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Published by Reuters By Gabriella Borter (Reuters) -Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt on Tuesday signed a bill that makes it illegal to perform an abortion in the state except in medical emergencies, penalizing those who do with up to $100,000 in fines and 10 years in prison. The legislation, which is one of several anti-abortion measures advanced by the state’s Republican-controlled legislature this year, will take effect this summer unless it is blocked in court. “We want to choose life in Oklahoma. We do not want to allow abortions in the state of Oklahoma,” Stitt said as he signed the bill at a news conference. If it takes effect, the ban will widen a swath of the country where there is little to no legal abortion access. Oklahoma has become a frequent destination for Texas women seeking abortions since the larger neighboring state in September banned abortions for pregnancies from about six weeks, before many women even know they are pregnant. Planned Parenthood abortion providers in Oklahoma saw a nearly 2,500% increase in Texas patients in the months after the Texas law took effect compared to the same period in 2020, the organization said. “The ban signed today is cruel and if it takes effect this summer, will have a devastating impact on people in Oklahoma, neighboring Texans, as well as an entire region facing attacks on their rights to abortion access,” Melissa Fowler, the National Abortion Federation’s chief program officer, said in a statement. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki condemned the ban in a statement and called on Congress to pass legislation that would codify abortion rights nationally. “The actions today in Oklahoma are a part of disturbing national trend attacking women’s rights and the Biden Administration will continue to stand with women in Oklahoma and across the country in the fight to defend their freedom to make their own choices about their futures,” Psaki said. Separate legislation introduced in Oklahoma this year proposes banning almost all abortions and relying on private citizens to sue any person who “aids or abets” abortions, similar to Texas’ six-week abortion ban. That bill contains an emergency clause, which would allow it to take effect immediately once it is signed by the governor. In the past few months, Republican-led states like Oklahoma have been quickly passing ever-stricter abortion bans with the anticipation that an impending U.S. Supreme Court decision could help the bans withstand legal challenges. The Supreme Court is due to rule by the end of June on a case involving a Republican-backed Mississippi law that gives its conservative majority a chance to undermine or even repeal the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. During arguments in the case, the conservative justices signaled a willingness to dramatically curtail abortion rights in the United States. (Reporting by Gabriella BorterEditing by Bill Berkrot) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – The Vatican’s decision to have both Ukrainians and Russians take part in Pope Francis’ “Way of the Cross” procession on Friday has caused friction with Ukrainian Catholic leaders, who want it to be reconsidered. The annual Via Crucis event on Good Friday at the Colosseum consists of the 14 Stations of the Cross, stages between the condemnation of Jesus to death and his burial. It is often customised so that those who carry the cross from one station to the next reflect world events. This year’s programme for the evening candlelight service has a Ukrainian family and a Russian family sharing the carrying of the cross at the 13th station, which commemorates Jesus being taken down from the cross after his death. “I consider such an idea inopportune, ambiguous, and such that it does not take into account the context of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine,” said Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of Ukraine’s Byzantine-rite Catholic Church. The text of the meditation to be read at the 13th station speaks of reconciliation and reconstruction after bombings. ‘OFFENSIVE’ TEXT Shevchuk, who is in Kyiv and has invited the pope to visit the Ukrainian capital, said in a statement on Tuesday that the text was “incoherent and even offensive, especially in the context of the expected second, even bloodier attack of Russian troops on our cities and villages”. He said he had asked the Vatican to review the decision. In an accompanying statement, Shevchuk’s Rome office said many Ukrainians were “convinced that gestures of reconciliation between our peoples will be possible only when the war is over and those guilty of crimes against humanity are justly condemned”. In a tweet, Ukraine’s ambassador to the Vatican, Andrii Yurash, said he shared Shevchuck’s concern and was working with the Vatican on “trying to explain difficulties of its realisation and possible consequences”. Since the war began, Francis has only mentioned Russiaexplicitly in prayers, such as during a special global event forpeace on March 25. But he has made clear his opposition toRussia’s actions, using the words invasion, aggression andatrocities. Moscow calls it actions in Ukraine a “special military operation” designed not to occupy territory but to demilitarise and “denazify” the country. The Kremlin says allegations that Russian forces have committed war crimes by executing civilians in Ukraine were a “monstrous forgery” aimed at denigrating the Russian army. Most Russians and Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians and this year will mark Easter a week later than Western churches. (Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Gareth Jones) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’ has had all gay references edited out for its release in China. The movie – which has a rumoured budget of $200 million – has had six seconds of dialogue removed between Dumbledore and Grindelwald, roles played by Jude Law and Mads Mikkelsen. Of the decision, Warner Brothers said: “As a studio, we’re committed to safeguarding the integrity of every film we release, and that extends to circumstances that necessitate making nuanced cuts in order to respond sensitively to a variety of in-market factors. Our hope is to release our features worldwide as released by their creators but historically we have faced small edits made in local markets.” Lines removed from the movie – which is a part of the prequel series to the Harry Potter books – include “Because I was in love with you” and “the summer Gellert and I fell in love” for Chinese audiences. The studio maintains that with the cuts “the spirit of the film remains intact” as the censored movie still contains allusions of their close relationship. Censorship is not new to western cultural exports to China as in 2019, the Freddie Mercury biopic ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ was changed to remove all mentions of the Queen frontman’s homosexuality. This follows an array of anti-LGBT moves from the government – which is led by Xi Jinping – including a clampdown on dating apps such as Grindr. In China, the movie debuted in the box office top spot last weekend, however internationally the flick has proved to be a financial disappointment after taking only $58 million in 22 markets. View the full article

[This post contains video, click to play] Published by The Boot Miranda Lambert delivered a pitch-perfect performance of “If I Was a Cowboy” at the 2022 CMT Music Awards on Monday night (April 11). The segment took place on an outdoor stage on Nashville’s Lower Broadway. Wearing a custom Nudie-esque suit complete with bright green fringe and embroidered desert scenes, Lambert breezed through “If I Was a Cowboy,” the lead single from her upcoming album Palomino, due out April 29. It was a victorious moment for her — she won the CMT Award for Female Video of the Year for the same song earlier in the night. Lambert’s performance followed an introduction from … Read More View the full article

Published by ScreenCrush Although it has been hinted at and alluded to throughout the Harry Potterand Fantastic Beastsfranchises, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is the first film in either franchise to make it explicit that Hogwarts’ beloved headmaster Albus Dumbledore is gay, and had a past romantic relationship with his arch-nemesis, Gellert Grindelwald. Dumbledore’s dialogue in the new Fantastic Beasts includes lines about being “in love” with Grindelwald on two separate occasions. But Chinese audiences won’t hear either of them, as the roughly six seconds of spoken dialogue have been removed from the … Read More View the full article

Published by AFP D. Ojeda fills out an application for a US passport, choosing Alexandria (United States) (AFP) – It’s just a small box to tick on an application form, but a huge breakthrough for D. Ojeda, a non-binary person who on Monday became one of the first Americans to apply for a gender-neutral passport. “Even with my family, they still don’t get it,” said Ojeda, a 34-year-old activist who goes by D. and uses the pronouns “they, them.” “So at least I have the government to say who I am as a person.” The option to receive a passport with an “X” gender designation, which was made available Monday by US President Joe Biden’s administration, was hailed as a blessing for an estimated 1.2 million Americans whose gender identity falls outside the categories of man or woman. It came at a time when Republican lawmakers across the country have been passing legislation that critics say curtails LGBTQ rights and was likely to further fuel tensions around gender issues in a deeply divided nation. At their home in the Washington suburb of Alexandria, Ojeda began to fill out the long online passport application form, putting down their first and last name, then choosing from three options for gender: M for male, F for female and X for people who don’t identify as either. They chose the latter. They also ticked the box for “gender change,” to reflect the difference from their previous passport, which identified them as female. They didn’t have to provide any medical documentation for the change. “I think that’s incredible,” said Ojeda, who works as an organizer at the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) and holds a doctorate degree in psychology. “What makes it difficult for trans people is just how hard it is to get anything changed,” such as legal documentation, said Ojeda. When Ojeda and their NCTE colleagues learned of the new passport option, they “started crying at each other,” Ojeda added, seated at their desk in a blue sweater, with a thin beard and with their hair pulled back. See me as ‘who I am’ The State Department announced in October that it had issued the first American passport with the X designation for gender after a long legal battle waged by a person from Colorado who is intersex. But it was only on March 31, the International Day of Transgender Visibility, that the State Department announced it was extending that right to all Americans, as well as adopting other measures on the federal level meant to simplify administrative hurdles for transgender and non-binary people. A few other countries have similar policies. Australia began issuing X-gender passports in 2011, with New Zealand, Canada, Germany and Argentina joining the roster since then, as well as, Pakistan and Nepal. Ojeda already boasts a driver’s license from their home state of Virginia, where their gender is marked as X. Ojeda said the procedure was simple: they received an appointment, filled out the application and the X box was already there. “I was really happy about that because it was the first time I see myself and I in an identification form,” Ojeda said. Things, however, get more complicated with travel. Ojeda says they are often called “Ma’am,” which is upsetting. Born in Peru, Ojeda cannot wait to visit their relatives there, now that they have a new passport, which is required for international travel. Though they are still struggling to get their family to accept them. “You know, they don’t say the name that I want,” said Ojeda, who was given a different first name at birth. “When I pretended to be a woman, and I tried really hard, there was something that always bothered me,” said Ojeda. Now, they added, “I can turn around and say, ‘well in my ID the government sees me as who I am, and maybe you need to start seeing me as who I am.'” “It feels like the world is safer.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Anderson Cooper has tested positive for COVID-19. The 54-year-old CNN anchor has contracted the coronavirus and while he didn’t offer any details on his symptoms, he confirmed his children are “negative”. Alongside a photo of himself in bed, he wrote on his Instagram Story: “Just tested positive for COVID. Thankfully the kids are negative. Hope to get back to work soon.” The presenter didn’t go into detail on how he’s feeling, and it’s not yet confirmed whether or not he will work remotely will he recovers. Just this week, a number of celebrities have tested positive for COVID-19, including couple Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, which meant Thursday’s (07.04.22) performance of Broadway show ‘Plaza Suite’ had to be cancelled. And Kelsea Ballerini had to host the 2022 CMT Music Awards from home due to the virus. Her co-host, ‘Avengers’ actor Anthony Mackie, took to the stage at the beginning of the evening to introduce a “back-up KB”, Kane Brown, who co-presented the show. Anthony said: “I know all of you were looking forward to seeing Kelsea Ballerini out here tonight on the stage, but she’s a little under the weather. “But just like the NFL has backup QBs, here at the CMT Awards, we have backup KBs.” Before Kelsea first appeared on screen, country stars Thomas Rhett and Martina McBride both jokingly offered their services as co-hosts for the night. During her first appearance via video link from home, Kelsea said: “This is my normal Monday night, in full glam, with lighting I set up myself, and a remote truck outside. “I would so much rather be there with you, but I will be popping in all night long.” Kelsea, who made numerous costume changes during the night, later headed outside into her garden to sing her new single ‘Heartfirst’. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Brooklyn Beckham has changed his name to Brooklyn Peltz Beckham on Instagram after his wedding to Nicola Peltz Beckham. The newlyweds – who had to delay their wedding for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic – announced they will be going via “Mr. and Mrs Peltz Beckman” on their Instagram page on Monday (11.04.22). They shared the news in the caption of a snap of the pair of them at their star-studded Palm Beach nuptials – where the guest list included Brooklyn’s parents David and Victoria Beckham, Eva Longoria, Gordon Ramsay, Rashida Jones, Michael Bay and M. Night Shyamalan – which took place over three fun-filled days. And, the wannabe chef and his new wife have also updated their display names on the social media app to reflect the changes. The 23-year-old model labelled the 27-year-old actress “my beautiful bride”, while Nicola shared a photo of herself and father Nelson Peltz, writing “thank you for the most beautiful weekend of my life. You’re the wind beneath my wings.” Earlier this year, Brooklyn revealed that he got “Peltz” inked across his chest, alongside his cherub tattoo. In response, Nicola commented: “I’m so happy you’re a Peltz @brooklynbeckham.” Retired soccer ace David and his fashion designer wife both welcomed Nicola to the family. The 46-year-old football legend wrote on Instagram: “Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Beckham. Welcome to the family @nicolaannepeltz. Love you Bust.” Brooklyn’s 46-year-old mother – who also has sons Romeo, 19, Cruz, 17, and daughter Harper, 10, with the former England captain – added: “Congratulations Mr and Mrs Beckham X Welcome to the family [series of heart emojis] x.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online The New York Police Department is combing the tunnels in search of a suspect who shot five people and injured at least 13 in a Brooklyn subway station on Tuesday morning. According to a New York City Fire Department spokesperson, when authorities arrived at the 36th Street station for the D, N, R lines in the Sunset Park neighborhood, they discovered multiple people had been shot and undetonated devices. While the spokesperson confirmed 13 were injured, they did not go into detail. Mega The shooting happened during morning rush hour, leaving the platform a gruesome and bloody mess. Photos and video show the aftermath with several wounded people on the ground. Law enforcement are now on the hunt for the suspect who allegedly fled the scene wearing a construction vest and a gas mask. NYPD is conducting the biggest manhunt ever, scouring the tunnels for the shooting suspect with the subway system coming to a halt. An eyewitness spoke to the NY Post, claiming the suspect fired off so many rounds she “lost count.” The woman alleges the suspect is a 5-foot-5 Black man, weighing around 170 pounds. She confirmed he’s wearing an orange vest and gas mask. “I thought he was an MTA worker at first because I was like, I didn’t like pay too much attention. You know? You’ve got the orange on,” the witness told the outlet. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Maria Caspani NEW YORK (Reuters) – Multiple people were shot and at least 13 were injured on Tuesday in a New York City subway station where authorities found undetonated explosive devices, the Fire Department said, in the latest spasm of violence in the city’s transit system. The incident occurred during the morning commute at the 36th Street subway station in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood, according to news media. CNN and other media reported that at least five people were shot, citing sources in the New York Fire Department. It was not immediately clear whether the number of injured people included those who were shot. A New York City police spokesperson told Reuters that officers were responding to the scene, but did not have details on the number of individuals shot. The New York Police Department warned people to stay away from the area, which is known for its thriving Chinatown, views of the Statue of Liberty and Industry City, a sprawling warehouse district that has become home to many creative businesses. Video footage showed a massive law enforcement presence around the subway station, including heavily armed officers and dozens of police cruisers and emergency vehicles. (Reporting by Brendan O’Brien; editing by Jonathan Oatis) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Maria Starkova LVIV, Ukraine (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday defended the war in Ukraine as a “noble” mission that would achieve its goals as his troops massed for a new offensive amid allegations of rape, brutality against civilians and possible use of chemical weapons. Ukrainian officials urged civilians to flee eastern areas ahead of the anticipated offensive, while the battle for the southern port city of Mariupol was reaching a decisive phase, with Ukrainian marines holed up in the Azovstal industrial district. Should the Russians seize Azovstal, they would be in full control of Mariupol, the lynchpin between Russian-held areas to the west and east. The city has already been laid waste by weeks of Russian bombardments and officials say about 20,000 people or more may have been killed. Putin, speaking in Russia’s Far East at a ceremony marking the 61st anniversary of the Soviet Union putting the first man into space, spoke defiantly despite Western abhorrence at his actions and the imposition of wide-ranging international sanctions on his country. Asked by space agency workers if the operation in Ukraine would achieve its goals, Putin said: “Absolutely. I don’t have any doubt at all. “Its goals are absolutely clear and noble,” Putin said. “We didn’t have a choice. It was the right decision.” He was due to meet his ally, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, to discuss Ukraine and Western sanctions while there. Putin has cast what he calls a “special military operation” as a confrontation with the United States which he says is threatening Russia by meddling in its backyard. The West says it is a brutal land grab of a sovereign country. Since he sent his troops over the border on Feb. 24, about a quarter of Ukraine’s 44 million population have been forced from their homes, cities turned into rubble, and thousands of people have been killed or injured – many of them civilians. PHOSPHOROUS Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar said the government was checking unverified information that Russia may have used chemical weapons while besieging Mariupol. “There is a theory that these could be phosphorous munitions,” Malyar said in televised comments. The governor of the eastern Donetsk region, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said he had seen incident reports on possible chemical weapons use in Mariupol but could not confirm them. “We know that last night around midnight a drone dropped some so-far unknown explosive device, and the people that were in and around the Mariupol metal plant, there were three people, they began to feel unwell,” he told CNN. They were taken to hospital and their lives were not in danger, he said. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had said on Monday night that Russia could resort to chemical weapons as it massed troops in Donbas for a new assault. He did not say if they actually had been used. The United States and Britain said they were trying to verify the reports. Chemical weapons production, use and stockpiling is banned under the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention. Although condemned by human rights groups, white phosphorous is not banned under the convention. Russia’s defence ministry has not responded to a Reuters request for comment. Russian-backed separatist forces in the east denied using chemical weapons in Mariupol, the Interfax news agency reported. REDOUBLING EFFORTS After their troops got bogged down in the face of Ukrainian resistance, the Russians abandoned their bid to capture the capital Kyiv. But they are redoubling their efforts in the east. The governor of Luhansk region, Serhiy Gaidai, urged residents to evacuate using agreed humanitarian corridors. “It’s far more scary to remain and burn in your sleep from a Russian shell,” he wrote on social media. “Evacuate, with every day the situation is getting worse. Take your essential items and head to the pickup point.” A humanitarian corridor had also been agreed from Mariupol, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said. Zelenskiy pleaded overnight for more weapons from the West to help it end the siege of Mariupol and fend off the expected eastern offensive. “Unfortunately we are not getting as much as we need to end this war faster…in particular, to lift the blockade of Mariupol,” he said. In an address to the Lithuanian parliament, Zelenskiy urged the European Union to impose sanctions on all Russian banks and Russian oil and to set a deadline for ending imports of Russian gas. “We cannot wait,” he said. The withdrawal of Russian forces from the outskirts of Kyiv brought more allegations of war crimes, including executions and rape of women. United Nations official Sima Bahous told the Security Council on Monday: “We are increasingly hearing of rape and sexual violence.” Kateryna Cherepakha, president of rights group La Strada-Ukraine, told the council via video: “Violence and rape is used now as a weapon of war by Russian invaders in Ukraine.” Russia’s deputy U.N. ambassador denied the allegations. The Russian defence ministry said Ukraine’s government was being directed by the United States to sow false evidence of Russian violence against civilians despite what it said was Moscow’s “unprecedented measures to save civilians”. (Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by Simon Cameron-Moore and Angus MacSwan; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Nick Macfie) View the full article

Published by Taste of Country Sam Elliott offered an emotional apology for his comments about the movie The Power of the Dog, and afterward, his 1883 co-star Faith Hill stood up to support him. Both appeared at the Deadline Contenders TV event on Sunday (April 10). During an interview with Hill, Elliott and three other cast members of 1883, Elliott was asked about comments he made during an interview on the podcast, WTF with Marc Maron. “That movie struck a chord with me and in trying to tell the guy — the WTF guy — about the film I wasn’t very articulate about it,” Elliott says. “And I said some things that hurt people an… Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA An heir to Disney has come out as transgender and blasted Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law. Walt Disney’s Grandson, Roy P. Disney, recently disclosed to the Los Angeles Times that their child, Charlee Disney, is transgender. Charlee, who uses the pronouns them/they, then spoke to the Times. “I had very few openly gay role models,” Charlee told the Times. “And I certainly didn’t have any trans or nonbinary role models. I didn’t see myself reflected in anyone, and that made me feel like there was something wrong with me.” Charlee said they identified as gay for years, but then a few years ago, disclosed to family members they were trans. Kids who identify as LGBTQ already have to deal with higher rates of suicide, Charlee noted. “Then to put something like this law on top of that?” Charlee asked. “They can’t learn about their community and their history at school, or play sports or use the bathroom they want to use?” The law is the recent Florida bill that was signed by Republican Gov. Robert DeSantis. The law bans teachers of young students from discussing sexual orientation in the classroom. Some have called it discriminatory and a step-back in LGBTQ acceptance. Disney has since pushed back against the bill leading to an ongoing fight with DeSantis and Republicans in Florida. View the full article

Published by Al-Araby Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner received a $2 billion investment in his company from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund six months after Trump left office, according to a report from The New York Times. Kushner was Trump’s senior advisor during his presidency and cultivated a close relationship with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman. He secured the huge investment from the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) despite initial doubts expressed by the sovereign fund, reported The New York Times. Trump giving Jared Kushner Middle East portfolio despite Kushner’s seeming l… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Kim Kardashian “screamed” when she found out her law exam was picked as a model answer. The ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’ star has been studying for the baby bar and took to Instagram to share the exciting news that one of her answers had been selected by the examining board as a model answer for other students. Kim’s law tutor Sam Arlen Farkas shared the news on his Instagram stories, writing: “‘So proud of @KimKardashian!!! Looks like her essay with a nearly perfect score… Got. Picked. As. A. Selected. Student. Answer!! Well done, Kim!! (sic)” The TV personality, too, was overjoyed by her triumph, adding to a pal who asked what it all meant: “It means that when I took the bar my essay scored the highest so they used my essay as the model answer to show future people taking it what the answer should be. I legit screamed when my professor Sam told me!” Back in 2021, Kim managed to pass the baby bar after three failed attempts. She wrote on Instagram: “OMFGGGG I PASSED THE BABY BAR EXAM!!!! Looking in the mirror, I am really proud of the woman looking back today in the reflection. For anyone who doesn’t know my law school journey, know this wasn’t easy or handed to me. I failed this exam 3 times in 2 years, but I got back up each time and studied harder and tried again until I did it!!! “In California, the way I’m studying law you need to take 2 bar exams, this was just the first one but with the harder pass rate. I was told by top lawyers that this was a close to impossible journey and harder than the traditional law school route but it was my only option and it feels so so sooooo good to be here and on my way to achieving my goals. (sic)” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Dolly Parton gets up at three AM every morning. The ‘9 To 5’ singer has confessed she is an early riser, and admits that – like the rest of her family – she prefers to get up early in the morning to get things done, as her body doesn’t need much sleep. She told Insider: “I don’t need a whole lot of sleep. I go to bed pretty early, but even if I’ve been up late – it’s just kind of like a little clock inside of me that says ‘it’s 3 o’clock!’ I do some of my best work there, but I get enough sleep. I don’t require as much sleep as a lot of other people do, that’s kind of a Parton family trait.” Dolly has been a musician for years now – and she recently shared the secret to becoming a huge music star. She explained: “I’m going to have to say a third, a third, a third … You gotta have a backbone. You gotta keep your heart, you gotta keep your soul. I’ve often said I’ve never hardened my heart – I just try to toughen the muscles around it. You have to learn to be strong without becoming harsh or hard. I try to never let anybody or anything get to my true heart or my true soul.” The ‘Jolene’ hitmaker also admitted she has “sacrificed” a lot to make it. Speaking about her road to success, she added: “I’ve sacrificed a great deal, and I was always willing to do that, but I only sacrificed to a point. I would never – I have never compromised to the degree that I lost my integrity, my beliefs, my faith, any of that … I would walk away, I’d never go past that point.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Nandita Bose WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden will announce a new rule to rein in ghost guns and ban the manufacturing of such firearms on Monday as the administration faces growing pressure to crack down on gun deaths and violent crime in the United States. Ghost guns are privately made firearms that are not marked with a serial number and are difficult for law enforcement to trace when used to commit a crime. Biden and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco will announce the final rule from the Department of Justice at an event at the White House on Monday. The final rule has been making its way through the federal regulation process for nearly a year and is likely to draw opposition and litigation from gun advocates in the coming weeks. At the event, Biden will also nominate Steve Dettelbach, a former U.S. attorney from Ohio, to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF, a senior administration official told reporters. The announcement is part of a series of measures announced by Biden and the Justice Department in April last year to tackle growing gun violence in the United States and curb mass shootings. In 2021, there were about 20,000 suspected ghost guns reported to ATF as having been recovered by law enforcement in criminal investigations – a tenfold increase from 2016, according to statistics shared by the White House. The Justice Department rule bans unserialized “buy build shoot” kits that individuals can buy online or at a store without a background check and can readily assemble into a working firearm in as little as 30 minutes with equipment they have at home. It also turns some ghost guns already in circulation into serialized firearms. Gun deaths increased in 2021 over 2020, according to the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive. In 2021 there were 20,726 gun deaths in the United States, not counting suicides by gun, the nonprofit reported. This included 693 mass shootings, defined by four or more people being shot, and claimed 702 lives and injured more than 2,800 people, the group reported. (Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Additional reporting by Rich McKay; Editing by Stephen Coates) View the full article

Published by Reuters (Reuters) – Russian former reporter Ivan Safronov said ahead of the resumption of his treason trial on Monday that he plans to vigorously fight the charges against him and does not fear the prospect of being jailed. Safronov, who covered military affairs for the Vedomosti and Kommersant newspapers before becoming an aide to the head of Russia’s space agency two months before his arrest in July 2020, faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty. He denies accusations of passing military secrets about Russian arms sales in the Middle East and Africa to the Czech Republic, a NATO member, while he worked as a reporter in 2017, calling them “a complete travesty of justice and common sense”. His detention sent a chill through Russia’s media landscape, where controls were already tight and have been tightened further since Russia invaded Ukraine in February. His trial resumes behind closed doors later on Monday. Striking a defiant tone in personal correspondence seen by Reuters on Monday, Safronov said he harboured no illusions about the prospect of being imprisoned for his alleged offences. “I will fight until the end, there is no doubt about that,” Safronov wrote in a letter sent from Moscow’s Lefortovo prison and dated March 26. “If it’s a prison term, then it’s a prison term. It absolutely doesn’t scare me,” said the letter, shown to Reuters on condition the addressee remained anonymous. Safronov has said state investigators pointed to his acquaintance with a Czech journalist he met in Moscow in 2010 who later set up a website which Safronov said he contributed to using information entirely based on open sources. Since sending troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, Moscow has introduced a law outlawing the use of certain terms to describe its military intervention in Ukraine, which it calls a “special military operation”. That prompted many independent media outlets to close or relocate. (Reporting by Reuters; editing by Philippa Fletcher) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English David Beckham gifted his son Brooklyn Beckham a £350,000 Jaguar for his wedding present. Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz tied the knot in a glittering star-studded ceremony over the weekend in Palm Beach, Florida, saying their ‘I dos’ in front of family and friends on Nicola’s family’s luxury estate. David and Victoria have been seen driving around in the luxury vehicle, whilst Brooklyn and Nicola were also seen in it as they made their way to the post-wedding brunch on Sunday morning. The stunning baby blue car is all-electric and was specially commissioned by Beckham, with the company’s whole 120-strong team working on the stunning car at Lunaz in Silverstone, England. Each customer who purchases from Lunaz is able to name the unique colour they want for their car, but the Beckhams have chosen to keep the name of the colour they chose private. The insider is adorned with light cream, with the team keeping to the original Jaguar design but adding subtle updates to allow it to be run and used as an electric vehicle. On the technical side, there are uprated brakes, suspension and steering. David Lorenz, Founder CEO of Lunaz, said: “In creating this beautiful, electrified Jaguar XK140, we are honoured to bridge the gap between David Beckham’s professional life, where he is an investor in Lunaz and his family life. “This remarkable car is the perfect gift to his son Brooklyn and daughter-in-law, Nicola on their wedding day. In every respect, this extraordinary electric classic car by Lunaz symbolises a bright, positive future.” Brooklyn and Nicola tied the knot this weekend, just under two years after they got engaged.The pair made their romance Instagram official in January 2020 and then announced the happy news of their engagement six months later. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Andrew Hay, Nathan Frandino and Adria Malcolm SUNLAND PARK, N.M., (Reuters) – Seventeen-year-old Santi sits in his car outside shops in Sunland Park, New Mexico, watching a pulsing blue dot on his mobile telephone. Human smugglers have hired him to pick up migrants here, less than a mile from the Mexican border, and take them to nearby El Paso, Texas. His shiny red mobile phone pings every 15 seconds. He and the migrants share locations, as a contact on the U.S. side messages instructions. The high schooler with a high-fade haircut is among a growing number of U.S. teenagers in communities from Texas to California recruited to transport migrants crossing the Southwest border, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Around one in four drivers caught smuggling migrants last year in the Sunland Park-Santa Teresa area were children, most U.S. citizens living locally, according to U.S. Border Patrol, which began recording the juvenile driver data in fiscal year 2021. Mexican youth have long guided migrants into the United States. Recruiters tell both Mexican and U.S. teens they are unlikely to face legal consequences because they are minors, according to around two dozen government and law enforcement officials, attorneys, migrant advocates and local residents Reuters spoke to. U.S. children as young as 14 learn of the work from social media and friends and transport mainly Mexican adults. The young drivers can earn hundreds of dollars per migrant, and locals jokingly call them “Ubers.” Some see it as a way to get ahead in Sunland Park, a working-class town with three times the national poverty rate where a third of residents are under 18 and many children live with grandparents. But the job can be dangerous and federal authorities in New Mexico appear keen to crack down on the juvenile drivers. Teen drivers tend to flee at high speed when officers try to stop them, according to Border Patrol officials. That can lead to pursuits by Border Patrol and crashes. GOOD DAY FOR PICKUPS Santi is parked about 900 feet west of a white and green U.S. Border Patrol pickup. The migrants are hiding in the desert around 1,000 feet south. Smuggling groups in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, took advantage of a cloudy night to push migrants across rocky Mount Cristo Rey where there is no border barrier. U.S. agents in helicopters struggle to see migrants through clouds, and strong winds may be stopping their drones from flying, according to Santi. “It’s a good day for pickups,” said the teen, who asked to be identified only as Santi and that his vehicle details not be disclosed because ferrying migrants is illegal. Field agents check migrants’ phones for information and pass it to anti-smuggling units looking for drivers, group leaders and local “stash houses” where migrants wait before travel. Gerardo Galvan, the patrol agent in charge of the Sunland Park area, noticed the rise in juvenile drivers in 2021 after a 14-year-old fled agents and crashed into a Border Patrol van. “They’re told that if they go fast enough we’re going to stop pursuing them,” Galvan said. Galvan said he was working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Las Cruces, New Mexico, to charge juvenile drivers. The office of the federal defender in Las Cruces represented four minors for migrant smuggling in the first few months of 2022 after six cases in all of 2021, according to Assistant Federal Public Defender Amanda Skinner. Unless the child has been in trouble before, the majority of juvenile cases result in probation until the age of 21, she said. “We don’t typically see higher-ups charged. The vast majority of our cases are drivers,” said Skinner. CRIMINALIZED YOUTH Sunland Park Mayor Javier Perea sees no easy fix to the juvenile driver problem. Meanwhile, the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden expects another record-breaking year for migrant arrests on the southwest border. A COVID-era policy that blocked most asylum claims is set to lift in May. “The last thing we want to do is criminalize our youth,” said Perea, whose town provides work opportunities for teenagers and is planning an outreach program to deter drivers. For activists like Irma Cruz, teen drivers are caught between the multi-billion-dollar human smuggling business and the U.S. government’s policy to “militarize” the border as a deterrence. “They’re easy prey, and they’re being used,” said Cruz, campaign director for Border Network for Human Rights, an immigration advocacy group that also educates border residents on civil rights. Of greatest concern are incidents such as when an El Paso 18-year-old crashed his sedan crammed with 10 people after being chased by Border Patrol in 2020. Four local teens and three migrants were killed. The American Civil Liberties Union and U.S. lawmakers are calling on Border Patrol to only chase suspects at high speed if they believe a violent felony has been committed. “If Border Patrol itself knows that such a high percentage of the drivers of these vehicles in particular areas are children being recruited in this way, then that should hedge against them conducting these types of dangerous vehicle pursuits,” said ACLU lawyer Shaw Drake. Galvan said agents attempting to stop a vehicle did not know whether the driver was a child or adult. He said agents are not to engage in pursuits around schools and in residential areas at busy times of day, and must receive permission from a supervisor to continue a chase. Santi has transported migrants for a year and has been stopped by Border Patrol but never charged. He knows the stakes will be higher once he is 18. When the parked Border Patrol truck drives off down McNutt Road, Santi heads toward a migrant rendezvous. “I don’t want to go to jail for this,” he says. (Reporting by Andrew Hay, Nathan Frandino and Adria Malcolm in Sunland Park, New Mexico; Editing by Donna Bryson and Aurora Ellis) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Pavel Polityuk KYIV, Ukraine (Reuters) – Ukraine said on Monday that tens of thousands of people have likely been killed in Russia’s assault on Mariupol and Russian forces have slowed down evacuations from the besieged southeastern city, where conditions are desperate. “Mariupol has been destroyed, there are tens of thousands of dead, but even despite this, the Russians are not stopping their offensive,” President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a video address to South Korean lawmakers. Reuters has confirmed widespread destruction in Mariupol but could not verify the accuracy of his estimate of those killed in the strategic city, which lies between Russian-annexed Crimea and eastern areas of Ukraine held by Russian-backed separatists. If confirmed, it would be by far the largest number of dead so far reported in one place in Ukraine, where cities, towns and villages have come under relentless bombardment and many bodies, including of civilians, have been seen in the streets. The head of the Russia-backed self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, Denis Pushilin, told Russia’s RIA news agency on Monday that more than 5,000 people may have been killed in Mariupol. He said Ukrainian forces were responsible. Petro Andryushchenko, an aide to the mayor of Mariupol, said on the Telegram messaging service that numbers of people leaving the city had fallen, not because people did not want to escape but because Russian forces had slowed pre-departure checks. Around 10,000 people were awaiting screening by Russian forces, he said. Russia does not allow military personnel to leave with civilian evacuees. There was no immediate comment from Moscow, which has previously blamed Ukraine for blocking evacuations. Mariupol was among nine humanitarian corridors agreed with Russia on Monday to evacuate people from besieged eastern regions, but its corridor was for private cars only, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Telegram. It was not possible to agree the provision of buses, she said. Ukraine says Russian forces are massing for a new offensive on eastern areas, including Mariupol, where people have been without water, food and energy supplies for weeks. Moscow calls its invasion of Ukraine a “special military operation”. (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk in Kyiv; writing by Conor Humphries; editing by Philippa Fletcher) View the full article

Published by AFP Under the new rules, dealers selling weapons part kits will be required to conduct a background check on prospective buyers Washington (AFP) – President Joe Biden will announce new measures cracking down on so-called “ghost guns” on Monday, with an executive order set to increase restrictions on the weapons that can be assembled at home in minutes and are difficult to trace as they lack serial numbers. The new rule, a year in the making, addresses a kind of weapon that law enforcement officials say has almost doubled in its appearance in police reports between 2020 and 2021. Such guns are “the weapon of choice for many violent criminals,” the White House said in a statement. The new rule states that weapons part kits that can easily be assembled into a working firearm will be subject to the same requirements as commercially available fully assembled guns, administration officials said. Dealers selling these weapons parts kits will now be required to conduct a background check on prospective buyers, according to the new regulations. Gun kit manufacturers must also include a serial number on key weapon components, while licensed dealers who take a “ghost gun” into their inventory must add a serial number, the US Justice Department said in a statement. Finally, in order to boost tracing efforts, the new rule states that federally licensed dealers of firearms must keep records for as long as they are in business, rather than for a 20-year period as is currently the case. “This rule will make it harder for criminals and other prohibited persons to obtain untraceable guns, will help ensure that law enforcement officers can retrieve the information they need to solve crimes, and will help reduce the number of untraceable firearms flooding our communities,” said US Attorney General Merrick Garland. From January 2016 to December 2021, the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) received approximately 45,240 reports of suspected privately made firearms recovered by law enforcement, the Justice Department said. Those reports were linked to at least 692 homicide or attempted homicide investigations, it added. The use of such weapons has been increasing, with the number of reports nearly doubling to more than 19,000 from 2020 to 2021, it said. Over the past five-year period, the ATF could only trace 0.98 percent of suspected “ghost guns” handed in by law enforcement to an individual purchaser, the department said. On Monday, the White House said that Biden will also nominate Steve Dettelbach, a former US attorney from Ohio, to run the ATF after the president’s first nominee, a gun control advocate, ran into opposition from Republicans and some Democrats in Congress. View the full article