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Published by Reuters By Hassan Hankir and Hams Rabah SIDON, Lebanon/AMMAN (Reuters) – Syrian refugee Ahmad al-Hariri, who fled the war in his country for neighbouring Lebanon 10 years ago, spent the last decade hoping in vain to escape to a new life in Europe. Watching European nations open their arms to hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians in less than a week, the father of three can’t help but compare their fates. “We are wondering, why were Ukrainians welcome in all countries while we, Syrian refugees, are still in tents and remain under the snow, facing death, and no one is looking to us?” he told Reuters in a refugee centre where 25 families are sheltered on the edge of the Mediterranean city of Sidon. In the Arab world, where 12 million Syrians have been uprooted by war, critics ranging from Hariri to activists and cartoonists contrast the Western reaction to the refugee crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with the way Europe sought to hold back Syrian and other refugees in 2015. Some recalled images of refugees walking for days in harsh weather, or losing lives in perilous sea crossings as they tried to breach Europe’s borders. On Monday, four days after Russia launched its attack, the European Union said at least 400,000 refugees had entered the bloc from Ukraine, which has land borders with four EU states. Millions more are expected and the EU is preparing measures which would offer temporary residence permits as well as access to employment and social welfare – a swift opening of its doors at odds with its response to wars in Syria and elsewhere. By early 2021, 10 years after Syria’s conflict erupted, EU states had taken in 1 million Syrian refugees and asylum seekers, of which Germany alone took more than half. Most of them arrived before a 2016 deal in which the EU paid billions of euros for Turkey to continue hosting 3.7 million Syrians. This time the welcome has been immediate. “We have here not the refugee wave which we are accustomed to and we do not know what to do with – people with an unclear past,” Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said, describing Ukrainians as intelligent, educated and highly qualified. “These are Europeans whose airport has been just bombed, who are under fire,” he said. Bulgaria has said it will help everyone coming from Ukraine, where there are about 250,000 ethnic Bulgarians. Last year 3,800 Syrians sought protection in Bulgaria and 1,850 were granted refugee or humanitarian status. Syrians say most refugees only pass through Bulgaria to wealthier EU states. Poland’s government, which came under heavy international criticism last year for pushing back against a wave of immigrants crossing over from Belarus, mostly from the Middle East and Africa, has welcomed those fleeing the Ukraine war. In Hungary, which built a barrier along its southern border to prevent a repeat of the 2015 influx of people from the Middle East and Asia, the arrival of refugees from neighbouring Ukraine has triggered an outpouring of support and offers of transport, short-term accommodation, clothes and food. “RELATIVELY CIVILISED” Hungary and Poland both say that refugees from the Middle East who arrive at their borders have already crossed other safe countries which have a duty to provide shelter. Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto defended the different approaches. “I must reject drawing comparisons between those fleeing war and those trying to get into the country illegally,” he told a United Nations meeting in Geneva. The welcome has been eased by the fact that Ukraine is home to a large ethnic Hungarian community. Ties like those have led some Western journalists to suggest that the humanitarian disaster in Ukraine is different to crises in Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan, because Europeans could relate more closely to the victims. Their comments sparked a wave of condemnation on social media, accusing the West of bias. Clips of the reports were widely circulated and heavily criticised across the region. For instance, a television reporter on U.S. network CBS described Kyiv as a “relatively civilised, relatively European” city, in contrast to other war zones. Others said Ukraine was different because those fleeing were middle class or watched Netflix. The CBS reporter Charlie D’Agata apologised, saying he had been trying to convey the scale of the conflict. CBS did not immediately respond to a request for further comment. Nadim Houry, executive director of the Arab Reform Initiative, said parts of the media coverage were disturbing and revealed “ignorance about refugees from other parts of the world who also have the same aspirations as Ukrainians”. FIGHTERS Houry and other critics also say some governments are showing double standards on the issue of volunteers who want to fight in Ukraine against Russian forces. Britain’s foreign minister Liz Truss on Sunday backed President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s appeal for people to join an international force to fight Russian troops. “Absolutely. If people want to support that struggle, I would support them doing that,” she told BBC television. In contrast, British police warned Britons travelling to Syria to help the rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad eight years ago that they could be arrested on their return, saying they may pose a security risk to the UK. The foreign office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Truss’s remarks. Defence minister Ben Wallace said the situation was different to fighters who joined groups like Islamic State in Syria, but that the government would discourage people from going to Ukraine. While their sense of abandonment has been heightened by the Ukrainians’ welcome in eastern Europe, several refugees in north Syria, Lebanon and in Jordan told Reuters responsibility for their plight lay with authorities closer to home. Some say Arab countries should have done more to support the military struggle against Assad, which grew out of widespread popular protests against the president in 2011, and helped the refugees more. Apart from Syria’s neighbours Jordan and Lebanon, Arab countries have taken in few of the war’s displaced people. “We do not blame European countries, we blame Arab countries,” said Ali Khlaif, living in a tented camp near the northwestern Syrian town of Azaz. “European countries welcome those from their people. We blame our Arab brethren, not the rest.” (Additional reporting by Gergely Szakacs in Budapest, William James in London, Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk in Warsaw, Tsvetelia Tsolova in Sofia; Writing by Dominic Evans, Editing by William Maclean) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Andrew Chung and Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republicans challenging court-drawn congressional district maps in North Carolina and Pennsylvania have asked the conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court to embrace an esoteric legal theory that could give politicians far greater power over elections. The cases, filed using the court’s emergency “shadow docket” that can allow it to act quickly and without the public deliberation that is a staple of major cases, seek to advance the “independent state legislature doctrine,” a little-known legal theory that could limit the ability of state courts to impose new maps. The 6-3 majority conservative court is considering the Republicans’ emergency requests to block lower court decisions that approved electoral maps for U.S. House of Representatives races replacing ones drawn by the Republican-led legislatures in the two states, where primary elections take place on May 17. The court, which has been increasingly assertive in taking up contentious cases, could act within days. In the North Carolina case in particular, the Republican challengers place front and center the theory that the U.S. Constitution gives state legislatures, and not other entities such as state courts, the power to set rules governing elections, including where district lines are drawn. “They’re very aggressive because they are asserting that legislatures when they are engaged in congressional redistricting are essentially immune from all state law,” said Paul Smith, the senior vice president at Campaign Legal Center, a non-partisan voting rights organization. Critics say the independent state legislature doctrine flouts democratic principles because it could limit the ability of courts to block electoral districts designed to entrench one political party in power, known as gerrymandering. EMPOWERS PARTISANSHIP The doctrine could also stymie challenges on issues such as voter identification, mail-in ballots and drop boxes, which Republicans have sought to restrict in a number of states, and factor into lawsuits that arise in the heat of an election. “It’s dangerous because state politicians are the people most interested in crafting the rules of the game to help themselves and their side continue to win,” said Josh Douglas, a voting rights expert at the University of Kentucky Rosenberg College of Law. In most states, lawmakers control the process of redrawing their congressional maps every 10 years after the U.S. Census has been taken. The Supreme Court in 2019 said federal courts are powerless to intervene to prevent partisan gerrymandering. Republicans need to flip only a handful of seats in November’s midterm elections to recapture control of the U.S. House and hinder much of Democratic President Joe Biden’s legislative agenda. The doctrine, which is gaining traction in conservative legal circles, is based in part on language in the U.S. Constitution that the “times, places and manner” of federal elections “shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof.” The Republican challengers are pressing the theory at a time when the Supreme Court seems more receptive to it. Four of the court’s conservative justices appeared to lend weight to the argument during the flurry of litigation around the 2020 election, when Republican lawmakers or officials sought to block court decisions requiring changes to election deadlines and rules, to account for the coronavirus pandemic. For instance, in a case from Wisconsin last October, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in an opinion that “state courts do not have a blank check to rewrite state election laws for federal elections.” Kavanaugh is one of three conservative justices appointed by Republican former President Donald Trump, who has continued to falsely claim that his election defeat to Biden was the result of fraud, inspiring a wave of new restrictions on voting in Republican-led states. The dispute in North Carolina centers on a state supreme court ruling last month that struck down the Republican-dominated legislature’s congressional map as a violation of the state’s constitution. That ruling came in two lawsuits brought by plaintiffs including Democratic voters and an environmental group claiming that the map was biased toward Republicans. A lower court then adopted a remedial map drawn by a bipartisan panel of experts. Republican lawmakers in the state urged the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene, saying the federal Constitution “does not give the state courts, or any other organ of state government, the power to second-guess the legislature’s determinations.” In Pennsylvania, the state supreme court last month approved a new congressional map after Democratic Governor Tom Wolf vetoed one drawn by the majority-Republican legislature, saying it gave an unfair advantage to Republicans. Republicans, including one who is running for office, then sued to block the new map and turned to the U.S. Supreme Court when their efforts failed, saying the state court had “no authority to impose a congressional map” unless the legislature authorized it. Their lawyer, Jonathan Mitchell, told Reuters his argument was not as broad as that made in the North Carolina case because he concedes that courts can intervene when a legislatively enacted map violates the state or federal Constitution. “The problem is that the [Pennsylvania] court acted to impose a map of its choosing, not to remedy a state or federal constitutional violation,” he said. In another redistricting case on a different legal question, the court last month allowed Alabama to use a Republican-backed map, signaling further weakening of the Voting Rights Act enacted to protect minority voters. (Reporting by Andrew Chung and Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Scott Malone and Mark Porter) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jan Wolfe WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Texas man who is the first person to stand trial for joining the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol told a friend he wanted to drag Democratic House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi out of the building, a prosecutor said on Wednesday. Guy Reffitt, of Wylie, Texas, is the first of some 750 people charged with joining the riot by Donald Trump’s supporters to face trial in Washington. Reffitt has pleaded not guilty to five charges, including carrying a semi-automatic handgun while on Capitol grounds. “The defendant was the tip of this mob’s spear,” federal prosecutor Jeffrey Nestler told jurors in his opening statement, saying Reffitt led a mob of rioters up the Capitol’s stairs to “overwhelm” police and storm the building. Nestler said Reffitt texted a friend about plans to drag Pelosi and other lawmakers from the building. “I just want to see Pelosi’s head hitting every fucking stair” of the building, Reffitt told the friend, according to the prosecutor. Reffitt’s lawyer, William Welch, gave a brief opening statement, addressing jurors for only two minutes. “He exaggerates and he rants,” Welch said of his client. “This trial will be about fact versus hype.” Some 200 defendants have already pleaded guilty to joining the mob, which sent lawmakers running for their lives. Reffitt’s trial is an important test case as the U.S. Justice Department attempts to secure convictions from the hundreds of defendants who have not taken plea deals. They face charges ranging from unlawful picketing to seditious conspiracy, with which 11 people affiliated with the right-wing Oath Keepers were charged in January. One of those 11 defendants, Joshua James, has a plea hearing scheduled for Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET (2200 GMT) — a likely sign that he will plead guilty. Such a guilty plea would be a notable victory for the Justice Department, which hopes to secure a similar conviction against Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes and other defendants in the sedition case. A guilty verdict for Reffitt could motivate defendants to accept plea deals offered by prosecutors. But a verdict in Reffitt’s favor could encourage the hundreds of defendants who have not taken plea deals to roll the dice on a trial. Reffitt also faces charges of obstruction for allegedly threatening his teenage children with harm if they turned him in to authorities. Reffitt’s estranged son Jackson, now 19, turned him into the FBI. The son will testify against his father at trial, Nestler said. Thousands of people stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, after a fiery speech in which Trump falsely claimed his election defeat was the result of widespread fraud, an assertion rejected by multiple courts, state election officials and members of his own administration. Four people died on the day of the violence, one shot dead by police and the other three of natural causes. A Capitol Police officer who had been attacked by protesters died the following day. Four police officers who took part in the defense of the Capitol later took their own lives. More than a hundred police officers were injured in the riot. (Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Editing by Scott Malone, Kenneth Maxwell, Bill Berkrot and Jonathan Oatis) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Joseph Ax WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Democrat Beto O’Rourke won their parties’ gubernatorial nominations on Tuesday, as the state’s first-in-the-nation primary contests kicked off the race to the Nov. 8 general election. Abbott, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, easily turned back several right-wing challengers. He is favored to beat O’Rourke, who is seeking to become the first Democratic governor of Texas in nearly three decades. Texas voters were also selecting their parties’ nominees on Tuesday for the U.S. House of Representatives. The results could offer clues about the mood of American voters ahead of the November elections that will determine control Congress for the rest of President Joe Biden’s four-year term. Progressive Democrats scored a victory when democratic socialist Greg Casar, an Austin city councilman, beat out fellow Democrat Eddie Rodriguez, a state representative. Another liberal, Jessica Cisneros, was headed toward a run-off with incumbent Henry Cuellar, one of the House’s most conservative Democrats. Both Casar and Cisneros campaigned alongside national progressive figures such as Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez. Meanwhile, Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton was headed to a May 24 runoff election against Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, grandson of former President H.W. Bush, after failing to capture 50% of the vote. Paxton, who had Trump’s support, remains under a 2015 indictment for securities fraud and also faces a federal corruption probe. He has denied any wrongdoing. The election was the first test of new Republican-backed voting restrictions passed in response to Trump’s false claims of election fraud in his 2020 loss to Biden. There were no reports of major problems at polling places, following weeks in which several counties recorded large numbers of rejected mail-in ballots due to new identification requirements. Texas Secretary of State John Scott said Harris County, home to one in six Texans, had informed his office that vote counting was delayed due to “damaged ballot sheets.” Midterm elections typically serve as a referendum on the sitting president, and Republicans are favored to win a majority in at least one of the two chambers of Congress that Democrats control by razor-thin margins. That would allow Republicans to block Biden’s legislative agenda and launch investigations that could damage his administration. ABBOTT PUSHES CONSERVATIVE AGENDA Abbott has pursued increasingly conservative policies during his second term, including opposing COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates. He also signed the most restrictive abortion ban of any U.S. state and is building a new barrier on the border with Mexico. Last week, he instructed state agencies to consider medical treatment for transgender adolescents as child abuse, days after Paxton issued a legal opinion to that effect. While the full effect of the order remains unclear, transgender advocates decried the move as discriminatory and dangerous. “Abbott has not left much room to the right of him for these competitors to gain any traction,” said James Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas. O’Rourke, a former congressman, is the state’s most prominent Democrat after losing a close U.S. Senate race in 2018 and then mounting a brief campaign for president. The Democrat has attacked Abbott’s handling of the state’s power grid, which failed during deadly winter storms in February 2021. Among congressional races, Republican-backed redistricting has eliminated virtually every competitive district. Still, some contests gave early looks at how each party is navigating internal tensions. In the 8th District north of Houston, where Representative Kevin Brady is retiring, the Republican primary was seen as a proxy battle between the party’s ideological poles. Former Navy SEAL Morgan Luttrell, backed by House Republican leadership, held a sizable lead over Christian Collins, a conservative activist supported by the House’s far-right Freedom Caucus. In the 3rd District north of Dallas, Republican Representative Van Taylor was forced into a run-off contest. He will face Keith Self, a former county judge who criticized Taylor for supporting a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2020, assault on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters. For Democrats, the contest between Cuellar, the lone anti-abortion Democrat left in the House, and Cisneros could leave the party vulnerable to a Republican takeover of the chamber. Federal investigators searched Cuellar’s home recently, though details of the investigation are not clear and he has denied wrongdoing. If Cuellar loses the primary, Cisneros could be targeted by Republicans as being too liberal for Texas. The 15th District, likely the most competitive in Texas in November after incumbent Democrat Vicente Gonzalez opted to run in a neighboring district, had a crowded field for both parties. The Democratic contest will be decided in a runoff, while Republican Monica De La Cruz, who ran for the seat in 2020, won her party’s nomination contest. Republicans are hopeful they can flip the seat after Trump showed unexpected strength among Hispanic voters in 2020. (Reporting by Joseph Ax and Moira Warburton; Additional reporting by Jason Lange; Editing by Scott Malone, Alistair Bell, Ross Colvin and Kim Coghill) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A new U.S. federal “KleptoCapture” task force will work to further strain the finances of Russia’s oligarchs to pressure the country to cease its invasion of Ukraine, the Justice Department said on Wednesday. The interagency law enforcement group will be dedicated to enforcing sanctions, export restrictions and economic countermeasures designed to freeze Russia out of global markets, Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. The task force’s name comes from the word “kleptocracy,” defined as corrupt individuals who misuse their powers to accumulate wealth at the expense of those they govern. “To those bolstering the Russian regime through corruption and sanctions evasion: we will deprive you of safe haven and hold you accountable,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Oligarchs be warned: we will use every tool to freeze and seize your criminal proceeds.” The task force will be run out of Monaco’s office, and will be responsible for investigating and prosecuting violations of sanctions. It will use civil and criminal asset forfeiture laws to seize assets obtained through unlawful conduct. Washington and its allies have sought to up the pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin and those closest to him to try to force an end to the assault on Ukraine, the worst attack on a European state since World War Two. More than 2,000 civilians have been killed. The Justice Department has long had a team to track down assets belonging to kleptocrats from around the globe that are linked to crimes with an impact on the U.S. financial system, such as money laundering, sanctions evasion or foreign bribes. The new task force will target the crimes of Russian officials and government-connected elites. “Arrests and prosecution will be sought when supported by the facts and the law,” the department said in its announcement. “Even if defendants cannot be immediately detained, asset seizures and civil forfeitures of unlawful proceeds — including personal real estate, financial and commercial assets — will be used to deny resources that enable Russian aggression.” On Tuesday night, President Joe Biden in his State of the Union speech assailed Putin for his country’s attack on Ukraine and put Russian oligarchs and other government leaders he said were corrupt on notice that the Justice Department would be coming for their assets. “We are joining with our European allies to find and seize your yachts, your luxury apartments, your private jets. We are coming for your ill-begotten gains,” Biden said. The task force will be led by a veteran prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York who has experience investigating Russian organized crime and recovering illicit assets, the department said. The department did not identify the prosecutor by name. The task force will be staffed by agents and analysts from a variety of law enforcement agencies including the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Secret Service, the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, IRS-Criminal Investigations and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Scott Malone and Howard Goller) View the full article

Published by AFP Ukrainians and supporters hold placards and a Ukraine national flag during a demonstration against the Russian invasion of the Ukraine in front of the Greek Parliament in Athens, on March 1, 2022 United Nations (United States) (AFP) – The UN General Assembly on Wednesday overwhelmingly adopted a resolution that “demands” Russia “immediately” withdraw from Ukraine, in a powerful rebuke of Moscow’s invasion by a vast majority of the world’s nations. After more than two days of extraordinary debate, which saw the Ukrainian ambassador accuse Russia of genocide, 141 out of 193 United Nations member states voted for the non-binding resolution. China was among the 35 countries which abstained, while just five — Eritrea, North Korea, Syria, Belarus and of course Russia — voted against it. The resolution “deplores” the invasion of Ukraine “in the strongest terms” and condemns President Vladimir Putin’s decision to put his nuclear forces on alert. The vote had been touted by diplomats as a bellwether of democracy in a world where autocracy is on the rise, and came as Putin’s forces bear down on Kyiv while terrified Ukrainians flee. “They have come to deprive Ukraine of the very right to exist,” Ukraine’s ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya told the Assembly ahead of the vote. “It’s already clear that the goal of Russia is not an occupation only. It is genocide.” Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Moscow has pleaded “self-defense” under Article 51 of the UN Charter. But that has been roundly rejected by Western countries who accuse Moscow of violating Article 2 of the Charter, requiring UN members to refrain from the threat or use of force to resolve a crisis. The European Union’s ambassador to the UN Olof Skoog said the vote was “not just about Ukraine.” “It is about defending an international order based on rules we all have signed up to,” he said in a statement. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the General Assembly’s message was “loud and clear.” “End hostilities in Ukraine — now. Silence the guns — now,” he said in a statement. “As bad as the situation is for the people in Ukraine right now, it threatens to get much, much worse. The ticking clock is a time bomb.” ‘Who will be next?’ The text of the resolution — led by European countries in coordination with Ukraine — has undergone numerous changes in recent days. It no longer “condemns” the invasion as initially expected, but instead “deplores in the strongest terms the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine.” Nearly every General Assembly speaker unreservedly condemned the war. “If the United Nations has any purpose, it is to prevent war,” the US ambassador, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said during her speech on Wednesday. She accused Russia of “preparing to increase the brutality of its campaign.” “We’ve seen videos of Russian forces moving exceptionally lethal weaponry into Ukraine, which has no place on the battlefield. That includes cluster munitions and vacuum bombs, which are banned under the Geneva Convention,” Thomas-Greenfield said. Russia’s ally Belarus offered a staunch defense of the invasion, however. Ambassador Valentin Rybakov blasted sanctions imposed by the West on Russia as “the worst example of economic and financial terrorism.” And he followed other Russian allies such as Syria in condemning the “double standards” of Western nations who have invaded countries including Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan in recent decades. Other speakers cited fears of a domino effect should Ukraine fall to Russia. Colombia railed against any return to “empire,” while Albania wondered: “Who will be next?” From the Arab world it was Kuwait, itself the victim of an invasion by Iraq in 1990, whose denunciation of Moscow was the most explicit. China, India abstain Japan and New Zealand led condemnation from Asia, but the continent’s giants — China, India and Pakistan — all abstained. During the debate Beijing had stressed the world had “nothing to gain” from a new Cold War. On the meeting’s sidelines, Washington has taken aim at Russians working at the United Nations, leveling accusations of espionage and demanding expulsions. US President Joe Biden asserted Tuesday in his State of the Union address that Putin had underestimated the response to the invasion. “He rejected efforts at diplomacy… And, he thought he could divide us here at home,” Biden said. “Putin was wrong. We were ready.” View the full article

Published by Reuters (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the weekend that his nation’s nuclear forces should be put on high alert, raising fears that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could lead to nuclear escalation. Here is how Russia’s chain of command would work in the event of a nuclear weapon launch. WHO DECIDES TO LAUNCH RUSSIAN NUCLEAR WEAPONS? A 2020 document https://archive.mid.ru/en/web/guest/foreign_policy/international_safety/disarmament/-/asset_publisher/rp0fiUBmANaH/content/id/4152094 called “Basic Principles of State Policy of the Russian Federation on Nuclear Deterrence” says the Russian president takes the decision to use nuclear weapons. A small briefcase, known as the Cheget, is kept close to the president at all times, linking him to the command and control network of Russia’s strategic nuclear forces. The Cheget does not contain a nuclear launch button but rather transmits launch orders to the central military command – the General Staff. IF PUTIN GIVES THE NUCLEAR ORDER, WHAT HAPPENS? The Russian General Staff file:///C:/Users/8011323/Downloads/FOIR1588.pdf has access to the launch codes and has two methods of launching nuclear warheads. It can send authorisation codes to individual weapons commanders, who would then execute the launch procedures. There is also a back-up system, known as Perimetr, which allows the General Staff to directly initiate the launch of land-based missiles, bypassing all the immediate command posts. DID PUTIN’S ‘HIGH ALERT’ ORDER MAKE A LAUNCH MORE LIKELY? Putin said at the weekend that the nation’s nuclear forces should be put on high alert. The following day, Russia’s defence ministry announced that its nuclear missile forces had been placed on “enhanced” combat duty. The phrase enhanced, or special, combat duty does not appear in Russia’s nuclear doctrine, leaving military experts puzzled over what it might mean. Pavel Podvig, a senior researcher at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research in Geneva, said on Twitter that the order might have activated Russia’s nuclear command and control system, essentially opening communication channels for any eventual launch order. Alternatively, he said it might just mean the Russians added staff to their nuclear facilities. DO THE RUSSIANS HAVE RULES ON NUCLEAR LAUNCHES? The 2020 doctrine presents four scenarios which might justify the use of Russian nuclear weapons: — the use of nuclear weapons or weapons of mass destruction against Russia or its allies; — data showing the launch of ballistic missiles aimed at Russia or its allies; — an attack on critical government or military sites that would undermine the country’s nuclear forces response actions; — the use of conventional weapons against Russia “when the very existence of the state is in jeopardy”. WHAT NUCLEAR CAPABILITIES DOES RUSSIA HAVE? The Federation of American Scientists https://fas.org/issues/nuclear-weapons/status-world-nuclear-forces estimates that Russia has 5,977 nuclear warheads, more than any other country. Of these, 1,588 are deployed and ready for use. Its missiles can be fired from the land, by submarines and by airplanes. Putin oversaw a coordinated test of Russia’s nuclear forces on Feb. 19 shortly before ordering troops into Ukraine. HAS RUSSIA EVER USED A NUCLEAR WEAPON IN WAR? No. To date, the only use of nuclear weapons during conflict was the atomic bombs dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States in 1945, at the end of World War Two. (Reporting by Crispian Balmer, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien) View the full article

Ukranian Refugees:People walk by a line of cars on the way to Shehyni checkpoint to cross the Ukrainian-Polish border. According to UN figures, 677,000 people have fled Ukraine to Published by DPA People walk by a line of cars on the way to Shehyni checkpoint to cross the Ukrainian-Polish border. According to UN figures, 677,000 people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries since the start of the Russian attack. Pavlo Palamarchuk/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa About half a million refugees have made it on to Polish territory from Ukraine since the start of a Russian invasion into the former Soviet republic last week, according to officials in Warsaw on Wednesday. “We are obliged to help our neighbours and we are doing it. We have created a humanitarian corridor and we have sped up all processes that we can speed up from our side,” said Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki before a joint visit to the Korczowa border crossing with European Council President Charles Michel. The stance earned praise from Pope Francis, who noted from Rome: “You were the first to support Ukraine, by opening your borders, hearts and doors to those Ukrainians fleeing war.” Michel said it was important for all EU member states to show solidarity as the Ukraine crisis unfolds and to do their best to support to Ukrainians fleeing the Russian attack. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which started last week after months of Russian denials that any such attack was on the cards, has prompted hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee westward to escape the fighting. “Poland is helping all the people fleeing the war, all war refugees, regardless of their country of origin,” said Morawiecki. He also urged people seeking shelter to ignore Russian propaganda about the way they would be treated at the border. He was likely referring to images recently shared on social media in which people of African origin complained they were being forced to wait at the border while other refugees of European origin were allowed through. Poland is not the refugees’ only destination. About 120,000 have made their way to Romania, though more than half have already travelled on to other countries, leaving about 46,000 still in Romania, said Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, in comments reported by Mediafax. And in the Czech Republic, authorities say they have registered 20,000 arrivals from Ukraine since the crisis began. “The wave of refugees is growing,” said Prime Minister Petr Fiala. “We’re a destination country,” noting that the country had set up emergency phone lines and required intake centres in all the country’s administrative regions. Meanwhile, Deutsche Bahn reported that it and other European railroad operators had set up 40 international high-speed trains to bring refugees who have reached Austria, the Czech Republic and Poland to Germany. Travel is free, as are continuing trips for those who want to head to countries like Belgium, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands or Switzerland. Since the imposition of martial law in the wake of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, men between the ages of 18 and 60 are prohibited from leaving the country. The Ukrainian border guard said Wednesday that it had arrested more than 60 Ukrainian men attempting to cross the border illegally into Moldova. The men had tried to leave the country via the Dnistr River. They were immediately handed over to military authorities. The day before, 16 men were arrested and handed over to the army. Some of them are said to have tried to bribe the border guards to facilitate their crossing. The day before, the border guard had announced that more than 80,000 Ukrainians – most of them men – had returned to the country since the war began last Thursday. A couple embraces after finding their relatives waiting on the Polish side of the border from Ukraine. According to UN figures, 677,000 people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries since the start of the Russian attack. Attila Husejnow/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa View the full article

Published by Reuters KYIV/KHARKIV (Reuters) -Ukrainians said on Wednesday they were battling on in the port of Kherson, the first sizeable city Russia claimed to have seized, as air strikes and bombardment caused devastation in cities that Moscow’s bogged down forces have failed to capture. After nearly a week, Russia has yet to achieve its aim of overthrowing Ukraine’s government, but has, according to the Ukrainian emergency service, killed more than 2,000 civilians and destroyed hospitals, kindergartens and homes. The invasion has sent more than 870,000 people fleeing over Ukraine’s borders and retaliatory sanctions have shaken the world economy, with surging oil prices exacerbating fears of inflation. Bombing of Kharkiv, an eastern city of 1.5 million people, has left its centre a wasteland of ruined buildings and debris. “The Russian ‘liberators’ have come,” one Ukrainian volunteer lamented sarcastically, as he and three others strained to carry the dead body of a man wrapped in a bedsheet out of the ruins on a main square. After an air strike on Wednesday morning, the roof of a police building in central Kharkiv collapsed as it was engulfed in flames. Authorities said 21 people were killed by shelling and air strikes in the city in the past 24 hours, and four more on Wednesday morning. Moscow denies targeting civilians and says it aims to disarm Ukraine, a country of 44 million people, in a “special military operation”. Apple, Exxon, Boeing and other firms joined an exodus of international companies from Russian markets that has left Moscow financially and diplomatically isolated since President Vladimir Putin ordered the Feb. 24 invasion. “He thought he could roll into Ukraine and the world would roll over. Instead, he met a wall of strength he could never have anticipated or imagined: he met Ukrainian people,” U.S. President Joe Biden said on Tuesday in his annual State of the Union address. U.S. lawmakers stood, applauded and roared, many waving Ukrainian flags and wearing its blue and yellow colours. Russia said it had sent delegates for a second round of peace talks in Belarus. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia must stop bombing if it wanted to negotiate. Moscow said on Wednesday it had captured Kherson, a southern provincial capital of around 250,000 people strategically placed where the Dnipro River flows into the Black Sea. Zelenskiy advisor Oleksiy Arestovych denied Kherson was fully under Russian control, saying: “The city has not fallen, our side continues to defend.” Also in the south, Russia was bombarding the port of Mariupol, which it says it has surrounded in a ring around the entire Sea of Azov. The besieged city’s mayor said Mariupol had suffered mass casualties after a night of intense strikes. He gave no full casualty figure, but said it was impossible to evacuate the wounded and that water supplies were cut. “The enemy occupying forces of the Russian Federation have done everything to block the exit of civilians from the city of half a million people,” mayor Vadym Boichenko said in a live broadcast on Ukrainian TV. On the other two main fronts in the east and north, Russia so far has little to show for its advance, with Ukraine’s two biggest cities, Kyiv and Kharkiv, holding out in the face of increasingly intense bombardment. “We are going to see … his brutality increase,” British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said of Putin in a radio interview. “He doesn’t get his way, he surrounds cities, he ruthlessly bombards them at night … and he will then eventually try and break them and move into the cities.” ‘ORDERS TO ERASE US’ In Kyiv, the capital of 3 million people where residents have been sheltering at night in the underground metro, Russia blasted the main television tower near a Holocaust memorial on Tuesday, killing bystanders. Zelenskiy, in his latest update to his nation, said that attack proved the Russians “don’t know a thing about Kyiv, about our history. But they all have orders to erase our history, erase our country, erase us all.” Earlier, a tired and unshaven Zelenskiy, wearing green battle fatigues in a heavily guarded government compound, told Reuters and CNN in an interview that the bombing must stop for talks to end the war. “It’s necessary to at least stop bombing people, just stop the bombing and then sit down at the negotiating table.” Russia’s main advance on the capital – a huge armoured column stretched for miles along the road to Kyiv – has been largely frozen in place for days, Western governments say. A senior U.S. defense official on Tuesday cited problems including shortages of food and fuel, and signs of flagging morale among Russian troops. “While Russian forces have reportedly moved into the centre of Kherson in the south, overall gains across axes have been limited in the past 24 hours,” Britain’s ministry of defence said in an intelligence update on Wednesday morning. “This is probably due to a combination of ongoing logistical difficulties and strong Ukrainian resistance.” It said Russia was carrying out intensive air and artillery strikes, especially on Kharkiv, Kyiv, Mariupol and the eastern city of Chernihiv. The Kremlin’s decision to launch war – after months of denying such plans – has shocked Russians accustomed to viewing Putin, their ruler of 22 years, as a methodical strategist. have been forced to queue at banks to salvage their savings, an echo of the post-Soviet economic collapse of the 1990s. Ukraine said more than 1,000 volunteers from 16 countries were on their way to fight alongside Ukrainian forces, and that it would free any Russian prisoners whose mothers come to collect them. Moscow has given no full account of its losses so far, but Ukraine says it has killed nearly 6,000 Russian troops and captured hundreds more. Pictures online have shown burnt-out columns of Russian tanks surrounded by corpses. Russia has largely eliminated domestic opposition, with Putin’s main critics jailed or forced into exile. Leading opposition figure Alexey Navalny said from prison that Russians should protest daily against the war, a spokesperson tweeted. (Reporting by Reuters bureauxWriting by Peter GraffEditing by Philippa Fletcher and Catherine Evans) View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Top U.S. health officials on Wednesday laid out a national blueprint to manage COVID-19 going forward, vowing to prepare for any new variant outbreaks without shutting down schools and businesses and calling for additional funding from Congress. “This plan lays out the roadmap to help us fight COVID-19 in the future as we move America from crisis to a time when COVID-19 does not disrupt our daily lives and is something we prevent, protect against, and treat,” the White House said, one day after President Joe Biden acknowledged the nation’s fight against the coronavirus had entered a new phase. “America must maintain the tools – vaccines, boosters, treatments, tests, and masks – to protect against COVID-19 and dramatically decrease the risk of the most severe outcomes. We must be prepared to respond to a new variant quickly and keep our schools and businesses open,” the updated National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan said. The White House called on U.S. lawmakers to provide more funding to pay for COVID treatment and tests, among other efforts, saying many of the plan’s initiatives cannot be executed without more investments. While the plan does not mention a specific dollar amount, sources familiar with the matter last month said the Biden administration was seeking another $30 billion from Congress. The additional funding would help restock the nation’s stockpile of tests, antiviral pills and masks for Americans; strengthen the nation’s data collection and monitoring capabilities to detect emerging variants; and boost vaccine manufacturing capacity; among other needs, it said. Biden on Tuesday acknowledged that America must shift with infections declining and various precautions easing two years after COVID shut down large swaths of the country. But he cautioned against complacency against the disease, which experts have said could still surge again with new variants. “We never will just accept living with COVID-19, we’ll continue to combat the virus, as we do other diseases,” Biden said in his State of the Union speech to Congress. More than 955,000 people have died from COVID in the United States since early 2020 with a total of 79,114,386 reported U.S. cases, according to a Reuters analysis https://graphics.reuters.com/HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/USA-TRENDS/dgkvlgkrkpb of state and county data. (Reporting by Jeff Mason and Susan Heavey; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Bill Berkrot) View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Bill Gates‘ ex-wife Melinda French Gates isn’t holding back now that their $130 billion divorce has been finalized. The newly single philanthropist sat down for her first TV interview since their split to open up about the crumble of their 27-year marriage and the cheating scandal that rocked Silicon Valley. Addressing her high-profile divorce from the Microsoft co-founder, Melinda addressed the painful experience during an interview with CBS Mornings anchor Gayle King. The duo wed in 1994 and share three adult children — Jennifer, 25, Rory, 22, and Phoebe, 18. Melinda and Bill announced their shocking plans to divorce in May. Revealing she cried “a lot of tears for many days,” Melinda said her emotions got the best of her. At one point, she couldn’t even get off the floor. “How can this be? How can I get up? How am I gonna move forward?” she recalled asking herself repeatedly. Mega Like most divorcées, Melinda says she went through all the motions, including being angry at Bill. “That’s part of the grieving process,” she told King. “You’re grieving a loss of something you thought you had and thought you had for your lifetime.” When asked about her then-husband admitting he cheated during their marriage, Melinda claims she’s forgiven him, but she hasn’t forgotten. Bill Gates Warned To Stop Sending ‘Flirty’ Emails To Microsoft Employee After Company’s Lawyer Deemed Them ‘Inappropriate’ During Marriage To Melinda “I certainly believe in forgiveness, so I thought we had worked through some of that,” she stated, adding his affair wasn’t the only reason their marriage ended. “It wasn’t one moment or one specific thing that happened. There just came a point in time where there was enough there that I realized it just wasn’t healthy, and I couldn’t trust what we had.” As Radar reported, Bill admitted to having an affair with a Microsoft employee. The infidelity happened 20 years ago but was fresh news in the press due to their split. Mega Despite the pain, Melinda isn’t holding a grudge. She told King that she simply wants to move on. “I mean, this is painful stuff,” the billionaire continued. “And at the end of the day though, I started on this journey of healing, and I feel like I’m starting to get to the other side. And I do feel like I’m turning a page in the chapter now. I mean, it’s 2022 and I’m actually really excited about what’s to come and life ahead for me.” They wrapped up the end of their marriage quickly. Bill and Melinda finalized their divorce in August less than three months after announcing their split. Melinda’s full interview with CBS airs on Thursday. View the full article

Published by Fort Worth Star-Telegram FORT WORTH, Texas — The Texas attorney general’s recent legal opinion that called transgender health care for minors “child abuse” cited sources in a misleading way and drew parallels that researchers say simply do not exist, according to an analysis by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a legal opinion on Feb. 18, saying that certain types of gender-affirming health care, including puberty blockers and surgery, should be classified as child abuse when used for minors. Several days later, Gov. Greg Abbott issued a letter directing state agencies to investigate tra… Read More View the full article

Published by OK Magazine MEGA Even though being on television has its perks, Bob the Drag Queen — who competed on season 8 of RuPaul’s Drag Race — recalls the pressure he faced when starring on the reality show. “Well, the main thing I learned was just because it looks easy doesn’t mean it is. Winning RuPaul’s Drag Race was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do,” the entertainment star, who has teamed up with Verizon and Samsung for the launch of the latest Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra device, exclusively tells OK!. “I have only competed on a few television shows in my day – I competed on Last Comic Standing, America’s Got Talent, RuPaul’s Drag Race and of those three, Ru Paul’s Drag is the hardest show to win. It’s a lot of work and your talents have to span from sewing to writing, acting and musicianship. The ask on that show is really big, and I am really grateful to have been allowed to participate in it.” MEGA He continues, “I have never been on America’s Next Top Model, but it’s a combination of all of those shows into one. There is modeling, acting, singing, dancing, there’s sewing. It is Top Model, Project Runway, American Idol, America’s Got Talent and Last Comic Standing, all rolled into one. Name another show where you have to make a gown and do stand-up comedy – I dare you to name one.” Though the Georgia native, whose real name is Christopher Caldwell, now has millions of followers on social media, he doesn’t think of himself as a role model. “I am just doing my best to live my life as a visible, Black, queer person for people to see and for myself, honestly,” he says. “I really set out to be a comedian and to enact some social change.” MEGA OUT AND PROUD! 10 CELEBS WHO IDENTIFY AS GENDER-FLUID OR NON-BINARY — SAM SMITH, COURTNEY STODDEN, JANELLE MONAE, MORE Since the activist has always wanted to make people laugh, he will be able to share his jokes with others, as he is currently traveling for some shows. Additionally, he also hosts a podcast with his best friend called “Sibling Rivalry,” and in in the fall, they’ll be embarking on a tour. After staying home for so long, the entertainer is excited to see his fans in real life. “It feels nice. There is a part of me that is like that feels really nice but there’s a part of me is kind of like I think sometimes the more you grow, the more you realize there are a lot of eyes on you and you’re scrutinized more heavily, but I still find a way to have fun in the midst of all of it, and I don’t take myself too seriously,” he says. Going forward, the musician hopes to “expand the representation of who I am — a Black, queer, non-binary person,” he notes. “I know how important it was for me to see myself, and I hope I can be a reflection for other people in the world. I know that it sounds like I want to be a role model, but I just want to be visible so someone else can feel less alone,” he adds. Bob The Drag Queen enjoys his time on set with Verizon capturing content on the new Samsung S22 Ultra device.Courtesy of Verizon PROUD AND CLEAR! 25 CELEBRITIES WHO HAVE COME OUT AS GAY OR BISEXUAL In the meantime, the TV star is excited about the launch of the latest Samsung phone. “It actually felt really natural and easy for me. It was really fun, it was an honor actually,” he says of the collab. “I have always loved their cameras, but they have this night mode camera which is really exciting. I am not a cinematographer, I am not a filmmaker, I am not going to be Martin Scorsese with this phone or anything, but it does feel nice to be able to save videos.” View the full article

Published by AFP A transgender flag at a demonstration in New York on June 28 2019 Washington (AFP) – Parents of transgender American minors are under investigation in Texas as part of a controversial new order by conservative Governor Greg Abbott, who has deemed the transitioning procedures “child abuse,” according to a complaint filed Tuesday. The mother of a transgender teen was suspended by her employer, a Texas family services agency, and visited by a Child Protective Services investigator who was seeking to learn whether the 16-year-old daughter was “currently transitioning from male to female,” the court document said. The family, backed by the powerful US civil rights organization ACLU, took legal action to block Abbott’s probe, and more broadly to invalidate his directive on the issue from February 22. Abbott’s letter to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), published in the middle of an election campaign, states that “‘sex change’ procedures constitute child abuse under existing Texas law.” He cites reassignment surgeries that he says can cause sterilization and mastectomies, and mentions puberty blockers which slow the body’s changes during adolescence. The DFPS is duty bound to “investigate the parents of a child who is subjected to these abusive gender-transitioning procedures,” the Republican governor writes. The unidentified plaintiffs in the petition against the initial investigation said their family has suffered anxiety and fear, and that their daughter has been “traumatized” by the prospect that she “could lose access to the medical treatment that has enabled her to thrive.” The family was joined in their complaint by a licensed psychologist with many LGBT and transgender clients, who expressed concern that the Abbott directive would force her to report those clients to authorities. Such care to transgender minors, much like participation by transgender athletes in sports competitions or the use of toilets according to the gender with which they identify, is the subject of extensive debate in the United States, where many conservative states have moved to adopt restrictive regulations. View the full article

Published by Radar Online mega Naya Rivera’s ex Ryan Dorsey and her family have reached a deal with Ventura County and have agreed to end their legal battle. According to court documents, obtained by The Blast, the Glee star’s estate and the father of her 4-year-old son Josey have informed the court of the settlement. In July 2020, the actress rented a pontoon boat at Lake Piru which is about an hour outside Los Angeles. The only other person on the boat was her son. Hours later, another boat came across the boat and saw her son sleeping alone. They immediately called the police and a massive search was launched. mega Josey told investigators they were swimming when suddenly, his mother threw him onto the boat. He claims he never saw her again. Five days later, Naya’s body was found in the lake and had to be identified using her dental records. Months later, Ryan and Naya’s family sued Ventura County and the United Water Conservation District for wrongful death and negligent infliction of emotional distress. The family claimed Naya’s death could have been prevented if proper signs were in place warning of the lake’s danger. Further, the suit claimed the boat she rented did not the proper equipment. mega The lawsuit mentioned 26 other individuals have died on the lake in the past. The defendants denied liability claiming Naya was offered a life vest but failed to wear one. The family’s lawyer Amjad K. Khan released a statement about the settlement. “In Josey Hollis Dorsey and the Estate of Naya Rivera’s litigation relating to the drowning death of Naya Rivera on July 8, 2020, all parties have entered into a global settlement, which is subject to approval by the Ventura Superior Court on March 16.” He added, “Through this settlement, Josey will receive just compensation for having to endure the drowning of his beloved mother at Lake Piru. Though the tragic loss of Josey’s mother can never truly be overcome, we are very pleased that the monetary settlement will significantly assist Josey with his life beyond this tragedy.” The details of the settlement are to remain confidential. mega View the full article

Published by DPA Protesters marche during a peace demonstration through the city center on Rose Monday. After the Russian attack on Ukraine, the Rose Monday festival was canceled, and instead a protest march will move through the city center – past many of the motif floats that were actually built for the Rose Monday procession. Rolf Vennenbernd/dpa At least 413 people were arrested in Russia during protests against the war in Ukraine on Monday, the civil rights site OVD-Info reported, bringing the total of people arrested since demonstrations started on Thursday to 6,440. Around half of the arrests, 3,126, were made during protests in Moscow, while 2,084 were in St Petersburg, OVD-Info said on Monday night. The invasion of Ukraine is driving many in Russia to protest, and Russian security forces have responded brutally to demonstrators. Russian authorities are urging people to not take part in the unauthorized rallies. They have also repeatedly banned rallies, citing the pandemic. In Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell praised demonstrators in Belarus who were calling for a more democratic approach at home under long-time leader Alexander Lukashenko while protesting the war in Ukraine. “To the Belarusian people: many of you took huge personal risks struggling for a free and democratic Belarus,” Borrell said in a video posted on Twitter and subtitled in in three languages – Belarusian, Russian and English. “Now you are raising your voice against Russia’s war on Ukraine and [President] Lukashenka’s decision to support it. Thank you for your bravery. EU stands with you. #StandWithUkraine,” Borrell wrote. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people demonstrated for peace and democracy in the western German city of Cologne on Monday as the city’s traditional Carnival got under way against the backdrop of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Traditionally marked by a parade, “Rose Monday” this year was transformed into something quite different. “It is impressive how many people are on the streets in Cologne,” a police spokesman said. According to the Cologne Carnival Festival Committee and police, some 250,000 people took part. “This is, I think, the most important Rose Monday procession in my lifetime,” musician Peter Brings, 57, told WDR television. In speeches, Carnival President Christoph Kuckelkorn and Cologne Mayor Henriette Reker expressed solidarity with both Ukraine and anti-war demonstrators in Russia. “Mr. Putin, stop the madness! Stop the war!” shouted Kuckelkorn. Costumed and non-costumed people marched together through the streets. Many carried banners with inscriptions such as “Putin Go Home” and “Dear Russian people, be Russians not Putinians”. North Rhine-Westphalia’s Premier Hendrik Wüst also joined the demonstration. “The best way to be on your feet today is to demonstrate for peace and freedom in Europe,” he said. Protesters marche during a peace demonstration through the city center on Rose Monday. After the Russian attack on Ukraine, the Rose Monday festival was canceled, and instead a protest march will move through the city center – past many of the motif floats that were actually built for the Rose Monday procession. Rolf Vennenbernd/dpa Carnivalists gather on Rose Monday and hold a demonstration for peace at Chlodwigplatz, following the Russian attack on Ukraine. The Shrove (Rose) Monday festival was canceled due to the Russian invasion of Ukrain and the carnivalists held instead a protest march through the city center. Oliver Berg/dpa View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Brad Pitt’s production company is taking on a ‘Beetlejuice’ sequel. According to The Ankler, a follow-up to Tim Burton’s 1988 comedy-horror is in the “early” stages of development, with the Hollywood star’s Plan B attached to make the movie for Warner Bros. It’s very early days as there is no script and no news yet on whether the original cast will reunite for the second film. Michael Keaton played the titular role, with the cast also including Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Catherine O’Hara and Winona Ryder. The cult classic follows Alec’s Adam Maitland and his wife Barbara (Geena) who die in a car accident and find themselves haunting their country residence, unable to leave the house. When Charles and Delia Deetz (Catherine and Jeffrey Jones) move in with their daughter Lydia Deetz (Winona) the Maitlands attempt to scare them away without success and their efforts attract a spirit called Beetlejuice (Michael), whose help quickly becomes dangerous for everyone involved. Plan B’s recent movies include Golden Globe winner ‘Minari’, ‘Irresistible’, ‘Kajillionaire’. Michael Keaton initially turned down ‘Beetlejuice’. The 70-year-old actor admitted he was reluctant to take on the leading role because he didn’t understand Tim’s vision and he wanted to spend time at home. He explained: “Sometimes I’m lazy. I just go, ‘Ah, I don’t know. I’m breeding one of my dogs, or I didn’t take a vacation I should go.’ “Sometimes it’s that. Mostly it’s just that I don’t know how to do it. Tim couldn’t really express what Beetlejuice was. It wasn’t so much, ‘No, I refuse’; it was, ‘I really like this guy, but I don’t know what he’s talking about.” The director and actor also worked together on the 1989 movie ‘Batman’ and Tim admitted that it was Michael’s psychological approach to the part that convinced him to cast him as the caped crusader. He said: “When it came to ‘Batman’, I’d been meeting with these beefy action-hero types, then Michael arrives… He comes in with this whole psychology, approaching it with an almost manic-depressive quality in mind. I thought: now I get it.” And Quentin Tarantino convinced Michael to star in ‘Jackie Brown’ by getting him drunk. He said: “I said, ‘You can find 10 guys who can do this better than I can do it,’ and then he got me drunk.” View the full article

Published by DPA Ireland, which previously had some of the strictest coronavirus measures in Europe, is now among the latest countries to lift most restrictions. However experts say news like this doesn't mean the pandemic is over. Brian Lawless/PA Wire/dpa Los Angeles (tca/dpa) — So how much longer will the pandemic last? No one is sure. Coronavirus cases are falling, but it would be a mistake to think the pandemic is over, experts say. The last decline in cases means that we’re likely turning to a period of calm in this pandemic, representing a “containment” of the coronavirus, but “that is not the same as the pandemic being over,” Dr. Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Jolla, wrote in the Los Angeles Times in February. “Unfortunately, when states or countries proclaim that we just need to live with the virus and end all restrictions, many people interpret that message as meaning the pandemic is actually over — for good,” Topol said. “That would be a fantasy given the myriad opportunities for the virus to haunt us in the months and years ahead.” What history tells us Recent history has shown that pandemics can last for several years. The 1918 flu pandemic persisted into a third year, with a fourth wave in 1920 even deadlier in some US cities than the better-known second wave of late 1918, John Barry, author of “The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History,” wrote in a recent op-ed. Lately, scientists are studying the “Russian flu” pandemic that began in 1889 for clues to how the Covid-19 pandemic may turn out — since some scientists suspect that pandemic was actually caused by a coronavirus rather than a flu virus. There are parallels between the two pandemics. The Russian pandemic was first reported in the spring of 1889 in what is now Uzbekistan. It spread worldwide in three distinct waves over three years, Dr. George Rutherford, a University of California, San Francisco epidemiologist, said at Friday’s campus town hall meeting. But, unlike what typically happens with the flu, which is usually hardest on the very young and old, “this just got the old,” Rutherford said. And the distinctive symptoms in the 1889 pandemic included loss of taste and smell — traits similar to those seen with Covid-19. A detailed report by scientist Harald Brüssow, published last August in the journal Microbial Biotechnology, suggested plausible scenarios in which elevated levels of Covid-19 deaths could last five years or even longer. The 1889 pandemic hit England and Wales in 1890, and deaths remained high through 1892. Deaths declined over the next two years but still remained “substantially higher than in the pre-pandemic period.” “From these data, one might deduce a protracted five-year course for a Covid-19-like pandemic, suggesting that Covid-19 might occupy us well beyond 2022 if the current vaccination campaigns does not change its ‘natural’ trajectory,” Brüssow wrote. Still, the author added, “it is by no means clear whether an epidemic with similar basic characteristics will be a replay of one which occurred 140 years ago.” There are a number of differences between that pandemic and the one caused by Covid-19; such as the lack of use of masks during the 1889 pandemic, the lack of quarantine measures and the unavailability of vaccines. Growing optimism Health officials are optimistic that drugs like Paxlovid will reduce the risk of severe illness and death from Covid-19. But there is a severe shortage of those drugs — one reason why health officials in some California counties, including L.A. County, are retaining local indoor mask orders until case rates drop further, likely for a few more weeks. It’s possible the virus could still mutate into something potentially worse, overriding immunity provided by vaccines or past infection, Topol said. That’s why it’s so important to be ready for a worst case scenario, such as being able to meticulously monitor new surges, ramp up wastewater tracking of the virus, improve air filtration and work on a variant-proof vaccine, Topol wrote. Potential new variants are a big reason why it’s essential that people get vaccinated and boosted, thereby reducing the chances of yet a new mutant strain developing. “Around the world, there are billions of people unvaccinated and likely without any protection from prior infection,” Topol said. “When the virus is not contained, as is the case in the world now, its spread creates the potential for new variants.” Experts are still closely watching a sublineage of the omicron variant known as BA.2. BA.2 is probably somewhat more transmissible than the main omicron sublineage, BA.1, and there are very preliminary reports that it may cause somewhat more severe disease, Rutherford said. But BA.2 accounts for a relatively small fraction of analysed virus cases worldwide. “At this moment, it does not look like BA.2 poses a threat as a major new variant, but it would not be surprising if we see another variant in future months that deserves a separate Greek letter designation,” Topol wrote. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Tom Daley has launched the second part of his 1896 collection. The 27-year-old Olympic gold medalist diver – who delighted fans with his poolside knitting during Tokyo 2020 over the summer – launched his Made With Love brand in November, and now he’s expanded his debut range. The 1896 Part II collection introduces the Patch It Up jumber – an asymmetrical patchwork for adults in an oversized fit – as well as matching kits for children and pets. The range also includes headbands and homewear kits featuring tea pot and mug cosies, plus jumpers and cardigans. And the updated collection goes further with Made With Love’s first ever crochet kits, such as the Crotchet It Like You Mean It Beanie, the Plot Twist Headband and the Crotchet You Stay Blanket. Meanwhile, designs from the original collection have been evolved and re-imagined into new looks. In a statement, Tom said: “When I started knitting and crocheting, it was the form of mindfulness that I needed. “It gave me something to do with my hands when competing so I wasn’t focusing on the competition in between dives, and something rewarding to do at home during lockdowns to keep my mind occupied. “It’s no surprise that I love fashion so being able to combine that with my love of knitting and crochet is my dream. I want these kits to be for everyone. “I want the most experienced crafters to be able to get stuck into a big project, and people who have never picked up a pair of needles to be able to try the hobby that I’ve loved so much over the past two years.” Shop Made With Love on bytomdaley.com. View the full article

Published by DPA The Permanent Representatives to the United Nations in Geneva walk out of the hall during the screening of the pre-recorded speech of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva. Jean Marc Ferré/UN Photo/dpa Representatives of dozens of countries protested against the Russian war in Ukraine on Tuesday by walking out of a sitting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva ahead of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s speech. “The Human Rights Council must not be misused as a platform for disinformation,” said German ambassador Katharina Stasch, who took part in the stunt. “Foreign Minister Lavrov’s grotesque claims must be exposed for what they are: a cynical distortion of the facts.” Lavrov, who joined proceedings by video link, read out a long statement in which he justified the attack on Ukraine by accusing the Ukrainian side of human rights violations. He had initially planned to attend the meeting in person, but the trip was cancelled because of the closure of European airspace to Russian aircraft. The UN Human Rights Council began its regular spring session on Monday. In his speech, Lavrov accused Ukraine of terrorizing the Russian minority in Ukraine for years. Their human rights had been violated in many ways, he claimed, adding that the West had not only looked on but supported this. He mentioned the United States, Canada and the European Union several times. Since mid-February, more than 100,000 people have fled to Russia from Ukraine’s far eastern Donbass region, where pro-Russian separatists have been fighting central government forces since 2014. The government in Kiev wants to turn its country anti-Russia to please the West, Lavrov said, according to the UN translation of his speech. Western countries are obsessed with sanctions, Lavrov said, describing the punitive measures as illegal as they target ordinary people. “The West has clearly lost control of itself in its desire to vent its anger on Russia,” Lavrov said, according to the interpreter. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken rejected attempts by Moscow to portray the attack on Ukraine as a defence of human rights and said reports of Russia’s abuses “mount by the hour.” “Russian strikes are hitting schools, hospitals, and residential buildings. They are destroying critical infrastructure, which provides millions of people across Ukraine with drinking water, gas to keep them from freezing to death, and electricity,” he said in a video message to the council. “Civilian buses, cars, and even ambulances have been shelled. Russia is doing this every day – across Ukraine.” In the annexed Crimean Peninsula, he said, there are extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and torture. In Russia itself, anti-corruption activists and opponents of the government are persecuted, he noted. The Permanent Representatives to the United Nations in Geneva walk out of the hall during the screening of the pre-recorded speech of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva. Jean Marc Ferré/UN Photo/dpa A general view shows an almost empty hall as Permanent Representatives to the United Nations in Geneva left the during the screening of the pre-recorded speech of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva. Jean Marc Ferré/UN Photo/dpa The Permanent Representatives to the United Nations in Geneva walk out of the hall during the screening of the pre-recorded speech of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva. Jean Marc Ferré/UN Photo/dpa The Permanent Representatives to the United Nations in Geneva walk out of the hall during the screening of the pre-recorded speech of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva. Jean Marc Ferré/UN Photo/dpa Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov delivers a pre-recorded video speech at the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva. Jean Marc Ferré/UN Photo/dpa View the full article

Published by Reuters By Elizabeth Culliford (Reuters) – Meta Platforms is globally demoting content from Russian state-controlled media outlets’ Facebook pages and Instagram accounts, as well as posts containing links to those outlets on Facebook, the company’s head of global affairs Nick Clegg said on Tuesday. Clegg also said the company had seen a “definitely discernable” degradation of its services in Russia since the country’s authorities announced they would restrict Meta’s platforms in the country. Speaking in a call with reporters, he said there had been an effect particularly on video and other multimedia content. Meta said on Monday, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, that it would restrict access to Russian state media outlets RT and Sputnik on its platforms across the European Union. Clegg said the company had also received requests from other governments outside of the European Union to geoblock Russian state media. He said he was not aware of a request from the United States government to block Russian state media on Meta’s platforms. (Reporting by Elizabeth Culliford; Additional reporting by Sheila Dang; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Bradley Cooper grabbed attention when he showed up to the SAG Awards with a noticeably different complexion and what appeared to be a brand-new face! The A Star Is Born actor made headlines after walking the red carpet on Sunday. Showing almost no wrinkles on his beautiful baby-smooth mug, the 47-year-old left everyone wondering what — if anything — has he done to his face? Sporting a snazzy black Gucci suit and a sophisticated bow tie, the Academy Award winner happily posed for photographers while revealing his crow’s feet and smile lines have virtually disappeared — or so it seems. Radar spoke with two Los Angeles-based plastic surgeons who offered insight about what Bradley may have done to his famously handsome face. It’s important to note that these doctors have not worked on the Nightmare Alley star personally, but they are experts in their field — so they know what they’re talking about. Mega Dr. David Saadat — known for his facial plastic surgery work in Beverly Hills — tells Radar how Bradley may have achieved his airbrushed look in real-life. “Obviously, Bradley Cooper is a very good-looking, highly sought-after actor. He’s not only known for his great acting but also his chiseled facial contours, although he looks a lot more smooth here,” he states. Suggesting Bradley may have “treated his wrinkles with a neurotoxin,” Dr. Saadt says that potential procedure “can be noticed through the smooth skin that has an airbrushed appearance.” Adding that the actor’s “muscles seem to be a lot more relaxed,” Dr. Saadt reveals “it is also possible he may have had a small amount of cheek filler to address the inevitable loss of volume due to aging.” The doctor is impressed with Bradley’s appearance, to say the least, adding he “looks great and very natural!” Jacques Abrahamian from the LA FUE Hair Clinic also suggests Bradley didn’t have to go under the knife for his alleged results. Mega “Talk of the town is Bradley Cooper’s glowing skin. Comparing his before and after photos from the past to the most recent shows his skin is more evenly toned, fine lines have been diminished, and looks overall refreshed,” Abrahamian tells Radar. To make your skin glowing and smooth like Bradley’s is easy, at least according to the expert. “A few non-surgical options available depending on the extent of downtime available can include PRP treatments with microneedling also known as platelet-rich plasma which uses patients own blood and the growth factors and platelets found in the PRP which can help with fine lines and hyperpigmentation with almost zero downtime compared to other treatments available,” he continues. “Another option available can be CO2 laser resurfacing which has more of a downtime typically between 7 to 10 days where the skin scabs up and the skin can become pink for a few weeks after the scabbing period which results in fresh glowing skin,” Abrahamian adds. And if all else fails, never count out Botox. Abrahamian says another “great combination with PRP can also include Botox treatments which can soften fine lines.” Whatever — if anything — Bradley is doing, he’s aging in reverse and his fans are here for it. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Sam Elliott has called ‘The Power of the Dog’ a “piece of s***”. The 77-year-old actor – who is known for having starred in a string of Western films himself – was not impressed when he saw the Oscar-nominated Netflix drama starring Benedict Cumberbatch as a closeted ranch owner in the 1920s alongside Kodi Smit McPhee and Kirsten Dunst. He said: “You wanna talk about that piece of s***. I didn’t like it. This is is the guy who has done Westerns forever. It was the evisceration of the American West. Remember those guys from back in the day? They wear bow ties and not much else.[The Chippendales] That’s what all these f****** cowboys in that movie looked like. They’re running around in chaps and no shirts There’s all these allusions of homosexuality throughout the movie.” Sam then took aim at Benedict Cumberbatch, complaining that the ‘Sherlock’ star for “never getting out of his chaps” in the movie as he questioned “where the Western” was in the movie. He said: “Where’s the Western in this Western? I mean, Cumberbatch never got out of his f****** chaps. He had two pairs of chaps — a woolly pair and a leather pair. And every f****** time he would walk in from somewhere — he never was on a horse, maybe once — he’d walk into the f****** house, storm up the fucking stairs, go lay in his bed in his chaps and play his banjo. It’s like, what the f***!” The ‘Tombstone’ star went on to blast the film’s director Jane Campion for choosing to shoot the Montana-based story in her home country of New Zealand and questioned her suitability to helm the project in the first place. Speaking on the ‘WTF’ podcast, he added: “What the fuck does this woman from down there know about the American West? Why the f*** did she shoot this movie in New Zealand and call it Montana? And say this is the way it was? That f****** rubbed me the wrong way!” View the full article