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Received by NSD/FARA Registration Unit 04/13/2021 9:16:29 AM

04/12/21 Monday

This material is distributed by Ghebi LLC on behalf of Federal State Unitary Enterprise Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency, and additional information is on file with the Department of Justice, Washington, District of Columbia.

‘Up to Us to Solve’: Mozambique Outlines Limited Role for Foreign Troops in Fight Against Daesh by Morgan Artvukhina

Emergency loans granted to Maputo by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have come at a steep price: the mandated slashing of Mozambique’s civil service budgets have left its military struggling to handle a growing Daesh*-linked insurgency, prompting the government and international companies to hire private mercenaries. In the aftermath of a daring assault on the key northern port of Palma by Ahlu Sunna wa Jama (ASWJ), a group pledging itself to Daesh, the government of Mozambique has begun reconsidering its position on refusing help from foreign governments. Leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) met last week in the Mozambican capital of Maputo at the country’s extreme southern tip and promised an “immediate technical deployment” to the country. “We know in which areas we need support and which areas are up to us, Mozambicans, to solve,” Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, who is also the rotating chair of SADC, said Friday during a nationwide TV address. “Those who arrive from abroad will not replace us, they will support us. This is not about pride, it’s about sovereignty.” He added that no war can be won “if it isn’t clear from the beginning what can be done by the country itself and what can be done by allies.” Nyusi has spoken little since on what exactly that means. However, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa told the Zimbabwe Mail after the meeting he thought SADC’s Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) should be “resuscitated and capacitated immediately so that it can intervene.” The force, originally created in 2013 as the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), is composed entirely of troops from South Africa, Malawi and Tanzania. US, Portuguese Special Forces Training Maputo has also slowly bowed to insistence by the US and Portugal, the former colonial power that ruled Mozambique until 1975, to provide small amounts of assistance in the form of training. In December, Portugal and Mozambique signed an agreement to deploy nearly 1,500 Portuguese troops to the country this year, although it’s unclear what their role will be. Last week, defense officials confirmed to Lusa Aaencv that 60 special forces in a training capacity in the aftermath of the Palma attack. US Africa Command (AFRICOM), facing pressure from the Pentagon’s strategic shift toward “great power competition” with Russia and China, has rushed to defend its missions in Africa by pointing to the continuing danger of radical Muslim militias in Somalia, West Africa, and elsewhere, arguing that in their absence, these groups will continue to grow. As a consequence, training local forces under the 127 Echo program has become a new focus.

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Eric Morier-Genoud, a professor at Queen’s University Belfast in the UK, told Al Jazeeraon Friday that the Mozambican government “does not want foreign boots in Mozambique, and it wants to keep in control and in command of any other interventions, whether military or humanitarian.” LNG, Ruby Mining Fan Flames of Daesh ASWJ is called by locals al-Shabab (“the youth”), although it has no connection to the Somali group of the same name. The group arose in Mocimboa da Praia, a town in Mozambique’s far northern province of Cabo Delgado among the country’s Muslim minority in 2014. Although new to Mozambican Islam, scripturalist Wahabbist preachers trained in Saudi Arabia and backed by the Portuguese have steadily increased their sway since the 1970s. In the 21st century, they have become more direct in their encouragement for local families to divest from the secular government’s services. The first violent attacks on police forces began in 2017, but little is known about the group’s internal structure since it doesn't publish information about itself or even political declarations. Since then, more than 2,500 people have been killed and more than 700,000 people have fled from the conflict. More than 1,500 miles from Maputo, Cabo Delgado is among the country’s poorest areas, although as the cradle of the socialist revolution led by Nyusi’s Liberation Front of Mozambique (FRELIMO), it has until recently been one of the most loyal provinces as well. Social services, infrastructure, and education all run in short supply, but some things are plentiful, with natural gas and rubies being the foremost. The London-based Financial Times stated recently in no uncertain terms what it sees as being at stake in the al-Shabab uprising. “A multibillion-dollar gas development in Mozambique, the single biggest investment in Africa, faces renewed threat after an Islamist insurgent assault forced Total to suspend work for a second time this year,” the paper wrote on March 28, when the assault on Palma began. Total, a French gas corporation, has pumped $20 billion and US-based ExxonMobil has put $30 billion into vast complexes of gas facilities in Cabo Delgado, including liquefaction plants, in the Rovuma Basin. Mozambique has Africa’s third-largest gas deposits, after Nigeria and Algeria. Similarly, the UK-based company Gemfields operates a huge ruby extraction site at Montepuez, which produces 40% of the world’s rubies. The company agreed in 2019 to pav $7.8 million in damages to local residents in a “no admission of liability” settlement on a claim Gemfields had systematically brutalized its workers, subjecting them to physical and sexual abuse, and even murder. Mercenaries Fill Gaps From IMF Budget Cuts Nearly three decades of continuous war, including the war of independence and civil war that formally ended in 1992, have left the former Portuguese colony severely impoverished and dependent on foreign loans, particularly from the IMF, to pay its bills. As a condition and consequence of those loans, Maputo has imposed budget cuts so severe they have left its own military unable to deal with the al-Shabab uprising, according to the Black Agenda Report. However, the IMF’s restructuring rules allow spending on private military contractors, to whom Maputo has turned to fight the insurgency, including the Dyck Advisory Group, Wagner Group, Eric Prince’s Frontier Services Group, and others. Total and ExxonMobil have also hired their own mercenaries to defend their LNG facilities in Cabo Delgado.

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Amnesty International noted in a report last month based on local testimonies how much the contractors have exacerbated the problem in Cabo Delgado by indiscriminately killing and abusing civilians. The report also described atrocities by the Mozambican forces present as well as by al-Shabab.

Zarif: Iran Reserves Right to Do Whatever It Takes To Protect Its Citizens After Natanz Incident by Morgan Artyukhina

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif reiterated his country's right to defend itself in the wake of an apparent sabotage attack on the Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant. In a letter to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday, Zarif noted that a deliberate attack on a nuclear facility is "nuclear terrorism and a war crime." "Israel threatened and now boasts about action to prevent restoration of JCPOA after US election," Zarif wrote on Twitter. "If US wants to avert consequences of this foolish gamble, it must cease to consider economic terrorism perpetrated by [former US President Donald] Trump or recent nuclear terrorism as negotiating leverage & remove all sanctions imposed, re-imposed or relabeled since the adoption of the JCPOA." "After timely verification of removal of all US sanctions, Iran will respond by stopping all remedial measures—which will now take a significant upward leap following this latest terrorist sabotage," he added. On Sunday, an explosion at the Natanz facility, which produces low-purity refined uranium, temporarily interrupted its power supply. No one was hurt in the incident, but some of the IR-1 centrifuges were damaged, according to a foreign ministry spokesperson. In the aftermath of the attack, Tehran has firmly pointed the finger at Israel, where national leadership and media alike have boasted for years of their ability to attack Iran with either conventional weapons or cyberweapons, and said they would do so in order to prevent Iran's nuclear program from advancing. At a press conference Monday with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Israeli Prime Minister Beniamin Netanyahu said there was "no more serious threat" to the region than Iran. He pledged to "never allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons to carry out genocide against Israel. Israel will continue defend yourself." Natanz was previously targeted by the Stuxnet virus in 2009 and 2010, a computer worm created jointly by the US and Israel that destroyed more than 1,000 centrifuges by making them spin out of control. The attack comes amid talks to revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in Vienna, to which Israel is staunchly opposed. The eight-party deal lowered economic sanctions against Iran in exchange for accepting strict limits on its uranium production. In 2018, the Trump administration pulled out of the deal unilaterally, claiming Iran had violated it and reimposing sanctions, but the other parties remained in the deal due to lack of evidence on Washington's part.

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As a result, Iran has steadily backed off its obligations under the JCPOA, increasing the quantity and quality of uranium it produces and imposing some limits on the ability of International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to conduct impromptu checks. US President Joe Biden previously spoke of the need for the JCPOA, but since becoming president in January, has done little to actually return to the deal, insisting Tehran do so first. The Vienna talks aim to get around this impasse.

HSBC Agrees to Give Huawei Files it Supplied to US DOJ on Meng Wanzhou Case by Morgan Artvukhina

Shortly after Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou’s December 2018 arrest in Vancouver, Canada, then-US President Donald Trump publicly mused that she would make useful leverage in the ongoing tariff war with her home country of China. As part of a Hong Kong court settlement, HSBC has agreed to hand over to Huawei a dossier it had previously supplied to the US Department of Justice for its case against Meng. The Monday announcement comes after months in court in London and Hong Kong in pursuit of the documents. Both parties were vague about the details. Huawei said in a statement cited bv the Associated Press that “an agreement has been reached with HSBC in relation to the Hong Kong legal proceedings for document production and an order has been approved by the court.” In a statement to the Financial Times, HSBC said it had “reached an agreement with Huawei and Ms. Meng to resolve the legal proceedings in Hong Kong regarding their request for documents.” However, some of the documents Huawei has sought include records showing that HSBC knew Skycom was a Huawei subsidiary, and internal documents going back to 2012 showing how the bank evaluated the risks of continuing to do business with Huawei despite international sanctions against Iran. According to the Financial Times, which cited court documents, HSBC cleared more than $100 million worth of transactions related to Skycom through the US between 2010 and 2014, including $7.5 million paid to a British staffing company. The DOJ’s charges against Meng include bank and wire fraud, arguing that she deceived banks like HSBC into processing transactions in violation of an international sanctions regime. She has denied all charges. The US has sought Meng’s extradition since her arrest, but her case has been caught in the courts amid allegations her rights were violated at the time of her arrest and that Trump attempted to use the charges against her as a political bargaining chip in the trade war with China. Based in China’s Shenzhen, Huawei is one of several Chinese tech giants that has come under attack by the US government in recent years. US intelligence has claimed the Chinese government uses Huawei devices to spy on users - claims the company has denied - and

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thrown the firm on a blacklist. Huawei is the world’s largest smartphone maker and a major supplier of 5G internet service.

New Centrifuges 'With More Capacity'Already Replacing Damaged Ones at Iran's Natanz, Diplomat Says by Morgan Artvukhina

In December 2020, Iran's Majlis passed a law mandating steadily reductions in the country's commitments to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) until the US rejoins the agreement, including increasing the quality and quantity of uranium enrichment. Kazem Gharib Abadi, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations office in Vienna, said Monday that the attack on the Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant would only result in the older uranium centrifuges being replaced with newer, more advanced ones. "Enrichment in Natanz is not stopped," Abadi wrote on Twitter. "Iran will react including by planning to implement several technical measures which the [International Atomic Energy] Agency will be informed [of] this week. Replacement process of the damaged centrifuges, including with the same machines with more capacity, has immediately begun." On Sunday, an explosion outside the Natanz plant temporarily shut off power to the facility, which produces enriched uranium for medical and power generation purposes. Tehran has denounced the incident as "nuclear terrorism" and blamed Israel, which in response has only reaffirmed its presumed right to attack Iran as "self-defense." An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson earlier identified the damaged centrifuges as IR-1 s, the oldest such devices in use in Iran. According to the JCPOA, Iran is only allowed to operate the slow IR-1s at Natanz and only above ground, where they are more vulnerable to attack. However, last month, the IAEA announced that Iran had begun using more advance IR-4 centrifuges at Natanz, which are four times more efficient than the IR-1 s, and that they had been moved underground. Natanz was previously attacked in July 2020 in an apparent sabotage incident that destroyed an above-ground centrifuge workshop. It's unclear which type of centrifuge will replace the damage IR-1s. However, the day before the most recent attack was Iran's National Day of Nuclear Technology, and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced that 164 IR-6 centrifuges had been brought online at Natanz, with another 30 beginning the preparation process. The attack has come amid negotiations in Vienna aimed at reviving the JCPOA, which the US left in 2018 amid unsubstantiated claims Iran was in violation of the deal. After the US reimposed economic sanctions on Iran and forced its allies to comply, Tehran began backing away from the terms of the deal, which imposed strict limits on its uranium production and a renunciation of the pursuit of nuclear weapons. After US President Joe Biden took office earlier this year, it was anticipated he would depart from the policy of his predecessor, former US

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President Donald Trump, and return to the JCPOA. However, the US has so far been hesitant to do so, insisting Iran make the first move. Israel has also claimed Iran has a secret nuclear weapons program, but Tehran has rejected the claims, saying the Shiite-led government opposes nuclear weapons on a religious basis.

Accidental Discharge': Minnesota Cop Who Killed Daunte Wright Meant to Use Taser, Police Say by Gabv Arancibia

Massive protests recently broke out in Minnesota after the fatal police shooting of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man who was instructed to pull over for a traffic violation. Reports later detailed that he was initially stopped for having air fresheners dangling from his rear-view mirror, which is illegal in the state. Law enforcement officials with the Brooklyn Center Police Department announced on Monday that the officer involved in the fatal shooting of Wright deployed his firearm accidentally after repeatedly shouting, "Taser." Tim Gannon, who serves as the department chief, told reporters during a news conference that the Sunday incident was an "accidental discharge," stating that the officer had intended to strike Wright with his department-issued stun gun, not his firearm. "The officer had the intention to deploy their Taser but instead shot Mr. Wright with a single bullet," Gannon said, explaining he came to the conclusion after reviewing video footage from the scene and analyzing the officer's subsequent reaction to the shooting. Graphic video footage of the incident captures the officer saying, "Holy s**t. I just shot him." The officer has not been publicly identified and has been placed on administrative leave, in line with department protocol. Earlier, reports had indicated Wright had been pulled over for illegally having air fresheners hanging from his rear-view mirror, however, Gannon revealed that Wright had been pulled over for having an expired registration on the vehicle he was driving at the time. Reports of the air freshener violation were voiced by Wright's mother, Katie, who told reporters at the scene that she had received a call from her son in which he informed her that the fresheners were the root cause of the traffic stop. A release later issued by the Brooklyn Center Police Department indicated that Wright was pulled over for an unspecified traffic violation, and that upon further examination, officers determined that there was an outstanding arrest warrant for Wright. The fatal scuffle broke out between Wright and the unidentified officer after officials attempted to take Wright into custody, and he sought to get back inside his vehicle. In the wake of the fatal shooting, protests, violence and looting have broken out in Minnesota's Brooklyn Center suburb, which sits just 10 miles north of Minneapolis, where local resident George Floyd was killed at the hands of an officer in May 2020.

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As a result of the protests, a curfew was imposed by city officials until early Monday, with the school district revealing that it would be holding classes virtually. It was later announced that a curfew would be imposed in Minneapolis, Brooklyn Park, St. Paul and Brooklyn Center from 7 p.m. local time to 6 a.m. Tuesday. At the conference, Gannon reiterated to the public that protests and demonstration were welcomed, but urged community members against the intentional destruction of businesses. The latest development came as tensions within the Twin Cities region has remained heightened over the trial against the officers involved in the in-custody death of Floyd. The department chief stated that an independent investigation will be conducted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

WHO Warns COVID-19 Pandemic ‘Growing Exponentially’ as Millions of Cases Emerge by Gaby Arancibia

Earlier, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that new COVID-19 cases and deaths would be on the rise over the next several weeks, despite ongoing efforts to curb the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the deadly virus that causes COVID-19. Officials have repeatedly warned that transmission rates are not decreasing as much as they would like. Top WHO officials have declared that the trajectory of the pandemic is at a “critical point” as new cases are “growing exponentially” in spite of strict preventative COVID-19 measures imposed by foreign governments. Maria Van Kerkhove, the health body’s technical lead for its COVID-19 response, remarked during a panel discussion in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday that the emergence of new coronavirus cases around the globe has reached a new level of concern for officials. “We are in a critical point of the pandemic right now, the trajectory of this pandemic is growing,” Kerkhove noted, highlighting that over the last week some 4.4 million new cases were documented. “The trajectory of the pandemic right now is growing exponentially.” “This is not the situation we want to be in 16 months into a pandemic where we have proven control measures. It is time right now where everyone has to take stock and have a reality check of what we need to be doing,” she added. Last week, global case counts spiked by about 9%, as the COVID-19 death toll jumped by 5%. To date, over 137 million COVID-19 cases have been documented around the globe and nearly 3 million deaths have been recorded, according to data collected by Worldometer. Kerkhove also took the opportunity to shed light on the importance of vaccination campaigns, as well as the ability to successfully provide medical professionals with adequate supplies of vaccines. She stresses that while “vaccines and vaccinations are coming online, they aren’t here yet in every part of the world.” Although the US and several European and Asian countries were able to receive their vaccine doses and implement their own rollout campaigns, not every country has managed to begin

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such protocols. Some of those countries include African nations such as Libya, Tanzania and Madagascar. Officials have previously highlighted that even after countries begin imposing new vaccination programs, delays emerge as government officials look at how best to begin rolling up their vaccine campaigns. The latest revelations came weeks after Kerkhove remarked at a March panel discussion that new figures emphasized that the transmission rate is continuing to go “in the wrong direction,” and that the pandemic is “far from over.” “We’re not talking about a handful of cases here and there. We are still in the acute phase of the pandemic,” the WHO official told the public at the time. Kerkhove’s statements also came as India recently surpassed Brazil as the second worst-infected country in the world after the US. In fact, India recently came under the microscope after a new double-mutant variant of the COVID-19 strain emerged there. Officials have yet to determine whether the strain is more contagious.

NASA Unveils Stunning Image of Blue Martian Dunes to Celebrate Odyssey Anniversary by Gabv Arancibia

The Mars Odyssey spacecraft was launched into space on April 7, 2001, with the objective to develop a map that could outline the compositions of the Martian landscape in a bid to give researchers a more solid perspective of the terrain. The spacecraft remains the oldest piece of technology examining Mars. The US’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) released a stunning image on Monday that offered a spectacular view of the sand dunes and northern polar caps on the distant planet. The release, which was done in an effort to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Mars Odyssey orbiter, is a false-color image, meaning the colors used are representative of the temperature detected in the area. As such, the planet’s polar caps are represented with crystal blue tints, whereas hues of yellow and orange are used to depict the Martian dunes. The image itself is composed of several images snapped by the orbiter’s infrared camera, the Thermal Emission Imaging System instrument, between December 2002 and November 2004, and captures an area about 19 miles wide. NASA officials indicated in their Monday release that the pictured area on Mars is located at approximately 80.3 degrees north latitude, 172.1 degrees east longitude. Over the last two decades, the Odyssey has done much more than simply offering landscape compositions. In fact, since the spacecraft began orbiting Mars on October 24, 2001, Odyssey has managed to help scientists uncover water ice elements, as well as analyzed the planet’s radiation environment in its low orbit, according to the US space agency.

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Petition to Stop Japan From Dumping Contaminated Fukushima Water Into Ocean Gains Massive Support by MariTi Blaise Lovell

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was the site of one of the worst meltdowns in history after a tsunami damaged the facility in 2011, forcing the evacuation for more than 80,000 residents who lived in the nearby area. In the wake of the disaster, officials have debated how to properly dispose of the plant’s contaminated water. Greenpeace has petitioned over 180,000 people to oppose a bid by the Japanese government and plant owner Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) to dump loads of radioactive water from the plant into the Pacific Ocean. The non-governmental organization has argued that releasing the contaminated cooling water into the ocean will have serious, long-term consequences for both the local communities and the environment and those abroad. Kazue Suzuki, the climate change and energy tsar at Greenpeace Japan, reiterated the group’s concerns via a Monday statement on the matter, noting that “the decision to release the contaminated water into the ocean will leave huge troubles for the future.” “The current regulation does not limit the total amount of radioactivity to be released and allows releasing too much only if it is diluted,” Suzuki noted. “Some of the radionuclides to be released have a lifespan of thousands or tens of thousands of years.” The official underscores that the Japanese government must instead continue to store the radioactive water at the Fukushima Daiichi site until the proper technology is developed to remove radiation. The petition was carried out in response to reports that suggest the Japanese government will be making a decision on Tuesday on whether to release 1.23 million tons of leftover treated and diluted cooling water from the Fukushima Daiichi power plant into the Pacific Ocean. Water at the nuclear facility has been treated through a filtration process known as the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) in an effort to remove contaminants and radioactivity. However, the treated water still leaves behind a contaminant called tritium. Tritium, or hydrogen-3 (T or H), is a radioactive isotope or variant of hydrogen which tends not to be harmful externally, but can be hazardous if ingested into the body, leading to the development of cancer. A study published in 2020 by the journal Nature says that tritium “requires large quantities to deliver significant radiation doses,” but the environmental data is limited for the Fukushima accident because of other contaminant priorities. According to NHK. the government plans to continue diluting the element “to acceptable levels far below national regulations” before release. The discharges are planned for late 2022 or early 2023, and are expected to continue until the mid-2050s, according to an October 2020report by Greenpeace Germany.

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Recently, in a letter to Yamazaki Kazuyuki, the permanent representative to the Mission of Japan at the United Nations, four United Nations Human Rights special rapporteurs referred to Fukushima nuclear disaster as a human rights issue, stressing that dumping the contaminants will prompt “serious challenges” for the environment and people’s livelihood. “The disposal of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear disaster into the ocean or air will jeopardize a multitude of human rights and the livelihoods of a large number of communities,” the letter reads, highlighting the implication the action will have on “indigenous communities who are heavily dependent on fishing for income and subsistence.” The special rapporteurs also called on the government of Japan to “give proper space and opportunity for consultations on the disposal of nuclear waste,” while delaying any decision on the disposal until “after the COVID-19 crisis has passed and proper international consultation can be held.” Regional Response to Fukushima Water Release China and South Korea on Monday have also voiced their concern over the plan, saying that discharging contaminated water into the sea would have a negative impact on its neighbors. The regional neighbors also called on Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s government to take into consideration the “public interest of international society, as well as the health and safety of Chinese citizens.” Zhao Lijian, the spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said in a news conference on Friday that the meltdown has already had a profound impact on the marine environment, food safety and human health, adding that Japan needs to share information about the risks in an “accurate, open and transparent” way. A spokesperson for the South Korean Foreign Ministry has also said that any attempt by Japan to release contaminated water into the sea would be met by South Korea’s increased cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to “deal with the issue.” The IAEA is an international organization that works to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for military purposes, like nuclear weapons. However, according to reports by several Japanese news outlets, the IAEA has backed the Japanese government’s plan to dispose of the water, saying it “meets global standards of practice in the nuclear industry.” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said that it is a common way to release water at nuclear power plants despite emergency situations, during a visit to Fukushima in February. Japan Fisheries Cooperatives Chairman Hiroshi Kishi has rejected the plan to dispose of the waste into the Pacific Ocean, demanding the government explain how to address the damage to the fishing industry in which the Japanese government has said it will “do its utmost to support local fisheries and provide compensation for any damages,” according to a Yahoo News report. At present, 15 countries are still restricting Japanese food from districts affected by the Fukushima disaster. In January, the Associated Press reported that the Japanese government has said it cannot put off a decision any longer, because water storage capacity at the plant is beginning to run out and water release into the sea is the best option. This material is distributed by Ghebi LLC on behalf of Federal State Unitary Enterprise Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency, and additional information is on file with the Department of Justice, Washington, District of Columbia.

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Yogurt Molecules ‘Cure’ Mice of Inflammation Linked to COVID-19, Study Suggests by MariTi Blaise Lovell

Probiotics are often referred to as good bacteria, and studies have confirmed they can benefit patients who have inflammatory diseases, such as those brought on by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Researchers at a lab in Israel have claimed to have cured mice suffering from an immune reaction similar to those documented in coronavirus patients by using molecules from probiotic yogurt. Raz Jeinek, a professor of Ben Gurion University, explained to The Times of Israel that the research team “induced aggressive cytokine storms in mice, akin to those of COVID-19 patients who are in very critical condition, and healed 100% of those that received the molecules.” When a healthy body is fighting an infection, the immune system's natural response is to release cytokines, which are biological chemicals that signal the immune system to do its job. However, when there is a cytokine storm, often instigated by infections like influenza and pneumonia, the over-production of biological signals causes changes to the body that interfere with normal cell functioning, often resulting in inflammation of the infected area. Inflammation can be fatal as shown in COVID-19 patients who experience shortness of breath and fevers. In the study led by Jelinek, the team found that out of the dozens of mice involved in the trial, there was a survival rate of 100% for those who received the probiotics. The probiotics were found in kefir, a fermented yogurt with links back to Africa. The health benefits found in kefir are said to possibly have antibacterial and antifungal properties, though more research needs to be shown. “If it turns out that this could be given to critical people, and have the same effect, that would be wonderful,” Jelinek told the outlet. Jelinek explained that the research team had created their own kefir with the goal of making a product that had spiked levels of the desired probiotic yeast, and that it wasn’t until years later that the group managed to pinpoint “two molecules that have very unusual therapeutic qualities” that they say was able to help “cure” the mice of their infections. Jelinek further acknowledged that the study had its limitations in that the “specific molecules he identified” came from his own lab-made kefir, and that it worked more like a subdued antibiotic as it did not “directly” fight the infection, but instead stopped it from getting worse. “While antibiotic resistance is a real problem, these molecules don’t directly attack bacteria, but rather block the communication between them, meaning that the bacteria won’t have [a] chance to develop resistance mechanisms,” he explains. The focus of the research was to prove anti-inflammatory benefits and the overall strength of the molecules in fighting bacterial infection like that found in COVID-19. The study is available in the peer-reviewed journal Microbiome. Additionally, BGN Technology, a biotech company under the Ben-Gurion University, has invested in producing probiotic drugs made of the molecules from this study.

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Video: One Dead, Man Detained After Officer-Involved Shooting at Knoxville High School by Evan Craighead

Several law enforcement agents arrived at Austin-East Magnet High School in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Monday, following reports of multiple gunshot victims, including an officer with the Knoxville Police Department (KPD). The KPD detailed in a Monday news release that department authorities first responded to the officer-involved shooting around 3:15 p.m. local time. According to a preliminary investigation, there was a "male subject who was possibly armed in the school. Upon approach of the subject, shots were fired." Authorities confirmed that one male was pronounced dead at the scene and one KPD officer was transported to nearby UT Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. One man has been "detained for further investigation." The release did explicitly identify the detained individual as a suspect. The ongoing investigation is being handled by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Facebook Live footage recorded by user Phylicia Tate shows authorities entering the school building shortly after the incident. Bob Thomas, superintendent of Knox County Schools, confirmed that those "who were not involved in the incident have been released to their families." During a Monday news conference on education, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee briefly spoke about the school shooting. "I've just been informed about that, just recently," he said, noting that details remain forthcoming from law enforcement. "I just wanted to make reference to that and ask for you all to ... pray for that situation." Community concerns about gun violence have been growing following a string of shootings this year that have claimed the lives of at least four children, all former students of Austin-East High School. Most recently, 15-year-old Jamarion Gillette died from gunshot wounds on March 9.

Email Shows NYPD Used Controversial Facial Recognition Tech Against Own Officers by Evan Craighead

Earlier this year, Clearview Al's facial recognition technology came under fire after a joint investigation by Canadian authorities concluded the New York-based company violated various privacy laws. Recent reports have revealed the controversial tech has been heavily used by the New York Police Department (NYPD), the US' largest police force.

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The Legal Aid Society, a New York City-based non-profit, released a 235-page collection of documents last week that revealed some 50 members of the NYPD were given access to, or had an account with Clearview Al between 2018 and 2020. One of those members happened to be Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller, at the apparent request of Michael King, deputy inspector of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) New York Joint Terrorism Task Force. According to the documents and emails - obtained through a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) settlement - it was not just New Yorkers and other civilians who were unknowingly spied on, but also fellow law enforcement officials. "As per commissioner Reznick can you please identify the Member of the service in the photos," NYPD Detective Alfredo Torres said in a February 21, 2019, email to King. The email thread shows that King then forwarded the request to a Clearview Al rep, including attachments showing two officers riding on what appears to be a train. While it's unclear what authorities were looking for in this search, some reports have suggested the officers in the image may have been the sergeant and detective who were caught drinking on the job. The NYPD is estimated to have run over 5,100 searches with Clearview Al. "The NYPD has purposefully kept New Yorkers in the dark on the controversial surveillance technologies that the Department deploys citywide," Jonathan McCoy, staff attorney with the Legal Aid Society's Digital Forensics Unit, said in a quoted statement. "Short of this litigation and these disclosures, the public would never know the extent to which NYPD employed Clearview - a controversial tool that other localities have banned outright." Back in February, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada detailed that a joint investigation with Canadian authorities found that the company's scraping of billions of images from the internet amounted to mass surveillance. The New York-based company and its database of more than 3 billion photos, a new lawsuit filed last month by civil liberties activists and advocates claims Clearview Al "engages in the widespread collection of California residents’ images and biometric information without notice or consent." The suit, filed in Alameda County Superior Court, claims the facial recognition software - which has been banned in cities like San Francisco, California - could inhibit certain civilians from engaging in their constitutional right to protest.

Ex-Police Chief Sentenced After Rigging Police Exam, Lying to US Authorities by Evan Craighead

Armando "AJ" Perez, former Chief of Police for Bridgeport, Connecticut, was arrested in September 2020 after members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) determined that both he and Bridgeport personnel director David Dunn defrauded the city "by rigging the 2018 police chief examination ... to ensure Perez would be selected for the position."

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In a Monday news release, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced Perez, 64, had been sentenced to 12 months and one day behind bars for his role in rigging the 2018 police chief examination. "Former Chief Perez schemed to rig the search for a permanent police chief to ensure the position was awarded to him, and then he repeatedly lied to federal agents in order to conceal his conduct," US Attorney Audrey Strauss said in a quoted statement. "Today's sentence sends a strong message that public officials will be held accountable when they corruptly put their own self-interest above their duties to faithfully serve their citizens." Citing court filings and other publicly available information, the release detailed that then-acting Police Chief Perez conspired with Dunn to receive a five-year BDP police chief contract by undermining what was supposed to be an "open and competitive examination." Both Perez and Dunn, who oversaw the exam process, pleaded guilty to the scheme back in October 2020. Dunn is scheduled for sentencing on Tuesday. Perez obtained "confidential examination questions" from Dunn and also enlisted two BPD officers to draft and write his exam. "Dunn attempted to influence a panelist, tasked with ranking the candidates in the last stage of the exam, to ensure that PEREZ [sic] was scored as one of the top three candidates," the release detailed. As a result, Perez was ranked as a finalist and was ultimately appointed to the role of police chief. When confronted by federal authorities in a related probe, Perez attempted to hide his misconduct. The 64-year-old is said to have "provided false and misleading information about the assistance Dunn and others had provided him in connection with the examination process, including his requests to a BPD officer to sneak into headquarters to retrieve stolen confidential information provided by Dunn." Dunn is scheduled for sentencing on Tuesday.

RPT - US Attache Showed 'Incredibly Bad Judgment' Wearing Ukraine Death's Head - Analysts

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - US Defense Attache to Kiev Colonel Brittany Stewart showed "incredibly bad judgment" publicly wearing a Ukrainian skull insignia on April 9, a former Pentagon analyst and combat veteran-turned-historian told Sputnik. Stewart on Friday traveled to the Donbas war zone in the eastern part of Ukraine. In photos taken during her visit, Stewart was shown wearing on her shoulder a "Ukraine or Death" skull insignia, which is the patch of the 72nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade. INSIGNIA PROVOCATION Stewart's action displayed amazingly bad judgment at a time of serious and escalating tensions between the United States and Russia, retired veteran Pentagon analyst Chuck Spinney said.

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"Displaying a foreign military organizational insignia on her uniform is a provocation that shows incredibly bad judgment, given the states of Russia-US tensions and the Russia-Ukrainian tensions," he said. Stewart had either seriously violated US military regulations or, even more seriously, had been given specific permission in advance to wear the controversial insignia openly, Spinney observed. "It may be a violation of regulations to boot - unless she had a direct authorization from superior officials to wear it (which would be even worse)," he said. Stewart was not just a regular serving officer but she also held an important diplomatic position representing the United States in Ukraine when she took her action, Spinney pointed out. "In this case, the officer is a full colonel attache, whose duty is to be an official diplomatic representative of the United States in the Ukraine. She is also on what appears to be an official mission," he said. UNUSUAL ACTION Stewart's action was highly unusual for any serving officer, former US Marine Corps tank officer and combat veteran Dan Grazier, now a historian and fellow at the Center for Defense Information at the Project on Government Oversight, said. "That does seem odd. We didn't wear any patches like that in the Marine Corps... The Army has a bunch of rules about unit patches," he said. The Donbas region has seen an escalation in the situation over the past weeks. On April 7, the head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, Denis Pushilin, said the situation at the contact line was deteriorating. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has described the situation on the border as "frightening." He said Russia was taking steps to bolster the security of its western frontier in response to increased NATO presence.

RPT: ANALYSIS - US Global Minimum Tax Plan Will Likely Kill Competition Before Leveling Field

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minimum as well, the president hopes to collect at least 21 percent from US firms that will relocate or are already operating abroad. On Monday, a majority of CEOs in a survey conducted by the Business Round Table said the tax would hinder economic expansion. BIDEN’S PROBLEM: A BAIT WITHOUT THE RIGHT CARROT The problem for Biden, however, is this: In seeking an international solution to a domestic issue, he has no incentive to offer other countries to make the tax changes he wants. Nations that have drawn investors on the strength of their low costs and did not suffer triliion-doilar budget deficits, like the United States, are not likely to bite his bait without the right carrot. "Ireland's economy is doing very well with a 12.5 percent corporate tax and the Irish will fight Biden’s plan like hell," Bryant University Economics Professor Ramesh Mohan told Sputnik. A Sputnik study of the 20 countries with the lowest corporate tax, compiled by the Washington-based Tax Foundation, showed their average tax rate to be 10 percent. Aside from Ireland, which is also on that list, these countries were mostly located in Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean, Central Asia and South America, and were not necessarily known for having strong economies. Barbados, the only North American country in that list, had the lowest tax rate of 5.5 percent. But Barbados’ economy contracted by 0.1 percent in 2019 versus the 2.2 percent growth in the US economy. Two other countries with a tax rate of 12.5 percent - similar to Ireland’s - were Liechtenstein and Cyprus. Liechtenstein's gross domestic product shrank by 1.2 percent in 2019 while Cyprus’ GDP grew by 3.1 percent. That makes Ireland, which registered a GDP growth of 5.5 percent in 2019, an exception. The overarching point from the study was that low taxes on their own did not necessarily result in great economic performance. That might work in Biden's favor, as he could argue that with higher taxes, these countries will theoretically get more revenue for their growth. But one could argue that the opposite is also true: By raising taxes, these countries risk eroding their competitiveness and could further jeopardize their economies. IRELAND A HEADACHE FOR THE US TAXMAN Ireland, particularly, poses a conundrum to the US taxman. More than a thousand big, mostly American, global companies already have operations in Ireland, among them being Google, Apple, Face book, PayPal, Microsoft, Yahoo, eBay, AOL, Twitter and Intel. Pfizer, Boston Scientific and Johnson & Johnson also have a major presence there. The US companies account for 90 percent of all of Ireland’s manufactured exports and employ around 10 percent of its workforce. They helped pull the Irish economy out of the 2010 eurozone debt crisis which engulfed Greece and Portugal, countries with corporate taxes of 24 percent and 31.5 percent, respectively. "The idea is to make the US companies pay something and not get away scot free," said Mohan. "If you ask me, it’s a good initiative because many companies are using the tax loophole that allows them to base overseas to park their money in tax havens and not pay the US a cent

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sometimes. Yet, getting everyone on board will be a problem as those charging less than 21 percent now will argue that this is a competition-killer." As the Irish Times noted in an op-ed on Friday, talk of a major shake-up of the way corporate tax is collected internationally has been on for many years, with a series of proposals from the European Union, reform plans in the United States and lengthy talks on an international deal among the 139 countries on the Paris-based Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD. So far the impact of these has been limited - EU plans have run into the sand; reform programs by former US President Donald Trump did not hit foreign direct investment as some had feared; and the OECD talks, while agreeing on a first phase of reform, have struggled to make progress beyond that. Now, along with the US global minimum tax plan, the OECD has raised a digital sales tax plan. It proposes that multinationals pay tax on what they sell through digital channels in the markets where they do so. This is a change from current rules under which profit is declared and tax paid in countries from where the digital sales are managed. Crucially, the United States supported a version of this plan during a week of submissions to the OECD, suggesting that the biggest companies pay a levy on their sales to the exchequer of the country where the transaction took place. This is seen as a quid pro quo; it will affect US companies, but the Biden administration hopes it will also help win support from Europe and other players for its minimum tax rate plan. "There are two dangers here for Ireland," op-ed writer Cliff Taylor said. "The clearest is the potential loss of revenue from the digital sales tax (this would not mean corporation tax would necessarily fall, but it would be lower than it would otherwise be). However, the more serious threat to Ireland’s regime is more likely to be the new... US tax rate and the possible agreement at OECD level on a minimum global corporate tax rate." Besides Ireland, the US Internal Revenue Service also has to contend with tax jurisdictions like Jersey - an island in the English Channel, between England and France, that is not to be mistaken with the US state of New Jersey. The island of Jersey, which has zero corporate tax, has been the offshore haven to park the profits of Apple. The iPhone maker, meanwhile, continues to operate its corporate headquarters at a 32-acre gleaming technology park in Cupertino, California that also houses the so-called Apple Campus. BIDEN WON’T EASILY FIND GLOBAL SUPPORT FOR HIS TAX WAR Biden vowed on Friday to crack down on Apple and other large US companies like Bristol Myers Squibb that have long employed complicated maneuvers to reduce or eliminate their tax bills by shifting income on paper between countries. "I'm not trying to punish anybody, but damn it - maybe it's because I come from a middle-class neighborhood - I'm sick and tired of ordinary people being fleeced," the president said. Johns Hopkins University Economics Professor Louis Galambos said while Biden had authority to determine the US tax structure, it would be overbearing on the president’s part to direct foreign governments on how to levy companies in their jurisdiction, particularly if it is tantamount to destroying their competitiveness.

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"The problem is two-fold," Galambos told Sputnik. "Why should other countries give up their competitive advantage to help Biden? I doubt another democracy would hurt its own people to help the US. This is a return to a failed foreign policy of nice words and poor performance."

Blinken, Italian Counterpart Discuss Libyan Unity, Ceasefire Implementation - State Dept.

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Italian Foreign Minister Luigi di Maio during a meeting in Washington discussed the importance of a full implementation of the ceasefire in Libya and political unity in the country, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement. "The Secretary and Foreign Minister reaffirmed their support for the efforts of the Libyan people to restore unity to their country, hold national elections in December, and fully implement the ceasefire agreement," Price said on Monday. In March, the Libyan parliament approved the composition of the 26-strong Government of National Unity (GNU) which is said to be free of those who served in the country's previous cabinets. Last fall, Libyan rivals held UN-facilitated talks in Geneva, which resulted in the signing of a nationwide ceasefire agreement. In early February, the Swiss-hosted round of intra-Libyan talks led to the election of an interim GNU that will be in charge until the national general election, scheduled for December 24.

Air Canada, Ottawa Strike $4.68Bln Financial Aid Deal - Statement

TORONTO, April 12 (Sputnik) - Air Canada and the federal government have struck a deal that will see the country’s flag carrier be given access of up to $4.68 billion in liquidity through a federal COVID-19 stimulus program for large businesses, the airliner said. "Air Canada announced today that it has entered into a series of debt and equity financing agreements with the Government of Canada, which will allow Air Canada to access up to $5,879 billion [$4.68 billion USD] in liquidity through the Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility (LEEFF) program," the company said in a press release on Monday. Air Canada will be eligible to receive funding through a mixture of secured and unsecured credit facilities but the company has vowed to draw on credit only as required. As part of the deal, the company made several commitments, including the government receiving an equity stake in the company. Canada’s flag carrier must begin providing customers with refunds beginning on April 30, at the latest, and the company has committed to maintaining current staffing levels. Air Canada

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currently employs 14,859 employees, although thousands have been laid off since the onset of the pandemic last March. The company has also been given a deadline to resume flights to more remote and smaller Canadian cities and towns, including Fredericton, Yellowknife and Goose Bay. Canadian Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland added that all of the country's commercial airlines can now apply for federal funding to reimburse passengers for canceled flights. Canadian travelers have grown increasingly frustrated with the country's airlines reimbursing canceled flights with vouchers instead of refunds amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Freeland noted that company executives will be limited to $800,000 in total compensation as part of the agreement. Canada’s flagship airliner reported an operating loss of $2.97 billion in 2020, with revenues declining by 70 percent - $10.47 billion - year-over-year. The Canadian government has mused about a possible boost for the laboring industry since the onset of the pandemic last spring but no concrete announcements had been made until today. Freeland defended the government’s response, saying it has provided additional support throughout the past year but noted that good deals “sometime take a little time” to make.

Air Canada, Ottawa Strike $4.68Bln Financial Aid Deal - Statement

TORONTO, April 12 (Sputnik) - Air Canada and the federal government have struck a deal that will see the country's flag carrier be given access of up to $4.68 billion in liquidity through a federal COVID-19 stimulus program for large businesses, the airliner said. "Air Canada announced today that it has entered into a series of debt and equity financing agreements with the Government of Canada, which will allow Air Canada to access up to $5,879 billion [$4.68 billion USD] in liquidity through the Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility (LEEFF) program," the company said in a press release on Monday. 13.04.2021 2:19:18+03:00 Air Canada, Ottawa Strike $4.68Bln Financial Aid Deal - Company Statement Sputnik

US Has No Plans to Recall Envoy in Russia, Committed to Open Communication - State Dept.

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - The United States has no plans to recall its ambassador in Russia and the Biden administration is committed to having open channels of communication in

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order to reduce the risk of miscalculation between the two countries, a US State Department spokesperson told Sputnik. "We remain committed to open channels of communication with the Russian government, both to advance US interests and reduce the risk of miscalculation between our countries," the spokesperson said on Monday. "There are no plans to recall Ambassador [John] Sullivan in response to Russia's decision." The spokesperson said the Biden administration is aware of Russia's recent decision to recall its ambassador to the Untied States. Russia recalled Ambassador Anatoly Antonov to Moscow for consultations after President Joe Biden said that he considers his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin "a killer" and threatened Putin will "pay a price." Earlier this month, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told Sputnik Antonov will most likely not return to Washington in the near future, but in general, the solution to this issue depends on the willingness of the US side to show at least some desire to normalize relations with Moscow.

China, Russia Cited Among Canada’s Chief National Security Concerns - Parliamentary Report

TORONTO, April 12 (Sputnik) - China and Russia are among Canada’s chief national security concerns, the country’s National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) said. "The threat from espionage and foreign interference is significant and continues to grow. Several states are responsible for conducting such activities in Canada, but intelligence shows that China and Russia remain the primary culprits," the committee said in its annual report for 2020. The parliamentary committee alleges that China, Russia and Iran targeted Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine research, despite not a single vaccine candidate from the country advancing to the clinical trial phase. NSICOP also alleges that state actors, most notably China and Russia, engage in malicious cyber activity aimed at targeting Canada’s critical infrastructure, conducting online influence campaigns and monitoring dissidents abroad. The report also highlighted the growing threat from organized crime and terror groups, both foreign and domestic. The report, citing Canada’s primary intelligence service (CSIS), say that out of 200 extremists, who have traveled abroad, 61 have returned to Canada, while 122 are in Turkey, Syria and Iraq with a redacted share of those being deceased.

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Biden to Keep Trump's Ambassador to Russia Pick - Reports

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - US President Joe Biden will keep John Sullivan, a Trump appointee, Trump, as the United States’ ambassador to Russia, CNN reported citing two senior administration officials. Sullivan is viewed by the White House as a "steady hand" in Moscow, the report said on Monday amid raising tensions in US-Russia relations. The decision comes as the Biden administration reviews the US ambassadorial positions around the world, although White House spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters earlier on Monday that the president has not made a decision regarding the "vast majority" of nominations. Sullivan has been the United States' ambassador to Russia since December 2019.

US Has No Plans to Recall Envoy in Russia, Committed to Open Communication - State Dept.

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - The United States has no plans to recall its ambassador in Russia and the Biden administration is committed to having open channels of communication in order to reduce the risk of miscalculation between the two countries, a US State Department spokesperson told Sputnik. "We remain committed to open channels of communication with the Russian government, both to advance US interests and reduce the risk of miscalculation between our countries," the spokesperson said on Monday. "There are no plans to recall Ambassador [John] Sullivan in response to Russia's decision."

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his meeting with NATO partners in Brussels this week will discuss de-escalation of the military buildup on the Russia-Ukraine border, Acting Assistant US Secretary of State Philip Reeker said in a telephone briefing. "You’re probably aware that NATO will hold a NATO-Ukraine council meeting on Tuesday," Reeker said on Monday. "The North Atlantic Council permanent representatives will host the foreign minister of Ukraine, and they will be able to reiterate there that we need to see restraint and refraining from escalatory actions." US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will join Blinken during consultations with NATO partners in Brussels.

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The Donbas region has seen an escalation in the situation over the past weeks. On April 7, the head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, Denis Pushilin, said the situation at the contact line was deteriorating. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has described the situation on the border as "frightening." He said Russia was taking steps to bolster the security of its western frontier in response to increased NATO presence. Blinken and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba are expected to hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines in Brussels to discuss activities in eastern Ukraine, Reeker said. Reeker said the United States is closely monitoring the situation and will use the NATO meeting in Brussels as an opportunity to closely coordinate with its partners and Ukraine. Reeker emphasized the importance of diplomacy and the need to use tools like the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna to address concerns related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Moreover, Reeker said there will be "costs" if Russia acts recklessly or aggressively. Asked what if the United States has an assessment of Russia's military activities near Ukraine’s border, Reeker told reporters "I certainly do... I’m not going to necessarily share those kinds of things with you."

UPDATE - US-Russia Space Cooperation Can Be Used as Example for Collaboration on Earth - Antonov

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - The storied history of US-Russian cooperation in outer space can serve as an example for improving increasingly frayed relations between the two countries, Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said in a statement. "Despite all the difficulties in Russian-US relations, cooperation in space research demonstrates how much Russia and the United States can achieve by working together. This experience can certainly be used on Earth,” Antonov said in a statement dedicated to the 60th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s inaugural space voyage. Antonov cited decades of cooperation between Russia and the United States in outer space, including the Soyuz-Apollo joint flight during the height of the Cold War and joint work aboard the International Space Station. The ambassador was recently recalled to Moscow for consultations after US President Joe Biden said in an interview that Russian President Vladimir Putin was a killer and would "pay a price." Monday marks the 60th anniversary of Gagarin's space flight - the first in history. On April 12, 1961, Gagarin said what has begun a famous statement - "Let's Go!" as the Vostok spacecraft lifted off the ground, taking the first person to space. After orbiting the Earth once, the re-entry module landed on the territory of what was then the Soviet Union.

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On April 7, 2011, the UN General Assembly proclaimed April 12 as the International Day of Human Space Flight on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Gagarin's first space flight. The resolution was co-authored by more than 60 UN member states.

One Person Dead, Another Detained After School Shooting in US State of Tennessee - Police

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - One person is dead, possibly the suspect, and another suspect has been detained following a shooting at a high school in Knoxville, Tennessee, the Knoxville Police Department said in a statement. "Knoxville Police Department officers responded to Austin-East Magnet High School on the report of a male subject who was possibly armed in the school. Upon approach of the subject, shots were fired... One male was pronounced deceased at the scene, while another was detained for further investigation. There are no other known gunshot victims," the statement on Monday evening. The statement added that a police officer was struck at least one time and taken to a local hospital with non life-threatening injuries. The the Knoxville Police Department said the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation will lead the probe into the incident. The Knoxville field office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said special agents have responded to the shooting at Austin-East High School to assist local law enforcement. Knox County Schools Superintendent Bob Thomas said in an earlier statement that the school building had been secured and students who were not involved in the incident were released to their families. Monday's incident in the latest in a series of gun violence involving Austin-East high school students and other Knoxville teenagers. On January 27, a 15-year-old student from Austin-East was accidentally shot and killed by a 17-year-old boy. On February 16, Austin-East student Janaria Muhammad, 15, was found shot outside her home. Two other Knoxville teenagers, 16-year-old Stanley Freeman Jr. and 15-year-old Jamarion Gillette, were also fatally shot earlier this year in the city.

Biden Nominates Christine \Aformuth as First Female Secretary of Army - White House

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WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - President Joe Biden has nominated 11 officials to lead national security and law enforcement agencies, including the first female US Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, the White House said in a release. "The President has tapped Christy Abizaid for Director of National Counterterrorism Center at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Chris Inglis for National Cyber Director in the Executive Office of the President, Christine Wormuth for Secretary of the Army at the Department of Defense, Gil Cisneros for Under Secretary of Defense, Personnel and Readiness at the Department of Defense," the release said on Monday. Christine Abizaid has been a counterterrorism intelligence officer at the Defense Intelligence Agency for almost a decade, then transitioned to the National Security Council and in 2014 was appointed as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia, the release said. Chris Inglis has served for 41 years in the federal government, including 28 years at the National Security Agency, where he was Deputy Director for seven yaers, the release said. Christine Wormuth served as Under Secretary of Defense during the Obama-Biden administration and as the senior director for defense policy on the National Security Council, helping shape the 2012 Defense Strategic Guidance that began rebalancing the military toward the Indo-Pacific. Earlier on Monday, Biden nominated key cybersecurity officials in the Department of Homeland Security, including Jen Easterly for the position Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and Chris Magnus for Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection.

One Person Dead, Another Detained After School Shooting in US State of Tennessee - Police

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UPDATE - Biden to Nominate Trump Border Policy Critic to Lead US Customs Agency - White House

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - President Joe Biden is going to name Tucson, Arizona, Police Chief Chris Magnus, an outspoken critic of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, to run the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency, the White House announced in a press release. "Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate key leadership for the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), John Tien for Deputy Secretary ... [and] Chris Magnus for Commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection," the release said on Monday. Biden also announced his nominations of Jonathan Meyer for DHS General Counsel, former National Security Agency (NSA) official Jen Easterly for Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and Robert Silvers, a senior DHS cybersecurity official under President Barack Obama as Under Secretary for Policy, the White House said. "Tien previously served in the Obama Administration as the National Security Council Senior Director for Afghanistan and Pakistan from 2009-2011. Since 2011, Tien has been a Citigroup managing director. Prior to joining Citi, Tien was a combat arms officer for 24 years in the active duty US Army and retired in 2011 as a colonel, the release said. Ur Mendoza Jaddou will be nominated as the next Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, the release said. Magnus is currently the police chief in Tucson, Arizona, and previously served as police chief in Fargo, North Dakota, Richmond, California and Tucson, Arizona, the release added.

UPDATE-ANALYSIS - US Global Minimum Tax Plan Will Likely Kill Competition Before Leveling Field

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On Monday, a majority of CEOs in a survey conducted by the Business Round Table said the tax would hinder economic expansion. BIDEN’S PROBLEM: A BAIT WITHOUT THE RIGHT CARROT The problem for Biden, however, is this: In seeking an international solution to a domestic issue, he has no incentive to offer other countries to make the tax changes he wants. Nations that have drawn investors on the strength of their low costs and did not suffer trillion-dollar budget deficits, like the United States, are not likely to bite his bait without the right carrot. "Ireland's economy is doing very well with a 12.5 percent corporate tax and the Irish will fight Biden’s plan like hell," Bryant University Economics Professor Ramesh Mohan told Sputnik. A Sputnik study of the 20 countries with the lowest corporate tax, compiled by the Washington-based Tax Foundation, showed their average tax rate to be 10 percent. Aside from Ireland, which is also on that list, these countries were mostly located in Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean, Central Asia and South America, and were not necessarily known for having strong economies. Barbados, the only North American country in that list, had the lowest tax rate of 5.5 percent. But Barbados’ economy contracted by 0.1 percent in 2019 versus the 2.2 percent growth in the US economy. Two other countries with a tax rate of 12.5 percent - similar to Ireland’s - were Liechtenstein and Cyprus. Liechtenstein’s gross domestic product shrank by 1.2 percent in 2019 while Cyprus’ GDP grew by 3.1 percent. That makes Ireland, which registered a GDP growth of 5.5 percent in 2019, an exception. The overarching point from the study was that low taxes on their own did not necessarily result in great economic performance. That might work in Biden’s favor, as he could argue that with higher taxes, these countries will theoretically get more revenue for their growth. But one could argue that the opposite is also true: By raising taxes, these countries risk eroding their competitiveness and could further jeopardize their economies. IRELAND A HEADACHE FOR THE US TAXMAN Ireland, particularly, poses a conundrum to the US taxman. More than a thousand big, mostly American, global companies already have operations in Ireland, among them being Google, Apple, Face book, PayPal, Microsoft, Yahoo, eBay, AOL, Twitter and Intel. Pfizer, Boston Scientific and Johnson & Johnson also have a major presence there. The US companies account for 90 percent of all of Ireland’s manufactured exports and employ around 10 percent of its workforce. They helped pull the Irish economy out of the 2010 eurozone debt crisis which engulfed Greece and Portugal, countries with corporate taxes of 24 percent and 31.5 percent, respectively. "The idea is to make the US companies pay something and not get away scot free," said Mohan. "If you ask me, it’s a good initiative because many companies are using the tax loophole that allows them to base overseas to park their money in tax havens and not pay the US a cent sometimes. Yet, getting everyone on board will be a problem as those charging less than 21 percent now will argue that this is a competition-killer."

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As the Irish Times noted in an op-ed on Friday, talk of a major shake-up of the way corporate tax is collected internationally has been on for many years, with a series of proposals from the European Union, reform plans in the United States and lengthy talks on an international deal among the 139 countries on the Paris-based Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD. So far the impact of these has been limited - EU plans have run into the sand; reform programs by former US President Donald Trump did not hit foreign direct investment as some had feared; and the OECD talks, while agreeing on a first phase of reform, have struggled to make progress beyond that. Now, along with the US global minimum tax plan, the OECD has raised a digital sales tax plan. It proposes that multinationals pay tax on what they sell through digital channels in the markets where they do so. This is a change from current rules under which profit is declared and tax paid in countries from where the digital sales are managed. Crucially, the United States supported a version of this plan during a week of submissions to the OECD, suggesting that the biggest companies pay a levy on their sales to the exchequer of the country where the transaction took place. This is seen as a quid pro quo; it will affect US companies, but the Biden administration hopes it will also help win support from Europe and other players for its minimum tax rate plan. "There are two dangers here for Ireland," op-ed writer Cliff Taylor said. "The clearest is the potential loss of revenue from the digital sales tax (this would not mean corporation tax would necessarily fall, but it would be lower than it would otherwise be). However, the more serious threat to Ireland's regime is more likely to be the new... US tax rate and the possible agreement at OECD level on a minimum global corporate tax rate." Besides Ireland, the US Internal Revenue Service also has to contend with tax jurisdictions like Jersey - an island in the English Channel, between England and France, that is not to be mistaken with the US state of New Jersey. The island of Jersey, which has zero corporate tax, has been the offshore haven to park the profits of Apple. The iPhone maker, meanwhile, continues to operate its corporate headquarters at a 32-acre gleaming technology park in Cupertino, California that also houses the so-called Apple Campus. BIDEN WONT EASILY FIND GLOBAL SUPPORT FOR HIS TAX WAR Biden vowed on Friday to crack down on Apple and other large US companies like Bristol Myers Squibb that have long employed complicated maneuvers to reduce or eliminate their tax bills by shifting income on paper between countries. "I’m not trying to punish anybody, but damn it - maybe it's because I come from a middle-class neighborhood - I'm sick and tired of ordinary people being fleeced," the president said. Johns Hopkins University Economics Professor Louis Galambos said while Biden had authority to determine the US tax structure, it would be overbearing on the president’s part to direct foreign governments on how to levy companies in their jurisdiction, particularly if it is tantamount to destroying their competitiveness. "The problem is two-fold," Galambos told Sputnik. "Why should other countries give up their competitive advantage to help Biden? I doubt another democracy would hurt its own people to help the US. This is a return to a failed foreign policy of nice words and poor performance."

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UPDATE 2 - Shooting at High School in US State of Tennessee Claims Multiple Victims, Officer - Police

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - A shooting at a high school in the state of Tennessee has claimed multiple victims including an officer, the Knoxville Police Department said on Monday. "Multiple agencies are on the scene of a shooting at Austin-East Magnet High School. Multiple gunshot victims reported, including a KPD officer. The investigation remains active at this time. Please avoid the area," police said in a statement via Twitter. The Knoxville News Sentinel newspaper, citing its sources, said the situation is no longer "active." Knox County Schools Superintendent Bob Thomas said the school building has been secured and students who were not involved in the incident have been released to their families. The Knoxville field officer of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said special agents have responded to the shooting at Austin-East High School to assist local law enforcement.

US 'Looks Forward' to Working With New Djibouti President - State Dept.

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - The US government is looking forward to working with newly-elected Djibouti President ismalil Omar Guellah following his victory in Friday's election, Department of State spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement on Monday. The United States looks forward to working with the government of President Ismail Omar Guelleh and the people of Djibouti to advance our common interests following Djibouti’s presidential election on April 9," Price said. The spokesman also paid tribute to major international African and Arab organizations that observed the election process. "We appreciate the work of the election observer missions from the African Union, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the League of Arab States, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development," he said. The United States encouraged the government of Djibouti to further strengthen its democratic institutions and processes in line with recommendations from the observer missions, Price added.

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UPDATE - Minneapolis Mayor Declares Curfew, State of Emergency After Police Killing of Black Man

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, in a briefing on Monday, declared a state of emergency and a curfew from at 7 p.m. (00:00 GMT) on Monday until 6 a.m. after the fatal incident with Daunte Wright led to violence the previous night. "\Ne must see peace tonight. And as of this afternoon, I have declared a state of emergency in the city of Minneapolis and we are following that up with a curfew that will begin at 7 p.m. tonight and will go until 6 a.m. tomorrow morning,” Frey said. Mayor of state capital St. Paul, Melvin Carter, announced a twin curfew and state of emergency in the city. The mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul have underscored in the briefing that the death of Daunte Wright last night is not an excuse for looting and vandalism, and it will not be tolerated as increasing numbers of police and national guard have started to arrive in the cities. According to the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety John Harrington, at around 2 p.m. on Sunday, Brooklyn Center officers initiated a traffic stop of Daunte Wright’s car based on license plates violation. The decision was made to take the driver into custody as he was suspected to have a warrant for a weapon violation. As a result of an ensued struggle a shot was made, after which the driver’s vehicle continued for some time and then crashed. The medics tried to render first aid to the driver. Another person who was in the car had a mild injury. The incident and following street unrest came amid the trial of former officer Derek Chauvin on charges of murdering George Floyd in Minneapolis last May.

SPUTNIKOP STORIES OF THE DAY WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik)

IRAN-EU RELATIONS * Tehran is suspending dialogue and cooperation with Brussels on terrorism, drugs, refugees and human rights due to EU sanctions against Iranian persons for human rights violations, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Monday.

SHOOTINGS IN TENNESSEE, MINNESOTA * A shooting at a high school in the state of Tennessee has claimed multiple victims including an officer, the Knoxville Police Department said on Monday. * The Brooklyn Center Police Department (BCPD) in the state of Minnesota has released the body camera footage of an officer allegedly shooting and killing 20-year old Black man, Daunte Wright, during a recent traffic stop, Police Chief Tim Gannon said. * The BCPD officer accidentally who shot dead Wright drew and discharged her handgun instead of a taser, Gannon said.

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* Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey declared a state of emergency and a curfew from at 7 p.m. (00:00 GMT) on Monday until 6 a.m. after the fatal incident that led to violence the previous night.

US NUCLEAR MOON ROCKET * The US government has selected three major military contractors to develop phase 1 of its Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) program, the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) said in a news release on Monday.

NATANZ NUCLEAR FACILITY INCIDENT * A recent incident at the Natanz nuclear facility was caused by an explosion, Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) spokesperson Behrouz Kamalvandi said on Monday. * Iran reserves the right to take all necessary measures to protect its citizens after the incident at the Natanz nuclear facility, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. * The United States is not involved in any way in the incident at Iran's Natanz nuclear facility, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said. * Russia hopes that a recent incident at the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran will not undermine negotiations on restoration of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

UKRAINE DEVELOPMENTS * Russia does not understand what aims the United States pursues in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday. * Russia is warning Turkey and other nations against supporting Ukraine's belligerent sentiment, Lavrov said. * The top diplomats of the G7 countries and the European Union issued a communique expressing their concern about the movement of Russian troops near the border with Ukraine and are calling on Moscow to de-escalate and adhere to the OSCE principles.

60TH ANNIVERSARY OF GAGARIN'S SPACE FLIGHT * Russia calls for talks to create a legally binding international instrument that would ban deployment of any types of weapons in space, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on the 60th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's historic space flight. * Russia is ready to cooperate with partners in the space industry, President Vladimir Putin said. * The achievement of Gagarin helped the mankind to believe in possibility and that there are solutions to the most difficult issues on both the Earth and in Space, veteran NASAAstronaut Nicole Stott told Sputnik. * NASA has signed a deal to explore the feasibility of flying a US reality show contestant to the International Space Station (ISS), Space Hero Partnerships said in a press release.

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ANALYSIS - US Global Minimum Tax Plan Will Likely Kill Competition Before Leveling Field

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - The US plan for a global minimum corporate tax of 21 percent would likely kill competition before achieving uniformity given some 20 countries are enforcing only a quarter to half of that rate, analysts told Sputnik. President Joe Biden wants to raise corporate taxes within the United States to 28 percent from 21 percent to compel American companies to pay more in funding his $2.2 trillion infrastructure plan. Biden laments that many big US corporations pay little or no tax now by having their headquarters in countries with low or zero tax. In 2017, Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump cut the US corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent, winning cheers from the business sector. The 7.0 percent hike sought by Biden could be politically unpopular and prompt more American companies to move offshore to avoid a higher tax bracket. By raising the global minimum as well, the president hopes to collect at least 21 percent from US firms that will relocate or are already operating abroad. BIDEN’S PROBLEM: A BAIT WTHOUT THE RIGHT CARROT The problem for Biden, however, is this: In seeking an international solution to a domestic issue, he has no incentive to offer other countries to make the tax changes he wants. Nations that have drawn investors on the strength of their low costs and did not suffer trillion-dollar budget deficits, like the United States, are not likely to bite his bait without the right carrot. "Ireland’s economy is doing very well with a 12.5 percent corporate tax and the Irish will fight Biden’s plan like hell," Bryant University Economics Professor Ramesh Mohan told Sputnik. A Sputnik study of the 20 countries with the lowest corporate tax, compiled by the \Afeshington-based Tax Foundation, showed their average tax rate to be 10 percent. Aside from Ireland, which is also on that list, these countries were mostly located in Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean, Central Asia and South America, and were not necessarily known for having strong economies. Barbados, the only North American country in that list, had the lowest tax rate of 5.5 percent. But Barbados’ economy contracted by 0.1 percent in 2019 versus the 2.2 percent growth in the US economy. Two other countries with a tax rate of 12.5 percent - similar to Ireland’s - were Liechtenstein and Cyprus. Liechtenstein’s gross domestic product shrank by 1.2 percent in 2019 while Cyprus’ GDP grew by 3.1 percent. That makes Ireland, which registered a GDP growth of 5.5 percent in 2019, an exception. The overarching point from the study was that low taxes on their own did not necessarily result in great economic performance. That might work in Biden’s favor, as he could argue that with higher taxes, these countries will theoretically get more revenue for their growth. But one could argue that the opposite is also true: By raising taxes, these countries risk eroding their competitiveness and could further jeopardize their economies. IRELAND A HEADACHE FOR THE US TAXMAN Ireland, particularly, poses a conundrum to the US taxman.

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More than a thousand big, mostly American, global companies already have operations in Ireland, among them being Google, Apple, Face book, PayPal, Microsoft, Yahoo, eBay, AOL, Twitter and Intel. Pfizer, Boston Scientific and Johnson & Johnson also have a major presence there. The US companies account for 90 percent of all of Ireland’s manufactured exports and employ around 10 percent of its workforce. They helped pull the Irish economy out of the 2010 eurozone debt crisis which engulfed Greece and Portugal, countries with corporate taxes of 24 percent and 31.5 percent, respectively. "The idea is to make the US companies pay something and not get away scot free," said Mohan. "If you ask me, it’s a good initiative because many companies are using the tax loophole that allows them to base overseas to park their money in tax havens and not pay the US a cent sometimes. Yet, getting everyone on board will be a problem as those charging less than 21 percent now will argue that this is a competition-killer." As the Irish Times noted in an op-ed on Friday, talk of a major shake-up of the way corporate tax is collected internationally has been on for many years, with a series of proposals from the European Union, reform plans in the United States and lengthy talks on an international deal among the 139 countries on the Paris-based Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD. So far the impact of these has been limited - EU plans have run into the sand; reform programs by former US President Donald Trump did not hit foreign direct investment as some had feared; and the OECD talks, while agreeing on a first phase of reform, have struggled to make progress beyond that. Now, along with the US global minimum tax plan, the OECD has raised a digital sales tax plan. It proposes that multinationals pay tax on what they sell through digital channels in the markets where they do so. This is a change from current rules under which profit is declared and tax paid in countries from where the digital sales are managed. Crucially, the United States supported a version of this plan during a week of submissions to the OECD, suggesting that the biggest companies pay a levy on their sales to the exchequer of the country where the transaction took place. This is seen as a quid pro quo; it will affect US companies, but the Biden administration hopes it will also help win support from Europe and other players for its minimum tax rate plan. "There are two dangers here for Ireland," op-ed writer Cliff Taylor said. "The clearest is the potential loss of revenue from the digital sales tax (this would not mean corporation tax would necessarily fall, but it would be lower than it would otherwise be). However, the more serious threat to Ireland’s regime is more likely to be the new... US tax rate and the possible agreement at OECD level on a minimum global corporate tax rate." Besides Ireland, the US Internal Revenue Service also has to contend with tax jurisdictions like Jersey - an island in the English Channel, between England and France, that is not to be mistaken with the US state of New Jersey. The island of Jersey, which has zero corporate tax, has been the offshore haven to park the profits of Apple. The iPhone maker, meanwhile, continues to operate its corporate headquarters at a 32-acre gleaming technology park in Cupertino, California that also houses the so-called Apple Campus. BIDEN WONT EASILY FIND GLOBAL SUPPORT FOR HIS TAX WAR

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Biden vowed on Friday to crack down on Apple and other large US companies like Bristol Myers Squibb that have long employed complicated maneuvers to reduce or eliminate their tax bills by shifting income on paper between countries. "I'm not trying to punish anybody, but damn it - maybe it’s because I come from a middle-class neighborhood - I'm sick and tired of ordinary people being fleeced," the president said. Johns Hopkins University Economics Professor Louis Galambos said while Biden had authority to determine the US tax structure, it would be overbearing on the president's part to direct foreign governments on how to levy companies in their jurisdiction, particularly if it is tantamount to destroying their competitiveness. "The problem is two-fold," Galambos told Sputnik. "Why should other countries give up their competitive advantage to help Biden? I doubt another democracy would hurt its own people to help the US. This is a return to a failed foreign policy of nice words and poor performance."

Top US, Ukraine Diplomats Expected to Meet in Brussels - Senior State Dept. Official

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba are expected to hold a bilateral meeting in Brussels this week to discuss Russian troop movements, Department of State Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Acting Assistant Secretary Philip Reeker said on Monday. "The [Ukrainian] foreign minister will be at NATO himself and the Secretary should have an opportunity to see him perhaps later in Brussels," Reeker said during a telephone briefing. The alliance will hold a NATO-Ukraine council meeting on Tuesday, where Kuleba will be present, to discuss de-escalating the situation, Reeker said. Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, will discuss the situation on the Russia-Ukraine border with their NATO counterparts in Brussels this week. Last week, the Kremlin characterized the situation on the Russia-Ukraine border as "frightening" and vowed to bolster security in response to increased NATO presence in the region. Meanwhile, the United States and its allies have said they are concerned by Russia’s troop movements.

Police Secures Scene of School Shooting in Knoxville, Tennessee - Official

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - The scene of a school shooting in the Tennessee city of Knoxville has been secured after multiple victims suffered gunshot wounds, Knox County Schools Superintendent Bob Thomas said on Monday.

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"The school building has been secured and students who were not involved in the incident have been released to their families," Thomas said in a statement via Twitter. 12.04.2021 23:50:52 +03:00 US Attache Showed 'Incredibly Bad Judgment' Wearing Death’s Head - Military Analysts WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - US Defense Attache to Kiev Colonel Brittany Stewart showed "incredibly bad judgment" publicly wearing a Ukrainian skull insignia on April 9, a former Pentagon analyst and combat veteran-turned-historian told Sputnik on Monday. Stewart on Friday traveled to the Donbas war zone in the eastern part of Ukraine. In photos taken during her visit, Stewart was shown wearing on her shoulder a "Ukraine or Death" skull insignia, which is the patch of the 72nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade. INSIGNIA PROVOCATION Stewart's action displayed amazingly bad judgment at a time of serious and escalating tensions between the United States and Russia, retired veteran Pentagon analyst Chuck Spinney said. "Displaying a foreign military organizational insignia on her uniform is a provocation that shows incredibly bad judgment, given the states of Russia-US tensions and the Russia-Ukrainian tensions," he said. Stewart had either seriously violated US military regulations or, even more seriously, had been given specific permission in advance to wear the controversial insignia openly, Spinney observed. "It may be a violation of regulations to boot - unless she had a direct authorization from superior officials to wear it (which would be even worse)," he said. Stewart was not just a regular serving officer but she also held an important diplomatic position representing the United States in Ukraine when she took her action, Spinney pointed out. "In this case, the officer is a full colonel attache, whose duty is to be an official diplomatic representative of the United States in the Ukraine. She is also on what appears to be an official mission," he said. UNUSUAL ACTION Stewart's action was highly unusual for any serving officer, former US Marine Corps tank officer and combat veteran Dan Grazier, now a historian and fellow at the Center for Defense Information at the Project on Government Oversight, said. "That does seem odd. \Ne didn't wear any patches like that in the Marine Corps... The Army has a bunch of rules about unit patches," he said. The Donbas region has seen an escalation in the situation over the past weeks. On April 7, the head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, Denis Pushilin, said the situation at the contact line was deteriorating. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has described the situation on the border as "frightening." He said Russia was taking steps to bolster the security of its western frontier in response to increased NATO presence.

Shooting at High School in US State of Tennessee Claims Multiple Victims, Officer - Police

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Shooting at High School in US State of Tennessee Claims Multiple Victims, Officer - Police

Top US, Ukraine Diplomats Expected to Meet in Brussels - Senior State Dept. Official WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba are expected to hold a bilateral meeting in Brussels this week to discuss Russian troop movements, Department of State Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Acting Assistant Secretary, Philip Reeker, said on Monday. "The [Ukrainian] foreign minister will be at NATO himself and the Secretary should have an opportunity to see him perhaps later in Brussels," Reeker said in a telephone briefing.

Minneapolis Mayor Declares Curfew, State of Emergency After Police Killing of Black Man

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, in a briefing on Monday declared a state of emergency and a curfew from at 7 p.m. (00:00 GMT) on Monday until 6 a.m. after the fatal incident with Daunte Wright led to violence the previous night.

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"\Afe must see peace tonight. And as of this afternoon, I have declared a state of emergency in the city of Minneapolis and we are following that up with a curfew that will begin at 7 p.m. tonight and will go until 6 a.m. tomorrow morning,” Frey said.

US Unveils Nuclear Moon Rocket Contractors

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - The US government has selected three major military contractors to develop phase 1 of its Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) program, the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) said in a news release on Monday. "DARPA has awarded contracts for the first phase of the DRACO program," the release said. "The goal of the DRACO program is to demonstrate a nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) system above low Earth orbit in 2025. The three prime contractors are General Atomics, Blue Origin, and Lockheed Martin." General Atomics will perform the Track A reactor development. Blue Origin and Lockheed Martin will independently perform the Track B work to develop Operational System (OS) and Developmental System (DS) spacecraft concept designs, DARPA said. Phase 1 of the program will last 18 months and consist of two tracks. Track A will involve the preliminary design of an NTP reactor and propulsion subsystem concept while Track B will produce an OS spacecraft concept to meet mission objectives and design a Demonstration System DS spacecraft concept, the Defense Department said.

Biden Says No Justification for Looting, Violence After Police Killing in Minnesota

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - US President Joe Biden said on Monday that there is no justification for looting and violence in the United States, commenting on the recent killing of the African American man by a police officer in the state of Minnesota. “There is absolutely no justification for looting, no justification for violence,” Biden told reporters at the White House, noting that peaceful protesting was understandable. The president stressed that there was anger in the black community. “We do know that the anger, pain and trauma that exists in the black community, in that environment is real, it is serious and it is consequential,” he added, urging people to keep calm and peace. According to Minneapolis' Brooklyn Center police, the incident took place on Sunday when officers stopped a vehicle over an alleged traffic violation. The fatal shooting of Duante Wright during an attempt to restrain him sparked nightly clashes between hundreds of protesters and

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police officers, forcing the authorities to deploy National Guard units and impose a curfew in the city adjacent to Minneapolis.

Canada Cancels Turkey Military Permits Over Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict - Foreign Minister

TORONTO, April 12 (Sputnik) - Canada has canceled military exports to Turkey after a probe found that Canadian weapons were used in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Foreign Minister Marc Garneau announced Monday. "Following this review, which found credible evidence that Canadian technology exported to Turkey was used in Nagorno-Karabakh, today I am announcing the cancellation of permits that were suspended in the fall of 2020," Garneau said in a statement. "This use was not consistent with Canadian foreign policy, nor end-use assurances given by Turkey." Canada suspended export permits to Turkey on October 5, 2020 after reports suggested that Azerbaijani forces are using Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones equipped with Canadian-made LSHarris WESCAM target acquisition sensors. Ahead of the decision, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, in a call, urged Garneau to reverse his predecessor’s decision, a source familiar with the situation in the Turkish foreign ministry told Sputnik. According to the source, Canada’s top diplomat indicated to Cavusoglu that Ottawa’s position might be revised. Ankara has not publicly responded to Ottawa’s decision. In late September 2020, the decades-long Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan resumed, resulting in mass military and civilian casualties. The sides managed to reach a ceasefire deal in early November under the mediation of Russia, whose peacekeeping forces were deployed in the conflict zone. The sides also agreed to exchange prisoners while Armenia ceded several regions to Azerbaijan.

Zarif Urges US to Stop Considering Economic, Nuclear 'Terrorism' As Lever - Letter

UNITED NATIONS, April 12 (Sputnik) - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the United States on Monday to stop considering economic and nuclear terrorism as negotiating leverage with the Islamic Republic. "If the United States wants to avert the drastic consequences of foolish gambles by its terrorist stooges, it must cease forthwith to consider unlawful measures - whether economic terrorism perpetrated by [former President Donald] Trump (and continued by the current US administration) or the recent nuclear terrorism - as negotiating leverage and remove all

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sanctions imposed, re-imposed or relabeled since the adoption of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action,” Zarif said.

Zarif to UN Chief: Iran Reserves Right to Take All Necessary Measures to Protect Citizens

UNITED NATIONS, April 12 (Sputnik) - Iran reserves the right to take all necessary measures to protect its citizens after the incident at the Natanz nuclear facility, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday. “The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its right under international law to take all necessary measures to protect and defend its citizens, interests and installations against any terrorist or disruptive acts," Zarif said.

US, Israel to Hold National Security Dialogue on Tuesday - Reports

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - The United States and Israel will hold virtual talks on national security on April 13, Axios reported on Monday citing Israeli officials. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and his Israeli counterpart Meir Ben Shabbat will lead two teams of senior officials form different security and intelligence agencies from both countries two days after an explosion at the Iranian Natanz nuclear facility, the report added. Tehran blamed the explosion on Israel while \Afeshington denied involvement in the incident. The new round of US-israeli discussions will include such topics as Iran’s regional activities, particularly in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen, the report said. International talks on the nuclear deal with Iran in Vienna also will be on the agenda, the report added.

Zarif to UN Chief: Incident at Iran's Nuclear Facility Could Become Environmental Disaster

UNITED NATIONS, April 12 (Sputnik) - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday that a recent incident at the Natanz nuclear facility could have turned into a human and environmental catastrophe. On Sunday morning, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) reported that the Natanz facility had suffered an incident involving its electricity distribution network. AEOI chief Ali Akbar

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Salehi described the incident as "nuclear terrorism." Zarif later laid the blame at the feet of Israel. "I'm writing to inform you that in the early morning hours of April 11 2021, a dangerous, reckless sabotage at the electricity distribution network of the Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant caused a blackout and the disruption of the operations of this sensitive nuclear facility," Zarif said. "The timely and professional containment measures adopted by the highly dedicated management and staff of the NFEP and Iranian Atomic Energy Organization averted what could have become a human and environmental catastrophe."

US Fiscal 2021 Budget Deficit at $1.71 Trillion, Growing By $660Bln in March - Treasury

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - The US budget deficit stands at $1.71 trillion in the first six months of fiscal 2021, after growing by a record $660 billion in March, the Treasury Department said in its monthly balance sheet on Monday. Outlays for October to March amounted to $3.41 trillion while receipts totaled $1.7 trillion, resulting in the $1.71 trillion deficit, according to the balance sheet. March also accounted for the single highest monthly deficit for fiscal 2021. Last month’s outlays alone were at an all-time high of $927 billion versus receipts at $268 billion, resulting in a net monthly deficit of $660 billion. In fiscal 2020, The Treasury Department reported a budget deficit of $3.13 trillion. That budget shortfall came after the issuance of roughly $3 trillion of aid by Congress under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act to provide grants and loans to US businesses as well as relief to individuals amid the coronavirus pandemic. The 2021 deficit so far includes an additional $900 billion in coronavirus relief passed under the Trump administration in November. It is expected to include in April the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 bill passed in March under the Biden administration.

Canada Cancels Turkey Military Permits Over Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict - Foreign Minister

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - Canada has canceled military exports to Turkey after a probe found that Canadian weapons were used in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Foreign Minister Marc Garneau announced Monday. "Following this review, which found credible evidence that Canadian technology exported to Turkey was used in Nagorno-Karabakh, today I am announcing the cancellation of permits that were suspended in the fall of 2020,” Garneau said in a statement. “This use was not consistent with Canadian foreign policy, nor end-use assurances given by Turkey.”

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Blinken Appoints Career Diplomat Abercrombie-Winstanley as State Dept. Diversity Officer

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday named ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley to become the department’s first Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. "Today, we are taking an important step in that [equality promotion] direction by naming ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley as our Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer [CDIO], the first in the department’s history," Blinken said at a press briefing. CDIO will report directly to the Secretary of State and will be empowered to develop a robust framework for fostering diversity and inclusion in the department’s workforce, he said. She will also be entrusted with aligning and advancing diversity and inclusion efforts across the department, including holding senior department leadership accountable, Blinken added. According to Blinken, lack of diversity has been a systemic problem at the State Department. The current step is in line with President Joe Biden’s inaugural declarations to end inequality and to build a more inclusive society in the United States. 12.04.2021 21:25:29 +03:00 Minnesota Police Release Body Camera Footage of Shooting of Black Man by Police Officer (Updates with details in paras 4-7) WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - The Brooklyn Center Police Department in the state of Minnesota has released the body camera footage of an officer allegedly shooting and killing 20-year old Black man, Daunte Wright, during a recent traffic stop, Police Chief Tim Gannon said on Monday. "Today, I will be releasing the body-worn footage worn by the officer involved in the fatal officer-involved shooting that happened on Sunday afternoon," Gannon said during a press conference. The Brooklyn Center police officer involved in the fatal shooting has been placed on administrative leave. The police chief said the shooting was an "accidental discharge" that resulted in Wright's death. Gannon said he believes the police officer accidentally drew her handgun instead of her taser, adding that the person in question is a "very senior officer." Gannon also said he has asked the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to conduct an independent investigation into the incident. Asked who made the decision to authorize law enforcement to use rubber bullets and tear gas against protesters at the BCPD headquarters after the incident, Gannon said, "I'm the police chief in this city, police action is made by me, the decision is made by me." Only two individuals were arrested on Sunday night during the protests and subsequent riots in Brooklyn Center, Gannon added.

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US-Russia Space Cooperation Can Be Used as Example for Collaboration on Earth - Antonov

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - The storied history of US-Russian cooperation in outer space can serve as an example for improving increasingly frayed relations between the two countries, Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said on Monday. "Despite all the difficulties in Russian-US relations, cooperation in space research demonstrates how much Russia and the United States can achieve by working together. This experience can certainly be used on Earth,” Antonov said in a statement dedicated to the 60th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s inaugural space voyage. Antonov cited decades of cooperation between Russia and the United States in outer space, including the Soyuz-Apollo joint flight during the height of the Cold War and joint work aboard the International Space Station. The ambassador was recently recalled to Moscow for consultations after US President Joe Biden said in an interview that Russian President Vladimir Putin was a killed and would "pay a price.'1 Monday marks the 60th anniversary of Gagarin's space flight - the first in history. On April 12, 1961, Gagarin said what has begun a famous statement - "Let's Go!" as the Vostok spacecraft lifted off the ground, taking the first person to space. After orbiting the Earth once, the re-entry module landed on the territory of what was then the Soviet Union.

Minnesota Officer Accidentally Discharged Gun in Fatal Shooting of Black Man - Police

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - The law enforcement officer who shot dead a Black man in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, accidentally drew and discharged a handgun instead of a laser, police chief Tim Gannon told reporters on Monday. "As I watched the [bodycam] video and listened to the officer’s commands it is my belief that the officer had the intention to deploy the taser but instead shot Mr. [Duante] Wright with a single bullet," Gannon said during a briefing. "This appears to me... that this was an accidental discharge that resulted in a tragic death of Mr.Wright." According to the Brooklyn Center police, the incident took place on Sunday when officers stopped a vehicle over an alleged traffic violation. The fatal shooting of Wright during an attempt to restrain him sparked nightly clashes between hundreds of protesters and police officers, forcing the authorities to deploy National Guard units and impose a curfew in the city adjacent to Minneapolis. "The officer drew her handgun instead of her taser. For informational purposes we train with our handguns on our dominant side and a taser on our weak side. So if you are right-handed, you

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carry your firearm on [your] right side and you carry your taser on the left. This is done purposefully and it is trained," Gannon said. The incident came in the midst of the trial of former officer Derek Chauvin, charged with the murder of George Floyd in the state's major city of Minneapolis last May. Chauvin is the officer who put his knee on Floyd’s neck during the arrest of the 46-year-old Black man.

US Concerned Over Russia’s Military Activities Along Ukraine Border - White House

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - The United States is concerned about Russia’s military activities along the border with Ukraine, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters on Monday. "We are concerned ... about the increasing aggression of Russian forces on the border," Psaki said during a press briefing referring to events over the past week. Psaki said US Secretaries of State and Defense, Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin, will discuss the situation on the Russia-Ukraine border with their NATO counterparts in Brussels this week. "V\fe also remain in touch with Ukrainian officials at a range of levels," Psaki also said without providing details. Last week, the Kremlin characterized the situation on the Russia-Ukraine border as "frightening" and vowed to bolster security in response to increased NATO presence in the region. Meanwhile, the United States and its allies have said they are concerned by Russia’s troop movements.

US Sees No Indications That Natanz Incident Derailed Iran Nuclear Talks - White House

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) ~ The United States has not received any indication that an incident at Iran's Natanz nuclear facility over the weekend will change Tehran’s plans to participate in talks to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in Vienna this week, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said during a briefing on Monday. On Sunday morning, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) reported that the Natanz facility had suffered an incident involving its electricity distribution network. AEOI chief Ali Akbar Salehi described the incident as "nuclear terrorism." "We have not been given any indication about a change in participation for these discussions,” Psaki told reporters. Psaki emphasized that the United States was in no way involved in what the AEOI has determined to be an explosion at the nuclear plant. The White House spokesperson also declined to assign blame for the incident amid Iranian claims of Israeli involvement in the attack.

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Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Monday that Iran believes Israel was behind the recent power outage at the Natanz nuclear facility. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Monday that Moscow hoped the incident will not undermine the negotiations in Vienna.

Minnesota Police Release Body Camera Footage of Shooting of Black Man by Police Officer

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - The Brooklyn Center Police Department in the state of Minnesota has released the body camera footage of an officer allegedly shooting and killing 20-year old Black man, Daunte Wright, during a recent traffic stop, Police Chief Tim Gannon said on Monday. "Today, I will be releasing the body-worn footage worn by the officer involved in the fatal officer-involved shooting that happened on Sunday afternoon," Gannon said during a press conference. The Brooklyn Center police officer involved in the fatal shooting has been placed on administrative leave. The police chief said the shooting was an "accidental discharge" that resulted in Wright's death.

White House Confirms Nomination of Jen easterly for DHS Director of Cybersecurity

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - President Joe Biden has nominated key cybersecurity officials in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including Jen Easterly for Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and Chris Magnus for Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, the White House said in a release on Monday. "Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate key leadership for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; John Tien for Deputy Secretary, Jen Easterly for Director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Ur Jaddou for Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, Chris Magnus for Commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection, Jonathan Meyer for General Counsel, and Robert Silvers for Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans," the release said. Jen Easterly served at the White House as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism and as the Deputy for Counterterrorism at the National Security Agency, the release noted. Chris Magnus is currently police chief in Tucson, Arizona, and has extensive experience in issues and practices pertaining to immigration, the release also noted.

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Another nominee, Robert Silvers, served as the Obama administration’s Assistant Secretary for Cyber Policy at the DHS and was responsible for US government response during significant cyber-related incidents, the release said.

At Least 707 People Killed In Myanmar Since Military Coup - UN Spokesman

UNITED NATIONS, April 12 (Sputnik) - At least 707 civilians have been killed in Myanmar since the military coup on February 1, while the true number might be significantly higher, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a press briefing on Monday. “The U N human rights office says that, as of today, credible reports show at least 707 people having been killed since the military seized control of the government more than two months ago,” Dujarric said. “It is believed this may be significantly higher.” Thousands more have been injured, many of them seriously, Dujarric added. The spokesman said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated his deep concern about the developments in Myanmar and found the most recent reports of killings by security forces “appalling.” "The Secretary-General encourages all member states to use their influence to impress on the parties the need to stop this escalation and to take steps that will facilitate the return to civilian rule,” Dujarric added. He also said that the UN Special Envoy on Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, is currently in the region to promote an effective international response and remains ready to visit Myanmar at the earliest opportunity. Schraner Burgener said last week that the military junta had barred her from entering the country.

White House Offers Support After Black Man Shot by Police in Minnesota - Mayor

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - The Biden administration has offered support to the city of Brooklyn Center in Minnesota after a police officer shot a black man during a traffic stop, Mayor Mike Elliott said on Monday. "Just got off the phone with the White House. I appreciate POTUS [president of the United States] reaching out to officer his administration's support," Elliott said via Twitter. Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents the family of George Floyd after in the case of his dying in police , said earlier that law enforcement's level of lethal force is unacceptable and it is necessary to demand accountability.

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According to the Brooklyn Center Police Department (BCPD), the incident took place at about 2:00 p.m. local time (19:00 GMT) on Sunday when officers stopped a vehicle over an alleged traffic violation. "Officers determined that the driver of the vehicle had an outstanding warrant. At one point as officers were attempting to take the driver into custody, the driver re-entered the vehicle. One officer discharged their firearm, striking the driver. The vehicle traveled several blocks before striking another vehicle," BCPD said in a press release late on Sunday. The driver died at the scene despite having medical assistance. The victim was identified as 20-year-old Daunte Wright. The name of a police officer who shot Wright has not been released yet. Within hours following the incident, several hundreds of people gathered at the scene in the northern Minneapolis suburb, where they clashed with police officers.

UN Following Situation in Donbas with Concern, Urges Utmost Restraint - Spokesman

UNITED NATIONS, April 12 (Sputnik) - The United Nations follows with concern reports of ceasefire violations in eastern Ukraine and has called on all relevant actors to exercise utmost restraint, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a press briefing on Monday. "We follow the reports of increased ceasefire violations, troop movements in eastern Ukraine. We’re following these developments with concern," Dujarric said. "Our message to all the actors involved is to exercise utmost restraint, to avoid any actions and rhetoric that would further raise tensions." Dujarric also said the United Nations is increasingly concerned about the impact that the current tensions have on the humanitarian situation in the region.

US Not Involved in Incident at Iran’s Natanz Nuclear Facility - White House

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - The United States is not involved in any way in the incident at Iran's Natanz nuclear facility, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said during a briefing on Monday. "We, of course, have seen the reports of the incident at the Natanz facility. The United States is not involved in any matter," Psaki said. "We have nothing to add on the speculations about the causes." On Sunday, Iran reported an incident at the Natanz nuclear plant that has affected the facility's electricity distribution network in what Iran’s vice president and atomic energy chief Ali Akbar Salehi described as "nuclear terrorism." Tehran claims the "accident" was planned by Israel.

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Number of Coronavirus Cases in US Rises, But Number of Deaths Continues to Decrease - CDC

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) latest data shows there has been an increase in the number of people who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus and hospitalized, while the number of virus-related deaths continues to decrease, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said during a briefing on Monday. "CDC’s most recent data show the seven-day average for new cases has increased about 3 percent over the prior seven-day period to over 66,000 cases daily,” Vilensky said. "Hospital admission also continued to increase. The most recent seven-day average, a little over 53 hundred admissions per day is a 6.6 percent increase from the prior seven-day period." \Afelensky added that the number of virus related deaths have decreased by 5.2 percent to a seven-day average of 684 per day. Walensky also shared CDC’s data on emergency room visits between October-December 2020 showing that compared to white individuals, Hispanic, Indian-American and Alaskan native individuals were 1.7 times more likely and black individuals were 1.4 times more likely to seek care at hospitals' emergency departments for COVID-19. More than 166 million vaccines have been administered in the United States 18 days before the 100 days mark set by the President Joe Biden to administer 200 million vaccines, Walensky said.

UN Khashoggi Investigator Says Death Threats From Saudi Official 'Absolutely Shameful'

UNITED NATIONS, April 12 (Sputnik) - Former UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, Agnes Callamard, told Sputnik she found death threats from senior Saudi officials "absolutely shameful" and called on the organization to stand up for employee rights. Last month, Callamard revealed that at a meeting in Geneva in January last year, a senior Saudi official twice threatened to have her "taken care of if she was not reined in by the United Nations. Callamard had penned the UN report on the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi which concluded that Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman was liable for the assassination. "The fact that even diplomatic space is not protected so that even in diplomatic meetings people can be threatened - that's absolutely shameful, and it is a threat to all of us," Callamard, who has since left her post to head Amnesty International, said. "The challenge now is for the UN and, in particular, for the Secretary-General to stand for the rights of UN workers, UN officials, UN experts to always do their work and to speak without fear."

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After Callamard spoke out about the incident in March, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stated the death threats must be taken very seriously. In a 110-page report published in June 2019, Callamard called on the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to launch a follow-up criminal probe of the killing of Khashoggi due to "credible evidence" that senior Saudi officials, including Mohammed bin Salman, had roles to play in the killing of Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The U N did not start the probe, citing the lack of Guterres' authority to launch it.

Blinken, NATO Chief Discuss Russia's 'Military Buildup' Along Ukraine Border - State Dept.

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Russia’s military activities along the border with Ukraine, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Monday. "Blinken and Stoltenberg discussed a range of issues, including the immediate need for Russia to cease its aggressive military buildup along Ukraine’s borders and in occupied Crimea," Price said. The two officials also discussed the prospects for advancing peace in Afghanistan and plans for the upcoming NATO Summit, Price added. The Kremlin last week characterized the situation on the Russia-Ukraine border as "frightening" and vowed to bolster security in response to the increased NATO presence. Meanwhile, the United States and its allies have said they are concerned by Russia’s troop movements.

Central American Nations Agreed to Place Troops at Borders to Stop Migrants - White House

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala have committed to deploy additional troops on their borders to stem illegal US-bound migration, Special Assistant to the US President for Immigration Tyler Moran said on Monday. "We've secured agreements for them to put more troops on their own border. Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala have all agreed to do this. That not only is going to prevent the traffickers, and the smugglers, and cartels that take advantage of the kids on their way here, but also to protect those children," Moran said, as quoted by CNN. The US faces the steepest hike in illegal migration in years after President Joe Biden took office in January and reversed some of the hardline policies imposed by his predecessor, Donald Trump. On Thursday, the Custom and Border Protection data revealed that US border apprehensions soared by more than 70 percent in March. The 172,331 migrant encounters recorded make up

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the highest monthly total in more than two decades, with the Biden administration on pace to top the previous annual record set in 2019 of over 977,000 apprehensions.

Governments Should Consider Wealth Tax to Reduce COVID-19 Extreme Inequalities - UN Chief

UNITED NATIONS, April 12 (Sputnik) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called on countries to consider imposing a "wealth tax" on those who have profited during the coronavirus pandemic in order to re-balance the economy. Guterres noted there has been a $5 trillion surge in the wealth of the super-rich since the start of the pandemic, while some 120 million people have fallen back into extreme poverty. "We must make sure funds go where they are needed most," Guterres said at the 2021 Economic and Social Council Forum on Financing for Development. "I urge governments to consider a solidarity or wealth tax on those who have profited during the pandemic, to reduce extreme inequalities." Guterres also called on governments to reverse the fall in concessional loans to low-income and middle-income countries and urged expanding into 2022 debt suspension for nations in need. The UN chief further appealed for a new social contract based on investments in education, green jobs, social protection and health systems, which will serve as the foundation for sustainable development.

US Declines to Comment on Natanz Facility Incident, Iran’s Accusations Against Israel

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) -A US State Department spokesperson has declined to comment on the situation around Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility and Tehran’s accusations of Israeli involvement in the attack. “We decline to comment,” the spokesperson said to Sputnik Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Monday that Iran believes Israel was behind the recent power outage at the Natanz nuclear facility. On Sunday, Iran reported an incident at its Natanz nuclear plant which has affected the facility’s electricity distribution network in what Iran’s vice president and atomic energy chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, described as "nuclear terrorism." Tehran claims the "accident" was planned by Israel.

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US Could See ‘Transitory’ Inflation While Emerging From Pandemic - White House

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - Inflation is expected to increase in the coming months due to base effects, supply chain disruptions and pent-up demand and subside thereafter as the US economy recovers from the coronavirus pandemic, the White House said in a guidance published on Monday. "\Ne think the likeliest outlook over the next several months is for inflation to rise modestly due to the three temporary factors .... and to fade back to a lower pace thereafter as actual inflation begins to run more in line with longer-run expectations,” the White House said. "Such a transitory rise in inflation would be consistent with some prior episodes in American history coming out of a pandemic or when the labor market has quickly shifted, such as demobilization from wars." The White House noted that the base effects in annual inflation measures occur when the base, or initial month, of a growth rate is unusually low or high, citing the bottom set in the early part of the pandemic in April 2020. "Twelve months later, due to the suddenness and scale of this earlier decline, we expect year-over-year inflation growth rates for the next few months to be temporarily distorted by these sorts of base effects," it said. The Federal Reserve has set an annual inflation target of 2 percent. While price data for March or April were not yet available, the White House said that if it were to assume monthly inflation growing at just under 0.2 percent, then the two months could see an increase of 2.3 percent due to the change over the previous year in the core Personal Consumption Expenditure calculator. In terms of supply chain disruptions, this type of inflation was mainly transitory, as prices of commodities such as lumber or energy rose during supply tightness, then stabilized at a higher level or decreased, with no further impact on future inflation. "While we expect global supply chains to gradually unclog as world economies recover throughout 2021 and beyond, in the near-term some businesses may temporarily pass on the added costs from these disruptions into higher consumer prices," the White House said. On the pent-up demand side, prices for many of the services most sensitive to the pandemic - such as hotels, sit-down restaurants and air travel - that decreased due to curtailed demand stemming from consumer anxiety and public health restrictions, were expected to spike briefly on reopening. "Again, we expect this to primarily be a short-term issue; as businesses that shuttered or substantially reduced their services reopen, supply will increase to meet this pent-up demand," the White House said. "Encouragingly on this point, new business formation has picked up in recent months." The White House also said a key determinant of lasting price pressures over the long term is inflation expectation. A spike in inflation expectations could lead to "economic overheating" that prompts the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates quickly, resulting instead in a slowing of the economy and an increase in unemployment.

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UN Special Envoy for Yemen Urges Parties to Negotiate Political Settlement

UNITED NATIONS, April 12 (Sputnik) - UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths on Monday called on the warring parties in Yemen to negotiate a political settlement that will end the conflict in that country. Earlier in the day, Griffiths met with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in Berlin. The UN Special Envoy arrived in Germany in conjunction with the visit of US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking. "I reiterate my call to the parties to seize the opportunity that exists now, and negotiate in good faith without preconditions, and to listen to the calls of the international community to end this conflict and to return Yemen to the people of Yemen and to its future," Griffiths said. According to the UN diplomat, first, the parties must address the critical humanitarian situation in the country and build confidence. Second, they should consider a UN plan to secure a nationwide ceasefire and allow for the opening of the main roads connecting the country from north to south for free movement of civilians, goods and aid, Griffiths said. "We also aim to secure the opening of Sanaa airport to international and national flights; and to ensure the regular flow of fuel and other commercial commodities into Yemen through the ports of Hudaydah," the special envoy added. Griffiths further expressed his hope that an agreement on all those humanitarian measures will contribute to parties moving swiftly to peace talks under the auspices of the UN to comprehensively end the war. He also pointed out that the Yemeni parties have been negotiating these points for more than a year, adding that together with Maas and Lenderking, he was doing the utmost to bridge their differences.

Biden to Nominate Critic of Trump Border Policies to Lead US Customs Agency - Reports

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - President Joe Biden is going to name Tucson, Arizona Police Chief Chris Magnus, an outspoken critic of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, to run the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency, the New York Times reported on Monday. Magnus was one of six nominations for top national security positions that Biden will announce later on Monday, the report said. Biden will also announce his nominations of former National Security Agency (NSA), head of resilience at Morgan Stanley, to run cybersecurity at the Department of Homeland Security

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(DHS) cybersecurity branch, and Robert Silvers, a senior DHS cybersecurity official under President Barack Obama as under secretary for policy, the report said. Biden will also name another former Obama administration official Jonathan Meyer as DHS general counsel and former National Security Council senior director for Afghanistan and Pakistan John Tien as DHS deputy secretary, the report said.

NASA Signs Deal on Gagarin Anniversary to Fly Reality TV'Hero' to Space Station

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - NASA has signed a deal to explore the feasibility of flying a US reality show contestant to the International Space Station (ISS), Space Hero Partnerships said in a press release on Monday. "Space Hero Partnerships has signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA for a feasibility study of a proposed Space Hero mission to the International Space Station," the release said. "The Space Hero mission, targeted for 2023, will be provided by Axiom Space and may include a 24/7 immersive and interactive livestream." The signing was made to coincide with the 60th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's pioneering spaceflight, the release said. "The SAA is signed at a significant date in human history, as April 12, 2021 marks the 60th anniversary of the first human in space, Yuri Gagarin. Since then, more than 500 professionals have risked their lives to create a path into space that is now reliable for humanity to explore,” the statement read. Space Hero is the world's first-ever global casting show where contestants compete for a trip to the ISS, the release explained. Space Hero would send a civilian on a $55 million, 10-day trip to the ISS. The contest for the trip will begin at the end of 2021 and will be open to anyone over 18 and is fluent in English. The flight is planned for 2023 and Space Hero is planning 15 seasons over the next 30 years, eventually flying beyond the ISS to the Moon and Mars, the release said.

Shooting in US State of Georgia Leaves 3 Officers Injured, 1 Man Dead - State Agency

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - A police chase that ended in a shooting has left three police officers injured and one person dead, with the suspect in custody, the state's Bureau of Investigations said on Monday. "Three officers are injured. One man is dead. One man is in custody,” the bureau said via Twitter.

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Earlier the bureau said it had sent its agents to investigate the incident in Georgia's Caroll County, near the city of Atlanta. According to local media reports, the Georgia State Patrol began pursuing the vehicle at around 3:30 a.m. local time, with the suspect clocking speeds of up to 111 miles per hour (179 kilometers per hour). A passenger in the suspect's car opened on the police vehicles, striking three officers, according to the reports. One of the suspects is dead and the other is in custody, the reports said.

Serbian Post Chief Djordjevic Says Receives Commemorative Medal From Putin

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - Serbian Post chief Zoran Djordjevic showed Sputnik a commemorative medal marking the 75th anniversary of victory in WWII sent to him personally by Russian President Vladimir Putin. “I am honored and pleasantly surprised to receive the commemorative medal from Russian President Vladimir Putin," Djordjevic said. “I look forward to working towards strengthening and developing relations between our two brotherly nations, following the example of our President Aleksandar Vucic.” The medal was presented to Djordjevic by Russian Ambassador to Serbia, Alexander Botsan Kharchenko, on the sidelines of an exhibition at the National Post Museum launched on Monday to mark the 60th anniversary of Gagarin’s flight. The medal was presented for active participation in the patriotic education of citizens and for tackling socio-economic problems of WWII veterans. Djordjevic, who had previously served as defense and labor ministers, told Sputnik last week that the postal service issued special edition postage stamps to mark the 60th anniversary of the first manned flight into space. He revealed that Putin will be the recipient of the unique commemorative collectible stamps under the number one, the official told Sputnik. Serbian President Aleksander Vucic will become the owner of the second print of the stamps, while Roscosmos Chief Rogozin will receive the stamps numbered three.

Biden to Nominate Chris Inglis, Jen Easterly to Top Cybersecurity Posts - Reports

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - President Joe Biden will nominate two former National Security Agency (NSA) officials, Jen Easterly and Chris Inglis, to high-level cybersecurity positions later in the day, the \Na\\ Street Journal reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter.

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Jen Easterly, a former counterterrorism and cybersecurity official at NSA with experience at the Obama White House will lead the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), while Chris Inglis, the former deputy NSA director, will become the first ever national cyber director, the journal reported. Additionally, Biden is expected to nominate Rob Silvers as undersecretary for policy at Department of Homeland Security. He was engaged in protection against alleged Russian interference during the 2016 election, the report noted. The nominations come in the wake of two recent cyberattacks, one of which, SolarWinds, the Biden administration has blamed on Russia. Moscow has denied the allegations as groundless. Earlier this month, Biden requested $2.1 billion to be invested the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and $20 million for a new Cyber Response and Recovery Fund.

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - Microsoft said on Monday it was buying speech recognition company Communications for $16 billion to deepen its foray into artificial intelligence (AS), in what would be its biggest acquisition since the 2016 purchase of professional networking site Linkedln. "Nuance provides the Al layer at the healthcare point of delivery and is a pioneer in the real-world application of enterprise Al,” said Satya Nadelia, Microsoft’s Chief Executive Officer. "Al is technology’s most important priority, and healthcare is its most urgent application.” Microsoft said it would pay $56 for a share of Nuance, or about 23 percent above that company's closing price on Friday. Microsoft has been on the prowl for acquisitions that could fuel growth, after its failed attempt last year to acquire the US business of Chinese video making app TikTok for $30 billion. Last month, it completed a $7.6 billion purchase of gaming company Zenimax, and has entered talks since to buy chat application Discord for about $10 billion. Nuance derives revenue by selling tools for recognizing and transcribing speech in doctor's visits, customer-service calls and voicemails. Microsoft said the service will better drive its decision-making in Al and create more meaningful growth for its cloud-based healthcare division.

US Envoy for Yemen Travels to Germany, Persian Gulf - State Department

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - US Special Envoy Tim Lenderking has started a trip to German and the Persian Gulf for talks with officials on reaching a ceasefire in Yemen, the State Department said on Monday.

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"Lenderking has arrived in Berlin for meetings on April 12 with the German Foreign Minister in conjunction with the visit of UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths,” the State Department said in a statement. The US envoy also plans to meet with representatives from the permanent members of the UN Security Council, Germany, Kuwait, Sweden, and the EU. During the consultations, he will discuss the importance of reaching a lasting solution to the war in Yemen, including a resumption of political talks and an immediate end to the offensive in Marib. "The group will also discuss steps the international community can take to mitigate the suffering of the Yemeni people, including additional humanitarian assistance and follow-through on past pledges,” the State Department said. On April 14, Lenderking will continue his trip in the Persian Gulf and conduct talks with senior regional government officials in coordination with Griffiths. “His discussions will maintain the focus on joint international efforts to promote a peace agreement and efforts to address the dire humanitarian crisis in Yemen,” the statement said. Yemen has been gripped by an internal conflict between the government forces and the Houthi movement for over six years. Since 2015, the Saudi-led coalition fighting on the government's side has been conducting air, land and sea operations against the rebels, who control the capital of Sanaa and large areas in Yemen's north and west. The Houthis often retaliate by firing projectiles and bomber drones at the Saudi territory.

ISS Represents Perfect Platform for Russia, US to Boost Relations - Space Foundation

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - The International Space Station (ISS) is an ideal platform for the United States and Russia to develop better relations, Space Foundation CEO Tom Zelibor told Sputnik. "That orbiting outpost would not have happened without either the Russian or the American people, and it is the perfect platform for us to develop better relationships with one another,” Zelibor said. “The truth is, the ISS was brought about by more than engineering and joint assembly spacewalks. It’s an example of respect, human ingenuity and capacity building and those are the best foundations for any relationship to be built upon.” Zelibor said that is one of the reasons the Space Foundation selected the five primary partners of the ISS - the United States, Canada, Japan, Russia and the European Space Agency (ESA) with its Space Achievement Award this past year. The Space Agency chief said space remains one the very few areas where the two countries continue to cooperate amid their worsened relations. "Cost is certainly a driver as efforts like the ISS, or even trips to the Moon or Mars are not inexpensive ventures,” he said. “Ultimately, it’s about our mutual survival. Space is certainly one of the most hostile of environments any human can venture and, as such, our own human instincts to protect ourselves and one another come forward.”

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Zelibor pointed out that ever since Russian and US astronauts started to train together onboard the Space Shuttle and the Mir Space Station in the 1990s, political and cultural barriers broke down between the crew members but also the support teams around them. "That’s a relationship that was pioneered in the 1970’s by the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project that not only linked our international spacecraft in orbit but joined us in handshakes in space for the first time too,” Zelibor said. Zelibor said he believes that one of the most impressive relationships and lifelong friendships born of that exchange was between astronauts Tom Stafford and Alexei Leonov - "two of the Space Races most notable space pioneers.” "Their friendship was the first of many mutual bonds of respect and comradery to be formed and many more have followed their examples,” he said. “You hear about that shared mutual bond if you speak with any of the ISS crew members and their support teams, or even those from the Shuttle-Mir era. All of them will tell you how grateful they are for friendships that were forged by working, designing, building and training together.” The Space Foundation, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is one of the world’s leading organizations in space awareness activities and major industry events.

Story of Russian Space Achievements Should Be Told Better in US - Space Foundation

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - Many people in the United States are unaware either of the achievements of the Russian space program or risks of legendary cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin's pioneering space flight, and that story should be told better, Space Foundation CEO Tom Zelibor told Sputnik. "Today unfortunately I don’t think enough people have a full appreciation for the risks of Gagarin's flight, or those that immediately followed him into space,” Zelibor said. “Movies and TV programs have certainly showed some of the drama of those moments for American audiences around the original Mercury astronauts but there are still a lot of Americans who don’t know or really appreciate the achievements of the Russian space program. That’s a story that needs to be better told. Especially as we celebrate twenty years of cooperation of living and working onboard the International Space Station." Today marks the 60th anniversary of Gagarin's space flight - the first in human history. On April 12, 1961, Gagarin pronounced his famous "Poyekhali!" (Let's Go!) as the Vostok spacecraft lifted off the ground, taking the first person ever to space. After orbiting the Earth once, the re-entry module landed on the territory of what was then the Soviet Union. Zelibor said many Americans today value his achievement despite the competition between US and Russia, but back then, in the tension of the Cold Vsfar, things were different. "National pride of who would be the first country to go into space certainly was front and center in everyone's minds back then,” he explained. “But history has a way of giving us a deeper and broader perspective of moments that we cannot appreciate for their magnitude when they occur.”

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Zelibor stressed that Gagarin's pioneering space flight 60 years ago was life-changing for each nation on the planet Earth, and has demonstrated to people that they do not have to be bound by the gravity as there is an entire universe to explore. "We can certainly celebrate history making achievements when they occur, but history gives us ripples of understanding and perspective that give moments like Gagarin's deeper meaning and appreciation,” he added. On April 7, 2011, the UN General Assembly proclaimed April 12 as the International Day of Human Space Flight on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Gagarin's first space flight. The resolution was co-authored by more than 60 UN member states. The Space Foundation, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is one of the leading organizations in space awareness activities and major industry events.

Gagarin's Flight \Nas 'Life Changing' for Everyone on Planet - US Space Foundation CEO

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Sputnik) - Legendary Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin's pioneering space flight 60 years ago was life-changing for every nation on the planet, and demonstrated Earth's gravity need not prevent humanity from exploring the entire universe, US-based Space Foundation CEO Tom Zelibor told Sputnik. Monday marks the 60th anniversary of Gagarin's space flight - the first in human history. On April 12,1961, Gagarin pronounced his famous "Poyekhali!" (Let's Go!) as the Vostok spacecraft lifted off the ground, taking the first person ever to space. After orbiting the Earth once, the re-entry module landed on the territory of what was then the Soviet Union. "Gagarin’s flight, like Alan Shepard's a month later was life changing for not just the Soviet Union and the US but for everyone on this planet,” Zelibor said. “It showed us all, we do not need to be bound by Earth's gravity because we have an entire universe to explore.” April 12th, he added, "is the day that everything changes for humanity." "One of us from the entire human race takes that first journey into space and after that, we all begin to follow. It’s part of the reason we hold so many explorers in such high esteem," Zelibor said. "They’ve done something that no one had ever done before, and that spark they offer is all it takes to give someone else the initiative and courage to give it a go and take their bold step forward next." Zelibor went on to say that Gagarin’s flight is emblematic of the human experience to explore and take risks by going into the unknown. “What also makes his flight so valuable is the fact we have pictures and footage that captured it as it happened,” he added. “No other explorer before him, ever had their venture chronicled on film but having that visual record means more of us could share in the experience.” Zelibor added that those images were not just visual proof, but they shared wonder and imagination of what is possible for people to achieve. "Which is why even today, we still crave the pictures, footage and visuals that come with spaceflight,” he noted.

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The fact Russia, the US, China and others have spacecraft distributed throughout the system, bearing their respective flags, tells the universe: “V\fe’re here and we’re going to explore wherever it takes us.” "April 12th, 1961 is the day it all started for the human race and Yuri Gagarin was the person who started that for all of us," he said. Zelibor underscored that that represents a powerful testament of how the global space ecosystem can work together to tackle bold missions in space but also address big problems on Earth. "While Gagarin's venture into space may be the human start of space exploration, it is also the start of how space changes humanity for the bettering of life here on Earth," he said. "When that happens, it benefits everyone and its Space Foundation’s mission to share those stories, programs and rewards.” On April 7, 2011, the UN General Assembly proclaimed April 12 as the International Day of Human Space Flight on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Gagarin's first space flight. The resolution was co-authored by more than 60 UN member states. “Today Space Foundation works with educators from around the globe. In our Teacher Liaison Program we have hundreds of elite educators from 14 different countries participating - all with one goal - making a better future for everyone,” he said. “V\fe don’t have one from Russia yet, but that’s something we want to have happen soon. That’s progress by any measure and it all starts with that first flight.” Zelibor noted that for the past decade, Space Foundation has hosted an annual “Yuri’s Night,” to celebrate Gagarin’s flight, and it usually aligned with the annual Space Symposium. Because of the current pandemic, this year on Saturday, April 17th, the Foundation will host a virtual gathering that will allow families to participate in an interactive event dubbed “choose your own adventure”. "Normally, we would be gathering many of our Symposium attendees among the various exhibits and displays at our Discovery Center for our Yuri's Night celebration but with the ongoing pandemic, we’ve gone with an online gathering,” he explained. “It's certainly not what we hoped it would be, but this platform also allows us to reach even more people and doing the interactive adventure with Astrid allows the experience to still deliver a personal feel.” Zelibor noted that participants will be able to help the pioneering astronaut, Astrid, who was inspired by Yuri Gagarin and every space pioneer that has followed, as Astrid seeks to be the first human on Mars. “Astrid runs into some trouble along the way and it’s up to participants to help her successfully make it to Mars,” he said. “We saw this year’s gathering as an opportunity to not only educate and inspire children and their families about Gagarin’s flight, but also take part in mission decisions that will help Astrid get to her intended destination.” Zelibor added that Space Foundation has used Yuri’s Night as a fundraiser for the multiple education programs, teachers, students and families worldwide. This year’s program, he said, is also about helping young people see their place in the global space ecosystem. "They all don’t have to be astronauts like our character Astrid, but there are opportunities for them to be flight directors, construction leaders, doctors, climate scientists, geologists, nutritionists and so much more,” he continued. “Today's generation of children will have more

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space happenings in their lives than any before it and if Space Foundation and events like Yuri's Night can help them see that future, we’re going to do it.” "It is also a moment to give pause and reflect how that first flight changed the world and every person on it,” Zelibor stressed. “Nothing was ever the same after that flight and every bold step we take since Gagarin’s flight proves there’s nothing we cannot do without knowhow, dedication and courage. It's a tremendous legacy.” The Space Foundation, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is one of the leading organizations in space awareness activities and major industry events.

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