upi--2020-05-11--2,000 former DOJ prosecutors, FBI officials demand Barr resign over Flynn case

May 11 ( UPI ) -- Almost 2,000 former federal prosecutors and members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation published an open letter Monday calling for the resignation of Attorney General William P. Barr over the dropping of the Michael Flynn case in federal court .
Former U.S. Department of Justice and FBI officials , identifying themselves as both Republicans and Democrats , said Barr 's decision to drop prosecution of Flynn , President Donald Trump 's first national security advisor , was a case of using `` the Department as a tool to further President Trump 's personal and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Make no mistake : The Department 's action is extraordinarily rare , if not unprecedented , '' the letter added .
`` If any of us , or anyone reading this statement who is not a friend of the President , were to lie to federal investigators in the course of a properly predicated counterintelligence investigation , and admit we did so under oath , we would be prosecuted for it . ''
Last week , Barr 's prosecutors asked a U.S. District judge to dismiss the charge of making false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flynn , a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general .
Co-signers of the letter said Barr earlier overruled sentencing recommendations to seek favorable treatment for President Trump 's close associate , Roger Stone , showing that Barr was doing the president 's bidding as Attorney General .
`` [ Barr 's actions flout ] the core principle that politics must never enter into the Department 's law enforcement decisions and undermined its mission to ensure equal justice under the law , '' the letter said .
Co-signers included former federal prosecutors and some former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stuart Gerson , who served during the Clinton administration as acting attorney general , NBC News reported .
The letter urged District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan , who 's in charge of the Flynn case , to examine the DOJ 's rationale for dismissing the charges , and to hold hearings with witnesses if necessary , then to `` deny the motion and proceed with sentencing if appropriate . ''
Along with urging Barr 's resignation , the group urged Congress to reschedule a House Judiciary Committee meeting to censure Barr , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abuses of power . ''
In 2017 , Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI during special counsel Robert Mueller 's probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election .
Flynn admitted he made false statements regarding meetings with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak .
In January , Barr 's Justice Department changed its sentencing recommendation from probation for Flynn to six months in prison , saying Flynn was unrepentant .
A week later , Flynn asked to withdraw his guilty plea , saying prosecutors broke the plea agreement when they requested jail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barr and conservative supporters said FBI handwritten notes , released last month , by a federal judge , suggested that he `` goal '' was `` to get [ Flynn ] to lie , so we can prosecute him or get him fired . ''
Trump said in March that he was `` strongly considering '' pardoning Flynn , suggesting that the FBI and DOJ mishandled records related to the case .

Almost 2,000 former federal prosecutors and FBI officials called for the resignation of United States Attorney General William P. Barr after his decision to drop the case against former Trump Security Advisor Michael Flynn. File photo by Chris Kleponis/UPI | License Photo
May 11 (UPI) -- Almost 2,000 former federal prosecutors and members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation published an open letter Monday calling for the resignation of Attorney General William P. Barr over the dropping of the Michael Flynn case in federal court. Former U.S. Department of Justice and FBI officials, identifying themselves as both Republicans and Democrats, said Barr's decision to drop prosecution of Flynn, President Donald Trump's first national security advisor, was a case of using "the Department as a tool to further President Trump's personal and political interests," the letter said. Advertisement
"Make no mistake: The Department's action is extraordinarily rare, if not unprecedented," the letter added. "If any of us, or anyone reading this statement who is not a friend of the President, were to lie to federal investigators in the course of a properly predicated counterintelligence investigation, and admit we did so under oath, we would be prosecuted for it."
Last week, Barr's prosecutors asked a U.S. District judge to dismiss the charge of making false statements to the FBI with prejudice against Flynn, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general.
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Co-signers of the letter said Barr earlier overruled sentencing recommendations to seek favorable treatment for President Trump's close associate, Roger Stone, showing that Barr was doing the president's bidding as Attorney General.
"[Barr's actions flout] the core principle that politics must never enter into the Department's law enforcement decisions and undermined its mission to ensure equal justice under the law," the letter said.
Co-signers included former federal prosecutors and some former presidential appointees. The highest-ranking signee was Stuart Gerson, who served during the Clinton administration as acting attorney general, NBC News reported.
The letter urged District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan, who's in charge of the Flynn case, to examine the DOJ's rationale for dismissing the charges, and to hold hearings with witnesses if necessary, then to "deny the motion and proceed with sentencing if appropriate."
Along with urging Barr's resignation, the group urged Congress to reschedule a House Judiciary Committee meeting to censure Barr, "and demand that he answer for his abuses of power."
In 2017, Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI during special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Flynn admitted he made false statements regarding meetings with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
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In January, Barr's Justice Department changed its sentencing recommendation from probation for Flynn to six months in prison, saying Flynn was unrepentant. A week later, Flynn asked to withdraw his guilty plea, saying prosecutors broke the plea agreement when they requested jail time.
In withdrawing the prosecution, Barr and conservative supporters said FBI handwritten notes, released last month, by a federal judge, suggested that he "goal" was "to get [Flynn] to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired."
Trump said in March that he was "strongly considering" pardoning Flynn, suggesting that the FBI and DOJ mishandled records related to the case.


upi--2020-05-11--Smoking, COPD as much as double risk for severe COVID-19

May 11 ( UPI ) -- People who smoke or have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , or COPD , may be at increased risk for severe complications and death from COVID-19 infection , an analysis published Monday by the journal PLOS ONE said .
Patients with COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 , are nearly twice as likely to experience severe illness if they have COPD and 1.5-times as likely to have severe illness , researchers at University College London reported .
Researchers reviewed data on 2,500 patients from 15 studies , finding that about 9 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 percent had COPD .
`` Despite the low prevalence of COPD and smoking in COVID-19 cases , COPD and current smokers were associated with greater COVID-19 severity and mortality , '' the authors wrote .
COPD is a common , persistent lung disease associated with reduced airflow .
It affectes an estimated 251 million people worldwide .
About 1.1 billion people -- or 14 percent of the global population -- smoke , according to the World Health Organization .
Given the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on the lungs -- it has been linked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the researchers in the new analysis sought to understand the prevalence and effects of COPD among those with the virus .
The researchers identified 15 papers -- based on epidemiological , clinical characteristics and features of COVID-19 and the prevalence of COPD -- that included data on 2,473 confirmed cases of COVID-19 .
Overall , 58 , or 2.3 percent , of the patients also had COPD , while 221 , or 9 percent , were smokers .
Overall , the authors of the analysis found that critically ill COVID-19 patients with COPD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease and a 60 percent risk of death , while critically ill patients without COPD had only a 33.4 percent risk of severe disease and 55 percent risk of death .
In addition , current smokers were 1.45 times more likely to have severe complications compared to former and non-smokers .
However , the researchers were not able to determine whether there was an association between the frequency of COPD flare-ups or severity of COPD with COVID-19 prognosis or complications .

Smokers and those with COPD might be at increased risk for severe illness with COVID-19, a new analysis has found. Photo by Gerd Altmann/Pixabay
May 11 (UPI) -- People who smoke or have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, may be at increased risk for severe complications and death from COVID-19 infection, an analysis published Monday by the journal PLOS ONE said. Patients with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, are nearly twice as likely to experience severe illness if they have COPD and 1.5-times as likely to have severe illness, researchers at University College London reported. Advertisement
Researchers reviewed data on 2,500 patients from 15 studies, finding that about 9 percent of patients were smokers and more than 2 percent had COPD.
"Despite the low prevalence of COPD and smoking in COVID-19 cases, COPD and current smokers were associated with greater COVID-19 severity and mortality," the authors wrote.
COPD is a common, persistent lung disease associated with reduced airflow. It affectes an estimated 251 million people worldwide.
About 1.1 billion people -- or 14 percent of the global population -- smoke, according to the World Health Organization.
Given the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on the lungs -- it has been linked with severe pneumonia in some patients -- the researchers in the new analysis sought to understand the prevalence and effects of COPD among those with the virus.
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The researchers identified 15 papers -- based on epidemiological, clinical characteristics and features of COVID-19 and the prevalence of COPD -- that included data on 2,473 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Overall, 58, or 2.3 percent, of the patients also had COPD, while 221, or 9 percent, were smokers.
Overall, the authors of the analysis found that critically ill COVID-19 patients with COPD had a 63 percent risk of severe disease and a 60 percent risk of death, while critically ill patients without COPD had only a 33.4 percent risk of severe disease and 55 percent risk of death.
In addition, current smokers were 1.45 times more likely to have severe complications compared to former and non-smokers.
However, the researchers were not able to determine whether there was an association between the frequency of COPD flare-ups or severity of COPD with COVID-19 prognosis or complications.


upi--2020-05-11--Baby's sleep problems could signal autism, study suggests

Babies who have disrupted sleep , as many with autism do , may experience delayed brain development , a new study suggests .
Sleep problems in baby 's first year may affect growth of the hippocampus and may also precede an autism diagnosis , researchers say .
In the study of 400 6- to 12-month-old infants , the investigators found that those diagnosed with autism were more likely to have had trouble falling asleep .
Sleep time is prime time for brain development , the study authors noted .
`` The hippocampus is critical for learning and memory , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been associated with poor sleep in adults and older children , '' said lead author Kate MacDuffie , a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washington Autism Center , in Seattle .
As many as 80 percent of children with autism have sleep problems , according to the center 's director , Annette Estes .
`` In our clinical experience , parents have a lot of concerns about their children 's sleep , and in our work on early autism intervention , we observed that sleep problems were holding children and families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ university news release .
It 's too soon , however , to tell if sleep patterns predict autism , she said .
Sleep patterns in the first years of life change as infants go from sleeping around the clock to a more adult-like sleep/wake pattern .
Without more study , Estes said , it 's not possible to determine whether sleep problems indicate an early sign of an increased risk for autism .
There might be a biological component to sleep problems for some children with autism , however , she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ children at 6 , 12 and 24 months of age , and questioned parents about the children 's sleep habits .
Infants also had MRI scans .
The researchers deemed 127 babies at low risk of autism because they had no family history of the disorder .
Of the roughly 300 children who were initially considered high-risk , 71 were diagnosed with autism at age 2 .
In addition , MacDuffie 's team compared repeat MRI brain scans with the children 's sleep histories .
Sleep problems were more common among the infants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ larger hippocampus .
No other parts of the brain were affected .
Other studies have linked `` overgrowth '' in different brain structures to social , language and behavioral aspects of autism .
While the new research showed a link between brain structure and sleep problems among children who were later diagnosed with autism , it could not prove that there was a causal relationship .
The study was published online May 7 in the American Journal of Psychiatry .
For more on autism , visit the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health @

Pixabay Infants diagnosed with autism were more likely to have had trouble falling asleep, researchers found. Photo by PublicDomainPictures
Babies who have disrupted sleep, as many with autism do, may experience delayed brain development, a new study suggests. Sleep problems in baby's first year may affect growth of the hippocampus and may also precede an autism diagnosis, researchers say. Advertisement
In the study of 400 6- to 12-month-old infants, the investigators found that those diagnosed with autism were more likely to have had trouble falling asleep. Sleep time is prime time for brain development, the study authors noted.
"The hippocampus is critical for learning and memory, and changes in the size of the hippocampus have been associated with poor sleep in adults and older children," said lead author Kate MacDuffie, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washington Autism Center, in Seattle.
As many as 80 percent of children with autism have sleep problems, according to the center's director, Annette Estes.
"In our clinical experience, parents have a lot of concerns about their children's sleep, and in our work on early autism intervention, we observed that sleep problems were holding children and families back," Estes said in a university news release.
It's too soon, however, to tell if sleep patterns predict autism, she said.
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Sleep patterns in the first years of life change as infants go from sleeping around the clock to a more adult-like sleep/wake pattern. Without more study, Estes said, it's not possible to determine whether sleep problems indicate an early sign of an increased risk for autism.
There might be a biological component to sleep problems for some children with autism, however, she said.
For the study, the researchers evaluated children at 6, 12 and 24 months of age, and questioned parents about the children's sleep habits. Infants also had MRI scans.
The researchers deemed 127 babies at low risk of autism because they had no family history of the disorder. Of the roughly 300 children who were initially considered high-risk, 71 were diagnosed with autism at age 2.
In addition, MacDuffie's team compared repeat MRI brain scans with the children's sleep histories. Sleep problems were more common among the infants diagnosed with autism, as was a larger hippocampus. No other parts of the brain were affected.
Other studies have linked "overgrowth" in different brain structures to social, language and behavioral aspects of autism.
While the new research showed a link between brain structure and sleep problems among children who were later diagnosed with autism, it could not prove that there was a causal relationship.
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The study was published online May 7 in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
More information
For more on autism, visit the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-05-11--Tech stocks drive Nasdaq to six consecutive days of gains

May 11 ( UPI ) -- Stocks closed mostly flat on Monday as tech stocks continued to rally but investors @ @ @ @ @ reopen the U.S. economy .
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 109.33 points , or @ @ @ @ @ S & P 500 rose 0.013 percent and the Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.78 percent .
@ @ @ @ @ six consecutive sessions , it 's longest positive streak since December , fueled largely by @ @ @ @ @ tech stocks have also allowed the S & P 500 to rally 33 percent since @ @ @ @ @ stocks were affected by concerns about reopening the U.S. economy too soon amid the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ , China , said Monday a new cluster of cases has been recorded there .
@ @ @ @ @ of the outbreak .
Major stocks that would benefit from the economy reopening saw declines @ @ @ @ @ percent , United Airlines slid 5.70 percent and MGM Resorts dropped 6.06 percent .

U.S. stocks were affected Monday by some concern about reopening the economy too soon. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
May 11 (UPI) -- Stocks closed mostly flat on Monday as tech stocks continued to rally but investors expressed concern about plans to reopen the U.S. economy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 109.33 points, or 0.45 percent, while the S&P 500 rose 0.013 percent and the Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.78 percent. Advertisement
The Nasdaq saw gains for six consecutive sessions, it's longest positive streak since December, fueled largely by rising tech stocks.
Facebook stock rose 0.39 percent, Netflix stock gained 1.14 percent, Amazon stock grew 1.24 percent, Alphabet stock climbed 1.39 percent and Apple increased 1.57 percent.
Rising tech stocks have also allowed the S&P 500 to rally 33 percent since March 23.
Experts say stocks were affected by concerns about reopening the U.S. economy too soon amid the coronavirus crisis. Officials in Wuhan, China, said Monday a new cluster of cases has been recorded there. Wuhan was the original epicenter of the outbreak.
Major stocks that would benefit from the economy reopening saw declines Monday as Disney fell 1.22 percent, United Airlines slid 5.70 percent and MGM Resorts dropped 6.06 percent.
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upi--2020-05-11--U.S. House postpones new $1T coronavirus relief vote until Friday

May 11 ( UPI ) -- The U.S. House of Representatives will not meet , but will use this week to work out details in its newest proposed pandemic relief bill , along with a possible method for lawmakers to vote remotely , the House Majority Leader said Monday .
The office of Steny Hoyer , D-Md.
, announced that `` pending introduction of legislation , it is possible that the House may meet this week , no earlier than Friday . ''
Even as the U.S. Senate returned early from a pandemic-inspired recess last week , the House has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposed fourth COVID-19 stimulus bill , possibly earmarking up to $ 1 trillion for state and local governments and medical providers .
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , on Monday urged her colleagues in a letter to follow the advice of the chair of the Federal Reserve Bank and , `` 'Think Big ' because interest rates are so low . ''
`` To do that , we must act boldly to support state and local entities to address coronavirus-related outlays and lost revenue , '' she said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and mortgage help and student loan assistance are essential to relieve the fear that many families are facing . ''
Pelosi said .
`` Not acting is the most expensive course , '' she added .
White House economic advisers opined yesterday that a fourth stimulus vote would be `` premature . ''
`` I think many people would like to just pause for a moment and take a look at the economic impact of the massive assistance program , which is the greatest in United States history , '' said Larry Kudlow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans in the House and Senate have opposed a bailout to the states , with Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell suggesting states should be allowed to declare bankruptcy to restructure their pension and other debts .
The House is also discussing ways that lawmakers can vote remotely , Majority Leader Hoyer said Monday .
A bipartisan panel has been working on a proposal to adopt rules that would let U.S. Congress members vote by proxy .
Democrats canceled a vote on an early proposal to allow remote voting last month .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement to change the rules to allow remote work , '' Hoyer tweeted Monday .

Lawmakers at the U.S. House of Representatives will not vote on a fourth pandemic stimulus plan until the end of the week, while plans are made to change rules to allow remote voting, officials said. File photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
May 11 (UPI) -- The U.S. House of Representatives will not meet, but will use this week to work out details in its newest proposed pandemic relief bill, along with a possible method for lawmakers to vote remotely, the House Majority Leader said Monday. The office of Steny Hoyer, D-Md., announced that "pending introduction of legislation, it is possible that the House may meet this week, no earlier than Friday." Advertisement
Even as the U.S. Senate returned early from a pandemic-inspired recess last week, the House has not officially met to work on a proposed fourth COVID-19 stimulus bill, possibly earmarking up to $1 trillion for state and local governments and medical providers.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on Monday urged her colleagues in a letter to follow the advice of the chair of the Federal Reserve Bank and, "'Think Big' because interest rates are so low."
"To do that, we must act boldly to support state and local entities to address coronavirus-related outlays and lost revenue," she said. "Direct payments, unemployment insurance, rental and mortgage help and student loan assistance are essential to relieve the fear that many families are facing." Pelosi said.
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"Not acting is the most expensive course," she added.
White House economic advisers opined yesterday that a fourth stimulus vote would be "premature."
"I think many people would like to just pause for a moment and take a look at the economic impact of the massive assistance program, which is the greatest in United States history," said Larry Kudlow on ABC News' This Week.
Republicans in the House and Senate have opposed a bailout to the states, with Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell suggesting states should be allowed to declare bankruptcy to restructure their pension and other debts.
The House is also discussing ways that lawmakers can vote remotely, Majority Leader Hoyer said Monday.
A bipartisan panel has been working on a proposal to adopt rules that would let U.S. Congress members vote by proxy. Democrats canceled a vote on an early proposal to allow remote voting last month.
"I'm hopeful that we can reach bipartisan agreement to change the rules to allow remote work," Hoyer tweeted Monday.


upi--2020-05-11--Navy's quickly-built  COVID-19 facility opens on Guam

May 11 ( UPI ) -- Following just three weeks of constructino , a new Expeditionary Medical Facility is operating at Naval Base Guam to support COVID-19 diagnoses and treatment , the Navy announced on Monday .
The five-acre site was developed by the 30th Naval Construction Regiment of the Navy 's Pacific Seabees construction battalion , and included the involvement of several units of advance teams , cargo handlers and logistics , in addition to site preparers and builders .
`` The EMF requires about a five acre site and for our team to turn this from an undeveloped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four days is incredible , '' Chief Equipment Operator Jared Perry , assigned to NMCB [ Naval Mobile Construction Unit ] 5 , said in an April 21 press release at the start of the project .
`` Even with our deployment being extended , our team was extremely motivated to support the EMF and show what they can do to help during the COVID response , '' Perry said .
The facility includes 11 medical units , and six warehouse units .
The extra space and additional staff of 77 Air Force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S .
Naval Hospital Guam , adding 25 total beds that can usable for COVID-19 patients .
The warehouses will be used to store medical equipment .
A Twitter message on Monday indicated that the facility is operational .
The project supports efforts to return the crew of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt to health after hundreds aboard the vessel developed COVID-19 symptoms .
In a statement on Monday , the Pacific Seabees stressed the cooperation and coordination of various units in quickly completing the project .
`` We coordinated with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equipment was offloaded and accounted for properly before we started the line haul from the marshal yard to the EMF site , '' said Chief Equipment Operator Brad Moore , 30NCR [ Naval Construction Regiment ] Embark leading chief petty officer `` It was vital that all the different units were on the same page to make sure we were moving the right piece of equipment at the right time , so it showed up when needed . ''

A five-acre adjunct to the U.S. Naval Hospital Guam, visible at upper right, was built by the Navy's Pacific Seabees in three weeks and is now operational. Photo by Senior Airman Zachary Heal/U.S. Indo-Pacific Command
May 11 (UPI) -- Following just three weeks of construction a new Expeditionary Medical Facility is operating at Naval Base Guam to support COVID-19 diagnoses and treatment, the Navy announced on Monday. The five-acre site was developed by the 30th Naval Construction Regiment of the Navy's Pacific Seabees construction battalion, and included the involvement of several units of advance teams, cargo handlers and logistics, in addition to site preparers and builders. Advertisement
"The EMF requires about a five acre site and for our team to turn this from an undeveloped field into a fully graded area in four days is incredible," Chief Equipment Operator Jared Perry, assigned to NMCB [Naval Mobile Construction Unit] 5, said in an April 21 press release at the start of the project.
"Even with our deployment being extended, our team was extremely motivated to support the EMF and show what they can do to help during the COVID response," Perry said.
A Twitter message on Monday indicated that the facility is operational.
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The project supports efforts to return the crew of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt to health after hundreds aboard the vessel developed COVID-19 symptoms.
In a statement on Monday, the Pacific Seabees stressed the cooperation and coordination of various units in quickly completing the project.
"We coordinated with the other units to ensure all the right equipment was offloaded and accounted for properly before we started the line haul from the marshal yard to the EMF site," said Chief Equipment Operator Brad Moore, 30NCR [Naval Construction Regiment] Embark leading chief petty officer "It was vital that all the different units were on the same page to make sure we were moving the right piece of equipment at the right time, so it showed up when needed."


upi--2020-05-11--Look: Lamb rescued from 50 feet down drain pipe

May 11 ( UPI ) -- Animal rescuers in Britain said it took about four hours of digging to rescue a lamb that fell through a broken manhole cover on a farm and ended up about 50 feet down a drain pipe .
Emily Welch , an animal collection officer with the RSPCA , said the County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service called the RSPCA for assistance when the lamb was reported trapped in the drain pipe on a farm in Durham , England .
`` There was no way of reaching the little lamb in the pipe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we had to dig down to him , '' Welch said .
`` Thankfully the farmer 's friend brought his digger and we started digging .
We ended up having to dig four separate holes to different sections of the pipe before we could locate him 15 meters [ about 50 feet ] into the pipe and free him , '' she said .
Welch said the lamb was cold and `` a little shaken , '' but uninjured .
`` We cleaned him up and returned him to his mum , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very close eye on us , '' she said .

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An RSPCA officer was summoned to a farm in England to help rescue a lamb that fell through a broken manhole cover and ended up stranded 50 feet down a drain pipe. Photo courtesy of the RSPCA
Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe May 11 (UPI) -- Animal rescuers in Britain said it took about four hours of digging to rescue a lamb that fell through a broken manhole cover on a farm and ended up about 50 feet down a drain pipe. Emily Welch, an animal collection officer with the RSPCA, said the County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service called the RSPCA for assistance when the lamb was reported trapped in the drain pipe on a farm in Durham, England. Advertisement
"There was no way of reaching the little lamb in the pipe as it was too narrow, so we had to dig down to him," Welch said.
"Thankfully the farmer's friend brought his digger and we started digging. We ended up having to dig four separate holes to different sections of the pipe before we could locate him 15 meters [about 50 feet] into the pipe and free him," she said.
Welch said the lamb was cold and "a little shaken," but uninjured.
"We cleaned him up and returned him to his mum, who had been waiting nearby and keeping a very close eye on us," she said.


upi--2020-05-11--Supreme Court hears cases on Catholic schools firing teachers

May 11 ( UPI ) -- The Supreme Court heard arguments Monday for a pair of cases involving whether teachers fired from Catholic schools were minsters , which would give them religious exemption from discrimination claims .
Oral arguments over whether teachers qualify as ministers began Monday and a decision is likely by June , The Hill reported .
The schools claim the teachers were `` ministers , '' and the `` ministerial exception '' for religious functions gives them immunity from the suits under the First Amendment .
Justice Sonia Sotomayor told one school 's lawyer the schools need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' applies so broadly .
`` You 're asking for something broader than giving the schools the power to hire or fire certain kinds of people because of how they teach the religion or do n't teach it and you have n't explained why it 's necessary , '' she said .
Justice Neil Gorsuch said both sides questions about where the exception applies are troubling .
`` Struggling with where do you draw the line and how much entanglement both sides are going to get us in here in deciding what 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faith and how we avoid that difficulty , '' Gorsuch said .
The schools argued that there is Supreme Court and lower court precedent showing ministers carry out `` important religious functions , '' and their former employees meet that definition .
Jeffrey Fisher , a lawyer representing the teachers , argued that they should not be considered ministers even though they had some religious aspects to their jobs .
`` The school 's argument would strip more than 300,000 lay teachers in religious schools across the country of basic employment law protections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teachers who teach so-called secular classes , '' Fisher said .
President Donald Trump 's administration is siding with the schools , arguing the teachers are ministers , which bars them from bringing discrimination claims .
The cases stem from two fifth-grade teachers at separate Catholic parish schools in Los Angeles County , who claim they were fired because their employers discriminated against them .
In particular , Agnes Morissey-Berru , who claimed age discrimination , brought the case against Our Lady of Guadalupe School .
And Darryl Biel , widower of now-deceased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ St. James School , saying the school fired her in violation of disability laws as she battled cancer .
The 9th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court ruling , which said the religious exemption barred the suits , prompting the appeal to the Supreme Court .

The Supreme Court began oral arguments Monday in cases involving claims of discrimination in firing of two Catholic school teachers. The schools argue religious exemption from such claims. File Photo by Roger L. Wollenberg/UPI | License Photo
May 11 (UPI) -- The Supreme Court heard arguments Monday for a pair of cases involving whether teachers fired from Catholic schools were minsters, which would give them religious exemption from discrimination claims. Oral arguments over whether teachers qualify as ministers began Monday and a decision is likely by June, The Hill reported. The schools claim the teachers were "ministers," and the "ministerial exception" for religious functions gives them immunity from the suits under the First Amendment. Advertisement
Justice Sonia Sotomayor told one school's lawyer the schools need to explain why the "ministerial exception" applies so broadly.
"You're asking for something broader than giving the schools the power to hire or fire certain kinds of people because of how they teach the religion or don't teach it and you haven't explained why it's necessary," she said.
Justice Neil Gorsuch said both sides questions about where the exception applies are troubling.
"Struggling with where do you draw the line and how much entanglement both sides are going to get us in here in deciding what's an important enough person in a particular faith and how we avoid that difficulty," Gorsuch said.
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The schools argued that there is Supreme Court and lower court precedent showing ministers carry out "important religious functions," and their former employees meet that definition.
Jeffrey Fisher, a lawyer representing the teachers, argued that they should not be considered ministers even though they had some religious aspects to their jobs.
"The school's argument would strip more than 300,000 lay teachers in religious schools across the country of basic employment law protections and necessarily included in this number are teachers who teach so-called secular classes," Fisher said.
President Donald Trump's administration is siding with the schools, arguing the teachers are ministers, which bars them from bringing discrimination claims.
The cases stem from two fifth-grade teachers at separate Catholic parish schools in Los Angeles County, who claim they were fired because their employers discriminated against them.
In particular, Agnes Morissey-Berru, who claimed age discrimination, brought the case against Our Lady of Guadalupe School. And Darryl Biel, widower of now-deceased Kristen Biel, brought the suit against St. James School, saying the school fired her in violation of disability laws as she battled cancer.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court ruling, which said the religious exemption barred the suits, prompting the appeal to the Supreme Court.


upi--2020-05-11--Violent meteorite impacts forged parts of the lunar crust

May 11 ( UPI ) -- Parts of the moon 's crust were forged by large and violent meteorite impacts , according to new research published Monday in the journal Nature Astronomy .
Analysis of a lunar rock , brought home by astronauts on NASA 's 1972 Apollo 17 mission , revealed the presence of minerals that can only form at temperatures greater than 4,300 degrees Fahrenheit -- the kind of temperatures generated by large impact events .
Researchers found evidence of a specific phase of cubic zirconia inside the lunar rock , a phase only produced at high temperatures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ baddeleyite , but the signature of its cubic zirconia phase remains imprinted in the structure of the baddeleyite crystals .
Scientists were able to date the baddeleyite to 4.3 billion years ago , which suggests the moon experienced a series of large impacts during this period .
Planetary scientists have long wondered how the moon came to feature such a unique diversity of rock types on its surface .
Researchers still are n't certain what drove the mixing of the moon 's outer and inner layers in the wake of its formation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of heavy bombardment by large meteors likely played a role .
`` Rocks on Earth are constantly being recycled , but the moon does n't exhibit plate tectonics or volcanism , allowing older rocks to be preserved , '' Lee White , lead author of the new study and a postdoctoral fellow at the Royal Ontario Museum , said in a news release .
`` By studying the moon , we can better understand the earliest history of our planet .
If large , super-heated impacts were creating rocks on the moon , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Earth , '' White said .
The baddeleyite grain analyzed by scientists measured less than a millimeter in length , but the tiny artifact is having a sizable impact on lunar science .
`` This small grain is still holding the evidence for formation of an impact basin that was hundreds of kilometers in diameter , '' ROM research fellow Ana Cernok .
`` This is significant , because we do not see any evidence of these old impacts on Earth . ''

New analysis of a lunar rock suggests parts of the moon's surface were forged by large meteorite impacts. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo
May 11 (UPI) -- Parts of the moon's crust were forged by large and violent meteorite impacts, according to new research published Monday in the journal Nature Astronomy. Analysis of a lunar rock, brought home by astronauts on NASA's 1972 Apollo 17 mission, revealed the presence of minerals that can only form at temperatures greater than 4,300 degrees Fahrenheit -- the kind of temperatures generated by large impact events. Advertisement
Researchers found evidence of a specific phase of cubic zirconia inside the lunar rock, a phase only produced at high temperatures. The mineral has since reverted to baddeleyite, but the signature of its cubic zirconia phase remains imprinted in the structure of the baddeleyite crystals.
Scientists were able to date the baddeleyite to 4.3 billion years ago, which suggests the moon experienced a series of large impacts during this period.
Planetary scientists have long wondered how the moon came to feature such a unique diversity of rock types on its surface. Researchers still aren't certain what drove the mixing of the moon's outer and inner layers in the wake of its formation, but the latest research suggests a period of heavy bombardment by large meteors likely played a role.
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"Rocks on Earth are constantly being recycled, but the moon doesn't exhibit plate tectonics or volcanism, allowing older rocks to be preserved," Lee White, lead author of the new study and a postdoctoral fellow at the Royal Ontario Museum, said in a news release.
"By studying the moon, we can better understand the earliest history of our planet. If large, super-heated impacts were creating rocks on the moon, the same process was probably happening here on Earth," White said.
The baddeleyite grain analyzed by scientists measured less than a millimeter in length, but the tiny artifact is having a sizable impact on lunar science.
"This small grain is still holding the evidence for formation of an impact basin that was hundreds of kilometers in diameter," ROM research fellow Ana Cernok. "This is significant, because we do not see any evidence of these old impacts on Earth."


upi--2020-05-11--Mother's Day gift earns woman $30,000 lottery jackpot

May 11 ( UPI ) -- An Australian mom said her Mother 's Day became all the more special when a lottery ticket given to her by her daughter earned a jackpot exceeding $ 30,000 .
The Cronulla , New South Wales , woman told The Lott officials that the Ladybird Bingo Instant Scratch-It ticket was a Mother 's Day gift from her daughter .
`` I was just at the table , having a couple of tea while my daughter was making me cupcakes , and I decided to scratch the ticket , '' the winner recalled .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think I have won ! '
We kept checking and double checking . ''
`` It was a very surreal moment , '' she said .
`` It was lovely to share that experience with her . ''
The woman said she plans to use her prize money to make home improvements .
`` I want to do some renovations on the house , and I know it sounds funny , but I have always wanted a screen door on the front door , and so I am going to get one , @ @ @ @

An Australian woman said a scratch-off lottery ticket given to her by her daughter for Mother's Day turned out to be a big winner. Photo courtesy of The Lott
Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe May 11 (UPI) -- An Australian mom said her Mother's Day became all the more special when a lottery ticket given to her by her daughter earned a jackpot exceeding $30,000. The Cronulla, New South Wales, woman told The Lott officials that the Ladybird Bingo Instant Scratch-It ticket was a Mother's Day gift from her daughter. Advertisement
"I was just at the table, having a couple of tea while my daughter was making me cupcakes, and I decided to scratch the ticket," the winner recalled. "I screamed out to her 'I think I have won!' We kept checking and double checking."
The ticket was a $32,445 top-prize winner.
"It was a very surreal moment," she said. "It was lovely to share that experience with her."
The woman said she plans to use her prize money to make home improvements.
"I want to do some renovations on the house, and I know it sounds funny, but I have always wanted a screen door on the front door, and so I am going to get one," she said.


upi--2020-05-11--Top Navy, National Guard officials in self-quarantine after COVID-19 exposure

May 11 ( UPI ) -- Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday is in isolation after exposure to the COVID-19 virus , the Defense Department announced .
Gilday , a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , was not present at a White House meeting of senior military leaders on Saturday , which included several cabinet members .
He will self-quarantine this week after coming in contact with a family member who tested positive for the virus .
Another high-ranking military leader , National Guard Bureau Air Force Gen. Joseph Lengyel , tested positive on Saturday in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after another test was administered the same day .
Lengyel is also in self-quarantine and is scheduled to take another test on Monday , a Defense Department spokesman said on Sunday .
Lengyel learned of the positive result immediately before he was to meet with President Donald Trump and the joint chiefs , and was absent from the White House meeting which was to include Gilday .
The information that Lengyel and Gilday may have had encounters with the virus came days after two White House staffers tested positive , raising suggestions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House .
At Saturday 's meeting with Trump , those in attendance , including Defense Secretary Mark Esper , practiced no social distancing protocols and none wore masks .

Chief of Naval Operations and Joint Chiefs of Staff member Adm. Mike Gilday went into self-quarantine on Sunday after exposure to a family member with the coronavirus. Photo by MCS2 Alex Corona/U.S. Navy
May 11 (UPI) -- Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday is in isolation after exposure to the COVID-19 virus, the Defense Department announced. Gilday, a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was not present at a White House meeting of senior military leaders on Saturday, which included several cabinet members. He will self-quarantine this week after coming in contact with a family member who tested positive for the virus. Advertisement
Another high-ranking military leader, National Guard Bureau Air Force Gen. Joseph Lengyel, tested positive on Saturday in a rapid COVID-19 test, and then negative after another test was administered the same day. Lengyel is also in self-quarantine and is scheduled to take another test on Monday, a Defense Department spokesman said on Sunday.
Lengyel learned of the positive result immediately before he was to meet with President Donald Trump and the joint chiefs, and was absent from the White House meeting which was to include Gilday.
The information that Lengyel and Gilday may have had encounters with the virus came days after two White House staffers tested positive, raising suggestions of an outbreak within the inner circle of the White House.
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At Saturday's meeting with Trump, those in attendance, including Defense Secretary Mark Esper, practiced no social distancing protocols and none wore masks.


upi--2020-05-11--Survey: Atheists face discrimination, rejection in many areas of life

May 11 ( UPI ) -- A new report says atheists in the United States face such widespread stigma and discrimination that many of them conceal their nonreligious identity from relatives , co-workers and people at school .
Atheist residents of `` very religious '' communities are especially likely to experience discrimination in education , employment and public services such as jury duty , according to Reality Check : Being Nonreligious in America , a survey released this month by American Atheists , a Cranford , N.J.-based nonprofit that advocates civil rights for nonreligious people .
The report says that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves religious has been declining for decades and the diversity of religious beliefs has increased , nonreligious people `` continue to live in a culture dominated by Christianity . ''
`` Like religious minorities , nonreligious people too often face discrimination in various areas of life , as well as stigmatization , because of their beliefs , '' the report says .
The report was based on the U.S. Secular Survey , which was created and managed by Strength in Numbers Consulting Group in New York .
Nearly 34,000 participants age 18 or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , humanists , freethinkers , skeptics or secular people responded to the survey between Oct. 15 and Nov. 2 .
`` The Reality Check report reveals how widespread discrimination and stigma against nonreligious Americans is , '' American Atheists said in a news release .
`` Due to their nonreligious identity , more than half of survey participants had negative experiences with family members , nearly one-third in education and more than 1 in 5 in the workplace . ''
The percentage of survey respondents who mostly or always conceal their nonreligious identity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 31.4 .
The percent for co-workers was 44.3 and 42.8 for people at school , according to the report .
Among respondents under age 25 , 21.9 percent reported their parents are not aware of their nonreligious beliefs .
In that age group , 29.2 percent of those with parents who know about their nonreligious identity said they were somewhat or very unsupportive of their beliefs .
`` We found that family rejection had a significant negative impact on participants ' educational and psychological outcomes , '' the report says .
`` For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 71.2 percent higher rate of likely depression than those with very supportive parents . ''
The experiences of nonreligious people vary dramatically in different parts of the nation , Reality Check says .
Nonreligious beliefs might be causally accepted in some states , including California and Vermont , but the stigmatization and concealment were higher on average in states survey participants reported as `` very religious . ''
To reach those conclusions , survey participants were asked to assess how religious the people are in the community where they live and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sometimes , frequently or almost always -- that they had encountered nine types of `` microaggressions '' in the past year .
Those experiences included being asked to go along with religious traditions to avoid stirring up trouble ; being bothered by religious symbols or text in public places ; being told they are not a `` good person '' because they are secular or nonreligious ; and being asked by people to join them in thanking God for a fortunate event .
`` As might be expected , participants from rural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ towns ( 42.7 percent ) were more likely to say their current setting was 'very religious ' than those from other settings ( 23.7 percent ) , '' the report says .
`` Stigmatization and concealment were higher on average in states that participants reported are 'very religious . '
'' The survey ranks Utah as the most religious state based on 80 percent of survey participants who live there calling their community `` very religious . ''
Mississippi is second with 78.7 percent .
Mississippi ranks as the worst state for stigma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where they are most often forced to conceal their beliefs .
Utah is ranked as the second worst .
Sarah Worrel said she had friends of many faiths while growing up in Long Island , N.Y. , and `` you did n't presume someone was religious or of a particular religion until they told you . ''
It 's different in Mississippi , where she 's lived since age 12 .
`` There 's so little cultural diversity that it 's assumed that you are some form of Christian unless you state otherwise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assistant state director for Gulfport , wrote in an email .
`` I 've met many atheists , pagans and other non-Christians here , but I usually do n't find that out until I 've gotten to know them well . ''
Worrel said she 's had encounters with strangers trying to push religion on her and is always honest about her lack of belief but has not faced any serious discrimination .
However , a friend lost a job for being an atheist , she said .
Dan Ellis , the Utah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is open about being an atheist .
Ellis said that as a child , he could n't square what he learned in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with stories of a Biblical flood that destroys everything .
His teacher could n't explain why a loving God would kill babies in such a cruel way , he said .
Ellis , who was never a firm believer , also was unable to get satisfactory answers to his questions from church leaders and as an adult , he eventually became a `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an inactive member of the LDS Church .
For a long time , he thought it was wrong to be a non-believer .
He was n't sure how to refer to himself until he was in his mid-20s and a co-worker revealed that he was an atheist .
Ellis began using that label for himself with close friends and family .
At the time , people he knew linked atheism with satanism , he said .
Ellis lost friends and angered some relatives , who cut him out of their lives .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recrimination in Utah against atheists , '' Ellis said , adding that many atheists ca n't be open about being nonreligious for fear of losing their job .
• African-Americans who are nonreligious and ex-Muslims encounter significantly higher rates of discrimination and stigma .
• Most participants were raised in the Christian religion , either in Protestant Christian ( 54.7 percent ) or Catholic ( 29.9 percent ) households .
One in seven participants ( 14.3 percent ) were raised in nonreligious households .
• About 12 percent of survey participants reported being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their secular identity .
Nick Fish , president of American Atheists , said in a news release that the struggles of nonreligious people are often overlooked .
`` Thankfully , the U.S. Secular Survey has revealed the discrimination our community regularly faces , '' Fish said .
`` With that well-established , we need to find solutions and work toward ending the stigma faced by our community . ''

A stigma has prompted some nonreligious people to conceal their identity, a survey says. Photo by B_Me/Pixabay
May 11 (UPI) -- A new report says atheists in the United States face such widespread stigma and discrimination that many of them conceal their nonreligious identity from relatives, co-workers and people at school. Atheist residents of "very religious" communities are especially likely to experience discrimination in education, employment and public services such as jury duty, according to Reality Check: Being Nonreligious in America, a survey released this month by American Atheists, a Cranford, N.J.-based nonprofit that advocates civil rights for nonreligious people. Advertisement
The report says that although the percentage of Americans who consider themselves religious has been declining for decades and the diversity of religious beliefs has increased, nonreligious people "continue to live in a culture dominated by Christianity."
"Like religious minorities, nonreligious people too often face discrimination in various areas of life, as well as stigmatization, because of their beliefs," the report says.
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Survey results
The report was based on the U.S. Secular Survey, which was created and managed by Strength in Numbers Consulting Group in New York. Nearly 34,000 participants age 18 or older who self-identified as atheists, agnostics, humanists, freethinkers, skeptics or secular people responded to the survey between Oct. 15 and Nov. 2.
"The Reality Check report reveals how widespread discrimination and stigma against nonreligious Americans is," American Atheists said in a news release. "Due to their nonreligious identity, more than half of survey participants had negative experiences with family members, nearly one-third in education and more than 1 in 5 in the workplace."
The percentage of survey respondents who mostly or always conceal their nonreligious identity from members of their immediate family was 31.4. The percent for co-workers was 44.3 and 42.8 for people at school, according to the report.
Among respondents under age 25, 21.9 percent reported their parents are not aware of their nonreligious beliefs. In that age group, 29.2 percent of those with parents who know about their nonreligious identity said they were somewhat or very unsupportive of their beliefs.
"We found that family rejection had a significant negative impact on participants' educational and psychological outcomes," the report says. "For example, participants with unsupportive parents had a 71.2 percent higher rate of likely depression than those with very supportive parents."
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Geographic differences
The experiences of nonreligious people vary dramatically in different parts of the nation, Reality Check says. Nonreligious beliefs might be causally accepted in some states, including California and Vermont, but the stigmatization and concealment were higher on average in states survey participants reported as "very religious."
To reach those conclusions, survey participants were asked to assess how religious the people are in the community where they live and to rank the frequency -- never, seldom, sometimes, frequently or almost always -- that they had encountered nine types of "microaggressions" in the past year. Those experiences included being asked to go along with religious traditions to avoid stirring up trouble; being bothered by religious symbols or text in public places; being told they are not a "good person" because they are secular or nonreligious; and being asked by people to join them in thanking God for a fortunate event.
"As might be expected, participants from rural locations (49.6 percent) and small towns (42.7 percent) were more likely to say their current setting was 'very religious' than those from other settings (23.7 percent)," the report says. "Stigmatization and concealment were higher on average in states that participants reported are 'very religious.'"
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The survey ranks Utah as the most religious state based on 80 percent of survey participants who live there calling their community "very religious." Mississippi is second with 78.7 percent.
Mississippi ranks as the worst state for stigma against nonreligious people and as the state where they are most often forced to conceal their beliefs. Utah is ranked as the second worst.
Sarah Worrel said she had friends of many faiths while growing up in Long Island, N.Y., and "you didn't presume someone was religious or of a particular religion until they told you." It's different in Mississippi, where she's lived since age 12.
"There's so little cultural diversity that it's assumed that you are some form of Christian unless you state otherwise," Worrel, the American Atheists assistant state director for Gulfport, wrote in an email. "I've met many atheists, pagans and other non-Christians here, but I usually don't find that out until I've gotten to know them well."
Worrel said she's had encounters with strangers trying to push religion on her and is always honest about her lack of belief but has not faced any serious discrimination. However, a friend lost a job for being an atheist, she said.
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Questioning religion
Dan Ellis, the Utah state director for American Atheists, also is open about being an atheist.
Ellis said that as a child, he couldn't square what he learned in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with stories of a Biblical flood that destroys everything. His teacher couldn't explain why a loving God would kill babies in such a cruel way, he said.
Ellis, who was never a firm believer, also was unable to get satisfactory answers to his questions from church leaders and as an adult, he eventually became a "Jack Mormon," a term for an inactive member of the LDS Church.
For a long time, he thought it was wrong to be a non-believer. He wasn't sure how to refer to himself until he was in his mid-20s and a co-worker revealed that he was an atheist. Ellis began using that label for himself with close friends and family.
At the time, people he knew linked atheism with satanism, he said. Ellis lost friends and angered some relatives, who cut him out of their lives.
"There's a lot of discrimination and recrimination in Utah against atheists," Ellis said, adding that many atheists can't be open about being nonreligious for fear of losing their job.
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Overlooked viewpoint
Other survey findings include:
African-Americans who are nonreligious and ex-Muslims encounter significantly higher rates of discrimination and stigma.
Most participants were raised in the Christian religion, either in Protestant Christian (54.7 percent) or Catholic (29.9 percent) households. One in seven participants (14.3 percent) were raised in nonreligious households.
About 12 percent of survey participants reported being threatened in the past three years because of their secular identity.
Nick Fish, president of American Atheists, said in a news release that the struggles of nonreligious people are often overlooked.
"Thankfully, the U.S. Secular Survey has revealed the discrimination our community regularly faces," Fish said. "With that well-established, we need to find solutions and work toward ending the stigma faced by our community."


upi--2020-05-11--In Photos: Scenes from a pandemic: World copes with COVID-19

The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus , COVID-19 , a pandemic , reaching around @ @ @ @ @ , which surfaced in December in Wuhan , China , has killed thousands .
Streets @ @ @ @ @ , as large gatherings are canceled and people are quarantined .
Here 's a look @ @ @ @ @ world .

The French authorities started lifting the coronavirus lockdown on May 11, but people living in regions that are most at risk, notably in Paris, still face tight restrictions. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI


upi--2020-05-11--Pioneering Homo sapiens produced earliest modern artifacts in Europe

May 11 ( UPI ) -- The earliest modern artifacts in Europe , including blade-like tools and animal tooth pendants , were left by pioneering groups of modern humans , according to the findings of an international team of researchers .
In 2015 , researchers uncovered thousands of artifacts , including stone and bone tools , animal bones , beads and pendants , from the Bacho Kiro Cave in Bulgaria .
Scientists also found human remains , but the bones were so fragmented it was impossible to determine whether they belonged to Neanderthals or modern humans .
`` Most Pleistocene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , one can not tell which species of animal they represent , '' Frido Welker , a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Copenhagen and research associate at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig , Germany , said in a news release .
`` However , the proteins differ slightly in their amino acid sequence from species to species .
By using protein mass spectrometry , we can therefore quickly identify those bone specimens that represent otherwise unrecognizable human bones . ''
The spectral analysis -- described Monday in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ belonged to early Homo sapiens , or modern humans .
Dating of human and animal bones , made with record precision , prove Homo sapiens first occupied the cave before Neanderthals , some 45,000 years ago .
Researchers detailed the dating efforts in a separate study also published Monday in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution .
`` The Bacho Kiro Cave site provides evidence for the first dispersal of H. sapiens across the mid-latitudes of Eurasia , '' said Jean-Jacques Hublin , director at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Europe and interacted with local Neanderthals .
This early wave largely predates that which led to their final extinction in western Europe 8,000 years later . ''
While a number of studies have suggested Neanderthals were more technologically and culturally sophisticated than previously thought , the latest research suggests modern humans were responsible for some of the earliest modern technologies , like pendants and blades .
Because similar artifacts have been found at nearby Neanderthal sites , scientists suggest there was cross-cultural exchange between Neanderthals and the early human inhabitants of Bacho Kiro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , scientists found pendants made from cave bear teeth and tools made from the bones of deer and bison .
According to scientists , the artifacts are evidence of the technological superiority of early human pioneers .
`` The Initial Upper Paleolithic in Bacho Kiro Cave is the earliest known Upper Palaeolithic in Europe .
It represents a new way of making stone tools and new sets of behavior including manufacturing personal ornaments that are a departure from what we know of Neanderthals up to this time , '' said Tsenka Tsanova , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Evolutionary Anthropology .
The artifacts and human remains are also the earliest evidence of the migration patterns that would spell the end for Neanderthals .
`` The Initial Upper Paleolithic probably has its origin in southwest Asia and soon after can be found from Bacho Kiro Cave in Bulgaria to sites in Mongolia as Homo sapiens rapidly dispersed across Eurasia and encountered , influenced , and eventually replaced existing archaic populations of Neanderthals and Denisovans , '' Tsanova said .
Scientists were also able to locate genetic material in the human bone fragments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of seven specimens .
Genomic analysis showed strong similarities between the mitochondrial DNA of the early Homo sapiens and present-day humans living outside of Sub-Saharan Africa .

New analysis suggests modern humans produced the 45,000-year-old stone tools and beads found in Bulgaria's Bacho Kiro Cave. Photo by Tsenka Tsanova
May 11 (UPI) -- The earliest modern artifacts in Europe, including blade-like tools and animal tooth pendants, were left by pioneering groups of modern humans, according to the findings of an international team of researchers. In 2015, researchers uncovered thousands of artifacts, including stone and bone tools, animal bones, beads and pendants, from the Bacho Kiro Cave in Bulgaria. Advertisement
Scientists also found human remains, but the bones were so fragmented it was impossible to determine whether they belonged to Neanderthals or modern humans.
"Most Pleistocene bones are so fragmented that by eye, one cannot tell which species of animal they represent," Frido Welker, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Copenhagen and research associate at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, said in a news release. "However, the proteins differ slightly in their amino acid sequence from species to species. By using protein mass spectrometry, we can therefore quickly identify those bone specimens that represent otherwise unrecognizable human bones."
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The spectral analysis -- described Monday in the journal Nature -- proved the bones belonged to early Homo sapiens, or modern humans. Dating of human and animal bones, made with record precision, prove Homo sapiens first occupied the cave before Neanderthals, some 45,000 years ago. Researchers detailed the dating efforts in a separate study also published Monday in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution.
"The Bacho Kiro Cave site provides evidence for the first dispersal of H. sapiens across the mid-latitudes of Eurasia," said Jean-Jacques Hublin, director at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. "Pioneer groups brought new behaviors into Europe and interacted with local Neanderthals. This early wave largely predates that which led to their final extinction in western Europe 8,000 years later."
While a number of studies have suggested Neanderthals were more technologically and culturally sophisticated than previously thought, the latest research suggests modern humans were responsible for some of the earliest modern technologies, like pendants and blades. Because similar artifacts have been found at nearby Neanderthal sites, scientists suggest there was cross-cultural exchange between Neanderthals and the early human inhabitants of Bacho Kiro Cave.
Among the thousands of artifacts, scientists found pendants made from cave bear teeth and tools made from the bones of deer and bison. According to scientists, the artifacts are evidence of the technological superiority of early human pioneers.
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"The Initial Upper Paleolithic in Bacho Kiro Cave is the earliest known Upper Palaeolithic in Europe. It represents a new way of making stone tools and new sets of behavior including manufacturing personal ornaments that are a departure from what we know of Neanderthals up to this time," said Tsenka Tsanova, researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
The artifacts and human remains are also the earliest evidence of the migration patterns that would spell the end for Neanderthals.
"The Initial Upper Paleolithic probably has its origin in southwest Asia and soon after can be found from Bacho Kiro Cave in Bulgaria to sites in Mongolia as Homo sapiens rapidly dispersed across Eurasia and encountered, influenced, and eventually replaced existing archaic populations of Neanderthals and Denisovans," Tsanova said.
Scientists were also able to locate genetic material in the human bone fragments and reconstruct full mitochondrial genomes from six out of seven specimens. Genomic analysis showed strong similarities between the mitochondrial DNA of the early Homo sapiens and present-day humans living outside of Sub-Saharan Africa.


upi--2020-05-12--Democrats to weigh allowing delegates to remotely vote for nominee

May 12 ( UPI ) -- A panel of the Democratic National Committee will vote Tuesday on a resolution that would allow delegates to participate remotely at the nominating convention this summer .
The measure will be considered by the DNC 's rules and bylaws committee , and is the first time party leaders will look at an alternative to staging the traditional convention .
The Democratic National Convention , scheduled for Aug. 17-20 in Milwaukee , was originally set for July but the party postponed it by a month due to the health crisis .
If passed , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its final decision will be made in the coming weeks .
Former Vice President Joe Biden became the presumptive Democratic nominee when Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders exited the race in March .
Biden said last month Democrats may have to settle for a `` virtual convention . ''
If the party approves the resolution , a small group of Democratic leaders could meet in Milwaukee while most of the 5,000 voting delegates attend remotely .
The new rules would also grant organizers wide latitude to alter arrangements to stay in compliance with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Convention , scheduled for Charlotte , N.C. , in late August , is still planned as a full-scale event .

Then-Vice President Joe Biden reacts to the crowd on day three of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pa., on July 27, 2016. Democratic organizers will vote Tuesday on a resolution allowing delegates to nominate the party's presidential candidate remotely at this year's convention in Milwaukee. File Photo by Ray Stubblebine/UPI | License Photo
May 12 (UPI) -- A panel of the Democratic National Committee will vote Tuesday on a resolution that would allow delegates to participate remotely at the nominating convention this summer. The measure will be considered by the DNC's rules and bylaws committee, and is the first time party leaders will look at an alternative to staging the traditional convention. Advertisement
The Democratic National Convention, scheduled for Aug. 17-20 in Milwaukee, was originally set for July but the party postponed it by a month due to the health crisis.
If passed, the measure will go before the full DNC and its final decision will be made in the coming weeks.
Former Vice President Joe Biden became the presumptive Democratic nominee when Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders exited the race in March. Biden said last month Democrats may have to settle for a "virtual convention."
If the party approves the resolution, a small group of Democratic leaders could meet in Milwaukee while most of the 5,000 voting delegates attend remotely.
The new rules would also grant organizers wide latitude to alter arrangements to stay in compliance with changing health safety conditions.
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The Republican National Convention, scheduled for Charlotte, N.C., in late August, is still planned as a full-scale event.


upi--2020-05-12--Cast to reunite for virtual 'Orphan Black' table read on Sunday

May 12 ( UPI ) -- The former cast of the sci-fi thriller Orphan Black plans to reunite for a two-episode table reading to be streamed Sunday on the show 's Facebook page .
Confirmed to participate from their homes where they are social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic are Tatiana Maslany as Alison , Cosima , Sarah and Helena ; Maria Doyle Kennedy as Mrs. S ; Jordan Gavaris as Felix ; Kristian Bruun as Donnie ; Kevin Hanchard as Detective Art Bell ; Dylan Bruce as Paul ; Evelyne Brochu as Dr. Delphine Cormier ; Josh Vokey as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Inga Cadranel as Detective Angela DeAngelis ; Eric Johnson as Chad Norris ; and Natalie Lisinska as Ainsley .
The virtual event will take place during Mental Health Awareness Month and on the International Day Against Homophobia , Transphobia , and Biphobia .
Viewers will be urged to donate to the LGBTQ support organizations CenterLink and Sistering .
`` Kristian Bruun and I started talking about the idea of doing an OB reunion back when everything had shut down , '' Maslany said in a statement Monday .
`` We wanted to show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some money for people who are disproportionately affected during this difficult time , '' she added .
`` In addition to raising funds , we hope that we can bring some joy to the fans , something intimate just for them , make them feel connected to the Clone Club community even if we 're all far apart . ''
Maslany won the Emmy Award for Best Actress in a Drama in 2016 for playing several clones on the Canadian show , which ran for five seasons 2013-17 on BBC America and Space @

1/3
Tatiana Maslany and her former "Orphan Black" co-stars plan to do a virtual table read on Facebook Sunday. File Photo by Christine Chew/UPI | License Photo
May 12 (UPI) -- The former cast of the sci-fi thriller Orphan Black plans to reunite for a two-episode table reading to be streamed Sunday on the show's Facebook page. Confirmed to participate from their homes where they are social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic are Tatiana Maslany as Alison, Cosima, Sarah and Helena; Maria Doyle Kennedy as Mrs. S; Jordan Gavaris as Felix; Kristian Bruun as Donnie; Kevin Hanchard as Detective Art Bell; Dylan Bruce as Paul; Evelyne Brochu as Dr. Delphine Cormier; Josh Vokey as Scott; Michael Mando as Vic; Inga Cadranel as Detective Angela DeAngelis; Eric Johnson as Chad Norris; and Natalie Lisinska as Ainsley. Advertisement
The virtual event will take place during Mental Health Awareness Month and on the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia.
Viewers will be urged to donate to the LGBTQ support organizations CenterLink and Sistering.
"Kristian Bruun and I started talking about the idea of doing an OB reunion back when everything had shut down," Maslany said in a statement Monday.
"We wanted to show love to Clone Club and help raise some money for people who are disproportionately affected during this difficult time," she added. "In addition to raising funds, we hope that we can bring some joy to the fans, something intimate just for them, make them feel connected to the Clone Club community even if we're all far apart."
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Maslany won the Emmy Award for Best Actress in a Drama in 2016 for playing several clones on the Canadian show, which ran for five seasons 2013-17 on BBC America and Space.


upi--2020-05-12--Reggie Miller: 1997 Pacers were better than Michael Jordan's Bulls

May 12 ( UPI ) -- Basketball Hall of Famer Reggie Miller believes his 1997-98 Indiana Pacers were a better team than Michael Jordan 's Chicago Bulls .
Miller spoke about the matchup during a preview for the final two episodes of ESPN 's The Last Dance .
The Pacers and Bulls split the first six games of the 1998 Eastern Conference finals before Chicago won Game 7 to advance to the NBA Finals .
Jordan went on to win his sixth -- and final -- championship .
`` We all look at the Bulls as the standard model of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Episode 8 .
`` They were considered the best at that time .
Be we felt -- I feel to this day -- we were the better team .
`` The whole thing is , there were whispers this was going to be Mike 's last year .
I think a perfect storm was brewing .
In my mind , I was thinking : 'This is it .
You 're going to retire Michael Jordan . '
'' Miller hit a game-winning 3-pointer with less than a second remaining in Game 4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 3-point lead with 6:02 left to play in Game 7 before Steve Kerr hit a game-tying 3-pointer to spark a late Bulls run .
Jordan went on to retire for a second time after his Bulls won the NBA Finals .
He later returned to play two seasons for the Washington Wizards before he retired for a final time .
Jordan averaged 31.7 points , 5.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in the 1998 Eastern Conference finals .
Miller posted 17.4 points , 2.0 assists and 1.6 rebounds .
Jordan was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the series .
Miller also made an appearance Monday on the Dan Patrick Show .
He said he did n't want to be part of the documentary series because he `` lived it . ''
He also acknowledged he was never on `` equal footing '' as Jordan and called him the greatest player of all time .
`` It brought back a lot of the good and bad memories of going against that dude , '' Miller said of The Last Dance .
Episodes 9 and 10 of The Last Dance air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , respectively , Sunday on ESPN .

Indiana Pacers legend Reggie Miller (L) thinks his team was better than the Chicago Bulls during the 1998 Eastern Conference finals despite Michael Jordan (R) leading his squad to a sixth title that post-season. File Photo by John Harrell/UPI | License Photo
May 12 (UPI) -- Basketball Hall of Famer Reggie Miller believes his 1997-98 Indiana Pacers were a better team than Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls. Miller spoke about the matchup during a preview for the final two episodes of ESPN's The Last Dance. The Pacers and Bulls split the first six games of the 1998 Eastern Conference finals before Chicago won Game 7 to advance to the NBA Finals. Jordan went on to win his sixth -- and final -- championship. Advertisement
"We all look at the Bulls as the standard model of success," Miller said Sunday, after Episode 8. "They were considered the best at that time. Be we felt -- I feel to this day -- we were the better team.
"The whole thing is, there were whispers this was going to be Mike's last year. I think a perfect storm was brewing. In my mind, I was thinking: 'This is it. You're going to retire Michael Jordan.'"
Miller hit a game-winning 3-pointer with less than a second remaining in Game 4 of the series. The Pacers had a 3-point lead with 6:02 left to play in Game 7 before Steve Kerr hit a game-tying 3-pointer to spark a late Bulls run.
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Jordan went on to retire for a second time after his Bulls won the NBA Finals. He later returned to play two seasons for the Washington Wizards before he retired for a final time.
Jordan averaged 31.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in the 1998 Eastern Conference finals. Miller posted 17.4 points, 2.0 assists and 1.6 rebounds. Jordan was the leading scorer in every game of the series.
Miller also made an appearance Monday on the Dan Patrick Show. He said he didn't want to be part of the documentary series because he "lived it." He also acknowledged he was never on "equal footing" as Jordan and called him the greatest player of all time.
"It brought back a lot of the good and bad memories of going against that dude," Miller said of The Last Dance.
Episodes 9 and 10 of The Last Dance air at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. EDT, respectively, Sunday on ESPN.


upi--2020-05-12--Chinese Communist Party official charged in $100M graft case

May 12 ( UPI ) -- A senior Chinese Communist Party official in Shaanxi Province has been charged with taking $ 101.3 million in bribes connected to the construction of an illegal resort village in the Qinling Mountains .
Chinese news agency Xinhua reported Tuesday that Zhao Zhengyong , former chief of the Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the Communist Party , was found to have embezzled more than $ 100 million during his trial at the First Intermediate People 's Court of Tianjin Municipality .
The bribe linked to Zhao dwarfs the graft case of Xing Yun , a former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mongolia Autonomous Region .
Xing was sentenced to death in 2019 for accepting money and valuables worth $ 63.9 million .
Zhao , a former senior national legislator , was a leading Communist Party official in Shaanxi Province from 2003 to 2018 .
Of the $ 101.3 million he accepted while in office , $ 41 million `` was not received , '' Chinese prosecutors said Monday .
Zhao reportedly pleaded guilty to taking bribes on Monday .
He is being charged with forging ahead with construction projects in the Qinling Mountains , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six times since May 2014 by Chinese President Xi Jinping .
Zhao left office in January 2019 and is believed to have fallen out of favor with Xi for `` disobeying orders , '' according to Chinese state media .
Xi has kept a low profile following the coronavirus pandemic that began in the central Chinese city of Wuhan .
The growing movement among countries for China to apologize and pay reparations is drawing a nationalist response in the country , the South China Morning Post reported Tuesday .
Chinese analysts are warning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cooperation .
`` We have every reason to say that an international alliance is forming that excludes China and the Chinese yuan , '' said Li Yang , director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences ' National Institution for Finance and Development , according to the Post .

A former Chinese Communist Party official in Shaanxi Province has been accused of bribery and defying orders from President Xi Jinping. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
May 12 (UPI) -- A senior Chinese Communist Party official in Shaanxi Province has been charged with taking $101.3 million in bribes connected to the construction of an illegal resort village in the Qinling Mountains. Chinese news agency Xinhua reported Tuesday that Zhao Zhengyong, former chief of the Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the Communist Party, was found to have embezzled more than $100 million during his trial at the First Intermediate People's Court of Tianjin Municipality. Advertisement
The bribe linked to Zhao dwarfs the graft case of Xing Yun, a former senior legislator of northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Xing was sentenced to death in 2019 for accepting money and valuables worth $63.9 million.
Zhao, a former senior national legislator, was a leading Communist Party official in Shaanxi Province from 2003 to 2018. Of the $101.3 million he accepted while in office, $41 million "was not received," Chinese prosecutors said Monday.
Zhao reportedly pleaded guilty to taking bribes on Monday. He is being charged with forging ahead with construction projects in the Qinling Mountains, which was reportedly declared a nature reserve six times since May 2014 by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
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Zhao left office in January 2019 and is believed to have fallen out of favor with Xi for "disobeying orders," according to Chinese state media.
Xi has kept a low profile following the coronavirus pandemic that began in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.
The growing movement among countries for China to apologize and pay reparations is drawing a nationalist response in the country, the South China Morning Post reported Tuesday.
Chinese analysts are warning of trends that exclude China from global cooperation.
"We have every reason to say that an international alliance is forming that excludes China and the Chinese yuan," said Li Yang, director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' National Institution for Finance and Development, according to the Post.


upi--2020-05-12--Top high school RB prospect Zachary Evans picks TCU

May 12 ( UPI ) -- Five-star high school running back prospect Zachary Evans will play college football at TCU @ @ @ @ @ to join the Horned Frogs football program on Monday .
The North Shore High School @ @ @ @ @ his national letter of intent with Georgia in December before the Bulldogs granted him a @ @ @ @ @ recruitment .
He was also linked to Tennessee , Texas A & M , Mississippi @ @ @ @ @ LSU and Texas .
Evans is the No .
16 player in the 2020 ESPN @ @ @ @ @ No .
1 running back in the class .
He is the No .
33 @ @ @ @ @ rankings .
Evans is the first five-star recruit to sign with the Horned Frogs in @ @ @ @ @ was also the top-rated recruit from Texas in the 2020 class .
Sources told ESPN @ @ @ @ @ financial aid paperwork at TCU on Sunday .
He has also started online class at @ @ @

May 12 (UPI) -- Five-star high school running back prospect Zachary Evans will play college football at TCU.
Evans announced his decision to join the Horned Frogs football program on Monday. The North Shore High School (Houston) star signed his national letter of intent with Georgia in December before the Bulldogs granted him a release and he reopened his recruitment. He was also linked to Tennessee, Texas A&M, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, LSU and Texas.
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Evans is the No. 16 player in the 2020 ESPN 300 recruit rankings and the No. 1 running back in the class. He is the No. 33 player in 247Sports' recruit rankings.
Evans is the first five-star recruit to sign with the Horned Frogs in the modern era. He was also the top-rated recruit from Texas in the 2020 class.
Sources told ESPN and 247Sports that Evans signed financial aid paperwork at TCU on Sunday. He has also started online class at the school.


upi--2020-05-12--No honor among thieves at head of Iran and Venezuela

May 12 ( UPI ) -- When the disintegrating socialist state of Venezuela , where the people are starving , starts flying planeloads of gold to the collapsing theocratic regime of Iran , the world should sit up and take notice .
Due to their status as international pariahs , both of these oil-producing nations are under U.S. sanctions , banning their ability to export oil .
Now the plummeting value of crude , down to less than $ 1 a barrel due to the coronavirus pandemic , has deepened their respective economic woes .
The Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and venal corruption , has crushed his once prosperous country , leading to the mass exodus of Venezuela 's professional class , fleeing from the crisis-plagued nation that now faces severe poverty .
Maduro and his predecessor , Hugo Chávez , became international cheerleaders for the hard left , expropriating private companies , firing expert workers and managers , slashing spending on repairs and basic maintenance and milking the profits for their personal enrichment .
Their version of Bolivarian Bolshevism has resulted in Venezuela 's economy shrinking by more than 65 percent , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to around 3,500 percent .
The population now faces famine in a country that was once the richest in South America .
Desperate to restore one of his decaying oil refineries on Venezuela 's northwestern coast , to prevent Venezuela from running out of gasoline altogether , Maduro sought help from his allies and dictatorial collaborators in Tehran .
In exchange for sending expert engineers and much-needed gasoline additives , the mullahs demanded gold .
In the last week of April alone , six planes from the sanctioned Iranian carrier Mahan Air , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Simón Bolívar International Airport near Caracas .
Iran 's Mahan Air is run by the regime 's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps , a listed terrorist organization .
With the Venezuelan currency virtually worthless , Maduro had to loot his country 's last gold reserves to pay his terrorist friends .
Around 9 tons of gold worth an estimated $ 500 million has been shipped to Tehran , leaving Venezuela with hardly any remaining hard currency reserves .
In early May , U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said : `` These flights must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to deny overflights just as many have already denied landing rights to this sanctioned airline . ''
Pompeo is right to be angry .
The unholy alliance between Venezuela and Iran , as the mullahs seek to prop up their most strategic partner in the West , poses a threat to world peace .
Since the 1979 revolution that brought them to power , the Iranian regime has sponsored global terrorism and financed regional conflict .
The world can rest assured that none of the gold will find its way toward helping the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whom are trying to survive with income levels below the international poverty line , against the background of a COVID-19 contagion that has spiraled out of control , accounting for more than 40,000 deaths .
Instead , the mullahs will continue to divert vital resources to propping up Bashar al-Assad 's bloody civil war in Syria , backing the Houthi rebels in Yemen , the vicious Shi'ia militia in Iraq and the terrorist groups Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza .
Anything left will find its way into the pockets of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for unprincipled corruption .
There is certainly no honor among thieves .
Pompeo has repeatedly accused the mullahs of being the godfathers of international terror .
There is a mountain of evidence to back up his claim .
In June 2018 , Assadollah Assadi , a diplomat from the Iranian Embassy in Vienna handed over 500 grams of high explosives and a detonator to an Iranian couple from Antwerp , Belgium .
He ordered them to drive to Paris and detonate the bomb at a major rally organized by the National Council for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100,000 people .
A combined operation by the German , French and Belgian intelligence services led to the arrest of Assadi and the other conspirators , all of whom are in prison in Belgium , awaiting trial on charges of terrorism .
In America , the United States Department of Justice on Aug. 9 , 2018 , announced that two Ministry of Intelligence ( MOIS ) agents of the mullahs ' regime , Ahmadreza Mohammadi Doostdar and Majid Ghorbani , had been arrested and charged with spying on and plotting to assassinate supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran ( PMOI/MEK ) , the main democratic opposition movement .
Subsequently , similar action was taken against Iranian terrorist plots in Denmark , Bulgaria , the Netherlands and several other European nations , who are imposing their own sanctions on the Iranian regime and blacklisting some of its agents .
In late December 2018 , Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama expelled Iran 's ambassador and first secretary on the grounds that they posed a security risk to Albania after he uncovered another bomb plot targeting opponents of the regime .
Even in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a plot by armed MOIS agents to threaten and kill anti-regime protesters .
The mullahs ' regime also has a history of terror in South America .
In 1994 , the Iranian MOIS were behind the bomb attack on the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association building in Buenos Aires , killing 85 people and injuring hundreds .
Their global terror plots extended to Africa , where in 1998 , they were behind the simultaneous truck bomb attacks on the United States embassies in Kenya and Tanzania , that killed more than 200 people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ admitted responsibility for the horrific shooting down of a Ukrainian airliner with the death of all 176 passengers and crew in January this year , after several days of denying all responsibility .
A regime that sends its military thugs and even its diplomatic staff to kill and maim innocent civilians has removed itself from the norms of civilized behavior .
Juan Guaidó , president of the National Assembly of Venezuela , was sworn in as acting president of the country in January 2019 , challenging Maduro 's claim to the presidency .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and European countries immediately recognized him as Venezuela 's legitimate president , despite the fact that Maduro , with the backing of the army , still clings obstinately to power .
With this record of supporting good over evil , it is a great pity that America , Canada and the European Union could not provide similar backing to the legitimate opposition movement in Iran .
Struan Stevenson is the coordinator of the Campaign for Iran Change .
He was a member of the European Parliament representing Scotland ( 1999-2014 ) , president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Iraq ( 2009-14 ) and chairman of the Friends of a Free Iran Intergroup ( 2004-14 ) .
He is an international lecturer on the Middle East and is also president of the European Iraqi Freedom Association .

Desperate to restore one of his decaying oil refineries on Venezuela’s northwestern coast, to prevent Venezuela from running out of gasoline altogether, President Nicolas Maduro sought help from his allies and dictatorial collaborators in Tehran. Photo courtesy of Miraflores Presidential Palace/EPA-EFE
May 12 (UPI) -- When the disintegrating socialist state of Venezuela, where the people are starving, starts flying planeloads of gold to the collapsing theocratic regime of Iran, the world should sit up and take notice. Due to their status as international pariahs, both of these oil-producing nations are under U.S. sanctions, banning their ability to export oil. Now the plummeting value of crude, down to less than $1 a barrel due to the coronavirus pandemic, has deepened their respective economic woes. Advertisement
The Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, through a combination of scandalous maladministration and venal corruption, has crushed his once prosperous country, leading to the mass exodus of Venezuela's professional class, fleeing from the crisis-plagued nation that now faces severe poverty.
Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chávez, became international cheerleaders for the hard left, expropriating private companies, firing expert workers and managers, slashing spending on repairs and basic maintenance and milking the profits for their personal enrichment. Their version of Bolivarian Bolshevism has resulted in Venezuela's economy shrinking by more than 65 percent, a record-breaking recession, with inflation climbing to around 3,500 percent. The population now faces famine in a country that was once the richest in South America.
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Desperate to restore one of his decaying oil refineries on Venezuela's northwestern coast, to prevent Venezuela from running out of gasoline altogether, Maduro sought help from his allies and dictatorial collaborators in Tehran. In exchange for sending expert engineers and much-needed gasoline additives, the mullahs demanded gold. In the last week of April alone, six planes from the sanctioned Iranian carrier Mahan Air, were seen flying in and out of Simón Bolívar International Airport near Caracas.
Iran's Mahan Air is run by the regime's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, a listed terrorist organization. With the Venezuelan currency virtually worthless, Maduro had to loot his country's last gold reserves to pay his terrorist friends. Around 9 tons of gold worth an estimated $500 million has been shipped to Tehran, leaving Venezuela with hardly any remaining hard currency reserves.
In early May, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said: "These flights must stop and countries should do their part to deny overflights just as many have already denied landing rights to this sanctioned airline." Pompeo is right to be angry.
The unholy alliance between Venezuela and Iran, as the mullahs seek to prop up their most strategic partner in the West, poses a threat to world peace. Since the 1979 revolution that brought them to power, the Iranian regime has sponsored global terrorism and financed regional conflict. The world can rest assured that none of the gold will find its way toward helping the 80 million Iranians, 70 percent of whom are trying to survive with income levels below the international poverty line, against the background of a COVID-19 contagion that has spiraled out of control, accounting for more than 40,000 deaths.
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Instead, the mullahs will continue to divert vital resources to propping up Bashar al-Assad's bloody civil war in Syria, backing the Houthi rebels in Yemen, the vicious Shi'ia militia in Iraq and the terrorist groups Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. Anything left will find its way into the pockets of the ayatollahs, who match their Venezuelan chums for unprincipled corruption. There is certainly no honor among thieves.
Pompeo has repeatedly accused the mullahs of being the godfathers of international terror. There is a mountain of evidence to back up his claim. In June 2018, Assadollah Assadi, a diplomat from the Iranian Embassy in Vienna handed over 500 grams of high explosives and a detonator to an Iranian couple from Antwerp, Belgium. He ordered them to drive to Paris and detonate the bomb at a major rally organized by the National Council for Resistance in Iran and attended by over 100,000 people. A combined operation by the German, French and Belgian intelligence services led to the arrest of Assadi and the other conspirators, all of whom are in prison in Belgium, awaiting trial on charges of terrorism.
In America, the United States Department of Justice on Aug. 9, 2018, announced that two Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) agents of the mullahs' regime, Ahmadreza Mohammadi Doostdar and Majid Ghorbani, had been arrested and charged with spying on and plotting to assassinate supporters of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), the main democratic opposition movement. Subsequently, similar action was taken against Iranian terrorist plots in Denmark, Bulgaria, the Netherlands and several other European nations, who are imposing their own sanctions on the Iranian regime and blacklisting some of its agents.
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In late December 2018, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama expelled Iran's ambassador and first secretary on the grounds that they posed a security risk to Albania after he uncovered another bomb plot targeting opponents of the regime. Even in Glasgow, Scotland, The Times uncovered a plot by armed MOIS agents to threaten and kill anti-regime protesters.
The mullahs' regime also has a history of terror in South America. In 1994, the Iranian MOIS were behind the bomb attack on the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association building in Buenos Aires, killing 85 people and injuring hundreds. Their global terror plots extended to Africa, where in 1998, they were behind the simultaneous truck bomb attacks on the United States embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, that killed more than 200 people.
Even more recently, the IRGC grudgingly admitted responsibility for the horrific shooting down of a Ukrainian airliner with the death of all 176 passengers and crew in January this year, after several days of denying all responsibility. A regime that sends its military thugs and even its diplomatic staff to kill and maim innocent civilians has removed itself from the norms of civilized behavior.
Juan Guaidó, president of the National Assembly of Venezuela, was sworn in as acting president of the country in January 2019, challenging Maduro's claim to the presidency. America, Canada and many Latin American and European countries immediately recognized him as Venezuela's legitimate president, despite the fact that Maduro, with the backing of the army, still clings obstinately to power. With this record of supporting good over evil, it is a great pity that America, Canada and the European Union could not provide similar backing to the legitimate opposition movement in Iran.
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Struan Stevenson is the coordinator of the Campaign for Iran Change. He was a member of the European Parliament representing Scotland (1999-2014), president of the Parliament's Delegation for Relations with Iraq (2009-14) and chairman of the Friends of a Free Iran Intergroup (2004-14). He is an international lecturer on the Middle East and is also president of the European Iraqi Freedom Association.