, WUSA9.com reported.

Hours later, police were called once again, this time by the same person who had been helping Matthews clean up broken glass from the earlier break-in after hearing a scuffle in the home.

When police responded to the home, they found Garrett next to an unconscious, injured Matthews in the basement.

Garrett allegedly told officers 'he just got there' and that Matthews had called him to come over because she believed that someone had broken into her home, court documents said.

When police responded to the home they found Garrett next to an unconscious, injured Matthews (pictured)

Police arrested Garrett at the scene and charged him with assault with intent to kill, initially labelling the offense 'domestic in nature'

Garrett told officers that he had just gotten to the home five minutes before police did and that the door was open.

He said he called 911 from Matthews' phone because his phone was dead, court documents said.

Police arrested Garrett at the scene and charged him with assault with intent to kill, initially labelling the offense 'domestic in nature.'

Matthews was taken to a local hospital and died from her injuries the following day, police said.

Matthews' family say they did not know Garrett personally but knew of him.

Matthews met Garrett in 1998 when she worked at the pharmacy at Old Lorton Reformatory and he was an inmate, according to court documents.

When Garrett was released that year, he assaulted Matthews in her home and was sentenced to 24 years in prison, WUSA9.com reported.

A relative of Matthews - who asked to remain anonymous - said that Garrett should not have been released in the first place.

'He should not have been on the street,' she said.

She said the family is 'devastated' and believes that Matthews' death was totally preventable if authorities did not ignore the serious threat Garrett posed to the 71-year-old.

'It's like the system failed us,' she told NBC Washington.

Police are now working with the U.S. Attorneys office to file additional charges against Garrett.
A Texas girl who has been missing since July was found safe in a foreign country with her fugitive dad Saturday after US investigators finally tracked down the pair following a bitter custody dispute in which her father had refused to hand over his daughter to her maternal aunt.

The Collin County Sheriffs Office was making arrangements to fly Sophie Long, 11, back to Texas on Saturday. Deputies declined to say which country she was in, though authorities previously said she and her dad could've been en route to Argentina or Mexico.

'Many months of determined work by my deputies, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Marshals paid off this morning,' Collin County Sheriff Jim Skinner said in a statement Saturday. 'We are so happy Sophie is safe.'

Her father, Michael Long, will be extradited to the US to face a felony charge of interference with child custody, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Long said he didn't want to return Sophie to her mother's family in early July after the girl accused her mom's fiancee of sexual abuse.

In a meeting with DailyMail.com in August, Sophie appeared happy to be with her father as she spoke about her grades at school and her favorite classes.

Sophie Long, 11, has been found safe in an undisclosed foreign country after her father Michael refused to turn her over to her maternal aunt, who has custody of her, back in July

Her father Michael will be extradited to the US and charged with felony interference with child custody

Sophie was at the center of a bitter custody dispute between her dad, mother Kelly Long, and her aunt, who she was sent to live with in May.

She was last seen on July 12 in Seguin, northeast of San Antonio, before being found.

Deputies say they won't reveal more information until Sophie is back in the States.

Michael, 43, was due to show up at a court in McKinney, Texas, in August for a hearing over a motion that could send him to jail for almost three years.

But he told DailyMail.com, in an exclusive interview that took place the day before the warrant was issued, that the only way he will return to court and bring his daughter home is if he is allowed to put his case before a jury.

Ex-wife Kelly Long opposed the jury trial in a motion and asked for Long to be summarily jailed for 18 months plus an extra year on one count of hiding Sophie and another for failing to hand her over.

Kelly, 36, is also asking for Long to be placed on probation for 10 years and for him to be held on a $20,000 bond, as well as for him to cover her legal costs.

In a meeting with DailyMail.com in August, Michael said he was willing to go to jail to protect Sophie, who he says claims she was sexually abused by her mom's fiancee

Michael was ordered in July to pay $20,000 to cover the cost of reunification therapy for Sophie and her mother, as well as therapy for her two brothers, his sons.

'I'd absolutely go to jail to protect Sophie. I'd do anything for her. She's a 10-year-old child,' Michael told DailyMail.com.

'She shouldn't have to be dealing with this stuff. These high conflict custody cases - this wasn't about getting into a custody case. This was about getting justice for my daughter.

'It turned into that because the system didn't take action as they promised they would. People like to say this is a vendetta against my ex. No, it's not.

'This is about a little girl who made an outcry and has a diagnosis and has not gotten justice. There's no way I'm going to turn my back on her now.'

Sophie's story shot to prominence in August 2020 after a video showing her screaming and crying during a custody handover went viral.

Kelly Long, 36, filed a motion demanding Long to be summarily jailed for 18 months for taking their daughter

Sophie desperately clung to the seats of her father Michael's car and accused her mom's fiancee, who the children call Mr. Jake, of sexual abuse, prompting a #StandWithSophie campaign on social media.

The video was partly spread by QAnon believers who thought she was in danger, according to the Dallas Morning News, and police at that time dismissed the 'patently false' information that was being shared about her and other children.

According to her father, Sophie claimed she was sexually abused by her mother's fiancee Jacob Bellington and was diagnosed with a vaginal infection after being taken to the hospital last summer.

She was also interviewed by a specialist nurse with her father outside the room and repeated the claims to her, according to records seen by DailyMail.com.

Following her claims, the Frisco Police Department in Texas opened an investigation into the case, while Michael was awarded temporary custody of Sophie and her two brothers.

But he says the story took a darker turn following a hearing in December when the court-appointed guardian-ad-litem and amicus attorney argued that both boys should be returned to their mother after they began exhibiting behavioral problems.

Michael Long sparked a manhunt after he failed to turn Sophie in to her aunt in July. Authorities at the time said the pair may have been en route to Argentina or Mexico

Michael Long says he wasn't allowed to testify during a hearing in May, but his estranged wife Kourtney Chalmers (pictured) was called to the stand

Michael Long spoke to DailyMail.com in August after going on the run with daughter Sophie in July. The Texas dad took off with the ten-year-old on after he was ordered to hand her over to her maternal aunt

He says both have since been exposed to Bellington and that no arrangements for visitation with him have been put in place since the original order expired in April.

Bellington has denied the allegations, accusing Long of 'jealousy' and 'ripping' his family apart.

Attorneys for Kelly Long also claimed last year that the 'unfounded' claims were part of Michael's 'personal vendetta against his ex-wife.'

Frisco PD would later release a statement in late August confirming Sophie was 'safe and staying at a safe location.'

Long says that since the end of April, he has been allowed a handful of FaceTime calls with his sons but said that even these have now petered out.

Sophie, meanwhile, was ordered to be sent to live with her maternal aunt following a hearing in May during which he says he was not allowed to testify, while his estranged wife Kourtney Chalmers  who Long believes is working with ex-wife Kelly  was called to the stand.

When the order for her removal was finally handed down in July, he says he felt 'numb' but quickly decided he needed to get out of town to 'buy time'.

He told DailyMail.com: 'I sat there, everybody started scrambling in the background trying to find her and pick her up. And I thought through it. This is a civil matter.

'This isn't a criminal matter, it isn't oh, he's going to jail if we find him kind of thing. It's a time period. And I knew the only thing to do next was to file an appeal and to do it quickly.

'But you need time to do that. Within days of the hearing, there's a missing poster floating about. No, she's with me and we're laying low until the next step.

Sophie appeared happy and at ease with her father when the pair were interviewed in August. Above, a younger Sophie

Sophie was the subject of a social media campaign dubbed #StandWithSophie after a video of her custody handover went viral. It showed her holding on to the seats of her dad's car and accusing her mom's fiancee of abuse

'That was a motion to stay and a writ of mandamus that was denied. Between that denial and now, they called for a court hearing on August 4 where they wanted to put down an order on the motion decided on July 7.

'But they also want to put me in jail for two and a half years and they want to put me on probation for 10 years.

'All through this situation, I'm just a father trying to protect my child  that's all there is to it. At the end of the day, I will do anything I can to make sure Sophie gets justice.

'This is my little girl. What would any other parent do in this situation? Especially when the documentation I have proves what happened.'

Michael said Sophie was doing well and achieved top marks in her end of year results in a meeting with DailyMail.com in August

Michael claimed he had not abducted his daughter and took off because he was fearful of what would happen to Sophie if she was returned to her mom's family.

Sophie, he said, was doing well and achieved top marks in her end of year results.

He said: 'She's awesome. Sophie's brave. She's really into architecture at the moment so she's been spending some time learning about those principles. Swimming.'

He added: 'We are blessed to have wonderful friends in this world, people who are willing to give us a soft place to land.

'So, we're comfortable, she's happy. It's summer. I'm trying to keep things as normal as possible in her life. I don't want her to feel the stress I go through.

'At the end of the day, this is about her. It's about my boys too but I can only deal with what I have control over and at this point, it's my daughter and making sure she has her voice heard.'

Until recently, Michael had been 'laying low' with Sophie since July 7 after he was told to hand her to her aunt in North Carolina and banned from speaking to his daughter for 90 days.

He brought Sophie to a meeting with DailyMail.com which took place at a neutral location in August.

The 10-year-old appeared happy and at ease with her father, and was keen to tell DailyMail.com about the A grades she received at school and her favorite classes, including English and art.
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Thousands have gathered in cities across Australia to protest against mandatory vaccinations.

Dozens of demonstrators took to the streets in Sydney and Melbourne on Sunday to protest the introduction of vaccine mandates across several industries.

Sydney's Hyde Park was flooded with protesters that brandished colourful flags and posters that read: 'You can say no' and 'No vaccine passport'.

In Melbourne, thousands congregated outside Parliament House on Spring Street before marching down Bourke Street and chanting 'free Victoria'.

In Hobart, a large crowd bizarrely held a minute's silence for unvaccinated workers who had lost their jobs.

The organised protests are part of a national day of action with rallies in Queensland, Perth and Canberra also kicking off on Sunday.

Thousands have gathered in cities across Australia to protest against mandatory vaccinations (pictured, protesters in Sydney on Sunday)

Sydney's Hyde Park was swarmed with protesters that held colourful flags and posters (pictured, a woman at the protests in Sydney)

The suite of protests are part of a national day of action as similar rallies are held in Queensland, Perth, Canberra, Adelaide and Hobart (pictured, protests in Sydney)

Thousands of Sydneysiders spent their Sunday protesting vaccine mandates and passports in the city's CBD

Protesters in Melbourne were seen holding homemade placards that read 'reclaim the line', 'my body, my choice' and 'freedom needs no passport'.

However, after weeks of protests Melburnians finally lost their patience at attendees, with people in high-rise buildings reportedly pouring water on those marching below and others taking them on.

A member of the public was heard questioning the crowds: 'Why are you even protesting?' and was quickly met with a shove and told to 'go to hell'.

Others took to social media to complain about the demonstrations, which shut down several streets and caused back-to-back traffic in the city centre. The rally held last Saturday also saw public transport disrupted.

'The Melbourne protest has one aim, and that's to cause trouble in Melbourne,' one user stated on Twitter.

'Shoppers have reported being too scared to visit the city. The protests are destroying small business and costing jobs. This is what domestic terrorism looks like.'

'There is no reasoning with these people, I have seen it first hand,' a second user agreed.

'They have no consideration for others which I also saw first hand when I was in the city during the protests. Melbourne is sick of their bullshit and conspiracy theories.'

The backlash didn't seem to deter demonstrators who stopped to play music at the Carlton Gardens before gathering outside the Royal Exhibition Building.

The protests in Melbourne comes after Victorian Premier Dan Andrews made the state's first pandemic declaration under the new laws on Friday.

The new bill grants the premier sweeping new powers as well as tougher penalties for public health order breaches.

Mr Andrews announced the pandemic declaration would come into effect at 11:59pm on Wednesday, when the state emergency laws expire.

Meanwhile in Sydney, protesters met in Hyde Park before marching down Elizabeth Street, past Haymarket and into Surry Hills to end up at Prince Alfred Park.

Protesters in Sydney (pictured) marched and chanted through the city streets after convening at Hyde Park

A flag promoting Donald Trump for President in 2024 was also seen in the Sydney crowds that read: 'Save America Again'

'Our kids don't need protection from Covid, they need protection from the vaccine,' one of the posters from the protests in Sydney read

In Hobart, hundreds of people convened on the Parliament House Lawns before marching through Salamanca Place in protest of mandatory jabs.

The crowd quietened to hold a one minute silence to pay tribute to the people who had lost their jobs because they refused to get vaccinated.

A former GP in the Hobart crowds described the vaccine as an 'assault on our children' and vaccine mandates as 'medical apartheid'.

Reg Watson, a spokesman for the rally, said people's livelihoods were being threatened and that children would soon be rolling up their sleeves.

'We believe in retaining our right to choose our own medical interventions without enforcement,' he told The Mercury.

'These mandates are against the Australian Constitution, the Nuremberg Code and absolute common sense.'

The protests in Sydney are part of a national day of action across the country with corresponding events held other capital cities

A large inflatable skull that appeared to be pricked with needles was seen at the Sydney rally

Several flags had been hoisted into the air as thousands converged at Sydney's CBD

A large banner with the words #ReclaimTheLine was marched through Sydney's CBD

Further north in Queensland, thousands gathered at the Queensland-NSW border to protest vaccine mandates as the state prepares to open on Monday.

From Monday, the Sunshine State will welcome travellers from Covid hotspots like the ACT, NSW and Victoria to reunite families for the festive season.

Organisers of the protests at Coolangatta estimated about 6000 people had come out to rally against the state's vaccine mandate, set to come into effect on Friday.

Demonstrators at the Gold Coast rally were entertained by live performances and public speakers while musicians performed at the rally held in Sydney.

On Saturday, about 1000 protesters took to the streets in Perth to protest vaccine mandates now in place for about three quarters of the workforce.

Attendees held posters that read: 'Down with McClown' in reference to Premier Mark McGowan while other signs said: 'Coercion is not consent'.

The majority of West Australians are vaccinated with the state due to hit the 80 per cent double-dose mark within days.

One bizarre poster read: 'If science cannot be questioned it's propaganda'

Musicians performed at the rally dubbed 'Face the Music' held in Prince Alfred Park on Sunday as the crowd thrust posters and flags into the air
A seven-year-old boy is lucky to to be alive after being bitten by one of the most venomous snakes in the world.

The boy was rushed to Inverell Hospital on Saturday afternoon after he was bitten by a tiger snake.

He is currently in a stable condition after being flown by Westpac Rescue Helicopter to Tamworth Hospital.

A seven-year-old boy is lucky to to be alive after being bitten by a tiger snake - one of the most venomous snakes in the world

Paramedics were called to the scene on Saturday after reports the seven-year-old had been bitten by a snake.

Experts were able to confirm the snake that attacked the boy was a tiger snake, a creature commonly found on Australia's south-east coast.

According to the Australian Geographic, tiger snakes are the third most venomous snake in the world and responsible for the second most bites in the country per year.

They're commonly found lurking under homes and in aquatic environments like creeks and dams.

Bites usually happen when they are mistakenly trodden on, with tiger snakes described generally as timid creatures but fierce when frightened.

A tiger snake bite can be fatal if not treat, with a person suffering tingling and sweating before breathing difficulties and paralysis can set in.

The boy was stabilised prior to being loaded into the Westpac Rescue Helicopter

He is currently in a stable condition and recovering at Tamworth Hospital.
A man who addressed a large anti-vaccination rally in Sydney has died in a Covid-19 hospital ward.

The Indigenous elder was cheered at the 'Millions March' rally in Sydney's Hyde Park on November 27 when he said politicians 'deserve to be drowned'.

A Facebook page referred to him speaking 'in front of a crowd of 200,000 united sovereign Sydneysiders'.

The actual attendance was around 9,000.

Around 9,000 people attended the 'Millions march against mandatory vaccinations' to protest against vaccine mandates in Hyde Park, Sydney on November 27, 2021

The man was a cultural adviser 'on health and cultural-related issues' for the Informed Medical Options Party (IMOParty), who promoted him as a key speaker at the rally.

IMOParty confirmed his death. The 85-year-old died in the Sutherland Hospital on Saturday morning from bronchial asthma and underlying complications.

Speaking at the rally two weeks ago, he said ' (I) don't recognise the place up on the hill in Canberra, because they're not a government, they're a friggin' corporation posing as a government.'

He said people had 'no freedom' due to Covid vaccinations and were 'fighting to walk and talk for freedom'.

'Each and every speaker here today, they're doing nothing but speaking truth, and that's what we want,' he said of his fellow anti-vaccination speakers.

He compared being against Covid-19 vaccinations to war.

'I've gone through the second world war and all the wars in between, but this is the most hardest friggin' war that I ever got.'

The man went on a tirade against politicians, saying 'Yell at that b******* that want to jack those little kids. Your grandkids, your children. Your nieces and nephews.

'There's not a jail big enough to put the b******* in. Walk them in chains. That's what needs to be done ... These b******* ... deserve to be drowned,' he said.

The man was a Yuin elder who wrote the 2009 book My People's Dreaming and also lectured at the University of Technology Sydney.

NSW Health reported two men had died from Covid-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm on Saturday night.

Both men were unvaccinated.

As well as the two deaths, NSW recorded 485 new Covid-19 cases as the caseload dips following two consecutive days of more than 500 infections.

The state had on Saturday recorded the highest number of cases since October 9, two days before lockdown lifted, and the second in a row with more than 500 cases.

Organisers of the 'Millions March' rally in Sydney's Hyde Park claimed 200,000 people attended. The actual attendance was 9,000

In Victoria, there have been 1,069 new Covid infections and two virus-related deaths. This marks the seventh consecutive day Victoria has recorded more than 1,000 virus cases.

The state is now managing almost 11,400 active coronavirus cases. There are 310 Covid patients in Victorian hospitals, 74 of them in intensive care and 37 who require ventilation.

The total number of deaths in Victoria since the pandemic began stands at 1,416.

In NSW, 90,804 tests were recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm on Saturday, while 67,300 results were processed in Victoria.

The double-dose vaccination rate of those aged over 16 in NSW has reached 93.1 per cent. In Victoria, 92 per cent are fully vaccinated among those aged 12 and over.

As of Saturday evening, 156 people were in hospital with the virus in NSW, 23 of them in intensive care.
Gavin Newsom wants to used the Supreme Court's ruling on a Texas law banning abortion to allow private citizens in California to enforce a ban on the manufacture and sale of AR-15 weapons.

The California governor pledged to empower his citizens to enforce gun laws using the same authority that the Texas law uses in banning abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected.

California has banned the manufacture and sale of many assault-style weapons for decades. A federal judge overturned that ban in June, ruling it was unconstitutional.

The judge drew the ire of the state's Democratic leaders by comparing the popular AR-15 rifle to a Swiss Army knife as 'good for both home and battle.' California's ban remained in place while the state appealed.

The difference, however, is that the right to bear arms is protected by the U.S. Constitution, while there is no provision within the document protecting a woman's right to an abortion.

State Senator Brian Dahle, a Republican from Bieber, pointed this out, claiming he would oppose the plan but predicted it could probably pass California's Democratic-dominated state Legislature.

'The right to bear arms is different than the right to have an abortion,' Dahle said. 'The right to have an abortion is not a constitutional amendment. So I think he's way off base.'

'I think he's just using it as an opportunity to grandstand,' he added in claiming the proposal was most likely a stunt for Newsom to win favor with his progressive base of voters.

Republican lawmakers in Texas passed a law this year banning abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, which normally occurs at about six weeks into pregnancy. The law allows private citizens to enforce the ban, empowering them to sue abortion clinics and anyone else who 'aids and abets' with the procedure.

California Governor Gavin Newsom pledged on Saturday to empower private citizens to enforce a ban on the manufacture and sale of assault weapons in the state, citing the same authority claimed by conservative lawmakers in Texas to outlaw most abortions once a heartbeat is detected

The Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the Texas law could remain in effect, even while abortion clinics sue to block it.

That decision incensed Newsom, a Democrat who supports abortion rights.

'If states can now shield their laws from review by the federal courts that compare assault weapons to Swiss Army knives, then California will use that authority to protect people's lives, where Texas used it to put women in harm's way,' Newsom said in a statement released by his office Saturday evening.

Newsom said he has directed his staff to work with the state's Legislature and its Democratic attorney general to pass a law that would let private citizens sue to enforce California's ban on assault weapons.

The California governor said people who sue could win up to $10,000 per violation plus other costs and attorneys fees against 'anyone who manufactures, distributes, or sells an assault weapon' in the Golden State.

'If the most efficient way to keep these devastating weapons off our streets is to add the threat of private lawsuits, we should do just that,' Newsom said.

The legal fight over the Texas abortion law has focused on its unusual structure and whether it improperly limits how the law can be challenged in court. Texas lawmakers handed responsibility for enforcing the law to private citizens, rather than state officials.

The case raised a complex set of issues about who, if anyone, can sue over the law in federal court, the typical route for challenges to abortion restrictions.

Newsom's gun proposal would first have to pass California's state Legislature before it could become law.

The Legislature is not currently in session and is scheduled to reconvene in January. It usually takes about eight months for new bills to pass the Legislature, barring special circumstances.

Newsom's Saturday night declaration is a fulfilled prophecy for some gun rights groups who had predicted progressive states would attempt to use Texas' abortion law to restrict access to guns.

The Firearms Policy Coalition, a nonprofit group that advocates for gun rights, filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court opposing the Texas abortion law.

'If Texas succeeds in its gambit here, New York, California, New Jersey, and others will not be far behind in adopting equally aggressive gambits to not merely chill but to freeze the right to keep and bear arms,' attorney Erik Jaffe wrote on behalf of the Firearms Policy Coalition.
Lawyers for a student injured in the deadly school shooting at Oxford High School last month are accusing the school district of destroying evidence.

The Oxford School District in Michigan is facing $100 million lawsuit from the family of Riley Franz, 17, who was shot in the neck on November 30, and her sister, Bella Franz, 14, who watched it happen as they exited a bathroom at the high school.

Their lawyers have requested a trove of evidence in their case alleging the Oxford School District failed to protect students by letting a 'deranged' and 'homicidal' student return to class despite warning signs that Ethan Crumbley, 15, was going to do something dangerous.

The lawsuits name the Oxford Community School District Superintendent Timothy Throne, Oxford High School principal Steven Wolf, the dean of students, two counselors, two teachers and a staff member as defendants.

Among the evidence they said went 'missing' since they filed their suit on Thursday are one of the defendant's LinkedIn profiles and a list of administrators from the school website.

'Not only did defendants fail to take necessary steps to preserve the evidence, but they willfully destructed the evidence by deleting the webpages and social media accounts,' lawyer Nora Hanna wrote in Friday's filing, obtained by the Detroit Free Press.

'Plaintiff's cannot continue to be blindsided by the defendants by having to search for what evidence is being destroyed or altered.'

The Oxford School District in Michigan is facing a $100 million lawsuit from the family of Riley Franz, 17, who was shot in the neck in a deadly school shooting on November 30, and her sister, Bella Franz, 14, who watched it happen as they exited a bathroom at the high school

Ethan Crumbley, 15, was arrested in the school shooting and is being charged with terrorism and first-degree murder

His parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, were also charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter after they allegedly bought the gun for their son

Lawyers for the school district called the claim 'disgusting' and a 'lie,' claiming that the district is fully cooperating with investigators.

But on Friday night, US District Judge Terrence Berg ordered the school to turn over all evidence related to the shooting, though he did not specifically mention the plaintiff's claim that evidence was destroyed.

Since the deadly shooting on November 30, it has been revealed that Ethan Crumbley's parents had spoken to guidance counselors at the school just hours before the shooting after a teacher became concerned with a drawing he made that included a bullet and the words 'blood everywhere' and statements he made prior to the fatal shooting.

According to Throne, the teacher alerted school counselors and the dean of students about the drawings and statements Ethan made, after previously viewing images of ammunition on his phone he claimed was for his family's shooting hobby, and he was 'immediately removed from the classroom.'

Guidance counselors then monitored him for an hour and a half as they unsuccessfully tried to reach his parents, James and Jennifer.

When they eventually responded, counselors asked them about Ethan's capacity for harm and concluded 'he did not intend on committing either self harm or harm to others,' according to a letter Throne sent to community members over the weekend.

The guidance counselors reportedly suggested James and Jennifer bring him home for the day, but they said they had to return to work.

A few hours later, Throne writes, Ethan started shooting just before 1pm 'during passing time between classes when hundreds of students were in the hallway transitioning from one classroom to another.'

Ethan, 15, was arrested just a few minutes after the shooting began, and was charged as an adult with terrorism, first degree murder and other counts in the deaths of Madisyn Baldwin, 17; Tate Myre, 16; Hana St. Juliana, 14; and Justin Shilling, 17.

His parents were also charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter for allegedly gifting their son with the gun he used in the shooting. All three have pleaded not guilty.

Police responded to the scene of Oxford High School in Michigan on November 30 after receiving numerous calls about shots ringing out

Parents walked their children away from the scene after receiving an active shooter call

Madisyn Baldwin, 17, (left) and Hana St Juliana, 14, (right) died in the shooting rampage at Oxford High School in suburban Detroit

Justin Shilling, 17, (left) died in the hospital after the shooting and Tate Myre (right) died in the school on November 30

The Franz family's lawyers have now reached out to a number of companies and governmental agencies asking them to preserve evidence from the shooting, including Verizon, AT&T, the FBI and the Department of Justice.

They also asked Instagram and Facebook to preserve any posts with the hashtags #OxfordStrong and #OxfordSchoolShooting.

But the Oxford School District is being asked to produce the most information in court documents, the Free Press reports, including: all files on Crumbley, correspondence between district officials about potential past threats and employment records of all counselors, teachers and staff at the school.

They also want any video footage the district may have of his parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley.

Members of the community bowed their heads during a prayer service and candlelight vigil one day after the deadly shooting

Some students also mourned at a memorial outside Oxford High School

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer embraced Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter as the two left flowers at the memorial in the wake of the shooting

On Friday, the plaintiffs also asked a federal court judge to hold a hearing 'to discuss sanctioning the defendants for participating in obstructionist behavior just hours after the commencement of a lawsuit,' arguing that district officials scrubbed the website and removed an employee's LinkedIn page.

The hearing has not yet been scheduled, and Timothy Mullins, an attorney for the district disputed that it was destroying any evidence.

'It's a lie... it's disgusting,' he told the Free Press. 'People think the school district is withholding information? Everything that we have has been give to the prosecutor ... everything they want we've given them.'

He claimed the person whose LinkedIn page was scrubbed, who was not named by the Free Press, has not worked in the district in more than a year, and by naming him in the lawsuit, Geoffrey Fieger, a lawyer for the Franz family, is causing him 'unnecessary trauma.'

'It's disgusting,' Mullins said. 'This man has been defamed.

'I've asked Fieger to remove him from the lawsuit, and he won't.'

In an interview with CNN, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald, right, said school officials had the legal authority to search 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley's backpack and locker when they had concerns about some drawings and statements he made prior to the fatal shooting at the end of November, but failed to do so

"I'm focused on ... holding the people accountable who could have prevented this, and right now the Crumbleys are those two people," Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald says about the parents of the Michigan school shooting suspect.https://t.co/iybEF84GIo pic.twitter.com/em8238Ku3a  New Day (@NewDay) December 6, 2021

Meanwhile, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald has hinted that school officials may be criminally charged in the shooting.

In an interview with CNN last week, she said school officials had the legal authority to search Crumbley's belongings when they found a chilling note on his desk that featured disturbing drawings depicting a gun, a bullet, blood, a shooting victim and a laughing emoji.

The note included the words: 'Thoughts won't stop, help me'; 'my life is useless' and 'the world is dead,' according to prosecutors.

When questioned by school counselors just hours before his gun rampage, Ethan said the graphic drawing was a plan for a video game.

At that point, McDonald said the gun would have been at the school.

'We don't know exactly if the weapon was in his bag, where it was. We just know it was in the school and he had access to it,' she said.

The day before the shooting, Ethan was spotted searching for ammunition on his phone, and when asked by a teacher he said it was for his parents' gun hobby. When the school raised the issue with his parents, his mother sent him a text saying: 'LOL. I'm not even mad at you.'

When asked if school staff members could be prosecuted, McDonald told CNN's Brianna Keilar, 'We haven't ruled out charging anyone.'

She later said in another interview with ABC's Good Morning America that she could charge the school officials in the shooting, noting: 'In this case, a lot could have been done different.'

McDonald said the investigation's findings will determine whether school officials will be charged in the attack at Oxford High School.
Detectives investigating the disappearance of Belgian backpacker Theo Hayez will offer a cash reward to finally solve the case.

The 18-year-old was just days from returning home to Europe when he vanished during a night out in Byron Bay, on NSW's north coast, on May 31, 2019.

He was last seen on CCTV leaving Cheeky Monkeys nightclub about 11pm after being kicked out by security guards, who claimed he was drunk.

Phone data revealed he searched on Google for directions back to his hostel, but instead walked in the opposite direction through rugged bushland to Tallow Beach, where his phone activity stopped just after 1am.

Despite extensive searches, investigators found no trace of Theo or his phone - only his hat, which turned up in previously examined area on July 7 - six weeks after he vanished.

Detectives are set to offer a reward for information about the disappearance of Belgian backpacker Theo Hayez (pictured)

After a coronial inquest into his disappearance, police said they would seek a reward in hope of finally uncovering what happened to the missing teenager, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Detective Senior Constable Phillip Parker, who is leading the investigation, will make an application at the request of Theo's shattered family who travelled to Byron Bay from Belgium for the inquest.

The sum of the reward, which will be subject to NSW Police approvals, is yet to be announced.

Speaking through an interpreter, his father Laurent Hayez told the court the family had not given up hope of finding him alive and was determined to find answers.

'I would like to thank (Missing Persons Registry manager) Detective Inspector Glenn Brown for his sensitivity and his work in which I place a lot of hope in the future to solve Theos case,' he said.

'In our distress we have had the immense chance to rely on an incredible support from our fellow citizens in Belgium, but also and most importantly, from the amazing community of Byron Bay.

Theo's father Laurent Hayez (left) and godfather Jean-Philippe Pector (right) pictured at a coronial inquest into the Belgian backpacker's disappearance

'I would like to thank all of these people for eternity. Thanks to them, I keep faith in humanity. Not everything is lost in this world.'

The inquest has so far raised more questions than answers, with the court previously hearing there were flaws in the police investigation.

Senior Constable Parker admitted 'very important' evidence was missed and not enough searches were conducted after Theo's Puma cap was found in an area which had been thoroughly searched before.

Counsel Assisting the Coroner Kirsten Edwards said the location of the cap six weeks later suggested important finds were missed in earlier searches, to which Senior Constable Parker agreed.

The inquest also heard police believe Theo fell into the ocean while climbing a cliff face and was washed out to sea, but his family disputed the theory.

His family is adamant the risk-averse 18-year-old would not have walked into the unfamiliar bushland at night time and must have been with someone else.

The court also heard from Theo's friends and others who were at the club that night who offered contradictory evidence to bouncer's claims the teenager was drunk.

CCTV footage shows Theo outside Cheeky Monkeys on the night he vanished in May, 2019

Climbers pictured on the north flank of the Byron Bay lighthouse, during a search for Theo in July 2019

Family and friends maintained that Theo was not a big drinker and did not seem drunk on the night he vanished.

As the hearing reached its final scheduled day on Friday, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan, who is presiding over the inquest, burst into tears.

After hearing heartrending testimonies from the family, Coroner O'Sullivan said she wanted to say a few words.

But she was overcome with emotion as she tried to address the inquest and had to adjourn to take a break while she composed herself.

'That was an extraordinary experience for me and the other people in this courtroom,' she said, as she choked back tears, on Friday.

'Everyone in this courtroom these last two weeks has felt your pain.

Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan (pictured) has burst into tears on the final scheduled day of the inquest into the disappearance of Belgian backpacker Theo Hayez

The inquest had heard heartrending testimonies from the missing teenager's mother Vinciane Delforge (pictured here with son, Theo) and his brother Lucas

'What we've experienced also through these last two weeks, and so much so today hearing your words, is your love - it could not be clearer.'

The coroner paused as she battled with her emotions.

'It's made me very emotional. I may not be able to speak,' she said, her voice breaking as she tried not to sob.

As it became clear she couldn't hold back her tears, she said: 'I'll take a short break.'

The inquest reconvened 15 minutes later to hear the coroner reiterate her admiration for the family and for the missing backpacker, who vanished on May 31, 2019.

'I just wanted to say thank you to Theo's family for the words that they have just spoken today,' she said, having composed herself during the adjournment.

Theo's family - grandmother Jacqueline Jourquin (pictured left), mother Vinciane Delforge (second left), brother Lucas Hayez (centre) and father Laurent Hayez (right) - have flown from Belgium to be at the Byron Bay inquest

'It's incredibly generous and gracious to hear from the family, to hear everything that you've said about Theo.

'It is such a privilege for me to hear more about him from those who knew and loved him best. He sounds like he was the most incredible, beautiful young man.

'There is no doubt about how well he was loved and how much he loved you, so thank you.'

The coroner revealed the inquest would now be extended a further three days, with an additional sitting in Sydney next year, to hear from at least three more witnesses who were not identified.

Earlier the inquest had heard from Theo's grandmother Jacqueline Jourquin, mother Vinciane Delforge, brother Lucas Hayez and father Laurent Hayez.

'Before leaving I had asked him for a jumper with his smell in memory of him waiting for his return,' Theo's little brother Lucas told the inquest, sobbing between every sentence.

'He took me in his arms for the last time saying he was not leaving forever and he promised me to come back really fast.'

Theo's mother Vinciane Delforge thanked the local Byron Bay community (pictured) for their help in trying to find her son

Theo vanished after he was kicked out of a nightclub in Byron Bay on the NSW north coast. Google Maps data revealed he searched for directions to his hostel - but walked off in the opposite direction.

Lucas stressed that his brother was not someone who would take drugs or drink heavily.

'He always told me that you can have fun without substances,' he said. 'That's a sentence he loved telling me over and over again.'

Mobile phone data revealed Theo eventually walked a treacherous route in the pitch dark on a bitterly cold night to a remote beach at the foot of the town's lighthouse .

He sent friends relaxed and calm messages and watched a video at the spot before the phone mysteriously switched off and no trace was ever found of him again.

However the alarm was not raised until June 6, 2019, and his family flew out from Belgium to assist the hunt for him.

His mother said Theo Hayez (pictured) had been looking forward to the trip ever since his godfather had moved to Australia with his wife

On Friday his mother Vinciane Delforge thanked the local community for their help in trying to find her son.

'Not knowing is unbearable,' she said. 'Our life, if we still have one, is a daily struggle and life doesn't have the same taste anymore.

'Part of me left with Theo, staying alive is a struggle.'

She said Theo had been looking forward to the trip ever since his godfather had moved to Australia with his wife, but at the time he vanished, he was literally counting the days until he returned home.

'I found in his belongings the notebook on which he was counting those days,' she said. 'He wanted to see his friends again and to have a party with them.

'The date was already planned.'

In an emotional family statement, translated by an interpreter, she told the inquest: 'I have lost a child, but I have won a family on the other side of the world.

'My heart and my soul I share between my home country and this land that has taken Theo from me.

'Australian family, Belgian family, all the friends, I love you.'

The inquest will now reconvene in Sydney for three additional days on February 21, 2022.
Furious Queenslanders lost thousands of dollars after Mark McGowan tightened Western Australia's border ahead of Christmas.

The Sunshine state will be elevated from 'very low risk' to a 'low risk' from 12.01am on Monday, meaning Queensland travellers must be vaccinated, test negative, and do 14 days quarantine on arrival in WA.

Anyone already in WA who's been to a Queensland exposure site will also need to quarantine for 14 days and get tested.

The WA premier slapped the sudden quarantine on thousands of holidaymakers over just seven Covid cases in two days across Queensland.

Darelle Baker, from the Fraser Coast Region, planned to travel to Western Australia over Christmas to visit her daughter, son in law, and meet her four-month-old granddaughter.

Darelle Baker and her family (pictured) can no longer visit her granddaughter in WA over Christmas due to the state's new WA border control rules

She said the new rules cost her family $4,500 in flights and ruined their Christmas plans.

'I'm just so angry it's all good and well that we are able to cancel those flights or wait until Qantas cancels them for us but it will be a six- to 12-month wait before we can get our money back,' she said.

'We have forfeited $4,500 for what? So that we can do nothing for Christmas? I'm disappointed and frustrated.'

Ms Baker said Mr McGowan's draconian border stance has made it extremely difficult to see her granddaughter, who was born in August.

She travelled to the west coast in October but was told she would need to quarantine due to rule changes, so only stayed 48 hours before flying back home.

The grandmother said she was not surprised quarantine-free travel was abruptly cut off to Queenslanders.

Premier Mark McGowan (pictured) has announced Queensland will be elevated from a 'very low risk' to a 'low risk' jurisdiction from 12.01am on Monday.

'As soon as Queensland said they would reopen the borders to NSW and Victoria we all said "should we cancel our flights now?" We knew as soon as the borders were open WA was going to close us out,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'It's heartbreaking. My daughter can't come here because her partner can't get the time off.

'I don't want my money back, I want to spend Christmas with my whole family.'

Ms Baker said the rules seemed arbitrary and went against the promises made by state governments to reopen borders once vaccination milestones were reached.

'I want to know why we all had to be double vaccinated and why we were told that the borders would stay open once we hit a certain per cent,' she said.

'Why does WA feel so scared to open?'

That means Queensland travellers must be fully vaccinated, test negative and complete 14 days' quarantine on arrival in WA

Mr McGowan said the tightening is needed because Queensland has recorded seven local Covid cases in the past two days and was easing its border restrictions on Monday.

'With community spread now being experienced in Queensland and its expected move to relax border controls and quarantine requirements with Covid-positive jurisdictions, in the midst of Omicron, we need to take caution and strengthen our border controls with Queensland,' he said on Saturday.

'This will inconvenience people however we know border controls work to keep WA safe and they're effective in managing the risks of Covid-19 entering the community - while we don't yet have sufficient levels of vaccination coverage.'

The move to clamp down on the border was just days away from Mr McGowan setting a date for WA's domestic borders reopening.

Mr McGowan says the tightening is needed because Queensland has recorded seven local cases in the last two days and is easing its border restrictions on Monday. Pictured: Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk

He has promised to reopen once 90 per cent of eligible West Australians are fully vaccinated and said he will set a date once WA hits 80 per cent.

Some 88.42 per cent of residents have had one dose of a vaccine and 79.62 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Mr McGowan said he expected to set the border opening date in coming days, and is believed to be doing so on Monday.

'As I've said, in coming days we expect to reach our 80 per cent double dose vaccination rate which means we can review the situation and confidently lock in a future date to proceed with our Safe Transition Plan next year,' he said.

'This is a timely reminder to get vaccinated. It will protect you, your family and your community.'

WA recorded no new cases of Covid-19 on Saturday after 489 tests at state clinics, while there are two active cases in hotel quarantine.
Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi today defended Boris Johnson after it emerged the Prime Minister personally hosted a Christmas quiz in Downing Street last year.

Mr Zahawi said Mr Johnson had not broken any coronavirus rules by taking part in the event.

The Sunday Mirror published an image of the PM showing him on a screen, sitting in front of a laptop in the Number 10 library alongside two colleagues, one of whom is draped in tinsel.

Downing Street has insisted the quiz was 'virtual' but reports claimed many staff were huddled by computers in Number 10 as they conferred on questions and drank alcohol.

The quiz took place on December 15 last year, three days before an alleged rule-breaking Christmas party in Number 10, which is currently being investigated by Cabinet Secretary Simon Case.

The emergence of the photograph of Mr Johnson taking part in the event will pile even more pressure on the premier after a torrid week in which he has been battered over an array of scandals.

Mr Zahawi told Sky News that the image showed Mr Johnson was 'respecting the lockdown rules' and 'many people would have had similar Zoom quiz nights around the country'.

The Cabinet minister said he believed 'people will look at that picture today and will think hold on a second, he is on a virtual call, no alcohol, thanking his staff for 10 minutes before he goes back to work, is that really a terrible crime?'

But Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he believed it 'looks as though' Mr Johnson had broken coronavirus curbs.

Sir Keir said it was 'very hard' to see how the quiz was 'compliant with the rules'.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi today defended Boris Johnson after it emerged the Prime Minister personally hosted a Christmas quiz in Downing Street last year

Mr Zahawi said Mr Johnson had not broken any coronavirus rules by taking part in the event. The PM is pictured leaving Downing Street today

How many parties is the Government alleged to have held last year and when did they happen? PARTIES IN DOWNING STREET Dom's Gone bash - November 13: Dominic Cummings alleges that the PM held a gathering at his grace-and-favour flat on November 13 last year, the day the adviser was ousted from Downing Street. Mr Cummings also suggested there had been 'other flat parties'. Leaving do - November 27: The Prime Minister reportedly gave a speech at a packed Number 10 leaving do for a 'senior aide'. Sources claimed that '40 or 50 people' were present. Christmas party - December 18: Staff in Downing Street are believed to have held a Christmas party, with reports that dozens of people attended the event, some wearing festive jumpers and exchanging Secret Santa presents. London had been placed into Tier 3 restrictions on December 16 - the highest level of curbs on freedoms at the time which banned people from different households mixing indoors. Downing Street has said Boris Johnson did not attend the event. Quiz night - December: Sources told the BBC that a separate Christmas quiz event was held for Number 10 staff at some point in December. Everyone was apparently invited to attend and to form teams. One source said some people attended virtually via Zoom but others did attend in person and sat in groups of six. Downing Street has insisted the quiz was 'virtual'. ... AND ELSEWHERE IN WHITEHALL December 10: Then-education secretary Gavin Williamson hosted a Department for Education party for 'up to 24 people' on December 10. The gathering, which included food and drink, took place in the department's canteen. The department has admitted the event happened. December 14: About 25 people gathered in the basement of the Conservative party's Matthew Parker St offices in Westminster. The Times reported last night that advisers at Conservative campaign headquarters held an event with Shaun Bailey, the party's unsuccessful candidate for mayor of London this May. Advertisement

Mr Zahawi was asked this morning why people should follow coronavirus rules amid allegations of rule-breaking in Number 10.

The Education Secretary said: 'The first to say on that is that actually the nation has been brilliant following the guidelines.'

Told that that was before the row over Christmas parties, Mr Zahawi said: 'All the time. Even yesterday people were queueing up at vaccination sites, walk-in sites or booking their booster jabs.

'That is a great thing and I am grateful to people doing that and we thank them for that.

'On parties, the Cabinet Secretary has an investigation and his investigation can take him anywhere to look at all parties.

'I have to say to you, you just mentioned the quiz night and that picture today.

'What do we see in that picture? We see a prime minister on a virtual quiz night for 10 to 15 minutes to thank his staff who by the way had no choice but to come in every single day.

'Sitting in his office with the two people who are closest working with him, no alcohol on the table, not drinking, on a Zoom call or a Teams call, on a virtual call, respecting the lockdown rules.

'Many people would have had similar Zoom quiz nights around the country.'

When it was pointed out that Mr Johnson was sat next to two people during the quiz, Mr Zahawi said: 'They are in his office. They work with him.

'All I am saying to you is the Cabinet Secretary is going to investigate everything.

'But that picture I have had emails from constituents because the hype around parties that was going on in the last week and the week before made it sound sort of completely different and actually I think people will look at that picture today and will think hold on a second, he is on a virtual call, no alcohol, thanking his staff for 10 minutes before he goes back to work, is that really a terrible crime?'

Asked if he believes the PM is now a 'liability', Mr Zahawi said: 'I don't agree with that.

'I work very closely with Boris Johnson. I worked with him when I was business and industry minister, with the vaccines taskforce and when he asked me to do the vaccine deployment programme.

'He works literally all hours to make sure we get through this pandemic.'

Sir Keir was asked this morning during an interview on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show if he believed Mr Johnson was breaking the law by taking part in the quiz.

The Labour leader replied: 'Well, it looks as though he was. He must have known those other groups were in other rooms in his own building.

'This is very important because he has damaged his authority, he is now so weak, his party is so divided  he can't deliver the leadership that this country needs.'

He added: 'He is the worst possible leader at the worst possible time.'

Sir Keir said 'it appears' the PM had broken Covid rules and 'we will have to look into it but it is very hard to see how that is compliant with the rules'.

Official guidance in place last December stated: 'Although there are exemptions for work purposes, you must not have a work Christmas lunch or party, where that is a primarily social activity and is not otherwise permitted by the rules in your tier.'

At the time of the quiz, London was in Tier 2 which dictated there should be no mixing of households indoors, apart from support bubbles, and a maximum of six people outside.

The Sunday Mirror quoted a source who claimed many staff were huddled by computers, conferring on questions and drinking alcohol while the quiz was taking place.

It reported Mr Johnson surprised staff by turning up on screen as quiz master for one round lasting between 10 and 15 minutes.

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said the latest revelation showed Mr Johnson 'really believes it's one rule for him, another for everyone else'.

She said: 'While the rules said that people shouldn't have Christmas parties at work and Britons across the country were doing the right thing, Boris Johnson was instead happy to preside over a culture of disregard for the rules at the heart of Government.

'Despite repeated denials of parties in Number 10, it now transpires that there were numerous parties, gatherings and the Prime Minister even took part in a festive quiz.

'Boris Johnson really believes it's one rule for him, another for everyone else. He is a man unfit to lead this country.'

A Number 10 spokeswoman said: 'This was a virtual quiz.

'Downing Street staff were often required to be in the office to work on the pandemic response so those who were in the office for work may have attended virtually from their desks.

'The Prime Minister briefly took part virtually in a quiz to thank staff for their hard work throughout the year.'

The quiz reports come as Mr Case, who is also head of the Civil Service, investigates three alleged rule-breaking Government gatherings last winter.

Staff reportedly held a Christmas bash in Number 10 on December 18, with a leaked video  filmed four days after the alleged gathering  showing senior Downing Street aides joking about a 'fictional' party.

A second reported Downing Street event  an aide's leaving do which is said to have taken place on November 27  was allegedly attended by the Prime Minister, who The Mirror said made a speech.

Mr Case is investigating both alleged events, along with a festive celebration arranged at the Department for Education, which officials have admitted did take place and have expressed regret over.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has since confirmed that staff working for Therese Coffey drank alcohol and ate takeaways 'late into the evening' on a number of occasions while coronavirus restrictions were in place.

It comes after the Sunday Mirror reported that political staff and officials frequently drank after work until the early hours of the morning, and ordered food to the Work and Pension Secretary's office at the department's Whitehall headquarters.

The DWP has confirmed there were times when alcohol was consumed in a work space outside the Cabinet minister's Whitehall office but stressed it took place while work was continuing past normal employment hours.

A source said the desks in the office are socially distanced and there was 'no party atmosphere going on'.
Four people were killed and five were missing after a four-storey building collapsed on the Italian island of Sicily following a gas explosion.

The building set on fire after a natural gas pipe exploded in southern town of Ravanusa near Agrigento, the southwestern Sicilian city famous for its Greek temples, reports Italian news agency ANSA.

Two women were recovered alive from the rubble after the collapse on Saturday night, and rescuers and sniffer dogs were still searching the rubble for the missing, believed to include a young couple expecting a baby.

One of the women saved is believed to be an 80-year-old who was taken to the local Licata hospital with serious fractures. The other appears to be her sister-in-law who rescuers were able to find after they heard her phone ringing amidst the rubble.

The building set on fire after a natural gas pipe exploded in southern town of Ravanusa near Agrigento, the southwestern Sicilian city famous for its Greek temples

Members of a rescue team carry a victim on a stretcher at the scene where a four-storey building collapsed following a gas explosion, in Ravanusa, Italy, on Sunday

Two women were recovered alive from the rubble after the collapse on Saturday night, and rescuers and sniffer dogs were still searching the rubble for the missing, believed to include a young couple expecting a baby

The local unit of Italy's civil protection service confirmed on its Twitter feed that the death toll currently stood at four.

Television images showed a mass of rubble and wooden beams in a large empty space where the building once stood, with neighbouring buildings charred and damaged.

The explosion was likely caused by a gas leak, said authorities, who have opened an investigation.

'The gas probably found a cavity in which to accumulate,' the head of firefighters in the province of Agrigento, Giuseppe Merendino, told the Rainews24 TV channel.

'This pocket of gas would then have found an accidental trigger: a car, an elevator, an electrical appliance.'

A general view of the scene where a four-storey building collapsed following a gas explosion, in Ravanusa, Italy, on Sunday

A member of a rescue team and his dog take part in the search for missing residents

Soon after the explosion Saturday night, Ravanusa Mayor Carmello D'Angelo appealed on Facebook for 'everyone available who has shovels and bulldozers.'

'There has been a disaster,' he said.

About 50 people have been displaced, D'Angelo told Rainews24, as two adjacent apartment buildings were also damaged in the explosion.
Actress Claire Foy has slammed Metropolitan Police's handling of Sarah Everard's murder and said deploying more officers on the streets would not tackle the issue of women's safety as they 'don't trust' them.

The star of Netflix series The Crown, 37, added that the solution is for men to 'stop killing and raping us'.

Sarah, a 33-year-old marketing officer, was kidnapped, raped and murdered by serving Met officer Wayne Couzens as she made her way home from a friend's house in Clapham, south London, on March 3 earlier this year.

Couzens, a diplomatic protection officer, used Covid powers to conduct a fake arrest before committing crimes so horrific they shocked the nation and undermined confidence in the police.

He was sentenced to a whole life order at the Old Bailey in September.

Speaking to the Sunday Times, Ms Foy said: 'Hundreds of women get attacked every single day. It makes me so angry.

Claire Foy (pictured) attends the launch of new BBC Drama A Very British Scandal at The May Fair Hotel last month

'How can you look into making women safe and think about getting more policemen  who women don't trust  to look after them?

'We don't need looking after. We don't. We need people to stop killing and raping us. That's all. It's simple. And it's awful to say, but that's men. It's time to say, "You sort that out. What are you going to do?"'

Following Sarah's death, the Met was condemned for advising women who were approached by lone, plainclothes officers to call out to members of the public or flag down a bus if they did not feel safe.

However, Couzens had shown Ms Everard his warrant card and 'used his position as a police officer' to kidnap her.

The actress added: 'It's like saying that lots of dogs are killing cats, so let's lock cats up and let dogs loose.

'It doesn't make any sense. Women basically just get lumped with the emotional burden and responsibility of everything.'

Four years after her final outing as Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown, she will star as society beauty Margaret Campbell in forthcoming series A Very British Scandal.

The actress said fame, burnout and her divorce from actor Stephen Campbell had contributed to her needing a break.

Sarah Everard, 33, was kidnapped, raped and murdered by Met Police officer Wayne Couzens in a case that shocked the nation

She will star alongside Paul Bettany in the BBC miniseries, playing the roles of Duke and Duchess of Argyll in the drama series about the couple's high-profile divorce in the 1960s.

Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll, was famed for her charisma, beauty and style dominated the front pages as a divorce featuring accusations of forgery, theft, violence, drug-taking, secret recording, bribery and an explicit polaroid picture all played out.

A Very British Scandal will explore the social and political climate of post-war Britain and look at attitudes towards women to ask whether institutional misogyny was widespread at the time.
Disgraced former MP Craig Thomson has been charged with allegedly sending threatening email and texts to his estranged wife during their messy divorce.

Thomson, 57, was weeks earlier arrested at his NSW Central Coast home over his alleged involvement in a multi-million dollar migration fraud.

NSW Police said an investigation was launched after the former federal MP's wife Zoe Arnold reported allegedly receiving 'several email threats from a man known to her'.

Thomson, 57, was arrested at his Terrigal home on Friday after police inquiries.

Fresh charges have been laid against Craig Thomson (left), accused of harassing his estranged wife Zoe Arnold (right) with threatening emails and texts

Thompson was taken to Gosford Police Station and charged with using a carriage service to menace, harass, or offend.

He was granted strict conditional bail and is due to appear at Gosford Local Court on Tuesday.

Police also took out a restraining order against Thomson on his ex-wife's behalf for her protection.

Ms Arnold had an interim restraining order granted against her estranged husband at Gosford Local Court last month, which is now extended.

The two-year order prevents Thomson going anywhere ex-wife lives, works, or to other places listed in the order.

The former couple recently sold their lavish Central Coast home for $3.35 million after buying the property for $2.15 million three years earlier.

The latest legal saga comes after Craig Thomson, 57, was charged over his alleged involvement in a multi-million dollar migration fraud (pictured at Gosford Police Station last month after getting bail).

Australian Federal Police arrested Thomson at his home last month over his alleged involvement in a multi-million dollar migration fraud.

Police alleged he facilitated more than 130 fraudulent visa applications over four years, yielding more than $2 million in profit for himself.

He faces 30 charges including providing false documents and false or misleading information relating to non-citizens, and breaching restrictions on charging fees for immigration assistance.

The former member for Dobell, Thomson was convicted on 65 charges of using Health Services Union funds for personal benefit in March 2014.

He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, with nine months of the sentence suspended over two years.

His conviction and sentence were later overturned on appeal, with Thomson fined $25,000 and spared jail time after being found guilty on 13 counts of theft.

Disgraced former MP Craig Thomson (left) will face court on Tuesday regarding fresh allegations of bombarding his ex-wife Zoe (right) with threatening messages and texts

Thomson was elected the member for Dobell on the Central Coast in 2007, taking the seat from the Liberal Party's Ken Ticehurst.

He moved to the cross bench in April 2012 after the credit card allegations arose, but continued to protest his innocence.

After the scandal, Thomson lost his seat in the 2013 Federal election. He was subsequently expelled from the Labor Party in 2014 and struck off as a practising lawyer in 2018.
Author Anne Rice who wrote Interview with the Vampire died surrounded by her family last night.

The New Orleans writer, born in Louisiana and famed for her works including The Vampire Chronicles, died due to complications from an earlier stroke she suffered.

Her son Christopher penned a sorrowful statement confirming the news on her public Facebook page.

He wrote: 'Dearest People of Page. This is Anne's son Christopher and it breaks my heart to bring you this sad news.

The New Orleans writer, born in Louisiana and famed for her works including The Vampire Chronicles, died due to complications from an earlier stroke she suffered

'Earlier tonight, Anne passed away due to complications resulting from a stroke. She left us almost nineteen years to the day my father, her husband Stan, died.

'The immensity of our family's grief cannot be overstated. As my mother, her support for me was unconditional  she taught me to embrace my dreams, reject conformity and challenge the dark voices of fear and self-doubt. As a writer, she taught me to defy genre boundaries and surrender to my obsessive passions.

'In her final hours, I sat beside her hospital bed in awe of her accomplishments and her courage, awash in memories of a life that took us from the fog laced hills of the San Francisco Bay Area to the magical streets of New Orleans to the twinkling vistas of Southern California.

'As she kissed Anne goodbye, her younger sister Karen said, ''What a ride you took us on, kid.'' I think we can all agree. Let us take comfort in the shared hope that Anne is now experiencing firsthand the glorious answers to many great spiritual and cosmic questions, the quest for which defined her life and career.'

Her son Christopher penned a sorrowful statement confirming the news on her public Facebook page

'Throughout much of her final years, your contributions to this page brought her much joy, along with a profound sense of friendship and community.'

Her loving son added that her funeral would be private put there will be a public event to celebrate her life in New Orleans.

'Anne will be interred in our family's mausoleum at Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans in a private ceremony,' he added.

'Next year, a celebration of her life will take place in New Orleans. This event will be open to the public and will invite the participation of her friends, readers and fans who brought her such joy and inspiration throughout her life.'

Rice published her first and most well-known novel, Interview With The Vampire, in 1976. And the success of the book saw it go on to become a Hollywood movie starring Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise and Kirsten Dunst in 1994.

Son Christopher added: 'The immensity of our family's grief cannot be overstated'

She met her husband Stan in a journalism class while they were both students at Richardon High School in Texas and the pair got married in 1961.

Ms Rice gave birth to their first child, Michele, in 1966 but was struck by tragedy when Michele was diagnosed with leukaemia and died in 1972.

She then gave birth to the couple's son Christopher in 1978, who has since gone on to become an author after making his debut in 2000 with A Density of Souls.

Ms Rice fell into a coma in 1998 at the age of 57 because of her undiagnosed diabetes. And in 2003, following the death of her husband, she underwent gastric bypass surgery and lost 103 pounds.

But in 2004 she nearly died again because of an intestinal blockage that happened during her gastric bypass surgery.
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The teenage police officer who silenced The Beatles' last ever live gig has said he has no regrets about shutting down the rooftop concert in 1969, but admitted his threat to arrest the band for playing music too loudly was a 'bluff'.

Ray Dagg, a former London Metropolitan Police constable and now 72, was the 19-year-old responding to noise complaints made by neighbours on January 30, 1969.

John, Paul, George and Ringo were performing their last gig, a 42-minute set that included hits Get Back, Dont Let Me Down and I Got a Feeling, on the roof of The Beatles Apple Records headquarters at 3 Savile Row in London.

Dagg's involvement in The Beatles' famed rooftop concert has resurfaced following the release of Peter Jackson's eight-hour documentary Get Back.

Ray Dagg (pictured), a former London Metropolitan Police constable, responded to noise complaints made by neighbours about The Beatles

The teenage police officer who silenced The Beatles' last ever live gig (pictured) has said he has no regrets about shutting down the rooftop concert in 1969, but admitted his threat to arrest the band for playing music too loudly was a 'bluff'

PC Ray Dagg (pictured) who stopped The Beatles final live performance of a rooftop in London in 1969

Ray Dagg (middle), a former London Metropolitan Police constable and now 72, was the 19-year-old responding to noise complaints made by neighbours on January 30, 1969. Pictured: The Beatles road manager, Mal Evans (right)

The series, on Disney+, is based on more than 60 hours of footage recorded by Michael Lindsay-Hogg for his 1970 documentary Let It Be.

As such, Dagg has become a cult figure, inundated with Facebook friend requests and interview opportunities.

Responding to his new found fame, Dagg said: 'It was just work, and its blown up into all this.

'Its ridiculous, I just dont understand it,' he told the Sunday Times.



John (right), Paul (left), George and Ringo were performing their last gig, a 42-minute set that included hits Get Back, Dont Let Me Down and I Got a Feeling, on the roof of The Beatles Apple Records headquarters at 3 Savile Row in London

Dagg's involvement in the Beatles' famed rooftop concert has resurfaced following the release of Peter Jackson's eight-hour documentary Get Back. Teenage police officer Dagg circled

Dagg convinced The Beatles road manager, Mal Evans, to stop the concert, but admitted his threats to arrest the band were a 'bluff'.

Responding to the noise, Dagg told Evans that the West End Central police station in Savile Row had received '30 complaints...within minutes'.

Reflecting on his role in rock history, Dagg said: 'Well, at that time, I didnt know that they would never play together again.'

Responding to the noise, Dagg told Evans that the West End Central police station in Savile Row had received '30 complaints...within minutes'

Born in Chelsea, Dagg followed his father into the force, but left the Met six years after The Beatles' rooftop concert (above)

Portrait of the The Beatles. From left to right: Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and George Harrison, circa 1965

'At least theres something on a film somewhere that will forever show that PC Ray Dagg shut down The Beatles.

'If thats my lasting image of life, if thats what people remember me for, thats not bad. Thousands, millions of people dont get remembered at all.'

Born in Chelsea, Dagg followed his father into the force, but left the Met six years after The Beatles' rooftop concert.

He said hes never actually owned a Beatles album and preferred Simon and Garfunkel.

Peter Jackson collated more than 60 hours of footage from Michael Lindsay-Hoggs 1970 film Let It Be, documenting the band's fractious recording sessions for what would be their final album.

The end result is three episodes spanning 468 minutes - between two and three hours for each instalment - with some fans insisting it is too long.

The show follows the story of the iconic Liverpool band as they plan their first live show in over two years, using unseen footage (filmed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg) and more than 150 hours of unheard audio, all of which has been brilliantly restored.

Peter Jackson collated more than 60 hours of footage from Michael Lindsay-Hoggs 1970 film Let It Be, documenting the band's fractious recording sessions for what would be their final album

The film charts the writing and rehearsing of 14 new songs, originally intended for release on an accompanying live album.

The Beatles: Get Back also features other songs and classic compositions featured on the band's final two albums, Abbey Road and Let It Be.

The documentary features  for the first time in its entirety  The Beatles' last live performance as a group, the unforgettable rooftop concert on London's Savile Row.

The three-part-series takes audiences back in time to the band's intimate recording sessions and exuberant performances for their their final 1970 album, Let It Be

The director collated more than 60 hours of footage from Michael Lindsay-Hoggs 1970 film Let It Be, documenting the band's fractious recording sessions for what would be their final album

On 30 January 1969, the Beatles enacted the final public performance of their career with an unannounced concert held from the rooftop of their Apple Corps headquarters at 3 Savile Row, within central London's office and fashion district.

They were joined by keyboardist Billy Preston, the band played a 42-minute set ending with the conclusion of 'Get Back' before the Metropolitan Police asked them to reduce the volume.

The exciting new collaboration The Beatles: Get Back saw The Beatles and three-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson join forces for a production presented by The Walt Disney Studios in association with Apple Corps Ltd. and WingNut Films Productions Ltd.

The Beatles: Get Back is directed by Jackson, produced by Jackson, Clare Olssen and Jonathan Clyde, with Ken Kamins and Apple Corps' Jeff Jones serving as executive producers.

Jabez Olssen serves as the film's editor, and the music is mixed by Giles Martin and Sam Okell.
Boris Johnson personally hosted a Christmas quiz at Downing Street last year, it has been revealed - piling more pressure on the PM over four allegedly lockdown rule-breaking parties attended by his staff.

The Sunday Mirror has published a photograph which shows the Prime Minister sat between two colleagues during the event in December last year.

The quiz took place on December 15 while London was under 'no mixing' guidance - and three days before the No. 10 Christmas party which is now being probed.

As many as 70 staff attended Downing Street in person despite invitations originally going out for a virtual quiz, according to the Mirror.

Pictures obtained by the paper show the Prime Minister on a TV screen beside an aide in a Santa hat at the time when London was under tier two restrictions that banned households from mixing.

The PM has repeatedly batted away allegations of rule breaking last year.

Pictured: The Sunday Mirror has published a photograph which shows the Prime Minister sat between two colleagues during a Christmas party event in December last year

When video of spokeswoman Allegra Stratton joking about another Christmas party allegedly held by staff, Mr Johnson told Parliament: 'I repeat that I have been repeatedly assured since these allegations emerged that there was no party, and that no Covid rules were broken.'

The PM is said to have angrily told friends at the weekend that the BBC's exhaustive coverage of the party scandal has 'wasted' too much 'public time and attention' when it should be concentrating on urging the public to get their jabs now that 'Omicron is starting to rip'.

But the photo from the quiz will raise fresh questions about rule breaking in Number 10.

Downing Street staff are accused of holding four parties that may have broken lockdown rules last year - including one gathering on November 13 in the Prime Minister's Downing Street flat attended by his wife Carrie.

In addition to the quiz, Downing Street staff are accused of holding a Christmas Party on December 18 and a leaving do at which the PM allegedly gave a short speech on November 27.

Speaking about the quiz, sources told the Mirror that teams were huddled around computers discussing their answers to questions as they quaffed wine and beer bought from a nearby Tesco.

Pictures show the Prime Minister sat under a portrait of Margaret Thatcher on-screen making a special appearance as 'quizmaster' for one of the rounds, flanked by staff wearing tinsel and Santa hats.

The quiz night is one of at least six parties across Whitehall from November to December last year when the Government was ordering the public to stay at home and protect the NHS.

Pictured: Boris Johnson is seen on Saturday arriving at a central London hospital after his wife, Carrie Johnson gave birth to a baby girl earlier this week

Mr Johnson angrily told friends that the BBC's exhaustive coverage of the party scandal has 'wasted' too much 'public time and attention' when it should be concentrating on urging the public to get their jabs now that 'Omicron is starting to rip'. Pictured: The details behind the 'partygate' coverage which has dogged No10

How many parties is the Government alleged to have held last year and when did they happen? PARTIES IN DOWNING STREET Dom's Gone bash - November 13: Dominic Cummings alleges that the PM held a gathering at his grace-and-favour flat on November 13 last year, the day the adviser was ousted from Downing Street. Mr Cummings also suggested there had been 'other flat parties'. Leaving do - November 27: The Prime Minister reportedly gave a speech at a packed Number 10 leaving do for a 'senior aide'. Sources claimed that '40 or 50 people' were present. Christmas party - December 18: Staff in Downing Street are believed to have held a Christmas party, with reports that dozens of people attended the event, some wearing festive jumpers and exchanging Secret Santa presents. London had been placed into Tier 3 restrictions on December 16 - the highest level of curbs on freedoms at the time which banned people from different households mixing indoors. Downing Street has said Boris Johnson did not attend the event. Quiz night - December: Sources told the BBC that a separate Christmas quiz event was held for Number 10 staff at some point in December. Everyone was apparently invited to attend and to form teams. One source said some people attended virtually via Zoom but others did attend in person and sat in groups of six. Downing Street has insisted the quiz was 'virtual'. ... AND ELSEWHERE IN WHITEHALL December 10: Then-education secretary Gavin Williamson hosted a Department for Education party for 'up to 24 people' on December 10. The gathering, which included food and drink, took place in the department's canteen. The department has admitted the event happened. December 14: About 25 people gathered in the basement of the Conservative party's Matthew Parker St offices in Westminster. The Times reported last night that advisers at Conservative campaign headquarters held an event with Shaun Bailey, the party's unsuccessful candidate for mayor of London this May. Advertisement

The insider told the Mirror in one office alone there were four teams each made up of six people.

According to the Daily Mirror's Political Editor Pippa Crerar - who also broke the story about the December 18 Christmas Party - one source said around 70 staff stayed in No10 after work to play the quiz, that was initially supposed to be virtual.

At the time, London was under Tier 2 Covid-19 regulations which banned any social mixing between households, which Mr Johnson appears to have breached by mixing with his aides shown in the photographs obtained by The Mirror.

Official guidance at the time said: 'You must not have a work Christmas lunch or party, where that is a primarily social activity and is not otherwise permitted by the rules in your tier.'

A Downing Street source told the BBC the two people in the picture with Mr Johnson were members of his closer staff who had come in to help him with the technology.

A No10 spokesman said of the new revelations: 'This was a virtual quiz. Downing Street staff were often required to be in the office to work on the pandemic response so those who were in the office for work may have attended virtually from their desks.

'The Prime Minister briefly took part virtually in a quiz to thank staff for their hard work throughout the year.'

On December 15, 459 people died from coronavirus, while another 33,828 were infected, official data shows.

The latest revelations further call into question Downing Street's assertion last week that no Christmas parties had taken place in No10 last year.

Speaking last week, the Prime Minister said: 'I can tell you guidelines were followed at all times. I've satisfied myself that the guidelines were followed at all times.'

The Mirror reports that staff were invited to the virtual quiz, that was put on to raise money for charity. The invites were sent a couple of weeks earlier, it said.

Citing their source, the newspaper said dozens signed up to take part online, but at 6.30pm that evening, many staff opted to stay in No10 instead.

Among the teams to take part were teams from the PM's private office, the press office and the policy unit, it has been reported, with questions ranging from the history of Downing Street to Christmas song lyrics.

At the halfway point of the quiz, the Prime Minister surprised staff by appearing on screen to act as the quiz-master for one round that lasted 10 to 15 minutes, which the pictures obtained by the newspaper reportedly show.

'It was just part of the culture. The PM turned a blind eye.

'He seemed totally comfortable with gatherings,' the Mirror's source reportedly said.

Johnson has found himself facing criticism on a number of fronts in recent weeks from the funding of the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat to a claim he intervened to ensure pets were evacuated from Kabul during the chaotic Western withdrawal in August.

But by far the most damaging has been reports that a party was held at Downing Street during a 2020 Christmas lockdown when such festivities were banned, with a video emerging last week which showed staff laughing and joking about it.

The Prime Minister relented and allowed an apology of sorts when video emerged of aides joking about holding such a bash last year despite repeated official denials.

The Daily Mirror was first to report last week that a festive bash took place in No 10 on December 18 last year as London was under Tier 3 restrictions.

Those measures explicitly banned Christmas lunches or parties where they are 'a primarily social activity', as a Government Twitter account pointed out to the public a day earlier.

As further sources came forward to confirm the party took place, reports said staff drank alcohol, wore Christmas jumpers and even organised Secret Santa gifts.

Downing Street bluntly rejected the allegations, with official statements insisting 'there was no Christmas party' and no rules were broken.

On Tuesday, Mr Johnson told reporters: 'I am satisfied myself that the guidelines were followed at all times.'

Hours after the Prime Minister tried to quell allegations of wrongdoing, ITV News published damning footage that gave increased weight to reports of the party.

Leaked video showed a mock press conference held between Downing Street aides and Allegra Stratton, then Mr Johnson's press secretary, on December 22.

In the bombshell video a No 10 aide asks a question about 'a Downing Street Christmas party on Friday night', to which Allegra Stratton laughed and replied: 'I went home.' Downing Street

In the rehearsal for televised briefings that were ultimately axed, they discussed a supposedly 'fictional' Downing Street party on 'Friday', which would have been December 18.

After the video was made public, Mr Johnson warned there will be 'disciplinary action' for any members of staff who broke the rules, but the first departure over the affair was not over attendance at any party.

In a tearful statement outside her north London home, Ms Stratton apologised over her remarks that 'seemed to make light of the rules'.

'To all of you who lost loved ones, who endured intolerable loneliness and who struggled with your businesses, I am truly sorry and this afternoon I am offering my resignation to the Prime Minister,' she added.
Fury has erupted after academics in New Zealand were threatened with expulsion from the Royal Society for criticising plans that would see Maori knowledge added to the school curriculum.

Current and former professors at the University of Auckland wrote a letter to the editor of the New Zealand Listener criticising a government working group's plans to give the same weight to Maori mythology as they do to science in the classroom.

The letter was signed by seven professors, including Garth Cooper, a professor of biochemistry and clinical biochemistry at the University of Auckland.

Five members of the Royal Society of New Zealand complained about the letter, saying it caused 'untold harm and hurt', prompting the society to launch a formal investigation.

Critics claimed the ongoing investigation was an attack on free speech and that scientists were being punished for defending science.

In the letter, titled 'In Defence of Science, the professors accepted indigenous knowledge should be taught in schools as it is 'critical for the preservation and perpetuation of culture and local practices, and plays key roles in management and policy'.

But they argued it could not be treated on a par with biology, chemistry and physics, adding: In the discovery of empirical, universal truths, it falls far short of what we can define as science itself.

After the letter was published in July, the Royal Society of New Zealand received complaints from five members demanding disciplinary action against three society fellows: Professor Cooper, philosopher Robert Nola, and psychologist Michael Corballis. Mr Corballis died suddenly last month.

Fury has erupted after academics in New Zealand were threatened with expulsion from the Royal Society for criticising plans that would see Maori knowledge added to the school curriculum. Pictured, Maori warriors celebrating Waitangi Day in 2017

A letter criticising plans was signed by seven professors, including Garth Cooper (pictured), a professor of biochemistry and clinical biochemistry at the University of Auckland

The authors of the letter argued they were exercising their rights under New Zealands Education Act, which allows academics and students freedom to 'state controversial or unpopular opinions' as well as 'question and test received wisdom'.

But those complaining said the authors had committed at least nine breaches of the Royal Society's code of professional standards and ethics, which included claims of failing to behave with 'integrity and professionalism'.

The complainants included Dr Siouxsie Wiles and Dr Shaun Hendy, two colleagues of Professor Cooper.

Maori beliefs argue that all living things originated from Tane Mahuta sending his father Ranginui up to the sky and his mother Papatuanuku down to the earth.

Columnist Rod Liddle, writing in today's Sunday Times, called the reaction to the professor's letter 'madness and stupidity'.

He wrote: '(Professor Cooper) signed an open letter suggesting that, while it was important everybody knew about the interesting Maori take on creation, In the discovery of empirical, universal truths, it falls far short of what we can define as science itself.

'Yet for once freedom of speech is not the crucial issue for me here. It is instead the burgeoning madness and stupidity, condescension and racism that are propelling us towards the De-Enlightenment.

'All of those academics, and the Royal Society, know full well that the Maori explanation for the creation of the world is not correct. And yet, hypocritically and patronisingly, they pretend otherwise.'

Initially, five members of the Royal Society complained about the professors' letter, but three pulled back after the society asked them to identify themselves.

Two of the complainants remained, prompting the Royal Society of New Zealand to launch a formal investigation, before saying it cannot comment until the disciplinary process has ended.

Columnist Rod Liddle (pictured) called the reaction to the professor's letter and the ensuing investigation 'madness and stupidity'

Commentator Toby Young (pictured) said the plans would give Maori schoolchildren 'even greater disadvantage'

Commentator Toby Young argued the government working group's plans would give Maori schoolchildren 'even greater disadvantage if their teachers patronise them by saying theres no need to learn the rudiments of scientific knowledge'.

Writing in the Spectator, he added: 'The moment this letter was published all hell broke loose.

'The views of the authors, who were all professors at Auckland, were denounced by the Royal Society, the New Zealand Association of Scientists, and the Tertiary Education Union  as well as their own Vice-Chancellor, Dawn Freshwater. In a hand-wringing, cry-bullying email to all staff at the university, she said the letter had caused considerable hurt and dismay among our staff, students and alumni.

'Two of Professor Coopers academic colleagues, Dr Siouxsie Wiles and Dr Shaun Hendy, issued an "open letter" condemning the heretics for causing "untold harm and hurt" and said it pointed to "major problems with some of our colleagues".'
De Klerk was responsible for releasing Nelson Mandela from prison in 1990

A state memorial service was today held for South Africa's former President Frederik Willem de Klerk after he died from lung cancer aged 85 last month.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was among high-profile guests who paid tribute to De Klerk, who is known by his initials FW, at the memorial service at Groote Kerk church in Cape Town on Sunday.

De Klerk, who oversaw the country's transition from apartheid and shared the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize with Nelson Mandela, died from lung cancer at the age of 85 at his home in Cape town on November 11 after being diagnosed in March.

De Klerk ensured his place in history when on February 2, 1990, he announced Mandela's release from 27 years in jail and lifted the ban on black liberation movements, effectively declaring the death of white-minority rule.

De Klerk was a controversial figure in South Africa as many blamed him for violence against Black South Africans and anti-apartheid activists during his time in power, while some white people saw his efforts to usher in a post-apartheid democracy as a betrayal.

De Klerk, who oversaw the country's transition from apartheid and shared the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize with Nelson Mandela, died from lung cancer at the age of 85 at his home in Cape town on November 11 after being diagnosed in March. Pictured: Mandela and de Klerk pictured together in Cape Town in 2006

De Klerk's wife Elita (centre) sits next to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (right) during the memorial service on Sunday

A portrait of former South African President FW de Klerk is seen during his state memorial service at the Groote Kerk church in Cape Town on Sunday

During Sunday's memorial service, De Klerk's wife Elita said the former President 'could not find peace in this horrendous system' of apartheid.

She said: 'FW was a man of long planning. Once he knew what he wanted to achieve he planned it meticulously.

'He was torn between intellect and emotion. His emotion for the paid the country was going through. He could not find people in this horrendous system. This had affected him psychologically.'

Elita said De Klerk was always concerned about the new South Africa after apartheid.

She added: 'My love for him will keep him by my side.'

'He was often misunderstood due to his over-correctness,' Elita Georgiadis told around 200 attendees.

'I shall never forget this man who mesmerised me, who made me want to help him achieve this huge task ahead of him.'

A private mass and the national anthem preceded the ceremony, which featured a portrait of De Klerk between two candles and a choir decorated with white flowers.

During Sunday's memorial service, De Klerk's wife Elita said the former President 'could not find peace in this horrendous system' of apartheid

Former president FW de Klerk and his second wife Elita Georgiades at the FW de Klerk Foundation conference in Johannesburg, South Africa on July 25, 2012

De Klerk apologised for the 'pain and damage' caused by apartheid in a sombre video released after his death last month.

The former president admitted he had supported apartheid, or 'separate development' in his earlier years and during his time as a Member of Parliament in the '80s before his ideals changed.

'I am often accused by critics that I in some way or another continued to justify apartheid or separate development, as we later preferred to call it. It is true that in my younger years I defended separate development,' an ailing De Klerk says in the video.

'Afterwards, on many occasions, I apologised to the South African public for the pain and indignity that apartheid has brought to people of colour in SA. Many believed me but others didn't.'

'I without qualification apologise for the pain and hurt and the indignity and the damage that apartheid has done to black, brown and Indians in SA,' De Klerk said.

An ailing FW de Klerk, the former President of South Africa, has apologised for the 'pain and damage' caused by apartheid in a sombre video (pictured) that was released after his death from lung cancer last month by his foundation

Frederik Willem de Klerk, the former President of South Africa from 1989 to 1994 who oversaw the country's transition from apartheid, died aged 85 in November (de Klerk pictured in Feb 2020 at the opening of the South African Parliament)

In this file photo taken on September 26, 1992, African National Congress president Nelson Mandela (R) greets State President of South Africa Frederik Willem de Klerk (L) shortly after arriving at the world trade centre for their summit on ways to prevent political violence

The FW de Klerk Foundation's spokesperson confirmed the former president's death at his home in Fresnaye, Cape Town, in a statement released last month.

'It is with the deepest sadness that the FW de Klerk Foundation must announce that former President FW de Klerk died peacefully at his home in Fresnaye earlier this morning following his struggle against mesothelioma cancer.'

The president, who served from 1989 to 1994, is survived by his wife Elita, two children Susan and Jan, and several grandchildren.

The Nelson Mandela Foundation reacted to the news of De Klerk's death in a statement which said former presdient 'will forever be linked to Nelson Mandela in the annals of South African history'.

'De Klerk's legacy is a big one. It is also an uneven one, something South Africans are called to reckon with in this moment,' the statement added in reference to De Klerk's efforts to dismantle apartheid but refusal to make a full accounting for the horrific violence that took place under his government's earlier rule.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson also paid tribute to South Africa's last white president, praising him for his pivotal role in transforming the country.

'I am saddened by the death of FW de Klerk, a leader who changed the course of history by freeing Nelson Mandela and working alongside him to end apartheid and bring democracy to South Africa,' he said in a statement.

'De Klerk will be remembered for his steely courage and realism in doing what was manifestly right and leaving South Africa a better country,' he added.

FW de Klerk posing outside his office in Cape Town, South Africa March 18, 1992, while displaying a copy of a local newspaper with banner headlines declaring a 'Yes' result in a referendum vote to end apartheid and share power with the black majority for the first time.

In this file photo taken on April 03, 1994 ANC President Nelson Mandela (R) and South African President Frederik W. De Klerk (L) walk to an Easter church service dedicated to peace, in Moria, South Africa

De Klerk stunned the world when he scrapped apartheid and negotiated a peaceful transfer of power to a Black-led government under Nelson Mandela.

But while he was praised globally and shared the Nobel Peace prize with the revered Mandela, de Klerk earned only scorn from many Blacks outraged by his failure to curb political violence in the turbulent years leading up to all-race elections in 1994.

Many right-wing white Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch and French settlers who had long ruled the country under de Klerk's National Party, viewed him as a traitor to their causes of nationalism and white supremacy.

Born March 18, 1936 in Johannesburg, De Klerk was the son of a leading politician and from an early age was set to follow in his father's footsteps.

He received a law degree from Potchefstroom University in 1958, and soon afterward established a successful law firm which he used as a springboard into local politics and current affairs.

By 1972, he had been elected to Parliament as a member of South Africa's National Party and a quickly excelled, overseeing a variety of departments including mines and energy affairs, internal affairs, and national education and planning.

He was elected leader of the House of Assembly in 1986, and after sitting president Pieter Willem Botha fell ill in early 1989, De Klerk became the President of South Africa on September 14 of the same year.

Botha showed no remorse for apartheid until his death in 2006 aged 90.

'When he became head of the National Party, he seemed to be the quintessential party man, nothing more and nothing less,' Mandela wrote of him.

'Nothing in his past seemed to hint at a spirit of reform.'

But despite this, De Klerk quickly set about orchestrating South Africa's transition away from a white minority government into democracy.

FW De Klerk is pictured here visiting London in May 1990, just three months after he declared the release of Nelson Mandela from prison and ended the ban on the African National Congress, paving the way for a multi-racial democracy in South Africa

De Klerk announced in 1990 he announced he was releasing anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela just five months year after he became president. He and Mandela jointly received the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize for their collaborative efforts to usher in non-racial democracy in the country (pictured: Mandela (L) and De Klerk (R) at the reception of the peace prize in Oslo, Norway, 1993)

De Klerk immediately began to strengthen and accelerate the constitutional reforms proposed by his predecessor despite strong opposition from the Conservative Party.

De Klerk's metamorphosis from servant of apartheid into its wrecking ball mirrored that of the former Soviet Union's Mikhail Gorbachev. Both were good party men who rose to the pinnacle of power before moving to reform or dismantle the systems that had nourished them for decades.

The collapse of Gorbachev's Soviet Union and communism in Eastern Europe helped pave the way for de Klerk to launch his own bold initiatives, as it removed the spectre of the 'Red Menace' that had haunted a generation of white South Africans.

'The first few months of my presidency coincided with the disintegration of communism in Eastern Europe,' de Klerk wrote in his autobiography, 'The Last Trek: A New Beginning'.

'Within the scope of a few months, one of our main strategic concerns for decades was gone,' he wrote. 'A window had suddenly opened which created an opportunity for a much more adventurous approach than had been previously conceivable.'

De Klerk in February 1990 made the bombshell announcement that he would release anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela and all other political prisoners just five months after he became President.

He also ended the ban on the African National Congress (ANC), and oversaw a peaceful transition of power to Mandela in 1994 in South Africa's first multi-racial elections, before serving for two years as Mandela's deputy in a 'Government of National Unity'.

Fearing a leak and a backlash from right-wing whites, de Klerk had kept the momentous decision secret from all but a handful of cabinet ministers. Even his wife was in the dark until she and de Klerk were heading to parliament.

The negotiations on a peaceful transition to non-racial democracy that followed Mandela's release were held against the backdrop of mounting political violence and often looked as though they would be derailed, a scenario that would almost certainly have plunged the nation into a bloody race war.

But peace prevailed in what many commentators refer to as a 'political miracle'.

FW de Klerk (R) and Nelson Mandela (L) pose with their Nobel Peace Prize Gold Medal and Diploma, in Oslo, Dec. 10, 1993. F.W. de Klerk, who oversaw end of South Africa's country's white minority rule, has died aged 85 it was announced today

At de Klerk's 70th birthday celebrations in 2006, Mandela heaped praise on his predecessor for taking that leap into the political unknown.

'If we two old, or ageing, men have any lessons for our country and for the world, it is that solutions to conflicts can only be found if adversaries are fundamentally prepared to accept the integrity of one other.

'You have shown courage that few have done in similar circumstances,' said Mandela, who died in December 2013 at the age of 95, less than six months before the 20th anniversary of South Africa's first all-race elections.

De Klerk and Mandela jointly received the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize for their collaborative efforts to usher in non-racial democracy in the country.

But the relationship between de Klerk, a chain-smoking whisky drinker, and the austere Mandela was often strained, and De Klerk pulled out of the government in 1996, saying the ANC no longer prized his advice or guidance.

He retired from active politics in 1997 and later apologised for the miseries of apartheid before Archbishop Desmond Tutu's Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

'History has shown that as far as the policy of apartheid was concerned, our former leaders were deeply mistaken in the course upon which they embarked,' he said.

In retirement, he headed the FW de Klerk Foundation, devoted to working for peace in multi-cultural societies.

He divorced his wife of 39 years, Marike, in 1998, and married Elita Georgiadis, the wife of a Greek shipping tycoon.

In December 2001, Marike was murdered in her luxury beachfront home in Cape Town, an incident that underscored South Africa's rampant rates of violent crime.

Former president and leader of the National Party F. W. de Klerk, discusses his resignation, below a mural of the new South African flag, at a National Party Caucus meeting in Cape Town, Aug. 26 1997

De Klerk (R) retired from active politics in 1997 and later apologised for the miseries of apartheid before Archbishop Desmond Tutu's (L) Truth and Reconciliation Commission. 'History has shown that as far as the policy of apartheid was concerned, our former leaders were deeply mistaken in the course upon which they embarked,' he said. (Pictured: Tutu and De Klerk in Cape Town, Aug. 21 1996)

In an interview with Reuters in 1999, de Klerk said South Africa faced an array of threats ranging from crime to rising unemployment and discontent among potential voters.

'There is growing disillusionment among all sectors of the population in South Africa. All South Africans, all investors, all people with an interest in South Africa are deeply concerned about the crime rate. We need a breakthrough,' he said.

However, 10 years later he sought to strike a more balanced tone, saying shortly after President Jacob Zuma's accession to power in 2009 that the polygamous Zulu traditionalist would 'confound the prophets of doom'.

He also appeared genuinely moved by Mandela's death.

'Tata, we will miss you,' he said in a statement, using the affectionate South African term for grandfather by which Mandela was known.
An influencer who received 'hundreds' of unsolicited explicit images without consent over the last decade has backed a campaign to make cyber-flashing illegal.

Former glamour model Jess Davies, 27, from Aberystwyth, Wales, said she is left feeling 'dirty' when she receives the obscene images and is worried it has become 'normalised' online.

Cyber-flashing is when a person is sent an unsolicited sexual image on their mobile device by a stranger nearby through social media, messages or other sharing functions.

There is currently no law which directly addresses cyber-flashing in England and Wales, despite the act being made illegal in Scotland 12 years ago.

The feminist podcaster said she has become almost 'numb' to the unsolicited explicit photographs she receives every month.

Jess Davies (pictured), 27, from Aberystwyth, Wales, has received 'hundreds' of unsolicited explicit images without consent over the last decade

She has backed a campaign to make cyber-flashing illegal after she admitted she is left feeling 'dirty' when she received the obscene images

She said: 'I am probably cyber-flashed every month, maybe more, depends really on what I share.

'This has been going on for 10 years. I've probably received literally hundreds of these images. The kind of stuff I get is close-up shots, or of them performing a sex act.'

Speaking to the BBC, she added: 'When I receive the images it makes you feel a bit dirty and you start thinking, "why me? Why have they sent them to me, is it something I've done?"'

Writing about the campaign on Instagram, Jess said she 'firmly believes' cyber-flashing should be illegal because it seeks to 'shame and dehumanise' an individual.

She wrote: 'If you had thousands of men flashing women in the street, that is illegal and would start a huge conversation around the safety of women and the standards within society. It happens online and people laugh and seek to point blame. 

'The individuals who find it okay to send images of their genitals and sex acts to someone should be investigated, we know that public flashing leads to more serious crimes as seen in the tragic cases of Sarah Everard and Libby Squire. That same energy should stay for the perpetrators of online violence. 

'We need to stop normalising this criminal act and I will continue to campaign for cyber-flashing to be made illegal in England and Wales for the safety of women.'

Writing about the campaign on Instagram, the feminist podcaster said she 'firmly believes' cyber-flashing should be illegal because it seeks to 'shame and dehumanise' an individual

This comes as a joint committee of MPs are set to publish a report on the draft Online Safety Bill on Tuesday, which would put a new legal duty of care on social media giants to protect their UK users from harmful material.

Research by YouGov found that four in ten millennial women have been sent a picture of a man's genitals without consent, while data by Bumble suggested that this figure could be even higher.

Findings from the dating website revealed that 48 per cent of those aged 18 to 24 have received an unsolicited sexual photograph in the last year alone.

What is cyber-flashing and is it illegal? Cyber-flashing is the act of someone deliberately sending a stranger an unsolicited sexual image using the AirDrop feature on an iPhone. These images are typically of male genitalia. AirDrop, which is specific to iOS devices such as iPads and iPhones, as well as Apple Macs, uses Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to connect over a short range to other devices. People are often targeted by cyber-flashing through AirDrop on public transport due to the technology's short range. There is currently no law which directly addresses cyber-flashing in England and Wales, despite the act being made illegal in Scotland 12 years ago. Cyber-flashing was criminalised in Scotland under Section 6 of the Sexual Offence in 2009, while a similar measure was also passed in the Texas Senate unanimously in May 2019. Police investigated the first ever case of cyber-flashing in 2015 after an unwanted graphic picture popped up on a shocked London commuter's iPhone. There were three cases reported in 2016 and 15 in 2017. Advertisement

Bumble found that women are disproportionally recipients of the explicit photographs, which are sent on social media, messaging apps, Bluetooth, AirDrop and WiFi.

Bumble began cross-party Parliamentary consultations on November 2 alongside UN Women UK and the United Nations' gender equality arm.

It comes after similar measures have been passed in other countries, including Scotland and areas in the US, with Bumble calling for England to also criminalise cyber-flashing.

Cyber-flashing was criminalised in Scotland under Section 6 of the Sexual Offence in 2009, while a similar measure was also passed in the Texas Senate unanimously in May 2019.

The House Bill 2789 came into force on September 1, 2019, and ruled that sending a lewd photograph without consent was punishable by a fine of up to $500.

Earlier this year, a Conservative MP called for cyber-flashing to be made a criminal offence to stop Britons sending X-rated snaps to strangers using the AirDrop function on their iPhones.

Fay Jones, 35, MP for Brecon and Radnorshire, has called for 'digital flashing' to be made a criminal offence.

She told MPs in January: 'The scourge of cyber-flashing - where unwanted and unsolicited indecent photographs are distributed to mobile devices - needs to be made a criminal offence.'

Responding, Home Office minister Victoria Atkins said: 'We are running a call for evidence at the moment on producing a new violence against women and girls strategy,' adding: 'I am very, very aware of the offence about which she speaks and I very much want those sorts of 21st century online crimes to be dealt with.'

Later, Labour MP Liz Twist said: 'Will the minister look again at introducing a statutory duty on public authorities to train frontline staff to recognise the signs of domestic abuse?'

Ms Atkins replied: 'I see this as very much part of our overall efforts to ensure that people understand what domestic abuse is, the many forms it can take, and how it is everyone's business.'

Police investigated the first ever case of cyber-flashing in 2015 after an unwanted graphic picture popped up on a shocked London commuter's iPhone.

There were three cases reported in 2016 and 15 in 2017.

Home Office minister Victoria Atkins (pictured) said: 'I very much want those sorts of 21st century online crimes to be dealt with'

Figures published by the British Transport Police show there were another 35 offences recorded in the first half of 2019 compared to 34 for the whole of 2018.

The number of reported cases is also thought to be much lower than the actual number of instances, partly due to the fact that cyber-flashing is not in itself a crime.

Some cases can be investigated under current public decency laws, or the Malicious Communications Act, but there are currently no specific provisions for cyber-flashing.

Professor McGlynn, an expert in the legal regulation of pornography, image-based sexual abuse and sexual violence, says that the Ministry of Justice 'so far just keep refusing to act' despite a number of reports and calls for change in legislation.

She argued that, regardless of the 'tangible impact' of cyber-flashing, it remains a 'breach of civil liberties'.

She said: 'The bottom line is we shouldn't have to deal with this sort of thing. We shouldn't have to change our AirDrop settings to private, or chastise ourselves for not doing so in the first place...

'Cyber-flashing infringes our right to everyday life, a life without looking over our shoulder, worrying what's around the corner.'

AirDrop, which is specific to iOS devices such as iPads and iPhones, as well as Apple Macs, uses Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to connect over a short range to other devices.

Its default setting is for 'contacts only', which means only people you know can see you.

But to share information with other people, users can make a change to the settings and change it to 'everyone'.

The setting allows anyone to send an image to that device where - unlike other messages apps such as WhatsApp or SMS - the photograph automatically appears on the screen.

It is then up to the user to choose to 'accept' the image, although they will have already seen a preview.
The mother of a six-year-old who was crushed and injured by a heavy fireplace says her daughter 'may never have children' due to devastating injuries as the family prepares to launch legal action.

Alexa-Leigh Blakemore narrowly escaped death while playing in the front room of her rented house in Colesborne Road, Norris Green, in Liverpool on September 10.

Her parents, who say they reported loose plaster around the fireplace to their landlord weeks before the incident, are awaiting news as to whether a criminal prosecution will take place, but have now initiated civil proceedings.

Alexa-Leigh Blakemore, pictured, was crushed by a heavy fireplace in her home in Norris Green, Liverpool

The heavy fireplace came loose and landed on top of the girl, fracturing her skull and causing a bleed on the brain.

She was rushed to Alder Hey Children's Hospital and placed in intensive care. Her parents, mother Elle Williams and father Keiran Blakemore, were unsure she would survive.

The young girl remained in an induced coma for several days before being slowly woken by medical staff, but she has been left with life-changing brain injuries.

Bright lights now hurt the young girl's eyes as another side effect of the injury is that her pupils can't dilate properly.

The fireplace is also believed to have damaged the structures of her brain responsible for regulating hormone levels, which Ms Williams said could prevent her having children in the future and 'will probably affect her later in life'.

Ms Williams said she hopes justice will be done but has expressed frustration with the pace of the investigation by Merseyside Police.

She told the Liverpool Echo: 'It has been three months now and it seems [a prosecution] is still no closer.

'But our civil case is up and running, our solicitor thinks we have a high likelihood of a substantial settlement, but no amount of money is going to give Alexa-Leigh a normal life.

'She is getting better, she has started talking again although she struggles with some words because she can't put her lips together properly to say certain words like 'mum', but we're hoping that will come back with time.

Alexa-Leigh Blakemore, six, with her mother Elle Williams, father Keiran Blakemore and little sister Luna-Rae

'She's eating a little bit, but she is still being fed through a peg.

'Her doctor came to see us and he's not been able to tell us until now that there's a possibility she may be able to walk again.

'But we know she's going to have very complex health needs and very specific medical requirements.

'She's been robbed of her normal life.'

Merseyside Police told the Liverpool Echo the investigation remains ongoing.

The six-year-old narrowly escaped death after the heavy fireplace came loose and landed on top of her, fracturing her skull and causing a bleed on the brain

The pair recently appeared on ITV News as part of a report on substandard housing.

Ms Williams told TV reporters: 'It was a freak accident but at the same time it could have been prevented.

'We think she was dancing around and fell and grabbed onto the fireplace. We never ever thought that would happen.'

Mr Blakemore added: 'I'm angry with the landlord because she knew it wasn't safe, and I sent her the quote to get it done and it hasn't been done.

'My daughter's still in critical condition.'

'She was a happy, normal little girl and now I'll never see her dance again..'

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo in September, Mr Blakemore described how the accident happened.

The couple say they reported loose plaster around the fireplace to their landlord weeks before the incident

He said: 'I was lying on the couch feeding our five-week-old baby and her mum was in the bath.

'Alexa-Leigh was doing her thing like she normally does, running around and playing like the happy little girl she is.

'I was concentrating on feeding my baby but I could see her out of the corner of my eye.

'All of the sudden there was a crash and this thing had fallen on her and there was a lot of blood.

'This fireplace is like a concrete and marble thing and to move it I would have to walk it across the floor, but when it happened I have never lifted anything so quick, I moved it like it was a piece of paper.

'Within 10 seconds I was shouting in the street for help, and the ambulance came within two and a half minutes.'
The stepmother who murdered six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes has been placed in isolation in jail for her own protection after becoming a target for fellow prisoners.

Emma Tustin, 32, is serving a 29-year prison sentence at HMP Peterborough after being convicted of Arthur's murder at her home in Solihull, west Midlands, on December 3.

The evil stepmother killed the young boy by repeatedly slamming his head on a hard surface after she and his father Thomas Hughes, 29, force-fed him food laden with salt.

However, she has now been given vulnerable prisoner status, meaning she has no contact with other prisoners. Tustin also now eats, exercises and washes with only prison officers for company.

Emma Tustin was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 29 years for the murder of six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes

Arthur died after sustaining an 'unsurvivable' head injury on June 16, 2020, while in the sole care of Tustin at her home on Cranmore Road in Shirley, Solihull

The youngster had been subjected to months of 'unimaginable' abuse by his father Thomas Hughes and stepmother Tustin

A source told The Sun: 'Every effort is being made to protect her from attack. Like it or not, prison officers have a duty to keep order and the rule of law inside.

'In her case, theyre gritting their teeth to do it but shes a massive target.

'Its only a matter of time before someone takes a chance to do her in.'

Tustin is also said to be regularly observed to ensure she does not self-harm.

Details of Arthur's cruel abuse and treatment, including being poisoned with salt, emerged during the Tustin's trial at Coventry Crown Court and caused widespread shock, revulsion and grief.

The youngster had been subjected to months of 'unimaginable' abuse by Hughes and Tustin before he was murdered during lockdown on June 17 last year.

In one haunting video, Arthur was seen struggling to stand before slumping to the floor of the living room.

Hughes met mother-of-four Tustin (pictured) online before the couple moved with Arthur into her home near Solihull in the West Midlands after the government announced the lockdown

Thomas Hughes was jailed for 21 years at Coventry Crown Court after he was found guilty of the manslaughter

He cried 'no one loves me' four times as he struggled to walk to the other side of the room while appearing to be suffering from a limp.

Arthur suffered a total of 130 injuries all over his body, including 'unsurvivable' brain damage.

He had also been tortured, poisoned with salt and forced to stand on his own for up to 14 hours a day prior to his death.

Tustin often messaged Hughes within minutes of him leaving the home with an audio file of Arthur crying accompanied by a text saying words to the effect of 'started again' or 'still going.'

Tustin was jailed for life with a minimum term of 29 years, while Hughes was sentenced to 21 years' imprisonment for manslaughter after encouraging the killing - including by sending a text message to Tustin 18 hours before the fatal assault telling her 'just end him'.

A spokesperson for HMP Peterborough said: 'We do not comment on individual prisoners.'
An Afghan family evacuated from Kabul after the Taliban takeover have moved into a new home after a stranger in Aberdeen offered them her flat for free following their four month wait for housing.

Burhan Vesal, a former Afghan interpreter, and his wife Narcis, a doctor, said there were 'tears in their eyes' as they moved with their six-year-old son into their new home in Aberdeen.

Helga Macfarlane, the family's benefactor, connected with their story as her mother, a Silesian who worked as an interpreter for the British. was given sanctuary in the UK after fleeing from the Nazis.

Burhan, 34, told Metro.co.uk: We have made our way from Afghanistan to our new flat in Aberdeen.

'Its hard to put into words how it feels to give up all your dreams in Afghanistan and come to a new country to restart your life.

Burhan, Narcis and Sepehr Vesal (pictured: left to right) have a new home in Aberdeen, where they hope to start a new chapter, safe from the threat of Taliban reprisals

The Afghan family stayed for four months in temporary accommodation, before being offered a lifeline by a British lady who connected with their story. Helga, their benefactor, is the daughter of a Silesian refugee who was given asylum in the UK, having worked as a translator for the British army in WW2

But luckily I have escaped being imprisoned or killed. We feel so lucky and comforted to be here.

'Its been a long journey from Afghanistan to Aberdeen.

'When we stepped inside our flat there were tears in our eyes.

After being airlifted out of Kabul, Afghanistan, in the final days of the mass evacuation of August 2021, the Afghan family stayed in temporary accommodation for four months in central London and then at the Arora Hotel in Crawley.

The couple and their six-year-old, Sepehr, were initially offered a house in Peterborough by the Home Office, though this fell through at the last moment.

The future looks bright for six-year-old Sepehr, now that his mother - a doctor - and his father - formerly a translator - have re-settled successfully from Afghanistan to Aberdeen

With the Afghan family's stay in 'bridging accommodation' looking set to go on indefinitely, Helga's offer via e-mail of a flat in Aberdeen was a lifeline.

We have finally reached the end of the journey, Burhan said.

It feels really nice because being in the bridging hotel was not good.

There were hundreds of families from everywhere with many different cultures, some of them were polite, some of them were impolite.

I was not worried for myself but for my son. Now were the lucky ones. We have a new home in a new area we love and we continue our lives in safety.

Burhan hopes to find work in security after completing the necessary training, while Narcis plans to sharpen her English language skills to the point of being able to practise medicine in the UK.

Helga saw an opportunity to pay forwards the mercy her Silesian mother had been shown nearly 80 years ago, when she was given refuge in Britain having worked for the army as a translator during World War Two.

Helga is an example to the world, Burhan said.

Ive never met someone so kind and free-hearted as her. She has shown that there are people in the world who believe in humanity.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office evacuated over 15,000 people from Afghanistan during the Kabul airlift from 15 August to the 30 August.

A former junior civil servant, Raphael Marshall, detailed in a damning 39-page dossier last week how thousands of desperate emails from Afghans begging to be airlifted out of Kabul went unanswered.

Raphael, a whistle-blower, told the Commons foreign affairs committee that chronic staffing shortages at the department were compounded by colleagues working from home, refusing to work weekends and sticking to the culture of eight-hour shifts despite the urgency of the situation.
Millions of thirtysomethings are now able to book their booster vaccine  as Covid rates in the age group start to rise.

Although officially eligible from tomorrow, the online booking system is now open to over 30s as the Government continues its bid to tackle the spread of the Omicron variant.

Invitations will start going out to 7.5million people aged 30 to 39 across England, with almost half of them immediately eligible to book ahead for an appointment.

The NHS's booking website appears to be allowing those over the age of 30 to make their appointments today.

The bookings can be made two months after receiving the second dose - one month in advance of becoming eligible to receive the jab.

It comes as it was revealed the NHS is preparing to vaccinate children as young as five years old.

The NHS England papers are believed to say that parental consent will be needed to vaccinate five to 11-year-olds once plans are approved by regulators.

They also state that the environment in which primary school children are given the Covid-19 jab must be 'age appropriate', according to The Times.

The documents reportedly said the vaccination process should be 'plotted through the eyes of a child' in a bid to reassure younger patients.

Meanwhile SAGE experts have warned that Britain's recent surge in Covid cases is now being driven by children.

There have been at least two confirmed outbreaks of the new super-mutant Omicron strain in English primary schools.

Omicron cases in Britain rose by 50 per cent today, data revealed as Government scientists warned the variant could cause nearly 2,500 daily hospitalisations this winter and tougher measures will be needed to deal with it

Some 663 new cases of the strain were detected across the UK, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said, up from the 448 recorded yesterday. It takes the country's total to 1,898, although experts suggest the true number is much higher

Sajid Javid, Health and Social Care Secretary, said: The Covid-19 booster programme is accelerating rapidly and more than 22 million people in the UK have already received their top-up, securing vital.

'This is our national mission  the most recent data shows boosters are the essential defence against Omicron and we are doing everything in our power to get jabs into arms as quickly as possible.

'We are now expanding the offer to over-30s  so please come forward as quickly as possible to get boosted and help our country get ahead in this race with the variant.'

What are the risks of Covid and vaccines to five-year-olds? Covid Most children only experience mild symptoms after being infected with Covid. Just one in 300,000 children who test positive for Covid die, according to UK Government data. And the risk of being hospitalised and getting admitted to ICU is similarly low. But the risk is higher to children with serious underlying conditions. The JCVI has yet to release its updated guidance on vaccinating children aged 11 and under. But its latest advice on recommending first jabs to over-12s suggested one Pfizer dose only prevents 131 hospital admissions per million 12-15-year-olds. And second doses only prevent nine hospital admissions for every million dished out to the age group. The figures are likely to be less for five- to eleven-year-old, who are less vulnerable to the virus. Vaccines Myocarditis  an ultrarare form of heart inflammation  is the main side effect of the Pfizer vaccine that concerns experts. Data shows the risk is slightly higher in adolescents than adults, particularly in boys. The JCVI has not released data on how many cases are expected in children aged five to 11 but studies show children in younger age groups are less at risk than teenagers. It found myocarditis cases in between 2.6 to 17.7 million first vaccine doses in children aged 12 to 15. And the condition was found in between 20.9 to 42.2 children in the age group per million second doses dished out. Advertisement

The mass rollout of the Covid jab for 12 to 15-year-olds began in England in September, with just 44 per cent having been vaccinated since. Children aged 12-17 are being offered two Pfizer doses 12 weeks apart.

Britain has been slower than other countries in vaccinating children, as the European Medicines Agency approved use of the Pfizer jab at one-third strength for five to 11-year-olds on November 25.

The US also approved the vaccine for use in primary school children last month, but a mere 17 per cent have so far been given the jab.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is currently 'moving at pace' to approve vaccines in the age group, with a decision expected next week.

And the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) 'won't hang around' on recommending No10 starts dishing them out across the country, one member claimed.

Vaccinating very young children still makes many scientists uneasy due to the vanishingly low risk posed to them.

Their concerns are amplified due to the slight risk of myocarditis  an ultra-rare form of heart inflammation spotted in some young people after they are jabbed.

It comes after Professor John Edmunds, an epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, called for jabs for five to 11-year-olds 'as soon as possible'.

Speaking at Royal Society of Medicine event today, Professor Edmunds said: 'We've, had a large number of cases over the last few months, and unfortunately high numbers of hospitalisations and 100 to 150 deaths a day.

'I'm not saying all of that has been driven by children, but much of it unfortunately has.

'So from taking a population perspective, I think it's it's pretty clear we do need to vaccinate our children as well as everybody else.'

Cases have been highest in under-18s since early November, with more than 32,000 recorded per day last week compared to less than 2,000 in over-75s, according to ZOE data published.

In the UK on Saturday, another 54,073 daily Covid cases were recorded, some 663 of which were the Omicron strain, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said, up from the 448 recorded yesterday.

It takes the country's total of the new highly-transmissible variant up to 1,898, although experts suggest the true number is much higher.

The JCVI  which advises Government on vaccine policy  was reluctant to recommend jabs in over-12s previously, with the decision to extend the rollout taken by Britain's four chief medical officers.

Jabs have already been licensed for all over-fives in the US, Australia and the EU, but no under-12s are currently able to get a vaccine in the UK yet.

Ireland announced yesterday that it's going ahead with the move in the 'coming days'.

Asked if the roll-out should be extended to five-year-olds in Britain, Professor Edmunds said: 'I think so. I think if the vaccine is licensed, I don't see a strong reason why it shouldn't be used.

'It's licensed in Europe for use in children I think also in North America. Epidemiologically I think there's a strong reason for it.

'Overall, my view is if it's licensed by the MHRA, I think that the benefits to risk ratio is is worth it, then we should we should introduce it as soon as possible.'

And the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation changed its advice late last month, to extend boosters to all adults under 40.

The JCVI also said people should be able to get their booster just three months after their second dose, rather than the five-month minimum gap it previously recommended.

As people can book their booster up to a month ahead, it means from today some 3.5 million people in their 30s will be able to book to have their booster between now and mid-January.

Most of the remaining four million are likely to receive their invitation to book ahead over the coming weeks.

However, some have already received an invitation and are getting jabbed imminently.

One 30-year-old from Clapham, South London, said: I got a text from Lambeth Hubs inviting me for my jab yesterday and Im having it tomorrow. Its been remarkably quick.

The booster jab text reads: You will have enhanced protection against Covid during the winter months and reduce pressure on the NHS. This also means you can enjoy Christmas with your loved ones and reduce the risk of Covid transmission to others.

As the message implies, public health bosses want to get boosters into younger arms to stop the virus spreading into older, more vulnerable age groups.

Latest government data shows the number of Covid cases in those aged 30 to 39 across England increased 14 per cent in the last week. By comparison, Covid rates are still flat or even dropping in older age groups. Health officials are particularly concerned about London, where Omicron cases are starting to take off and a larger proportion of the population is not fully vaccinated.

Yesterday, Government sources said they believed the new, highly-transmissible variant could already be making up 30 per cent of new cases in the capital.

Covid case rates among Londoners in the 20s  who are unlikely to be invited for boosters until after Christmas  have doubled in the last week, adding to concerns Omicron is starting a new surge.

Dr Emily Lawson, head of the NHS Covid vaccination programme in England, said: With the emergence of the new variant and the rising case numbers, there has never been a more important time to get boosted.

Most under-40s have yet to be invited for boosters in Scotland and Northern Ireland, while some are receiving them in Wales.
Liz Truss today fired a fresh warning shot at Vladimir Putin as she said a Russian invasion of Ukraine would have 'massive consequences'.

The Foreign Secretary said those consequences would come at a 'severe cost' to Moscow.

She made the comments calling for an end to Russian aggression as she hosted a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Liverpool.

Ms Truss also took aim at China as she accused Beijing of using 'coercive economic policies' to boost its global influence.

Liz Truss today fired a fresh warning shot at Vladimir Putin as she said a Russian invasion of Ukraine would have 'massive consequences'

The Foreign Secretary said those consequences would come at a 'severe cost' to Moscow

The UK and the US have expressed concerns about the build-up of Russian forces on Russia's border with Ukraine.

The Kremlin has dismissed claims that it is preparing to invade but Ukraine is seeking 'swift' action from its allies to 'deter' a potential incursion by Moscow.

Ukraine has warned that Russia could launch a military operation 'in the blink of an eye'.

Speaking in Liverpool this morning, Ms Truss said: 'We have sent a powerful signal to our adversaries and our allies.

'We have been clear that any incursion by Russia into Ukraine would have massive consequences for which there would be a severe cost.'

Asked why 'stern words' would make any difference to Russia's actions, Ms Truss said: 'What we have seen this weekend is very much a united voice from the G7 nations who represent 50 per cent of global GDP being very clear that there would be massive consequences for Russia in the case of an incursion into Ukraine that would carry a severe cost.'

She added: 'We have sent a very clear united message to Vladimir Putin from this G7 meeting and we want Russia to stop its aggression with respect to Ukraine.

'We are very clear that there would be severe consequences if that incursion took place. This is about deterring Russia from taking that action.'

The Foreign Secretary told Mr Putin in November that it would be a 'strategic mistake' for Russia to invade Ukraine.

G7 foreign ministers issued a statement following their meeting in Liverpool which said: 'We call on Russia to de-escalate, pursue diplomatic channels, and abide by its international commitments on transparency of military activities, as President Biden did in his call with President Putin on December 7.'

They added: 'Any use of force to change borders is strictly prohibited under international law.

'Russia should be in no doubt that further military aggression against Ukraine would have massive consequences and severe cost in response.

The Foreign Secretary told Mr Putin in November that it would be a 'strategic mistake' for Russia to invade Ukraine

'We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the right of any sovereign state to determine its own future. We commend Ukraine's posture of restraint.

'We will intensify our co-operation on our common and comprehensive response.'

Meanwhile, Ms Truss was also asked during a press conference if she viewed China as a threat to the UK's way of life.

She replied: 'We have been clear at this meeting this weekend that we are concerned about the coercive economic policies of China.

'And what we want to do is build the investment reach, the economic trade reach of like-minded freedom-loving democracies.

'That is why we are stepping up our investment into low and middle income countries.

'A couple of weeks ago we launched British International Investment with an increased budget and that is also why we are working with our friends and partners to help shape the future of technology to make sure that technology is shaped by the free world, particularly standards in areas like artificial intelligence and quantum technology.'
A first-time mother has told of her horror after the Poppy Day bomber's device exploded yards from where she was feeding her days-old newborn in Liverpool Women's Hospital.

Helen Edwards-Hughes, 34, a civil servant, was admitted to the Crown Street maternity hospital on November 9, five days before Emad Al-Swealmeen, 32, tried to bomb it.

Helen looked at her newborn Penelope and thought 'someone came and tried to take you away'.

Helen Edwards-Hughes (right), 34, has relived her terror and shared her deep gratitude to the staff at Liverpool Women's Hospital

The Aigburth civil servant, was admitted to the Crown Street maternity hospital on November 9, five days before Emad Al-Swealmeen, 32, tried to bomb it (pictured)

Helen had been taken to the hospital by her husband, James Hughes, 33, after reporting cramping and bleeding.

Doctors decided to perform a Caesarean section in the early hours of November 10.

After a few minutes with her mother and father, Penelope was taken away to begin treatment for suspected meningitis.

Helen told the Liverpool Echo: 'I was scared beyond my wildest dreams quite honestly. It was quite hard; because of covid visiting was a lot more limited for partners.

'When the incident happened I was in the hospital on my own. I was towards the front of the hospital but because I was recovering from a caesarean section I was on the bed and I couldn't see the front entrance.

'I think I was feeding Penelope when I heard the bang go off. I just thought 'oh, that's a loud noise' but it is really near town and I didn't really give it any thought.

Helen had been taken to the hospital by her husband, James Hughes (right), 33, after reporting cramping and bleeding

Doctors decided to perform a Caesarean section in the early hours of November 10

'But then things started going round; someone's partner had been at the front entrance and had seen the car.

'Then there was all sorts of other stuff. Then it started to filter through that it was being treated as terrorism. There were so many police outside which was kind of reassuring.

'But I have quite serious anxiety and my one of my top triggers is terrorism, so it really sent me over the edge.

'Whenever something happens like that, like the attacks in Europe or the Manchester bombing, I find it very difficult to switch off from, and then there was a terrorist outside the hospital where my little girl is and I can't leave.

'It was very hard to look at Penelope and think 'someone came and tried to take you away'.'

After a few minutes with her mother and father, Penelope was taken away to begin treatment for suspected meningitis

Counter Terrorism police believe Al-Swealmeen's plan was foiled when the home-made bomb he was carrying triggered prematurely, killing him.

Over the next couple of days, overwhelmed by anxiety and stress, Helen said her mental health deteriorated.

She said: 'On the Tuesday (November 16) I had a bit of a meltdown. I started to think I would never be able to leave.

'Just terrible, terrible fear. You start to think what if there is another one, what if someone comes to finish the job.

'It was horrible, I could not go to the front door for fresh air, and the baby was not really feeding.'

It was here that Helen says the midwives on her ward stepped into their own.

Asked how the staff appeared to be coping in the aftermath of the bombing attempt, Helen said: 'You would not know anything had happened, they were amazing.'

In a message to the board of Liverpool Women's Hospital, Helen described how the calm, caring demeanour of midwives on her unit helped her through her breakdown.

She said: 'A combination of hormones and all the events going on physically and in the carpark caused me to unravel.

'The staff on Matbase couldn't have been any better with me.

'I could see how busy they were doing their daily jobs and there's no mistaking the unsustainable pressure they seem to be under, but in no time had organised for me to get the support I needed and moved me into a side room.

'I don't know her surname, but I believe the midwife assigned that day was called Emma and she was brilliant.

'I felt much better once on the side ward as it allowed me to think a bit more clearly.

Helen looked at her newborn Penelope and thought 'someone came and tried to take you away'

'I'm also not great when surrounded by people so after a week nearly on a ward, I was so glad to be alone.

'I think it gave me the chance to process what had happened without everyone else's chatter setting off further anxiety.

'The purpose of this communication is to let you know how glad I am that I chose Liverpool Women's for my maternity care.'

Penelope, called Penny by her parents, made a full recovery from her infection and mum and baby were discharged on November 20

Helen has been able to access counselling after a referral from the perinatal mental health midwife team.

In her message to the hospital board she said: 'Liverpool Women's ensured that my child didn't leave hospital until she was ready to and did the very best for me while we were with you.

'I'm beyond shocked that your wonderful hospital was attacked, I'm relieved that no one else was harmed.

'We'll all be processing it differently and some will be more affected than others.'

Ironically her brush with a genuine terrorist incident has lessened her anxiety, and she no longer fixates on the possibility of being caught up in an atrocity.

She said: 'I feel a sense of just wanting to live as best as I can, I no longer feel afraid.'

Helen and James are now planning to raise money for the hospital, with keen gamer James planning to host sponsored events on his popular Twitch streaming account, where he is known by the username 'Supereffective Jay'.

A Major Incident Report by hospital managers reveals how staff were supported after the bombing.

Counsellors and psychologists from Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust were provided on site, while staff were also signposted to organisations dealing with the trauma caused by terrorism such as the Peace Foundation.
Hundreds of nightclub revellers have been ordered to isolate after they were exposed to Covid-19 cases who 'likely' have the new Omicron variant.

NSW Health issued an alert for The Argyle House nightclub in Newcastle late Sunday night identifying all attendees as close contacts after transmission of Covid at the venue on the night of December 8.

The cluster is linked to a boat party five nights earlier on Sydney Harbour where at least five people caught the virus.

The number of infections linked to The Argyle House nightclub outbreak is 24 with some 'likely' to be the Omicron variant, NSW Health said.

More than 700 people who were at The Argyle House nightclub (pictured) in Newcastle on the night of December 8 have been ordered to test tested and isolate for seven days

Anyone who was at the nightclub between 9pm December 8 and to 3am December 9 are close contacts and must immediately get tested and isolate for seven days, regardless of the result.

The rule applies to all 680 people who checked in using the QR code that night and to anyone who did not check in.

Household contacts of anyone who attended the nightclub are also ordered to immediately get tested and isolate until the close contact tests negative, due to the high transmission at the venue.

'This follows recent outbreaks associated with the Albion Hotel at Parramatta, Oxford Tavern at Petersham, Cult Nightclub in Potts Point and the party boat cruise on Sydney Harbour,' NSW Health said.

'NSW Health is concerned about increased transmission taking place in larger social venues such as these, and we urge people not to attend social functions if they have any symptoms, even if mild.'

The nightclub cluster stems from a outbreak on a Sydney party cruise on December 3 (pictured)

The tally of Omicron infections in NSW stands at 55 and is expected to continue rising

Newcastle recorded its first case of Omicron, a female traveller who recently returned from Britain on Sunday.

The latest alert was issued hours after NSW recorded Australia's first hospital admission of Omicron

The state recorded 485 new cases of Covid-19 on Sunday, as the tally of Omicron infections rose to 55. There are at least 62 around Australia.

Health officials confirmed one patient with Omicron is in hospital, becoming the first admission in Australia with the new variant.

They are among 156 Covid patients being treated in hospital in NSW.

24 cases of Covid have been linked to the The Argyle House nightclub (pictured) in Newcastle

Australia has recorded its first first hospital admission of the Omicron variant (pictured, passengers being tested at Sydney Airport

NSW Health warned the number of Omicron cases will rise as results of genomic testing are confirmed.

NSW Covid cases slightly dropped following two consecutive days of more than 500 infections.

Two deaths were recorded, a man aged in his 70s while the other man was in his 80s. Both were unvaccinated.

The state had on Saturday recorded the highest number of cases since October 9, two days before lockdown lifted.

Dozens of demonstrators took to Sydney's Hyde Park on Sunday to protest the introduction of vaccine mandates across several industries.

Health officials confirmed Australia's first hospital admission of Omicron as protesters packed Sydney's streets to oppose vaccine mandates

A string of existing restrictions are expected to be scrapped on Wednesday as planned, including density limits, QR check-ins risk venues, and masks.

Freedoms will also increase for the 6.9 per cent of the NSW population over-16 who aren't fully vaccinated.

Experts warned cases will continue to rise as restrictions are eased.

'It is quite possible and quite likely that we will see a further increase with the unvaccinated being able to mix in those venues,' infectious diseases specialist Sanjaya Senanayake told Weekend Today on Sunday.

'However, New South Wales is very well vaccinated so hopefully we should be able to contain those increasing cases.'

NSW's tally of Omicron cases currently stands at 55 and is expected to rise

Meanwhile, Victoria recorded 1069 new cases and two deaths as Queensland recorded one new cases.

The returned traveller from Nigeria currently in hotel quarantine 'likely' has the Omicron variant.

'We're very closely following his genomic sequencing results which should be available in the next two days  obviously very interested whether this maybe Omicron,' deputy chief health officer James Smith said.
The education secretary Nadim Zahawi (pictured arriving at Broadcasting House this morning) has refused to rule out school closures in the new year

The education secretary has refused to rule out school closures in the new year as the Government continues to battle the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant.

Nadim Zahawi said this morning the Government was still learning about the variant and that it was trying to ensure schools were protected but offered no guarantee schools would still be open in the New Year.

Asked by the BBC's Andrew Marr if he could make the promise that schools won't close, he said: 'We are absolutely working to make sure that all schools are open, that they're protected.

'I will do everything in my power. We are still learning about this variant. We know that a booster works.

'Get boosted, protect yourself, protect your community and let's get through this and transition this from pandemic to endemic.'

An Omicron Covid-19 case was reported in a primary school for the first time last week.

All year five students, aged nine or ten, at Manor Community Primary School in Kent, were advised to stay home and get tested.

Unlike with other variants, those who come into close contact with a person who has been infected with Omicron must self-isolate for 10 days.

Pupils' parents received an email informing them of the situation and a mobile testing unit was dispatched to the school in Keary Road on Friday.

Mr Zahawi said the Government is working hard to ensure children are safe from Covid-19 at school. Pictured: Year eight pupils wear face masks as a precaution against Covid transmission

The first case of Omicron variant was detected at a school last week. Pictured: children wearing masks at Outwood Academy in Woodlands, Doncaster in Yorkshire earlier this year

As a precaution, the UK Health Security Agency is carrying out testing on some pupils in key stage two groups.

The news came days after another Omicron case was confirmed at nearby Northfleet Technology College.

Health experts fear the Omicron variant could be more contagious than other strains, although it is understood the vaccine remains effective at preventing severe symptoms and hospitalisation in most cases.

The government has tightened Covid rules from Monday 13 December, with those who can being advised to work from home while face masks have been made mandatory in most public indoor places once again.

Fearing a rise in Omicron infections, new coronavirus restrictions have come into force around the country as part of the government's Plan B to tackle the virus over the winter period.

Late last month, some schools began imposing their own circuit breaker closures as the number of Covid cases continued to rise across the country, citing outbreaks of Covid and a lack of staff.

Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio, a secondary school which teaches pupils aged 13 to 19, said that it was shuttering its doors until at least due to teachers being off with Covid.

And Finlay Community Primary School in Gloucestershire said it was partially closing - with pupils in reception moving to online learning - due to 'an increase in Covid-19 cases' and 'low staffing levels'.

Other schools cancelled nativities and Christmas festivities amidst growing concern over the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

Meanwhile, Mr Zahawi said the Government does not have plans 'at the moment' to vaccinate primary school-aged children.

He said vaccination experts were still reviewing the evidence on what level of protection a coronavirus jab would give those aged under 12, and that a decision would await their verdict.

It comes after the Sunday Times reported that healthcare staff have been told to start preparing for the mass vaccination of primary school children in anticipation of approval by regulators, with children as young as five to be jabbed.

Mr Zahawi, asked whether there were plans to vaccinate primary school children, told the BBC's The Andrew Marr Show: 'There is no plan at the moment to vaccinate primary school children for the reason that the Joint Committee on Vaccination (and Immunisation, JCVI) is still looking at the evidence as to what level of protection it would offer.'

With previous variants of coronavirus, NHS advice was that Covid was 'usually mild' in most children, but that it could make some children unwell.

It was announced in September that secondary school children aged 12-15 would be eligible to receive a single dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine following advice from the UK's four chief medical officers.

Further advice from the JCVI last month recommended that a second dose be given to those in the same age bracket.

On Wednesday, Boris Johnson announced he would be triggering Plan B, in a bid to buy the UK time in the fight against the Omicron variant of the virus.

Tories have reacted with dismay to the proposals, with tens of backbenchers pledging to vote down plans for vaccine passports to be made mandatory for large venues, compulsory mask-wearing in most public indoor settings, as well as guidance for employees to work from home where they can.

Despite the prospect of a Tory backbench revolt, Plan B is expected to become law as Sir Keir told the BBC's The Andrew Marr Show he will vote with the Government.

The Labour leader said his party will not be doing so to support the Prime Minister but the NHS.

He said: 'If you look at the science in relation to Omicron, the new variant, there is a real concern that we could be in a situation where the number of cases is doubling in a shorter period of two days.

'Now, I understand people say that that hasn't led to higher hospitalisations and deaths yet, but the sheer volume of cases is very, very worrying.'

He added: 'So, I'm not supporting the Prime Minister on Tuesday, I'm supporting our NHS, and I'm supporting the public in relation to this pandemic.'

Among those who have voiced concerns about the scaling-up of restrictions are former Cabinet ministers David Davis, Esther McVey, Dr Liam Fox, Greg Clark and former Brexit minister Steve Baker.
Double-jabbed people identified as a contact of someone with Covid-19 in England will be told to take a daily rapid test for seven days from Tuesday, health officials said.

Unvaccinated adults are not eligible for this new daily testing policy and they must self-isolate for 10 days if they are a contact of someone who tests positive

The daily testing aims to reduce pressures on people's everyday lives by replacing the requirement for Omicron contacts to isolate for 10 days.

The policy also aims to protect the public by identifying asymptomatic cases and stopping the chains of transmission.

People will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace by phone, email or text or they will receive a notification from the NHS Covid-19 app to tell them they are a contact of someone who tested positive and what action they need to take.

They will be advised to get a box of seven lateral flow tests free of charge from NHS Test and Trace either through pharmacies, schools or home delivery by ordering online.

As is the case now, anyone whose rapid test comes back positive, or who develops Covid symptoms, should self-isolate and take a PCR test to verify the result.

If the PCR result comes back positive, contacts must self-isolate for 10 days from the day they took the positive rapid test or developed symptoms.

They do not need to continue taking rapid tests during that 10-day isolation period.

If the PCR result comes back negative, contacts can leave self-isolation but should continue to take rapid tests for the remainder of the seven days.

Fully vaccinated people who come into contact with a confirmed cases of Covid-19 should take a daily lateral flow test for seven days, the government has said. (Stock image)

People have been advised to order a box of seven lateral flow tests free of charge from NHS test and trace and to then log their results online

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: 'We are taking this proportionate and more practical measure to limit the impact on people's day to day lives while helping to reduce the spread of Omicron.

'Vaccines remain our best defence and I urge anyone yet to get a first and second jab to come forward and those eligible for a booster to get boosted as soon as possible.'

It comes as new modelling suggests that, under one scenario, almost twice the number of coronavirus patients could be admitted to hospital compared with last year due to the impact of Omicron.

Experts from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine calculated figures which show a large wave of infections could occur over the next few months if tougher measures are not brought in.

The DHSC said testing daily with lateral flow tests will also help with understanding how and where the virus is spreading.

The department said close contacts of people who test positive are at higher risk of getting Covid-19 and, with one in three people asymptomatic, daily testing will help ensure people are not unknowingly passing the virus on to others.

The DHSC said anyone identified as a contact with a negative lateral flow test is 'strongly advised' to limit close contact with other people outside their household, especially in crowded or enclosed spaces and with anyone who is more vulnerable.

Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said: 'If you are identified as a contact of someone with Covid-19, taking a rapid daily test - and only needing to isolate if it is positive - will help reduce the spread of the virus and minimise its impact on our everyday lives over the coming weeks and months.

'Rapid tests are freely available in pharmacies and online. Our latest analysis shows that boosters provide the best protection against the Omicron variant, please go forward when you are called.

If you haven't had any vaccine, a first and second dose still gives you protection against becoming seriously unwell.

'Don't worry about stepping forwards now - you will be warmly welcomed by our vaccination staff and I would strongly advise you to get vaccinated as soon as possible.'

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi today revealed there are now patients with Omicron being treated in UK hospitals, as he said the new coronavirus variant represents a 'huge bump in the road' for the nation's recovery from the pandemic.

Omicron cases in Britain rose by 50 per cent yesterday. Some 663 new cases of the strain were detected across the UK, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said, up from the 448 recorded yesterday. It takes the country's total to 1,898, although experts suggest the true number is much higher.

The UK's overall daily cases were also up 26 percent week on week today to 54,073 while deaths inched upwards by 4% to 132.

Mr Zahawi painted a grim picture of the spread of the mutant strain as he said it now accounts for one third of all cases in London.

He also confirmed that cases of the variant are doubling every two to three days with more than 1,600 formally confirmed so far.

The above map shows the ten areas that have the most confirmed and suspected Omicron cases in England, according to the UK Health Security Agency. West Northamptonshire is the country's hotspot for the mutant strain, although eight in ten areas on the list are in London

However, Mr Zahawi warned that the actual number of cases of Omicron will be 'up to 10 times that' as he said the vaccine booster programme is now in a 'race against time' against the variant.

Dr Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser for the UK Health Security Agency, said that while there are now cases in UK hospitals there is yet to be a confirmed Omicron-linked death.

It also emerged Michael Gove is leading the push for tougher Plan C Covid-19 restrictions, including 'pub passports', after pandemic modelling showed the Omicron variant could cause more hospitalisations than last winter.

However, Boris Johnson and Downing Street are said to be resisting Mr Gove's calls for a new crackdown, as the Prime Minister faces a revolt from his own Conservative party in a vote over the introduction of Plan B rules.

Senior Cabinet ministers are said to be preparing to rebel against the Plan B measures in a vote next week, and 65 Tory MPs have already indicated they will vote against.

A Commons vote is set to be held on Tuesday over the Plan B measures, which require face masks to be worn in non-hospitality venues, and ask people to work from home where possible. NHS Covid passes will also be required in some venues, like nightclubs, from Wednesday.

Mr Gove, who has been one of the most consistently pro-restriction Cabinet ministers since the start of the pandemic, said the 'very challenging new information' meant that 'action is absolutely required', and as new data comes in we will consider what action we do require to take in the face of that data'.

Confidential UK Health Security Agency data showed that Omicron may now be behind 8.5 per cent of infections. The figures are based on the proportion of PCR tests failing to detect a specific gene, an early indicator of the variant. PCRs look for three genes to confirm a Covid infection, but with Omicron one is so mutated that they only pick up two of them. The analysis was done by Professor Alastair Grant, a Covid modeller at the University of East Anglia, who has access to the secret statistics

The minister's call to potentially cancel Christmas for a second year running comes as scientists advising the Government have said tougher Covid restrictions may be needed to prevent Omicron causing anywhere between 25,000 to 75,000 deaths in England over the next five months.

A wave of infection is projected which could lead to a peak of more than 2,000 daily hospital admissions, with 175,000 hospital admissions and 24,700 deaths between December 1 this year and April 30 next year, even under the most optimistic scenario.

Even under the most optimistic of four scenarios modelled by experts  relating to how much Omicron might 'escape' vaccines and how effective booster jabs are  it's predicted it could cause 25,000 deaths by the end of April without further social distancing restrictions.

Mr Zahawi said this morning that the Government is engaged in a 'national endeavour to boost the nation' as he described the rollout of more jabs as a 'race against time'.

He told Sky News: 'What we know, hence the concern, is that one third of infections in London now are Omicron.

'We think that obviously the reported tests are indicating about 1,600 cases but of course the number of infections in the community would be a multiple of that, up to 10 times that.

'We know that it is highly infectious so the doubling rate is between two and three days so very quickly Omicron will be the dominant variant in the United Kingdom and probably the rest of the world.

'We have seen this movie before. We saw it with Kent variant and then of course Delta, one of the obviously advantages we have is we have got a very large capacity for testing and of course genome sequencing, hence why we know so much.

'We also know, and I can confirm to you this morning, that there are cases in hospital with Omicron.

'We have been able to test people who are in hospital over the past two weeks and so there is a lag to hospitalisation but the risk of a highly infectious variant even if it were, as many people quite rightly think because of the data from South Africa suggesting that, less severe, even if that is true, if you get to one million infections, you understand exponential growth, so if by the end of the month you are at a million, within three days later you are at two million, and if it is half as severe as Delta, let's say only one per cent end up with serious infection and hospitalisation, that is still 10,000 people.'

Mr Zahawi said 20million booster jabs have already been administered and 'it is now a race to get all adults who are eligible for their booster jabs to be boosted as quickly as possible'.
Incoming New York City Mayor Eric Adams has pledged to ensure that whistleblower cop Frank Serpico gets the proper ceremony and medal the NYPD denied him 50 years ago.

Adams, who will take office in January, promised the whistleblower cop via Twitter that he would get a Police Department Medal of Honor certificate.

'@SerpicoDets bravery inspired my law enforcement career. Frank  were going to make sure you get your medal,' Adams wrote on Saturday.

Adams, a former cop himself, was responding to a prior Tweet from Serpico, 85, referencing a news article that he said failed to mention Serpico's 50-year wait for a properly inscribed medal and a Medal of Honor Certificate from the NYPD.

Serpico exposed the rampant corruption within the New York Police Department to the press and testified before the Knapp Commission in 1970.

In 1971, he was shot below the eye during a drug raid in Williamsburg, and he maintained fellow officers soured with Serpico's commitment to exposing bribery within the department failed to make an 'officer down' call.

Serpico received a medal for his heroism over a countertop, but the NYPD bitterly refused to give him the certificate and the ceremony that usually come with it. But Adams has vowed to make up for the snub and finally honor Serpico.

Incoming New York City Mayor Eric Adams (left) pledged to ensure that hero cop Frank Serpico (right) gets the proper ceremony and medal the NYPD denied him 50 years ago. Adams, who will take office in January, promised the whistleblower cop via Twitter

'@SerpicoDets bravery inspired my law enforcement career. Frank  were going to make sure you get your medal,' Adams tweeted on Saturday

Serpico exposed the rampant corruption within the New York Police Department to the press and testified before the Knapp Commission in 1970.Above, Serpico in 2017 delivering a speech in New York City in support of Colin Kaepernick's protest against police brutality

In February 1971, Serpico and three other plain-clothes police colleagues went to an address in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, after being tipped off that a drug dealer was selling heroin there.

As the only Spanish speaker, Serpico was assigned the hazardous task of pretending to be a junkie to persuade the Latino dealer and his cronies to let them in.

As two other officers waited behind him, he knocked and said he'd come to buy. The door opened a few inches, the chain still on, and Serpico wedged himself into the gap, pushing as he shouted to his colleagues to help him.

They didn't, instead watching on as Serpico was shot in the face with a pistol. The bullet, fired from about 18 inches away, entered under his eye and lodged in his jaw.

As he lay bleeding on the floor, his partners arrested the suspects rather than try to save him. It fell instead to an elderly tenant in the building to dial the emergency services, kneeling beside Serpico and squeezing his hand as he reassured him he would live.

The officer's fate, dramatized in the riveting 1973 film Serpico starring Al Pacino, may have been a consequence of his decision to expose the rampant corruption within the New York Police Department.

Surrounded by officers either taking bribes from criminals or turning a blind eye to it, he was the archetypal lone voice, the courageous whistleblower who nearly lost his life exposing the truth.

Serpico's fate was dramatised in the riveting 1973 film Serpico starring Al Pacino. In February 1971 he and three other plain-clothes police colleagues went to an address in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, after being tipped off that a drug dealer was selling heroin there

As the only Spanish speaker, Serpico (Picuted: Al Pacino as Serpico) was assigned the hazardous task of pretending to be a junkie to persuade the Latino dealer and his cronies to let them in

Born in Brooklyn to Italian immigrants, Francis  the son of a Neapolitan shoemaker  dreamed of joining the police as a child. He did so aged 23 in 1959, after a few years in the army. Serpico earned a reputation as a zealous and hardworking officer who was never off-duty.

He was always unconventional, destined to work in plain clothes as he didn't look remotely like a cop. Short and muscular, he had long hair and sported a beard. He dressed flamboyantly: off duty he was a hippy, wearing beads, flares and earrings, while on duty he had a passion for elaborate disguises. He dressed as vagrants, rabbis and doctors, even posing as a London barrister called 'Llewellyn'.

He had a bohemian lifestyle  a hedonistic ladies' man, he had a passion for opera and ballet, and lived in New York's counterculture capital of Greenwich Village.

Serpico was so unlike the average cop, his fellow officers were naturally suspicious. But what most alarmed them was his refusal to accept the culture of bribery.

New York City police officer Frank Serpico sits with his attorney, former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark, during a press conference concerning his allegations of widespread corruption within the NYPD

Frank Serpico, former New York City Police Officer, poses in front of the movie poster SERPICO starring Al Pacino at the Quad Cinema movie theatre on August 9, 2004 in New York City

He rejected even the lowest level of corruption, the police tradition of accepting free meals in restaurants, and was gobsmacked when his patrol partner let a motorist pay $35 to overlook a traffic offence.

However when he moved to a unit policing the lucrative industries of illegal gambling and prostitution, he discovered the graft amounted to serious money.

One day, an officer passed him an envelope, saying simply it was from 'Jewish Max'. Inside was $300 (about $2,500 now).

Jewish Max ran an illegal gambling operation and this was Serpico's share of his monthly payment to be left alone.

A young NYPD Officer Frank Serpico

Serpico could no longer keep quiet and, through a friend, contacted the Department of Investigation  a secretive New York department that tackled fraud and corruption among city employees.

When even a senior officer told him to forget it, Serpico began to realize even his supposedly 'honest' colleagues were willing to see corruption in the force persist.

Serpico was transferred to the Bronx, assured his new colleagues there were scrupulously honest. In fact, they were even more corrupt. One officer blithely informed him he could make at least $800 a month from kickbacks from criminals paying for immunity.

The payouts, he revealed, were routinely collected in a system known as the 'pad' because payers' names were efficiently recorded on a pad of paper.

Serpico was sometimes partnered with a 'bag man' who collected the cash. The money-grubbing cops were so proficient at tracking down non-payers that Serpico concluded they could have cleaned the city up in a week had they devoted the same energy to fighting crime.

In 1967, he started telling everything he knew to senior officials at police headquarters and City Hall.

Frank Serpico (left) was portrayed by Al Pacino (right) who does bear a resemblance to the cop

Daily News coverage of face two of the Knapp hearings. Above, Serpico (right) and his attorney Ramsey Clay pictured

Although he had all they needed to prosecute, they dragged their feet. Serpico's position was becoming more dangerous by the day, as he rubbed shoulders with the colleagues he was implicating.

There were other honest officers but they were never brave enough to come forward. Serpico refused to be cowed, arresting suspects off and ignoring angry colleagues.

Word spread  allegedly, senior officers leaked it  that he was spilling the beans and Serpico became a pariah. Colleagues patted him down to ensure he wasn't wearing a recording device. One officer pulled a knife on him, snarling: 'I ought to cut your tongue out.'

When Serpico arrested an illegal gambler who'd been protected, the suspect ominously pointed his finger at him as if he were pulling a trigger. Serpico's 'own kind' would 'do' him, he said.

Eventually, Serpico gave up waiting for officialdom to do anything and went to the Press. In April 1970, the New York Times ran a front-page expose.

The mayor was forced to set up an independent public inquiry, the Knapp Commission. Serpico was its star witness, ending his lonely crusade as he testified that 'the atmosphere does not yet exist in which an honest police officer can act without fear or ridicule or reprisal from fellow officers'.

The police commissioner abruptly resigned, scores of senior officers were cleared out and investigators exposed a culture of wholesale corruption in which individual bribes were as high as $25,000 ($170,000 now) and annual backhanders in a single police department amounted to $4 million ($27 million now).

Pictured Police ID of Detective Frank Serpico

It emerged corrupt officers divided themselves into 'grass eaters' and 'meat eaters': the former simply turned a blind eye to illicit operations while the 'carnivores' strong-armed drug users, prostitutes and pimps into giving them money.

Showing the mortal risk to police investigating bad apples within the force, Serpico himself became a target after he blew the whistle on NYPD corruption.

After Serpico was shot in the face, it became clear some of his colleagues wouldn't be happy until he was dead. Among the first 'get well' cards he received in hospital were anonymous notes regretting that he'd survived.

His superiors accepted the claims of his partners in the drugs raid that they'd done their best to help him  and even decorated them.

Serpico took the hint and retired aged 36. He moved to Switzerland and then to the Netherlands where he married a Dutch woman. When she died of cancer and her parents took custody of their two children, he returned to the U.S. and moved to a one-room cabin deep in the woods in upstate New York.

There are still bullet fragments in his head, he remains deaf in one ear and he blames post-traumatic stress disorder for his fuse. The shooting left him lame in one leg but his antique English walking stick conceals a sword inside.

Serpico remains bitter about his treatment, outspoken that police corruption remains a problem and paranoid about his safety. 'I protect myself,' he said in February. 'But if my time has come, there's no better way than taking out some crooked cops.'
A California man who fled to Belarus after being accused of attacking cops during the January 6 Capitol riots has been charged with 14 crimes in his absence.

Evan Neumann, 49, of Mill Valley, a town about 15 miles north of San Francisco, had fled the country in February after he allegedly used a metal barricade to attack police during the riots, but the criminal investigation into his behavior is now gathering pace.

Neumann had allegedly assaulted three Metropolitan Police Department Officers and one Capitol Police officer in the attack, according to the US Attorney's office.

He was indicted on 14 counts on Friday including engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, civil disorder and assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers.

Neumann was initially charged on six separate criminal charges for his participation.

California man Evan Neumann, 49, (above) has been indicted on 14 criminal charges for his participation in the January 6 Capitol riots

Video footage had captured Neumann at the riots wearing a Make America Great Again hat, black jacket, dark-colored backpack as well as a yellow and orange scarf

Neumann was also seen donning a gas mask and ramming a metal barricade into police

Video footage of Neumann from police bodycam footage had surfaced where he was seen donning a gas mask while standing near police in front of barricades set up at the base of the West Front of the Capitol Building.

According to his original indictment, he started to berate the police at the scene, speaking directly to them as he said they are 'defending the people who are going to kill your f****** children.

'They are going to kill your f****** children, they are gonna rape them, they are gonna imprison them, and you're defending the people that are going to do this to your children,' he allegedly said.

His claims seemed to echo those from the widespread QAnon conspiracy theory movement, which holds that former president Donald Trump is waging a secret war against a global cabal of elite Satan worshipping pedophiles in government, business and the media.

Its followers believe Trump will expose the pedophiles, order its members be arrested and sentenced to death.

Neumann sold his $1.3 million home in Mill Valley, California and fled the country in February

Evan Neumann is pictured with his family back in 2018. He has two children

At the riot, the indictment alleges, Neumann refused orders to move away from the metal barricades, telling the officers: 'No, you can't tell me what to do, you piece of s***.'

He later allegedly berated one of the officers, only identified as 'J.M,' saying that officers 'kneel to Antifa because they're little b******'. He then also allegedly threatened J.M. and said that the officers will be 'overrun' by the crowd, telling him: 'I'm willing to die, are you?'

J.M. then tried to wrestle the metal barricade out of Neumann's hands, the indictment states, but Neumann used it as a battering ram, lifted it off the ground and used it to strike the officer.

The FBI later found Neumann leaving his house in Mill Valley, California on February 16 - after he was identified as the suspect in the footage - and heading to the international terminal at San Francisco International Airport.

There, agents wrote in the indictment, Neumann had admitted to flying to Washington D.C. on January 5 and departing on January 7.

He also reportedly admitted that he interacted with law enforcement on his trip, but did not provide any details.

It is unclear why he was able to travel to the airport as he was under investigation, and whether the FBI had seized his passport.

He claimed that he was invited into the Capitol building after someone broke through the window, and added that he is now on the FBI's Most Wanted Criminals List.

He said he knew he would be identified as one of the rioters soon after the FBI asked for help in identifying him.

'I have many friends working for the government,' he told news channel Belarus 1 in a November segment called Goodbye, America . 'I knew that they would immediately identify me and therefore [I] left the first thing.

'I started hiding, traveling across America from one point to another.

'I hired a lawyer, and the lawyer said that I could go to Europe on a business trip.'

Neumann said he fled to Belarus after originally flying to Italy in March, before getting on a plane to Switzerland and then driving through Germany and Poland to get to Ukraine

According to public records, Neumann owns a handbag company and has been involved in the hospitality industry, developing software to make the reservation process easier.

'The lawyer said it was good because it would buy me time, and then it will become clear what is happening with my affairs,' he said.

'After all, no court proceedings were carried out, so in order to understand what was happening, I left.'

He then described how he originally flew to Italy in March, before getting on a train to Switzerland and then driving to Ukraine via Germany and Poland.

Once in Ukraine, Neumann said, he rented an apartment in the city of Zhytomyr for four months, but, he said, within two weeks, he realized he was being followed by the Ukrainian secret service, the SBU.

It was at that point, he said, that he decided to illegally cross into Belarus.

But to do so, he said, he had to wade through swamps, and dealt with wild hogs as he also tried to avoid snakes, before he finally crossed the border into Belarus and sought asylum.

Belarusian border authorities reportedly detained Neumann on the border with Ukraine on August 15.

Neumann told Belarus 1 that he sought political asylum in Belarus because he believes the United States is no longer a country of law and order

In the November interview, Neumann also claimed that he did not commit a crime during the Capitol riots.

'I do not believe that I have committed any crime. One of the charges was very offensive,' he said.

The Capitol siege: A timeline of events 6 a.m. - Thousands prepare for pro-Trump rally 11 a.m. - The Save America rally begins 12:15 p.m. - President Trump addresses the crowd 1 p.m. - Lawmakers gather for a joint session to certify election results 1:10 p.m. - Rioters begin confronting Capitol police 2:11 p.m. - Rioters breach the Capitol Advertisement

'It is alleged that I hit a police officer. There is no reason for this.

'This is terrible... This is political persecution. And this is a level with which I cannot do anything.'

He also said on the program that he was seeking political asylum in Belarus because the United States, in his opinion, is no longer a country of law and order, the Daily Beast reported.

Neumann is one of more than 220 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, which disrupted a joint session of Congress meeting to formally certify the November 2020 presidential election victory of Democrat Joe Biden over Trump, the Republican incumbent.

Neumann is believed to be the only international fugitive charged in connection with the Capitol riot.

The siege followed a rally near the White House earlier that day in which Trump exhorted supporters to march on the Capitol during a speech in which he repeated false claims that the election was stolen from him through widespread voting fraud.

Four people died the day of the riot, and one Capitol police officer died the next day of injuries sustained while defending Congress. Hundreds of police were injured during the multi-hour melee and four officers have since taken their own lives.
A Navy warship commander who refused to get the COVID-19 jab or submit to testing to prove he did not have the virus was fired from his job as the executive officer of the USS Winston Churchill.

Cmdr. Lucian Kins, 39, who was terminated on Friday, is the first naval officer to be fired over vaccine refusal.

He reportedly requested a religious exemption to the military's vaccine requirement, but was denied and is appealing the decision.

The Pentagon has made the vaccine mandatory for all service members, and Navy personnel had until late November to get their shots or request exemptions. Thousands of service members have asked for religious exemptions, but so far none of the military services have approved one.

It remains unclear at this time if Kins will be reinstated to his position if his appeal is approved. He has yet to comment on his ousting.

Cmdr. Lucian Kins (pictured with his wife) was fired from his job as the executive officer of the USS Winston Churchill on Friday because he refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine or be tested to prove he did not have the virus

Kins was relieved from his duties as second in command of the USS Winston Churchill, a destroyer, by Navy Capt. Ken Anderson, commander of Naval Surface Squadron 14.

Navy spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Jason Fischer declined to give the precise reason why Kins was relieved of command, citing privacy concerns.

He did, however, state the reason for the firing was that Anderson lost confidence in Kins' ability to perform his duties after he failed to obey a lawful order.

Other officials alleged it was because Kins refused the order to get the COVID-19 vaccine and refused testing to ensure he did not have the virus.

Kins has been reassigned to the staff of Naval Surface Squadron 14.

Lt. Cmdr. Han Yi, the ship's plans and tactics officer, is temporarily serving as the Churchill's executive officer until a permanent replacement is identified.

Kins, who was on track to become commander of the USS Winston Churchill (pictured) in the next year and a half, had requested a religious exemption to the vaccine mandate

To date, 2,705 sailors have requested religious waivers but so far none have been approved (Pictured: US sailors on the USS Winston Churchill in May 2021)

The USS Winston Churchill is currently stationed in Mayport, Florida on a scheduled 14-month maintenance period, Fox News reported.

Prior to Friday's firing, Kins was on track to become the warship's commander within the next year and a half.

Meanwhile, nearly 5,731 active duty sailors remain unvaccinated against COVID-19, officials confirmed to the Navy Times.

The Navy has signed off on seven permanent medical exemptions, 326 temporary medical exemptions and 124 administrative exemptions to the vaccine mandate.

Lt. Cmdr. Fisher told DailyMail.com Monday that, per Navy policy, 'waiver requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and each request is given full consideration with respect to the facts and circumstances submitted in the request'.

Officials have said 2,705 sailors requested religious waivers but so far none have been approved.

The continued push for vaccination comes as the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to spread worldwide.

Forty-three Omicron variant infections were identified in 22 states during the first eight days of December, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Friday.

Although the first cases appeared to be mild, the CDC warned 'as with all variants, a lag exists between infection and more severe outcomes.'

The continued push for vaccination comes as the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to spread worldwide. Forty-three Omicron variant infections were identified in 22 states during the first eight days of December, the CDC reported on Friday

To date, 483 million Americans - or 60.7 percent of the population - have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. 200 million US citizens are fully vaccinated

The United States has reported more than 49 million coronavirus cases since the outbreak began in 2020

Omicron has been deemed a variant of concern and is believed to be more transmissible than the Delta variant, according to the New York Times.

It is said to also contain mutations make the variant somewhat resistant to the body's immune defenses and the already available coronavirus treatments.

'Even if most infections are mild, a highly transmissible variant could result in enough cases to overwhelm health systems,' the CDC warned. 'The clinical severity of infection with the Omicron variant will become better understood as additional cases are identified and investigated.'

Experts are urging Americans to take steps to slow the spread of Omicron by getting vaccinated, wearing masks, practicing social distancing and getting tested when needed.
Queensland has finally reopened its borders to Australia and the world after months of families being separated by draconian Covid rules.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk locked its southern border 141 days ago, the third time it was slammed shut since the coronavirus pandemic began.

Families spent five months separated, and for much of that even locals were unable to return home and lived as broke, homeless refugees in NSW.

The state's tourism suffered greatly with its main supply cut off. Throughout the pandemic, Queensland spent 435 days in total with closed borders.

Ms Palaszczuk, her ministers, and former chief health officer Jeannette Young refused to open them despite rising public outcry and increasing evidence they were unnecessary.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk locked its southern border 141 days ago, the third time it was slammed shut since the coronavirus pandemic began. Now it's finally open

The border was so strict that gravely ill patients in northern NSW had to be flown to Sydney, one losing her unborn child, and family denied exemptions for funerals or to see dying relatives one last time.

All that is finally over as the state reaches its reopening target of 80 per cent of the population with two doses of the Covid vaccine.

Visitors from NSW, Victoria, and the ACT resumed travelling to the state from 1am on December 13, with massive lines at border crossings.

The reopening was originally slated for four days later, on December 17.

However, as life finally gets easier for the vast majority of Queenslanders and those who want to enter the state, it will be much harder for those refusing to vaccinate.

All unvaccinated people in the state will be banned from venues such as restaurants, bars, pubs, clubs, theatres, cinemas and sporting venues from December 17.

Borders finally open as the state reaches its reopening target of 80 per cent of the population with two doses of the Covid vaccine

Queensland Police Commissioner Katerina Carroll said motorists should expect lengthy delays at the border

All visitors, regardless of their vaccination status or where they arrive from, need to get a Queensland entry pass.

Domestic vaccinated visitors will be able to arrive by air and road without the need to quarantine after arrival.

Visitors who have been in a declared Covid hotspot within 14 days of arriving in Queensland will need to produce a negative Covid-19 test result.

A second test will be required within five days of arriving in the state for those coming from a declared hotspot.

A person will no longer have to wait two weeks after a second Covid dose to be considered vaccinated.

Areas considered hotspots are all of NSW, Victoria, and the ACT, along with parts of South Australia and the Northern Territory affected by Covid outbreaks.

Queensland entry requirements - Visitors from declared Covid hotspots need to produce a negative Covid-19 test result on entry. - A second test is required within five days of arriving in the state for those coming from a declared hotspot - A person will no longer have to wait two weeks after a second Covid dose to be considered vaccinated before travelling to Queensland. - Unvaccinated travellers only allowed to fly into Queensland and need to go into hotel quarantine for 14 days. - Residents in the border zone who are vaccinated are able to move freely across the border for any reason. A border pass is required and is valid for 14 days but a Covid test is not be required. - Motorists should expect lengthy delays at the border. Queensland Police Commissioner Katerina Carroll urged people to travel outside of peak hours and clearly display border passes on their dashboards. - International arrivals must be vaccinated, return a negative test within 72 hours of departure, and must do 14 days of home or hotel quarantine. Advertisement

Unvaccinated travellers will only be allowed to fly into Queensland and will need to go into hotel quarantine for 14 days.

Residents in the border zone who are vaccinated will be able to move freely across the border for any reason.

A border pass will be required and will be valid for 14 days but a Covid test will not be required.

Unvaccinated residents in the border zone will be restricted to travel for the limited essential reasons that already apply.

Australians stranded overseas can also arrive in Queensland for the first time since the pandemic begun, but unlike Victoria and NSW they must do a full 14-day quarantine.

International arrivals must be vaccinated, return a negative test within 72 hours of departure, and must do 14 days of home or hotel quarantine.

Quarantine will be scrapped for vaccinated international travellers once 90 per cent of eligible people in the state are immunised.

After a confusing disagreement between the state and Federal governments over the cost of the PCR tests required to gain entry, Health Minister Greg Hunt confirmed on November 23 the tests would be covered by Medicare.

The entry requirements are expected to last until Queensland reaches 90 per cent of its eligible population fully vaccinated, expected in early January.

Ms Palaszczuk said the 90 per cent make might be reached before the end of December.

The premier announced the re-opening of Queensland's borders to NSW, Victoria and ACT residents by road and air will start from 1am on December 13

Residents in the border zone who are vaccinated will be able to move freely across the border for any reason. A border pass will be required and will be valid for 14 days but a Covid test will not be required. Pictured: the barrier at the NSW-Queensland border at Tweed Heads-Coolangatta.

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath and acting chief health officer Peter Aitken both warned that Covid cases in the state will increase as the borders re-open.

Ms D'Ath warned people to be aware they should check into venues, monitor for any symptoms and maintain social distancing.

She said Queensland residents would now be able to do day and overnight trips to the NSW border zone without needing a PCR test on return as a result of the easing of restrictions.

She said the requirement of a second Covid test after five days in Queensland was required because there had been 46 positive cases enter the state since border restrictions were eased when 70 per cent of Queenslanders were fully vaccinated.

'We will have cases, that's inevitable,' said Dr Aitken.

Visitors who have been in a declared Covid hotpot within 14 days of arriving in Queensland will also need to produce a negative Covid-19 test taken within the 72 hours before arrival into the state

'As cases come into our community, it's likely we will have to think about wearing masks again, it's likely that people will need to be in quarantine, it's likely that some of family members will get sick.'

Queensland Police Commissioner Katerina Carroll said motorists should expect lengthy delays at the border.

She urged people to travel outside of peak hours and clearly display border passes on their dashboards.

'Police will be meeting you at the borders, particularly at the road borders. Police will be conducting anywhere between random to 100 per cent compliance checks,' she said.

Vehicles will also be scanned on entry to the state, the commissioner warned, and heavy fines for non-compliance with border requirements would be imposed.
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Kentucky District Judge Brian Crick, a married father of three, was among those killed in the storm

A judge and a three-year-old boy are among the scores of victims in a historic tornado strike in Kentucky that has left communities reeling with its devastating impact.

The confirmed death toll in Kentucky alone is now higher than any tornado in the state's history at 80, with the multi-state toll standing at 94 and expected to rise as recovery efforts continue.

The twisters that spread death and destruction across six states on Friday night were powerful enough to send a family photo flying 130 miles and derail a freight train in western Kentucky, which bore the brunt of the horrific storm.

As the sun rose on Sunday morning, survivors picked through the rubble to salvage anything they could in near-freezing temperatures, still shell-shocked at the scope of death and devastation and many without electricity or running water.

Kentucky District Judge Brian Crick, 43, a married father of three who served McLean and Muhlenberg counties, was among those killed in the storm, the commonwealth's Supreme Court chief justice confirmed.

The epicenter of the destruction was the town of Mayfield, a town of about 10,000 people in the far western part of Kentucky, where the Bluegrass State borders Illinois, Missouri and Tennessee .

Mayfield resident Angela Wheeler told WLWT-TV how she and her husband escaped through a window as their home came off its foundation, only to find their neighbors screaming for help after their three-year-old son was killed.

One of Friday's tornadoes is believed to have remained on the ground for 227 miles, a world record. Kentucky bore the brunt of the destruction, and the storm is now the deadliest tornado strike in the state's history

The owners of Carr's Barn BBQ in downtown Mayfield, Suzanne Flint and Wayne Flint, sit on a remaining bar stool among debris. The city of Mayfield, Kentucky was hit particularly hard, including a candle manufacturing factory that was operating at the time the twister hit. There were 110 people in the building at the time, but only 40 were rescued alive

Local residents Darlene Easterwood and Tim Evans embrace after taking part in an outdoor Sunday service with members of First Christian Church and First Presbyterian Church in the aftermath of a tornado in Mayfield, Kentucky

The U.S. flag hangs in the Mayfield Post Office as excavator machines clear debris in the aftermath of a tornado

Workers remove a sign from a destroyed business in aftermath of a tornado in Mayfield, Kentucky on Sunday

Mayfield's Broadway Street was left mostly destroyed while remaining buildings will need to be condemned

Big Grannies Daycare on 312 W Water Street was lifted entirely off the ground and into the street in the torndado

First Presbyterian Church was left mostly destroyed in the center of Mayfield in tornadoes that killed scores of Kentuckians

The First Christian Church in downtown Mayfield was also left mostly destroyed in Friday's storm

Recovery crews work at the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory where 110 were working when the tornado struck. Only 40 of the workers were rescued alive

More than 80 people are confirmed dead in Kentucky alone, many of them workers at a candle factory in Mayfield, Governor Andy Beshear said Sunday morning as he raised the confirmed toll by 10 fatalities.

It shatters the prior record for the deadliest tornado in Kentucky history, set in 1890 when a twister killed 76 in the Louisville area, according to National Weather Service records.

'[The death toll] is going to exceed more than 100. This is the deadliest tornado event we've ever had,' Beshear told CNN, adding that in the town Dawson Springs alone, the list of the missing is eight pages long, single-spaced.

'I've got towns that are gone  that are just, I mean, gone,' he said. 'You go door-to-door to check on people and see if they're okay. There are no doors. The question is, is there somebody in the rubble of thousands upon thousands of structures. I mean, it's devastating.'

One twister carved a track that could rival the longest on record, as the stormfront smashed apart a candle factory in Kentucky, crushed a nursing home in Arkansas and flattened an Amazon distribution center in Illinois.

Beshear said that one tornado was on the ground for 227 miles, 200 of which were in Kentucky, which would break the prior global tornado-track record of 219 miles.

The death toll across five states also includes six people in Illinois, where an Amazon facility was hit; four in Tennessee; two in Arkansas, where a nursing home was destroyed; and two in Missouri.

People embrace on Sunday as tornado damage is seen in Mayfield, Kentucky after extreme storms struck, leaving more than 80 people dead Saturday in

Search are rescue crews work at the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory Sunday morning. Rescuers describe crawling over the bodies of the dead to reach survivors, and only 40 out of 110 workers have been recovered alive

In Earlington, Kentucky the powerful winds derailed a freight train, tossing the heavy cars like a child's playthings

Dena Ausdorn stands at the remains of her home after a tornado leveled the town of Dawson Springs, Kentucky. Ausdorn has lived there for 28 years and lost two of her dogs with another left paralyzed after the tornado

As the sun rose on Sunday morning, survivors in Mayfield picked through the rubble to salvage anything they could

Early morning frost covers a chair sitting in a destroyed home early on Sunday. Survivors battered by the storm huddled without electricity in near-freezing temperatures overnight on Saturday

A tank sits in a heavily damaged neighborhood outside a destroyed American Legion Post in Dawson Springs, Kentucky, covered in frost at dawn on Sunday after tornadoes ripped through several U.S. states

Irene Noltner consoles Jody O'Neill on Saturday outside The Lighthouse, a women and children's shelter that was destroyed by a tornado along with much of the downtown of Mayfield, Kentucky

 Slide me  The Mayfield courthouse is seen before and after the powerful storm, which ripped off the clock tower and second floor

Crews search rubble at Amazon hub in Illinois where six died Search efforts at an Amazon facility in Illinois where at least six people were killed in a tornado were expected to take several days, but authorities said they did not expect to find additional survivors. The company has not said how many people were in the building not far from St. Louis when the tornado hit at 8.35pm Friday. Authorities said they didn't have a full count of employees because it was during a shift change and there were several part-time employees. Both sides of the warehouse used to prepare orders for delivery collapsed inward and the roof caved, Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford said at a Saturday news conference. Advertisement

Kentucky residents, many without power, water or even a roof over their heads, worked on Sunday to salvage what they could in towns that had been all but destroyed.

Timothy McDill, 48, a refrigeration repair technician, slept Saturday night without water or power in his house in Mayfield, which his parents bought in 1992.

A telephone pole had come through a window and the brick exterior was ripped off, leaving entire rooms exposed.

The night of the storm, he tied himself, his wife, his two grandkids, 14 and 12, their two Chihuahuas and a cat to a drainpipe in their basement using a flagpole rope and waited for it to be over.

'They were troopers. They didn't cry that much,' McDill said of the children. 'Me and my missus were doing all the crying. We were scared we were going to lose the kids and they don't think of that.'

Steve Wright, 61, was driving around looking for gas on Sunday morning, nervous because he was running low. A resident of Mayfield for the last four years, his apartment complex was largely spared.

After the storm had passed, he took a flashlight and started walking around town looking for people who might be trapped. He ended up helping a father pull his dead 3-year-old from the rubble.

'It was bad. I helped dig out a dead baby, right up here,' he said gesturing to debris that used to be a two-story house. 'I prayed for both of them, that was all I could do.'

Mayfield resident Jamel Alubahr, 25, said his three-year-old nephew died and his sister was in the hospital with a skull fracture after being stuck under the rubble of their home.

'It all happened in the snap of a finger,' said Alubahr, who is now staying with another sister in Mayfield.

Timothy McDill, 48, tears up on Sunday as he recounts the story of surviving the tornado in Mayfield, Kentucky

McDill, who continues to spend the night inside his home to protect it from looters, stands in his living room while looking out over the damage and debris on Sunday morning

The night of the storm, McDill (above) tied himself, his wife, his two grandkids, 14 and 12, their two Chihuahuas and a cat to a drainpipe in their basement using a flagpole rope and waited for it to be over

A telephone pole came through a window of the home and the brick exterior was ripped off, leaving entire rooms exposed

Tornado damage is seen Sunday in Mayfield after extreme weather hit the region on Friday night. Dozens of devastating tornadoes roared through five US states overnight, leaving more than 80 people dead

Bogdan Gaicki surveys tornado damage Sunday in Mayfield, Kentucky after extreme weather hit the region, leaving more than 80 people dead in the deadliest storm in Kentucky history

Kentucky residents, many without power, water or even a roof over their heads, worked on Sunday to salvage what they could in towns that had been all but destroyed

People walk amongst damage caused by tornados in Mayfield, Kentucky on Sunday as survivors picked through the wreckage

Putin's offers 'sincere condolences' to Biden Putin on Sunday offered 'sincere condolences' to his US counterpart Joe Biden following the deadly tornadoes Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday offered 'sincere condolences' to his US counterpart Joe Biden in the wake of devastating tornadoes that ripped through six US states and left scores dead. 'Russia shares in the grief of those who lost loved ones as a result of this disaster. We hope the victims will recover and that the consequences of this disaster will be overcome quickly,' Putin told Biden in a telegram, according to the Kremlin. It comes as tensions escalate between Moscow and the West, with the Group of Seven warning Russia on Sunday to 'de-escalate' its military buildup near the Ukrainian border and saying an invasion would carry 'massive consequences'. Advertisement

In a telegram on Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered 'sincere condolences' to his US counterpart Joe Biden, despite rising tensions over the Russian military buildup at the Ukrainian border.

The historic nature of the storm has led some to blame climate change, including Biden and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.

'The effects we are seeing of climate change are the crisis of our generation,' Criswell told CNN on Sunday morning. 'This is going to be our new normal.'

Warm weather driven by a La Nina pattern was a crucial ingredient in this tornado outbreak, but whether climate change is a factor is not quite as clear, meteorologists say.

At a candle factory in Mayfield, 110 people were working overnight Friday when the storm hit, but only 40 of them were rescued alive.

'We had to, at times, crawl over casualties to get to live victims,' said Jeremy Creason, the city's fire chief and EMS director.

Now, the hopes of finding survivors are fading fast.

'I pray for it,' Beshear told CNN on Sunday. 'It would be an incredible miracle.' But, he acknowledged, no survivor had been found since a few hours after the storm ripped through.

Since late Friday, rescue workers have been desperately searching through the tangle of debris that is all that remains of the factory, where fallen girders and twisted sheet metal are piled high.

They have been seen removing corpses, while advancing gingerly through the wreckage with heavy equipment. Specially trained dogs sniff the debris to find anyone -- dead or alive -- still buried.

Factory owner Mayfield Consumer Products was a major employer in the town of 10,000. A family-owned business founded in 1998, it had recently been hiring -- a rarity in an America where small manufacturers more often lose out to international competitors.

'Our Mayfield, Kentucky facility was destroyed December 10, 2021, by a tornado, and tragically employees were killed and injured,' CEO Troy Propes said in a message on the company website.

'Our employees, some who have worked with us for many years, are cherished.'

The factory also employed trusted inmates from a local prison and had been operating in shifts around the clock to meet high demand in the busy Christmas season.

In this aerial photo, a collapsed candle factory is seen with workers searching for survivors Sunday in Mayfield, Kentucky

A general view of damage and debris in Mayfield, Kentucky after a devastating outbreak of tornadoes ripped through

A general view of a hallway inside a nursing home in Mayfield, Kentucky is seen Sunday after a tornado strike

Destroyed homes and debris are seen in a heavily damaged neighborhood at dawn in Dawson Springs, Kentucky

The remains of Dawson Springs Primitive Baptist Church after a tornado in Dawson Springs on Sunday. A monstrous tornado, carving a track that could rival the longest on record, ripped across the middle of the U.S. on Friday

Decimated homes are seen in Mayfield, Kentucky on Sunday following the deadliest tornado in Kentucky's history

Western Kentucky University, which previously said that a student had been killed, amended their statement to confirm that a close relative of a graduating senior had died.

The school's graduation ceremony, set for Saturday, has been cancelled and the school still has no electricity amid widespread power outages.

Elsewhere, at least six people were killed in the collapse of the Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois, with another injured worker airlifted to a hospital, fire Chief James Whiteford said.

Investigators searched the rubble throughout the day for additional victims and 45 people survived, Whiteford said. Authorities were uncertain Saturday evening whether anyone was still unaccounted because workers were in the midst of a shift change when it was struck by the tornado about 8:30 p.m. Friday.

'This is a devastating tragedy for our Amazon family and our focus is on supporting our employees and partners,' Amazon spokesperson Richard Rocha said in a written statement.

In Earlington, Kentucky the powerful winds derailed a freight train, sending one car flying 75 yards from the tracks.

In Earlington, Kentucky the powerful winds derailed a freight train, sending one car flying 75 yards from the tracks

People work at the scene of a train derailment in Earlington after a devastating outbreak of tornadoes

Workers say it will take some time to clear the tracks after the powerful winds ripped a freight train off the tracks

Photos show that two cars separated entirely from the train near Highway 41, with much of the rest of the train tipped on its side.

'They say it sounds like a train. It's a lot worse than a train,' Jesse Johnson, who was at the center of the tornado in Earlington, told WFIE-TV.

In one astonishing example of the twister's fearsome whim, an old family photo was carried more than 130 miles before it was recovered intact and reunited with its owner.

Katie Posten, of New Albany, Indiana, wrote on Facebook that she was walking out to her car when she discovered the photo from the 1940s stuck to her windshield.

'The tornado that ripped through Kentucky last night seems to have dissipated just a bit southwest of us, and it's said to have carried debris up into the sky up to seven miles or more, so no doubt that it came from a home in the path of destruction,' Posten wrote in a public appeal searching for the photo's owner.

Incredibly, thanks to the inscription on the back, Posten was able to reunite the photo with the Swatzell family in Dawson Springs, Kentucky.

Katie Posten, of New Albany, Indiana, found a family photo on her windshield and was able to locate the Kentucky family it belonged to, 130 miles away, through a public appeal on Facebook

In this aerial view, homes and businesses are destroyed on Saturday after a tornado ripped through town the previous evening in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes touched down in several Midwest states

People retrieve merchandise from a Mayfield store after a devastating outbreak of tornadoes

 Slide me  Satellite images show shows homes and buildings in Mayfield before and after a devastating twister

It was a rare moment of hope amid countless tales of tragedy, particularly in Mayfield, where entire blocks were flattened, houses and buildings ripped apart, leaving twisted metal, shattered tree limbs and bricks scattered across streets.

That included the city's courthouse, whose clock tower was completely torn off by the tornadoes. The historic landmark dates to the 19th century.

Janet Kimp, 66, and her son Michael Kimp, 25, survived by hunkering down in their hallway - the only part of the house where the roof or the walls did not come crashing down, she said on Saturday.

This was but the latest disaster to afflict her: Kimp said her house burned down years ago, and then she had to file for bankruptcy following her husband's death.

'I've lost it all again,' Kimp said as she stood in the remnants of her living room, where furniture was overturned and debris littered the ground. She stayed the night at her daughter's house in Mayfield, which was spared.

Down the road, war veteran Robert Bowlin, 59, and his son Christopher Bowlin, 24, were hard-boiling eggs on a campfire outside their home. They used wood from a tree that had collapsed, narrowly avoiding their house.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said at a briefing midday on Saturday the death toll was now 'north of 70' and that 'it may in fact end up exceeding 100 before the day is done.'

'This will be, I believe, the deadliest tornado system to ever run through Kentucky,' he added. 'It is indescribable. The level of devastation is unlike anything I have ever seen.'

A general view of damage and debris after a devastating outbreak of tornadoes ripped through several U.S. states, in Mayfield, Kentucky on Sunday

Emmanuel Baptist Church is seen in the aftermath of the tornadoes on Friday in Mayfield, Kentucky on Saturday morning

A resident of the The Cardinal Inn in Bowling Green, Kentucky, looks at the damages done after a tornado touched down

At least two were dead and many people were trapped after a roof partially collapsed at this Amazon warehouse after a tornado passed through Edwardsville, Illinois

If early reports are confirmed, the twister 'will likely go down perhaps as one of the longest track violent tornadoes in United States history,' said Victor Gensini, a researcher on extreme weather at Northern Illinois University.

The longest tornado on record, in March 1925, tracked for about 220 miles through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. But Gensini said this twister may have touched down for nearly 250 miles. The storm was all the more remarkable because it came in December, when normally colder weather limits tornadoes, he said.

Debris from destroyed buildings and shredded trees covered the ground in Mayfield, a city of about 10,000 in western Kentucky. Twisted metal sheeting, downed power lines and wrecked vehicles lined the streets. Windows and roofs were blown off the buildings that were still standing.

The missing at the candle factory included Janine Denise Johnson Williams, a 50-year-old mother of four whose family members kept vigil at the site Saturday.

'Its Christmastime and she works at a place thats making candles for gifts,' her brother, Darryl Williams, said. 'To give up the gift of life to make a gift. We havent heard anything, and Im not presuming anything. But Im expecting for the worst.'

He said Johnson Williams called her husband overnight to report the weather was getting bad, the last time anyone heard from her.

Search and rescue crews work through the night at the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory early Sunday in Mayfield

Emergency response workers dig through the rubble of the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory in Mayfield on Saturday. Only 40 out of the 110 workers in the factory have been rescued alive

Emergency workers transport a tornado victim in a body bag at the Mayfield Consumer Products Candle Factory on Saturday

Kyanna Parsons-Perez, an employee at the factory, was trapped under 5 feet of debris for at least two hours until rescuers managed to free her.

In an interview with NBC's 'Today,' she said it was 'absolutely the most terrifying' event she had ever experienced. 'I did not think I was going to make it at all.'

Just before the tornado struck, the buildings lights flickered. She felt a gust of wind, her ears started popping and then, 'Boom. Everything came down on us.' People started screaming, and she heard other workers praying.

Kentucky State Trooper Sarah Burgess said rescue crews were using heavy equipment to move rubble at the candle factory. Coroners were called to the scene and bodies were recovered, but she didnt know how many.

Rescue efforts were complicated because Mayfields main fire station and emergency services hub were also hit by the tornado, Creason said.

After a wall at a nursing home in Mayfield collapsed, Vernon Evans said he rushed to help firefighters pull people out, only to find one resident lying dead in a few inches of water.

'All I could do is sit there and hold their head up,' he said. 'I never experienced nothing like this.'

President Joe Biden approved an emergency disaster declaration for Kentucky on Saturday and pledged to support the affected states.

'I promise you, whatever is needed - whatever is needed - the federal government is going to find a way to provide it,' Biden said.

The Commonwealth of Kentucky has established a tornado relief fund to directly assist those impacted by the storm system, donations can be made at: TeamWKYReliefFund.ky.gov
An 11-year-old girl died and three people were taken to hospital 'after inhaling toxic fumes from super-strength rat poison' at a block of flats in east London.

Schoolgirl Fatiha Sabrin was found unresponsive at a flat believed to be above where the poison was laid in Nida House on Sutton Street, Shadwell, on Saturday at 16.12pm.

She was taken to an east London hospital but died a short time later.

Sabbir Ahmad, a family friend, said the girl's father has been stuck in an airport since the tragedy happened as he was in Bangladesh on a business trip.

Describing Fatiha, Sabbir said: 'She was a very bright girl. She was in my home eight or nine days ago and were discussing her future plans.

'She was very responsive and told me she wanted to be a doctor, and wanted to make something very good of her life.

'She was also a great writer, she received awards for her writing skills.'

Schoolgirl Fatiha Sabrin, 11, was found unresponsive at a flat believed to be above where the poison was laid in a Nida House on Sutton Street, Shadwell, on Saturday at 16.12pm.

The child was found unresponsive at a flat on Sutton Street in Shadwell on Saturday at 16.12pm, the Metropolitan Police said. Pictured: Police at the scene

The child's death is being treated as unexplained and the Met said a special post-mortem examination will be scheduled in due course.

Other residents of the building also reported feeling unwell and a full evacuation took place.

After the evacuation, the London Fire Brigade swept the building and discovered a 'quantity of chemicals' believed to be used for pest control.

Sabbir said his wife, who arrived at the flat and found the family in trouble, alerted authorities and called an ambulance.

Fatiha's mother and brother are recovering in hospital along with one other individual.

Toni Santos Babi, 19, a resident in the block, said: 'I and my flatmates smelled a strange smell in our flat, and I had a headache, and they had a cough and throat ache for the last two days.'

A number of other people reported feeling unwell in the same building and received treatment at the scene.

Some in the area suggested the girl had died after super-strength rat poison from Bangladesh released toxic fumes when the heating came on.

Babi, 19, said medical teams spent hours measuring chemical levels in the building.

Police moved him and his neighbours to a nearby hotel and were told they would stay there for two days.

A number of other people reported feeling unwell in the same building and received treatment at the scene. Three residents remain in hospital, including Fatiha's mother and brother. Pictured: Police at the scene

He explained: 'Around 5pm firefighters came into my flat to measure levels of some chemicals and they found a higher number in the toilet.

'In the meantime, more police were coming and they closed the whole road. Then another team of medical came to re-measure the chemical level, and around 7.30pm they told us to evacuate ASAP.'

Labour's Apsana Begum, 31, is MP for the area and was born in Shadwell.

She said said: 'I am aware of the incident at Nida House E1 this evening. Emergency services are working together to continue their response.

'Constituents are encouraged to support them by avoiding the areas where the road closures remain in and around Sutton Street.

'Tragically this has resulted in one fatality of a young girl, from chemicals found within the building.

'My thoughts and prayers are with her and her loved ones.

'I am following up to support constituents including everyone who was evacuated and in care of Tower Hamlets council.'

Firefighters from London Fire Brigade found chemicals thought to be used for 'pest control' in the block of flats (File image)

Liberal Democrat councillor Rabina Khan spent last night and Sunday morning with Sutton Street residents, many of who were 'very shaken,' she said.

She added it was 'heartbreaking an 11-year-old girl has died'.

A spokesman for the Met Police told MailOnline: 'Other residents in the block were evacuated as a precaution and are being looked after by the local authority.

'A sweep of the building was carried out by the London Fire Brigade and a quantity of chemicals - believed to be used for pest control - were discovered.

'They will be safely removed and an investigation will be carried out to determine how they came to be in the building.'

The girl's body will be examined under special post-mortem and her death is being treated as unexplained. Her next of kin have been informed.
He was named the Father of the Nation after his peaceful struggle to lead India to independence from the British.

Mahatma Gandhi was the architect of a form of non-violent civil disobedience, organising boycotts against British institutions in a tactic that would influence the world.

The political and spiritual leader famously staged 17 hunger strikes during his long-running freedom campaign, the longest lasting 21 days.

But less than a year after he was finally able to celebrate independence from Britain in 1947, Gandhi was assassinated by Hindu extremist Nathuram Godse.

He was 78 when he was shot and killed in New Delhi on January 30, 1948 after leading his usual multi-faith prayer group in New Delhi.

Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869, as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi at Porbandar in the western Indian state of Gujarat.

In 1883 he was married off by his parents to Kasturba Makanji when the young couple were both aged just 13. They went on to have four children.

Between 1888 and 1891, Gandhi studied law in London before he left to work as a lawyer in South Africa.

Mahatma Gandhi is pictured, right, alongside Pandit Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India

By 1913, he had carried out his first non-violent action in the country - the Transvaal march, a protest against the ban on Indian immigration.

Over the next decade, having become the main moral authority of the Indian National Congress party, Gandhi would go on to call for civil disobedience against the British colonial power.

It was an action that prompted his arrest for subversion and he was jailed for two years.

After his release, Gandhi led the famous Salt March in 1930, a non-violent protest against the state salt monopoly. The march covered 217 miles from his ashram in Ahmedabad in the northwest to the Indian Ocean before he was arrested with tens of thousands of people.

Two years later, and in jail again, Gandhi went on one of a series of hunger strikes to protest against the segregation of the 'untouchables' - the name given to people who fell outside the Indian caste system.

Mahatma Gandhi was the architect of a form of non-violent civil disobedience, organising boycotts against British institutions in a tactic that would influence the world

In 1942, Gandhi delivered his famous Quit India speech in Mumbai, calling for a general strike to force the British to leave - only to be arrested and jailed again until 1944.

However, his dream was realised in 1947 after the declaration of India's independence.

His struggle for peace did not end there, and he fought in vain against the partition of Hindus and Muslims into two separate states, India and Pakistan.

On January 30, 1948, less than a year after India had been granted independence, he was shot dead after leading his usual multi-faith prayer group in New Delhi.

That day is now observed as Martyrs' Day in India. It was the sixth attempt on Gandhi's life and some two million Indians attended his funeral.

The man who shot him, Hindu nationalist Nathuram Vidayak Godse, claimed in court that Gandhi was a fraud, who had failed to stand up for the rights of the persecuted Hindus during the struggle for independence.

Both Godse and an accomplice were sentenced to death by hanging.
Another brazen smash-and-grab was caught on camera at a luxury car showroom in crime-stricken Chicago in which the suspects ran out with watches worth millions.

Two men came into Gold Coast Auto Gallery on Saturday and conducted the robbery in less than 20 seconds.

One stood by the door with a gun while the other smashed a display case with a hammer, stealing at least eight luxury watches.

Dealership owner Joe Perillo told FOX 32 Mayor Lori Lightfoot and other officials need to take action or businesses are going to leave the city.

'I have a place in the suburbs. The place is wonderful. There's no crime out there,' he said. 'People don't want to come into the city.'

Two men came into Gold Coast Auto Gallery on Saturday in Chicago's Near North Side neighborhood and stole millions of dollars worth of luxury watches

One stood by the door with a gun while the other smashed a display case with a hammer

The dealership is known for its selection of Bentleys, Lamborghinis and Rolls-Royces

Ten customers, including children, were in the Near North Side neighborhood Bentley, Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce dealership Saturday afternoon when the robbery took place.

The suspects, masked and wearing hoodies, entered the store around noon.

They ran off with the Richard Mille timepieces, some of which retailed at millions of dollars each.

The total value of the watches and exact models have not been shared, although the timepieces have been likened to supercars because of the level of engineering required to produce them.

Dealership owner Joe Perillo argued that Mayor Lori Lightfoot and other Chicago officials need to take action or businesses are going to leave the city

Employees ran after the robbers but were unable to apprehend them.

'We ran after them on Chestnut, all the way to State Street, and then they split up,' said Joe Abbas, dealership co-owner, told ABC 7.

Perillo said the robbers were 'smart enough' not to brandish their weapon.

'He was smart enough not to raise the gun, because my people had guns,' he said. 'If he raised that gun, he would have been shot, we'd probably be in court defending ourselves.'

Abbas, who is a father, noted: 'I have little kids. I don't want to get shot here.'

Thankfully, no one was injured during the robbery or chase.

Police, who had already issued extra patrols on Saturday after teenagers flooded the city's downtown last weekend and caused havoc, are still trying to identify the robbers.

Perillo is demanding that officials take additional action to keep citizens safe.

Ten customers, including children, were in the dealership Saturday afternoon when the robbery took place

The masked suspects ran off with at least eight Richard Mille timepieces, some of which retailed at millions of dollars each

The suspect smashed the display case with a hammer

'The mayor and Kim Foxx have to take a firm stand. It is wrong for someone to break into a place - if they get caught, they get let out!' he argued. 'If they get arrested, they get let go. So, how do you intend to ever solve that problem?'

He added: 'If they don't do anything about this, they're going to lose a lot of businesses. They lost Macy's. They're losing Neiman Marcus. They may lose this store.'

The owners have increased security at the store and plan to keep the doors locked, even during business hours. Perillo also said service will be by appointment only from now on.

The robbery comes as the Windy City sees a surge in crime, prompting stronger response from police.

'If you come downtown or anywhere else to engage in disorderly conduct or other crimes, you will be arrested,' Chicago Police Department Supt. David Brown told ABC 7 on Friday.

Police are still trying to identify the suspects

Employees ran after the robbers but were unable to apprehend them

As of December 5, 2021, thefts are up by a whopping 19 percent in Chicago, with police recording 11,865 cases.

The city is also seeing a rise in violent crimes, noting there have been 756 murders, a 4 percent rise from the 727 by the same time last year.

Criminal sexual assaults also rose from 1,522 last year to 1,943, a 28 percent increase.

Robbery was the only violent crime to see a drop so far this year by about 2 percent.

The robbery comes as the Windy City sees a surge in crime

Shooting incidents have also increased this year, with the Chicago Police Department reporting 3,347 so far in 2021, a 9 percent increase from last year.

Overall crime has gone from 43,338 cases in 2020 to 43,701 cases this year.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot has routinely come under fire for the way she has dealt with crime after she publicly backed the 'defund the police' movement and proposed slashing $59million from the CPD budget, or 3.3 percent, and 600 vacant positions from the department, amid Black Lives Matter protests throughout the summer of 2020.

Meanwhile, Chicago District Attorney Kim Foxx is facing scrutiny after it was revealed she made an effort to help embattled actor Jussie Smollett get away with staging his own assault. Officials say Foxx liaised with the Empire star's relatives and tried to persuade the FBI to assume the investigation days after the attack.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday reiterated a warning from the United States and its allies that Russia could face 'massive consequences' if it continued its 'reckless and aggressive' actions against Ukraine.

'We are looking at and we are prepared to take the kinds of steps we've refrained from taking in the past that would have massive consequences for Russia,' Blinken told Meet the Press host Chuck Todd.

He also said an in-person meeting between Presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin 'seems pretty unlikely' while Russia continues on a concerning path.

The country's top diplomat was in the United Kingdom this weekend where he met with his counterparts in the Group of Seven economic powers. Russia has captured the world's attention in recent weeks by amassing troops and military equipment at its border with Ukraine at lightening speed.

'I found all of our allies very resolute, both in their deep concern about what Russia may be doing and may be planning, as well as their determination to take strong, coordinated steps if Russia does act aggressively,' Blinken said.

While Biden has said unilaterally confronting Russia with military force is 'off the table,' severe economic sanctions, the closure of a new gas pipeline and adding military support to Eastern European NATO allies have all been floated.

Officials both in and outside of Kyiv are concerned the buildup is a precursor to an invasion, though Moscow has denied any plans to attack the former Soviet satellite state.

Antony Blinken spoke with Meet The Press while in Liverpool for the G7 summit of foreign ministers

Earlier today the G7 released an official statement warning Russia of severe consequences if it did not de-escalate the situation on Ukraine's eastern border.

'We call on Russia to de-escalate, pursue diplomatic channels, and abide by its international commitments on transparency of military activities as President Biden did in his call with President Putin on 7 December,' the G7 foreign ministers stated.

'Any use of force to change borders is strictly prohibited under international law. Russia should be in no doubt that further military aggression against Ukraine would have massive consequences and severe cost in response.'

They also commended Ukraine's 'posture of restraint,' which appears to be a public dismissal of Russian officials' claims that Ukraine and NATO are hurling accusations to cover up their own aggressive intensions.

US and allied officials have promised an array of harsh economic penalties to surpass sanctions they levied after Russia's illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.

Moscow was alarmed in 2014 when Ukrainians successfully ousted Putin-backed President Viktor Yanukovych in favor of a democratically-elected government. Russian officials have also warned Ukraine's growing closeness and attempts to join Western coalitions like NATO and the European Union would be seen as hostile toward Putin's government.

The dominant topic of discussion at the summit was Ukraine's sovereignty in light of Russian aggression

While Biden has ruled out putting troops on the ground within the country's borders, his administration pledged the US military would be ready to provide any assistance NATO allies in the region would need.

Instead some of the measures that have been considered are blocking Russia from the SWIFT banking system, making them unable to convert rubles into dollars, and attempts to convince Germany to be prepared to shut the new Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline.

US officials have worried for years that the pipeline, if operational, would only strengthen Russia's grip on Europe by providing gas directly to Germany and bypassing Ukraine - thus putting the smaller country in a more economically and diplomatically vulnerable position.

On Sunday Blinken reiterated that Biden's top goal was still a 'more stable, predictable relationship with Russia.'

He added, 'But if Russia continues to take reckless and aggressive actions, we will respond. And not only us; partners and allies around the world.'

Ukrainian soldiers Mykhailo (L) and Pavlo builds a bunker on the front line on December 12, 2021 in Zolote, Ukraine. A build-up of Russian troops along the border with Ukraine has heightened worries that Russia intends to invade the Donbas region, most of which is held by separatists after a 7-year-long war with the Ukrainian government

Ukrainian soldier walks along a trench on the frontline with Russia-backed separatists, not far from town of Avdiivka, Donetsk region, on December 10

This handout satellite image released by Maxar Technologies and taken on November 1, 2021 shows a view of armored units and support equipment amid the presence of a large ground forces deployment on the northern edge of the town of Yelnya, Smolensk Oblast, Russia

Blinken explained that it was imperative to now stand up to Russia because the global order is at risk.

'There is something even bigger at stake here, and it's the basic rules of the road of the international system, rules that say that one country can't change the borders of another by force, one country can't dictate to another country its choices, its decisions, and its foreign policy, with whom it will associate,' the Biden official said.

'One country can't exert a sphere of influence over others. That's what Russia is purporting to assert. And if we let that go with impunity, then the entire system that provides for stability, prevents war from breaking out is in danger.'

Blinken met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) summit in Stockholm, Sweden last week.

Blinken and Lavrov spoke to reporters before engaging in a short half-hour meeting

Just beforehand the US's chief diplomat warned Lavrov in front of the cameras that 'serious consequences' would be in store if Russia invaded Ukraine but maintained 'diplomacy' was the best way to avoid an international crisis.

Lavrov seemed to agree, telling the media: 'I have no doubts that the only way out of today's crisis, which is indeed quite tense, is actually to seek the balance of interests.'

But before the meeting on December 2, Russia declared there was still a high chance of a new conflict with Ukraine amid the Kremlin's concern over the former Soviet state's 'aggressive' rhetoric.

Lavrov said Russia is 'interested in making steps to regulate, to settle the Ukrainian crisis.'

He struck a more ominous tone when addressing the OSCE summit, reiterating that Moscow will not accept NATO membership for Ukraine or the stationing of NATO missiles there that could threaten it.

'The alliance's military infrastructure is drawing closer to Russia's borders. The nightmare scenario of military confrontation is returning,' Lavrov warned.
A volcanic eruption in the Canary Islands which began on September 19 has become the longest on record in La Palma after 85 days and shows no signs of ending.

The Cumbre Vieja volcano has since destroyed nearly 3,000 local buildings and forced thousands to abandon their homes.

After several days of low-level activity it today blew a big cloud of ash high in the sky and produced loud explosions as it suddenly sprang to life again.

Spanish Military Emergency Unit (UME) members pictured on December 10 monitoring the emissions of toxic agents following the eruption of the Cumbre Vieja

The Canary Islands Volcanology Institute earlier today tweeted a video in which a thick plume of ash could be seen smoking out of the volcano this afternoon.

It was captioned: 'Intense column of ash at 12.00pm Canarian time. Video recorded from Dos Pinos dam.'

The eruption has surged and ebbed since it first began and Spanish experts initially said it could last up to three months.

Some families which were evacuated following the eruption returned to La Palma this week after nearly three months

Lava flow destroying houses during an eruption in Las Manchas village, on the Canary island of La Palma this Monday

Mariano Hernandez, the island's senior government official, described the volcano as stable to Spanish public broadcaster RTVE in recent days.

He said: 'The fact is that all the key indicators have been low.

'But the scientists won't say exactly when it might come to an end.'

Ash covering the houses in Las Manchas, pictured on December 6

Ash clouded the sky as the Cumbre Vieja volcano continued to erupt, pictured on December 8

He added experts were continuing to measure the number and magnitude of earthquakes in the area as well as local sulphur dioxide levels.

Authorities recorded 24 earthquakes from Saturday to Sunday but none were felt by locals.

No injuries or deaths have been directly linked to the eruption despite the damage caused.

Cats wandering on a road covered by ash in La Palma last Friday

Much of the area covered by rivers of lava, which are dumping molten rock into the sea, is farmland.

A section of the southwestern side has been the most affected.

The volcanic Canary Islands, which are part of Spain and are a favourite warm-weather holiday destination for Europeans, lie off Africa's northwest coast.
Police are hunting for an inmate who walked out of a hospital after he was rescued from a candle factory that collapsed amid Kentucky's spate of deadly tornadoes on Friday night while he was on work release.

Francisco 'Cisco' Starks, 44, was among some 110 people trapped at the Mayfield Consumer Products Candle Factory when one of 30 tornadoes that ripped through the state tore through the town of Mayfield, the epicenter of the horrific twisters that is home to 10,000.

The corrections officer who was supervising him at the time, Robert Daniel, was killed in the collapse.

Kentucky State Police said he was one of seven inmates rescued from the building, and absconded after he was released from Jackson Purchase Medical Center.

By the time hospital workers realized and notified the jail that Stark had absconded around 5 pm on Saturday, according to WHAS11.

Starks was serving time at Graves County Jail for third-degree burglary, theft of an automobile and receiving stolen property.

Francisco 'Cisco' Starks, 44 (pictured), was serving time at Graves County Jail for third-degree burglary, theft of an automobile and receiving stolen property

The corrections officer who was supervising Starks and seven other inmates him at the time, Robert Daniel (pictured), was killed in the collapse

Emergency response workers are pictured dig through the rubble of the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory in Mayfield on Saturday

Starks was among On Sunday, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said that 'we believe we'll lose at least dozens of those individuals' that were trapped in the factory's collapse, that it was the 'largest loss of life in this tornado event,' and that it could be 'the largest loss of life in any tornado event in a single location in the state's history'

'It's heavy machinery... it's the building that's flattened,' said Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear of the factory collapse. 'It's cars from the parking lot that is on top of it. It's huge metal drums, even ones with corrosive chemicals that were inside. It's... pretty awful to witness'

Pictured Mayfield Consumer Products building before the tornadoes Friday night

The work release at the jail for low-security, low-level offenders had just started last week, according to Graves County jailer George Workman.

On Sunday, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said that 'we believe we'll lose at least dozens of those individuals' that were trapped in the factory's collapse, that it was the 'largest loss of life in this tornado event,' and that it could be 'the largest loss of life in any tornado event in a single location in the state's history.'

'It's heavy machinery... it's the building that's flattened. It's cars from the parking lot that is on top of it. It's huge metal drums, even ones with corrosive chemicals that were inside. It's... pretty awful to witness.'

Meanwhile, at the jail Starks never returned to, 83 inmates had to be evacuated to other facilities due to severe damage from the tornado. None were injured.

'(The damage is) structurally bad enough that I question itll ever be able to open again,' Workman said. 'Ive been in law enforcement and corrections since 1986 and Ive never seen anything like this.'

Candle factory worker Kyanna Parsons-Perez, who was trapped under at least five feet of debris when the building collapsed, said that work release inmates helped rescue her and others from the rubble.

A harrowing Facebook video that Parsons-Perez posted from inside the factory gives an idea of the horror faced by those trapped by debris after the deadly tornados tore through the state Friday night.

The video lasts about 1 minute and 41 seconds and is largely in complete darkness with multiple voices - apparently candle factory workers - heard crying in the background as they beg for help after the tornado struck a candle factory in Mayfield.

'I don't know who's watching,' a woman is heard saying. 'We got hit by a hurricane. I'm at work in Mayfield and we are trapped.'

'Please y'all, give us some help. We are at the candle factory in Mayfield. Please, please. Y'all! Please send us some help. Somebody please send us some help, we are trapped.'

The woman then gave further details of the workers' conditions.

'The wall is stuck on me,' she added. 'Nobody can get to us, y'all, we can't move.'

Kyanna Lou, the woman believed to be on the Facebook video asking for help as she and other workers were trapped at a candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky

Lou begging for help, saying 'the wall is stuck on me' and that nobody can get to the factory to assist them

A storm watcher claimed that fire personnel have arrived on the scene to try and help the factory workers

Mayfield, Kentucky, was the scene of devastation on Friday night after a tornado smashed through the centre, ripping the tower off the Victorian courthouse

Storefronts in Mayfield, KY, were ripped open and their contents flung onto the sidewalk

She is then heard telling someone else in the room to 'calm down' before continuing.

'Please y'all, pray for us, get somebody to come and help us. A tornado... and the building fell. We were all in the safe shelter place. The whole building fell. We are stuck.'

Chris Jackson, a storm watcher, said just before 1am that fire personnel had arrived.

'We have multiple cars kinda fused into a tractor-trailer, the candle factory was apparently 120,000sq ft and the entire building is gone and there is at least 1 vehicle sitting in what used to be the middle of the building,' he tweeted.

As of midnight, no deaths were reported in Mayfield, where a 'severe' tornado struck, though Kentucky State Police say loss of life is 'expected.'

One analyst measured the debris as traveling up to 30,000 feet in the air, a near record.

More than 80 people are confirmed dead in Kentucky, many of them workers at a candle factory in Mayfield, Governor Andy Beshear said Sunday morning as he raised the confirmed toll by 10 fatalities.

It shatters the prior record for the deadliest tornado in Kentucky history, set in 1890 when a twister killed 76 in the Louisville area, according to National Weather Service records.

'That number is going to exceed more than 100,' Beshear told CNN, adding that in the town Dawson Springs alone, the list of the missing is eight pages long, single-spaced.

'I've got towns that are gone  that are just, I mean, gone,' he said. 'You go door-to-door to check on people and see if they're okay. There are no doors. The question is, is there somebody in the rubble of thousands upon thousands of structures. I mean, it's devastating.'

The tornadoes left a path of destruction that killed a nursing home resident in Arkansas and another person in Missouri, trapped workers inside a collapsed Amazon warehouse in Illinois and leveled Mayfield - home to about 10,000 people.

Mayfield, KY, was devastated by the tornado on Friday night

Large trees were uprooted and a dark shadow hung over the skies of Mayfield, Kentucky on Friday night

At least 1 killed, 5 hurt when tornado ripped off the roof of the Monette Manor Nursing Home in Monette, AR. 68 people inside at the time #ARTornado #ARwx pic.twitter.com/ZcmP905cJM  melissa moon (@MMoon_WREG3) December 11, 2021

Emergency crews were on the scene in Monette, Arkansas, where two people died in a nursing home collapse

The Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois, was pictured on Friday night with its roof ripped off after a tornado swept through the area

The huge tornado is seen as a black shadow in the sky, as emergency crews respond to the warehouse in Edwardsville

Lightning bolts can be seen in the distance as the emergency workers tried to free those trapped inside the Amazon warehouse

ALERT*** If you live in or near MAYFIELD, you need to be underground if at all possible. Get to shelter NOW!  NWS Paducah, KY (@NWSPaducah) December 11, 2021

This is the Outskirts of Mayfield, KY. Hard to make a path in to downtown because roads are impassable with the amount of debris in the road pic.twitter.com/VaIngBIWNU  Brandon Lane (@INstormchasing) December 11, 2021

Mayfield had the grim distinction of being hit by among the most intense storms on record, with debris thrown 30,000 feet into the air, according to storm trackers.

Around Mayfield there was 'absolute devastation', said Brett Adair of Live Storms Media.

Craig Ceecee, a meteorologist and researcher at Mississippi State university, described the Mayfield storm as 'among the most intense ever recorded'.

He said it was 'an extremely violent tornado'.

'Communities being hit hard. And we won't know how bad it is until morning. We have to think and pray for those being affected,' he tweeted.

Mayfield, founded in the early 19th Century, saw its main street battered by the storm.

Many of the Victorian buildings were severely damaged, including the courthouse, built in 1888 - the fourth such building on the site.

The courthouse was renovated in 1990.

Mayfield's residents, 35 percent of whom are classed as living in poverty, according to the census, work mainly in manufacturing and food processing, the Graves County economic development board says.

The governor of Kentucky declared a state of emergency on Friday evening.

Andy Beshear activated the Kentucky Guard and Kentucky State Police to respond to the destruction in western Kentucky.

So far, no fatalities have been confirmed but officers said 'loss of life is expected,' according to WLWT.

Multiple agencies are responding and assisting Kentucky State Police.

The governor said he will providing an update with Kentucky Division of Emergency Management officials at 5am Saturday.

'We are praying for our Western Kentucky families,' Beshear said in a tweet.

Two people were killed in a nursing home in Monette, Arkansas, according to KARK, and residents of the small town in the north east of the state were ordered to shelter in place.

Crews at the scene reported the nursing home had partially collapsed, with five others injured and as many as 20 people trapped, according to Craighead County Judge Marvin Day.

Melissa Moon, a reporter with WREG3, tweeted a photo of the severely damaged Monette Manor nursing home, with what appeared to be a mangled bed in the parking lot.

Almost 300 miles to the north of Monette, Southern Illinois Fire Incidents confirmed a 'mass casualty incident' at the Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville and said more than 20 units of emergency responders were attending the scene.

'About a third of the warehouse is torn down and damaged from either straight by line winds or tornado,' tweeted Jenna Rae, with Illinois's KMOV station.

One woman said she was speaking to a family member inside the warehouse as the storm hit.

'He was on the phone with me while it was happening,' Aisha White told KMOV.

'The tornado was hitting the back of the building, the trucks were coming in, I told him to jump out the truck and duck.

'We watched the building go up, stuff hitting the cars, I told him I was on my way.'

J.B. Pritzker, governor of Illinois, tweeted: 'My prayers are with the people of Edwardsville tonight, and I've reached out to the mayor to provide any needed state resources.'

Richard Rocha, an Amazon spokesman, said: 'The safety and well-being of our employees and partners is our top priority right now.

'We're assessing the situation and will share additional information when it's available.'

And across the region, tornadoes on Friday night were barreling through parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky - with one becoming what a storm chaser said was the first quad-state tornado in U.S. history.

A tornado watch was in place until 2am CST.

Photographs posted on social media in Arkansas showed tornadoes touching down on Friday night

Just a heartbreaking scene at Monette Manor Nursing Home. Prayers that somehow everyone is ok. #arwx pic.twitter.com/kRNcpznNo2  Brian Emfinger (@brianemfinger) December 11, 2021

I-55 near Caruthersville, MO with multiple semis thrown across the interstate after a wedge tornado moved through this spot. #mowx #arwx @MyRadarWX pic.twitter.com/bubQBYQlWm  Aaron Jayjack (@aaronjayjack) December 11, 2021

The Graves County Emergency Management Office says if you live in Mayfield and can walk safely, you should head to Fire Station House 1 at 211 E Broadway street. There will be buses to help transport people. @JackKaneWPSD shared these photos of some of the damage there. pic.twitter.com/YJUQv5HnoD  WPSD Local 6 (@WPSDLocal6) December 11, 2021

Footage on social media from across the region showed huge swirling towers of storm clouds sweeping across the plains.

Storm chasers photographed the tornado near Caruthersville in Missouri, along the I-55.

Video showed multiple semis thrown onto their sides, twisted in the road.

Observers speculated that the tornado was at four or even five on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale.

Wind speeds of between 136 and 165mph are found in EF4 tornados, and of 200mpg in EF5 tornados.

Chris Jackson, a professional storm chaser, said that he had seen tractor trailers in Steele, Missouri, lifted off the ground and flung into the air.

'A second tractor trailer was picked up and thrown on I-55 near exit 17,' he tweeted.

'Just spoke to the driver. Has some minor cuts but is ok.'

Jackson said that emergency responders were flocking to the area, with their lights flashing as they raced to help people.

He said the power was down along the I-69 between Troy and Mayfield, Kentucky.

Cut our way into Mayfield - absolute devastation from what we can see of it so far. Search and Rescue ongoing all over along US 45  Brett Adair (@AlaStormTracker) December 11, 2021
The US death rate for COVID-19 reached nearly 800,000 on Sunday, the highest in the world, with the number killed exceeding the entire population of North Dakota.

Figures from Johns Hopkins University listed the total US death rate as 797,258 shortly before 3pm EST Sunday afternoon, with a total of 49,896,842 infections recorded so far.

That is more than the 762,062 people who live in North Dakota, and lays bare the amount of lives lost to the virus in the US.

Analysis by Reuters suggests the US has already passed the 800,000 mark, as the Omicron variant begins to spread and Dr Anthony Fauci warns that annual boosters may be needed to combat the virus.

The US death rate for COVID-19 reached nearly 800,000 on Sunday as the Delta variant dominated over the country's rising cases in 2021. A man is seen sitting in front of 650,000 small white flags planted in 20 acres of the National Mall in September in Washington DC in honor of those who died from COVID, although fatalities have now grown by 150,000

The US, which has a 60 percent vaccination rate, has the highest number of reported total COVID-19 deaths in the world.

Despite the high vaccination rate, the US has lost more lives this year than in 2020 due to the Delta variant and the percentage of those who did not receive the shot.

This comes after the presence of the new highly transmissible Omicron variant of the virus which originated in South Africa.

So far 43 cases have been recorded across 22 states, 14 of them among people who've had their vaccine and booster, and six recorded in people who've previously recovered from COVID.

Dr. Anthony Fauci said that an evaluation is underway to determine if a new booster shot is needed for the new variant.

Despite the high vaccination rate, the US has lost more lives this year than in 2020 due to the Delta variant and the percentage of those who did not receive the shot

Since the start of the year, over 450,000 people in the United States have died after contracting COVID-19, or 57 percent of all U.S. deaths from the illness since the pandemic started.

The deaths this year were mostly in unvaccinated patients, health experts say.

Deaths have increased despite advances in caring for COVID patients and new treatment options such as monoclonal antibodies.

It took 111 days for U.S. deaths to jump from 600,000 to 700,000, according to Reuters analysis. The next 100,000 deaths took just 73 days.

Other countries have lost far fewer lives per capita in the past 11 months, according to the Reuters analysis.

Among the Group of Seven (G7) wealthiest nations, the United States ranks the worst in terms of per capita deaths from COVID-19 between Jan. 1 and Nov. 30, according to the Reuters analysis.

The death rate in the United States was more than three times higher than in neighboring Canada and 11 times more than Japan.

Even when the United States is compared with a larger pool of wealthy countries with access to vaccines, it ranks near the bottom.

Among the 38 members of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the United States ranks 30th. Only Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Latvia Colombia, Poland and Slovenia had more COVID-19 deaths per capita. New Zealand had the least.

When compared with the European Union, the United States has 1.3 times the per capita deaths reported in the last 11 months than the entire bloc.

Among more than 200 nations and territories tracked by Reuters, the United States ranks 36th.

The United States has the highest number of reported total COVID-19 deaths in the world, followed by Brazil and India, according to the Reuters tally. With just 4% of the world's population, the country accounts for about 14% of all reported COVID-19 deaths and 19 percent of cases worldwide. The country is set to soon surpass 50 million cases.

New infections in the United States were averaging around 120,000 a day, with Michigan contributing the most cases a day.

COVID-19 patients were filling Michigan hospitals at record levels, with three out of four of them unvaccinated, according to Michigan Health & Hospital Association

Scientists are still evaluating the impact of the new Omicron variant and whether vaccines could provide adequate protection against it.

The Delta variant remains the dominant version of the virus in the United States.

Of the 10 states that reported the most deaths per capita in the last 11 months, eight were from the country's south - Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Mississippi, South Carolina and West Virginia, according to the Reuters analysis.

Roughly 60 percent of the U.S. population has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, CDC data showed.

Fears of the new variant have prompted Americans to line up for booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines at a record pace.

Just under a million people a day received booster doses of one of the three authorized vaccines last week, the highest rate since regulators gave the nod to additional shots.

'We must act together in this moment to address the impact of the current cases we are seeing, which are largely Delta, and to prepare ourselves for the possibility of more Omicron,' U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said at a White House briefing.

Officials say that a vaccine booster provides good protection against the Omicron variant, but the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that a third of US Omicron cases were boosted.

Top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci has said that authorities are 'continuing to evaluate' whether a third booster shot will be required to be considered fully vaccinated

A sign on the door of restaurant explaining New York's current vaccination mandates

The CDC said Friday that it detected 43 case of Omicron in the US during the first eight days of December, among which 34 were fully vaccinated and 14 were boosted.

Six had previously recovered from a COVID infection. Young adults under the age of 40 accounted for most of the Omicron cases, and there were no deaths among the group. One of the cases was briefly hospitalized. Fauci has said early data indicates that Omicron may not pose as great a risk of serious illness as the Delta variant, but stressed that further information is needed before he can definitively confirm that.

There were almost certainly many more cases of Omicron in the US than were detected through surveillance testing, but full extent of the variant's spread remains unclear.

Fauci has said that authorities are 'continuing to evaluate' whether a booster shot will be required to be considered fully vaccinated for COVID-19 as new CDC figures show that a third of Omicron cases had booster shots.

'For official requirements, it's still two shots of the mRNA (Pfizer or Moderna) and one shot of the J&J for the official determination of what's required or not,' Fauci told ABC News on Sunday.

'But I think if you look at the data, the more and more it becomes clear that if you want to be optimally protected you really should get a booster,' Fauci added.

'I think we'll be continuing to evaluate what the official designation is' for official fully vaccinated status, he said.
Embattled actor Jussie Smollett still faces a $130,000 lawsuit from the City of Chicago - and more legal trouble from the brothers he hired to attack him - after he was convicted of staging his own assault in a botched career move.

The former Empire star dominated headlines in January 2019 after he claimed he was victimized in a racist, homophobic attack, but investigators soon determined his story was a hoax.

The Chicago Police Department came to the conclusion after more than two dozen cops spent weeks investigating the bogus story, logging 1,836 overtime hours in the process, a July 2019 legal filing said.

The city was faced with a $130,106.15 overtime tab and has since confirmed that it will press ahead with its lawsuit against Smollett to reclaim the cash. Their chances of a win or settlement are now all but guaranteed in the wake of the star's conviction.

A lawsuit filed against Smollett's legal team by the Nigeran brothers Smollett hired to attack him also stands.

Disgraced actor Jussie Smollett still faces a $130,000 lawsuit from City of Chicago after he was found guilty last Thursday of lying to police in an attack hoax he hoped would bolster his career. He's pictured December 9 arriving at the Leighton Criminal Court to hear the verdict

The city said in its lawsuit that it was left with a $130,106.15 overtime tab after dozens of cops spent weeks investigating Smollett's bogus claims

It city said it's going forward with the lawsuit following the 39-year-old actor's conviction last week on five counts of disorderly conduct.

'The City filed a civil lawsuit against Jussie Smollett to recover costs incurred by the Chicago Police Department investigating what the City believed to be Smollett's false police reports that he was a victim of a hate crime,' the statement said.

'While using a different standard of proof, the jury's finding of guilt convicting Jussie Smollett of criminal charges stemming from the incident confirms that the City was correct in bringing its civil lawsuit.'

Nigerian brothers paying Abimbola 'Abel' Osundairo and Olabinjo 'Ola' Osundairo admitted that Smollett paid them to stage the attack, which they claim he orchestrated.

However, they later sued Smollett's attorneys in April 2019, after the initial set of charges were dropped, claiming the case damaged their careers and reputations.

They claimed in the defamation lawsuit against lawyers Mark Geragos and Tina Glandian that they were maliciously portrayed as liars in the public.

Nigerian brothers paying Abimbola 'Abel' Osundairo (left) and Olabinjo 'Ola' Osundairo (right) admitted that Smollett paid them to stage the attack, which they claim he orchestrated

However, they later sued Smollett's attorneys in April 2019, after the initial set of charges were dropped, claiming the case damaged their careers and reputations

Among the suggestions the lawyers made was that the brothers, who Smollett knew because he had enlisted them for personal training, might have been wearing white face when they attacked him on January 29.'

The brothers' lawsuit said Glandian also inferred that Abel engaged in a sexual relationship with Smollett, and noted that homosexuality is illegal in the brothers' home country.

'Same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Nigeria, which can result in 14 years of imprisonment,' the lawsuit said. 'If the accused is married, the punishment is death by stoning.

'Ms. Glandians globally broadcasted statements that Bola Osundairo is homosexual endangers him and the lives of his Nigerian family.'

A federal judge stayed their lawsuit until the criminal proceedings are completed for Smollett, who has not yet been sentenced.

The brothers were arrested following Smollett's purported attack, but never charged.

Pictured: Ola Osundairo speaks to the media at the Leighton Criminal Courts Building after former Smollett was found guilty of five of the six counts against him December 9 in Chicago, Illinois.

The brothers' legal team is expected to file an update to the court by February 2; their lawyers said in August that 'with regard to settlement, nothing has changed in the Plaintiffs position.'

Smollett has been shamed for still refusing to admit that he staged a hoax race attack yesterday after being found guilty.

The actor stood rigid and showed no emotion as the guilty verdicts on five of the six counts of disorderly conduct were read out in the Chicago courtroom by Judge James Linn last Thursday.

He then scuttled out of court with his family, refusing to answer questions, and he is yet to make a public comment. His sentencing date has not yet been set but he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.
Pierre Tyler, 29, faces one count of first-degree murder in connection with the death of mother-of-two Andris Wofford, 29, after allegedly fatally shooting her in the head

An off-duty Chicago police officer was charged with the death of his girlfriend and mother of his baby daughter after she confronted him over claims he'd had a child with another woman.

Pierre Tyler, 29, faces one count of first-degree murder in connection with the death of mother-of-two Andris Wofford, 29, after allegedly fatally shooting her in the head.

The couple welcomed a daughter, Ava, just nine months ago.

Wofford was found dead inside her apartment on the Northwest Side shortly after 10am on Thursday after police were asked to perform a wellness check on her by her parents.

Tyler was caught in surveillance video entering and leaving the apartment on the 2100 block of North Nashville, and the bullet that took Wofford's life matched the caliber of a pistol he said to have left at her apartment, prosecutors said.

Tyler's defense lawyer said the evidence is ' largely circumstantial.'

The couple had a prior documented domestic dispute. According to relatives of the victim, she decided to confront Tyler after find out he had had a child with another woman and had a child support hearing pending, police said. It is unclear how old that child is, and whether it was conceived while Tyler and Wofford were together.

Tyler, who joined the force in 2016 after serving 8 years in the Army, is being held at Cook County Jail without bond until his next court hearing on December 31.

Friends of Wofford, who was a child welfare specialist, said she had ended her relationship with Tyler in March and had a co-parenting relationship with him 'whenever he actually decided to do for his child.'

Tyler was caught in surveillance video entering and leaving the apartment on the 2100 block of North Nashville, and the bullet that took Wofford's life matched the caliber of a pistol he said to have left at her apartment, prosecutors said

Friends of Wofford, who was a child welfare specialist, said she had ended her relationship with Tyler in March and had a co-parenting relationship with him 'whenever he actually decided to do for his child'

Tyler was caught in surveillance video entering and leaving the apartment on the 2100 block of North Nashville, and the bullet that took Wofford's life matched the caliber of a pistol he said to have left at her apartment, prosecutors said

According to police, Wofford learned Tyler had a pending child support hearing and told relatives she believed Tyler had secretly married the mother of the other child, FOX reported.

On December 8th, Tyler was caught in security footage walking in the front door of her apartment unit, police said.

Wofford reportedly made calls to family members between 4pm and 6pm asking them to pick up her 9-month-old baby, Ava, from daycare, before neighbors heard her and Tyler argue around 7pm, police said.

Prosecutors said one neighbor reported a loud bang approximately between 8.30pm and 9pm. No more arguing was heard after that.

Tyler was then caught again in surveillance video leaving the back door of the apartment minutes after 9pm, police said.

He allegedly carried a gun inside a holster behind his back and a 'distinct keychain' Wofford was seen using before. Her keys and cellphone were missing, police said.

Wofford reportedly made calls to family members between 4pm and 6pm asking them to pick up her 9-month-old baby, Ava, from daycare, before neighbors heard her and Tyler argue around 7pm, police said

Tyler claimed to have left Wofford's home around 9pm to meet with a confidential informant on the West Side, but fellow officers said it would not be normal for him to meet anyone without company, authorities said

He left in his car.

A message from Wofford's cellphone indicated she would soon be at her father's place to pick up her baby but she never arrived.

Wofford's parents alerted police, who found her inside the front door of the apartment with a gunshot wound to the head.

She was still wearing her coat when she was found by police and there weren't signs of forced entry in the apartment, police said.

Cook County Medical Examiner's Office ruled her death a homicide on Friday.

The 9mm bullet that killed her matched the caliber of a pistol found in Tylers gun range bag during the execution of a search warrant, which prompted his arrest.

Tyler claimed to have left Wofford's home around 9pm to meet with a confidential informant on the West Side, but fellow officers said it would not be normal for him to meet anyone without company, authorities said.

Tyler was a CPD tactical officer who in the US Army with two combat deployments to Afghanistan and Kuwait.
Boris Johnson paid a visit to his wife Carrie and their newborn baby daughter in hospital this afternoon.

The Prime Minister was spotted leaving Downing Street via a back entrance at lunchtime.

His convoy was then seen arriving at a London hospital as Mr Johnson visited his loved ones.

Mrs Johnson gave birth to her second child with the Prime Minister on Thursday.

The Prime Minister was spotted leaving Downing Street via a back entrance at lunchtime today

His convoy was then seen arriving at a London hospital as Mr Johnson visited his loved ones

Mr and Mrs Johnson announced the birth of a 'healthy baby girl', with the PM said to have been present throughout the birth.

A spokeswoman for the couple said: 'Both mother and daughter are doing very well.

'The couple would like to thank the brilliant NHS maternity team for all their care and support.'

The couple announced they were expecting their second child together at the end of July, as the 33-year-old environmental campaigner spoke of having a miscarriage earlier in the year.

The birth of a sister for Wilfred came the morning after the Prime Minister announced England is entering 'Plan B' to combat the spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus.

As well as facing Tory anger over the latest restrictions, Mr Johnson was also under fire over a series of scandals including an alleged staff Christmas Party in Number 10 last year.

Mr Johnson also visited the hospital yesterday. Mrs Johnson gave birth to her second child with the Prime Minister on Thursday December 9

Downing Street said Mr Johnson intended to spend some time with his family in the coming days although it appears he is unlikely to take an extended period of paternity leave.

The Prime Minister's Official Spokesman said: 'I think there's a recognition the Prime Minister has a unique role and this is a particularly challenging time for the country, and the Prime Minister will continue to lead, as the public would expect, while making time for his family.'

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer sent his congratulations to the couple on the arrival of their baby, and added: 'Wishing your family health and happiness.'
Donald Trump expressed admiration for President Barack Obama on Saturday after spending years excoriating his Democratic predecessor as the ex-president held an event in southern Florida with conservative radio host Bill O'Reilly.

'I liked him,' Trump said of Obama, The Sun Sentinel reported  even though the crowd booed upon hearing the former president's name.

Trump added he thought Obama was 'smart and sharp.'

During the event, Trump continued to excuse the events of January 6, claiming there was 'love in the air' during the Capitol riot.

He said only a 'tiny fraction' of his supporters were the ones invading the Capitol that day, claiming most people were there to protest the electrons results and 'loved each other.'

'There was love in the air,' Trump said.

Donald Trump praised his predecessor Barack Obama at an event Saturday despite years of criticism and attacks

Trump kicked of a four-event 'History Tour' with conservative media personality Bill O'Reilly (right) in Sunrise, Florida on Saturday evening

O'Reilly joined Trump Saturday for the first night of their four-day History Tour in Sunrise, Florida.

'We had a great time in Sunrise, FL yesterday,' Trump wrote in a statement Sunday afternoon. 'Very exciting, informative, and fun.'

He previewed a rally there in the future, writing: 'We will be back in the area for a major rally in the not too distant future. See you then!'

According to the Sentinel, the event location at FLA Live Arena had many empty seats  so much so that the top level of the venue was closed and ticket buyers were 'upgraded' to the lower levels.

The Huffington Post noted that tickets remained for the event in Sunrise on Saturday. And there are still available tickets for the remaining three days of the tour in Orlando, Florida on Sunday; Houston, Texas next Saturday; and Dallas, Texas next Sunday.

Video posted Sunday showed supporters arriving at the FLA Live Arena to watch Trump and O'Reilly on their 'History Tour', which will also travel to Orland on Sunday and Houston and Dallas, Texas next weekend

The remaining tickets for the event on Sunday at the Amway Center are going from between $36-$252.

The Texas events have far from sold out with Houston tickets starting at $59 for nosebleeds in the Toyota Center and the best seats going for $1887 each. In Dallas's American Airlines Center, Trump supporters can buy their tickets between $50-$4687.

During his first of four events with O'Reilly for the History Tour, Trump suggested there should be new libel laws to help quell the media.

'That's better than my solution, which is a machine gun,' the former Fox News personality responded.

Before Trump's positive comments aimed at Obama on Saturday, he spent several years in a feud with the former president. Trump, while still a private citizen, spent years promoting the 'birther' conspiracy that Obama was not born in the U.S.  and therefore could not serve as president.

After becoming a politician, Trump claimed that Obama was the 'founder of ISIS' and 'one of the worst presidents in the history of the United States.'

Despite a rocky election season in 2016, Obama still wrote Trump an Inauguration Day letter and left it in a drawer in the Oval Office. Trump said at the time it was 'beautiful.'
Israel is banning its citizens from travelling to Britain, Denmark and Belgium from Wednesday due to the spread of the Omicron variant.

A senior Israeli health official told a news conference of the latest travel restrictions in the country.

Sharon Alroy-Preis, head of public health at Israel's Health Ministry said the three countries are being placed on the 'red' list because of the 'significant' spread of the Omicron variant.

Since the Omicron variant was discovered, some 50 countries have been placed on Israel's red list, mostly in Africa.

Health officials said there have been 55 confirmed cases of Omicron in Israel.

Israel is banning its citizens from travelling to Britain, Denmark and Belgium from Wednesday due to the spread of the Omicron variant (file image). Pictured: Travellers exit the coronavirus testing area at Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel

The country has been trying to accelerate its vaccination drive as around 1 million people have refused to get vaccinated.

Israel is also seeking to enforce stricter mask mandates.

It was also decided that Green Pass restrictions in the country would be introduced at shopping centres, meaning unvaccinated Israelis cannot enter.

The Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is facing calls to impose tougher restrictions in Israel over the coming days.

It comes after the spread of the virus yesterday hit a three-month peak and the R-number climbed to 1.1.

Fears are growing that there will be a wave of Omicron in Israel.

The country has been trying to accelerate its vaccination drive and also enforce stricter mask mandates

Previously, Israel imposed a two-week ban on foreigners entering the country in late November in an attempt to stem coronavirus infections.

And Israelis entering the country, including those who are vaccinated, are required to quarantine.

The country also brought back counter-terrorism phone-tracking technology in a bid to crack down on the Omicron variant.

The Shin Bet counter-terrorism agency's phone-tracking technology is used to locate carriers of the new variant in order to curb its transmission to others, Bennett said in November.

Used on and off since March 2020, the surveillance technology matched virus carriers' locations against other mobile phones nearby to determine with whom they had come into contact.

Israel's Supreme Court this year limited the scope of its use after civil rights groups mounted challenges over privacy concerns.
Former First Lady Hillary Clinton said Sunday she would 'bet' on her 2016 rival, former President Donald Trump, launching another White House bid in 2024, and it appears many Americans would be keen to see it.

In a potential rematch of last year's presidential race, President Joe Biden leads Trump by just a single percentage point, according to a recent Wall Street Journal poll.

It splits the candidates 46 percent to 45 percent. The survey's margin of error is a significantly larger gap of 2.5 percent.

Clinton said a second Trump victory could spell the 'end of our Democracy' and revealed she harbors guilt for not beating him five years ago.

'If I were a betting person right now, I'd say Trump is gonna run again. I mean, he seems to be setting himself up to do that and if he's not held accountable, then he gets to do it again,' she said on NBC's Sunday TODAY.

The former Senate Democrat from New York and United States Secretary of State's unprecedented loss in the 2016 presidential race was seen as a rebuke of the traditional political establishment in favor of Trump's bombastic populism.

But she warned a second win could cause irreparable damage to US institutions, appearing to reference Trump's insistence on promoting baseless claims that US elections are rigged in favor of Democrats.

Hillary Clinton said she feels guilty for not stopping Trump in 2016 but blamed James Comey for her loss

Biden and Trump would be in a near-tie in a 2024 rematch, a recent poll found

'I think that could be the end of our democracy - not to be too, you know, pointed about it,' Clinton said. 'But I want people to understand that this is a make-or-break point.'

So far the Democratic trailblazer hasn't hinted at any 2024 ambitions. Trump, by contrast, has said multiple times that he'll have a decision 'soon' and Biden already indicated he'll run again.

'If he were, or someone of his ilk, were once again to be elected president, and if especially he had a Congress that would do his bidding, you would not recognize our country,' Clinton claimed.

The same Journal poll referenced above indicates Trump is poised to gain at least some new support in Congress.

If the 2022 midterm elections were held today, 44 percent of respondents said they'd vote for a Republican. Most of them - 34 percent - said they were 'definite' GOP vote. By comparison 41 percent said they would vote for a Democratic candidate.

For weeks now Trump has been on a quest to ensure those Republicans fall in line with him.

Trump has been hitting the campaign trail and making endorsements ahead of 2022 (pictured at an event with Bill O'Reilly Saturday night)

The survey also reaffirmed Democrat fears of a red wave in the upcoming 2022 elections

He's endorsed more than 30 Senate and House candidates, including Herschel Walker in Georgia, who establishment Republicans like Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell expressed reservations about but have since pivoted to backing - a sign of Trump's enduring influence within the party.

Republicans who have publicly opposed him are either retiring like Reps. Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, or facing inter-party backlash like Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming. Cheney was booted from the Wyoming Republican Party and her position as the No. 3 House Republican over her public criticism of Trump.

Just today, Trump ally Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina underscored the ex-president's kingmaker status, publicly telling his colleagues during a Fox News interview that if they want to make it to Congressional GOP leadership, 'you don't have a working relationship with Donald Trump, you cannot be effective.'

Host Willie Geist asked Clinton on Sunday if, given everything she had described, she feels 'moments of responsibility or even guilt' for losing what many pundits saw as a surefire Democratic victory.

'Of course, because I tried to warn people, I tried to make the case that this was really dangerous - the people he was allied with, what they were saying, what he might do,' Clinton answered, before appearing to pass on that responsibility.

'But I do think for Jim Comey and the stunt he pulled 10 days before the election, I would have won.'

A recent poll found that more people prefer Trump's policies to Biden's in an ominous sign for Democrats ahead of 2022

The 'stunt' she referred to is the former FBI director announcing in a letter to Congress on October 28, 2016 that the bureau was reopening its investigation into Clinton's emails. Though he sent a follow-up on November 6 of that year telling them the probe was once again closed without incident, the critical first letter was widely seen as a contributing factor in Clinton losing the race.

After the quick but direct jab at Comey Clinton turned back to Trump - and his supporters, who she once referred to as a 'basket of deplorables.'

'I feel terrible about not stopping him and the people around him, but I feel like now everybody can see for themselves what kind of leader he is,' she said.

'And clearly, there were people who liked what they saw.'

It appears many still do - 48 percent of respondents to the WSJ poll said they preferred Trump's policies to Biden's, while 46 percent said the opposite.

Multiple surveys of Republican voters have also shown that they overwhelmingly want Trump to be their 2024 candidate. Ex-Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have been floated as other potential possibilities.
The fiancee of Julian Assange has accused UK authorities of playing the role of 'executioner' after the WikiLeaks founder suffered a stroke in Belmarsh prison.

Stella Moris, 38, said the 50-year-old was left with a drooping right eyelid, memory problems and signs of neurological damage after the stroke in October.

Campaigners believe the incident was triggered by the stress of the ongoing High Court battle over whether or not he should be extradited to the US.

Ms Moris, the mother of his two children, has been warning that her partner's health has been getting worse.

Julian Assange (pictured leaving Westminster Magistrates Court), 50, suffered a stroke in Belmarsh prison in October

On Friday, the High Court overturned an earlier judgment which prevented Assange's extradition to face charges under the US Espionage Act.

Ms Moris said: 'His incarceration is having a catastrophic effect on his health.

'The US government plotted to kill him and have found a way to do so - get the UK state to play the role of executioner.'

Referring to the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, she added: 'This is a slow-motion Khashoggi playing out in the heart of London.

'It is horrifying that Britain has let itself be instrumentalised by a foreign power to bring about travesty.'

Assange is wanted in America over an alleged conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information following WikiLeaks' publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

US authorities brought a High Court challenge against a January ruling by then-district judge Vanessa Baraitser that Assange should not be sent to the US, in which she cited a real and 'oppressive' risk of suicide.

Stella Moris, 38, accused the UK authorities of playing the role of 'executioner' after the WikiLeaks founder suffered a stroke

After a two-day hearing in October, the Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett, sitting with Lord Justice Holroyde, ruled in favour of the US on Friday.

The senior judges found the judge had based her decision on the risk of Assange being held in highly restrictive prison conditions if extradited.

However, the US authorities later gave assurances that Assange would not face those strictest measures either pre-trial or post-conviction unless he committed an act in the future that required them.

Ms Moris said on Friday that her partner's lawyers intend to take his case to the Supreme Court, the UK's highest court.

Justices will, however, have to decide first whether to hear the case before any appeal is heard.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said it would not comment on individual cases.
A small, classified American strike cell that launched tens of thousands of bombs and missiles against Islamic State targets in Syria, regularly disregarded safeguard procedures to function at the 'speed of war,' and obscured the countless number of civilians they wounded and killed with deceptive tactics.

Known as Talon Anvil, the cell worked around the clock in three shifts out of nondescript offices in Syria and Iraq between 2014 and 2019 - but according to a bombshell report published on Sunday by the New York Times, they 'never existed' in military records.

Multiple current and former military and intelligence officials told the Times that the group alarmed cooperating military agencies, 'killing people who had no role in the conflict: farmers trying to harvest, children in the street, families fleeing fighting, and villagers sheltering in buildings.'

'They were ruthlessly efficient and good at their jobs,' said one former Air Force intelligence officer who worked on hundreds of classified Talon Anvil missions from 2016 to 2018.

'But they also made a lot of bad strikes.'

Smoke billows out from Raqqa following a coalition air strike on July 28, 2017. Earlier that year, one source told the Times civilians fled onto makeshift boats on the Euphrates River when fighting broke out in Raqqa - as he watched on high-definition video as members of Talon Anvil launched missiles at several of the boats, killing about 30 civilians whose bodies floated away in the green water

General Stephen J. Townsend (pictured), who was the commander of America's offensive against ISIS between 2016 and 2017 and who implemented the policy that delegated strike authority to lower-ranking personnel at that time, has brushed off claims that the cell acted recklessly or with apathy, attributing the casualties it accrued to the 'misfortunes of war'

One Air Force intelligence officer told the Times he grew jaded while working alongside the cell. Even so, some attacks stood out in his memory.

In 2016, the source said, the cell killed three men working in an olive grove outside the city of Manbij. The men carried canvas bags, but had no weapons and were nowhere near any fighting - regardless, operatives fired a missile.

On March 9, 2017, civilians fled onto makeshift boats on the Euphrates River when fighting broke out in Raqqa.

The source told the Times that he watched on high-definition video as members of Talon Anvil - who regularly wore Birkenstock sandals and Crocs clogs to work - launched missiles at several of the boats, killing about 30 civilians whose bodies floated away in the green water.

Later that year, the cell sent a predator drone to hover over the Syrian farming town of Al Karama. A Talon Anvil operator typed a message into a chat box used to communicate with intelligence analysts:

In about seven and a half years of operations in Syria and Iraq, US-led coalitions have reported 1,417 civilian deaths by air strike, according to Airwars

Based on witness accounts, fact-checked by the group, between 8,159 and 13,192 civilians have died in the two countries over 1,505 air strikes

The Syrian farming town of Al Karama is pictured on March 9, 2017 after the Talon Anvil unit allegedly dropped a 500-pound bomb on a home, killing an uncertain number of civilians. An anonymous source recalled women and children fleeing the building, some missing limbs and others dragging the dead

Airwars estimates that between 7 and 14 were killed in a March 9 airstrike on the Syrian farming town of Al Karam, six of them children. The true death toll is uncertain

Pictured is Ibrahim Bitar, who was injured and burned by an airstrike. He lost his daughter and son a night before he could escape from Raqqa

'All civilians have fled the area. Anyone left is an enemy fighter. Find lots of targets for us today because we want to go Winchester.'

'Going Winchester' meant expending all of the group's bombs and missiles at the site.

It was 4 am, and the town appeared to be asleep. Even with infrared sensors, no movement was detected. The Talon Anvil operator focused on a building, and told intelligence analysts they had a tip from group forces that it was an enemy training center.

Sensors indicated that an enemy cellphone or radio might be in the neighborhood, but were unable to pinpoint a single building, or even a single block. Regardless, the operator dropped a 500-pound bomb onto the building's flat roof.

Then, the infrared sensors picked up movement - lots of it. The former officer described a horrific scene to the Times, with women and children staggering out of a partially collapsed building, some missing limbs and others dragging the dead.

Smoke billows following an airstrike on the western frontline of Raqa on July 15, 2017, during an offensive by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, to retake the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters

Intelligence agents tallied casualties, counting 23 dead or mortally injured and 30 'lightly wounded.' The operator paused for long enough to acknowledge the message before pressing on to their next target.

The Times' source said he immediately reported the casualties, but that nothing came of it.

Airwars, a group of independent journalists that roughly tallies the death toll of air strikes in Middle-Eastern countries, estimated that seven to 14 residents of Al Karama died that day, including 6 children.



Civilian casualties in Syria grew significantly each year that Talon Anvil was in operation, according to former State Department and Pentagon adviser Larry Lewis who authored a 2018 DOD report on civilian harm.

Lewis, who was privy to classified state department records on civilian casualties, told the Times that casualties in Syria during the period that the cell was in operation were ten times higher than recorded casualties in similar operations in Afghanistan.

'It was much higher than I would have expected from a U.S. unit,' Lewis said. 'The fact that it increased dramatically and steadily over a period of years shocked me.'

Commanders neglected to press the importance of preventing civilian casualties, Lewis said,

Despite its 'outsize' role in the 112,000 bombs and missiles in the Islamic State, the cell was disproportionately tiny, at times functioning with just 20 operatives.

The majority of strikes carried out by Talon Anvil were approved not by top leaders but by relatively low-ranking U.S. Army Delta Force commandos in their strike rooms. That decision was taken to try and speed-up US-led coalition efforts to destroy ISIS.

General Stephen J. Townsend, who was the commander of America's offensive against ISIS between 2016 and 2017 and who implemented the policy that delegated strike authority to lower-ranking personnel at that time, has brushed off claims that the cell acted recklessly or with apathy, attributing the casualties it accrued to the 'misfortunes of war.'

One former Talon Anvil member said that the majority of the group's strikes killed only enemy fighters. However, he told the Times, operators were under tremendous pressure and biased toward hitting.

Oftentimes, he said, they decided that something was an enemy target with scant supporting evidence. Operators were rotated through roughly every four months, he said, and had little experience in running a strike cell although they were trained as elite commandos.

Members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) move through destroyed buildings in Raqa on July 28, 2017. The SDF, a US-backed Kurdish-Arab alliance, has ousted Islamic State (IS) group jihadists from half of their Syrian bastion Raqqa

Ala Hama (20) who was just rescued from Raqqa is talking to a YPJ soldier. She lost one of her eyes, while she was in the balcony of her house and an airstrike hit the neighbors house

Overseeing strike after strike, he said, seemed to 'erode operators' perspective and fray their humanity.'

Members wore no uniforms, according to a member who worked with the group during the height of the conflict in 2017. They worked on a first-name basis, went to work in shorts and casual footwear like Crocs and Birkenstocks and often sported bushy beards.

Regardless, a fleet of Predator and Reaper drones equipped with laser-guided bombs and precision Hellfire missiles were at their fingertips.

As civilian casualties mounted, high-ranking CIA and Air Force intelligence officers grew skeptical of the cell's methods.

To avoid the rigorous vetting process imposed on offensive strikes, group classified nearly all of its attacks as defensive - sometimes when targets were 10 or even 100 miles away from the front lines.

A picture taken on September 5, 2017 shows smoke billowing out following a coalition air strike in the western al-Daraiya neighbourhood of the embattled northern Syrian city of Raqqa

'Its more expedient to resort to self-defense,' said Lewis. 'Its easier to get approved.'

Footage from each drone strike is stored by the military. But, a source told the Times, operators started averting drone cameras away from targets before launching bombs or missiles.

The source said that it initially appeared that wind gusts were diverting the camera, but he realized it was intentional as it happened over and over again.

The operators also pressured analysts, who watched drone footage after strikes had taken place, to report that they had seen weapons or other evidence that would justify a strike hit. If they refused, the cell would simply ask for another analyst.

In about seven and a half years of operations in Syria and Iraq, US-led coalitions have reported 1,417 civilian deaths by air strike, according to Air Wars. Based on witness accounts, fact-checked by the group, between 8,159 and 13,192 civilians have died in the two countries over 1,505 air strikes.
Israeli researchers have found that a three-shot course of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine provides significant protection against the new Omicron variant.

The study, carried out by Sheba Medical Centre and the Health Ministry's Central Virology Laboratory, compared the blood of 20 people who had received two vaccine doses 5-6 months earlier to the same number of individuals who had received a booster a month before.

Gili Regev-Yochay, director of the Infectious Diseases Unit at Sheba, said: 'People who received the second dose 5 or 6 months ago do not have any neutralisation ability against the Omicron. While they do have some against the Delta strain.

'The good news is that with the booster dose it increases about a hundred fold. There is a significant protection of the booster dose.'

But Regev-Yochay also admitted that the booster is still less effective in protecting against Omicron versus the Delta variant.

'It is lower than the neutralisation ability against the Delta, about four times lower,' she said.

Israeli researchers have found that a three-shot course of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine provides significant protection against the new Omicron variant

Gili Regev-Yochay, director of the Infectious Diseases Unit at Sheba Medical Centre in Israel

The findings were similar to those presented by BioNTech and Pfizer earlier in the week, which were an early signal that booster shots could be key to protect against infection from the newly identified variant.

The Israeli team said they worked with the actual virus while the companies used what is known as a pseudovirus, which was bio-engineered to have the hallmark mutations of Omicron.

The Israeli research follows a study from South Africa that found the Omicron variant can partially evade protection from two doses.

'People who have received the booster are better protected than those who received only the second, and of course, more than the unvaccinated,' said Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, Israel's health department's head of public health services,

'Two doses are not effective enough.'

Alroy-Preis also announced that the health ministry in Israel is debating whether to encourage people to take their booster shot as soon as three months after receiving their second jab to ensure maximum protection.

It comes less than a month after BioNTech announced it had begun working on a Covid vaccine specifically targeting the Omicron variant.

Despite the latest news that a third shot of the Pfizer/BioNTech could provide considerable protection against Omicron, the company said in late November it could have a tailor-made vaccine against Omicron ready for distribution within 100 days.

An Israeli health worker administers a dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to a student at the al-Manahel School in the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Israel-annexed Golan Heights, on December 12, 2021. The Israeli health ministry is considering encouraging people to take a third booster as early as three months after their second jab

'The first steps of developing a potential new vaccine overlap with the research necessary in order to evaluate whether a new shot will be needed,' the company said.

Moderna also announced last month it is developing a booster which it says will provide protection targeted against the Omicron variant.

Despite the news that booster jabs can provide significant protection against Omicron, Israel today announced that its citizens will be banned from travelling to Britain, Denmark and Belgium from Wednesday due to the spread of the new variant.

Alroy-Preis said the three countries are being placed on the 'red' list because of the 'significant' spread of the Omicron variant.

Since the Omicron variant was discovered, some 50 countries have been placed on Israel's red list, mostly in Africa.

Israel is banning its citizens from travelling to Britain, Denmark and Belgium from Wednesday due to the spread of the Omicron variant (file image). Pictured: Travellers exit the coronavirus testing area at Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel

Health officials said there have been 55 confirmed cases of Omicron in Israel, which motivated the government and health ministry to enforce stricter mask mandates.

It was also decided that Green Pass restrictions in the country would be introduced at shopping centres, meaning unvaccinated Israelis cannot enter.

The Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is facing calls to impose tougher restrictions in Israel over the coming days.

It comes after the spread of the virus yesterday hit a three-month peak and the R-number climbed to 1.1.

Previously, Israel imposed a two-week ban on foreigners entering the country in late November in an attempt to stem coronavirus infections.

And Israelis entering the country, including those who are vaccinated, are required to quarantine.

Health officials said there have been 55 confirmed cases of Omicron in Israel. Pictured: A woman at a mass testing site in east Jerusalem in late November

The country also brought back counter-terrorism phone-tracking technology in a bid to crack down on the Omicron variant.

The Shin Bet counter-terrorism agency's phone-tracking technology is used to locate carriers of the new variant in order to curb its transmission to others, Bennett said in November.

Used on and off since March 2020, the surveillance technology matched virus carriers' locations against other mobile phones nearby to determine with whom they had come into contact.

Israel's Supreme Court this year limited the scope of its use after civil rights groups mounted challenges over privacy concerns.
A man received the Covid-19 vaccine 10 times in one day after he was paid by anti-vaxxers to get their jabs.

The man, who has not been identified, pretended to be a different person each time he visited a doctor in New Zealand.

He was then given the jab before the vaccination records were updated for the real person.

Authorities believe anti-vaxxers paid the man so they could enjoy the same freedoms as the vaccinated without having to get the jab.

New Zealanders must show a vaccine pass in order to visit some businesses and attend events in the country.

A New Zealand man has received the Covid-19 vaccine 10 times in one day after he was paid by anti-vaxxers to get their jab (pictured, a patient receives a vaccine in Brisbane)

Authorities believe anti-vaxxers paid the man so they could enjoy the same freedoms as the vaccinated without having to get the jab

University of Auckland vaccinologist and associate professor Helen Petousis-Harris described it as a 'really dumb thing to do'.

'I think the chances of them feeling extra awful are higher than someone who had a regular dose,' she said.

While there is limited data on the effects of multiple Covid vaccines on the body, Ms Petousis-Harris guessed the man would be feeling pretty rough the next day.

He will be no more protected against coronavirus than people who have had the recommended two doses as the triggered immune response will plateau.

As authorities continue to investigate how the man was able to access ten vaccines, health officials remain uneasy about complicating the identification process.

They worry people who wish to get vaccinated but don't have a photo ID could be deterred from getting the jab and receiving protected against the virus.

The man will be no more protected against coronavirus than people who have had two vaccine doses as the triggered immune response will plateau (pictured, Auckland, New Zealand)

A health ministry spokesperson said these people tended to belong to vulnerable groups in the community like the homeless, disabled or the elderly.

'We don't want to create barriers to their vaccination,' they said.

New Zealand has experienced an uptick in Covid cases since October and recorded 103 new infections and 61 hospitalisations on Sunday.

Of the eligible population, 94 per cent of people have had their first dose and 89 per cent have rolled up their sleeve for both.

Of the fully vaccinated population, 91 per cent have downloaded a 'My Vaccine Pass', the equivalent of Australia's vaccination passport.
Sylvia Jeffreys burst into tears as she watched families reunite in Queensland after the state border was opened for the first time in 141 days.

The Today Show host was overwhelmed with emotion as she watched live footage of loved ones embracing each other after flying and driving into the state on Monday.

'I know, it's just gorgeous,' Jeffreys said. 'It's so nice seeing everyone coming back together again. Let's move on before I really ugly cry.'

Jeffreys has felt the impact of the border closure firsthand as the Queenslander has been presenting the Today Show at the Nine Network studios in North Sydney, NSW.

The 35-year-old, like thousands of residents, has been unable to travel back to her home state to visit family for almost five months.

'Everyone's just got so used to being separated over this period of time,' she said. 'To see everyone back together, it must be so surreal for them.'

Hundreds of cars queued at the NSW/QLD border overnight to be the first to pass into the Sunshine State at 1am on Monday.

Some 50,000 vehicles are expected to make the crossing today with drivers warned to expect long wait times in queues and traffic delays of up to an hour along the M1.

Drivers have been forced to wait several hours to travel into Queensland after the state border was opened to all of Australia for the first time in 141 days

Jetstar flight JQ400 brought the first batch of passengers from Sydney to Gold Coast Airport at 7am

Emotional scenes unfolded as the first of the cars drove through the checkpoints - the final hurdle for many drivers to be reunited with their loved ones.

'We're going up to see our son in Townsville, which we haven't seen in two years,' one driver said at the border suburb of Coolangatta. 'And our new grandson.'

Jetstar flight JQ400 brought the first batch of passengers from Sydney to Gold Coast Airport at 7am.

Passengers queued as they waited to pass through the arrival gates before embracing their loved ones who had been eagerly waiting for them on the other side.

As many as 90,000 people are expected to cross over the state border by plane and car every single day.

Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski expects drivers to account for the majority with 60,000 cars entering the state.

The figure is a sharp increase to the 20,000 that crossed every day when borders were closed in July.

'What we will see will be more than double that,' deputy commissioner Gollschewski said.

'We could see up to 60,000 vehicles (crossing into Queensland) per day.'

Journalist Davina Smith was among the first of the eager drivers to enter the state who documented the long wait in queue.

Arrivals queued as they waited to pass through the arrival gates before embracing their loved ones who had been eagerly waiting for them on the other side

Families reunited at Gold Coast Airport after border restrictions were lifted for travellers around Australia

'Here we are, after about six months, we are almost in Queensland,' she said.

'We got just short of the border at before 4am, about 2kms away. Immediately, Google Maps said we've got about an hour wait to get there.'

Domestic arrivals by plane are expected to jump from 18,000 to 30,000 a day.

Some 500 police officers have been deployed at the border checkpoints to check cars and vaccine passes.

It is the state's biggest police operation since the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Steve Kemp admitted the border closure had been hard and blamed it for keeping him separated from his family.

'I've missed out on my daughter's wedding, seven of my grandkids birthdays, Father's Day,' he said.

Emotional reunions were captured by camera crews that were waiting nearby ahead of the first passengers arriving at Gold Coast Airport

Drivers are directed through a checkpoint set up on Griffith Street at Coolangatta on the Gold Coast

Some 50,000 vehicles are expected to make the crossing today with drivers warned to expect long wait times in queues and traffic delays of up to an hour along the M1

Hundreds of drivers queued at the NSW/ QLD border overnight to be the first to pass into the Sunshine State at 1am on Monday

Queensland has welcomed the first wave of travellers after the state opened its borders for the first time in 141 days (pictured, journalist Davina Smith)

Barbara Hanson labelled it 'traumatic and soul destroying' before taking aim at premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

'I'd like to put Annastacia in a caravan, and park her out here and say right you can't get back to your home now,' she said.

Chief Superintendent Wildman has told drivers to make sure they have the correct pass before trying to cross the border.

'It is important because we've had a number of drivers try to come across with what's called a general pass, a G Pass, and the particular pass required is a general a general vaccine pass, which is a GV Pass,' he said.

'If people coming into Queensland don't have the correct pass, they get turned around.'

Ms Palaszczuk locked its southern border 141 days ago, the third time it was slammed shut since the coronavirus pandemic began.

Families spent five months separated, and for much of that even locals were unable to return home and lived as broke, homeless refugees in NSW.

Journalist Davina Smith was among the first of the eager drivers to enter the state who documented the long wait in queue

An empty checkpoint at Coolangatta, on the NSW and QLD border, as the border closure was lifted on Monday

Passengers embraced loved-ones who had been waiting for them eagerly on the other side of the gates

The first of the arrivals touch down in Queensland as the state reopened its border on Monday

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk locked its southern border 141 days ago, the third time it was slammed shut since the coronavirus pandemic began. Now it's finally open

Borders finally open as the state reaches its reopening target of 80 per cent of the population with two doses of the Covid vaccine

The state's tourism suffered greatly with its main supply cut off. Throughout the pandemic, Queensland spent 435 days in total with closed borders.

Ms Palaszczuk, her ministers, and former chief health officer Jeannette Young refused to open them despite rising public outcry and increasing evidence they were unnecessary.

The border was so strict that gravely ill patients in northern NSW had to be flown to Sydney, one losing her unborn child, and family denied exemptions for funerals or to see dying relatives one last time.

All that is finally over as the state reaches its reopening target of 80 per cent of the population with two doses of the Covid vaccine.

Visitors from NSW, Victoria, and the ACT resumed travelling to the state from 1am on December 13, with massive lines at border crossings.

The reopening was originally slated for four days later, on December 17.

However, as life finally gets easier for the vast majority of Queenslanders and those who want to enter the state, it will be much harder for those refusing to vaccinate.

All unvaccinated people in the state will be banned from venues such as restaurants, bars, pubs, clubs, theatres, cinemas and sporting venues from December 17.

Queensland Police Commissioner Katerina Carroll said motorists should expect lengthy delays at the border

All visitors, regardless of their vaccination status or where they arrive from, need to get a Queensland entry pass.

Domestic vaccinated visitors will be able to arrive by air and road without the need to quarantine after arrival.

Visitors who have been in a declared Covid hotspot within 14 days of arriving in Queensland will need to produce a negative Covid-19 test result.

A second test will be required within five days of arriving in the state for those coming from a declared hotspot.

A person will no longer have to wait two weeks after a second Covid dose to be considered vaccinated.

Areas considered hotspots are all of NSW, Victoria, and the ACT, along with parts of South Australia and the Northern Territory affected by Covid outbreaks.

Queensland entry requirements - Visitors from declared Covid hotspots need to produce a negative Covid-19 test result on entry. - A second test is required within five days of arriving in the state for those coming from a declared hotspot - A person will no longer have to wait two weeks after a second Covid dose to be considered vaccinated before travelling to Queensland. - Unvaccinated travellers only allowed to fly into Queensland and need to go into hotel quarantine for 14 days. - Residents in the border zone who are vaccinated are able to move freely across the border for any reason. A border pass is required and is valid for 14 days but a Covid test is not be required. - Motorists should expect lengthy delays at the border. Queensland Police Commissioner Katerina Carroll urged people to travel outside of peak hours and clearly display border passes on their dashboards. - International arrivals must be vaccinated, return a negative test within 72 hours of departure, and must do 14 days of home or hotel quarantine. Advertisement

Unvaccinated travellers will only be allowed to fly into Queensland and will need to go into hotel quarantine for 14 days.

Residents in the border zone who are vaccinated will be able to move freely across the border for any reason.

A border pass will be required and will be valid for 14 days but a Covid test will not be required.

Unvaccinated residents in the border zone will be restricted to travel for the limited essential reasons that already apply.

Australians stranded overseas can also arrive in Queensland for the first time since the pandemic began, but unlike Victoria and NSW they must do a full 14-day quarantine.

International arrivals must be vaccinated, return a negative test within 72 hours of departure, and must do 14 days of home or hotel quarantine.

Quarantine will be scrapped for vaccinated international travellers once 90 per cent of eligible people in the state are immunised.

After a confusing disagreement between the state and Federal governments over the cost of the PCR tests required to gain entry, Health Minister Greg Hunt confirmed on November 23 the tests would be covered by Medicare.

The entry requirements are expected to last until Queensland reaches 90 per cent of its eligible population fully vaccinated, expected in early January.

Ms Palaszczuk said the 90 per cent make might be reached before the end of December.

The premier announced the re-opening of Queensland's borders to NSW, Victoria and ACT residents by road and air will start from 1am on December 13

Residents in the border zone who are vaccinated will be able to move freely across the border for any reason. A border pass will be required and will be valid for 14 days but a Covid test will not be required. Pictured: the barrier at the NSW-Queensland border at Tweed Heads-Coolangatta.

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath and acting chief health officer Peter Aitken both warned that Covid cases in the state will increase as the borders re-open.

Ms D'Ath warned people to be aware they should check into venues, monitor for any symptoms and maintain social distancing.

She said Queensland residents would now be able to do day and overnight trips to the NSW border zone without needing a PCR test on return as a result of the easing of restrictions.

She said the requirement of a second Covid test after five days in Queensland was required because there had been 46 positive cases enter the state since border restrictions were eased when 70 per cent of Queenslanders were fully vaccinated.

'We will have cases, that's inevitable,' said Dr Aitken.

Visitors who have been in a declared Covid hotpot within 14 days of arriving in Queensland will also need to produce a negative Covid-19 test taken within the 72 hours before arrival into the state

'As cases come into our community, it's likely we will have to think about wearing masks again, it's likely that people will need to be in quarantine, it's likely that some of family members will get sick.'

Queensland Police Commissioner Katerina Carroll said motorists should expect lengthy delays at the border.

She urged people to travel outside of peak hours and clearly display border passes on their dashboards.

'Police will be meeting you at the borders, particularly at the road borders. Police will be conducting anywhere between random to 100 per cent compliance checks,' she said.

Vehicles will also be scanned on entry to the state, the commissioner warned, and heavy fines for non-compliance with border requirements would be imposed.
Tornadoes in December are unusual, but not unheard of. But the ferocity and path length of Friday night's tornadoes likely put them in a category of their own, meteorologists say.

One of the twisters - if it is confirmed to have been just one - likely broke a nearly 100-year-old record for how long a tornado stayed on the ground in a path of destruction, experts said.

'One word: remarkable; unbelievable would be another,' s aid Northern Illinois University meteorology professor Victor Gensini. 'It was really a late spring type of setup in in the middle of December.'

Warm weather was a crucial ingredient in this tornado outbreak, but whether climate change is a factor is not quite as clear, meteorologists say.

Scientists say figuring out how climate change is affecting the frequency of tornadoes is complicated and their understanding is still evolving. But they do say the atmospheric conditions that give rise to such outbreaks are intensifying in the winter as the planet warms. And tornado alley is shifting farther east away from the Kansas-Oklahoma area and into states where Friday's killers hit.

Here's a look at what's known about Friday's tornado outbreak and the role of climate change in such weather events.

WHAT CAUSES A TORNADO?

Tornadoes are whirling, vertical air columns that form from thunderstorms and stretch to the ground. They travel with ferocious speed and lay waste to everything in their path.

Thunderstorms occur when denser, drier cold air is pushed over warmer, humid air, conditions scientists call atmospheric instability. As that happens, an updraft is created when the warm air rises. When winds vary in speed or direction at different altitudes - a condition known as wind shear - the updraft will start to spin.

These changes in winds produce the spin necessary for a tornado. For especially strong tornadoes, changes are needed in both the winds speed and direction.

'When considerable variation in wind is found over the lowest few thousand feet of the atmosphere, tornado-producing `supercell thunderstorms are possible,' said Paul Markowski, professor of meteorology at Pennsylvania State University. 'Thats what we had yesterday.'

There's usually a lot of wind shear in the winter because of the big difference in temperature and air pressure between the equator and the Arctic, Gensini said.

But usually, there's not a lot of instability in the winter that's needed for tornadoes because the air isn't as warm and humid, Gensini said. This time there was.

WHAT CONDITIONS LED TO STORMS OF THIS SCALE?

A few factors, which meteorologists will continue to study.

Spring-like temperatures across much of the Midwest and South in December helped bring the warm, moist air that helped form thunderstorms. Some of this is due to La Nina, which generally brings warmer than normal winter temperatures to the Southern U.S. But scientists also expect atypical, warm weather in the winter to become more common as the planet warms.

'The worst-case scenario happened. Warm air in the cold season, middle of the night,' said John Gordon, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Louisville, Kentucky.

Once the storm formed, exceptionally strong wind shear appears to have prevented the tornadoes from dissipating, experts say. Tornadoes are thought to die off when thunderstorm updrafts lose energy.

Tornadoes typically lose energy in a matter of minutes, but in this case it was hours, Gensini said. Thats partly the reason for the exceptionally long path of Friday's storm, going more than 200 miles or so, he said. The record was 219 miles and was set by a tornado that struck three states in 1925. Gensini thinks this one will surpass it once meteorologists finish analyzing it.

'In order to get a really long path length, you have to have a really fast moving storm. This storm was moving well over 50 miles (80 kilometers) per hour for a majority of its life,' Gensini said. That's not the speed of the winds, but of the overall storm movement.

'Youre talking about highway-speed storm motions,' Gensini said.

HOW RELATED IS CLIMATE CHANGE TO TORNADO OUTBREAKS?

It's complicated. Scientists are still trying to sort out the many conflicting factors about whether human-caused climate change is making tornadoes more common - or even more intense. About 1,200 twisters hit the U.S. each year - though that figure can vary - according to the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory. No other country sees as many.

Attributing a specific storm like Friday's to the effects of climate change remains very challenging. Less than 10 percent of severe thunderstorms produce tornadoes, which makes drawing conclusions about climate change and the processes leading up to them tricky, said Harold Brooks, a tornado scientist at the National Severe Storms Laboratory.

Scientists have observed changes taking place to the basic ingredients of a thunderstorm, however, as the planet warms. Gensini says in the aggregate, extreme storms are 'becoming more common because we have a lot warmer air masses in the cool season that can support these types of severe weather outbreaks.'

The U.S. is likely to see more tornadoes occur in the winter, Brooks said, as national temperatures rise above the long-term average. Fewer events will take place in the summer, he said.

Furtado of the University of Oklahoma said tornado alley, a term used to describe where many twisters hit the U.S., has shifted eastward into the Mississippi River Valley. That shift is because of increases in temperature, moisture and shear.

'Bottom line: The people in the Mississippi River Valley and Ohio River Valley are becoming increasingly vulnerable to more tornadic activity with time,' he said.

-Associated Press
Kamala Harris said in an interview Tuesday that the reports claiming she won't use bluetooth headphones are 'ridiculous' and brushed off queries over whether she learned any lessons in her first year in the White House.

The San Francisco Chronicle published the vice president's comments on Sunday from an interview last week as Harris continues to face mounting criticism and dismal approval rating numbers.

Surrounding these reports was a more bizarre report claiming that Harris didn't use bluetooth pods because she felt they were a security risk.

Harris likened that to being as ridiculous as saying she was going to buy marijuana on her way to the airport.

'Oh, how about, 'She's going to buy a pot on her way to the airport,' Harris told the Chronicle.

She bashed the report from coming out 'after a very significant and highly successful bilateral meeting in France on issues that are about national security, on issues that are about climate, on issues that are about what we are doing in terms of international norms and rules on everything from cyber to space.'

'Come on,' she lamented.

Former aides, according to the report, said Harris insists on continuing to use wired earphones because she fears that Bluetooth ones represent a security risk and could allow someone to intercept her communications.

Also in her interview with the Chronicle, Harris brushed off several criticisms of her performance as vice president and reports of a feud between herself and the president. She also did not address her failures in the role so far, like the southern border crisis.

'There is nothing about this job that is supposed to be easy,' Harris said.

'If something is coming to me, it's because it needs to be addressed and because, by definition, it's not going to be easy. If it was easy, it would have been handled before it comes to me,' she added.

Harris twice wouldn't directly answer a question whether she wished she'd done anything differently in her year so far as Biden's No. 2.

'I love people, and there's so much that we are doing that is directly impacting and with the people in mind,' Harris said.

Vice President Kamala Harris bashed reports claiming she thinks Bluetooth earphones are not secure as 'ridiculous'

She said her goal for year two of the administration is to travel more around the U.S. to push Biden's policies after 'two years of COVID.'

'I have always felt that my responsibility as an elected leader is to go to the people, especially when their needs must be addressed and they must know that they are being seen and being heard.'

She says she wants to help people with 'undiagnosed trauma' and 'anxiety' related to the pandemic.

At a time when many users have moved on to the near invisible buds and pods connected through Bluetooth, Harris is frequently to be seen conducting remote television interviews with a cable dangling from her ears.

In a viral video clip showing the moment she spoke to Joe Biden by phone after they secured their 2020 election win, she has a tangle of white wires in her left hand.

The former aides told Politico that the vice president has long been careful about security and technology.

In a much shared clip of her congratulatory phone call with Joe Biden after their 2020 election victory was confirmed she can be seen with the tell-tale white wires in her hand

Harris can often be seen carrying a jumble of wires with her phone as reports emerged the vice president prefers using wired earphones because she believes they are more secure than wireless Bluetooth connections

From Bluesnarfing to Bluebugging: How Bluetooth technology can be hijacked by criminal hackers Bluetooth technology transmits data wirelessly between portable devices over short distances. While that can be handy for users, it also offers criminals an extra point of attack to intercept communications. Types of attack include: Bluejacking - sending unsolicited messages; Bluesnarfing - hacking phones set to 'discoverable'; and Bluebugging - compromising a phone so that it calls the hacker who can listen in to conversations. While Bluetooth on phones has a range of about 30ft, laptops can have a range of 300ft, making them harder to secure. This year the National Security Agency warned users that turning on Bluetooth in a public setting may present a cybersecurity risk. It recommended that users ensure the device is not left in discovery mode when Bluetooth is activated and discovery is not needed. Advertisement

Some said it was a prudent measure for someone handling classified information while others told the outlet it verged on the paranoid.

As well as using wired headphones to avoid Bluetooth, she also apparently prefers texting to email and does not allow her guests to wait in her office alone.

And a former aide said staff were told to have her visitors wait for her outside her office during her time as attorney general in California.

A request for comment on why the vice president prefers wired earphones went unanswered.

But Harris is not alone in the retro look.

Celebrities including Bella Hadid, Lily-Rose Depp and Zoe Kravitz have been spotted with corded earphones.

Fashion writers say the ubiquity of buds has led some trendsetters to look for something more distinctive.

When Liana Satenstein, a fashion writer at Vogue.com, saw Hadid with a wired headset in 2019 she described it as 'strangely luxurious.'

Cybersecurity experts say there may be something in the vice president's approach.

Although security has improved since Bluetooth was developed in the 1990s it still add an extra potential point of attack.

'If Kamala Harris is using wired earbuds, then the communications going between her phone and her ears can't be intercepted there,' cybersecurity researcher and writer Kim Crawley told The Guardian.

'I would presume that Ms Harris is privy to a lot of top secret and classified information and that top secret and classified information could be going through her phone, so no I don't think that's overly paranoid.'

Other presidents have chafed at security restrictions on their phone use.

I am not allowed, for security reasons, to have an iPhone,' said President Barack in 2013 during a White House event.

Instead he was allowed only to use a Blackberry device, limited to communicating with 10 people.

But even that took a fight.

He was the first president in history to use email and he had to convince the National Security Agency to allow him to keep a mobile device in office.
A woman in her 20s is feared dead after falling into the Pacific from the balcony of a Carnival cruise ship during a sailing from Long Beach to Mexico.

Officials said the unidentified woman was announced missing from the Carnival Miracle cruise ship at around 3.30am on Saturday by the crew.

The woman reportedly fell off from the fifth-floor balcony of her stateroom and into waters about 35 miles off the coast of Ensenada, Mexico.

The Mexican Navy and the Coast Guard assisted in the search on Saturday morning and overnight, but around 10.30am on Sunday, the Southern California USCG announced crews were standing down after 31+ hours of search.

The Miracle left Long Beach on Thursday, December 9, setting sail for port in Ensenada. It was scheduled to return on Saturday, December 11, as part of a three-day voyage, CBS reported.

A paramedic onboard said there is suspicions of foul play, and a picture of the deck the woman fell from showed broken pieces of the balcony.

Officials said the unidentified woman, who was in her 20s, was announced missing from the Carnival Miracle cruise ship at around 3.30am on Saturday by the crew

A paramedic onboard said there's suspicions of foul play, and a picture of the deck the woman fell from showed broken pieces of the balcony

Crews searched the waters and alerted passengers somebody had fallen overboard as soon as they were aware the woman was missing early Saturday morning.

The ship, which returned to Long Beach on Sunday, was also searched on Saturday.

The Carnival Miracle cruise ship boasts 12 decks and it has capacity for 2,100 people, but only about 1,100 appeared to be onboard, Daniel Miranda, a passenger onboard during the incident, said.

Miranda, who works as a firefighter in Northern California, spoke to the media while the cruise was still on deck in Ensenada.

The Mexican Navy and the Coast Guard assisted in the search on Saturday morning and overnight, but around 10.30am on Sunday, the Southern California USCG announced crews were standing down after 31+ hours of search

The Miracle left Long Beach on Thursday, December 9, setting sail for port in Ensenada. It was scheduled to return on Saturday, December 11, as part of a three-day voyage. The ship, which returned to Long Beach on Sunday, was also searched on Saturday

'About 3am, we were awakened by a general announcement across the ship with a warning going, ''Man overboard! Man overboard! Man overboard!''' Miranda told CBS News.

'So the ship has been given limited information. They told us we were stuck looking for the lady, and then they called us to clear us up. The crews been very tight-lipped and of course, they've had different areas of the ship that have cordoned off for their search when they were searching,' he added.

He also told CBS there was suspicion of foul-play.

'Someone has lost their life, whether it was done by accident or by foul play I don't know  there's some high suspicion of foul play,' he told ABC 7.

'About 3am, we were awakened by a general announcement across the ship with a warning going, ''Man overboard! Man overboard! Man overboard!''' Daniel Miranda said

The Mexican Navy and the Coast Guard assisted in the search on Saturday morning and overnight. The woman reportedly fell off from the fifth-floor balcony of her stateroom and into waters about 35 miles off the coast near Ensenada, Mexico

'A lot of people are concerned because that's somebody's life, and that's a high likelihood that this person will not be found alive,' he added.

The FBI was waiting to assist in the investigation once the ship arrived to Long Beach.

'They immediately did their best efforts to get crews out on little boats and rescue, to start a search,' Miranda said about the cruise line.

USCG used a Fast Response Cutter, a 154-foot patrol boat, and a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew, but officers are transiting back to the US now.

'They had crew literally around the deck to look all the way around the ship to be able to see if somebody was out in the water. They had lights out in the water trying to flash out there, but again it's pretty dark,' he added.

On Saturday, Carnival Cruise Line issued a statement about the incident.

'We advised Carnival Miracle guests this morning of an overboard incident involving one of our guests from the balcony of her stateroom...Our thoughts are with the guest and her family, and our care team is providing support,' the statement read.
Western Australia's premier is set to finally reveal when the state's borders will open, ending months of speculation and frustration for locked-out families.

Mark McGowan is expected on Monday to announce a firm date for the reopening, which is likely to come in late-January or early-February.

WA's double-dose vaccination rate for residents 12 and over is expected to have reached 80 per cent over the weekend, triggering the announcement.

The state's borders are currently closed or heavily restricted to every other state or territory except Tasmania.

It's anticipated the vaccination rate will have climbed to 90 per cent by the time the borders finally reopen.

Premier Mark McGowan (pictured) has been happy to keep WA closed off from the rest of Australia but is expected to announce when the border will reopen on Monday courtesy of a surging vaccine rollout

Western Australians could be reunited with friends and family across the border as early as January (pictured: Perth airport in December 2020)

Transitional restrictions will then come into effect, including a requirement to wear face masks in high-risk indoor settings such as public transport, hospitals and aged care facilities.

Proof of vaccination will be required to attend large events with crowds of more than 1000 people as well nightclubs and the casino. Entry to remote Indigenous communities will remain restricted and contact registers will still be used.

Should WA fail to reach its 90 per cent target before the borders reopen, further restrictions will be introduced which could include having to be vaccinated to go to pubs and restaurants.

Mr McGowan has not ruled out restricting travel between regions should vaccination rates be insufficient outside the metropolitan area.

State and federal leaders were briefed by the chief health officer about the Omicron variant at Friday's national cabinet meeting and told that while the new variant was more transmissible, it was likely to be less severe.

'Everyone should feel confident - that with a very high vaccination rate, sensible public health measures, and a community that's always done the right thing, Western Australia will be ready to safely transition its border.
A small delegation of bipartisan House lawmakers is in Ukraine's capital to assess Russia's aggressive military buildup along the smaller country's eastern border, one of the lawmakers currently in Kyiv revealed on Sunday.

'We need to accept that this may happen, this may be the largest land invasion in the European theater since World War II,' Rep. Ruben Gallego of Arizona said on CNN.

GOP Reps. Mike Waltz of Florida and Joe Wilson of South Carolina are also among the lawmakers on the trip.

Russia has captured the world's attention in recent weeks by amassing troops and military equipment at its border with Ukraine at lightening speed. Officials in Kyiv are pleading for help from Western allies, claiming an attack is imminent.

Ukrainian officials have said there are currently as many as 120,000 Russian soldiers at its border in the Donbas region.

Gallego, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee as chair of the Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations, revealed today that he hatched a plan to lead a group of his colleagues to Kyiv to assess the situation firsthand.

'I had planned this about a couple of weeks ago recognizing there was this kind of buildup happening, so we can get in depth understanding of whats happening in Ukraine both from the United States side but also from the Ukrainian government side,' the progressive Democrat said.

He said it was 'difficult' to predict what Russian President Vladimir Putin would do next but maintained that what was certain is the need to show international solidarity.

'Russians dont understand weakness. They only understand real politick power moves and so we have to make sure we stand strong against them with our allies and with the people of Ukraine,' Gallego said. 'Anything less gives Russia an invitation to invade Ukraine without consequences.'

The US and its allies have promised swift and severe economic penalties if Russia moved to invade Ukraine.

Ukrainian soldiers Mykhailo (L) and Pavlo builds a bunker on the front line on December 12, 2021 in Zolote, Ukraine. A build-up of Russian troops along the border with Ukraine has heightened worries that Russia intends to invade the Donbas region, most of which is held by separatists after a 7-year-long war with the Ukrainian government

A Ukrainian soldier who goes by the nickname Chorny in a trench on the front line on December 12, 2021

Ukrainian soldier walks along a trench on the frontline with Russia-backed separatists, not far from town of Avdiivka, Donetsk region, on December 10

Gallego called for Putin and his cronies to be cut off from the US dollar to inhibit trade.

And in a marked departure from the Biden administration's more resolution-focused tone, the representative called on the Pentagon to make sure Ukraine was armed and ready to 'kill some Russians' if necessary.

'We have to make sure that were willing to back Ukraine in any possible way, especially when hit comes to resistance,' he said.

'We have to give them the capability for them to resist Russian invasion, both prior to invasion and even post-invasion, make sure that were bringing in weaponry that will actually put a toll on the Russian troop movements, and unfortunately that means we have to kill some Russians.'

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday reiterated a warning from the United States and its allies that Russia could face 'massive consequences' if it continued its 'reckless and aggressive' actions against Ukraine.

The country's top diplomat was in the United Kingdom this weekend where he met with his counterparts in the Group of Seven economic powers. Russia's actions in Ukraine made up a significant portion of the discussions.

Antony Blinken spoke with Meet The Press while in Liverpool for the G7 summit of foreign ministers

'We are looking at and we are prepared to take the kinds of steps we've refrained from taking in the past that would have massive consequences for Russia,' Blinken told Meet the Press host Chuck Todd.

He also said an in-person meeting between Presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin 'seems pretty unlikely' while Russia continues on a concerning path.

'I found all of our allies very resolute, both in their deep concern about what Russia may be doing and may be planning, as well as their determination to take strong, coordinated steps if Russia does act aggressively,' Blinken said.

While Biden has said unilaterally confronting Russia with military force is 'off the table,' severe economic sanctions, the closure of a new gas pipeline and adding military support to Eastern European NATO allies have all been floated.

Officials both in and outside of Kyiv are concerned the buildup is a precursor to an invasion, though Moscow has denied any plans to attack the former Soviet satellite state.

Earlier today the G7 released an official statement warning Russia of severe consequences if it did not de-escalate the situation on Ukraine's eastern border.

'We call on Russia to de-escalate, pursue diplomatic channels, and abide by its international commitments on transparency of military activities as President Biden did in his call with President Putin on 7 December,' the G7 foreign ministers stated.

'Any use of force to change borders is strictly prohibited under international law. Russia should be in no doubt that further military aggression against Ukraine would have massive consequences and severe cost in response.'

They also commended Ukraine's 'posture of restraint,' which appears to be a public dismissal of Russian officials' claims that Ukraine and NATO are hurling accusations to cover up their own aggressive intensions.

US and allied officials have promised an array of harsh economic penalties to surpass sanctions they levied after Russia's illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.

Moscow was alarmed in 2014 when Ukrainians successfully ousted Putin-backed President Viktor Yanukovych in favor of a democratically-elected government. Russian officials have also warned Ukraine's growing closeness and attempts to join Western coalitions like NATO and the European Union would be seen as hostile toward Putin's government.

The dominant topic of discussion at the summit was Ukraine's sovereignty in light of Russian aggression

While Biden has ruled out putting troops on the ground within the country's borders, his administration pledged the US military would be ready to provide any assistance NATO allies in the region would need.

Instead some of the measures that have been considered are blocking Russia from the SWIFT banking system, making them unable to convert rubles into dollars, and attempts to convince Germany to be prepared to shut the new Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline.

US officials have worried for years that the pipeline, if operational, would only strengthen Russia's grip on Europe by providing gas directly to Germany and bypassing Ukraine - thus putting the smaller country in a more economically and diplomatically vulnerable position.

On Sunday Blinken reiterated that Biden's top goal was still a 'more stable, predictable relationship with Russia.'

He added, 'But if Russia continues to take reckless and aggressive actions, we will respond. And not only us; partners and allies around the world.'

This handout satellite image released by Maxar Technologies and taken on November 1, 2021 shows a view of armored units and support equipment amid the presence of a large ground forces deployment on the northern edge of the town of Yelnya, Smolensk Oblast, Russia

Blinken explained that it was imperative to now stand up to Russia because the global order is at risk.

'There is something even bigger at stake here, and it's the basic rules of the road of the international system, rules that say that one country can't change the borders of another by force, one country can't dictate to another country its choices, its decisions, and its foreign policy, with whom it will associate,' the Biden official said.

'One country can't exert a sphere of influence over others. That's what Russia is purporting to assert. And if we let that go with impunity, then the entire system that provides for stability, prevents war from breaking out is in danger.'

Blinken met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) summit in Stockholm, Sweden last week.

Blinken and Lavrov spoke to reporters before engaging in a short half-hour meeting

Just beforehand the US's chief diplomat warned Lavrov in front of the cameras that 'serious consequences' would be in store if Russia invaded Ukraine but maintained 'diplomacy' was the best way to avoid an international crisis.

Lavrov seemed to agree, telling the media: 'I have no doubts that the only way out of today's crisis, which is indeed quite tense, is actually to seek the balance of interests.'

But before the meeting on December 2, Russia declared there was still a high chance of a new conflict with Ukraine amid the Kremlin's concern over the former Soviet state's 'aggressive' rhetoric.

Lavrov said Russia is 'interested in making steps to regulate, to settle the Ukrainian crisis.'

He struck a more ominous tone when addressing the OSCE summit, reiterating that Moscow will not accept NATO membership for Ukraine or the stationing of NATO missiles there that could threaten it.

'The alliance's military infrastructure is drawing closer to Russia's borders. The nightmare scenario of military confrontation is returning,' Lavrov warned.
A cop killer who had his death sentence commuted has died in prison after 56 years behind bars - making him the longest-serving prisoner in his home state of Iowa.

Warren John Nutter, 84, spent his life in prison after he plead guilty to killing Independence police officer Harold Pearce in January 1956.

Nutter, who was only 18 when he shot the 52-year-old cop, was initially sentenced to death by hanging but his sentence was ultimately commuted to life in prison.

He was Iowa's longest serving inmate, the state corrections department confirmed to the Des Moines Register, and was also the fifth longest-serving inmate in the US prison system.

Warren John Nutter, 84, died in prison on Wednesday after battling chronic illness

Nutter spent his life in prison after he shot an Iowa cop when he was just 18

Records indicate that Nutter shot Pearce during a questioning about a gas station robbery.

Nutter and four other teens were being interrogated at the local sheriff's office when he reportedly asked to use the restroom, climbed out a window, grabbed a shotgun from a car and fired it at Pearce as he tried to stop the group from fleeing.

Authorities captured Nutter about three and a half miles away from the crime scene.

He was sentenced to death on Feb. 10, 1956, making him the second-youngest Iowan scheduled to hang.

Death penalty opponents raised national attention to his case, making him a household name in Iowa.

Governor Herschel Loveless commuted Nutter's death sentence in 1957, saying: 'The final judgment rests with a much higher authority than myself.'

Nutter (left) spent his life in prison after he plead guilty to killing Independence police officer Harold Pearce (right) in January 1956

He served 62 years in prison making him the longest-serving inmate in Iowa and the fifth-longest in the country. He died in a hospice room at Iowa State Penitentiary (pictured) where he had been housed due to chronic illness

Nutter had grown up in a broken Illinois home and was sentenced to juvenile detention for theft and forgery when he was 14. He had been out on parole when he shot Pearce.

He served 62 years in prison making him the longest-serving inmate in Iowa and the fifth-longest in the country.

He died in a hospice room at Iowa State Penitentiary where he was being housed due to chronic illness.

The longest-serving inmate is believed to be Francis Clifford Smith, 94, who was sentenced for the July 1949 murder of a night watchman during a yacht club robbery in Connecticut.

Smith has been serving a lifelong sentence for over 71 years since his incarceration in June 1950, Lad Bible reported.

He, like Nutter, had been sentenced to death but, just hours before his scheduled execution, his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.

Smith was recently transferred from Osborn Correctional Institution to a nursing home where he will finish out the remainder of his sentence.
A man will appear in court charged with sexually touching a teenage girl in Sydney's southwest last week.

NSW Police say a 15-year-old girl was approached by a man on Friday night at Liverpool Railway Station who led her away and indecently assaulted her.

The girl was able to break free and make her way back to the station and alert police.

The teenage girl was approached by the man at Liverpool train station on Friday night but managed to escape and alert police (stock image)

On Sunday, police arrested a 64-year-old man at Minto.

He was charged with intentionally sexually touching a child under 16, taking a person with the intention of committing a serious indictable offence and having a knife in public.

He was refused bail and will appear in Campbelltown Local Court on Monday.
Dozens of killers, rapists and paedophiles released from prison have been given second life sentences for further offences.

Over the past decade 129 criminals who were jailed for life have been handed the same sentence again.

The figures will reignite the row over the role of the Parole Board following controversies over Black Cab rapist John Worboys and child-killer Colin Pitchfork.

The data, disclosed by the Ministry of Justice under freedom of information laws, shows that 17 criminals were given a second life sentence in 2019.

One was locked up for murder after having already been given a life sentence for that offence.

Stephen Unwin, 42, and William McFall, 53, were both jailed for separate murders in the 1990s of pensioners they attacked and burgled. On their release they teamed up and murdered mother-of-two Quyen Hgoc Nguyen, 28. The pair have both been given second life sentences.

Quyen Hgoc Nguyen, 28, of North Tyneside, was tortured and robbed by Unwin and McFall after their release from prison

In another case a man convicted of rape and given a life sentence found himself back in court to be given another life sentence for a separate rape attack.

A paedophile given life behind bars for rape attack on a child was also sentenced to a second life term for a similar sick sex attack on a youngster.

Last year there were fewer double-lifers  largely because the pandemic led to fewer offenders going through the court system.

However among them was a repeat rapist, a cocaine dealer who had previously been jailed for an attempted rape on a girl and an offender jailed for attempted murder who had already been subject to a life sentence for murder.

It is believed that some of the lifers committed their second offence while still in prison for the first life sentence  by attacking inmates.

Others may have been in prison serving a life sentence when evidence came to light about another crime that was committed before they were locked up.

But many of these double-lifers will be convicts who have been released from prison back into the community only to carry out a second appalling offence.

Paul OHara (pictured), 46, murdered his girlfriend Cherylee Shennan in 2014, a year after he was released from a life sentence for killing his previous partner Janine Waterworth. He had killed 20-year-old Miss Waterworth by ambushing her with a knife at a bus stop in Oldham in 1998.

OHara stabbed Cherylee Shennan (pictured) to death after she reported him for domestic abuse, following his release from prison for a previous murder

David Spencer, research director for the Centre for Crime Prevention, said: It is shocking that so many serious offenders have been released early to commit further horrific offences.

This data should act as a wakeup call for all those who advocate for releasing criminals early.

Clearly the Parole Board has made serious errors in all of these cases and this has to raise the question of whether guidelines need to be tightened to stop similar mistakes being made.

A Probation Service spokesman said: A number of these second sentences were for historic crimes or offences committed in custody  not under supervision following release from prison. Offenders on licence face strict conditions and fewer than 0.5 per cent are convicted of a serious further offence while under supervision.

In 2018 the board ruled that Worboys could be freed after serving ten years for a series of sex attacks  but a legal challenge led to the decision being quashed.

Earlier this year the board allowed the release of Pitchfork, who raped and murdered two 15- year-old girls in the 1980s. He was released on September 1 but was recalled to jail barely three months later after displaying concerning behaviour. Sources said he had made multiple approaches to teenagers and young women.

Among the double-lifers is Ian Birley, 45, who served 18 years of a life sentence for the murder of a Barnsley pensioner in 1996.

After being released on licence he teamed up with his girlfriend before following John Gogarty, 65, to his home in the south Yorkshire town and stabbing him to death.

Sex attacker Leroy Campbell, 60, was given a second life sentence for the rape and murder of nurse Lisa Skidmore, 37, in Bilston, West Midlands, in 2016.

He had only been released four months earlier after serving 17 years of a previous life sentence for another rape.

David Mitchell, 51, was originally given a life sentence for the murder of his girlfriend Kathleen McKenzie in 1990. He served 23 years before being released and within four months went on to murder his gay lover Robert Hind, 46, in a drunken rage.
Militant French fishing barons vowed last night to disrupt cross-Channel trade in the run-up to Christmas to punish Britain in a post-Brexit row over licences.

The failure to agree fishing licences for French boats has led to warnings that British shoppers could face a shortage of festive supplies.

France failed to agree a deal by its own deadline of Friday last week to secure the 104 permits it wants for access to British waters.

Britain signed off only 23 of those on Saturday but Olivier Lepretre, chairman of the northern France fisheries committee, said the move had 'exasperated' French fishermen.

'More protests should be expected  protests that will target British imports,' he added. 'They will be along the same lines as the port blockades in Brittany, Normandy and northern France that took place on November 26.'

France failed to agree a deal by its own deadline of Friday last week to secure the 104 permits it wants for access to British waters. Britain signed off only 23 of those on Saturday but Olivier Lepretre (pictured), chairman of the northern France fisheries committee, said the move had 'exasperated' French fishermen

The protests in November included the Channel Tunnel's entrance being blocked.

New blockades in northern France would disrupt trade in both directions, preventing ships and lorries from delivering goods to British ports in the next couple of weeks. Mr Lepretre has repeatedly warned British shoppers could face Christmas shortages unless the row is resolved.

He said skippers had been 'betrayed' by the British Government' and 'abandoned' by European officials. 'Fishermen are more united than ever,' he added. '[They] do not intend to see themselves being taken advantage of in the face of such bad faith.'

Hinting that Britain could be sued under the Brexit deal, Annick Girardin, France's maritime minister, said yesterday the country was looking at 'all legal options' for the remaining 81 permits.

The protests in November included the Channel Tunnel's entrance being blocked. Pictured: French fishermen protest in St Helier in May this year

The agreement gives both sides the option to impose retaliatory measures if they believe one party is failing to honour the pact.

It could lead to heavy tariffs on UK fish exports to the EU, or other goods and services. Another option is stopping UK trawlers fishing in EU waters.

Ministers and diplomats will discuss the spat at a meeting of fisheries ministers later today in Brussels. The UK has long said that it would hand over licences if French skippers could prove they had fished in British waters before the 2016 referendum.

Hinting that Britain could be sued under the Brexit deal, Annick Girardin (pictured), France's maritime minister, said yesterday the country was looking at 'all legal options' for the remaining 81 permits

Pictured: A trawler is impounded (left) and a French flotilla stages a protest in Jersey (right)

French fishermen said their smaller vessels were not equipped with GPS tracking equipment to demonstrate those historical links.

Britain has been using commercially available tracking data to assess each claim, with officials now combing skippers' logbooks to determine if they are eligible.

The UK Government said: 'Our approach to fisheries licences is evidence-based and in line with the Brexit deal.'
During the precious early weeks following the birth of her baby, Melissa Biggs strapped her tiny daughter into her infant car seat and drove off to the 13th-century manor house of her aristocratic employer, Sir Benjamin Slade.

It was a couple of days before Christmas 2017 and, by rights, the admin assistant should have been enjoying maternity leave at home with Maisie, who had been born two months prematurely.

But given that she hadn't been paid for two months and Sir Benjamin wasn't returning her calls, Melissa was at breaking point and felt she had little choice but to confront Slade in person.

'I placed the car seat on his desk in front of him so that he could see Maisie and asked him when I would be paid,' recalls Melissa, 31.

It was two years ago that Melissa and fellow employee Roxanne Stewart, 31, won their sexual discrimination and unfair dismissal case against one of Britain's most flamboyant aristocrats. Not that either has seen a penny of their 179,500 compensation

'He just looked right through her, as if she didn't exist, and said: 'I've got more important bills to pay.' I knew then that I had a fight on my hands.'

And what a fight it has been. It was two years ago that Melissa and fellow employee Roxanne Stewart, 31, won their sexual discrimination and unfair dismissal case against one of Britain's most flamboyant aristocrats.

Not that either has seen a penny of their 179,500 compensation. Last week, the two women learned that 75-year-old Slade's latest attempt to get out of paying them damages has dramatically failed, with a judge branding him 'malicious and cynical'.

In an exclusive interview with the Mail, the two women have spoken for the first time of their despicable treatment by notorious self-publicist Slade and the devastating impact his behaviour has had on them.

The 2019 tribunal heard that Slade, filled with a 'vindictive desire' to get rid of the women after learning they were both pregnant, had failed to pay them, carrying out 'one of the most egregious acts of discrimination possible.'

He referred to their maternity pay as 'f***ing entitlements' and also claimed the two women had 'got pregnant together on purpose just to spite him'.

'He treated us as if we were nobodies,' says Roxanne who, three months after Melissa's baby Maisie was born, gave birth to her own daughter, Berrie, in December 2017.

Last week, it emerged that he had been quizzed by police after a huge cannabis farm was found at Woodlands Castle, one of the properties on his 1,300-acre estate in Ruishton, Somerset. Slade was not charged with any offences relating to the discovery, but a 39-year-old Vietnamese man found at the property during the raid has been found guilty of producing cannabis

She had worked for Slade for ten years and amid the stress of Slade's attempts to get rid of her, went into labour two months prematurely and was sacked while her daughter was still in intensive care.

'I felt ashamed and humiliated by what he did to me,' says Roxanne, who lives near Bridgwater, Somerset, with her partner Jack, a dairy farmer, and their two children. 'His behaviour towards us felt disgusting and inhumane. We believe we were treated as worthless just for being pregnant.'

Melissa adds: 'His mistake was thinking we were just little people who would do as he said and simply go away. He thought he had power over us because he had a title.'

These are troubled times in other ways for the baronet, who boasts an ancestry stretching back to Alfred the Great. Happy to court controversy when he is seeking publicity  in 2006, he advertised for a 'castle-trained' wife to provide him with 'an heir and a spare'  Slade finds himself in the glare of a more unwelcome spotlight.

Last week, it emerged that he had been quizzed by police after a huge cannabis farm was found at Woodlands Castle, one of the properties on his 1,300-acre estate in Ruishton, Somerset. Slade was not charged with any offences relating to the discovery, but a 39-year-old Vietnamese man found at the property during the raid has been found guilty of producing cannabis.

Woodlands Castle, ironically, was where Melissa and Roxanne had worked for Slade, helping to run a wedding and conference venue hire business. All this came to an abrupt end with the pandemic.

When police raided Woodlands Castle in June this year, a police drugs expert said it was one of the biggest drug farms he'd ever come across. During the raid, police found 3,500 cannabis plants with a potential street value of 1.4 million, stuffed into 23 rooms on three floors.

The 2019 tribunal heard that Slade, filled with a 'vindictive desire' to get rid of the women after learning they were both pregnant, had failed to pay them, carrying out 'one of the most egregious acts of discrimination possible'

Meanwhile, it's been a busy year for the baronet. In the summer, it emerged he was engaged to Sahara Sunday Spain, 29, the daughter of former Black Panther gang member, Johnny Spain. Now Slade is believed to be single again, living in a farmhouse on his estate.

Roxanne started working at Woodlands, the 200-year-old pink-tinted country house, set in 12 acres of parkland, straight from school in July 2008. She worked first as a catering and bar assistant before being made a receptionist.

After she gave birth to her first child, Crystal, in 2013, she placed her in full-time nursery and returned to work just six weeks later. The following year she was promoted to deputy manager on a salary of 25,000 plus commission, responsible for generating new business.

'I had no problems with him at that point,' she says, although she recalls that he would patronisingly pat her on the head and call her a 'good girl' when he wanted to praise her. 'I didn't like it but I just ignored it,' she said.

'He was a bit crazy and eccentric but I was working hard to bring him business and he was pleased with my work. I enjoyed what I did.'

It was Roxanne who interviewed Melissa for the 18,500-a-year post of administration assistant in May 2015. Slade also interviewed her.

'My first impression was of a harmless eccentric,' says Melissa, who lives in Taunton with her husband James, 30, Maisie, four, and one-year-old Reuben. 'That's the side he likes to convey to the public. But later, I saw a very different side to him, a vindictive side and not harmless at all.'

Problems began for the women in 2017. Melissa, who had suffered a miscarriage in early 2016, was due to give birth in November, and Roxanne in January 2018, but Melissa suffered a liver condition called obstetric cholestasis and gave birth eight weeks early in September.

She received statutory maternity pay in September and October. This entitles new mothers to 90 per cent of their salary for the first six weeks and then a maximum of 151.97 a week for the next 33 weeks. It's paid by employers who then claim it back from HMRC.

Roxanne had also lost a pregnancy at 20 weeks that March. Slade must have been aware because, while off work, she received flowers with a card signed by 'Sir Ben and all the team' although she suspects they were organised by a female staff member.

In October, a month after Melissa had given birth prematurely, Roxanne told Slade she was pregnant.

'He showed absolutely no reaction. He didn't congratulate me,' says Roxanne. Instead, he asked her if she would consider becoming self-employed and moving to a zero-hours contract as part of his 'restructuring' of his company.

'He knew full well that if I'd done that he wouldn't have to cover my maternity pay. I said 'no' and that I'd think about it after I returned from maternity leave.'

In November 2017, Roxanne wasn't paid her salary and Melissa, whose daughter was still in and out of hospital, didn't receive her maternity pay. She called Slade and was fobbed off with talk about company restructuring.

The same thing happened the following month. Her husband James was training to be an accountant and so they were dependent on her salary to pay their mortgage and bills.

After her crunch meeting with Slade just before Christmas, she says she contacted arbitration service ACAS and eventually resigned, citing maternity discrimination and breach of contract.

'It was a terrible time,' says Melissa. 'It ruined our first Christmas with Maisie. We were struggling to make ends meet and using overdrafts and credit cards. It was so stressful.' When Roxanne asked why she hadn't been paid, she was falsely accused of 'irregularities to catering requirements' and suspended  supposedly on full pay. 'I was in shock,' she says. 'I'd worked there nearly ten years only to be treated like that.'

She believes it is no coincidence that in the midst of all this stress, she went into premature labour just hours before a meeting. She was visiting Melissa and her new baby when she began bleeding heavily.

'I went to the bathroom,' she says. 'I called out to Mel to get an ambulance. I thought I was going to lose another baby.'

She was still so terrified about losing her job that while her daughter was in intensive care she made time to contact Slade's office to say she wouldn't be able to make the meeting. She breaks down in tears when she recalls how she was then fired by handwritten letter, delivered on the day she brought her baby home from hospital.

'The worst thing of all,' she says, 'was that it made it hard for me to bond with Berrie. Having a new baby was causing me all these problems and so I resented her for turning my life upside down. I couldn't think or feel straight.'

But if Slade, who was successfully sued by another female employee in 2011, reckoned on the two women going away quietly, he was wrong. His despicable behaviour first emerged at a Bristol employment tribunal in 2019. When the two women first complained, it emerged he had threatened to report them to the police for theft. He also maliciously blamed their premature births on their smoking and drinking before pregnancy.

'I lost trust in employers,' says Melissa, who works two night a week as a waitress. 'I put my heart and soul into working for him only to have it thrown back in my face.'

Roxanne also suffered when she began looking for a new job, breaking down in interviews when she was asked why she had left her last position. She works full-time as a customer services administrator.

When the women won their case in 2019, the tribunal awarded Roxanne 108,744 and Melissa, 70,760. Slade unsuccessfully appealed against a 26,500 'uplift' fee included in that amount because of the severity of the case.

Until he finally coughs up the money he owes them, the women feel they do not have closure. Nor will they get back the early days with their now four-year-old daughters which were marred by crippling anxiety.

Roxanne says: 'His behaviour has been so vengeful. He's had to pay out more in legal costs than he would ever have had to pay out in maternity pay, which he would have been able to claim back from the Government. He's not fit to carry a title.'

Over the past decade, Slade has attempted to make ends meet at his estate by hiring out both Woodlands and his 17-bedroom manor house five miles away, Maunsel House. But last year, he advertised for someone to share the manor house: 'Good Right-wing, hunting, shooting types with a love of fine wine and 20,000 a month to pay their way.'

He also offered his premises as a national Covid test centre. This year, he put Maunsel House up for sale for 30 million.

When contacted via his lawyer, Slade said he had no comment  but that he was considering appealing the judgment.

'Whatever your dreams are, at Woodlands Castle we can make them true,' he once boasted on his website. As Melissa and Roxanne continue their wait for the thousands he owes them, how empty those words seem now.
South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) today announced more than 19,000 positive Covid tests had previously gone unreported due to 'IT challenges'.

South Africa confirmed 18,035 new cases of Covid in the past 24 hours, but the total was bumped up to more than 37,000 to account for the positive tests not previously reported.

'Today we report 37,875 new cases, which includes 19,840 retrospective cases & 18,035 new cases,' the NICD said in a statement today, before calling out public laboratories it said were to blame for the unreported tests.

'For the NICD to report quality and comprehensive data, the institute relies on test reports from both private and public laboratories to generate daily COVID-19 statistics.

'The NICD was informed in the previous week that information technology (IT) challenges had been experienced by public sector laboratories, which have resulted in reporting delays.'

It comes as South African President Cyril Ramaphosa tested positive for the virus today despite being fully vaccinated.

A member of the Western Cape Metro Emergency Medical Services vaccinates a woman, who cannot walk, in a car at a COVID 19 vaccination event in Manenberg on December 08, 2021 in Cape Town.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa tested positive for Covid today despite being fully vaccinated (pictured August 27, 2021)

Ramaphosa, 69, started feeling unwell and a test confirmed COVID-19, a statement from the presidency announced earlier today.

He is self-isolating in Cape Town and is being monitored by the South African Military Health Service, having delegated all responsibilities to Deputy President David Mabuza for the next week.

The statement didn't say whether he had been infected with the omicron coronavirus variant, but confirmed he was experiencing 'mild' symptoms and is being treated.

Ramaphosa said his own infection serves as a caution to all people in South Africa to be vaccinated and remain vigilant against exposure, a governmental statement said.

The NICD also said there may be further revelations of unreported Covid cases in South Africa in the coming days due to data taking 'longer to reflect'.

'Some COVID-19 surveillance data may take longer to reflect on the national line list,' the institute said.

'We are committed to transparent reporting and will continue to update COVID-19 surveillance databases retrospectively as the impacted public laboratories remedy the existing IT difficulties.'

The news comes as a devastating blow to South African health authorities who said yesterday the spread of Covid and the new variant Omicron had slowed, while experts were positive about the relatively low rate of hospitalisations.

Shabir Madhi, a professor of Vaccinology at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, said that the infection rate had been much faster than any of the country's previous three waves, but hospitalisations were remaining low relative to the number of cases.

'Three weeks into resurgence, many adults and children testing SARS-CoV-2 [positive] in hospital, but COVID hospitalisation remains low relative to community case rate,' he wrote on Friday.

He also said the death rate was low compared to when similar number of cases were being seen in previous waves.

Using South Africa's Gauteng province - its Omicron ground-zero - as an example, he said the likely explanation of the low death rate was that 73 percent the region's population was either vaccinated or previously infected, giving T-cell immunity. The majority of those hospitalised with severe Covid, he said, are vaccinated.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa sits beside Elita de Klerk, widow of former President FW de Klerk at the state memorial service in Cape Town, South Africa, today, December 12. He tested positive for Covid shortly after

'Government response correctly remains measured by not increasing restrictions and not panicking with increase in cases, but seem to rather focusing on COVID (excluding coincidental Ix) hospitalisation and health facility capacity,' he said.

After a period of low transmission of about 200 new cases per day in early November, South Africa COVID-19 cases began rising dramatically.

Omicron appears to be highly transmissible and has quickly become dominant in the country, but the majority of cases appear to be relatively mild and the percentage of severe cases needing oxygen have been low, say doctors.

Meanwhile, researches in Israel announced today that a third booster jab of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine provides significant protection against the new Omicron variant.

Gili Regev-Yochay, director of the Infectious Diseases Unit at Sheba Medical Centre in Israel

The study, carried out by Sheba Medical Centre and the Health Ministry's Central Virology Laboratory, compared the blood of 20 people who had received two vaccine doses 5-6 months earlier to the same number of individuals who had received a booster a month before.

Gili Regev-Yochay, director of the Infectious Diseases Unit at Sheba, said: 'People who received the second dose 5 or 6 months ago do not have any neutralisation ability against the Omicron. While they do have some against the Delta strain.

'The good news is that with the booster dose it increases about a hundred fold. There is a significant protection of the booster dose.'

But Regev-Yochay also admitted that the booster is still less effective in protecting against Omicron versus the Delta variant.

'It is lower than the neutralisation ability against the Delta, about four times lower,' she said.
Boris Johnson was last night warned against imposing even more stringent coronavirus curbs ahead of a Commons showdown tomorrow.

More than 60 Tory backbenchers are poised to oppose the Plan B measures to counter the threat of the Omicron variant  the biggest rebellion of Mr Johnson's premiership.

The restrictions will see proof of vaccination or a negative test become mandatory for large venues this week, and today the return of work from home guidance.

The Prime Minister will avoid an embarrassing defeat with the measures set to be voted through thanks to backing from Labour, but Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, and Maggie Throup, the Vaccines Minister, are said to have been scrambling to limit a rebellion that could involve dozens of Conservatives.

It comes as several Parliamentary Private Secretaries (PPS) are threatening resignation, with the Telegraph reporting that a group of 10 parliamentary secretaries formed a WhatsApp group to discuss how to vote on the new measures.

MPs in the PPS group include two of Communities Secretary Michael Gove's three ministerial aides - Danny Kruger and Angela Richardson - along with two of the three ministerial aides to Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab - Joy Morrissey and Mike Wood.

Many MPs are fearful the Prime Minister may impose even stricter curbs before Christmas, but officials are already drawing up a Plan C which would see the return of 'checking in' to a pub or restaurant, using masks in all indoor spaces and having to show a vaccine status at even more venues.

More than 60 Tory backbenchers are poised to oppose the Plan B measures to counter the threat of the Omicron variant  the biggest rebellion of Mr Johnson's premiership

The UK Covid alert level was raised from level 3 to level 4 after the UK reported another 1,239 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant

Conservative party MP Danny Kruger - PPS to Michael Gove - is believed to be part of a WhatsApp group of rebel PPS discussing how to vote on new restrictions

Tory MP Angela Richardson is also thought to be among the group of rebel PPS

Joy Morrissey, PPS to the deputy prime minister, joined the group of PPS who may rebel

Who is in the rebel PPS WhatsApp group? James Sunderland (PPS to Defence secretary Ben Wallace)

Danny Kruger (PPS to Levelling Up secretary Michael Gove)

Angela Richardson (PPS to Levelling Up secretary Michael Gove)

Joy Morrissey (PPs to Justice secretary Dominic Raab)

Mike Wood (PPS to Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab)

Claire Coutinho (PPS to Chancellor Rishi Sunak)

Gareth Bacon (PPS to Work and Pensions secretary Therese Coffey)

Jonathan Gullis (PPS to Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis)

Gagan Mohindra (PPS to Home Secretary Priti Patel)

Katharine Fletcher (PPS to Cop26 minister Alok Sharma) Source: The Telegraph Advertisement

Tory former leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said last night he believed Plan B was a 'stepping stone' into another lockdown  and accused ministers of moving 'without the facts' on Omicron.

He branded the proposals 'unnecessary' and 'damaging' and said further restrictions would 'only amplify those effects', adding it 'feels like' a lockdown by stealth.

Conservative Peter Bone told the Daily Mail vaccine passports 'are nothing more than an identity card' and do not work.

'Testing is the way if you want to stop people (spreading Covid).'

'The problem is we are halfway between two things: the Government has done a bit by what they call Plan B  but in a way Plan B is a stepping stone to a lockdown. We cannot lockdown again. Schools cannot shut,' he said.

Backbencher Henry Smith said Plan B was a 'danger to our civil liberties' which would 'severely impact' economic recovery prospects. He added: 'I think it is yet further distraction from other health conditions which require attention  such as the cancer backlog  and I don't actually think (the restrictions) work.'

He branded the proposals 'unnecessary' and 'damaging' and said further restrictions would 'only amplify those effects', adding it 'feels like' a lockdown by stealth.

Conservative Peter Bone told the Daily Mail vaccine passports 'are nothing more than an identity card' and do not work.

'Testing is the way if you want to stop people (spreading Covid).'

Rebel ringleader Steve Baker accused the Government of creating a 'miserable dystopia' and suggested his party was drifting into authoritarianism

The above map shows the ten areas that have the most confirmed and suspected Omicron cases in England, according to the UK Health Security Agency. West Northamptonshire is the country's hotspot for the mutant strain, although eight in ten areas on the list are in London

The restrictions will see proof of vaccination or a negative test become mandatory for large venues this week, and today the return of work from home guidance (pictured)

What are the Covid rules in England under plan B? WFH The return of work from home guidance. People will be told to work from home in England from Monday if they are able to. Face masks Face masks will be made compulsory in most public indoor venues including in cinemas and theatres from this Friday. They will not be required in pubs, restaurants and gyms. Vaccine passports The NHS Covid pass will be compulsory to gain access to nightclubs and other large venues where large crowds gather. This will apply to all unseated indoor venues with more than 500 people, unseated outdoor venues with more than 4,000 people and any venue with more than 10,000 people. This requirement will be rolled out in one week's time to give businesses time to prepare. Contact testing Contacts of Omicron cases will be told to take daily coronavirus tests instead of having to self-isolate. They will have to quarantine if they test positive. Advertisement

Tory backbencher Andrew Bridgen slammed Plan B as 'a complete overreaction not supported by the science or the data'.

'I'm not voting for Plan B, I didn't even vote for Plan A, and I certainly will not be supporting any further removal of freedoms from British citizens over a mild variant with a very low hospitalisation rate.'

Rebel ringleader Steve Baker accused the Government of creating a 'miserable dystopia' and suggested his party was drifting into authoritarianism.

He said at least 60 Tories will vote against Plan B but it was a 'foregone conclusion because our useless opposition in name only will continue to support the Government, however authoritarian they are'.

'This disease will now be with us forever, there will be new variants, the vaccine continues to give a high degree of protection against serious illness and death and we just do now need to get on with our lives,' he told Sky News.

'We've got to show that there's a movement for that frame of mind because if we don't, the Conservative Party will continue to drift into authoritarianism and I simply cannot stand idly by while that happens.'

Tory whips will today continue their attempts to quell the revolt, and were engaged in a 'massive ring round' over the weekend.

But despite the scale of the rebellion, Plan B is expected to become law as Labour will support the measures tomorrow.

Sir Keir Starmer said the party will vote with the Government  not to support the Prime Minister but the NHS.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi insisted yesterday the Government is not introducing a 'vaccine passport'.

He told BBC's The Andrew Marr Show: 'This is not a vaccine passport. These are high-risk events where we ask people either to take a free lateral flow test or to be vaccinated to attend.'

Mr Johnson was also warned of the impact the restrictions will have on hospitality. Clive Watson, chairman of the City Pub Group which operates almost 50 pubs in London and the South East, said: 'Revenue could take a hit of around 30 per cent  it would be hugely damaging and without government support many businesses will be tipped over the edge.'

Mask-wearing became mandatory in cinemas, theatres and places of worship on Friday, and work from home guidance returned today.

Needing to show proof of vaccine status or a negative test will come into force for large venues from Wednesday.

Officials are already drawing up a Plan C which would see the return of 'checking in' to a pub or restaurant, using masks in all indoor spaces and having to show a vaccine status at even more venues

Boris Johnson launches massive drive to get a third jab into every over-18 by NEW YEAR'S DAY: PM begs everyone to get boosted to 'save our way of life' as he warns of a 'tidal wave of Omicron' on its way

By Jack Maidment, Deputy Political Editor For Mailonline

Boris Johnson has announced he is rapidly speeding up the UK's coronavirus booster jab rollout as he warned the country: 'There is a tidal wave of Omicron coming.'

The Prime Minister delivered an address to the nation this evening as he said he is bringing forward his end of January target for every adult to be offered a jab by one month.

It means that everyone eligible aged 18 and over will have the chance to get their booster before the New Year, with Mr Johnson urging people to 'get boosted now'.

Mr Johnson said the UK is 'now facing an emergency in our battle with the new variant' and 'we must urgently reinforce our wall of vaccine protection to keep our friends and loved ones safe'.

The PM said the data was now clear that two doses of the vaccine are 'simply not enough to give the level of protection we all need' but the 'good news is that our scientists are confident that with a third dose  a booster dose  we can all bring our level of protection back up'.

Launching what he described as the 'Omicron Emergency Boost', Mr Johnson said that in order to deliver the necessary jabs by the end of the year 'we'll need to match the NHS's best vaccination day yet  and then beat it day after day'.

He said this will require 'an extraordinary effort' as he revealed some medical appointments will have to be postponed until 2022 so that clinicians can commit to administering jabs.

Mr Johnson said 'every adult over 18 who has had a second dose of the vaccine at least three months ago' will be eligible for a jab from tomorrow.

Approximately 20million people are likely to be eligible for the booster under the criteria which means the rollout will need to administer around one million jabs a day to hit the PM's end of year target.

The formal NHS Booking System will be open to the younger age groups from Wednesday but Mr Johnson said 'in some places you can walk in from tomorrow'.

In his address the Prime Minister said: 'Over the past year we have shown that vaccination is the key to beating Covid and that it works

'The UK was the first country in the world to administer a vaccine, we delivered the fastest rollout in Europe and we begun the fastest booster campaign too with over half-a-million jabs delivered yesterday alone.

'These achievements made possible by the extraordinary efforts of our NHS, including thousands of GPs and volunteer vaccinators have literally saved countless lives and livelihoods in this country.

'But I need to speak to you this evening because I'm afraid we're now facing an emergency in our battle with the new variant Omicron and we must urgently reinforce our wall of vaccine protection to keep our friends and loved ones safe. '

Mr Johnson also announced that 42 military planning teams are being deployed to every region of the UK to help with the rollout while additional vaccine sites and mobile units will also be stood up and opening hours for clinics will be extended so they run seven days a week.
Australia will continue its re-opening plan despite concerns about the new Omicron strain of Covid-19.

The nation is on track to welcome foreign students and skilled workers for the first time since March 2020 on Wednesday after a two-week pause because of the highly transmissible new strain.

'Yes, we are on track for that. That has been reconfirmed over the weekend,' Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Monday.

Australia will start opening its international borders with students and migrants allowed from December 15. Pictured: Bondi Beach in Sydney

Mr Hunt said Australian officials are not worried about Omicron because, although more infectious, it appears to be milder than the Delta strain.

He said the 'clear evidence' shows that two doses of vaccination protects against severe illness and death.

'The strong, clear evidence is that all of the vaccines continue to provide very clear coverage against serious illness, hospitalisation and loss of life,' he said.

'As a variant, it may well be milder and that could turn out, as many international sources have indicated, to be a quietly positive development for the world,' he added.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed the re-opening and also said travel bubbles with South Korea and Japan will go ahead at the same time.

'On Wednesday of this week we will again move forward,' he said.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg denied suggestions the Government was not being cautious enough over the strain identified in South Africa last month and said he's determined to get the economy moving again.

'We will continue to listen and follow the health advice, and it has served us well to date. But at the same time, we need to ensure that our economy keeps this momentum going,' he told ABC TV on Monday.

'We've seen 350,000 jobs come back since the start of September. We've seen business and consumer confidence lift. We've seen Australia maintain its AAA credit rating. We've seen a very strong pipeline of investment, both in the housing market and more generally across the economy,' the Treasurer added.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has extended a loan scheme for small businesses. Pictured: A Melbourne cafe

His comments came after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned his nation - which is heading into a cold winter - faced a 'tidal wave' of Omicron cases and urged Britons to get their booster jab.

Mr Frydenberg also announced the Federal Government will extend a loan guarantee scheme for small to medium-sized businesses.

The scheme was due to expire at the end of December but will be pushed out for an extra six months, providing an extra $7billion worth of loans.

The scheme provides loans of up to $5million for small businesses with a turnover under $250million. The loans can last for 10 years.

The government will guarantee the loans on a 50-50 split with the banks and they can be used to refinance existing loans.

'(The loans) can be used to upgrade your production line if you're a manufacturer, or if you're a tradie (to) go and get some new tools, or if you're a cafe, to go and get a new kitchen,' the Treasurer told the Nine Network on Monday.

Meanwhile, Mr Hunt has assured Australians the country has more than enough doses to cover the need for Covid-19 booster shots, even though the timing of a third short has been brought forward by a month.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation has confirmed booster doses can be provided from five months after completion of the primary course, rather six months as previously recommended.

ATAGI has also given approval to the Moderna vaccine as a booster shot for Australians aged 18 and over.

Like the Pfizer booster vaccine, it can be used irrespective of what a person received for their primary course of vaccination.

The Federal Government has not yet announced when the international border will re-open for tourists.
NSW has recorded 536 new Covid-19 cases with hundreds of nightclub revellers ordered to isolate after they were 'likely' exposed to the Omicron variant.

NSW Health issued an alert for The Argyle House nightclub in Newcastle late Sunday night identifying all attendees as close contacts after transmission of Covid at the venue on the night of December 8.

The cluster is linked to a boat party five nights earlier on Sydney Harbour where at least five people caught the virus.

The number of infections linked to The Argyle House nightclub outbreak is 24 with some 'likely' to be the Omicron variant, NSW Health said.

NSW has recorded 536 new Covid-19 cases with hundreds of nightclub revellers ordered to isolate after they were 'likely' exposed to the Omicron variant

NSW Health issued an alert for The Argyle House nightclub in Newcastle late Sunday night identifying all attendees as close contacts after transmission of Covid at the venue on the night of December 8

Some 74,997 tests were recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday (pictured, healthcare worker conducting test on driver in Liverpool, western Sydney)

The new cases announced on Monday is an increase from the 485 announced on Sunday.

The figure is slightly lower than the 560 recorded on Saturday, which marked the highest daily tally recorded in NSW since October 9, two days before lockdown lifted.

Some 74,997 tests were recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday.

The double-dose vaccination rate of those 16 and older remains at 93.1 per cent, while 94.8 per cent of people have had their first jab.

There are 171 people are in hospital with the virus, 24 of them in intensive care.

Anyone who was at the Newcastle nightclub between 9pm December 8 and to 3am December 9 are close contacts and must immediately get tested and isolate for seven days, regardless of the result.

The rule applies to all 680 people who checked in using the QR code that night and to anyone who did not check in.

Household contacts of anyone who attended the nightclub are also ordered to immediately get tested and isolate until the close contact tests negative, due to the high transmission at the venue.

'This follows recent outbreaks associated with the Albion Hotel at Parramatta, Oxford Tavern at Petersham, Cult Nightclub in Potts Point and the party boat cruise on Sydney Harbour,' NSW Health said.

'NSW Health is concerned about increased transmission taking place in larger social venues such as these, and we urge people not to attend social functions if they have any symptoms, even if mild.'

More than 700 people who were at The Argyle House nightclub (pictured) in Newcastle on the night of December 8 have been ordered to test tested and isolate for seven days

The nightclub cluster stems from a outbreak on a Sydney party cruise on December 3 (pictured)

Newcastle recorded its first case of Omicron, a female traveller who recently returned from Britain on Sunday.

The latest alert was issued hours after NSW recorded Australia's first hospital admission of Omicron

The state recorded 485 new cases of Covid-19 on Sunday, as the tally of Omicron infections rose to 55. There are at least 62 around Australia.

Health officials confirmed one patient with Omicron is in hospital, becoming the first admission in Australia with the new variant.

They are among 156 Covid patients being treated in hospital in NSW.

24 cases of Covid have been linked to the The Argyle House nightclub (pictured) in Newcastle

Australia has recorded its first first hospital admission of the Omicron variant (pictured, passengers being tested at Sydney Airport

NSW Health warned the number of Omicron cases will rise as results of genomic testing are confirmed.

NSW Covid cases slightly dropped following two consecutive days of more than 500 infections.

Two deaths were recorded, a man aged in his 70s while the other man was in his 80s. Both were unvaccinated.

The state had on Saturday recorded the highest number of cases since October 9, two days before lockdown lifted.

Dozens of demonstrators took to Sydney's Hyde Park on Sunday to protest the introduction of vaccine mandates across several industries.

Health officials confirmed Australia's first hospital admission of Omicron as protesters packed Sydney's streets to oppose vaccine mandates

A string of existing restrictions are expected to be scrapped on Wednesday as planned, including density limits, QR check-ins risk venues, and masks.

Freedoms will also increase for the 6.9 per cent of the NSW population over-16 who aren't fully vaccinated.

Experts warned cases will continue to rise as restrictions are eased.

'It is quite possible and quite likely that we will see a further increase with the unvaccinated being able to mix in those venues,' infectious diseases specialist Sanjaya Senanayake told Weekend Today on Sunday.

'However, New South Wales is very well vaccinated so hopefully we should be able to contain those increasing cases.'

The tally of Omicron infections in NSW stands at 55 and is expected to continue rising

Meanwhile, Victoria recorded 1069 new cases and two deaths as Queensland recorded one new cases.

The returned traveller from Nigeria currently in hotel quarantine 'likely' has the Omicron variant.

'We're very closely following his genomic sequencing results which should be available in the next two days  obviously very interested whether this maybe Omicron,' deputy chief health officer James Smith said.
One way or another, South Wales Police are determined to know exactly who is walking around their streets.

The force has just announced that 70 officers will be issued with a facial recognition app which will allow them to photograph a member of the public on a standard hand-held phone and, using artificial intelligence, cross-reference it with the faces of 600,000 people held on a police database.

The police say they will turn to it only when someone has refused to give their name to an officer.

It would be one thing if they limited themselves to using it to catch serious criminals on the run.

But that the app will hold images of 600,000 people  nearly one per cent of the UK population  suggests the force has more routine uses for the technology in mind.

We should imagine the worst uses to which they could be put and say no, thank you, we dont want a fishbowl society in which our faces can be tracked constantly wherever we go (File image)

It is the same with so many forms of surveillance: the technology is sold to us on the pretext that it will be used only to solve serious crimes. But before long, it is being used for all kinds of trivial purposes, such as catching people who drop cigarette butts in the street, or motorists who find themselves caught in a box junction.

Many of those who were brought up in an era of ubiquitous CCTV cameras will be tempted to shrug their shoulders. Some young people, who plaster their faces across social media platforms in search of online celebrity, might worry more about not being recognised. Others will repeat that age-old argument about surveillance: if you have nothing to hide, what is the worry?

But we should be deeply concerned about powerful technology being used routinely to identify us and track us around the country. If we dont object to its use now, it will be too late by the time we realise just how it has infringed our freedoms.

Were a police database of our facial details to leak, and criminals got their hands on the technology, it could put many people in grave danger (File image)

If you are still not concerned, lets start with a horror story.

In February last year, the database of a U.S. company called Clearview AI, which sells facial recognition equipment and software to public and private users, was hacked.

The data stolen in the hack included the firms entire customer list, which featured several law enforcement agencies.

It only takes a data leak like this, and information enabling the identification of thousands of people in security-sensitive roles is suddenly available to criminals or foreign agents.

In February last year, the database of a U.S. company called Clearview AI, which sells facial recognition equipment and software to public and private users, was hacked (File image)

It was also revealed that Clearview can identify anyone with a single snatched photo. The company has been supplying police forces with a system that allows them to identify a face by comparing it with three billion images publicly available online.

This is truly terrifying. For some people, it is vital they be allowed to walk the streets incognito.

If you have escaped from a violent partner, or had to change your name and relocate after giving evidence against a criminal gang, you need to be able to resume your life without being identified by cameras.

Were a police database of our facial details to leak, and criminals got their hands on the technology, it could put many people in grave danger.

Facial recognition software works by creating a digital representation of a face: taking measurements of, for example, the distance between our eyes and the tip of our nose. You cant hide that information by putting on a wig.

Even dark glasses wouldnt necessarily stop you being recognised by the software, as there are plenty of other points on your face that can be mapped, such as your chin and dimples in your cheeks.

Chinas aggressive development and use of the technology enables its government to crack down on actions the average person might not even consider a crime. Chinese officials have used it to shame people wearing pyjamas in public, calling this uncivilised behaviour (File image)

The technology isnt 100 per cent accurate, though, and that itself presents difficulties. A Cardiff University study published three years ago found that the system then being deployed by South Wales Police was only able to recognise a face in 76 per cent of cases. If your face closely resembles that of a criminal, your life could become hell if you are continually triggering alarms.

And it is not just law enforcement agencies we need to worry about, but the wider dissemination of facial recognition software.

For instance, a criminal gang with access to such software could take a photograph of your children in a playground or on the beach and match it with photographs you innocently posted on Facebook or Instagram. They could find out very quickly where you lived and how wealthy you were, making it possible to pick out potential kidnap victims.

And dont lets forget more benign but potentially very irritating uses for the technology.

When we visit a shop, they might recognise us as high-spending customers who had previously shopped at one of their branches, and swiftly dispatch a sales assistant to work on us.

Of course, in some situations we might be glad for the technology to be used. If, say, a CCTV camera managed to catch the image of a mugger in the act, it could be used to identify potential suspects, some of whom might not be previously known to police. The police DNA database has caused enough controversy over the years, but we are all glad when it succeeds in bringing a murderer or rapist to justice.

However, if we are going to employ powerful surveillance technology in policing, it is vital its limitations are clearly defined, by restricting its use in law to the investigation of serious, violent criminal offences.

Because if facial recognition is allowed to creep into everyday policing and used to scoop up and fine vast numbers of minor offenders  as number-plate recognition cameras already do  it could be the start of something horribly Orwellian.

If you want to know where that leads, just look to the technological dystopia that is China, where a facial recognition system logs nearly every citizen in the country, with a vast network of cameras.

A database leak in 2019 gave a glimpse of how pervasive Chinas surveillance tools are, with more than 6.8 million records from a single day, taken from cameras positioned around hotels, parks, tourism spots and mosques, logging details on people as young as nine days old.

It is the same with so many forms of surveillance: the technology is sold to us on the pretext that it will be used only to solve serious crimes. But before long, it is being used for all kinds of trivial purposes, such as catching people who drop cigarette butts in the street, or motorists who find themselves caught in a box junction (File image)

We are not China. But we shouldnt allow ourselves to become apathetic because we havent personally fallen foul of novel surveillance methods yet (File image)

Chinas aggressive development and use of the technology enables its government to crack down on actions the average person might not even consider a crime. Chinese officials have used it to shame people wearing pyjamas in public, calling this uncivilised behaviour.

Facial recognition can automatically put your name and photo on a billboard for jaywalking  illegally crossing a road  and privately text you a fine.

Punishing these minor offences is by design, surveillance experts say. The threat of public humiliation through facial recognition helps Chinese officials direct more than a billion people towards what they consider acceptable behaviour, from what you wear to how you cross the street.

The Chinese government is even developing a social credit system that analyses citizens spending habits to reward those who lead lives the Chinese Communist Party regards as good and punish those deemed to be decadent.

We are not China. But we shouldnt allow ourselves to become apathetic because we havent personally fallen foul of novel surveillance methods yet.

We should imagine the worst uses to which they could be put and say no, thank you, we dont want a fishbowl society in which our faces can be tracked constantly wherever we go.
A high-profile opinion columnist has hit back at a newspaper company that sacked her after three decades of service with a five minute phone call.

Architecture critic and writer Elizabeth Farrelly will no longer contribute her weekly column to the Sydney Morning Herald after incoming editor Bevan Shields terminated her employment.

Ms Farrelly revealed she had been sacked in a furious post to Facebook on Sunday afternoon where she described the move as a 'ruthless king-hit' to her career.

The publication said the decision was made by Mr Shields after the columnist failed to disclose she had registered as a Labor Party candidate at recent local council elections.

High-profile columnist Elizabeth Farrelly (pictured) will no longer contribute a weekly column to the Sydney Morning Herald after editor Bevan Shields terminated her employment

Ms Farrelly said she was notified of her termination with a 'five-minute out-of-the-blue phone call from from newly appointed editor Bevan Shields (pictured)

Ms Farrelly had published a piece in which she blasted Liberal and independent councillors in the Strathfield electorate, where she had registered to run.

An editor's note that announced her registration was added to her weekly column on Saturday, however by then the journalist had opted not to run for a seat.

On Sunday, Mr Shields phoned Ms Farrelly to inform her she had been let go from the newspaper, a decision she later blasted on social media.

'Today, after a working relationship lasting more than three decades, my time with the Sydney Morning Herald came to an abrupt end,' she wrote.

'According to the five-minute out-of-the-blue phone call I received from the new editor on the other side of the world, this termination is due to an apparent lack of transparency on my part.'

The publication stated the decision was made by Mr Shields after the columnist (pictured) failed to disclose she had registered as a Labor Party candidate

In an article announcing her departure Mr Shields (pictured) stated Ms Farrelly's registration as a Labor candidate should have been disclosed to the newspaper and her readers

Ms Farrelly said her failure to disclose her registration to the Labor Party was an oversight on her behalf and had not meant to intentionally mislead her readers.

She said while she had been interested in taking a crack at a state or federal seat or joining the local council the final decision had been 'unresolved'.

While only 'vaguely interested' the columnist decided to register her interest online on the final day of registrations to keep the option open.

'I was not preselected for the Labor federal candidate, nor for the Labor Council ticket, so I did not run in the recent council election,' she continued in the post.

While Ms Farrelly did admit to campaigning for the Labor Party in the lead-up to the election she said it 'did not cross her mind' to notify her employer.

The New Zealand-born writer and architecture critic (right) is one of Australia's best known columnists and has contributed to the Sydney Morning Herald for 30 years

She accepted it had been an oversight on her behalf but there was no 'undisclosed conflict of interest of which my readers should have been made aware'.

When contacted by the Herald the architecture critic described her termination as 'grossly disproportionate'.

'It was a small, inadvertent misdemeanour that was met with an irreversible punishment and that is grossly unfair,' the writer said.

'I can't think of any other workplace with this kind of treatment of long-standing honourable service and where such treatment would be acceptable.'

In her late-night post to social media, Ms Farrelly said that while a change in direction 'scared her to death' she was up for the challenge.

Ms Farrelly (pictured) was elected to the board of the National Trust of Australia in 2021 and is currently building a 'passive off-grid dwelling' in rural NSW

Ms Farrelly (pictured) accepted it had been an oversight on her behalf but there was no 'undisclosed conflict of interest of which my readers should have been made aware'

'On the other hand, it's time for a change and I am determined to transform the Herald's ruthless king-hit into a new opportunity. Watch this space,' she wrote.

In an article announcing her departure newly appointed editor Mr Shields, 36, thanked Ms Farrelly for her 'longstanding contribution' to the newspaper.

'The Herald is determined to extend its coverage of urban design and architecture, and this will include new voices in our opinion pages in 2022,' he said.

'Elizabeth's registration as a Labor candidate should have been disclosed to us and our readers.

'Her registration makes future contributions very difficult given the close connection between urban development and politics.'
Aston Villa cancelled a planned recovery session at their training ground on Sunday after a player and a number of training ground staff tested positive for Covid-19.

Some first-team squad members were due at Bodymoor Heath to work indoors but the exercise was shelved following the positive case. It is not known whether the player was involved in Saturdays 1-0 defeat by Liverpool.

The news comes on the same day as Manchester United reported some cases of their own, which has placed doubt on whether they will be able to fulfil their fixture with Brentford on Tuesday.

Steven Gerrard may have a depleted squad for Aston Villa's trip to Norwich on Tuesday, where they will face former manager Dean Smith

On Sunday night, Villa were planning to train as normal on Monday in preparation for Tuesdays Premier League match at Norwich, which they were still expecting to go ahead. It is possible they will have another round of tests before that encounter.

The Midlands-based side are the latest club to be hit by the virus, after Tottenham had to close down their training ground earlier this week and postpone their games with Rennes and Brighton.

Meanwhile, Norwich boss Dean Smith  who left Villa in November  reported Covid-19 issues in his squad on Friday, before Saturdays 1-0 defeat by Manchester United.

Villa manager Steven Gerrard revealed last week that chief executive Christian Purslow would address the players and staff on Monday about the current coronavirus situation in the UK, and underline the necessary precautions.

Whether these talks are still held remains to be seen, but Villa's preparations for the busy Christmas period could now be severely hampered if the situation at the club worsens in the coming days.
They have been in hiding for months  but now disgraced former Health Secretary Matt Hancock and his lover Gina Coladangelo have finally made their social debut.

The pair surfaced at a glittering party for nearly 400 guests held in belated honour of Jeffrey Archers 80th birthday.

Onlookers said they looked blissfully in love at the Cecil B. DeMille production at Londons opulent Banqueting House.

They have been in hiding for months  but now disgraced former Health Secretary Matt Hancock and his lover Gina Coladangelo have finally made their social debut

Hancock was forced to resign when leaked CCTV footage of this clinch was leaked in June

Guests included a host of showbiz stars and Tory grandees from the Thatcher era. One source said: It was like a festival, or commemoration, of disgraced Ministers and a Whos Who of the 1980s Tory Party. Meanwhile, actress Patricia Hodge sang the Marilyn Monroe classic Happy Birthday, Mr President to best-selling author Lord Archer.

Another guest added: All eyes were on Matt and Gina, of course. It was their first major social event as a couple. They couldnt have chosen a better location or audience  almost everyone was a disgraced politician. Archer, a former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, was famously jailed in 2001 for perjury.

In June, when Hancock was the Minister overseeing strict social distancing guidelines during the pandemic, he was caught on CCTV kissing his aide Gina in his Whitehall office.

He was forced to resign for breaking his own lockdown rules, while Gina also left her job at the Department of Health.

Earlier this month, the Tory MP admitted in a television interview with Robert Peston that he had blown up every part of my life.

But as I revealed on these pages last week, he is less contrite when among friends, joking saucily to a pal that he is into all things Italian these days  an apparent reference to Gina, who is half-Italian.

Guests at Lord Archers party were treated to champagne on arrival, followed by a fanfare played by trumpeters of the Royal Marines, after which they headed into dinner.

Lord Archers wife Mary recited a poem about the elements, and his grandchildren gave a speech.

Meanwhile, Hancock, left, enjoyed the limelight again last night, appearing on the red carpet at Capital Radios Jingle Bell Ball in London dressed in a trendy polo neck sweater and jeans.

But there no sign of Gina, prompting one observer to quip: Perhaps she only emerges when the party is top secret.
Actress Jenna Coleman, above, is on the lookout for a country pile fit for a Queen. I hear the Victoria star, 35, is ready to quit London and is house-hunting in East Sussex with a budget of 2 million. Could it be a sign that she really has reconciled with former flame Tom Hughes, who played Prince Albert opposite her Queen Victoria in the ITV drama?

A local estate agent tells me: Lots of actors, comedians and City workers are house-hunting in East Sussex. Jenna has seen quite a few properties so far, but hasnt found the right one.

Lancastrian Jenna and Tom, 35, split last year. But in October she was spotted leaving Toms North London house, with locals saying her car had been parked outside for weeks and even had a local permit.

The actress, who also played the companion to Matt Smiths Doctor Who, has sold her two-bedroom house in North London, for 1 million. My snap, top left, of Jenna wheeling a huge suitcase last week suggests she might be getting desperate for that new pad.

Victoria star Jenna Coleman, pictured, is planning to leave London and is reportedly house hunting in East Sussex with a budget of 2 million

A local estate agent said: 'Jenna has seen quite a few properties so far, but hasnt found the right one'

Queen of Chelsea Georgia Toffolo is gazumped

She may be the Queen of Chelsea but Georgia Toffolo might have to slum it by moving to Notting Hill.

The former Made In Chelsea star has been reduced to staying in a hotel since breaking up with her fiance George Cottrell in June, and she keeps being gazumped on properties by oligarchs, despite having a whopping 250,000-a-year rental budget.

As soon as I put an offer in, they just swoop in with a better one, lamented Toff, 27, at the Boisdale Cigar Smoker of the Year Awards.

Ive been trying to rent a flat for six months now. Its so annoying  I might end up living in Notting Hill.

Talk about a first-world problem!
Sophie Monk and fiance Joshua Gross have welcomed a new member to their family - a puppy named Bluey.

Joshua took to Instagram on Saturday to share a portrait photo of Sophie posing with the cute white-coloured pooch.

'New addition to the family, Bluey,' Joshua captioned the photo.

And then there were three! Sophie Monk (right) and her fiance Joshua Gross (left) have welcomed a surprise new addition to their family - a puppy named Bluey

The businessman later shared a clip of the happy puppy running around their home.

Reposting the clip to her own Instagram Stories, a smitten Sophie wrote: 'I'm so in love.'

Sophie and Joshua became engaged in December but waited to announce their news until January.

New addition: Joshua took to Instagram on Saturday to share a portrait photo of Sophie posing with the cute white-coloured pooch

Puppy love: The businessman later shared a clip of the happy puppy running around their home. Reposting the clip to her own Instagram Stories, a smitten Sophie wrote: 'I'm so in love.

The couple met in August 2018, they were seated together on a flight and even shared a kiss during the long haul trip.

In July, Sophie lifted the lid on her baby plans, telling The Sunday Telegraph: 'We would love a family if we are lucky enough.

'You just never know but we would love to,' the Love Island Australia host continued.

Surprise! Sophie and Joshua became engaged in December but waited to announce their news until January

Sophie froze her eggs two years ago, a move which she says takes the pressure off 'a bit'.

'I've got them as back-up!' she added.

Back in March, Sophie said on KIIS FM's Kyle and Jackie O Show that the pair would consider adopting a child if they struggled to fall pregnant.

She said: 'If you couldn't then we would do a different plan but I have frozen heaps of eggs.'
Celeste Barber is returning to her acting roots after being cast as the lead role in Netflix's upcoming comedy drama Wellmania.

The 39-year-old funnywoman will also serve as executive producer on the series, which was inspired by Brigid Delaney's novel Wellmania: Misadventures in the Search for Wellness.

The eight-episode series will be her second Netflix role, after voicing the character of Kayla the koala in animated feature Back to the Outback.

Exciting: Australian comedian Celeste Barber, 39, (pictured) has landed her first major acting role in new Netflix TV dramedy series Wellmania

'I've never really thought that things would never happen to me again but at the same time I never thought they would,' she told The Daily Telegraph of the new role.

'I've always just kind of kept it going. And do what I want to do is work in film and television,' she added.

'I'm so excited to be acting and to be back on set.'

Top of the crop: Celeste will also serve as executive producer on the series, which is inspired by Brigid Delaney's novel Wellmania: Misadventures in the Search for Wellness

In an official statement on Sunday, Celeste said: 'I'm so excited about this project, the whole team is awesome. We've been working on it for a while and I've been busting to tell everyone about it.'

'I'm drawn to projects that centre around interesting, dynamic and complex lead female characters and that's exactly what is.'

'I'm stoked to be working with Netflix and tell this Australian story to an international audience, and to also be an executive producer so I can boss people around.'

Cryptic: Last week the Sydney-based comedian hinted at the news, posting a rare non-parody photo to Instagram. 'Sh*t just got real today. I'm so pumped and I wanted to post it here so it would stay and remind me how excellent and big the real stuff is,' she wrote

Celeste previously appeared as paramedic Bree Matthews in All Saints and is known for her roles in Office Correctness and How Not to Behave.

Last week the Sydney-based comedian hinted at the news, posting a rare non-parody photo to Instagram.

'Sh*t just got real today. I'm so pumped and I wanted to post it here so it would stay and remind me how excellent and big the real stuff is,' she wrote.

The series is slated to be released on Netflix in 2022.
Christine Quinn opened up about experiencing postpartum depression and PTSD while filming the newest season of Selling Sunset.

The reality television personality, 33, spoke about her recent difficulties during an interview with ET Canada that was made available to the public on Friday, where she noted that her problems started after giving birth to her son.

The media figure notably expressed that the issues regarding her pregnancy were exacerbated by the editing of the program's newest season.

Issues: Christine Quinn opened up about experiencing postpartum depression and PTSD while filming the newest season of Selling Sunset

The media personality went on to express that Selling Sunset's producers attempted to hide her pregnancy from the public on screen, which prompted an angry response from the show's fans.

'They edited me from...the boobs up so I got a lot of backlash on social media,' she said.

'I was pregnant on top of dealing with postpartum depression this season was really difficult for me. I did the best that I could with the emotions that I was dealing with at the time and that I'm still dealing with now,' she said.

Quinn went on to express that her castmates on the program were less than understanding of her issues related to childbirth.

Unsupportive: Quinn went on to express that her castmates on the program were less than understanding of her issues related to childbirth

A different approach: The media personality went on to express that Selling Sunset's producers attempted to hide her pregnancy from the public on screen, which prompted an angry response from the show's fans

'The problem that I was facing [was] everyone was saying, "Oh, well, you know, she's so thin. She's so this. She's so that." But inside you know, I was dealing with PTSD,' she said.

The reality television personality made a point of noting that she was 'absolutely' open with her colleagues and the show's producers regarding her issues.

However, she claimed that her coworkers were openly hostile to her during the time period, which she felt was especially hurtful.

Harsh feelings: She recalled that her coworkers were openly hostile to her during the time period, which she felt was especially hurtful

'They make fun of the fact of me being late in the show. "Oh, Christine's late. Oh, Christine's late." And it's because I was literally having panic attacks and I was worried about my pregnancy,' she stated.

She added: 'It was a lion's den and these girls were pitted against me. And it was really, really difficult.'

Quinn stressed that her pregnancy was marked by rude commentary from her colleagues, who did not take her feelings into consideration.

'It was extremely hurtful considering the process that I went through,' she stated.

On screen: Quinn stressed that her pregnancy was marked by rude commentary from her colleagues, who did not take her feelings into consideration; she is seen earlier this week

Quinn concluded by expressing that her pregnancy was especially difficult to navigate while working on Selling Sunset.

She stated: 'My process was not easy by any means and on TV, they make it look easy. But I was I was struggling in real life. I really was.'

The most recent season of the hit Netflix program was made available to the public on November 24th.
Kate Garraway is reportedly set to be recognised in the New Year's Honours list following an incredibly tough year.

The Good Morning Britain host, 54, is said to receiving a gong in recognition of her 32-year broadcasting career, which includes her award-winning documentary on husband Derek Draper's Covid battle.

It's said that Kate will likely receive an MBE or CBE for her years of service to her profession, reports The Sun, with the honour coming as a 'surprise' for the presenter.

Great achievement: Kate Garraway is reportedly set to be recognised in the Queen's New Year's Honours list following an incredibly tough year

A source told the publication: 'Kate has bravely shared her familys struggle with the devastating effects of Covid, helping to educate and raise awareness.

'Shes spent over 30 years on the frontline of broadcasting and shown true dedication and survival in a tough industry.

'Im sure she will feel truly humbled, thrilled and surprised to be chosen. This would be the ultimate accolade.'

It's believe that recipients are sworn to secrecy about their honour until an official announcement is made later this month.

Honour: The Good Morning Britain host is said to receiving a gong in recognition of her 32-year broadcasting career, which includes her documentary on husband Derek Draper's Covid battle

Kate's television career began in 1989 when she joined ITV New Central as a production journalist and reporter.

She's since gone on to present GMTV, Daybreak and Good Morning Britain, and was recently announced to be hosting Life Stories.

MailOnline have contacted representatives of Kate for comment.

The honour follows what has been a difficult time for the star after her former political advisor husband, 54, was rushed to hospital last March after falling gravely ill with the unpredictable respiratory bug.

Congratulations: It's said that Kate will likely receive an MBE or CBE for her years of service to her profession, reports The Sun , with the honour coming as a 'surprise' for the presenter

Veteran: Kate's television career began in 1989 when she joined ITV New Central as a production journalist and reporter

Derek was put in an induced coma and has since returned home, but has to receive round-the-clock care from medical professionals.

Meanwhile, Kate recently revealed she feels 'very lonely' amid husband Derek's ongoing battle with long Covid in an appearance of Piers Morgan's Life Stories.

The Good Morning Britain presenter broke down in tears while admitting she misses her partner's former self and is unable to predict what the future holds.

She told her former co-host: 'There are lots of moments of joy in that, recognition, moments with the children where he definitely knows what they're saying to him and remembers things.

Tragic: Meanwhile, Kate recently revealed she feels 'very lonely' amid husband Derek's ongoing battle with long Covid in an appearance of Piers Morgan 's Life Stories

'But there is no way of knowing what the future is and in the meantime, it's a strange thing Piers...'

Kate, who shares Darcey, 15, and Billy, 11, with Derek, emotionally added: 'I want him there and I want him back, but some days his presence reminds me the absence, so you can feel very lonely.

'I feel like I just want to talk to Derek. Even though I believe he's there, he can't be there in that same way. I love him more than ever by the way.'

Devastating: The Good Morning Britain presenter broke down in tears while admitting she misses her partner's former self and is unable to predict what the future holds

Kate went on to update her fans on Derek's progress, claiming the virus has 'devastated him from the top of his head to the tip of his toe'.

She said: 'His digestive system, his liver, his kidneys, his heart, his nervous system. We're pretty sure that the inflammation did pass through the brain.

'He still can't communicate, he still has issues with mobility. Fundamentally, he's in a terrible state. Look, he's alive, Piers.'
Blac Chyna delivered a keynote address on 'Building Your Brand' at the Los Angeles Ultimate Women's Expo on Saturday.

The 33-year-old model was all smiles when she greeted her fans and took the stage at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Chyna's public appearance comes after news broke that she's under a police probe in connection with an alleged incident at a Sacramento hotel last month.

Speaker: Blac Chyna delivered a keynote address on 'Building Your Brand' at the Los Angeles Ultimate Women's Expo on Saturday

The Washington D.C. native, whose real name is Angela Renee White, donned an all-white ensemble consisting of legging, a high-necked top with a built-in corset and a crocodile jacket.

Chyna's cropped jacket featured long pieces of fringe that hung from the shoulders and the hem. She sported white sneakers and wore her long dyed-orange locks down in loose waves.

The influencer who is mother to five-year-old daughter Dream with Rob Kardashian, 34, and son King, nine, with rapper Tyga, 32, beamed as she held the microphone and chatted with KTLA anchor Lynette Romero.

In good spirits: The 33-year-old model was all smiles when she greeted her fans and took the stage at the Los Angeles Convention Center

Troubling: Chyna's public appearance comes after news broke that she's under a police probe in connection with an incident at a Sacramento hotel last month

All smiles: The influencer who is mother to five-year-old daughter Dream with Rob Kardashian, 34, and son King, nine, with rapper Tyga, 32, beamed as she held the microphone and chatted with KTLA anchor Lynette Romero

She is under police investigation for an alleged incident on November 27, Page Six reported, in which a woman said she was held 'hostage' in a Sacramento hotel room for 20 minutes.

The reality star was said to have hosted an after-party at the Sheraton Grand after a Black Friday event, where things escalated verbally to the point where one woman was barred from leaving Chyna's hotel suite. A portion of the alleged incident - which went down around 3 a.m. - was captured on video by The Sun as shared by a partygoer who recorded his hysterical friend sobbing after she fled the hotel room.

Chyna's attorney said that 'the story is false.'

Partygoer Ron Knighton provided The Sun with two minutes worth of video and recounted the events of the evening of November 26, into the early morning hours on November 27.

Getting the word out: Ahead of the event, Chyna shared a promo for her appearance on Instagram with the caption: 'Cali Come get Lashed @uwexpo #uwexpo #ultimatewomensexpo'

The latest: Chyna is under police investigation for an alleged incident on November 27, Page Six reported, in which a woman said she was held 'hostage' in a Sacramento hotel room for 20 minutes

Following a Black Friday party at the 3M Event Center in Penryn, California  where Chyna was a special guest  she hosted an after-party in her hotel suite.

'Everyone was enjoying themselves; the drinks were flowing and the energy in the suite was real good,' Knighton shared.

'Suddenly out of nowhere Chyna just yelled at my friend to "shut the f**k up or she'd beat both our a**es".'

'The vibe immediately changed so at that point we thought it was best to leave - but when I went to walk out she shut the door behind me and kept my friend in the room,' he continued to share.

Rocking party: Video captured by attendee Ron Knighton - who recounted the evening to The Sun - showed Chyna at the event beforehand (pictured there above) and the aftermath of his friend being held in her hotel room for 20 minutes

Close call: 'The vibe immediately changed so at that point we thought it was best to leave - but when I went to walk out she shut the door behind me and kept my friend in the room,' Knighton recounted

Under the influence: Video footage also captures one person claiming that Chyna was 'high on cocaine and crazy,' but the footage shows no indication that drugs were present or capture what actually went down inside the hotel room

Knighton maintained: Chyna 'wouldn't let her leave even though my friend was crying and shouting - she was being a total bully.'

In the video, Chyna's sobbing friend was seen escaping the hotel room once Chyna opened the door to let a few people in  at which point she tried to grab the girl back inside by her hair.

After fleeing, the Rob & Chyna star could be heard telling them to come back in. 'We aren't staying anywhere. We are leaving! You crazy?,' Knighton says.

The pair then try and make their way to the elevators at which point he tells his friend he 'wanted to kick the door in,' as she sobs.

As the elevator door opens and they go to get in, Chyna is seen with a group in the hall trying to get to Knighton and his friend but is restrained by a larger gentleman.

Black Friday: Following a Black Friday party at the 3M Event Center in Penryn, California  where Chyna was a special guest  she hosted an after-party in her hotel suite where the incident in question went down; flyer for the event pictured above

Under investigation: 'The department is actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and the investigation remains active,' a spokesperson for the Sacramento Police Department told Page Six; pictured promoting the November 26 event

The friends successfully make it into the elevator at which point they have a conversation where the woman cries 'she's so mean' at which point a friend says: 'It's not your fault  she's high on cocaine and crazy.'

Despite the claim that there were drugs present, the video doesn't indicate such or capture what actually went down inside the hotel room.

The Sacramento Police Department told Page Six: 'A dispute between two parties occurred, and the incident was resolved at the scene by the individuals involved. No injuries were reported.

'False': 'This latest false accusation of criminal conduct is just the most recent in a long line of false accusations against Blac Chyna,' her attorney Lynne Ciani stated; pictured December 7

'The department is actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and the investigation remains active.'

Chyna's attorney, Lynne Ciani, denied any wrongdoing on Chyna's part to the publication and called it a 'false accusation.'

'This story is false. This latest false accusation of criminal conduct is just the most recent in a long line of false accusations against Blac Chyna,' Ciani's statement began.

'We are hopeful that one day people will stop falsely accusing Blac Chyna of criminal conduct. Until that day, we will continue to disprove these false allegations to law enforcement and in the courtroom, if necessary.'
Bindi Irwin and husband Chandler Powell took their adorable daughter Grace Warrior on a family hike over the weekend.

Documenting their adventures on Saturday, Chandler uploaded an Instagram photo of himself posing alongside Bindi and their eight-month-old tot on a mountain top.

The lush, mountainous expanse made for a picturesque backdrop as the family-of-three cuddled up for the happy snap.

What a view! Bindi Irwin (right) and husband Chandler Powell (left) took their adorable daughter Grace Warrior (centre) on a family mountain hike on Saturday

'Family hikes,' Chandler simply captioned the image, adding a sun emoji.

Earlier in the day, Chandler uploaded photo of himself carrying Grace as they hiked up the lush mountain trail.

'Best adventure buddy in the world', doting father Chandler wrote next to the image.

'Best adventure buddy in the world': Earlier in the day, Chandler uploaded photo of himself carrying Grace as they hiked up the lush mountain trail

The intrepid outing came hours before Bindi uploaded a photo of herself, Chandler and Grace posing at Australia Zoo's employee Christmas party.

The black-and-white group selfie also featured Bindi's brother Robert and mother Terri - who were both clad in Christmas-themed sweaters.

'Our annual Australia Zoo Crew Christmas party was the best yet with beautiful Grace,' Bindi captioned the image.

'Celebrating our extraordinary team': The intrepid outing came hours before Bindi uploaded a photo of herself, Chandler and Grace posing at Australia Zoo's employee Christmas party. The black-and-white group selfie also featured Bindi's brother Robert (left) and mother Terri (second left) - who were both clad in Christmas-themed sweaters

'Celebrating our extraordinary team is one of my favourite things. We are tremendously grateful for their hard work and determination to make @AustraliaZoo a conservation destination. Our Zoo Crew family is the best [green heart emoji]', she added.

Bindi and her husband Chandler announced their daughter's birth on March 26, just a day after she was born on their first wedding anniversary.

She met Chandler in 2013, when the American former wakeboarder went on a guided tour of Australia Zoo in Queensland.

The pair married in a surprise ceremony at Australia Zoo in March last year.
Cindy Crawford modeled a purple sweater with threaded pink, green, and lavender stripes as she headed to lunch at Soho House in Malibu on Saturday.

The supermodel, 55, wore it over a white top that she tucked into light wash jeans.

She pulled the look together with a pair of light brown heeled booties.

Chic: Cindy Crawford modeled a purple sweater with threaded pink, green, and lavender stripes as she headed to lunch at Soho House in Malibu on Saturday

Cindy's shirt had a cutout along the top near the collar, giving the timeless outfit a touch of trendy flair.

The mom-of-two carried a medium size camel-colored bag over her shoulder.

She protected her eyes from the sun with a pair of square-shaped brown sunglasses, and she was spotted carrying her phone and a face mask in her hand.

The beauty's voluminous brunette hair bounced as she trotted along, ready to meet her friends for a weekend lunch date.

Full look: The supermodel, 55, wore her statement sweater over a white top that she tucked into light wash jeans

The outing came one day after the iconic model took to Instagram to share a comparison of her and daughter Kaia Gerber, 20.

For Elle magazine the next-generation star wore the exact same Ralph Lauren cropped American flag sweater that she did when she covered the glossy in 1994.

'Baby stole my look!' the siren wrote in the caption shared with her 5.8million followers.

Throwback: The outing came one day after the iconic model took to Instagram to share a comparison of her and daughter Kaia Gerber, 20

The cropped sweater showed off both women's mid sections as they posed with their hands in the pockets of their denim jeans.

The original photo was published at the height of Crawford's career; she would go on to marry Rande Gerber in 1998 and have two kids (Kaia and her brother Presley, also a model).

Currently, Kaia graces two covers of Elle for its December 2021/January 2022 issue.

Cindy is very involved with Gerber's career as she has proudly passed the torch to the young star.

The bombshell is sometimes seen accompanying her mini me at photo shoots as her daughter follows the industry path she paved for her decades ago.

The look alike duo often walk red carpets together and they were most recently seen posing side by side at Omega San Francisco Grand Opening VIP Celebration at de Young Museum in NorCal.
Michael B. Jordan spoke about making his directorial debut on Creed III during Thursday's episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

During the sit-down, the 34-year-old performer spoke about various elements of the feature's pre-production stage and noted that he was actively involved in getting the project off the ground.

The actor previously starred as the title character in the last two films in the series and has received positive critical attention for his work.

Expressing his thoughts: Michael B. Jordan spoke about making his directorial debut on Creed III during Thursday's episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Jordan began the conversation by expressing that he was looking forward to directing the upcoming feature, having taken note of the techniques used by other directors in the past.

'I think it was one of those things where I just felt comfortable. I knew it was going to be a risk. I'm super excited to get behind the camera,' he said.

The Black Panther actor also expressed that he had planned out the future feature's plot in advance and was set on a certain style.

He noted that he was excited about 'finally having an opinion and having a story that I want to tell, you know, execute the vision that I saw in my head.'

Inspiration: Jordan began the conversation by expressing that he was looking forward to directing the upcoming feature, having taken note of the techniques used by other directors in the past

Making plans: The Black Panther actor also expressed that he had planned out the future feature's plot in advance and was set on a certain style

The performer also expressed that he consulted closely with one of his good friends, who told him that he was well-prepared to helm a film.

'So from the second one to the third one, I called Ryan [Coogler] up and he's like, "You're ready for it. Just do it."'

He added that the filmmaker had graciously given him 'lots of advice' about making a movie.

Jordan gave an update on the state of production on his project, stating: 'I'm in prep right now.'

Working hard: Jordan gave an update on the state of production on his project, stating: 'I'm in prep right now'

He also spoke about meticulously storyboarding his upcoming film and expressed that the work would streamline the filmmaking process.

The performer noted that the process was 'going to save me so much time so I'm not worried about' smaller things related to production.

He also expressed that he had to learn to 'trust the people that are around you to help out. You don't have to shoulder it all on your own.'

Jordan went on to speak about his expectations for directing a film and noted that he would provide much creative freedom to his cast.

Making adjustments: Jordan also expressed that he had to learn to 'trust the people that are around you to help out. You don't have to shoulder it all on your own'

He remarked that he was interested in 'creating an environment that they feel safe [in] and they can take risks. I want to have fun when I go to set. I want to be able to experiment and try things.'

When Colbert proposed letting the feature's cast take their time with prepping for a scene, the actor humorously expressed that he would give the approach a shot.

'I never thought about that but I think I'm going to try that...you made it sound really cool right then,' he said.

Jordan first portrayed Donnie Creed in 2015's Creed, which also starred Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa.

In the past: Jordan first portrayed Donnie Creed in 2015's Creed, which also starred Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa

The feature was a hit with both critics and audiences, and the latter of the two received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work on the film.

The two reprised their roles in the flick's sequel, Creed II, which was made available to the public in 2018.

The sequel was also met with both critical and commercial success upon its release.

Creed III currently does not have a set release date as of yet.
Amber Heard and Bianca Butti have reportedly called off their relationship after nearly a year of dating after spending months on different continents.

While the pair have yet to announce whether they've split, a source told the Sunday Mirror that their relationship simply 'fizzled out' between them.

While the 35-year-old Drive Angry actress has been filming Aquaman 2 in England, her partner, 40, has remained in Los Angeles, where she works as a cinematographer.

Sad news: Amber Heard and Bianca Butti have reportedly called off their relationship after nearly a year of dating; seen last month

In addition to fulfilling her obligations as a L'Oreal ambassador throughout Europe, Heard's life changed profoundly after becoming a mom in April.

The insider also pointed out that the Marvel star, who welcomed her baby girl Oonagh Paige via surrogate eight months ago, is a 'very busy woman.'

Meanwhile, Butti has been 'tied up with various projects in the US.'

Battling long distance: While the 35-year-old Drive Angry actress has been filming Aquaman 2 in England, her partner, 40, has remained in Los Angeles, where she works as a cinematographer; seen last July

Over? While the pair have yet to announce whether they've split, a source told the Sunday Mirror that their relationship simply 'fizzled out' between them (pictured in 2020)

'With not being in the same country for months at a time and dealing with a new baby, it leaves very little time for romance,' the source added.

On top of everything, Heard will face off with ex-husband Johnny Depp in court next year, once again.

Additionally, the former couple's marriage will be the subject of a new two-part documentary.

Very busy: In addition to fulfilling her obligations as a L'Oreal ambassador throughout Europe, Heard's life changed profoundly after becoming a mom in April; pictured in October

Depp, 58, and Heard have been locked in years of legal battles and have both denied each other's allegations of domestic abuse.

Discovery+'s upcoming documentary entitled Johnny vs. Amber - reportedly telling the story from both their perspectives - is in the works, according to Deadline.

Depp's side of the story will be detailed by the first part of the documentary and then Heard's side will be fleshed out in the second.

'With not being in the same country for months at a time and dealing with a new baby, it leaves very little time for romance,' the source added; seen in October

Archival footage will be interspersed with interviews of people who know both parties, as well as lawyers who have represented them.

One of the executive producers Nick Hornby, not to be confused with the famous author of High Fidelity, noted that text messages will also be included.

'Through the tapes, home videos and text messages shown in court, these films give viewers a rare and important insight into a marriage that went tragically wrong, and to better understand the hugely important issue of domestic violence,' he said.

Incoming: The collapse of Depp and Heard's marriage will be the subject of a new two-part documentary; they are pictured together in 2011

Depp and Heard have been waging a legal battle through various lawsuits since she filed for divorce in May 2016 after just 15 months of marriage.

Days after she made her divorce filing she accused him of domestic abuse and secured a temporary restraining order against him.

Depp has staunchly denied the allegations but was dealt a major blow last year when he lost a libel action he had filed against The Sun for calling him a 'wife beater.'

Judge Mr Justice Nicol of the High Court of England and Wales ruled that The Sun's allegation was 'substantially true.'

Depp had to pay had to pay 628,000 ($861,000) in legal fees - and although he attempted to appeal the High Court ruling he was turned down this March.

Pictured in 2014: Depp, 58, and Heard have been locked in years of legal battles and have both denied each other's allegations of domestic abuse

Meanwhile Depp is also suing Heard for libel in Virginia over a Washington Post op-ed in which she said she was a victim of domestic violence.

Heard made a $100 million counterclaim against him after his former lawyer Adam Waldman dismissed her allegations as part of a 'sexual violence hoax.'

Part of her counterclaim - in which she accused Depp of trying to hurt her career by setting social media bots after her - has been thrown out.

However both Depp's $35 million suit against Heard in Virginia and her $100 million countersuit are currently ongoing.

She attempted to have his libel action against her dismissed after he lost his case against the Sun, but this August a judge ruled Depp's Virginia suit may proceed.

In the pipeline: Now a documentary entitled Johnny vs. Amber - reportedly telling the story from both their perspectives - is in the works according to Deadline; pictured in 2015

Over the course their feud she has brought out photos of herself with bruises and scars and he has provided photos of himself with facial injuries.

Early last year DailyMail.com exclusively obtained audio recordings of Heard admitting to 'hitting' Depp and hurling 'pots and pans' at him.

She is heard saying that she 'hit you across the face in a proper slap, but I was hitting you, it was not punching you. Babe, you're not punched.'

On the recording - which was made on her phone consensually during an informal two-hour 'therapy' session - she also mocked him for fleeing their altercation, calling him 'such a baby' and taunting him: 'Grow the f*** up.'

Earlier this month a Virginia court agreed to allow Depp's team to 'forensically inspect' Heard's phone to see whether the pictures of her bruised face were falsified.
It looks like the formal Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony will be moving to Los Angeles for 2022.

The ceremony's director, Joe Gallen, confirmed the event will take place in L.A. next November during the latest episode of Who Cares About the Rock Hall?, although plans could still change.

'I can't say the venue for sure yet, but definitely L.A. it looks like in early November,' Gallen said when asked about all the talk of the upcoming 37th Annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony moving to the West Coast.

The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony will be moving to Los Angeles for 2022

Basically, Gallen confirmed previous comments made by John Sykes, chairman of the Rock Hall Foundation, who talked about the possibility of moving the ceremony during the 2021 Induction Ceremony at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on October 30.

'Wed like to alternate between Cleveland, New York and L.A..,' Sykes revealed at the time, explaining, 'These are the three core areas of the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame with, obviously, Cleveland being the epicenter. It's where our museum is.'

If the move does in fact happen, it wouldn't be the first time the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony was held outside of Cleveland.

In fact, New York has held the festivities the most since the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Foundation was established on April 1983, by Ahmet Ertegun, founder and chairman of Atlantic Records, and Cleveland was chosen as the permanent home city in 1986

Rotating: While the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame facility is in Cleveland, the induction ceremony has been held in three cities since its foundation in 1983: New York, Los Angeles and Cleveland

The induction ceremony was last held in Los Angeles in 2013 as part of a rotation that included the City Of Lights, as well New York and Cleveland.

Rotating the events as planned would mean it would return to Cleveland in 2024.

So far, the museum in Cleveland and the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Foundation based in New York have haven't gone public about its plans for 2023.

In all, the ceremony has been held in New York City 26 times (198692, 199496, 19982008, 201011, 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2019); and six times in the hall of fame's home in Cleveland (1997, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, and 2021); and twice in Los Angeles (1993 and 2013).

The King is crowned: Elvis Presley has the distinction as being the first musical artist to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1986

Rotating: New York has hosted the induction ceremony the most; 26 times in all, including 2014 when Dave Grohl was first inducted as a member of Nirvana in 2014; Grohl's band Foo Fighters were among the artists who were immortalized into the hall in 2021

Just over five years ago the hall's foundation announced Cleveland would host the annual iInduction ceremony every two years, in a rotation with New York, beginning in 2018.

New York followed up as the host city in 2019, but then plans were scrapped when the 2020 ceremony was canceled, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and turned into a pre-taped HBO special presentation.

The plan to have the ceremony in Cleveland every three years comes with a cost: as some experts have estimated that the city's economy would lose out on $36.5 million dollars, according to the publication, Cleveland.com.

That number could top $50 million when the money spent on such things as hotels, restaurants, transportation, and shopping is added into the equation.

The next round of Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame nominees will likely be announced in May 2022.

Elvis Presley has the distinction as being the first musical artist to be inducted into the RRHOF in 1986.
Zoe Foster Blake has celebrated her husband Hamish's 40th birthday by presenting him with a very unique gift.

Posting to Instagram on Sunday, the Young Rich Lister, 41, revealed she's gifted the comedian a life-sized version of himself made entirely out of cake.

She uploaded a photo of Hamish posing side-by-side with his dessert doppelganger, writing: 'What to get the man who has everything on his 40th? A clone.'

What to get the man who has everything! Zoe Foster Blake has celebrated her husband Hamish's (left) 40th birthday by presenting him with a very unique gift - a life-sized version of himself made entirely out of cake

'Happy birthday to the joy-bringer, the laugh-extractor, the memory-maker. Youre one of the absolute best people on this earth, and I know cos I asked around,' she continued.

The skincare mogul went on praise Hamish for filling her family's life with 'fun, brilliance, ingenuity and wholehearted, bighearted positivity.'

'40 is lucky to have you, and so are we,' she added.

Pucker up! On Sunday, Zoe (left) shared an Instagram post revealing that she'd commissioned the huge cake to celebrate her 'joy-bringer, laugh-extractor, memory-maker' husband on his big day

Zoe also thanked the high-end cake company Sweet Art for creating such an incredible-looking design.

Zoe also accompanied the post with a photo of herself pretending to kiss the cake's cheek, as well as back and front close-ups showcasing Sweet Art's workmanship.

In true Hamish fashion, the LEGO Masters host jokingly wrote in a caption beneath the post: 'How come it was in bed this morning when I came back from toilet?'

Cheers! The cake wore a Demons beanie and clutched a glass off faux beer

The Blakes, who are parents to son Sonny, seven, and daughter Rudy, four, last year moved from Melbourne to Sydney, where they own a $9million home in Vaucluse.

With years of beauty and editorial experience under her belt, Zoe decided in 2012 she wanted to create her own skincare line.

After hearing what readers really wanted in skincare over the years, she believed she had what it took to create products for everyone to enjoy.

Milestone: The number 40 was emblazoned on the back of the cake's fondant T-shirt

The idea of the company was hatched after she completed a beauty column for Mamamia that same year, closing the book on her full-time writing career and opening a completely new one.

She launched Go-To two years later, in 2014.

In 2018, Go-To was stocked in 400 Sephora stores in the United States, and about 120 stores in Australia.

Glamour couple: The Blakes, who are parents to son Sonny, seven, and daughter Rudy, four, last year moved from Melbourne to Sydney, where they own a $9million home in Vaucluse

Go-To has had a boom in sales during the Covid-19 pandemic, which helped secure Zoe's place on the Australian Financial Review Young Rich List last November.

In August, ASX-listed beauty giant BWX Group snapped up a majority stake (50.1 per cent) of Go-To for $89million, in a deal valuing the company at $177million.

Zoe is said to have pocketed about $30million from the deal, bringing her net worth to an estimated $36million.
Ben Affleck and his girlfriend Jennifer Lopez looked every inch the happy couple as they took her 13-year-old daughter Emme shopping on Friday.

After purchasing a new pair of glasses for the teen, the couple put on an affectionate display as they left Lens Crafters, in Westwood, holding hands.

For their outing, the 52-year-old superstar wore a long charcoal grey coat, cozy turtleneck, flared trousers and a protective face mask.

Running errands: Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez looked every inch the happy couple as as they took her daughter Emme, 13, shopping on Friday

Meanwhile, her man, 49, cut a dapper figure in a blazer, aviator sunglasses, knit sweater, plain grey t-shirt.

Lopez's little girl sported an oversized denim sheepskin jacket, white tee, black velour pants and Converse sneakers.

As she left the store, the Lord Help Me author wore a pair of headphones and listened to music as she walked back to the car with her mom.

Cozy: After purchasing a new pair of glasses for the teen, the couple put on an affectionate display as they left Lens Crafters, in Westwood, holding hands

The outing came just days after Ben called reconnecting with his on-again flame 'beautiful' as he graced the December/January cover of WSJ. Magazine.

'I can say that it's definitely beautiful to me,' Affleck told the magazine of reuniting with his ex. 'And, you know, one of the things I really value across all facets of my life now is that it was handled in a way that reflected that.

'My life now reflects not just the person that I want to be, but the person that I really feel like I amwhich is not perfect, but somebody who tries very hard and cares very much about being honest and authentic and accountable. Its hard to say who benefits more, without going into gossipy detail.

Chic: For their outing, the 52-year-old superstar wore a long charcoal grey coat, cozy turtleneck, flared trousers and a protective face mask

'And it is a good story. Its a great story. And, you know, maybe one day Ill tell it. Ill write it all out. [Pauses] And then Ill light it on fire. [Laughs],' he added.

Affleck also discussed the importance of boundaries as he addressed the speculation surrounding their relationship.

'You can write conjecture about it, but one of the harder lessons that I have learned is that it's not wise to share everything with the world.

Making headlines: The outing came just days after Ben has called reconnecting with his on-again flame 'beautiful' as he graced the December/January cover of WSJ. Magazine

'I know that I feel more comfortable having those healthy boundaries in my life around which, in a friendly and straightforward way, I tell you, I just don't want to be talking about my personal relationship in the newspaper. I'm going to exercise a little restraint.'

Affleck and Lopez rekindled their relationship in April, nearly 17 years after calling it quits on their engagement and only weeks after she broke things off with her ex-fiance, Alex Rodriguez, 46.

The couple even celebrated Thanksgiving together.

Bennifer is back! Affleck and Lopez rekindled their relationship in April, nearly 17 years after calling it quits on their engagement and only weeks after she broke things off with her ex-fiance, Alex Rodriguez, 46

'Jennifer flew back to LA from Vancouver to celebrate Thanksgiving with her kids and Ben,' a source told People. 'The last few weeks have been intense for her. It's been hard for her to be away from her kids and Ben.'

'They are doing really well. Jennifer loves being with Ben. She feels it's truly meant to be,' the source said.

During his WSJ interview, Affleck also reflected on his battle with alcoholism and his life regrets.

'There's a lot that I would want my younger self to understand. Some things, honestly, that I'm too self-conscious of or shy about to be really candid about with the whole world because they're mostly mistakes,' he said.

'She feels it's truly meant to be': The newly-rekindled couple even celebrated Thanksgiving together; pictured September 2021

'Things I wish I had done differently, and they're rooted in that instinct to look at my past and think, 'I wish I could have avoided this painful event.' I wish I could have not caused someone else pain. I wish I had understood better the nature of what was difficult about life for me.'

'I wish I did not have to learn some lessons the hard way,' he added. 'But maybe this is just rationalizing because the alternative is too painful.'

The actor also learned it was not possible to obtain true enlightenment through any 'easy' path and that he 'had to learn those things in an authentic, meaningful way to really learn the lessons that I've really internalized, that have created the values that I have now even though most of them were born of failure.'

The actor has been open about his struggles with sobriety in the past, and in his interview said 'suffering' was the only cure for alcoholism.

'The only real cure for alcoholism is suffering. You just hope that your threshold for suffering is met somewhere before it destroys your life.'

It takes two: Affleck and JLo holding hands in New York in 2021

Affleck also said his perspective on his problems had changed in the last five years, and he had come to embrace the issues life had dealt him.

'I used to be irritated by people who would say, "Oh, I have these problems and I'm grateful for them." I used to think, "This is bulls**t. You're not grateful for disasters, creating pain and wreckage in your life. Say you feel s***** about it and you wish you were better!"' he said. 'Only within the last five years, I really felt increasingly grateful for the difficulties that I've had.'

'It's not insignificant, because a lot of that pain is rooted in pain caused to other people. And that turns out to be the most painful thing in life,' he said.

And the A-lister admitted he was fortunate to have 'benefited from second chances.'

'I am very lucky in my life in that I have benefited from second chances, and I am aware that other people don't even get first chances. Life is difficult, and we are always failing and hopefully learning from those failures.

'The one thing you really need to avail yourself of the opportunities provided from that growth is the second chance. I've definitely tried to take advantage of that. I haven't always been successful, but in cases in which I have, they've turned out to be the defining aspects of my life.'

'I feel great about being very healthy,' he said.

Affleck was also asked if there were days he feared he was 'going to lose it all' in the midst of his struggles with alcoholism.

'Definitely. Many times. Part of me blanches at that question, and part of me really wants to answer it. The part of me that blanches says, Well, I know thats sort of become optically like: Ben Affleck, alcoholic. Because Ive spoken about it. Other actors have refused to, or were lucky enough to maintain their anonymity.

'She feels it's truly meant to be': The newly-rekindled couple even celebrated Thanksgiving together; pictured last week

'Because I can think of scores of addicts working in this business whose issues arent public, who never have to answer questions like this and who have had just as many, if not much worse, troubles than I have. But it is also true that I am an alcoholic. That period of time was awful and all the things that you would imagine.'

Affleck was compelled to change his life around after he faced the prospect of losing what was most important to him.

'And yes, there were moments where I really faced the thing that was most important to me and the prospect of losing that. And that is what ultimately changed things for me. I didnt get any stronger or develop any willpower. I simply met that threshold. You know, somewhere in the amygdala it said, This is too painful. Im not going to do this anymore. I dont want to do it. It was a moment after which it became clear that this was not the life I wanted.'

The actor also discussed the importance of a child being raised by two parents as he chatted about fatherhood in reference to a line from the book The Tender Bar, 'To be a man, a boy must see a man.'

Lots of history: Affleck and Lopez first started dating in 2002 after meeting on the set of Gigli; pictured earlier this month

'Its important to have two parents for the rearing and upbringing of a child,' he explained. 'The most important thing to me is to be a good father. Boys need to be taught. How to behave, how to conduct yourself. What your values should be. The ways my father did that for me are really meaningfulas are the ways in which he was absent.'

'You need a father for positive reinforcement,' he added. 'I got that from my father  and missed it when he wasnt there. In some ways I was able to see both sides: growing up with  and without  a father.'

Affleck and Lopez first started dating in 2002 after meeting on the set of Gigli.

They soon became engaged and were set to get married in September 2003, but postponed their wedding and eventually broke up in January 2004.

The couple's rekindled relationship came as a shock to fans, heating up again nearly 17 years after their failed engagement.

Jennifer confirmed the end of her relationship with Rodriguez, a former New York Yankee, in April after the pair dated for four years and were engaged for two years.

Affleck was previously married to Jennifer Garner, who ended their nearly decade-long marriage in 2015.

The former spouses, who share daughters Violet, 15, Seraphina, 12, and nine-year-old Sam, ultimately finalized their divorce until 2018.
Sam Elliott, Billy Bob Thornton, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill turned up the glamour factor at the star-studded Las Vegas premiere of their new show.

Entitled 1883, the program is a prequel spin-off to the smash hit program Yellowstone starring Kevin Costner.

Although the main series is set in the modern day the new prequel series the prequel show explores its 19th century origin story.

From left: Billy Bob Thornton, Sam Elliott, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill turned up the glamour factor at the star-studded Las Vegas premiere of their new show

Billy Bob wrapped himself in a long black coat and accessorized with a matching hat, as well as a large chain dangling from his waist.

Meanwhile Tim went for a classically chic look, wearing a black suit over a white shirt and leaving his top buttons beguilingly undone over his chest.

Faith, who is his fellow country superstar and has been married to Tim in real life since 1996, made a splash in a red jumpsuit.

She emphasized her enviably svelte figure by cinching on a matching belt that featured an elaborate buckle with turquoise accents.

Swanking about: Billy Bob wrapped himself in a long black coat and accessorized with a matching hat, as well as a large chain dangling from his waist

Art imitating life: Faith, who is his fellow country superstar and has been married to Tim in real life since 1996, made a splash in a red jumpsuit

Sweeping her hair tightly back into a ponytail, she added a splash of dazzle to the look with drop earrings and carried a sleek sliver clutch.

In addition to being married in real life Tim and Faith play a couple on the show, and their TV daughter Isabel May could be spotted posing with them at the premiere.

At one point Billy Bob also stood for a picture with Tim, isabel and Faith during the fete, which was held at the Wynn on the Las Vegas Strip.

The new show is created by Wind River writer-director Taylor Sheridan, who also co-created the original Yellowstone show with John Linson.

Trio: In addition to being married in real life Tim and Faith play a couple on the show, and their TV daughter Isabel May could be spotted posing with them at the premiere

Quartet: At one point Billy Bob also stood for a picture with Tim, isabel and Faith during the fete, which was held at the Wynn on the Las Vegas Strip

Saturday night's premiere event comes the day after Deadline revealed that Tom Hanks is part of the cast of 1883.

Taylor, who wrote Sicario and Hell Or High Water, informed the trade publication that there will be other famous names on 1883 too but declined to name them.

Yellowstone itself boasts a top-flight cast including Kevin Costner and Kelly Reilly in the dramatic saga of the family running a Montana cattle ranch.
Billionaire pub baron Justin Hemmes has sold his waterfront home at Pittwater in Sydney for a whopping $5.5million.

According to The Sunday Telegraph, the 49-year-old offloaded the Morning Bay retreat earlier this week.

Justin purchased the home five years ago when he purchased the nearby Newport Arms, a historic hotel located on the shores of Pittwater.

Sold! Justin Hemmes has sold his stunning Pittwater home for $5.5million, according to The Daily Telegraph. Pictured with Madeline Holtznagel

The chic weekender has three bedrooms and a large open-plan living area, perfectly suited for entertaining.

The stunning property also features sweeping waterfront and bushland views, and includes a boathouse and a workshop.

The home also features a floating roof and a large box gutters that feed rainwater into a 50,000-litre tank.

Hemmes originally purchased the home for $2.75million from theatre production designer Laurence Eastwood and his wife, Deborah.

The couple paid just $510,000 for the 1275sqm vacant block back in 1996.

Retreat: Justin purchased the home five years ago when he purchased the nearby Newport Arms, a historic hotel located on the shores of Pittwater

What a view: The chic weekender has three bedrooms and a large open-plan living area, perfectly suited for entertaining

Sweeping: The stunning property also features sweeping waterfront and bushland views, and includes a boathouse and a workshop

It comes after Justin revealed an ambitious plan to save Sydney's nightlife after the crushing blows of the pandemic.

Speaking to Daily Telegraph in October, the 49-year-old revealed he has snapped up six new venues prior to the city's extended lockdown.

The Sydney businessman will soon open Rozelle's 3 Weeds pub after a refit, and recently re-opened The Alex in Alexandria.

'We kept all our construction jobs going during lockdown,' he said. 'We've got three, no, four new venues opening soon.

'Actually there's more, we've been supercharged for about a month now.'

Hemmes, who owns The Ivy, also plans on bringing back dancing to the city.

Empire building: 'We kept all our construction jobs going during lockdown,' he said. 'We've got three, no, four new venues opening soon.' Pictured: Outside of The Ivy precinct

'Just before our last lockdown we had the clubs trading at full tilt and I'd never seen so much joy to be dancing,' he said.

'I think there will be a huge revival on dance floors,' he added. 'Dancing is tribal. It's innate in our DNA makeup.'

Hemmes takeover isn't just in the city with him also recently purchasing iconic Byron Bay dive bar Cheeky Monkey's for $13.5million.

Changes: 'I think there will be a huge revival on dance floors,' he added. 'Dancing is tribal. It's innate in our DNA makeup,' Justin said. Pictured Totti's restaurant in Bondi (pictured)

Justin's family fortune is worth about $1.06billion.

His property portfolio includes the Beresford Hotel in Surry Hills, the Queen Victoria Hotel in Enmore, and Bondi's Royal Hotel.

Justin also recently bought his ex-partner Kate Fowler a $7.5million mansion Dover Heights, which is one of Sydney's most exclusive suburbs.
Sandra Oh mingled with Simu Liu on the red carpet for The 19th Annual Unforgettable Gala in Beverly Hills this weekend.

Simu, 32, who became an international movie star this year in Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, went for an eye-popping red ensemble.

He arrived to the event at the Beverly Hilton Hotel wearing a scarlet suit with a matching shirt, leaving his top button beguilingly undone.

Radiant: Sandra Oh mingled with Simu Liu on the red carpet for The 19th Annual Unforgettable Gala in Beverly Hills this weekend

Wearing his hair in a fashionable coiff, the Marvel Cinematic Universe star rounded off his ensemble with black shoes.

Simu posed up on the red carpet with his Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings co-star Fala Chen, who cut a glamorous figure at the fete.

Fala, who is married to French tech businessman Emmanuel Straschnov, slipped into a gleaming pink gown with a mesh cowl.

Meanwhile Sandra brought back the 1980s in a pink sequined getup that included a massive bow and raised shoulders.

On the town: Simu, 32, who became an international movie star this year in Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, went for an eye-popping red ensemble

Reunion: Simu posed up on the red carpet with his Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings co-star Fala Chen, who cut a glamorous figure at the fete

The Killing Eve lead flashed her megawatt smile for the shutterbugs as she sidled up to Simu on the evening's red carpet.

Stephanie Shepherd, who used to be Kim Kardashian's assistant, modeled a shimmering backless silver top to the fete.

Sweeping her hair into a low ponytail, she sharpened her unmistakable features with makeup and slipped into a flared pair of black trousers.

The star-studded guest list included Hawaii Five-0 and Angel star Daniel Dae Kim who arrived on the arm of his wife Mia.

Over the shoulder: Stephanie Shepherd, who used to be Kim Kardashian's assistant, modeled a shimmering backless silver top to the fete

Daniel cut a snappy figure in a black suit with a silver tie, while Mia brought back Old Hollywood glamour in a sleek bias-cut floor-length green frock.

In fact Daniel chaired the selection committee that picked the winners of this year's Unforgettable Gala, according to BroadwayWorld.

Sherry Cola was tapped to host the bash, with Simu already declared as the winner of the Breakout In Film Award and Sandra winning Actor In TV.
Armie Hammer has reportedly completed a nearly nine-month stay in a rehabilitation center after rape allegations were made against him earlier this year.

The news about the 35-year-old performer was initially reported by The Sun on Friday.

'Armie is out of the treatment facility where he spent almost 9 months,' a source alleged to the outlet.

Complete: Armie Hammer has reportedly completed a nearly nine-month stay in a rehabilitation center after rape allegations were made against him earlier this year; Armie seen in 2018

The source also claimed that Hammer 'is doing really well and it's wonderful news for his family,' while adding that the performer was 'back in the Cayman Islands.'

They added that the actor was especially looking forward to enjoying the company of his children during the upcoming holiday season.

The source made a point of expressing that his divorce from Elizabeth Chambers, whom he married in 2010, was currently ongoing following their separation in July of last year.

Report: The news about the 35-year-old performer was initially reported by The Sun on Friday; Armie seen in 2019

The media outlet reached out to the actor's lawyer, who declined to make any public comment.

The LAPD previously concluded its nine-month investigation into a rape allegation made against Hammer and sent its findings to the citys District Attorneys office, though sources say that charges appear unlikely.

Hammers controversy began this past January when multiple ex-girlfriends accused him of abuse after an Instagram account leaked messages, claimed to have been sent by him, revealing his alleged abusive behavior, cannibalistic fetishes and rape fantasies.

Out: 'Armie is out of the treatment facility where he spent almost 9 months,' a source alleged to the outlet; Armie seen in 2020

The messages were never proven to have been sent by Hammer and no legal action was taken. However, a woman named Effie Angelova announced last March that she would be suing him for allegedly raping her for in a four-hour long violent incident in 2017.

After nine months, the LAPD has finished its probe into Angelovas claim and sources close to the investigation told TMZ that the case against him isnt strong. The sources did not elaborate on the weaknesses in the case and whether they stem from insufficient evidence, a lack of witnesses or another cause all together.

The Daily Mail reached out to the Los Angeles Police Department, but did not hear back. A representative for Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon said that the office had not yet received the findings of the case when the Daily Mail reached out for comment.

Asked for her reaction on the update on the case, Angelovas attorney Gloria Allred said no comment.

Latest: The Los Angeles Police Department previously wrapped up a nine-month investigation into a rape allegation made against Hammer and will sent its findings to the city's District Attorney. Hammer is above outside of the Today Show when the allegation was first publicized in March

Allegations: A woman named Effie Angelova announced last March that she would be suing him for allegedly raping her for in a four-hour long violent incident in 2017. The pair are pictured together in a photograph taken sometime prior to the alleged incident

Testimony: Speaking at a press conference in March, Effie claimed that Hammer 'repeatedly slammed her head against a wall' during the incident, leaving her with bruises to her face

To the DA: The case went before District Attorney George Gascon (pictured above), though sources close to it told TMZ that the case doesn't seem 'strong' and charges appear 'unlikely'

Armie Hammer could not be reached for comment, though as of one month ago, the Call Me By Your Name actor was still in an in-patient treatment facility near Orlando, Florida, where he's reported to have been since May 31 for 'drug, alcohol, and sex issues', Vanity Fair reported in June.

As news broke about the LAPD investigations conclusion, the hashtags supportarmiehammer and houseofeffie both began dominating Twitter in posts all celebrating the news that charges are not likely to be filed. Most of the tweets also attacked Effie and accused her of lying and trying to sabotage Hammers career.

Hammer was 'thriving' amid his ongoing treatment, sources close to him told TMZ in late October. According to the sources, Hammer has improved compared to where he was when he entered treatment, and they claim it's even obvious just from hearing his voice.

He's also managed to keep in touch with his six-year-old daughter Harper and his four-year-old son Ford, whom he shares with his ex Elizabeth Chambers, via FaceTime.

Hammer reportedly doesn't know when he'll complete his treatment, but he's 'willing to do whatever it takes' to improve.

Those close to him say he acknowledges that he was in an 'incredibly bad place' prior to treatment, but it's not clear if he admits to any of the behavior he was accused of by multiple former partners.

Text messages: In January, leaked text messages allegedly from Hammer appeared to show him discussing dark sexual fantasies involving cannibalism and rape. Above, he allegedly wrote to one woman via DM that he was '100% a cannibal'

Hammer's troubles began when the Instagram account House of Effie started leaking disturbing messages, said to be sent by him between 2016 and February 2020, that include conversations about BDSM, in addition to numerous sexual references to cannibalistic acts and blood-sucking.

In one message, the actor allegedly writes to the woman: 'I am 100% a cannibal. I want to eat you.'

'F**k. That's scary to admit,' the message continues. 'I've never admitted that before.'

Following the publicity from the disturbing message leaks, Hammer's former partners Paige Lorenze and Courtney Vucekovich accused him of being physically and emotionally abusive while they were together.

Lorenze told Page Six that the actor had carved the letter 'A' into her pelvis to brand her and then sucked the blood that oozed out.

She also accused him of being emotionally manipulative and said he repeatedly spoke of 'consuming her.'

After the allegations first began to mount in January, Hammer stepped down from a role in Jennifer Lopez's film Shotgun Wedding and denied the allegations against him in a statement to the Daily Mail.

'I'm not responding to these b******* claims but in light of the vicious and spurious online attacks against me, I cannot in good conscience now leave my children for 4 months to shoot a film in the Dominican Republic,' he said.

Conversations: Hammer's lawyer released a screenshot of a conversation he said between Angelova and the actor. The screenshot was released from Hammer's team after Angelova's press conference

A representative for the production said Armie has requested to step away from the film and we support him in his decision.

During a March press conference with her attorney Gloria Allred, Effie Angelova, 24, alleged: 'On April 24, 2017, Armie Hammer violently raped me for over four hours in Los Angeles. During which he repeatedly slapped my head against a wall bruising my face. He also committed other acts of violence against me to which I did not consent.'

According to Variety, Angelova said she thought Hammer was 'going to kill' her, and claimed he beat her feet during the alleged attack 'so they would hurt' and said she tried to leave 'but he wouldn't let' her.

Angelova alleges she met Hammer on Facebook when she was 20, and admitted to falling in love with the actor, although she now believes she fell victim to 'manipulation tactics'.

She claimed: 'He would often test my devotion to him. He abused me mentally, emotionally and sexually.'

Shortly after, the LAPD confirmed it was investigating the actor after a 'community member' came forward with an attorney on February 3 2021 with a sexual assault claim.

Divorced: Hammer separated from his wife of 10 years, Elizabeth Chambers, in June 2020 - six months before the HouseOfEffie account started sharing messages

However, Hammer has denied the allegations made against him, and his lawyer has provided screenshots of alleged text conversations between him and Angelova which seemingly suggest he told her they couldn't pursue a relationship, though these are not verified.

In one message, Hammer allegedly told Angelova: 'I am not going to be able to engage in you in that specific way right now. It never ends well. We can talk and be friends, but I can't do that.'

The actor's lawyer also said Hammer's encounter with Angelova was 'completely consensual, discussed and agreed upon in advance, and mutually participatory'.

In a statement, the lawyer said: 'Effie's own correspondence with Mr. Hammer undermines and refutes her outrageous allegations. As recently as July 18, 2020, [she] sent graphic texts to Mr. Hammer telling him what she wanted him to do to her

'Mr. Hammer responded, making it clear that he did not want to maintain that type of relationship with her.

'It was never Mr. Hammer's intention to embarrass or expose [Effie's] fetishes or kinky sexual desires, but she has now escalated this matter to another level by hiring a civil lawyer to host a public press conference.

'With the truth on his side, Mr. Hammer welcomes the opportunity to set the record straight. From day one, Mr. Hammer has maintained that all of his interactions with [Effie]  and every other sexual partner of his for that matter  have been completely consensual, discussed and agreed upon in advance, and mutually participatory.

'[Effie's] attention seeking and ill-advised legal bid will only make it more difficult for real victims of sexual violence to get the justice they deserve.'

The fate of the case is now up to the District Attorney to decide.
Eiza Gonzalez was among the stars to lend their support to the Baby2Baby Holiday event in the Inglewood neighborhood of Los Angeles on Saturday.

Every year Baby2Baby throws parties to raise money and awareness in support of children living in poverty, as well as mothers in need.

Some of the other celebrities on hand to bring attention to the organization's fundraising goals, and take part in all the fun, included board of director member Jessica Alba, Chrissy Teigen, John Legend, Kobe Bryant's widow Vanessa Bryant, Ali Wong, Julie Bowen, Chriselle Lim, Sara Foster, Andrea Lieberman, Jennifer Meyer and Rachel Zoe.

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Giving back: Eiza Gonzalez, 31, lend her support to the Baby2Baby holiday event presented by Frame and That's it at SoFi Stadium in the Inglewood neighborhood of Los Angeles on Saturday

The Baby2Baby charity event was presented by FRAME and That's it, and was held at SoFi Stadium.

Gonzalez, 31, couldn't hold back her enthusiasm for the festive event decked out in an all-white ensemble consisting of denim jeans, sheer blouse, and matching jean jacket.

She rounded out her soft look with a pair of black, white and brown-patterned boots, and had her raven tresses styled long and flowing to about the middle of her back with a part in the middle.

Star-studded: Gonzalez snuggled up between Jessica Alba and Ali Wong during the festive event that included a number of celebrities

The Hobbs & Shaw star gave her 7.4 million Instagram fans and followers a glimpse at the event when she shot a few selfie clips, one of which showed her hanging with Teigen as they prepared to hand out presents.

'So happy to be here today with Baby2Baby,' Gonzalez said while staring straight into the camera, before turning the shot on some of the kids who were on hand.

She then turned to shoot Teigen as she was checking out all the gifts that were stacked on shelves.

Kobe Bryant's widow Vanessa Bryant was also among the well-known people to give their support to the non-profit that helps provide presents to children in need during the holidays

Supportive: The leading lady went with an all-white ensemble in the fashion department; the Baby2Baby organization was founded by Kelly Sawyer Patricof and Norah Weinstein, and serves hundreds of thousands of children living in poverty every year across the country

The Baby2Baby organization was founded by Kelly Sawyer Patricof and Norah Weinstein, and serves hundreds of thousands of children living in poverty every year across the country.

It typically brings together celebrities and business leaders together to help garner support and give kids in need an unforgettable experience, many of which would go without any kind of celebration during the holiday season.

At last count, the non-profit has distributed more than 200 million items, like diapers, wipes, backpacks, cribs and clothing, to children living in poverty, according to the organization's website Baby2Baby.org.

Social media butterfly: The Hobbs & Shaw star shot video of the event and posted it on her Instagram page

Toys galore: Gonzalez shot video of the many gifts on the shelves waiting to be taken home

Making a difference: The non-profit provides has distributed more than 200 million items, like diapers, wipes, backpacks, cribs and clothing, to children living in poverty, according to the organization's website Baby2Baby.org
Kyle Sandilands treated girlfriend Tegan Kynaston to a fancy 36th birthday celebration at Sydney's Woolloomooloo Wharf on Saturday.

The radio shock jock, 50, looked dapper in head-to-toe black and carried bags of gifts for Tegan, after they enjoyed dinner at Manta Restaurant with their pals John Ibrahim, his girlfriend Sarah Budge, and Simon Main.

Tegan stunned in a black mini dress that showed off her trim physique, and accessorised with black platform heels, a designer handbag and a gold necklace.

Celebrations: Kyle Sandilands, 50, treated girlfriend Tegan Kynaston (both pictured) to bags of gifts for her 36th birthday, as they enjoyed a fancy dinner at Sydney's Woolloomooloo Wharf on Saturday

Tegan styled her blonde locks out and in loose waves, and opted for glamorous makeup including a metallic eyeshadow, false lashes and a soft pink lipstick.

The beauty walked hand-in-hand with Kyle along the promenade, and was pictured earlier on in the night seated at a table inside Manta Restaurant along the wharf.

Kyle's longtime pal John, 53, appeared in great spirits as he waved to the cameras en route home after the dinner, with his girlfriend Sarah Budge also seen smiling.

A night to remember: The radio shock jock looked dapper in head-to-toe black and carried bags of gifts for Tegan, after they enjoyed dinner at Manta Restaurant

Gorgeous: Tegan stunned in a black mini dress that showed off her trim physique, and accessorised with black platform heels, a black designer handbag and a chunky gold necklace

Going from strength to strength: The couple kept close to one another, walking hand-in-hand as they made their way home

The Kings Cross identity and his model partner welcomed their first child together in September, a boy, which they have named Elvis.

Earlier on in the night, Kyle was also seen puffing on a cigarette with his pal Simon.

Kyle boats a glittering media career, $100million business and sprawling property portfolio. But there's still one piece missing in his puzzle - a baby.

Longtime friend: Kyle's pal John Ibrahim (pictured), 53, appeared in great spirits as he waved to the cameras en route home after the dinner

In great spirits: John's partner Sarah Budge was also seen smiling for the cameras while seated in their car

Popular: At one stage, the radio titan appeared to be swarmed by a group of fans

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia last week, the radio titan confirmed he's been given the 'all-clear' after undergoing fertility testing, and is now excited about starting a family with Tegan.

'I was really nervous [about the fertility test] until it came back saying, "Yep, it's all great, everything's fine,"' he said.

'[Tegan] is all good, obviously. She's a young and healthy woman. So it's good to know that everything's fine in that area so it won't interfere with any future plans.'

Family plans: Speaking to Daily Mail Australia last week, the radio titan confirmed he's been given the 'all-clear' after undergoing fertility testing, and is now excited about starting a family with Tegan

Sigh of relief: 'I was really nervous [about the fertility test] until it came back saying, "Yep, it's all great, everything's fine,"' he said

In great health: '[Tegan] is all good, obviously. She's a young and healthy woman. So it's good to know that everything's fine in that area so it won't interfere with any future plans,' he added

Kyle admitted he wasn't always interested in having children, but came around to the idea after spending time with other parents, including John and his partner Sarah.

'[I wasn't thinking about having kids] because I've been work focused. But all my friends have kids and Tegan's family and friends, they've all got little kids. And we're like the only couple at the barbecue that've got no kids, we have the FOMO [fear of missing out],' he said.

The shock jock revealed he and Tegan had even tested the parenting experience by babysitting other people's children.

Fatherhood: Kyle admitted he wasn't always interested in having children, but came around to the idea after spending time with other parents, including John and his partner Sarah

Parenting: The shock jock revealed he and Tegan had even tested the parenting experience by babysitting other people's children

'We said, "Oh let's babysit in case we hate it." But we were running around and loving it,' he enthused.

'And my little godson is always hitting me in the head and hanging off my neck, and I don't get annoyed ever. So I thought, "Okay, well, I have the tolerance and I feel like the time is close."'

And while he and Tegan haven't made any concrete baby plans yet, it's clear Kyle is prepared for the challenge.

'We've got plenty of space for the night nurse and the nanny to live here and do most of the work. You've got to have that, because my work schedule, getting up every morning at 4.30am, that's never going to change,' he said.

Future plans: And while he and Tegan haven't made any concrete baby plans yet, it's clear Kyle is prepared for the challenge

Smoke break: Meanwhile earlier on in the night on Saturday, Kyle was seen puffing on a cigarette with his pal Simon Main

'I'm not going to bring some kind of situation into the household that might throw that around, I can't put all that on the onus of the other partner. That's also unfair.'

When asked what he'd like to name his child, Kyle mused: 'I wanted to call our son J'Majesty, but Tegan said no.'

'I've wanted to call my child J'Majesty for as long as I can remember. No one's ever like that name because it's Jermaine Jackson's son's name. Everyone thinks it's a bit too affluent, but I like it,' he beamed.

Laughing, Kyle added: 'You know that kid would have issues though, and it would be all my fault!'

In conversation: The pals were seen engaging in conversation while on the promenade
Sophie Dillman has revealed her plans to reunite with her family after one year apart due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The Home and Away star, 28, will spend Christmas with her loved ones as the state borders between NSW and Queensland reopen on Monday.

'It's almost been a year now, which is really sad,' Sophie told The Daily Telegraph.

Not long to go! Home and Away's Sophie Dillman counts down the final days until she reunites with her family after one year apart due to COVID-19 restrictions

'I miss them a lot and it's been really hard not being able to see them face-to-face. So I'm really looking forward to spending some good quality time with them.'

Sophie explained her plans to drive to Brisbane with her boyfriend Patrick O'Connor for the holidays.

'I'll drive my little Mazda up and Paddy will drive his car up and we'll spend the holidays with our families in Brisbane and probably up at Noosa,' she said.

Back home: Sophie explained her plans to drive to Brisbane with her boyfriend Patrick O'Connor for the holidays

Sophie has portrayed Ziggy Astoni on Home and Away since 2017.

She recently lifted the lid on her battle with endometriosis, telling The Daily Telegraph: 'I have really bad pain days where I have to take a lot of medication and can't do a lot.'

'I have to walk around with a hot water bottle in my costume,' she admitted.

Role: Sophie has portrayed Ziggy Astoni on Home and Away since 2017

Sophie has hired a team of specialists to help her cope with her condition, including a gynaecologist, a physiotherapist and a naturopath.

She said she became an ambassador for Endometriosis Australia when she was suffering the most.

'I contacted them in a really dark time of my life when I was in a lot of pain most days,' she said.
Jonah Hill and Sarah Brady enjoyed a date day at Disney California Adventure Park on Saturday.

The Knocked Up actor, 37, and his surfer girlfriend kept things casual as they revelled in everything the The Happiest Place On Earth had to offer.

The pair, who made their sensational red carpet debut earlier this week in matching Gucci suits, wore face masks underneath their chins, with Jonah rocking a cap worn backwards.

Date day: Jonah Hill and his girlfriend Sarah Brady enjoyed a day at Disney California Adventure Park on Saturday

Sarah donned a dip dye jumper with pale blue jeans, as her beau opted for a plain tee and black jeans.

As they walked along, the American filmmaker appeared to be enjoying a sweet treat as Sarah tenderly placed a hand on his neck.

Jonah gave his 3.3million Instagram followers a peek into their day, sharing a beaming couple's photograph to his story which boasted a picturesque backdrop.

Day out: The Knocked Up actor, 37, and his surfer girlfriend kept things casual as they revelled in everything the The Happiest Place On Earth had to offer

Happy: Jonah gave his 3.3million Instagram followers a peek into their day, sharing a beaming couple's photograph to his story which boasted a picturesque backdrop

Twinning: The pair made their sensational red carpet debut earlier this week in matching Gucci suits

Moving: The fun-filled outing was shared on the LA native's main profile, where he wrote a touching caption to mark his late brother's birthday

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The fun-filled outing was shared on the LA native's main profile, where he wrote a touching caption to mark his late brother's birthday.

Back in 2017, Jordan Feldstein - Robin Thicke and Maroon 5's music manager - died aged 40 from a pulmonary embolism.

Posting a masked-up photograph from the day, Jonah penned: 'Happy birthday to my big bro. Miss you dog. Took the goons to Disney to celebrate you and played them Illmatic . I also know you spilled that coffee all over me and were laughing your a** off. '

Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said Jordan's main causes of death were pulmonary thromboembolism and deep leg vein thrombosis, The Blast reported.

A pulmonary embolism is a blockage in one of the pulmonary arteries in the lung usually caused by clots that travel from the leg.

Jordan was the founder and chief executive of Career Artist Management.

Besides his two actor siblings (Beanie Feldstein and Jonah) and parents, the late music manager was survived by his two children.

Jordan, Jonah, and Beanie's parents are costume designer Sharon Lyn and Guns N' Roses accountant and top showbiz business manager Richard Feldstein.
Karl and Jasmine Stefanovic generously donated their time for a worthy cause on Saturday.

The Today show host, 47, and his footwear designer wife, 37, were seen preparing food hampers for those in need in photos shared to Jasmine's Instagram.

The couple filled bags with groceries for plates4mates - with the initiative of 'helping those less fortunate by providing a plate of food to a mate that needs it most'.

For a worthy cause: Karl and Jasmine Stefanovic (both pictured) got into the Christmas spirit as they prepared food hampers for those in need on Saturday

In one photo, Jasmine and Karl crouched down as they began the process of bagging up hampers filled with cereal, noodles, biscuits, as well as toiletries.

Jasmine also shared photos of a van filled with hampers, ready to be sent out, as well as a close-up shot of the packed hampers.

Days prior on Wednesday, Karl paid tribute to his father-in-law, Bob Yarbrough, thanking him for allowing him to marry his daughter and now-wife Jasmine.

Lending her time and profile: In footage shared to Jasmine's Instagram, the footwear designer, 37, was seen bagging up grocery items

Generous: The couple filled bags with groceries for plates4mates - with the initiative of 'helping those less fortunate by providing a plate of food to a mate that needs it most'

In a post shared to Instagram, the Channel Nine star praised Bob as he reflected on their third wedding anniversary.

'On our anniversary to Jas' wonderful father @bobyarby thanks for letting your beauty marry a proper bogan,' Karl began.

Addressing Jasmine, he then added: 'And to @jasyarby for all the love, friendship and laughter. All of it. xxx'.

Karl opted to share a photo of Jasmine and her father instead of a photo of himself with his bride.

High praise: Days prior on Wednesday, Karl, 47, paid tribute to his father-in-law, Bob Yarbrough (right), thanking him for allowing him to marry his daughter and now-wife Jasmine

Happy wife, happy life: Addressing Jasmine, Karl then added: 'And to @jasyarby for all the love, friendship and laughter. All of it. xxx'

Meanwhile, Jasmine shared a more traditional anniversary message, sharing photos from their wedding day and writing: 'Happy Anni my love'.

The couple married in a lavish four-day wedding ceremony in Los Cabos, Mexico back in December 2018.

But the start of their relationship was marred by controversy, with Karl's reputation taking a hit after he split from his wife of 21 years, Cassandra Thorburn, in September 2016.

By February 2017, Karl went public with Jasmine, a former model-turned-shoe designer, 10 years his junior.

Wedding of the year: The couple married in a lavish four-day wedding ceremony in Los Cabos, Mexico back in December 2018

'I certainly did not expect to meet someone five months after I broke up with my wife. That was not planned, I did not know her before,' he explained in an interview with The Daily Telegraph's Stellar Magazine in July 2017.

After telling the publication they were 'taking things really, really slowly', the couple announced their engagement seven months later, in February 2018.

Following their 2018 wedding, Karl and Jasmine welcomed their first child together, daughter Harper, in May last year.
Willow Stefanovic, 16, has the full support of her parents Karl Stefanovic and Cassandra Thorburn as she launches a career in modelling.

In a statement provided to The Daily Telegraph's Stellar magazine on Sunday, Karl, 47, who split from Cassandra, 50, in 2016 after 21 years of marriage, said the family 'fully support Willow in wherever her heart takes her'.

'She doesn't go into anything blindly, especially the fashion world. She's a strong, independent young woman and wants to pursue lots of things in life. We love her spirit,' Karl added.

Their daughter's best interests at heart: Karl Stefanovic and ex-wife Cassandra Thorburn 'fully support' daughter Willow Stefanovic (pictured), 16, in 'wherever her heart takes her' as she launches a modelling career with Precision MGMT

Proud mum Cassandra also provided a statement, which read: 'I encourage all my children to work hard and pursue their dreams and aspirations. Willow knows who she is and what she wants, and those attributes make me extremely proud.'

Willow is ready to follow in her famous dad's footsteps by kicking off a career in the spotlight, signing with Precision MGMT to launch a career as a model.

In her interview with Stellar magazine, Willow credited Cassandra for helping her to achieve her modelling dreams.

Supportive: In a statement provided to The Daily Telegraph's Stellar magazine on Sunday, Karl, 47, who split from Cassandra, 50, in 2016 after 21 years of marriage, said the family 'fully support Willow in wherever her heart takes her' (Karl and Cassandra are pictured in 2012)

She praised her mum for putting in the 'hard yards' to help her kick off a career, and also had kind words for Karl, stating: 'He backs me 100 per cent.'

She posed in a stunning modelling shoot for Stellar, which included one image of the teen in a pair of high-waisted pants and a matching jacket.

Willow, who previously went by her first name Ava before opting for her middle name, is the youngest daughter of Karl and his ex-wife Cassandra.

The former couple are also parents to sons Jackson, 22, and River, 14.

Doting dad: 'She doesn't go into anything blindly, especially the fashion world. She's a strong, independent young woman and wants to pursue lots of things in life. We love her spirit,' the Today show host added

The Nine presenter found love with shoe designer Jasmine Yarbrough in late 2016, after splitting from Cassandra, and the pair were married two years later in December 2018.

The couple welcomed their first child together, daughter Harper, in May last year.

Despite their age difference, half-sisters Willow and Harper have forged a close bond.

Proud mum Cassandra also provided a statement, which read: 'I encourage all my children to work hard and pursue their dreams and aspirations. Willow knows who she is and what she wants, and those attributes make me extremely proud'

Jasmine recently shared a heartwarming photo on Instagram of Willow walking hand in hand with Harper at the beach, and captioned it: 'Sisters.'

Jasmine and Karl finally moved into their new home in Castlecrag, on Sydney's Lower North Shore, in late June.

The couple took ownership of the property just two days before Sydney was forced into lockdown, reported Realestate.com.au.

The Today host and his designer wife purchased the home in March for $3.2million after the house they'd been renting nearby was sold for more than $8million.
Laura Anderson and her beau Dane Bowers put on a cosy display over the weekend as he treated her to a 'snazzy day out' at the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Marina.

The Love Island star, 32, took to Instagram on Sunday to share an album of stunning snaps from their outing, for which she donned a stylish LuxeLend dress teamed with classic beige heels.

Stopping for photographs in the picture perfect setting, the former air hostess looked every inch the radiant reality star alongside ex Another Level star Dane, 42, who she started dating in 2018.

Day out: Laura Anderson cosied up to beau Dane Bowers over the weekend as the pair enjoyed a 'snazzy' day at the F1 in Abu Dhabi

The mini photoshoot captured another element of Laura's chic look, a Boutique Bonita hat, which was perfectly coordinated with both the dress and footwear.

Dane, who is now a member of the four piece Boyz on Block with Shane Lynch, Ben Ofoedu and Abz Love, cut a dapper figure, sporting a white shirt tucked into suave tailored trousers.

As well as the slew of couple's photographs, the Scotswoman also posed for singular shots, candidly showing off her outfit as she stood by the water's edge.

Having a ball: The former Love Island star, 32, took to Instagram on Sunday to share an album of stunning snaps from their outing

Snazzy day: Stopping for photographs in the picture perfect setting, the former air hostess looked every inch the radiant reality star alongside ex Another Level star Dane, 42, who she started dating in 2018

Pose: Dane, who is now a member of the four piece Boyz on Block with Shane Lynch, Ben Ofoedu and Abz Love, cut a dapper figure, sporting a white shirt tucked into suave tailored trousers

Chic: The Scotswoman also posed for singular shots, candidly showing off her stylish LuxeLend dress

Laura, who moved to Dubai in May, wrote: ' Thanks for a snazzy day out @danebowers [sic] Dress @luxelend.me Hat @boutiquebonitaglobal'.

The chic snaps come after the star revealed she has been trying for a baby with Dane - but they have hit problems and are seeking medical advice.

She made the revelation to fellow reality star Vicky Pattison, 33, who then said she was now going to look more seriously into freezing her eggs because she'd like a baby in the next two years, but her boyfriend does not yet feel ready for one.

She said: 'We started trying really quickly. I've been on the pill for years - just so long I was on the pill - and I thought 'do you know what, this probably is not that good for my body'. And I was just like 'should I just come off it and we won't 100% try'.

'But I got the app so I tracked when I'd be ovulating. And he was like 'if you're going to come off the pill we may as well track it and do it properly'. And I was like 'alright, ok'. He's like it will probably take ages.'

But she added on Vicky's podcast The Secret To..: 'We've got some problems. I don't think it's going to be as easy as...

Open and honest: The chic snaps come after the star revealed she has been trying for a baby with Dane - but they have hit problems and are seeking medical advice

'I'm always like really positive, and I'm like 'it will be so easy', and he was like no. So he was right. We've just got to go to the doctors and do lots of checks.

'There's loads of different options as well. It's quite common, loads of different things for men - and women. So we'll see what happens.

'Dane's like 'we need to do IVF', and I'm like I don't really want to. I just never really thought that this would have to happen to me, or whatever...

'We're not at that point yet. He still needs to get some checks and stuff like that, but you can't really plan for these things.'
She recently returned to the UK after enjoying a holiday in beautiful Mauritius.

And Montana Brown, 26, wasted no time in getting into the holiday spirit by having an early Christmas celebration this weekend.

The former Love Island star, who rose to fame on the third series of the show in 2017, took to Instagram on Sunday to share a picture of herself in a festive red dress and a novelty turkey hat before sitting down to enjoy a roast dinner, writing: 'Christmas shenanigans with the best people PS the gammon went down a treat!'

Party time: Montana Brown, 26, posed for Instagram snaps in a festive red dress and a novelty turkey hat as she celebrated Christmas early this weekend

The reality star could be seen holding a chopping board laden with meat as she posed in her garment which featured a plunging neckline.

Her dress featured gold statement buttons while she wore a pair of black tights.

The television personality wore lashings of make-up to highlight her pretty facial features, including a bright red lipstick to match her dress.

Pet pooch: Montana wasted no time in getting into the holiday spirit after her return to the UK from Mauritius, holding a dog at the party

She could be seen seen smiling as she held a dog in one snap, with the pooch wearing a Christmas jumper.

And in another image she stood alongside her friends as they held their drinks up for the camera.

Montana used her Instagram platform on Tuesday to candidly discuss how she's 'the happiest and healthiest I've ever been'.

Best pals: In another image she stood alongside her friends as they held their drinks up for the camera

The screen star showcased her figure in a gorgeous gold bikini while posing on the sand in Mauritius, shielded by the sun underneath a draping palm tree.

Sharing two snaps, one from the front and a second from the back, the reality star detailed her gratitude for her 'extra weight'.

Montana wrote in full: 'Happiest and healthiest Ive ever been. It was so amazing to be away to Mauritius. I am feeling so grateful for the extra weight Ive put on in the last 2 years. No thigh gap, natural skin folds and eating A LOT at this beautiful hotel @luxgrandbaie.

'Happiest and healthiest I've ever been': Montana flaunted her bikini body in Mauritius on Tuesday while comparing her physique to when she was 'over 10kgs lighter'

Candid: Sharing two snaps, one from the front and a second from the back, the reality star detailed her gratitude for her 'extra weight'

Opening up: Montana used her Instagram platform to candidly discuss how she's 'the happiest and healthiest I've ever been'

'I really felt very blessed for my body, that Im healthy, that Im eating more than ever. I am very blessed to have been on such an amazing trip, a time of reflection, gratitude and connecting with some likeminded wonderful people.

'Last image was me two years ago, over 10kgs lighter than I am now. *trigger warning* I am bigger than I was and feeling beautiful [palm tree emoji]'.

To document the weight change, the throwback shot showed the Swim Society founder, who is now back in the UK, posing in black swimwear.

Montana also took to her Instagram story to further explain to her 1.2million followers how the weight gain has impacted her positively.

'Gained over 10kgs in the last two years and really felt grateful for my body and the amazing things it does for me. Was amazing to be surrounded by the most stunning nature,' she wrote.
She's been busy filming Dead Ringers.

But Rachel Weisz enjoyed a well-deserved day off from the set on Saturday.

The actress, 51, was spotted going for a leisurely stroll through the Park Slope neighborhood in Brooklyn.

Doing her thing! Rachel Weisz enjoyed a well-deserved break from the Dead Ringers set on Saturday

Rachel braved the chill in a black double breasted coat, bootcut jeans, and a white beanie propped upon her raven tresses.

She carried a black leather handbag and glasses.

The actress strode comfortably through the leaf-strewn pavement wearing suede boots.

Even while stepping out in the bone-chilling temperatures, Rachel looked in good spirits as she stepped out with a smile on her face.

Looking cool! Rachel braved the chilly Big Apple in a black double breasted coat, bootcut jeans, and a white beanie propped upon her raven tresses

Ensuring a safe crossing, she looked to her left as she stepped across the street.

Rachel has been busy filming the upcoming series Dead Ringers in New York City, a show based on David Cronenberg's 1988 film of the same name.

The actress began working on the project last year, when it was announced that she would be starring in and producing the show.

Taking it a step at a time: The actress strode comfortably through the leaf-strewn pavement wearing suede boots

The original film was partially based on the lives of Stewart and Cyril Marcus, a pair of gynecologists who also happened to be identical twins, as well as Bari West's 1977 novel Twins.

The feature starred Jeremy Irons, who received much critical praise for his work.

The film was centered on a pair of twin gynecologists whose relationship begins to worsen after one of the two becomes attracted to a patient.

The new version of Dead Ringers will focus on a gender-swapped pair of medical practitioners living in New York City.

According to Deadline, the updated take on the movie will also highlight various issues regarding the professional lives of women.

The media outlet also reported that Weisz had come up with the idea for the show and contacted Alice Birch, who previously worked on Hulu's Normal People, to write its first script.

The project was eventually given a straight-to-series order by Amazon executives last year.

Dead Ringers does not have a scheduled release date at the moment.

Watch Normal People, exclusively on Stan in Australia.
Laura Whitmore looked effortlessly stylish as she arrived at the BBC Broadcasting House in London for her Radio 5 Live show on Sunday.

The TV presenter, 36, commanded attention as she wore a burgundy checkered coat, which she layered over a bright blue jumper.

She teamed the outfit with black jeans, lace up boots and a coordinating black newsboy hat.

Stunning: Laura Whitmore looked effortlessly stylish as she arrived at the BBC Broadcasting House in London for her Radio 5 Live show on Sunday

The Love Island host let her long blonde tresses blow in the wind as she strolled through the streets.

She accessorised with a simple gold chain necklace and a black bag slung across her chest and sported a minimal palette of makeup to let her natural beauty shine through.

Abiding by Covid-19 rules, she donned a blue face mask before entering the building.

Trendy: The TV presenter, 36, commanded attention as she wore a burgundy checkered coat, which she layered over a bright blue jumper

Fashion forward: She teamed the outfit with black jeans, lace up boots and a coordinating black newsboy hat

Her outing comes after she returned to work after her brief trip to America as travel restrictions for vacationing in the states were lifted earlier this month.

Laura recently revealed that she spent a year living in America when she was 21.

In 2018, she spoke of her experience of her time in the states as a student, as she revealed: 'When I was 21, I studied in the US for five months.

Wow: The Love Island host let her long blonde tresses blow in the wind as she strolled through the streets

Safety first: Abiding by Covid-19 rules, she donned a blue face mask before entering the building

'In my final year of journalism at Dublin City University, we had the option to go abroad and everyone went to different places, but for me, it was always going to be Boston.'

'I loved the idea of this student city  home to dozens of universities, including Harvard  known for its big Irish contingent. It was a great opportunity.'

Posting on social media ahead of her brief trip she wrote: 'US is open! It's been a while.'

She continued 'Wearing my friend Nicola Roberts' beautiful new merch for the flight, adored with her gorgeous lyrics celebrating 10 years of Cinderella's eyes.'
Izzi Warner took to Instagram on Saturday to showcase her unrecognisable new look following a dramatic weight loss, during a night out with her sister, Ellie.

The Googlebox star, 27, flashed her legs in a black button-up leather minidress, while sporting a pair of fishnet tights and a brown Louis Vuitton handbag.

She highlighted her glossy brown locks with blonde streaks and painted her pout an eye-popping shade of red for the glitzy outing.

Wow! Izzi Warner (left) took to Instagram on Saturday to showcase her unrecognisable new look following a dramatic weight loss, during a night out with her sister, Ellie (right)

Meanwhile, Ellie, 30, put on a show-stopping display in a green midi dress featuring gorgeous purple floral prints and flashed a peace sign towards the camera.

It wasn't long before the blonde bombshell shared a sweet selfie, which saw the pair beaming from ear-to-ear during the fun-filled night.

Proving their close bond, they each wrote in their captions: 'Sister sister,' followed by an emoji of two women.

Adorable: It wasn't long before the blonde bombshell shared a sweet selfie, which saw the pair beaming from ear-to-ear during the fun-filled night

Sweet: Proving their close bond, they each wrote in their captions: 'Sister sister,' followed by an emoji of two women

Gogglebox fans sparked a flurry on social media after Ellie appeared to be clutching an X-rated item during a recent episode of the show.

The Leeds native seemingly rested a sex toy on her lap which she proceeded to wave around as she spoke to her sibling.

The instrument certainly caused a commotion among viewers as they rushed to Twitter to share their shock, even though it was likely just a toy for her dog.

Shock! Gogglebox fans sparked a flurry on social media after Ellie (left) appeared to be clutching an X-rated item during a recent episode of the show

One began: 'Why has Ellie from Gogglebox got a dildo on her lap? #Gogglebox.'

A second questioned: 'What the heck is on Ellie's lap #gogglebox.'

Others chimed in: 'Had to look twice at what Ellie was holding on #Gogglebox just now!' and: 'What's that pink thing Ellie's waving? #Gogglebox.'
They're the Home and Away 'golden couple' who enjoy a romance both on and off-screen.

But Patrick O'Connor and Sophie Dillman have admitted that leading double lives come with challenges.

The couple, whose on-screen relationship has seen them battle car crashes and a near-fatal poisoning, told New Idea it was 'hard work' bringing these stories to life because they're completely different to their laid-back real lives.

Not as easy as it looks! Home and Away 'golden couple' Patrick O'Connor and Sophie Dillman have revealed the challenges of having both an on and off-screen romance

'It's actually really hard work,' Sophie, who plays Ziggy Astoni, said. 'Paddy and I are different to our characters so making their instincts seem natural when they aren't our own is a good challenge.'

She added that the couple, who live together in Sydney, understand the importance of switching off at the end of the day - describing their home as a 'sanctuary'.

Patrick, who plays Dean Thompson, said he has loved filming some of the more hardcore storylines this year.

'It's actually really hard work,' Sophie, who plays Ziggy Astoni, said. 'Paddy and I are different to our characters so making their instincts seem natural when they aren't our own is a good challenge'

'I really enjoyed playing out the car crash scenes,' he said. 'It was an incredible shoot to be on and watching the car get flipped from behind the scenes was pretty impressive - not to mention the beautiful locations of Yass and Wee Jasper in New South Wales.'

Elsewhere in their interview, the couple said they hope to spend time with their families in Queensland over Christmas.

Sophie and Patrick have been in a relationship since connecting on the Channel Seven drama.

It is unclear when things became serious between the two.

Sophie has been a cast member for slightly longer than Patrick, having portrayed Ziggy since June 2017.

Careers: Sophie has been a cast member on Home and Away for slightly longer than Patrick, having portrayed Ziggy since June 2017. Patrick, on the other hand, joined the Home And Away cast in 2018

Patrick, on the other hand, joined the Home And Away cast as Dean Thompson in 2018.

In the beginning, their characters did not get along. However, over time they became close friends, and eventually, lovers.

The couple have known each other for eight years and even went to the same acting school in Queensland.

'We were work buddies first, and it's helped us work well together now, so we're lucky in that regard,' Sophie explained to TV Week in January.

'We are best mates and treat each other like that, but it's also made our relationship stronger starting out that way.'

Patrick added his relationship with the blonde bombshell was 'pretty chilled'.
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Ana de Armas has a new man in her life after splitting from Ben Affleck earlier this year.

The actress, 33, was spotted packing on the PDA with a handsome man who appeared to be Tinder executive Paul Boukadakis in Los Angeles on Sunday, whom she has been linked with since the summer.

Ana could hardly keep her hands off her new beau, and even appeared to pull down his face mask in order to press her lips to his.

Kiss me! Ana de Armas locked lips with her new beau in Los Angeles on Sunday

The duo never strayed far from one another as they shared kisses on the side of the road.

Their eyes closed, the couple appeared to be in their own world as they shared a passionate smooch for all to see.

Ana lovingly placed her hand around her beau's waist before reaching for his hand as they prepared to cross the street.

In between kisses, the two protected themselves from COVID-19 with their face masks.

XOXO: The duo never strayed far from one another as they shared kisses on the side of the road

Sharp and smart: Her bearded new beau wore black trousers, a black top, leather shoes and a beige racer jacket. A black cap finished off the trendy look.

Ana didn't let the weekend stop her from looking best, dressing up in a sexy and sophisticated look that accentuated her svelte waist.

The Knives Out actress wore flared black trousers, a low-cut pink long sleeve and a chic black purse with gold chain on her shoulder.

Her bearded new beau - who used to date Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley - wore black trousers, a black top, leather shoes and a beige racer jacket. A black cap finished off the trendy look.

PDA-packed: de Armas appeared to be reaching for her beau's face mask

Swipe right! Ana was romantically linked to the Tinder VP over the summer after splitting from Ben

Ana became romantically linked to Paul over the summer when Page Six reported she had been seeing the Tinder VP for 'a few months.'

Affleck, 49, met Armas on the set of their film Deep Water and they soon started dating. They split in early 2021, and the actor rekindled his romance with ex-fiancee Jennifer Lopez.

Last week it was reported that Deep Water had been pulled from Disney's release schedule.

Stunning: Ana didn't let the weekend stop her from looking best, dressing up in a sexy and sophisticated look that accentuated her svelte waist

Affleck and de Armas met on the set Deep Water when production kicked off in November 2019

Disney has not provided a reason for removing the film from its release schedule, according to Deadline. The movie was originally set for theatrical release on January 14, 2022.

Ana and Affleck were inseparable for much of 2020, enjoying walks in LA with their dogs and casual outings for coffee.

But in January 2021 it was reported they had split up.

'Ben is no longer dating Ana,' a source told People. 'She broke it off. Their relationship was complicated. Ana doesn't want to be Los Angeles based and Ben obviously has to since his kids live in Los Angeles.'.

Hand in and: The couple held hands they prepared to cross the street
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Candice Swanepoel showcased her gym-honed physique in a black thong bikini from her swimwear brand Tropic of C while enjoying a leisurely beach day with her model pal Martha Graeff over the weekend.

As she frolicked on the shore after taking a dip in the glistening waters of Miami Beach, Flordia, the 33-year-old former Victoria's Secret Angel paraded her tan and toned figure as she soaked up the glorious weather.

While fleeing New York's chilly weather for some much-needed sunshine, the mother-of-two smiled as she kept her long blonde tresses pulled back in a sleek bun.

Sun-kissed: Candice Swanepoel showcased her gym-honed physique in a black thong bikini from her swimwear brand Tropic of C while enjoying a leisurely beach day with her model pal Martha Graeff over the weekend

She accessorized her skimpy two-piece, which made the most of her impressive 5ft10in frame, with two gold necklaces - including a custom design from Logan Hollowell - coral nail polish, multiple rings, an anklet and black sunglasses over her bright blue eyes.

In addition to displaying her incredibly toned midriff, she sets pulses races while flaunting her pert derriere in her cheeky g-string bottoms.

The South African model looked pleased as she joined Graeff under a red and white umbrella for a friendly chat.

Her friend was sporting a chic tie-dye design from her collection with a sexy criss cross front.

Working it! She accessorized her skimpy two-piece with two gold necklaces layered on top of each other, including a custom design from Logan Hollowell, multiple rings, an anklet and black sunglasses over her bright blue eyes

Bombshell curves: In addition to displaying her incredibly toned midriff, she sets pulses races while flaunting her pert derriere in her cheeky g-string bottoms

Beaming: Her bandeau top had a criss cross design on the back

Later, she returned to the water to to relax in the ocean by herself for some rare moments of solitude as a busy mom and entrepreneur.

The star also made sure to reapply some Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen to protect her skin from the sun's harmful rays.

To maintain her figure, she has previously spoken about doing full body circuit training, running, boxing and spinning.

Cheeky display: The South African model looked pleased as she joined Graeff under a red and white umbrella for a friendly chat

Taking a dip: Swanepoel looked relaxed as she waded through the ocean by herself

Hard work: To maintain her figure, she has previously spoken about doing full body circuit training, running, boxing and spinning

Earlier this month, the model revealed she was inspired by vintage imagery, film, music, dance, art, fashion and nature when creating her latest swimsuit collection.

Her brand also guarantees the longevity of their designs saying they use 'sustainable fabrics that elongate the life cycle of our latest collection.'

In campaigns over the years, the founder enlisted fellow models like Irina Shayk and Joan Smalls to model her pieces.

True to its name, many of the looks are bright, colorful, and reminiscent of island life.

Star power: Swanepoel, who was raised in Mooi River, South Africa, became a Victoria's Secret Angel in 2010 and previously was listed 8th on the Forbes top-earning models list back in 2016

Stunner: She was first scouted at a Durban flea market at 15, after growing up as a ballet dancer

Modeling career: Swanepoel has appeared in editorials for Vogue, GQ, Harper's Bazaar, Allure, W, and i-D

Looking good: Graeff pictured in a tie-dye bikini

Over a decade in the industry: Swanepoel, who was raised in Mooi River, South Africa, became a Victoria's Secret Angel in 2010 and previously was listed 8th on the Forbes top-earning models list back in 2016

Swanepoel, who was raised in Mooi River, South Africa, became a Victoria's Secret Angel in 2010 and previously was listed 8th on the Forbes top-earning models list back in 2016.

She was first scouted at a Durban flea market at 15, after growing up as a ballet dancer.

Swanepoel has appeared in editorials for Vogue, GQ, Harper's Bazaar, Allure, W, and i-D.

Looking good! Graeff, who works as a Brazilian fashion blogger and model, has been married to Brazilian fashion blogger Martha Graeff since 2015

Looking good! Graeff, who works as a Brazilian fashion blogger and model, has been married to Brazilian fashion blogger Martha Graeff since 2015

Swanepoel was previously in a long-term relationship with fellow model Hermann Nicoli.

The two met in Paris when she was 17 years old, with their first meeting occurring during a fashion show.

The former couple maintained a long-distance relationship for a lengthy period of time, although they were spotted together in public on several occasions.

In 2015, however, the pair took things to the next level when Nicoli popped the big question to Swanepoel, who readily accepted his proposal of marriage.

The following year, the supermodel took to her Instagram account to announce that she was expecting a child with her fiance, and she gave birth that October.

Single: Swanepoel was previously in a long-term relationship with fellow model Hermann Nicoli

Doing well: Although the two never discussed their breakup publicly, the two broke things off for good in November of 2018, and the supermodel announced that she was single the following year

'It's pretty intense, but it's amazing. To see the love between them is amazing...It's a lot, I'm not gonna lie. The second one is a lot easier, but the situation of having two makes it harder,' she said of parenthood

Although the two never discussed their breakup publicly, the two broke things off for good in November of 2018, and the supermodel announced that she was single the following year.

Swanepoel spoke about having to take care of a pair of children during an interview with People and noted that although she was prepared to welcome her second son, she was not necessarily expecting everything that came with two kids.

'It's pretty intense, but it's amazing. To see the love between them is amazing...It's a lot, I'm not gonna lie. The second one is a lot easier, but the situation of having two makes it harder,' she said.
Hyderabad: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Prakash Reddy on Saturday lauded the Centre for focusing on handloom developmental works and said that Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao should waive off handloom weavers loans in the state.

Speaking to ANI, Reddy said, "The textile minister KT Rama Rao demands only money from the Centre. He doesn't want any other facility for handloom weavers in place of money."

Earlier, KT Rama Rao demanded the Centre to sanction funds for the powerloom clusters. Reacting to this, BJP leader Prakash Reddy said that the Central government is committed to developing the handloom clusters as the handloom industry is the second biggest industry after agriculture in the country.

Slamming the Telangana government, Reddy said, "Telangana government declared that they are going to develop Handloom clusters in Warangal. KCR declared this in his 2014 manifesto. Till now, the government has not provided minimum facilities in that cluster."

"CM KCR had told that he would waive off the loans of handloom weavers in Telangana. As per my records, 4000 people took loans in this sector of which the government waived only 500 handloom weaver loans," he said.

Meanwhile, on September 7 this year, Telangana Industries Minister KT Rama Rao announced that the state government has released Rs 73.5 crore for the welfare of handloom weavers and ancillary workers towards various schemes.

"As per the instructions of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR), measures are being taken to ensure the monthly income of the workers is over Rs 15,000," stated Minister KTR.

KTR said the state government is taking up measures to ensure institutional and structural development of the handlooms sector in the state and different welfare schemes and programmes are being implemented accordingly.
Hyderabad: P. Niroop, a native of Telangana state and a practising advocate in the Supreme Court, was designated as senior advocate by the apex court on Saturday. Niroop is the first lawyer from Telangana to be designated as a senior advocate by the Supreme Court.

Niroop is the son of late P. Ramachandra Reddy, an eminent lawyer, former Speaker and minister in combined Andhra Pradesh. He belongs to Medak district. After enrolling in the bar council in 1985, he practised in the mofussil court of Sangareddy and then went to the Supreme Court.

He hails from the chambers of V.R. Reddy, (former advocate-general, Andhra Pradesh and later the additional solicitor-general of India), and Gopal Subramaniam, (former solicitor-general of India).

Niroop also represented the state of Goa in the Supreme Court and other fora in Delhi for the years 2013 to 2016 as their senior standing counsel and also as the additional advocate-general, for the state of Meghalaya in Delhi and Shillong for 2017-2018.

He has 30 years of standing at the Supreme Court bar, and 31 reported judgments to his credit on sensitive subjects of national importance, in the areas of private international law, environmental law, infrastructural law, land and agricultural laws and constitutional laws.

He also appeared before the Telangana High Court on behalf of social activists in PILs challenging the Telangana governments decision to demolish Irram Manzil to build Secretariat.

Two former judges of the erstwhile AP High Court also designated as senior advocates. Apart from Niroop, the Supreme Court also designated former Chief Justice of Patna High Court L. Narasimha Reddy (Warangal) and former Judge of Andhra Pradesh High Court Naushad Ali as senior advocates.
On farmer suicides, he flayed the KCR administration for aggravating the situation as it failed to address the concerns of farmers.  DC Image

HYDERABAD: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state unit president Bandi Sanjay Kumar said the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and the Congress may jointly contest the next general elections. The two parties were getting closer as evidenced from their coordination in Parliament recently.

Addressing the media at the BJP office in Hyderabad on Saturday after joining 500 people, mostly from the TRS and the Congress into BJP from Amangal mandal in Kalwakurthy constituency, Sanjay said Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao was targeting Rs 50,000 crore revenue from liquor sales in the state.

Charging the TRS of turning the state into a haven for liquor consumption, he said Chandrashekar Rao started three new schemes in the state  drink and drool, swing and swoon and plumb and plunder the resources.

He said the state was infested with drug mafia, sand mafia and wine mafia. The mafias were sapping the energies of the youth and there was no concerted effort to protect the youths from the clutches of these vices. He said even some leaders were going to other states and opening liquor businesses there.

On farmer suicides, he flayed the KCR administration for aggravating the situation as it failed to address the concerns of farmers. Nowhere have we seen farmers dying after reaping a good harvest. The short sighted views of administration are playing havoc in the lives of peasants in the state, he said.

Taking objections to pro-China banter of Chandrashekar Rao, he told him to acknowledge the sacrifices made by Chief of Defense Staff General B.P. Rawat who was recently killed in a helicopter crash while China was running a counter narrative to it.

On the state ministers functioning, Sanjay mounted criticism saying that ministers had become dummies as home minister could not even get a home guard appointed while roads and buildings ministers could not even ground a small road. All powers were vested in the family of the Chief Minister which was detrimental to the development of Telangana state, Sanjay added.

He assured the people that once the BJP came to power, it would usher in a golden rule for the state under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
KARIMNAGAR: Karimnagar mayor Y. Sunil Rao on Saturday announced that he will resign if independent MLC candidate and former mayor Sardar Ravinder Singh wins the MLC election.

Speaking to media persons in Karimnagar city, the mayor, however, expressed confidence that both ruling TRS candidates from the two seats in erstwhile Karimnagar district  L. Ramana and T. Bhanu Prasad Rao  will win.

There is no scope of Ravinder Singh winning, as he has gone against ruling party line, Sunil Rao declared. His assertion comes in wake of everyone in Karimnagar wondering about Ravinder Singh and his followers celebrating after completion of voting in the MLC elections.

The mayor accused Ravinder Singh of trying to distribute costly mobile phones and money to family members of TRS MLC voters. Sunil Rao maintained that though voters belonging to BJP had supported Ravinder Singh, they did not exercise their franchise. By this, one can understand that Ravinder Singh is going to witness disastrous results, the mayor maintained.

He asserted that TRS will once again prove that erstwhile Karimnagar district is its stronghold by getting both its MLC candidates elected with a thumping majority.
They say death at a ripe old age is easier to bear; but loss is loss no matter how prepared you think you are for it. The knowledge of unending emptiness, forever, is a reality no amount of readiness can prepare you for. They say the long months of Covid prepared you to face death, with the dozens of tragedies affecting people known to you, but your own loss is something totally unique.

Most of 2020 was spent thinking of loss and death, of isolation and loneliness. Of making do, of fewer expectations, of adjusting. For me it was also a time of intense learning from my guru mother, of absorption of music with undivided attention. A time of enormous gain, a time of unparalleled closeness. There was nothing to hurry to, nowhere to go, no chores to perform. Listening to the old masters with my guru taught me things I had no time to absorb before; time stretching endlessly from hours into days gave our listening an unhurried intensity. Each listening session was accompanied with background context; the musicians pedigree, my mothers interaction with him or her, the raga and what it conveyed or should have conveyed; what was good and what was bad about the music.

My mother had had an unusual upbringing musically; on the one hand was an enviable lineage descended from Mian Tansen and Sadarang, on the other a puritan, aristocratic Punjabi reservation about women pursuing the classical arts, in an environment of purdah. Music tutors for the basics in vocal music in Shimla included Master Mohan, (brother of the child prodigy Master Madan), then Pt Madanlal Bali, and his guru Pt Dilip Chand Vedi. (My mother had an extraordinary voice, so though born into a tradition of beenkars, later surbahar players, she was trained in vocal music, too). The masters came to her home rather than the other way round! There was always a chaperone in the room. When elders in the family came to stay, the music lessons were discreetly cancelled to avoid shocking them.

Hearing about how a person in her position heard music was an eye-opener  in addition to very occasionally attending music conferences, as they were then called (ladies in her circle were not encouraged), there were private baithaks which none of the greats disdained. Hearing musicians like Ustad Allaudin Khan, Krishnarao Shankar Pandit, Pt Vinayakrao Patwardhan, the senior Dagar Bandhu, Ustad Mushtaq Hussain Khan and many more was a great, treasured privilege. All India Radio recordings were open to a select few; in those days it was understood that the musician simply could not record without an audience that understood music, so connoisseurs were encouraged to come and listen to spur the musician on, so to speak!

As important as the taalim were the close friendships with musicians; from stars Ustad Vilayat Khan to Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, from musicians musicians beenkar Ustad Asad Ali Khan to sarodiya Pt Radhika Mohan Maitra; from scholar musician Sumati Mutatkar to the earthy Pt Samta Prasad, who could never get around her nickname Ita and always called her Rita behen! Ustad Vilayat Khan, during his stay in Shimla, became a close confidant, sharing his music generously, sometimes in return for a few hands of poker (poker is not enjoyable with only two or three people so my mothers presence was frequently required)!

Covid and the consequent changes in lifestyle for people all over the world also brought with it, for my mother, an intense desire to try and heal the world, to rid it of the karmic debt that humanity was paying for. A daily ritual became reciting the Vishnu Sahasranam in unison, to send purifying sound waves into the ether, on Mondays it was the additional reciting of the Shri Rudram stotra. Of course, a daily constant remained surfing YouTube for old music, and its analysis. We argued gently about who to hear  she preferred vocalists; I tended to enjoy instrumental music more. I wanted to hear unusual ragas to dissect them, her take was: unless the notes are appealing, why waste ones time on obscure ragas. I have been there, done that, now music for me is to soothe and elevate and only some ragas can do that.

My mother, in addition to her primary guru her father, Raja Padamjit Singh, was also trained by the legendary sarodiya Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan, a master of rare ragas. A total purist, he shared his music with her generously, a privilege permitted only to his sons. A decade later, again in Delhi, she also learnt thumri from Rasoolan Bai; this diverse training gave her an unusual perspective on music  while being rigidly traditional Raga-wise; she appreciated the artistic licence that true thumri masters yield to. Listening to musicians with her was a unique experience as she pointed out aspects of the music that no one else did; whether it was the delicacy of execution, or appropriate progression, or authentic emphasis of notes that made the raga come alive. She used to say, Everyone knows how to render Mian Malhar correctly; its a rare musician who can actually bring the rain. (Though it must have been a happy coincidence that while in Bikaner, in the early 1970s, it rained after seven years when she sang the Mian Malhar herself, and continued to for several days!)

The loss will remain; thank you, mum for also equipping me to deal with it.
If last weeks two-day virtual Democracy Summit hosted by US president Joe Biden was meant to rally the worlds democracies against authoritarian China and Russia, then the jury is out about its success.

Within the US too, its Presidents initiative has been up for fairly widespread criticism after the January 6 Capitol riots in a country where millions still continue to disbelieve the results of the presidential election of 2020 in which then incumbent president Donald Trump was defeated. This flows from deep political polarisation, and extreme social fissures on account of race and class divisions.

Besides, the present world is far removed from the time when eight decades ago a communist power had been heralded as a challenger to the US, the key beneficiary of the Second World War which came to be regarded as the leader of the free world. But that world, really speaking, was confined to Western Europe and North America. Therefore the rallying game against USSR was easier. De-colonisation was still a process.

Not so today. Much of the world today is quasi-democratic and politically authoritarian in its imprimatur even if routine, dull, predictable elections are held as a loose indictor of democracy with all indicators  such as flourishing civil society institutions and a free media and judiciary  being wholly or nearly absent.

In these times, even Freedom House, a non-profit government-funded US group which was widely regarded  some thought self-servingly  as the last word in the measurement of a democracy, has noted the slippage in Americas democratic stature by lowering it by several points on its democracy index. This is the story of the strongest democracy. India, a sort of beacon of democracy for decades despite its developing status and grave shortcomings on the social and economic side, is now only regarded as part free instead of earlier being free. This is the story of the worlds largest democracy.

In the event, it could not have been difficult for the ambassadors of China and Russia in Washington to pen a joint essay for the publication National Interest in which they roundly criticised the US leadership for trying to divide the world on ideology and for being imbued with the Cold War mentality. China, of course, also counts itself as a democracy, although of a different type. This peoples democracy is a one-party state and has no elections. But through centralising power it has raised millions out of poverty in a relatively short time. This is well advertised among poorer nations whose own societal structures yield authoritarian dictatorships rather than even superficial democracies more easily.

In spite of this, the State Department invitation list of some 110 democracies included countries like Pakistan, the Philippines, and Bolsanaros Brazil but not Hungary, authoritarian but a EU member, or Turkey, authoritarian but a Nato member. Not wishing to displease China, Pakistan declined the invitation. Even if this was anticipated, this military-mullah supremacist had to be called as inviting India but excluding Pakistan does not fit into Washingtons long-term geo-political and strategic interests. It is also noteworthy that even a country such as South Korea, a strong US ally but in Chinas geographical periphery, preferred to represent itself at the summit at a low level.

India attended, naturally. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke of republican kingdoms in its ancient past and drew the inference that Indians had respect for the rule of law and pluralistic ethos was ingrained in them. He sought to underline that India practised inclusive development. If there is a for or against roll-call, we would be on the US side rather than the Chinese, though we will strive for strategic autonomy. But can such a roll-call really be taken at the present juncture when the world is still to settle down to a new order and a new normal?
The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has also hit the banking industry hard with NPAs' write-offs shooting up significantly, as per an RTI reply.

The malady affected, almost with equal force, all public sector banks, private, foreign, NBFCs and urban cooperative banks, as per the recent figures provided under RTI to Pune businessman Prafful Sarda.

The calculations for only 15 months - from April 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021 - are an eye-opener to the dismal scenario faced by the banking industry with huge write-offs of NPAs.

During the 15-month pandemic period, the PSBs wrote off a mountain of NPAs to the tune of Rs 1,56,681 crore, the private sector players had a write-off of a pile of NPAs worth Rs 80,883 crore, while the foreign banks, NBFCs and Scheduled Commercial Banks notched NPAs' write-off of around Rs 3,826 crore, Rs 1,216 crore and Rs 2,859 crore respectively.

This comes to a staggering total of Rs 2,45,465 crore NPAs written off in the first 15 months of the pandemic - which still continues.

Among the major banks which have revealed the highest NPAs write-off during the pandemic period are the State Bank Of India, Bank Of Baroda, Punjab National Bank and Union Bank Of India.

Some of the major private sector banks that have declared huge NPA write-offs in the pandemic period include Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and Yes Bank.

At least two foreign banks also stand out with respect to NPAs write-off -- Standard Chartered Bank and CitiBank -- among around the five dozen which figure in the list, though some have shown zero NPAs written off.

The major NBFCs that figure in the NPAs write-off list are: Jana Small Finance Bank Ltd, Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Ltd, and Equitas, besides large amounts written-off by Scheduled Commercial Banks during the pandemic.

The amounts of NPAs written-off from April 1, 2015 - March 31, 2020 were: Rs 875,770 crore consisting of PSBs Rs 675,593 crore, Private Banks Rs 172,161 crore, Foreign Banks Rs 20,056 crore, NBFCs Rs 1,526 Crore and Urban Co-operative Banks Rs 6,434 crore.

In comparison, from April 1, 2015 - March 31, 2021, the loan write-offs to reduce the NPAs were: Rs 11,19,482 crore, comprising PSBs Rs 832,274 crore, Private Banks Rs 253,044 crore Foreign Banks Rs 23,882 crore, NBFCs Rs 2,742 crore and Urban Co-operative Banks Rs 7,540 crore.

Accordingly, Sarda said that from April 1, 2015 till June 30, 2021, the figure of NPAs write-offs during the NDA rule went up by more than 500 percent compared with the write-offs allowed during the 10 years of the previous UPA regime, as per the government's own RTI replies earlier.

On this, Sarda said that despite claims by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government, the economic situation is not all that rosy considering the RTI revelations of loan write-offs to reduce NPAs during the 15 months of the pandemic.

"The Government had announced a huge pandemic relief package worth Rs 20 lakh crore to boost the economy. By its own admissions vide RTIs in the past, the Centre has admitted that it has barely given out around Rs 3 lakh crore from those packages. Is that the reason for the banks now suffering massive NPAs? Who's responsible for this mess," demanded Sarda.

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Home services marketplace Urban Company has recorded a 33 per cent jump in firm valuation to $2.8 billion in the employee stock sale programme concluded recently, the company said on Sunday.

The company raised Series F funding of $255 million in June, led by Prosus Ventures, Dragoneer and Wellington Management, with participation from Vy Capital, Tiger Global and Steadview, at a valuation of $2.1 billion.

Urban Company shared that it has concluded the sale of ESOPs (employee stock ownership plan), worth $7.3 million (Rs 54.6 crore) that were allocated to 770 employees comprising shares of around 390 former employees.

"Urban Company recently concluded its fourth and largest ESOP sale programme worth $7.3 million. The ESOPs sold in this transaction have largely been purchased by existing institutional investors of the company. The transaction culminated at a valuation of $2.8 billion, up from $2.1 billion for the Series F round in June 2021," the statement said.

With this round, the company said that it has facilitated approximately $13.21 million (about Rs 100 crore) worth of liquidity for its employees and ex-employees in 4 ESOP sale programmes.

Urban Company's first ESOP sale occurred in June 2017, followed by the second ESOP sale in December 2018 and the third sale in August 2020.

"This is our fourth and largest ESOP secondary sale we have facilitated till date. In our experience, such liquidation opportunities strengthen the faith team members have in ESOPs as a wealth creation instrument.

"Further, we have focussed on creating an employee-friendly ESOP programme, with features such as an exercise price of Rs 1, a linear vesting schedule and an unlimited hold period to exercise the ESOPs after an employee leaves the company," Urban Company co-founder Raghav Chandra said.

In the past seven years, Urban Company said that it has issued ESOPs to 940 current and ex-employees.

"A total of 550 of these 940 individuals have vested ESOPs, and were eligible to participate in this secondary sale programme. Employees and ex-employees could sell up to 100 per cent of their vested ESOPs as part of this sale programme," the statement said.

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Activists holding placards protested over a proposal to fell 15 trees along Agara Lake to make way for Namma Metros airport corridor. As many as 776 people have opposed the proposal to cut trees. However, their views were not considered while giving approval to clear the trees, said Sandhya, a member of the NGO Growthwatch.
Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, said good progress had been made in nuclear talks with world powers in Vienna that could quickly pave the way for serious negotiations.

"Our path during the negotiation was successful," he was quoted as saying on Sunday by Lebanon's pro-Iranian Al Mayadeen TV.

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Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett will travel to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday and meet the Gulf state's de facto ruler in the highest-level visit since the countries formalised relations last year.

The trip comes amid heightened regional tension as world powers' try to renew a nuclear deal with Iran. Israel and some Gulf Arabs share concern over Iranian activities in the region.

"I will be going out today to the United Arab Emirates, in the first visit ever by an Israeli prime minister," Bennett told a meeting of his cabinet on Sunday.

There was no immediate confirmation from Abu Dhabi.

The UAE along with Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco moved toward normal ties with Israel under a U.S.-sponsored initiative dubbed the "Abraham Accords" in reference to the biblical patriarch revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims.

Bennett's trip on Sunday would be the first by an Israeli premier to any of those four countries. Trips planned by his predecessor and Abraham Accords signatory Benjamin Netanyahu were cancelled, with Israel citing COVID-19 travel curbs and difficulties in arranging a flight over Jordanian territory.

Bennett will meet Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan on Monday, the Israeli prime minister's office said.

The two leaders will discuss deepening ties, with an emphasis on economic issues that will contribute to prosperity, welfare and strengthening stability between the countries, the Israeli statement added.

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Resumed talks to save the Iran nuclear deal are the Islamic republic's "last chance" to take a "serious" position, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said at a G7 foreign ministers meeting on Sunday.

"This is the last chance for Iran to come to the negotiating table with a serious resolution to this issue, which has to be agreeing the terms" of the deal, she said.
Four Afghan brothers have hauled their family's carpet loom out of storage in the desperate hope of earning a living as the nation's economy teeters on the edge of ruin.

The Haidari brothers now spend their days sitting abreast on a squat bench -- as generations of the family did before them -- weaving the complex rugs for which Afghanistan is famed.

They work long hours each day, keeping a brave face even though there is no guarantee they will have anyone to sell their carpets to.

Read more: From teacher to shoe shiner: Afghan economic crisis spares few

"We have no other option" to keep the family alive, said Ghulam Sakhi, the 70-year-old family patriarch.

Until August 15, when the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, the Haidari brothers had managed to escape the backbreaking labour of carpet making and were running a successful business supplying flowers for weddings.

The hardline movement's austere interpretation of Islam, however, largely put paid to the lavish betrothals so loved by Afghans, and the family enterprise collapsed.

In an act of creativity in the face of adversity, they fell back on their family's rug-making trade.

"Naturally when the Taliban took over... wedding halls didn't have much business. That is why we started carpets again," said Rauf, at 28 the eldest of the brothers who all live and work in Kabul.

"It's a very old practice that our forefathers have passed down to us," he told AFP.

Now they pick strands from dangling spindles of silk before looping them into the warp and weft of the rug with precise, rhythmic energy.

And when the 12-metre (39-foot) carpet is complete, they hope it will fetch up to $6,000 dollars (5,300 euros).

Around two million of Afghanistan's 38 million population work in the carpet sector, according to Noor Mohammad Noori, who heads the national carpet makers' association.

But demand has taken a sharp hit since the Taliban's takeover sparked an exodus of expatriates working for international organisations, he says.

Afghan rugs -- from intricately woven silk Persians to the simpler woollen tribal kilims -- are sought after around the world.

But in the past few months, "more and more people are making carpets" says Kabir Rauf, a merchant in Kabul who describes his wares as "the national treasures of Afghanistan".

New among the carpet-weaving workforce are women who cannot go to work, girls shut out of school, and unemployed men, he said.

In Herat, near the Iranian border, Haji Abdul Qader already employs around 150 families for his carpet-making business.

Read more: Taliban torture Afghan man to death for critical Facebook post

But every day, two or three more people contact him, desperate for work. Even those with no experience get in touch.

"There are no other jobs," Rauf Haidari said.

But those who do have skills have a chance to make a living.

"Someone who knows how to weave carpets will never be without work," says Muhammad Taghi, whose family has worked with Haji Abdul Qader for a decade.

Taghi used to weave when he was younger, but now the work is left to his four children -- aged between 17 and 24 -- who create carpets next to the stove in the family home.

It will take them 120 days to finish four matching, two-by-three metre rugs for which the family will earn around $500.

"I am proud of this work. We make in our country these carpets that will be sold the world over as Afghan carpets," Muhammad Taghi said.

"I can send my girls and boys to schools and universities with this money."

His youngest son Nassim, 17, who began to weave at the age of 10, still goes to school and dreams of being a doctor.

But for the carpet merchants, a supply glut brings its own problems.

Bank withdrawals are limited to 400 dollars a week, said Haji Abdul Qader, who receives about five rugs a week.

"I'm afraid I won't have enough cash to pay manufacturers."

There are also few customers.

"Foreigners are not here to buy them," complained Kabir Rauf, sitting idle in his Kabul market stand surrounded by hundreds of carpets.

The exodus of international organisations in the wake of the Taliban's return has brought "the worst time" for business, he said, adding that he nonetheless remains optimistic.

Air links to the Gulf have been restored, and, from there, his carpets can fly across the world.

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More than 70 people are feared dead after tornadoes devastated the southeastern US state of Kentucky overnight Friday into Saturday.

Here is a list of the deadliest tornado days in the United States' recorded history:

1. 747 deaths - March 18, 1925 - The Tri-State Tornado

The deadliest single tornado in American history claims 695 lives as the monster twister crosses Missouri, southern Illinois and into southwestern Indiana. The wider tornado outbreak leaves 747 people dead.

Also Read | More than 70 dead as tornadoes batter five US states

2. 332 deaths - March 21, 1932 - The Deep South tornado outbreak

Tornadoes are produced from Texas to South Carolina -- 270 of the dead are in Alabama alone.

3. 317 deaths - May 17, 1840 - The Great Natchez Tornado

The second-deadliest single tornado in US history strikes the Mississippi town of Natchez, killing 317 people. Most of the dead are killed on flatboats on the river.

4. 314 deaths - April 24, 2011 - The 2011 "Super Outbreak"

Approximately 300 tornadoes lash the southeastern United States between April 22 and April 28, killing at least 354 people. On April 27 alone, 314 people die in five states. Alabama suffers around 250 deaths. Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Arkansas and Virginia are also affected.

Also Read | Biden directs immediate surge of federal resources to tornado-hit areas

5. 310 deaths - April 3, 1974 - The original "Super Outbreak"

The largest tornado outbreak on record before 2011 claims 310 lives as 148 confirmed tornadoes over a 24-hour period rage across 13 US states.

6. 305 deaths - May 27, 1896 - St. Louis-East St. Louis tornado

Rounding off a deadly two-week storm period, 305 people are killed by tornadoes in Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky.

7. 260 deaths - April 11, 1965 - The Palm Sunday outbreak

Some 50 twisters hit the Midwest, killing 260 people and leaving more than 1,000 injured in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.

8. 249 deaths - April 5, 1936 - Tupelo-Gainesville tornado outbreak

Most of the 249 people killed are in one Mississippi town, Tupelo.

9. 224 deaths - April 20, 1920 - Alabama-Mississippi

The deadly tornado-packed spring of 1920 ends with 224 people killed in an unusual early morning outbreak in Alabama and Mississippi.

10. 220 deaths - April 24, 1908 - Dixie tornado outbreak

Dozens of twisters stretching from South Dakota to Texas leave 220 dead.

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Top diplomats from the Group of Seven industrialised nations gathered Saturday beside the River Mersey in Liverpool with host country Britain, seeking to demonstrate a show of unity against global aggressors amid a crisis over Russia's intentions towards Ukraine.

The UK is seeking elusive consensus from the wealthy nations' club in response to what it calls malign behaviour by Russia, and over tensions with China and Iran.

We need to defend ourselves against the growing threats from hostile actors," British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said as she opened the meeting of foreign ministers from the UK, the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. And we need to come together strongly to stand up to aggressors who are seeking to limit the bounds of freedom and democracy.

The US and its NATO allies are concerned that the movement of Russian troops and weapons to the border region with Ukraine may be a prelude to an invasion and have said they would inflict heavy sanctions on Russia's economy if that happens.

Moscow denies planning to attack Ukraine and accuses Kyiv of its own allegedly aggressive designs.

Truss and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed how to deter Russia from further aggression against Ukraine in a one-on-one meeting, the State Department said. Britain said the two warned that a Russian incursion would be a strategic mistake for which there would be serious consequences.

The State Department announced Saturday that the top American diplomat for Europe, Karen Donfried, will visit both Kyiv and Moscow next week to reinforce the United States' commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and to seek a diplomatic solution to the crisis. After meeting with Ukrainian and Russian officials, Donfried will go on to Brussels on to talk with NATO and European Union allies.

Attempting to rally unity among disparate the G-7 club of wealthy nations, Truss said that free democratic nations must wean themselves off Russian gas and Russian money to preserve their independence.

She said she wanted to work with other countries to make sure that free democratic nations are able to have an alternative to Russian gas supplies, a reference to the contentious Nord Stream 2 pipeline that was built to carry gas from Russia to Germany, bypassing Ukraine.

Truss met on the sidelines of the gathering with Germany's new foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, a politician from the environmentalist Greens who previously opposed Nord Stream 2.

Britain, which is not very dependent on Russian gas, is a critic of the pipeline. But London's financial district and property market are major hubs for Russian money, and U.K. authorities have long been accused of turning a blind eye to ill-gotten funds from around the world.

Truss insisted Britain is willing to consider new economic measures to protect its core values," saying cheap energy or cheap financing could have "a long-term cost for freedom and democracy.

The weekend meeting at the dockside Museum of Liverpool is the final major event of Britain's year-long G-7 presidency. The diplomats in Liverpool also plan to discuss lagging efforts to vaccinate the world against coronavirus, tensions in the western Balkans, Afghanistan and North Korea, and China's muscle-flexing in the Indo-Pacific region.

The gathering is taking place as negotiators meet in Vienna to try to revive an ailing international deal that seeks to limit Iran's nuclear ambitions. Blinken met German, French and British diplomats in Liverpool to discuss next steps over Iran, and the Biden administration's special envoy on Iran, Robert Malley also stopped in the city on his way to Vienna.

Truss warned this week that the Vienna talks are the last chance for Iran to sign up again to the deal, which was meant to rein in Tehran's nuclear program in return for loosened economic sanctions. It faltered after then-President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the agreement in 2018 and Iran began ramping up its uranium enrichment.

Truss also invited ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to the Liverpool meeting, though many were joining remotely because of the pandemic. Delegates and journalists face daily virus tests and mask mandates at the conference, as Britain records more cases of the omicron virus variant, which scientists say will become the dominant variant in the UK in the next week or so.

Britain is keen to work more closely with Asian nations as part of an Indo-Pacific tilt following the UK's departure from the 27-nation European Union last year  both to boost UK trade and as a counterweight to China's dominance.

Truss told her G-7 counterparts that democracies needed to fight economic coercion and win the battle of technology  both pointed references to Beijing's growing influence around the globe. The G-7 has launched a Build Back Better World initiative to offer developing nations funding for big infrastructure projects as an alternative to money from China that, the West argues, often comes with strings attached.

The UK chose a setting steeped in British history and culture for the G-7 event. Liverpool's docklands, once a symbol of Britain's global reach and economic might, came to represent the country's post-industrial decline.

Now, the area along the River Mersey is an example of 21st century urban renewal as a leisure and cultural district, complete with a museum dedicated to the city's most famous sons, The Beatles, where the leaders will have dinner on Saturday.
"Apne Senao par hei hame garv, aao milkar manaye Vijay Parv (We are proud of our armies, let's celebrate victory together)" was the last public message by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, a day before his death in a helicopter crash.

The Indian Army on Sunday released a 1.09-minute video clip in which Gen Rawat greeted the armed forces personnel on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the 1971 war and paid tributes to the fallen heroes.

#WATCH Late CDS General Bipin Rawat's pre-recorded message played at an event on the occasion 'Swarnim Vijay Parv' inaugurated today at India Gate lawns in Delhi. This message was recorded on December 7. (Source: Indian Army) pic.twitter.com/trWYx7ogSy  ANI (@ANI) December 12, 2021

Army sources said that the video was recorded on the evening of December 7.

Also Read | General Rawat worked hard to make country's forces self-reliant: Prime Minister Modi

Gen Rawat, his wife and his Defence Adviser Brigadier LS Lidder were among the 13 people killed in the horrific helicopter crash at 12:22 pm on December 8 near Coonoor.

In the video clip, Gen Rawat paid glowing tributes to the Indian armed forces personnel killed in the 1971 war with Pakistan and appealed to the citizens to join the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the victory.

The video was also played at the inaugural event of the 'Vijay Parv' celebrations at the Indian Gate complex. The event was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the top military brass of the country.

Also Read: Final journey of CDS Rawat, his wife begins to cremation ground

Around 93,000 Pakistani troops had surrendered before the joint forces of the Indian Army and the "Mukti Bahini" on December 16, 1971, that paved way for the birth of Bangladesh.

"I am extending heartfelt greetings to all the brave soldiers of Indian armed forces on the occasion of Swarnim Vijay Parv. We are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the victory in the 1971 war as the Vijay Parv," Gen Rawat said.

India is organising a series of events to mark the stupendous victory of India over Pakistan in the war 50 years ago.

Also Read | General Rawat's death creates a void that cannot be filled: President Kovind

"I am paying my tributes to our brave soldiers on this occasion, remembering their sacrifices. Several events are being organised at the India Gate between December 12 and 14.

"It is a matter of great pride that Vijay Parv is being organised at the Amar Jawan Jyoti complex which was established in memory of our brave soldiers," Gen Rawat said in the message.

"We invite all countrymen to participate in the Vijay Parv," he said.

He ended by saying: "Apne Senao par hei hame garv, aao milkar manaye Vijay Parv."

Also Read | Will join IAF, follow father's footsteps, says chopper crash victim wing commander's daughter

On January 1 last year, Gen Rawat took charge as India's first CDS with a mandate to bring in convergence in the functioning of the Army, the Navy and the Indian Air Force and bolster the country's overall military prowess.

In the last two years, Gen Rawat carried out the extensive groundwork to roll out tri-services reforms.

Known to be forthright, fearless, and blunt at times, the outstanding military commander ruffled many feathers with his controversial remarks during his tenure as the Army Chief as well as Chief of Defence Staff. 

In his role as Chief of Army Chief between 2016 and 2019, he strongly backed a policy of hot pursuit in dealing with cross-border terrorism and militancy in Jammu and Kashmir.

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Amid disagreements and differences between opposition parties, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said that the Gandhi siblings, Rahul and Priyanka, face a big challenge in reviving the grand old party and forging opposition unity.

Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi are two different personalitiestheir style of working is differentRahul Gandhi faces a major challenge of reviving the Congress, Raut wrote in his weekly Sunday column RokhThok that appears in Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana.

The statement of Raut, a close aide of Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, assumes significance in wake of the his meetings with the Gandhi siblings in New Delhi over the past week.

Raut, who, along with Thackeray and NCP Founder-President Sharad Pawar, played a key role in the formation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government that kept BJP out of power, has repeatedly asserted that an opposition coalition is not possible without Congress and there should be efforts to revive the UPA.

Also read: Shiv Sena may form alliance with Congress in Goa and UP, says Sanjay Raut

Recently, Raut had also taken exception to West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjees there is no UPA."

In his column, speaking about the Gandhi siblings, Raut further said: they (Rahul and Priyanka) has unanimity among themselvesf you expect a quick stand from her (Priyanka) in any political discussion...she says she will have to discuss with her brother.for the last two years, they are giving a lot of efforts.

Rahul is also expected in Mumbai on 28 December, when he is expected to address a rally on the occasion of the Foundation Day of the Congress.

Raut said that Priyanka told him that ever since she has taken up the Lakhimpur Kheri issue, her husband Robert Vadra has received 69 notices from the Income Tax department. However, she is not going to backtrack and step up the fight, he said.

About his discussions with Rahul, he said, He said that the system of creating and building leaders has stopped in the Congress and that the latter never disrespected senior party leaders.

According to Raut, Rahul told him that the latter had requested senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad to take charge of the Congress Jammu and Kashmir unit after his Rajya Sabha term expired, but the latter refused. He can become the chief minister again after elections. But, he refused saying the Congress didn't exist there. Azad ji has been the chief minister there and he thinks the Congress does not exist there.

Raut claimed that Rahul admitted that during Captain Amarinder Singh's tenure as the chief minister of Punjab, the Congress's graph in the state had declined.

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Senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar claimed on Saturday that the erstwhile Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government applied all its might to implicate him in cases of so-called saffron terror but failed.

He was addressing an international conference jointly organised by the RSS-affiliated Muslim Rashtriya Manch, Vishwagram and the Forum For Awareness of National Security to deliberate on "Global Terrorism Vs Humanity, Peace and Possibilities".

At its conclusion, the day-long conference passed a resolution demanding that the government ban linking of caste or religion to terror and declare it a punishable offence under the law.

"Caste and religion should not be linked to terror as such linking is exploited by those perpetuating terrorism. It should be banned and made punishable offence under the law. Exploitation of anybody in the name of religion and caste must be stopped, condemned and punished under the law," Kumar said during the passage of the resolution.

He also appealed to political parties to rise above vote bank politics and "say no to this crime".

"The Government of India (when UPA was in power) spent Rs 300-400 crore in the name of 'bhagwa' (saffron) terror case against me. Even after deploying the entire government machinery, they could not get my name listed as accused.... The poor government was then voted out (in 2014 Lok Sabha elections)," he said.

"My name did not figure in the list of either witnesses or accused. But the entire world was told that Indresh ji was involved, that there was a case against him. I have seen such a big lie...," he added.

Referring to this episode, the RSS leader exhorted the participants not to fear raising their voice against what is wrong. "When you are honest and standing by the truth and humanity, no body on earth can do any harm to you."

Noting that there won't be any jihad, lynching or communal riots if people pay respect to each other's religion, the international conference in its resolution also demanded that the United Nation declare acts of condemning others' religion a crime at global level.

While moving the resolution for its passage, Kumar raised objection to the categoriation of religions as minority and majority in India, calling it "a peculiar situation".

"Religion is for the development of human being, to instill humanity in human beings. Categorising religion as minority and majority is itself inhuman and a mischief. This is basically vote bank politics," he said.

Such categorisation of religion should not continue as "it has divided our country", he said.

Addressing the conference, senior BJP leader and former Union minister Prakash Javadekar listed the steps taken by the Narendra Modi government against terrorism, saying the situation has changed in past seven years.

"See what has changed since 2014. Earlier, we witnessed series series of terror incidents, bomb blasts in Delhi, Assam, Jaipur, Pune were happening. In the last seven years, you have not heard of such news barring some places in northeast and Kashmir, he said

Maoist violence has also gone down, he said

"Stone pelting doesn't happen now because their funding has stopped...India showed its capability in Balakot surgical airstrike. Pakistan is now realising that nothing can be done," he said.

The conference resolved to work on the ground to ensure peace and harmony among people belonging to various religions in the country.

The conference, which was organised in both online and physical mode, was attended by Union Minister V K Singh and Governor of Kerala Arif Mohammed Khan, vice chancellors and professors of various universities, former diplomats among other dignitaries.
The Congress is on an overdrive in the election-bound states and its social media campaign has begun with the party's team setting up control rooms in Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Goa and Manipur.

The team constituted for each state has already moved to the respective state capitals and have started focusing on the work, trying to be ahead in the social media campaign of the party.

Chairman of the parties social media department Rohan Gupta said: "Our campaign is handled by the party volunteers and we have not outsourced it. We are way ahead of other parties including the BJP and the AAP."

Gupta claimed that the Congress is ahead of the AAP and the BJP in Uttarakhand, Punjab and Goa in social media outreach. The party has appointed Ruchira Chaturvedi for Uttar Pradesh, Hasiba Amin for Goa, Saral Patel for Uttarakhand, Gaurav Pandhi for Punjab and Pranav Vachharjani in Manipur as in-charges of the social media campaign. They have been given teams to work with them.

The work will percolate from the state to the district and assembly levels and the party is making videos trending hashtags as #punjabchangasi, #uttrakhandmangejawab and such others. The teams have set up dedicated websites to highlight the Congress manifesto and get feedback from the public.

Also read: Punjab likely to see hung Assembly with AAP on top: Survey

The social media department has trained office-bearers in the states at the booth level and armed them with the latest techniques. It will also focus on countering any misinformation campaign on the social media at the source itself to curb its spread.

The party has specially designed campaigns and live streaming of big programmes and speeches and press conferences of the party bigwigs like Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi which is getting good traction and also the people are interacting with the social media volunteers.

The Congress social media team has started making videos for publicity and also to counter the BJP's narrative, said Gupta.

The Congress had launched a 'Join Congress Social Media' campaign after which two lakh online 'warriors' have registered themselves.

"We all know that the government is scared of social media. Those who are against the government are anti-nationals. Through this, we are going to give the youth and the people of the country a platform to raise their voice," Gupta said.

The Congress is out of power in all the states except Punjab and the main rival is the BJP which is ruling the other states.

The Congress started the social media campaign late but picked up gradually and now has full fledged social media teams in the states. It plans to make the teams dynamic at the assembly and booth levels.

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India may host the leaders of the five Central Asian nations on the occasion of Republic Day on January 26 next year.

New Delhi is planning to invite the presidents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to be the chief guests, but a final decision will be taken when External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will host his counterparts from the five Central Asian nations on December 18 and 19, sources in New Delhi said.

The government will also take into account the Covid-19 situation, which will determine the scale of the Republic Day celebrations. The 2021 Republic Day was a low-key event with no foreign leader being invited due to the pandemic.

India has a tradition of hosting a foreign leader as the chief guest on the occasion of its Republic Day every year. But if it hosts the five Central Asian leaders for the ceremony on the Rajpath in New Delhi January 26 next year, it will only be the second time that multiple heads of states and governments will grace the event. Previously, leaders of the 10 Southeast Asian nations had attended the Republic Day ceremony on January 26, 2018.

Also Read  Central Asian leaders warn of Afghan chaos as Taliban advances

President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also hold bilateral meetings with President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan and President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow of Turkmenistan, if they are invited to attend the Republic Day ceremony.

New Delhi is keen to step up its engagement with Central Asia as Pakistan is trying to get a strategic edge against India in the region after the Talibans return to power in Afghanistan. Pakistans iron brother China has also been expanding its geopolitical influence in the region.

Modis National Security Advisor Ajit Doval hosted his counterparts from the five Central Asian nations as well as Iran and Russia in New Delhi last month for a consultation on the situation in Afghanistan.

The first Republic Day chief guest for the Modi government was the then United States President Barack Obama in 2015, followed by then French President Francois Hollande and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and de-facto ruler of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in 2016 and 2017, respectively. The ASEAN leaders and the Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro were the chief guests in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

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When Pakistan in 1971 let loose its soldiers on its own people in what was then known as East Pakistan, the United States and the United Kingdom sent warships to the Bay of Bengal to dissuade India from intervening and stopping the genocide. Moscow, however, firmly stood by New Delhi, the landmark Indo-Soviet Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation was signed and the Soviet Union navy sent a flotilla from Vladivostok, eventually scaring the British and the American fleets away from the region. India won the war against Pakistan and East Pakistan was liberated into Bangladesh in December 1971.

India on December 6 celebrated the Maitri Diwas to commemorate the day it had recognized the newborn nation of Bangladesh back in 1971. Coincidentally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin on the same day. The summit saw India and Russia trying to adapt to the geopolitical realities of the day and readjust the bilateral relations in pursuit of a new equilibrium.

Putin flew to New Delhi to hold the summit with Modi at a time when Moscows acrimony with the United States and the European Union escalated over Russias military build-up near Ukraine. Modi on the other hand hosted the Russian President amid New Delhis growing strategic convergence with the United States in the wake of Chinas continued belligerence all along its disputed boundary with India. The two leaders, however, did try to arrest the drift in the relations.

A 2+2 dialogue among the foreign and defence ministers of the two nations also took place on December 6 morning, a few hours before the leaders held the summit. The back-to-back engagements by the end of the day resulted in as many as 28 government-to-government and business-to-business pacts, in addition to a 99-point joint statement titled India-Russia: Partnership for Peace, Progress and Prosperity. The most significant outcomes were of course the contract for manufacturing 6,01,427 Russian AK-203 rifles in India and the renewal of the agreement on military-technical cooperation for 10 more years, outlining the ongoing and future possible cooperation in the defence sector. The two documents signalled that India would for now continue with its decades-old defence cooperation with Russia, notwithstanding the US frowns.

Modi said during the summit that India-Russia friendship remained a constant amid many fundamental changes in geopolitical equations over the past decades. Putin said that Russia considered India a major power and promoted military-technical cooperation with India as it did with none of its other partners. He also said that Russia developed and manufactured high-tech military products, with India and in India.

India underlined its enhanced requirement of military and military-technical cooperation with Russia to meet the security challenges it was confronted with, particularly the aggression by China along the disputed boundary between the two neighbours.

The summit took place with the spectre of the US CAATSA (Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) sanctions looming large over India for its October 2018 deal to procure five S-400 air defence systems from Russia at an estimated cost of nearly Rs 39,000 crore. Though several US lawmakers and strategic affairs analysts argued in favour of granting India a waiver from the CAATSA sanctions, President Joe Bidens administration remained non-committal and informally signalled that even if New Delhi gets an exemption for the S-400 contract, it should not expect the same for future big-ticket deals to procure defence equipment from Russia.

Russia has since long been the largest supplier of military hardware to India and has been maintaining low-key defence cooperation with Pakistan. But with the changes in geopolitical landscape and New Delhis growing ties with Washington DC, after the landmark India-US civil nuclear agreement of 2008, Moscow, too, responded to Islamabads overtures to improve bilateral relations. Russia started discussing the sale of Mi-35 attack helicopters to Pakistan in 2014 and purportedly started delivery of the choppers in 2018, although New Delhi publicly conveyed its concerns over the deal. Russia, in November 2015, also inked a defence cooperation agreement with Pakistan and the two nations had their first military drill in September-October, 2016  just weeks after India signed the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) with the US creating a framework to support each other's aircraft, ships and personnel with logistics, fuel and spares.

India turned into a major defence partner of the US and kept on signing one defence agreement after another  Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) in 2018, Industrial Security Annex (ISA) to General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) in 2019 and the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) in 2020. Russia too continued to expand its defence cooperation with Pakistan with regular bilateral military drills, with the last one being held in November 2020. During a visit to Islamabad on April 7 this year, Putins Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced Russias plan to provide Pakistan with more special military equipment and to conduct more military exercises with Pakistan, both in the mountains as well as in the Arabian Sea.

Also Read | India, Russia sign pact to deepen space cooperation

Russia has also been stepping up its strategic partnership with China, with the important milestones being the settlement of the border dispute in 1991, signing of the Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation in 2001, and elevation of the relations to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2014. Russia signalled its willingness to consider transfer of defence technology to China, as its military sales to the communist country increased substantially. Russia in December 2017 delivered the second batch of 10 Su-35 fighter jets to China  about a year after the delivery of the first batch of four aircraft. Russia also delivered S-400s to China, which recently deployed two units of the missile defence systems in Holan and Nyingchi, just across Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh of India.

Moscow did quietly play a mediating role between New Delhi and Beijing ever since India and China got engaged in the military stand-off along the LAC in April-May 2020. What it did not like is Indias growing cooperation with the US as well as with Japan and Australia in the Indo-Pacific, both bilaterally as well as within the framework of the Quad  a coalition forged by the four nations to counter expansionist aspirations of China.

The summit and the 2+2 dialogue on December 6 saw Russia conveying to India its serious concern over the US role in Asia-Pacific in the name of so-called Indo-Pacific strategies and (through) creation of closed bloc-type structures. It had earlier called the Quad a divisive and exclusivist tool being used by the US to implement its devious policy of engaging India against China as well as to undermine Russias close partnership with India. Though India argues that its own vision for the Indo-Pacific is inclusive and not against China or any other nation, it obviously could not yet convince Russia. New Delhi of late also supported Russias entry into the Indian Ocean Rim Association as a dialogue partner. India obviously wants Russia to play a bigger role in the region as it is consistent with its inclusive Indo-Pacific vision and helps dispel the narrative that it is ganging up with the US to help counter hegemonic aspirations of China.

Indias relations with Russia will of course no longer remain the same as it has been in the past half a century. China continued its military build-up all along its disputed boundary with India. Pakistan of late gained a strategic edge against India after the Talibans return to power in Afghanistan. So confronted with security challenges, New Delhi will obviously seek to maintain a balance in its ties with Moscow and Washington DC. But doing so is likely to be more challenging if tension between Russia and the US escalates.

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Though farmers have suspended their agitation and have returned home, the BJP is still treading cautiously and opposition is leaving no chance to attack it on the issue.

Only after the government repealed the three farm laws and agreed to certain demands, the farmers have returned to their homes after suspending the 15-month-long agitation. The opposition has termed it as a victory of farmers and defeat of the government.

But given the seriousness and sensitivity of the issue in the poll season, the BJP is reacting very cautiously to it.

Also Read | Farmers' stir: The backroom team that bolstered the movement

Though the BJP leaders have been claiming that the farmers' stir will not have any impact on the assembly polls, many say it is because of the agitation, they were not able to campaign according to their plan and agenda as the party has been setting the agenda for others to follow in polls.

This time, the BJP faced several challenges due to the farmers' agitation, but now the most relieved is the saffron party as farmers have ended their over year-long agitation and gone back home.

Soon after farmers suspended their stir, Union Minister Sanjeev Balyan expressed happiness, saying that he is elated as farmers will return home "satisfied".

Balyan who is also Muzaffarnagar Lok Sabha MP and a senior Jat leader told IANS, "After farmers return to their homes, we will be able to reach out to people with our agenda. Earlier, everyone used to talk about farmers agitation and when it will be called off."

Also Read | Emotions run high as farmers bid farewell to Singhu protest site

"Now, we will go to people and tell them about the achievements of our government, steps taken for farmers' welfare and now will decide the agenda," he further said.

How much the farmers' issue is important and sensitive for the BJP can be gauged from the fact that the government was nowhere seen playing from the front on the issue -- whether it is about the demands, government's proposal, letters sent to the farmers union, nothing was shared by the Centre,

it was the farmers' leaders who shared the government's proposal with the media. This could be the reason the party is responding to the farmers' issue very cautiously even as the opposition is terming it as the BJP's defeat.

BJP Kisan Morcha national president and Fatehpur Sikri MP Rajkumar Chahar said, it is not a matter of win or defeat but about honour and respect of farmers.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi repealed the three farm laws keeping in mind the self-respect of the farmers.

Also Read | To keep memories 'alive', farmers plan 'protest monuments' in villages

Demand regarding stubble burning was also accepted and a committee is being formed for the MSP, Chahar added.

"The government's agenda is clear -- Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas, therefore, the government took this decision in the best interest of all," he claimed.

The decision has nothing to do with the elections, Chahar opined.

Though the farmers have returned home after suspending their agitation, the farmers' organisations said they will continue pursuing their demands and opposition parties will continue attacking the government, so it is clear that this issue is not going to die down soon.

In western Uttar Pradesh, from where Rashtriya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait hails, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary have said they will continue to flag this issue and in Punjab, the Congress and the AAP will continue to attack the saffron party over the same.

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Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday said dictators Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini are the ideals of BJP whose ideology is imported and based on spreading false propaganda.

In an apparent attack targetting RSS, the ideological mentor of BJP, the Congress leader said, You can see their culture. They wear shorts and black hats and play the drums. These are not Indian costumes. They are inspired by the same (Hitler and Mussolini) and work accordingly.

Baghel was talking to reporters at the Swami Vivekanand Airport in Raipur after returning from Jaipur where he attended a Congress rally.

When asked whether Rahul Gandhi has set a new narrative of Hindus versus Hindutvavadi, Baghel said, The ideology of BJP is imported. Congress has derived its ideology from the tradition of rishi munis (sages). Be it Shankaracharya, Gautam Buddha, Guru Nanak Dev, Kabir or Guru Ghasidas, all our rishi munis have spoken about the truth. The same thing was written by Mahatma Gandhi in his autobiography- 'My experiments with truth'.

He alleged that BJP's foundation is based on lies and fraud and thus its ideals are Hitler and Mussolini.

"Repeat a lie a hundred times and it becomes the truth. In the same way, they (BJP) have been indulging in misleading and deceiving the whole country. You must have remembered that a few years ago, Lord Ganesh ji's (idols) began drinking milk (offered by their devotees) all over the country.

"Similarly, if hydroelectric power is generated through (moving) water, the water will lose its energy and if it is supplied to farms (for irrigation ) then such water will be useless. These are the people who had spread such false propaganda, the CM added.

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Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, known for his penchant for rarely used English words, took a dig at the BJP on Sunday with another head-scratcher  allodoxaphobia.

Tweeting his "word of the day", Tharoor explained that allodoxaphobia means an irrational fear of opinions.

Giving an example of how to use the word, the Congress leader wrote, "The BJP government in UP slaps sedition and UAPA cases on people because its leadership suffers from allodoxaphobia."

"Word of the day, indeed of the last seven years: Allodoxaphobia. Meaning: an irrational fear of opinions. Usage: 'The BJP government in UP slaps sedition & UAPA cases on people because its leadership suffers from allodoxaphobia'," he tweeted.

Word of the day, indeed of the last seven years: *Allodoxaphobia* Meaning: an irrational fear of opinions. Usage: The BJP government in UP slaps sedition& UAPA cases on people because its leadership suffers from allodoxaphobia.

(Greek: Allo=different, doxo=opinion,phobos=fear  Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) December 12, 2021

Explaining the word further, he wrote that in "Greek -- Allo=different, doxo= opinion, phobos=fear".

This is not the first time Tharoor has sent Twitterati scurrying for their dictionaries.

In the past, he has stumped people with rarely used English words such as "farrago" and "troglodyte".

While farrago means a confused mixture, a troglodyte means a person regarded as being deliberately ignorant or old-fashioned.

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The BJP on Sunday hit out at the TMC over its promise to dole out Rs 5,000 a month to a woman member of a family in poll-bound Goa, stating that the Mamata Banerjee-led camp was giving "false assurance" to people there with an eye on electoral gains.

The saffron party also pointed out that the TMC, however, "did not say much about job generation" in the western coastal state.

The TMC on Saturday announced that it will launch 'Griha Lakshmi' scheme in Goa, if voted to power, much like 'Lakshmir Bhandar' in Bengal, and a woman member of every family will be provided income support of Rs 5,000 per month.

Also Read | BJP and AIMIM two sides of the same coin: Congress

Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari and BJP National Vice-President Dilip Ghosh wondered why the TMC was willing to give Rs 5,000 per month to the women of Goa when the party is doling out just Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 for the beneficiaries of Bengal.

"The promise of Rs 5,000 is a false one, made to bag votes in Goa. The TMC will never be able to fulfil it. The party will meet the same fate it did in Tripura. Also, where is this money coming from? "Strangely, there was no word about generating employment opportunities or addressing livelihood issues of people," Ghosh told reporters. Adhikari said the disparity in the amount promised by the TMC in the two states is "upsetting".

Also Read | India a country of Hindus, not Hindutvadis, says Rahul Gandhi

"The TMC that gives Rs 500 to 1,000 to our mothers in Bengal is willing to provide Rs 5,000 for every mother in Goa? Isn't it insulting for the womenfolk of Bengal?" he sought to know. In a similar vein, CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty said the "tall talk" by the TMC was aimed at garnering votes.

"Also, we oppose this dole politics of the TMC," he added.

The state spokesperson of the TMC, Kunal Ghosh, claimed that the BJP was "jealous" of his party's popularity in the western state. "We don't give false assurances. The promises made by the TMC in Bengal are being fulfilled by the party. The BJP is jealous of TMC's growing popularity in Goa," he added.

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As it gears for a tight contest in Uttar Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party is centring its efforts from the booth level.

The booth will be the focal point of the partys massive outreach in the upcoming elections in Indias largest state, said leaders in the know.

The party has deputed a member in each of the states 1.3 lakh booths. There are anywhere between 900 to 1,000 voters in every booth. The booth committee presidents job is to bring in maximum votes for the party, said a party functionary from the state involved in the efforts.

Apart from data collection and other activities, each booth president has also been deputed to get in 100 voters as party members to make the campaign a success, the functionary said.

The partys decentralised organisational hierarchy has seen it through several elections, and the same will be up for the battleground in UP. The party has a position of panna pramukh, who is responsible for reaching out to over 48 households listed on a single page of the voter list.

Also read: Varanasi excited as Kashi Vishwanath Corridor set to be inaugurated by PM Modi

Voter verification, strengthening the organisation at the booth level are part of the job of the panna pramukh, said the functionary.

For Mondays programme at the Kashi Vishwanath where the BJP is doing a show of strength, the booth committee presidents have been asked to go to various temples and view the live feed with people.

Party president J P Nadda, in his address during the partys national executive in November, had said that while the party has committees in 85 per cent of the countrys 10.4 lakh booths, the deadline to finish the remaining 15 per cent was set at December 25 this year. He had also set a deadline for a panna pramukh for every page of the voter list by April 2022.

The booth is the key to the partys electoral campaigns. The motto is mera booth, sabse majboot, said BJP spokesperson Gopal Krishna Agarwal.

The party functionary said that each booth committee has a three-rung hierarchy and there is an effort to have a representative from different sets of voters. The booth prabhari (president) is usually from the community that the booth represents, said the functionary.

In UP this week, Nadda addressed booth presidents two days in a row, in Meerut on Saturday and at Etah a day later, just weeks after home minister Amit Shah addressed a similar gathering. More such plans are in the pipeline.

Watch | Will Kashi Vishwanaths new look unlock eastern UP for BJP?

In Meerut, where 22,000 booth presidents turned up, UP CM Yogi Adityanath reiterated that the booth is the key to electoral success. If we strengthen the BJP at booth-level, then the party will win more than 325 assembly seats in the state, CM Yogi told a gathering of BJP booth presidents in Etah Sunday.

Nadda told the booth presidents that apart from taking the message of the promises made by the BJP government in the Centre and the state, they must also convey the work done by the party leadership and crores of workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Other than the electoral jobs, the booth presidents have also been asked to ensure sit-in sessions of Prime Minister Narendra Modis fortnightly radio programme, 'Mann Ki Baat'.

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An army officer allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service weapon at a military camp in the Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said Sunday.

Around 10.30 pm on Saturday night, the personnel at the Khari police post received information that an Army officer identified as Major Parvinder Singh of Priyadarshini Vihar, New Delhi, posted as Company Commander Alpha Coy Mahubal of 23 Rashtriya Rifles shot himself with AK-47 service rifle at his residential quarter in Army Camp, Banihal, Ramban.

The reason behind the suicide was not known immediately. No suicide note or any other document was found from the spot, police said and added as the death has occurred under mysterious circumstances, inquest proceedings U/S 174 CrPC has been initiated to find out the reasons that led the officer to take an extreme step.

Suicides and fratricide incidents were common among security forces personnel deployed in restive Kashmir from the early 1990s till 2010. A research carried by a leading sociologist of the valley in 2012 had revealed that 1,500-2,000 soldiers committed suicide from 1990-2011.

The research, by the late Bashir Ahmad Dabla, then head of the Department of Sociology, Kashmir University, revealed that the majority of the soldiers who committed suicides were married persons.

However, in 2006, recognising the rising fratricide and suicide cases among the armed forces, the then defence minister had constituted an expert group of psychiatrists under the Defence Institute of Psychological Research in order to suggest remedial measures to prevent suicide and fratricide incidents.

Over the last decade, incidents of suicides and fratricide have reportedly reduced in the army as the force has taken measures to address the issue.

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A newly recruited militant of Jaish-i-Muhammad outfit was killed in an encounter with security forces in Awantipora area of south Kashmirs Pulwama district on Sunday.

#AwantiporaEncounterUpdate: 01 unidentified #terrorist killed. #Operation going on. Further details shall follow (sic), Kashmir Zone Police tweeted.

The gun fight broke out in Baragam area of Pulwama during wee hours today after the security forces cordoned off the area following inputs about the presence of militants there, reports said.

A police official said as the security forces approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon them, which was retaliated, triggering an encounter in which one ultra was killed.

The slain militant was identified as Sameer Ahmad Tantray of Bargam, Awantipora affiliated with the JeM. Tantary, according to police, had joined militant ranks on November 2 and was a C- category militant.

154 militants have been killed in the Valley so far this year, of which 132 were locals and 22 Pakistanis. In 2020, the number of militants killed in the Valley stood at 195. According to official estimates over 200 militants were still active in the Valley.

Among the active militants, 80 are believed to be from Pakistan and more than 120 are locals. Between January and July this year, 76 locals picked up arms and by now the number may have reached 100, a senior police officer said.

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Taking a swipe at previous regimes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that his government believes in solving problems and not avoiding them.

He said this while speaking at a function on the theme "Depositors First: Guaranteed Time-bound Deposit Insurance Payment up to Rs 5 Lakh" here.

Observing that any country can save the problems from getting worse only by their timely resolution, the Prime Minister said that for years there was a tendency to avoid problems.

"Today's new India strives for solving problems, today India does not avoid problems," he said.

Also Read | About 3 lakh account holders who lost money due to bank collapse will get it back soon: PM Modi

There was a time when depositors would have to wait for their own money for ages from the stressed bank, he said, adding that the government by amending laws has made it mandatory for refund up to Rs 5 lakh of their deposits within 90 days of imposition of moratorium or restrictions.

Recalling his days as chief minister of Gujarat, Modi said, he had to deal with so many depositors but could not do much for them.

He said he had written many letters to the Government of India then about the plight of such hapless depositors and requested for raising deposit insurance cover to Rs 5 lakh from Rs 1 lakh.

However, the previous regime ignored it, Modi said, adding, "the then government did not listen to people so they changed the government and brought me as the Prime Minister. I raised the deposit insurance cover in the interest of people".

Deposit insurance up to Rs 5 lakh covers all deposits such as savings, fixed, current and recurring deposits in all commercial banks. Deposits in state, central and primary cooperative banks, functioning in states and Union Territories are also covered.

With a deposit insurance coverage of Rs 5 lakh per depositor per bank, the number of fully protected accounts at the end of the previous financial year constituted 98.1 per cent of the total number of accounts as against the international benchmark of 80 per cent.

Last year, the government increased the insurance cover on deposits by five times to Rs 5 lakh. The enhanced deposit insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh came into effect from February 4, 2020.

Every bank used to pay 10 paise as an insurance premium per Rs 100 of deposit. It was raised to 12 paise per Rs 100 in 2020. It cannot be more than 15 paise at any point in time per Rs 100 deposit.

It is to be noted that the enhanced deposit insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh is effective from February 4, 2020. The increase was done after a gap of 27 years as it has been static since 1993.

Observing that banks play a major role in the prosperity of the country, Modi said, for the prosperity of the banks, it is equally important for the depositors' money to be safe.

"If we want to save the bank, then depositors have to be protected," he said.

Over the years, by merging many small public sector banks with large banks, their capacity, capability and transparency have been strengthened in every way, Modi emphasised.

When RBI monitors co-operative banks, it increases the confidence of the common depositor in them, he said while talking about another legislation that brought cooperative banks under the control of the central bank.

The Prime Minister said the problem was not only about the bank account, but also about the delivery of banking services to the remotest villages in the past.

Today, in almost every village of the country, the facility of a bank branch or a banking correspondent has reached within a radius of 5 km, he said, adding, the common citizen of India is able to do even the smallest transactions digitally anytime, anywhere, 24 hours a day.

Stressing that there are many such reforms that have helped India's banking system run smoothly even in the biggest calamity in 100 years, Modi said, when even the developed countries of the world were struggling to provide help to their citizens, India provided direct help to almost every section of the country at a fast pace.

He said that measures initiated in the last few years have taken the facilities like insurance, bank loans and financial empowerment to a large underserved segment of the poor, women, street vendors and small farmers.

Pointing that banking had not reached women of the country in a significant way earlier, the Prime Minister said this was taken as a priority by his government.

Of the crores of bank accounts opened under Jan Dhan Yojana, more than half belong to women, he said. "The effect these bank accounts have on the economic empowerment of women, we have also seen in the recent National Family Health Survey.

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Uttar Pradesh deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Sunday said people will not forgive criminals elements under the red caps or the mesh caps, referring to the headgear worn by Samajwadi Party (SP) workers and many Muslims.

But he made clear that he was not referring to the entire Muslim community when he mentioned the Jaalidar caps but only the criminal elements.

'Jaalidaar' caps should not be understood as the entire Muslim community. The criminal elements and those involving in corruption or the mafia will not be spared, and people will not forgive them, Maurya said during an interaction with reporters after addressing a public meeting in Ghazipur.

He said the SP thought it will come back to power by applying some extra force but has now come to realise it will be lucky to get the same number of seats as it did in 2017 election.

The same holds true for BSP and Congress," Maurya said.

Also read: UP Polls: 'Ours is ganna, theirs is Jinnah' says Nadda

He also said the BJP has never indulged in the politics of appeasement and will not do it in future.

We are confident that our shortcomings in the 2017 UP Assembly elections in Ghazipur will be rectified, and lotus will bloom on all seven seats of Ghazipur, he said, adding that the BJP will bag more than 300 seats in the Assembly elections.

Earlier addressing the public meeting, Maurya accused the previous governments of selective development and discriminating on the basis of caste.

"In the previous government, development was done seeing the caste of the person, due to which development was confined to a few households and families. BJP is undertaking all-round development," he said.

He also accused the SP and BSP of operating like private limited companies and said both have taken leave of democratic traditions.

Maurya was here to inaugurate and lay foundation stones of projects worth Rs 177 crore.

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From massive murals depicting the artistic and cultural heritage of Benares to the illumination of several buildings near the Kashi Vishwanath temple site, Varanasi is all decked up to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday for a host of events.

The main event will be the inauguration of the Phase-1 of the Kashi Vishwanath Dham, constructed at a cost of around Rs 339 crore. PM Modi will dedicate to people the ambitious Kashi Vishwanath corridor in the heart of Varanasi after offering prayers at the ancient temple.

Even till late Sunday, construction workers were busy polishing stones, labourers were occupied decking up the temple premises with flowers, especially marigold, and staff rushing things up at Lalita Ghat to make it ready for the function.

There is palpable excitement among a majority of the residents of the temple town and domestic tourists flocking the holy shrine of the Hindus in the run-up to the high-profile event, in view of which the police security in Varanasi has been stepped up.

Also Read  Prime Minister Narendra Modi to showcase Kashi's 'grandeur' to chief ministers, says official

The excitement of the inauguration event, branded as 'Divya Kashi, Bhavya Kashi' reached a fever pitch, as a Shiv Barat procession was taken out in the streets near Godowlia Chowk, while owners of many hotels in the area have lit up their properties, with one saying, "It is a historic moment for Kashi and we are fortunate to be part of it".

At the temple site, workers and Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust employees were also eagerly waiting for the day.

Many were seen taking pictures against the backdrop of the old temple or the four new gateways that have been constructed using traditional craftsmanship. Anil Keshri, a retail garment seller, whose shop is at Godowlia Chowk, was brimming with excitement, watching the festooned streets and lit-up buildings.

"Banares is a heart of culture, cradle of civilisation and Kashi Vishwanath ki Nagari. Look at the beautiful decoration, I am very happy and the new corridor will surely bring more tourism and greater glory for my city, and for India," he said, pointing to a 'shobha yatra' poster hung at the famous street intersection.

Near the Varanasi airport in Babatpur, walls of a flyover have been decorated with murals portraying the Ganga aarti, Kashi Vishwanath temple, ghats of Benares and other heritage sites of the city, which is the Parliamentary constituency of Modi since 2014.

Also Read  Kashi Vishwanath corridor approved by SP government, have documentary evidence, says Akhilesh Yadav

Shrikant Mishra, the main priest of the temple, said, "The coming up of the new corridor is a miraculous moment. Nothing happens in this city without Kashi Vishwanath baba's permission. It's his city. Creation, destruction, recreation, all his will.

A total of 23 buildings will be inaugurated in the Phase-1 of the project, the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.

These will provide a variety of facilities to pilgrims, including suvidha kendras, tourist facilitation centres, vedic kendras, mumukshu bhavan, bhogshala, city museum, viewing gallery and food court, among others. The scale of the project was such it is now spread over five lakh square feet, whereas earlier premises were limited to just around 3,000 square feet.

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the work on the project has been completed on schedule, the PMO said.

Posters have been put up on ornate lampposts in streets near the iconic temple hailing Modi for "realising the vision of this project".

The current structure of the temple was constructed by Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar around 1780; in the 19th century, Maharaja Ranjit Singh had got it crowned with a golden 'shikhara.'

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate to the people on Monday the ambitious Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in the heart of Varanasi, a mega project that is expected to boost tourism in the ancient city in a big way.

The inauguration of the state-of-the-art infrastructure surrounding the historic Kashi Vishwanath Temple near the iconic Dashashwamedh Ghat comes ahead of the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh early next year.

The gateways and other structures have been built with stones and other material using traditional craftsmanship.

There is a palpable excitement among majority of the residents of the temple town and domestic tourists flocking the holy shrine of the Hindus in the run-up to the high-profile event, in view of which the police security in Varanasi has been stepped up.

Watch | Will Kashi Vishwanaths new look unlock eastern UP for BJP?

From saints and seers to shopkeeper and hotel owners, there is a smile on people's faces as they await the inauguration day with visible excitement.

In a statement, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said Modi will visit the temple at around 1 pm and inaugurate phase one of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham, constructed at a cost of around Rs 339 crore, after offering prayers.

It was Modi's vision for a long time to facilitate pilgrims and devotees of Lord Shiva as they had to encounter congested streets and surroundings with poor upkeep while they went about the age-old custom of taking dip in the holy river, collecting its water and offering it at the temple.

"To realise this vision, Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham was conceptualised as a project to create an easily accessible pathway to connect Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple to the banks of the river Ganga," it said.

Also Read | Prime Minister Narendra Modi to showcase Kashi's 'grandeur' to chief ministers, says official

The prime minister took a keen and active interest at all stages of the project.

Regular briefings, reviews and monitoring was done by him as he constantly gave inputs and insights to improve the project and make it more accessible for pilgrims, including the disabled, it added.

A total of 23 buildings will be inaugurated in the phase one of the project.

They will provide a variety of facilities to pilgrims, including 'yatri suvidha kendras', tourist facilitation crntre, vedic kendra, mumukshu bhavan, bhogshala, city museum, viewing gallery, food court among others.

The project involved purchase and acquisition of more than 300 properties around the temple.

Modi's vision to take everyone along was the principle based on which mutual negotiations were done for these acquisitions, it said, noting that around 1,400 shopkeepers, tenants and homeowners were rehabilitated amicably.

The scale of the project was such it is now spread over a massive area of about five lakh square feet, whereas earlier premises were limited to just around 3000 square feet. Despite the Covid pandemic, the work on the project has been completed on schedule, the PMO noted.

Posters have been put up on ornate lampposts in streets, near the iconic temple -- one of the 12 Jyotirlingas -- hailing Modi for "realising the vision of this project".

The current structure of the temple was constructed by Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar around 1780, and in the 19th century, Maharaja Ranjit Singh had got it crowned with a golden 'shikhar'.

According to the website of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust, the famous religious site is also known as 'Golden Temple'. In many old maps, this name can be seen mentioned.

The city, the parliamentary constituency of Modi since 2014, has been decorated ahead of the mega event -- 'Divya Kashi, Bhavya Kashi' -- and the residents of the temple town eagerly await the arrival of the prime minister.

Facades of buildings located on streets leading to the shrine have been painted in uniform light pink colour, and many buildings have been illuminated. Many hotels located near Godowlia Chowk have also been lit been lit up by their owners to celebrate the occasion.

Senior BJP leaders earlier had announced that Varanasi will host a month-long cultural exercise following the inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath Dham, and all BJP chief ministers and deputy CMs will attend the ceremony which will be broadcast live from over 51,000 places nationwide.

After laying the foundation stone of the corridor, Modi had said the project would be a model for "protection and preservation" of temples and a combination of modern technology with ancient faith.

He had also said this project would become a model for similar projects elsewhere and give a new global identity to Kashi.

The project had also drawn criticism from various heritage experts as a large number of old buildings were demolished to make way for the corridor that also provides a direct link from the temple to Ganga River.

Early December, the architect of the project, Bimal Patel, had said the original structure of the temple had not been tampered with while developing the site, adding, apart from beautifying the area, tourist facilities have been enhanced.

"The project includes the construction of Temple Chowk, Varanasi city gallery, museum, multipurpose auditoriums, hall, devotee facilitation centre, public convenience, salvation home, Godowlia Gate, Bhogshala, shelter for priests and sevadars, spiritual book space, and others," Patel had said in a statement issued by the Uttar Pradesh government.

About 70 per cent of the 5.50 lakh sq ft area of the project have been kept for green cover, he said, adding, "We worked towards fulfilling the prime minister's vision of reorganising the temple premises to restore its grandeur."

Varanasi Divisional Commissioner Deepak Agarwal had earlier said that 40 ancient temples were found following the demolition of buildings around the main temple. These centuries-old temples, which were earlier hidden, are now visible. They will be preserved and opened to the public.

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A Parliamentary panel recommended the government increase subsidies and incentives to electric vehicles to accelerate the transition to electric mobility.

India is primarily a two-wheeler driven market, with almost 22 million sales per year. The Government recently, under FAME-II [Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles in India] scheme, has increased the subsidy/incentive from Rs 10,000 per Kwh [Kilowatt hour] to Rs 15,000 per Kwh and an increase in the cap on incentive for electric two-wheelers from 20 per cent to 40 per cent of the cost of vehicles.

The committee is hopeful that the increase in subsidy and the ceiling limit would help in demand creation in the electric vehicle segment, the panel said.

The Department Related Standing Committee on Industry, in its report title 'Electric and Hybrid Mobility-Prospects and Challenges in Automobile Industry' said that the scope of the FAME-II should be broadened to include funding/grants for electrified vehicle components development and R&D, development of components for charging infrastructure and capital subsidy/incentive for manufacturing electric vehicle components.

Also Read  TVS, Simple Energy to launch e-scooter units in Tamil Nadu

On charging stations, the panel suggested that sub-meter or separate meter arrangements may be installed for billing the charging point used exclusively for EV charging by domestic consumers to keep the electricity bill affordable and encourage potential buyers to go for EVs.

To improve the mobility services, it is advisable to have a live database of active charging stations installed all over the country and the locations readily available for the consumers for their reference enabling them to easily track the nearest charging station at times of need while on the move. The committee, therefore, urges that the government may put in place such a facility for enhancing the e-Mobility services, the panel said.

To increase the number of charging stations, the government may explore installing smart meters on electric poles at dedicated locations and make small charging stations across the city/villages/highways and issue smart cards to the EV owners, who can charge their batteries anywhere, which can be a good booster for faster adoption of electric vehicles, the panel in its report said.

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Lance Naik Sai Teja, who died in the chopper crash along with General Bipin Rawat and 12 others last Wednesday, was cremated with military honours at his native village in Chittoor district.

Thousands of people, majorly youngsters, took part in the final procession to the cremation in Teja's farmland at Eguva Regada on Sunday after his body was transported from from the Defense Hospital in Bengaluru.

Teja (27) came from a family of farmers, with relatives saying that he nurtured a passion to join the army since childhood. He was recruited into the Indian Army as a jawan in 2013. Teja later made his way into the Para Special Forces and was appointed as Personal Security Officer to the Chief of Defence Staff based on his gallant performance.

Also Read  'Apne senao par hei hame garv': CDS Bipin Rawat's last public message

Teja's younger brother is also in the armed forces, serving in Sikkim. Teja is survived by his wife Shyamala and two children aged five and three.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy had expressed shock over the tragic loss of lives and described Teja as AP's brave son.

Panchayati Raj Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy and Excise Minister K Narayana Swami visited Teja's family on Saturday and provided financial assistance on behalf of the state government.

Peddireddy said the CM would consider the family's request for a job to Shyamala.

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India's Omicron tally rose to 36 as Andhra Pradesh and Chandigarh reported their first cases of the variant and Karnataka detected its third case.

The Andhra Pradesh patient is a 34-year-old traveller from Ireland. The person, who first landed in Mumbai, was tested and found negative for Covid-19. He was then allowed to travel onward to Visakhapatnam on November 27.

"On conducting a second RT-PCR test in Vizianagaram, he tested positive for Covid-19. His sample was then sent to the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad for genome sequencing and the result came out as Omicron positive," the Public Health Director said in a release.

The person, however, did not have any symptoms and a re-test on December 11 showed he was Covid-19 negative. "There are no other Omicron cases in the state," the Director said. So far, 15 foreign travellers who came to the state were found Covid-19 positive and all the samples were sent to CCMB for genome sequencing.

"Of the 15, genome sequencing reports related to 10 cases were received and only one of them was confirmed Omicron positive," the Director added. The Public Health Director asked people not to worry but continue to follow Covid appropriate behaviour and take necessary precautions.

The Chandigarh patient is said to be a 20-year-old man from Italy who landed in India on November 22 and was diagnosed for the viral infection on December 1.

"He was currently living in Italy. He had come to see some of his relatives here recently His report for whole genomic sequencing has been received late night on December 11 and has been found positive for Omicron variant," Director, Health Services, Chandigarh, Dr Suman Singh told PTI over the phone.

The youth, who is fully vaccinated, is currently in institutional quarantine.

The man, a resident of Italy, had landed in India on November 22, according to an official statement.

"He had come to visit his relatives in Chandigarh. He was under home quarantine and was found Covid positive on retesting on December 1.

"According to the protocol, he was then put under institutional quarantine. His Covid positive sample was sent for whole genome sequencing to NCDC, New Delhi. His seven high-risk family contacts were put under quarantine and were tested for Covid-19 by RT-PCR method. All of them tested negative," the statement added.

It said the 20-year-old traveller has been asymptomatic throughout.

"He is fully inoculated with Pfizer vaccine which he got in Italy. He has been kept in isolation for the last 11 days.

"His report for whole genomic sequencing was received late night on December 11 and has been found positive for Omicron variant," the statement said.

It further said he was tested for Covid-19 again on December 12 by RT-PCR method and the report is awaited.

"If he tests negative, he will be put under home quarantine for seven days and if positive, institutional quarantine will continue till his report turns out negative," it said.

His seven high-risk contacts were also tested on Sunday as a precautionary measure, the statement noted.

The Health department appealed to all citizens to follow Covid appropriate behaviour and asked those who have not taken the coronavirus vaccine or have had only one dose to complete their vaccination at the earliest.

Meanwhile, Karnataka detected a third case of Omicron in the state. In a tweet, Health Minister K Sudhakar said that the patient was a 34-year-old South Africa returnee. "He is isolated and being treated in a govt hospital. 5 primary and 15 secondary contacts have been traced and samples sent for testing," Sudhakar tweeted.

Third case of #Omicron has been detected in Karnataka. A 34-year-old male returning from South Africa has tested positive. He is isolated and being treated in a govt hospital. 5 primary and 15 secondary contacts have been traced and samples sent for testing. @BSBommai #COVID19  Dr Sudhakar K (@mla_sudhakar) December 12, 2021

(With agency inputs)

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A 34-year-old man who returned from Ireland via Mumbai airport has become the first case of Omicron variant in Andhra Pradesh. With this addition, the number of Covid-19 positive cases of Omicron strain went up to 37 in the country.

According to the state health department, the person was tested upon his arrival at the Mumbai airport and was found to be negative for Covid-19 in an RT-PCR test.

So, he was allowed to travel and came to Visakhapatnam on 27 November. But an RT-PCR retest conducted at Vizianagaram showed him as positive for Covid-19. His samples were then sent to the Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad. Genome sequencing declared him as infected by the Omicron variant, said Dr G Hymavathi, director, public health, Andhra Pradesh.

However, he does not have any symptoms. He was tested again on Friday and the result was negative. There are no other Omicron cases in the state, the top health official said.

Five reports awaited

In the past few days, i.e., the time the Omicron variant started worrying the AP health machinery, a total of 15 foreign travellers were found to be Covid-19 RT-PCR positive. All the samples were sent to CCMB for whole-genome sequencing to identify the strain.

Reports were received in 10 cases and only one of them was identified as Omicron. Public is advised not to be worried. They should not believe in any rumours but continue to take precautions and follow social distancing, wearing masks, washing hands regularly, Dr Hymavathi said.

The Medical and Health officer of Srikakulam district had to issue clarifications last week, after social media posts claimed that the returnees from Brazil and South Africa were tested positive with the Omicron variant.

As of Sunday, AP has 1,912 active Covid-19 cases.

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The first Covid Omicron variant case in Kerala was reported on Sunday. A native of Ernakulam (Kochi) who came down from the UK last week was found to be infected with the variant.

Kerala Health Minister Veena George told reporters that the person reached Kochi international airport on December 6. He was initially tested negative. But on a test conducted on December 8, he was found positive and further test confirmed that he was infected with the Omicron variant.

His wife and mother were also tested positive and all were isolated. All were having no health issues.

The person came by an Etihad Airways flight from the UK through Abu Dhabi. All the 149 persons in the flight were alerted, the minister said.

CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL COVERAGE ONLY ON DH

The first Covid positive case in India was reported in Kerala on January 30, 2020, after a girl pursuing medical education in China tested positive. Kerala is now having 38,361 Covid active cases with 3,777 fresh cases being reported on Sunday. Tests positive rate of the state is around six per cent now.

So far 51.87 lakh people got Covid infection in Kerala and 42,579 died. Around 68 per cent of people above the age of 18 in Kerala got both doses of Covid vaccines. Lockdown restrictions were almost relaxed and schools also reopened in the state.

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Eminent virologist Gagandeep Kang took to Twitter on Saturday to announce a clinical trial of Covid-19 vaccine booster doses.

Kang, a professor at Vellore's Christian Medical College (CMC), tweeted that she was looking for volunteers who were vaccinated with both doses of Covaxin between three to six months ago.

Also Read | Omicron: Booster shots necessary in India, says top virologist

"Need volunteers for a clinical trial. People with 2 doses of Covaxin 3-6 months ago are eligible to enrol in a booster dosing study. Folks in Vellore, Chennai, Bangalore or Delhi willing to consider participating please email mnm.cmcvellore@gmail.com. Please retweet-thank you," she tweeted.

Need volunteers for a clinical trial. People with 2 doses of Covaxin 3-6 months ago are eligible to enroll in a booster dosing study. Folks in Vellore, Chennai, Bangalore or Delhi willing to consider participating please email mnm.cmcvellore@gmail.com. Please retweet-thank you  G Kang (@GKangInd) December 11, 2021

While responding to a comment that suggested humans were not guinea pigs, Kang told the user that she was also a volunteer in a vaccine study and "so are several friends and family, including my mother."

Just FYI. I am a volunteer in a SARS-CoV2 vaccine study and so are several friends and family, including my mother. Ready and willing to be, and have my family be, figurative guinea pigs any time if it advances our scientific knowledge, potentially helping others. https://t.co/Ioc97rVKio  G Kang (@GKangInd) December 11, 2021

"Ready and willing to be, and have my family be, figurative guinea pigs any time if it advances our scientific knowledge, potentially helping others," she said.

As India reports more cases of the Omicron variant, the government has so far yet to make an announcement on offering booster doses. The Union Health Ministry, along with the ICMR, has maintained that the priority lies in fully vaccinating the country's entire adult population against the coronavirus.

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Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday called for proactive and concerted efforts to increase the number of translations of literary classics in Indian languages. In this regard, he suggested leveraging technological advancements in translation to make the rich heritage of regional Indian literature accessible to people in their own mother tongue, an official release said.

Naidu praised the efforts of institutions such as Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University in translating classics such as 'Amuktamalyada' by Sri Krishnadevaraya into other Indian languages. He called for more such efforts from similar universities to preserve and promote the use of different languages in India. Addressing the Foundation Day celebrations of the Telugu University, the Vice President lauded the university's commitment to preserving the Telugu language, literature and history through various research initiatives.

Also Read  New edu policy reflects Modi govt's commitment to Indian languages: Amit Shah

Noting that globalisation has had a widespread impact, Naidu stressed that it must be ensured that the youth must not lose touch with their cultural heritage. Noting the importance of language in forming one's identity and boosting self-confidence in the youth, Naidu said people must take pride in their mother tongue. Naidu observed that the National Educational Policy, 2020, aims at promoting Indian languages and encourages primary education in a child's mother tongue. He said the medium of education must be in the mother tongue up to higher education and for technical courses too.

In this regard, Naidu called upon the universities to undertake advanced research in languages and improve the scientific and technical terminology in Indian languages in order to facilitate their wider reach and use in academia. Naidu paid tributes to the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, late NT Rama Rao, who took the initiative to establish the University.

He also appreciated the efforts of the Telangana state government and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao in developing the University and furthering the cause of Telugu language and culture. On this occasion, the Vice President presented awards to Kurella Vittalacharya, poet and critic and Kalakrishna, Kuchipudi dance proponent.

Also Read  Hindi is friend of all Indian languages, says Amit Shah

Later, Naidu inaugurated the photo exhibition of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' at the Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University, another release said. Organised by the Regional Outreach Bureau, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, this exhibition highlights the various interesting aspects of the paired states of Haryana and Telangana like art forms, cuisine, festivals, monuments, tourism spots etc.

Writing in the visitors' book, the Vice President appreciated the efforts of the organisers in showcasing the culture of the paired states of Telangana and Haryana. Encouraging people to visit the exhibition, he wrote that such initiatives will go a long way in propagating the rich cultural heritage of the paired states and promoting people-to-people contacts. Telangana Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali, Telangana State Planning Board Vice Chairman B Vinod Kumar, attended the event, the release added.

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A 40-year old man from the orange city of Nagpur, who recently travelled to South Africa has tested positive for the Covid-19 variant Omicron phasing the tally of Maharashtra up to 18.

Nagpur is the third place in the state where the variant was found after the Mumbai and Pune metropolitan regions.

The man arrived from South Africa on 5 December and his report tested for Omicron positive, according to the lab test done at the Pune-based National Institute of Virology.

Also read: What scientists say about booster dose against Omicron

He has shown mild symptoms and is admitted to AIIMS in Nagpur.

Thirty close contacts were traced and tested and all of them were negative.

The patient had earlier tested positive for Covid-19 in April 2021 during the second wave - and has not been vaccinated.

As of date, the state had a total of 18 Omicron cases of which nine have recovered and their tests have been RT-PCR negative.

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The Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC) has written to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar seeking immediate withdrawal of the excise duty reduction on imported products or extending the same to all of the IMFL sector.

Excise Duty reduction of such scale on imported products is disastrous for the Indian industry. It so distorts the playing field against the Indian industry, that consequences may be far-reaching leading to disinvestment, job losses and farmer discomfortthe (Maharashtra) Government should encourage products made in India which historically has been the main contributor to the states revenues and economic prosperity, said the letter of the apex body of the Indian alcoholic beverage industry.

While referring to the drastic reduction in excise duty for imported products (BIO) without similar relief to Indian made products (IMFL), CIABC Director-General Vinod Giri said it would create a very unequal and unfair playing field against IMFL products.

The Maharashtra Government has slashed excise duty on BIO products without giving any consideration to the interests of the Indian industry. The Government may have been misinformed about the premise and implications of this step which would severely hurt Indian liquor industry, employment, MSME sector and Indian farmers, Giri added.

Giri further said post the massive reduction of excise duty on imported liquor, the multi-national companies are likely to shift their production back to their home countries.

Further, loss in sales will make even Indian manufacturers scale down production in the state, said a statement from the CIABC.

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Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday alleged that the Congress was celebrating in Goa when the rest of the country was mourning the tragic death of General Bipin Rawat and others in the IAF chopper crash in Tamil Nadu.

Speaking at a programme in Lansdowne in Pauri district, where Gen Rawat was born, Dhami also said though Congress ruled the country for 60 years, it does not have any feelings for it.

Gen Rawat, India's first chief of defence staff, his wife and 11 other defence personnel were killed on December 8 after the IAF helicopter in which they were travelling crashed in Coonoor in Tamil Nadu.

The lone survivor, Group Captain Varun Singh, is undergoing treatment at a military hospital in Bengaluru.

Also read: IAF chopper crash: Phone of eyewitness sent for forensic examination

"For 60 years after independence, one party ruled this country. For 55 years out of those 60 years, one family was in power. However, at a time when the entire country was mourning the loss of CDS Gen Rawat, his wife and others in a tragic chopper crash, the Congress was launching its poll campaign in Goa and its workers were dancing and celebrating. It should be ashamed of itself," Dhami said.

"It seems they (Congress) are only physically present in this country, their soul is somewhere else," he said.

Dhami inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of development projects worth around Rs 90 crore at a college in Lansdowne.

He made similar remarks while addressing a gathering in Haldwani's Ramlila Maidan, where he flagged off LED vehicles for creating awareness among people about the government's welfare schemes and policies.

He said the Uttarakhand government declared three-day mourning following Gen Rawat's death. Even at the passing out parade at the Indian Military Academy, where President Ramnath Kovind was the chief guest, the usual celebrations were done away with.

The chief minister asked people to contrast the Congress' insensitivity with the sensitivity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who celebrates Holi, Diwali and his birthdays with soldiers on the country's borders.

Describing Gen Rawat as everyone's favourite in Uttarakhand, Dhami said the CDS was like a guardian to him who always guided him.

"Gen Rawat always dreamt of a developed Uttarakhand. We should vow not to leave any stone unturned to build the Uttarakhand of his dreams," he said.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited poll-bound Goa on December 10 and announced that if voted to power in the state next year, her party would ensure a 30 per cent quota for women in jobs and a grant of Rs 1 lakh for women self-help groups, among other things.

She also visited Mopirla village in Goa and shared a video on Twitter in which she was seen dancing with tribal women.

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By Mick Bailey and Nicholas John Timpson for The Conversation

With the highly mutated Omicron variant spreading rapidly, people want to know if immunity from vaccination or a prior infection will be enough to protect them against getting infected or developing severe disease.

If prior immunity does provide sufficient protection, then precautionary measures to slow Omicrons spread, together with vaccinating and boosting people, should prevent intolerable strain on healthcare systems. But if not, then increased social restrictions are inevitable as the variant spreads around the world and potentially replaces delta, which is currently the dominant variant.

Early studies  all of which are still preprints, so yet to be formally reviewed by other scientists  suggest that Omicron is handled less well by existing immunity. But research also suggests that giving a third booster vaccine dose may provide protection. So, the bad news isnt as bad as it could be, but the good news also needs to be treated with caution. Heres why.

Also read: Centre asks states to impose curbs if Covid positivity rate climbs

More to immunity than antibodies

Inevitably, early reports have focused on the most quickly accessible data, which is the amount of antibodies people have in their blood that are capable of neutralising the new variant.

Overall, the data consistently suggest that Omicron can escape these neutralising antibodies to some extent: the reduction in neutralisation in double-vaccinated people is somewhere between 10- to 20-fold to 40-fold compared to delta. That said, in people who had received two vaccinations and had also been infected, the level of neutralisation of Omicron was higher.

This may seem alarming. But its not the whole story. In previous studies that have looked at earlier forms of the virus, levels of neutralising antibodies have correlated well with levels of protection  greater neutralising activity equating to better protection.

But lower levels of neutralising antibodies doesnt necessarily mean people are completely exposed. Past studies have also found that many people with low levels of antibodies do still appear to be sufficiently protected, particularly against severe disease, even with the newer variants like delta. We may find that the same applies with Omicron.

This is most likely because neutralising antibodies that attack and nullify the virus are just part of the immune response. There are also binding antibodies, which attach to the virus or to infected cells to flag them to other immune cells for destruction, and T cells and memory B cells, which can attack the virus directly and produce more antibodies to fight it.

Even in the initial absence of antibodies that can neutralise the virus, these mechanisms may also provide a level of protection against infection or symptomatic disease. This may still be sufficient to reduce the likelihood of Omicron causing severe disease and limit its impact on health systems.

Also read: Omicron's impact on Indian economy will be less severe: Finance Ministry report

A boost of good news?

Two of the recent reports also strongly suggest that a third booster dose of a Covid vaccine dramatically increases levels of neutralising antibodies against the widespread delta variant and that this would also increase neutralisation of the Omicron variant.

One of these (a press release from Pfizer) suggests that a booster can provide quite a marked increase in neutralisation of Omicron, although this only included a summary of the results and not the full dataset.

A closer examination of what data is available in these studies reveals that reduced neutralisation of Omicron can be extremely variable (which is why it would be helpful to see Pfizers results in full). While some vaccinated or previously infected people are good at neutralising Omicron, some have almost no neutralising antibodies, even after a booster dose.

So are these people still likely to be protected against infection or severe disease? Its hard to say. As discussed above, we dont know the extent to which the immune systems other mechanisms can provide protection.

However, we do know these other immune mechanisms target different parts of the coronavirus to neutralising antibodies. And while the part of the virus that neutralising antibodies target  the spike protein  is heavily mutated in Omicron, the bits these other mechanisms focus on arent so badly affected.

We can hope that people with low levels of neutralising antibodies, even after a booster, will therefore be protected by these other immune defences remaining largely undiminished. This, though, is not a given, and we need further studies to measure real-life protection.

Also Read | Amid Omicron scare, high 'seropositivity' rate should help India, says expert

Optimism rather than confidence

Overall, then, what we know so far is that vaccination or prior infection should provide some protection against Omicron, and that for most people protection should be increased by a booster vaccine dose.

But the crucial message from these early studies is that we still need a lot more information to assess the national and global impact of the rapid spread of this new variant. We need more and larger studies on neutralising antibodies after different combinations of vaccines and previous infections.

We also need studies of the ability of other protective mechanisms (T cells, binding antibodies) to control infections and disease caused by Omicron. And we need to know how much these mechanisms are also boosted by a third vaccine dose.

And above all, we need large, real-time studies of levels of infection and disease attributable to Omicron to allow rapid, rational public health decisions to be made. Research groups around the world are addressing all these areas and, in the near future, we can expect their reports to make the situation clearer.

(Bailey is Professor of Comparative Immunology, University of Bristol; and Timpson is Professor of Genetic Epidemiology, University of Bristol)

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The killing of 13 civilians at Oting village in Nagalands Mon district on December 4 was followed by two rare instances in Northeasts long tryst with counter-insurgency operations. First: army was quick in admitting that the killings and its aftermath was deeply regrettable. Secondly, two chief ministers (Nagaland and Meghalaya), both heading government with the ruling party (BJP) as ally, bluntly hit at the `root of such killings: the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA).

We want the draconian AFSPA to go. A country like India should have no place for such a draconian law, Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio told reporters as he joined the funeral of the victims. His Meghalaya counterpart, Conrad K Sangma, too put his weight behind Rio saying the AFSPA should be repealed to avoid similar killings. The two CMs made the demand amid the outrage and anger Oting killings triggered among all, from student bodies to insurgent groups and community organisations across Northeast and elsewhere. Rio was more blunt on December 9 when he said the killings at Oting village was misuse and abuse of the AFSPA and it was violative of human rights.

Killings, arrests, detention and house search by security forces by using the powers given under the AFSPA even at night in the name of counter-insurgency are not new in the region troubled by insurgency for long. But the cry for repeal of the AFSPA has, perhaps, become louder after the Oting incident with even Nagaland Cabinet writing to the Centre seeking its repeal.

Also read: Naga peace process: Misplaced optimism?

Twenty-six-year-old Vetilo Venuh, a post-graduate in peace and conflict studies from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Guwahati, grew up in the post-ceasefire (1997) years. Venuh, who now lives in the Nagaland capital Kohima heard about the horrors of militarisation from his elders. But I dont see much difference from what had occurred in the past. The gruesome incidents like the one in Oting reminds us that we are not far from what was back in the 1950s and the succeeding decades of conflict, Venuh told DH.

According to him, life under the shadow of AFSPA in Nagaland continues to be difficult even after the ceasefire. Even our people feel insecure in the presence of the armed forces, he said. I just hope the Act is repealed, so that there is no more bloodshed of innocent civilians.

The killings at Oting, human rights activist Binalakshmi Nepram said, brought back trauma of many other massacres that happened since the AFSPA was imposed in 1958. She mentioned about Heirangoithong massacre in 1984 and Malom carnage in 2000 that led to public anger against the AFSPA. Northeast India has become killing fields since the AFSPA was first imposed. It was because of killing of 10 youths allegedly by Assam Rifles personnel at Malom, Irom Sharmila had started her hunger strike in 2000. Sharmila ended her fast in 2016.

AFSPA and peace talks

The AFSPA is in force now in Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, the Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts (bordering Myanmar) of Arunachal Pradesh and the areas falling under eight police stations of the state bordering Assam. The Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, 1990, is in force in J&K, another insurgency-hit region. Under the Act, security forces can use force or even open fire after giving a warning if they feel the person is in contravention of the law. They can also search a house or arrest a person without a warrant.

The AFSPA, 1958 is in force parallel to the ceasefire and dialogue going on with insurgent groups in Assam, Nagaland and Manipur. The National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM), the biggest Naga insurgent group is in ceasefire since 1997 and their cadres are lodged in designated camps near Dimapur. The ceasefire was also signed with other breakaway factions and groups between 2001 and 2021. Yung Aung faction of NSCN (Khaplang), however, continues their armed struggle. The group along with the United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa-Independent) in neighbouring Assam was held responsible for the killing of 18 personnel of Dogra Regiment of the army in Manipur in 2015. Another eight soldiers were similarly gunned down in Mon district in May 2015. Mon shares border with Myanmar and is considered a transit route for insurgents having hideouts in the neighbouring country. Talks are also underway with some insurgent groups in Manipur but two major groups, Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) and United National Liberation Front (UNLF) are yet to join the process. Most of these insurgent groups demand sovereignty for their communities. PLA and a Manipur-based Naga group claimed responsibility of killing a colonel of Assam Rifles, his wife, son and four jawans in Manipurs Churachandpur district on November 13.

The NSCN-IM signed a Framework Agreement with Narendra Modi government in August 2015 and an Agreed Position was signed in 2017 with Naga National Political Group (NNPG), a forum of seven rival groups. The process to sign a final agreement, however, has gone into a limbo, mainly due to NSCN-IMS insistence on its core demand for recognition to a separate flag and Constitution for the Nagas.

The NSCN (IM) on December 8 said killings at Oting has become a threat to Nagas longing for peace. No political talks will be meaningful under the shadow of AFSPA. Blood and political talks cannot go together, the outfit said in a statement emailed to DH.

Also read: AFSPA is only an enabling law in a Disturbed Area

Quest for justice

The fight for justice against extra judicial killings or fake encounters allegedly by security forces given special powers under the AFSPA in Northeast has been a long struggle. Pleas for justice related to over 1,500 such killings, committed between 1980 and 2011, has remained pending in Manipur alone.

Family members of such victims cannot afford to fight such a long legal battle in courts, said Jagadish Bhuyan, general secretary of Asom Jatiya Parishad, a new regional party in Assam. He knows it better. Bhuyan had successfully fought a 24-year-long legal battle against killing of five youths at Dangori in eastern Assams Tinsukia district in 1994, when Ulfa insurgency was at its peak. Four of the victims were members of All Assam Students Union (AASU) and Bhuyan was its vice-president then. A summary general court martial was conducted against seven army officers including a major general and a colonel in 2018 and they were sentenced to life imprisonment and dismissal for service.

The Section 6 of AFSPA, in fact, reinforces the special powers, prohibiting any action, including prosecution, suit or any other legal action against such officers, except with the previous sanction of the Central government, against anything done or purported to be done in exercise of the powers conferred by the Act, Hong Kong-based rights body, Asian Human Rights Commission said. Evidently, the special powers are just another name of impunity for the security forces deployed in disturbed areas.

Need for AFSPA

Army officials engaged in counter-insurgency operations, however, stress that they need some kind of special power to deal with insurgency, which is still serious, particularly in Manipur and Nagaland. If the government wants army to maintain internal security, we must be given some special powers, said an army officer posted in Nagaland, with a request for anonymity. He cited the annual report of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, that said insurgency situation in Manipur and Nagaland was still a cause of worry even as militancy-related incidents decreased significantly in the past 10 years (see graphics).

Nagaland CM Rio, however, countered such argument saying the law and order issues at present can be tackled by the laws other than the AFSPA. The AFSPA was imposed in Nagaland when militancy was very serious. But major groups are in ceasefire and are engaged in peace talks for nearly 25 years now. But the AFSPA is still there, he said. Conrad Sangma said, AFSPA has not given any results, its been counter-productive in the last few years. There has been more unrest, we have lost many precious lives and people have gone through a lot of pain and suffering.

So, can insurgency be handled without the AFSPA? If the situation in Chhattisgarh (Maoist problem) can be dealt with without the AFSPA, why not in Manipur and Nagaland? asked Suhas Chakma, Director of New Delhi-based Rights and Risk Analysis Group.

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In a shocking incident, an unknown person attempted to attack a church priest with a sword in Belagavi district of Karnataka, police said, adding that they have launched an investigation to hunt down the miscreant.

Father Francis of Saint Joseph's 'The Worker Church' was attacked on Saturday evening and is said to be out of danger.

The police said the incident took place at the residence of Father Francis, where the miscreant had been hiding. The attacker tried to slash Father Francis with his sword as soon as he (Father) came out of the house to check on a dog that was barking continuously.

Father Francis informed the police that a man wielding a sword jumped from the compound wall and entered the first floor of the residence behind the church at about 3.15 pm. He was hiding in a room and attempted to assault the priest. However, the priest escaped by a whisker. Later, the culprit managed to flee by jumping over the wall. His entry and exit have been caught by the CCTV. The APMC police visited the spot.

Further investigation is under way.

Increase in church-related incidents

Over the past month, there has been an increase in church-related incidents in and around Belagavi. At the beginning of November, right-wing Hindu activists stormed into a prayer hall, alleging mass conversion.

The protesters claimed that as many as 200 people, including women and children from rural backgrounds, were put up in the building on the pretext of mass prayer for the purpose of religious conversion.

Later that month, Belagavi police asked Protestants to not hold mass or regular prayers in such halls.

(With inputs from DHNS and IANS)

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Four among a group of men who allegedly had misbehaved with students from different faiths travelling in a bus from Mangaluru on Friday were arrested by city police on Saturday.

The arrested men were identified as Prakash, Raghavendra, Ranjith and Pawan. Meanwhile, a video clip showing five to six men questioning and creating an embarrassing situation for students in a public place had gone viral on social media. Mangaluru Commissioner of Police N Shashi Kumar said four men had been arrested so far.

The students from a private college had boarded a bus plying to Udupi. The young girl hailed from Udupi and the boy from Shivamogga. When they were sitting inside the bus, five to six men stormed inside the bus and demanded their identity cards and address details.

The men had also allegedly abused them. As soon as the video went public, Mangaluru South police registered a suo motu case later on Friday night and informed the family members of students. We will be able to get full details about the incident once the students return to Mangaluru, the Commissioner said. The men arrested were working in the bus and the police are checking their background.

The police have booked cases under sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 153 (provocation), 153 (A) (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion), 504 (intentionally insults, and thereby gives provocation), 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC.

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Last month, Karnataka watched in awe as Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) sleuths pulled cash out of a PVC pipe in the house of a junior engineer in the Public Works Department in Kalaburagi.

Public money down the drain, indeed.

But something more unprecedented has hit the BJP government in the face.

The Karnataka State Contractors Association, a body with one lakh members, has approached Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a serious complaint: They say they are forced to pay kickbacks that are now as high as 40% of the project cost  the money goes to various people, including ministers  in order to carry out civic works.

Contractors also approached Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot with their complaint.

The letter to the PM was written on July 6, 2021, when B S Yediyurappa was the chief minister. Incumbent Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was then the home minister.

Contractors approaching the PM is unprecedented, given that they themselves have been complicit in Karnatakas corruption story  a story in which even the construction of the Vidhana Soudha was not spared from graft charges.

And remember the fabled contractor-politician nexus? But the rot runs so deep now that contractors are fed up.

Sample this back-of-the-envelope example: A project costs Rs 100. If a contractor pays Rs 40, he is left with just Rs 60.

That explains why public infrastructure projects, in many cases, have quality issues: New roads dotted with potholes or bridges that crack.

Ultimately, when citizens travel on a poorly-laid road, they curse the contractors, says D Kempanna, president of the Contractors Association. Come January, about one lakh contractors across the state will gather to protest against corruption in the state government.

The irony is that it was Modi, touring Karnataka during the 2018 Assembly elections, who famously dubbed the then Siddaramaiah-led Congress government as 10% Sarkar and Seedharupaiyya Sarkar.

That political funding is done through public works is an open secret. But how did 10% become 40%? And what forced the contractors to call it out?

The commission system has gone out of control over the last three years, Kempanna says.

While earlier it was 2% or 5%, it gradually increased to 10% and has now touched 40%. We had written several letters to the government, bringing the problem to their notice. No one responded to us, forcing us to write to the PM himself.

In their letter to the PM, contractors explain how they have to pay off ministers and officials at various levels.

Commission at every stage

A minimum of 5% is paid to ministers before approval of tender and issue of work order; 5% to local elected representatives for building projects and 10% for road works; 25-30% to elected representatives before the work begins and another 5-6% after completion of works to obtain the Letter of Credit (LOC) for their bills to be cleared.

Several contractors that DH spoke to laid out the problem thus: The irregularities begin at the time of tender itself. The most conventional corruption mechanism is to predetermine the winner of a tender bid.

Even though the lowest bidder has to get the project, the government tweaks rules to accommodate contractors selected by the powers-that-be even before the tender process.

For instance, if the prerequisite is that a contractor needs experience of having executed a Rs 5 crore project to bag a Rs 10 crore project, this clause itself is changed to give the tender to a higher bidder. Also, tenders are bagged by unregistered contractors from outside the state, who are close aides of ministers and other elected representatives.

Another ploy is to convert projects into packages, clubbing multiple components and escalating the cost of the project. This means that only bigger contractors who can afford bigger kickbacks bag the projects.

Also, while bigger contractors get bills cleared even before they complete the projects, the smaller ones have to wait 2-3 years. This system eliminates opportunities for local, registered contractors.

The Contractors Association includes contractors dealing with mid-sized projects up to Rs 10 crore, many of whom take personal loans to pay kickbacks. According to the association, the government owes them Rs 22,000 crore so far, of which Rs 5,000 crore is owed just to the public works department (PWD).

If a contractor manages to bag a project, the commission begins at the time of awarding the tender itself, followed by commission to be paid to ministers or MLAs during Bhoomi Pooja or laying the foundation stone.

Without commission, they will not turn up for Bhoomi Pooja. They charge 10% for roads, 5% for buildings and up to 25% for minor irrigation projects, association vice-president R Manjunath says.

The commission system persists at each level with officials of various ranks, until the contractors have to get their bills settled by securing the LOC.

One standing example of the government subtly circumventing norms is the Vikas Soudha, next to Vidhana Soudha, constructed in the early 2000s.

According to former Additional Chief Secretary V Balasubramanian, the initial estimate for its construction of Vikas Soudha was Rs 100 crore. Even though the lowest bidder had quoted Rs 76 crore, the government gave the tender to a contractor who had bid Rs 96 crore. This bidder was then asked to lower his tender to Rs 76 crore, which he did. However, he delayed the project for two years, escalating the cost to Rs 150 crore, he narrates.

Modus operandi

The modus operandi on how the money is collected is different. For LOCs, there are middlemen who strike the deals. For tenders and granting of funds, one has to directly deal with the MLAs or ministers. Further, there are a few instances where money is channelled through petrol bunks. There are middlemen in the petrol bunks, says one contractor. Once the money is deposited there, the elected representatives send word to sanction the works to the contractor.

However, most contractors said elected representatives have become brazen like never before and insist on direct cash payments in their offices. The commission is used to fund elections.

In our system, the minister is the government, a senior IAS officer explains. The problem here is, a file that a deputy secretary can clear is summoned by the minister. Ministers insist on getting the files pertaining to payment of bills. They sit on the file. Contractors are contacted. Money is demanded. The file is cleared only if the money is paid. And, if we as officials resist, then our functional relationship gets affected.

As far as officials are concerned, engineers want their cut to recover their investment. The Transfer industry is big in Karnataka. Engineers in charge of certifying bills would have invested to come to that post. So, they have a cut, the officer says.

The present BJP government is no stranger to allegations of corruption. In August this year, the High Court issued notices to Yediyurappa, his son B Y Vijayendra among others, in a case pertaining to kickbacks from contractors for a BDA housing project.

In October, I-T raids on the house of one Umesh, who is said to be Yediyurappas aide, revealed several tender documents pertaining to irrigation projects and payments made for these tenders. The I-T officials are looking into the involvement of black money in these contracts.

In November, North Karnataka Civil Contractors Association president Subhash Patil said they wrote to Bommai that corruption had tripled during the BJP regime, compared with previous governments.

Last year, the government also faced heat during the Covid-19 peak for alleged misappropriation of money in the purchase of healthcare equipment.

According to government officials, the only solution is to streamline the existing process. No minister should sit on a file for more than six days. We also need systematic benchmarking with international and national standards for cost estimation of projects. These simple measures can fix the problem, the IAS officer quoted earlier says.

Balasubramanian says the contractors are equally to be blamed. Now that the commission has gone up and their share has come down, it has irked them, he says.

Whats next? Bommai has ordered a probe under Chief Secretary P Ravi Kumar, who has written to heads of departments to pull out files in the wake of the contractors complaint. Departments are looking into all the contracts and the payments made, Kumar says, adding that there is no deadline to complete the inquiry.

Also, the Bommai administration has decided to constitute a committee that will review government tenders for projects costing Rs 50 crore or more. This will prevent exaggeration and escalation of project costs. The committee will be headed by a retired High Court judge.

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Pending files are a perennial administrative problem for any government.

And, much like his predecessors, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has assured to take up a file clearance drive even as several hundred files are pending in major departments at any point of time.

While there are complaints that such pendency affects citizens in terms of service delivery and adds to administrative lethargy, various factors are to blame for such a delay.

Read more: 'MLAs control the BBMP's funds'

The government argues that technology interventions, such as the e-office system on which there are at least four lakh files, are addressing issues with file clearance so that approvals are granted on time for the benefit of the public.

Pendencies not only cast a shadow on the efficiency of government machinery, but also lead to suspicions of widespread corruption.

Officials, however, maintain that there are several factors responsible for the delay in clearing files as most of the pending files are kept in abeyance for legal reasons.

Among various government departments, revenue and urban development have the most number of pending files.

Officials from various departments explain how political pressure to clear some files adds to the pile up.

There are cases where local MLAs or MPs force officials to put up files to convert gomala land for other purposes, say as a playground for a gram panchayat. Even though local authorities realise that these files cannot be cleared at any level due to the restrictions for converting such land, they have no choice but to send a proposal, says a senior officer requesting anonymity.

Another official cites the example of applications to purchase agricultural land.

Despite government regulations that only those with an annual income of Rs 2 lakh or less can buy agricultural land, there are hundreds of applications by those who exceed the income limit. Until the government amends the Land Reforms Act and increases the income limit to 25 lakh, these files cannot be disposed of, another official says.

One more reason is complaints filed against any process initiated by various departments.

If anyone files a complaint against, say a tender floated by a department, bureaucrats sit on it contributing to the pendency, the official adds.

We all know the consequences faced by officials who take stern and bold decisions based on existing rules. They are relegated to the sidelines.

Movement of files along various levels of bureaucratic machinery is also the reason for pendency, a fact highlighted in a report submitted by the Karnataka Administrative Reforms Commission-2 (KARC-2).

In any government department, files have to move 6-7 levels - from junior assistant to section officer to under secretary and so on.

In a few cases, various clarifications are sought from departments related to a project or proposal, adding to the delay.

Former chief secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar, who heads KARC-2, says adopting e-office system from district level offices right up to the secretariat will help address the issue.

All required documents and attachments related to a file can be accessed in one go under e-office, he says.

Another recommendation to prevent the slow movement of files is delegation of more powers to deputy commissioners.

At the state level, too, the number of levels for file movement can be cut down, Bhaskar adds.

Chief secretary P Ravikumar told DH that files are kept pending only if there are court cases and disciplinary measures or if forest clearances are awaited.

With e-office, we are clearing files at a faster pace and pendency has reduced, he says.
The Bengaluru police are planning to approach the court seeking withdrawal of bail order of notorious hacker Srikrishna alias Sriki, who has gone missing. The cops are also planning to seek permission to take him into custody again.

Sources in the Bengaluru City Police told DH that Sriki, currently out on bail, has violated bail conditions and gone missing.

A senior police officer said that as per the bail conditions in a case registered at the Jeevanbima Nagar police station, Sriki was supposed to appear before the investigating officer (IO) every Saturday and sign on the register.

Since his release from jail three weeks ago, he hasnt turned up before the police. He isnt helping in the interrogation either, an officer said.

We have to submit the investigation details to the court as the matter is being heard by the court. But for three weeks, we do not know where he is. If he has undergone any medical procedure or other emergencies, it has to be brought to the notice of the IO. But there has been no communication about his whereabouts. Hence, we have directed the investigating team to approach the court seeking withdrawal of his bail orders, the officer added.

The city police had, in fact, given the hacker security cover after Opposition leaders alleged that he had received life threats. The security police personnel are also in the dark about his whereabouts.

Sriki was booked for assaulting hotel staff under the influence of narcotics.

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Alices Adventures in Wonderland is one of the most popular childrens books of all time. Authored by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, known by his pen name, Lewis Carroll, and published in 1865, it narrates the whimsical tale of a little girl, her adventures inside a rabbit hole, and her encounters with a string of magical characters. Originally meant to arouse juvenile fancies, the power, magic, and playfulness of the tale have attracted a readership of countless children as well as grown-ups. The sparkling humour and incredible twists embedded in the wonderfully rich and nonsensical story have also inspired generations of writers, poets, artists, and illustrators across the world.

Alices Adventures in Wonderland is told as the story of a dream, and this sets it free to indulge in any kind of incredible happening, writes Malcolm Thomson. The wit, the simplicity and unexpectedness of the story carry its readers on eagerly from one surprise to another A happy feature of the story is the way in which Alice talks aloud to herself in an artless fashion about her strange predicaments, and spills out delicious parodies of familiar verses when she tries to recite them As we close these books, we reflect that C L Dodgson treasured in his complex nature the heart of a little child. Lewis Carroll recorded its fancies for our undying delight.

Eminent British artist John Vernon Lord was another ardent admirer of Carroll. There is hardly anything new to be said about Lewis Carrolls two Alice books, he says. Their contents have been probed by the scalpels of psychoanalysts, literary theorists, annotators, enthusiasts, and journalists. Perhaps I should include illustrators among this group, for it is the illustrators duty to get to grips with the text and thus make a visual commentary upon it.

A mathematicians art

Carroll, who pursued a religious career and became a deacon in 1861, was a man of many interests. He was a professional mathematician who had a long stint teaching mathematics at Christ Church, Oxford from 1855 to 1881. He wrote poetry and was an enthusiastic painter. He also pursued the art of photography actively. (His obsession of photographing young children including Alice Liddell  somewhat controversially and in unclothed condition  has provoked some historians to believe that Dodgson may have had paedophilic tendencies).

The origin of Alices Adventures in Wonderland is interesting and well-documented. On 4 July 1862, Charles Dodgson, then a 30-year-old English mathematician and logician, took a trip down the river between Oxford and Godstow. Accompanying him were Alice Liddell and her sisters. As they floated down the river, Dodgson made up a whimsical story to entertain the little girls.

Hooked by the narration, Alice pleaded with the storyteller to write it down for her. Dodgson took his time, and by February 1863, he had completed writing the story and even begun to illustrate the manuscript. Encouraged by friends, he later expanded the 15,500-word original story to 27,500 words; and succeeded in getting the Punch artist John Tenniel to do the illustrations. Interestingly, Dodgson took on the name of Lewis Carroll before the first edition was printed in July 1865. A sequel Through the Looking Glass came out (with Tenniels illustrations) in December 1871.

From Tenniel to Dali

Carrolls Alice stories have enthused many artists to lend their personal vision to the great fantasy. The 92 original drawings of John Tenniel (1820-1914) accompanying the Alice tales are considered to be among the most famous literary illustrations. Described as a great artist and a great gentleman, Tenniel was a prominent Victorian illustrator and political cartoonist. He was knighted for public service in 1893, the first such honour ever bestowed on an illustrator or cartoonist in England.

Thanks to the unexpected twists and whimsicality of Alice tales, they have often been tagged as a probable foreseer of surrealism, a popular literary, philosophical, and artistic movement in the 20th century. In 1969, famous surrealist painter Salvador Dali (19041989) was commissioned by New Yorks Maecenas Press-Random House to illustrate a special edition of the Carroll classic. The outcome was a set of 12 heliogravures (one for each chapter of the book); and an original signed etching in four colours as the frontispiece. The volume went on to become a huge success.

Allen Boudreaux, collector of Alice books and treatises for over 25 years, does not consider the Alice tales to be surrealist. He, however, agrees that they were undeniably influential to some surrealists. Dalis Alice drawings and Alice books do share much in common with surrealist art  strange creatures, illogical scenes, non-sequiturs, unexpected juxtapositions, etc. At best, Carrolls writing was an early ancestor of surrealism.

More recently, Alices story has creatively inspired Yayoi Kusama, Japans most celebrated contemporary artist. Her visually captivating take on Alices Adventures in Wonderland (Penguin UK/2012) is hailed as a breathtaking piece of visual philosophy to complement Carrolls timeless vision. Kusamas visionary take on Lewis Carrolls Alice in Wonderland, wrote The Huffington Post reviewer, shows how no matter how old you are, childhood never has to end.
Caroline Flacks mother has said seeing people who were not close to her daughter grieve publicly makes her feel "really hurt".

The Love Island presenter took her own life at the age of 40 in February 2020.

Her mother, Christine Flack, said she expects this Christmas to be challenging.

Caroline Flack

She told The Sun newspaper: Its been worse this year because its become real.

She added: Its hard. I saw someone on the telly this week calling her a friend and it really hurt.

When a death is in the media you cant just grieve quietly. Theres lots of people grieving that dont know her personally, so youre looking after them, as well as all her friends.

Flacks mother and her twin sister, Jody, helped produce the documentary Caroline Flack: Her Life And Death for Channel 4 earlier this year.

The documentary tells the story of her life and death, as well as her mental health issues.

Christine Flack said: There was so much going on last year, with everything, people talking, and that documentary really helped.

Flacks death prompted an outpouring of sorrow from celebrity friends

Before its release, her mother spoke out against social media companies for failing to protect her daughter from abuse on their platforms.

Flack, known for her TV work on shows including Love Island and The X Factor, was found dead at her home in Stoke Newington, north-east London, on February 15 2020.

A coroner ruled she took her own life after learning prosecutors were going to press ahead with an assault charge over an incident with boyfriend Lewis Burton.

Flacks death prompted an outpouring of sorrow from celebrity friends, colleagues and fans, who referenced one of the former Strictly winners social media posts in which she urged people to be kind.

Anyone who needs support should call Samaritans free on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or visit the Samaritans website.
A protest by truckers and hauliers against soaring fuel prices that is expected to cause havoc in Dublin city centre is not the way to do business, Minister Simon Harris has said.

The Further Education Minister has hit out at groups including the Irish Truckers and Haulage Association Against Fuel Prices over plans for a day-long blockade of the city on Monday.

Retailers have condemned the plans, warning it will be the difference between survival and closure for many stores already badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

A similar protest two weeks ago caused heavy disruption on motorways and in the city centre, and Mondays demonstration is expected to be even larger.

Minister Harris said the Government had engaged with the Irish Road Haulage Association, which opposes the protests, around measures to tackle fuel costs.

He said: My colleagues Minister (Eamon) Ryan and Minister Hildegarde Naughton had a very good meeting with the Irish Road Haulage Association on Friday, where the IRHA did table a proposal in relation to an expanded rebate scheme.

Both ministers have undertaken to very seriously consider that.

Thats the way to do business though.

What is not the way to do business is for splinter groups to blockade effectively our capital city tomorrow and cause other hard-pressed taxpayers very significant difficulty in going about their business and indeed people in accessing our health services and the likes.

I know thats a view shared by the IRHA and others. Decent proposals have been tabled by the IRHA and they will be given very serious consideration and very quick consideration, he said in an appearance on RTEs The Week In Politics.



Lorry drivers take part in a protest in November outside the Shelbourne Dublin Hotel to call for lower fuel prices (Niall Carson/PA)

Retail Excellence said the demonstrations would threaten jobs, and said sympathy is rapidly running out for the truckers and hauliers.

Its managing director, Duncan Graham, said: Footfall in Dublin city centre is down by 30% on 2019 levels, as people continue to steer clear of the capital and instead shop online or in suburban shopping centres.

This action by truckers and hauliers is a body-blow which will drive another nail into the coffin of many city centre retailers who are in desperation mode now.

In any normal year, the Christmas period is critically important for retailers.

This year  after months of enforced closures, decreased footfall, the increased cost of trade, severe weather disruption and having to contend with the same fuel prices that hauliers are protesting against  it will be the difference between survival and closure.



Simon Harris said the planned truckers protest was not the way to do business (Brian Lawless/PA)

Independent TD Verona Murphy has called on the Government to cut direct taxes on fuel to alleviate the situation.

Ms Murphy said: The direct taxes applied to fuel here are in the region of 52% price per litre.

So where you see 1.65 (euros, 1.40) for the price of a litre of fuel, over 80 cents (68p) of that is going to the Government in direct taxes.

Were an island, were unique in that regard. As members of the EU now were on the periphery.

If were going to remain competitive on an EU stage and a world stage, were going to have to look at our direct taxes and reduce them in relation to the cost of fuel.
Bobby Eugene "Bob" Wood of Portales was known as a friendly man with a great financial mind.

Wood who represented Roosevelt, Curry and Chavez counties in the New Mexico Senate for 10 years ending in 1987, has died.

Wood, 89, passed away on Nov. 22 in Clovis.

Wood was appointed to Senate in 1971 and was re-elected to serve until 1980. For two years in his Senate tenure, Wood served as majority whip.

Wood also served as chief executive officer, president and chairman of the board of the First National Bank in Portales, retiring in 1987.

State Sen. Stuart Ingle, who now represents the same area, now Senate District 27, which has expanded to also include De Baca and Lea counties, remembers that he and Wood were neighbors in Portales.

Ingle recalled Wood as outgoing and friendly as a neighbor but said that was to be expected.

"He was a bank president and all bank presidents are nice," Ingle said.

Ingle's service in the Senate started in 1985, five years after Wood left the legislature, but Ingle remembers that Wood chalked up some significant accomplishments in his decade in the state Senate.

Wood had "one of the best fiscal minds" in the legislature while he served, Ingle said.

Wood organized the state's Severance Tax Permanent Fund in 1973, Ingle said.

That fund was created using oil and gas severance tax funds, and currently contributes about $234 million per year to the state's general fund, according to the State Investment Council's website.

Ingle also noted that Wood established a system that ensured all school districts received equitable funding for teachers' salaries while he was a state Senator.

Wood was born on Dec. 22, 1931, in Lubbock Texas. He lived in Dora and Elida and parts of Texas as a child, but he stayed in Portales after his family moved there in 1944. He graduated from Portales High School in 1949 and attended Eastern New Mexico University until he joined the U.S. Air Force in 1951.

He received a bachelor's degree in biology from Eastern New Mexico University, and returned to Portales after doing graduate work at Vanderbilt and earned a Master of Business Administration degree in 1962 from ENMU.

He entered banking in 1969 after he sold a men's clothing store.

Wood is survived by his wife Patricia, whom he married in 1951; two daughters, Katha Burke and Debra Elwood both of Clovis; four grandchildren: three great-grandchildren.

A come-and-go reception in memory of Wood was held Saturday at the Wells Fargo Bank in Portales.
While the New Mexico Department of Health (DOH) warns that influenza is on the rise nationwide as the DOH declares the beginning of flu season, local hospitals report continued low numbers of flu cases so far this year.

Below-average incidence in...
Finding opportunity in offsetting

Glasgow has boosted an already buoyant voluntary carbon market, while compliance programmes from California to China demonstrate growing support for carbon pricing, says ClearBlue Markets' Michael Berends

Environmental Finance: It's been a year of solid growth in the voluntary markets  what effect do you expect the outcome at COP26 to have on them?

Michael Berends: Although historically COP doesn't always necessarily have a direct impact on the markets, including the voluntary markets, we can confidently say that the outcomes that we saw here in Glasgow can be considered strong for both voluntary and compliance carbon markets.

Specifically, rules on corresponding adjustments in Article 6 transactions were seen as positive to ensure market integrity by preventing double counting. The consensus seems to be that Article 6 rules are likely to develop in a market-friendly way.

Some countries may require corresponding adjustments for voluntary carbon markets transactions from projects within their borders. Some, such as Colombia and Costa Rica have already indicated that they will mandate adjustments for all voluntary activities. Similarly, some buyers may demand credits that come with corresponding adjustments.

Given the success in recent years of the voluntary market and how much finance it is directing to countries to help them to reduce emissions, I would be very surprised if decisions are made that hinder those monetary flows.

EF: What trends are you seeing in demand for nature-based solutions?

MB: Both before and after COP, offsets from nature-based solutions projects have been the most popular with corporate buyers. We believe this part of the market is enormously important. We have just hired Sheldon Zakreski as director of nature-based solutions. He brings more than 20 years of carbon market and policy experience, and we've also just appointed Loni Pierce as forest carbon analyst.

But despite the popularity of nature-based solutions, they are only one part of the solution. We are still seeing enormous volumes of emissions from sources that are not currently regulated: the voluntary carbon markets can help to cut these emissions at source. It's better to stop emissions going into the atmosphere now than having to remove them later.

EF: Among other categories, ClearBlue Markets was voted Best Advisory/Consultancy in North American markets. Is US re-engagement internationally also mirrored in domestic activity?

MB: It's been very exciting in North America to see the changes that are happening following the election of President Biden which, for example, has encouraged Canada to be more ambitious. The Canadian government has committed to having a carbon price of C$170/tonne by 2030, which is the highest future committed carbon price in the world.

At the same time, we're seeing prices rise in The California/Quebec WCI carbon market and in the RGGI market in the US north-east. We're also seeing the emergence of new compliance markets, such as that in Washington State. It reflects the embrace of carbon pricing by emitters, as well as the confidence of investors to believe in these markets and back them with their investments.

EF: You also won the Chinese markets advisory category. What are your expectations for China's ETS?

MB: Our team has experience of carbon markets in China stretching back 20 years, to the early days of the Clean Development Mechanism [CDM] there, and we're really bullish about the market. What we're seeing in China now has its roots in that experience. That's not to say the introduction of a traded market into such a large economy, and with such levels of emissions, doesn't face challenges. But a number of our clients have operations and emissions in China, as well as in emissions markets in Europe and North America, and they are keen to understand how the ETS will work compared with their other carbon pricing obligations.

As for opportunities for financial participants, our view is that the Chinese regulators understand the role that liquidity providers can play and the benefits they can bring. I also think that, in the context of discussions in the EU and North America about introducing carbon border adjustment mechanisms, there is clear value in having a liquid, transparent carbon price in China that can be used to demonstrate equivalent carbon pricing.

EF: What upcoming markets are on the radar at ClearBlue?

MB: We've been very pleased with the growth we've achieved over the five years since we launched. We're seeing enormous demand for advice around offsetting, how to incorporate offsetting into rigorous net-zero strategies and, of course, where to procure good quality offsets. Clients are increasingly turning to digital solutions, such as our Carbon Market Client Portal, to get price discovery insights and environmental markets context as they develop these strategies.

The next stage for us is to apply the core experience of our team, which is in offset project development, portfolio management and commercialisation. We are doing this by going upstream, working with and providing capital to project developers to ensure a supply of those offsets. Our recent appointment of Nina Zetsche, a former EcoSecurities colleague of ours, as Director of Projects, adds significant capacity to the team as we develop offset projects globally. Furthermore, we are launching an offset fund which will aim at voluntary and compliance offsets, as well as the new Article 6 market. There is such enormous demand, and real need, and we feel it's a part of the market where we can add meaningful value.

For more information, email: info@clearbluemarkets.com
Sitting in Texas prisons, hundreds of migrants charged with trespassing under Gov. Greg Abbotts ongoing catch and jail border security initiative have been waiting months for their first chance to appear before a judge.

Retired judges and prosecutors from across the state have been enlisted to help process the constant stream of new cases. But based on the current pace of the small-town courts through which the misdemeanor cases must pass, a defense group estimates that migrants arrested this month in rural Kinney County will wait in prison up to a year  the maximum jail sentence for trespassing  before they are even able to appear virtually in court and enter a plea of guilty or not guilty.

Until now, retired judges picked by the state have often agreed at the mens first court hearings to release them from state custody on no-cost bonds while their criminal cases slowly continue through the new judicial process for migrants. Other men who can afford their cash bonds are let out earlier. The released men typically are transferred to federal immigration authorities, after which they are either further detained, deported or released into the United States pending asylum hearings.

But a controversial shakeup by the county judge in conservative Kinney County, which accounts for the large majority of Abbotts trespassing arrests, may lead to even longer detentions, potentially keeping men who cant post a cash bond in prison indefinitely unless they plead guilty at their first hearing in exchange for a sentence of time theyve already served.

Last week, Kinney County Judge Tully Shahan canceled hearings for 20 men and dismissed the three retired judges  two Republicans and a Democrat  who had been hearing the majority of trespassing cases in his county, according to a letter obtained by the Texas Tribune. Instead, the regions administrative judge said, Shahan has handpicked five county judges he hopes will help him with the heavy caseload brought on by Abbotts Operation Lone Star arrests.

My guess is hes friends with these folks, said Stephen Ables, the presiding administrative judge in the region who appointed the three retired judges from a state-provided list to help Kinney County. He feels they probably understand West Texas.

Unlike the visiting judges, Shahan has not allowed migrants to be released on no-cost bonds after they plead not guilty in his court. Instead, they stay in the state prisons that Abbott retooled as jails for immigration-related crimes while they await future court proceedings or a trial date.

Shahan did not respond to emailed questions about his decision, and his court coordinator said the judge was still out of the office after contracting COVID-19.

But defense attorneys have raised the alarm. They argue that Shahan is trying to shunt aside the current judges because he doesnt like them releasing migrants after months in prison. They call his move ethically unsound, retaliatory and an effort to coerce guilty pleas out of migrants.

This is clearly retaliation against the judges who have been releasing hundreds of people and dismissing deficient cases under Operation Lone Star and is a threat to the rule of law, said Amanda Woog, executive director of the Texas Fair Defense Project.

Defense groups noted that the judges letter was sent the day after the countys misdemeanor prosecutor, Brent Smith, sought to bar the visiting judges from dismissing cases or reducing bond amounts in the trespassing cases. Smith, who declined to answer questions because the case is pending, argued without submitting evidence that the defense attorneys and current judges were settling motions without including the prosecution. Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, which represents hundreds of migrants accused of trespassing, denied the allegation.

In condemning the timing of Shahans decision, defense attorneys also pointed to the legal aid groups recent request for all of its remaining 153 clients in prison to be released on no-cost bonds because the men have been in prison for months without a court date. The visiting judges were expected to hear many of the cases as Shahan was out of the office after testing positive for the coronavirus.

The move also follows a trend in the hearings of men pleading not guilty to the crime of trespassing, with only about 10 men having accepted guilty plea bargains in Kinney County so far. Texas judges are required to warn defendants at the hearing that criminal convictions can negatively impact immigration proceedings. More than 30 charges have been dismissed in court, and dozens more men have been released on no-cost bonds after pleading not guilty.

Kristin Etter, an attorney with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, argued that Shahans and Smiths moves come as the new state criminal justice system  quickly erected in response to a rise in border crossings  is cracking with pushback from migrants and their defense attorneys.

The only way theyre going to make this work is if its a giant plea mill, she said.

Since July, state police have arrested an average of 90 men a week for allegedly trespassing in Kinney County. The men are often found walking across private ranches or at a remote rail yard in the rural border county and jailed as part of Abbotts border security clampdown to file state charges against migrants suspected of having crossed the border illegally. A spokesperson for the Republican governor seeking re-election said the states new arrest initiative is meant to stop this revolving door and deter others considering entering illegally.

But the system has been plagued with missteps since its onset, including wrongful arrests of migrants crossing with their families and migrants illegally being detained for weeks without charges filed against them or without being assigned a lawyer. And despite Abbott pouring nearly $3.2 million in state funds to boost Kinney Countys efforts, the backlog continues to grow. Throughout more than a month of first court appearances for migrants, defense attorneys have complained that their clients had already been in prison for 70 days, then 90 days and now beyond 100 days, while legally presumed innocent.

That increasing backlog is why cutting judges from hearing the trespassing cases is illogical, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid argued in a letter to Ables that pushed back on Shahans decision.

All of our clients have been held in state prisons at taxpayer expense for months,  They are finally on dockets for December before one of the assigned judges whose authority has been called into question by Judge Shahans attempt to remove them, the letter read. If Kinney County has filed more cases than it can effectively administer, the solution is to bring in more judges, more prosecutors, more court staff, and more defense lawyers, not to remove the judges who have heard the vast majority of OLS cases in the county.

But court officials say Shahan is within his rights to assign new county judges to help him share his case docket, even if his motive is called into question. And along with Shahan potentially adding fellow county judges to his bench, a county spokesperson said Smith is also hoping to get extra funding to hire additional prosecutors, court officials and office space in the sparsely populated county.

Abbotts office did not respond directly to questions about new funding or concerns over delayed migrant hearings, but spokesperson Renae Eze noted the money already sent to Kinney County is in part to pay for additional court costs for Operation Lone Star cases.

The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
Alejandra Ambriz and Jose Guzman spent their Saturday morning sampling tamales in Historic Market Square downtown, eating about a dozen between the two of them and grabbing a few of their favorites to take home.

It was the couples first time at La Gran Tamalada  an annual tamal festival that was hosted by La Familia Cortez Restaurants and Market Square. The event included nine food vendors  five of which were dedicated to tamales  carolers, folklorico dancers and a holiday gift market with local vendors. Ambriz, Guzman and their 2-year-old daughter, Annalise Guzman, were among the thousands who turned out Saturday to enjoy the festivities.

Everything was super nice and super cute  We had fun, Ambriz said. It was just a good way to start off the morning.

The fun will continue into Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 6 pm. at the Historic Market Square.

Though it has evolved through the years, La Gran Tamalada has been around since the early 2000s and was first hosted at its current location in 2017, chef and La Familia Cortez Restaurants event organizer Carino Cortez said. The Cortez family owns Mi Tierra and several other local restaurants.

Its really important to embrace and celebrate our traditions and not forget them, Cortez said. And so any way we can do that  having a festival, getting our hands dirty, eating, enjoying, music  I think its a fun way to pass it on to the next generation.

Corina Arrona, owner of the Corinas Tacos stand that is often at Market Square, always makes it a point to be a part of La Gran Tamalada. Arrona, 67, said she loves working at Market Square and being involved in events like La Gran Tamalada.

Anytime youre working in Market Square, its a privilege, Arrona said. This place is historical, and it draws in cultures from all over the world.

Though vendors were not able to come together for the event last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, an instructional lesson on how to make tamales  a traditional component of La Gran Tamalada  was still held virtually, Cortez said.

Organizers kept the demonstration online this year. Attendees could scan a QR code as they walked the grounds to find a video demonstration of how to make tamales.

La Gran Tamalada was also an opportunity for people to hear Cortez read a book she wrote with sister Paloma Cortez titled Camilla la Magica Makes Tamales. The recently published childrens story follows a little girl who learns how to make her grandmothers tamales. The book includes a tamal recipe in the back. Sundays event will not include a book reading and signing.

The festival was one of the draws of making the trip to San Antonio for Sandra, 40, and Juan Mendez, 42, to San Antonio this weekend. The Lindale couple spent their Saturday enjoying the food and had plans to attend a Spurs game in the evening. The two said they planned to sample tamales from every booth.

La Gran Tamalada is somewhat of a tradition for Melissa and Jacob Herrera, who have been coming since it was first moved to Market Square a few years ago. The two said they always try the tamales and salsas at every booth.

This was the first year for the duo to introduce their 1-year old, Anastasia, to the tradition.

This was her first time, and she will probably be coming back every year, Melissa Herrera said.

megan.rodriguez@express-news.net
Ken Branca /21 ProVideo

A man was found shot to death in his car early Sunday morning, according to San Antonio Police Department.

At approximately 12:45 a.m. police were called to the 200 block of Briggs Avenue with a report of shots fired. When they arrived they found an 18-year-old male shot several times in his car.
The race to chair the Texas Democratic Party is heating up early as the states Democrats contemplate their future after a disappointing 2020 election  and ahead of a challenging 2022 election.

The current state party leader is Gilberto Hinojosa, who has held the job since 2012 and has indicated he is not going anywhere. But that has not stopped early interest in the race, which will be determined by delegates to the state partys biennial convention next summer.

Kim Olson, the former candidate for agriculture commissioner and Congress, has announced she is running to lead the party, saying the promise of a Blue Texas has so far fallen short of expectations. Meanwhile, Carroll G. Robinson, chair of the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats, is considering a campaign for the job and plans to make an announcement in January. And other names have been discussed as potential candidates with still several months to go before the election.

The stakes are considerable.

Texas Democrats have been regrouping after a 2020 election during which they thought they were poised for their biggest breakthrough in recent memory, but they came up woefully short. As they have been licking their wounds, they have had to stare down a daunting 2022 election, with a national environment that is not in their favor and state Republicans using the redistricting process to cement GOP majorities in Austin and Washington, D.C.

We need a course correction because what we are doing has not yielded a statewide win. Period, Olson said in an interview.

She launched her campaign with some 250 endorsements. The endorsers feature 35 county party chairs, including from some of the most populous counties in the state  Tarrant, Denton, Fort Bend and Galveston. The list also includes several members of the State Democratic Executive Committee and a host of Democratic candidates from 2018 and 2020.

Hinojosa was on the hot seat after the 2020 election.

A group of State Democratic Executive Committee members wrote him to demand change at the party, and he assembled a committee to do a deep dive on what wrong that November. The party released an autopsy in February that concluded Republicans beat them in turnout and partly blamed Democrats underwhelming results on their decision to suspend in-person campaigning because of the coronavirus pandemic.

At the same time, the state party has been rebuilding its organization chart after the departure of its top two staffers in January.

Publicly, Hinojosa has not given any indication that he is ready to step aside.

While I sincerely respect anyone who seeks office inside or as a nominee of our Party, I believe I still have much to contribute towards our shared goal of turning Texas blue and I intend to accelerate my commitment to that goal in my role as the Texas Democratic Party Chairman, Hinojosa said in a statement. Ultimately the delegates will decide, but because we all share the same goal and stand united in this fight to win back the soul of our state, I believe I will continue to have their support.

The field

Olson has been the most visible potential candidate for state party chair so far, announcing an exploratory effort in early October and traveling the state since then.

A retired Air Force colonel who broke barriers as a female pilot, Olson made a name for herself politically with her fiery 2018 challenge to Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, which she lost by 5 percentage points. She ran last year to flip the 24th Congressional District, which was being targeted by national Democrats, but lost in a primary runoff.

Olson is leaning on that experience to pitch improved infrastructure for candidates across the state, as well as more support for local party leaders like county chairs. Similarly, she said the state party should be more mindful of how messaging can vary in different parts of Texas. For example, she noted oil-and-gas jobs are often some of the best-paying jobs in the Rio Grande Valley, and Democrats need to be able to explain to voters there how their job fits into the transition to a more environmentally responsible future.

One of Olsons priorities is expanding the partys reach into rural Texas and helping narrow the gap with Republicans who have long run up the score in those areas. Olson, who is from rural Palo Pinto County, said Democrats need to release the GOP death grip on our rural areas.

Rural Texas has not been given the attention thats needed in order to win statewide or federal races, said Nancy Nichols, an SDEC member from East Texas who supports Olson. Col. Olson recognizes the power thats wielded in the rural counties, and shes going to the rural counties.

Robinson, meanwhile, has been credited with helping rebuild the state Coalition of Black Democrats in recent years. He has long been involved in Democratic politics and the legal community in the Houston area, where he has served as an at-large City Council member and Houston Community College trustee. He teaches law at Texas Southern University and once was general counsel to the state party.

Robinson said the state party needs to do a better job providing an overarching message for candidates to run under, particularly in places like East Texas and West Texas.

Democrats need to put together a multiracial, multigenerational, multiregional coalition across Texas to win statewide races and take back the Texas Legislature, and literally, weve got to do it in 2022, 2024, and weve also got to get ready for the 2030 census and redistricting cycle that follows, Robinson said.

In addition to Olson and Robinson, the speculation about the state party chair race has included the partys vice chair, Carla Brailey. However, Brailey has said she is not looking at running for state party chair at this time and instead is considering a run for lieutenant governor. The filing deadline for that race, which already includes at least three Democrats, is Monday.

Patsy Woods Martin, the former executive director of Annies List, which works to elect Democratic women in Texas who support abortion rights, said she thought about running for state party chair earlier this year but is dedicating herself to fundraising for gubernatorial candidate Beto ORourke.

Manuel Medina, state chair of the Tejano Democrats, acknowledged in an interview that there has been speculation about whether he would run for state party chair, but said he has not considered it and will support Hinojosa for another term.

Despite the discussion about replacing Hinojosa, he still has plenty of allies who appreciate how far the party has come under him.

I feel like the party is much better off than it was when he took over, that its grown in terms of resources and impact, said Rick Levy, president of the Texas AFL-CIO. While theres challenges, to be sure, hes had a clear vision, and for working people, hes really incorporated our voices into the vision.

Medina, a former chair of the Bexar County party, said Hinojosa has proven he can raise money and build infrastructure to help Democrats make more inroads in Texas.

At this point, I think its all in our best interest to stay on the path the chairman set, Medina said.

Medina suggested Democrats major shortcoming in 2020  eschewing in-person campaigning  was because of a national strategy and not the fault of Hinojosa. While that strategy might have been enough to get Joe Biden elected president, Medina said, in states like ours, block walking wouldve made all the difference in the world and led to a Democratic majority in the state House.

A new generation?

Whoever runs, the race is bound to be shaped by questions about who is best positioned to lead a party that continues to see its future in young people and people of color. In the near term, that is especially relevant as Republicans make a serious push next year across predominantly Hispanic South Texas.We need to have a long and hard look at a leader who is going to recognize the issues of the present, the capabilities of the future, while still being respectful of the people whove been doing the work for a long time, said Jen Ramos, an SDEC member from Central Texas who helped organize the letter to Hinojosa after the 2020 election. For me, I think, with this chair race, its one, what is the definition of winning for our chair candidates, and two, how are we going to accept our weaknesses as much as our strengths as we move into the next election and post-redistricting.

Disclosure: Annies List and Houston Community College have been financial supporters of the Texas Tribune. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism.

The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
NOUMEA, New Caledonia (AP)  Voters in the French island territory of New Caledonia chose overwhelmingly Sunday to stay part of France, in a referendum boycotted by pro-independence forces and closely watched around the South Pacific.

French President Emmanuel Macron hailed the result as a resounding confirmation of France's role in the Indo-Pacific, and announced negotiations on the territory's future status. Separatist activists expressed dismay, or resignation.

They had urged a delay in the vote because of the pandemic, and were angry over what they felt were French government efforts to sway the campaign. So they called on their supporters to stay away from voting stations.

And they did. Official results showed a staggering 96% of those who took part chose to stay in France. Overall turnout was less than 44%  barely half the numbers who showed up in a previous independence referendum last year, where support for breaking away was 46.7%.

Tonight we are French, and we will stay that way. Its no longer negotiable, said Sonia Backes, president of the Southern Province region and a fervent loyalist.

The vote was monitored by the U.N. and regional powers, amid global efforts toward decolonization and amid growing Chinese influence in the region. New Caledonia, colonized by Napoleons nephew in the 19th century, is a vast archipelago of about 270,000 people east of Australia that is 10 time zones ahead of Paris  and hosts a French military base.

Tonight France is more beautiful because New Caledonia decided to stay, Macron said in a national televised address.

He did not address the boycott. Noting that the electorate remains deeply divided, Macron pledged respect for all Caledonians," including those who voted to leave.

Sundays vote was the third and last in a decades-long process aimed at settling tensions between native Kanaks seeking independence and those who want the territory to remain part of France.

The process does not end with the last referendum. The state, separatists and non-separatists now have 18 months to negotiate a new status for the territory and its institutions within France.

We are reaching a new stage, Macron said, calling for negotiations on new structures to handle health crises, boost the economy, improve womens rights and protect the environment from climate change  a major concern in this island territory.

Pro-independence party FLNKS threatened to seek international recourse to try to invalidate the results, and said it won't start negotiating until it has time to analyze next steps.

The Kanak peoples right to self-determination of the wont end Sunday night or Monday morning, Jean-Philippe Tjibaou, son of a slain separatist leader, told public broadcaster France-Info. Speaking from a town that voted 100% for independence in the last two referendums but boycotted Sunday's vote, he said, We pursued the work of our elders. And our children will pursue it after us.

A tropical storm warning also dampened enthusiasm for the referendum. Lines snaked out of some polling stations, as winds whipped palm trees lining the streets of the regional capital Noumea. But turnout at others was barely a trickle.

The campaign and voting day were unusually calm because of the boycott call, though the state deployed 1,750 police and security forces in case of unrest.

While support for a yes vote seemed to be growing, the regions first coronavirus outbreak in September threw the political debate into disarray. Until then, New Caledonia had been one of the few virus-free places left on the planet.

Indigenous groups felt they couldnt campaign out of respect for their dead, and demanded that the referendum be postponed. But pro-France groups insisted it should take place as scheduled, to end uncertainty over New Caledonias future and boost its economic prospects.

Pro-independence activists announced they would refuse to take part, accusing the government in Paris of imposing the referendum date and violating neutrality by publishing a document seen as casting the consequences of independence in a negative light.

The vote to stay French is a boost for Macron both domestically  where hes expected to face a tough challenge from far-right nationalists in Aprils presidential election  and internationally.

France is trying to cement its presence in the Indo-Pacific region after it lost a multibillion-dollar submarine contract because of a partnership Australia formed with the United States and the U.K. The secretly negotiated submarine project, announced in September and aimed at countering Chinese ambitions in the region, was a huge blow to France.

Some countries in the region could appreciate France's balanced posture in what you could call a Chinese-American cold war, said Caroline Gravelat of the University of New Caledonia.

Others see France's role in South Pacific as outdated.

The U.N. and the Pacific Islands Forum sent delegations to observe the vote. New Caledonia is among 17 former colonies worldwide that the U.N. still categorizes as non-self-governing and slated for decolonization efforts. The others are primarily islands administered by Britain or the United States.

___

Angela Charlton contributed to this report from Paris.
BEIJING, Dec. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- When America launched combat operations in Afghanistan in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, public support for the decision ran as high as 93 percent. Fast-forward to today and the war's enormous human and financial costs have caused a substantial shift in American public opinion. According to a Gallup poll conducted just before the final withdrawal, 47 percent now believe the invasion was a mistake.

Over the past two decades, the numbers have fluctuated, though most were still generally positive toward U.S. operations in Afghanistan. An even split was seen for the first time in 2014, with tilts into opposition in 2015 and 2019.

According to the Costs of War Project conducted by the Watson Institute at Brown University, the war has caused 46,319 civilian deaths. The New York Times has reported that in the first half of 2019 alone, U.S. bombs led to 363 confirmed deaths, including 89 children.

U.S. Defense Department data show that at one point, 98,000 U.S. troops and more than 130,000 soldiers from 50 NATO and partner nations were deployed in the country. Military expenses since 2001 exceed $2.26 trillion.

In 2003, the Bush administration claimed that Iraq was hiding weapons of mass destruction in order to justify its illegal invasion despite international opposition, and since that time, according to a report by the China Society for Human Rights Studies (CSHRS), U.S.-led coalition forces have used untold numbers of myriad varieties of bombs and shells that spread white phosphorus and depleted uranium, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lists as both a toxic chemical and radiation health hazard. To this day, the United Nations estimates that 25 million mines and other unexploded ordnance remain.

The U.S. has repeatedly waged aggressive wars and rationalized invasion with supposed humanitarian justifications. Between the end of World War II and 9/11, the U.S. initiated 201 of 248 armed conflicts worldwide (81 percent), according to the CSHRS report.

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The first project development and supervision consultancy in Saudi Arabia backed by one of the region's largest real estate developers.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dar Al Arkan and Compass Project Consulting have established a partnership to build one of the most progressive real estate development consultancies in Saudi Arabia and the GCC. For the first time, a leading Saudi developer will be bolstering a regional Project Management Consultancy, enhancing property acquisition, development and supervision offerings.

Ziad El Chaar, Vice Chairman of Dar Al Arkan properties, said: "We are extremely proud of this progressive partnership which brings together two industry leaders who are best in their field. This will allow for Dar Al Arkan to power Compass with expert development insight and the opportunity to reach new heights. Dar Al Arkan will provide development, procurement, business development services for the new partnership."

Nawfal Khudairy, Chairman of Compass, said: "This strategic partnership is in line with our continued aspirations and will enhance Compass' offering of developer-led services to its clients. The partnership will allow both parties to work together across the region, end-to-end, bringing in high return on equity and attracting top line projects."

Luke Somerville, Managing Director of Compass, shared:'With our core values at the epicentre of all we do, evolution in creating a world-class ecosystem of competencies for our clients and Team has led us to choose to partner with Dar Al Arkan, one of the region's most influential and innovative developers, to further amplify our next growth chapter. With new services, sectors and coverage to be announced in the near future, together, we are building a true cohesive partnership with the aligned vision of enhancing built-environments and ultimately communities.'

About Dar Al Arkan Properties:

Dar Al Arkan Properties is the real estate development arm of Dar Al Arkan real estate development, a 26-year-old public shareholding company listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul). Headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Dar Al Arkan plays is today the largest developer in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Dar Al Arkan Properties focuses on developing elegantly designed residences and thriving commercial centres in central locations in the Kingdom. With a track-record of delivering 15,000 residential units and over 500,000 square metres of commercial space, Dar Al Arkan Properties is fast-growing its portfolio across the Kingdom and expanding its international footprint to Dubai and Bosnia. www.daralarkan.com

About Compass:

With regional coverage and multi-sector expertise, Compass offers clients fully tailored project development solutions that can take an initial concept all the way through to construction completion and handover, with continued support. Well respected within the construction, fit-out, engineering and design industries, Compass provides a high quality, value for money turn-key project consulting service to clients of all sizes. Compass acts on client's behalf to lead teams of consultants, stakeholders, contractors and suppliers to intelligently overcome risks and constraints, and deliver quality projects on time and within budget. Recently prestigious accolades include Project Manager of the Year, Construction Week KSA 2021, and Project Management Company of the Year, Middle East Consultants Awards 2020. www.compass-pc.com

For more information:



Nora Feidi

nora.feidi@bcw-global.com

+971.4.450.7600

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BASEL (dpa-AFX) - Novartis' (NVS) Scemblix demonstrated sustained response rate in 48-week data from the Phase III ASCEMBL study in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia.



In this analysis, the major molecular response (MMR) rate at 48 weeks was 29.3% for patients treated with Scemblix vs. 13.2% for patients in the Bosulif arm, which is consistent with a doubling of the efficacy at 24 weeks (25% vs. 13% [P=0.029])1-4.



The proportion of patients treated with Scemblix who experienced adverse reactions leading to discontinuation was more than three times lower than those in the Bosulif arm (7.1% vs. 25%).



In this updated analysis, responses were also durable, with 60 out of 62 patients on Scemblix maintaining MMR at time of their last assessment. Scemblix continued to deliver more favorable deep molecular responses (MRs) with MR4 and MR4.5 rates at 48 weeks of 10.8% and 7.6%, compared to 3.9% and 1.3% in patients treated with Bosulif, respectively. With a longer duration of exposure, the safety and tolerability profile remains consistent with the primary analysis of the ASCEMBL trial.



The company specified that the data support longer-term use of Scemblix in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) who have previously struggled with intolerance and resistance to at least two prior tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatments.



Scemblix is the first FDA-approved CML treatment that works by binding to the ABL myristoyl pocket. This novel mechanism of action, also known in scientific literature as a STAMP inhibitor, can help address resistance to TKI therapy in patients with CML and overcome mutations at the defective BCR-ABL1 gene, which is associated with the over-production of leukemic cells.



The company stated that the Scemblix received FDA approval in October 2021 and is currently available for physicians to prescribe to appropriate patients in the US. Scemblix continues to be studied across multiple lines of treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase (CML-CP).



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The Corvallis School District has adopted a new way to teach math in schools, a shift some parents say has their children no longer feeling challenged or excited with the subject.

The new math vision, intended to fulfill the learning commitments put forth by the Oregon Department of Education, aims to make math learning more equitable.

As the district and counterparts nationwide see it, the way math historically has been taught in schools accelerates the students who are good memorizers. Additionally, the district has found that students of color are not represented in advanced math courses in proportion to their enrollment in the high schools.

To even out these inequities, the district has started de-tracking math classes in grades K-7, keeping students of the same grade together in heterogeneous learning groups so they are all ready for Algebra I in eighth grade. From there, students will have the option to enroll in higher-level math courses if they choose.

Previously, students had the option to excel beyond their grade levels.

The evidence was clear to me that we needed to change something, Secondary Schools Coordinator Nikki McFarland said at Thursdays school board meeting. I was able to walk into classes and identify whether they were a low or high track math class just based on the color of the students skin.

More than 60 united families in the district are engaged in the issue and believe the district has not been transparent or even particularly communicative about these changes. With two children in the district, CSD parents Polly and Jesse Wegner say their questions and concerns have fallen on deaf ears.

The district is adopting an experimental pedagogy right now, Polly Wegner said. There's no quantitative data that the outcome theyre hoping for is even going to happen.

Overview of math changes in CSD

Traditionally, Corvallis School District students in grades K-12 have been able to move at their own pace, with some staying at grade level while others accelerate to work a grade or two ahead.

With the new vision, the district will no longer separate math classes by aptitude in grades K-7 because of the irreparable damage tracking does to students, according to a document prepared for the school board.

Ive heard students self-identify as being in the dumb class, McFarland said. I do not believe its OK for our school system to send a message to a 12-year-old that they cant do math.

In eighth grade, students will be able to enroll in either Math 8 or Algebra 1. High schools will continue to offer geometry, data science, honors and grade-level algebra courses, trigonometry, pre-calculus, AP calculus and AP statistics.

Impacts of the changes will be analyzed over the next seven years, and officials hope they will result in diverse and unpredictable math class rosters at the secondary level.

According to a district document, 22% of students enrolled in Algebra 1 in ninth grade received a D or F in 2019, with Latinx students receiving those grades at two to four times the rate of white students.

The district also found that many students do not enroll in a fourth year of math, and that students of color are overrepresented in grade level math at the secondary level and intervention groups at the K-8 level.

By adhering to grade-level content in grades K-7, the district believes that they can achieve better student outcomes in all of these areas, and end up with equitable representation in advanced learning.

A new way of teaching math

To keep all children in the same classroom yet satisfy their individual needs, the district is adopting a low floor, high ceiling approach to teaching. Elementary Schools Coordinator Amy Lesan explained the concept as introducing math at a level everyone in the class can access.

For example, rather than having only one way to get to one right answer, teachers will ensure students use logic and reasoning to understand multiple pathways to get the right answer.

By making sure students understand concepts deeply rather than relying on algorithms and memorization only, the district believes that students will be more prepared to use math in their everyday lives, thus forming a positive math identity.

What many parents are asking for is to skip a whole year of standards, and that does not serve our talented and gifted students, McFarland said. There is intentionality around pacing, and then a student can advance more quickly.

However, not all educators agree that this will be feasible in practice.

Retired Corvallis High School principal, teacher and CSD school board member Jay Conroy worries that the districts good intentions will lead to even more overwhelmed teachers.

Its not about putting a lid on it, he said. I wouldnt want to discourage students who are flying in math. And it is hard to differentiate between students because there is not enough time in the day.

CSD parent Natasha Mallette is a nuclear science and engineering professor at Oregon State University. Her main concern with the new math vision is that the district is not addressing the potential negative long-term effects of de-tracking math when students, especially girls and girls of color, enter higher education.

Theres tons of data that show girls perception of their ability in math is tied to the quality instruction they get when theyre young, she said. Im worried about the unintended consequences around gender differences going forward.

Lack of transparency

Part of the reason why parents are worried about these changes is because they feel there has been too much secrecy and not enough communication from the district. Instead of learning about these changes from the administration, many found out through their own children coming home with complaints about being bored in class.

We thought it was a COVID issue, said Beth Crawford, who has two students in the district. It wasnt until the end of [the 2019-2020 school year] that I realized that what wed experienced was a systemic change.

Assistant Superintendent Melissa Harder said that de-tracking at the elementary school level has been going on for eight or nine years, and that it was the school principals job to communicate the changes to the parents.

In October 2020, the district notified parents in the two remaining elementary schools that used tracking  Bessie Coleman and Kathryn Jones Harrison  that there would be no more math leveling. Rumors began to spread in the community that changes would also be made at the middle school level.

Seeking clarification from the district, 29 CSD families penned an open letter to the school board on April 29 requesting a meeting and information about the proposed changes to the curriculum.

They received a response on June 2 from Superintendent Ryan Noss, assuring them that there would be no changes at the middle school level for at least a year.

The district is not anticipating any changes to our math programming at the middle or high school levels for the upcoming school year, Noss wrote.

But on Aug. 18, the messaging changed. A letter was sent home to middle school parents regarding math that directly contradicted the last piece of communication the district had sent out.

This year we are making some changes to math in the middle school level to prepare all students for Algebra 1 in eighth grade, the letter stated.

The change was due to a shift in teacher and administrator mindset after staff underwent a summer of professional training in de-tracking math, McFarland, the secondary schools coordinator, said.

Over the summer, many of our teachers participated in professional learning that made them think differently, and they thought this is not the best practice for kids, McFarland said. That change was based on learning, and we still have learning to do.

The letter informed parents that sixth grade students entering Corvallis middle schools would be scheduled into Math 6, and starting in 2022-23, seventh grade students would be scheduled into Math 7.

Parent concerns

With the "sunsetting" of math tracking, students who were already a grade level ahead of their peers are relearning concepts alongside students who are learning them for the first time. Parents like Shawn Jacobsen are worried that their children will lose passion for a subject in which they have excelled for years.

Shes essentially bored, Jacobsen said of her middle school-aged daughter. We understand conceptually what theyre trying to do. Its the timing of doing it when the kids are in the middle of an education path.

As a result of these changes, more parents started enrolling their children in private school, hiring tutors or homeschooling, at least according to the critics.

I think were going to further create inequalities by doing something like this because families with resources are going to do what they need to do, Jesse Wegner said, as opposed to having those equitable resources at school for everybody.

Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Corvallis Gazette-Times.

Harder, McFarland and Lesan believe it is possible to successfully have children of varying levels of proficiency work alongside each other in a classroom. By building teachers confidence around math instruction, administrators believe that they will have the tools necessary to differentiate skill levels and cater to each childs needs.

And because CSD is one of the first school districts to trailblaze this new way of math education, it will be a learning experience for all.

Were not doing this in a vacuum of evidence, Harder said. We are working with our administrators who can see this vision and giving them what they need to help their staff become confident.

Joanna Mann covers education for Mid-Valley Media. She can be contacted at 541-812-6076 or Joanna.Mann@lee.net. Follow her on Twitter via @joanna_mann_.

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LONGUEUIL, Quebec, Dec. 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reunion Gold Corporation (TSX-V: RGD) (the "Company") is pleased to report new significant gold intersections, including 2.44 g/t over 46.5 meters, 2.22 g/t over 57 meters and 1.88 g/t over 41.0 meters as part of its ongoing drilling program at the Oko West Project in Guyana. Hole 47 intersected the deepest mineralized interval so far, with 2.22 g/t over 57 meters at approximately 200 meters vertical depth from the surface (Table 1). These new drill results, which consistently show high grades and intersected lengths, clearly demonstrate that gold mineralization continues at depth in unweathered rock. The results also expand the gold mineralization laterally and continue to show the strong mineralization continuity along a corridor more than 1.2 km long. Preliminary metallurgical studies outlined below also show encouraging results with gold recoveries ranging between 78% and 98%.



The objective of the current drill campaign is to confirm the vertical and lateral continuity of gold mineralization previously identified in eight "blocks" straddling shear zones over a 3 km long strike length, within a 6 km long soil geochemical anomaly. Diamond drilling ("DD") has been focused on testing depth extensions into the unweathered rock below 100 m (Figure 2), as well as testing for lateral extensions between the outlined blocks. The reverse circulation ("RC") rig is testing the edges of exploration blocks and scouting previously untested targets both laterally and along strike. The Company has so far demonstrated continuous gold mineralization in a corridor more than 1.2 km long (see Figures 1 and 3) characterized by zones of intense deformation and hydrothermal alteration in sedimentary, granitic, and volcanic rocks. These zones contain widely disseminated gold in microfractures and metric-scale high-grade veins assaying up to several ounces per tonne.

Carlos Bertoni, Interim CEO, stated: "We are very excited by this round of drill results as they continue to demonstrate the impressive continuity of the gold mineralization outlined to date with long intercepts of good grade. The results successfully expand the known deposit both at depth into the unweathered rock, and laterally, between the previously outlined "blocks." The deposit remains open to expansion in all directions. We have only started drill testing the southern 3 km of the soil geochemical anomalies."

The Company restarted its drilling activities at the Oko West Project early in November, following a one-month break to finalize the interpretation of the then recent results and to properly plan the current 9,000-meter drill program, and for equipment maintenance. Assay results presented in Table 1 below shows significant intersections from a total of 1,322 meters in eight DD and 834 meters in nine RC holes, with assay results from two DD holes and ten RC holes not yet received.

Table 1 Drill hole ID Exploration Block From (m) To (m) Length (m) Gold (g/t)

Diamond Drill Holes OKWD21-43 1 25.50 36.00 10.50 0.65 OKWD21-46 1 61.50 69.00 7.50 1.68 82.50 90.00 7.50 1.43 133.50 180.00 46.50 2.44 including 171.00 180.00 9.00 6.85 186.00 192.00 6.00 1.27 OKWD21-47 4+3 134.75 141.80 7.05 2.44 154.00 158.50 4.50 1.73 173.50 230.50 57.00 2.22 OKWD21-48 4+3 54.50 59.55 5.05 2.66 OKWD21-49 4+3 156.00 162.00 6.00 2.90 OKWD21-50 4+3 52.50 57.00 4.50 5.67 135.50 176.50 41.00 1.88 Reverse Circulation Drill Holes OKWR21-56 1 16.00 28.00 12.00 5.61 including 18.00 24.00 6.00 10.03 OKWR21-58 1 24.00 38.00 14.00 1.46 47.00 53.00 6.00 1.95 OKWR21-59 1 75.00 80.00 5.00 1.85 OKWR21-71 1 121.00 128.00 7.00 2.52

The Company has now drilled a total of 6,467 meters in 53 DD holes and 7,836 meters in 91 RC holes since the beginning of the drilling program at Oko West in December 2020, with significant assay results reported in press releases on August 12, September 7, and October 7, 2021. The Company will interrupt its field activities at the Oko West Project from December 17, 2021, and restart early in January 2022 and plans to complete this current drill campaign by the end of March 2022.

Metallurgical testing

The Company completed a maiden scoping-level metallurgical test by bottle-roll cyanide leaching eight mineralized samples at the Actlabs laboratory in Georgetown, Guyana. These samples represent weathered and unweathered rocks from trench and drill hole samples in different host rocks. Positive gold recovery results were received using low cyanide (0.5 kg/t) in under 12 hours of leaching. Gold recoveries range between 78% and 98%. These preliminary encouraging results indicate that gravity concentration followed by cyanidation should improve gold recoveries. The Company is preparing a complete metallurgical testing plan for the Oko West mineralized rocks.

Drill result composites, sample collection, assaying and data management

The Company calculates drill results composites with a minimum length of 2 m, a cut-off grade of 0.3 g/t and 2 m maximum length of internal waste. Gold grades are uncapped. True widths are unknown. Complete drilling results and drill hole data are being posted on the Company's website. Diamond drill samples consist of half of either HQ or NQ core taken continuously at regular intervals averaging 1.4 m, bagged, and labelled at the site core shed. Reverse circulation drill samples are obtained from a rotary splitter attached to a Metzke cyclone, weighed, bagged, and tagged at the drill site. Samples are shipped to the Actlabs certified laboratory in Georgetown, Guyana, respecting the best chain of custody practices. At the laboratory, samples are dried, crushed up to 80% passing 2 mm, riffle split (250 g), and pulverized to 95% passing 105 m, including cleaner sand. 50 g of pulverized material is fire assayed by atomic absorption (AA). Initial assays with results above 3,000 ppb gold are re-assayed with a gravimetric finish. Certified reference materials and blanks are inserted at 5% of samples shipped to the laboratory. Assay data is subject to QA/QC using acQuire software and management by an independent consultant.

Qualified Person

The technical information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Carlos H. Bertoni, P.Geo., the Company's Interim CEO. Mr. Bertoni is a qualified person under Canadian National Instrument 43-101.

Cautionary Statement

This press release contains certain forward-looking information or forward-looking statements as defined in applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts and are subject to several risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control, including statements regarding plans to complete drilling and other exploration programs, potential mineralization, exploration results and statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions of the Company. Resource exploration and development is highly speculative, characterized by several significant risks, which even a combination of careful evaluation, experience and knowledge may not eliminate. All forward-looking statements herein are qualified by this cautionary statement. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

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

About Reunion Gold

Reunion Gold Corporation is a leading gold explorer in the Guiana Shield, South America, with a portfolio of projects in Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. The Company has an option to acquire a 100% ownership interest int the Oko West Project in Guyana. The Company's common shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol 'RGD.' Additional information about the Company is available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and the Company's website (www.reuniongold.com). The Company currently has 669.3 million issued and outstanding common shares.

For further information, please contact:

REUNION GOLD CORPORATION

Carlos H. Bertoni, Interim CEO or

Paul Fowler, Manager, Corporate Development

Telephone: +1 450.677.2585

Email: info@reuniongold.com

Figure 1: Map of the Oko West Block 4 and adjacent area showing schematic geology, mineralized zones (dashed red lines), and trench (brown), DD (black) and RC drilling (green) results in composite highlights. The locations of the cross and longitudinal sections are shown as green and red lines, respectively. Composite results in this press release are from holes with highlighted labels.

Figure 2: Geological section looking north near trench 44 in Block 4 shows schematic geology, mineralized zones (dashed lines), trench and drilling results composite highlights (see section location on Figure 1). Intervals with lengths inferior to 5 m are not listed.

Figure 3: Longitudinal section looking west of the Oko West mineralized "corridor" gold grade block model (block dimensions are 8x8x8 m). Continuity interruptions are daa constrained rather than a lack of mineralization. Some drill holes shown are off section. See 1.2 km bar in Figure 1.
Dublin, Dec. 10, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Brazilian Natural Gas Market Growth Opportunities" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

This study looks at the transformation of the gas landscape and identifies the key trends shaping the coming decade. It also highlights business opportunities for participants to consider when designing their growth strategies to stay relevant and agile in the market.

Brazil's natural gas market is in the midst of profound transformation driven by recent changes in market design and the promulgation of a new regulatory framework. Although regulatory gaps and uncertainties about how the market will develop persist, national and international players are cautiously initiating strategic moves to take advantage of the untapped potential in gas reserves and end-user demand.

The retreat of Petrobras, the national oil company, from a series of businesses across the gas value chain, puts an end to its monopoly. This is expected to attract new investment and players, create a supply shock, and stimulate demand and investment across gas infrastructure, industries, and thermal generation, creating a virtuous cycle for Brazil's development.

The country's gas business potential is enormous, though its market peculiarities should be carefully assessed to identify growth areas.

Key Trends Covered

Increasing energy consumption and natural gas leadership

End of Petrobras's monopoly encouraging private investment

Promulgation of the new gas law driving market development

LNG as a critical element to sustain early market growth

Biomethane takes off as an alternative gas supply

Increasing gas supply through virtual pipelines

Key Topics Covered:

1. Strategic Imperatives

Why Is It Increasingly Difficult to Grow?

The Strategic Imperative

The Impact of the Top 3 Strategic Imperatives on the Brazilian Natural Gas Market

Growth Opportunities Fuel the Growth Pipeline Engine

2. Overview of the Brazilian Natural Gas Market

Natural Gas Consumption by End-user Segment

Natural Gas Supply by Source

Natural Gas Domestic Production

Natural Gas Transportation Pipelines

Natural Gas Distribution

Natural Gas Value Chain and Key Market Participants

3. Growth Opportunity Analysis

Major Trends Shaping the Brazilian Natural Gas Market

Increasing Energy Consumption and Natural Gas Leadership

End of Petrobras's Monopoly Encouraging Private Investment

Promulgation of the New Gas Law Driving Market Development

LNG as a Key Element to Sustain Early Market Growth

Biomethane Takes off as an Alternative Gas Supply

Increasing Gas Supply through Virtual Pipelines

4. Growth Opportunity Universe, Brazilian Natural Gas Market

Growth Opportunity 1 - Natural Gas Trading

Growth Opportunity 2 - Investment in Gas Pipelines and Gas-intensive Industries

Growth Opportunity 3 - Onshore Gas

Growth Opportunity 4 - Biomethane

Growth Opportunity 5 - Underground Gas Storage

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/2q170j
RADNOR, Pa., Dec. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP informs investors that a securities class action lawsuit has been filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California against Snap Inc. (Snap) (NYSE: SNAP). The action charges Snap with violations of the federal securities laws, including omissions and fraudulent misrepresentations relating to the companys advertising business. As a result of Snaps materially misleading statements made to the market, Snap investors have suffered significant losses.



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CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR SNAP LOSSES

LEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE: January 10, 2022

CLASS PERIOD: July 22, 2020 through October 21, 2021

CONTACT AN ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS YOUR RIGHTS:

James Maro, Esq. (484) 270-1453 or Toll Free (844) 887-9500 or Email at info@ktmc.com

SNAPS ALLEGED MISCONDUCT

Snap is an American camera and social media company that develops and maintains technological products and services such as the social media application Snapchat, an eyewear product that connects with Snapchat and captures video Spectacles, and advertising products including AR (augmented reality) and Snap ads.

In its filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Snap admits that it generates substantially all of its revenues by offering various advertising products on Snapchat and that it monetizes its business primarily through advertising based on its user data. In June 2020, as part of an ongoing privacy push, Apple Inc. (Apple), which developed and maintains the popular mobile operating system, iOS, for its mobile devices, publicly announced new data privacy features for iOS. Following this announcement, Snap continuously downplayed and misled investors regarding the impact that Apples new data privacy features would have on its business. In April 2021, Apple released the new data privacy features for iOS.

The truth emerged on October 22, 2021, when Snap filed its third quarter 2021 report for the period ending September 30, 2021 on a Form 10-Q, disclosing Snaps weaker-than-expected revenue and weaker-than-expected guidance because of its advertising business, due to Apples privacy changes. In the report, CEO Evan Spiegel disclosed that Snaps advertising business had allegedly been affected by recent privacy changes introduced by Apple in its iOS mobile operating system in June and July. Specifically, Spiegel claimed that the new Apple-provided measurement solution did not scale as we had expected, making it more difficult for our advertising partners to measure and manage their ad campaigns for iOS. Following this news, Snaps stock price fell $19.97 per share, or 26%, to close at $55.14 per share on October 22, 2021.

WHAT CAN I DO?

Snap investors may, no later than January 10, 2022 , seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP encourages Snap investors who have suffered significant losses to contact the firm directly to acquire more information.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE CASE

WHO CAN BE A LEAD PLAINTIFF?

A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff.

ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLP

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country and around the world. The firm has developed a global reputation for excellence and has recovered billions of dollars for victims of fraud and other corporate misconduct. All of our work is driven by a common goal: to protect investors, consumers, employees and others from fraud, abuse, misconduct and negligence by businesses and fiduciaries. At the end of the day, we have succeeded if the bad guys pay up, and if you recover your assets. The complaint in this action was not filed by Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP please visit www.ktmc.com.

CONTACT:

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP

James Maro, Jr., Esq.

280 King of Prussia Road

Radnor, PA 19087

(844) 887-9500 (toll free)

info@ktmc.com

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/20c11c29-1cf7-43af-8514-a890b016ea00
HeliconNFT officially launches in front of a live audience and streamed globally at the Helicon Studio delivering an immersive Blockchain & NFT show with world-renowned experts.

Leading guests include Brett King, David Shing, Tom Palmer and Natalie Brunell.

MRHB (Marhaba) DeFi, plans to soon launch in the UAE with their local partner Masary Capital to offer the world's first ethical and Islamic DeFi ecosystem.

Tom Palmer CPO of HeliconNFT in a live studio interview with DCS Keynote Speaker Jordan The Wolf of Wall Street Belfort.

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Dec. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via InvestorWire  HeliconNFT officially launches at Blockchain World, a playground for industry specialists, incorporating the informative DCS Summit and a world-first  the Helicon Studio, an immersive Blockchain & NFT show that will talk about the Future Vision of digital technology with a live studio audience with exclusive celebrity guests.

Helicon Studio will bring together a host of A-list celebrities and experts for a fun, energetic live chat show and interviews around Blockchain, NFTs and Bitcoin, streamed globally and available on demand. Expect an incredible opening ceremony, hosted by the Prince of Helicon, Chief Product Officer Tom Palmer. As a teaser, this is one not to miss, featuring an electric guitarist and drums, a Helicon theme song, dance choreography, BMX riders and break-dancers!

SAY MARHABA TO THE CRYPTOVERSE

Helicon Studio and Blockchain World, Abu Dhabi support blockchain innovation and technologies, for both regional and international communities. As part of this outreach one of the core platforms we are excited to put the spotlight on is MRHB (Marhaba) DeFi, whose global decentralized team spans from Canada to Australia with plans to soon launch in the UAE with their local partner Masary Capital to offer a unique portfolio of products.

MRHB DeFi is a ground-breaking concept for the crypto community; the world's first ethical and Islamic DeFi ecosystem. This is a solution targeting over 1 billion people who may find themselves excluded from the cryptoverse due to their faith and lack of access. Indeed approximately 90% of raised funds for MRHB DeFi are direct from their active 70,000+ pre-launch community, with over 1,000  mostly first-time - crypto investors participating in the pre-launch rounds. The high growth Islamic finance sector is estimated currently around $3 trillion and anticipated to grow to $4.94 trillion by 2025 , with zero penetration of cryptoassets  representing extraordinary opportunity for a first-mover like MRHB in the DeFi space.

MARKET INFLUENCERS

A sample of live chat shows that attendees can enjoy at the Helicon Studio include Natalie Brunell's investigation on lessons to be learned from crypto leaders; a breakdown of crypto art and the evolution of NFTs by Rodni and Khois Naja; and an open discussion on virtual influencers and the metaverse by Christopher Travers. Further examination of Helicon Studio's speaker list and the impact these world experts have had on the blockchain, NFT and bitcoin marketplace immediately becomes apparent. For instance, Brett King, who will discuss pioneers in innovation and technology, has advised the Obama administration on Fintech. His book Augmented: Life in the Smart Lane was also cited by China President Xi Jinping.

CRYPTO KIDS

Calling all Metaverse Mums and Crypto Kids, Blockchain World Abu Dhabi is the perfect way to spend your Friday. Check out the Helicon Studio on Friday, Dec. 17, 2021, at ADNEC and engage with educational segments, gaming tournament setups (age restrictions may apply), and gaming developers discussing the future of gaming and what blockchain gaming holds for the next generation. Who better to speak for younger audiences than the youngest participant in Blockchain World, Charlie Meta Magee, aged 8 years old! Charlie will be hosting several Q and As to experts in their field, showcasing his Art to NFT Artists to demonstrate to younger audiences how they can monetize their passions and make gaming and digital art into a real future career with blockchain technology.

For the young at heart, there will be panels educating and informing how parents can invest in their childrens future by understanding the cryptocurrency and metaverse landscapes, and how to protect and engage future generations in this exciting yet vast new landscape.

WORKSHOPS & RAP BATTLES

Attendees can book their seats in the Helicon Studio to be a member of the live audience. Aside from witnessing the live filming of the shows in a brilliant up close and personally informative manner, this experience also includes participating in competitions, game motion workshops, rap battles, and crucially, up-to-date access to live breaking news in the world of NFTs and Helicon Events as they happen.

Dont miss Abu Dhabis ascendance as the capital of crypto. The event will be a hybrid, with live streaming and an in-person ticketed event on-site at ADNEC.

Purchase Tickets

Get your tickets for the unmissable event on Platinumlist HERE , Virgin Tickets HERE , or via the Blockchain World website HERE .

Win a Bitcoin

Dont forget to register now for your chance to win a Bitcoin on Dec. 17, 2021, HERE .

Live Stream for Free

Watch Blockchain World free on-demand HERE from anywhere in the world and be in with a chance of winning one BTC.

Visit HeliconNFT.com to find out more

For media inquiries email ben.kershaw@heliconnft.com

Join the HeliconNFT community on Discord for updates, giveaways, and more

About HeliconNFT

HeliconNFT is a global platform, focused on esports, NFTs, and blockchain, that will bring communities together by staying green and sustainable. HeliconNFT will be an ETH layer 2 solution for the self-custody and security for NFT developers, creators, and traders. On top of that, HeliconNFT will be able to offer minting, trading, earning, and collecting for its marketplace and game.

About DCS 2021

The Global Distributed Cloud Storage Summit (DCS 2021) will be held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre in the UAE on 15-17th December 2021. This meeting will gather relevant government departments, notable blockchain industry experts, industry investment institutions, related academic and research institutions, star project parties, and other parties together. This conference will provide the distributed storage industry with more policies, financial support, and a more significant influx of human resources.

For more information, visit: Twitter | Instagram | Telegram | Website | Discord | Facebook
Consortium leader Schaeffler, along with with 17 partners (automotive and industrial supplier) has launched the AgiloDrive2 research project funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). The aim of the three-year project is to develop an agile and digitalized production system complete with modular product concept for innovative electric motors.

The AgiloDrive2 project will also focus on ways of making electric motor production more flexible, sustainable, and financially compelling on the basis of data-based production technologies, agile process chains, and intelligent control architectures.

As consortium leader, we bring our long-standing expertise as a pioneer in e-mobility to the table and are driving the project forward decisively with strong partners. Digitalization and automation are key to the sustainable factory of the future and generate opportunities for us and our customers along the entire value chain. Dr. Jochen Schroder, Head of the E-Mobility Division at Schaeffler AG

The aim, on completion of the project, is a seamless and fast transfer of the findings from AgiloDrive2 to electric motor production at Schaefflers Buhl locationthe headquarters of the Automotive Technologies Divisionwhere a state-of-the-art, world-leading primary plant is currently under construction for electric motor production.

The phase two project was preceded by an 18-month collaborative projectAgiloDrivewith the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT), which was funded by the Baden-Wurttemberg Ministry of Economics, Labor, and Tourism. (Earlier post.)





Stator with hairpin winding from the pilot phase of the AgiloDrive research project at KIT. (Photo: Markus Breig, KIT)

In terms of technical features and depending on the type of electrified powertrain used, electric motors can vary considerably in their topology, for example with regard to winding type, installation space, torque, continuous output, and operating behavior. Schaeffler offers electric motors across all degrees of electrification for hybrid modules, hybrid transmissions, and all-electric axle drives with a wide output range extending from 20 to more than 300 kW.

We are responding to the variety of versions and inconstancy in quantities with an agile production method, which we intend to develop and validate mutually in the AgiloDrive2 project. Thomas Pfund, President of the E-Motors Business Unit at Schaeffler

The aim is thus to develop a versatile production system, which follows a product/production co-design principle and will promote a close cooperation between product system and production system development.

Standardized machine connections, hardware and software interfaces, and cross-manufacturer communication standards should assist in accommodating the rising complexity and permit the rapid integration of systems in accordance with the plug and produce approach. A modular machine structure permits the reuse of production equipment in an efficient and sustainable way. Digital twins will permit efficient production planning and accelerated commissioning, while AI solutions further increase product quality, and digital qualification methods facilitate and expedite employee instruction.

The AgiloDrive2 research project, with a three-year duration and total finance package of 33.7 million, is being funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), within the framework of the funding guideline Digitalization of vehicle manufacturers and supplier industry, and is supported by the project sponsor VDI Technologiezentrum GmbH.

Schaeffler is guiding the project as consortium leader and has overall responsibility for the research activities. 17 other partners operating in industry and research are participating alongside Schaeffler: 4D GmbH, Braun Sondermaschinen GmbH, Carl Zeiss Industrielle Messtechnik GmbH, e-mobil BW GmbH, FormiKa GmbH, Gehring Technologies GmbH + Co. KG, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Koob Testsystems GmbH, KUKA AG, LTB Bachofer GmbH, Magnet-Physik Dr. Steingroever GmbH, pro-beam systems GmbH, SCHUNK GmbH & Co. KG, Siemens AG, STAHL GmbH & Co. KG, TRUMPF Laser GmbH, WAFIOS AG.
TUSCOLA, Ill. (AP)  Its been more than seven years since it was announced that Cronus Chemicals would develop a $1.4 billion fertilizer plant west of Tuscola.

Exactly when this project is going to be built is a question Brian Moody, Tuscolas Chamber and Economic Development director, said he still gets asked  frequently, The News-Gazette reports.

And its a question he cant answer, Moody said, though Tuscola continues to have a relationship with the company and is in support of the development.

I guess I would tell you economic development is a long road, he said.

And a longer road, still, in the midst of a pandemic that has brought, along with a public health crisis, labor and supply shortages and higher construction costs.

COVID has, obviously put, I guess you could say, a delay on the project, Moody said.

For one thing, its no longer a $1.4 billion project. The last update Tuscola had on the project cost was that it would run $1.762 billion, he said.

Plans to build the new nitrogen fertilizer plant west of Tuscola were announced in October 2014, when Pat Quinn was Illinois governor.

The project was announced with $52 million in economic incentives to help persuade Cronus investors looking at 76 different sites in nine states to ultimately decide to choose the Tuscola site.

Cronus Fertilizers, the name of the proposed plant and a project of Cronus Chemicals, announced in 2018 that it had executed a contract with Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions for the engineering, procurement and construction of the Tuscola plant.

Cronus announced in December 2020 that there were important changes made to its partnership with Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions that will enhance the success of Cronus proposed Tuscola, Illinois fertilizer plant.

Cronus said in that announcement a year ago that the facility in Tuscola would produce up to 2,300 metric tons of ammonia per day, giving regional farmers access to locally produced ammonia and largely eliminating the need for imported products.

Along with Tuscola, the Urbana and Champaign Sanitary District is also still waiting for this plant to be under development.

The sanitary district has been periodically extending its contract to supply wastewater  needed for use in the fertilizer manufacturing process  to the future Cronus plant in Tuscola.

In a memo to the sanitary districts board in July, Executive Director Rick Manner said Cronus had not yet secured financing for the project, and he recommended that the district formally advise that we do not intend to terminate before July 1, 2022.

This would confirm the availability of UCSDs water supply for Cronus while they attempt to finalize their funding for the project, Manner said in the memo.

Cronus needs about 6 million gallons of water a day, and the sanitary district has estimated it will net about $1 million a year from the arrangement, Manner said.

Cronus officials could not be reached by The News-Gazette.

Moody said he was in touch with company officials via email this week, and was told Cronus is continuing to move the Tuscola project forward and anticipates being able to provide an update in about a month.

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency spokeswoman Kim Biggs said the agency received a new permit application for the Tuscola plant in March 2020, and its still pending.

Moody said its likely incentive agreements would have to be revisited for the Tuscola plant, but Cronus continues to have an option on the property for the plant and labor agreements with unions in place.

And for Cronus, the economic opportunity for the plant has clearly been there, he said.

As for the city of Tuscola, Moody said some legwork has been done, but no money has been spent.

Now, its a matter, as it always has been, can Cronus align all the stars to do their project, Moody said. So far, that hasnt happened.
A new report suggests that the Huawei Watch D will be unveiled on December 23, which is also the date for the Mate V flip phone announcement. This report goes perfectly with the previous news about the Mate V launching on the same date.

The new rumor also confirms the initial news about the blood pressure sensor so the Watch D shapes up to be an advanced fitness tracker. As per leaked renders, it will be rectangular with two navigation buttons on the right side.

Keep in mind, though, that this date is for the Chinese announcement, so the devices will arrive later in international markets.

Source
The mayors offices had their belen displays for an inter-village Christmas decorations contest to help recruit foster families as part of their The Gift of Family Campaign.

In partnership with Harvest House, Department of Public Health and Social Services and the Foster Families of Guam, this years overall theme, Gift of Life: We have room in our Inn was inspired by Guams foster children currently in the foster care system.

We wanted to let people open their homes through our displays, to volunteer to be a foster parent and provide a foster home, said Mayors Council of Guam Executive Director Angel Sablan. We are just looking for one home in each village but we welcome as many as want to be foster parents and provide foster homes. To take in a child, to nurture them, to love them, to give them a chance at life.

The council has set a goal of recruiting at least 19 new foster families to support the governments foster care system.

Mayors

Mangilaos theme, A Mangge Town Christmas was inspired by how school children, youth and businesses wanted to contribute. They wanted to get as many of their community involved with the preparation.

Planning took a month, and lights and displays have been going up daily for over a month, said Mayor Allan Ungacta. The Mangilao Mayors Office is always open to ideas with getting the community engaged. Spearheaded by our mayor and staff, over 20 volunteers made time every day to put the pieces together. Groups that helped included our village schools and businesses, the Church community and our villages new youth group, Y.O.M.U. (Youth Of Mangilao United).

For Tamuning, Mayor Louise Rivera, it took them 4 days to plan with a few donors who donated money and decorations.

To Sablan, all of the displays are winners.

It speaks of every villages own ideas and spirit. The real winners will be the people of Guam who are able to witness the Gift of Life: We have room in our Inn.

Sablan said the Mayors Council wants to make this an annual event.

Our MCOG family has always been on the forefront of helping our communities. During this Christmas season and every season since, and every season forward, we will continue to be there for our people. During Christmas, we make children our priority to help.

The winning village will receive a $2,000 first prize that will go towards foster families or a foster care initiative of that village. The winner has yet to be announced as of 6 p.m. Sunday.
In this file photo, students use laptop computers during their English Literature class at George Washington High School in Mangilao. The government of Guam needs to help significantly improve the availability and affordability of broadband internet.




Haiti - Politic : 3 Caribbean countries ask for the strengthening of the UN mandate in Haiti





Sunday 11 December 2021 at the end of the 2-day summit of the Alliance for the Development of Democracy, held in Puerto Plata, Presidents Carlos Alvarado Quesada (Costa Rica), Laurentino Cortizo Cohen (Panama) and Luis Abinader Corona (Dominican Republic), in a joint declaration at the end of the summit, expressed their concerns about the continued deterioration of the security, institutional and socio-economic situation in Haiti and made proposals to reach a resolution of the crisis in Haiti in articles 3 and 4 devoted to Haiti in their declaration comprising 12 articles.



Article 3 :

"We reaffirm our concern in the face of the continued deterioration of the security, institutional and socio-economic situation in Haiti. We believe that the mandate of the United Nations Security Council, in effect until July 2022, must be extended and strengthened.



We appeal to the international community, in particular the United States, the European Union, Canada and France, to provide all the necessary support to the Haitian National Police with the immediacy the seriousness of the situation deserves.



We also appeal to the international community, in particular the United Nations Development Program and the Pan American Health Organization, to strengthen the public health system in Haiti, gby giving priority to primary health care, maternal and child care, vaccination against Covid and general medicine."



Article 4 :

"We reiterate our proposal, presented in the Panama Declaration, concerning a roadmap for the implementation of a comprehensive development plan for Haiti including pacification, improvement of infrastructure, reforestation and financing."



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - FLASH : Scholarships in Colombia, masters and doctorate, call for candidacies





The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs those concerned that the Colombian Institute for Educational Credit and Technical Studies Abroad (ICETEX) through the scholarship of the "Reciprocity Program for Foreigners in Colombia", launches a call for candidacies for studies at master's and doctoral levels.



Note that this scholarship covers the costs of study, installation, of medical insurance, subsistence and material.



Interested persons are requested to visit the ICETEX web page for all information relating to the Reciprocity Program for Foreigners in Colombia visit: https://portal.icetex.gov.co/Portal/Home/HomeEstudiante/becas/programa-de-reciprocidad-para-extranjeros-en-colombia



Submit your cadidacies on : https://internacionalizacion.icetex.gov.co/Colfuturo-Login/login.xhtml?idPatrocinador=15&idPlataforma=R&hash=717a4d786f79686742732f33625544706f736b6c49773d3d



Deadline for submitting documents : December 20, 2021.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





A Division Commissioner shot and killed

Friday, December 10 in the evening, the Divisional Commissioner Resignac Waglet was shot several times by unidentified heavily armed individuals riding a motorbike in Tabarre 52.



Did ex-mayor Watson Saintil commit suicide ?

Friday December 10, the lifeless body of Watson Saintil, the former mayor (1995-2000) of the Municipality of Pilate (North) was discovered in his residence in Onaville, a firearm and a cartridge case were found near the body. The hypothesis of suicide is not excluded, but an investigation has been opened to elucidate the exact circumstances of his death.



Big explosion of an underground petrol tank

Friday, December 10 in Trou-du-Nord, the explosion of an underground gasoline tank supplying the black market, exploded in a warehouse. Tool 1 death, the owner of the depot at least a dozen people were burned and rushed to hospitals. Several houses, cars and motorcycles were destroyed by fire.



USA tornadoes : Condolences of the PM

"I am deeply saddened by the news of the tornadoes that swept through the central United States, particularly Kentucky, which caused extensive property damage and nearly 100 deaths and many missing. On behalf of the Haitian people, I express to the American Government and people my feelings of solidarity, while offering my condolences to the families of the victims," Prime Minister ai Ariel Henry.



Launch of "NatCash"

Friday, December 10, the telephone company Natcom officially launched its electronic payment service called "Natcash".



Gas station owner arrested

This week in Fort Liberte, the Haitian National Police (PNH) arrested a gas station owner accused of selling fuel on the black market.



Launch of the works of several Reading Centers

The National Book Directorate (DNL) launched this week the renovation works of the Reading and Cultural Animation Centers (CLAC) of Cabaret, Saint-Marc, Verretes, Dessalines, Gros-Morne and Saint-Michel de l'Attalaye. This work, launched in accordance with the memorandum of understanding signed between the DNL, the Ministry of Culture and the International Organization of La Francophonie, will enable these CLACs to better fulfill their mission of promoting culture and reading in their municipality.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















A BOY has raised money for the NHS by selling his artwork.

Johnny Pratt started selling his pencil drawings in March last year when the first lockdown began as he wanted to help doctors and nurses working during the coronavirus pandemic.

The seven-year-old has sold about 20 pieces and raised a total of 440 through his Instagram page, @johnnysdrawingsnhs

He has drawn pictures of pop stars such as Elvis Presley and Freddie Mercury as well as fictional characters including Harry Potter and Winnie the Witch from the book series.

It takes him 20 to 30 minutes to draw each picture and people choose how much they would like to donate.

Johnny, who lives in Woodlands Road, Shiplake, with his parents Simon and Michelle and sister Elsie, three, became interested in drawing when he was four.

I like drawing people and characters, he said.

He told his mother he wanted to raise money for the NHS when the pandemic led to the national

lockdown.

Johnny said: I drew random stuff and put it on my Instagram page and people just chose which one they liked and would buy it.

They are good drawings but sometimes I look at them and think, What was I drawing there?

I really like drawing things from movies. My favourite is Bugs Bunny.

Mrs Pratt, who helps Johnny run his Instagram page, said she was proud of his creativity and the initiative he had shown.

She said: The drawings were piling up and we just didnt know what to do with them.

One day Johnny asked me what he could do with them.

He said, We could sell them and give all the money to doctors and nurses. I thought, Thats a brilliant idea, so we started uploading them online and people would ask for them and donate money. We did save some.

I was really proud that he was using his drawings to raise money for the NHS and also to make people smile as thats what people comment the most about his

pictures.

Its lovely to see him so smiley and happy with himself when he gets a sale.

Johnny, a pupil at St Marys School in St Andrews Road, Henley, was runner-up in the Mayors Christmas card competition for his festive depiction of Henley with Santa flying overhead.

He said: My mum told me that there was a drawing competition and I really wanted to do it as I really like drawing and colouring.

Rob Harmer, head of St Marys, said: We are very proud of Johnny and his commitment to fundraising to support our key workers in the NHS.

He is a wonderful artist and we are excited to be able to nurture his creative talent and to see what he does next.

To donate, visit: www.justgiving.

com/fundraising/johnnysdrawings

nhs
Kurukshetra : Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that now students will study Gita even in schools and they will be taught to recite the shlokas of Shrimad Bhagvad Gita in schools across the state from the next academic session.

After this, books related to Gita will be taught in Class V and VII, Khattar announced on Saturday at the International Gita Mahotsava organized in this holy city.

In the presence of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, the Chief Minister first inaugurated the GIEO Gita Auditorium after reaching the Gita Gyan Sansthanam.

Addressing the 6th International Seminar organized at Gita Gyan Sansthanam and Kurukshetra University, Khattar said that before 2014, Gita Jayanti was being celebrated like a normal festival, but in 2014, with the inspiration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it was decided to give a grander shape to the Gita Jayanti festival and today Gita Jayanti festival is being celebrated not only in the country but also abroad.

He said that the youth should imbibe the essence of Gita in their lives. The message of Gita was given not for only Arjuna but for all of us.

He said that in order to enhance the scale of International Gita Mahotsav, a Gita Jayanti committee should be constituted from next year. Institutions and other organizations related to the society should be included in this committee. With this, the followers associated with different organizations will also become participants in this programme and the scale of the festival will be bigger.

Mr Khattar said that the pilgrimages of 48 Kos of Kurukshetra are being developed for religious tourism. Buses will be deployed with the help of Tourism Department to connect them. People from country and abroad will come here to learn the history of the Kurukshetra.

He said that a Mahabharata- theme museum is being constructed at Geetasthali Jyotisar on 2 acres of land at a cost of Rs 205 crore. In this building, Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, Saraswati river and Vedic civilization will be depicted through multimedia system.

The Chief Minister said that along with the State Government, the Central Government is also cooperating for the development of Kurukshetra. Kurukshetra has been included in Krishna Circuit for the development of Swadesh Darshan Scheme of the Union Ministry of Tourism. An amount of about Rs 98 crore has been released by the government for the development of the pilgrimages of Kurukshetra.

He said that on the lines of Ramlila, Krishna Utsav would also be organized during the International Gita Mahotsava from next year. In this festival, which lasts from 5 to 6 days, different incidents related to the life of Lord Shri Krishna will be depicted through a tableaux. There will be a light and sound show as well.

Khattar said that till now there were 134 pilgrimage places in the 48 Kos land of Kurukshetra, some places of pilgrimage were left out earlier, this time 30 more pilgrimages have been added to it, after which the total number of pilgrimages has gone up to 164.

He said that the State Government has decided to get development done in places related to Mahabharata. Budget is being given through the Kurukshetra Development Board. Development work is going on at 75 out of 134 places. The demand for the remaining places has been sent, committees have been formed for those as well. The government will not lag behind in completing the work of lakes, toilets and other facilities at these places, and there will be no shortage of budget.

The Chief Minister said that International Gita Mahotsava is being celebrated in foreign countries as well. Earlier the festival was celebrated in Mauritius and UK, however, it was not celebrated elsewhere due to COVID pandemic. However, this year people are definitely connecting with the festival through virtual medium.

He said that Shrimad Bhagvad Gita has also been an inspiration for the freedom fighters who were martyred for the freedom of the country. Martyr Bhagat Singh and freedom fighter Madan Lal Dhingra also followed the holy book Gita. Honouring 75 freedom fighters and their families on completion of 75 years of independence is commendable, he added.

Source : UNI
Following the last public meeting hosted by Harris County Precinct One and the Houston Parks Board officials on Tuesday, the Northeast Trail project is entering the next phase for consideration.

At the meeting, Harris County Pct. 1 officials discussed the future of potential hike-and-bike trails along Carpenters Bayou and other area bayous. Officials led participants through the survey results held in the past and discussed plans going forward.

Like previous meetings, polls were held for citizens present in the meeting in order to gauge their thoughts on the upcoming projects. The potential trails are designed to better connect neighborhoods to regional parks, recreational activities, and other destinations, according to project coordinator Megan Palathra.

We believe every community deserves safe access to parks, trails and green spaces, Palathra said. Its critically important to hear from you and your neighbors on what this study means to you.

Palathra briefly went through the study process, which is in its final phase of development. The studys purpose is to gather public awareness for the potential trails that will be constructed, and get their opinions on which trails should be prioritized.

Following the study process review, the results of the surveys conducted in the previous meetings were revealed. Results so far have generally come from people of color aged 30-50. Additionally, over 50 percent of those who have participated in the surveys are from the 77044 zip code.

When asked about parks frequented the most, 45 percent of survey takers voted for Deussen Park, with 27 percent in favor of Gene Green Park, leaving 8 percent choosing Sheldon Lake Park. The remaining 20 percent chose from other parks.

At least 45 percent of survey takers voted that they visit parks more than three times a week, and that over 90 percent make regular use of trails, and want to visit areas that are currently inaccessible by foot or bike. According to the study, most people would like to use trails to go to parks and exercise. Consideration for possible new trails comes partly from these results.

Consideration for trails comes from not only community want, but also community access, the feasibility of construction clearance, approvals from various agencies such as CenterPoint, and lastly cost, which varies in accordance to the complexity and length of any given trail.

According to Mary Keiler with Clark Condon Architecture, the amount of agency approval required varies from trail to trail, along with the cost. She states that approvals alone can take a very long time, meaning that a concrete construction date for any trail has yet to be set in stone.

Palathra also states that the Precinct is in the process of redistricting certain boundaries, which may serve to alter some aspects of the process. She said that once this process is complete, however, theyll know better how to proceed.

We need to evaluate projects on our new precinct boundaries, Palathra explained. Once these have been firmly established and adopted, then the redistricting process will be complete.

She said that the precinct currently has no timeline for the completion of the redistricting, but once its finalized, theyll have a clear grasp of which study areas are within the precincts jurisdiction.

However, it should be noted that the results of the survey have reached true finalization, and that the report will soon be evaluated by Precinct One, Palathra described it.

Once the final report comes out, Palathra explained, the next step would be to evaluate the results and outcomes of this report, to get a better understanding of the complexity and cost associated with each project.

Following the evaluation, Palathra said the search for funding and maintenance partners will begin. Theyll be probing for funding opportunities from local government and state partnerships.

Precinct One urges the community to reach out to them and the Houston Parks Board if they have information on potential partnerships to support construction efforts. If youd like to keep up with Precinct Ones study and construction efforts, the plan, alongside previous community meetings, are all on their website.
Ground has been broken and work is underway on phase two of what Stream Realty Partners reports is Houstons largest single-phase industrial project.

Ground was broken in September on six buildings encompassing 2.3 million square feet at the Empire West Business Park development just 30 miles west of Houston in Brookshire.

The national trend of supply chain optimization has been pulled forward, and speed to market is more important than ever, said Justin Robinson, Stream Houston managing director and partner, in a news release. That is our strategy for phase two: to provide high-quality, plug-and-play solutions for distributors that will allow them to be up and running by peak season 2022. Houston is a major beneficiary of this trend due to the consumptive engine of our 7-million-people, explosive population growth, regional reach to Central and South Texas, and the unique offering Port Houston presents for importers and exporters.

The site is situated with 5,000 feet of Interstate 10 and Highway 90 frontage with a dedicated east/west exit. The expected delivery for the new buildings is July 2022.

The project currently features three buildings totaling 1 million square feet completed in April 2021. It is 100 percent occupied.

According to Stream Realty Partners, Warefor Solutions LLC, a company that offers integrated solutions for product development, manufacturing, logistics, sales, marketing, warehousing, distribution, and fulfillment of home products, occupies building ones 163,144 square feet; Winix America Inc., a manufacturer of healthy home appliances and air purifiers, purchased building two with 122,138 square feet; and Ferguson Enterprises, the largest U.S. distributor of plumbing supplies, PVF, waterworks, and fire and fabrication products, is housed in building three with 750,775 square feet.

Our belief in Houston and the West submarket is self-evident with the addition of these six buildings, Matteson Hamilton, Stream Houston managing director and partner, said in the release. We are the only new development project in Houston that can accommodate users from 120,000 square feet - over 1 million square feet in 2022.

Empire West is owned and overseen by Streams Investment Management Platform. For more information go to https://streamrealty.com.

News and notes

Katy-based Kolache Factory opened a shop at 1395C Northpark Drive in Kingwood. Longtime franchisee Afsheen Degani operates the location, along with five others. The bakery-cafe chain has 58 stores in the U.S.

Black Rock Coffee Bar is opening its fourth store in the Houston market with a location at 19245 W. Bellfort in Richmond. Founded in Portland, Ore., the boutique coffee shop chain has more than 100 locations in seven states.

An undisclosed buyer purchased approximately 7 acres on Elrod Road just north of Morton Ranch Road in the Katy area. Lilly Golden of Evergreen Commercial Realty represented the seller, Clay Road 628 Investments.

HouTex City Allstar Realty Group renewed 3,122 square feet at 11211 Katy Freeway. Kacie Skeen and Austin Brodeur represented the landlord, Hartman Income REIT.

Anodyne Pain & Wellness leased 2,774 square feet in Shoppes at Grand Crossing, at Interstate 10 and the Grand Parkway in west Houston. Nick Ramsey and Kevin Sims of NewQuest Properties represented the landlord, ALLE TX 1099 LLC. Brian Ashby of CBRE represented the tenant.

Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa opened at 8840 Highway 6, Suite 140, in Sienna Village. It is the second area location for local franchisees Mark and Heather Mize.

Simply Self Storage acquired a 14-property self-storage portfolio totaling 9,878 units in the Dallas and Houston markets where the company now owns 29 self-storage properties. Aaron Swerdlin and Kenneth Cox of Newmark represented the buyer. Seven of properties properties are in Houston, giving Simply Self Storage 16 properties in the Houston area.

Fort Bend Dental DDS Partners Management, a management company to Fort Bend Dental, leased 2,957 square feet at 2277 Plaza Drive in Sugar Land. Joe Bright of NAI Partners represented the tenant.

Kolache Factory leased 1,512 square feet at 9612 Highway 6 South in Missouri City. Zach Leger and Jason Gaines of NAI Partners represented the landlord.

Southern Soul Food leased 2,877 square feet in Brazos Town Center, at U.S. 59 and FM 762, Rosenberg, from NewQuest Properties. Bob Conwell and Austen Baldridge of NewQuest Properties represented the landlord. Mitra Saghafi of Prime Horizon Realty represented the tenant.

Los Angeles-based Rising Realty purchased Commerce Center, a 16-building, 245,495-square-foot single-story industrial park on 14.6 acres on Greenbriar Drive near Kirkwood in Stafford from Partners Capital, the investment platform of Partners Real Estate Co. Trent Agnew and Charlie Strauss at JLL represented the seller.

Miami-based AHS Residential acquired a 6.6-acre site in Ten Oaks, a development of Houston-based Wolff Cos. at the northwest corner of Park Row and Barker Cypress Road in the Energy Corridor, for the construction of three 12-story apartment buildings totaling 576 units. The site, located across from the west campuses of Houston Methodist and Texas Childrens Hospital near Cullen Park, is the last parcel to be sold in the 83-acre Ten Oaks development, according to Wolff Cos. The project, AHS Residentials first in Houston, will offer one, two, and three-bedroom units.

Houston-based Fidelis purchased the Shops of Bella Terra, a more than 300,000-square-foot retail center along the Grand Parkway between the Westpark Tollway and Bellaire Boulevard in Richmond. JLL listed the property for the sellers, Shops of Bella Terra Owner LP and Bella Terra TRS Owner LLC. The center is the sixth property purchased by Fidelis within the last year, including Lake Woodlands Plaza in The Woodlands in the Houston market. The center is anchored by Best Buy, Ross, Total Wine, Ulta, PetSmart, Party City, and 24 Hour Fitness. Walmart and Kohls were not part of the sale.

Rare N Classic Video Games leased 816 square feet in the Mason Village Shopping Center, at 21979 Katy Freeway in Katy, for its second Houston area location. Leonel Hidalgo of Correra Properties represented the tenant. Wes Miller and Kristen Barker of Wulfe & Co. represented the landlord.

Roegels Barbecue leased 3,000 square feet in a mixed-use project on Interstate 10 West near Westgreen Boulevard, Katy, from B&B Investment Corp. Bob Conwell of NewQuest Properties represented the landlord. Chris Reyes and Christie Amezquita of the Shop Cos. represented the tenant.

Es Beauty leased 1,200 square feet at Commons at Harvest Green, 11143 Harlem Road, Richmond. Emilie Niekdam and Benny Nguyen of Resolut RE represented the tenant. Annie Heinbuch of Cunningham Ventures represented the landlord.

Reporter Katherine Feser contributed to this report.

rkent@hcnonline.com
Dec. 12

Photos with Santa

Free photos with Santa can be snapped from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12, at Sugar Land Town Square at Highway 6 and U.S. Highway 59. Photos will take place in a new location, 2210 Lone Star Dr., as part of a magical winter wonderland experience. The last photo will be taken at 5 p.m. Arrive before then to secure a spot in line.

Dec. 15

MCTX Job Fair

Missouri City will host a job fair from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 15, at the community center at 1522 Texas Parkway. Those looking for jobs and those looking to hire are invited to participate. Visit www.missouricitytx.gov to register as an employer. For questions, call 281-403-8500.

Dec. 16

Salute Our Veterans

Missouri City will hold its Annual Veterans Salute from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 16, at the community center at 1522 Texas Parkway. The free luncheon is a way for the city to recognize veterans and their dedication to protecting the United States. Guests are requested to register online at https://tinyurl.com/2zstza8r

Dec. 18

Farmers Market Partners Missouri City

Farmers Market Partners Missouri City is a community farmers market that features local farmers and vendors that provide fresh organic vegetables, fruit, baked goods, artisan foods and more. It is scheduled for 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18, at the Fort Bend Annex at 5855 Sienna Springs Way. For more information go to https://tinyurl.com/d46r26a9.

Dec. 20

Richmond City Commission

The city of Richmond will hold its regular commission meeting on Monday, Dec. 20, at 4:30 p.m. at the City Hall Annex located at 600 Morton St. in Richmond. For questions, contact City Manager Terri Vela at tvela@richmondtx.gov or 281-342-5456.

Missouri City City Council

The regular meeting of the Missouri City City Council is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 20, in the City Hall, Council Chamber at 1522 Texas Parkway. For more information go to www.missouricitytx.gov.

Dec. 21

Sugar Land City Council

The Sugar Land City Council is scheduled to meet for its regular session at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 21, at Sugar Land City Hall, 2700 Town Center Blvd. N. For more information go to www.sugarlandtx.gov.

Rosenberg City Council

CANCELED: The Rosenberg City Council is scheduled to meet for its regular session at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 21, at Rosenberg City Hall, 2110 4th St. Council meetings may be viewed live on YouTube, the city of Rosenberg website, or by Rosenberg Comcast customers on channel 16. For more information go to www.rosenbergtx.gov.

Dec. 24

Christmas Eve

Friday, Dec. 24, is Christmas Eve. Most city services will be closed. Emergency services will be operational.

Dec. 31

New Years Eve

Most city, county, state and federal offices will be closed Friday, Dec. 31, in observance of New Year celebrations. Emergency services will be maintained.

Jan. 4

Sugar Land City Council

The Sugar Land City Council is scheduled to meet for its regular session at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 4, at Sugar Land City Hall, 2700 Town Center Blvd. N. For more information go to www.sugarlandtx.gov.

Rosenberg City Council

The Rosenberg City Council is scheduled to meet for its regular session at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 4, at Rosenberg City Hall, 2110 4th St. Council meetings may be viewed live on YouTube, the city of Rosenberg website, or by Rosenberg Comcast customers on channel 16. For more information go to www.rosenbergtx.gov.

Jan. 6

TxDot: U.S. 90 Update

The Katy Area Chamber of Commerce presents TxDoT: U.S. 90 Update at a member meeting from 7:30-9 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 6, in the Katy Area Chambers Shell FCU Community Room, 814 East Ave., Suite H in Katy. James Koch, director of transportation planning and development for the Texas Department of Transportation, is scheduled to attend the presentation. For more information go to https://tinyurl.com/2p89puuw.

Jan. 18

Sugar Land City Council

The Sugar Land City Council is scheduled to meet for its regular session at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 18, at Sugar Land City Hall, 2700 Town Center Blvd. N. For more information go to www.sugarlandtx.gov.

Rosenberg City Council

The Rosenberg City Council is scheduled to meet for its regular session at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 18, at Rosenberg City Hall, 2110 4th St. Council meetings may be viewed live on YouTube, the city of Rosenberg website, or by Rosenberg Comcast customers on channel 16. For more information go to www.rosenbergtx.gov.

Feb. 12, 2022

Boots & Badges Gala

Behind the Badge Charities is committed to holding its annual Boots & Badges Gala on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022, at Safari Texas in Richmond. Sponsorships and tickets are available now at www.behindthebadgecharities.org/gala.
CANTON, Mass. (AP)  Artifacts once owned by Paul Revere's family are up for auction.

The items were found in the attic of a home in Canton, Massachusetts believed to have been owned by the family of the legendary Revolutionary War figure, The Boston Globe reports.

They include tools such wrought iron calipers, letters and other personal items. There's also an account book belonging to Paul Reveres descendants and a sign painted black bearing the name of Paul Revere's son, Joseph W. Revere.

John McInnis Auctioneers in Amesbury is selling the items as a single lot in an auction that runs from Friday to Saturday. The auction house estimates the items could fetch between $1,000 and $2,000.

Owner John McInnis told the Globe that the sign is likely related to the casing company the Revere family owned in Canton, a Boston suburb.

Revere was famed for his midnight ride on April 18, 1775, in which he warned the American colonial militia that the British Army was approaching ahead of the battles of Lexington and Concord. The ride was immortalized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellows 1861 poem, Paul Reveres Ride.

Revere was born and lived mostly in Boston. He purchased a home in Canton in 1801 and later opened the Revere Copper Company on the land, and his descendants built other operations there.
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP)  The estate of a Black man who died in custody at a Vermont prison is suing, alleging racism and negligence.

The lawsuit, reported by VTDigger, was filed this week in Washington County Superior Court, alleging that the Vermont Department of Corrections and its agents negligently failed to diagnose and treat a tumor that led to Kenneth Johnsons December 2019 death by asphyxiation at the Northern State Correctional Facility in Newport.

The wrongful death and medical malpractice lawsuit further alleges that the department and its then-medical contractor, Virginia-based Centurion Health, discriminated against Johnson, 60, due to his race.

Rachel Feldman, a spokesperson for the corrections department, said in a statement to VTDigger that the department is committed to the humane and equal treatment of all individuals in our care. The department had no comment on the specifics of the suit, she said. Centurion officials did not reply to an email message seeking comment.

A report released by a law firm in November found that DOC staff should have done more to help Johnson, who complained repeatedly that he could not breathe, and their response was insufficient to keep him from dying from a breathing obstruction caused by a tumor.

It also said the department should train staff in implicit bias, while noting that it was impossible to determine if racial bias played a role in Johnsons death.

The department had asked the firm Downs Rachlin Martin to investigate the death of Johnson. A separate personnel review is being done by the state.

In July, the Vermont defender generals office released a report that said staff at the Newport prison ignored Johnsons pleas that he could not breathe and threatened him instead of providing lifesaving care.
ELLIOTT, Iowa (AP)  A coalition of California restaurants and grocery stores has filed a lawsuit to block implementation of a new farm animal welfare law, adding to uncertainty about whether bacon and other fresh pork products will be much more expensive or in short supply in the state when the new rules take effect on New Year's Day.

The lawsuit is the latest step in a tumultuous three-year process of enacting rules overwhelmingly approved by voters but that remain in question even as the law is set to begin. Since voters approved Proposition 12 by a 2-to-1 ratio in November 2018, state officials have missed deadlines for releasing specific regulations covering the humane treatment of animals that provide meat for the California market.

Most hog producers haven't made changes to comply with the law. And now a coalition of business owners is seeking more than a two-year delay.

Were saying this is not going to work, said Nate Rose, a spokesman for the California Grocers Association.

While groups are working to delay the measure, the state has eased the transition to the new system. It has allowed pork processed under the old rules and held in cold storage to be sold in California in 2022, which could prevent shortages for weeks or even months.

As Josh Balk, who leads farm animal protection efforts at the Humane Society of the United States, put it, California residents need not fear pork industry claims of the apocalypse."

Put simply, the law requires that breeding pigs, egg-laying chickens and veal calves be given enough space to stand and turn around. For pigs, that means they no longer can be kept in narrow "gestation crates" and must have 24 square feet (2.23 square meters) of usable space.

Producers of eggs and veal appear able to meet the new law, but hog farmers argued the changes would be too expensive and couldnt be carried out until the state approved final regulations for the new standards. An estimate from North Carolina State University found the new standard would cost about 15% more per animal for a farm with 1,000 breeding pigs.

The National Pork Producers Council has challenged California's right to impose standards on businesses in other states, but so far those efforts have failed.

California is the nations largest market for pork, and producers in major hog states like Iowa provide more than 80% of the roughly 255 million pounds (115 million kilograms) that Californias restaurants and groceries use each month, according to Rabobank, a global food and agriculture financial services company.

Without that supply, its unclear if a state that consumes about 13% of the nation's pork supply will have all the meat it demands. The North American Meat Institute, an industry group, said packers and processors will do their best to serve the California market."

What will happen in California? I dont know, said Michael Formica, the general counsel for the National Pork Producers Council. One thing we know is there will be finite supplies to sell there.

Adding to the uncertainty is the lawsuit filed last month in Sacramento County by the California Grocers Association, California Restaurant Association, California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, California Retailers Association and Kruse & Sons, a meat processor. The suit seeks a 28-month delay until final regulations for enforcement of the rules are officially adopted.

California's agriculture and health departments have said the voter-backed measure didn't give them enough time to approve final regulations. The agencies were still accepting public comments for revisions in December. That means it could be months before final rules are approved.

Given that delay, the groups claim in the lawsuit that they can't be sure they're complying and could be subject to penalties stipulated in the law.

Our concern is the uncertainty, said Rose, of the grocers association. He said a judge has scheduled a hearing for March, but the group is pushing for an earlier date.

If the law takes effect Jan. 1, its possible the state could avoid immediate shortages or steep price increases because the industry has about 466 million pounds (211 million kilograms) of pork in storage. Not all of that meat can be sent to California, of course, but when combined with new supplies from processors that meet the new standards, it should meet at least some of the demand.

If there is a disruption, it would be significantly smoothed, said Daniel Sumner, a professor at the University of California-Davis, who teamed with colleagues to study the price and supply implications of Proposition 12.

While an earlier study projected bacon prices soaring by up to 60% in California, a UC-Davis report estimated that the uncooked pork prices rising eventually by a more manageable 8% in California.

Massachusetts has approved a similar animal welfare law that takes effect next month, but state lawmakers are considering a one-year delay because of supply concerns.

The accuracy of the California estimates could depend on how many farmers adopt the new standards and how long the transition takes.

Iowa farmer Ron Mardesen already meets the California standards, and for much of the year gives sows free rein to roam through large areas of his farm about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southwest of Des Moines.

With so much room, Theyre like a bunch of big, old sisters, he said. You can tell theyre happy. No one is squealing or crying.

Chris Oliviero, general manager of Niman Ranch, a specialty meat company in Westminster, Colorado, said he hopes Californias new rules help change a system he calls lower cost at any cost. Although Niman charges more for its pork, he said he hopes the new California rules help limit the environmental consequences of large-scale animal agriculture.

There is volatility in the markets, so I understand the fears that comes with that, but I also think most large agricultural companies have shown that when they put their mind to it theyre very capable of solving complex problems, Oliviero said.

___

Follow Scott McFetridge on Twitter: https://twitter.com/smcfetridge

___

This story has been updated to correct the amount of pork consumed in California and the amount in cold storage. Josh Balk's last name has also been corrected.
Houston Police Department

A 25-year-old man went missing in west Houston Thursday, and authorities are asking for the public's help in finding him.

Taylour Young was last seen Dec. 9 driving near a bank at the 1600 block of South Voss in a silver 2019 Honda Civic with the Texas license plate MDC9337.
Jon Shapley/Staff photographer

A man was arrested in Fort Bend County Sunday in connection to the October fatal shooting of Harris County Constable Precinct 4 Deputy Kareem Atkins and wounding of two other deputies outside of a bar in north Houston, according to a tweet sent out by Houston police.

Eddie Alberto Miller, 19, of Richmond, has been charged with capital murder, attempted capital murder and aggravated assault of a public servant.
The smell of freshly cut gingerbread wafted through the December air as Cameron Bird took a jigsaw to a slab of the spicy treat.

Bird, an architect and associate at Jackson & Ryan Architects, wasnt expecting to have so much trouble in the early phases of constructing the firms 3-and-1/2-foot tall nutcracker out of gingerbread and icing. But when they arrived at Levy Park on Saturday morning, it was clear they would need reinforcements.

Its not normally this dense, Bird said, adjusting the saws blades before cutting a perfect circle through the gingery sponge.

Calls were made. Errands were run. As Christmas carols blared from speakers stationed in the center of the park, the jigsaw was hand delivered to Bird.

The real work was just beginning.

Birds firm was one of more than a dozen teams participating in the 12th annual Gingerbread Build-Off on Saturday. The event, sponsored by Architecture Center Houston, was expected to draw more than 4,000 spectators throughout the day.

Jackson & Ryan Architects has taken part in the event for eight years. They even won the competition last year, constructing a perfect replica of Grus house from the movie, Despicable Me.

Its fun to come out here - its a challenging and creative project, Bird said. Its something fun to do outside the office.

At Jackson & Ryan Architects, the firm votes on the construction project each year. While they often pick scenes from movies  including Elsas castle from Frozen and a scene the Nightmare Before Christmas  a nutcracker had been a contender for a while and they finally decided to do it.

A group of alumni and student members of Alpha Rho Chi, an architecture fraternity, opted for an ode to downtown Houston as their project  complete with the skyline and the bayou made with white cake and gelatin, with uncooked lentils to represent the waters floor.

For Joshua Naputi, a 29-year-old alumni member of the fraternity, Saturdays event was a low stakes way to meld creativity and architecture.

Theres no pressure, said Naputi, who graduated from the University of Houston in 2017 and now works at W Squared Architects.

But just like in real life, they had to take mother nature into account.

Blustery winds whipped through the park, sending graham crackers flying off tables and making waffle sculptures tilt even more precariously than intended.

A group of high school students with the ACE Mentor Program braced against the, at times, frigid air as they build train cars out of Twinkies and Ho Hos, attaching peppermint candy wheels with globs of marshmallow creme. The Ace Mentor Program focuses on inspiring high school students to pursue careers in architecture, construction and engineering.

The students were building a scene of Santa traveling around the world with presents - from the Leaning Tower of Pisa to the Great Wall of China to the Great Pyramids.

As they assembled the Twizzler train tracks on a bed of frosting and gingerbread, Isaac Cabello, a student at St. Thomas High School, discussed his dreams of working as an engineer or architect.

The 16-year-old joined ACE at the suggestion of a friend and enjoys exploring all the possible career avenues available to him when he goes to college in a few years.

Plus, getting to do events like this is pretty cool, he said.

alex.stuckey@chron.com
In memory of four Michigan teenagers who wont be spending time with their families this Christmas and in sympathy with six other teenagers and a high school teacher traumatized for life, we offer a modest proposal:

Any parent or guardian who refuses to secure guns in the home, arguing that a locked and unloaded gun denies them quick access to thwart a home invasion or other mortal threat, should be required to implement an alternative strategy. We propose designating an adult in the household to keep vigil just inside the front door every night, a loaded pistol, rifle or shotgun lying across their lap, ready in an instant to blow away those dangerous would-be intruders they fear so much. Parents, of course, could trade off, each taking four-hour shifts sitting guard or alternating night shifts.

Were being facetious  sort of  but our proposal is no more absurd than keeping loaded, unsecured guns around the house, accessible to curious toddlers and troubled teens alike. Those kids or other family members who live in the house every day are the ones far more likely to get shot than any hypothetical intruder.

We offer another proposal, not so modest: Perhaps its time for those parents who refuse to lock up their guns to find themselves locked up instead.

The shooter at a high school in Oxford Township, Mich., on Nov. 30 was a 15-year-old sophomore. He fired more than 30 rounds, randomly it seems, at students and teachers.

He not only had access to a loaded weapon but was allegedly abetted by his parents. Authorities say his father bought him the 9mm Sig Sauer SP2022 on Black Friday as a Christmas present. His mother took him target shooting, and after a teacher observed him searching for ammunition on his phone, the mother texted her child, LOL, Im not mad at you. You have to learn not to get caught. The parents kept the loaded pistol in an unlocked drawer in their bedroom.

Despite behavior at school so worrisome that school officials called the parents into a meeting, the parents refused to take their son home when asked to do so. A couple of hours later, he emerged from a bathroom and began firing.

If the incident yesterday with four children being murdered and multiple kids being injured is not enough to revisit our gun laws, I dont know what is, Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald said. She charged the shooter as an adult with murder, terrorism and other crimes.

Then the prosecutor took an extra step. She charged the shooters parents with involuntary manslaughter, because, she said, they should have known their son was a danger to the school. The parents, who fled to Detroit after the massacre, have pleaded not guilty. They face up to 60 years in prison if convicted.

Prosecutors are often reluctant to charge parents whose children commit mass murder, in part because the parents have a constitutional right to own a firearm. A growing number of states, including Texas, have Child Access Prevention laws that generally require gun owners to safely store guns and keep them out of the hands of minors. In Texas, a person can be held criminally liable, albeit for a Class C misdemeanor, if he or she doesnt take reasonable steps to secure a firearm or leaves it loaded somewhere a child is likely to access it. The violation becomes a Class A misdemeanor, carrying up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine, if a child uses the gun to injure or kill someone, including himself.

McDonald, the Michigan prosecutor, said she had no choice but to charge the parents. I am in no way saying that an active shooter situation should always result in a criminal prosecution against parents, but the facts of this case are so egregious, she said.

Im angry as a mother. Im angry as a prosecutor. Im angry as a person that lives in this county. Im angry, she added. There were a lot of things that could have been so simple to prevent.

Would that we all get angry at parents of children who live in homes with unsecured firearms.

Guns, just behind car crashes, are the second-leading cause of death for American children, according to the Giffords Law Center. Each year, more than 8,000 kids are killed or seriously injured by guns. An estimated 70 percent to 90 percent of guns used in youth suicides, unintentional shootings among children and by school shooters under age 18 are acquired from the homes of relatives or friends, according to the center.

Failing to secure weapons in the home also feeds an epidemic of gun thefts in this country. Stolen guns are likely to be diverted underground, a prime market for criminals.

Most gun owners we know, including members of the National Rifle Association, are hyper-careful about keeping guns in the home secure. They know the danger to their children and other family members. They also know that its surpassingly rare for an individual to need a weapon so quickly that a gun safe, lockbox, gun case, trigger lock or cable lock would put them in mortal danger. Far more dangerous, and likely, is an unintentional shooting or suicide.

James Densley and Jillian Peterson, professors of criminal justice writing recently in the Los Angeles Times, suggested that the Oxford Township school tragedy could be a catalyst for reviewing laws and filling in loopholes regarding safe gun storage. We would like to think so too, since many of the reforms that would make a difference are surpassingly simple.

For example, negligently leaving a loaded gun in the reach of a child who uses it to shoot himself or someone else should be a felony in this state, not just a misdemeanor.

As in Michigan, prosecutors should consider charging irresponsible gun owners under other statutes not directly related to gun storage. Texas also needs to get Child Protective Services involved much more quickly when law enforcement finds unsecured guns in the home.

According to the Giffords Law Center, only 13 states have any sort of safe storage requirements. Texas does not. Surely we can agree that we need such requirements.

In light of the continued proliferation of guns in this state  not to mention the rise of homemade ghost guns  and the lax oversight for which this state is notorious, we also encourage a more robust public information campaign for the Texas Department of Public Safetys Keep Em Safe Texas initiative. Its a program designed to inform gun owners about safe gun storage. House Bill 1 during the past legislative session provided $500,000 for the biennium to keep the program going.

What happened in Michigan is a reminder, yet again, that guns brought into the home to protect our children are actually killing them, as if Texans  after Santa Fe, after El Paso, after Sutherland Springs  needed a reminder. With those Michigan children uppermost in our minds, surely we can take modest steps to keep our own children safe. The Second Amendment shouldnt protect outrageous irresponsibility and deadly negligence.
In late October, Jewish Americans saw the release of a report confirming what many intrinsically felt and feared.

Antisemitism is on the rise. A quarter of American Jews said theyd been targeted by antisemitism during the past year. Four out of every 10 changed their behavior, with 22 percent deciding it best not wear or display anything that might denote their faith, according to the American Jewish Committee.

Centuries old tropes are working their way into modern politics and debates of social issues. And in part its being done, often unwittingly, by people who think they are being woke, progressive and thoughtful regarding Middle East conflicts.

The most heinous examples of antisemitism, like outright violence, are widely castigated as hate crimes; swastikas spray painted on a synagogue, Jewish cemeteries vandalized or the stunning display of antisemitism shown at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va. There, white nationalists marched in 2017, chanting Jews will not replace us, and blood and soil, an English language version of a Nazi slogan.

Less boldly, people who would never see themselves aligned with those marchers are nonetheless adopting code words, with little to no understanding of their antisemitic roots and meanings. Globalist, elitist and cosmopolitan are examples. Americans might not recognize antisemitism, even when its tumbling from their own mouths.

Each can be used to infer that Jews wield an enormous amount of power, and that they are too wealthy, too educated and too intelligent to be oppressed.

College students and others who are eager to be seen as a voice for the voiceless are especially vulnerable to this error. Its a line often crossed in the fervor to weigh in on Palestinian struggles, to appear woke.

Jewish leadership has been educating the broader public for most of the year on these matters. The work has been tagged this Hanukkah season with shine a light on antisemitism.

For someone wanting to invest the time and thoughtful contemplation necessary to unpack the stereotyped views that weve all absorbed just by being alive in America, a great start is the early June discussion titled Understanding Antisemitism in this Current Moment. It was led by Gavriela Geller, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Bureau/AJC. and Sarah Markowitz, also of the Greater Kansas City area bureau. Its excellent and available on YouTube.

You can stand up for Palestinian rights and you can do that without using hyperbolic rhetoric, Geller said. Words matter.

She also pointed out that antisemitism is persistent and versatile. It is often reshaped around modern issues, maintaining the inference that Jews are diabolically powerful, that theyre not to be trusted, and disloyal to national interests in deference to Israel.

Both the left and the right make use of tropes, painting Jews as both Marxist, socialist conspirators, as well as capitalists. Conspiracy theories propagate under such twisted thinking.

There are also inaccurate definitions of Zionism used. The term refers to a belief in Israels right to exist. Most American Jews, nearly 97 percent, would consider themselves Zionists. They also overwhelmingly support a two-state solution to Palestinian and Israeli conflicts.

However, that does not mean that they always agree with the policy and actions of the Israeli government, Geller emphasizes.

Simply stated, criticism of Israel is not antisemitic. The problems come when people conflate terms, when they hold Jews collectively responsible for the actions of Israel.

Its exacerbated by not knowing history, geography or applying current Western concepts of terms like colonizing, to the Middle East. Referring to Israelis as colonizing as if they are interlopers, like the settlers who stole land from Indigenous tribes of North America is another common offense.

In truth, both Palestinians and Jewish people are indigenous to the land, meaning they both have historic, ancestral ties there. Jews have never been entirely absent, despite claims to the contrary, Geller said.

They stressed being specific and allowing for nuance. And for people to be aware that they dont inadvertently defame all Jewish people in their criticism of Israeli policy. Likewise, overreaches in labeling, like the accusation that Israel is a white supremacist nation, also offend. Those claims deny the high percentages of Israeli Jews who are Black and brown; with connections to Ethiopia, India and other parts of the world.

There are even efforts to accuse Israel of recreating the genocide of the Holocaust, but this time, theyre framed as the Nazis.

Actor Mark Ruffalo apologized in May after he insinuated on social media that Israelis were committing genocide on Hamas during fighting that carried on for nearly two weeks before a cease-fire.

Its not accurate, its inflammatory, disrespectful & is being used to justify antisemitism here and abroad, Ruffalo wrote, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. Now is the time to avoid hyperbole. More broadly, the time to avoid hyperbole is always.

Many North Americans realize that their understanding of Middle East politics, history and culture is scant. That should be reason enough to guard against uninformed views and errant word choices. And yet, many still persist in doing it anyway.

Sanchez is a nationally syndicated columnist with Tribune Content Agency. She has also been a metro columnist for the Kansas City Star and member of the Stars editorial board. Leonard Pitts is on vacation.
Regarding Editorial: Texans need more information on wasteful 313 corporate welfare program  not less, (Dec. 10): Now that we know that each job the Chapter 313 program produces costs taxpayers $211,600, we need all the facts surrounding the 140 applicants who are trying to beat the deadline for closing down this extreme grift of taxpayer funding. Do not cut back revealing the data collection on Chapter 313 as the program winds down. The amount of taxes lost for just one job would fund teachers or librarians in the public schools my grandchildren attend. Will Glenn Hegar go down as one of the worst Texas comptrollers in history? We await his decision on closing down open records to gaslight Texas voters and keep journalists from finding out the truth.

Sally Lehr, Houston

I think we can all agree on the importance of data. Why would taxpayers be prohibited from knowing where the lunch tickets are going? According to the report Abating Our Future, abatements translate to lost school revenue from $1,000 per student on the low end to $35,000 on the high end. And guess who fills in that gap? Local taxpayers. To demand that the Texas comptrollers office keep gathering data on the hand in the cookie jar, email the comptrollers manager of data: john.villarreal@cpa.texas.gov.

Judith Lee, Beaumont

Flood bond

Regarding Three years in, Harris County flood bond progress slow but steady, (Dec. 4): The article explains that the real cost of flood protection from 100-year storms is $30 billion, not $2.5 billion that voters approved. Current thinking is that we should be focused on the 500-year flood.

Why are the flood district engineers and politicians hanging their hats on a solution for 100-year storms when we know the Texas coast is routinely dealing with much bigger storms?

Barry Klein, Houston

Gun debate

Regarding Opinion: Beto, let research  not rhetoric  define the gun debate, (Dec. 10): I agree with much of what Asheley Van Ness says about not letting political rhetoric define the debate on guns, especially when saying, States have a responsibility to build out the data infrastructure necessary to collect objective information about how firearms are acquired and used  and misused. But there is one glaring omission that should be noted along with that statement. The gun lobby and Republicans beholden to it have for years specifically thwarted all such efforts. That should give anyone pause as to which party is really serious about reducing gun violence and deaths.

David Kelly, Spring

Maskless

Senator Cruz, you really made a statement. You appeared as a guest at Senator Bob Doles funeral service, selfishly flaunting your masklessness. You showed no respect for the health of the congregants, especially those of the greatest generation who came to honor him. You did show that youve learned nothing from his example.

Marge Moore, Houston

Holiday spirit

Please consider the people who pick up our trash when you are thinking about Christmas presents. No one works harder and does more important work than they do. Perhaps just put a note along with a gift in an envelope and wave it when you see them coming. They will happily accept it and you will have have made their Christmas more enjoyable.

Richard W. King, Pasadena
Though 28 years have passed, the story of my unwanted abortion seems more relevant than ever.

I was working as a marketing consultant, raising a 6-year-old son with my husband, and trying desperately for a second child. The path for a successful pregnancy was littered with trials. I experienced four devastating miscarriages followed by a last-ditch effort on a fertility drug, after which I received an alarming diagnosis of a 6-inch blood clot in my left arm that doctors presumed was a likely result of the drug. I spent two scary weeks in the hospital on blood thinners, including Coumadin.

Then came a promising sign. Three weeks after being released, I had a positive home pregnancy test. But when I went to my obstretician, my dream was shattered again when he said, Suzy, youre seven weeks pregnant, but you cant carry this baby. The Coumadin youve been on for the blood clot is contraindicated for pregnancy, meaning it causes severe fetal abnormalities and eventually fetal death. He listed off a host of other abnormalities like he was reading from a medical reference book. I immediately sensed the cruel irony that while I worked so hard to find a way to be pregnant, taking a fertility drug, probably because of this same drug I now would have to deliberately abort this pregnancy. Doing everything to birth a life was now costing that life.

So when I think about Texas Senate Bill 8, which bans abortions past six weeks, before most women even know theyre pregnant, for any reason, including severe fetal abnormalities, rape or incest, its not some abstract idea. Its personal.

In 1993, I was able to find the only doctor at the time in the medical center who would perform the especially delicate abortion, although we had to pay him upfront. Using the term termination, which seemed to have much less baggage than abortion, he explained the more complicated nature of the procedure because of the need for me to stay on blood thinners due to my blood clot. The memory of the procedure, which took a weeks stay in the hospital as they weaned me off and back on blood thinners, is lost in the deep recesses of my brain.

Had the current Texas abortion ban been enacted at the time, I would not have had the choice to have a termination here, even though the fetus would likely die in utero or shortly thereafter. The most restrictive in the nation, Senate Bill 8 makes private citizens into bounty hunters allowing them to sue any person who aids and abets an abortion after six weeks. Recently, a front-page story in the New York Times highlighted how women pregnant with fetuses with severe abnormalities that may even cause the baby to die soon after birth are not excluded from this ban. The article also uncovers how even though women who have a life-threatening condition are spared from this insensitive law, most doctors fear making this call as it could be second-guessed in a courtroom.

The Supreme Court will be ruling on this hot-button issue soon. Seven in 10 people in the U.S. do not support the Supreme Court completely overturning Roe v. Wade according to the Pew Research Center. We must all ask the question  what if it were your daughter, wife, friend or partner who was in this precarious situation of making the personal and difficult decision about a pregnancy  one where the fetus was unviable, or a result of rape or incest, or the mother had underlying health conditions or just wasnt aware she was pregnant before six weeks due to abnormal periods? Maybe they dont see a way to support another child financially or otherwise? What about the women in Texas today who have made this necessary and personal decision after six weeks and do not have the resources to travel elsewhere? And who will end up paying for those babies with the severe abnormalities or for the unwanted children whose parents cant afford to have them?

Abortion was not what I wanted. Having the state stand between me and my doctor would have made the experience even more devastating.

Lets hope the Supreme Court has more common sense than our Texas legislators and continues to uphold Roe vs. Wade and the rights of women to make this difficult decision knowing that, realistically, for most women this is a choice they would prefer not to have to ever make.

LaForge is a writer and consultant in Houston.
As a panel of experts prepares to recommend fixes to the Texas foster care system, those who work in it say conditions have been at a boiling point for months, endangering both state employees and hundreds of the children they are supposed to be protecting.

In the past two years, at least 65 Texas foster care operations have closed, over a third of them forced to shut down for safety reasons, and the state has not found replacements for the more than 2,100 beds lost. The capacity shortage hit all-time highs this year, leading the state to place hundreds of children in temporary, unlicensed facilities  often offices, hotels or churches  for indefinite periods of time.

The children in temporary placements are often those who need the highest and most acute levels of care. Many have suffered from trauma or abuse, drug addiction or mental illness. But in the temporary lodgings they are supervised by workers who have not been trained to care for them and have no authority to enforce rules or discipline them.

At a church in Houston where children stayed, for example, a state employee in April shot a video that shows a teenage boy punching a girl and stomping on her as another state employee stands by, unable to intervene. They were waiting for the police to arrive, forbidden by law from physically restraining him.

Hearst Newspapers reviewed that video, obtained nearly 100 incident reports and shift summaries from the temporary placements and interviewed more than a dozen people with experience in the foster care system, including six current and former caseworkers with the Texas Department of Families and Protective Services, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak with the press.

Its just so out of control, what the caseworkers have to deal with, one caseworker said. This thing is out of control.

IN-DEPTH: Faced with similar faster care woes, Oklahoma made fixes while Texas keeps failing children

Officials at the Texas Department of Families and Protective Services, who refer to the children by the acronym CWOP  children without placement  emphasize that they have brought down the number of kids in temporary lodgings in recent months.

Our CPS caseworkers are not caregivers who are formally trained in de-escalation techniques or restraints, agency spokesman Patrick Crimmins wrote in an email. He added that emergency placements are mandated by law and that DFPS has hired on-site security when requested by caretakers. Staff continuously work around the clock to locate a suitable placement for each child experiencing CWOP as soon as possible, he said.

Dozens of caseworkers who belong to the Texas State Employees Union met at a Houston union hall recently to discuss the problem.

Two women shared stories of children assaulting them at temporary facilities. Both were sent to the hospital for treatment  one had braids yanked out of her head by a child, the other was thrown to the ground and beaten by a teenage boy. She said he wanted her to hand over the car keys to her car so he could take it.

Some locations that were closed by the state for unsafe conditions were later reopened as temporary placements, this time staffed by the caseworkers. At one such facility, a fight in July between two girls  one wielding a razor, the other a fire extinguisher  sent one of them to the hospital, according to state records.

And at a temporary placement on Weaver Road in northeast Houston on Aug. 21, a teenage boy allegedly pointed a gun at the head of another and threatened his life, a state incident report shows.

Advocates for foster children say these displays of violence are not out of the ordinary for children who have experienced trauma and neglect, and the lack of stability and proper supervision in the temporary placements only makes it worse. Licensed caretakers are trained to de-escalate or restrain them if need be, but caseworkers watching the children in temporary placements cant provide that specialized help.

Its a disaster for everybody, said Mary Kay Delavan, a San Antonio attorney who represents about 60 kids in the foster care system. Its not fair to my kid, not fair to the caseworker.

Way beyond burnout

The expert panel was convened in the fall, after Gov. Greg Abbott agreed to cooperate with attorneys in a class-action lawsuit over a myriad of problems in the foster care system. The case has been ongoing for a decade.

Abbott appointed one member to the three-person expert panel that is taking until Wednesday to come up with fixes, both long and short term. The governor has not committed to acting on the recommendations.

It has long been the practice in Texas, as it is in many states, for a small number of kids to stay at temporary lodgings while awaiting permanent placements, experts said. But not as often, or for as long, as Texas.

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The number of children in temporary lodgings ballooned from 47 in August 2020 to roughly 400 by this August, while the average length of their stay increased from 3.6 nights to 18 nights, according to state data.

The state says it is working to get all children into permanent placements, and the number of children in temporary placements decreased in the fall. Novembers count was 235, state data show.

The Texas Legislature has taken some action to improve the situation, allocating funding earlier this year to provide an 11 percent rate increase for providers who work with high-risk children. Lawmakers also passed legislation prohibiting DFPS from using office spaces as CWOP facilities; that change took effect in September, and most kids in temporary lodgings are now in motels.

Both caseworkers and administrative staff are required to work shifts watching the children, an assignment they say is so draining that it affects their ability to perform their other job responsibilities.

Its way beyond burnout, said Christie Carrington, a Houston caseworker. You have to remember that people who work in the child care system do so because they care and want to help children  and we have lost hope in the system we used to believe in.

Teenagers calling the shots

Even tasks as simple as enforcing bedtimes are impossible for the workers who care for foster children in temporary facilities.

The children can come and go as they please, and dont have to go to school if they choose. In other, licensed facilities, supervisors have means to discipline children if they misbehave  say, preventing them from going on a group outing  but there are no consequences in temporary placements.

The children can also reject permanent foster care placements, forcing the state to instead keep them in the temporary lodgings  a major contributor to the capacity crisis, said George Ford, the executive director of the Texas Council of Child Welfare Boards.

The teenagers know that they have the upper hand, one former caseworker said. So, not only can they say they would rather accept a placement because they would rather be in CWOP, theyre calling the shots for everything. They can sit in front of us and assault each other or do drugs, and theres not a damn thing that can be done, except, I guess, calling the police.

In many cases, foster children see their temporary placements as a better option than residential treatment centers, said Sarah Crockett, the director of public policy at Texas CASA, the statewide association of volunteer advocates for children in the foster care system. Often, theyre looking for basic comforts  the flexibility to have a soda and watch an evening movie, for instance, that they may not find elsewhere.

It does create this situation where they're like, Wow, this is way better and way more fun. I'm not going to go back to that super restrictive environment where I had to follow all these rules, she said.

But its a lose-lose situation when the children act up and caretakers cant respond. Violence is often a behavioral manifestation of trauma, Crockett said, and unlicensed facilities with untrained workers only exacerbate those problems.

Regardless of the youths experience, having no structure, no stability and no one who is trained to help them heal from their trauma and thrive is not in their best interest, she said.

The childrens needs also vary greatly, and caseworkers do not always understand the nuances of their experiences. Former San Antonio Judge Peter Sakai recalled a case he handled this summer concerning a 17-year-old girl who kept running away from her placement. Caseworkers considered her incorrigible and uncontrollable, he said.

But the teenager had an explanation: She wasnt trying to be difficult. She was leaving because she was the primary caretaker of her family, and they desperately needed her help.

We need to think out of the box, said Sakai, who resigned from his judicial post in October to run for Bexar County Judge. We need to take a look at some of these kids differently.

Hot potato with the police

Assaults on CWOP staff members have become more common recently, with records and interviews providing over 25 examples in the past year in the Houston area alone, which houses about a third of kids statewide currently in temporary lodgings.

Several reports indicated that children had taken guns into CWOP placements.

Its also common for the children to destroy or vandalize the facilities. Serious incident reports from this year describe kids trashing the temporary facilities, destroying office supplies, and pouring rubbing alcohol on electronics. The destruction has forced Child Protective Services out of a church, a Harris County office building and a number of hotels.

Joel Levine, the head of Harris County Resources for Parents and Adults, a county-affiliated organization that supports the state foster care system, said his organization ultimately stopped CPS from using his facility because of the destruction. Levine said he invoiced the state about $20,000 for the damages, and he knew of even more in damages at another facility, where two 75-inch televisions were smashed.

The stories of threatening, violent or chaotic environments at the temporary facilities have left many staffers terrified to work the shifts, which are required. Some caseworkers said they are so frightened they refuse to work the shifts at all, instead offering hundreds of dollars per shift to their colleagues who are more willing.

When emergencies arise, staff at the CWOP facilities are instructed by the department to call 911. Police can arrest children involved in assaults or serious crimes, but local district attorneys often decline to file criminal charges against them.

John Jordan, chief of the Juvenile Division with the Harris County District Attorney, said his office tries not to file criminal charges against children for minor infractions. Sometimes staff want kids jailed for fighting or threatening others at CWOP facilities, Jordan said, but prosecutors typically dont proceed with charges in those cases unless it involves a felony.

We wouldnt want to treat a kid worse because of their CPS status than we would a kid whos staying with their family, Jordan said

At most, these interactions can lead to serious criminal charges that negatively impact the rest of the childs life, said Delavan, the San Antonio attorney.

When the kids arent charged, the police return them right back to the temporary lodgings where they were arrested.

It's like a freaking game of hot potato with human teenagers who have been through incredibly traumatic situations, one caseworker said.

Most advocates are opposed to locking up children who misbehave. The kids arent criminals  just children who have been abused or neglected and are, unsurprisingly, acting out in chaotic environments, said Crockett, the public policy director at Texas CASA.

This is hard on everyone, and it's not the kids fault, she said. This is a systemic failure of epic proportions  and it's not just one system that has failed here. It's not helpful to finger-point at each other, and it's definitely not helpful to finger-point at the kids.

edward.mckinley@chron.com

cayla.harris@express-news.net
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In a shocking incident, a wanted gangster from Kerala was killed by a rival gang who also chopped off one of his legs.

The incident happened in Pothencode, in the outskirts of Kerala's capital Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday.

The deceased, identified as Sudheesh was hacked to death in front of his wife and children.

iStock

The 12-member gang armed with machetes had come looking for Sudheesh in his home, but seeing them he tried to flee, failing which he hide inside.

The gang then threw crude bombs at locals and broke inside the house.

In front of his shocked family, the gang chopped off one of his legs and left with it.

CCTV visuals from the spot showed three men travelling on a bike, with one of them holding the chopped-off leg.

Screengrab

The limb was found abandoned on a roadside nearby.

The 34-year-old was rushed to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College by the police, but his life could not be saved.

According to the police, the gruesome crime was the result of a gang rivalry.

Before his death, Sudheesh had identified his attackers as members of a criminal gang in the state capital.

Police said that Sudheesh was a wanted criminal, who had several cases registered against him.

Representational Image

The killing is said to be in retaliation to an attempted murder case registered by Attingal Police last week in which Sudheesh was the prime accused. He was reportedly hiding from the gang following the incident.

Kerala Police on Sunday said that a total of four out of the 12 gangsters involved in the murder have been arrested.

For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
As we all know the past two years have been very strange and uncomfortable for us all, especially those who have been physically affected by the pandemic  terminally or otherwise. Sure we have all endured difficulties because of Covid, and the motor industry has been no exception.

But the business has rebounded and the sales figures to the end of November show us that there was a total of 104,563 units sold in the first 11 months of this year, as against 87,856 for the same period in 2020, a welcome increase of 19.02%.

Even despite changes in the tax laws governing the automotive sector, there is a positivity in the industry that has not been evident for a long time now.

But as we come towards years-end we find ourselves at Examiner Motoring with a plethora of completed tests, but running out of room to give them the space they deserve.

So, for this week only we will be presenting you, dear reader, with something of a smorgasbord of things weve driven recently  everything from a coupe Mercedes SUV to a drop-head Mini with plenty in between.

Mercedes GLE 350de 4Matic Coupe

Mercedes GLE 350de 4MATIC: a plug-in hybrid, but unusually for that breed, it is a diesel

We kick off with that Mercedes which, to give it its full title is a GLE 350de 4Matic Coupe, which comes to the market at 98,065. It is a plug-in hybrid, but unusually for that breed, it is a diesel; in this case it is a two litre, 4-pot with 194 bhp allied to an electric motor adding another 122 bhp to the equation.

That makes for a total system output of 320 bhp and a bountiful 700 Nm of torque and will speed the car to 100 km/h from a standstill in 6.9 seconds and produce a terminal velocity of 210 km/h.

The engine is allied to a nine-speed auto box and will return a claimed consumption level of 7.5 l/100 km over the combined cycle (37.3 mpg) which is a lot more realistic than many of the manufacturer claims for these things.

As a coupe SUV, this is a car that will cause many a Marmite argument as some will love it and others (myself included) finding the whole concept to be visually awful and philosophically reprehensible. Another potential downside is the fact that all tax benefits for PHEVs have now been removed and one of the main reasons for buying one has thus been eliminated.

That said, this is a beautiful thing when you look at it from the inside outwards. It is finished to an almost palatial level and drives, rides and handles to a very high order. Not everyones cup of tea and only merits a three-star rating.

Peugeot 5008

Peugeot 5008: top speed is a decent 191 km/h, but the 12.7 second 0-100 km/h time illustrates this is no boy racer

Next up is the Peugeot 5008 which is a former Examiner Motoring Car of the Year winner and a car we have loved since we first saw it back in 2017. In the case of this tester it was powered by the 1.5 HDi turbodiesel engine with a somewhat modest output of 130 bhp.

Given the size of the car, you might think that it is a bit underpowered, but it works really well here in tandem with an eight-speed auto. Top speed is a decent 191 km/h, but the 12.7 second 0-100 km/h time illustrates this is no boy racer. But then, as a sever-seat family carrier, it shouldnt be either.

You could also quibble about the cars lack of composure on rougher roads, but all those foibles are eclipsed by the cars exterior and interior style and specifications (very impressive in Allure trim), its sheer practicality and versatility. It comes with a price tag of 47,040 (as tested) and gets a four-star rating.

Opel Mokka

Opel Mokka: a smarter, more ambitious and more cleverly executed machine than its predecessors.

We were terribly disappointed with the Opel Mokka in electric form, but when we got our hands on the more conventional 130 bhp 1.2 SRi petrol version, the car began to make more sense.

A modern and very eye-catching car (unlike its horrid predecessor) the Mokka is very much on the money style-wise and is an excellent example of how Opel has adopted to the changes forced by the companys new owners.

The tester was also fitted with the eight-speed automatic gearbox and as the engine has oodles of bottom-end torque the gears have been calibrated accordingly, so you dont have to thrash the engine to get the most from it.

Top speed is 200 km/h and 0-100 km/h is achieved in 9.2 seconds, while it will also return a consumption rate of 6.0 l/100 km (47.1 mpg).

This is a smarter, more ambitious and more cleverly executed machine than its predecessors. The driving experience might have been a bit more polished, but the car is creating the sort of interest among customers that dealers love and will be illustrated in more sales they could have dreamed of. It is priced at 28,795 and is awarded a four-star rating.

Volvo XC40 Recharge P8

Volvo XC40 Recharge: suffering from the biggest problem so many current generation electrics face  range issues

Apart from its horrible non-grille, the Volvo XC40 Recharge P8 model is a pretty cool thing, although it sort of falls between two stools being a very sporty electric, but suffering from the biggest problem so many current generation electrics face  range issues.

With maximum power of 408 bhp from its two electric motors  one on each axle  the XC40 P8 will hit 100 km/h from a standstill in just 4.9 seconds and has a top speed of 180 km/h and a claimed range of 400-418 km, but the reality is if you use the available grunt youll be lucky to get 300 km from it.

Beautifully executed interior decor and a top-drawer infotainment system stand the Volvo out from the crowd, but it comes at a cost - 68,258, although there will be a single motor P6 version coming soon at a more affordable 50,058.

The combination of the list price and the relatively limited range will make this car a modest seller. Thats why it only gets a three-star rating.

DS7 Crossback E-Tense

After something of a hiatus in Ireland as the issue of distributorship was sorted out, the DS brand (its basically Citroens haut couture side) is back on track here with a raft of new models. The first we tried was the new DS7 Crossback E-Tense which is a PHEV and therefore at something of a disadvantage from the get-go.

Although beautifully designed and intricately detailed  and just about as comfortable as any premium French brand should be  this DS is delightful to live with and the many premium features within (check the BRM timepiece) give the car a lustre few attain. On the engine front it has a 1.6 litre turbocharged petrol engine allied to an electric motor and an eight-speed gearbox.

This makes for a total system output of 225 bhp, an 8.9 second 0-100 km/h time and a top speed of 225 km/h. It is quick but not that quick and while it is an exceptionally comfortable ride on billiard table surfaces, its not that keen on twisty backroads. But insulation is exceptional and the silence while on all electric mode is nearly scary.

Once these machines go fully electric we might have more to talk about, but for now, the PHEV will do a claimed 50/55 km of electric only motoring, but a figure nearer the 40 km mark is more realistic. Despite its beauty and sophistication, but partly because it is a PHEV and partly because the tester cost 56,790, it only merits a three-star rating.

Mini Convertible

The Mini Convertable: drives like a Mini should  glued to the road at all times  and handles brilliantly

Finally, we have the newest Mini Convertible and for a rag-top it is a surprisingly good drive. There are no obvious issues with torsional rigidity (a typical flaw) and it handles like a Mini should. It is also powered by a 1.5 litre three-pot engine with 136 bhp and is good for a top speed of 206 km/h and a 0-100 km/h time of 8.8 seconds.

It drives like a Mini should  glued to the road at all times  and handles brilliantly. Ride is a bit crashy though, emphasising the youthful appeal of the beast. The roof works brilliantly, but that means boot space is tight and the rear seats will accommodate a packet of cigarette papers at best. Nice car, but for Ireland? Hmmm. Still, a four-star contender.

Its been a bit of a pre-Christmas rush through all these models, but we hope youve enjoyed the ride.
The five month gap between a person's second Covid vaccine dose and booster jab could be reduced.

Health minister Stephen Donnelly is considering the move, as the government looks at ways of increasing immunity to the Omicron variant.

Professor of Immunology at Trinity College Dublin Kingston Mills said it is imperative that the booster campaign is expedited and doesn't think people should wait five months from their second dose to receive the third jab.

"There's some benefit in having a longer gap, but that's offset against the huge benefit of now vaccinating people that really need protection," Prof Mills told RTE's Brendan O'Connor programme.

The demand for booster shots comes after a study shows they provide up to 75% protection against the Omicron variant.

Professor of Health Systems at DCU, Anthony Staines, said the booster uptake is good news, amid fears more people will be infected by the new variant.

However, he insisted that other measures need to be emphasised, to help prevent the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.

"I think the message from WHO, the message from other countries is that vaccination on its own is not going to control this virus," said Prof Staines.

"Vaccination is obviously central to what we need to do but there is a bunch of other stuff.

"We are still not doing proper contact tracing. We haven't done proper contact tracing since the outbreak started. We are not encouraging people to wear more effective masks."

It comes as the HSE has urged people waiting for boosters to remain calm following large queues outside walk in centres in recent days.

Hundreds of people were turned away from UCD yesterday after the centre reached capacity, with long wait times also reported at other clinics. UCD's walk-in clinic will not be open today.

The National Show Centre in Swords, Dublin is open this afternoon for booster doses for those aged 50 - 69.

In Cork city, a booster walk-in clinic is open at City Hall from 9am - 4pm.

Full details on walk-in booster clinics are available on the HSE website while the HSE Twitter account has all of the up-to-date information on wait times.
An organic farm discriminated against a volunteer trainee when telling him to leave after learning that he was HIV positive.

At the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), Adjudicator, Thomas ODriscoll made the finding and has ordered the organic farm to pay 8,000 compensation to the man after finding that the request for the man to leave the farm in June 2019 was discriminatory on the grounds of disability under the Equal Status Act.

Mr ODriscoll said the aggravating factors in the case demand that the award be at the higher end of the scale.

In the case, the man alleged that after being told that he could no longer work at the organic farm, two requests to have a shower were refused along with a request to use the enterprises WiFi system to organise travel out of Ireland.

The man had to walk a 6km round trip to a local pub to access WiFi.

The man further alleged that after driving him to a local railway station, the managing partner refused to shake his hand.

Humiliated and distressed

The US national told the hearing that he felt humiliated and distressed by his experience as he was literally stranded in a foreign country, unwashed, with no money, and only soiled farm clothes to wear.

In his findings, Mr ODriscoll stated that he found the conduct of the organic farm - located in rural Ireland - upon learning of the trainees HIV status to be unacceptable and transgressed not only the law, but was also below the threshold of acceptable conduct that reasonable people expect when affording equal opportunity to those with a disability.

The complainant, a gay man, described himself as a lifelong environmental activist, with a special interest in food justice.

Mr ODriscoll recorded that the trainee is HIV positive to the degree that is not transmissible and was on antiretroviral medication.

The man - represented by Maria Watson BL instructed by solicitor, Maureen Gourley of the Free Legal Aid Centres (FLAC) in the case - arrived from the Caucasus region in June 2019 to take up the volunteer position where over a period of three months he would be taught the skills of organic farming.

The trainee was a paid-up member of an unnamed Irish branch of a training and campaigning organisation and the organic farm was a host farm for the organisations volunteers and provides food and accommodation in return for assistance in working on the farm.

On the second day at work on June 18, 2019, the managing partner asked the trainee about his limp and in response the trainee said that the limp was caused by the antiretroviral medication he was taking to treat HIV.

The trainee also explained that his viral load was undetectable which meant that he could not transmit the virus.

The trainee reassured the managing partner that his being seropositive would not affect his ability to work on the farm, and that this was evidenced by the two days of hard work that he had already put in.

However, that evening, after the HIV status disclosure, both partners in the organic farm business told him that he could not continue working on the farm with immediate effect and that he had to leave the farm by Friday afternoon or by Saturday morning at the latest.

Shower refusal

The managing partner alleged that on returning from a local pub that evening, the trainee made rapid steps towards himand screeched into his face after the shower refusal.

However, the trainee denied that he acted in this way. He stated that he is a non-drinker and asserted that he came from the non-violent Quaker tradition, was a peace activist, and formerly taught conflict resolution skills to children.

He stated that he would never contemplate using or threatening violent behaviour towards another human being.

In his findings, Mr ODriscoll stated: "Overall, I found the evidence of the complainant regarding the events of Tuesday, June 18, 2019 to be compelling and he detailed clear recollections on every point at issue.

The managing partner stated that he set up the business with his then civil partner and it employed 20 people and made profits of around 20,000 before tax.

The organic farm denied discrimination claiming that the trainee was asked to leave the farm, because it was believed that he was not physically able to carry out the tasks allotted to him, which in turn created a health and safety risk.

The managing partner stated that it was clear to him that the trainee was not capable of carrying out physical tasks necessary on a small holding.

He stated that he was a danger to himself and to his fellow volunteers.

The managing partner submitted that the disclosure by the trainee of his HIV status was after he had made the decision to terminate the arrangement, therefore no complaint of discrimination on disability grounds could be sustained.

The managing partner stated that he refused the trainees shower on the evening of June 18 on the basis that his partner and child were asleep in the main residence at that late hour.

He also told the hearing that during a conversation the trainee had told him about the difficulties and violence that he, as a gay man, had encountered in his travels in Europe.
Happy cries bounced around Rutland Square in Cork city as little Daanya Hossain turned on the Christmas lights for her neighbours at the Cluid housing associations Christmas gathering there.

Exhausted after suffering 10 seizures that day, she then fell asleep in her pram while presents were handed out to enthusiastic children to celebrate many of their first Christmas at the square.

Daanya, 8, was diagnosed with Rett syndrome at 13 months, a rare genetic neurological and developmental disorder that affects brain development, causing a progressive loss of motor skills and speech resulting in severe mental and physical disability.

Her parents, Saima and Delowar Hossain struggled to care for her full-time while also working  Saima in a shop and Delowar as a chef  to support themselves.

Despite their best efforts, their previous home was so small they had to return equipment lent to Daanya by her school to help her because it did not fit.

Saima was getting increasingly bad back pain from lifting her daughter upstairs and into the shower because her wheelchair would not fit in the bathroom.

Social housing application

When a social worker visited, he told them to apply for social housing and helped with their application.

Luckily for the family, that application was successful. Their lives have been transformed since they moved into a ground floor apartment with space for Daanyas equipment and her wheelchair in Rutland Square.

Daanya and Saima Hossain, at the Cluid housing project, Rutland Square, White Street, Cork. Picture: Jim Coughlan.

The new, high-end development stands on a site off White Street. What was once a garage and local authority car park now contains 43 homes with 21 one-bed apartments; 16 two-bed and six three-bed houses; a little park and a playground. Cluid manages the scheme for Cork City Council.

We moved in three months ago and its fantastic. I dont believe where we were before and where we are now. Its totally changed my life and Im so grateful, Saima said.

In the last house Daanya couldnt move, she couldnt look out the window. I was getting back pain from lifting her.

"Now she has a playground outside. Theres a big shower room I can take her into. The neighbours are very helpful. We have a WhatsApp group if anyone needs help."

Life before the move was a struggle for the Hossains.

Daanya, who was born in Ireland and had developed normally as a child up to 13 months when she suddenly became ill and was later diagnosed with Rett syndrome.

It was really hard for us to hear that she would never walk or talk. We had no family here to help.

We had to cope and try our best to mind her by ourselves, Saima said.

When they moved into their new home this year, their neighbours brought them flowers, chocolates, fluffy pyjamas and a soft toy for Daanya to welcome them.

Daanya is so much happier here, Saima said.

We can go out and watch the other kids playing outside. Daanya cant play but she loves to watch them. She smiles. When she smiles, we know shes happy.

Her neighbour and friend, Michelle Meaney, said that she and her family are hoping to begin their own Christmas traditions at their apartment in Rutland Square this month.

Life-changing move

Getting an apartment at the development was like winning the lotto and has been life-changing for her, her husband and their young son, Zaid, 6, who has Down Syndrome.

Daanya and Saima Hossain, at the Cluid Housing project, Rutland Square, White Street, Cork. 'Daanya is so much happier here,' Saima said. Picture: Jim Coughlan.

Safety, security, and space have been the most valuable aspects of life at Rutland Square she said.

Within one month, she saw a huge improvement in her sons development.

My son has a disability and for us to have the space for him to move around freely is life-changing, Michelle said.

"He didnt have space to move or run or climb before. Physically it was really affecting his progress. As soon as we moved there was a difference in him, you could see it straight away

And its a lovely community. Theres a wonderful atmosphere and everyone has time to say a quick hello.

There are probably lots of people here who cant go home for Christmas, cant see their families.

I cant go home to my family in Tipperary. So to have this community feeling here is amazing. It lifts you.

Especially during Covid, to have everyone outside together in a safe way, it means a lot.

'Critical' support

Having housing associations like Cluid plugging some of the gaping holes in the housing market is critical she said.

For six years, she and her family had struggled to survive in unsuitable, privately rented accommodation. Although they had tried to move, as a family with a disabled child they could not even get a viewing for a property, she said.

There was no support. We couldnt even get a viewing. So to have organisations that are providing houses is so important. Hundreds of thousands of houses are not going to pop up out of nowhere. And people need a chance.

Ger Deegan, manager with Cluid South West, said that the Christmas gathering at Rutland Square brings light to a dark time. He commended the residents for organising the event which brought neighbours together as a community.

Housing officer Davina Mooney said that the housing project has transformed peoples lives, some of whom will be able to enjoy stable, safe accommodation for the first time this Christmas.

Building communities

But she said that providing housing is not Cluids only goal, they also want to build communities around those homes.

Cluid currently manage 439 homes in Cork city which keeps more than 530 people in secure accommodation. It also owns more than 680 homes throughout the county where a further 1,000 residents live.

Cluid have secured planning for 112 more housing units in Blackpool with works due to commence shortly.

Schemes are also planed for Mahon and Douglas.

All Cluid schemes are delivered in partnership and the local authority retains 100% nomination rights for the homes.

Cluid will also deliver Irelands second mix tenure development of cost rental and social homes on the Lancaster Gate site in the city centre.

The 88 new apartments will consist of 73 cost rental and 15 social homes. When complete, the scheme will be a mixed tenure community of one-, two-, and three-bedroom properties. Under the Governments Cost Rental Scheme, cost rents must be a minimum of 25% below open market values. Monthly rent for Cluids Lancaster Gate, Lancaster Quay homes will start at 990 per month  approximately 45% below local market rates.
The assistant director who handed Alec Baldwin a prop gun that killed a cinematographer on a New Mexico film set must make himself available for an interview with state workplace safety regulators, a judge has decided.

District Judge Bryan Biedscheid granted a request by the Occupational Health and Safety Bureau of the state Environment Department to issue a subpoena to Dave Halls, assistant director for the movie Rust, local news outlets reported.

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed and director Joel Souza was wounded in the October 21 incident at the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe.

Alec Baldwin (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Safety officials have tried twice since November 2 to interview Mr Halls for their investigation but he declined both times through his lawyer and said he would not agree to an interview until a criminal investigation into the shooting was complete, a compliance officer wrote on Wednesday in an affidavit in support of the subpoena request.

The interview is needed because Mr Halls had responsibilities for set safety, knew who was present during the shooting and had handled the gun, the application said.

Rebecca Roose, deputy cabinet secretary of the Environment Department, told the Santa Fe New Mexican that the department proposed a Tuesday interview but the judge could set another date or Mr Halls lawyer, Lisa Torracco, could fight the subpoena.

KOB-TV reported that Ms Torracco told the station that Mr Halls will co-operate with state investigators.

Baldwin has said he did not know the gun contained a live round and that investigators must find out who put it in the weapon.
This Week in Review

A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more.
South Africa on Sunday paid an official tribute to FW de Klerk, the final president of white rule, who freed Nelson Mandela from prison and steered the country from apartheid to democracy.

De Klerk died on November 11 aged 85 following a battle with cancer. Four days of national mourning were declared in his honour.

He served as president from 1989 to 1994 and is remembered most for leading South Africas transition from white-minority rule to the first multi-racial elections in 1994.

De Klerk also shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Mandela in 1993 after freeing him from prison in 1990. Mandela then became South Africas first black president after his African National Congress party won the 1994 election.

President Cyril Ramaphosa attended Cape Towns Protestant Groote Kerk  one of South Africas oldest churches  on Sunday morning to deliver a eulogy in De Klerks honour.

He was often misunderstood due to his over-correctness, De Klerks widow Elita Georgiadis told around 200 attendees.

I shall never forget this man who mesmerised me, who made me want to help him achieve this huge task ahead of him.

A private mass and the national anthem preceded the ceremony, which featured a portrait of De Klerk between two candles and a choir decorated with white flowers.

Despite a positive reputation abroad, De Klerk divided opinion in South Africa and his death prompted mixed reactions.

Critics say he remains inseparable from apartheid-era crimes and could have been held accountable for them had he lived longer.

De Klerk represented the National Party, which in 1948 formally established apartheids racial segregation and disenfranchisement of South Africas non-white majority.

Outside the church, a small group of protesters held signs saying Justice denied and Justice for apartheid victims and were swiftly led away by police.

The surrounding area was closed to traffic and placed under high security.

Comments in his final years also tarnished De Klerks image amid criticism for his failure to apologise officially for the crimes of apartheid.

In 2020, he denied apartheid was a crime against humanity before retracting the statement and apologising.

De Klerks foundation issued a posthumous video apologising for the pain, hurt, indignity and damage that apartheid has done to South Africas non-white populations.
Previously, Kim Hyun Soo's (Kim Soo Hyun) lawyer and prosecutor Ahn Tae Hee (Kim Shin Rok) joined hands to put the illegally accused in a tight situation. But despite their coercion, Kim Hyun Soo stood his ground and appealed for himself, desperate to prove his innocence in "One Ordinary Day" Episode 5.

'One Ordinary Day' Episode 5: The Great Lawyer Shin Jung Han Returns

"One Ordinary Day" episode 5 highlights the tension surrounding Kim Hyun Soo, his lawyer Seo Soo Jin (Lee Seol), Shin Jung Han (Cha Seung Won) and prosecutor Ahn Tae Hee.

In episode 5, Kim Hyun Soo stands his ground to prove his innocence against the judge, prosecutor Ahn Tae Hee and the nation.

While Ahn Tae Hee takes every needed measure to investigate, Shin Jung Han, who returns as Kim Hyun Soo's lawyer in the first trial, takes a step to fight for the poor falsely accused young man.

Inside prison, Kim Hyun Soo remembers every smallest detail of the night, despite it being difficult to think about because of his immense trauma. He explicitly shows his uneasiness as he enters Hong Guk Hwa's (Hwang Se on) house, which is also the murder scene, as the crowd of reporters, national jury and police dart their gazes to him.

Thanks to lawyer Shin Jung Han, whom everyone doubts, Kim Hyun Soo's case isn't a lost cause as the third-rate lawyer is set to find loopholes and faults between the police and the prosecution's cross inspection.

In particular, Kim Hyun Soo and Shin Jung Han's hot-and-cold relationship as client and lawyer gives off a different sense of warmth. Although the young man doesn't talk much about it, he feels safer whenever the lawyer's around, and heads on to fight the perpetual psychological warfare while relying on each other.

Shin Jung Han Joins Forces With Seo Soo Jin

In spite of Shin Jung Han's pride and massive ego as a lawyer, he accepts Seo Soo Jin's request of a joint defense to close Kim Hyun Soo's murder case.

Because Seo Soo Jin hasn't been in the field for too long, Shin Jung Han also acts as her senior and father figure, ready to lend help anytime.

With their joint power and defense, the grumpy lawyer guarantees Kim Hyun Soo's innocence and freedom.

"Kim Hyun Soo, a man in his 20s, is a very ordinary person. He is someone's son, brother and friend," Shin Jung Han says, evoking emotions from the jury.

Shin Jung Han and Seo Soo Jin, who somehow gravitate towards each other despite their differences, decide to use various strategies and intense power in the court in order to save Kim Hyun Soo's name and youth.

Do Ji Tae Offers Kim Hyun Soo Immunity Inside Prison

Because of Kim Hyun Soo's grave "crime" and gall to defend the weak inside prison, he is the prime target of Park Doo Sik (Yang Kyung Won) and his gang.

Known for their taunting strength, they inflict pain and minor injuries to the poor Kim Hyun Soo. However, because Do Ji Tae (Kim Sung Kyu), the lion of the prison, keeps an eye on the gang, they let Kim Hyun Soo get away with a raging heart.

For the nth time, Do Ji Tae tries to earn Kim Hyun Soo's trust while attending to his wounds, promising safety inside the cold corners of their cell.

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Written by Elijah Mully.
Most of the 43 people known to have been infected with the Omicron variant of coronavirus in the United States had mild symptoms, but most had been vaccinated and 14 of them had already had booster doses, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday.

The first CDC report on the Omicron variant in the US shows vaccination does not protect people against infection but it also indicates the first cases to be detected have been mild or moderate.

"One vaccinated patient was hospitalized for 2 days, and no deaths have been reported to date," the CDC Covid Response Team reported. "Case investigations have identified exposures associated with international and domestic travel, large public events, and household transmission."

"The earliest date of symptom onset was November 15 in a person with a history of international travel," the researchers added. "Fourteen (33%) persons reported international travel during the 14 days preceding symptom onset or receipt of a positive test result."

They said 79% of those infected had been fully vaccinated with either two doses of Pfizer/BioNTech's or Moderna's vaccine or one dose of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine. Five of the 14 who got booster doses had been boosted at least two weeks before and should have had maximum levels of immune protection.

"The most commonly reported symptoms were cough, fatigue, and congestion or runny nose," the researchers wrote.

Delta is still the dominant variant in the US, the research team said.

"Given the 2-3 weeks from the time of specimen collection to availability of sequence data for analysis, it is likely that additional infections with Omicron from late November will be detected during the coming days," they wrote.

"Scientists around the world are working to rapidly learn more about the Omicron variant to better understand how easily it might be transmitted and the effectiveness of current diagnostic tests, vaccines, and therapeutics against this variant," they added.

"Many of the first reported cases of Omicron variant infection appear to be mild, although as with all variants, a lag exists between infection and more severe outcomes, and symptoms would be expected to be milder in vaccinated persons and those with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection than in unvaccinated persons."

People who have recently traveled internationally are likely to be younger, healthier or both and might not be representative of the general population, the researchers noted. If the Omicron variant spreads widely, sheer numbers could mean there will be may severe cases. "Even if most infections are mild, a highly transmissible variant could result in enough cases to overwhelm health systems. The clinical severity of infection with the Omicron variant will become better understood as additional cases are identified and investigated," they wrote.

"Scientists in South Africa and elsewhere have established systems that allow study of the laboratory, clinical, and epidemiologic characteristics; CDC is collaborating with health officials around the world to learn more about the characteristics of patients with Omicron variant infections."

Separately, a team of government and academic researchers in the UK reported that many people there infected with the Omicron variant had also been vaccinated and boosted.

"Our findings show that vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic disease with the Omicron variant is significantly lower than with the Delta variant," the team, led by Nick Andrews of the UK Health Security Agency, reported in a pre-print posted online.

They looked at 581 cases of people infected there whose tests showed they had been infected with the Omicron variant, looked at their vaccination records and compared them to thousands of people who had been vaccinated when the Delta variant was dominant.

Two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine -- widely used in Britain but not authorized in the US -- provided no protection after 15 weeks, they wrote. People who had been vaccinated more recently with two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine seemed more strongly protected against Omicron, but effectiveness fell to no more than 37% if they had been vaccinated four months or more earlier.

A booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine restored vaccine efficacy to about 75% against Omicron, they wrote. But the findings involved a small number of people, they said.

"We are unable to determine protection against severe forms of disease due to the small number of Omicron cases so far and the natural lag between infection and more severe outcomes," they wrote.

The British and US teams both urged booster doses of vaccine.

"Booster doses are especially urgent for those at higher risk of severe disease, such as persons residing in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. In addition, CDC recommends that everyone aged 2 years or older wear masks in public indoor places in areas of substantial or high transmission," the CDC team wrote.

All the known mitigation methods should be employed, the CDC said. "Implementation of concurrent prevention strategies, including vaccination, masking, improving ventilation, testing, quarantine, and isolation, are recommended to slow transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and to protect against severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19," the team wrote.

"A number of measures have been implemented throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce the introduction and spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the United States through travel. For example, masks are required in indoor areas on public transportation conveyances traveling into, within, or out of the United States, and on the indoor premises of U.S. transportation hubs," they added.

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A stone-cold fox shows its warm and fuzzy side, Harry Potter's heading back to Hogwarts, and a Dunkin' customer pays it forward to her favorite employee. These are the must-watch videos of the week.

What does the fox say?

This fox's laugh has the internet in stitches. CNN's Jeanne Moos has the answer to "what did the fox say?"

A magical reunion

A new trailer for the "Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts" special, which will debut on HBO Max on January 1, has been released (CNN, HLN and HBO are all part of WarnerMedia).

A home for the holidays

After learning her favorite Dunkin' employee had been evicted, an Ohio woman worked with several organizations to find a new home and furniture for the woman and her children, just in time for the holidays.

Lights, camera, time machine

ABC's "Live in Front of a Studio Audience" aired reenactments of "The Facts of Life" and "Diff'rent Strokes" featuring Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Hart and Ann Dowd. See how they compare to the originals.

New series exposes life inside the Playboy Mansion

Four years after the death of Hugh Hefner, Playmates, executives and employees describe the environment inside the Playboy Mansion in a new series on A&E.

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MEDFORD, Ore. -- A 31 year old man is dead after shots were exchanged between the individual and a California resident who was visiting a house near by.

This morning at about 6:50 a.m., Medford Police officers and rescue personnel were dispatched to a report of shots fired in the 600 block of Belmont Street. Another caller reported that a person was down on the ground.

Once they arrived, officers found a male laying outside on the ground, suffering from gunshot wounds. Life saving efforts were made, but not successful. The person was pronounced deceased and the case was turned over to detectives.

The person who fatally shot the man was on scene and cooperated with law enforcement. The investigation revealed that a 31 year old man was outside causing a disturbance after an apparent night of drinking. He did not live in the area, but was visiting an associate who lives nearby, whom he was upset with.

A California resident, visiting a neighbors house, heard the commotion and confronted the disorderly individual. The conversation deteriorated and the disorderly individual produced a handgun and fired at the person, who had a concealed handgun license and was carrying a handgun. This individual returned fire, ultimately killing the decedent. No one else was injured.

The shooter has not been charged with any crime at this time.

This is a developing story and will be updated when new information becomes available.
MEDFORD, Ore. -- Recently released body cam footage that the Oregonian has acquired shows Medford Police Department officers using "excessive force," according to the suspect's attorney Christine Herbert, to detain a man who was allegedly trespassing at the Circle K at Central Avenue and Barnett Road shortly after midnight on January 25, 2021.

In the video, the suspect identified as Noel Palomera-Vasquez disclosed to law enforcement that he was on methamphetamine.

Shortly later, Palomera-Vasquez moved outside of the store when law enforcement arrived, but refused to comply with additional law enforcement commands.

In the video, you could see that Palomera-Vasquez physically resisting when officers attempted to take him into custody,

resulting in an exchange on the ground.

Medford Police have told NewsWatch 12 that during the exchange, that 'force' was needed including focused blows and a Taser that were utilized in order to obtain control of the suspect.

Police say that after the suspect was successfully restrained, he was immediately checked by independent medical personnel.

According to a report done by the Oregonian, Palomera-Vasquez's attorney states that her client came away from the encounter with head and back injuries and broken ribs, but also a felony assault charge after one of the officers suffered a cut in the fracas that caused what he later described as a tingling sensation on his upper lip.

According to an indictment, Palomera-Vasquez was charged with one count of Assault of a Public Safety Officer, Resisting Arrest, Interfering with a Peace Officer, and Criminal Trespass in the Second Degree.

The Medford Police Department has told NewsWatch 12 that the use of force was reviewed and determined to be within policy.

Lt. Budreau with MPD also told NewsWatch 12 that, the use of force stats vary slightly year to year, but are fairly consistent, and that, MPD's use of force is used in less than 3% of their arrests.

NewsWatch 12 spoke to Palomera-Vasquez's attorney, Christine Herbert, who told us that they believe that after watching the video, 'excessive force' was used in the arrest. Herbert also told NewsWatch 12 on Saturday that the use of force was uncharacteristic of what she has seen in the past by Medford Police officers and was disappointed by the responses aken by police officers during the altercation.

NewsWatch 12 is working to find out more information from Palomera-Vasquez's attorney on what happened the night of his arrest. We have also obtained body cam video from that day and are working to process that footage.
Wisconsin farmers learned something 20 years ago that many American employers facing worker shortages are failing to learn right now: If youre facing a worker shortage, hire foreigners.

In the late 1990s, Wisconsin farmer John Rosenow said he was unable to fill open positions with locals. In the back of a farming magazine, he found an advertisement from Amigos Incorporated, a now-defunct organization. The ad described the ease with which American farmers could hire hard-working laborers from Mexico for a fair wage plus one international bus fare for a couple hundred bucks and helping them secure lodging.

Rosenow hired one worker from Mexico. Then another. Then another.

The first who arrived was a man named Manuel. He worked 54 days straight milking cows, which helped prevent Rosenow and his wife from continuing to have to 96-hour work weeks since they had so few American applicants for Rosenholm Dairy in Buffalo County, which was homesteaded by Rosenows great-great-grandparents 11 miles east of the Mississippi River.

Twenty-two or 23 years ago, we were in the same situation the whole country is in now  we couldnt find people to work. So we went to Mexico, Rosenow said. Of the prospective employees he found south of the border, he said: Great people that want to work.

Now, about half of the 20 employees at Rosenholm Dairy are Mexico-born. Whenever one quits  often to move back home after having earned more money in Wisconsin than they could have ever made at home  they are almost always immediately replaced by a relative of a current employee seeking a better life and willing to travel 1,400 miles to Wisconsin to pursue it.

Every time an American quit, I would hire a Mexican. (Hiring) went from one of my biggest headaches to not a headache at all, he said.

While its become more difficult to get Americans to accept difficult, menial jobs without great pay, immigrant labor is much easier to find. There is some truth to the cliche of jobs most Americans just wont do.

If we have some kind of decent immigration policy, it would solve the labor shortage we have right now. Its as clear as can be. But everyone is so rampant about immigration, it probably wont happen. We would all benefit and things would be better, Rosenow said.

Struggling to fill openings

In June, a survey from the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce found that 86% of American employers were struggling to fill open positions.

The Washington Post reported in September that the U.S. had approximately 10 million job openings, while fewer than 8.5 million Americans were seeking work.

Despite job openings hitting historic highs in July and extended unemployment benefits ending in September, Americans arent returning to work, especially in low-wage industries, Vox.com reported in October. At the same time, workers are resigning in record numbers. And though consumer spending has surged this year, businesses dont have the people to meet demand  to cope, some companies are raising their prices.

Farmers, advocates and some business leaders say its no surprise that the relatively few immigrants allowed into the country over the past decade preceded a widespread labor shortage.

Immigration and food, a connection

Historically, when the U.S. has needed workers, its rolled out the welcome mat. Most notably there was Ellis Island in New York Harbor, an immigration station through which 12 million immigrants passed from 1892 to 1954. The words inscribed at the feet of the Statue of Liberty, also on Ellis Island: Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.

This country was built by the sweat of people born outside the U.S.  some who came willingly, others in chains.

Theres a good chance the Wisconsin cow that produced the milk in your fridge was milked by someone born in Mexico.

To a reporter, Oconto County farmer Tim OHarrow said: I think your real story is how our overall population misunderstands how we (Americans) got to be where we are: and that is we are all immigrant-related. OHarrow said his ancestors on his mothers side came were Swiss farmers and bricklayers before coming across the Atlantic Ocean; on his fathers side, they were farmers in Ireland who continued the family trade after landing in the U.S.

Rosenow, a Democrat, and OHarrow, a Republican, have advocated both at the state Capitol in Madison and in Washington, D.C., for massive immigration reform  to make it easier for foreigners to get into the U.S. to work, to fill labor shortages, to find better lives.

If voters elect politicians who pay attention to what is going on, we will get immigration fixed, OHarrow said.

About 40 percent of dairy farm workers in Wisconsin are immigrants, according to a UW-Madison study. Many, possibly 90%, of the countrys immigrant farm workers are undocumented. OHarrows farm was raided by immigration enforcement agents about 15 years ago; Rosenow has feared the same.

'I have no choice ... the cows have to be milked'

In 2017, Rosenow told Wisconsin Public Radio "If ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) came in here and checked my employees and found that they were undocumented and those 10 people left, my next option of course is to close down  and try to find a market for my cows and sell out. And I wouldn't be able to farm anymore and it would just about kill me. I have no choice. I mean the cows have to be milked. I know no other source of labor."

Law enforcement descended on our farm like wild dogs and treated one of our original employees like a dog, or less than, OHarrow said during a roundtable on immigration in Wausau in 2013  when a supposedly pro-immigration president, Barack Obama, was in the White House, although the raid occurred under President George W. Bush.

During a meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee on July 21, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said: Farm workers, regardless of immigration status, are critical to our nation, critical to our food supply, critical to our economy."

From 2006 to 2014, Wisconsin dairy farms doubled their yearly hiring from about 7,000 to 14,000; a sign that family homesteads are going away and commercial farms  even if theyre still family-owned  are taking over the landscape.

Without more immigrants, who typically accept much lower wages than born-Americans, food costs will likely continue to rise both because of shortages and increased cost of labor. On top of that is the compounding issue of rural areas losing people while suburban areas grow. Between 2000 and 2010, Wisconsins population grew by 6%, but more than a quarter of Wisconsins 72 counties lost population. Most of the losses in Wisconsin and nationally were in rural areas where the main industry is agriculture," the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism reported in 2017.

'Uninterested in dairy work'

White U.S.-born workers were moving away from dairy work, uninterested in dairy work, Jill Lindsey Harrison, a University of Colorado-Boulder sociology professor who has studied Wisconsin's agriculture extensively, told the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University earlier this year.

Immigrants fill jobs throughout the food chain, not only in fields and milking cows. According to the New American Economy Research Fund, immigrants make up about nearly three-fourths of food packagers  an occupation that has one of the highest risks of injury in the country despite pay often being below a living wage.

Disruptions to the countrys food supply chains during the COVID-19 pandemic have refocused attention on the key role that migrant workers play in U.S. agriculture, and legislation currently stalled in Congress could shore up the countrys farm workforce, including in Wisconsin, Medill reported in August. The House of Representatives in March passed the Farm Workforce Modernization Act to provide a path to citizenship for many migrant farmworkers in the United States. If passed, the legislation would establish a temporary Certified Agricultural Worker status for undocumented farmworkers who meet specific requirements, such as previous agricultural work experience and continuous presence in the United States.

As those proposals slowly move forward, the cost of food in the U.S. grows. The New York Times reported in October: A case of peanut butter that was $13 to $14 before the pandemic now costs $16 to $19, according to Alexandra McMahon, director of food strategy for the Gleaners Food Bank of Indianapolis. Green beans that used to retail for $9 a case now sell for $14. Thats on top of an average 3.5% increase in food prices from 2019 to 2020, according to federal data.

When a reporter asked OHarrow if he felt any politicians were paying attention to his advocacy for immigration reform, he burst out laughing. No, he has not felt heard.

What the general public doesnt understand is the cost of food and the availability of food is hinging on immigration, OHarrow said. The rest of the country is going through right now what farmers went through 20 years ago.

Fave 5: Reporter Liz Snyder shares her favorite stories of 2021 WATCH NOW: Bells will be ringing! Tales from a rookie Red Kettle volunteer WATCH NOW: Talkin turkey: Getting to know Kenoshas Carl Fall savings on digital access Heres an offer you cant help falling in love with: A digital subscription for 26 Weeks (6 months) for only $1! Your subscription supports lo TGIF FOR CHEAP THRILLS: Finding Milwaukee Bucks love on a budget WATCH NOW: Kenosha Pops Band members first joined 75 years ago Liz Snyder: Carthage mascot news leaves us squawking

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Its Gingerbread House Day, so you can either build one ... or head out to the Grand Geneva to see the creations in the resorts annual gingerbread house competition. If you munch on a house, make sure its NOT a load-bearing wall!

Score some handmade gifts at the 14th annual Working Artist Holiday Sale, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Kenosha Union Club, 3030 39th Ave. Admission is free.

RG Productions is performing A Cowboy Christmas, 1 p.m. at the Civil War Museum, 5500 First Ave. The old-time radio performance, complete with live sound effects, features a holiday Gunsmoke episode from 1952, when the show aired on the radio. Admission is free.

The historic Durkee Mansion at Kemper Center, 6501 Third Ave., is decorated for the holiday season, done this year to the theme Starry Woodland Nights. The mansion is open 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. today. Admission is free.

The classic Christmas comedy The Best Christmas Pageant Ever wraps up its run with a 2 p.m. performance today at the Rhode Center for the Arts, 514 56th St. General admission tickets are $10 and will be available at the door.

At the Racine Theatre Guild, 2519 Northwestern Ave., the classic Christmas film A Christmas Story is performed on stagethrough Dec. 19.racinetheatre.org.

Last call for Wisconsin State Fair Cream Puffs! The fine folks who fatten us up every summer are back with another holiday-themed Drive-Thru. This time, the fair offers two flavors: Cocoa Cream Puffs and Candy Cane Cream Puffs. Drivers can pick up the treats at State Fair Park in West Allis at the Cream Puff Drive-Thru, open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today. The cost is $14 for a three-pack and $25 for a six-pack. Ordering in advance at www.originalcreampuffs.com is recommended.

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Welcome to an expedited episode of The Podcast by KevinMD. Jeremy Faust is an emergency physician who can be reached on Twitter @JeremyFaust and on Instagram @JeremySamuelFaust. He also publishes the newsletter, Inside Medicine.

Transcript

Kevin Pho, MD: Hi, and welcome to the show where we share the stories of the many who intersect with our health care system but are rarely heard from. My name is Kevin Pho, founder and editor of Kevin MD. Today in the show, we have Jeremy Faust. He is an emergency physician at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston in the division of health policy and public health and an instructor at Harvard Medical School. He has been the first or senior author on research manuscripts published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, JAMA Internal Medicine, the British Medical Journal, and the Annals of Emergency Medicine, where he serves as an associate editor for news and perspectives.

His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The Atlantic, and Scientific American, and he now writes Inside Medicine on bulletin.com. You surely have seen him on television as he has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, BBC, NBC, ABC, and NPR. He is also the co-host of the award-winning medical education podcast, FOAMcast. Jeremy, thank you so much for joining me on the show.

Jeremy Faust, MD: Its great to be with you.

Kevin Pho, MD: So we are now speaking on Saturday evening, December the 11th. How worried should we be about the Omicron variant?

Jeremy Faust, MD: Right now, the DEFCON situation is very tenuous. Its really difficult to know where were headed. In the past couple of weeks, we certainly have gone from seeing something that looks scary on paper in terms of it might be more infectious, to seeing that really take over in many areas. So in terms of people who are unvaccinated, Id be very worried because this virus is now even more contagious, it looks like, and its going to find those people.

The question we really dont know yet is for those of us who are vaccinated or people who have a history of infection and vaccination. How worried should those people be? And I think that its really an open question. And anyone who tells you that its doomsday is prematurely panicking. And anybody who tells you you dont need to worry is prematurely telling you something that we just dont know yet.

Kevin Pho, MD: There are some reports in South Africa that say that Omicron may be less virulent than the Delta variant. What are you hearing about Omicron in South Africa?

Jeremy Faust, MD: I do have friends who work there, and its true. Were hearing that. But what I would say is that everyone has two concerns. Number one is their lag, meaning does this virus infect people a little bit sooner and therefore we see a case spike earlier than we might have seen in previous waves? Several days really now, we will finally start to see a real uptick in severe disease and hospitalization, and death. Thats one thing we do not know yet, and were hoping that thats not what is happening.

The other thing that we know is that were not hearing a lot of the same story that would be very alarming. So, for example, I was being told, okay, every single patient I ever see is vaccinated. Maybe theyre boosted, and they are getting Omicron, and theyre in the ICU, and theyre very sick. It wouldnt take many of those anecdotes to actually move the needle for me and really be concerned.

On the flip side, we havent heard that, but its asymmetric because we dont yet know if the numbers are adding up the way they have in the past, so we can say, okay, we know what were dealing with. So, unfortunately, its frustrating because if the anecdotes were in the bad direction, wed have to take it so seriously. But the anecdotes being slightly in the better direction, we have to be careful not to dance in the end zone too soon, if you will.

Kevin Pho, MD: So you mentioned about vaccine response, and Im reading The Boston Globe, and theres a headline Pfizer Boosters Provide Omicron Protection, Study Finds. I know this data has been released within the last few days. So what exactly is the data when it concerns the vaccines effectiveness against Omicron?

Jeremy Faust, MD: Its really important, and were learning this, but the thing that I want people to always check for when were talking about this is what is meant by effectiveness or efficacy, but really effectiveness is the real-world term. And there is a major difference between effectiveness against getting infected and effectiveness against other outcomes like severe illness, long-term effects, hospitalization, and death. And thats really important because we could have a vaccine that has zero effectiveness against infection. And that sounds really scary, and Omicron could end up being close to that for some people. We dont know. But that same vaccine could still be providing 90 or 95 or 100% protection against these other feared outcomes, like longer-term effects, hospitalization, and death.

So right now, I think its pretty clear, based on the genetics, the laboratory data were now seeing in terms of how well does the virus bind or evade the antibodies from people whove recovered from COVID, people whove been vaccinated and boosted? I think that drawing those lines, were beginning to be able to do that in a way that we say, okay, look, were concerned that the effectiveness of these vaccines against an infection is likely far, far lower than anything weve seen so far, even worse than Delta.

But what we dont know at all is what that means for severe disease and worse. That matters, and I think that we have occasionally lost the thread there, even during the Delta era, where we saw a really big decrease in the vaccine effectiveness against infection in, for example, young people, but we never saw a budging in that protection from the two-dose series. The two-dose series may have maxed out the protection that young people who are healthy get from these vaccines, because its so good.

Now in older people, we didnt see that. We began to see from Israel and other datasets that both happened, more infections and even among the infected, an uptick in severe disease. So we dont know. I just want people to be very careful whenever they are thinking about this question to look at whats being measured.

Kevin Pho, MD: Now there are some people who say that fully vaccinated now means three shots. What do you think about that?

Jeremy Faust, MD: I think thats a convenient talking point. Its something that sounds very settled. I dont share that view, and Ill tell you why that is. First of all, I think that these vaccines were clearly studied in some of the best randomized controlled trials that have been ever done and certainly under the circumstances. And these were designed to look for the outcomes that we all are aware of, the severe disease, symptomatic disease, and theyre performing in the way that they were meant to. So I dont know how you can add to that when there are certain populations who clearly only get a benefit for preventing infection.

Now look, preventing infection in some people is very, very important. Theres just no doubt about that. But there are others for whom thats just not the case. And I also think that if we understand that these vaccines are not going to keep us from getting infected over and over again, that were not going to reach COVID zero through these vaccines, it really becomes a bit of a problem to say that its a three-dose series, because what youre really saying is okay, every single person in the developed world now needs three doses, no matter what. And that has equity issues, no matter how you slice it.

Weve already seen, in the equity quotient, if you will, in the booster campaign, massive equity problems. And this is something that happened during the initial series, so were just perpetuating that. So I get really worried that because, for example, the Hispanic and Latino community had a slower uptake of the vaccine, its caught up over time slowly but surely. Its still not as good as it ought to be, but its caught up. Now with the booster campaign, youre saying to people, well, you were slow, so you dont get to be boosted, and that also means youre not fully vaccinated now.

So now in a way, because of our structural problems, we are going to be perpetuating this. I think thats a real problem when, in fact, you realize that really what were after is keeping people safe, and whether or not theyre infected is not necessarily always synonymous with that. So Im actually really worried that that talking point can backfire in ways that we have not yet really contemplated.

Kevin Pho, MD: So I have a question about vaccine equity. Do we not have enough vaccines to do both boosters plus give enough vaccines to countries that dont even have the primary series yet?

Jeremy Faust, MD: Well, Im not an expert on that exact issue, so I would defer to people who do speak on those issues frequently. And quite frankly, I reach out to those people and ask that exact question, and their answer is no, thats not the case. If not today, then tomorrow. Theres a ripple effect. So, for example, certainly a vaccine thats on the shelf at your local Walgreens or CVS is not going to be suddenly transported to Beruni, where they just started vaccinating people a couple of months ago, I think finally. We understand that.

At the same time, we know that the vaccine manufacturers understand their supplies, they understand their supply line. So knowing that the United States and Europe are going to start boosting everybody, you know that at some point theres just downstream, they keep going to the same places over and over again. So in this case, demand creates the supply problem, not supply creating the demand problem. But again, I dont study that issue per se, but what I will tell you is that when Ive asked that exact question to people, to WHO or people at MSF, Doctors Without Borders, they keep saying the same thing, which is yeah, not the actual stuff on the shelf right now, of course, but its the policy that got them there that we perpetuate that does lead downstream to those problems elsewhere.

And thats a big, huge problem because look, maybe Omicron came because of that issue. We dont know, but certainly a variant can come out of someone more likely if they havent received their primary series. So we have to think globally. I know that sounds like a cliche, but its actually really important.

Kevin Pho, MD: Im a primary care internal medicine physician, and one of the most common questions I get is the effectiveness of natural immunity versus boosters. And Im seeing data all over the place on this by proponents of the booster and against the booster. Whats your take on the effectiveness of natural immunity versus the vaccines?

Jeremy Faust, MD: Im not a great expert on this. I think that what I will say for Omicron is were already seeing that this concept of hybrid immunity, which thats a combination of youve been vaccinated and youve also been infected with SAR-CoV-2, which is, of course, the virus that causes COVID-19. But that seems to be the strongest portfolio, if you will, against this virus, against this disease. Of course, the problem with that is that you have to have gotten coronavirus already. You have to have confronted COVID-19, and you have to have not had any of the downstream consequences that are so feared. So its a bit of roulette.

Now, of course, the roulette analogy is not quite apropos because in a game like roulette, literally if you lose, you dont get anything for that. Whereas, at least in coronavirus world, if you lose, you get infected, you at least get something for it. You get that immunity. You get some degree of memory. So obviously for those people who have had both, thats the strongest. Now thats certainly with respect to the effectiveness, the contagiousness piece. I actually dont know whether thats the case for the severe disease.

I certainly think that the early Omicron story is concerning, which is that reinfection is really, really common. Look, the thing with the vaccines are is its a standardized dose. Its a whopping dose of spike, and that seems to really provoke an immense immune response when we get the vaccine. We know that once we do that, our bodies also do develop whats called a diverse repertoire. We anticipate mutations. We anticipate that something else might show up thats a little different. Its quite an amazing evolutionary thing that occurs.

And that can happen in natural immunity, but I think with the vaccines, its just a big standard whopping dose. And I think its likely to be sufficient, but I think that Omicron, again, we always have to be moving with the data, and well see what happens in the next few weeks or months.

Kevin Pho, MD: So I know that we have a couple of antivirals coming in near horizon. Where are we in terms of therapeutics?

Jeremy Faust, MD: Well, one thing is that therapeutics are certainly the answer to the problem before you have a vaccine. So look, if you have an escape variant that the vaccines dont work for, maybe the therapeutic can help you. Thats one reason to have them around. So again, I do worry sometimes that people go to therapeutics or they cling the therapeutics as a way to think to themselves, well, I dont need to get vaccinated because I can always get monoclonals or I can get the Pfizer or Merck monoclonal pill.

And I think that two things have happened. I think with respect to Mercks product, thats molnupiravir, we certainly have seen early data that was really promising, which was then downgraded substantially recently. I think that was a big disappointment. So I think were waiting to see, again, in the post-vaccine era, in the Omicron era, where are we left?

Because we had this signal that was like, wow, decreased hospitalizations, maybe less depth. This is a big, big deal. But then it got downgraded. Now we have a variant. Im very concerned. Same story for Paxlovid, which is the Pfizer product. I almost feel like the warranty expired already, but well see what happens. Fluvoxamine remains such an interesting story to me. Again, fluvoxamine is an SSRI. Its used for depression or anxiety, and its inexpensive. Why it works was a surprise to me. The mechanism basically has to do with inflammatories, which is why not all SSRIs work, because not all SSRIs have this property. But the data out of Brazil and elsewhere, pretty encouraging.

But again, same story. What happens now when you study in people who are vaccinated versus unvaccinated in the Delta or Omicron era? So I remain cautiously pessimistic is the way I put it that these things are going to make as big of a difference as we want right now, but I think we need to pursue them because were going to eventually find some winners here, especially inexpensive ones. And when that happens, I think its a huge arrow in your quiver to have.

Kevin Pho, MD: So I want to follow up on fluvoxamine because thats certainly an inexpensive option that certainly can be used in a primary care setting when compared with the antivirals that are coming down the pike. Why arent we hearing more about fluvoxamine?

Jeremy Faust, MD: Thats a great question. Its always really flabbergasted me too. Because when I first heard about fluvoxamine, it was really a long time ago. It was 2020. And at that time, we had hydroxychloroquine being floated around. We had colchicine being discussed. People were talking about azithromycin and ritonavir, all these different things that were studied. And of course, we actually had dexamethasone, which worked. So we have all these suggestions, which I think were really important ones, these repurposed medications, things that we had lying around. And, of course, ivermectin became a big one as well.

And of those, really obviously dexamethasone was shown in clinical trials to be effective for people with low oxygen, which I have to tell you the effect size surprised me. And I almost didnt believe it at first, but the data are the data. Of course, we know that the internet and hucksters out there wanting a quick fix have been trying to sell some of these things like ivermectin and hydroxy, which is unfortunate. I wish they worked. We know they dont.

But the funny thing was with colchicine and fluvoxamine, there was early data that really was optimistic for me. Wow, this is actually working. These are small trials, but theyre really encouraging. Well, colchicine did not work out in the bigger trials. So, okay, thats why you do the science. And fluvoxamine so far really looks good. But again, theres some question about what are we measuring? Are we measuring whether patients get severely ill? Are they hospitalized? For how long?

So theres a little bit of a difficulty there in terms of what were measuring, but why it is that fluvoxamine hasnt taken off. Well, for one thing its cheap. So unlike the Merck and Pfizer products, no ones really behind it in terms of trying to make a lot of money. And I hate to say it, but people have an aligned motive. Yeah, they want to help people, but theyre running these businesses. But why the internet didnt go nuts with fluvoxamine, it bewilders me. Its like, look, if youre going to go nuts with one of them and tell me that this is the answer, why not choose the one that has actually some data to support it?

So look, I dont want to tell everyone that its the cure, but I do think that its just interesting to me. As you said, if youre going to pick a winner, pick the one that actually shows a glimmer of hope, which I think is where were at with fluvoxamine.

Kevin Pho, MD: Now with the Omicron variant that is emerging at the height of holiday season, what kind of advice and precautions are you giving to patients when it comes to holiday gatherings and travel?

Jeremy Faust, MD: This is really hard because two weeks ago I was saying, Well, lets wait two weeks because by mid-December we should have answers. And its getting close to travel time. Got to know. Im like, we got to get answers. Ill tell you what Im thinking about. Im still open-minded about this. Im still in play. So my family is flying to California. I have to work over Christmas, so Ill stay here. And then were supposed to go to Mexico after that. And its day-to-day for me. Right now were planning to go, but if I learn something about my protection from the vaccine isnt what I thought it was. If I get some information about my protection against the outcomes Im really worried about, long-term effects, then Im going to cancel those plans. Im not going to do it. And Im going to see, look, do we need Omicron specific variant?

We could get that in 100 days. And I know that sounds like science fiction, but we can do that. Its an incredible achievement that these mRNA vaccines have done. Look, youll hear me dunk on these pharma companies sometimes, but I got to hand it to them on the mRNA vaccines. This is an incredible achievement, and that we can swap out the code and basically do a phase one trial, dozens of patients would need to be shown to have a good response, and then we could move forward with a rollout.

But to answer your question, Im waiting. And thats frustrating because people want answers, but I have to just be honest and say, its day to day. So if we dont know and people have different risk tolerances, it begins to sound like last year to me. Look, wear your masks. I, of course, have been a major proponent of rapid testing as a way to keep people safe. Look, I know theyre not perfect, but Id rather have an answer thats almost certainly correct right now than no information for 48 hours, which happens with PCRs, especially when people start getting worried. So I think that a little bit more like 2020 than I was hoping, but at the moment, I have not canceled plans yet. But look, if something comes out tomorrow, Ill do it. So Im trying to keep an open mind.

Kevin Pho, MD: And my final question. What are some of your take-home messages that you want to leave with the Kevin MD audience?

Jeremy Faust, MD: Right now, I think that people need to understand that this virus is clearly mutating to become more contagious, and that is in its evolutionary best interest. Thats what viruses do. That is not the same thing as a virus having an advantage by making us more sick or breaking through our vaccines. Theres no advantage there. So we dont yet know about that.

So what I really want your audience to know and to think is, do I care about infection or do I care about outcomes? Sometimes those things are totally interchangeable, like an infection is an outcome. You get infected. You have a long-term consequence. But as time goes on, I want people to really think about whether weve uncoupled that with our vaccines, with our therapeutics. And if we have, then we should really be watching a different set of outcome metrics.

So I want people to be willing to stand up their level of concern when something new and unknown comes along. But I want them to also be able to deescalate that when we learn more. Because look, weve been humbled by this many times in many directions, and I think that watching those issues in real-time and responding to the data is really our best chance to keep getting better at this.

Kevin Pho, MD: Jeremy, thank you so much for sharing your time and insight. Thanks again for being on the show.

Jeremy Faust, MD: Its my pleasure.

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Physicians can exert their influence in a health care environment to put the patient-physician relationship at the center of the enterprise. Working with middle-market employers (between 200-2,000 employees), some companies pair bold doctors with innovative employers to bring exceptional value to employee health benefits. There are no pre-authorizations for medical decisions, but doctors are held accountable for best practices. Customized health benefits offered within the ERISA framework allow employers to tailor programs and coverage to their employee population. A purpose-built tech solution allows all the players to see more, see it sooner, and maximize health. Nurses serve as the point of contact for employees and as trusted guides for any health concerns, facilitating appointments with doctors and other healthcare professionals. In this model, doctors are equal partners with employers, reducing avoidable costs while delivering higher quality care. Instead of a fragmented journey, patients are supported through three phases of carenavigation, facilitation, and resolution.

Paul Pender is an ophthalmologist and can be reached at his self-titled site, Dr. Paul Pender. He is the author of Rebuilding Trust in Healthcare: A Doctors Prescription for a Post-Pandemic America.

He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, Take it or leave it is not negotiation but coercion.

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Please click here to leave a review for The Podcast by KevinMD. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified when a new episode comes out!

Do you know someone who might enjoy this episode? Share this episode to anyone who wants to hear health care stories filled with information, insight, and inspiration.

Hosted by Kevin Pho, MD, The Podcast by KevinMD shares the stories of the many who intersect with our health care system but are rarely heard from.
CNN -- Rescuers are searching for survivors trapped in the rubble after severe weather and tornadoes ripped through several states, tearing apart homes and businesses, downing power lines and killing dozens of people.

Nearly 100 people are feared dead following reports of tornadoes late Friday and early Saturday in Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.

In Kentucky alone, the death toll is at least 80 people and is going to exceed 100, Gov. Andy Beshear told CNN on Sunday morning -- making it the deadliest tornado event in the state's history.

"I know people can see the visuals, but that goes on for 12 blocks or more in some of these places. And it's going to take us time," he said. "You think you would go door-to-door to check on people and see if they're OK. There are no doors.

How you can help tornado victims

"The question is, is somebody in the rubble of thousands upon thousands of structures? I mean, it is devastating," he added.

Destroyed buildings, downed power lines and wrecked vehicles lined the streets in hard-hit areas, making it tougher for rescuers trying to reach communities left with no phone or power lines after the twisters hit.

Tornadoes or strong winds collapsed an occupied candle factory in Kentucky, an Amazon warehouse in western Illinois, and a nursing home in Arkansas, killing people in each community and leaving responders scrambling to rescue others.

More than 30 tornadoes were reported in six states. CNN meteorologists said a stretch of more than 250 miles from Arkansas to Kentucky might have been hit by one violent, long-track twister.

Arkansas officials have reported two weather-related deaths; Tennessee has confirmed four; Illinois has reported six; and Missouri two. Kentucky has not released an official death toll.

Candle factory collapse in Kentucky

In Mayfield, Kentucky, a city of around 10,000 people, a candle factory collapsed into a massive pile of debris, and rescuers used their hands and machines to dig through the destruction.

"There's at least 15 feet of metal with cars on top of it, barrels of corrosive chemicals that are there. It will be a miracle if anybody else is found alive in it," Beshear said. "Downtown is completely devastated."

Troy Propes, CEO of the company that owns the candle factory, said he believed workers in the factory followed the proper tornado safety protocols.

"Our factory was built as a manufacturing facility and the concrete walls and the steel frame and the structure," he said. "You would have thought it would have been one of the safest places but ironically, as you can see with this devastation, there wasn't anything safe about this storm."

"I think hindsight is always an incredible lens to look through but I think everybody made the best decisions and the right decisions with the information that they had," he added.

Some family members are still searching for relatives who worked at the candle factory.

Paige Tingle, who was looking for her mother-in-law, Jill Monroe, said time is of the essence. The last time the family spoke with her, she was in the bathroom in the safe shelter area," Tingle said Saturday.

"She (Monroe) has lung problems, she has heart problems," Tingle said. "We've got to get her."

The family checked local hospitals but they haven't found her. Calls to her phone have gone unanswered.

Ivy Williams was at the Mayfield site Saturday looking for his wife of 30-plus years, Janine Williams, who was at the factory.

"I hope she's somewhere safe," Williams said, through tears. "Please call me ... I'm looking for you, baby." He last heard from her before the tornado hit, and was shocked to find the building completely leveled when he arrived at the scene.

First responders have pulled people out of the rubble -- some of them alive, storm chaser Michael Gordon told CNN Saturday from the scene.

"It's kind of hard to talk about. ... They're digging in that rubble by hand right now," Gordon said.

Power outages and road-blocking debris add to misery

Beshear visited some of the affected areas Saturday to assess the damage. In his father's hometown of Dawson Springs, which has a population of about 2,700, some remain unaccounted for.

"One block from my grandparent's house, there's no house standing and we don't know where all those people are," Beshear said.

The state has deployed the National Guard to conduct door-to-door to searches, clear debris from roadways, and take generators to help power shelters and hospitals. The governor urged people in affected communities that still have power to stay off the roads.

"Let our first responders get to everybody. Don't go to these areas to see it. We need to make sure those who do this work can do it at the fastest possible speed," he said.

Kentucky State Police Lt. Dean Patterson said the destruction is unlike anything he's seen before. And the rescue and recovery effort will come with challenges.

"It's a very thorough and slow process, because you have to be careful when you are dealing with so much debris, and so many unknowns. One wrong move and you could actually cause more damage, so it's a slow, methodical process. Lots of people out there, working together to do everything they can to hopefully find some survivors in that devastating area."

A hospital in Paducah, Kentucky, around 27 miles north of Mayfield, has been treating tornado victims. A majority of them had chemical burns, long bone injuries and crush injuries, Mercy Health Lourdes Hospital spokesperson Nanette Bentley said.

National Weather Service Chief Meteorologist John Gordon told a news conference in Kentucky that the tornado event was a "worst-case scenario."

"Warm air in the cold season, middle of the night -- this sickens me to see what has happened," he said. "Look at the pictures on your screens. Homes, totally impaled, two-by-fours through cars, eighteen-wheelers thrown 30 feet moved in the northwesterly direction -- that takes a lot of force."

Amazon warehouse and nursing home also collapsed

In addition to Kentucky, deadly destruction was also reported in Illinois, Arkansas, Missouri and Tennessee.

At least six people died at the collapsed Amazon warehouse in the Illinois city of Edwardsville, Fire Chief James Whiteford said. The recovery phase is expected to take three more days and first responders will continue to search the site for evidence of life, he said.

In the northeastern Arkansas city of Monette, at least one person was killed at a nursing home damaged by a tornado, Mayor Bob Blankenship said. A second person died after the storm hit a Dollar General store in nearby Leachville, officials said.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday it was a "miracle" that only one person died at the nursing home.

"As I went to that facility, it was like heaven sucked up the roof and all the contents of it. And it's just a miracle with 67 residents that we only lost one there. And that's because of the heroic efforts by the staff and also the fact that we had 20 minutes of warning," he said.

Officials confirmed two storm-related deaths in Missouri.

"In St. Charles County, a woman was killed at home and two others were hospitalized. In Pemiscot County, a young child was killed at home and at least nine people were transported to hospitals," Gov. Mike Parson's office said in a news release.

Tennessee is reporting a total of four weather-related deaths from the severe weather. Two were in Lake County, one in Obion County, and one in Shelby County, Tennessee Emergency Management spokesman Dean Flener said.
SALEM, Ore.--- With lawmakers returning to the Oregon State Capitol for a special session on Monday, the state legislature heard and read testimony on proposals in a two and a half our public comment session today.

The overwhelming majority is in favor of safe harbor extension so that everyone who has applied for assistance will be protected from nonpayment eviction.

The proposals also discussed a $224 million in increased rent assistance and housing stability services, including a $10 million into a landlord guarantee fund to pay landlords in the event a tenant's application was denied.

I loved my home and I am so sad to leave it. It was a safe place to raise my children and now it is gone. I am speaking out because the state must do a better job keeping the promises they make, said Salem resident Christy Hernandez. I dont think I would be in this situation if my rent assistance had come in time. I lived for months with the threat of eviction over my head. It was terrifying and now the worst has actually happened.

Some lawmakers also expressed concerns about delays in funding meant for landlords whose tenants are unable to pay rent.

They've been waiting a long time. The ineffectiveness and incompetence of the agency that should have gotten their money a year ago haven't done it. I'm sad that this is necessary. But it is, and that's why we are here. We have to make those landlords whole," said Representative Kim Wallan.

Following bipartisan conversations with leaders in the Legislature, Brown Friday outlined additional priorities that lawmakers have agreed to address, including drought relief, illegal cannabis proliferation and humanitarian impacts and support for Afghan refugee resettlement.

Arguably the most pressing issue is that thousands of Oregon households are currently struggling to pay rent. More than 67,000 Oregon households recently reported that they feel "not at all confident" they can cover next month's bills, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau survey.?
So weve come through Black Friday and now Christmas approaches which means more shopping to be done!

But beware, too much shopping can lead to Buyers Remorse!

This is the sense of regret one has after making a purchase, particularly a large one. But it can also apply to smaller purchases and purchases made on a whim. This can often happen if you get caught up in the moment and buy stuff that you really dont need but it just looks like such good value that you have to buy it!

Buying online seems to make this whole process so much easier. The internet opens up a world of choice and it is all accessible from the comfort of your own home. But remember that far away hills are not always greener!

One must also be mindful of the implications of potential extra Customs Duty, Excise Duty and VAT if buying goods from outside the EU.

Due to stringent new EU Customs rules governing non-EU goods, which came into effect on July 1, VAT and customs charges now apply when you buy goods outside of the EU and this now includes the UK. This also applies to gifts sent here to you by friends or relations if such a gift (including insurance, freight and postage costs) exceeds 45 in value.

Furthermore, the courier or postal company may also charge a customs administration fee on top!

So what looked like a bargain on the internet could end up costing a lot more when all the charges are added up.

There is nothing to beat the reassurance of being able to see, feel and discuss a product with the retailer before committing to a purchase. This can only really be done by going to town and shopping in your local shops.

Of course, the Kilkenny Gift Vouchers are another ideal solution to these shopping dilemmas. We see customers from as far away as America, Australia and China buying Kilkenny Gift vouchers for their friends and loved ones in Kilkenny. They buy them online at www.kilkennychamber.ie and the vouchers are delivered within 48 hours.

The Kilkenny Gift Vouchers are unique as no purchase fee applies, they never lose their value, they never expire and they provide unrivalled choice with over 150 shops and outlets accepting them in Kilkenny.

What better way to give someone the gift of their choice and support local shops at the same time.

With Kilkenny Gift Vouchers, the grass is certainly greener right here in Kilkenny!
People queue in line for coronavirus tests at a temporary screening clinic in Seoul, Dec. 10. AP-Yonhap



South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 7,000 for the second consecutive day Sunday, but critical cases hit an all-time high again, deepening concerns over medical capacity amid the continued spread of the new omicron variant.



The country added 6,689 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total caseload to 517,271, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).



Daily infections soared to a record high of 7,174 cases on Wednesday and remained above 7,000 for the following two days.



Sunday's figure marked a decline from 6,977 the previous day, but it is the largest ever daily caseload for any Sunday since the pandemic began last year.



Daily cases have stayed in the quadruple digits since July 7 amid growing cluster infections.





Health experts call for toughest social distancing measures yet 6 in 10 people pessimistic about COVID-19 home treatment: survey Vaccines alone won't curb current spread: experts The number of critically ill COVID-19 patients reached an all-time high of 894, according to the KDCA. Critical cases rose to over 400 earlier this month for the first time since end-August and have remained at a high level.



The country added 43 more deaths from COVID-19, bringing the death toll to 4,253. The fatality rate stood at 0.82 percent.



The KDCA has confirmed 15 more omicron cases, raising the total to 90.



Starting Sunday, the government cut the dosage interval between primary vaccination and booster shots to three months from the previous 4-5 months to stem the spread of the virus and better protect senior citizens and other vulnerable groups.



A total of 42.96 million people, or 83.7 percent of the country's population, have received their first shots of COVID-19 vaccines as of Sunday, and 41.69 million people, or 81.2 percent, have been fully vaccinated, with 12.4 percent having gotten their booster shots, the KDCA said.



The government also plans to begin running visiting vaccination services at schools on Monday to have more adolescents get inoculated.



The so-called vaccine pass system will be applied to more business facilities, including restaurants, cafes, cram schools and internet cafes, starting on Monday after a weeklong grade period.



Only fully vaccinated individuals or those with a negative COVID-19 test result can visit those facilities, and any violation will lead to fines for both users or facility owners.








President Moon Jae-in arrived in Canberra on Sunday for a four-day state visit that is expected to focus on deepening bilateral ties and securing a stable supply chain of raw materials and core minerals.







Moon is the first South Korean president to pay a state visit to Australia in 12 years. He is also the first foreign leader that the country has invited since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said.







On Monday, Moon will hold a summit with Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Strengthening cooperation in the fields of carbon-neutral technology, the hydrogen economy, defense industry, space and cyberspace is expected to top the agenda.







After the summit, Moon will attend a state luncheon hosted by Australian Governor-General David Hurley.







Also on Monday, Moon will visit a monument for Australian veterans of the 1950-53 Korean War and pay his respects at the Australian National Korean War Memorial. Australia fought alongside South Korea during the war to help defend the South from North Korea's invasion.







On Tuesday, Moon will visit Sydney, where he will meet with Anthony Albanese, leader of the opposition Australian Labor Party, and hold a meeting with Australian business leaders on a supply chain issue of key mining products, Park said.







South Korea and Australia mark the 60th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties this year.







A senior presidential official said that Moon's visit to Australia is expected to help South Korea secure key mining products, such as rare earth and lithium, amid the pandemic-hit disruption of global supply chains.







"The value of strategic cooperation with Australia is significant as demand for key mining products, such as lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare earth, are expected to jump," the official said on the condition of anonymity.







Australia also hopes that it will expand exports of key minerals to South Korea, the official said.







The two nations will upgrade their relations to a "comprehensive strategic relationship" in the wake of Moon's visit, the official said.







Moon will return home on Wednesday. (Yonhap)


Citizens are taking a COVID-19 test in Mapo District, Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap



South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 7,000 for the second consecutive day Sunday, but critical cases hit an all-time high again, deepening concerns over medical capacity amid the continued spread of the new omicron variant.



The country added 6,689 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total caseload to 517,271, which is down from 6,977 the previous day, but represents the largest ever daily caseload for any Sunday since the pandemic began last year, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).



The number of critically ill COVID-19 patients reached an all-time high of 894, according to the KDCA. Critical cases rose to over 400 earlier this month for the first time since end-August, and grew to over 800 last week. The previous record was 857 reported on Thursday.



The country added 43 more deaths from COVID-19, bringing the death toll to 4,253. The fatality rate stood at 0.82 percent.



Health authorities and local governments had reported 3,130 new cases as of 6 p.m., down 358 from the same time the previous day. Daily cases are counted until midnight and announced the following morning.



The KDCA has confirmed 15 more omicron cases, including four entrants from overseas, raising the total to 90.



Seven of the new variant cases were linked to an Afghan student residing in North Jeolla Province, who arrived in South Korea from Iran late last month and was confirmed on Friday to have been infected with the omicron variant, according to the health authorities.



The number of omicron cases is feared to grow further as the country reported 32 additional suspected cases on Sunday.



Daily infections soared to a record high of 7,174 cases on Wednesday and remained above 7,000 for the following two days. Daily cases have stayed in the quadruple digits since July 7 amid growing cluster infections.



The government is grappling with a growing shortage of hospital beds reserved for seriously ill patients, as well as medical workers and equipment.



The bed occupancy rate in intensive care units for COVID-19 patients stood at 90.6 percent in Seoul as of 5 p.m. Saturday, and the figure for the country as a whole came to 80.9 percent.



The number of patients waiting to be admitted to hospital came to 1,739, the health ministry said.



The greater Seoul area accounted for 74.7 percent of the total caseload reported on Sunday, with Seoul having 2,520 new cases.



Starting Sunday, the government cut the dosage interval between primary vaccination and booster shots to three months from the previous 4-5 months to stem the spread of the virus and better protect senior citizens and other vulnerable groups.



A total of 42.96 million people, or 83.7 percent of the country's population, have received their first shots of COVID-19 vaccines as of Sunday, and 41.69 million people, or 81.2 percent, have been fully vaccinated, with 12.4 percent having gotten their booster shots, the KDCA said.



The government also plans to begin running visiting vaccination services at schools on Monday to have more adolescents get inoculated.



The so-called vaccine pass system will be applied to more business facilities, including restaurants, cafes, cram schools and internet cafes, starting on Monday after a weeklong grade period.



Only fully vaccinated individuals or those with a negative COVID-19 test result can visit those facilities, and any violation will lead to fines for both users or facility owners.



It is part of the government's stricter social distancing rules, which began to be enforced last week in the wake of a drastic surge in the infections following the easing of antivirus restrictions under the "living with COVID-19" scheme.



Under the stricter rules to be in place until Jan. 2, private gatherings are limited to six people in the greater Seoul area and eight in the rest of the country.



On Sunday, the country added 28 imported cases, raising the caseload to 16,070, the KDCA said. (Yonhap)


Belgian-British pilot Zara Rutherford, 19, waves as she departs for a round-the-world trip in a light aircraft, aiming to become the youngest female pilot to circle the planet alone, in Wevelgem, Belgium, Aug. 18. Reuters-Yonhap



Teen pilot Zara Rutherford landed in Seoul on Saturday from Russia, the first Asia stop on her attempt to become the youngest woman to fly around the world solo.



In August, the 19-year-old British-Belgian departed from Kortrijk-Wevelgem Airport in western Belgium on her 51,000-km (32,000-mile) journey, which is to span five continents and 52 countries, including the United States, Greenland, Russia and Colombia.



"It has been challenging," Rutherford told reporters at Gimpo International Airport after arriving from Vladivostok in her bespoke Shark ultralight plane, the world's fastest microlight.



"I was stuck in Alaska because of visa and weather issues for a month and I was stuck in Russia for a month because of visa and weather issues," she said. "I was hoping to complete it by Christmas but I guess that's not happening anymore, but it's an adventure."



Rutherford, who is to remain at in hotel before her planned departure for Taiwan on Monday, said she expects to complete her journey by mid-January.





Belgian-British pilot Zara Rutherford, 19, departs for a round-the-world trip in a light aircraft, aiming to become the youngest female pilot to circle the planet alone, in Wevelgem, Belgium, Aug. 18. Reuters-Yonhap




According to police reports, 14 officers were injured during protests against coronavirus policies in central Germany.







Following calls on social media, up to 1,000 people had gathered in the town of Greiz in the state of Thuringia on Saturday, the police said on Sunday.







They formed a procession at a bridge in the town, which was stopped by the police. Protesters tried to break through the police cordon.







The police, who were deployed with a large number of officers and also had a water cannon at the ready, then used pepper spray.







In video sequences circulated on Twitter, protesters could be seen wrestling with the police in an attempt to break through the cordon.







A photographer from dpa reported an aggressive atmosphere.







Firecrackers were set off and a police officer was hit in the foot with a bottle. A Thermos flask was also thrown towards the police.







Two of the injured police officers were temporarily unfit for duty, the police said. One injured officer was temporarily treated in hospital.







The police identified 207 protesters, issued 108 orders to leave the area and initiated 44 criminal proceedings. In addition, 47 proceedings for administrative offences were under way. (dpa)


Julianna Pena, right, hits Amanda Nunes during a women's bantamweight mixed martial arts title bout at UFC 269 in Las Vegas, Dec. 11. AP-Yonhap



Julianna Pena stopped Amanda Nunes by submission with a rear naked choke in the second round at UFC 269 on Saturday night, claiming the bantamweight title from the long-reigning two-division champion in one of the biggest upsets in recent UFC history.



Charles Oliveira also defended his lightweight title for the first time with a third-round stoppage victory over Dustin Poirier by standing rear naked choke in the main event.



Pena (11-4) was a 10-1 underdog against the vaunted Nunes, widely considered the greatest fighter in the history of women's mixed martial arts. Nunes had won 12 consecutive fights since 2014 and reigned simultaneously atop the 135-pound bantamweight and 145-pound featherweight divisions for three years.



After Nunes largely dominated the first round with two knockdowns and superior striking, Pena shockingly hurt Nunes with punches in a slugfest start to the second round. Pena then got Nunes to the ground, got her back and forced the champion to tap out with a choke around her neck with 1:38 left.



''It feels crazy,'' Pena said. ''I definitely expected to win, but the world is my oyster.''



Pena had won just two of her four fights over the past 5 1/2 years, and the Spokane native got the title shot as one of the few legitimate 135-pound fighters that Nunes hasn't already beaten.



Nunes was fighting for only the third time in two years after making two featherweight defenses since her most recent defense of her bantamweight belt in December 2019. Few opponents had even given her a stiff challenge since her second victory over current flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko by split decision in 2017.



Nunes is almost certain to be granted a rematch with Pena, which could affect the UFC plans of Kayla Harrison, the two-time Olympic judo gold medalist who has gone 12-0 in the Professionals Fighters League since taking up MMA in 2018. Harrison, a promotional free agent, attended UFC 269 and appeared to be just as shocked as the rest of the crowd by Pena's win.





Charles Oliveira, right, lands a punch against Dustin Poirier during a lightweight mixed martial arts title bout at UFC 269 in Las Vegas, Dec. 11. AP-Yonhap
Rene Magritte's "La reproduction interdite (Not to be Reproduced)" (1937)  Rene Magritte / ADAGP, Paris - SACK, Seoul, 2021 / Courtesy of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen





By Park Han-sol







"The past two years, marked by COVID-19, have been described by many people as being 'surrealist times,'" began Sandra Tatsakis, Director of International Exhibitions of the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in the Netherlands, at a recent press preview in southern Seoul.







Her remarks, made in celebration of the arrival of the Dutch museum's extensive Surrealist art collection in Korea, draw parallels between two unnerving time periods: the 1920s, when Surrealism emerged in the chaotic aftermath of World War I, and now, when the reality we thought we knew is changing every second due to the pandemic.







Looking at it this way, the Seoul Arts Center's new exhibition, "A Surreal Shock: Masterpieces from Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen," couldn't have come at a better time.







Featuring some 180 works, including masterpieces by Rene Magritte, Marcel Duchamp, Salvador Dali and Man Ray, the show sheds light on the overall history and major players of the cultural movement that favored the unconscious and the subliminal  one that challenged the confines of reason, providing an alternative way of looking at the uneasy landscape following a global disaster.







"Surrealism is not a [particular artistic] style, but it is a mindset, a way of looking at the world," Els Hoek, curator of the Dutch museum, noted. After the devastation of the First World War, a group of young artists and writers in Europe realized that humans cannot be defined by reason alone.







"They wanted to find where other facilities of the human mind were, so they tried searching for them in their dreams, unconscious, anxieties and desires," she explained.







The exhibition fittingly starts with French poet Andre Breton's 1924 book, "Manifesto of Surrealism," where it all began. All 180 works of art on display here, ranging from paintings and sculptures to films and objects, in fact, directly share the Surrealist ideas promulgated by Breton, who acted as the formal leader of the artists' circle.







Each of the six sections of the show is dedicated to a particular aspect of Surrealism to help viewers gain better insight into the multifaceted movement, which continues to influence the fields of art and literature, as well as cultural mindsets today.







Man Ray's "Cadeau/Audace (Gift/Audacity)" (1921(1974))  Man Ray 2015 Trust / ADAGP, Paris - SACK, Seoul, 2021 / Courtesy of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen

Works like the 1974 replica of Dada artist Man Ray's "The Gift" (1921)  which transformed an old-fashioned iron into a non-functional, unfamiliar object by attaching a single row of nails to its sole  show how Dada served as a foundation of Surrealism. Dadaism was the avant-garde art movement that emerged during the First World War to explore purely irrational thoughts and challenge conventional, "elitist" logic.






Rep. Tae Yong-ho, former deputy ambassador of North Korea to the United Kingdom, speaks at Freedom Speakers International's forum in Seoul, Nov. 27. Courtesy of Voices from the North



On Nov. 27, Freedom Speakers International held a forum featuring former diplomats from North Korea. Below is an excerpt of remarks by Tae Yong-ho, former deputy ambassador of North Korea to the United Kingdom.  ED.



By Tae Yong-ho



In 2016, I defected from North Korea and came to South Korea for freedom. Today, I am honored to tell you about North Korea. As you know, it is very difficult to understand North Korea because North Korea is a place where you cannot go; it may seem like a very remote place. I would like to tell you about some of the main aspects of North Korea.



Military: North Korea has nuclear weapons and is the country with the second highest number of military and paramilitary personnel with a total of 7.7 million active reserve and paramilitary personnel. That is approximately 30 percent of its population. It has 1.28 million soldiers considered to be on active duty, consisting of 5 percent of its population.



So that's why in North Korea's daily life, great investments are going into its military and that is one of the reasons why North Korea is so poor.



Human rights: According to the United Nations, which published its findings in 2014, North Korea is a country with serious human rights violations that is unparalleled in the contemporary world. That is one of the reasons why North Korea cannot open its doors to the world community and that it is difficult for people to visit North Korea.



Political structure: North Korea functions as a highly centralized one-party system. There is a constitution, yes, but in addition to the constitution, North Korea is governed by the party. The Workers' Party of Korea is quite different because of the 10 Principles of the Party. In North Korea, the exact term is "Monolithic Ideological and Guidance System" which establishes the standards for governance and guides the behavior of North Koreans. These ten principles are North Korea's version of the Ten Commandments of the Bible.



If you compare the 10 Principles of the Workers Party of Korea and the 10 Commandments of the Bible, you can easily see that North Korea indeed copied the Ten Commandments of the Bible and applied them to its political structure. The Kim family is regarded like the gods of North Korea. North Korea loves the word "eternal." In North Korea, children and adults are taught that human beings have two lives: One is physical and the other is political.



Political life is eternal, while physical life ends when you are dead and buried in the ground. So, that is one of the reasons why North Korea loves the word "eternal." For instance, Kim Jong-un's grandfather Kim Il-sung is the father of North Korea. Now, he is called the "eternal president." Kim Jong-un's father, Kim Jong-il, is now called the "eternal General Secretary of the Workers Party of Korea." North Korea claims that it is a socialist state. Ironically the whole system and political structure is based on idealism, not materialism.



Legislative and executive power: There is legislative power in North Korea, which is called the Supreme People's Assembly, and there are 687 members who are elected every five years by universal suffrage.



These are sham elections. They are not elected by the people, they are all appointed by Kim Jong-un. There is also executive power in North Korea, which is called the Cabinet of North Korea, but the members of the Cabinet and the Premier are also appointed by Kim Jong-un.



Finally, about North Korea's political structure. Is it Stalinist dictatorship or hereditary dictatorship? There are a lot of arguments about it. I would describe North Korea's political structure as a kind of hereditary system. Even though there is a constitution, and even though North Korea's official name is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, everyone with any power in North Korea is appointed by Kim Jong-un. So, this kind of political administrative structure is a dynasty and absolute monarchy.









Casey Lartigue Jr., co-founder of Freedom Speakers International and a lecturer in public speaking at Seoul University of Foreign Studies, edited this text for publication.


By Seo Eun-mi





The other day, my colleague sent me a kakao message with a picture of a Christmas card which I sent her in 1997. It was a Christmas card with my picture in it. The year 1997 was very meaningful for me because I was conducting research in the University of Hawaii, Manoa as a Fulbright researcher.



I felt privileged being a Fulbright scholar which was my longtime dream. While I was in America, it was common to make Christmas cards with a personal picture. I thought a Christmas card with a personal picture was a great idea to give to friends and family members.



I was very touched that she kept my card for so long. She told me that she wanted to keep it for a long time to remember our friendship. In that card, I was smiling with Mickey Mouse in Disneyland, L.A. I cannot imagine how young I was at that time. It was only one day at Disneyland. I was flying to Denver to attend a Colorado TESOL (Teaching English to the Speakers of Other Languages) conference.



I was invited to present my paper at the conference. It was an unexpected visit to Disneyland because the aircraft stopped in L.A. while we were heading to Denver. Because of heavy snow, the flight could not land in Denver. I had an extra day so I was able to visit Disneyland.



The Christmas card reminded me of my younger days when I was full of hopes and dreams. It was touching to read my handwritten letter. In my card, I expressed my feelings about my colleague who was the chair of Early Childhood Department. I was also worried about the Korean economy. Korea was experiencing a financial crisis at that time.



Korea had to seek official assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). I enjoyed reading my handwritten letter. It helped me remember how I felt about life at that time. She and I were always good friends. I am very happy that I have a great colleague like her. We shared a lot of memories together. We traveled together to attend a professional seminar in Iowa in the summer of 2003. Everything I did with her was a good memory.



These days, we do not write in cursive handwriting. We do not go to the post office to send letters or Christmas cards. Everything is electronic which is really convenient. When I was in my 20s, I used to have pen pals. I majored in English so that I used to have American pen pals. Writing letters in English was very helpful to improve my writing skill.



I enjoyed exchanging letters with my American friends. It was fun to read the handwritten missives. We were patient in waiting for answers from pen friends. At present, Generation Z students may not understand waiting for snail mails and exchanging letters or Christmas cards.



I try to use a pencil to take notes these days. I want to remember how it feels to write on paper. Whenever I use pencil, I can organize my thoughts better. I am of the analogue generation, not digital.



It is said that time flies by so fast. I would like to keep good memories of n my younger days.





The author (emseo@howon.ac.kr) is a professor of English at Howon University in Gunsan. She also teaches the Korean Language at the University of Maryland Global College.


US cites human rights abuses for punitive action



The United States has imposed additional sanctions on North Korea for its human rights violations. The sanctions are the first of their kind against the North since President Joe Biden took office in January.



On Friday, the U.S. Department of Treasury blacklisted North Korean Minister of People's Armed Forces Ri Yong-gil and its Central Public Prosecutors Office for their involvement in human rights abuses. Ri was accused of his role as the former social security minister in using the court system to "prosecute and punish persons for political wrongdoing in a legal process involving fundamentally unfair trials."



"These trials sometimes end in sentencing to the DPRK's notorious prison camp, run by the Ministry of State Security and the Ministry of Social Security," the department said. As one of the abuse cases, it cited the death of Otto Warmbier, an American university student who died in 2017 upon returning home in a state of coma after a yearlong detention in the North.



The Treasury also blacklisted SEK Studio, the North's state-run animation firm, for exploiting North Korean workers to earn foreign exchange. It accused the firm of trying to evade sanctions by using front companies. The studio has contributed work to big-budget animated films such as Disney's "Pocahontas" and "The Lion King." As well, the department blacklisted a number of individuals and organization in China and Russia for breaching U.N. Security Council resolutions that ban U.N. member states from hiring or hosting North Korean workers.



Marking Human Rights Day, the U.S. also imposed sanctions on dozens of people and entities tied to China, Myanmar and Bangladesh. The sanctions came when Biden was hosting a two-day virtual Summit for Democracy designed to fight autocracy and bolster democracy around the world. They also came after Washington decided to wage a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics slated for next February.



The new sanctions sent a clear message that the U.S. will not tolerate any rights abuses by autocratic countries. As U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, the U.S. is determined to put human rights at the center of its foreign policy. The Biden administration has also given the impression that Washington is using human rights issues to put more pressure on Beijing over its rights abuses against Muslim Uyghurs in Xinjiang. Yet, the recent developments could escalate tensions in the Sino-U.S. rivalry.



The U.S. move could be seen as a warning against Pyongyang. The Biden administration has vowed to solve the North Korean nuclear issue through dialogue and diplomacy. It has repeatedly called on the North to return to the negotiating table. However, the Kim Jong-un regime has refused to do that, sticking to its demand for sanctions relief first. The new sanctions may anger the North, worsening the situation further. If that is the case, it could deal a blow to President Moon Jae-in's push for a declaration to formally end the Korean War, which has already met a stumbling block due to the U.S.-led diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics.


GM Chair and CEO Marry Bara, left, and LGES CEO Kwon Young-soo / Korea Times file



By Kim Yoo-chul



General Motors (GM) is in the last stage of finalizing key outstanding issues regarding its planned and scheduled investments in two electric vehicle(EV)-related manufacturing facilities in the U.S. state of Michigan  one with its Korean partner LG Energy Solution (LGES), two local investment banking sources told The Korea Times, Sunday.



"It's totally GM's call. Yes, GM is in the last stage of finalizing all specifics regarding the construction of its new battery plant near the city of Lansing in the state of Michigan. Both GM and LGES will have an equal stake in the soon-to-be-announced battery joint venture (JV), as each one of them is set to invest $1 billion, which means that the total amount of the spending will reach $2 billion, initially, in the forthcoming project," one of the sources said by telephone.



Several key factors  such as the extent of tax breaks, talent pool and the extended duration of an amendment to tax-sharing affecting existing and new GM plants  will influence the new decision, the conditions of which still need to be fine-tuned, according to the source.



The question is how and when to announce its multi-billion-dollar investment plan. Sources familiar with the issue said that GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra could specify the relevant details of the plan at January's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), to be held in the desert city of Las Vegas.



The core reasoning behind this expectation is that Barra will return in-person to the keynote stage during the upcoming Las Vegas technology fair. At the event, she is expected to highlight the company's commitment to move forward with zero crashes, zero emissions and its shift toward electrification.



Thus, GM's partnership with LGES holds great importance, because any decision could encourage the continued adoption of EVs and electrification with the help of its Korean business partner. GM already operates a JV with LGES in Ohio, with the two entities in the process of constructing their second battery plant in Tennessee.



"GM's scheduled additional investment plan is mandated to receive approvals from Lansing city and Delta Township, as most financial incentives are closely related to the electricity charges, water and labor supply for the proposed plant. But no major hurdles are expected in terms of hampering its cash-intensive plan," said another source in the local investment banking industry.



Safety issues and LGES's IPO



Now, from LGES's standpoint, securing financing for another battery manufacturing plant is how it will win back the trust of investors at its initial public offering (IPO), slated for late January of next year.





A Chevrolet Suburban is displayed for sale at a Chevrolet dealership, Aug. 4, in Glendale, California. AFP-Yonhap




Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine / AFP-Yonhap
The City of Lake Geneva could contract with a company to assist with road repair, building and infrastructural improvement projects.

City officials are considering contracting with a civil engineering firm to help advise and assist with infrastructural projects that will need to be completed in the future.

The city currently works with Kapur & Associates Consulting Engineers of Burlington on such projects but does not have an official contract with the company.

The civil engineer covers a lot of ground, Alderwoman Cindy Flower said. They give guidance. They tell (Public Works Director) Tom (Earle) what needs to happen. Theyre there for the contracts that are out there.

Flower said Lake Geneva should have a contract with Kapur & Associates or any other company that the city works with for various services.

Why do we have people doing services for us without contracts?, Flower said. Thats not good for them, thats not good for us. Its just not good practice in general.

Members of the city councils public works committee unanimously approved, Nov. 22, to go out for request for qualifications for civil engineering services.

The proposal still has to be approved by the finance, licensing & regulation committee and the full city council.

If approved, a contract with an engineering firm would include an annual renewal and would expire after six years. The city would be able to obtain request for proposals from other engineering services companies after the contract expires.

Alderman Richard Hedlund indicated that he is pleased with the work that Kapur & Associates does for the city but would be in favor of receiving proposals from other firms.

I believe in keeping things competitive, Hedlund said. But I dont have a problem with Kapur.

Hedlund said he would like any contract with a civil engineering firm to have an expiration date.

I think it would be foolish for us to change every four or five years, but I also think it would be foolish for us to contract for 10 years, Hedlund said. If we hire a new engineer, we dont know what kind of performance were going to get.

Alderman Tim Dunn said he would be more in favor of offering a three-year contract instead of a six-year contract to a perspective company.

Six years seems a little bit long, especially should we go with someone whos new, Dunn said. But even with somebody who is established, people retire, council members come and go. It seems like a long time. Three years sounds better to me.

Flower said she feels the contract should include an annual renewal to review the performance of the selected company.

I think if your engineer is going a good job, then we would typically renew that, Flower said. If not, it gives you a chance to go out for an RFP at an annual time. Its a performance thing.

City aldermen are set to discuss the issue again during an upcoming finance committee meeting.

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SPARTA  The iconic melodies of The Nutcracker will sound through an unusual venue this weekend: a U.S. military base hosting Afghan refugees.

The Madison Ballet presented the first of four performances of the holiday classic Friday afternoon at Fort McCoy before a crowd of enthralled Afghans at a warehouse on base.

The refugees have been staying at the military installation in Sparta since their country fell to the Taliban following a withdrawal of the U.S. military after 20 years in the country. The base once housed 13,000 refugees, but that number has fallen to around 7,000 as Afghans have been resettled across the U.S., said Eva Rupp, a deputy federal coordinator with the Department of Homeland Security.

The performance on Friday had all the trappings of any other, with refugees presenting their tickets at the door, applauding the top moments and recording much of it on their cellphones.

Jonathan Solari, CEO of the Madison Ballet, said the excitement was palpable in the warehouse on the base that hosted the performance.

Im overwhelmed, my heart is full, Solari said. I cannot articulate how much joy it brought me to see them overjoyed.

There were kids who had their chins on the side of the stage just in awe of our dancers, he said.

Solaris mission to bring The Nutcracker to Fort McCoy started after reading about the thousands of refugees at the base, half of whom are children. He and his spouse had previously worked with refugees in Greece in 2015 and 2016 in the early years of Europes refugee crisis.

What was best for the kids was a craft, a distraction, something to do, Solari recalled.

After messaging a friend last month who worked with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Maryland, Solari was put in touch with officials at the lead agencies overseeing the resettlement of the Afghan refugees.

This might be a way to be able to show people that we care about them and that theyre welcome here, he said. We can give a little piece of ourselves and our culture and we can, in turn, learn a great deal about them.

Mozhgan Karimi, a 30-year-old Afghan woman who attended Fridays performance, said she was not expecting the high caliber performance brought by The Nutcracker cast.

It was amazing, and I had a very good experience seeing that, Karimi said through a translator.

Holiday cheer aside, Karimis experience as a refugee has not been easy.

She came to the United State alone, the rest of her family still in Afghanistan. During the chaotic evacuation at the Kabul airport, her cellphone was broken and she still does not have one, putting her out of touch with loved ones for months.

Though thousands of Afghans have been resettled, Karimi does not know when she will leave Fort McCoy. Once resettled, she wants to continue her career as a makeup artist.

Sometimes Im thinking about it, I wish I never came, Karimi said through a translator.

The afternoons performance had close-to-the-heart importance for Lela Zafari, a 12-year-old who danced with the ballet. Her father came to the U.S. from Afghanistan in the 1980s, and Zafari called the performance very inspirational.

I feel very privileged to get to perform in front of the Afghans, she said. Im just grateful that they liked it. Its almost like Im telling them not to give up on their dreams.

After this weekends performances, The Nutcracker will pack up from Fort McCoy and return to Madison for nine performances at the Overture Center starting at 7 p.m. Dec. 17.
Dear W.C.,

I never expected to be writing a letter like this. I recently became homeless after my landlord told me they needed my apartment for his parents, and I was evicted.

I couldnt really blame him because I was a month behind in my rent for the past few months. I could not believe that it would be so difficult to find another rental and how expensive they are. I never expected to be living out of my car or on friends couches. I have a dog who is my best friend. I have one adult child who lives out of state and she is barely getting by so I cannot ask her for help. I have worked full-time my whole life and raised my daughter on my own.

Ever since I caught COVID last year I have been struggling financially. I was in the hospital for over a month and missed a lot of work. I fell behind not only in my rent but in all my expenses. This year has been a real challenge for me so I am hoping and praying you will be able to help.

Dear Readers,

Homelessness seems to be at the highest level I have seen in some time. This past week we received an extraordinary number of requests for rental assistance or emergency shelter. We looked into each situation and helped where we could. For some there are just no options other than emergency shelter at a motel until a suitable or affordable rental becomes available.

I called the woman to talk about her present situation. When she answered I could hear voices in the background, so she asked me to hold a moment. When she came back on the line it was quiet. I asked if I had reached her at an inconvenient time and her answer was, For you no time would be inconvenient.

She went on to explain that she was staying the night at a friends house, but they were already overcrowded with children and other family members. The woman said she was out in the car with her dog so she could have some privacy for our call.

The woman told me the details of her life for the past four weeks as she went every night to a different location or slept in her car. It had become increasingly difficult to do that with high gas prices and colder nights. I asked about her plans for the future and the woman said, None of my plans for the future included being homeless. With that the woman began to cry, saying, Im so ashamed.

The first step in our assistance would be to find safe, warm shelter for today and the immediate future. While we spoke, I texted one of several motel owners I work with on a regular basis and found they had a vacancy. They also would accept her dog if she was a responsible pet owner who picked up after their pet and made sure they did not disrupt her other guests. I asked the woman about her dog and she shared that she had not received one complaint at her previous rental as she was a very responsible pet owner. With that assurance the woman would have a room for the next week while we worked on finding a long-term solution.

With further conversation I discovered how much she missed her daughter and longed to live closer to her. She had also just begun a new job working remotely and without having regular access to internet she was struggling to keep that job. If she could keep this new job she would have enough income to support herself if she lived within her budget that we would put together. The motel would allow her to work remotely while she stayed there. I mentioned to the woman that now may be the time to consider moving by her daughter, since she now was working remotely.

The woman said, I have been thinking about this and just last night my daughter asked me if I could move in and help with the rent. She said her landlord had raised her rent but he would allow me to move in and my dog too. After a thorough review of her budget, I could see how this would be the best situation for this woman and her dog. In fact, they could not ask for a better outcome.

Once the woman was settled into her motel room, we continued our conversation. I had put together a plan to get the woman moved as soon as possible. She would first have a much-needed car repair done on her car and new tires to facilitate a safe trip across the country. Gift cards for food and gas were provided. She was very relieved and grateful to no longer be looking for a couch to sleep on or sleeping in a cold car.

In less than a week she was on her way to her daughter. This mother and daughter would both be relieved of the stress of homelessness. They would both feel much safer knowing they were no longer alone. The last time we spoke both women shared tears of relief and happiness that The Time is Now to Help saved the mother from homelessness and allowed them to be together again.

Thanks to the new Give a Hand Up 2021 $50,000 Matching Grant we will continue our good works together. Every dollar you donate will be matched by this new matching grant, doubling your donation, and every penny will be used for poverty relief in our communities. We are so thankful for all of You and the blessings you allow us to share with those in desperate need. Thank You and God Bless You for your caring and sharing.

Health & Happiness, Love & God Bless Everyone, Sal

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Amritsar (Punjab) [India], December 12 (ANI): The mortal remains of Naik Gursewak Singh who perished in the Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter crash near Tamil Nadu's Coonoor was on Sunday brought back to his hometown here in Amritsar.

The remains arrived at the Amritsar Air Force station this morning and will be taken to his residence in Dode Village of Patti Tehsil in Tarn Taran District.

Also Read | Mehbooba Mufti Placed Under House Arrest in Srinagar, Permission Denied for PDP Youth Convention.

The 35-year-old soldier was among the 13 people killed when the IAF helicopter carrying them crashed on December 8.

Gursewak is survived by his wife Jaspreet Kaur, three children- two daughters aged nine and seven- and a son aged three and his father.

Also Read | Tamil Nadu: Wanting Nude Video Call, 'Friend' Threatens Girl With Morphed Pictures.

The victims of the military helicopter crash included Chief of Defence Staff General Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, his Defence Adviser Brigadier Lakhbinder Singh Lidder, Staff Officer Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh and nine other Armed Forces personnel including the Air Force helicopter crew.

Group Captain Varun Singh the lone survivor of the mishap and is presently on life support in Military Hospital, Wellington. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Chandigarh/Bengaluru, Dec 12 (PTI) Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Chandigarh reported their first Omicron case on Sunday, while Maharashtra and Karnataka each recorded one more case of the COVID-19 variant, taking the tally in the country to 38.

All the five persons in the cases reported on Sunday had arrived from foreign countries.

Also Read | Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami to Participate in Chief Ministers Conclave in Varanasi.

According to state health officials, a 20-year-old fully vaccinated man who came to Chandigarh from Italy to meet his relatives and a 34-year old foreign traveller, who came from Ireland to Mumbai and then to Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, have tested positive for the variant.

Kerala Health Minister Veena George said the first case of COVID-19 variant Omicron has been confirmed in the state. In a video posted on her Facebook page, the minister said that the patient was a Kerala native who recently came from the United Kingdom. The patient's condition is stable and there was no need to panic as the government was taking all necessary steps to curb the spread of the new variant of the virus, she said.

Also Read | Mehbooba Mufti After PDP Youth Convention Cancelled, Says Voice of Youth is Being Suppressed.

A man who had arrived from South Africa became the third person to test positive for the COVID-19 variant in Karnataka, while a 40-year-old man tested positive after returning to Nagpur in Maharashtra from a West African country, taking the state's tally of Omicron cases to 18.

With this, Omicron has been detected in Maharashtra (18), Rajasthan (9), Karnataka (3), Karnataka (3), Kerala (1) and Andhra Pradesh (1) and Union Territories of Delhi (2) and Chandigarh (1).

The man in Chandigarh had landed in India on November 22 and is currently in institutional quarantine.

In a statement issued late Sunday evening, the health department said he has now tested as Covid negative today, but his five family contacts have tested positive for the virus, but it's not clear if they are also infected with the Omicron variant.

The 20-year-old man's report for whole genomic sequencing was received late night on December 11 and has been found positive for Omicron variant", according to the first statement.

He was fully inoculated with Pfizer vaccine which he got in Italy.

His seven high-risk family contacts were put under quarantine and were tested for COVID-19 by the RT-PCR method.

Out of these, five have tested as positive and one as negative. The report of one family member is awaited, said the late evening statement.

In the Andhra Pradesh case, the state health department said the person, who first landed in Mumbai from Ireland, was tested and found negative for COVID-19. He was then allowed to travel onward to Visakhapatnam on November 27. "On conducting a second RT-PCR test in Vizianagaram, he tested positive for COVID-19. His sample was then sent to the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad for genome sequencing and the result came out as Omicron positive," the Public Health Director said in a release. The person, however, did not have any symptoms and a re-test on December 11 showed he was COVID-19 negative. "There are no other Omicron cases in the state," the Director said. So far, 15 foreign travellers who came to the state were found COVID-19 positive and all the samples were sent to CCMB for genome sequencing. "Of the 15, genome sequencing reports related to 10 cases were received and only one of them was confirmed Omicron positive," the Director added.

The Omicron variant was first detected in India in Bengaluru with two people testing positive for it comprising a South African national of Indian origin and a doctor. "Third case of #Omicron has been detected in Karnataka. A 34-year-old male returning from South Africa has tested positive. He is isolated and being treated in a govt hospital. 5 primary and 15 secondary contacts have been traced and samples sent for testing," state Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar tweeted.

On Saturday, Delhi had reported its second case - a 35-year-old man with travel history to Zimbabwe and South Africa - taking India's tally to 33.

Cases of Omicron, which is categorised as a variant of concern by the World Health Organisation, have been detected in about 60 countries.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], December 12 (ANI): Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala has claimed that the government has been trying to politicise the higher educations system in Kerala for the last five years.

"We are raising this issue but the government did not take it seriously. Now the Governor has raised very serious allegations against the government," he said.

Also Read | Ashaben Patel Health Update: Gujarat BJP MLA Critical After Multiple Organ Failure.

This comes after Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, who is also the Chancellor of universities in the state, in a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had expressed his displeasure over political appointments in state's universities and urged him to amend the Acts of the Universities and take over as Chancellor.

Meanwhile, UDF Convener MM Hassan said that as a Chancellor, the Kerala Governor should act as per the laws and Constitution. "He must act to stop the politicisation of state universities. We support the Governor's sentiments. He should not make complaints but act as per powers given to him," he said.

Also Read | US Tornado Update: At Least 70 People Feared Dead as Tornadoes Hit US State of Kentucky.

In the letter to Vijayan, the Kerala Governor advised the Chief Minister to amend the Acts of the universities.

"My advice to you is to amend the Acts of the universities and you personally assume the position of the Chancellor, so that you can carry out your political objectives without any dependence on the Governor. Once the universities come under the direct control of the government, there will be no scope for anybody to make allegations of political interference," the Governor wrote in his four-page letter.

Expressing his intention to vacate the position, the Governor advised the Chief Minister: "You can ask the Advocate General to prepare a legal document through which the Governor can transfer the powers of Chancellor, to the Chief Minister. I am confident it should not be difficult for the Advocate General to find a legal method to do so."

"It has become impossible for me as Chancellor to protect the universities from the baneful continuous political interference and erosion of their autonomy," he added. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, December 12: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Sunday said that he along with others will be visiting Wardha district in Maharashtra on December 19 and to Tamil Nadu on December 17. "We organise meetings wherever people call us and is required. We are going to Wardha, Maharashtra on December 19 and to Tamil Nadu on December 17," said Tikait.

The farmers, who were protesting against the three farm laws on different borders of Delhi since November 26 last year have started returning to their home states after the suspension of the year-long agitation.

The farmers are heading back to their respective states in large convoys of tractors and trucks, in the same way, they arrived at the sites at the Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri on the outskirts of the national capital a year ago, to protest the Centre's three agrarian laws. The BKU leader on Saturday had said that the Mahapanchayat will be held from time to time to discuss farmers' issues. Farmers' Protest: Samyukta Kisan Morcha Committee Likely to Meet Amit Shah, Narendra Singh Tomar to Discuss Pending Issues.

"Every year, a 10-day Kisan Andolan Mela will be held. Mahapanchayat will be held from time to time to discuss farmers' issues," Tikait told reporters here.

The BKU leader also lauded the role of media in highlighting farmers' agitation and said constant reporting by print, electronic and especially social media put pressure on the government.

Earlier, both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha passed the Farm Laws Repeal Bill on the first day of the Winter session on November 29. President Ram Nath Kovind had also given his assent to the Bill that completed the process of repealing the three farm laws. Farmers had been protesting against the farm laws on various borders of Delhi since November 26, 2020.

The SKM had announced the suspension of their year-long agitation after they received a letter from the Central government, with promises of forming a committee on Minimum Support Price (MSP) and withdrawing cases against them immediately.

The farmers will hold a review meeting on January 15. "If the government does not fulfil its promises, we could resume our agitation," the SKM had said in its statement. On November 19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Centre will bring necessary bills in the Winter Session of Parliament to repeal the farm laws.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken with Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne in Liverpool, UK. (Photo Credit - Twitter/Antony Blinken)

Liverpool [UK], December 12 (ANI): US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne in Liverpool to reinforce the ongoing efforts to promote peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.

"Great to meet with my good friend @MarisePayne today. We reaffirmed both our nations' deep commitment to a peaceful and secure Indo-Pacific, COVID-19 economic recovery and resilience, and cooperating to deliver results for our citizens and partners around the region," tweeted Blinken.

Also Read | Bahrain Detects First Case of New COVID-19 Variant Omicron, Says Health Ministry.

Both leaders met on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialised nations' Foreign Ministers meeting held in the UK.

They discussed deepening the US-Australia alliance, the importance of committing to ambitious climate action in the next decade, and the need for like-minded allies and partners to continue to defend, strengthen, and renew democracy around the world, read State Department spokesperson Ned Price statement.

Also Read | Phoenix Zoo in Arizona Vaccinates 75 Animals Against COVID-19: Media Reports.

They also expressed concern over Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine and reiterated support for a peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues without resorting to threats or coercion and emphasized Taiwan's important contributions to global health development.

Both leaders recommitted to the joint efforts in the region and to build back better from COVID-19, added the statement.

They also agreed on the importance of having a Senate-confirmed Ambassador in place in Canberra as soon as possible in light of the scope and scale of shared challenges. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Tel Aviv [Israel], December 12 (ANI/Xinhua): Israel on Saturday reported 20 new cases of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, raising the total Omicron cases in the country to 55, according to the Israeli Health Ministry.

The ministry said that 36 of the infected are returning passengers from South Africa, Britain, France, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Belarus, Hungary, Italy and Namibia.

Also Read | Bahrain Detects First Case of New COVID-19 Variant Omicron, Says Health Ministry.

It added that 11 others were infected in Israel through close contact with passengers returning from South Africa and Britain, while the remaining eight were infected in

Israel without being abroad nor in close contact with a returning traveller.

Also Read | Phoenix Zoo in Arizona Vaccinates 75 Animals Against COVID-19: Media Reports.

In addition, 13 of the 55 infected are unvaccinated or recovered more than half a year ago.

The ministry also reported another 51 cases with a high suspicion of infection with Omicron, but the results of their genomic sequencing tests have yet to be obtained. (ANI/Xinhua)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Dubai, Dec 12 (PTI) Dubai has become the world's first government to turn 100 per cent paperless, the Emirate's Crown Prince, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has announced, pointing at savings of 1.3 billion Dirham (USD 350 million) and 14-million-man hours.

All internal, external transactions and procedures in the Government of Dubai are now 100 per cent digital and managed from a comprehensive digital government services platform.

Also Read | Russia Maintains Nuclear Parity with US, But Leads in New Armaments, Says Vladimir Putin.

"The achievement of this target marks the beginning of a new stage in Dubai's journey to digitise life in all its aspects  a journey rooted in innovation, creativity, and a focus on the future," said Sheikh Hamdan in a statement on Saturday.

"This accomplishment also reinforces Dubai's status as a world-leading digital capital and its status as a role model in designing government operations and services that enhance customer happiness," he said.

Also Read | COVID-19 Cases In Russia Top 10 Million, Coronavirus Death-Toll Reaches 289,483.

The US, UK, Europe and Canada have expressed plans to digitise government operation on a larger scale, which encompass government procedures and citizen identifications. However, sceptics have argues its vulnerability to cyber attacks.

The Dubai Crown Prince said the government plans to implement advanced strategies to create and enhance digital life in Dubai over the next five decades.

"The new phase of Dubai's digital journey will enable and empower future governments to meet the expectations of the residents of a thriving smart city and provide them with renewed opportunities for prosperity, sustainable development, and happiness," he said.

The Dubai Paperless Strategy was implemented in five consecutive phases, each of which enlisted a different group of the Dubai Government's entities.

By the end of the fifth phase, the strategy was fully implemented across all 45 government entities in the emirate.

These entities provide more than 1,800 digital services and over 10,500 key transactions.

Collaboration and integration among participating entities enabled the automation of processes and services provided to customers, cutting paper consumption by more than 336 million papers, the statement added.

The strategy also helped save more than 1.3 billion Dirham (USD 350 million) and over 14-million-man hours across the Dubai Government.

The complete digital transformation in the Dubai Government will enrich the smart city experience for all residents, entirely removing the need for paper transactions and documents  be they handed out to customers or exchanged between employees across government entities.

Digitalisation will also help provide exceptional experiences for residents through the DubaiNow application, which allows access to more than 130 smart city services in 12 major categories, it added. PTI

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Liverpool [UK], December 12 (ANI): Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa said on Saturday (local time) that Tokyo intends to urge China to act responsibly in the East and South China Seas, Hong Kong, and its Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Hayashi said Japan opposes China's unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East China Sea and the South China Sea. He said Japan also has serious concern over the human rights situations in Hong Kong and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, reported NHK World.

Also Read | Bahrain Detects First Case of New COVID-19 Variant Omicron, Says Health Ministry.

Hayashi was speaking during the first session of a G7 foreign ministers' meeting, which opened in the English city of Liverpool on Saturday. The first session focused on China, Russia, and other regional situations.

The ministers also exchanged views on the diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Also Read | Phoenix Zoo in Arizona Vaccinates 75 Animals Against COVID-19: Media Reports.

Australia, India, and South Korea are taking part in the two-day meeting. Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are also participating in some of the debates, reported NHK World.

The participants plan to compile a document on the outcome of their discussions on the security and human rights issues as well as their measures against the coronavirus pandemic. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
London, December 12: The UK is planning to allocate 99.5 million humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.

UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss plans to allocate another batch of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, in the amount of 75 million pounds, the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office informs, reported Sputnik.

Also Read | Bahrain Detects First Case of New COVID-19 Variant Omicron, Says Health Ministry.

The foreign office specified on Saturday that out of the total aid package, 34 million pounds will go to the UN World Food Programme (WFP).

Truss welcomed the Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers on Saturday in Liverpool, where they discussed global conflicts and regional crises, including Afghanistan, reported Sputnik.

Also Read | Phoenix Zoo in Arizona Vaccinates 75 Animals Against COVID-19: Media Reports.

The UK foreign secretary called for the broadening of international cooperation in order to prevent humanitarian catastrophes and avoid high risks of migration.

To avert a humanitarian crisis, the UK has doubled its aid to Afghanistan and the region to roughly USD 380 million (286 million pounds) this year, reported Sputnik.

In September, the UK sent 30 million pounds in assistance to countries neighbouring Afghanistan. Another 50 million pounds were allocated in October.

Earlier this month, Truss discussed Afghanistan and related humanitarian issues with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Ministerial Council in Stockholm.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Delhi, December 12: A shocking incident has come to light from Delhi where four 10th standard students were chased down and stabbed with sharp objects outside a school after a brawl with a group of 5 students from another school on Saturday. The students sustained critical injuries following the attack. Reportedly, the teenagers had gone to school to appear in an exam.

The 4 students were leaving the school premises when they were chased down and attacked by a group of boys from a different school, who came after them. The five students were also taking the exam at the same centre, said the police. Delhi Shocker: 18-Year-Old Man Stabbed to Death by Friend in Sangam Vihar.

"Three PCR calls were received On Saturday regarding a fight between students. On reaching the spot, it was found that four boys, aged between 15 to 16, were attacked with sharp objects. Three boys have been discharged after treatment from LBS hospital, while the fourth is admitted to AIIMS Trauma Centre, reported The Indian Express, quoting DCP Priyanka Kashyap as saying. Bengaluru Shocker: 65-Year-Old Man Stabbed to Death By Drunk Security Guard At Apartment Complex in HAL.

As per the police, a case has been registered against the five boys under sections 323, 324, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Further investigation into the matter is underway.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 12, 2021 04:46 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Hubballi(KTK), Dec 12: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday hinted that the draft of the anti-conversion bill would be approved by the state cabinet and it may be introduced in the winter session of the assembly in Belagavi.

The cabinet is expected to meet during the Belagavi assembly session, which begins from December 13.

"A majority of people want to ban religious conversion. The law department is reviewing it (draft bill). After the review, it will be cleared in the cabinet meeting," he told reporters here. Uttar Pradesh: Man Held Under the New Anti-Conversion Law for Allegedly Abducting, Marrying 14-Year-Old Minor Girl After Forceful Conversion.

"In all probabilities, the draft rule proposed by the law department would be approved and the subject may come up for discussion (in the assembly session)," Bommai said.

Claiming that religious conversion was not good for the society, the CM said the downtrodden people should not succumb to it.

He explained that his government is trying to bring a law to curb religious conversions to prevent people from facing hardship in the families.

He, however, clarified that people of all religious communities need not panic with respect to the anti-conversion law.

"Hindus, Christians, Muslims and Sikhs are the faiths recognised by the constitution and there is no problem for people to pray or follow their respective religions. However, there is no scope for misusing someone's poverty to lure them to change their faith," Bommai said.

The Chief Minister said religious conversion had always been a matter of debate since the days of country's independence, and several states have introduced anti-conversion laws.

Many Christian organisations, including the Archdiocese of Bangalore, have opposed the proposed anti-conversion bill.
Srinagar, Dec 12: Authorities on Sunday disallowed the youth convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and placed its president and former Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti under house arrest in Srinagar.

According to sources, the District Magistrate Srinagar has disallowed Sunday's youth convention by the PDP scheduled to be held at the high security Gupkar Road residence of Mehbooba Mufti. Mehbooba Mufti Detention: How Long Can Former CM Be Detained, Supreme Court Asks Jammu And Kashmir Admin.

Sources said because of the recent surge in Covid infection in Srinagar district and the subsequent restrictions placed on large gatherings, the district magistrate decided not to allow the PDP youth convention.

Sources also said Mufti has been placed under house arrest at her Gupkar Road residence in the city.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 12, 2021 12:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
If the #US lifts anti-Tehran sanctions, a "good agreement", which the Islamic Republic is looking for, will be reached in the ongoing negotiations over the 2015 nuclear deal, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said. pic.twitter.com/Xt8FhZa148 IANS Tweets (@ians_india) December 12, 2021

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The Saudi-led coalition fighting in #Yemen said that 190 Houthi rebels had been killed in military operations in the last 24hrs.



The coalition conducted 36 operations against #Houthi targets in the oil rich province of Marib in the period, Saudi Press Agency (@spagov) tweeted. pic.twitter.com/YfP1kgUj1M IANS Tweets (@ians_india) December 12, 2021

(SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)
The timeline for providing new rail services to Kildare needs to be shortened.

Naas councillor Seamie Moore said that planned upgrades need to be in place much sooner than scheduled and these are needed to tackle the increasing numbers of commuters using the main road routes to and from Dublin.

And Cllr Fiona McLoughlin Healy also urged faster delivery of the planned projects.

The system is broken when we prioritise roads over rail, she said.

The DART+ programme, managed by Irish Rail, involves an increase in the DART electrified network from 50 kms to over 150kms.

This programme was launched in 2019 and the Dart+south west scheme to Celbridge/Hazelhatch as well as the Dart+ west scheme to Maynooth are programmed to be in operation between 2020-2030.he planned DART extensions to Kilcock and Naas are due to be operational between 2031-2042. The rail improvement project will provide sustained electrified, reliable and more frequent train service to and from the capital.

KCC official Evelyn Wright reported that KCC has lodged a submission to Irish Rail regarding the DART+ west project, which represents a positive development for the north of the county.
Several local garda stations across County Kildare are making plans to celebrate the centenary of the founding of An Garda Siochana next year.

The organisation was officially founded on February 22, 1922, and was initially known as the Civic Guard.

It took over policing duties from both the Royal Irish Constabulary and its parallel organisation, the Irish Republican Police after the War of Independence.

The son of one of the first gardai in Clane Garda Station contacted the Leader last week to explain his links.

Maurice Lee, who is a retired Detective Sergeant who was based at Naas Garda Station, is the son of Sergeant Maurice Lee who served in the 1920s.

Maurice, who is aged 80, said: I am a native of Clane. My father, also Maurice Lee was Garda number 239.

He was part of the the first station party of Civic Guards in Clane in September 1922.

The retired officer said he has written an account of his fathers role in the Civic Guards for a centenary project being planned by the Naas Branch of Garda Siochana Retired Members Association (GSRMA).

The GSRMA is working with experts to record the oral and lived experiences of gardai and their families.

The group is also collating written historical material and records in a chronological way.

The Kildare Observer newspaper of December 2, 1922, reported that a Civic Guard station had opened in Clane and that Sergeant James Finn was in charge of four guards.

According to the Clane Local History Groups publication Coiseanna, Finn was born in Co Armagh in 1896.

He later settled in Clane where he married Anne Ennis, the daughter of local farmer and grocer Simon Ennis.

According to local historian John Noonan, the couple lived in Mainham and had three children  a boy Sean and two daughters Catherine and Molly.

Sadly, Finn died of tuberculosis in 1932 while wife Ann died of the same condition three years later. The couple are buried in Mainham Cemetery today.

Meanwhile Garda management in Dublin to purchase and distribute commemorative coins and medals to serving and retired members of the force during 2022.

Thousands of gardai and civilian staff will receive a medal or coin as well as retired personnel.

The idea of a commemorative medal raised in the Dail by Independent TD for Kildare Cathal Berry and suggested by the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI).

Similar medals were handed out to members of the Defence Forces to mark the 1916 centenary.
Automated driving is on the way after Mercedes-Benz received certification allowing the German car giant to use its Level 3 automated driving technology.

They have been granted system approval by the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), which means that next year, customers will be able to buy an S-Class with Drive Pilot.

This will allow them to drive in conditionally automated mode at speeds of up to 37mph while in heavy traffic or on congested sections of motorway. The technology will also appear on the electric EQS.



(Mercedes-Benz)

While in this mode, the driver can legally perform ancillary tasks on the central display, such as replying to work emails, watching a movie or doing online shopping.

Mercedes-Benz says the technology will work on over 8,000 miles of highway in Germany at first, with testing underway in the USA and China. As soon as there is a national legal framework for conditionally automated operation in additional markets, the technology will be rolled out step by step, the firm said in a statement.

Drive Pilot can maintain the vehicles speed up to the maximum of 37mph, as well as keeping the vehicle in its lane. However, to achieve certification it also had to be able to react to unexpected driving situations by evading or braking.

To build on the existing advanced cruise control function, Mercedes-Benz fitted LiDAR sensors and extra cameras, with a microphone also added to help detect situations such as approaching emergency vehicles.

If the driver has to take over the vehicle, they will receive a prompt. However, if they should fail to take control within the allotted time, for example because of a medical emergency, the system will gently slow the car, put the hazard warning lights on and unlock the doors and windows so first responders can access the vehicle.

Markus Schafer, Member of the Board of Management at Mercedes-Benz, said: For many years, we have been working to realise our vision of automated driving. With this LiDAR based system, we have developed an innovative technology for our vehicles that offers customers a unique, luxurious driving experience and gives them what matters most: time.

With the approval of the authorities, we have now achieved a breakthrough: We are the first manufacturer to put conditionally automated driving into series production in Germany.
A male pedestrian in his 60s has died and a woman has been seriously injured in two separate road crashes in Kildare and Dublin late last night.

Gardai are investigating a fatal road traffic collision involving a car and a pedestrian that occurred yesterday evening, Saturday 11th December, 2021, on the Maynooth Road, Cellbridge, Co. Kildare.

The pedestrian, a man aged in his 60s, was pronounced dead at the scene. His body was removed to Naas General Hospital where a post mortem will take place.

No other injuries have been reported.

Forensic Collision Investigators attended and an examination of the scene took place. The road has since reopened.

Gardai are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to contact them. Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash cam) and were travelling along the Maynooth Road and the surrounding area between 10:00pm and 11:30pm yesterday evening, are asked to make this footage available to Gardai.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Leixlip Garda Station on 01 666 7800, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.

A woman was seriously injured in a separate incident on Saturday in Dublin when she was hit by an SUV type vehicle on Georges Street.

She is described as being in a serious condition in hospital.
A NEW book examines the crucial roles played by 17 brave women during the revolutionary years a century ago

All of the women, except Nurse O'Sullivan, came from the Kilfinane, Ballylanders, Knockanevin, Bruree, Knocklong areas of County Limerick. Nurse O'Sullivan was a native of Grantstown, Co Tipperary.

Women of the Revolution in South East Limerick 1914-1923 is published by Kilfinane Coshlea Historical Society and written by its secretary Angela Hennessy.

The idea came from the societys monthly meeting on March 3, 2020, where it was agreed that during 2020 they would hold an event to honour local women and their largely overlooked role in the War of Independence.

Little did we think then that it would become impossible to organise a gathering of any sort during 2020. The book was a Covid project that grew and grew, said Angela, whose research began with Nurse OSullivans story.

Initial leads on her background and her extraordinary involvement in the Revolution came from witness statements written by some of the men of the East Limerick Brigade. The story unfolded with the discovery of her file in the Military Service Pension Collection (MSPC) where she gave her own account of her military service. Census data, civil records, newspaper reports and secondary sources provided supplementary information.

Similar sources allowed the story of the remarkable commitment of the four Clancy sisters to be traced and revealed the disruption and heartache it brought to their lives and to their home, said Angela.

Further searches of the MSPC files yielded the names of 12 more women from the locality who submitted accounts of their service. These included Katherine Nunan (nee Finn), Bruree, a buttermaker in Kilfinane Creamery who ran a dispatch centre for the IRA from her workplace and was threatened with dismissal. Another woman. May Bourke from Knockanevin, worked in Kilfinane Post Office and for passing on intelligence to the IRA about police and military activities, she was arrested and jailed. Nora Fitzgerald (nee Dwane) of Cush, and her mother ran a safe house that was regarded as a very secure hiding place by men on the run.

Others to feature are Kattie OCarroll (nee Crawford), Anne Murphy, Bridget ODonnell (nee Crowley), Elizabeth Cotter (nee Davern), Mary Russell (nee Burns), Mary (Cis) Ryan (nee Tobin), Margaret Mary (Peg) Bourke (nee Manahan), Ellen Dineen (nee Maguire) and May Moloney.

The women were, as one historian remarked recently, the invisible army. The book has been very well received with a third reprint recently ordered, said Angela.

Women of the Revolution in South East Limerick 1914-1923 is available from Centra and Harrys in Kilfinane; Post Office and Jimmy Ryans in Ballylanders; Creeds of Elton; Callinans of Emly; OSullivans of Hospital; Meades of Knocklong; Cummins of Galbally; Spar and Beechinors Service Station in Kilmallock; Nagles in Bruff; Oriel in Charleville; Centra, Dundrum; The Favourite in Mitchelstown; OMahonys in the city and from www.kilfinanecoshleahs.com
A NEW group has opened up a rich seam of activity and friendship for Adare women, offering opportunities to practice old skills, hone new ones and have some fun in the doing.

Adare Womens 2020 Club began as an idea among a small group of women who met regularly to do crafts together.

But, says Bridget Lohan, who now chairs the 2020 Club: We thought we werent going anywhere. The notion of forming a kind of Womens Shed evolved over a number of get-togethers and a name and direction quickly emerged. The Womens 2020 Club (Womens Shed) has since gone live and is now a fully functioning group, with premises, a committee, a membership of over 40 and a very busy programme of activities.

Its aim, explains Bridget, is to promote optimum health and wellbeing among women of all ages in the community by helping them to keep physically, mentally and socially active.

Among the planned activities are walks, craft sessions, computer learning sessions, table quizzes, flower arranging and card playing. And any good idea is taken up with enthusiasm.

Having a base has been a crucial factor in knitting the group together. With some support from Limerick City and County Council, West Limerick Resources and the JP McManus Foundation, as well as their own fundraising efforts, the club has been able to lease a room on a full-time basis in the Village Hall which has become a hub for their activities.

We have a recycle shop which we call the Curiosity Shop, explains Bridget. The plan is to run on a regular basis to provide a steady stream of income for the club.

There is never a dull moment, says another club officer Mary Dundon, Its excellent. Its brilliant. A lot of us would know each other to see but we wouldnt have known each other well. We are all friends now.

For Ena OConnell, who describes herself as a newcomer, getting involved in the club and in Tidy Towns has proved to be a pathway into her new community.

We are just getting started but there is a lot going on, says Noreen Mackessy, a local woman for whom getting involved in the club is a first for her. She is particularly fond of the flower arranging, she says.

It has been great socially during the past year. It was lovely coming in here. The people are so friendly says May ODonnell who lived most of her adult life in England before returning some years ago.

I am delighted with it, says Nancy Fitzsimons, echoing Mays enthusiasm for the club. I love everything about it. Theres always something new to think about.

Among the new activities of the past two months was a Coffee Morning which raised 1,231.25 for Limerick Suicide Watch, which depends entirely on volunteers and on donations.

Another initiative taken by club members was knitting little caps for premature babies and they hope to present up to 200 of them to University Maternity Hospital Limerick shortly. Margaret Hickey is one of the clubs most enthusiastic knitters. I was doing about three a night, she laughs. Like all the other women, she is enjoying the camaraderie and activity in the club. Its brilliant. Theyre a great old crowd. We get on well.

Anybody with an interest in joining the Adare 2020 Club can email adarewomens2020@gmail.com or talk to any club member to get a membership form.
A LITTLE girl from County Limerick has handed over a big cheque to the Jack & Jill Foundation.

But there is something even bigger on the cheque than the sum of 9,715. Claire ODonnell, who lives in Galbally, said her six-year-old daughter Caoimhe signed it.

Its such a huge, huge thing as it is only very recently that she can write her name and letters in general without tracing, said the proud mum.

Caoimhe and parents Claire and Patrick presented cheque to Mags Naughton, Jack & Jill liaison nurse and homecare nurse Esther O Riordan. Caoimhe, who has Jeavons syndrome which is a rare form of epilepsy, also presented the two ladies with bouquets of flowers.

The ODonnells raised the money from a fundraising hill walk in Galbally. Caoimhe led 50 brave souls up to Darbys Bed on a horrible, wet and windy day at the end of October.

Claire said they decided to fundraise for the Jack & Jill Foundation when their time with the family concluded. Jack & Jill provides in-home nursing care and respite support for children up to the age of six.

Caoimhes total of 9,715 amounts to 539 hours of nursing care for other families in the coming months as Jack and Jill's nursing care is paid mainly from donations.

We will be forever grateful for what they did for us and how they became a huge part of our lives. Caoimhe was just after her brain surgery when they started here and life was just upside down at the time they were first introduced to us, said Claire.

On behalf of herself, Patrick and Caoimhe, Claire wants to thank our whole community and family and friends and all who donated.

The Jack & Jill Foundation were so grateful and so are we for those who got behind us and helped it be so successful, concluded Claire.
LIMERICK City and County Council has rejected a bid from councillors to use wool produced from sheep for house, business and commercial insulation.

At this months council meeting, members of the Cappamore-Kilmallock municipal district put forward a notice of motion calling on the local authority to take advantage of the current low price of the material in a bid to support farmers who are struggling financially.

Hospital councillor Gerald Mitchell, Fine Gael, said: The [cost of] raw materials in building have doubled, so this will sustain the rural economy and farming. When the country is going well, the farmers are doing well. This is organic wool and from what I gather, exports of sheep to Europe on the increase.

His area colleague, Cllr Mike Donegan seconded the motion.

He said: Insulation is one of the most important steps in terms of conservation. Wool is 100% natural material making it safer for the environment, homeowners and installers.

Green councillor Sean Hartigan  who farms sheep in his spare time  also spoke to back the motion.

However, a written response from the councils housing construction and maintenance team ruled the idea out.

As part of construction works, tender documents are issued which describe works to be completed. A specification document will describe the requirement for building materials. To comply with public procurement, it is not permitted to specify a particular product by name, the local authority stated.

Its likely wool prices will remain at the 2020 lows for the foreseeable future.

Last year, the low was hit, with the poor-quality scotch wool in some cases being worthless, and the best-quality wool worth just 20 cent per kilogram.
PLASSEY firm Cook Medical has been honoured for its work to increase the number of women in its leadership positions.

Cook, which employs over 1,000 people at its European operation in Limerick, can point to the fact that 61% of management roles within the firm are occupied by women.

And it is this which has seen the company honoured with the Women in Leadership company initiative award at the Irish Med Tech awards, held virtually last week.

At present in Cook, women lead functions including research and development, post-market and manufacturing engineering, quality assurance and continuous improvement.

Others lead regional and global functions such as human resources, marketing, ethics and compliance and regulatory affairs from the site.

Alice ODwyer, the vice president for human resources at Cook said:

Were delighted to be recognised for our work in the area of women in leadership. Were very proud of the strong representation of women in all areas of our business, including management and professional roles. We have a remarkable pool of talent at Cook, and our values of innovation, continuous improvement, and problem solving are realised to a great extent when the voices of all women at Cook are included.

As a family-owned company, we continue to ensure that family is an integral part of the Cook culture, and we put our people at the centre of everything we do. Therefore, we endeavour to help all employees reach their personal and professional goals, she added.

For more local news see limerickleader.ie
The working of the State Bank of India (SBI) is likely to be affected on 16 and 17 December due to a 2-day nationwide bank strike. The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has called a strike to protest against the government's move to privatise public sector banks.

In an exchange filing on 10 December, SBI said. "We have been advised by the lndian Banks' Association (lBA) that United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has served a Notice of Strike, informing that the members of the constituent Unions of UFBU viz. AIBEA, AIBOC, NCBE, AIBOA, BEFI, INBEF and INBOC propose to go on a nationwide Bank Strike on l6th & l7th December, 2021 in support of their demands. We advise that while the Bank has made necessary arrangements to ensure normal functioning in its branches and offices on the days of Strike, it is likely that work in our Bank may be impacted by the Strike.

2-day bank strike from December 16

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has called a two-day strike from December 16 to protest against the Centre's plan to privatise public sector banks. UFBU is an umbrella organisation of bank unions. Sanjay Das, general secretary of All India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC) said that this move to privatise PSBs will hurt the priority sectors of the economy and also credit flow to self-help groups and to the rural economy.

According to him, 70 per cent of the country's total deposits are with the public sector banks and handing them over to private capital will put the common man's money deposited with these banks into jeopardy, PTI reported.

In the budget speech of 2021, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said that two public sector banks will be privatised during the current fiscal.

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NEW DELHI : The Indian government has finalized an air bubble agreement with Australia, which will allow all eligible passengers to travel between the two countries.

A bilateral air bubble is a mechanism to resume flights between two nations with preconditions during the pandemic.

As things stand, scheduled international flight operations remain suspended at least till 31 January 2022, according to a recent notification by civil aviation regulator the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

However, dedicated cargo flights, flights under the bilateral air bubble pacts with select countries continue to operate.

India currently has bilateral air bubble agreements with 33 countries, which include Afghanistan, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Canada, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Iraq, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Singapore, Seychelles, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, the UAE, the UK, and the USA, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

Australian airline Qantas has recently started flights between Sydney and New Delhi. The airline is also set to start flights between New Delhi and Melbourne before Christmas.

Air India also operated direct commercial flights connecting New Delhi with Melbourne and Sydney before scheduled international flights were suspended by the Indian government.

Air India flights between India and Australia will resume in coming days, said a senior official with the airline.

"Australia is an important market for the airline and we expect a good demand," the official added, requesting anonymity.

India suspended international flight operations, effective 23 March 2020. This was periodically extended every month till 30 November, before the government on 26 November announced plans to resume scheduled international flight services.

However, on 1 December, the Indian government announced that it had rolled back plans to resume scheduled international flight operations from 15 December, five days after making the announcement, following the emergence of the Omicron coronavirus mutant.

Major economies across the world have rushed to take precautionary measures after scientists said they had found a highly virulent and possibly vaccine-resistant variant of the covid-19 virus in South Africa.

The UK has said the 'Omicron' variant was the most significant one found yet, and temporarily banned flights from six southern African countries - South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.

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Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven nations plan to make a joint statement on Russia as they look for ways to deter the Kremlin from making moves against Ukraine.

Ministers are set to release the statement on Sunday following talks in Liverpool, England, hosted by UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, according to two people familiar with the plans.

With increasing numbers of troops and military equipment deployed near Ukraines border, the US has been warning for weeks that Russia has drawn up plans for an invasion that could take place in early 2022.

The US has told Russian President Vladimir Putin that his country will face massive economic repercussions from the international community if he decides to activate the plan, though Japan is likely to insist that the G-7 statement remains relatively cautious, the people said.

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When the pandemic hit, there were many aspects of the performing arts that adopted a livestream model, of course, as a necessity and a stopgap until normal life  and normal live  could resume. But what if there was something about delivering a performance on Zoom that was (to borrow an Achtung Baby 30th-anniversary phrase) even better than the real thing? Thats been a question with music, where some fans have enjoyed an intimacy with homespun livestreams that they dont always feel in concert halls. And its even come up in comedy, where a room full of in-person LOL-ers would seem to be an essential part of the equation.

UnCabaret is not your typical comedy club, having, since the 1990s, promised a more conversational brand of stand-up as one of L.A.s most important and progressive comedy institutions. Led as always by Beth Lapides, who often acts as interlocutor as well as host, it was better-suited than most to pivot to an alternative medium, already being fairly alt by nature. So the collectives semi-monthly Zoom sessions provided a kind of familial anchor throughout the rough patches of quarantine for many participants and viewers, with more interaction between the comics in the frames, and more month-to-month to be continued storytelling as the pandemic went on.

Now, live UnCabaret shows have resumed on a monthly basis at El Cid in east Hollywood. (UnCabs last home, Rockwell in Los Feliz, went out of business during the shutdowns.) But guess what? Viewers and many of the performers werent ready to zoom out on the Zooms just because they could tentatively make their way into a room together again. And so, uniquely, UnCabaret is continuing with a hybrid model  live shows and online shows, each of which have their own particular pleasures and moods. In other words: Theyll continue to do sit-down, even as stand-up returns.

Tonights Zoom-based UnCabaret, the last of the year, features some of its tentpole performers, including, besides Lapides, the online shows usual opener, Alec Mapa, its standard closer, Jamie Bridgers, frequent participant Alex Edelman (on a Sunday night off from his well-reviewed off-Broadway one-man show, Just for Us) and a band led, as always, by musical director Mitch Kaplan. Guest sets  a word that almost seems wrong in a format as casual and unconventinal as UnCabarets  will come from Kira Soltanovich, Greg Behrendt, Lauren Weedman and Debra Digiovanni. (Find details about tonights show on Facebook here or sign up for free tickets on Eventbrite here.)

Its a diverse cast representative of the comics and writers who typically come by UnCab, live or not in-person, who in the last 18 months have also included semi-regulars like Julia Sweeney, Laura Kightlinger, Justin Sayre, Judy Gold, Jackie Kashian, Jen Kirkman, Hannah Einbinder, Baron Vaughn and Erin Foley, along with single or occasional visits from Margaret Cho, Sandra Bernhard, Byron Bowers, Jake Sheers, Dana Gould, Wayne Federman, Tim Bagley, Isaac Mizrahi, Laraine Newman, Merrill Markoe and Michael Patrick King. Musical guests have included Jake Shears, Jill Sobule and even Phoebe Bridgers (yes, thats Jamies daughter, and a frequent presence in her comedy).

I never had the idea that it was time to give up the Zooms, says Lapides, who has many first-hand tales of what a lifeline the show has been for viewers and performers alike. I feel that our hybrid situation is in alignment with the hybrid situation that were living in. Were not in quarantine, but we are not in full force out in the world. And the Zoom is really our way of connecting people  and I feel like full connection hasnt really been made yet. I personally do love doing them, and a lot of people are like, Please, please, please  I dont know how I would be getting through without you. And I dont feel like people feel like we have gotten through. So were here to serve, and there seems to still be a call.

Not that it hasnt been a thrill to be gathering in person every month since September at El Cid. (The next live show is Jan. 21, marking a move to Fridays for the in-person gatherings.) Its been great for people to play off each other and to be together and have the surprises of a live show. Its thrilling to see peoples faces and to feel the energy, even if the audience is masked and people are still feeling their way to what it means to be at a live event. But I do still love the Zoom shows, so I dont know  cant mama love both her children?

Jamie Bridgers says that, at the beginning of the pandemic, the Zoom shows were a salve for performers and viewers deep anxieties: There was a consistency that was really comforting when everybody was freaking out about, literally, life and death. But the comfort factor hasnt gone away. I think what I like about the Zoom part of it is, I am seated, I do it from my own dining room table, and it feels like a conversation with friends. And when Im listening to the other comedians do it, to me it feels like Im seated at like the perfect dinner party. Occasionally people will weigh in on someone elses thing, or Beth will bring someone else in to talk for a couple of seconds about something. And how many times in my life am I going to go to a dinner party where you get Alec Mapa, Laura Kightlinger and Lauren Weedman? Frankly, Im not sure anybody would want to be at that actual dinner party, because it would be kind of crazy, but you know what I mean?

You know, its not for everyone, Bridgers cautions. Many of the topics are blue; some of them are experimental. I certainly dont think it would be fun for a Trump supporter to tune in. But I think weve got a self-selected group of people who are receptive to a certain type of comedy. And sometimes it gets a little bit raw, but I like that. It also feels like a safe space to me  reflecting UnCabs 90s origins, when Lapides founded it as a feminist- and LGBTQ-friendly spot that would counter the ugliness and prejudice-confirming comedy of acts like Andrew Dice Clay.

I really appreciate the fact that Beth definitely tries not to get people who are going to tell any kind of jokes that make people feel less than, says Bridgers. In fact, some of my humor sometimes goes a little old-school and I have to pull it back. Ive had jokes where Ill call her and Ill go, I thought of a really funny joke that I can never tell  more of a mean Joan Rivers kind of thing  and then Ill tell Beth and she goes, Oh, that is a good one. Yeah, you cant ever tell that.' Not that anyone is likely to think of UnCab as a censorious place  theres definitely a feeling that anything goes, and then some, except for degradation (self-debasement excepted).

But whats it been like for the last 20 months, with apparently many more to come, of doing comedy without a live, laughing audience on Zoom?

Not everyone who is an UnCab regular thinks the online version offers equal satisfactions. Julia Sweeney was a seemingly enthusiastic participant, but now that the live shows are back, shes sticking with those. The feeling that people want to keep hearing you talk, through laughter, is so important, Sweeney says. So for me, the online was hard  even though Im glad Beth is doing it and Im glad it opened up the audience to people who arent in L.A. or people who cant leave the house or dont want to, for some reason. I totally get that  Im mostly in that category, at all times. The last show I did for UnCab at El Cid a few weeks ago was just like taking a warm bath because you could hear everybody.

I just have a knee-jerk feeling of embarrassment if youre talking and no ones laughing, Sweeney continues. You can see their faces and they look like theyre smiling, but I need more than that. I always left feeling that feeling you get when you ran into someone on the street and you said too much and talked too long, and you realize they liked it for the first three minutes and they didnt for the last seven minutes. And then youre going, Why not just say hi? When people say how are you, just say fine! Dont say more!  If I were in charge of Zoom, I would say, Crack that nut of letting people hear the laugh but then I guess you have to make sure you dont hear them talking, and I dont know how you do that. Maybe theres some other way to show approval. Do people need those little buzzers that they have for TV (test) screenings, where you push the button when youre engaged and dont when youre not engaged? I actually think thats not a joke  like to me, if I could see some sort of graphic on the bottom of the screen with some kind of approval, it doesnt have to be laughter.

And yet Sweeney acknowledges there are things about the Zooms that cant be replicated in person, all audible laughter aside. What amazed me the most was how intimate it really felt, and in some ways with an intimacy that cant be matched on stage  like being in somebodys house being in Judy Golds kitchen. And also because youre in your home and youre comfortable, I think people were less on guard about what they were saying, which is always interesting. And what shocked me the most after doing the Zoom ones was how much I really felt like Id had an encounter with a group of people. I kept thinking, Oh, this is going to seem fake, but I was filled up in that way when you see a group of people and you find out things and you laugh and you catch up. In that way, it seemed as good; in some ways, it seemed better. And I would never have bet that I would have felt that way, ever.

Edelman, for his part, was and is gung-ho about doing Zoom comedy. Unlike some of the other UnCab personalities who dont do standup on a full-time basis, he did other online comedy shows during the pandemic, even corporate shows, and was grateful for all of them. Im not crazy about not performing, Edelman says. I will say that lots of the online shows felt like a vegan hamburger, which is that they were wonderful, but not better than the real thing, usually. I know that comedians gripe generally about online shows, but specifically they were grateful for every single one of them. But UnCabaret was great. The community of it is really nice. It was really, really cool to be able to constantly be sort of updating on your life, and I liked being able to write every week, to have something to look forward to during the slog of the pandemic. Generally speaking, I needed the engagement of online shows, and I needed the sandbox of people trying different stuff: lots of audience, no audience, audience muted, audience unmuted  that was all cool and important and a raft in a tough time.

Sweeney points out that Edelman in particular made good use of the format: Alex Edelman is so funny. and theres no way you could be looking through his drawers, in his growing-up family bedroom, if you didnt have it online. Theres just no way that wouldve ever happened. Lapides calls Edelman a little bit of a roving reporter. He more than anyone else in the show has really come to us from a lot of different places, and it was great to see him in his boyhood home, or to see him in his apartment and to watch that apartment transform as Hannah (EInbender) moves in, or even doing the show (when he was vacationing) in Zion.

Lapides says the dynamic does feel completely different at the in-person shows. The beautiful thing about an audience laughing is you are surfing the laughs. Youre creating a wave and then youre surfing the wave. And where theres laughter, you often stay there and do a little more because of the laughter. You know, comedy looks like a monologue, but it is a conversation. I mean, whether its with a quiet audience or a laughing audience, it is a conversation, and without an entity that can respond with laughter or silence, it does become a little bit of a monologue rather than a dialogue.

But theres not much loneliness happening in an UnCab Zoom show. In the early days of the show as an outlet for live alternative comedy, Lapides used to work the mic more from the back of the room, sometimes asking questions or urging performers to follow a certain spontaneous thread, partly because alternative comedy was a new concept and she wanted to keep comics in the moment, not going back to a standard set. She does that less often now in the live situation. But in the Zooms, that aspect of the early UnCabs has resumed. And with no live audience laughter, her distinctive laugh, which always feel honest and well-earned, is a welcome stand-in for the MIA crowd peals.

In some ways, the Zoom shows themselves are kind of a hybrid between standup and a talk show, Lapides says. I had a radio show for one second, and an MTV talk show, and the podcasts. That feeling is what Ive tried to bring to UnCab. In some ways UnCab has a conversational feeling, even when its not conversational. But in the Zooms, the conversational aspect is very explicit rather than more implicit.

Although quarantine was a time of learning not to wait for the laugh, says Edelman, I would wait for a laugh from Beth a bunch of the time. And Beth is pretty good about laughing  and shes a really good listener and a really great improviser-interviewer. She pulls comedy out of people really well. Sometimes I go on UnCabaret with no idea how long its going to be, and by the time I finish saying stuff, its been 20 minutes of entirely new things, and thats because of Beth. Things that I would never say on stage in front of strangers, I say in that room, because its a safe space because I know those people so well.

I do think Ive come out of (the pandemic) a little bit more mature, a little more intense, because what I did all through the pandemic was stuff that you didnt necessarily need to wait for a laugh.  But I also feel like Ive written a lot of jokes that are for Beth and Mitchs sense of humor, because theyre the only ones on UnCabaret that arent muted. So maybe theyve made me a worst comedian, because Im writing for two Jews who are exactly like me.

Bridgers says there have been hazards to doing comedy at home. One of the first UnCabaret Zooms was right when COVID was like this nebulous smoke monster  was it going to be the worst thing that ever happened in the world? Or was it going to be gone in 10 days? And I did overserve myself at the dining room table. Lauren Weedman told me I reminded her of Foster Brooks, and Alec Mapa told me that I reminded him of Foster Brooks  and they hadnt spoken to each other. The next day I was like, OK, Beth, you know its time to tap the breaks when two separate people say that you remind them of Foster Brooks. Lauren told me, I dont want to encourage you drinking, but I think you are funnier drunk. And then of course, Beth is like, Well, the goal is to get to where you can be relaxed when youre not drinking. I was like, Of course, thats what the pros do. But'

The ease of access to the Zooms can be intimidating, knowing that anyone could be watching. That is a thing about the Zoom that makes me feel a little bit cringy, because I know that my son Jacksons girlfriends parents have watched it. Its quite possible that some of my high school friends tune in. Every once in a while, Ill look through the guest list and Ill see a name that I kind of recognize and Im like, Oh, man. I just have to put it out of my mind, because some of my jokes are not for everyone, and it feels really intimate.

:I have that one thing thats actually on YouTube where Im talking about being frustrated that theres not more sex in the Twilight books. And you know, Im a professional person. I dont want any of my colleagues down at the real estate office to know that Im talking about Edward Cullens hard-on, even though I think its hysterical and Ill stand by it. But occasionally a client will Google me and theyll say, Hey, I understand that you do standup. I think were going to come down to El Cid. And I say, I usually dont invite people until their escrow closes.'

Bridgers is the one performer whos on every show, live or on Zoom. Lapides chose her for that role because theres something comforting as well as acerbic in her manner  a settling bookend to the brilliantly manic energy of Mapa that usually starts the show. (The advent of Bridgers show-closing appearance also makes for a good musical segue when musical director usually plays a beautiful piano-instrumental version of Phoebes Kyoto as her lead-in music.) But Bridgers, who only started doing comedy a few years ago and thinks of herself as among the least experienced of the regular performers, says she still aspires to reach the pain thresholds some of her comedy heroes uphold on UnCab.

When I watch somebody like Laura Kightlinger or Julia Sweeney on stage, and they can talk about things that are kind of, well, not necessarily sad, but they talk about things that obviously come from pain, and they make it funny, thats the skillset that I would love to have.

There may not be laughter coming from the online crowd, but they are visible to the hosts as well as viewers. Lapides thinks its too distracting to look in on the audience, although she sometimes will on a playback the following day. Bridgers cant resist doing it in real time.

Ive seen people accidentally have their camera on while they were getting their pajamas on and being completely nude while they were getting ready for bed. And Ill just text Emily (Nahmanson, the livestreams facilitator) and be like, Hey, you might want to kill the camera for this person. And its so sweet because they never know. If theres 200 people on a call, youre not thinking that anyones looking at you, but of course I am going through each of the little cells like the Brady Bunch. The people who are eating in bed off their (torsos), just completely prone, Im like, Honey, I get it, but thats what the avatar is for.'

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I liked Steven Spielbergs emotionally energized, visually bustling West Side Story just fine, though Im not as over the moon about it as some of my critical colleagues. Theres an ecstatic tone wafting through the reviews. I raise the issue because you would have expected that collective hosanna to be one of many things that inspired people to go out and see the movie.

The shocking disappointment of West Side Storys opening-weekend box-office take  a total of just $10.5 million, $1 million less than what In the Heights made and only $3 million more than Dear Evan Hansen, and both of those were considered lackluster performers  can be chalked up to the litany of explanations that everyone is giving it. The adaptation of a 64-year-old Broadway musical, offered up as a vigorous remake of the beloved 1961 Oscar-winning film, is a movie whose success was always going to depend on the turnout of older viewers  and during the pandemic, a good portion of that audience, ruled by safety concerns and with streaming at its disposal, has been choosing to stay home. Sure, there were hopes that younger folks would show up to see West Side Story. But the numbers only proved what many have long believed: that Gen Z doesnt much like musicals, certainly not classic older musicals (though some of them dug The Greatest Showman, and with good reason). Without tapping into that powerful youth demo, a 2021 movie is operating at a major disadvantage.

Yet even knowing all that, the returns on West Side Story were an eyebrow-raiser. Even when you consider all the factors working against mass movie attendance in the age of COVID, there was a wish  and a solid if not quite certain expectation  that a musical this grand, this entrenched in the bones of the culture, reimagined by an artist with a name as mythical as Steven Spielberg, was a gotta-see-it proposition, one that could transcend the usual pandemic stumbling blocks. Surely families would go!

Its a depressing fact of our moviegoing moment that when it comes to prestige dramas pitched to adults, one title after another (Belfast, Spencer, King Richard) has drastically underperformed. Yet one such film has, in fact, succeeded: House of Gucci, which actually had to fight its way through a blizzard of critical derision (all of it shortsighted, in my opinion). It may still be an uphill climb for that movie to make a profit (though the international returns should help), but whats undeniable is that House of Gucci found an audience. Were they all 28-year-old Lady Gaga fans? Sorry, but I dont think thats the only explanation for why the movie has connected. Adults have shown up; the numbers indicate that with the right film, reaching that audience is still possible. Besides, if Lady Gaga is the not-so-secret weapon of House of Guccis success, that still begs a question: Why couldnt the name Steven Spielberg be the not-so-secret weapon of West Side Storys?

To find the answer to that, I think you have to look at why the remake of West Side Story exists in the first place, what its appeal was always intended to be, and why that appeal, as envisioned by Spielberg, may have evaporated. As a critic, I cant pretend to be inside a filmmakers head, yet reading the intuitions of directors is part of what critics do; its part of how we interpret popular culture. And my reading of Spielberg is that over the last 20 years, he has worked, numerous times now, in a self-styled obsessive genre that I would call the Metaphorical Topical Statement.

In 2005, he made two movies  one pop, one serious that added up to a sidelong commentary on the 9/11 attacks and their aftermath. War of the Worlds was his disruption-from-another-world movie, with a chaos that channeled our own sense of how America had been ripped asunder. And Munich, which I consider to be one of Spielbergs five greatest films (along with Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Schindlers List and Saving Private Ryan), was his hypnotic thriller meditation on the seductions and perils of vengeance. Lincoln (2012), made just when if felt like our frayed political system was starting to crumble, was Spielbergs pointed portrait of how a great president has to work in tandem with his political adversaries  the very thing we were forgetting how to do. (At this point, its beyond forgotten.) And The Post, the newsroom drama about the Pentagon Papers that Spielberg made the year after Donald Trumps election, was the directors timely comment on what freedom of the press really means and how insidiously the crackdowns against it can work.

Where does West Side Story fit into all this? Spielberg first expressed interest in the project in 2014. In 2015, the year that Trump announced his presidential campaign, the director issued a statement saying, The divisions between the Sharks and the Jets in 1957, which inspired the musical, were profound. But not as divided as we find ourselves today. It turned out that in the middle of the development of the script, things widened, which I think in a sense, sadly, made the story of those racial divides  not just territorial divides  more relevant to todays audience than perhaps it even was in 1957. Spielberg has discussed how when he was growing up, West Side Story was the first piece of popular music allowed into his home and how he fell in love with it. But theres no question that the musicals theme of white vs. Latin racial strife was something that Spielberg believed struck a timely chord. Trump had launched his run for office on a toxic wave of anti-immigration rhetoric. The new West Side Story was conceived, in no small part, as a liberal message movie designed to address and heal those racial divisions.

Nothing wrong with that. Yet in thinking of West Side Story on those terms, was Spielberg making a movie that would, in fact, be galvanizingly topical? Or was he making a movie that would turn out to be perilously behind the times? Theres been quite a gap, extended by the pandemic (which delayed the films release by a year), between Trumps original despicable bursts of racist rhetoric and the arrival of West Side Story. And while Trump never let go of the racism, the whole build-the-wall era was, in Trump time, 17 scandals ago. (He has more Hispanic support now than he did then.) The truth is that we now occupy an era so scalded, so torn by division, when not just racial enlightenment but democracy itself is threatened, that the pieties of West Side Story dont even qualify as a Band-Aid. They feel more like a hippie flower stuck in a gun barrel.

I guess Im asking: As rousing a movie as West Side Story sometimes is, why, apart from Spielbergs name, would anyone have expected a remake of this musical to be a surefire hit? I dont agree with critics who say that the new version is simply better than the 1961 original. Sure, its more authentic, but part of the very thing that people cherish about the older film is its backlot corniness. (I would argue that its got a more indelible neon color scheme.) And though the fact that West Side Story is such a classic in our culture would seem to be a key selling point, perhaps its one that also works against the movie. People have seen the 1961 version countless times, theyve seen high-school productions, maybe theyve seen one of the Broadway revivals  and the music is so famous that its as if its never stopped playing. The whole premise of Spielbergs West Side Story is that it was going to be old and new at the same time. But the new part, aside from the racially authentic casting and the swirling camera moves, was supposed to be that this film about the tragedy of tribal ethnic antagonism could speak, in fresh ways, to the cataclysms of our time. Instead, those cataclysms seem to have spoken back to it and to have crushed it.

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More than a month has passed since the Nov. 5 tragedy in Houston at the Astroworld music festival, where one of Laredos own died.

And this week, the mother of that local victim spoke to Laredo Morning Times about the heartbreaking incident.

Maria De Los Angeles Pena is the mother of Rodolfo Rudy Pena, who was just 23 years of age when he was one of 10 who died in the incident. As the family continues mourning, investigations into what happened continue as well.

As a mother, I still continue with the same pain and hurt because the death of a son is something that breaks your heart in two, De Los Angeles Pena said. You can still not explain to yourself how this happened. I cannot still get my head around the fact that he is no longer here with us, and now with these upcoming holiday festivities, there is a lonely chair in my home. So personally, I am still very hurt for what happened. When you lose a mother or father, you are an orphan. When you lose your spouse, you are a widow. But when you are someone that loses a son or daughter, there are no words to describe that hurt and that pain.

Penas mother said she will feel her sons loss forever. She still remembers everything that happened when she got the news that he was hurt in the incident.

I remember that when we got over there, they told us that some police officers wanted to talk to us, and I remember stating why would they want to talk to us instead of a doctor? And when we got to a hotel, that is when they told us the news that he had passed, De Los Angeles Pena said.

Once I knew the news, I became very ill, and they told us to go to the hospital in efforts to plan for everything that is necessary to conduct a funeral. But they also told us that we could not see his body as he was already identified via his fingerprints. So we only got to see him once they brought his body to Laredo, and when I saw his face, I honestly did not think it was him as his face looked so different. His face looked so dark with bruises all over his face, and on his arms he didnt have anything  no cuts or anything else. It was just his face that it was purple, and even with makeup he still looked the same.

De Los Angeles Pena said she thinks about Rudy every single day, and it hurts her that this happened to someone so good with so many objectives in life  he worked as a physical therapist, studied and still had time for a social life. For the grieving mother, she said she continues to believe he will come back from his trip.

She describes Rudy as the light of the house, and as her baby, as he was the youngest of all his siblings. She said one of the best memories she has of Rudy is that every time he would be ready to go to work or school, he would hug her very strongly to the point where she would tell him to hug her softer and they would both laugh.

She is also surprised at how many friends and acquaintances he had, as she only knew his close friends but not all of the people who attended his funeral. During the event, she remembers hearing many stories about how he was a good guy and very fun to be around. Although De Los Angeles Penas other children try to continue to be strong for their mother, she says she knows they continue to hurt as well. She says she often tries to cry when they are not around just so they do not see the pain she is still feeling.

Rudys sister says the pain is still there but the tragedy has united the family more.

I feel empty inside like there is no light without him, said Jennifer Pena, Rudys sister. The ultimate outcome out of all of this to keep my family even more united than before, because we never know when we will not see each other again.

The legal battle

De Los Angeles Pena says the family recently went and attended various meetings and investigations in Houston to see the venue where he passed away and to be interviewed by media of the city. During the familys visit, they also left some flowers near the area where Rudy died. The familys legal team says the investigations are still ongoing, but they do not plan to join their case with any others as they continue their individual lawsuit against the various defendants including rapper Travis Scott, the venue and others.

Currently, all the lawsuits which have been filed are individual ones, said attorney Valerie Cortinas Fisher, who is a member of the familys legal team. We do not anticipate these suits to be joined.

Fisher also said there are some rumors going around concerning Scott that must be dispelled as they are not fully accurate.

We are still in the investigatory stage of the process and hope to discover more of what actions or inactions occurred at the hands of the named defendants, Fisher said. Recently, news reports of Travis Scott seeking an immediate dismissal have circulated, however, these reports are somewhat misleading. His lawyers have filed answers which contain a general denial and ... a dismissal of all claims with prejudice. These are typical requests by defendants when answering a lawsuit.

De Los Angeles Pena says she had never heard about Travis Scott or his music, as he is an artist she does not follow. However, she is heartbroken her son died in an event that he attended simply to have fun with his friends.

He simply bought that ticket to have fun, but it seems more like he simply bought his ticket to death, De Los Angeles Pena said.

The tragedy is not the first one the mother has had to endure, as years ago, she lost her husband in Rudys father as well. De Los Angeles Pena said Rudy had always been impacted by his fathers death in an accident when he was barely 8 years old. Rudy was also involved in the accident but survived.

As a resolution to all of this, I leave it to the hands of God, because he is the only one who has the last word, De Los Angeles Pena said. Just like there are terrestrial laws, there are also divine laws, so Ill leave all this to the hands of God. I will be praying for all of those who continue to feel effects about this or who have passed as well as this should have never happened. I just hope that these concert venues check properly every time to avoid this from happening as our sons and daughters were taken from us in such a horrible way.

Fisher says her investigative team will continue working hard in an effort to provide the necessary justice as to what happened.

On behalf of their lost loved ones, the grieving families continue to seek justice and answers through the court system, Fisher said.

Rudys legacy

As the family continues to mourn and continue the legal battle, ways to commemorate Rudys legacy continue as the family does plan to create a scholarship on his behalf while his former college, Laredo College, says it hopes to honor him in Mays graduation.

One of Rudys former professors from LC called me and told me that in May when he was supposed to graduate, that he was going to give me his graduation diploma. And, in my mind, I tell myself that I would have liked to see him there walking down the aisle, as it was his dream to continue on and graduate, and unfortunately, he will not be here with us, De Los Angeles Pena said.

The family continues to gather money in the GoFundMe account created for Rudy in efforts to use most collected for a scholarship fund for students at LC.

My daughter opened a GoFundMe account to gather money for these scholarships and to do this in his memory, and we really want this done and hope more of the community participates in this, De Los Angeles said.

Jennifer Pena says the family is also gathering resources and honoring Rudys memory via a Facebook page that will soon have more information concerning the scholarships they wish to offer, via the page "Angel Time Scholarships." The GoFundMe account can be found online at gofund.me/73a70f3f.

jorge.vela@lmtonline.com
NEW YORK (AP)  Anne Rice, the novelist whose lush, best-selling gothic tales, including Interview With the Vampire, reinvented the blood-drinking immortals as tragic antiheroes, has died. She was 80.

Rice died late Saturday due to complications from a stroke, her son Christopher Rice announced on her Facebook page and his Twitter page.

As a writer, she taught me to defy genre boundaries and surrender to my obsessive passions, Christopher Rice, also an author, wrote. In her final hours, I sat beside her hospital bed in awe of her accomplishments and her courage.

Rice's 1976 novel Interview With the Vampire" was later adapted, with a script by Rice, into the 1994 movie directed by Neil Jordan and starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. It's also set to be adapted again in an upcoming TV series on AMC and AMC+ set to premiere next year.

Interview With the Vampire, in which reporter Daniel Molloy interviews Louis de Pointe du Lac, was Rice's first novel but over the next five decades, she would write more than 30 books and sell more than 150 million copies worldwide. Thirteen of those were part of the Vampire Chronicles" begun with her 1976 debut. Long before Twilight or True Blood, Rice introduced sumptuous romance, female sexuality and queerness  many took Interview With the Vampire as an allegory for homosexuality  to the supernatural genre.

I wrote novels about people who are shut out life for various reasons," Rice wrote in her 2008 memoir Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession. This became a great theme of my novels  how one suffers as an outcast, how one is shut out of various levels of meaning and, ultimately, out of human life itself."

Born Howard Allen Frances OBrien in 1941, she was raised in New Orleans, where many of her novels were set. Her father worked for the postal service but made sculptures and wrote fiction on the side. Her older sister, Alice Borchardt, also wrote fantasy and horror fiction. Rice's mother died when Rice was 15.

Raised in an Irish Catholic family, Rice initially imagined herself becoming a priest (before she realized women weren't allowed) or a nun. Rice often wrote about her fluctuating spiritual journey. In 2010, she announced that she was no longer Christian, saying I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control.

I believed for a long time that the differences, the quarrels among Christians didnt matter a lot for the individual, that you live your life and stay out of it. But then I began to realize that it wasnt an easy thing to do, Rice told The Associated Press then. I came to the conclusion that if I didnt make this declaration, I was going to lose my mind.

Rice married the poet Stan Rice, who died in 2002, in 1961. They lived amid the bohemian scene of Haight-Ashbury in 1960s San Francisco where Rice described herself as a square, typing away and studying writing at San Francisco State University while everyone else partied. Together they had two children: Christopher and Michelle, who died of leukemia at 5 in 1972.

It was while grieving Michelle's death that Rice wrote Interview With the Vampire," turning one of her short stories into a book. Rice traced her fascination with vampires back to the 1934 film, Dracula's Daughter, which she saw as a young girl.

I never forgot that film, Rice told the Daily Beast in 2016. That was always my impression of what vampires were: earthlings with heightened sensibility and a doomed appreciation of life.

Though Rice had initially struggled to get it published, Interview With the Vampire was a massive hit, particularly in paperback. She didn't immediately extend the story, following it up with a pair of historical novels and three erotic novels penned under the pseudonym A. N. Roquelaure. But in 1985, she published The Vampire Lestat, about the Interview With the Vampire character she would continually return to, up to 2018's Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat.

In Rice's Vampire Chronicles, some critics saw only cheap eroticism. But others  including millions of readers  saw the most consequential interpretation of vampires since Bram Stoker.

Let me suggest one reason why the books found a mass audience. They were written by someone whose auditory and visual experiences shaped the prose," Rice wrote in her memoir. "I am a terrible reader. But my mind is filled with these auditory and visual lessons and, powered by them, I can write about five times faster than I can read.

Rice's longtime editor, Victoria Wilson, recalled her as a fierce storyteller who wrote large, lived quietly, and imagined worlds on a grand scale."

She summoned the feelings of an age long before we knew what they were," Wilson said in a statement. "As a writer, she was decades ahead of her time.

Rice will be interred during a private ceremony at a family mausoleum in New Orleans, her family said. A public celebration will also be planned for next year in New Orleans. Ramses the Damned: The Reign of Osiris, a novel Rice wrote with her son Christopher, will be published in February.

___

Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP

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This story has been updated to correct the title of Interview With the Vampire in the first paragraph.
Hector J. Garcia Early College High Schools William Raymond has been named the winner of the Congressional App Challenge in the 28th Congressional District for his Automotive Basics app.

Rep. Henry Cuellar (TX-28) announced Raymond as the winner at a special ceremony Friday. In fact, he announced that out of the 70 students who submitted functioning apps in his district which spans from San Antonio down to The Valley, GECHS claimed each of the top three spots in the contest.

That shows you what your students are made of, (as well) as the parents and the faculty here, Cuellar said at Fridays event. So again, its important because we want to make sure students learn how to code and pursue careers in computer science, STEM and whatever areas you might be looking at.

Rounding out the awards for GECHS was Nahomi Garcia who finished in second place with her app Mindframe which hopes to help students with their mental health challenges at school.

With just a simple app you can change lives and help a lot of people, Garcia said.

Angel Sanchez finished in third place for his app which helps individuals learn new languages.

Its for anybody that wants to learn a new language for beginners, he said. Its just to help them learn something new  something fun.

Effie Maldonado is the Digital Media teacher at the Early College High School. She taught every student who received an award Friday as well as a debate champion who was recognized as well and will receive further recognition from Rep. Cuellar when she competes in Austin later in the school year.

Im always very honored and pleased to work with the students every day, more so face-to-face, Maldonado said. Im getting to know their faces since last year.

Were very honored for the opportunity to participate and just experience things that they might be able to do in the future in the area of science and technology. Congratulations.

The Congressional App Challenge saw more than 7,000 entries nationwide this year with more than 2,100 functional apps submitted.

Congress also runs an art contest every year to reach both students in STEM as well as in the arts.

Dr. Sylvia Rios is the Superintendent of Schools at Laredo ISD. She is in her fourth year in the position and has more than 30 years in the education field. She congratulated all of the students who were honored Friday and encouraged them to take what they have learned and do something great with it.

Students, you have achieved this great honor, so what are you going to do with it? she asked. How are you going to continue to grow? How are you going to continue to shape the world in which we live? How are you going to make a difference for someone else? Maybe a year from now, maybe five years from now, maybe 30 years from now, how can you make a difference in the lives of others who will be depending on you?

Technology has been the strength of our schools because of the pandemic, but that shouldnt be the end. It should be a beginning. It should be a continued effort and initiative. And I will tell you that our Board of Trustees as well as every single educator in our schools is working toward providing those opportunities. So I want to thank each and every person who has done something in the lives of our children, and specifically, in the lives of these three individuals who so aptly represent our schools.

During Fridays presentation, attendees were able to scan a QR code of each of the students winning apps and get a preview of what they developed.

For Raymond, his project started out of what he does every single day. He works at a junk yard in his time away from school so he is around cars all the time.

Knowing that level of knowledge he already had, he wanted to give some of that to those around him in an effort to not only educate, but help keep those around him safer.

Essentially the app is an automotive app that teaches you the gauges of the dashboard such as the odometer and speedometer, he said. The way it works is you click on it, and depending on whether you get it right or wrong, it takes you to a description as well as it gives you the picture of the odometer or speedometer, so on and so forth.

I made the app essentially for people to be able to familiarize themselves with the components of the dashboard to make roads safer because its important for people to be aware of what they have inside the vehicle for not only their safety but the safety of others.

The state of Texas may not be the most dangerous state to drive in according to multiple studies on the subject, but according to the Texas Department of Transportation, there has been a fatality on Texas roads every day for the last 21 years as of Nov. 7.

TxDOT is currently running a campaign to End The Streak in hopes of making roads safer. Efforts from individuals such as Raymond are meant to hopefully help.

Dr. Gerry Cruz is the assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction at LISD. Seeing work like this from students such as Raymond as well as the work of Sanchez and Garcia, makes him proud.

STEM is coming back, he said. I remember growing up and being in high school and having vocational settings and now we see it full fledged, and through efforts such as this were seeing what we can do and how students are interested.

We know what students are interested in and we listen to our community  so again, congratulations.

The Congressional App Challenge is held every year in congressional districts across the nation to encourage middle and high school students to learn to code and to inspire them to pursue careers in computer science.

To learn more go to the challenges website at congressionalappchallenge.us.

thomas.lott@lmtonline.com
Lee Merritt, a candidate for Texas Attorney General and a civil rights attorney, visited various locations in Laredo on Friday while stopping by Laredo Morning Times to talk about his campaign.

Merritt began as a trial attorney in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, then practiced before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Texas. He is known nationally for his work on racial justice issues, most recently representing the family of Ahmaud Arbery.

Merritt, a former teacher, said education is one of the major points of the attorney general race.

(Incumbent Ken Paxton), instead of protecting schools or giving them the resources they need to thrive, is literally filing lawsuits and mocking them in the process, Merritt said. Weve seen book banning in a way that reminds me of a totalitarian government.

Merritt said school boards, teachers and the communities should decide what is best for their schools.

I do not believe the law or the Texas Constitution supports ... this new polarization in politics where weve decided that classrooms and our students education is fair game, Merritt said. I would fight to keep local control of these issues.

Merritt said the same of coronavirus-related mandates.

If a business, for the safety of its workers and the families it serves, wants to have a vaccine mandate then they can, Merritt said. Its just not the role of government to come in and say you must have a vaccine mandate or you cannot have one.

Part of Merritts reasoning for his visit to Laredo was to come to a border community and learn from its people.

We know that annually there is going to be a swell at our border that causes what is in fact a human rights crisis, Merritt said. We have an obligation to the international community to meet this crisis with resources and not with guys with guns and bullets.

Merritt said a border wall would be a waste of those resources.

Instead, he proposed something similar to Arizonas smarter wall, which is a technological barrier made up of patchwork tools such as drones and sensors to help identify illegal trafficking.

Another change he said he plans to bring is seeking accountability for corporate failures including the February power grid crisis which affected millions of Texans and killed hundreds.

Corporations benefit in times of crisis, and our current attorney general has offered them governmental immunity, Merritt said. They certainly do not deserve that. Im not sure even governmental entities deserve it to the extent they receive it, but I will pull that away from power distributors.

Merritt aims to be the first Democrat to hold the attorney generals office in 23 years come the 2022 election.

In order to win, he said, his campaign will need a unique number of people participating in the election. He feels he appeals to young voters  a base that has increased turnout by over 400% in the time between the previous two elections.

The campaign gained over 10,000 donors in its first two weeks across all 50 states. Merritt said it provides the same hope Beto ORourkes gubernatorial campaign does for down-ballot candidates.

We see our campaign as an opportunity not only for Democrats to win for the first time in a long time but really to claim that office back for the people of Texas, Merritt said. Its supposed to be a constitutional office.

If nothing else, Merritt said he wants Laredoans to know he cares about individual rights.

They deserve a voice. They deserve somebody whos going to speak for them and not for the corporations, Merritt said. The attorney generals office can be used to serve their basic needs. It can be effective at lowering property taxes, protecting our schools and making sure theyre well-funded and not under assault from Austin.

Malena Charur contributed to this story.

marcus.trevino@lmtonline.com
As the country is being hit with more and more Covid restrictions, it seems our Christmas could be hampered by the pandemic once again.

But local productions are doing their utmost to ensure compliance with the latest Covid-19 guidelines.

The crew and cast of Longfords Traditional Panto are working hard to ensure the utmost safety for patrons who plan to attend their production of Snow White in St Mels College this Christmas.

New measures to ensure safety include booking bubbles, stringent cleaning methods and proper ventilation in the venue.

We are following all guidelines and building on them to ensure an enjoyable, safe experience for all at Longfords Traditional Panto, explained Paul Hennessy.

As our venue doesnt have fixed seating, we have the luxury of being able to arrange seating for each show based on the bookings. You will still be in the row and seat you book, but with more space between you and other bookings.

We have already reduced venue capacity to allow more space. Were very lucky in the beautiful venue of St Mels College that we have so much space and high ceilings.

Other measures include ventilation before, during and after the performance, stringent cleaning and sanitising procedures between shows, front of house staff wearing masks, checking of Covid passes, plenty of sanitising stations, and a requirement for adults to wear masks, except when eating and drinking.

All restrictions aside, this promises to be a truly unmissable show, running in

Join Longfords Traditional Panto this Christmas to see a magic mirror, a horrid stepmother, a poisoned apple and seven vertically challenged friends in a magical story bursting with songs, dance routines and side-splitting comedy!

Will Snow White survive Queen Evilene's attempts to get rid of her? Will she find the love of her life and live happily ever after? There's only one place to find out.

After the phenomenal success of the sell-out Cinderella, in 2019, Stray Cat Productions returns, bigger and better, with the happiest, most magical show ever to hit Longford!

Starring Ireland's favourite X-Factor finalist Mary Byrne as the benevolent Fairy Nuff and the hilarious Colin Flynn as Dame Daisy Doolittle, this promises to have adults and children alike laughing, singing and dancing in the aisles.

Back by popular demand after his highly acclaimed performance as Buttons in Cinderella, the amazingly talented Damien 'Dougie' Douglas will be taking on the role of Billy, Snow White's silly but lovable BFF!

Longford's own powerhouse, Valerie Nolan, also returns, this time as the villainess Queen Evilene, and she is joined by her partners in crime Davy Flaherty and Iarlaith O'Rourke playing her idiot servants Tik and Tok.

The phenomenally talented duo of Leia Victory and Niamh O'Brien from Evolution Stage School will both share the role of Snow White for this year's extended run and joining them will be Ireland's brightest, up-and-coming musical theatre star, Jordan Bass, who plays the cheesy Prince Harry.

Local performer Conor McLoughlin completes a fabulous line-up as Queen Evilene's huntsman - who's terrified of blood!

Written and directed by Pat McElwain, choreographed by Tracey Carty, musically directed by Paul Hennessy and stage managed by Gerry McCann, the team that brought you Cinderella cannot wait to bring this classic tale to the stage this Christmas. Don't miss what promises to be a tremendous treat for all the family!

Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, it's off to Longford's Traditional Panto we go!

Snow White is supported by Longford Tourism and The Longford Arms Hotel. Snow White opens on Dec 20 with a special opening night offer of 15. Tickets available from www.gr8events.ie.

Follow on Facebook & Instagram: @LongfordsTraditionalPanto.
Business & Finance

By Ls Cohen Published: December 12 2021

Breeze Airways plan is to fly non-stop to cities other airlines do not.

A new airline will take flight from Long island MacArthur Airport early next year. Breeze Airway is going to offer non-stop flights from Long island to Charleston, SC and Norfolk, VA starting February 17. Fares will be as low as $39 one-way.

MacArthur will be Breeze Airways first airport in New York State.

According to a press release from the Town of Islip, Breeze will inaugurate four weekly round trips between Islip and Norfolk, VA, on February 17, on Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays and Mondays. On February 18, Breeze will introduce twice weekly round trips between Islip and Charleston, SC, on Fridays and Mondays.

Breeze Airways Chairman and CEO David Neeleman has already founded five commercial air carriers. Breeze received its air carrier certification from the US Department of Transportation on May 14, 2021, having conducted proving runs and other certification requirements from an operational base at Long Island MacArthur Airport.

Breeze then began commercial operations May 27, 2021.

It feels so great to be back in New York, albeit down the road somewhat from my days at JFK, said Neeleman in a statement. Breezes model is to add new non-stop service on routes other airlines dont fly, connecting cities with a short non-stop that otherwise would require a long drive or a change of planes.

Breeze will fly 108-seat Embraer 190 aircrafts.



Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter said that the Town had an opportunity to show Breeze Long Island hospitality during the US Department of Transportation air carrier certification process.

We believe our professionalism, perseverance, and community support helped showcase our area, bringing this exciting new service to fruition, said Carpenter.

Empire State Development Acting Commissioner and President & CEO-designate Hope Knight said New York was proud to welcome Breeze Airways to MacArthur Airport.

The aviation industry is a key part of the States economy, and Long Island - as the Cradle of Aviation - has played a pivotal role in the sectors growth, Knight said. This new partnership will facilitate regional development, create local jobs, and help to promote tourism not just on Long Island, but across the Empire State.
(Alliance News)A - The European Commission on Saturday announced a breakthrough in the post-Brexit fishing talks with Britain after London granted new licences for EU vessels.

The EuropeanA Commission said the decision "was an important step in a long process"A to implement the trade agreement struck between the two sides following Britain's departure from the EU.

The row centres on licences to fish in British and Channel Island waters under the terms of the deal, the so-called Trade & Co-operation Agreement. France has long claimed that Britain is not fully implementing its obligations under the terms of the deal.

A press statement from a UK government spokesperson said negotiators took an evidence-based approach throughout the talks to grant licenses.

"Where that evidence has not been provided, licences have not been issued," the spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for the French government said in a press statement that Paris and the EU would continue to work together for the full implementation of the TCA.

The breakthrough comes after a Brussels-imposed deadline for resolving the fishing row passed on Friday without an agreement being struck.

Britain has now issued 18 licences for EU replacement vessels to operate in British territorial waters and five licences for EU vessels to access waters around Jersey in the ChannelA Islands.

Consultations between the two sides are due to continue over the weekend in the hopes of reaching agreement on the licensing of seven more replacement vessels by Monday.

source: dpa

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Anthony Martial's future looks set to lie away from Old Trafford, with the Frenchman keen to leave Manchester United either in January or the summer in order to find a club at which he'll play a more prominent role.

With the transfer window opening at the beginning of January, Martial is hoping to have suitors so that he can bring his time in Manchester to an end after six and a half years.

But which clubs could turn to the Frenchman this winter? We've taken a look at three possible destinations.

Paris Saint-Germain

With Kylian Mbappe's contract coming to an end and Real Madrid circling, waiting to talk to the forward from January 1, the French side may well be in need of another forward to add to their already-stacked squad.

Although Neymar and Lionel Messi are there, Mbappe and Mauro Icardi are the only traditional strikers they have and the club want to rid themselves of the Argentine this winter.

Barcelona

The Catalans' goalscoring problems have been clear as day under Xavi Hernandez and, in truth, this season as a whole. They're struggling to replace Messi and even Luis Suarez and haven't been helped by Martin Braithwaite's injury problems and Sergio Aguero's heart problem.

Although money is tight at the Camp Nou, there is a belief that they will be able to sign in January and Martial may be the man they turn to to solve their attacking woes.

Newcastle United

The Premier League's newly-rich club are linked with just about everybody at the moment, as was to be expected when their takeover went through.

Living in England's north east hasn't always been the most appealing of options for European players, but having lived in Manchester for almost seven years it's doubtful that Martial would be too put off by the climate there.

The news owners have started to put their stamp on things with the dismissal of Steve Bruce to appoint Eddie Howe. Now, everybody is waiting for their first major transfer.
Miss Universe is celebrating its 70thedition of the beauty pageant. In 2021 we travel to the cosmopolitan city of Eliat, Israel. And Elle Smith will represent the U.S. as the 70th Miss USA.

Elle Smith is a University of Kentucky graduate and works as a reporter at WHAS TV. Art and journalism are Smith's two greatest passions.

Smith is 23 years old, and majored in journalism and broadcasting. She specialized in political science.

Miss USA lives in the Louisville area. She believes that being a journalist in the US is "an honor" and an "essential part of our society."

Art is part of Elle Smith's life. Her dad is a photographer, while her mom has a classical formation in piano.

Where and When to watch Miss Universe 2021?

Sunday December 12 at 7pm ET.

The Miss Universe 2021 pageant will be broadcast on FOX, Telemundo and RCN.
The emergence of the Omicron COVID-19 variant in the United States of America has led several states to make fresh appeals for the public to receive either their first vaccinations or even a booster shot.

This is also the case in Massachusetts, where the Department of Public Health released a video message on Monday that urged families to get children who are aged five or older to get vaccinated against COVID-19, with the Omicron variant having first been detected in the state last week.

The video message, which features Dr. Frinny Polanco Walters from Boston Children's Hospital's Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, was posted on the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's official Twitter account.

"I speak with parents and families every day," Walters says in the clip. "I tell them, the vaccine is safe and highly effective for this age group. And I encourage them to get the vaccine against COVID-19, just as they get their child vaccinated against the measles."

Can I receive my booster shot?

State health officials are now actively encouraging eligible 16- and 17-year-old citizens to get the Pfizer booster shot against COVID-19, with cases and hospitalisations rising sharply across the state of Massachusetts.

So long as these teenagers have had at least six months pass since their initial Pfizer vaccinations, they will be able to receive a booster.

There are more than 500 locations across Massachusetts where you are able to get the booster.

Should I panic?

As Jon Santiago, an ER physician at Boston Medical Center and a former Boston mayoral candidate, notes, people should remember to wear masks, get their vaccines or booster, and get tested, following the news that the Omicron variant is in Massachusetts.

"It's here," Santiago tweeted. "But don't panic. It's not March 2020. We have the tools & best nurses/techs/docs."
Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma were last seen together in Karan Johar's 2016 hit Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and their onscreen chemistry was loved by fans. During the promotions of the film, their camaraderie and fun banter hinted that they share a comfortable and friendly bond in real-life as well. But did you know that Ranbir once made Anushka cry, like literally? Yes, you read that right! A few years ago, in an interview, Anushka talked about this interesting incident.

Before Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, the duo also worked together in Anurag Kashyap's box-office dud Bombay Velvet also featuring Karan Johar in a pivotal role. During the film's shooting, Ranbir reportedly irritated Anushka so much that she literally cried on the sets. Well, at least, that's what Anushka had revealed in the old interview.

She said, Hes (Ranbir) easy to work with as hes my friend. We would fight. I even cried once.

While Ranbir is known to be a fun co-star, Anushka likes to keep to herself and that is why she couldn't take it any longer and started crying. Anushka added, I didnt want to fight with him because we were going to shoot a romantic scene. I couldnt even fight with him. I started to cry like a chick.

Keeping that incident aside, Anushka further expressed that she shared a great camaraderie with Ranbir and concluded by saying, I have huge respect for him as an artiste. He is a very good actor and so effortless.

Well, both the actors are yet to pair up onscreen after Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and fans would love to see them together again in a film soon.

On the career front, Ranbir was last seen in the 2018 blockbuster Sanju and has several interesting projects in his kitty. The actor has completed shooting for Yash Raj Film's Shamshera co-starring Vaani Kapoor. He is expected to wrap up Ayan Mukerji's much-delayed Brahmastra opposite girlfriend Alia Bhatt very soon. His line-up also includes Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal and Luv Ranjan's next.

Anushka too is away from the big screen since 2018. Her last release was Aanand L Rai's Zero alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif. She's currently busy nurturing her baby girl Vamika and is yet to announce her next. She is expected to make her Bollywood comeback with the Jhulan Goswami biopic. However, the official announcement is still awaited.
Hollywoods IT couple Tom Holland and Zendaya are quashing unnecessary dialogue around their height difference on the front foot, calling out the stereotype of men needing to be taller than their partners a stupid assumption.



 Reuters

The pair were first seen together on-screen in 2017s Spiderman: Homecoming, where Tom played the webbed crusader, and Zendaya played MJ, Spideys traditional love interest. With the third installment of the Spiderman series - Spiderman: No Way Home - right around the corner, the power couple scoffed at all the attention given to their height difference, in an interview with SiriusXM. Holland said, Shes not that much taller than me, lets just put this out there, he added that thinking their heights would affect their relationship was a stupid assumption.



Zendaya stands just a couple of inches taller than Tom, at 5 ft 10 inches in comparison to his 5 ft 8 inches.

 Reuters

The Dune actress opened up about how she never cared about dating someone shorter than her because it was normalized for her from a young age. Zendaya said. My mum is taller than my dad. I honestly never thought of it as a thing because my parents were always that way, so I didnt know that people cared. I had no concept of it., she added, This is normal too.



In India as well, men dating someone taller than them is often seen as taboo. In cis-heterenormative relationships, both men and women are guilty of being uncomfortable in such an equation, where the former is afraid to look "less dominant" than the latter, while taller women are subjected to ridicule when their partners end up being shorter than them; for some reason, a mans manhood is questioned if their partner towers them.

Most of our Bollywood superstars boast of an average height. A quick google search will show that Salman, Ranveer, Shah Rukh, Aamir, Shahid, and Saif all fall tall between 5 ft 5 inches to 5 ft 9 inches. But you wont be able to tell the difference when theyre on-screen next to a taller actress, as the male actors are made to stand on apple boxes for scenes, lest someone finds out theyre shorter than the leading lady. Apparently, thats a huge issue for the desi junta.

Tom and Zendayas height difference has been a topic of much discussion, debates, and jest, and were glad that the celebrity couple is taking these issues head-on without a care of what people think about their relationship.

Heres hoping that Indian celebrities take a cue from Holland and Zendaya, and start calling out such silly and outdated standards of male desirability.
In what seems to be straight out of the script of a potential Netflix series, a mother has been caught stealing her daughters identity in what could be a desperate attempt to overcompensate for her waning youth.

Laura Oglesby stole the identity of her estranged daughter in order to enroll herself into college, acquire student loans, and even get frisky with men her offsprings age.

 Laura Oglesby

It has been reported that the Missouri native has been accused of siphoning almost $25,000 (Rs 19 lakhs) and thus faces appropriate jail time.



Laura A. Oglesby (Mountain View) used a stolen identity to enroll in college, pleads to Social Security fraud. https://t.co/SwQU9iyhup  U.S. Attorney WDMO (@USAO_WDMO) December 6, 2021

As per reports, Oglesby faces five years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of intentionally providing false information to the Social Security Administration

Additionally, she also needs to pay $17,521 (Rs 13 lakh) in restitution to her daughter and the university in Missouri.

According to the New York Posts report, Laura, 48, was able to successfully dupe the locals as well as the federal government in the small town of Mountain View, over the course of two years.

The scam started in 2016 after Oglesby had applied for a social security card in her daughter, Lauren Hays name. It didnt take too long for the former to get the card and begin her elaborate ruse.

The 43-year old maverick mother, posing as her 22-year old estranged daughter, managed to get admitted at Southwest Baptist University using the social security card. Furthermore, she also acquired a driving license in Lauras name.

 Laura Oglesby

It was at the university that Oglesby set the wheels of her elaborate plan in motion. The imposter went about seducing men in their 20s, pretending to be 22 herself. Her commitment to the ruse is astounding as she went ahead and made Snapchat accounts in Laurens name, essentially starting a seriously strange and twisted game of catfish.



According to Detective Stetson Schwien, "She had completely adopted a younger lifestyle: clothing, makeup and personality. She had completely assumed becoming a younger person in her early 20s.

During this time, the accused lived with Avery and Wendy Parker, apparent good samaritans from Mountain View who were led to believe that Oglesby needed shelter and safety from an abusive relationship.

The guilty party managed to get work at the local Mountain View library where locals knew her as Lauren Hays.

The tentacles of her master plan also involved embezzling financial aid and student loans. The scheming mother received $9,400 in federal student loans, $5,920 in Pell Grants, and $1,863 in finance charges.

It was in 2018 that Oglesbys luck finally ran out, as authorities in Arkansas caught a whiff of the financial fraud committed by her using her daughters identity, and reached out to Mountain Views police.

After initial bouts of denial, Laura Oglesby eventually admitted to her wrongdoings and was promptly arrested Netflix, are you listening? Weve got a sensational story brewing here.
State Police to Participate in Multi-State Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Operation Involving I-94

State Police to Participate in Multi-State Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Operation Involving I-94

Insp. Patrick Morris, MSP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, (810) 701-0569

Michigan State Police (MSP) motor carrier officers will join officers from the Indiana State Police, Illinois State Police, and Ohio State Highway Patrol in focusing their enforcement on I-94 and other major freeways in Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio in a coordinated enforcement operation. Michigan's operation is dubbed "Eyes on 94" and seeks to reduce commercial vehicle crashes along the I-94 corridor. This multi-state effort will take place from Dec. 6-10, 2021.

During this initiative, motor carrier officers will focus on violations by commercial vehicles that are most likely to contribute to a crash, which include distracted driving, following too close, improper passing, speeding, and improper lane use.

"This enforcement effort is a great example of the commitment by the MSP, Indiana State Police, Illinois State Police, and the Ohio Highway Patrol to reach our common goal of increasing traffic safety and reducing crashes," stated Capt. Richard Arnold, Commander of the MSP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division. "This coordinated operation is an effort to increase awareness by means of high visibility enforcement on the I-94 freeway, which is prone to weather-related crashes involving interstate commercial vehicle drivers this time of year."

Multi-state commercial vehicle enforcement initiatives allow neighboring states to align their resources to collectively focus attention on safety concerns involving interstate traffic. The MSP's participation in these joint initiatives aims to increase safety on Michigan roads.

The "Eyes on 94" initiative is part of the statewide Drive Toward Zero Deaths traffic safety campaign, which is based on the national strategy on highway safety that seeks to reduce the number of traffic deaths nationwide.
Governor Whitmer Encourages Childcare Providers to Apply for State Grant to Deliver $1,000 Bonuses to Staff By 12/8 Deadline

Governor Whitmer Encourages Childcare Providers to Apply for State Grant to Deliver $1,000 Bonuses to Staff By 12/8 Deadline

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

December 3, 2021

Contact: press@michigan.gov

Governor Whitmer Encourages Childcare Providers to Apply for State Grant to Deliver $1,000 Bonuses to Staff By 12/8 Deadline

Licensed programs have less than a week left to apply and receive funding for $1,000 staff bonuses and thousands more to keep their doors open, help get people back to work, and continue serving children

LANSING, Mich. - Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer reminded licensed childcare programs that there is less than one week left to apply for the Child Care Stabilization Grant authorized in the bipartisan State of Michigan budget the governor signed in September. The $380 million grant will be used to provide $1,000 bonuses to childcare professionals and awards thousands of dollars in operational grants to local childcare businesses.

"Childcare is the backbone of a strong economy and childcare professionals and programs go above and beyond every day to care for our kids, helping them learn and grow in a safe environment," said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. " Countless working parents rely on childcare, and without the tireless, often thankless work of providers and professionals, working families would not be able to get back to work and pursue their potential. I was proud that we were able to come together and put childcare providers and professionals first in the bipartisan budget I signed. Thanks to our collaboration, we are delivering every childcare professional a $1,000 bonus in recognition of their incredible sacrifices, expanding low or no-cost care to 105,000 kids, and helping providers invest in and improve their programs. With this investment, we can ensure kids and working families succeed as we continue ushering in a new era of prosperity for our communities."

"Childcare providers are enormously important in supporting Michigan's children, families, businesses, and the economy as a whole," said State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice. "These state funds help recognize and appreciate childcare providers and affords them some needed financial support to help keep their programs open and focused on our earliest learners."

"These grants can truly stabilize and even accelerate programming for many early education and care providers, and that's why we are committing resources to make sure providers know about and take advantage of this opportunity. This includes daily posts and phone calls to providers where our team is able to overcome hesitancy and even dispel some myths that have happily resulted in providers starting their applications even while on the phone," said Denise Smith, Implementation Director at Hope Starts Here in Detroit.

"These grants help childcare providers retain and attract staff, improve quality, and invest in their program's future. We're working with a statewide team to encourage every provider to apply. If you're a licensed childcare program, and you haven't applied, please contact your Great Start to Quality Resource Center for help you apply by December 8th," said Dr. Tami Mannes, Director of Early Childhood Services at the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District.

Child Care Stabilization Grant Information

So far, over 4,000 programs have applied, and funding is still available. Licensed childcare providers should visit Michigan.gov/childcare to review frequently asked questions and apply. Translated versions of the grant documents are available in Arabic, Burmese, Chinese, Kinyarwanda, and Spanish.

Childcare professionals will be awarded bonuses directly from their employer and do not need to apply.

The application will close at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, December 8th.

Delivering for Families

These grants are part of a $1.4 billion investment to expand access to quality, affordable childcare. Earlier this month, Governor Whitmer expanded access to free or low-cost childcare to 105,000 more Michigan children and their families. Families of four earning up $49,000 are now eligible for free or low-cost childcare, boosting Michigan's economic momentum by helping parents go back to work knowing that their kids are cared for. Families can apply for support by visiting MiBridges.Michigan.gov.

Budget

In September, the governor signed the Fiscal Year 2022 budget bill that includes game-changing investments in childcare and delivers on the kitchen-table issues that matter most to families, communities, and small business. The budget puts 167,000 Michiganders on a tuition-free path to higher-education or skills training, repairs or replaces 100 bridges while creating 2,500 jobs, and makes a $500 million deposit into our rainy day fund, the largest one-time ever, bringing its balance to nearly $1.4 billion, the highest ever.

Earlier this year, Governor Whitmer and legislature worked together to put Michigan students first and passed the largest significant education investment in state history, closing the funding gap between schools in Michigan and including a historic amount of resources for schools to hire more nurses, counselors, and social workers.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)  Two young children killed along with a man in a shooting at an Ohio apartment complex were remembered in a prayer vigil over the weekend amid calls for an end to the violence.

Authorities said 9-year-oldDemitrius Wallneal and 6-year-old Londynn Wallneal were shot Tuesday night along with 22-year-old Charles Wade as they sat in a car in the parking lot of the Winchester Lakes apartment complex on the southeast side of Columbus.

On a cloudy, windy Saturday afternoon, Malissa Thomas-St. Clair and Jackie Casimire engraved the letters D and L on gold, heart-shaped padlocks to the sound of gospel music and then hooked them on the Rich Street bridge in downtown Columbus as about 40 people looked on.

This is for Demetrius! This is for Londynn! Thomas-St. Clair said at the Locks of Love" event held by the support group Mothers of Murdered Columbus Children. Group member Rhonda Clayborn said the locks represent all of the angels that have died from the result of gun violence.

We say no more! Thomas-St. Clair said. Do you understand me? We say no more!"

Police said two armed suspects had approached the vehicle and opened fire without any apparent warning or provocation before a third suspect drove them away. Columbus homicide detective Terry Kelly said the shooting appeared to be a targeted assassination.

Police Chief Elaine Bryant and other authorities have called on anyone with information to come forward. This isnt snitching, Bryant said. This is humanity.

Seretha Terry, who lost her 25-year-old son, Michael Fair, in a drive-by shooting in September 2020, wore a white and purple hoodie that read, Forever in my heart, son with pictures of Fair on the back. The Gahanna resident said prayer and spending time with other mothers in the group has helped her heal, but has yet to bring closure.

I wont have closure til there is justice for my son, Terry said.

Also addressing the group was LaMona Marshall, whose 25-year-old son, Roberto Marshall, was shot and killed as he walked home from work in September 2017. Marshall, 49, has created a foundation to aid victims and families but still cant bring herself to visit her sons gravesite or leaf through photos of him.

Its nice to come down here, and it helps because of the other mothers, Marshall said. You never think it will happen to you.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP)  Octavia Cordon thought she had seen all of her husband Cams dreams of independence.

He had a lot of ideas. One involved buying a recreational vehicle, gutting it and converting it into a food truck. That didnt pan out.

Then came the chicken coop.

I saw that thing and I thought, Pack your s---,  she said Tuesday. Youre gonna be livin in that thing! That was the last straw. I really had to see the work in progress to see what he was seeing."

More than a year ago, in the doldrums of COVID-19, Cameron, two generous friends and a wayward artist all pitched in to create the physical plant of Phat Daddys on Da Tracks, which came bursting from the gastronomical womb Tuesday on a glorious, if blustery, opening day.

Oh, gosh, 12 or 12:30, during lunch, it was crazy, Octavia said as six people waited in line around 4 p.m. Music pumped and people were happy.

To get to Tuesday, the couple never quit. They ran a moving business, Walk by Faith. Cameron cooked all over town, including stints at John and Keeley Steeles Bluegrass Kitchen and Tricky Fish. The Steeles were there Tuesday.

It had always been Cameron Cordons dream to run his own place. Thirty-one years ago, while living in Harlem, New York, Shanequa Smith remembers talking to Cameron on a street corner about his dreams. She was there, too, Tuesday, part of a contingent of Black New Yorkers  friends and relatives  who moved to Charleston about 20 years ago, not long after 9/11. The Cordons are part of that diaspora.

This is his baby, Smith said. You could see the tenacity. Its finally here.

Fried whiting sandwiches, steak sandwiches, pulled pork, pulled chicken, beef brisket and the impressive Phat Daddy Dog  a quarter-pound beef hot dog with homemade chili and white cheddar  all emerged from the outside grill to perfection. That isnt the extent of the offerings.

Its not a dreamy spot, 4800 Railroad Ave. The avenue is only an alley separating Phat Daddys from the railroad tracks. The alley intersects at one end with Watts Street, runs behind some buildings and emerges just beyond Denvers Depot at Maryland Avenue.

The Cordons venture started when property owner John Bullock offered Cameron the coop. He smirked. Then he worked. Rent was cheap.

With a sizable boost from electrician Billy Dyess, overall handyman Scott Lanham and street artist Andy King  the unlikely quartet began hauling assorted pieces of sheet metal and the like from Bullocks adjacent junkyard. Soon, with some expenditure on lumber for a new deck, the place looked like something.

Kings contribution of copyrighted, animated characters may or may not have passed legal muster but, so far, no one from Fox has shown up to demand a covering of Hank Hills well-done face. The sheet metals black, red and yellow pattern pops nicely.

Octavia estimates that the couple has about $20,000 in the venture. That is a small start-up cost, almost all in lumber and kitchen equipment. For a modest facility, the cooking instruments rock. Cameron is surrounded by a smoker, a fryer and two flat metal grills. Thats his outside operation. It can be covered in bad weather. In the coop, a grill and fryer run off console power, converted from electric to gas by Dyess.

As for the unlikely Mountain State migration, Ward 6 Councilwoman Deanna McKinney said she knew she had an aunt in Wheeling. Also, she said she thought West Virginia might be the tonic for the crazy atmosphere in New York following 9/11. Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. Alas, she says, Charleston has shrunk, but it hasnt retained quite the same friendly face. Its gotten rougher.

McKinney said she hopes businesses such as Phat Daddys will spark the beginning of a Black-owned business movement. This gives jobs to people like us, she said.

Octavias nephew, Jesus Davis, 22, sat on one of the wooden benches lining the lumber deck Tuesday, wolfing down macaroni and cheese, cabbage and fried shrimp.

I used to live with them, Davis said. They can really cook. Davis said he was there on the fateful Offering of the Coop day. I helped them get it from the junkyard to here.

As for the man who finally saw his dream fulfilled, Cameron Cordon stayed too busy to talk much.

Im just happy were where we are now, he said. It took long enough. Its not where we want to be. But a lot

of people did show up to show support.
NEW YORK (AP)  Fordham University law professor Zephyr Teachout has officially dropped out of the race to be New Yorks attorney general, days after incumbent Letitia James decided to seek reelection.

Teachout announced in a statement Sunday she was suspending her campaign and called James an exceptional leader and dedicated public servant.
CLINTON  A champion of local history, Peggy Adler dreams of the town one day becoming a destination for its historic homes, not just its popular shopping outlets.

And the town may be inching closer to making her dream a reality.

The state Connecticut Historic Preservation Council recently approved a $20,000 grant to create third National Register Historic District in Clinton.

The district would encompass Commerce Street with its gracious sea captains homes and Leffingwell Road, which has examples of kit-built homes from the 1920s.

Id like to see Clinton be known as a tourist destination because of its rich history, rather than just being known for the outlets, Adler said.

The grant will be used to hire an architectural historian to do research and write a report, which will be submitted to the U.S. Department of the Interior for authentication.

The district would be under the auspices of The National Park Service. One approved, eligible property owners may obtain and install a plaque on their homes.

Adler could be considered the towns rescuer of historic homes. Nearly single-handedly, she spurred a movement to prevent the Dowd House at 151 Main St. from being torn down earlier this year, by garnering 807 signatures on a petition.

The developer had wanted to knock it down in order to build office condominiums and apartments. Instead, it will be renovated as part of that project.

Because the Dowd House is located in a National Register Historic District, Adler was able to bring the petition to the Connecticut Historic Preservation Council, which oversees the demolition of houses in these nationally-recognized districts.

Adler had to compile a detailed lineage on the owners of the house, which ended up showing a direct connection to Daniel Griswold, a member of the early Homonoscitt Plantation in the 1600s.

According to Adler, the council was prepared to get the state attorney generals office involved.

They voted unanimously to send it to the attorney general to prevent the destruction, the demolition of the house, she said.

The developer, she said, withdrew its demolition application.

Adler is no stranger to rescuing historic homes. The 1775 center chimney Cape Cod house where she lives now, which she named the Blue Tarp House, was gutted by fire in 1993. It sat under a blue tarp for nearly a decade.

She could see the possibilities of the burned-out house on Liberty Street: I fell in love with the chimney, she said.

Adler reached out to a developer who bought it and she purchased the completely restored and updated home from him in the 1990s.

Now with bright pine floors and exposed original brick in the chimney, the house exudes warmth.

There are many antique homes like Adlers in town and some like-minded residents want to protect them from destruction.

The proposed National Register Historic District would be the third such in Clinton. This designation differs from the town-created Liberty Green Historic District, which is bound by a town ordinance and overseen by the local Historic District Commission, in addition to other town boards.

Now, there is the Clinton Village National Register Historic District that starts at the Indian River to Route 145 down Liberty Street and Waterside Lane, done in 1994.

The second National Register Historic District was authenticated in 2020, five years in the making, according to Adler. It encompasses High Street and Central Avenue and includes the Ponds/Unilever building, which is art deco in style.

I think its an honor to have your house on the Register of Historic Places, Adler said.

Adler said the designation of the National Historic District is misunderstood by many homeowners. And she admitted it can be confusing.

In town, she said, some homeowners are not even aware that they live in such a district.

They live in one and they dont even know it, she said.

There are some definite advantages to being part of a National Register Historic District. Qualifying property owners may be entitled to low interest loans  grants for restoration, Adler noted.

Town Manager Karl Kilduff agreed.

There are some resources they could leverage, he said of property owners. It does open the door for potential resources.

He noted that the Town Council had approved the grant and that there would be public outreach regarding the status of this third district.

The designation does not put on any limitations on what a homeowner can do to their homes appearance.

Kilduff noted that local ordinances have more sway in keeping with historic standards, such as in the towns historic district.

National districts are not tied to that level of regulatory control, Kilduff said.

And, contrary to popular belief, no one will tell the homeowner what color to paint their house whether they are located in the local or national districts.

Alder pointed to a former dog groomer in a historic home that was painted an eye-catching patchwork of crazy colors, yet was on the national register. Now its got vinyl siding (which is not allowed in a local historic district) and has been turned into an apartment building.

This whimsical example shows that property owners can do what they want to alter the appearance of their home in the national district, she said.

However, certain property improvements may affect the homeowners ability to access money available to them under the National Register designation  if, for instance, they do not use historically appropriate materials.

But with a National Register certificate, there are no restrictions, Adler stressed.

However, If somebody wants to tear down their antique house I will personally start a petition to prevent it, she said.

Most importantly, she said, the National Historic Register designation is aimed at slowing down or preventing the historic home from being demolished.

There are hoops to jump through to tear down buildings in the national district, Adler said.

As for a third district, This piece helps knit together the other two national districts, Kilduff added, making an interesting tourism corridor in town.

The missing piece in all this, to truly link all the districts, is Clintons downtown, Adler said.

Town historian Bob Bruch was happy about this latest national district with Clinton being such a historical town.

He said he hoped this will bring an awareness to people that there are homes that are worthy of being preserved.

One of the biggest benefits to homeowners is the money that is available for restoration efforts, he said.

And it will increase the value of the home, he said.

It will help you in selling your house, he said. Some people dont believe that.

But even more important, Bruch said, the National Register Historic Districts will help preserve the feeling of the little coastal town.
The Army has launched a new marketing campaign featuring soldiers transformed into anime characters to tell their personal stories in support of an upcoming recruiting surge known as Army National Hiring Days 2021.

"The Calling" is a series of short videos being aired on YouTube focused on five soldiers from difficult backgrounds. One begins with Army Reserve Spc. Jennifer Liriano narrating an anime-illustrated story of a frightening childhood memory.

"When I was four, my siblings and I watched my dad try to take his own life right in front of us," says Liriano, who grew up in a tough New Jersey neighborhood. "The police were called, and they rescued him. I grew up wanting to help people like my father, people who are suffering."

Read Next: Mammoth Toxic Exposure Push Could Be Biggest Congressional Health Care Effort in Years

When she grew older, she met an Army recruiter at school who listened to her goals, Liriano says in the video.

"He took me through all the different careers, and that is when it hit me: The Army is an Army of good people," she says. "Now, I serve in a combat support hospital doing what fulfills me the most."

The marketing effort launched this week uses these short, animated videos "to help as kind of complementary [effort] to what we are doing in Army National Hiring Days 2021," a massive recruiting effort scheduled from May 10 to June 14 that's designed to connect with about 60,000 young people from Generation Z, Brig. Gen. Patrick Michaelis, deputy commander of U.S. Army Recruiting Command, or USAREC, told reporters Wednesday during a telephonic roundtable.

Poster for The Calling, a new Army marketing effort featuring anime videos on YouTube. (U.S. Army)

The Army chose anime because the medium makes it possible to intertwine many moments in a soldier's life into one product, Army officials said.

"It's a distinct departure from our previous Army campaigns, both in its arresting kind of visual, this anime approach but also an intimate portrayal of those who serve," Michaelis said.

USAREC created the first Army National Hiring Days last year as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, describing three days that were heavily focused on virtual hiring events to attract young people.

This year's effort will feature bonuses, virtual job fairs and live events at schools and other public centers that are beginning to open back up as the pandemic subsides, he added.

Army senior leaders, Army Cadet Command, the National Guard and Reserves, and active commands such as Army Forces Command and Army Futures Command will broadcast a simple, unified message on their social media pages during the hiring days: "Join Us," Michaelis said.

"We are focused on the 150 career potential job opportunities for the Army, but we are really focused on 11 priority [military occupational specialties]," he said. "During the period of Army National Hiring Days, we have a $2,000 kicker bonus for those that meet the criteria against those 11 MOSs, so that we can carry ourselves through fiscal 2021 and set conditions for fiscal 2022."

The 11 MOSs, with their normal incentives, that are eligible for the $2,000 kicker bonus include:

11X Infantry, up to $9,000 bonus

18X Special Forces, up to $40,000 bonus

13J Fire Control Specialist, up to $9,000 bonus

13M Multiple Launch Rocket System Crewmember, up to $9,000 bonus

14P Air and Missile Defense Crewmember up to $9,000 bonus

35M Human Intelligence Collector, up to $40,000 bonus

35P Signals Intelligence Voice Interceptor, up to $40,000 bonus

37F Psychological Operations Specialist, up to $21,000 bonus

74D Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Specialist, up to $9,000 bonus

89D Explosive Ordnance Disposal Specialist, up to $18,000 bonus

92R Parachute Rigger, up to $9,000 bonus

Last year, USAREC set a goal to capture 10,000 recruiting contracts out of the hiring days event. Leaders have not revealed how many contracts the 2020 event yielded, saying that some are still being finalized.

"We learned a lot of lessons out of that; we had a bold agenda last year," said Michaelis, who would not set a recruiting contract goal for this year's event. "What we learned in National Hiring Days 2020 was to fill the recruiters' funnel. We blew ourselves away last year by making over 30,000 leads in this very small period of time.

"Our goal this year is to get to about 60,000 leads. ... The conditions are right; we have learned how to streamline from a lessons learned perspective," he added.

Recruiters have refined the process of responding to recruiting leads to "make sure that within 72 hours, we are hitting those contacts that come into the system," Michaelis said.

"We find that if you wait a certain amount of time, if you spend too much time not contacting those folks, there is a point where interest starts to wane. ... This was a tough lesson learned from last year."

-- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.

Related: Army Offers Big Bonuses, Races to Sign 10,000 New Recruits in 3 Days
Multiple award-winning Ghanaian female blogger and publicist Juliana Ntiamoah known professionally as Jullie Jay-Kanz has celebrated her birthday with some captivating photos.

The celebrated blogger took to her social media platforms on December 9th ,2021 to share her gratitude to God as she turned another age.

Juliana was hugely celebrated by followers, loved ones and other top celebrities across Africa.

The likes of Joe Mettle, Ohemaa Mercy, Kweku Darlington, Ceccy Twum, Abeiku Santana, Kenyan gospel star Evelyn Wanjiru, Kofi Jamar, Kingzkid , Scott Evans, Kobby Psalm, Rose Adjei, Piesie Esther, Patience Nyarko, OJ, Eric Jeshurun among others took to social media to celebrate the renowned blogger and publicist.

Juliana Ntiamoah is one of the phenomenal female bloggers Africa can boast of. She started blogging in 2015 and since then has earned so much recognition through her hardwork ,diligence and dedication.

She has worked with several international brands and has won for herself eight (8) meritorious awards since her blogging journey started.

Juliana was ranked by Avance Media as one of the top 50 Ghanaian Bloggers. She recently spoke at the 3rd edition of Ghana Bloggers Summit on the techniques in blogging that can sustain blogs and their brands. She shared how she had to quit her Nursing profession to focus on blogging encouraging others to focus on their passion and work hard to achieve their goals.

She is the owner of the popular hello-gh.com and gospelspotlightgh.com blogs.
There is a problem. Now that the families of the deceased terrorists and other accused are giving evidence at the Paris attacks trial, the court is faced with the emotional dilemma of fathers, brothers, sisters who must condemn the barbarous acts of their dead relatives, without loving the individuals responsible for the barbarity any less.

The question was repeated a dozen times: what caused perfectly normal French or Belgian youngsters to turn into cold-blooded murderers?

The obvious fact that there is no single, simple answer to such a question has done nothing to limit the enthusiasm with which it is asked.

The court, as the ultimate bastion of the legal apparatus which guarantees the security of our entire society, would like to find someone to blame, some clear failure which can be rectified so that events like the 2015 massacres will never happen again.

It is, of course and unfortunately, a waste of time.

Fathers and sons

Azdyne Amimour, the father of the Bataclan killer, Samy Amimour, blamed unidentified "third parties" for his son's slow drift into radical Islam.

He attended the mosque favoured by his son. He listened to the preaching. He heard nothing objectionable.

The court tried hard to make him admit that his frequent absences from the family home had turned his son into some kind of Freudian victim, searching for the lost father. Very down-to-earth, Azdyne Amimour wasn't buying it.

Whatever his lapses as a parent, this man took the risk of traveling to the Syrian war zone in an effort to bring his son back.

Given the interpersonal silence that seems to have dominated the Amimour household, his failure was predictable. But at least he tried.

And, if he couldn't help with the big question, he told three anecdotes which might suggest an answer.

Stories from the other side

When he arrived in the Syrian zone controlled by Islamic State, Samy Amimour's father was asked his name and then separated by armed guards from the rest of the group with which he had crossed the border from Turkey. He thought he was going to be killed.

In fact, he was taken to a room where an IS "officer" greeted him with open arms and the assurance that "your son is a hero"!

Earlier, during the crossing from Turkey, he spoke to a veiled woman whose age he reckoned to be "no more than 20". She was carrying an infant and a suitcase. He gave her a hand. She proudly told Azdyne Amimour that her husband had been selected to take part in a suicide attack.

"She was delighted," Amimour told the court. "That gave me cold chills."

And then there was the curious individual, an injured IS fighter in bed in the makeshift hospital in which Samy Amimour sometimes worked.

Azdyne Amimour said the fighter was lying there, wrapped in the wires and packets of what was obviously . . . the father of the man who blew himself up on the stage of the Bataclan hesitated briefly . . . a suicide vest.

"I told him he should take that off," the father testified. "But he pushed my hand away, saying 'don't touch me. You never know. You have to be ready'."

Someone has observed that the liberal mind can understand everything except conviction. That may suggest why the question so often repeated in the special criminal court these last few days is the wrong one.

Or, perhaps, why we are not hearing the answer.

The trial continues.
Libya's election commission on Saturday delayed publication of a final list of candidates for a presidential election scheduled in less than two weeks.

It is just the latest twist in a UN-led effort targeting December 24 presidential polls intended to help the oil-rich North African country move past a decade of violence.

The process has been undermined by bitter divisions over the legal basis for the elections, their dates, and who should be allowed to run, with a string of controversial figures stepping forward.

Analyst Jalel Harchaoui of the Global Initiative think tank said the "inevitable" consequence of the latest procedural delay was the postponement of polling day.

The first round of the presidential election "cannot take place on December 24 because the candidates have the right to two weeks of official campaigning after the publication of the definitive list," Harchaoui told AFP.

The election commission did not give a new date for issuing the list.

Rules governing the ballot -- which would be the first time a Libyan head of state is chosen by universal suffrage -- say the commission should publish the list of candidates two weeks after final court rulings and appeals related to candidacies.

On December 2 a Libyan court reinstated Seif al-Islam Kadhafi, a son of slain dictator Moamer Kadhafi, as a candidate.

A day earlier, an appeals court in Tripoli rejected petitions against the candidacy of interim Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, who heads the Tripoli-based unity government established in March and charged with leading the country to presidential and legislative elections.

Another main contender is eastern Libya strongman Khalifa Haftar.

'Emerging challenges'

The coordinator of the UN mission in Libya, Raisedon Zenenga, met with elections commission chief Emad al-Sayeh on Saturday to discuss the "current state and trajectory of the electoral process," the UN mission said.

He commended the commission for the progress it had made on technical preparations but "stressed the importance of addressing emerging political and technical challenges that could disrupt progress".

Libya descended into chaos with the NATO-backed 2011 revolt that overthrew and killed Moamer Kadhafi.

A year of relative peace followed an October 2020 ceasefire between warring eastern and western camps, but analysts have warned that violence could easily flare again surrounding the elections.

A statement on the election commission's website said it must still adopt a series of judicial and legal measures "before proceeding to the publication of the definitive list of candidates and the start of their electoral campaign".

It added that success of the electoral process cannot be borne solely by the elections commission "since the results will cast a shadow over the present and future of the country".

The commission said it is being careful not to limit its role to implementing the law, but ensuring that its functions extend to "correct interpretation of the law."

It is saying that it can't publish the list because it anticipates a judicial challenge that could shake the eligibility process, according to Harchaoui.
South Africa's former president Jacob Zuma, accused of orchestrating the systematic plunder of government coffers during his rule, launched a new book on Sunday in which he intends "to the set record straight".

Titled "Jacob Zuma Speaks", the book comes after the 79-year-old was released from prison in September due to ill health, just two months into a 15-month sentence for continually refusing to appear before a corruption inquiry into his 2009-18 presidency.

Zuma's spokesman Mzwanele Manyi said the book can be bought for 300 rand ($19) -- or 1,000 rand ($62) for a signed copy -- at "Car Boot sales" in Johannesburg on Sunday.

Manyi and the ex-president's daughter Dudu Zuma-Sambudla would be at a McDonald's in the city's upmarket Sandton suburb selling the books, he tweeted.

"1st come, 1st served," he added.

Zuma was found guilty in June after refusing to obey a court order to appear before a commission probing "state capture" -- the siphoning off of national assets, which occurred on a massive scale under his nine-year tenure.

His initial imprisonment in July sparked an unprecedented wave of violence in which more than 350 people died in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal and financial hub Johannesburg.

Since being released on medical parole, Zuma has returned to his $17 million estate in rural Nkandla.

He looked healthy in a video appearance on Friday promoting the book launch.

In the video he lashed out at the "untruth about the work that we have done", emphasising the importance for society "to know what has happened".

"There is no use to create stories because you have a powerful machinery to do so," he said, sitting in front of a stack of his books, arms crossed and smiling.

Critics accuse the ex-president of using ill health as an excuse to further delay a drawn-out corruption trial relating to a 1999 purchase of arms from five European firms.

Deputy president at the time, Zuma is accused of pocketing bribes from French defence giant Thales and faces 16 charges of fraud, graft and racketeering.

He has repeatedly claimed the justice system was hounding him for political motives.

"Jacob Zuma Speaks", written in the third person, contains testimonies from former allies who have since fallen silent, spokesman Manyi said.

"All has been said about the presidency of Jacob Zuma. A lot of falsehoods, a lot of untruths have been told. This book is about setting the record straight," he said.
Nine suspects have been arrested by a joint police and military team in Kuyore in the Tatale Sanguli District of the Northern Region, following Fridays chieftaincy dispute that left one dead and several others injured.

The nine have been taken to the regional capital, Tamale.

Police say other suspects are still on the run.

On Friday, one died with six others sustaining gunshot injuries.

The Kuyore Traditional Chief, Nambu Jakobiki IV, in narrating the incident said we had an arrangement to enskin a sub-chief for the Bichachabi clan. But prior to this programme, there were concerns raised by the Yagpuli community that they would not agree to me enskining the chief for Bichachabi community.

Due to the contentions, the Yagpuli community was excluded from the enskinment process.

When they were escorting the newly enskinned chief to his house, then the Yagpuli community led by their chief ambushed their newly enskinned chief and the entourage that was escorting him to his house.

Police and military personnel been deployed to the area to be on patrol duties in the community to prevent an escalation.

Meanwhile, calm has returned to the area with residents going about their normal businesses.

citinewsroom
12.12.2021 LISTEN

The end of great countries and Empires usually come after the coronation of a leader with insatiable greed or obsession for money and power in disguise for common good. These leaders campaign as if they are godsend to revitalize and clean up their domain. When elected, they crush the Opposition and repress any dissenter that sees situations differently.

You may then realize why they desire power and money so desperately. They want control of both in their mischievous ways. Yet, there is nothing more beautiful and gratifying than Money or Power separately. Each has been used to rectify injustice, poverty, wrong and cruelty of man against man. Powerful people do not need money to actualize common good just as rich people realize money is not enough to buy them happiness.

Most individuals should be satisfied with either money or power. Each is enough to further the interest of civilized societies. Those looking desperately for the concentration of money and power to rule humanity are up to miserable ends. It must be admitted that a few men and women, without reckless pursuit of power or money, have implemented benevolent measures.

The rise of dictators comes as born again saviors, promises of salvation from decadence to cleaning up the Augean stable or proclaiming one religion or political ideology as the only way to heaven declaring opponents as traitors, nonbelievers are infidels deserving death. Men obsessed with power and money turn themselves into Superman willing and able to tackle the most difficult problem easily.

However, as soon as man decides he needs one to actualize the other, humanity is in trouble. Combination of both in the hands of many arrogant individuals give them the illusions of Superman that can do and undo what either money or power alone cannot accomplish. One in the hands of reasonable individuals is enough to accomplish dreams while both increase the chances of explosive destruction of humans if they do not get their ways.

Why would a man with money pursue power at all cost or men with power use it to pursue money, if not for corruption. Powerful and rich individuals want more, to control others' lives. They want to command you, tell you how to vote, how to live your life and how to work for them. They are willing to influence you, even against your own interests. As long as it advances their personal interests.

They find and campaign on any fault, exaggerate it into a disaster which can only be cured by their own omniscient gift from God. No matter how, even when they make the problem worse, they glorify it as the coming of the prophet to turn the world into Paradise. Worse of all, their followers are idol worshippers willing to fight and lose their lives in hell for their leaders. Unless they get their way, the world will end.

Unfortunately, gullible and naive individuals looking for shortcuts to solving their problems fall for these empty rhetorical proclamations. They show up massively for the charlatans' campaign, take one day stomach infrastructure in exchange for 4 years in power. Others buy their fairy books and postals. If dictators fail by persuasion and votes, they have loyal fanatics and extremists willing to wreak havoc to achieve their goals over the silent majority.

Therefore, they chose some victims to blame for problems. Most of whom are workers temporarily pumped up as heroes. The talented minorities are the leading inventors contributing to the growth of society's wealth. Usually the same minorities are expected to lie down and accept misplaced blame for the loss of Union power, bullies had acquiesced to, through their own weakness, votes or refusal to learn new skills during technological change.

A case in point is the opportunistic leaders that champion the sheer ignorance of the powerful minority to infect the silent majority. They spread misinformation about vaccines against childhood diseases and immunity for all ages. Regardless of the empirical evidence in the reduction of childhood and adulthood diseases. They demand religious and personal exemption based on ignorance and their fundamental rights.

The problem here is that these assertions infringe on the rights of the majority in schools, public places and in other institutions where they spread infections. When people insist on expensive treatment over cheap and simple preventions of diseases, you know scarce resources are not judiciously spent. Especially, when these are the same people that refuse to contribute their fair share and complain about taxes.

But if they control distribution of our common taxes, they can channel tax cuts and credits to big businesses of their choice at any cost while they scream at welfare tax credits for children or stabilization of the environment. Minorities that work hard against all odds are denied their rights. Blamed for economic downturn and natural disasters.

Unfortunately, the greed for money and power start from individual families. The best inheritance you can pass on to children is character, others call it integrity above intelligence and hard work. If you do not have character or integrity, your hard work and intelligence may go unnoticed. A greater disappointment after working so hard with all the brilliance. It means that your hard work and intelligence are hidden like buried talents.

So, some people may wonder why they have not succeeded despite their intelligence and hard work. Informed voters with character and intelligence hire those savvy enough to further the prosperity of countries and businesses. They know how to spot competent leaders and people to achieve their goals. All of us cannot be good managers and bosses but wise men hire and surround themselves with people smarter than they are.

Hunger turns us into a different animal. This is why societies take care of highly talented people that achieve a great deal in Arts and Sciences. They do not have to worry about where their next meal is coming from. Some do it for the greater good of their communities, others hire talents for their personal interests. People are comfortable achieving their goals without much money or power, as long as they are not hungry.

So the saying is if you are so intelligent and hard working, why don't you work for yourself, build your village or country? Civilized people build great countries. Success itself depends on individual goals. A rich man asked a professor why he is not rich if he was so smart. The professor answered that if he was so rich, why was he not smart. If some African leaders govern countries that are so rich in natural resources and foreign incomes, why are they not smart?

Farouk Martins Aresa @oomoaresa
Lets be honest, for possible psychological and environmental reasons, trust, and confidence of the public in the Nigeria police is generally nil.

The culture of corruption and impunity exhibited by many within in the Nigerian police is just too massive.

The police or law enforcement forces in Nigeria are infamous for their spirit of corruption, their use of deception and intimidation, and their ties to poor integrity.

As I write this, from different angles and directions as it usually happens, possible internal and collaborative ways are being sought after on ways to undermine real police investigations on this case.

Just some hours ago, at a public presentation of Chief Bisi Akandes autobiography titled My Participation in Lagos, Akande said that Nigerians as a people, we are fraudulent, we know we are deceitful, we know we are cheaters

As such, a criminal case of this magnitude, outcry, sensibilities, and seriousness, simply requires a foreign forensic criminal investigation.

This will not be the first time that outside Investigators are used. It has happened with forensic accounting investigation of public sector corruption in Nigeria. Meaning that even the governments have lack of trust in themselves, and reduced legitimacy in the Nigerian law enforcement investigators.

Nigerians have long lost confidence in their police.

The police cant help itself. True. For possible psychological reasons the police embrace deceit. As such, it must not be trusted to handle the case of Sylvester Oromoni's death.

Multiple efforts are noted here why the Nigerian police should not or be allowed alone to handle this case.

The failures of all recent successive leadership and their men and women. In fact, the police as an institutionally corrupt body, there is a possibility that right now it could be trying to find who will be good to handle the case, that officer(s) that is darkly bright, illicitly driven, and bold to give arbitrary report at the end. Who is good at witness intimidation and harassment tactics to the point of conditioning other interests involved, including medical examiners, witnesses, lawyers, judges, or even the dead if they can wake up the body?

For decades and continuously, the Nigerian police is guilty of systemic failings, failings of individual officers and leadership, and lack of candor. Filled with self-serving leaders. They do not even obey each others directives across ranks in criminal investigations matters especially, thereby leaving the men and women of the police equally bewildered.

The police are known for been corruptly meddled in shoddy investigations including cases of murder involving high profile persons especially and will do everything to provide disinformation to the victims and media.

Due to the inherent nature of addictive dishonesty of the pilots of the institutions as Akande pointed out about Nigeria, police officers remain corrupt as they are not closely controlled and threatened with punishment for misconduct.

The need for what I call intra-bribery and inter-bribery persists, meaning bribing that goes on between the police employees and supervisors to get favors like case assignments and bribery between the police and citizens to alter cases.

Empowered by social media, the Nigerian people are benefitting from social media monitoring of the police.

We need more of these protests, as we just saw with the good-hearted women coming together in front of the Dowen college with written demands as they echo the national wave of outrage sparked by the bullying and killing of Sylvester Oromoni, and other devastations.

So as a psychological institutionalist with interest in honest and fact-based law enforcement, which does not occur in our police forces due to lack of proper pre-selection psychological readiness of candidates with state -of the -art psychological instruments, I say let us bring in correct head, independent, professional, and impartial investigators into this case. I hope this is possible because we cannot continue like this. Meanwhile, Nigerians should continue to harness social media against police insanity, dishonesty, and distrust. Walahi, to an extent, it is working, believe me.

John Egbeazien Oshodi who was born in Uromi, Edo State in Nigeria, is an American based Police/Prison Scientist and Forensic/Clinical/Legal Psychologist. A government Consultant on matters of forensic-clinical adult/child psychological services in the USA; Chief Educator and Clinician at the Transatlantic Enrichment and Refresher Institute, an Online Lifelong Center for Personal, Professional and Career Development. A former Interim Associate Dean/Assistant Professor at the Broward College, Florida. The Founder of the Dr. John Egbeazien Oshodi Foundation, Center for Psychological Health and Behavioral Change in African settings. In 2011, he introduced the State-of-the-Art Forensic Psychology into Nigeria through N.U.C and the Nasarawa State University where he served in the Department of Psychology as an Associate Professor. The Development Professor and International Liaison Consultant at the African University of Benin, and a Virtual Faculty at the ISCOM University, Benin of Republic. Founder of the Proposed Transatlantic Egbeazien University (TEU) of Values and Ethics, a digital project of Truth, Ethics, Openness. Author of over 40 academic publications/creations, at least 200 public opinion writeups on African issues, and various books.

John Egbeazien Oshodi wrote in via [email protected]
Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central, Hon. Naana Eyiah

12.12.2021 LISTEN

The Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central, Hon. Naana Eyiah has said the NPP government led President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was committed to ensuring quality healthcare delivery to Ghanaians.

To her, the health sector forms a major part of government's programmes and activities aimed at ensuring the well-being of the citizenry.

"A healthy people make a worthy nation," she stated.

The MP who is also the Deputy Minister for Interior said this at Gomoa Osamkrom over the weekend when I Support the Marginalized In Society (ISMIS), a Non-Governmental Organization in collaboration with Jubail Specialist Hospital, Accra based Organizations, organised free health screening exercises for Chiefs and people of Gomoa Osamkrom and its environs in the Gomoa Central District of the Central Region.

Hon. Naana Eyiah commended management of the two organizations for partnering government in its quest to ensure the healthy lives of the people through quality healthcare delivery.

She expressed the hope that similar screening exercises would be carried out in other communities in the Gomoa Central District.

"All our health facilities in the District have been fully equipped with modern tools and equipment and are offering efficient health services to the people.

"Thank you for supporting our effort and your free health services to our constituents.

"Gomoa Central can boast of qualified health service personnel who are managing our health facilities effectively.

"Additional to the health center and CHPS Zone Compounds, an ultra modern polyclinic, the first of its kind in Gomoa Central is being constructed at Gomoa Abonyi while a modern office for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is also in its near completion at Gomoa Afransi.

"This explains government's zeal and commitment to the health sector," she stated.

The Deputy Minister encouraged other organizations to emulate the shining example of I Support the Marginalized In Society (ISMIS) and Jubail Specialist Hospital in complementing government's effort in the health sector.

The Chief Executive Officer of ISMIS, Mrs Lucy Asare, noted that they exist to offer better services to people in deprived communities especially in healthcare delivery.

According to Mrs. Lucy Asare similar exercises have been carried out in some communities in the Greater Accra Region and intended to extend it to other communities and Regions.

She mentioned hypertension, diabetes, High Blood Pressure, malaria hepatitis and other diseases as being common among the people they screened.

The Head of Jubail Specialist Hospital, which sponsored the screening exercises, Dr.Kofi Amaniampong lauded the Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central, Hon. Naana Eyiah, DCE for Gomoa Central Hon Benjamin Kojo Otoo as well as the Chiefs and people of Gomoa Osamkrom for creating a conducive environment for the smooth screening exercises.

Dr. Kofi Amaniampong disclosed that the screening exercises was part of their social responsibility to give back to society.

He assured that authorities of the Hospital would continue to partner I Support the Marginalized In Society (ISMIS) to make lives meaningful to every Ghanaian.

Over 500 people were screened during the 5- hour exercises.

Present were Gomoa Central District Chief Executive (DCE), Hon Benjamin Kojo Otoo, Constituency Chairman of the NPP, Alhaji Omar Adam, Constituency Women's Organizer, Madam Dinah Aubyn, Constituency Organizer, Mr. George Ato Benyi and his Deputy, Mr. George Obeng, Constituency Secretary, Mr. Mohamed Hakeem as well as Deputy Youth Organizer, Mr. Evans Awuah Ninsin.
Nana Kwasi Omankuminte II, Omanhene of Banda in the Krachi Nchumuru District of the Oti Region, has appealed for a security post at Kumdi and Bankanba as criminals invaded communities.

He said the communities are fast developing periurban areas with increasing human population and springing up of properties.

According to him, Banda has no police station increasing security vulnerability.

Nana Kwasi Omankuminte noted that many criminals have taken advantage of the security gab to lurk and perpetuate many crimes particularly robbery and burglary.

He said during the annual Tekpang Djundai Festival in commemoration of the exploitation of Banda Division of the Guan Nchumuru's that led them to their present locations in the Oti and Northern Region.

The aim of the festival is to start the construction of a community computer lab to enable students in ICT.

He appealed to Ghana Electricity Company to extend lights to surrounding communities.

He drew the Oti Regional Minister immediate attention to the bridge across the Nkpabiri stream at Zongo Macheri, Banda through Bankanba to Kumdi as a matter of agent need.
Residents of Obuasi have been advised to take advantage of the presence of the Legal Aid Commission in the Municipality to seek legal services at no cost to them.

This was revealed by the Public Education and Advocacy Specialist at the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, Mrs Esther Poku Adu-Hene at a sensitisation programme organised by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) and Legal Aid Commission with support from USAID Justice Sector Support System in Obuasi.

The programme was to educate the public on services rendered by the Legal Aid Commission and how they could access those services.

Ghanas Legal Aid Scheme (LAS) was created in 1997 to ensure that all citizens have equal access to justice and equal treatment before the law.

Supported by the Government of Ghana, its goal is to achieve a just and equitable society by providing nationwide quality legal aid.

Mrs Adu-hene appealed to participants to help intensify community education to enlighten and empower the populace who could not pay for legal services to easily access legal aid and seek equal justice.

Ghana Case Tracking System to deal with the challenges in the Legal System

The CHRI, a non-governmental organisation, is implementing the USAID-funded Ghana Case Tracking System (CTS) as part of USAID's Justice System Support Activity. The project is aimed at addressing the bottlenecks in the nations justice delivery system.

Mrs Adu-hene said, " though the Justice for All system introduced in 2007 has seen progress, the Case Tracking System has identified delay in adjudicating cases as a major challenge which has resulted in loss of confidence in the legal system in the country."

She noted that the CST will strengthen the coordination between key institutions such as the Ghana Police, Prisons, Attorney General Department, Legal Aid Commission, the Judiciary Service and EOCO.

Legal Aid is a right and not a privilege

Mina Mensah, the Director of CHRI Africa office emphasised that access to Justice is a right guaranteed by the constitution and not a privilege.

She stressed that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights touches on equality and equal access to the judicial system.

Frederick Kankam Boadu, Legal officer of the Legal Aid Commission, Ashanti Region also assured that his outfit will intensify publicity on the need for the public especially the vulnerable and less privileged to access their services.

He emphasised that the legal Aid Commission provides legal representation for both criminal and civil cases.
12.12.2021 LISTEN

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) has warned troublemakers in the Krobo areas of the Eastern Region that he will make sure they do not have peace even in their death.

That part of the country has been plunged into darkness for the past few days following the relocation of the Somanya office of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to Juapong in the Volta Region over security concerns.

Even though ECG explained, through a press statement that the blackout was a result of sabotage by some unscrupulous persons, a youth group called the Coalition of Krobo Youth, held a press conference recently at which it said the outage was an intentionally planned punitive measure.

ECG relocated its office with the reason that its workers felt threatened by the unfriendly activities of a separate youth group called United Krobo Foundation.

There has been no love lost between the townsfolk and the state power distributor over the past few years in relation to hefty electricity bills issued to the locals.

A few years ago, this sparked an anti-ECG demonstration that led to the death of a teenager.

In recent weeks, however, the two youth groups have been trading words over ECGs presence in the area.

While the United Krobo Foundation held a demonstration at which its members insisted ECG leave the area, the Coalition of Krobo Youth disagreed.

As part of efforts to defuse the rising tension in the area, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, and his lieutenants visited Odumase Krobo and had talks with the paramount chiefs of Yilo and Manya Krobo traditional areas, Nene Oklepeme Nuer Annobaa Sasraku II and Nene Sakite II, respectively; and later met the two youth groups on Friday, 10 December 2021.

He urged the youth to be of good behaviour but served a stern warning to those fomenting trouble among them.

We want you to go home and peaceful. We want you to go home and be law-abiding. We want you to go home and start thinking that the best way to live a decent life and have a good future is to live in peace with one another; help the law-enforcement agencies to take away bad people from your midst for them to be put where they belong and those who will make noise beyond what we can contain, want to fight us with weapons, for them to be sent to the other side where some people will be sent to tomorrow [Saturday].

And, there, we have told God that for such people, when they come and they are wicked, they should put them in prison for them to wait for us so that when we finish all the work here before He has to call us, theyll still be in prison; when we go, therell be judges there who have gone there before, therell be prosecutors there who have gone there before, therell be retired prisoner officers who have also been there; so all the systems are in place, so, well go and take that person too from the jail and put him before the court before police prosecutors will be there and we jail the person again and we throw the person into perpetual cells.

So, even in your death, youll no have peace and that is our message to bad people: in your death, we will not let you have peace and for good people, we want you to enjoy peace while you are alive and die in peace and sleep in your death in peace and well come and bless you in peace, the police chief warned.

classfmonline.com
A police man attached to Changamwe Police Station in Mombasa, Kenya, has reportedly committed suicide.

In a letter addressed to Officer Commanding Station (OCS), the police officer stated that his death should be considered natural as he no longer wants to live.

The officer, whose identity has not been made public, further asked his colleagues to send some money to a fellow officer identified as sergeant Maina with the contributions made towards his funeral expenses.

The police officer admitted that he is in debt in his suicide note, and further listed mobile phone numbers belonging to two women, asking his OCS to send them money should contributions be made towards his send-off.

He also pleaded with his boss to treat the matter as confidential and to also safeguard his image before his family.

The letter read:

First of all I would like to thank you for the time we have worked together. My time to live on earth has come to an end, I do not have any other reason, just take it as a natural death and take me home sir.

Secondly I would like you to form a donation WhatsApp group. Please out of that contribution, please submit Ksh24,000 to Sgt Maina.

These two numbers borrowed me money; Jeruto  0726#####5 -MPESA shop -17,000, Philipita  0726#####1  This lady she's my classmate from class one to Form 4, alinisaidia na Ksh50k.

Source: Lindaikeji
12.12.2021 LISTEN

Strict measures have been put in place by the management of the Ghana Airport Company Limited to ensure that people arriving into the country are all vaccinated against the coronavirus.

This move forms part of efforts to ensure that the rate of infection does not rise during the Christmas season.

Among the measures, Airlines who board passengers without proof of payment for the COVID -19 test and would/ could not pay for the test in Ghana will be fined US$3500 per passenger.

Also, non Ghanaian passengers may be refused entry and be returned to the point of embarkation at cost to the Airline.

3news
12.12.2021 LISTEN

Some people traveling from Tarkwa in the Western Region to Accra in a minibus narrowly escaped death after the bus caught fire in the early hours of Sunday, December 12.

It is unclear what caused the fire which razed the bus beyond recognition.

The incident occurred near the Axle load joint at Apimanim in the Ahanta West Municipality of the western region.

Some of the passengers onboard claimed that the fire started when a burst tyre was being replaced.

Though no life was lost, DAILY GUIDE gathered that luggage and some vital belongings of the passengers perished in the fire.

An eyewitness told journalists that the Accra-bound minibus was fully loaded with passengers and on reaching Apimanim, one of the tyres of the bus burst.

The driver stopped at a location close to the Axle load joint at Apimanim to fix it, but suddenly the vehicle caught fire.

According to sources, no casualty was recorded as personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) were called to the scene to help quench the inferno which burnt the vehicle beyond recognition.

DGN online
West African leaders meeting at a summit in Nigeria on Sunday demanded military-ruled Mali stick to plans for February polls, threatening further sanctions if Bamako fails to commit to returning to democracy.

"The heads of state... decided to keep the (deadline) of February 27, 2022 for elections in Mali," president of the West African ECOWAS bloc Jean-Claude Brou told reporters in Abuja, adding sanctions would be imposed in January if Mali did not move to stage polls.

The head of Mali's government had earlier on Sunday promised he would provide the bloc with an election timetable by the end of January 2022.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) suspended Mali following military coups in August 2020 and May 2021, sanctioning officials deemed responsible for delaying elections and threatening further measures.

Malian procrastination and the possibility of a stronger response from ECOWAS were the main items for discussion among African leaders, along with the situation in Guinea, Covid-19 and economic recovery.

ECOWAS also decided to maintain sanctions against the junta that seized power in Guinea on September 5, demanding a timetable for the return of civilian rule there.

The head of Mali's transitional government, Colonel Assimi Goita justified postponing the election and holding a national consultation which he said would be "indispensable" for peace and stability.

In a two-page letter to ECOWAS, Goita hihglighted the need to "create the conditions for transparent and credible elections", including stepped-up security operations, a new electoral law and the beginning on Saturday of a series of national forums aimed at building a consensus for the return to civilian rule.

Several civil society organisations boycotted the consultations.

Mali's junta has cited persistent insecurity for delaying elections.

"The return to constitutional order is and will remain my absolute priority," Goita said.

The country has been plagued by jihadists and other armed groups, along with violence of self-proclaimed vigilantes and bandits.

Despite the deployment of UN, French and foreign forces, the violence has spread to neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger.

The regular forces are also accused of abuses, and there has been no improvement in Mali's security situation since the military took power.

Guinea too

At a previous summit in November, West African leaders had been informed by Goita that Malian authorities would not be able to respect their earlier commitment to hold elections by February.

ECOWAS has frozen the financial assets and banned from travelling within West Africa all those it deemed guilty of delaying the elections: about 150 people, including the prime minister and almost the entire government, and their families.

Brou did not specify what new measures ECOWAS might take.

After Mali, ECOWAS was confronted in September with its third putsch in a year, with the overthrow in Guinea of President Alpha Conde.

It suspended Guinea and sanctioned the members of the junta, calling for elections to be held within six months.

Guinea's strongman, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, has promised to return power to civilians. But he refuses to be dictated to by a transitional period.
In the bible, Samson, the Israelite, was endowed with might, the type of which had never, and shall never, be witnessed in the history of humankind. He was able to kill a lion with his bare hands and capable of beating and chasing out the enemies of Israel.

However, his love for Delilah, a Philistine woman, led to the sapping of his strength to culminate in his disgraceful death. Delilah in pretence of having true love for Samson, got him to reveal the source of his exceedingly incomprehensible strength. Once it was confided to her to lie in his never-cut hair, Delilah placed him in her lap, ruffled through his head with her fingers to get him to sleep, cut off his hair and then revealed the secret to the Philistines.

Subsequently, Samson was captured by the Philistines who gored his eyes, bound him in chains, tormented him and put him into laborious slavery until his demise. This is how a wicked woman can collude with your enemies to do to you.

Is Kumawuman, my ancestral place of birth, not gone through a similar situation that has reduced her to worse than a dirty tattered piece of cloth unworthy of any further usefulness but to be cast away into the refuse bin? A woman at her helm of affairs has colluded with outsiders to subjugate the people using both powerful traditional and government machinery.

The queen of Kumawu in liaised collusion with the Ceremonial Head of Asanteman but who claims to be the most powerful traditional overlord in Ghana to whom all the nations political leaders shamefully hurtle to prostrate to, and the divisional paramount chiefs in Asanteman, has reduced Kumawuman to a state overflowing with cowards.

Kumawuman is now being plundered by whoever wants, limb by limb, and bared in public for the whole nation to witness her nudity in broad daylight.

Hundreds of thousands of Kumawu stool lands have been illegally taken over by the said powerful traditional head, indeed a mere Ceremonial Head. He goes round telling the whole nation and the cowards in Asanteman that all the land in Ashanti region with the big markets in Kumasi are his personal property. He is given a standing ovation by his history-ignorant audience whenever he makes such wild claims.

While usurping the traditional powers and lands of Kumawuman, the queen of Kumawu, as selfish, greedy, wicked and surely uncivilized as she is, keeps nodding her head in concurrence, strengthening the hand of the Ceremonial Head to further reduce Kumawuman to rubbles.

In all these, almost the entire Kumawuman inhabitants, especially the so-called eminent citizens of Kumawuman, have gone dead silent. They dont care, but are minding their own business.

I am just wondering if God has given up on Kumawuman out of spite for our failure to stand up as audacious people to defend the very land and other resources He has bestowed upon us.

Our forefathers fought to acquire us the land through their sweat and blood and instead of us standing together as a unified strong team to boldly use the truth to protect our inheritance from encroachment by external greedy bastards, be they traditional leaders or politicians, we have resigned ourselves to Each one for himself and God for us all. What a shame!

Dear God the Father, please, although Kumawuman has a Delilah that has colluded with the enemies to ruin Kumawuman and the people of Kumawuman, could you please forgive us our sins and weaknesses to empower us once more to reclaim our stolen lands and rights same as you empowered Samson to pull down the pillars and the building on the gathered audience that were making mockery of not only him but You?

Rockson Adofo

Sunday, 12 December 2021
December 12, 2021

The MoA Week In Review - OT 2021-097

Last week's posts at Moon of Alabama:

[News from my personal health front:

I'm getting better and I hope to now get back to the regular schedule. I have been warned though that pain and ailment will take two weeks to recede and complete healing will take some two months. There may still be surprises to come which may again knock me off my feet.

- b.]

---

Other issues:

Afghanistan retreat:

Ukraine:

Xinjiang:

Fisk:

Killing Bad Guys - Love in a Time of War: My Years with Robert Fisk, by Lara Marlowe - Dublin Review of Books

Assange:

Covid-19:

Biden is Toast.

Use as open thread ...

Posted by b on December 12, 2021 at 14:47 UTC | Permalink

Comments

next page 
BEIRUT (AP)  The Palestinian Hamas group said Saturday that explosions that shook a refugee camp in southern Lebanon were caused by an electrical short-circuit in a storage area for oxygen bottles used to treat coronavirus patients.

Later in the day however, a Lebanese security official said that the explosion in the camp was clearly ammunition  not oxygen bottles. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, did not elaborate.

Lebanons state-run National News Agency had reported late Friday that arms stored for Hamas exploded Friday in the Burj Shamali camp, killing and injuring a number of people. A security official also said the explosions caused casualties but did not give a breakdown.

Hamas in a statement Saturday described the explosions as an incident adding that a fire in the refugee camp in the southern port city of Tyre caused limited damage. In a later statement, the group said that one of its members, Hamza Chahine, was killed. It called on its supporters to take part in his funeral on Sunday afternoon at a mosque in the camp.

Hamas said the oxygen bottles and containers of detergents stored at the camp were to be distributed as part of its aid work in the camp.

Hamas condemns the misleading media campaign and the spread of false news that accompanied the incident, the militant group said in its statement. It added that reports about the cause of the blast and the deaths of dozens are baseless.

Immediately after the blasts, Lebanese troops deployed around the camp and briefly prevented people from entering or leaving.

NNA said the state prosecutor in southern Lebanon has asked security agencies and arms experts to inspect the Hamas arms storage site inside the camp.

Lebanon is home to tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees and their descendants. Many live in the 12 refugee camps that are scattered around the small Mediterranean country.
WARSAW, Poland (AP)  Germanys new chancellor, Olaf Scholz, stressed Sunday that Europe won't tolerate attempts at undermining the territorial integrity of its nations and said that diplomatic tools like the Normandy Format should be used to de-escalate tensions after Russia massed troops near Ukraines border.

Scholz was speaking alongside Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in Warsaw, where the two leaders held talks about migration, energy, European Union matters and fears of potential Russia's aggression on Ukraine.

Were watching the troop movements along the Ukrainian border with great concern, and we are making it very, very clear that the borders in Europe cannot be violated and that we consider the integrity of the borders of countries to be inviolable -- and that no one should think that they could simply be violated without serious consequences, Scholz said.

France and Germany took the lead in brokering a 2015 peace deal between Ukraine and the Russia-backed rebels, in whats known as the Normandy Format.

Scholz said the Belarus government of President Alexander Lukashenko's apparent pushing of Middle East migrants at Poland's and EU's eastern border is inhumane and a major current challenge that Europe has the duty to reject.

He vowed solidarity with Poland "against this inappropriate manner of hybrid warfare. Poland has sealed the border with Belarus to prevent thousands if illegal crossings into the EU.

Referring to the intensifying rule-of-law dispute between Poland's government and the European Commission, the EUs executive arm, Scholz stressed that the 27-nation bloc is united by the principles of democracy and said it would also be very good and helpful if the continuing discussions could soon lead to a very good, pragmatic solution, and the EU would therefore continue to be bound by these principles of democracy and the rule of law.

Morawiecki said he briefed Scholz on Poland's proposals for solving the standoff.

The European Commission is withholding pandemic recovery funds from Poland saying the governments policies erode judicial independence there.

Regarding the divisive Nord Stream 2 pipeline that is to carry Russian gas directly to Germany, Morawiecki repeated Poland's position that it exposes Europe and Ukraine to pressure from Moscow, and said it was best for it not to be opened.

Scholz insisted the pipeline was a purely energy project whose role will be diminishing with the development of renewable energy sources in Germany. Germany's regulator has suspended the approval procedure for the completed pipeline because of legal issues.

Scholz was greeted by Morawiecki, with military honors, in front of the Polish premiers office. It was one of Scholzs early visits after he was sworn in with his coalition Cabinet on Wednesday.

They also discussed complex bilateral relations under Germanys new government. The good neighborly ties are still overshadowed by World War II, especially under Poland's current right-wing government, which is saying Germany owes Poland compensation for wartime damages.

Agnieszka Lada-Konefal, the deputy director of the German Institute for Polish Affairs in Darmstadt, Germany, expects Scholz's government to continue dialogue and contact with Poland, which is an important member on EU's eastern flank and Germany's fifth-largest trading partner.

The visit comes 30 years after the two parliaments ratified a treaty on good neighborly relations and friendly cooperation.

On Friday, Scholz met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris and later with EU and NATO officials in Brussels.

Scholz, a 63-year-old center-left politician, became Germanys ninth post-World War II chancellor, opening a new era for the EUs most populous nation and largest economy after Angela Merkels 16-year tenure.

His government is made up of a coalition of his center-left Social Democrats, the environmentalist Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats.

________

Emily Schultheis in Vienna contributed to this report.
G7 warns Russia of massive consequences if Ukraine invaded View Photo

LIVERPOOL, England (AP)  The Group of Seven economic powers told Russia on Sunday to de-escalate its military buildup near the Ukrainian border, warning that an invasion would have massive consequences and inflict severe economic pain on Moscow.

Foreign ministers from the United States, Britain and the rest of the G-7, joined by the European Unions foreign affairs chief, issued a joint statement declaring themselves united in our condemnation of Russias military buildup and aggressive rhetoric towards Ukraine.

The G-7 called on Russia to de-escalate, pursue diplomatic channels, and abide by its international commitments on transparency of military activities, and praised Ukraines restraint.

Any use of force to change borders is strictly prohibited under international law. Russia should be in no doubt that further military aggression against Ukraine would have massive consequences and severe cost in response, the statement said.

Russias movement of weapons and troops to the border region dominated weekend talks among foreign ministers from the G-7 wealthy democracies in the English city of Liverpool.

The U.S. and it allies worry that the buildup could be precursor to an invasion, and have vowed to inflict heavy sanctions on Russias economy if that happens.

Moscow denies having any plans to attack Ukraine and accuses Kyiv of its own allegedly aggressive designs.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, the conference host, said the G-7 was sending a powerful signal to our adversaries and our allies.

The statement promised a common and comprehensive response but contained no details. Truss said the G-7 was considering all options when it came to economic sanctions. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on NBCs Meet the Press that we are prepared to take the kinds of steps weve refrained from taking in the past if Russia didnt step back.

The U.S. and its allies have played down talk of a military response to defend Ukraine, with efforts focusing on tough sanctions that would hit the Russian economy, rather than just individuals.

In the U.S., reporters asked President Joe Biden on Saturday about the possibility of sending combat troops to Ukraine, and he said that idea was never considered. Are you ready to send American troops into war and go into Ukraine to fight Russians on the battlefield? he said.

Biden, who spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on a video call last week, said he had made clear that in the event of an invasion, the economic consequences for his economy are going to be devastating. Devastating.

Truss said Biden had made clear to Putin that the U.S. stance carries the support of the G-7 countries as a whole. And that should be very concerning for Vladimir Putin.

Chinas muscle-flexing in the Indo-Pacific region and the ailing Iran nuclear deal were also on the agenda for the meeting of top diplomats from the U.K., the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan at the dockside Museum of Liverpool.

Getting a unified response to global crises from the G-7, a group of countries with disparate interests, has often proved tough.

Germany plans on getting gas from Russia soon through the contentious Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which bypasses Ukraine  though Blinken said it was hard to see the pipeline becoming operational if Russia has renewed its aggression on Ukraine, if it takes renewed action.

So I think President Putin has to factor that in, too, as hes thinking about what hes going to do next, he said.

Britain, which isnt dependent on Russian gas, also has criticized the pipeline  but faces tricky questions about Londons financial district and property market, both hubs for Russian money.

U.K. bank and financial authorities have long been criticized for allegedly turning a blind eye to ill-gotten gains.

Truss insisted Britain has very strong anti-corruption and anti-money laundering rules, but also suggested that Russian money and Russian gas came at a high price.

We cannot have short term economic gain at the expense of our long term freedom and democracy, she said.

G-7 nations are also increasingly concerned about Chinas growing economic and technological dominance, especially in developing countries. The G-7 has launched a Build Back Better World initiative to offer developing nations funding for big infrastructure projects as an alternative to money from China that, the West argues, often comes with strings attached.

Truss, who also invited ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to the Liverpool meeting, said the G-7 was concerned about the coercive economic policies of China.

What weve set out is a positive agenda about making sure that countries have alternative sources of investment, alternative sources of trade, she said. And that were making sure that we abide by  and ensure others are abiding by  the rules based international system for trade.

A unified stance towards China continues to prove elusive, however, with the U.S. and Britain generally more hawkish than other G-7 members.

___

AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this story.

By JILL LAWLESS

Associated Press
Heavy Snow In The Mountains, Strong Winds In The Central Valley

Heavy snow impacting roadways in Tuolumne County including Highway 108 View Photo

A strong winter storm is bringing very heavy snow to the mountains of California.

The Winter Storm Warning remains in effect for the Sierra Nevada above 3,500 feet, until 10 PM Tuesday.

Moderate to heavy snow is expected today through Monday. Expect tremendous snow accumulations in the upper elevations with yardsticks required for snow measurement.

According to the National Weather Service, the total snow accumulations above the 5,000 foot elevation will range from two to eight feet. The higher you go, the more the snow.

Strong winds gusting as high as 65 mph, is further reducing visibilities during this event, with whiteout conditions.

This is resulting in significant travel delays with extremely difficult to impossible travel over the mountains.

The gusty winds will likely bring down tree branches. Damage to trees and power lines is possible.

Snow levels will gradually drop to as low as 2,000 feet by late Tuesday afternoon or evening.

A Winter Storm Warning means there will be snow covered roads and limited visibilities. Travel is not recommended while the Warning is in effect. If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency.

Additionally, a Wind Advisory for the Northern San Joaquin Valley will continue until 10 PM tonight.

Southerly winds of twenty to thirty mph, with gusts ranging from forty-five to fifty mph, are forecast across the Central Valley as the storm moves through. These strong winds may cause power outages, down weakened trees and tree branches. Secure outdoor objects.

Driving could be difficult for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution while driving.
2 Palestinians killed during funeral in Lebanon refugee camp View Photo

BEIRUT (AP)  Gunfire erupted Sunday during a Hamas-organized funeral in a tense Palestinian refugee camp, leaving at least two people dead and seven injured, officials said.

Lebanons National News Agency said the gunfire was sparked by an altercation during the funeral. But Hamas spokesperson Ayman Shanaa told Palestinian media that gunmen opened fire at the mourners and put the death toll at four.

The Hamas member buried Sunday had died under disputed circumstances late Friday when the tense Burj Shamali was rocked by a series of explosions. The Palestinian Hamas group said an electrical short-circuit in a storage area for oxygen bottles caused the blast.

A Lebanese security official said the explosion happened in an ammunition depot, however. NNA had also reported an explosion in a Hamas arms warehouse in the camp, saying a number were killed and injured.

Sundays funeral for Hamza Chahine drew scores of mourners. The gunfire broke out before his body arrived at the burial site.

Lebanese security forces dont operate inside the refugee camps, where security is in the hands of Palestinian factions who often compete for clout.

A Lebanese security official said reports from the camp suggest clashes broke out between rival Palestinian factions during the funeral. The official said three were killed in the violence.

One Palestinian official said infiltrators used the occasion to shoot at the mourners. He said one of the injured is in critical condition. Another Palestinian official said during a 21-gun-salute for the deceased, errant shots killed two of the mourners. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters.

Shanaa said Hamas was working to contain the fallout from the violence.

Lebanon is home to tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees and their descendants. Many live in the 12 refugee camps that are scattered around the small Mediterranean country.
Two months before Pope John Paul II is scheduled to canonize Mexico's most beloved miracle, a San Antonio scientist is protesting the long-awaited event, saying an image of the Virgin Mary believed to have been imprinted on a peasant's cloak is not miraculous at all.

The olive-skined Virgin Mary known as Our Lady of Guadalupe reportedly appeared to an Aztec peasant in 1531 and turned millions of polytheist Indians into Roman Catholics. Her 5-by-3 foot image, which is said to have appeared miraculously on the cloak worn by the peasant Juan Diego, is housed at Mexico City's Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the world's second most popular Catholic site after the Vatican.

In 1990, the pope beautified Juan Diego, the step before full sainthood, and some Catholics have been hoping for centuries for canonization, the ultimate stamp of legitimacy.

But recent studies of the image are feeding centuries-old uncertainty over its origin, says Leoncio A. Garza-Valdes, 61, who in 1999 was part of a team that evaluated the cloth.

"The cloak of Our Lady of Guadalupe is not one painting but three paintings, and one is signed and dated. So this is not a miraculous image; it was created by man," Garza-Valdes was quoted as saying in Sunday's editions of the San Antonio Express-News.

Garza-Valdes, whose conclusions were published last week in the Mexican magazine Proceso, believes the image of the Virgin is not of supernatural origin, and that Juan Diego is a creation of 17th-century church writings.

"We want to stop the canonization of Juan Diego," Garza-Valdes said. "The church is making a boo-boo. I am a Catholic and a Guadalupano, but I am not an apparitionist, and I do not believe in Juan Diego."

Garza-Valdes, a pediatrician and microbiologist, said photographs taken of the image in the basilica vault in February 1999, using various filters that allow the passage of ultraviolet and infrared light, revealed three paintings, each painted over another.

In the earliest painting, Garza-Valdes says, the female figure was quite different and one can see the shadowy presence of a naked baby Jesus, reclining in the Virgin's left arm.

He believes this original image was borrowed from a well-known statue in a basilica in Extremadura, Spain, which he recently inspected. And he says the initials of the artist, M.A. for Marcos Aquino, a historical figure, can be seen in the corner of the painting, next to the date 1556.

To others, these features are so vague as to be undetectable, and Garza-Valdes could cite no other independent observer who sees them.

In photos of what the scientist calls the second and third Virgins, distinct changes to the figure's facial features are easily seen. In the final image, the eyes of the Virgin have become smaller and her features are less Indian. And, Garza-Valdes says, her face has been moved roughly 6 inches on the canvas.

Garza-Valdes also says microscopic examination of the canvas fibers reveal it to be made of hemp, typical of 17th-century paintings, and not of the Mexican agave cactus.

This conclusion corresponds with those of a church-commissioned study done at the behest of Monsignor Guillermo Schulenberg, the longtime abbot of the Virgin's basilica in 1982 and only recently made public in Proceso.

The study, by Jose Sol Rosales, a Mexican expert in art restoration, concluded the painting was the work of human artists, using identifiable 17th-century materials and techniques, and was not the result of a supernatural event.

"Look. This isn't the product of a miracle," Rosales said in an article published three weeks ago in Proceso. "You can identify the various layers (of paint). It has the marks of the paintbrush. But they say it was imprinted miraculously, with no preparation. No, no. This is not so."

Garza-Valdes, recently sent the pope a copy of his soon-to-be published 600-page book about his findings, saying his sole motive is to prevent an improper canonization.

But Mexican church officials say Garza-Valdes is completely mistaken. And two Americans who went with him to Mexico in 1999 to take the photos do not agree with him on critical points.

Dr. Gilberto Aguirre, a San Antonio optometrist and a student of the Virgin, said that because the pictures were taken through a quarter-inch acrylic screen using only ambient light, the images they reveal cannot all be trusted. He also said ultraviolet light cannot reveal subsurface features.

Lester Rosebrook, a photographer at the University of Texas Health Science Center who took the ultraviolet and infrared photos in Mexico, said Garza-Valdes sees specific things that he cannot.

"I didn't see the baby. If it was there, I think it would have been more clear," said Rosebrook.

Monsignor Jose Luis Guerrero, a Mexican priest chosen by the Vatican as the advocate in Juan Diego's canonization cause, said ultimately, there is no way to prove the picture is not of supernatural origin.

"When God changed the water to wine, and made the fish and bread multiply, they seemed to be the same ordinary bread and wine," he said. "Even though they were miraculous, they appeared similar to ordinary things."

Guerrero said Vatican officials already have reviewed Garza-Valdes' book, and nothing has undermined the church's conviction about Juan Diego and the cloak bearing the image of the Virgin.

"In our opinion, Juan Diego was a real person, a model Christian, and that he had contact with God through the Holy Virgin, and she left us something totally sufficient for the Indian culture to which it was directed," he said.

"There have been many attacks. This is just one more."
Click here to read the full article.

Cara Williams, one of the last remaining actresses of Hollywoods Golden Age and an Oscar nominee for her performance in 1958s The Defiant Ones, died on Thursday. She was 96 years old.

Williams death was confirmed to Variety by her daughter Justine Jagoda and her great-nephew Richard Potter.

Not only was she a sparkling actress with impeccable comedic timing, she was also funny, over-the-top, warm-hearted and loving, Jagoda told Variety in a statement. She could make anyone laugh and smile if they had a bad day. She was everything that you could wish for in a mother and more. Its a sad loss to lose a woman from this incredible era.

Born as Bernice Kamiat in Brooklyn, N.Y. on June 29, 1925, Williams began working as an actress when she was a child. After her parents divorced, she relocated to Hollywood with her mother and began to attend the Hollywood Professional School, giving voice performances in cartoon shorts. At age 16, Williams was signed by 20th Century-Fox and began appearing in small, often unbilled parts in films such as Wide Open Town, Happy Land and In the Meantime, Darling.

Following a turn in a stage production of Born Yesterday, Williams career ignited in the late 1940s and 50s. The actress earned big supporting roles in Boomerang!, The Girl Next Door and The Helen Morgan Story. She garnered an Academy Award nomination in the category of best supporting actress for her performance as a widowed mother in Stanley Kramers The Defiant Ones, acting opposite Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis. She later took on roles in comedies Never Steal Anything Small and The Man From the Diners Club.

Williams also worked in television, earning an Emmy nomination for her lead performance as Gladys in CBS Pete and Gladys, the networks spin-off of its 1950s sitcom December Bride. A running joke of December Bride involved a supporting character played by Harry Morgan complaining about his dizzy wife, Gladys. Williams stepped into that unseen role for the spin-off series. Williams also later starred in her own series, The Cara Williams Show, alongside Frank Aletter. By the 1980s, Williams had stepped away from acting.

Williams married Alan Gray in 1945. The two had a daughter before divorcing after two years. In 1952, Williams wed actor John Drew Barrymore, son of John Barrymore, and the two produced actor John Blythe Barrymore before divorcing in 1959. Williams later wed Los Angeles real estate figure Asher Dann in 1964. The two remained married until Danns death in 2018 at the age of 83.

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Americans are mourning and trying to rescue what is salvageable after severe weather across six states has left dozens dead and others without power, shelter or their loved ones.

At least 30 tornadoes were reported across six states, causing the death count to rise to an estimated 80 or more, even as state officials fear the number could climb as recovery efforts resume. State leaders in Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky and other affected states were working to confirm the number of fatalities amid wreckage from the severe weather. Kentucky is expected to have the highest death toll - at least 70 - and Gov. Andy Beshear, D, said in a Saturday news conferences that it could be more than 100.

President Joe Biden pledged the federal government's full support for relief efforts. He declared a state of emergency for Kentucky and instructed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help 15 counties there.

"I say to all the victims, you're in our prayers, and all those first responders, emergency personnel and everyone helping their fellow Americans that this is the right thing to do at the right time and we're going to get through this," he said at a Saturday news conference.

State leaders and national nonprofit organizations are raising money for the relief efforts, most of which are concentrated in western Kentucky.

That state set up a fund to help the victims and families affected by a storm system that killed dozens of people and destroyed numerous structures Friday and into the early hours of Saturday.

In one of several Saturday news conferences, Beshear announced a fund that is "solely dedicated to the on-the-ground efforts" and relief work that families will need to rebuild in the aftermath of the tornadoes.

The Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund went live Saturday to help those affected by the devastation.

"This is the hardest tornado we've ever been through, and it's not just because of the property damage," Beshear said. "We've lost a lot of good people. We've got to do our best as it gets dark and through the next days to make sure we don't lose any more."

Kentucky has needed blood donations since the pandemic hit the state, Beshear said, and Friday's disaster has increased that need.

People can donate blood at Red Cross locations. Blood donations can also be made at Kentucky Blood Center drives.

La Grange, Ky., has set up a relief fund for the American Red Cross.

"Giving money here to the American Red Cross will make an impact on disaster relief efforts in Western Kentucky," the page says. "Whether you donate $5 or $500, every little bit helps."

Clarksville, Ind., is raising money for the American Red Cross, and the United Way of Kentucky is asking for donations.

People who would like to give items other than - or including - money can donate clothes, food and other supplies to various organizations, including the Salvation Army.

Kentucky's Heartland branch of Feeding America set up a donation link that will help the group feed hungry Kentuckians who might be without power and meals over the weekend.

"Feeding America, Kentucky's Heartland has mobilized efforts to provide ready-to-eat bags of food that require no cooking and extra utensils," the group said in a social media post. "This massive devastation couldn't come at a worse time as most of the state is still in recovery from the pandemic and people are financially exhausted from holiday expenses."

Some Americans jumped at the opportunity to help those in need.

Michael Capponi, founder of Global Empowerment Mission, a Miami-based nonprofit organization that helps people who have experienced natural disasters, headed to Mayfield, Ky., with a team and four trucks of goods to distribute.

Experience with aiding survivors of disasters from Haiti to Surfside, Fla., told him that the scope of the Kentucky damage would be severe, he told The Washington Post in an interview.

He said his priority is to get supplies - provided by partners including Bethenny Frankel's BStrong initiative, Goya Foods and Walmart - to survivors as soon as possible.

"Time is life in the disaster world," he said.

Team Rubicon, a veteran-led disaster-relief organization, deployed six people to Kentucky for recovery efforts that include clearing roadways from Benton to Mayfield.

Response services could include removing fallen or hazardous debris, Kirby Willis, Team Rubicon's volunteer Kentucky logistics leader, said in a statement to The Post.

Convoy of Hope, an international faith-based, nonprofit organization that helps disaster victims, sent semitrailers full of relief supplies to Kentucky to deliver to those affected by the tornadoes.
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By Daniela De Lorenzo, researcher and reporter of DeSmog, whose work has also appeared in publications such as VICE News, Deutsche Welle, Al Jazeera, and Wired, and Rachel Sherrington, Rachel is lead researcher and reporter at DeSmog and who previously worked as a researcher and assistant to the director at the climate charity Hope for the Future and as a researcher in UK parliament.Originally published at DeSmog Blog

In February 2021, German agribusiness giant BASF hosted a virtual wine tasting, a seemingly cozy affair swirling glasses of Portugals finest in front of a webcam debating the future of EU agricultural policies. Invited to the event was a small group of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).

The MEPs invited were spoiled for choice, as BASF generously delivered six small bottles of fine wines for their enjoyment. Like many corporations, the global COVID-19 pandemic and lack of usual in-person events meant they had to get creative about how to shape the political debate and find new allies to support their agendas.

BASFs wine tasting is just one example of many such pandemic-style lobbying efforts by the European agriculture industry since the EU has attempted to pass sweeping new policies to combat climate change through measures included in its Green Deal, first presented in December 2019.

Since then, leading industry associations and agrochemical companies have used their lobbying might to push back against core European measures aiming to lead the transition to a more sustainable way of farming. These companies are connected through their various trade group memberships, and have deployed many tools  from networking events to lawsuits  in order to counter Europes push to phase-out pesticides and reduce fertilizer use.

To identify the powerful actors most actively lobbying against these key EU regulations and policies, DeSmog analysed corporate reports, lobbying records, official position papers, responses to public EU consultations, media events, and meetings held with various EU bodies over the past two years. DeSmog also spoke to sources from within the EU and related civil society groups as part of our analysis.

The research identified 14 companies and trade bodies that had pushed back against EU environmental and agrochemicals policy in recent years. Industry representatives had hundreds of meetings across European Commission and European Parliament committees and commissions that work on agriculture, environment, food, and chemical safety between 2019 and October 2021. This includes 13 entities registered as official lobbyists via the EUs Transparency Register. These groups spent at least a combined 45.9 million on lobbying in 2019 and 2020, according to the latest available data on their lobbying spending from official EU data.

DeSmogs analysis considered lobbying to include any activities perceived as a means of gaining influence or access to political decision making processes, including but not exclusively limited to activities captured under the EU lobbying transparency register.

Environmentalists fear that this seemingly coordinated agribusiness lobbying may weaken regulations aimed at limiting the use of agrichemicals and potentially delay the ban of companies patented pesticides  which many experts say are harmful to the environment and human health  while they burnish their corporate reputations by hiding behind the narrative of supporting farmers.

These companies, DeSmog found, are also pushing for lowering corporate and institutional transparency and accountability standards in order to keep their communications with European bodies and scientific centers a secret.

Responding to DeSmogs findings, Natacha Cingotti, senior health and chemicals policy officer at Brussels-based policy and advocacy group, Health and Environmental Alliance (HEAL), said: [W]hen working on chemicals- and pesticides-related policies, the imbalance of stakeholders in favour of industry interests is striking.

Under the current regulatory system and the related stakeholder consultation processes, Cingotti continued, it is a fact that the dominating actors are those very companies that are set to profit from the sale of harmful chemicals, not those who stand for health and environment protection.

The European agriculture sector is responsible for over 10 percent of the EUs greenhouse gas emissions, mainly through the deployment of intensive farming practices supported by the use of pesticides and fertilizers.

The use of these chemicals helps to maintain an industrial-scale system of agriculture that is responsible for much of the food produced around the world and much of the sectors emissions. The use of these chemicals also damages the environment in other ways; much of the fertilizer used in the world today is the product of methane gas, a fossil fuel, while the wide-scale use of pesticides has been linked to the damage of ecosystems and vital populations of pollinators.

Due to the environmental harms associated with the use of these agrochemicals, the EU has made limiting their use a key plank among the measures included in its Green Deal  a historic package by the bloc to reduce its emissions in line with global climate targets.

Within the Green Deal, the EUs Farm to Fork strategy includes a 50 percent reduction in pesticide use and a 20 percent reduction in fertilizer use, and a 25 percent increase in organic farming. Also included in the Green Deal is a new, strengthened version of the EUs longstanding Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which has among its aims to prioritize small-scale, sustainable farming. The European Biodiversity strategy, which is another core plank of the Green Deal, includes similar goals.

But the European Commissions attempt to align these three policies  the CAP, Biodiversity Strategy, and Farm to Fork  and implement a concrete transition to sustainable farming is under intense pushback from the companies that manufacture and sell these petrochemical-based pesticides and fertilizer products, as well as from powerful trade groups which represent their interests.

Meet the Industry Trade Groups

The agrochemicals industry is estimated to be worth $234 billion worldwide, and pesticide and fertilizer producers constitute a powerful political lobbying force within the EU and around the world.

DeSmogs investigation found industry giants such as Bayer, BASF, and Corteva have made significant efforts to lobby the EU and its decision-makers in the wake of announcements about the Green Deal and other policies. Others that have been active in pushing for the EU to continue to allow the use of certain controversial chemicals, include CropLife Europe and The Glyphosate Renewal Group.

As DeSmogs research has found, these companies have had input in the policy-making process through a wide range of means, including through their membership of expert and advisory groups that give input on new European policies, sponsorship of events attended by EU officials and other decision-makers, meetings with EU officials, and sponsorship of EU-focused media and events.

The companies also have an influence on decision-making through their membership in and representation by powerful trade industry groups which lobby on their behalf. This includes influential trade bodies such as theEuropean Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC), which represents agrochemicals and chemicals companies, the European farming union COPA-COGECA, and industry groups such as the Glyphosate Renewal Group and Fertilizers Europe.

COPA-COGECA, for example, is a powerful trade group combining the interests of European farmers unions and European agri-cooperatives, which claims to represent the voice of farmers and their cooperatives in the European Union.

The trade body, which has lobbied extensively on European climate and environmental regulations, including the Green Deal, has used its position with decision-makers to argue against the science underpinning the EUs approach to agrochemicals, and to argue in favor of industry-backed alternatives. While it does not represent agrochemicals producers directly, the body has a history of aligning its positions with the sector, and has opposed greater regulation of pesticide use.

For example, in a presentation given to EU commission officials and representatives from academia, industry, and civil society groups regarding planned changes to the EUs Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive in June 2021, COPA-COGECA argued that pesticide reduction targets place an unfair burden on farmers and hamper European competitiveness, claiming that there are no other credible and realistic alternatives.

The arguments in the presentation contradict recent studies on the issue; in July 2021 the European Commissions in-house science service published a report showing that the EUs plans to introduce targets to cut the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, as included in the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies, are achievable, and identified viable alternatives to the use of pesticides such as the technique of crop rotation, which has been identified as a means to avoid the emergence of pests without harming the environment.

COPA-COGECA, has however, criticized the EUs July study. An investigation by Corporate Europe Observatory in October 2021 claimed that the farming lobbys messaging against the studys findings was based on flawed and partial science, with the result of creating uncertainties among policymakers.

The documents leaked in the Corporate Europe Observatory investigation were part of lobbying work that is done in all stakeholder groups. The documents supported our talks with our EU member organisations, a spokesperson for COPA-COGECA told DeSmog.

Another trade association representing the agribusiness industry, CropLife Europe, has played a similar role in disputing scientific analyses produced by European bodies while promoting precision farming practices as the main tools to decarbonize the agricultural sector.

Formerly known as European Crop Protection Association, CropLife Europe represents six major agrochemical companies producing pesticides and herbicides: BASF, Bayer, Corteva Agriscience, FMC, Syngenta, and UPL.

Responding to DeSmogs investigation, Syngenta said: Syngenta fully complies with EU regulations regarding activities safeguarding the interests of farmers and growers in the EU. We remain committed to delivering the very best solutions that mitigate impacts of climate change, protect the planet, and help feed populations.

A spokesperson for Corteva said: Corteva continues to comply with local product regulations. We remain committed to delivering innovative solutions that address pressing agriculture challenges for farmers, growers and society.

Bayer confirmed it was a member of CropLife Europe and said that its membership in trade associations enabled it to enter into dialogue with experts and stakeholders on European policy.

CropLife Europe promotes digital and precision agriculture as the main solutions to achieve decarbonization of the European agriculture sector, while helping farmers to modernize their practices. In its list of 2030 commitments to support the European Green Deal, CropLife said that it will invest 10 billion euros into innovation in precision and digital technologies by 2030. Similarly, CropLife Europe is ready to spend 4 billion euros into innovation in biopesticides by 2030. These investments, however, would be impacted should the EUs pesticides reduction target be adopted.

CropLife has echoed COPA-COGECAs arguments against pesticides reduction plans and the intensification of organic agriculture across Europe. The group joined others in criticizing the Farm to Fork strategy, claiming that the policy would negatively impact farmers livelihoods and trade. However, environmental groups and one of the authors of the EU report argued that the studies that COPA-COGECA and other critics based their response on were not comprehensive.

A spokesperson for CropLife Europe said: Our industry continues to innovate to provide an integrated toolbox of solutions for farmers. In order to reach EU Farm to Fork objectives, we believe it is essential that EU Regulations foster further all innovative solutions, be it biopesticides or pesticides, plant biotech including NGTs or digital and precision agriculture tools so that farmers have access to a full toolbox of effective solutions towards more sustainable farming.

German multinational company Bayer, which is a member of CropLife Europe, stated that European policies should focus on reducing the risk and impact of pesticides usage on the environment rather than reducing their use, a conclusion that is heavily contested by environmentalists. Pesticides can linger in the environment for decades, posing a threat to entire ecosystems  reducing the use of pesticides is one of the critical drivers for preserving the environment, one Nature study notes, finding that its possible to limit pesticides use without significantly impacting agriculture profits.

Another trade group that DeSmog found to be active in trying to influence European climate policy and sustainable agriculture targets is Fertilizers Europe, a trade association representing over 15 fertilizer companies and seven national associations across Europe, including Norwegian fertilizer company, Yara.

Fertilizers Europe has also worked together with the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic), which represents fertilizer companies such as BASF and Yara, as well as oil and gas companies which provide the feedstock for the fertilizer industry.

A spokesperson for Cefic said the group supported the European Green Deal and that the European chemical industry was uniquely positioned at the heart of European manufacturing to contribute to realizing a climate neutral society. They added that the group represents the views of the chemical industry as a whole rather than the views of other sectors, such as fertilizers.

As of 2016, the use of mineral fertilizers, which includes nitrogen-based fertilizers produced from natural gas, accounted for 39 percent of the agriculture sectors emissions in Europe. The European Commission has said a fertilizer use reduction target of 20 percent by 2030 will play a major role in decreasing agriculture emissions.

Jacob Hansen, director general of Fertilizers Europe, has claimed: Without the efficient and strong fertilizer industry in Europe 52.4 million tonnes of additional CO2 will be emitted globally. That is almost equivalent of the total emissions of Sweden. Commenting on Farm to Fork  which aims to reduce overall fertilizer use by 20 percent  Hansen claimed the proposed level of ambition of the policy was clearly unrealistic in the given timeframe.

Responding to DeSmogs findings, a spokesperson for Fertilizers Europe said: The European fertilizer industry is committed to play its part in the EU Green Deal and identified technologies that can help decarbonise our production. They added that only by staying competitive, European producers will be able to invest in the low-carbon technologies and continue playing an important role in enhancing sustainable food systems in Europe.

Norwegian fertilizer company, Yara , which is a member of FE, backs the trade unions view over keeping fertilizers in use, claiming that about half of all food globally is produced using mineral fertilizers. The companys global yearly turnover amounts to approximately 11 billion ($11.6 billion USD) with its major ammonia production sites in the Netherlands.

The main ingredient in fertilizers is ammonia, which is produced from natural gas. Recent soaring natural gas prices in Europe, however, have impacted the fertilizer market. And in at least one instance, Yara  the worlds largest trader of ammonia  is looking abroad to secure the essential ingredient. This includes importing the product from the United States, where much of the natural gas from which ammonia is derived comes from fracking.

At the same time, Yara claims to promote the deployment of green ammonia, which instead of fossil fuels would be produced with green hydrogen (hydrogen generated entirely by renewable energy). Yara has stated that a transition to green ammonia would only be possible in five to seven years, so in the meantime fertilizers companies will continue using fossil fuels.

The idea of green fertilizers to market the companys products as less polluting, however, is seen by some as corporate greenwashing. By calling for greater efficiency in the fertilizer production process and digitalization as the solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, these technologies wont be able to limit the risks fertilizers pose on the environment.

A spokesperson from Fertilizers Europe said transition to green and low-carbon production cannot be done overnight and will take more than 5-7 years. It will require huge investments in [the] order of 30-35 billion euros and maturing of technologies as well as availability of clean energy to advance the transition.

Henk Hobbelink, agronomist and coordinator of GRAIN, an international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements, said: The fertilizer companies boasting about green ammonia is painting an overly rosy picture of a technology that as of yet isnt available  We cannot afford to further increase these emissions and we should urgently kick our addiction to synthetic [nitrogen]-fertilisers and transition to farming without fossil fuels and chemicals.

All three groups  Fertilizers Europe, CropLife, and COPA-COGECA  are members of the AgriFoodChain Coalition (AFCC). While the AFCC is not itself registered within the EUs transparency register, its members include powerful agrochemicals and agribusiness trade groups which themselves represent a powerful lobbying force at the EU, and the AFCC has organized a number of events engaging with EU decision-makers on Farm to Fork.

Corporate Lobbying and Lawsuits

As well as lobbying through industry groups, pesticide and fertilizer companies have also used their own means to target and influence policy-makers at the EU. This includes lobbying to water down regulations and the science policies are based on, along with initiating several lawsuits.

Tackling the problem of pollinator decline is a key element of both the CAP and the European Green Deal as a whole, as bees are vital for the preservation of ecological balance and biodiversity, and ultimately in tackling food insecurity. In the past few decades, pollinators such as bees have dramatically declined in occurrence and diversity, especially in Europe and North America, with new scientific studies suggesting that exposure to agrochemicals could be among the key drivers.

As Mark J. F. Brown, a professor in evolutionary ecology and conservation at Royal Holloway, University of London, said: Intensive agriculture, including the use of agrochemicals, have been implicated in pollinator declines, and this has led to the ban of outside use of some agrochemicals in the EU. If you take away the homes and food of wild insect pollinators, it is inevitable that their populations will decline.

German-multinational chemicals company Bayer, which is one of the worlds largest producers of agrochemicals, has argued, however, against the EUs proposed pesticides reduction targets, claiming in response to a public consultation that the EU should set targets to reduce the risk of pesticides, rather than limiting their overall use. Fellow agrochemical manufacturer BASF has opposed EU targets to increase organic farming, which also target decreased pesticide use, with a consultation response from the company stating a full shift to organic farming would increase emissions and risk food production. (Its worth noting, however, that Green Deal targets aim for just a quarter of agricultural land to become organic.)

Bayer also has a long history of lobbying against European attempts to regulate the use of its products. This includes controversial neonicotinoids, which have been partially banned in the EU since 2013 due to substantialscientific evidence they harm bee populations.

In May 2021, the European Court of Justice upheld earlier EU rulings introducing a partial ban on imidacloprid, clothianidin, and thiamethoxam, three neonicotinoids which have been restricted in the EU since 2013. Speaking about the ban, a spokesperson from Bayer claimed: The verdict seems to allow the [European] Commission almost carte blanche to review existing approvals upon the slightest evidence.

Bayer and other companies are also continuing to defend the use of the controversial chemical glyphosate, which has been linked to the development of cancer in people who have been exposed to high levels of the chemical, and which has also been linked to declines in populations of insects and fish.

For instance, Bayer, along with fellow agrochemical company Syngenta, is a member of the Glyphosate Renewal Group (GRG), which has been publicly advocating for the continuation of the use of the chemical in the EU after 2022, when the EU authorization allowing for its use in pesticides runs out. At a GRG-hosted event in November 2021, a representative of Bayer claimed that a ban on glyphosate would require farmers to use a mix of other pesticides to substitute their product, which may create more harm to the environment than using glyphosate.

A spokesperson for the GRG told DeSmog that leading health regulators around the world, including the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), have repeatedly concluded that glyphosate-based products can be used safely when used in accordance with the label instructions. They added that the use of glyphosate can help reduce emissions from farming, by reducing the need for plowing the soil, a technique which can cause the soil to release greenhouse gases.

A spokesperson for Bayer told DeSmog all crop protection products, including those containing the active substance glyphosate, are subject to rigorous and exhaustive testing, adding that leading health regulators around the world have repeatedly concluded that glyphosate-based products can be used safely when used in accordance with the label instructions.

Meanwhile, the Japanese agribusiness company Sumitomo is lobbying for the legal approval of the use of the weedkiller flumioxazin, also known as the new glyphosate. A ban on glyphosate from 2022 could ramp up the companys profits if its weedkiller replaces glyphosate products. Currently, Sumitomos weedkiller is used in vineyards and orchards in over 15 European Member States. However, Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe has named flumioxazin as one of its Dirty Six, a list of what it calls the most dangerous endocrine-disrupting pesticides used in Europe, which also have negative environmental effects including biodiversity loss.

Sources from within the EU parliament told DeSmog that representatives of Sumitomo had reached out to and held meetings with the European Parliaments staff to request the renewal of the approval process of flumioxazin. In October 2021, the EU allowed the continued use of the chemical.

Sumitomo did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

Since 2013, Corteva Agriscience has lobbied for the EU to renew the approval of the chemical chlorpyrifos-methyl, pesticides predominantly used to combat emerging pests in citrus production. Scientists have said that there is no dose that is safe for human health and that the chemicals poisonous effect on insects is not disputed.

A spokesperson for Corteva said: Although Corteva no longer produces chlorpyrifos, the Company stands by the safety of the product and its value for the grower community.

In 2021, Portugal-based agrochemical company Ascenza and the Spanish agrochemicals company Industrias Afrasa, a fellow European Crop Care Association (ECCA) member, brought a legal action against the European Commission at the EU Court of Justice with the goal of reversing the Commissions decision to ban the active-substance chlorpyrifos from the EU.

Commenting on the ongoing court case, a spokesperson from Ascenza, which is the only organization included in DeSmogs investigation not to be registered as a lobbyist under EU regulations, told DeSmog that judicial review was a basic right offered under the EU Treaties and said the company had proceed with the legal action due to their belief that Chlorpyrifos-methyl use in crop protection does not pose a risk for consumers, operators nor for the environment

While companies that have seen their chemical ingredients removed from the European list of safe products are fighting in the courts, those waiting for the approval or renewal of some chemicals continue to lobby MEPs and member states.

In 2015, major European agrochemicals supplier and ECCA member UPL Europe Ltd. funded the EU Mancozeb Task Force, together with ECCAs member Dutch Indofil Industries, to lobby European bodies for the renewal and approval of the fungicide mancozeb. Mancozeb is used to protect plants against a range of dangerous fungal diseases, but was banned by the EU earlier this year over concerns about its impacts on human health and biodiversity.

Political Connections

Many of the organizations analyzed by DeSmog have tried to cozy up to MEPs through events they have co-organized with representatives and through events they have held for EU decision-makers.

BASFs wine tasting was one of the many lobbying attempts to gather the European Parliaments Agriculture Committee before major voting over measures addressing pesticides use.

Think tanks such as FarmEurope provide other forums for agribusiness and agricultural trade unions to express their positions to EU decision-makers. The think tank, whose supporters include Bayer and some of COPA-COGECAs national members, organized the Global Food Forum  a two-day event on November 15-16, 2021  where lobbying representatives of organizations including COPA-COGECA joined over a dozen MEPs, representatives of national governments, and the representatives of the European Commission.

Concerns have also been raised over some MEPs having vested interests when it comes to evaluating policy proposals, due to their known side-business as farmers.

Inviting MEP Irene Tolleret, from the European center party Renew Europe, to one of its events, COPA-COGECA listed the politician first and foremost as a winegrower. Over the past two years, the organization had over nine meetings with Tolleret to discuss rules within the new CAP and the wine sector. In some of the meetings, COPA-COGECA was accompanied by the French national farmers association, FNSEA.

In 2019, Tolleret, who makes her own wine in the Languedoc region of France, warned that a new certification scheme encouraging organic farming and sustainable means of farming in the French wine industry were prohibitively expensive for small operations. Despite her involvement in the industry there is no suggestion Tolleret has broken EU lobbying or transparency rules.

Tolleret did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

Between 2020 and 2021, COPA-COGECA had 66 meetings with representatives of the European Commission for Agriculture, EU Commission for the EU Green Deal, EU Commission for Food Safety, and for Biodiversity, European Parliaments Members of the Committee for Agriculture, European Parliaments Members of the Committee for Environment. In the same period, COPA COGECAs members had more than 50 meetings with the same bodies.

A spokesperson for COPA-COGECA told DeSmog: We meet EU institutional representatives in all agriculture, forestry, and aquaculture/fisheries issues across 45 Working Parties and hundreds of relevant EU policy areas. By no means, do we only discuss Farm to Fork or pesticides.

They continued: It is a normal part of the EU lobbying to suggest amendments or make recommendations to the MEPs in their Parliament work. All stakeholders can do this, in line with their opinions on the matter in the decision process.

MEPs are obliged to publicly report all their meetings. Indeed, many MEPs public profiles and activity records are updated with information about their meetings, as reported by the Spanish CIVIO Foundation. Meanwhile, the public profiles of nearly half of all MEPs remain blank.

Shadow Rapporteur to the Farm to Fork Strategy in the European Parliament Environment Committee, Hermann Tertsch, repeatedly advocated against a target to reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers, and participated in agribusiness events defending the role of glyphosate. Tertsch is the vice-president of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR) and represents the Spanish right-wing party VOX, known for its climate denial positions. The calendar of meetings on his official European Parliament profile page is blank.

Tertsch did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

COPA-COGECA also has privileged access to the European Council of Agriculture Ministers of the European Union, who are in charge of taking final decisions on policy implementations.

As HEALs Cingotti said: Industry players that have commercial interests in regulatory processes will always have more resources to spend in order to attend and dominate the discussions, be it through their own in-house lobbyists, through PR and lobby firms that they hire to represent them, or through representation in sectoral industry associations. Even well-resourced and organized NGOs cannot compete.

Alternative Solutions

At the same time as trying to undermine strong environmental policies, companies are also promoting technological solutions which some question whether they will fully help avert biodiversity loss or help curb emissions.

As the latest IPCC report warns, rising temperatures affect soils capacity to store carbon, while the increase in the number of natural disasters may also limit the possibility for soil to reliably remain an undisturbed carbon sink.

Two solutions being promoted by the industry to make farming less emitting are through so-called precision-agriculture  which uses data gathered through technologies such as sensors to enable farmers to use resources more efficiently  as well as through the so-called carbon-farming, which promotes the use of techniques to foster healthy soils to store carbon dioxide from the air.

Carbon farming has been heavily promoted as a way to reward farmers for storing carbon within their land through practices that promote carbon sequestration and technologies that help track it and generate soil carbon credits to be sold to other stakeholders who aim to offset their emissions. The creation of a global carbon farming market does not imply the end of intensive farming practices such as pesticides utilization and animal farming.

While soils are an important carbon sink, studies have found there is limited evidence that the methods used in the carbon farming approach provide a viable, wide-scale solution for emissions reductions. Environmentalists fear that reliance on these solutions will only serve to boost industry revenues, and argue that there is little scientific evidence to support the idea that they will lead to the emissions reductions needed to address climate change in line with global climate goals.

Companies maintain, though, that these measures are enough to achieve the emissions reductions needed to address climate change while also allowing for the continued use of their products.

Fertilizer giant Yaras close involvement with the World Economic Forum (WEF) allowed it to market itself as a carbon farming champion. In June 2021, it set up its own carbon farming initiative called the Agoro Carbon Alliance (ACA), which was registered in October as a lobbying entity. According to ACAs website, it is taking action on a global scale to reverse the effects of climate change by decarbonizing farming and restoring carbon to the worlds soil. In November 2021, Yara joined the First Movers Coalition, the United States new platform for companies to harness their purchasing power and supply chains to create early markets for innovative clean energy technologies.

Yara, Bayer, and BASF joined efforts with a number of institutions from across agribusiness, finance and academia through the European Carbon Farming Coalition launched in May 2021.

In 2020, Bayer launched its Carbon Initiative in Europe with the goal of achieving decarbonization of the food value chain in a way that works for farmers, the environment and consumers.

A Bayer spokesperson told DeSmog that the company that carbon farming is a valuable way of sequestering carbon in the soil and reducing emissions, adding that Bayers industry-leading Carbon Initiative is the result of years of work validating a science-based approach and methodology to make this happen.

With its digital farming company Granular launched in 2020, Corteva has also started investing in a carbon credits system to reward farmers with carbon dollars post-harvest. In its climate strategy published in 2020, Corteva Agriscience, said it will commit to set science-based targets for its greenhouse gas emissions reductions while claiming to develop advanced technologies with the aim to restore biodiversity.

But as Matteo Metta, CAP policy analyst at ARC2020, which brings together over 150 civil society networks and organizations in Europe, noted: The outcomes of these investments or digitalization might favour the current system instead of moving towards agroecology, the protection of small family farms and revitalising rural areas.

Another controversial solution being lobbied for by companies is the increased use of controversial gene-editing techniques and genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), which companies say can be used as an alternative to pesticides to make plants more resilient.

The European Network of Scientists for Social and Environmental Responsibility (ENSSER) warned that new GM technologies can create unpredictable and unintended effects and that their exclusion from GMO regulations would place an unacceptable risk onto public health, the environment and trade.

Other studies also suggest that, in response to these technologies, weeds can become more resistant and farmers might need to use additional chemicals, in larger quantities, to combat weeds and pests. Most studies conclude that there is still not enough data to assess the safety of such new genetically-modified crops, nor their environmental impact, in the long term.

Since 2018, companies heavily pushed for the deregulation of the European directive on GMOs, which currently bans the use of gene editing, the latest genetically modified technology to alter existing genes rather than adding genes from other species.

An investigation from 2018 from Corporate Europe Observatory shared internal documents from the International Seed Federation distributed among its members with detailed instructions and PR tweaks on how to communicate about new GM techniques including the use of positive language such as talking about methods and tools and positioning gene-editing as a continuation of natural plant breeding principles farmers and plant scientists have used for thousands of years.

Companies have been recommended not to call GMOs new or technologies, and instead to mention them in an emotional or personal way. They now call them plant breeding or precision farming and the European Commission is now calling them new genomic techniques, said Mute Schimpft, food campaigner at Friends of the Earth Europe (FoEE).

Agribusinesses producing pesticides such as Syngenta, Bayer, and Corteva, are some of the key players in the seed industry and hope to further expand their businesses in this direction. Bayer is investing over 2 billion in research and development estimating that gene editing for soybean and corn seeds would bring sales potential of around 16 billion. In 2018, Corteva already listed over 13 breeding sites for its new genomic technique testing. In 2020, Liam Condon, president of crop science at Bayer, said the company is lobbying very actively to change the EUs GMO regulations to exempt gene editing.

If you want to cut agriculture emissions you need to change animal farming or how we use grassland, you dont need techno fixes, which we do not know if they are safe and that may be available only in 10 years, said Schimpft.

The Farm to Fork strategy promises a sustainable approach to the food system, and companies are presenting these plant breeding techniques as climate solutions able to contribute to sustainable food systems. Bayer states that gene editing has the potential to solve real challenges for farmers and the planet, like reducing the need for pesticides and the use of energy, land, and water.

In its position paper from August 2021, CropLife claims that the development of resilient plant varieties allows a more sustainable use of crop protection products as well as other inputs, and delivers more stable yields under climatic change.

And in April 2021, the European Commission released a study on new genomic techniques  it looks at potential market applications and the ethical consideration of this technology, while also recognizing the lack of risk assessment for these new GMOs. The study, however, was found to echo the deregulation requests from industry  specifically, Bayer, Basf, Syngenta, and CropLife EU  according to analysis by FoEE.

Despite potentially changing the law in favor of new breeding techniques in 2022, the European Commission already planned a high-level event where it names these technologies as the way forward for safe and sustainable innovation in the agri-food sector.

Clearly industry has been very smart at organizing confusion around both concepts of science and innovation for their own interests. From a societal point of view, the real important question to be asked is: for what purposes do we want to use science and innovation? said Cingotti. The moment you start approaching these concepts this way, then you allow bringing in the defining challenges of humanity  such as health and environment protection in a changing climate and eroding biodiversity  and you realise that precaution might actually be an important driver to tomorrows scientific approaches to innovation.

DeSmog reached out to all companies and trade groups analyzed in this research for comment.

Additional research by Michaela Herrmann.</em
(Natural News) The Anti-Defamation League is actively seeking to dismiss the prolific extremist connections of Waukesha Christmas parade attacker Darrell Brooks. A Thursday tweet from the progressive organization claimed Darrell Brooks does not appear to actively subscribe to an extremist ideology. The ADL cited supposed experts in dismissing Brooks as an extremist.

(Article by Richard Moorhead republished from BigLeaguePolitics.com)

Brooks, a career criminal with a history of sex and violent assault convictions, shared content on his personal Facebook page advocating for violence against older white people. The repeat convict and rapper also spoke of his antisemitic views, sharing content which positively spoke of Adolf Hitler. The Hitler meme appears to share the religious views of the Black Hebrew Israelites extremist group, an organization known for preaching racial hatred of both white people and Jews.

so when we start bakk knokkin white people TF out ion wanna hear itthe old white ppl 2, KNOKK DEM TF OUT!! PERIOD Read one Facebook posting of the convicted paedophile.

Lol what a joke  Steve Trump (@TheSteveTrump) December 2, 2021

All six of the individuals killed in the Waukesha parade attack were white. Brooks SUV appeared to target an element of the parade that included grandmothers, as well as one that included children.

Establishment media organizations such as the Washington Post and CNN have gone radio silent on Brooks extensive extremist connections, declining to so much as mention the career criminals affiliation with the Black Lives Matter movement and his racist online postings. Most coverage on the corporate news outlets came within a day or two of the initial attack last month, with more recent coverage merely describing the attack as perpetuated by an SUV.

The ADL, which supposedly exists to identify and counter extremism, has been criticizing for sweeping blaring examples of left-wing extremism under the rug when its politically inconvenient. The organization, criticized by many for its lockstep connections with the Democratic Party, may be unable to accurately and objectively identify and denounce extremism when its operatives seem intently focused on hiding it.

Read more at: BigLeaguePolitics.com
(Natural News) Two brothers arrested for an alleged attack on Jussie Smollett recounted for Chicago police how the ex-Empire actor orchestrated the hoax, telling them via text message to meet him on the low, paying for supplies and holding a dry run in downtown Chicago, the lead investigator testified Tuesday.

(Article republished from Breitbart.com)

Taking the stand as prosecutors began their case against Smollett, former Chicago police detective Michael Theis said he initially viewed the actor as a victim of a homophobic and racist attack and that police absolutely didnt rush to judgment as Smolletts defense attorney alleged during opening statements Monday.

Theis said roughly two dozen detectives clocked some 3,000 hours on what they thought was a horrible hate crime in January 2019. He said they were excited when they were able to track the movements of two suspected attackers using surveillance video, and cellphone and rideshare records.

The crime was a hate crime, a horrible hate crime, Theis said, noting Smollett  who is Black and gay  reported that his attackers put a noose around his neck and poured bleach on him. He said the case had become national and international news and that everybody from the mayor on down wanted to know what happened, a reference to then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Watch below:

Smollett is charged with felony disorderly conduct for making what prosecutors say was a false police report about the alleged attack. The class 4 felony carries a prison sentence of up to three years, but experts have said if Smollett is convicted its likely he would be placed on probation and perhaps ordered to perform community service.

After police arrested Abimbola and Olabingo Osundairo  brothers who also worked on the Empire set  as they returned to Chicago from Nigeria, the men said Smollett wanted to stage the attack because he was unhappy about how the TV studio handled hate mail the actor had received, Theis said. He said investigators checked out the brothers account  including that the actor picked them up days before the attack and drove them around the area of downtown where he lived and talked about what would happen  and corroborated their version of events using GPS, cellphone records and video evidence. Police found no instance where they concluded the men were lying, he added.

Jurors were shown surveillance video of the brothers buying supplies, including a red hat they told police Smollett wanted them to wear to resemble supporters of then-President Donald Trump, and a piece of clothesline later fashioned into the noose. Jurors also saw a still image from a video that Theis said showed Smollett returning home the night of the alleged attack, with the clothesline draped around his shoulders. The clothesline was wrapped around his neck when officers arrived, Theis said, leading detectives to believe Smollett may have retied it.

At the end of the investigation, we determined that the alleged hate crime was actually a staged event, Theis said, and the Osundairo brothers were released.

Defense attorney Nenye Uche said during opening statements late Monday that Smollett is a real victim and that the brothers attacked Smollett because they didnt like him because of who he is.

On Tuesday, Uche suggested the brothers were homophobic, asking Theis on cross-examination about a homophobic word one of the brothers used. Theis said there was a message containing a slur but that he doesnt know if that makes the man homophobic. Uche also asked Theis if he was aware one of the brothers attacked someone at the TV studio because he was gay.

One individual said it happened but I dont know that it happened, Theis said.

Uche also sought to discredit the police investigation, suggesting detectives ignored possible leads. And he said a $3,500 check the actor paid the brothers was for personal training so he could prepare for an upcoming music video, not for carrying out the hoax, as prosecutors claim. Theis said Tuesday that the memo on the check said it was for nutrition and training.

The brothers will take the witness stand during the trial, but its unknown if Smollett will testify.

Uche has portrayed the siblings as unreliable, and said when police searched their home they found heroin and guns.

They are going to lie to your face, Uche told the jury Monday.

Special prosecutor Dan Webb told jurors that Smollett told police he was attacked by Trump supporters, inflaming political divisions nationwide.

When he reported the fake hate crime, that was a real crime, Webb said.

Webb said Smollett thought the TV studio didnt take hate mail he received seriously. Police havent determined who wrote the letter, which included a drawing of a stick figure hanging from a tree and MAGA, a reference to Trumps Make America Great Again campaign slogan. Webb said Smollett told the brothers to shout racial and homophobic slurs and MAGA during the staged attack.

Uche also suggested that a third attacker was involved. One area resident said she saw a white man with reddish brown hair who appeared to be waiting for someone that night, according to police reports. She told a detective that when the man turned away from her, she could see hanging out from underneath his jacket what appeared to be a rope.

Her comments could back up Smolletts contention that his attackers draped a makeshift noose around his neck. Further, if she testifies that the man was white, it would support Smolletts statements  widely ridiculed because the brothers are Black  that he saw pale or white skin around the eyes of one of his masked attackers.

Uche referenced the woman during his cross-examination of Theis on Tuesday, and Theis acknowledged that he saw that statement but did not send a detective to re-interview her.

We didnt get a chance, he said, explaining that the woman had seen the man a few hours before the incident and that the rope was a different color.

Outside the courtroom, Smolletts brother said it has been incredibly painful for the family to watch Smollett be accused of something he did not do.

Were confident in his legal team, and we look forward to people hearing the actual facts of this case, Jojo Smollett said.

Twelve jurors plus two alternates were sworn in Monday to hear the case, which Judge James Linn expects to last about one week.

Read more at: Breitbart.com
(Natural News) Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has called out the hypocritical elites who are taking a Do as I say, not as I do approach to mask-wearing during the pandemic.

DeSantis, who has never imposed a mask mandate on his state, spoke out about events where hundreds of people will be gathered without masks enjoying themselves while making all of the staff around them wear masks.

He said: And Im just thinking to myself, hold on. Youre in a packed ballroom with 500 people and theyre not wearing masks  and first of all they shouldnt be  thats fine. But is it really going to make a difference to have 15 waiters wearing masks?

The governor has accused some elites of creating a two-tiered society that contains a servant class that has to always do all this, but yet the other class, they can lecture you about wearing masks, but then they dont wear masks themselves.

This type of hypocrisy was on full display at the 2021 Emmys, which was one of the first award shows to return to an in-person format this year. Very few stars who attended the event were seen wearing masks or practicing social distancing, with many maskless celebs embracing one another, yet those who were working at the event were clearly masked.

A similar scenario took place at the Met Gala, where photos taken at the event showed maskless celebrities being served by staffers who were wearing masks.

Politicians going maskless after insisting their constituents mask up

Its perhaps even more insulting when it is the very politicians who are insisting that their constituents adhere to mask mandates who are seen out and about without them. For example, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has been outspoken in calling for the Capitol police to arrest people who defy the mask mandate there, has been seen on multiple occasions without a mask in the U.S. Capitol. She even had the nerve to call House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy a moron for opposing the same mandate that she is apparently incapable of following.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed was roundly criticized after being caught partying in the citys Black Cat nightclub without a face covering throughout the venue despite local restrictions that require nearly everyone to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces, even those who are fully vaccinated. The mayor posed for photos and spent the evening dancing and singing without a mask.

Breed continued the hypocrisy by saying in an interview about the incident: We dont need the fun police to come in and micromanage and tell us what we should or shouldnt be doing.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown drew fire after being spotted maskless while attending a Washington, D.C. gala, happily posing without a mask in photos with others, while maintaining a controversial indoor mask mandate in her home state. She has tweeted in the past: Wearing a mask is not a political statement. Wearing a mask is an act of kindness. Masks dont just protect you, they protect everyone around you from COVID-19.

Even our president is failing to lead by example. While shopping last month in Nantucket, where an indoor mask mandate is in effect, Joe Biden was photographed maskless inside a store with a sign on the front that read Face covering required just as concerns about the new omicron variant started ramping up.

Its not the first time hes been caught in this situation; past incidents saw him disobeying local mask mandates at an upscale restaurant, shaking hands with members of the public in Michigan before then putting a mask on to take a selfie with someone, and coughing into his hand after a New Jersey speech and then using the same hand to shake hands with members of the public while not wearing a mask. The president has urged Americans repeatedly to wear masks to stem the spread of the virus.

Sources for this article include:

Breitbart.com

Breitbart.com

BostonHerald.com

FoxNews.com
(Natural News) Rep. Jonathan Carroll, a Democrat from Illinois, has introduced new legislation to deny all unvaccinated residents in the state of health care coverage.

If passed, the bill would require that everyone who refuses to get injected with spike proteins for the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) be denied coverage and forced to pay all of their own medical expenses out of pocket.

The legislation states that a person who is eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and chooses not to be vaccinated shall pay for health care expenses out-of-pocket if the person becomes hospitalized because of COVID-19 symptoms.

Since covid symptoms include pretty much anything, any person who rejects the injections could be forced to suffer and potentially die if they are unable to pay for a serious medical procedure with his or her own funds.

For the people that are vaccinated, its getting very frustrating that people arent and were seeing the numbers are spiking again, Carroll complained to the corporate media, fully admitting that his bill has no practical effect other than to punish people for refusing to roll up their sleeves.

Were seeing new variants are popping up, Carroll added.

When did medical fascism become a Democrat virtue?

These new variants, it turns out, are only being caught and spread by the fully vaccinated. Carroll did not mention this fact in his media tirade, instead choosing to blame the unvaccinated.

Democrats all over social media, meanwhile, praising Carroll for being stunning and brave. Occupy Democrats, for instance, called on its Twitter followers to retweet the announcement IF YOU THINK THAT YOUR STATE SHOULD DO THE SAME!

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If youre a Democrat who supports the bill that Illinois just filed to force the unvaccinated to pay for their own hospitalization costs out of pocket, and are looking for the latest breaking news, please retweet and follow our account to be immediately notified when we tweet! the group added.

Numerous people responded, including one guy who said he is proud to be an Illinoisan. Another called for the unvaccinated to be locked down so the rest of us can live our lives.

Im surprised insurance companies havent already started doing this, wrote another, apparently misunderstanding that this is not insurance companies making the call but rather a rogue Democrat.

As medical professionals were fed up w losing dedicated Drs, Nurses & support staff to ignorance, whined another, blaming the poor health of many medical workers on people who choose not to get vaccinated.

Provide the unvaxxed a second tier of support. Triage them below everyone else. But make ins pay for their care & let them pay higher premiums for risking our lives dammit!

So stunning and brave.

Similar calls for medical apartheid are coming out of Germany where human geneticist Wolfram Henn, who sits on Germanys Ethics Council, recently made a remark about how he believes that unvaccinated people should be denied all medical services, including basic health care.

Whoever wants to refuse the vaccination outright, he should please also carry a document with the inscription: I dont want to be vaccinated!' Henn is quoted as saying, proposing a papers, please type of scenario for the new normal.

I want to leave the protection against the disease to others! I want, if I get sick, to leave my intensive care bed and ventilator to others.

Henn added that he expects people to just obey the government and not question any of this. He then proceeded to mock the unvaccinated, calling on them to go to the nearest hospital and present their conspiracy theories to the doctors and nurses who have just come from the overcrowded intensive care unit completely exhausted.

More related news coverage about how Branch Covidians are always eager to tyrannize and punish those who disagree with them can be found at Fascism.news.

Sources for this article include:

BigLeaguePolitics.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Deja vu. They say if you dont learn from history, you are doomed to repeat it, and that is exactly what is happening now, with all the corruption inside the FDA regarding the Covid scamdemic. Anthony Fauci is part of a medical cartel whose powerful corruption dates back to the President of the American Medical Association (AMA) from 1924 to 1950, and the infamous Dr. Morris Fishbein. Morris Fishbeins rise to power began when he labeled all natural healers quacks and used the AMA seal of acceptance the way the FDA uses their fast-track drug approvals and emergency use authorization to sell toxic and dangerous medicine at exorbitant prices. Its called racketeering, and yes, it is still illegal.

Meet Dr. Anthony Fauci, a deep-seeded, criminal-minded huckster who has long promoted gain of function research. This dates way back to long before the Wuhan virus outbreak.

The notorious Dr. Morris Fishbein was also the Chief Editor of JAMA, the Journal of the AMA, just as Fraudulent Fauci writes the script for the Plandemic

Morris Fishbein operated the AMA for the sole purpose of dominating medicine and discrediting anything he could not control; however, he was eventually convicted of racketeering charges. Just like Fauci now, Fishbein ran the AMA like a dictatorship, and that lasted for twenty years.

The AMA was even pushing cigarettes and advising the cigarette manufacturers HOW to conduct acceptable scientific testing. Sound familiar? Everything he said was supposedly science backed and evidence based, but it was all about poisoning Americans with toxic medicine and cigarettes (even while research was revealing cigarette smoke caused lung cancer).

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Now its the Fauci Flu and endless toxic clot shots that also cause cancer. The evil coalition of pharma companies, tech titans and mass media has the vaccine industrial complex speeding up the death of Americans under the guise of medicine and gene therapy injections.

Remember, this all started 100 years ago thanks to the Rockefeller Foundation, which took complete control over the US medical school system and ended all education about nutrition, substituting it with teaching all doctors that only the new toxic prescription medications approved with a fake AMA seal were legal to treat disease, disorder, everything. Thats why the FDA bans use of Ivermectin today. Same premise, different crook running the show.

Fauci could have prevented the ENTIRE pandemic, but since he is at the core of designing it, funding it and making a fortune off it, why would he do that?

Design a pandemic, spread it, run it, write a book about it, invest in Big Pharma and become a multi-millionaire. That was the plan and thats what we are all witnessing from Anthony Fauci right now. Theres no such thing as insider trading, racketeering, embezzling or conspiring when you work for the FDA or CDC anymore. If there was, Fauci would already be doing hard time in a federal prison or facing the death sentence for mass murder and bio-terrorism.

Chronic diseases have already skyrocketed under Faucis administration and Covid fake mitigation tyranny. Fauci purposely incubated the pandemic by funding gain of function capability for a virus that would have never infected humans.

Everything he has recommended has not only failed, but has spread the pandemic and made everything worse, including wearing bacteria-breeding masks all day, social distancing, lockdowns, closure (and planned bankrupting) of most small-to-medium sized businesses, toxic Remdesivir and choke-you-to-death ventilators, and now horrific clot shots that create billions of microscopic virus-mimicking particles in the vascular system, leading to heart problems, cancer and ADE.

Fauci functions just like a complete psychopath who suffers from delusions of grandeur

Its not just the Covid plandemic that Fauci propagated; there have been many others, including HIV/AIDS, SARS, Swine Flu, MERS and Ebola. Fauci suffers from delusions of grandeur and often declares that he himself is SCIENCE, and anyone who disagrees with that or anything he says is officially anti-science, no matter what their credentials are, including brilliant scientists, doctors, nutritionists, virologists, surgeons and the like.

Dr. Morris Fishbein was an embezzler and a huckster, just like Anthony Fauci

Within just 10 years of running the AMA, Morris Fishbein owned nearly ALL of the American Medical Associations stock. Think about that for a minute. Why is Anthony Fauci allowed to profit from a book he writes about the pandemic while he runs it and we are still in it? How is that legal? Fishbein coerced nearly all American doctors into joining his new state association that he created for the medical community, or they should fear losing their medical license.

This parallels with forced-Covid-vaccination or lose your job today. Fishbein was finally ousted by the state delegations of doctors, but it was too little too late, and the chronic damage was all done. The JAMA journal had run advertisements that said Patients with coughs were instructed to change to Philip Morris cigarettes. People were smoking themselves right into lung cancer while the head of the AMA told them it was safe and effective at helping with digestion.

Big Pharma paid Fishbein big bucks behind closed doors to ruin all nutrition information while pushing toxic drugs. It was a formula for epidemics and pandemics to come. Fishbein was called by big media the Voice of American Medicine. The chemical industrial medical complex dug its roots in deep, and now theyre called the FDA and the CDC. Same system, different players. Now you know the real Anthony Fauci. Beware. For reliable health news on the internet, tune to Vaccines.news for updates on experimental vaccines (all of the Covid shots) that cause blood clots and other horrific side effects.

Sources for this article include:

Pandemic.news

TruthWiki.org

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) CNN anchor Don Lemon allegedly sent disgraced actor Jussie Smollett texts during the Chicago Police Departments investigation of his alleged hoax hate crime.

(Article by Paul Bois republished from Breitbart.com)

Testifying at his own trial on Monday, the former Empire star Jussie Smollett reportedly said under oath that he received a text message from Don Lemon informing him that Chicago police did not believe his account of what happened the night he claimed to have been the victim of a hate crime by two white Trump supporters.

According to the Daily Mail, Smolletts remark was presented and then struck from the record.

He said things began to seem off when he received a text message from Lemon claiming the Chicago police had reached out to him to say they didnt believe Smollett, noted the Mail.

After news broke that Jussie Smollett allegedly hired two brothers from Nigeria to stage the hate crime, Don Lemon, who had initially supported the actor, said that they were acquaintances.

He even lied to a lot of people including me. And thats not cool, Lemon said to his viewers. He squandered the good will of very high-profile people who one day may be running this country like Kamala Harris and Cory Booker and people like President Trump.

Watch below:

News that Don Lemon allegedly used his position as a CNN anchor to get inside information about Smolletts investigation comes shortly after the network fired Chris Cuomo for his using CNN connections to help his brothers crisis team as he stood accused of multiple sexual misconduct allegations.

Smollett faces six counts of felony disorderly conduct for allegedly filing a false police report, a class 4 felony that carries a maximum sentence of up to 3 years in prison, though experts believe he will likely get probation and be sentenced to community service if convicted. Smollett maintains that he did not stage his own hate crime, alleging that Abimbola and Olabingo Osundairo  the two brothers he allegedly hired  attacked him and then demanded $1 million for them not to testify.

During his testimony on Monday, Smollett said that he and Abimbola had a sexual relationship (the brother denies it) and that he never trusted Olabingo whenever hed come around.

Read more at: Breitbart.com
(Natural News) The Nazis won the War in many senses, ways and aspects  but its all outside the purview of mainstream historical thinking. Youll have to dig deep to see the truth of it.

(Article by Makia Freeman republished from HelenaStales.Weebly.com)

The shocking fact is that top Nazi leaders, technology, money, weapons and people (engineers, scientists and technicians) were safely escorted out of Germany before May 1945, the end of World War 2 in Europe.

Both before and during the War, the Nazis had established bases outside of Germany, and in 1944, aware that defeat was looming, they found a way to secretly get their money out. When I say that really, the Nazis won the War, I dont mean Nazi as figurative term or as a general term to describe fascists or authoritarians.

I mean the actual original Nazis of the 3rd Reich from 1933  1945 in Germany, the leaders of the NSDAP (translated as the National Socialist German Workers Party), as distinct from the rank-and-file Germans who followed them, and of course the rest of the Germans who didnt.

The Nazis always had friends in high places right from the start, as we will see, and these same powers ensured that Nazi personnel, technology and ideology lived on in other places and ways (whether through invitation and infiltration, or discreet and discrete continuation)  as it does until this day.

How the Nazis Won the War: The Bormann Organization, Reich in Exile and Hidden Multinational Corporations

The Nazis may have officially lost World War 2, but the top ones escaped  and their influence continues to this day. In addition to infiltrating the ranks of the CIA, NASA and other US Government agencies (by invitation), in-exile Nazis set up a massive economic network comprised of 750 corporations in neutral countries.

This wasnt due to Hitler, but rather Reichsleiter (Empire director) Martin Bormann, an organizational genius and the personal secretary of Hitler. The Bormann Organization controlled Germanys major corporations and had considerable influence in America.

Bormann, known as the Brown Eminence, successfully fled Europe for South America and administered a Reich in Exile in the years following the war. Nazi gold was taken to New York law firm Sullivan and Cromwell (where Allen Dulles worked, who went on to become the CIA director and JFK assassination mastermind).

The gold was melted down and taken to the Federal Reserve, then invested in these 750 Nazi corporations, which became a base of Nazi economic power in the post-war decades.

According to Tony Gosling who covers this topic in this video, one banker quoted by Manning termed the Bormann Organization the worlds most important accumulation of money power under one control in history.

It controlled Germanys major corporations, the Federal Republic itself, much of Latin America and wielded considerable influence inside the US. These 750 corporations not only received the liquid wealth of Nazi Germany, but also much in terms of patented and proprietary industrial information.

Herbert Dorsey in his book The Covert Colonization of Our Solar System also has this to say:

Otto Skorzeny funded the Nazi International. And, at the same time, he was employed by the CIA after the war! He assisted Martin Bormann in recovering Nazi loot deposited in neutral countries for this organization.

The original idea came, not from Skorzeny, but from Martin Bormann, Hitlers private secretary. At a secret meeting in the Hotel Rotes Haus, in Strasbourg on August 10th 1944, Bormann met with key German industrialists. They realized that Germany would lost the war and developed plans for a post war world.

They would immediately start transferring money, machine tools, specialty steel and blueprints for advanced technology abroad to neutral countries, to be used after the war  Skorzeny was Hjalmar Schachts nephew by marriage and both men were involved in setting up the Nazi International.

The financier of the Third Reich, Hjalmar Schacht, advised the industrialists on how to camouflage their assets on paper. Otto Skorzeny would handle the actual physical transfer [of] this wealth. Both men knew the secrets of the Nazi treasure; where it was located; how it got there; who controlled it; and the purpose it was intended for.

Also, Otto Skorzeny was the most important man in organizing Organization der Entlassene SS Angehorige (ODESSA  Organization for the Release of Former SS Members). ODESSA would become an important part of the Nazi International and assist Nazi war criminals escape justice 

How the Nazis Won the War: Vatican Ratlines and Swiss Banks

Many researchers such as John Loftus have exposed the very close ties between the Nazis and the Vatican. The Vatican (along with British and US investors) helped build the 3rd Reich after Germanys defeat in WW1 and gave money directly to Hitler.

At some point though Hitler turned on the Vatican and seized all their (sizable) German assets, telling them he would return them in dribs and drabs if they stayed quiet. The Vatican set up ratlines (escape networks) that allowed many notorious Nazi war criminals to escape after WW2.

Meanwhile, if you thought that Switzerland was truly neutral, think again. Much of Switzerland is German-speaking, after all, and culturally, it is very similar to Germany. Switzerland was neutral in name only, hiding tons of (stolen) Nazi money in its banks throughout the war.

With so much top Nazi personnel and stolen Nazi money escaping the Allies at the end of WW2, this is another way in which the Nazis won the war even though Germany was itself conquered and captured by Allied forces.

How the Nazis Won the War: Sophisticated Weaponry Based on Out-of-this-World Technology

No understanding of Nazism or World War 2 is complete without truly comprehending the extent to which German ingenuity was the driving force behind the worlds technological advances during the 1930s. Germany has long being famous for its engineering excellence. Despite being a smaller nation than France, Russia and the US, Germany led the world.

Once the war begun, it soon became apparent that German technology, as applied to weaponry, submarines, aircraft, metallurgy and other industries, was more sophisticated than that of its wartime enemies, which allowed it to gain the upper hand during the years of 1939  1941.

In addition to the worldly technology they developed, the Germans also had technology they developed which was otherworldly  literally out-of-this-world.

As the story goes, the famous Thule and Vril Societies led by psychic channelers such as Maria Orsic were able to make contact with advanced extraterrestrial beings from the planet Aldebaran (in the Taurus constellation) and actually download information related to antigravity technology.

There is much more to the story (including claims by the ETs that they were the original Aryans, offering the Germans/ Nazis proof by giving them writing in Sumerian, etc. but its beyond the scope of this article).

The main gist is that the Nazis took this channeled information and actually constructed functional UFO prototypes which flew! For a little more info on this, see my earlier article This Whistleblower Goes to Places Youve Never Been To Before , and for the full story, read the very well-researched book by Joseph Farrell Reich of the Black Sun: Nazi Secret Weapons and the Cold War Allied Legend.

Incidentally, Farrell produces strong evidence that the Nazis also had the nuclear bomb before the Americans, but lacked the proper delivery system.

How the Nazis Won the War: Argentina

The next 3 points relate to Nazi bases which were established before 1945 (well prior to the end of WW2). The first is the area of Bariloche in southern Argentina. Now, we all know Hitler committed suicide in a Berlin bunker, right? No!

In his book Hitler in Argentina: The Documented Truth of Hitlers Escape from Berlin, author Harry Cooper shows convincing evidence that Hitler and other top Nazis such as Martin Bormann traveled in German submarines all the way to Argentina. Some of the evidence that this astonishing claim is true are these FBI declassified docs.

The article FBI Quietly Declassified Secret Files Attesting Hitler Fled to Argentina in 1945 contains further information:

Along with the FBI documents detailing an eye witness account of Hitlers whereabouts in Argentina, more evidence is coming to light to help prove that Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun did not die in that bunker. In 1945, the Naval Attache in Buenos Aires informed Washington there was a high probability that Hitler and Eva Braun had just arrived in Argentina.

This coincides with the sightings of the submarine U-530. Added proof comes in the form of newspaper articles detailing the construction of a Bavarian styled mansion in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. Further proof comes in the form of architect Alejandro Bustillo who wrote about his design and construction of Hitlers new home which was financed by earlier wealthy German immigrants.

 [an] archeologist from Connecticut State, Nicholas Bellatoni was allowed to perform DNA testing on one of the skull fragments recovered. What he discovered set off a reaction through the intelligence and scholarly communities. Not only did the DNA not match any recorded samples thought to be Hitlers, they did not match Eva Brauns familiar DNA either.

How the Nazis Won the War: Antarctica

Antarctica is a hot potato topic right now in the alternative research community. Yes, there is more speculation and clickbaity all capital-letter headlines than actual facts, however people have awoken to the fact that something is going on down there  something big.

There is considerable evidence the Nazis had a fully functioning base there (they called Antarctica Neu Schwabenland [New Swabia] after a southern German state, and the base Neu Berlin [New Berlin]). We know for sure they undertook expeditions there in 1938. I will again quote from The Covert Colonization of Our Solar System:

On December 17, 1938 the New Swabia expedition left Hamburg for Antarctica aboard the MS Schwabenland led by Captain Alfred Ritscher, a captain in the Kriegsmarine [Ed.  German marines]. The expedition arrived in Antartica on January 19, 1939 at 4 degrees 30 minutes West and 69 degrees 14 minutes South off the Princess Martha coast  this area was geothermially active and contained hot springs and some ice free land.

The area also enclosed the hidden abandoned underground city revealed by the Agarthans [Ed.  who had helped the Nazis in Tibet]. German U_boats were also sent into the region and before long discovered the abandoned city under the ice cap  A number of Germans were left to live there on a full time basis and Neu berlin was regularly supplied by submarine with food from South America and equipment from Germany.

Many researchers have looked into what Admiral Richard Byrd said about Operation Highjump, the 1947 US military expedition which set out for Antarctica on a mission was meant to be many months long, but which was cut short by UFOs which repelled the US ships and forced them back after just 8 weeks!

Some have speculated Byrd ran into ETs. However, given all the information we now have about the Nazis, I would suggest it is more likely he ran into the Nazis themselves. Was Byrd stalking the Nazis?

This is an excerpt from a report in a local Chilean newspaper El Mercurio on Wednesday, March 5, 1947:

Admiral Richard E. Byrd warned today that the United States should adopt measures of protection against the possibility of an invasion of the country by hostile planes coming from the polar regions. The admiral explained that he was not trying to scare anyone, but the cruel reality is that in case of a new war, the United States could be attacked by planes flying over one or both poles.

Those interested in further reading may like to delve into Genesis for the New Space Age by John Leith.

How the Nazis Won the War: Moon Base in 1942

If you thought Nazi bases in Argentina and Antarctica were wild, wait until you hear this. If this theory is correct, the race to the moon in the 1960s could not have been won by either the Americans or the Russians  because the Germans had already been there!

Thats right; according to at least 2 sources (researcher Vladimir Terziski and whistleblower Corey Goode), the Nazis had built functional antigravity craft that could take them to the Moon as early as 1942, and managed to build a base there at that time.

The following is another quote from The Covert Colonization of Our Solar System:

 during the last years of WWII, the informed people of Germany knew that they would lose the war, in spite of all the propaganda to the contrary. Much of the strategy then was to relocate as much of the advanced German technology to other locations like Argentina, Antarctica and the Moon.

Hans Kammler was in charge of the project and succeeded in moving much of this material before the Allies took over these areas where they were located  the Moon base construction was only made possible by a treaty agree to between the German government and the Draco federation near the end of the war. The Moon is occupied by a number of extraterrestrial groups and is used as a diplomatic meeting ground between these groups 

In his abovementioned book Reich of the Black Sun, Farrell details the special and powerful role of Kammler in leading a highly secretive Nazi think tank devoted to weaponizing exotic and otherwordly phenomena.

After reading the incredible knowledge and developments they achieved, and the bizarre experiments they undertook to do so, one can see how it is not farfetched to entertain the notion that the Nazis made it to the Moon before anyone else.

How the Nazis Won the War: Infiltration of the USA (NASA, CIA, etc.) via Operation Paperclip

It is an interesting fact of history that the US was almost overthrown in a coup in 1933 (known as the Business Plot) led by the very same people who were funding and closely associated with the rise of Nazism in Germany.

Decorated Marine veteran Smedley Butler (famous for his book War is a Racket) was recruited for the coup, which he later blew the whistle on, after he had gathered enough information about the conspirators.

According to this documentary, among the plotters was Skull n Bones member Prescott Bush, father of bonesman, CIA chief and US president George H. W. Bush, and grandfather of bonesman and US president George W. Bush.

Professor Anthony Sutton has written books exposing all the details of how Wall St. funded Nazism. Certain key American businessmen were Nazi sympathizers from the start.

So, by the time the war ended and around 1600 Nazis flooded the US MICs (Military Industrial Complex and Military Intelligence Complex) under Operation Paperclip, these Nazi scientists, engineers and technicians were capitalizing on an already pre-existing underlying ideology.

Obviously much of American society wasnt against Nazism, but there were enough key people in key places of power to enlist top Nazis and help them avoid trial and punishment.

These Nazis, once safely ensconced within the CIA, NASA and other military agencies, then began to harness the astonishing money and productivity of the USA to help turn it into the worlds first global superpower.

In many ways, the Nazis and the Soviets fought the most brutal and crucial battles of WW2 against each other. The new American Nazis may have become US citizens but they had not forgotten their hatred of Russia, and it wasnt long before they played in a role in turning the allegiance of their new host nation against the Russians in what was to become the Cold War.

Yes, the US would probably have viewed the USSR as a rival and potential enemy regardless (since the war mentality always requires an enemy to justify its own existence), however there is no doubt that Nazi thinking and ideology helped turn the US against the USSR.

Conclusion: The Nazis Won the War, Really

So, all in all, despite the fact that the Germany was overrun and captured in 1945, it is fair to say that, from a certain perspective, the Nazis won the war.

In his 2009 book The Rise of the Fourth Reich: The Secret Societies That Threaten to Take Over America, the late and legendary Jim Marrs exposed how Nazi ideology infested the US, using corporate front companies all over the world to hide their stolen loot and bringing their miraculous weapons technology that helped the US win the space race.

In a famous 2013 Project Camelot interview, Max Spiers (now deceased) and Michael Prince (aka James Casbolt), both supersoldiers and mind control victims, revealed how the New World Order had 2 key factions: the Rothschild-Zionist faction and the Rockefeller-Nazi faction (the latter of which could be called the 4th Reich).

The Rockefellers were, of course, longtime Nazi sympathizers and intimately connected to them through the oil, pharmaceutical and chemical industries.

Nazism was far, far more than just a political party. It was an ideology and identity that far outlived Hitler. We now must confront the very real possibility that Nazi ideology is alive and well today in the US, and still remains a key driving force of the New World Order.

Read more at: HelenaStales.Weebly.com
(Natural News) You are surely well aware of the divide that has cemented itself in society as a result of vaccination segregation. Not all people who chose to take the experimental COVID jab are afraid of the unjabbed, and more than a few are quite critical of the segregation measures that have been implemented.

(Article by Kennedy Hall republished from LifeSiteNews.com)

However, it cannot be ignored that public health officials have done everything they could to drive a fear-based hysteria of the unvaccinated as some sort of disease-peddling class of unclean citizens.

How many times have we heard terms like pandemic of the unvaccinated? There is no evidence for this, in fact there is growing evidence to the contrary. The dreaded Omicron variant  which causes common cold-like symptoms  has been spread round the world by the vaccinated. And more and more regions are now finding that COVID-positive vaccinated patients are filling up death tallies.

Nonetheless, in an age of double speak and memory holes, unhinged health tyrants like Australias Dan Andrews have continued pushing the narrative of a pandemic of the unvaccinated.

The logical conclusion of such a mentality is that those who are vaccinated should not be around those who are not vaccinated. It is the logical conclusion of an illogical premise, however. If considered for just moment, the insinuation that the vaccinated are not safe around the unvaccinated is like saying that the jab will protect you from the virus, but not from people who may or may not have the virus.

This isnt much different than saying that wearing a helmet will protect your head from trauma, but not from other people who dont wear helmets and may or may not have hit their heads.

At any rate, reason and rationality are not required in the COVID era, and Andrews sentiments have been echoed to an alarming degree by the man in charge of public health for the province of Ontario.

Dr. Kieran Moore has consistently been one of the most egregious disseminators of anti-unvaccinated propaganda in the anglosphere.

A montage that has gone viral (pun intended) presents a collection of the various claims he has made since the summer about the dangers of the unvaccinated walking among us.

https://twitter.com/rubiconcapital_/status/1468612001274515458

Read more at: LifeSiteNews.com
(Natural News) In 2019, the networks hyped the shocking claims of Empire actor Jussie Smollett, that he had been attacked by a deranged MAGA mob on the streets of Chicago. Now, ABC, CBS and NBC are hiding Smolletts trial for allegedly hoaxing the whole thing.

(Article by Scott Whitlock republished from NewsBusters.org)

On the morning and evening newscasts, from November 29 through the morning of December 6, CBS allowed NO coverage of the trial. ABC managed a scant 22 seconds and NBC offered the most, a still meager 178 seconds.

ABC is the most shameless. On February 14, 2019, Good Morning Americas Robin Roberts devoted a whopping 17 minutes and 52 seconds to her exclusive interview of Smollett recounting his claims. Roberts practically acted as a PR agent, hailing the man who claimed MAGA-loving terrorists recognized him on the streets of Chicago in the middle of the night and happened to have a noose:

[This interview] is the first time hes given a detailed account, an account that Chicago police have said that been consistent. He hasnt changed his story and also said its credible.

So far, since the trial started on November 29, the embarrassed GMA journalists have not returned to the Smollett hoax trial. Instead, it was left to World News Tonight anchor David Muir. Last Monday, he offered this quick 22 second update:

From Chicago tonight, jury selection is now under way in the trial of actor Jussie Smollett, charged with filing a false police report claiming he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack, including a noose around his neck. He was later accused of staging it. Two brothers, former extras on the program Empire claim Smollett paid them to fake the attack.

No mention of Trump. No mention of MAGA country. The coverage on NBC was similarly unimpressive. On November 29, there was 19 seconds from Nightly News anchor Lester Holt:

In Chicago, a jury was picked in the trial of actor Jussie Smollett. He is charged with six counts of felony disorderly conduct, accused of falsely telling police in 2019 that he was assaulted in a hate crime. In a controversial decision, earlier similar charges were dropped. Smollett has pleaded not guilty.

NBC managed 2 minutes and 19 seconds on the November 29th Today, another 19 seconds on that days Nightly News and one update on Monday, December 6. And its not as though there wasnt things to cover. Last Thursday, Smolletts lawyers accused the judge in the trial of physically lunging at them and asked for a mistrial. The motion was denied.

On December 6, Today co-host Savannah Guthrie explained that the actor will likely testify: The actor is expected to take the stand in his own defense. Last week, two brothers testified that Smollett paid them to stage a racist and homophobic attack against him in 2019. Smollett is accused of lying to police about it. If convicted he faces up to three years in prison. This amounted to just 20 more seconds.

No mention of Trump. No mention of MAGA country. The coverage on NBC was similarly unimpressive. On November 29, there was 19 seconds from Nightly News anchor Lester Holt:

In Chicago, a jury was picked in the trial of actor Jussie Smollett. He is charged with six counts of felony disorderly conduct, accused of falsely telling police in 2019 that he was assaulted in a hate crime. In a controversial decision, earlier similar charges were dropped. Smollett has pleaded not guilty.

NBC managed 2 minutes and 19 seconds on the November 29th Today, another 19 seconds on that days Nightly News and one update on Monday, December 6. And its not as though there wasnt things to cover. Last Thursday, Smolletts lawyers accused the judge in the trial of physically lunging at them and asked for a mistrial. The motion was denied.

On December 6, Today co-host Savannah Guthrie explained that the actor will likely testify: The actor is expected to take the stand in his own defense. Last week, two brothers testified that Smollett paid them to stage a racist and homophobic attack against him in 2019. Smollett is accused of lying to police about it. If convicted he faces up to three years in prison. This amounted to just 20 more seconds.

Surely, Smollett testifying should justify some serious network coverage and examination, right?

As noted earlier, none of the three stories on the hoax trial mentioned the MAGA country allegations, but they were heavily hyped back in February of 2019. On February 19, 2019, the MRCs Bill DAgostino noted, In a January 31 segment on CBS This Morning, correspondent Dean Reynolds emphasized that the actor was known for speaking out against racism and bigotry, adding, he is also a frequent critic of the President.

On January 29, 2019, NBC journalist Miguel Almaguer reported on MSNBC Live that police were looking for two suspects, apparently wearing Make America Great Again hats, though that has not yet been officially confirmed. Heres the montage video Mr. DAgostino put together back in 2019:

Soon the whole story would fall apart. It continues to unravel in court. Now, Smollett claims that the two men prosecutors allege he hired to stage the MAGA attack were actually, in reality, secret homophobes.

MAGA terrorists attack a Black, gay man with a noose? This story was always an example of too good to check for network journalists. Now that ABC, CBS and NBC have been embarrassed with obvious falsehoods, these disreputable networks are simply trying to pretend the story never happened. This is journalism in 2021.

Read more at: NewsBusters.org
(Natural News) Most Americans are very frustrated with the medical establishment right now, whether they are vaccinated for Covid or not. The advice about masks seems contradictory every other week, and the news of perpetual Covid boosters forever is overwhelming. People want answers to tough questions, and theyre looking, but where? Where are they looking, is the question, because you wont find much honest, helpful info through Google, where theyve systematically eliminated the most important health and safety information out there.

Valuable, honest health and safety information regarding Covid nary to be found using Google as your search engine

For example, regarding health issues, if a person searches covid masks oxygen deprivation in DuckDuckGo, the third-from-the-top source for information is a study and the research warns about 5%  20% oxygen deprivation. This is a serious short-and-long-term health crisis with these masks. This according to NIH studies and senior scholars at Johns Hopkins Medical Research. This is valid research on oxygen deprivation from masks, and not just the N-95 masks, but common homemade Covid masks and the cheap disposables, and Google does not have the same results in their top three sources.

Heres an example of a Covid safety search for information, that yields completely different results in Google vs. DuckDuckGo. When someone searches Covid vaccine causes ADE in both search engines, here are the astounding differences in results.

Google dismisses it (its called catch and release). Yet, DuckDuckGo hits the nail on the head and reveals a shocking new study that shows billions of Covid-vaccinated people are now at risk of developing ADE, antibody-dependence enhancement syndrome, where they essentially rely on boosters for any immune system function at all, and without vaccines, they die soon from just about any moderate infection, much like a full-blown AIDS patient.

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The Google search for Covid vaccine causes ADE will simply return results that say its minor and unavoidable, or just a hypothesis, or even a conspiracy theory, or finally not science-based, even though it is, and solidly so.

Lets delve into the Covid vaccines linked to ADE study that Google blacks out, but DuckDuckGo finds

Talk about misinformation that puts ones life at risk, the Google system and its administrators/overseers should be shut down and put in prison for this. This past August, of 2021, intensive research conducted by health experts and published in the Journal of Infection reveals serious concerns about vaccines causing ADE to be FAR WORSE because the clot shots prime the immune system for a potentially deadly overreaction. The Google Pharma Gurus do NOT want you to see or hear about this study.

In fact, ADE is well known to happen to animals that have been tested with coronavirus vaccines, and those animals often have 95 percent or more the same DNA as humans. Now billions of humans are the new lab rats, and when they check for that information through Google they find nothing bad, anywhere.

This is solid evidence that the Fauci flu shots cause ADE effects in those vaccinated when they become exposed to certain Covid variants and strains, including Delta. Covid vaccines present a very concerning side effect of acceleration of infection-enhancing antibodies that can overreact to Covid variants. This hyper-inflammatory reaction is enough to kill the vaccinated person. Who knows this? Who finds this?

The studys conclusion? ADE of delta variants is a potential risk for current vaccines, and this: Using molecular modeling approaches, we show that enhancing antibodies have a higher affinity for Delta variants than for Wuhan/D614G NTDs. We show that enhancing antibodies reinforce the binding of the spike trimer to the host cell membrane by clamping the NTD to lipid raft microdomains facilitating antibodies display a strikingly increased affinity. Thus, ADE may be a concern for people receiving vaccines based on the original Wuhan strain spike sequence (either mRNA or viral vectors).

For reliable health news on the internet, tune to Vaccines.news for updates on experimental vaccines (all of the Covid shots) that cause blood clots and other horrific side effects.

Sources for this article include:

Pandemic.news

TruthWiki.org

NaturalNews.com

UCC.org

Health.com

JournalofInfection.com
(Natural News) A new wave of stillbirths is spreading across Canada, and the culprit is Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccination.

According to Dr. Daniel Nagase, stillbirth cases in Canada are exploding, specifically in those who got fully vaccinated in accordance with government mandates.

In the roughly four-minute video, Nagase makes it clear that this phenomenon is occurring exclusively in vaccinated mothers.

In Waterloo, for example, the stillbirth rate is currently 25 times higher than normal, but again only among fully vaccinated moms. This data came from a provincial prosecutor (similar to a state attorney general) who received it from a nurse who works at the local hospital.

Nagase says he has spoken to other medical professionals in the past who have said many of the same things, but that they are now staying silent for their own protection.

Government officials cant cite any data to support covid vaccines, tell public to just believe

Hospitals across Canada, meanwhile, are denying the truth and pretending as though everything is just fine.

This year, we have had 982 deliveries in Cambridge and four still-births, announced Kristin Wadsworth, Chief of Obstetrician and Gynecology at Cambridge Memorial Hospital.

That is a still-birth rate of 0.41 per cent, which is our average.

Dr. Peter Potts, Joint Chief of Staff at Grand River Hospital and St. Marys Hospital, is also claiming that the stillbirth rate at his two facilities is handy dandy and that any claims to the contrary are misinformation.

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The problem, of course, is that Nagase is telling the truth. Stillbirths are up massively in areas where vaccine uptake is high, including all throughout British Columbia.

MPP Rick Nicholls questioned Ontario Minister of Health Christine Elliott about the alleged data backing the safety of Fauci Flu shots for pregnant women, to which she responded with little more than trust me as her proof.

In the following video, you can watch Nicholls press Elliott about the issue, along with her painfully unscientific response.

In other words, theres no evidence that she could cite, but you should trust us because weve all concluded it is safe, writes Steve Kirsch on his Substack. Comforting, isnt it? No real data on this, but as Bobby McFerrin would say, Dont worry, be happy.'

Note that Nicholls is one of the really good guys: hes now an independent after having been kicked out of the Progressive Conservative Party due to his views about the vaccine. You arent allowed to tell the truth in the Progressive Conservative Party apparently.

This total lack of evidence supporting the continued use of covid jabs would seem to be more than enough to deter rational people who believe in science to skip them entirely. Those who get injected anyway will have no excuse for any consequences that arise (nor any recourse).

The onus is on the government to prove with facts that lockdowns [and] continual emergency orders are warranted and now the vaccine mandates, wrote one of Kirschs readers. They have none, thats why they drag the court cases.

The stillbirths will not be investigated as it is covered up, this same reader added. Perhaps years from now it will get brought up but right now keep pushing the vaccines as safe. The omicron variant is mild. South African doctors the EU and Who all concur. But our crazy psychotic doctors continue the lies.

All of this seems to be part of a mass dehumanization ritual in which people are being brainwashed into thinking they are unclean without an injection. Those who refuse to comply are being turned into second-class citizens in their own countries.

Misery and death are spreading due to the vaccines. To keep up with the latest, visit Genocide.news.

Sources for this article include:

SteveKirsch.substack.com

BrightLightNews.com

YouTu.be

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) CVS Health is partnering with Microsoft to develop a data-driven, personalized, privacy-compliant customer experience, which sounds a whole lot like Bill Gates getting his grubby, blood-stained hands into patients vaccine records.

According to reports, Microsoft Azure will help CVS enhance its omnichannel pharmacy capabilities and deliver customized, omnichannel health recommendations, which is likely only possible if patients medical histories are laid bare for Microsoft, and possibly Gates, to view and analyze.

Using advanced machine learning (ML) technology models run on Microsofts cloud computing service, CVS will be able to leverage the results to automate more healthcare-related tasks, the company says.

Utilizing it as a strategic platform, CVS Health will migrate over 1,500 new and existing business applications to Azure cloud, an announcement about the partnership explains.

Microsoft and CVS Health will also explore technology solutions, such as Microsoft HoloLens, Dynamics 365 Guides, and Remote Assist, that can support customers, employees, and healthcare partners can simplify complex procedures with intuitive tools to help support CVS Health employees.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is also part of the partnership. AI robots with cognitive abilities will reportedly automate administrative and predictive processes in order to reduce waste, the company claims.

Microsoft Teams and Office products will also be utilized by retail employees to maintain better access to customer health information.

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CVS also pursuing drones, phone app-drive flu shot reminders

As we reported back in 2019, CVS also created a partnership with UPS to start delivering pharmaceuticals to peoples homes via pilotless drones.

In as little as 10 minutes, a CVS customer would supposedly be able to get a drug prescription dropped off by one of these drones. Some 1,500 medical samples were delivered to WakeMed in Raleigh, N.C., in a trial of the program.

A year prior, CVS purchased Aetna Inc. for nearly $70 billion, which is also part of the companys digital health solutions provider.

The company launched a digital service called Aetna Virtual Primary Care in August 2021, including omnichannel features such as a continuous relationship with a virtual care physician, a virtual nurse care team, and access to other existing Aetna virtual care offerings, reports explain.

CVS also partnered with IBM Watson Advertising to create a chat-style, one-to-one interactions and targeted mobile promotions system that pushes people through their mobile phones to get their seasonal flu shots.

Roshan Navagamuwa, CIO of CVS Health, says his company is rapidly transforming into a tech company that ascribes to a digital-first, technology-forward business approach.

This all sounds like it is right up Gates alley, which is why some are suspicious about him getting his hands on peoples private medical records. We already know that Gates wants to get as many needles into as many arms as possible, so it only makes sense that his original brainchild, Microsoft, is delving deep into the pharmacy sector.

We are excited to partner with CVS Health on its digital transformation journey, collaborating together on how the company manages health data at scale, improves the customer experience, and drives operational efficiency, announced Judson Althoff, Microsofts chief commercial officer.

We will combine the power of data, the expansive reach of CVS Healths world-class solutions, and Microsoft Teams to connect health care experts and create customized care and services that enable people to live healthier lives.

CVS Pharmacy, the retail division of CVS Health, currently operates around 10,000 stores. It also runs roughly 1,700 pharmacies located inside Target and Schnucks grocery stores.

Business services at this scale requires a new level of partnership. Our collaboration with Microsoft will accelerate this work and empower our employees to provide quality care that is more personal and affordable, claims Navagamuwa.

More related news about Microsoft, AI and the emerging robot economy can be found at Evil.news.

Sources for this article include:

ChainStoreAge.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Uncertainties surround the future of Chinese property giant Evergrande Group following reports that it could default on its latest debt repayment. Shares in the company, whose crisis has swelled through the wider property and banking sectors, plunged by 20 percent to a record low on Monday, December 6.

In a statement over the weekend, Evergrande said that it could not guarantee to perform its financial obligations. It has liabilities of around $397 billion, including its firms outside China.

Hui Ka Yan, the property developers billionaire founder, was also summoned by Chinese officials to explain the situation.

Evergrande said in its statement that with the current liquidity status of the group there is no guarantee that it will have sufficient funds to perform its financial obligations. The company has also received a demand from shareholders to perform its obligations under a guarantee in the amount of approximately $260 million.

In its statement, Evergrande added that in the event that the group is unable to meet its guarantee obligations or other financial obligations, it may lead to creditors demanding acceleration of repayment.

Despite Evergrande trying to sell assets for months in an attempt to repay debts to shareholders, Tiger Faith Asset Management Investment Director Conita Hung noted that the latest statement implied that the company was going to surrender and need help.

This sends a very bad signal, Hung said, adding that Evergrandes problems will take years to resolve even with the Chinese governments support.

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Over the weekend, the central bank, banking and insurance regulator and securities regulator also released statements saying that the dilemma of the property sector can be contained.

Chinas booming housing and commercial property market has prompted the Chinese President Xi Jinping to restrict reckless lending to a sector that some financial experts fear are facing a business collapse.

Evergrande was among the property developers starved of cash due to the regulatory restrictions on borrowing imposed by the Chinese government and this led to offshore debt defaults, credit-rating downgrades and sell-offs in developers shares and bonds. (Related: Evergrande isnt Chinas Lehman moment. It could be worse than that.)

Regulators, in an attempt to contain the turmoil, urged banks to relax lending for developers and allow property firms to raise more money from investors last October.

On Monday, December 6, Sunshine 100 China Holdings, a small property developer, said it had defaulted on a $170 million debt payment due to liquidity issues arising from the impact of several factors such as the macroeconomic environment and real estate industry.

Evergrande offshore bondholders fail to receive coupon payments

Meanwhile, some offshore bondholders of Evergrande did not receive coupon payments by the end of a 30-day grace period, four people with knowledge of the matter said. This, according to them, is pushing the cash-strapped property developer closer to formal default.

Failure to deliver the $82.5 million in interest payments to creditors that were due last month would cause cross-default on Evergrandes international bonds worth $19 billion and put the real-estate developer at risk of becoming Chinas biggest-ever defaulter.

Yan was reportedly summoned by the Chinese provincial government of Guangdong late Friday night, December 3, after the seriously indebted company warned on the same day that it wont be able to meet its financial obligations.

According to a short post published via its website, the Guangdong-based Evergrande is now close to collapsing under nearly $400 billion in total liabilities and has sought help from the southern province.

The post noted that a work group was dispatched by the Chinese authorities in Guangdong to help the company resolve risks, strengthen internal control and sustain its normal operations.

Follow Bubble.news for more news and information related to the economy.

Sources include:

BBC.com

Reuters.com
(Natural News) A Council Bluffs, Iowa, high school teacher could be on the hook for up to 15 years in prison after being arrested on terrorism charges for allegedly leaving fake threatening notes around the campus.

Katrina Phelan, 37, formerly a teacher at Abe Lincoln High School, was arrested last week for allegedly devising a series of threats about gun violence, reports noted.

[D]etectives conducted an investigation into a series of anonymous handwritten notes found inside the school, all making reference to committing gun violence upon school property, the Council Bluffs Police Department said in a press release. Each of the notes were [sic] reportedly either found in Phelans classroom or found by Phelan herself, in various locations within the school.

When interviewed, Phelan admitted to writing the notes, the police department release continued. It was determined that she had no intentions or means of carrying out these threats. In at least one of the notes, Phelan, posing as an unnamed student, wrote that she was tired of being made fun of.

Law & Crime added more details:

Law enforcement noted that the teacher turned herself in after a warrant was issued for her arrest.

As a result of the notes, police said, the school district and law enforcement worked together to increase the security presence inside the building.

Initially, according to an affidavit, Phelan admitted to writing three of the notes and that they were written on paper she obtained from her classroom. But while she confirmed that it was her handwriting on the notes, she could not recall having written them, KETV7 reported.

Additionally, the affidavit says that when police asked her why she had written the notes, she claimed that it was out of concern, worry, and frustration over the lack of control of her classroom.

Asked what she possibly hoped to accomplish with the notes, police investigators said that the teacher told them it was to perhaps bring more attention to her belief that the school is not a safe place.

All four notes were turned over to school staff and contained threats of gun violence and the killing of students at the school that would cause a reasonable expectation or fear of the imminent commission of such an act, the affidavit said.

She now faces at least three counts of making threats of terrorism, all of which are class D felonies and each count of which carries a maximum five-year sentence.

Meanwhile, parents told KETV7 that they still felt safe in sending their children to the high school.

I feel very reassured that theyre doing the right things and its swift and taken care of and things are being done appropriately, parent Kelli Blair told the outlet.

Others were perplexed by the situation.

If its a kid you can kind of.. their brains not grown yet, but for an adult to do such a thing, I just cant even, its incredible, said one grandparent.

The school sent out a memo to parents informing them of the situation:

The Council Bluffs Police Department has concluded its investigation into the threatening notes found at school a few weeks ago. They have determined the source of the notes to be a school employee. Investigators concluded there was no intent or means to carry out the threats. However, the employee has been charged with a crime, has voluntarily surrendered to the police, and will no longer be employed by the Council Bluffs Schools. We appreciate the detectives and their diligence in solving this crime.

During that investigation, students provided us with information that was helpful. This is what we expect from students at ALHS.

We want all students, parents and staff members to have confidence that our schools are safe and supportive environments.

Sources include:

Omaha.com

KETV.com

LawAndCrime.com
(Natural News) The Israeli Health Ministry (IHM) has issued a warning that Israelis need to get prepared now for an endless lineup of Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines and associated booster shots.

The country is already on the verge of approving its fourth mandatory injection, a booster, but IHM vaccination advisory committee member and deputy chief of Israels largest hospital Prof. Arnon Afek is saying that a fifth, sixth, and seventh shot  followed by an endless amount after that  are next on the agenda.

Those who think we wont need to take more boosters are wrong, Afek declared. We will need to take the 4th shot, the 5th shot, the 6th shot, the 7th shot.

As long as the pandemic continues in places like Africa, where only few are vaccinated, new variants of COVID-19 will develop and the need to protect against them with vaccines, will continue, Afek added.

Now that the Omicron (Moronic) variant has arrived, Israel is ratcheting up the tyranny in a panic trying to get ahead of the simple cold virus, which only affects the fully vaccinated.

Excited about the announcement is Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, who appears to be colluding with the Israeli government to force his companys injections on Israelis.

Bourla has made billions from the racket so far and wants to make billions more. Thus, he has declared that anyone opposing the plan is a criminal who needs to be locked up and punished.

According to Bourla, there is a need for people to get annual revaccinations, the unstated reason being that he needs to keep his artificially inflated stock profits flowing into his bank accounts.

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Evil governments used foot-in-the-door technique to warm up world to endless covid injections

Even though Pfizers injections are causing people to become ill by spreading Moronic and the other variants, Bourla and his Israeli government co-conspirators are demanding that the population take as many shots as commanded.

BioNTech is also rolling out a three-dose booster shot series specifically for Moronic that will be available in the coming months.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is fully on board with the program, having stated in a recent interview that theres not going to be an endpoint to this vaccination program.

It will go on forever, just like we warned it would only to be told that this was a wild conspiracy theory without merit. Now, it is all coming to fruition as planned.

This foot-in-the-door technique is a compliance technique whereby malicious powers get their subjects to agree to something by first having them agree to a more modest request.

In this case, it started out with one or two shots, only to evolve into a third booster. Now, government officials are opening up the floodgates to a lifetime of injections for anyone who wants to participate in the new normal.

This technique works by creating a connection between the person asking for a request and the person that is being asked, writes Chris Menahan. If a smaller request is granted, then the person who is agreeing feels like they are obligated to keep agreeing to larger requests to stay consistent with the original decision of agreeing.

This technique is used in many ways and is a well-researched tactic for getting people to comply with requests. The saying is a reference to a door to door salesman who keeps the door from shutting with his foot, giving the customer no choice but to listen to the sales pitch.

When asked for scientific justification to back the new booster program, federal regulators responded that they are going off of a gut feeling more than anything else. Make your injection decisions accordingly.

More of the latest news about Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine tyranny can be found at Fascism.news.

Sources for this article include:

InformationLiberation.com

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) A substance derived from edible marine algae could be the solution to all the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) hysteria.

Israel researchers say that ulvan, the major water-soluble polysaccharide extracted from the cell wall of green seaweed, could be the ticket to stopping coronaviruses (including influenza and the common cold) from infecting human cells.

Prof. Alexander Golberg and a team of researchers from Tel Aviv University (TAU) published a paper in the peer-reviewed journal PeerJ explaining what they found.

The lack of access to vaccines takes the lives of many victims and even accelerates the creation of new variants, Golberg is quoted as saying, spreading the usual pro-jab propaganda.

The study is still in its early stages, but we hope that the discovery will be used in the future to develop an accessible and effective drug, preventing infection with the coronavirus. Our findings at this stage arouse cautious optimism.

Golberg and his colleagues have been investigating seaweed for the past eight years, they say, looking for different compounds primarily for the food industry.

During the first wave of plandemic lockdowns, they began to think about how seaweed might contain actual healing compounds that have the potential to cure Chinese Germs and other diseases.

It was already known that certain seaweed constituents contain antiviral properties. And since the Fauci Flu is said to be a virus, they put two-and-two together and got to work.

Since covid has never been isolated or proven to exist, Golberg had trouble accessing it for research purposes

At the start of the research, Golberg recalls needing access to the virus itself but not being able to find it. It turns out that so-called covid has never actually been isolated or even proven to exist.

This is obviously a major problem, so Golberg had to search for the alleged virus outside of Israel, as only the Israel Institute of Biological Research supposedly had it and refused to release it.

This led Golberg to The University of Alabama, a Wuhan Institute of Virology partner, which provided him with something that they decided to call covid.

As you may recall, The University of Alabama was caught conspiring with the communist Chinese regime to conduct research on Chinese Germs.

Whatever Golberg received, that is what he used to conduct his research involving seaweed, which still holds promise in protecting against coronaviruses, generally speaking.

Ulvan is extracted from marine algae called Ulva, which is also called sea lettuce and is food in places like Japan, New Zealand, and Hawaii, Golberg explained.

It has previously been reported that ulvan is effective against viruses in agriculture and also against some of the human viruses ? and when coronavirus arrived, we asked to test its activity.

After growing Ulva algae and extracting ulvan from it, Golberg and his team sent it off to the Southern Research Institute in Alabama, where a cellular model was supposedly constructed to assess the activity of the algae extract on covid.

These cell models, which were exposed to both coronavirus and ulvan, did not become infected, suggesting that the seaweed extract might be a viable tool in putting an end to the plandemic.

In other words, ulvan prevents the cells from becoming infected with coronavirus, Golberg said, summing up his research.

In order to continue receiving research funding, Golberg also threw in the usual caveat about how everyone around the world should still get vaccinated for the Chinese Flu. Getting jabbed in obedience to the government, Golberg maintains, is still the best thing for stopping the virus.

The latest news about the Chinese Virus can be found at Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

JPost.com

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Reviewing Europes current Covid statistics one cannot but shudder. It is now clear that an enormous, record-breaking Covid wave is making its way through Germany and central Europe. Astoundingly enough, this is happening on the continent where many countries boast vaccine uptake between 65 and 70% of the total population.

(Article by Vasko Kohlmayer republished from LewRockwell.com)

Less than a year ago, Dr. Anthony Fauci stated that an inoculation rate between 60 and 70 percent would bring about herd immunity. According to a report from Axios which was published on December 25 of last year:

Dr. Anthony Fauci has long cited 60% to 70% as the level of COVID infection/vaccination the country would need to achieve herd immunity  for the disease to fade and life to return to normal

Most countries in Europe now fall well within that range on the vaccination count alone.

The effect of the vaccines is further augmented by natural immunity which, according to some experts, may run as high as 50% in some populations. Nearly two years into the pandemic, people in many places have been extensively exposed to the virus and as a result possess natural antibodies. Therefore, inoculating, lets say, 65 percent of the population with a good vaccine should result in overall immunity in the region of 80 percent. With this kind of immunity levels we should expect, if not elimination of the disease, then certainly a considerable decline in its occurrence.

It is, however, now amply clear that despite its high vaccination ratios Europe is nowhere close to achieving the promised relief. Not only that, but things are, in fact, much worse than they were at this time last year when there were no vaccines around.

Even though we do not know the exact threshold required for herd immunity against Covid 19, one thing is certain. If the vaccines worked the pandemic should be now largely under control, given Europes high vaccine uptake. Unfortunately, the opposite is the case. Even as we speak, Germany and central Europe are in the grip of the worst wave since the beginning of the pandemic. This wave is likely to travel further and sweep through other parts of the old continent.

We will show you the reality of the situation by presenting the relevant data in an easy-to-see, straightforward way. We do this by juxtaposing graphs that depict vaccination rates with graphs that show case rates in the countries we discuss.

Neither side in the vaccine debate would dispute the validity of the data presented below. The data is taken from the Google Coronavirus Statistics tool which draws its material from official sources and government databases. The data is publicly available and widely accessible. If you wish to verify or reproduce the data used in this piece, you can do so easily by going to google.com and typing coronavirus plus the name of the country whose statistics you want to examine. Once the countrys data comes up, you can choose in the horizontal menu that appears under the term Statistics what type of date you want to see: New Cases or Vaccinations.

Germany

As of November 25, Germanys full vaccination rate stood at 68.1 percent while more than 70% of the population have received at least one dose.

Despite the vaccination rate that should have brought about herd immunity in that nation, Germany is suffering record case counts. On November 24, the country posted 79,051 new cases, topping by more than 50% the previous record of 45,333 set on January 7. It is highly revealing that the nations vaccination rate then stood at 0 percent. Germanys seventy percent vax uptake not only failed to tame the pandemic, but it coincides with its worst case figures since the start of the pandemic.

Austria

As of November 24, the country had a 65.8% full vaccination rate while seventy percent of Austrians had received at least one dose.

With nearly two-thirds of its population injected, Austria posted a new daily record of 15,365 cases on November 24. This topped the countrys previous record from November of last year by more than 60 percent. At that time no one in the whole nation had received a single dose. In other words, the nearly 70% vaccine uptake did nothing to decrease the incidence of the disease in the population. Quite the contrary, it coincided with the highest case counts ever in this nation.

Switzerland

At the end of November Switzerland reported 65.7% full vaccination rate while 67.4% of its people had received at least one shot of the vaccine.

On November 22 Switzerland posted 14,592 new cases of Covid 19. This topped by nearly 40% the countrys previous record of 10,517 cases posted on November 3 last year. At that time, the countrys vaccination rate was zero percent.

[Note: If you try to reproduce the November record figure on google.com you will obtain the number of 21,926 for November 2. Given the trend and the graph curve, this is clearly a database error which we believe is unintentional. To correct for this, we draw our figure for November 3 from Worldometers.com; please see the link here.]

Czech Republic

On November 24 the countrys rate of full vaccination stood at 58.9 percent while 61.8 percent of Czechs received at least one dose of the vaccine.

On November 24 the Czech Republic reported 25,949 new cases. This exceeded by nearly 40% the previous high of 17,773 set in January of this year. Even though the Czech Republics inoculation rate is somewhat lower than that of its neighbors to the west, 60 percent is still relatively high. In any case, it is very close to the herd immunity range that had been specified by Dr. Fauci. Not only has Czechia not achieved any large scale immunity, but its daily case load is significantly higher than at any other point in this pandemic. With 60 percent vax rate one should reasonably expect that the disease would be brought under control. Sadly, the very opposite has happened.

Hungary

On November 24 the countrys vaccination rate was 59.7% fully vaccinated with 62.3% having received at least one shot.

At the same time, the country posted 27,209 cases which topped the old record from March 27 by nearly 300%. At the time of the previous high the vaccination rate stood at 7%.

Conclusion

With vaccine uptake in the 60 to 70 percent range, the virus should be  if not banished  then definitely under control. Instead, as we see in a number of countries across Europe, it is out of control.

Watching these numbers, one cannot but feel deeply concerned, especially since the death rates tend to peak in the December-January period. Given the record high case figures in central Europe, these countries may be in for some very dark times in the weeks ahead.

Many European nations, as well as other highly vaccinated countries in other parts of the globe, are sounding the alarm and imposing a new wave of lockdowns.

If the vaccines were even remotely effective, this could have never happened on a continent whose average vaccine uptake is 65 percent.

Given that the exploding case numbers correlate with the high rates of inoculation, one begins to suspect that it may be the vaccines that are responsible for the record-topping case numbers.

The data clearly demonstrates that the vaccines do not have the effect they were supposed to have.

The figures and graphs presented above provide hard evidence of vaccine failure.

Read more at: LewRockwell.com
(Natural News) The FDA has faked an approval of so-called vaccines for Covid that have been proven scientifically to offer little-to-no protection against contracting or transmitting the virus, but no charges have been brought to the scientists who created them or the FDA officials that issued the fake approval. Yet, just last week, federal investigators charged a South Carolina nurse with two counts of making fake vaccine cards for patients at a hospital in Columbia. The nurse faces up to 15 years in prison if found guilty. It was stated by officials that she is exploiting the pandemic and people for personal gain, although there is no proof she made any money off these vaccine cards, or that shes even guilty yet. Plus, since its not a real vaccine, is she really guilty of anything at all?

Pfizer clinical trial patients experienced horrific side effects in high numbers and Pfizer covered it all up last winter, so where are all the federal indictments?

On a massive scale, Pfizer scientists and executives are guilty (just look at their own documents to verify) of exploiting the pandemic and about 100 million people with an mRNA vaccine that caused over 1,200 deaths and 42,000 dangerous adverse reactions in just the first few months of administration. This is according to their own clinical trial data that the FDA saw and somehow still issued a fake approval for public use. Zero indictments. Zero press coverage. Nothing to see here.

Reports of this top level FRAUD came from several countries, not just the USA, including Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and the UK. Nervous system disorders topped the charts for serious side effects caused by the Pfizer mRNA vaccine that were covered up illegally. If scientists and regulators are found guilty of this they could face life in prison or the death sentence, but since no person who works for Big Pharma is ever indicted on anything, the case is unlikely to ever make it to a courtroom.

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Meanwhile, one nurse who allegedly made a few fake vaccine cards for a vaccine that doesnt stop Covid but only injures and kills people, well, she is being treated like a domestic terrorist whos responsible for the whole pandemic. Shes been released on a $10,000 bond.

Engaging in illegal activities like making fake vaccine cards undermines ongoing pandemic response efforts, but making deadly clot shots that kill thousands of people does not

In America, all hell breaks loose when someone does not get the fake Covid vaccines and the authorities can make an example of that person. Its always about terrorizing the rest of the unvaccinated population into submission, because certainly there is no science available to prove the jabs help quash or quell this plandemic.

So far, pandemic response has included several precautions that make the pandemic worse, including clot shots, bacteria-breeding masks, failed social distancing, and economy-crushing lockdowns. Since Covid-19 was created in a laboratory to purposely infect humans (gain of function), the whole pandemic is illegal and should be classified as biowarfare.

Last May, US Attorney General Merrick Garland crafted the Fauci-Flu task force to combat fraudulent activity during the pandemic, as long as that fraud is outside the scope of creating deadly vaccines and marketing them as safe and effective. The fake task force claims there are already 1,200 sellers of fake vaccine cards in the US and Europe, and this is supposedly validated by Check Point Software Technologies, a global security firm thats pretending to have some kind of proof that they wont show anyone.

For reliable health news on the internet, tune to Vaccines.news for updates on illegal vaccines that cause blood clots and other horrific side effects.

Sources for this article include:

Pandemic.news

TruthWiki.org

NaturalNews.com

ZeroHedge.com

TheHill.com
(Natural News) Is silence still violence? If it is, then a whole lot of people, from the Hollywood set to the virtue-signalling left, are guilty of some serious violence right now. Their silence on the Waukesha massacre, on the slaughter of six innocents by a man wielding his SUV as a deadly weapon, is deafening. More than that, it is sinister. Dancing grannies, an eight-year-old boy, people singing and cheering at a Christmas parade, all mown down. Six killed, 62 injured, in what police are treating as a suspected act of intentional homicide. That is, mass murder. And yet theres been nothing from Hollywood stars who normally love to hold forth on terrible acts of violence. Influencers seem to have been struck dumb. There are no blacked-out squares on Instagram. The big woke corporations arent pumping out pained, concerned press releases. Its just tumbleweed, everywhere.

(Article by Brendan ONeill republished from LewRockwell.com)

This is the case of the brutal vehicular attack that took place at a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin on Sunday. The death toll was grim. Three members of the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies were killed, their ages 79, 71 and 52. An 81-year-old man succumbed to terrible injuries. Two brothers  12-year-old Tucker Sparks and eight-year-old Jackson Sparks  were struck. Tucker survived, Jackson did not. The driver of the SUV was Darrell Brooks. We still dont know why he did what he did, though the initial reports that he was simply driving very fast to get away from a knife fight appear, unsurprisingly, to have fallen apart. Who flees a fight by driving at high speed into a tightly packed crowd of people? Brooks has now been charged with five counts of intentional homicide. A sixth may soon be added, following the death of eight-year-old Jackson on Tuesday after undergoing brain surgery for his injuries.

Where is the anger over this? The social-media solidarity? The woke lefts ferociously tweeted concern about a rising tide of extremist violence? Even here in the UK the left and the Twitterati are able to rattle off the names of the three people shot by Kyle Rittenhouse  even while conveniently forgetting that one of them was a convicted paedophile  but I bet they couldnt name a single victim of the far larger, seemingly more intentional act of violence carried out in Waukesha. The right-on remember and mourn the horrific killing of one woman by a far-right man who used his car as a weapon in Charlottesville in 2017, and yet already theyre staring awkwardly at the ground, virtually shrugging their shoulders, over the killing of six people by a man using his SUV as a weapon in Waukesha. Is this act of violence less important? Less horrific? Why?

Yes, the wretched events in Waukesha are being covered in the media. Of course they are. But there is unquestionably something missing  the something that always, without fail, follows acts of violence carried out by white nationalists or increasingly, if were being frank, white people full stop. Whats missing are the angry talking heads on liberal news outlets. The ceaseless tweeting about the scourge of violence in modern-day America. The ostentatious IG posts about the relentless rise of hate in our society. The frenzied efforts to pin the blame for this suspected act of mass murder on a politician or a commentator, on anyone who has ever said something too heated, too allegedly prejudiced. We saw that in relation to Rittenhouse. There was an explosion of it after Charlottesville. But now? All those folks are schtum.

Even the media coverage is radically different to the kind of reporting we see in the wake of other forms of violence. It is passive, treating the massacre almost as a natural disaster. Or as the evil handiwork of the SUV itself. Heres what we know so far on the sequence of events that led to the Waukesha tragedy caused by [an] SUV, said the Washington Post. Caused by an SUV. The agency of the suspect is diminished. The problem, it seems, is killer SUVs. We seem to be witnessing in the wake of the Waukesha massacre the same kind of attempted manipulation of the emotional response that we see after acts of Islamist terrorism. Its sad, regrettable, awful even, but dont look back in anger. Dont obsess over it. These things happen.

Read more at: LewRockwell.com
DEPOE BAY, OR - OCTOBER 24: Heavy waves break against the Oregon coast as a bomb cyclone storm system moves over the Northwest United States on October 24, 2021 in Depoe Bay, Oregon. Heavy rain and wind may cause flooding in some parts of the region, but could aid areas of California struggling with wildfires. (Photo : Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

A swarm of more than 55 earthquakes rattled the ocean floor off the Oregon coast in the past two days, but seismologists say it is "nothing to be alarmed about".

One of North America's most active fault lines known as the Blanco Fault Zone had just produced a series of quakes which mostly ranged a magnitude of 4.0 to 5.5, with the largest topping out at 5.8, U.S. Geological Survey reports. The series of quakes, which began early Tuesday morning and continued into Wednesday, were all clustered between 200-250 miles west of the coastal town of Newport, Oregon.

"If you had asked me yesterday where on Earth would be most likely to produce a bunch of magnitude 5.0+ quakes in a single day, this would have been high on my list," Harold Tobin, Director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network at the University of Washington, told CNN.

Earthquake swarms are not a threat





According to scientists, earthquake swarms have low threat to life or property. However, Blanco, which trembles with moderate-sized quakes, can sometimes lead to very large earthquakes along coastal Oregon and Washington due to its proximity to the Cascadia Subduction Zone.

"There's quite a lot of distance from these quakes to the Cascadia Subduction Zone," Harold Tobin told CNN. "Our best current understanding of how stress transfers through the crust (and mantle) would suggest that these events don't change stress on the subduction zone appreciably."

An analysis by Oregon State University reveals that Blanco is more active than the infamous San Andreas Fault in California, having produced more than 1,500 quakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater since the 1970s. This fault line is about 200 miles (322 kilometers) from the Cascadia Subduction Zone, where the Juan de Fuca plate dives under the North American plate, whose motion can produce large, devastating earthquakes, and even dangerous tsunamis.

Also read: Eruption in Indonesia's Tallest Volcano Leaves Thousands Displaced and 30 Dead

Not as destructive as it sounds

Although the epicenter of this week's swarm of quakes is among the most seismically active in North America, it rarely leads to destructive quakes.

Unlike the Juan de Fuca plate, Blanco is a kinder, gentler fault zone, sitting at the spot where the Juan de Fuca plate and the Pacific plate rub against each other. It is also known as a strike-slip boundary which means the plates slip past each other with very little up-and-down motion.

A 2019 blog post from Scientific America suggests that the Blanco Fault Zone Earthquake is fun, and not fearsome. In addition, earthquake anywhere near the Cascadia subduction zone does not necessarily mean "The Big One" is coming next.

"Today's quakes can be thought of as something like a main-shock and a swarm of aftershocks, the one distinction being that in this case, there's not a lot of magnitude difference among them," Tobin said. Although concerns have been raised that the so-called "big one" could be near, Tobin assured it is not necessarily the case.

"In the past 20 years alone, there have been 91 earthquakes of magnitude 5.0 or larger on the Blanco," Tobin tweeted. "These happen a lot!"

Also read: White Sperm Whale 'Moby Dick' Spotted by Sailors Off the Coast of Jamaica
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Windy with a mix of clouds and sun. High 19F. Winds W at 25 to 35 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy. Low around 10F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph.
Use of certain personal care products during pregnancy may impact maternal hormone levels, according to a new Rutgers study.

Personal care and beauty products contain several ingredients that often include a wide range of endocrine-disrupting chemicals like phthalates, parabens, phenols, parabens and toxic metals. These chemicals interact with hormone systems, influencing synthesis, regulation, transport, metabolism and hormone reception, which are all especially vulnerable during pregnancy.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Institutes of Health-funded study, published in Environmental Research, examined the association between personal care product use and the levels of sex steroid hormones, including estrogens and progesterone and thyroid hormones among pregnant women. The researchers also explored how demographic factors impact the use of certain personal care products.

Researchers collected blood samples from 1,070 pregnant women between 18 and 40 years of age enrolled in the Puerto Rico PROTECT Cohort, an ongoing prospective birth study designed to examine environmental exposures in pregnant women and their children who live in the northern karst zone of Puerto Rico.

As part of the study, participants underwent physical exams and completed a series of questionnaires providing their demographics, occupation, lifestyle and use of personal care products like fragrances, lotions, cosmetics, nail polish, shaving cream, mouthwash, shampoo and other hair products, such as bleach, relaxers and mousse. Participants also provided blood samples twice throughout their pregnancies, which were analyzed for nine sex steroid and thyroid hormones.

The researchers found that the use of hair products, particularly hair dyes, bleach, relaxers and mousse are associated with lower levels of sex steroid hormones, which have a critical role maintaining pregnancy and fetal development. Disruptions of these hormones may contribute to adverse maternal and pregnancy outcomes like growth restriction, preterm birth and low birth weight.

Alterations in hormone levels, especially during pregnancy, can have vast consequences beyond health at birth including changes in infant and child growth, pubertal trajectories and may influence development of hormone-sensitive cancers such as breast, uterine and ovarian cancer. Additional research should address the public health impact of exposure to chemicals in hair products in pregnant populations." Zorimar Rivera-Nunez, study's lead author, assistant professor, Rutgers School of Public Health

The researchers also found that socioeconomic variables, such as income, education and employment status, influence the use of personal care products among pregnant women in Puerto Rico. For example, participants who reported a household income greater than $100,000 use personal care products more often than participants with lower household incomes. Additionally, employed participants reported using more cosmetics than those who were unemployed.

"Prior research has shown that non-pregnant populations have also reported associations between frequency of use and socioeconomic markers, such as household income and education," Rivera-Nunez said. "A strong culture of beauty influences Latina women, which may impact consistent use of cosmetics through pregnancy. This data is important because it will allow us to identify populations who are at an increased risk of chemical exposures associated with personal care product use."

The researchers, who include individuals from the Rutgers Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, University of Puerto Rico, University of Georgia and Northeastern University, recommend that primary physicians and obstetricians should speak to reproductive-age women about the potential health impact of endocrine disrupting chemicals, like those found in hair products.
For the first time, scientists have identified a rare population of potentially toxic senescent cells in human brains that can serve as a target for a new Alzheimer's disease treatment.

The study, published in the Dec.10 edition of the journal Nature Aging, was led by Miranda Orr, Ph.D., assistant professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine, at Wake Forest School of Medicine and research health scientist at the W.G. Hefner VA Medical Center, and Habil Zare, Ph.D., assistant professor of cell systems and anatomy, at University of Texas Health San Antonio. The study was funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and National Institute on Aging.

Senescent cells are old, sick cells that cannot properly repair themselves and don't die off when they should. Instead they function abnormally and release substances that kill surrounding healthy cells and cause inflammation. Over time, they continue to build up in tissues throughout the body contributing to the aging process, neurocognitive decline and cancer.

Research conducted by Orr in 2018 found that senescent cells accumulated in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease where they contributed to brain cell loss, inflammation and memory impairment. When the researchers used a therapy to clear the senescent cells, they halted disease progression and cell death.

However, until now, we didn't know to what extent senescent cells accumulated in the human brain, and what they actually looked like. It was somewhat like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack except we weren't sure what the needle looked like." Miranda Orr, Ph.D., assistant professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine

Using sophisticated statistical analyses, the research team was able to evaluate large amounts of data. In total, they profiled tens of thousands of cells from the postmortem brains of people who had died with Alzheimer's disease. The researchers' plan was to first determine if senescent cells were there, then how many there were and what types of cells they were. They succeeded.

The team found that approximately 2% of the brain cells were senescent and also identified the type of cell and the characteristic features.

The study findings indicated that the senescent cells were neurons, which are the fundamental units in the brain that process information and are the workhorses of memory. They also are the primary cells that are lost in Alzheimer's disease.

Next, Orr's team sought to determine if the senescent neurons had tangles  abnormal accumulations of a protein called tau that can collect inside neurons in Alzheimer's disease. These tangles closely correlate with disease severity, meaning that the more tangles individuals have in their brains, the worse their memory, Orr said.

The researchers found that the senescent neurons not only had tangles but that they overlapped to the point that it was hard to distinguish between them.

Lastly, the team validated the findings by examining a different cohort of postmortem brain tissue samples from people with Alzheimer's.

"Now that we have identified these cells in the brain, we have opened the door to many possibilities, including treatment options for people with Alzheimer's," Orr said.

Orr is in the process of launching a $3 million, Phase 2 clinical trial funded by the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) to test the effects of clearing senescent cells in older adults with mild cognitive impairment or early stage Alzheimer's. The intervention, which was discovered by Orr's collaborators at the Mayo Clinic, consists of administering a repurposed U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drug designed to clear cancer cells in combination with a flavonoid, a plant-derived antioxidant.

The therapy worked well in Alzheimer's disease mouse models, and has proven safe in humans with other conditions, as previously reported by a team involving Wake Forest School of Medicine, University of Texas Health in San Antonio and the Mayo Clinic. The three sites will again collaborate on the ADDF-funded clinical trial, Orr said.

"Dr. Orr's innovative research stands out as an exciting new way to target one of the many underlying factors that contribute to Alzheimer's disease," said Howard Fillit, M.D., founding executive director and chief science officer of the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation.

"Dr. Orr and her team are paving the way in senolytics research for Alzheimer's disease, opening up a new target for potential treatments. This is especially exciting for the field as we now know we will need drugs that work against the many underlying biological processes that go wrong as we age  like the buildup of toxic senescent cells  that contribute to Alzheimer's disease."
Men who have mutations in a gene called TP53 have a high risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer, a multicenter research team in the United States has found.

The findings were reported in the journal European Urology. Researchers from more than a dozen institutions across the United States collaborated on the study. Dr. Kara N. Maxwell, assistant professor of medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania is the paper's lead author.

The TP53 gene instructs cells to make tumor protein 53. This protein detects damaged DNA and determines if the DNA can be fixed. If it can, the protein initiates DNA repair. If it cannot, the protein triggers a process that causes the cell to self-destruct, thereby preventing it from replicating with damaged and potentially cancer-causing DNA.

TP53 is a tumor suppressor gene that, by detecting DNA damage, serves as the 'Guardian of the Genome.' But mutations in TP53 commonly develop in cancers, and when its protection is lost the cancers can go wild." Dr. Colin Pritchard, professor of laboratory medicine and pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine

He is also a researcher at the Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine in Seattle. Pritchard was the corresponding author for the study.

Harmful mutations in TP53 also can be inherited and cause a rare condition called Li-Fraumeni syndrome, named after Drs. Frederick Li and Joseph Fraumeni from the U.S. National Cancer Institute, who first described it in 1969.

People with LFS tend to develop multiple cancers starting in childhood. Although the syndrome is associated with many different types of cancer, including some in breast, bone and soft tissues, such as muscles, the effect of TP53 variants on the risk of prostate cancer was unknown.

To find out the role of TP53 variants, the researchers looked at the incidence of prostate cancer in a group of men with LFS and the prevalence of inherited TP53 mutations in men with prostate cancer.

In the group of 163 men with LFS, the researchers found that 31 had had prostate cancer and, of the remaining 117 men who did not have the cancer when they were initially tested, six more were diagnosed with the disease in the next seven years. The results indicate that men with LFS had a 25-fold increased risk of prostate cancer compared to the general male population.

Among the nearly 7,000 men they studied who had had prostate cancer, 38 had inherited a deleterious TP53 variant. Although this appears to be a small number, the rate was 9-times higher than that seen among men who did not have prostate cancer.

What's more, the men who had the variants tended to be diagnosed at a relatively young age and have aggressive forms of the cancer. At the time they were diagnosed the cancer had already spread outside of the prostate, a stage of disease when the cancer is no longer curable, in one in three of the patients.

"That rate is way higher than is seen in the average prostate cancer population," Pritchard said. "In fact, it's fairly rare to be diagnosed with prostate cancer at such a late stage."

The connection between TP53 variants and prostate cancer in LFS patients may have gone undetected because, for many years, these patients typically did not live long enough to develop the disease, according to Pritchard.

"Prostate cancer is a disease of older men," he said. "But now, with screening, many men with Li-Fraumeni syndrome are living into their 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s, when the risk of prostate cancer is higher."

The findings indicate that men with Li-Faumeni syndrome should be routinely screened for prostate cancer when they have at least 10 years of life expectancy, with such tests as the commonly used prostate specific antigen (PSA) test, Pritchard said. Currently, this is not routine.

The findings do not indicate that every man undergo genetic testing for TP53, Pritchard added, but those who are being tested for cancer-risk genes, perhaps because of a family history of cancer, should be tested for these TP53 variants as part of the screening.
The University of Texas at El Paso will develop a sustainable public health intervention to suppress human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in people who use drugs in the El Paso-Ciudad Juarez border region to help slow the spread of HIV. The initiative will be funded by a $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

Julia Lechuga, Ph.D., UTEP associate professor of public health sciences, received funding to implement a biobehavioral intervention aimed at suppressing the viral load of HIV in people who inject drugs so that the probability of HIV forward transmission is reduced. The recently funded study is the next phase of Project Encuentro, a community-based HIV risk reduction program in El Paso and Juarez, Mexico, that Lechuga established with support from another NIH grant she received in 2016. Project Encuentro is a collaboration between UTEP and Programa Companeros, a Juarez-based social service organization.

Despite advances in HIV treatment, people are still at risk for getting and transmitting the virus, particularly people who inject drugs. Our aim is to reduce the spread of HIV in our binational community by providing people who use drugs access to much-needed resources to help them improve their health and their quality of life." Julia Lechuga, Ph.D., UTEP associate professor of public health sciences

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adult and adolescents who inject drugs accounted for 10% of the 37,968 new HIV diagnoses in the United States, US territories and the Republic of Palau in 2018.

Researchers, which include faculty from the University of California San Francisco, will use a new multiphase optimization strategy to develop an intervention to improve adherence to antiretroviral therapy among 384 HIV-positive people who use drugs in Juarez.

If taken exactly as prescribed, antiretroviral therapy can lower the amount of virus, or viral load, in the blood to undetectable levels.

Over the next five years, Lechuga will test four interventions to determine which combinations are most effective at helping people who inject drugs and who are HIV positive to suppress their viral load. Strategies include using patient navigators to help participants obtain HIV treatment services, providing psychological therapy to treat depression, improving access to methadone treatment, and offering educational sessions and skills for medication adherence.

Maria Elena Ramos, executive director of Programa Companeros, said this new project will allow the organization to implement new interventions to assist individuals who inject drugs and who are living with HIV adhere to medication by providing new public health strategies such as psychological therapies.

"This new study will allow us to adapt evidence-based practices and incorporate them into other effective treatment models," Ramos said. "We will also learn about other tools to detect and treat the most prevalent mental health conditions such as depression in the population that we serve."

The first NIH grant that Lechuga received to fund Project Encuentro ended earlier this year. Over the past five years, Project Encuentro has directly impacted 3,500 people on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. The program provided HIV testing to people who inject heroin or crack and offered peer network interventions and educational sessions to reduce HIV risk among people who use drugs.
Combining two agents to block a parasitic worm's life cycle boosted survival from a potentially deadly tropical disease to 85% in animal models, far better than either treatment alone, according to a proof-of-concept study led by UT Southwestern Medical Center pharmacologists.

The Strongyloides infestation  brought by tiny worms known as nematodes that can enter through your feet  can cause strongyloidiasis, a chronic infection found in some 600 million worldwide. While mostly found in tropical and subtropical regions, the parasite has recently been identified in Texas, Alabama, and the Appalachian Mountains region in the eastern and northeastern U.S. and caused reported deaths in 36 of 50 states over the years. Mortality from complications with hyperinfection is up to 87% of reported cases, according to a 2020 modeling study.

Parasitic nematodes that infect humans, animals, and plants are an enormous health and economic burden on society. We think the pathway we discovered could serve as a universal target for all parasitic nematode species. This strategy could potentially offer a cure for the millions of people around the world who have strongyloidiasis  the disease caused by Strongyloides stercoralis  and points to a new way to fight many other parasitic nematode diseases." David Mangelsdorf, Ph.D., Howard Hughes Medical Center Investigator, Chair of Pharmacology at UT Southwestern

Researchers studying gerbils initially found that administering dafachronic acid in drinking water for two weeks reduced fecal S. stercoralis larval output by 90%. In animals that became hyperinfected, which dramatically increases mortality, treatment with ivermectin or dafachronic acid alone increased survival to about 25% and 70%, respectively. But when combined, survival climbed to about 85% and S. stercoralis infection ended, representing a potential cure, said co-author Steven A. Kliewer, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Biology and Pharmacology at UT Southwestern.

The two run the joint Mangelsdorf/Kliewer lab at UT Southwestern studying signal transduction pathways that offer new therapeutic potential for treating diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cancer, and parasitism. The Mangelsdorf/Kliewer lab discovered the existence of a nuclear receptor pathway in parasitic nematodes and has shown that pharmacophores that target this pathway may represent a new class of anthelmintic agents.

In this study published online in eLife, researchers targeted Strongyloides stercoralis, which can lead to a severe and potentially deadly hyperinfection syndrome for people who are immunocompromised, such as those taking glucocorticoids, a common steroid used to treat other medical conditions.

"Glucocorticoids were one of the first treatments used for severe COVID-19. WHO raised the concern that using steroids in countries where S. stercoralis is prevalent could set off a fatal hyperinfection in patients with chronic, subclinical strongyloidiasis. That possibility has elevated the urgency for finding new ways to treat the disease," said Dr. Mangelsdorf, one of 25 members of the National Academy of Sciences at UT Southwestern.

Drs. Mangelsdorf, Kliewer and colleagues looked for vulnerabilities in the larval stage of S. stercoralis' life cycle. By purifying extracts of S. stercoralis, the team discovered that the parasite synthesizes the hormone dafachronic acid, which acts by binding to a receptor called DAF-12. Further research identified the enzymatic pathway that S. stercoralis uses to generate the hormone and showed that the DAF-12 receptor acts as an on-off switch controlling larval development based on the availability of dafachronic acid. Importantly, when the hormone is present at the wrong time, the parasite is unable to develop into the infectious form and dies.

Pure dafachronic acid in its present form may be unsuitable for treating humans because of its short half-life in the body, said Dr. Kliewer, also a member of the National Academy of Sciences. However, if chemistry techniques can be used to alter its structure, it could lead to a useful drug. Because all parasitic nematodes have a similar stage in their life cycles, he added, targeting this hormone and other points along the dafachronic acid pathway could eventually be used to treat diseases caused by other parasitic worms.

Work was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health (AI105856, GM141088, and AI050886), The Welch Foundation (I-1275, I-1558, and I-2010-20190330), UT Southwestern Eugene McDermott Scholarship, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Researchers Zhu Wang, Mi Cheong Cheong, Jet Tsien, Heping Deng, and Tian Qin at UT Southwestern also contributed to the study, along with researchers from the Millersville University of Pennsylvania and the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
The WHO Office in Lyon, France -; a Centre of Excellence in strengthening public health laboratories -; contributes to global health security and supports countries in building stronger health emergency capacities. Today, the Office is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director General and His Excellency Olivier Veran, French Minister of Health, delivered video remarks at the high-level, 20th anniversary event.

We have learned from the COVID-19 crisis that we need to go further to better prepare and respond to tomorrow's health emergencies. The WHO Lyon Office will have an important role to play in this future global health architecture." Minister Olivier Veran

The event was hosted by WHO and the Lyon Metropole, represented by Bruno Bernard, President of Lyon Metropole and attended by various local, regional, national and global public health actors such as the Merieux Foundation.

WHO and its partners have joined forces by creating a WHO office based in Lyon, 20 years ago, to strengthen epidemic preparedness and response, particularly in countries with less developed health resources and infrastructure.

"The Lyon Office is playing a strong role in WHO's global preparedness, readiness and response to disease epidemics and pandemics, including COVID-19," said Dr. Mike Ryan, Executive Director, WHO Health Emergencies Programme. "It has emerged as Centre of Excellence in strengthening public health laboratories, showing that the collective vision and investment of the WHO and the founding partners of the Lyon Office has borne fruit. I thank the French government, the Lyon Metropole and all the Lyon Office technical and financial partners for their continuous and invaluable support in the past 20 years and in the future."

This event brought together many dignitaries and high-ranking officials such as:

Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director, WHO Health Emergencies Programme (WHE)

Dr Jaouad Mahjour, Assistant Director General, Emergency Preparedness, WHE

Pr. Jerome Salomon, French Health Director-General

Her Excellency Stephanie Seydoux, French Ambassador for Global Health

Mr. Bruno Bernard, President, Lyon Metropole

"The Lyon Metropole is a long-standing partner of WHO. Today, it continues its 20-year commitment to the Lyon Office, which contributes to the scientific leadership and strong dynamism of the health sector in the region and beyond. Its role was, and remains, crucial in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, particularly in terms of standardization of intervention practices and coordination between countries, even though crises often trigger withdrawal into oneself and exacerbates international competition. I am delighted that the Offices' teams will soon be able to join, in the heart of the Bio-district of Lyon, the building which will also house the WHO Academy. This will encourage synergies within WHO and with stakeholders within our ecosystem, to meet current and future health challenges. We are, thus, reaffirming, through you, the contribution of France and the Lyon Metropole to global health," highlighted Bruno Bernard, President, Lyon Metropole

The event also attracted a panel of global and national experts from countries, national health agencies, the scientific community in Lyon and France and WHO, to discuss and share experiences on critical aspects of public health laboratories in health emergencies.

COVID-19 has demonstrated the value of quality-assured and well-managed public health laboratories in the prevention, detection and control of disease outbreaks, which saves lives and resources. When the pandemic struck, the Lyon Office assisted thousands of laboratories in more than 100 countries to improve the quality of their testing capacity for COVID-19. It quickly built an online community for thousands of laboratory professionals from more than 180 countries so they could engage, learn and collaborate with each other. It also supported the diagnostics pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator.

Over the past two decades, the Lyon Office has played a crucial role in WHO's preparedness and response to disease outbreaks and supported countries to:

scale up laboratory capacities for safe, reliable and timely testing for epidemics and pandemics

develop quality-assured laboratory networks complying with international accreditation standards

develop the public health laboratory workforce

As a Centre of Excellence in strengthening public health laboratories, the Lyon Office supports Member States to foster the next generation of laboratory managers and leaders, who can build and sustain strong laboratory systems in countries. It has pioneered and launched the Global Laboratory Leadership Programme initiative and partnered with specialized global health agencies that work at the intersection of animal-human-environmental health, aligned with the One Health approach.

In addition, the Lyon Office has developed leading expertise in designing interactive training programmes and self-learning modules to strengthen the skills and knowledge of frontline health workers and professionals in emergency preparedness, readiness and response. Countries, organizations and health professionals can build their own training programmes and learn from and collaborate with each other by accessing the Health Security Learning Platform (HSLP) hosted by the Lyon Office, which offers a rich pool of training resources and learning tools.

To prevent and mitigate the spread of disease during an outbreak, the Lyon Office guides countries and helps to build their capacities in applying a scientific, risk-based approach while organizing and monitoring mass gatherings and deciding health-related protocols and measures for international travellers and cross-border movement

The synergies the Lyon Office builds with the rich metropolitan health ecosystem and, tomorrow, with the WHO Academy that will host it, are crucial to better prepare countries and populations for the health risks they face.

The future of global health security rests on a far greater commitment to and investment in emergency preparedness and readiness. With the essential and long-lasting support of several technical and financial partners and the steadfast support of the French government and the Lyon Metropole, the WHO Lyon Office is determined to continue helping countries to develop their preparedness and response capacities for all hazards.
(Newser)  Crews were digging through rubble Saturday for survivors after powerful storms and tornadoes tore through six states. The death toll was rising, the New York Times reports. Gov. Andy Beshear said that at least 70 people were killed in Kentucky and that the final count could top 100. In Mayfield, 110 workers were inside a candle factory when it was struck by a tornado Friday evening. About 40 people were rescued, and Beshear said probably dozens did not survive. The last person found alive was pulled from the building at 3:30am Saturday. Another 12, including children, were killed in Kentucky's Warren County. Four people were reported to have been killed in Tennessee, two in Arkansas, and six when the roof and part of a wall collapsed at an Amazon warehouse in Illinois. Survivors talked about what they went through:

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The sound : "It was like a roaring train," an employee said about when a tornado struck the Monette Manor nursing home in Monette, Arkansas, destroying it. "I didn't think it would ever end."

: "It was like a roaring train," an employee said about when a tornado struck the Monette Manor nursing home in Monette, Arkansas, destroying it. "I didn't think it would ever end." A plea : With his voice breaking, a top county official said local officials were "in the trenches" searching for victims in Monette. "We need your prayers," he said. "We need your help."

: With his voice breaking, a top county official said local officials were "in the trenches" searching for victims in Monette. "We need your prayers," he said. "We need your help." The workers : "It's Christmastime and she works at a place that's making candles for gifts," said the brother of an employee at the Mayfield factory, per the AP. "To give up the gift of life to make a gift." He hasn't heard from his sister and expects "the worst."

: "It's Christmastime and she works at a place that's making candles for gifts," said the brother of an employee at the Mayfield factory, per the AP. "To give up the gift of life to make a gift." He hasn't heard from his sister and expects "the worst." The helpers : Inmates from the Graves County Jail were helping rescue efforts at the factory. "They could have used that moment to try to run away or anything, but they did not," said an employee who was trapped under the rubble for two hours or more. "They were there, helping us."

: Inmates from the Graves County Jail were helping rescue efforts at the factory. "They could have used that moment to try to run away or anything, but they did not," said an employee who was trapped under the rubble for two hours or more. "They were there, helping us." Lost history : "It's all gone," said a banker involved in preserving Mayfield's court square, per CNN. "Every historical building we have is on the ground, churches that have been around for hundreds of years."

: "It's all gone," said a banker involved in preserving Mayfield's court square, per CNN. "Every historical building we have is on the ground, churches that have been around for hundreds of years." Federal help : President Biden directed federal resources to the places affected. "The federal government will do everything, everything it can possibly do to help," Biden said.

: President Biden directed federal resources to the places affected. "The federal government will do everything, everything it can possibly do to help," Biden said. The recovery: "We're strong, we'll work together," said a judge who lives outside Mayfield, "but it's going to be a long time."

(Read more tornadoes stories.)
(Newser)  Britain hosted top diplomats from the Group of Seven industrialized nations Saturday in Liverpool for talks dominated by Russia's buildup of troops near Ukraine's border and what Britain called Moscow's "malign behavior" around the world. The UK called for "a show of unity against global aggressors as it welcomed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other G7 foreign ministers in the face of the Russia-Ukraine crisis and tensions with China and Iran, the AP reports. "We need to defend ourselves against the growing threats from hostile actors," British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said as she opened the meeting.

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Foreign ministers from the UK, US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan attended. "And we need to come together strongly to stand up to aggressors who are seeking to limit the bounds of freedom and democracy," Truss said. The US and its NATO allies are concerned that the movement of Russian troops and weapons to the border region with Ukraine may be a prelude to an invasion and have said they would inflict heavy sanctions on Russias economy if that happens. Moscow denies having any plans to attack Ukraine and accuses Kyiv of its own allegedly aggressive designs.

A senior US official who participated in Saturday's discussions said the G7 ministers were united in their "extreme concern" about developments on the Russia-Ukraine border. The official said the ministers agreed that any Russian invasion of Ukraine would be met with a response that would bring "massive consequences and severe costs" from the G7. The U.S. and its allies have played down talk of a military response to defend Ukraine, with efforts focusing on tough sanctions that would hit the Russian economy, rather than just individuals. Reporters in the US asked President Biden on Saturday about the possibility of sending combat troops to Ukraine, and he said that idea was never considered.

(Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.)
(Newser)  A CNN employee has been arrested and charged with "unlawful sexual activity" with minors, per NBC News. The FBI arrested 44-year-old John Griffin on Friday after a federal grand jury charged him with three counts of "using a facility of interstate commerce" to lure minors and their purported guardians to a home in Vermont where the crimes allegedly took place. CNN wrote Saturday that Griffin had been with the network for about eight years. His LinkedIn lists one of his past jobs as lead producer for Chris Cuomo, who was recently fired in a scandal involving his brother and former New York governor Andrew Cuomo.

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The US Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont released a statement detailing the charges, some of which stem from June 2020 conversations on the platforms Kik and Google Hangouts in which he told the mother of 9- and 13-year-old daughters that the mother needed to ensure her older daughter was "trained properly." The statement goes on to detail how Griffin allegedly flew the mother and younger daughter to Boston, picked them up, and drove them to his home in Vermont where the girl was directed to engage in sexual activity. The indictment includes two other incidents in which Griffin allegedly tried to entice minors over the internet to engage in sexual activity. "The charges against Mr. Griffin are deeply disturbing," CNN said in a statement Saturday. "We only learned of his arrest yesterday afternoon and have suspended him pending investigation." (Read more CNN stories.)
(Newser)  The FBI is on alert in upstate New York after multiple news media outlets reportedly received letters from a writer claiming to be the "Chinese Zodiac Killer." Per the Albany Times Union, the Bureau is investigating incidents at several television stations in the New York capital and notified other area outlets to be on alert. Per People, the FBI told media not to open any additional letters received in order to preserve potential DNA or other forensic evidence.

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The FBI said in a statement there is no threat to the community but declined to comment on any of the letters' contents and it wasn't immediately clear how many stations received the letters. The Times Union reported they did not receive a letter, though in 1973 the newspaper did receive a letter from someone claiming to be the infamous Zodiac Killer and threatening to commit more murders after they published a piece about the serial killer, per the Daily Beast

(Read more Zodiac killer stories.)
(Newser)  The U.S. Coast Guard has stopped looking for a woman who reportedly fell from a cruise ship into the Pacific Ocean near Ensenada, Mexico. Authorities searched for 31 hours, but decided Sunday morning to pause the operation until they have additional information, Petty Officer First Class Adam Stanton told the AP.

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Authorities are searching for a woman who's believed to have fallen from a Carnival cruise ship into the Pacific. Per NBC News, the woman was reported missing around 3 a.m, Saturday while the Carnival Miracle was just off the coast of Ensenada, Mexico, its destination after sailing from Long Beach, Calif., where it's based. Per the Long Beach Post, passengers were told of the overboard incident Saturday morning, and by noon the US Coast Guard tweeted that it had joined the search. " [An] MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and the Mexican Navy are working together to locate a woman who reportedly went overboard on a cruise ship near Ensenada, Mexico," the tweet read.

The ship was released to sail on to Mexico on Saturday and was due to return to Long Beach on Sunday, as scheduled. Around 8 p.m. local time, Coast Guard officials tweeted that the USCGC Forrest Rednour, a San Pedro-based ship, was scheduled to continue the search throughout the night. No information about the woman was made immediately available, though she is reported to be in her 20s and fell from the balcony in her stateroom. The Miracle, which also sails from San Francisco and San Diego to destinations in Hawaii and Alaska, has an over 2100-guest capacity and first launched in 2003. (Read more Carnival Cruise Lines stories.)
(Newser)  Anne Rice, who built a legion of fans with such novels as Interview With the Vampire but also stretched beyond goth and horror, died Saturday. She was 80. Her son, Christopher, posted a statement saying she had had a stroke, NOLA.com reports. Rice sold more than 150 million books worldwide, starting with her first title in 1976, Interview, which launched her 13-part Vampire Chronicles series. The androgynous vampire Lestat de Lioncourt was the central character in all of them. "I had an idea of Lestat as the man of action, the man who could do things that I couldn't do," she later said, per CNN. Many of her more than 40 books were set in New Orleans, where she was born.

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Her debut became a hit movie, but not before Rice objected to the casting. Tom Cruise was too wholesome to play Lestat, she thought. Putting Cruise and Brad Pitt in Interview is "like casting Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer," she told the Los Angeles Times. Rice said Lestat had been partly based on her husband, poet Stan Rice, who died in 2002. The film helped renew the genre, per CNN, leading to the Twilight movie series and The Vampire Diaries on TV. Her characters will live on onscreen: A television version of Interview is in the works, per the AP, to run on AMC next year.

Rice also wrote about history and religion. Raised Catholic, she wrestled with spiritual questions herself, announcing in 2010 that she no longer considered herself Christian. "I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control," she said. In her memoir, Rice said: "I wrote novels about people who are shut out of life for various reasons. This became a great theme of my novelshow one suffers as an outcast, how one is shut out of various levels of meaning and, ultimately, out of human life itself." Her son, who's also an author, posted that "as a writer, she taught me to defy genre boundaries and surrender to my obsessive passions." (Read more obituary stories.)
(Newser)  The Group of Seven economic powers told Russia on Sunday to "de-escalate" its military buildup near the Ukrainian border, warning that an invasion would inflict severe economic pain on Moscow. G7 foreign ministers, joined by the European Union's foreign affairs chief, issued a joint statement declaring themselves "united in our condemnation of Russia's military buildup and aggressive rhetoric towards Ukraine." The G7 called on Russia to "de-escalate, pursue diplomatic channels, and abide by its international commitments on transparency of military activities." The statement praised Ukraine's "restraint," the AP reports.

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"Any use of force to change borders is strictly prohibited under international law. Russia should be in no doubt that further military aggression against Ukraine would have massive consequences and severe cost in response," the statement said. Russia's movement of weapons and troops to the border region dominated weekend talks among foreign ministers from the G7 wealthy democracies in the English city of Liverpool. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, the conference host, said the G7 was sending a "powerful signal to our adversaries and our allies." The statement promised a "common and comprehensive response" but contained no details.

China's muscle-flexing in the Indo-Pacific region and the ailing Iran nuclear deal were also on the agenda for the top diplomats from the UK, the US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan. Getting a unified response to global crises from the G7, a group of countries with disparate interests, has often proved tough. Truss, who also invited ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to the Liverpool meeting, said the G7 was concerned about the coercive economic policies of China." Pope Francis mentioned the Ukraine standoff in his Sunday blessing, per the AP, expressing the hope "tensions would be resolved through serious international dialogue and not through arms."

(Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.)
(Newser)  Chris Wallace, a Fox News interviewer recognized for asking tough questions of both parties, announced Sunday that he's leaving the network. "I want to try something new, to go beyond politics to all the things I'm interested in," he told viewers at the end of his final Fox News Sunday. "I'm ready for a new adventure." CNN later reported that Wallace will work for that network's upcoming paid streaming service, CNN+, per the Daily Beast. "We are extremely proud of our journalism and the stellar team that Chris Wallace was a part of for 18 years," the network said in a statement, Deadline reports. "The legacy of Fox News Sunday will continue with our star journalists, many of whom will rotate in the position until a permanent host is named."

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Wallace's challenges of Democrats and Republicans brought him praise from journalists generally, per the Wall Street Journal, though not always from colleagues at his network. "The bosses here at Fox promised me they would never interfere with a guest I booked or a question I asked. And they kept that promise," he told viewers Sunday. Wallace pointed out that he's interviewed presidents and world leaders during his tenure. He's moderated presidential debates, as well, including one last year when he was unable to keep President Trump from interrupting former Vice President Joe Biden. Wallace later conceded the debate was "a mess."

The announcement surprised the industry, per the New York Times, and costs Fox a high-profile host with widespread credibility; Wallace was the first Fox anchor to be nominated for an Emmy. The 74-year-old had signed a contract in 2017 to stay through the 2020 presidential election. He told the Hollywood Reporter in April that he thought the Sunday political shows are still important, though many people rely on social media for information. "Have a great week," Wallace said in signing off. "And I hope youll keep watching Fox News Sunday." (Read more Chris Wallace stories.)
Charlie Dexter is a professor of applied business emeritus at the UAF Community and Technical College. He can be reached at cndexter@alaska.edu. This column is brought to you as a public service by the UAF Department of Applied Business.
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Since the late 1970s, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute has provided this column free in cooperation with the UAF research community. Ned Rozell is a science writer for the Geophysical Institute. A version of this column ran in 2016.
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TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrains Health Ministry announced detecting its first case of the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus yesterday after testing a traveller who arrived in the Kingdom.

All necessary mitigation protocols and precautions have been taken, including the isolation and precautionary quarantine of the active case, said the Health Ministry statement.

The ministry also confirmed conducting contact tracing and clarified that the infected person, whose nationality is not specified, has no contacts within the Kingdom.

The statement said all concerned authorities are following up the global developments regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, as per the directives of the Council of ministers and Coordination Committee.

We will not hesitate to take necessary measures at the national level to protect the people of the country and its residents if the situation demands, the statement added.

Meanwhile, the ministry stressed the need to continue adhering to the preventive measures and instructions issued by the National Taskforce for combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

The statement also called on all to get their COVID-19 doses and booster jabs to help raise their immunity level and alleviate the symptoms and complications in the unfortunate event of contracting the virus.

Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait announced detecting their first cases and the first known instances of Omicron infection in the Gulf region.

WHO says it is not yet clear whether infection with Omicron causes more severe disease when compared to other variants, including Delta.

Preliminary data suggests an increased rate of hospitalization in South Africa, but this may be due to increasing overall numbers of people becoming infected rather than a specific infection with Omicron
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed its deep regret over and denunciation of the Lebanese capital Beiruts hosting of a press conference for hostile persons designated as supporters and sponsors of terrorism, with the purpose of disseminating and promoting abusive and malicious allegations against the Kingdom of Bahrain.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that a strongly-worded formal protest note had been submitted to the Lebanese government regarding this unacceptable act, which is a flagrant violation of the principles of respect for the sovereignty of states and non-interference in their internal affairs, in contravention of international charters and the charter of the League of Arab States.

The Ministry added that an official note verbale of protest had been sent to the Secretariat General of the League of Arab States in this regard, containing the Kingdom of Bahrain's denunciation of this unfriendly step by the Lebanese side.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the Lebanese government to prevent such reprehensible practices that aim to offend the Kingdom of Bahrain, and are inconsistent with the most basic diplomatic norms and the brotherly relations between the two peoples.
By Captain Mahmood Al Mahmood

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The visit of the Saudi Crown Prince HH Mohammed bin Salman to Bahrain is a continuation of a detailed and effective move to take forward the unprecedented diplomatic activity by GCC countries on the regional and international front.

It is the effort led by the Young Guards of the GCC Leadership flank  the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and the Crown Prince & PM of Bahrain being foremost among them, with the blessings of the wise leaders such as His Majesty King Salman of Saudi Arabia and His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

This young generation of leaders is preparing the region for an expanded role in world affairs with an updated agenda of regional peacemaking, climate change control and meeting the aspirations of the millennial generation which dominates the demographics of the region.

It is a tall order and only clarity of vision and focus will help the leaders to deliver what they hope to achieve.

The first sign of seriousness was the signing of the Al-Ula Accord in January 2021 by all the six GCC countries and Egypt and the promise of mutual respect, diplomacy and multilateralism that it promised between the GCC states.

During the recent visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the political and personal chemistry with Bahrains Crown Prince and PM, HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa was evident.

Several MoUs signed during this recent visit show that Saudi Arabia regards Bahrain as a strategic partner in its pan-GCC role.

The MoU ranged from the launch of a health passport, to streamline travel between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia to very current commercial MoU which grant Saudi Arabia sovereignty over subscriber data held by Saudi companies in cloud computing centres based in Bahrain, a partnership of the International Sea-Air Cargo Services Centre in Bahrain and cyber security access.

The visit took forward a warm and brotherly relationship between both countries and set the stage for a joint GCC growth and unity movement.

As the earlier leadership roles held by Egypt and Syria are recast, the GCCs young leaders are stepping into the gap and will undoubtedly reshape the powerful dynamics of the regions role in welding a new Arab identity for the young population that will take centre-stage in the next decade.
WATERBURY A 14-year-old has been arrested after crashing a vehicle into a building on Baldwin Street early Saturday, police said.

Just after 2:45 a.m. Saturday morning, police responded to a report of a motor vehicle collision into the building at 315 Baldwin St., which features the retail store Los Patrones Grocery on the first floor, and several apartments above.
The demonstration began near Seratun-Nabi Chowk, with people holding placards and banners bearing messages in favour of their demands.

For more than 20 days, the people of Gwadar, including women and children have been raising slogans of Gwadar ko haq do and staging protests in the port city demanding their fundamental rights. Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman, the provincial general secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Balochistan, is leading the protest.

The demonstration began near Seratun-Nabi Chowk, with people holding placards and banners bearing messages in favour of their demands. According to the report, they were yelling anti-provincial slurs. Several rounds of discussions between the administration of Balochistan and the protestors have failed because the protesters have stated that they would not terminate their demonstration on the basis of mere verbal assurances.

Their requests include providing inhabitants with drinkable water, civic facilities, local employment possibilities, and the elimination of superfluous security checkpoints located around the city.

The protesters have also demanded an end to foreign trawlers illegally fishing in Gwadars waters, claiming that illegal fishing trawlers are destroying Baloch fisherfolks livelihood and the marine environment, as well as the lifting of trade restrictions with Iran, which is a major source of income for the locals.

In the matter, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced via a tweet on Sunday that the government will take firm action against unlawful trawler fishing off the coast of Gwadar. The prime minister stated in a tweet that he had taken notice of the legitimate requests of Gwadars industrious fishermen, who are a key component of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). According to him, he would also meet with Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo about the Balochistan fishing communitys concerns.
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP)  Officials in Vermonts largest city are trying to figure out how to fix the roads, sidewalks, sewers and parks after voters rejected an infrastructure bond.

Burlington voters rejected the $40 million infrastructure bond to fund the upgrades in a special election last week, while approving a separate bond ballot item to bolster the citys power grid and boost subsidies for cold-weather heat pumps and electric vehicles, the Burlington Free Press reported.
STRATFORD  The towns health care workers are stretched thin, with little respite on the horizon. And the situation is not unique to Stratford, according to health director Andrea Boissevain.

Many of our staff have had to leave vacation, comp time on the table because weve been so busy and not been able to take time off, she said.

Boissevains staff has been running town vaccination clinics for the past year, while also attending to ongoing public health concerns from restaurant inspections to running lab tests for suspected sexually transmitted infections.

The department also is shorthanded, having been unable to fill a full-time nurse position since August. The result is the departments one full-time and one part-time nurse are increasingly overworked and relying on help from volunteers, Boissevain said.

Other nearby health departments in Fairfield and Trumbull are facing similar challenges.

Fairfield assistant health director Jill Mitchell said her department doesnt have any staffing shortages, but is also dealing with a high workload. To make matters worse, shes expecting to have to replace several employees soon.

My department at the moment doesnt (have any staff shortages), but I know its going to happen momentarily, within the next few weeks, she said. People are going to be resigning or retiring. And I really dont know where Im going to get those nurses from, to tell you the truth.

Mitchell said the field isnt particularly attractive to enter right now. Like Boissevain, she said contact tracing, particularly from schools, is a time consuming process. School nurses she said, have to contact students families and advise them on best practices.

The impact of the schools is so great she described the process as all-encompassing. While the Fairfield schools arent seeing increased transmissions, the resuming of normal activities outside school such as sleepovers has led to increased cases, she said.

In Trumbull, sanitarians and health inspectors are assisting with COVID vaccination clinics. But its still not enough to offset the workload, according to Health Director Lucienne Bango.

The town doesnt have a nursing staff shortage but Bango said filling other health department positions has been a struggle.

Another issue were having is filling sanitarian positions, or health inspector positions, she said.

And volunteers have been getting harder to find since many have returned to work.

Bango said she would like to hire additional staff if the town receives a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Such a grant, an Epidemiology Laboratory Capacity (ELC) Grant, is intended to help local health departments fight communicable infections. Boissevain plans to use an ELC grant to fill her vacancy, since the new hire would be responsible for vaccinations and contact tracing, which are necessary but time consuming.

But while the CDC grant could help Stratford with its staffing, it is hardly a blank check from the federal government. For example, Boissevain said Stratford can only offer benefits for the person who gets hired, not their family.

The open position pays $38 an hour, but it is open because the previous nurse took a better-paying job elsewhere because the position offered benefits for her family, Boissevain said.

It was a great opportunity. She had more responsibility, greater pay, and it was city funded, and it wasnt grant funded, she said.
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP)  Experimenting with a toy compass, Perry Creek Elementary School third graders Liam Cadena and Kaiden Schubert were learning the rules of electromagnetism.

When left alone, the compass will always point north. But by introducing a magnet, the compass needle follows the magnet.

The needles going crazy, Kaiden said as Liam moved the magnet around the compass. That is so cool.

The Sioux City Journal reports that Perry Creek, along with Nodland and Sunnyside Elementary School, is currently in the candidacy phase of becoming an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School.

According to Perry Creek principal Amy Denney, the third grade unit on magnetic forces will help in the schools efforts to become IB-certified.

Students are naturally curious about the world around them, she said. This allows children to develop that curiosity, allowing them to engage in complex problem solving.

So, what does it mean to have an International Baccalaureate education?

Developed in Switzerland in 1968, the IB curriculum was originally taught at international schools attended by children of American diplomats.

Over time, the curriculum -- which emphasizes independent thinking -- is being adapted into more traditional school settings.

The best way to prepare our students for the future is by allowing them to become critical thinkers, Denney explained.

The IB curriculum encourages kids to experience different cultures, languages and histories.

Such global learning practices can be applied to English, math, science, social studies and the arts.

Denney said the International Baccalaureate program is inclusive for every student from pre-kindergarten to high school.

The program allows kids to learn in a very hands-on fashion.

While it may look like third graders Lucas Strub and Vainqueur Makengo are playing with magnets, they are actually learning.

Some magnets attract while others do not, Vainqueur said. I wonder why that is?

By letting kids to experiencing things, first-hand, it also allows them to be curious and ask questions, Denney said. That is what the IB curriculum is all about.
Guilford  A month after a pony was inadvertently fed a carrot that he could not chew, Trinket has died, according to his owner.

The mini Shetland pony had been gravely ill for the past three weeks after someone inadvertently fed him the carrot that brought on choke, a life-threatening condition that occurs when something gets lodged in a horses esophagus.

The carrot created the problem because the elderly animal had no molars and could not chew it, according to Trinkets owner, Martha Russo.

Its a terrible loss on so many levels, said Robert Hartmann, president of the Guilford Keeping Society.

Trinket and his companion equine, Frosty, 30, lived on the The Medad Stone Tavern property, which is under the auspices of the Guilford Keeping Society.

First, he was a rescue and second, he solved a big problem we were having with Frosty, the other horse who had been there for decades, who was having a hard time finding a good companion, Hartmann said of Trinket.

The 33-year-old pony was admitted to New England Equine Practice in New York state Nov. 16. With concerns about mounting bills and the desire to reunite him with Frosty, Russo brought him home on Dec. 6.

On Trinkets first day home, he was able to eat solid food for the first time and supporters were hopeful. He was on medications for the pneumonia in both his lungs, and his stomach and bruised esophagus

On Sunday, Russo said in a text, Thank you for bringing attention to this matter and overwhelming support from the community. Russo did not want to comment further.

A GoFundMe page collected some $11,600 for Trinkets care. On the site, Russo wrote a note to supporters Saturday.

It is with heavy heart and sadness I announce Trinkets passing last night due to complications from his choke treatment. Thank you to everyone for giving this special pony a chance.

He brought smiles to many and spent his last day going for his anticipated walks and teaching a teen to halter and blanket himself. Any donations left after Expenses will be forwarded to rescue charities. Again, thank you for your support, the post says.

Christie Baker, owner of Flowers on the Green in Guilford, created a tribute for Trinket that is displayed outside the barn at Medad Stone Tavern.

My heart is sad for Marty and her sweet boy, she said in a text, referring to Martha Russo. I felt compelled to pay tribute to them both.

Hartmann acknowledged the community support.

Its us at our best, said Hartmann. Its so reassuring, especially at the holiday season, to see this.

Its a shame, he added. He was given a great life.

Hartmann noted how much Frosty had missed his friend.

Frosty grieved when he left and I cant imagine whats going to happen now, he said. The loss is felt on a number of different levels.

From him being a rescue, being given a fabulous life, for having a great attitude and clearly happy and the other horse is happy, Hartmann said.

They were two different characters and brought a lot of life and charm and grace to that barn, he added.

Trinket was fed the carrot despite a sign at the Medad Stone Tavern that said, Please Do Not Feed the Horses. Since the incident, more signs have been posted, in addition to notices about the property being private.

Hartmann said that during the last month the community rallied around Trinket and Russo and her boyfriend, John Oboyski, did everything possible to try and save the pony.

Its been an incredible ride and everybody feels it, he said. The beautiful thing was, there was this great effort to make things better and it was kind of against the odds because he was so close to death.

Marty and John have been consistent in their recognition, throughout, their appreciation of the outpouring, he said. They cant believe the compassion, even though they know Guilford, they know the people in it. You would expect nothing less.

Contact Sarah Page Kyrcz at suzipage1@aol.com
A number of bandits have been reportedly killed as they unleashed terror on Karakkai village, in Nahuche district of Bungudu Local Governmen...





A number of bandits have been reportedly killed as they unleashed terror on Karakkai village, in Nahuche district of Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara state on Saturday.





They were also said to have killed seven indigenes.





Some of the villagers revealed that over twenty bandits were neutralized by join task force between Nigerian Army and Civilian (JTF) and scores of arms were recovered, which include motorcycles, guns and ammunition.





According to the sources, many of the bandits were arrested by the security operatives.





It was gathered that a number of local food stores were burnt by the bandits.





They would have killed more than the seven people but for the timely intervention of the Quick Response from the Nigeria Army when they received distress calls from the people of Karakkai





We pray that Allah SWT should admit those that lost their lives into Jannah, grant their families the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss and may Allah bring lasting peace to our State and country at large, the source said.
Reverend Dauda Bature of Evangelical Church Winning All, ECWA, in Nariya under Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, has been killed ...





Reverend Dauda Bature of Evangelical Church Winning All, ECWA, in Nariya under Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, has been killed by his abductors.





The cleric had been kidnapped while working on his farm within the same area on November 8.





According to a source, who is a member of the church, the bandits demanded N10 million.





After much negotiation with the wife of the abducted pastor, they requested that she should bring the money to them.





Upon reaching there, the bandits collected the money, and withhold the wife, but was released after a few days.





The bandits, this time changed their mode of communication and began to reach out to his wife through another person. It was the person that broke the sad news, he said.





He said the bandits called and said they have killed him, for not paying the money at a scheduled date.





When some money was raised, they asked the wife to bring the money which she took to them on November 18. They collected the money and kidnapped her.





They kept her until December 6 and released her to go and look for more money. From that time, they were not talking to the wife again but another person, he added.





Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Kaduna, Reverend Joseph Hayab, who confirmed the incident, lamented that the bandits are now cruel and brutal to their victims.





He called on the government to increase efforts to put frequent attacks on people to check.





Rev. John Hayab said, On Thursday, they just called to tell the man that they had killed the pastor since they could not bring more money.





The leadership of ECWA has been finding it difficult to break the information to the wife until yesterday (Friday) which was why people are just getting to know about it.
Arsenal legend, Martin Keown has told current manager, Mikel Arteta to strip Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of the captaincy following his discip...





Arsenal legend, Martin Keown has told current manager, Mikel Arteta to strip Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of the captaincy following his disciplinary breach.





Recall that Arteta left Aubameyang out of the squad that defeated Southampton 3-0 on Saturday.





The Spaniard said the striker was dropped due to a disciplinary breach.





There have been suggestions that Aubameyang returned late from a trip abroad, and Keown stated that the 32-year-olds actions are not befitting of being the clubs captain.





Speaking on Match of the Day, Keown said: The captaincy is in question now.





You cant keep being late or disappearing on trips abroad and not coming back on time.





Your teams need you, and hes not there when they need him the most. Id expect that [the captaincy] to change now.





Aubameyang joined Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018.





The Gabonese international has found the net on 92 occasions in 163 games for the Gunners so far.
A lawmaker in Zamfara State House of Assembly, Hon. Usman Zurmi has said he is wondering why Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle should be tro...





A lawmaker in Zamfara State House of Assembly, Hon. Usman Zurmi has said he is wondering why Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle should be troubling the number one opposition party in the state, PDP, saying that he became the Governor of the state through the party he is now haunting.





Speaking in Gusau, the State capital, the lawmaker stated that the government led by APC in the state does not want to accept any opposition.





Im really surprised why things are happening this way. The court has given an order that everyone should maintain status quo but the government does not want to obey the court order, he lamented.





Fielding questions from this medium on how he coordinates with other members of the State House of Assembly since he is the only PDP member in the House of Assembly, the lawmaker said the business of lawmaking is not personal or a party affair.





The lawmaker who is the chairman committee on tertiary institutions said that he is opposed to the idea of every member defecting to APC from PDP, saying that one cannot bite the fingers that fed him or her.





I dont have any problem with my colleagues because of my refusal to defect to APC. Even though I am alone in the House, there has never been any problem.





Hon. Zurmi lamented that nobody can force him to dump PDP for APC, saying that PDP brought him to the House and he would not betray the trust.





Recalled that when Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle decamped to the All Progressive Congress (APC) with his supporters and members of the State House of Assembly, the lawmaker refused to defect with them.





He told newsmen that he did not decamp because there was no reason reasonable enough for him to dump the party that brought him to power.
The federal government says it will restrict airlines coming from Canada, United Kingdom, and Saudi Arabia into Nigeria from Tuesday, Dece...

The federal government says it will restrict airlines coming from Canada, United Kingdom, and Saudi Arabia into Nigeria from Tuesday, December 14.

Hadi Sirika, minister of aviation, who disclosed this on Sunday in Lagos, explained that it was to reciprocate the travel ban placed on Nigeria over the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron.

Sirika said President Muhammadu Buharis administration would also place the United Kingdom, Canada, and Saudi Arabia on a red list over the outbreak and spread of the Omicron variant.

The UK had announced that non-UK and non-Irish citizens travelling in from Nigeria will not be allowed entry into the country following the cases of the Omicron COVID-19 variant reported in Nigeria.

Saudi Arabia had also imposed a temporary ban on flights from Nigeria over the increasing number of omicron variant cases.

On its part, Canada also banned travels from Nigeria and nine other African countries over omicron variant concerns.

According to NAN, the minister noted that if those countries placed Nigeria on a red list, they do not have the moral right to have their airlines fly into Nigeria on commercial operations.

There is also the case of Saudi Arabia that put Nigeria on the ban list. On Sunday, I participated in a meeting with the COVID-19 task force, NAN quoted the minister as saying.

We have given our input that it is not acceptable by us, and we recommended that those Canada, the UK, Saudi Arabia, and Argentina also be put on the red list.

As they did to us if they do not allow our citizens into their countries; who are they coming, as airlines, to pick from our country?

They are not supposed to come in. I am very sure in the next three days; Monday or Tuesday, all those countries will be put on the red list of COVID-19.

He stressed that airlines of the affected countries remained banned and the countries placed on Nigerias red list.

Sirika apologised to Nigerians intending to travel to those countries but said the Nigerian governments decision was in the interest of the country.




Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has said that politics involved in arms purchase has made it necessary for the country to manufacture i...





Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has said that politics involved in arms purchase has made it necessary for the country to manufacture its own arms.





Osinbajo, while speaking at the 45th Convocation of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, on Saturday, also called for smarter means in policing the country through the use of smart drones and surveillance equipment, in the face of rising terrorism and access to illegal weaponry by non-state actors.





Speaking as the Special Guest of Honour at the event, Osinbajo, who also represented the visitor to the university, the President Muhammadu Buhari said already, some Nigeria companies were already manufacturing Armoured Personnel Carriers and exporting to other countries in Africa.





Osinbajo, who acknowledged huge challenges confronting the country, said the means to resolve them and elements to use were available and made reference to efforts of young Nigerians that were rising to the occasion.





He said, The insecurity problem that we are experiencing, the rise of terrorism in some parts of the country, the access to illegal weaponry by non-state actors tells us that we must be smarter in policing the country, using smart drones and surveillance equipment.





The politicisation of our means of purchase of weapons tells us that we must manufacture our own arms. Already, some Nigerian companies led by Profex, a Nigerian company is already manufacturing APCs and exporting them to several African countries.





Delivering a convocation lecture titled, When is a nation: Exploring the socio-political crises in post-independence Nigeria Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, declared that the arrogant posturing that the unity of the country was not negotiable must be jettisoned for a more humble and intelligent response to natural agitations against discontent.
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the 48-year reign of the deceased Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oba Oladunni Oyewumi, reinforced Ogbomosos...





President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the 48-year reign of the deceased Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oba Oladunni Oyewumi, reinforced Ogbomosos status as a land of peace.





This is as he condoled with the family of the Monarch who passed away earlier on Sunday.





Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, disclosed this in a statement titled President Buhari mourns Soun of Ogbomosoland.





The President commiserated with the Government and people of Oyo State and especially the indigenes of Ogbomosoland on the demise of the frontline traditional ruler who reigned for 48 years.





He said Oba Oyewumis reign reinforced Ogbomoso as a land of peace, accommodation and a bastion of history and tradition.





Buhari also joined the Oyo State Council of Obas in mourning the First Class Traditional ruler who, according to him, will forever be remembered for his counsel and commitment to the unity and harmony within their ranks.





He, therefore, urged sons and daughters of Ogbomosoland to be consoled with the fact that Oba Oyewumi accentuated his reign with the development and progress of the community through enduring peace and extension of hands of fellowship to peoples of other lands.





The President prayed that Almighty Allah will repose his soul.
Popular music executive and Mavin producer, Don Jazzy has given reason he was hurt after Wande Coal left his record label. Wande Coal left t...





Popular music executive and Mavin producer, Don Jazzy has given reason he was hurt after Wande Coal left his record label.





Wande Coal left the record label in 2013.





His exit came as a shock to fans of Mohits record label, now Mavin.





Don Jazzy, speaking on The Afrobeat Podcast, said Wande coals exit from his record label hurt him because he was like a child he raised and then had to let go as an adult after all the training.





According to him, Wande Coal is a genius and a music vocalist we found when we went for a show in UNILAG.





Every separation hurts whether amicable or not.





Wande exit was like when you train a child and then they have he has to go when hes an adult.





It hurts because I had to start building again, friendship and all of that.





Youll know Wandes exit hurt me because I had to tweet about it.





Don Jazzy, however, apologised to his fans for making such tweet about Wande Coals exit.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Cloudy with snow. Low 26F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 90%. Snow accumulating 1 to 3 inches. Heavier amounts in persistent snowbands..

Tonight

Cloudy with snow. Low 26F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 90%. Snow accumulating 1 to 3 inches. Heavier amounts in persistent snowbands.
The restaurant and bar called 13, a longtime late-night spot for food and drinks on Frenchmen Street, has closed, but its owner has partnered with another local restaurant to expand at its former home.

The Bourbon Street po-boy shop NOLA Poboys has opened a second location here, at 517 Frenchmen St., called NOLA Poboys & Bar.

It has a roster of po-boys, gumbo, crawfish pies and other staples alongside a full bar.

Like 13 before it, NOLA Poboys keeps late hours, serving until 2 am.

13 was first opened in 2004 by the family behind the Decatur Street bar Mollys at the Market.

It served sandwiches, pints and comfort food amid the bustling stretch of music clubs and bars. One specialty was a dish called tater tachos  tater tots done up like nachos with a variety of toppings. NOLA Poboys & Bar plans to add tater tachos to its own menu soon, along with more vegan items.

+3 Bites in Brief: Palace Cafe's new plans and Hyatt hunts for what's next to replace Borgne The doors at Palace Cafe have been closed since the prominent Canal Street restaurant took roof damage during Hurricane Ida. But it has not be

Food and restaurant news in your inbox Every Thursday we give you the scoop on NOLA dining. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

Earlier in 2020, local restaurant and bar owner Brian Mullin bought 13 from its founders.

By the fall, however, he was looking for ways to ramp up the business, and wagered that po-boys would do well on Frenchmen. He partnered with Murray Tate, who started NOLA Poboys on the (relatively) quieter end of Bourbon Street in 2013.

Mullin runs the Little Easy, a tavern at 634 Julia St., in the former home of La Casita. He also took over the longtime home of Johnny Whites on the corner of Bourbon Street and Orleans Avenue, which had closed in 2020. Here, he opened Local 718, a bar and restaurant.

NOLA Poboys

908 Bourbon St. and 517 Frenchmen St.

+5 New restaurant from chef Dook Chase coming to downtown New Orleans As a long-idled building comes back to life in downtown New Orleans, it will have a new restaurant from a rising star chef and scion of an inf

+11 Of masa and memory: a new voice for Mexican cuisine rises course by course at Lengua Madre We had the first reservation at Lengua Madre one evening, and for a short time my friend and I had the small restaurant to ourselves.

+5 Closed since Ida, one more traditional Cajun butcher shop returns in LaPlace The old-fashioned wood smokers weathered the storm OK, but the rest of Wayne Jacobs Smokehouse in LaPlace took a beating during Hurricane Ida
At nine in the morning, Chemin a la Mers dining room on the fifth floor of the Four Seasons Hotel is bathed in spectacular light as the rooms wrap-around windows invite in the sunshine bouncing off the surface of the Mississippi River.

The beauty of that light is one reason the restaurant opened for breakfast as well as dinner on Nov. 26, with lunch soon to follow. French for pathway to the sea, Chemin a la Mer is chef Donald Links first foray into the swanky world of luxury hotel brands.

Link cant say enough good things about the Four Seasons team. General manager Mali Carow was the first to win him over. One of the youngest women GMs in the Four Seasons company, Carow moved her family from London to the Bywater to take on the formidable task of opening the hotel in the World Trade Center tower, which has been vacant since 2009.

Link says hes lucky it was the Four Seasons that did the asking. The Louisiana-born chef fell so hard for the restaurants riverfront location, even a budget chain might have convinced him to sign on.

Chemin a la Mer crowns the build-out addition to the original 34-story tower, with terraces that give diners a view of the Mississippis bustling maritime traffic and boomerang crescent.

I can never get enough of the river, Link says.

The restaurants design is inspired by that landscape, from the geological striations on the marble bar to John Alexanders stunning portraits of the purple grackles, herons and roseate spoonbills that feed along the rivers shores.

Roni Dacula collaborates on a Filipino holiday feast at Bywater Brew Pub Dacula answers questions about learning to cook, starting his Gata pop-up and hosting a Noche Buena dinner.

At 52, Link has earned the accolades and won the awards. He took on his first affiliation outside of his Link Restaurant Group (LRG) for the fun of it. And there truly is nothing like Chemin a la Mer in LRGs portfolio, which he shares with business partner Stephen Stryjewski.

Given the Four Seasons pedigree, diners can expect to pay top dollar for dining on dishes like cote de boeuf, a bone-in, cap of ribeye sliced at the table, which at $180 for four diners is actually one of the better per person steak prices on the menu.

I kept the sides reasonable since everything is a la carte, Link says.

Still, dropping upwards of $100 per person  before drinks  isnt necessary to enjoy the beauty of Chemin a la Mer. Order a half-dozen oysters, sourced both locally and from colder waters ($16-$18 for six) and a glass of wine ($15-$19) and that same spectacular view awaits. Theres also a more casual bar menu, which includes a killer burger ($22) and charcuterie ($15), along with a menu served exclusively to hotel pool guests.

Chemin a la Mer What Chemin a la Mer Where Four Seasons New Orleans, 2 Canal St., (504) 434-5100; fourseasons.com/neworleans When 7-10:30 a.m. and 5-10 p.m. daily How Dine-in Check It Out Familiar Southern dishes with five-star presentation

Link has traveled the globe researching Creole food pathways, and much of that inspiration  drawn from French- and Spanish-speaking Caribbean islands, France, Spain and Italy  informs his menu. He and his team took inspiration from the Clover Grill in Paris, a French steakhouse from chef Jean Francoise Piege.

Its a great French restaurant with a few amazing steaks, Link says. Thats our vision, too.

The beef offerings include a ribeye spinalis, Kobe strip steak, pan-roasted filet mignon and seared sirloin coulette, cut effortlessly with the green-handled Perceval French knives the chef fell in love with at a restaurant in Italy.

Pan-roasted Ora King salmon with lentils, Gulf coast ceviche with mint, duck confit with spicy greens and lamb chops with tapenade are a few other menu options. Links take on a West Indies crab salad is bright and fresh, spiked by fresh mint, cilantro and thinly sliced jalapeno and dressed with a piquant chile vinegar from Guadalupe. Pan-seared jumbo shrimp is paired with a cheesy cauliflower and rice casserole that tastes like everybodys favorite holiday side.

The breakfast menu ranges from fresh biscuits and avocado toast to Cochon sausage and ham, and omelets folded over savory fillings like French chevre and herbs.

I really tried to achieve a balance on the menu, says the chef.

At the end of the day, Link is a New Orleanian forever inspired by the Cajun and Southern cooking of his grandparents, assuring that seafood gumbo, peel and eat shrimp, white beans and grits have a place at the table, even when these familiar dishes are prepared with French technique and a presentation fit for a five-star restaurant.

Blakeview: Top of the Mart gave New Orleans drinkers a spin over the city Developers of the Four Seasons Hotel, currently under construction in the World Trade Center, recently announced that award-winning chef Alon 
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New Orleans voters overwhelmingly backed the renewal of a tax that chiefly funds the city's public library system on Saturday, preserving its funding structure for the next two decades.

The 4-mill proposal, which will result in no new taxes for the average property owner, was backed by more than 70% of voters as the final precincts were counted Saturday.

The $11 million that the tax generates per year makes up about 54% of the library's budget, and library officials had warned that, had the measure failed, at least some of the system's 15 branches would have been forced to close within a few years.

+5 Tax to fund New Orleans library on Saturday's ballot; here's what it would pay for New Orleans voters will decide Saturday whether to renew a tax that largely funds the city's public library system, roughly a year after they 

The tax actually has the potential to generate up to $17 million per year, if the City Council levies the full amount. But library leaders had built their budget for 2022 around the $11 million that the library is currently receiving.

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Our Views: In New Orleans, vote "yes" to support libraries Last year, New Orleans voters soundly rejected a complicated property tax swap that would have cut deeply into the New Orleans Public Library 

Now that the library's finances are secure, officials intend to use the funds to realize their 10-year strategic plan, which calls for investments into curbside pickup services, traveling computer labs and early childhood literacy, among other priorities.

The renewal comes roughly a year after voters staunchly rejected a plan by Mayor LaToya Cantrell to divert the library's funding to city infrastructure and other priorities. Citing public disapproval of that plan, the City Council agreed in July to put the full millage on Saturday's ballot, to the delight of library supporters.

New Orleans Public Library names interim CEO Longtime New Orleans Public Library administrator Emily Painton has temporarily replaced Gabriel Morley as the library's chief executive after

Community groups including the Save our NOLA Libraries coalition and the Friends of the New Orleans Public Library worked ahead of the election to educate voters about the proposal, and those efforts paid off Saturday.
First-time candidate Susan Hutson toppled 17-year incumbent Marlin Gusman in the Orleans Parish sheriffs race on Saturday, a stunning rebuke for a seasoned New Orleans politician and a sign that the local progressive movement to reform the criminal justice system is here to stay.

With 350 of 351 precincts reporting, Hutson had 53% of the vote to Gusman's 47%. WWL-TV called the race just before 10 p.m.

Hutson is the first Black woman elected as a sheriff in Louisiana history.

Along with Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams, self-styled reformers of the criminal justice system now control New Orleans' two top elected law enforcement posts, a remarkable reversal in a city that was once one of the most incarcerated places on the planet.

Hutson has pledged to double down on efforts to reduce the jail's population, to stop an 89-bed jail expansion, to end charges for phone calls from jail and to bring the lockup into compliance with a federal reform agreement.

Surrounded by exuberant supporters at Clesis seafood restaurant in Mid-City, Hutson thanked the community organizers who powered her to victory  and asked them to keep her honest when she is sworn in as sheriff.

You all need to stay in this fight. It's not done, not even close, Hutson said. This took a village to get to this point, and I thank everyone for that.

A former prosecutor who served as New Orleans independent police monitor for a decade but has never run a jail, Hutson defeated one of the city's savviest political operators by following Williams playbook from last year.

Like Williams, Hutson trailed by a sizable margin in the primary. But in the runoff, she ramped up attacks on Gusman as an obstacle to reform, in much the same way Williams used former District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro as his foil. Outside groups backing Hutson plowed money into the race.

Her victory is a stinging defeat for Gusman, who has operated in the upper echelons of the New Orleans political elite since serving as a youthful department chief for former Mayor Ernest Dutch Morial.

Gusman struck a conciliatory tone in a concession speech at the Carver Theater in Treme.

"Let's look up, let's not look down. Let's look ahead and not look back. Let's think about how we can get better and keep getting better," he said.

In the final days of the election, Gusman launched harsh attacks accusing Hutson of being the soft-on-crime puppet of radical, out-of-state special interests. Yet Hutson managed to turn the election into a referendum on Gusmans long tenure, which has been dogged by violence and the deaths of incarcerated people in the jail.

She also attacked Gusman on what became a central issue of the campaign, the proposed 89-bed special needs facility for people with mental health and medical problems.

A quiet presence

When Hutson first announced her candidacy back in April, she was well known to local police officials and civil rights lawyers but was far from a household name. While the Sheriffs Office has more than 500 security staffers, Hutson had never managed more than a dozen people.

+2 Mark Zuckerberg-backed group donates $200,000 to PAC targeting New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman An organization backed by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg donated $200,000 last week to a local political action committee trying to unseat S

Hutson was born in Philadelphia but raised in Houston and graduated from Tulane Universitys law school. She worked as a municipal prosecutor in Corpus Christi, Texas, as a police monitor in Austin, Texas, and finally as an inspector general monitoring the Los Angeles Police Department.

In 2010, she was selected to serve as the independent police monitor for New Orleans, which had recently created the post in the wake of incidents of police brutality after Hurricane Katrina.

Her tenure included disputes with federal police monitors and her onetime boss, former Inspector General Ed Quatrevaux, over their respective powers.

She also spoke frequently of seeking community input and touted a mediation program as an alternative to police discipline.

Former Criminal District Court Judge Calvin Johnson, a supporter, described Hutson as a quiet presence.

Thats just how she presents herself, because thats who she is, he said. Shes not the kind of person whos going to punch you in the mouth.

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An incumbent with baggage

In contrast to Hutson, Gusman is a blue chip New Orleans politician with local roots. He first won election as a City Council member in 2000 and traded up for the sheriffs slot in 2004 despite a lack of law enforcement experience.

Gusman inherited a sprawling jail complex from former Sheriff Charles Foti. During his first two terms, he weathered criticism about his handling of the evacuation of thousands of inmates during Hurricane Katrina, and about his plan to construct a 4,300-bed jail after the storm.

Nevertheless, he swatted away Fotis attempt at a comeback in 2014 and didnt face a challenger in 2017. Some observers said his unopposed reelection was a product of deep problems at the jail rather than a tribute to his success.

In 2013, Gusman was pressured into agreeing into a wide-ranging federal reform agreement known as a consent decree in response to frequent violence and disorder at the jail, including an infamous video shot by one incarcerated person that showed people using drugs and manhandling a gun.

Since then, Gusman has struggled to fulfill the agreement. He narrowly avoided outright receivership but was sidelined from running his own jail between 2016 and 2020.

Separately, the sheriff also weathered a major corruption scandal when his top deputy was convicted in a case involving off-duty details.

Now back in charge of the jail, Gusman argued he was within reach of finally fulfilling the consent decree  as long as the city builds the special needs jail for people with health problems.

A fierce runoff

Hutson made opposition to that new building a centerpiece of her campaign. She backs Mayor LaToya Cantrells plan to renovate part of the main Orleans Justice Center instead. Gusman has called the rehab idea an unworkable fantasy and said Hutson has no way to overrule a federal court order to build the facility, but it proved a rallying cry for Hutson supporters.

+8 Marlin Gusman, Susan Hutson face fierce runoff supercharged by campaign cash During a primary campaign that centered on his turbulent 17-year tenure, Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman largely avoided attacking Susan 

The fight over the building gave the race clear stakes and helped attract national interest, according to Max Rose, of the North Carolina-based Sheriffs for Trusting Communities, a group supporting Hutson that aims to elect reform sheriffs.

In the primary election Nov. 13, Gusman came strikingly close to outright victory, with 48% of the vote compared to Hutsons 35% share. Gusman and Hutson, both Democrats, were trailed by three long-shot candidates.

The primary's precinct results suggested sharp divides among voters. Gusman did better in heavily Black neighborhoods and in neighborhoods with more conservative White voters like Lakeview. Hutson performed best in racially mixed neighborhoods and liberal areas like Faubourg Marigny, Bywater and Mid-City.

Immediately after the first vote, Gusman issued a statement casting Hutson as a pawn of the police abolition movement. She countered with an endorsement from Williams and a plan to deploy deputies to the streets on visibility patrols.

Even after forcing Gusman into a runoff, Hutson struggled to raise campaign cash. Yet she was buttressed by massive spending from the PAC for Justice, a progressive campaign outfit that first emerged during last years judicial elections, and Voters Organized to Educate, a local tax-exempt group.

Through Friday, Gusmans campaign reported spending $429,000 this year. Hutson reported spending $90,000, and the PAC for Justice reported spending $203,000.

Gusman tried to claim the reform mantle for himself, noting that the inmate population dropped around 85% on his watch. Yet he also ran ads bemoaning the city's rising violent crime rate and cried foul about out-of-state special interests tipping the race, in a way that also seemed to play to some voters dislike of recent arrivals to the city.

They dont know us," he said in one ad. "Thats why I humbly ask for your prayers, and your vote.

Criminal justice reform advocates held a news conference to denounce Gusman for standing against jail reduction efforts rather than with them. In one of her closing arguments, Hutson insisted that she wasnt a radical.

Youve seen me say anything about defund or eliminating the jails? Thats my opponent saying that, Hutson said in a debate on WBOK-AM. If you are a person who is anti-law enforcement, thats not me. As a police auditor for 17 years, we help our police departments serve our communities better.
New Orleans voters chose four new City Council members Saturday, returning Oliver Thomas to the city's political firmament and adding fresh faces to the dais in three other council districts.

Lesli Harris, a lawyer and former chief of staff to the president of Loyola University, ousted District B council member Jay H. Banks, while Algiers, French Quarter and downriver voters chose attorney Freddie King III for the open District C seat. In District D, Eugene Green, a political veteran who came up short in earlier runs for office, defeated newcomer Troy Glover by just 60 votes.

In one of New Orleans' biggest political comebacks, District E voters in New Orleans East and the Lower 9th Ward delivered redemption to Thomas, a former council member who resigned and served time in prison after pleading guilty in 2007 to a federal bribery charge.

He ran a campaign focused on bringing economic development to the district, and after failing to win outright in the primary, voters decided he had earned their forgiveness and a second chance.

The new district council members, all Democrats, join at-large members Helena Moreno and JP Morrell, along with district A member Joe Giarrusso, in a reshaped council that could create a counterweight to Mayor LaToya Cantrell after her resounding reelection victory last month.

District B

In the District B matchup, newcomer Harris ousted incumbent Banks. Harris racked up 57% of the vote.

That result comes after Harris and Banks waged one of the fiercest battles of the general election, with Banks accusing Harris of proposing unworkable solutions to the city's problems, and Harris casting Banks as a do-nothing council member more interested in his political fiefdom than residents' best interests.

In one notable attack, a website run by Banks' campaign accused Harris of being a "puppet of Bourbon Street" due to campaign donations and of plagiarizing a sweet potato casserole recipe she said was passed down from her grandmother.

To address crime, Harris has pledged to push the New Orleans Police Department to pursue federal grants so it can hire more officers. She also plans to tap a task force to come up with crime-prevention strategies.

Harris also plans to encourage better enforcement of the city's short-term rental laws, urge private companies to invest in internship programs for young people, and urge contractors working on city construction projects to keep to tighter timelines.

District C

King was the only runoff candidate to receive endorsements from Gov. John Bel Edwards, Mayor LaToya Cantrell, U.S. Rep. Troy Carter and District Attorney Jason Williams. The big-name support appeared to pay off as King cruised to victory over fellow attorney Stephanie Bridges.

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King had won 62% of the vote with one precinct left to report as of 10:45 p.m.

The two lawyers did not differ much on issues, with some minor exceptions on aspects of the city's short-term rental regulations. Both stressed the need for economic development in Algiers and better enforcement of short-term rental laws.

King and Bridges also both pointed to previous City Hall experience: King previously worked as the constituent services director under former District C council member Nadine Ramsey, and Bridges was an assistant city attorney in the Nagin and Landrieu administrations.

District D

In District D, political veteran Eugene Green fended off political newcomer Troy Glover, who had gathered steam in the runoff with endorsements from Cantrell and Williams.

The race was a nail-biter, with Green winning by 60 votes out of the 13,208 cast.

Although Cantrell embraced Glover as the future of city leadership, Green positioned himself as a stable, known quantity. He previously directed economic development under former Mayor Marc Morial and served as former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson's chief of staff.

Green's win on Saturday was his first after three previous runs for public office, and it came as focused on rising crime rates in his campaign. He warned that 2021 is no time for "experimentation" on public safety and other critical issues facing the city, and said he would "shift the narrative" on crime back to justice for victims.

District E

In the District E race, Thomas, the former council member and talk radio host, bested incumbent Cyndi Nguyen, netting 57% of the vote as the last of the district's 57 precincts were counted.

Thomas' strongest selling point was his 13-year track record on the council. Voters, frustrated with the district's lack of private investment, rising crime and other problems, showed a willingness to forgive him for his conviction.

To bring down the district's violent crime rate, Thomas, 64, plans to urge the New Orleans Police Department to partner with local schools to recruit new officers, and ask other law enforcement agencies, such as the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office, to arrest people for small-time crimes, so that NOPD has more time to focus on violent offenses.

He also plans to push for more tax incentives for developers to entice more investment, and to focus on cleaning up the district's image.
New Orleans voters on Saturday narrowly rejected the renewal of a 0.91-mill property tax housing programs that had been in effect since 1991. The "no" vote prevailed with less than 51%, and the 940-vote difference amounted to 1.7% of the 56,098 people who cast ballots on the measure.

The tax, which generated about $4 million per year, is relatively small compared with other city property taxes, but housing advocates and Mayor LaToya Cantrells administration say it is a critical source of funding  especially when responding to emergencies like the pandemic and Hurricane Ida.

The tax also helped pay for affordable housing development, blight reduction and other homeowner assistance programs.

The revenue helped feed the Neighborhood Housing Improvement Fund, which Cantrell tapped to help with insurance premiums after Ida and for a 2020 rental assistance program almost immediately after the pandemic struck  months before federal assistance became available.

The Bureau of Governmental Research, which opposed renewal, contends the Cantrell administration has not properly accounted for the tax proceeds nor devised a concrete spending plan. But supporters of the tax said it is designed to be flexible.

Still, one leading advocate who supported renewal, Andreanecia Morris, of HousingNOLA, agreed the Cantrell administration, along with City Council, needs to be more transparent about how the tax revenue is used. But she said BGR had set up false choices in its position against renewal.

There is a third option. These people can do their jobs, and they can do their jobs well, Morris said.
Voters on Saturday elected a new sheriff in Orleans Parish and rejected a proposal to build a casino near Slidell.

Here's a rundown of the election results, along with live coverage from NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune reporters and editors.

Orleans Parish sheriff

In New Orleans, challenger Susan Hutson has toppled 17-year incumbent Marlin Gusman in the Orleans Parish sheriffs race, with Hutson getting 53% of the vote, with 350 of 351 precincts reporting.

+6 Susan Hutson defeats Marlin Gusman in Orleans Parish sheriff's race First-time candidate Susan Hutson toppled 17-year incumbent Marlin Gusman in the Orleans Parish sheriffs race on Saturday, a stunning rebuke 

St. Tammany casino

A casino project has been rejected by St. Tammany voters. A California-based developer was hoping to build a $325 million casino resort called Camellia Bay. Read more about the project.

New Orleans City Council

New Orleans voters chose four new City Council members Saturday, returning Oliver Thomas to the city's political firmament and adding fresh faces to the dais in three other council districts.

+6 New Orleans City Council set as final candidates elected in district seats New Orleans voters chose four new City Council members Saturday, returning Oliver Thomas to the city's political firmament and adding fresh fa

New Orleans library funding

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New Orleans voters overwhelmingly backed the renewal of a tax that chiefly funds the city's public library on Saturday, preserving the library's funding structure for the next two decades.

Voters renew property tax for New Orleans Public Library system New Orleans voters overwhelmingly backed the renewal of a tax that chiefly funds the city's public library system on Saturday, preserving its 

Clerk of Criminal District Court

Darren Lombard scored a come-from-behind victory against Austin Badon on Saturday in the race to serve as the next Clerk of Orleans Parish Criminal District Court, reversing his second-place finish in last month's primary.

Darren Lombard scores come-from-behind win in Clerk of Criminal District Court race Darren Lombard scored a come-from-behind victory against Austin Badon on Saturday in the race to serve as the next clerk of Orleans Parish Cri

Property tax for housing programs

New Orleans voters on Saturday narrowly rejected renewal of a 0.91-mill property tax for housing programs that had been in effect since 1991.

Despite recent hardships, New Orleans voters decide to scrap tax for housing programs New Orleans voters on Saturday narrowly rejected the renewal of a 0.91-mill property tax housing programs that had been in effect since 1991. 

Live results

Follow live results from NOLA.com and Times-Picayune reporters and editors below.

Can't see the module below? Click here.

Staff writers Matt Sledge, Sara Pagones, Jessica Williams and Ben Myers contributed to this story.
We must hope the courts rule that Gov. John Bel Edwards can adopt policies to combat COVID-19 without the support of the Legislature.

Otherwise, common sense will be banished from the corridors of power.

Edwards is always on an even keel, while our more overwrought legislators  which is to say the GOP delegation, and some Democrats  talk paranoid nonsense. That is the only possible conclusion to draw from last week's meeting of a House committee that voted 13-2 against Edward's proposal to add the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of shots students 16 and over are supposed to have in order to attend school or college.

Republicans, always on the qui vive for any threat to their right do to do whatever they please, and to hell with you, denounce the plan as a mandate that constitutes an un-American threat to liberty. In fact, anyone can opt-out of Edwards's vaccination program at will and without comeback. The only rational objection to the proposal is that it is too feeble to make any difference because the vaccinated and the unvaccinated will sit in class cheek by jowl.

Not that Edwards had much choice. Coerced vaccinations really would be un-American and probably lead to another revolution. Anti-vaxxers don't need much encouragement to wallow in martyrdom. Still, mounting evidence indicates that rational citizens are at the end of their tether with the unvaccinated hordes who spread deadly disease and block beds in America's desperately overstretched hospitals.

It is obvious that mandatory inoculations wouldn't fly in this country, and you could never round up enough Americans willing to put aside their misgiving and achieve herd immunity by volunteering to roll up their sleeves. Other countries have found a middle way. The French call it a pass sanitaire. In English-speaking countries, including, to some extent, this one, it is known, as a COVID passport.

The idea is that, in order to stem the tide of disease, society has a right, and maybe an obligation, to keep the infected out of crowded public venues, especially now that the experts fear the omicron variant might be extra transmissible.

Most vaccinated people will presumably be keen to avoid, say, nightclubs where they would run a risk of exposure to other patrons shedding viruses on the dance floor.

No social measure will be universally welcome and we may expect the usual squawks from those many citizens who value freedom but not the concern for other people that has always gone with it.

Vaccine passports free us up to enjoy society's amenities in full while meeting our obligation to serve the common good.

Maybe a more communitarian spirit is starting to invade the vaccination debate in this country. Anyone flying into this country, including returning American citizens, must on arrival provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than one day earlier. It was until recently three days in advance, but President Joe Biden, alarmed by omicron, reduced the window. A handful of New Orleans restaurants required passports to enter soon after Pfizer and Moderna developed their vaccines.

Although there was a feeling abroad that the coronavirus might soon be behind us, recrudescences soon shattered that illusion and epidemiologists have no idea what horror future variants might bring.

Hospital systems in various parts of the country are already under threat, with doctors and nurses close to exhaustion. We can't afford any false steps.

Email James Gill at gill504nola@gmail.com.
Louisiana and the country are swimming in a sea of noxious misinformation about the coronavirus vaccines, so I thought Id start off with something that is absolutely true.

"The vaccines available to us are a true gift, the fruits of a bipartisan and interdisciplinary development process that exemplified the very best of what America can achieve  a medical and public health feat of herculean proportions."

Thats what the states top public health official, Dr. Joseph Kanter, told the House Committee on Health & Welfare last week, as he outlined his science-based argument in favor of adding the vaccines to the states existing list of immunizations required to attend school.

At another time, it would have been easy to envision politicians rallying behind all that stirring bipartisanship and can-do American ingenuity, marshaled to fight a common foe that has already taken nearly 800,000 American lives, that continues to dangerously adapt and spread, and that doesnt give one lick how its victims vote.

The lawmakers gathered at the State Capitol Monday were in no mood for any of that. They proved far more sympathetic to the usual culture war rantings of Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry, who actually showed some rare bipartisanship by appearing alongside noted vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

That anti-vax activists packed the room and have bombarded lawmakers with emails also helped tilt the proceeding away from a pure party-line exercise. Politically, theres safety in numbers, and four Democrats and one unaffiliated lawmaker joined nine Republicans in opposing the Louisiana Department of Healths new rule. The final vote was a lopsided 13-2 against requiring COVID-19 vaccines, with just two Democrats, Robby Carter of Amite and Dustin Miller of Opelousas, in the yes column.

For those who voted with the majority but get the public health implications, theres also safety in knowing that the vote was for show. Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, who intelligently listens to Kanter, plans to go ahead and require the vaccine anyway.

It wouldnt have taken much courage to vote with the governor, frankly, because the supposed big-government mandate at issue is really no such thing. As of now, the new rule would apply just to students 16 and older, because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has only fully approved COVID-19 vaccines for that group. And as with other vaccines, parents can easily opt out for medical, religious, philosophical or personal reasons.

Here, at least, the idea of choice in Louisiana is alive and well, including the choice for parents to put their own kids and the people who attend and work in their childrens schools at higher risk.

Kanter patiently explained as much in his prepared testimony, and also corrected other myths in heavy circulation.

It is incorrect to suggest COVID-19 does not impact children or adolescents, he said, noting that 25% of new COVID-19 cases were in children during the delta variant surge, with many having serious cases, and that studies show children and adolescents to be highly effective vectors of COVID-19.

He also explained that vaccines granted Emergency Use Authorization are not experimental, and that the COVID-19 vaccines are not substantively different from other vaccines.

That wasnt enough for Landry, who used his time to perpetuate some of these myths, including that COVID-19 doesnt qualify as a "vaccine-preventable disease" eligible for inclusion on the state list of required shots. Kanter countered that no vaccine is 100% effective at preventing infections.

It wasnt enough for Kennedy, who claimed, preposterously, that the COVID-19 vaccine "is the deadliest vaccine ever made." Eleven people in Louisiana have had reactions severe enough to require hospitalization and none have died, according to state data.

It wasnt enough for House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, R-Gonzales, who testified that "parents shouldn't be forced to jump through hoops to opt-out of the COVID shot"  the hoops being the submission of a simple form.

And it obviously wasnt enough for the lawmakers bent on appeasing a noisy fringe, even if that means taking the precious gift that Kanter aptly described  and shoving it.
It pays to have good friends, especially when one of those friends can see that your institution gets some important financial help.

Dillard University recently received a $5 million donation from Kirkland & Ellis, a law firm that reached a $577 million settlement with the State of Maryland in a case involving the states four public historically Black colleges and universities.

Morgan State University, Bowie State University and Coppin State University in Baltimore and the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore were part of a lawsuit alleging that the State of Maryland took students from those institutions and essentially re-segregated the Black schools, taking resources to predominantly White higher education institutions and leaving the state HBCUs with fewer resources to recruit, retain and educate students with quality professors. The lawsuit was settled, providing $57.7 million a year distributed to the four schools based on enrollment.

Kirkland & Ellis represented the schools in the 15-year legal fight. For its pro bono efforts, the law firm was awarded statutory attorney fees. Attorney Mike Jones led the legal team that led to the historic settlement.

Jones is more than a Dillard friend. Hes a Dillard alum who leads Dillards board of trustees as chair.

The $5 million donation ties Dillards record for the largest single contribution. Just last year, DU got a $5 million donation from novelist and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. Thats a lot for most schools. For an institution with 1,200 students, thats a big deal.

DUs Center for Racial Justice is the specific Dillard University recipient. The center will use the money to provide students with paid internships with public interest and civil rights organizations that traditionally provide unpaid internships. Students need the experience, but they cannot afford to do unpaid work. The university expects 50 to 70 students to benefit each year.

The $12.5 million awarded to the firm is being shared as donations with seven HBCUs and civil rights organizations. In addition to Dillard, the Robert M. Bell Center for Civil Rights in Education is getting $3 million and the Lawyers Committee, Kirklands co-counsel for the case, gets $2 million. The National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education will get $1 million. Others that will benefit include Howard Universitys Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center, the Coalition for Equity and Excellence in Maryland Higher Education and the African Methodist Episcopal Church Second Districts HBCU scholarship fund.

Jones, a 1982 Dillard alum, recently visited the gleaming white and spacious green Dillard campus as the school dedicated a building to Jones and his wife, Shaun Shelby Jones. It is a very big gift for us, said Marc Barnes, Dillards vice president for institutional advancement. Michael Jones is the catalyst for this.

The Maryland HBCU settlement is worthy because the case has resulted in one states public Black higher education institutions receiving significant financial resources, money that will go a long way toward building each of the four institutions to be more sustainable and productive. Imagine what might happen if Louisianas public HBCUs  those with the Southern University System and Grambling State University  received a comparable infusion of support.

HBCUs play an important role in providing education to students on their way to living their lives as productive citizens. Maryland provides a number of lessons for us, including the idea of providing reasonable funding to higher education institutions that produce so many Black college graduates.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis set $8 million in his 202223 budget to transport illegal immigrants out of The Sunshine State.

He proposed the spending in the Freedom First Budget (pdf) to protect against harms resulting from illegal immigration. The spending may include the transportation of unauthorized aliens located within Florida to other states or the District of Columbia.

In yesterdays budget, I put in $8 million for us to be able to transport people illegally [in the United States] out of the state of Florida, he said during a press conference on Friday.

The Republican governor listed Delaware, President Joe Bidens hometown state, and Marthas Vineyard, where former President Barack Obama owns a mansion, as potential destinations to relocate the illegal immigrants.

If you sent [illegal immigrants] to Delaware or Marthas Vineyard or some of these places, that border would be secure the next day, he said.

The White House and The Obama Foundation didnt respond immediately to requests for comments from The Epoch Times.

DeSantis also encouraged more counties to participate in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) 287(g) program, under which individuals who have been arrested on criminal charges and are being booked into the county jails are asked about their immigration status.

Other proposed measures to reduce the harms of illegal immigrants include listing convicted illegal aliens on a public website.

DeSantis threatened to send illegal immigrants to Delaware back in November. He said his office is looking at legal avenues after his administration alleged that about 70 flights of illegal aliens were sent to Jacksonville, Florida, after being picked up by agents along the U.S.Mexico border.

Were going to get together and figure out what we can do in the immediate term to protect folks in Florida, DeSantis told reporters, noting that his options are limited because the federal government controls the immigration policies and actions.

But if theyre not doing that, DeSantis added, then clearly the state should be able to come in and provide protection, and so thats what were going to be looking to do.

If theyre going to come here, well provide buses, DeSantis said, before proclaiming, I will send them to Delaware.

Jack Phillips contributed to the report.

From The Epoch Times
"It'll be a very exciting week to think about what we'll be able to do together because of the outpouring of support at the local level  good dollars that are chasing good dollars  to maximize this moment in our history," Holcomb said.

"And when you think about the increased assessed value post-projects, this is a game-changer statewide."

Altogether, 17 self-identified regions across the state are competing for the grants made possible thanks to funds provided by the federal American Rescue Plan program backed by U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland, but opposed by every Republican representing Indiana in Congress, including U.S. Sens. Todd Young and Mike Braun.

But Indiana's Republican governor isn't thinking about politics when it comes to READI. He believes it's a model that could be replicated in all 50 states to improve the quality of life for their residents as well.

"I've challenged other of my gubernatorial cohorts around the country," Holcomb said. "I've said there's no program like this on a scale of this size that by definition, and design, is bridging urban and rural divides."
"My granddaughter Eden Estelle is the main character, and the others are all children in my family," she said. "Representation matters. When my lovely baby was born, I wanted her to have coloring books and books where she could see herself depicted beautifully, and I created just that. For black and brown kids, representation does matter."

Customers also will be able to buy clothing, purses, resin art, gift baskets, handmade candles and body oils. There also will be free haircuts, raffles and gifts suitable as stocking stuffers.

"It's a fun time," she said. "It's an amazing amount of shopping under one roof. We're bringing together a wide range of vendors under 8,400 square feet of space."

She said it serves a good cause.

"As a small business owner, I know the importance of networking, community giveback, customer service, marketing and branding to be successful," she said. "I have a purpose when I do pop-ups and it is to lead by example and bring together the best of the best. It is my hope that we learn and grow from each other and that we can all walk away knowing our small business can be a big business."
Its a vulnerable time for Lu. Shes having difficulty with her creative process, which is a fundamental problem given that shes an artist with a show coming up at her best friend Dawns New York City gallery. She also is fielding a business offer from a shark-like, uber rich entrepreneur who wants to brand her work. Its a very lucrative deal but Lu is afraid of losing control over her own work, and besides, the guy is way too hands-on. Plus, her other best friend, True, the handsome college professor who wrote a definitive and highly praised book on some type of economic theory  Lu hasnt read it  is getting job offers from West Coast businesses and has an attractive and overly friendly research assistant. Like Keanu, True has been a serious crush for Lu but shes never let him know it. We dont think its a spoiler alert to let you know that hes been crazy over her for the last 20-plus years as well.
Dermody told of being diagnosed with testicular cancer at age 25 as a reason to embrace life and seize every day. Life can change in an instant. Its up to you to live life to the most of it, he said.

He also urged the graduates to be willing to take a risk, put yourself out there and jump into life with both feet.

There are two things employers cant teach as they train new hires  initiative and positive attitude, Dermody said. Your outlook on work, and on life in general, is everything.

Dermody said he was sharing his Toms Toolbox for Life with the students to equip them for their future.

PNW Chancellor Tom Keon urged the new graduates to network with other alumni. One in 36 jobs in Northwest Indiana is held by a PNW graduate, he said.

Some of you have traveled from across town, others from around the world, he said. Wafa Ali N Alrahin, of Saudi Arabia, received her bachelor of science degree in accounting. She stopped for a quick photo before finding her classmates to prepare for the ceremony.

We want you to be part of the PNW family for the rest of your lives, Keon said.
Central Illinois also had some recorded tornadoes. At least two people have died and many more injured after 100 feet of wall collapsed at an Amazon facility in Edwardsville, Illinois, which is just outside of St. Louis, NBC reported.

Indiana Task Force One has been deployed to aid those in Mayfield, Kentucky, where tornado damage has ravaged the community. More than 70 people have been reported dead in Kentucky as of Saturday afternoon.

The task force group includes Crown Point Fire Rescue Capt. Ryan Cusack and his search dog, Jake, who received deployment orders Saturday morning.

December tornadoes are not unheard of, but they are rare.

"Of all the months, December is the month we see the least amount of tornadoes historically," Holiner said. "There have been tornado outbreaks recorded before, but December is the least likely month for tornadoes. What makes this one significant, is this might be the deadliest December tornado outbreak with the death toll."

The high winds overnight Friday into the morning caused first responders throughout Northwest Indiana to mitigate hazards from falling tree branches, downed power lines and pooling water in the streets.
EAST CHICAGO  A police officer shot a man late Saturday after he pointed a semi-automatic handgun at police, who were responding to alerts of gunfire in the South Side neighborhood, Deputy Police Chief Jose Rivera said.

East Chicago police were dispatched about 10:30 p.m. to the 4800 block of Northcote Avenue after receiving reports of gunshots and alerts from the city's ShotSpotter technology, he said.

ShotSpotter indicated one round had been fired at 10:21 p.m. and 11 rounds were fired about a minute later, police said.

Officers arrived and heard more gunshots. ShotSpotter indicated four rounds had been fired near the officers' location, Rivera said.

Officers followed the sound of the gunfire to an alley, where they saw two men in a backyard.

One of the men, later identified as 34-year-old Justin Hammond, of Chicago, had a semi-automatic handgun, Rivera said.

The other man, later identified as 39-year-old Clifton Jordan, of Lansing, had a rifle, he said.
"It was absolutely counter to what I heard as I got around the state," Holcomb responded. "I dont pretend to be a know-it-all or have a crystal ball. All I know is I was tethered to all 92 counties and what was going on on the ground. Ill be in Fort Wayne tomorrow, Ill be in Upland on Friday, I was in Oldenburg last Saturday. That is my focus group. Those interactions are what I hear. And what I heard when the vaccine came on the scene and we started having the ability to manage this ourselves and that is the answer. We absolutely have to make sure the resources are available as a state."
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (AP)  New Yorks ski resorts are hoping to build on a 2020-21 season that saw them supplant Vermont as the third-biggest ski and snowboard state in the country, behind Colorado and California.

The COVID-19 pandemic was considered a significant factor as the appetite for outdoor recreation was strong. In addition, Vermonts strict quarantine rules on outsiders crossing the state line may have led to more people hitting the slopes elsewhere.

Those restrictions have been lifted, and the Albany Times-Union reported demand has been high for season passes in both Vermont and New York. Some resorts have already sold out of passes.

It is an incredible success story, in the cloud of COVID, Scott Brandi, president of the I Ski NY trade group, told the newspaper.

New York had 4.2 million skier visits last year, while Vermont had 3.5 million. Colorado led the nation with 12 million visits, followed by California with 6.75 million.
In 2000, the U.S. government consumed, per the Cato Institute, 17.7% of our GDP  our national economy. In 2020, this was up to 32%. With the passage of the additional trillions that Democrats are now trying to move into law, the percent of our economic lives taken over by government will ratchet up another several percent points. Coupled with state and local government spending, Americans are now turning over almost half their economic sovereignty to government.

The fact that the politicians who are enacting these vast government programs were democratically elected simply says that Americans are choosing authoritarianism; they are voluntarily giving up their liberty.

The Wall Street Journal notes, for example, that the Build Back Better Act just passed in the House contains $555 billion in "grants, credits and deductions" for green energy projects.

In order to qualify for these funds, firms must pay "prevailing wages." Meaning union wages. Nonunion and small contractors will be shut out.
How does an individual get an entire article dedicated to his take on the Rittenhouse case? Perhaps since it panders to what seems to be a liberal slant this paper has.

When the police are told to stand down or the countrys leaders start pushing to defund the police who will be left to protect us? Yes Mr. Grenchik, we did overthrow a government 3,000 mile away. Lucky they were 3,000 miles away. Perhaps those Americans you describe in Michigan and at the Capitol felt their voices were not being heard as well. One of them (Air Force veteran, unarmed) gave up her life to have her voice heard.
The E.P.A. data can help people make sense of the shifts theyre already seeing in their daily lives, according to Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist at Texas Tech University. Thats especially useful because many Americans tend to view climate change as a problem affecting other people or more remote parts of the world, she said.

Having relevant indicators is a really important way to show people that climate is already changing, and its changing in ways that affect you, Dr. Hayhoe said. It helps us connect climate change to our lived experience.

The new data shows that temperatures are rising, and that increase is accelerating. Since 1901, surface temperatures across the lower 48 states have increased by an average of 0.16 degrees Fahrenheit each decade; since the late 1970s, that rate has jumped to as much as half a degree per decade.

The increase has been even more pronounced in Alaska, parts of which saw average temperatures rise more than 4 degrees Fahrenheit since 1925. And its affecting the permafrost: At 14 of 15 sites, permafrost temperatures rose between 1978 and 2020.

Scientists say the world needs to prevent average global temperatures from rising more than 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) above preindustrial levels to avoid irreversible damage to the planet.

As surface temperatures have risen, heat waves have become more common. Since the 1960s, the frequency of heat waves in large U.S. cities has tripled, according to the new data, to six each year from two. And nights are becoming hotter, making it harder for plants, animals and people to cool down.

Rising temperatures are affecting ice levels as well. The new data notes that the extent of Arctic sea ice cover in 2020 was the second-smallest on record. At the same time, oceans are becoming warmer, reaching a record in 2020.
Vietnam, which is coping with its worst outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, announced new restrictions for its largest city on Sunday, a day after its health minister said a very dangerous new variant of the coronavirus had been detected in the country.

New social distancing requirements will be imposed in Ho Chi Minh City, which used to be known as Saigon and has a population of some nine million, roughly double that of the capital, Hanoi. The restrictions include a limit of five people in public gatherings, the state-run newspaper Tuoi Tre reported. A church in Ho Chi Minh City is at the center of a cluster involving at least 126 cases, according to state news media.

City officials said that residents should maintain strict social distancing of at least six feet and stay home unless absolutely necessary, especially if they are over 60, Tuoi Tre reported. It said the restrictions would go into effect at midnight.

Until recently, Vietnam, a country of about 97 million people, had had remarkable success in containing the virus. Last year, it never reported more than 50 new cases in a single day. By the end of April, it had reported fewer than 3,000 cases and only 35 deaths.
My ears start popping and then the building  it was actually rocked back and forth  and then boom, everything just fell out on us. The lights were flickering, you could hear thunder roaring, you know, and things like that. It was terrifying. And thats the only word I can use to describe it. It was absolutely terrifying. It was like the building collapsed on us, and it wasnt even like it was a lot of commotion after. It was just like, whoosh. And then it was just us screaming and trying to figure out what, you know  we was like, Whoa, what happened? Above me, might have been two feet above me, and then, like, around me, probably here  I had, I had some space, but there was also a water fountain on me. I was pinned under a water fountain. And so that didnt give me  my legs, I couldnt move at all. Okay, yall. I aint never been, like, nothing like this before now. Yall, this is something else. My foot is stuck, like, Im stuck underneath this water  yall see this. And Im really scared. Im trying to be cool, yall, but Im really, really scared because where Im at, Im, like, stuck underneath the wall, so Id be the last person to get out. And they told us not to move because if we move, itll cause the stuff to fall more, and we dont want that. My family is a family of faith, so they were praying for me. Im not going to lie, there was a point where I didnt want to hear prayers, so I hung up, because I had started to panic and I had kind of started to freak out. And so, I just couldnt. I couldnt do it. I couldnt do it. And so  but I got it together. And so, here I am. Im hurting pretty much everywhere, my body is sore, Im aching. Just keep the faith. There are so many people praying for us, there are so many people praying for your family, there are so many  were here. Just keep the faith. Just keep the faith. Dont lose hope.
Marjorie Tallchief, an American ballerina who became an acclaimed international star with major companies in France and the United States in the 1950s, died on Nov. 30 at her home in Delray Beach, Fla. She was 95.

Her death was confirmed by her granddaughter Nathalie Skibine.

Ms. Tallchief was often identified by critics and reference books as the younger sister of Maria Tallchief, one of George Balanchines leading ballerinas in New York City Ballet. But she had her own distinct identity as a versatile dancer who excelled in diverse ballets, from the 19th-century classics and Balanchines works to the experimental dances with a poetic tinge that were fashionable in France, where she danced with two companies in the 1940s and 50s.

From 1957 to 1962, she danced with the Paris Opera Ballet, which invited her to join as a regular principal when her husband, George Skibine, joined as ballet director and choreographer.

Although the Tallchief sisters pursued independent careers in separate companies, they remained close, and they both publicly proclaimed pride in their Native American heritage as members of the Osage Nation. The State of Oklahoma honored them with official tributes over the years.
Its always heartening to see lots of eager children in the audience when the Metropolitan Opera presents its family-friendly version of Mozarts The Magic Flute during the holidays.

But when the company reopened in September, their return was uncertain. The Met, which since the start of its season has required all who enter to be vaccinated, de facto banned children under 12, who were not eligible for vaccines.

When eligibility expanded at the end of October, though, the door was open for kids to come back. And they did on Friday, to Julie Taymors fantastical production  trimmed to just under two intermissionless hours and performed in J.D. McClatchys snappy English adaptation.
When she was 15 her mother died; she said she believed the cause was alcoholism, something Ms. Rice would struggle with later, though in a 2008 video she said she had been sober for 28 years.

By her late teens, she had become disillusioned with the Catholic faith.

I have a great deal of anger against a church that would teach kids a 7-year-old could burn in hell for French kissing, right alongside a Nazi sadist, she told The Times in 1988. In the late 1990s, though, she would return to a belief in God after decades of atheism; over the next several years she wrote two novels inspired by the life of Jesus, as well as a memoir, Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Journey (2008).

Her father remarried and moved the family to Texas, where in high school Ms. Rice first met Stan Rice, a fellow student.

She attended Texas Womans University for a time but dropped out and tried living in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco. She had made an impression on Mr. Rice in high school, and he sought her out; they began an intense correspondence, and eventually he proposed by mail.

They married in 1961 and settled in San Francisco, where Mr. Rice, who died in 2002, became a poet and teacher. Ms. Rice earned a degree at San Francisco State University, though in political science, not literature  I was a poor reader, she wrote in her memoir, and, in fact, couldnt major in English because I could not read the amounts of Chaucer or Shakespeare assigned in the classes. (Later, though, she would earn a masters degree in creative writing there.)

A pivotal event for the couple occurred in 1972, when their daughter, Michele, died of leukemia at the age of 5. Ms Rice said the loss left her bereft and directionless for a time, until she tried returning to writing to shake off the melancholy.

I wanted to write and write and write, and pour out my emotions, and make stories, and create something, she told ABC in the 1993 interview. That was my response to seeing something die and something pass out of my hands like that, and seeing this beautiful child die, no matter what I did or anybody else did.
Climate crises batter Australia

Many of the same areas that suffered through the Black Summer bush fires in 2019 and 2020, the worst in the countrys recorded history, are now dealing with prodigious rainfall during the wettest, coldest November since at least 1900.

Hundreds of people across several states have been forced to evacuate. Many more are stranded on floodplain islands with no way to leave except by boat or helicopter, possibly until after Christmas.

And with a second year of the weather phenomenon known as La Nina in full swing, meteorologists are predicting even more flooding for Australias east coast, adding to the stress from the pandemic and a recent rural mouse plague of biblical proportions.

Quotable: It feels constant, said Brett Dickinson, a 58-year-old wheat farmer who lives in northwest New South Wales, about a six-hour drive from Sydney. Were constantly battling all the elements  and the animals, too.
Getting the chance to take part in a race, not just a regular track day, was an amazing experience, said Mr. Binns, a 58-year-old retiree who lives in the Cotswolds of England. The work Mission Motorsport does goes so much further than just one lap, or even 12 hours of racing  its life-changing for a lot of people.

It was my first time at Anglesey, and my first look at this car. My nervous excitement did not go unnoticed, and the volunteers looking after the car took me under their wing as they strapped me into the Morgan for my first practice run.

On the first day for qualifying, conditions were greasy and damp, and as I felt my way around the first few laps, the car was fast and lively. Within five laps I was facing the wrong way and sliding off the track at about 85 m.p.h., grass and mud flying into the cabin.

I waddled back onto the track and did a few more sheepish laps before pitting. My lap time: 2 minutes 8 seconds. Mr. OConner, the team leader, had raced plenty of times before and had notched a 1:48 lap. I had work to do.
And a close contact of an Omicron case is roughly twice as likely as a close contact of someone infected with Delta to catch the virus.

Neil Ferguson, an epidemiologist at Imperial College London, said that Omicrons ability to evade the bodys immune defenses accounted for most of its advantage over previous variants. But modeling work by his research team also suggested that Omicron was simply more contagious than Delta, by roughly 25 to 50 percent.

I think that theres a significant amount of immune escape, Dr. Ferguson said, referring to the viruss ability to dodge the bodys defenses. But its also more intrinsically transmissible than Delta.

He and other scientists have cautioned that evidence was still coming in, and that better surveillance in places where the Omicron wave is most advanced could affect their findings.

The World Health Organization said this week that some evidence had emerged that Omicron was causing milder illness than Delta, but that it was too early to be certain. Still, scientists have warned that if the variant keeps spreading as quickly as it is in England, where cases are doubling every 2.5 days, health systems around the world may be deluged with patients.

Even if Omicron causes severe illness at only half the rate of the Delta variant, Dr. Ferguson said, his computer modeling suggested that 5,000 people could be admitted to hospitals daily in Britain at the peak of its Omicron wave  a figure higher than any seen at any other point in the pandemic.

Scientists said that widespread vaccination in countries like Britain and the United States would keep as many people from dying as have in earlier waves. But the experts also warned that patients with Covid and with other illnesses would suffer if hospitals became too full.
In an interview, Mr. Afanador shared the role of music in his process, the challenges of shooting remotely and some favorite moments on set. His answers have been edited for clarity.

This is the Great Performers issue: When a subject is sitting for a photograph, they essentially perform both for the camera and for the photographer. How do you bring out the best performances?

I told most of them that I really wanted it to be sort of in between a moment and a feeling that would in some way reflect the roles that theyre representing in the film. Each one committed themselves to the experience, and it was amazing to direct them, but also to see what they would bring to it. It was such a beautiful group effort. Everything felt so honest and pure.

Why did you choose to play the film composer Max Richters music on a loop during the shoots?

Music, to me, is such an important aspect when Im photographing someone. Listening to Max Richters music is like entering into a trance. When Im getting ready to start, I always ask the subject that Im photographing whether they would like to hear something else. It was so interesting that there was not one actor in this portfolio that said that they wanted to hear something else. I was amazed because they all loved the music. There was this beautiful, sort of cinematic feeling, and it was surprising that everybody felt the music in the same way that I was feeling it.

Was there anything surprising that happened on set?

When I photographed Josephine and Gabrielle Sanz, the twins who appear in Petite Maman, it was truly mesmerizing to see their inner connection. To see how incredibly present they were at their age, and how incredibly professional they were, was a beautiful surprise. Everyone on set was so mesmerized by them.
Now is the perfect time for Washington and its allies to woo Indonesia. The goal should not be to peel Indonesia away from China but to support Mr. Jokos plans for economic and social development  he is looking to cement his legacy before hes due to step down in 2024  and help the country become an alternative pole of strength to challenge the emerging sense in Asia that China alone holds the keys to the regions future.

So far, Washington has shown limited ambition for boosting the relationship with Indonesia. Despite warnings over Beijings growing strategic leverage with Jakarta, it has yet to come up with significant economic counterweights.

But closer relations with China dont mean that Mr. Joko is choosing a side in great-power competition. Rather, he is approaching foreign policy with the practicality of the furniture factory owner and mayor he used to be, willing to work with whoever can help him meet core objectives  like boosting the economy.

Kurt Campbell, who leads Indo-Pacific policy in the White House, once told me that if you ranked the countries most important to the United States but least understood, Indonesia would be first. The worlds fourth-most-populous nation, the worlds most populous Muslim-majority nation and the worlds largest archipelago nation: Generating interest in Indonesia usually requires a list of superlatives.

Between domestic issues and a long list of foreign policy challenges to address, it seems that Indonesia is falling off the agenda again, even as the Biden administration starts to step up in Southeast Asia. The presidents interim national security strategic guidance, released in March, name-checked Singapore and Vietnam, which support U.S. pushback against China, as important Southeast Asian partners, but not Indonesia.

When Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin made separate trips to Southeast Asia earlier this year, they skipped Indonesia  which The Jakarta Post, the countrys leading English language newspaper, called a snub.

The good news is that Mr. Joko does not bear grudges. While writing his first English-language political biography, I watched him work with all comers to get what he wants, from street hawkers to billionaires to hard-line Islamist preachers.
Just under a decade ago, I wrote a column about an extraordinary new initiative, courtesy of Fendi, called Pesce dAprile, in which a customer could travel to a crocodile farm in Singapore, select the reptile from which their handbag would be made and then follow its progress via an app. Billed as the fashion equivalent of know your food, it was the first of its kind.

It was also entirely made up (by me): an April Fools joke invented to highlight the lengths to which fashion brands would go to distinguish themselves  and the fact that, increasingly, customers were interested in the origin of their products.

Except now, finally, the jokes on me.

Loro Piana, the luxury brand known for its plush, understated knits that look as if they have been woven from liquidized bank notes, has embarked on a program that will allow customers to trace every step of production of one of its baby cashmere sweaters from goat to store.

It may seem like a simple thing: How can a brand not know exactly where and how its products are made? Yet the fashion supply chain is so complicated, its many moving parts spread out over so many countries and processes, that for most of us the origin stories of our clothes are almost entirely opaque.
Nearly every day as Christmas nears, Amazons share of online sales typically rises, as customers turn to the e-commerce giant to quickly deliver packages. To make that happen, Amazon hires hundreds of thousands of additional workers, both full-time employees and contractors, and runs its operations at full tilt.

One of them, Alonzo Harris, drove his cargo van into Amazons delivery depot in Edwardsville, Ill., after 8 p.m. on Friday after a full day delivering packages north of St. Louis. Suddenly, an alarm blared on his work phone. Someone yelled that this was not a drill. Mr. Harris, 44, ran into a shelter on Amazons site and heard a loud roar.

I felt like the floor was coming off the ground, he said. I felt the wind blowing and saw debris flying everywhere, and people started screaming and hollering and the lights went out.

One of the tornadoes that roared through Kentucky, Arkansas, Illinois and other states on Friday had plowed straight into Amazons delivery station in Edwardsville. The toll was grim: Six people died, with 45 making it out alive, according to the Illinois governor, J.B. Pritzker.
When presented with The Timess findings, several current and former senior Special Operations officers denied any widespread pattern of reckless airstrikes by the strike cell and disregard for limiting civilian casualties. Capt. Bill Urban, a spokesman for the militarys Central Command, which oversees operations in Syria, declined to comment.

As bad strikes mounted, the four military officials said, Talon Anvils partners sounded the alarm. Pilots over Syria at times refused to drop bombs because Talon Anvil wanted to hit questionable targets in densely populated areas. Senior C.I.A. officers complained to Special Operations leaders about the disturbing pattern of strikes. Air Force teams doing intelligence work argued with Talon Anvil over a secure phone known as the red line. And even within Talon Anvil, some members at times refused to participate in strikes targeting people who did not seem to be in the fight.

The four officials worked in different parts of the war effort, but all interacted directly with Talon Anvil on hundreds of strikes and soon grew concerned with its way of operating. They reported what they were seeing to immediate superiors and the command overseeing the air war, but say they were ignored.

The former Air Force intelligence officer, who worked almost daily on missions from 2016 to 2018, said he notified the main Air Force operations center in the region about civilian casualties several times, including after a March 2017 strike when Talon Anvil dropped a 500-pound bomb on a building where about 50 people were sheltering. But he said leaders seemed reluctant to scrutinize a strike cell that was driving the offensive on the battlefield.

Every year that the strike cell operated, the civilian casualty rate in Syria increased significantly, according to Larry Lewis, a former Pentagon and State Department adviser who was one of the authors of a 2018 Defense Department report on civilian harm. Mr. Lewis, who has viewed the Pentagons classified civilian casualty data for Syria, said the rate was 10 times that of similar operations he tracked in Afghanistan.

It was much higher than I would have expected from a U.S. unit, Mr. Lewis said. The fact that it increased dramatically and steadily over a period of years shocked me.

Mr. Lewis said commanders enabled the tactics by failing to emphasize the importance of reducing civilian casualties, and that Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, who commanded the offensive against the Islamic State in 2016 and 2017, was dismissive of widespread reports from news media and human rights organizations describing the mounting toll.
But as a governor with a keen sense of the political winds, in a state where Republican domination remains complete, his ban on vaccine mandates was in keeping with his penchant for reading the moment. And at this moment, even in business-centered Texas, corporate interests are out and cultural concerns are in.

He is overseeing an audit of the 2020 results in four large counties in Texas, a state that the former president, Donald J. Trump, won by more than 5 points. He called for and signed into law restrictions on transgender athletes after appearing content, four years earlier, to watch bathroom restrictions on transgender Texans fail in the face of opposition from businesses. He went from a mask mandate last year to a ban on such orders this spring.

His rightward shift will be tested next year as he faces his most well-known and well-funded Democratic challenger yet, Beto ORourke, who announced his run late last month. Their contest raises the question of how far right a Texas governor can go and still hold on against a rising tide of Democrats in the states largest cities and suburbs.

The election is also an important test of Mr. Abbotts strength on the national stage, where he is frequently mentioned alongside potential non-Trump presidential candidates like Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, even as his aides insist he is not interested. His attacks on Mr. ORourke have doubled as attacks on President Biden.

These days, Mr. Abbott finds himself torn between the even-keeled conservative approach that has brought him favor in Texas business circles and an intense focus on winning in the evolving Republican Party, according to interviews with many current and former advisers and more than two dozen friends, former colleagues, elected officials and political strategists.
LOS ANGELES  Peter Nichols has lived for 22 years in a two-bedroom Cape Cod in the Fairfax District, in the flat, bungalow-lined midsection between the east and the west sides of Los Angeles. His block used to make him proud, with its neat lawns and palm trees: Crime was low. Streets were clean. When a problem arose  drug use in the park, traffic from the nearby Melrose Avenue shopping district  the city seemed to know how to address it.

All that has changed.

Homicides in his area have risen from one in 2019 to more than a dozen this year, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. He cannot drive more than a block or two without passing homeless encampments. Drought has withered the yards. Trash blows past on the Santa Ana winds.

Waves of robberies have left armed guards posted for months outside high-end sneaker boutiques. Earlier this month, police officers responding to a burglary four miles from Mr. Nicholss house arrested a parolee in connection with the slaying of an 81-year-old philanthropist in her mansion.

Now theres this new variant, he said about the coronavirus. Its like, what are we going to die of? Ricochet? Robbery gone wrong? Heat? Drought? Omicron? Delta? If you were watching this through the lens of a camera, you would think it was the makings of a disaster movie.
LIVERPOOL, England  The top diplomats for the worlds wealthiest large democracies warned Russia on Sunday of massive consequences and severe costs should it invade Ukraine or continue military aggressions near its border.

The foreign ministers for the Group of 7 urged Russia to pull back from the tense border standoff and made clear that any effort to negotiate or otherwise avoid confrontation would be welcome.

Any use of force to change borders is strictly prohibited under international law, they said in a statement. Russia should be in no doubt that further military aggression against Ukraine would have massive consequences and severe cost in response.

Their statement largely echoed earlier admonishments by Western officials over the past week after Russia massed as many as 100,000 troops on Ukraines eastern, northern and southern borders. On Tuesday, in a two-hour video call, President Biden himself warned President Vladimir V. Putin of unprecedented and painful economic and other sanctions should Russia move in force into Ukraine and called for de-escalation and diplomacy.
Angered by the U.S. Supreme Court decision to continue allowing private citizens to sue Texas abortion providers, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California on Saturday called for a similar law giving ordinary residents legal standing to file lawsuits against purveyors of restricted firearms.

SCOTUS is letting private citizens in Texas sue to stop abortion?! Mr. Newsom, a Democrat, tweeted. If thats the precedent, then well let Californians sue those who put ghost guns and assault weapons on our streets. If TX can ban abortion and endanger lives, CA can ban deadly weapons of war and save lives.

The governors response seemed to contradict his earlier criticism of the Texas law, which Mr. Newsom had previously described as a cynical attempt to undercut federal rights.

In a statement released on Saturday evening, Mr. Newsom said he had instructed his staff to work with Californias Legislature and attorney general to write a bill that would let citizens sue anyone who manufactures, distributes, or sells an assault weapon or ghost gun kit or parts in California. The governor called for damages of at least $10,000 per violation, plus costs and attorneys fees.
I dont think the unions are playing well when were seeing urban and suburban parents not particularly happy about whats been happening in schools the last 18 months, said Frederick M. Hess, the director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative-leaning think tank.

What motivates Ms. Pringle, she said, is a longtime need that is ever more pressing now: to reclaim public education as a common good, and transform it into something it was never designed to be: racially and socially just, and equitable.

She sees both the pandemic, which exposed gross inequities that have plagued the nations education system for decades, and the presidency of Mr. Biden, who has pledged to make equity a cornerstone of his policymaking, as opportunities to achieve that goal.

While much of the focus has been on her relationship with the White House, Ms. Pringle has pressed virtually every cabinet secretary for more money for things like community schools that provide social services to low-income students and their families, which made it into the presidents budget, and electric school buses, which made it into the sprawling bipartisan infrastructure bill.

I can listen to her speak about equity, and walk away smarter, said Miguel Cardona, the education secretary.

Ms. Pringle is seeking to position her union at the forefront of the social justice movement  a tall order, some believe, for an organization whose membership is more than 70 percent white, with a large number of members living in purple and red states. Her success, she believes, is tied to having Mr. Biden as a partner.

It is not lost on me that Im a Black leader in this moment, pushing this, she said. But Im not alone. Joe Biden talking about racial justice is no small thing.
I would be a fool to think that narco-trafficking and arms trafficking didnt play a role in the assassination, said Daniel Foote, who served as the U.S. special envoy to Haiti before stepping down last month. Anyone who understands Haitis politics or economics understands this.

A central figure on Mr. Moises list was Charles Saint-Remy, known as Kiko, two of the Haitian officials tasked with helping draft the dossier said. Mr. Saint-Remy, a Haitian businessman, has long been suspected by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration of involvement in the drug trade. Notably, he is also the brother-in-law of former President Michel Martelly, who lifted Mr. Moise out of political obscurity and tapped him to be his successor.

Mr. Martelly, who is considering another run for the presidency, and Mr. Saint-Remy were hugely influential in Mr. Moises government, with a say in everything from who got public contracts to which cabinet ministers got appointed, according to Haitian officials inside and outside his administration. But Mr. Moise came to feel that they and other oligarchs were stifling his presidency, his aides say.

American officials say that they are looking closely at Mr. Moises efforts to disrupt the drug trade and challenge powerful families as motives in the assassination, and they note that Mr. Saint-Remy emerged as a possible suspect early in the investigation. But they caution that Mr. Moise threatened many of the economic elite, including a number of people with deep criminal connections.

Mr. Martelly and Mr. Saint-Remy did not respond to a detailed list of questions for this article.
NOUMEA, New Caledonia  New Caledonia, a tiny scattering of islands in the South Pacific, will not mark the new year by becoming the worlds newest country.

In a referendum held on Sunday, voters rejected independence overwhelmingly, with 97 percent electing to stay part of France, according to final results released on Monday by the French High Commission in New Caledonia.

But while the referendum failed, prompting those who voted non to fly the French tricolor in the capital, Noumea, the result does not signal an end to dreams of New Caledonian sovereignty.

We are pursuing our path of emancipation, Louis Mapou, New Caledonias president, said in an interview, brushing aside any results of the referendum. That is what is essential.
The value of trade between the Emirates and Israel has also rapidly increased: In the first seven months of 2021, bilateral trade was worth more than $600 million, according to statistics cited in September by an Israeli official  about $550 million more than during the equivalent period in 2020. Banks, universities, airlines and technology firms in the two countries have signed partnership deals, and their armies have conducted joint exercises. The Emirates also set up an investment fund, worth $10 billion, for projects in Israel.

Ties with Bahrain and Morocco have also continued to improve, but questions have been raised about the sustainability of the deal with Sudan. Little momentum has been created since Israel and Sudan formally signed a normalization deal in January, following an initial announcement in October 2020. The two countries have not exchanged ambassadors, and a recent coup in Khartoum cast doubt over the entire arrangement.

No new rapprochement has been announced since the Sudanese deal in January, despite hopes that Saudi Arabia, which has close ties with the Emirates and which shares an antipathy for Iran, would become the fifth country to join the process.

Saudi Arabia and the Emirates share many foreign policy goals but do not always act in unison; in 2019, Abu Dhabi began to pull its troops from Yemen, where they had been fighting alongside Saudi-led forces in a war against an Iran-backed militia. Earlier this year the two countries clashed over whether to increase oil production. The Emirates has also been quicker to modernize than Saudi Arabia; in one example last week, Emirati officials announced the country would change the timing of its weekends to align with the Western calendar.

Saudi officials have said that the country will not replicate the Emirati-Israeli normalization deal until the sealing of an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. Mr. Netanyahu was reported to have met in secret in November 2020 with Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince, but Saudi officials denied the meeting took place.

But even in the Emirates, there are signs of caution about attracting too much attention to its relationship with Israel. Mr. Bennetts office invited dozens of Israel-based journalists to accompany him on his flight to Abu Dhabi, but Emirati officials declined to organize a news conference for them or to host them at the princes palace. The journalists were later uninvited from the mission entirely, officially because of rising concerns over the new coronavirus variant.

Myra Noveck contributed reporting.
It came up again, but I saw it floating for just a few seconds before the waves took it away, he said. He remembered it was the body of a man wearing baggy pants.

Another migrant, Karzan Mangury, said he was so horrified by the corpses that he tried to look away. Our boat was surrounded by dead bodies, said Mr. Mangury. At that moment my entire body was shaking.

Their accounts, in phone interviews from an immigration facility in England, are the first time they have spoken to the news media and are among the only witness descriptions of the last minutes of the disaster. At least 27 people are believed to have died, the biggest single loss of life in the channel since the International Organization for Migration began collecting data in 2014.

Along with the accounts of relatives of some of the victims, their descriptions also tell a story of hours of frantic and futile calls for help to the French and English authorities as the migrant boat was sinking. At one point, Mr. Mangury said, he made 10 calls to a number the French police had given him to try to report his location, and no one answered.

His description of his phone calls is the first public account by a migrant who spoke directly with the English and French police to report the sinking.
At a meeting in England on Sunday, G7 delegates said they were united in their condemnation of Russias military build-up near Ukraine.
A robotics and automation company backed by Walmart, America's biggest grocery retailer, is finalising plans for a $4.5bn (3.3bn) merger with a 'blank cheque' company created by the Japanese technology giant SoftBank.
New Chancellor Olaf Scholz has told a newspaper that he is "also the chancellor of the unvaccinated." He insisted the country is not split over the urgent need to get the population fully protected against COVID-19.
Scholz said he wanted to carry out a "friendly visit to a friendly nation" but Russia's troops buildup near the Ukrainian border loom over the talks between the new German Chancellor and his Polish counterpart.
Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Sunday.
The number of Omicron cases in New South Wales has grown as health officials issue a warning on COVID-19 transmission at pubs, clubs and party settings.
A gas explosion triggered the collapse of a number of buildings in Sicily. Emergency workers have been searching the rubble of those missing, including two children and a pregnant woman.
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After a massive dip of 72% in 2020  a year that saw extraordinary measures to curb the spread of Covid-19  the number of foreign students arriving in India has seen a 14% increase in 2021, mostly from the immediate neighbourhood.
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"Donald Trump is the most consequential Republican in the entire Republican Party," Sen. Lindsey Graham said on Sunday.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has warned England they are already in danger of an Ashes whitewash after just one Test.
Business minister Ivan McKee has said he will investigate whether public money has been handed to companies with links to 'illegal' Israeli settlements in Palestine.
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British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Sunday that "the world's largest economies are united" in warning Russia that an invasion of Ukraine would have 'massive' -- though largely undisclosed -- consequences.
Taiwan's health officials are investigating if the bite from an infected mouse was responsible for the technician testing positive for Covid-19, reports say.
Jerusalem Post 12 Dec 2021

The visit will be the first-ever by an Israeli prime minister to the Gulf state, and comes as tensions with Iran continue to grow.
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888casino Wins the Prize for the Best Online Casino at the 2021 EGR Awards

Published December 12, 2021 by Florin P

888casino wins the most important prize at the 2021 EGR Awards, by being nominated the Best Online Casino ahead of strong competitors.

The 2021 EGR Awards event has recently crowned its winners and once again 888casino walked away with a coveted prize. The gambling operator is a frequent sight at the awards and in 2021 its success was acknowledged by the judges. 888casino won two prizes this year, including the most important one given to the casino operator of the year. The ceremony was hosted at the Grosvenor House, London, with 34 judges confirming the dominant position of the casino in the online gambling environment.

888casino is the Best Online Casino in 2021

The judges had a difficult mission of singling out a winner, as the competition was incredibly tough once again. 888casino emerged victorious because of its outstanding content and uncanny ability to constantly evolve. The high number and quality of their live tables were one of the determining factors, alongside the personalization aspect and overall performance. These qualities helped them stand out from the crowd and confirmed their dominant position.

In addition to winning the Best Online Casino at the 2021 EGR Awards, the gambling operator was acknowledged in other categories. It won the best in-house product award for its outstanding platform and the ability to improve an already solid product. The judges acknowledged 888s sportsbook section, and the gambling operator was also highly commended for its 888poker division. These awards confirm the fact that the gambling group scores high marks in all the important categories, not only casino games.

The Oscars of the Online Gambling Industry

The "Best Online Casino" prize at the 2021 EGR Awards means a great deal for 888casino. Thats because the selection process is very serious and the team of independent judges is made exclusively of unbiased professionals. All of them have signed a disclaimer to keep the winners confidential and to acknowledge the absence of any conflict of interest. By only publishing, the list of charges after the winners are decided, EGR makes sure that there is no way to influence the decision-making process.

In 2021 the judges analyzed and made the submissions by allocating a score to each individual criteria. After all the judges have submitted their scores the points were summed up and winners were decided. The process is straightforward and transparent, which makes the awards even more valuable. On the off-chance that there is no clear winner, the judges make a final decision via a conference call. There was no need for such a measure, as 888casino emerged as the clear winner in the Best Online Casino category.
Paducah, KY (42003)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening. A few snow showers developing late. Low near 20F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 30%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening. A few snow showers developing late. Low near 20F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 30%.
Cotonou, Benin PANA) - The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will Tuesday in Ouagadougou officially install the new members of its Task Force on the Trade Liberalization Scheme (TF/SLE), according to a press release from the sub-regional institution
Photo: (Photo : Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Cases of children accidentally eating marijuana edibles are on the rise following its legalization for medical and recreational purposes in some states. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, nearly 2,500 accidental cases of kids under 12 had to be hospitalized because of the substance.

In August 2021, a mother from Maryland had to rush her curious two-year-old child to the emergency room after he ingested 15 marijuana edibles, or about 75 milligrams of THC, and exhibited worrying symptoms of lethargy and seizures. The mother, Elizabeth Perry, realized that her son was able to access her medical marijuana to help her sleep even as the container was supposedly child-proof.

Read Also: Vaping in Teens Dropped by 40% During the Pandemic, and May Continue to Decline

Here's what the doctors advise parents in case this will happen to their kids as well:

1. Be aware of the signs of marijuana ingestion and then act fast.

According to Dr. Kevin C. Osterhoudt, a toxicologist from Philadelphia, children who have THC in their system will be very sleepy and will have balance problems. THC or tetrahydrocannabinol is the chemical found in marijuana, which causes those physical effects, including "getting high." It's a highly concentrated chemical; hence it's hazardous for children with small and frail bodies.

Small children who have eaten marijuana edibles could be at risk for toxicity without medical attention. They could also develop a faster heart rate, difficulty breathing, red eyes, agitation, and confusion. In severe cases, a child may experience seizures and brain impairment.

Whether the parents catch the children with the edibles in their mouth or not, they should immediately call the poison control center's hotline for help and guidance at 1-800-222-1222.

2. Don't try to decide on the best course of action yourself.

Since THC will eventually leave the body altogether when it has metabolized, a parent might believe there is no more harm to the kids. According to GoodRX Health, calling the poison control hotline, even if the child's symptoms may have subsided, will still be necessary so the parents will know what else to monitor. On the other hand, if the child's symptoms have gotten worse, don't second-guess and head straight to the hospital.

3. Don't fear the judgments.

Some parents might be wary about calling for help for fear of judgment about taking marijuana edibles. Dr. Benjamin D. Hoffman of the Oregon Health and Sciences University said this fear would be the one thing that will put the kids in danger.

So, if the child needs medical intervention, the parents should do everything to ensure that their kids are okay. Essentially, those who work in poison control are trained for these situations, and they will understand that sometimes, parents can make mistakes, and accidents can happen.

4. Avoid further accidental ingestion.

Even if parents tell their children that what they're taking is medication, marijuana edibles look like candies that will rouse their curiosity, so it would be best not to let them know that you are taking the substance. According to Dr. Brian Schultz of the Children's National Hospital in Maryland, kids have clever ways of finding these toxic candies if it's not kept in children's reach or locked in a drawer or cabinet somewhere.

Since this is a toxic product, it should be kept out of children's reach and in a locked drawer or cabinet somewhere. If it's packed in a container that looks like candy, parents must transfer these in the container with a secure lid so it won't be tempting to open.

Related Article: Study Says Parents Who Smoke Marijuana Make Their Kids Weak Against Respiratory Infections
Minister for Sanitation, has hailed the contribution of the JOSPONG Group of Companies in the waste management sector charging Ghanaians not to hesitate to acknowledge the efforts of the company which birthed giant waste management company, Zoomlion.



Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah implored that in instances where the company faults, their attention should quickly be drawn for the necessary correction and improvement.



We must all congratulate JOSPONG Group of Companies for what they have achieved so far.



We must not hesitate to acknowledge what they are doing right and also draw their attention to what they can do better to improve on what they are doing, he said.



The Minister, who said this at the companys annual thanksgiving service praised highly, the Executive Chairman of JOSPONG Group of Companies Dr Joseph Siaw Agyapong, for his relentless roles in the fight against insanitary conditions across the country.



She said What he is doing is in line with government vision to make Accra clean and to make Ghana a cleaner and healthier for all of us to dwell in.



JOSPONG Group of Companies led by the indefatigable, humble, God-fearing, I dont know the words to use, I believe we couldnt have had a better leader to lead this group.



The Friday, December 10, 2021 event which climaxed a 5-day thanksgiving service, brought together several dignitaries including the clergy, Members of Parliament (MPs), Metropolitan, Municipal, District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), traditional rulers, political heads, was held in Accra.



The Sanitation Minister who has been a regular participant of the annual service commended the company for always seeking the face of God in all its endeavours saying it is an initiative that must be kept and followed by others in the corporate world.



Speaking on behalf of the Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Madam Dapaah, traced the successes chalked by the company since its inception over fifteen years ago, to its sustained efforts to always involve God in all its activities.



They have found the key to Gods heart and the key is praise and worship as they continue to do this every year. I dont know but I suspect that they even add a week of fasting to all this to set the base for what they do to praise the Lord.

So the secret of the success of the JOSPONG Group of companies we all know is what they do. They worship God and that becomes their weapon even as they glorify the Highest God.



It is indeed a great pleasure to join the annual ritual of thanksgiving unto the Lord Jehovah.



Last year, I was here and it coincided with my birthday. I had a beautiful cake to cut and it was quite memorable. Deservedly so, this company knows the basis for this worship and the basis for their strategic success in this country.



They have taken very boldly at times very risky decisions to be where they are, the others should follow suit, she advised.



The Minister added These moves and decisions that they take and are not taking it lightly; it takes a bold and confident person and leadership to be able to do this and the management has had to seek the face of God with prayer and simplification to be successful in all that they do.



They have continued to seek wisdom from the Lord because this work, you cannot do it with your naked eyes, you need the support and I can see and say on authority that, the leadership is always surrounded by the clergy.

There is even a chaplain who officially works with the JOSPONG Group of companies and that is a mark of someone who always wants to have the presence of God around him the annual thanksgiving is of great importance because like I said I feel it as a spiritual renewal of the group.



They want to continue their success by always dwelling in the presence of God almighty, it is always the day their greatest thanksgiving is offered openly, not in hiding but openly to the world for the world to know that indeed they indeed appreciate where God has brought them from and where he is taking them to.



She assured the government will continue to support and great the enabling environment for all while encouraging other private individuals to take the giant step into the sanitation space by adding value.



What he is doing is in line with government vision to make Accra clean and to make Ghana a cleaner and healthier for all of us to dwell in.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/ghana









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

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TrueCare Ghana, a non-governmental organization has embarked on another benevolence exercise by feeding over 300 residents at Frafraha in Adenta Municipality.



The initiative which forms part of the NGOs flagship project aims at reaching out to the less privileged at Madina and nearby communities during this festive season to help put a smile on their faces.



Also, a massive clean-up exercise was organized alongside the feeding Project to help improve the sanitation situation in the area.



The clean-up exercise saw the de-silting of choked gutters, sweeping of major streets, and evacuation of hundreds of tonnes of waste from various parts of the town.



Speaking at the ceremony, TrueCare Ghanas Executive Director, Saint Ofosu Koranteng, explained that the Foundation has been running the feeding Project as one of its flagship projects in partnership with local authorities and traditional leaders in respective areas for many years.



This he said, TrueCare Ghana has been running this project to help complement the governments effort to help address the plight of the vulnerable in the country.



Stressing that, TrueCareGhana is currently focused on addressing issues related to health, community development, and disaster relief.



Saint Ofosu Koranteng, commenting on the disaster relief project, said over the years the NGO has engaged in benevolence exercises by supporting flood-affected relief items.



Touching on health, he noted that NGO has taken a keen interest in facilitating funds to support patients who cannot afford their surgical bills.



We have taken a closer look at the National Insurance Policies and as much as we appreciate and applaud these policies; there are a lot of restrictions and limitations to the beneficiaries.



Citing the absence of certain medications on these policies especially when it comes to surgeries.



It is in this regard that, TrueCareGhana has taken a giant step by putting a mechanism in place to facilitate funds to assist victims who are not financially sound to cater for these bills, he explained.



To that effect, he revealed that currently, TrueCare Ghana is running a campaign dubbed: Make A Needy Familys Xmas Memorable.



Our next event will take place at Abokobi where we shall be feeding 400 individuals and also donating food items, cash, and clothes to 50 needy families during this Xmas.



We are also reaching out to needy families in the Ayi Mensa, Aburi, Kitase, Abokobi, and Danfa neighborhoods as part of this project, adding that as an NGO, we are also committed to helping communities in urgent need of social services.



The Executive Director seized the opportunity to appeal to faith-based organizations, philanthropists not to stay aloof but rather support the initiative to help improve the socio-economic status of the vulnerable in society. To support this cause, kindly click on this link https://marketplace. usebillbox.com/194.



On her part, the Assemblywoman for the Gbentaana Electoral Area, Hon Ella Esinam Nongo who graced the occasion applauded TrueCare Ghana for embarking on such a giant step to help improve the sanitary condition in the area.



Stressing that, her outfit will continue to work closely with TrueCare Ghana to initiate a number of sensitization activities, including regular clean-up exercises to create enough public awareness about the need to keep the environment clean at all times.



Im also grateful to TrueCare Ghana for extending the feeding programme to my electoral area.



This indeed has placed a smile on the faces of my electorate, she stated.



For him, the Chief of Fafraha, Nii Akporcommey I, also praised the foundation for coming to the aid of people to feast with them and also to help clean up their environment.



However, he pledged to partner with TrueCare Ghana to help address the challenges confronting the community. The residents in elation commended TrueCare Ghana for showing love to them.







Some of the beneficiaries shared the challenges they are facing and urged TrueCare Ghana and other corporate bodies to intervene.



Currently we are in need of toilet facilities to help discourage open defecation in the area. We are also in dire need of street lighting, Library, and prosper waste disposable site, they appealed.



In response to this appeal, TrueCare Ghana promised to take swift action to ensure the street lights are installed as soon as possible.



In addition, the foundation stated that it will deliberate with the Board Board of Directors on how to address other pressing needs they have requested for.











Source: peacefmonline.com









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

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The Member of Parliament for Nhyiaeso constituency, Dr. Stephen Amoah has turned himself in according to information from the Ghana Police Service.



According to a statement put on Facebook, the MP who was involved in a V8 Road Traffic Indiscipline reported to the police on Thursday morning.



Update on V8 Road Traffic Indiscipline



The Police this morning, Thursday, December 9, 2021, put before the La Magistrate Court, Hon. Dr. Stephen Amoah when he presented himself to the Police after failing to appear in court yesterday, Wednesday, December 8, 2021, in which a warrant was issued for his arrest.



Hon. Dr. Stephen Amoah, was on Tuesday, December 7, 2021, arrested together with six others for violating road traffic regulations around the Airport By-pass.



Details regarding his appearance in court will be provided by the Accra Regional Police Command in due course.





Source: Peacefmonline.com









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

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Former Head of Monitoring Unit of the Forestry Commission, Charles Owusu, has raised concerns about the office of the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, in his fight against corruption.



He noted on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'' Friday morning that the Special Prosecutor's office hasn't been fully equipped with the necessary resources to enable him work dutifully to serve the nation.



Alluding to similar concerns shared by the former Special Prosecutor (SP) Martin Amidu who complained about the government not helping him to execute his mandate, Charles Owusu wondered why the office remains under-resourced till now.



He called on the government to do the needful or else will fail to clamp down on corruption.



"If indeed we want to eradicate corruption, then we should resource his office for him to execute his duties effectively because we support him . . . The government must listen attentively to Kissi Agyebeng and the resources he needs to work should be given him," he said.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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

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Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Senior Presidential Advisor, has called for inter-state collaboration among African countries to promote peace and security in the wake of a resurgence in coup detats in the West Africa Sub-region.



He said undemocratic changes of governments in the sub-region had dire consequences on security and economies, stressing "instability in one state will affect other states."



Mr Osafo-Maafo made the call at the closing of the Kofi Annan Peace and Security Forum (KAPS Forum), on Wednesday.



It was organised by the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in collaboration with the Kofi Annan Foundation from Geneva.



The two-day Forum assembled political leaders, diplomats and experts for policy dialogue on evolving trends in peace and security on the continent.



Mr Osafo-Maafo said democracy in many African countries had not proceeded to the expected phase of consolidation due to cross-border instability concerns, economic challenges, bad governance, and the difficulties in embracing power alternations.



Elections as part of our democratic consolidation have become trying times for African countries.



...the world is used to seeing violent protests and disputes as synonyms for elections in Africa. I think the time has come for that image to be changed, he said.



Mr Osafo-Maafo, therefore, urged African countries to embrace technology and digitization to promote transparency and accountability in the continents political and social structures.



He also urged African countries to prioritise the participation of the youth in the governance process to ensure their needs were included in the political agenda.



It is important to note that their exclusion from the political process, and unresolved grievances make them vulnerable to be radicalised by terrorist or violent extremist groups, Mr Osafo-Maafo said.



The KAPS Forum was instituted in 2019 to provide an international platform that facilitates critical discussions and knowledge sharing on topical issues around African peace and security in a manner that informs policy.



The Forum is held annually in honour of the late Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, who strongly advocated for human rights, peace and security in the world.



Addressing the opening of the Forum on Wednesday, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo pledged that he would peacefully hand over power at the end of his tenure in 2025 and rallied other ECOWAS leaders to pledge same in furtherance of democracy in the region.



I will respect the two-term limit for the exercise of presidential authority as stipulated in the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana.



"I will not be an impediment to the conduct of free and fair transparent elections. I'll hand over power to the next elected President on 7th January 2025," he said.

Source: GNA









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

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Daycare workers demonstrate to push lagging contract talks Tuesday, November 23, 2021 in Montreal. Thousands of public daycare workers in Quebec have adopted an agreement over pay increases, ending the two-weeks strike which closed 400 government-subsidized centres across the province. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
Comedian Michael Ian Black Talks Poker and if "The State" Will Ever Return

December 12, 2021 Jon Sofen

Michael Ian Black, one of the funniest humans alive, was in Las Vegas Saturday competing in the RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) All-Stars ProAM at the PokerGO Studio. PokerNews caught up with the comedian during a break to talk a little poker, a game he enjoys, and a possible reunion of "The State," the show that made him famous.

The RGPS 64-player invite-only tournament brought in some non-poker celebs such as Boston Rob Mariano, Beth Hall, and Black, along with many talented poker pros like Brad Owen, Mike Matusow, and reigning world champion Koray Aldemir.

"Joe Stapleton said, 'Hey, do you want to come out here and do this thing?' Black said of how he ended up in the RGPS event. "I was like, 'I haven't been to Vegas since pre-COVID, I just moved to a new city, and I'm going a little stir crazy."

The 50-year-old comedian recently moved to Savannah, Georgia where he's unable to play poker, he said. There aren't any card rooms nearby, but the oceanside scenery is magnificent.

An Original Comedian

Black got his big break in television in 1993 when MTV launched one of its first sketch comedy shows called The State. Many great comedians such as Black and former "Reno 911" goofball Thomas Lennon parlayed their performances on that legendary show into lengthy careers in comedy.

In the 1990s, MTV was as cool as the other side of the pillow to the younger generation. The State, which had a cult-like following at the time, was one of the memorable shows back when MTV was still popular. For those still holding out hope of a reunion or reboot show, don't hold your breath.

"Probably not," Black said when asked if he could envision a show reunion. "Probably because there's just so many of us (in the cast), and it's very hard to coordinate schedules, and also nobody has shown any interest."

Black still keeps in touch with many of the cast members, including Lennon, but the logistics of bringing back The State, which went off the air in 1995, don't seem probable. But you'll always have the internet to remind you how Black and Lennon once sexualized pudding.

Is Michael Ian Black Good at Poker?

Black was in Las Vegas for the RGPS event but didn't have much luck. He was eliminated prior to the dinner break and wasn't among one of the 11 players who cashed. But this wasn't his first rodeo on the felt.

During the early parts of the poker boom era, he appeared multiple times on Bravo's hit poker show, Celebrity Poker Showdown, which was hosted by poker pro Phil Gordon and actor/comedian Dave Foley.

The celebs on Celebrity Poker Showdown were mostly inept at poker but highly entertaining, much of why the show was so successful. Black, however, along with Jennifer Tilly and a few others, was actually a competent player. Most others, he admits, were "terrible." How has his poker game evolved since that era?

"I'd like to think I've gotten better, but that was 15 years ago," the comedian said. "So, I mean, I'd like to believe I'm a better player. But even back then I was a better player than most on the show."

Black doesn't compete in the high-stakes Hollywood home games. He says they're way out of his price range.

"I can't even afford to play in this," he joked. "Maybe if they'd play some $0.25/$0.50 games I'd play with them."

That said, the stand-up comic headed next door to the Aria poker room to play a $2/$5 no-limit hold'em cash game.

As for his career, the long-time comedian recently wrapped up a stand-up comedy tour that included stops in Boston, Massachusetts, and Wilmington, North Carolina.

*Lead photo from Facebook.
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It's safe to say Charleston tourism made a comeback this year.

Hotel occupancy steadily improved as the summer approached, until lodgings met and even exceeded pre-pandemic figures.

The year was also a comeback for hotel openings.

In March, the Isle of Palms resort Wild Dunes opened its Sweetgrass Inn, a new 153-key hotel with 30,000 square feet of meeting space. Later in the spring, The Ryder opened in the former King Charles Inn on Meeting Street. The new concept includes a restaurant and poolside bar, Little Palm.

And, in November, two anticipated openings happened in a three-week span. Both newly-built hotels, The Loutrel opened on State Street on Nov. 1 and The Saint Hotel on East Bay opened on Nov. 19.

The downtown boutique hotel Zero George also launched a new offering this year, called The Residences, for extended-stay guests, and Liberty Place Charleston, a new 100-unit timeshare from Hilton Grand Vacations, made its debut in June.

The new year is shaping up to be another active one for hotel development in the Holy City.

In January, things will kick off with a major groundbreaking at the Kiawah River master-planned community on Johns Island. The luxury hospitality group Auberge Hotels and Resorts just announced plans for The Dunlin, a new waterfront resort with a projected 2024 opening.

The hotel will include 72 "cottage-style" rooms, 19 villas and a restaurant on the river. Craig Reid, CEO at Auberge Resorts, told The Post and Courier the property should compete on the "national level."

Downtown, work is underway on another high-profile project, The Cooper, a new hotel rising next to Waterfront Park.

The developer, Lowe, which also owns Wild Dunes, originally cited a 2022 opening date when it broke ground. A projected opening for the 225-room property is now slated for 2024. Enhancements to the exterior design were recently OK'd by a city board.

Beemok Hospitality, the firm that acquired Charleston Place this year, became a partner on The Cooper project in the fall.

In a statement, Beemok said The Cooper will be a complementary "coastal sister property" to its flagship asset.

Work could get underway in 2022 at Charleston Place, where the new owners have extensive renovations planned.

Ben Navarro, the local businessman and philanthropist who, via Beemok, acquired the hotel for $350 million this fall, said he planned to "deploy significant investments" at the hotel. When the sale was made official in October, Beemok said renovations would start within the next 18 months.

Improvements are planned for another longstanding downtown hotel, too. Charleston's Mills House Hotel, or the "Big Pink Hotel," will undergo a "significant transformation and elevated repositioning," according to Davidson Hospitality Group, which recently took over its management.

Farther up the peninsula, one local firm is planning both an opening and a groundbreaking for 2022.

The Montford Group started construction on a Marriott-flagged Moxy hotel this past spring. The 131-room Meeting Street hotel will be the first South Carolina location for the Moxy flag. Montford is eyeing a December opening for that hotel, said Montford founder Sunju Patel.

A little farther up Meeting, Montford is planning another new lodging, the Thompson Hotel. Patel wants that eight-story property to be a new architectural landmark for the city. The flatiron-shaped building needs one more approval from the city's architecture board.

If that and other approvals are secured on time, Patel said Montford should break ground on that hotel by the third quarter of 2022.

New hotel activity is also expected in other parts of the tri-county.

In North Charleston, for example, North Carolina-based stayAPT Suites plans to open an extended-stay hotel in the spring. It will be the brand's first location in the Charleston region but one of several new stayAPT properties in the state.
COLUMBIA  While a proposed strip club in a busy commercial area of Lexington County is still fighting state regulators for a liquor license, the property's owners are making plans to sell the land for what could be something other than a sexually oriented business.

The process has raised questions about who controls the currently vacant land, with a representative of the property owners saying a sexually oriented business would violate local zoning rules and the strip club pushing forward for the approvals necessary to open.

Savannah Gentlemen's Club and Steakhouse applied for an alcohol license more than three years ago for a business planned at 4029 Fernandina Road off of Piney Grove Road near Costco. State revenue officials denied the application after more than 200 people objected, triggering a required hearing in a state court that settles disputes over liquor licenses.

Among those who filed a protest to the Savannah Gentlemen's Club license were Lexington County Sheriff Bryan Koon, Richland County Sheriff's Capt. Joseph Odom, former Richland County Councilwoman Joyce Dickerson and numerous churches and faith groups. Opponents complained in public hearings that a strip club would attract crime and be detrimental to neighboring communities.

Recently, two elected officials in Lexington County have since joined the case in opposing the license, pushing back a decision yet again.

A hearing in the state Administrative Law Court on Dec. 2 was postponed after Lexington County Council member Beth Carrigg and state Rep. Chip Huggins, R-Lexington, filed documents to join the case in November, only days before the hearing. A judge rescheduled the hearing for Feb. 24 to allow Carrigg and Huggins more time to prepare.

Carrigg and Huggins said the proposed business violates Lexington County zoning rules and that "newly discovered evidence" shows the applicant doesn't meet qualifications for controlling the property in order to obtain a liquor license, according to court filings by their attorney Drew Richardson.

Richardson declined to offer detail on the new evidence, saying it was information he needed to gather before the hearing in February.

Jimmie Ellis, a North Carolina resident who applied for the liquor license, told The Post and Courier on Dec. 9 he still plans to operate Savannah Gentlemen's Club at the property and is awaiting the alcohol license hearing.

"I have done everything that I have as diligently as I can and waiting on the building to be put up," Ellis said. "So nothing that's happened has affected my intention, motivation, enthusiasm  nothing has tempered anything that I have to do with anything about the address."

Ellis signed a six-year lease in 2018 with the property owners, Quantum Business Group, through 2024. But the lease is contingent on the business following local zoning rules, which changed when Lexington County amended its rules for sexually oriented businesses in 2019 so that a 1,000-foot buffer for churches applied regardless of county.

The Fernandina Road property is only feet from the Richland County line and a church in that county sits within the 1,000-foot buffer.

Ellis said at a hearing on the ordinance change in 2019 that the zoning rule unfairly targeted his business, according to news reports.

An attorney representing the property owners, Stanley Myers, said the nature of the lease has changed with the new county ordinance and any business planned on the site would have to meet local legal requirements.

Myers told a Lexington County planning official in an email Nov. 5 that a contractor had submitted plans for a new building permit for a 6,000 square-foot commercial building that would be split into four, 1,500-square foot spaces.

"There is no intent to make it an SOB (sexually oriented business) location," Myers said in the email to Walt McPherson, Lexington County's zoning administrator.

"So if someone wants to buy it, be it Krispy Kreme, be it Kmart or Walmart or whoever, the property will be for sale," Myers told The Post and Courier. "But you know, right now the permit that has been issued is not associated with a sexually oriented business."

A county spokeswoman confirmed a zoning permit had been issued for a speculative shopping center and not a sexually oriented business. Myers told the county that the contractor, S2 Engineering, had hoped to have already begun construction, but that the COVID-19 pandemic affected the steel supply.

The new plans confused state regulators with the S.C. Department of Revenue.

An attorney for the agency expressed concern in November about who controls the property in an email to the Administrative Law Court.

The revenue department asked for a meeting with the strip club's attorney, saying the new building plans and Myers' assurance the property wouldn't be a sexually oriented business differed from the strip club's liquor application.

Ken Allen, an attorney for Ellis in the liquor license dispute, told The Post and Courier he's proceeding under the belief the lease is still valid and will continue seeking the liquor license for Savannah Gentlemen's Club. He gave the same answer to state regulators.

Asked if Ellis still has a valid lease on the property, Myers said the agreement allows Ellis the first right to buy the property. That option still remains available, Myers said.
COLUMBIA  A series of actions by South Carolina lawmakers and now recently filed legislation has University of South Carolina professors worried they could be politically targeted or lose their jobs for teaching critical race theory.

Bills circulating in South Carolina's Statehouse, as well as others around the country, seek to put limits on what state college instructors are able to teach, invading the academic liberty that has long been one of the tenets of institutions of higher learning, professors say.

In June, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, a Republican who serves the fast-growing area of Rock Hill, penned a letter to the presidents of USC and Clemson University, which also was signed by other Republican members of the congressional delegation.

The letter called on the university heads to "eradicate" any classes related to critical race theory, which Norman referred to as neo-racist, Marxist and antithetical to American principles.

In the letter, a USC professor was singled out by name for classes she teaches on the theory, sending a wave of concern through the university faculty.

Critical race theory, which has been around for more than 40 years, is the academic concept that race is a social construct rather than solely the product of individual bias or prejudice. It states, for this reason, that our government systems are inherently uneven for minority populations.

Those who teach and do research surrounding the theory at the university level say they believe it's worthwhile to expose students to different ways of thinking.

"What people choose to do with it is absolutely up to them," said USC business school professor Chris Yenkey.

But Norman and others believe the theory to be "a bigoted, dangerous philosophy that seeks to assign both an identity and blame to someone based not on their beliefs or actions, but instead on the color of their skin."

"This misguided philosophy pushes flawed, counterproductive concepts that encourage treating people differently according to how they look. It has no place in American society, let alone our classrooms," the congressman said in a statement.

It's a debate playing out on a national scale, with at least 27 states taking steps to keep discussions surrounding racism and sexism out of the classroom, and at least a dozen states enacting bans.

That includes a one-year South Carolina budget rule that took effect July 1 barring teaching at the K-12 level that one race or gender is inherently superior to another; that people are inherently racist or sexist because of their race; and that traits, such as a hard work ethic were created as tools of oppression.

Most recently, state Rep. Lin Bennett, a Charleston Republican, went further, filing a bill that prevents any state-funded entity from teaching or encouraging the idea that a person or group is "inherently racist, sexist, bigoted, ignorant, biased, fragile, oppressive, or contributive to any oppression."

The proposal also calls for setting up a public hotline for people to call in violations and the entity could lose all of its state funding. It also requires state-funded schools to provide a list of classes, books, resources, and materials used for instruction.

"This is part of a national movement," USC interim President Harris Pastides told faculty leaders. "There is a robust group of people; they will not let this go."

"As stirred up as we might be, there will be a stirring up of opposing forces," he added.

Pastides went on to say that while there will likely be debate on the legislation in the coming session that starts in January, he did not believe it would pass through the Statehouse in the course of one session alone.

Clemson leaders did not respond to requests for comment.

Bennett filed a similar bill on the last day of the previous legislative session, which has not progressed in the lawmaking process.

USC faculty were at first concerned when school leaders did not immediately react to the letter from the congressional delegation naming education professor Allison Anders, who is on a research sabbatical and could not be reached by The Post and Courier for comment, and called for a statement from the administration in support of academic freedom.

"In the current climate, that could be dangerous," said Carol Harrison, a USC history professor. "She didn't deserve that."

Following remarks from Pastides, the instructors have since grown in confidence of leadership's backing.

Harrison went on to say the recent legislation "sells students short" and dictates what they can and cannot learn.

"I think we need to be clear about what is essentially an educational gag order," she said.

Harrison worries a ban on critical race theory could lead to prohibition of other politically charged studies, like climate change and stem cell research.

"It's hard to draw lines," she said.

Together with another piece of legislation recently introduced by state Rep. Bill Taylor, R-Aiken, which eliminates tenure for any newly hired professors and replaces it with five-year contracts, the critical race theory bill "creates a faculty always concerned they'll be fired without cause for what they say," Harrison said.

USC business school professor Chris Yenkey also frets the tenure bill will scare away potential new hires and diminish the body of research that goes on at the state largest university.

"It feels like whack-a-mole is what it feels like," he said of the barrage of legislation.

And he's advocating for faculty to take a more proactive role in response, hoping to promote the research and educational value USC brings to Columbia and the state as a whole.
Hundreds of new affordable housing units on the Charleston peninsula soon will be occupied, and dozens more are being prepared elsewhere in the city.

But its not enough. Not even close.

More than 38,000 units are needed by 2030 to meet growing demand, or 4,750 a year for the next eight years, according to a city report issued in March.

Thats why the term crisis has gained currency among city officials, housing advocates and residents. And thats why the Charleston Area Justice Ministry is pushing Charleston County Council to use $20 million of its $80 million American Rescue Plan Act money to set up an affordable housing trust fund.

County Council already has allocated half of the ARPA funding and has $40 million yet to spend. Council is divided on the trust fund issue, though it appears a majority of members, all five Democrats, are in favor of taking bold action of some kind.

Kylon Middleton has been pushing to create an affordable housing trust fund since February  well before the county knew about $80 million in federal relief money coming its way. For him, and a few others on council, affordable housing is a stated priority.

In the past, he said, we dream about what we can do if we have the money. Now, we have the money.

The ARPA funds gave the county a historical opportunity to make a large impact, and relieving the housing crunch should be high on the to-do list, he said.

We have to do something, Middleton said. People who work here have to be able to afford to live here.

The idea is neither new nor far-fetched.

City officials in Louisville, Ky., plan to direct $40 million in ARPA money to the Louisville Affordable Housing Trust Fund  and thats on top of a regular allocation of $10 million for the 2022 fiscal year.

The nonprofit Greenville Housing Fund was established in 2018 to forge public-private partnerships in an effort to address severe housing shortages. It receives support from the city, including a recent land donation valued at $8 million.

Charlotte needs 32,000 new units of affordable housing to meet current need, the city reported. The dearth of affordable housing prompted City Council in April to assign nearly $26 million to the citys Housing Trust Fund, which receives money that results from the sale of voter-approved housing bonds. Since the programs founding in 2001, the city has allocated $210 million in bond revenue to the trust fund.

All in all, 118 housing trust funds have been established in cities across the nation, 40 of them since 2010, according to the Washington-based nonprofit Community Change. The earliest housing trust fund was founded in Palo Alto, Calif., in 1974.

Other city and state leaders  in Iowa, Idaho, Cincinnati, Washington  are considering the use of ARPA funds to bolster housing programs and trusts.

Claire Curtis, co-chair of CAJMs housing committee, said dedicated funding, and a lot of it, is the only way to address the housing crisis effectively. An incremental approach wont work because demand far outpaces supply.

The money in a trust, she said, can be leveraged to raise additional funds, as much as eight times the base amount according to data cited by Community Change.

At a small rally before county offices on Dec. 7 in North Charleston, the Rev. Charles Heyward of CAJM said more than 200,000 families in the area spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing, and that evictions, indebtedness and other financial problems have only worsened for many during the COVID pandemic.

Hourly workers forced to live farther and farther away from their place of employment add traffic to the streets and must endure a diminishing quality of life, he said. Seniors on fixed incomes cant keep up with rising housing costs, and young people are forced to live with several roommates if they hope to be near their schools or jobs.

County Councilman Brantley Moody, who represents parts of West Ashley, said he strongly opposed the proposal to establish a housing trust fund, preferring incentivized market solutions.

Its simply a matter of inventory, he said. When inventory is low, prices are high.

Council has engaged a consultant and sought input from housing experts who are likely to describe options other than assigning large amounts of public dollars or federal aid to a housing trust fund, he said.

There are all kinds of ways to skin the cat, Moody said, adding that its essential for local residents to have a say in how and where affordable housing is built.

Councilman Chairman Teddie Pryor said he likes the idea of starting a housing trust fund, though hes not sure it would be funded with $20 million, and he wants to be certain its legal and appropriate to use ARPA money.

What is 'affordable housing'? "Affordable housing" is accessible to households making 0-120 percent of the area median income ($81,000 for a family of four). The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development considers housing affordable if a household spends no more than 30 percent of annual income on housing costs. Affordable housing generally is subsidized by federal, state or local funding sources  public, private or both  and residents must show eligibility. For a homeowner, household total income can be no more than 120 percent of area median income, and the unit is subject to resale restrictions for at least 90 years from date of purchase. For a renter, household total income can be no more than 80 percent of area median income, and rents must be no more than 30 percent of household annual income.

He said it might make sense to put a new referendum on the ballot for a modest tax increase to raise money that can be added to the fund. A referendum on affordable housing failed narrowly in November 2020. That proposal would have cost the owner of a $300,000 home about $25 a year. Some voters rejected the idea of a tax increase outright; others felt it was putting the cart before the horse, asking taxpayers to solve a problem that government has not yet sufficiently tried to address.

Pryor said a new referendum might have a better chance of passing once county government already has established a trust fund.

The proposal to create one has been rejected by councils fiscal conservatives, Moody, Herb Sass and Dickie Schweers. Those who view the idea favorably are Middleton, Pryor, Rob Wehrman, Henry Darby and Anna Johnson.

Jenny Costa Honeycutt has voiced tentative support, but whether she would vote for it remains unclear. Messages left for her went unanswered.

The issue could be on the meeting agenda soon, Middleton said.
A Charleston County sheriff's deputy was recently allowed to resign his position rather than face termination after an internal investigation found he had sexually harassed six women at an out-of-state K9 training center.

Charleston Sheriff Kristin Graziano accepted master deputy Ryan Miller's resignation Nov. 18 after allegations surfaced he sexually harassed the women while attending training in September at Tarheel Canine in North Carolina.

Miller, who is married, was accused of propositioning several attendees and making sexually inappropriate remarks, according to records obtained from the sheriff's office through the S.C. Freedom of Information Act.

One woman said Miller sent her an unsolicited photo of his genitals through Snapchat, a social media platform. The woman told an instructor at the canine training center about the photo, records state. The trainer told sheriff's office investigators the woman appeared "disturbed and disgusted."

Another woman said Miller asked her what she "liked to do in bed," and asked if she would wear knee-high socks for him. The woman said she rejected his advances, but later in training he followed her to her car and repeatedly asked if she would "make out" with him, the report states. A second woman also said Miller asked her to make out with him, and later invited her to a strip club.

One woman said Miller reached around her waist to unclasp a fanny pack, which made her uncomfortable. He later stood close behind her while she was putting away a dog crate, almost causing her bump into him when she stood up, the report states.

Miller claimed in an interview with internal affairs investigators his interactions with the women were "well received and reciprocated," records state.

But one woman went so far as to call Lowcountry Crime Stoppers to report Miller's behavior, which first brought the allegations to the attention of the sheriff's office on Sept. 24.

"This is how he is representing your department while in North Carolina, which is something I'm sure the department is paying for," the woman said. "Every new girl that steps foot on Tarheel property is told to stay far away from him."

An internal investigation by the department's Office of Professional Standards determined Miller's behavior violated the department's officer conduct policy and recommended his termination. Altogether, sheriff's office investigators spoke with six women who reported inappropriate behavior by Miller.

In a Nov. 17 memo, Miller asked that he instead be allowed to resign his position, which would allow him to avoid a black mark on his state law enforcement record.

Since the first time I was made aware of the complaint, I have had a tremendous amount of time for reflection, Miller wrote. I had to search deep to figure out how I got to this point in my life. I quickly realized that I needed to address some issues with my faith and my mental health, not just for my career, but more importantly my family.

Sheriff Kristin Graziano granted the request the following day.

"I wish you and your family the best of luck with your new start," she wrote in a memo.

Andrew Knapp, spokesman for the sheriff's office, said Graziano would not answer questions about Miller's resignation, citing it as a "personnel matter."

Miller, through a friend who contacted The Post and Courier, also did not respond to a request for comment.

Miller began his law enforcement career in 2012 with the Charleston Police Department, according to state training records. He joined the sheriff's office in 2015 after resigning from Charleston police.

Jocelyn Grzeszczak contributed to this story from Charleston.
MORE SIGNS OF TENSION: The flags of the United States and China fly from a lamppost in the Chinatown neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, Nov. 1. Brian Snyder/Reuters
Writings on the Wall

Unsatisfied with the Articles of Confederation, James Madison pushed for a constitutional convention. He wrote most of the constitution but so Read more
Yesterday Bob Doles funeral was held at the National Cathedral in Washington. His daughter Robin delivered a eulogy in which she read Doles farewell letter to the American people:

Daughter Robin Dole read a quip from her fathers farewell letter to America about vote integrity. As I make the final walk on my lifes journey, I do so without fear. Because I know that I will, again, not be walking alone. I know that God will be walking with me, wrote the 1996 Republican presidential nominee, who died Sunday at age 98. I also confess that Im a bit curious to learn if I am correct in thinking that heaven will look a lot like Kansas and to see, like others who have gone before me, if I will still be able to vote in Chicago.

Here it is:

Bob Doles Farewell Letter is absolutely SAVAGE: I'm a bit curiousto see, like others who have gone before me, if I will still be able to vote in Chicago.pic.twitter.com/ZQGRGztARG  Benny (@bennyjohnson) December 10, 2021



Dole was a funny guy, and he had guts, too. In todays climate of repression it takes courage to joke about voter fraudor it would, anyway, if Dole were not beyond any sort of retribution by Woke totalitarians. RIP.
A good friend and frequent email correspondent has been saying for years that we need to send all the illegal immigrants to places where there is plenty of room for them: thinly populated areas like Marin County, the Hamptons, Marthas Vineyard, Nancy Pelosis mansion. That would get the wall built even faster than Hispanics voting Republican.

It seems that my friend may have been emailing Ron DeSantis: DeSantis Proposes $8 Million in Budget to Relocate Illegal Immigrants to Delaware, Marthas Vineyard.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis set $8 million in his 202223 budget to transport illegal immigrants out of The Sunshine State. He proposed the spending in the Freedom First Budget to protect against harms resulting from illegal immigration. The spending may include the transportation of unauthorized aliens located within Florida to other states or the District of Columbia. In yesterdays budget, I put in $8 million for us to be able to transport people illegally [in the United States] out of the state of Florida, he said during a press conference on Friday. The Republican governor listed Delaware, President Joe Bidens home state, and Marthas Vineyard, where former President Barack Obama owns a mansion, as potential destinations to relocate the illegal immigrants. If you sent [illegal immigrants] to Delaware or Marthas Vineyard or some of these places, that border would be secure the next day, he said. The White House and The Obama Foundation didnt respond immediately to requests for comments from The Epoch Times.

Ill bet they didnt! After all, what can they say? Having sent illegals to Florida in the first place, how can they object to their being redirected to their own locales? And after all, whats the problem? These folks are all just undocumented, right? So why wouldnt you want thousands of them on Marthas Vineyard?

I hope DeSantis follows through. It would be entertaining to see Delaware and Massachusetts authorities trying to stop busloads of illegals whom Obama, Biden et al. have deliberately let into the country in hopes of furthering the Democratic Partys interests. They just didnt intend for the illegals to wind up anywhere near them.
I think we can now confidently declare that Yale is the most disgraceful major university in America. On top of the shameful behavior of Yale Laws Stasi-like diversicrats in the now famous Trap House student email, we have recently learned of the fuss about a lecture from Dr. Sally Satel to Yales School of Medicine several months ago, based on her extended time living in Ohio and studying the opioid crisis up close. (Sally was a guest on our podcast two years ago discussing her upcoming project. It should be noted that shes been a long-time lecturer at the Yale Psychiatry department, and has also worked extensively at drug treatment clinics.)

Sally has long been a critic of how political correctness has been corrupting medicine, such as in her book PC MD. Shes also disputed the ubiquitous claims that disparate health outcomes among the races are the result of racism, in The Health Disparities Myth (co-authored with Jonathan Klick).

To paraphrase the old internet clickbait cliche, youll totally believe what happened next (because it is so predictable): A concerned group of Yale Psychiatry residents issued a letter of complaint. It uses the usual template of the Wokerati:

The language Dr. Satel used in her presentation was dehumanizing, demeaning, and classist toward individuals living in rural Ohio and for rural populations in general. Dr. Satel is known for her highly problematic and racist canon that explicitly blames individuals facing structural inequities for their own health outcomes. . . We find her canon to be beyond a difference of opinion worth debate. Her racist and classist beliefs are particularly harmful to our psychiatric patients, who do indeed suffer from structural inequities, as well as our Black colleagues who also suffer from racism and have had family members die in the medical system because of inequitable treatment by providers. Many residents who have roots in rural America also expressed hurt by her elitist portrayal of Ohio as both foreign and lesser. For example, at one point in her speech, she describes an artisanal coffee shop, one I would not expect to find here. The very title of her piece likens rural Ohio to traveling abroad, another theme we found offensive. While we do promote holding space for diverse opinions, dehumanization should never be given a platform in Yale Department of Psychiatry.

But the worst sin: Satel criticized Al Sharpton!

In another work titled PC, M.D. Dr. Satel even has the audacity to challenge Reverend Al Sharpton, an exemplary individual and activist. (Emphasis added.)

An exemplary individual and activist??? Ill just put this out here: anyone who seeks out psychiatric help from any Yale graduate who signed this letter ought to have their head examined.

Satel reflected on the whole scene in a recent piece at Quillette. Excerpt:

In important ways, I hardly recognize my profession. Last year, the Association of American Medical Colleges, a major accrediting body, informed medical schools that they must employ anti-racist and unconscious bias training and engage in interracial dialogues. One of my colleagues told me that her school jettisoned lectures in bioethics to make room for the anti-racist curriculum. Which is ironic, she said, because that was where students were taught about subjects like the Tuskegee syphilis experiment. What other essential subjects will anti-racism training displace? The implementation of the social justice agenda has constrained collegial discourse, challenged the maintenance of standards, and suppressed honest analysis of certain problems. In her article called What Happens When Doctors Cant Tell the Truth?, Katie Herzog wrote of doctors whove been reported to their departments for criticizing residents for being late. (It was seen by their trainees as an act of racism)  Ive heard from doctors whove stopped giving trainees honest feedback for fear of retaliation. Ive spoken to those who have seen clinicians and residents refuse to treat patients based on their race or their perceived conservative politics. On January 8th, 2021, I had my own encounter with intolerance in academic medicine. Via Zoom, I gave a Grand Rounds lecture to the Yale Department of Psychiatry, where I had been a resident for four years and an assistant professor for five. I left New Haven in 1993 to pursue a health policy fellowship in Washington, DC and eventually joined a think tank there, but remained a lecturer in the department. My talk was about the year I spent assisting with treatment efforts in Ironton, a small, embattled town in south-eastern Ohio that was reeling from the opioid crisis. I discussed the deaths of despair phenomenon and showed photos of haunted industrial landscapes and the lonely downtown area. I presented national data on the characteristics of individuals who abused prescription pills and on the frequency with which addiction develops. I talked about the culture of prescribing in rural mining towns and the myriad factors that caused the crisis. I closed by highlighting the heroic efforts of Irontonians to boost the economy and the morale of their beloved town. One month later, I received an e-mail from the chairman of the department, a fine man and brilliant researcher whom I have known since we were interns together in the 1980s. He admitted that he had not anticipated the extent of the hurt and offense that folks would take to my presence. He appended an anonymous complaint that he had received from an unspecified number of Concerned Yale Psychiatry Residents. The residents told the chairman that my talk, coming only two days after the January 6th attack on the Capitol, was further traumatizing to us. They wrote that, the language Dr. Satel used in her presentation was dehumanizing, demeaning, and classist toward individuals living in rural Ohio and for rural populations in general  We find her canon to be beyond a difference of opinion worth debate.

It is hard to see how this madness will end when the people tasked with treating madness have gone mad themselves.
When I first starting writing at Power Line and for many years thereafter, the two columnists whose opinions I most wanted to read were Charles Krauthammer and Norman Podhoretz. I was delighted eventually to learn that both were regular readers of Power Line.

Krauthammer is no longer with us, and Norman is 90 years old and not writing regularly, as far as I know. However, he gave Barton Swaim of the Wall Street Journal an interview. Swaims write-up is here.

Norman is still a vigorous defender of America. He believes more than ever that the fundamental divide in American politics, and indeed the clash that amounts to a spiritual war, is between those who believe America is a force for good in the world  he affectionately calls them deplorables  and those who believe America is bad  the intelligentsia.

That, by the way, is the way John Hinderaker and I described the fundamental divide when we discussed American politics on a drive from the Minneapolis airport to his hometown in South Dakota in the Spring of 1969. At that time, we sided with the intelligentsia. Now we side with the deplorables.

I have wondered what Norman thinks of Donald Trump. He told Swaim he started out being anti-anti-Trump, which is what I thought. Now, hes pro-Trump, which doesnt surprise me.

I wonder if Krauthammer would share either stance. Possibly the first, though I doubt it. Almost certainly not the second.

Norman did tell Swaim that maybe Trumps outlived his usefulness, I dont know. I believe Trump has. Its time to thank him for his service and move on to a standard bearer who is less delusional and less vindictive, and who has broader appeal.
Amidst the turbulent year 2021 fraught with alarming cases of insecurity, untold hardship, and Twitter ban, Nigerians still found a way to catch cruise and make themselves happy by inventing slangs that were widely adopted.

A new year, means new slang and in 2021 alone, no fewer than 21 pop culture slangs were born, or rather, created by Nigerian pop stars, celebrities, social media influencers, and comedians. In rare cases, their origin cannot be traced but nonetheless, these viral sayings have come to stay especially since they cut across all ages, social strata, and even religion.

Its time to look back on the popular terms coined in 2021. From Cut soap for me to Werey dey disguise, here PREMIUM TIMES highlights 21 words and phrases that defined Nigerias pop culture dictionary of 2021

Cut Soap For Me

The slang  cut soap for me could mean a lot of things to different kinds of people.It is believed to have originated from internet fraudsters, popularly known as Yahoo Yahoo boys. Infact, legend has it that the saying originated from a Yahoo Yahoo boy who reportedly went mad and walked about the streets screaming Cut Soap For Me.

However, in Nigerian pop culture, it has become an alternative way of asking someone to show you the way.

Cut Soap For Me does not necessarily refer to the DIABOLIC SOAP issued by a native doctor or spiritualist.

It could be sharing of job opportunities, cash flow ideas, and things to invest in and earn good dividends. If you have any soap, try and cut it for your friends.

Also, Nigerian comedians, Cute Abiola, and Tolibian, even released a song titled Cute soap for me.

Usage: Madam J, cut soap for me na this Christmas!

E Choke

E choke is probably the most popular slang on our list. Some social media users use it to express intense shock, surprise or mock their enemies. It was popularised by Davido.

People literally accompany the slang with a choking gesture by holding their hand on their neck.

It is also a hype word that implies showing off your wealth, success, and happiness, often but not necessarily, in the face of enemies who may not be happy at your success or watch your every move, so they just get muffled at it.

Usage: Davido made N200m in 24 hours, Omo e Choke !

Who Dey Breet?

The slang who dey breet? does not have a particular meaning, it has numerous usages and context. First, it is used to accompany a show-off or to humble haters.

It is also used to call attention to a breathtaking moment, by suggesting that everyone should be so awestruck that they are unable to breathe.

Who dey breet is another slang phrase coined by Davido, translated literally, who dey breet means Who is breathing?

Usage: My son cleared his papers, like father like son, who dey breet?

Na.. I Wan Dey Do Now

This slang comes in different variants.

A typical example is, Na food wey I no go fit finish I wan dey chop now, Na wetin wey no be my own I wan dey wear now.

This slang is used as a personal dare where a person dares to do something out of the ordinary and promises to continue in such an act.

It is difficult to trace the origin of this slang that was created overnight.

Usage: Na woman wey big pass me, I wan dey follow now.

Wahala be Like

Wahala be like is one slang that might transcend 2021. It has lasted longer than other slang. Even be calming down, as hot as it was when it trended, fizzled out with time. It later changed to Wahala be like bicycle, Wahala be like Noodles, Wahala be like Desmond Elliot, etc.

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From there, it metamorphosed into Wahala Wear Koi Koi, Wahala tie Gele/wrapper, etc. This slang has refused to die. Even when its appeal appears to be fading, Nigerians will formulate a sweeter version and it begins to trend again.

Wahala for who no get this it was first used as an exaggerator, just to drive a point home. Like when someone shows off a beautiful shape that is achieved through waist trainer, Nigerians will over-exaggerate it and say, Wahala for who no get waist trainer.

Wahala be like is also used to describe the magnanimity of a problem. When someone lands in a big problem with a hard solution, especially the one which could have been avoided, the Wahala be like slang will be employed

It is also used to make jest of an individual. Like when Davido refers to Chioma as Mama Ifeanyi during her birthday, fans reacted. There were so many Wahala be like this or that made under the posts. On a second note, the slang; Wahala be like can be used to quantify or describe an unending problem.

Usage: Wahala be like Okro soup. E no dey draw finish.

You Get it! If You dont Gerrit Forget About It

This is gradually becoming a favourite. It is used to wave off someone who does not understand a conversation.

It originated from a vox pop interview of a random man who was asked the meaning of CV, after giving a sarcastic response, he ended his response in a hilarious manner by saying, You Get it! If You dont Gerrit Forget About It

You get it! if you dont gerrit forget about it, is simple to decipher and is another way of saying if you dont understand, forget about it.

Usage: PREMIUM TIMES is the best Newspaper in Nigeria, You get it? if you dont gerrit forget about it

UAR

UAR became a buzzword in June 2021 when the Nigerian National Assembly reportedly received a proposal to change the countrys name from Nigeria to the United Africans Republic (UAR).

According to The Cable, the proposal was submitted to the committee by Adeleye Jokotoye, a tax consultant in Lagos state.

Mr Adeleyes reason for proposing this change was because the name was not coined by a citizen but given to the country by Flora Shaw, wife of Lord Lugard, a colonialist. He also believes it will promote peace and unity in the country.

Trust Nigerians, the UAR became another trend on social media, as everyone on social media was leaving Nigeria for UAR.

On Twitter, the term UAR is usually accompanied by a popular meme of Nollywood actor, Osita Iheme, carrying a very heavy bag.

Usage: This Nigeria don tire me, I don carry my bag dey go UAR.

Japa

This slang is derived from the Yoruba language. Japa simply means to run swiftly out of a dangerous situation.

To Japa means to abort, run, avoid, terminate, retreat or remove yourself from a situation, if used in a sentence.

More importantly, it means to emigrate. Almost every youth wants to japa from Nigeria.

Usage: Guy, I wan Japa go Canada.

Sapa

Sapa is a term used to describe a state of extreme poverty, especially after extravagant spending.

We can say Sapa is a mild way of saying a person is suffering or lacks money.

Surprisingly, we found its definition in the Urban dictionary: It is a term used in Nigeria Pidgin English to describe a state of being extremely broke or poor, usually after spending extravagantly. Its synonym is called Owu.

Without a doubt, the word SAPA has inspired some Nigerian artistes and has found its way into the lyrics of several pop songs. Think, Sapa anthem.

Usage : Omo sapa dey

Ehhhenna

Ehhhenna is a slang that literally means Yes of course, is not entirely new but somehow found its way into Nigerian pop culture in early 2021. The slang became popular after a young boy had sarcastically answered an interviewer  Ehhennena while chewing groundnut.

The slang is usually accompanied by the little boys meme. Its used to show agreement, concordance and its derived from the Nigerian pidgin language.

Usage: You go attend Wizkid live tomorrow? Ehhhenna !

Beta Rest

Beta Rest is a famous line from Ke Star remix, a hit track by the South African Amapiano virtuoso, Focalistic, featuring Davido.

In local parlance, Beta rest is used to tell a person to calm down or cool your nerves

Its used alongside the phrase  I dey catch cruise forget If you talk you collect.

Usage: Stella dey try outsmart me, make she beta rest.

Shedi Bala Bala

Shedi Bala Bala, was derived from hype man Tobyshangs hit track released in May 2021

The term is used to hail or encourage a good dancer to shake his or her body.

Usage: Shedi Bala Bala Shedi bolo bolo

God When?

This is another trend that Nigerians are loving.

For some, its a prayer, especially used when you desire and admire something youve seen, but it is commonly used to refer to a dream relationship.

God when? Is usually accompanied by admiration for something. It basically questions God on when he will do for you what he has done for others.

Usage: See love oo. God when?

Where Una Dey See This Money?

This line is often used anytime an individual flaunts his or her wealth when others are wallowing in poverty.

Where una dey see this money? when loosly translated means, Where did you find this money you are lavishing?

It is usually accompanied with cut soap for me.

For instance, Where una dey see this money? My sister abeg cut soap for me.

Any Money Wey Come My Hand, Na For Enjoyment

This is another phrase used by most young Nigerians to show that despite the rising cost of living, they are committed to having a good time.

For some, this slang encourages extravagant spending, however, for many others, the slang emphasises the benefits of having a good life.

Usage: Any small money wey dey my hand na for enjoyment, I go reason my future next year, my future no dey run.

Lori Iro

A 72-year-old and social media sensation, Evangelist Ismail Badmus, inspired the Lori Iro fame slang that gained a hashtag and trended in the first half of 2021.

Mr Badmus garnered critical acclaim when, on one of his evangelical ventures, the Lori Iro video was shot without his knowledge.

Lori Iro is a Yoruba word that means lies, the slang went viral around Valentine season this year.

Usage: boyfriend: I fit die for you,

Girlfriend: lori iro

Zukwanu Ike

Zukwanu like is the Igbo word that has become slang and it means, take a rest oo or do have a rest.

The slang is used when somebody is stressing you about something, or when someone becomes over burdensome.

However, no one can take credit for the slang Zukwanu Ike, it is widely spoken not only within the Igbo-speaking communities but across the country.

Werey Dey Disguise

This is another Yoruba pidgin street slang, Werey in Yoruba means acting irrationally or crazy. In totality werey dey disguise means, the act of camouflaging or appearing or speaking out in contrast to what you really mean people can see right through their being fake.

Werey dey disguise is usually accompanied by several mimes, it is used when someone is acting up but you see through them.

Doings

Oba  a sleepy farming village in Anambra State, was suddenly thrust into the limelight after popular Nigerian nightlife entrepreneur, Obi Cubana, staged a talk of the town burial ceremony for his late mum in July.

Doings refers to the over 400 cows donated to the host, the $100,000 diamond pendant, 67 private jets that landed Oba to the fleet of over 500 luxury cars. Cubanas friends, colleagues, business associates, and celebrities alike all outdid themselves to put up a show reputed to be the event of the year. Doings captures all the razzmatazz that characterised the burial ceremony. The slang is also used as an exclamation anytime an individual appears to live large or show-off wealth.

Wa Ti Ma Gbo

Wa Ti Ma Gbo, also abbreviated as WTMG is a coinage from Adekunle Golds hit song High wherein he featured Davido. It was released in September.

Wa Ti Ma Gbo is a Yoruba word that means,  You would have heard

The slang is used to make reference to what someone is known for.

A popular skit maker, Broda Shaggi, uses the slang in his comedy skits.

Something Hooge

Introduced by popular Skit maker, Mr Sabinus, otherwise known as investor Sabinus or Mr Funny, the slang is very popular among Nigerian youths.

Something hooge literally means something huge, but with an emphasis on the huge. It is used to show anticipation or an expectation.

Usage: Next year Im expecting something hooge.

We Outside

We outside is another slang that is trending. Its literally interpreted as  We have gone out, mostly used to show that a group of pals has gone out to an occasion or a function.

People use the slang we outside to illustrate that a particular group of people are having fun outside of their homes.
Nkechi Blessing got her first shot at fame when she produced her first movie, Omoege Lekki in 2015, starring herself, alongside Yinka Quadri.

The following year, the movie won the MAYA Awards and she was nominated in the Revelation of the year category.

Lately, the actress who has a love-hate relationship with her fans, has been in the news because of her affair with her politician boyfriend, Opeyemi Falegan, and many controversies.

In this interview, the 32-year-old movie star speaks about her career and the deal breaker in her relationship.

Excerpts:

PT: You produced your first movie in 2015. Did you make your acting debut in the same year?

Nkechi: My first-ever produced movie was 2015. That was not my entry o. I bagged my first-ever movie role in 2007 and funny enough it was in the English sector (Nollywood). The movie was Through the fire produced by Emem Isong. The competition in the English sector was too much so I had to look for my way around the Yoruba movie industry, and my first feature was in a Yoruba movie in 2008. That was Khafila by Kemi Korede.

PT: Some people still argue about your tribe. Where were you born ?

Nkechi: I was born in Lagos, Surulere to be precise. That is why a lot of people think I am Yoruba. Im obviously Igbo.

Growing up was fun. I am from a family of 4; the second child of my mom. They have always supported my dreams and everything I aspire to do in life. Though my dad is late, growing up was fun. I was not born with a silver spoon, but Ive got several silver spoons.

PT: You once said domestic violence and not cheating could make you walk out of your relationship. So, cheating is not a deal breaker for you?

Nkechi: The reason I said cheating is not enough to make one leave a marriage is this. A lot of ladies only see text messages; they only see pictures; they only see calls, from these ladies to their man, and to them, they think it is enough to pick up a fight.

I can categorically tell you that not up to 10 per cent of these women have caught their husbands red handed with a woman. Because these men are so smart, they wont even let you catch them.

The only thing they see is a girl calling at odd hours; text messages; and that is not enough for me to leave my husband. I have never had any experience in this regard . I can even beat my chest, and tell you that none of my boyfriends ever cheated on me. Because I dont care; I dont want to think about it; that is not why I am in a relationship. If we are dating, I should trust you enough to believe that you are dating me alone.

PT: Some call your shape bad while some call it mad shape, mostly on social media, how have you been coping with men ?

Nkechi: That is why I have been wearing bubu. See, it is normal. These things happen when you wear some type of clothes and no matter the kind of clothes you wear, if you have a big bumbum, it will show. If you like wear iro and buba; if you like wear bubu. I cannot tell them to stop; when it is not that I dont have what they are admiring.

PT: Any bad experiences?

Nkechi: None. At least nobody has attempted to shred my clothes and say they want to see my shape by force or fire. So, none..

PT: You recently commented on Annie and 2babas marital issue. I recall you saying that social media is not a court, did you say this on purpose ?

Nkechi: Is social media a court? I told someone that, if they ban social media, will people die? If what happened to Twitter, happens to Instagram, where would people take their matter to? How have we been living before Instagram. I have said it before, the moment my man takes our issue to Instagram, that is the end of the relationship.

I didnt meet you on social media, so why do you think social media is the best place to take our issue? If we talk about it and we are not coming to a conclusion, well go our separate ways. Instagram will only make it get worse. See the way Annie came out. The brother-in-law was coming at her over and over again. It didnt stop there. Definitely, one or two people would say something that would hurt her ego, and hed want to reply. It would not be that Annie said anything, but he might go and read comments and see things that would trigger him. Anyway, thank God they have sorted out their issues. At least today, everyone is smiling.

PT: Mompha recently called you and someone stupid, any truce ?

Nkechi: Mompha and I are not fighting o. We are always talking. Hes my padi. He only made that comment so that we can stop fighting. He was the one who actually resolved our issue, me and that other person, behind closed doors. What caused the fight between me and the other person was actually someone else entirely. Because they know Mompha to be friends to both of us, they attached who I was referring to to Mompha, but he knows hes not the one I was referring to. So he called both of us and was like why are you two making it look like it is me that is making you fight. Ive never had issues with Mompha and I can never have issues with him, because hes my very good friend.

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PT: What are your career aspirations ?

Nkechi: In my acting career, the only thing Im looking at getting now is to break into Hollywood, because Ive tried for Nollywood.

In fact, Im not always there . I do other things; I have other businesses Im facing. But if it is about my career, the next phase and the peak of my career that Im looking to go into now is Hollywood, where I will be on set with the likes of Angelina Jollie and the rest of them.

PT: Have you resolved your friction with TAMPAN ?

Nkechi: Those people? I was done with them before they were done with me. Honestly. They did not just realise it. When you are tired of some people, then they think that without us she cant breathe. They just use their own hands to make it easier for me to leave. I have other things Im doing so they are not my problem.

Im cool with them o. Weve settled our issues and everybody has moved on. They are not my issue now.

PT: You and your hubby are both in the limelight, dont you think making your relationship private will help it last ?

Nkechi: Instagram has strengthened our relationship, they dont know, they think they are scattering it.

When these jobless bloggers, especially one idiotic one that Im not ready to give free publicity, once he/she starts her rubbish, they think they can break us. When they start posting the gbas gbos about me will make my man leave me. But they dont know that it is those things that he likes about me. The controversies are the things he likes about me. If they know they will stop it; but they should not stop, they can continue. They are showing our mistakes to our faces and we are working on it behind closed doors. So, thanks to all of them. I dont know how to do a relationship, they are the ones teaching me.

PT: Whats your dream career aside from acting?

Nkechi: I have not thought of any other career apart from being in the limelight. If I were not acting, maybe.. nothing in my head apart from being in the faces of people.

PT: Your hubby is a politician, would you also like contesting someday ?

Nkechi: From the outset, I never liked politics, but now Im married to a politician. You see, there is no way I wont go into politics eventually. I dont like politics but if Ill do it, it will be Ekiti State or Abeokuta

PT: What is cooking with Omoluabi? We notice you are always around the Omoluabi empire in Ogun State ?

Nkechi: It is a partnership for life. I have ventured into the real estate business, following my appointment as the Managing Director of Ojulowo-Omoluabi Empire Holdings Limited.

The appointment took effect on December 1, 2021 in Abeokuta the Ogun state capital.

Ojulowo-Omoluabi Empire Holdings Limited is a chain of business which comprises five businesses and a foundation, including, Splash Estate Limited, Omoluabi Estate, Homes and Construction Limited, Coded Media and Allied Concepts Limited, Oodua Estate Limited, Omoluabi FM and Jaw Jaw Africa Community Media Support Foundation.
Ahmad Gumi is a famous Nigerian Islamic cleric. He has been outspoken and made very controversial moves on the lingering insecurity in the Northwest and North-central regions of Nigeria where armed bandits have been kidnapping and killing at random. Mr Gumi had visited some of the bandits in the forests in Zamfara and Niger states, taken medical services to them and has been urging the federal government to grant them a general amnesty.

Mr Gumi said his efforts in that campaign were for the sake of the peace and economic prosperity of Nigeria, but now alleges that the efforts have been sabotaged. Following the federal high court declaring the bandits as terrorists, Mr Gumi said he has quit mediating in the crisis because it will be dangerous for him to continue to engage with them.

In this exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES Ahmadu Maishanu in Kaduna, Mr Gumi, who is the chief Imam of the Sultan Bello Mosque in Kaduna, speaks about his understanding of banditry as well as his disagreement with the governments handling of the crisis, and what he has been doing at individual level to bring an end to the problem.

He also speaks about rotational presidency, his relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. He also responds to those calling for his arrest over his hobnobbing with the bandits.

EXCERPT:

PT : What is your thesis for banditry and its escalation in Northwest and Northcentral Nigeria?

Gumi: When you wrongly diagnose and treat a disease wrongly, it is liable to increase and become worse. For effective cure, we need to a have very specific diagnosis, you have to separate the chaff from the grain. That is to differentiate between things that look alike but are different. It is diagnosis that will make you to point out the exact problem and deal with it specifically. That is required especially for something that has to do with this scattered insurgency, unrest and civil disorder.

PT : Why do you believe that a general amnesty will make unorganised bandits abandon the crime?

Gumi: Amnesty is not a cure by itself but a part of a package that will ultimately put an end to banditry particularly in the Northwest. It has relatively worked in the Niger Delta, it has pacified them, it has brought some sanity. They (militants) allow for exploration of oil for a very long time until when the economic situation changed and the sociopolitical situation changed, then they partially returned to what they had been doing.

PT : If government grants amnesty to bandits, how does it compensate their victims?

Gumi: As I said, amnesty is a part of a package, because we have to understand these people (bandits); they are wise, unlike how we tamed them before. Their complaints is that, for any reason if they surrender their weapons, they are liable to be persecuted, arrested, and sometimes summarily executed. So for that grievances, if you can assure them with a genuine amnesty which contains rehabilitation, reorientation and reparations of all the victims in the conflict, that will go a long way to pacify the society and bring back sanity.

PT : Apparently, most Nigerians do not agree with you on this amnesty approach. How else can Nigeria resolve the banditry issue?

Gumi: Banditry, now we call it terrorism, I said diagnosis is very important because a big percentage of these people taking up arms are doing it for other reasons, not just for money. There is an ethnicity elements in it, now may be a religious element trying to creep in or has already crept in, compounding the issue. Until we are able to identify and separate them, we cannot squarely deal with this situation. There is a room for the military  I still believe in the Nigerian Army, they are very strong and disciplined  but for me, using the soldiers in this issue is like killing a fly with an hammer, you will end up destroying your furniture. I dont rule out a specialised squad of military men for the operation.

PT: So, why have the military actions failed at checking the bandits so far?

Gumi: It is not that it has failed, it is that we have applied the military where they are not supposed to be. It is like claiming a hammer has failed to kill a fly.

PT: Many angry Nigerians have called on the government to arrest you for allegedly sponsoring and supporting the bandits. Whats your reaction to this?

Gumi: They are clowns, they dont know anything about the Nigerian society, they dont know about the Nigerian constitution and liberty. It is a constitutional right for someone to express his views, so long you are not calling for violence or to harm anybody. These people calling for my arrest, I dont see them different from the bandits. To say that I am supporting or sponsoring bandits is malicious. I am just trying to cure them in my own way. I am trying to prevent it my own way and I have seen how my little efforts have helped. I just have a different perspective in addressing the issue. But to encourage them? No. To help them? No. It is impossible. I am also a victim of banditry.

PT: Victim of banditry? In which way?

Gumi: My senior brother was kidnapped; we had to pay a ransom. Also in our mosque, we have paid ransom. Even now, somebody is asking me to assist him to pay ransom. Our family driver who happens to be our relative, his son, a private soldier, was killed by bandits. So how I can support such people?

PT : Then why are you opposed to the Senate and the Federal High Court declaring them as terrorists?

Gumi: I dont think they understand the situation. Today, very sadly, we heard a bus carrying about 30 people was burnt by bandits and Nigerians know that they dont used to do that. That is as if we are teaching them to be true terrorists. It is just like a lady known to be going out and people started calling her a prostitute, there will come a time when she will come openly and say I am a prostitute, so what? We are not using human psychology in our fight against terrorism or against banditry.

PT : Do you support the RUGA and cattle routes reclamation projects of the Federal Government as a way of addressing some of the root causes of this crisis?

Gumi: The RUGA that the Federal Government is suggesting is a good idea, I see it as a private-public enterprises. The Fulani herdsmen are widespread all over the country and the forests, it is not possible to put them together in a confined location. Even among themselves, they like to give space among themselves and that is their nature. The best thing to do is to establish for them satellite schooling, satellite medical centres and all the basic infrastructure that will cater for them. And it is cost effective, it will settle them down and also cure the helplessness and despondency have found themselves, suddenly, in the ever changing socioeconomic and geographical conditions the nation is facing.

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PT : Does your friend, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar support your campaign for amnesty for bandits?

Gumi: I have never discussed anything with the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. I am a friend to all politicians and I am not affiliated to any political party.

PT: You are a friend to all politicians, including President Muhammadu Buhari?

Gumi: Oh yes. Ask him how many times have I been to his house? I have been there severally.

PT : But you are critical of his government. Have you discussed with him one on one on how to address the issues at stake?

Gumi: Being critical of his government does not mean I am not a friend with him at all. When something has to do with public interest, there should not be personal interest in it, you have to talk. If you look at my father, Late Sheikh Abubakar Gumi, and ask him to contest for the Nigerian presidency, I would be the first person to say No, father, it is not good for you. For Buhari, since he became president, there was no contact again, but before he became the president we met so many times.

PT: Since he became the president, have you attempted to see him ?

Gumi: Yes, I made an attempt to see him but it was unsuccessful. But since the court declared bandits terrorists, there is no need to see the president. I have washed my hands off these issues. I have shown the government and Nigerians the way out of this but people are trying to turn the table against me. I am now a spectator, I pray to Allah to bring stability and an end to this problem.

PT : How can we address the explosive out-of-school children and street begging phenomena and the bastardisation of the Almajiri system in the North?

Gumi: Almajiri is just our own problem. If we build schools for them and enact laws that prevent them from roaming around, the issue will be gone. You cannot remove a walking stick from a blind person without giving him another one. The only government that attempted to cater for the Almajiri is under former President Goodluck Jonathan. His initiative supported building about 150 Almajiri schools, that is the initiative I will like to see sustained so that we dont have any Almajiri in the street.

PT: What is your position on power shift and where should the next president come from?

Gumi: Powershift is archaic, retrogressive and old. Now as Nigerians, we should not look at ourselves from regional, tribal, or even religious affiliation bases because, even religion. which is very strong, whose religion or ideology are you going to adopt? You see, it will bring crisis. We just look at competency, who can unite Nigerians, bring economic prosperity for the nation, peace and stability. This is what we should be looking at.

PT: What is your view on the nationalist and secessionist agitations going on in parts of the country?

Gumi: All the secessionist agitators are half-baked and uneducated literates. We are in the 21st Century, man is going to space for tourism but you are still talking about my region, my tribe. What is tribe? What has your tribe contributed to humanity and you think that you are better than other tribes? Islam has taught us that the best of you is one who fears Allah; not tribalism, because tribalism is an old and retrogressive idea, so anybody calling for that needs to be re-educated if he is educated.

PT: What are the objectives and scope of the school you established for children of herders in Kaduna?

Gumi: The objective of the school is to tell the herdsmen that there are Nigerians that are feeling for their plight of neglect, abandonment and persecution. There are Nigerians ready to build for you, schools; so that you can educate your children, and to tell the government that it is the best way to permanently stop banditry through education. If you have such kinds of schools all across where the RUGA are, that will ensure that no Nigerian is left behind. That also applies to Almajiri, we have to build schools for them so that Nigerians should not be left behind uneducated, semi-educated and half-baked. This is why the nation is suffering from our illiteracy and our backwardness in education. Even those educated were not polished well. So when we take education as a national emergency, we shall put in place a Marshall Plan that no Nigerian should be left uneducated.

PT: Who is providing the fund and the manpower for the school?

Gumi: We have a mosque foundation established by my late father, it is meant for doing philanthropic work. The foundation is reactivated and we start with the school and health clinics, vocational training for the herdsmen.

PT : Have you got the buy-in of the government for the school?

Gumi: We are in the process of registration, it is going to be on the national curriculum, its Islamic content would be on The National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS). We just want them to be part of the nation so that when they finish from the school, they can further ahead to higher institutions. I want somebody from the bush to be a medical doctor, engineer, pilot and that is our motivation towards them.

PT: Will the school be open to others apart from Fulanis and Muslims?

Gumi: When I went to the forest, I thought it was only the Fulanis that are living there. Incidentally, we met in the area other dwellers who are not Fulani. I met one Luka Mai-Unguwa who is a Christian and some others there. We welcomed them, we told them if they are many we can establish classes specifically to their own religion because whoever understands his own religion is less likely to show bigotry against others.
Less than two weeks to Libyas presidential election, Libyas electoral commission said it would not publish a list of presidential candidates until it settles some legal issues.

Given the sensitivities of this stage and the political and security circumstances surrounding it, the commission is keen to exhaust all means of litigation to ensure its decisions comply with issued judgements, the commission said in a statement on Saturday.

Many Libyan and foreign officials have continued to publicly call for the election to go ahead as scheduled. Others have, however, expressed doubt owing to the disagreements between factions in the war-torn country.

How I wish that hope would triumph over experiences but unfortunately that has always not been the case. Remember that this election was previously planned for early 2019 but were delayed due to General Khalifa Hafta, one of the major players in the conflict launching a military campaign to dislodge the UN-backed Government of National Consensus, said Osmond Agbo, a public affairs analyst, expressing doubts.

The international community pushed for parliamentary and presidential elections as key elements of the UN-backed process to bring peace and stability to Libya.

The High State Council (HSC) also called for a December 24 presidential election to be delayed to February.

Umm Al-Ezz Al-Farsi, a member of the Political Dialogue Forum, said through a Facebook post, the people have no hope other than renewing legitimacy, which bears the burden of choosing the excavations that dominate the current political scene and obstruct the course of trading. The path of trading will bring everyone to safety. There is no alternative but direct and simultaneous elections or an earthquake under their flimsy thrones.

Muhammad al-Abani, a member of parliament, in a Facebook post, said the election commission issued its statement out of shame for not being able to announce the final list of candidates for the seat of the head of state, and not being able to announce the start of the electoral campaign.

He noted that the commission is required to quickly announce the final list of candidates for the presidency, as well as to set the date for the start of the electoral campaigns for the candidates

However, a member of the Elections Follow-up Committee in the House of Representatives, Izz El-Din Qwerb, told Al-Raed News Network that the commission is in a dilemma, is under threat, and is unable to announce the final list of candidates. He said the commissions silence and inability to announce the final list of candidates so far may affect the elections.
Nigerian airline, Air Peace, has rejected claims made by aviation authorities in the United Arab Emirates, on why the country decided to deny it flight slots in the Middle-East country.

The UAEs General Civil Aviation Authority had on Friday described Air Peaces request for three slots instead of one it was given at the countrys second busiest airport, Sharja Airport, as unreasonable. It advised the airline to make up for the shortfall with flights to any other airport in the country that has available slots.

Earlier, Dubai-based Emirates suspended all its flights to Abuja and Lagos after the Nigerian government retaliated against the UAEs treatment of Air Peace and cut Emirates slots from 21 to one.

The matter has threatened diplomatic relations between the two countries, and on Friday UAEs General Civil Aviation Authority said Air Peace pulled out of Sharja Airport and should not expect to retain its flight frequency there.

Air Peace initially operated at Sharja Airport, shifted to Dubai Airport and then returned to Sharjah airport. It would be unreasonable for an airline to expect any airport to maintain their slots when they ceased operating at that airport, it said in a letter to Nigerias aviation minister, Hadi Sirika.

In this regard, we wish to kindly advise you that Sharjah Aiport is currently operating at 140% slot, but with goodwill and tremendous effort on their side, this airport was able to accomodate Air Peace with 1 of the 3 slots this airline requested.

The GCAA wishes to stress that the action being taken by the NCAA is obviously not in line with the spirit of the agreed air services arrangements between our two Nations. As we are both aware, the relations between our two brotherly countries are vintage, one hallmark being the recent visit of the President of Nigeria to the UAE, which certainly ignored the status of these positive relations.

Finally, we suggest that Air Peace should consider flying their two other flights to any UAE airport at which there are available slots. As expected, the GCAA will support Air Peace in this activity, if required.

Air Peace denounced the UAEs claims, and accused its officials of falsehood. The airline, in a letter on Saturday, demanded apologies and a retraction.

Read Air Peace Letter to Nigerias Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika:

11th December 2021

The Honourable Minister of Aviation,

Sen. Hadi Abubakar Sirika,

Ministry of Aviation,

Federal Secretariat, Abuja.

Dear Sir

RE: AIR TRANSPORT RELATIONS  THAT LETTER TO YOU FROM UAE  A DELIBERATE FALSEHOOD

Our attention has been drawn to a letter written to you by the UAE Minister of Economy who also doubles as the Chairman of their GCAA. The said letter is dated December 10, 2021and referenced GCAA/C/29-2.

The said letter is now in the public domain and has gone viral hence our decision to write you and place the true and unassailable facts on record.

Sir, we wish to state that Air Peace, as a responsible corporate citizen of Nigeria, has utmost and unflinching respect for the exalted office of the UAE Minister of Economy and nothing will ever distract from that.

However, we take very serious exception to that letter. We believe that the Minister and the Chairman of the Board of the GCAA may have been misinformed of the true position of the issues in discourse as no one in such an exalted position and office would deliberately push out such untrue statement. He has our respects, but his letter has misinformed the public about the real facts against us.

We do not see what wrong Air Peace has done in this whole saga. We are the ones being wronged and now we are being attacked from a quarter we least expected.

Facts dont lie.

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In aviation, there are things one cannot lie about. Operating into and out of an airport is one of them. When did such flight operations occur? Which slot did we operate? For an airline to conduct scheduled operations into and out of an airport, there are agreements signed with several parties, executed, and implemented. There is need for the authority to provide the Ground Handling Company that handled the scheduled operations in Dubai Airport (DXB) for Air Peace.

FACTS DONT LIE.

Air Peace has only operated flights into Sharjah Airport alone. The letter went further to deliberately damage our perception in the eyes of the unsuspecting public by stating it would be unreasonable for an airline to expect any airport to maintain their slots when they ceased operating at that airport!

FACTS DONT LIE.

Sir, Air Peace has never been given slots at the Dubai International Airport. Slot availability was used to deny us operating from that popular airport as it was our first choice.

It was the politics of slot unavailability that did not allow us to operate into Dubai Airport directly. The lack of flight slot angle forced us to approach the Sharjah Airport as a last resort. We were welcomed by the government and people of Sharjah.

While we were denied slots in their most important airport, the Dubai Airport, Emirates has always enjoyed red carpet treatment in Nigeria where they were given our most important airports- Lagos and Abuja where they operate a total of 21 flights weekly!

We only asked for three flights weekly at the Sharjah Airport and we got same and started operations on the 5th of July, 2019 until Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020. Contrary to the letter, Air Peace never ceased operating from Sharjah International Airport since we started in July 2019.

We only stopped when every other airline was forced to stop normal scheduled flight operations as a result of the Covid-19 lockdowns that permitted only evacuation flights.

We did several evacuation flights out of Sharjah. So, we never left Sharjah Airport nor did we at any time shifted and operated out of DXB (Dubai Airport). The letter deliberately painted us as unserious while at the same time, suggesting that we look for other airports in the country to operate from.

After the restriction of scheduled flight operations between UAE and Nigeria was lifted towards the last week in November 2021, we approached the Sharjah Airport and GCAA with a request to allow us to operate a charter into the UAE on December 01, 2021.

To our surprise and, despite the lifting of the ban on flight operations between both countries, they refused. They said they would not allow charter but scheduled flight operations. However, we then, in obedience to their demand, announced resumption of scheduled operations beginning from that date and we opened our sales to the public. Three days to departure, they were yet to approve the flight.

They came back 48hours to our expected departure to UAE denying us slot to operate the flight. When we pressed on, they told us that they would accept us only if we did not bring a wide body aircraft but a small one. We had 250 passengers to transport and using a small aircraft as they suggested was impossible.

It took your intervention and that of the Presidency before they approved that we come in on the said December 1st but not without another unfair order. We were told that we must land at 9.00am their time, not before 9.00am and not after 9.00am. Unbelievable! On our request to continue with the scheduled operations after this present flight, we were turned down using lack of slot as excuse.

Meanwhile, Emirates had started operating three flights daily into Nigeria while Air Peace was totally turned down! You would recall Sir, that you mounted serious pressures on them urging them to see reasons, but they never bulged. Then, at your threat of going to stop them if Air Peace was not allowed a meagre three flights weekly, THEY QUICKLY DID THE UNTHINKABLE. THEY GAVE US ONE FLIGHT ONLY PER WEEK!

They also added that it must be operated only on Thursdays at a time that they chose themselves. No one would patronise an airline doing only one flight a week to a destination where one has the option of another airline doing 21 flights a week to the same destination. This is not about Air Peace alone but about our dear country Nigeria that has been massively disrespected by these intrigues.

We reiterate that there was never a time did we ever operate at Sharjah and stopped, shifted to Dubai Airport, then returned to Sharjah again as the letter stated. Honourable Minister Sir, we deserve and demand a retraction and an unreserved apology from the author of that letter.

We do not want to join issues in the public space with them as it is unhelpful to both countries. To this end therefore and, for the fact that this falsehood contained in the said letter has painted us in bad light and gone viral, even though the UAE Minister of Economy may have been misinformed by his aides, we, still, and humbly demand a retraction of the offending accusation of stopping, shifting and returning and an unreserved apology tendered to Air Peace.

We thank you for standing up for our dear nation.

Yours Faithfully, FOR: AIR PEACE LIMITED

Oluwatoyin Olajide

Chief Operating Officer
Nigeria on Saturday reported 612 new COVID-19 cases, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has revealed.

In an update on its official Facebook page late Friday night, the NCDC said the new cases were recorded across seven states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). It said Lagos State reported more than half of the new infections with 483 cases.

Lagos, the epicentre of the disease in Nigeria, has reported more of the confirmed cases this week with over 1,500 cases recorded in the last three days.

The commercial city of roughly 20 million people has maintained the status of the COVID-19 epicentre since the disease outbreak in 2020, as the data on the NCDC website shows that the state has so far recorded a total of 79,775 cases and 754 deaths, about a quarter of the total deaths from the virus across the country.

While the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, suggested a few days ago that the state is witnessing the fourth wave of the disease, the NCDC is yet to officially make its position known.

According to the NCDC update, the new infections raised the total number of cases in the country to 217,063, while the fatality toll still stands at 2,981, as no fatality was recorded on Saturday.

The NCDC noted that the discharged cases now stands at 207,703, as Bauchi State reported a backlog of 38 discharges for December 10.

Breakdown

The breakdown of the NCDC data revealed that the FCT and Rivers State reported 49 and 38 cases to rank second and third on the log respectively.

Oyo State reported 31 cases, followed by Delta State with five cases.

While Ekiti State recorded four cases, Bauchi and Jigawa states reported one each.

The centre also noted that five states: Plateau, Ondo, Ogun, Osun and Sokoto reported that they recorded no cases on Saturday.
Armed persons have abducted many people in two days of attacks on communities in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto state on Friday and Saturday.

Two people were also killed in one of the attacks.

The Friday attack, PREMIUM TIMES gathered, occurred before the arrival of a presidential delegation led by the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, in the area while the Saturday attack occurred after the delegation had left.

The delegation had told Governor Aminu Tambuwal that the federal government would flush out banditry kingpins in Sokoto and other states. Similar promises by President Muhammadu Buhari and other officials of his administration are, however, yet to materialise.

Chief Imam abducted

Basharu Guyawa, coordinator of Rundunar Adalci, who is also a native of the area, confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that the Chief Imam of the Izala (Sunni) mosque in Gatawa, Aminu Garba, was abducted in the Friday attack.

He was not even allowed to lead the prayers before they took him away. That was what happened on Friday and up to now that I am telling this, his family or anybody has not heard from the bandits. So, we are all waiting for them to contact the family, Mr Guyawa, a human rights activist, said.

The bandits also returned to Gatawa Saturday morning and abducted three more residents but later released one.

The one they released, Musan Barau, was sent with a phone number and asked to give it to the abducted residents families to gather ransom. They even told him where they want the family to meet when they finally gather the ransom money, Mr Guyawa added.

Modachi attack

Two of the people killed Saturday afternoon were residents of Modachi.

A resident, Danmalam Modachi, said two more people were on admission at a general hospital.

I hid in our local silos. Wallahi, I could hear the sounds of guns as they went from house to house searching for what to take and some of the people hiding. But as I was hiding inside a silos, none of them thought of checking there.

But we thank God for the Yan Sakai (volunteers) in our town. We help them with working tools and give them financial support and they have been of immense help to us.

Even today (Saturday) they were the ones who saved us because they confronted the bandits and chased them away. Two of our people have been killed while others have been taken to the General Hospital, he said.

Mr Modachi, however, said he did not know how many people of the town were abducted.

On his part, Mr Guyawa also said he was not certain of how many people were abducted.

ALSO READ: Two officers missing as gunmen ambush police convoy in Ebonyi

These people (bandits) also attacked motorists on Sabon Birni to Gatawa and abducted about seven people. Other villages close to Modachi like Bargaja, Dan Zanke, Lugu and Gazau all witnessed series of attacks in the last two days, so we cannot say this is the actual number of people abducted, Mr Guyawa said.

Police spokesperson in Sokoto, Sanusi Abubakar, promised to revert back to our reporter when asked for police comment, but he did not do so.

The attacks in Sokoto and other states in Northwest Nigeria have continued despite the efforts of security agencies. Hundreds of people have been killed or injured this year by the bandits, who have been declared terrorists by the Nigerian government.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Country Representative in Nigeria, Ulla Mueller, says the country has 15.1 per cent unmet need for family planning.

Ms Mueller disclosed this in Abuja at NAN Forum, the flagship interview programme of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

According to her, 15.1 per cent of Nigerian women and girls who want to access family planning services are being denied such access.

We have an unmet need in Nigeria which is 15.1 per cent. That basically means that 15.1 per cent of women between 15 and 40 want to access contraception, but are denied access.

In numbers, that is about four million women who want it right now as you and I sit, want to access contraception and have no access, she said.

Ms Mueller said UNFPA needed to work more in partnership with development partners in ensuring commodity security.

According to her, a national commodity basket is being supported by UNFPA with a focus on ensuring availability.

She added that the emphasis is on making sure the supply chain works using short term or long term methods.

That is one of the most critical things that need to be available for women.

So if they access services, they can actually get the method of choice. We are also working to build capacity of healthcare workers, she said.

She also said Nigerias Modern Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (MCPR) and Traditional Contraceptives Prevalence Rate (TCPR), which stood at 12 per cent and 17 per cent respectively, were very low and a major concern to UNFPA.

Ms Mueller, who called for advocacy for more womens access to family planning commodity basket, however, congratulated many of the states on their access.

We also have more and more states now using the basket. so I think some of the achievements is really the FP 20 commitment.

It is really accessibility, availability and informing women that they have a right to choice, she said.

(NAN)
President Muhammadu Buhari Saturday evening hosted leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to a pre-Conference dinner at the Presidential Villa, ahead of the 60th Session of the bloc.

Sunday Aghaeze, Personal Assistant to the President (Photography), confirmed this in pictorial reports of the event.

Those who attended the dinner included the President of Ghana and Chairman of ECOWAS Authority, Nana Akufo-Addo; President of Togo, Faure Gnassingbe; and President Mohamed Bazoum of Niger Republic.

Others were President Macky Sall of Senegal; President Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea Bissau; President Julius Bio of Sierra Leone; and President Jose Maria Neves of Cape Verde.

Presidents Adama Barrow of the Gambia and Alassane Ouattara of Cote D Ivoire also attended the dinner.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that a new Chairman of ECOWAS Authority may emerge at the end of Sundays Sixtieth Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS.

(NAN)
Ghana has issued a revised travel guideline for international passengers, including passengers from West Africa, as a result of the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron.

The travel advisory, which is in eight categories, will take effect from December 14, according to a statement from Ghana airports.

The new guidline puts the responsibility of vaccination and adherence on both passengers and the airline such that airlines will not allow passengers who are not properly vaccinated or have no proof of an accepted COVID-19 test to board.

Read full guidelines:

Pre- Arrival Processes  Travellers intending to enter Ghana

All international passengers including those from the ECOWAS region, intending to fly to Ghana, will be required to meet the following health requirements prior to admission into Ghana:

For passengers who already have a PanaBios account, enter your country of origin and set the destination to Ghana on https://trustedtravel.panabios.org or on the UNDP-endorsed Global Haven site: www.globalhaven.org.

Passengers who do not have an account should create an account on the AU- endorsed site: https://trustedtravel.panabios.org.

Passengers are advised to visit only a TT laboratory. If there are none close to you, take your test at another accredited lab on the PanaBIOS or Global Haven labs registry.

If you take your test at a TT lab, give lab the same email address used to open your account, the result will be automatically delivered to your account bearing a TT code.

Ensure that the test is conducted within 72 hours before the scheduled departure time from the country of origin.

If you do not visit a TT lab, upload your test result or certificate by choosing the test taken at a non-TT lab option.

The result/certificate will be immediately analysed. If the test results issued satisfy the full requirements set by Ghana, e,g validity period or test type), a Travel Code (TC) will be issued to the traveller online and the result displayed in a few minutes as evidence that the test performed is still valid at the time of travel.

Whilst the TT code confirms that a test was performed by an accredited laboratory, the TC provides additional evidence that the test performed is still valid at the time of start of travel.

Arriving Passengers  Travellers Entering Ghana

All persons 18 years and above arriving in Ghana will be required to provide evidence of full vaccination for a COVID-19 vaccine at the point of embarkation.

Definition of Fully Vaccinated: A person is said to be fully vaccinated when:

He/she has taken the full dose(s) of vaccines approved and registered by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Ghana.

He/she has taken the full dose(s) of vaccines that are on World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Use Listing.

However, persons who are vaccinated with vaccines on WHO Emergency Use Listing but not registered by FDA, Ghana for Emergency Use Authorization will be offered one of the FDA, Ghana approved vaccines on arrival at the airport.

All unvaccinated Ghanaians and residents of Ghana who are currently outside the country and intend to return within 14 days from 0000HRS of 14th December 2021 are exempted (14th  28th December 2021). They would, however, be vaccinated on arrival at the airport.

Airlines that bring passengers to Kotoka International Airport who are not fully vaccinated shall be surcharged $3500 per passenger.

All passengers are required to present evidence of having filled Ghanas Health Declaration Form (HDF) at www.ghs-hdf.org at the point of embarkation.

Airlines that bring passengers to Kotoka International Airport who had not filled HDF shall be surcharged $3500 per passenger.

Passengers must not have symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 including body temperature >38C.

Passengers must possess a COVID-19 negative PCR test from an accredited laboratory in the country of origin. The test should have been done not more than 72 hours before the scheduled departure time from the country of origin.

Airlines who board passengers without PCR test result or transport and disembark passengers with Positive PCR test result into Accra will be fined US$3,500 per passenger.

Non-Ghanaians may be refused entry and returned to the point of embarkation at a cost to the Airline.

Ghanaians will be allowed entry but subject to 14 days of mandatory quarantine at a designated facility.

Arriving passengers will undergo temperature screening.

Ghanaian residents who depart Ghana and return within one (1) week will not be required to present a COVID-19 result from the country of departure. They will, however, undergo mandatory COVID-19 testing upon arrival in Ghana.

Passengers will be subjected to a mandatory COVID-19 test at the airport terminal at a cost to be borne by the passenger as indicated below: Ghanaians and Ecowas Citizens  $50; all Other Passengers  $150

Payment MUST be made online at https://myfrontierhealthcare.com/Home/Ghana and proof of payment (receipt) shown to Airline before boarding.

Airlines who board passengers without proof of payment for the COVID-19 test and would/could NOT pay for the test in Ghana, will be fined US$3,500 per passenger.

Non-Ghanaian passengers may be refused entry and returned to the point of embarkation at a cost to the Airline.

All arriving passengers who test positive for COVID-19 will undergo mandatory isolation and treatment at a designated health facility or isolation centre, at a cost to passengers, EXCEPT Ghanaian citizens. The isolation will be for a period of seven (7) days. However, the final discharge of cases will be based on existing case management guidelines and protocols.

All passengers who test negative for COVID-19 will be required to continuously adhere to COVID-19 safety protocols and will receive regular information on COVID-19 within five (5) days of arrival in Ghana.

Passengers who test negative will be advised to continue to observe COVID-19 safety precautions following arrival in Ghana.

For passengers who transit through other countries before arriving in Ghana, the first country of departure will be the reference point. (Connecting flights should not deny passenger boarding, if the journey has not been terminated in any of the transit countries.)

Transit Passengers

Passengers transiting and transferring through Accra will not be required to take the COVID-19 test in Accra.

Transit passengers will be required to adhere to COVID-19 testing requirements for the destination countries.

Exemptions

Airline crew are exempted from the pre-departure and arrival COVID-19 testing and should follow the Airline policy for testing.

Children under 5 years of age will not be required to undergo testing on Arrival at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).

Children between the ages of 5-12 years will be tested free of charge upon arrival at KIA.

Passengers who arrive under emergency circumstances such as diverted flights will not be required to undergo testing if they do not leave the airport or remain in isolation in their hotel.

Travelling with Pets

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Travelling with pets into Ghana is allowed in line with guidelines of the Veterinary Services Directorate of the Ministry of Food & Agriculture

Airlines with Landing Rights in Ghana

No airline should bring passengers into Ghana without first pre-validating their TT code (received from a TT lab) or TC issued online after a genuine PCR test result has been uploaded and analyzed using the PanaBIOS or Global Haven software.

Airlines must issue TCs on behalf of illiterate travelers who arrive at check-in with only their genuine PCR test results.

Airlines that fail to comply with these rules would be surcharged $3500.

Pre-Departure Process- Passengers intending to exit Ghana

All international departing passengers will be required to meet the following guidelines prior to departure:

Create an account on the AU-endorsed site: https://trustedtravel.panabios.org. On the check-in page, check for accredited laboratories by entering Ghana as your origin country.

Passengers are advised to visit only laboratories that have the Trusted Travel (TT) logo next to their name on the platform to take their PCR test.

At the laboratory, give the same email address and mobile number you entered when creating your PanaBIOS account.

Once your result is ready, it will automatically appear in the account with the TT number issued by the lab. Look out for an email from admin@panabios.org or an SMS message.

The Trusted Travel test (TT) code shall be verified by airlines and Port Health Authorities to confirm that the test came from an accredited laboratory.

Departure Process  Passengers exiting Ghana

All Ghanaians 18 years old and above travelling out of the country are to be fully vaccinated effective 0000HRS of 14th December 2021.

Definition of Fully Vaccinated  A person is said to be fully vaccinated when:

He/she has taken the full dose(s) of vaccines approved and registered by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Ghana.

He/she has taken the full dose(s) of vaccines that are on World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Use Listing.

Passengers will be required to adhere to COVID-19 testing requirements for the destination countries

Departing passengers will undergo temperature screening at the entrance of Terminal 3 departures

Only passengers and persons with business in the terminal will be allowed entry

Online check-in or the use of self-service kiosks is strongly encouraged to reduce physical contact at the airport

Passengers are advised to arrive at the airport at least 4 hours before the scheduled departure time.
President Muhammadu Buhari has condoled with the family of the Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oladunni Oyewumi, Ajagungbade III, on the demise of the traditional ruler on Sunday.

This is according to a statement by Femi Adesina, the special adviser to the president on media and publicity, on Sunday.

Mr Buhari also commiserated with the government and people of Oyo State and especially the indigenes of Ogbomosoland on the demise of their traditional ruler.

Mr Oyewumi died in the early hours of Sunday, after sitting on the throne for 48 years.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/500491-soun-ogbomoso-is-dead.html

President Buhari also joins the Oyo State Council of Obas in mourning the First Class Traditional ruler, who will forever be remembered for his counsel and commitment to the unity and harmony within their ranks, read the statement.

He urges sons and daughters of Ogbomosoland to be consoled with the fact that Oba Oyewumi accentuated his reign with the development and progress of the community through enduring peace and extension of hands of fellowship to peoples of other lands.

President Buhari prays that Almighty Allah will repose his soul.

Obasanjo mourns

Also, former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, in his condolence message, described the late monarch as a good friend who contributed to the political, social, and economic life of Ogbomoso.

He said the deceased will be remembered as a patriot and custodian of cultural and traditional values.

Oba Oyewumi was an extraordinary person blessed with qualities and characteristics which made him one of the most unforgettable men of our generation. He was a successful businessman, Mr Obasanjo wrote.

He was one of those, early in the history of Nigeria, that really made living outside ones place of birth a home and great success. I can still vividly remember his contribution to social life in Jos in the 1960s and 70s. He made his business in Jos where he was well at home and respected. I met him in Jos in 1961 and since then we had become friends.

He lived a life of not only of service but also of peace among his fellow Obas and within his own community without allowing himself to be swayed from what is right and correct for a traditional ruler by politicians, he added.
President Muhammadu Buhari has stressed the need for ECOWAS leaders to forge stronger solidarity in order to address the new challenges, including the current third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and its Omicron variant.

The president made the call at the 60th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Sunday in Abuja.

He said: Todays realities remind us of the need to continue to forge stronger solidarity in order to address the new challenges, including the current third wave of the pandemic and its Omicron variant.

I am glad that the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States and the West Africa Health Organization are continuing to work with our respective national disease control centers to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on our people and subregion

At this 60th Ordinary Session, we have before us several issues of critical importance to the community as listed on our agenda.

I would therefore, urge us to carefully consider the issues to be presented to us and take well informed concrete decisions for the welfare and well-being of our peoples and the future of our community.

The Nigerian leader noted that the subregion had continued to face socioeconomic, political, security, and environmental realities linked to Coronavirus pandemic.

The challenges of Coronavirus and the catastrophic consequences posed on our socioeconomic environment continues to torment us.

The regional resilience, determination and resolution of working together in solidarity with each other, assisted us greatly to lessen the burden of the pandemic.

He added that democracy was being challenged in Mali and Guinea, adding that threats were looming around environmental degradation and climate change on farming system in the sub-region.

We are facing a network of criminals, including terrorism.

All of these challenges require our collective action to work in concert with each other to programmatically address and provide our people better prospects in life.

As a people, we aspire to create a borderless, peaceful, prosperous and where people have the capacity to access and harness its resources through the creation of opportunities for sustainable development, job creation and environmental preservation.

Mr Buhari used the opportunity to pay tribute to President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana and Chair of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government for the purposeful leadership, commitment and energy he continues to exert on our behalf to resolve the challenges confronting our organization.

Despite the enormity of these challenges, our chair has navigated us well and continues to do so. We owe him enormous gratitude.

In his remarks, Mr Akufo-Addo noted that the 60th ordinary session was convened within the confines of a ravaging pandemic, and increased threats from terrorist groups.

He said the bloc must take decisions on political, socio economic insecurity issue, especially in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic, the threshold jihadism, violent extremists, and the military interventions in Mali and Guinea Bissau.

As of Dec. 8, our region has recorded 674,556 cases of infections with some 10,000 deaths.

This scourge has impacted our humanitarian, social and economic sectors, and it continues to rage with the emergence of a new variant and the risk of a new wave in our region.

The new variant Omicron has already been found in three member states, and has led to unfortunate impositions of travel bans by some countries, which are unjustified and unacceptable.

Meanwhile, the availability of vaccines continues to remain a problem. Despite our efforts, we have only 6% of our population receiving one dose, with 2% of the population fully vaccinated.

Whilst we remain grateful for the support from friends of the community, you must continue to pursue national and regional efforts to fight COVID-19 and move rapidly into the domestic production of vaccines for the protection of our citizens and for the growth and development of our economy, he said.

He noted with concern that the subregion had continued to be faced with security trials in the forms of deadly terrorist and kidnapping attacks, particularly in Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Nigeria.

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According to him, these have been causing numerous casualties amongst civilians and security forces, resulting in a significant number of displaced persons.

He said: Recent events in Burkina Faso are matters of the greatest concern. Increased coordination, however, on the part of coastal nation recently led to an improved maritime security situation in the Gulf of Guinea.

Let me on behalf of the authority, condemn in the strongest terms, these attacks that continue to plague our region.

Significant efforts are being made at both national and regional level to fight terrorism and extremism.

We must step up our efforts to deal with these tasks which will be imposed upon us. And we must act in such a way that no one will doubt our resolve to protect our people.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event also witnessed award of excellence to some citizens within the ECOWAS sub-region.

The beneficiaries were honoured for doing the regional bloc proud in the fields of Science and Technology, Arts and Literature.

Bailey Kounouhewa, a professor, from Benin was honoured with an award of excellence ln Science and Technology for the manufacture of a disinfecting booth.

Loukou Akissi Delphine, director of a television production, from Cote dIvoire, won the award of excellence in Arts, for the quality and depth of her production which was broadcast and recognised in several ECOWAS countries.

Werewere Liking-Gnepo from Liberia received the literature award of excellence for her contributions to peace in her country during 2003 civil war.

NAN observed that the awardees were also rewarded with cash, ranging between 10,000 and 15,000 dollars each.

(NAN)
In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) in Nigeria, the International Press Centre (IPC) in partnership with Media Rights Agenda (MRA) hosted an award ceremony Friday in Abuja.

Supported by the European Union, organisers said the awards recognise and reward individuals, organisations and public institutions that have made significant contributions toward the advancement of the right to information in Nigeria as well as in ensuring the effective implementation of the FOI act 2011.

The individual category of the award honours an individual who has made the highest number of requests for information under the FOI Act to public or private entities between May 2015 and October 2015. The organisational category recognised an organisation, company, association or institutions or other types of corporate entity that has made the highest number of requests under the FOI act.

In his welcome address, the Executive Director of the IPC, Lanre Arogundade, said despite the challenges of implementation, we are convinced that it is a milestone worth celebrating.

He said the occasion is an opportunity to take stock and strategise on improving the implementation and usage of this important law in the years ahead.

Mr Arogundade commended the enormous sacrifice of all those who played active roles in the 12-year struggle. He said he hopes that this gesture will encourage state institutions to do better in proactively disclosing information, and heeding FOI requests.

We also expect this to spur the citizens, especially journalists and civil society activists to utilize the FOI Act more.

The event was chaired by Stella Anukam, a judge of the African Court on human and peoples rights in Tanzania. In her remarks, Ms Anukam said the mandate of her organisation is to strengthen the human rights protection system in Africa and ensure respect for and compliance with the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights as well as other international human rights instruments.

She said it is indisputable that the enjoyment of human rights, including the right to information, will be better enhanced when people are aware of their rights and can exercise them.

Events such as this are therefore doubly important for me because they serve to acknowledge and honour the efforts of those who are making or have contributed to making the right to information meaningful, Ms Anukam said, adding that we should therefore see today as a milestone in the journey to create an enlightened and informed society and think of the steps that we still need to take to get to our desired destination.

In his goodwill message, Clement Boutllier, the head of Democracy, Governance and Migration section, Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, said there is no democracy without a free press.

He said the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize award that was given to two journalists underscores the work of journalists, especially those who risk their lives to inform citizens with accurate reporting.

He said factual and accurate reporting should never put anyone in danger in holding the government and all institutions to be accountable for their actions and obligations.

Mr Boutillier said the EU assessment has shown that the Nigerian press remains one of the most vibrant on the continent, adding that the adoption of the Freedom of Information Act has generated many hopes and we continue to encourage its effective implementation.

FOI Awards

Recipients of the FOI special honours award were former President Goodluck Jonathan and Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi.

Mr Jonathan was conferred with special recognition for his bold and patriotic act in signing into law the Freedom of Information Bill on May 28, 2011. Organisers of the event appreciated his substantial and lasting contribution towards the advancement of the right to information in Nigeria.

Accepting the award, Mr Jonathan, represented by Ann Iyonu, said his administration enacted the FOI act in 2011 to expand media freedom and give people reasonable access to information on the activities of government for the good of society.

I believe for a society to grow and develop in a sustainable manner, the people should be granted access to official information. We are now in an official age which means that society would not function well if the people do not have adequate information on the way government business is conducted, he said.

On the other hand, Mr Fayemi was honoured for his significant contribution towards the advancement of the right to information in Ekiti State and Nigeria, being the first governor in Nigeria to adopt a Freedom of Information Law for a State.

Meanwhile, the individual category of the award was conferred on Atiku Sarki and Ibrahim Garba Maryam as first and second positions respectively. They were said to have made the highest number of requests for information under the FOI Act between May 29, 2015, and October 31, 2021.

Likewise, the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) received the award for the organisational category having made the highest number of requests for information under the FOI Act.

The FOI Award for special recognition and stakeholders category were conferred on different individuals and organisations in recognition of their contribution towards the advancement of the right to information in Nigeria.

Recipients of the special recognition award are Dimeji Bankole, Maxwell Kadiri, Chidi Odinkalu, Jibrin Ibrahim and Osaro Odemwinge.

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Others are Victor Ndoma-Egba, Ayogu Eze, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Sam Amadi, Angela Agoawike, Tunde Fagbohunlu and Abdul Oroh.

For the stakeholders category, the award was conferred on Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), British High Commission, United States Agency For International Development (USAID), Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI) and European Union (EU).

The FOI journey in Nigeria

The first draft of the FOI bill was produced by the Media Rights Agenda (MRA), the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in 1993. With the consolidation of democracy in 1999, a private members bill for the enactment of a Freedom of Information Act was presented to the National Assembly.

The bill was passed by the National Assembly in 2007, but former President Olusegun Obasanjo refused to sign it into law. When submitted to his office, Mr Obsanjo simply returned the FOI Act back to the sender.

The bill was greeted by a lot of misconceptions, paving the way for a wider Freedom of Information Coalition. The group embarked on nationwide mobilisation, campaigns and sensitisation in support of the bill on the premise that an FOI law would strengthen democracy and enhance good governance.

The Nigerian media played a dominant role in the campaigns. Many media outlets serialised the content of the bill to further enlist public support.

Despite the widespread support, the advocacy for the access to information law lasted twelve years before the bill was passed by the National Assembly.

On May 28, 2011, President Jonathan signed the bill into law and it became an act of parliament. Nigeria thus became the second country in West Africa after Liberia (2010) to have an FOI law.
At least 70 people have died in the deadly tornado that struck Kentucky on Friday, New York Times is reporting.

The death toll could rise to more than 100 across about 10 counties, Andy Beshear, governor of Kentucky, said on Saturday.

This has been the most devastating tornado event in our states history, Mr Beshear said at a news conference in Mayfield, a town of nearly 10,000 people in the states western corner, and where most of the tornados destruction was centred.

He declared a state of emergency on Friday, and rescuers in counties across the state mobilised overnight to find people trapped in collapsed houses and buildings.

There were four tornadoes that touched down in the state on Friday night, Mr Beshear said, including one that stayed on the ground for 227 miles  200 of them in Kentucky.

Search and rescue teams were continuing to look for residents door to door, but the destruction made it difficult to reach everyone, the official was quoted as saying by New York Times. We call it door to door, but in many of those homes, theres no door anymore, he said.

In Mayfield, in what may be the single largest loss of life on Friday, 110 workers were trapped inside a candle factory when the tornado roared through in the evening.

About 40 people were rescued, officials said, but the last person found alive was pulled out at 3:30 a.m. Mr Beshear said he expected that dozens of others had not survived. Officials at the news conference said the factory had been flattened, and that cars and rubble had blown on top of what remained.

Were going to lose a lot of lives in that factory, Mr Beshear said. Its a very dire situation at this point.

Mike Dossett, Kentuckys emergency director, was quoted as saying that the Federal Emergency Management Agency was sending a search team to the candle factory.

The citys police chief, Nathan Kent, said that Mayfield and surrounding areas affected by the tornado would be under a 7 p.m. curfew.

The biggest challenge in the coming days, he said, will be communication, because the forces vehicular fleet was compromised by the tornado.

About 28,000 people across the state were expected to be without electricity Saturday night.

More than 180 members of the National Guard have been dispatched to assist with the search for survivors and to assist in getting people to safety. The authorities asked residents who are not emergency responders to stay out of the affected areas.

Michael E. Dossett, the director of the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management, said the number of storms could surpass the 1974 super outbreak of tornadoes. He also said that the length of one tornados track could rival that of the 1925 tornado outbreak that killed hundreds as it cut a path through Southern and Midwestern states.

It is a significant, massive disaster event, Mr Dossett said.

President Biden said that he had approved an emergency declaration for Kentucky, allowing federal resources to flow into the state.

Were going to get through this, and were going to get through this together, Mr Biden was quoted as saying at a news conference. The federal government is not going to walk away.

At least six states  Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi and Tennessee  were hit by tornadoes on Friday night, according to reports from the National Weather Service.

Scientists are not sure whether there is a link between climate change and the frequency or strength of tornadoes, in part because of limited data. But researchers say that in recent years, tornadoes seem to be occurring in greater clusters, and that a so-called tornado alley in the Great Plains  where most tornadoes occur  appears to be shifting eastward.
Jimoh Oyewunmi, the 20th Soun Ogbomoso in Oyo State, joined his ancestors in the early hours of Sunday at the age of 95 years.

Palace sources told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that members of the late Soun Oyewunmis family, chiefs and kinsmen had started arriving at the palace to mourn the departure of the First Class traditional ruler.

The monarch, born on May 27, 1926, to the Gbagun ruling house, ascended the throne in 1973 and reigned as Ajagungbade III for 48 years.

Toyin Ajamu, Private Secretary to the late Soun Oyewunmi, told NAN that further announcements would be made by the appropriate quarters soon.

The deceased was an accomplished businessman until he ascended the throne of his forefathers. (NAN)
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has advised Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife, to strike a balance between his role as a royal father and politics in Yoruba land.

Mr Obasanjo spoke during the chieftaincy conferment on Nteranya Sanginga, the Director-General of International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, and his wife, Charlotte, by the Ooni at his palace in Ile-Ife on Saturday.

All the sons and daughters of Yoruba land, no matter where they are or their standpoint, will come to meet you. This is expected because you are the father of all, said the former president.

Any one of them who says that he is interested in politics, just pray for him and let them go. Anyone who approaches you and says that he wants to be president or governor, just pray for such a person and let him go.

Dont direct Yoruba people to support any aspirant, as we dont all go to in the same direction, which is part of our strength in Yoruba land, he said.

He reminded Ooni that as far as politics was concerned, even in the pre-independence era, the Yoruba usually had two strong sides, adding: Please, dont let politicians add to your burden.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Sanginga, a Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) national, and his wife were honoured with Aare and Yeye Aare Afurugbin-Ola of the Source respectively.

The former president, who said that the chieftaincy conferment was in recognition of the director-generals passion for the development of agriculture in Africa, urged Mr Sanginga to see the honour as a challenge to do more for the continent.

Mr Obasanjo, who is the IITA Ambassador, commended Mr Ogunwusi for the choice of Mr Sanginga and his wife for the chieftaincy titles, saying that they were both worthy of the honour.

I commend Your Imperial Majesty for the bold step taken to honour this distinguished African who has dedicated his life to agriculture, food security and nutrition in Africa.

I want to assure you these new chiefs will not disappoint you; that they will not disappoint Ife indigenes and the entire Yoruba race.

I know and I am sure that they will live up to the honour that you have bestowed on them, he said.

Speaking at the occasion, Mr Ogunwusi appreciated the IITA director-generals passion for agricultural development in Africa.

According to him, in spite of the balkanisation of Africa by the Europeans, Africans will continue to remain one and indivisible.

Im impressed with your modest achievements as a true son of Africa. You have been doing all within your capacity to ensure food sufficiency in the continent.

All through the years, you have developed passion for agriculture and the results are feasible everywhere, the traditional ruler said.

In his acceptance speech, Mr Sanginga applauded Ooni for the fatherly role he had been playing, not only in Yoruba land, but all over the country.

He also commended Mr Ogunwusi for counting his and his wife worthy of the honour, pledging that his would continue to support him in all ways.

NAN reports that the dignitaries present at the occasion included the Deputy Governor of Osun, Benedict Alabi, former Governor Rashidi Ladoja of Oyo State, and Secretary to Osun Government, Wole Oyebamiji.

Others were the Iyalaje Oodua, Toyin Kolade, members of staff of IITA and a host of other prominent individuals. (NAN)
At least 63 people were killed in various attacks by non-state actors across Nigeria last week (December 5-11).

A review of the figure shows an over 200 per cent increase when compared to the previous week when 25 people were reported killed.

Only one of the victims last week was a security official compared to 12 in the previous week.

There was also an increase in banditry attacks in the North-west where almost 90 per cent of the figures were recorded. It includes the gruesome killing of 37 travellers who were set ablaze in their bus by a terror group.

PREMIUM TIMES compiled the incidents from media reports. Thus, unreported cases were not included.

Below are the recorded incidents:

North-west

Three persons were reported killed and many others injured in a violent clash between farmers and cattle herders in Kirikasamma Local Government Area of Jigawa State.

The local government information officer, Sunusi Doro, told PREMIUM TIMES that the government and security agencies had stepped in to restore law and order in the area.

In the same zone, bandits burnt at least 37 people alive in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

The travellers, who were trying to migrate to other parts of the country due to insecurity in their communities, were stopped by the terrorists some six kilometres from the Sabon Birni town.

Witnesses told the BBC Hausa Service that the incident occurred at about 9 a.m. on Monday.

The following day, gunmen suspected to be bandits operating along Shinkafi-Moriki-Kaura Namoda road in Zamfara State blocked the road and attacked passengers. They killed no fewer than seven people and set many vehicles and food items on fire.

A resident of the area, Musa Shuaibu, confirmed that the bandits succeeded in attacking 15 vehicles and set five of the vehicles ablaze.

In a separate incident, the Katsina State commissioner for science, technology and innovation, Rabe Nasir, was assassinated.

Mr Nasir was killed in his private residence in Katsina Thursday evening.

Also, bandits killed two persons and abducted several others in a series of coordinated attacks on communities in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State on Friday and Saturday.

North-central

A senior lecturer in the Business Administration Department of Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo, Echobu Adah, was killed by gunmen along Otukpo-Ugbokolo highway at the Eke Olengbecho-Olayenga axis of the road, in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State.

Also, a housewife simply identified as Salamatu, was shot dead when kidnappers stormed Piri community in Kwali Area Council of Abuja.

At least eight residents were reportedly abducted in the incident which happened between Tuesday and Wednesday

Also on Wednesday, at least nine worshippers were reported killed in an attack by suspected armed bandits in Baare in Mashegu Local Government Area of Niger State.

The police commissioner in the state, Bala Kuryas, told reporters on Thursday that nine people were killed in the attack.

South-south

A middle-aged man identified as Ikedi Peter reportedly committed suicide after killing his wife,

Although the details of the murder were still sketchy, a community source said Mr Peter jumped into a well after allegedly killing his wife, who was the general overseer of a church.

South-west

An officer of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr Omiwoye Sunday, was shot dead in Ondo State.

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The deceased was killed in front of his friends house, while trying to prevent his assailants from attacking some people.

Security despatched

Due to the deteriorating security situation in North-west, President Muhammadu Buhari said Friday that he had dispatched a high-level delegation to two states in the region that have suffered from recent attacks.

The president has been criticised by many Nigerians for his handling of the security situation in the region. One of the most scathing criticisms came Thursday from the Jamaatul Nasrul Islam (JNI), a leading Islamic group in Northern Nigeria led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar.

On Friday, the presidents spokesperson, Garba Shehu, said Mr Buhari has dispatched a high-level delegation, made up of the heads of the nations intelligence and security services to Sokoto and Katsina States in response to the recent spike in bandit activities.

The president is expecting an immediate situation report and recommendations on actions to follow to effectively deal with the worrying situation.

The delegation led by the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (Rtd) is made up of the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, the Director-General of the DSS, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, the Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Ahmed Rufai Abubakar and the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Samuel Adebayo, Mr Shehu said.
There are strong indications that President Muhammadu Buhari will sign the Electoral Act bill, said Civil Society Partners on Electoral Reform.

The CSOs listed the latest assurances given by the President to the international community at the Biden Summit to guarantee credible elections and his commitment to INEC to provide it with every necessary support as the basis for this assertion.

The group expressed confidence in an open letter to the President while demanding representation of groups at the electoral bill signing ceremony.

Mr President, your invitation to the representatives of youth and women groups, people living with disabilities, and the civil society to grace the electoral bill signing ceremony will go a long way in assuring Nigerians and the International community of your commitment to inclusive participation in our democratic process, said the partners.

The CSOs made the statement in an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday, signed by the Executive Director, Adopt A Goal for Development Initiative, Ariyo-Dare Atoye, Maryam Ahmed of Centre for Liberty, Jude Feranmi of Raising New Voices, Ken Eze of Speak Out Africa Initiative and Simi Olusola of The Nigerian Alliance.

We write on behalf of millions of Nigerians to urge you to invite the representatives of critical stakeholders to the Electoral Act signing ceremony.

We are confident that this week of your birthday will avail you of the opportunity to renew your pact with Nigerians and sign the Electoral Amendment Bill into law.

The CSOs said that they are encouraged by President Buharis statement at the Virtual Summit on Democracy organised by President Joe Biden of the United States that he will ensure elections are conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner.

It may interest you to know, Mr President, that the Biden administration is already facing some criticism for its guest list for the virtual summit, and Nigeria is fingered as one of the nations with spotty records on democracy, the rule of law and human rights, as reported by the international media.

We are glad that you used the occasion of the global summit to state unequivocally that democratic rule in the West African sub-region is currently being threatened by the undemocratic takeover of government by the military.

That is why Mr President must be mindful of a few political merchants asking you not to sign the electoral bill because their greedy hold on the political parties will be threatened. They do not mean well.

The letter also read: We are more than convinced that the fulfilment of your pledge to the nation to make available to INEC everything they need [including signing the Electoral Act 2021] to operate efficiently could significantly help to improve Nigerias global democratic rating and put you in good standing among world leader.

As the clock ticks, we are increasingly assured that you will side with the people and act in the overriding public interest to give your assent to the electoral bill as a legacy for deepening electoral reforms and strengthening our democracy.

There is no gainsaying the fact that this new electoral act will help to put in place the necessary legal framework to build back better democratic institutions and sustainable democratic values, as you rightly told world leaders at President Bidens summit.

It gladdens our hearts that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed the phantom N500 bn cost; we as CSOs have equally provided alternative facts and figures, and the presidency has debunked the fake news and rumours that President Buhari has rejected the electoral bill.

However, more is required of Mr President to sign the electoral bill before December 19 and ensure that democratic institutions and processes are strengthened, particularly during this period of a global pandemic which has threatened social cohesion in most democracies.

Lets do it, Mr President. You can use the signing of this bill to renew the hope and commitment of Nigerians to the electoral and political project and strengthen us to overcome voter apathy, the CSO said to the President.
The Lamido of Adamawa, Muhammadu Barkindo, has stripped one of his chiefs of his title for critising Governor Ahmadu Fintiri for presenting car gifts to traditional rulers in the state.

The Adamawa Emirate Council said Umar Mustapha is no longer fit to hold the traditional title of Mukaddas Adamawa.

Mr Mustapha, a former governorship aspirant under the All Progressives Congress (APC), was in a statement critical of the governor over the gifts.

Its a misplaced priority to spend N200 million getting vehicles for traditional rulers while Pensioners are dying of hunger, he had said.

The statement followed an announcement by the state government of the gesture to the traditional rulers.

Following the statement, the emir, Mr Barkindo, in a statement through the emirate secretary, Khalil Kawu, said Mr Mustapha has been deposed.

The paramount ruler of the Fombina said Umar Mustapha does not deserve to hold the title as a result of his deliberate attack on the governor on the presentation of the vehicles to first class traditional rulers in the state.

The unguarded utterance on the government is unwarranted and is an affront on the traditional institution which he is just part and parcel of, the statement said.

The statement expressed the emirs dismay that Mr Mustafa refused to show understanding for the good intentions of the government to the traditional institution.

The presentation of the vehicles by the Fintiri administration comes after a long time when the institution benefited from such laudable gesture and wondered why that has become an issue to people when they are expected to support the government towards promoting its well intentioned peace building initiative across the state, the statement added.

Car gifts

Governor Fintiri had on December 1 announced the gift of vehicles to members of the Adamawa State Council of Emirs and Chiefs at the Government House in Yola.

The governors new media aide, Muhammad Tukur, in a statement, said the traditional rulers, who were at the Government House for their regular meeting with the governor, were presented with official SUV and a Hilux van pilot vehicle each.

Mr Tukur said the governor commended the traditional rulers for their support for his administration and for maintaining peace.

He said the vehicles are meant to ease their logistics and help them contribute more to peace building.

The royal fathers that benefited include Lamido Adamawa Dr. Muhammad Barkindo Aliyu Mustafa, the Emir of Mubi Alhaji Abubakar Isa Ahmadu, the Gangwari Ganye Alhaji Umaru Adamu Sanda, the Amna Shelleng Abdullahi Isa Dasong and the Hama Batta Alhamdu Gladson Teneke.

Responding on their behalf, the Lamido of Mubi expressed appreciation to the Governor for the gift promising to use the vehicles for the betterment and unity of the state, Mr Tukur said.

The opposition

But in his reaction to the gifts, Mr Mustapha, who also holds the traditional title of Otunba of Ekiti, queried why Governor Fintiri presented brand new Toyota Land Cruiser Prado Jeeps, Toyota Hilux vehicles worth two hundred million naira to five First Class Traditional Rulers of the state.

The good gesture done to the revered Monarchs is a misplaced priority and Mr Fintiri wants to bribe his way by buying the conscience of the traditional rulers building to the 2023 elections, the politician said.

I wonder why the gesture must be done now knowing the fact that the governor knows their need for vehicles long ago since coming into government.

The decision to get the exotic vehicles for the first class traditional rulers while pensioners are dying of hunger, battling to pay their children school fees is a gross insensitivity of the government toward the common man whose pension and gratuity is their right.

Let me tell you the general perception of people over this matter is that the government is trying to bribe them to pipe them low because the government has neglected and caused them a lot of hardship.

In another way the government is trying to soften their stand. There is a plan which everybody knows of reducing their domain by creating new Chiefdoms to balkanize the existing ones. Naturally, they wouldnt want that to happen. So to me, he gave them these vehicles to get soft landing which many termed to be a bribe.

How do you give someone a car and dont have the resources to maintain it? The Intention is not a good one. If the government has good intentions to help them, they would have sat down with them and found out their problems. I am sure they will tell him things that bother them that are much better than the vehicles he provided, Mr Mustapha said.

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Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi has restated his position on the rumour making rounds the media that he is begging to return to the PDP, noting that nothing can take him back to Egypt, called PDP.

Mr Umahi made the remark during 2021 Special Thanksgiving Service of Government House Chapel in Abakaliki on Sunday.

The Governor, who described PDP as Egypt, repeated that he wont return to the party.

With all these enormous achievements I have made under the All Progressive Congress (APC); what will make me to go back to Egypt, called PDP?

For that, I pray that God will never forgive the person who initiated the fake news that I have plans to go back to PDP, he stated.

On the thanksgiving Service, the Governor said it was good to give thanks to God as state and country at large.

Its good to be grateful to God for His blessings to us as state and the country at large. As state, we have come first in several ways and we give Him the praises.

Learn how to give good gift to God and its by thanksgiving that we can be blessed, Mr Umahi said.

A pastor, Eunice Oyeyemi of Christ Embassy church, Government House Chapel, Abakaliki, stated that Ebonyi State was able to achieve all the existing developments because of Gods love and mercies.

Mrs Oyeyemi described Governor Umahi as a visionary and transformation leader.

Today, Sunday is a special day for thanksgiving for the government and everyone in the state.

We are thanking God for peace, safety and calmness, we have enjoyed in spite of challenges.

People should always be grateful and thankful to God and be Prayerful for the leaders, Mrs Oyeyemi said.

(NAN)
President Muhammadu Buhari has described as lurid political journalism, an editorial in the Daily Trust newspaper criticising the administrations handling of Nigerias security situation.

Daily Trust, one of Nigerias most-read newspapers, published an editorial Sunday titled: Life has lost its value under Buharis Nigeria.

In the editorial, the newspaper, which has a strong presence in Northern Nigeria, condemned the worsening situation in Nigeria, particularly in the Northern part of the country.

Welcome to northern Nigeria, circa 2021, where life has seemingly lost its value, under a President voted en masse five times by the same populace, the newspaper wrote.

PREMIUM TIMES has reported the killing of dozens of people weekly by non-state actors across the country. At least 63 people were killed last week, most of them in Northern Nigeria, this newspaper reported.

In its response to Daily Trust Sunday night, Mr Buharis office listed the governments efforts to tackle the security situation.

Second, alongside military force, this government is seeking to address the violence at its economic source, Garba Shehu, Mr Buharis spokesperson, wrote.

Although the presidents office admitted the seriousness of the  growing instability and violence in the North of Nigeria it still criticised the Daily Trust editorial, describing it as lurid political journalism.

Now is not the time for this sort of lurid political journalism. Now our focus as Nigerians must be on coming together and ending the violence, Mr Shehu wrote.

Please see the full statement from Mr Buharis office below.

RESPONSE FROM THE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT BUHARI TO TODAYS DAILY TRUST EDITORIAL: LIFE HAS LOST ITS VALUE UNDER BUHARIS NIGERIA

Given the seriousness of the issue raised by the Daily Trust today, the Office of the President would like to issue a response.

The growing instability and violence in the North of Nigeria and elsewhere is unacceptable. No one, not least the Presidency underestimates the seriousness of the situation. Everyday, the President holds the victims and their families in his thoughts and prayers. Above all, he wishes to reassure them  and all Nigerians  that tackling the scourge of banditry and terrorism remains this governments first priority.

Sadly, in this respect, Nigeria is not unique. Violence and terror have risen steadily across the entire African continent over the last decade. The Economist magazine in a recent publication wrote about The Next Afghanistan, warning the global community of the horrifying security in our neighborhood, citing specifically the states of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. So we understand the frustrations of the Daily Trust and Nigerias northern communities about the ongoing challenges of security and the Buhari administration is no less worried. But it is only fair to say that Nigerias persistent and continued efforts to suppress that instability have seen results, with the terror group Boko Haram among others reduced to a shell of its former self.

Yet, now we Nigerians face a new threat: the worst global health crisis in living memory. Even Nigeria that proudly holds the mantle of Africas largest economy is not immune from the debilitating economic impact of COVID-19. The economic instability that the pandemic has wreaked has proven an effective recruitment tool for bandits and terrorists across the continent.

Indeed, the Daily Trust has correctly identified the source of the violence as an amalgam of many complex issues such as poverty and unemployment. It is equally right to note that, in tackling the violence, force alone will not be enough. It is quite wrong, however, to suggest the problem of insecurity is intractable, and more wrong still to claim apathy on the part of the government.

So what is the government doing?

First, our military efforts have not let up. It is true that in the face of todays growing number of threats from Boko Haram, kidnappers and IPOB to your run-of-the-mill bandits, our forces are stretched increasingly thin. But our dedicated soldiers are working around the clock to keep Nigerians safe.

Second, alongside military force, this government is seeking to address the violence at its economic source. Massive infrastructure projects like the coastal rail and new train from the southern coast through the north-east to our neighbour Niger, aim to expand employment and opportunity across the country, bringing hope to our more remote and poorer regions where bandits and terrorists thrive.

Third, even as the West continues to extricate itself from Africa militarily, we are lobbying our Western allies aggressively for partnership, investment and support in other areas, such as proscribing Boko Haram, bandits and IPOB as terrorist groups, which would severely dent their funding; for investment in trade and infrastructure, to help lessen economic instability; and to help with technical assistance, advanced weaponry, intelligence and ordinance.

This will likely be small comfort to the families and loved ones of those already lost. But make no mistake: this is a battle we are fighting without let up. The Daily Trusts suggestion that the President exchanges violence for the support he got electorally is beneath a publication that claims any kind of political neutrality or integrity.

Now is not the time for this sort of lurid political journalism. Now our focus as Nigerians must be on coming together and ending the violence. As President Buhari wrote recently of the terrorists in the UK paper, The Financial Times: We will defeat them, one highway, one rail link  and one job  at a time.

Garba Shehu

Senior Special Assistant to the President

(Media & Publicity)

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The President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, has tested positive for COVID-19.

According to a statement published on South Africas presidential handle on Twitter by the minister in the presidency, Mondli Gungubele, the President started feeling unwell after leaving the State Memorial Service in honour of former Deputy President FW de Klerk in Cape Town earlier today.

He said the president is in good spirits, receiving treatment for mild COVID-19 symptoms and is being monitored by the South African Military Health Service of the South African National Defence Force.

As a result of testing positive, Mr Ramaphosa has delegated all responsibilities to Deputy President David Mabuza for the next week and is in self-isolation.

Noting that the president is fully vaccinated, Mr Gungubele emphasised that vaccination remains the best protection against severe illness and hospitalisation.

President Ramaphosa says his own infection serves as a caution to all people in the country to be vaccinated and remain vigilant against exposure, he said.

He further noted that the proceedings in Cape Town were undertaken in compliance with health regulations pertaining to hand hygiene, the wearing of face masks and social distancing.

Mr Gungubele urged people who had contact with the president Sunday to watch for symptoms or to have themselves tested.

Mr Ramaphosa in the past week was on a visit to four West African countries including Nigeria where he met with President Buhari. However, the South African leaders office suggested there was no need for the people Mr Ramaphosa met with during that trip to be worried.

According to Mr Gungubele, President Ramaphosa and the South African delegation were tested for COVID-19 in all countries.

The President and the delegation returned to South Africa from the Republic of Senegal on Wednesday, 8 December 2021, after obtaining negative test results. The President also tested negative on his return to Johannesburg on 8 December.
ECOWAS leaders have called on the international community to support the sanctions imposed on Guinea and Mali so as to promote peace, security, and stability in the region.

The West African leaders made the call in their communique, at the end of the 60th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, held in Abuja on Sunday.

The authority also reaffirmed its commitment to the promotion of peace, security, and democracy in the region as a prerequisite for the economic integration and development of the region.

It reiterated strong concerns over the transition processes in Guinea and Mali, noting that there is the absence of clear indicators leading to the restoration of constitutional order in conformity with the authoritys decision.

It, however, welcomed the recent decision of the transition authorities in Guinea to allow former President Alfa Conte to return home.

On Mali, the authority noted the official communication of December 9 from Malian authorities that the timetable for the election would be transmitted on January 31, 2022.

On the security situation in the sub-region, the authority expressed concern over the deterioration of the security situation in the Sahel, saying it was characterised by the recurrence of terrorist attacks in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria and the expansion of the attacks in the coastal countries.

It, therefore, reaffirmed its determination to relentlessly combat terrorism.

To that effect, the authority welcomes the recent conduct by some member states of joint operations along borders of front line countries and directed the commission to provide support for the planning and conduct of such operations within the framework of the implementation of the 2020-2024 Plan of action to eradicate terrorism in the region.

On the creation of a monetary union, the authority noted the status of macroeconomic convergence within the ECOWAS in the first half of 2021.

The authority also welcomed the reopening of land borders in ECOWAS for the Free Movement of Persons.

The summit also welcomed the ECOWAS Regional Public Private Partnership (PPP) which would provide the platform to raise alternative and innovative financing for regional projects.

It also noted a harmonised Regional Road Safety Policy, an action plan, a monitoring and evaluation framework and a Regional Road Safety Charter to guide the coordinated and harmonised improvement of safety in the ECOWAS region.

The summit adopted the ECOWAS Vision 2050 as well as the participatory process that presided over the development of the vision.

The vision aims at creating a community of people fully integrated in a peaceful, prosperous region with strong institutions that respect fundamental freedoms and work for inclusive and sustainable development.

(NAN)
I want to talk to you about three interrelated things: Diversity, Education, and Autonomy and their connection to Nigerias development in the coming years.

Permit me to start with a personal story. When I was a little boy my father, who was very poor, refused to send me to school. He did not hate or dislike education of any type. And it was not about school fees; in fact, we were even paid to go to school in those days. He just needed me to herd cattle. That was normal in those days, and, is still so for many families, even today. For refusing to send me to school, he was sent to jail by the local authorities. Eventually I did go to school. Unfortunately, my father did not live long enough to see where education would take me. He drowned while trying to cross a local river. He was probably under 40 years of age by the time he died. I was an only child and was raised by my maternal grandparents. As a primary school pupil when I returned from school, I would take our neighbours cattle to the bush for rearing in exchange for grains that my grandparents used to help feed the family. So, I was contributing, at that very early age, to the familys economic wellbeing.

During those early years in school, I had the privilege of being thought by some young American Peace Corps volunteers who approached teaching differently from what we were used to. It struck me that the Americans were more liberal in their approach and encouraged us pupils to think critically about solving problems rather than making us memorize and spit out the same things that were drilled into us. They also encouraged us to question or challenge their ideas and to be critical of them if necessary. That approach intrigued me and lit a fire in me that still burns to this day.

I eventually left my local Adamawa community and furthered my education in Kano and Zaria. At the School of Hygiene, Kano, I was the Student Union President. So apart from meeting those wonderful Americans, education also took me beyond my locality and began to expose me to the vastness of my region, Northern Nigeria, and its immense diversity. Education is what helped me to secure a job in the Nigerian public service, a job that took me to many other parts of Nigeria, including its southern edges. I got to see the vastness and variety of our land, the diversity of its peoples, cultures and levels of development. And in all these travels and movements I got to understand the country, and made so many life-long friends.

These were indeed life-changing experiences. Put simply, we are a very diverse people. But, as anyone who has mingled with other peoples will tell you, diversity does not prevent us from making long-lasting friends across the divides. Diversity is not something to be afraid of. Diversity does not prevent a country from reaching its potentials. Rather it should make a country reach its potentials faster, but only if that diversity is harnessed properly, if the diverse peoples and places are pulled together for a common purpose, drawing on the strengths of each. In the wrong hands, especially in the hands of opportunistic politicians and demagogues, diversity can become a problem, a tool of division, violence, and destruction.

I realised quite early that education gave me so much and that, if made available to many more young people, will also give them so much and help the country progress just like other countries that take education seriously. Education enlightens us and opens our eyes to better understand our environment and the world around us; it helps us increase our incomes; it helps us maintain good personal hygiene; it helps us to understand our bodies better and to take steps to improve our overall health; it helps us to understand the challenges facing our communities, our country and the world, and how we can apply ourselves to solving even a tiny part of those challenges. Thus, education helps to provide us with the tools to change the world.

What about autonomy? Education and the success it brought to me helped to make me become a freer person, a more autonomous person. The more educated you are the more control you tend to have over your life; the more freedom you have to choose what you want to become or what you want to do, where you want to live and with whom you want to associate. Put simply, the more educated you are, the more freedom you tend to have. Therefore, the educated person is a more autonomous person. So, in a way, you can say that education is freedom. Education is autonomy. Autonomy is critical for the individual or group to reach their full potentials. If a person or a group is held down by others, they cannot achieve their full potentials. When you are free you are more adventurous; when you are autonomous you are more creative. When you are freer you take more decisions based on what you desire.

As it is with the individual so it is with nations. Education is a social good. Countries that value education and make the necessary investments in it also tend to have more control over their affairs. The nations that treat education and innovation more seriously and invest massively in them are also the leading nations of the world. And in the 21st century education and innovation are key to national prosperity.

And there is more. Educating girls and women is even more impactful. Research spanning over three decades shows that for a society to make progress it is even more important to educate women and girls because of the positive impact it has on the development of children and their health and those of the family.

These the reasons why my philanthropy has focused the most on education. After so many years of giving scholarships to students from less well-to-do families and helping friends and communities build schools across the country, I began to build a school system in my hometown, Yola, that today incorporates all levels, from kindergarten to university. Let me tell you a little bit about my town and my state. Adamawa is it at the North East edge of Nigeria, clearly isolated from the power and commercial centres such as Abuja, Kano, Lagos and Port Harcourt. Although it has produced a good number of successful and prominent Nigerians, it is rather poor. The vast majority of the people are subsistence farmers struggling to eke out a living while battling draught and climate change and, more recently, the Boko Haram insurgency in the parts of the State bordering Borno State. The insurgency has displaced many people from their homes and farms thereby threatening their very livelihood. In fact, the UN World Food Programme estimates that the number of internally displaced persons in the North East surpassed 2 million by last September.

The existence of the university proved so timely and because Yola was (and remains) safe, the university assisted immensely in feeding nearly 3000 IDPs during the height of the Boko Haram insurgency. And it has been helping the rescued Chibok girls complete their education. In fact, 57 of those girls registered for undergraduate studies at American University of Nigeria this Semester. University education will prepare them and other students, just like the fresh graduates sitting here today for a life of more meaningful contributions to society and of course, more personal fulfilment.

So why does it seem like the importance of education for a society such as ours is so difficult for some to understand? Why do we seem reluctant to the idea of providing good quality basic education for all our people? Why cant we see that the neglect of education for our people has huge long-term consequences which have become obvious already as our country is engulfed in security challenges across its length and breadth?

We persuade parents to vaccinate their children against infectious diseases because vaccination is a good thing. Why dont we do the same for education? Parents should be persuaded, even forced, to send their children to school so they, at least, acquire basic education. That basic education should be free and compulsory. I believe that if there are severe consequences for parents who refuse to send their children to have free primary and secondary education, we would not have over 13 million out-of-school children in Nigeria. Certainly not. Our per capita income would not have stagnated for 40 years. Think about it, our per capita income is today what it was forty years ago.

Beyond basic education we should have a variety of options for post-secondary education  university, polytechnic, colleges of education, vocational training for those who would rather acquire vocational and technical skills for particular trades.

As we prioritize education, let us also make full use of our diversity for the development of our country. In addition to ethnic, religious, and regional diversity, we also have diverse endowments  agriculture, crude oil, solid minerals, tropical rain forests, Savanah grasslands; lakes, rivers and streams that dot and snake around the country. As different parts of the country are at different levels of development, local priorities would differ. Earning capacities differ. Therefore, we need to tailor our development policies and practices to acknowledge this diversity and benefit from it. The constituent parts of the country need a greater degree of autonomy to develop their local economies according to their endowments and priorities.

The excessive centralisation of power and concentration of resources in the federal government have not served us well. Instead, they have encouraged a domineering all-knowing federal government that stretches itself into every aspect of our lives with little positive results to show. Rather we have had excessive corruption, mediocrity, generations of citizens who hope to become rich without work, emasculation of state and local initiatives and a lack of creative and healthy competition among states as they all look towards Abuja for handouts every month. The development strategies that have produced 13 million out-of-school children, millions of unemployed or under-employed youth, including those with university degrees, and a level of insecurity that threatens to splinter the country into tiny bits controlled by armed warlords are clearly the wrong ones. We must change direction.

We must reverse the concentration of power and resources at the centre. And we must make serious and conscious efforts to identify the potentials and strengths of each state and section of this country and work to maximise its contribution to the development of our country as it is supported to develop itself. That is how you allow greater autonomy while pulling together. Greater autonomy for states will allow ideas to germinate from anywhere and blossom. If Kano becomes a thriving industrial city, Jigawa would benefit and soon become an industrial centre as well. If we support the emerging automobile centres in Nnewi, Kaduna, Bauchi and Lagos, the tanneries of Kano would be the natural local suppliers of leather to that sector. If we reverse the on-going de-industrialization and attract tire manufacturing companies back to supply that sector, jobs will be created and the rubber plantations in Edo and surrounding states will benefit. I can go on and on, but you get the picture. If we have good transport and communication infrastructure and a reasonably free market, no section of a country would develop without the others soon joining in. Capital moves and expands to take advantage of new opportunity centres.

Reduction of federal powers and responsibilities and greater autonomy for states would, for instance, allow a state with very low demand for university spots to decide whether its priority is another federal university or investments in primary, secondary teacher education to ensure that its young population has basic education, preparatory for possible university or vocational education in the future.

I commend Achievers University and its determined and focused Founder, Bode Ayorinde.

When I lived and worked in this part of the country, I realized that the Ondo was the centre of education in the South West. Thankfully, this university will help to maintain that reputation while also benefitting people from other parts of the country. Thank you Bode for keeping the Ondo spirit and character alive. And thank you for providing this important educational alternative for these young men and women whose lives have certainly been transformed.

To the graduating students, it is your day, your convocation, your chance to go forth and show the world what you can do. To show what you can become. To show that you can lead. To show what problems you can help the world to solve.

Let your imagination run wild. Imagine where you would be in 10 or 20 years from now. Imagine where Nigeria would be. Would you be satisfied with it? If so, what role would you have played in getting it there? If not, what role would you play in helping to get it to where you would be satisfied with its progress? What would be Nigerias population then? How educated would that population be? What would be the place of crude oil in the worlds energy mix by then? What would that mean for Nigeria? Is there a role that you can play in positioning Nigeria for that trajectory? Or would you just be fighting the wars we fight today over the sharing of oil revenues? Would you rather be one of those who move Nigeria beyond oil and other fossil fuels not only to help the countrys economy thrive in a new post-oil world but to also reduce global warming and protect our eco-system? Would you be the one who solves Nigerias perennial challenge of providing electricity? Could you be the one who transforms the Made-in-Aba brands into global icons? Would you be content with debating about which region or zone should produce the next President or governor or rather organize and work to ensure that the country has governance and accountability structures, rules and processes which would ensure that where the president or governor comes from becomes less important?

Remember that Tesla and Amazon, which have made Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos the two richest men on the planet were only founded in 2003 and 1994 respectively. They became what they are today because they solved problems for the world. Think of the problem you can solve for your community, your country and the world and, hey, you might become our own version of Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos. Once more congratulations. You made it. Now go and make more.

Atiku Abubakar (GCON) is former Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria.

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This is the text of the Convocation Lecture delivered at Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria.
With the demise of Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi on December 4, Nigeria has lost a truly professional soldier, sans arrogance, sans bitterness and sans politics Fare thee well, General!

Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi was the first Nigerian army General to make a lasting positive impression on me. Taciturn, sensitive and perhaps too considerate in interpersonal relations, Wushishi struck me as a man thrust into prominence by fate but who was more comfortable operating under the radar, away from klieg lights.

I was part of a three-man team working on a biography of the retired army chief. The team was led by the world-famous writer, Chief Cyprian Ekwensi, with another journalist, Obinwa Nnaji, completing the number.

The first task we set ourselves was to research the background of Wushishi. In the 90s, there were no cellphones and no internet. You had to physically go to the library to do all the meaningful research required. But it was all fun because the subject of the research was enigmatic.

Inuwa was born on New Years Day in 1940 in Wushishi town, Niger State. He attended Wushishi Junior Primary School from 1947 to 1950; Paiko Junior Primary School from 1951 to 1952; Minna Senior Primary School from 1953 to 1954, before enrolling at the Bida Provincial Secondary School, where he studied between 1955 and 1960. One day, as part of the career counselling session organised by his secondary school, a certain Lt. Jack Yakubu Gowon, decked in immaculate army uniform, was brought to the school to address and inspire the senior students. Gowon shared his military experience with them and encouraged them to consider a career in the army after their secondary education.

Inuwa Wushishi was the schools senior prefect in his final year. Among his juniors in the same school were the following, who also opted for a military career and rose to the top as Generals: Gado Nasko, Sani Sami (now Emir of Zuru), Ibrahim Babangida, Garba Duba, Sani Bello, Abdulsalam Abubakar, Mohammed Magoro, Mamman Vatsa. They were all to play prominent roles in steering the ship of the Nigerian state.

Wushishi himself had set the pace for his juniors. After his training at Mons Officer Cadet School, Aldershot, U.K., from 1961 to 1962, he proceeded to the Nigerian Military Training College in 1963; Staff College, Camberley, U.K., in 1972; and the U.S. Army War College from 1978 to 1979. He was a second lieutenant in 1961; Platoon Commander from 1962 to 1964; Battalion Adjutant-General in 1968 to 1969; Sector Commander from 1969 to 1971; and Deputy Commander, School of Infantry, from 1972 to 1975.

He was appointed Federal Commissioner for Industries in 1975 by General Gowon, the same man who had inspired his military career. After his ministerial tenure, he became the General Officer Commanding, 4 Infantry Division, Nigerian Army Staff College, Jaji, in 1979. Two years later, he was appointed Chief of Army Staff and later promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General. He retired prematurely along with others following the 1983 coup, which toppled the government of President Shagari.

My assessment of Wushishi after our first meeting was that he was a very private man who would rather do without much noise. He was warm, very warm. But lurking behind the affable exterior was a distancing mien which made you feel that this man, although desirous of sharing his experiences in a book, would rather not talk about himself.

His juniors were proud to tell us that Wushishi was the commander of the Nsukka sector, where Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, the leader of Nigerias first military coup, together with Tom Biggar, half-brother of secessionist leader Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, were killed in an ambush.

When we insisted on having several interview sessions with him, he protested that he found it problematic to talk about himself. In his view, so many biographies are full of lies, undeserved lionisation of cowards and calculated deceit. He therefore suggested that the most objective way of doing any meaningful appraisal of his life was to talk to those who knew him  and he produced a long list.

We immediately came to the conclusion that this man was neither a military politician nor a political soldier. Our title for his book came spontaneously: Soldiering Sans Politics. He had, after all, settled into his post-retirement role as a corporate executive. At various times, he was Chairman of UAC of Nigeria; Chairman, UPDC (property development); a director of Stanbic IBTC Bank and MTS First Wireless; and a member of the board of Acorn Petroleum.

We journeyed all over Niger State  Minna, Paiko, Kotangora, Lapai, Bida, Maito, Zungeru, Wushishi. We met his former secondary school mates and several others who had served with him in the army. We met the venerable Sheik Ahmed Lemu and his Egyptian wife in their educational establishment, which has produced many great Nigerians. He honoured us with a sip of Zam-zam, holy water brought from Mecca. Wushishi is a good example to our young people, he said.

The reverence with which his former classmates spoke about him was remarkable. They said he was cut out for leadership right from school; that was why he became the schools senior prefect. Many of them followed him into the army and, by their own confession, he guided and protected them throughout.

I joined the army because of him, said one of the juniors whose name I am not in a position to publish because the book itself did not make it to the bookstands. When we delivered a preliminary draft to the General, he said he would chew the cud of remembrance and revert to us to fill in any missing links. It is difficult to say what actually happened, but it seemed the General didnt want to make anyone look bad, as some of the revelations in the book would have ruffled some prominent feathers.

His juniors were proud to tell us that Wushishi was the commander of the Nsukka sector, where Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, the leader of Nigerias first military coup, together with Tom Biggar, half-brother of secessionist leader Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, were killed in an ambush.

Wushishi himself didnt make much of that. He said he was some miles away from the front when he sent some of his soldiers on the ambush mission, and that they didnt know the profile of those they were targeting until after the successful ambush. He then gave instructions for the bodies to be transported to Kaduna, where Nzeogwu was buried with military honours.

One issue that kept recurring throughout the interviews with his colleagues (retired military officers, traditional rulers, businessmen, clerics and public officers) was how he was betrayed by those he trusted in the run-up to the 1983 coup, which toppled the Shagari government and prematurely ended Wushishis tenure as Chief of Army Staff.

One day, as we were interviewing a community leader in Wushishis inner lounge, a visitor caused a stir as he walked in: General Ibrahim Babangida himself. After exchanging pleasantries with Chief Ekwensi, Babangida said any book on General Wushishi that did not have his contribution would not be complete. He brought me into the army and guided my career. He is my senior brother

We gathered from his friends that, as army chief, Wushishi ran an open house, especially concerning his fellow officers. One officer whose career the army chief had jealously protected and guided was his junior brother, Ibrahim Babangida. It was not unusual to find Babangida lounging in Wushishis living room. Military etiquette aside, they were brothers. As the story goes, Babangida led a team of soldiers to General Wushishi on the night of the coup to present the grievances of soldiers in the barracks. The intention, ostensibly, was to give crucial information to the military chief, so that he could pre-empt a possible mutiny.

But the visitors kept monitoring phone calls and pretending to be speaking with loyal commanders in various military formations. They did not leave their chief until the wee hours of the next morning, by which time the coup had become a fait accompli. As soon as the senior officers left, a group of junior officers stormed Wushishis residence to arrest the army chief and clamp him in detention.

One day, as we were interviewing a community leader in Wushishis inner lounge, a visitor caused a stir as he walked in: General Ibrahim Babangida himself. After exchanging pleasantries with Chief Ekwensi, Babangida said any book on General Wushishi that did not have his contribution would not be complete. He brought me into the army and guided my career. He is my senior brother

We were delighted to accept General Babangidas invitation to his residence, where we had a very exhilarating session. We couldnt wait to ask the question: Is it true that you betrayed your mentor, General Wushishi?

To get a correct reading, you should not look at the issue with the eyes of a civilian. Coup-making is a military affair. I wouldnt describe what happened as a betrayal. It was more of a military conspiracy.

With the demise of Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi on December 4, Nigeria has lost a truly professional soldier, sans arrogance, sans bitterness and sans politics.

Fare thee well, General!

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Wole Olaoye can be reached through wole.olaoye@gmail.com.
A group has asked the Federal Capital Territory Administration to stop the demolition of houses in Abuja and repossess empty ones for distribution to the homeless.

The group urged the administration to put an end to the ongoing demolitions and forced evictions ravaging the Capitals City, which has left many tens of thousands of residents homeless.

According to a statement by

the Peoples Alternative Political Movement (TPAP-M), the demolitions, ostensibly done to sanitise the FCT, has only brought more pain and anguish to people who only want a roof over their heads while trying to earn a living.

This inhumane demolition policy which is claimed to be targeted at illegal structures that are violating the Abuja Master Plan has been in place since as far back as 2006 when it reportedly displaced up to 800,000 residents who had to move out of Abuja.

A decade and a half after, the demolitions are still being repeated and this shows that this is not the way to sanitise the capital city as the Federal Capital Territory Administration and the FCT Ministerial Task Force on City Sanitation claim to be doing.

The group also accused the FCT administration of reselling the lands taken during the demolitions to establishment politicians and big real estate companies who build housing estates that are not affordable to the average Abuja resident leaving those estates empty and unoccupied.

Asokoro and Maitama areas are prominent for posh houses without occupants.

We recommend the repossession and reallocation of Abujas empty houses and estates to the poor and homeless working people, the statement read.

Recently, federal legislators instituted a committee to look into issues of fraud related to real estate in Nigeria and also unaffordable housing in the FCT.

PREMIUM TIMES reported ICPC Chairman, Bolaji Owasanoye, at this committee hearing noted that the Real Estate Development Association of Nigeria (REDAN) who have been allocated huge plots of land for mass housing development in the FCT in collaboration with the federal government through the Federal Mortgage Bank as a result of failing in their responsibility, resort to offering and selling the plots to the highest bidders, contrary to the policy.

According to the statement, the demolitions which recently ravaged Bwari, Dutse, Kubwa, Lungun, Lugbe, Mpape, Nyanya, and Iddo, were done under heavy militarisation and without prior warning or notice to the affected victims, making it impossible for residents to salvage their properties in the structures before they are demolished.

In places where residents resisted, like in Iddo and Lungu, armed military and paramilitary officials arrested and detained the residents.

PREMIUM TIMES could not independently verify this claim at the time of this report.

TPAPM is demanding the FCT Ministry to place a moratorium on all of the evictions and demolitions while also disbanding the cruel Task Force on City Sanitation, until decent social housing has been provided for all the people of Abuja.

Additionally, we demand a more inclusive, equitable, participatory and representative urban planning and development management process be instituted, with residents involved in the decision making and implementation processes regarding housing and urban development and planning in the FCT.

It also demanded that an independent enquiry be immediately commissioned into the land allocation and urban development processes in the FCT to identify and punish culprits.

It noted that the situation of poverty, insecurity and unemployment across the country, explains why young and working people are migrating down to urban Abuja where there seems to be greater opportunities and safety.

Policies that do not make provision for this mass of our people but instead pull down their houses, criminalise their livelihoods, and leave them at the mercy of the elements will only replicate and amplify those crises in Abuja, rather than address and ameliorate them.

It also proposed a regulation of the maximum amount of rent to fit with the standard of living and the average earnings of the people, and a repossession of housing estates that disobey that regulation and are consequently empty and unoccupied.

According to the group, the regulation of rent and repossession of housing estates will not only make the lives of Nigerians working in the FCT easier, repossession of estates that are empty after this regulation can serve as the basis of a social housing system for residents who are homeless, who live in poor inhumane habitation, or those who need to be moved before urban development requires demolitions of their homes.

While these are temporary measures, we believe the final solution to the housing crises in Abuja is that the FCT Ministry builds mass social housing for the people and ends the housing scarcity once and for all, TPAM said.

The group also proposed that as a way of curbing corruption and fraudulent processes in the land and housing sector, an inventory and registry of properties be undertaken and established, inclusive of a property identification process and mechanism.

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LONDON, Dec. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Advanced Biofuel Solutions Ltd ('ABSL'), a developer and producer of advanced biofuels, and Greenergy, a leading manufacturer and supplier of waste-based biofuels, announce the signing of a Joint Development Agreement to develop, construct and operate up to five municipal waste-based biofuel plants in the UK.

Design work for the first plant to be situated at Ellesmere Port near Liverpool is underway and commercial production is due to commence in 2025. Subsequent plants are planned over the following years.

Using ABSL's proven and patented RadGas technology, the first plant will convert annually 133,000 tonnes of municipal waste into biomethane for gas vehicles or biohydrogen for hydrogen vehicles.

Together, the five plants would replace millions of litres of fossil petrol and diesel used in transport fuels, saving 800,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, with the output of the plants equivalent to powering 5,000 HGVs.

The fuels will qualify as development fuels under the UK's Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation.

Nathan Burkey, Executive Chairman of ABSL, said:

"Today's announcement enables ABSL to accelerate significantly the speed and scale of the deployment of our RadGas technology. The partnership brings together cutting-edge technology with the experience of large-scale fuel production and distribution to produce low carbon fuels for transport critical to achieving Net Zero."

Christian Flach, Greenergy CEO added,

"We are continuing to progress innovative waste-based fuel projects that divert waste from landfill or incineration and create low carbon fuels for the transport sector at scale. This agreement is a further expansion of our leading renewables business and will enable us to continue to support our customers through the energy transition."

Greenergy

Europe's largest manufacturer of biodiesel from waste, Greenergy operates three waste-to-biodiesel plants: two on the east coast of England and a third in Amsterdam. Greenergy is continuing to invest and progress other renewable transport fuel projects, including turning waste tyres into advanced biofuels.

Greenergy is an established supplier and distributor of transportation fuels with a proven track record as the low-cost supplier delivering highly reliable customer service. Greenergy markets in the UK, Ireland, Canada and Brazil as well as through a joint venture in Bahrain.

www.greenergy.com

ABSL

Advanced Biofuel Solutions Ltd (ABSL) is a technology company dedicated to providing solutions to the challenges of Net Zero. By deploying its proprietary technology, RadGas, it is able to transform household waste into low carbon biofuels that can replace fossil fuels in parts of the economy that are hard to electrify. In the production of those much-needed low carbon biofuels, RadGas is also able to capture the carbon in the waste as carbon dioxide, supporting the transition Net Zero.

ABSL was founded in March 2019 and is based in Swindon, UK. It is a private company backed by investment funds, high net worth individuals and supported with external funding from the UK Government.

For more information on ABSL, or the RadGas process, click here: https://absl.tech/

Market context

The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) legislation requires that transportation fuels must contain a growing percentage of renewable Development Fuels (dRTFC). Development Fuels are defined as new types of advanced biofuels made from sustainable wastes, such as municipal waste. This content target was introduced at 0.1% of total fuel by volume in 2019 and continues to increase each year to 2.8% by 2032.

The disposal of municipal waste in the UK is a significant problem, with a significant amount of waste from UK homes and businesses sent to landfill or incinerated.

When complete, the first project will transform 133,000 tonnes of waste into renewable fuels for transportation.

Related Links

https://absl.tech/

http://www.greenergy.com



SOURCE ABSL; Greenergy
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company (SRC) successfully completed issuing a SAR 2 billion Sukuk to support lenders in the housing market, with the aim to further expand home ownership by making it more affordable. The Sukuk was guaranteed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through the Ministry of Finance.

The 10-year Sukuk was issued at a competitive fixed profit rate of 3.04% marketed to Saudi institutional investors, the deal was oversubscribed 2.5 times

Fabrice Susini, CEO of SRC, which is wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), said: "The very positive reception in the market for our Sukuk demonstrates strong confidence in the Saudi housing market and economy, and robust investor support for our business model as home ownership continues to increase. The funding raised will enable us to expand our relationships with home finance lenders, as Saudi Arabia moves closer to its target of achieving 70% home ownership among Saudi nationals by 2030."

"Our latest Sukuk issuance also adds further depth to the Saudi fixed income market in line with the goals of the Financial Sector Development Program (FSDP) as part of Vision 2030."

SRC's new series of Sukuk was issued under its SAR 10 billion Sukuk Programme established earlier this year, under which SRC has the ability to issue sovereign-guaranteed instruments targeting local investors. Its first Sukuk offerings under the programme were issued in March 2021 in two tranches of 7 and 10-years totaling SAR 4 billion.

SRC's refinancing activities for lenders helps develop an active secondary home financing market in the Kingdom which supports the efficiency and stability of the primary housing market.

The lead coordinator for the transaction was HSBC Saudi Arabia and the joint lead managers were AlJazira Capital, Al Rajhi Capital, HSBC Saudi Arabia, Riyad Capital, Saudi Fransi Capital, and SNB Capital.

About Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company (SRC):

Fully owned by the Public Investment fund (PIF), the Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company (SRC) was established in 2017, after obtaining a license to operate in the secondary real estate market by the Saudi Central Bank, with the goal of transforming the local housing market.

SRC enables individuals and entities interested in direct or indirect real estate financing to increase and diversify origination of long-term fixed-rate (LTFR) products.

As one of its primary roles, SRC provides banks and real estate finance companies with liquidity or capital relief, enabling growth in the home financing sector to increase home ownership rates among Saudi citizens. SRC will subsequently aggregate and packages home financing portfolios into mortgage-backed securities to be sold to domestic and international investors.

With a world class management team drawing from international best practice, SRC is uniquely positioned to become the partner of choice for banks and non-bank lenders in the Kingdom.

SRC is rated 'A' (stable) by Fitch Ratings and 'A2' (stable) by Moody's Investors Service.

For more information please visit: http://srco.com.sa/

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1707793/Saudi_Real_Estate_Refinance_Company_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company
Major Oil and Gas Pipeline Safety Trends in the Oil and Gas Pipeline Safety Procurement Market

The pressure from substitutes and a moderate level of threat from new entrants has resulted in the moderate bargaining power of suppliers. This makes it extremely important to get the pricing and pricing model right. Buyers should align their preferred pricing models for Oil and Gas Pipeline Safety with the wider industry and identify the cost-saving potential.

The most widely adopted Pricing Models in the Oil and Gas Pipeline Safety Market

in the Oil and Gas Pipeline Safety Market Project Based pricing



Unit Based pricing

Download Our FREE Sample Report to Know More About the Latest Oil and Gas Pipeline Safety Trends and Various Pricing Models

Will there be an Increase in the Spend Growth for Oil and Gas Pipeline Safety Procurement?

The Oil and Gas Pipeline Safety market will register an incremental spend of about USD 0.34 Billion during the forecast period. Only a few regions will drive the majority of this growth. On the supply side, North America, South America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and APAC will have the maximum influence owing to the supplier base.

The drivers and inhibitors that influence these global and regional outlooks are also elaborated in detail. Our in-depth growth decomposition analysis covers details on:

Factors driving the growth (or lack of it) in individual geographies

Regions that hold the most rewarding opportunities for buyers and suppliers

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Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340

https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us

SOURCE SpendEdge
'The DNS artpricecoin.com, filed in December 2017 (along with all the corresponding names) illustrates Artprice by Artmarket's early awareness of this paradigm shift to NFTs and cryptocurrencies'.

Artmarket.com wishes to point out that, to date, there is not yet a specific cryptocurrency for the group, but that its work groups, after intense reflection, projected different scenarios where French and/or European legislators and/or American legislators would start building workable legislative frameworks for a crypto-culture which already has a relatively long history and is currently practised by more than a billion people around the world.

The development and implementation of these frameworks (i.e. the legal adjustment to an existing reality) is a process seen repeatedly throughout history, particularly in the fields of economics and science during the 20th century.

Artmarket.com's global strategy has long included the creation of a specific cryptocurrency for the art market, as demonstrated by the filing date of the DNS artpricecoin.com (.net .org, etc. and its corresponding names).

Artprice has been studying the historical and economic realities of the art market for many years, both at its core and on its periphery, and it wishes to remind today's emerging cryptocurrency community of the real starting point of crypto culture: the mythical crypto anarchist Manifesto by Timothy C. May at the CypherPunk Meeting in 1992.

Groupe Serveur, an Internet pioneer in Europe since 1987 and Artprice by Artmarket's reference shareholder, has always been sensitive to the CypherPunk community, itself a regular user of PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) since 1991.

For thierry Ehrmann, founder of the Server Group: 'Computer scientist Philip Zimmermann is a visionary who very quickly understood the imperative need to protect personal data.'

Groupe Serveur's culture is deeply rooted in cryptology and is very close to the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Simon Singh's book The Code Book (1999) as a perfect illustration of the history of cryptology as experienced by Groupe Serveur.

With favourable legislation in Europe and/or USA, the issuance of this cryptocurrency by its American subsidiary Artprice Inc. (SoundView Press since 1992) will pursue one primary objective: to restore artists to the central place they should be occupying within the art market.

For thierry Ehrmann: 'In historical terms, the nearest thing to the impact of NFTs on the art world was the paradigm shift we now call the 'Renaissance'. Not since then - when Johannes Gutenberg's printing press allowed artists to print editions of their work - has there been such a massive transfer of power into the hands of artists.

The Renaissance allowed artists to generate incomes and to control their production independently in their workshops and factories. Today with cryptocurrencies being essential to the exponentially growing NFT market, we are experiencing a similar paradigm shift.'

thierry Ehrmann, CEO of Artmarket.com and founder of Artprice, is a sculptor and visual artist, registered for over 36 years with copyright companies, and creator of the famous Abode of Chaos, a vast CyberPunk and dystopian metaverse of 6,300 works on a 9,000m site in Lyon France.

https://issuu.com/demeureduchaos/docs/demeureduchaos-abodeofchaos-opus-ix-1999-2013

Acutely aware of the conditions and responsibilities facing artists today, thierry Ehrmann has been communicating daily with other creators in various artistic disciplines and organising lively debates with artist-in-residence at the Abode of Chaos for three decades.

Artmarket.com wants to liberate artists from the cogs of an unforgiving system that slows their emergence. Formerly dependent on orders from ecclesiastical hierarchies, then from royal families and aristocrats, artists today are very often confronted with insurmountable economic obstacles preventing them from making themselves known and from being fairly compensated for their work.

An authorized creation of the Artprice Coin cryptocurrency by Artmarket.com will ultimately make it possible to restore the balance between artists and other players in the art market  a balance that is often weighted against the artist  via a more equitable distribution of wealth between the parties.

Artists will then be able to watch their income and notoriety grow without damaging their reputations or their relationships with the art market's key players.

In 2022, entire communities, whether street, land or performance artists  often economically isolated from the art market due to the particular nature of their works  will finally have the opportunity to trade directly with their audiences using exchanges of Artprice Coin by Artmarket.com.

Image: [https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2021/12/Philip-Zimmermann-IMG-7720.jpg]

Copyright 1987-2021 thierry Ehrmann www.artprice.com - www.artmarket.com

Don't hesitate to c ontact our E conometrics Department for your requirements regarding statistics and personalized studies: [email protected]

for your requirements regarding statistics and personalized studies: Try our services (free demo): https://www.artprice.com/demo

Subscribe to our services: https://www.artprice.com/subscription

About Artmarket:

Artmarket.com is listed on Eurolist by Euronext Paris, SRD long only and Euroclear: 7478 - Bloomberg: PRC - Reuters: ARTF.

Discover Artmarket and its Artprice department on video: www.artprice.com/video

Artmarket and its Artprice department was founded in 1997 by its CEO, thierry Ehrmann. Artmarket and its Artprice department is controlled by Groupe Serveur, created in 1987.

See certified biography in Who's who :

Biographie_thierry_Ehrmann_2022_WhosWhoInFrance.pdf

Artmarket is a global player in the Art Market with, among other structures, its Artprice department, world leader in the accumulation, management and exploitation of historical and current art market information in databanks containing over 30 million indices and auction results, covering more than 770,000 artists.

Artprice by Artmarket, the world leader in information on the art market, has set itself the ambition through its Global Standardized Marketplace to be the world's leading Fine Art NFT platform.

Artprice Images allows unlimited access to the largest Art Market image bank in the world: no less than 180 million digital images of photographs or engraved reproductions of artworks from 1700 to the present day, commented by our art historians.

Artmarket with its Artprice department accumulates data on a permanent basis from 6300 Auction Houses and produces key Art Market information for the main press and media agencies (7,200 publications). Its 5.4 million ('members log in'+social media) users have access to ads posted by other members, a network that today represents the leading Global Standardized Marketplace to buy and sell artworks at a fixed or bid price (auctions regulated by paragraphs 2 and 3 of Article L 321.3 of France's Commercial Code).

Artmarket with its Artprice department, has been awarded the State label "Innovative Company" by the Public Investment Bank (BPI) (for the second time in November 2018 for a new period of 3 years) which is supporting the company in its project to consolidate its position as a global player in the market art.

Artprice's 2020/21 Contemporary Art Market Report by Artmarket.com:

https://www.artprice.com/artprice-reports/the-contemporary-art-market-report-2021

Artprice by Artmarket's 2020 Global Art Market Report published in March 2021:

https://www.artprice.com/artprice-reports/the-art-market-in-2020

Index of press releases posted by Artmarket with its Artprice department:

serveur.serveur.com/Press_Release/pressreleaseEN.htm

Follow all the Art Market news in real time with Artmarket and its Artprice department on Facebook and Twitter:

www.facebook.com/artpricedotcom/ (over 5,4 million followers)

twitter.com/artmarketdotcom

twitter.com/artpricedotcom

Discover the alchemy and universe of Artmarket and its artprice department https://www.artprice.com/video headquartered at the famous Organe Contemporary Art Museum "The Abode of Chaos" (dixit The New York Times): https://issuu.com/demeureduchaos/docs/demeureduchaos-abodeofchaos-opus-ix-1999-2013

L'Obs - The Museum of the Future: https://youtu.be/29LXBPJrs-o

www.facebook.com/la.demeure.du.chaos.theabodeofchaos999

(4.4 million followers)

https://vimeo.com/124643720

Contact Artmarket.com and its Artprice department - Contact: Thierry Ehrmann, [email protected]

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1707801/Artmarket_Philip_Zimmermann.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1009603/Art_Market_logo.jpg

SOURCE Artmarket.com
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Dec. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- AstraZeneca Levant https://edenred.ae/, an affiliate of the multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, has been recently recognized as one of the best places to work in Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq. The certification comes as a result of independent analysis carried out by the Best Places to Work organization and highlights the company dedication to maintaining an outstanding workplace culture.

Best Places to Work is an international certification program, considered as the 'Platinum Standard' in identifying and recognizing top workplaces around the world, providing employers the opportunity to learn more about the engagement and the satisfaction of their employees and honor those who deliver an outstanding work experience with the highest standards in regard to working conditions.

In a statement from Rami Scandar, NEMAG Country President for AstraZeneca, he said "At AstraZeneca Near East & Maghreb, we believe that People Behind the Numbers are More Important than the Numbers. We ensure that everyone who chooses to work for our company can reach their full potential & make a valued contribution to the enterprise. I am proud to sustain this award for Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq, but looking forward to extend it to more countries within NEMAG cluster, enhancing AZ image as an Employer of Choice & a Great Place to Work."

"Within the past 2 challenging years, we have learnt that it's not only about performance and development, but also focusing on the wellbeing of our people to overcome their daily struggles, facilitating an inclusive and an engaging environment, where they can outperform themselves. It's about attracting and retaining people with the right skills who share our values, providing them the opportunity to learn and develop." said Noha Zannoun, HR Director NEMAG for AstraZeneca.

"Well Done amazing AZ Lebanon Team! You continue to prove that Lebanon team can make the best out of any circumstances, through living AZ Values and being the core of such a healthy and awesome Culture; a Culture that sets us apart among all pharma companies in Lebanon, which drives us to stay in this market to achieve the greatest outcome to our country and patients." said Agnar Aboujaoude, Commercial Manager for AstraZeneca Lebanon.

"Congratulations to our young and vibrant AZ Jordan Team! You are truly our innovators inspiring us every day by your work, pushing to cover the unmet needs of the customers through science, helping improve the health and lives of millions of patients across the country. The summit of success is not reached in a single leap, but in a series of determined steps through determined people" said Dissi Abdul Kareem, Country Director Jordan.

"At AZ Iraq, we mainly focus on our people being our major asset. They have developed to understand what real business is, what matters most & think independently. All the credit goes to the line managers and cross functional teams who have nurtured a strong culture of value and inclusion, dedicated to building a trustful organization that embraces diversity and gives room to further development and learning." said Ayman Rahhal, Country Director Iraq.

About Best Places To Work Program:

Best Places to Work is the most definitive 'Employer of Choice' certification that organizations aspire to achieve. The program certifies and recognizes leading workplaces in many countries around the world with its proprietary assessment that analyses a company attractiveness through a two-step process focusing on 8 Workplace factors.

For more information about the program, please visit www.bestplacestoworkfor.org

Contacts: Hamza Idrissi | [email protected] | +44 208 895 6562

SOURCE Best Place to Work
DURHAM, N.C. and BEIJING, Dec. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Brii Biosciences Limited ("Brii Bio" or the "Company", stock code: 2137.HK), a multi-national company developing innovative therapies for diseases with significant unmet medical needs and large public health burdens, today announced new in vitro pseudoviris neutralization data demonstrating that its amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination therapy (previously referred to as combination BRII-196/BRII-198) retains activity against the new Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant (B.1.1.529).

These data add to the growing body of evidence demonstrating that the amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination retains activity against key World Health Organization's COVID-19 variants of concern, also including Delta (B.1.617.2) and Delta Plus (AY.4.2).

"We believe the amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination has the potential to be a best-in-class treatment option for a broad range of high risk COVID-19 patients. These latest findings underscore that our combination antibody therapy holds up well against the Omicron variant that pose a significant public health threat worldwide," said Zhi Hong, Ph.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Brii Bio. "As experts around the world continue to track Omicron and other variants of concern, independent labs have demonstrated that our combination therapy will continue to provide clinical benefits for both patients who present early for treatment and those who present late for treatment. We look forward to continuing our work with the U.S. FDA and regulatory authorities around the world to bring our combination therapy to patients in need as quickly as possible."

The in vitro tests against pseudovirus from independent labs have demonstrated the Omicron variant remains susceptible to neutralization by the amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination. While there was substantial drop in activity for amubarvimab against the Omicron variant, romlusevimab was not impacted by the omicron variant. Together, the combination therapy retains neutralizing activity against the Omicron variant, validating the importance of a combination mAb strategy to ensure clinical benefits forpatients at high risk for clinical progression. Specific data will be presented in scientific publications in the near future.

"These new preclinical data provide further evidence of that the amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination provides significant benefits for high risk patients who contract the Omicron variant, given its highly successful track record thus far to reduce hospitalization and death among all tested variants of concern, including the Delta variant, " said David Margolis, M.D., MPH, Vice President and Head of Infectious Diseases Therapy at Brii Bio. "As a combination therapy, amubarvimab/romlusevimab offer the unique ability to protect each other against the emerging variants and potentially provide a more durable treatment option against COVID variants in the long term as we continue fighting to save lives and reduce the severe health consequences of this pandemic."

The FDA is currently reviewing Brii Bio's EUA application for the amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination. The application is based on data that show the amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination demonstrated a statistically significant 80% reduction of hospitalization and death and improved safety over placebo in non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients at high risk of clinical progression to severe disease. The proportion of deaths from any cause was observed to be significantly less (p=0.0037) on the amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination treatment (n=0) compared to placebo (n=9) from study Day 0 through Day 28. Similar efficacy rates were observed in participants initiating therapy early (0-5 days) and late (6-10 days), following symptom onset, providing critically needed therapeutic option to patients with challenges in timely access to care who may present later.

Conference Call

Brii Bio management will host a conference call on Monday, 13 December, 2021 at 8:30 a.m. Hong Kong time to discuss the details. To access the live conference call, please visit the Investor Relations section of the company's website at https://hkexir.briibio.com/ir/Presentation.php.

About Amubarvimab/Romlusevimab (previously BRII-196 and BRII-198)

Amubarvimab and romlusevimab are non-competing SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal neutralizing antibodies derived from convalesced COVID-19 patients developed in collaboration with the 3rd People's Hospital of Shenzhen and Tsinghua University. They have been specifically engineered to reduce the risk of antibody-dependent enhancement and prolong the plasma half-lives for potentially more durable treatment effect.

In December 2021, the amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination was approved by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China for the treatment for the treatment in adults and pediatric patients (age 12-17 weighing at least 40 kg) with mild and normal type of COVID-19 at high risk for progression to severe disease, including hospitalization or death. The indication of pediatric patients (age 12-17 weighing at least 40 kg) is under a conditional approval.

In October 2021, the Company initiated and subsequently completed the rolling submission of an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

In addition, the Company is pursuing additional efforts and regulatory filings for the amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination in established and emerging markets with an initial focus on securing access in countries where clinical trials were conducted and where significant gaps in access to highly effective treatments have been identified. The Company is planning further studies in China, to evaluate the use of the amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination among immunocompromised population as an additional measure of prophylaxis.

About Brii Bio

Brii Biosciences Limited ("Brii Bio", or the "Company", stock code: 2137.HK) is a biotechnology company based in China and the United States committed to advancing therapies for significant infectious diseases, such as hepatitis B, COVID-19, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, multi-drug resistant (MDR) or extensive drug resistant (XDR) gram-negative infections, and other illnesses, such as the central nervous system (CNS) diseases, which have significant public health burdens in China and worldwide. For more information, visit www.briibio.com.

SOURCE Brii Biosciences Limited
Ziad El Chaar, Vice Chairman of Dar Al Arkan properties, said : "We are extremely proud of this progressive partnership which brings together two industry leaders who are best in their field. This will allow for Dar Al Arkan to power Compass with expert development insight and the opportunity to reach new heights. Dar Al Arkan will provide development, procurement, business development services for the new partnership."

Nawfal Khudairy, Chairman of Compass, said: "This strategic partnership is in line with our continued aspirations and will enhance Compass' offering of developer-led services to its clients. The partnership will allow both parties to work together across the region, end-to-end, bringing in high return on equity and attracting top line projects."

Luke Somerville, Managing Director of Compass, shared: ''With our core values at the epicentre of all we do, evolution in creating a world-class ecosystem of competencies for our clients and Team has led us to choose to partner with Dar Al Arkan, one of the region's most influential and innovative developers, to further amplify our next growth chapter. With new services, sectors and coverage to be announced in the near future, together, we are building a true cohesive partnership with the aligned vision of enhancing built-environments and ultimately communities.''

About Dar Al Arkan Properties:

Dar Al Arkan Properties is the real estate development arm of Dar Al Arkan real estate development, a 26-year-old public shareholding company listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul). Headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Dar Al Arkan plays is today the largest developer in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Dar Al Arkan Properties focuses on developing elegantly designed residences and thriving commercial centres in central locations in the Kingdom. With a track-record of delivering 15,000 residential units and over 500,000 square metres of commercial space, Dar Al Arkan Properties is fast-growing its portfolio across the Kingdom and expanding its international footprint to Dubai and Bosnia. www.daralarkan.com

About Compass:

With regional coverage and multi-sector expertise, Compass offers clients fully tailored project development solutions that can take an initial concept all the way through to construction completion and handover, with continued support. Well respected within the construction, fit-out, engineering and design industries, Compass provides a high quality, value for money turn-key project consulting service to clients of all sizes. Compass acts on client's behalf to lead teams of consultants, stakeholders, contractors and suppliers to intelligently overcome risks and constraints, and deliver quality projects on time and within budget. Recently prestigious accolades include Project Manager of the Year, Construction Week KSA 2021, and Project Management Company of the Year, Middle East Consultants Awards 2020. www.compass-pc.com

For more information:



Nora Feidi

[email protected]

+971.4.450.7600

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1707787/Dar_Al_Arkan.jpg

SOURCE Dar Al Arkan
Key Highlights Offered in the Report:

Information on how to identify strategic and tactical negotiation levels that will help achieve the best prices.

Gain information on relevant pricing levels, detailed explanation on pros and cons of prevalent pricing models.

Methods to help engage with the right suppliers and discover KPI's to evaluate incumbent suppliers.

Get a free sample report for more information

Insights into buyer strategies and tactical negotiation levers:

Several strategic and tactical negotiation levers are explained in the report to help buyers achieve the best prices for the Oil and Gas Storage market. The report also aids buyers with relevant Oil and Gas Storage pricing levels, pros, and cons of prevalent pricing models such as volume-based pricing, spot pricing, and cost-plus pricing and category management strategies and best practices to fulfil their category objectives.

For more insights on buyer strategies and tactical negotiation levers, www.spendedge.com/report/oil-and-gas-storage--procurement-market-intelligence-report

Key Drivers and Trends Fueling Market Growth:

The pressure from substitutes and a moderate level of threat from new entrants has resulted in the low bargaining power of suppliers.

Price forecasts are beneficial in purchase planning, especially when supplemented by the constant monitoring of price influencing factors. During the forecast period, the market expects a change of 3%-4%.

Identify favorable opportunities in Oil and Gas Storage TCO (total cost of ownership).

Expected changes in price forecast and factors driving the current and future price changes.

Identify pricing models that offer the most rewarding opportunities.

SpendEdge presents a detailed picture of this procurement market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our Oil and Gas Storage market procurement report covers the following areas:

Some of the top Oil and Gas Storage suppliers listed in this report:

This report offers detailed insights and analysis of the major cost drivers, volume drivers, and innovations of the Oil and Gas Storage procurement and sourcing market, which the global suppliers have been leveraging to gain a competitive edge across regions. Some of the leading Oil and Gas Storage suppliers profiled extensively in this report include.

NuStar Energy LP

Kinder Morgan Inc.

Rockpoint Gas Storage

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Table of Content

Executive Summary

Market Insights

Category Pricing Insights

Cost-saving Opportunities

Best Practices

Category Ecosystem

Category Management Strategy

Category Management Enablers

Suppliers Selection

Suppliers under Coverage

US Market Insights

Category scope

Appendix

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About SpendEdge:

SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions.

Contacts

SpendEdge

Anirban Choudhury

Marketing Manager

Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340

https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us

SOURCE SpendEdge
BEIJING, Dec. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- RYB Education, Inc. ("RYB" or the "Company") (NYSE: RYB), a leading early childhood education service provider in China, today announced that, effective as of December 10, 2021, the Company engaged Friedman LLP ("Friedman") as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm, to replace KPMG Huazhen LLP ("KPMG"). The change of the Company's independent registered public accounting firm was approved by the audit committee of the board of directors of the Company on December 10, 2021.

Friedman is engaged to audit and report on the consolidated financial statements of the Company as of and for the year ending December 31, 2021.

During the Company's fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, and the subsequent interim period through December 10, 2021, there were no: (1) disagreements with KPMG on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedures, which disagreements if not resolved to their satisfaction would have caused them to make reference in connection with their opinion to the subject matter of the disagreement, or (2) reportable events. The audit report of KPMG on the consolidated financial statements of the Company as of and for the year ended December 31, 2020 did not contain any adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion, nor were they qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope, or accounting principles.

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 and the subsequent period prior to the Company's engagement of Friedman, neither the Company nor anyone on its behalf has consulted with Friedman regarding (i) the application of accounting principles to a specified transaction, either completed or proposed, or the type of audit opinion that might be rendered on the Company's consolidated financial statements, and neither a written report nor oral advice was provided to the Company that Friedman concluded was an important factor considered by the Company in reaching a decision as to any accounting, audit, or financial reporting issue, (ii) any matter that was the subject of a disagreement pursuant to Item 16F(a)(1)(iv) of the instructions to Form 20-F, or (iii) any reportable event pursuant to Item 16F(a)(1)(v) of the instructions to Form 20-F.

About RYB Education, Inc.

Founded on the core values of "Care" and "Responsibility," "Inspire" and "Innovate," RYB Education, Inc. is a leading early childhood education service provider in China. Since opening its first play-and-learn center in 1998, the Company has grown and flourished with the mission to provide high-quality, individualized and age-appropriate care and education to nurture and inspire each child for his or her betterment in life. During its two decades of operating history, the Company has built "RYB" into a well-recognized education brand and helped bring about many new educational practices in China's early childhood education industry. RYB's comprehensive early childhood education solutions meet the needs of children from infancy to 6 years old through structured courses at kindergartens and play-and-learn centers, as well as at-home educational products and services.

For more information, please visit http://ir.rybbaby.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "confident" and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the Company's brand recognition and market reputation; the Company's growth strategies; trends and competition in China's early childhood education market; changes in its revenues and certain cost or expense items; the expected growth of the Chinese early childhood education market; Chinese governmental policies relating to the Company's industry and general economic conditions in China. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

In China:

RYB Education, Inc.

Investor Relations

E-mail: [email protected]

The Piacente Group, Inc.

Yang Song

Tel: +86 (10) 6508-0677

E-mail: [email protected]

In the United States:

The Piacente Group, Inc.

Brandi Piacente

Tel: +1-212-481-2050

E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE RYB Education, Inc.

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SHANGHAI and BOSTON, Dec. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- StemiRNA, a leader in research and development of mRNA therapeutics, welcomes Dr. Jack Hu as Chief Financial Officer. Dr. Hu brings nearly two decades of experience in healthcare investment research, financial management and corporate strategy. Dr. Hu started his career in US Pharmaceutical industry and then moved on to Wall Street to cover US biotechnology stocks at Sellside banks, later he also ran book at buyside. Subsequently, Dr. Hu served as the Managing Director and Head of APAC Healthcare Research at Deutsche Bank, where he covered Asia/China healthcare. He was ranked No.1 for All-China healthcare research by Institutional Investor Magazine from 2015 to 2017 at StemiRNA, Dr. Hu will oversee finance management and investor relations while providing support to the company's overall strategy planning and corporate development.

"We are thrilled to have Jack join the team and bring his industry expertise and insights to our fast-growing platform", said Dr. Hangwen Li, Chairman and CEO of StemiRNA Therapeutics, "Jack excels in strategic planning and execution of portfolio management, on top of a proven track record in the capital market and investment community. We are excited to work as a team to build corporate partnerships and our strategic financial capabilities. As CFO, his leadership, expertise and network are instrumental to assist us in building a global mRNA therapeutic company."

"I am humbled and excited to join Hangwen and the talented leadership team, as StemiRNA emerges as a disruptive mRNA platform company with a broad pipeline." Commented Dr. Jack Hu, "I look forward to working with this dedicated team to create value for shareholders."

About StemiRNA Therapeutics

StemiRNA therapeutics is a clinical stage mRNA biopharmaceutical company located in Shanghai, Beijing and Boston. With a proprietary LPP delivery system, the company has developed a broad portfolio of novel mRNA based vaccines and therapeutics with focuses on infectious disease and oncology. The company's lead product candidate, mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, is in clinical stage in multiple countries. StemiRNA also developed in-house CMC and manufacturing capabilities and advanced capacity in Shanghai.

SOURCE StemiRNA Therapeutics
BEIJING, Dec. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sponsored by the China Advertising Association and specially supported by the Xiamen Municipal People's Government, the 28th China International Advertising Festival opened in Xiamen on December 11. Settled to be held in Xiamen for the second year, this session covers rich contents including awarding events, summit forums, media promotion, exhibitions, etc., and a large number of companies from advertising and related industries participated in this exhibition.

Leaders from related national ministries and committees, related department leaders of Fujian and Xiamen, executives of related central media and national market supervision and administration officials attended the opening ceremony. Besides, executives of adverting associations of various provinces and cities, and national advertising industry parks, domestic and overseas guests, and registered representatives of different regions in China also participated in this event.

SOURCE China Advertising Association
New Delhi, Dec 12 : Uttarakhand is likely to see an interesting contest between the BJP and the Congress in the upcoming Assembly elections - scheduled to be held in early 2022.

This time, the Delhi ruling AAP will also be contesting the state elections, however it is expected that the key contest will be primarily between the BJP and the Congress.

The main electoral issues in the hill state are migration, employment, health, education and public transport system among others.

On March 9, 2021, the state Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat resigned from his post and was taken over by Tirath Singh Rawat. Later within a few months, he also had to resign from his post and now Pushkar Singh Dhami is the Chief Minister of the state.

In the 2017 assembly elections in Uttarakhand, BJP had won 56 seats, while the Congress got 11 seats.

However, despite getting a strong majority, the BJP had to make frequent changes of leadership in the state. This is the reason that in less than 5 years, the BJP-ruled Uttarakhand has seen three Chief Ministers.

Citing 'instability' within the BJP, the Congress believes that it is in a 'strong position' this time. The responsibility of preparing for the assembly elections in the state and 'winning' this election is in the hands of Harish Rawat and some other senior leaders.

At the same time, BJP has posted convenor and assembly in-charge in 70 assembly constituencies. Making an edge over all other parties in the preparations for the elections, the BJP has started finalising the candidates.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, as part of the campaigning, is highlighting various 'developmental works' done by the government during last five years. For this, the Dhami government will be taking out 'Vikas Rath' across districts of the state. Further to promote the policies, developmental works and schemes of the state government, party will also take help of street plays and LED screens across 300 locations in the state.

On the other hand, the AAP says that this time it will contest all the 70 seats in the elections.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has promised that if the AAP comes to power, 300 units of electricity will be given free to every household in the state. It (AAP) is also gearing up to fight the elections with full strength.

Like the AAP, previously also there was Uttarakhand Kranti Dal that has been contesting the polls as a third force apart from Congress and BJP. Uttarakhand Kranti Dal was the party that started the movement for a separate hill state, but still it could not become an alternative to Congress or BJP.

Similarly, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had also emerged successful on seats, but as a third party, it could not achieve much in the state politics. This time too, the BSP has announced to contest the assembly elections on all 70 seats in Uttarakhand.

Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party (SP) has also announced to contest on all the seats in the state. But the road for the SP here is even more difficult. Akhilesh Yadav's led SP had won the Haridwar Lok Sabha seat in 2004 but since then the party has not won any seat.
Ottawa, Dec 12 : Canada has reported 3,589 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the cumulative total to 1,831,344 cases, including 29,909 deaths, according to CTV.

Quebec province, which has a population of 8.4 million, reported 1,982 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday morning while Ontario, the most populous province with 14 million, confirmed 1,607 new cases. Both provinces have seen increased new cases daily over the past week, Xinhua news agency reported.

Of Saturday's new cases reported in Quebec, 1,010 people were not fully vaccinated. The province's cumulative total cases rose to 464,228, including 11,607 deaths.

Of Ontario's new cases, 743 cases involved people who were unvaccinated, partially vaccinated or their vaccination status was unknown. The remaining 864 infections involved people who were fully vaccinated. As of Saturday, Ontario's cumulative total cases rose to 630,671, including 10,070 deaths.

Medical experts said that the number of infections in fully vaccinated individuals would rise as more people get the vaccine.

Canada's daily case counts are on rise with high infection rates persisting in many areas.

During the seven-day period between December 3 and 9, an average of 3,450 new cases were reported daily, which was an increase of 22 per cent compared to the previous week, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada on Friday.

The national data issued on Friday showed that an average of 1,457 people with Covid-19 were being treated in Canadian hospitals each day on December 3-9, which was five per cent lower than last week.

This included, on average, 458 people who were being treated in intensive care units, 1.6 per cent less than last week and an average of 20 deaths were reported daily on December 3-9.

While Delta continues to represent the vast majority of recent Covid-19 cases in Canada, as of December 9, there were 87 Omicron cases reported in seven provinces and territories in the country.

The Public Health Agency of Canada released new modeling data on Friday, which showed Covid-19 levels could spike in the coming weeks amid an ongoing wave of Delta infections and the growing threat of Omicron as the holidays rapidly approach.

Omicron is ramping up the push for widespread boosters in Canada, shifting the conversation away from providing added protection to the most vulnerable and toward giving everyone eligible an additional shot to stave off the potential spread of the highly transmissible variant.

As of December 9, Canada had administered over 62.7 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine.

The data indicated that over 81 percent of the total population had received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine and over 76 per cent were fully vaccinated. Among children aged 5-11 years, 17 per cent received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Baghdad, Dec 12 : Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has said that the withdrawal of US-led coalition combat forces from Iraq confirms the ability of the Iraqi forces to maintain security and stability in the country.

"In a few days, we will witness the withdrawal of all combat forces of the international coalition from Iraq according to the strategic agreement with the American side," al-Kadhimi said in his televised speech during a ceremony on the occasion of the centenary of the founding of the modern Iraqi state in 1921.

"Their (remaining forces) role will be in the advisory areas, indicating the ability of the Iraqi forces to preserve the security of Iraq, the stability of its people," Xinhua news agency quoted al-Kadhimi as saying.

In the midst of the political debate about the results of Iraq's early parliamentary elections, "everyone must be reassured. We will not allow any impact on your security and stability," the Iraqi Prime Minister noted.

"The path of building the Iraqi state may be difficult and painful, but it is the only path that our children and grandchildren can take," al-Kadhimi said.

On December 9, Iraqi National Security Adviser Qasim al-Araji announced the end of the combat mission in Iraq and the withdrawal of the US-led coalition forces from the country.

On November 24, Tahseen al-Khafaji, spokesman of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, said the foreign combat forces would leave Iraq within 15 days, except for some advisers who will stay to support the Iraqi forces.

On January 5, 2020, the Iraqi parliament passed a resolution requiring the government to end the presence of foreign forces in the country.

In July this year, the US and Iraq held a session of strategic dialogue, during which the two countries agreed on withdrawing all US combat troops from Iraq by December 31.
Lucknow, Dec 12 : Ahead of the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, red caps have gained centre stage and are roiling the political waters in the state.

Though symbols have their own importance, political parties indulge in attacking each other on their flags, banners, posters.

The controversy over red caps started from the Uttar Pradesh Assembly when Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's address was disrupted by Samajwadi Party (SP) lawmakers who were donning red caps.

Taking a jibe at them, Adityanath had said: "Someone is wearing a red cap or a green cap. Don't know whether this has become a tradition. Don't know whether these people wear a cap even at home?" Adityanath also narrated an incident, saying that a two-and-a-half-year-old child saw a protester wearing a cap and identified him as a goon, post which the SP lawmakers created an uproar.

During a rally in Gorakhpur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at the SP, saying that "laal topi waale" (those wearing red caps) were like a "red alert" for the state.

If political analysts are to be believed, these statements have been made deliberately so that the opposition attacks them and both can trade barbs.

In response to the ruling party's jibe, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, along with his colleagues, went to the Assembly wearing red caps.

Akhilesh also replaced his Facebook and Twitter profile pictures with one in which he is wearing a red cap.

Following Akhilesh, his party leaders and supporters have also started replacing their pictures with ones showing them in red caps.

Now, whenever Akhilesh leaves for a programme or rally, he wears a cap.

Earlier, Akhilesh did not wear caps, but when his father and SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav asked him to do so, he started to don it regularly.

In the ongoing tussle between the SP and the BJP, the AAP has also jumped in.

Rajya Sabha MP and AAP's UP in-charge Sanjay Singh shared the Prime Minister's photo on Twitter in which the latter can be seen wearing a black cap, saying people wearing a black cap have a black heart and mind (their mind and heart are not good).

Senior political analyst Ratanmani Lal said that in the present era, leaders of a political party cannot be identified only by symbols.

The BJP is associated with the saffron colour but all do not wear it, the BSP (blue) but Mayawati never wears blue, the SP (green), Congress (white) and the SP also with a cap.

The SP chief has made it an identity mark of the party due to which even without taking its name, it can can be attacked.

The BJP has tried to send across a message to the electorate of Uttar Pradesh that they have to be wary of the SP, but the latter will benefit indirectly.

The BJP pointed it out to attack the SP but it worked as a blessing in disguise for the latter as with more people wearing red caps, they will be recognised better.
Gorakhpur : , Dec 12 (IANS) The Gorakhpur Doordarshan Kendra has started telecasting Bhojpuri programmes from Saturday.

Dr Brajendra Narain, senior official at Gorakhpur Doordarshan Kendra, said, "We are very happy and excited that a programme in Bhojpuri language has started. In the morning, several congratulatory messages were received and also folk songs were telecast. In the evening, a short TV report of inauguration of satellite centre at Gorakhpur station and a programme 'Bhojpuriya Dhamal' was telecast. On Sunday an interview of MP Ravi Kishan will be telecast." "Bhojpuri programmes will spread the culture and dialect of this region and viewers will be able to watch them through DTH services. People in Bihar and Nepal will also be able to enjoy the programmes," he added.

Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur, tweeted a video in Bhojpuri and informed about the programme to be aired from Doordarshan station in Gorakhpur on DD Uttar Pradesh and also congratulated Bhojpuri speaking people.

A special programme will be telecast twice daily from 11 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. and 8 p.m. to 8.30.p.m from Gorakhpur on DD Uttar Pradesh.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also tweeted and thanked Union Minister Anurag Thakur. The chief minister said that the people of Purvanchal have waited for 37 years for the programme.
Panaji, Dec 12 : Standing in front of the Virtual Reality station, complete with headset strapped, hands holding the navigators, 10-year-old Aarav Shah excitedly turns right and left, and even starts walking towards what he perceives to be Penguins out for a stroll at the icy Antarctica.

Monitoring the activity, a scientist nudges him, and Shah draws his hands forward, with a motion as if he is caressing something. "What I liked most is that I got a chance to pet a penguin and I also went near a group of penguins," the excited Shah narrated.

Shah is not the only one. Minutes earlier, 9-year-old Varmika Parmar had a more or less similar reaction. "I wanted to touch the Penguin; it was so exciting." After the virtual experience, the chirpy girl now wants to go to Antarctica. That is exactly what the ongoing Mega Science Technology and Industry Expo as part of the India International Science Festival (IISF 2021) aims at -- inculcating the scientific temper into masses, focussing on the young minds and drawing more and more young, raw talent to the research.

No wonder, the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) stall is drawing the largest crowds. It has put four VR stations to showcase the deep Southern Ocean and Antarctica along with scores of other displays such as a totally packed man in Himalayan gear standing near what is purportedly a tent for camping at a higher altitude or a replica of an ocean liner that goes to Antarctica.

Skilfully managing the crowds at one of the four VR stations, M. Swati, a scientist with the NCPOR, said, "We are getting wonderful reactions, especially from the students. One kid hugged a penguin and it just refused to let go." There is one VR station that showcases 'Bharati', India's research station at Antarctica. The viewer feels like he or she is actually walking towards it and can easily enter the building. At one point, a visitor almost gasped as soon as fluorescent green wavy lights -- called the aurora australis in Antarctica, sometimes referred to as the 'southern lights', appeared on the screen. "The one that appears in Antarctica is called Aurora australis and the one that appears in the north pole is aurora borealis," explained the scientist at the stall.

Not just the younger lot but students in the higher age group too enjoyed the VR experience to the hilt. Aniket Shirodkar, a student of B Sc second year, took the virtual trip on an Ocean Research Vehicle and then dived deep in a submersible. "It actually felt like being in the deep ocean," he said.

Explained Surya Prakash, scientist with the NCPOR, "This is a complete eight-minute virtual trip. You can actually see how the ice-breaker ship moves forward, you can be on board a submarine and go deep up to 1,000 metres and look at the ocean there. Those who cannot actually go to Antarctica or deep into the ocean, this is a good opportunity." The NCPOR stall is one of the dozens of stalls spread over two special halls at the Expo that saw a beeline of parents bringing in their young wards, collegians coming in droves and in general, people curious about various stalls.

Barely few feet away from the VR stations, Nikita Faterpekar has brought in her niece Skeisha and nephew Ridvik to soak into the science flavour, both of them examining the prototype of an ORV, the ocean research vehicle. "As a child, I learnt a lot through such exhibitions, my parents always took me there. I want my niece and nephew to learn it too," Nikita said.

The organisers couldn't be happier!
Chennai, Dec 12 : They are the 'Five-Man Army' from the portals of Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) with a mission to revolutionize the imaging services with their advanced earth observation satellites.

Their mode to achieve the mission is by designing, developing and orbiting a 15 satellite constellation. Each one of the satellites would weigh not less than 150 kg.

The five-member team that is charting the path for GalaxEye Space Solutions Pvt Ltd, a space-tech startup incubated at IIM Incubation Cell are: Suyash Singh, Co-Founder & CEO, Denil Chawda, Co-Founder & CTO, Rakshit Bhatt, Vice President, Computing, Kishan Thakkar, Vice President, Product Development and Pranit Mehta, Vice President, Business Development.

"We got interested in space technology and joined as a team in 2020. The company was incorporated in May 2021," Chawda told IANS.

"The promoters (Founding Members) are hived out of Team Avishkar Hyperloop, a group of students at IIT Madras, working on building technologies to realise Hyperloop," Mehta added.

According to Chawda, GalaxEye would design the satellite, source the components and outsource the spacecraft's fabrication.

"We are in the middle of the design phase. We will innovate on the payload part, develop new kinds of sensors. The first satellite will be ready in Q3 of 2023. Our constellation of satellites will be ready over a period of five years," Chawda said.

As part of readying its payloads, GalaxEye will carry out an airborne test in March 2022, he added.

"Having validated our technology with a proof of concept, we are currently validating our product with a prototype that would instil more confidence, and de-risk the involved technologies to a great extent," Mehta remarked.

"Apart from core data sets, GalaxEye will also provide complementary data to our customers. We want to give fine resolution images," Chawda said.

The company is also in talks with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO).

He said each satellite will have a life span of five years.

According to Mehta, the current global market size for earth observation satellite images is about $3.5-4 billion and expected to grow to about $7.5 billion over the next 10 years.

Queried about fund raising and plans for further funds Mehta said: "We are currently Pre-Seed funded, with the previous round led by Speciale Invest. Apart from that, the team has won grants - Tide 2.0 Challenge Grant by CIIE.CO, TANSEED Grant by StartupTN and Meity Startup Grant." With a headcount of about 25, GalaxEye is looking to expand and get more domain expertise to accelerate its journey towards putting its satellite in space.

(Venkatachari Jagannathan can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in)
Bengaluru, Dec 12 : Bengaluru continues to hold and cherish the 'Silicon Valley' tag despite infrastructure challenges, soaring land prices. It continues to be the home for 'unicorns' and 'soonicorns'. The Karnataka capital is successfully facing competition from states like Uttar Pradesh and Telangana and is now looking beyond being a tech hub to also taking strides in the manufacturing arena.

Along with the software industry, Bengaluru has also established itself as an ideal destination for investments in aerospace, defence and space sectors with huge opportunities in the state. Bengaluru and the state of Karnataka is now a leader in space and defence sectors and has emerged as India's biggest space cluster. Karnataka is also the second biggest manufacturer of electrical machinery.

Salil Ravindran, an advisor, mentor and independent Board member to many startups in India and abroad, told IANS, "Bengaluru was ranked 23rd among the top 30 global startup ecosystems in 'The Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2021' by Startup Genome and was ranked 10th in the top 1,000 cities globally by Startup Blink." Nearly half of the 80-odd Indian startups that became Unicorns are based in Bengaluru and it cannot be a coincidence but due to its established world-class educational institutions, rich technical talent pool, conducive government, and pleasant weather. This is also aided by having the most cosmopolitan, multi-cultural and westernized customer base across India, he explained.

Karnataka Minister for Large and Medium Industries Murugesh Nirani told IANS, "Our start-up ecosystem seems to be thriving if one looks at the number that have turned unicorns already this year. A total of 10 startups have entered the prestigious $1 billion valuation club as of April, with six of them achieving this status in just the past week. Moreover, Bengaluru has turned out to be a hub, contributing five of these. The list includes companies from fintech, health tech, insurtech, social commerce sectors, among others." Aprameya Radhakrishna, Co-founder and CEO, Koo explained, Bangalore is the cradle of the startup ecosystem in India. It is the startup capital of India. "We have over 10,000 startups with ideas that are both disruptive and exciting, and many more that take shape, each year," he says.

"We are home to some of the biggest startups-turned-unicorns, which have established a presence not just across India, but also globally. What makes Bangalore - the startup city - stand out, is not just the number of startups that emerge each year, but the overall ecosystem that supports these startups," he says.

Aprameya Radhakrishna further says that in addition to top-class colleges and institutions, the city has a vast pool of technical talent that is eager to work on the most challenging and innovative technologies and platforms. Bangalore also hosts several hackathons from where the best talent is often cherry-picked.

The city is home to multiple incubation centres that offer ample opportunities to budding entrepreneurs to access seed funds and initial capital that is needed for building prototypes, product trials and for go-to-market strategies, he says.

Bangalore has several collaborative and co-working spaces that ease the process of establishing an 'office' - where resources can come together, connect and work to attain a common goal. All of this, backed by favorable government policies, housing and infrastructure, and a buzzing nightlife, has played a key role in reiterating Bangalore's position as one of the hottest startup hubs in the world. All these reasons have contributed to the made-in-India platform - Koo - choosing to be part of the startup ecosystem in Bangalore, Aprameya Radhakrishna underlines.

In May 2021, Koo raised $30 million in Series B funding round led by Tiger Global, with existing investors like Accel Partners, Kalaari Capital, 3one4 Capital, Blume Ventures and Dream Incubator also participating. "As we move ahead, backed by our unique language features which provide an immersive experience, we are confident of outperforming ourselves, and scaling at a rapid pace to hit 100 million downloads in the next one year," he said.

However, Jairam Srinivas, Director General, Confederation of Indian MSME in ESDM and IT explained that, the government of Karnataka being the promoter should have a long term vision and has much to do in creating a manufacturing base rather than focusing on web based startups. These startups will not have shelf life beyond five years.

"Recently Karnataka minister made an announcement of allotment of 200 acres of land for a special industrial zone near Bengaluru. There are five national and state trade bodies in the state that absolutely had no idea of it. When the question was raised in this regard in the Lok Sabha, the State Minister for IT Rajiv Chandrashekar said he will answer the question after collecting data," he stated.

"The flights that flew down to Bengaluru will have to go to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka for maintenance. The government didn't take proactive measures in developing KempeGowda International Airport (KIAL) and the country's largest Maintenance, Repair and Overhauling (MRO) unit now is coming up in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Since Karnataka couldn't acquire land, UP has got the lucrative defence projects including manufacturing of 'AK 205' rifles. The land costs in and around Bengaluru is about Rs 2.5 crore per acre today. Infrastructure is not the focus of the Karnataka government," Jairam Srinivas explained.

Jairam Srinivas further underlined Karnataka has to learn from One District and One Product 'ODOP' project of Uttar Pradesh.

Murugesh Nirani, Minister for Large and Medium Industries, explained, Bengaluru, along with Paris and Singapore, stand out for high access as well as quality and activity of funding.

"The Bengaluru ecosystem is ideal and unique - R and D departments of startups, 85 chip designing houses. Karnataka is also the world's 4th largest technology and innovation cluster and home to more than 400+ global R and D centers. Around 60 per cent of biotechnology companies in India have a base in Bengaluru," he said.

Domestic and multinational corporations, academic and industry, defence, product, and user organizations - all coexist in one metropolitan city. This means that future innovations are planned and developed in Bengaluru and will also be first to be used here, says Minister Nirani.

"Recently Bengaluru was ranked 23rd among the top 30 global startup ecosystems by policy advisory and research organization Start-up Genome's The Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2021. Bengaluru has an ecosystem value of $53 billion. Bengaluru's ranking was also boosted by healthy access to growth capital, demonstrated by recent large funding rounds from food delivery platform Swiggy (USD 1.3bn), social media company ShareChat (USD 502m) and EdTech company Byju's (USD 460m)," Nirani explained.

Bengaluru will be the fastest growing city in the world for the next 15 years as its GDP is projected to grow at 8.5 per cent until 2035, according to the Bengaluru Innovation Report 2019. India will be home to 17 of the 20 fastest-growing cities in the world between 2019 and 2035 among the world's 780 major cities, he underlined.

Recently, Karnataka revised its EV Policy and has introduced a road tax exemption for EV vehicles with no registration fee. Investors in EV Sector get 15 per cent capital subsidy, five years production incentive subsidy 100 Stamp Duty Exemption, 100 per cent Only 0.1 per cent registration fee, 50 per cent subsidy on ETP (Plant) costs and 50 per cent on skill development subsidy. The government has announced a 50 per cent stipend, Nirani explained.

Investors interested in establishing an EV cluster in the state will be allowed in 200-250 acres of Harohalli. The land acquisition process from KIADB is nearing completion. There are more than 45 electric vehicle startups in the state and over 400 R and D centres, Minister Nirani said.

Salil Ravindran explains, the conditions have never been more ideal than now, with startups challenging and even acquiring established players (PharmEasy to buy 26 year old Thyrocare, BharatPe to take over 37 year old PMC Bank, Byju's buys 33-year old Akash Institute, Groww buys 13-year old Indiabulls MF business, etc).

It's raining unicorns in India and Bengaluru has emerged not just as an undisputed hub for Unicorns but also for high-growth 'Soonicorns'. However, there is also the view that many of the current acquisitions and success stories are supported more by hot money or advantages given to a few. We need to see how many of these will survive the servitude of time and business cycles, he said.

The Covid-19 crisis has only accelerated the transition to the digital economy and has called for entrepreneurs to innovate faster. With top technical talent from across the country, and two million people now working in technology, the city also has the most open and welcoming cultures in India. It is a true ecosystem built by the best talents. There is no doubt Bengaluru will lead India as the epicentre of innovation in the age of disruption.

Dr J.R. Bangera, Board Member of MSME National Board, Ministry of MSME, Government of India and former President of Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) explained that barring the digital sector, the market is witnessing demand depression. People are still hesitant to spend. Cost of production has gone up and exports to Europe and other countries are not comfortable as air cargo and even ship containers have turned expensive by three to four times. "We are hoping for the reversal of trends by March 2022," he underlines.
Chennai, Dec 12 : Space is the next frontier for India's startups and major industrial groups are attempting to conquer it.

With the BJP government last year announcing to open the sector for private players, many startups have entered this relatively new territory and also have raised sizable funds from venture capitalists.

Interestingly, it is not just the civilian side that the private players are looking at. They are also looking at the defence sector's space needs.

For instance, the Chennai based Data Patterns (India) Ltd is wanting to build smaller defence satellites.

The space sector trend is to have constellations of small satellites. The trend drives the demand for satellites and sub-systems.

While India's Bharti Group along with the UK government owns the OneWeb, a low earth orbit (LEO) broadband satellite communications company planning to have a constellation of 650 satellites, a couple of India born satellite companies are having similar aspirations.

For instance, Syzygy Space Technologies Pvt Ltd, commonly known as Pixxel, GalaxEye Space Solutions Pvt Ltd, Grahaa Space and others are into this space.

The Bengaluru based Syzygy Space is planning to have a 30-satellite constellation called Firefly, said Awais Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer, Syzygy Space Technologies.

Syzygy Space's first satellite weighing about 15 kg was built by a Chennai based company and will be flown by an ISRO's rocket to the Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

The company is building its second satellite in its Bengaluru facility.

Ahmed said the camera's Firefly satellite constellation is specially designed by his company which would give a different image not seen before.

The IIT Madras incubated GalaxEye Space is planning to build 15 earth observation satellites each weighing not less than 150 kg.

"We are in the middle of design phase. The first satellite will be ready in Q3 of 2023. Our constellation of satellites will be ready over a period of five years," Denil Chawda - Co-Founder & CTO, GalaxEye Space told IANS.

"The current global market size for earth observation satellite images is about $3.5-4 billion and expected to grow to about $7.5 billion over the next 10 years," Pranit Mehta, Vice President, Business Development.

In line with the market trend of going in for small satellites, the rocket makers are also in the process of building suitable rockets.

The two Indian rocket startups that have made good progress are the Chennai based Agnikul Cosmos Private Ltd and the Hyderabad based Skyroot Aerospace Pvt Ltd.

Further the companies are testing their rocket engines.

Agnikul and Skyroot have signed up agreements with the Department of Space to test their rocket systems at various facilities of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

There are several other startups in the space sector whose progress is not much known.

The global space market is about $360 billion and is expected to grow to $1 trillion by 2040.

However, India's share in the global pie is about two per cent offering good potential for the new players.

Till now, the Indian space sector was a monopoly of ISRO-the country's space agency and the private participation was in the form of component supplies to the former.

India launched its first communication satellite way back in early 1980s.

The domestic industry would have grown manifold if only the government had allowed the private players and ISRO remained as a research and development (R&D) unit, two industry officials not wanting to be quoted told IANS.

The Indian space industry is still in its infancy and the start-ups can play an important role in the sector, an industry official told IANS.

As a part of opening up the space sector, the Indian government has constituted Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) as an autonomous agency in Department of Space (DOS).

The IN-SPACe will be the regulator for private players in the space sector. It will also enable usage of ISRO's facilities for them.

According to the Indian government, 24 companies requested for support from IN-SPACe for their space activities in the current financial year.

"Space sector is on its way to becoming a trillion-dollar industry and the role of startups will be crucial in this journey. For startups to succeed, they must either reinvent existing technology to cause a disruption in the existing domain, generate new technologies and ideas into the sector, or use innovative ideas to put existing products or projects to new uses," S. Somanath, Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), ISRO said in a seminar.

On encouraging startups and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the space sector, K. Sivan, Chairman, ISRO and Secretary, Department of Space said the government through the Space Enterprise Encouragement and Development (SEED) scheme will support them to take up innovation, research and product development and services for ISRO.

(Venkatachari Jagannathan can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in)
Seoul, Dec 12 : South Korean President Moon Jae-in left for Australia on Sunday for a four-day state visit that is expected to focus on deepening bilateral ties and securing a stable supply chain of raw materials and core minerals.

Moon is the first South Korean president to pay a state visit to Australia in 12 years. He is also the first foreign leader that the country has invited since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Yonhap News Agency reported citing officials as saying.

In Canberra on Monday, Moon will hold a summit with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Strengthening cooperation in the fields of carbon-neutral technology, the hydrogen economy, defense industry, space and cyberspace is expected to top the agenda, according to the officials.

After the summit, Moon will attend a state luncheon hosted by Australian Governor-General David Hurley.

Also on Monday, Moon will visit a monument for Australian veterans of the 1950-53 Korean War and pay his respects at the Australian National Korean War Memorial.

Australia fought alongside South Korea during the war.

On Tuesday, Moon will visit Sydney, where he will meet Anthony Albanese, leader of the opposition Labor Party, and hold a meeting with Australian business leaders on a supply chain issue of key mining products.

South Korea and Australia marked the 60th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties this year.
New Delhi, Dec 12 : As the Indian startup/unicorn ecosystem goes through a stupendous growth, a level-playing field must exist for all the participants and stakeholders of the ecosystem and not just 'desi' startups, Sijo Kuruvilla George, executive director of the Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF) said on Sunday.

In an interaction with IANS, George said that in the long run, only fair markets and an open Internet will be able to sustain innovation and growth and guard the health of any ecosystem.

"The antitrust and anti-competitive challenges posed by global big tech companies make the work of bodies such as ADIF all the more important. It is near impossible for small, single players to stand up, much less take on the might of the big Tech majors that command unprecedented and unbridled power to even shut them out of business in an instant," George emphasised.

India has now emerged as the third largest startup ecosystem in the world after the US and China.

According to George, it is imperative that the stakeholders organise into a unified alliance for a stronger voice, enlist some of the larger outfits to come forward to provide leadership for the cause and advocate with the government/relevant authorities to intervene in the form of legal and/or legislative actions.

"It is important to highlight the issues that affect our startups and ecosystem, along with data and information in the form of research reports, publications and stakeholder discussions. It's only awareness that can bring about informed decision-making and discourse of possible solutions - be it in the sphere of policy or business," he told IANS.

The Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF) has collaborated with the US-based Coalition for App Fairness to ensure a competitive digital marketplace in India. The alliance now has more than 460 startups under its umbrella, and is growing.

"No developer should be forced to operate in an anti-competitive marketplace that hinders innovation, success, and the ability to grow," said George.

The ADIF had hit out at Google, calling its Play Store commission cut a deflect and distract tactic -- nothing but a reduced 'Lagaan'.

"The interim relief petition with the CCI on the Google Lagaan matter is an instance of one such intervention and the writ petition being considered on the challenges pertaining to ad tech is another," George informed.

On December 10, Google said it is extending the timeline for developers in India from March 31, 2022 to October 31, 2022 to help them better integrate with Play Store's billing system.

The ADIF said that this move gives developers short-term relief for their anxiety.

"The reality is that app owners have been in a very tough spot as they are unsure if they should unwillingly comply with Google's new policies and be hopeful of a Competition Commission of India's (CCI) intervention on the interim relief petition for maintaining the status quo. Google's deadline extension certainly gives them more time but doesn't take away their uncertainty," George stressed.

In the long run, it's proactive and progressive legislation that will best address the underlying issues and also pave the wave for ecosystem growth in the long term.

"Most of our existing laws are either inadequate or ill-equipped to address & enable the unique nature of some of the new and nascent industry categories. A fair amount of our efforts hence will also be working towards enabling legislation," the ADIF executive added.

The ADIF recently condemned Amazon's "predatory playbook" of allegedly copying, rigging and killing Indian brands, urging the Centre for timely intervention.

"The manner in which the e-commerce giant has targeted the Indian market and leading brands in the country is highly deplorable and brings into question the credibility of Amazon as a good faith operator in the Indian startup ecosystem," George had said.

(Nishant Arora can be reached at nishant.a@ians.in)
New Delhi, Dec 12 : As we celebrate the phenomenal rise of the Indian startups, especially in the last two years, a number of global macro-economic factors served as tailwinds to help achieve this feat.

The global pandemic resulted in a digital transformation and adoption of technology at a societal level. Moreover, tech sector regulatory changes/crackdowns in China, availability of large pools of private capital were all positive factors for the Indian startup ecosystem to grow and produce a record 40 unicorns in 2021 alone.

Today, India has 82 unicorns with a total funding of over $38.4 billion (from 2014 till December 4, 2021), according to data provided by leading startups publication Inc42.

India emerged as the third largest startup ecosystem in the world this year, after the US and China, according to Hurun Research Institute.

In the third quarter (Q3) this year, Indian startups received record fundings, with investment totalling $10.9 billion across 347 deals, according to the PwC India.

India's unicorns are currently worth more than $168 billion.

The last two years witnessed the coming of age of the Indian startup ecosystem. The two seminal events that served as distinct markers of this were the IPOs of food delivery platform Zomato headed by Deepinder Goyal and software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider Freshworks run by Girish Mathrubootham.

"Another factor that contributed to making the Indian startup ecosystem click was startups truly turning into an asset class. This resulted in the sector attracting interest and capital from a larger and diverse pool of investors, including retail -- the subscription levels of PolicyBazaar, Nykaa, et al stand testament to this," Sijo Kuruvilla George, Executive Director, Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF), told IANS.

According to K.R. Sekar, Partner, Deloitte India, the demand and customer base for India is huge and an improved network and better telecom policy will further pave the way for the growth of startups.

"The IPO market is also booming in India and a lot of unicorns are planning for IPO, both in India and the US. The government has also addressed some of the teething challenges on direct tax on startups. However, the success of startups and growth is dependent not only on the market, but also on the policies of the government," Sekar said, adding that the government should further relax the regulatory compliances and make India more attractive for investment in startups.

Going forward, SaaS-based EV and Blockchain startups can herald further momentum for the ecosystem in 2022.

According to Kushal Nahata, CEO and Co-founder of SaaS startup FarEye, the firms have started adopting technologies like SaaS solutions that provide much-needed agility and speed to fulfil the ever-changing demands of the customers.

"SaaS has also become a hot category for investors so there is an availability of a lot of capital. This along with the pandemic-driven surge in e-commerce, the rapid shift of businesses to online and the need for innovation has caused the Indian startup ecosystem to explode," Nahata told IANS.

Over the past five years, the number of software-as-a-service (SaaS) firms have doubled in India and SaaS firms in the country are poised to reach $30 billion in revenue by 2025.

India now has 13 SaaS unicorns and between seven and nine companies with over $100 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR). The investments in Indian SaaS companies rose to $4.5 billion in 2021 -- an increase of 170 per cent from 2020, according to management consulting firm Bain & Company.

"Our aim is to empower businesses to provide Amazon Prime-like delivery experience and redefine how products are delivered across diverse logistics networks," said Nahata.

Niraj Singh, Founder and CEO of used car retailing platform Spinny that has become the youngest unicorn, said the pace of growth is at an all-time high with innovation and technology leading the way to find solutions for every problem and every smart idea is invested in today.

"This has grown significantly in the last couple of years, especially during the pandemic as, people seek better options to meet their needs and value purpose and quality service. There is a sea of opportunities with the ongoing momentum in the startup ecosystem in India," Singh told IANS.

Although massively under-penetrated when compared to the US and China, online penetration of food services market, especially e-grocery, in India is set to grow two times by 2025 with the right tailwinds -- it is likely to clock a gross merchandise value (GMV) of $13 billion, according to RedSeer.

Shan Kadavil, CEO and Co-founder, FreshToHome, told IANS that in the sub-segment of e-grocery, they have seen a huge shift in consumer behaviour who trust brands that give hygienic, direct from the source food products free of chemicals.

"Our business growth of nearly 5x in the last two years is a testimony to how the startup ecosystem has fared in India in the recent years," he said.

"The pandemic was a watershed moment in accelerating the shift towards online purchase habits and digitisation across all industries in India," he added.

Kunal Shah, Founder of CRED, said that for the next round of growth, one needs to work towards driving the participation of women in the workforce.

"The GDP expansion and building a robust startup ecosystem is much harder when half the population doesn't work. To make this happen, we need to introduce interventions across education, opportunities, and social/financial support for women to join the workforce," Shah emphasised.

(Nishant Arora can be reached at nishant.a@ians.in)
Lucknow, Dec 12 : Uttar Pradesh is witnessing an uptrend in its Covid situation with the number of active cases rising to 144 in the past 24 hours.

Nineteen new cases were also registered in the same period.

As per the official state Covid bulletin, the new cases were reported in Lucknow (5), Gautam Buddha Nagar (4), Ghaziabad (3), Mathura (2) and one each in Saharanpur, Kanpur Nagar, Gonda, Bulandshahr and Kaushambhi.

Health officials said that as many as 15 patients have recovered from the infection in the same duration.

The 144 active cases are spread across 38 districts of the state and more than 45 per cent of the active cases are concentrated in Lucknow (29), Gautam Buddha Nagar (19) and Ghaziabad (15).

Meanwhile, one person succumbed in Gautam Buddha Nagar.

Health officials have urged people to strictly adhere to the Covid-19 prevention protocols in individual and social interest.

The total number of vaccine doses administered in the state, meanwhile, rose to 17.67 crore, the highest in the country.

Some 11.81 crore eligible individuals are partially vaccinated, while 5.86 crore are fully inoculated.
New Delhi, Dec 12 : A man, who was in an inebriated state, forgot the location after parking his car and filed a police complaint of carjacking near here in Noida, an official said on Sunday.

According to the official, the man identified as Ashish, lodged a complaint with the Phase 3 police station, stating that two motorcycle borne unidentified miscreants on Saturday forcibly took away his I-20 car from Sector 71, Noida. "As soon as we got the information, a police team was deployed to gather all details about the incident," the official said.

In a bid to trace the location of carjackers, the cops went through the CCTV footage of the area where crime took place. To their surprise, they were not able to see any such crime which raised suspicion about the authenticity of the complaint.

As they continued the probe, it was found that complainant Ashish had filed a fake complaint of carjacking as he was in intoxicated that time. The probe further revealed that Ashish had parked his car at Noida e-cycle docking stand in Sector 120 and from there he went to his residence by an auto-rickshaw. Later, as the truth spilled out, complainant Ashish acknowledged his mistake and apologised to the police. He was then handed over his vehicle after completion of all official formalities.
Mumbai, Dec 12 : Farah Khan, who came to host Saturday's Weekend Ka Vaar' episode of 'Bigg Boss 15' pointed out that Karan and Tejasswi's differences are affecting their game and they should rather focus on individual games.

There was also a verbal spat between Devoleena and Rashami. Farah also targeted Pratik and advised him not to interfere in others matters.

Meanwhile, Rakhi shares some secrets about Ritesh with Rashami Desai. She reveals that there are a lot of things she was not aware of Ritesh before marriage.

She even points out that he has never revealed his identity before the show because he is not willing to bring out his reality that he is having some illicit relationship.

Rashami asks if Rakhi was not aware of Ritesh's reality. Rakhi responds she was not aware about him properly before marriage. She adds hinting towards him having a relationship with some other girl: "Now, even their eyes must be opened and I can't do anything. If he is going to keep there and here also, how will it work." Rashami asks her if she will play 'Bigg Boss' even after going out and Rakhi says: "My 'Bigg Boss' never ends." Furthermore, the date of grand finale of 'Bigg Boss 15' is January 16. Official confirmation is still awaited.

Latest updates on Bigg Boss Season 15
Chennai, Dec 12 : Calling actor Rajinikanth his inspiration, one of Tamil cinema's fastest rising young stars, actor Sivakarthikeyan on Sunday said that every second that he interacted with Rajinikanth was special.

The young actor, who commands a huge fan base across the south, on Sunday took to Twitter to greet Rajinikanth, who celebrates his 72nd birthday.

Sivakarthikeyan said, "Happy birthday to my inspiration Superstar Rajinikanth sir. Always got very few seconds to interact with you but every second was special and it gave me the extra energy to work harder. Love you sir." Sivakarthikeyan was among scores of film celebrities who greeted Rajinikanth on this birthday.

Birthday wishes continued to pour in from across regions and fields.

Malayalam superstar Mammootty took to Twitter to greet good friend Rajinikanth.

He said, "Wishing you a very happy birthday dear Rajinikanth. Stay healthy and blessed as always." Actors Vijay Sethupathi, Vishnu Vishal, Hansika Motwani, Sakshi Agarwal, Shanthanu Baghyaraj, Sibi Sathyaraj, Arjun Das, directors Karthik Subbaraj, P.S. Mithran, Venkat Prabhu, Seenu Ramasamy, music director D. Imman and producer Kalaipuli S. Thanu were among the first to greet the Tamil cinema icon.
New Delhi, Dec 12 : As elections to the Punjab Assembly near, the Aam aadmi Party (AAP) has intensified its attacks on the Congress government in the state.

Barely decade old, the AAP has taken on the century-old Indian National Congress, which won the 17th Lok Sabha elections with a majority in 2019. The Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party is focussing on two subjects -- education and illegal sand mining -- in its fight against the Congress.

It all started with Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's visit to a primary government school in Punjab's Chakalan village followed by another visit to Makrauna Kalan -- the village of Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi's maternal grandfather in his Chamkaur Sahib Assembly seat.

There, Sisodia, who also holds the education portfolio in Delhi government saw the dilapidated condition of the schools and said that if the Punjab government deems itself to have the best education system then it is lying and messing up with the future of millions of children and thereby, that of the country's.

Both he and Punjab Education Minister Pargat Singh indulged in a war of words over the issue with the former challenging the latter to present a list of 250 schools within 24 hours that have undergone major reforms in terms of good infrastructure, enhanced curriculum, teacher training programmes and showed improved results under the Congress regime.

"Punjab has the right to know the Congress party's contribution in the field of education in the state in the last five years," the AAP leader had said while releasing the list. The Punjab minister, on the other hand, failed to provide the list, giving the Delhi-based party a golden opportunity to show its mettle on the subject.

Since coming into power in Delhi in 2015, the AAP-led Delhi government has transformed the education system of the union territory. The pass percentage of the 2016 batch of grade 12 CBSE students under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government was 85.9 per cent. In 2017, it improved to 88.2 per cent; it then leapt from 90.6 per cent in 2018 to 94.24 per cent in 2019 to 97.8 per cent in July 2020. In fact, the government school results in Delhi reported a surge of 5.9 per cent in comparison to the private schools in Delhi.

We achieved such a great result by improving school infrastructure, focusing on quality learning, investing in teachers by sending them for training to Cambridge University which opened their eyes to the global scale of teaching, involving parents in their child's development journey and introducing curriculums that helped children look within themselves and to understand the world in a better way via Happiness, Business Blaster and Deshbhakti Curriculum," Manish Sisodia told media repeatedly.

Earlier on November 27, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal reached Mohali where he met contractual teachers, who were protesting for the regularisation of their services and said, "When AAP forms government in Punjab, like Delhi, all the issues of the teachers here will also be resolved," further alleging that both Akali Dal and Congress had 10 and eight years in government respectively, but neither did anything for the teachers.

The AAP national convener made eight promises to the teachers guaranteeing them of changing the future of Punjab with good governance. He promised them that once in power in the state all outsourcing and contractual teachers would be made permanent. He told them if the Channi government does not accept the demands of the striking teachers, then he (Kejriwal) will join them in their dharna. Kejriwal also promised them that a transparent transfer policy in Punjab will be implemented and non-teaching work burden will be taken off the teachers' shoulders, all vacancies will be filled, teachers will be sent abroad for training, promotion policy will be introduced and cashless medical facilities to teachers and their families will be provided.

On December 4, AAP MLA, who is also the party Punjab Co-in-charge, Raghav Chadha alleged that illegal sand mining was being carried out in Chamkaur Sahib, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi's constituency under the former's patronage.

He tweeted along with a live video of sand being mined illegally, "Illegal sand mining in Charanjit Singh Channi constituency has been exposed. It is the biggest expose which will shake Punjab's politics." "We are in Jindapur village, which is in the chief minister's constituency Chamkaur Sahib. Illegal sand mining is going on here openly. Sand is being illegally carried in trucks," it added.

Chadha also wrote a letter to the forest officer on November 22. "Forest Range officer Rajwant Singh had informed Sub divisional Magistrate, Sri Chamkaur Sahib - about the illegal mining activities in CM Charanjit Channi's constituency. There was no action on the sand mafia, but Rajwant Singh soon received transfer orders," he tweeted.

Chadha on Friday said that the AAP will reward Rs 25,000 to the Punjab Chief Minister if he acts against every site where illegal sand mining is being done as he has complete information about the whereabouts of illegal mining in his state.

In response, Charanjit Singh Channi attacked Arvind Kejriwal by calling him a "power greedy outsider", who wants to rule the state and accused him of misleading the people of Punjab. "AAP supremo has little knowledge about the state and he was groping in the dark for fulfilling his lust of power," he added.

Channi had also retweeted a blurred letter in Gurumukhi on his Twitter account saying that AAP can spread as many lies as it wants, but people of Punjab know the truth.

Illegal sand mining has become a major political issue in Punjab along with the problem of liquor, and in view of this the Congress government recently introduced "Mission Clean".

Earlier this year, a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader too had captured the act of illegal sand mining in a Facebook live that showed trucks loading sand at the Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant. The opposition party had blamed Congress leader and State Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal and his brother-in-law Jaijeet Singh Johal of being involved in illegal sand mining.

Punjab is headed for the Assembly elections in early 2022. In 2017 Aam Aadmi Party emerged as the second-largest party winning 20 seats in the 117-member Punjab legislative Assembly.
Chennai, Dec 12 : In what is being seen as a noble gesture on actor Rajinikanth's birthday, the Rajini Makkal Mandram on Sunday said the Rajinikanth Foundation would provide training to 100 students from poor and marginalised sections for the group exams being conducted by the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC).

Rajini Makkal Mandram convenor V.M. Sudhakar took to Twitter to make the announcement.

Sudhakar said, "On the occasion of superstar Sri Rajinikanth's 72nd birthday, our beloved Thalaivar is happy to announce that Rajinikanth Foundation shall train 100 students from the poorest and marginalised strata of society for the group exams conducted by the TNPSC.
Lucknow, Dec 12 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream project in Varanasi -- the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor -- is all set to transform the entire area around the Kashi Vishwanath temple and multiple other projects have brought about a sea-change in the ancient city.

The temple, till now, was ensconced in the tiny lanes of Varanasi and access to the same was invariably a problem -- especially on special occasions when the crowds swelled. The temple lacked direct visibility from the Ganga River.

The 20-25 feet wide corridor that will be formally inaugurated on Monday, will connect Lalita Ghat on the Ganga to the Mandir Chowk in the temple premises.

Devotees can take a dip in the holy river and offer prayers to Lord Shiva in the temple from there itself.

The temple now has an area of its own with a giant courtyard.

While the renovation of the Kashi Vishwanath temple remains top on the list of the projects completed in the Prime Minister's constituency, the Rudraksh Convention Centre that is designed like a Shivalinga with a seating of 1,200 people, with 108 Rudrakshas on its facade, is another major highlight.

The building form and philosophy behind this Convention Centre is inspired by Kashi's tradition of people-friendly spaces.

With modern facilities like divisible meeting rooms, art gallery and multi-purpose pre-function areas, the place provides opportunities for artists to showcase themselves and interact with the people as well.

The Prime Minister, as MP of Varanasi, has also ensured increased connectivity in his constituency.

The Godowlia Multi level parking, Panchkosi Parikrama Road (for pilgrims), Ro-Ro Vessels for tourism development on Ganga River and three-lane flyover bridge on the Varanasi-Ghazipur Highway, Rs 111.26 crore for constructing 47 rural link roads of 153 km, Lahartara-Chaukaghat flyover replete with a food court and open cafe, road connecting Babatpur airport to the city have given a new identity to Varanasi.

The Ring Road, with two rail overbridges and a flyover, will allow traffic on NH 56 (Lucknow-Varanasi), NH 233 (Azamgarh-Varanasi), NH 29 (Gorakhpur-Varanasi) and Ayodhya-Varanasi highways to bypass Varanasi, thereby reducing traffic congestion in the city.

The Ring Road will provide convenient access to Sarnath, an important site for Buddhist pilgrimage.

The much needed 6-lane widening project of the Varanasi - Prayagraj section of NH-19 has also been started, and this widening will significantly reduce congestion and traffic for vehicles plying towards Varanasi.

Besides this, Varanasi has seen overhaul and upgrade of the sewage system with the installation of online effluent monitoring systems and SCADA automation at ghats and sewage pumping stations to ensure that actionable information is available at all times.

An Integrated Command and Control (ICC) Centre for traffic and police management system, and medical emergencies has also been operationalised.

Additionally, 3,000 CCTV cameras have also been installed at critical points across 720 locations to ensure smart policing and make Varanasi much a safer place for pilgrims and residents alike.

Varanasi has been provided with 'smart signages' with Quick Response (QR) code. These signages give information to visitors and tourists alike about cultural importance of heritage sites and the 84 iconic ghats of the city, which are known for their antiquity and architectural beauty.

Sculpture signages have also been installed at the Assi ghat and Khidkiya ghat, providing information about various events like Ganga Arti at Dashashwamedh ghat, annual Naag Nathaiyya event at Tulsi ghat. The smart signage at Manikarnika Ghat and Harishchandra Ghat, where last rites of people are performed, is meant for people to know about the traditional rituals of these ghats.

Varanasi is emerging as one of the biggest medical hubs of Purvanchal. The two cancer hospitals -- Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Cancer Hospital and Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital -- provide comprehensive treatment to the patients from Uttar Pradesh, and nearby states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar.

The Deen Dayal Hastkala Sankul -- a trade facilitation centre for weavers, craftsmen and artisans of Varanasi in 2014 and in 2017, provides a marketing platform to weavers and artisans.

The Manduadih railway station in Varanasi has been revamped into a world-class station. Equipped with the latest amenities like air-conditioned waiting lounge, stainless steel lounges, LED lights, the station also has a cafeteria, food court, booking and reservation office, waiting rooms and more.
San Francisco, Dec 12 : Amazon Web Services (AWS), the Cloud arm of the tech giant Amazon, has come up with an explanation on the root cause of the outage that downed parts of its own services, as well as the third-party websites and online platforms that utilise AWS.

In a post on the AWS website, the company explained that an automated process caused the outage, which began around 10.30 a.m. ET (Eastern Time Zone) in the Northern Virginia (US-EAST-1) region, reports The Verge.

"An automated activity to scale capacity of one of the AWS services hosted in the main AWS network triggered an unexpected behavior from a large number of clients inside the internal network," the company was quoted as saying.

"This resulted in a large surge of connection activity that overwhelmed the networking devices between the internal network and the main AWS network, resulting in delays for communication between these networks," the company added.

According to the report, this issue even impacted Amazon's ability to see what exactly was going wrong with the system.

It prevented the company's operations team from using its real-time monitoring system and internal controls that they typically rely on, explaining why the outage took so long to fix.
Phnom Penh, Dec 12 : Cambodia, the incoming chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for 2022, will promote the bloc's spirit as a "united family" in order to maintain peace and prosperity in the region and beyond, the country's Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said.

Sokhonn, who is also a Deputy Prime Minister, made the remarks during a meeting in Phnom Penh with visiting Counsellor of the US Department of State Derek Chollet, Xinhua news agency quoted the Foreign Ministry as saying in a statement.

The Cambodian top diplomat expressed Cambodia's readiness to assume the ASEAN chairmanship and highlighted the kingdom's priorities across the three ASEAN community pillars, the statement said.

"He also emphasized that the theme 'ASEAN A.C.T.: Addressing Challenges Together' endeavours to promote ASEAN's spirit as a united family with a high sense of 'togetherness' in upholding peace and prosperity in the region and beyond," it said.

Meanwhile, Chollet said that American President Joe Biden is looking forward to hosting the ASEAN-US Summit in Washington D.C. in the very near future during which both sides will discuss a wide range of issues and agenda, including bilateral relations, Covid-19 response and post-pandemic recovery.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
San Francisco, Dec 12 : Vaping nicotine may put healthy men at higher risk ofAerectile dysfunction as compared to those who don't vape, finds a new study.

The study, published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, found that healthy men between the ages of 20 and 65 who vaped nicotine daily were more than twice as likely to report experiencing erectile dysfunction, CNN reported.

"Our analysis accounted for the cigarette smoking history of participants, including those who were never cigarette smokers to begin with," study author Omar El Shahawy from New York University, was quoted as saying.

For the study, the team involved nearly 46,000 adults and looked at information reported by men who regularly used e-cigarettes, restricting their analysis to only those who were otherwise healthy.

"We excluded people with high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease, which is a big reason for ED, and we excluded those with a history of smoking," Shahawy said.

The researcher further mentioned that it is possible that daily e-cigarette vaping may be associated with higher odds of erectile dysfunction regardless of one's smoking history.
Jammu, Dec 12 : An Indian Army officer reportedly committed suicide on Sunday in a camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district.

Police sources said an 'Army Major shot and killed himself with his service rifle inside a camp in the Banihal town of Ramban district'.

"The exact reason that forced the officer to end his life is being found out. An FIR has been lodged in this incident", sources said.
New Delhi, Dec 12 : National Centre of the Performing Arts (NCPA) giving a fresh start to cultural events in the city of Mumbai this season. The line up from the 16th December to 23rd December, 2021 features Bharatanatyam performances, concert, poetry and theatre.

The details of the events are: Catalyst

The event will run on 16th December, 2021 at 6:30 pm, which includes a Bharatanatyam solo by Keerthana Ravi, a duet by Pavitra Bhat and Aparna Shastry Bhat and Odissi by Asha Nambiar and Group.

Tickets Price: Rs 360 & 270/- (Members) & Rs 400 & 300/- (Public) Christmas with Merlian and The All Stars

The concert, which features an exciting ensemble of artists of all ages and from all genres and styles ready to bring in Christmas cheer and a message of faith, hope, love, and joy, has something for everyone-from operatic arias, rock 'n' roll, and Indo-fusion rap with the young ones to swing, pop, reggae, and jazz with multiple award-winning artistes, the concert has something for everyone. This edition will be held on 17th December, 2021 at 7:00 pm.

The concert will close with a fitting finale, and 'It's Christmas', an original composition by Merlin and Asif, during which the audience and artistes join in with the chorus.

UnErase's Winter Line-up UnErase Poetry is back on 18th December, 2021 with poems and stories at 7:00pm that will leave you with a warm heart on a winter evening. Watch India's most loved spoken word artists take the stage and share tales of love, friendship, romance, loss, and hope.

Performers: Helly Shah, Priya Malik, Yahya Bootwala, Taranjit Kaur, Amandeep Singh, Sainee Raj, Ramneek Singh, Vanika Sangtani, Mehak Mirza Prabhu & Nivedita Chandra Music by Samuel Pandya; Host: Simar Singh

War Horse

An NCPA-National Theatre Live (London) Presentation hosts a theatre screening on 22nd December, 2021 at 6:00 pm.

At the outbreak of World War One, Joey, young Albert's beloved horse, is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France. He's soon caught up in enemy fire, and fate takes him on an extraordinary journey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in no man's land. Albert, who remained on his parents' Devon farm, cannot forget Joey. Though still not old enough to enlist, he embarks on a treacherous mission to find him and bring him home. Based on the beloved novel of the same name by Michael Morpurgo, this powerfully moving and imaginative drama, filled with stirring music and songs, is a show of phenomenal inventiveness. At its heart are astonishing life-sized horses by South Africa's Handspring Puppet Company, who bring breathing, galloping, charging horses to thrilling life on stage. War Horse is an unforgettable theatrical event which takes audiences on an extraordinary journey from the fields of rural Devon to the trenches of First World War France.

Playwright: Nick Stafford Directed by Marianne Elliott & Tom Morris

Ticket Price: Rs 360/- (Members) & Rs 400/- (Public)

The Nutcracker

An NCPA - PathA Live (Paris) Presentation hosts a Ballet screening on 23rd December, 2021 at 6:00 pm.

Tchaikovsky's beloved score, which has delighted the hearts and ears of generations of music lovers, is brought to life by the Bolshoi Ballet dancers in The Nutcracker. On Christmas Eve, Marie and her whole family are gathered around the tree in celebration of the holiday. She receives a magical gift from her godfather, Drosselmeyer, and soon enough, this Christmas Eve will take an unexpected turn for her. Marie's new doll comes alive and carries her on a whirlwind adventure. Experience this holiday classic with the whole family through the eyes of Marie and her Nutcracker Prince on the big screen.

Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Choreography: Yuri Grigorovich

Libretto: Yuri Grigorovich (after E.T.A. Hoffmann and Marius Petipa) Cast: Margarita Shrayner, Semyon Chudin, Denis Savin, Alexander Vodopetov & the Bolshoi Corps Ballet

Tickets: Rs 450/- (Members) & Rs 500/- (Public)

(IANSlife can be contacted at IANSlife@ians.in)
Brisbane, Dec 12 : Former Australian pace bowler Jason Gillespie has come out in defence of embattled England Test captain Joe Root, who, he felt, was being treated unfairly following a string of defeats this season, the latest being the nine-wicket loss in the opening Ashes Test at The Gabba.

Gillespie also defended Root's decision to play Jack Leach in the Test saying that the captain wanted to give his pace bowlers some rest by pressing the spinner into service, but unfortunately he went for far too many runs.

While England pacers Mark Wood, Ollie Robinson and Chris Woakes were economical to an extent, 30-year-old left-arm spinner Leach bled runs, conceding 102 first-innings runs in 13 overs at an economy rate of nearly eight.

"A lot has rested on Root's shoulders for quite a while now because as England's best player he has to do the bulk of the batting -- but the criticism his captaincy has received is unfair. He would have been hoping that Leach would go at 2.5 to 3 runs an over to give his quicks a rest. That didn't happen and so that's something to ponder going forward," opined Gillespie in his column for dailymail.co.uk on Sunday.

"Joe is a good captain, someone always looking to learn and improve, and he has been more proactive rather than just letting things run. But a captain can only work with the players he has at his disposal and the way Australia have treated Leach will be a learning curve for him." There has been some talk about England quick Ollie Robinson's drop in pace during the Test but Gillespie saw no problem with that, saying that he was comfortably the pick of the visiting team seamers.

"Robinson's key strength is his accuracy. Put a shoebox on a length and he's hitting it more often than any of his team-mates, no question. Be clear about what type of bowler he is. He's not rapid, he's 80-84mph when he's bowling his best. Technology suggested a drop into the low 70s towards the end of day two but I wouldn't look too much into that. Not all bowlers hold their optimum pace."
Visakhapatnam, Dec 12 : Andhra Pradesh on Sunday reported its first case of Omicron, the new variant of coronavirus.

A 34-year-old man, who returned from Ireland late last month, tested positive for the new variant, health officials said.

The man from Vijayanagaram district had come to Visakhapatnam via Mumbai on November 27. He had tested negative for the coronavirus in an RT-PCR test conducted at the Mumbai airport.

However, after the mandatory 14-day home quarantine in Vijayanagaram, he was subjected to another RT-PCR test which turned out to be positive.

The man, who was asymptomatic, was kept in isolation and sent his samples to Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad for genome sequencing. The genome sequencing report received on Sunday revealed that he is infected by Omicron.

With the first case in Andhra Pradesh, India's Omicron tally has gone up to 34. Maharashtra has reported the highest number of cases at 17. Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Karnataka have also reported cases of the new variant.

Director of public health and family welfare, Andhra Pradesh, Dr G. Hymavathi said a total of 15 foreign returnees tested positive for Covid-19.

Samples of all the 15 were sent for genome sequencing. She said genome sequencing reports of 10 of them had been received and one of them tested positive for Omicron.

The director of public health advised people not to panic and believe in any rumours. She said people should continue to take all Covid-19 precautions like wearing masks, frequent hand washing and maintaining social distance.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, Dec 12 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said safeguarding of depositors money is the key and very crucial to the banks' overall prosperity.

"Banks play a big role in the prosperity of the country. And for the prosperity of the banks, it is equally important that the depositors' money is safe. If we want to save banks, then depositors have to be protected," Modi said at an event here themed 'Depositors First: Guaranteed Time-bound Deposit Insurance Payment up to Rs 5 lakh'.

During the event, Modi handed over cheques to a few depositors whose hard-earned money was stuck because of some banks going bankrupt.

"Keeping the spirit of 'Depositors First', the name given to today's event makes it even more accurate. In the last few days, more than one lakh depositors have got their money back which was stuck for years. This amount is more than Rs 1,300 crore," Modi added.

In India, insurance scheme for bank depositors was first introduced in 1960s with security of up to Rs 50,000 which was later raised to Rs 1 lakh. However, there was no deadline for returning depositors' money.

In 2020, the Centre increased the limit to Rs 5 lakh with a deadline of 90 days.

"Understanding the concern of the poor and the middle class, we have increased this limit to Rs 5 lakh," Modi said.

Modi added that 98 per cent of the total depositors are currently covered under the depositors insurance scheme and the Centre is committed to safeguard their money.
Kabul, Dec 12 : Unidentified armed men have shot dead a religious scholar in Afghanistan's western Farah province, a top official said on Sunday.

According to Badrudin, head of the culture and information department of the province, the murder took place on Saturday in the capital of Farah and the culprits fled the scene after committing the crime, reports Xinhua news agency.

Badrudin said security personnel have launched a search operation for the perpetrators.

No group or individual has so far claimed responsibility for the incident.
San Francisco, Dec 12 : Tech giant Microsoft has fixed a Teams bug that led to failed 911 calls on devices using Android 10 or later, media reports say.

A Reddit user discovered that having Teams installed, but not signed in, would prevent emergency calls from going through, citing XDA Developers, Engadget reported.

The phone would say a call was active and ring once, but never properly initiate the connection -- call logs would show nothing.

"While all Android calling apps will try to create a PhoneAccount class instance in the operating system, Teams was creating instances every time a user started the app 'cold' -- that increased the chances of a sorting problem that stopped calls from going through," the report said.

Google talked to the Reddit user and revealed that both the company and Microsoft were planning fixes.

In addition to the Microsoft patch, Google is delivering an Android platform update on January 4 that should address its side of the problem.

Users can delete and reinstall Teams to clear any excess PhoneAccount instances, and staying logged in should prevent any mishaps.
Chittoor, Dec 12 : The body of Lance Naik B. Sai Teja, who lost his life in the December 8 chopper crash in Tamil Nadu, was brought to his native village in Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor district on Sunday.

Hundreds of people descended on the Eguva Regada village in Kurabala Kota mandal when the body reached home from Bengaluru.

Teja's parents, wife, children and other family members were inconsolable as the mortal remains reached home.

Wrapped in the national flag, the body was kept for people to pay last respects. Senior Army and police officials, leaders from various political parties and people from surrounding villages paid their last respects.

Last rites of the deceased soldier will be performed later in the day with military honours.

Sai Teja was serving as a Personal Security Officer (PSO) to Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat.

Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 other personnel including Sai Teja died in the Mi-17V5 helicopter which crashed at Katteri, near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu.

The soldier's body, which was identified on Saturday, was brought from Bengaluru to his village by road. Large number of youth who were holding the national flag in their hands and raising slogans of 'Sai Teja amar rahe' joined the procession with their motorbikes. They also showered petals on the ambulance carrying the body.

Sai Teja (27) is survived by wife Shyamala, son Mokshagna, 4, and a daughter Darshini, 2.

Belonging to the Kuruba community, Sai Teja joined the Indian Army in 2012 as a sepoy. While serving in Bangalore Regiment, he was selected for para commando training. Last year, he was appointed as PSO to the CDS.

The Andhra Pradesh government on Saturday handed over Rs 50 lakh ex-gratia to the family of Sai Teja.

Following an announcement by Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, Panchayat Raj Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy and Excise Minister K. Narayana Swami visited Sai Teja's house and handed over the cheque to the family.

The family requested for a government job to wife of Sai Teja. Ramachandra Reddy said he would take the request to the notice of the chief minister and do the needful.
New Delhi, Dec 12 : As the legality of same-sex marriage gets approval in Latin America's Chile, the 31st such country in the world, the stand of a diverse country like India is still not clear as the long-pending subject is lying in court while the LGBTQ community says that the country is still following the Victorian law introduced by the British which they themselves took away.

A batch of petitions filed by the persons belonging to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) community seeking a declaration of recognising same-sex marriages under the special, Hindu and foreign marriage laws, is pending before the Delhi High Court.

This includes the plea of a queer couple -- an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI), and a foreigner -- seeking recognition of same-sex marriage under the Foreign Marriage Act and Special Marriage Act and another was on live-streaming of same-sex marriage proceedings in the country.

All these pleas seeking favour of same-sex marriage will be taken up by the High Court on February 3, 2022, as the court will also hear a plea opposing the registration of these marriages under the Hindu Marriage Act and seeking its registration either religion-neutral or under secular law.

Centre's stand The apex Indian court, in 2018, in a case filed by dancer Navtej Singh Johar among other petitioners passed the landmark decision to scrap section 377 of the IPC, which decriminalised homosexuality. However, the latest reply of the government on the issue before the Delhi High Court was not in favour of Same-Sex marriages in the country.

The Centre, on October 25, submitted before the court that "marriage" is a term associated with heterosexual couples and "spouse" means husband and wife, as it contended that there is "some misconception" regarding the order in Navtej Singh Johar case which decriminalised homosexual sex but does not talk about marriage.

It was argued that Navtej Singh Johar's case does not talk about marriage, adding that marriage is permissible between a biological man and a biological woman.

The Court's submission came in a petition for legal recognition of all same-sex, queer, or non-heterosexual marriages under secular legislation for marriage such as the Foreign Marriage Act, 1969 and the Special Marriage Act 1954.

Countries that allowed Same-Sex marriage Two decades ago, marriage equality for same-sex couples was first legally acknowledged in the Netherlands on April 1, 2001. Same-sex marriage is legally performed and recognized--nationwide or in some parts -- in 31 countries. They are -- Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Realm of Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, metropolitan Netherlands, metropolitan New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Uruguay.

In Switzerland and in Chile, same-sex marriage will be performed from 2022.

Same-sex marriage in the United States expanded from one state in 2004 to all fifty states in 2015 through various state court rulings, state legislation, direct popular votes, and federal court rulings. The fifty states each have separate marriage laws, which must adhere to rulings by the Supreme Court of the United States that recognise marriage as a fundamental right that is guaranteed by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as first established in the 1967 landmark civil rights case of Loving v. Virginia.

Chile is the ninth country in the Americas to pass marriage equality legislation, joining Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, the United States, Colombia, Ecuador, and Costa Rica.

Still following Victorian law, says LGBT community Talking to IANS, noted transgender activist Kalki Subramaniam said the Centre's stand seems India still follows the century-old Victorian law when it comes to same-sex marriage.

Consensual sex between the same gender was earlier a crime, but not anymore, however, when it comes to marriage the views of the government are not favourable for the LGBT community, she said.

Now more people are coming out and revealing their identity bravely in their workplaces, homes. The Government has to look into it more humanely as the togetherness between two persons and not just as two genders. Marriage is not just for reproduction, it is much more, she said, adding we are not just animals just to produce babies year after year and generation after generation.

"We are a civilised society and we have the right to fall in love with the person who will take care and support each other and nourish a healthy relationship to a healthy society. The government and judiciary have to look into this aspect as simple as it is," she said.

The government cannot decide who can fall in love with whom and it is nobody's business.

"It's my own right and my own decision... it should be in that way... but the views of the authorities are unfortunate and we are going backward", she said.

When asked if the same-sex marriage is really necessary, she said: "Personally, I do not believe in the institution of marriage. But my friends and other transgenders do. I will stand for their rights," she added.

(Jaison Wilson can be reached at jaison.w@ians.in)
Hyderabad, Dec 12 : Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday called for proactive and concerted efforts to increase the number of translations of literary classics in various Indian languages.

He suggested leveraging technological advancements in translation to make the rich heritage of regional Indian literature accessible to people in their mother tongue.

Addressing 36th foundation day of Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University, he praised the efforts of the university in translating classics such as 'Amuktamalyada' by Sri Krishnadevaraya into other Indian languages. He called for more such efforts to preserve and promote the use of different languages in India.

Naidu lauded the university's commitment to preserve Telugu language, literature and history through various research initiatives. He paid tributes to the former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh N.T. Rama Rao, who took the initiative to establish the university.

He also appreciated the efforts of the Telangana state government and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao in developing the university and furthering the cause of Telugu language and culture.

Noting that globalisation has had a widespread impact, the Vice President said it must be ensured that the youth do not lose touch with their cultural heritage. Underscoring the importance of language in forming one's identity and boosting self-confidence in the youth, he said people must take pride in speaking in their mother tongue.

Naidu observed that the National Educational Policy, 2020, aims at promoting Indian languages and encourages primary education to be in the child's mother tongue. He said the medium of education must be in mother tongue up to higher education and for technical courses too.

The Vice President called upon the universities to undertake advanced research in languages and improve the scientific and technical terminology in Indian languages in order to facilitate their wider reach and use in academia.

On this occasion, the Vice President presented awards to Dr Kurella Vittalacharya, poet and critic and Kalakrishna, Kuchipudi dance proponent.

Later, Naidu inaugurated the photo exhibition of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' at the University, organised by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Union Government.

Writing in the visitors book, the Vice President appreciated the efforts of the organisers in showcasing the culture of the paired states of Telangana and Haryana.

Encouraging people to visit the exhibition, he wrote that such initiatives will go a long way in propagating the rich cultural heritage of the paired states and promoting people-to-people contacts.

Telangana Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali, Telangana State Planning Board Vice Chairman B. Vinod Kumar, Telugu University Vice Chancellor Thangeda Kishan Rao and others were present.
New Delhi, Dec 12 : According to the agreement between Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and the Centre, one of the consensus points is that the government will discuss the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2021 with farmers before it is tabled in Parliament.

This will put brakes on the power sector reforms and the power distribution reforms will get delayed.

The one year and 15 day-long agitation by the farmers at Delhi's borders was called off after the Centre agreed to their major demands.

The protests were called off after the Centre gave a letter to the farmer bodies agreeing to meet their demands.

The letter was signed by Sanjay Agarwal, Secretary to the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare.

With regard to the farmers' demand for a law guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP) for foodgrains, the government has agreed to set up a committee.

The Central government has also agreed to discuss the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2021, with farmers' groups before it is tabled in Parliament.

The Centre has agreed to compensation for farmers who died during the protests, and said it will appeal to states to withdraw cases registered against farmers during the agitation.

Farmers have also been exempted from criminal liability under anti-pollution laws for burning crop stubble which is a leading cause of pollution.

After the letter was received and demands agreed to, the SKM announced the lifting of the protests at the Delhi borders.

"The current agitation stands suspended... The SKM dedicates the fabulous and historic victory of the struggle to around 715 martyrs of the movement, including those in Lakhimpur Kheri. SKM congratulates all the protesting farmers and citizens, and their supporters, wholeheartedly for waging an unprecedented struggle and for the glorious gains of the movement," it added.

Swaraj Abhiyan said in a tweet: "After 1 Year and 15 days of magnificent struggle, farmers have emerged victorious. Farmers have shown extraordinary patience and courage during this andolan. We Congratulate Indian Farmers on this Magnificent Victory".

SKM said it will regroup again on January 15 in Delhi to review the situation and whether government fulfilled its promises.
New Delhi, Dec 12 : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that India has won direct wars with Pakistan and will also win indirect one as well.

Singh was speaking after inaugurating 'Swarnim Vijay Parv' celebration at India Gate on 50 years of India's 1971 war.

Singh said, "After the defeat in 1971, Pakistan is continuously fighting a proxy war. Pakistan wants to disrupt peace in India by promoting terrorism and other anti-India activities. The Indian forces foiled their plans in 1971 and work to eliminate terrorism from its root is underway. We have won in a direct war and the victory will be ours in an indirect war as well," he added.

Talking about strong anti-India sentiment of Pakistan, Singh said, "The anti-India feeling in Pakistan can be seen from the fact that they name their missiles after invaders who attacked India - Ghori, Ghaznavi, Abdali, whereas India's missiles are named Akash, Prithvi, Agni. Now one of our missiles has also been named Sant".

Singh congratulated Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) for the successful flight test of indigenously designed and developed helicopter-launcher Stand-off Anti-tank (SANT) Missile on December 11.

The Defence Minister termed the 1971 war as among the most decisive after two World Wars. "This war tells us that the partition of India on the basis of religion was a historic mistake. Pakistan was born in the name of one religion but it could not remain one," he added.

Singh mentioned that the 1971 war is a classic example of India's morality and democratic traditions. "It will be rarely seen in history that after defeating another country in a war, a country does not impose its dominance, but hands over power to its political representative. India did this, because it is a part of our culture. India has never invaded any country, nor has it ever captured an inch of land of any other country," he said.

The Defence Minister recalled India's contribution in the establishment of democracy in Bangladesh and appreciated the fact that it has progressed rapidly on the path of development in the last 50 years, which is an inspiration for the world.

Singh said that the atrocities on the people of then East Pakistan were a threat to the entire humanity and it was India's responsibility to liberate them of that injustice and exploitation.

He paid rich tributes to the brave Indian soldiers, sailors and air warriors and their families who ensured the victory in the 1971 war, and said that the country will always be indebted to their sacrifice.

Remembering general Bipin Rawat, India's first Chief of Defence Staff, Singh said that in the untimely death of General Rawat, India has lost a brave soldier, an able advisor and a lively person.

The event will also mark the culmination of the year-long journey of the Victory Flame, the Swarnim Vijay Mashal which, having traversed the length and breadth of the country and collected soil samples from the villages of the gallant soldiers of the war, will converge in New Delhi on December 16, 2021 in a grand ceremony.
New Delhi, Dec 12 : In a pre-recorded message, Late Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, who was killed in a chopper crash in Tamil Nadu along with 12 others, paid tributes to the Armed Forces personnel responsible for India's victory in 1971 war with Pakistan.

In the pre-recorded message shared by Indian Army, he congratulated all the brave soldiers of the Indian Army on the occasion of 'Swarnim Vijay Parv' and said, "We are celebrating 50th anniversary of India Army's victory in 1971 war as the 'Vijay Parav'." "It is a matter of great pride that Vijay Parva is being held under the flame of Amar Jawan Jyoti which was made in the remembrance of our brave soldiers," he said.

"We invite all our citizens to participate in this celebration of Vijay Parav. Apni Sena par Hai Hame Garv - Aao mil kar manayen Vijay Parva. Jai Hind!," the late Chief of Defence Staff said.

General Bipin Rawt, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 armed forces personnel were killed in a military chopper crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on December 8.

He was on a visit to Defence Services Staff College at Wellington in Nilgiri Hills to address the faculty and student officers of the Staff Course during which the crash happened.

Indian Armed Force is observing 'Swarnim Vijay Parv' from December 12 till December 13. The closing ceremony will be held on December 13, which will be attended by Rajnath Singh and many other dignitaries, including from Bangladesh.
New Delhi, Dec 12 : Twenty years ago, Parliament, the supreme legislative body of the India, witnessed a dastardly terror attack that shook the conscience of the country to its core. The horror of the day, December 13, 2001, is still fresh in the minds of the people of the country.

Five terrorists of the Pakistan-based militant groups Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) infiltrated the premises in a White Ambassador bearing fake stickers of the Home Ministry and Parliament itself.

It would not be wrong to say that at the time, the security system at Parliament was as stringent as it is today.

Carrying AK47 rifles, grenade launchers, pistols and grenades, the terrorists breached through security cordons deployed around Parliament complex. As they further drove the car inside, one of the staff members, Constable Kamlesh Kumari Yadav, became suspicious of their movement.

Yadav was the first security official to approach the terrorists' car and, realising something suspicious, ran back to her post to seal the gate no 1 where she was posted. With their cover effectively blown, the terrorists opened fire on Yadav and fired at her 11 times.

Yadav died on the spot, averting a suicide bomber among the terrorists to execute his plan.

After killing Yadav, the terrorists moved forward, firing indiscriminately. The horror lasted for about 30 minutes during which a total of nine people were killed and 18 others injured.

All the five terrorists were also neutralised outside the building itself.

The anti-terror unit of the Delhi Police -- Special Cell -- which was set up in 1986 to prevent, detect and investigate cases of terrorism, organised crime and other serious offences in the national capital, took charge of the investigation.

Recalling memories of the 20-year-old terror attack, the then Deputy Commissioner of Police Ashok Chand told IANS that he was at the office of the Special Cell when the carnage occurred.

"As soon as we received information, I rushed with my team to Parliament," Chand said, adding that when he reached the spot, the attack was still going on.

"The situation had not normalised, it was still fluid and by that time other teams of Special Cell also reached there," he said.

In next few minutes, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel neutralised all the terrorists. Notably, the CRPF battalion posted at Parliament during the time of the attack had just returned from Jammu and Kashmir.

"So they were prepared for such unforeseen events and knew how to react," said another officer privy to the development.

Though it was the extreme bravery of the security forces to quickly contain the situation, the Watch and Ward staff of Parliament, too, played a vital role in saving several lives.

"The Watch and Ward staff immediately after the attack began, closed all the doors of the Parliament building, thus preventing the terrorists from entering the house," said an officer.

The Watch and Ward was renamed as Parliament Security Service in April 2009.

Chand said that soon after the attack, the investigation was taken up. In just 72 hours, the Special Cell of the Delhi Police cracked the case and arrested four people -- Mohammed Afzal Guru, Shaukat Hussain, Afsal Guru and SAR Geelani -- in this connection.

Two among them were acquitted, while Afzal Guru was hanged in Delhi's Tihar Jail in February 2013. Shaukat Hussain served his sentence at the jail.

On the eve of the attack's 20th anniversary, the Delhi Police has also tightened its security arrangements in the national capital on Sunday.

Just three months ago in September, the Special Cell busted a major Pakistan-based terror module and arrested eight people that were planning to carry out terror attacks in the country during the festival season.

(Ujwal Jalali can be reached at ujwal.j@ians.in)
Chennai, Dec 12 : Actor-politician Kamal Haasan was the latest to express his birthday greetings to his friend and fellow actor Rajinikanth, who celebrates his 72nd birthday on Sunday.

Taking to Twitter, Kamal Haasan, in Tamil, said, "Birthday greetings to my sweet friend Rajinikanth. I wholeheartedly wish that he remains hale and hearty for several years and entertains his fans." Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty too joined scores of others in wishing the superstar, who he said had been "Ruling over five decades with an enduring style". The sound designer also observed that Rajini's life story was a true inspiration for millions.

Telugu stars Ram Charan and Mahesh Babu too were among those who wished Rajinikanth on Sunday.

Ram Charan said, "Wishing our very own superstar Rajinikanth garu a very happy birthday! Your style and its impact will always inspire generations to come!!" Actor Mahesh Babu for his part said, "To the epitome of style & charisma.. Wishing you a very happy birthday Rajinikanth sir! Great health and happiness always."
Gandhinagar, Dec 12 : BJP MLA Ashaben Patel succumbed to the multiple organ failure owing to Dengue on Sunday. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel offered condolences on her death on twitter.

Patel said, "My deepest regrets for the demise of Unjha MLA Ashaben Patel. We appreciate the services she offered for public issues by staying active as a public representative".

Ashaben Patel had been in critical condition after liver damage due to Dengue and multi organ failure subsequently. She was under treatment at Zydus Hospital, Ahmedabad.

According to Dr V.N. Shah, Zydus Hospital, Ashaben was admitted to the hospital on Thursday evening due to dengue. She gradually developed multi organ failure. Her heart and lungs had weakened and her lever and kidneys were not functioning. "All these organs were functioning on life support system," Shah said in a video message on social media.

The chief minister visited her at Zydus Hospital on Saturday and assured her family members of all help and support. The minister of state, Brijesh Merja had also visited her at the Hospital and so had former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

The state government on Saturday moved a team of expert doctors from government controlled UN Mehta hospital to private run Zydus hospital in a bid to provide further medical assistance to her.

Ashaben was diagnosed with Dengue after having fever on December 7 after she returned from Delhi where where she met several top BJP leaders. She got herself treated at a local hospital in Unjha for 2 days and later was shifted to Zydus Hospital in Ahmedabad.

Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat too offered his condolences to the deceased and said that she will always be remembered for her active representation for public cause.

Gujarat BJP President C.R. Paatil also offered his condolences and prayed that God bless the bereaved family with strength to bear the pain.

Ashaben Patel was elected in 2017 from Congress ticket, but later switched to the BJP. She won the by-election in 2019 with a margin of 23,072 votes.

With her demise, Unjha assembly seat will have to go through the bypoll again in next six months. Unjha assembly seat is considered to have a significant Kadva Patidar community dominance in the region.
Chennai, Dec 12 : People, under the banner of several Dalit organisations, blocked at the Salem-Bengaluru national highway on Sunday after a statue of Dr B.R. Amedkar was found vandalised in Omalur town of Tamil Nadu's Salem district.

The statue was found with the right hand missing on Sunday morning and the police suspect the incident to have taken place on Saturday night.

Several Dalit outfits, including the VCK, blocked the road in protest to vandalism of the statue of the Father of the Constitution.

A strong police contingent reached the spot and held discussions with the leaders and registered a case. After that, the protestors dispersed.

Police are on high alert in the area as recently in Myladuthurai, there was stone pelting when VCK activists erected a three feet tall portrait of Dr. Ambedkar on his 65th death anniversary at Pattavarthi village which is predominantly having presence of Thevar community.

There was a spate of beheadings in south Tamil Nadu during September in a span of two days, with both Thevars and Dalits targeting each other over minor disputes. Police are on high alert whenever minor incidents occur affecting Thevars and Dalits and here also a huge police contingent was deployed to prevent any untoward incident.
Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 12 : Kerala state president of the BJP, K. Surendran has demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan after the outburst of Governor Arif Mohammed Khan over the issue of postings of vice-chancellors in universities.

Arif Mohammed Khan had openly told media persons that he would quit the post of Chancellor of the Universities and if the state government brings an ordinance replacing him with the Chief Minister of Kerala as the Chancellor, he would sign the papers. This has created a major political storm in the state with the opposition Congress lambasting the state government.

The BJP state president in a press conference at the state capital said that the Chief Minister does not have any moral authority to continue in office after the Governor's scathing remark.

K. Surendran also called for the dismissal of state higher education minister, R. Bindu.

The Kerala Governor had objected to the Kannur University Vice-Chancellor Dr Gopinath Ravindran and is sore that the state government proceeded with the posting even after Governor's objection. Arif Mohammed Khan also said that the standard of the Universities and academics were lowered following political interventions in the postings of Vice-Chancellors.

Surendran said that the Kerala CPI-M was trying to muzzle all the academic institutions and was packing these institutions of higher learning with people from the CPI-M background and added that the universities in Kerala were highly politicized.

Meanwhile, Arif Mohammed Khan reiterated his position that he would review his decision only if full proof guarantee was given that there would not be any intervention on the part of the state government in postings in Universities.

He also said on Sunday that there has to be a will to end the political interference in academic institutions and that dialogues would not do any good but instead, action was necessary.

The Governor also kept the Kerala BJP at an arms distance and did not heed the party's request for posting a candidate recommended by it as the Kannur Vice-Chancellor. He had then informed the Prime Minister that the Kerala BJP had recommended the name of a candidate for the post of Calicut university Vice-Chancellor and that he had not considered that.

The Governor had told media then that the Prime Minister had told him to go ahead with academic merit as the criteria in postings.
New Delhi, Dec 12 : Apple Music is now available to stream on Google Assistant-enabled devices like the Nest Mini and Nest Audio in five more countries, including India.

Australia, Canada, India, S. Korea and Mexico are the latest regions to offer Apple Music on compatible devices. Last year, Apple Music began rolling out on Nest and other Assistant-enabled smart speakers and displays in the US, the UK, France, Germany and Japan.

"With Apple Music now available on Nest devices such as Nest Mini, Nest Audio, Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max, Apple Music subscribers now have more choices when it comes to where they can utilize their Apple Music service," the search engine giant said in a statement.

To enable Apple Music on a Google Nest/Home device, a user just needs to head to the Google Home app on iOS/Android and select 'Settings.' Under this option, scroll down to 'Services' at the bottom and 'Music' Next, select 'Apple Music' and link your account to the Home app.

After setting up Apple Music with Nest/Home, one will be able to ask Google Assistant to play songs and albums from Apple Music via Google's smart speakers by default.

"Apple Music subscribers can search and play songs, albums and playlists just by using their voice. Not sure what you want to listen to? You can also use your Google Assistant to play music by genre, mood or activity," the company added.
Hyderabad, Dec 12 : Director Sukumar, who has given super hits like 'Arya', 'Arya 2', 'One Nenokkadine', and 'Rangasthalam', is set to entertain the audience again with his upcoming movie 'Pushpa'.

Starring Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna in the lead roles, 'Pushpa: The Rise', is to hit the screens on December 17.

As the team is actively participating in the promotional events, producers Naveen Yerneni and Ravi Shankar had interacted with the media in recent times. Naveen Yerneni talks about the difficulties the team had to face while shooting in the remote parts of Maredumilli Forest.

'Pushpa' producer Naveen Yerneni said, "Shooting at the Maredumilli Forest was not easy. We shot in unexplored locations. Just the make-up and journey into the jungles took two hours each." Talking about Allu Arjun's transformation as Pushpa Raj, Naveen said, "You are going to see Allu Arjun, in a role like never before. Everyone on the sets is still in awe of the kind of action Allu Arjun has done, for 'Pushpa'. He is to be praised for all good reasons. His pan-India launch will have a good response." On being quizzed about renaming the locations in other languages for 'Pushpa', the producer said, "Kannada's super hit movie 'KGF' had a Kolar Fields backdrop in every language. The backdrop is not renamed for other languages. Same goes for our movie 'Pushpa: The Rise'.

'Pushpa' is slated for release on December 17.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Bengaluru, Dec 12 : The third case case of Omicron has been detected in Karnataka, state Heath Minister K. Sudhakar said on Sunday.

The new patient is a 34-year-old male, a resident of Bommanahalli in Bengaluru, had tested positive for Covid-19 in an RT-PCR test after returning from South Africa. He is now being treated at a designated hospital in Bengaluru.

Health authorities have identified and tracked five primary contacts and 15 secondary contacts. Their swab samples have been sent for testing.

Earlier, a South African national and a local doctor were found to have the Omicron variant. These were the country's first two cases of the new variant.

The local doctor had no travel history and that fact created a lot of tension as authorities suspected the new variant to be already present in community.

The South African national was found to have left the country before the results of genomic sequencing arrived and the government had ordered multi-pronged investigation into the case.

The government has released new guidelines for international arrivals and made two doses of vaccination compulsory for entry to malls, cinema theatres, and commercial establishments. It has also made vaccination compulsory for parents of school children.
Patna, Dec 12 : The family feud between Lalu Prasad and his brother-in-law Sadhu Yadav intensified on Sunday with the latter alleging that the RJD founder defamed him by financing a movie which used his name and portrayed the character in bad light.

"Lalu Prasad had given money to filmmaker Prakash Jha for the movie 'Gangajal' to defame my name, Sadhu Yadav alleged.

"Prakash Jha is alive. Ask him (Prakash) who had financed his film?" Sadhu Yadav, the former MP, asked.

"I was in Singapore when Gangajal was released. My supporters protested against that film in Patna and several other cities of Bihar. Then, Lalu Prasad called me up to remove the protesters from theatres and allow movie's release," Sadhu Yadav said.

"Lalu Prasad, during the emergency, had taken shelter in my home in Gopalganj. When Lal Topi (Police) came to my house to arrest him, he fled in agricultural field. I was the one who provided him safe stay in my house and the houses of other relatives across the district. My mother cooked for him. When she died, he did not even attend her cremation. He did the same during my father's last rites as well," Sadhu Yadav said.

"Who would have known Lalu Prasad if my family would not have stood by him. Lalu got married with my sister. While staying in my house, socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan gave him ticket of Janata Party and he become an MP from Gopalganj," Sadhu Yadav claimed.

Agitated over his maternal uncle Sadhu Yadav's remark against his brother Tejashwi Yadav's inter-caste marriage, Lalu Prasad's elder son Tej Pratap Yadav on Saturday called the former a "kans mama".

Sadhu Yadav on Friday accused Tejashwi of demeaning the image of the Lalu family by marrying a girl from a different community.

"Tejashwi does not deserve to be called the Leader of Opposition of the Bihar Assembly," Sadhu Yadav said.

"He is being arbitrary in the family and party matters. He wants to rule us. We cannot allow him to do so. We will boycott him. We will teach him a lesson," said Sadhu Yadav, who was not invited for the marriage.

He said that Lalu Prasad's old aide Prem Gupta is a "corrupt" person. "In fact, all the invited persons who attended the wedding were corrupt," Sadhu Yadav said.

Tej Pratap alleged: "Sadhu Yadav was the murderer of Shilpi Jain and Gautam Singh. The double murder took place in July 1999 and Sadhu Yadav was asked to undergo a DNA test." "My father Lalu Prasad was defamed for 15 years due to Sadhu Yadav's criminal activities. Sadhu Yadav is not worth even Rs 2. He has used the name of Lalu Prasad to become a millionaire. He does not have the guts to stay in front of me. I am in Vrindavan right now. Wait for my return, I will teach him a lesson. People of Bihar will beat him with shoes," Tej Pratap said.

Tej Pratap alleged that due to Sadhu Yadav's criminal activities during 15 years tenure of the RJD government, Lalu Prasad had to pay a heavy price, by losing power in Bihar.

Tej Pratap's sister Rohini Aacharya has also slammed Sadhu Yadav. She uploaded a post on Twitter, saying: "Kans remains in the society and he (Sadhu Yadav) has proved it. Respect the relations like Krishna. Don't become Kans." Counter attacking Tej Paratap, Sadhu Yadav accused the former of having many illicit relationships with girls.

"He had illicit relation with a girl of Danapur and Lalu Yadav gave her Rs 5 crore and purchased her a shop in Connaught Place, New Delhi. He was also having physical relationship with other girls of Musallahpur, Masaudhi and other places. His marriage broke due to his wrongful activities," Sadhu Yadav alleged.

"The elder son of Lalu Prasad had already demeaned his social and political status, and now the younger son did the same. Why did Tejashwi marry secretly? Why did he not invite his friends and relatives in social and political circles? Sadhu Yadav asked.

"I suggest Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi to control their sons, failing which they will defame the entire family," Sadhu Yadav said.

Tejashwi tied the nuptial knot with his long-time friend Rachel Godinho, who is a Christian, in Delhi on Thursday.
Mumbai, Dec 12 : The 34th European Film Awards (EFAs), which were held virtually from Berlin, honoured and celebrated excellence in European cinema.

The Saturday night ceremony was hosted by German actress and writer Annabelle Mandeng from Arena Berlin studio where the nominees and winners joined via video link.

Bosnian filmmaker, Jasmila Zbanic's film 'Quo Vadis, Aida?' which follows the events upto the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, has emerged as the biggest winner at the prestigious awards with top three awards to its credit: European Film 2021, Best Director honour for Zbanic and European actress honour for Jasna Duricic for her performance as a Bosnian translator.

Danish filmmaker Jonas Poher Rasmussen's animated documentary, 'Flee' also also won three awards including the Best European Animated Film, Best Documentary and the European University Film Award.

Close on the heels of the award count of both 'Quo Vadis, Aida?' and 'Flee', 'The Father' emerged as the third highest winner as Sir Anthony Hopkins bagged the European Actor prize for his performance as a man with dementia in Florian Zeller's psychological drama, for which the actor also won an Oscar earlier, this year.

Zeller too shared the honours for best European screenplay for the film with co-writer Christopher Hampton.

The technical categories saw winners from Austrian drama 'Great Freedom', for best cinematography awarded to Crystel Fournier which also bagged the Best original score for Nils Petter Molvr and Peter Brotzmann.

Michael O'Connor won the best costume design for British period drama 'Ammonite'. Peter Hjorth and Fredrik Nord walked away with the visual effects prize for 'Lamb'. Flore Masson, Olivier Afonso and Antoine Mancini clinched the award for best make-up and hair for their work in Julia Ducournau directorial 'Titane'.

While Mukharam Kabulova was conferred with Best Editing honors for 'Unclenching the Fists', Best Production Design went to Marton Agh for Hungarian feature 'Natural Light'. Best Sound Design was awarded to Gisle Tveito and Gustaf Berger for their work in the Norwegian feature 'The Innocents'.

The EFAs also announced the nominees for the newly-configured LUX Audience Award. The award, which was launched in September 2020 by the European Parliament and the European Film Academy, in partnership with the European Commission and Europa Cinemas will be awarded to one of the three nominated films, 'Flee', 'Great Freedom' and 'Quo Vadis, Aida?'.

All three films will be subtitled in all the 24 EU languages for the purpose of accessibility to a wide set of audience. The award will be given out on the basis of audience votes from a period of mid-December to May 25, 2022. The winner will be announced in a ceremony in the European Parliament on June 8, 2022.
San Francisco, Dec 12 : US auto major Ford is reportedly planning to increase production of the all-electric Mustang Mach E next year to triple its current capacity by 2023 to meet the "incredible demand", as per CEO Jim Farley.

According to TechCrunch, this is the first time the automaker has provided a specific outlook for the Mustang Mach E.

Ford said in November that it would increase its production capacity of electric vehicles to 600,000 units globally by 2023 -- a goal that would be spread across the Mustang Mach E, F-150 Lightning, and commercial E-transit vans.

If Ford hits that 600,000 figure, it would double the number it had expected to produce over the next two years, the report said.

"It's hard to produce Mustang Mach Es fast enough to meet the incredible demand, but we are sure going to try," Farley tweeted.

"So starting in 2022 we are increasing production and expect to reach 200,000+ units per year for North America and Europe by 2023. That's 3X our 2021 output," he added.

Ford confirmed to TechCrunch that it will be able to increase the production capacity of the Mustang Mach E by building some of the vehicles at its factory in Cuautitlan, Mexico.
Mumbai, Dec 12 : Marvel Studios' mini series 'Hawkeye' released last month and has been getting audience appreciation for the portrayal of its characters, the approach to storytelling and taking the narrative forward in the post-blip New York.

The show tells the story of its eponymous character 'Hawkeye' played by Jeremy Renner, who teams up with a 22-year-old skilled archer, Kate Bishop played by actor Hailee Steinfeld, to embark on a journey to unravel a criminal conspiracy.

Series director duo, Bert and Bertie, who have worked in tandem with the showrunner, Rhys Thomas, recently spoke with IANS about their experience of working with Marvel Studios, the production design of the series and the importance of keeping the human alive in superhero films.

Talking about what the past year has been like for her from the show's filming, its release to the subsequent response, Bert says, "It has been an incredible adventure working with Marvel Studios, who are beyond belief when it comes to supporting a filmmaker. It was also a pleasure to work with such amazing actors all the way to seeing the final edit, now seeing it live and experiencing how much the fans love getting to know Barton and introducing Kate. It's been a great learning curve." Explaining the idea behind the show's production design, Bertie says, "We wanted to show New York with not just the skyscrapers of Manhattan or the business district but we also wanted to show the gritty underbelly of New York, the streets of Brooklyn and the strange little apartments. Also Christmas was going to be a character in the show." "It was Christmas which was going to be all around and not just fancy Christmas but also what we call 'sad Christmas'. The holidays are always such a joyful time of the year and you see that with Clint. He wants it to be joyful, he wants to go home to his family but he's alone. Hence, there's kind of a Christmas void in his life. We decided to have a little pop of sad Christmas so Kate brings vibrance to his life," she adds.

Sharing her idea of keeping superheroes human, Bert says, "It's incredibly important to keep the humanness intact in super heroes and that was at the heart of this show and all our creative decisions were based on Clint being a human. For instance, there is a shot in a car, the idea behind putting the camera in the car was that we wanted to stay with that character because it's all about them." Bertie adds to her creative partner, saying, "From the fraction comics series, Hawkeye and Kate Bishop's fallibility is one the threads that run through the comics and we really wanted to keep that. Clint has to patch himself up and he teaches the same to Kate." "These characters engage in brutal fights with the villains, and it's gonna take its toll on them and we wanted to show that. There's a comedy in it but it also reminds us that these characters are in danger and the stakes are really high," she concludes.
Mumbai, Dec 12 : The 'Weekend ka Vaar' episode on 'Bigg Boss 15' hosted by Salman Khan will see Ayushmann Khurrana and Vaani Kapoor appearing as special guests.

Farah Khan gives a quirky task to guess the name of songs from the emojis shown to them. Ayushmann sings he popular 'Dream Girl' number in the girl's voice. The trio dances on 'Baby Ko Base Pasand Hai'.

Furthermore, Ayushmann and Vaani also witness contestants target each other in a new task under Farah's supervision.

The housemates had to point out the other contestants' problems in the house. Rajiv calls Devoleena the most adamant person and accuses her of showing favouritism towards Pratik. Devoleena calls Umar an untrustworthy person. In retaliation, Umar says: "My trust is with my friends and not with people like this." Tejasswi, on the other hand, taunts Shamita for always being dependent on others. Shamita blames Tejasswi for always using Karan for her gain. Shamita, however, blames Ritesh for not giving back Rakhi the respect that she shows him, whereas Karan accuses Nishant of playing with others' emotions.

Salman schools some of the male contestants on how to treat the ladies. Karan has been constantly questioning Tejasswi's loyalty, making her feel miserable.

Salman also lashes out at Umar for behaving arrogantly: "You are a doctor still you don't know how to behave properly. Do you think by behaving in this way, you will increase your numbers. Earn respect here." 'Bigg Boss 15' airs on Colors.

Latest updates on Bigg Boss Season 15
Mumbai, Dec 12 : Actor Amar Upadhyay, who made his stint as Mihir Virani in 'Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi' and is currently seen as Virendra Pratap Singh in 'Molkki', spoke about how he has shaped his career so far in these 28 years.

Amar said: "Not only since 'Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi' but even before that, the love of my audiences has been intact since 'Dekh Bhai Dekh' days! And I am fortunate that I got to do the number one show of that era and that was my first performance and I used to be scared of going on the set, there were all huge names like Farida Jalal, Sushma Seth etc even the director was one of the most prestigious directors of the industry." He also recalled how scared he was on the first day of his shoot. "I remember my first day at the shoot, and I was sweating in an AC hall. I remember we were shooting in a huge set up and I was wearing a suit but all of them made me really comfortable. My first episode went on air, my mother was travelling in the train and there she overheard two people talking about Sahil Chachu (His character in 'Dekh Bhai Dekh') and the show." "She was very ecstatic to hear that. I was very young and that was the first time I had tasted success at a very young age. And after that as an actor you always want your work to be appreciated and to be seen and my aim was to gain recognition from my audiences as that is how you get more work," he added.

However, Mihir Virani has been the most prominent role of his career.

He says: "After Mihir there was no looking back! After that also today after so many years I am playing the lead character in 'Molkki'. Although the pairing was odd and I was cast alongside a girl who is half my age. But deep down I was convinced about the character." "And also, because it is challenging in a way. Hindi is spoken by everyone and I have also spoken Hindi all my life but here I had to speak in the Haryanvi accent. In my previous show also, I had a Gujarati accent but because I am a Gujarati so that was comparatively easier for me. And I am really thankful to my audience who accepted me in 'Molkki'," he concluded.

Amar will be soon seen playing a pivotal role in 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2'.
New Delhi, Dec 12 : Investment firm Franklin Templeton on Sunday announced that SBI Funds Management will distribute the next tranche of Rs 983.81 crore to unit holders across all six shut schemes.

The payment will commence on Tuesday.

"As advised by the court appointed liquidator (SBI MF), the payment to all investors whose accounts are KYC compliant with all details available will commence from 14 December 2021," a Franklin Templeton spokesperson said.

So far, the total payout is worth Rs 25,114.39 crore.

Post the Rs 983 crore payout, the schemes' total return would go up to Rs 26,098.19 crore, amounting to 103.50 per cent of the asset under management (AUM) as on April 23, 2020, it said.

Last month, the Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund (MF) distributed another tranche of Rs 1,115.55 crore to the investors of the six shut debt funds.
New Delhi, Dec 12 : After weeks-long protests by the people of Gwadar for fundamental rights, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said the government will take "strong action" against illegal fishing by trawlers off the Gwadar coast, Express Tribune reported.

In a tweet, the premier said he had taken notice of the "very legitimate demands" of the hardworking fisherfolk of Gwadar, a linchpin of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

According to the premier, he will also speak to Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo so the reservations of the Balochistan fishing community could be addressed.

The people of Gwadar have been staging a sit-in in the port city for their fundamental rights for more than 20 days. The sit-in is being led by Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman, the provincial general secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Balochistan.

Several rounds of talks between the Balochistan government and the protesters have failed, as the demonstrators said they will not end their protest on mere verbal promises, the report said.

Their demands include the provision of potable water to the citizens, civic amenities, employment opportunities for locals, and removal of unnecessary security checkpoints spread across the city.

The protesters have also demanded an end to illegal fishing in Gwadar's waters by foreign trawlers, saying illegal fishing trawlers were destroying Baloch fisherfolk's livelihood and the marine environment, and for restrictions on trade with Iran -- a major source of income for the locals -- to be lifted.

The only demand that has been complied with so far is the closure of wine shops in Gwadar, the report added.
New Delhi, Dec 12 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday will inaugurate the first phase of 'Kashi Vishwanath Dham' corridor constructed at a cost of around Rs 339 crore on Monday.

Appealing to people to join the programme, Modi on Sunday tweeted: "Tomorrow, 13th December is a landmark day. At a special programme in Kashi, the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham project will be inaugurated. This will add to Kashi's spiritual vibrancy. I would urge you all to join tomorrow's programme." Modi will reach Varanasi on a two-day visit on December 13. He will visit Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple to offer prayers and after which he will inaugurate phase 1 of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham.

In a statement, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said it was the vision of the Prime Minister for a long time, to facilitate the pilgrims and devotees of Baba Vishwanath, who had to encounter congested streets and surroundings with poor upkeep, when they practiced the age-old custom of taking dip in the holy river, collecting Gangajal and offering it at the temple.

"To realise this vision, Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham was conceptualised as a project to create an easily accessible pathway to connect Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple to the banks of the River Ganga. To kickstart the work for this pious endeavour, the foundation stone of the project was laid by the Prime Minister on March 8, 2019," the PMO said.

The PMO pointed out that the Prime Minister took a keen and active interest at all stages of the project. Regular briefings, reviews and monitoring was done by the Prime Minister himself, and he constantly gave inputs and insights to improve the project and make it more accessible for pilgrims, including for the disabled.

The project was designed to provide easy access for the disabled and old age people with provision of ramps, escalators, and other modern facilities.

As per the PMO, a total of 23 buildings will be inaugurated in the phase 1 of the project. They will provide a variety of facilities to the pilgrims visiting Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple, including Yatri Suvidha Kendras, Tourist Facilitation Centre, Vedic Kendra, Mumukshu Bhavan, Bhogshala, City Museum, Viewing Gallery, Food Court, among others.

"The project involved purchase and acquisitions of more than 300 properties around Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The Prime Minister's vision to take everyone along was the principle based on which mutual negotiations were done for these acquisitions. In this endeavour, the rehabilitation of around 1,400 shopkeepers, tenants and homeowners were done amicably," the PMO said.

It claimed that the testimony of the success is the fact that there is no litigation pending in any court of the country regarding acquisitions or rehabilitation related to the development of the project.

"Prime Minister's vision was also to ensure that all heritage structures be preserved during the course of development of the project. This foresight came handy when, during the process of destruction of the old properties, more than 40 ancient temples were rediscovered. These temples have been restored and beautified, while ensuring that there is no change in the original structure," the statement said.

The scale of the project was such that the project is now spread over a massive area of about 5 lakh square feet, whereas earlier premises were limited to just around 3,000 square feet. Despite the Covid pandemic, the work on the project has been completed as per the planned schedule.

During the visit to Varanasi, the Prime Minister will also visit Kaal Bhairav Temple on Monday afternoon and witness Ganga Aarti while on board a Ro-Ro Vessel in the evening.

On December 14 at around 3.30 p.m., the Prime Minister will attend the 98th anniversary celebrations of Sadguru Sadafaldeo Vihangam Yog Sansthan at Swarved Mahamandir in Varanasi.

During the 2-day visit, the Prime Minister will also participate in a conclave of Chief Ministers of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, along with Deputy CMs from Bihar and Nagaland.

The conclave will provide an opportunity to share governance related best practices and is in line with the Prime Minister's vision of furthering team India spirit.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, Dec 12 : Delhi Police has arrested three drug peddlers from the South-East area of the national capital and recovered heroin valued at Rs 60 lakh from their possession, an official said on Sunday.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Mohd. Aslam, a resident of Faridabad, Bavla alias Babu, and Rafiq Ahmed alias Baba -- both from Govindpuri in Delhi.

According to the official, a police team was constituted to curb the sale of the contraband in Delhi's South-East district, especially in the Hazrat Nizamuddin area.

On Thursday, the team received a tip-off that three persons would come to a DDA park to sell psychotropic substances to an unknown person.

Subsequently, the police laid a trap near the DDA park in Hazrat Nizamuddin area, and apprehended all the three individuals.

Following a search, they were found in possession of 330 grams of heroin, the police said. Accordingly, a case under sections 21, 61 and 85 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act was registered and they were arrested.

Further investigation is underway.
Chennai, Dec 12 : People visiting Tamil Nadu's famed Madurai Meenakshi temple from Monday will need to have a vaccination certificate, the state Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Department announced on Sunday.

Joint Commissioner, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments, Chelladurai said that devotees must have a copy of Covid-19 vaccination certificate for entering Madurai Meenakshi Sundareswar temple from Monday onwards, and those without it, would not be permitted entry.

The Tamil Nadu government had made it mandatory to have vaccination certificates if they move in public places including shrines, shopping malls, and any other place where people converge in large numbers.

Around 30,000 to 50,000 people frequent the famous Madurai Meenakshi Temple daily.

In Rameswaram also, the authorities have erected hoardings at vantage locations directing the visitors and devotees to get vaccinated. The hoardings inform people that vaccines are ready and people were given the jabs on the spot.

Around 50,000 people from all areas of south India reach the Sri Ramanathaswamy temple at Rameswaram on a daily basis. The noted Yercaud Dargah is also located in Rameswaram.

The Tamil Nadu Health Department is conducting intense screening for people who arrive from Kerala even if they have taken two doses of vaccine.
Bhopal, Dec 12 : The last rites of Naik Jitender Kumar, who was killed in the tragic December 8 Indian Air Force (IAF) Mi-17 helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu along with India's first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen Bipin Rawat and 11 others, were performed on Sunday at his village in Madhya Pradesh's Sehore district.

A large number of people had gathered to pay homage to the fallen soldier, who was one of the security personnel of Gen Rawat.

The ill-fated helicopter crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu, killing the CDS, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 others including Naik Jitender Kumar.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan who arrived in Dhamanda village to pay homage to the martyr announced an assistance of Rs 1 crore to his family.

The Chief Minister also said that Kumar's wife Sunita Verma would be given a government job, adding the state government would provide education to his children -- one daughter and a son, free of cost.

"Naik Jitender Kumar's wife Sunita Verma will be given a government job and a school will be named after the martyr's name and also a memorial of the martyr will be built," Chouhan said after paying homage to Kumar on Sunday.

Earlier on Sunday, wrapped in a Tri-colour, Kumar's mortal remains were received at Raja Bhoj airport in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal with full military honours.

A Guard of Honour was also given before his body was taken to Dhamanda village.
New Delhi, Dec 12 : The bill on surrogacy legalises ART procedures for live-in couples as well as single women, but discriminates against LGBTQ people and single fathers, say experts.

Talking to IANS, Prof Satendra Singh from University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi, contended that the law also contradicts the spirit of the Supreme Court's 2018 landmark verdict in the Navtej Johar v Union of India case, decriminalising all consensual sex among adults, including homosexual sex.

The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday gave the nod for two important bills for the regulation of the practice of surrogacy and other reproductive technologies - the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019 and the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill, 2020. However, the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2020 was passed by the upper house with amendments. It was earlier passed by the Lok Sabha, but the Rajya Sabha had referred it to a Select Committee. It will now go back to the Lok Sabha for approval.

The bill to regulate and supervise assisted reproductive technology has got the Parliament's nod.

The surrogacy bill prohibits commercial surrogacy in India and only allows altruistic surrogacy which has been defined in the bill as surrogacy in which no money or remuneration except medical expenses are provided for the surrogate mother by the couple. Commercial surrogacy which involves the selling or buying of a human baby has been banned by this legislation.

The bill has also a provision for taking written and informed consent from the surrogate mother ahead of the procedure for surrogacy and that the surrogate can withdraw her consent anytime before the implantation of the embryo.

Dr Anant Bhan, Researcher, Global Health, Bioethics and Health Policy, says that the surrogacy bill is a welcome step given the concerns regarding the need for regulation on an urgent basis. However, restricting the option of surrogacy to only cis-heterosexual couples is problematic as it excludes the availability of surrogacy to single persons and the LGBTQIA+ community, he adds.

An estimate suggests that about 20 per cent of all surrogacy cases in India comprise single men and women. "This is a non-progressive step and needs to be examined and addressed. Rights to access this technology should be available to them too. Also, the challenge with any new legislation often lies in its implementation," said Dr Bhan.

Dr Divya Pandey, an Associate Professor and IVF faculty at Safdarjung Hospital, terms the ART Regulation Bill, 2021 an important measure to curb the misuse and unethical practices. She said that it will help regulate and supervise ART clinics and banks across the country and will help prevent wrong practices.

She said that the bill has clearly defined the eligibility criteria for being a commissioning couple and the upper age limit has been determined at 55 years which is an important feature. "Earlier, we used to come across several instances of couples becoming parents by IVF in their 60s and 70s which is definitely not ethical keeping in view their health at this age." Pandey also told IANS that there is a clear guideline in the bill forbidding ART clinics to advertise sex selection.

She also said: "In the past, there have been many instances of these children being abandoned by the commissioning couple on grounds of genetic disease or sometimes even nationality by the foreign couples. These practices will be checked." (Avinash Prabhakar can be reached at avinash.p@ians.in)
Nagpur, Dec 12 : A 40-year-old man from Maharashtra's Nagpur, who recently travelled to South Africa, has tested positive for Covid-19's new variant Omicron, taking the state's tally to 18, officials said on Sunday.

Nagpur Municipal Corporation Commissioner B. Radhkrishnan said that the patient - who arrived here on December 4 from South Africa - has shown mild symptoms but is stable and is undergoing treatment at the AIIMS here.

The state Health Department said late this evening that the patient had been earlier diagnosed with Covid-19 in April, but since his symptoms were mild, he was not hospitalised, and has not been vaccinated till date.

None of his family members have tested positive but as a precaution, they have been kept under isolation, while the NMC health authorities have already traced 30 of his contacts who have also tested negative.

The patient also reportedly suffered from heart problems and the genomic sequencing of his samples confirmed he was afflicted by Omicron, said the NMC chief.

With this, the eastern part of the state has got its first Omicron case, with the remaining being in Mumbai (5), Pune (11), Thane (1), with the state tally going up to 18 in the past 8 days.

All three cities, which have international airports, were among the worst-hit during the first and second Covid-19 waves, and the state health authorities are monitoring all incoming passengers from the "high risk" countries besides random checks on arrivals from other countries.

Of the 11,751 flyers landing at the 3 international airports from the "high-risk nations", 22 have tested positive in RT-PCR tests, besides another eight from other countries and all the 30 samples have been sent for genomic sequencing.

As several cities like Mumbai, Pune, and Nashik plan to reopen all schools next week, Health Minister Rajesh Tope has assured that there is no cause for panic but appealed to all citizens to adhere to Covid-19 protocols.
New Delhi, Dec 12 : Union Minister of State for Personnel, Dr Jitendra Singh, on Sunday said that the Narendra Modi government is committed to uphold, preserve and strengthen the independence and autonomy of the CBI and all other investigating institutions.

Presiding over the Investiture Ceremony for recipients of the police medal for meritorious services at the CBI headquarters, he said that zero tolerance for corruption, transparency, and citizen-centricity are the "three main mantras" that determine the government's administrative outlook.

To fulfil the commitment of zero tolerance against corruption and unaccounted money, a range of initiatives have been taken by the Centre over the last seven years, he said, citing the setting up of a Special Investigation Team to unearth black money and necessary amendments being made in the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Noting that a few states are giving selective cases to the CBI, he said: "These state governments have to come clear and state whether they trust the CBI or not, or whether they trust CBI selectively as they continue to give selective consent in cases which suit them." said Dr Singh.

He called on these State governments to rethink on the decision of withdrawal of general consent to CBI to investigate cases.

Felicitating the awardees, he said that he hopes that the officials will discharge their duties for the service of the nation.

In his remarks on the occasion, CBI Director Subodh Kumar Jaiswal, congratulating all the CBI awardees, reiterated the agency's unflinching commitment to work towards the national goal of zero tolerance of corruption.

He said that the CBI has over the years evolved into a multidisciplinary premier investigating agency of the country inducting professionals from different fields, and is trusted by courts, governments and people at large.

"For every serious crime, there is always a clamour for CBI investigation. The success of the CBI is exemplified by the fact that the CBI has, over the years, been able to achieve nearly 70 per cent conviction rate despite of the fact that the accused are able to get best of legal support," he said.
Kolar : , Dec 12 (IANS) Tension prevailed in Karnataka's Srinivasapura town in Kolar district as Hindu activists stopped Christian missionaries from distributing religious books to the local residents and burnt the religious books and pamphlets, the police said on Sunday.

Four persons who were distributing books and pamphlets at a Hindu locality were handed over to the police.

Local residents who gathered at the spot following the incident on Saturday demanded police action to prevent "such conversion bid in future or else they will stage a protest".

According to police, the group objected to distribution of books to people. They also alleged that people who came from Chintamani gathered at a house and attempted religious conversion acts.

The police in Srinivasapura have registered a case, and are investigating the matter.

So far, the police have not arrested anyone.

The incident which took place ahead of the Karnataka Assembly's Winter Session scheduled to begin from Monday is likely to be raised by the Congress leaders.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is all set to table new law banning forceful religious conversions in the state which is expected to create furore in assembly.
Bhubaneswar, Dec 12 : It was "back to school" for Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday as he sat among the students during his inspection of the "smart" classroom of the Brundaban Government High School in his home turf Hinjilicut in Ganjam district.

Although it was a Sunday, the students, teachers, and other school staff were there to welcome the Chief Minister to their school, which was taken up under the 5T School Transformation programme.

Patnaik sat on a bench in a class room among the students as he discussed various topics with them. The class teacher informed the Chief Minister how much the students are happy with the infrastructure and facilities provided after the transformation.

He interacted with the students on various aspects of the high school transformation programme and advised them to do well in their careers. A student of that class gifted him his portrait as a token of respect and gratitude.

He also visited the modern laboratory and e-library and other state-of-the-art facilities in the school. Patnaik was accompanied by his Secretary, 5T, V.K. Pandian.

The students expressed their gratitude to the Chief Minister for spending time with them and also providing modern facilities.

"The Chief Minister asked us 'Are you all happy with the school'. We replied that all of us are very happy. He also inquired whether we need anything more for studies. But, we said nothing more is needed," said a girl student of the school.

The state government has been transforming government-run schools under its 5T initiative by creating modern infrastructure at par with the private schools.

This was the first visit of Patnaik to his home turf Ganjam since the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic. In the morning, he visited the Maa Tara Tarini temple, the presiding deity of Ganjam at Purushottampur.
Beijing, Dec 12 : Chinese e-commerce major Alibaba has fired an employee of who accused her boss and a client of sexually assaulting her on a business trip after getting her drunk, media reports said on Sunday.

The dismissal letter said she had "spread falsehoods that had damaged the company's reputation", the BBC reported.

The employee went public with her allegations in August, saying the company had failed to take action on the incident which occurred in July.

Her boss was subsequently fired, but did not face criminal charges. The client is still thought to be under police investigation.

The employee told government-backed newspaper Dahe Daily that she was fired late last month. It published a copy of what she said was her termination letter.

The letter said she had spread false information about the assault and about the company not handling the case, and this "caused strong social concern and had a bad impact on the company".

The employee was quoted as saying: "I have not made any mistakes, and certainly will not accept this result, and in the future will use legal means to protect my rights and interests." Alibaba has not yet commented on her dismissal.
Bonn : , Dec 12 (IANS) Brazilian Andrew Parsons has been re-elected for a second four-year term as President of International Paralympic Committee (IPC), getting elected unopposed at the 20th IPC General Assembly which was held virtually on Sunday. He received 156 yes votes (98 percent) of the 159 valid votes.

Parsons, the former President of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee and Americas Paralympic Committee, has served various roles within the Paralympic Movement over the last 24 years since starting out as an intern at the Brazilian Paralympic Committee. He was elected as IPC President in September 2017, succeeding Sir Philip Craven who stepped down after 16 years, the IPC said in a release on Sunday.

"I would like to thank the IPC membership for your support, it is an absolute honour to be re-elected as President of the International Paralympic Commit"ee," Parsons was quoted as saying in the release. "I started as an intern in the Brazilian Paralympic Committee 24 years ago so to be re-elected after, what I think was a successful first four years, is fantastic, I am so over the moon.

"I also want to congratulate all of the Board members who have been elected, including our Vice President Duane Kale who did a very good job over the last four years chairing the working group on the governance review.

"It's a very interesting and new Board; we have more women than ever before and, with the Chair of the athletes' Council, we have eight former Para athletes or Paralympians. This will help us a lot over the next four years," he said.

During his first four-year term Parsons transformed the culture within the IPC to make it a more membership-focussed, athlete-centered organisation and oversaw the safe and successful delivery of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. He strengthened the IPC's relationship with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), signing a new agreement between the two organisations which provides financial stability for the IPC and maintains the "one city, two Games" model through to 2032. By adding a third strategic pillar to the IPC activities focusing on advancing the human rights of persons with disabilities, he has also redefined the IPC's purpose, the release said.

In addition to Parsons' re-appointment, New Zealander Duane Kale was also re-elected for a second four-year term as IPC Vice President. Standing unopposed, the four-time Paralympic swimming champion received 154 yes votes from the 159 valid votes.

Having competed at the Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games, Kale served as the New Zealand Chef de Mission for the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Paralympic Games. Since election as IPC Vice President in 2017, he has chaired and led the IPC governance review process and chaired the IPC Audit & Finance Committee.

On Sunday, the IPC membership also elected 10 Members at Large following three rounds of voting. Overall, the IPC Governing Board now includes a record six female Board members, including IPC Athletes' Council Chairperson Jitske Visser. The Board also includes a record eight Para athletes and Paralympians.

All Board members elected on Sunday will serve four-year terms through to the 22nd IPC General Assembly which will be held in late 2025. With the approval of a new IPC Constitution by IPC members on Saturday, the First Vice-Chair o' the IPC Athletes' Council, will also serve on the IPC Governing Board alongside Visser. The First Vice-Chair will be elected by their follow IPC Athletes' Council members post the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.
Chittoor : , Dec 12 (IANS) The last rites of Lance Naik Sai Teja were performed with military honours amid emotional scenes at his native village Yeguvaregadi in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday.

He had died in the December 8 IAF helicopter crash that had resulted in the death of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, and 10 other defence personnel near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu.

Sai Teja was serving as Personal Security Officer to CDS, Gen Rawat.

Belonging to the Kuruba community, Sai Teja joined the Indian Army in 2012 as a sepoy. While serving in Bangalore Regiment, he was selected for para commando training. Last year, he was appointed as PSO to CDS.

The soldier's body, which was identified on Saturday, was brought from Bengaluru to his village by road.

Large number of youth who were holding the national flag in their hands and raising slogans of 'Sai Teja Amar Rahe' joined the procession with their motorbikes.

They also showered petals on the ambulance carrying the body.

Teja's parents, wife, children and other family members were inconsolable.

Sai Teja, 27, is survived by wife Shyamala, son Mokshagana, 4, and a daughter Darshini, 2.
London, Dec 13 : Ahead of their Premier League match against Brentford, Manchester United have recorded a number of positive Covid tests among their players and staff.

It is understood that all players tested negative before their game against Norwich on Saturday. But a number of players tested positive before training on Sunday morning.

The club has reported the cases to the Premier League and their match against Brentford on Tuesday is now in some doubt, a BBC report said.

The people who tested positive were sent home before training. The rest of the squad trained and practice was adjusted to individual and non-contact sessions.

Aston Villa also had one positive Covid case on Sunday, which meant that an indoor recovery session was cancelled as a precaution rather than have members of the squad recovering inside the training complex at Bodymoor Heath.

Earlier, Tottenham also had a coronavirus outbreak last week, forcing the postponement of two of its games - including a match at Brighton in the Premier League.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Jerusalem, Dec 13 : Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett made his first official visit to the United Arab Emirates, in a bid to strengthen the recently-established bilateral ties.

"I am delighted to take off for a historic visit, the first of its kind, to the UAE," Bennett said on Sunday in a video statement at the Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv ahead of his departure.

Bennett added that he will meet the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Monday, and will also meet "dozens of other ministers and senior officials." The visit, coming some 14 months after Israel and the UAE normalised ties, is "intended to deepen the cooperation between the countries in all areas," the Israeli Prime Minister said.

He added that the ties are already "excellent and branching, and we must continue to nurture and strengthen them, and build the warm peace between the people of the two countries." The visit comes amid Israeli diplomatic bids to halt the nuclear talks between world powers and Iran, Xinhua news agency reported.

The trip also marks the first official visit of an Israeli Prime Minister to the Gulf country.

Israel and the UAE signed the so-called Abraham Accord, a US-brokered normalisation agreement, in September 2020.

In late June, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid flew to the UAE, in the first visit by a senior Israeli official, to open the first Israeli embassy in the Gulf state. About a month later, the UAE inaugurated its embassy in Israel.
Damascus, Dec 13 : Visiting UN special envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen has said that he sees new possibilities for a political solution in Syria after his meetings with officials from the West and Arab countries.

"I think there is a possibility now to start to explore what I call a step-for-step approach, where you put on the table steps that are defined with precisions, that are verifiable, that hopefully can start to build some trust," Pedersen on Sunday told the media in Damascus.

He added that he had been traveling extensively among Arab countries, while conducting "in-depth discussions" with the Americans and the Europeans, Xinhua news agency reported.

He pointed out that the stances of all regional and international players should be analysed, as well as developments in Syria, in order to reach a comprehensive political solution to the country's decade-long war.

"My message is that there is another possibility to start to explore possible avenues, to start to move forward on this process," he said.

After arriving in Damascus earlier on Sunday, Pedersen held a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, after which he told the media that he had an in-depth discussion that lasted for more than two hours, during which all the challenges facing Syria were discussed.

"We obviously looked at the military situation, the economic situation, the humanitarian situation, and of course the political process linked to that," he added.
New York, Dec 13 : Search and rescue teams in western Kentucky and nearby states were combing through rubble for survivors after a series of tornadoes ripped through the region, killing at least dozens, while the number of deaths in Kentucky alone could exceed 100, The Wall Street Journal quoted state officials as saying.

The tornadoes tore through states including Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee, said Bill Bunting, the operations Chief at the Storm Prediction Center.

The New York Times (NYT) quoted officials as warning that the toll, now 80 in Kentucky alone, was almost certain to rise as the sifting continued on Sunday.

The tornadoes were part of a weather system that was wreaking havoc in many parts of the US, causing substantial snowfall across parts of the upper Midwest and western Great Lakes. State officials were still assessing the extent of the damage. Power outage has affected at least 77,000 customers in Kentucky and 53,000 in Tennessee, Xinhua news agency reported.

The National Weather Service has issued several tornado watches and warnings overnight for parts of the Midwest, including Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois and Missouri. In a statement, Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas advised residents to stay on alert, as severe weather remains a threat in the southeast US.

On Friday evening, more than 30 separate tornadoes moved with devastating power and speed across six US states stretching from Mississippi in the south to Illinois in the north, killing over 80 people so far, including workers in a candle factory in a flattened Kentucky town, lakeside vacationers in Tennessee and a nursing home resident in Arkansas, reported The Washington Post on Sunday.

Desperate search and rescue operations are unfolding during the weekend.

"This has been the most devastating tornado event in our state's history ... the level of devastation is unlike anything I've ever seen," Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear told the media on Saturday at a late morning news conference, calling the scale of damage "indescribable." "Last night was one of the most shocking weather events in my 40 years as a meteorologist -- a violent tornado (in December!) drawing comparisons to the deadliest and longest-tracking tornado in US history," tweeted Jeff Masters, a US meteorologist and expert on extreme weather. The longest paths in the disaster on record topped 200 miles.

Calling the tornado "an unimaginable tragedy," US President Joe Biden has declared a federal emergency for Kentucky, freeing up the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance and federally subsidised aid.

He said on Saturday that "the federal government will do everything, everything it can possibly do to help." Tornadoes are relatively localised, short-lived weather events.

"In recent years tornadoes seem to be occurring in greater 'clusters', and that a so-called tornado alley in the Great Plains -- where most tornadoes occur -- appears to be shifting eastward," reported NYT on Sunday.

"This is what we would call a tornado outbreak, where you have a storm system which produces a number of tornadoes over a large geographical area," Dan Pydynowski, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather, was quoted as saying.

However, such a large and powerful system in December is highly unusual, and something the region usually experiences in May or April.

"It's certainly not unheard of," Pydynowski said, "but to have an outbreak of this magnitude, with this many tornado reports -- it's a little unusual for this time of year." Temperatures in Arkansas and Kansas on Friday were "spring weather," and "it was unusually warm, and there was moisture in place," he added.

Even though scientists are observing more clusters, "it is unclear the role that climate change plays," said the report.

"For a lot of our questions about climate change and tornadoes, the answer is we don't know," Harold Brooks, a senior research scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Severe Storms Laboratory, was quoted as saying.
Robore Airport, Robore, Bolivia [ RBO / SLRB ]

If you are planning to travel to Robore or any other city in Bolivia, this airport locator will be a very useful tool. This page gives complete information about the Robore Airport along with the airport location map, Time Zone, lattitude and longitude, Current time and date, hotels near the airport etc... Robore Airport Map showing the location of this airport in Bolivia. Robore Airport IATA Code, ICAO Code, exchange rate etc... is also provided.

Robore Airport Info:

Robore Airport IATA Code: RBO Robore Airport ICAO Code: SLRB Latitude : -18.3281 Longitude : -59.7661 City : Robore Country : Bolivia World Area Code : 312 Airport Type : Small Robore Airport Address / Contact Details :

Robore Airport (RBO), Robore, Bolivia Timezone : America/La_Paz Robore Airport Timezone : GMT -04:00 hours Current time and date at Robore Airport is 17:31:00 PM (-04) on Wednesday, Jan 5, 2022

Looking for information on Robore Airport, Robore, Bolivia? Know about Robore Airport in detail. Find out the location of Robore Airport on Bolivia map and also find out airports near to Robore. This airport locator is a very useful tool for travelers to know where is Robore Airport located and also provide information like hotels near Robore Airport, airlines operating to Robore Airport etc... IATA Code and ICAO Code of all airports in Bolivia. Scroll down to know more about Robore Airport or Robore Airport, Bolivia.

Robore Airport Map - Location of Robore Airport Load Map Bolivia - General Information Country Formal Name Republic of Bolivia Country Code BO Capital La Paz (administrative/legislative), Sucre (judical) Currency Boliviano (BOB)

 1 BOB = 0.145 USD

 1 USD = 6.907 BOB

 1 BOB = 0.128 EUR

 1 EUR = 7.812 BOB

 More BOB convertion rates Tel Code +591 Top Level Domain .bo

This page provides all the information you need to know about Robore Airport, Bolivia. This page is created with the aim of helping travelers and tourists visiting Bolivia or traveling to Robore Airport. Details about Robore Airport given here include Robore Airport Code - IATA Code (3 letter airport codes) and ICAO Code (4 letter airport codes)

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RBO - Robore Airport IATA Code and SLRB - Robore Airport ICAO code
Midnight Ride from Sarajevo Protagonist Daniel Prescott faces danger from the Warlord's militia, including an attack from multiple helicopter gunships, each raining fire at over seventy-five rounds per second.

Following the 1992-1995 Bosnian war, an evil, narcissistic Warlord gains power over a naive Sarajevo public. His corruption grows to new heights when his penchant for kidnapping young, attractive women expands into neighboring Croatia. American entrepreneur Daniel Prescott is drawn into the conflict when his beautiful partner is abducted by the Warlord's militia while the couple is on holiday in Dubrovnik.

Tom Clancy action meets Robert Ludlum intrigue. Trying to save his beloved companion, Prescott faces multiple struggles with the Warlord's militia, including an attack from helicopter gunships, each with gatling guns raining fire at over seventy-five rounds per second. Complicating their escape are minefields endangering their cross-country trek on horseback.

Midnight Ride from Sarajevo is an action-adventure thriller founded on actual historical trends resulting from the political void following the Bosnian war.

Author Douglas W. Farnell served as Chief Financial Officer for several small to mid-size Seattle area businesses. The protagonist, entrepreneur Daniel Prescott, is the lead character in 'Midnight Ride from Sarajevo,' the second book in a series.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougfarnell/
"If we can get all 350 bags of groceries to these families it would be huge, everyone has been working tirelessly to collect donations and get the word out. With the help of the community I believe we will reach our goal." said Courtney Hutcheson, Chairwoman for Caruso Cares.

Caruso Cares, a Caruso Homes initiative, is having a holiday food drive to provide local food banks with enough groceries to feed 350 families during the holidays. The food drive will run through December 20th, 2021.

Caruso Cares is a coordinated effort between Caruso Homes employees, trade partners and friends who identify needs within the communities where Caruso Homes builds. Working together, they collect donations or offer services to support and strengthen neighborhoods and improve peoples lives.

"At Caruso we see the importance of not just building communities but supporting communities. This is why we enacted Caruso Cares as an extension of our company values." said Jeff Caruso, Owner/CEO of Caruso Homes.

Caruso Cares has a goal to feed 350 families by collecting 350 grocery bags of food. All grocery bags collected will be donated to local food banks in Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Delaware. To celebrate 35 years in business Caruso Cares will also donate $35 to local food banks for every bag of food collected.

"If we can get all 350 bags of groceries to these families it would be huge, everyone has been working tirelessly to collect donations and get the word out. With the help of the community I believe we will reach our goal." said Courtney Hutcheson, Chairwoman for Caruso Cares.

Grocery bags can be dropped off at any Caruso model home location and all corporate offices during business hours. Caruso is also offering the option to send monetary donations of $20 in which they will use to fill a grocery bag for you.

Caruso Cares is collecting grocery bags with the following items:



Boxed Mac and Cheese

Boxed Cornbread Mix

Canned Cranberry Sauce

Canned Green Beans

Canned Yams

Pudding Mix

Canned Pumpkin

Graham Cracker Pie Crust

Boxed Cereal

Peanut Butter and Jelly

Paper Items

Diapers and Wipes

Household Cleaners

Personal Toiletries

For more information or drop off locations, visit http://www.carusohomes.com. For questions contact us at info@carusohomes.com.

ABOUT CARUSO HOMES | http://www.carusohomes.com

Founded in 1986, Caruso Homes, Inc. is an award-winning luxury home builder based in Crofton, MD offering a variety of new home communities and on-your-lot home building solutions throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware and North Carolina. Caruso Homes On Your Lot division specializes in providing move-in ready homes on any suitable homesite in Raleigh/Durham and now Charlotte, North Carolina. For more information, visit http://www.carusohomes.com.
Window Shopping ExploreTRV wants to help your town tell its story of resilience and your countys tale of natural wonder  and how they connect and nourish one another and feed the larger community's optimism.

For many of a certain agelessness, the merry spectacle of Jimmy Stewart joyfully bounding through the drifted-over streets of Bedford Falls, happily showering animated Christmas wishes upon humans and inanimate objects alike, is among Hollywoods most heart-warming Holiday visions of small-town American life.

Not for nothing has Its A Wonderful Life  for which 2021 marks the 75th anniversary of its theatrical release been ranked by the American Film Institute as the most inspiring movie of all time.

One of the central themes of Frank Capra's redemptive epic  which graced the silver screen just as America was returning to a sense of normalcy following the horrors, upheavals and uncertainties of World War II  is the importance of preserving a sense of place and protecting community identity in the face of shifting cultural attitudes and unrelenting economic pressures.

The triumphant, down-home message still resonates three-quarters of a century later, in some ways now more than ever.

The nation at large  and the Tennessee River Valley and Southern Appalachia in particular  is experiencing revival of interest in and appreciation for smaller-communities, and a renaissance of thinking-and-acting locally.

Theres certainly now a widespread sense that downtowns are cool again, Mary Helmer Wirth, president of Main Street Alabama, told ExploreTRV recently for an article exploring the many ways small-town Appalachia is capitalizing on surrounding natural beauty and drawing in visitors to experience enriching local heritage.

As people kind of moved to the bright, shiny new malls, the traditional downtown was kind of left behind, she said. But theyre coming back.

Wirth says theres an unmistakable longing in America for the friendly community relations and neighborly familiarity that can be lacking in more urbanized settings.

Across our remarkable region, communities that have long struggled economically are coming to realize that their most marketable assets are a traditional sense of place and proximity to adventure recreation opportunities.

Community business owners, political leaders and wellness advocates who celebrate the past  and prioritize preserving local heritage  will likely always have a solid foundation upon which to build future success. And theyre also recognizing that advancing a downtown economy forward can often best be sustainably achieved by strengthening ties back to surrounding rural lands.

Outdoor recreation is flourishing across the region, and the doors of opportunity are opening for entrepreneurs and planners who recognize the town-and-country connections.

Fitting together "incredible natural assets and natural resources" with attractive small-town amenities is key to regenerating local economic landscapes, said Chris McKlarney, administrator of Giles County in Southwest Virginia.

McKlarney believes a healthy recreation economy will nourish success and prosperity in other important economic sectors as well.

We see that as just another aspect and another piece of the puzzle of economic development, McKlarney said. People can choose to live anywhere today. Industries can locate where they want. If you dont have the quality of life, you are not going to have the industry that you are really looking for.

ExploreTRV wants to help your town tell its story of resilience and your countys tale of natural wonder  and how they connect and nourish one another and feed the larger community's optimism.

No matter where you live in Southern Appalachia, historical cultural assets and first-rate recreational resources are never far away.

This Holiday Season, make a point of thinking about what makes life wonderful in your community and drop us a line. We'd be delighted to let others know that your corner of the Tennessee River Valley region is very much worth a temporary visit or maybe even a permanent stay.

The TRV Stewardship Council, a 501 c3, serves as the steering committee and editorial board for the ExploreTRV MapGuide, a geotourism website. The Council is composed of volunteers from the seven state region. The Council's efforts are made possible through the generous support of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).
Two mainstream trends - kettles and outdoor kitchens - coexisted in the backyards but were separated for too long. We could not turn a blind eye to the inconvenience experienced by BBQ folks globally, said Gediminas Balodas, KamadoSpace Co-founder and VP Engineering.

Kettle, the most popular charcoal grill item of all time, finally has a premium quality standard nest. KamadoSpace, a European ready-to-assemble outdoor kitchen brand, has launched an add-on to its flagship product Infinite Island that will surely please all those backyard cooks in love with the kettles.

Rather than having free-standing grills, nowadays the majority of people prefer them built into an outdoor kitchen. However, Kettles unique design with the lower intake vents that double as an ash catcher and the three legs make it rather difficult to build-in. Luckily, now European mechanical engineers have designed a specific stainless steel tray with vertically and horizontally adjustable three legs so that a kettle can be built into any KamadoSpace kitchen in no time.

Born from a buoy back in 1952, Weber's kettle has evolved over the years but always stayed true to its roots, providing the most incredible flavour experience. Kettle, a free-standing grill, maintained its popularity even after in the last decade outdoor kitchens moved from being reserved for higher-end homes to becoming mainstream.

Two mainstream trends - kettles and outdoor kitchens - coexisted in the backyards but were separated for too long. We could not turn a blind eye to the inconvenience experienced by BBQ folks globally, said Gediminas Balodas, KamadoSpace Co-founder and VP Engineering.

The innovation that made grilling and cooking outdoors so popular came in 1951 when George Stephen Sr. was frustrated by his inability to control the heat in his backyard grill. The Kettle was born and introduced a year later, and so Weber's journey began. Today's design is not far from the original one and it is by far the most popular backyard grill in the world, with many rival kettle manufacturers constantly popping-up in the market.

Consumers should note that some kettle grill manufacturers may choose not to honor the terms of a warranty by declaring it void if a grill was built-in.

Grill tables or BBQ islands are essential for those who regularly grill outside. They are handy for storing barbecue accessories and preparing food.

KamadoSpace is the fastest growing ready-to-assemble outdoor kitchen equipment brand in Europe with 100 independent retailers offering off-the-shelf kitchens to local BBQ communities. It designs brand-neutral grill kitchens that fit Kamado Joe, Big Green Egg, Primo, Monolith Grills, Bastard, Yakiniku grills, and now Weber Original Kettle and Master-Touch, among others.
The results of the study are likely to change the treatment paradigm for some patients with relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma.

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center hematology experts in leukemia, lymphoma and other specialties will present new research at the 63rd annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), which begins today in Atlanta, Georgia. The many research projects to be highlighted include breakthrough research on CAR T cell therapy, immunotherapy, leukemia, lymphoma and the management of genetic mutations in aggressive and rare blood cancers.

On Monday, Dec. 13, two Roswell Park specialists in FLT3-mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) will present study findings that could shape the treatment of this rapidly progressing cancer. At 3:30 p.m., an internationally recognized expert in FLT3-associated AML, Eunice Wang, MD, Chief of Leukemia, will give a podium presentation highlighting findings from a multicenter study of a new treatment combination (abstract 700). Dr. Wang is the first author of this study, which demonstrates the safety, tolerability and effectiveness of gilteritinib (a FLT3 inhibitor) plus azacitidine chemotherapy in patients with FLT3-mutated relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Also presenting key research in FLT3-associated AML Monday, in a 5:30 p.m. podium presentation, is Pamela Sung, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Oncology in the Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology & Therapeutics (abstract 785). Dr. Sung is first author on a study that uncovered a potential target for drugs designed to inhibit FLT3, a mutation that generally carries a poor prognosis. The study revealed the importance of a histone methyltransferase, EZH2, and suggests that a combination of FLT3 and EZH2 inhibitors could improve responses to treatment in AML patients with this particular mutation.

Francisco Hernandez-Ilizaliturri, MD, Chief of Lymphoma, contributed to a practice-changing study highlighted today in a talk from a collaborator from the University of Colorado Cancer Center (abstract 91). These eagerly awaited results from the TRANSFORM study demonstrated the safety and effectiveness of lisocabtagene maraleucel (liso-cel) CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor therapy (CART-19) in comparison to standard of care (high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell support) in patients with primary refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

The results of the study are likely to change the treatment paradigm for some patients with relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma, notes Dr. Hernandez. In addition, it highlights the clinical significance in the development of novel immunotherapy treatments in hematological malignancies.

Renier Brentjens, MD, PhD, Deputy Director and the Katherine Anne Gioia Endowed Chair in Cancer Medicine, is a co-author on a study being presented in a highly anticipated talk (abstract 827) outlining the results of an early-phase trial of MCARH109, a new CAR T cellular therapy. The findings of this study, which was conducted in patients with multiple myeloma that recurred after treatment with other therapies, will be presented Monday at 5:30 p.m. by a researcher from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

We believe this work, while early, is demonstrating very promising and exciting outcomes and will provide yet another effective therapeutic approach for patients with multiple myeloma, says Dr. Brentjens.

On Sunday, Dec. 12, at 9:30 a.m., Elizabeth Griffiths, MD, Director of Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) at Roswell Park, will discuss the importance of dose, schedule and adherence for optimal efficacy of hypomethylating agents in the treatment of patients with MDS during an educational session, MDS: Beyond a One-Size-Fits-All Approach. Dr. Griffiths contributed to several studies that are being presented at this years meeting, including one that identified a new risk factor for bleeding in adult patients with MDS (abstract 3637) and another that reports on the safety effectiveness of a drug combination (oral decitabine and cedazuridine) in patients with lower-risk MDS (abstract 66).

Hemn Mohammadpour, PhD, DVM, a postdoctoral research affiliate with Roswell Parks Department of Immunology, has been selected to receive an ASH Abstract Achievement Award for abstract 2765, Galectin-3 Signaling in Donor T Cells Regulates Acute Graft Versus Host Disease (aGvHD) after Allogenic Transplantation. Dr. Mohammadpour will present the findings of this Roswell Park study, which establishes the feasibility of manipulating Galectin-3 signaling to ameliorate acute graft-versus-host disease, in a poster session Sunday, Dec. 12, at 6 p.m.

This press release is also available at https://www.roswellpark.org/newsroom/202112-roswell-park-hematologists-present-new-research-flt3-inhibitors-cart-19-ash-annual

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is a community united by the drive to eliminate cancers grip on humanity by unlocking its secrets through personalized approaches and unleashing the healing power of hope. Founded by Dr. Roswell Park in 1898, it is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York. Learn more at http://www.roswellpark.org, or contact us at 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) or ASKRoswell@RoswellPark.org.
Good tax policy should follow several key principles; for example, any well-structured tax code should be easy to understand and navigate, avoid unduly favoring certain taxpayers over others, and be minimally burdensome to raise the necessary revenue. But perhaps the most obvious and intuitive principle of good tax policy is that it should only ever change prospectively, never retroactively. Unfortunately, recent events serve as a reminder that there are few, if any, protections against changing tax rules retroactively at either the federal or state level.

At the federal level, there have been several recent efforts to impose retroactive tax obligations in the reconciliation bill. As Democrats cast about for revenue-raisers to pay for their enormous spending agenda, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) floated an idea that he has been pushing for for some time  mark-to-market taxation.

Under a mark-to-market system, unrealized capital gains would be taxed on an annual basis just as if they had been realized. There are numerous issues with any mark-to-market scheme, but this version had a unique twist in the form of retroactive enforcement.

Rather than only having to pay taxes on future unrealized capital gains, Wydens proposal would require affected taxpayers to pay taxes on allaccumulated unrealized gains up to that point as well. For entrepreneurs who have become billionaires through the accumulated increase in value in their shares in their start-ups, this would result in enormous tax bills roughly $30 billion, in Facebook founder Mark Zuckerbergs case.

There are all kinds of economic concerns with such a proposal, from the impact of billionaires flooding the market with shares to pay their tax bill to the chilling effect on future entrepreneurship, but it would also clearly be a retroactive tax. Affected taxpayers would have accumulated their wealth at a time when unrealized gains were not taxable until they were realized via a sale, only for Wyden to rewrite the tax code retroactively to make those gains taxable.

This proposal eventually failed to make the final bill, but another form of retroactive tax enforcement at the federal level still might. Though it has received far less publicity, the House-passed reconciliation bill repeals the requirement that Internal Revenue Service agents receive supervisor approval before assessing penalties and makes it retroactive all the way back to 2001.

In 1998, Congress passed into law a rule that the IRS cannot assess penalties against a taxpayer without supervisor approval. The agency largely ignored this requirement until a few years ago, when cases brought against the IRS resulted in numerous penalties being invalidated on the basis of this requirement not being followed.

Eliminating this requirement retroactive to two decades ago would reward the IRS for cavalierly ignoring taxpayer protections, rendering the previously-illegal penalties once again valid.

And its not just the federal government thats guilty of retroactive tax provisions. The Supreme Courts decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair, which empowered states to impose sales tax obligations on out-of-state businesses selling remotely, opened the door to numerous questions about retroactivity at the state level.

One example was Massachusettss cookie nexus, which absurdly claimed that the digital cookies stored on a Massachusetts computer constituted physical presence for the websites owner.

These workarounds were often ignored by businesses as being fairly obviously unconstitutional to that point, but Wayfair overruled Quillbefore their legality could be tested. Some states, including Massachusetts, attempted to assert that this was proof of the constitutionality of their laws, and demanded that businesses which had ignored the law to that point pay back taxes  including months prior to the Supreme Court case that ostensibly validated their law.

Fortunately, the Massachusetts Appellate Board ruled recently that that was not the case, and that the cookie nexus rule could not be applied retroactively.

Taxpayers deserve certainty that they wont have the rug pulled out from them months or years down the road, and that the tax code on the books today is what will govern their tax obligations for todays activities. Passing common-sense protections against retroactive enforcement at both the state and federal levels is the only way to guarantee this.
After 300 intimate partner deaths in 20 years, has enough changed?

We reviewed hundreds of pages of police reports, criminal case filings and court data related to intimate partner violence in Connecticut. Here are our key findings.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP)  The investigation into the lynching of Black teenager Emmett Till nearly 70 years ago ended as it began, with a mystery that might never be solved. All these decades later, it's still not even clear whether the gruesome homicide was the work of a pair of racist brutes or a larger group of conspirators.

Two white men publicly confessed to the slaying after being acquitted by an all-white jury in Mississippi in 1955, but a Justice Department report released last week said at least one more, unnamed person was involved in Till's abduction. Experts whove studied the case believe others participated, from a half-dozen to more than 14.

The lack of answers to decades-old, nagging questions has created a void for Tills family. Thelma Wright Edwards, a relative who recalled putting diapers on Till as a child, talked about the emptiness left by the decision to end what will likely be the final investigation into his death.

Nothing was settled. The case is closed, and we have to go on from here, she told a news conference in Chicago.

In a sense, the nation as a whole was denied a proper ending to an awful tale because the true story of one of the most infamous hate crimes of the last century may never be known.

On abstract levels, truth has been lost and justice has been lost. The complexity of what happened has been lost, said Dave Tell, a professor at the University of Kansas who wrote Remembering Emmett Till.

Till, who was 14 and from Chicago, went to Mississippi to visit relatives during the summer of 1955. On Aug. 24, witnesses said he whistled at a white woman in a rural grocery store, a violation of the Souths racist societal codes at the time. In return, he was rousted from bed and abducted from a great-uncle's home in the predawn hours four days later.

With relatives uncertain over the teen's whereabouts and fearing the worst, Till's body  weighted down with a large fan from a cotton gin  was pulled from the Tallahatchie River three days later. Roy Bryant, whose then-wife Carolyn was the subject of Till's whistle, and Roy Bryant's half-brother, J.W. Milam, were charged with murder and on trial before an all-white jury within two weeks.

From the beginning, prosecutors portrayed the lynching as the work of a group, said David Beito, a retired University of Alabama professor and author who researched the case.

Their official argument was that this beating occurred and that more than two people were involved. They argued a conspiracy, in effect, Beito said.

Although only Bryant and Milam were charged, Black teenager Willie Reed testified during their trial that he saw a group of white men and Black men in a truck with a person he later realized was Till based upon photos. Till's great-uncle testified that Bryant and Milam were accompanied by a third person with a voice lighter than a man's when they abducted Till, indicating the possible presence of a woman.

Acquitted of killing Till and no longer in legal jeopardy, Bryant and Milam were paid to do an interview for Look magazine in which they admitted killing Till and suggested they were honor-bound as white Southerners to take vengeance on a disrespectful Black boy who affronted Bryant's wife.

With the magazine's wide circulation at the time, the Look article reset the narrative reported in the Black press of a group killing, Tell said.

For that period of about five months, there was a pretty widespread consensus that there were five white men involved and two African Americans. I feel pretty comfortable saying that," Tell said. "I think thats what happened.

Milam's relative Leslie Milam bolstered the idea that a group of people was involved in a deathbed confession years later to being involved in the lynching, Beito said. Several Black men were suggested through the years as having helped restrain Till in the back of a truck while their boss and other white men rode in the cab, he said.

(The Black men) were under duress. They didn't have a choice, Tell said.

Keith Beauchamp, a filmmaker who investigated the case for his documentary The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till, said as many as 14 white and Black people were involved with the abduction, killing and cleanup.

Through it all, no one else was ever charged, and the narrative of exactly what happened remains murky. One after the other, all possible suspects died, save one.

A Mississippi grand jury declined in 2007 to indict Carolyn Bryant Donham, Bryant's one-time wife who is now in her 80s. The Justice Department reopened the investigation after a 2017 book quoted Donham as saying she lied when she claimed Till grabbed her, whistled and made sexual advances. But the investigation found no basis to charge her over the author's claim that she recanted her statements from 1955. Donham denied changing her story, the Justice Department report said.

The Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr., a cousin who was with Till both at the store and in the house the night he was abducted, expressed disappointment over the lack of justice and paucity of answers after decades of review. Parker said he heard his cousin whistle, but that was all that happened.

We can't bring him back, but we can carry on and let America know we need to know the truth, and that's what we look for, he said.

___

Reeves is a member of the APs Race and Ethnicity team.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP)  South Dakota lawmakers are readying to hear Tuesday from a former state employee at the center of questions over whether Gov. Kristi Noem interfered in a state agency that was evaluating her daughter's application for a real estate appraiser license.

It could be the first time that longtime agency director Sherry Bren speaks publicly about a meeting in the governor's mansion last year since The Associated Press first reported on it in September. The Republican governor held the meeting just days after Bren's agency moved to deny Noem's daughter, Kassidy Peters, an upgrade to her appraiser license. Peters received another opportunity to pursue her license through an agreement signed the week after the meeting.

Lawmakers have tried to dig into the facts of the episode. Noem has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. And Bren has mostly stayed silent.

Here's what to know about the committee's inquiry that has stretched nearly two months:

WHAT HAPPENED AT THE GOVERNOR'S MEETING?

It's still not clear.

In an October testimony, Noem's secretary of labor, Marcia Hultman, described the meeting as innocuous  mostly a policy discussion aimed at changes to the application process for appraiser licenses. She acknowledged that it was uncommon to have an applicant in such a meeting and said there was a brief discussion at the end about a plan to allow Peters to fix problems with her application and try again. Hultman excused any appearance of impropriety by saying that details of the agreement with Peters were in place before that meeting.

Noem had echoed a similar defense to reporters, saying that the decision was already made on her path forward. She insisted the agreement was not even broached at the meeting and Peters had only given her personal experiences through the program.

However, when the committee pressed Hultman's department to show them a copy of Peters' agreement, it was revealed that it was not signed until more than a week after the meeting.

Bren also has said she was presented with a letter at the meeting from Peters supervisor that slammed the agencys decision to deny the license.

WHO IS SHERRY BREN?

She helped start the state's Appraiser Certification Program and was its director for nearly three decades. Appraisers describe her as a by-the-books regulator.

It doesnt matter who you are, shes the same for everyone," said Amy Frink, the vice president of the Professional Appraiser Association of South Dakota, a group that has been critical of changes to the agency since Bren's departure.

But the governor has implied that Bren was getting in the way of changes she wanted to make as the state saw a shortage of appraisers.

Hultman began pressuring Bren to retire shortly after Peters received her appraiser certification in November 2020. Bren filed an age-discrimination complaint and received a $200,000 payment from the state to withdraw the complaint and leave her job in March.

WHY IS SHE SPEAKING NOW?

She received a subpoena that compels her to answer questions.

Bren  through her lawyer  actually suggested that lawmakers subpoena her because she is barred from disparaging state officials as part of a settlement.

Most lawyers would say, `Dont do it unless you are subpoenaed and then you are compelled to be there,' said Tom Wilka, a lawyer who specializes in employment litigation. It provides more of a defense of Bren.

WHAT WILL SHE SAY?

After Hultmans testimony in October, Bren told the AP she wanted to correct any factual inaccuracies from the cabinet secretarys account. It's not clear beyond that.

The trajectory of Bren's testimony will largely depend on what lawmakers ask and how much they press for details.

One powerful Republican lawmaker, Sen. Lee Schoenbeck, told the committee he hoped questioning would be limited to the functionality of the appraisal program.

But those words amount to little more than guidance.

Lawmakers on the committee, especially the two Democrats, previously have asked head-on questions about the governor's meeting, Peters' application and why Bren was pushed to retire.

They have yet to receive clear answers.
PARIS (AP)  In her first address as a presidential candidate for France's main conservative party, Valerie Pecresse vowed Saturday to break with President Emmanuel Macron's centrist policies and to defeat the extremism of the far-right candidates in the race.

France is holding its presidential race on April 10, with a runoff if needed on April 24. Pecresse, head of the Paris region and a former conservative minister, is first woman chosen to run as The Republicans' presidential candidate.

Since the announcement last week, Pecresse has been gaining in popularity and some polls even have her in a runoff with Macron in the second round of voting. The French president is expected to seek a second term although he has not yet officially declared his candidacy.

Speaking at a conference hall in a Paris hotel, Pecresse assured party members that she will first beat her rivals on the far-right in order to end The Republicans streak of presidential defeats.

We are back on the battlefield to win and the voters know it, she said. It will be Emmanuel Macron or us!

Two far-right contenders  Marine Le Pen, the head of the National Rally party who lost to Macron in the 2017 runoff, and former TV pundit Eric Zemmour  are campaigning on anti-Islam, anti-migrant themes.

On the left, Paris Mayor Anne Hidago is the presidential candidate for the Socialist party and the Greens chose European lawmaker Yannick Jadot, a former Greenpeace activist. The far-left leader of the Rebel France party, Jean Lue Melenchon, is seeking the presidency for the third time.

An experienced politician, Pecresse, 54, has been the minister for higher education, for the budget and was a government spokesperson under former President Nicolas Sarkozy from 2007 to 2012. Pecresse left The Republicans in 2019 amid leadership divisions after the party had a poor showing in EU elections. She rejoined the party this year.

Known as a pro-European, Pecresse in recent months has hardened her positions on immigration and security. She vowed to crack down on illegal immigration but also to step up the integration of immigrants and break down the barriers faced by the immigrant ghettos around Frances urban centers.

She also warned against the rise of what she called Islamism in France.

I am determined to stop the rise of Islamism, she said. In France, women are free and the laws of the Republic are respected.

If elected president, Pecresse said she would end Frances 35-hour workweek so employees work and earn more.

And internationally, she told the audience of about 1,000 party members and supporters, I want a strong France.

I want us to play a leading role in the world, not as vassals of the United States ... and not as subordinates of China and not playing second fiddle in Europe, she said.

___

Surk reported from Nice, France.
Jason DeCrow/AP

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (AP)  Connecticut State Police are pulling over law-breaking drivers at less than half the rate they were at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, according to new data.

Troopers pulled over about 76,000 motorists in 2020, compared with about 157,000 in 2019, according to statistics compiled by the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy at the University of Connecticut and reported Saturday by the Hartford Courant.
To India's 73rd Republic Day, India is contemplating inviting all five Central Asian countries - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - as Chief Guests. People familiar with the developments said that the option of inviting the leaders of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan as chief guests is being pursued. At the same time, they said there is no finality on the guest list yet while not ruling out other options as well.

If it happens, this will be the second time that India will invite so many countries as a grouping. The first time, India had invited leaders of 10-nation influential regional bloc ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) for the Republic Day celebrations in 2018 and all of them attended it..

India to host five Central Asian foreign ministers

Prior to that, New Delhi is going to host five Central Asia- India Foreign Ministers meet on December 18 and 19. It is pertinent to mention here that the meeting will be the third of its kind. The first one was held in Uzbekistans Samarkand in January 2019 which saw India being represented by the then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. In 2020, with Jaishankar as the External Minister, the meet happened virtually.

The foreign ministers of India-Central Asia at the 2020 meet had strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and reaffirmed the determination of their countries to combat this menace by destroying terrorist safe-havens, networks, infrastructure and funding channels. They had also underlined the need for every country to ensure that its territory is not used to launch terrorist attacks against other countries.

Thereafter, S Jaishankar Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in October 2021. In his visit, the main aim was to further expand the bilateral ties of India with the Central Asian countries.

India in the past has announced a US $ 1 billion Line of Credit for priority development projects in fields such as connectivity, energy, IT, healthcare, education, agriculture etc. It has also pitched for Chabahar port in Iran for an easy route for connectivity, something that has garnered support among those countries.

Image: PTI
Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey on Sunday welcomed Saudi Arabia's crackdown on orthodox missionary movement Tablighi Jamaat, saying that it was necessary to break organisations related to terrorism. Citing Pakistan as an example, Pandey stated that the world had already seen the proof of the Imran Khan-led nation's involvement in guarding and promoting terrorism. The Minister stated that for world peace, it was necessary for nations to break such terror groups. "We have seen proof of Pakistan's involvement in guarding and promoting terrorism. For world peace, we have to break all the organizations related to terrorism. So we'll welcome if any country tries to eliminate it," Bihar Minister Mangal Pandey told news agency ANI.

BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya also tweeted on Saudi Arabia's action against Tablighi Jamaat reminding how the group violated COVID-19 protocols by holding a massive congregation in 2020.

On December 10, Saudi Arabias Friday preachers were directed to warn people against Tablighi Jamaat and its misguidance that leads to terrorism.' Issuing a detailed thread on Twitter, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Islamic Affairs called the group a 'gateway to terrorism'.

Saudi Arabia warns people against Tablighi Jamaat

In line with the order, the Kingdoms Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dr Abdullateef Aal-Sheikh ordered preachers of the mosques to dedicate the next Friday sermon, to raise warnings against the Tablighi and Dawah group and raise four major points. These include, Declaration of the misguidance, deviation and danger of this group, and that it is one of the gates of terrorism; Mention of their most prominent mistakes; Mention their danger to society; and Statement that affiliation with partisan groups, including (the Tablighi and Dawah Group) is prohibited in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Ministry's Twitter post read, His Excellency the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dr Abdullateef Al-Sheikh, the preachers of mosques in which Friday prayers are held, are instructed to dedicate the next Friday sermon 6/5/1443 AH to warn against (the Tablighi and Dawah group)."

His Excellency also directed that the sermon include the following topics:



1- Declaration of the misguidance, deviation and danger of this group, and that it is one of the gates of terrorism, even if they claim otherwise.

2- Mention their most prominent mistakes.  Ministry of Islamic Affairs  (@Saudi_MoiaEN) December 6, 2021

3- Mention their danger to society.

4- Statement that affiliation with partisan groups, including (the Tablighi and Dawah Group) is prohibited in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  Ministry of Islamic Affairs  (@Saudi_MoiaEN) December 6, 2021

Tablighi Jamaat, which originated in India in 1926 during British rule, is estimated to have 350 to 400 million members across the globe. United States Institute of Peace has described the group as an Islamic revivalist organization before noting that, in nations such as the UK, France, and America, the group has appeared on the fringes of several terrorism investigations, leading some to speculate that its apolitical stance simply masks fertile ground for breeding terrorism.

Image: PTI/ANI/AP
As India continues to mourn the loss of its first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 other soldiers in the tragic IAF chopper crash in Tamil Nadu on December 8, a special prayer was conducted at the Hemis Monastery for the peaceful departure of the deceased warriors on Sunday.

The Hemis Monastery is a Drukpa Lineage Himalayan Buddhist monastery in Hemis, Ladakh.

The visuals of the special prayers being sung by the Buddhist monks in the monastery were shared by the Fire and Fury Corps, Indian Army, on their official Twitter account.

In the video, the pictures of deceased soldiers along with CDS General Rawat and his wife Madhulika were placed near the Buddha idol, as the monks chanted prayers for the peaceful departure of the deceased.

Watch visuals from Ladakh's Hemis Monastery here



Earlier, Bhutan's King and the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk, offered prayers and Karmi Tongchoed at the Kuenrey of the Tashichhodzong for General Bipin Rawat. Gen Rawat's wife, Madhulika Rawat, and 11 armed forces personnel who lost their lives in a helicopter accident on December 8 were also remembered in the ceremony.

Last rites of martyrs held with full military honours

On Sunday, Cremations of the deceased soldiers, including  Para Commando Lance Naik Vivek Kumar, Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh, Lance Naik B Sai Teja and Naik Gursewak Singh were held with full state and military honours. The family members of the deceased soldiers expressed that they are proud of them for serving the nation.

The last rites of the countrys first CDS Gen Bipin Rawat along with his wife were held in Delhi on December 10 at Brar Square Crematorium. The final respects were paid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh along with other dignitaries. The final rites of Brigadier LS Lidder were also held on December 10.

General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat & 11 other soldiers succumbed to injuries on December 8 after an Indian Air Force Mi-17V5 helicopter carrying 14 defence personnel crashed in Tamil Nadu's Coonoor. The CDS along with his wife and 12 personnel of the defence staff were travelling to a college in Wellington when the devastating mishap took 13 lives.

(Image: @firefurycorps/Twitter)
Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Chandigarh reported their first Omicron case on Sunday, while Maharashtra and Karnataka each recorded one more case of the COVID-19 variant, taking the tally in the country to 38.

All the five persons in the cases reported on Sunday had arrived from foreign countries.

According to state health officials, a 20-year-old fully vaccinated man who came to Chandigarh from Italy to meet his relatives and a 34-year old foreign traveller, who came from Ireland to Mumbai and then to Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, have tested positive for the variant.

Kerala Health Minister Veena George said the first case of COVID-19 variant Omicron has been confirmed in the state.

In a video posted on her Facebook page, the minister said that the patient was a Kerala native who recently came from the United Kingdom.

The patient's condition is stable and there was no need to panic as the government was taking all necessary steps to curb the spread of the new variant of the virus, she said.

A man who had arrived from South Africa became the third person to test positive for the COVID-19 variant in Karnataka, while a 40-year-old man tested positive after returning to Nagpur in Maharashtra from a West African country, taking the state's tally of Omicron cases to 18.

With this, Omicron has been detected in Maharashtra (18), Rajasthan (9), Karnataka (3), Karnataka (3), Kerala (1) and Andhra Pradesh (1) and Union Territories of Delhi (2) and Chandigarh (1).

The man in Chandigarh had landed in India on November 22 and is currently in institutional quarantine. His seven high-risk family contacts were put under quarantine and were tested for COVID-19 by the RT-PCR method. All of them tested negative, an official statement said.

It said the traveller has been asymptomatic throughout.

"He is fully inoculated with Pfizer vaccine which he got in Italy. He has been kept in isolation for the last 11 days."

"His report for whole genomic sequencing was received late night on December 11 and has been found positive for Omicron variant," the statement said. In the Andhra Pradesh case, the state health department said the person, who first landed in Mumbai from Ireland, was tested and found negative for COVID-19.

He was then allowed to travel onward to Visakhapatnam on November 27.

"On conducting a second RT-PCR test in Vizianagaram, he tested positive for COVID-19. His sample was then sent to the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad for genome sequencing and the result came out as Omicron positive," the Public Health Director said in a release.

The person, however, did not have any symptoms and a re-test on December 11 showed he was COVID-19 negative.

"There are no other Omicron cases in the state," the Director said.

So far, 15 foreign travellers who came to the state were found COVID-19 positive and all the samples were sent to CCMB for genome sequencing.

"Of the 15, genome sequencing reports related to 10 cases were received and only one of them was confirmed Omicron positive," the Director added.

The Omicron variant was first detected in India in Bengaluru with two people testing positive for it comprising a South African national of Indian origin and a doctor.

"Third case of #Omicron has been detected in Karnataka. A 34-year-old male returning from South Africa has tested positive. He is isolated and being treated in a govt hospital. 5 primary and 15 secondary contacts have been traced and samples sent for testing," state Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar tweeted.

On Saturday, Delhi had reported its second case - a 35-year-old man with travel history to Zimbabwe and South Africa - taking India's tally to 33.

Cases of Omicron, which is categorised as a variant of concern by the World Health Organisation, have been detected in about 60 countries.

Image: PTI

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Swarnim Vijay Parv at the India Gate in Delhi on Sunday. During his address, Rajnath Singh paid his tributes to India's first Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and other soldiers who died in the Mi-17 chopper crash in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. Singh said that the programme is being celebrated in a simpler way due to the tragedy.

"This programme was decided to be celebrated in a big way but due to the sudden demise of country's first CDS, his wife and other 11 soldiers we decided to celebrate in a simpler way this year," said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

After passing away of Gen. Bipin Rawat,his wife&11 other Armed Forces personnel, we've decided to celebrate Swarnim Vijay Parv' with simplicity. IAF's Gp Capt Varun Singh, is under treatment at Command Hospital Bengaluru. We pray for his early recovery: Defence Min Rajnath Singh pic.twitter.com/ze3c00GGMG  ANI (@ANI) December 12, 2021

Rajnath Singh on 1971 war

Speaking on the 1971 Bangladesh War, the Defence Minister paid respects to the bravery, valour and sacrifice of every soldier of India's Armed Forces. Moreover, he asserted that it was not just India's victory over Pakistan but also the victory of justice over injustice. Further, Singh avered that the Swarnim Vijay Parv gives motivation to India and that the country has always been on the side of truth and justice.

Today, I bow to the bravery, valor & sacrifice of every soldier of India's Armed Forces, due to which India won the 1971 war. The country will always be indebted to them for their sacrifice: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh speaking at inaugural ceremony of Swarnim Vijay Parv  ANI (@ANI) December 12, 2021

Rajnath Singh also asserted that India has "never initiated any war nor it has taken even one inch of the territory of others' land. Speaking on the atrocities unleashed by Pakistan in Bangladesh, the Raksha Mantri said that it was a threat to the entire humanity in one form or the other.

"The injustice and atrocities on our Bengali sisters and brothers were a threat to the entire humanity in one form or the other. In such a situation, to liberate the people of East Pakistan from that injustice and exploitation was our state religion, national religion and military religion," said Rajnath Singh. "This war is a classic example of our morals, our democratic traditions and just treatment. It will be rarely seen in history that after defeating another country in a war, a country should not express its dominance over it, but hand over power to its political representative," added Singh.

Rajnath Singh slams Pakistan for naming missiles after invaders

During his address, Rajnath Singh also launched a scathing attack on Pakistan for naming its missiles after invaders who attacked India. In his response, he remarked as to how India has named its missile arsenal after names like Agni, Prithvi and Sant.

"The ones who attacked India, Pakistan keep their missiles name's on that like Ghazni, Ghauri.Whereas, India's missiles names are Prithvi, Agni, Sant, which was tested yesterday. I congratulate the DRDO for this," he added. Further speaking about Bangladesh, he asserted that India has made its contribution in the establishment of democracy in Bangladesh. "Today we are very happy that in the last 50 years Bangladesh has progressed rapidly on the path of development which is an inspiration for the rest of the world. Keeping the future in mind, our government is continously working to make them strong," said Rajnath Singh.

Pakistan wants to break India by promoting terrorism

Attacking Pakistan, he spoke about how Indian forces foiled Pakistani plans in 1971. He remarked that work is ongoing to eliminate terrorism from the root.

"We have won in direct war, victory will be ours in indirect war also. There is talk of promoting jointness and integration between our three armies. I think the 1971 war is a great example of this. This war taught us the importance of planning, training and fighting together," said Rajnath Singh. "I am glad that a huge exhibition has been organised at this festival to involve the public of the country, to inform them about the 1971 war, about the progress of our armies so far.

Delhi | Pakistan wants to promote terrorism in India. Indian Armed Forces foiled Pakistan's plans in 1971 and now we are working towards eliminating terrorism from the root: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh  ANI (@ANI) December 12, 2021

Image: PTI
Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Chandigarh report their first Omicron variant case; tally goes up to 38

Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Chandigarh reported their first Omicron case on Sunday, while Maharashtra and Karnataka each recorded one more case of the COVID-19 variant, taking the tally in the country to 38.

All the five persons in the cases reported on Sunday had arrived from foreign countries.

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IAF chopper crash probe: Police seek weather details; STF conducts intensive search ops

In an ill-fated chopper crash on Wednesday, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and 12 others lost their lives in Tamil Nadu's Coonoor. The Nilgiris Police department has sought details of weather and temperature in the region on the fateful day from Chennai's Meteorological department.

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Chopper crash: Punjab village bids adieu to Naik Gursewak Singh; 3-year-old son lights pyre

Naik Gursewak Singh, who was among the 13 people who lost their lives in the IAF chopper crash in Conoor in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, was cremated at his village Dode Sodhian in Punjab's Tarn Taran district with full military honours as his villagers chanted 'Amar Rahe'. His three-year-old Fatehdeep lit the funeral pyre. Fatehdeep was dressed in clothes similar to the Indian Army uniform as his mother had recently brought for him as Naik Gursewak had earlier expressed the wish to see his son in Army fatigues.

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Mortal remains of Army havildar killed in chopper crash reach hometown in Bengal

The mortal remains of Army Havildar Satpal Rai, who died in the helicopter crash along with Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika and 10 others, arrived at Bagdogra airport here on Sunday.

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Kashi Vishwanath Corridor Inauguration: Check out PM Modi's full schedule in Varanasi

The city of Varanasi is decked up to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is all set to inaugurate the historic Kashi Vishwanath Temple Corridor on December 13. The Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham project will be flagged off by PM Modi at a special programme in Kashi which will be followed by other functions to celebrate the momentous occasion.

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Akhilesh Yadav claims credit for Kashi Vishwanath Corridor ahead of inauguration by PM

Ahead of the inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday claimed that the project was approved during his tenure and there was documentary evidence of it. He also alleged that the BJP government is starting the corridor just to deviate attention from the Centre's failure to double the income of farmers. Earlier, he had made similar claims on Purvanchal Express and Saryu Canal Nation Project.

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'Akhilesh Yadav built Taj Mahal too': BJP mocks SP over Kashi Vishwanath Corridor claim

Mocking Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav for taking credit for the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday said that the party must have got made the Taj Mahal along with the Great Wall of China, Statue of Liberty and Eiffel Tower among other world heritages. Taking to his official Twitter handle, party spokesperson Amit Malviya further mocked the party saying that the first person to go on Moon also must be a member of Samajwadi.

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Owaisi weighs in on 'lal topi' faceoff, says 'BJP attempting to communalise UP polls'

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi weighed in on the face-off between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Samajwadi Party (SP) on Sunday alleging that BJP was attempting to 'communalise' elections through jibes like 'topiwaale' and 'lungiwaale'. Speaking exclusively to Republic TV, Owaisi remarked that these kinds of statements by the saffron party would continue since it wanted to make the elections 'communal'.

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Oppn concerned over hacking of PM Modi's Twitter, says 'chinks in cybersecurity exposed'

Opposition parties on Sunday flagged concern over the hacking of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Twitter account saying that the incident had exposed 'chinks' in cybersecurity. Dubbing the occurrence as a cause for 'big concern', Congress leaders remarked that cybersecurity was as important as border security for the nation.

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73rd Republic Day: All 5 Central Asian countries to be Chief Guests on January 26

To India's 73rd Republic Day, India is contemplating inviting all five Central Asian countries - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - as Chief Guests. People familiar with the developments said that the option of inviting the leaders of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan as chief guests is being pursued. At the same time, they said there is no finality on the guest list yet while not ruling out other options as well.

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Image: Republic World
In a success to security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist was neutralised on Sunday morning in Awantipora encounter. At around 7.30 a.m., an encounter began at the Baragam area of Awantipora and almost within an hour, the Twitter handle of Kashmir Zone Police informed regarding the elimination of one of the terrorists, while the operation is underway.

This comes after two policemen were attacked and killed by a Pakistani terrorist near the Gulshan Chowk area, a busy market of Bandipora, which is approximately 90 km from Awantipora.

After the policemen were attacked in Bandipora, the top officials of J&K swung into action to nab the terrorist. DGP Dilbag Singh has confirmed that the terrorist eliminated in the Awantipora encounter belonged to Jaish-e-Mohammed.

What happened in Bandipora terrorist attack?

According to police officials, terrorists opened fire at a police party near the Gulshan Chowk area, a busy market, of Bandipora at around 5.15 p.m. on Friday, in which Selection Grade Constable Mohammad Sultan and Constable Fayaz Ahmad sustained multiple bullet injuries.

Terrorists fled from the spot and the injured policemen were shifted to a nearby hospital, where they both succumbed to injuries. Security officials rushed to the site to take stock of the situation. A contingent of police, CRPF and Army personnel also immediately reached the area and launched a cordon and search operation to track down the terrorists.

The aftermath of Bandipora terrorist attack

IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar and GOC Kilo Force Major General Sanjiv Singh Salaria visited the attack site in Bandipora and inspected the scene. Later, a joint press conference was also addressed where J&K IGP revealed that the attack was carried out by a single Pakistan-based terrorist. However, two On Ground Workers (OGWs), who are locals, facilitated the terrorist.

Terrorist movement in Awantipora

Details on terrorist activities in Awantipora have been reported for almost three months now after a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist was caught in the Androosa Khrew area of the district. In a joint operation, 50 RR Unit of the Indian Army and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) performed a joint cordon and search operation in the Androosa Khrew area of the police and caught the terrorist.
After the recent success of Samsung's budget-oriented Android tablet series, Samsung is reportedly working on a new device called Galaxy Tab A8 10.5. In several reports. the design and the specifications of the tablet have been leaked online, suggesting that it might launch soon in the international market. From what it looks like, the tablet will be an entry-level device that can be used for surfing through the internet, attending video calls and playing light games.

The Galaxy Tab A8 release date is not confirmed by the company yet. However, according to a report the tablet will be released in the second half of 2022. Additionally, the Galaxy Tab A8 specifications have also been leaked by Winfuture.de, published via gizmochina.com. Physical renders of the tablet revealed that it will look a lot like its predecessor called Tab A7, having an equal bezel on all the sides, and a circular rear camera, with a plain back panel.

Galaxy Tab A8 specifications (expected)

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 10.5 is expected to come with a 10.5" LCD panel, along with a 1920x1200 resolution. The display is built on a 16:10 aspect ratio. According to the report, the Galaxy Tab A8 10.5 will come with a Unisoc T618 processor, along with two memory variants with 3/4GB of RAM. Surprisingly, the tablet is expected in three storage models: 32/64/128GB of storage. Additionally, the device will also have a microSD card slot.

For multimedia enthusiasts, the Android tablet will come with four speakers, two on each side when holding the Tab A8 10.5 horizontally. The device shall last a typical day of usage as it is believed to have a 7,040 mAh battery. As far as optics are concerned, the tablet has a 5MP front camera and an 8MP rear camera. The tablet is likely to come in multiple colours, as the previous A-series tablets have. It is expected to be priced at around $250.

Earlier in November 2021, Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 was spotted on a global benchmarking platform called Geekbench. Back then, the Android tablet was reported to feature the all-new Snapdragon 898 processor. The device that hosted the benchmarking test had 8GB of RAM and ran on Android 12. Additionally, the device scored 1,211 points in the single-core test and 3,193 points in the multi-core test. In a recent update, the renders of Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ and Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 have surfaced online, revealing more about the tablet's design.

Image: Winfuture
The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) in Dharamshala has developed an online database of Tibetan political prisoners, claiming that 1,809 Tibetans are presently held in Chinese prisons. The initiative is in partnership with HURIDOCS' (Human Rights Information and Documentation Systems) Uwazi application, which is situated in Geneva, ANI reported citing Phayul. The report further stated that since 1990, a database containing information on 5,518 Tibetan political prisoners had been compiled. According to Tenzin Dawa, a researcher, as many as 3,067 inmates have been released, while 1,809 still remain in Chinese prisons.

TCHRD stated that the database, which was launched on Human Rights Day, will be updated with new information obtained from observers. Every year on December 10, Human Rights Day is commemorated across the world under the supervision of the United Nations. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 10, 1948. According to Phayul, the database was created after evaluating earlier records in TCHRD's archives and cross-checking with other similar resources. It stated that the county-level GPS coordinates of each prisoner's place of origin are included in the database.

Researcher Woeser says data gathered from open sources

"5,518 is not a small number. These are cases that have been confirmed and entered into the database with appropriate proof. This alone should hold China accountable for its atrocities, if only it were a country that accepted the truth," researcher Nyima Woeser was quoted by ANI as saying.

The group also stated that the data was gathered from open sources, implying that many more incidents are yet to be discovered. TCHRD's records contain almost 300 cases of detention that remain unsolved because no information was received after the detainees completed their sentences.

Tibet governed by Chinese Communist Party

Meanwhile, the human rights organisation called on the international community to condemn China's continuous atrocities on Tibetan land, which go virtually unnoticed. "We call on the international community including the United Nations, organizations, and individuals to exert pressure on China to put an immediate halt to its state-sponsored policy of cultural assimilation in Tibet," TCHRD stated. It should be mentioned here that Tibet is governed by the Chinese Communist Party, with local decision-making power resting with Chinese party officials. Tibet was a sovereign state before China invaded northern Tibet in 1950 with the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

(With inputs from ANI)

(Image: AP)
In her first address as a presidential candidate for France's main conservative party, Valerie Pecresse vowed Saturday to break with President Emmanuel Macron's centrist policies and to defeat the extremism of the far-right candidates in the race. France is holding its presidential race on April 10, with a runoff if needed on April 24. Pecresse, head of the Paris region and a former conservative minister, is first woman chosen to run as The Republicans' presidential candidate.

Since the announcement last week, Pecresse has been gaining in popularity and some polls even have her in a runoff with Macron in the second round of voting. The French president is expected to seek a second term although he has not yet officially declared his candidacy. Speaking at a conference hall in a Paris hotel, Pecresse assured party members that she will first beat her rivals on the far-right in order to end The Republicans streak of presidential defeats.

We are back on the battlefield to win and the voters know it, she said. It will be Emmanuel Macron or us!

Two far-right contenders  Marine Le Pen, the head of the National Rally party who lost to Macron in the 2017 runoff, and former TV pundit Eric Zemmour  are campaigning on anti-Islam, anti-migrant themes. On the left, Paris Mayor Anne Hidago is the presidential candidate for the Socialist party and the Greens chose European lawmaker Yannick Jadot, a former Greenpeace activist. The far-left leader of the Rebel France party, Jean Lue Melenchon, is seeking the presidency for the third time.

An experienced politician, Pecresse, 54, has been the minister for higher education, for the budget and was a government spokesperson under former President Nicolas Sarkozy from 2007 to 2012. Pecresse left The Republicans in 2019 amid leadership divisions after the party had a poor showing in EU elections. She rejoined the party this year.

Known as a pro-European, Pecresse in recent months has hardened her positions on immigration and security. She vowed to crack down on illegal immigration but also to step up the integration of immigrants and break down the barriers faced by the immigrant ghettos around Frances urban centers.

She also warned against the rise of what she called Islamism in France.I am determined to stop the rise of Islamism, she said. In France, women are free and the laws of the Republic are respected.If elected president, Pecresse said she would end Frances 35-hour workweek so employees work and earn more. And internationally, she told the audience of about 1,000 party members and supporters, I want a strong France. I want us to play a leading role in the world, not as vassals of the United States ... and not as subordinates of China and not playing second fiddle in Europe, she said.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
In another worry for the world reeling under the now fast-spreading highly-mutated Omicron, an uncontrolled mutation of COVID-19 has been found in a Latvian fur farm near Bauska where the minks were being raised. Scientists have been rendered shocked to find that many such coronavirus mutations have been developing since early spring 2021 at Latvias SIA Baltic Devon Mink fur farm uncontrollably where 100 thousand minks breed.

Several of the minks were infected from coronavirus, and a repeated transmission from person to animal and vice versa was detected. The entire population of 100,000 animals may have to be culled, the Estonian news outlet Delfi reported.

The first cases of COVID-19 among the farm mink in Latvia were first reported in mid-April, but the scientists believe that the virus may have been introduced to the fur farm between February 20 and March 3, this year. Authorities grew suspicious after several of the farm employees contracted the novel COVID-19. In a statement, the Latvian Biomedical Research Centre (BMC) pointed out that the transmission of the coronavirus between animals and humans cannot be controlled after news of the Latvian farm spread emerged.

"The transmission of the virus between animals cannot, in principle, be controlled. The evolution of the virus is uncontrolled. We do not know what new mutations may appear there," researcher at the Biomedicine Research Center (BMC) Monta Briviba told Delfi. She was part of a team of scientists involved in the sequencing of viruses in Latvian minks.

'Potentially dangerous' Latvian strain?

The impact of the new mutations among the minks on humans is also not clear. The scientists, however, have stressed that these new mutations may be potentially dangerous and can reduce the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines. A researcher at the Monta Briviba Centre even suggested that they might be called a Latvian strain, the Latvian newspaper noted. The BMC has now told Latvian reporters that there must be no other solution but to destroy the animal population to halt any spread among humans.

Minks continued to get sick throughout the spring and summer, and by the summer a paradoxical situation had developed: the delta strain confidently dominated the world, while both minks and Baltic Devon Mink employees continued to be infected with the strain that was spread in early spring, the Estonian news outlet Delfi reports.

While the scientists have not described in detail what these new and dangerous mutations are, they stressed some of these mutations turned out to be completely new. There were at least four mutations that were described in the scientific literature as potentially dangerous. There are concerns that such mutations could reduce the effectiveness of vaccines," Delfi quoted Briviba. Baltic Devon Mink board member Bob van Ansem, meanwhile, told the outlet that the farm adhered to strict health safety and security protocol for both employees and the minks.

The last case of infection of an employee of the company was recorded 2.5 months ago, according to Latvias Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. The Food and Veterinary Service notes that infected minks have not displayed any symptoms of the COVID-19. If desired, the type of virus circulating on the farm could already be called a "Latvian strain, scientist Monta Briviba told Delfi.
Environmental protesters angry over lithium mining plans on Saturday blocked roads in Serbia for a third consecutive weekend, despite a bid by the populist government to defuse the demonstrations by agreeing to key demands from organizers.

Several thousand people on Saturday braved rain and cold weather to halt traffic in the capital Belgrade and in other cities and towns in the Balkan republic.

The protesters want the government to fully abolish any potential lithium mining in the country by the Rio Tinto and other companies interested in the projects.

Lithium is a key component in car batteries but environmentalists insist its excavation causes huge damage to the nature.

Saturday's protests were held even as authorities had withdrawn two key laws that activists said were designed to help Rio Tinto launch the mine in lithium-rich Western Serbia.

However, fewer people showed up than the previous two Saturdays reflecting a rift among protest leaders over how to proceed.

A protest organizer, Aleksandar Jovanovic, said "Our main task is to send Rio Tinto away from Serbia. We won't stop until then."

Serbia's autocratic President Aleksandar Vucic described continued protests as "political" after the government had given up the disputed laws on property expropriation and on referendum rules.

Vucic said people will have a chance to express their preferences at the elections slated for next April.

Environmental issues have come into focus recently in Serbia and other Balkan nations because of accumulated problems with air and water pollution.

Protesters argue that the authorities favor the interests of foreign investors and profit over environment protection.

Serbia also must tackle environmental issues in order to advance toward European Union membership.

Vucic has said he wants the country to join the EU but he has also fostered close ties with Russia and China, including multiple Chinese investments in mines, factories and infrastructure.

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The UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian held bilateral talks on Saturday on the sidelines of the G-7 summit in Liverpool.

The meeting appeared frosty as both countries are currently in dispute about several issues including migrant crossings and fishing licenses.

The weekend meeting is the final major event of Britain's year-long G-7 presidency.

The diplomats plan to discuss lagging efforts to vaccinate the world against the coronavirus, tensions in the western Balkans, Afghanistan and North Korea and China's muscle-flexing in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as the issue with the Ukraine-Russia border troop buildup.

The U.K. is seeking elusive consensus from the wealthy nations' club in response to what it calls "malign behaviour" by Russia, and over tensions with China and Iran.

The U.S. and its NATO allies are concerned the movement of Russian troops and weapons to the border region may be a prelude to invasion and have said they would inflict heavy sanctions on Russia's economy if that happens.

Moscow denies planning to attack Ukraine and accuses Kyiv of its own allegedly aggressive designs.

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Israel Defence Minister Benny Gantz informed US officials during talks in Washington that Tel Aviv was preparing a military option to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, according to the radio station Galei Tzahal, quoting a top Israeli defence official. France, Germany, and the United Kingdom voiced worry in August over data from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) claiming that Iran had manufactured uranium metal-enriched to 20% for the first time and boosted its uranium enriched to 60% manufacturing capability.

Sputnik reported citing the same source that, Iran is on the verge of producing enough uranium to build a nuclear weapon but "is not going to cross the line, understanding the significance [of this step]".

Iran announced in November that it had produced 210 kilogrammes (463 pounds) of 20% enriched uranium and at least 25 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium, with spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran noting that only nuclear countries can demonstrate such production capabilities. However, certain vital new elements concerning Israel's secret war on Iran's nuclear programme were previously known, according to a New York Times report. When Israel and the Mossad think it deems necessary, they strike the Islamic Republic, but they prefer to do so when Tehran has enraged the IAEA, according to NYT report.

US military chiefs to discuss future military drills to attack Iran's nuclear sites

However, US officials were believed to be working to bridge the gap with Israel, with a report surfacing this week that a plan for possible military action against Iran if the talks fail, as well as a move to tighten sanctions on Tehran, will be reviewed, according to Times of Israel. Meanwhile, a senior US official claimed that Israeli and American military chiefs are planning to discuss future military drills to rehearse attacking Iranian nuclear sites in the worst-case scenario, according to the report.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was agreed in 2015 by China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, the European Union, and Iran, with the goal of lifting US sanctions in exchange for Tehran's nuclear programme being limited. In 2018, the United States unilaterally pulled out of the agreement and reimposed harsh sanctions on Iran.

Iran responded by announcing a progressive reduction in its commitments under the agreement, including the removal of limitations on nuclear research, centrifuges, and uranium enrichment levels. The seventh round of discussions on the JCPOA's restoration began on November 29th, with a break for consultations called by the US on December 3rd. The main focus of the talks is the removal of US sanctions against Iran.

(With inputs from agencies)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday described social media as one of the main threats to democracy. In a video message, Erdogan said that social media, which was described as a symbol of freedom, has turned into one of the main sources of threat to democracy. His remarks come as Turkey is planning to pursue legislation to criminalise spreading fake news and disinformation online, a move that critics say would tighten restrictions on free speech.

On Saturday, in a video message to a government-organised communications conference in Istanbul, Erdogan said, Social media, which was described as a symbol of freedom when it first appeared, has turned into one of the main sources of threat to todays democracy.

He added, We try to protect our people, especially the vulnerable sections of our society, against lies and disinformation without violating our citizens right to receive accurate and impartial information.

Turkey's crackdown on 'fake news'

It is to mention that Turkey has already passed a law requiring social media platforms that have more than one million users to maintain a legal representative and store data in the nation. Companies including Facebook, Youtube and Twitter have since established offices in Turkey. Now, Istanbul is looking to criminalise the spread of disinformation and fake news online and establish a social media regulator.

According to AP, the new legislation would make the spreading of false information a punishable crime of up to five years in prison. Posts the government deems as misinformation would be also removed from all social media websites. If the law passes, the critics have said that it would tighten restrictions on free speech and violate citizens rights.

Meanwhile, it is pertinent to note here that most of Turkeys major media firms are under the control of the government, leaving social media as an important outlet for dissenting voices. However, it was previously reported Erdogans administration had earlier taken down several posts that were anti-government. Separately, Freedom Houses Freedom on the Net report, published in September, had also characterised Turkey as not free. It noted the removal of content critical of the government and the prosecution of people posting undesirable commentary on social media.

(Image: AP)


The United Arab Emirates (UAE) recently ordered the halting of construction on a Chinese facility in the country after American officials warned that Beijing wanted to use the site for military purposes, ANI reported citing a top UAE source. Work at the Chinese site was halted at the request of Washington, according to Anwar Gargash, a diplomatic adviser to the UAE's leadership, The Wall Street Journal reported. However, he stated that the UAE did not believe the facility was meant for military or security purposes, according to WSJ. According to those acquainted with the case, this project near Abu Dhabi was suspended after multiple rounds of meetings and visits by US authorities.

After intelligence services in Washington learned that Beijing was secretly constructing what they suspected to be a military facility at a port, the Biden administration cautioned the Emirati administration that a Chinese military presence in the middle-eastern country may jeopardise bilateral relations. Despite the project's portrayal as entirely commercial, US intelligence has spotted ships disguised as commercial vessels approaching the port that authorities recognised as a kind normally used by the Chinese military for signals intelligence collection, according to WSJ.

UAE never had agreement or plan to host Chinese military base

A representative for the UAE Embassy in Washington stated in a statement that the UAE "never had an agreement, plan, talks or intention to host a Chinese military base or outpost of any kind," ANI reported. This development comes at a time when Beijing has attempted to establish commercial ports in outposts around the world, in what many believe is a clear move to strengthen its military footprint. However, last month, according to various media reports, after significant US pressure, the Biden administration was able to suspend the construction of a covert development inside a Chinese shipping port in the UAE, one of the US's closest Mideast friends.

China has previously built commercial ports in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, as well as its first foreign military base in Djibouti. Earlier, the former administration of Donald Trump attempted to put pressure on the UAE to halt the project at the port, which is run by a Chinese shipping conglomerate.

(With inputs from agencies)

Image: AP
Pakistan's top leadership stated that the country appreciates its relationship with the United States and is determined to strengthen it in all fields, especially in the economic dimension. The statement came on Saturday, December 11, just days after declining US' invitation for the democracy summit.

The message was delivered during a meeting with a group of senators from the United States. Meanwhile, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa also met with the US delegation separately, reported ANI. The four-member delegation included senators Richard Burr, Angus King, Benjamin Sasse, and John Cornyn.

Prime Minister Khan urged the United States to do its part in ensuring regional peace and stability. He stated that a deeper and stronger collaboration between the two countries will be mutually advantageous and necessary for the region's peace, security, and development.

"The Senators reaffirmed their commitment to a stable & broad-based Pakistan-US bilateral relationship. They emphasized that, given the size of Pakistan's population as well as its geostrategic location, US and Pakistan should make determined efforts to promote trade, investment & economic cooperation," Pakistan Prime Minister's office wrote on Twitter.

The Senators reaffirmed their commitment to a stable & broad-based  bilateral relationship.They emphasized that, given the size of s population as well as its geo-strategic location,  &  should make determined efforts to promote trade, investment & economic cooperation  Prime Minister's Office, Pakistan (@PakPMO) December 11, 2021

During the meeting, Pakistan's Prime Minister emphasised the importance of assisting the Afghan people by taking all necessary steps to avoid a humanitarian crisis and economic collapse.

Khan also stressed the significance of increased cooperation to confront regional security issues, including terrorism. According to the statement by the PMO, the Senators were extremely grateful for Pakistan's recent assistance in the evacuation of American citizens and others from Afghanistan following the Taliban's takeover in the month of August.

Pak-US ties not on best of terms since Biden took office

According to the Pak military's public affairs department, the discussion with the US delegation and Gen Bajwa focused on issues of mutual interest, the security situation in Afghanistan, and bilateral collaboration in a variety of disciplines. "The COAS stated that Pakistan wishes for peaceful, varied, and sustainable relations with all regional players," ANI reported, citing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

It should be mentioned here that since President Joe Biden took office in January, relations between Pakistan and the United States have not been healthy. Despite Islamabad's best efforts, Biden is yet to speak with Imran Khan on the phone. Last week, Pakistan had declined US' invitation to participate in the Summit for Democracy, a virtual event held on December 9-10.

(With inputs from ANI)

Image: AP
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has promised financial support to several health centres in Afghanistan. The ICRC is paying the wages of 6,000 medical personnel and giving medical equipment to at least 23 public hospitals in Afghanistan, according to an official, Tolo News reported. Earlier in November, the ICRC initiated a campaign to assist 18 Afghan medical centres and their 5,100 personnel. The aid group is covering operational costs and supplying medical supplies. According to the ICRC, the campaign will last six months.

The Afghan Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is present in all 34 provinces, including rural areas, providing crucial aid and supporting hospitals and medical institutes. The organisation manages over 150 health centres and clinics, as well as 36 mobile medical teams in the war-torn country that is facing a humanitarian crisis. The International Committee of the Red Cross is aiming to reduce barriers in the health sector. The process of assisting hospitals will take a few days, Munqad Abdul Rahman Rodwal, a senior ICRC official said, Tolo News reported.

"The ICRC is providing salaries for employees of 15 health centres across Afghanistan so far. It has provided health products as well. This comes as the Afghan health sector is facing a potential collapse," he added.

A health employee, Nik Mohammad stated, "I am as happy as a newborn child as I receive my salary today," as per a Tolo News report.

Afghanistan's humanitarian crisis

According to the media agency, Afghan health officials have appealed to the international community to prevent the health sector from collapsing due to an excessive number of patients and a lack of medical equipment. The Islamist Taliban's restoration to power following the withdrawal of US-led foreign troops triggered an economic disaster. Following more than 20 years of war and a lengthy, widespread spell of dry weather, Afghan humanitarian needs have reached new highs.

The international community has refused to recognise the Taliban regime as a legitimate authority. Human rights activists decry the Taliban-led government's treatment of Afghan people. Due to a lack of international recognition, many billion dollars in annual foreign aid to Afghanistan have been frozen. The Taliban has also been denied access to $10 billion in Afghan money and property, according to the US. Sanctions have made it extremely difficult for the Taliban to pay employees or import essential supplies.

(With inputs from Agencies)

Image: Unsplash/PTI
A religious scholar in Afghanistan's western Farah region was shot dead by unidentified armed men on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported citing a provincial official. Badrudin, the head of culture and information, told that perpetrators fled the spot after committing the crime. He further stated that an operation has been launched by the security personnel to nab the culprits. As of now, no group has claimed the responsibility for the act, the news agency reported.

Since the Taliban's takeover in mid-August, the law and order situation in the war-ravaged country has remained shaky with a shrinking economy and unpredictable security for traders and civilians. The Taliban is now facing its toughest test in terms of managing the nation's leadership as it struggles with the label of a "rogue state" sidelined by the international community, reported ANI. After reportedly failing to provide safety and security to Afghan traders, the Taliban has decided to issue weapons permit to them.

Taliban decide to issue weapons permit to national traders

Last month, Saeed Khosti, a spokesperson of the Taliban interior ministry, stated that the country's interim government will soon allow national traders to carry weapons for their own safety, reported Khaama Press. He also stated that the forces of the Islamic Emirate are ready for any kind of cooperation to ensure the security of national businessmen. It should be noted here that many businessmen in Afghanistan fired their security personnel since the Taliban's takeover. The former Afghan government had also issued a permit to national traders to carry weapons for their safety.

Image: Pixabay/Representative
Kolkata, Dec 11 (PTI) Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Mohammed Shahriar Alam Saturday said forces opposed to the 1971 Liberation War are still active both within and outside the country and have been hatching conspiracies to malign it.

He was speaking on the violent attacks on the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh during Durga Puja.

"Those who had opposed our freedom, the Liberation War are still active in our country and outside it. The forces and the platforms have hatched a conspiracy to disturb the peace and malign of our country," he said.

"You can very well understand how in a planned way fake photos were circulated to flare up tensions in the country," he said at the sidelines of a book launch programme at the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission here.

Violence had erupted in pockets of Bangladesh in October over an alleged icident of blasphemy at a Durga Puja pavilion at Cumilla, around 100 km from Dhaka, following which paramilitary forces were deployed in many affected areas.

Speaking at the event, Alam lauded the democratic values of his country and hailed the bilateral ties between India and Bangladesh.

"There are countries (Pakistan) which started their journey along with us, but in the last 75 years of its being you will hardly find a democratically elected government completing its full term. But on the other hand, you have Bangladesh where Sheikh Hasina is the longest serving democratically elected female head of the state. This is the difference and strength of our democratic values," he said.

Later, he told reporters that visa services will be shifted from the deputy high commission office here to a different place and a private party will handle the work.

"In most of the foreign missions you won't find visa and consular services in the same building. The visa services will be privatised as has already been done in our other missions in other countries. As we have assigned a private party to look into the visa services, there will be a service charge on it. But it will be either less or the same as that India charges for visas," he said. PTI PNT KK KK KK

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Survivors of a truck crash in Mexico that killed 55 migrants and injured more than a hundred recounted from their hospital beds how their location inside the truck determined who lived and who died. Those unlucky enough to be riding jammed against the fragile walls of the freight container almost certainly died, survivors said.

Those in the middle of the packed group survived, cushioned by their fellow migrants as the container flipped onto the road. One survivor from Guatemala, Andres, said that he had been thrown out of the vehicle and had only suffered a hurt arm.

About 250 migrants were on board the truck which crashed into the base of a steel pedestrian bridge in Tuxtla Gutierrez on Thursday evening. It was one of the deadliest days for migrants in Mexico since the 2010 massacre of 72 people by the Zetas drug cartel in the northern state of Tamaulipas.

While the Mexican government is trying to appease the United States by stopping caravans of walking migrants and allowing the reinstatement of the "Remain in Mexico" policy, it has been unable to stanch the flood of migrants stuffed by the hundreds into trucks operated by smugglers who charge thousands of dollars to take them to the US border  trips that all too often lead them only to their deaths. In a news conference on Friday, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said that it in order to tackle the problem, issues had to be looked at in "the communities of origin" of the migrants.

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Taiwan has recorded its first three cases of the new COVID-19 variant Omicron, health officials informed on Saturday. According to AP, while the first case of the Omicron strain was detected in a passenger who recently travelled to the southern African country of Eswatini, the other two cases were from the United Kingdom and the United States. Overall, Taiwan on Saturday reported 10 new coronavirus cases, all of which were identified entering from abroad.

The Taiwanese health officials said that the first case of the new COVID strain was detected in a Taiwanese woman in her 30s who returned to the island on December 8. For now, she is under quarantine in a hospital. The Central Epidemic Command Centre, which is in charge of the islands pandemic response, further also informed that the passenger who sat near the woman on the plane has tested negative so far.

COVID-19 in Taiwan

It is to mention that amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan has a strict two-week quarantine on arrival. The self-ruling island has also sealed its borders off to all but residents and citizens, with exceptions. According to AP, there is little community transmission within its borders of the disease and there have also been few restrictions on movement internally in recent months. Face covering is nearly universal. Taiwan has reported 16,731 COVID-19 cases in total and 848 deaths.

Meanwhile, it is to mention that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the Omicron variant as a Variant of Concern. Scientists are still working to determine how the new strain may compare with the predominant delta variant in terms of transmissibility and severity. Moreover, vaccines accurate effectiveness against severe disease from Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus is not yet known but experts believe that a booster is expected to give significantly higher protection against symptomatic disease.

(Image: AP/Shutterstock)
UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on Saturday warned Russia of severe economic consequences if it invades Ukraine. According to BBC, Truss said that the United Kingdom would aim to damage the Russian economy if it made an incursion into Ukraine. She also added that the G7 foreign ministers meeting in Liverpool would put on a show of unity and make clear to Russia that such a move would be a strategic mistake.

The British Foreign Secretary went on to say that the UK and its allies had to deter Russia from taking the course of action. Truss reiterated previous warnings from the United States and its allies and said that the G7 are going to absolutely be strong in their stance against Russian aggression, with respect to Ukraine. The British cabinet minister also added that she will urge allies from the US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan to present a united front against malign behaviour by Russia.

If Russia were to take that action, it would be a strategic mistake, and there will be severe consequences for Russia. And what we're doing this weekend is working with like-minded allies to spell that out, Truss said as quoted by BBC.

Russia has no plans to attack: Kremlin

Meanwhile, it is to mention that the British Foreign Secretarys warning comes in the wake of the buildup of Russian forces near Ukraines borders. According to US intelligence input, around 70,000 Russian troops are pressed near the Ukraine border by President Vladimir Putin and the forces have reportedly made all preparations to "invade Ukraine" next year. In response, the United States has repeatedly urged Russia to take the path of diplomacy to de-escalate the situation or face harsh economic sanctions.

However, Russia has countered the West by expressing concern about Ukraines military buildup near the area of the separatist conflict in the countrys east. Recently, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also confirmed that Moscow is not planning an attack on Ukraine. Speaking to Greek TV channel ANT1, Peskov stated that they were moving Russian forces within their region and they can move them wherever they find any threat to their national security. He justified the action by saying that they can move their forces whenever they witness US warplanes landing in Ukraine.

The problem is very simple. Russia is moving its forces within its territory and we can move our forces in any direction we want and closer to the areas that could pose a threat [and currently] we see US warplanes landing in Ukraine and US military equipment approaching our borders," Peskov responded on being asked about carrying out an attack on Ukraine, as per ANI.




Islamabad, Dec 11 (PTI) Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Saturday that Pakistan and the US must have deeper engagement to promote the shared objectives of peace, stability and economic development to support the Afghan people by taking all possible measures to prevent a humanitarian crisis and economic collapse.

Welcoming a four-member delegation of US senators, Khan also said the two countries should work in close cooperation to address the security threats in the region, including terrorism.

Pakistan valued its long-standing relationship with the United States and was committed to expanding it in all spheres, particularly in the economic dimension, he said while welcoming the delegation that arrived in Pakistan on Friday night amidst latest unease in the ties with Pakistan due to its decision to boycott the Democracy Summit hosted by US President Joe Biden.

He emphasised that Pakistan and the US must have deeper engagement to promote the shared objectives of peace, stability and economic development, particularly underscoring the urgent need to support the Afghan people by taking all possible measures to prevent a humanitarian crisis and economic collapse.

Khan also highlighted the importance of closer cooperation to address the security threats in the region, including terrorism.

The four member US delegation consisted of senators Angus King, Richard Burr, John Cornyn and Benjamin Sasse.

All four senators are members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, while Senator King is also a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The Prime Minister reiterated that a deeper and stronger partnership between the two countries was mutually beneficial and critical for the region's peace, security and prosperity.

Recalling collective struggles of Pakistan and the US over the decades in promoting peace and security globally, the Senators appreciated Pakistan's recent contribution in evacuation of the American nationals and others from Afghanistan post-15 August when the Taliban seized power in Kabul.

The Senators reaffirmed their commitment to a stable and broad-based Pakistan-US bilateral relationship.

They emphasised that, given the size of Pakistans population as well as its geo-strategic location, the US and Pakistan should make determined efforts to promote trade, investment and economic cooperation.

The US delegation also called on Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

"(The) COAS said that Pakistan desires to maintain productive bilateral engagement with all the regional players and wished for peaceful, diversified, sustained relations," according to a statement by the Army.

He also reiterated the urgency for global convergence on Afghanistan to avoid the looming humanitarian crisis and need for coordinated efforts for economic uplift of the Afghan people.

He thanked the senators for their efforts in forging mutual understanding of the geo political and security situation in view of challenges ahead.

The US delegation also met Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood, who underscored that Pakistan valued its long-standing relationship with the United States , according to a statement by the Foreign Office.

"Deeper engagement between the two countries was pivotal for peace, security and development in the region," Mahmood said.

Highlighting Pakistan's pivot to geo-economics, the Foreign Secretary emphasised that Pakistan welcomed enhanced bilateral trade and greater investments from the U.S.

He briefed the senators on the serious humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and hoped the international community would help the Afghans. In this regard, he stressed the importance of release of Afghanistan's frozen financial resources.

The US froze over USD 9 billion assets of the Afghan Central Bank after the Taliban insurgents grabbed power in the country in mid-August this year He also apprised the delegation about Pakistan's efforts to mobilise international support through multiple regional and international mechanisms and mentioned the Extraordinary Session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Council of Foreign Ministers, being hosted in Islamabad for discussing the humanitarian issue in the war-torn country. PTI SH RUP IND AKJ IND

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Amid the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan, the United Kingdom on Sunday pledged $99.5 million in humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged nation in bone-chilling winters. According to a press release, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss allocated $99.5mn of UK emergency aid to the Afghan people in a bid to provide life-saving food, and emergency health services as well as shelter, water and hygiene services. This vital aid will now go through the UN and other trusted delivery partners and will help respond to the worsening humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.

The UK is providing vital humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan this winter. The funds announced today will save lives, protect women and girls and support stability in the region. We are determined to do all we can for the people of Afghanistan, Lizz Truss said.

As per the press note, the UK support is part of the $378 million Britain has pledged to give to Afghanistan this year. This aid will be used to provide support for victims of gender-based violence and it will also fund essential child protection services. Britain said that the aid agencies will prioritise those most at risk including households headed by women and disabled people.

The UK funding will be channelled through the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund, World Food Programme (WFP), International Organisation for Migration, UN Childrens Fund, the UN Population Fund and International Rescue Committee. No funding will go directly to the Taliban, the UK government clearly stated. The UK continues to work with international partners to tackle the ongoing humanitarian crisis, preserve regional stability, protect the gains of the last 20 years and to stress to the Taliban the essential need for Afghan girls of all ages to go back to school, the press release said.

Afghanistans humanitarian crisis

Meanwhile, it is to mention that the UKs pledge follows G7 discussions on global crisis and conflict situations, including in Afghanistan, where Truss called for greater international cooperation in a bid to prevent serious risks of migration, regional instability and humanitarian crises. It also comes after the World Bank donors approved the release of $280 million for Afghanistan's humanitarian needs. According to Sputnik, contributors to the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund agreed to pay $280 million to United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Program (WFP) by the end of December.

It is pertinent to mention that the hasty political transition in mid-August followed by significant disruptions in public finances, services, and blocked international aid has left an enormous impact on Afghan citizens, particularly women. Additionally, Russia, the US, Japan, Canada, France and the UK have expressed that they are not planning to recognise the government formed by the Taliban. Additionally, global financial organisations like World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) have also refused to accept the all-male caretaker government of the Islamic Emirati after it was formed on September 8.

(Image: AP)


Top diplomats from the Group of Seven industrialized nations gathered Saturday beside the River Mersey in Liverpool with host country Britain, seeking to demonstrate a show of unity against global aggressors amid a crisis over Russia's intentions towards Ukraine.

The U.K. is seeking elusive consensus from the wealthy nations club in response to what it calls malign behavior by Russia, and over tensions with China and Iran.

We need to defend ourselves against the growing threats from hostile actors," British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said as she opened the meeting of foreign ministers from the U.K., the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. And we need to come together strongly to stand up to aggressors who are seeking to limit the bounds of freedom and democracy.

The U.S. and its NATO allies are concerned that the movement of Russian troops and weapons to the border region with Ukraine may be a prelude to an invasion and have said they would inflict heavy sanctions on Russias economy if that happens.

Moscow denies planning to attack Ukraine and accuses Kyiv of its own allegedly aggressive designs.

Truss and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed how to deter Russia from further aggression against Ukraine in a one-on-one meeting, the State Department said. Britain said the two warned that a Russian incursion would be a strategic mistake for which there would be serious consequences.

The State Department announced Saturday that the top American diplomat for Europe, Karen Donfried, will visit both Kyiv and Moscow next week to reinforce the United States commitment to Ukraines sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and to seek a diplomatic solution to the crisis. After meeting with Ukrainian and Russian officials, Donfried will go on to Brussels on to talk with NATO and European Union allies.

Attempting to rally unity among disparate the G-7 club of wealthy nations, Truss said that free democratic nations must wean themselves off Russian gas and Russian money to preserve their independence.

She said she wanted to work with other countries to make sure that free democratic nations are able to have an alternative to Russian gas supplies, a reference to the contentious Nord Stream 2 pipeline that was built to carry gas from Russia to Germany, bypassing Ukraine.

Truss met on the sidelines of the gathering with Germanys new foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, a politician from the environmentalist Greens who previously opposed Nord Stream 2.

Britain, which is not very dependent on Russian gas, is a critic of the pipeline. But Londons financial district and property market are major hubs for Russian money, and U.K. authorities have long been accused of turning a blind eye to ill-gotten funds from around the world.

Truss insisted Britain is willing to consider new economic measures to protect its core values," saying cheap energy or cheap financing could have "a long-term cost for freedom and democracy.

The weekend meeting at the dockside Museum of Liverpool is the final major event of Britains year-long G-7 presidency. The diplomats in Liverpool also plan to discuss lagging efforts to vaccinate the world against coronavirus, tensions in the western Balkans, Afghanistan and North Korea, and China's muscle-flexing in the Indo-Pacific region.

The gathering is taking place as negotiators meet in Vienna to try to revive an ailing international deal that seeks to limit Irans nuclear ambitions. Blinken met German, French and British diplomats in Liverpool to discuss next steps over Iran, and the Biden administration's special envoy on Iran, Robert Malley also stopped in the city on his way to Vienna.

Truss warned this week that the Vienna talks are the last chance for Iran to sign up again to the deal, which was meant to rein in Tehran's nuclear program in return for loosened economic sanctions. It faltered after then-President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the agreement in 2018 and Iran began ramping up its uranium enrichment.

Truss also invited ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to the Liverpool meeting, though many were joining remotely because of the pandemic. Delegates and journalists face daily virus tests and mask mandates at the conference, as Britain records more cases of the omicron virus variant, which scientists say will become the dominant variant in the U.K. in the next week or so.

Britain is keen to work more closely with Asian nations as part of an Indo-Pacific tilt following the U.K.s departure from the 27-nation European Union last year  both to boost U.K. trade and as a counterweight to Chinas dominance.

Truss told her G-7 counterparts that democracies needed to fight economic coercion and win the battle of technology  both pointed references to Beijing's growing influence around the globe. The G-7 has launched a Build Back Better World initiative to offer developing nations funding for big infrastructure projects as an alternative to money from China that, the West argues, often comes with strings attached.

The U.K. chose a setting steeped in British history and culture for the G-7 event. Liverpools docklands, once a symbol of Britains global reach and economic might, came to represent the country's post-industrial decline.

Now, the area along the River Mersey is an example of 21st century urban renewal as a leisure and cultural district, complete with a museum dedicated to the citys most famous sons, The Beatles, where the leaders will have dinner on Saturday.

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Top United States diplomats met their Australian counterparts on the sideline of the Group of Seven (G7) meeting on Saturday, ANI reported citing the statement released by US Spokesperson Ned Price. According to the press release, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken with Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne in Liverpool where the top diplomats discussed ways to promote prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. "Great to meet with my good friend @MarisePayne today. We reaffirmed both our nations' deep commitment to a peaceful and secure Indo-Pacific, COVID-19 economic recovery and resilience, and cooperating to deliver results for our citizens and partners around the region," Blinken tweeted after concluding the meeting.

Notably, this was the second time when the top diplomats met after Australia-United States Ministerial (AUSMIN) summit. The summit was held earlier in September this year. During the Saturday meeting, both the diplomats discussed the ongoing effort to minimise the destruction caused due to climate change. Interestingly, Australia was the worst performer in the list of addressing climate-related issues. Despite raising grave concerns by the world leaders, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison showed reluctance to adhere to measures necessary to address the issue.

Moreover, the statement released by Price said the top diplomats also advocated to join the like-minded allies and partners in order to defend, strengthen, and renew democracy around the world. The leaders also discussed the ongoing rift between Russia and Ukraine. "They expressed concern over Russias ongoing aggression against Ukraine and reiterated support for a peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues without resorting to threats or coercion and emphasized Taiwans important contributions to global health development," read the statement released by Price.

US threatens sanctions against Russia amid Ukraine border tensions

According to US intelligence input, around 70,000 Russian troops are pressed near the Ukraine border by Putin and the forces have reportedly made all preparations to "invade Ukraine" next year. In response, the US on multiple occasions warned Russia to impose economic sanctions. In the latest conversation between US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart, the former had warned Moscow of heavy repercussions, if he act against Ukraine. "You can call that a threat. You can call that a fact. You can call that preparation. You can call it whatever you want to call it," said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki during a presser earlier this week.

(With input from agencies)

(Image: Twitter/Antony Blinken)
U.S. health authorities are urging Americans to get COVID-19 boosters, as the U.S. Food and Drug Adminstration widens the eligibility for coronavirus vaccinations. "Although we don't have all the answers on the omicron variant, initial data suggest that COVID-19 boosters help to bolster protection against omicron," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a briefing Friday.

The U.S. and many other nations already were urging adults to get booster shots to pump up immunity that can wane months after vaccination, calls that intensified with the discovery of the worrisome new omicron variant. On Thursday, the FDA gave emergency authorization for 16- and 17-year-olds to get a third dose of the vaccine made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech.

And hours later, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted the last barrier - saying those teens should get their booster as soon as it's time. The Pfizer vaccine is the only option in the U.S. for anyone younger than 18, either for initial vaccination or for use as a booster. Its not yet clear if or when teens younger than 16 might need a third Pfizer dose.

Vaccinations for children as young as 5 just began last month, using special low-dose Pfizer shots. By this week, about 5 million 5- to 11-year-olds had gotten a first dose. The extra-contagious delta variant is causing nearly all COVID-19 infections in the U.S., and in much of the world. Its not yet clear how vaccines will hold up against the new and markedly different omicron mutant.

But theres strong evidence that boosters offer a jump in protection against delta-caused infections, currently the biggest threat. Complicating the decision to extend boosters to 16- and 17-year-olds is that the Pfizer shot -- and a similar vaccine made by Moderna -- have been linked to a rare side effect.

Called myocarditis, its a type of heart inflammation seen mostly in younger men and teen boys. The FDA said rising COVID-19 cases in the U.S. mean the benefits of boosters greatly outweighed the potential risk from the rare side effect, especially as the coronavirus itself can cause more serious heart inflammation.

Health officials in Israel, which already gives boosters to teens, have said the side effect continues to be rare with third doses. A U.S. study this week offered additional reassurance. Researchers from childrens hospitals around the country checked medical records and found the rare side effect usually is mild and people recover quickly. The research was published Monday in the journal Circulation.

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One of the first Lao travelers on the new Laos-China high-speed railway shared his impressions with RFAs Lao Service. The first railway to traverse Laos cuts the overland travel time from the capital Vientiane to the China border at Boten from 24 hours to just three-and-a-half hours.

What follows is an edited recollection of the travelers experiences on board the $6 billion railway link, which is part of Beijings infrastructure masterplan, the Belt and Road Initiative. The traveler is not named to avoid trouble with Lao authorities.

I went to the station at 6 a.m. on the morning of December 4th and waited in line to buy the ticket for the first train leaving at 8 a.m. On the first day of passenger train operations, many people could not buy tickets before the train left. There was widespread disappointment as the passengers demanded the station start selling tickets earlier.

I was able to board the EMU CR200J train, a Chinese train officially called the Lanxang Train, which runs with the maximum speed of 160 km/h [100 mph].

Currently, only first-class and second-class seats are available, but they will roll out third-class seating later. First-class seats to Boten cost 529,000 kip or about U.S. $53, while second class costs 333,000 kip, equal to $33.

There is a sign in front of the ticketing window saying that all passengers must show their ID and proof that they are fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Although each station has three or four ticketing windows, they only opened one window.

The train leaves at 8 a.m. on the dot from Vientiane and arrives at Boten at 11:30. The same train leaves Boten at noon and is back in Vientiane at 3:44 p.m. It used to take me 24 hours to drive to Boten, 36 hours by bus. But the railway cuts the travel time to a mere three-and-a-half hours.

The train stops at only five stations right now: Vientiane, Phonehong Station in Vientiane province, Luang Prabang, Meuang Xai Station in Oudomxay province, and Boten on the Chinese border. The stations are done in a way that evokes traditional Lao architecture.

I was able to briefly step off the train at Meuang Xai Station and again at Boten. The people at both stations were very excited when we pulled up. So many people came to the station just to watch the train arrive and then depart.

When the train left the station, I could take in the view as city gave way to the countryside, and the beautiful nature of Laos greeted either side of the railway. The feeling was similar to when I rode the Shinkansen in Japan. The ride is very smooth and quiet.

Normally when I take the bus to Boten, many of the passengers get carsick and feel the urge to throw up. Instead, I felt calm, like I was sitting in an airplane, only without the turbulence. To top it all off, the toilets were totally clean, but its only the first day.

It was kind of funny that some of the villagers at the stations in Oudomxay and Luang-Prabang were asking if they could bring live chickens and piglets on the train with them. Of course, pets and livestock are not allowed, but this may change in the future. In the northern part of Laos thats part of their custom. They give gifts of chickens and piglets when they visit their relatives in other provinces.

The train certainly makes it easier to travel to the north and saves a lot of time. This is a positive sign that domestic tourism will rebound once the COVID-19 situation passes. Transporting of goods will also be easier, faster and cheaper.

I also believe that the railway will be good for attracting business and investment. As the Chinese say, Ancient civilization arrived on rivers, but modern civilization arrives on rails.

One problem I found is that the beautiful views disappear when the train goes through tunnels, leaving people to experience a lot of darkness.

Some people are concerned though that Laos will be inundated with Chinese goods. They are even planning to sell Chinese snacks and drinks on the train.

Many people complain that the ticket price is too expensive for the average Lao citizen when compared to their monthly wage. They say that pricing seems to have been set for Chinese passengers and not for us.

Translated by RFA's Lao Service. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
A Bosnian wartime drama that tells the bitter story of a UN translator watching helplessly as one of postwar Europe's worst atrocities unfolds has won the top prize and other big honors at the European Film Awards.

In addition to the best film prize on December 11, Quo Vadis, Aida? won Sarajevo-born Jasmila Zbanic the best-director award and Jasna Djuricic the best-actress honors in a virtual ceremony out of Berlin.

The film portrays the frustration of a translator for the United Nations in the town of Srebrenica ahead of the massacre by Bosnian Serb forces of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in July 1995.

Zbanic dedicated the film to the mothers and other women of Srebrenica, as well as the thousands of male friends and family members they lost.

"Women always have to clean up the chaos that men leave behind," Zbanic said.

Zbanic won a Golden Bear award in Berlin in 2006 for her feature Grbavica, about the life of a single mother in postwar Sarajevo.

Djuricic has hailed Quo Vadis, Aida?'s message of "reconciliation" amid waning public awareness of "the greatest wound in the Balkans," particularly among young people.

The European Film Awards are among the movie industry's most prestigious prizes, the result of voting among more than 4,000 academy members.

The four other nominees for best feature film were The Father, a French-British co-production about a man suffering from dementia, the French-Belgian horror-fantasy film Titane, the melancholic multinational production Compartment No 6, and the Italian drama The Hand Of God.

Based on reporting by dpa
Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) have warned Russia that it faces "massive consequences" and "severe" costs if it launches a military attack on Ukraine.

The warning came on December 12 during a G7 meeting in the English city of Liverpool where delegates said they were united in their condemnation of Russia's military buildup near its border with Ukraine. The G7 ministers called on Moscow to de-escalate the situation.

"Russia should be in no doubt that further military aggression against Ukraine would have massive consequences and severe cost in response," said the G7, which groups together Britain, Germany, France, the United States, Italy, Canada, and Japan.

"We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the right of any sovereign state to determine its own future," it said.

U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Russia could be planning a multi-front offensive on Ukraine as early as 2022 involving up to 175,000 troops.

The Kremlin denies it plans to invade other parts of Ukraine. It claims the West is gripped by "Russophobia." Moscow also says the expansion of NATO threatens Russia and has contravened assurances given to it when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

Russia seized and illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimea region in early 2014. Fighting in eastern Ukraine since April 2014 between Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed separatists has also killed more than 13,200 people.

A statement released by the Russian Embassy in London late on December 11 said Britain's frequent use of the phrase Russian aggression during the Liverpool meeting was misleading and designed to create a cause for the G7 to rally behind.

Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Ukraine-Russia Tensions? Test your knowledge! Begin

"Russia has made numerous offers to NATO on ways to decrease tensions," the Russian Embassy said. "The G7 forum could be an opportunity to discuss them, but so far we hear nothing but aggressive slogans."

Russia has said the growing NATO embrace of neighboring Ukraine -- and what Moscow sees as the possibility of NATO missiles in Ukraine targeted against Russia - is a "red line" it will not allow NATO to cross.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded legally binding security guarantees that NATO will not expand further east or place its weapons close to Russian territory.

But Washington has repeatedly said no country can veto Ukraine's NATO hopes.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin said on December 12 that Putin has requested an in-person meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden. It said there were "serious conceptual differences" on what Moscow regards as its "red lines" internationally.

There was no immediate confirmation from the White House of such a request.

Biden on December 11 reiterated his warning that Russia would face devastating economic consequences if it invades Ukraine.

Biden, who spoke with Putin in a videoconference on December 7, said he "made it absolutely clearthat if he moves on Ukraine, the economic consequences for his economy are going to be devastating, devastating."



Russia's standing in the world, Biden said, would change "markedly" in the event of an incursion, he said, speaking in Wilmington, Delaware.

At a summit in Switzerland in June, Putin described Ukrainian membership of NATO as a "red line" for Moscow, and reports suggest he has since described possible NATO infrastructure there similarly.

Ministers at the G7 meeting on December 12 were also discussing China's increased military activity in the Indo-Pacific region and negotiations in Vienna aimed at reviving a deal to limit Irans nuclear ambitions.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpa
Germanys new chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has met in Warsaw with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki for talks about the Belarus migrant crisis, Russia's troop buildup near its border with Ukraine, and Poland's opposition to the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline.

On a trip he has described as a "friendship visit," Scholz was greeted on December 12 by Morawiecki in front of the Polish leader's office.

Germany has backed Poland's efforts to stop the flow of thousands of migrants seeking entry from Belarus, a crisis that the European Union and Poland say Minsk has orchestrated in retaliation for sanctions over a crackdown on a pro-democracy movement in the country.

The Russia military buildup has sparked concerns among NATO allies of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.

But there are issues of disagreement between Warsaw and Berlin.

Poland opposes the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would deliver Russian natural gas to Germany via the Baltic Sea. German regulators have suspended the approval procedure for the pipeline over EU legal issues.

Warsaw says the project will make Europe dependent on Russian gas deliveries and exposes the European Union to pressure from Moscow. German regulators have suspended the approval procedure for the pipeline over legal issues.

Germany and the United States have reportedly reached a deal that would shelve Nord Stream 2 if Russia were to invade Ukraine.



"It would be a serious mistake to believe that violating the borders of a European country would remain without consequences, Scholz said.



Germany's new Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told broadcaster ZDF that under an agreement between Berlin and Washington the Nord Stream 2 project would be halted if Russia escalates against Ukraine.



"In the event of further escalation, this gas pipeline could not come into service," Baerbock said after a G7 meeting of foreign ministers in the U.K.

She added that Germany prefers to engage Russia in diplomacy to de-escalate the situation around Ukraine.

U.S. President Joe Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 7 that Nord Stream 2 could be disrupted and tough economic sanctions put in place if Russian troops invade Ukraine.

Scholz and Morawiecki also discussed a dispute that the Polish government is involved in with the European Commission.

Brussels says Warsaw is violating EU provisions with policies that are eroding the independence of Poland's judicial system. The EUs executive arm is withholding pandemic recovery funds from Poland over the issue.

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) imposed fines on Poland after finding that judicial reforms passed by the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party breached EU law.

Poland has refused to pay the fine and its top court has ruled that Polish law can take precedence over EU rules.

Scholz told reporters after his December 12 talks in Warsaw that he hopes Poland and the EU will find a common solution to the legal dispute over the judicial reforms.

Scholz's visit to Warsaw took place in the 30th anniversary year of the Treaty of Good Neighborship and Friendly Cooperation between Poland and Germany, signed on June 17, 1991.

Warsaw is the third European capital that Scholz has visited since taking office, after visits to Paris and Brussels.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpa
The United Kingdom publicly challenged Iran on December 12 to seize on a "last chance" to bring serious proposals to negotiations on a lasting solution to revive a six-year-old nuclear deal.

The appeal follows Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's assurance a day earlier that Tehran is serious in the ongoing but paused talks with world powers in Vienna.

"This is the last chance for Iran to come to the negotiating table with a serious resolution to this issue, which has to be agreeing the terms of the JCPOA," British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said at a G7 meeting in Liverpool in reference to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action.

Washington withdrew from the controversial deal in 2018, setting off a potentially crippling series of blows to compliance and enforcement that include Tehran's breach of the agreement.

U.S. President Joe Biden has sought a return to the JCPOA, but the order of a return to compliance and other sticking points have so far prevented a breakthrough.

"This is their last chance and it is vital that they do so," Truss warned. "We will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon."

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on December 11 that time is running out on saving the deal.

A G7 statement from Liverpool is expected to include a call for Tehran to rein in its nuclear activities and seize the opportunity to revive the deal.

"We are serious in the negotiations and if the other side is also serious about the removal of the sanctions, we will achieve a good agreement. We are definitely after a good agreement," the official Iranian news agency IRNA quoted Raisi, a hard-liner whose election as president put the talks in question, as saying on December 11.

All the deal's remaining signatories -- Iran, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and China -- are taking part in the talks in the Austrian capital.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said this week that Washington hopes the current round of talks "proceeds differently.

Washington was planning to send a delegation led by Robert Malley, the special U.S. envoy for Iran, to Vienna over the weekend.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett arrived in the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) on December 12, marking the first time an Israeli prime minister has made an official visit there.

Bennett's trip to Abu Dhabi is the most senior mutual visit since a U.S.-mediated formalization of Israeli-Emirati relations was achieved last year through the so-called Abraham Accords.

Bennett was received by an honor guard and welcomed by the U.A.E.'s foreign minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He was expected to meet later with Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed to discuss building economic and military ties.

I am very excited to be here, on the first official visit by an Israeli leader," Bennett said. "We look forward to strengthen the diplomatic relations between the countries."

Bennet's visit comes against a backdrop of intense diplomacy as world powers try to revive a six-year-old nuclear deal with Iran that was hobbled by a U.S. pullout and the reimposition of sanctions in 2018.

U.S. President Joe Biden has pledged to bring the nuclear deal back to life.

Hard-line Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on December 11 that his side was "serious in the negotiations," after U.S. officials publicly questioned Tehran's commitment to renewing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) from 2015.

Israel staunchly opposes the nuclear deal.

Israel and the U.A.E. have long cooperated secretly on security. But they only formalized relations in September 2020.

Before the Abraham Accords, which also included Bahrain, the only Arab states that had diplomatic relations with Israel were Egypt and Jordan.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AP
Plans for a pipeline to bring natural gas from Turkmenistan across the bottom of the Caspian Sea and on to Europe have been on the drawing board for a quarter of a century.

The project never progressed to the construction stage due to factors such as the earlier bad relations between Turkmenistan and the country where the proposed pipeline would exit the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, the undefined legal status of the Caspian, and fellow Caspian littoral states Russia and Iran raising concerns about possible environmental damage.

The first two issues have now been cleared up.

In the meantime, the price of natural gas in Europe has been regularly topping $1,000 per 1,000 cubic meters in recent weeks, and there are concerns in European Union countries that Russia, which supplied about 43 percent of the EUs gas imports in 2020, is gaining undesirable leverage in dealings with Brussels due to EU dependence on Russian gas.

That has some in Europe taking a fresh look at old projects for the diversification of gas imports.

A new company called Trans Caspian Resources has a plan for a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan.

The project is more modest than the original Trans-Caspian Pipeline, and it immediately serves only the needs of Azerbaijan for extra gas. But it does look to finally construct a pipeline that links Turkmenistan with the western Caspian shore and it could be the stepping-stone to more ambitious projects in the future.

On this week's Majlis Podcast, RFE/RL's media-relations manager, Muhammad Tahir, moderates a discussion on Trans Caspian Resources new project.

This week's guests are: from Virginia, Allan Mustard, a former U.S. ambassador to Turkmenistan and co-manager of Trans Caspian Resources; from Britain, John Roberts, an energy security specialist on Central Asia and the Caucasus who is on the advisory committee at Trans Caspian Resources; from Scotland, Luca Anceschi, who is a professor of Central Asian Studies at Glasgow University and author of the book Turkmenistans Foreign Policy  Positive Neutrality And The Consolidation Of The Turkmen regime; and Bruce Pannier, the author of the Qishloq Ovozi blog.

Listen to the podcast above or subscribe to the Majlis on iTunes or on Google Podcasts.
Separatist authorities in Moldova's breakaway region of Transdniester were holding a vote to pick a de facto president on December 12 in an election mostly ignored by Chisinau and likely to be poorly attended by would-be voters.

The breakaway authorities in the region of around 500,000 people's main city, Tiraspol, are currently led by Vadim Krasnoselsky, who is seeking to defeat a little-known challenger, Sergei Pynzar.

An impoverished country sandwiched between EU member Romania and Ukraine, Moldova lost effective control over Transdniester after breakaway leaders declared independence in 1990.

That declaration has not been recognized by a single UN member state.

But it sparked war two years later between the Moldovan Army and the Transdniestrian rebels backed by Russia over the narrow strip of land between the Dniester River and the Ukrainian border.

Russia still has around 1,400 of its troops stationed in Transdniester, ostensibly to protect Soviet-era arms depots.

Krasnoselsky defeated Yevgeny Shevchuk in the last election for the Tiraspol authorities' self-styled presidency, in December 2016.

Only around one-quarter of Trandniester's eligible voters went to the polls for legislative elections a year ago that the separatist authorities nevertheless declared valid, the lowest turnout in the area's history.

Last year, Moldova's then-president, Igor Dodon, hosted Krasnoselsky in Chisinau and addressed him as "president" for the first time in Moldova's history, in a move squarely aimed at attracting Transdniestrian votes.

Some observers have accused Moscow recently of using Russian gas supplies to punish Moldovans for subsequently electing pro-Western President Maia Sandu over the Russia-backed Dodon.

Sandu on September 22 repeated her call for the departure of Russian troops from Transdniester.

Moldovan lawmakers last month approved budget amendments to allow the national energy company to pay energy debts to Russia's Gazprom to avert a new energy crisis.
Pope Francis has joined the international chorus of concern over tensions stemming from a Russian troop buildup near its border with Ukraine, urging dialogue to resolve strains and avoid armed conflict.

The Roman Catholic pontiff told an audience of thousands at St. Peter's Square in the Vatican on December 12 that "weapons are not the path to take."

He said he was praying for "dear Ukraine, for all its churches and religious communities and for all of its people, so that tensions there are resolved through a serious international dialogue and not with weapons."

Ukraine, a post-Soviet country of around 44 million mostly Orthodox Christians, has been fighting a war against Russia-backed separatists in its east for seven years.

Kyiv and Western governments say a recent buildup of tens of thousands of Russian troops near the border with Ukraine could signal President Vladimir Putin's plans to launch a large-scale invasion.

"May this Christmas bring peace to Ukraine," the pope said.

About 10 percent of Ukrainians are Catholic.

NATO, European leaders, and the United States have repeatedly warned of serious consequences if Russia escalates militarily against Ukraine.

Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers meeting for a second day of talks in Liverpool on December 12 are reportedly preparing a statement cautioning Moscow of "massive consequences and severe cost" if it takes fresh military action against Ukraine.

The Kremlin has meanwhile said it is planning another Russian-U.S. presidential conversation -- and would like an in-person summit -- to discuss Ukraine and what it regards as its "red lines" internationally.

The fighting in eastern Ukraine has killed more than 13,200 people since April 2014 in a conflict that followed soon after Russia's occupation and annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine.

Based on reporting by Reuters
The pandemic 2020 was so difficult both for the global diamond industry in general and for the rough and polished diamond sector in particular. During the year, many mines were forced to suspend their operations for reasons relating to the COVID-19 pandemic due to the outbreaks of COVID-19 in the mines, national lockdowns, and a decrease in demand for rough diamonds in the global market. The closure of the Argyle mine in Australia in November 2020 due to the depletion of its reserves was another significant move in the industry as it was one of the main and highly productive diamond mines in the world. In fact, this means that Australia left the rather short list of the diamond-producing countries, where only Russia, Canada, Botswana, South Africa, Angola and the DRC remained.

This review examines the existing operating diamond mines in the world in the context of their operation in 2020 and 2021, their diamond production, current state, and their development prospects.

Botswana

Jwaneng (belonging to De Beers that is part of Anglo American)

For the first nine months of 2021, the diamond production at the world's largest mine Jwaneng exceeded the pre-pandemic level of 10.2 mn carats [4]. During the same period in 2018 and 2019, the mine had approximately the same diamond production, about 9.1 mn carats [3]. In the crisis 2020, only slightly more than 6 mn carats of rough diamonds were recovered at Jwaneng, which is mainly due to the national lockdown in Botswana from April 2 to May 18, as well as the planned processing of lower-grade ore (due to a poor diamond market situation). Accordingly, in 2021, the mine's beneficiation plants operated without interruption and received higher-diamond grade ore, which increased the diamond production by 68%.

According to the mine plan approved in 2020, the probable reserves and part of the inferred diamond resources at the Jwaneng deposit to be mined using an opencast method (taking into account the Cut-8 and Cut-9 expansion projects) will make its operation possible until 2036 [2]. In the future, it is planned to switch to underground operations, which will extend the mines life by another 20 years. The launch of the underground mine may take place as early as 2023, reaching its full design capacity equal to about 9 mn carats by 2034 [22].

Orapa, Letlhakane, Damtshaa (belonging to De Beers that is part of Anglo American)

The diamond production data from three mines operated by Debswana (part of De Beers) - Orapa, Letlhakane and Damtshaa - are summarized. For the first three quarters of 2021, these mines produced 6.9 mn carats, up 11% over the same period in 2020, but down 20% and 16% compared to the first nine months of 2018 and 2019, respectively. In particular, this is due to the fact that the Damtshaa mine was placed to care and maintenance for three years in November 2020, since the quality of the diamonds mined was lower than at other Debswanas mines, and the diamond recovery became unprofitable in the current situation on the global rough diamond market [ 23]. One of the options is the possible selling of the mine [20]. In addition, in November 2020, Debswana announced the closure of its beneficiation plant No.1 at the Orapa mine, which had operated since 1972, due to the deterioration of its equipment [28].

According to the mine plan, the operation of the Orapa mine based on its probable reserves and part of the inferred resources will be carried out until 2036, and the Letlhakane deposit will be operated until 2044. It should be noted that at Orapa, significant indicated resources were estimated amounting to 286.5 mn carats for open-pit mining, and 128.1 mn carats in tailings [2], which will allow to continue diamond mining for at least another 30 years.

Karowe (Lucara Diamond)

Although the Botswanas Karowe mine operating on the basis of the AK-6 kimberlite pipe is not a large diamond mine in terms of the diamond production (about 350-400 thousand carats of rough diamonds per year), undoubtedly, it deserves attention, since over the past seven years, five of the ten largest rough diamonds in the world were mined at this mine, including three stones weighing over 1,000 carats.

In H1 2021, the diamond production at the mine decreased by 6% compared to H1 2020, from 192.7 thousand carats to 181.3 thousand carats [9]. At the same time, the revenue of the Karowe operator, Lucara Diamond, increased by 2.4 times over the same period due to an increase in the average rough diamond selling price from $268/ct to $618/ct. In total, the company plans to receive 340-370 thousand carats of diamonds at the mine in 2021, and the revenue of $180 mn-$210 mn (in the first half of the year it amounted to $99.4 mn).

In September 2021, the Lucara Board of Directors approved a $220-mn expansion project for the Karowe underground mine [8], which will extend the life of the mine until 2040. The underground mine is expected to start its operation by 2026, and until 2026, the open-pit mining will continue [10].

South Africa

Venetia (belonging to De Beers that is part of Anglo American)

The Venetia diamond mine, the largest diamond mine in South Africa, based on a cluster of kimberlite pipes, produced just over 4 mn carats of rough diamonds in the first three quarters of 2021, which is by 62% more than over the same period in 2020 [4]. It also significantly exceeds the diamond production during the first nine months of 2018 and 2019, by 22.5% and 63%, respectively. De Beers attributes the increase in the diamond production in 2021 to the planned processing of a higher-grade ore and a higher performance of the beneficiation plant. In addition, a national lockdown for 21 days was introduced in South Africa in 2020 (from March 26 to April 16).

The switch of the Venetia kimberlite pipes to the underground mining, aimed at the extension of its life until 2045, will begin in 2023, since the reserves for opencast mining will be depleted soon. The work is underway, and the entire project is estimated at $2.1 bn [1].

Cullinan (Petra Diamonds)

Cullinan, one of the most famous underground diamond mines in the world, located on the basis of the Cullinan kimberlite pipe, produced 1.9 mn carats of diamonds in fiscal 2021 (from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021), which is 19% more than in fiscal 2020 [16]. In fiscal 2021, a record number of "exceptional" rough diamonds were recovered at the Cullinan mine [17]:

 In September 2020, Petra Diamonds announced the discovery of five high quality blue rough diamonds of high clarity ranging from 9.61 to 25.75 carats (totally, 85.6 cts), called the Letlapa Tala Collection; the collection was sold for $ 40.4 mn;

 In January 2021, a 299.3-carat, type IIA white rough diamond was discovered, sold in March 2021 for $12.8 mn;

 In April 2021, a 39.34-carat, type IIB blue rough diamond was recovered, sold at $1 mn/ct (for $40.2 mn), a record price for Petra Diamonds.

In fiscal 2022, Petra Diamonds recovered one more "exceptional" diamond at the Cullinan mine in July 2021, a white rough diamond weighing almost 343 carats.

As of June 30, 2021, the Cullinans indicated resources amounted to 132.6 mn carats, including probable reserves of almost 15 mn carats. In addition, its inferred resources were estimated at 17.2 mn carats [18]. The current mine plan was developed until 2030, but the rough diamond resources will extend the mine operation for at least another 50 years.

Petra Diamonds is implementing a range of measures to improve the mine's productivity. Among other things, the company purchased additional Burevestnik X-ray units (manufactured at the Russian IC Burevestnik, an ALROSAs subsidiary) to increase the beneficiation plant's capacity.

Finsch (Petra Diamonds)

The Petra Diamonds another underground mine operating on the basis of the Finsch kimberlite pipe saw a decline in the diamond production in fiscal 2021 and recovered 1.2 mn carats of rough diamonds, while in fiscal 2020, it recovered 1.6 mn carats (down 23%). This is attributed to the processing of a lower average diamond grade ore (0.53 ct/t compared to 0.59 ct/t), and in part, to heavy rains in early 2021. At the same time, the rough diamond sales increased by 19% (from 1.3 mn carats to 1.6 mn carats) in fiscal 2021 thanks to the improved situation in the diamond market [19].

As of June 30, 2021, the mines indicated and inferred resources amounted to 37.7 mn carats, including probable reserves containing 14.8 mn carats of diamonds. The mine plan was approved until 2030, but according to the company, the life of the mine could be extended by another 25 years [19].

Angola

Catoca (Sociedade Mineira de Catoca)

At the Catoca mine, the largest in Angola and one of the largest in the world, operating on the basis of the Catoca kimberlite pipe, 6.5 mn carats of diamonds were produced in 2020, almost by 13% less than in 2019 [7]. The production targets for 2020 have been deliberately lowered due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the efforts to reduce the coronavirus spread. In particular, one of the beneficiation plants was closed in September, 2020. Data on the diamond production at the Catoca mine for 2021 is not provided, however, it is known that in the first half of the year, Sociedade Mineira de Catoca sold 2.9 mn carats of rough diamonds worth $280 mn, which is 81% more than in the same period in 2020 year [27]. The company's 2020 annual report expects that the situation will change for the better thanks to the vaccination programme launched in Angola in 2021.

Canada

Diavik (Rio Tinto)

The Canadas diamond mine Diavik underwent major changes in 2021; in November, Rio Tinto announced that it became its sole owner having bought a 40% share from Dominion Diamond Mines [26].

In 2020, the Diavik mine produced 6.2 mn carats of diamonds, by 7.5% less than in 2019. In H1 2021, it produced about 3.2 mn carats, 1.9 mn carats of which accounted for Rio Tinto, which is up 2% compared to the same period in 2020 [24]. Based on the results of H1 2021, Rio Tinto expected to recover about 3 mn3.8 mn carats of rough diamonds at the Diavik mine per year, but at that time, the company's share in this asset was 60% only. Accordingly, in 2021, the mine can produce 5 mn6.3 mn carats of diamonds.

Probably in the next three years, Diavik will produce about 5.5 mn carats of diamonds per year, since Rio Tinto plans to close the mine in 2025, and its indicated and inferred resources, taking into account the proven and probable reserves as of December 31, 2020 amounted to 22.35 mn carats of diamonds [25].

Ekati (Arctic Canadian Diamond Company)

Another Canadian mine, previously owned by Dominion Diamond Mines that went bankrupt, was bought by the Arctic Canadian Diamond Company in February 2021 [5]. In March 2020, the mine was put on care and maintenance due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was originally planned to resume its operations in November 2020, but due to the Dominion Diamonds problems, the suspension lasted longer. The restoration of its production was announced in January 2021 only, while the message noted that it would be possible to return all the mines workers at the end of February only [6]. In March 2021, Arctic Canadian announced its plans to reach a diamond production level of about 4.5 mn carats this year, and 5 mn carats by 2022. The company plans to operate the mine until 2028 [21].

Gahcho Kue (De Beers - 51%, Mountain Province Diamonds - 49%)

The suspension of operations due to the COVID-19 outbreak also took place at the Gahcho Kue mine, but it was in 2021 and for three weeks only - from February 6 to 26 [13]. In the first 9 months of 2021, the mine produced 4.7 mn carats of diamonds, which is down 5.5% compared to the same period in 2020 and down 2.6% compared to the first 9 months of 2019 [ 14, 15]. In total, it is planned to produce 6.3 mn6.5 mn carats of diamonds in 2021 [12], which is up 25% compared to the previous year (6.2 mn carats). At the same time, at the beginning of 2021, Mountain Province refrained from publishing its forecasts for its diamond production in 2021 because of the uncertain situation due to COVID-19.

As of December 31, 2020, the probable reserves of diamonds at the Gahcho Kue deposit were estimated at 46.2 mn carats, which will allow diamond mining to be carried out until mid-2028 (with the diamond production of 6.2 mn carats per year). The indicated and inferred resources estimated at 21.8 mn carats [11] will allow to extend diamond mining until 2030.

Russia

Yubileynaya pipe (ALROSA, Aikhal MPP)

The Yubileinaya pipes ore mined by the open pit is the largest source of rough diamonds in Russia (over 20% of the ALROSAs diamond production in 2020). In 2020, the mine produced 6.2 mn carats of diamonds, down 1 mn carats (14%) compared to 2019 [30], which is attributed to the planned reduction in the diamond production because of the weak global diamond market due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the first 9 months of 2021, the diamond production at the mine also decreased compared to the same period in 2020, down 21% (from 5.7 mn carats to 4.5 mn carats) due to a decrease in the ore average diamond grade [32].

As of January 1, 2020, the diamond reserves (categories A + B + C1 + C2) at the Yubileynaya pipe were 117.7 mn carats [33], which allows to operate the mine until 2039 with a diamond production of about 6.2 mn carats per year.

Udachnaya pipe (ALROSA, Udachninsky MPP)

The Udachnaya kimberlite pipe is the mine with underground operation. In 2020, the diamond recovery at the mine increased by 1 mn carats (from 3.1 ml carats to 4.1 ml carats [30]) as part of the planned programme to reach the underground mines full production capacity, despite the fact that beneficiation plant No. 12 was suspended for a long time in 2020 [29]. In the first three quarters of 2021, the diamond recovery at the mine was 2.8 mn carats, up 65% compared to the same period in 2020 (1.7 mn carats), thanks to the resumption of uninterrupted operation of the beneficiation plant.

As for the diamond reserves, the Udachnaya pipe is the largest in Russia; as of Jannuary 1, 2020, they were estimated at 202.9 mn carats (categories A + B + C1 + C2) [33].

Internatsionalnaya Pipe (ALROSA, Mirninsky MPP)

The Internatsionalnaya pipe is also an underground mine. In 2020, 1.8 mn carats of diamonds were produced at the mine, down 18% compared to 2019 [30]. In 2021, the diamond production continued to decline, in the first 9 months of the year it decreased to 0.5 mn carats, down 55% compared to the same period in 2020. However, this is not due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but to the transfer of beneficiation plant No. 3 that processes the Internatsionalnaya pipes kimberlites, to a seasonal mode of operation, which implies a seasonal suspension for the period from April 1 to September 30 [32].

The pipes diamond reserves are 46.1 mn carats in categories A + B + C1 + C2 [33].

Aikhal pipe (ALROSA, Aikhalsky MPP)

From May 15 to October 1, 2020, a planned suspension of operations was carried out at the Aikhal underground mine as part of the anti-crisis measures implemented by ALROSA because of the decrease in the global demand for diamonds due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the diamond production at the pipe in 2020 decreased by 38.5% compared to 2019, to 1.6 mn carats [30]. In 2021, the operation was carried out as usual, and in the first 9 months of the year, 1.7 mn carats were recovered, up 31% compared to the same period in 2020 and even more than in the entire year.

The mines diamond reserves are quite high; as of the beginning of 2020, they were estimated at 64.4 mn carats in categories A + B + C1 + C2 [33].

Nyurbinskaya and Botuobinskaya pipes (ALROSA, Nyurbinsky MPP)

The diamond production at the Nyurbinskaya and Botuobinskaya pipes operated by the open-pit method, also significantly decreased in 2020 compared to 2019, down 12% (to 2.9 mn carats) and down 60% (to 2.2 mn carats), respectively. This is due to the fact that in Q3 2020, the ore from these pipes was not processed at the Nyurbinsky MPP beneficiation plant as part of the decisions to reduce the diamond production. Instead, the factory received the sands from the Nyurbinskoye and Botuobinskoye alluvial diamond deposits [31].

In 2021, the diamond production at the primary deposits increased. In the first three quarters of the year, 3.2 mn carats of diamonds were produced at the Nyurbinskaya pipe (by 6% more than in the same period in 2020), and 3.2 mn carats were also recovered at the Botuobinskaya pipe (by 2.5 times more) [32].

As of January 1, 2020, the pipes diamond reserves of categories A + B + C1 + C2 were estimated at 30.3 mn carats at the Nyurbinskaya pipe, and at 90.6 mn carats at the Botuobinskaya pipe [33].

Group of deposits named after M. V. Lomonosov (Severalmaz (part of the ALROSA group, Lomonosov MPP)

Currently, two deposits from the Lomonosov group are operated - the Arkhangelskaya and Karpinsky-1 pipes (in total, there are six of them). In 2020, the operation was suspended at both pipes as part of anti-crisis measures, from May 13 to September 1 at the Arkhangelskaya pipe, and from May 13 to October 21 at the Karpinsky-1 pipe. Of course, this led to a decrease in the diamond production in comparison with the results of 2019, down 24% at the Arkhangelskaya pipe (down to 1.6 mn carats) and down 43% at the Karpinsky-1 pipe (down to 1.2 mn carats).

In the first 9 months of 2021, 1.2 mn carats were recovered at the Arkhangelskaya pipe (down 18% compared to the same period in 2020), and up 1.4 mn carats (up 14%) at the Karpinsky-1 pipe [31, 32]. At the same time, the total diamond production at both pipes for three quarters of 2021 remained at the level of the same period in 2020.

After the pipes diamond reserves totaling 64.7 mn carats in categories A + B + C1 [33] are depleted, Severalmaz will start developing the remaining fields of the M. V. Lomonosov group.

In addition to the Aikhal, Arkhangelskaya and Karpinsky-1 pipes, ALROSA suspended its operations in 2020 at the Verkhne-Munskoye deposit, Zarnitsa pipe and Zarya pipe. All these mines are the least marginal among the company's assets, since their ores are characterized by a relatively low average diamond grade and diamond value.



Grib diamond pipe (AGD DIAMONDS JSC)

AGD DIAMONDS JSC, the only diamond mining company in Russia independent of the ALROSA Group, is developing the Vladimir Grib diamond pipe in the Arkhangelsk Province using the open-pit method. In 2020, the company produced 4.1 million carats, which is 18% less than in 2019. In 2021, AGD DIAMONDS ramped up production at the mine. Also, the current year has become rich in terms of recovering large diamonds - in total, five such stones were retrieved, each weighing more than 50 ct, including a unique diamond weighing 118.05 ct unearthed in October 2021.

In September 2021, Grib Diamonds (a trading division of AGD DIAMONDS JSC) held a successful auction, which saw an increase of average prices by 5-7% (up to $ 82/ct).

As of 01.01.2020, the diamond reserves of the pipe attributed to categories A + B + C1 + C2 amounted to 63.2 million carats [33], which is sufficient to ensure uninterrupted production for more than 12 years.

In general, it can be noted that in 2021, at most large mines, the diamond production reached the pre-pandemic level or was close to it. At the mines where this did not happen, the decrease in the diamond production was no longer caused by the restrictions due to COVID-19, but by other reasons. However, it is too early to relax, because COVID-19 is an unpredictable virus, and nobody knows what impact it will have on the diamond industry in the coming 2022.

Anastasia Smolnikova, Analyst, the Institute of Natural Monopolies Problems, for Rough&Polished



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1. Anglo American plc. Integrated Annual Report 2020. - 2021. - URL: https://www.angloamerican.com/~/media/Files/A/Anglo-American-Group/PLC/investors/annual-reporting/2021/aa-annual-report -full-2020.pdf

2. Anglo American plc. Ore Reserves and Mineral Resources Report 2020. - 2021. - URL: https://www.angloamerican.com/~/media/Files/A/Anglo-American-Group/PLC/investors/annual-reporting/2021/aa- ore-reserves-and-mineral-resources-report-2020.pdf

3. Anglo American plc. Production Report for the third quarter ended 30 September 2019. - 22.10.2019. - URL: https://www.angloamerican.com/~/media/Files/A/Anglo-American-Group/PLC/media/press-release/releases/2019pr/q3-production-report-2019.pdf

4. Anglo American plc. Production Report for the third quarter ended 30 September 2021. - 21.10.2021. - URL: https://www.angloamerican.com/~/media/Files/A/Anglo-American-Group/PLC/media/press-release/releases/2021pr/q3-2021-production-report.pdf

5. Business Wire. Dominion Diamond Mines Sells Ekati Mine to Arctic Canadian Diamond Company Ltd. 02/03/2021. URL: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210203005998/en/Dominion-Diamond-Mines-Sells-Ekati-Mine-to-Arctic-Canadian-Diamond-Company-Ltd

6. Cabin Radio. Production restarts at Ekati mine with sale imminent. - 01/20/2021. - URL: https://cabinradio.ca/54044/news/economy/production-restarts-at-ekati-mine-with-sale-imminent/

7. CATOCA. Annual Report 2020. - 2021. - URL: https://www.catoca.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/RC-CATOCA-2020_20OUT2021.pdf

8. Lucara Diamond. Lucara Announces Final Board Project Sanction for the Karowe Underground Expansion Project and Financial Close of Project Finance Facilities. 09/08/2021. - URL: https://lucaradiamond.com/newsroom/news-releases/lucara-announces-final-board-project-sanction-for-122832/

9. Lucara Diamond. Precious Metals Summit 2021. - 2021. - URL: https://lucaradiamond.com/site/assets/files/62862/2021-09-09_preciousmetalsbeavercreek_lucara.pdf

10. Lucara Diamond. Q2 2021 Results Karowe Underground Expansion Update. 08/11/2021. - URL: https://lucaradiamond.com/site/assets/files/62857/lucara_q2_2021_investor_call_presentation_final.pdf

11. Mountain Province Diamonds. Annual Information Form For the Year Ended December 31, 2020 .-- 29.03.2021. - URL: https://www.mountainprovince.com/download/Mountain+Province+Diamonds+-+AIF+December+31+2020.pdf

12. Mountain Province Diamonds. Mountain Province Diamonds Announces First Quarter Financial Results and Guidance for 2021. - 05/12/2021. - URL: https://www.mountainprovince.com/2021-05-12-Mountain-Province-Diamonds-Announces-First-Quarter-Financial-Results-and-Guidance-for-2021

13. Mountain Province Diamonds. Mountain Province Diamonds Announces Plan for Restart of Operations at Gahcho Kue Mine. - 02/26/2021. - URL: https://www.mountainprovince.com/2021-02-26-Mountain-Province-Diamonds-Announces-Plan-for-Restart-of-Operations-at-Gahcho-Kue-Mine

14. Mountain Province Diamonds. Mountain Province Diamonds Announces Third Quarter and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020 Results. - 04.11.2020. - URL: https://www.mountainprovince.com/2020-11-04-Mountain-Province-Diamonds-Announces-Third-Quarter-and-Nine-Months-Ended-September-30-2020-Results

15. Mountain Province Diamonds. Mountain Province Diamonds Announces Third Quarter and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021 Results, Second Highest Quarterly Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA in Company History. - 09.11.2021. - URL: https://www.mountainprovince.com/2021-11-09-Mountain-Province-Diamonds-Announces-Third-Quarter-and-N... -Highest-Quarterly-Revenue-and-Adjusted-EBITDA-in-Company-History

16. Petra Diamonds Limited. Annual Report and Accounts 2021. - 2021. - URL: https://www.petradiamonds.com/wp-content/uploads/Annual-report-2021-Final-15-October.pdf

17. Petra Diamonds Limited. Our Heritage. 2021. - URL: https://www.petradiamonds.com/about-us/our-heritage/

18. Petra Diamonds Limited. Our operations. Our Mines. Cullinan. - 2021. - URL: https://www.petradiamonds.com/our-operations/our-mines/cullinan/

19. Petra Diamonds Limited. Our operations. Our Mines. Finsch. - 2021. - URL: https://www.petradiamonds.com/our-operations/our-mines/finsch/

20. Rapaport. Diamonds.Net. De Beers Mulls Sale of Botswana Mine. 07/11/2021. - URL: https://www.diamonds.net/News/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=66580&ArticleTitle=De+Beers+Mulls+Sale+of+Botswana+Mine

21. Rapaport. Diamonds.Net. Ekati Eyes 5M Carats as Production Resumes. - 03/07/2021. - URL: https://www.diamonds.net/News/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=66158&ArticleTitle=Ekati+Eyes+5M+Carats+as+Production+Resumes

22. Reuters. Botswana's Debswana expects new strategy to create at least $ 900 million in extra revenue. - 04.24.2021. - URL: https://www.reuters.com/article/ozabs-uk-botswana-diamonds-idAFKBN2CB09L-OZABS

23. Reuters. De Beers-owned Debswana to close diamond mine on weak demand - union leader. 11/06/2020. - URL: https://www.reuters.com/article/botswana-debeers-mine-idUSKBN27M1KJ

24. Rio Tinto. 2021 Half Year Results. - 28.07.2021. - URL: https://www.riotinto.com/-/media/Content/Documents/Invest/Financial-news-and-performance/Results/RT-Half-year-results-2021-combined.pdf?rev=48699f75528a4197bf2488eca72fcb56

25. Rio Tinto. Annual Report 2020. - 2021. - URL: https://www.riotinto.com/-/media/Content/Documents/Invest/Reports/Annual-reports/RT-Annual-report-2020.pdf?rev=6df52113b92840648d05a4ac9e4cc1d8

26. Rio Tinto. Rio Tinto becomes sole owner of Diavik Diamond Mine. - 18.11.2021. - URL: https://www.riotinto.com/news/releases/2021/Rio-Tinto-becomes-sole-owner-of-Diavik-Diamond-Mine

27. Rough and Polished. News. In the first half of the year, Catoca's diamond sales were $ 280 million. - 20.07.2021. - URL: https://www.rough-polished.com/ru/news/122093.html

28. The Botswana Gazette. Orapa Mine Plant One Shuts Down. 11.11.2020. - URL: https://www.thegazette.news/news/orapa-mine-plant-one-shuts-down/

29. AK ALROSA (PJSC).    2020 .  2021. (Annual report for 2020. - 2021.) - URL: http://www.alrosa.ru/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/ALROSA_AR2020_080721.pdf

30. AK ALROSA (PJSC).  .  2021. (Operating performance. - 2021.) - URL: http://www.alrosa.ru/--/-/

31. AK ALROSA (PJSC).      3 .  9 2020 .  16.10.2020. (ALROSA Group operating performance for Q3 and 9M 2020 - 16.10.2020). - URL: ALROSA-Q3-2020-Trading-Update-IR-release-16-10-2020-RUS.pdf

32. AK ALROSA (PJSC).      3 .  9 2021 .  15.10.2021. (ALROSA Group operating performance for Q3 and 9M 2021 - 15.10.2021.) - URL: http://www.alrosa.ru/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ALROSA-Q3-2021-Trading-Update-IR-release-15-10-2021-RUS-F.pdf

33.       -     2019 .  2020. (State report "On the State and Use of Mineral Resources of the Russian Federation in 2019". - 2020.) - URL: https://www.mnr.gov.ru/docs/o_sostoyanii_i_ispolzovanii_mineralno_syrevykh_resursov_rossiyskoy_federatsii/gosudarstvennyy_doklad_o_sostyanii_i_ispolzovanii_mineralno_syrevykh_resursov_rossiyskoy_federatsii/
On Wednesday, Americans will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. But its not the date of Dec. 7, 1941, thats emblazoned in Jim Crosbys memory.

The 84-year-old Carlsbad retiree better remembers Jan. 4, 1942. Thats the day Japanese troops took the 9-year-old Crosby and his parents from their home in the Philippines to an internment camp, where they and thousands of others would spend the next three years behind a fence topped with shards of broken glass.

Inside the Santo Tomas Internment Camp, families endured extreme overcrowding and near-starvation and they lost all they owned.

Jim Crosby, right, with his father, Ralph, in about 1939, two years before they were forced into an internment camp in the Philippines. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune )

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Today, the retired electrical engineer said he has only good memories of the Philippines, where his parents stayed after the war.

Although hundreds of internees died from starvation and a few by execution, Crosby said his recollections are filtered through the softer lens of childhood. Thanks to his parents protectiveness, reassurances and ingenuity, he always had enough to eat, his days were filled with activity and there was no shortage of interned children to play with.

My parents always seemed to just roll with it, he said, adding that as a child he didnt understand the dangers of camp life. For me at first, it just seemed like a grand adventure.

Just hours after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese bombers also attacked Manila, the Philippines capital city. Crosbys parents, Canadian-born Ralph and San Francisco-bred Flora, had moved there in 1924 and Ralph Crosby ran six gold mines that employed hundreds of Filipinos. As wealthy expatriates, the Crosbys pampered their only child, Jim.

Internees at the Santo Tomas camp in Manila arrived with just the belongings they could carry from their outside residences. (Courtesy: Jim Crosby )

I think the phrase raised with a silver spoon describes it best, he said. The ex-pats had their country clubs, their new houses, lots of servants and even drivers.

Although the attack was a surprise, there had been rumblings of trouble for months. Because of escalating tension with Japan, U.S. Embassy employees in Manila sent their families back home to the States just weeks before. But the 5,000-strong expatriate community didnt flinch.

Japan had invaded China many years before, but the expats didnt ever expect that Japan would cross the United States. They were wrong, he said.

When the bombing began, Crosbys father built a bomb shelter at their house, which was about four miles outside Manila, and they went on with their lives.

I wasnt concerned, he recalled. The bombs were noisy but it didnt affect us. Life carried on. We still went to the country club on the weekends.

But within a week, the Japanese landed in Manila and by Christmas, the expats were trapped on the islands. On Jan. 3, a Japanese officer with impeccable English knocked at their door and advised them to be ready to go in 24 hours. They were told to pack a suitcase with enough clothes and canned food to last a maximum of three weeks. In his suitcase, Crosby also packed a brownie camera, assuming he could buy film at the camp when he arrived.

The camp was the abandoned campus of the University of Santo Tomas, about five miles away. In the first months, there were 4,700 internees, mostly American and British, with some Australians and Norwegians. About 700 were children.

This archival photograph from the Santo Tomas Internment Camp shows the sleeping conditions internees endured inside the former universitys gymnasium. Each had a few feet of space to lay on the ground or a mattress under a mosquito net. (Courtesy: Jim Crosby )

When the internees own food supplies ran out, the Red Cross came in, but the meager rations they provided  mostly rice and waterleaf (an iron-rich green)  led to dramatic weight loss among the internees. By the end of the war, the internees were subsisting on just 730 calories a day. Most lost a quarter to half of their body weight. Records show nearly 400 deaths, mostly from starvation.

For the first two years, the Japanese commandant allowed local Filipinos to bring supplies to the internees. The Crosbys mine employees delivered extra food, mattresses and clothing, as well as the rudimentary materials the family used to build a shanty outside the universitys main building. After the supplies were cut off and food grew scarce, a black market emerged. Crosbys mother traded her 2-carat diamond ring for a 2-pound bag of kidney beans, and his father wrote a $4,000 IOU for a one-pound can of powdered milk.

After the Santo Tomas Internment camp in Manila was liberated, two emaciated former internees sat, waiting to be let out of the camp. (Courtesy: Jim Crosby )

The camp was run by a committee of internees overseen by the Japanese commandant. At first, Crosbys father worked for the committee but then transferred to the garbage pit-digging crew because he could earn more credits to buy food. Crosbys mother, appalled at the lack of sanitation in the camp, joined the all-female toilet cleaning crew, who kept the camp disease-free.

Within three weeks, the interned schoolteachers set up classes again in the universitys chemistry labs. Every subject was taught except American history, which was forbidden by the Japanese.

Crosby didnt much enjoy going to school, but it passed the time. He said he often despaired that the internment would never end. For distraction, he and his buddies played cops and robbers for hours.

We didnt have any guns, so wed take the long beans from acacia trees and cut them up into little pieces and throw them at each other, he said.

The committees rules were strict and, when broken, had severe consequences. Five men attempted to escape the camp and four were caught and executed. Cameras were also forbidden, so Crosby secretly smashed his brownie camera and buried the parts, having never taken a photo.

Radios were also forbidden, but a few engineers secretly salvaged parts from the commandants radio and built their own. Thats how they knew the tide of the war was turning against the Germans and Japanese. In September 1944, the first U.S. planes began flying over Manila on bombing runs. Crosby and his friends could watch from the rooftop of the main university building.

One of my favorite memories was seeing a bomb hit a (Japanese) heavy cruiser in the harbor and it blew up with a very loud bang. It was pretty spectacular, he said.

That Christmas day, Allied planes dropped leaflets assuring the end was near. And on Feb. 3, 1945, American tanks rolled up to the gates to free them at last.

That was the happiest moment of my life, Crosby said.

A month after being liberated from the internment camp in the Philippines, 12-year-old Jim Crosby, far right, and his mother, Flora, second from right, are greeted by family at a ship terminal in San Francisco, in this image captured by The San Francisco Chronicle. (Courtesy: Jim Crosby )

After the war, the 12-year-old Crosby and his mom took a troop ship back to San Francisco while his father stayed to rebuild his business. They returned to Manila a year later and Crosby finished high school there. Then he returned to the U.S. for good to attend college and build a career in the magnetic tape industry. In 1956, he met his wife, Laurene. Now residents of the La Costa Glen retirement community, theyve been married 60 years and have two daughters.

Upon reflection, Crosby has a dim view of war and mixed feelings about internment camps. He admits that the Japanese may have been right to intern the American and British expatriates in the Philippines because they wouldve taken up arms against them. But hes not an advocate of internment camps on U.S. soil. He opposed the American internment of Japanese-Americans and immigrants during World War II, and has concerns about the idea of interning Muslims or Mexican immigrants in the future.

Yes, I do think it could happen again, he said. When something sudden happens, theres a certain amount of hysteria. I thought the Japanese internment (in the U.S). was a big mistake. It shouldnt have happened.

Pearl Harbor 75th anniversary  On Now Pearl Harbor survivors relive the infamous day 12:34 On Now Pearl Harbor Veterans visit Hawaii elementary school 0:43 On Now 104 years young On Now Aircraft Warning Service Volunteer recounts her experience in after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor 2:40 On Now Returning WWII relics to Japan 3:10 On Now USS Pearl Harbor 3:11 On Now Video: Remembering Pearl Harbor: Mary Lou Mawhiney 3:14

pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com
DEL MAR

Author to speak on children, families in digital era

Del Mar Hills Academy PTA will host clinical psychologist Catherine Steiner-Adair, author of The Big Disconnect: Protecting Childhood and Family Relationships in the Digital Age, at a free lecture at 6 p.m. Feb. 16 in the Performing Arts Center at 14085 Mango Drive. Steiner-Adair examines how technology and media can change the ways children learn and grow, and shows parents and educators how to use technology while reducing the risks it poses to children. The community is welcome to attend this free event.

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ENCINITAS

Back to school night, seminars scheduled at SDA

San Dieguito Academy will host a second-term Back to School Night at 6 p.m. Wednesday, preceded by several parent seminars from 5 to 5:45 p.m.: Course Selection and Naviance as a Pathway to College and Career Readiness (Media Center); AP Parent Information (gym); and MiraCosta College Options and Programs (Liggett Theater). The seminars will be offered in Spanish from 6 to 7:10 p.m. Call (760) 753-1121.

Grauer School presents Man Who Came to Dinner

The Grauer Schools Theatre Department invites the community to its presentation of the comedy The Man Who Came To Dinner, by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, at 7 tonight, Friday and Saturday. The play will be performed on campus at 1500 S. El Camino Real. Tickets cost $7 at the door. Visit www.grauerschool.com or call (760) 944-6777.

OTL Youth Council to meet at library

The Outside The Lens Youth Council will meet from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Encinitas Library, 540 Cornish Drive. In this monthly digital-media focused college and career readiness program, middle- and high school students work together to develop leadership, photography and photojournalism skills, participate in community service projects and make a difference. Register at https://bit.ly/2jT5fmg; email iggy@outsidethelens.org.

ESCONDIDO

Open house upcoming at Escondido Christian School

Escondido Christian School invites the community to its annual Open House Night from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Feb. 16 at the campus, 923 Idaho Ave. Families can meet teachers, parents and students, see student projects and visit classrooms. The school has been in Escondido since 1948 and serves more than 400 students. Call (760) 745-2071; visit ecslions.org.

Community input meetings coming to district

The Escondido Union School District is hosting community meetings to gather input from parents and residents on priorities under the states Local Control Funding Formula. The free meetings will begin at 6 p.m. Monday at Pioneer Elementary School, 980 N. Ash St., and Wednesday at L.R. Green Elementary School, 3115 Las Palmas Ave. Translation and child care will be provided.

NORTH COUNTY

Schools celebrate Great Kindness Challenge

Several North County school districts recently celebrated the Great Kindness Challenge. The challenge was created by Kids for Peace to provide schools nationwide with a tool to create a positive environment, reinforcing the idea that kindness matters. In 2016, more than 5 million students took part. In North County, Carlsbad students held a rally at Tamarack State Beach for the challenge that was featured on Good Morning America. Students at Capri Elementary in Encinitas held a food drive. At Bobier Elementary in Vista, the staff, school superintendent, and members of the Vista Fire Department, Sheriffs Department, Rotary Clubs, Chamber of Commerce, City Council and school board surprised students with a tunnel of kindness. Bobier students and staff also collected Kind Coins for Pakistan during the event, raising $2,114.01 to help build a school in Pakistan. Visit www.greatkindnesschallenge.org.

Local students graduate

Lindsay Simpson of San Diego earned a Doctorate of Philosophy in education from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.

Kaitlyn Nicole Egan of Carlsbad graduated from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, with a Master of Science degree in clinical psychology.

Juan Mejia of Carlsbad graduated from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance and supply chain management.

Local students achieve fall semester deans list

Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa: Sonia Elizondo of Poway.

Maryville University in St. Louis: Julie McCardell of Ramona.

Marquette University in Milwaukee: Roselee Ledesma of Oceanside and Ryan Fazio of Solana Beach.

Aurora University in Aurora, Ill.: Tyler Lombardi of Poway and Julia Dages of Vista.

Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa: William Cresap Shoemaker of Valley Center.

Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kan.: Jovana Canales of Oceanside and Richard Smith of San Marcos.

Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kan.: Claudia A. Moreno and Diana Moreno, both of Escondido.

College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va.: Timothy Patrick Bovenizer and Cosmo Peyton Cothran-Bray, both of Carlsbad.

County student is regional winner for writing contest

Anne Kelley of Oceanside, a fifth-grader at Harbor Springs Homeschool, was named one of 46 regional winners for Talk to Some Grapes, her short story about California agriculture in the 2016 Imagine This ... Story Writing Contest. The contest is part of a program by the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom. The contest was open to all California students in grades 3-8.

Need-based scholarships offered for seniors

San Diego County Citizens Scholarship Foundation grants scholarships to San Diego County high school seniors who demonstrate financial need and plan to attend a San Diego County college full-time in fall 2017 and spring 2018. In 2015-16, SDCCSFs average scholarship recipient had an annual family income of $21,377 for a family of four, and an average GPA of 3.4. No minimum GPA is required for this scholarship. Applications are due March 2. To apply, visit https://sdccsf.org.

POWAY

Preschool registration, transfer period open

Preschool registration requests for the Poway Unified School Districts 2017-18 school year are being accepted through March 1. Find the form at www.powayusd.com/preschool. A lottery may be required if requests for a class exceed openings. Children must be age 3 before Sept. 1 to enroll in preschool. Also, intradistrict transfer requests are now available for the 2017-2018 school year. Visit www.powayusd.com and click on Transfer Requests, then find the link to the intradistrict transfer form under Student Transfer Requests on the left. Submit the form electronically, or download a hard copy and mail to the Student Attendance and Discipline Office, 15250 Avenue of Science, San Diego, CA 92128. PUSD will take requests through April 1 for priority placement.

SAN MARCOS

Academy presents play about St. Bernadette

St. Joseph Academy High School Drama presents The Smallest of All, a three-act play that chronicles the life of St. Bernadette and her encounters with the Blessed Virgin Mary at Lourdes, France, in 1858. Shows are at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Avo Playhouse in Vista. Adults $10, seniors $8, students $3. Buy tickets at https://www.vistixonline.com; click on all events then select the month link to display the shows for February.

SOLANA BEACH

Blanket, jacket drive ongoing at school

Solana Pacific Elementary is holding a Blanket and Jacket Drive through Feb. 17. The goal is to collect 100 items, gently used or new, to donate to charity. Items may be dropped off at the school or at its Child Development Center, 3901 Townsgate Drive, San Diego, or at any CDC site in the district. Call (858) 794-4500.

VISTA

Guajome Park Academy offers Hard Rock Cafe

Guajome Park Academys Choir and Orchestra students invite you to Hard Rock Cafe, a night of classic rock and desserts. The show will be at 6 p.m. Friday in the GPA Gym. Cost is $15 per person. For tickets, contact Jolene Riley at rileyjo@guajome.net. The school is at 2000 N. Santa Fe Ave. Call (760) 631-8500.

Please send notices to laura.groch@sduniontribune.com at least 10 days before the event.

laura.groch@sduniontribune.com


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About the Peace Corps

President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps through an executive order on March 1, 1961.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, all Peace Corps volunteers returned to the U.S. in March 2020.

At that time, more than 7,000 volunteers were serving in 61 countries: 45 percent in Africa, 19 percent in Central and South America, 13 percent in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, 12 percent in Asia, 5 percent in the Caribbean, 4 percent in the Pacific Islands, and 4 percent in North Africa and the Middle East.

Women account for 65 percent of Peace Corps volunteers, and men account for 35 percent. Nearly all  99 percent  are unmarried. The average age of volunteers is 26, and those over the age of 50 make up just over 3 percent of the corps.

Volunteers work in the following sectors: 42 percent in education, 20 percent in health, 12 percent in youth development, 9 percent in agriculture, 8 percent in community economic development, 7 percent in the environment, and 2 percent in Peace Corps Response (professionals or returning volunteers with advanced skills).

The Peace Corps annual budget in fiscal year 2020 was $410 million. The organization provides housing for its volunteers and pays them a living stipend.

In 1965, a domestic version of the Peace Corps was established, known as AmeriCorps. The group addresses critical community needs in education, public safety, health and the environment.
A tense exchange between Oakland City Council Member Carroll Fife and police Chief LeRonne Armstrong during Tuesdays City Council meeting highlighted the critical importance of phrasing when it comes to police reform.

Armstrong said department morale was low, in part because of a lack of funding and a perceived lack of public support. Fife countered by saying law enforcement officials are perpetuating a blatant falsehood that the City Council defunded the police.

And there it was, the inevitable reference to the defund the police movement.

Heres my end-of-the-year wish: All reform-minded folks in Oakland  activists and electeds alike  should leave the slogan in 2021. At this point, its doing more harm than good.

Defund the police became part of the popular lexicon in summer 2020. If it was the nine-minute video of George Floyd dying under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer that revived it as a rallying cry, then footage of officers beating, tear-gassing and shooting with rubber bullets Americans protesting those same tactics amplified it to a roar.

These were watershed moments in the digital age, when much of America couldnt deny the sheer brutality on display in mainstream policing.

Redistributing the wealth the police system accumulated through decades of unchecked investment seemed a logical step toward equity, in the eyes of many. But it didnt take long for elected officials in the Bay Area to realize there were costs to embracing a term that didnt mean the same thing to everyone.

I just always felt it wasnt the right language to use, said Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin, who invoked the phrase during a City Council meeting last summer, but quickly shifted to using the terms reimagining and reinvesting when speaking of his approach to public safety.

I still get emails from constituents saying we defunded the police, and that simply isnt true, he added.

City Council members in Oakland, where some of the loudest calls for police reform emerged last year, have also been distancing themselves from the phrase. The same cant be said for local anti-police-brutality groups that contribute valuable reform ideas  and may be doing themselves no favors.

The Anti Police-Terror Project, an advocacy group that has spent six years pushing for cuts to Oaklands police budget, has a Defund OPD committee. Thirteen BIPOC-led groups belong to it. And the nonprofit Democratic Socialists of America has a Defund OPD campaign.

While council President Nikki Fortunato Bas and Fife, who have worked alongside these groups, used the phrase on social media last year, you wont find them doing that so much these days. Its the same for many politicians on the left, who embraced the defund messaging at the height of its popularity but didnt anticipate how conservatives would lump them in with police abolitionists or flat-out lie that defunding campaigns were somehow responsible for a pandemic surge in crimes.

While there is continuing debate about what is driving the violent crime increases in Oakland and other cities around the country  rising economic inequality, mental health and substance use issues, record gun sales  we know for a fact that defund had nothing to do with it. Because defund never actually happened.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Groups like the Anti Police-Terror Project, and Oaklands City Council, all pushed for extensive police budget cuts last summer that never materialized. Instead, over the summer, Oakland increased police funding by $38 million over two years.

Minneapolis was the epicenter of defund talks last year. Yet voters there just rejected a proposal to replace police with a new Department of Public Safety. Even Portland, Ore., has walked back some of its defund efforts, restoring about $5 million of the roughly $15 million that city leaders cut last year.

These are drastic pivots from last years defund promises.

But this isnt a bad thing in the eyes of many Black Americans. We arent a monolith. A recent Axios-Ipsos poll showed that Black people are largely opposed to reducing the budgets of police departments, and even more Black folks are explicitly against abolishing police altogether, according to an Economist-YouGov poll.

So heres where we stand: Defund the police has become a tool of the right to undermine our pursuit for equity in policing. The phrase also doesnt reflect the opinion of all Black folks. And when local electeds invoke it, the blowback undermines their work to create a better future.

We lost the PR battle over defund the police in 2020. Fooling ourselves into thinking we didnt will make us lose the war over police reform.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Justin Phillips appears Sundays. Email: jphillips@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JustMrPhillips
During the six years that Delbra Taylor slept in her car outside the Dennys near the Oakland Coliseum, she often wondered how she would survive. In the winters, she worried she would die from the cold. The 70-year-old prayed each day for a home.

Over that time, Taylor was repeatedly rejected for housing, but she never lost faith that her prayers would eventually be answered. On Nov. 24, she got the keys to a one-bedroom subsidized apartment in East Oakland.

I did all my crying this morning, she said after the property manager handed her the keys.

After six years in her car, Taylor spent the last year living in a Federal Emergency Management Agency trailer at a city site set up for seniors and medically vulnerable people during the pandemic, a step up from her vehicle but she worried shed eventually be thrust back to the streets.

Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

But in mid-October, Taylor learned that she and many at the trailer site would get emergency housing vouchers, and within weeks she found the apartment. By late November, Taylor moved in and soon decorated the space with pink and gold lamps, lavender towels and gray and turquoise bed linens. She loves her walk-in closet, where she carefully hung up her colorful church dresses, previously stored in boxes.

The Chronicle recently featured Taylor in its Oakland Homeless Project, which focused on the stories of four native Oaklanders who once owned homes, but became homeless.

Taylor is the only one whos now housed and she feels lucky that shes finally landed a home thanks to the voucher, which is part of a new federal initiative called House America, which aims to bring inside at least 100,000 households nationwide. As part of the program, Oakland pledged in September to house 1,500 homeless residents and build 132 new units of permanent affordable housing within 16 months of receiving about $11.3 million in federal funds. About 500 families in total will get vouchers similar to Taylors.

Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

While that number sounds impressive, its not enough to give shelter to the more than 4,000 unhoused people counted in Oaklands biennial survey in 2019. The city saw a 47% jump that year over 2017, the biggest increase in the Bay Area, and officials say those numbers have likely skyrocketed during the pandemic.

Delbras story is one of resilience and of hope, Mayor Libby Schaaf said. As inspiring as her story is, we have so much more work to do. Thankfully our city and state government are working together with extreme urgency  and now, with a White House and federal government that has shown up with real leadership and bold investments to help us end the crisis.

Many of those unhoused residents, like Taylor, are people aging into homelessness. Many homeless seniors, like Taylor, are not physically able to work anymore and lack enough income to afford housing. About half of the homeless population in Oakland and nationally is over 50. Research shows that homeless people in their 50s have more medical problems than those who are housed. They are also more likely to become depressed.

Taylor became homeless in 2014 when she was evicted from the mobile home she had purchased for nearly $135,000  her entire savings. With no money left and no living family, Taylor returned to the East Oakland neighborhood where she had grown up and began sleeping in her car.

Last year, with the help of Candice Elder, the executive director of the East Oakland Collective, a grassroots organization that helps the homeless, Taylor secured the FEMA trailer.

While in the trailer, Taylor applied to several units throughout the city, but was repeatedly rejected. That changed when she was approved for an apartment on 105th Avenue, a mere 2 miles from the church she has been attending for nearly 60 years. Sunday services and Wednesday Bible study at Bethel Missionary have anchored Taylors week for many years and the social and spiritual support has helped her weather the pain of the last seven years.

Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

Im actually still overwhelmed, in shock and very excited for Miss Delbra, Elder said. It took over seven years for her to get housing, but Miss Delbra had a miracle and a miracle she was very much responsible for.

The emergency housing voucher pays most of Taylors $1,400 rent. She pays $168.36 out of her income from Social Security.

Here we are seven years later, she is able to find subsidized housing that will sustain her and works with her income, Elder said.

Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

After receiving her keys, Taylor surveyed the unit in late November, appreciating the view of the buildings courtyard, which has barbecues and picnic tables.

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A few days later, she had finished unpacking her boxes and was waiting patiently for her new furniture  purchased with the help of a nonprofit. She was most excited for her bed to arrive and bought turquoise pajamas to match her sheets.

Youre not going to know if Im the sheet or Delbra, she said laughing.

Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

Finally, Taylor said she has some peace.

I am sleeping better, she said. I know my place now and I am comfortable.

When she was first approved for the apartment in late October, Taylor purchased a bright orange dress for church. She kept the dress wrapped in plastic and stowed in her storage unit with her other colorful church dresses.

Photos by Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

Taylor told herself she would save the dress for church, but only wear it after she moved into her apartment  an attempt to mark her new beginning.

The Sunday after moving in, Taylor carefully unwrapped the dress and put it on. She donned black heels, grabbed her black purse and drove the 2 miles to church with a smile. Her prayers had been answered.

I thank God everyday, she said.

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP)  Several defense attorneys in Vermont are protesting the transferring of jury trials out of counties with courthouses that are closed due to the pandemic.

The Caledonian Record reports that the attorneys say the constitutional rights of defendants are being violated because they will not get a trial in their communities by a jury of their peers, and citizens and communities in four counties are being disenfranchised.
WASHINGTON  Vice President Kamala Harris primary office is in the West Wing, around the corner from the Oval Office. Like her predecessors, she has put her own stamp on it, and her choices are revealing.

A year into the job, the East Bay native has moved into her West Wing office space, sandwiched between the presidents chief of staff and national security adviser. The hallways leading to her space are adorned with photos of her on the job.

The office where Harris hosted The Chronicle for a recent interview has been overhauled since photographs were released of it early this year showing sparse decoration and navy blue walls. The room is warmer, painted a light shade of blue, and the patterned couches have been swapped for a nearly white set. Her desk was built by Navy Seabees from timbers of the USS Constitution, the oldest ship still afloat.

But it is what hangs on Harris walls that speak the loudest, with carefully curated art pieces that reflect how she differs from the 48 men who held the role before her. Harris is the first woman, woman of color, Black woman and first graduate of a historically Black university or college to be vice president.

Behind her desk hangs an abstract painting on loan from the Smithsonian, White Daisies Rhapsody by Alma Woodsey Thomas in a lively green, blue and yellow. Thomas was the first graduate of Howards fine arts program, also Harris alma mater, and a ground-breaking Black artist. A piece of hers, Resurrection, was the first work by a Black woman to be displayed in the White House collection in 2014, according to information provided by Harris office.

Lawrence Jackson/White House

To the right of her desk hangs a striking black and white portrait of Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court justice who as an attorney won the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education desegregating schools. Its positioned in a way that looks almost as if Marshall is looking over Harris shoulder when she works. The painting is on loan from Howard University Gallery and by artist Eddie Fontno, also an alumnus of Howard. Harris has long paid homage to Marshall, keeping a bust of him in her Senate office and at her more-photographed ceremonial office across the street from the White House in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

Along the windows are tables bearing family and official photographs, including one of her and family during the pandemic-abbreviated inaugural parade, a trip she took to a preschool in Connecticut and a picture of her mother and mothers close friend on the UC Berkeley campus in the 1960s that also was in her Senate office, which a stranger dropped off one day without leaving his name.

Days after the end of Hanukkah, a menorah full of candles stood prominently beneath one window. The menorah is on loan from The Jewish Museum in New York, handmade in silver by Kurt J. Matzdorf. The artist was born in Germany and fled the Nazis as a child in 1939, brought to England on a Kindertransport (childrens transport).

An elegantly decorated Christmas tree and garlands decorated the sitting area by the fireplace  unlit  where the interview was conducted, together with the menorah evidence of her blended-faith family with Jewish husband Douglas Emhoff.

Tal Kopan is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @talkopan
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Iran appears to be preparing for a space launch as negotiations continue in Vienna over its tattered nuclear deal with world powers, according to an expert and satellite images.

The likely blast off at Iran's Imam Khomeini Spaceport comes as Iranian state media has offered a list of upcoming planned satellite launches in the works for the Islamic Republic's civilian space program, which has been beset by a series of failed launches. Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard runs its own parallel program that successfully put a satellite into orbit last year.

Conducting a launch amid the Vienna talks fits the hard-line posture struck by Tehran's negotiators, who already described six previous rounds of diplomacy as a draft, exasperating Western nations. Germany's new foreign minister has gone as far as to warn that time is running out for us at this point.

But all this fits into a renewed focus on space by Iran's hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi, said Jeffrey Lewis, an expert at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies who studies Tehran's program. With Iran's former President Hassan Rouhani who shepherded the nuclear deal out of office, concerns about alienating the talks with launches that the U.S. asserts aids Tehran's ballistic missile program likely have faded.

Theyre not walking on eggshells, Lewis said. I think Raisi's people have a new balance in mind.

Iranian state media did not acknowledge the activity at the spaceport and Iran's mission to the United Nations did not respond to a request for comment. The U.S. military, which tracks space launches, did not respond to requests for comment.

Satellite images taken Saturday by Planet Labs Inc. obtained by The Associated Press show activity at the spaceport in the desert plains of Iran's rural Semnan province, some 240 kilometers (150 miles) southeast of Tehran.

A support vehicle stood parked alongside a massive white gantry that typically houses a rocket on the launch pad. That support vehicle has appeared in other satellite photos at the site just ahead of a launch. Also visible is a hydraulic crane with a railed platform, also seen before previous launches and likely used to service the rocket.

Other satellite images in recent days at the spaceport have shown an increase in the number of cars at the facility, another sign of heightened activity that typically precedes a launch. A building also believed to be the checkout facility for a rocket has seen increased activity as well, Lewis said.

This is fairly traditional pre-launch activity, he told the AP.

The activity comes after Iran's state-run IRNA news agency on Dec. 5 published an article saying its space program had four satellites ready for launch. It described one, the low-orbit imaging satellite Zafar 2, as being under the final phase of preparation. Zafar, which means victory in Farsi, weighs some 113 kilograms (250 pounds).

The Zafar 1, however, failed to enter orbit after a February 2020 launch at the spaceport. That launch used a Simorgh, or Phoenix, rocket, but it failed to put the satellite into orbit at the correct speed, according to Iranian officials at the time. Iran had spent just under 2 million euros to build the satellite.

Iran's civilian space program has seen a series of setbacks and fatal explosions plague it in recent years. One mysterious blast even caught the attention of then-President Donald Trump in 2019, who tweeted out what appeared to be a classified U.S. spy satellite picture of the explosion's aftermath with the caption: The United States of America was not involved in the catastrophic accident.

Meanwhile, the Guard in April 2020 revealed its own secret space program by successfully launching a satellite into orbit. The head of the U.S. Space Command later dismissed the satellite as a tumbling webcam in space that wouldnt provide Iran vital intelligence  though it showed Tehrans ability to successfully get into orbit.

Over the past decade, Iran has sent several short-lived satellites into orbit and in 2013 launched a monkey into space. But under Raisi, Iran's Supreme Council of Space has met for the first time in 11 years, according to a recent report by state-run television.

Raisi said at the November meeting that it shows the determination of this government to develop the space industry." A high-ranking member of the Guard who runs its aerospace program, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, attended the meeting along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.

The U.S. alleges such satellite launches defy a U.N. Security Council resolution calling on Iran to undertake no activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons.

Iran, which long has said it does not seek nuclear weapons, maintains its satellite launches and rocket tests do not have a military component. Tehran also says it hasnt violated the U.N. resolution as it only called upon Tehran not to conduct such tests.

But the possible launch also comes as tensions again rise over Iran's nuclear program. Since Trump unilaterally withdrew America from Tehran's nuclear accord with world powers in 2018, Iran slowly abandoned all the limits the deal put on its program.

Today, Tehran enriches uranium up to 60% purity  a short technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%. Its stockpile of enriched uranium also continues to grow and international inspectors face challenges in monitoring its advances.

Lewis said he expects to see the space program accelerate given Raisi's interest.

Theyre not constrained by worries about the Iran deal in the same way that Rouhani was, he said.

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Associated Press writer Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.

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Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.
It's easily the most unique menu item in all of San Francisco: a $2,000 trip to Nepal.

On the menu at Base Camp, a Nepalese restaurant in the Mission, owner Suraksha Basnet offers chow mein (a typical street food in her country), bara (spiced yellow lentil pancake), pork belly bhutuwa (which is not often found in other regional cuisines of Nepal) and pakku (goat meat marinated over two days in mustard oil and other spices, then slow cooked in a brass pot). The dishes reflect her experience living in Nepal's capital city, Kathmandu.

She also offers another way to explore the sights and sounds of her home country: a trip, with herself as part of the group.

Basnet, now 32, grew up in the eastern part of Nepal during the countrys civil war from 1996 to 2006, when the Communist Party of Nepal worked to overthrow the monarchy that had ruled the country since 1768. It was chaotic, she said. In the back of my head, [me and] my friends, we all knew we were going to leave sooner or later.

She went to boarding school in Darjeeling, India, and eventually made her way to Kathmandu for high school and college. Her parents applied for asylum in the United States in 2012, when they visited Basnets sister for her college graduation in North Carolina. In November 2013, Basnet and the rest of her family, including her parents, settled in the East Bay.

After attaining her work visa two weeks after moving here, Basnet started her American restaurant career as a busser at Skates on the Bay in Berkeley. After five years of hard work and saving money, she decided it was time to take a risk and open her own spot.

She opened Dancing Yak (280 Valencia St.) in 2018, showcasing popular Nepalese dishes like curries and momos (Nepalese dumplings), then a year later opened Base Camp, an attempt to speak more to her experience in Kathmandu, specifically.

I grew up around restaurants. Cooking is part of the culture for a Nepalese woman. But not in a bad way. We just learn how to cook from a young age and its always something Ive enjoyed, she says. I think in the back of my head I always knew that I wanted to have a restaurant.

Base Camps food menu highlights what she ate in Kathmandu  fewer curries, more small plates, which she enjoyed often at the cafes that inspired her second restaurant.

PATRICIA CHANG/Special to SFGATE

The interior is a little slice of Nepal. A traditional, hand-carved wooden Buddha altar hangs on the back wall as sort of a centerpiece. The meticulous craftsmanship is evident, even from far away. Black and white photos of her country and her people adorn the surrounding walls, as well as other Nepalese art pieces. Red tassels dangle around the ceiling, juxtaposing with the yellow window shades and throw pillows on the couches for the back tables.

Having both restaurants in the Mission was always her first choice. I felt like the people there would understand who I was and what I was trying to do, she says. Im trying to portray myself and my journey from the ambiance to the food and everything else. I just feel really connected to the Mission.

PATRICIA CHANG/Special to SFGATE

Every time I tell people Im from Nepal, I feel like they look at me with a certain kind of love and respect, she continues. Were known for our hospitality. Were known for welcoming people. It just makes me strive to be better when Im talking to others.

Now Basnet wants to show people that hospitality in person. So she added a trip to Nepal as one of Base Camps restaurant offerings. And not a metaphorical one  an actual, real-life expedition.

The last time Basnet visited her home country in January and February of this year, she brought back a large batch of timmur, a common spice in Nepal, but not often found in the U.S. While she was there, she witnessed how the pandemic impacted Kathmandus tourism industry; many of her friends work in the industry, and Basnet herself was a translator after college.

PATRICIA CHANG/Special to SFGATE

With her means and connections back home  and without the help of a third party tourism company  she and her friends came up with a plan to start their own tourist adventure. They called it Expedition Nepal.

While Basnet will not be guiding the trip herself (as she does not have an active guide license), the expedition takes travelers to Kathmandu to explore the city as she experienced it, as well as a trek to Khumbu Glacier at the base of Mount Everest. Its important that [my friends and I] are doing this because we know where to eat, we know where to go for drinks, she explained. And [when you are trekking near the Himalayas] we know how to take care of you, how to get acclimated to the altitude, what pace you need to walk at and what you need to eat.

While originally it was a creative way to help her friends come back from the worst of the pandemic, its now also helping her connect to the lifestyle she was used to in Nepal: one of connecting with people, one of community.

At a restaurant here [in America] you come, you eat, you go, she said. What Im trying to do at Base Camp, with Expedition Nepal, is different. Im trying to create some kind of connection because that is what Im used to in Nepal.

PATRICIA CHANG/Special to SFGATE

Basnet was able to find her community in the East Bay, where she says there are many Nepalese families who live in Richmond, El Sobrante and Pinole. She has seen the number of Nepalese families on her street increase dramatically over the years. Thats how immigrant communities work: No one knows who was the first to arrive, but word of mouth leads to more and more people showing up.

But while Basnet feels a sense of home in her Richmond community, some things will never be as they were back home. Coming here and working in a very fast-paced environment, a very competitive environment, it makes me go, she says. But growing up in a country with a culture not to rush into things, its a little tough to balance sometimes.

April 18, 2022, cant come soon enough for Basnet. Thats when the inaugural expedition begins. Shes eager to make long-lasting friendships. Shes expecting these trekkers to come back to Base Camp in San Francisco and become regulars of both the restaurant and the Nepalese lifestyle. Thats her end goal, at least.

PATRICIA CHANG/Special to SFGATE

But most of all, shes excited to return home.

She is used to local faces. People waving at each other when they walk into a restaurant. Everybody knowing everybody, even the kitchen staff. She cant wait to be enveloped by the warm hospitality her people give.

Despite the challenges that Nepal has endured, Basnet is looking forward to the calmness her country brings to her. What I miss the most sometimes is the sitting and doing nothing. Its easy to pass over that, she reminisced. Sometimes it feels like no matter how much I want, I never catch up.
RIO RANCHO, N.W. (AP)  Two people have been found dead after a structure fire in the Rio Rancho area, authorities said Sunday.

Several fire crews from Sandoval County were called out around 3 a.m.
Tesla is developing driverless cars on Californias public roadways using its own customers as test drivers and shrugging off test-reporting requirements  and, so far, the states Department of Motor Vehicles has been largely content to look the other way.

But as drivers participating in the beta test post videos of their cars making potentially disastrous mistakes, state legislators are growing concerned about the danger that the DMVs stance poses to other drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and scooter riders.

On Tuesday, the chair of the California Senates Transportation Committee, Lena Gonzalez, a Democrat, sent a letter to DMV Director Steve Gordon to find out whats up between the agency and Tesla. The DMV has served as the states chief autonomous-driving regulator since the Legislature gave it that power in 2012.

In the letter, Gonzalez cited the apparent poor performance of what Tesla calls Full Self-Driving beta, a $10,000 option that gives owners advanced automated driving features and allows them to test cutting-edge autonomous technologies on public roads. (Beta is a software term that describes a product not quite ready for general sale to the public.)

Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk has repeatedly stated his intention to sell fully autonomous vehicles that owners can rent out as robot taxis.

YouTube videos, whose veracity has not been challenged by Tesla, have shown FSD beta cars crossing double yellow lines and heading toward oncoming cars, failing to stop for road construction barriers and cars crossing the street, and steering toward metal posts and other common objects. One YouTuber described FSDs errant steering as an assassination attempt. After FSD aimed the Tesla at another car, the driver said that FSD tried to murder us.

Gonzalez told Gordon in her letter that I have seen a number of videos of Tesla vehicles operating with FSD engaged where it appears that serious driving errors were made and collisions were avoided only because of swift action by the driver.

She noted she lacks data on FSD beta safety but wrote that the DMV has the knowledge to assess these situations, and she requested answers to several questions:

What is your assessment of the FSD beta trials?

Is there a danger to the public?

If the DMV finds the beta program unsafe, how does the DMV plan to address any potential concerns?

The DMV said it was reviewing Gonzalezs letter. Gordon has not spoken publicly about the DMV and self-driving car regulation, despite repeated requests from the Los Angeles Times for an interview over many months.

Gonzalez is not the only California policymaker concerned about Tesla and the DMV. Democratic state Sen. Josh Newman told The Times that on Nov. 3, a Tesla Model Y equipped with FSD beta crashed in his district. I found that a bit unnerving, he said. According to a complaint filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the cars experimental robot technology steered it into another vehicle.

The FSD beta mode didnt work as intended, Newman said. Nobody was injured, thankfully. This gets into Tesla advertising something called Full Self-Driving when its really something else. It creates a high level of risk and puts people in harms way.

Newman and other legislators wonder why the DMV treats Tesla differently from the more than 50 other autonomous-vehicle developers in California that adhere to DMV regulations requiring companies to report crashes and disengagements, an event in which the robot technology turns full control of the vehicle to a trained test driver.

Waymo, Zoox, Argo AI, Cruise and Motional are among the companies that follow the reporting requirements. They all use trained test drivers, often two to a vehicle. Unlike the others, Tesla does not report crashes or disengagements to the DMV.

Because that crash information is not reported to the DMV, its unclear how the agency will be able to provide safety data to the Senate Transportation Committee.

This is definitely a concern, said Democratic Assemblyman Ash Kalra. Its critical the DMV take this next generation of motor vehicles incredibly seriously.

Driverless-car developers need to provide data on crashes and other issues, he said. If Tesla is not, we need to know why they are not or why the DMV feels they dont need to.

DMV spokeswoman Anita Gore told The Times in a prepared statement that Tesla need not report FSD beta crashes because Tesla informed the agency that Full Self-Driving is a Level 2" system that requires driver attention.

The levels system was created as a guide for engineers by the Society of Automotive Engineers. SAE Level 0 is no automation at all. Level 1 reflects a single automation feature, such as adaptive cruise control. Level 2 encompasses Teslas Autopilot feature and similar systems from Ford, GM and others that combine automatic steering and cruise control. Level 3 describes a system that allows a driver to let the robot fully drive the car, while being ready to take over at any time.

Levels 4 and 5 describe fully driverless cars, with Level 4 cars requiring specific weather conditions or geographic zones and Level 5 able to operate anywhere a normal car can drive.

The levels were never intended to serve as legal definitions or be encoded into law, said Phil Koopman, an engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University, one of the worlds top driverless-vehicle research centers.

He also suggested that regulators study the full SAE document that describes the levels. It contains a line that Koopman calls crucial: The level of a driving automation system feature corresponds to the features production design intent.

In other words, if you are testing a car with the intent to develop it into a Level 4 robotaxi, then its a Level 4 system, according to Koopman. Intent is key to categorizing the autonomy level for Tesla Full Self-Driving, he added.

The legislation that granted the DMV regulatory control, written when driverless-car technology was in the toddler stage, may need changing, Sen. Newman said.

The Legislature has an oversight responsibility, he said. It may be time for a relevant committee or joint hearing to explore where we are today.

State Sen. Ben Allen, a Democrat, agrees: If Tesla is really operating within the boundaries of state law with this technology, then we likely need to change the law to protect public safety.

No one has been reported killed or seriously injured by errant FSD beta technology, but Jennifer Homendy, head of the National Traffic Safety Board, the federal governments crash investigator, said, It shouldnt require a fatality for regulators and politicians to take action on Teslas FSD deployment.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  An outpouring of legislative opposition and a likely threat of litigation aren't changing Gov. John Bel Edwards' mind about requiring some Louisiana students to get the COVID-19 vaccine during the next school year or file a written opt-out form.

The Democratic governor is facing increasing pushback to his response to the coronavirus outbreak  particularly on issues involving children  as the pandemic nears its two-year mark. Most of the objections and criticism are coming from Republicans, but the student immunization plan also has drawn opposition from some lawmakers within Edwards' own party.

Edwards intends to add the COVID-19 vaccine to the state's immunization schedule for K-12 schools and colleges for the 2022-23 school year  with broad exemptions for parents and students to opt out by submitting a written objection. Already, many of Louisianas colleges have begun requiring the vaccine or an exemption filing.

The House Health and Welfare Committee opposed Edwards' plan in a 13-2 bipartisan vote and on Thursday sent its written objection to the governor and the Louisiana Department of Health.

The committee determined that the proposed rule is not advisable, is unacceptable and is outside the scope of authority granted to LDH by the constitution and laws of this state, the letter says.

Edwards had 10 days from receipt of the letter to overrule that objection and declare he's enacting the vaccination plan anyway. He's expected to announce that decision this week.

Exactly when the lawsuit challenging the governor's immunization plan will be filed appears to be the only remaining question.

Attorney General Jeff Landry and House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, both Republicans, are among the officials who said they don't believe the Edwards administration has the authority to add the coronavirus vaccine to the immunization schedule.

Landry, who is eyeing a run for governor in 2023 and appeared at the House committee hearing with an anti-vaccine activist, has made legal feuds with the Democratic governor a hallmark of his tenure in office and has successfully challenged some of President Joe Biden's vaccine mandates.

Under Edwards' plan, the addition of the COVID-19 vaccine to the state immunization schedule will only apply to age groups for whom the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given full approval for the shots. Currently, thats students 16 and older. But that would broaden to cover younger children if the FDA grants full backing to the vaccine for more age groups.

The governor blames misinformation as the primary reason his plan faces so much resistance, telling an event audience Thursday: There are too many people seemingly on purpose trying to undermine confidence in the vaccine.

Misinformation about the shots and COVID-19 were widespread at last week's day-long House committee hearing, where some elected officials and members of the public downplayed the risks of the coronavirus illness, while inflating the risks of the vaccine.

But while many were spouting widespread inaccuracies, others had a more basic argument, calling the governor's plan governmental overreach that meddles in family decision-making. They noted that local school boards, the state education department and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education weren't involved in crafting the regulation  or supporting it in committee.

Republican lawmakers said they have been inundated with calls and emails from angry parents, and they described concerns for their own children.

As it relates to children, we just don't have enough information, said Sen. Patrick McMath, a Covington Republican who is the father of four youngsters.

Rep. Chris Turner, a Ruston Republican, agreed: I feel like it's being rushed.

U.S. health authorities and leading doctors groups urge vaccination. Even though the virus tends to be more severe in adults than children, COVID-19 is causing plenty of preventable suffering among youngsters.

Edwards' chief public health adviser, Dr. Joe Kanter, stressed that the federal government didn't skip steps in vetting and approving the vaccines for use, and he's expressed frustration that people suggest COVID-19 isn't a significant threat to children.

He said 18 children in Louisiana have died from COVID-19 since March 2020  compared to 10 children who have died of the flu over the last six years  and more than 275 children have developed a serious COVID-19 complication called multisystem inflammatory syndrome. He also noted that children can transmit the infection to vulnerable family members.

This virus does affect children in profound ways, and it's really scary I think when people minimize that, Kanter said.

___

EDITORS NOTE: Melinda Deslatte has covered Louisiana politics for The Associated Press since 2000. Follow her at http://twitter.com/melindadeslatte.
BALTIMORE (AP)  A 3-year-old girl who was wounded by a discharged firearm in Maryland's largest city is going to be OK, Baltimore's police chief says.

Patrol officers responding Saturday afternoon to a shooting report found the girl inside a home with a graze wound, police said in a news release. The child was taken to the hospital and was in good condition, Police Commissioner Michael Harrison told news outlets.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday pledged to empower private citizens to enforce a ban on the manufacture and sale of assault weapons in the state, citing the same authority claimed by conservative lawmakers in Texas to outlaw most abortions once a heartbeat is detected.

California has banned the manufacture and sale of many assault-style weapons for decades. A federal judge overturned that ban in June, ruling it was unconstitutional and drawing the ire of the state's Democratic leaders by comparing the popular AR-15 rifle to a Swiss Army knife as good for both home and battle. California's ban remained in place while the state appealed.

Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers in Texas this year passed a law banning abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, which normally occurs at about six weeks into pregnancy. The Texas law allows private citizens to enforce the ban, empowering them to sue abortion clinics and anyone else who aids and abets with the procedure.

Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Texas law to remain in effect while abortion clinics sue to block it. That decision incensed Newsom, a Democrat who supports abortion rights.

If states can now shield their laws from review by the federal courts that compare assault weapons to Swiss Army knives, then California will use that authority to protect people's lives, where Texas used it to put women in harm's way, Newsom said in a statement released by his office at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Newsom said he has directed his staff to work with the state's Legislature and its Democratic attorney general to pass a law that would let private citizens sue to enforce California's ban on assault weapons. Newsom said people who sue could win up to $10,000 per violation plus other costs and attorneys fees against anyone who manufactures, distributes, or sells an assault weapon in California.

If the most efficient way to keep these devastating weapons off our streets is to add the threat of private lawsuits, we should do just that, Newsom said.

The legal fight over the Texas abortion law has focused on its unusual structure and whether it improperly limits how the law can be challenged in court. Texas lawmakers handed responsibility for enforcing the law to private citizens, rather than state officials.

The case raised a complex set of issues about who, if anyone, can sue over the law in federal court, the typical route for challenges to abortion restrictions.

Newsom's gun proposal would first have to pass Californias state Legislature before it could become law. The Legislature is not in session now and is scheduled to reconvene in January. It usually takes about eight months for new bills to pass the Legislature, barring special circumstances.

State Sen. Brian Dahle, a Republican from Bieber, would oppose the plan but predicted it could probably pass California's Democratic-dominated state Legislature. He said the proposal was most likely a stunt for Newsom to win favor with his progressive base of voters ahead of a possible run for president in the future.

The right to bear arms is different than the right to have an abortion. The right to have an abortion is not a constitutional amendment. So I think hes way off base, Dahle said. I think he's just using it as an opportunity to grandstand.

But Newsom's Saturday night declaration is a fulfilled prophecy for some gun rights groups who had predicted progressive states would attempt to use Texas' abortion law to restrict access to guns. That's why the Firearms Policy Coalition, a nonprofit group that advocates for gun rights, filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court opposing the Texas law.

"If Texas succeeds in its gambit here, New York, California, New Jersey, and others will not be far behind in adopting equally aggressive gambits to not merely chill but to freeze the right to keep and bear arms," attorney Erik Jaffe wrote on behalf of the Firearms Policy Coalition.
PARLIER, Calif. (AP)  A high school student was arrested for investigation of bringing a loaded gun to campus in Fresno County, authorities said.

Police said Saturday that they had recovered a weapon from a 17-year-old senior at Parlier High School, the Fresno Bee reported.
DOVER, Del. (AP)  In an effort to improve watershed education in schools, Delaware Sea Grant has received funding of about $259,000 over the next three years from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Bay Watershed Education and Training program.

The Appoquinimink School District in New Castle County, the Caesar Rodney School District in Kent County and the Sussex Montessori School, a public charter, will be working with Delaware Sea Grant, the Delaware Association for Environmental Education, the Delaware Department of Education, the Delaware Nature Society, the Stroud Water Research Center and the Delaware Foundation for Science and Mathematics Education.

We are working with districts to decide what they want to do and what theyre interested in and then providing them professional development activities that they can modify to use in either their district or school curriculum, said David Christopher, a marine education specialist for Delaware Sea Grant. So really working with the districts to develop their environmental literacy or verbal education plans and kind of deciding  what is locally relevant to them because local relevancy is a really big deal.

Mr. Christopher said each district or charter school will serve as a model for others within their county, since there has been interest from several in expanding environmental literacy and education.

To do so, meaningful watershed education experiences will be implemented, which center on encounters for students that focus on investigating local environmental issues that can lead to informed action and civic engagement.

Ashley Melvin, chair for the Delaware Association for Environmental Education, said this type of learning typically takes place outside of classrooms, and the grant could make that easier.

Were going to create a MWEE facilitators guide that is going to help educators, she said. Instead of us learning the ins and outs of 20 different schools, were just going to bring in that person who is deeply committed to watershed education, arming them with the tools and resources that educators should know, and then, theyre going to go back to their school and into the classroom to train teachers.

In the first year of the grant, schools and districts will begin to develop environmental literacy plans for year two of the grant. Part of the preparation will include environmental literacy audits, in which grant partners will look to identify gaps in the curriculum and natural connections to develop those plans.

Tonyea Mead, a science education associate at the Delaware Department of Education who is assisting on the project, said that STEM careers are the jobs of the future.

Any kind of science is really important to start out early in elementary school, she said. Get them to ask questions and wonder why things are happening because thats where the jobs are going to be. And to be science-literate is very important. They are going to be the future, to make sure that our world keeps on going.

Delaware is a Next Gen State, meaning it has adopted the Next Generation Science Standards, K-12 content that includes environmental education.

Many times, kids learn about ecosystems in a box, and they make models of ecosystems, but they dont realize that ecosystems can be right on the sidewalk, Ms. Mead said. It can be right outside their school, and ... theyre part of an ecosystem.

She added that everyone has a unique watershed around them, and they need to start thinking and learning about them.

Were going to be fighting over water, not oil, she said. Were starting to see this in the Midwest with the water shortages, so we cant take water for granted, and its really important to know about our water and where it runs.

Ms. Melvin said that, though the project is starting small, it is the nexus of something much larger.

It has to start somewhere, she said. Thats what were always mindful of when were working with environmental education initiatives, is really showing how it plugs into the school and into the community. (Environmental education) is really starting to pick up a lot of momentum in the region and even in our state.

In addition, the partners are developing a community of practice programs, which will aim to support environmental education by reaching out to businesses, nonprofits and other providers to see if they want to support the schools in their Earth-friendly curricula.
LAS VEGAS (AP)  The family of a woman who died in a Las Vegas fire two years ago has filed a lawsuit against the companies that maintained the buildings fire alarm system.

Six people died in the December 2019 blaze at the Alpine Motel Apartments, which authorities said was the deadliest residential fire in Las Vegas history.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP)  In Florida, for the first time in modern history, registered Republican voters outnumber Democrats. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is heading into a reelection campaign buoyed by a national profile and a cash reserve unmatched by any Democratic challenger. And Republicans control virtually all of state government.

When Democrats met recently for their annual strategy conference, Annette Taddeo, a Democratic state senator running for governor, said there was a clear sense of the difficulties ahead for the party.

Of course this fight will not be easy, but its about so much more than any one of us, and as Florida Democrats, we have lost so many times that donors and pundits have given up on us, Taddeo said. But, she added, I believe and I know we can win if we create the coalition of voters that are needed to win in a state where these decisions are made by 1% or less.

With the 2022 election approaching, Democrats are confronting a host of disadvantages as they work to rebuild campaign networks and try to reignite excitement in their party. There is a growing worry that big donors and the national wing of the party may consider Florida to be GOP territory after years of bruising losses.

In the current state of American politics, and especially in a state with as many major television markets and population centers, youre going to need more help, said state Rep. Evan Jenne, a Democrat. Its not as if Floridians cant be swayed one way or the other. We need more coordination with the national party.

The Democratic Governors Association has bristled at assertions that it has ceded Florida to Republicans. A spokesperson said the group is building its general election infrastructure, with investments in media and messaging. The Democratic National Committee is stepping up organizing efforts in the state.

Florida is a competitive battleground in 2022, and the DGA has made defeating DeSantis a priority. Thats why weve already started investing in Florida and are working with our candidates to ensure we have what it takes to take on DeSantis next fall, said Marshall Cohen, political director for the governors group.

Florida Republicans are coming off a string of victories that include Donald Trump's two presidential campaigns, and have been aggressive in organizing at the local level, especially as DeSantis has gained in popularity due to his opposition to coronavirus lockdowns and mandates.

We did not dismantle any operations; to the contrary, we continued to build on them, said Helen Aguirre Ferre, executive director of the state Republican Party. "The power is from the bottom up. Its not top down, and that continues to be our big commitment.

Some have noted that there may be hesitance for Democratic donors to pour money into Florida given the partys track record  most recently in 2020, when Trump carried the state and Republicans gained additional seats in the statehouse and in Congress, despite a $100 million infusion by former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg.

DeSantis announced last month that Republicans had gained a slight advantage over Democrats in the number of registered voters for the first time in state history. Over the past decade, Republicans had slowly been gaining on Democrats, and DeSantis and Republicans had made a sustained push on registration.

The most up-to-date figures from the state election agency show 5,120,076 registered Republicans and 5,095,008 Democrats. At the same time, the number of unaffiliated voters has swelled to 3.8 million. DeSantis won office in 2018 by a margin of about 32,000 votes after a key endorsement from Trump, in a year when Democrats outnumbered Republicans by more than 250,000 registered voters.

Florida voters are choosing the Republican Party over the Democratic Party because we value freedom and liberty and reject Democrat-led government control. This milestone moment reflects years of hard work, combined with the success of our common-sense conservative policies, DeSantis said in an email announcing the voter registration numbers.

Still, Republican strategist Susie Wiles said its important for the GOP to continue to organize and be bullish about registering voters.

The assumption that its a reliably red state is one you should never make because the state is so dynamic, so many new people moving in and out, and its just a very diverse population base thats changing all the time, said Wiles, who ran Trump's campaigns in Florida. I just dont think we as Republicans should ever stop, and the good news is that we havent over the last decade.

Steve Schale, a political strategist who helped Democrat Barack Obama win Florida twice in his White House races, said Democratic registration efforts have mostly centered around presidential races. But Schale said the party could benefit from sustained organizing, particularly in Hispanic communities in South Florida that helped Trump win Florida last year by an even larger margin than in 2016.

Registration in its own right is an organizing tool, he said. If your partys out in communities, particularly in communities where we need to do better, building the kind of relationships in communities you have to build to successfully register voters, its going to have a kind of double-win impact.

Manny Diaz, chair of the Florida Democratic Party, acknowledged that Democrats had not been as aggressive in registering voters in previous years, though he added, We have more people than weve ever had on the ground as of right now." He also disputed the idea that the national party was making the state less of a priority and he played down the shift in registered voters as a record-keeping shell game of designating Democrats as inactive voters.

The last time we had any kind of statewide organization here was during the Obama campaign, in 12, but then he got elected, and again we broke down the tents and didnt maintain that kind of organization for the last 10 years, he said. Were not going to be outworked by the other side this year, I promise you that.
COLUMBUS, Ga. (AP)  An expanded partnership between the Columbus Fire & EMS Department and the Muscogee County School District helps the city recruit firefighters and provides job opportunities for aspiring public servants, right out of high school.

After department officials visited each MCSD high school to explain the program last spring semester, more than 25 students participated in the Saturday morning program called Combat Challenge. From that program, two MCSD 2021 graduates, Aaden Austin from Northside High School and Elijah Outlaw from Shaw High School, were offered firefighter cadet positions with a starting salary of approximately $42,000.

In interviews with the Ledger-Enquirer, Outlaw and Austin said they pursued this career path for similar reasons: They figure college isnt the right fit for them now, and they seek a way to serve their hometown in a challenging and vital job.

I want to prove myself, Outlaw said.

My mindset and my priorities and morals kind of align with this line of work, Austin said.

COMBAT CHALLENGE

Its called the Combat Challenge because it helps get firefighters in shape to combat fires, Austin said, but he also noted firefighters do more than fight fires.

Its a really dynamic job, he said.  They do dive and rescue, emergency and natural disaster situations. One division has community risk reduction, which helps prevent fires, going into homes, giving people extinguishers and setting up fire alarms and stuff like that.

The Saturday morning program, which is free to attend and takes one year to complete, is open to anyone age 18 or older. It allows people interested in becoming a firefighter to learn about the department, meet firefighters and practice the physical agility component of the recruitment test at the drill field, 4191 Macon Road.

The Combat Challenge tests participants in stair climb, forcible entry, victim rescue and lifting and advancing hoses.

It takes a very strong mindset, more than you realize, Austin said. If youre a physically fit person and can run a mile under 8 or 7 minutes, and you can lift heavy weights, if your mindset isnt there to continue to push when youre tired, you wont complete the Combat Challenge on time.  It gets you to not quit in the event of a real-life emergency.

RECRUITING, NOT JUST HIRING

Exposing prospective candidates to the physical demands required of firefighting boosts the departments ability to find qualified personnel, Columbus Fire & EMS Chief Sal Scarpa told the Ledger-Enquirer.

Some people realize pretty quick that this job is not for everybody, he said.  Were spending a lot more time now on the front end of our hiring. Were no longer just hiring; were recruiting.

In addition to excellent physical fitness, the department wants candidates to be mature and work well in teams.

I have very high expectations for our people, and our community does, Scarpa said, so we hold our folks to a really high standard.

Austin and Outlaw each said they appreciate the chance to meet that standard.

Giving us this opportunity to find a job at such a young age and find a career,  Im really grateful for that, Austin said. . . . This partnership gives anybody who is selfless  an opportunity to work and give back to the city at the same time.

GROWING PARTNERSHIP

The Saturday morning program is one part of the growing partnership between MCSD and Columbus Fire & EMS. Shaw has had an EMT training program since 2018. And this school year, Northside started a firefighter training program. Because most high school students are younger than 18, those classes arent allowed to train with fire, but they do all the other firefighter training, Scarpa said.

Now as firefighter cadets, Austin and Outlaw are going through tougher training. They started the yearlong recruit course in August to become fully certified. The hardest part is convincing yourself to not quit when fatigue and doubt arise, Outlaw said.

Your body can go farther than your mind, he said.

That happens when Outlaw crawls through a 75-foot tunnel to simulate a buildings tight and dark area, like an air shaft.

You have all your gear on, he said.  You get really condensed inside that tunnel. You have to take your time. You have to tell yourself, I can do it.

When he gets through it, Outlaw said, Its like an indescribable feeling. You can tell yourself, I did that.

Austin appreciates the support he receives from fellow recruits and firefighters.

The brotherhood that they have is very loving and caring, he said. It pushes the best out of you.

And he intends to give his best to aid Columbus residents dealing with perhaps their worst.

Going into someones very hopeless situation thats very out of control,  having that need placed on my shoulders is very important because I feel like I can handle it, Austin said. It gives me a sense of pride. I feel very honored to be able to help somebody one day.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif.  For almost a decade, Edlin Gonzales was content to live in an aging studio apartment near Los Angeles bustling Miracle Mile, a canyon of tall office buildings, museums and restaurants in the middle of the city.

But when the pandemic ground life to a standstill, Gonzales, 33, decided the time had come to try buying a home. Its like the American dream, she said. My parents were immigrants, so thats the idea of success.

In Los Angeles, though, the places she could afford would not have been much different from her apartment. So Gonzales, who works remotely for a medical research company, looked 100 miles north to Bakersfield. In January, she snagged a three-bedroom house with hardwood floors and a pool for $342,000, and joined a wave of in-state migration to one of the last affordable frontiers in Californias frenzied housing market.

For generations, Bakersfield has been the Golden States defiant outlier, a place Americans are unlikely to picture when they imagine California. At one of the citys premier parks, a jogging trail winds along a bluff top with vistas not of the glittering sea, but of nodding pump jacks scattered across the vast, brown landscape of the Kern River Oil Field. Residents, many of whom proudly claim their descent from Okies fleeing the Dust Bowl and from migrant farmworkers from Mexico, joke that Bakersfield is the Texas of California.

Now, amid a housing crisis that has helped halt the soaring population boom that made California the economic and cultural powerhouse it is, Bakersfield has emerged as unusual in another respect: It is growing, as homes are snapped up by people such as Gonzales, searching for backyards, extra bedrooms or crosstown commutes measured in minutes, not hours.

Last year, when state demographers recorded Californias first population decrease, Bakersfield grew the fastest of the states 10 biggest cities, bringing its population to almost 400,000. Apartment vacancies are at historic lows. And although home values have increased significantly, experts say there arent yet the signs theyve seen in other once-affordable refuges, such as Fresno and Sacramento, that the market is spiraling out of reach.

Its still a bargain, price-wise, compared to most places in California, said Jenny Schuetz, an urban economist with the Brookings Institution.

The median price of a house in Kern County, the largely rural expanse that includes Bakersfield, was $340,000 in October, less than half the state number. In Riverside County, an inland community that has drawn thousands of people priced out of Los Angeles, it was $580,000.

But growth has inevitably brought change and questions about a civic identity defined by Bakersfields difference. And the influx of newcomers is arriving as the citys historic industries, oil and agriculture, face existential challenges amid deepening climate crises.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has vowed to end fossil fuel production in California by 2045. Kern County is a state leader in solar and wind production, but local officials fear the oil industry will be gutted before renewable energy or other industries can replace the relatively high-paying jobs it provides.

Richard Gearhart, an associate professor of economics at California State University, Bakersfield, said the average pay for farmworkers is less than a third of the $2,000 per week that workers without college degrees can make in the oil fields.

The economic pinch is a political issue in a region where on-the-ground debates often belie a reputation for conservative partisanship.

Show me the jobs, and show me the money, said Rudy Salas, a Democratic state lawmaker from Bakersfield who is running for Congress in one of the nations most closely fought political battlegrounds. If somebodys making six figures right now in the energy sector, and youre promising them a minimum wage job to install solar panels, they just want to be made whole.

The debate has increased pressure to diversify the kinds of jobs available to residents and to market the city less as the southern gateway to Californias agricultural heartland than as an outer borough of Los Angeles.

When Andrae Gonzales first joined the Bakersfield City Council in 2017, he recalled, the mantra was How do we do less with less? These days, he said, leaders are having a different conversation: How do we improve amenities for people so that they can enjoy the city?

Bakersfields core, he added, is uniquely poised for a revival, as young professionals drive up costs in urban centers across the country.

As evidence, Gonzales led a whirlwind tour of his downtown district, where for decades antique malls have filled the storefronts of the sturdy midcentury buildings that give its streets the look of a movie set.

He ducked into the nations last operating Woolworths luncheonette, where nostalgic diners were getting their final burgers before the building closed for renovations. The owners of the Five and Dime Antique Mall, which occupied most of the space, were retiring. Moneywise Wealth Management was moving in.

Gonzales also stopped outside the 17th Place Townhomes, whose clean, modern design might not garner a second look in another city. But to Anna Camp Smith, one half of the couple that developed and owns the complex, theyre a symbol of a promising future.

Just for people to see that kind of dense, urban housing in their town is opening their minds to the idea that we can really, actually have an urban environment here, she said on a recent afternoon, chatting over quinoa bowls and salad at a cafe across the street.

Two-bedroom town houses rented for $1,800. Theyre all occupied now, and Smith and her husband, the son of a City Council member, are developing another 49 units a couple of blocks away.

Autumn Paine, 45, said she and her husband wanted to find a place where they could largely abandon their cars; both had routinely spent hours in Bay Area traffic for work. During a visit to see Paines family in the spring of 2020, they stumbled upon the townhomes and were intrigued.

We were like, Should we do this? she recalled between sips at a bar marked by a 1950s-style neon sign, steps away from her front door. Like, who moves to Bakersfield?

Now, Paine, a lawyer, walks a block to an office near the courthouse. Her kids love their new home.

Developers are also scrambling to reel in would-be suburbanites.

Near the western edge of town, workers hammered away at Spanish Mission and modern farmhouse-style mansions in Stockdale River Ranch, a master-planned community developed by Bolthouse Properties, founded by one of the regions most storied farming families.

And at a time when many of the states most desirable suburbs are hemmed in by development, such as Irvine in Orange County, there is a lot of open land around Bakersfield.

Just south of Kern County and north of Los Angeles, Tejon Ranch Co., another historic landholder-turned-developer, has been fighting for decades to build a community of more than 19,000 homes. The effort got a boost this month when an environmental group agreed to drop opposition to the project in exchange for promises to make it greener.

Still, many are skeptical that Bakersfield will transform into another glossy, white-collar California exurb.

Kern County has among the nations worst air, in part, experts say, because of the presence of the oil and gas industry and in part because of topography. On a recent morning drive, bright sunshine in Los Angeles suddenly gave way to a thick, gravy-colored haze in Kern County.

Local elected leaders have clashed with state officials over pandemic restrictions, and the region has been one of the states hardest hit by illness and death.

Like the rest of the state, Kern County is also plagued by inequality. And experts say that wealthier newcomers could widen the gaps and push out the most vulnerable residents, in what has become a troubling cycle throughout the state.

Gentrification is the wolf that lurks on my shoulder all the time, said Lorelei Oviatt, Kern Countys planning director. How do you lift the quality of the community while preserving the culture?

Ultimately, Kern County is part of California  for better and worse, said U.S. Rep. David Valadao, a Republican whose district encompasses part of Bakersfield. Valadao, who is facing a challenge from Salas, the state lawmaker, blamed state policies for the eye-popping gas prices, prohibitive housing costs and hiring difficulties for employers that have driven away some Californians.

If they can find a way to save a lot more money on the cost of living, theyre not going to stay in California, he said.

Edlin Gonzales, the recent transplant from Los Angeles, said that someday she might consider moving to another state. But not now.

She has loved being closer to her parents, who still live in Delano, the agricultural community where she grew up. And she is relishing spending time at home, hosting dinner parties or lounging by the pool, with company from her Doberman pinscher, Kali, who thrives in the big yard. Recently, a friend visited her from New York City.

She was like, I love this, Gonzales recalled. I want to move to a place like this.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)  A Civil War museum has reopened in the Indiana War Memorial after having to move from its previous site at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in downtown Indianapolis because water leaks endangered the collection.

All the artifacts were moved from Col. Eli Lilly Civil War Museum in 2018 and stored at the Indiana War Memorial a few blocks north of Monument Circle.
JERUSALEM (AP)  An Israeli parliamentary committee voted Sunday to stop providing personal security for former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wife and adult sons, six months after the longtime leader was ousted from power.

The decision, which goes into effect Monday, came despite pleas from Netanyahu that his family is regularly subjected to threats on their lives.

Netanyahu was unseated from the prime minister's office in June after a constellation of political parties united in their opposition to him succeeded in forming a government without his long-ruling Likud party. The one-time leader, who served as prime minister for 12 consecutive years, is now the opposition leader and continues to have a state-issued security detail.

Under standard procedures, security and a chauffeured vehicle are granted to the family of a former prime minister for the first six months after he leaves office. But in January, at Netanyahu's insistence, that limit was extended by a ministerial committee to one year.

On Sunday, the same ministerial committee adopted a recommendation from the Shin Bet security service to reduce the period back to six months.

It said there were no imminent threats to Netanyahu's wife or children. Netanyahu's sons Yair and Avner, and wife Sara, will lose their security detail on Monday.

When the Shin Bet, Israel Police, and the Mossad say that there is no threat to the Netanyahu family, the decision is easy, Public Security Minister Omer Barlev tweeted following the vote. I am counting on the Shin Bet and police that if there is such a threat, it will be uncovered and dealt with.

Netanyahu criticized the anticipated decision as political in a Facebook video released Friday, saying there were regular threats made against the lives of his family and that the writing is on the wall. He called on members of the committee, which included security officials, not to abandon the security of my wife and children.
MILWAUKEE (AP)  Milwaukee police are investigating a series of shootings on Saturday that killed a woman and left a man in critical condition.

The Milwaukee Police Department reported that early Saturday a man and woman arrived at a hospital for gunshot injuries. The 24-year-old woman died, while the man received non-fatal injuries.
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP)  Democratic legislators in New Mexico on Saturday approved an overhaul of the states three congressional districts that would reshape a southern district in an oil-production region traditionally dominated by Republicans.

The state House voted 44-24 to approve the redistricting bill from Democratic state Rep. Georgene Louis of Albuquerque and Democratic state Sen. Joseph Cervantes of Las Cruces. The vote sends the bill to Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for consideration.

The redistricting plan would bolsters the voting-age Hispanic majority in New Mexicos southern 2nd District to 56% by wrapping in working class Latino neighborhoods from southern and western Albuquerque.

It also divides a conservative, oil-producing region in southern New Mexico into multiple districts, stoking outrage among Republican state legislators who say that dilutes the conservative vote.

Louis said the congressional map would incorporate both urban and rural communities into each of the states three congressional districts, instilling greater accountability.

Were making these districts really listen to the voices of both the urban and the rural residents, she said.

But Republican state Rep. Greg Nibert of Roswell said the revisions would diminish the political influence of rural residents in ranching and oilfield communities of southern New Mexico.

The issues we face in rural New Mexico are going to take a back seat, Nibert said.

He also warned the new political map could further undermine support in Congress for petroleum extraction on federal lands. Surging oil production in New Mexicos portion of the Permian Basin  much of it on public lands  has catapulted the state past North Dakota to become the nations No. 2 oil producer.

Those (oil) interests are going to be divided and apparently championed by three separate congress (people) who are likely to be from the metro area and know nothing about that industry, Nibert said.

The 2nd District seat is currently held by first-term Republican U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell, a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump who defeated a one-term Democrat in 2020. The redrawn district would slightly favor Democratic candidates, according to an analysis commissioned by the Legislature.

The states two other seats have been held by Democrats for more than a decade. The redistricting plan would wrap several rural, conservative-leaning counties into the 1st District, where Democratic U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury won election in a June special election to succeed Deb Haaland after her appointment as Interior Secretary.

The redistricting plan would extend the states northern 3rd District into staunchly conservative stretches of southern New Mexico where the economy is sustained by oil development. That holds potentially jarring political implications for first-term Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez, who campaigned in 2020 on support for a rapid transition to renewable sources of energy production in recognition of climate change.

A state Senate vote on the new congressional map fell along partisan lines in a 25-15 vote with united Democratic support and no Republican support. An unaffiliated senator voted against the plan.
SPRINGFIELD, Neb. (AP)  Sarpy County authorities are investigating after a 19-year-old man was struck and killed by a pickup truck early Sunday near Springfield, Nebraska.

Sarpy County Sheriff's Capt. Brian Richards said the man died at the scene of the crash near 132nd and Main streets. The crash happened around 12:45 a.m. Sunday.
CARLSBAD, N.M. (AP)  New Mexicos multibillion-dollar outdoor recreation industry struggled in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic but was already recovering, officials said, as businesses reopened and visitation surged.

A study from the Bureau of Economic Analysis ranked New Mexico as 27th in the nation for outdoor recreations contribution to the states gross domestic product (GDP) in 2020, with about 2% of the states GDP coming from the industry.

Montana was ranked first with outdoor recreation accounting for about 4% of its GDP, also supporting 26,000 jobs, the study read, and $1.12 billion in wages.

In total New Mexicos outdoor recreation activities contributed about $2.07 billion to the states GDP of about $95 billion, records show, supporting 26,000 jobs and $1.04 billion in wages.

In 2019, the industry provided about 33,000 jobs, and 31 in 2018, the report read.

Last year was the first since 2012 that New Mexicos outdoor recreation jobs fell below 30,000, read the study.

Tourism including hotels and food service made up the most jobs last year at 10,000, followed by 8,000 in retail trade.

But the numbers dont take into account the states progress in connecting local communities with their recreational resources, said Axie Navas, director of New Mexicos Outdoor Recreation Division within the state Economic Development Department.

She told the Carlsbad Current-Argus that despite the pandemic disrupting travel, shipping and supply chains throughout New Mexicos economy, the division worked closely with local communities to expand access and promotion of outdoor recreation in communities throughout the state.

2020 was an anomalous year because of the economic crisis caused by COVID-19. We saw some economic dips in the outdoor recreation industry, Navas said. Because of those main disruptions we saw some declines in the outdoor recreation industry. I think it was an anomalous year because we were already seeing some bright spots.

That included a 30% growth in boating, fishing and RVing activities, along with a 10% increase in biking, and similar upticks in other outdoor activities in the state, she said.

Navas said trailheads used by hikers were more crowded this year than previously, as retail related to outdoor recreation and restaurants saw regrowth following the pandemic in New Mexico  a year when vaccines became widely accessible and many public health restrictions were lifted.

That really speaks to this industrys ability to rebound. It already is rebounding and has great potential moving forward, Navas said. "I think were going to see that borne out by the next tranche of data. I am very much bullish on the fact that there has been forward progress.

This increase in recreational participation would lead to future economic growth, she said, and could see the state rise in the rankings.

That increase in participation translates to more economic gains. Thats not totally reflected yet in the BEA data, Navas said. In terms of the percentage, I think New Mexico can be No. 1. Of course, its always more complicated. Growth has to look like whatever is best for New Mexico.

That means working with local communities and business owners as the division works to establish a resilient outdoor recreation economy in the long-term, Navas said, based on the specific needs of areas throughout the state.

The division this year awarded through its Outdoor Equity fund $898,000 in grant funding to 57 recipients statewide used to develop programs Navas said could get up to 20,000 children outside and participating in outdoor recreation.

Twenty-five projects received funding from the divisions Trails+ program that provides funding to local projects like hiking trails, rivers and wildlife viewing areas, totaling in about $560,000 in state funds.

Our main goal is not just GDP, its making sure this economy grows sustainably. Thats economic development but also community development, Navas said. How do we make sure there is access to these opportunities. Its that community quality of life. Were striving for growth. We can be number one, but we have to do it in our way.

Another $2 million was granted to New Mexico from the federal Economic Development administration to aid in the industrys recovery, and the division was seeking a $10 million special appropriation from the state Legislature during next years session, Navas said, for further support.

While we see some bright spots, we have to acknowledge that a lot of our outdoor rec business were hit hard by the pandemic, Navas said. We have to continue to invest in them.

I think the BEA data shows us the outdoor recreation industry is hugely impactful in New Mexico. We should think about all the ways it benefits us in New Mexico and continue to invest in it. The economic gains will follow.

More federal support could also be on the way as U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico, introduced the Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation (SOAR) Act in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

If passed, the bill would reform the process for issuing outdoor recreation permits, lower costs and shorten processing times, and allow permittees to engage in activities substantially similar to what they were permitted.

It was intended to improve outdoor access, Heinrich said, and make it easier for more Americans to take advantage of recreational opportunities.

This is really about permit reform, Heinrich said during the hearing where the bill was introduced. This legislation really seeks to streamline that process to make it more user-friendly to make it more flexible.

Meanwhile, fellow U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico sponsored the Biking On Long-Distance Trails (BOLT) Act late last month intending to make biking trails on federal land more accessible.

It would direct the U.S. Interior Department to identify at least 10 long-distance bike trails and areas to develop additional trails, while allowing the agency to publish trail maps, install needed signage and promote the trails along with publishing a report on the trails developed in compliance.

In New Mexico and across America, there are millions of acres of federal lands that have gone untapped for responsible outdoor recreation use, Lujan said. This bipartisan legislation will make bike trails more accessible and safer across America and will provide a much-needed boost to the growing outdoor recreation economy.
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (AP)  Police in a northeastern North Carolina city have obtained murder warrants against a local man formally sought for the deaths of three people earlier this month, including a 3-year-old girl.

Rickey Lewis Etheridge Jr., 34, of Elizabeth City, is now formally wanted in the Dec. 2 shooting deaths, and is considered armed and dangerous, according to an Elizabeth City police news release Friday.
PENOBSCOT, Maine (AP)  The last of five projects aimed at easing the passage for thousands of alewives to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Bagaduce River watershed to reproduce has been completed.

That means alewives will have an easier time this spring, thanks to the efforts of the towns of Penobscot, Sedgwick and Brooksville, along with the Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries and several other organizations, the Bangor Daily News reported.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP)  Providence is allocating nearly $500,000 in federal pandemic relief funds to address homelessness in the city, officials said.

Mayor Jorge Elorza and several city councilors announced last week that the money would go to Crossroads Rhode Island, a leading housing and homeless services organization, to operate a citywide mobile diversion program.
ROANOKE, Va. (AP)  A brand new Randolph Hall opened its east wing the year after Norris Mitchell graduated from Virginia Tech in 1958, and multitudes of other engineering students have studied in that building during the decades since.

But partly because of a $35 million donation from Norris Mitchell and wife Wendy, planning is underway to replace Randolph Hall, school officials said during a news conference Tuesday.

Its the largest single alumnus donation in school history, and one that Mitchell said he and his wife are proud to make.

Most of my senior-level courses were taught at Randolph Hall, Mitchell said. Im very familiar with Randolph Hall, first floor.

Rather than Randolph Hall, engineering students at Virginia Tech in years to come will instead familiarize themselves with a brand new Mitchell Hall, planned to be more than twice the size of the current facility.

Preliminary plans call for a 284,000-square-foot engineering hall, projected to cost $248 million, funded otherwise mostly using requested state money, according to university documents.

Construction could begin as early as summer 2023, pending further state approval, said Julia Ross, Dean of the Virginia Tech College of Engineering.

This new facility is one that we truly need. Its going to be quite transformational for us, Ross said during a phone call Monday. We are just crammed to the corners of the facility now, and our ability to replace it with a much larger facility is a very big deal.

VTs engineering college has grown in the last decade from 6,400 enrolled undergraduate students, up to 9,400 prospective engineers in 2021, Ross said. There are also 2,600 students enrolled in the universitys graduate engineering programs.

Im a firm believer in the value of a good engineering education, Mitchell said during the press conference. It has served me very well for many years.

Mitchell is from Carroll County, where he grew up in homes without electricity or running water, he said. After graduating from Virginia Tech, his engineering career led him to become an aerospace executive before he transitioned to start companies in real estate and banking, according to a university webpage.

Its our hope that this gift will accelerate the process of design and planning for the building, and the timing of funding needed to make it happen, Mitchell said. We were motivated by the fact that approximately one-half of the qualified students who applied to the College of Engineering could not be accepted.

He said his decision to donate for a new building also came from meetings with current students who told him that improved facilities would be preferable to more scholarship opportunities.

Every engineering student will be touched by this new facility, said Ross, dean of the engineering college. As we look to our ability to do more hands-on learning, with students working in teams across disciplines, really blurring the lines between classroom teaching and learning in our research labs, this facility is really going to enable us to do all of those things in ways that we just cant do today.

The building is being designed with flexibility of use and optimization of space as a top concern, as education continues to change with modern developments, she said. As an example, classroom spaces might dual-purpose as areas for groups to use whenever class isnt in session.

Were really thinking about how to squeeze every bit of activity we can get out of this new building ... and to be creative in how we do that, Ross said. It really is about helping us dream about what our future can be.

Randolph Hall was built in 1952, with the east wing added in 1959, according to a university webpage. Virginia Tech President Tim Sands said in a press release that the new Mitchell Hall, which will stand where Randolph is today, will become a nexus for students.

The Mitchells inspiring story illustrates the power of education to create new opportunities for service and achievement, Sands said in the release. Their extraordinary gift will make this important project a reality.

Wendy Mitchell also attended Virginia Tech for a time, before beginning a career in banking that led her to senior leadership positions, according to the release.

Out of all the ways that we could give money to Virginia Tech, we thought this building project was the right choice, she said in the release. We hope this money will be a turning point for this great building the university has in mind to get built.
MISSOULA, Mont. (AP)  Its one thing to mount a decades-long conservation campaign on a continental scale like the Yellowstone to Yukon, or Y2Y.

Its another to prove anything about it worked. When you look at a place as big as Argentina but you dont have gross domestic product or number of high school graduates to use as statistics, what do you measure to declare success?

A team of U.S. and Canadian researchers tackled that question for the Y2Y in a new paper published this month in the Journal of Conservation Science and Practice. Led by University of Montana wildlife biologist Mark Hebblewhite, they verified progress toward saving one of the worlds most biodiverse places through highway projects, television screenplays and grizzly bear home ranges.

Just adding more protected areas doesnt tell us what we need to know, Hebblewhite said. It doesnt tell us how it translates into biodiversity outcomes. Its hard to evaluate conservation and say this action did that.

The results were displayed in Can a large-landscape conservation vision contribute to achieving biodiversity targets? Fellow authors includes Sara Williams of UM, Harvey Locke and Jodi Hilty of the Yellowstone to Yukon Initiative in Alberta, Charles Chester of Tufts University, David Johns of Portland State University and private consultants Gregory Kehm and Wendy Francis.

In a landscape as big as Yellowstone to Yukon, sheer scale can bedazzle. As first outlined in 1993, the Y2Y boundary stretched from the Alaska border by Fairbanks south along the Rocky Mountains through Jasper and Banff national parks in Alberta, past Glacier and Yellowstone national parks in Montana, ending around Idahos Boulder-White Clouds and Wyomings Wind River Range wilderness areas, the Missoulian reports.

The study created five different measuring sticks to gauge success. The most basic looked at how many acres got conserved within the Y2Y region since its campaign started compared to surrounding public lands and the U.S. and Canadian nations as a whole.

It found the rate of conservation within Y2Y increased 90% since the project started in 1993, while surrounding areas stayed flat or even declined. Protected areas like national parks and wilderness areas expanded from 9.7% in 1993 to 17.6% in 2018.

The rate of protected land growth before and after that 1993 date also showed evidence the campaign wasnt simply the continuation of a trend that had momentum before public efforts got started. In the previous quarter-century, the area added an average 2,598 square kilometers of protection a year. In the next 25 years during the Y2Y campaign, that figure nearly doubled to 4,962 square kilometers a year on average.

That showed up in projects like the Rocky Mountain Front wilderness additions in Montana and several new national parks in Canadas Yukon Territory, British Columbia and Alberta.

The next measuring stick looked at similar progress on private lands. There, initiatives like the Transborder Grizzly Bear Project directed strategic purchases of habitat on both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border, along Canadian Highway 3 and U.S. Highway 2. Y2Y was involved in raising $11 million to secure conservation easements on 28,000 acres of Stimson Lumber Co. forestlands surrounding the Yaak River confluence, and the Montana Legacy Project that conserved more than 300,000 acres of Plum Creek Timber Co. working lands.

Then the researchers tried looking at what occupants of those lands did. In particular, they tracked the populations of grizzly bears that depend on them. Not only are the bears closely monitored on both sides of the border, what improves quality of life for a grizzly bear has an umbrella effect on many other species further down the food chain.

They found occupied grizzly range more than doubled between 1990 and 2014, from 20,500 square miles to 46,144 square miles in the United States alone. One important corollary to that finding was the amount of unprotected or private land the bears began using. In the early part of the Y2Y campaign, grizzlies depended on protected lands like national parks for 70% of their habitat. Today, the share of non-protected and private lands makes up almost half of grizzly range.

As grizzlies expand beyond Glacier and Yellowstone national parks, their future fate plays out on large private lands, Hebblewhite said. That led to the next measuring stick  projects to connect fragmented hunks of habitat.

The study found that wildlife crossing structures proliferated throughout the Y2Y in ways that inspired other parts of the world. With 107 over- and underpasses such as the Animals Bridge near Evaro in Montana and the 80-kilometer stretch of overpasses and tunnels penetrating the Trans-Canada Highway by Banff National Park, the study authors could claim that Y2Y has become a global model for green infrastructure to reduce fragmentation and foster connectivity.

Such projects often involve relatively tiny acquisitions or changes, according to Vital Ground Executive Director Ryan Lutey. The Missoula-based land trust has collaborated on grizzly-related preservation efforts throughout the Y2Y. One of its most recent and successful deals involved a 240-acre conservation easement on land alongside Interstate 90 near Ninemile Creek.

That parcel logically would never host a grizzly bear or wolf long-term, Lutey said. But it allows a grizzly to slip under the highway with a lot more safety and less potential to have a traffic collision.

The validity of that idea got confirmed this fall with the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. It contains $350 million for wildlife crossing structures and improvements. Those arent just so critters can cross the road.

Anybody whos hit a deer with their car knows theyre going to be lucky to walk away with just a $5,000 bill, Hebblewhite said. If they hit an elk, theyll be lucky to walk away.

Perhaps the most unusual measuring stick was a marketing review. The study team used a method called counterfactual analysis to compare changes in the Y2Y zone with similar areas that didnt have active publicity and attention-getting activity. Its similar to what advertisers do comparing how a cereal brand does in one community where its supported by lots of commercials with another place that doesnt have the publicity.

We looked at the rate of change and expansion of protected areas in the Y2Y 25 years ago, and it accelerated  there was an 80% increase, Hebblewhite said. Then we looked at other regions in Alberta, British Columbia and Montana. Conservation declined. We also looked on the scale of the whole continent. All of North America was flat-lining while conservation was increasing in the Y2Y.

Part of what the researchers looked at to gauge public interest was the amount of Y2Y messaging that wound up in popular culture. Magazine cover stories, television documentaries, even episodes of the TV series Grays Anatomy and West Wing provide evidence the campaign has reached a wide audience.

Thats how you get conservation done, Hebblewhite said. You change peoples attitudes. This work has global implications. Yes it takes 25 years, but this shows you can get somewhere.
NEW YORK (AP)  The Rev. C. Herbert Oliver, a civil rights activist who documented police brutality against African Americans in Alabama in the early 1960s and later fought for public school reform in New York City, has died. He was 96.

Oliver died Nov. 30 in New York City after struggling with several health problems, his daughter, Patrice Oliver, said at his funeral in Brooklyn on Wednesday, according to an online video of the service. Oliver's relatives could not be reached Saturday.

Oliver was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on Feb. 28, 1925.

From 1960 to 1965, he was the executive secretary of the Inter-Citizens Committee in Birmingham and worked with other clergy members to fight discriminatory policing led by Public Safety Commissioner T. Eugene Bull Connor, according to a profile of Oliver published in 2018 by his alma mater, Wheaton College, near Chicago.

The committee documented more than 100 cases of alleged brutality and civil rights violations by Birmingham police.

I would keep my eyes on the newspapers, and the newspaper would carry stories about people who had been beaten and arrested by policemen, Oliver told the Wheaton Magazine. I would find the victim and ask them to tell us their story. Invariably, the stories the victims would tell us were different from the stories the newspaper would put out.

By 1965, police brutality cases had dropped off and Oliver moved to Brooklyn, where he was pastor of the Westminster Bethany Presbyterian Church from 1967 to 1992.

Oliver led a new local school board in Brooklyn in the predominantly Black area Ocean Hill-Brownsville from 1967 until it was disbanded in 1970 amid controversy. The board's transfer of teachers, many of them white and Jewish, out of the school district led to a citywide, 36-day teachers' strike in 1968, and eventually the board's disbanding, The New York Times reported.

"There was a lack of good education, and the teachers and principals were not from the community or invested in the students, Oliver told the Wheaton Magazine. We were trying to settle the unrest of the community centered in schools.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP)  Illinois officials have agreed to a $3.6 million settlement in a lawsuit against Volkswagen Group of America for tampering with vehicle emissions controls.

The agreement reached late last week requires Volkswagen to pay $300 for each of the nearly 12,000 affected vehicles in Illinois.
PASCAGOULA, Miss. (AP)  Authorities say an Alabama man jailed on a public drunkenness charge in Mississippi has been found dead in his cell.

The Jackson County Sheriffs Office said in a news release that police in Pascagoula, Mississippi, arrested the 63-year-old man Saturday and he was found unresponsive in a cell that night. The sheriffs office said the man died despite efforts by the jail staff to save him.
YORK, S.C. (AP)  Authorities have charged two people with stealing more than 3,600 pieces and dozens of packages in North and South Carolina.

Sheriff Kevin Tolson of York County, South Carolina, said Saturday a man and a woman were arrested last week after a citizen called with a tip that someone was tossing mail out of a car in a Walmart parking lot.
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. (AP)  Officials have released the name of a 46-year-old Steamboat Springs man who was killed when his plane crashed at the top of Emerald Mountain in northern Colorado.

Steamboat Pilot & Today reports Dr. Clint Devin was flying into Steamboat Springs from Cody, Wyoming, when he crashed Friday evening. Routt County Search and Rescue volunteers used snowmobiles to access the top of the mountain. Devin, who was the only one on board, was pronounced dead at the scene.
MAYFIELD, Ky.  Rescue workers were searching through wreckage and debris for survivors Saturday morning, after a horde of tornadoes ripped a catastrophic swath across the South and Midwest in an unusually large and deadly December outbreak.

Scores of people were killed, and officials warned that the toll was almost certain to rise as they received more information from towns in the hardest-hit regions.

The tornadoes tore through at least five states Friday night  Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee  said Bill Bunting, operations chief at the Storm Prediction Center, part of the National Weather Service. The trail of destruction included an Amazon warehouse in Illinois, a nursing home in Arkansas and a candle-making factory in Kentucky, the state with the grimmest overnight toll.

As of Saturday morning, the numbers of customers without power were more than 130,000 in Tennessee, more than 65,000 in Kentucky, roughly 25,000 in Arkansas, nearly 24,000 in Illinois and nearly 10,000 in Missouri, according to reports compiled by PowerOutage.us.

Still, more inclement weather was looming across the country, with severe storms and damaging wind gusts likely from the Lower Mississippi Valley to the Ohio Valley into Saturday, the National Weather Service said in an advisory at 3 a.m. Eastern time. It said the system would also produce heavy snow over the Upper Great Lakes and rain over parts of the Northeast.

Calling it a storm the likes of which we have never seen, Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky said that some areas have been hit in ways that are hard to put into words.

The governor said that in Kentucky alone, where several tornadoes touched down and one traveled for more than 200 ruinous miles, at least 70 people had been killed. He added that the states death toll was likely to increase to more than 100 as search-and-rescue operations continued.

Michael E. Dossett, director of Kentuckys Division of Emergency Management, said the scale of the outbreak and the length of the most destructive tornados track could match or break records set by storms of nearly 50 and 100 years ago.

It is a significant, massive disaster event, Dossett said.

Some of the worst of Fridays destruction was in Mayfield, a town of around 10,000 people in a western corner of the state known as the Jackson Purchase. Officials said that around 110 people were huddled inside a candle-making factory when a tornado ripped through.

We believe well lose at least dozens of those individuals, Beshear said. Its very hard.

As the sun rose Saturday morning, Mayfields grid of narrow streets was a perilous maze of downed utility lines, dangling tree limbs and scattered debris. The First United Methodist Church, a cavernous sanctuary with a stone facade, had almost entirely collapsed. Other buildings had been reduced to piles of red bricks. Along the two-lane highways snaking into town, the tornado had left displays of its wrath, with homes missing brick exteriors, churches without roofs and seemingly sturdy trees that had been snapped like twigs.

D.J. Swant, a retired health care administrator who had moved from Wisconsin into a grand historic house in Mayfield, came out of her cellar after the tornado had rolled through to find her bed showered with tree limbs and glass from broken windows. The balcony was missing and chimneys had crumbled.

Local authorities had stressed Friday night that this storm was looking bad, and she was grateful for the warning.

We took them at their word, and thank God we did, she said.

As she took stock, neighbors arrived to see how she was doing. Our church is totally gone, one neighbor who pulled up in a truck told Swant. Nothing was salvageable except for the communion table.

In a statement, the president of Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green said that a young man who was set to graduate Saturday had been killed in an off-campus residence.

In Arkansas, a tornado hit a nursing home in the city of Monette about 8:15 p.m. Friday, prompting a large response from police and emergency workers in the area, according to Judge Marvin Day of Craighead County.

Search-and-rescue workers found one person who had died and five who had been seriously injured, Day said. He said that other residential buildings in the area had also been damaged.

Its just really heartbreaking, he said.

Police in Edwardsville, Illinois, a small city across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, said that at least two people had been killed at an Amazon warehouse after a direct hit from a tornado caused a major portion of the building to collapse Friday night.

Emergency responders estimated that around 50 people were working in the building when the tornado hit, about 8:30 p.m. Friday, and have been searching through the rubble throughout the night. Three people were recovered alive from the building, one of whom was taken to a hospital, said Mark Mayfield, a captain with the Edwardsville Fire Department.

About half of its missing, its gone, Mayfield said of the building, a roughly 400,000-square-foot warehouse in a distribution hub on the west side of town. At a news briefing, police officials described the risks of search and rescue in an unstable ruin of concrete and steel, with debris hanging dangerously in the strong winds.

At least three people were confirmed dead in Tennessee on Saturday morning, although search-and-rescue operations were ongoing. In Missouri, at least one person died and two others were injured when a tornado slammed down in the community of Defiance.

Researchers say that in recent years, tornadoes seem to be occurring in greater clusters and that a so-called tornado alley in the Great Plains  where most tornadoes occur  appears to be shifting eastward.

This is what we would call a tornado outbreak, where you have a storm system which produces a number of tornadoes over a large geographical area, Dan Pydynowski, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather, said Friday.

But a large and powerful system like the one that tore through Friday night would be expected in May or April, rather than 11 days before the start of winter.

Its certainly not unheard-of, he said of tornadoes this late in the year, but to have an outbreak of this magnitude, with this many tornado reports  its a little unusual for this time of year.

Arkansas and Kansas had spring weather Friday, Pydynowski said, with highs in the 70s and 80s.

It was unusually warm, and there was moisture in place, he said, and you had a strong cold front end. These are the ingredients for big storms in the spring, but not in mid-December.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  Virginia state agencies are being told to no longer identify for the public which employees are incurring expenses on government credit cards, officials said.

The recommendation, coming from the state Department of Accounts at the request of a bank, appears to contradict the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.

State Comptroller David Von Moll said the Department of Accounts started giving that advice to all state agencies in early 2020. He said that was in response to Bank of America, the states credit card vendor, when it recommended in 2019 to the department that agencies not give out the name of a state credit card holder to anyone.

The first step to essentially committing identity fraud is to know the name of the card holder, Von Moll said in an interview. We have taken the position as a matter of internal control the names of the card holders should be withheld.

Megan Rhyne, executive director of the nonprofit Virginia Coalition for Open Government, said the departments advice is wrong. The state's Freedom of Information Act says the public cannot be denied access to records of any government employees allowances or reimbursements for expenses.

Rhyne said shes unaware of a time that someone committed identity theft simply by having the name of a state employee who uses a credit card. Seeing how particular workers spend money is important, she said.

It does show us the actions of the individual who may be abusing the credit card system, and if its not done by name it means that that person avoids scrutiny and avoids accountability, Rhyne said.

William Turner, a former chairman of the Accomack County Board of Supervisors, had received previously public records so he could look for wasteful government spending.

But when Turner said he asked for credit card spending by a courts employee, the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia told him last month he could no longer get such records because of the new advice.

Instead, the executive secretary provided a list of monetary expenditures for the entire agency that lacked who spent the money or on what it was spent, according to the newspaper.

Alisa Padden, director of legislative and public relations in the Office of the Executive Secretary, said future requests for public records on credit card expenditures would provide information on how the money was spent, but not the list of names of cardholders.

Attorney General-elect Jason Miyares has concerns about the new guidance.

As taxpayers, Virginia citizens deserve to know how their money is used. Removing the name of the cardholder on a state-issued credit card, as well as any description of the purchase, creates unnecessary secrecy between government officials and the public on how their tax dollars are being spent, Miyares said in a written statement.
DENVER (AP)  When Joe Esquibel was just a teenager and about to be sent off to World War II, he bought himself a keepsake: a small, silver bracelet. On one side, he had the engraver add his signature. On the other, he used a nail to scratch the first name of his sweetheart back home in New Mexico.

Lydia.

Not too long after, he found himself guarding a prisoner of war camp in what was then known as Czechoslovakia. One day in 1945, right before he was supposed to leave for Germany, he discovered that one of his bags was missing.

And they stole my items that I had in the duffle bag, said Esquibel, now 95.

The bracelet, among other things, was gone. He reported it, but it was hectic, with no time for anyone to investigate or for him to even really think about it. Esquibel was wounded in the war and was awarded a Purple Heart. Later, he married Lydia, and moved to Grand Junction. The pair would have four kids.

And I just sort of forgot about it, you know, he said, matter-of-factly.

The memory of the stolen stuff was buried under so much life  until this fall, when his daughter got a call she first thought must be some kind of scam. A bracelet belonging to her father had been found, half a world away.

The journey to that call started in October when a man named Petr Svihovec decided to go for a walk in the Czech woods with his metal detector. His friend suggested they check out the ruins of the old POW camp, but Svihovec was skeptical theyd find anything too interesting, as people had already been combing that area for years.

But they went anyway. Svihovec remembers hearing that fateful beep.

So I started to dig and I found a U.S. pin, he said over Zoom, through an interpreter. And after that I found a silver bracelet on which I noticed that there was a kind of signature.

Svihovec was sure that this bracelet belonged to an American soldier, but he had no idea how to find him. All he had was a signature he could not read and a womans first name on the back.

It was, of course, Lydia.

He cleaned the bracelet, took a picture and shared it on a Facebook page dedicated to treasure hunting. The group came up with maybe 30 guesses for that last name. One made the most sense.

It was, of course, Esquibel.

So Svihovec started searching for the name Lydia Esquibel and found her obituary from 2019. He read that she had lived in a Colorado city called Grand Junction and that she was survived by her husband, Joe.

A Czech historian helped Petr track down a document signed by Joe Esquibel, and the signature was an exact match to the one on the bracelet. Again, Svihovec turned to Facebook and shared all he had learned. And then others shared the post  and shared and shared it, until Alena Busovskas eyes landed on it.

I think hundreds were looking at this post, said Busovska, who lives in Grand Junction, but was born in then-Czechoslovakia.

Busovska knew she could be the final link in this chain, so she decided to make that phone call to Esquibels family, even though she was nervous about her English and worried about how to explain this whole thing.

I had to come out of my shell and try, even (if) its not perfect, she said.

Esquibels daughter, Jolene Esquibel-Archuleta, remembers the shock of that call.

It was like a dream, she said. I couldnt believe it at first.

The process wasnt over. Svihovec had to wade through a lot of red tape to get Esquibel his bracelet. He got through to the U.S. Embassy  even the Marines  and Esquibel eventually got his bracelet back, with it a service ribbon with a bronze star, an Army lapel pin and a Swiss coin, all sent in a package via diplomatic mail.

Esquibel made sure Busovska was there when he opened it, and she took a video of him finally seeing his bracelet again. In the video, he turns the bracelet over and over again in his hands.

It waited 76 years to get here, says Busovska off-screen.

Joes daughter is so grateful to her, and to everyone who helped get the bracelet back  those in Colorado, the Czech Republic and beyond.

I honestly think my mom made this happen, Esquibel-Archuleta said, her voice quivering with emotion. Our faith is very strong.

And Esquibel has this simple message for the man who unearthed these pieces of his personal history:

Well, I thank you many times, he said.

Both Esquibel and Svihovec say they hope to meet someday  someday soon, though COVID-19 makes travel complicated. For now, Svihovec still re-lives this tale of the bracelet all the time. Ever since the story was picked up by the Czech media, he gets recognized by strangers, strangers who ask him to recount this whole, unbelievable journey.

He gets it. Hes still flabbergasted, too.

If I would see it in the movie, I would say, Oh, what a nice story. I wish that would happen in reality, he said. But this really did happen. And it is real, and its not a movie.
COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP)  A woman has been charged with grand theft for allegedly stealing more than $300,000 in merchandise from retail stores in California.

Ekaterina Zharkova, 38, was arrested last month after an investigator with the California Highway Patrols Organized Retail Theft task force saw her stealing from a Nordstrom Rack in Costa Mesa. When members of the task force searched her apartment, they found more than $328,000 worth of stolen merchandise, the Orange County District Attorney's office said in a statement.

Investigators believe she attempted to sell stolen merchandise through a luxury online consignment store.

Zharkova was charged with four felony counts of grand theft, one felony count of receiving stolen property, and seven misdemeanor counts of petty theft. She faces up to nine years in prison if convicted on all counts.

Its not known whether she has an attorney who can speak on her behalf.

The charge comes amid a rash of large-scale thefts in California in which groups of individuals brazenly rush into stores and take goods in plain sight.

Shoplifting and other retail theft is out of control across California as a result of reckless laws that have made the risk far less than the potential reward, District Attorney Todd Spitzer said. These are not victimless crimes and if you engage in these kinds of outrageous theft schemes were going to arrest you, were going to prosecute you, and were putting you behind bars."

In September, Zharkova pleaded not guilty to a separate felony grand theft charge and misdemeanor charge of possession of burglary tools, according to court records.

She also pleaded not guilty in a felony grand theft case in Los Angeles filed in August, the Orange County Register reported.
CEDARTOWN, Ga. (AP)  Authorities in northwest Georgia are investigating an explosion that killed a woman when it blew a the house off its foundation and left debris hanging from trees.

Firefighters heard the loud blast Saturday morning near Cedartown in rural Polk County along the Georgia-Alabama state line, news outlets reported
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP)  When the USS Arizona exploded and sank during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor 80 years ago, brothers died with brothers, childhood friends with childhood friends, a father with his son.

Some of the men were seasoned sailors. Many were teenagers, including several who lied about their age at enlistment because they were too young to serve.

Now profiles of all 1,177 sailors and Marines have been compiled for the first time by a Tucson woman who spent more than five years researching their stories.

Former Arizona Daily Star Editor Bobbie Jo Buel scoured newspaper archives and public records, collected snapshots and personal letters and tracked down relatives of the men.

Her work began in May 2016 with Joseph John Borovich, a 22-year-old seaman first class from Central California who was rejected by the Navy because of blurred vision but kept coming back to the recruiting depot until they took him in July 1940.

Buel finished the last profile three months ago, stitched together with Navy records and census reports.

Buel was in talks earlier this year to make all of the stories available through an easily searchable smartphone app so visitors to the USS Arizona Mall Memorial could stand in the outline of the ship and read about the men whose names are engraved on bronze medallions just east of Old Main on the University of Arizona campus.

That agreement recently fell through so she has been reposting the stories on social media  one every 30 minutes  while she looks for another permanent home for them.

By Dec. 14, all 1,177 profiles should be available on the USS Arizona Mall Memorials Facebook page.

These guys deserve to have their stories told, Buel said.

Even before the attack, a surprising number of Arizona crewmen were already bonded by blood or history.

Of the 1,514 men assigned to the ship, Buel estimates close to 200 had relatives or friends from back home on board with them.

According to the National Park Service, caretaker of the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Machinist Mate First Class Thomas Augusta Free, 50, and his son, Seaman Second Class William Thomas Free, 17, both died on the ship, as did 23 sets of brothers.

Buel said the list of casualties also includes cousins, uncles, nephews and best friends, many of whom enlisted, served and then died together.

A story that sticks with her more than most involves four teenagers who enlisted together at a Navy recruiting office in Detroit on a snowy day in November 1940. One of the boys, Chester John Miller, was just 15 at the time, but he was allowed to sign up anyway.

Miller, Clarence W. Lipke, Charles W. McClelland and Byrl Eugene King trained together at Great Lakes Naval Station 30 miles north of Chicago, and all four ended up on ships anchored at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

Miller and Lipke, both firemen second class, died on the Arizona. King, on the battleship Nevada, and McClelland, on the light cruiser Helena, survived the attack, though McClelland was hurled in the air by a torpedo blast and broke his leg.

McClelland was still aboard the Helena when it was sunk in the South Pacific in July 1943. His life raft carried him to an island held by the Japanese, where the locals hid him and his crewmates for a week until they were picked up by Navy destroyers.

Buel added details about the men to spreadsheets as she went, so she could better understand not just the individuals but the collective story they told as a crew.

She said nearly a quarter of the men lost one or both parents before the age of 18. At least 6% saw their parents divorced  a figure almost certainly underreported but still three times the national rate in 1940.

Buel also tracked the size of the communities the crew members came from. She said as many as half of them grew up on farms or in towns with populations of less than 1,514.

As Buel researched the story of Vincent Tommy Thomas and Lloyd Bryant, two lifelong best friends who enlisted together from rural Illinois, Buel discovered among the Arizonas dead two more young men, Edward Smith and Joe McGlasson, from the same small county.

Five thousand people (in all of Greene County, Illinois), and you just lost four guys. And that was day one of the war, Buel said.

Seaman Second Class James Randolf Van Horn was the only Tucsonan lost on the battleship that day.

The 17-year-old had never seen the ocean before, but he dropped out of Tucson High School to join the Navy. He requested the Arizona because it represented his home state.

In a 1958 interview, Van Horns mother Bonnie Cope said her son decided to enlist after attending a recruiting talk at Tucson High by Rear Admiral Isaac Kidd in the spring of 1941.

Kidd later died on the Arizona along with the Tucson teenager he inspired to join him there.

The research project began as a companion piece for the USS Arizona Mall Memorial which Buels husband, David Carter, designed at the UA.

At the time, Buel figured someone had already compiled the mens stories. She just needed to find whoever did the work and get permission to share it.

She planned to spend the first two weeks of her retirement from the Star pulling the information together so it would be ready to go when the memorial was dedicated a few days before the 75th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack.

Then she discovered that there was no existing collection. At least some of the sailors and Marines had never been profiled before. Their names were etched in marble at the USS Arizona Memorial in Hawaii, but their histories had gone untold.

Buel would have to do it herself.

The search took her and her husband to major cities and tiny towns to scan reels of microfilm or comb through bound copies of old newspapers in search of obituaries. She couldnt just page through the December 1941 editions, either. Some families werent notified that their loved ones were dead until months later.
The San Francisco Bay area and northern California are preparing for a major storm that will arrive early Sunday morning, expected to bring much-needed rain to the region and several feet of snow to the Sierra Nevada.

The National Weather Service said Saturday that widespread rain will return to the Bay Area and Central Coast as early as late Saturday evening and lasting through Tuesday.

There will be a wind advisory from Sunday afternoon through Monday and a high surf advisory from early Monday morning through late Wednesday.

Moderate rain, wind and high surf is expected Sunday and Monday in the North Bay (Santa Rosa, Napa, San Rafael), San Francisco (including San Francisco International Airport), East Bay (Oakland, Concord, Livermore, Hayward, Fremont), South Bay (San Jose, Morgan Hill, Gilroy) , the San Francisco Peninsula (Half Moon Bay, Pacifica, San Mateo, Redwood City) and the Central Coast (Monterey, Santa Cruz, Salinas, Hollister).

Two to three inches of rain is forecast for most urban and lower elevation areas, and potentially less in rain-shadowed valleys. Three to six inches of rain is projected over the Coast Range and elevated terrain, except along the southern Coast Range -- in the vicinity of Big Sur, for instance -- where four to eight inches of rain is expected.

Strong winds may produce difficult driving conditions for high-profile vehicles.

The search is on in the Tri-City area for a missing 22-year-old woman Saturday evening who was last seen in Fremont earlier this week.

The woman, Janee Green, was reported missing to the Newark Police Department Saturday. A police spokesperson said Green is considered at-risk. Police are actively investigating the case.

She is 5'6" tall and weighs 200 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes.

Green was last seen in the area of Blacow Road and Mowry Avenue in Fremont on Monday.

Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to call the Newark Police Department at (510) 578-4237.

A gas leak in San Francisco's Mission District has been mitigated and a major thoroughfare through the neighborhood has been reopened.

The immediate was under a shelter-in-place order, but that has been lifted.

As of 5:30 p.m., the San Francisco Fire Department said the gas leak is being resolved. Potrero Avenue, which was shut down between Mariposa and 18th streets because of the incident, has been reopened, although fire officials said motorists who travel through the area can expect traffic delays.

The incident was located at 491 Potrero Ave., according to a fire department spokesperson. PG&E crews responded to cap the leak.

There are no reports of injuries.

Two windsurfers were rescued Saturday afternoon in San Francisco Bay off Crissy Field, according to the San Francisco Fire Department.

San Francisco firefighters responded to the area just before 5 p.m. from a call that the windsurfers were in distress, a fire official said.

The windsurfers will be okay, the fire official added.

Oakland police are investigating a shooting that took place early Saturday morning in the area of Fisher Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard in Oakland.

Officers arrived at the scene of the shooting at 1:14 a.m. and found a man with a gunshot wound, police said. The man was taken to the hospital, where he was listed in stable condition, according to police.

This is an ongoing investigation and anyone with information is asked to contact the Oakland Police Department Felony Assault Unit at (510) 238-3426.

Police in Watsonville need the public's help in locating an at-risk man who has been missing for at least two days.

Hector Velazquez, 54, of Watsonville, has not been seen or heard from and is in need of his medications, police said Saturday.

Velasquez, who also goes by "Tito," was last seen on Brennan Street, police said. He is also known to frequent the slough area near East Lake and Holohan Road, according to police.

Anyone with information regarding Hector's whereabouts is asked to call Watsonville police at (831) 471-1151.

Police in Cloverdale have arrested a suspect in connection with an armed robbery that occurred at a Quick Stop store Monday night.

Roman Jose Soto, 32, of Santa Rosa, was arrested on suspicion of armed robbery, possession of a firearm with no serial number and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to the Cloverdale Police Department.

Fremont Police are searching for a suspect in a stabbing that occurred Saturday night on Argonaut Way.

At 11:15 p.m., police officers responded to a call about a stabbing incident in the 39000 block of Argonaut Way, according to the official statement. The victim was transported to a trauma center, and one suspect has been detained.

A second suspect is being sought, described as a white male in his 40s, with short, gray hair and blue eyes, wearing a long-sleeved plaid shirt and blue jeans, and carrying a large, red bag.

Anyone with information about this incident is requested to call the Fremont Police Department's non-emergency line at (510) 790-6800, extension 3.

Police in Palo Alto are investigating an occupied home burglary that occurred Thursday.

On Thursday at 10:12 a.m., the Palo Alto Police Department received a call about a residential burglary and vehicle theft that had occurred earlier that morning in the 2300 block of Middlefield Road.

The National Weather Service forecast for Sunday for the greater San Francisco Bay Area calls for a strong storm system to bring rain and gusty winds throughout the region. A wind advisory has been issued for most of the Bay Area from Sunday afternoon through Monday morning, with gusts up to 55 mph. A small craft advisory is also in effect until Sunday evening.

Rainfall amounts Sunday are expected to be up to three quarters of an inch in urban areas, with more in the higher elevations. Daytime highs Sunday will be in the 50s.

Rain continues Sunday night, with an additional one to two inches of rainfall possible in urban areas. Overnight lows will be in the low 50s.

A high surf advisory has been issued from early Monday morning through late Wednesday.

Monday and Tuesday will bring more rain and possible thunderstorms, with gusty winds and highs in the mid 50s.

Copyright  2021 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.

Copyright  2021 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
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In a press conference on Dec. 1, Gov. Ned Lamont, along with Connecticut Paid Leave Authority Chief Executive Officer Andrea Barton Reeves, announced that the Connecticut Paid Leave Authority is now accepting applications for Connecticut residents who want to participate in the state's new paid family and medical leave program. Approved applicants will be eligible to receive benefits beginning Jan. 1, 2022.

The Connecticut Paid Leave Authority expects 1,000 to 1,500 applications per day and indicated the Connecticut Paid Leave Authority is prepared to handle that level of applications. In its Human Resources Toolkit, the Connecticut Leave Authority outlines the "process when a worker tells you they're applying for CT paid leave."

How Do Employees Apply for Leave?

The Connecticut Paid Leave Authority is partnering with the Connecticut Paid Leave Authority's benefits administrator to oversee the administration of paid leave benefits claims. Employees may submit applications via the Connecticut Paid Leave Authority's online portal, telephone, fax, mail or email. Employees have 15 days from the initiation of a claim to provide all requested documentation and should, according to the state, know their approval status five days after completing the required paperwork.

Employees must notify their employers or their human resources departments at least 30 days prior to the start of leave for foreseen circumstances, and as soon as is practicable for unforeseen circumstances.

Employer's Role in Application Process

As part of the paid leave application process, employees will need to ask their employers to complete an employment verification form. Employers must complete the employment verification form and return it to the Connecticut Paid Leave Authority's benefits administrator within 10 days. Employers are also required to notify employees that they may be eligible for Connecticut paid leave benefits whenever they notify their employers of their intent to take leave.

If the Connecticut Paid Leave Authority denies an employee's claim, the employer is not responsible for filing any documents on the employee's behalf. Employees may file a request for reconsideration with the Connecticut Paid Leave Authority's benefits administrator within 10 days of a denial.

Employers may require workers to use vacation days or paid time off before they receive Connecticut paid leave benefits; however, employers must allow employees to retain up to two weeks of paid time off while on Connecticut family and medical leave.

Payment

The state will make approved claim payments to employees two weeks in arrears either via a stored value card or by direct deposit. The Connecticut Paid Leave Authority will not issue paper checks.

John G. Stretton and Nicole S. Mule are attorneys with Ogletree Deakins in Stamford, Conn.  2021 Ogletree Deakins. All rights reserved. Reposted with permission.
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There is broad agreement that the new regime will be an improvement over its almost 50-year-old predecessor. Loading Major activities that threaten Aboriginal heritage now cannot proceed without consultation with the relevant local Indigenous groups. WAs Labor government trumpeted that this change embeds the principles of free, prior and informed consent in its agreement-making processes when the bills final draft was unveiled in November. These fine-sounding words are, with an important change, lifted from the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples that calls for Indigenous people to give free and informed consent prior to the approval of any project that affects their land.

The difference is that the UN wants Indigenous consent to development, while the new legislation merely codifies what should be obvious: there is no agreement without Indigenous consent. And crucially, if the two sides do not reach an agreement the decision lands on the desk of the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs. And what is the track record for WA Aboriginal affairs ministers putting heritage before development? In the past 12 years, Liberal and Labor ministers considered 1009 Section 18 applications and rejected just four, none of which were for mining. A stunning 99.6 per cent success rate for development. The new legislation instructs the Minister to determine if heritage will be protected by considering what is in the interests of the State.

A 2018 decision by Wyatt to grant Aboriginal heritage approval for a third runway at Perth Airport that will affect Munday Swamp, an area regarded as sacred by the local Whadjuk Noongar People, showed how the criteria works in practice. I appreciate the hurt my decision today may cause a number of Noongar people, Mr Wyatt said. However, my ministerial responsibility to protect Aboriginal cultural heritage must take into account the broader interests of the whole state of Western Australia. It is a logic that could always justify a development if it is economically big enough. The Senate inquiry into Juukan Gorge concluded it was just one example of countless instances where cultural heritage has been the victim of the drive for development and commercial gain.

An earlier draft of the legislation did not leave the final say with the Minister as both proponents and indigenous groups could call for a review by WAs State Administrative Tribunal. However, with proponents historically having a 250 to 1 advantage over Indigenous groups with ministerial decisions, an independent arbiter could only reduce the miners success rate. Indigenous groups were shocked and dismayed at the disappearance of their much-wanted appeal rights. Rio Tinto chief executive iron ore Simon Trott leads its WA operation with a 2020 revenue of $39 billion, more than 60% of the London-based groups total The WA governments documented reason for the change was a word salad that it reflected accepted principles of modern governance, public administration and the recognised responsibilities of the elected government of the day. WA Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Stephen Dawson said major decisions on contentious issues are the elected governments job.

Decisions...do not come to the Minister for authorisation except as the last resort, he said. However, a last resort that historically has overwhelmingly favoured miners severely weakens the hand of Indigenous groups at the negotiating table if they push too hard. Sometimes at that table will be Rio Tinto, which is desperate to revamp its image in the community after Juukan Gorge, especially in WA where its iron ore sales of $62 billion in 2020 made up more than 60 per cent of the mining giants total revenue. Last week, newly installed WA-born iron ore boss Simon Trott fronted a 600-strong business function in Perth to pitch a new, more caring Rio that was applying the lessons learned from Juukan Gorge. However, the crucial question about his companys dealing with Indigenous groups - do you think the minister should have the final say? - was left unanswered.

The process has improved, but the power balance is untouched: without agreement the minister decides, and the track record is clear. Were moving towards a model of co-management of country, developing real partnerships based on respect, Trott said. Of course, a miner can easily embrace cooperation because if it fails the decision ends up with the minister. Well work with whatever legislation comes in, Trott said. Rio Tinto was asked if it would accept the previous version of the legislation that gave both sides the right to appeal. The company did not answer the question.

We support the strengthening of Aboriginal heritage protection in WA, a Rio Tinto spokesperson said. Loading We are determined to make the changes needed to ensure Aboriginal heritage is protected, and to regain the communitys trust. As well as ensuring consultation occurs, the new Act has other benefits for Indigenous people, including no gag clauses in agreements with miners, easier enforcement of heritage protection measures, and the ministers need to document the reasoning behind a decision. The process has improved, but the power balance is untouched: without agreement the minister decides, and the track record is clear.
Rupert Murdochs News Corp Australia is in the final stages of securing a wagering partner for the launch of its bookmaking business, with two local outfits and an international company competing to take part in the joint venture.

Multiple wagering sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because talks are confidential, said News Corp was close to a deal on working with a bookmaker that would provide the technology infrastructure needed to launch its operation locally in exchange for a stake in the business. The newly formed company is not expected to take a bet for the first half of 2022. News Corp declined to comment.

News Corp is close to securing a partner or its soon-to-launch wagering business. Credit:Shutterstock

News Corp Australia has planned to form a wagering company for more than one year. The media company, which publishes The Australian and The Herald Sun, asked for expressions of interest among Australias established bookmakers last year. It was then in advanced talks earlier this year with a consortium backed by high-profile bookmaker Matthew Tripp to launch the new wagering outfit. Wagering sources have said there are currently three contenders in the final stage including Betmakers (which is closely linked to Mr Tripp) and an international outfit.

But despite previous discussions between News Corp and Lachlan Murdochs Fox Corp about a licensing deal for its FOX Bet brand (which has driven growth at the company), the sources say the new company is not expected to adopt the brand name.
Will Ramsay reckons its a good time to sell art. The London gallerist knows art buyers have money in their bank accounts they couldnt spend on restaurants and holidays in recent years.

And those of us looking at blank walls at home are primed to spend it on artists, who can offer something to inspire us, he says.

Antoinette Ferwerda, artist and director of Antoinette Ferwerda Gallery, and her mentee/studio assistant Celina Klohk. Credit:Simon Schluter

The trick is to bring them together. But he knows from experience that can be harder than it sounds.

Thats why hes bringing back one of the art markets most successful modern innovations: the Affordable Art Fair, which returns to Melbourne next year for the first time since 2019, and is to open in Sydney for the first time in a decade.
Many universities are under-charging international students and should lift their fees to match the money spent by Australian governments on educating domestic students, a new book on reforming the tertiary sector argues.

Associate Professor Salvatore Babones, a higher education commentator and sociologist at the University of Sydney, compared per-student revenue for domestic and international students and found overseas students contributed just $500 more.

A new book argues international students should pay more. Credit:Erin Jonasson

But at many universities, including the universities of NSW, Wollongong and Melbourne, the domestic per-student revenue was higher than the average cost of an international degree. For UNSW, revenue from a domestic place is almost $5000 more.

However, Dr Babones included government research funding in his calculation of the revenue from domestic students, which others in the sector said should be considered separately and substantially inflated the domestic figure.
The Spanish manufacturer of Sydneys cracked trams warned the NSW government that sharp track bends had contributed to the faults, while new documents show questions were raised in the transport department over the standard of track maintenance.

The documents, tabled to NSW Parliament under an upper house order and seen by the Herald, also show key instructions about welding cracks on the trams were written in Spanish.

A view over the inner west light rail track leading into Jubilee Park. Credit:Brook Mitchell

Internal NSW government emails, as well as correspondence between the state and manufacturer CAF show the company told the government the trams had been travelling at high speed through sharp curves on the inner west network.

One note, sent to Transport for NSW on November 3, said the company believed this had contributed to cracking found in the entire fleet as well as key components on the trams operating below minimum tolerance.
Sixty people tested positive to COVID-19 overnight after attending a nightclub in Newcastle last week, in what is one of the largest transmission events of the virus ever seen in the state.

There are now 84 cases linked to The Argyle House nightclub last Wednesday. The cases are believed to be the Omicron variant of the virus as a person at the club was also on a party cruise earlier in the week and genomic sequencing has since determined attendees were infected with the variant.

Hundreds of people have been deemed close contacts after attending The Argyle House nightclub in Newcastle. Credit:Darren Pateman

NSW Health said it had identified 680 people who had checked in to the venues between 9pm on Wednesday and 3am on Thursday, all of whom have been deemed close contacts.

However, Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said there was concern some attendees might not have checked in to the club.
A joint investigation by The Sydney Morning Herald and A Current Affair reveals that when Adams breathing tube became dislodged, doctors failed to recognise the problem, were unable to fix it and decided against calling for the help of a specialist who could have replaced the tube in minutes and saved Adams life.

Adams life was ripped away by a series of cascading and catastrophic errors in the intensive care unit of one of NSWs leading trauma hospitals.

But as they walked out the doors of Sydneys St George Hospital, the family was oblivious to the horror about to unfold behind them.

The good news meant the chance to trade hospital cafeteria meals for a family lunch out for Adams mother Philippa Fitzpatrick, who had kept a two-week vigil at her sons bedside.

Adam, an exuberant 20-year-old with a quick wit and big dreams, would lose an eye but otherwise fully recover, his family was told.

Adam Fitzpatrick was meant to be one of the lucky ones. After he was pulled from the wreckage of a car crash in the NSW Riverina region last year, plastic surgeons masterfully pieced together the shattered fragments of his face like a jigsaw.

The Fitzpatricks were ultimately vindicated when the hospitals own investigation found Adams death was caused by a delay in recognising the tracheostomy tube was dislodged and replacing it.

The family alleges they were subjected to intimidation and bullying after challenging the hospital, while medical records were withheld before being destroyed.

The Fitzpatrick family alleges hospital staff went into damage control and attempted to cover up what happened. They were told Adams death was unavoidable as the result of a blocked tracheostomy tube, and he received the best care possible.

While the staff floundered, Adam was starved of oxygen for 40 minutes, leaving him brain-dead.

You killed my son. A beautiful boy with his whole life ahead of him, five days before his 21st birthday.

Its basically a life sentence for all of us but what weve lost is nothing compared to what Adams lost, Ms Fitzpatrick says.

When Adam arrived back in his home town of Jugiong, about 120 kilometres north-west of Canberra, between university semesters, locals usually heard him before they saw him.

The Fitzpatricks feel they would never have found out the truth if not for the familys medical background. Adams mum, Philippa Fitzpatrick, is a veterinarian, and Adams sisters Amanda and Emma are a paramedic and a lawyer respectively.

The events raise broader questions around whether enough is done in Australian hospitals to prevent catastrophic incidents involving tracheostomies and whether preventable deaths are covered up due to a lack of accountability.

The report notes the inadequate response to Adams unstable airway in the week before his death due to failures in care co-ordination, handover and tracheostomy management.

There was an ineffective emergency response due to deficiencies in co-ordination, equipment, training and leadership which led to patient death, the report, known as a root cause analysis, says.

As workers arrived at a Hay truck yard on the morning of August 8, 2020, they discovered a ute crumpled underneath one of the trucks, where Adam had been trapped for about seven hours after a crash the night before.

Adam was ambitious, fast-tracking his study so he could work full-time for Local Land Services, a government agency in Hay. Adam planned to buy a block of land there and settle down with his girlfriend, Lucinda Eddy.

Adam Fitzpatrick with his parents Philippa and Peter. The Fitzpatricks feel they would never have found out the truth about Adams death if it was not for the familys medical background.

He was probably the most intelligent person I know with an astonishingly quick sense of humour, Emma recalled. Most of the jokes were at my expense.

His home base was a hobby farm on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River, where Adam would mercilessly tease his older sisters and parents, Philippa and Peter.

Adams passion was his new ute and parts continued arriving in the mail for months after he died.

He would belt out country tunes as he drove down the main street of the historic town with a population of 200.

She was the only person in the room when Adam tossed and turned and his tracheostomy tube broke free from the ventilator.

Adams mother Philippa was the only family member allowed into the ICU due to COVID-19 restrictions. She would reassure Adam when he woke, scared and disoriented.

Adam Fitzpatrick was ambitious and had planned to buy a block of land to settle down with his girlfriend.

A tracheostomy tube was inserted through Adams neck, connected to a ventilator that pumped oxygen into his lungs.

Adam was admitted to the ICU with severe head and facial injuries, and it was decided the bulk of surgery would be delayed two weeks while the swelling subsided.

The Fitzpatricks were relieved Adam ended up in the South Eastern Sydney Local Health Districts flagship hospital, which carries a high load of trauma patients from across NSW.

Due to treacherous conditions, Adam could not be airlifted to Canberra and was diverted to St George Hospital.

Alarms were going off, but nobody came for quite some time and I had to reconnect the ventilator tubes myself, Ms Fitzpatrick said.

I kept thinking, why isnt someone coming? If I had not been present on this day Adam could have died.

The root cause analysis later found Adam was meant to have one-on-one nursing care, but it wasnt provided because his nurse was attending a training session.

No formal handover took place notifying the other nurse on duty she would temporarily have to supervise Adam. The near-miss wasnt logged until after Adams death, the report found.

It was almost like we were questioning God

After the surgery, the Fitzpatricks were relieved to see their son looking like Adam again.

Adam was returned to intensive care, with plans to allow the sedation to wear off gradually. His tracheostomy appeared secure and intact.

However, the next morning Philippa felt uneasy because the tube appeared to be protruding at a strange angle.

She raised this with a nurse, who waved off her concerns. Ms Fitzpatrick had to vacate the room while a physiotherapist attended and alerted a nurse and a doctor as she was leaving.

The doctor was reassuring, Ms Fitzpatrick recalled.

She said, worst-case scenario, if the tube comes out were all trained in replacing the tubes.

While the family was at lunch, a nurse noticed Adam was struggling with mucus build-up and strong fits of coughing, according to the analysis.

After Adam started making gurgling noises his ventilators alarm activated, with doctors and nurses rushing in.

Despite the malfunctioning tracheostomy, Adam was breathing spontaneously on his own and levels of oxygen in his blood were normal.

After the facial surgery, the Fitzpatricks were relieved to see their son looking like Adam again. But the worst was to come.

However, doctors administered a drug that paralysed Adams muscles so a bronchoscope  a camera allowing doctors to see inside the airways  could be passed down the tracheostomy tube to check for blockages.

The analysis found that if the drug had not been administered, there was a possibility Adam could have maintained adequate oxygen levels on his own.

After the bronchoscopy, Adams condition deteriorated and he went into cardiac arrest.

CPR was commenced and doctors tried a variety of methods to restore his airways, but none were successful.

It was only when the ear nose and throat (ENT) medical officer arrived that it was found the tracheostomy tube was dislodged and in the pretracheal space.

The officer immediately placed the tube back into the correct position.

But scans three days later confirmed Adam had suffered catastrophic brain injuries from oxygen deprivation and he was declared dead.

The family returned from lunch to find a huddle of doctors around Adam in the ICU.

Philippa and Peter Fitzpatrick with their daughters Emma (on left) and Amanda, and Adams girlfriend Lucinda Eddy (right) in Jugiong. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

We stood there for an uncomfortable amount of time with no one saying one single word to us, Amanda recalled.

The family allege they were told the tracheostomy tube had become blocked, Adam had been without oxygen and his condition was not good.

It was left to Philippa and Amanda, with their medical backgrounds, to tell other family that Adam was likely to die.

During meetings that followed, the family allege facts kept changing to explain inconsistencies and staff were aggressive and threatening when challenged.

The scene after Adam Fitzpatricks car crash. After he was pulled from the wreckage, plastic surgeons masterfully pieced together the shattered fragments of his face like a jigsaw.

It was almost like we were questioning God, Amanda recalled.

The family say they battled for months to get medical records, only to find they were inaccurate and incomplete.

Two key documents requested on the day of Adams death were not given to the family, who were later told they no longer existed because they were on machines that only stored data for three months. The hospital insisted the documents were not destroyed but overridden.

The family were blindsided to finally learn the true sequence of events when they received an apology and a copy of the root cause analysis in February.

Photos of Adam Fitzpatrick in Jugiong. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

After receiving the news, Philippa was hospitalised with takotsubo cardiomyopathy, also known as broken heart syndrome, where the heart muscle is weakened by an intense surge of stress hormones.

An investigation found that the ENT officer was away from the hospital and was originally told it was not necessary for him or another doctor to return because the situation was under control.

One of two senior doctors rostered on to the ICU was also absent due to a personal issue.

The root cause analysis found there was a lack of clarity as to who was the team leader, equipment was used incorrectly which may have collapsed Adams lungs, safety equipment that should have been used was not and Adams tracheostomy emergency management plan was inadequate.

It also found inconsistent evidence when it examined how recently staff had been trained and assessed in the handling of tracheostomy emergencies.

The original version of the analysis approved by St George Hospital did not identify any root causes of Adams death or make any recommendations.

It was changed after it was sent to executives within the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District for review.

Incredibly confronting and stressful

Over the past decade, pioneering work has taken place within the international medical community to curb the number of adverse events involving tracheostomy patients.

The Global Tracheostomy Collaborative was formed in 2012, spearheaded by doctors from the United States, UK and Australias Austin Hospital in Melbourne.

They developed a five-prong approach to preventing adverse events, that includes co-ordinated team care, standardisation of care protocols, multidisciplinary education and staff allocation, patient and family involvement, and use of data tracking to drive improvement.

More than 50 hospitals from around the world have joined, reducing the severity of major adverse events involving tracheostomies by 54 per cent and improving overall quality of care through safer, swifter recovery.

Adam, Amanda and Emma Fitzpatrick shared a close bond as siblings growing up in the NSW South West Slopes.

Associate Professor Michael Brenner, from the University of Michigan School of Medicine, is the collaboratives president.

He tells the Herald tragic incidents involving tracheostomies are all too familiar for doctors in his field but system-wide improvements can radically reduce their incidence.

Professor Brenner says the accidental dislodgement of a tracheostomy tube is one of the most common adverse events and doctors or other health professionals trying to replace a dislodged tube could often end up pushing it into the soft tissues in the front of the neck instead of successfully placing it into the windpipe.

Sometimes the catalyst for hospitals to improve tracheostomy care is that something terribly unfortunate has happened, he says. Wed really like to get to a place where hospitals preemptively take steps to improve, such as joining the collaborative, before an event happens.

He drew on the swiss cheese model of risk, where a number of holes in the cheese have to line up for a catastrophic event to occur. A multi-prong approach could plug at least some of those holes, Professor Brenner says.

This story of a family member, knowing that somethings not right and trying to sound the alarm and being unheard, thats very pervasive in medicine internationally. So if we can just amplify the voice of the patient, that seemingly small act can transform healthcare.

Dr Stephen Warrillow, director of intensive care at the Austin Hospital, says many of the principles that can reduce adverse events are not overly complicated, but notes individual doctors may not see a patient with a tracheostomy more than a couple of times a year.

If youre called urgently to a crisis and its many years since youve dealt with a patient with a tracheostomy, youre trying to troubleshoot a difficult problem in a situation where you only have minutes to spare, he says.

Dr Warrillow says his first concern is always for patients and their families when adverse events occur but notes preventing such incidents also has a profound effect on the healthcare workers involved.

You come to work to do a good job and look after people, so its incredibly confronting and stressful for healthcare workers watching a patient dying and feeling perhaps nothing youre doing is working.

I feared the next call-out

St George Hospitals intensive care unit was barred from training junior doctors in 2019 amid allegations of bullying and dysfunction among senior staff.

The Fitzpatricks have queried whether a bullying culture in the ICU created an atmosphere where junior staff did not feel comfortable asking for help.

Amanda Fitzpatrick says she was a shadow of my former self returning to work as a paramedic after watching her parents kiss their son goodbye and bury him.

I feared the next call-out, she wrote in a letter to the hospital. I feared blood and trauma.

Most of all I feared making a mistake that would end someones life, just as your team had done to Adam.

Emma Fitzpatrick, a lawyer, has moved into the medical negligence sector since her brothers death to help other families find justice.

Were 15 months down the track and it feels like nothing has been done and we havent gotten anywhere despite hours and hours and hours of heartache, anguish and effort, she says.

Hospital managers admit they have not been able to adequately answer the familys questions arising from the root cause analysis, partly because some clinicians involved no longer work at the hospital.

They promised an external investigation, which was called off last month so as not to interfere with investigations by the State Coroner.

The family is also pursuing legal action, but can only sue for their own nervous shock because, unlike other jurisdictions, the NSW legal system does not recognise wrongful death.

Its not about the money as such, but that his life is valued so little, Philippa Fitzpatrick says.

A St George Hospital spokeswoman acknowledged Adam Fitzpatrick did not receive the care he deserved in August 2020.

The root cause analysis document is also not admissible in court, on the basis this encourages clinicians to be more frank and truthful in their accounts.

Ms Fitzpatrick now struggles with feelings she failed Adam by not doing more to escalate her concerns about the tracheostomy on the day of his death.

Adams death was completely preventable, she says.

We have lost our most precious son, and more importantly he has lost his whole future, and this has happened in completely unacceptable circumstances. We want to ensure that this does not happen to other families.

She says it is frightening to think other preventable deaths may be swept under the rug where families lack medical knowledge to challenge what they are told.

We want people to know these cover-ups do happen.

A St George Hospital spokeswoman acknowledges Adam Fitzpatrick did not receive the care he deserved in August 2020 and the hospital extended a sincere apology to his family.

She says the hospital is fully co-operating with an independent investigation by the NSW Coroner.

St George Hospital is committed to processes that result in learning from incidents and to improving the care we provide to our patients, the spokeswoman says.

WATCH: See the Fitzpatrick familys story on A Current Affair on Monday at 7pm on Channel Nine.

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A man was flown to hospital on Sunday morning after a shark attack in far north Queensland.

A health service spokeswoman said the 24-year-old was taken by helicopter to Cairns Hospital after the attack in waters off Yarrabah, east of the city.

The rescue helicopter arrived about 10.30am, and about 1pm, the spokeswoman said he was in a stable condition.

It is unknown at this stage what injuries the man sustained.
The moves by ATAGI to recommend bringing forward COVID vaccine boosters to five months, down from six, and to approve Moderna boosters, are refreshing bursts of urgency from our once-sluggish medical regulatory complex.

Coupled with a campaign flagged by the federal government yesterday, this newfound urgency should help instil a sense of importance around boosters among the public. Because the evidence from overseas is clear that driving booster uptake is every bit as critical as anything thats come before.

The evidence is mounting that boosters are essential. Credit:Getty

Around 700,000 Australians have so far received a third-dose booster of a COVID-19 vaccine. We are both booked in to receive a third-dose Pfizer booster later this month. But Australia will have to work hard to achieve the same level of booster coverage as it has with its second-dose vaccination rate, currently at 89.2 per cent of over-16s.

As we noted just over three months ago in these pages, booster shots are critical because the effectiveness of the mRNA vaccines in particular has been found to wane significantly over time. A peer-reviewed study in The Lancet of more than 3 million people has shown effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine against symptomatic infection to decline from 88 per cent during the first month after the second dose to 47 per cent after five months.
However, they must still get tested on day five after their arrival in Queensland. Loading Unvaccinated travellers from hotspots in Victoria, NSW and the ACT must enter Queensland by air. They also need to quarantine for 14 days at a government-run facility at their expense. Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg described the border opening as a great Christmas present for thousands of Queensland businesses, particularly those in tourism. We are going to see more variants of the virus and Omicron is a reminder of that. Were not out of the pandemic just yet but the vaccine ... is a proven defence against the virus, he told Sunrise.

We have seen a reduction in hospitalisations and a reduction in debt, and we have seen freedoms come back, particularly in the two lockdown states of Victoria and NSW. Fully vaccinated Victorians will also be able to enter Western Australia from February 5 after a major announcement on Monday afternoon. Those travelling from other state to WA will need to have a negative test 72 hours before and another 48 hours after arrival. If the trip into WA is for five days or less, travellers will be expected to get a test beforehand, but not while in the state. WA Premier Mark McGowan said the news that the states hard border would ease in less than two months would be a cause of relief or even celebration for many.

Mask mandates could be scrapped this week Mask mandates could be scrapped as early as this week in Victoria, as the states emergency powers wrap up, and with new pandemic legislation kicking in at midnight on Wednesday. Premier Daniel Andrews said last month that masks would no longer be mandatory in retail settings from December 15, as long as the state didnt see a jump in hospitalisations. However, it is unclear whether that easing of restrictions can occur on Wednesday because the new pandemic laws passed on December 2 prevent the government from foreshadowing changes to pandemic restrictions.

A government spokesman would not confirm whether the changes would take place this week, saying: Well have more to say on future settings soon. Loading Victorians have done an incredible job coming forward to get vaccinated, enabling businesses to be open and everyone to get back to things they love, he said. Under the changes to mask mandates flagged by Mr Andrews, workers in high-risk workplaces, such as corrections, or meat, poultry, and seafood processing facilities, would still need to wear masks. They would also be mandatory when taking public transport.

There were 11,649 active COVID-19 cases recorded in Victoria on Monday, 323 of them recovering in hospital. Of those, 77 were in intensive care, with 40 on a ventilator. There were also 39 patients in intensive care who have been cleared of the virus. More than 3266 Victorians were vaccinated against COVID-19 at state-run clinics on Sunday, taking the total number of doses administrated at state facilities to almost 5 million, which means about 92 per cent of Victorians aged 12 and over are now fully immunised against the virus. Melbourne trio caught COVID-19 twice, almost a year apart Three Melburnians living in the same household were infected with COVID-19 twice, new research published in the Medical Journal of Australia has revealed.

In July 2020, the three adults were diagnosed for the first time, with two experiencing mild symptoms while the third had no symptoms. The trio had separate strains of the virus. Exactly a year later, the trio were again diagnosed with COVID-19 during the Delta outbreak. They all had mild symptoms. Before the emergence of the Omicron variant, second infections were thought to affect fewer than 1 per cent of cases. One of the authors of the research letter, epidemiologist Mohana Baptista, said the research highlighted the need for people who had been infected with COVID-19 to consider getting vaccinated against the virus. Theres the feeling [out there] that if Ive had COVID-19, I dont need to get vaccinated.

With Omicron and the news of that coming through now, particularly the risk of breakthrough infections, I think people are reconsidering, she said. Free travel vouchers to inject life back into CBD The state government will give away 250,000 public transport travel vouchers to Victorians heading to Melbourne to visit attractions and attend events in December and January. The move is expected to attract people back to the CBD after the coronavirus pandemic saw tens of thousands of residents move away from the city over the past two years. Loading

The vouchers will become available on the Public Transport Victorias website on Thursday. They will apply to people attending Christmas events, galleries and attractions, or dining out in the city. Passengers will be able to download the voucher on their phone and show it to staff when entering and exiting trains, buses, and trams. Public transport will also be free on Christmas and New Years Eve. However, passengers on reserved V/Line services will still need to book their travel, so they can be issued a ticket free of charge. Normal weekday public transport timetables will apply on New Years Eve, boosted with additional services. The Night Network bus will also operate 34 routes all night. However, fares will increase by 2.3 per cent on average in Melbourne and 1.1 per cent in regional areas from January 1. This will add 20 cents to zones 1, 2, and 1+2 tickets.
A worker sacked after failing a drug test, because he was taking medicinal cannabis prescribed by his doctor, is taking his former employer to court.

Mitchell Rice, 26, has launched a claim against Queensland Rail in the NSW Federal Circuit Court alleging QR dismissed him and discriminated against him in contravention of the Fair Work Act.

Mitchell Rice has been his familys sole earner since his mother died in February.

He had worked as a support maintainer for the state transit authority since July 9 last year and his last day in the job was August 16, 2021.

Mr Rice is seeking $91,750 plus interest in economic loss, and a lump sum of $150,000 for distress.
Hopes local companies will fill their shortages of skilled workers with migrants could be stymied by the tight global jobs market with new research showing Australian businesses face a tough fight against international competitors.

Data compiled by online jobs site business Indeed suggests it may not be easy to entice skilled migrants away from their home markets or prevent them going to other nations offering larger paypackets.

Australia may find it difficult to woo as many skilled migrants as businesses hope due to global competition. Credit:Jason South

The international border is due to open on Wednesday for skilled migrants and international students in a development the business community is hoping will ease wage pressures and fix worker shortages across a growing number of industries.

International student arrivals are down 99.7 per cent on their pre-COVID levels while skilled visas were down 44 per cent through 2020-21 on the previous year. Those granted visas were almost exclusively in the country before the international border was shut early last year.
Liberal member for Mackellar, Jason Falinski, said independent campaigners were making false claims by arguing that he and others voted with Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce on climate change when they had taken on the Nationals to get the government to endorse a net zero emissions target for 2050. So I think the truth is that Barnaby Joyce votes with me, Mr Falinski said. Jason Falinski holds his seat by more than 15 per cent. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen He said the marriage equality vote in 2017 was another example when he and other moderate Liberals had sided against Mr Joyce and won. While many of the urban independents are being backed by Climate 200, the fundraising vehicle established by Simon Holmes a Court to seek faster action on climate change, regional candidate Rob Priestly said he did not want money from it or political activist group GetUp.

Mr Priestly, who is running against the Nationals in the regional Victorian seat of Nicholls, where incumbent Damian Drum is retiring at the election, said water policy would be one of the key issues if he had to choose which side formed government. Im interested primarily in stable and reliable government thats going to deliver good outcomes for my community, he said. He named the terrible outcomes for the environment and farmers along the Murray Darling river system as the biggest factor in his thinking. Zoe Daniel, the former ABC foreign correspondent who wants to replace Liberal Assistant Minister Tim Wilson in Goldstein in Melbourne, said she had voted for the Liberals at the 2016 election when Malcolm Turnbull was prime minister but not after he was replaced. Tim Wilson will be facing Zoe Daniel. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen, Simon Schluter Obviously Im not going to make a decision now or say who I would support four to six months out from an election based on a hypothetical, she said.

However, standing on the platform Im standing on, with priorities around climate, equality for women, integrity and economic transparency, any conversation with either of the major parties would revolve around their intentions on those issues. Ms Daniel said she wanted greater transparency about the use of taxpayer money after the exposure of rorts in federal programs, as well as more disclosure of political donations and truth in political advertising. Her preferred carbon target is 50 per cent by 2030 and she is backed by Climate 200, which is matching local donations. Loading Ms Daniel needs a 12.7 per cent swing to win Goldstein, while Mr Priestley needs a 20 per cent swing to win Nicholls and Ms Scamps needs 13.2 per cent in Mackellar. These calculations are based on Labor rather than independent campaigns at the last election. Kylea Tink, who needs a 9.3 per cent swing to defeat Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman in North Sydney, said her key issues were climate, integrity and equity for all women.

I would talk to all those with aspirations to be the government and I would be inclined to give certainty to the party which comes closest to meeting the core and key principles of my platform, she said. Allegra Spender, who is contesting the tightest race by challenging Liberal MP Dave Sharma, who holds Wentworth in eastern Sydney by 1.3 per cent, said a key issue in her campaign was a cut in emissions of at least 50 per cent by 2030. In terms of forming government, I will get the best deal for the people of Wentworth and the issues they care about, she said. Allegra Spender is taking on Dave Sharma. Credit:Jessica Hromas, Alex Ellinghausen Ms Spender said she had voted for the Liberals when Mr Turnbull was the local MP but later switched to independent Kerryn Phelps, who won the seat in October 2018 and lost to Mr Sharma in May 2019.

The independent candidate for Kooyong, Monique Ryan, requires a swing of 5.7 per cent to unseat Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. She said her message to voters was on the need for greater action on climate change, economic stability, health care and integrity in politics. Ill negotiate with both major parties for the best outcome for Kooyong, considering each issue on its merits and consulting widely with my constituents, Ms Ryan said. Loading Linda Seymour, who will run as an independent candidate for Hughes in southern Sydney against incumbent MP Craig Kelly, the former Liberal who switched to the United Australia Party in August, named climate change, an integrity commission, political donation reform and a code of conduct for politicians as factors if she had to choose one side or the other in a hung Parliament. Mr Kelly holds the seat by a margin of 9.3 per cent. On climate, many of the independents called for a cut in emissions of 50 per cent by 2030, above the Labor goal of 43 per cent, the Coalition forecast of 35 per cent and formal Coalition target of 26 to 28 per cent. None of those contacted backed the Greens target of 75 per cent.
State Liberal leader David Honey has hit out at Mark McGowan, accusing the Western Australian Premier of playing Russian roulette with WA lives.

With the Premier poised to announce the timetable for easing border restrictions once Western Australia reaches an 80 per cent double dose COVID vaccination rate, Mr Honey said the State Government had negligently failed to put in place any public health campaign to alert thousands of people that they now need a booster shot.

Governments internationally are now strongly urging their citizens to have a third COVID vaccination as overseas experience shows that vaccine efficacy diminishes within six months, he said.

WA Premier Mark McGowan will announce the plan for bringing down WAs COVID border. Credit:Trevor Collens

This means that over the coming weeks many hundreds of thousands of Western Australians will have reduced protection against COVID as they pass this six-month double dose threshold.
The British High Courts decision to unblock the process of extraditing WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the US to face espionage charges has reopened a debate about whether Australia should play a more active role in the long-running case.

Lord Justice Holroyde overturned a previous judges ruling that Mr Assange should not be deported because of the high risk he could take his life in a US jail. Lord Holroyde accepted US assurances that it would guarantee Mr Assanges safety.

The decision comes as a further blow to Mr Assange who has already spent almost a decade either in jail or holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. He has been fighting extradition to Sweden on sexual assault charges  which were dropped in 2019  and then extradition to the US for publishing in 2010 the contents of US military and diplomatic cables.

He now awaits a decision from the British government on whether to proceed with extradition. If he is sent to the US for trial, he could face years more legal uncertainty.

The Herald has previously expressed concern about the recklessness of Mr Assanges release of identifying details from confidential diplomatic cables and we acknowledge there is a debate to be had about whether the undoubted public interest in the material he released into the conduct of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq outweighed the potential damage to individuals.
A harsh winter is settling on Afghanistan. The freezing cold is just one more worry for people who have endured violent upheaval, soaring food prices and a crippled economy. More than half the population face acute hunger, following the worst drought in 27 years.

Aid organisations are ready and able to help, but their hands are often tied. International sanctions against the Taliban have made it difficult to get funds into the country since the group took power in August.

A child stands outside her home in a neighbourhood where many internally displaced people have been living for years, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Tuesday. Credit:AP

Distributing food and medicine and paying aid workers wages necessitates some interaction with the Taliban, as the countrys de facto government. But in doing so, aid organisations risk violating sanctions, and the potential of severe penalties.

The US and EU have recognised this life-threatening predicament, granting special licences or guidelines for trusted humanitarian agencies to continue providing aid to civilians. It is understood that sanctions need to be targeted, and unintended humanitarian consequences should be avoided. Everyday people who are struggling to afford bread and warm their homes should not be impacted.
In the last few weeks, Australian, Fijian, New Zealand and Papua New Guinean peacekeepers were deployed to the Solomon Islands to stabilise the situation for a pro-China leader, alleged to have used a Chinese government slush fund to bribe militants to withdraw support from the violent protests in Honiara. CCP-mouthpiece Global Times, approvingly praised the arrival of the foreign forces in the Solomons to restore order.

The situation is invidious, but New Zealand and Australias longstanding timidity on publicly confronting Chinas malign activities in the Pacific meant that it was inevitable they would find themselves using their militaries to protect Chinese interests in the Pacific.

Buildings were set alight in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, amid riots and looting last month. Credit:AP

On December 6, despite a mountain of damning evidence of his unfitness for office going back many years, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare easily survived a non-confidence vote in the Solomons Parliament. All those who voted in support of Sogavare had allegedly been promised money from the Chinese-backed fund.

Just two days after this vote, the New Zealand government published its 2021 Defence Assessment, a comprehensive look at the challenges facing the country from a defence and security perspective. In Australia, there is a perception that New Zealand has been too timid in its approach to China. This new assessment should put an end to that; it will really poke the panda.
STAMFORD  Democrats and Republicans have nominated their candidates for the Jan. 25 special election in the 144th state House District, setting up a battle for a seat that has flipped from blue to red and back again in recent years.

Mayor Caroline Simmons represented the district, located in the center of the city, for seven years before becoming mayor earlier this month.

A bipartisan group of state lawmakers recently approved new boundaries for the General Assemblys House and Senate districts, and the 144th District is set to become thinner and extend a bit south. But the special election will be in the district as it is currently drawn  not the new version.

To keep the seat, the winner of the special election must run again later in 2022, when elections will be held in the updated districts.

Both candidates for the seat are Stamford natives who are running for office for the first time. The Republican-endorsed candidate is Danny Melchionne, 33, a registered respiratory therapist who works at St. Vincents Medical Center in Bridgeport. Democrats chose Hubert Delany, 27, a U.S. Army reservist and member of Simmons transition team.

Melchionne said in an interview that he has long been interested in finding a way to give back to Stamford.

With Simmons elected mayor and her House seat going up for grabs, everything kind of pushed me and told me to run, Melchionne said, because I think our lives have become so focused on the pandemic and the economy  and I feel like my life has kind of set me up to be quite prepared, or at least knowledgeable, on those topics.

Delany said he is seeking the seat because he thinks he can be the bridge between the legislation made for people and the people affected by legislation.

Ive always believed that its been my duty to serve my country, state and community (in) the truest sense on the ground where it matters, he said in an interview.

Stamford Director of Administration Sandy Dennies, city Rep. Daniel Sandford, D-14, and certified public accountant Kenny Green had also been floated as potential Democratic candidates. Sandford and Dennies dropped out of the running before a Democratic City Committee meeting on Thursday. Delany won the majority of votes cast by members of the DCC who live in the 144th District over Green.

Hubert did a great job in the endorsement process to win the Democratic endorsement, DCC Chairman Josh Fedeli said in a statement. He is driven by a commitment to serve, and were looking forward to his candidacy and working with him to win this seat.

In a statement, Stamford Republican Town Committee Chairman Fritz Blau said that with Melchionne, the local GOP is excited to have such an intelligent, driven and caring individual willing to step forward and run for this historically Republican seat.

Simmons, a Democrat, won the seat in 2014, ousting the Republican incumbent at the time, Michael Molgano. Molgano was elected to the seat in 2010, after Democrat Jim Shapiro decided not to seek reelection.

Fedeli said in an interview that turnout for the special election will likely be low, so in that regard, anything can happen. And, he said, while Simmons held onto the seat by considerable margins after defeating Molgano in 2014, shes Caroline, and she was the gold standard in many ways.

So it will certainly be a challenge, but I am confident in Democrats ability to hold the seat. Fedeli said.

Simmons was reelected over Republican Steve Kolenberg in 2016 with 67 percent of the vote. She didnt have a Republican opponent in 2018 or 2020.

The district has about 6,300 registered Democrats, 5,900 unaffiliated voters, 3,400 registered Republicans and 300 voters registered with the Independent Party, according to data provided by the Stamford Registrars of Voters office.

Not just a politician

As a frontline health care worker throughout the pandemic, Melchionne said he has seen the good, the bad, the ugly and everything in between during the past couple years.

And now more than ever, I think its important that we have someone whos not just a politician  (but) someone whos actually been in it, treating the patients, seeing whats going on  and seeing how public policy relates to that  either if its helping or making the process worse, said Melchionne, who earned associate degrees in exercise science and respiratory therapy at Norwalk Community College.

Melchionne has also been a personal trainer for more than a decade. As the owner of that small business, he said he is ingrained in the local community. His clients over the years have included teachers, police officers and fellow business owners.

Ive met the full gamut and spectrum of people, he said.

Melchionne said he wants his campaign to be focused on the economy, education and health and safety. As a state lawmaker, he said he would take aim at red tape surrounding small businesses and look to help grow the middle class in Stamford. In terms of education, he said he would work to increase funding for school infrastructure and expand special education and after-school programs.

He is also concerned about crime, especially among adolescents. Some current policies, Melchionne contended, incentivize adolescent crime because the punishments are so low  almost nonexistent.

He said he also believes the recent police accountability law needs to be revisited, but he wants to consult with others before proposing any specific changes.

Melchionne lives in Belltown with his significant other and 2-year-old son. While he currently lives outside of the new district lines, he said he is renting and was already planning to buy a house somewhere in Stamford.

So, obviously, if and when I plan to run again, that will be part of my decision making, to make sure I can still serve the 144th, he said.

Make change happen

Delany, who lives in Bulls Head and wouldnt need to move to stay in the district, said he will run for a full term if he wins the special election.

He said he grew up in a civic-minded family, with a great-grandfather who was an attorney to Martin Luther King Jr. His upbringing inspired him to get involved in his community, he said, from helping to organize a diversity festival on the Waterside when he was 17 to working more recently with the citys Patriotic and Special Events Commission.

After studying at the New York Institute of Technology, Delany joined the Army in his early 20s as a combat journalist  a job that involves writing articles, taking photographs and drafting speeches. He holds the same job day, albeit with expanded responsibilities.

The general idea behind it is that its supposed to be the bridge between the military and the outside world, he said.

When he was on active duty last year during the presidential election, Delany launched a voting drive at Fort Bragg in North Carolina dubbed Boots to Ballots, helping soldiers vote by absentee ballot if they wished to do so.

Delany said his priorities as a candidate include getting more funding for school infrastructure, revitalizing local businesses amid the pandemic and making the city a more affordable place to own or rent a home. Gun control, police reform and abortion rights are also top issues for him.

If elected, he said he would work with Stamford leaders to make change happen.

You cant just be the loudest voice in the hallway, said Delany, who plans to enroll at the University of Connecticut. It has to go from idealism to actual problem solving. And for me, problem solving is a community effort.

And while hes running as a Democrat, Delany said his goal is to connect with people across the political spectrum.

It doesnt matter to me whether youre conservative or liberal, he said. I believe that everybody deserves the dignity of a conversation and all of us deserve a seat at the table, and I can be the person to give us that seat.

Includes prior reporting by staff writer Julia Bergman.

brianna.gurciullo@hearstmediact.com
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The prosecution has rested in the sex-trafficking case against Ghislaine Maxwell, accused of procuring underage girls for sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The states last witnesses on Friday were Annie Farmer  the only victim to testify using her full name  followed by her high school boyfriend, and ending with her mother. The defense will present its case starting on Thursday, Dec. 16, following a break due to the judges scheduling conflicts. Attorneys estimated it will take two to four days.

Farmer, a therapist who holds a PhD in educational psychology, took the stand shortly before 10 a.m. on Friday to testify about uncomfortable experiences she said she had with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell when she was 16. The judge stipulated to the jury that the events Farmer described would not constitute illegal sexual activity, but that didnt weaken the impact of her testimony about Maxwell giving her an inappropriate massage and Epstein climbing into her bed one morning to cuddle her. In her testimony before the lunch break, she also appeared largely unshakable under cross-examination, where defense started by focusing on her memory.

Farmer is already known publicly as one of Jeffrey Epsteins alleged victims. Along with her older sister, Maria, Farmer has spoken in multiple interviews and appeared in the 2020 Netflix docuseries Filthy Rich telling the same story. She and her sister were infamously cut from Vicky Wards 2003 Vanity Fair piece on Epsteins wealth (either because Epstein spooked Graydon Carter, the magazines editor, or because Wards reporting did not meet the publications legal standards, depending on who you ask).

Punctuated by passages from her adolescent journal, Farmer told jurors that she had first met Epstein when she visited her older sister Maria in New York for a week after Christmas in 1995. At that point, Annie was 16, a diligent student, and knew Epstein as her sisters boss and as someone who might be able to help her get into college and pay tuition. Maria, 25 at the time of the New York visit, was not called to testify but has spoken publicly on multiple occasions about her own experiences with Epstein, whom she said had promised to help with her painting career.

Reading from the journal she kept at the time, Farmer detailed a teens fantasy vacation where Epstein shared champagne with her and Maria before having his personal driver deliver them to a showing of Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. They saw the Blue Man Group, The Duchess, visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art and went shopping. Farmer wrote about finding a vintage dream dress for her junior prom at a thrift store. One government exhibit showed her wearing the prom dress shed bought on that trip, with a pale pink pink tulle skirt. She wore matching pink gloves that ended at her wrists.

On another occasion during the 1995 New York trip, Farmer said she went to a movie  12 Monkeys  where Epstein sat between her and her sister. There, Farmer said, Epstein caressed her hand and interlocked his fingers with hers to hold hands. He also bumped the bottom of her shoe and rubbed her leg. She said when he spoke to her sister, he would stop touching her, but then resume. Farmer said she was very surprised and felt nervous, anxious, and kind of sick to my stomach. She said she didnt tell her sister who, more than nine years her senior, was protective of her. She said she feared it could cause Maria to lose her job.

Most telling were her journal entries about the trip. One shortly after she got home gushed about falling in love with the city. New York is such an amazing city, she wrote, saying she felt really comfortable there and like she could see herself living there one day. She described Epstein as seeming down to earth and easy to talk to. A few weeks later, she made another entry, filling in details like their other outings and shows they saw. She also wrote about the movie theater incident with unmistakable youthful ambivalence. It was one of those things that just gave me a weird feeling but wasnt that weird and probably normal, she wrote, adding that she couldnt tell Maria because she worships [Epstein] and it was not a big deal. I know this sounds like Im trying to justify him doing something weird, but it isnt.

In the spring of 1996, Farmer said Epstein paid for her to visit his New Mexico ranch. She met Maxwell there, whom she described as trim, attractive, well-dressed, well-spoken, articulate, and enthusiastic in greeting her. She said being the only person staying there in a residence with Maxwell and Epstein felt unusual but also made her feel special. The three took a shopping trip together, she said, where they bought her cowboy boots and a hair product from a natural foods store.

At the time, Farmer said, she didnt have much use for cowboy boots. She threw them in the back of her closet when she got home and later retrieved them from storage to use as evidence in a potential FBI case around 2006. That case never panned out. Since then, she says shes reclaimed the boots and started wearing them. I saw them as a symbol of a hard thing that happened to me, she said. But by using the boots, it was a way of changing that.

Farmer described the three of them going to a movie, Primal Fear, which Farmer said she wasnt eager to do again but hoped it would be different since Epstein and Maxwell appeared to be a romantic couple and the presence of Maxwell was comforting. Again, Epstein caressed and held her hand, but she says he didnt stop when he spoke to Maxwell.

On another occasion, Maxwell showed her how to rub Epsteins feet with Maxwell demonstrating on one foot while Farmer rubbed the other. Farmer said he made groaning noises during the massage.

At one point on that trip, she said, Maxwell asked if shed ever received a professional massage and then told her she wanted her to have that experience. Farmer agreed to undress and lie under a sheet on a massage table. She said Maxwell rubbed her back and legs, making small talk before asking her to flip over, then pulling the sheet down to expose her breasts. She described feeling frozen as Maxwell rubbed her chest and upper breasts. I wanted so badly to get off the massage table and for it to be done, she said. Epstein was not in the immediate vicinity, she recalled, but said she had a sense that he could see [her].

One morning, Farmer said she remembers Epstein opening the door and playfully bounding into her room, saying he wanted to cuddle. Farmer told the jury he did cuddle her, and again said she felt frozen as he wrapped his arms around her and pressed his body against hers. She made an excuse to get away and close herself in the bathroom.

After that happened, Farmer said she just wanted the trip to be over. Shed thought they were interested in her as a student, she said  shed even brought three-by-five-inch flashcards with talking points on a paper she was working on in school about British authors. She said after the massage, Maxwell seemed disinterested in the conversation about her academics. All these experiences made me feel like they had a very different interest in me, she said. I wanted it to be done.

In cross-examination, defense attorney Laura Menninger began by focusing on Farmers memory. She suggested that, lacking a journal entry from the trip to New Mexico (which Farmer said she hadnt written about because she didnt want to think about it again), Farmer had reconstructed her memory of the second movie outing and made her knowledge match the facts by cross-referencing her recollection with the time Primal Fear was released and checking with her friends on the timing of their prom that spring. Farmer said, I dont think Id say it like that. Menninger also focused in on the ambivalence in Farmers journal entry. Its weird, its not weird, she said, describing the sentiments as back and forth and pointing out that Farmer had written that she was in a pretty happy place and excited about the future after the New York visit.

After the lunch break, Menninger questioned supposed inconsistencies in other interviews. She asked Farmer if Maxwell had touched her nipples and Farmer said no. Menninger asked if it had been her pectorals that Maxwell massaged, and Farmer said yes, that this was all part of her breast. Menninger noted Farmer had used the word groped in an earlier interview. Rubbed, groped, massaged, Farmer said. I dont see that as substantially different.

The defense also tried to characterize the incidents as non-sexual, seeming to suggest that the actions Farmer described did not constitute abuse. After Thailand you said you were not raped, Menninger said, citing Farmers earlier testimony of what shed told her mother about her New Mexico experience. Yes, Farmer said. You said you were not sexually abused, Menninger said. I said I wasnt raped, she said.  You meant that you were not sexually abused, Menninger said. I think those are two different things, Farmer said. Farmer agreed that neither Epstein nor Maxwell had touched her nipples or genitals. At one point Menninger asked her whether she thought hand-holding was sexual abuse. Farmer said more than hand-holding had happened at the movies, repeating details about Epstein caressing her hand and rubbing her leg.

During a sidebar, Farmer straightened her spine and rolled her shoulders back, and took a few slow deep breaths. True to the defenses stated themes of memory, manipulation, and money, Menninger asked if Farmer knew how much money her lawyers  who have represented Farmer pro bono  make from the Epstein case, broadly speaking. This line of questioning drew a flurry of objections from the state. Menninger also asked if Farmer knew that sharing her own experience with sexual abuse gave her more credibility in her work as a psychologist who has treated other survivors. Farmer said opinions vary on whether her own status as a survivor might be a plus to potential clients.

During re-direct questioning by the prosecution, Farmer said that although Epstein and Maxwell had not touched her genitals or nipples, their behavior was all a pattern of them working on confusing my boundaries with the goal of sexually abusing her.

In the afternoon, Farmers high school and college boyfriend David Mulligan testified. Mulligan and Farmer are still friends who speak around once a month, he said. He has a masters in special education but currently works as a baker. He said shed told him over time during their relationship about her experiences with Maxwell and Epstein. The topic had come up when they were starting to become physically affectionate with each other, he said. He confirmed that Farmer had expected other students would also be at the weekend trip to New Mexico. She told me that she felt fearful, and awkward, and helpless, he said of Maxwell massaging her breasts.

Defense attorney Bobbi Sternheim spoke rapidly and loudly during cross examination, hitting Mulligan with a string of questions about his media consumption and the high-profile nature of Farmers story that didnt seem to yield the intended results. You must have been curious, Sternheim said, referring to Farmers multiple interviews and documentary appearances. Im not much of a news-watcher, he responded, pleasantly. Hed never heard of her $1.5 million settlement from Epsteins victims compensation fund, either, he said. In an accusatory tone, Sternheim asked him if hed recently gotten married. He said yes. She asked if Farmer had attended his wedding. He confirmed that she had.

The prosecutions final witness was Janice Swain, Annie Farmers mother. She offered a parents perspective on Farmers trip to Epsteins New Mexico ranch. She described speaking to Epstein on the phone, and said he told her 20 to 25 academically gifted students would be in attendance that weekend. She recalled asking him if he was sure he had space to house that many students. He told her there were cabins. She pressed him on whether there would be boys as well as girls there, and who would chaperone the girls. She said hed told her his wife, Ghislaine, would. She remembered Farmer seeming quiet, withdrawn, and tired when she got back from New Mexico. Later, she pressed her daughter to talk about the incident. She always said the same thing: Im not going to let it ruin my life, Swain said.

After the prosecution rested its case, Judge Alison Nathan dismissed the jury and the defense moved to have all charges against Maxwell dismissed. Defense attorney Christian Everdell argued there was insufficient evidence that Maxwell had enticed the witness known as Jane to travel to New York to engage in illegal sexual activity. Nathan promptly denied the motion.

Court will resume Thursday, Dec. 16th.
Joe Raedle / Getty Images

A group of major retail companies sent a letter to Congress this week urging lawmakers take action after a recent wave of store robberies in major cities nationwide.

A group of 20 CEOs from companies including Best Buy, Nordstorm, Home Depot, Target and CVS sent the letter to Congress on Thursday, asking lawmakers to pass a bill to make it easier for consumers to identify who they are buying from and where items originated since those involved in these thefts can easily resell the stolen merchandise online, according to CNN.


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Minister Bogdan Aurescu will attend, on Monday, the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Ministers of the European Union's member-states, reunited within the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), which will take place in Brussels.

The European Foreign Affairs Ministers will have an exchange of opinions regarding a series of topics of actuality such as developments regarding Ukraine, the situation in Belarus, the Cypriot file (Varosha) and Ethiopia. The meeting's agenda also shows the relations EU-Africa, EU-Central Asia and relations with Venezuela, shows a MAE release sent on Sunday to AGERPRES.On the sidelines of the FAC, Bogdan Aurescu, together with other counterparts from EU member-states, will participate in an informal breakfast with the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, regarding the geopolitical aspects of energy. Furthermore, the head of Romanian diplomacy will participate in an event with representatives of the democratic opposition in Belarus, hosted by the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. Furthermore, the FAC meeting will feature a working dinner of the European Foreign Affairs Ministers with the head of Qatari diplomacy.The European Ministers of Foreign Affairs will approach the situation regarding Ukraine from the perspective of developments on the eastern border of this state with Russia "which raise a high degree of concern at the European and Euro-Atlantic level. Bogdan Aurescu will reiterate the concern regarding the security situation in the proximity of Ukraine and on the Black Sea and will emphasize the need to prepare an adequate reaction of the EU, which must remain united and firm".The discussion regarding Belarus takes place in the context of "continuing deterioration of the internal situation and the instrumentation of migration by the Minsk regime, on the eastern border of the EU." Minister Aurescu will hail the adoption on December 2 of additional measures against Belarus, as was convened in the FAC meeting on November 15. He will emphasize, also, the importance of maintaining on the EU's agenda of the subject, both from the perspective of internal developments, as well as in connection to the developments within the Eastern Partnership.Regarding the Cypriot file and the developments in Varosha, Minister Bogdan Aurescu will express solidarity with Cyprus and will reiterate Romania's support for the solving of the file with the enforcement of the resolutions of the UN's Security Council. He will emphasize the importance of the approach of the EU-Turkey relations from a wider strategic perspective, in line with the European Council of June 24 conclusions.The Ministers will also have an exchange of opinions regarding EU-Africa relations, in preparation of the European Union - African Union Summit of February 17-18, 2022, but also to evaluate the situation on the continent. Minister Bogdan Aurescu will emphasize the importance of a summit with concrete results to reflect the common vision regarding the future of EU-Africa relations.The discussion regarding EU-Central Asia relations will target the EU's commitment in the region and will discuss ways for the EU to cooperate with states in the region regarding Afghanistan. The Romanian Foreign Minister will express support for the development of opportunities in the domain of connectivity, including in the context of the adoption of the EU Global Gateway strategy, as well as for an efficient management of the challenges relating to the consequences of the Afghan crisis.The developments in Venezuela will be discussed following regional and municipal elections on November 21. Bogdan Aurescu will express appreciation for the activity of the EU's mission for electoral observation and will show that cooperation with partners, especially the USA, remains essential.During the working dinner with the Foreign Minister of the State of Qatar, the ministers will have an exchange of opinions on the topic of the situation in Afghanistan and the contribution Qatar can have in this context, including in the perspective of EU interests.
Bucharest's 14-day COVID-19 rate is 0.98 cases per thousand population on Thursday, in a steady decline from the 16.54 peak recorded on October 22, the Public Health Directorate announced.

A day ago, the capital city's Covid incidence rate was 1.
The Romanian and Turkish Foreign Ministries have issued on Sunday a joint statement, on the 10th anniversary of the signing, at the level of President, of the Statement regarding the Bilateral Strategic Partnership between Romania and Turkey, occasion on which they renew their commitment regarding their contribution to the security of the region, agerpres reports.

"Historical ties between our two peoples; strong economic relations; active presence in regional formats, and joint contributions to the transatlantic security under NATO, including through trilateral mechanisms, such as the one set up together with Poland, make Romania and Turkey pillars of peace and stability. At the same time, standing together as two good neighbours, we continue to foster security and development in a wider geography stretching between the Balkans and the Black Sea area." the document says.According to the joint statement, "good neighbourly relations between Romania and Turkey set a traditional line of solidarity in contemporary history of our region.""Our close interaction has made a great stride in promoting good neighborly relations, peace, stability, regional cooperation and sustainable economic development in the aftermath of the Cold War. It has gradually gained a multi-dimensional character and evolved into an extensive and multi-faceted model of collaboration," the two ministries emphasize.Furthermore, the statement shows that "the key role Romania and Turkey play for the development and security of the region confers a strategic character to this relationship," while "this steadily growing interaction and cooperation culminated in the Strategic Partnership Declaration in 2011.""As two strategic partners and allies, we believe that our region's European and Euro-Atlantic integration plays a crucial role in ensuring a durable peace and stability all over Europe. We are determined to elevate this close relationship to newer heights to the benefit of our peoples, allies and partners, by extending its strategic dimension and by increasing our resilience in the face of the ever-growing challenges of the contemporary world," the Romanian and Turkish Foreign Ministries conclude.
The first issue of the St. Louis Post and Dispatch was published on Dec. 12, 1878. That was a mere three days after an agent for Joseph Pulitzer bought the bankrupt St. Louis Dispatch in an auction on the steps of the Old Courthouse. The owner of the Post approached him only hours later to merge the two papers.

That first edition was only four pages. The front page contained international news, Christmas ads, and a crime blog - staples that survive to this day.

Here's a look at the first crime report in the Post-Dispatch, published under the title "Vagaries of Vice: Police items and general criminal news picked up by our reporters."

Bad Mattie.

A warrant was issued this morning in Prosecutor Dierkes' office against Mattie Hutton, who used her little hatchet with such telling effect on the head and body of Ellen Douson. The assaulted woman is still alive, and will probably recover from the effects of her injury.

Alleged Pretender.
Hargrove thinks Hebb didnt suffer: She didnt move. She didnt respond. And she didnt make any noise.

Hargrove said that a third woman in the bathroom, whose name she does not know, called 911 and told them where the women were. It took emergency responders 10 minutes or less to get there. They had to cut a hole and pull the women out of the rubble. Hargrove and other survivors were taken to the Pontoon Beach police station, where they stayed for about three hours, she said. Both Amazon and her employer have reached out to her since the accident, she said.

Copes mother, Carla Cope, told the Post-Dispatch Saturday that her son was a maintenance worker. She was on the phone with him right before the building was hit and urged him to get to shelter.

Clayton Cope loved his job, fishing and his coonhound, Draco, she said.
Students sit in a cafeteria at Sherwood High School in Sandy Spring, Md., this spring. Montgomery County Schools recently added three early release days to the calendar, citing the need for teacher professional development and planning time. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

In a school year widely described as the most grueling of the pandemic, schools have come up with at least one fix for teacher burnout: more half days.

In Virginias Hampton Roads area, Suffolk Public Schools is shortening instructional hours every other Wednesday to help take the pressure off beleaguered educators. In Maryland, at least six school districts have remade their calendars for this school year to add in more early-release days.

Rick Briggs, chief academic officer in Marylands Wicomico County school district, which includes the Eastern Shore city of Salisbury, said his system converted seven full days to half days because of the stress and the anxiety and the wearing-down of staff like none of us have ever seen before.

We want our teachers to be fresh, to be energized, to be in a better spot, which in turn allows them to bring their best to classroom instruction, Briggs said.

During a school year that has brought rampant staffing shortages and educator overload, some school systems across the country also have extended holiday breaks by a day or more. Although scheduling days off and half days is standard practice, not everyone agrees that adding more is the best answer to pandemic fatigue.

Some parents say losing in-person instruction is what students can least afford after the shuttered schools and virtual education of the pandemic. They agree that teachers are overworked and need support, but say other solutions should be explored  working harder to get more substitute teachers, increasing the pay for substitutes, and reducing the burden of new curriculum and new initiatives.

I wish there was at least a public conversation about other ways to solve the problem, said Nicole Brown, parent of an elementary school student in Montgomery County. It seems to me that the last thing youd want to do is reduce hours in school.

In Maryland, Howard County shortened the hours of six days of school, basically one a month, while Prince Georges County, Montgomery and Baltimore counties reduced three days or more.

Carol Vidal, a Baltimore County parent who testified last week against the shift, told state officials that the trend in Maryland seemed at odds with the states decision to require school systems to provide 180 days of in-person learning this year. Half days dont affect the 180-day count, though school systems must also meet state requirements for total hours of school.

Instruction time is really important, she said in an interview. They said we were going to catching up this year. She added: Instead of finding other creative solutions, the first thing they do is close school.

In Montgomery County, school system officials designated three school days for early dismissal  in January, March and May  saying the total number of hours of instruction for the school year will significantly exceed state requirements even after the changes. In elementary school, for instance, students will still get 60 hours more than required, officials said.

School system officials cited the need for teacher professional development and planning time. Student board member Hana OLooney said the shorter days would mean a break for exhausted students, too. We talk so much about mental health, she said. When you give students a chance to rest and recharge, they can come back to the classroom stronger, more motivated, more ready to do work.

Others also questioned how much students would really be missing during what amounts to a small fraction of the school year.

Im at a loss about how less than nine hours is going to be that impactful on learning loss, said Brenda Wolff, president of Montgomery Countys school board.

Montgomery County school board member Lynne Harris said the changes needed to be examined more carefully. We are looking to take action that has a direct impact for parents and guardians and caregivers and their professional obligations  and many of these people for the past 21 months have been front-lining it, whether they work in the ER at Holy Cross or the (checkout) line at the Giant, she said.

She and other school board members  and parents  voiced frustration about the community not being informed of the proposal until just before the board vote on Dec. 2. No explanation was given.

The issue hit a nerve for some families because Montgomery Countys school system was slower to reopen for in-person learning than most districts in Maryland. They dont want to lose more time, pointing to declines in math and literacy shown in data released in September by the school system.

I do think teachers are stressed but I dont think three half days is going to solve it, said Nikki Gillum Posnack, a mother of two in Montgomery County. Besides that, she said, Half days are a joke. Its not just nine hours were losing. Were losing three days.

Cynthia Simonson, president of the Montgomery County Council of PTAs, said families with young children are particularly frustrated. Half days are notoriously lost days for instruction and create challenges with regard to child care, she said.

School officials in Montgomery County are working with community organizations on after-school options for days when school is dismissed early.

Driving the half-day trend, in large part, are widespread pandemic-related strains. In Montgomery, half of all requests for substitute teachers go unfilled, leaving educators to use their planning periods to cover colleagues classrooms. At the same time, students need more help from teachers, and schools are grappling with requirements for masking, quarantining, testing and vaccinating.

Jennifer Martin, president of the Montgomery County Education Association, the 14,000-member teachers union, said the early release time is desperately needed, along with other measures of relief.

Its an important step toward improving morale and giving teachers the space they need in order to prepare for students and give them an excellent education, she said.

The bigger picture is that schools need to do far more to support mental health, said Raaheela Ahmed, a school board member in Prince Georges County. This should be the beginning of mental health reform for our school district, she said. Were looking at an unprecedented time in terms of health crises.

Elsewhere in the Washington region, Alexandria City Public Schools added two days off before the scheduled Thanksgiving break to give families and staff more time to decompress and connect with family and friends. D.C.s largest charter network, KIPP DC, converted the Friday after Veterans Day in November into a staff and student wellness day, with no instruction.

In Montgomery County, the move to create three additional early dismissal days was complicated by a second change made at the same time: the addition of seven full days off during the winter and spring breaks to 12-month employees, many of whom work in administrative and support roles. The school system will shut down, so that no one would need to take a vacation day to be off.

Simonson said it looks very unbalanced that teachers who are pleading for relief and support are getting a reprieve of less than nine hours, while 12-month employees are getting seven full days off. The school board passed the measure without disclosing costs. Typically if the full-year employees wanted time off near the holidays, they would take some of their vacation days.

In a later letter to the community, Montgomery school officials said the new calendar adjustments would cost about $850,000, which it did not detail but said it expected to yield a refreshed staff with additional time to coordinate learning in our schools.

The Washington Posts Hannah Natanson and Nicole Asbury contributed to this report.
Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Jessika Gomez, left, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Brian Rice, Cmdr. Nikunj Bhatt and Lt. Bob Geis of the Naval Medical Readiness Training Command team out of San Diego converse in the garden at San Juan Regional Medical Center on Dec. 11, 2021. (Mike Easterling, The Daily Times/TNS)

FARMINGTON, N.M. (Tribune News Service)  Nikunj Bhatt is a physician, but he also is a commander in the U.S. Navy. So it seems only logical that he processes many of his experiences from a military perspective and frames them in those terms.

When it comes to describing the medical communitys sense of urgency related to the effort to limit the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate its more severe effects, he offered the following assessment.

In some ways, this is our World War II, he said.

Bhatt is one of several members of a Naval Medical Readiness Training Command team from San Diego that was deployed to the San Juan Regional Medical Center on Dec. 3.

Their 30-day mission is to assist the hospitals staff in managing its unprecedented COVID-19 caseload. He and three other members of the team sat down with The Daily Times on Dec. 11 to discuss their experiences here and how their assignment has affected them.

Bhatts description of the overall fight against the spread of the disease as comparable to a generation-defining global challenge perhaps belies a growing consensus that the battle against COVID-19 will not end anytime soon.

As the pandemic approaches its second anniversary early next year with no end in sight, Bhatt said that even though the setting may have changed for members of his team with this deployment, the objective remains the same.

Weve been battling this throughout the world in multiple locations, he said of teams like his.

Bhatt noted that the environment in Farmington may not be the same as it is at his teams home institution, but adjusting to those kinds of differences comes with the job. Learning to develop flexibility and coping skills is one of the best things about being in this position, he said.

Its been a powerful experience and a very rewarding experience, he said.  ... All of us have volunteered with the expectations that we will be doing these kinds of missions.

He said that as his team gains experience, it will be even better prepared to handle emergencies like this in the future.

Its about optimizing what we can do to support and help the hospital care for their patients, he said.

Hospital Corpsman Second Glass Jessika Gomez, a respiratory therapist, said her work with the team has been a great opportunity for professional development early in her career.

This is a huge skill builder for a lot of us in terms of being malleable and being able to mobilize quickly, she said. That experience helps us grow in our knowledge and our assessments. ... Sharing that knowledge and integrating that into our own practices is win-win for everyone.

Hospital Corpsman Second Class Brian Rice, another respiratory therapist, said he only recently completed his training. He believes the work he is doing here will pay significant dividends for him down the line.

Im seeing more patients than Ive ever seen, he said. Thats going to make me better prepared.

Lt. Bob Geis, an internal medicine physician, said responding to the challenge of a situation like the one being faced by the San Juan Regional Medical Center is just the kind of thing his team was designed to handle.

This is right in our wheelhouse, he said.

This deployment has been very smooth so far, Geis and Bhatt said, lauding the professionalism and welcoming nature of the hospital administration and staff. Bhatt said the members of his team were seeing patients within 24 hours of arriving at the hospital.

That short time frame stands in contrast to the experience of other teams in other locations, he said, where it sometimes can take a couple of days just to iron out the differences in procedures, expectations and responsibilities between the hospital staff and the military or federal teams that have been deployed to augment their efforts.

Geis said his teams integration into the hospitals work flow here has been expedited and that its members have been made to feel appreciated by the community.

That kind of reception makes a difference, Bhatt said, explaining that the members of his team are here for a minimum of 30 days and could be deployed at the hospital even longer if civilian authorities request that their stay be extended. Either way, that means he and his associates will be away from their families during the holidays, he said.

Gomez said she is sorry she wont have the chance to spend Christmas with her 1-year-old son because of her deployment here. But she said she understands the value of the work she is doing because her father died of COVID-19 early in the pandemic.

I was so thankful to his health care team, and I want to give back, she said.

In some ways, her work has been a tonic for her as she deals with her grief, she said.

It was a little bit tough at first, she said. But as I learn more, it really has become therapeutic in a way. Knowing Im working alongside such good people who are teaching us a ton, its been a good experience.

Bhatt encouraged people who are not part of the medical profession to do their part by getting vaccinated, thus limiting the spread of the virus and helping reduce the demands on a severely taxed health care system.

A lot of people cant get preventative care (for other issues) because the system is overloaded, he said.

He said while the virus clearly doesnt care about the politics of the folks it afflicts, it increasingly has become a pandemic of the unvaccinated. Addressing those who have chosen not to get vaccinated, he said, Being a part of a community and being Americans, we can do our part to help fight this disease.

Geis said taking that kind of action benefits everyone.

If you can prevent yourself from going to the hospital, that opens up the hospital for other patients, he said.

measterling@daily-times.com

2021 Farmington, N.M., Daily Times.

Visit daily-times.com .

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC .
Used as both a high-altitude escort fighter and a low-level fighter-bomber, the P-47 quickly gained a reputation for ruggedness. (U.S. Air Force)

(Tribune News Service)  Seventy-seven years ago, on Dec. 17, 1944, U.S. Army Air Force 2nd Lt. Elwood Woody Lawson of Escondido, Calif., flew his P-47 Thunderbolt out of Pisa, Italy, on an early-\ morning bombing run with three of his squadron mates from the 350th Fighter Group.

Twenty-five minutes later, the 22-year-old airman disappeared from the sky without a trace and was eventually declared killed in action over the Ligurian Sea.

Now, an Italian aeronautic researcher who has spent the past 19 months conducting interviews and collecting historical and family information has completed a report on what he believes happened to Lawson that cloudy December morning, and where he believes Lawsons plane  along with the flyers remains  now rests on the seabed, just off the coast of La Spezia, Italy.

Claudio Mischi, 60, of Mantua, Italy, said hes confident in the accuracy of his research about Lawson and the flyers final mission, but hes not nearly satisfied.

Not finding the wreck of that plane was a great disappointment for me, Mischi said in an email interview. Inside the cockpit of the plane there may be some human remains belonging to Elwood Lawson, whose body has never been found. It was my intention to take home whats left of the boy, if he really is down there. But, often, not everything works the way you want it to.

But even if Mischi was not able to find Lawsons plane, getting a copy of Mischis 44-page report has been a nice chapter-closer for Ben Georgeson, 62, whose late father was Lawsons cousin.

Growing up in the Fresno-area town of Kermin, Georgeson said he idolized Lawson, who was known to his family as Billy, but among his flying buddies as Woody. When Georgeson grew up, he followed in Lawsons footsteps and became a pilot in the California Air National Guard. After befriending some of Lawsons fellow flyers years later, Georgeson was inducted as an honorary member of Lawsons 345th Squadron, known as the Devil Hawks. One of Lawsons best friends in the squadron was Lloyd Martin, who was shot down over Belgium and taken prisoner. He died in 2011.

Lloyd said Woody was a fun guy who was always right in the middle of everything, said Georgeson, 62, in a recent phone interview. Lloyd wasnt flying that day but he said the worst day of the war was the day Woody went missing. The second worst day was when I got shot down and became a POW. It was a tragic thing but thats part of the deal. You never know when your number is going to be up.

For the past 20 years, Mischi has been researching World War II aircraft and writing about Allied pilots who died in air battles over Northern Italy during World War II. Mischi spent 43 years as a metalworker before retiring in 2018. Since then, he has has dedicated himself full time to research. His writing has been published in a book, historical articles and on WWII-related websites. He has researched and written the stories of more than 100 air crashes. A major area of his interest has been telling the stories of the aviators of about 80 planes shot down in 1944 and 1945 in Northern Italys Po Valley, where he lives.

U.S. Army Air Force 2nd Lt. Elwood Woody Lawson went missing in his P-47 Thunderbolt out of Pisa, Italy, on Dec. 17, 1944. (Facebook)

Mischi said he learned about Lawsons disappearance in May 2020 while reading an unclassified missing air crew report about the 1944 incident. Four P-47s left Pisa that morning at 9:30 a.m. with the goal of dropping incendiary bombs on a German anti-aircraft battery dug into a seaside cliff at Punta Bianca, which is between two small towns in the province of La Spezia, about 50 miles north of Pisa.

According to the Army report and Mischis research, the four planes traveling north in a line encountered heavy fire from German guns and broke off their bombing run by turning over the sea to head back. The lead pilot testified that by the time his plane emerged from the clouds, the third and fourth planes in their formation were missing and they never returned to base. In the third plane was Lt. Robert G. Johnson, whose body was later recovered and buried near Florence, Italy. Lawson is believed to have gone down with his plane in the sea.

Lawson was a junior pilot on only his 13th mission that day. Besides his inexperience, he was in the most dangerous position, flying fourth in the formation.

The guys in No. 1 and 2 were more experienced than Billy and Johnson. The lead pilot led the way in, he might have been there a lot of times. The further back in the formation you are, the more time they have to train their guns on you. Tail-end Charlie is the worst place to be, Georgeson said.

According to Georgeson and another descendant, Glenda Lawson, Elwood Billy Lawson was born in Escondido on Dec. 7, 1922, to parents William Lawson and Bertha Mae Cozell, who separated when he was 5 years old. For a few years, Billy and his younger brother, William, lived with Georgesons grandmother, Mae, in Imperial County before returning to Escondido by 1930 to live with their father and new stepmother. He graduated from Escondido High School in 1941 and in June 1942 joined the Army. After more than two years of flight training in the U.S., he shipped overseas to Italy.

He had only been stationed at Pisa about a month when he took off on that fateful mission. About a year after his plane disappeared, the Army finally declared him dead.

Georgeson said that before Billy shipped out in 1944, he assured Mae Georgeson, who he called Gran, that he would return. Even if he was declared missing, Lawson told Gran he would use his survival skills to make his way home eventually. Georgeson said it was a promise she clung to until the 1980s when she received Lawsons Purple Heart and Air Medals in the mail.

When she finally got the bag with the medals she said, Oh Billy, youre never coming home, are you? 

During his research last year on the disappearance of the two P-47 planes, Mischi made a breakthrough when he tracked down Turiddo Marciasini, 86, who was an eyewitness to the 1944 incident. On that morning, the 10-year-old Turiddo was in a piazza at Castelnuovo Magra with his aunt, a few miles northeast of the coastline, when he saw four Allied planes fly over the German gun battery and he heard gunfire. He saw the planes quickly turn toward the sea, the last two trailing smoke and flames. Then he saw those planes descend and drop quickly below the edge of the coastline, southwest of the local landmark known as the Fiat Tower in Marina di Massa.

Mischi interviewed fishermen in the area who keep detailed maps of the seabed to avoid entangling their trawling nets with underwater obstacles such as wrecked planes and boats. Based on accounts from Marciasini and elderly local fishermen, a World War II plane is believed to be located at that location, about 7 kilometers off the coast at a depth of 15 to 16 meters. An initial search by volunteer divers earlier this year yielded nothing, but Mischi said professional divers or U.S. Defense Department recovery teams may have better luck. Anyone who can help in the search for Lawsons plane can email Mischi at claudiomischi@virgilio.it .

Mischi said there are still thousands of missing U.S. Army Air Force aviators from World War II. Meeting the families of these flyers and telling their stories has been one of the most rewarding experiences of his life.

It is always a great responsibility to hand over these events of many years ago to history. Stories of life and death, of suffering, unknown or forgotten stories  I think I couldnt do better than that, he said. I am not finished yet. I will never stop finding new planes and new stories to tell.

2021 The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Visit sandiegouniontribune.com .
The USS Arizona Memorial on December 5, 2003, at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Ronen Zilberman/Getty Images/TNS)

TUCSON, Ariz.  When the USS Arizona exploded and sank during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor 80 years ago, brothers died with brothers, childhood friends with childhood friends, a father with his son.

Some of the men were seasoned sailors. Many were teenagers, including several who lied about their age at enlistment because they were too young to serve.

Now profiles of all 1,177 sailors and Marines have been compiled for the first time by a Tucson woman who spent more than five years researching their stories.

Former Arizona Daily Star Editor Bobbie Jo Buel scoured newspaper archives and public records, collected snapshots and personal letters and tracked down relatives of the men.

Her work began in May 2016 with Joseph John Borovich, a 22-year-old seaman first class from Central California who was rejected by the Navy because of blurred vision but kept coming back to the recruiting depot until they took him in July 1940.

Buel finished the last profile three months ago, stitched together with Navy records and census reports.

Buel was in talks earlier this year to make all of the stories available through an easily searchable smartphone app so visitors to the USS Arizona Mall Memorial could stand in the outline of the ship and read about the men whose names are engraved on bronze medallions just east of Old Main on the University of Arizona campus.

That agreement recently fell through so she has been reposting the stories on social media  one every 30 minutes  while she looks for another permanent home for them.

By Dec. 14, all 1,177 profiles should be available on the USS Arizona Mall Memorial's Facebook page.

These guys deserve to have their stories told, Buel said.

Even before the attack, a surprising number of Arizona crewmen were already bonded by blood or history.

Of the 1,514 men assigned to the ship, Buel estimates close to 200 had relatives or friends from back home on board with them.

According to the National Park Service, caretaker of the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Machinist Mate First Class Thomas Augusta Free, 50, and his son, Seaman Second Class William Thomas Free, 17, both died on the ship, as did 23 sets of brothers.

Buel said the list of casualties also includes cousins, uncles, nephews and best friends, many of whom enlisted, served and then died together.

A story that sticks with her more than most involves four teenagers who enlisted together at a Navy recruiting office in Detroit on a snowy day in November 1940. One of the boys, Chester John Miller, was just 15 at the time, but he was allowed to sign up anyway.

Miller, Clarence W. Lipke, Charles W. McClelland and Byrl Eugene King trained together at Great Lakes Naval Station 30 miles north of Chicago, and all four ended up on ships anchored at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

Miller and Lipke, both firemen second class, died on the Arizona. King, on the battleship Nevada, and McClelland, on the light cruiser Helena, survived the attack, though McClelland was hurled in the air by a torpedo blast and broke his leg.

McClelland was still aboard the Helena when it was sunk in the South Pacific in July 1943. His life raft carried him to an island held by the Japanese, where the locals hid him and his crewmates for a week until they were picked up by Navy destroyers.

Buel added details about the men to spreadsheets as she went, so she could better understand not just the individuals but the collective story they told as a crew.

She said nearly a quarter of the men lost one or both parents before the age of 18. At least 6% saw their parents divorced  a figure almost certainly underreported but still three times the national rate in 1940.

Buel also tracked the size of the communities the crew members came from. She said as many as half of them grew up on farms or in towns with populations of less than 1,514.

As Buel researched the story of Vincent "Tommy" Thomas and Lloyd Bryant, two lifelong best friends who enlisted together from rural Illinois, Buel discovered among the Arizona's dead two more young men, Edward Smith and Joe McGlasson, from the same small county.

"Five thousand people (in all of Greene County, Illinois), and you just lost four guys. And that was day one of the war," Buel said.

Seaman Second Class James Randolf Van Horn was the only Tucsonan lost on the battleship that day.

The 17-year-old had never seen the ocean before, but he dropped out of Tucson High School to join the Navy. He requested the Arizona because it represented his home state.

In a 1958 interview, Van Horn's mother Bonnie Cope said her son decided to enlist after attending a recruiting talk at Tucson High by Rear Admiral Isaac Kidd in the spring of 1941.

Kidd later died on the Arizona along with the Tucson teenager he inspired to join him there.

The research project began as a companion piece for the USS Arizona Mall Memorial which Buel's husband, David Carter, designed at the UA.

At the time, Buel figured someone had already compiled the men's stories. She just needed to find whoever did the work and get permission to share it.

She planned to spend the first two weeks of her retirement from the Star pulling the information together so it would be ready to go when the memorial was dedicated a few days before the 75th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack.

Then she discovered that there was no existing collection. At least some of the sailors and Marines had never been profiled before. Their names were etched in marble at the USS Arizona Memorial in Hawaii, but their histories had gone untold.

Buel would have to do it herself.

The search took her and her husband to major cities and tiny towns to scan reels of microfilm or comb through bound copies of old newspapers in search of obituaries. She couldn't just page through the December 1941 editions, either. Some families weren't notified that their loved ones were dead until months later.
German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach attends a handover ceremony in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday Dec. 8, 2021. (Hannibal Hanschke/Pool via AP)

BERLIN - After the chancellor himself, one of the most scrutinized positions in Germany's new government is the health minister, a doctor who is a household name and has received death threats for his stern advice on handling the pandemic.

Karl Lauterbach, a 58-year-old with degrees from Harvard in public health and epidemiology, became a kind of Anthony Fauci equivalent as the pandemic unfolded and he was constantly in the public eye on German TV and in social media. He became known for his strict prescriptions for how Germany could protect itself from the spread of the disease.

There was even a "wewantkarl" Twitter hashtag supporting his candidacy in the run-up to his appointment.

Now he oversees the sprawling, $56 billion Health Ministry as the country faces another surge of coronavirus infections and hospitalizations, and the prospect of more omicron cases. On Friday, the parliament passed a vaccine mandate for all health-care workers starting March 15.

"Such a vaccine mandate is necessary because it is completely unacceptable that at the end of the second year of this pandemic, people who live in care homes die unnecessarily because workers there are unvaccinated," he told the Bundestag.

Lauterbach's immediate task is seeing to 30 million more vaccinations by year's end - whether first, second or booster doses - a goal set under the previous government that he confirmed he will carry out.

The hoped-for result is a question of logistics - the ministry is responsible for getting supply to the states - and also willingness. With uptake flagging well below what many scientists say is needed to reach herd immunity, a vaccine mandate for the general public is still in the cards.

So far, 71 percent of Germans have received at least one dose of a vaccine, but there remains a vigorous anti-vaccine movement that stages regular protests. There are opinion polls, however, that show increasing support for mandatory vaccinations, including one suggesting that some 57 percent of the population is in favor.

Mandates are controversial in Germany, and Lauterbach's critics say his pandemic predictions can be overblown - and they sometimes have been. He has had to walk back his opposition to sporting events, even without crowds, which was just one of the stringent measures he advocated for.

Despite Lauterbach's expertise and prominence, it wasn't originally clear he would even get the job, with the local media full of reports that party leaders feared that his uncompromising style meant he wouldn't be a team player.

Yet Lauterbach showed his ability to toe the line in November when he supported a bill that did away with the existing legal basis for lockdowns and closures, replacing it with new vaccination and testing requirements for much of public life - in contradiction to his past stances.

"The law that ends the health emergency has many measures that will help states tackle the pandemic," he said at the time on Markus Lanz's political talk show.

The change led to some confusion and delays in rolling out new rules, leaving state leaders scrambling to find the legal authority to respond to a record-breaking fourth wave of infections that has seen tens of thousands of new daily cases. Many of those measures were restored with Friday's legislation.

At a news conference after his swearing-in on Wednesday, Lauterbach promised that policy would be dictated by science. "Health policy, as I see it, can only be successful when it's anchored in evidence-based medicine," he said.

Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit, a virologist at the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, however, cautioned against stressing Lauterbach's scientific background over his political present.

"It's important to know that he's a politician. He argues with political intentions," Schmidt-Chanasit said. "The separation between science and politics is extremely important because there are, of course, conflicts of interest."

Lauterbach may end up backing positions that his Social Democratic Party (SPD) supports even if they don't square with his scientific background, Schmidt-Chanasit warned.

The pandemic is just one of the serious health challenges confronting Germany. It faces an aging population, a nursing shortage, financially burdened hospitals, a lack of resources for research and public health, and a need to digitize, not to mention issues of pay and working conditions in the health sector.

"When you're [health] minister, everything gets unloaded on you. Other than the chancellor, it's one of the most challenging jobs - and not only because of the pandemic," said Ulla Schmidt, a retired SPD lawmaker and the party's last health minister, serving from 2001 to 2009.
(Tribune News Service)  Mary Phillips Gettys, a South Carolina civic ambassador for decades and World War II veteran, has died.

She was 101. Gettys died Wednesday.

Gettys was the widow of U.S. Rep. Tom Gettys of Rock Hill, who served South Carolina in Congress for five terms, from 1964 to 1975.

Mary Phillips Gettys, a Chester native, was honored in 2017 by the Daughters of the American Revolution for her World War II military service with the WAVES, Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service. She enlisted in the Navy during WWII.

She served working secret codes at a Naval base in Virginia and did code duty during WWII.

In a 2017 interview with The Herald when she was 96, she said she felt a duty to serve the country during the war. Two of her brothers were wounded during the war.

Rock Hill Mayor John Gettys, a nephew of Tom and Mary Gettys, said his aunt showed her love for family, for Rock Hill, for South Carolina, and for her country through her work.

Mary Phillips squeezed every ounce out of life, John Gettys said. Her service to her country, both in the military and with her husband in his role as a Congressman, was a few generations ahead of the times. However, it was her love of her daughters, grandchildren, extended family and friends that she cherished and defined her life.

In 2019, Mary Phillips Gettys was honored on the floor of the Congress with a special recognition by South Carolinas 5th District U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R- Rock Hill.

She is a true American patriot who always has a smile on her face and has lived her life in true service to her fellow man, Norman said in 2019.

Mary Phillips Gettys acted as a civic booster for Rock Hill, York County and South Carolina. She volunteered with several community service clubs over decades through the end of her life.

The Gettys couple had two daughters, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Tom Gettys died in 2003 at age 90. The former federal courthouse on Main Street in Rock Hill was renamed the Tom Gettys Center in 1997.

No funeral or visitation will be held, at Mary Phillips Gettys request, her obituary said.

2021 The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer.

Visit charlotteobserver.com .

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC .
With robotics and automation set to replace 46 per cent of day jobs by 2040, a new national strategy has been launched to grow the New Zealand sector that currently employs around 3200 people and generates $1 billion in annual revenue.

The New Zealand Robotics, Automation and Sensing  NZRAS - network has released a roadmap for the industry, funded by Kiwinet,NZRAS researchers and Callaghan Innovation, that says a common vision for the sector is vital for New Zealand to prosper.

NZRAS Chair, and University of Waikato researcher, Dr Shen Hin Lim, says the roadmap is the first time New Zealand has had a full overview of the RAS sector, including all public and private businesses and institutions involved, and the specialty areas they are working in.

The roadmap identified more than 84 developers, 43 integrators, and 870 researchers, with over 350 estimated end users. It shows New Zealand currently employs 3200 people in the sector that generates $1 billion in annual revenue.

Dr Lim says the roadmap is a launchpad for better collaboration across the sector.

There is a lot of work happening in the sector in New Zealand but currently it is quite scattered and not very well connected. We want to improve that to ensure we make the most out of both research and development and investment.

He says the roadmap shows New Zealand is forging a reputation in robotics and automation for horticulture, forestry, agriculture, aquaculture, and healthcare, each sector having more than 10 actively growing companies.

He also says a good example of collaborative projects between industry, user and academic institutions is an asparagus harvester that has seen successful prototype field trials and is currently in commercialisation phase by Robotics Plus, New Zealand Asparagus Council (NZAC) and the University.

The roadmap says because of automation, the number of all types of industrial and service robots used is expected to at least double by 2025, with up to 46 per cent of current day jobs expected to be at risk of replacement by 2040.

The formation of a common vision is vital for New Zealand to prosper from these developments, says Dr Lim.

The roadmap makes a series of recommendations from creating clusters for research and development to encouraging collaboration for better use of research investment, to improving guidance and support for RAS companies, including increasing their visibility to help facilitate venture capital investment.

It also recognised the industry is desperate for more qualified employees, many companies having to look overseas for staff.

It is interesting to see from the roadmap findings that the number of RAS-qualified people is outpacing other engineering disciplines, 300 per cent over the past decade but industry demand for qualified people is still higher than availability, says Dr Lim.
5.45pm update: Thames-Coromandel District Council has responded on Sunday afternoon to community members asking about the unusual appearance of a white plastic-like material that has washed up on beaches along the eastern Coromandel coast. "Thames-Coromandel District Council and Waikato Regional Council are aware of a substance that has washed ashore on several beaches on the east coast of the Coromandel," says a Thames-Coromandel District Council spokesperson. "Together were assessing the extent of the problem and will work to clean it up as soon as possible. An assessment will also be carried out of the substance to determine if its naturally occurring or man-made. "Our Councils have also heard that a similar substance has landed on beaches on Waiheke Island, in Auckland." Matarangi resident Peter Collins who has been trying to get someone from either of the two councils to investigate the strange substance since Friday is not impressed with how long it's taken. "From the first calls this has been handled poorly," says Peter. "We just wanted it investigated from the outset to see what we were dealing with. Council determined via phone and a recording that it was plastic litter." Based on the replies Peter had from Council over the phone, he enlisted about 30 people to go start picking up the material on the Matarangi Beach on Saturday. The team collected six bags along about 100 metres of shore. "It may still be plastic but hopefully not," says Peter. "Posts are coming thru saying its plastic packaging. We just need proof. Its also nothing anyone has seen before." He says people have asked that if it is some form of seagrass, and whether dredging had killed it all, and how importart is it to the local marine ecosystem. Coromandel MP Scott Simpson drove over from Thames on Sunday morning to meet Peter at Matarangi Beach to see for himself what the material was. Later on noticing how it had dried on his desk he thought it seemed to be a more natural fibre than a plastic one. The issue for Peter though was in trying to engage the Thames Coromandel District Council in dealing with it. If it was plastic pollution, he felt it needed to be addressed promptly. A guy from the local council called me on Friday and said he was coming but then cancelled because he said the job was too big and that it was a WRC Pollution hotline team issue, says Peter. A marine biologist has been asked to take a look at the photos and material and determine whether it is dead seagrass from the sea beds around Slipper and Mercury Islands or whether it is something else. The strange fibre looks like plastic. Photo: Peter Collins. Earlier, 11am:

A Matarangi Beach resident who says hes been fobbed off by his local and regional councils is taking matters into his own hands following a strange substance coming ashore all along the eastern Coromandel Peninsula.

On Thursday a lady on our local Facebook page posted a picture of a handful of this stuff that she picked up off the Matarangi Beach, says Peter Collins.

She asked what is this? I went down to have a look and saw that its the whole length of Matarangi Beach. Over one kilometre long."

Wondering if it could be plastic he tried contacting the local district and regional councils.

Residents picking up the strange substance on Matarangi Beach. Photo: Peter Collins.

I immediately contacted the Waikato Regional Council Pollution  WRC - team. I spoke to Anna Peterson.

They say they dont want to have to deal with it and dont have a budget and that I needed to contact the local council.

Peter then contacted the Thames Coromandel District Council - TCDC.

They are arguing with WRC Pollution team still and not committing to anything. On Wednesday the beach was crystal clear. This happened after that king tide on Thursday. TCDC said contact Waikato Regional Council Pollution Team. WRC says its a local litter issue. So nothing is happening from either TCDC or WRC.

The strange fibre. Photo: Peter Collins.

Taking matters into his own hands and recognising the importance of dealing with it if it was plastic, before it gets swept out to sea again in the next few tides, Peter organised a team of about 30 people who collected six bags of the fibres along about 100 metres of his local Matarangi Beach.

He shortly afterwards learned that it was also coming ashore on other Coromandel beaches.

Its now Sunday and Ive found out that its all over this Coromandel eastern coastal side. Its coming in at Whangapoa Beach, Matarangi Beach, Rings Beach, Opito Beach, Kuaotunu Beach, and Otama Beach, says Peter.

These are pristine beaches, no people, we have no holiday makers, everything is crystal clear and were hit with this.

And now we have news of it at Whangamata and Waiheke Island.

Residents picking up the plastic-like substance on Matarangi Beach. Photo: Peter Collins.

Peter describes it as looking like shredded paper.

But its not paper, it's like plastic. In the water it looks like another fish. Its not fresh. It looks like its old, brittle and been dumped for some time. Some people have said its recycled plastic that was heading to Malaysia and looks like its come out of a 20 or 40 foot container, maybe a Rena container?

Peter heard from a friend in Takapuna that its also arrived on St Lennard's Beach on Sunday morning. He thinks its probably also at New Chum but hasnt been able to go and see yet, as it would be a half day trip.

We have no idea where its come from or if anyone is investigating it and I was wondering if its in Whitianga, Simpsons and Cooks beaches.

Six bags of the fibre was collected from just 100 metres along Matarangi Beach. Photo: Peter Collins.

He is calling on all residents of Coromandel to go check their local beaches.

If you see it, its like shredded paper and runs along the high tide line, says Peter.

Coromandel MP Scott Simpson who was in Thames has gone to Matarangi Beach on Sunday morning to see it for himself.

I cant believe that our territorial authorities are arguing about what is a clear need, in terms of clean-up, says Simpson, on being told by Peter that the council had told him it was plastic litter.

We can worry about the source later but the immediate issue is cleaning up the marine space and of course the foreshore.

Scott took a handful of the fibres back with him and on watching them dry later thought they seemed to have more of a natural origin rather than plastic.

The issue for Peter though was in trying to engage the Thames Coromandel District Council in dealing with it. If it was plastic pollution, he felt it needed to be addressed promptly.

A guy from the local council called me on Friday and said he was coming but then cancelled because he said the job was too big and that it was a WRC Pollution hotline team issue, says Peter.

Ive still got the message on my phone from Anna Peterson at WRC calling me saying Id rung the wrong council and I needed to get hold of my local council and that it was a litter problem. I rang her back and said how can it be a litter problem, its come from the sea but she said it is what it is. She told me she had made the decision via her bosses Wayne Reid and Kent Morrissey, that it was not her issue and that I needed to contact local council.

So I imagined going back to local council for the third time and not getting any action from them, says Peter.

The issue I have is that no one from any council has come to view it and look at the beaches and see it.

The white plastic-like material is caught up in seaweed along the beach, and has washed up into the sand, well above the low tide mark. Still not knowing if it was plastic or not, and unable to engage anyone from the councils to come have a look he recognised that if it was plastic, something needed to be done.

If it's plastic and we dont pick it up, it will wash off back out to sea and harm our marine life and bird life, says Peter.

He has contacted several of the local Coromandel beaches Facebook pages and groups to ask them to also check their beaches.
New Covid community cases fell to 63 on Saturday, the lowest number in more than seven weeks.

The seven-day rolling average was 99, the first time it has dropped below triple figures in six weeks. Infectious disease experts said the case numbers reflected the effectiveness of the vaccine at suppressing the virus.



There were 60 people in hospital with Covid on Saturday, mostly in Auckland, but there were also two in Waikato, two in Tauranga and one in Nelson-Marlborough. Those in hospital in Auckland included 28 cases where patients were unvaccinated or not eligible, 11 cases who were partially vaccinated, and 12 who were fully vaccinated.



A New Zealander in the US had to wait 23 days from when he provided proof of vaccination until he received his vaccine pass. Grounded Kiwis spokesman Sam Drew says hundreds of others were having similar problems. About 20,000 people who have received vaccinations overseas have applied to add them to the NZ Covid Immunisation Register.



The South Island is preparing to welcome thousands of Auckland visitors during the summer, and it's expected some of those visitors will bring Covid with them. Travellers are being advised to have a plan to get home if they get the virus, particularly if they're flying.



The Ministry of Health confirmed a new Covid community case in Eltham, South Taranaki, on Saturday evening. The case was not immediately linked to those previously reported in New Plymouth and Waitara.

Vaccination rates

Latest information from the Ministry of Health shows 94 per cent of the eligible population have received their first vaccine dose, while 89 per cent have received a second dose.



Among Maori, 86 per cent of those eligible have received their first dose and 74 per cent have received their second dose. For Pacific Peoples, the figures are 93 per cent and 86 per cent.

Global toll

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases worldwide has topped 269.6 million, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of deaths attributed to the disease has passed 5.3million.



The number of cases in the US is approaching 49.9million, with nearly 797,000 deaths. India has 34.7million cases and 475,128 deaths, while Brazil has nearly 22.2million cases and 616,457 deaths.

What should I do?

Anyone who wants to get tested can find their local testing centres by visiting the Ministry of Health website.



Quarantine-free travel from Australia has been suspended..



People should use the Covid-19 tracer app.

If you are sick, call your GP before you visit, or Healthline on 0800 358 5453.

To avoid contracting and spreading the virus, wash your hands properly, cough and sneeze into the crook of your elbow and throw tissues away immediately.



Reach out, find support from people who care, connect with your community or help a neighbour in need.
The Ministry of Health is reporting 103 community cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand.

There are 61 people in hospital with three in ICU.

Today we are reporting three new cases in Bay of Plenty  all in the Tauranga area, says a Ministry of Health spokesperson.

So far, two of these cases have been linked to previously reported cases; investigations are ongoing to identify links for the remaining case. Contacts are being identified and will be contacted directly for testing and isolation advice. 

Locations of interest can be checked on SunLive and will be added to as investigations continue.

Lakes

There is one new case to report in the Lakes DHB region, based in Rotorua and linked to the existing cluster. Public health staff are investigating to identify close contacts and any locations of interest.

Close contacts will be contacted directly, and any locations of interest listed on SunLive.

Waikato

There are nine new cases to report in Waikato today. Six are in Te Kuiti, one in Hamilton, one in Tokoroa, and one in Otorohanga.

One has been linked with investigations pending for the remaining cases.

Five pop-up and dedicated testing sites are operating throughout Waikato today with sites in Hamilton, Te Kuiti, Huntly, and Otorohanga.

ESR is reporting positive wastewater samples collected from Taumaranui and Tokoroa. Both of these towns have reported COVID-19 cases in the past few days.

Vaccine doses

There were 15,910 total vaccine doses administered yesterday, including 2,698 first doses; 8,446 second doses; 216 third primary doses and 4,550 boosters. To date, 94 per cent of eligible people in New Zealand have had their first dose and 89 per cent are fully vaccinated.

More than 91 per cent of the eligible population who are now fully vaccinated have downloaded a My Vaccine Pass.

COVID-19 vaccine update Vaccines administered to date (percentage of eligible people) 3,948,761 first doses (94%); 3,747,367 second doses (89%); 20,681 third primary doses; 154,224 booster doses Vaccines administered yesterday 2,698 first doses; 8,446 second doses; 216 third primary doses and 4,550 booster doses. Maori (percentage of eligible people) 490,469 first doses (86%); 426,970 second doses (75%) Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people) 266,614 first doses (93%); second doses 247,252 (86%) Vaccination rates by DHB with active cases (percentage of eligible people) Northland DHB First doses (87%); second doses (81%) Auckland Metro DHBs First doses (95%); second doses (92%) Waikato DHB First doses (93%); second doses (87%) Bay of Plenty DHB First doses (92%); second doses (85%) Lakes DHB First doses (91%); second doses (84%) Taranaki DHB First doses (92%); second doses (86%) MidCentral DHB First doses (94%); second doses (88%) Whanganui DHB First doses (90%); second doses (83%) Hawkes Bay DHB First doses (93%); second doses (87%) Nelson-Marlborough DHB First doses (94%); second doses (88%) Canterbury DHB First doses (97%); second doses (93%) Hospitalisations Cases in hospital 61; North Shore: 13; Auckland: 20; Middlemore: 23; Waikato: 2; Tauranga: 2; Nelson: 1 Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region wards only) Unvaccinated or not eligible (33 cases / 62%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (9 cases / 17%); fully vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (9 cases/ 17%); unknown (2 cases / 4%) Average age of current hospitalisations 52 Cases in ICU or HDU 3 (1 in Auckland; 1 in Middlemore, 1 in North Shore) Cases Seven day rolling average of community cases 92 Number of new community cases 103 Number of new cases identified at the border 1 Location of new community cases * Northland (2), Auckland (86), Waikato (9), Bay of Plenty (3), Lakes (1), Canterbury (2) Number of community cases (total) ** 9,714 (in current community outbreak) Number of active cases (total) 6,738 Confirmed cases (total) 12,515 Cases epidemiologically linked (total) 7,112 Contacts Number of active contacts being managed (total): 7,005 Percentage who have received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements) 84% Percentage who have returned at least one result 77% Tests Number of tests total (last 24 hours) 24,754 Tests rolling average (last 7 days) 26,461 Auckland tests total (last 24 hours) 8,344 Wastewater Wastewater detections See Waikato update below. No unexpected results to report NZ COVID Tracer Poster scans in 24 hours to midday yesterday 3,439,219 Manual diary entries in 24 hours to midday 36,747 My Vaccine Pass My vaccine pass downloads total 4,152,605 by 3,440,046 individuals My vaccine pass downloads (last 24 hours) 36,702

New cases identified at the border

Arrival date From Via Positive test day/reason Managed isolation/quarantine location 10 December United Kingdom UAE / Malaysia Day 1 / routine Christchurch

*Todays cases

Today, the Ministry of Health is reporting new community cases in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Lakes, and Canterbury.

We are also reporting one case today in Taranaki and one in Nelson-Tasman.

The Taranaki case was announced last night by the DHB.

Both of these cases will be officially added to our case numbers tomorrow.

A border worker case, reported on December 11, remains under investigation.

**In addition one community case has been reclassified as a border case, while a duplicate record of a community case has been removed from the database.

Regional updates

We are continuing to ask anyone in New Zealand with symptoms  no matter how mild  to get tested, even if youre fully vaccinated. Please remain isolated until you return a negative test result.

Testing and vaccination centre locations nationwide can be found on the Healthpoint website.

Northland update

There are two cases to report in Northland today. Both have been linked to previously reported cases.

One of todays cases is a person based in Kaitaia and is a close contact of an existing case and has been isolating during their infectious period.

The second case is a person based in Paihia and is a household contact of an existing case.

Testing is available in Kerikeri today at 1 Sammaree Place, today until 2pm and between 9am and 3pm tomorrow.

A full list of testing and vaccination sites open in Northland can be found on the Northland DHB website.

Auckland

Today, there are 86 new cases being reported in Auckland. Health and welfare providers are now supporting 2,751 people to isolate at home, including 686 cases.

Auckland Aged Residential Care Facility

Further testing has been undertaken at Aria Park Retirement Village in Epsom after a staff member tested positive. There have been no further cases reported at the village.

Taranaki Update

A COVID-19 community case in Eltham reported late last night will be added to the tally tomorrow.

The case is not linked to any of the previously reported cases in New Plymouth or Waitara and is currently isolating at home.

Locations considered high risk to the public will be shared on the Ministry of Healths website as soon as available. Please visit the Ministrys website.

Testing for the Eltham community is available today at Eltham Kohanga Reo, 24 York Street from 10am  3pm. Testing is also available from Taranaki Base Hospital testing centre, 9am  3pm

Vaccination centre details for the region are available on the DHBs website

Nelson-Tasman update

There is one case to report today in Nelson-Tasman, and the case is linked to other cases.

This case has yet to be included in the formal reporting to the Ministry of Health and will be added to our tally tomorrow.

Anyone in the region with any symptoms that could be COVID-19 is urged to get a test, even if they are vaccinated.

Locations of interest are regularly added to the Ministrys website, so we ask people living in Nelson-Tasman to check these daily.

Testing and vaccination centres open today and this weekend are available from the DHBs website.

Canterbury update

There are two linked cases to report in Christchurch today; both cases are in a managed isolation facility and both are household members of existing cases.

Christchurch testing locations and opening hours are available on Healthpoints website and information about vaccination clinics is available on the DHBs website.
'We can't have dinners with 25 people from five different households' This expert is asking people to be careful about how they celebrate at Christmas because the health crisis "is not over yet"Elena Vanessa Martinez President of the Spanish Epidemiology Society

The president of the Spanish Epidemiology Society, Elena Vanessa Martinez, is asking society to make a final effort to overcome the sixth wave of Covid-19.

Is Omicron more dangerous than previous variants?

For now, we need to be cautious. What we do know is that most cases that we have information about have been mild, but we can't be certain that that will be so in every case or if it is because those people had been vaccinated. At first sight, it doesn't look too bad. This happens a lot of the time with viruses; their survival mechanism is to kill cells, but they don't want to die either. So, if they become less severe, it is easier for them to keep going. What is clear is that prevention is essential. The measures we have been taking so far (masks, distance and hygiene) are still working and it is possible that with Omicron there may be some vaccine escape, but among people who are vaccinated the illness is mild.

"The pandemic has taught us this won't stop on its own"

Is it possible that there are more cases than those which have been officially notified?

Yes. Catalonia has said it detected the virus in its sewage two weeks ago, and as cases without any links to South Africa have been discovered in Europe, it is probable that it was here as well.

You work in the Coordination Centre for Health Warnings and Emergencies (CCAES), and on Tuesday they recommended reducing the numbers of people at Christmas celebrations.

At Christmas people get together in enclosed spaces and, especially, to eat and that is where the greatest risk lies. If what we are trying to do is reduce transmission, we have to take every measure we can to get ahead of the virus from a technical point of view. The pandemic has taught us that this isn't going to stop on its own.

But politically, the ministry and most of the regions agree that there should be no extra restrictions before Christmas.

Our job is to show, from everything we have learned about the virus, what needs to be done to reduce the risk to health. After that, the decision is up to the politicians.

Before Omicron appeared, Spain was already in a sixth wave. How far is this going to go?

I'm not able to predict that, but the way it is evolving is not good. We need to maintain the preventive measures and take action which is very focused, for example in places where the bars are all in a certain area, in places where measures are not complied with at certain times or in settings which are not just the hospitality industry. Each situation has to be studied individually, because a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work. We also need to increase the percentage of people who are vaccinated by finding out why some people do not want the vaccine.

If the percentage of vaccinations is so high, why is Spain in this situation where cases are shooting up again?

I also thought that by now we would be in a better situation. My intuition is that, in general, we have relaxed measures and in some places they have disappeared altogether. We have seen, for example, that crowds gathered when Christmas lights were switched on in towns and cities. We must not forget that the virus is still here, that a percentage of the population has not been vaccinated and another percentage is not immune because the vaccines are not 100 per cent effective. It is not over yet. We have to make a final effort. At Christmas, we can't have dinners with 25 people from five different households. We have to avoid risks. I'm not saying we have to shut ourselves indoors on our own, there is no reason to think we are heading for disaster or start to panic, but we do have to remember that the pandemic doesn't come to an end just because we happen to be vaccinated.

Is it going to be important to vaccinate children?

It is important to vaccinate children if they need to be vaccinated. Any medication, and the vaccines are a type of medication, carry a risk and the risk/benefit always has to be measured. Firstly, I would say that I'm not sure whether it is necessary to vaccinate all children, but we do if they have underlying health conditions or respiratory problems. This needs to be studied carefully, because it is not just a case of being able to vaccinate them, but whether we need to.
Junta looks into buying private land in the Sierra Almijara natural park The mayor of Frigiliana is keen for the sale to go ahead and is acting as mediator between the company, De la Torre SL, and the Junta

A view of Frigiliana and the land in the Sierra Almijara natural park theJunta is looking to purchase. / E. CABEZAS

The Junta de Andalucia regional government is looking into the possibility of buying an area of private land in and around Frigiliana.

The company De la Torre SL has owned 2,500 hectares of the Sierra Almijara since 1930, when it acquired the area together with the Palacio de los Condes de Frigiliana - now known as El Ingenio de Nuestra Senora del Carmen, the only functioning sugar cane honey factory in southern Europe.

Since 1999 this land has been entirely within the boundaries of the Sierras Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama natural park, meaning the possible uses of the land are very limited.

The owners have long wanted to sell the land, which accounts for around 6.1 per cent of the total protected area; some 40,663 hectares which includes extensive pine forests, scrubland and the mountains surrounding the town centre. For this reason, Frigiliana's mayor, Alejandro Herrero, has called on the regional government to step forward and take ownership of it.

Willingness on both sides

Herrero explained to SUR that two meetings have already been held between the Junta de Andalucia and representatives of the family. "There is a willingness on both sides to reach an agreement," he said, but added that he did not know the amount of money the owners were asking for. "For Frigiliana it would be very positive, because it would mean that its natural heritage would belong to everyone, with the possibilities for the development of rural and sustainable tourism that this would entail."

Sources at the Junta de Andalucia have told this newspaper that "there is nothing yet" and that they are "listening to the owner and getting information."

The De la Torre family, made up of more than twenty shareholders, has long wanted to sell the property, whose origins date back to the Count of Frigiliana, a Spanish noble title created by King Philip IV in 1630 in favour of Inigo Manrique de Lara, son of the fourth lord of Frigiliana, following the Reconquista.
Events to mark the failed attempt to end the reign of King Ferdinand VII and restore the Constitution of 1812 were held in Mijas Costa and Alhaurin de la Torre last weekend. Organised by members of the Torrijos 1831 cultural association, historic reenactments to celebrate the 190th anniversary of the landing of General Jose Maria Torrijos and his 60 doomed men took place on the El Charcon Beach in Mijas. Meanwhile, another event was held at Torrealqueria in Alhaurin de la Torre, where the general and his men were arrested by the authorities. The attempted coup had failed through betrayal by a presumed ally, General Moreno.

Among the troop of liberal conspirators was Robert Boyd, a 26-six-year-old Irish-born Briton of noble descent who had become influenced by Torrijos' ideals.

Boyd, who was born on 7 December 1805, was a soldier with the 65th Native Bengal Infantry Regiment. After returning to England from the Greek War of Independence, he integrated into the young radical student society of the Cambridge Apostles, founded by Alfred Tennyson, and John Sterling, son of the editor of The Times newspaper and cousin of Robert Boyd. The group's clandestine meetings were frequented by General Torrijos, at that time in exile in London for his liberal ideas against the absolutist power of Ferdinand VII.

Torrijos found his most enthusiastic supporters among the young radicals of the group, some of whom, including Boyd, actively participated in the conspiracy he was preparing.

Torrijos became very prominent within the group and Boyd became one of his best friends; so much so, that when he received an inheritance of 5,000 pounds, he put it all at the general's disposal to pay for the expedition to Gibraltar. Boyd was entrusted to prepare the necessary infrastructure in Gibraltar in order to launch the liberal campaign.

False promise and betrayal

Lured with false promises by the so-called Viriato plan, Torrijos and his companions were forced to land on the shores of Mijas on 2 December 1831.

The main protagonist of the betrayal would be the governor of Malaga, Vicente Gonzalez Moreno, who had begun an active correspondence with Torrijos under the pseudonym Viriato. Posing as a liberal, he assured Torrijos that the best place to disembark would be Rincon de la Victoria, where the support of the garrison would be assured by a group of liberals who were ready to assist him.

However, on arrival at the Malaga coastline, Torrijos and his men were attacked by King Ferdinand's forces and, with no shelter, the two ships carrying the liberals were forced to land on the beach of El Charcon.

The garrison headed inland, where they took refuge in the Conde de Mollina farmhouse in Alhaurin de la Torre. The house was soon surrounded by loyalist supporters, but the liberals still believed that help was on its way. Moreno arrived to meet with Torrijos with false news of support from Velez Malaga, but it soon transpired that Torrijos had been deceived once again: on leaving the farmhouse, they were all arrested for treason.

After a short period in prison in Malaga, the general and his 48 surviving companions, who included Boyd, were, without any semblance of justice, taken out and executed by firing squad on San Andres beach in the city on 11 December 1831.

Boyd wrote a letter to his brother hours before the executions took place, claiming, "I die like a gentleman and a soldier. I am to be shot with sixty others in about an hour."

The British consul in Malaga, William Mark, did everything possible to save Boyd, given his status as a British subject, but the governor of Malaga ignored his pleas and the Irishman was executed along with his companions.

His body was the first to be buried in the city's English Cemetery.
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rosewarrior_101 Newbie

Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: chandigarh Posts: 21 Thanked: 70 Times

Converting an old Army one-tonne 2 Wheeled GS Trailer into an Adventure camper



It all started with buying a Xenon XT 4x4 back in Jan 2014. The concept of a truck was still relatively new in India and there were only two serious options available back then. The Xenon XT and the Scorpio Getaway. Comparing the two, it was a no-brainer to go for the Xenon XT with its muscular and seriously rugged off-road looks.



This purchase itself, was driven by a love for the outdoors, camping and living out in the wilds. Towards this end, I was helped out by a Decathlon Store opening up near my place of residence.



I ended up getting myself one two-man and one three man tent for my family. we also got ourselves inflatable air mattresses, camping sleeping bags, Tent lanterns over the next few months.



We did a few trips up into the himalayas. Pooh, Rampur Bushair offer good camping oppurtunities.



But, as we started to get into more details and the stuff we were looking to carry started to increase we need more space than the truck bed offered. Thats when we started to explore the options for a trailer. India does not have any trailer dealerships where I could go shopping. So I had to go out and do all my research online and adopt the DIY plans found there to indian materials. While, this was on, there was a need for a trailer as it is, as I needed to transport increasingly larger amounts of stuff around. I have three dogs, a German Shepherd Dog pair and a Labrador that also needed to be moved with me.



So in 2018, I picked up an old Army surplus trailer from one of the scrap dealers near Kolkata. The Xenon XT does not have a trailer hitch. So I had to design one which could be fixed to the ladder chassis of the Xenon XT to provide it the strength to pull the trailer. I took an army trailer hitch thats fitted on most army vehicles and had to design the mounting.



I had, back in 2015, added a platform bike rack carrying two bicycles to the rear of the Xenon and this trailer hitch had to be fitted in such a way that the tailboard of the truck body could continue to be opened as well as the bike racks could remain in use.



I had the services of a small roadside welding shop in Kankinanra, West Bengal, near Kolkata who was patient enough to bear with me and carry out all the designs that I was looking to fabricate.



So we ended up designing a unique hitch arrangement that worked around the tailboard opening, the bike racks remaining operational and the rear bumper with step also being still operational.



I will be posting the pics of these.



Once we had the trailer hitch ready, we had to get the trailer ready. I had to get the brake lining changed, the braking system, thankfully was still functional and only needed some greasing. The trailer was an open body trailer and since I needed it to haul luggage and stuff over long distances I wanted to have a covered trailer.



Next I started to develop an overhead cover for it. The entire assembly was ready in March 2018 just about in time for my move from Kolkata to Srinagar (J&K) a distance of approx 2100 kms by road with my dogs in my Xennon XT with the trailer hitched.



I had no problems driving down NH-2 from Kolkata to Gaya to Allahabad to Chandigarh to Udhampur to Srinagar, with night halts at each of these places. The stretch from Allahabad to Chandigarh was about 1100 kms, and it was a wonderful feeling to drive down the Yamuna Expressway with the Xenon fully loaded.



I reached Srinagar safely with no issues at all.



After a two year stay in Srinagar I was to move again and thats when I though it was time to upgrade the trailer once again. I had been online once again and further researched the trailers and the exact requirement what exactly I wanted.



I have now started the process to fabricate this trailer on the same old army trailer chasis.



I shall be setting these out in the succeeding blog posts.



















I have been tinkering with the idea of developing a camper trailer along the lines of the adventure campers seen in the West.It all started with buying a Xenon XT 4x4 back in Jan 2014. The concept of a truck was still relatively new in India and there were only two serious options available back then. The Xenon XT and the Scorpio Getaway. Comparing the two, it was a no-brainer to go for the Xenon XT with its muscular and seriously rugged off-road looks.This purchase itself, was driven by a love for the outdoors, camping and living out in the wilds. Towards this end, I was helped out by a Decathlon Store opening up near my place of residence.I ended up getting myself one two-man and one three man tent for my family. we also got ourselves inflatable air mattresses, camping sleeping bags, Tent lanterns over the next few months.We did a few trips up into the himalayas. Pooh, Rampur Bushair offer good camping oppurtunities.But, as we started to get into more details and the stuff we were looking to carry started to increase we need more space than the truck bed offered. Thats when we started to explore the options for a trailer. India does not have any trailer dealerships where I could go shopping. So I had to go out and do all my research online and adopt the DIY plans found there to indian materials. While, this was on, there was a need for a trailer as it is, as I needed to transport increasingly larger amounts of stuff around. I have three dogs, a German Shepherd Dog pair and a Labrador that also needed to be moved with me.So in 2018, I picked up an old Army surplus trailer from one of the scrap dealers near Kolkata. The Xenon XT does not have a trailer hitch. So I had to design one which could be fixed to the ladder chassis of the Xenon XT to provide it the strength to pull the trailer. I took an army trailer hitch thats fitted on most army vehicles and had to design the mounting.I had, back in 2015, added a platform bike rack carrying two bicycles to the rear of the Xenon and this trailer hitch had to be fitted in such a way that the tailboard of the truck body could continue to be opened as well as the bike racks could remain in use.I had the services of a small roadside welding shop in Kankinanra, West Bengal, near Kolkata who was patient enough to bear with me and carry out all the designs that I was looking to fabricate.So we ended up designing a unique hitch arrangement that worked around the tailboard opening, the bike racks remaining operational and the rear bumper with step also being still operational.I will be posting the pics of these.Once we had the trailer hitch ready, we had to get the trailer ready. I had to get the brake lining changed, the braking system, thankfully was still functional and only needed some greasing. The trailer was an open body trailer and since I needed it to haul luggage and stuff over long distances I wanted to have a covered trailer.Next I started to develop an overhead cover for it. The entire assembly was ready in March 2018 just about in time for my move from Kolkata to Srinagar (J&K) a distance of approx 2100 kms by road with my dogs in my Xennon XT with the trailer hitched.I had no problems driving down NH-2 from Kolkata to Gaya to Allahabad to Chandigarh to Udhampur to Srinagar, with night halts at each of these places. The stretch from Allahabad to Chandigarh was about 1100 kms, and it was a wonderful feeling to drive down the Yamuna Expressway with the Xenon fully loaded.I reached Srinagar safely with no issues at all.After a two year stay in Srinagar I was to move again and thats when I though it was time to upgrade the trailer once again. I had been online once again and further researched the trailers and the exact requirement what exactly I wanted.I have now started the process to fabricate this trailer on the same old army trailer chasis.I shall be setting these out in the succeeding blog posts. Last edited by Aditya : 14th December 2021 at 16:59 . Reason: Re-uploading last picture as it wasn't displaying :)
Trillian is an instant messaging app that works on phones, tablets, and desktops while keeping your chats neatly synchronized between all of them! We think conversation should be easily shared between all of your devices, not trapped as text messages on your phone.

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If your company runs a Trillian Server you can now connect to it using this version of Trillian for Android!

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History has been cleanly integrated into message windows, sending photos has been refreshed, taking photos can now load the camera more easily, emoticons have been overhauled, and a bunch of bugs have been fixed! If youve had trouble connecting to MSN or Yahoo! in the past, see if 2.0 helps!

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At least six homeless encampments across East Baton Rouge have been cleared in recent months as community advocates say more people have been forced onto the streets over the past year.

Baton Rouge police partnered with the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office to disperse camps at Drusilla Lane beneath the interstate, Sherwood Forest at I-12, Airline Highway and Goodwood Boulevard, and near the Pollard Estates neighborhood, according to BRPD spokesman Sgt. L'Jean McKneely Jr.

The Capital Area Alliance for the Homeless One Stop Services Center has seen a bump in their numbers throughout October and November, executive director Weston Schild said.

Pandemic supports are expiring and more evictions are going through, he said. Other providers pointed to Hurricane Ida's aftermath, which left surrounding parishes devastated and likely pushed people into Baton Rouge seeking help.

"There's not enough affordable, permanent housing thats available," said Michael Acaldo, CEO of St. Vincent de Paul Charities. "I know that states that have larger populations and that are more wealthy than Louisiana have more affordable, permanent housing. However, no state, no community has enough."

In some cases, people have returned to the streets after escaping for a brief time. Tiffany Simpson, executive director of homeless outreach organization It Takes a Village BR, said over the past few months she has noticed familiar faces who were absent for a while.

Homeless man allegedly set fire to a charity that helped him; founder says it shows why they serve Two people escaped from a house in downtown Baton Rouge that serves the homeless after someone the group used to help set it on fire in the ea

On O'Neal Lane, where camps often crop up beneath the interstate overpass, authorities have swept the site twice in a short span of time when people again gravitated toward the spot that offers ideal protection from the wind and rain.

Charles Beemer, the former street outreach supervisor of advocacy organization Empower 225, said what appears to be a rising number of camps reveals how different problems have compounded over the last year to push more people into homelessness. The city's limited shelter space contributes to the problem.

"You have a huge influx of people due to a variety of reasons, whether it be a hurricane or it be mental illness from COVID, whether it just be a lack of resources and economic growth here in Baton Rouge," he said. "You have a whole bunch of people in a small space with just a basic lack of shelter availability."

Most of Baton Rouge's homelessness resources are concentrated on or near St. Vincent De Paul Drive, close to the Greyhound Bus Station. Sites like the Virtual One Stop that list available services in the Baton Rouge area attempt to fill in the knowledge gaps among transient newcomers, but those who do not find their way often end up congregating in camps throughout the parish's more suburban areas.

One such suburban camp visible from the interstate near St. George Catholic Church was also recently cleared by EBRSO. That site is located along Siegen Lane, where people experiencing homelessness can be found at major intersections, lingering in the parking lot of motels or sitting on the curb outside gas stations.

In addition to the benefit of dense tree cover close to the interstate and pockets of foliage between major stores where people can erect camps away from prying eyes, the area is close to an addiction treatment center on Rieger Road.

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People usually camp near services, Beemer explained. On Siegen Lane, he estimated that many of the people who stay in the area experience chronic homelessness. They rely on the high-traffic intersections to survive by asking for cash and food.

Each camp was cleared after law enforcement received complaints. Mark Armstrong, spokesman for the mayor's office, previously said the administration has worked to address the needs of both people experiencing homelessness and permanent residents in the city.

"Our goal is to get people housed. Our goal is also to respond to the concerns of citizens who live near encampments," he said. "We need to balance those as much as possible. It comes down to compassion. It comes down to being effective."

When camps are cleared, authorities generally offer help  with housing, medical assistance and getting an ID or drivers license  but not everyone wants it.

While a coalition of advocacy groups and the administration's recently launched Behavioral Health Homelessness Outreach Team aim to meet people on the streets and offer mental health services alongside permanent housing options, trauma can present unseen obstacles.

Baton Rouge will send teams to panhandling hotspots, encampments to get homeless people help Baton Rouge is planning to send teams of behavioral health specialists to panhandling hotspots and encampments throughout the city in hopes of

Heather Jones, street outreach case manager for Empower 225, says the people she works with all have some form of trauma. This makes it difficult to for them to accept help, Beemer added.

"It's hard for people to trust in general because usually help always comes with strings," he said. "You find that people may have been assisted in the past, and they may have had some type of damage there in some way, shape, or form."

Shelter restrictions, such as prohibiting drug use or requiring people to be at the facility at certain times, may also deter some from a safe place to stay and lead them to encampments instead.

Schild said it often comes down to someone rationalizing that they would "rather be outside with a group of people they know than maybe being in a shelter where they have to follow certain rules."

As more people fall into homelessness, advocates note that clearing encampments does not always produce the results property owners or local government desire. And for those street outreach groups trying to help, dispersing homeless people across the city disrupts vital lines of communication.

"They get pushed out and then they find somewhere else to congregate and then it just cycles," Beemer said. "There's not a lot of resolution."
Commonwealth Bank senior executive Andrew Hinchliff predicts big investors will sharply increase their funding of green finance, giving sustainable firms access to cheaper debt, as CBA unveils a landmark deposit deal with IFM Investors.

As global markets focus more on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, CBA and IFM have agreed to a $200 million ESG term deposit - a first for the Australian market.

CBA says there is huge demand for green or sustainable financial products. Credit:Bloomberg

Under the deal, IFM is placing $200 million with CBA in a deposit that will only be used to fund sustainability-linked loans. These are a fast-growing type of product that offer corporate borrowers cheaper funding for hitting non-financial targets in areas such the environment, Indigenous employment, or gender diversity.

Mr Hinchliff, CBAs group executive of institutional banking and markets, said the deal reflected huge demand from institutional investors for sustainability assets, which has also seen money flood into green bonds.
The chief operating officer of medicinal cannabis company Cann Global Limited said the recent decision to end a multimillion dollar services agreement with a private firm owned by the listed companys founder and former chairman, Pnina Feldman, was necessary to improve transparency.

Marion Lesaffre told The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald the leadership of Cann Global had listened to shareholder concerns about related party transactions with Mrs Feldmans private company, Australian Gemstone Mining, and acted upon them to create a structure more in line with usual corporate practice.

From 2007 to July this year, Cann Global and its predecessor listed mining companies had an agreement with Australian Gemstone Mining to provide management, secretarial, marketing and other services. The arrangement, which was always declared to shareholders, resulted in Mrs Feldmans private company receiving almost $14 million.

Pnina Feldman Credit:David Mariuz

The related party transactions with Australian Gemstone Mining have ceased, said Ms Lesaffre, who has been with Cann Global for a decade and was appointed to the role of chief operating officer in August last year.
It may have taken four years, with two corporate mergers, a court dispute and a global pandemic getting in the way, but the biggest revamp of downtown Sydneys streetscape has begun.

As part of a multimillion dollar advertising deal, one of the biggest in Australian history, kiosks, bus shelters, public phones and toilets will be pulled from locations across the City of Sydney council area over the next few months and replaced with new furniture.

The 160 panels will be touch screen and deliver news about the city. Credit:QMS Media

But few people know that the company behind the overhaul, which is led by one of Melbournes most famous racing identities- John ONeill - has a story almost as interesting as the fight over the contract itself. The other catch? It will lead to a reduction in the number of small business kiosks and the installation of old-school public phones across Sydneys CBD.

QMS Media, the Melbourne-born billboard company owned by private equity firm Quadrant, wasnt the likely winner of the biggest outdoor advertising contract in Australia. Now, its on a mission to show advertisers what can be achieved when 26 square kilometres of Sydney is covered with more than 800 digital and static screens.
At the Coolangatta border checkpoint, shortly after midnight, a policewoman greets the wrung-out Queenslanders pointing their phones out the passenger side window: Welcome home.

From the next carload, flashing their border passes and moving through without stopping, an exultation from the front seat: Were here.

Some of the first people crossing the Queensland border, which opened earlier than 1am. Credit:Fairfax Media

The line of cars and campers, people so desperate to go home they cannot wait through one more night, is now winding back about 500 metres through Tweed Heads.

Half of Brisbanes here, seriously, says Rob Jones, serving out the final hours and minutes of the months-long lockout in a Wharf Street carpark-turned-camp ground. He wants to see his new grandson.
Making the jump from primary to secondary school can be tricky at the best of the times, so Rob Duncan is ready to throw the kitchen sink at supporting the year 7s who will join his school next year.

Cranbourne West Secondary year seven students Juan, Lachlan, Angel, Alice and Alexia with principal Rob Duncan. Credit:Jason South

I think that transitional stage, where a kids moving from primary and secondary, its always potentially problematic, said Mr Duncan, principal of Cranbourne West Secondary College in Melbournes outer south-east.

Theres a lot more focus on it now because its such a jump based on the uncertainty theyve had in the two years previously.

Victorias 1 million students and school staff have needed resilience and support to cope with six lockdowns, extended periods of remote learning and COVID-19 outbreaks throughout the pandemic.
Studying for VCE exams and enduring lockdown might seem like challenges enough, but for Alyssa Schneider, adding one more thing to her plate helped her thrive through the pandemic.

In March, inspired by her passion for fighting climate change, the year 12 student started a business making sustainable underwear using offcuts and old stock from designers. Since its launch, demand for House of Blyss products has grown steadily.

Alyssa Schneider says starting a business helped her stay positive during year 12. Credit:Jason South

Theres a misconception that during year 12 thats all you can focus on, but Ive always prioritised other things alongside of school, Alyssa said.

Its nice to know Ive accomplished something alongside of graduating, which with COVID is a feat of its own.
The British High Courts decision to unblock the process of extraditing WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the US to face espionage charges has reopened a debate about whether Australia should play a more active role in the long-running case.

Lord Justice Holroyde overturned a previous judges ruling that Mr Assange should not be deported because of the high risk he could take his own life in a US jail. Lord Holroyde accepted US assurances that it would guarantee Mr Assanges safety.

Julian Assange, pictured in 2017 at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Credit:AP

The decision comes as a further blow to Mr Assange, who has already spent almost a decade either in jail or holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. He has been fighting extradition to Sweden on sexual assault charges  which were dropped in 2019  and then extradition to the US for publishing in 2010 the contents of US military and diplomatic cables.

He now awaits a decision from the British government on whether to proceed with extradition. If he is sent to the US for trial, he could face years more legal uncertainty.
When Katie Posten walked outside on Saturday morning to her car parked in her driveway, she saw something that looked like a note or receipt stuck to the windshield.

She grabbed it and saw it was a black and white photo of a woman in a striped sundress and headscarf holding a little boy in her lap.

The photograph found on Katie Postens windshield in New Albany, Indiani, from a tornado-damaged home in Kentucky that landed more than 200 km away in Indiana. Credit:Katie Posten via AP.

On the back, written in script, it said, Gertie Swatzell & J.D. Swatzell 1942.

A few hours later, Posten would discover that the photo had made quite a journey - 209 kilometres - on the back of monstrous winds.
Cheyenne, WY (82001)

Today

Cloudy with snow. High 4F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 100%. Snow accumulating 1 to 3 inches..

Tonight

Snow this evening will give way to lingering snow showers late. Low -2F. N winds shifting to WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 70%. 1 to 3 inches of snow expected.
Spc. Kailee Soares prepares a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine during a drive to vaccinate Hawaii National Guardsmen assigned to the COVID-19 task force response on Kauai Island, Jan. 12, 2021. (U.S. Air National Guard /Master Sgt. Andrew Jackson)

4 States Call in National Guard to Deal With Health Care Staffing Crisis

At least four states in recent weeks have called in members of the National Guard to deal with health care staffing issues amid COVID-19 vaccine mandates for hospital and nursing home workers.

Late last week, Indiana became the latest state to deploy the National Guard to hospitals. The Indiana Department of Health confirmed to local media that Guard members were sent to 13 facilities after officials with Indiana University Health, the states largest hospital system, made the request.

Indiana University officials said its dealing with all-time highs of both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. Earlier this year, about 125 Indiana University health care workers were fired for not complying with the systems vaccine mandate, although the hospital said at the time that most fired workers were part-time.

As COVID cases continue to increase and hospitalization of COVID and non-COVID patients reach all-time highs, the demand and strain on IU Healths team members, nurses and providers has never been greater, Indiana University Health said over the weekend, adding that it will leverage all available resources and enlist members of Indianas National Guard, in conjunction with the Indiana Department of Health, to assist in areas of critical need.

Six-person National Guard teams with both clinical and nonclinical members will be sent to Indiana University hospitals in two-week intervals, officials said.

In New Hampshire, authorities confirmed several days ago that about 70 Guard members would be deployed within the coming weeks to provide nonclinical support at medical care facilities.

Primarily, were going to start with non-clinical care in the hospitals, and the primary reason why iswere a part-time force, National Guard Maj. Gen. David Mikolaities told local media in a statement. And for us to utilize our doctors and nurses and physician assistants, we dont want to take away from the health care system that is already strained.

That deployment will start on Dec. 12 or Dec. 13, he confirmed.

If unfortunately during the winter months, the hospitalization rates continue to increase, well be more than happy to provide additional resources, Mikolaities said.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills attends the Climate Action Summit 2019 in the U.N. General Assembly Hall in New York on Sept. 23, 2019. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images)

In Maine, Democrat Gov. Janet Mills said on Dec. 8 that she activated about 75 additional National Guard members. Theyll also be used to provide nonclinical support to health care facilities, coming months after the state issued a vaccine mandate for health workers that several courts refused to block.

Maines largest hospitalthe Maine Medical Centerhas had no critical care beds available during the past week, said CEO Joel Botler in a statement, adding that the hospital had to shut down six operating rooms in addition to the six that were previously closed.

And in New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul, also a Democrat, announced that the states National Guard would conduct a similar mission at state hospitals.

The Guard will deploy some 120 Army medics and Air Force medical technicians to 12 long-term facilities and nursing homes to ease staffing shortages, according to a statement from the National Guard. Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, issued the order at the start of December, citing what she said is a seasonal rise in COVID-19 cases.

Service members are being sent to facilities in Goshen, Syracuse, Rochester, Albany, Buffalo, Utica, Plattsburgh, Uniondale, Liberty, Vestal, Olean, and Lyons, the Guard confirmed in a statement.

The decision came weeks after thousands of New York-based health care workers were placed on unpaid leave following the implementation of Hochuls COVID-19 vaccine mandate, which caused staffing disruptions. Neither Hochul nor the Guard has mentioned the COVID-19 mandate amid the deployment.
An eighth-grade student who took it upon himself to shield a classmate, who has cerebral palsy, from rain as he crossed the schoolyard was spotted by the middle school principal. Witnessing the heartwarming act, she snapped a photo and shared it on social media, touching the hearts of their community.

Jerry, who has cerebral palsy and uses a walker, has been a student at Clewiston Middle School (CMS) in South Florida since sixth grade. Lamar, who held an umbrella over Jerrys head, joined the school in fall 2021 but has already made a big impression on those around him.

Lamar protecting Jerry from the rain with his umbrella. (Courtesy of Tina Kelley)

It was a rainy November day, CMS Principal Tina Kelley told The Epoch Times. Students were changing classes, and I looked up and saw Lamar holding the umbrella over Jerrys head.

I thought that it was a perfect picture of kindness, preferring others over yourself, she explained, and something that is unfortunately rare during the days we are living in.

Kelley snapped a picture and posted it on her Facebook page. It went crazy with likes and shares, she said, and before long, the image had reached as far as California and New York.

Meanwhile, Jerrys mother, Norma Escobar, was so touched by Lamars gesture that she reposted Kelleys photo, captioned, Love this!  A very powerful picture! This young mans parents should be very proud! Love seeing how much everyone loves my son, Jerry!

Escobar told WINK News that she had worried her son would be bullied at school, but the photo of Lamar helping Jerry gave her a lot of hope. Jerry himself added, It really means a lot, because people really dont do that.

Principal Kelley, who has known Jerry for years, told The Epoch Times that the young student is smart, kind, fiercely independent, and a great friend to all. Lamar, she said, is already proving himself to be a great young man and a student of compassion.

He loves to have fun and make others laugh, she said, but also has a serious side when it comes to helping others.

Kelley attributes her photos widespread appeal to the fact that people are looking for hope, especially now, in a world filled with turmoil. She also believes nurturing good values in our children is an investment for the future.

Our kids are the next generation, she explained. It is our responsibility to show and teach them compassion and kindness.

People are our greatest assets, not material things. We must invest in each other, and the next generation, so that goodness and kindness can be seen and generated through us!

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
Cheng San, an American game designer, speaks at a press conference in Flushing, New York, on Dec. 9, 2021. (NTD)

American Jailed for 3 Years in China for Buying Toy Guns Online

In 2017, Cheng San, a Taiwanese American game designer, found himself at the pointy end of the Chinese regimes crusade against gun ownership.

He was sentenced to three years in jail for buying toy guns onlinedeemed an illegal act by authorities applying the regimes harsh and broadly defined gun-control laws.

Now back in the United States after serving his sentence, Cheng wants justice.

Cheng, a 47-year-old Taiwanese American, was the CEO of Keyloft Inc., a New York-based company that designed game apps for smartphones. While in Beijing in April 2016, his firm started working on a first-person shooter video game app.

To help his team optimize their designs, Cheng and his employees, over the course of the six-month project, bought more than 60 replica guns on Taobao, one of Chinas most popular shopping platforms, owned by tech giant Alibaba. None of the toy guns were lethal, according to the listed product descriptions, and each cost less than $20.

Cheng couldnt have expected what would happen next.

In June 2017, police showed up at Chengs Beijing residence and arrested him on charges of holding guns illegally. A total of 137 people, employees and their family members, were arrested in the same case, Cheng said at a Dec. 9 press conference in Flushing, New York.

Arrest

China has some of the worlds strictest gun laws, which prohibit people from purchasing or owning any gun. What constitutes an illegal gun is broadly defined under its laws and regulations. The police asserted that nine of the purchased replicas had met the standard of an illegal gun.

When Cheng was arrested, according to his account given at the press conference, he saw an officer holding a thick stack of documents showing all the records of the replica gun purchases. As someone familiar with data systems, Cheng immediately realized such customers personal information was owned and held by Alibaba, and the only way that police could have obtained it was if the company released it to them.

Cheng questioned the rationale of the arrest, pointing out that if the prop guns had violated the law, Alibaba and Taobao shouldnt have been permitted to sell them in the first place. If this had happened in the United States, in the case of a customer buying illegal goods at Amazon, he argued, law enforcement agencies would take action against Amazon rather than the shoppers.

Cheng pleaded not guilty, but he was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison. At his insistence, the verdict included a reference that all the guns involved were bought online at Taobao.

While detained, to Chengs surprise, he met about two dozen others who were similarly arrested for illegal gun possession.

Alibaba

Cheng, now residing in New Jersey, accuses Alibaba of misusing customers information and abetting the police to wrongly persecute, which, in his opinion, amounts to violations of human rights.

He said that a police officer told him that Alibaba got a big bonus from the police whenever it released customers information. It made him believe, he told the press, that Alibaba, driven by money, has set traps for buyers.

Cheng also condemned Taobaos practice of enticing shoppers to buy questionable items with pop-up ads and promotions. Taobao boasts that it is Chinas Amazon.

Can Amazon promote and sell illegal goods to implicate its customers? Cheng said.

He showed a screenshot of web pages of AliExpress, another e-commerce site owned by Alibaba, promoting a variety of illicit items, from counterfeit U.S. banknotes and coins to fake vaccination cards, and FBI or New York Police Department badges.

Taobao, one of Chinas largest shopping platforms, has for years attracted scrutiny for selling pirated and counterfeit goods. The U.S. trade representative has placed the e-commerce giant on its annual list of notorious markets for the past five years.

While in China, Cheng and his employees hired lawyers to try to hold Alibaba to account, only to find that they couldnt even file a case against the tech giant, which at the time was one of Chinas most powerful companies, with deep connections to the Chinese Communist Party, he said. Some of his employees pursuing the case were also detained, and an Alibaba lawyer threatened to accuse them of harassment.

Alibaba officials didnt respond to a request for comment by press time.

Despite being jailed for three years, Cheng says hes luckier than his Chinese employees, most of whom had much longer sentences, calculated based on how many replica guns they had bought. His U.S. citizenship aside, Cheng believes that his contention that Taobao was the culprit helped him get a shorter sentence.

According to Cheng, a Chinese citizen unrelated to his case was sentenced to life imprisonment for buying 49 toy samurai swords online.

Accountability

Chengs experience took a severe toll on him. While in jail, he attempted suicide three times. The company he founded, which, at one point, he was looking to take public, went bankrupt as he languished in detention.

Now, more than one year after his release, Cheng still has nightmares every night and often cant figure out where he is upon waking up.

When I fall asleep, I go back to the jail, he said. I looked like a lunatic right after I came back to America. I kept wandering at home anxiously.

Cheng said hes on medication for his post-traumatic stress disorder and is being treated by four psychiatrists.

Given that Taobao is an international shopping platform, Cheng is concerned that Alibaba is misusing its vast databases of customers personal information from all over the world. According to an Alexa ranking, Taobao was the eighth-most-visited website globally in 2021.

Cheng is urging that governments strengthen supervision of Alibaba and Taobao. Meanwhile, he calls on Apple to stop running Taobao ads and urges shoppers to delete Taobao apps.

A loving dad who bought a toy gun for his kids birthday may end up in jail for many years. It has harmed so many families, Cheng said.

It must be stopped.
A worker pusher a cart in front of a sign showing Evergrande Group's China operation at a housing complex by the property developer in Beijing on Dec. 8, 2021. (Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images)

As the Economy Slides, Chinese Regime Seek Stability

News Analysis

The Chinese Communist Partys annual Central Economic Work Conference, where top officials discuss economic priorities for the next year, concluded on Dec. 10. The meeting was keenly anticipated as China faces significant economic headwinds going into 2022.

The phrase stability emerged as the key theme of this meeting, with the word being mentioned 25 times, according to Chinese state-run media. This comes at a time when the Chinese economy is facing significant economic challenges from the ongoing pandemic, supply chain bottlenecks, an energy crisis, and a fragile property sector.

The key takeaway from the meeting is that stabilizing growth is the bottom line, and for the next 12 months growth will be on top of the Communist Partys agenda, Bruce Pang, head of macro-economy and strategy research at China Renaissance Securities Hong Kong Ltd, told Bloomberg.

Focus on Growth

After spending the last few years focused on curbing what the authorities saw as financial excesses and reducing debt, the concern has now shifted to maintaining economic growth.

Priority is shifting from regulatory tightening to supporting economic growth. said Larry Hu and Xinyu Ji said in a Macquarie report.

Regulatory aims such as stabilizing debt-to-GDP and curbing monopoly power were removed from this years statement, possibly signaling a shift away from deleveraging and anti-monopoly campaigns. However, broader strategies and goals such as prevent[ing] barbaric growth in capital by implementing a traffic light system for capital were included in the statement released by official state media Xinhua .

Last year was a whole paragraph about the disorderly expansion of capital and tech companies  This year its briefer and theres very little about large tech companies. Thats good news for them, Chen Long, an economist at Beijing-based consultancy Plenum, told Bloomberg.

The statement makes clear that the most pressing concern to authorities is the slowing economy.

[The] economy faces the triple forces of contracting demand, a supply shock, and weakening expectations, reads the official statement.

Chinas economic woes have been building of late, with the economy slowing to 4.9 percent in the third quarter of 2021 on the back of these three forces. This slowdown has now clearly placed increasing pressure on authorities, who still have the goal of doubling GDP by 2035.

No specific policies were detailed in the meeting, but it appears proactive and targeted fiscal policy will be the tool of choice to achieve growth stabilization, while monetary policy will be flexible and appropriate. These policies will become more clear early next year when the authorities announce their growth targets.

The statement comes only days after the Chinese central bank added stimulus to the economy by cutting reserve requirements by 0.5 percentage points, injecting around $188 billion into the financial system.

Real Estate

As the Chinese property market faces lower consumer sentiment along with a string of property developers running into debt issues (most notably Evergrande), Chinese authorities continued to emphasize the need to curb any unwanted speculation and leverage in this sector.

The phrase houses are for living, not for speculation appears in the Xinhua readout of the meeting. This term has been used to justify the regulation that has squeezed the property sector. Its continued appearance could signal continuation in these policies, which has forced the property development sector into a painful structural change in their business model.

Additional language on support[ing] the commercial housing market to better meet the reasonable housing needs of buyers was included. But it is unclear if this might lead to any reprieve for property developers who face a tough deleveraging campaign, which brought many property developers to the brink of collapse and sapped the confidence out of consumers.
Australia, Japan, and the United States will fund an undersea cable to drive faster internet and grow connectivity to three Pacific countries.

The Pacific allies will work with the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, and Nauru to provide better internet capacity.

A joint statement between six countries released on Sunday included Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, Japan Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The six-country partnership would result in higher quality and more reliable and secure communications to about 100,000 people, the statement said.

This will support increased economic growth, drive development opportunities, and help to improve living standards as the region recovers from the severe impacts of COVID-19.

The joint infrastructure investment comes at a time of unprecedented economic and strategic challenges in our region.

Concern have increased in the Indo-Pacific region amid tensions between socialist China and liberal democratic Taiwan.

Chinese fighter jets continue to fly over Taiwan, while Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton said it was inconceivable Australia would not back the United States in the event it chose to provide aid to the self-ruled island in its defense against an invasion by Beijing.

It would be inconceivable that we wouldnt support the U.S. in an action if the U.S. chose to take that action, Dutton told reporters in November.
Australians aged 18 and over can now get the Moderna vaccine as a booster shot against the coronavirus as an alternative to a Pfizer dose, Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Sunday.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has given approval to the Moderna vaccine as a booster shot, and like Pfizer, it can be used irrespective of what vaccine a person received for their primary course of vaccination.

ATAGI has also confirmed in updated advice that booster doses can be provided from five months after completion of the primary course, given the likelihood of ongoing transmission of the Omicron and Delta variants.

This was previously recommended to be six months from a second dose.

A booster dose, five or more months after the second dose, will make sure that the protection from the primary course is even stronger and longer lasting and should help prevent spread of the virus, Hunt said in a statement.

He said more than 670,000 Australians had already received more than two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The Moderna booster dosage is half that of the primary course dosage.

Hunt and Health Department secretary Brendan Murphy will receive their COVID-19 booster shots on Sunday.

More than 40 million COVID-19 vaccines had been administered in Australia, with more than 93 percent of eligible Australians aged 16 and older having received a first dose and more than 89 percent having received a second dose.

Government frontbencher Peter Dutton said it was important people understood Australia was living with the virus now and the reason behind getting to a fully vaccinated rate of 80 or 90 percent.

He said people did not want to go back into lockdowns.

I think that is the general sentiment frankly across the country, he told Sky News Sunday Agenda program.

We need to recognise the mental health issues that have been generated in our community, [and] the domestic violence issues from people being stuck at home for extended periods.

By Colin Brinsden
Ambulances are parked at the entrance of the Palestinian camp where an explosion took place, in the southern Lebanese port city of Tyre, Lebanon, on Dec. 10, 2021. (Aziz Taher/Reuters)

Blast in Palestinian Camp in South Lebanon Injures About a Dozen

BEIRUTA large explosion rocked a Palestinian camp in the southern Lebanese port city of Tyre on Friday night, injuring about a dozen people, according to rescue workers on the scene and a Palestinian source inside the camp.

The state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported an unspecified number of deaths, but local media and civil defense workers on the scene said there had been no fatalities. A security source also said fatalities had not been recorded.

The NNA reported that the blast emanated from a weapons depot belonging to the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in the Burj al-Shemali camp. It said a judge had ordered security forces to launch an investigation.

Hamas said in a statement on Saturday that the blast was caused by an electrical fault in a warehouse containing oxygen and gas cylinders for coronavirus patients, as well as detergents and disinfectants.

The fire damaged some property but losses were limited, the group said.

A number of armed Palestinian factions, including Hamas and the Fatah Movement, hold effective control over roughly a dozen Palestinian camps in the country, which Lebanese authorities by custom do not enter.

The area surrounding the blast had been evacuated and rescue crews were deployed, the Palestinian source said.

Videos from the scene shared by local media show a number of small bright red flashes above the southern city, followed by a large explosion and the sound of glass breaking.

By Timour Azhari and Moaz Abd-Alaziz
California Businesses May Have to Pay for $20 Billion in Unemployment Fraud

As California faces a $20 billion unemployment fraud deficit, businesses may be required to pay back the funds, according to Sen. Patricia Bates (R-Huntington Beach).

Bates said employers will be responsible for paying back the money lost from fraudulent unemployment benefit claims in 2022, as required by federal law.

Thats going to be a burden on them, Bates said on Epoch TVs California Insider.

The Federal Unemployment Tax Act, a tax on employers that funds unemployment compensation, requires businesses to make up for a deficit if the funds run dry, according to Bates.

Bates said the recent unemployment fraud deficit may cost employers in California an added $21 per employee, at minimum.

The widespread fraud started throughout the state when the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation was offered through the Employment Development Department (EDD) beginning in March 2020.

When the unemployment system became overwhelmed during the pandemic, the EDD began to accept all applications without verifying identity employment status, including those incarcerated, Bates said.

Bates gave the example of the EDD sending out $21,000 in unemployment funds to an applicant who applied with state Sen. Dianne Feinsteins name.

While only $20 billion in fraud has officially been exposed, Bates warns the number could be up to $30 billion.

The concern is, there is $10 billion more thats been paid out to people who shouldnt have been eligible, Bates said. Now theyre checking that eligibility retroactively.

Interviews to ensure unemployment benefits are eligible are four to six months behind, Bates said.

Where will those people be in six months? Bates said. Will they still be in California? Will we be able to track them? Of course, they spent the money thinking that they were eligible. Is that their fault?

While the EDD begins to verify the identities and eligibility status of those who received unemployment funds, a miscommunication or breakdown of the internet and technology (IT) systems between Bank of America and EDD has occurred, Bates said.

The EDD and Bank of America work in partnership to deliver debit cards with unemployment funds on them. While most hope for accuracy within the system, letters have been sent to the wrong addresses and recipients in Batess Southern California district.

Three letters were received in Batess office at the end of November regarding individuals who have received letters addressed to other recipients about how to use their debit card or requesting more information.

Despite the mishap, the issues within the states unemployment system date back many years.

In 2011, an assembly member proposed to require that Social Security numbers appear on all EDD communications, according to Bates. The bill made it to the governors desk but was vetoed because it would interrupt the system and cost millions to improve the IT systems.

As employers will take on the burden of paying back the funds, small businesses continuing to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns will be impacted, Bates said.

To minimize the impact, the Senate Republican Caucus proposed the states Budget Committee take from Californias surplus to assist with paying down the debt to relieve the burden on employers, according to Bates.

As some states that have accumulated unemployment fraud have paid back the debt to avoid the fees falling onto employers, Bates recommends California does that same.

Delaware paid $209 million, New Hampshire paid $50 million, Massachusetts paid $1.8 million, and Texas allocated $7 billion of Cares Act funds to repay the debt for Nov. 2021, according to Bates.

They are paying the debt, so their employers dont have to, she said. Thats what California must do to make it fair.

With the fraud still accumulating, Bates called on state legislators to take accountability and be more proactive in pushing for a change in the system.

I do think the responsibility is with our legislators, and I think they need to be more involved, she said. It has been a bipartisan debacle.

As fraud persists, Bates reassured a fraud unit has been formed and is ordered to be fully staffed to have rectified the EDD fraud by Nov. 30. The review and report by the fraud unit will be uncovered in the next month.
Californias Gavin Newsom Vows to Ban Assault Weapons the Same Way Texas Restricts Abortion

In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Courts refusal for a second time to block a Texas law prohibiting most abortions, California Gov. Gavin Newsom pledged to use the Texas strategy to outlaw what his state characterizes as assault weapons.

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the U.S. Department of Justices challenge to the Texas law previously known as S.B. 8, which essentially bans all abortions after six weeks of pregnancy and delegates enforcement to private citizens. The vote was 8-1, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor being the sole dissenter. Sotomayor argued in her dissenting opinion that the court, by its decision, effectively invites other states to refine the Texas model for nullifying federal rights.

In response to the high courts decision that leaves the Texas law untouched, Newsom said he has ordered his staff to work with the state Legislature and the Attorney Generals Office on a measure that would allow private citizens to sue anyone who manufactures, distributes, or sells a so-called assault weapon, firearm parts, or a firearm built from parts in California.

I am outraged by yesterdays U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing Texass ban on most abortion services to remain in place, and largely endorsing Texass scheme to insulate its law from the fundamental protections of Roe v. Wade, the Democrat said in a statement released Saturday. But if states can now shield their laws from review by the federal courts that compare assault weapons to Swiss Army knives, then California will use that authority to protect peoples lives, where Texas used it to put women in harms way.

The definition of assault weapon varies from state to state, but generally refers to semi-automatic rifles such as the AR-15, the most commonly used rifle in marksmanship competitions, training, and home defense. Most modern guns, including handguns, are semi-automatic.

The term assault weapon, however, has long been criticized by Republicans and gun-rights groups as politically loaded and intentionally ambiguous.

If enacted, Californias assault weapon ban would allow statutory damages of at least $10,000 per violation plus costs and attorneys fees, according to Newsom. Under the Texas law, individual citizens can be awarded a minimum of $10,000 for successful lawsuits against anyone who performs or assists a woman in getting an abortion after an unborn babys heartbeat is detected.

If the most efficient way to keep these devastating weapons off our streets is to add the threat of private lawsuits, we should do just that, he said.

The Firearm Policy Coalition (FPC), a Sacremento-based Second Amendment advocacy group, said they predicted that Newsom would use the Texas model against the constitutional right to keep and bear arms, and that they are prepared to challenge policy changes he proposed head-on. The group saw a court victory in June, when the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California overturned a long-standing ban on assault weapons.

We are prepared to litigate these important issues in state courts and then up to the U.S. Supreme Court, the FPC said in a statement.
The logo of Mexican cement maker CEMEX at it's plant in Monterrey, Mexico, on June 8, 2021. (Daniel Becerril/Reuters)

Cemex Says US Justice Department Closed Anti-Trust Investigation

MONTERREY, MexicoMexicos Cemex, one of the worlds largest cement companies, said Friday that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has closed an investigation against the company for a possible violation of anti-trust laws.

Cemex also reported that it was fined about 68 million euros ($77 million) by Spanish authorities following tax audits of its operations from 2010 to 2014. Cemex said it would appeal the fine.
A migrant worker wears a red ribbon during an event organized by the local government to promote HIV/AIDS knowledge among migrant workers in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on Dec. 1, 2005. (China Photos/Getty Images)

Chinas HIV Cases Reach 1 Million With Prevalence Among Youth: Study

HIV and AIDS remain a major public health problem and cause of death in China, with more than a million people reportedly having HIV at the end of 2020, according to a recent report.

In the past decade, Chinas HIV infection rates have increased significantly for men of all age groups, with a growing prevalence among Chinese youth.

The study Research Progress in the Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in China (pdf) was published by China CDC Weekly on Nov. 26, authored by He Na, professor of epidemiology and dean of the School of Public Health at Shanghais Fudan University.

The study indicates more than 1.05 million people in China reported having HIV at the end of 2020, while the cumulative deaths were 351,000. The proportion of heterosexual and homosexual transmission increased from 48.3 percent and 9.1 percent in 2009 to 74.2 percent and 23.3 percent in 2020, respectively. And the standardized mortality rate of HIV/AIDS rose sharply from 0.33 per 100,000 people in 1990 to 2.50 per 100,000 people in 2016.

In particular, HIV cases among young college students are increasingly prevalent. A total of 23,307 HIV/AIDS cases were reported in students between the ages 18 and 22 in China between 2010 and 2019, with overall male infections outnumbering female infections by 34 times.

A report by the AIDS Prevention Education Project for Chinese Youth, a Chinese nonprofit organization, shows in 2020 around 3,000 new cases of HIV/AIDS were reported among students between the ages of 15 and 24. Over 98 percent of these cases were sexually transmitted, with 81.7 percent occurring in homosexual males, and 16.9 percent in heterosexuals, according to the state-owned China News.

Dr. Margaret Chan, the former director-general of the World Health Organization, said that in recent years the overwhelming majority of HIV-positive cases among Chinese youth were through unprotected sex, citing the China News report. As a result, Chinas AIDS prevention efforts have begun to focus on its youths.

Likewise, older men have also been increasingly and disproportionately affected by HIV over the past decade in China. The proportion of newly reported HIV-positive cases of males aged 60 years or older increased from 7.41 percent in 2010 to 18.21 percent in 2020, citing data from China National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention. The majority of them were infected through heterosexual contact.

According to the study by the China CDC, men who have sex with men (MSM) are the highest-risk group for HIV infection and present an increasing public health challenge in China. From 2001 to 2018, the overall national prevalence of HIV among MSM was estimated to be 5.7 percent, and highest in those aged 50 or older, reaching 19.3 percent. HIV was also more prevalent among those with illiteracy, accounting for 16.8 percent. Those in southwest China account for 10.7 percent, and those seeking partners in bathhouses or saunas account for 13.4 percent.

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the bodys immune system. If HIV is not treated, it can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), the most advanced stage of HIV.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, once people get HIV, they have it for life. But with proper medical care, HIV can be controlled. People with HIV who get effective treatment can live long, healthy lives and protect their partners.
Debate moderator and Fox News anchor Chris Wallace directs the first presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden at the Health Education Campus of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, on Sept. 29, 2020. (Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images)

Chris Wallace Announces He Is Leaving Fox News Sunday After 18 Years

Wallace confirms he will join CNN

Fox News anchor Chris Wallace announced he is leaving the network, ending his 18-year-long run of hosting Fox News Sunday.

Wallace announced his departure on the Sunday morning program that he hosts.

After 18 yearsthis is my final Fox News Sunday, Wallace said. It is the last timeand I say this with real sadnesswe will meet like this.

Without elaborating on his decision, Wallace said that the move to leave was his decision. He thanked his bosses at Fox News for not interfering with his interviews or commentary, which has been increasingly criticized as biased in recent years by Republicans and President Donald Trump.

Eighteen years ago, the bosses here at Fox promised me they would never interfere with a guest I booked or a question I asked. And they kept that promise, Wallace, the son of CBS correspondent Mike Wallace, continued in his statement. I have been free to report to the best of my ability, to cover the stories I think are important, to hold our countrys leaders to account.

After his announcement, Wallace confirmed hes joining CNN despite recent controversies surrounding former anchor Chris Cuomo and the recent arrest of a CNN producer on alleged sex crimes.

Wallace will join CNN+, the news organizations streaming product thats launching next year, and will host a show that interviews celebrities, politicians, business leaders, and sports figures, according to CNN in a news release.

I am thrilled to join CNN+. After decades in broadcast and cable news, I am excited to explore the world of streaming. I look forward to the new freedom and flexibility streaming affords in interviewing major figures across the news landscapeand finding new ways to tell stories, Wallace said in a statement provided by CNN.

Known for his interviews with high-profile individuals, Wallace also became a staple of Fox News election coverage and moderated several presidential debates, including the 2016 contest between Hillary Clinton and Trump as well as Trumps debate with then-candidate Joe Biden last year.

Its been a great ride. Weve covered five presidential elections, interviewed every president since George H.W. Bush traveled the worlds sitting down with Frances Emmanuel Macron and Russias Vladimir Putin, his statement continued. And Ive gotten to spend Sunday mornings with you. It may sound corny, but I feel we built a community here.

Wallace first joined Fox in 2003, having previously worked at ABC News and NBC News.

He added: Theres a lot you can do on Sunday mornings, the fact youve chosen to spend this hour with us is something I cherish. But after 18 years, I have decided to leave Fox. I want to try something new to go beyond politics, to all the things Im interested in. Im ready for a new adventure. And I hope youll check it out.

Fox News confirmed the move in a statement on Sunday. A rotating slate of hosts will replace Wallace until a permanent host is named.

We are extremely proud of our journalism and the stellar team that Chris Wallace was a part of for 18 years. The legacy of Fox News Sunday will continue with our star journalists, many of whom will rotate in the position until a permanent host is named, the network said.
Doctor Says He Was Fired for Trying to Treat COVID-19 Patients With Ivermectin

Hospital says doctor was an independent contractor, not an employee

A Mississippi doctor said he was fired for attempting to treat COVID-19 patients with ivermectin, which is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat parasites, although the hospital in question said he was not an employee but instead was an independent contractor.

Dr. John Witcher, an emergency room physician at the Baptist Memorial Hospital in Yazoo City, said was told not to come back after taking several COVID-19 patients off Remdesivir, which is approved by the FDA to treat the virus, and allowed them to use ivermectin.

I was very surprised that I was basically told to not come back at the end of the day, Witcher said on the Stew Peters podcast. These patients were under my direct care, and so I felt like taking them off Remdesivir and putting them on ivermectin was the right thing to do at the time.

Baptist Memorial told news outlets that Witcher no longer practices medicine as an independent physician at the Yazoo City facility, adding that he was an independent contractor, not an employee at the facility.

The hospital system said that it follows the standards of care recommended by the scientific community and our medical team in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 such as vaccines and monoclonal antibody treatments.

But Witcher said that he was working at the Baptist Memorial emergency room when three new COVID-19 patients arrived on Dec. 10. They were prescribed Remdesivir, but Witcher said that he has concerns about the drug.

I was there at the hospital for three days straight in the ER and so I felt like this would be a good opportunity to try ivermectin on these inpatient patients that I had been following very closely and just see how well it worked, Witcher remarked.

The hospital couldnt prescribe ivermectin, he said, adding that he had to call a local pharmacy. The pharmacy, Witcher said, then delivered the drug to the hospital and switched their prescriptions from Remdesivir to ivermectin.

However, according to Witcher, Baptist Memorial severed ties with him before he could administer the ivermectin.

Theres a first time for everything, but I wouldnt say it was experimental, he said. Theres been plenty of evidence with patients right here in Mississippi that have taken ivermectin, and theyve done well.

There have been reports of severe COVID-19 cases recovering from the disease after taking ivermectin, a relatively inexpensive drug compared to Remdesivir. A lawyer for the family of a 71-year-old man, Son Ng, told The Epoch Times earlier this month that Ngs life was most definitely saved by taking ivermectin because his condition changed right immediately after he took the drug.

Baptist Memorial didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.
Does Cellphone Radiation Affect Fertility?

Research findings raise serious concerns about where men keep their phone

Are men talking their reproductive health away? a 2015 study in the Asian Journal of Andrology asks.

There have been unexplained declines in semen quality reported in several countries, according to a 2014 review in Environment International. Might cellphones be playing a role?

Radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation [RF-EMR] from these devices could potentially affect sperm development and function, said the UK researchers behind the review in Environment International.

The cellphone industry bristles at the R-word, preferring the more innocuous-sounding RF-EMFs to radiation. However, it does have a point about radiation being used by snake-oil hucksters of radiation protection gadgets. Radiation isnt only found in atomic bomb gamma rays. The warm glow of sunshine on your face is also radiation. The question is: Does the specific type of radiation emitted by cellphones affect male fertility?

After the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared that cellphones  [could possibly] cause brain cancer, many switched to hands-free devices, keeping their phones in their pants and using Bluetooth or other technology. So theyve managed to keep their phone away from their brains, but close to their gonads. The UK researchers put all of the studies together, including nearly 1,500 semen samples, and found that exposure to mobile phones was associated with reduced sperm motility  and viability, though not necessarily sperm concentration.

How much was their swimming ability affected? Sperm motility appeared to be about 8 percent lower, but that alone may not actually translate into reduced fertility unless youre starting out with a marginal sperm count. It might be better to avoid keeping an active cellphone near your crotch for long periods of time, especially if youre a man who already has fertility problems.

Cellphone exposure may just be one of a number of modern-day environmental exposures that could contribute to fertility issues. For example, Wi-Fi may be an issue. In a study published in The Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences, Turkish researchers took semen samples from more than 1,000 men, and the total number of motile sperm  were decreased in a group who used a wireless internet compared with ones who used the wired internet.

These were all observational studies, however. Maybe men who use Wi-Fi just tend to smoke more, or maybe they ride more horses, and thats the reason for the apparent link. Its impossible to know until its put to the test.

Unfortunately, many of the studies were conducted on rats. While the microwaves emitted from a cellphone dont appear to affect rat testicles, it can be argued that you cant necessarily extrapolate from these animal models, since their reproductive organs are so different. For example, their scrotums are non-pendulous, meaning that their testicles are more inside rather than being exposed on the outside of their bodies.

In light of these concerns, a paper presented at the 2008 Antennas and Propagation Conference advised that until proven otherwise, it is recommended that those with subfertility issues may not want to keep their cellphones in their front pants pockets in close proximity to the testicles. Even when not in use, mobile phones emit radiation periodically to keep pinging their location.

However, main exposure takes place when calls are being made or received, when the device may still remain in the pocket, thanks to headsets or Bluetooth. The conference paper also answered another question: What happens when you then have your phone in proximity to other common metal objects? For example, you may have a metal zipper on your trousers and a keyring in your pocket along with your phone.

When all three objects were added, the SAR [the amount of radiation absorbed] in both the leg and in the testicles was generally increased and approximately doubled, the paper reads.

Thats only a problem if the radiation actually damages sperm, however. One might wonder if someone could design a study where a person simply waves a cellphone over some human sperm in a Petri dish to see if theres an issue. Researchers did just that and published their findings in the Central European Journal of Urology in 2014.

The researchers conducting the study found significantly more DNA fragmentation in sperm exposed to cellphone radiation, starting within an hour of exposure. This is such a dramatic effect that they suggest that women might not want to pocket their phones for a few days after trying to get pregnant, so as to not put the sperm at further risk.
An empty street is pictured as demonstrators called for a "silent strike" in protest against the military coup in Yangon on Dec. 10, 2021. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Empty Streets in Burma as Protesters Hold Silent Strikes Against Military

Burma, also known as Myanmar, braced for empty streets on International Human Rights Day as protesters staged nationwide silent strikes in defiance of the military regime that ousted elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a February coup.

Photos on social media showed the streets of Yangon, a densely populated city usually crowded with public transportation, deserted on Friday, with all shops shuttered and no traffic. The nationwide silent strikes also brought the city of Mandalay to a standstill.

Video of Yangon and Mandalay being turned into ghost cities by massive #SilentStrike. People are displaying power and that they own the cities, Civil Disobedience Movement tweeted on Friday with a video showing empty streets.

The U.S. Embassy in Yangon has also issued an alert about the silent strike and advised its citizens to stay home, warning that a military response of unknown proportions may result from the demonstration.

Since Thursday, authorities had announced in some neighborhoods that action would be taken against shops that close without an acceptable reason.

A shopkeeper from the market in Muse in northern Shan state said the official Township Development Committee threatened over a loudspeaker on Friday morning that it would take action against closed shops.

They announced in the town that they would shut down our shops for a month if we went ahead and closed the shops and markets without any reason. But we dont care. It is the time to show our unity, said the vendor, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution from the authorities.

The nationwide silent strike came after reports that junta troops massacred 11 people, including children, in the Sagaing region on Tuesday.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said that it was appalled by the alarming escalation of grave human rights abuses in Burma and called for a unified and resolute international response to restore the countrys democracy.

In recent weeks, we have received multiple reports of villages being burned, including protected structures such as places of religious worship, and residential buildings, OHCHR said in a statement.

It also cited a recent military attack in Kyimyindaing Township, Yangon, on Dec. 5, in which the security forces rammed a vehicle into unarmed protesters and fired live ammunition at them.

These attacks are heinous, completely unacceptable, and disregard common values of humanity. They are also far from isolated, OHCHR remarked.

More than 1,300 people have been killed, and over 10,600 have been detained in Burma since the military seized power in February, according to the human rights organization, adding that General Min Aung Hlaings forces had repeatedly failed to respect their obligations under international law.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Federal Judges Slap Down the Biden AdministrationHard

Commentary

The judges are finally doing their jobs again.

In August, I penned a column lamenting that in COVID-19 cases, the courts seemed to have gone AWOL. The sole exception was the Supreme Courts 2020 decision in Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo (pdf), which blocked New York state closure rules discriminating against houses of worship.

Otherwise, courts were deferring to government mandates, often relying on the old case of Jacobson v. Massachusetts (pdf) without regard to whether Jacobson was really a good authority for COVID-19 restrictions.

But now the federal judiciary is pushing back against the Biden administrations contempt for liberty, the Constitution, and the rule of law.

On Aug. 26, the Supreme Court decided Alabama Association of Realtors v. Department of Health and Human Services (pdf). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), purportedly relying on a law that authorizes actions such as fumigation and disinfection, sought to rewrite every residential lease in the country. The Supreme Court called the CDCs interpretation of the law a stretch and struck down the agencys order:

The Governments read[ing] [of the statute] would give the CDC a breathtaking amount of authority. It is hard to see what measures this interpretation would place outside the CDCs reach  This claim of expansive authority  is unprecedented.

The Administration Doubles Down on Dictatorship

The high courts decision was a warning to the Biden administration. Yet the administration ignored it and doubled down. The Big Guy decided he knew best for the rest of us: Everyone had to be vaccinated. So the administration issued not one, but three vaccination mandates:

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) imposed a vaccination diktat on companies with more than 100 employees.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a similar decree on health care providers.

The Big Guy issued an executive order stating that the government would no longer contract with (or permit subcontracts to) companies with unvaccinated employees.

Just as the CDC had tried to convert a fumigation statute into power over residential leases, OSHA twisted a law directed at immediate job emergencies into a sweeping public health measure. CMS and the president likewise inflated administrative provisions into public health laws.

Each of these mandates purported to override state and local public health regulations.

The number of people affected shows how far the federal government now exceeds its constitutional limits. The OSHA mandate covered two-thirds of the private sector workers in the country. The CMS decree affected 10.3 million people. The presidents executive order drew a bead on a fifth of the national workforce.

The administrations apparent goal was to transfer public health policy from the states, where the Constitution places it, into the grip of Dictator Joe.

The Judicial Response

On Nov. 12, a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit put a hold on the OSHA mandate. The case was BST Holdings v. OSHA (pdf). The judge writing the courts opinion was Kurt D. Engelhardt.

On Nov. 30, a Louisiana federal court stayed the CMS order. The case was Louisiana v. Becerra (pdf). The jurist was Terry A. Doughty. The same day, a Kentucky federal judge stayed the executive order on federal contractors. The case was Kentucky v. Biden (pdf). The judge was Gregory F. Van Tatenhove.

Van Tatenhoves stay applied only to three states, but on Dec. 7, R. Stan Baker, a Georgia federal judge, made the stay national in scope. The case was Georgia v. Biden (pdf).

At least one decision has gone the other way. A Florida district court upheld the CMS mandate, and on Dec. 6, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit affirmed (Florida v. Department of Health and Human Services (pdf)). But unlike the 5th Circuit case, this decision wasnt unanimous: Judge Barbara Lagoa strongly dissented.

Aside from the 11th Circuit, all these courts found that the administrations orders grossly exceeded the power Congress had given the executive branch.

Some of the judges expressed constitutional doubts as well. In the 5th Circuit (OSHA) case, Engelhardt pointed out (as I had in an earlier essay) that refusing to receive vaccination isnt the kind of economic activity the Supreme Court says can be reached under the Commerce Power. Lagoa, writing in her 11th Circuit dissent, echoed that comment. In Kentucky, Van Tatenhove added, There is a serious concern that Defendants have stepped into an area traditionally reserved to the States, and this provides an additional reason to temporarily enjoin the vaccine mandate.

Theres a rule of constitutional lawknown as the major questions doctrinethat when Congress wishes to intrude on a matter of traditional state concern, Congress must do so in clear language. This is a very prominent rule studied in law school constitutional law courses. Of course, the Biden administration knew all about it, but chose to ignore it. Judges Engelhardt, Lagoa, and Doughty all criticized the administration for doing so.

The Judges Question the Administrations Ethics

Typically, judges dont accuse government actors of bad faith. But the Biden administrations conduct was so egregious that several judges mentioned it. Van Tatenhove pointed out that when Biden issued his executive order, he violated the Competition in Contracting Act. Doughty observed that the administration had deliberately disregarded three specific legal requirements imposed by the Social Security Act. Doughty explained how the CMS avoided giving legally required public notice:

It took CMS almost two months, from September 9, 2021 to November 5, 2021, to prepare the interim final rule at issue. Evidently, the situation was not so urgent that notice and comment were not required. It took CMS longer to prepare the interim final rule without notice than it would have taken to comply with the notice and comment requirement.

Several judges commented on the dishonesty of the administrations legal defenses. Van Tatenhove declared that it strains credulity that Congress intended  a procurement statute, to be the basis for promulgating a public health measure such as mandatory vaccination. Doughty found the CMS order arbitrary and capricious. In response to the CMS claim that its order was designed to increase efficiency, Doughty labeled that a mere pretextwhich means it was a lie.

Engelhardt also responded to the administrations dubious ethics. OSHA claimed it received power to impose vaccine mandates from an emergency shortcut designed for immediate workplace threats from previously unknown chemicals and similar substances. Engelhardt noted that:

This emergency had endured for nearly two years. When the administration finally decided to act, it took two months to do so. Obviously, the administration really didnt believe there was an emergency. It merely said so to defend its overreach.

Courts and the Agency have agreed for generations that the emergency shortcut had to be delicately exercised. But the Mandate is a one-size-fits-all sledgehammer that makes hardly any attempt to account for differences in workplaces (and workers) that have more than a little bearing on workers varying degrees of susceptibility to the supposedly grave danger the Mandate purports to address.

OSHA previously conceded that it had no such authority.

The sledgehammer was both underinclusive and staggeringly overbroad, violating yet another requirement of the statute, Engelhardt said. He finished with these words:

The Constitution vests a limited legislative power in Congress. For more than a century, Congress has routinely used this power to delegate policymaking specifics and technical details to executive agencies charged with effectuating policy principles Congress lays down.  But health agencies do not make housing policy, and occupational safety administrations do not make health policy. Cf. Ala. Assn of Realtors  In seeking to do so here, OSHA runs afoul of the statute from which it draws its power and, likely, violates the constitutional structure that safeguards our collective liberty.

These cases are extraordinary slapdowns of a sitting president. The slapdowns are extraordinary not merely because the president lost, but because so many judges felt the need to highlight the Biden administrations dishonesty and contempt for the rule of law.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Britain's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss speaks at a press conference at the G-7 Foreign Ministers meeting in Liverpool, England, on Dec. 12, 2021. (Jon Super/AP Photo)

G-7 Warns Russia of Massive Consequences of Ukraine Incursion

The Group of Seven (G-7) major industrialized countries warned Russia on Dec. 12 that any invasion of Ukraine would have massive consequences and would incur a severe cost.

In a statement issued after a two-day summit held in the English city of Liverpool, G-7 foreign ministers said they were united in [their] condemnation of Russias military build-up and aggressive rhetoric towards Ukraine.

Ukrainian servicemen attend a rehearsal of an official ceremony to hand over tanks, armored personnel carriers, and military vehicles to the Ukrainian Armed Forces as the country celebrates Army Day in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Dec. 6, 2021. (Gleb Garanich/Reuters)

The foreign policy chiefs from the United States, the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the European Union, called on Russia to deescalate, pursue diplomatic channels, and abide by its international commitments on transparency of military activities.

Any use of force to change borders is strictly prohibited under international law, they said. Russia should be in no doubt that further military aggression against Ukraine would have massive consequences and severe cost in response.

We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the right of any sovereign state to determine its own future.

Earlier, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss told a press conference that the G-7 allies have sent a very clear united message to [Russian President] Vladimir Putin.

Truss said the UK is considering all options including economic sanctions in response to potential Russian aggression.

When the UK has wanted to send clear messages and achieve clear goals, we have been prepared to use economic sanctions. So we are considering all options, she told reporters.

The warning comes amid rising tensions over a Russian troop buildup on the Ukrainian border, which is seen as a sign of a potential invasion.

Ukrainian officials have estimated that more than 90,000 Russian troops are massing near the border in Russian-occupied Crimea, and have said they believe an attack is imminent. They have asked the United States and other countries for help defending the countrys borders.

Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union before becoming an independent country in 1991.

Western countries view Ukraine as a bulwark against Russia, which harbours ambitions for more territorial control. Russia seized Crimea in 2014, when former U.S. President Barack Obama was in office.

Truss also said the G-7 is concerned about Chinas coercive economic policies across the globe.

We have been clear at this meeting this weekend that we are concerned about the coercive economic policies of China, she said. And what we want to do is build the investment reach, the economic trade reach, of like-minded, freedom-loving democracies.

Talking about the Iran nuclear issue, Truss warned the Islamic regime that the ongoing talks with world powers in Vienna is the last chance for Iran to come to the negotiating table with a serious resolution to this issue.

She reiterated that the international community will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.

Zachary Stieber, Reuters, and PA contributed to this report.
Packaged marijuana found during a raid on warehouses in White City, Oregon, on Nov. 18, 2021. (Oregon State Police)

Indoor Illegal Marijuana Grows in Oregon Tied to Chinese Organized Crime

A Nov. 29 search warrant in the small town of Philomath, Oregon, led to the discovery of 4,000 marijuana plants growing in a warehouse and the arrest of five suspects allegedly connected with a Chinese organized crime group headquartered in New York, according to Philomath Chief of Police Ken Rueben.

During the raid, police arrested Jianhua Chen, Yushen Chen, Shuiqing Hu, Zining Huang, and Weiming Wu at the site. All face felony charges related to possession, delivery, and unlawful manufacturing of marijuana.

Police in Oregon are prohibited by law from asking about nationality or immigration status. The suspects communicated through an interpreter.

This is the second major operation weve been a part of that involved Chinese operators, Albany Police Capt. Brad Liles told The Epoch Times. The earlier operation resulted in 12 arrests, with charges that included racketeering, money laundering, criminal conspiracy, unlawful manufacturing of marijuana, and identity theft.

Both investigations involved officers from multiple police departments, two county sheriffs offices, Oregon State Police, the FBI, members of the special Linn Interagency Narcotics Enforcement team, and more.

Illegal marijuana operations have overwhelmed law enforcement officers as well as county and state officials.

Drug traffickers have flocked here from every state in the nation and nearly a dozen countries, including China, Russia, Bulgaria, and Argentina, Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniel told The Epoch Times.

In the past year and a half, weve made the largest marijuana seizures weve ever been involved with, he said. Were seeing operations with as many as 10,000 plants. And the amount of money is just ridiculous.

His department recently participated in the seizure of 1,400 pounds from one U-Haul truck traveling south on Interstate 5.

In southern Oregon, most growing takes place outdoors because of the mild climate. Liles described the sophisticated indoor growing operations recently associated with Chinese operators farther north.

Growers convert a house, barn, or large outbuilding and retrofit it with lighting, ballasts, and hydroponics that operate on timers, he said. Automation means these operations require less manpower during cultivation.

The Philomath operation was in a two-story warehouse structure with 11 rooms and 5,000 square feet, Chief Rueben said. It contained plants in varying stagesfrom starts to fully-grown plants ready to harvest. The facility used generators, air filtration devices, and electronically controlled temperature and humidity based on the age of the plants.

Rueben said a high electricity bill and a vehicle registration led to the Philomath search warrant. Law enforcement tracked a vehicle that had been making drug deliveries in Portland back to the property. A check of the power bill showed that consumption at the site was unusually high.

An indoor grow house typically uses as much energy as 10 homes, Rick Fromme of Apex Data Consulting told The Epoch Times. Where a typical house may have a bill of less than $200, a grow house will be in the thousands.

While indoor operations differ from the outdoor growing thats typical of southern Oregon, they share the common trait of hiding in plain sight, Liles said.

Growers use legal hemp farming operations as cover for illegal marijuana operations. Registered farms arent required to allow inspectors in.

When an operation is surrounded by four walls and a roof, its even more difficult to know if theyre really growing hemp, Liles said.
An aerial view of homes and business destroyed by a tornado in Mayfield, Kentucky on Dec. 11, 2021. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Kentucky Governor: Death Toll in Tornado Outbreak Will Exceed More Than 100

The death toll from a tornado outbreak in Kentucky, which has left dozens of people dead over the weekend, is expected to rise, said Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, as rescuers continued to comb through fields of wreckage to find survivors on Sunday morning.

This is the deadliest tornado event we have ever had. I think its going to be the longest and deadliest tornado event in U.S. history, he told CNN on Sunday, adding that at least 80 people died in severe weather conditions.

But that number is going to exceed more than 100. This is the deadliest tornado event weve ever had, Beshear continued. We have half of some of our towns here in western Kentucky that are just gone. Its hard to see, Beshear added in a separate interview.

Starting on late Friday and into Saturday, tornadoes ripped through parts of Kentucky, which collapsed buildings, destroyed homes, and left thousands of people without power. One tornado that remained on the ground for hundreds of miles destroyed a candle factory, an Amazon distribution center, and a nursing home.

About 110 people were working at the candle factory in Mayfield when the tornado struck, but Beshear said Sunday that only about 40 people who were inside have been rescued. The governor said hes skeptical that more people will be pulled out alive from the factorys wreckage.

A feed store damaged by a tornado is seen in Mayfield, Ky., on Dec. 11, 2021. (Timothy D. Easley/AP Photo)

Im not sure that were going to see another rescue. I pray for it, it would be an incredibly welcomed miracle, but I think its been since 3:30 yesterday morning that we found a live person, the governor told CNN on Sunday. I pray that there will be another rescue. I pray that there will be another one or two, he told reporters earlier in the weekend.

In Kentucky alone, 22 were officially confirmed dead by late Saturday, including 11 in and around Bowling Green. The toll of 36 across five states stood at six deaths in Illinois, where an Amazon facility was hit; four in Tennessee; two in Arkansas, where a nursing home was destroyed; and two in Missouri.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker confirmed the Amazon facility deaths, adding that about 45 people have been rescued. Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford told reporters over the weekend that the rescue effort has turned into a recovery effort, and it will take days to complete.

Debris from destroyed buildings and shredded trees covered the ground in Mayfield, a city of about 10,000 in western Kentucky. Twisted metal sheeting, downed power lines, and wrecked vehicles lined the streets. Windows and roofs were blown off the buildings that were still standing.

We hope there are still rescues to be made, Mayfield, Kentucky, Mayor Kathy Stewart ONan told CBS News Saturday. We fear that it is now just recovery.

Aerial view of a candle factory after a tornado tore through, in Mayfield, Ky., on Dec. 11, 2021.(Michael Gordon/Storm Chasing Video via Reuters)

Kyanna Parsons-Perez, an employee at the factory, was trapped under 5 feet of debris for at least two hours until rescuers managed to free her.

In an interview with Today, Parsons-Perez said it was absolutely the most terrifying event she had ever experienced. I did not think I was going to make it at all.

President Joe Biden signed an emergency declaration for Kentucky, which allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other federal agencies to coordinate disaster relief efforts there. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Sunday morning that he is traveling to Kentucky to meet with Beshear and other officials.

Whatever is needed, the federal government is going to find a way to supply it, Biden said on Saturday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The 1974 Pinto Kyle Clinkscales was driving when he disappeared in 1976, is recovered from a creek in Alabama in December 2021. (Maj. Terry "Tj" Wood/Chambers County Sheriff's Department via AP)

Missing Auburn Students Car Found, but 1976 Mystery Remains

LAGRANGE, Ga.An Auburn University student disappeared after leaving his job at a Georgia bar one night in January 1976, and authorities long believed he was murdered. But the only person ever convicted went to prison for years for making false statements about a killing that may never have happened.

Nearly a half-century after the disappearance, the open hatch of a 1974 Pinto became visible in the murky water of an Alabama creek. It was Kyle Clinkscales car, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation will now analyze about 50 bones found inside, including part of a skull, a Georgia sheriff said.

We may never know how the 22-year-old died, Sheriff James Woodruff of Troup County said at a news conference after the car was pulled from the creek on Tuesday near Cusseta, Alabama. He said Clinkscales could have accidentally run off the road, about three miles off the interstate between his job and campus, but hes not ruling out foul play.

Neither is Donny Turner, whose office interviewed about 75 people in the case when he was sheriff from 1993 to 2012. He told The Associated Press on Thursday he remains confident Clinkscales was the victim of a homicide, that Jimmy Earl Jones was there and that Jones was correctly prosecuted for lying to investigators.

Clinkscales was from LaGrange, near the Georgia-Alabama state line and about 45 miles from Auburn. He disappeared after leaving the LaGrange Moose Club, where he worked as a bartender, at around 11 p.m. on Jan. 27, 1976, to return to school.

Louise Clinkscales holds a photo of her son Kyle Clinkscales at age 21 in a file photo. (Renee Hannis/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

His parents prayed for information about their son until they diedhis father in 2007 and his mother this year. They offered rewards, consulted psychics, provided DNA samples, and had a brief, false glimmer of hope in 1981 when a man in Oregon claimed he had amnesia and might be their son, according to news reports.

The investigation has started and stalled several times over the years, and authorities say Jones initial silence and later inconsistencies complicated things. AP tried to reach Jones and the lawyer who represented him for comment but was unable to locate either of them.

One tipster, in 1996, pointed to a man who was a friend of Jones, saying that man knew where the body was. Investigators drained a 5-acre lake near the mans property, but they found nothing. Jones friend denied any involvement, and Jones stayed mum. Investigators didnt have enough evidence to bring charges.

Then, in 2005, a man called Clinkscales parents, saying that when he was 7, he witnessed the disposal of their sons body, covered with concrete in a barrel and dumped into a pond. He said his cousin was involved in trying to get rid of the body.

The cousin denied it but said he heard a gunshot and witnessed Jones and the friend dragging someone away, Turner said. The pond was drained, but a body was not recovered.

When questioned by investigators in 1996 and in 2005, Jones failed to disclose that he was a witness to Clinkscales killing and later gave conflicting statements, authorities said.

Investigators talked to Jones many times, and his attorney was involved, Turner said.

He knew we were not trying to railroad him, Turner said.

Investigators charged Jones in April 2005 with concealing a death and hindering the apprehension of a criminal. He pleaded guilty a year later to two counts of false statements.

Jones said during his plea hearing that he was at his friends property that night when Clinkscales showed up, expected to bring money owed to someone else. Jones said his back was turned when he heard the two men arguing, and then heard two shots.

When I turned around, I was in shock. And we carried him and put him in the shop, Jones said, according to a hearing transcript.

Judge Allen Keeble agreed to delay his sentencing because his plea agreement depended on his testimony against a woman who Jones claimed had been there at the killing.

When Jones reappeared for his sentencing in August 2007, authorities were exasperated.

District Attorney Pete Skandalakis told the judge he had called Jones to his office before presenting the case against the woman to a grand jury, and when asked again if the woman had been there when Clinkscales was killed, Jones said she was not. The planned indictment fell apart.

I questioned him further, and finally, he told me that he would say anything that I wanted him to say, which was of no use to me, Your Honor, because I wanted only the truth, Skandalakis said.

The prosecutor said Jones had told still another story right after his arrest in 2005: That he had gone to get beer that night in 1976, and returned to his friends property to see Clinkscales wounded on the ground. Jones said his friend said he shot him accidentally, and that he helped him carry Clinkscales, still alive, into a shed, and never saw him again.

Based on all the inconsistent statements this defendant has given, the State is of a position that his testimony is absolutely useless to us, Skandalakis told the judge. Nevertheless, the prosecutor continued to support the plea deal for four years in prison, followed by four years on probation.

Clinkscales mother wanted a stiffer punishment, blaming Jones for his silence and inconsistency that continues to hinder the recovery of my sons body so that I may give him a Christian burial, according to a statement she wrote that Skandalakis read aloud at the sentencing. She asked the judge for the maximum allowable sentence.

Jones attorney, Julianne Lynn, told the judge her client didnt intend to mislead and tried to help. She acknowledged his false statements, but said his culpability in any crime beyond that is in question by everybody.

The victims family and community had been torn by this for so many years, she said, but she urged the judge not to act on emotion. Jones was 65 years old by then, had no prior criminal record and just wanted to get back to his road work job. She asked for his release, crediting him for time served.

There was no real evidence that Jones was involved in killing Clinkscales, but his false and inconsistent statements added to Clinkscales parents anguish and misery, the judge said.

You can be punished for that, and you ought to be punished for that, he said. Jones was sentenced to serve nine years and ultimately spent seven years and eight months locked up.

After the car was recovered, Skandalakis said in a phone interview that the most plausible explanation is that Clinkscales accidentally ran off the road, but its possible he was killed elsewhere and placed there. Either way, Jones deserved prison for the pain he caused by muddying the investigation, he said.

Turner, the former sheriff, said he cant imagine anybody going to court and pleading guilty to something and telling his part of the story that didnt do it.

I dont have regrets, Turner said. I dont have anything in my mind that makes me think weve done anything wrong.

By Sudhin Thanawala and Kate Brumback
A tunnel inside the Red Hill Underground Fuel Storage Facility is seen in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Jan. 26, 2018. (U.S. Navy via AP, File)

Navy Blames Hawaii Water Contamination on Jet Fuel Spill

HONOLULUThe Navy believes that contaminated tap water that went to Hawaii military households came from a one-time spill of jet fuel last month and was not caused by a leak from aging underground fuel storage tanks above an aquifer, a top Navy official told state lawmakers on Friday.

Rear Adm. Blake Converse said Navy officials are very confident that the contamination happened on Nov. 20, when 14,000 gallons (52,995 liters) of jet fuel spilled at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility inside an access tunnel that provides fire suppression and service lines for the complex. The complex supplies fuel for many military planes and ships that operate in the Pacific, and its use has been suspended.

The spill was cleaned up, Converse said, but people have complained for weeks of foul-smelling water and some have said they have gone to hospitals because of cramps or vomiting after they drank the water.

Converse said it appears that some of the jet fuel was sent through the Navys water distribution system that serves about 93,000 people, including those in military housing.

Converse also told state lawmakers that Navy officials have moved more than 3,000 families to hotels on the island of Oahu and that they will stay there until the problem is solved.

The overall water system and water systems in all homes and facilities that have been impacted will be flushed with clean water, and Navy officials said they hope to complete that process by Christmas.

The Navy is responsible for this crisis. We are taking ownership of the solutions, and we are going to fix it, Adm. Sam Paparo, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, told the lawmakers.

Before Navy officials divulged the likely cause of the contamination, a U.S. senator called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take the lead in testing to determine whether the Navys water is safe to drink.

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz said the EPA should step in after the Navy disputed the Hawaii Department of Healths analysis of fuel contamination at a well for drinking water to the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickams water system.

Testing last week showed the presence of petroleum in water that comes from a well near the underground fuel tank complex that has been the source of multiple fuel leaks over the years.

The state health department said the Navy reported diesel fuel levels more than double Hawaii health limits for drinking water in samples collected at another one of the Navys shafts that provide water to the drinking water system.

But the Navy said the sample didnt come directly from the Navys well and that Navy officials dont believe it indicated contamination.

After receiving results Friday from a California lab, the health department said samples collected from a ground water source called the Red Hill shaft had tested positive on Sunday for high levels of gasoline.

Schatz wants the EPA to be the lead agency handling collection, testing, analysis, and public communication of the water crisis.

We cant afford another day of the Navy and the state and county agencies disagreeing on the basic question of whether the drinking water is safe, he said in a statement Thursday.

The EPA is not independently testing the water, but is reviewing Navy test results, Julia Giarmoleo, an agency spokesperson, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

By Jennifer Sinco Kelleher and Mark Thiessen
The U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer in a file photo. (U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Sean Lynch/File Photo/Handout via Reuters)

Navy Commander Fired for Failing to Abide by Lawful Order

A U.S. Navy commander was relieved of his duties as executive officer of a warship for failing to abide by lawful order, officials said.

The Naval service on Friday relieved Cmdr. Lucian Kins, the executive officer of USS Winston S. Churchill, said the Naval Surface Force Atlantic in a brief statement.

On December 10, 2021, Commander, Naval Surface Squadron 14, Capt. Ken Anderson, relieved Cmdr. Lucian Kins as executive officer of USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) due to loss of confidence in Kins ability to perform his duties, Lt. Cmdr. Jason Fischer said.

A Navy official told USNI that Kins was relieved of his duties for refusing to get a COVID-19 vaccine and refusing to be tested for the disease. The Epoch Times has contacted the U.S Navy for comment.

Kins was reassigned to the staff of Naval Surface Squadron 14, Fischer added in the statement. Lt. Cmdr. Han Yi, the ships plans and tactics officer, will serve as the USS Winston S. Churchills executive officer until a replacement is named, said Fischer.

The Pentagon announced in August that COVID-19 shots would be mandatory for all U.S. service members, while the Navy gave its personnel until November to either request an exemption or get the vaccine.

Department of Defense spokesman John Kirby on Friday told reporters that each individual military service will have to determine how to enforce the Pentagons vaccine mandate.

Those sorts of actions are not being handled centrally by the department at this level, at the secretarys level, Kirby said. The service secretaries and the service chiefs are in charge of the way they are implementing the mandatory vaccine requirements. And each of them have to do that in accordance with their own manpower, their own resources, their own operational requirements, and theyre doing that.

Kirby also said the Pentagon is considering mandating vaccine boosters for COVID-19, the illness caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

There are active discussions here in the department at the policy level about booster shots and whether or not to make those mandatory, he told reporters Friday. There have been no final decisions made about that.

According to data from the Navy, about 5,731 active-duty sailors remain unvaccinated as of Dec. 9. The Navy also signed off on seven medical exemptions, 326 temporary medical exemptions, and 124 administrative exemptions.

The Navy has not approved any religious exemptions despite 2,705 active-duty sailors putting in requests.

The USS Winston S. Churchill is currently in a scheduled 14-month maintenance period in Florida.
French President Emmanuel Macron addresses the nation at the Elysee palace, after New Caledonia rejects independence in the third referendum, on Dec. 12, 2021. (Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images)

New Caledonia Votes to Stay in France in Referendum

NOUMEA, New CaledoniaVoters in the French island territory of New Caledonia chose overwhelmingly Sunday to stay part of France, in a referendum boycotted by pro-independence forces and closely watched around the South Pacific.

French President Emmanuel Macron hailed the result as a resounding confirmation of Frances role in the Indo-Pacific, and announced negotiations on the territorys future status.

Separatist activists had urged a delay in the vote because of the pandemic, and were angry over what they felt were French government efforts to sway the campaign. So they called on their supporters to stay away from voting stations.

And they did. Official results showed a staggering 96 percent of those who took part chose to stay in France. Overall turnout was less than 44 percentbarely half the numbers who showed up in a previous independence referendum last year, where support for breaking away was 46.7 percent.

Tonight we are French, and we will stay that way. Its no longer negotiable, said Sonia Backes, president of the Southern Province region and a fervent loyalist.

The vote was monitored by the U.N. and regional powers amid growing Chinese influence in the region. New Caledonia, colonized by Napoleons nephew in the 19th century, is a vast archipelago of about 270,000 people east of Australia that is 10 time zones ahead of Parisand hosts a French military base.

Tonight France is more beautiful because New Caledonia decided to stay, Macron said in a national televised address.

He did not address the boycott. Noting that the electorate remains deeply divided, Macron pledged respect for all Caledonians, including those who voted to leave.

Sundays vote was the third and last in a decades-long process aimed at settling tensions between native Kanaks seeking independence and those who want the territory to remain part of France.

The process does not end with the last referendum. The state, separatists, and non-separatists now have 18 months to negotiate a new status for the territory and its institutions within France.

Pro-independence party FLNKS threatened to seek international recourse to try to invalidate the results, and said it wont start negotiating until it has time to analyze next steps.

The campaign and voting day were unusually calm because of the boycott call, though the state deployed 1,750 police and security forces in case of unrest.

While support for a yes vote seemed to be growing, the regions first coronavirus outbreak in September threw the political debate into disarray. Until then, New Caledonia had been one of the few virus-free places left on the planet.

Indigenous groups felt they couldnt campaign out of respect for their dead, and demanded that the referendum be postponed. But pro-France groups insisted it should take place as scheduled, to end uncertainty over New Caledonias future and boost its economic prospects.

Pro-independence activists announced they would refuse to take part, accusing the government in Paris of imposing the referendum date and violating neutrality by publishing a document seen as casting the consequences of independence in a negative light.

The vote to stay French is a boost for Macron both domesticallywhere hes expected to face a tough challenge in Aprils presidential electionand internationally.

France is trying to cement its presence in the Indo-Pacific region after it lost a multibillion-dollar submarine contract because of a partnership Australia formed with the United States and the UK. The secretly negotiated submarine project, announced in September and aimed at countering Chinese ambitions in the region, was a huge blow to France.

By Charlotte Antoine-Perron
No More Defunding the Police for Minneapolis as Council Allocates Department Budget Increase

The Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) will be receiving millions of dollars as part of an increase in the departments budget, as unveiled by the mayor on Dec. 10, essentially returning to levels before the region was the hotbed for the defund the police movement.

Mayor Jacob Frey and the city council approved a $1.6 billion budget with $191 million allocated to the police department just a month after radical activists called for abolishing the police altogether. Crime has surged since the death of George Floyd last year, after which the city invested in alternative initiatives that have mostly failed to yield results.

According to Freys spokeswoman, the new budget reflects a sustained commitment to public safety, Fox News reported. The city has lost about 300 officers during the past two years following budget cuts, and the mayor expects to recruit more people into the force while replenishing it to normal levels.

Though some city councilmembers werent too keen on restoring police funding, they werent very vocal against it, either, and there was little effort to oppose it.

There wasnt more of that type of action because there wasnt the political will, really, to do so, said Councilmember Phillipe Cunningham, according to the Star Tribune.

Cunningham was elected to public office in 2017 and lost his reelection bid this fall. He voted to dismantle the MPD and move funds toward violence prevention and other similar programs, while at the same time using public funds to hire private security.

Some community groups said that officials had stuck behind campaign promises and prioritized public safety through funding the police.

This vote is a first step on a long road back from the division over public safety that has characterized the past 18 tumultuous months in Minneapolis, Steve Cramer, president of the Downtown Council, told Star Tribune.

On the other side, activists bemoaned the budget increase for a department that they claim has a history of perpetuating racial inequality.

I think many people in Minneapolis feel dismayed, said Kenza Hadj-Moussa, a spokeswoman for the progressive organization TakeAction Minnesota. What weve seen [is], year after year, no matter whats happening with crime, the MPD always demands more resources.

Several lawsuits had been filed by Minneapolis residents to retain the police department and block its size reductions. On Nov. 2, 80,506 voters in the city, or a 56.2 percent majority, rejected a proposal to replace the MPD with a department of public safety. In the vote, 62,813 people wanted to remove the police.

Based on data collected by NeighborhoodScout, when compared to similar communities, Minneapolis has one of the highest crime rates in the country. Other regions in Minnesota, over 98 percent, are considered safer than Minneapolis, where an individuals chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime is 1 in 18.

The city also has one of the highest homicide rates in the United States. The chance of getting your vehicle stolen in Minneapolis is 1 in 145, which is again one of the highest in the country. Property crimes including arson, larceny, and burglary are at a peak rate of 48 per 1,000 people.
Ethan Robert Crumbley, 15, charged with first-degree murder in a high school shooting, poses in a jail booking photograph taken at the Oakland County Jail in Pontiac, Mich., on Dec. 1, 2021, in a combination photograph with his parents Jennifer Lynn Crumbley and James Robert Crumbley who were taken into custody Dec. 3, 2021. (Oakland County Sheriff's Office/Handout via Reuters)

Oxford School Officials Accused of Destroying Shooting Evidence: Lawyer

School officials at Oxford High School in Michigan were told to preserve social media pages and other evidence that were allegedly being destroyed or deleted.

Not only did defendants fail to take necessary steps to preserve the evidence, but they willfully destructed the evidence by deleting the webpages and social media accounts, attorney Nora Hanna wrote in a filing on Friday, according to the Detroit News. Plaintiffs cannot continue to be blindsided by the defendants by having to search for what evidence is being destroyed or altered.

Hanna is among several lawyers who are representing two survivors who filed a $100 million lawsuit against Oxford High School, located in Oakland County. Last week, 15-year-old high school student Ethan Crumbley allegedly shot and killed several of his classmates, but the lawsuit stipulates that Oxford High staff were partially responsible for the incident.

U.S. District Judge Terrence Berg granted the request to preserve the records, ordering Oxford High School officialsincluding Superintendent Timothy Throne and High School Principal Steven Wolfto preserve electronically stored records.

Hanna represents two sisters17-year-old Riley Franz and 14-year-old Bella Franzwho attend Oxford High School. Another lawyer, Geoffrey Fieger, filed two lawsuits on behalf of their parents, Jeffery and Brandi Franz.

The plaintiffs attorneys are also asking several companies and agencies such as Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, the FBI, the Department of Justice, and the Oakland County Sheriffs Office to preserve any records they have related to the shooting. Attorneys asked to save posts with the Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram hashtags #OxfordStrong, #OxfordSchoolShooting, and #OxfordShooting.

Jeffrey Franz and his wife Brandi listen as attorney Geoffrey Fieger holds a news conference at his offices in Southfield, Mich., on Dec. 9, 2021. (David Guralnick /Detroit News via AP)

Timothy J. Mullins, the attorney for the Oxford school district, wrote that the lawsuits are bombastic stunts masked as legal filings that do a disservice to the people of Oxford and the people of Michigan, reported the Detroit News.

These latest false allegations are baseless, reckless, and totally irresponsible, Mullins stated. Fieger has named the wrong person in his sloppy legal filings and is refusing to retract his statements and dismiss him immediately, which is unconscionable, he added.

Mullins contended that as school employees continue to receive death threats, Fieger is now throwing gasoline on the fire with his shameless, callous and irresponsible tactics and angry rhetoric.

The initial lawsuits argued that Oxford School officials had created the danger and increased the risk of harm that their students would be exposed to before the shooting.

Riley Franz, the suit said, was shot in the neck, while Bella Franz narrowly escaped the bullets discharged towards her.

The shooting left four students dead and seven injured, officials have said. Crumbley was charged with one count of terrorism causing death, seven counts of assault, four counts of first-degree murder, and 12 counts of possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

Crumbleys parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, were also charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter each.

The Epoch Times has contacted Oxford High School for comment.
If you allow people to say, Oh, declaring an emergency means that rights dont apply, then theres going to be lots of emergencies.

With the spread of Big Tech censorship and lockdowns of the unvaccinated, are elements of Chinas internet firewall and Orwellian social credit system now spreading to the West?

In part two of our interview with Robert Destro, former assistant secretary of state for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL), we discuss the state of human rights in the United States and the rest of the Western world. Destro is also a law professor at The Catholic University of Americas Columbus School of Law.

Previously, in part one of this interview, we discussed human rights atrocities in China, from slave labor in Xinjiang to state-sanctioned organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners.

You have to stand up against tyranny. Otherwise, it will eat you alive, Destro says.

Jan Jekielek: What are you seeing? What are you seeing here on the ground? What are you seeing in other liberal democracies around the world right now?

Robert Destro, Ph.D.: Well, one of the things were seeing is the weakness of institutions. We have to have strong institutions. One of the parts of the genius of the framers of the Constitution was Federalist 51, where they said first, we divided up all the power between federal and state, and then we divided it among branches.

The whole idea was that you have places where you could go to complain. The idea was that the people who would protect you were the ones who were closest to you, starting with your family and then moving upwards, right? We have a decentralized understanding of how you protect human rights. In any country where its centralized, if those institutions fail, youre done.

I mean, in Australia, were still waiting to see. We know that theyve built internment camps in Australia for people allegedly exposed to COVID. You say camps? Where are the Australian courts? Australias got a federal system like we do, so theyve got states. Thats happening in certain states, certain territories. But you say, How does this happen?

All of Germany is locked down. All of Austria is locked down. And people there are saying the Nazis are back because this whole idea of the individual liberty, individual dignity can be trampled for some generalized notion that theres an emergency going on.

Mr. Jekielek: This is interesting. People will say and they do say and this is how this is all justifiedits an emergency. We have to suspend. Well, they dont say it this way, do they?

Mr. Destro: No.

Mr. Jekielek: We have to suspend human rights to deal with this emergency, right?

Mr. Destro: Yes. And you say, well, if you allow that  First of all, you have to say who is we, right? Who is the we who has the power to suspend human rights? The American understanding of human rights is that these are natural rights. I dont have any more right to suspend your human rights as you have to suspend mine.

But if you allow people to say, Oh, declaring an emergency means that rights dont apply, then theres going to be lots of emergencies, because its that will to power. Its the corruption of power. Hannah Arendt said the banality of evil. You turn it into a big bureaucracy, and then they dont care who gets ground up in the process.

Mr. Jekielek: Lets talk about my home country of Canada, for example. I have it on pretty good authority that the general way in which provincial leaders are making their decisions is based on polls. It looks like a significant majority of Canadians support all sorts of restrictions like this. It looks like theyre making their decisions based on that information.

Therere people doing it that I know and I never expected would do such a thing in the interests of the public good. Thats what people believe.

Mr. Destro: Yes, but thats the reason why you have bills of rights. Thats the reason why you have the Canadian Charter of Freedoms. We live in a representative democracy, not in a pure democracy. Again, the Federalist Papers are instructive.

The Federalist 10 talks about the tyranny of faction. When people get together and they say, Well, its in my interest to oppress somebody else, theyre not going to say it that way. Theyre going to say, Well, I need you to step aside because Im afraid. I mean, thats what the McCarthy era was all about. People were afraid. Thats what the Nazis were able to present the medically unfit as a threat, as a drain on the system.

They were able to present Jews as an existential threat to the purity of the German people. Its done all the time, and we all know that the media can be corrupted as well. Speaking specifically of Canada, because Canada spends a lot of money supporting the media.

The danger that we recognize here in the United Statesnot enough, I dont thinkis that when the government supplies the money, then it controls. Thats precisely the Supreme Court in the context of religion here in the United Statesis that youre not allowed to give direct money to religion. They will somehow control. Thats what happens. He [who] controls the gold makes the rules.

Mr. Jekielek: I have to ask you about this because all sorts of people have been kicked off of social media for making the suggestion that certain authoritarian regimesfor example the Naziswhat they did is somehow similar to whats happening in places where these rights restrictions are happening.

Mr. Destro: Well, as soon as youre not allowed to talk about something, then that means theres something going on. The whole idea is that there is a government crafted narrative.

Its like that scene in Star Wars where Obi-Wan says, Youve got the wrong droid. Move along. Youre not supposed to be looking at this. Facebook has deplatformed people who were in support groups talking about the injuries they had from vaccines because thats like saying, Enough of this widowhood stuff. Youre making us uncomfortable.

When theres a political motive to it, its the most basic cutting out. Youre not allowed to participate in the communitywhat Oliver Wendell Holmes called the marketplace of ideasanymore. His idea, the truth would out in the marketplace of ideas, is debatable. But the idea that people are not allowed to participate in it? I mean, thats whats going on in Germany right now. In Lithuania, youre not allowed to go to a grocery store unless you have a vaccine.

Mr. Jekielek: Or some evidence.

Mr. Destro: Some evidence of 

Mr. Jekielek: Passport or whatever.

Mr. Destro: In Italy, same thing. Theyre locking down those green passports. They do that in China. Your passport turns red, youre not allowed to travel. This idea that the marketplace is different, that somehow human rights isnt in the marketplace, its the fact that were market creatures. We trade with one another in ideas, as well as in goods.

The idea is like, who died and left them in charge? Who died and left the Premier of Alberta, for example? Part of his job description is not to follow the polls. Its to respect, to enforce and defend the Constitution and Charter of Canada. He can say, Well, polling tells me that this  Well, look, stand up.

If that were the case, isnt that what Orval Faubus did in Little Rock? Isnt that what George Wallace did standing in the doorway? But he was driven by the polls. Human rights always loses when its driven by the polls. Thats what we call the counter-majoritarian imperative.

Mr. Jekielek: Fascinating. This is interesting, because Ive been learning the US system has been structured in such a way to prevent that from happening, which is different from other liberal democracies.

Mr. Destro: Thats why I say when I would teach constitutional law, youd start your students with Federalist 10 which talks about the power, the nature of faction, and the dangers of faction. A faction is simply a group of people who have interest together that are adverse to somebody elses. Then Federalist 51 is how do you set up a system, so that basically you set these factions against each other, so that not only will they control each other, theyll control themselves.

Its written right in those documents. The idea was that if were going to build a country out of disparate communities, then we have to figure out a way to control our own tendencies to prefer our own. Its like the marbling in blue cheese. Its shot through the whole system. As soon as you take any piece of it out, the whole thing comes down.

Mr. Jekielek: Its being argued by a number of people Ive spoken with that the coronavirus or CCP virus as we call it at The Epoch Timesemergency, right? Emergency is being used to take some of those blocks out of the systems so as to cause that, in effect.

Mr. Destro: People who want to control others will always find an excuse. I have no doubt that there are people who are doing things that way, who are doing it for an ulterior motive. But I also have no doubt that there are a lot of people who think theyre acting in good faith and they dont see the implications of what they do. Thats the origin of the notion, well, first, they came for the handicapped, and then they came for the Jews, and then they came for the communists.

Then all of a sudden, theres nobody around and now theyre coming for you. Thats what thats about. Its always reasonable when it starts.

Mr. Jekielek: Yes. I keep thinking about Annie Millers poem. I guess you never imagine that youre in the middle of such a situation. Its always somewhere else. Its always far away. Theres always a good reason, and were very good at rationalizing things to ourselves as human beings.

Mr. Destro: Its never completely far away. I mean, this is why, come back to the United States, the idea of police brutality. My father was a policeman, and he always said that the reasons for police brutality were lack of training and lack of discipline. He says, you give a young person a gun and a badge.

Theyre going to abuse the authority they have unless theyre tightly controlled. Well, once those controls come down, then dont be surprised at what happens. What youve given bureaucracies in this pandemic, youve given them a taste of power that they never had before and theyre abusing it. We all know that theyre abusing it. You give Facebook executives authority to censor other peoples speech on the grounds that its disinformation.

Well, how did you decide? Do you pay the fact checkers? Because if you do, as some of the lawsuits against Facebook say, then maybe theyre not independent. This question of holding people accountable. Here in the United States, we have the mechanisms to hold people accountable.

Thats why the threats against the independence of the judiciary are so serious, because that then becomes your bulwark. Thats why the tendency to centralize in bringing all the social credit scoring into Washington, I mean, I cant think of a worse human rights violation.

Mr. Jekielek: What is the case for it in the first place? Tell me that part first.

Mr. Destro: For what?

Mr. Jekielek: For bringing the social credit scoring into DC.

Mr. Destro: Once again, its the tendency to decide who can participate in the marketplace and who cant. The current way of admitting people to the marketplace is by letting them spend their own money and making choices. I can decide whether I want to go to Costco or I want to go to Neiman Marcus. Thats the freedom of the individual to make choices.

I can make choices among political parties. I can make choices about what I want to listen to, what media I want to listen to and what not. As soon as you start to restrict that market, then somebody else is in control or crafting a different society than the one we live in.

The idea that Google or Facebook or Amazon has a right to control what I say to you in my email account presupposes, first of all, that theyre allowed to listen in on the conversation, which we may stupidly have agreed to. But the fact is, thats what they do.

The question is, can we hold them accountable or not? Because nobody died and left them, and nobody elected them to control the marketplace of ideas. The only reason they can get away with it is because the government lets them get away with it.

Mr. Jekielek: Well, okay, except millions of us made accounts and agreed to the terms of service. So actually we did.

Mr. Destro: Well, yes and no. We understand that we are the product. Facebook tells you, Look, you get to use our platform. We get to listen in on everything you do, and then we can decide to sell you stuff. We will sell advertising based on that. Well, thats the business model, but it doesnt say that you canI didnt agree that we could be manipulated. I didnt agree that I could be censored. I dont care what their terms of service say.

Because they say, Well, we can police it for disinformation. Okay, tell me how you define disinformation, because that takes us back to contract, right? If youre playing hide the ball in a contract, then maybe we dont have a contract, and maybe you have breached the contract. Or maybe there was no contract in the first place because there was no, as we say in law, meeting of the minds.

I never agreed to be censored by anybody. If you had said, Oh, by the way, I get to censor everything you say, and people say, Well, Ill go someplace else.

Mr. Jekielek: Thats very interesting. This is a big debate, right?

Mr. Destro: Huge debate.

Mr. Jekielek: Theres a lot of people in our current situation here in the US and frankly, again, theres very few examples where these types of COVID protocol are not affecting peoples lives dramatically. Very few places.

People are concerned that this is, and Im kind of reiterating the question I asked in a slightly different way, that theres a sort of fundamental societal change thats happening as we speak. Just simply by virtue of the fact of what people in societies have de facto agreed to.

Mr. Destro: Well, thats what the framers talked about, the first experiments with your liberties. Lincoln, in his address to the Lyceum in New York said, We cant be defeated from the outside, but we can from the inside. The insidious nature of bureaucracies not taking over and not turning to the legislature, not respecting the courts.

The degree to which our own governmentstate, local, and federalis just ignoring the distinction between legislating and executing. Look, Dr. Fauci was not elected to anything. Hes a bureaucrat. He may be an expert. Hes a smart guy, but nobody died and left him in charge of telling us what we have to do. Everything is a guideline, and a guideline is not a law.

If you want a mask mandate, send it up to the Hill. Show us the science. Thats the whole point of the legislative process is to slow things down. Thats why we have a House. Thats why we have a Senate. Thats why we have the veto power. Its to slow it down.

This thing happens so fast, and its just like any other thing where people take things that dont belong to them. How do you get them back? We dont want to have to fight to get it back, but thats what all these lawsuits springing up all over the country are all about.

Mr. Jekielek: Then theres this other question too. It has been fascinating to discover over the past few years that judges in particular states can actually issue judgements that affect the entire country, for example.

Mr. Destro: Yes.

Mr. Jekielek: People have said this makes the judges some of the most powerful people in the country when theyre faced with this sort of thing. Its interesting. There seems to be a lot of that happening now in response to some of these kinds of broad executive decisions.

Mr. Destro: Yes. The whole idea of a nationwide injunction is controversial because technically, certainly in the federal courts, a controversy is between the two parties to the controversy. Its only really supposed to affect them.

But when you look at something like OSHA, what judges dont want is for OSHA to say, Well, all right. Were stuck in New Orleans, which is the Fifth Circuit, and were stuck in the Sixth Circuit, which is Cincinnati, but we dont acquiesce. Were going to go ahead and enforce the mandate, even though a federal judge has told us its likely unconstitutional.

Thats what the judges are trying to get at. The question of whether they should is eventually going to have to be decided by the Supreme Court.

Mr. Jekielek: Going back to this question of human rights. All of these mandates are some sort of restrictions on human rights. Were being told that the science necessitates this.

Mr. Destro: Well, science is a process. Science is not a source of immutable principle. I mean, the whole point of science is that you falsify it. The idea that you come forward and say, Well, the science says this. If youre a real scientist, the first thing youre going to say is, Well, what about Ive got other evidence?

The idea that you would shut down the conversation because theres a consensus amongst  I mean, thats what got Galileo in trouble. There was a consensus that it was geocentric, not heliocentric. The consensus is almost invariably wrong.

The whole point of having freedom of speech, freedom of speech includes science. It includes religion. Its perfectly okay for me to question your beliefs. Thats what we do as human beings. We question. Anybody whos got a little kid, Well, why is that? Thats ingrained in us. As soon as you see somebody shutting it down, you say, Wheres the power? Wheres the money?

Mr. Jekielek: I probably spent too much time on Twitter, myself. Theres one tweet that came up to me as I was preparing for this interview, which really struck me. I think theres a lot of thought behind this, but basically Zubi says your human rights are not a reward for good behavior.

Mr. Destro: Very well said.

Mr. Jekielek: Its just so interesting because somehow, is even the concept of human rights being transformed for us, and whats been happening over the last couple of years?

Mr. Destro: Well the idea is, is it a natural right? Natural rights means human rights. It comes from your nature. If you argue that your behavior takes away those basic rights, then its not human rights anymore. Its pure positivism. The state is in control. Positive law determines everything, not your natural endowment.

If its all positive law, somebody then has to agree somebodys in charge of deciding whether you can speak or not. Otherwise, it comes from the muzzle of a gun, right? Thats why you have such a huge debate over the Second Amendment. Because if only the state has guns, then what happens in New Zealand and Australia and other places? They would never try that here, because theres too many people who take self-defense very seriously.

Thats why theres a debate about the nature of the Second Amendment. Is it an individual right of self-defense, or is it a collective as what they call militia right? Thats a big debate. But the underlying human rights debate is, do I have the right to speak because I am a human being and communication is part of my nature? Yes or no. If the answer is it depends, then the answer is no. Period. Its either yes or no. Anywhere in between is a no.

Mr. Jekielek: Is there any situation in your mind that there are moral grounds for suspending human rights?

Mr. Destro: Never. There are moral grounds for prohibiting antisocial behavior, but theres never moral or legal justification for denying the idea that you have human rights.

Mr. Jekielek: Well, okay. But isnt this what proponents of lockdowns and all of these harsh policies will say? Well say, if youre not following the rules, you are engaging in antisocial behavior.

Mr. Destro: See, but thats not  Once again, go back to the beginning of the pandemic, two weeks to flatten the curve, right? If they had said two years to flatten the curve, people wouldve said no way. Remember, our government is based on the consent of the governed. When were we ever given an opportunity to consent to the specifics, not to the generalities?

Thats why we make rules by legislation in this country, where they have to duke it out and where its messy and compromises are being made. Do you think for a minute that if you actually had to put much of this stuff to a vote, that we would be locked down like this? You see that discussion mostly being made by states of emergency.

When you look at the case law, youll see. Theres a fascinating case in Pittsburgh when they went after the governor. They actually tried the case. I mean, literallyevidence and everything else. And the judge said, You made it up as you went along. It seemed logical at the time. I understand that, but thats not legislation. Theres no due process here.

What due process means is following the rules, right? And the rules are that if youre going to lock people down, theres a way to do it. Its not by some bureaucrat or even the President. The President is the executive. Execute means execute existing law, not make it up. Very clear Supreme Court precedent on that.

Mr. Jekielek: Whats the path forward, do you feel, here in the USwhere [do] we stand right now?

Mr. Destro: We need to be talking about the human rights dimension.

Mr. Jekielek: Were not really talking about the human rights dimension. I certainly dont hear it talked about in terms of human rights.

Mr. Destro: No. Thats why I said, if you can control the conversation, then you control the narrative, you control the agenda. As much as I may respect Dr. Faucis expertise, nobody elected him to make policy for the entire country. Is it somehow inconsistent with my seriousness about COVID to raise the question who died and left you in charge? Thats what democracys about.

I should be able to go and complain. And nobodynot the government, not the private sectorshould be able to tell me Im not allowed to call you up and complain. People dont want to be criticized. They dont want disinformation.

Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so is disinformation. This question about who left you in charge, the people are in charge because we trust ordinary people to make important decisions. This is well-documented. The reason people do not participate in the political process is because they dont think it makes any difference.

Mr. Jekielek: If weve seen anything, over the past few years is evidence to suggest that they might be right.

Mr. Destro: But the worst thing you can do in a situation like that is stop doing it. You actually have to move forwardif you just have to move forward and keep complaining. Its not an accident that people are being recalled on school boards or prosecutors. You use the abilities, the authorities that you have. The ballot box is one of the most important ones we have, so is money. Take your business someplace else.

Mr. Jekielek: To some extent you have to take it on faith that itll work out, right? Because sometimes it doesnt look very promising.

Mr. Destro: Well, it never does. But the one thing that Martin Luther King, among the many wonderful things he did, was he called on both African Americans and others to believe that God made us equal. And that it was the content of our character, not the color of our skin. That was a moral argument.

You really have to think. Imagine the odds he and Charles Houston and all those people  Rosa Parks just refused to sit in the back of the bus. She got into all kinds of trouble. Thats how you challenge the system. This is one of those thingsno pain, no gain. You have to stand up against tyranny. Otherwise, it will eat you alive.

Mr. Jekielek: Wait, what youre seeing here, youre saying that youre seeing a certain kind of tyranny?

Mr. Destro: Yes, theres no question. It is a kind of tyranny. Tyranny doesnt need to be brutal. It can also be benign. The idea that youre not allowed to talk about subjects that other people find uncomfortable, thats tyranny. I mean, what else is it?

Mr. Jekielek: Also, it could be benign in the immediate sense.

Mr. Destro: Well, what I mean is benign in the sense of theyre just using electronic means rather than beating you up with trenches. But believe me, at the beginning, its always nice-nice. Were always doing it to protect somebody else. But if you dont go along, eventually you wind up in a camp.

Mr. Jekielek: I think that what youre talking about to many of our viewers will perhaps seem obvious, but to others, it might feel like too much to accept.

Mr. Destro: Yes. I think thats always the case. Thats what the debate about racism is. And without getting deeply into it, do people discriminate? Yes, they do. Do even people who are well-meaning discriminate? Yes, they do. Thats why we provide for employment discrimination cases. Ive litigated a bunch of those. People always have a good reason for doing what they do, and they dont like it much when you point it out.

Thats why we have rules that say, Oh, by the way, if youre the whistleblower and you retaliate against the whistleblower, thats a separate offense. We want to encourage people to come forward. Dont shoot the messenger. People think theyre doing the right thing. They dont like to be questioned. Thats human nature.

Mr. Jekielek: Ultimately, when you say it this way, this is kind of a foundational question of our time, isnt it?

Mr. Destro: Yes. Well, its the human rights question. When I say to you dont divorce human from human rights, it means dont ask me to stop being a human being as a condition for exercising whatever rights I have.

I dont get my rights from you. I get my rights from God or from my human nature, depending on  Youre not in charge. Little kids understand youre not the boss of me, right? I mean, we know from watching a playgroup what humans are like. Why is that any different when we get bigger?

Mr. Jekielek: Ostensibly, weve gained some wisdom along the way and some knowledge.

Mr. Destro: But self-deception is  We all do it.

Mr. Jekielek: Im thinking back to earlier in our chat. We talked about how the first stage of genocide is excluding people from society. I dont know if you follow this, but Merriam-Webster changed the definition of anti-vaxxer, which is a very pejorative term, from someone opposed to vaccines to someone opposed to vaccines and vaccine mandates. They really did this. I had to look.

I thought it was like a Photoshop job. No, they actually did that. To me, it suggests increasing the group of others, meaning now youre able to label them as anti-vaxxers, all these people that are opposed to tyranny in your terminology.

Mr. Destro: No question. But behind all this is the point I made earlier about holding perpetrators accountableif I question a vaccine because I think it might do harm, that doesnt make me an anti-vaxxer. But the way the law is set up is that I cant sue the vaccine companies. That was set up in the 1980s.

Behind all this discussion about anti-vax is a monopoly on the government on both sides of that transaction. Theyre protecting the vaccine manufacturer who is no different than any other [manufacturer]. Vaccine is a product. What? Im not allowed to sue Keurig if my coffee maker blows up? Well, if something does damage, why cant I sue?

There has to be an independent forum, which does not exist today, where they can go and bring their case. You can limit damages. Theres all kinds of ways you can do that. But nobody would ever argue that the vaccine court that they have within HHS across the way here is independent. Not even close to being independent. One of the reasons why this is so out of control is that we dont use our normal due process ways of doing things.

A Russian judge told me when I went to Moscow for the first time, he said, Yes, were independent. But they control if I want a new apartment. I mean, the due process  Theres an old saying that in hell, law is king and due process is scrupulously observed.

The process of law, its the framework in which human rights exists. Equality means that I should be able to ask the same questions that you do without any consequences. And the fact that anybody would label us, thats the first step in getting rid of your human rights. The cultural step before that is that youre all a part of a collective.

Thats the whole communist idea. That was the whole German idea of the Volk. If you werent a part of the Volk, then you didnt count. I mean, they could say, Mr. Jekielek. Youre a Polak. Who cares what you say? Right? I grew up right between an Irish, an Italian and a Polish parish, so I heard this all when I was growing up.

As soon as you can use pejoratives for people, whether you call it anti-vaxxer or anti-science or racist or whatever you want to call it, thats the first step. Calling out behavior, completely legit. Its the behavior. I mean, at the end, what we want to stop is antisocial behavior. And when asking questions becomes antisocial behavior, thats the road to tyranny.

We all know that calling out people because of their beliefs or their skin color is antisocial behavior, because its none of our business. Its not my business what you believe. Its not my business who you have relationships with. What I want to know is, are you doing your job and are you treating everybody in the way youre supposed to?

The same is true for bureaucrats. Show us your authorities. Im not antisocial when I question your authority, right? And its true in federal courts. The person seeking to invoke the jurisdiction of the federal court always has the burden of proving that it has jurisdiction. You can raise that until the very end of the case.

In front of the Supreme Court they can say, Do we have jurisdiction here? And if they decide no, youre out. Whenever raising questions becomes antisocial, thats when youve got an authoritarian on your hands.

Mr. Jekielek: Fascinating. This has been an illuminating discussion. Where do you see things going here in America, both in terms of the internal questions and vis-a-vis our relationships with some of these?

Mr. Destro: Its almost too early to tell because were in the middle of it. Is the process going to work? I hope it does. When you look around the authoritarian nature of what were seeing coming out of Washington and out of other placeswhy does the IRS need to look at all $600 transactions? Thats the surveillance state.

Why should the federal government be in charge of social credit scoring? You dont think political stuff isnt going to be involved? Later, the system oftentimes will hold people accountable. You may remember a few years ago there was a star basketball player at the University of Connecticut who was charged with rape and the school railroaded him big time.

Eventually he sued and he won, but the whole Title IX controversy came out of guidelines that came out of the EEOC in the Department of Labor, Department of Education. These were guidelines. There was no statute.

You remember Lois Lerner who was using the IRS. They were informally deciding who got tax exemption and who didnt. She was never held accountable. The exam that Im giving my students is about the Bill Cosby case, but the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania threw out his conviction because of the egregious violations of prosecutorial discretion. They said basically it tainted the entire proceeding. You dont take an extraordinary step like that.

This guy doesnt get it. I mean, he doesnt get the fact that he was called out by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania which has the authority to disbar him. He just appealed to the Supreme Court, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that he doesnt get the idea of due process.

The spying on General Flynn and the guy from the FBI who changed the email, and the judge says, Oh, well, hes been punished enough. Excuse me. If I did that, Id be in jail. A, its perjury. Its criminal contempt of court. I mean, its crazy. The craziness is that when we talk about the rule of law, were talking about the process by which we protect each other. Thats all that is. Thats what that framework is all about.

Mr. Jekielek: I think youre suggesting this here, your vision for having better due process, what it comes down to is to have it decentralized. That is the direction youre advocating.

Mr. Destro: Well, and thats whats built into our Constitution. The basic principle of human rights certainly is described in both European instruments and in the Catholic social teaching out of which it grew was what we call the principle of subsidiarity, you do things at the lowest level possible.

You dont take away from a family that which it can do for itself. You dont take away from a local community that which it can do for itself. You want to empower individuals. Thats the whole idea of empowering individuals. Well, the same thing is true as the [organization]. And you also then have to [empower] them to protect each other.

The devastating part about the CCP is that all power is centralized. Where do you go to get your rights? Well, if the people who run the place dont think you have any and think that you are a repository for potentially saleable human organs, then lets not even bother to talk about human rights.

Mr. Jekielek: Okay. We have a clear kind of direction based on the US Constitution that youre advocating here to help better things here in America. What about the relationship with China and these authoritarian regimes?

Mr. Destro: Well, I think we need to take people as we find them. I mean, thats the most fundamental kind of respect that you have for another human being, you simply take them as you find them. I certainly found this to be the case in diplomacy. The fewer assumptions I went in and saying, Look, I want to have a relationship with you.

Now, I understand Im representing a government, I get all that. But you have a family, you have needs. The human dimension of this is important. When you are looking across the table at somebody who does not see the human dimension, then you have to adjust your expectations accordingly and your behavior, because theyre not going to change.

The idea that you can change them is insane. The only people who can change China are the Chinese, and we have to trust them and ideally work with them to open up the kinds of discussions.

There are a lot of really good human rights lawyers in China. At the end of the day, its do we want to buy blood diamonds? Do we want to buy blood solar panels? Or dont we? And if we dont, then we have to start saying, Im sorry, well shop someplace else until you get your act together.

Mr. Jekielek: Well, Professor Robert Destro, its such a pleasure to have you on.

Mr. Destro: Well, thanks for having me.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

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Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) questions Attorney General William Barr, who appeared before the House Oversight Committee on Capitol Hill on July 28, 2020. (Matt McClain/Pool/The Washington Post)

Rep. Gohmert Says Diplomatic Boycott of Beijing Olympics Wont Make Much Impact

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) said a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics wont make much difference at all regarding the Beijing regimes human rights violations and that its a waste of diplomatic leverage.

I dont think it will make any difference in Chinas human [rights] or their discrimination or the abuses of different peoples, Gohmert told NTD, a sister outlet of The Epoch Times, on Dec. 10.

The United States announced on Dec. 6 that it wont send an official delegation to Beijing for the 2022 Games in protest against the Chinese regimes ongoing human rights crisis in Xinjiang. Australia, Canada, and the UK have since followed suit.

The move allows U.S. athletes to still compete if they wish to do so. Yet, Gohmert said, even an athletes boycott would be unlikely to effectively restrain authoritarian regimes, as the one doing the punishing would have more to lose.

We had a president named Jimmy Carter, who was one of the least effective presidents weve ever had on foreign affairs, he said. And he did a lot like [President] Joe Biden, where he thinks he can just be nice and convince people that have a little bit of evil in them to do the right thing.

It doesnt work that way.

Four decades ago, the 1980 U.S. Olympic team lost its chance to compete in Moscow after then-President Carter announced a boycott in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in late 1979.

Russia wasnt really hurt, they went on, Gohmert said. The people that were really hurt were the athletes, the American athletes paid the price of having a weak, ineffective president.

That shouldnt have been the case, according to Gohmert. He said everything involved with foreign diplomacy or business relations is all about leverage.

And when you give away your leverage for nothing, then youre not going to have anything to negotiate with, he said. In order to be effective, they would have to demand better treatment for whomever they chose, whether its the Uyghurs, the Christians, or Falun Gongwhomever. You have to take that stand before you cut your billion-dollar deals.

Yet, efficiency is the shortcoming of the Biden administration, according to Gohmert.

Nobodys afraid of him, he said of Biden. Nobody thinks hes going to do anything to stop them.

Biden confirmed on Dec. 8 that sending U.S. troops to Ukraine in the event of a Russian invasion is not on the table.

If youre going to be effective, you dont take anything off the table, Gohmert said.

Yet Biden told Russian President Vladimir Putin during a recent video call that the United States and its allies would respond with strong economic and other measures over a potential attack by Russia.

Earlier this month, Gohmert introduced a bill to impose duties on Chinese merchandise because of Chinas ongoing intellectual property theft, which costs the United States billions and billions of dollars per year.

On Dec. 10, Washington banned U.S. investment in a Chinese artificial intelligence firm over concerns regarding its role in aiding the Chinese regimes repression of Uyghurs in Xinjiang. The move was among an announced suite of sanctions that targeted 24 other individuals and entities tied to Beijing, Burmese military entities, and North Korea, marking International Human Rights Day.
In this special episode, we sat down with two guests: researcher and journalist John Mac Ghlionn and Shone Anstey, CEO at LQwD fintech. They touch on the world of bitcoinfrom the merits and the dangers to the different approaches the United States and China are taking; from embracing it to banning it; and how itll play out going forward.

Mac Ghlionn said, China has a big issue with Bitcoin because [9,950 or 9,960] of the other cryptocurrencies are dangerous, somewhat worthless,  theyre in the shadow of Bitcoin and ethereum. So to get back to: why did China ban bitcoin? Ostensibly, it was because of environmental concerns and the energy costs with mining Bitcoin. But I really think the main reason that China opted to ban bitcoin is because it goes against everything that China is trying to implement with their digital RMB. So bitcoin is decentralized. It, again, ostensibly gives power to the people, and as we all know, that is not something that the Chinese government is interested in doingempowering the people. So they have a very clear plan, and it involves rolling out their digital currencywhat theyre doing now, and not just domestically, but internationally. And this is the interesting thing, is that bitcoins goal, and, well, the Bitcoin advocates, they would love nothing more than to have Bitcoin as maybe the global reserve currency. But of course, the Chinese Communist Party wants to make the digital RMB the global reserve currency, so theres a clash there between Bitcoin and the CCPs goal.

Anstey countered by saying, I think China misunderstands that a lot of countries misunderstand it. And its taking root in America and other open democratic countries because the technology being is being allowed to flourish. And at the end of the day, I think people dont understand that bitcoin is really just an extension and continuation of the revolution of the internet and it really represents a fundamental shift to how the Internet will work. And so China has made a geopolitical mistake by banning the miners. Theyve all fled to Texas and other places around the world, and the benefactors of that are Western democracies. The United States was effectively handed the win by China. And this will be very evident over the next five to 10 years, as Bitcoin continues to go mainstream and represent a bigger part of the digital economy.

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Puseletso Lesofi prepares to sequence COVID-19 omicron samples at the Ndlovu Research Center in Elandsdoorn, South Africa, on Dec. 8, 2021. (Jerome Delay, File/AP Photo)

South Africa Sees Downward Trend in COVID-19 Cases Despite Conducting More Tests

The number of new positive cases of COVID-19 reported in South Africa has continued its downward trend despite increased testing, according to South African National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) data.

The NICD reported 17,154 new cases on Dec. 11, nearly 2,000 down from the 19,018 new cases reported on Dec. 10. At the same time the NICD recorded 104,831 new tests conducted on Dec. 11, which was over 20,000 more carried out than on Dec. 10.

Professor Francois Balloux, director of the University College London Genetics Institute, noted a dramatic decrease in test positivity, which fell from 45 percent on Dec. 10 to 28 percent from Dec. 11.

The Omicron outbreak in SA [South Africa] with its extraordinary fast rise, and apparently nearly equally fast fall, is one of the most mind-boggling things Ive ever seen during my career as an infectious disease epidemiologist, Balloux stated on Twitter.

While the number of daily hospital admissions saw an upward trend from 374 new admissions on Dec. 8 to 507 new admissions on Dec. 10, it dropped to 184 new admissions on Dec. 11.

The current trend appears to vary from that projected by a pre-print study in the UK that sets out to model the effects of the Omicron variant in England.

Assuming the most ideal conditions (low immune escape of Omicron and high booster efficacy), researchers projected an infection leading to a peak of 2,000 daily hospital admissions with 175,000 hospitalizations and 24,700 deaths between Dec. 1, 2021 and April 30, 2022 if England sticks with its current Plan B policy, according to the study conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).

However, Rosanna Barnard who co-led the research, acknowledged that there is a lot of uncertainty about the characteristics of Omicron, and whether Omicron in England will follow the same course as it has in South Africa, according to a LSHTM news release.

In our most optimistic scenario, the impact of Omicron in the early part of 2022 would be reduced with mild control measures such as working from home, Barnard added.

She then pointed out that in the worst case scenario, mask-wearing, social distancing, and booster jabs are vital, but may not be enough.

Regarding these projections produced by models, University of East Anglia medicine professor Paul Hunter told The Independent on Dec. 11 that any model is only as good as its assumptions.

Hunter said that the UK study assumed that the severity of disease outcomes for Omicron was identical for Delta in the unvaccinated.

Although we will not know for certain for a few weeks, indications from South Africa do suggest that Omicron does cause less severe disease than Delta, though this is likely to be due to partial immunity, Hunter said.

There is early as yet not peer reviewed data suggesting that although Omicron mutations are enough to escape antibody, T-cell immunity would be less compromised, Hunter added.
In The Bridges at Toko-Ri, a movie based on James Micheners novel about the Korean War, Adm. George Tarrant watches his pilots fly off from the aircraft carriers pitching deck to attack the enemy and asks, Where do we get such men?

Good question.

Where did they come from, the men and women who founded this country, fought and died in its wars, suffered privation, often struggled through crisis after crisis, and created a land of opportunity never before seen in human history?

Few of these Founders had won formal university degrees, yet they gave us our liberty.

Take Colonial Virginia as an example. How could a backwater colony of the British Empire produce an array of men like George Washington, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Mason? Throw in luminaries from the other coloniesFranklin, Adams, and Hamilton, among othersand we find ourselves gobsmacked by the talent and genius of that generation.

Few of these Founders had won formal university degrees, yet they gave us our liberty, our Declaration of Independence, and our Constitution. They had studied writers such as John Locke, they knew the Bible, and they had delved into the histories of Ancient Greece and Rome. And amazingly, they gave us a dynamic republic.

Just as importantly, these Founding Fathers also swallowed and digested the biographies of those who had preceded them, especially the Ancient Romans, and sought to emulate them. They adopted men like Cicero and Cato the Younger as their Republican models, and gleaned details about other famous Romans they admired from books like Plutarchs Lives and Livys History of Rome.

The writers of The Federalist Papers, for instance, used the pen name Publius, thereby honoring a Roman who had helped to overthrow an oppressive monarchy. George Washington brought Joseph Addisons play, Cato, to the pitiable winter camp of Valley Forge to inspire his troops. American statesmen of that time made frequent references to the parallels between the Roman Republic and the one they wished to establish in America.

In short, they believed that they might not only learn from the triumphs and virtues of these great personages from the past, but that they could copy their nobility and ideals, and by so doing face up to crises with their same stoic courage and wisdom.

Like the Founders, if we study the lives of our ancestors, we too may find ourselves uplifted in vision and ambition. We can find prototypes from the past that will help us live the best of lives.

Moreover, we can select to emulate what qualities we wish from our predecessors, as if picking from a buffet of examples. We can admire the joie de vivre and boundless energy of Theodore Roosevelt without agreeing with all his political policies. We can copy the disinterested attitudes of John Adams or George C. Marshall, meaning they attempted to see things as they really are and with as little prejudice as possible, without necessarily adopting all the other attributes of these men.

Contemporary models of the good and the virtuous also exist, people often found in unexpected places. Some film stars, for instance, have humbly committed themselves to noble causes. In his autobiography, Grateful American: A Journey From Self to Service, Gary Sinise, who won the hearts of Americans as Lieutenant Dan in Forrest Gump, recounts his trek from a life of self-indulgence to helping American veterans. In Audrey Hepburn, Elegant Spirit, the actresss son Sean celebrates his mothers life and her commitment to various childrens causes.

In The Truly Great, Stephen Spender ends his poem with these lines:

The names of those who in their lives fought for life,

Who wore at their hearts the fires center.

Born of the sun, they travelled a short while towards the sun

And left the vivid air signed with their honor.

Taking the best from the men and women of the past can help us to do the same.
The Republican Partys Multiethnic, Working-Class Coalition Is Taking Shape

Commentary

In the 2016 Republican Party presidential primary, decades of dissonance between the partys aggrieved grassroots and its blinkered elite spilled out into the open. For years, the chasm widened between the GOPs heartland base, the river valley-dwelling Somewheres from David Goodharts 2017 book, The Road to Somewhere, and the partys bicoastal Anywhere rulers. The foot-soldier Republican Somewheres, disproportionately church-attending and victimized by job outsourcing and the opioid crisis, felt betrayed by the more secular, ideologically inflexible Republican Anywheres.

Donald Trump, lifelong conservative outsider and populist dissenter from bicoastal Anywhere orthodoxy on issues pertaining to trade, immigration and China, coasted to the GOPs presidential nomination. He did so notwithstanding the all-hands-on-deck pushback from leading right-leaning Anywhere bastions, encapsulated by National Review magazines dedication of an entire issue to, Against Trump. Trumps subsequent victory in the 2016 general election sent the conservative intellectual movement, as well as the Republican Party itself, into a deep state of introspection.

Trumps victory was primarily propelled by a white working-class revolt, but the emergence during his presidency of a deeply censorious and anti-American leftepitomized by the Democrats outrageous conduct during the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court confirmation battle and the destructive 1619 riots last summeropened the door for a broader working-class, pro-America political coalition. By Election Day 2020, that multiethnic, working-class conservative coalition had begun to take more definite shape. Trump lost a nail-biter of an election, but the GOP made massive inroads in crucial Black and Hispanic communities, such as Floridas Miami-Dade County and the heavily Mexican counties dotting Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Now over a year removed from the 2020 presidential election, as President Joe Bidens poll numbers plummet and frantic Democrats gird themselves for a 2022 midterm election shellacking, data continues to trickle in supporting the emergence of a Somewhere-centric, multiethnic, working-class Republican coalition. In Texas, where former Democratic Rep. Beto ORourke lost to incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz by less than three points in 2018, a new Quinnipiac University poll finds Republican incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott, up for reelection in 2022, leading challenger ORourke by a whopping 15 points. Abbott outright leads ORourke among Texas Hispanic voters, 44 to 41, and Texas Hispanics disapprove of Bidens job performance by a massive 27-point margin.

A new Wall Street Journal national poll evinces much the same trend. On a generic Republican versus Democrat ballot, the WSJ poll shows Hispanics evenly split 37 to 37. Nationally, Hispanics disapprove of Bidens job performance by 12 points, and they support Biden over Trump in a hypothetical 2024 presidential rematch by a razor-thin 44 to 43 margin. Nor, of course, is the GOPs good news with Hispanic voters limited to Texas; in Florida, the states growing conservative-leaning Cuban and Venezuelan populations make Republican incumbents Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Marco Rubio heavy favorites for reelection next fall.

If the trendlines continue, the Democratic Party could end up as a parochial regional party with extremely limited statewide appeal outside the Northeast and the West Coast. But the trendlines are not guaranteed to continue; the onus is now on Republican leaders to ensure the partys new coalitional inroads are nurtured, not squandered.

The woke lefts dramatic cultural excesses, especially on such issues as policing, critical race theory and gender ideology, have already paid some handsome dividends for the GOPjust look at Virginia Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin. And because the left has overstepped so much on bread-and-butter cultural issues, the temptation will be strong for the right to exclusively focus on that fertile terrain.

This would be a mistake; the right can and should aggressively fight the culture war with the aim of victory, but it must not lose sight of the economic issues that helped propel Trumps insurgency and the subsequent emergence of the GOPs multiethnic, working-class coalition. That coalition is deeply discomfited by the wokesters anti-American cultural assault, but it is also turned off by the old Republican guards dogmatic commitment to laissez-faire absolutism. Immigration restrictionism, trade pragmatism, total disentanglement from China and the prudential use of antitrust against the Big Tech giants and other woke corporate miscreants must become part of a standard common good capitalism Republican economic repertoire.

The median voter is culturally commonsensical (respecting the flag, saluting the troops, appreciating the police) and economically pragmatic. The Republican Party has a golden opportunity to attract and maintain the support of that crucial bloc. It must not blow it.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Australia's Foreign Minister Marise Payne hold a bilateral meeting on the first day of the G-7 Foreign Ministers Summit in Liverpool, UK, on Dec. 11, 2021. (Olivier Douliery/Pool via Reuters)

Top Australian, US Foreign Affairs Officials Meet at G-7 Summit, Reaffirm Efforts for Peace in Indo-Pacific

Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met on Dec. 11 and reaffirmed their respective nations combined efforts to promote peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, amid concerns over Chinas military and economic ambitions in the region.

The two diplomats also discussed deepening the U.S.Australia alliance, the importance of committing to ambitious climate action in the next decade, and their mutual concern over Russias ongoing aggression against Ukraine and reiterated support for a peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues without resorting to threats or coercion, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.

They also emphasized Taiwans important contributions to global health development, according to Price.

Blinken and Payne agreed on the importance of having a Senate-confirmed Ambassador in place in CanberraAustralias capital cityas soon as possible in light of the scope and scale of shared challenges we face, Price said.

The meeting came on the sidelines of a Group of Seven (G-7) Foreign and Development Ministers Meeting in Liverpool, England, marking the second time the ministers have met in 2021. The G-7 forum includes Blinkens counterparts from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the UK.

Payne joined the meeting as a guest. Ministers from the EU, South Korea, and India will also take part in some sessions as guests of the G-7, along with representatives from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

For the first time, a number of countries from ASEAN will attend, reflecting the worlds increasing focus on the Indo-Pacific and the importance of ASEAN centrality, Payne announced prior to the meeting.

Both Payne and Blinken noted that the United States and Australia have made progress in their alliance in 2021, citing their Quad Leaders Summit, as well as the AUKUS security pact, a new tri-lateral alliance between Australia, the United States, and the UK. Experts have told The Epoch Times that AUKUS can play a key role in countering aggression from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Blinken and Paynes latest meeting follows a September meeting in Washington at the annual AustraliaU.S. Ministerial (AUSMIN) talks. A joint statement released by the two countries at the time indicated the nations commitment to cooperate on technological innovation, the development of secure supply chains, and support for human rights and multilateralismincluding Australias decision to adopt Magnitsky-style human rights sanctions.

Separately on Dec. 11, Australia, Japan, and the United States signaled that theyll jointly fund an undersea cable to improve internet connectivity to three Pacific nationsthe Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, and Nauru.

The proposed undersea cable will provide faster, higher quality, and more reliable and secure communications to approximately 100,000 people across three countries, a joint media statement between the six countries reads. This will support increased economic growth, drive development opportunities, and help to improve living standards as the region recovers from the severe impacts of COVID-19.

Daniel Teng and Reuters contributed to this report.
An image of Prime Minister Boris Johnson taking part in an online Downing Street quiz flanked by colleagues in the library of 10 Downing Street in London, published on the front page of the Sunday Mirror on Dec. 12, 2021. (PA)

UK Government Defends Boris Johnson Over Downing Street Quiz

The UK government has defended Boris Johnson after a photograph emerged of the prime minister taking part in a Christmas quiz last December when London was under COVID-19 restrictions.

The Sunday Mirror published a picture of Johnson reportedly playing quiz master while flanked by two colleagues, one of whom is draped in tinsel and the other wearing a Santa hat, in the Number 10 library.

The quiz is said to have taken place on Dec. 15, 2020, when London was in tier two restrictions, meaning there could be no mixing of households indoors, apart from support bubbles. Official guidance at the time set out that there should not be work lunches or parties where that is a primarily social activity and was not exempted for work purposes.

Downing Street confirmed that Johnson did briefly take part in the virtual quiz.

A Number 10 spokeswoman said: Downing Street staff were often required to be in the office to work on the pandemic response so those who were in the office for work may have attended virtually from their desks. The prime minister briefly took part virtually in a quiz to thank staff for their hard work throughout the year.

The main opposition Labour Party said it was very hard to see how the virtual quiz was compliant with the rules.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told the BBC that Johnson looks as though he was breaking CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus rules, as he must have known that other groups were in other rooms in his own building.

But Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said Labour had adopted the wrong stance on the quiz.

Zahawi told Sky News: What do we see in that picture? We see a prime minister on a virtual quiz night for 10 to 15 minutes to thank his staff, who by the way, had no choice but to come in every single day.

Sitting in his office are the two people who are closest working with him, no alcohol on the table, not drinking, on a Zoom call or a Teams call, a virtual call respecting the lockdown rules. Many people would have had similar Zoom quiz nights around the country.

A series of allegations about rule-breaking parties has dogged the government over recent days, including two at Downing Street which are being investigated.

It also emerged late Saturday that staff working for Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey drank alcohol and ate takeaways late into the evening on a number of occasions while COVID-19 restrictions were in place.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed the allegations, which were first reported by the Sunday Mirror, but stressed it took place while work was continuing past normal employment hours.

A DWP spokesman said: Throughout the pandemic, DWP officials have followed government guidance while continuing to deliver vital services for millions of people.

Staff worked from home where possible but a core team working directly to the secretary of state regularly worked from the office, in accordance with the COVID-19 rules as they evolved.

The team regularly worked late into the evening and on a number of occasions they ate takeaway food and drank some alcohol. No karaoke took place.

PA contributed to this report.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP)  A spike in violence has deepened hunger and poverty in Haiti while hindering the very aid organizations combating those problems in a country whose government struggles to provide basic services.

Few relief workers are willing to speak on the record about the cuts  perhaps worried about drawing attention following the October kidnapping of 17 people from Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries  12 of whom remain held hostage.

But several confirmed, without giving details, that they had sent some staff out of the country and have been forced to temporarily cut back aid operations.

Gang-related kidnappings and shootings have prevented aid groups from visiting parts of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and beyond where they had previously distributed food, water and other basic goods.

A severe shortage of fuel also has kept agencies from operating at full capacity.

Its just getting worse in every way possible, said Margarett Lubin, Haiti director for CORE, a U.S. nonprofit organization.

You see the situation deteriorating day after day, impacting life at every level, Lubin said, adding that aid organizations have gone into "survival mode."

Few places in the world are so dependent on aid groups as Haiti, a nation frequently called the republic of NGOs. Billions of dollars in aid have been poured through hundreds  by some estimates several thousand  of aid groups even as the government has grown steadily weaker and less effective.

Shortly after the July 7 assassination of the president, Prime Minister Ariel Henry assumed leadership of a country still trying to regain political stability. Nearly all the seats in parliament are vacant and there's no firm date yet for long-delayed elections, though Henry said he expects them early next year.

Less than a dozen elected officials are currently representing a country of more than 11 million people.

And in the streets, the gangs hold power.

More than 460 kidnappings have been reported by Haiti's National Police so far this year, more than double what was reported last year, according to the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti.

The agency said Haitians are living in hell under the yoke of armed gangs. Rapes, murders, thefts, armed attacks, kidnappings continue to be committed daily, on populations often left to fend for themselves in disadvantaged and marginalized neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince and beyond.

The agency added: Without being able to access these areas under the control of gangs, we are far from knowing and measuring the extent of these abuses and what Haitians really experience on a daily basis...

Humanitarian actors have also limited their interventions due to the security risks to their staff and access challenges, it added.

Large organizations like the U.N. World Food Program have found alternate ways to help people, such as using barges rather than vulnerable trucks to ferry goods from the capital to Haitis southern region. But smaller organizations dont always have such means.

World Vision United States, which is based in Federal Way, Washington and helps children in Haiti, told The Associated Press that it has relocated at least 11 of 320 employees as a result of the violence and is taking undisclosed security measures for other staff.

Water Mission, a South Carolina nonprofit, said its exploring relocating to other areas in Haiti and it said kidnappings and overall violence have forced it to change staffing plans to ensure peoples safety.

These issues sometimes result in slower progress in our ongoing safe water project work, the organization said. However, we continue with our work despite any temporary interruptions that arise.

The difficulties come at a time of growing pleas for help. A magnitude 7.2 earthquake in mid-August destroyed tens of thousands of homes and killed more than 2,200 people. The country also is struggling to cope with the recent arrival of more than 12,000 deported Haitians, the majority from the U.S.

In addition, more than 20,000 people have fled their homes due to gang violence this year, according to UNICEF, with many living in temporary shelters amid extremely unsanitary conditions and the pandemic. The U.N. agency estimates it needs $97 million to help 1 million people in Haiti next year.

Among them is Martin Jean Junior, a 50-year-old who used to resell scrap metal. He said his house was set on fire in mid-June amid fighting between police and gangs.

I have been in the streets since, he said as he lay on a blue sheet he had spread on the hard floor of a Port-au-Prince school temporarily converted into a shelter.

Things could soon get even worse: A prominent gang leader warned Haitians this week to avoid the embattled community of Martissant because rival gangs will fight each other in upcoming days.

Even the dogs and the rats wont be saved. Anything that moves, trucks, motorcycles, people, will be considered allies of Ti-Bois, the gang leader known as Izo said in a video, referring to a rival gang. Martissant is declared a combat zone, and those who ignore this warning will pay with their life.

Most already avoid the area for fear of being kidnapped, shot or having cargo looted. That has largely cut off the country's southern peninsula because the main highway runs through the neighborhood.

Those recently killed by crossfire in Martissant include a nurse, a 7-year-old girl and at least five passengers aboard a public bus. The violence forced the aid group Doctors Without Borders in August to close an emergency clinic that had served the community for 15 years.

Liman Pierre, a 40-year-old mechanic, said he recently had to cross Martissant to go to work and saw four dead people, including two elderly neighbors and the motorcycle driver transporting them.

The criminals kill with impunity and abandon the dead to the dogs," he said. "Those who arent devoured by dogs are set on fire, pure and simple. This cant be.

For now, Pierre is sleeping on the streets of Port-au-Prince because he fears having to cross Martissant to get back home: You dont even get the opportunity to visit parents and friends who are in difficulty.

The state doesnt exist, Pierre said. Criminals have been in power for over six months. It is December, and we do not see the light at the end of the tunnel.

___

Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
TUPELO, Miss. (AP)  Heather Sartin founded Guardian Angels with the simple desire to see assisted living residents receive more for Christmas.

Sartin, activity director at the Magnolia Manor of Tupelo, started a Christmas ministry, called the Guardian Angel Elderly Outreach Ministry, her first year at the manor. She teamed up with three local teachers in her church, and, together with their local schools, they adopted 90 residents and put together a laundry basket full of items for each.

On Christmas Eve, they delivered the gifts, knocking on residents doors while holding the baskets and saying, Merry Christmas, love Jesus.

Residents loved it. So did Sartin.

They literally were shocked and fell apart, because I tried to have their favorite snacks in there that I know they like, Sartin said. It literally just changed my life, actually, for the better.

That simple gesture showed Sartin how much residents appreciate the little things. One resident was shocked and thankful to receive a case of Coke because it was her favorite drink and she couldnt always go to the store to get it.

For residents who use most of their income on rent, receiving the basket treats feels like a luxury.

They get tickled to death over the Coke, over a new blanket, anything in here. It means something to them, Sartin said. This is Christmas for them.

The second year, they provided enough baskets for 600 residents at Magnolia Manor and the rest of the Hickory Senior Living family, as well as unaffiliated facilities.

Since those early years, theyve grown to serve as many as 1,200 residents. They now deliver baskets on Christmas Day.

Sartin packs gifts into laundry baskets so that everything is reusable. Each basket comprises basic needs like socks, T-shirts, toothpaste, hairspray, snack food, deodorant, hair shampoo or body powder. They next focus on snack candies and soft drinks, nail polish for women and other items so that residents receive more than just necessities.

The baskets mean a lot of residents such as Kathryn Greene, who received two Christmas baskets in her approximately three years at Magnolia Manor. She has used and appreciated everything in her baskets, but is especially thankful for donations such as a throw, coats, candy, chips and lotion.

The first Christmas I was here, I had a big ol basket, and it had just everything in it, Greene said. Its amazing what Heather does to work hard to get all this stuff, and I appreciate her.

The past three years, they have also requested baby dolls for specific residents. In general, they ask for stuffed animals so residents like Greene can give them to their grandchildren during visits or keep the stuffed animals themselves, Sartin said.

Now in its 10th year, the program keeps gaining momentum. Each year, more and more assisted living residents ask to be recipients.

Community support sustains it. A local church provides use of its gym to separate laundry baskets by building. Guardian Angels partnered with hospice representatives to host an annual Womenless Beauty Pageant for a couple of years to raise money for the ministry. Local businesses have also collected items.

Sartin has found this show of love from the community astounding.

I was very overwhelmed with the support, she said.

Typically, Sartin encourages people to donate anything they think a resident would like to receive, with the exception of any sharp objects, candles, or anything that may pose a risk. In the past, families have adopted residents. After filling their laundry baskets with necessities, some families opt to put in a few luxuries like gently used items, a picture frame, pillow, or figurine.

Fundraising proceeds are used to fill empty baskets so they can serve an even greater number of people. Despite COVID-19 hurting fundraising last year and economic challenges this year, Sartin is determined to continue the ministry. Through partnering with the United Way of NEMS, shes already been able to get additional community involvement.

She hopes to help as many residents as possible this year. She encourages the community to get involved in adopting a resident, delivering items to the United Way of NEMS, or donating funds.

Theres never too much respect that you can give to this generation, and I would love for the younger generation to keep respecting our elders, Sartin said. Its because of them that we have everything that we do.
MAYFIELD, Ky. (AP)  The Mayfield Consumer Products factory was the third-biggest employer in this corner of western Kentucky, an important economic engine that churned out candles that lined the shelves of malls around the U.S.

But why its workers kept making candles Friday night as a tornado bore down on the region remains unclear as rescuers continue scouring the factory wreckage for signs of life.

Kentuckys governor said Sunday the ferocity of the storm was so great that there was nowhere safe to hide inside the plant.

It appears most were sheltering in the place they were told to shelter, Gov. Andy Beshear said. "I hope that area was as safe as it could be, but this thing got hit directly by the strongest tornado we could have possibly imagined.

A company spokesperson said Sunday that eight of the 110 workers on the overnight shift Friday are confirmed dead and another eight are missing. More than 90 have now been accounted for, making the death toll lower than some had feared hours earlier.

Many of the employees were gathered in the tornado shelter and after the storm was over they left the plant and went to their homes, said Bob Ferguson, the company spokesperson. With the power out and no landline they were hard to reach initially."

Workers said they had been told to huddle in a central hallway area, the strongest part of the building, as the storm approached. Some had already left earlier in the night following a warning siren, they said.

The factory employs many people in and around Mayfield, a city of about 10,000 in Kentucky's southwest corner. It is Graves County's third-biggest employer, according to the county's website. Even some inmates at the county jail have worked there.

Scented candles made in the plant eventually found their way onto the shelves of prominent retailers like Bath & Body Works. The Ohio retailer said in a statement it was devastated by the horrible loss of life at the Mayfield Consumer Products factory  a long-standing partner of ours.

The company's founder, Mary Propes, in the mid-1990s literally started this in her garage and it grew to one of the largest candle-makers," Ferguson said.

And this was high season in Mayfield for turning out gift candles as Christmas approaches. Shortly before the disaster, the company had posted on Facebook that it was looking to hire more people for 10- to 12-hour shifts involving fast-paced work and mandatory overtime.

Most American candle-makers used to complete their holiday orders by early November, but labor shortages and other economic trends tied to the COVID-19 pandemic have extended crunch time well into December, said Kathy LaVanier, CEO of Ohio-based Renegade Candle Company and a board member at the National Candle Association.

LaVanier said candle-makers around the U.S. are horrified by what happened in Kentucky and are trying to find ways to help. Unlike many manufactured products, most candles sold in the U.S. are American-made, in part thanks to hefty and longstanding tariffs on Chinese-made candles.

All of us in the candle business are reeling, she said. It could have been any of us.

LaVanier said regular disaster drills are important at candle plants, especially to include temporary workers who might have just arrived to fill a demand surge. But the way they are built  rarely with basements, and structured to accommodate long manufacturing lines  makes it hard to avoid damage when a truly devastating storm hits.

If we had enough advance notice and felt it was severe enough you might send people home, she said.

Bryanna Travis, 19, and Jarred Holmes, 20, stood vigil near the rubble of the Mayfield candle factory Saturday where they had worked for months, usually for about $14.50 an hour. The engaged couple wasn't working when the storm hit.

I worked with these people. I talked to these people. I tried to build connections with these people. And I dont know if one of my friends is gone, Holmes said.

Holmes said there had been no drills during their time at the factory to prepare people in case of a storm.

We havent had one since weve been there, he said.

Ferguson, the company spokesperson, said drills were commonplace and workers followed the guidance when they found shelter.

There were regular drills and the employees went to the shelter, which is an interior part of that building, he said. They were there long enough even for attendance to be taken. But, he said, the tornado was of such rare size and strength that it had great destructive power.

The company said in a statement on its website that it had started an emergency fund to help employees and their families.

Were heartbroken about this, and our immediate efforts are to assist those affected by this terrible disaster, CEO Troy Propes, the son of Mary Propes, said in the statement. Our company is family-owned and our employees, some who have worked with us for many years, are cherished.

Kentuckys state safety and health agency website lists a series of 12 safety violations at the factory in 2019, though it doesnt say what they were for. Ferguson said it had to do with a worker's error involving a circuit breaker, which led to extensive safety trainings and a modest fine.

-

O'Brien reported from Providence, Rhode Island. AP writer Bruce Schreiner contributed to this report.
As state officials read the weekly COVID-19 transmission reports by county  for example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Nov. 16 that Windham, Litchfield and New London counties were recording high levels of virus transmission  some state residents might pause to ask: Connecticut has counties?

Well, sort of, not really  but we are likely to get county equivalents.

The state had counties for nearly 300 years, until they were abolished in 1960. What remained were ghosts of counties -- those county boundaries the National Association of Counties calls counties without county government. The boundaries survived because that is how the U.S. Census Bureau and most federal agencies that use Census information report their data.

Unfortunately, county data is almost useless in Connecticut, because the groups of towns in the eight historic counties are not the same as the groups of towns in the regional entities we have today  nine planning regions represented by councils of governments, or COGs. For example, historic Hartford County has 29 towns, while the Capitol Planning Region (also known as the Capitol Region Council of Governments) covers 38 towns.

In 2019, state officials petitioned the U.S. Census Bureau to designate the planning regions/COGs as county equivalents, so data will be reported for the regional entities that actually use it.

The change is now in final review by state agencies. Barring a last-minute objection, it will be approved by the end of the year and go into effect in 2023.

As everyone connected with county equivalency hastens to say, it is concerned with the collection and reporting of statistical data and does not signal a return to county government or county taxes.

But the change offers a chance to look back at a system that was part of Connecticuts history, an instructive if not a terribly important part.

No great county leaders have left their mark on the state for future school children to read about and refer to with patriotic pride, wrote UConn professor Rosaline Levenson in her definitive 1966 book County Government in Connecticut: Its History and Demise.

One reason for this, Levenson wrote, was that counties were never allowed too much power.

Towns came first

Connecticut began establishing counties in 1666, per Levenson, three decades after the river towns of Windsor, Hartford and Wethersfield were established. There were six counties by the time of the American Revolution; the last two, Tolland and Middlesex, were added in 1785.

As they developed over the years, counties ran courts and jails, oversaw road building and collected vital statistics. In their heyday in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, counties also issued liquor licenses (a top source of revenue), ran homes for neglected or abandoned children, administered the Widows Aid program and supported agricultural extension programs.

Counties were run by a three-person appointed board of commissioners and an elected "high sheriff," the latter a position from which one could deliver considerable patronage. Each county had a county building. The counties were supported in part by a tax on member towns.

The demise of the county era perhaps began with the creation of the State Highway Department in 1895, which took over road building. Prohibition in 1919 ended the county liquor license franchise; when Prohibition was repealed in 1933, the state created the Liquor Control Commission, which at least shared revenue with the counties. The Widows Aid program was replaced by a state program, Aid to Dependent Children, in 1941.

So it went. By the '40s and '50s, the counties main duties were running jails and childrens homes, and they werent running them all that well, Levenson reported.

Two criticisms increasingly leveled at county officials were that they operated in secret, long before the Freedom of Information Act, and made appointments based on political affiliation or connection rather than competence. The obvious problem with appointing political hacks to posts for which they are unqualified is that they are likely to screw them up.

And so they did. Continual disturbances and complaints of abuse and mistreatment at jails and childrens homes in the 1940s and '50s brought demands for reform. The county homes for neglected children were abolished in 1955, the responsibility going to the (then) State Welfare Department. A state-wide, state-run court system was adopted in 1960.

The county jails, and a few other minor duties, were the last to go, although the scandal-plagued sheriff system hung on for decades until it was replaced by a state marshal system in 2000.

Other states had issues with counties in the mid-20th century, said Lyle Wray, executive director emeritus of the Capitol Region Council of Governments. The choice was to make them better or do away with them. Many states opted to strengthen their counties; Connecticut chose to eliminate them. Levenson did find someone who suggested perhaps facetiously  keeping the counties and abolishing the towns.

Connecticut counties might have saved themselves if they had embraced new regional thinking, if they were something more than a vestige of the spoils system. But no.

The counties displayed a sterility of imagination, leadership and innovation, and became practically intellectual wastelands, Levenson observed. Of course, the General Assembly could have recreated or strengthened county government, but it didn't.

Rise of the COGs

With counties gone, there was an obvious need for a framework to combine some services across town lines, Levenson wrote. Enter the states 15 regional planning regions, then just getting up to speed, albeit a fairly slow speed. The early plans were largely collections of local plans, so they had little regional vision.

In the 1970s and '80s, some of the regional planning agencies became councils of government, or COGs, which are voluntary associations of elected municipal leaders who address issues of common interest.

As Levenson anticipated, some of the more progressive COGs, notably the Capitol and Northeast regions, began offering an array of services across town lines; everything from bulk purchasing, animal shelters and police communications to online permitting, property revaluation and GIS services, among others.

As this piecemeal regionalism continued, it occurred to policymakers that 15 regional planning agencies was way too many in a state the size of Connecticut. In the early years of the last decade, pushed by a legislative commission studying regional services, alternatives were suggested. One was to align the COGs with the old counties, but towns had moved on, created new alliances, and that idea went nowhere. Another was to have five strong COGs.

After some back and forth, the parties settled on nine new regions, all of which became COGs. While many think nine is too many, its better than 15, said state Sen. Steve Cassano, D-Manchester, a longtime advocate of regional shared services.

Would counties make sense?

Although there is no sentiment or inclination to restart county government in Connecticut, could a case be made for it?

Many think counties are another layer of government; technically they are a political or administrative subdivision of state government and can deliver state services. State government in Connecticut, not unlike local government, is fragmented. The service areas of state agencies are almost all different.

Research by John Filchak, executive director of the Northeastern Connecticut Council of Governments, a few years ago identified four transportation management areas, 15 regional transit districts, five homeland security regions, 13 judicial districts, 54 Probate Court districts, 11 state police districts, 585 fire departments, five workforce development boards, nine labor market areas, eight workers compensation districts, 104 emergency call centers, five regional mental health boards, three Department of Development Services regions, six Department of Children and Families regions, six regional education service areas, and 73 health departments, among many others.

Organizing these into common service areas, whether or not they are called counties, could increase efficiency, reduce cost and, as Wray said, make government simpler. With state government facing a wave of retirements, it might make sense.

Counties are not fixed entities. They vary dramatically across the country. Some have very little power; some build airports and hospitals.

As we say around here, if youve seen one county, youve seen one county, said Brian Namey of the National Association of Counties.

Some, such as Miami-Dade in Florida, have a two-tier system in which the county offers some services and the towns perform others.

And then there's a subset of county government -- metro government. Across the United States, 42 regions have merged their city and county governments into unified metropolitan governments, Namey said. In Kentucky, for example, mergers have taken place in Louisville and Lexington, and one is currently under consideration in the state capital, Frankfort.

Proponents of metro government argue that it eliminates redundancy, increases efficiency, saves money, helps break down isolation of poor persons in center cities and greatly lessens wasteful inter-town competition.

For example, The Hartford Courant has reported that suburban towns have lured dozens of Hartford police officers and new teachers away from Hartford with offers of better pay and benefits. This is the antithesis of regionalism -- it drives up costs and weakens the regions central city, which does no good for its suburbs.

County Lite

Finally, regional government can boost the economy.

In a small state like Connecticut  which is smaller than some Western counties  it made sense to have the state take charge of roads, courts and jails, but some services can work well at the regional level. One is economic development.

Nearly all (93%) of the countrys more than 3,000 counties engage in economic development, most (81%) contribute to economic development projects, and more than half (57%) have economic development departments, according to a study by the National Association of Counties. This has resulted in numerous economic development initiatives involving manufacturing, international trade, small business development and others.

By contrast, regional economic development has never been a strength in Connecticut. The old counties never did it, and the state has tended to partner with a single municipality on its projects. University of Connecticut economist Fred Carstensen strongly suspects the mishmash of local governments and state agencies is hurting the state's economy.

I do wonder how much our insane fragmentation contributes to our dismal economic performance (worst in the nation since 2008 and among the slowest recoveries now) and our seeming inability to change the trajectory, Carstensen said.

But that may be changing. Most COGs played a large role in local COVID response efforts. A state law a decade ago enabled the creation of regional economic development districts, coterminous with the COGs, and seven districts are up and running with two more in the pipeline.

The districts get some federal economic development funds for planning and can apply for other grants. If county equivalency moves ahead, the districts may be able to work with the COGs to compete for a broader spectrum of federal grants that are made available to counties. County equivalency may also affect how some federal funds are administered in the state, said Martin L. Heft, undersecretary of the states Office of Policy and Management.

The hope is that the economic development districts and county equivalency will get towns thinking more about regional activity. But for it to work, the state itself also must think more regionally, said Joe DeLong, executive director of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, which has been pushing for more shared services. He said state officials should think more about partnering with regions.

Ask the COGs for their top three economic development proposals. Then see if they can be achieved, he said.

So comes a new iteration of counties in Connecticut, if county equivalency is approved.
For many rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, self-incriminating messages, photos and videos that they broadcast on social media before, during and after the insurrection are influencing even their criminal sentences.

Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Amy Jackson read aloud some of Russell Petersons posts about the riot before she sentenced the Pennsylvania man to 30 days imprisonment. Overall I had fun lol, Peterson posted on Facebook.

The judge told Peterson that his posts made it extraordinarily difficult for her to show him leniency.

The lol particularly stuck in my craw because, as I hope youve come to understand, nothing about January 6th was funny, Jackson added. No one locked in a room, cowering under a table for hours, was laughing.

Among the biggest takeaways so far from the Justice Department's prosecution of the insurrection is how large a role social media has played, with much of the most damning evidence coming from rioters' own words and videos.

FBI agents have identified scores of rioters from public posts and records subpoenaed from social media platforms. Prosecutors use the posts to build cases. Judge now are citing defendants' words and images as factors weighing in favor of tougher sentences.

As of Friday, more than 50 people have been sentenced for federal crimes related to the insurrection. In at least 28 of those cases, prosecutors factored a defendants social media posts into their requests for stricter sentences, according to an Associated Press review of court records.

Many rioters used social media to celebrate the violence or spew hateful rhetoric. Others used it to spread misinformation, promote baseless conspiracy theories or play down their actions. Prosecutors also have accused a few defendants of trying to destroy evidence by deleting posts.

Approximately 700 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the riot. About 150 of them have pleaded guilty. More than 20 defendants have been sentenced to jail or prison terms or to time already served behind bars. Over a dozen others received home confinement sentences.

Rioters statements, in person or on social media, arent the only consideration for prosecutors or judges. Justice Department sentencing memos say defendants also should be judged by whether they engaged in any violence or damaged property, whether they destroyed evidence, how long they spent inside the Capitol, where they went inside the building and whether they have shown sincere remorse.

Prosecutors recommended probation for Indiana hair salon owner Dona Sue Bissey, but Judge Tanya Chutkan sentenced her to two weeks in jail for her participation in the riot. The judge noted that Bisssey posted a screenshot of a Twitter post that read, This is the First time the U.S. Capitol had been breached since it was attacked by the British in 1814.

When Ms. Bissey got home, she was not struck with remorse or regret for what she had done, Chutkan said. She is celebrating and bragging about her participation in what amounted to an attempted overthrow of the government.

FBI agents obtained a search warrant for Andrew Ryan Bennett's Facebook account after getting a tip that the Maryland man live-streamed video from inside the Capitol. Two days before the riot, Bennett posted a Facebook message that said, You better be ready chaos is coming and I will be in DC on 1/6/2021 fighting for my freedom!.

Judge James Boasberg singled out that post as an aggravating factor weighing in favor of house arrest instead of a fully probationary sentence.

The cornerstone of our democratic republic is the peaceful transfer of power after elections, the judge told Bennett. What you and others did on January 6th was nothing less than an attempt to undermine that system of government.

Senior Judge Reggie Walton noted that Lori Ann Vinson publicly expressed pride in her actions at the Capitol during television news interviews and on Facebook.

I understand that sometimes emotions get in the way and people do and say stupid things, because it was ridiculous what was said. But does that justify me giving a prison sentence or a jail sentence? Thats a hard question for me to ask, Walton said.

Prosecutors asked for a one-month jail sentence for Vinson, but the judge sentenced the Kentucky nurse to five years of probation and ordered her to pay a $5,000 fine and perform 120 hours of community service.

In the case of Felipe Marquez, the judge found social media posts belied serious mental health issues that needed treatment rather than incarceration. Marquez recorded cellphone videos of himself with other rioters inside the office of Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. Back at home in Florida, Marquez posted a YouTube video in which he rapped about his riot experience to the tune of Shaggys It Wasnt Me. with lyrics that included, We even fist-bumped police, and We were taking selfies.

In the video, Marquez wore a T-shirt that said, Property of FBI.

Prosecutors had recommended a four-month jail sentence, but U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras sentenced him instead to three months of home confinement with mental-health treatment, followed by probation. I do think you have some serious issues you need to address. That played a large role in my sentencing decision," he said.

Judge Jackson gave Andrew Wrigley a history lesson before she sentenced the Pennsylvania man to 18 months of probation. Wrigley posted a photo on social media of him holding a 1776 flag during the riot. The judge said the gesture didnt honor the nations founders.

The point of 1776 was to let the people decide who would rule them. But the point of the attack on the Capitol was to stop that from happening," Jackson said. "The point of the attack on the Capitol was to subvert democracy, to substitute the will of the people with the will of the mob.

Videos captured New Jersey gym owner Scott Fairlamb punching a police officer outside the Capitol. His Facebook and Instagram posts showed he was prepared to commit violence in Washington, D.C., and had no remorse for his actions, prosecutors said.

Senior Judge Royce Lamberth said other rioters in Fairlamb's position would be well advised to join him in pleading guilty.

You couldnt have beat this if you went to trial on the evidence that I saw, Lamberth said before sentencing Fairlamb to 41 months in prison.

But it worked to the advantage of one. Virginia charter boat captain Jacob Hiles likely avoided a stricter sentence by posting videos and photos of him and his cousin at the Capitol. A day after the riot, Hiles received a private Facebook message from a Capitol police officer who said he agreed with Hiles political stance and encouraged him to delete his incriminating posts, according to prosecutors.

The officer, Michael Angelo Riley, deleted his communications with Hiles, but investigators recovered the messages from Hiles Facebook account, prosecutors said. Riley was indicted in October on obstruction charges.

On Monday, Jackson sentenced Hiles to two years of probation. Prosecutors said the case against Riley may have been impossible without Hiles' cooperation.

__

Associated Press writer Lindsay Whitehurst in Salt Lake City contributed to this report.
EDWARDSVILLE  The number of people confirmed dead from the tornado that tore through an Amazon Fulfillment Center on Friday night has risen to six.

Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford confirmed that total on Saturday afternoon in a press conference at the Edwardsville Public Safety Building that also featured remarks by Governor J.B. Pritzker.

The initial number of fatalities given at a press conference early Saturday morning was two.

At approximately 8:35 p.m. last night, the National Weather Service confirmed that an EF3 tornado, approaching from the west touched down at 3077 Gateway Commerce Center Drive East, said Whiteford, who is also the incident commander for the collapse of the Amazon warehouse. This caused significant damage to a large portion of the building.

About six minutes afterward, Edwardsville Fire arrived on the scene and found approximately 150 yards of the building that had been collapsed. We received multiple reports of people being injured and deceased we contacted mutual fire departments from neighboring communities to assist with search and recovery effort, along with EMS and technical rescue teams.

Whiteford added that the Madison County Coroners Office worked with the city of Pontoon Beach to set up a reunification center about two miles from the incident.

They affected 45 reunifications with people who were in the building and their families, Whiteford said.

Edwardsville Police Chief Mike Fillback added that the reunification center is still open, and that people can call the Edwardsville Police Department at 618-656-2131 to get referred to the center.

We have chaplains there along with the coroners office to try to get more information from them at that time to figure out if their loved one was actually at that center and how to go about identifying where they are at, and we can try to resolve that issue for them, Fillback said.

Pritzker, meanwhile, has been in touch with numerous federal, state and local officials about the collapse of the Amazon building since shortly after the tornado hit.

The Edwardsville community experienced great tragedy last night with the structural collapse of an Amazon warehouse with workers inside, Pritzker said. It brings me great sorrow to confirm that at this time, six individuals have lost their lives, with an additional person receiving medical treatment. Search and recovery operations are ongoing.

I would like to speak for a moment to the families whose loved ones lost their lives in this disaster. There are no words to assuage the pain of losing a loved one, and even fewer when that loss comes so suddenly. Everyone assumes that they will be safe at work and families say goodbye in a routine fashion when loved ones go off to their jobs. We dont think that they will never come home.

No one from Amazon was at the press conference, but Pritzker spoke to company officials on Saturday.

I implored them to provide every assistance to this community, which they have said they intend to do, Pritzker said. During that phone call, I asked them specifically to help the community recover, especially for the families who lost loved ones and those who were injured.

We spoke about financial assistance and Amazons presence being engaged in the community in the recovery effort.

Pritzker also spoke on Saturday to President Joe Biden and Deanne Criswell, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The president offered to assist with whatever we may need, Pritzker said. In addition, Senator Tammy Duckworth has been monitoring the situation and will help us get whatever federal relief is necessary.

Whiteford noted that by Saturday afternoon, the operation at the warehouse had switched from rescue to search and recovery.

We dont expect that anyone could be surviving at this point, Whiteford said. Through our efforts so far, we have identified 45 people who made it out of the building. One person had to be airlifted to a regional medical center for treatment, and there were six fatalities.

At this time, estimates are that the recovery portion of the incident will take about three more days. After today, were going to move to 10-hour operational periods from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m., or basically daylight hours.

Another issue for Whiteford is that he is still uncertain how many Amazon employees are unaccounted for.

The warehouse doesnt have a specific count of how many employees were in the building at the time the storm hit, Whiteford said. There was a shift change going on and they have vans that come in and they pick up and they leave.

Edwardsville Mayor Art Risavy was also among those who spoke at the press conference.

Last night we had a tragic weather event that was assumed to be multiple tornadoes that devastated our Amazon facility, Risavy said. There were fatalities and today, Im asking you for your thoughts and prayers for the victims and their families, not only in our city and state but also remembering those in Kentucky, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri and Tennessee. Were all suffering a great loss tonight.

I want to thank all of our first responders  our police, our firefighters and our public services employees  who have been working tirelessly for 20 hours to keep our residents safe.

Pritzker, likewise, saluted the many police and fire departments from throughout the Metro East, as well as St. Louis County and St. Louis City, that responded to the warehouse collapse.

I want to recognize the tremendous overnight efforts of local first responders here who moved quickly to assess the situation, locate those who were missing and save lives, Pritzker said. All are neighbors working to respond to this devastation, demonstrating that especially when tragedy strikes, we are on in our response.

Whiteford, who said he expects that Madison County will apply for a disaster declaration, also thanked members of the community for their outpouring of support.

Weve received numerous donations of water, Gatorade and food, but we ask that if you are considering donating, please contact one of our established volunteer partners such as the American Red Cross or the Salvation Army, Whiteford said.

Whiteford added that the walls of the Amazon warehouse were made of 11-inch-thick concrete and were about 40 feet tall.

There was a lot of weight when they came down, Whiteford said. There is about 150 yards of the building that was impacted by the tornado. The walls on both sides of the building collapsed and the roof collapsed downward, and most of the weight of the building landed centrally into the building.

We had some concerns about the safety of our workers because the building was still charged with electricity in addition to water leaking from mains that had broken. We also had natural gas leaking, so there were lots of hazards in addition to things hanging overhead. We had to move slowly and methodically to make sure we werent injuring any of our workers.

Pritzker said that at this time, no region other than Madison County has requested assistance from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) as a result of the storms on Friday night.

Im deeply thankful that at this time, there are no additional injuries or deaths reported due to these storms, Pritzker said.

To anyone who experienced damage to your home or your business, we will pursue all available resources to help you recover.

While the Amazon warehouse was by far the hardest hit by the tornado, thousands of people in the Metro East lost power on Friday night for at least several hours.

Approximately 50% of those who lost power had it restored by 7 a.m. today and utilities are working around the clock to get 100% restored as fast as possible, Pritzker said.
John Badman, Hearst Newspapers

EDWARDSVILLE  Survey teams from the National Weather Service (NWS) were out checking damage and other features left in the wake of Fridays tornadoes in Illinois and Missouri.



Late Saturday, in another preliminary assessment, the NWS asserts that the tornado had winds of 155 mph when it struck the Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville.

Earlier reports said the wind speeds are at least an Enhanced Fujita 3 (EF-3), which translates to between 136 and 185 miles per hour. The NWS cautions that the final EF figure could go higher.



Preliminary results show that a twister formed over the Mississippi River near Granite City and headed northeast, crossing through Pontoon Beach and Edwardsville, then into rural Madison County.



Updated weather service findings indicated four separate tornadoes in the region - an EF-0 from Sorento in Bond County to northeast of Ramsey in Fayette County; an EF-3 in Edwardsville, EF-3 in Defiance, Missouri and a fourth one in far southern Missouri.



Survey crews checked damage in St. Charles and St. Louis counties as well as Bond and Fayette counties in Illinois. More surveys will be conducted this week.
Some 2.4 million people in Rwanda are benefiting from telemedicine services. In many parts of the world and Africa, latest advances have been made in health tech, they include but not limited to those below.

 Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML).

 Internet of Medical Things (IoMT)

 Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)

 Blockchain and data security

 Health-tracking apps

 Therapeutic apps

 Smart hospitals

 Robotics

 Electronic Health Records (EHR)

 Telehealth

Nigeria is nowhere near in these advances, Tanzania is the drone capital of Africa, spearheaded by the Zanzibar Mapping Initiative, the most significant drone mapping exercise in the world. Scientists, two years ago, were seeking a breakthrough in the fight against malaria have used drones to spray rice fields in Zanzibar - not with traditional pesticides but with a thin, non-toxic film. Nigeria is absent!

A nation politically and culturally, religiously, and economically sick, nobody will really care about us, except we care about ourselves, look at how we are treated by both our leaders and ourselves. The bad news is overwhelming and despite the scores of good things no one is listening because we are weak and disunited as a nation. We say the right things but are quick to do the wrong things. We are a toy thing, seemingly not going anywhere, or at best facing all the wrong directions. Canada wont accept our vaccine cards, other nations disdain us, and treat us as shithole country citizens, our leaders lie to us, we are near there, we lie to ourselves, we will get there, but where are we really going to?

We are a consuming nation, producing almost nothing, and yet we have almost 200million in population, 92% of our pharmaceutical and medical needs come from outside yet we are blessed irrevocably with the raw materials for the same medicines we import. We are at war with ourselves, a nation with much potential, but that really is what it is, JUST POTENTIALS!

So, let me tell us a story.

Once upon a time, there was a village of people who lived in handcrafted wood houses. And like other villages in this era, fires were a very real and present danger at all times. One small flame could burn the whole village into ashes within a few short hours. So the villagers developed a clever fire fighting system.

A rotating group of volunteers kept watch over the village from a lookout tower at all times, day and night. At the first sight of smoke, a volunteer would turn on a loud siren that was only ever sounded when warning the villagers about a fire.

The moment the siren sounded, all villagers would drop everything and run to a pre-assigned location for firefighting.

Young, strong women and men would pump water as fast as possible from the village wells, teenage boys and girls would fill big buckets with water as it was pumped up from the well, and all the rest of the villagers would occupy designated locations and ultimately form human chains leading from the wells to the fire. The bravest women and men would stand next to the fire and heave buckets of water until the fire was extinguished.

One day a traveler from a distant village heard the siren and asked someone on the street about it. The woman  who was rushing toward her designated location  quickly explained, Whenever theres a fire, the siren is sounded and the fire is extinguished!

The traveler was amazed, and decided to bring this remarkable siren technology back to his own village, which also had dreadful problems with fires. Days later, he returned to his village with a siren that perfectly matched the one he witnessed in action on the lookout tower. He gathered all his villagers together, and he said, You dont need to fear fire anymore, my friends.. I have found a new way to extinguish it. Watch closely, and I shall demonstrate.

The traveler lit a large bale of hay on fire that was sitting next to his own cottage. The flames quickly began to spread closer and closer to his home. Then he took out the siren hed acquired and sounded it. The fire only grew in its intensity, so he sounded it again. The fire continued to grow rapidly.

Just be patient, everyone! It should happen any moment now

In a panic he sounded the siren again and again, but still the fire grew and blazed with even more intensity. Within hours the entire village burned down to the ground because, of course, the traveler had misunderstood the purpose of the siren. It wasnt used to put out fires. It was simply a signal that directed the villagers to take positive action.

Theres a lookout tower in Nigeria's life too. In that lookout tower, the siren has sounded, keeps sounding but we all have gone deaf.

We continue to do nothing even as the siren blares loudly in every corner and facet of our national life, imagine the once otherwise safe Sokoto has become a slaughterhouse, in many ways, we will ultimately burn to the ground (dramatic, yet true if we do nothing). For a siren extinguishes no fires on its own.. But if we listen to the siren and let it motivate us to take positive action, we yet can save and salvage all that is going down the drain. We need to create a sense of purpose, peace and resolve for ourselves and those who depend on us.

The steps we need to take next wont be easy, but they will be worthy if only we can take them. We need strong leadership, a willing people, one that can not only hear the siren but know what to do. Have what it takes to fight and extinguish even the hottest fires that are burning from within.

The truth is that for Nigeria...in the lyrics of Bob Marley and the Wailers' Natural Mystic

There's a natural mystic

Blowing through the air

If you listen carefully now you will hear

This could be the first trumpet

Might as well be the last

Many more will have to suffer

Many more will have to die

Don't ask me why

Things are not the way they used to be

I won't tell no lie

One and all got to face reality now

Though I try to find the answer

To all the questions they ask

Though I know it's impossible

To go living through the past

Don't tell no lie

There's a natural mystic

Blowing through the air

Can't keep them down

If you listen carefully now you will hear

Such a natural mystic

Blowing through the air

I started by addressing the gaps in our health sector, I end by asking if our leaders see the growing insecurity especially North of the country, how our home are being raped, dehumanised, and our children no longer safe. This nation is heading nowhere, and the hallelujah men are looking 2023 when today we do not know where we standOnly time will tell
Women have long been systematically excluded from economic and political power in society, and are often victims of gender-based violence. While in many parts of the world, aid for women in vulnerable situations has been increasingly considered, only in this century is exclusive advocacy of women in Nigeria is gradually becoming mainstream.

Lady D, as she is called by many, is an American, who noticed Nigeria is yet to have as many global women-centered organizations as other western countries decided to offer crucial aid to better the lives of women in the country of Nigeria. Lady D, is establishing an organization in Nigeria, tagged Nigerian Women Voices Matter (NWVM) to help amplify the voices of Nigerian women. The organization aids women-led outreaches in the country; providing provisional support including publicity and networking opportunities. It further works with other women to provide medical, educational, and community crisis assistance for women who are in need of it in varying communities.

Lady D, who is a domestic violence survivor has overcome many test and trials, thus, has a strong passion to see women healed, whole and empowered. She is making a strong effort to impact the nation of Nigeria. During 2021, 16-days of activism against gender-based violence, she donated almost an acre of land to Nigerian Women Voices Matter for the building of a domestic violence shelter for women with children and a community training center. Consequently, the NWVM team is passionate about building a domestic shelter on the land donated. The Shelter is to be located in New Karshi Development Area, and is estimated to be completed in thirty-six months. The Shelter plans to accommodate about forty to sixty women with children for up to four months.

Domestic shelters are instrumental in enhancing social change to prevent violence against women and girls. Thus, NVWM Shelters will provide a sanctuary for women with children who are subjected to intimate partner violence amongst other forms of physical abuse from men. It will further provide essential aspects of protection, services, and resources that enable women who have experienced abuse and their children to take a break from this cycle. It will aid survivors to recover from the violence, rebuild self-worth, connect with support groups, and have time to build an independent life. NVWM Shelter, can also help women to avoid being subjected to future abuse at the hands of violent men.

Other provisional support being provided by the Nigerian Women Voices Matter under the leadership support of Lady D, is the google help app locator, a resourceful app where people can locate community resources across Nigeria, such as on-site feeding centers, a site where people can come and eat a free meal, locate pregnancy shelters, medical services, and more. The resource app is to further function as a platform for women to seek help while in vulnerable situations; as well as a platform for volunteers to donate financial resources.

NWVM organization is relatively new in the country thus it is open to volunteers, financial, and resources donations. The organization yearns to collaborate with individuals and corporations who provide business and wealth education, medical services, provisions such as sanitary pads, and foodstuffs, books; all geared towards aiding vulnerable women including survivors of sexual abuse, domestic abuse, and women in prison.

Lady D, hopes that through the organization, NWVM, Nigerians abroad are proud to associate with their country. Survivors of gender-based violence could also be able to get the help they need promptly, the voices of women are amplified, women who lead outreaches are able to connect and make more impacts in their communities.

To request Lady D, or to partake in this movement, you can send an email to [email protected] or [email protected]
President Muhammadu Buhari, appointed Abdulrasheed Bawa in February of 2021, making him the fourth Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Bawa is a product of the EFCC academy who for the first time was not fetched from our infamous Nigeria police force.

After officially taking his leadership position in March of 2021, Bawa while being featured on the Nigerian Television Authoritys (NTA) special interview program, One-on-One, stated We need to change our attitudes in Nigeria.

On ethical grounds he further stated, all hands-on must be on deck to combat the threat of dishonesty.

Almost sounding like a psychologist, he rightly pressed on Nigerians to reevaluate their social behaviors. We are in the habit of worshipping people that have money in the society, but never bother to ask questions about their source of income. In winning the fight against corruption, we are engaging all stakeholders including religious leaders, community leaders and others. We are going to embark on massive public enlightenment to sensitize people on the need to shun corruption in all its forms. I will continue to do what is right. The Commission under my watch will continue to abide by the rule of law. If anybody asks me to do anything contrary to my conscience or against the rule of law, I will resign my appointment.

Ten months since his appointment, in an editorial write up in Punch News of Nigeria, Adelani Adepegba would remind Bawa of having not apply the rule of law equally.

In fact, here is how Adepegba titled the article: Bawas EFCC focuses on scammers, fails to arraign ex-govs, VIPs

I believe many Nigerians of good conscience will agree that law enforcement officers must do equal right to the poor and to the rich.

But here is the painful reality. For the most part, whether it is the EFCC or other law enforcement bodies, their hands are tied! Meaning for the most part, visibly or invisibly, directly or indirectly, the likes of EFCC wants to apply the hammer of the rule of law equally but not when in a crooked democracy like Nigeria, one is being prevented from fully acting, enforcing, or intervening on a case, as one should or desires to, due to circumstances beyond one's control, Those circumstances include the bending of rules, expressing influential images or getting conflicting orders from above

Here is one example. Since 2016, a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode is being prosecuted in court by the EFCC on a charge of money laundering, to the tune of 4.9 billion naira. In recent times, after various types of unusual delays his case now remains active in court, yet here are some September 2021 headlines from the Nigerian media.

Femi Fani-Kayode meets Buhari, joins APC - Punch; Defection: Buhari welcomes Femi Fani-Kayode- Vanguard; Femi-Fani Kayode (R) meets the President, Muhammadu Buhari-Guardian.

Here is a man like many others, currently under criminal probe, accused of unscrupulous leadership and pilfering the national coffers. Yet, he is being welcomed into Aso Rock or the official presidential villa by the man that holds the highest office of the land, for changing and joining the ruling party.

Even though the EFCC continues to do all they can to prosecute him, why will a criminally charged man meet with the President and taking picture together. The fundamental psychological message here to law enforcement and the judicial bodies, is that Here I am I still have power and influence.

Under Bawa, although EfCC is not fully swayed by this type of games, such image does send the message that if you are a suspected internet fraudster commonly known as 'Yahoo Boys' you are less than regarding power play.

There is the matter of Stella Oduah, a former Aviation Minister and currently a Senator charged in 2016 for misappropriating N7.9 billion public funds while serving as Aviation Minister. She remains a sitting member of the senate despite been indicted for a criminal offense that constitutes a felony. She recently petitioned the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, alleging persecution by the EFCC. Incredible.

The AG in the first case should not be entertaining such petition at all, for a case of stolen public funds that began many years ago before his time.

This type of occurrence from Oduah is a sort of psychological and power-based intimidation against public servants serving as investigators, who are just trying to do their job. Here again their hands are tied. These are just a few examples, and they show that the Nigerian democracy is in crisis.

Therefore, the media should be more worried and watchful about this type of hand tying. Media agents should without fear, favor or compromise help fight against these types of manipulations of the rule of law. From the point of institutional psychology, I say to Bawa and others, do not resign. In our current world of the social media, no matter how troubled our democracy is not even the President, AG, or any other powerful head or Oga can shut down the EFCC or any other pro-people public intelligence/law enforcement agency. So, keep fighting hard for the rule of law, but to do so effectively, always hydrate the body with water, good food and vitamins. Remember those who dutifully believe in rampant corruption, I call them corruption religionists would love to see good investigators go away, fall off or die out. God willing, InshAllah you all will overcome them!

John Egbeazien Oshodi who was born in Uromi, Edo State in Nigeria, is an American based Police/Prison Scientist and Forensic/Clinical/Legal Psychologist. A government Consultant on matters of forensic-clinical adult/child psychological services in the USA; Chief Educator and Clinician at the Transatlantic Enrichment and Refresher Institute, an Online Lifelong Center for Personal, Professional and Career Development. A former Interim Associate Dean/Assistant Professor at the Broward College, Florida. The Founder of the Dr. John Egbeazien Oshodi Foundation, Center for Psychological Health and Behavioral Change in African settings. In 2011, he introduced the State-of-the-Art Forensic Psychology into Nigeria through N.U.C and the Nasarawa State University where he served in the Department of Psychology as an Associate Professor. The Development Professor and International Liaison Consultant at the African University of Benin, and a Virtual Faculty at the ISCOM University, Benin of Republic. Founder of the Proposed Transatlantic Egbeazien University (TEU) of Values and Ethics, a digital project of Truth, Ethics, Openness. Author of over 40 academic publications/creations, at least 200 public opinion writeups on African issues, and various books.

John Egbeazien Oshodi wrote in via [email protected]
Family of slain motorbike taxi driver still clueless as to reason for murder

PHUKET: Family and friends of the motorbike taxi driver shot dead at Phuket Bus Terminal 2, north of Phuket Town, on the night of Dec 4 are still without any clue as to why the execution was carried out.

murderhomicidecrimedeathtransport

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Sunday 12 December 2021, 05:25PM

The victim, Champa Wanchan, 54, was shot dead while sitting in a white plastic chair in the parking area for motorcycle taxis at the bus terminal at about 10:20pm.

Witnesses confirmed that the man who shot Mr Champa multiple times at close range was Vean Aiadchuthong, well known at the bus station for shooting dead two rival motorbike taxi drivers at the bus terminal in January.

Vean was out on bail so he could prepare his defence against the double homicide charges he was already facing.

Mr Champas wife and daughters yesterday (Dec 11) escorted Mr Champas body to Wat Kosit Wiharn, little over two kilometres south of the bus station where he was slain.

Yesterday marked the last day of prayers before Mr Champas body was cremated.

Present to pay their respects were friends and family, and fellow motorbike taxi drivers from the bus station.

One of Mr Champas daughters said the family was still clueless as to why her father was murdered.

After Vean was arrested at his accommodation in Phuket Town, he was brought in for questioning, she said.

However, Vean has since denied carrying out the execution, admitting only to coming to the bus station on that night, she added.

In addition to the charges he already faces for the double murder at the bus station in January, Vean now faces additional charges of murder, illegal possession of a firearm and carrying a firearm in a public area without permission or reasonable cause.
New stimulus measures to be New Years gifts

BANGKOK: The Ministry of Finance is planning to introduce new stimulus measures in early 2022 as New Years gifts to the Thai people, particularly to increase spending among those with high purchasing power.

economics

By National News Bureau of Thailand

Sunday 12 December 2021, 09:30AM

Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith. Photo: NNT

Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said his ministry had been considering which stimulus packages to promote at the Dec 21 Cabinet meeting, reports state news agency NNT.

Mr Arkhom noted that one major package would focus on offering tax breaks to those with spending power, replacing the current Ying Chai Ying Dai stimulus program which provides cashback e-vouchers for domestic purchases.

Minister Arkhom also said domestic spending would ultimately determine whether Phase 4 of the Khon La Khrueng co-payment scheme  which subsidizes 50% of food, drink and general goods purchases at a daily limit of B150 per recipient  will launch following the conclusion of Phase 3 at the end of 2021.

According to the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC), consumer confidence rose for a third straight month in November, driven by easing COVID-19 restrictions alongside the nationwide reopening, combined with strong export growth.

On Thursday (Dec 9), the UTCC said its consumer confidence index rose to 44.9 in November from 43,9 in October, 41.4 in September and 39.6 in August, which had been the lowest level in over 20 years.

The finance minister also said he was confident that the emergence of the new Omicron coronavirus variant would not affect New Year activities, as authorities have been closely monitoring the situation and implementing public health measures accordingly.

He added that the government is prepared to inject around B1 trillion into the economy next year to shield against any potential volatility caused by the Omicron strain. Roughly B600 billion will be drawn from state investment funds while about B300bn will come from state enterprise investment funds. Another B250bn remains from the B500bn that the government borrowed through the second emergency loan decree.

The Ministry of Finance projects that the economy will expand by 1% this year and 4% in 2022, driven by higher numbers of international visitors and the steady decline of new coronavirus infections.
Thailand fully recognises mixed vaccination

PHUKET: The Phuket Info Center  operated by the Phuket office of the Ministry of Interior  has posted an update on which vaccines are recognised by Thailand as of Dec 11.

Sunday 12 December 2021, 03:22PM

As of Dec 11, Thailand recognises seven COVID-19 vaccines. Photo: The Phuket Info Center

The vaccines approved by Thailand include :

CoronaVac (Sinovac)

AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria, Covishield)

Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty)

Moderna

COVILO (Sinopharm)

J anssen (Johnson & Johnson)

anssen (Johnson & Johnson) Sputnik V

Covaxin

The Phuket Info Center also noted that Thailand fully recognizes mixed vaccination. However, the persons second dose needs to be administered based on the recommended timeframe for each vaccine type as follows:

Sinovac  second dose after two weeks;

second dose after weeks; AstraZeneca  second dose after four weeks;

second dose after weeks; Pfizer-BioNTech  second dose after three weeks;

second dose after weeks; Moderna  second dose after four weeks ;

second dose after weeks Sinopharm:  second dose after three weeks;

second dose after weeks; Sputnik V  second dose after three weeks;

second dose after weeks; Covaxin  second dose after four weeks.

Thus, to be considered fully vaccinated, the persons second dose must be administered at least 14 days before their travel.

Those vaccinated with Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine do not need to receive their second dose to be considered fully vaccinated.

Those previously infected with COVID-19 are considered fully vaccinated if they have received a single dose of COVID-19 vaccine within three months after their recovery. In this case, their proof or medical record of COVID-19 recovery must be submitted alongside the single-dose vaccination certificate.

A person who have been fully vaccinated before contracting COVID-19 is still considered to be fully vaccinated.

Those who have recovered from COVID-19 within three months before travelling to Thailand must present a valid COVID-19 recovery form or medical certificate certifying that they have recovered from COVID-19 or are asymptomatic in case their COVID-19 RT-PCR test shows a positive result.
Montreal, CA (H4T1V6)

Today

Snow this evening will give way to partly cloudy conditions late. Low -1C. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 80%. Snow accumulations less than one inch..

Tonight

Snow this evening will give way to partly cloudy conditions late. Low -4C. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 80%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.
EDWARDSVILLE  Even before it had ended, officials knew Friday nights storm had been tough on the area.

The gravity was clear early Saturday, with at least two fatalities in a collapsed Amazon facility in Edwardsville and storm debris throughout the area.
ST. LOUIS (AP)  At least two people in Missouri have died and hundreds of homes and buildings are damaged or destroyed after a massive Friday night stormfront that killed dozens in several states, Gov. Mike Parson's office said Saturday.

Mark Borgmann told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that a tornado killed his mother and injured his father overnight in St. Charles County. His parents, Ollie and Vernon Borgmann, both 84, were at home when the tornado hit. The tornado swept his parents single-story home and a neighbors house off their foundations, scattering debris at least a half-mile. Parson's office said two others in St. Charles County were hospitalized.
GODFREY  Lewis and Clark Community College is making an annual holiday tradition out of making sure students have access to good food over winter break.

The college will hold its second annual food giveaway for LCCC students on Tuesday, Dec. 14, and Wednesday, Dec. 15, just before the campus closes for the year.

The event is a part of the colleges volunteer program, Trailblazers Give Back, in which L&C team members contribute to the campus and greater communities through philanthropic giving and volunteerism.

Trailblazers Give Back is an opportunity for the college to contribute even more to the community that helps support the college, said coordinator Alice Bunjan. The food giveaway is important because so many of our students experience food insecurity. This is one way to address that need in the spirit of the holiday season and help them get through winter break.

This year, LCCC is partnering with Bella Milano Catering to provide 400 frozen meals for the students. Students also will receive non-perishable food items and grocery gift cards.

The college is collecting donations of grocery gift cards and non-perishable food items at the Security Building on the Godfrey Campus through 9 a.m., Dec. 15. Monetary donations can be made online or in person through the L&C Foundation; call 618-468-2010 for more information or to contribute.

Bunjan is also asking for volunteers from the college team to staff the two-day giveaway event for students, who will be able to pick up their free food from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 14-15, in the circle outside of Wade Hall. Students unable to attend during those times can contact Bunjan at abunjan50@gmail.com to make other arrangements.

Unlike last year, no RSVP is needed. Instead, food will be available while supplies last.

Our Trailblazer team shares a common charitable spirit and a desire to give back to the communities we live in and serve, said LCCC President Ken Trzaska. We started the tradition last year during the shutdown caused by the pandemic, and it was well received by our campus community. Now that were able to be more physically present on campus, were excited to be able to do this again.

Although the giveaway is not open to members of the general community, any meals or items left over will be donated to local food pantries.
EDWARDSVILLE  By late Saturday morning, the long lines of ambulances, fire trucks and other emergency vehicles had mostly disappeared from the Amazon Fulfillment Center in Edwardsville.

But Edwardsville Police Chief Mike Fillback stressed that the work for first responders was far from over at the warehouse, which suffered catastrophic damage after severe weather Friday. Two people are dead, and several others were injured after the storm ripped the roof off the building, collapsing a wall and trapping dozens inside.

They are still in the search and rescue mode and trying to identify anybody who is there or missing to make sure they are accounted for, Fillback said in a phone interview at 11:45 a.m. Saturday. One of the biggest issues was determining how many people were actually there at the time the storm hit. Its not a regular workplace in the sense that are always a certain number of employees there at a certain time.

There are a lot of people coming and going with deliveries and other things and its been a slow process getting some information out. We want to verify some of the information before we release it, especially the folks who passed away, so their families are properly notified.

Fillback confirmed two fatalities at a press conference early Saturday morning.

Amazon management is assisting officials in identifying individuals that were at the facility at the time of the incident.

For the folks that work at the Amazon warehouse, they have been returned to their families or their homes, Fillback said. Unlike a situation where a subdivision may get hit by a storm, we dont have any people waiting for placement.

The rest of the city did have some damage and a large portion of the city was without power for several hours, but most if not all of that power has been restored. We dont have any other injuries reported in the city outside of the Amazon building. Some homes and businesses may have received damage, but nothing close to what happened at Amazon.

Fillback added that he is thankful for the assistance from other police and fire departments throughout the area.

Just about every community on the Metro East side of the river was there, plus St. Louis County and St. Louis City were there as well, Fillback said. Madison County was the area that received the most damage, but if it had been widespread in other communities, it would have prevented them from being able to respond to help us.

Fillback noted that the weather late Friday night and early Saturday morning added to the challenge of rescue efforts at the Amazon building, especially when a second wave of the storm hit the Edwardsville area.

I thank all of the first responders, especially the fire departments who were in the middle of this, Fillback said. The police, fire and EMS crews all dealt with a really heavy rain at times, and it was a difficult scenario to work in.

After the second storm passed, there was a little bit of a window where the rain stopped, and the temperature was somewhat mild. Later in the morning, the temperature dropped, and the wind kicked in, which created some challenges in an already unsafe environment. They had to clear up some debris and shore up some of the wall that still remained.

Fillback added that he is equally thankful for the response of the community to help first responders and to provide assistance to the Amazon employees and their families.

Weve had a ton of outreach from the community and from neighboring agencies throughout both Illinois and Missouri, Fillback said. We encourage anyone who wants to donate food or drinks or other items to contact the Salvation Army or the American Red Cross.

Local politicians, meanwhile, are doing their part to help as well.

I am deeply saddened to hear about the deaths at the Amazon facility in Edwardsville, State Representative Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, said in a statement released early Saturday morning. My heart breaks for the workers, their families and all who were affected by last nights deadly storms. Im so grateful for our first responders who didnt hesitate to put themselves in harm's way, braving severe weather, to rescue those who were trapped and save lives.

I also want to thank Governor Pritzker for quickly deploying necessary resources to help those in need. If you are in the area and need any assistance with storm damage, please reach out to my office at 618-365-6500 or our local emergency management agency at 618-692-0537.

In a phone interview at 12:05 p.m. Saturday, Stuart told the Intelligencer that she has been reaching out to mayors in local communities to assess the storm damage in the area and to see what she can do to help.

Thankfully, we havent had any constituents calling to say their homes or businesses were hit with significant damage, but that doesnt mean it didnt happen, Stuart said.

I appreciate all of the first responders from all over that came out to assist. Im checking with those folks to see if there is anything that I can do to support them in their efforts.

Stuart was also maintaining a steady line of communication with Governor J.B. Pritzker, who was preparing to arrive in Edwardsville for a 4:30 p.m. press conference on Saturday.

Ive talked to the governor directly and he wanted to make it clear that the state will assist in any way possible, Stuart said. As of this morning (the damage to the Amazon warehouse and to the rest of the area) was so new that we are still getting a handle on it in terms of what need to do to recover from this.

On Friday night, Pritzker reached out to Edwardsville Mayor Art Risavy to see what assistance he could provide.

"My prayers are with the people of Edwardsville tonight, and I've reached out to the mayor to provide any needed state resources. Our @ILStatePolice and @ReadyIllinois are both coordinating closely with local officials, and I will continue to monitor the situation," the governor said in a tweet.

State Sen. Jason Plummer (R-Edwardsville) was also among the politicians who sent a message on social media.

Pray for the workers and first responders at the Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville and others who have been impacted by tonight's storms. God Bless, Plummer said on his Facebook page.

State Sen. Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) also posted a message on her Facebook page.

"My heart breaks for the Amazon workers, their families and the Edwardsville community after last night's tragedy, Crowe said.

Thank you to the firefighters, law enforcement officers, paramedics and other emergency service personnel who responded to the area. Please keep all of the individuals involved in the search and rescue in your prayers.

U.S. Rep. Mary Miller (R-Oakland) released a statement as well.

I am heartbroken to see the widespread tornado damage throughout Illinois, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky," Miller said. "We pray for all the families affected by this tragedy so close to Christmas, and we thank the first responders who have been on the scene throughout the night.



My office is here to assist and has been in touch with local officials, first responders, and FEMA. During this time, please consider how you can pray, give blood, volunteer & support the tornado victims, their families, and communities in Illinois and across the Midwest.



I pray that the Lord will surround us with His grace and peace, and preserve us through the aftermath of this storm. May He lift up those who have fallen, strengthen those who work to rescue or rebuild, and fill us with the hope of His new creation.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett will travel to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday and meet the Gulf states de facto ruler in the highest-level visit since the countries formalised relations last year.

The trip comes amid heightened regional tension as world powers try to renew a nuclear deal with Iran. Israel has broached setting up joint defences with Gulf Arab states that share its concern over Iranian activities.

Yet UAE has recently mounted outreach to neighbouring Iran, sending a top official there last Monday.

I will be going out today to the United Arab Emirates, in the first visit ever by an Israeli prime minister, Bennett told his cabinet on Sunday.

He will meet Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan on Monday, the prime ministers office said.

There was no immediate confirmation from Abu Dhabi.

The UAE along with Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco moved toward normal ties with Israel under a U.S.-sponsored initiative dubbed the Abraham Accords after the biblical patriarch revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims.

Bennetts trip on Sunday would be the first by an Israeli premier to any of those four countries. Visits planned by his predecessor and Abraham Accords signatory Benjamin Netanyahu were cancelled, with Israel citing COVID-19 travel curbs and difficulties in arranging a flight over Jordanian territory.

Bennett and Sheikh Mohammed will discuss deepening ties, with an emphasis on economic issues that will contribute to prosperity, welfare and strengthening stability between the countries, the Israeli statement added.

Israel-UAE normalisation uncorked commercial deals including a private contract to offload Gulf oil in the Red Sea resort of Eilat.

That deal has been challenged in Israels Supreme Court by environmentalists and is opposed by Bennetts energy minister. His government is expected to decide this week whether to allow it to go ahead.

SOURCE: REUTERS
New York Stewart International Airport (SWF) in Mid-Hudson Valleys Orange County is mounting a comeback after a challenging couple of years as many airlines grounded flights in the pandemic.

Stewart Airport saw a 90 percent reduction in total passengers and a 64 percent drop in the number of flights taking off in December 2020 compared to the same period the previous year, according to the Port Authoritys traffic report.

Following the the devastating impact of the pandemic on air travel in 2020, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, this past year launched a marketing campaign and five-point strategic plan to incentivize carriers to come to Stewart, and expand airport services.

Stewarts upward trajectory continued this year with $12 million in federal funding as part of the $1.2 billion bipartisan infrastructure bill that was signed by President Joe Biden in November, and $2.3 million in federal coronavirus stimulus funds in April.

But will JetBlue return? And whats happening with international flights in and out of Stewart? Heres what to know about the regions largest commercial airport.

Is Stewart Airport open?

After a challenging two years during which Stewart Airport lost four out of five passenger carriers  JetBlue, Delta and American Airlines all suspended service in the pandemic; Norwegian Air ceased flights in September 2019 after the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft  Stewart Airport has resumed flights in 2021 and welcomed Frontier Airlines this summer.

Stewart now offers three flights daily to Florida, according to the latest air traffic report from Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

What airlines fly out of Stewart Airport?

At its peak in 2018, Stewart was home to five passenger airlines with nonstop flights to Detroit and Philadelphia, in addition to Florida. Today, two U.S.-based budget airlines operate out of the Orange County-based airport:

Allegiant

Frontier Airlines

Delta, JetBlue and American Airlines, who last served Stewart in September of this year, have suspended service, with no clear signs of their return to Stewart.

The Oslo-based Norse Atlantic Airways, a new transatlantic budget airline, in October announced plans to offer nonstop flights between Stewart Airport and Oslo in 2022, but a spokesperson for the Port Authority in November would not confirm the addition of Norse to Stewarts roster of carriers, saying: We currently do not have any announcements or updates.

Where can you fly from Stewart Airport?

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Allegiant offers nonstop flights to Orlando, Punta Gorda, St. Pete-Clearwater/Tampa and seasonal service to Myrtle Beach and Savannah.

Frontier flies nonstop from Stewart to Miami, Orlando and Tampa up to 10 times a week.

Does JetBlue fly out of Stewart Airport?

JetBlue, one of Stewart Airports most popular airlines, in April 2020 suspended service out of Stewart amid the pandemic-fueled travel downturn and a broader airline industry pullback on flights.

In October 2020, the airline said it would resume flights at five of seven airports, but that service out of Stewart and Worcester Regional Airport in Massachusetts would remain indefinitely suspended. There is no announcement of a return at this time.

The airline had offered regular nonstop flights to Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale for nearly 15 years.

How many terminals does Stewart Airport have?

Stewart Airport has one main terminal, which houses eight passenger gates.

A new 20,000 square-foot international arrivals station was completed in November 2020 but is awaiting its first international carrier to mark its debut. The space allows for the screening of up to 400 international passengers per hour.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP)  Paul Magnuson was well into his career as an attorney in South St. Paul when U.S. Sen. Dave Durenberger, R-Minn., called one day with a job offer.

U.S. District Court Judge Edward Devitt had decided to step back from full-time duty, Durenberger told Magnuson, so there was going to be an open seat on the bench. He said, Hey, Mag, Ed took senior status. Do you want to be judge? Magnuson recalled.

Magnuson told Durenberger that Keith Hughes, an attorney and state senator from St. Cloud, should get the job. Ten minutes later, he called me back and said, No, Keith says you should be judge, Magnuson said. That was the essence of it. We went through a bunch of dog-and-pony-show stuff, but that was essentially it.

Forty years later, Magnuson, 84, is still serving.

Magnuson was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in November 1981, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported. He moved to senior status in 2002, but has continued to serve essentially full time. His tenure on the federal bench in Minnesota is second only to U.S. District Court Judge Gunnar Nordbye, a President Herbert Hoover appointee who served from 1931 to 1977.

Im not going to bet that I can beat that, but I have the runner-up position, Magnuson said.

Magnuson, who served as chief judge from 1994 to 2001, said he plans next year to move out of his coveted corner chambers on the top floor of the Warren E. Burger Federal Building in downtown St. Paul and begin decreasing his caseload.

One of my clerks said last year I had about the same number of cases as the active judges, he said. I didnt intend to do that; I intended to do less. Im consciously working now on winding that down.

FROM ONE-ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE TO LAW SCHOOL

Magnusons 40-year tenure reflects the steadfastness of his commitment to serve the country and the rule of law, said U.S. District Court Judge Eric Tostrud.

He is an exemplary servant leader, Tostrud said. He sets a great example for the rest of us. Hes direct. He has the ability to identify what matters most, whether it be an issue in a case or any other issue confronting the court, and the disposition to get right to it. He also does the job with quiet humility. He runs a tight courtroom without drawing attention to himself.

Said Chief Judge John Tunheim: He has the best of the judicial temperament: a willingness to listen carefully, to study the issues carefully and to decide them in a very fair manner. He is not ideological in any way; he is a very fair and careful judge, and I think thats what we all appreciate. Hes someone that we in the judiciary would call a judges judge  that means that he really does his work the right way all the time.

Born and raised on a farm in Carthage, S.D., Magnuson attended a one-room schoolhouse for elementary school and was one of 13 students in his high school graduating class. Magnuson went to Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, where he served as president of the Student Senate and majored in business and history and minored in economics and political science.

After he graduated in 1959, Magnuson said he knew he didnt want to go back to the farm because the work was too hard. I thought I was going to go into business, but once I started interviewing with the corporate structures  I have a little independent streak and I could just not see myself doing that.

He considered applying to Valparaiso University Law School in Indiana, when he got a call from the chairman of the board at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul. He was recruiting a registrar for the law school, and so I went up and became registrar and student, he said. The job came with free tuition and a little spending money, he said.

He later became a claims adjuster for Anchor Casualty Co., working during the day and going to law school at night.

Magnuson served as class president at William Mitchell and clerked for the St. Paul law firm of Bertie & Bettenburg during his last year of law school. After graduating in 1963, he took a job at LeVander, Gillen, Miller & Durenberger in South St. Paul, where he specialized in eminent domain and municipal law. He became a partner and worked at the firm for 18 years.

LAWYER AS COUNSELOR

Between his work as an attorney and a judge, Magnuson estimates hes participated in about 500 jury trials. During his first 15 years on the bench, he heard about 35 jury trials a year. It was just out of one courtroom and into the next. Boom, boom, boom, he said.

Now, he said, he rarely has trials in his courtroom.

In the earlier days, it was more swashbuckling, he said. You went out and threw it in front of the jury and saw what happened. Now there are so many depositions and other discovery things that cause people to have a real solid knowledge of their case, and that gives them a pretty good idea of the value, if you will, of the case. They end up settling. Good people doing their job will recognize where it will fall.

One of Magnusons most high-profile cases was in 2003, when he had to determine who owned the Mall of America. Twelve years later, he presided over the Target Corp. data-breach case  a class-action lawsuit that affected 13 million people, he said.

While we spend a lot of time talking about lawyers and litigation, the reality is that were in the people business, Magnuson said. What we do to any person who is involved is oftentimes the most important thing that occurs in their life. You think of this guy sitting in the crowbar hotel, who has been wrongfully put there, who files a habeas case (to try to get released). That is incredibly important to that person.

Assistant Washington County Attorney Kevin Magnuson said his father has always been a firm believer in lawyer as counselor.

He believes lawyers have the ability to do a tremendous amount of good in peoples lives, he said. In the back of his mind, there was always the small-town lawyer who did everything for everybody, kind of like the preacher, the barber and the doctor. It was always, in his mind, a really noble profession and one that is really oriented to solving problems and helping people  both of which he is very good at because he has tremendous judgment. He is very wise, but he is also very unassuming and humble, so he doesnt shove things down their throats.

His fathers legal opinions are not written to be read and venerated and studied in law school, Kevin Magnuson said.

He really does not see his role as writing this marvelous opinion; thats for the appellate courts, he said. He sees himself as calling balls and strikes. You try to make the narrowest ruling you can on a matter. You solve a problem. You resolve the legal issue that is before you  nothing more. Hes trying to mete out justice efficiently, and part of doing that is to not do too much.

FAITH-BASED LIVING

In addition to hearing cases in Minnesota, Magnuson spent years hearing cases in U.S. District Court in Florida. He started out going two weeks a year to help alleviate that districts backlog of cases, but later extended his stays to include February, March and April. He divided his time between Fort Myers and Jacksonville; his law clerks would take turns filling the Florida assignment a month at a time.

Magnuson and his current and former law clerks gather each year for a reunion at The Lexington in St. Paul. The gatherings are referred to as meetings of the Lake Elmo Federal Bar Association; Magnuson lived in Lake Elmo for decades.

Its pretty typical for judges to have a close relationship with their alumni clerks, but I think Dads is really special, Kevin Magnuson said. That has a lot to do with the kind of people he chooses  they are typically people who get along well with each other and like each other.

Anita Terry, Magnusons permanent clerk, said her boss came to see her in 2002 at St. Josephs Hospital in downtown St. Paul after the birth of her daughter, Caroline. A friend, who was visiting from Iowa, commented on the judges attire after he left the hospital room, she said.

She said, He was wearing Dickies, she said. And Im like, Yeah, hes just a regular guy. Thats the best thing about him. Hes never had black-robe disease. He calls me and says, Anita, this is Paul, and I think, I will never in my life call you Paul. But thats just who he is. Hes a humble, just genuine guy who takes the job seriously  but doesnt take himself too seriously and that is exactly what we want in this country for our jurists, it seems to me.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

Magnuson and his first wife, Sharon, had four children. Sharon died in 2007; their daughter Margaret died in 1997. He and his second wife, Elaine Torrey Holmen Magnuson, celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary on Nov. 26. The couple are members of St. Lucas Community Church in Lake Elmo, and Magnuson participates in a weekly Bible study.

A copy of Micah 6:8 hangs on the wall of his office: What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Every time I walk out, I see that, he said. Faith-based living is important because you know there is something bigger than yourself, and you can rely on that in making the decisions that we are required to make.

WORK SPREAD OVERSEAS

His office bookshelves are filled with mementos from international trips. Theres a white felt hat from Kyrgyzstan, a flag from Rwanda, and a figurine from Albania  all countries where Magnuson has helped leaders establish and sustain independent judiciaries.

Magnuson has traveled to 53 countries and is considered the foremost leader within the judiciary for doing international rule-of-law development, Tunheim said. I have done a lot, but I pale in comparison to Judge Magnuson. He really has been my inspiration for going to a lot of these foreign countries and helping them understand the importance of an independent judiciary and the importance of democratic values.

Magnuson also has been instrumental in helping bring judges from other countries to the United States to learn about the American judicial system, government and culture. More than 200 judges have visited Minnesota as part of delegations from Russia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, China and elsewhere.

Magnusons international work started in the mid-1990s, when he was asked to fill in for Eighth Circuit Judge Myron Bright on an educational trip to China; Bright threw his back out a week before he was to leave. He called me and said, Hey, Mag, you got a passport? I said, Uh, yeah, why? He said, I want you to go to China for me next week.

While in China, Magnuson ended up with a free weekend, so he flew to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, to visit friends whom he had met in Lake Elmo. I had a delightful time with them and an extremely delightful meeting with the chief justice of the Mongolian Supreme Court, he said. We sat in one of those gers (yurts) all afternoon and just talked law.

When he got back to Minnesota, Magnuson wrote up a trip report, which caught the imagination of the people in Washington, he said. That led to an appointment to the International Judicial Relations Committee, a committee of the United States Judicial Conference, which he later chaired.

Over the past 30 years, he has worked in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Romania, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Albania and Rwanda, among other places.

Magnusons work in Albania began one day in the late 1990s when Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist called him into his office and handed him a letter from the chief judge of the Supreme Court of Albania. Essentially what the letter said was, I understand that you have an independent, ethical judiciary. Please come to Albania and tell us what that is, he said. That was the essence of the letter. The chief justice asked me to go and do that, and I did.

He has made almost 20 trips to Albania. With all of the work hes done in Albania, I consider him almost a member of the Albanian Supreme Court, Tunheim said.

But Magnuson said he is most proud of his work in post-genocide Rwanda.

After an estimated 800,000 people were slaughtered in Rwanda in 1994, Magnuson helped establish community-based gacaca, or grass courts  called that because they met outdoors  to try genocide criminals.

Rather than go through a formal court process, the gacaca worked to bring an entire village together to hear from all the parties where a crime took place, with village elders acting as judges. The gacaca promoted ownership of guilt by perpetrators, forgiveness by victims, and reconciliation as a way to move forward, Magnuson said.

Being from Minnesota, I knew about the circles of justice in our Native community, Magnuson said. I knew that it was a rough justice, but it works. Rwanda is now a very peaceful country.

The U.S. judicial system remains the gold standard, Magnuson said.

I am such a thorough believer in the jury system, he said. Juries just get it right. We are unique in the world with juries in both civil and criminal cases, and it is the basic underpinning of everything we do. Ive got the best job in the world.
ALBANY  Every protester charged in connection with two demonstrations earlier this year in front of the South Station police department has settled their cases with the county district attorney's office, except for one.

Meanwhile, an internal police department investigation into why officers covered up their badges when they cleared protesters' encampment from outside South Station is done. But the report hasn't been released yet and questions still remain about when officers are allowed to cover their badges and who allowed them to do so in April.

Lexis Figuereo, one of the most well known Black Lives Matter activists in the area, has rejected a plea deal offered to resolve seven misdemeanor charges. Figuereo made a brief court appearance on Thursday as he is looking for a new attorney because his current lawyer is moving to take a new job.

Figuereo said in an interview that he was the only person charged in connection with protests on April 14 and 22 to be offered jail time as part of their plea deal. The deal calls for two months in Albany County jail and three years on probation.

"That's part of what we have a big problem with," he said. "I did nothing more or less than anyone else there."

He said he believes Albany County District Attorney David Soares' office was trying to use the threat of jail time to silence him.

"I'm outspoken, I don't think they like that," he said. "We're going to keep fighting, we're not going to let this deter us."

Cecilia Walsh, a spokeswoman for the district attorney's office, said in an email she could not comment on Figuereo's case because it was still pending. She rejected the idea that Soares would seek jail time to silence protesters.

"Our office successfully fought for the right not to prosecute peaceful protesters in New Yorks highest court, and we do not seek to silence anyone peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights," she said.

The other protesters, who faced violation and misdemeanor charges, had their cases resolved after a review of their offenses, which were non-violent, Walsh said.

Figuereo's case is complicated by the fact that he previously was charged on Jan. 6 after an altercation involving opponents and supporters of then-President Donald Trump. State Police said Figuereo entered a sectioned off crime scene area after a man stabbed a Trump supporter.

Figuereo faced five charges in that incident, none of them felonies. In March, he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, a violation, on the condition that it be dismissed if he wasn't arrested again for several months.

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On April 14, Albany Black Lives Matter supporters marched from Townsend Park to South Station to protest the death of Daunte Wright, a Minnesota man police killed during a traffic stop.

The protest escalated into a confrontation with officers at the station. Protesters smashed a department window and one protester was injured when an officer shoved a bullhorn she was holding into her face. That led some protesters to set up an encampment on Arch Street for more than a week, essentially shutting the station down.

The protesters demanded changes to how the city police were disciplined and called for conversations with Mayor Kathy Sheehan and Police Chief Eric Hawkins. Those calls were rebuffed by the city.

On April 22, police gave the protesters a short time to clear the camp and then destroyed it, forcing protesters from the street. That was followed by a tense, hours-long standoff between officers and protesters. Several protesters were arrested. Video footage and media members showed that multiple officers covered all or part of their badges, a violation of department policy that city police have never fully explained.

Figuereo was not at the encampment when police cleared it. Instead he showed up later as BLM members tried to rally supporters to the scene. Police said when Figuerero arrived he urged protesters to confront the line of officers while cursing at officers. He allegedly also threw water bottles at officers. Sometime early that evening while walking from his car back toward the protest, he was arrested.

He was charged with inciting a riot on April 14 and 22, as well as unlawful assembly and obstruction of governmental administration. On Sept. 3, prosecutors added three counts of attempted assault for allegedly throwing water bottles at officers.

After the protest, Sheehan ordered an investigation into the issue of officers covering their badges. At a NACCP forum over the summer, Hawkins would not clearly say when officers were allowed to cover their badges or who gave them permission in April. Instead he said in some instances officers may be allowed to remove their badges, if given permission by commanding officers.

Last week, department spokesman Steve Smith said an internal investigation into officers covering their badges was complete but it was still being reviewed for, "corrective actions." Smith did not give a timeline for when it would be complete or clarify the department's policy on officers covering their badges.
ALBANY  Students were studying for finals when they read the text messages and listened to the surreptitiously recorded clip of SUNY Chancellor James Malatras mocking and berating colleagues during his time in state government and in past SUNY leadership positions.

It was jarring  almost like watching the top university official get "doxxed," one student told Bradley Hershenson, president of the SUNY Student Assembly, a group that  along with several SUNY faculty organizations  had called on Malatras to resign. (Doxxing is the online publication of someone's personal information.)

"It's not light material," Hershenson said. "It's very heavy for students to process."

When Malatras announced Thursday he would step down on Jan. 14, students felt they'd been heard for the first time in a while, he said.

"I believe deeply in an individual's ability to evolve, change, and grow," Malatras wrote in his resignation letter, "but I also believe deeply in SUNY and would never want to be an impediment to its success."

The sprawling state system has and will continue to face a series of other impediments: The chancellor will exit amid the threat of an unpredictable new COVID-19 strain, impending state budget negotiations and a university community  administration, faculty and students  traumatized by weeks of turmoil.

Higher education stakeholders say Malatras' successor will need to unify the 64-campus public university system while dealing with those immediate challenges, as well as long-term projects including workforce development, fighting enrollment decline and boosting accessibility.

Hershenson, who represents the student body on the SUNY Board of Trustees  he is the only voting member who is not a political appointee  said he fully anticipates students and faculty will have a voice in the search for the next chancellor.

But there is a deepening schism between the Board of Trustees, who after Malatras' resignation announcement continued to heap praise on him for his "extraordinary" record, and students who found his behavior unacceptable for a university leader.

"I feel very sorry for him. I was not surprised at how smart he was, but I was frankly surprised by his energy," SUNY Trustee Cesar Perales said at a board meeting Thursday. "He brought attention to our university  attention that was needed  and it was very positive attention. This is a guy who did an extraordinary job for us. I am sorry to see him leave."

A former top aide to ex-Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, Malatras' unwavering loyalty to the governor facilitated his stunning rise to the highest levels of academia in just three years. It also dragged him down when the administration became engulfed in scandal.

Perales is one of several former Cuomo cabinet members on the Board of Trustees, which also includes a partner in a law firm that has defended Cuomo or his administration in a number of scandals.

Following the June 2020 resignation of SUNY Chancellor Kristina Johnson after less than three years in the top post, the board made the controversial decision to install Malatras without conducting a nationwide search. His candidacy was first floated by another Cuomo loyalist, Larry Schwartz, who at the time was serving with Malatras on the governor's COVID-19 task force. (Fifteen of 16 voting members of the Board of Trustees are appointed by the governor.)

The move prompted a no-confidence vote from faculty organizations and criticism from some lawmakers.

Trustees argued Malatras' track record in government and crisis management would be critical to helping SUNY navigate unprecedented pandemic-related challenges including the shuttering of colleges and universities.

Malatras' role on the COVID-19 task force raised his profile, but also got him into trouble when media reports revealed he had helped edit a state Department of Health COVID-19 report that undercounted nursing home deaths. (Malatras has insisted he was not involved in reducing the death count in the report.) He also drew fire for doing "volunteer" work on the former governor's controversial pandemic memoir at the same time Cuomo's loyalists were pushing for him to win the chancellor's job.

Calls for Malatras to step down grew louder last week after the release of text messages he sent in 2019 when he was transitioning from a role as president of the SUNY Rockefeller Institute to SUNY Empire. The messages show the future chancellor mocking a former colleague, Lindsey Boylan, who spoke out about an allegedly toxic work culture in the Executive Chamber.

A year and a half later, Boylan became the first of 11 women to accuse the governor of sexual misconduct.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

The correspondence between Malatras and members of the governor's inner circle was made public on Nov. 29, when the office of state Attorney General Letitia James released new transcripts and evidence associated with its investigation into sexual misconduct by the former governor. Malatras apologized for the text messages, which he characterized as a dispute between colleagues.

A tipping point came last week, when the Times Union published an audio recording of a 2017 episode from Malatras' tenure at the Rockefeller Institute in which he lost his temper at an employee.

The outgoing chancellor continues to draw kind words from unions, some legislators, and SUNY Board of Trustees Chair Merryl Tisch.

State Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky, who chairs the Senate's higher education committee, on Friday said she had been impressed with Malatras' plan to increase SUNY's enrollment and meet the state's employment demands at a recent higher education hearing in the Legislature.

"He spoke about breaking the mold and looking for new ways to improve SUNY," Stavisky said. "I hope that we select a chancellor that can continue his vision into the future."

Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, chair of the chamber's higher ed committee, has condemned the chancellor's behavior and the manner in which he was appointed; she called for his exit a week after the release of the texts. On Thursday, she questioned whether it was appropriate for a politically appointed board to have nearly unilateral power over the chancellor seat.

Perhaps we ought to review whether a board solely appointed by the governor is the appropriate way to proceed in the future," Glick told Capital Tonight.

Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has purged her administration of most high-level Cuomo officials, never officially called for Malatras to resign. But she had an "important conversation" with Tisch about the situation on Wednesday evening, the night before Malatras announced he would step aside.

That exchange "was focused on the future of the SUNY system and how we can ensure that we have the focus that we need, the undistracted attention on making this the world-class university system that it should be," she said.

Hochul has signaled that she intends to overhaul the SUNY system. The specifics of her plan will be included in her State of the State address, slated for Jan. 5  a little more than a week before Malatras' last day.
MENANDS - The 14 cats brought to the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society journeyed much farther than their fellow felines, all thanks to the efforts of a veterinarian with a 30-year career and a profound interest in rescuing unsheltered animals.

Over the past five years, Dr. David Chico has worked with Animals Lebanon, a nonprofit organization dedicated to animal protection located in Beirut. Due to the complex economic climate of Beirut, the organization and vet have worked to rescue unsheltered animals and bring them to the United States to be adopted. Such is the case with the 14 cats brought to the Menands shelter on Dec. 4.

Efforts became crucial after an ammonia nitrate explosion in Beirut in December 2020, where over 200 people were killed and hundreds displaced. That also left hundreds of animals displaced, and pet owners pleading for their animals to be taken in for safety.

When youre facing a situation like that and choices between feeding your family or feeding your pet, of course people will prioritize feeding their families. And so many animals have been either given to us or abandoned, said Chico, a full-time veterinarian with the New York State Agriculture and Markets who has also had a private practice at Burnt Hills Veterinary Hospital for 25 years.

He began his animal rescue work by volunteering with an organization called the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) based in Cape Cod, Mass., about eight years ago. With IFAW, Chico worked to rescue animals in the Philippines after a typhoon hit.

I feel like Ive been given this opportunity to be a veterinarian and I like to give back to the community by using my education and profession to help in these kinds of situations, said Chico.

When he began working with Animals Lebanon about five years ago, he was able to help rescue both cats and dogs. But within the past year, dogs have been banned from transport by the U.S. Center for Disease Control for fear of spreading rabies.

As a result, Animals Lebanon has only been able to rescue cats and bring them to partnering animal shelters in the U.S., such as the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society and the Susquehanna SPCA in Cooperstown. After the animals are found they are transported to shelters that have the room to take them in.

I reach out to shelters to see if they have any availability to receive a transport and that is what gets the ball rolling, Chico said.

There have been four transports of 50 cats since 2018 from Lebanon.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

The reason I do this is because these people are struggling in a country where they struggle to buy adequate food and yet they are still devoted and attached to caring for their animals, Chico said.

"I am so proud to be associated with them. That organization was able to get the first piece of legislation passed in the country that made animal abuse a criminal offense, Chico said. Lebanese President Michel Aoun officially signed legislation in 2017, legally protecting both domestic and wild animals from abuse. This was the first animal welfare bill turned into law in the countrys history.

When talking about the sacrifices of the families who give their pets to Animals Lebanon for shelter, he said, The volunteers and the people in Lebanon when they see animals are leaving and going to the us to find a home, it is very satisfying.

Its a great situation all the way around.

The Menands shelter is happy to help care for the pets and give them a new life in a safe, loving home, Mohawk Hudson's Marguerite Pearson said. Some have required serious veterinary care, including amputations, while others need little more than spaying or neutering and vaccinations. The recent group of animals have been living in foster homes and are in very good shape physically and very well socialized, she said.
An animal welfare charity is urging the public to stop the "hearbreaking" practice of abandoning their old dogs.

The Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) has urged the public not to abandon their older pets as part of a new campaign.

The animal welfare charity shared a video to its social media channels which features older animals that the DSPCA are caring for after they were surrendered by their former owners.

The campaign, 'The Old, The Forgotten', highlights the number of dogs and cats who end up spending their later years in the care of the shelter.

"This last year we have seen so many older pets ending up in our shelter. Surrendered, abandoned, replaced with a younger puppy, neglected and found in awful conditions," the DSPCA outlines on their social media.

"Its incredibly heartbreaking for us to see as we know just how much pets love their owners and how much their world has been turned upside down through no fault of their own," the DSPCA added.

"This Christmas we are asking you to help us and donate to our Christmas Appeal, The Old, The Forgotten because they will always matter to us," the DSPCA sad.
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Nevada conservationists and state wildlife officials are stepping up efforts to find and destroy hollow PVC pipes to mark mining claims
A Canadian man who pleaded guilty to murder conspiracy and three other felonies in the death of a Bismarck man two years ago will be sentenced next month
When we talk about the current anti-police climate across the nation, this tragic story deserves mention to offer a perspective on the dangerous people out there . . . Check-it:



Authorities were able to determine that Ranger had his head "sliced off with a sharpened blade at another location" before the perpetrator returned the canine's body to the backyard.



In a statement, Parsons Police Chief Robert Spinks said that authorities have been in contact with surrounding neighbors to try to use home surveillance systems to track down the dog's killer.



"The level of cowardice that would lead someone to kill a little puppy named Ranger is astonishing," he said. "I pray that we get a chance for the judicial system to prosecute this coward and bring them to justice."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news link . . .
Rising American violence hits the Kansas City Chiefs recently.

Not that it really matters but it may impact tomorrow's game.



Here are a few reports on the sad topic . . .



L'Jarius Sneed's brother fatally stabbed Tqarontarion Dcortez "TQ" Harrison, the brother of Kansas City Chiefs cornerback, L'Jarius Sneed, was stabbed and killed Friday evening in Minden, Louisiana. The story was first reported by Sam McDowell of the Kansas City Star. Some sad news to share: TQ Harrison, the oldest brother of Chiefs cornerback L'Jarius Sneed, was killed last night in their hometown of Minden, Louisiana.

Police: Minden woman fatally stabs brother of KC Chiefs cornerback L'Jarius Sneed MINDEN, La. - Police in Minden have arrested a woman in the stabbing death of Tqarontarion Dcortez "TQ" Harrison, the 32-year-old brother of Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L'Jarius Sneed. Angela Washington, 47, has been charged with second- degree homicide, according to Police Chief Steve Cropper.

Chiefs CB L'Jarius Sneed likely to miss Sunday's Raiders game after family tragedy On Saturday morning, the Kansas City Chiefs added cornerback L'Jarius Sneed to their injury report, noting that he is now questionable for Sunday's Week 14 division matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium.

Developing . . .
We've talked about this story before but a national mag picking up coverage makes a better case for the help that's being offered young activist.

Reality . . . It's must be hard warning people about the fate of the planet and meeting with nothing but mockery, denials and outright hostility from people who have their own mental issues and or special interests in spraying their filth into the air until it chokes us all.

And don't even get me started on the curious threat from bovine gasses that could drive just about anybody crazy if they think about it for too long.



Accordingly, some support for activists taking up a thankless crusade seems like a worthy idea.

Moreover, just take a peek at all of the negativity and hateration on this blog among people who mostly agree and the idea that young activist might need help and emotional/mental support isn't so strange after all.

Whilst it's fair to debate "eco-anxiety" and its consequences . . . There is no doubt about the impact of cruelty of the modern-day discourse and the effect it can have on those who participate in political conversations.

Hint . . . Don't make too much fun because from looking at the comments on TKC from time to time, it's clear that a lot of people who participate on this blog also might benefit from a head check.

Here's a glimpse at the mission . . .



She wanted to teach them the coping strategies she had learned after her son's death, so she created a Kansas City-based nonprofit, the Resilient Activist. The organization's website explains that Kevin's death occurred "when eco-anxiety (fear about the ecology of the planet) and solastalgia (grief over loss of beloved places in nature) combined with his own inner demons and he took his own life." The Resilient Activist offers mental health resources, community-building programs, consulting and other psychological resources for the environmental community.



"We need activists who have the resilience to see us through these difficult times," she said. "That's what I wanted to give. It's like, what would have helped him and others like him."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news link . . .
We notice local media and our progressive pals pulling out a slew of tricks we've seen before as the "dark winter" looms along with campaign season.



Accordingly, here's a peek at Missouri pushing back against COVID rules by way of some decidedly right wing talking points . . .



The Cass County Commission passed a resolution Friday which ended the enforcement of COVID-19 related measures and limited the authority of the countys public health director.

The resolution comes at a time when a growing number of health departments across Missouri are ending their COVID-19 response after Attorney General Eric Schmitt demanded the agencies comply with a court ruling that appears to severely limit the authority of local health officials.

In the resolution, the Cass County Commission said it believes in the importance of individual freedom and that no resident should be forced to quarantine or isolate due to COVID-19.

Of course the plebs can only see this at face value and don't bother to dig deeper.

There's no shortage of low IQ people to espouse talking points from either side.

Here at TKC we're better than that . . .

Our conversation should be focused on strategy.

Accordingly . . .

Pushing outcry over COVID response and basically calling their GOP opponents pandemic murderers last time around didn't get Missouri Democrats anywhere. Again, let's not forget, the super minority party suffered a TOTAL STATEWIDE SWEEP despite Prez Trump's loss . Nevertheless, progressives are repeating the same strategy over again and expecting a different result.



Some people might call the COVID DOUBLE DOWN just a bit of political insanity.

Meanwhile, here at TKC we're not a fan of any political gambit that hinges on worsening suffering of our neighbors, the spread of plauge or predictable ideas & outcomes.



You decide . . .


And there is news of another collaboration...this time the Air Guard working with the Prison
Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it.





I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends.





More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it.





The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity.





About me:

I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS.

Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line).

Age: 42

Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed.





I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it).
Vilnius will never recognize Russias occupation of part of Ukraines territory and will make efforts to de-occupy these territories.

President of Lithuania Gitanas Nauseda made a corresponding statement during a festive speech at the Polish Sejm on the occasion of the 230th anniversary of the adoption of the PolishLithuanian Commonwealths Constitution, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The mobilization of Russian armed forces on the border with Ukraine and the military actions in eastern Ukraine carried out by Moscow-backed illegal groups testify to the pressure and incitement of military tension as a driver of political influence. I want to emphasize that Lithuania will never recognize the illegal annexation of Crimea and will act towards ending the actual occupation of the eastern part of Ukraine, Nauseda said to the applause of Polish and Lithuanian MPs.

As reported, the presidential summit of the heads of state of Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia takes place in Warsaw on Monday as part of the celebration of the 230th anniversary of the adoption of the PolishLithuanian Commonwealths Constitution. In addition, bilateral talks between the presidents of Ukraine and Poland will be held.

The first Constitution of the PolishLithuanian Commonwealth was adopted by the Great Sejm on May 3, 1791. The Constitution is considered one of the oldest in Europe. However, an attempt to implement the provisions of this document failed due to resistance from local magnates and the occupation of the Polish kingdom by Russian troops in 1792.

ol
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Published Nov. 29, 2021

The Gerontology program at the University of Louisiana at Monroe will launch a paid apprenticeship program in spring 2022 through funding from the Louisiana Board of Regents.

Applications are welcome from undergraduate students from all majors. In its pilot year, only a limited number of applications will be accepted. This innovative program will set up hybrid apprenticeships with local and state organizations.

Students enrolled in this program will receive job-skills training in various aspects of working with older adults. Different types of settings will be available to provide students with entry-level workforce training in gerontology.

Anita Sharma, Ph.D., Gerontology Chair and Project Director, stated, This is an excellent opportunity for students to earn and learn about various jobs and careers available in the gerontology industry. It is a unique program because it will be creating hybrid learning opportunities. The COVID-19 pandemic prepared us to offer educational opportunities in unique and innovative ways.

For more information, contact Sharma at asharma@ulm.edu.
Some 287 Sama Bajaus, of whom 128 are children, finally received their birth certificates today during a handover ceremony spearheaded by the Bongao local government, supported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF).

The Sama Bajaus form one of the State-identified populations at risk of statelessness in the Philippines. Because of their itinerant way of living and generations of non-registration among families, they face documentation issues, which in turn puts them at risk of statelessness.

Through the 2019 UNHCR-UNICEF Joint Strategy for Addressing Childhood Statelessness, both UN agencies supported the local government unit of Zamboanga City in piloting birth registration for Sama Bajaus.

UNHCR and UNICEF joined efforts with the local government of Bongao, Tawi-Tawi during the birth registration drive to reach Sama Bajaus in the pilot community of Barangay Lamion.  UNHCR / Althea Gonzales UNHCR and UNICEF joined efforts with the local government of Bongao, Tawi-Tawi during the birth registration drive to reach Sama Bajaus in the pilot community of Barangay Lamion.  UNHCR / Althea Gonzales The Luabbayani family was among those who received their birth certificates through the birth registration project spearheaded by the local government of Bongao supported by UNHCR and UNICEF. Juraika registered the birth of her five children between the ages of 11 months and 8 years old to who were given birth certificates under the project.  UNHCR / Althea Gonzales

In 2021, the project expanded to reach Sama Bajaus in Tawi-Tawi following an assessment conducted in 2019 led by the Geneva-based Joint IDP Profiling Services (JIPS) and UNHCR, which found the prevalence of non-registration of birth among respondents in Bongao.

Sama Bajau children and families who are not registered at birth are excluded from the conditional cash transfer program, have limited access to other social services, and become limited in their movement. Most of the Sama Bajaus in Bongao are also internally displaced due to natural disasters, further heightening their level of vulnerability.

The 2019 exercise, which was conducted in collaboration with key government agencies from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), civil society organizations, and other UN agencies. Because they lack awareness on the importance of birth registration, have limited finances, and are unfamiliar about the process, some Sama Bajaus have not been able to register their birth. Cases of multiple birth registration also surfaced as a concern, posing difficulties for the Local Civil Registrar (LCR) in reconciling its records.

Barangay Lamion in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi was identified as a pilot community in coordination with key officials of the municipal government. In response to the reports finding that health workers play a vital role in transmitting health-related information among Sama Bajau communities, the birth registration activities were conducted with the active participation of health workers in Lamion.

Staff from the Bongao LCR and members of U-Report Philippines from Tau-Social Peace Advocate of Real Tawi-Tawian Active Network (Tau-SPARTAN), KAKASIE, Youth Volunteer Organization and Simunul Youth Guild, Path for Peace and Nutrieskwela Radyo Kasannangan were also trained on birth registration and advocacy ahead of the rollout.

Created by UNICEF, U-Report is a social messaging tool and data collection system to improve adolescent and youth citizen engagement, inform leaders, and foster positive change. The youth volunteers will spearhead the conduct of community-based advocacy on birth registration targeting parents, caregivers, government officials and decision-makers in Bongao.

UNHCR also provided support to the digitization process of the Bongao Local Civil Registrar through the provision of ICT equipment and establishment of a database system to address the issue of multiple birth registration.

We extend our sincerest appreciation to the municipality of Bongao for its leadership and commitment to the birth registration of Sama Bajaus, a population facing double vulnerability since they are also internally displaced in addition to being at risk of statelessness, said Maria Ermina Valdeavilla-Gallardo, Head of National Office of UNHCR Philippines. We also extend our appreciation to partners from the government as well as civil society organizations for the success of this endeavour.

The Local Civil Registrar (LCR) of Bongao, Tawi-Tawi received support from UNHCR Philippines through the provision of ICT equipment and establishment of a database system. UNHCR and UNICEF are jointly supporting the local government of Bongao to address the birth registration issues of Sama Bajaus, one of the State-identified populations at risk of statelessness in the Philippines.  UNHCR / Althea Gonzales Bongao, Tawi-Tawi Mayor Jimuel Que received ICT equipment from UNHCR Philippines, represented by Head of National Office Maria Ermina Valdeavilla-Gallardo, as part of the rollout of the birth registration project. The provision of ICT equipment and development of a database system will contribute to the digitization of civil registration and vital statistics processes of the Bongao Local Civil Registrar, benefitting not just the Sama Bajaus in Bongao but the whole municipality.  UNHCR / Althea Gonzales (First row, L-R): Municipal Administrator Roy Saladaga, Municipal Civil Registrar Marilyn Jimlan, UNHCR Philippines Head of National Office Maria Ermina Valdeavilla-Gallardo, Bongao Mayor Jimuel Que, First Councilor Faru Sakkam, and Councilor Acmed Ho Kalbit pose with the Sama Bajau birth registrants who were provided with birth certificates under the Birth Registration Project of the municipality of Bongao with support from UNHCR and UNICEF in line with the implementation of the Joint Strategy to End Childhood Statelessness and the Philippines National Action Plan to End Statelessness.  UNHCR / Althea Gonzales

UNICEF Philippines Country Representative Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov said, As we celebrate UNICEFs 75th anniversary, we recognize the clear reminder of UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN-CRC), that every child must be registered at birth and given a name and nationality. Children need to be officially registered and be recognized by the Government to where their protection is ensured against any form of violence or exploitation against children. Government as duty-bearer needs to ensure that every child has access to quality basic services like health, nutrition, education, safe water, safe environment and protective family to attain their full potential.

We will continue to work with partner agencies such as UNICEF to ensure the protection of Sama Bajaus through their access to documentation, said Valdeavilla-Gallardo. Our efforts are in line with the Philippine Development Plan, the National Action Plan to End Statelessness by 2024, and the 2030 Agenda of leaving no one behind.

END

*****

This Press Release is available for download here.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

FOR UNHCR

Maria Jorica Pamintuan

Senior Communications Assistant

UNHCR Philippines

0917 896 6191

[email protected]

FOR UNICEF

Marge Francia

Communication Officer

UNICEF Philippines

0920 938 9006

[email protected]

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(@FahadShabbir)

DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 12th Dec, 2021) The UAE Government and the World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced a new partnership to support the global health sector, under which WHO will adopt the UAE government accelerators model to speed up the achievement of its strategic goals and initiatives, and to ensure providing of healthy lifestyles and prosperity at all ages.

The launch came through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, along with Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, in the presence of Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and The Future; Abdulla Nasser Lootah, Director-General of the Prime Minister's Office; Huda Al Hashimi, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Strategic Affairs; as well as a number of officials from the UAE Government and WHO.

This partnership aims to promote the acceleration of service delivery in the fields of global health care and wellbeing by adopting the UAE government accelerators model to implement initiatives, develop solutions and projects, as well as build capabilities and competencies.

The two parties will work to support the implementation of the WHO Work Programme 20192023, and achieve the Triple Billion targets. WHO launched those targets to help countries deliver the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); through 1 billion more people benefitting from universal healthcare coverage without financial hardship, 1 billion more people better protected from health emergencies and 1 billion more people enjoying better health and well-being.

Global cooperation to enhance communities wellbeing and build comprehensive health system Al Gergawi stressed the importance of adopting inter-governmental and inter-organisational collaboration.

He added that the UAE is keen to share successful work models and advanced initiatives developed over the past years to support international efforts in achieving the global sustainable development goals.

Al Gergawi explained that the UAE believes in the centrality of international cooperation to enhance the wellbeing of future generations, through building comprehensive health plans and strategies for a better future.

He also added that this alliance represents a new step in strengthening the role of governments in enabling global human capital to set new directions for the future. The partnership sets a new beginning to form an integrated global chart that celebrates innovation for health, and strengthens cooperation between countries, governments, and organisations to build sustainable societies.

Global collaboration on data and evidence Dr. Ghebreyesus stated, "The need for global collaboration on data and evidence has never been felt more acutely than during the COVID-19 pandemic. WHO is committed to being a modern, data-driven organisation to make a measurable impact on the lives of those we serve. WHO is very pleased to collaborate with the government of the UAE to realise this vision."

The UAE Government and the WHO will promote their partnership elevating efficiency for the health sector, by placing health challenges a global priority and support the adoption of WHO strategies on a larger scale covering the areas of capacity building, preparing leaders capable of implementing strategic plans, and bringing about positive change in WHO institutions.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Quito, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Dec, 2021 ) :A bus crash in Ecuador's Amazon region killed 18 people and left 25 injured, the ECU911 emergency service said Sunday.

ECU911, quoting national police officials, said the bus crashed and overturned after "losing its traffic lane." It did not elaborate.

The accident occurred late Saturday on a highway near the city of Sucua, in Morona Santiago province near the border with Peru.

The bus was traveling between the provincial capital of Macas and the city of Loja in the Andes, also near the Peruvian border.

ECU911 said the injured were taken to hospitals in Macas and Sucua. The dead were transported to the morgue in Sucua.

Traffic accidents are a leading cause of death in Ecuador.
Tehran, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Dec, 2021 ) :"No, my cat is not dangerous," says Iranian animal lover Mostafa, outraged by a proposal from ultraconservative lawmakers to ban pets.

The 25-year-old, who runs a pet supplies shop on busy Eskandari Street in downtown Tehran, is stunned.

"Crocodiles can be called dangerous, but how can rabbits, dogs and cats be dangerous?" he asked incredulously about the bill introduced a month ago.

The proposed law pits growing numbers of people with pets against those who consider the practice decadent and hold that under Islamic law dogs, like pigs, are unclean.

According to media reports, 75 MPs, or one quarter of parliamentarians, recently signed a text entitled "Support for the rights of the population in relation to harmful and dangerous animals".

In their introduction, the authors condemn the practice of humans living under one roof with domesticated animals as a "destructive social problem".

The phenomenon, they explain, could "gradually change the Iranian and Islamic way of life" by "replacing human and family relationships with feelings and emotional relationships towards animals".

The proposed law would prohibit "importing, raising, assisting in the breeding of, breeding, buying or selling, transporting, driving or walking, and keeping in the home wild, exotic, harmful and dangerous animals".

It lists the animals to be banned as "crocodiles, turtles, snakes, lizards, cats, mice, rabbits, dogs and other unclean animals as well as monkeys".

- 'Chaos, corruption, disobedience' - Offenders would risk a fine equivalent to 10 to 30 times the "minimum monthly working wage" of about $98 or 87 Euros and the "confiscation" of the animal.

In addition, vehicles used to transport the animal would be confiscated for three months.

While Iran is engaged in difficult negotiations on its nuclear programme and enduring a painful economic downturn because of US sanctions, the bill has sparked criticism in the press, mockery on social networks and anger among residents of the capital.

"These projects will certainly cause chaos, corruption and collective disobedience to this law because... living with animals is now a cultural phenomenon," warned the reformist daily Shargh.

Some internet users reacted with irony and sarcasm.

"How many times have cats sought to devour you so that you consider them wild, harmful and dangerous?" journalist Yeganeh Khodami asked on Twitter.

Another posted a photo of his kitten with the message: "I have renamed my cat 'Criminal' since I heard this proposed law." An actress who asked to remain anonymous said she had planned a demonstration against the pet ban plan in front of parliament but then dropped the idea because of pressure on her.

In the face of the public outcry, few parliamentarians are willing to strongly defend the bill.

"I agree with the project in general, but I certainly disagree with some of its clauses," said the head of parliament's judicial commission, Moussa Ghazanfarabadi, who signed the text.

"It is just a bill, but whether it succeeds is another matter," he told AFP.

- 'Animal rights, human rights' - Another lawmaker from Tehran, the environmentalist Somayeh Rifiei, said she believes that a law is needed on which animals can be kept, and which cannot.

"No one can deny the services that animals provide to humans, but this area must be regulated," she said. "That is the basis of social life." She said that, aside from the pet ban bill, "the government has drafted a bill that gives special attention to biodiversity and wildlife. It deals with both animal rights and human rights.

"Basically, I would prefer to see this bill on the agenda rather than a proposal that focuses only on criminalisation." On Eskandari Street, vendors fear the consequences of any such law.

"It might destroy thousands of jobs," said Mohsen, 34.

His wife Mina, said she was more worried about her dog.

"Why should I imprison him at home?" she said of her canine companion. "The MPs probably assume that young couples today don't have children because they have a pet dog, but that's stupid.

"It's not the dogs but the economic conditions that don't allow us to have children," she added.

"At one time they banned satellite television, yet people continued to use it, but with fear and anxiety. People will keep their animals at home to protect them."
(@FahadShabbir)

Paris, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Dec, 2021 ) :French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday that "a period of transition" would begin for New Caledonia after voters overwhelmingly rejected independence, adding that "France is more beautiful" with the Pacific islands included.

"A period of transition is beginning. Free from the binary choice of 'Yes' or 'No', we must now build a common project, while recognising and respecting the dignity of everyone," the head of state said in a recorded message.

He said that the country could be "proud" of the process designed to settle the status of the islands under which residents were asked in three separate referendums if they wished to break away from France.

"Tonight France is more beautiful because New Caledonia has decided to stay part of it," Macron added.

With all ballots counted, 96.49 percent were against independence, while only 3.51 percent were in favour, with turn-out a mere 43.90 percent, results from the islands' high commission showed.

Pro-independence campaigners boycotted the vote, saying they wanted it postponed to September because "a fair campaign" was impossible with high coronavirus infection numbers.

Observers say the result could exacerbate ethnic tensions, with the poorer indigenous Kanak community generally favouring independence over the wealthier white community.

Macron made no direct mention of the boycott, but he admitted that voters were "profoundly divided" and he expressed condolences to "all those who have lost a loved one".
(@FahadShabbir)

Noumea, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Dec, 2021 ) :The Pacific territory of New Caledonia voted Sunday in a third and final referendum on independence from France with campaigning marked by angry demands to call off the vote because of the Covid pandemic.

The territory, 2,000 kilometres (1,250 miles) east of Australia, was granted three independence referendums under a 1988 deal aimed at easing tensions on the islands.

Having rejected a breakaway from their French former colonial masters in 2018 and then again last year, the territory's 185,000 voters are being asked one last time: "Do you want New Caledonia to accede to full sovereignty and become independent?" The vote comes against the backdrop of increasingly strained ties between Paris and its regional allies.

France regards itself as a major Indo-Pacific player thanks to overseas territories such as New Caledonia.

President Emmanuel Macron has insisted the French state takes no side in the referendum, other than to ensure fair and smooth proceedings.

"The day after (the vote), whatever the result is, there will be a shared life" between New Caledonia and France, he said Thursday.

Polls opened at 7:00 am local time (2000 GMT Saturday), and were to close at 6:00 pm local time (0500 GMT Sunday) with the results expected a few hours later.

Pacific power Australia infuriated France in September by ditching a massive submarine contract in favour of a security pact with Britain and the United States.

Behind the spat looms China's growing role, with experts suspecting that an independent New Caledonia could be more amenable to Beijing's advances, which are partly motivated by an interest in the territory's vast nickel reserves.

China is already the biggest single client for New Caledonia's metal exports.
Rome, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Dec, 2021 ) :Firefighters on the Italian island of Sicily searched through piles of rubble Sunday for survivors of a massive blast that toppled multiple residential buildings and killed at least three people.

Although two women were recovered alive from the debris early Sunday following the buildings' collapse Saturday night in the southern town of Ravanusa, six people remained missing and Sicily's regional civil protection unit confirmed three deaths.

The explosion, which occurred around 1930 GMT Saturday, and was believed to have been caused by a gas leak, appeared to have levelled four buildings in the central residential district of Ravanusa, a town of nearly 11,000 inhabitants.

Television images showed a mass of rubble, wooden beams and mangled steel in a large empty space, with neighbouring buildings charred and damaged.

As the day wore on, firefighting rescue teams continued to comb through the wreckage, removing slabs of concrete and other materials, but without new signs of survivors.

"Since this morning when we saved two women, for a few hours now we haven't heard signals under the rubble," Luca Cari, the spokesman for Italy's national firefighters, told Sky TG24 television.

"This certainly doesn't mean at all that we've given up hope but obviously with the time passing it doesn't play in our favour."The civil protection unit said on its website that "four buildings were involved" in the incident, but local news reports said the number was higher.

Drone footage published on the firefighters' Twitter page showed smoke still rising from the wreckage site, while adjacent buildings showed major signs of damage, including roofs half blown off.
(@FahadShabbir)

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th December, 2021) The death toll from the Amazon warehouse collapse in the city of Edwardsville, Illinois, caused by a tornado, has gone up to six, Illinois Governor Jay Robert Pritzker said.

"It brings me great sorrow to confirm that at this time six individuals have lost their lives in the collapse, with an additional person receiving medical treatment. Search and recovery operations are ongoing," Governor Pritzker told reporters on Saturday.

A portion of the Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville collapsed when a tornado passed through the area on Friday.

Dozens of people were trapped inside. At least 45 people have since been rescued, according to local media reports.

Late on Saturday, US President Joe Biden said at a briefing that the string of deadly tornadoes that swept through several states this week was "likely one of the largest tornado outbreaks in our history."

The president said he had discussed the situation with the governors of Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee. Biden declared a state of emergency in Kentucky, where over 70 people died because of the storm, according to Governor Andy Beshear.
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th December, 2021) US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky said the United States is unlikely to be on the same time horizon as the United Kingdom with respect to the omicron variant.

UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid on Thursday said that the United Kingdom could see 1 million cases of the Omicron variant by the end of the month, given its rapid spread.

"We will continue to follow the world seeing data from other countries, UK and South Africa, that is demonstrating a really fast-doubling time, sometimes in two or three days. I do not suspect we will be on the same time horizon as the UK," Walensky said during a virtual press briefing on Friday.

Earlier on Friday, the CDC in a report said, during the period from December 1-8, 22 US states reported at least one COVID-19 case attributed to the Omicron variant.

She reassured the audience that, based on research, the US has less than 0.1 percent of Omicron cases.

The CDC director also encouraged people to maintain safety measures during the upcoming holiday season to protect themselves against the novel coronavirus.

Walensky also said the seven-day average of covid cases overall has jumped 37% and deaths by 28% over the prior week.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

LONDON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th December, 2021) UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has discussed international and bilateral issues with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in Liverpool, during the G7 foreign and development ministers' meeting.

"As fellow free-market democracies with historic ties, they agreed that the UK and France must make common cause in promoting freedom and democracy globally and challenging aggressors like Russia. The Foreign Secretary stressed the need for a practical, pragmatic approach to bilateral issues like migration, fishing rights and trade," a spokesperson of the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said in a Saturday statement.

During the Saturday talks in Liverpool, Truss and Le Drian also discussed cooperation in the Sahel, as well as economic ties.

On Friday, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen discussed with the new German Finance Minister Christian Lindner the United States' interest to cooperate with Germany on contingency plans to impose severe costs on Russia's economy should military escalation occur against Ukraine.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during a phone conversation on Friday, agreed on the need to resume negotiations in the Normandy format.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a secured telephone call with US President Joe Biden on Tuesday, discussing the alleged gathering of Russian troops near Ukraine's borders.

Over the past several weeks, Kiev and some Western countries have accused Moscow of amassing troops near its border with Ukraine. Moscow, for its part, has repeatedly rejected the accusations saying that the West wants to use them as an excuse to deploy NATO military equipment near the Russian border.

The US State Department said on Saturday that Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Karen Donfried, will visit Moscow and Kiev on December 13-15, and will then meet with EU representatives in Brussels to discuss a diplomatic resolution of the situation in Ukraine.
As the forensic identification continued, bodies of the choir members who perished in the River Enziu tragedy were being released to their families for burial.

Vatican News English Africa Service.

On Thursday, Kenyas Diocese of Kitui held a joint requiem Mass for the victims.

The joint requiem Mass for the victims of the River Enziu tragedy was held at St Josephs Seminary grounds in Mwingi. The local Bishop of Kitui Diocese, Joseph Mwongela and the Nyeri Archdiocese Ordinary Archbishop Anthony Muheria led mourners in the solemn Eucharist attended by religious, local, regional and national leaders. Many Mwingi residents also participated at the Mass.

The choir members on their way to a wedding

The 32 choir members perished Saturday, 4 December, on their way to a wedding ceremony. Their bus plunged into the flash-flooded River Enziu. Minutes earlier, the choir members had shared videos, on social media, of themselves singing and dancing near the river. They had been waiting for the waters to recede.

According to Kenyan media, on the fateful Saturday, the Mwingi Catholic church choir members boarded the St Josephs Seminary bus to attend a wedding at Nuu. While attempting to steer the 54-seater-bus on the bridge, the driver lost control midstream, and the vehicle tipped over into the surging waters. Local residents described the bridge as a well-known accident blackspot that has claimed many lives.

Both Bishop Mwongela and Archbishop Muheria consoled grieving families, friends and the Catholic faithful. The prelates spoke of their pain at the needless and incomprehensible tragedy.

Pope Francis praying for the faithful of Kitui

As the bodies were being recovered from the river last week, Bishop Mwongela thanked the community for coming together at a difficult time.

It is a challenging moment for us as a diocese, and I thank those who have contributed and for the condolence messages received: From the political leaders, religious men and women and Bishops. Pope Francis through the Apostolic Nuncio sent a message that he is together with us and praying for us. May we continue being one in communion, Bishop Mwongela told the Diocesan Radio, Thome FM. He added, I urge all the faithful to join in prayers, to pray the Rosary for the survivors  Let us also pray for the souls of the departed so that they may rest in peace, said the Kitui prelate.

In his condolence message, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said the country had lost young people of great promise. It is particularly sad to note that young children lost their lives during the tragedy, he said.
UN Special Envoy for Syria Pedersen speaks to journalists outside a hotel in Damascus

Geir Pedersen, the UN's special envoy to Syria, meets with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad in Damascus

By Nathan Morley

Visiting UN special envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen has said he sees new possibilities for a political solution in Syria.

After meetings with officials from the West and Arab countries, Pederson said he thought there was a possibility to start to explore a step-for-step approach which could build trust.



He added that he had been travelling extensively among Arab countries, while conducting in-depth discussions with the Americans and Europeans.



Searching for a comprehensive political solution

He pointed out that the stances of all regional and international players should be analyzed, as well as developments in Syria, in order to reach a comprehensive political solution to the country's decade-long war.



After arriving in Damascus, Pedersen held a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, after which he told reporters that he had an in-depth discussion that lasted for more than two hours.



The talks focused on the military situation, economics, the humanitarian situation, and the political process linked to that.



Separately, Syria will host the Arab energy conference in capital Damascus in 2024. Relations between Syria and other Arab countries have been warming recently with Syria restoring relations with the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.
Music Time in Africa is VOAs longest running English language program. Since 1965, this award-winning program has featured pan African music that spans all genres and generations. Ethnomusicologist and Host Heather Maxwell keeps you up to date on whats happening in African music with exclusive interviews, cultural information, and of course, great music -- including rare recordings from the Leo Sarkisian Library of African Music.
China accounts for a relatively small share of outside investment in the western Balkans compared to the European Union, but observers say there is growing concern about the scope of Chinese influence tied to the billions of dollars Beijing has invested in the region since 2005.

Others, however, say China's regional influence is overblown.

The financial estimates vary. The London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies says China on average has invested roughly $1 billion in the region annually since 2011, while The American Enterprise Institute estimates roughly the same amount annually since 2005. The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies put the figure at closer to $1.8 annually since 2012.

Experts agree, however, that about 80% of Chinese western Balkan investment, including projects in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, and North Macedonia, goes to Serbia.

While China accounts for an estimated 1% of annual foreign investment in Serbia, dwarfed by the EU's 70%, a June 2020 poll by the International Republican Institute showed that 71% of Serbians identified China among the region's important economic partners.

Regional experts concerned

At a recent Belgrade conference on Chinese influence in the region, some experts said public opinion favoring Beijing's investments over those from Western Europe are skewed by a politicized narrative.

"A good part of the pro-Chinese narrative comes from the Serbian political elites and the media, which are under the direct or indirect control of the Serbian elite," said Vuk Vuksanovic, an expert on China, the EU and the western Balkans at the Belgrade Center for Security Policy. "So, in that respect, China did not have an excessive campaign to shape its image in Serbia, for the simple reason that it did not have to. China has the Serbian government [do] all that for her, and, realistically, the perception of China is positive in Serbian public opinion."

Stefan Vladisavljev of the Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence said some regional lawmakers and officials prefer Chinese investments because Beijing requires fewer obligations from regional officials and actors on the ground.

"When [China] approaches countries  these are usually developing countries  [China] offers infrastructure projects that are often agreed [upon in] some non-transparent [way]  they come without many conditions, and that is attractive," said Vladisavljev, referring to EU investment guidelines that require regional governments and businesses to prove they're in compliance with EU standards.

"If someone does not politically pressure you  to undergo certain reforms, [to show] respect for competition or rule of law, you will be very happy to implement such projects," Vladisavljev said.

Officials at the Chinese embassy in Belgrade did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

In 20 years, Vladisavljev added, Serbia is projected to hold more than $7.9 billion in Chinese loans. Before accruing any additional debt from Beijing, he said, Serbia should ensure safeguards are in place for Serbian laborers, pointing to allegations of exploitative labor practices at China's Shandong Linglong Tire Co. in Zrenjanin  less than an hour's drive from Belgrade  where Vietnamese migrant workers have gone unpaid, living in unheated barracks.

"Now we are talking about the workers' rights of the Vietnamese, and tomorrow maybe our own Serbian workers," Vladisavljev said.

Linglong did not respond to multiple requests for commentary on accusations of poor labor practices, nor did officials at the Chinese embassy in Belgrade.

Serb leaders such as Prime Minister Ana Brnabic have played down the tire factory expose, claiming the bad press coverage was organized "by those against Chinese investments" in Serbia, alluding to frequent criticism from the West that Chinese projects there are bureaucratically opaque, ecologically questionable and designed to bolster Beijing's political influence in Europe.

"At the beginning, it was the environment. Now  they focus on workers there. After tomorrow there will be something else," she said in news reports.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said a Serbian labor inspector has been sent to the Zrenjanin site but was blunt about expected findings.

"What do they want? Do they want us to destroy a $900 million investment?" Vucic asked, largely echoing advocates for Chinese investment who say it stabilizes the region through job creation.

EU role

Until recently, the Western response to Chinese influence in the region was minimal. EU officials only recently branded investments in the western Balkans, such as the newly unveiled $46 billion earmarked for regionally targeted technology and infrastructure spending, as a key part of the West's response to China's Belt and Road Initiative.

But Igor Novakovic of the Belgrade-based International and Security Affairs Centre said EU funding is often more difficult to secure than Chinese investments.

"With [long-established Serbian-Chinese] cooperation, money was quickly obtained and the work was carried out quickly, but the question of the price and the negative aspect for the environment remain," he told VOA. "Cooperation with the EU is slow, but thorough."

Economic consultant Jens Bastian said China often seizes on public infrastructure projects rejected or unrealized by EU players.

"China is [compelled] to come to southeast Europe and invest because others have not done so," Bastian told VOA. "Beijing is strategically determined to stay in the region for a long time."

Montenegrin financial consultant Milos Vukovic said the havoc wrought on Podgorica's public finances caused by a Belt-and-Road loan  a $1 billion highway project that went to bid without tender and pushed the national debt higher than GDP  should serve as a stark warning to neighboring countries vulnerable to China's so-called debt-trap diplomacy.

If Montenegro defaults, Vukovic said, public assets such as the nation's electrical grid or industrial ports could become collateral for Chinese debts.

"Later, if we can't pay ... they can say, 'We will take the state electricity [and] invest in renewable energy sources,'" he told VOA. "So, they replace the unprofitable project for them with a profitable project  and we know that energy is the future, especially renewables."

University of Belgrade economist Ivan Vujacic, Serbia's ambassador to the U.S. from 2002 to 2009, said regional corruption, specifically local political elites who deliberately misrepresent Chinese loans as investments, is partially to blame for China-funded projects that put state assets, workers' rights or the environment at risk.

"I assume that for the investments [that China has] calculated, it pays off for them and  they are on the way to achieving a [profitable] result," said Vujacic, referring to China's 2018 acquisition of a debt-saddled copper mine in Bor.

"As for Serbia, I assume and I hope that the feasibility studies have been done properly and that they will give results," he said. "But we do not have a guarantee for that."

This story originated in VOA's Serbian Service.


While Russian President Vladimir Putin keeps the West guessing over Ukraine, it was the might of Chinese President Xi Jinping that garnered the long-term strategic focus when the diplomats from the Group of Seven richest democracies met this weekend.

The United States and its other G-7 allies are searching for a coherent response to Xi's growing assertiveness after Chinas spectacular economic and military rise over the past 40 years.

Putin was the immediate tactical focus at talks in the English city of Liverpool between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his counterparts. There was support for President Joe Biden's attempt to support Ukraine and deter Putin with a clear warning of severe economic sanctions.

"Theres a huge amount of convergence about what will unfortunately be necessary if Russia makes that very bad choice," a senior U.S. State Department official said.

The West is concerned that Russia might be preparing to attack Ukraine. The Kremlin denies it plans to invade Ukraine but has demanded legally binding security guarantees that NATO will not expand further east.

Concerns were raised about alleged Russian disinformation campaigns but there was no clear agreement on, for example, whether to slap penalties on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, according to sources with knowledge of the discussions.

Russia was included in what became the G-8 in 1997 but was suspended in 2014 after annexing Crimea from Ukraine. Moscow says the G7  the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan  is making aggressive accusations.

If Putin, 69, was the short-term concern, Xi's China was the strategic puzzle on everyone's lips.

There were "very, very intense discussions especially on China," said one official who attended the talks.

'Anti-China club'?

The re-emergence of China as a leading global power is considered to be one of the most significant geopolitical events of recent times, alongside the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union that ended the Cold War.

China in 1979 had an economy that was smaller than Italys, but after opening to foreign investment and introducing market reforms, it has become the worlds second-largest economy and is a global leader in a range of new technologies.

Founded in 1975 as a forum for the West's richest nations to discuss crises such as the OPEC oil embargo, the G-7 scolded both China and Russia after a summit meeting in Cornwall in June.

China, which has never been a G-7 member, retorted in June following that meeting that "small" groups no longer ruled the world.

"Its tremendous that theres such a focus on the Indo-Pacific here," said a second State Department official.

The first State Department official said that foreign ministers discussed the situation in Hong Kong, the Xinjiang region and the importance of peace in the Taiwan straits.

The need to support Lithuania was also discussed. China downgraded its diplomatic ties with the Baltic state and suspended consular services after the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania opened on Nov. 18.

The G-7 wants to act together on China but without seeming to be a club ganging up on Beijing.

"We dont want to be seen as an anti-China club," said one official.

Western officials point out that the G-7 combined still packs a powerful punch: it has about $40 trillion in economic clout and includes three of the world's five official nuclear powers.

There was serious discussion about G-7 coordinated action to counter China over disinformation and to support countries snared in what critics cast as China's global debt-trap web, officials said.

"With regard to China we [the G-7] agree unanimously that China is partner in all global issues ... but also a competitor and system rival," said German Foreign Minster Annalena Baerbock.

Canada joined Australia, Britain and the United States in a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing on Wednesday. China has said those countries will pay a price for their snub.

At the G-7, Japan and Germany were still undecided and Italy was skeptical about the boycott.

Blinken heads to Southeast Asia on Monday in an attempt to forge a united front against China in the Indo-Pacific.
On a moonless summer night in Hawaii, krill, fish and crabs swirl through a beam of light as two researchers peer into the water above a vibrant reef.

Minutes later, like clockwork, they see eggs and sperm from spawning coral drifting past their boat. They scoop up the fishy-smelling blobs and put them into test tubes.

In this Darwinian experiment, the scientists are trying to speed up coral's evolutionary clock to breed "super corals" that can better withstand the impacts of global warming.

For the past five years, the researchers have been conducting experiments to prove their theories would work. Now, they're getting ready to plant laboratory-raised corals in the ocean to see how they survive in nature.

"Assisted evolution started out as this kind of crazy idea that you could actually help something change and allow that to survive better because it is changing," said Kira Hughes, a University of Hawaii researcher and the project's manager.

Speeding up nature

Researchers tested three methods of making corals more resilient:

Selective breeding that carries on desirable traits from parents.

Acclimation that conditions corals to tolerate heat by exposing them to increasing temperatures.

And modifying the algae that give corals essential nutrients.Hughes said the methods all have proved successful in the lab.

And while some other scientists worried this is meddling with nature, Hughes said the rapidly warming planet leaves no other options.

"We have to intervene in order to make a change for coral reefs to survive into the future," she said.

When ocean temperatures rise, coral releases its symbiotic algae that supply nutrients and impart its vibrant colors. The coral turns white  a process called bleaching  and can quickly become sick and die.

For more than a decade, scientists have been observing corals that have survived bleaching, even when others have died on the same reef.

So, researchers are focusing on those hardy survivors, hoping to enhance their heat tolerance. And they found selective breeding held the most promise for Hawaii's reefs.

"Corals are threatened worldwide by a lot of stressors, but increasing temperatures are probably the most severe," said Crawford Drury, chief scientist at Hawaii's Coral Resilience Lab. "And so that's what our focus is on, working with parents that are really thermally tolerant."

A novel idea

In 2015, Ruth Gates, who launched the resilience lab, and Madeleine van Oppen of the Australian Institute of Marine Science published a paper on assisted evolution during one of the world's worst bleaching events.

The scientists proposed bringing corals into a lab to help them evolve into more heat-tolerant animals. And the idea attracted Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who funded the first phase of research and whose foundation still supports the program.

"We've given (coral) experiences that we think are going to raise their ability to survive," Gates told The Associated Press in a 2015 interview.

Gates, who died of brain cancer in 2018, also said she wanted people to know how "intimately reef health is intertwined with human health."

Coral reefs, often called the rainforests of the sea, provide food for humans and marine animals, shoreline protection for coastal communities, jobs for tourist economies and even medicine to treat illnesses such as cancer, arthritis and Alzheimer's disease.

A recent report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other research organizations concluded bleaching events are the biggest threat to the world's coral reefs. Scientists found that between 2009 and 2018, the world lost about 14% of its coral.

Assisted evolution was not widely accepted when first proposed.

Van Oppen said there were concerns about losing genetic diversity and critics who said the scientists were "playing gods" by tampering with the reef.

"Well, you know, (humans) have already intervened with the reef for very long periods of time," van Oppen said. "All we're trying to do is to repair the damage."

Rather than editing genes or creating anything unnatural, researchers are just nudging what could already happen in the ocean, she said. "We are really focusing first on as local a scale as possible to try and maintain and enhance what is already there."

Millions of years in the making

Still, there are lingering questions.

"We have discovered lots of reasons why corals don't bleach," said Steve Palumbi, a marine biologist and professor at Stanford University. "Just because you find a coral that isn't bleaching in the field or in the lab doesn't mean it's permanently heat tolerant."

Corals have been on Earth for about 250 million years and their genetic code is not fully understood.

"This is not the first time any coral on the entire planet has ever been exposed to heat," Palumbi said. "So the fact that all corals are not heat resistant tells you ... that there's some disadvantage to it. And if there weren't a disadvantage, they'd all be heat resistant."

But Palumbi thinks the assisted evolution work has a valuable place in coral management plans because "reefs all over the world are in desperate, desperate, desperate trouble."

The project has gained broad support and spurred research around the world. Scientists in the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Germany and elsewhere are doing their own coral resilience work. The U.S. government also backs the effort.

Assisted evolution "is really impressive and very consistent with a study that we conducted with the National Academies of Sciences," said Jennifer Koss, the director of NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program.

Major hurdles

There are still serious challenges.

Scalability is one. Getting lab-bred corals out into the ocean and having them survive will be hard, especially since reintroduction has to happen on a local level to avoid bringing detrimental biological material from one region to another.

James Guest, a coral ecologist in the United Kingdom, leads a project to show selectively bred corals not only survive longer in warmer water, but can also be successfully reintroduced on a large scale.

"It's great if we can do all this stuff in the lab, but we have to show that we can get very large numbers of them out onto the reef in a cost-effective way," Guest said.

Scientists are testing delivery methods, such as using ships to pump young corals into the ocean and deploying small underwater robots to plant coral.

No one is proposing assisted evolution alone will save the world's reefs. The idea is part of a suite of measures  with proposals ranging from creating shades for coral to pumping cooler deep-ocean water onto reefs that get too warm.

The advantage of planting stronger corals is that after a generation or two, they should spread their traits naturally, without much human intervention.
The death toll mounted Sunday from an unseasonal string of U.S. tornadoes that swept through six Southern and Midwestern states late Friday even as one emergency official expressed hope that more survivors would be found.

The destruction was the worst in the state of Kentucky, with the death toll already at 80. Many of the deaths occurred when a twister leveled a candle factory.

The violent tornadoes, unusual in December in the United States, tore a 365-kilometer path through Arkansas, Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky, but the destruction stretched through 321 kilometers in Kentucky.

Watch related video by VOA's Arash Arabasadi:

I know we've lost more than 80 Kentuckians, Governor Andy Beshear told CNNs State of the Union show. That number is going to exceed more than 100. This is the deadliest tornado event we've ever had.

Beshear said it will be a miracle if we pull anyone more out of the candle factory debris in the small Kentucky town of Mayfield. He said only 40 of the 110 people working at the factory have been rescued.

Im not sure were going to see another rescue, he said. Weve been hit in a way we couldnt imagine.

But Deanne Criswell, chief of the countrys Federal Emergency Management Agency, told CNN that rescue efforts are continuing.

On Sunday, eight people at the candle company were confirmed dead and eight others remained missing, a spokesman said. More than 90 others of the 110 working at the plant Friday had been located, the spokesman added.

I think there is still hope  to find as many people as we can, she said. Criswell called the December storms incredibly unusual as they are much more common in the early spring months in the Northern Hemisphere, in March and April.

Jeremy Creason, the Mayfield fire chief and emergency medical services director, said, We had to, at times, crawl over casualties to get to live victims.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said Saturday that six people were killed when a tornado hit an Amazon warehouse in the middle of a shift change Friday night, causing the building to collapse. Because of the shift change, authorities do not know if anyone is still unaccounted for.

"This is a devastating tragedy for our Amazon family and our focus is on supporting our employees and partners," Amazon spokesperson Richard Rocha said in a written statement.

U.S. President Joe Biden has spoken to the governors of the affected states and approved an emergency declaration for Kentucky, allowing the use of federal funds there, with funding requests pending elsewhere.

Biden tweeted Saturday that he was briefed on the situations and said his administration is working with governors to ensure they have what they need as the search for survivors and damage assessments continue."

According to early reports, the tornado raced across Kentucky for about 320 kilometers. But Victor Genzini, a researcher on extreme weather at Northern Illinois University, said it may have been on the ground for 400 kilometers. The longest twister on record tracked for about 355 kilometers across Missouri, Illinois and Indiana in March 1925

The tornado in Mayfield was one of at least four that devastated at least 10 counties in Kentucky.

"It was absolutely the most terrifying thing I've ever experienced in my life," one of the Mayfield factory workers, Kyanna Parsons-Perez, told NBC's Today show. "I did not think I was going to make it," she said.

Storms also swept through the Kentucky city of Bowling Green, killing an off-campus Western Kentucky University student, according to the schools president, Timothy Caboni.

Eleven of Kentuckys confirmed deaths were from Bowling Green.

In neighboring Tennessee, at least four people were killed as storms traversed the state, according to Tennessee Emergency Management Agency Chief of Staff Alex Pellom.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson's office said at least two people were killed in the towns of Defiance and New Melle and more were injured in building collapses. Hundreds of buildings were destroyed or damaged, according to initial assessments.

A tornado also hit a nursing home in Monette in northern Arkansas, killing one person and trapping 20 people inside as the building collapsed, according to Craighead County Judge Marvin Day. He said five people sustained serious injuries and a few received minor ones.

Day said first responders rescued those trapped in the building that was pretty much destroyed.

Another person died when the storm hit a Dollar General store in nearby Leachville, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said.

"Probably the most remarkable thing is that there's not a greater loss of life," Hutchinson said after touring the wreckage of the nursing home. "It is catastrophic. It's a total destruction."

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is in Abu Dhabi to meet Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. It is the first known visit to the United Arab Emirates by an Israeli prime minister. The issue of Irans nuclear program is expected to be high on the agenda.

Bennetts visit was announced just hours before he flew to the UAE. Before departing on his trip, Bennett spoke of the potential of a deep partnership.

Ill be meeting with Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed. Were going to be discussing ways to further our cooperation in a number of fields, especially strengthening our economic and commercial ties. In just one year of normalizing our relationship, weve already seen the extraordinary potential of the Israel-UAE partnership. And this is just the beginning, Bennet said.

Israel and the Emirates have long had close economic and security ties, but until just over a year ago, those ties were not public. Now, with the signing of U.S.-brokered agreements known as the Abraham Accords, those ties have deepened even more.

In 2020, during the administration of then-U.S. President Donald Trump, Israel, the UAE and Bahrain signed the accords at the White House, normalizing ties between Israel and the two Arab countries. Morocco and Sudan later joined the accords.

Israels new ambassador to the UAE, Amir Hayek, says the meeting between the Israeli prime minister and the sheikh is historic.

He said that the relationship between Israel and the UAE is, as he put it, a year-old baby who already speaks three languages and there is a lot of excitement in the UAE about Bennetts visit.

The Israeli prime minister traveled to the UAE with a small delegation and no journalists, citing concerns about the omicron variant of the coronavirus.

The issue of Iran and its nuclear program is expected to be high on the agenda. Israel and the UAE share a concern about Iran becoming a nuclear power. The meeting in the UAE comes amid tense talks between the United States and Iran on a renewed agreement on Tehrans nuclear program which would see sanctions on Iran lifted. Bennett has continued to take a hard line on Iran.

Iran deserves no rewards, no bargain deals and no sanctions relief in return for their brutality. I call upon our allies around the world - do not give in to Irans nuclear blackmail, Bennett said.

Iran maintains its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

The territory of the UAE is very close to Iran. Iran as a nuclear power would pose just as much of a threat to the Emirates as to Israel. Bennetts visit is expected to deepen already close security and intelligence ties between Israel and the UAE.
Residents of the Pacific territory of New Caledonia voted overwhelmingly on Sunday to remain part of France in a third referendum that was boycotted by pro-independence groups, reports say.

Police reinforcements have been sent to the territory known as "the pebble," which is of strategic importance to France and is part of a wider tussle for influence in the Pacific between Western countries and China.

Local television channel NC la 1ere reported that, with 90.23 percent of ballots counted, 96.32 percent of voters had voted "No" to independence in a result that will raise fears of unrest and questions about the legitimacy of the process.

The archipelago of about 185,000 voters, 2,000 kilometers east of Australia, was granted three independence referendums under a 1988 deal aimed at easing tensions on the islands.

Turnout on Sunday was only 41.60 percent by 5 pm local time (0600 GMT).

Having rejected a breakaway from France in 2018 and then again last year, the inhabitants were asked one last time: "Do you want New Caledonia to accede to full sovereignty and become independent?"

Pro-independence campaigners boycotted the vote, saying they wanted it postponed to September because "a fair campaign" was impossible with high coronavirus infection numbers.

The result could exacerbate ethnic tensions, with the poorer indigenous Kanak community generally favoring independence over the wealthier white community.

The main indigenous pro-independence movement, the FLNKS, had called the government's insistence on going ahead with the referendum "a declaration of war."

"This referendum does not make too much sense because half the population has decided not to vote," Cathy, a bookseller who gave only her first name, told AFP at a polling booth in the capital Noumea.

"I came out of civic-mindedness, what interests me is the society we are going to build afterwards," she told AFP.

Turnout was particularly low in Kanak-majority areas, AFP reporters witnessed. 

Fears of Chinese influence

At stake in the vote was one of France's biggest overseas territories which is home to about 10 percent of the world's reserves of nickel, which is used to make stainless steel, batteries and mobile phones.

The territory is also a key part of France's claim of being a Pacific power, with New Caledonia granting France rights to the surrounding ocean, as well as a military staging post.

Experts suspect that an independent New Caledonia would move closer to Beijing, which has built up close economic links and political influence on other Pacific islands.

"If the French safeguard disappears, all elements would be in place for China to establish itself permanently in New Caledonia," said French international relations analyst Bastien Vandendyck.

Other nations in the region, including Fiji, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, had already become "Chinese satellites", Vandendyck told AFP.

"All China needs now to complete its pearl necklace on Australia's doorstep is New Caledonia," he said.

China is already the biggest single client for New Caledonia's metal exports. 

Fresh vote on future 'project'

French President Emmanuel Macron has avoided taking sides in the referendum debate, saying Thursday that his role was to ensure the vote "takes place in the right way and in the right conditions."

He is expected to make a statement on Sunday at 1200 GMT and is desperate to avoid any more overseas unrest following violent protests on the French Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique last month.

Around 2,000 police and troops were deployed for Sunday's vote, which appeared to have passed off largely without incident except for an attempted roadblock on an outlying island.

France has 13 overseas territories, home to 2.7 million people, which are generally poorer and have higher unemployment than the mainland, leading to long-standing accusations of neglect.

Some such as French Polynesia have been granted large degrees of autonomy and attention will now turn to the future status of New Caledonia, whose regional council could be granted more powers.

Another referendum is expected by June 2023 which will decide on the "project" New Caledonia's people want to pursue.

The pro-independence movement has threatened not to recognize Sunday's result and has vowed to appeal to the United Nations to get it cancelled.

New Caledonia was largely spared during the pandemic's first phase but has suffered close to 300 Covid-19 deaths since the Delta variant arrived.

Some observers fear the tensions could spark a return of the kind of violence last seen in the 1980s when clashes broke out between the pro-independence Kanaks and white French people who opposed independence.
France's nickel-rich Pacific territory of New Caledonia votes Sunday in a third and final referendum on independence, with some of those wanting to break free demanding a boycott because they say the pandemic is preventing a fair ballot.

The territory of about 185,000 voters, 2,000 kilometers east of Australia, was granted three independence referendums under a 1988 deal aimed at easing tensions on the islands.

Having rejected a breakaway from France in 2018 and then again last year, the inhabitants are being asked one last time: "Do you want New Caledonia to accede to full sovereignty and become independent?"

At stake is one of France's biggest overseas territories, with about 10% of the world's nickel, used to make stainless steel, batteries and mobile phones, and a key strategic asset in the contest between the West and China for power in the Indo-Pacific.

"If the French safeguard disappears, all elements would be in place for China to establish itself permanently in New Caledonia," said international relations analyst Bastien Vandendyck.

Other nations in the region, including Fiji, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, had already become "Chinese satellites," Vandendyck told AFP.

"All China needs now to complete its pearl necklace on Australia's doorstep is New Caledonia," he said.

Polls opened at 7 a.m. local time (2000 GMT Saturday), and were to close at 6 p.m. local time (0500 GMT Sunday) with the results expected a few hours later.

A boycott

Pro-independence campaigners are boycotting the vote, saying they want it postponed to September because "a fair campaign" is not possible with high coronavirus infection numbers.

"I don't want to go and vote because I don't agree with this final poll," said Jean-Pierre Wadra, a resident of the capital, Noumea.

New Caledonia's 270,000 inhabitants were largely spared during the pandemic's first phase, but have suffered close to 300 COVID-19 deaths because of the delta variant.

The pro-independence movement has still threatened non-recognition of the referendum outcome and vowed to appeal to the United Nations to get it canceled.

Whichever way the poll goes, the controversy is likely to rumble on.

"It's going to be a mess in New Caledonia," Wadra said.

Paris and allies

The French minister in charge of overseas territories, Sebastien Lecornu, said that while it was "a democratic right" to refuse to vote, the boycott would make no difference to the referendum's "legal validity."

The vote comes against the backdrop of increasingly strained ties between Paris and its regional allies.

France regards itself as a major Indo-Pacific player thanks to overseas territories such as New Caledonia.

President Emmanuel Macron has insisted the French state takes no side in the referendum, other than to ensure fair and smooth proceedings.

Pacific power Australia infuriated France in September by ditching a massive submarine contract in favor of a security pact with Britain and the United States.

Behind the spat looms China's growing role, with experts suspecting that an independent New Caledonia could be more amenable to Beijing's advances, which are partly motivated by an interest in the territory's vast nickel reserves.

China is the biggest single client for New Caledonia's metal exports.

A cyclone warning was issued on Saturday to complicate voting as a tropical depression loomed.

'Declaration of war'

The pro-French camp, meanwhile, has called on supporters to turn out, fearing the boycott by pro-independence parties may prompt them to stay at home with victory looking like a foregone conclusion.

"It is important that the mobilization of the no-independence supporters remains absolute, to show that they are in a majority and united in their wish for New Caledonia to remain part of the French republic," said Thierry Santa, president of the conservative Rassemblement-LR party.

In June, the various political parties agreed with the French government that the referendum, whatever its outcome, should lead to "a period of stability and convergence" and be followed by a new referendum by June 2023, which would decide how the New Caledonia people want to proceed.

But hopes for a smooth transition were jolted when the main indigenous pro-independence movement, the FLNKS, deemed the government's insistence on going ahead with the referendum "a declaration of war."

Observers fear renewed tensions could even spark a return of the kind of violence last seen 30 years ago.

The pro-Paris side won the 2018 referendum with 56.7% of the vote, but that fell to 53.3% in the 2020 election.
South Africa on Sunday paid an official tribute to FW de Klerk, the final president of white rule, who freed Nelson Mandela from prison and steered the country from apartheid to democracy.

De Klerk died on November 11 aged 85 following a battle with cancer. Four days of national mourning were declared in his honor.

He served as president from 1989 to 1994 and is remembered most for leading South Africa's transition from white-minority rule to the first multi-racial elections in 1994.



De Klerk also shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Mandela in 1993 after freeing him from prison in 1990. Mandela then became South Africa's first black president after his African National Congress party won the 1994 election.

President Cyril Ramaphosa attended Cape Town's Protestant Groote Kerk  one of South Africa's oldest churches  on Sunday morning to deliver a eulogy in De Klerk's honor.

"He was often misunderstood due to his over-correctness," De Klerk's widow Elita Georgiadis told around 200 attendees.

"I shall never forget this man who mesmerized me, who made me want to help him achieve this huge task ahead of him."

A private mass and the national anthem preceded the ceremony, which featured a portrait of De Klerk between two candles and a choir decorated with white flowers.

Despite a positive reputation abroad, De Klerk divided opinion in South Africa and his death prompted mixed reactions.

Critics say he remains inseparable from apartheid-era crimes and could have been held accountable for them had he lived longer.

De Klerk represented the National Party, which in 1948 formally established apartheid's racial segregation and disenfranchisement of South Africa's non-white majority.

Outside the church, a small group of protesters held signs saying, "Justice denied" and "Justice for apartheid victims" and were swiftly led away by police.

The surrounding area was closed to traffic and placed under high security.

Comments in his final years also tarnished De Klerk's image amid criticism for his failure to apologize officially for the crimes of apartheid.

In 2020, he denied apartheid was a crime against humanity before retracting the statement and apologizing.

De Klerk's foundation issued a posthumous video apologizing "for the pain, hurt, indignity and damage that apartheid has done" to South Africa's non-white populations.
Environmental protesters blocked roads in Serbia for a third consecutive weekend to oppose plans for lithium mining, despite a bid by the country's populist government to defuse the demonstrations by agreeing to the key demands of organizers.

Several thousand people braved rain and cold weather Saturday to halt traffic in the capital, Belgrade, and in other cities and towns in the Balkan nation.

The protesters want the government to fully remove any possibility of companies initiating mining projects. Environmentalists argue that extracting lithium, a key component in electric car batteries, causes huge damage to mined areas.

Serbian authorities withdrew two key laws that activists said were designed to help multinational mining company Rio Tinto open a mine in the country's lithium-rich west. Fewer people showed up at Saturday's demonstration compared to the two previous weekends, reflecting a rift among protest leaders over how to proceed.

There will be no peace until exploitation of lithium is banned and Rio Tinto sent away from Serbia, Aleksandar Jovanovic, one of the organizers, said.

Serbia's autocratic president, Aleksandar Vucic, described continued protests as political after the government gave up on the two proposed laws, which involved property expropriation and referendum rules. Vucic said people would have a chance to express their preferences during the next election in April.

Serbia must tackle its environmental problems to advance toward European Union membership. Vucic has said he wants the country to join the EU, but he has also fostered close ties with Russia and China, including Chinese investments in mines, factories and infrastructure.

Environmental issues have come into focus recently in Serbia and other Balkan nations because of accumulated problems from air and water pollution. Protesters argue that authorities favor the interests of foreign investors and profit over environment protection.
Three members of Hamas died Sunday when shooting erupted at the funeral procession of a member of the Islamist movement in a South Lebanon Palestinian refugee camp, the group said.

Hamas official Raafat al-Murra said militants from the rival Fatah movement "shot at the funeral procession" of a Palestinian killed in a blast Friday at the Burj al-Shemali camp, outside the port city of Tyre.

Six people were wounded, he said.

A camp resident told AFP an armed clash followed the shooting and that elements of both Fatah and Hamas had been deployed.

An electrical short circuit in a store containing oxygen supplies for Covid patients caused Friday's blast, Hamas had said, denying media reports that an arms depot blew up.

The explosion blackened the walls and shattered windows of a nearby mosque.

"The fire caused damage to property but the impact was limited," Hamas said, without detailing casualties.

According to a Palestinian official, one man died of his injuries from Friday night's explosion, which also left a few people wounded.

Officially, Lebanon hosts about 192,000 Palestinian refugees, most of whom live in the country's 12 camps, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

By longstanding agreement, the Lebanese army does not enter the camps, leaving security inside to Palestinian factions.

Hamas and Fatah, the secular party led by Mahmud Abbas, have been at odds since 2007 when the Islamists seized Gaza after a week of deadly clashes.

Though based in Gaza, Hamas operates branches elsewhere in the Middle East including Lebanon.
Search and rescue efforts continue across parts of the United States hit by tornadoes and severe weather late last week. U.S. President Joe Biden declared a federal emergency in some areas and pledged the full support of his administration. Hundreds of thousands of people are now without power or heat at the start of the coldest months. VOAs Arash Arabasadi has more.
The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is condemning the forced expulsion of asylum seekers and migrants by Libyan authorities, warning of the risks many face when returned to the homes they fled to escape persecution.

Two large groups of Sudanese are among those forcibly deported from Libya over the past month. United Nations monitors say most have been summarily expelled from the Ganfouda and al-Kufra detention centers. Both centers are controlled by the Interior Ministrys Department for Combatting illegal Migration. The monitors say the Sudanese apparently have been transported across the Sahara Desert to the Libya-Sudan border and dumped there.

The U.N. Human Rights Office says Libyas expulsion of the Sudanese asylum seekers and migrants without due process and procedural guarantees violates international human rights and refugee law.

U.N. spokesman Rupert Colville says the group of 18 Sudanese expelled Monday reportedly were arrested, detained, and arbitrarily expelled. He says no hearing was held to assess their need for protection from persecution, torture, and other abuse in their home country. He says they were not granted legal assistance.

Those expelled have often already survived a range of other serious human rights violations and abuses in Libya at the hands of both state and nonstate actors, including arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, trafficking, sexual violence, torture and ill-treatment, he said.

Colville says other migrants from Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia, and Chad including children and pregnant women  also have been detained in recent months. He says they either already have been expelled or are at imminent risk of deportation.

Now of immediate concern is a group of 24 Eritreans who are currently being held in the same Ganfouda detention center, and who are believed also to be at risk of imminent deportation," he said. "On the third of December, we were informed that, in a pattern mirroring the experience of the expelled Sudanese, they had been transferred to the al-Kufra detention center in preparation for their deportation.

The U.N. high commissioners office is calling on the authorities to protect the rights of all asylum seekers and migrants in Libya. It says they should investigate all claims of violations and abuse and bring perpetrators to justice in fair trials. It urges Libya to meet its obligations under international human rights law, which prohibits collective expulsions.
Dozens of people have died in the United States, following a series of unseasonal tornadoes that hit several Southern and Midwestern locations Friday. The twisters left behind a path of destruction from weather conditions that usually appear in spring. Authorities say they expect the death toll to rise.

The governor of Kentucky said Saturday that it is likely that at least 70-100 people had died there.

A candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky, was destroyed by tornadoes. Forty people were rescued from the factorys rubble. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said it would be a miracle if any other survivors are found in the factorys remains.

Jeremy Creason, the citys fire chief and EMS director, said, We had to, at times, crawl over casualties to get to live victims.

This has been the most devastating tornado event in our states history, Beshear said at a news conference.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said Saturday that six people were killed when a tornado hit an Amazon warehouse in the middle of a shift change Friday night, collapsing the building. Because of the shift change, authorities do not know if anyone is still unaccounted for.

"This is a devastating tragedy for our Amazon family and our focus is on supporting our employees and partners," Amazon spokesperson Richard Rocha said in a written statement.

U.S. President Joe Biden has spoken to the governors of the five states hit by the tornadoes: Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee. Biden has approved an emergency declaration for Kentucky, allowing the use of federal funds there.

Biden tweeted Saturday that he was briefed on the situations and said his administration is working with Governors to ensure they have what they need as the search for survivors and damage assessments continue."

As of Saturday night, at least 36 people were confirmed dead across the five states: 22 in Kentucky, six in Illinois at an Amazon facility, four in Tennessee, two in Arkansas and two in Missouri.

According to early reports, the tornado raced across Kentucky for about 320 kilometers. But Victor Genzini, a researcher on extreme weather at Northern Illinois University, said it may have been on the ground for 400 kilometers. The longest twister on record tracked for about 355 kilometers across Missouri, Illinois and Indiana in March 1925.

The tornado in Mayfield was one of at least four that devastated at least 10 counties in Kentucky.

"It was absolutely the most terrifying thing I've ever experienced in my life," one of the Mayfield factory workers, Kyanna Parsons-Perez, said in an interview that aired on NBC's Today show. "I did not think I was going to make it," she said.

Storms also swept through the Kentucky city of Bowling Green, killing an off-campus Western Kentucky University student, according to the universitys president. Eleven of Kentuckys confirmed deaths were from Bowling Green.

Kentucky Governor Beshear declared a state of emergency, activated the Kentucky National Guard and deployed the state police.

In neighboring Tennessee, at least four people were killed as storms traversed the state, according to Tennessee Emergency Management Agency Chief of Staff Alex Pellom.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson's office said at least two people were killed in the towns of Defiance and New Melle and more were injured in building collapses. Hundreds of buildings were destroyed or damaged, according to initial assessments.

A tornado also hit a nursing home in Monette in northern Arkansas, killing one person and trapping 20 people inside as the building collapsed, according to Craighead County Judge Marvin Day. He said five people sustained serious injuries and a few received minor ones.

Day said first responders rescued those trapped in the building that was pretty much destroyed.

Another person died when the storm hit a Dollar General store in nearby Leachville, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said, according to The Associated Press.

"Probably the most remarkable thing is that there's not a greater loss of life," Hutchinson said after touring the wreckage of the nursing home. "It is catastrophic. It's a total destruction."

Scientists are warning with increasing urgency that global warming is making storms more powerful and frequent, posing even greater threats to areas where extreme weather is already common.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
The United States, Australia and Japan said Sunday they will jointly fund the construction of an undersea cable to boost internet access in three tiny Pacific countries, as the Western allies seek to counter rising Chinese influence in the region.

The three Western allies said they would develop the cable to provide faster internet to Nauru, Kiribati and the Federated States of Micronesia.

"This will support increased economic growth, drive development opportunities, and help to improve living standards as the region recovers from the severe impacts of COVID-19," a joint statement from the United States, Japan and Australia said.

The three allies did not specify how much the project will cost.

The development of the undersea cable is the latest funding commitment from the Western allies in the telecommunications sector of the Pacific.

The United States and its Indo-Pacific allies are concerned that cables laid by the Peoples Republic of China could compromise regional security. Beijing has denied any intent to use commercial fiber-optic cables, which have far greater data capacity than satellites, for spying.

Australia in 2017 spent about A$137 million ($98.2 million) to develop better internet access for the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken agreed Saturday to bolster ties with Japan amid a changing security landscape in the Indo-Pacific region while meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on the sidelines of the G-7 ministerial in Liverpool.

According to news reports, the top U.S. diplomat and his Japanese counterpart discussed mutual efforts to enhance deterrence and military strike capabilities in the face of China's military buildup and North Korea's nuclear program.

"The ministers, in light of the increasingly severe security environment in the region, agreed it is indispensable to boost the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. alliance," said an official who briefed media after the closed-door meeting.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday unveiled plans to strengthen Tokyo's military defense posture.

The official said Hayashi and Blinken did not discuss the diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics over China's human rights record, a move recently endorsed by Canada, Australia, Britain and the United States.

Blinken also met briefly with Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne on the sidelines of Saturday's meetings, after which touted a "terrific year" for bilateral ties between the longtime allies without taking questions from reporters.

"Really, really remarkable things between Australia and the United States, from the Quad Leaders Summit, to AUKUS, to our 2+2, to the extremely important concentration and coordination on a whole series of issues," Blinken said.

AUKUS is an acronym for a trilateral alliance between Australia, Britain and the United States, which includes a deal to build nuclear-propelled submarines for Australianot a G-7 memberas part of enhanced deterrence against China's military expansion across the Indo-Pacific region.

"I know that you and I [and] our friends from Japan and India really value those engagements," Payne said. "They are now cemented into our future, whether it is the Quad, whether it is AUKUS. And the concrete that is the Australia-U.S. alliance for us underpins all of that effort."

Talks amid rising tensions with China, Russia, Iran

Saturdays meetings come on the first of two days of talks among foreign ministers from the world's leading industrialized nations, informally known as the G-7, to discuss Russias buildup of troops along the border it shares with Ukraine, containing Irans nuclear ambitions, addressing the military seizure of Myanmar, and the global coronavirus pandemic.

Talks opened early Saturday with a call from British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss to unite against authoritarianism globally.

We need to come together strongly to stand up to aggressors who are seeking to limit the bounds of freedom and democracy, Truss said before meeting with Blinken and their counterparts from France and Germany to discuss ongoing Iran nuclear negotiations unfolding concurrently in Vienna.

Blinken on Friday held "productive" meetings with counterparts from Britain, Germany and France about finding a way forward for the Iran talks, according to a State Department readout.

ASEAN involvement

Blinken met with foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Sunday as part of a Dec. 9-17 trip that also will take him to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Hawaii.

Blinkens trip is part of a U.S. effort to further advance its "strategic partnership" with ASEAN as President Joe Biden's administration aims to begin a new "Indo-Pacific economic framework" in early 2022.

This marks the first time ASEAN countries were included in the G-7 foreign and development ministers' meeting, wherein the diplomats are discussing China's efforts to increase its influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

Next week in Jakarta, Indonesia, Blinken will deliver remarks on the significance of the Indo-Pacific region and underscore the importance of the U.S.-Indonesia Strategic Partnership.

"The secretary will have an opportunity to discuss the president's newly announced Indo-Pacific economic framework," Daniel Kritenbrink, the State Department's assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, told reporters in a call briefing. "President Biden is committed to elevating U.S.-ASEAN engagement to unprecedented levels," he added.

Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim majority nation. Kritenbrink told VOA on Wednesday that Blinken will attend a vaccine clinic hosted by the largest faith-based nongovernmental organization in Indonesia.

Blinken then heads to Malaysia and Thailand, where he will attempt to advance U.S. ties and address shared challenges, including fighting COVID-19, building resilient supply chains, dealing with the climate crisis, and ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

The State Department said Blinken will "address the worsening crisis" in Myanmar in each country during his lengthy trip. The military in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, seized power in a February coup, overthrowing the civilian government.

U.S. officials had indicated the new Indo-Pacific economic framework would include broad partnerships with nations in the region in critical areas such as the digital economy and technology, supply chain resiliency, and clean energy.

"The Indo-Pacific region is a critical part of our economy. It's not just that it accounts for over half of the world's population and 60% of global GDP" (gross domestic product), Jose Fernandez, undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment, said in a recent briefing.

"Seven of the top 15 U.S. export markets are in the Indo-Pacific. Two-way trade between the U.S. and the region was over $1.75 trillion," he added.

There are, however, concerns that the U.S. is lagging behind China in deepening economic and strategic ties with ASEAN.

"ASEAN countries want more from Washington on the economic side, but the Biden administration's proposed Indo-Pacific economic framework is likely to fall short of their expectations," said Susannah Patton, a research fellow in the foreign policy and defense program at the United States Studies Center in Sydney.

"After RCEP enters into force, there will be two megatrade pacts in Asia: RCEP and CPTPP, and the United States is in neither," said Patton, referring to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

"China's application to join CPTPP, a vehicle that was designed to promote U.S. economic ties with Asia, highlights Washington's absence," Patton told VOA. Signed in 2018, the CPTPP is a free-trade agreement between Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, New Zealand, Singapore and Vietnam.

In November 2020, 10 ASEAN member states and five additional countries (Australia, China, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand) signed the RCEP, representing around 30% of the world's GDP and population. RCEP will come into force in January.

Others said the new Indo-Pacific economic framework appears to be not just about traditional trade, as Washington is signaling strategic interests in the region.

Wayne Lee contributed to this report. Some information for this report came from Agence France-Presse, The Associated Press and Reuters.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with ASEAN foreign ministers Sunday, not Saturday, and to clarify that not all of them were in-person meetings as the earlier version stated. Some were conducted virtually.
When an opening for bishop arose in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in 2010, Teresa Jefferson-Snorton looked around to see if any women were offering to be candidates.

None were.

She knew that since its founding 140 years earlier by Black Methodists emerging from slavery, the denomination had never elected a woman bishop.

"I was like, oh my goodness, this can't be," she recalled. "If no one steps forward, it gives the church a pass."

Jefferson-Snorton, who had spent decades as a pastor, chaplain and theological educator, undertook several months of intensive prayer before discerning she was "feeling a call to this" from God. Then she put her name forward.

"To an extent, it was a political statement," said Jefferson-Snorton.

Despite opposition from some who said the denomination wasn't ready for a woman bishop, she was elected the CME's 59th bishop, overseeing 217 churches across Alabama and Florida.

Jefferson-Snorton said people there have come to accept her in the role  if awkwardly at times.

"I can't tell you how many times people said, 'Yes sir,' to me," she said. "I just remind them, 'Yes ma'am' is OK."

Eleven years later, she remains the CME's only woman bishop, a status made vivid in an official photo of the church's college of bishops, where she sits among 16 men, all in purple and white vestments.

Most major Black Christian denominations in the U.S. have no doctrinal bar to ordained women leaders in the way that Catholicism and some other denominations do, and women have preached and been ordained in historically Black churches since at least the 19th century.

Yet denominational leadership remained all-male until the 21st century, and women are still the exception in the top rungs.



Earlier this year, the Rev. Gina Stewart became the first woman president of a major Black Baptist organization, the Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Society, an organization that responds to disasters and fights poverty, hunger and human trafficking.

"Whenever a woman is placed in a role that is traditionally male, there's always some negativity that surrounds it," Stewart said, but in her first 90 days as president, she has received congratulatory calls from some male denominational leaders and support from her male predecessors, without encountering "any major resistance."

"There's a shifting taking place," Stewart said, noting that more women have been promoted to lead important departments in the church.



"We know that it's long overdue," added Stewart, who is the senior pastor of Christ Missionary Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. "But we give those organizations that are making the effort credit, taking the initiative and giving women that opportunity."

Religious organizations still need to do more to provide women chances for leadership development, said the Rev. Maisha Handy, associate professor of religion and education at the Interdenominational Theological Center, a consortium of historically African American seminaries in Atlanta.

"We've certainly made strides around that in recent years, in recent decades, but we still have a long way to go," said Handy, who is also executive director of the Center for Black Women's Justice at ITC.

Women pastors often receive assignments to smaller congregations with fewer resources or opportunities to gain experience and preparation for denominational leadership, Handy said.

"It's not just about ordination. It's about placement," said Handy.

When Black denominations got their start in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, according to Handy, their biblical interpretations were affected by the cultural attitudes around them. "When you think about the kind of patriarchy and misogyny that is intrinsic to American history and culture, it makes sense that it was reflected also in those denominations," she said.

To be sure, women have long exercised authority in non-ordained roles, outnumbering men in local church membership and also leading their own organizations within denominations.

But from the first, women had limited access to the pulpit, though some challenged those barriers.

"If the man may preach, because the savior died for him, why not the woman?" Jarena Lee, the first woman lay preacher in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, asked in the early 19th century.

A sister denomination, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, ordained Mary Small, its first woman minister, in 1898. By the mid-20th century, the CME and AME churches were ordaining women as well. Records are less precise among the more decentralized Baptists, but women's ordination was long the exception among them.

In 2000, Vashti Murphy McKenzie was elected the first woman bishop in the AME Church. McKenzie, now retired, was later joined by more women bishops, though men still comprise most of the AME episcopacy. The AME Zion Church followed, electing Mildred "Bonnie" Hines bishop in 2008, as did the CME with Jefferson-Snorton in 2010.

Jefferson-Snorton, who in October was elected chair of the governing board of the National Council of Churches, said she is still sometimes questioned about biblical passages that are cited to justify giving men sole power to preach or lead. She cites other passages, such as one declaring that in Christ there is neither male nor female.

"I often start with the story of Resurrection morning," when Jesus' female followers were told to "go and proclaim" he had risen from the dead, she added.

"If Jesus had not intended for women to be bearers of good news, that would never have happened," said Jefferson-Snorton.

But to those who are "more hostile" in questioning women's ministry, "I often say to them, 'God called me to this ministry, so if you have a problem with it, you need to talk to God, because I did not call myself,'" she said.

In the Church of God in Christ, a historically Black Pentecostal denomination, women have made their influence felt in other ways. Traditionally only men have been recognized as ordained ministers or bishops, while women have led its Women's Department, which oversees auxiliaries. COGIC officials didn't respond to questions about women's roles in the denomination.



But after the death of her husband, COGIC's first elected presiding bishop, Mother Mary P. Patterson, a retired real estate agent who headed her own travel agency, founded the Pentecostal Heritage Connection, dedicated to planting historical markers honoring COGIC leaders across the South. In November, a ceremony unveiling the final marker, an 8-foot aluminum sign on a corner in Little Rock, Arkansas, was attended by regional religious leaders, a representative of the governor and scholars who traveled to the state for the occasion.

Sherry Sherrod DuPree, a Florida historian and former president of the Society for Pentecostal Studies, said Patterson's effort is an example of how women lead in a denomination known for its patriarchal hierarchy.

"She is a quiet praying lady who 'stays in her lane' but is active in getting jobs done without fanfare, one of the skills of COGIC women," said DuPree.

Patterson said, "it shows other young women that you don't have to be behind the pulpit in order to do a work for the Lord."
President Cyril Ramaphosa is receiving treatment for mild COVID-19 symptoms after testing positive for the viral infection today.

In a statement posted on the presidential website, the Minister in the Office of the President, Mondli Gungubele, said Ramaphosa started feeling unwell after leaving the State Memorial Service in honour of former President FW de Klerk in Cape Town earlier on Sunday.

Gungubele said Ramaphosa is in good spirits but is being monitored by the South African Military Health Service of the South African National Defence Force.

Gungubele said Ramaphosa, who is fully vaccinated, is in self-isolation in Cape Town and has delegated all responsibilities to Deputy President, David Mabuza, for the next week.

On his recent visit to four West African states, President Ramaphosa and the South African delegation were tested for COVID-19 in all countries. The President and the delegation returned to South Africa from the Republic of Senegal on Wednesday, 8 December 2021, after obtaining negative test results. The President also tested negative on his return to Johannesburg on 8 December.

Todays proceedings in Cape Town were undertaken in compliance with health regulations pertaining to hand hygiene, the wearing of face masks and social distancing. President Ramaphosa says his own infection serves as a caution to all people in the country to be vaccinated and remain vigilant against exposure.

Gungubele said vaccination remains the best protection against severe illness and hospitalisation.

He said people, who have had contact with the president today, are advised to watch for symptoms or to have themselves tested.

South Africa recorded 203,945 COVID-19 cases and 640 deaths in the last 28 days, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The university reports that 3.2 million South Africans have contracted COVID-19 since March last year. More than 90,000 locals have succumbed to the disease.
Carrie Anne-Moss is grateful her 'The Matrix' character wasnt "overly sexualised".

The 54-year-old actress has reprised her role as computer programmer and hacker Trinity in the upcoming fourth instalment in the blockbuster sci-fi franchise, 'The Matrix Resurrections'.

And Carrie-Anne has admitted she appreciative of the fact directors The Wachowskis sisters - Lana and Lilly Wachowski - never took her alter ego in "that direction", as she admitted she was naive to Hollywood when she shot to fame in the first film in the cult series in 1999.

She said: "I dont know. When I did the first film, I was super-young; I didnt really understand all the different things that were happening, it was just such a whirlwind.

"When I saw the movie I was overwhelmed by it.

"Id never seen myself in that way on a big screen.

"One of the things that I love about Trinity has to do with the gaze of the filmmakers.

"Its Lana, and how she shoots.

"She loves Trinity so much.

"I can really appreciate it, in hindsight. I didnt feel that she was overly sexualised, and I dont think they would have picked me anyway if they were looking for that. I am grateful, in Hollywood terms, that it wasnt taken in that direction."

The 'Love Hurts' star also recalled how she was unable to complete a scene in the originnal flick while she was wearing stilettos, and so they had to give her a boot with a "solid heel" to steady her.

She told The Guardian newspaper: In the first one, there was one scene where they had me in a kind of a stiletto, and I couldnt do the scene.

"I had auditioned with that scene, and then suddenly there we are on the day shooting it, and I was unsteady.

"It was the whole thing in the nightclub, where Im whispering in the guys ear, and Im supposed to be really grounded and strong, and yet I could barely stand straight. And so they took those off and gave me a boot with a nice solid heel.
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(file photo) In May, 2016, retired Edgeley, North Dakota farmer Gene Hanson has created what may be one of the largest Prince symbols yet. He fashioned the huge unpronounceable image, also known as the Love Symbol in his field last week in honor of the late pop star. Prince died at his home in Chanhassen, Minnesota on April 24th.
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During the week heavy rain remobilized ash deposited on the flanks of the volcano, generating lahars, and several small-to-moderate eruptions produced ash clouds. On 19 July lahars that traveled down the W flank of the volcano reached the Banos-Riobamba highway. The Washington VAAC reported that one of the larger eruptions during the week occurred on 20 July at 2104 and produced an ash cloud that rose to ~7.9 km a.s.l. Read all A moderate-sized eruption at Shiveluch on 19 July prompted KVERT to raise the Concern Color Code from Yellow to Orange the same day. The eruption occurred at 1033 and produced an ash plume that rose 3 km above the lava dome. Prior to the eruption, during 14 through 16 July, spasmodic volcanic tremor increased several times. Read all A large flank eruption began on 17 July at Etna and produced several lava flows that were emitted from four new fissures and strong explosive activity at a fifth. Four of the fissures were on the SE flank, and the fifth was on the NE flank. There were fears that lava flows from two of the fissures would reach the town of Nicolosi (~15 km SSE of the volcano) and a nearby popular tourist area. Read all Volcanic activity at Mayon was similar to the previous week. During 17-23 July seismicity consisted of four high-frequency and 37 low-frequency earthquakes, and 203 high-frequency short-duration harmonic tremors. An average of 4,100 metric tons per day of SO2 was emitted from the volcano, which was still above the baseline value of 500 metric tons per day. Read all The number of rockfalls increased (719) during 13-20 July in comparison to the previous week (297), although most of them were very small. Near-continuous rockfalls occurred on the S side of the lava dome, where dome growth was concentrated. Numerous pyroclastic flows originated from the S flank of the dome and moved eastward down the Tar River Valley. Read all During 9-15 July volcanic activity at Merapi was similar to the previous week. A total of 52 lava avalanches traveled SW to a maximum distance of 2.5 km down the Sat, Senowo, and Lamat rivers. Emissions from low-pressure fumaroles rose to 755 m above the summit. Read all During 9-15 July volcanic activity was at a level similar to the previous week. Seismicity was dominated by 572 small explosions, 451 multiphase earthquakes, and continuous lava avalanches. The avalanches traveled up to 2.5 km down the Keting River and lava flowed as far as 750 m down the Kahetang River. Read all Several small-to-moderate sized emissions occurred at Popocatepetl that were mainly composed of steam, gas, and small amounts of ash. Read all During the week lava entered the sea at a moderate rate at the E Kupapa`u entry. On 18 July at 1803 a M 3.5 earthquake rattled though the lower east rift zone of Kilauea. Surface flows were vigorous in two areas of the current lava flow field; one in the E branch of the flow field at the base of the Pulama pali scarp, and the other just SE of the shatter ring in the W branch of the flow field. Read all There were 728 shallow volcanic earthquakes at Krakatau during 9-15 July, which was a significant increase in comparison to the previous week. No visual observations were made. The volcano remained at Alert Level 2 (on a scale of 1-4). Read all
Nicaragua has cut ties with the Republic of China (Taiwan) switching diplomatic allegiance to the Peoples Republic of China, which could herald the revival of Nicaraguas transoceanic canal project.

In 2014, Chinese billionaire Wang Jingh had undertaken plans to build a second shipping lane connecting the Atlantic and the Pacific that would go trough Nicaragua. The project had the backing of the Nicaraguan authorities, but the United States immediately orchestrated a protest movement denouncing its environmental impact, although a second interoceanic crossing would considerably alleviate the traffic jam currently clogging up the Panama Canal. In the end, the 2018 financial crisis brought the project to a halt.

The United States artificially created Panama in 1903, during the Colombian Civil War, by fomenting, funding and organizing a so-called independence movement with the aim of completing the construction of the Panama Canal and ultimately taking control over it.

The Republic of Panama functioned as a puppet state at the service of the United States until 1968, when General Omar Torrijos succeeded in reclaiming his countrys sovereignty over the canal. Upon the latters death in a suspicious 1981 plane crash, General Manuel Noriega was placed in power only to be overthrown in 1989 during the United States invasion of his tiny country, killing at least 3,500 people.

Costa Rica (2007), Panama (2017), El Salvador (2018), Nicaragua (2021) and soon Honduras (2022) have severed their relations with Taiwan. Thereupon, China could relaunch the canal project as part of its Silk Roads.
Photo: Getty Images for LARAS

Vicente Fernandez, the Grammy-winning ranchera legend, died on Sunday at a hospital in Guadalajara, Mexico. Fernandez was hospitalized after suffering a fall in August and was subsequently diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, an autoimmune disorder. He was 81.

Known as El Rey, the king of Mexican ranchera music, Fernandez sold more than 65 million albums worldwide and recorded dozens of albums. Widely known for his hits Volver, Volver, Por Tu Maldito Amor, and El Rey, he earned three Grammys and eight Latin Grammys throughout his decades-long career, performing lovelorn ballads and anthemic folk songs in the traditional ranchera style. I feel I have a responsibility to carry on Mexican folklore and culture, and thats my obligation to my audience, to be that messenger, Fernandez told the Dallas Morning News in 1994.

Born and raised in Guadalajara, Fernandez began his career in 1966, when he was signed to Mexicos CBS Records. He went on to appear in nearly 40 films, often singing while on horseback, and provided the theme songs to several telenovelas. Fernandez was also a legendary live performer, and continued touring late into his 70s, retiring in 2016 after a concert at Mexico Citys Azteca stadium. Known for his trademark baritone, distinctive charro suit and sombrero, Fernandez received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1998. Mourners gathered at Fernandezs star in Hollywood following the news of his passing on Sunday, and Telemundo interrupted its annual broadcast of the Virgin of Guadalupe celebrations to announce his death. He was singing not just to us but to our uncles, our parents, and our grandmothers as well, Jose Anguiano, a professor in popular music, told NPR on Sunday. So theres this immense sense of loss for what he means to the culture.
Gas leak likely cause of explosion in Sicilian town.

Two people are dead and seven still missing after a four-storey building collapsed in the town of Ravanusa, in the sout-west Agrigento area of Sicily, on Saturday night.

Rescue efforts continue as two women, one of whom is 80 years old, were extracted alive from the rubble in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The two dead are a man and a woman, according to firefighters at the scene.

State broadcaster RAI News reported earlier that those unaccounted for included a pregnant woman. Initial reports that the people missing included two children were not correct, authorities said.

The cause of the explosion is believed to be accidental, probably a gas leak, according to emergency services.

One theory is that a large amount of gas accumulated in the ground under the building, reports Italian news agency ANSA.

The explosion damaged several other neighbouring buildings, with local residents describing the scene to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera as resembling a "war zone".

There are reportedly 50 firefighters working at the site, along with dozens of civil protection volunteers and police officers.

This is a developing story.
Americans didnt follow that order, of course. The sides have kept contending. But this exalted view of the Supreme Court found influential adherents. In the 1990s, Kathleen Sullivan, then a professor at Stanford Law School and later its dean, suggested that one of the few outside checks on judicial decisions  the possibility of constitutional amendments to undo their effects when desired by a supermajority of the public  should be considered suspect. Such amendments were a kind of mutiny against the authority of the Supreme Court.
For everyone else  those who worked for a U.S. government agency or U.S.-funded organization, the U.S.-trained Afghan military commandos, the women, civil society leaders and journalists and many thousands of others who are believed to be at risk  there is likely to be a significant, if not an indefinite, wait. Some who make it out on their own, or with the help of advocates on the outside, may never be admitted.
The statement, representing countries with a hawkish outlook on Russia, such as the United States and Britain, and more dovish ones, such as Italy and France, is the latest effort by the Biden administration to rally international support for Ukraine as U.S. intelligence finds that the Kremlin has planned out a potential multi-front offensive in Ukraine involving up to 175,000 troops. Russia has denied having any such plans.
The level of devastation is unlike anything Ive ever seen, he continued. You see parts of industrial buildings roofs or sidings in trees, if trees are lucky enough to stand. Huge metal poles bent in half, if not broken. Buildings that are no longer there. Huge trucks that have been picked up and thrown. And sadly, far too many homes that people were likely in, entirely devastated.
Anyone who has ever worked in a professional capacity would clearly understand that if your boss tells you repeatedly not to do something and you continue to do it, you are going to be terminated from employment, plain and simple. A casual observer would logically wonder whether Mr. Hawn has authority issues because of his naive persistence in continuing to challenge his superiors in this manner. He was certainly given enough warnings, more than most employers would give.
The Dec. 8 editorial Maryland Democrats race to the bottom was right that gerrymandering is intolerable from either party in any state, but it is deeply unfair to point the finger at Maryland Democrats. Yes, the districts in Maryland are gerrymandered. But in an attempt to end the practice nationally, then-Gov. Martin OMalley (D) dared the courts to strike it down a few years ago, knowing full well at the time that losing this case, not winning it, was in the best interest of the country. Of the case, Mr. OMalley said, I responded to GOP gerrymandering with my own, but I hope the Supreme Court ends partisan redistricting.
For the 44-year-old second-generation governor who took office just weeks before the commonwealths first coronavirus cases hit in 2020, this weekend marked a sudden return to emergency footing. One of just three Democrats leading states won last year by Donald Trump, Beshears term has been shaped by crises, conflicts with the Republican legislature in Frankfort and some bipartisan wrangling. He remains popular  particularly for a Democrat in a Trump-favoring state  if down from the levels he enjoyed at the height of the pandemic.
Samsung's CES news conference always draws big crowds, but this year's keynote was more subdued than usual. (Chris Velazco/The Post)

This year's chaotic CES conference in Las Vegas raises valuable questions about the future of giant in-person business events.
Bennett and bin Zayed will also confront emerging disagreements over international efforts to slow the nuclear capability of Iran. While a mistrust of Irans regional ambitions was one of the shared concerns that led the countries to enter the agreement, the UAE has recently signaled a willingness to ease tensions with Tehran. A top UAE security official met in Iran this month with the nations new hard-line president, the highest-level exchange between the two governments in several years.
Western Australia is just over seven weeks away from lifting its hard border, giving thousands of families the chance to be reunited with loved ones after the New Year.

The February 5 date is locked in, giving West Australians and local businesses certainty and the ability to plan and be ready to be ready for the transition early next year, Premier Mark McGowan said.

This is a date some in the community have been waiting to hear for a long time, he said.

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Many people have family abroad that theyve been unable to see for nearly two years.

Im sure this day will be cause for relief or even celebration; for others [such as immunocompromised people] this is an announcement that will cause great concern.

Mr McGowan said it was understandable that some people in the community may be worried about the reopening but assured them that the WA government would remain careful and cautious.

We put the lives and livelihoods of Western Australians first and the state has been the envy of the world with the best health and best economic outcomes, not just in Australia but in the world.

We have followed the health advice but with a vaccination rate of 90 per cent and reasonable public health measures the health advice is clear: we can safely ease our border controls and reconnect WA.

As noted below, WAs travel rules differ depending on whether a traveller is coming from interstate or overseas.

People aged 12 and up who are travelling from interstate must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 unless ineligible or medically exempt. Domestic arrivals staying for more than six days in WA will need to return a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test 72 hours before departure and then take another test within 48 hours of arrival.

People staying for five days or less will only need to return the negative PCR test 72 hours before departure.

West Australians who leave the state for five days or less will not need to take a test before returning but will need to do a PCR test within 48 hours of being back in WA.

Vaccinated international travellers entering Australia through Perth will have to return a negative PCR test 72 hours before departure and then take two more tests, one within 48 hours of arrival and the second on day six of being in WA.

There will be no quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated international travellers. Those who have not been jabbed or have taken a vaccine that is not approved in Australia will need to spend 14 days in isolation in a hotel or the soon-to-be built federal quarantine facility in Bullsbrook.
For our free coronavirus pandemic coverage, learn more here.

Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size When 40-year-old Adelaide father of four Mehmet Erhan missed a COVID test in October last year and was arrested at his home in the middle of the night by a group of armed police, key figures in the freedom movement pricked up their ears. It was the perfect fodder for anti-government, anti-lockdown content to be shared on social media: alleged police brutality inflicted over a minor issue relating to a virus they claim is largely harmless. Erhan, a former tradie who admits to a chequered past with the law, was arrested and charged with two counts of breaching a health order. Unable to access legal aid due to his ownership of an apartment  even though he was 12 months behind in repayments  he started an online crowd-fund to help cover his legal costs. But even after he recorded an online interview with Monica Smit, the founder of Australias largest anti-lockdown group, Reignite Democracy Australia, Erhans appeal raised only $1600 of the $7000 he claims he needed. Then another arm of the anti-lockdown movement took up his cause. Someone advised me to get in contact with Rebel News because they fund lawyers for this sort of thing, Erhan says. What followed left Erhan feeling worse. Canada-based right-wing commentary website Rebel News, the employer of Australian correspondent Avi Yemini, a former Israel Defence Forces member turned activist, required him to sign a contract with them, then asked its hundreds of thousands of online supporters to help fund the legal fight. This was to be paid into Rebel News Fight the Fines project fund, not Erhans own GoFundMe account.

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Then, after a dispute over legal representation, Rebel News cut ties. They say they exercised their rights under the contract to discontinue the relationship as Erhan had routinely switched lawyers and not acted in good faith. Almost six months later, Erhans case remains on the Rebel News website. He still has no idea how much was raised for his cause, nor where it now is. He is facing a court case with $10,000 in bills and no lawyer. As tens of thousands of committed protesters take to the streets weekly to protest vaccine mandates, COVID-19 restrictions and Victorias pandemic legislation, the so-called freedom movement has given rise to a core group of self-styled leaders who have developed large, ardent and growing followings online. With this has come an opportunity to make money. Large sums are being donated to crowdfunding for legal cases such as Erhans, with little transparency or scrutiny. Many of the self-styled leaders solicit donations. Merchandise including freedom clothing lines, wellness products and sketchy COVID-19 cures are being spruiked to their many followers. There is no credible estimate in Australia about how much money is flowing to the protest movement leaders, but globally the numbers are significant. A report from the Washington DC-based Centre for Countering Digital Hate found anti-vaxxers now enjoy a following online of 58 million people world-wide. Two years ago these groups had zero standing, zero credibility. They were laughed at. But theyve been able to turn COVID into a really lucrative profit-making exercise, says Deakin University senior research fellow and extremism researcher Josh Roose. Theres a small core of people who are really driving this, who are really seeking to exploit fear.

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The merch Prior to the pandemic, Melbourne man Matt Lawson worked as a freelance photographer, specialising in weddings, family portraits and rural Australian landscapes. More recently, he has been offering this service in a very different way. The staunch anti-lockdown activist and conspiracy theorist has almost 17,000 followers on encrypted messaging app Telegram, the favourite meeting place of Australias freedom protesters, to whom he recently offered a non-discriminatory Santa photo service for the unvaccinated. In the advertisement, Lawson posted his bank details and asked for donations. All funds, he promised, would go towards legal fees he says he will incur after being charged and convicted for incitement and fined $1500 after organising a gathering during lockdown. Nowhere is it reported how much he has raised. Im a photographer, so it was just me doing my regular job. Very different to any other people asking for money for clothing, he told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. I didnt make close to enough money to cover my charges. Others look to their followers to buy products and services. Widely followed conspiracy theorist David Oneeglio and anti-vaccine activist Tom Barnett released a clothing line with T-shirts for toddlers emblazoned with the phrase DO NOT INJECT and PUREBLOOD. They sell caps that say Zombie Slayer and a necklace engraved with I am essential. Jewellery on sale from All Rights Reserved, a clothing line started by protest movement leader Dave Oneeglio, and holistic health practitioner Tom Barnett. The pair did not respond to requests for comment, but Oneeglio wrote recently on his Telegram channel that he had started the small business to get the message out there and raise funds to produce better quality content and provide alternative media.

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It also helps with the rent, he wrote. Im not asking for donations or handouts. Fanos Panayides, a former reality TV contestant and now a prominent anti-lockdown activist, has a clothing line with the phrase The media is the real virus. He did not respond to questions about his merchandise. Reignite Democracy Australia also sells freedom fighter clothing, alongside a raft of other paid services. Their business directory invites Australian businesses to pay $3.30 per month or $29 per year to have their names in a database of consumers looking for venues which dont discriminate based on medical status. Over 400 businesses have already signed up. Freedom protester Fanos Panayides has been selling clothing with the slogan: The media is the real virus. We all know it! Then there are Reignite Democracys social membership plans, providing a troll-free, censorship-free social platform which can be purchased monthly for $5.50 or $44 for an annual membership. This has become important to the organisation after Facebook earlier this month permanently shut down at least eight different pages run by them for breaching its misinformation and harm policies. The Reignite Democracy Truth Truck, which travels around Melbourne with large billboards criticising the state government, has its own fundraiser. RDA regularly does media blitz fundraisers, which raised more than $6000 in March and $20,000 in May, money they say is used to print flyers, placards, stickers and banners, as well as for billboards and ads on social media. We publish all invoices spent from this campaign on the Fundraiser Page, says the site, but a link to this page of invoices was broken(it was reinstated after queries from The Age and Herald). The group say they keep no profits, with all donations going back into the organisation, and those who donate get daily emails with updates of their work.

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Monica [Smit]s wage is $500 per week, Reignite Democracy said in a statement. Her staff make more money than she does. RDA now has 12 staff and several contractors. Every cent received is spent on running the [organisation]. We tried to register as a [not-for-profit] but because of our political work, we were unable to. Although we are a Pty Ltd [company], we are not for profit in practise. Reignite Democracy leader Monica Smit says some are taking advantage of the freedom movement to make money. Credit:Facebook Smit said she believed it was not ethical to make money from the freedom movement. There are scams out there making money off vulnerable and desperate people and I think that is completely wrong, she said. We are not making any profit, so we dont fall into that category. We use all revenue to pay for the costs of running the organisation. Lawyers, staff, website and app maintenance, film production and editing and marketing material all needs to be paid for. If the people of Australia didnt see a need for our services, they wouldnt financially support us. Beyond the more established organisations, almost all the prominent figures within the movement  many of whom spread dangerous misinformation about vaccines  have websites and channels on Telegram, providing spaces for them not only to spruik their videos and online content but also to ask for donations either by direct bank deposit, PayPal or in cryptocurrency. There is little transparency around how this money is used. Online platforms are also taking a cut, according to a report released last year by the Centre for Countering Digital Hate in the US, which found the anti-vaccination movements following is estimated to be worth up to $1 billion in annual revenue for social media platforms, income primarily generated by advertisers.

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BC: In NSW, I think what is often overlooked is police reform. We forced the royal commission into policing from our position in a hung parliament, and in government faithfully implemented all recommendations. We went from having a corruption-prone force, to having a corruption-resistant one. I also introduced the worlds first carbon trading scheme in January 2001. Im struck by how prescient we were. PF: And in foreign policy? BC: I am proud we reinforced a commitment to a two-state solution in the Middle East, by voting for the recognition of Palestine in the UN General Assembly. We showed that Australia could be a creative middle power. Sadly, having our own individual personality in foreign affairs has been completely lost. Somehow, a mad heresy has taken root in Canberra, that having an alliance with America means we can have no independent judgment. You cant even say client state. It goes beyond that. Weve got the status of Puerto Rico or Guam. Theres never an independent squeak out of us. The notion of us as a confident sovereign power has been lost. We have less respect from Washington as a result. We burn our relationship with China to prove our fealty to Washington, and America moves in and picks up our export market! Fitz: How much of a threat is China to Australia? BC: Chinas got some of the responses of an adolescent high on his own testosterone as it achieves the extraordinary goal of rising from poverty to become a  choose the language carefully  near-peer of the US. Nonetheless, our diplomacy has been thick as a brick. With Defence Minister Dutton running foreign affairs with weve gone out in front of every American ally and sometimes America itself in making flamboyant, hostile statements about China. Weve lost export markets and lost the opportunity for dialogue with the Chinese.

Fitz: On the subject of China, do you regret your links to billionaire property developer Huang Xiangmo via his start-up funding of the Australia-China Research Institute at UTS, as it has since been alleged he was an agent of Chinese influence? BC: The think tank at UTS that I headed was jointly launched by then foreign minister Julie Bishop and Huang Xiangmo. If thered been any evidence relevant to the question the foreign minister would not have been by his side. I was there, in a new academic role. Fitz: I was fascinated by a tweet you did in November. You said We must follow Singapore and legislate no medical or hospital expenses to be reimbursed to people who are not vaccinated without medical justification and then contract COVID. You ignored warnings and got the disease. You pay for your wilful stupidity, not us. Do you stand behind that? BC: Yes. And I speak for two categories. The overstressed frontline workers in our health system. They shouldnt have to look after simpletons who believe rubbish on the web, and ignore medical advice. Second, Australians with manageable conditions like diabetes or asthma who may face a life-or-death crisis from contracting COVID. They have rights too. PF: You will be accused by the nutters of being a fascist pushing medical apartheid, and threatened with facing a modern version of the Nuremberg trials. This is consistent with something that seems to be seeping into Australia from American: extreme-right nuttery. How dangerous is it and what can be done about it?

BC: Very dangerous. America started climate change denialism. It was picked up from American think tanks funded by the carbon lobby and let loose here by right-wing Coalition politicians. Weve seen extremists adopting postures devised by gun-toting QAnon warriors with their animal head-dress, threatening the breezy freedoms of Aussie life. Loading PF: What can be done about it, Bob? BC: It needs principled people on the conservative side of Australian politics to speak out, to stand up against it, as Malcolm Fraser did on racism, or as John Howard did on guns and say we want nothing to do with your noxious agenda. Stop this. This is Australia, full of funny friendly people who can boast a higher civic IQ. PF: Do you view Scott Morrison as one of those principled people?

BC: The challenge is in his court. PF: OK, what do you think of Scott Morrison duchessing Gladys to stand in Warringah, while attacking ICAC? BC: The Herald editorial said it all, consistent with the Heralds support for ICAC since its inception. Gladys faces serious matters, and ICAC must stand unimpeded as an integrity-enforcing institution. PF: Is it your view that Ms Berejiklian demonstrably lacked that integrity? BC: These arguments are before ICAC. Lets look to their report.

Fitz: Speaking of ICAC, what about disgraced Labor parliamentarian Eddie Obeid? Loading BC: I sacked Obeid from my cabinet because of a single remark he made that indicated he was a risk to honest government and this well in advance of allegations about Obeid to ICAC. (A brief interlude, as Helena Carr lovingly interrupts to make some brief arrangements to make sure her husband of the past half-century will be comfortable while in hospital.) Fitz: Last thing. Every year, without fail, you and Nick Greiner get ambushed on your doorsteps by media, and called to account for the hundreds of thousands of dollars you former premiers in general and you two in particular cost us. What are we getting for our money?

BC: Beyond the limitless charm of once youthfully enthusiastic  now maturely sagacious  political veterans, we offer a continuing commitment to public service helping good causes and mentoring lots of promising people on the way up. Lots more as well. Fitz: Go well. Thank you, and good luck with the operation. Joke of the Week One day, The Lord says to Adam, Ive got some good news and some bad news. Well, Adam replies, give me the good news first. The Lord explains, Ive got two new organs for you. One is called a brain. It will allow you to create new things, solve problems and have intelligent conversations with Eve. The other organ I have for you is called a penis. It will give you great physical pleasure and allow you to reproduce your now intelligent life-form and populate this planet. Eve will be very happy that you now have this organ to give her children. Adam, very excited, exclaims, These are great gifts you have given to me. What could possibly be the bad news after such great tidings? The Lord looks upon Adam and says with great sorrow, You will never be able to use these two gifts at the same time. Tweet of the Week We shall fight them on the beaches  Churchill

I will not be lectured on misogyny by that man  Gillard

I have a dream  MLK

Ask not what your country can do for you  JFK

You must do the thing you think you cannot do  Roosevelt

How good are utes?  Morrison

@MFWitches

Quotes of the Week [Teachers] deserve better representation than that of a union hell-bent on hanging students out to dry for political purposes. The NSW Teachers Federation is a union that actively fights any move to increase transparency in the school system and blocks initiatives to lift outcomes and support students. Families should not be punished by a protectionist racket focused solely on rewarding the federations longest-serving members whilst ignoring the needs of students.  NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell throws kero on the fire. I came into poetry as a teenager and believed it was going to be my vocation. I had a lot of passion and I read an immense amount of modern Australian poets. When I was a teenager I wanted to be an Australian poet, which I suppose I am.  Poet Adam Aitken, this years winner of the $15,000 Patrick White Award, which White established with the money he received for winning the 1973 Nobel Prize for Literature. US diplomatic or official representation would treat these games as business as usual in the face of the PRCs egregious human rights abuses and atrocities in Xinjiang, and we simply cant do that. We have a fundamental commitment to promoting human rights. And we feel strongly in our position and we will continue to take actions to advance human rights in China and beyond.  White House press secretary Jen Psaki announcing that the US will stage a diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing to protest against Chinese human rights abuses. A potential defect was identified in the weld of a secondary support structure inside a hull void of the Emerald Class vessel Balmoral during a routine inspection. [A] surveyor report confirmed a number of welding defects that are minor, isolated, and do not compromise the overall structural integrity of the vessel. Such welding defects are not uncommon and will not impact the Balmorals operation.  A Transdev spokeswoman saying that a number of cracks have been discovered in the hull of one Sydneys new Manly ferries, with an independent report identifying several welding defects on the vessel.

[It was] extraordinary and wrong of Scott Morrison and senior government ministers to be really undermining and calling into question the work of very important bodies like the NSW ICAC.  Federal independent MP Zali Steggall. You have all these hopes and aspirations of how your life is going to look, but one day, you wake up and youre in your 40s with a great career, but no partner to have a child with. All I have ever wanted to do was nurture and guide a child in the world. I didnt want to give up on that dream because Ive got so much love to give.  Shaun Resnik, 44, believed to be the first single man in Victoria to be given official approval by the state government to have a biological child under the states surrogacy laws. His baby boy is due in mid-April. With that magnificent attitude on display, betcha he has a partner by Chrissie next year! The ICAC has clearly made up its mind, everyone knows what its going to say. The main question is does she really want to throw her life back into politics after a massive five years [as premier]. What does she want for this next chapter?  A Liberal Party source happy to have Gladys Berejiklian. The answer came on Friday: she was not interested. Unvaccinated people are basically the cannon fodder of the virus. The virus needs people to infect in order to replicate and the more people it has that are vulnerable or susceptible to infection, the more likely it will mutate.  Michael Saag, a professor of medicine and infectious diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, to The Guardian: In June last year, while commenting on the COVID-19 pandemic, the escalation of new infections in Victoria, and various public health measures, I incorrectly linked the South Sudanese community to a cluster of cases that had developed following an end-of-Ramadan dinner in Melbournes northern suburbs. This was factually wrong, and I again deeply regret the error. On the basis of that error, I made various other statements that I accept have caused genuine hurt and offence to South Sudanese community members. It was not my intention.  Peta Credlin apologises.
Singapore: South Korean President Moon Jae-in will use his visit to Australia to show his country can be a partner to the United States in the region amid fears Asias fourth-largest economy is being left behind by the members of the Quad.

The Quad  which includes Japan, India, Australia, and the United States  has evolved into a security grouping designed to manage the rise of China, but is now becoming a platform for economic co-operation, COVID-19 vaccine distribution and infrastructure investment.

Moons visit, which starts on Sunday, will be only the second by a world leader since New Zealands Jacinda Ardern after the pandemic began in 2020.

South Koreas President Moon Jae-in will visit Australia on Sunday. Credit:AP

South Korea has adopted a more cautious approach than neighbouring Japan to Chinas increasingly assertive foreign policy because of its reliance on Beijing to negotiate any future peace deal with communist North Korea.
Julian Assange suffered a stroke during his High Court appeal, his fiancee has revealed on social media.

Assanges partner and the mother of two of his children, Stella Moris, posted on social media that the WikiLeaks founder had suffered a stroke in October and he needed to be freed from prison. She did not provide an update on his condition following the stroke.

A poster of Julian Assange is attached to the gate at the entrance the High Court in London on Wednesday. Credit:AP

About the time of the stroke, Assange was reported to have attended his hearing intermittently over more than five hours. He appeared dishevelled, wearing an untucked shirt, baggy trousers, a dark tie and had a face mask covering only his mouth. His white hair reached his shoulders.

On Friday, the United States government moved a step closer to extraditing Assange to face trial over his leaking of the WikiLeaks cables after securing a victory in Englands High Court.
Voters in the South Pacific archipelago of New Caledonia are set to decide Sunday whether to break away from France. The referendum is important for French geopolitical ambitions and is being closely watched amid growing Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region. But pro-independence forces are refusing to take part. They accuse the French government of trying to rush through the polling, the third and last such vote foreseen as part of decades-long decolonization efforts. The process is aimed at settling tensions between native Kanaks seeking independence and those who want the territory to remain part of France. But New Caledonia's first coronavirus outbreak in September complicated the campaign.
LONDON (AP)  Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Sunday that Britain faces a tidal wave of infections from the omicron coronavirus variant, and announced a huge increase in booster vaccinations to strengthen defenses against it.

LONDON (AP)  Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Sunday that Britain faces a tidal wave of infections from the omicron coronavirus variant, and announced a huge increase in booster vaccinations to strengthen defenses against it.

In a televised statement, Johnson said everyone age 18 and older will be offered a third shot of vaccine by the end of this month in response to the omicron emergency. The previous target was the end of January.

People wear face coverings as they walk through Westminster, in London, Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced tighter restrictions to stem the spread of the omicron variant. He is again urging people to work from home and mandating COVID-19 passes to get into nightclubs and large events. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

He said cases of the highly transmissible variant are doubling every two to three days in Britain, and there is a tidal wave of omicron coming.

And Im afraid it is now clear that two doses of vaccine are simply not enough to give the level of protection we all need, Johnson said. But the good news is that our scientists are confident that with a third dose  a booster dose  we can all bring our level of protection back up.

He announced a national mission to deliver booster vaccines, with pop-up vaccination centers and seven-day-a-week getting extra support from teams of military planners and thousands of volunteer vaccinators.

Johnsons Dec. 31 target applies to England. The other parts of the U.K.  Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland  are also expected to speed up their vaccination campaigns.

The U.K. Health Security Agency says existing vaccines appear less effective in preventing symptomatic infections in people exposed to omicron, though preliminary data show that effectiveness appears to rise to between 70% and 75% after a third vaccine dose.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson records an address to the nation at Downing Street, London, to provide an update on the booster vaccine programme, Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021. (Kirsty O'Connor, Pool via AP)

More than 80% of people age 12 and up in Britain have received two doses of vaccine, and 40% of adults have had three doses. Giving the rest a booster in the next three weeks will be a huge challenge, requiring almost 1 million doses delivered a day. Johnson acknowledged that many routine medical procedures would have to be postponed to meet the goal.

Johnson's announcement came hours after the government raised the countrys official coronavirus threat level, warning the rapid spread of the omicron variant had pushed the U.K. into risky territory.

The chief medical officers of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland said the 1of the highly transmissible new strain adds additional and rapidly increasing risk to the public and health care services at a time when COVID-19 is already widespread. They recommended raising the alert level from 3 to 4 on a 5-point scale. The top level, 5, indicates authorities think the health care system is about to be overwhelmed.

The doctors said early evidence shows omicron is spreading much faster than the currently dominant delta variant, and that vaccines offer less protection against it. British officials say omicron is likely to replace delta as the dominant strain in the U.K. within days.

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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson records an address to the nation at Downing Street, London, to provide an update on the booster vaccine programme, Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021. (Kirsty O'Connor, Pool via AP)

Data on severity will become clearer over the coming weeks but hospitalizations from omicron are already occurring and these are likely to increase rapidly, they said.

Concerns about the new variant led Johnsons Conservative government to reintroduce restrictions that were lifted almost six months ago. Masks must be worn in most indoor settings, COVID-19 certificates must be shown to enter nightclubs and people are being urged to work from home if possible.

Many scientists say thats unlikely to be enough, however, and are calling for tougher measures, which the government so far has resisted.

Scientists in South Africa, where omicron was first identified, say they see signs it may cause less severe disease than delta, but caution that it is too soon to be certain.

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The Canada Revenue Agency says it has taken its online services offline after it learned of a possible security threat.

The Canada Revenue Agency says it has taken its online services offline after it learned of a possible security threat.

The agency says on its website that it became aware of a "security vulnerability affecting organizations around the world" and decided to take services offline as a precaution.

It says there is no indication the agency's systems have been compromised, or that there was any unauthorized access to taxpayer information.

Further details about the nature of the security vulnerability weren't provided, but on Friday, it was reported that a flaw was uncovered in a utility that's ubiquitous in cloud servers and enterprise software used across industry and government.

Cybersecurity firms said companies and governments were scrambling to patch their systems, with some calling it the worst computer vulnerability in years.

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The CRA says it is working to secure its systems and apologizes for the inconvenience.

"We understand that this interruption may be inconvenient to some Canadians. Our services will be available as soon as possible," the agency said on its website Saturday.

Meanwhile, southern Ontario transit agency Metrolinx said the GO Transit website had been brought back online Saturday after a 17-hour outage in response to a cyber threat.

The Crown transit agency said it took the site down on Friday after it was informed by the federal government about the global cyber "vulnerability."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 11, 2021.

--With files from The Associated Press.
VANCOUVER - Parts of British Columbia's tourism industry are facing another uphill battle with an uncertain recovery horizon after this year's damaging storms.

Properties are surrounded by high water after floodwaters began to recede at Everglades Resort on Hatzic Lake near Mission, B.C., Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021. Parts of British Columbia's tourism industry are facing another uphill battle with an uncertain recovery horizon after this year's damaging storms.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

VANCOUVER - Parts of British Columbia's tourism industry are facing another uphill battle with an uncertain recovery horizon after this year's damaging storms.

Some attractions and landmarks were seriously damaged by flooding in November, while highways mangled by mudslides mean some operators will go without the typical holiday bump to their bottom line.

Walt Judas, CEO of the B.C. Tourism Association, said the extent of the damage is still unclear but some short-term impacts have already been felt.

"It's difficult to assess the damage of any specific asset, but having said that, we know without access to places like the Okanagan or points in between, that's really hurt a lot of tourism businesses," he said.

Both hotels and ski hills saw immediate cancellations following the storms, he said.

The floods compounded losses to the industry caused by wildfires this summer and the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

BC Parks said several parks in the Fraser Valley were damaged in the storms, including Cultus Lake, Sasquatch and Golden Ears provincial parks.

Video shared online shows huge concrete blocks strewn at an entrance to the historic Othello Tunnels in Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park, as well as wood debris and washed-out trails.

Canadian Pacific Railway built the tunnels through a granite canyon as part of a railway linking the Kootenays with the coast in the early 1900s. The tracks are long gone and it has become a popular hiking destination with spectacular views outside Hope, B.C.

Rob Wilson, BC Parks area supervisor for the south Fraser, said a geotechnical assessment will be the first step toward understanding the damage. The timeline for repairs is unknown and it isn't a top priority, given more urgent demands to support critical infrastructure and residents affected by flooding.

"Impacts are extensive," he said, noting the access road to the tunnels has also been destroyed.

"We have yet to gain a fulsome picture of how extensive it is."

Wilson asked the public to use caution when accessing trail systems after the storms and avoid parks that are closed.

Big White Ski Resort near Kelowna, B.C., was already prepared for an unusual holiday season with a disproportionate number of bookings from Lower Mainland residents due to the pandemic.

"We're coming up to our most important season of the year and what we're finding now is about 50 to 55 per cent of our mountain accommodation bookings are from the Lower Mainland for the Christmas-New Year's period," senior vice-president Michael Ballingall said.

"That's way above average."

In a typical year, about 80 per cent of bookings would come from Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Ontario, while the Lower Mainland would make up the remainder.

Unfortunately, with non-essential travel banned on major highways damaged by flooding, about 25 of 30 per cent of the bookings have been cancelled since the storms, he said.

The company is encouraging Lower Mainland residents to travel via the United States, but Ballingall said he feels for those who are facing more severe personal consequences than his industry.

"There are so many unfortunate reasons out there, we have customers from the Fraser Valley that have been flooded out. Every customer we're dealing with has a different reason they can't come," he said.

The travel cancellations mean hotels and restaurants, which can see 35 to 40 per cent of revenue earned during the holiday period, are also seeing a dip, Ballingall said.

Both Ballingall and Judas said they have received regular communication from the government about recovery and highway reopening plans.

"We understand business as normal is not going to happen this Christmas and we just hope people are recovering. There's so much loss out there," Ballingall added.

Transportation Minister Rob Fleming said Thursday that B.C.'s Coquihalla Highway could reopen sooner than expected in early January if the weather co-operates.

The highway, which connects the Lower Mainland to the Interior and is a major trucking route, had more than 130 kilometres of roadway damage and five bridges wash away.

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However, the Transportation Ministry said until the Coquihalla can reopen, Highways 3 and 99 would remain restricted to essential travel for the holidays.

Judas said airlines have added routes to help move people between the Lower Mainland and the Interior with the routes closed to non-essential travel.

The false perception that everything is closed for business can also be damaging, he added. As an example, he said the airport in Abbotsford, B.C., has remained operational.

Recovery will move smoothly when there's as much predictability as possible, Judas said, adding he's been satisfied with the government's communications.

"It's working together with industry and government and all the other players to try and figure out a path forward," he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 12, 2021.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The calendar said December but the warm moist air screamed of springtime. Add an eastbound storm front guided by a La Nina weather pattern into that mismatch and it spawned tornadoes that killed dozens over five U.S. states.

Kenny Sanford exits his mother-in-law's apartment through a collapsed wall Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021, in Mayfield, Ky. Tornadoes and severe weather caused catastrophic damage across several states Friday, killing multiple people overnight. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

WASHINGTON (AP)  The calendar said December but the warm moist air screamed of springtime. Add an eastbound storm front guided by a La Nina weather pattern into that mismatch and it spawned tornadoes that killed dozens over five U.S. states.

Tornadoes in December are unusual, but not unheard of. B ut the ferocity and path length of Friday night's tornadoes likely put them in a category of their own, meteorologists say. One of the twisters  if it is confirmed to have been just one  likely broke a nearly 100-year-old record for how long a tornado stayed on the ground in a path of destruction, experts said.

One word: remarkable; unbelievable would be another, s aid Northern Illinois University meteorology professor Victor Gensini. It was really a late spring type of setup in in the middle of December.

Warm weather was a crucial ingredient in this tornado outbreak, but whether climate change is a factor is not quite as clear, meteorologists say.

Scientists say figuring out how climate change is affecting the frequency of tornadoes is complicated and their understanding is still evolving. But they do say the atmospheric conditions that give rise to such outbreaks are intensifying in the winter as the planet warms. And tornado alley is shifting farther east away from the Kansas-Oklahoma area and into states where Friday's killers hit.

Here's a look at what's known about Friday's tornado outbreak and the role of climate change in such weather events.

WHAT CAUSES A TORNADO?

Tornadoes are whirling, vertical air columns that form from thunderstorms and stretch to the ground. They travel with ferocious speed and lay waste to everything in their path.

Thunderstorms occur when denser, drier cold air is pushed over warmer, humid air, conditions scientists call atmospheric instability. As that happens, an updraft is created when the warm air rises. When winds vary in speed or direction at different altitudes  a condition known as wind shear  the updraft will start to spin.

These changes in winds produce the spin necessary for a tornado. For especially strong tornadoes, changes are needed in both the winds speed and direction.

Tony Parrott looks through his daughter's damaged apartment unit after a tornado in Mayfield, Ky., on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021. Tornadoes and severe weather caused catastrophic damage across several states late Friday, killing multiple people overnight. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

When considerable variation in wind is found over the lowest few thousand feet of the atmosphere, tornado-producing supercell thunderstorms are possible, said Paul Markowski, professor of meteorology at Pennsylvania State University. Thats what we had yesterday.

There's usually a lot of wind shear in the winter because of the big difference in temperature and air pressure between the equator and the Arctic, Gensini said.

But usually, there's not a lot of instability in the winter that's needed for tornadoes because the air isn't as warm and humid, Gensini said. This time there was.

WHAT CONDITIONS LED TO STORMS OF THIS SCALE?

A few factors, which meteorologists will continue to study.

Spring-like temperatures across much of the Midwest and South in December helped bring the warm, moist air that helped form thunderstorms. Some of this is due to La Nina, which generally brings warmer than normal winter temperatures to the Southern U.S. But scientists also expect atypical, warm weather in the winter to become more common as the planet warms.

The worst-case scenario happened. Warm air in the cold season, middle of the night, said John Gordon, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Louisville, Kentucky.

Once the storm formed, exceptionally strong wind shear appears to have prevented the tornadoes from dissipating, experts say. Tornadoes are thought to die off when thunderstorm updrafts lose energy.

Tornadoes typically lose energy in a matter of minutes, but in this case it was hours, Gensini said. Thats partly the reason for the exceptionally long path of Friday's storm, going more than 200 miles (322 kilometers) or so, he said. The record was 219 miles (352 kilometers) and was set by a tornado that struck three states in 1925. Gensini thinks this one will surpass it once meteorologists finish analyzing it.

In order to get a really long path length, you have to have a really fast moving storm. This storm was moving well over 50 miles (80 kilometers) per hour for a majority of its life, Gensini said. That's not the speed of the winds, but of the overall storm movement.

Youre talking about highway-speed storm motions, Gensini said.

HOW RELATED IS CLIMATE CHANGE TO TORNADO OUTBREAKS?

Its complicated. Scientists are still trying to sort out the many conflicting factors about whether human-caused climate change is making tornadoes more common  or even more intense. About 1,200 twisters hit the U.S. each year  though that figure can vary  according to the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory. No other country sees as many.

Attributing a specific storm like Friday's to the effects of climate change remains very challenging. Less than 10% of severe thunderstorms produce tornadoes, which makes drawing conclusions about climate change and the processes leading up to them tricky, said Harold Brooks, a tornado scientist at the National Severe Storms Laboratory.

Scientists have observed changes taking place to the basic ingredients of a thunderstorm, however, as the planet warms. Gensini says in the aggregate, extreme storms are becoming more common because we have a lot warmer air masses in the cool season that can support these types of severe weather outbreaks.

The U.S. is likely to see more tornadoes occur in the winter, Brooks said, as national temperatures rise above the long-term average. Fewer events will take place in the summer, he said.

Furtado of the University of Oklahoma said tornado alley, a term used to describe where many twisters hit the U.S., has shifted eastward into the Mississippi River Valley. That shift is because of increases in temperature, moisture and shear.

Bottom line: The people in the Mississippi River Valley and Ohio River Valley are becoming increasingly vulnerable to more tornadic activity with time, he said.

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This story corrects that the 1925 tornado affected three states, not four.

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Follow Suman Naishadham on Twitter @sumannaishadham and Seth Borenstein at @borenbears

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The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of APs environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/environment
LIVERPOOL, England (AP)  The Group of Seven economic powers told Russia on Sunday to de-escalate its military buildup near the Ukrainian border, warning that an invasion would have massive consequences and inflict severe economic pain on Moscow.

Britain's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss speaks at a press conference at the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting in Liverpool, England Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is hosting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other Group of Seven counterparts for weekend talks in the northwest England port city of Liverpool as the wealthy nations club faces growing tensions with Russia, China and Iran. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

LIVERPOOL, England (AP)  The Group of Seven economic powers told Russia on Sunday to de-escalate its military buildup near the Ukrainian border, warning that an invasion would have massive consequences and inflict severe economic pain on Moscow.

Foreign ministers from the United States, Britain and the rest of the G-7, joined by the European Unions foreign affairs chief, issued a joint statement declaring themselves united in our condemnation of Russias military buildup and aggressive rhetoric towards Ukraine.

The G-7 called on Russia to de-escalate, pursue diplomatic channels, and abide by its international commitments on transparency of military activities, and praised Ukraines restraint.

Any use of force to change borders is strictly prohibited under international law. Russia should be in no doubt that further military aggression against Ukraine would have massive consequences and severe cost in response, the statement said.

Russias movement of weapons and troops to the border region dominated weekend talks among foreign ministers from the G-7 wealthy democracies in the English city of Liverpool.

The U.S. and it allies worry that the buildup could be precursor to an invasion, and have vowed to inflict heavy sanctions on Russias economy if that happens.

Moscow denies having any plans to attack Ukraine and accuses Kyiv of its own allegedly aggressive designs.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, the conference host, said the G-7 was sending a powerful signal to our adversaries and our allies.

G7 Foreign and Development Ministers pose for a group photo in Liverpool, England Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is hosting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other Group of Seven counterparts for weekend talks in the northwest England port city of Liverpool as the wealthy nations club faces growing tensions with Russia, China and Iran. From left, Italy's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Marina Sereni, German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Svenja Schulze, Phillippines Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro L Locsin Jr, Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Italy's Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, Britain's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly, Canada's Minister of International Development Harjit Sajjan, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell and Brunei Darussalam's Minister of Foreign Affairs Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof. (Olivier Douliery/Pool via AP)

The statement promised a common and comprehensive response but contained no details. Truss said the G-7 was considering all options when it came to economic sanctions. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on NBC's Meet the Press that we are prepared to take the kinds of steps weve refrained from taking in the past if Russia didn't step back.

The U.S. and its allies have played down talk of a military response to defend Ukraine, with efforts focusing on tough sanctions that would hit the Russian economy, rather than just individuals.

In the U.S., reporters asked President Joe Biden on Saturday about the possibility of sending combat troops to Ukraine, and he said that idea was never considered. Are you ready to send American troops into war and go into Ukraine to fight Russians on the battlefield? he said.

Biden, who spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on a video call last week, said he had made clear that in the event of an invasion, the economic consequences for his economy are going to be devastating. Devastating.

Truss said Biden had made clear to Putin that the U.S. stance carries the support of the G-7 countries as a whole. And that should be very concerning for Vladimir Putin.

Chinas muscle-flexing in the Indo-Pacific region and the ailing Iran nuclear deal were also on the agenda for the meeting of top diplomats from the U.K., the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan at the dockside Museum of Liverpool.

Getting a unified response to global crises from the G-7, a group of countries with disparate interests, has often proved tough.

Germany plans on getting gas from Russia soon through the contentious Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which bypasses Ukraine  though Blinken said it was hard to see the pipeline becoming operational if Russia has renewed its aggression on Ukraine, if it takes renewed action."

So I think President Putin has to factor that in, too, as hes thinking about what hes going to do next, he said.

Britain, which isn't dependent on Russian gas, also has criticized the pipeline  but faces tricky questions about Londons financial district and property market, both hubs for Russian money.

U.K. bank and financial authorities have long been criticized for allegedly turning a blind eye to ill-gotten gains.

Truss insisted Britain has very strong anti-corruption and anti-money laundering rules, but also suggested that Russian money and Russian gas came at a high price.

We cannot have short term economic gain at the expense of our long term freedom and democracy, she said.

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G-7 nations are also increasingly concerned about Chinas growing economic and technological dominance, especially in developing countries. The G-7 has launched a Build Back Better World initiative to offer developing nations funding for big infrastructure projects as an alternative to money from China that, the West argues, often comes with strings attached.

Truss, who also invited ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to the Liverpool meeting, said the G-7 was concerned about the coercive economic policies of China.

"What weve set out is a positive agenda about making sure that countries have alternative sources of investment, alternative sources of trade, she said. And that were making sure that we abide by  and ensure others are abiding by  the rules based international system for trade.

A unified stance towards China continues to prove elusive, however, with the U.S. and Britain generally more hawkish than other G-7 members.

___

AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this story.
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP)  Heavy snowfall covered Belgrade and much of the Balkans on Sunday, hampering traffic, canceling flights at the Serbian capitals main airport and disrupting public transportation.

Cars on the street during snow storm in Belgrade, Serbia, Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021. Meteorologists predict heavy snowfall and sub zero temperatures in the Western Balkans throughout the week. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP)  Heavy snowfall covered Belgrade and much of the Balkans on Sunday, hampering traffic, canceling flights at the Serbian capitals main airport and disrupting public transportation.

Many areas across the country reported power cuts and damages to buildings due to falling trees. The icy conditions saw trucks skidding across the roads and getting stuck while ploughs were being used to pull them out.

Much of western Serbia was without electricity as authorities warned against unnecessary travel and appealed to people in Serbia to conserve power.

A bird sits on a lamppost in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021. Meteorologists predict snowfall and sub zero temperatures in the Western Balkans throughout the week. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

In the capital, several trees fell under the weight of the heavy snow, damaging cars and buildings. Some people had to be rescued after being trapped in their damaged vehicles.

Several flights from and to Belgrades main airport were canceled because of the weather conditions and a brief power cut to the main terminal, Belgrade media reported. A highway leading to the airport was closed for several hours because of a traffic jam caused by the snowfall.

Passengers on a local train to Belgrade were stuck in snow for seven hours before they were provided bus transportation to the capital

Emergency services have been assisting authorities in the cleanup operation throughout Sunday, while another alert for more snow and ice has been issued.

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In Bulgaria, heavy rains and major floods have been ravaging southern parts of the country over the weekend, forcing authorities there to declare a state of emergency.

The worst-hit areas were in the Smolyan region, near the border with Greece, where rivers burst their banks to cause the overflowing of roads and the flooding of homes. Several trucks were trapped in a landslide on an intercity road.

Strong winds disrupted power supply in dozens of villages, authorities said.

Further south in Albania, authorities mobilized police, army and emergency forces to cope with floods following three days of continuous rainfall and snow.

The Vjosa River in the south flooded many areas. An older couple who had stayed overnight on the rooftop of their house in southwest Albania was rescued by police in the morning.

Many roads were temporarily blocked by landslides in the south. Elsewhere in the northeast and southeast of the country, heavy snow has hampered or temporarily blocked traffic.
TORONTO - When delivery requests from British Columbia's Lower Mainland flow into cannabis retailer Dutch Love, a reliable number of them come from customers in the suburbs of Surrey and Richmond.

Cannabis is shown in a display jar at a licensed Toronto retail store on Monday, April 1, 2019. More than three years after the legalization of cannabis, municipal bans on pot retailers have left many communities across Canada without a brick and mortar source, while other areas are overcrowded with cannabis stores. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

TORONTO - When delivery requests from British Columbia's Lower Mainland flow into cannabis retailer Dutch Love, a reliable number of them come from customers in the suburbs of Surrey and Richmond.

The company can deliver its goods to those communities, but can't physically open a store there due to local bylaws that prevent brick-and-mortar cannabis operations from opening within their boundaries.

"We're effectively losing money on those deliveries ... and hope that at some point, those municipalities will opt in and we'll be able to access them," said Harrison Stoker, Dutch Love's chief growth officer.

More than three years after the legalization of cannabis, municipal bans on pot retailers have left many communities across Canada without a brick-and-mortar source, while other areas are overcrowded with cannabis stores.

Caught in the middle are cannabis companies  many of which are not yet profitable  and consumers who must order products for delivery, drive to the nearest region with physical retailers or turn to the illicit market.

Customers in Peel Region, a sprawling area west of Toronto, offer a prime example.

"Our Canna Cabana location in Brampton (Ont.) gets daily visitors from Mississauga because of that citys refusal to opt in," Omar Khan,senior vice-president of corporate and public affairs with High Tide Inc., said in an email.

"Unfortunately many more Mississauga residents likely choose to buy unregulated and untested cannabis products from illicit market sources due to convenience."

The Ontario Cannabis Store, the province's official pot wholesaler, estimates the illicit market handled 52.9 per cent of pot purchases made between April 1 and June 30.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, which oversees the licensing of cannabis retailers, said 66 of the province's 414 communities continue to block cannabis retail, down from 77 at the outset of legalization.

The Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba said six municipalities in that province have prohibitions on retail cannabis locations.

The Canadian Press requested data on municipal bans from every province and territory. Only Ontario and Manitoba sent figures.

The rest either did not respond, said they didn't collect such data or said they don't allow neighbourhoods to opt out of pot retail but permit them to refuse business licenses to cannabis shops.

The reasons for banning pot retail vary by municipality.

Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie has said her municipality opted out because there are "too many unknowns about the retail cannabis model," while Vaughan, Ont. Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua claimed "families do not want greater access to cannabis in our community."

Other communities have attributed bans to fear of crime and worries about becoming a haven for far-flung pot lovers, but cannabis industry observers say shunning cannabis retailers allows those problems to flourish.

"Just because you blocked out retail from your city doesn't mean that cannabis isn't being sold there," said Deepak Anand, chief executive of cannabis company Materia Ventures.

"You're basically, as city councillors or municipal governments, choosing to further enable the illicit market."

Cannabis entrepreneur Mimi Lam doesn't see much sense in blocking pot stores from opening.

"We dont see municipalities opting out of coffee shops or bars or nail salons," the co-founder of the Superette pot store chain said in an email. "Why should cannabis be any different?"

Several of Lam's stores are in downtown Toronto, where a starkly different situation is playing out.

The city is teeming with cannabis shops, particularly along Queen Street West, and many more are slated for the neighbourhood and surrounding areas.

The proliferation is so intense Toronto city councillors Kristyn Wong-Tam and Paula Fletcher made a November motion for a moratorium on new cannabis store licences lasting a year or until a provincial bill giving municipalities a say in the location and distribution of private cannabis stores passes.

City council amended the motion to remove the moratorium request. The provincial bill is awaiting a second reading.

Many believe the longer the current lopsided situation goes unaddressed, the harder it becomes for retailers to profit and take advantage of lucrative markets.

For example, Stoker said Dutch Love's research has shown that secondary and tertiary markets like suburban regions are "potentially stronger" than metropolitan cores, but pot stores remain banned from many of those areas.

Where stores aren't banned, RBC Capital Markets analyst Douglas Miehm found average monthly sales per cannabis store sunk to less than $200,000 this summer, a drop from $300,000 two years ago.

During the same time period, licensed producers have laid off thousands of workers, shut down several facilities and taken multimillion-dollar writedowns as they try to align supply with demand and reach profitability.

Although Miehm increased his sales outlook for the remainder of 2021 as well as the next two years, he pointed out that valuations of licensed producers have fallen. He predicted in an October note to investors that some stores will close and those that hang on will lose some economic viability.

Brock University associate professor Mike Armstrong agrees.

He crunched consumer-reported data from Statistics Canada and found the increasing number of cannabis stores are responsible for 46 per cent of quarterly sales changes. Only eight per cent of the shifts can be attributed to new customers.

"Opening more stores is very important to getting access and unserved markets, so in provinces that don't have enough stores, yeah, absolutely open more stores," he said.

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"But once you already have stores, those stores don't seem to add much to the demand."

While people gripe about the uneven distribution of retail locations, Armstrong believes it won't be a problem forever.

Eventually, entrepreneurs will get a more realistic sense of demand, profitability and competition, and big chains will buy out small pot shops, he predicted.

"Some will decide, 'this isn't the big gold rush I thought it would be,'" said Armstrong.

"The market will actually sort itself out, just like it does any other industry."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 12, 2021.
MADRID (AP)  A volcanic eruption in Spains Canary Islands shows no sign of ending after 85 days, becoming the island of La Palmas longest eruption on record Sunday.

MADRID (AP)  A volcanic eruption in Spains Canary Islands shows no sign of ending after 85 days, becoming the island of La Palmas longest eruption on record Sunday.

The eruption has surged and ebbed since it first began spewing lava on Sept. 19. It has since destroyed almost 3,000 local buildings and forced several thousand people to abandon their homes.

On Sunday, after several days of low-level activity, the Cumbre Vieja volcano suddenly sprang to life again, producing loud explosions and blowing a vast cloud of ash high into the sky.

Scientists say volcanic eruptions are unpredictable. Spanish experts had initially said the La Palma eruption could last up to three months.

Mariano Hernandez, the islands senior government official, described the volcano as stable in recent days.

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The fact is that all the key indicators have been low, he told Spanish public broadcaster RTVE. But the scientists wont say exactly when it might come to an end.

He said experts continue to measure the number and magnitude of earthquakes in the area and local sulfur dioxide levels.

From Saturday to Sunday, authorities recorded 24 earthquakes, but none was felt by local people.

Despite the damage, no injuries or deaths have been directly linked to the eruption. Much of the area covered by rivers of lava, which are dumping molten rock into the sea, is farmland.

Life has continued largely as normal on most of La Palma, where a section of the southwestern side is hardest hit.

The volcanic Canary Islands, which are a favorite warm weather vacation site for Europeans, lie off Africas northwest coast.
TORONTO - Mel Lastman, the brash, outspoken pitchman-turned-politician whose array of gaffes, missteps and personal scandals did little to diminish a remarkable career as mayor of Canada's largest city, has died at the age of 88.

TORONTO - Mel Lastman, the brash, outspoken pitchman-turned-politician whose array of gaffes, missteps and personal scandals did little to diminish a remarkable career as mayor of Canada's largest city, has died at the age of 88.

Premier Doug Ford confirmed Lastman's death in a tweet on Saturday night.

Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman gestures during his speech at a luncheon in Toronto, Tuesday, January 14, 2003.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kevin Frayer

"Mel was a true leader and builder for (the City of Toronto.) He was a great mayor and he touched many lives," Ford wrote.

A staunch defender of all things Toronto, the diminutive Mayor Mel wore his love for the city on his sleeve during a raucous six-year reign as mayor, which followed 10 straight terms  25 years  as the mayor of the suburb of North York.

Current Toronto Mayor John Tory, who helped Lastman win his bid for "megacity mayor" in 1997, said flags will be lowered to half-mast in the late mayor's honour.

"He was a kind, good-hearted man with a larger-than-life personality who always wanted to do the right thing for people," Tory said in a statement Saturday night.

Lastman's shoot-from-the-lip style earned him a reputation as a lovable bumbler, one who summoned the army during a snowstorm, pleaded with the Spice Girls to stay together and even threatened to kill a journalist.

But none of it  the bug-eyed rants, the off-colour remarks, the illicit affair with a woman who claimed her two 40-something sons were his illegitimate children  seemed to diminish Lastman's popularity.

In 2001, with the eyes of the world on Toronto's bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games, Lastman told a newspaper he was apprehensive about a diplomatic trip to Kenya because of his fear of snakes.

"What the hell would I want to go to a place like Mombasa?" he later said. "I just see myself in a pot of boiling water with all these natives dancing around me."

The 2008 Games went to Beijing. Whether Lastman's remarks had anything to do with the decision remains a point of lingering debate.

Lastman's reputation went global in 2003 when Toronto was in the grips of a deadly SARS outbreak. The city's tourism industry suffered a major blow when the World Health Organization warned people away.

At the height of the crisis, Lastman's public appearances bordered on the bizarre. He got his facts wrong on CNN and knew nothing about how many people in the city were in quarantine or had SARS symptoms.

And when the discussion turned to the WHO, Lastman appeared to know nothing about the international health agency at the heart of the controversy.

"They don't know what they're talking about. I don't know who this group is. I never heard of them before. I'd never seen them before," he said.

"Who did they talk to? They've never been to Toronto. They're located somewhere in Geneva."

Officials in Lastman's office hailed the appearance as a victory as the "little fireplug of a mayor" assured the world Toronto was safe to visit.

During a string of massive snowstorms in January 1999, Lastman  fearing his city's snow-removal equipment to be inadequate  summoned the Canadian Forces to help Toronto deal with more than 100 centimetres of snow.

There were no major problems that required the brute force of the 400 soldiers who answered the call, so armoured all-terrain vehicles were used to ferry blood supplies to hospitals and clear the way for emergency vehicles.

In June 1998, Lastman was again making headlines. Alarmed at the prospect of a Spice Girls breakup, he wrote a letter to Ginger Spice, a.k.a. Geri Halliwell, urging her to settle her spat with the rest of the blockbuster pop act.

"Please get over your differences and make your appearance in Toronto with the rest of the band members," Lastman wrote on personal letterhead featuring a cartoon sketch of the curly-headed mayor tap dancing and singing above the maxim, "There's No Business Like Show Business."

"Many of your fans were devastated when you cancelled your appearance."

Plans for a public appearance by the group fell through when they came to Toronto for their concert without Halliwell, and Lastman took it as a personal snub, refusing to meet them.

"They haven't done anything for Toronto. Why should I be giving them keys to the city?" he said.

"If they did something, fine. But leave me alone and I don't want to be bothered with the Spice Girls. I don't give a damn about the Spice Girls."

There was no shortage of spice in Lastman's personal life in 2000, when he admitted to having had a 14-year affair with Grace Louie, a married employee of his furniture store, that ended in 1974.

Louie launched a civil action against Lastman seeking child support for her sons Kim and Todd, then in their 40s, whom she alleged were fathered by Lastman during their lengthy affair.

The court later dismissed the $4.5-million civil action because Louie waited 30 years to bring her claim forward. Lastman never confirmed or denied being the father, but did admit paying Louie $27,500 in 1974 to keep quiet about the affair.

Lastman's wife Marilyn, his childhood sweetheart, stuck by him through the ordeal. She died in January 2020.

The pair were known in the city for throwing flashy parties, including a bar mitzvah for their son Dale that saw a posh downtown hotel transformed into the court of King Arthur, complete with moat.

But Lastman had humble, working-class beginnings before becoming the flamboyant millionaire mayor of Toronto.

He grew up poor, becoming a threadbare salesman before borrowing $2,000 to open an appliance store which he eventually transformed into furniture giant Bad Boy, which now has seven locations across Ontario.

In his post-mayoral days Lastman could be seen in Bad Boy commercials alongside son Blayne, who re-launched the chain in 1991, shouting its notorious slogan with an "OK" sign and an exaggerated wink: "Who's better than Bad Boy? Noooooobody!"

It wasn't always Lastman's words that got him into trouble.

In January 2003, at the height of public concern about the proliferation of criminal biker gangs, Lastman was photographed shaking hands with a member of the Hells Angels. Insisting he never met a hand he wouldn't shake, he blamed the media for blowing the incident out of proportion.

Despite the pratfall-prone facade, Lastman was a salesman extraordinaire who never stopped shilling for Toronto, winning the overwhelming support of voters who gave him 80 per cent of the popular vote in the 2000 municipal election.

A staunch defender of Toronto's interests, Lastman often revelled in his funding battles with the province and Ottawa, even musing publicly at one point about mounting a campaign to separate Toronto from Ontario.

And after becoming mayor of the newly amalgamated "supercity" of Toronto, he promptly got into a fight with then-Ontario premier Mike Harris, calling him a "liar" over the cost of downloading services.

But Mayor Mel got what he wanted: Harris eventually offered the city a $50-million grant and $200 million in interest-free loans.

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"Nobody likes to cut programs and nobody likes to increase taxes. But the provincial and federal governments left us no choice," Lastman said during a state-of-the-city address in 2001.

"Toronto doesn't get a damn thing and it's time that changed."

He reminisced about his mayoral legacy in a 2013 interview with The Canadian Press and said he not only sold Toronto to the world, but to Torontonians themselves, instilling in them great pride in their city.

"I think that's something that has been lacking before I became mayor and after I left," Lastman said.

"They should be selling it over and over again and telling people how lucky they are in living in such a multicultural city as this. The diversity of Toronto is unbelievable to what it was. You think back, everybody spoke English wherever you went. Today you hear all different languages no matter where you go  on the subway, on the bus, on the street, a restaurant, no matter where you are  and it sounds great."

This report from The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 11, 2021.
A COVID-19 case in a Winnipeg child-care program has been identified as the omicron variant.

A notice sent to parents from Little Voyageurs Learning Centre on Saturday was posted on Twitter by @CovidSchool, an account run by an anonymous parent who shares such letters.

The notice states the centres preschool program was shut down because of a COVID-19 case that has since been identified as the omicron variant of concern. A letter sent to parents at the centres Ecole Provencher site last weekend said the preschool program was closing because of two COVID-19 cases. It appears one of those two cases was later identified as omicron.

The school-age program is now closed because 18 staff members have to be tested for the coronavirus and cleared before they can return to work.

"We are anxiously waiting to get back to what we do best, which we hope will be on Wednesday," the letter to school-age parents states.

Another notice sent Saturday to parents whose children attend the Ecole Provencher site said that because there is a case of the omicron variant, everyone in the household of children deemed to be close contacts must quarantine until they receive a negative test result, regardlress of their vaccination status.

The licensed child-care centre has three locations, at Ecole Provencher, Marion School and Prince Edward School. The Provencher site has spaces for 60 school-age children and 48 preschool children, Little Voyageurs website states.

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New modelling released by the federal government on Friday suggests the omicron variant could lead to a surge in COVID-19 cases. Omicron has the potential to spread more rapidly than the dominant delta variant.

The province has announced five cases of the omicron variant in Manitoba as of Friday, but the Little Voyageurs case is the first linked to an identified location. The province has said little about the five announced cases. Two of the five infected people had travelled to one of the 10 southern African countries that are currently under a Canadian travel ban. The other three are close contacts of the second announced case.

A letter sent to parents by the provincial health department on Tuesday said at least one person who later tested positive for COVID-19 and might have been infectious was at a Little Voyageurs site on Nov. 30, Dec. 1 and Dec. 2.

"The child-care centre is working closely with public health officials and is following their recommendations," the government letter states.

Children deemed to be close contacts of the infected person were sent the letter and ordered to quarantine until Sunday, or as directed by public health officials. Health officials recommended the children be tested seven days after their last potential exposure.

adam.treusch@freepress.mb.ca
Saint Marys University sophomore Callie Nguyen was in high school when she first started putting a new twist on dessert by creating chocolate dipped pretzels for her friends.

And last year, instead of being salty about COVID-19 restrictions, Nguyen focused her free time on developing her sweet sideline business  Anytime Pretzel.

The Brooklyn Park, Minn., native has big dreams to grow her business, from being a cottage food producer, into a full-fledged franchise, but first  she plans to finish college.

Nguyen said she chose Saint Marys for its community feel and the close connections students have with faculty. She also fell in love with the town. I love the bluffs and everything about the community, she said. With its coffee shops, pizza places, the movie theatre, its the perfect community for college students, and I love its vibe.

Now outgoing and friendly, with a contagious smile, Nguyen admits she struggled her first year. With COVID-19 restrictions and without a roommate, she admitted to feeling alone and lost, like she didnt belong. Once everything began to reopen, she had more opportunities to get involved, meet other students, and make new friends. Im so happy I decided to stick with it, she said. I would be the first in my family to go to college and complete it, so thats my main motivation. I have to do this for them.

Nguyen chose to major in Business Marketing and Management so she could apply what she is learning in the classroom into growing and running her business. Shes already finding her writing and communication classes beneficial, and shes learning about valuable software applications she can put to use. As a public relations minor, shes also learning how to keep her Facebook business page engaging and active, as well as the power of blogging.

Nguyen also knows the need for strong branding with consistent messaging and a recognizable look. It seems shes already chosen a good name, as her pretzel products really are tasty enough to eat at any time. Nguyen estimates shes created between 1,000 and 1,500 pretzels in less than a year for birthdays, graduations, weddings, baby showers and more. She also sells her creations at craft fairs.

The art lover found a way to channel her creativity by creating three categories of pretzels: candy (Nerds, Skittles and Pop Rocks); gourmet (cookies and cream, strawberry, salted caramel and smores); and cereal (Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Fruity Pebbles, Lucky Charms and Captain Crunch). Another big hit has been candied bacon. And she also decorates pretzels with tuxedo and wedding dress themes. A professor at Saint Marys suggested buffalo chicken, and Nguyen laughs and says she hasnt investigated that idea further just yet, but shes open to experimenting.

Shes grateful to faculty at Saint Marys who have been very supportive of her entrepreneurial efforts, and she encourages others to follow their dreams. I didnt know I could get this far within a short time frame, she said. You just have to put your mind to it.

Once Nguyen works up to selling commercially, she said HyVees Maple Grove store has expressed interest in selling her pretzels. Eventually shed love to combine her love of traveling into her business and start a food truck, and she hopes to expand enough to hire employees so she can focus on the marketing and business end of Anytime Pretzel.

Nguyen takes orders on Anytime Pretzels Facebook page or at anytimepretzel@gmail.com but she reminds people that, as a student, she needs a four-week lead time, so she can focus on her studies.

It means a lot that people respect the work that I do. Im happy to make people happy, she said.

Every week, Campus Connection shares updates on programs, activities, faculty and alumni, and campus life from Winonas three colleges.

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Columbus Area Historical Society

1971

Columbus Federal Savings & Loan opened the doors of its new home on the corner of Ludington and Mill Streets. The building was needed to serve the larger number of Columbus area residents.

Arnold Lober, principal of Zion Lutheran School was honored by family and faculty after teaching at Zion for the past 25 years. Lober, his wife Emma, and their four children moved to Columbus in December 1946. The school at the time was a four-room building now an apartment building on W. Mill Street.

1981

School District administrator Dick Mortimer reported that recent parent-teacher conferences were well attended, with attendance 98% at Fuller Street, 95% at Hampden, 98% at Dickason and 66% at the high school.

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The Columbus Water & Light Department received approval to raise water rates by 28%. A typical residential customer would pay $5.18 a month up from $4.05 each month.

1991

Christmas trees were available from the Francis Farm, rural Rio, for between $5 and $15.
Im overwhelmed, my heart is full, Solari said. I cannot articulate how much joy it brought me to see them overjoyed.

There were kids who had their chins on the side of the stage just in awe of our dancers, he said.

Solaris mission to bring The Nutcracker to Fort McCoy started after reading about the thousands of refugees at the base, half of whom are children. He and his spouse had previously worked with refugees in Greece in 2015 and 2016 in the early years of Europes refugee crisis.

What was best for the kids was a craft, a distraction, something to do, Solari recalled.

After messaging a friend last month who worked with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Maryland, Solari was put in touch with officials at the lead agencies overseeing the resettlement of the Afghan refugees.
(CNN) -- Storms unleashed devastating tornadoes late Friday and early Saturday across parts of the central and southern United States, collapsing buildings into twisted debris and claiming lives, with officials fearing the death toll could exceed 80.

In Kentucky alone, the state's governor says more than 70 people could have died after "one of the toughest nights in Kentucky history."

Among the most significant damage: Tornadoes or strong winds collapsed an occupied candle factory in Kentucky, an Amazon warehouse in western Illinois, and a nursing home in Arkansas, killing people in each community and leaving responders scrambling to rescue others.

More than 30 tornadoes have been reported in at least six states, including Missouri, Tennessee and Mississippi. A stretch of more than 250 miles from Arkansas to Kentucky might have been hit by one violent, long-track twister, CNN meteorologists say.

"I'm pretty sure that number (killed in Kentucky) is north of 70 ... it may, in fact exceed 100 before the day is done," Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said late Saturday morning. "The level of devastation is unlike anything I have ever seen."

One of the most devastated sites is the southwestern Kentucky city of Mayfield, where a tornado hit the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory Friday night while people were working. About 110 people were inside and dozens are feared dead there, Beshear said.

"They rescued 40," Beshear said at a news conference Saturday afternoon. "There's at least 15 feet of metal with cars on top of it, barrels of corrosive chemicals that are there, it will be a miracle if anybody else is found alive in it."

The governor said he also visited Dawson Springs, his father's hometown, with a population of about 2,700 where he says, "they're going to lose a whole lot of people."

"One block from my grandparent's house, there's no house standing and we don't know where all those people are," Beshear said.

Video from Mayfield showed what remained of the factory there: a massive debris field, largely of twisted metal, several feet high, with rescuers using hands and machines to dig through.

Among the survivors were Kyanna Parsons-Perez, who said workers had been hustled to a safety area before the storm hit. While attendance was being taken, she saw "a little dust of wind."

"My ears start popping. And it was like the building, we all just rocked back and forth, and then boom -- everything fell on us," Kyanna Parsons-Perez told CNN's Boris Sanchez.

Pinned by debris with others, she used her phone to broadcast on Facebook Live, and called 911, her mother and a coworker's relative. She knew rescuers were around only when she could feel pressure from above -- people walking on the debris.

"I was screaming like, 'Sir, can you please just get this so I can move my leg?' He said, 'Ma'am, there's about 5 feet worth of debris on top of you,'" she said.

Rescuers eventually pulled her and others out, she said.

An official Kentucky death toll hasn't been released; deaths have been reported in Arkansas (two), Tennessee (four), Illinois (six) and Missouri (two).

In Warren County, Kentucky, children are among 12 storm-related fatalities, the county coroner's office confirmed to CNN Saturday afternoon.

Warren County Coroner Kevin Kirby said that most of the fatalities are from the Russellville Road area.

The National Guard and other Kentucky state personnel are deploying to hard-hit areas for "house-to-house" searches and debris removal, Beshear told CNN.

"I want to thank every local emergency management employee, police officer, firefighter and first responder. This has been one of the toughest nights in Kentucky history. It's hard to put into words," he said in a later statement. "Remember, each of these lost lives are children of God, irreplaceable to their families and communities. But we will make it through this. We will rebuild. We are strong, resilient people -- and we're going to be there every step of the way. This is one state standing strong."

He declared a state of emergency.

Biden to travel to damaged region

President Joe Biden told reporters traveling with him in Wilmington, Delaware, Saturday he had been closely monitoring the situation and had called the governors of the states that had been severely impacted by one of the "largest tornado outbreaks in our history."

"I want to emphasize what I told all the governors, the federal government will do everything, everything you can possibly do to help," he said, adding that he'd deploy the National Guard to states that deemed it necessary.

Biden told reporters he plans to travel to the region to survey storm damage when circumstances allow but didn't want to be in the way.

"When a president shows up, he shows up with an awful lot of personnel, an awful lot of vehicles, an awful lot of -- we can get in the way, unintentionally. And so, I'm working with the governor of Kentucky and others who may want me to be there, I made sure that we're a value-added at the time, and we're not going to get in the way of the rescue and recovery, but I do plan on going," he said.

"My heart aches for those people right now, including the rescuers, including the burden on them and what they worry about," Biden said. "I just think that we just have to keep at it. We have to keep focused. And this is going to be the focus of my attention until we get this finished."

In an earlier message on Twitter, Biden called losing a loved one in storms like this an "unimaginable tragedy."

He said he had spoken with Beshear and "indicated that he has directed FEMA and other federal agencies to provide the speediest assistance possible to impacted communities," the White House said.

The White House later said Biden had approved a federal emergency declaration for Kentucky.

'Many, many' people pulled from Kentucky factory

Ivy Williams was at the Mayfield site Saturday, looking for his wife of 30-plus years, who he says was at the factory.

"I hope she's somewhere safe," Williams said, through tears. "Please call me ... I'm looking for you, baby."

First responders have pulled "many, many" people out of the rubble, some alive and some apparently dead, storm chaser Michael Gordon told CNN Saturday morning from the scene.

"It's kind of hard to talk about. ... They're digging in that rubble by hand right now," Gordon said.

Graves County, Kentucky, Commissioner Todd Hayden told CNN's Pamela Brown he arrived at the candle factory in the dark to find "nothing but a pile of rubble."

"You wondered how anybody could still be alive in there. Knowing there were a lot of people in that place, a bunch of us went over and started trying to uncover what might be there," Hayden said.

"Seeing people come out of that pile of rubble alive was just amazing," he said. "We would send in sawzalls and cutting tools to cut wires and bars and then all of a sudden they would come up out of a hole."

Hayden said they probably rescued 10-12 people from the part of the debris where he was, some injured and many stunned and in shock.

"Some of them would come out crying. They'd see their husband or their father or whatever and they would immediately go to their arms and just fall in them. Other people -- one lady came out she was kind of dancing, she was so happy to be out of there."

People were working at the factory as it has been "going 24/7" in part to meet Christmastime candle demand, US Rep. James Comer, who represents the area, told CNN.

Graves County Coroner Brad Jones told CNN that "about 40" people remained unaccounted for at the factory. He declined to say how many of the more than 100 workers at the workspace had been accounted for.

Other buildings hit in Mayfield, a city of around 10,000 people, include the Graves County courthouse and adjoining jail.

"It's changed the landscape ... here in Mayfield," Kentucky State Police Lt. Dean Patterson said. "We're seeing (destruction) that none of us have ever seen before."

On Saturday afternoon, Patterson described to CNN the process being used to try to find survivors in the town.

"It's a very thorough and slow process, because you have to be careful when you are dealing with so much debris, and so many unknowns. One wrong move and you could actually cause more damage, so it's a slow methodical process. Lots of people out there, working together to do everything they can to hopefully find some survivors in that devastating area."

Patterson said that overnight emergency workers had received "dozens if not hundreds" of calls from people trying to find out if their loved ones were all right.

Once the sun rose, troopers went to the addresses flagged to them to try to make contact and let concerned relatives know, he said. "We are still doing that right now, we're doing welfare checks and basically going door-to-door or what used to be a door to make sure there is no one else inside."

Graves County jailer George Workman told CNN that his main jail is in ruins and he was forced to evacuate the 83 inmates to other facilities because the damage was so severe. None were injured at the jail when the tornado hit.

"(The damage is) structurally bad enough that I question it'll ever be able to open again," Workman said.

Workman said one of his deputies on assignment at the candle factory was killed when the tornado hit.

The deputy was at the factory as part of a work-release program for low-security, low-level offenders that had just started last week. Seven inmates were also on-site at the factory; three of them were treated for injuries at the scene.

Kyanna Parsons-Perez, who was trapped under at least five feet of rubble, told CNN that those inmates helped rescue her and others from the rubble.

A hospital in Paducah, Kentucky, some 27 miles north of Mayfield, has been treating tornado victims, a spokesperson told CNN.

A majority of those being treated had chemical burns, long bone injuries and crush injuries, Mercy Health Lourdes Hospital spokesperson Nanette Bentley said.

National Weather Service Chief Meteorologist John Gordon told a news conference in Kentucky that the tornado event was a "worst-case scenario."

"Warm air in the cold season, middle of the night -- this sickens me to see what has happened," he said. "Look at the pictures on your screens. Homes, totally impaled, two-by-fours through cars, eighteen-wheelers thrown 30 feet moved in the northwesterly direction -- that takes a lot of force."

Severe thunderstorms still are possible Saturday from the northern Gulf states into the south-central Appalachians, the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center said. Tornado watches throughout the region were expected.

Six killed at Amazon warehouse in Illinois

At least six people have died at the collapsed Amazon warehouse in the Illinois city of Edwardsville outside St. Louis, after an EF-3 tornado caused major structural damage to the building Friday, Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford said.

Forty-five people made it out of the building, with one person airlifted to a regional hospital for treatment, the chief said.

"Earlier this afternoon, the response portion of this incident came to a close and we're now focused solely on recovery," Whiteford said.

The recovery phase is expected to take three more days and first responders will continue "to search the site for evidence of life," he said.

Amazon confirmed an unspecified number of deaths.

"We're deeply saddened by the news that members of our Amazon family passed away as a result of the storm in Edwardsville, Illinois. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their loved ones, and everyone who has been impacted by the storm's path across the US," Amazon's CEO Dave Clark posted on Twitter.

One resident earlier told CNN affiliate KMOV that a family member and employee was trapped inside, and that others inside were remaining calm and working to get out of the warehouse. Video from the scene showed a large emergency response.

"It's devastating to see the amount of damage there and to know there were people inside when that happened," Police Chief Mike Fillback told KMOV on Saturday morning. Police did not know how many people were in the building at the time of the collapse, Fillback said, nor how many people still were trapped inside.

Chief Whiteford told KMOV that a shift change was occurring when the tornado struck and additionally, people come to the warehouse to drop off Amazon vans and get in cars to leave, varying the number of people who could have been present.

Whiteford said the walls on both sides of the Amazon warehouse building "collapsed inward" and "the roof of the building collapsed downward so most of the weight of the building landed centrally into the building."

"These walls are made out of 11-inch-thick concrete and they're about 40 feet tall, so a lot of weight on that came down," he said.

The fire department faced multiple hazards when they responded to the scene, Whiteford said. The building was charged with electricity, there was a natural gas leak, and water mains were broken, pouring water into the building.

Deaths in Arkansas, Missouri and Tennessee

Deadly destruction also has been reported in Arkansas, Missouri and Tennessee.

In the northeastern Arkansas city of Monette, at least one person was killed at a nursing home damaged by a tornado, Mayor Bob Blankenship said.

At the nursing home, many people were trapped before being rescued, officials said. At least 20 were injured at the facility, Blankenship told CNN.

Another person was killed in nearby Leachville, when a woman was "in a Dollar General store when the storm hit and they could not get out," Mississippi County Sheriff Dale Cook told CNN.

Also in Arkansas, Interstate 555 near the town of Trumann was closed because of overturned vehicles, Arkansas Emergency Management spokesperson LaTresha Woodruff said. State officials had been told the town's fire department, EMS facility and a nursing home were damaged, Woodruff said.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who toured the damage in Monette and Trumann, said that to his knowledge at least two people had died in his state.

"At this point, I have two confirmed deaths. One is in Monette at the nursing home and the other one was in Leachville at a store that was struck in deadly fashion," Hutchinson told CNN.

Hutchinson issued an emergency declaration for four counties in northeastern Arkansas on Saturday.

"Coming here to Monette and you see the devastation of this tornado... the most remarkable thing is that there's not a greater loss of life," Hutchinson said.

Tennessee is reporting a total of four weather-related deaths from the severe weather that hit the state overnight.

"We have four weather-related fatalities in Tennessee: two in Lake County, one in Obion County, and one in Shelby County," Tennessee Emergency Management spokesman Dean Flener told CNN.

In Obion County, multiple structures were damaged in the community of Samburg, according to officials. The town "is pretty well flattened," Obion County sheriff's dispatcher Judy Faulkner told CNN.

There is one person who remains missing in Lake County, Tennessee, TEMA chief of staff Alex Pellom said during a news conference.

Gov. Bill Lee said there could have been many more fatalities from the storms, but warnings helped.

"The residents of those communities were notified of the danger and notified of the imminence of these storms. And in many of the cases, we know that there were significant evacuations in the communities. We really know that that reduced the loss of life in our state," he said.

"So, I just want to remind people that being prepared and heeding warnings -- it's very clear today that was a part of why we had the limited amount of loss of life in spite of the significant amount of damage," Lee said.

Officials confirmed two storm-related deaths in Missouri.

"In St. Charles County, a woman was killed at home and two others were hospitalized. In Pemiscot County, a young child was killed at home and at least nine people were transported to hospitals," Gov. Mike Parson's office said in a news release.

"We are deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life caused by this powerful-sustained storm system, and we are praying for the family and friends of those we have lost," Parson said.

St. Charles County emergency management official Mary Enger earlier said that an 84-year-old woman died during overnight storms in the community of Defiance.

More than 400,000 homes and businesses lost power across eight states in the South and Midwest by 10 a.m. ET Saturday, including more than 130,000 in Tennessee and more than 60,000 in Kentucky, according to poweroutage.us.

The longest stretch of devastation ranged more than 250 miles from Arkansas to Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky. That stretch might have been hit by one long-track tornado, CNN meteorologists said.

If it was one tornado, its path may have exceeded the longest on record: a tornado that was on the ground for 219 miles in 1925 in Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.

'Gutters are hanging off her ... roof'

About 70 miles northeast of Mayfield, Lori Wooten took cover in her daughter's basement in the small Kentucky community of Dawson Springs as the storm passed Friday night. She emerged to see a 2-foot piece of wood having speared a master bedroom, and debris strewn about outside.

"Gutters are hanging off her ... roof. The trampoline -- there's so much stuff out here, it's hard to know what's theirs and what's other people's," Wooten, an aunt of CNN political analyst Scott Jennings, told CNN Saturday.

More than 100 tornado warnings were issued in the US Friday before midnight, the most ever for a day in December.

Along with multiple tornadoes, the storms produced dozens of wind and hail reports as of early Saturday.

Setting off weather alerts Friday from Arkansas to Indiana, the severity of the storms is anticipated to diminish as Saturday continues.

Much of the eastern US will be impacted by rain into Saturday evening. Isolated strong to severe thunderstorms may occur from the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys into the northern Gulf States, according to the Storm Prediction Center. Wind gusts, hail and an isolated tornado remain possible.

Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled the name of Kentucky emergency management Director Michael Dossett.

The-CNN-Wire

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A magnified, digital version of Jinling Tu is on show at An Era in Jinling. [For China Daily]

During his fourth inspection to southern China, Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) was presented with a rare long scroll of painting, Jinling Tu (Picture of Jinling, the historic name of Nanjing, Jiangsu Province), from the Song Dynasty.

It depicted in a variety of vivid details a booming city scene. Qianlong liked the work so much that he ordered several of his court artists to make replicas of it. One of them by Feng Ning entered the collection of Deji Art Museum in Nanjing, in 2015.

After years of intensive research on the painting involving historians and art scholars, the museum has brought the work into the public view but in a contemporary way.

A magnified, digital version of Jinling Tu is on display at An Era in Jinling, where onlookers can be immersed in the prosperous street scenery of Jinling from centuries in the past, and tour the city with more than 500 animated figures from different walks of life being depicted in the scroll painting.

It is a journey across time to not only understand the aspects of people's social lives but also to explore the economy and culture of the Song empire. The show runs through Oct 28, 2022.

A magnified, digital version of Jinling Tu is on show at An Era in Jinling. [For China Daily]

A magnified, digital version of Jinling Tu is on show at An Era in Jinling. [For China Daily]

An Era in Jinling is held at Deji Art Museum in Nanjing to celebrate its opening. [For China Daily]

An Era in Jinling is held at Deji Art Museum in Nanjing to celebrate its opening. [For China Daily]

An Era in Jinling is held at Deji Art Museum in Nanjing to celebrate its opening. [For China Daily]

(Source: chinadaily.com.cn)
Weather Alert

...The National Weather Service in Paducah KY has issued a Flood Warning for the following river in Kentucky...Illinois... Ohio River at Paducah affecting McCracken, Livingston, Pope and Massac Counties. .Rainfall last weekend has caused rises in water levels along the Lower Ohio River Basin this week. This will cause minor flooding near Paducah early next week. For the Ohio River...including Paducah, Olmsted Lock and Dam, Cairo...Minor flooding is forecast. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars through flooded areas. Caution is urged when walking near riverbanks. Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Additional information is available at www.weather.gov. && ...FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING... * WHAT...Minor flooding is forecast. * WHERE...Ohio River at Paducah. * WHEN...From Monday evening to early Wednesday morning. * IMPACTS...At 39.0 feet, Minor flooding occurs affecting mainly bottomland and surrounding low lying areas. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 11:00 AM CST Wednesday the stage was 33.6 feet. - Forecast...The river is expected to rise above flood stage Monday evening to a crest of 39.0 feet Monday evening. It will then fall below flood stage Tuesday evening. - Flood stage is 39.0 feet. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood &&

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TO 4 PM CST THURSDAY... * WHAT...Snow expected. Total snow accumulations 1 to 2 inches. Locally 3 inches possible parts of west Kentucky. * WHERE...Portions of southwest Indiana, southeast Missouri, western Kentucky and southern Illinois. * WHEN...From 6 AM to 4 PM CST Thursday. * IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning commute. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Slow down and use caution while traveling. &&
Traditional Christmas carol service planned for Bellevue Park

A Wrexham park is set to play host to a traditional Christmas carol service.

The historical bandstand in Bellevue Park will be the focus for a magical Christmas experience on Sunday 19 December.

A number of local churches in the Offa Community are coming together for a traditional service of carols and readings.

All are welcome and invited to come and sing well-known carols with Ifton Colliery Brass Band and enjoy this age-old Christmas custom under the canopy of fairy lights which have been draped through the Parks trees that surround the Bandstand.

Fr Dylan Parry Jones, of All Saints Church in Poyser St, is looking forward to being a part of this event. He said: Singing carols together will be a wonderful opportunity for all to experience the joy of celebrating the birth of our Saviour, so wrap up for the weather, lanterns are optional.

In an effort to keep paper waste to a minimum there will only be a small number of sheets printed  the carols and readings will be accessible on phones and tablets here.

The event will take place between 4pm and 5pm on Sunday 19 December at the bandstand in Bellevue Park.
Wrexham Glyndwr University appoints new next Chair of Governors

The board of Wrexham Glyndwr has appointed the Universitys next Chair of Governors.

Current chair Maxine Penlington comes to the end of her term of office on March 31 next year, and after a detailed and robust process to find a successor, the Board has approved the appointment of Dr Leigh Griffin with effect from April 1, 2022.

Leigh has more than 30 years of experience in the NHS and other sectors in various leadership roles.

The appointment comes at a time when Glyndwr is strengthening its ties with the NHS in Wales, having secured a HEIW commission to launch a raft of new health and nursing courses which will bolster the local health workforce in the coming years.

Plans are also progressing for the development of a new Health Education and Innovation Quarter at the Universitys Plas Coch campus as part of the wider Campus 2025 Masterplan, investing in facilities and specialist spaces across the universitys broad range of subjects offered such as in Business, the Arts and Engineering.

Leigh graduated with a BA in Geography from University of Wales and went on to complete his PhD in the epidemiology of mental ill-health/statistical modelling at University of Bristol.

He has led a number commissioning and commissioning support organisations, managed complex programmes of change, and has a strong track record of strategic leadership, turnaround, and transformational change. He retired from the NHS in 2016.

Having chaired numerous NHS Board meetings, Leigh demonstrated a comprehensive knowledge of governance, risk, financial probity and health and performance improvement with a strong strategic focus.

During the last 10 years, he has also undertaken a range of Non-Executive and trustee roles, including since 2018 as a Non-Executive member of the Board of the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust where he is Chair of the Charitable Funds Committee and acts as the Trusts well-being guardian.

He is also a trustee for the Brandon Trust which provides support for people with learning disabilities and autism.

Leigh, who lives in Shropshire, has a passion for education and the transformational change it can make to the lives of people of all ages and social backgrounds.

Commenting on his appointment to be Wrexham Glyndwr Universitys next Chair of Governors, Leigh said: Im absolutely delighted to join the team at Wrexham Glyndwr and support the continued growth and success of this fantastic university.

The university is an anchor institution and Im particularly keen on the role it has in supporting the development of communities across North East Wales. I have been greatly impressed by Wrexham Glyndwrs commitment to social inclusion and community engagement.

Current chair, Maxine Penlington said: I am delighted that Leigh has been appointed by the Board of Governors to replace me as of 1 April 2022. Im looking forward to working closely with him over the coming months to achieve a successful handover. I have every confidence that he will be a great asset to the university

Wrexham Glyndwr University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Maria Hinfelaar said: Following nearly six excellent years with Maxine as Chair of the Board, we are now heading into a new era with Leigh taking over in a few months time.

I look forward to welcoming him to the university community.
Frightened Corgi-Mix Found Taped Inside Box Left in Porta-Potty at Construction Site: Police

Brookline Police Department/Facebook

Police in Brookline, Mass., are looking for information after a Corgi mix was found taped inside a box that was left in a Porta-Potty.

The 22-lbs. female dog, who is believed to be around 5 years old, was discovered inside the portable restroom on a construction site at 19 Colchester Street around 10 p.m. local time on Thursday, according to a statement posted on Facebook by MSPCA-Angell.

The humane society said the Corgi mix appeared to have freed her front legs from an O-Cedar EasyWring mop and bucket box when she arrived at the Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston for evaluation.

A bystander called police after hearing the dog barking inside the enclosure, according to WCVB.

RELATED: Fire Crew Rescues Dog Stuck on a Frozen Pond in Upstate New York

"The dog is unharmed and stable, but frightened  and is now resting at the MSPCA's Jamaica Plain adoption center," the humane society said on social media.

"These situations are always perplexing to us and disheartening for us to see," said MSPCA spokesperson Mike Keiley in an interview with WCVB.

"That's a scary experience for an animal to go through," he later added. "I think certainly in the wintertime, especially the cold plays a factor in addition to the other parts that are dangerous for the animal."

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Keiley noted that the dog has made "great progress" and "started to show much more [of her] sweet side" since being taken in by the MSPCA.

The MSPCA added that the abandoned dog was not wearing a collar or identification tags and is not microchipped. The humane society is giving the owner a week to come forward, but ultimately expects the Corgi mix to go up for adoption, according to WCVB.

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"Our next objective is to make sure that she's in a place where something like this will never happen to her again," said Keiley.

RELATED: Worried Owners Take Dog Who Makes Funny Faces to Vet And Find Pup Is Just Doing it For Attention

Detectives are asking residents in the area of Colchester Street to check their security systems for footage of the incident, according to posts on the Brookline Police's social media accounts.

Police are looking for any information regarding the dog or its owner as they investigate the incident. Anyone with information is asked to call the Brookline Police Department tip line at 617-730-2730 or the MSPCA's Law Enforcement Department at 800-522-6008.
Author Anne Rice signs books during Entertainment Weekly's PopFest at The Reef on October 29, 2016 in Los Angeles, California.

Joe Scarnici/Getty

Anne Rice, the beloved author behind the 1976 novel Interview with the Vampire, has died. She was 80.

On Saturday evening, Anne's son, Christopher Rice, announced her death in a social media statement shared on Facebook.

Christopher said his mother died of complications from a stroke and will be buried in a family mausoleum at Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans in a private ceremony.

A public memorial is also planned for sometime next year in the Louisiana city, Christopher added.

RELATED: Celebrities Who've Died in 2021

In his Facebook statement, Christoper wrote that Anne "left us almost 19 years to the day my father, her husband Stan, died."

"The immensity of our family's grief cannot be overstated," he added.

Christoper also wrote that Anne was surrounded by her family before her death. "In her final hours, I sat beside her hospital bed in awe of her accomplishments and her courage, awash in memories of a life that took us from the fog laced hills of the San Francisco Bay Area to the magical streets of New Orleans to the twinkling vistas of Southern California," Christopher shared.

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"As she kissed Anne goodbye, her younger sister Karen said, 'What a ride you took us on, kid.' I think we can all agree," he continued.

INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE, from left: Kirsten Dunst, Tom Cruise, 1994.

Warner Bros. / courtesy Everett Collection

Born in New Orleans on Oct. 4, 1941, Anne's biggest success was her debut novel, Interview with the Vampire. Lestat, the main character in the book, would later become an important part of her The Vampire Chronicles series.

In 1997, Anne's novel was turned into a film starring Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas, Christian Slater, and Kirsten Dunst. Anne adapted the screenplay from her book and the film went on to earn two Oscar nominations.

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RELATED: Kirsten Dunst Recalls Tom Cruise 'Rooting for Me' During Her Interview with the Vampire Audition

Earlier this year, AMC announced that it had moved ahead with plans for a scripted television series based on Anne's popular novel, per The Hollywood Reporter. The show is scheduled to premiere sometime next year.

Alongside Interview with the Vampire, and it's subsequent sequels, Anne also penned a pair of historical novels  1979's The Feast of All Saints and 1982's Cry to Heaven  and an erotic Sleeping Beauty series, among others.
Hamaguchi Ryusukes Drive My Car, Japans entry to the Academy Awards international category, looks to be the odds on favorite from Asia to win the category.

The drama with a theater world backdrop follows the trajectory of South Korean four-statuette winner Parasite in that it began its winning ways at Cannes and is festooned with awards en route to the Oscars. Parasite won the Palme dOr, which Drive My Car did not, with that honor this year going to Julia Ducournaus Titane, which became Frances entry to the category. It also recently won at the New York Film Critics Circle.

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Nevertheless, Drive My Car won three awards at Cannes and has the added advantage of U.S. distribution, where it is currently on theatrical release.

The 2008 win for Takita Yojiros Departures remains Japans only win since the category was made competitive in 1956.

While Korean Ryoo Seung-wans Escape From Mogadishu, in which North and South Korean embassy staff try to flee war-torn Somalia, does not have quite the momentum that Parasite did, the country is very much the flavor du jour as the resounding success of Squid Game and the growing popularity of Hellbound proves.

Taiwans entries to the category are typically strong and this year is no different with Chung Mong-hongs The Falls, which bowed at Venice and is also topical, being a drama set amidst COVID-19 quarantine.

If it is inspirational fare that Academy voters are after, they need look no further than the Hong Kong entry, Jimmy Wans Zero to Hero, which traces the journey of So Wa Wai, the territorys first athlete to win gold at the Paralympic Games.

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China has its best opportunity in years with spy thriller Cliff Walkers, which has a globally respected filmmaker in Zhang Yimou. Oscar voters are well familiar with the filmmaker as the only two times China has secured nominations are for his Ju Dou and Hero. While Cliff Walkers is nowhere near as jingoistic as some recent efforts from the Middle Kingdom, it is still staunchly nationalistic.

From Southeast Asia, the frontrunner is Kamila Andinis girl empowerment tale Yuni, which won a prize at Toronto, while the Cambodian entry White Building, Kavich Neangs nostalgic look at a demolished iconic Phnom Penh structure, won a top award at Venice.

The chances of Singapores entry, Wayne Pengs Precious Is the Night, an elegant mystery thriller, and Malaysian entry, Muzzamer Rahmans Hail Driver! set in the world of illegal cabs, depend entirely on the awards campaigns mounted by the film teams. From Thailand, Banjong Pisanthanakuns supernatural horror mockumentary The Medium, is a box office success, but it remains to be seen if the genre is embraced by Oscar voters.

In South Asia, there isnt an entry from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan where films are frowned upon. However, Afghanistan is the setting of the Australian entry, Granaz Moussavis When Pomegranates Howl, which follows a 9-year-old boy who works on the streets of Kabul. The strong global interest in Afghanistan and its exiled artists, coupled with the poignant subject matter could mean that the film is in with a shout.

The South Asian regional powerhouse India has flattered to deceive with just three nominations since the category began and in some years the countrys choice of entry has been baffling. The Indian entry this year, P. S. Vinothrajs Pebbles, is a sound choice. The Tamil-language film, which looks at the relationship between a boy and his abusive, alcoholic father, won the top prize at Rotterdam and has displayed robust legs on the festival circuit.

Bangladesh also has a strong contender in Abdullah Mohammad Saads Rehana, featuring a towering central performance from Azmeri Haque Badhon as a teacher in a deeply patriarchal society who raises her voice against a sexual assault she has witnessed. The film debuted at Cannes and has been a mainstay on the festival circuit.

After several years of submitting entries, Pakistan does not have a contender this year and nor does Nepal. Bhutan had submitted Pawo Choyning Dorjis Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom last year, but it was disqualified and has been resubmitted this year. The films theme, that of a teacher on a remote posting who braves the elements and the facilities, is awards friendly and it won big at Palm Springs in 2020. It could therefore find favor with Academy voters too provided it has enough visibility.

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Since the beginning of this school year and through the final four months of state budget negotiations, we at the North Carolina Association of Educators advocated for meaningful salary increases, increased classroom funding and a fulfillment of the Leandro mandate. But above all, we fought for recognition of whats happening in our public schools across the state.

Teachers and support staff are exhausted, overworked, and their frustration has reached a boiling point. We fear the budget is too little, too late for too many.

Its been more than 10 years since education funding was slashed during the Great Recession, and its never recovered. Its been three years since the last pay raise for educators. And its been almost two years since public education was fundamentally altered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Underfunding alone was already taking a toll on our public schools. Weve been losing good teachers and staff for more than a decade, but when you add in the stress and safety concerns of the pandemic without any corresponding appreciation from state lawmakers, the educator exodus took flight.

Now that we are in the middle of a pandemic and a staff vacancy crisis, educators have every reason to be disappointed in the new state budget. The N.C. General Assembly had the funds available to give bigger raises and show appreciation to the educators that are working harder and longer hours than ever before. However, state lawmakers chose to do the bare minimum.

We could have fully funded our constitutional mandate to provide a high-quality public education for every child. Instead, lawmakers chose more than $2 billion in new tax cuts over our childrens education.

There were some victories, including an increased minimum wage for support staff and a hold harmless clause that will protect local school budgets in this turbulent period. But considering what was possible, the bare minimum is not enough.

And while we may be disappointed in the outcome, we must continue our mission as educators  to provide every child, regardless of their race, background, or zip code, a high-quality public education and a chance to pursue their dreams. Yet some politicians in this state remain committed to stymieing public education at every turn. Their obstruction only fuels educators growing frustration.

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The pot finally boiled over in Wake County a month ago when bus drivers bravely took a stand for higher pay and more respect. Two weeks later, bus drivers in Cumberland County joined the fight, along with Wake cafeteria workers days later. Educators organized and won $4,000 bonuses in Rockingham County and $3,000 in Asheville along with other concessions.

Its no surprise that school employees are organizing and using their collective power to demand change at the local level. They are fed up, tired of being ignored, and are activated by the inaction of state politicians who are willfully ignoring the growing crisis within our schools.

Its been more than two years since thousands of teachers marched through downtown Raleigh to have their voices heard, but legislators still arent listening. Maybe when educators start marching through their hometowns they will finally start to notice.

Tamika Walker Kelly is President of the North Carolina Association of Educators and a 14-year veteran teacher of the Cumberland County Schools.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: To get better pay NC teachers may need to march in the streets locally
Dinner was in just a few hours and the staff at Indiana Youth Group was packed into the kitchen, each with a dish to prepare.

There was turkey plus multiple sides from vegan mashed potatoes to several types of chili and pies as well as rainbow-colored Rice Krispies treats and other desserts.

It was the day before Thanksgiving, and everyone was extra excited for the harvest celebration, something that wasnt possible in person last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said Belinda Drake, director of youth services.

Its a time for the staff and the youth to come together in community and fellowship, Drake said.

Among the staff members in the kitchen was Berley Woolen, the youth and center specialist.

Make a difference today: Give to IndyStar Season for Sharing

As a teen, one of Woolens closest friends encouraged her to come to Indiana Youth Group. She said the center gave her a space to relax and be herself around others, as well as was a place to build a community that turned into an extended family.

At Indiana Youth Group, LGBTQ+ youth ages 12-24 can have help with basic needs such as food and clothes but participate in programming to educate them and empower their voices.

Indiana Youth Group's Faye Pudlo, left, and Olivia Figueroa help to make a holiday meal for the annual Youth Harvest Celebration on Wed. Nov. 24, 2021, at the Indiana Youth Group building on Meridian St. in Indianapolis.

The center is a place to help whether LGBTQ+ youth can be themselves and come for help finding a place to live or to just find someone who will listen, Drake said. IYG also has Project Prism, a rapid re-housing and life skills program to help young adults find a place to live and learn the skills to live on their own.

After going to college and moving away, Woolen moved back to Indianapolis about two years ago and went to IYG to sign up to volunteer. Thats when she found out the volunteer coordinator job was open. She applied and was hired. Woolen recently moved to her current role at the center.

It wasnt so much a want (to return) as a calling, Woolen said of joining the IYG staff.

'The need keeps increasing'

When the pandemic halted in-person services, IYG launched a virtual version to still provide services to young people.

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Thousands of sessions later, it shows that the pandemic increased the need for LGBTQ+ people to find a space where they can be safe and comfortable to be their full selves, Drake said, adding that it also showed the greater need outside of Indianapolis as well.

Were growing so fast, Drake said. The need keeps increasing.

And IYG will soon be adding another service: mental health.

Drake said the center doesnt have mental health services currently and the places to turn are limited. But thanks to the Indianapolis Colts Kicking the Stigma Action Fund, which provides grants to nonprofits working in education, support and advocacy of mental health, IYG received a grant and plans to hire a therapist next year.

And that points back to the original mission of IYG more than 30 years ago when it operated as a suicide prevention call center, Drake said, adding that having an in-house therapist will take services to the next level.

That is going to make a lot of change for the youth that we serve, she said.

The impact of IYG has a ripple effect, Woolen said, adding that she sees people that she met at IYG years ago and its like catching up with extended family.

And now theres a new generation of young people at IYG, building that community and learning how to be a positive change in the world.

Honestly I dont have words, Woolen said of IYGs impact.

What is your organizations mission?

Drake said IYGs mission has been consistent since it began in 1987  to provide a safe space and community for LGBTQ youth as well as give them a sense of belonging and the tools to magnify their voices and be their full selves.

How many people do you serve?

From July 2020 to the end of June 2021, IYG served more than 300 young people for basic needs and out more than 125,000 meals.

During the pandemic, the center had more than 35,000 virtual meetings with youth from across Indiana as well as some in other states. The center reopened for in-person services late this summer and has served more than 150 young people in-person.

What is your No. 1 need?

IYGs holiday party is Dec. 17 and the center is in need of donations of winter items such as coats, gloves and scarves, as well as socks, blankets, headphones and gift cards to give out to young people in need of support, Drake said. Donations can be dropped off at the center from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

She said people can also make financial donations on the IYG website to support Project Prism. Go to indianayouthgroup.org/giving.

How can people get involved?

In addition to the above donations, Drake says the center is always in need of donations of coats, shoes and clothes that can also be dropped of at the center from 3 to 7 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Another way people can help is to volunteer. More information is on the centers website at indianayouthgroup.org/get-involved.

Make a difference with IndyStar: Support Season for Sharing

The shared mission of IndyStars Our Children initiative and annual Season for Sharing campaign is to harness the power of journalism to make a difference in the lives of Central Indiana youth. We invite you to join us by making a financial contribution. The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust will generously match donations up to $25,000. All charitable donations are tax-deductible.

This year, grants will be awarded to organizations that have gone above and beyond in serving Central Indiana children and families amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Go to indystar.com/ocdonate to give online. If you prefer to send a check, please mail to: Central Indiana Community Foundation, Attn: Our Children, 615 N. Alabama St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46204. You also can donate by texting SHARING to 80888.

Call IndyStar education reporter MJ Slaby at 317-447-1586 or email her at mslaby@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @mjslaby.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Season for Sharing: LGBTQ+ youth find community at Indiana Youth Group
An Asheville man charged with first-degree murder in the Nov. 18 shooting death of Kedrick Tevon Green, was taken into custody early Dec. 12 in Elizabeth City by the U.S. Marshal's Service, according to a Buncombe County Sheriff's news statement.

Alfred Louis Logan Jr., 42, was armed with a handgun at the time of his arrest, the statement says.

Sheriff's detectives are traveling to Elizabeth City, which is on the North Carolina coast, to take custody of the handgun and additional evidence that may be related to Green's death.

Law enforcement located Green, 29, of Asheville, dead in his vehicle at an apartment complex off Christ School Road in Arden around 8:30 a.m. Nov. 18.

More: Buncombe County Sheriff's Office investigating two homicides Nov. 18 in Arden, Swannanoa

On Dec. 1, the Sheriff's Office charged Logan with first-degree murder but were not able to locate him.

Logan's girlfriend has also been charged in connection with Green's killing. The Sheriffs Office has charged Lindsey Nicole Calton of Buncombe County with felony accessory after the fact of first-degree murder and felony obstruction of justice, according to the news release.

"This ongoing investigation has revealed Ms. Calton fled Buncombe County with Mr. Logan and committed violent crimes in other jurisdictions," the release states.

"Ms. Calton was taken into custody in Irondale, Alabama earlier this week. Detectives from the Sheriffs Office traveled to Irondale on Thursday to conduct interviews."

Green's death is one of six homicides being investigated in Buncombe County so far in 2021.

More: 52-year-old man shot to death in Candler; woman charged with murder

More: Father of slain Woodfin teen reflects on loss of son who came to US for 'better life'

This has been a detailed and time-consuming homicide investigation," Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller said in a statement. "I would like to convey my sincere thanks to our Detectives and all others involved for their attention to detail, relentless determination and timely response starting on November 18th.

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The investigation remains ongoing.

News tips? Email Karen Chavez, Investigations Editor, at KChavez@CitizenTimes.com.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: US Marshals arrest Asheville NC man charged with first degree murder
Megan Thee Stallion

Source: Kennedi Carter / Glamour Magazine

Congratulations to Megan Thee Stallion as the rapper has officially walked across the stage, making her a 2021 graduate of Texas Southern University!

The rapper graduated from the College of Pharmacy & Health Services at Texas Southern in a public graduation ceremony this afternoon where she earned her bachelors degree in health administration. Upon walking across the stage the 26-year-old Grammy winner was greeted with celebratory cheers of support and congratulations from her fellow colleagues and fans alike. Check out some of the clips from the ceremony below.

Megan Thee Stallion walks in with the other graduates of the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences #MeganTheeGraduate pic.twitter.com/Q25Rc9TMOS  philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) December 11, 2021

Megs school also celebrated her big accomplishment, tweeting a video of the rapper walking across the stage and supporting Thee Megan Fund to help other students graduate from college, just like her.

The Savage rapper later took to Instagram to share pictures from her big day, posting a gorgeous IG carousel of herself wearing her cap and gown, sporting her schools colors. 

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Meg Thee Graduate , she captioned the post. I know my parents are looking down on me so proud Thank you everyone for all the love today.





Check it out below!

But today isnt the only day the rapper has been sharing graduation posts to her IG feed. Earlier this week, she posted a photo of her wearing her schools swag where she announced her latest business venture as a Nike Yardrunner.

And just last month, the rapper took to Instagram to share a few of her graduation photos, calling herself the hometown hottie and giving fans details about the upcoming ceremony.

She also shared her decked out graduation cap where she added her hot girl slogan to her blinged out cap.

Congratulations to the hot girl grad!

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Buffalo Dale

Welcome back: Its 6:30 a.m. Thursday morning at McAlester State Prison, the last 3 1/2 hours of convicted murderer Bigler Stouffers life and youre here with me. The visitors waiting room which sits behind the walls is where reporters wait before the execution.

For John Grants execution on Oct. 28, the first in a long line of executions to be undertaken by the state, there were dozens of reporters in attendance. It was the same for Julius Jones, who as you know got a reprieve from the governor. This time there were far fewer press people at the prison and only a dozen protesters outside perhaps because the state changed the time of the execution from 4 p.m. to 10 a.m. It could be that with the third execution getting to be a regular thing, it just doesnt attract as much attention from the media.

Regardless, Bigler Stouffer killed Linda Reaves back in 1985, hed been on death row for 16 years and today justice would be delivered. These are the procedures I went through as a media witness to his execution:

The media center opened at 6 a.m. All media witnesses were expected to arrive no later than 7:30 a.m. No one was allowed on the grounds after 8 a.m.

The gates to the Oklahoma State Penitentiary were closed at 9 a.m. and did not reopen until after the execution process was completed.

A total of five media witnesses were allowed to view the execution. One seat was reserved for a local media representative from the town where the crime was committed, one was reserved for a representative with the Associated Press and the three remaining seats were determined by a lottery among the attendees.

At approximately 8 a.m. the drawing was held to select the other three media witnesses.

The selected media witnesses were then searched, provided with a notepad and pencil for note taking and led to a waiting van.

The five were then transported to a designated location within H Unit at 9 a.m. by the Department of Corrections liaison.

When they arrived at H Unit, they were searched again and asked to provide their state issued photo identification.

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Next, they were escorted to a staging area by the DOC liaison where they waited until the time of the execution. The liaison was notified by radio when it was time to escort them into the witness room and show them to their seats where they were facing a window with a drawn curtain.

When the curtain rose, Stouffer was already secured to the bed with intravenous lines in place with an electrocardiogram hooked up to monitor his heart.

By request, the inmates spiritual advisor was in the room with him along with one other person who read the order of execution. After the order was read, the inmate was asked if he had any last words.

The inmate said that he was sorry for the things he had done in his life but, as in the past, he also said he was an innocent man. After he spoke, the execution began.

After the first chemical was administered intended to put him to sleep, a doctor entered the room and checked for consciousness. After the inmate was confirmed to be unconscious, the second and third chemicals were administered. This time everything went as expected and 16 minutes later Dr. Cox with the state entered the execution room and announced the time of death. Immediately after his announcement, the curtain closed blocking the view of the execution room.

The media witnesses were told to remain seated until the DOC liaison called on them to exit the room.

The dignitaries and inmate witnesses left first, followed by the media witnesses, then the victim witnesses.

Inmate Stouffer did not request a last meal, so at 6:59 p.m. he was served the same meal as all the other inmates: a chicken patty, two pieces of bread, fries, broccoli, mixed fruit, two cookies, a fruit drink and a bottle of water.

I wrote about John Grants October execution along with all the procedures you go through behind the prison walls in an earlier column. If you missed that story, you can find it on my website originalbuffalodale.com.

Up next for execution on Jan. 27 is Donald Grant for the murders of Brenda McElyea and Suzette Smith in 2001. Grant has been on death row for 20 years.

Till next time Ill see ya down the road ....

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Buffalo Dale: Oklahoma executes Bigler Stouffer
TIPTONVILLE, TENN.  A North Florida family that has already lost two people from the tornado that hit Reelfoot Lake State Park late Friday night is missing a third family member.

Ashleigh Hall said her dad, Jamie Antonio Hall, was one of a group of eight who traveled from Tallahassee to Tiptonville to go duck hunting for the weekend.

We still havent located him or heard from him, Ashleigh said during a phone interview about 1 p.m on Saturday.

The death toll from a series of tornadoes that roared across at least five states continued to rise Sunday, as somber rescuers picked through the rubble of shattered buildings and communities, searching for survivors and remains.

More than 30 tornadoes were reported late Friday, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Kentucky was the hardest hit, with at least 70 confirmed fatalities early Sunday, but scores more people were missing and feared dead elsewhere.

More: 'We're hoping for miracles': Death toll from tornadoes surpasses 60, expected to rise

Jamie Antonio Hall

Tornadoes: Multiple counties in northwest Tennessee suffer damage from tornadoes Friday night

Jackson weather radar: Track storm forecast and possible tornado warnings

The group from Floridas capital city was staying at the Cypress Point Resort. A couple hours before the storms got to Lake County, Hall, his brother Steve Gunn and Gunn's young son, Grays all went to bed. The other five in the group were getting concerned about the storms and went to the resort's clubhouse to hang out and watch the storm come through, not knowing how big it would be.

Were from Florida, so were used to staying put during a hurricane, but tornadoes are different, and they didnt expect a tornado to hit the hotel as directly as it did, Ashleigh Hall said.

Tornado damage is seen at Cypress Lodge and Resort at Reelfoot Lake State Park in Tennessee on Dec. 11, 2021.

The bodies of Gunn and his son were recovered early Saturday morning. But theres still no word on Jamie.

Ashleigh said family members were traveling to Tiptonville on Saturday to help look for her father.

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Hes a heavy-set middle-aged Black man, and he was wearing his camouflage duck-hunting gear on Friday, Ashleigh said. So hopefully someone can find him and get him back to us."

Hall is a mortgage loan officer at Prime Meridian Bank.

Jamie Hall is a prince of a man. Literally hes just good people," Bank CEO and President Sammie Dixon told the Tallahassee Democrat. "We continue to pray for his recovery and we havent lost hope.

Another member of their group identified Gunn and his son at the morgue after their bodies were recovered from the debris of Cypress Point.

Please continue to keep our family in your prayers as we go through this terrible time, Ashleigh told WCTV Sunday morning.

An online GoFundMe fundraiser was launched Sunday afternoon for the Gunn family to cover funeral expenses at https://gofund.me/55dbe280.

"Steve and Grayson arrived in Tiptonville, TN on Friday looking forward to a weekend of duck hunting on Lake Reelfoot only to have their lives taken by the tornados that ravaged the area that evening," the fundraiser says. "The world lost 2 true southern gentleman this weekend."

Tallahassee Democrat Editor William Hatfield contributed to this report. Reach Brandon Shields at bjshields@jacksonsun.com or at 731-425-9751. Follow him on Twitter @JSEditorBrandon or on Instagram at editorbrandon.

Never miss a story: Subscribe to the Tallahassee Democrat using the link at the top of the page.

This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: Midwest tornadoes kill local man and son, Tallahassee father missing
Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida and the former White House advisor Steve Bannon on Thursday floated the idea that an organized "army of patriots" could take over the government if Donald Trump were to win in 2024. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Rep. Matt Gaetz and Steve Bannon mused about the chance of a 2024 presidential win by Donald Trump.

Gaetz said an "army of patriots" should get ready now to "fight" for the US.

Bannon said "shock troops" divided into teams could take over some 4,000 government positions.

Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida and the former White House advisor Steve Bannon floated an idea that an "army of patriots" and "shock troops" should be prepared to take over the government if former President Donald Trump were to run and win in 2024.

During Thursday's episode of Bannon's "War Room" podcast, he and Gaetz outlined their plan if Trump should win.

Trump has not yet publicly announced he is running in 2024.

"People didn't like that Donald Trump raised his voice, but sometimes you gotta raise your voice to raise a ruckus and to raise an army of patriots who love this country and will fight for her," Gaetz said.

"We're going to operationalize the performance to go right after the people who are imposing the vaccine mandates, who are enriching themselves, and who are selling out the country," Gaetz added.

Bannon then went on to suggest to a nodding Gaetz that there should be a "theory of governing" before elaborating on what his plan would be if Trump were to be president again.

"It's fresh and it's new. This is Trumpism in power. That's when we went to the 4,000 shock troops we have to have that's going to man the government. Get them ready now. Right?" Bannon said. "We're going to hit the beach with the landing teams and the beachhead teams and all that nomenclature they use when President Trump wins in 2024  or before."

Bannon went on to suggest that these 4,000 shock troops would then become "political appointees."

"On Capitol Hill, you're going to have Gaetz, and others," Bannon said. "No more powderpuff derby. This is going to be hardcore accountability at every committee."

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"And we're going to go after this administrative state and we're going to start at the Department of Justice and the FBI. That's the job I want. You know, send me over to the Judiciary Committee and their sphincters will tighten because they have been doing a lot of corrupt things over there," Gaetz said in response to Bannon's suggestion.

It is unclear what Gaetz and Bannon meant, specifically, with references to an "army of patriots" and "shock troops."

Gaetz responded to Insider's request for comment with a tweet implying his remarks were a metaphor and claiming the reporter was being "a tad literal" about his comments.

Representatives for Bannon did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.

In October, Bannon made a similar, albeit less detailed suggestion when calling into NBC News.

"If you're going to take over the administrative state and deconstruct it, then you have to have shock troops prepared to take it over immediately," Bannon said. "I gave 'em fire and brimstone."

In November, Bannon appeared in court to face criminal contempt charges for defying a subpoena to sit for a deposition and produce documents related to the January 6 Capitol riot. The former White House chief strategist faces two criminal contempt-of-Congress charges, and his trial date is set for July 18.

Read the original article on Insider
An artist's conception of the James Webb Space Telescope. NASA GSFC/CIL/Adriana Manrique Gutierrez

NASA is about to open a never-before-seen window into the cosmos. Starting next year, astronomers should be able to peer into the atmospheres of planets orbiting distant stars, analyze the aftermath of the universe's most violent collisions, and look further back in time than ever before.

That's because the James Webb Space Telescope  JWST, or simply "Webb," for short  is folded up, full of fuel, and loaded onto a rocket in French Guiana.

NASA's last game-changing space observatory, the Hubble Space Telescope, launched in 1990. It, too, was on a mission to document the 13.8-billion-year history of the universe.

Hubble is still observing the cosmos, and NASA hopes to keep using it for a few more years, possibly into the 2030s. But Hubble could only see so far, and Webb is designed to see even farther.

In collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency, NASA has spent decades and more than $10 billion building Webb, which is set to launch into space as soon as December 24. While Webb was first conceived of in the 1990s and originally slated to cost $500 million, a redesign and delays both drove up its price tag and pushed back its launch date.

After launch, if all goes according to plan, Webb will spend six months unfolding and adjusting itself, falling into an orbit 1 million miles from Earth. Then it can begin rewriting cosmic history.

The James Webb Space Telescope is unpacked and lifted vertically in a cleanroom at Guiana Space Center in French Guiana, on October 15, 2021 NASA/Chris Gunn

The telescope's main project is to investigate how galaxies formed and grew after the Big Bang  peering into the universe's depths to capture images of the first galaxies ever formed. Its infrared cameras are so powerful and precise that they could spot a bumblebee 240,000 miles away  the distance between Earth and the moon.

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Webb will also help astronomers investigate mysteries they hadn't considered when NASA first designed the telescope.

"Webb has this broad power to reveal the unexpected. We can plan what we think we're going to see, but at the end of the day, we know that nature will surprise us more often than not," Klaus Pontoppidan, a Webb scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute, said in a press briefing on November 18.

NASA expects the telescope to probe the secrets of the cosmos for at least a decade. Even the telescope's first year in space is jam-packed, with nearly 400 investigations from thousands of scientists all over the world, Pontoppidan said.

From peering at Mars to investigating ancient galaxies, here are a few of the most exciting projects that Webb  the most powerful space telescope ever built  is expected to tackle in its first year:

Light from the first galaxies is still traveling to Earth, and Webb may spot it

The Hubble Ultra Deep Field is the deepest visible-light image of the cosmos. It includes nearly 10,000 galaxies. NASA, ESA, and S. Beckwith (STScI) and the HUDF Team

As a telescope peers into the distance, it's also looking back in time. That's because it takes time for light to travel. When you look at the sun  please, don't!  you're seeing light that our star emitted eight minutes ago. When Hubble looks at distant galaxies, it's seeing light from billions of years ago, as far back as 400 million years after the Big Bang.

"We have this 13.8-billion-year story  the universe  and we're missing sort of a few key paragraphs in the very first chapter of the story," Amber Straughn, a scientist on NASA's Webb team, said in the November 18 briefing. "JWST was designed to help us find those first galaxies."

Webb is expected to spot galaxies that formed when the universe was just 100 million years old.

It's 100 times more powerful than Hubble. It's also using infrared light, which has wavelengths that can cut through dust clouds that may have obscured Hubble's view, which relied on visible light.

Webb should see deeper into the cosmos and detect galaxies  the first ones formed after the Big Bang  that are too distant and faint for Hubble to pick up.

Looking for gold forged by the universe's most violent collisions

A supercomputer simulation of a pair of neutron stars colliding, merging, and forming a black hole. NASA Goddard

For the last six years, gravitational-wave detectors on Earth have been sensing ripples in space-time created by the most violent events in the cosmos: black holes and neutron stars crashing into one another.

Scientists think these collisions forged most of the universe's heavy elements, like silver, gold, and platinum. Webb will try to confirm that by focusing on distant collisions of neutron stars  the dense cores of stars that have collapsed, ejected their outer layers, and died.

Webb will be able to analyze the entire spectrum of infrared light from those collisions. That will allow astronomers to indentify individual elements like gold or platinum in the explosion debris, based on their wavelengths of light.

This method, called spectroscopy, will help astronomers learn about other objects Webb studies, too.

"Spectra will be the bulk of the science," Antonella Nota, a Webb scientist who leads the ESA office at the Space Telescope Science Institute, said in the briefing. "While an image, we say is worth 1,000 words, spectra for astronomers are just worth 1,000 images."

Our first glimpse at the atmospheres of planets that could host life

An artist's impression of the super-Earth exoplanet K2-18b. ESA/Hubble, M. Kornmesser

When it's not busy studying the most massive objects and ancient galaxies in the universe, Webb will search for less extreme environments, worlds where conditions could be just right to give rise to life.

Exoplanets  worlds orbiting other stars  were barely a field of study when NASA began designing Webb. Two decades later, astronomers have identified dozens of exoplanets that could be temperate enough for alien life. They're not too cold, not too hot, just right for water  but only if they have hospitable atmospheres.

Webb will watch potentially habitable exoplanets pass in front of their stars, and analyze the spectra of starlight that shines through the planets' atmospheres. That spectroscopy will indicate to scientists whether the air on other worlds contains compounds that could point to life, like carbon dioxide, methane, or water.

"This telescope is definitely our next big step in our search for potentially habitable planets," Straughn said.

The James Webb Space Telescope in a Northrop Grumman cleanroom in Redondo Beach, California, on March 4, 2020. NASA/Chris Gunn

These aren't necessarily Earth-like planets. Stars like the sun are so big and bright that Webb wouldn't be able to see the tiny Earth-like planets orbiting them. That's a job for the next great space telescope. Instead, Webb will look at rock planets orbiting stars that are much smaller and dimmer.

Some of its first targets will be planets circling a small star, TRAPPIST-1, just 39 light-years away.

The star has seven rocky planets, three of them in its "Goldilocks zone," meaning they're just the right distance to have temperatures that would allow liquid water to exist on their surfaces.

An artistic rendering of what it might look like on the surface of the planet TRAPPIST-1f. NASA/JPL-Caltech

Webb is also set to zoom in on uninhabitable, but fascinatingly extreme, planets. At least one of the planets on its roster is so close to its star that its surface is molten, and it may even rain lava there. Webb should be able to detect that lava rain.

The telescope will also examine every object in our solar system, starting with Mars and working its way outward to the icy objects beyond Pluto.

In those planets, stars, and galaxies, near and far, Webb is sure to uncover major surprises.

"Webb will probably also reveal new questions for future generations of scientists to answer  some of whom may not even be born yet," Pontoppidan said.

This post has been updated with new information. It was originally published on December 11, 2021.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Assistant prosecutor Athina Siringas questions Kwame Kilpatrick, former mayor, on the witness stand during his restitution hearing at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in Detroit on Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2009 WILLIAM ARCHIE/Detroit Free Press

In the courtroom, Athina Siringas was a force to be reckoned with, a fierce and fearless advocate for crime victims and their families who relied on the passionate and focused prosecutor to deliver them justice  which she did for two decades.

Siringas, a longtime assistant prosecutor at the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office who put away killers and rapists and also handled the historic perjury case of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, died Friday following a long battle with ovarian cancer. She was 63.

At her bedside were her husband and daughter, Kalli Siringas, who wants the world to remember her mother as a generous, loving and driven woman who dedicated her life to helping others. Her mom worked tirelessly up until the end, she said, noting Athina Siringas took work calls from her bed during her illness, passionately discussing criminal cases with police officers and inquiring about the status of various cases.

"She never wanted to focus on her illness, she was only concerned with life and living," Kalli Siringas said through tears. "She never wanted to stop working ... she didnt know how to do that. She loved her work. That was a part of her well-being."

Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor Athina Siringas, 63, pictured left, poses in this 2021 photo with her daughter, Kalli. The veteran prosecutor died Friday, Dec. 10, after a long battle with ovarian cancer.

Siringas was the chief of the Special Prosecutions Divisions, which included the homicide and major drug units, community prosecutions and violent crimes. She joined the Wayne County Prosecutors Office in 2001, when Mayor Mike Duggan was the prosecutor, and quickly rose through the ranks.

"There are people who come into your life from time to time that from the moment you meet them they will have significant impact. Athina was definitely one of them," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement Friday. "She was the epitome of a strong, successful woman: smart, opinionated, passionate, principled and fearless."

More: Detroit trailblazer Judge Karen Fort Hood has died: 'She was one of a kind'

More: Jean Ledwith King, Ann Arbor attorney who championed gender equity, dies

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Worthy added: "Athina was a fabulous mom, a loving wife, a hell of a lawyer and advocate, and an all around grand person."

Over the years in the prosecutor's office, Siringas established herself as an aggressive trial attorney and dogged pursuer of justice.

Her most high-profile case as a prosecutor came in 2008: the text messaging scandal that drove Kilpatrick from office and landed him behind bars.

Between 2008 and 2010, Siringas was a member of the prosecution team that

investigated, charged and convicted Kilpatrick and his Chief of Staff Christine Beatty, both of whom lied about their affair and their roles in the firing of a deputy police chief in a whistleblower lawsuit.

Former Mayor of Detroit Kwame Kilpatrick takes a look at paperwork given to him by prosecutor Athina Siringas about his finances in front of Judge David Groner. Kilpatrick is attending a hearing about his finances in front of Judge David Groner at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in Detroit on Thursday Oct. 29, 2009._Eric Seals/Detroit Free Press

More than a decade earlier, however, Siringas made national headlines from her days as a defense lawyer, when she represented Toni Cato Riggs, a Michigan widow who was convicted in 1994 of plotting the murder of her soldier husband days after he returned from the Gulf War in order to collect his life insurance policy. She got life without parole.

That case was tried in Detroit, where Siringas found herself going up against then-Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, who years later would become her boss.

Worthy watched admirably as Siringas took on some of the most horrific and violent cases, yet through it all she remained an optimist, family said. And she almost always had a smile on her face.

"She covered horrific things, but was still optimistic," Kalli Siringas said. "She just saw the best in people."

Siringas was born in Greece and moved to the U.S. as a child. Her parents immigrated to Detroit, a city she grew to love and embrace, defending it to anyone who dared put it down.

"She loved the city so much and loved working there," Kalli Siringas said. "If anyone ever talked badly about Detroit, she always corrected them and would say that wasn't true."

Siringas attended Wayne State University, where she met her husband, Nickolaos Siringas, at what was known as the Greek Orthodox Club. Her husband also immigrated from Greece. He was an island boy, she was a mountain girl. The two were married for 34 years, and embraced their Greek heritage together, attending scores of baptisms and weddings at St. Nicholas in Troy over the years.

"They really were very much in love," said Kalli Siringas, who got married over the summer. "They modeled what a loving relationship is for me, and for my husband."

Siringas attended Wayne State University School of Law and graduated cum laude in

1983. She was in private practice for years with the law firm of Bell and Gardner, and then Gardner and Siringas. While in private practice, she was a chief litigator, handling many areas of law, including criminal, personal injury and commercial litigation.

In her years at the prosecutor's office, she handled many high-profile prosecutions, including the porch shooting case of Theodore Wafer, a Dearborn Heights man who is serving a 15- to 30-year prison sentence for killing an unarmed woman, Renisha McBride, on his porch in the middle of the night in 2014.

Monica McBride, mother of Renisha McBride reacts and hugs Athina Siringas, assistant prosecutor for Wayne County after Theodore Wafer is found guilty this afternoon of second -degree murder, manslaughter and felony firerm in the fatal shooting of her daughter Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2014 at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice.Regina H. Boone/Detroit Free Press

" I thought very highly of her ... She was always very well prepared, professional, and was an excellent advocate for crime victims, and I think was well respected by opposing counsel and well regarded by judges on our bench," said Wayne County Circuit Chief Judge Timothy Kenny. "She died way too young, and still had a lot to offer to the community."

"Whether she was at the the defense table or prosecution table, she gave it her all," said former Detroit Free Press reporter Joe Swickard, who covered many of Siringas's cases. "She wasn't afraid of the big cases. She handled some of the toughest cases in Detroit's criminal courts."

Through it all, Kalli Siringas said, she remained a great mom, a great wife, a great friend to many.

"Were pretty devastated, but weve had an outpouring of support and love," Kalli Siringas said. "I feel lucky that she was loved by so many people."

Siringas is survived by her husband, Nickolaos Siringas; a daughter, Kalli Siringas (Vinny Mraz). Sister Roula Tsaprailis, brother George Tsaprailis (Eleni), mother Fereniki Tsaprailis, and numerous cousins, aunts and uncles. She was predeceased in death by her father, Vasilios Tsaprailis.

Visitation services will be held 4-8 p.m. Monday, and 1- 8 p.m. Tuesday at A.J. Desmond & Sons, 32515 Woodward. A Trisagion will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 707 E. Lafayette St., Detroit. Visitation at the church begins at 10 a.m. Memorial tributes can be made to Karmanos Cancer Institute, 4100 John R. St., Detroit, MI 48201.

Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Veteran Wayne County prosecutor Athina Siringas dies of cancer
In a new interview, the father of Avicii (pictured in 2018( reflects on what led to his son's death by suicide. (Photo: Tiffany Rose/Getty Images for popchips)

While Swedish electronic dance music DJ Avicii may have looked like he was on top of the world, the music star struggled with his mental health for a long time before his death, according to his father.

In a new interview with the Sunday Times, Klas Bergling spoke extensively about what led his son (real name: Tim Bergling) to die by suicide during a vacation in Oman on April 20, 2018. The musician was 28 years old.

Its obvious there were things I didnt see, Bergling said.

Throughout his life, Tim was painfully nervous, his father shared. As a "serious" child, he dealt with high levels of anxiety that was exacerbated through his teen years when he had debilitating acne.

He was a shy person. He wasnt the one that went into a room with lots of people and started talking or holding speeches, Bergling told the U.K. newspaper. Eventually "it became a problem.

Avicii relied on alcohol to loosen up. It was a habit that became all-consuming for the rising music star, who was filling arenas with dance-crazed fans in his 20s. In a 2017 documentary, Avicii: True Stories, he explained how alcohol helped him.

In the beginning I was too afraid to drink, because I didnt want to screw up, he said in the documentary. But then I realized how stiff I was when I wasnt drinking. So then I found the magical cure of just having a couple of drinks before going on.

Video: Avicii's dad discusses mental health awareness

Avicii's alcoholism progressed so rapidly that he was hospitalized with multiple bouts of pancreatitis, likely caused by his excessive alcohol consumption. It was then he was treated with opioids to deal with the excruciating pain. Soon, he relied on the drugs.

At that time I started worrying, said Bergling, who began to notice changes in his son's personality. He was easily upset, easily irritated. It was hard to talk with him."

Family and friends staged a lengthy intervention in 2015.

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I saw in his eyes that he understood something was going on, Bergling recalled. It was one of the worst moments of my life because you really feel youve betrayed your son. But it had to be done. It was naive. Ive heard a thousand times that the fight starts when youre sober."

But after rehabilitation, mental health issues lingered. When all the drugs and alcohol were stripped away, Avicii had no means to cope with his feelings. Soon after, Avicii announced his retirement, hoping that avoiding the stage would help him recover.

In the present day, Bergling still struggles with his son's suicide. Being unable to pinpoint a specific reason for his death is "part of the trauma."

Its the way we are as human beings. We want to have an explanation, Bergling said, adding that "fame and fortune" are a "very dangerous combination."

Bergling has created the Tim Bergling Foundation to advocate for the recognition of suicide as a global health emergency. In the meantime, he's just a father attempting to deal with his grief.

I find it hard, still. But I will, one day. Tim is here, he said as he rested his hand over his heart. Tim was very proud of the Avicii name, but he didnt want to be Avicii. He wanted to be Tim.

If you or someone you know are experiencing suicidal thoughts, call 911, or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
WASHINGTON  Regina King just wanted to be herself. But in her home country of Guyana, it was difficult.

As a child, her peers ridiculed King, who had not yet identified as transgender. As an adult, men assaulted her in her hometown of Georgetown for being perceived as feminine.

In her early 20s, she tried to start over, moving to a smaller, more remote town in the interior of Guyana, where King said there was less crime. Her life got better in the first couple of years but the violence she had tried to flee found her once more.

One turning point: A man attacked her at knifepoint after leaving a party. She tried to fight him off but was hit on her shoulder.

Regina King, 36, is pictured.

All the things that I've been through with all of the attacks ... I thought that the country is not for me, King said. I have to move. I have to find a place that was safe for me to be myself.

In 2014, King decided to take a risk and come to the United States on a travel visa to visit her aunt in New York. When she arrived, she was connected with resources for the LGBTQ community, including services that could help her begin the process of seeking asylum in the U.S. After a three-year process that included physical evidence and witnesses that corroborated her life, King won asylum.

I feel very, very safe and I feel that the whole process was worth it, King said of now living in the United States. My life just changed for the better.

King, 36, is one of the hundreds of transgender migrants who advocates say attempt to seek asylum in the United States each year, often fleeing violence and discrimination in their home countries. But the process, where the majority of trans migrants come to the United States through the country's southern border, isnt easy. Transgender migrants are often forced to wait months  or even years  in Mexico, a country that is dangerous for LGBTQ individuals.

I don't think you can overstate the seriousness of the consequences for people that we're turning away, said Bridget Crawford, the legal director at Immigration Equality, a nonprofit that represents LGBTQ and HIV-positive individuals in the immigration system.

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Exclusive: More Americans understand LGBTQ people, but visibility has 'double-edged sword', GLAAD report says

Advocates say the process has not been made easier with a new presidency, as the Biden administration continues to use restrictive border policies. They point specifically to Title 42, a Donald Trump-era policy implemented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that allows border agents to expel asylum seekers to Mexico to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

There's not an alternative for trans folks to access the system, Crawford said. And I think that is really problematic, because theyre some of the most vulnerable asylum seekers or refugees, and yet, through all of these different sorts of impediments that we're putting in our way, we're stopping people from accessing protection.

Danger in their home countries

Many migrants who come to the U.S.-Mexico border are seeking better job opportunities or are fleeing violence in their home countries.

Those factors motivate transgender individuals, too, as well as another major reason: Their lives and human rights are often under attack back home.

"A lot of people will say just singularly, 'I've never been able to live a day in my life without being afraid,' and trans people in particular, sometimes they will transition and they're like, 'As soon as I transition it just got 10 times worse,' " said Emem Maurus, a Tijuana, Mexico-based attorney with the Transgender Law Center.

Advocates say many transgender asylum seekers are from countries with restricted rights for people who are part of LGBTQ communities. Some advocates work with individuals coming to the U.S.-Mexico border from Latin America countries such as Honduras and Brazil, but also from Jamaica, Russia and African countries such as Ghana and Cameroon.

LGBT people, or trans people in this case, often will say their single motivator (for seeking asylum) was their identity, their gender identity, or expression, or what they want to be, Maurus said. We have a lot of people who come who are like, 'I'm trans. I haven't taken hormones yet. I (have) just been trying to survive as a gay person. That's tough enough.' 

There is limited data as to how many transgender people have come to the United States to seek asylum, but advocates say hundreds have come to the southern border this year alone. According to the UCLA Williams Institute, almost 1.3 million immigrants identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender as of 2021, including 289,700 individuals who are undocumented. The National Center for Transgender Equality estimates there are between 15,000 are 50,000 undocumented migrants living in the United States who identify as transgender.

'Tragic and deeply upsetting': 2021 deadliest year on record for transgender people in US

Advocates warn that while some individuals may not be out as transgender or part of the LGBTQ community in their home country, theyre not immune from violence if they are perceived to be someone who is gay, or too feminine or masculine. Transgender individuals have detailed violent sexual assaults, sometimes at the hands of family or the police, as reasons why they are seeking asylum at the border, advocates told USA TODAY.

Corrective rape, as it is known, is when a person rapes a member of the LGBTQ community in attempt to punish them or change their sexual orientation. Incidents of this type of rape have occurred in the United States as well as some countries where individuals are migrating from.

While transgender individuals can still face violence or discrimination in the United States  a record number of transgender and gender nonconforming individuals have been killed in the U.S. this year  many believe its a safer option than their home countries.

The United States obviously is not perfect when it comes to treating transgender people with respect, said Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, executive director of National Center for Transgender Equality. But there's even less acceptance, and there's even more hostility towards transgender people, in many other countries."

Title 42 restrictions

Immigration and LGBTQ advocates warn that the options for transgender individuals wanting to seek asylum in the United States are limited.

While some individuals, such as King, are able to first come to the United States on student or travel visas, many try to seek asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. But that has become more difficult in recent years.

Currently, the majority of migrants coming to the United States' southern border are being turned away or expelled due to Title 42. For some transgender individuals, being returned to their home country could result in state sanctions, such as being jailed. Being expelled to Mexico, where there are limited shelters for transgender individuals, could also put them at risk, advocates said.

You're foreclosed from bringing asylum, Crawford said of Title 42, saying the policy is violating our own laws and instead sending people back to  in the case of trans people  to often brutal, brutal rape, and murder, and often state sanctions."

More: Biden, Mexico reach agreement to restart Trump-era 'Remain in Mexico' program

Under international and federal law, individuals coming to the United States should be allowed to apply for asylum. Immigrant rights activists and experts have argued that Title 42 takes away that right.

The Department of Homeland Security responded to the criticism in a statement, saying, "Humanitarian exceptions have been available and used since the CDC Order went into effect, and DHS continues to have authority ... to grant humanitarian and other exceptions to Title 42, on a case-by-case basis."

In addition, the Biden administration was forced by the courts to reimplement the Migrant Protection Protocols, a policy that forces migrants to wait in Mexico for their immigration hearing. DHS has appealed the ruling and has released a new memo ending the program once the court injunction has been lifted. That policy will likely crowd the already limited shelter space available for transgender people, who could then be put at risk of violence, advocates said.

Coerced into sex work

As many migrants are stuck in limbo along the U.S.-Mexico border, transgender migrants experience a higher level of danger as they wait to move forward in the asylum process.

For example, Maurus noted there are limited shelters that are safe for members of the LGBTQ community in Tapachula, a city in southern Mexico where many migrants are kept from moving north to the border.

We regularly have people calling us, and they're sleeping in the streets, Maurus said. They're being often coerced into sex work or kidnapped, all while they're waiting for their Mexican residency so they can leave and try and get to the United States, which of course is going to create an another hurdle.

Some transgender migrants are also turned away from shelters due to racism and for not speaking Spanish, some advocates said. Maurus noted that Black migrants face heightened racism at some shelters due to the recent influx of Haitian migrants in the area.

Racism affects folks at every single footstep of a migration journey, Maurus said. If you dont speak Spanish, it's harder to secure shelter space.

More: The military has vowed to curb sexual assault for decades to no avail. Now, Congress is stepping in.

On the U.S. side, some advocates also warn that transgender individuals are often misgendered when taken into Customs and Border Protection custody or Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, which could lead to attacks from other inmates.

When individuals are forced to be in detention camps that do not recognize their gender identity, oftentimes they're being put in situations where they face violence, said Shalawn James, executive director at AsylumConnect, an organization that connects LGBTQ asylum seekers to resources. They are sexually abused, physically abused, mentally abused.

Heng-Lehtinen of the National Center for Transgender Equality said some Customs and Border Protection and ICE officials dont know where to put transgender individuals, so they are sometimes placed in solitary confinement. This affects their mental health and could also lead to neglect from medical staff because no one is paying attention to you, he said.

And if some transgender individuals are able to get their asylum claim adjudicated by an immigration officer or judge, they often do not have legal representation, Crawford said.

Crawford noted as an example that some asylum officials look at recent laws passed by countries that could seem pro-LGBTQ, but the reality is that members of that community, particularly transgender individuals, still face violence and discrimination.

Sometimes those cases are challenging because there might be laws on the books or there might be some examples to point to, to say, Oh, there's tolerance here for the LGBTQ community, but then there's persistent violence and increased violence, especially against trans people, Crawford said.

What needs to change in the asylum process?

Some advocates say one of the quickest things the Biden administration could do to help transgender migrants seeking asylum is to end Title 42.

The whole point of seeking asylum is to get out of the area that you are in that is not safe, said James of AsylumConnect. So Title 42 putting that stop on individuals being able to come to United States ... is absolutely even more dangerous for them.

Crawford said the refugee process should also be revamped, adding that LGBTQ individuals dont have the same access to refugee processing and that could be inherently dangerous for some transgender or other members of the LGBTQ community to stay in refugee camps as they await the process."

'Impossible to ban': Conversion therapy for LGBTQ Americans continues despite legislative efforts

In a sense, asylum is really the only way a lot of LGBTQ and trans people can access protection, she said. I think that's really scary when we think of things like places like Afghanistan, where the answer is kind of to go through the general (United Nations) refugee processing procedures, but we know that those processes don't traditionally capture a lot of the LGBTQ refugees that are out there.

For King, seeking asylum in the United States was a very rigorous, thorough process. She said that individuals are going to have to retell their life story over and over again throughout the process.

But she also offered advice to those who want to undergo the long process.

Believe in yourself and never try to move away from who you are to please anyone, she said. I believe that we all have that power inside of us that we have what it takes to change our own situations.

Contributing: Alia E. Dastagir

Reach Rebecca Morin at Twitter @RebeccaMorin_

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Transgender migrants hit immigration hurdles when seeking asylum in US
Another school shooting, this time in Michigan.

An armed security guard was onsite. Teachers and kids, trained in active shooter drills, immediately blockaded classroom doors and hunkered down, armed with scissors. Police responded within five minutes.

Everything was done right, yet four students died and others were gravely wounded. The quick response surely forestalled further bloodshed, but dreadful damage had already been done.

The grim truth is, reactive response will always be too late. This shooting and many others tell us we must do a much better job of prevention with regard to the shooter and his weapon.

First, the shooter: The signs were obvious. A teacher found on the boys desk a drawing of his handgun  an early Christmas gift from his parents  with the words blood everywhere, a bleeding human figure shot twice and a laughing emoji. The day before, he was observed looking at ammunition websites on his phone.

When worried school officials called parents and son to a meeting the morning of the shooting, the boy claimed that he was designing a video game. His parents affirmed his story and refused to take him home for the day. They did not mention giving him a gun, which was at the meeting in the boys backpack.

Clearly the parents failed their son, profoundly, but the officials failed their entire school. On the evidence they had, it was not enough to tell the parents to arrange counseling for the boy within 48 hours. They should have demanded that he leave school then and there, to be readmitted only when more information was available and he had been cleared by mental health professionals. And they should have searched the backpack.

I acknowledge that this is touchy. Teenagers lives are charged, their feelings intense. Next to none of them are killers. Freedom of expression and the right of privacy are genuine values, but they have to be weighed against the risk of students helplessly taking bullets or getting traumatized for life. Intervening out of an abundance of caution is worth rubbing a student and his parents the wrong way. Searching the backpack would have canceled the bloodbath.

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The shooter himself might have been pleading for intervention. On the paper with his violent drawings, the boy also wrote, The thoughts wont stop. Help me. If he didnt want to be heard, why did he leave the paper on his desk?

Warning lights were flashing red in this case, but many shooters betray no sign of their intentions. Extreme behavior grows from various causes. There is no standard profile. And that brings up the other dimension of the shooting problem  the gun.

Im no abolitionist. I own two guns. I accept the 2008 Supreme Court decision that the Second Amendment allows private individuals to possess guns. I do favor certain gun law reforms, as the SCOTUS decision also allows. But this is not in essence a matter of law.

The Michigan shooters semiautomatic pistol was kept in an unlocked dresser drawer. Guns are stored that casually in countless homes across the country. Consider this number: 80% of American school shooters acquire their weapons in their own home or the home of a relative or friend: eight out of every 10.

Gun owners, we dont leave cyanide or dynamite on the coffee table. We dont allow rattlesnakes to hang out in hallways or closets. We dont fire up the charcoal grill in the living room. Is it too much to ask that we secure our firearms as we would any other mortally dangerous thing?

Gun safes, trigger locks, sturdy lockable cabinets  if we can afford to buy guns, we can afford to keep our children and communities safe from the guns we bring into our homes. Its the responsible thing to do. It saves kids lives. And it can save parents from personal heartbreak that cant possibly heal.

Many states have some version of a child access prevention law, but such measures are all but unenforceable except after the terrible fact. In effect, its an honor system. An estimated 1.7 million American kids live in homes with loaded and unsecured firearms.

Please dont let your home be one of them.

John Daniel, author of 10 books, is the recipient of three Oregon Book Awards in literary nonfiction. He lives in the Coast Range foothills west of Eugene. Reach him at johndaniel48@yahoo.com.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Guest View: We need gun safety now more than ever
HILLSBOROUGH - You could call Hillsborough High School junior Surayyah "Ray" Fofana's first children's book, "Roots."

The book, "Ray Ray Paints a Self-Portrait," is a celebration of Fofana's own familial and follicle roots.

Dedicated to other "outsiders," "RayRay Paints a Self-Portrait," is based on the 16-year-old's childhood experiences and growing up in a multiracial, multireligious and multicultural home.

The book's storyline starts with an assignment to draw a self-portrait in an elementary school art class.

Boasting a head full of "phenomenally curly hair," Surayyah "Ray" Fofana is a 16-year-old Hillsborough High School junior whose first foray into writing a children's book has resulted in "Ray Ray Paints a Self-Portrait."

That was real, said Fofana, who has a white Jewish mother born in the United States and a black Muslim father born in Senegal.

"We had to draw pictures of ourselves," Fofana said. "And I am already not good at art, and having to draw something like my hair was just sort of daunting."

In the story, Fofana draws her head, body and clothes. But drawing her hair causes a multitude of questions because her hair is "different."

"Most of the kids in my class had the same or similar hair," she said. "Looking back, I didn't know what to do because everyone is doing the same thing and I didn't even realize  I never even thought about how my hair was different in that sense  until I had to draw it. I was forced to confront it. I ended up having to take the project home to finish it."

When she gets home, the younger Fofana approaches each family member to find a match for her hair.

"They all have different hair and without realizing it, she is comparing her hair to each individual family members and saying 'Oh that's not my hair'," Fofana said. "Until she ultimately realizes that all of her family members compiled together is what gives her her hair. So then in completing the self-portrait she draws her curly hair and also includes little pictures of the hair of her different family members."

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Boasting a head full of "phenomenally curly hair," Surayyah "Ray" Fofana, now a 16-year-old Hillsborough High School junior, wrote a children's book "Ray Ray Paints a Self-Portrait." featuring the roots of her curls.

The spark for the 34-page book, self-published in mid-October, came during the pandemic. Coming up with the idea for the book was quick  it took about two to three weeks to flesh out her storyline, Fofana said. It was the actual publishing process that took longer  about a year, she said.

But the downtime due to the pandemic allowed her to get the story right.

"Writing it  I especially liked that part of of the process," Fofana said. "I'm still in high school and I was very self-conscious or concerned if my story  since it was based on my childhood experience  if it was compelling enough to be told. Writing with that in mind made it a little challenging, even though the story is a true story."

Fofana is proud that "RayRay Paints a Self-Portrait" gives representation to children who might not find themselves in other books.

Boasting a head full of "phenomenally curly hair," Surayyah "Ray" Fofana is a 16-year-old Hillsborough High School junior whose first foray into writing a children's book has resulted in "Ray Ray Paints a Self-Portrait." Recently, she introduced students at Whiton Elementary School In Branchburg to her newly published book.

"In thinking about what I would have wanted to see when I was younger, and also particular experiences I had, made me want to write something," Fofana said. "Something about what I know. And I most wanted to see families and kids who came from diverse or unconventional backgrounds represented in away that's 'normal'."

Fofana wants to raise awareness of race, culture and diversity and create a more inclusive world. She hopes the book can give readers an honest, warm and welcoming picture of a diverse home, much like the one she has grown up in.

Local news: Spotswood student debuts second book with signing on Helmetta Day

"It may be my unique experience, but others can see themselves here," she said.

Fofana, who grew up in Somerville before moving to Hillsborough two years ago, hopes to write more books with a theme of identity and inclusion. But she is also looking forward to life after Hillsborough High School.

Boasting a head full of "phenomenally curly hair," Surayyah "Ray" Fofana is a 16-year-old Hillsborough High School junior whose first foray into writing a children's book has resulted in "Ray Ray Paints a Self-Portrait." Recently, she introduced students at The Malvern School in Robbinsville to her newly published book.

"I like writing," said Fofana, who sees herself at an urban college. "But I would say it's more of a passion. I know that I can see myself doing something in law, journalism or political science. It is scary to think about because it is coming soon, but I know I would like to do something to do with one of those three fields."

Today Fofana loves her "phenomenally curly hair,"  the symbol of who she is and where and from whom she came from  with one exception.

Young authors: Franklin teen writes book to help others find the fantastic in being different

"The only thing I don't like about my hair is that it is a lot of work and I am lazy," she laughed. "Other than that I definitely feel a lot more confident with it and and really glad that I do. It would be really awful if I was still grappling with that because I know a lot of people are."

To connect with Fofana, go to https://www.rayrayseries.com/ or follow her on Instagram at @rayraytellsstories.

email: cmakin@gannettnj.com

Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter for MyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or @CherylMakin.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Hillsborough teen publishes kids' book based on her 'mane' experience
Kenya Coleman-Johns is mayor-elect for Beaver Falls.

When it comes to driving in Beaver Falls, everyone has a bad commute story here. Today, it can take a resident in Beaver Falls over 10 hours to get to Philadelphia by rail  or more than 6 hours by car on a bad day, if they are fortunate enough to own a car or live near frequent transit options, which there are not many.

As mayor-elect and a lifelong resident of Beaver Falls, I know all too well the stories of delayed transportation. I hear from local residents all the time about the time they missed picking up their kid when a bus did not arrive on time, or traffic was delayed on Route 65. Our current infrastructure has held back far too many of the residents who call this place home. The opportunities and unparalleled assets this region offers are out of reach for too many of our residents. Thankfully, President Joe Bidens Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal can change all of that.

The new bill, signed into law by Biden, presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build 21st-century infrastructure systems that will change our region for the better. At the local and municipal levels  we deeply understand the importance of this moment. We understand what value this offers to our area and all of the wonderful things that will emerge simply based on our geography. Our rich history and role we have played regarding transportation are unparalleled.

We know that our region can overcome the impossible when we work together. We understand the beauty that our location offers, the turnpike that quickly connects us to the other side of the state but also to other states quickly, but, we know that there is a need for us to lean on one another to help connect all residents and provide unprecedented access throughout the country. I recall my time in Europe riding the bullet train and being awed by the efficiency and wondering why we lacked this impressive resource here in the states. Thanks to Bidens infrastructure bill, this dream can now be our reality.

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With this bill, Pennsylvania can expect:

$11.3 billion to improve highways and $1.6 billion for bridge replacement and repairs over five years.

$2.8 billion over five years to improve public transportation options across the state.

$171 over five years to support the expansion of an electric vehicle charging network in the state. Pennsylvania will also have the opportunity to apply for the $2.5 billion in grant funding dedicated to EV charging in the bill.

A minimum of $100 million to help provide broadband coverage across the state, including providing access to the at least 394,000 Pennsylvanians who currently lack it. 2,917,000 or 23% of people in Pennsylvania will also be eligible for the Affordability Connectivity Benefit, which will help low-income families afford internet access.

These efforts are all already in our planning pipeline, but with the enactment of the Infrastructure Law and strong commitment from the regions leaders, we can accelerate our progress, raise our collective expectations for what we can achieve in the next decade, and leave behind more equitable, accessible and sustainable infrastructure for our children.

Its up to us now  our elected officials across the region in collaboration with business and public sector and community leaders  to seize this opportunity and turn this historic bipartisan deal into action. Beaver Falls is ready to build the workforce and infrastructure systems to make ours the most inclusive and globally competitive region in the country.

Kenya Johns will take office in January as mayor of the city of Beaver Falls.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Johns: President Bidens Infrastructure Law huge win for Beaver Falls
By Felix Onuah

ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria plans to ban flights from Argentina, Britain, Canada and Saudi Arabia from this week in retaliation for being added to those countries' red lists over the detection of the Omicron coronavirus variant last month, the aviation minister said.

Several countries have restricted the movement of people from some African nations since the Omicron variant was first detected in southern Africa and Hong Kong. It has since spread to at least 57 countries.

In recorded comments shared with journalists on Sunday, Nigeria's aviation minister Hadi Sirika said he had recommended that the four countries should be placed on a COVID-19 "red list," which would entail a ban on flights.

"We have given our input as aviation that it is not acceptable by us and we recommend that those countries, Canada, UK, Saudi Arabia and Argentina be also put on red list, just like they did similarly to us," Sirika said.

"So, I am very sure between now and Monday or perhaps Tuesday maximum, all those countries will be put on the red list. Once they are on the red list, which means they are banned, their airlines will also be banned."

Britain was the first country to announce a travel "red list", which Nigeria has described as unjust and unfair.

The World Health Organization has said countries should apply an "evidence-informed and risk-based approach" when deciding on travel measures related to Omicron, including possible screening or quarantine of international passengers, adding that blanket bans do not prevent its spread.

(Writing by MacDonald Dzirutwe, Editing by Barbara Lewis)
For its penultimate episode of 2021, SNL took it somewhat easy in the cold open, bringing back a gag from last May to run through some mildly amusing jokes about the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

It was basically a grab bag of references to various current events and recent history, but were not complaining, because it once again featured SNL MVP Aidy Bryants delightful impression of universally disliked Texas Senator Ted Cruz. We cannot get enough of it. And we hope we never have to.

The sketch saw Kate McKinnon as Anthony Fauci attempting to answer questions about Omicron. And to do so, Fauci once again brought out the CDC Players, CDC employees-turned amateur actors performing skits designed to educate people about situations they might encounter it.

One particular highlight featured Bowen Yang pretending to be an airline passenger, and Ego Nwodim pretending to be a flight attendant. After dealing briefly with a COVID-related question, the conversation turned to this:

Ive heard girls cant get pregnant in the sky, is that true? Yang asked.

I dont know king, lets find out, Nwodim replied. We laughed.

After a couple of those, the sketch then became a more conventional SNL actors portraying famous politicians kind of gag. Fortunately that gave the perfect excuse for Bryants Ted Cruz  and an excellent insult against the guy known best for laying about a trip to Mexico and trying to blame his daughters:

If youre sick of me imagine how sick I am of being me, Bryant said.

Overall, it was the kind of sleepy Cold Open sketch that usually comes after three episodes in a row, when the cast and writers are worn out, rather than the first show back after a break. But were not hating: Its rough out there. And any excuse for Bryants absurdly convincing fake beard is good as far as were concerned.

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Watch the beginning of the sketch below. Well add the full video when its out.

And heres the part where the sketch mocked the recent uh, series of self-inflicted humiliations experienced by the Cuomo brothers.
Two cases of the COVID-19 omicron variant have been reported in Shelby County, the health department said Saturday.

The cases appear to be the first reported cases of the omicron variant in the state of Tennessee.

Since South African officials detected and alerted the world of the variant in late November, officials have said they expected to detect cases of the variant locally.

The omicron variant of the coronavirus is believed to be more transmissible than delta, the dominant and previously most transmissible variant that drove a surge in cases in Memphis that peaked in late August.

Health officials and researchers are still learning about omicron infections. It is so far unclear whether the variant causes more severe infection than previous variants.

More: The omicron variant in Tennessee? Health chief: Its just a matter of time.'

We did expect the Omicron variant to appear in Tennessee, as it has in 19 other states," Michelle Taylor, director of the Shelby County Health Department, said in a statement Saturday, praising the county's testing and sequencing capacities. In sequencing, scientists take closer looks at test samples of the virus.

"These results indicate the variant may already be spreading in Shelby County," Taylor said, "and possibly elsewhere in the state.

The health department recommends all people eligible get vaccinated as soon as possible. Vaccines are currently authorized for people 5-years-old and older.

"While much remains unknown about the Omicron variant," the department cautioned, "what is known is that COVID-19 vaccines slow transmission of the virus and prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death."

The department also encouraged booster shots for people six months out from their second dose.

"Results of early studies indicate the booster doses may provide valuable protection against the Omicron variant, as well as the more common Delta variant," the department said.

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In its announcement, the department also issued a reminder to Shelby County school districts that current health orders require districts bound by the federal Americans with Disabilities Act to implement universal mask mandates. Several suburban districts in the county, which are bound by the law, have instead remained mask optional.

More: Federal judge blocks Tennessee's law preventing schools from issuing mask mandates

The department has authority to require masks via two federal judge orders, including one issued Friday that blocks a state law banning most school mask mandates and a state law stripping local health departments of authority. Both state laws were passed during a special session that culminated in the early hours of a Saturday morning in late October.

As the delta variant surged in Shelby County, it disparately impacted unvaccinated populations, which included at the time children who were not vaccine eligible.

So far, about 530,000 people have been vaccinated in Shelby County, the health department reports, but vaccination rates remain higher among older populations.

In Shelby County, 1,879 people have active infections of COVID-19, as of Saturday. The number of new cases detected daily has risen since Thanksgiving, but still remain much lower than surge levels.

The infection rate for the county is 1.17, according to COVID Act Now, which tracks pandemic statistics. The statistic measures how many new infections that one infection is likely to produce, so officials want the number to remain below one to keep the virus in check.

Laura Testino covers education and children's issues for the Commercial Appeal. Reach her at laura.testino@commercialappeal.com or 901-512-3763. Find her on Twitter: @LDTestino

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: COVID-19 omicron variant reported in Tennessee: Shelby County detects two cases
No information has been made available for weeks about the location or condition of Republican state Sen. Doug Ericksen of Ferndale, since he was reportedly in a Florida hospital being treated for COVID-19
When Katie Posten walked outside Saturday morning to her car parked in her driveway, she saw something that looked like a note or receipt stuck to the windshield.

She grabbed it and saw it was a black and white photo of a woman in a striped sundress and headscarf holding a little boy in her lap. On the back, written in cursive, it said, Gertie Swatzell & J.D. Swatzell 1942." A few hours later, Posten would discover that the photo had made quite a journey - almost 130 miles (209 kilometers) on the back of monstrous winds.

Posten had been tracking the tornadoes that hit the middle of the U.S. Friday night, killing dozens of people. They came close to where she lives in New Albany, Indiana, across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. So she figured it must be debris from someone's damaged home.

Seeing the date, I realized that was likely from a home hit by a tornado. How else is it going to be there?" Posten said in a phone interview Sunday morning. Its not a receipt. Its well-kept photo."
Patna: The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar has made a fresh pitch for grant of special category status to the state, a demand it has been making for the "past 10-12 years".

In a letter to NITI Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar, Bijendra Yadav, the state minister for planning and implementation, asserted that Bihar "fulfilled all the criteria" set for grant of special status.

The minister sought to join the issue with NITI Aayog over its recent report on the multidimensional poverty index in which Bihar was placed at the bottom in the country.

The report was latched on to by the opposition which has been using it to rubbish the claim of "rapid development" of the state since Nitish Kumar's ascent to power.

In his letter, the minister admitted that Bihar stood way below the national average when it came to indicators like per capita income, ease of living and human development.

Yadav blamed the state of affairs on "peculiar problems" of "landlocked" Bihar which had a high density of population with scarce natural resources and was plagued by vicissitudes like drought and flood that affected more than half of its districts.

The minister also complained of the "lack of initiative" on part of the Centre for setting up public sector units in Bihar which could give a fillip to "industrial growth and technical education" in the state.

Besides, Bihar "remained deprived of the benefits of the Green Revolution", the minister said, highlighting the suboptimal agricultural development in the state.

Despite these limitations imposed by geography and history, the state had registered a "robust growth rate in the last decade and a half" and achieved "development with justice", Yadav said.

He also claimed that there are improvements in farming, power, roads and overall quality of governance.

Pointing out that NITI Aayog has been set up with the aim of economic "transformation" of the country, Yadav stressed that the same cannot be accomplished without transforming Bihar.

The grant of special category status will reduce the state's liabilities with regard to welfare schemes and put the government in a position to dole out "tax rebates" and "financial subsidies" to attract private investment which could accelerate the growth engine further, the minister said.

The demand for special category status gained currency after the creation of Jharkhand in 2000 which stripped Bihar of the area rich in mineral reserves.

Kumar upped the ante when he famously proclaimed in 2009 that he would support "any government at the Centre" that agreed to the demand.

This was followed, a few years later, by a signature campaign wherein crores of citizens of the state were roped in to press the demand for "vishesh rajya ka darza".

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New Delhi: Lulu Group, on Saturday (December 12), announced that the UAE-based retail giant will invest about Rs Rs 2,000 crore to set up a modern shopping mall in Gujarat.

Lulu Group added that the investment will create employment opportunities for over 5,000 people. The company made the announcement after Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel met NRI businessman and Lulu Group Chairman and Managing Director Yusuffali MA in Dubai.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed by Dr Rajiv Kumar Gupta, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary on behalf of the Gujarat Government and Yusuffali to fast-track the projects.

The MoU suggests that Lulu Group will create a shopping mall between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. According to the companys press statement, the construction is likely to begin in the first quarter of 2022. The project is expected to be completed within 30 months.

Gujarats chief minister Patel is in UAE to promote the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit to be held in January 2022. He is also urging investors to capitalise on the state's ease of doing business.

I welcome Ali's promise to invest in Gujarat. The government will make every effort to ensure that land and any other assistance are provided so that they can begin work, Patel said.

Besides a shopping mall, UAE-based Lulu Group is also going to set up food processing and logistics centres in Baroda and Surat respectively, which will facilitate exports, the company said.

Gujarat holds a very special place in my heart. This is where I first learnt the basics of business as my father had family business in Ahmedabad. So, I feel very excited to invest in Gujarat and hope we can expand further in this vibrant state, Yusuffali said. Also Read: Garena Free Fire Redeem Codes December 12: Heres how to get free items, diamonds

Currently, the Lulu Group operates more than 220 hypermarkets and shopping malls in the Middle East, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia and India, and employs over 57,000 people. Also Read: US tornado outbreak: Amazon warehouse collapse in Illinois leaves six dead

- With PTI inputs.

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Aries

At work, you may be predisposed to unfriendly and spiteful words of your boss or colleagues, but you dont have to take every word to your heart. Beware of deception and breach of trust in business dealings. Loss of money is foreseen. Go slow in love as you may suffer betrayal of some kind at a deep emotional level. You might get hurt because of your partners insensitivity. Give yourself time to process your thoughts and feelings. Reconcile and put the past behind. Do not overthink the harsh words and behaviours of people around you.

Taurus

This is going to be a week that puts you in limelight. You will get an opportunity to speak in public or showcase your expertise. If you have been working on a project or assignment, it will be finished and well appreciated. Your financial struggle will be over and you will be rewarded for your efforts and hard work. You will be ready to walk the extra mile to make things work with your partner. You may be investing more time in understanding your partner better. Singles may meet a potential partner through work or at the workplace.

Gemini

Proposals, marriage, engagement is also on cards for some of you. For singles, romance is blossoming and this is a good time to begin a new relationship. Your personal life is filled with positive energy, and there will be harmony at home. Emotions will be freely expressed and reciprocated. Build on your communication with your children and strengthen your bond with them. At work, you will be resourceful and will be able to be supportive of coworkers. You will be able to come up with innovative ideas and methods to manage your work and projects. It is a good time to make investments.

Cancer

This is the week of happiness and contentment. Follow a practical and down-to-earth approach in love. Singles could meet a romantic partner, perhaps through work. You may be presented with an opportunity to gain financially or expand your business. Unexpected windfall is also indicated. There will be a job offer or you may be given a more prominent role in the organisation that translates into a promotion or bonus. You are advised to make make the most of an opportunity while its still available.

Leo

You may have many tabs opened at once that will make it hard for you to focus on any. Family and relationships will be demanding and may weigh you down. Do not overwork or exhaust yourself. Work towards resolving any issues. Love is not a duty; add some fun and excitement to your relationship. There will be more work and responsibilities at work than you can handle comfortably. You will feel burdened overworked with too many projects to handle. Try to delegate some work to seek help from colleagues. Listen to your body and take a break or a day off to rest and recuperate.

Virgo

Now is the time to make real progress towards your goals. To be successful, stay focused and dont rush things. Harness your energy and focus on your goal. Your relationship will progress but dont try to push too hard to make things work. You will be completely immersed in your professional ventures and endeavours. Perhaps you need to spend time in self-development, acquiring skills, knowledge. At work, take the reins and control in your hand rather than depending on others. Tend to financial matters carefully.

Libra

The relationship with family and partner will be calm but a little aloof. You and your partner may choose to keep a part of your life separate. Your instincts about a relationship/lover are probably correct. Listen to your heart and be guided by your feelings and intuition. Be more practical about handling money and possessions. A guide or a mentor may help you in your career. Be wary of sharing your ideas, or financial plans with anyone. Be patient & do not expect instant results.

Scorpio

You will find yourself caught in a middle of a situation and not knowing which side to choose. Resolving & moving past the stalemate is the only solution. There is a need for balance in your relationships. You must not ignore any existing problems, speak clearly to find a solution. You may have a choice to make between two jobs or career paths. Consider all the facts before making any decision. Make sure that you are wise with finances.

Sagittarius

You will be full of new and innovative ideas. You need to put your plan into action in order to fulfil your dreams and achieve your goals. Plan meticulously and dont be impulsive. You are likely to receive positive news related to your career or job even as there may be some delays. There may be some conflict in your relationship as either you or your partner may indulge in petty arguments and disagreements. You also need to be patient as there may be some delay in commitment.

Capricorn

Stay focussed and in control of things at work, business, and career. You may receive support and guidance from a mature older man at the workplace or in business. Discipline and structure will provide success. Plan your investments very well and think through your business dealing with logic and not emotions. You & your partner will stay connected on an intellectual & emotional level. Give attention to your partner & do not hesitate to make the first move.

Aquarius

You can expect a positive outcome from the initiatives taken recently. There will be a balance in work & relationships. Pay attention to practical matters and ensure that your emotional needs are met. The signing of contracts & documents is indicated. Any ongoing legal matters may get resolved, job interviews and negotiations will be successful. Money matters will improve. You will get the support of influential people and your projects will get support.

Pisces

A negative attitude may be affecting your work or position in the organization. Your current job may not be giving you the satisfaction you seek. Avoid any confrontations or arguments at the workplace. Be careful of deceit or cheating in business. Think for yourself in the financial matters and use your own information, connections and experience. Be diplomatic and not argumentative with your spouse. Think positive and be accommodating in love. Stand up for what you think is right and dont let someone else call the shots.

(These Tarot Card predictions are by Chhavi Upadhyay, who is a Delhibased, intuitive Tarot Practitioner & Consultant, you can contact her at tarotchhavi@gmail.com)
New Delhi: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das, on Sunday (December 12) cautioned depositors to be careful while chasing high returns as it comes with higher risk.

Speaking at the 'Depositors First: Guaranteed Time-bound Deposit Insurance Payment up to Rs 5 lakh', he said that high returns come with higher risk and thats why so depositors should be discerning enough while chasing returns.

The RBI governor said that the RBI remains committed to ensuring that the banking system remains robust and resilient.

At the same event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that new India focuses on resolving problems, and not on delaying their resolution. He also highlighted how deposit insurance and credit guarantee corporations (DICGC) is making sure that bank depositors receive their money back in cases of a bank failure.

PM Modi said that depositors are being paid back their deposits in case of the collapse of banks. There was a time when depositors faced hardship to get back their own money from banks under stress. Also Read: THIS Rs 1 note is selling for Rs 7 lakh, check how you can sell it too

Modi also highlighted that out due to the lack of any such scheme, poor, middle-class bank customers toiled for years. He informed that so far Rs 1,300 crore have been paid to 1 lakh depositors in 1 year. Also Read: New India focuses on resolving problems, not delaying resolution: PM Narendra Modi at bank deposit insurance event

- With PTI inputs.

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Varanasi: Chief Ministers of 12 states and deputy chief ministers of nine states will be present during the inauguration of the Vishwanath Corridor project, that connects two iconic landmarks in the temple town - the Kashi Vishwanath temple to the Ganga ghats in Varanasi on Monday.

Varanasi is all set for the inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 13. Chief Ministers of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand will be present at the auspicious occasion.

According to Prime Minister`s Office (PMO), "At around 1 PM on December 13, Prime Minister will visit Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple and offer prayers, after which he will inaugurate phase 1 of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham, constructed at a cost of around Rs 339 crores.

"The foundation stone of the project was laid by the Prime Minister on March 8, 2019. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will present artworks crafted by artisans of Kashi to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Security has been beefed up in Varanasi. Personnel of the National Security Guard (NSG), Anti Terror Squad (ATS), and Uttar Pradesh Police have been deployed ahead of the Prime Minister`s visit.

Known to be Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s dream project, this corridor will shorten the time span and will set a direct link between the temple and the Ganga river.

A total of 23 buildings will be inaugurated in phase 1 of the project. They will provide a variety of facilities to the pilgrims visiting Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple, including Yatri Suvidha Kendras, Tourist Facilitation Centre, Vedic Kendra, Mumukshu Bhavan, Bhogshala, City Museum, Viewing Gallery, Food Court, among others.

Speaking to ANI, Shrikant Mishra, Priest at Kashi Vishwanath temple said, "The city is filled with enthusiasm as the temple is ready to become `Vishwanath Dham` after years.

PM Modi is going to inaugurate the corridor on December 13. Significantly, `Jyotirling` of Kashi Vishwanath temple is considered to be the most important among other twelve Jyotirlingas, that`s why lakhs of devotees come here to offer prayers.

Earlier, this temple was only situated 2,000 metres, but now it has been spread over 50,000 square metres," the priest said.

The temple`s lighting has been done keeping in mind its blue theme and heritage look.

"The temple has now flourished in its true form. All the arrangements have been made here for devotees.

Now, the devotees will get mesmerised by the lighting of the temple as the number of lighting experts were working on it. The lighting has been done keeping in mind its blue theme and heritage look.

The walls are adorned with blue lights," said Suresh, lighting expert at Kashi Vishwanath temple.

The project was designed to provide easy access for the disabled and old age people with the provision of ramps, escalators, and other modern facilities.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Tourism Minister Neelkanth Tiwari said that the project has been built at a cost of Rs 399 crores.

"It has been built at a cost of Rs 399 crores and is not only taking forward the dignity of Kashi but also creating a possibility of the boom in the religious tourism of Varanasi.

The tourism sector is expected to grow insignificantly," Tiwari said. During the visit to Varanasi, the Prime Minister will also visit Kaal Bhairav Temple at around 12 noon and witness Ganga Aarti while on-board a Ro-Ro Vessel at around 6 pm on December 13.

On December 14, at around 3:30 pm, Prime Minister will attend the 98th-anniversary celebrations of Sadguru Sadafaldeo Vihangam Yog Sansthan at Swarved Mahamandir in Varanasi.

With Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh around the corner, the BJP will showcase the project as one of its key achievements.

During the two-day visit, Prime Minister will also participate in a conclave of Chief Ministers of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, along with Deputy Chief Ministers from Bihar and Nagaland.

The conclave will provide an opportunity to share governance-related best practices and is in line with the Prime Minister`s vision of furthering team India`s spirit.

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New Delhi: All five Central Asian countries, namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, are being invited by New Delhi as the Republic Day guest. This is the first time that all Central Asian countries will be present as the guest and the second time so many countries will be invited together after ASEAN as a grouping was invited for Republic day in 2018.

The formal conversation regarding this started 2-3 weeks ago between the two sides, multiple sources have confirmed. This is a significant outreach to Central Asia by New Delhi, with which it shares cultural, civilizational, and historic linkages. Prime Minister Modi had visited all Central Asian countries in 2015, a first by any Indian Prime Minister since the five republics came into being since the breakup of the Soviet Union.

The visit by Central Asian leadership marks the first summit of Central Asia and India dialogue, a mechanism that already exists at the foreign minister's level. On 18-19th December, New Delhi will be hosting the Central Asian, India foreign ministers meet.

This will be the third such meeting of Central Asian and Indian foreign ministers. The first such meet happened in Uzbekistan's Samarkand in January 2019 which saw India being represented by the then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Last year, the meet happened virtually.

India has in the past announced US $ 1 billion Line of Credit for priority development projects in fields such as connectivity, energy, IT, healthcare, education, agriculture etc. It has also pitched for Chabahar port in Iran for an easy route for connectivity, something that has garnered support among those countries.

Afghanistan has been one of the main topics of conversation between the two sides, with EAM visiting Uzbekistan and Tajikistan earlier this year where the issue dominated.

India's choice of guests at the republic day shows its closeness with the country or a region. Under PM Narendra Modi's tenure, starting 2014, India has invited US President Barack Obama (2015), French President Francois Hollande(2016), UAE's Md Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (2017), all the 10 ASEAN countries (2018), South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa (2019) and Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro (2020).

Last year, UK's Boris Johnson was expected as the guest but that could not happen due to covid crisis. Among the Central Asian countries, only Kazakhstan has been the chief guest of India's grand parade in the year 2009.

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New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is seeking a second term in the upcoming Assembly polls next year, stressed on strengthening BJP at booth-level to sweep the elections.

Addressing BJP booth presidents in Etah, Adityanath said, If we strengthen BJP at booth-level, then, the party will win more than 325 assembly seats in the state.

If we strengthen BJP at booth-level, then, the party will win more than 325 assembly seats in the state: Uttar Pradesh CM and BJP leader Yogi Adityanath while addressing BJP booth presidents in Etah pic.twitter.com/4NoO4kHXLb  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 12, 2021

Launching an attack on the opposition, the incumbent UP CM questioned where these parties were during the COVID-19 pandemic. The medical college in Etah was inaugurated by the Prime Minister a few days back. Under the leadership of our PM, we successfully fought with corona virus. I want to know where were the Congress party, BSP and SP when the state was suffering from covid, ANI quoted Adityanath as saying.

BJP president JP Nadda, who was also present in Etah to address the party workers, also took a dig at Samajwadi Party (SP) and said the saffron party raises issues of sugarcane farmers, while SP talks about Jinnah. Hum 'ganna' ki baat karte hai woh 'Jinnah' ki baat karti hai. I feel bad to say that there are political parties in the country who compare the great Sardar Patel to Jinnah, Nadda said.

Hum 'ganna' ki baat karte hai woh 'Jinnah' ki baat karti hai. I feel bad to say that there are political parties in the country who compare the great Sardar Patel to Jinnah: JP Nadda, BJP President in Etah pic.twitter.com/GZEuPxgz2e  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 12, 2021

He added, If Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party was in power today, construction of Ram Mandir would not be possible. Yogi government paid the pending Rs.11000 Cr to the sugarcane farmers which was to be paid by the SP since they ruled the state then.

The BJP president alleged all parties promote dynastic politics, casteism and religious division, adding that only Bharatiya Janata Party works for the public and their welfare. We are not here to sit and rule but to use our power to strengthen this country.

Meanwhile, speaking at the launch of the Nishulk Khadyan Vitaran (Free Food Grains Distribution) programme that aims to provide free food to the poor in UP from Diwali to Holi next year, the UP CM said, In 2021, after the second wave, we introduced the scheme under which free food grains were delivered from Ramnavami to Diwali, almost 7 months. Since we have the double engine gov in UP, people can take food grains twice a month from this Diwali to Holi.

According to Adityanath, the scheme will benefit 80 crore people in the country and 15 crore in UP.

(With agency inputs)

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New Delhi: Two new cases of the Omicron COVID-19 variant were found in India on Sunday (December 12, 2021) taking the country's total tally to 35.

In Chandigarh, a 20-year-old man from Italy, who landed in India on November 22 and was diagnosed with COVID-19 on December 1, has tested positive for the Omicron variant.

The Chandigarh Health department informed that he is fully vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine.

On the other hand, Andhra Pradesh saw its first Omicron in a 34-year old man from Ireland.

First case of #Omicron variant of coronavirus detected in Andhra Pradesh pic.twitter.com/qiV9F4CtPg  ANI (@ANI) December 12, 2021

The person, who first landed in Mumbai, was tested and found negative for COVID-19 and was then allowed to travel onward to Visakhapatnam on November 27.

"On conducting a second RT-PCR test in Vizianagaram, he tested positive for Covid-19. His sample was then sent to the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad for genome sequencing and the result came out as Omicron positive," the Public Health Director said in a release.

The Public Health Director also asked people not to worry but continue to follow COVID-19 appropriate behaviour and take necessary precautions.

Earlier on Saturday, a 35-year-old man with a travel history to Zimbabwe and South Africa had tested positive for Omicron in Delhi.

The man, reportedly fully vaccinated, is currently admitted at the LNJP Hospital.

(With agency inputs)

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New Delhi: Several students and parents took to social media Saturday to highlight certain 'confusing' questions in the CBSE class 10 English exam, but the board said they were correct.

According to a student who did not wish to be identified, questions number 13 and 14 only had options for answers but no questions.

"When I enquired from the invigilator about the error we were asked to ignore the questions," he said.

Other students and parents shared images of the question paper on social media, highlighting the part which, according to them, was "confusing".

#CBSENews No questions ( 13 &14),in today's class 10 term 1 English CBSE board paper... Unbelievable!!! pic.twitter.com/GfJbNFnDfA  Smita (@Smita36497356) December 11, 2021

The board, however, had a different version of the issue.

"It may be noted that both the questions are correct and there is no ambiguity. The passage starts with the following statement- 'Read the passage given below and answer the questions/complete the statements that follow by choosing the most appropriate option out of the given ones. Questions are to be replied as per the instructions given and not in isolation," the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE said in a statement.

The CBSE Class 12 sociology paper held earlier this month asked students to name the party under which the "anti-Muslim violence in Gujarat in 2002" took place, a question the board later said was "inappropriate" and against its guidelines.

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New Delhi: A comprehension passage in the CBSE class 10 English question paper has sparked controversy for allegedly promoting "gender stereotyping" and supporting "regressive notions" prompting the board to refer the matter to subject experts on Sunday.

In the class 10 exam conducted on Saturday, the question paper carried a comprehension passage with sentences like "emancipation of women destroyed the parent's authority over the children" and "it was only by accepting her husband's way that a mother could gain obedience over the younger ones", among others.

Various excerpts from the passage have gone viral on social media with users calling out the board for supporting "misogynistic" and "regressive opinions" and the hashtag "CBSE insults women" trending on the microblogging site Twitter.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also took to Twitter objecting to the question paper.

"Unbelievable! Are we really teaching children this drivel? Clearly, the BJP Government endorses these retrograde views on women, why else would they feature in the CBSE curriculum?" she said.

Unbelievable! Are we really teaching children this drivel? Clearly the BJP Government endorses these retrograde views on women, why else would they feature in the CBSE curriculum? @cbseindia29 @narendramodi ?? pic.twitter.com/yplSAvG91Z  Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) December 12, 2021

Lakshmi Ramachandran, the spokesperson of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, said, "This outrageously nonsensical reading passage appeared in the 10th CBSE board exam paper today. What are we teaching our children? CBSE has to give an explanation and tender an apology for inflicting our children with this".

"Class 10 CBSE English paper today says children and servants must be taught their place and women gaining some independence destroyed parents authority over children. The entire passage is so stupid. Who are these idiots setting question paper in CBSE," another Twitter user said.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) issued a statement saying," The passage in one set of the English paper of CBSE class 10 first term examination held yesterday has received mixed reactions from a few parents and students stating that 'it seems to support regressive notions on family and allegedly promotes gender stereotyping".

"The matter will be referred to subject experts for considered views as per the preset procedures of the board. As regards the correct answer option and the answer key released by the board, it is clarified that if the experts opine that the passage elicits multiple interpretations, appropriate action will be taken to protect the interest of the students," the board said.

The CBSE class 12 sociology paper held earlier this month asked students to name the party under which the anti-Muslim violence in Gujarat in 2002 took place, a question the board later said was inappropriate and against its guidelines.

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New Delhi: The Indian Army on Sunday (December 12) released a video clip in which late Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat greeted the armed forces personnel on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the 1971 war and paid tributes to the fallen heroes.

The video was reportedly recorded on the evening of December 7.

"Apne Senao par hei hame garv, aao milkar manaye Vijay Parv (We are proud of our armies, let's celebrate victory together)," CDS General Bipin Rawat had said in his last public message.

In a 1:10 minute-long clip, he had expressed, "I am extending heartfelt greetings to all the brave soldiers of Indian armed forces on the occasion of Swarnim Vijay Parv. We are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the victory in the 1971 war as the Vijay Parv."

"I am paying my tributes to our brave soldiers on this occasion, remembering their sacrifices. Several events are being organised at the India Gate between December 12 and 14.

"It is a matter of great pride that Vijay Parv is being organised at the Amar Jawan Jyoti complex which was established in memory of our brave soldiers," Gen Rawat had said in the message.

"We invite all countrymen to participate in the Vijay Parv," he had said.

He ended by saying: "Apne Senao par hei hame garv, aao milkar manaye Vijay Parv."

#WATCH Late CDS General Bipin Rawat's pre-recorded message played at an event on the occasion 'Swarnim Vijay Parv' inaugurated today at India Gate lawns in Delhi. This message was recorded on December 7. (Source: Indian Army) pic.twitter.com/trWYx7ogSy  ANI (@ANI) December 12, 2021

CDS Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat were among the 13 persons killed in a helicopter crash near Tamil Nadu's Coonoor on December 8. He was cremated side by side on the same pyre with his wife Madhulika Rawat with full military honours at Brar Square crematorium in Delhi Cantonment on December 10.

Earlier in the day, the 'Swarnim Vijay Parv' event was inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who informed that this event was scheduled to be organized in a grand form, but after the untimely demise of the country's first CDS, it has been decided to mark it with simplicity.

"On this occasion, I pay my tributes by remembering him too," Singh expressed.

#VijayParv #VijayParv celebrations were inaugurated by the #RakshaMantri Shri Rajnath Singh at #IndiaGate Lawns today. To commemorate the golden jubilee of #1971War victory, the celebrations would be conducted over two days at #NewDelhi from 12 to 13 Dec 21. pic.twitter.com/KsncWRe7Ok  ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) December 12, 2021

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of Swarnim Vijay Parv. https://t.co/Fr6y7506sx  Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) December 12, 2021

India is organising a series of events to mark the stupendous victory of India over Pakistan in the war 50 years ago. Around 93,000 Pakistani troops had surrendered before the joint forces of the Indian Army and the "Mukti Bahini" on December 16, 1971, that paved way for the birth of Bangladesh.

(With agency inputs)

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New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate arrested two persons in connection with Navjeevan Credit Co-operative Society scam case on Saturday (December 11).

The agency claimed that the two were involved in money laundering and cheating investors by promising them unrealistic returns on their investment.

In the FIR, it was alleged that Navjeevan Credit Co-operative Society through the Chairman, his aides and relatives opened more than 200 branches in Rajasthan and Gujarat.

The Chairman, his aides and relatives availed loans from the society funds fraudulently in the name of entities owned and controlled by them and their close associates, said ED in a statement.

ED has arrested Jai Narayan Sharma and Nizamudin on 11.12.2021 in Navjeevan Credit Co-operative Society Scam Case. One day before the arrest, ED conducted searches at 6 premises of Sterling Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd., M/s Ashapura Agro Industries, M/s Western Energetics Private Limited; residential premises of Jai Narayan Sharma Chairman Sterling Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd.; Rawat Singh and Preeti Swami situated in Rajasthan (5) and Gujarat (1) under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), said ED.

The agency further said that they seized Rs 62.60 lakh cash, silver weighing 20 kg and incriminating documents and digital devices during the search.

The arrest accused have been remanded to ED custody till December 24.

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Chandigarh: Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday said that all concerned deputy commissioners and superintendents of police will prepare a report as to how many cases registered over the past year against farmers in Haryana can be withdrawn immediately.

Speaking to reporters after the 15th meeting of the Administrative Reforms Department here, the chief minister said appropriate steps will also be taken with regard to cases that have already gone to court.

This comes a day after farmers, who began an agitation last year at Delhi's border points demanding the repeal of the Centre's agri laws, started vacating the protest sites. Besides the withdrawal of the farm laws, their demands included the unconditional withdrawal of police cases against protesters.

After withdrawing the farm laws last month, the Centre also accepted their demand for the withdrawal of cases against farmers, among other things.

Responding to a question, Khattar said all concerned deputy commissioners, superintendents of police and other officers will prepare a report as to how many cases registered against farmers can be withdrawn immediately.

Appropriate steps will also be taken regarding the cases that have gone to court, he said.

Asked about providing compensation to the family members of the farmers who died during the agitation, Khattar said talks are going on with them and the list of such people provided by the farmers will be verified by the police department.

He welcomed the farmers' decision to end their stir and said the toll booths that were closed due to their agitation will soon be reopened.

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New Delhi: Uttar Pradeshs Varanasi is bracing for a grand opening of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in the holy city on Monday (December 12). The mega project will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The inauguration of the state-of-the-art infrastructure surrounding the historic Kashi Vishwanath Temple comes ahead of the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh early next year and several arrangements from decoration work to the arrival of saints and seers are being made for the grand event.

Here is your 10-points cheatsheet of Varanasi's preparation for the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor:

According to IANS, nearly 3,000 saints, seers and various dignitaries associated with different religious mutts, artists will arrive and attend the inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath Dham (KVD) Corridor on Monday.

For the mega opening ceremony, decoration work from Jalasen Ghat to Mandir Chowk and Kashi Vishwanath temple premises is underway.

Floral decoration of Mandir Chowk and the seating arrangements for 3,000 people has been organised.

Posters hailing Modi for "realising the vision of this project" have been put up on ornate lampposts in streets, near the iconic temple.

The ceremony will be broadcast live from over 51,000 places nationwide.

PM Modi will enter the corridor from the riverside, where all arrangements have been made. Rehearsal of river cruise is also underway.

PM will witness Ganga 'aarti' and grand festivities on the ghats, which will culminate with fireworks and a laser show.

Ghats are being decorated and the plan is to light up "five lakh diyas" on the ghats and observe the occasion on a scale of 'Dev Deepavali'.

Facades of buildings located on streets leading to the shrine have been painted in uniform light pink colour, and many buildings have been illuminated.

Godowlia Chowk has also been lit up by their owners to celebrate the occasion

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Srinagar: National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah on Sunday condemned Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's remarks that offering Namaz' in open spaces will not be tolerated, saying the decision was wrong and it clearly meant that one particular religion was being targeted.

He said there is total freedom to practice one's religion in the country.

The Haryana CM's statement and his decision is totally wrong, Abdullah told reporters after a party function in south Kashmir's Anantnag district.

I would have accepted it had this ban been on every religion, but by this pick and choose, it is clear that the target is one particular religion which is not allowed by the Constitution of this country, he added.

Abdullah said this was not the India to which Jammu and Kashmir had acceded.

J-K had acceded to a secular, tolerant India, he said, adding, this (Khattar's) statement is highly condemnable.

Asked whether the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) - the amalgam of six mainstream political parties seeking the restoration of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir which was revoked by the Centre on August 5, 2019 - was united, Abdullah said, "It was united and will continue its struggle."

The fight will continue. If there is a need to bring some changes in that, we will do that. There are no second thoughts that our rulers do not like the PAGD. There were attempts before as well to weaken the PAGD. One of our colleagues was separated from the PAGD on one pretext or the other, he said, referring to Sajad Lone-led People's Conference parting ways with the alliance earlier this year.

He, however, said the rest of the constituents of the PAGD understand these designs and will not allow them to succeed.

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New Delhi: Kashi Vishwanath Temple has been decked up before the inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 13.

Speaking to ANI, Shrikant Mishra, Priest at Kashi Vishwanath temple said, "The city is filled with enthusiasm as the temple is ready to become `Vishwanath Dham` after years. PM Modi is going to inaugurate the corridor on December 13."

"Significantly, `Jyotirling` of Kashi Vishwanath temple is considered to be the most important among other twelve Jyotirlingas, that`s why lakhs of devotees come here to offer prayers. Earlier, this temple was only situated 2,000 metres, but now it has been spread over 50,000 square metres," the priest said.

Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi decked up ahead of Kashi Vishwanath corridor inauguration by PM Modi on Dec 13 pic.twitter.com/tkuMU9MNjR  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 10, 2021

The priest further spoke about the difficulties faced during the construction of this corridor. "The path of completing PM Modi`s dream project was difficult as around 14,000 people were displaced from their homes. Now, the Ganga ghat will be easily visible from the temple," he added.

Meanwhile, the temple`s lighting has been done keeping in mind its blue theme and heritage look.

"The temple has now flourished in its true form. All the arrangements have been made here for devotees. Now, the devotees will get mesmerised by the lighting of the temple as the number of lighting experts were working on it. The lighting has been done keeping in mind its blue theme and heritage look. The walls are adorned with blue lights," said Suresh, lighting expert at Kashi Vishwanath temple.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Tourism Minister Neelkanth Tiwari said that the project has been built with Rs 399 crores.

"It has been built with Rs 399 crores and is not only taking forward the dignity of Kashi but also creating a possibility of the boom in the religious tourism of Varanasi. The tourism sector is expected to grow insignificantly," Tiwari said.

At Kashi Vishwanath Dham Corridor, devotees will also see a statue of Maratha Queen Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar, who once reconstructed the temple. The entire event will be aired live across the country.

Known to be Prime Minister`s dream project, this corridor will shorten the time span and will set a direct link between the temple and the Ganga river.

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New Delhi: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Saturday (December 11, 2021) said that Mahapanchayat will be held from time to time to discuss farmers` issues. The statement of the BKU leader comes on the same day when farmers protesting against farm laws started returning to their homes after year-long agitation against farm laws at various borders of Delhi.

"Every year, a 10-day Kisan Andolan Mela will be held. Mahapanchayat will be held from time to time to discuss farmers` issues," Tikait told reporters here.

In his address, the BKU leader also lauded the role of media in highlighting farmers` agitation and said constant reporting by print, electronic and especially social media put pressure on the government.

Earlier, both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha passed the Farm Laws Repeal Bill on the first day of the Winter session on November 29. President Ram Nath Kovind had also given his assent to the Bill that completed the process of repealing the three farm laws.

Farmers had been protesting against the farm laws on various borders of Delhi since November 26, 2020.

The SKM, earlier on Thursday announced the suspension of their year-long agitation after they received a letter from the Central government, with promises of forming a committee on Minimum Support Price (MSP) and withdrawing cases against them immediately.

The farmers will hold a review meeting on January 15. "If the government does not fulfil its promises, we could resume our agitation," the SKM had said in its statement.

On November 19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Centre will bring necessary bills in the Winter Session of Parliament to repeal the farm laws.

(With ANI inputs)

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New Delhi: After reports about the rare tiger sightings in West Bengals Buxa forest in Alipurduar, it has now emerged that no new tiger sightings have been recorded there.

The forest department had recently installed a camera that appeared to have captured a photo of what looked like a Royal Bengal Tiger on Saturday. It was earlier reported that the ferocious mammal was spotted in the 22-mile road at 12 and 13 compartment junctions.

The forest department had earlier claimed that the image was captured at 1 am. The pugmark of the animal resembled that of a full-grown Royal Bengal Tiger and was found at the area near a river deep inside the forest, about 20 km from the road, a forest department official had earlier said.

We placed a camera trap in the nearby forest and today a tiger has been captured in East Damanpur forest range, the forest department later said.

The news of rare tiger sighting in Buxa forest and tiger reserve, where tigers are reportedly virtually extinct, in more than two decades had triggered a wave of happiness.

Forest Minister Jyotipriyo Mallick had said that a forest department team from Kolkata will reach the area on Monday to examine the pugmarks and scrutinize the image.

According to Mallick, the state was planning to bring 20 tigers from Assam to Buxa where the existence of big cats was not spotted in the past two decades.

A tiger was last spotted in Buxa forest in 1998 and then media reports claimed another sighting in 2010. Sunderbans in south Bengal is known to be a habitat for tigers with 95 big cats counted there in the last census.

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New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday slammed Pakistan for promoting terrorism in India while inaugurating the 'Wall of Fame -1971 Indo-Pak War'.

Pakistan wants to promote terrorism in India. Indian Armed Forces foiled Pakistan's plans in 1971 and now we are working towards eliminating terrorism from the root, Rajnath Singh.

Delhi | Pakistan wants to promote terrorism in India. Indian Armed Forces foiled Pakistan's plans in 1971 and now we are working towards eliminating terrorism from the root: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh  ANI (@ANI) December 12, 2021

The Defence Minister also paid a visit to the military equipment display at the inaugural ceremony of Swarnim Vijay Parv to commemorate 50 years of India's victory over Pakistan in the 1971 War.

Delhi | Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurates 'Wall of Fame -1971 Indo-Pak war' and visits military equipment display at the inaugural ceremony of Swarnim Vijay Parv to commemorate 50 years of India's victory in the 1971 war pic.twitter.com/CdxmWIDgjc  ANI (@ANI) December 12, 2021

Singh added that India has contributed to the establishment of democracy in Bangladesh and in the last 50 years, Bangladesh has progressed rapidly on the path of development, which is an inspiration for the rest of the world.

Addressing the Swarnim Vijay Parv celebrations at the India Gate to commemorate 50 years of India`s historic victory in the 1971 war and Indo-Bangladesh friendship, Rajnath Singh said, "India has contributed to the establishment of democracy in Bangladesh and today we are very happy that in the last 50 years Bangladesh has progressed rapidly on the path of development, which is an inspiration for the rest of the world."

Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh addressing the gathering at the inaugural ceremony of Swarnim Vijay Parv. pic.twitter.com/P4KNvkMlmy    / RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) December 12, 2021

"Today we all have gathered here at India Gate to celebrate the `Vijay Parv` organized under the `Swarnim Victory Year` of the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War. This festival commemorates the glorious victory of the Indian armies, which changed both the history and geography of South Asia," he added.

"It was decided to organize this event in a grand form, but after the untimely demise of the country`s first CDS, General Bipin Rawat, it has been decided to mark it with simplicity. On this occasion, I pay my tributes by remembering him too," he said.

"On this day, I bow to the bravery, valour and sacrifice of every soldier of the Indian Army, due to which India won the 1971 war. This country will always be indebted to the sacrifice of all those bravehearts," he added.

"Sometimes I wonder, what was the fault of our Bengali sisters and brothers? For demanding their rights? Seeking to preserve their art, culture and language? For talking about his proper representation in politics and governance?" he said.

"The injustice and atrocities on our Bengali sisters and brothers were a threat to the entire humanity in one form or the other. In such a situation, it was our Rajdharm, Rashtradharm and military religion that helped in liberating the people of then `East Pakistan` from that injustice and exploitation," he added.

"This war is a classic example of our morals, our democratic traditions and just treatment. It will be rarely seen in history that after defeating another country in a war, a country like ours did not express its dominance over it, but handed over the power to its political representative," the Defence Minister said.

`Swarnim Vijay Parv` is being celebrated at India Gate, New Delhi from December 12 till December 13, 2021, to commemorate 50 years of India`s historic victory in the 1971 war and the Indo-Bangladesh friendship.

The event was inaugurated by Rajnath Singh today. Major weapons and equipment used during the 1971 war have been displayed along with the snippets of major battles.

The closing ceremony will be held on December 13, 2021, which will be attended by Rajnath Singh. Many dignitaries, including from Bangladesh, will be present.

Live TV
New Delhi: A whole host of countries from West Asia to Europe will be on the list of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign travel in 2022, all of which depends on the COVID-19 situation globally. Amid the coronavirus crisis, few VVIP visits have happened.

PM Modi visited Bangladesh in March this year, his first visit abroad since November 2019. Since the Dhaka visit, the PM has been to Washington for the Quad summit, New York for the United Nations General Assembly meet, Italy for the G20 summit and UK's Glasgow for the climate summit. President Ram Nath Kovind will visit Dhaka later this month, his first visit abroad amid the pandemic.

UAE

It looks clear now that the Prime Minister will be travelling to the United Arab Emirates in the early January, and visit the mega India Pavilion at Dubai Expo. This will be PM Modi's 4th visit to the country since 2014. He has travelled to the west Asian country, which has emerged as a close ally of New Delhi in 2015, 2018, 2019.

Germany

PM Modi is also expected to travel to Germany for the 6th IGC-- Indo German Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC) that alternates every two years between the two countries. Former German chancellor Angela Merkel had been to India for the IGC in 2019. The visit of PM Modi to Berlin will provide an occasion to meet the new Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz. Asked about the visit, German Envoy Walter Lindner in response to WIONs question earlier this year said, "You have to ask your prime minister because this is the standard because every two years either we come, or the PM comes to Germany. Merkel was here two years ago, so next year if covid allows your PM will be in Germany. So we hope it happens within next 6 months, this will be the first official meeting of the two heads of govt."

Germany is also the chair of G7 in 2022 and remember India has been regularly invited for the summit since 2019 when France was the host of the summit. 2020 saw the then US President Trump talking about inviting India and other for the summit in the country but the summit never happened. This year the UK as the host invited India but due to the second wave of covid crisis in India, PM Modi could not visit.

Denmark

A large part of the PM's visits will be to Europe this year. He is expected to travel to Denmark for the 2nd India-Nordic summit. During the visit of Denmark PM Mette Frederiksen in October this year, she extended an invite to Modi for the Second India-Nordic summit to be convened in Copenhagen in 2022. The first Indo Nordic summit involving all the 5 Nordic countries Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland took place in April 2018 in Swedish capital Stockholm.

Indonesia

Indonesia's Bali will see leaders of G20 grouping descending for the annual summit of 20 most powerful economies. Next year's summit is important for India since the presidency will be handed over to New Delhi. Indonesian President Joko Widodo will hand over the presidency to PM Modi during the summit that is expected to take place in October 2022. India hosts the summit in 2023, which is for the first time the country will host the summit.

Russia

Russia will be a key stop next year for the annual India-Russia summit. Russian President Vladimir Putin was in New Delhi in December for the summit that alternates annually between the two countries. PM Modi last visited Russia's Vladivostok in 2019 for the summit. President Putin was the only head of state/head of govt to visit India this year after Denmark PM's visit. New Delhi in pre-covid times has been a busy capital with many world leaders visiting the country. The last major visit to India was by Myanmar's then-President and former US President Trump in February of 2020.

Japan

Japan will be the destination for the second Quad in-person summit. Quad grouping of India, US, Australia and Japan consolidated this year with a virtual summit followed by an in-person summit in September in Washington. The grouping whose emergency China is not very pleased with has worked on a number of issues from producing covid vaccines and Quad Principles on technology design, development, governance, and use. Japan's in-person Quad summit is likely to take place in February according to initial indications.

Sri Lanka

In the neighborhood, Modi could travel to Sri Lanka for the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC). Sri Lanka is the chair of the group and will host the fifth in-person summit next year. The country was expected to host the summit this year, but that did not materialize. On the agenda at the summit will be the approval of the BIMSTEC Charter, BIMSTEC Master Plan for Transport Connectivity & BIMSTEC Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters. Grouping is also working on the finalization of the BIMSTEC Coastal Shipping Agreement and the Motor Vehicles Agreement. In 2019, India had invited BIMSTEC heads of government and states for PM Modi's oath-taking ceremony for the second term. After Sri Lanka, Thailand will be the host of the grouping. BIMSTEC group has been high on India's priority, given SAARC has largely been defunct.

Rwanda

Rwanda is likely to be PM Modis destination in Africa since the country hosts the Commonwealth summit (or Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting or CHOGM meet). The summit has been postponed twice, in 2020, 2021 due to covid and new dates have been suggested. The PM last participated in the CHOGM summit in the UK in 2018.

Asean, SCO & BRICS

Other destinations of the PM include Cambodia for the Asean summit, Uzbekistan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit and China for BRICS but it depends if the summit happens in person. The BRICS and Asean summits have been happening virtually for two years. SCO summit this year was in hybrid mode due to COVID crisis.

Live TV
New Delhi: Days after Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) called off the agitation, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Sunday (December 12) said state governments will decide on withdrawal of the cases registered against farmers during the year-long protest.

SKM, an umbrella body of farmer unions that spearheaded the protest, announced the suspension of protests on December 9 after receiving a formal letter from the Government of India promising the formation of a committee on MSP and withdrawal of cases against the farmers immediately.

Speaking to reporters today on the issue of withdrawal of cases, Tomar, as quoted by PTI, said "The issue of law and order falls under the jurisdiction of state governments. So they will take a decision in this regard.

He added that he has been in touch with the farmers' leaders since the last year. "I also talked to them today morning. We are saying that this is not a question of victory or defeat and you should also not see this issue like this," the Union minister said.

The Centre's letter to SKM had mentioned that the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana have agreed to withdraw cases against farmers with immediate effect. "Cases registered against farmers in Delhi and other states will also be withdrawn", it added.

Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana had been protesting at Delhi bordersTikri, Ghazipur and Singhusince November last year seeking repeal of the three contentious farm laws.

Earlier on Sunday, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said that farmers will leave all protest sites in Delhi by December 15. Tikait told ANI that he will be visiting Haryana, Chandigarh and Amritsar in the next three days to end the protests in those regions.

The BKU spokesperson informed that SKM will hold its next meeting on January 15.

(With agency inputs)

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Lucknow: Ahead of the crucial 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the Samajwadi Party got a shot in the arm on Sunday when two MLAs joined the party at its headquarters here in presence of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.

The legislators are Vinay Shankar Tiwari from Chillupar assembly seat in Gorakhpur, who was expelled from the BSP recently, and Digvijay Narayan alias Jai Chaubey (BJP) from Khalilabad constituency in Sant Kabir Nagar.

Former chairman of the UP Legislative Council Ganesh Shankar Pandey, who was fielded by the BSP in 2010 for the post of council chairman, also joined the Samajwadi Party. Apart from these prominent leaders, a large number of Brahmins from different political parties also joined the party.

The BSP had on Monday (December 6) expelled Tiwari, his elder brother and former MP Kushal Tiwari and their relative Pandey from the party. They were expelled for allegedly creating indiscipline in the party and for improper behaviour with senior leaders.

Hitting out at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the SP chief said, "In the last four-and-half years (of the BJP rule), work has been done with discrimination. The way in which the British practised 'divide and rule', in the same way, the BJP wants to rule the people by making them feel afraid and killing them. In the upcoming polls, the people will teach a lesson to the BJP."

He said that no one can forget the October 3 violence in Lakhimpur in which eight people, including four farmers lost their lives.

The SP chief, on this occasion, also accused the government of mismanagement during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that no one can forget the shortage of oxygen in hospitals, floating bodies in rivers and other irregularities.

"People were made to stand in queues during demonetisation, to get medicines and hospital beds during the pandemic and farmers stood in queues to get fertilisers. But, in the upcoming assembly elections, the people will queue up and remove them. Neither are they able to control the bull nor will they be able to control the bulldozer," he said.

The SP chief said that the BJP government, in its final days, is talking about the election promise of giving tablets to students, which they had made in 2017. "It is being heard that these items could be imported from China," he said.

To a question that if voted to power, will the SP order a probe into the alleged fake encounters which took place in the current regime, Yadav said, "Let our election manifesto come. It will have a number of things."

The SP chief on this occasion also said, "Samajwad is Ambedkarwad and vice-versa because Ram Manohar Lohia and Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar believed in breaking the caste system."

He also said that if voted to power, his government will send a proposal to the Centre to make the Gorakhpur University a central university.

Yadav said that if the SP forms the government in the state, then it will build canteens to provide free nutritious meals to poor people.

Speaking on the occasion, Tiwari termed Yadav a "popular leader" and claimed, "This (BJP) government was not formed for democracy (Loktantra) but for autocracy (Rajtantra), and there is a ban on free speech. This government has also started a new trend of putting its plaques on foundation stones or development work of any other government."

The government has sown seeds of hatred and has divided the people, he alleged. Tiwari said the government had set up big hoardings advertising its achievements but the ground reality was completely different.

"The injustice done to the Brahmin community has been the most in this government," he said, adding that the UP government had started a "policy of encounters" in the state.

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New Delhi: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday (December 12) attacked Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for dancing in Goa with tribal women when the entire nation was mourning the death of CDS General Bipin Rawat and 12 others who lost their lives in the ill-fated IAF chopper crash on Wednesday.

Addressing a rally in Haldwani, the BJP leader in an apparent attack on Priyanka Gandhi said, On one hand, we were mourning the loss of General Bipin Rawat and 12 others, while on the other hand, the opposition was celebrating. They were dancing in Goa during an election campaign. They should be ashamed of themselves.

Taking an indirect dig at Congress, the Uttarakhand leader further said, When CDS Rawat was being cremated, a party was celebrating. They should be ashamed. They are present only physically, their souls somewhere else. A family which ruled for 55 yrs have no feelings for martyrs...dancing, launching a poll campaign in Goa.

The minister was addressing a gathering in Uttarakhands Haldwani where he inaugurated and laid foundation stones of various development projects.

I have inaugurated various projects related to roads, schools, hospitals, with worth about Rs 90 crores, in Nainidanda. We aim to increase tourism opportunities & make the state country's best state by 2020, he said.

(With ANI inputs)

Live TV
Lucknow: One of the primary aims of the BJP government soon after coming to power in Uttar Pradesh in the year 2017 was to change the face of the countryside through better connectivity and infrastructure. And so, it is not without reason that as the state braces up for the assembly polls, rural UP is all set to vote again for the BJP as the roads constructed in the villages are a sure shot roadmap to victory.

The Yogi government has so far constructed more than 15246 km of rural roads, which is far more than the predecessor governments in the past. Along with these, tehsil and development block headquarters are also being connected by two-lane wide roads.

With the help of better roads and improved electricity supply, the state is all set to move forward on the path of development. And you can hear umpteen stories of praise and kudos people are showering on the chief minister in the manner the Yogi government has done the work of laying a network of roads to improve the village-rural-farmer in the last five years.

While this helped the farmers to take their crops to the purchase centres, the villagers have also got ease in the movement. The Yogi government has also worked to reduce the gap between the village and the city by connecting the main road with the link roads to villages. Due to the laying of the road network, where migration from the villages has reduced on one hand and on the other hand, employment and development have also got wings in the villages itself.

Work has been done to connect about 1,557 revenue villages that have been neglected for the last seventy years, according to an official of the state government. According to the Public Works Department (PWD), 1763-km long roads are being constructed in these villages by spending Rs 1,114 crore.

Out of which so far more than 1546 revenue villages have been covered with 1740.24 kms. The road has been connected to the connectivity route by constructing a road over a longer length. The Yogi government has also done the work of connecting the villages by road, in which Rs 1407 crore has been released to connect 2275 habitations with the connectivity road, out of which 2173.60 km long road has been constructed in 1717 habitations.

Under the Chief Minister's Samagra Gram Vikas Yojana, work has been completed for a 29-km long road for 33 revenue villages at a cost of Rs 14.35 crore.

Tehsil and development block headquarters connected by two lanes

There were 26 tehsil headquarters of the state which were not connected by two-lane roads. To connect them with a two-lane road, a road length of 270 km has been built with a cost of Rs 387 crore. Out of these, more than 24 works have been completed.

At the same time, Rs 2088 crore is being spent to connect 144 development block headquarters with two-lane roads. With this huge amount, 1282 km road going to the development block headquarters is being widened. Out of 144 development blocks, about 100 works have been completed.

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Srinagar: An unidentified terrorist was gunned down by the security forces after an encounter broke out in Awantipora in the south Kashmir's Pulwama district on Sunday morning.

According to reports, the security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in Baragam area of Awantipora in the south Kashmir district after specific inputs about the presence of terrorists there.

One terrorist neutralized in an ongoing encounter between security forces and terrorists in Baragam area of Awantipora, IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

One terrorist neutralized in an ongoing encounter between security forces and terrorists in Baragam area of Awantipora: IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar (file photo) pic.twitter.com/BhMpbgbrQB  ANI (@ANI) December 12, 2021

As the security forces were conducting searches in the area, terrorists fired upon them, a J&K police official said.

The forces retaliated, leading to the encounter, the official said. The identity and group affiliation of the slain terrorist was being ascertained, he said.

The exchange of fire was going on at the moment.

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SBI Recruitment 2021: The State Bank of India (SBI) has started the registration process for the recruitment of over 1,200 Circle Based Officers (CBO).

According to the notification released on the official website (sbi.co.in), the bank has commenced the registration process on December 9 for 1,226 vacancies.

Interested and eligible candidates can check the application forms available on the SBI website's "career" page.

SBI Recruitment 2021: Vacancy details

Ahmedabad (Gujrati): 354

Bengaluru (Kannada): 278

Bhopal (Hindi): 214

Chennai (Tamil): 276

Jaipur (Hindi): 104

SBI Recruitment 2021: Eligibility criteria

Graduation in any discipline from a recognised University or any equivalent qualification recognised as such by the Central Government.

Minimum 2 years experience (Post Essential Academic Qualification Experience) as on December 1, 2021, as an officer in any Scheduled Commercial Bank or any Regional Rural Bank as listed in Second Schedule of Reserve Bank of India."

The candidates applying for vacancies of a particular State should be proficient (reading, writing and understanding) in the specified opted local language of that State. The test of knowledge of specified opted local language of the applied state will be conducted as a part of the selection process. Candidates who produce 10th or 12th standard mark sheet/ certificate evidencing having studied the specified opted local language of the applied state as one of the subjects will not be required to undergo the language test.

SBI Recruitment 2021: Age limit

A candidate should not be below 21 years and not above 30 years as on December 1, 2021.

SBI Recruitment 2021: Salary

The basic salary approximately is Rs 36,000 plus one increment for each completed year of service.

SBI Recruitment 2021: How to apply

Candidates can ONLY apply ONLINE and no other mode of application will be accepted. Candidates need to register themselves online through Bank's website https://bank.sbi/careers. After registration, candidates are required to pay the requisite application fee through online mode.

SBI Recruitment 2021: Last date

The last date to register for CBO is December 29, 2021.

Candidates are advised to regularly visit Banks website https://bank.sbi/careers for details and updates.

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New Delhi: Karnataka on Sunday (December 12, 2021) reported its third case of the Omicron variant and the country's tally has now increased to 36.

Karnataka Health Minister Dr Sudhakar K informed that a 34-year-old returnee from South Africa has tested positive.

"He is isolated and being treated in a government hospital. Five primary and 15 secondary contacts have been traced and their samples have been sent for testing," he added.

Karnataka, notably, was the first state in India to record the infections of the new variant of COVID-19. Both the patients had mild symptoms.

Of the two cases, one was a 66-year-old South African man who came to Bengaluru on November 20 and left India after testing negative. The other was a 46-year-old man who is a doctor - an anaesthetist - at a hospital in Bengaluru and had tested positive on November 22. He had no travel history to South Africa or any other country.

Earlier in the day, two fresh cases of Omicron were found in Andhra Pradesh and Chandigarh.

In Chandigarh, a 20-year-old man from Italy tested positive, while in Andhra Pradesh, a 34-year old man from Ireland was diagnosed with the new variant.

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New Delhi: MedPlus Health Services Ltds initial public offer (IPO) will open for subscriptions on Monday, December 13. The pharmacy retail chain is planning to raise Rs 600 crore from the sale of fresh equity shares and Rs 798.30 crore from the offer for sale (OFS).

If youre planning to subscribe to MedPlus IPO, heres everything you need to know:

MedPlus IPO Price Band

MedPlus IPO has fixed a price band of Rs 780-796 a share for its Rs 1,398 crore initial share sale.

MedPlus IPO Subscription Dates

MedPlus IPO will open for public subscription on December 13. The three-day IPO will close on December 15. Meanwhile, the bidding for anchor investors has been completed on December 10.

MedPlus IPO Issue Details

MedPlus IPO comprises fresh issuance of equity shares worth Rs 600 crore. The IPO also consists of an offer for sale (OFS) of equity shares worth up to Rs 798.30 crore by the promoter and existing shareholders.

Moreover, equity shares worth Rs 5 crore has been reserved for the company's employees who will receive shares at a discounted rate of Rs 78 per share to the final issue price.

MedPlus IPO Funds Use

MedPlus is planning to use the proceeds for funding the working capital requirements of the company's subsidiary, Optival.

Investors can bid for a minimum of 18 equity shares and in multiples thereof.

What is MedPlus?

Founded in 2006 by Gangadi Madhukar Reddy, MedPlus is a pharmacy retail chain which is headquartered in Hyderabad. The company sells medicine and pharmacy products offline and online. Also Read: US tornado outbreak: Amazon warehouse collapse in Illinois leaves six dead

The company is said to be the second-largest pharmacy retail network in India with over 2,000 stores distributed across Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Odisha, West Bengal and Maharashtra, as of March 31, 2021. Also Read: Lulu Group to set up mall in Gujarat with Rs 2,000 crore investment; aims to create 5,000 jobs

- With PTI inputs.

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New Delhi: Actors Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal tied the knot on December 9 at Six Senses Fort in Bawara, Sawai Madhopur district. The most awaited wedding of the year was a royal yet intimate affair with only the couple's family and close friends in attendance. However, ViKat, plans to organize a grand reception for their Tinseltown friends in Mumbai. But before that, the couple sent a basket of goodies with handwritten notes to industry friends to celebrate their wedding. Actress Kangana Ranaut was one of the recipients of their basket.

Kangana took to her Instagram stories to thank Katrina-Vicky for delicious desi ghee laddoos. Delicious desi ghee ke ladoos from newlywed @katrinakaif and @vickykaushal09 thank you aur bahut bahut badhai (many congratulations).

Flowers, customized name card and gift boxes are visible in the picture.

Both Vicky and Katrina have been tight-lipped about their relationship and wedding rumours. The two finally broke their silence after getting hitched and sharing their first wedding photos with identical notes on their Instagram handles.

Only love and gratitude in our hearts for everything that brought us to this moment. Seeking all your love and blessings as we begin this new journey together, read the note.

Meanwhile, earlier Kangana had lauded leading Bollywood ladies for breaking sexist norms by marrying men who are younger than them in one of her Instagram stories. This was when ViKat was all set to tie the knot. Katrina is five years elder to Vicky, making fans wonder if the Queen actresss post was alluding to Katrina and Vicky.

On the work front, Katrina will next be seen in Tiger 3 opposite Salman Khan. Vicky Kaushal will feature in Mr Lele and Kangana has Tejas in her kitty.
New Delhi: Due to a two-day nationwide bank strike, the State Bank of India's (SBI) operations are likely to be disrupted on the 16th and 17th of December. The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has declared a strike in protest of the government's decision to privatise public banks.

SBI stated in a stock exchange report on December 10th. "We have been informed by the Indian Banks' Association (lBA) that the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has served a Notice of Strike, informing that the members of UFBU's constituent Unions, viz. AIBEA, AIBOC, NCBE, AIBOA, BEFI, INBEF, and INBOC, propose to go on a nationwide Bank Strike on December 6th and 7th, 2021 in support of their demands." We advise that, while the Bank has made the appropriate provisions to maintain normal operation in its branches and offices on strike days, work in our Bank is likely to be impacted.

2-day bank strike from December 16

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has organised a two-day walkout to oppose the Centre's plan to privatise public sector banks beginning December 16. The United Federation of Bank Unions (UFBU) is a federation of bank unions. The plan to privatise PSBs, according to Sanjay Das, general secretary of the All India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC), will harm priority sectors of the economy as well as credit flow to self-help groups and the rural economy.

According to him, public sector banks hold 70% of the country's total deposits, and handing them over to private capital will jeopardise the ordinary man's money deposited with these banks, according to PTI.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated in her 2021 budget speech that two public sector banks will be privatised during the current fiscal year.

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New Delhi: Do you have a PF (Provident Fund) account? Then this data is critical for you! Ignoring it may result in the loss of crucial PF account benefits! The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has made it necessary for all PF account holders to designate a nominee. The deadline for adding the nominee is December 31, 2021. Failure to add a nominee to your PF account by the necessary date can result in a variety of problems, including the loss of benefits such as insurance money and pension. Importantly, PF account holders can add the nominee online, as we describe here.

"EPFO users should take advantage of the e-nomination capability for their family's social security." Fill out your e-nomination form online to take advantage of provident fund, pension, and insurance services. "It is critical for subscribers to register nominations to care for their spouse, children, and parents and to safeguard them through online PF, pension, and insurance (sic)," EPFO stated in a statement. The nomination is intended to give protection to the dependents of PF account holders; in the event of a mishap with the PF account holder, the nominee will be able to receive benefits such as insurance or a pension scheme..

How to do the e-nomination to your PF account?

To add a nominee, PF account holders do not need to visit an offline centre. They can enter the PF nominee's information online. Furthermore, EPFO permits PF account holders to add additional nominees' names to their accounts. Aside from that, the tax account owner has the option of determining which portion the nominee would receive.

- The first step is to visit EPFO's official website at https://www.epfindia.gov.in/site en/index.php..

- Then, under 'Services,' select 'For Employees' from the drop down selection.

- Then select 'Member UAN/Online Service (OCS/OTCP)'.

- Following that, you must log in using your UAN and password.

- Under the 'Manage' page, you'll see the 'E-Nomination' option. Tap it to activate it.

- To change your family declaration and the 'add family details' or nominee details, click 'yes.' There, you must submit all of the nominee's requested information.

- If you want to add more than one nomination, click the 'Add New Button' and enter the information for the additional nominee.

Your e-nomination process will be completed as soon as you save your family information.

You only need to make sure that if you haven't already, you add your nominee to your PF account before December 31, 2021.

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New Delhi: Farmers are all set to receive the 10th instalment under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) in the coming weeks. Eligible farmers can easily check their names online to find out if they are on the beneficiary list of PM Kisan Yojana or not.

The central government is expected to roll out the funds as part of the 10th instalment under PM Kisan Yojana by December 25, according to media reports. Notably, the government had rolled out the instalment last year at a similar time.

For the unversed, PM Kisan Yojana is a Centre sponsored scheme under which the government transfers Rs 6000 annually directly to the bank accounts of eligible farmers across the country.

The monetary benefit under the scheme is provided to farmers in three instalments of Rs 2000 each every year. The main of the PM Kisan Yojana is to offer financial support to marginalised farmers.

To date, the Central government has transferred 9 instalments of Rs 2000 each directly to the bank accounts of more than 11.37 crore eligible farmers. So far, the government has transferred Rs 1.58 lakh crore directly into the bank accounts of registered farmers.

How to check name in the PM Kisan Yojana beneficiary list

Step 1: Go to the official website of PM Kisan - https://pmkisan.gov.in.

Step 2: Go to Farmers Corner on the left side of the website.

Step 3: Select the Beneficiaries List option.

Step 4: Enter your state, district, sub-district, block and village.

Step 5: Select the Get Report option. Also Read: MedPlus IPO to open on Dec 13: 5 thing to know before subscribing to offer

Step 5: You will now get the list of beneficiaries, in which you can check your name. Also Read: Centre unlikely to announce capital infusion for PSU banks in Budget: Report

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NEW DELHI: Have the farmer leaders emerged as a formidable political force in Punjab after forcing the all-powerful Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre bow before their demands at a time when the high-stakes battle of the ballot is round the corner in the state?

In nearly 14 month-long agitations, the farmer leaders have tried to keep the political parties away from their struggle or openly use their political platform yet their movement was not apolitical even as Bharatiya Kisan Union (Haryana), a constituent of Samyukat Kissan Morcha( SKM), a joint platform of farmers union, have indicated of contesting elections in their individual capacity.

Though the farmers who had been camping on the multiple borders of Delhi enduring all kinds of rough treatment and austere conditions are now returning home while celebrating their success, the political parties here have already scripted the roles of farmer leaders to be played during the political campaigning so as to take maximum political mileage by proclaiming farmers victory which however is questionable.

Its not hidden that many recognizable farm unions are in one or other way affiliated to some or other political party yet time holds the key which farm union throws the weight of its victory behind which political party or if some underhand deals are made to en-cash the farmer's success.

The BJP in Punjab that faced the brunt of the farmer's agitation to an extent that its longtime political alliance partner Shiromani Akali Dal- Badal (SAD-B) chose to sever ties for the sake of the interests of farmers or its regional political interests is likely to make the most out of it.

Leaders of the saffron party have already started patting their own backs in public claiming to have not only resolved farmers issues but also reopened the Kartarpur Corridor while on the other hand parties like SAD(B), Indian National Congress (INC), and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) takes the credit for being shoulder-to-shoulder with the farmers during their agitation and lending them political strength which made the Centre government repeal the three controversial farm laws.

Punjabs former chief minister Capt Amrinder Singh has formed its own political party, Punjab Lok Congress and announced that he would open to have a coalition with the BJP.

Farmers' protest may be over, but farm politics is likely to gain strength in Punjab which may also set the tone of a new era of Punjab politics with farmers in focus but how much the farmers' struggle or their victory helps to develop the Punjab agriculture is also yet to be seen.

It is pertinent to mention that at present, out of 117 assembly seats, the Indian National Congress has 80 seats followed by APP with 17 seats, SAD 14 seats BJP 2 and four others.

A yearlong farmer protest is over now, farmers coming back to their home and to their fields but the protests which have seen departing of SAD-BJP, Congress within Congress and new coalitions, will surely redraw new political alignments in the state.

With political psychologists expecting a four-cornered contest in the majority of assembly constituencies of Punjab during the ensuing assembly elections, not only the leaders of all the major political parties including Congress, BJP, SAD(B), AAP as well all regional parties believe that it is time for farmers to have their say in the politics especially when they have triumphed by forcing the Centre government to accept their demands.

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New Delhi: What fun it is to look through apps, play games, and take pictures with your iPhone.... And then, all of a sudden, you're bombarded with this message! 'Storage is nearly full!' It must be exasperating. Storage has always been an issue with smartphones all around the world. Storage limitations can potentially lead to the restriction of the functionality of multiple apps as well as the addition of new media or apps to your device. If you're having trouble with your iPhone's storage, here are a few tips and strategies to help you address the problem quickly.

Delete apps, images, videos, music, or other items to fix the iPhone storage full problem and free up space. However, there is another option, and you won't have to slash your photos or videos with a hatchet! The 'System Data' option can be a good method to take advantage of your storage. 'System Data' storage, formerly known as 'others' in previous iPhone versions, is essentially a local data drive that users require to fulfil their unique activities. This information is saved in the home file system, which is dedicated solely to user data.

'System Data' on your iPhone

Simply go to your device's settings to verify your iPhone System Data. Then select General and iPhone Storage from the drop-down menu. And here, at the top of the screen, you'll find a graph that shows how much space you have left on your phone. If it says there isn't enough space, remove the system data. Check out the steps below to learn how to:

How to delete iPhone System Data on?

1. In Safari, clear the cache.

- Open the Options menu.

- Then, tap Safari and scroll down to erase the history and data from the page.

- In the popup tab, select clear history.

2. Delete your mails automatically

- Open the Options menu.

- Then go to messages and scroll to the bottom to see the message history.

- Keep messages by clicking on it.

- You must select a time period for which you want to store your communications, after which the rest will be destroyed automatically.

3. Haven't used apps for a long time? Delete it

The majority of the capacity on your device is taken up by heavy applications. Remove any applications that you haven't used in a long time.

4. Clear cache from social media

Because social networking is one of the most utilised apps on your iPhone, it takes up the most space with its images, audio notes, and videos. Clearing your social media cache can save up a lot of memory space.

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New Delhi: The Central Government's fact-checking team has warned people to be wary of a bogus WhatsApp promise that residents will receive free three-month cellphone recharges once India reaches record-breaking Covid-19 vaccination rates.

The Centre has denied the claim and stated that no such announcement has been made.

The false message was written in Hindi and said: "As India celebrates the Covid-19 vaccination milestone, the government is providing three months of free recharge. You can take advantage of the promotion if you have a Reliance Jio, Airtel, or Vi connection. Your phone will be recharged if you click on the link below. The promotion is only valid till December 20th "..

The viral message also offers an internet link to acquire a three-month free recharge. The government has stated unequivocally that the post is a forgery. The government has warned people not to provide personal information, bank account information, or click on such bogus websites.

Previously, the Cellular Operators Association of India warned users to be wary of fake texts.

Beware of such fraudulent messages. There is no such scheme from the Government or Telecom Service Providers. Don't share or forward such messages and also alert your family and friends," the COAI tweeted.

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New Delhi: Tech giant Microsoft has fixed a Teams bug that led to failed 911 calls on devices using Android 10 or later, media reports say.

A Reddit user discovered that having Teams installed, but not signed in, would prevent emergency calls from going through, citing XDA Developers, Engadget reported.

The phone would say a call was active and ring once, but never properly initiate the connection -- call logs would show nothing.

"While all Android calling apps will try to create a PhoneAccount class instance in the operating system, Teams was creating instances every time a user started the app `cold` -- that increased the chances of a sorting problem that stopped calls from going through," the report said.

Google talked to the Reddit user and revealed that both the company and Microsoft were planning fixes.

In addition to the Microsoft patch, Google is delivering an Android platform update on January 4 that should address its side of the problem. Also Read: New India focuses on resolving problems, not delaying resolution: PM Narendra Modi at bank deposit insurance event

Users can delete and reinstall Teams to clear any excess PhoneAccount instances, and staying logged in should prevent any mishaps. Also Read: Depositors should be careful while chasing high returns: RBI Governor Das

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New Delhi: WhatsApp is one of the most popular chatting and messaging apps on the market. Users can use WhatsApp Payments to send money to their contacts in addition to talking and exchanging photos, audios, and other media. The WhatsApp Payments app allows users to send money to others using WhatsApp. To enable bank-to-bank money transfer while utilising WhatsApp Payments, you'll need a Unified Payment Interface (UPI). UPI (Unified Payments Interface) is a national payment system designed by the NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India) that is supported by the majority of India's major banks.

Your bank account information is identified by WhatsApp using the phone number linked with your account. You should also be aware that your UPI PIN is a four- or six-digit number that you must input before making any payment. Your personal UPI PIN protects every payment you make and should not be shared with anyone else. You will not be required to create a new UPI PIN in WhatsApp if you already have one for your bank account.

If you don't remember your WhatsApp Payments UPI PIN, you can update it or create a new one. You can do so by following the steps outlined below:

Android Users:

Step 1: Open WhatsApp and select More options from the menu.

Step 2: Select the bank account from the Payments menu.

Step 3: Tap Change UPI PIN or Forgot UPI PIN to change your UPI PIN..

Step 4: If you choose Forgot UPI PIN, hit CONTINUE, then enter the debit card number's last six digits and the expiration date. It's worth noting that some banks may require you to submit the CVV number here.

Step 5: Enter the existing UPI PIN, a new UPI PIN, and confirm the new UPI PIN if you selected Change UPI PIN.

iPhone Users

Step 1: After that, go to WhatsApp Settings and select Payments..

Step 2: Change UPI PIN or Forgot UPI PIN by tapping the bank account.

Enter the last six digits of your debit card number and the expiration date if you chose Forgot UPI PIN. Enter the existing UPI PIN, a new UPI PIN, and confirm the new UPI PIN if you chose Change UPI PIN.

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New Delhi: Farah Khan, who came to host Saturday's Weekend Ka Vaar' episode of 'Bigg Boss 15' pointed out that Karan and Tejasswi's differences are affecting their game and they should rather focus on individual games.

There was also a verbal spat between Devoleena and Rashami. Farah also targeted Pratik and advised him not to interfere in others matters.

Meanwhile, Rakhi shares some secrets about Ritesh with Rashami Desai. She reveals that there are a lot of things she was not aware of Ritesh before marriage.

She even points out that he has never revealed his identity before the show because he is not willing to bring out his reality that he is having some illicit relationship.

Rashami asks if Rakhi was not aware of Ritesh's reality. Rakhi responds she was not aware about him properly before marriage. She adds hinting towards him having a relationship with some other girl: "Now, even their eyes must be opened and I can't do anything. If he is going to keep there and here also, how will it work." Rashami asks her if she will play 'Bigg Boss' even after going out and Rakhi says: "My 'Bigg Boss' never ends."

Furthermore, the date of grand finale of 'Bigg Boss 15' is January 16. Official confirmation is still awaited.
New Delhi: The social media platforms have been a boon for the police department as they communicate directly to their citizens and share crucial information, alerts, and warnings.

This time, Uttar Pradesh Police took on Twitter to raise awareness amongst citizens about the use of helmets and social media clips. Giving the message, When you are behind the wheels. Never make Reels, UP police shared a video of a man who was seen driving his bike without a helmet and making reels.

UP police also shared the aftermath of the incident where the man was awarded a challan for violating the traffic rules.

Sharing the clip on the microblogging site, UP police wrote: " Driven by social media likes, throwing caution to the winds while driving can lead to the end of your story forever! Drive Safe, Stay Safer." Watch:

Driven by social media likes, throwing caution to the winds while driving can lead to the end of your story forever! Drive Safe, Stay Safer#SafetyFirst#HelmetProtects pic.twitter.com/mWN3f5Xhbq  UP POLICE (@Uppolice) December 11, 2021

The pun-filled video has gone viral on social media and garnered over 41k likes with hundreds of comments appreciating the action taken by the police department.
New Delhi: Actress Urvashi Rautela recently met former Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu and gifted him a copy of the 'Bhagavad Gita'.

Her gesture of presenting a copy of Bhagavad Gita to Netanyahu earned her praises on the Internet.

"This is the most powerful picture I saw today," said one user on Twitter.

"My happiness is multiplied after seeing Urvashi Rautela gifting Bhagavad Gita to Netanyahu," expressed another.

Her Instagram post has got over 6.87 lakh likes and has more than 8,000 comments.

"Urvashi Rautela Bhagwad Gita" was also trending no. 1 worldwide on Twitter.

Urvashi, who represented India at Miss Universe in 2015, was also seen teaching Netanyahu some Hindi words during her meet and greet session with the former Israeli PM.

She also learnt a few words from him in Hebrew.

The 'Sanam Re' actress is in Israel to judge the 70th edition of the Miss Universe 2021 pageant.

On the work front, Urvashi will play Poonam Mishra, the real-life wife of Inspector Avinash Mishra, who is played by Randeep Hooda in the web film 'Inspector Avinash'.

She will also appear in a few south Indian films, including the Telugu feature 'Black Rose', in which she will play the lead.

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Mayfield: A monstrous tornado, carving a track that could rival the longest on record, ripped across the middle of the US In a stormfront that killed dozens and tore apart a candle factory, crushed a nursing home, derailed a train and smashed an Amazon warehouse.

I pray that there will be another rescue. I pray that there will be another one or two, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said, as crews sifted through the wreckage of the candle factory in Mayfield, where 110 people were working overnight Friday when the storm hit. Forty of them were rescued.

We had to, at times, crawl over casualties to get to live victims, said Jeremy Creason, the city's fire chief and EMS director. In Kentucky alone, 22 were confirmed dead by Saturday afternoon, including 11 in and around Bowling Green. But Beshear said upwards of 70 may have been killed when a twister touched down for more than 200 miles (320 kilometres) in his state and that the number of deaths could eventually exceed 100 across 10 or more counties.

The death toll of 36 across five states includes six people in Illinois, where an Amazon facility was hit; four in Tennessee; two in Arkansas, where a nursing home was destroyed; and two in Missouri.

If early reports are confirmed, the twister will likely go down perhaps as one of the longest track violent tornadoes in the United States history, said Victor Genzini, a researcher on extreme weather at Northern Illinois University.

The longest tornado on record, in March 1925, tracked for about 220 miles (355 kilometres) through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. But Genzini said this twister may have had touched down for nearly 250 miles (400 kilometres). The storm was all the more remarkable because it came in December when normally colder weather limits tornadoes, he said.

Debris from destroyed buildings and shredded trees covered the ground in Mayfield, a city of about 10,000 in western Kentucky. Twisted metal sheeting, downed power lines and wrecked vehicles lined the streets. Windows and roofs were blown off the buildings that were still standing.

The missing at the candle factory included Janine Denise Johnson Williams, a 50-year-old mother of four whose family members kept vigil at the site Saturday. He said Johnson Williams called her husband overnight to report the weather was getting bad, the last time anyone heard from her.

Kyanna Parsons-Perez, an employee at the factory, was trapped under 5 feet (about 1.5 meters) of debris for at least two hours until rescuers managed to free her. In an interview with NBC's Today, she said it was absolutely the most terrifying event she had ever experienced. I did not think I was going to make it at all.

Kentucky State Trooper Sarah Burgess said rescue crews were using heavy equipment to move rubble at the candle factory. Coroners were called to the scene and bodies were recovered, but she didn't know how many. She said it could take a day and potentially longer to remove all of the rubble.

Rescue efforts were complicated because Mayfield's main fire station and emergency services hub were also hit by the tornado, Creason said. After a wall at a nursing home in Mayfield collapsed, Vernon Evans said he rushed to help firefighters pull people out, only to find one resident lying dead in a few inches of water.

President Joe Biden approved an emergency disaster declaration for Kentucky on Saturday and pledged to support the affected states. I promise you, whatever is needed, whatever is needed, the federal government is going to find a way to provide it," Biden said.

Six people were killed in the collapse of the Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois, with another injured worker airlifted to a hospital, fire Chief James Whiteford said.

Investigators searched the rubble throughout the day for additional victims and 45 people survived, Whiteford said. Authorities were uncertain Saturday evening whether anyone was still unaccounted for because workers were in the midst of a shift change when it was struck by the tornado about 8:30 p.M. Friday.

This is a devastating tragedy for our Amazon family and our focus is on supporting our employees and partners," Amazon spokesperson Richard Rocha said in a written statement.

The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which has been trying to organize workers at an Amazon facility in Alabama, criticized the company for keeping the Illinois site open during a weather emergency. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson's office said the storms killed at least two people in the state and initial assessments indicate they destroyed or did major damage to hundreds of homes and buildings.

Workers at a National Weather Service office had to take shelter as a tornado passed near their office in Weldon Spring, Missouri, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of St. Louis.

In Arkansas, a tornado struck a nursing home in Monette, killing one and trapping 20 people inside as the building collapsed, Craighead County Judge Marvin Day said. Another person died when the storm hit a Dollar General store in nearby Leachville, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said.

In Earlington, Kentucky, about 85 miles (135 kilometers) northeast of Mayfield, the storm derailed 28 empty cars on a CSX train, company spokesperson Cindy Schild said in an emailed statement. Schild said there were no injuries to the crew and CSX officials were coordinated with local emergency responders to clear the cars from the tracks.

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