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Denmark Helped NSA to Spy on Top European Politicians, New Report Says

Diane A. Wade
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Denmark Helped NSA to Spy on Top European Politicians, New Report Says

According to new reports, the US and Denmark worked together to spy on top European politicians, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Danish broadcaster DR said Denmark’s Defense Intelligence Service (FE) collaborated with the US National Security Agency (NSA) to gather information from 2012 to 2014.

Both FE and the NSA are yet to comment.

Denmark’s Defense Minister, Trine Bramsen, did not confirm or deny the report but told AFP that “systemic eavesdropping of close allies is unacceptable”. She was not in charge of the ministry during the alleged spying.

“This is not acceptable between allies, and even less between allies and European partners,” said French President Emmanuel Macron, after speaking with Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Angela Merkel said she agreed with President Macron’s comments, but that she was also reassured by the Danish defense minister’s condemnation.

Intelligence was allegedly collected on other officials from Germany, France, Sweden and Norway. Those nations have also called for explanations.

Norwegian PM Erna Solberg told public broadcaster NRK: “It’s unacceptable if countries which have close allied co-operation feel the need to spy on one another.”

The NSA is said to have accessed text messages and the phone conversations of a number of prominent individuals by tapping into Danish internet cables in co-operation with the FE.

The alleged set-up, said in the report to have been codenamed “Operation Dunhammer”, allowed the NSA to obtain data using the telephone numbers of politicians as search parameters, according to DR.

DR interviewed nine sources, all of whom are said to have had access to classified information held by the FE.

Edward Snowden Responds to the House Report

Along with Chancellor Merkel, then-German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the opposition leader at the time, Peer Steinbrück, are also said to have been targeted.

Similar allegations emerged in 2013.

Then, secrets leaked by American whistleblower Edward Snowden alleged tapping of Angela Merkel’s phone by the NSA.

When those allegations were made, the White House gave no outright denial but said Angela Merkel’s phone was not being bugged at the time and would not be in future.

Following the new report, Edward Snowden accused President Joe Biden of being “deeply involved in this scandal the first time around”. Joe Biden was vice-president at the time the reported surveillance took place.

BLM Founder Patrisse Cullors Resigns from Foundation

Diane A. Wade
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BLM Founder Patrisse Cullors Resigns from Foundation
Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Black Lives Matter’s co-founder Patrisse Cullors has announced she is resigning from its foundation, but not because of what she called right-wing attempts to discredit her.

Patrisse Cullors, 37, said May 28 would be her last day at the foundation, which she has led for nearly six years.

Her finances came under scrutiny last month after it was reported she owned four homes.

Black Lives Matter started as a hashtag in 2013 and has since become a global movement.

Patrisse Cullors said she would step down from the Black Lives Matter Global Network to focus on her forthcoming second book, An Abolitionist’s Handbook, and a TV development deal with Warner Bros highlighting black stories.

She said in a statement: “With smart, experienced and committed people supporting the organization during this transition, I know that BLMGNF is in good hands.

“The foundation’s agenda remains the same – eradicate white supremacy and build life-affirming institutions.”

Patrisse Cullors told the AP her resignation had been planned for more than a year and was not related to claims that she had misused donations to acquire her property portfolio. There is no evidence to suggest that she had done so.

“Those were right-wing attacks that tried to discredit my character, and I don’t operate off of what the right thinks about me,” she said.

The BLM Foundation told AP in February that it had raised $90 million amid last year’s racial justice protests following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The foundation said it ended 2020 with a balance of more than $60 million, after operating expenses, grants to black-led organizations and other expenses.

Last month, the New York Post reported that Patrisse Cullors – a self-described Marxist – had bought a $1.4 million luxury home in Topanga Canyon, near Malibu, and owned three other homes, including a custom ranch in Georgia.

Facebook banned users from sharing the story, citing privacy concerns, and a black journalist said he was locked out of his Twitter account after he posted the article.

Conservative critics – but also some black activists – called for an investigation into whether Patrisse Cullors had used the organization’s funds to enrich herself.

Breonna Taylor Death: Grand Jury Tapes Released

Breonna Taylor’s Wrongful Death Lawsuit Settled for 12 Million

George Floyd Death: Derek Chauvin’s Bail Set at $1.25 Million in 1st Court Appearance

In April, the BLM Foundation said that Patrisse Cullors had received $120,000 between 2013 and 2019 for her work.

It said in a statement: “As a registered 501c3 non-profit organization, [the foundation] cannot and did not commit any organizational resources toward the purchase of personal property by any employee or volunteer.

“Any insinuation or assertion to the contrary is categorically false.”

Patrisse Cullors appeared to hold back tears as she told the Black News Channel last month that suggestions of financial impropriety against her were “categorically untrue and incredibly dangerous”.

The grieving parents of Michael Brown and Breonna Taylor – two African Americans whose deaths at the hands of white police officers were often cited by Black Lives Matter – last month reportedly complained the foundation had done nothing to help them.

President Biden Orders New Report on Covid-19 Origins

Diane A. Wade
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President Biden Orders New Report on Covid-19 Origins

President Joe Biden has ordered intelligence officials to “redouble” efforts to investigate the origins of Covid-19, including the theory that it came from a laboratory in China.

The president said the US intelligence community was split on whether it came from a lab accident or emerged from human contact with an infected animal.

He asked the groups to report back to him within 90 days.

China has rejected the laboratory theory.

“Smear campaigns and blame shifting are making a comeback, and the conspiracy theory of ‘lab leak’ is resurfacing,” its embassy in the US said in a statement on May 27.

Since it was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019, more than 168 million cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed worldwide and at least 3.5 million deaths reported.

Authorities linked early Covid cases to a seafood market in Wuhan, leading scientists to theorize the virus first passed to humans from animals.

However, recent media reports have suggested growing evidence the virus could instead have emerged from a laboratory in China, perhaps through an accidental leak.

In a statement on May 26, President Biden said he had asked for a report on the origins of Covid-19 after taking office, “including whether it emerged from human contact with an infected animal or from a laboratory accident”.

On receiving it this month, he asked for “additional follow-up”.

President Biden said the majority of the intelligence community had “coalesced” around those two scenarios, but “do not believe there is sufficient information to assess one to be more likely than the other”.

He has now asked agencies to “redouble their efforts to collect and analyze information that could bring us closer to a definitive conclusion”.

President Biden’s Chief of Staff Criticizes Trump Administration’s Covid-19 Vaccine Rollout

President Joe Biden to Sign 10 Executive Orders to Boost Fight Against Covid-19

President Biden concluded by saying the US would “keep working with like-minded partners around the world to press China to participate in a full, transparent, evidence-based international investigation”.

Beijing has previously suggested Covid-19 could have come from a US laboratory instead.

In its statement, the Chinese embassy said it supported a full investigation into “some secretive bases and biological laboratories all over the world”.

On May 27, on spokesman for China’s foreign ministry hit out at the “dark history” of the US intelligence community, and said the Biden administration’s “motive and purposes” were clear.

President Biden’s statement came as CNN reported that the president’s administration this spring shut down a state department investigation into whether the virus could have leaked from a Wuhan lab, deeming the probe an ineffective use of resources.

Speculation about the Wuhan Institute of Virology – one of China’s top virus research labs – began in 2020 and was propagated by President Donald Trump.

In April 2020, State Department cables came to light that showed embassy officials were worried about biosecurity at the lab.

The leak allegations were widely dismissed as a fringe conspiracy theory.

Earlier this year, the WHO issued a report written jointly with Chinese scientists on the origins of Covid-19 which said the chances of it having started in a lab were “extremely unlikely”.

The WHO report said the virus had probably jumped from bats to humans via another intermediary animal, but more research was needed.

However, questions have persisted and recent reports attributed to US intelligence sources say three members of the Wuhan Institute of Virology were admitted to hospital in November 2019, several weeks before China acknowledged the first case of the new disease in the community.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser, has maintained he believes the virus was passed from animals to humans, though he conceded this month he was no longer confident Covid-19 had developed naturally.

President Biden’s statement came the day after Xavier Becerra, US secretary for health and human services, urged the WHO to ensure a “transparent” investigation into the virus’s origins.

4 Innovative Tips for Possibly Supplementing Weight Loss

Kathryn R. Bown
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4 Innovative Tips for Possibly Supplementing Weight Loss

Losing weight is hardly ever easy. Even though we all might know the basic formula for shedding pounds and maintaining an ideal weight — to eat less and move more — there are other factors at play that cause our bodies and minds, as well as our environments, to wreak havoc with our chances for weight loss success.

If you’ve attempted one diet after another and struggled through every exercise program under the sun but still haven’t managed to hit your weight loss goal, it could be time for a different approach. Here are four tips to try; one of them just might help you ditch those stubborn pounds once and for all!

Do a (Natural) Cleanse

While an extreme cleanse isn’t recommended — it can starve the body of vital nutrients and lead to bacterial imbalances, decreased immunity, general malaise and sustained ill health — there are ways to boost natural detox processes within the liver, kidneys, lungs and skin. Drink water; eat healthy, protein-rich (not carb-loaded) food that aids digestion (like tea, healthy fats, berries and leafy greens); and keep moving! With impurities flushed away, your body (and especially your mind) might be more ready for  healthier living in the future, making weight loss more likely to obtain.

Practice Intermittent Fasting

Research shows that when you eat could be as important as what you eat when it comes to weight loss. And if that doesn’t influence you to try intermittent fasting, research also shows that fasting can help fend off and even cure certain diseases! Sign us up!

Basically, intermittent fasting involves limiting the time you eat to a few hours each day or to eating only a certain number of calories every few days. Normal eating patterns have us consuming food all day, every day. By limiting food consumption to a specific time period or specific caloric intake, the body is able to more readily exhaust available calories and start burning fat. And when our bodies burn fat, we lose weight.

Try Lipotropic Injections

Many people have had success using a specific combination of vitamins, minerals and amino acids to boost their weight loss progress. Usually given as a weekly injection, these shots (called lipotropic injections) are offered through many natural health and medspa providers (such as the Institute of Natural Health in St. Louis). It is believed that these added nutrients foster improved energy consumption and increase metabolism, thereby aiding in general weight loss.

Meditate

There’s little doubt that the mind is a powerful contributor to overall health. There have been numerous studies that support the mind-body connection. Thus, it makes sense that controlling our minds can help us control our bodies. For instance, many nutritionists and other health care providers recommend meditation as a tool for clearing our thoughts so that we have the ability to focus on and commit to beneficial habits (like eating well, exercising and avoiding unhealthy triggers). When done correctly and consistently, meditation has been shown to improve the practitioner’s well-being and aid in his or her weight loss when needed.

How Can Reviews Help You Find the Right Foundation Contractor?

Nancy Clayson
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How Can Reviews Help You Find the Right Foundation Contractor?
Image by Spencer Wing from Pixabay

These days, many people go online to access goods and services of all types. One of the things that many people do is to check out online reviews from other people before they make any decision with regard to purchasing goods and services that they are interested in. This makes it far easier for them to make an informed decision with regard to the most suitable choice for their needs.

As a homeowner in Richmond, one of the services you may be looking for is a foundation contractor to check or repair foundation issues at your home. If you need to find foundation contractors in Richmond, it can prove extremely helpful to look at reviews from other homeowners in the area before you make your decision. There are many ways in which you can benefit by looking at reviews from other people, and we will look at some of these benefits in this article.

Some Benefits of Looking at Reviews

Finding the right foundation contractor is a very important task, as this type of work must be carried out to high standards in order to protect your home. By looking at reviews, you can find out a lot of valuable information that can help you to make an informed choice. This includes:

The Standard of Workmanship

When it comes to something as crucial as foundation repairs at your home, you naturally want to ensure the standard of workmanship is high. However, if you have never used this type of professional before and cannot get personal recommendations from friends and family members, it can be difficult to determine whether the quality of work will be up to scratch. Fortunately, looking at online reviews will make it much easier to determine what the standard of workmanship is like based on the experiences of other people.

Reliability of the Provider

When you are having foundation repair work carried out at your home, you naturally want a provider that is very reliable. The last thing you need is someone that fails to turn up or spends more time taking tea breaks than doing the work. You also do not want a provider that promises the earth and then fails to deliver or botches up the job completely. By looking at online reviews, you can learn more about how reliable the provider was, which means that you can make your decision with far greater confidence.

Level of Service Offered

It is also important to find professionals that offer a high level of service so that you can get any issues ironed out quickly and easily. What you don’t want is someone who is communicative until they have been paid and then becomes impossible to get hold of it any issues arise. So, make sure you look at reviews and learn more about the levels of customer service provided by the company before you make up your mind.

These are just a few of the ways in which online reviews can help you.

Belarus Diverts Ryanair Jet to Arrest Journalist Roman Protasevich

Diane A. Wade
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Belarus Diverts Ryanair Jet to Arrest Journalist Roman Protasevich
Image source Wikimedia

A Ryanair plane from Greece to Lithuania was diverted to Belarus for several hours on May 23, with activists saying it was done to arrest dissident journalist Roman Protasevich on board.

European nations reacted with outrage, accusing Belarus of “state terrorism”.

Ex-editor of the Nexta group Roman Protasevich was detained before the plane was allowed to resume its flight.

Belarus media said a MiG-29 escorted the jet to Minsk because of a bomb scare but no explosives were found.

The plane finally landed in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, its original destination, at 21:25 local time, more than seven hours after its scheduled arrival.

Arriving passengers said the situation in Minsk had been calm but that they were given no information. One said Roman Protasevich looked “super scared. I looked directly to his eyes and it was very sad”.

There have already been calls for the EU and NATO to intervene.

Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who was beaten by Alexander Lukashenko in last year’s presidential polls widely denounced as rigged, was among those demanding Roman Protasevich’s release.

Since last year’s election, President Lukashenko, who has ruled the country since 1994, has cracked down on dissenting voices. Many opposition figures have been arrested or, like Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, fled into exile.

Belarus Protests: At Least 100 Arrested at Anti-Lukashenko Rally

Belarus Crisis: President Lukashenko Deploys Troops as Opposition Holds Mass Rally in Minsk

Belarus Crisis: Alexander Lukashenko Gives Orders to End Minsk Unrest

Flight FR4978 was en route from Athens to Vilnius when it turned east to Minsk shortly before it reached the Lithuanian border. Greece and Lithuania put the number of passengers on board at 171.

In a statement, Ryanair said that the crew were “notified by Belarus (Air Traffic Control) of a potential security threat on board and were instructed to divert to the nearest airport, Minsk”.

The flight path, visible on the Flightradar24 website, suggests the plane was actually nearer to Vilnius than Minsk when it turned.

Ryanair said checks in Minsk found “nothing untoward” and the aircraft was cleared to depart, leaving Minsk at 20:50 local time.

“Ryanair has notified the relevant national and European safety and security agencies and we apologise sincerely to all affected passengers for this regrettable delay which was outside Ryanair’s control,” the statement added.

The Ryanair statement made no mention of Roman Protasevich.

Nexta was the first to break the news of his arrest.

Editor-in-chief Tadeusz Giczan tweeted a quote from a passenger on the plane who said that Roman Protasevich had told them who he was once they were on the ground at Minsk, with him adding “they’ll execute me here”.

Belta, the state-owned news agency in Belarus, said President Lukashenko had personally given the order for the plane to land in Minsk following the bomb alert, and approved despatching the MiG-29 fighter jet.

Gaza War: Israel and Hamas Ceasefire Comes into Effect

Roy Siemens
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Gaza War: Israel and Hamas Ceasefire Comes into Effect
Image source: The Time of Israel

An Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip has come into effect early on Friday, May 21.

The ceasefire brings to an end 11 days of fighting in which more than 250 people were killed, most of them in Gaza.

Palestinians poured on to the streets of Gaza soon after the truce began, while a Hamas official warned the group had not let down its guard.

Both Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas have claimed victory in the conflict.

President Joe Biden said the ceasefire had brought a “genuine opportunity” for progress.

Soon after the ceasefire started at 02:00 on May 21, large numbers of Palestinians took to the streets in cars and on foot to celebrate. In Gaza, drivers honked their horns, while loudspeakers from mosques pronounced “the victory of the resistance”.

Israel’s military said it was removing nearly all emergency restrictions on movement throughout the country.

Fighting broke out on May 10 after weeks of rising Israeli-Palestinian tension in occupied East Jerusalem that culminated in clashes at a holy site revered by both Muslims and Jews. Hamas began firing rockets after warning Israel to withdraw from the site, triggering retaliatory air strikes.

At least 243 people, including more than 100 women and children, were killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry. Israel has said it killed at least 225 militants during the fighting. Hamas has not given casualty figures for fighters.

In Israel, 12 people, including two children, were killed, its medical service says.

The Israeli military says more than 4,300 rockets were fired towards its territory by militants and that it struck more than 1,000 militant targets in Gaza.

Gaza Conflict: Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu Vows to Continue Strikes

Israel-Gaza Violence: Palestinians Fire Hundreds of Missiles at Tel Aviv after Gaza Air Strikes

The Israeli Political Security Cabinet said on May 20 it had “unanimously accepted the recommendation” for a ceasefire.

PM Benjamin Netanyahu faced criticism from some in Israel who said he had halted the conflict too soon. The mayors of Sderot and Ashkelon – two of the Israeli towns hardest hit by rockets from Gaza – were among those to voice their disappointment, saying Hamas should have been eliminated.

At a news conference on May 21, PM Netanyahu said Israel had “exacted a heavy price from Hamas”.

A Hamas official told the Associated Press the ceasefire announced by Israel amounted to a “victory” for the Palestinian people.

This view was shared by people celebrating on the streets of Gaza.

Keeping Your Home Free of Infections

Dana R
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Keeping Your Home Free of Infections

Many people have good routines already for keeping their home neat and tidy, but it is also important that you limit the spread of both infections and illnesses by doing so. While it is imperative that, if you hear about illnesses becoming more frequent, you do extra to prevent them from entering your household, it can be a much better practice to adhere to antibacterial cleaning methods all year round. Even though some specific illnesses may be rife at certain times of the year, there is never a guarantee that illnesses won’t be consistently spreading, so need to be kept on top of at all times.

Pink Eye

Pink eye can be removed from your home in a number of ways. Firstly, you will want to take solid, professional advice on how to ease pink eye symptoms to stop those who have contracted it from suffering any longer than they need to. The sooner you treat pink eye, the quicker the infection will clear up. This includes not touching the eye area any more than necessary, even if it itches, and keeping the area clean, alongside the use of antibiotics or eye drops. Alongside this, you also need to prevent re-infection in the home, which can be achieved by stopping sharing towels and other similar items, as well as making sure they are washed regularly and at a high temperature.

Stomach Bugs

A viral stomach bug, when highly contagious, can quickly take over your home, turning bathrooms into fought over commodities. Taking the time to wash your hands well before preparing food, after using the toilet, and after touching high traffic surfaces can limit the exposure to others in the home. It can also be a good idea to stay off of work or school until symptoms have subsided, to limit exposure to others in your life. Spraying and wiping surfaces with antibacterial spray is also crucial, as well as cleaning toilets or buckets that may have been used for bouts of diarrhoea or vomiting. Washing bedding, towels, clothing, and any other items that may have come into contact with the germs will also keep your home that bit safer.

Tonsillitis

Infections and inflammation in the tonsils, found at the back of the throat, are commonly known as tonsillitis. There might also be white pus present, that can be seen when looking at your throat in a mirror. While it used to be common practice to remove the tonsils, now doctors prefer to avoid doing this if possible, due to the complications that can arise from surgery. Instead, if you have tonsillitis, you will be given antibiotics. During this time, it is important that you drink lots of water, and avoid kissing others, as well as covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze. Avoid sharing glasses or other utensils as well, and wash them thoroughly after use, to help prevent the spread.

While you can never completely eliminate the risk of infection in your home, you can take steps to reduce the chances of them occurring in the first place. Good cleaning practices, both in the home and for the people within it, can really make a big difference.

Houston: Town Hall Meeting in Frightened Fifth Ward

Nancy Clayson
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Houston: Town Hall Meeting in Frightened Fifth Ward
Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Press release

May 18, 2021

The “cancer clusters” found in The Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens may not be the end of the frightening medical reality for folks who live in a section of The Fifth Ward.

New studies confirm leukemia rates up to 600 percent higher and reveal another chemical problem – high levels of arsenic in the groundwater behind a swath of the neighborhood.

Tonight (May 18, 2021) at 7 pm, Houston attorney Jason Gibson will brief the community on the current lawsuits against Union Pacific. Union Pacific is accused of poisoning the air, soil, and water with toxic chemicals, including creosote – a wood preservative used in railroad ties.

“Union Pacific has knowingly been an underground poisoner, concealing creosote contamination for decades,” says Gibson.

“There is no longer any doubt about the contamination. My job is to hold Union Pacific accountable.”

The town hall will be held at Norton Memorial Temple Church of God in Christ. 5008 Lucille Street, Houston, Texas 77026.

Please contact The Gibson Law Firm or Dolcefino Consulting for additional information.

Ariana Grande Wedding: Pop Star Secretly Marries Dalton Gomez

Lisa.Felice
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Ariana Grande Wedding: Pop Star Secretly Marries Dalton Gomez
Image source: Instagram arianagrande

Ariana Grande has married her fiancé Dalton Gomez in a “tiny and intimate” wedding.

The 27-year-old pos star tied the knot in front of fewer than 20 people over the weekend, the PA reported.

Ariana Grande announced in December she was engaged to the 25-year-old Los Angeles estate agent.

According to reports, their wedding took place at her home in California.

A representative for Ariana grande told PA: “They got married. It was tiny and intimate – [fewer] than 20 people.

“The room was so happy and full of love. The couple and both families couldn’t be happier.”

Ariana Grande Reveals She Is Engaged to Dalton Gomez

According to the TMZ website, the ceremony took place at Ariana Grande’s property in Montecito, a celebrity hotspot in southern California where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also live.

Who is Dalton Gomez?

Dalton Gomez was raised in southern California and has been working in the luxury real estate market for five years, according to his biography on the AKG website.

Ariana Grande shared news of their engagement just before Christmas on Instagram, showing a pearl and diamond ring on her left hand.

“Forever n then some,” the singer captioned the post.

Ariana Grande has been dating Dalton Gomez for just over a year.

In February 2020, the singer was spotted by the press kissing her new love interest, Dalton Gomez, at a restaurant in Los Angeles.

Then in May, they made their first public appearance together as a couple in the lockdown music video to Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber’s collaboration, Stuck With U.

The following month, she posted a picture of them in each other’s arms on Instagram.

In October 2020, Ariana Grande released her sixth album, Positions, which topped the US charts.

Ariana Grande was previously engaged to comedian and actor Pete Davidson, but they called off their high-profile relationship two years ago.

Gaza Conflict: Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu Vows to Continue Strikes

Roy Siemens
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Gaza Conflict: Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu Vows to Continue Strikes
Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu has reached a deal to form a new coalition government

Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to “continue to respond forcefully” to rocket attacks as conflict with Palestinians in Gaza enters a seventh day.

Israeli air strikes in Gaza killed at least three Palestinians early on May 16, health officials said.

Palestinian militants fired rockets towards Tel Aviv, causing people there to flee to bomb shelters.

The international community has called for an end to the escalating conflict.

On May 15, President Joe Biden phoned PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to express concern about the situation.

A UN Security Council meeting is set to take place later on May 16.

Since the fighting began on May 10 at least 148 people have been killed in Gaza, according to Palestinian officials, and Israel has reported 10 dead, including two children. Israel says dozens of militants are among the dead in Gaza, while Palestinian health officials say their death toll includes 41 children.

Israel-Gaza Violence: Palestinians Fire Hundreds of Missiles at Tel Aviv after Gaza Air Strikes

Speaking in a TV address late on May 15, PM Netanyahu said the strikes would continue for “as long as necessary” and that everything possible was being done to limit civilian casualties.

“The party that bears the guilt for this confrontation is not us, it’s those attacking us,” he said.

The flare-up of violence over the last six days came after weeks of increasing Israeli-Palestinian tension in East Jerusalem, which culminated in clashes at a holy site revered by both Muslims and Jews. Hamas – the Palestinian militant group that runs Gaza – began firing rockets after warning Israel to withdraw from the site, triggering retaliatory air strikes.

Ten members of one family were killed by an Israeli air strike at a refugee camp west of Gaza City.

A five-month-old baby, Omar Al-Hadidi, was the only survivor, after his mother, four siblings, aunt and four cousins died.

The baby’s father, Mohammad Al-Hadidi, was not at home at the time.

“There were no rockets there, just women and children, no rockets, just peaceful children celebrating [Muslim festival] Eid, what have they done to deserve this?” he told Reuters.

A doctor treating Omar said: “He was in a bad condition. His thigh bone is broken and he has bruises all over his body but thankfully after first inspection he is stable.”

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Palestinian militants had launched 278 rockets from Gaza, with homes hit in the southern cities of Ashdod, Beersheba and Sderot.

The IDF also said “many dozens” of rockets that crossed into Israel had been intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.

A rocket hit a street in Ramat Gan, a suburb of Tel Aviv, killing a man. He was reportedly hit by shrapnel in his apartment.

On May 15, an Israeli air strike destroyed a high-rise building housing media organizations, including The Associated Press and Al-Jazeera, plus a number of offices and apartments.

In a statement released shortly afterwards, the Israeli military said the building had housed military assets belonging to Hamas. The building’s landlord has denied this.

UN Secretary General Antonio Gutteres said he was “deeply disturbed” by the strike on the building.

“The secretary-general reminds all sides that any indiscriminate targeting of civilian and media structures violates international law and must be avoided at all costs,” his spokesman said.

The AP said the block had been hit roughly an hour after Israeli forces ordered people to evacuate.

The news organization’s CEO, Gary Pruitt, said: “This is an incredibly disturbing development. We narrowly avoided a terrible loss of life. A dozen AP journalists and freelancers were inside the building and thankfully we were able to evacuate them in time.”

Blockchain for Government Initiative Goes to Sudan on Official Visit

Clyde K. Valle
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Blockchain for Government Initiative Goes to Sudan on Official Visit
Hashim Hasabelrasoul Hashim & Jimmy Nguyen (Image source: Bitcoin Association)

Bitcoin Association, a Switzerland-based non-profit organization that advances the adoption of the Bitcoin SV blockchain is leading the Blockchain for Government Initiative by successfully finishing a week-long official visit to the Republic of the Sudan last April. Bitcoin Association was invited and hosted by the country’s Ministry of Telecommunication and Digital Transformation to explore how blockchain technology can aid the African nation advance into the digital world. The highlight of the visit was a two-day event that was Sudan’s first-ever Blockchain Summit & Workshop.

“In Sudan, we are in a transition period after thirty years of sanctions and thirty years of a bad regime. Now we are in a transition period in which we want to reform our country and reform the government. Digital transformation is a key pillar in this reformation. We are working on building a national strategy for digital transformation that aims to change the government from manual to digital, to make sure that the government will be more efficient, more smart, more in control and more transparent,” Hashim Hasabelrasoul Hashim, Minister of Telecommunication and Digital Transformation for the Republic of the Sudan, said in an interview.

Civil wars, armed conflicts against neighboring countries and an authoritarian president who ruled the country for three decades have hindered the country’s growth. As Sudan transitions into a democracy, its government is doing its best to propel the nation forward into the digital age in order to uplift its people and economy. And the Bitcoin SV (BSV) blockchain is certainly the most innovative and effective way to do it.

“I can clearly see a role for blockchain throughout different verticals within the government; digital identification is one of many, financial inclusion, digital certifications and many more to come, where we can benefit from blockchain. We want to be the first and lead on this technology in the country because it will enable us to really depend on real data that is secure,” Hashim added.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpKlubwe8Nk

The delegation, headed by Bitcoin Association Founding President Jimmy Nguyen, was composed of CEOs and founders of businesses from various industries that have successfully built platforms on the BSV blockchain. Aside from the two-day workshop, the BSV delegation, who are all experts in their fields, also conducted separate meetings with the Central Bank of Sudan, the Ministry of Telecommunication & Digital Transformation, the Ministry of Interior Affairs, leading telecommunications company SudaTel, and the 249 Startups hub for Sudanese entrepreneurs.

“Blockchain can help us to build a better world and our trip to Sudan left us feeling even more inspired to make that vision a reality… As we explore opportunities for initial blockchain projects in Sudan, we know that BSV’s massive scaling and focus on data network capabilities can provide the blockchain power needed to advance digital transformation for Sudan and greater Africa,” Nguyen said.

BSV’s Blockchain for Government Initiative is geared towards providing accurate Bitcoin education and the global adoption of blockchain technology by national governments, NGOs and the public sector with the ultimate goal of advancing digital transformation and inducing economic growth. Because Bitcoin SV has restored the original Bitcoin protocol and unleashed the unlimited scaling potential of its blockchain through the release of the Genesis Upgrade last year, it is more than capable of handling the big data being generated by governments on a daily basis. Instant microtransactions allow it to be cost-efficient; and data is secure, transparent and clean.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQaCBfpHca4

Israel-Gaza Violence: Palestinians Fire Hundreds of Missiles at Tel Aviv after Gaza Air Strikes

Roy Siemens
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Israel-Gaza Violence: Palestinians Fire Hundreds of Missiles at Tel Aviv after Gaza Air Strikes
Image source: The Time of Israel

The UN fears a “full-scale war” after the deadly exchange of fire between Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli military has escalated significantly.

More than 1,000 rockets have now been fired by Palestinian militants over 38 hours, Israel said, most at Tel Aviv.

Israel has carried out deadly air strikes, bringing down two tower blocks in Gaza on May 11.

Israeli Arabs have also staged violent protests in a number of Israeli towns.

The city of Lod, near Tel Aviv, has been put under a state of emergency.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “gravely concerned” by the ongoing violence.

Six Israelis have died and in Gaza at least 43 Palestinians, including 13 children, have been killed since May 10, the health ministry said.

The latest fatality was an Israeli citizen, who was killed when an anti-tank guided missile, fired from the northern Gaza Strip, struck a jeep on the border. Two other people were injured.

The fighting follows weeks of rising tension stoked by violent confrontations between Israeli police and Palestinian protesters at a site in Jerusalem that is holy to both Muslims and Jews.

Israel’s military says this is the biggest exchange since 2014.

Of the 1,050 rockets and mortar shells that have now been fired from Gaza, 850 had landed in Israel or were intercepted by its Iron Dome air defense system, and 200 failed to clear the border and landed back in Gaza, the Israeli army said.

Video footage from the city showed rockets streaking through the night sky, some exploding as they were hit by Israeli interceptor missiles.

Loud booms and air-raid sirens were heard across targeted cities, which included Tel Aviv, Ashkelon, Modiin, and the southern city of Beersheba, as Palestinian militants tried to overwhelm missile defenses.

The rocket fire escalated after the two residential tower blocks were brought down in Gaza. Israel said it was targeting rocket launch sites, high-rise buildings, homes and offices used by Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza.

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Hamas said it was incensed by the “the enemy’s targeting of residential towers”.

Residents had been warned to evacuate the buildings before the fighter jets attacked, however health officials said there were still civilians deaths.

US state department spokesman, Ned Price said Israel had the right to defend itself but the Palestinian people also had the right to safety and security.

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said the Israeli strikes were “just the beginning”.

“Terror organizations have been hit hard and will continue to be hit because of their decision to hit Israel,” he said.

“We’ll return peace and quiet, for the long term.”

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a televised address: “If [Israel] wants to escalate, we are ready for it, and if it wants to stop, we’re also ready.”

Protests by Israeli Arabs in Lod escalated to full-scale rioting, with protesters throwing rocks at police, who responded with stun grenades.

A 52-year-old father and his 16-year-old daughter reportedly died when a rocket hit their car, with a number of other people injured in clashes, Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

The violence caused Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to declared a state of emergency in Lod on May 11. It was the first time the government had used emergency powers over an Arab community since 1966, The Times of Israel said.

PM Netanyahu, who went to the city to call for calm, said he would impose a curfew if necessary.

Israeli media reported that synagogues and several businesses had been set on fire, while Reuters said there were reports a car driven by an Arab resident had been stoned.

Ben Gurion Airport, Israel’s main international hub and one of the country’s busiest, briefly halted flights on May 11 and an energy pipeline between the cities of Eilat and Ashkelon was hit.

There has also been unrest in other cities with a large Israeli Arab population, as well as in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

SpaceX to Launch Dogecoin Mission to Moon

James J. Williams
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SpaceX to Launch Dogecoin Mission to Moon

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has said his rocket company SpaceX will now accept the meme-inspired cryptocurrency dogecoin as payment.

In a tweet he said SpaceX will launch the “DOGE-1 Mission to the Moon” early next year.

His announcement came as dogecoin continued to fall after he said on TV that dogecoin was a “hustle”.

Last month, Elon Musk tweeted that SpaceX was going to put a “literal Dogecoin on the literal moon”.

Canada’s Geometric Energy Corporation announced the dogecoin-funded mission on May 9, although the statement did not reveal its financial value.

“This mission will demonstrate the application of cryptocurrency beyond Earth orbit and set the foundation for interplanetary commerce,” SpaceX Vice President of Commercial Sales Tom Ochinero was quoted as saying in the statement.

Elon Musk’s tweets in recent months have helped to turn the once-obscure digital currency, which was started as a social media joke, into the world’s fourth-biggest cryptocurrency.

Dogecoin has soared by more than 800% over the last month, with its total market value rising above $70 billion, according to cryptocurrency data tracker CoinGecko.com.

However, dogecoin lost more than a third of its price on May 9, after Elon Musk called it a “hustle” while he was hosting the Saturday Night Live show.

Long March 5-B: China Rocket Debris Crashes into Indian Ocean Near Maldives

In February, electric carmaker Tesla, where Elon Musk is chief executive, said it bought $1.5 billion worth of bitcoin and was planning to accept the cryptocurrency as payment for its vehicles.

The announcement was seen as another major step towards the mainstream acceptance of bitcoin and helped to boost the price of the cryptocurrency to a fresh record high of nearly $62,000.

Last month, Tesla announced that its profits for the first three months of the year were $438 million, up from $16 million last year, bolstered by sales of Bitcoin and environmental credits.

Elon Musk also revealed on Saturday Night Live that he has Asperger’s syndrome.

People with Asperger’s interpret the environment around them differently to other people.

It is thought to be the first time Elon Musk has spoken about his condition.

Long March 5-B: China Rocket Debris Crashes into Indian Ocean Near Maldives

James J. Williams
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Long March 5-B: China Rocket Debris Crashes into Indian Ocean Near Maldives
Image source: Twitter

According to Chinese media, debris from the Long March-5b rocket booster that had been hurtling back towards Earth has disintegrated over the Indian Ocean.

The bulk of the Chinese rocket was destroyed during the re-entry, but parts landed at a location 72.47° East and 2.65° North, China’s state-run media reported.

The point lies west of the Maldives.

US and European tracking sites had been monitoring the uncontrolled fall of the Long March-5b vehicle.

Chinese state media said parts of the rocket re-entered the atmosphere at 10:24 Beijing time on May 9.

US Space Command said in a statement that it could “confirm the Chinese Long March-5b re-entered over the Arabian Peninsula”. It was “unknown if the debris impacted land or water,” the agency said.

Ahead of the rocket’s re-entry there were fears that debris could come down in an inhabited area. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said China had been negligent in letting the rocket fall out of orbit.

However, space experts had predicted that the chances of anyone actually being hit by a piece of space junk were very small, not least because so much of the Earth’s surface is covered by ocean, and huge land areas are uninhabited.

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The main segment from the Long March-5b vehicle was used to launch the first module of China’s new space station last month.

At 18 tonnes it is one of the largest items in decades to have an undirected dive into the atmosphere.

The US said last week it was watching the path of the object – but had no plans to shoot it down.

The experts predicted that most of the vehicle would burn up during its final plunge through the atmosphere, although there was always the possibility that metals with high melting points, and other resistant materials, could survive to the Earth’s surface.

When a similar core stage returned to Earth a year ago, piping assumed to be from the rocket was identified on the ground in Ivory Coast, Africa.

China has bridled at the suggestion that it has been negligent in allowing the uncontrolled return of so large an object.

Commentary in the Chinese media had described Western reports about the potential hazards involved as “hype” and predicted the debris would fall somewhere in international waters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hhty4vbwaA

Retirement Strategies for the Sandwich Generation

Diane A. Wade
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Retirement Strategies for the Sandwich Generation
Image by rwalsh623 from Pixabay

To the first-time reader who doesn’t know better, a term like “sandwich generation” brings up a pleasant image of being comfortably nestled between two warm slices of Americana. Guess again. Think vise grip, not bakery goods. That’s how much pressure is involved.

The term describes a state of being where an individual or couple is raising children and taking care of aging parents at the same time, while still trying to plan for retirement. It’s a tough situation. Doing it all successfully requires careful planning and financial discipline.

Let’s put ourselves into the sandwich for a few moments—you know what they say: Don’t judges someone until you’ve walked a mile in their sandwich. Or perhaps you’re already there. Maybe you’re on your way there and wondering if you need a personal loan to manage it. Either way, we’re going to cover some strategies that could make your life easier.

Make your retirement savings a priority

After you’re seated on an airplane and the doors have closed, a flight attendant stands up and does a short presentation about emergency exits and breathing masks that drop from the ceiling. They say, “Please put on your own mask before attempting to help someone else.”

It’s good advice in all areas of life. For those in the sandwich generation, make your retirement savings a priority. If you spend it all taking care of aging parents, your children will have to do the same for you. Do you really want to perpetuate that cycle? And do you trust them enough to put your golden years in their hands?

Even if your faithful brood does have the ways, means, and desire to care for you as you age, you’ll still be robbing them of generational wealth that could be accumulating interest or capital gains. Max out your retirement accounts. Everything else should come later.

Life insurance is a necessity

Don’t look at this as putting a price on your own head, even though it is. Life insurance is absolutely necessary when you have multiple individuals counting on you for financial support. What happens if you get hit by a truck or killed in the Zombie Apocalypse?

It’s not necessary to spend a lot on insurance. Term life is cheap, and you can set the benefit amount. Whole or universal life is more expensive, but it could be a good choice if you’re young and have small children. That cash value could come in handy later on.

As for other insurances, try to keep deductibles low so emergencies don’t empty your bank account. Take out life insurance policies on your parents, if that’s who you’re taking care of. Make sure you have disability insurance, just in case injuries prevent you from working.

Spend your parents’ money first

They’ll be eligible for Social Security at a certain age, but Medicare won’t kick in until they’re broke—so spend your parents’ money first. Get their assets down to zero as quickly as possible so the government can start paying its fair share.

Think of this as using existing wealth to help build new wealth. By slowly liquidating your parents’ assets to take care of them, you’re better able to properly care for and save money for your children. While you’re at it, spend a few dollars on yourself. You deserve it. #TREATYOSELF

Amended Complaints: A Brief Overview

Clyde K. Valle
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Amended Complaints: A Brief Overview

You likely know what it means to complain about something. You can complain if Wendy’s screws up your drive-through order or if the government fails to deliver your stimulus check. But if you use the term “complaint” in a legal setting, it means something very specific.

In this article, we’ll talk about what a legal complaint is and what happens when you make one. We’ll also speak about amended complaints, another legal term about which it’s good for you to know.

What is a Complaint?

In legal terms, a complaint occurs when you start an action against someone, either an individual or a company, that has harmed you. The complaint to the court gets your case started. By the time you register a complaint, you have probably already hired a lawyer to help you with the various legal hurdles with which you’ll have to contend.

A complaint amendment spreads out the legal blame. In other words, you’re amending the original complaint because you’ve realized that not just one person or company harmed you.

You can add as many defendants to a complaint as you want, assuming you’re not including them baselessly. You and your lawyer must prove your assertion that all of these entities harmed you, so you can’t frivolously add people or businesses just because you feel like it. Doing so will probably hurt your case and make victory less likely.

When Can You Amend a Complaint?

If you want to amend your original legal complaint, there are two likely reasons why you would do that. The first is because the original defendant’s lawyer might file a motion to dismiss. You can block that by claiming that more individuals or entities than you first named caused your injuries or hardship.

The second reason is that you find out additional information after you file the first complaint. For example, maybe a pharmaceutical company harmed you. You ingested one of their drugs over the years and contracted cancer because of it.

You can sue the manufacturing company because they failed to test the drug for side effects. However, you might later find that there was an independent body that did some testing, but it wasn’t sufficient. You can name the testing company in the amended complaint.

Can You Do That at Any Time?

It would be nice if, as the injured party, you could add to the complaint at any time. You can’t, though. There are certain protections in place to prevent you from amending the complaint with impunity.

You can only add to the complaint for a certain designated period. That period usually changes depending on what state you’re in when you file the complaint. You typically have a few weeks to do it.

If the allotted time has elapsed, and you still want to amend the original complaint, you need to ask the court for permission to do that. It’s up to the court to decide whether to allow you to do so.

If the court feels like you’re not treating the defendants fairly, then it could deny that request. If so, you’ll have to move forward with the original complaint as it stands.  

Are There Additional Fees or Summons When You Amend a Complaint?

You have to pay a modest fee when you file a complaint as part of the legal process. If you amend the complaint, then generally, you don’t have to pay the court any additional money. You don’t need to issue the defendant another summons, either, unless the new complaint names a completely new individual or entity who must now appear to defend themselves.

All you have to do is file a new complaint. In this new one, you’ll name any additional people or entities who you feel harmed you.

How Long Do the Defendants Have to Respond?

The defendants have to respond to the complaint as part of the legal process that could lead to a courtroom showdown between the defendant’s lawyer and your own. That’s assuming you couldn’t settle out of court.

How long the defendants have to respond depends on what state you’re in and whether the court accepted a newly amended complaint version. Generally, the court will not give the defendant longer than a few weeks to answer. In their response, they will indicate whether they plan to try to settle with you or continue on to a courtroom appearance.

Now, you know a little bit about complaints and amended versions if you ever elect to sue someone.  

Bill and Melinda Gates to Divorce After 27 Years of Marriage

Lisa.Felice
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Bill and Melinda Gates to Divorce After 27 Years of Marriage
Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Billionaire couple Bill and Melinda Gates have announced their divorce after 27 years of marriage, saying “we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple”.

The pair tweeted: “After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage.”

They first met in the 1980s when Melinda joined Bill’s Microsoft firm.

Bill and Melinda Gates have three children and jointly run the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The foundation has spent billions fighting causes such as infectious diseases and encouraging vaccinations in children.

The Gates – along with investor Warren Buffett – are behind the Giving Pledge, which calls on billionaires to commit to giving away the majority of their wealth to good causes.

Bill Gates is the fourth wealthiest person in the world, according to Forbes, and is worth $124 billion.

He made his money through the company he co-founded in the 1970s, Microsoft, the world’s biggest software company.

Bill and Melinda both posted the statement announcing their divorce on Twitter.

“Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives,” the statement read.

“We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue our work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in the next phase of our lives.

“We ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life.”

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Melinda Gates, now 56, joined Bill’s Microsoft as a product manager in 1987, and the two sat together at a business dinner that year in New York.

They began dating, but as Bill Gates told a Netflix documentary: “We cared a lot for each other and there were only two possibilities: either, we were going to break up or we were going to get married.”

Melinda said she found Bill Gates – methodical it seems even in matters of the heart – writing a list on a whiteboard with the “pros and the cons of getting married”.

Bill and Melinda Gates got married in 1994 on the Hawaiian island of Lanai, reportedly hiring all the local helicopters to stop unwanted guests flying over.

Bill Gates, 65, stepped down from Microsoft’s board last year to focus on his philanthropic activities.

Suspected Smuggling Boat Capsizes Off San Diego Killing Three

Diane A. Wade
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Suspected Smuggling Boat Capsizes Off San Diego Killing Three
Image source: Twitter SDFD

Three people have been killed and some two dozen injured after a boat got into trouble off the coast of San Diego in a suspected smuggling operation.

The overcrowded 40-foot cabin cruiser broke up on a reef near Point Loma on May 2, tipping some 30 people into the water, officials said.

A major rescue operation was launched to help the injured on shore and retrieve seven people from the sea.

Officials said the boat captain was in custody on suspicion of smuggling.

Jeff Stephenson, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent, said: “Every indication from our perspective is that this was a smuggling vessel used to smuggle migrants into the United States illegally.

“We haven’t confirmed the nationality of the people involved, but our agents are with many of them at the hospital and the man who we believe was the operator… The investigation’s still unfolding.”

Rescuers were alerted to the incident near the Cabrillo National Monument, at about 10:30 local time.

Rick Romero, of the San Diego Fire Rescue Lifeguard, said first reports indicated three or four people needed help but they quickly realized it was “going to be a bigger situation with more people”.

“Once we arrived on scene, the boat had basically been broken apart,” he said.

“Conditions were pretty rough: five to six feet of surf, windy, cold.”

He said people were in the water being taken out to sea by the rip current, while people on shore were needing CPR and treatment for hypothermia and other injuries.

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New migrant boat capsizes off Lampedusa

Footage from the scene showed large pieces of debris washing up on the beach. Jet skis, three more rescue boats and cliff-top equipment were brought in to help with the rescue.

At the same news conference, Jeff Stephenson said it was not yet known where the boat had come from but many smuggling boats come from Mexico’s Baja coastline.

“The smugglers, they don’t care about the people they’re exploiting. All they care about is profit to them,” he said.

“These people are just commodities. So you can see that in the way they treat them, inadequate safety equipment, really poorly equipped vessels and giving them minimal.”

Jeff Stephenson said there had been a 92% increase in the number of apprehensions linked to smuggling by sea in 2020, compared with the previous year.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had announced on April 30 that it was beefing up its patrols of the coastline over the weekend to try and deter smugglers.

Border patrol agents detained 21 people – 15 men and six women – found on a small open boat, a panga, off the coast of San Diego on April 29. They were Mexican nationals with no legal status to enter the US, the CBP said. Two suspected smugglers who were on board the boat will face federal charges.

Answers to the Biggest Questions about Your Emergency Fund

Dana R
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Answers to the Biggest Questions about Your Emergency Fund

Save your money: this piece of financial advice is universal. It doesn’t matter who you ask, everyone knows that having an emergency fund is essential. What’s less obvious is how you build it or where to put it all. That’s where asking the right questions can come in handy. Below, you’ll find the answers to five important questions about your emergency fund.

1. How Much Should I Save?

A prevailing rule of thumb for emergency savings is to squirrel away enough to cover three to six months of living expenses.

But how much you need to feel safe in an emergency is subjective. It depends on a lot of factors, like your risk tolerance, support system, and the emergency itself.

2. What if an Emergency Arrives Before I’ve Saved Enough?

Emergencies don’t follow a strict schedule like your rent payments or utilities. They arrive sporadically throughout the year, usually when you’re least prepared to handle them.

If you don’t have adequate savings for an unexpected emergency repair or medical expense, you might need to borrow money. There are personal loans like an online installment loan or line of credit that can be your safety net when your savings fall short.  

3. Should I Save or Pay off Debt?

It can be challenging to juggle both of these goals simultaneously. If you’re on a tight budget, you might have to choose one or the other.

In that case, it’s essential you make any minimum payment on installment loans and line of credit personal loans. This will protect you from late fines, extra interest charges, and potential damage to your credit.

If you have any leftover cash, put it toward a small emergency fund, aiming for something like $1,000 rather than the usual six months of expenses. Savings win over debt here because it’ll help you avoid adding to your debt.

Once you feel secure, start using your expendable cash on debt payments. Choose between the avalanche and snowball methods to find out which debt you should target first.

Stack of coins with emergency text. Premium Photo
Credit: andranik.h90 via FreePik

4. What Can I Use it On?

Use your emergency fund on unpredictable, essential expenses that you didn’t think to include in your budget. Think medical expenses not covered by insurance or auto or household repairs that you can’t ignore.

If you still aren’t sure, it’s helpful treating your fund like it’s an installment loan.

  1. Necessity: Due to their cost, you would only ever take out an installment loan online if you couldn’t wait to pay a bill or repair. Installment loans are designed to help with unavoidable, unexpected emergencies that you can’t delay. So is your emergency fund.
  2. Repayment: An essential part of the borrowing process is paying back your installment loan. The same goes for your emergency fund. You should pay back whatever you take so that you’re prepared for the next unexpected expense.

5. Am I Making the Most out of My Savings?

Consider where you keep your emergency fund. A stack of cash under the mattress isn’t just old-fashioned. It’s also not using your money to its full potential because you won’t earn interest on this cash.

Interest is a two-way street. It’s something you pay whenever you borrow money, but it’s something you earn when you save it.

Shop around for savings accounts with a high interest rate without penalizing you for taking out your money out of the blue.

Did this answer your most burning questions about saving? If not, keep asking until you build out savings that can handle any emergency.

US to Share 60 Million Doses of AstraZeneca Covid Vaccine with Other Countries

Kathryn R. Bown
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US to Share 60 Million Doses of AstraZeneca Covid Vaccine with Other Countries
Image source: Wikimedia Commons

The United States will share up to 60 million doses of its AstraZeneca vaccine with other countries as they become available, the White House has announced.

The doses will be able to be exported in the coming months after a federal safety review.

The US has a stockpile of the vaccine even though its regulators have not yet authorized it for public use.

Critics have accused the government of hoarding the vaccine, while other countries are in desperate need.

Last month President Joe Biden pledged to share about 4 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine with Mexico and Canada – both of which have approved the vaccine.

The crisis in India has also piled pressure on the Biden administration to share US health resources.

On April 26, the White House said it expected that about 10 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine could be released when the FDA finishes its review in the coming weeks.

It said that another 50 million doses were in various stages of production.

At a news briefing, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said FDA officials would carry out quality checks on doses before they were exported.

She added: “Our team will share more details about our planning and who will be receiving offers from here, but we’re in the planning process at this point in time.”

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Sputnik V Becomes Third Covid Vaccine Approved in India

The US has already announced that it will provide raw materials for Indian vaccine manufacturers as the country battles a devastating surge in cases.

In a “warm and positive” phone call with Indian PM Narendra Modi on April 26, President Biden promised more emergency assistance “including oxygen-related supplies, vaccine materials and therapeutics”, a White House statement said.

Washington is also looking at supplying oxygen, Covid tests, personal protective equipment (PPE) and the antiviral drug remdesivir to India’s health service.

The FDA has so far authorized three vaccines against Covid- 19: Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson (Janssen). Experts say it looks likely that these will provide all the country’s needs and the AstraZeneca jab may not be needed.

According to the latest figures, more than 53% of adults in the US have so far received at least one dose of vaccine.

Fans Show Unity to Crush European Super League

Clyde K. Valle
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Fans Show Unity to Crush European Super League

It will be remembered as a flash in the pan, but the recently proposed European Super League rocked soccer and, indeed, world sports to its foundations. It was an attempted power grab by the money men involved in the once beautiful game but one that was crushed by fans across the world.

With the teams confirmed, announcing their plans to break away and create a European Super League it looked like a done deal. It seemed so certain experts working on sports betting in Las Vegas were even making moves to accept bets on the competition’s first winners.

Cue a vicious backlash from supporters who said it went against everything the sport stood for. They rolled up their sleeves and, strengthened by the teams not invited to join the ESL; football supporters made their feelings clear. The competition wasn’t wanted, they would never support it, and it was a non-starter.

European Super League explained

What exactly is all the fuss about, and what is the European Super League? It was a football competition proposed to replace the UEFA Champions League. It was to consist of two leagues of teams with a round-robin format. The three highest finishing sides would progress to the knockout stages with a selection of others involved in a playoff to join them. The play would then start to whittle down the teams until left with two who met in the final.

Sounds exciting. What was the problem? The main problem for most football fans was the Super League was a closed shop, reserved for the wealthiest sides to get even richer. The 18 to 20 teams would rake in a massive income for their involvement, leaving everyone else on the outside looking in. No relegation sits well with the business heads behind the idea, but it wasn’t something that appealed to the average fan who viewed it as a robbery of all they held dear in sport.

Protests in England made government act

Six English Premier League clubs – Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool and Man City – were involved in the ESL, making the shock announcement last week. It was a plan that must’ve been going on behind the scenes for quite some time, but the news seemed to catch most sports lovers off-guard. Added to the heightened tensions of the coronavirus lockdown that has seen supporters locked out of stadiums for more than a year in some parts of Europe, it was a recipe for disaster. This became obvious very quickly.

Hundreds of English football followers broke covid laws to gather in protest. They took their opposition to the streets, their team’s home arena, and even the training field. They acted swiftly, making worldwide news and causing panic. Police and club security were drafted in to help control the protests, which caught the eye of the UK government in London. British prime minister Boris Johnson became one of the most high profile names to break cover and condemn the English sides for their involvement in the Super League.

Clubs back down with some even apologising

Manchester City was the first club to announce their withdrawal, quickly followed by fellow English team Chelsea who informed the media of their sudden change of heart. Later that evening, the remaining Premier League teams pulled out.

The co-owner of Manchester United, Joel Glazer, penned an open letter to fans of the Red Devils in which he apologized for the club’s involvement in the European Super League and said they aimed to rebuild trust with fans. Across the city and Manchester City’s CEO, Ferran Soriano, wrote to fans and apologized for the mistake made and for the anguish it has caused during the fallout.

Liverpool John Henry was forced into a climb-down after he withdrew the Reds from the competition just 48 hours after signing up for it. An embarrassing episode for all concerned but not one a simple apology will fix. Fans and pundits are out for blood, and we could see heads roll. In the coming weeks, it’s possible those involved in the process of signing clubs up to the ESL scheme could lose their job or be shamed into selling up and moving on. The Super League is dead in the water, but we’ve not heard the last of this.

Oscars 2021: Full List of Winners

Sonia Pantiss
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Oscars 2021: Full List of Winners

Here is the full list of the winners of the 93rd Academy Awards held on April 25th at Union Station:

Best picture

  • Winner: Nomadland
  • The Father
  • Judas and the Black Messiah
  • Mank
  • Minari
  • Promising Young Woman
  • Sound of Metal
  • The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best actress

  • Winner: Frances McDormand – Nomadland
  • Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
  • Andra Day – The United States vs Billie Holiday
  • Vanessa Kirby – Pieces of a Woman
  • Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman

Best actor

  • Winner: Anthony Hopkins – The Father
  • Riz Ahmed – Sound of Metal
  • Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
  • Gary Oldman – Mank
  • Steven Yeun – Minari

Best supporting actress

  • Winner: Yuh-Jung Youn – Minari
  • Maria Bakalova – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
  • Glenn Close – Hillbilly Elegy
  • Olivia Colman – The Father
  • Amanda Seyfried – Mank

Best supporting actor

  • Winner: Daniel Kaluuya – Judas and the Black Messiah
  • Sacha Baron Cohen – The Trial of the Chicago 7
  • Leslie Odom Jr – One Night in Miami
  • Paul Raci – Sound of Metal
  • Lakeith Stanfield – Judas and the Black Messiah

Best director

  • Winner: Nomadland – Chloe Zhao
  • Another Round – Thomas Vinterberg
  • Mank – David Fincher
  • Minari – Lee Isaac Chung
  • Promising Young Woman – Emerald Fennell

Best original screenplay

  • Winner: Promising Young Woman – Emerald Fennell
  • Judas and the Black Messiah – Will Berson, Shaka King, Will Berson, Kenny Lucas and Keith Lucas
  • Minari – Lee Isaac Chung
  • Sound of Metal – Darius Marder, Abraham Marder, Derek Cianfrance
  • The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Aaron Sorkin

Best adapted screenplay

  • Winner: The Father – Christopher Hampton, Florian Zeller
  • Borat Subsequent Moviefilm – Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer, Peter Baynham, Erica Rivinoja, Dan Mazer, Jena Friedman and Lee Kern
  • Nomadland – Chloé Zhao
  • One Night in Miami – Kemp Powers
  • The White Tiger – Ramin Bahrani

Best animated feature

  • Winner: Soul
  • Onward
  • Over the Moon
  • A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
  • Wolfwalkers

Best documentary feature

  • Winner: My Octopus Teacher – Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed and Craig Foster
  • Collective – Alexander Nanau and Bianca Oana
  • Crip Camp – Nicole Newnham, Jim LeBrecht and Sara Bolder
  • The Mole Agent – Maite Alberdi and Marcela Santibáñez
  • Time – Garrett Bradley, Lauren Domino and Kellen Quinn

Best international feature

  • Winner: Another Round (Denmark)
  • Better Days (Hong Kong)
  • Collective (Romania)
  • The Man Who Sold His Skin (Tunisia)
  • Quo Vadis, Aida? (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Best original song

  • Winner: Fight For You – Judas and the Black Messiah (H.E.R., Dernst Emile II and Tiara Thomas)
  • Hear my Voice – The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Daniel Pemberton and Celeste Waite)
  • Husavik – Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus and Rickard Göransson)
  • Io Si (Seen) – The Life Ahead [La Vita Davanti a Se] (Diane Warren and Laura Pausini)
  • Speak Now – One Night in Miami… (Leslie Odom, Jr and Sam Ashworth)

Best original score

  • Winner: Soul – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste
  • Da 5 Bloods – Terence Blanchard
  • Mank – Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
  • Minari – Emile Mosseri
  • News of the World – James Newton Howard

Best cinematography

  • Winner: Mank – Erik Messerschmidt
  • Judas and the Black Messiah – Sean Bobbitt
  • News of the World – Dariusz Wolski
  • Nomadland – Joshua James Richards
  • The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Phedon Papamichael

Best visual effects

  • Winner: Tenet – Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley and Scott Fisher
  • Love and Monsters – Matt Sloan, Genevieve Camilleri, Matt Everitt and Brian Cox
  • The Midnight Sky – Matthew Kasmir, Christopher Lawrence, Max Solomon and David Watkins
  • Mulan – Sean Faden, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury and Steve Ingram
  • The One and Only Ivan – Santiago Colomo Martinez, Nick Davis, Greg Fisher

Best film editing

  • Winner: Sound of Metal – Mikkel EG Nielsen
  • The Father – Yorgos Lamprinos
  • Nomadland – Chloé Zhao
  • Promising Young Woman – Frédéric Thoraval
  • The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Alan Baumgarten

Best costume design

  • Winner: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Ann Roth
  • Emma – Alexandra Byrne
  • Mank – Trish Summerville
  • Mulan – Bina Daigeler
  • Pinocchio – Massimo Cantini Parrini

Best sound

  • Winner: Sound of Metal – Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés and Phillip Bladh
  • Greyhound – Warren Shaw, Michael Minkler, Beau Borders and David Wyman
  • Mank – Ren Klyce, Jeremy Molod, David Parker, Nathan Nance and Drew Kunin
  • News of the World – Oliver Tarney, Mike Prestwood Smith, William Miller and John Pritchett
  • Soul – Ren Klyce, Coya Elliott and David Parker

Best production design

  • Winner: Mank – Donald Graham Burt and Jan Pascale
  • The Father – Peter Francis and Cathy Featherstone
  • Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Mark Ricker, Karen O’Hara and Diana Stoughton
  • News of the World – David Crank and Elizabeth Keenan
  • Tenet – Nathan Crowley and Kathy Lucas

Best make-up and hairstyling

  • Winner: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson
  • Emma – Marese Langan, Laura Allen and Claudia Stolze
  • Hillbilly Elegy – Eryn Krueger Mekash, Matthew Mungle and Patricia Dehaney
  • Mank – Gigi Williams, Kimberley Spiteri and Colleen LaBaff
  • Pinocchio – Mark Coulier, Dalia Colli and Francesco Pegoretti

Best live action short

  • Winner: Two Distant Strangers – Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe
  • Feeling Through – Doug Roland and Susan Ruzenski
  • The Letter Room – Elvira Lind and Sofia Sondervan
  • The Present – Farah Nabulsi
  • White Eye – Tomer Shushan and Shira Hochman

Best animated short

  • Winner: If Anything Happens I Love You – Will McCormack and Michael Govier
  • Burrow – Madeline Sharafian and Michael Capbarat
  • Genius Loci – Adrien Mérigeau and Amaury Ovise
  • Opera – Erick Oh
  • Yes-People – Gísli Darri Halldórsson and Arnar Gunnarsson

Best documentary short

  • Winner: Colette – Anthony Giacchino and Alice Doyard
  • A Concerto is a Conversation – Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers
  • Do Not Split – Anders Hammer and Charlotte Cook
  • Hunger Ward – Skye Fitzgerald and Michael Scheuerman
  • A Love Song for Latasha – Sophia Nahli Allison and Janice Duncan

Oscars 2021: Nomadland Wins Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress

Sonia Pantiss
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Oscars 2021: Nomadland Wins Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress

Nomadland has scooped three Oscars including best picture, while Anthony Hopkins and Daniel Kaluuya have won acting awards.

Nomadland’s Chloe Zhao made history as the first woman of color and second woman to win best director.

Anthony Hopkins, 83, is the oldest winner of best actor, while Daniel Kaluuya is the first black British actor to win an Oscar – for the best supporting award.

British actress-turned-writer/director Emerald Fennell won a screenplay award.

She won best original screenplay for Promising Young Woman, which she also directed.

Frances McDormand won best actress for her role in Nomadland, while veteran South Korean actress Yuh-Jung Youn won best supporting actress for Minari.

The awards were handed out in one of the grand halls at Los Angeles’s stylish Union Station to allow for a Covid-safe ceremony, while many UK-based nominees were at a venue in London – although Anthony Hopkins was at neither.

Anthony Hopkins won best actor for his masterful performance as a man suffering with dementia in The Father, 29 years after he won his first Oscar for The Silence of the Lambs.

The actor’s victory was the biggest surprise of the night. The award had been tipped to go to the late Chadwick Boseman, who died at the age of 43 last August, for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

It was perhaps a surprise to Sir Anthony himself, who was neither in LA nor at the British Film Institute in London, the ceremony’s UK venue.

Anthony Hopkins was thought to be in his native Wales, and there was not an option to appear via Zoom, meaning he did not appear on screen or in person.

The Father also won best adapted screenplay for Sir Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller, who called Sir Anthony “the greatest living actor”.

Golden Globes 2021: Full List of Winners

Nomadland, the slow-burning drama about a woman living in her van in the American West after the financial crash, won the top prize for best film, plus best director and best actress.

Frances McDormand, who now has three best actress Oscars, is one of the only professional performers in the film. Most of the rest of the cast is made up of real people playing fictionalized versions of themselves.

In her acceptance speech, Chloe Zhao thanked the real-life nomads “for teaching us the power of resilience and hope”.

Before Chloe Zhao, the only woman to have won the directing prize in the Oscars’ 92-year history was Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker in 2010.

Meanwhile, black-and-white film Mank, which led the nominations with 10, picked up two awards, as did Sound of Metal, Judas and the Black Messiah, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Soul.

Oscars 2021 big winners:

  • Nomadland – 3
  • The Father – 2
  • Judas and the Black Messiah – 2
  • Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – 2
  • Mank – 2
  • Soul – 2
  • Sound of Metal – 2

Caitlyn Jenner Running for California Governor

Lisa.Felice
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Caitlyn Jenner Running for California Governor
Photo Instagram

Caitlyn Jenner has announced she is running for California governor.

The former Olympic athlete and reality TV star will run as a Republican in the Democratic stronghold state.

A recall election in California could be confirmed this month after a petition against current governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, reached the number required to trigger a vote.

Voters would be asked if they want Gavin Newsom to stay or another candidate.

According to the Axios news site, Caitlyn Jenner has put together a team that includes some of former President Donald Trump’s advisers.

“Californians want better and deserve better from the governor,” a statement from Caitlyn Jenner said, confirming the news on her Twitter account on April 23.

“For too long, career politicians have over-promised and under-delivered. We need a leader with the vision and resolve to see it through,” she added.

Caitlyn Jenner promised that her campaign will be one of “solutions” and provide a “roadmap back to prosperity to turn this state around”.

She added that she will formally launch her campaign at a later date.

Should the recall election go ahead, it would be the fourth governor recall in US history.

Gavin Newsom has faced criticism for his handling of the pandemic. As infections started to fall, he came under criticism from business owners for still enforcing restrictions.

Caitlyn Jenner described herself as a “proven winner” in her statement, adding that she is the “only outsider who can put an end to Gavin Newsom’s disastrous time as a governor”.

The former athlete, previously known as Bruce Jenner, has been described as the highest-profile American to come out as transgender.

Bruce Jenner came out as transgender in 2015 in an interview with broadcaster Diane Sawyer on ABC, and said the star said she had been wrestling with her gender since childhood.

The former athlete won a gold medal at the Montreal Games in 1976.

Before transitioning, Bruce Jenner was married to Kris Jenner and the pair had two daughters, Kendall and Kylie. The family were stars of the hit reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

Caitlyn Jenner said her step-daughter Kim Kardashian had been a big supporter of her transitioning.

Woman’s Hour Power List 2015: Caitlyn Jenner Among Most Influential Women in the World

Caitlyn Jenner Settles Lawsuit with Prius Driver Jessica Steindorff

California is not a stranger to celebrities running for governor.

Arnold Schwarzenegger won the 2003 recall election, beating Mary Carey and former child actor Gary Coleman.

If she won, Caitlyn Jenner would be one of a small group of transgender Americans to hold such a high-profile role.

In 2020, Sarah McBride became the first transgender state senator in the US after she won her race in Delaware during the 2020 elections. And she was not the only transgender candidate to make history during last year’s election.

Vermont’s Taylor Small, 26, was elected to the House of Representatives, while, in Kansas. Stephanie Byers became the first trans person of color to be elected to a state legislature.

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