Latest news with #UFW
New Indian Express
09-05-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
Dirty water plagues Nanjappa Road residents as BWSSB fails to resolve decade-old contamination issues
BENGALURU: Is Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) supplying contaminated water to residents of Shanti Nagar's Nanjappa Road? Yes, according to residents of the locality, which has over 250 houses. BWSSB diverted the sewage line running from MG Road to Shanthi Nagar about 10 years ago. Since then, they have been getting contaminated water, especially during monsoon. If left unchecked, the sumps get filled with contaminated water, the residents said. Renuka Prasad, founder president of Shanthinagar Residents' Welfare Association, said that despite bringing the matter to the notice of local MLA NA Harris and BWSSB officials several times, nothing has been done to rectify the problem. 'In the WhatsApp Group of the association, some residents have complained that they face health problems such as diarrhoea frequently due to water contamination. The problem should be addressed at the earliest,' Prasad said. Another resident said that the locality has been getting contaminated water for the past 10 years. BWSSB offers only temporary solutions such as cleaning sumps whenever contaminated water is supplied. 'We need a permanent solution. We can't get water pumped out of our sumps at regular intervals. The foul smell because of contaminated water is unbearable. If the civic officials and people's representatives are serious about the problem, they should get an FIR registered against the local BWSSB engineers under the Disaster Management Act,' a senior citizen of the locality said. People who have rented houses in the locality are planning to move away because of this problem. It is really surprising that the problem has not been fixed even after 10 years, a landlord in the locality said. Nagaraj, executive engineer of BWSSB, Shanthi Nagar, said the water and sewage lines in the area were laid long ago. The problem is because of this. 'Work to fix the problem will be taken up under Unaccounted For Water (UFW) that aims at cutting down wastage of water and tenders will be invited soon. The sewage line from here, which is connected to the Intermediate Sewage Pumping Station (ISPS) near Shanthi Nagar Bus Depot, may have a problem. Work on ISPS is almost complete. In a month, all issues pertaining to water and sewage lines will be sorted out,' he said.
Glasgow Times
07-05-2025
- Glasgow Times
William pays tribute to ‘immense sacrifices' of rangers after fatal attack
Anti-poaching scouts Domingos Daude and Fernando Paolo Wirsone were killed in the attack in the Niassa Special Reserve last week, according to William's United for Wildlife (UFW) organisation – which combats the illegal trafficking of animals. Ranger Mario Cristovao was injured and a further two scouts remain unaccounted for. This attack is yet another brutal reminder of the immense sacrifices made by those protecting our natural world. The reality is that being a ranger has become one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet. My thoughts are with all those affected and their families. W — The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) May 7, 2025 In a personally signed message on X, William called their jobs 'one of the most dangerous' in the world. 'This attack is yet another brutal reminder of the immense sacrifices made by those protecting our natural world,' he said. 'The reality is that being a ranger has become one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet. 'My thoughts are with all those affected and their families. W' He reposted a UFW statement which said: 'Our heartfelt condolences go to the families and colleagues of Domingos and Fernando as well as the severely injured scout Mario Cristovao who we hope makes a full recovery. 'Our thoughts are also with the families of the two scouts that remain unaccounted for, we pray for their safe return and know the team in Niassa are doing everything possible to find them. 'Rangers are on the frontline of nature protection, and these devastating acts of violence are a stark reminder of the grave danger these individuals face on a daily basis. 'This highlights the critical need to increase our efforts to support the crucial work of nature's guardians.' In November last year, the prince announced a new life insurance cover for rangers who safeguard Africa's wildlife. In his keynote speech at the UFW summit, William described the workers as 'guardians of our planet's most precious resources' as he outlined the five-year Ranger Welfare and Standards Initiative, providing 10,000 rangers working across Africa with access to the financial scheme. He said: 'Rangers are fundamental if we are to meet our global conservation targets for 2030 and prevent the dangerous tipping points that threaten our planet. 'These people do far more than protect wildlife. They are educators. They are community supporters. And they help regulate the sustainable use of natural resources.' The future king is royal patron of the Africa-based wildlife charity Tusk Trust and in 2022 he paid tribute to 'committed and brave' ranger Anton Mzimba who was shot and killed outside his home that year.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
William pays tribute to ‘immense sacrifices' of rangers after fatal attack
The Prince of Wales has paid tribute to rangers and the 'immense sacrifices' they make to safeguard nature after two scouts died in an attack in a Mozambique reserve. Anti-poaching scouts Domingos Daude and Fernando Paolo Wirsone were killed in the attack in the Niassa Special Reserve last week, according to William's United for Wildlife (UFW) organisation – which combats the illegal trafficking of animals. Ranger Mario Cristovao was injured and a further two scouts remain unaccounted for. This attack is yet another brutal reminder of the immense sacrifices made by those protecting our natural world. The reality is that being a ranger has become one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet. My thoughts are with all those affected and their families. W — The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) May 7, 2025 In a personally signed message on X, William called their jobs 'one of the most dangerous' in the world. ADVERTISEMENT 'This attack is yet another brutal reminder of the immense sacrifices made by those protecting our natural world,' he said. 'The reality is that being a ranger has become one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet. 'My thoughts are with all those affected and their families. W' He reposted a UFW statement which said: 'Our heartfelt condolences go to the families and colleagues of Domingos and Fernando as well as the severely injured scout Mario Cristovao who we hope makes a full recovery. 'Our thoughts are also with the families of the two scouts that remain unaccounted for, we pray for their safe return and know the team in Niassa are doing everything possible to find them. 'Rangers are on the frontline of nature protection, and these devastating acts of violence are a stark reminder of the grave danger these individuals face on a daily basis. ADVERTISEMENT 'This highlights the critical need to increase our efforts to support the crucial work of nature's guardians.' In November last year, the prince announced a new life insurance cover for rangers who safeguard Africa's wildlife. In his keynote speech at the UFW summit, William described the workers as 'guardians of our planet's most precious resources' as he outlined the five-year Ranger Welfare and Standards Initiative, providing 10,000 rangers working across Africa with access to the financial scheme. He said: 'Rangers are fundamental if we are to meet our global conservation targets for 2030 and prevent the dangerous tipping points that threaten our planet. 'These people do far more than protect wildlife. They are educators. They are community supporters. And they help regulate the sustainable use of natural resources.' The future king is royal patron of the Africa-based wildlife charity Tusk Trust and in 2022 he paid tribute to 'committed and brave' ranger Anton Mzimba who was shot and killed outside his home that year.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
These 15 Inspiring Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Made History
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have made countless contributions to society and culture through art, activism, athleticism, scientific achievements, and political involvement. From fearless activists who fought for equality to beloved entertainers who helped shape pop culture, Asian and Pacific Americans have made an invaluable impact in their respective fields. Whether traveling to space or winning gold medals, however, these accomplishments are oftentimes overshadowed or ignored. To celebrate AAPI Heritage Month in May, get to know some of the most influential people of Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander descent in U.S. history. Even though Frank Emi was born in the United States, he and his family, of Japanese descent, were forced to leave their California home to live in an internment camp in the midst of World War II. His experiences and treatment during this time inspired Emi's activism. Emi and his family were moved to a camp in Wyoming, where he took issue with two of the controversial questions he was forced to answer as part of the 'loyalty' questionnaire. The first asked if Japanese men born in America would consent to serve in combat duty, while the second asked them to pledge full allegiance to the United States and relinquish any fealty to the Emperor of Japan. Emi responded that he was unable to answer the questions and believed men forced to serve in combat should first have their full citizenship rights reinstated. Emi eventually became part of the Fair Play Committee (FPC), which protested the reduction of civil rights and encouraged men to resist the draft, and once made a point to prove they were prisoners by attempting to walk out of the camp. When Emi didn't report for his draft physical, he was arrested and convicted of conspiracy to violate the Selective Service Act. He was sentenced to four years in prison, of which he served 18 months. He continued his advocacy until his death in 2010 at 94 years old. 'We could either tuck our tails between our legs like dogs or stand up like free men and fight for justice,' Emi said of his activism. 'Some of us chose the latter. We were going to resist.' A key figure in the farm labor movement, Larry Itliong first moved to the United States as a teen and became a migrant worker. Born in the Philippines, Itliong was a natural activist who soon became a labor organizer, helping coordinate many strikes and form labor unions to support workers' rights as he traveled around the country to find work. Itliong lived and worked in Alaska, Washington, and finally California, where he crossed paths with fellow activists Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. Itliong captured the attention of other activists when he organized the Delano Grape Strike of 1965, an event that eventually led to the formation of the nation's leading agricultural labor union, the United Farm Workers (UFW). The UFW came from Itliong and Huerta's Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC) and Chavez's National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), which combined to become the strongest labor union. While Chavez is a name synonymous with labor rights, Itliong's contributions merit just as much praise. Read His Biography Connie Chung is a reporter who became the first Asian American woman to anchor a national weekday news broadcast. Born in Washington, D.C., to Chinese immigrant parents, Chung began her journalism career as a CBS Evening News correspondent in the early 1970s. Her first high-profile interview was with President Richard Nixon during the infamous Watergate scandal. After leaving to work at KNXT and NBC News for a time, she returned to the network in 1989 to host Saturday Night with Connie Chung, later renamed Face to Face with Connie Chung, and CBS Sunday Evening News. In 1993, Chung was tapped to co-anchor the CBS Evening News, making history as the first Asian American and second woman to host a weekday evening news show. Her co-anchor gig ended two years later, and she went on to report for various other news networks, where she interviewed the likes of U.S. Representative Gary Condit, Kathleen Gingrich, and tennis player Martina Navratilova, among others. While Chung is no longer reporting on-air, she is still working. She owns the Montana newspaper the Flathead Beacon with her husband, Maury Povich. Read Her Biography Fred Korematsu took his fight against the Japanese internment camps all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Korematsu was born in Oakland, California, to Japanese parents who ran a plant nursery. World War II started when he was 22, and the young Korematsu subsequently refused to report to internment camp Tanforan Assembly Center, where his family was forcibly removed to on May 9, 1942. Korematsu was arrested on May 30, 1942, for his refusal to comply. His name was forever etched in history when he was visited in prison by American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) executive director Ernest Besig, who asked him to take part in a lawsuit questioning the legality of the military relocation orders. Korematsu agreed, and was sent to the same camp as his family as his case went through the system. Despite declaring loyalty as a citizen and attempting to enlist in the navy, he was convicted of violating military orders, a ruling the Supreme Court held up in a 6-3 decision. He eventually moved back to San Francisco, and his felony conviction made it hard to find a job. Korematsu's conviction was later revoked in 1983, with the activist proclaiming in court, 'As long as my record stands in federal court, any American citizen can be held in prison or concentration camps without a trial or a hearing.' He received the Presidential Medal of Honor in 1998, and continued his activism until he died in 2005 at age 86. Six years after his death, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger established January 30 as Fred Korematsu Day to honor his legacy. Seven states now celebrate the holiday. Read His Biography Kiyoshi Kuromiya was born in an internment camp in Wyoming. He grew up to become an activist, focusing on the antiwar, civil rights, and gay liberation movements. He attended several key protests, including Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington and a protest in Montgomery, Alabama, where he led Black high school students in a voter registration march in 1965. Four years later, in 1969, Kuromiya founded the Gay Liberation Front–Philadelphia and simultaneously served as an openly gay delegate to the Black Panther Party's Revolutionary People's Constitutional Convention. When the AIDS pandemic started decimating the gay community nationwide in the early 1980s, Kuromiya began to focus on patients' rights. To help ensure patients got the information they needed, Kuromiya founded the Critical Path Project, which began as a newsletter with information about HIV treatment mailed worldwide and eventually expanded to a 24-hour telephone hotline, a web page, and free internet service for people living with AIDS and HIV in Philadelphia and beyond. Sadly, Kuromiya himself was diagnosed HIV-positive in 1989 and died in 2000 due to complications from AIDS. British-American author and translator Jhumpa Lahiri is known for her moving literary works about the Indian immigrant experience. Lahiri was born in London to Bengali parents and raised in Rhode Island. She published her debut, Interpreter of Maladies, in 1999. The collection of short stories, set in Kolkata and New England, won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2000. Lahiri followed up in 2003 with her first novel, The Namesake, about two generations of Bengali-American family, and returned to short stories with the 2008 New York Times best-seller Unaccustomed Earth. Her 2013 novel, The Lowland, was partially inspired by real-world political events surrounding India's Naxalite movement in the 1960s. Lahiri has since published several other books and was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Barack Obama in 2014. Her latest work, Translating Myself and Others (2022), is a collection of personal essays about working as a translator. Read Her Biography Philip Vera Cruz's experience as a farm laborer fueled his fight to advocate for better pay and working conditions. After being born in the Philippines, Vera Cruz and his family moved to the United States, where he would eventually work on farmland in California, picking grapes, lettuce, and asparagus in grueling conditions. This prompted Vera Cruz, along with Itliong, to organize the Delano Grape Strike of 1965, demanding a 15-cent hourly wage increase and an increase in pay for each box of grapes picked. The activist was part of the resulting United Farm Workers union and continued to work for the organization for years, eventually serving as the officer in charge of the Agbayani Village. The village provided comfortable housing for retired farmworkers. He went on to serve as vice president of the UFW, and was the highest-ranking Filipino in the union. 'When the UFW came along it really changed my life. It gave me the opportunity to bring my basically philosophical and questioning nature down to earth, and apply it to real everyday issues that actually affect people's lives,' he once said. 'As a Filipino American it gave me the opportunity to participate in the political struggles of this country.' Both an actor and an activist, George Takei's resolve came from his experiences while detained with his family at Japanese internment camps for three years, starting when he was just 5 years old. Upon release, his family was given a one-way ticket to Los Angeles, but as they were left with no capital, they ended up in Los Angeles' Skid Row district, an area known to have a large homeless population. The young Takei persevered and attended both the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, Los Angeles, where he graduated with both his bachelor's and master's degrees. Though Takei wouldn't publicly reveal his sexuality until 2005, he lived openly among peers as a gay man and worked as an activist for several LGBTQ organizations. 'My childhood behind barbed wire fences is the reason I became an activist,' Takei said in a statement. He also became involved politically in Los Angeles, narrowly losing an election for City Council in 1963 and later serving as part of the Southern California Rapid Transit District where he cast the deciding vote to build the city's subway system. Takei remains one of the most prolific figures to have firsthand experience of the Japanese internment camps and has committed his advocacy to ensuring the horrors are never lived again by another set of people. He also made great strides as an actor. In 1966, Takei debuted as Hikaru Sulu on Star Trek: The Original Series, becoming the first Asian American person to play a major, non-stereotyped role on television. Read His Biography Yuri Kochiyama was a fierce advocate for political prisoners. Her activism was sparked by her time spent in the Japanese internment camps, where she developed deep pride for her roots. After growing up in California, Kochiyama's life changed when her father was arrested by the FBI and held for six weeks without necessary medical care for being a supposed threat to national security. He died days after his release, and she and the rest of her family were forced into incarceration. After her release, Kochiyama and her husband moved to New York City, where she grew enraptured by the civil rights movement and would later become friends with Malcolm X. After meeting the famous activist, Kochiyama began advocating for the liberation of marginalized peoples around the world. The fight extended heavily into her work for the Asian community, and she was vocal about several causes, including opposition to the Vietnam War and advocating for internment camp survivors to receive compensation. Kochiyama was there when Malcolm X was assassinated while speaking at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City in 1965. She famously rushed to the stage and was pictured holding his head as he lay dying. She continued her work until her death in 2014 at age 93. Hawaiian swimmer and surfer Duke Kahanamoku broke several barriers in the world of water sports. In 1911, Kahanamoku broke the world record in the 100-yard freestyle at an amateur swim meet in Honolulu, finishing in 55.4 seconds. Proving himself as a powerful swimmer, he went on to compete in the 1912 Antwerp Olympics, winning a his first gold medial in the 100-meter freestyle and a silver medal in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay. Kahanamoku made history at the 1920 Olympics, becoming the first swimmer to win the 100-meter race twice in row. Commonly referred to as 'The Duke,' the five-time Olympic medalist also helped popularize surfing, performing demonstrations in the mainland United States and Australia. As one of the first non-white athletes to gain significant fame in sports, Kahanamoku helped pave the way for others. He died in 1968 at age 77. Born to a family who advocated for Hawaiian statehood, Haunani-Kay Trask went against the grain and was known for being outspoken about colonial occupation of Hawai'i. She spent her life fighting for independence for her people and preservation of Hawaiian culture. Trask was born in 1949, 10 years before Hawai'i became a state. Though she spent several years on the mainland while attending the University of Wisconsin and the University of Chicago, where she joined the Black Panther Party, Trask focused on her homeland and preserving native Hawaiian culture. She returned home to teach at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, specializing in Polynesian women, Hawai'i's political movements, and the Pacific Islands. Trask was awarded the Angela Y. Davis Prize in 2019 for her work in education and the arts. She died in 2021. Anna May Wong is known as the first Asian American movie star. Born Wong Liu Tsong in 1905 in Los Angeles, she gave herself the stage name Anna May Wong. Wong lived in the Chinatown area of Los Angeles and attended an integrated public school, where she faced constant racial attacks. 'Every day was one of torture for us,' Wong later said. She first auditioned for a movie when she was a teenager. She was cast as an extra, and would have a hard time landing a leading role due to racism in the industry and anti-race mixing laws that prohibited her from sharing a kiss with a man of a different race. Though she eventually left the United States for stage work in Europe, Wong remains the first Asian American to become a movie star. Read Her Biography George Helm Jr. dedicated his short life to preserving the native culture of Hawaii. Helm was born on the Molokai island of Hawai'i and later moved to Honolulu to continue his studies. He became a renowned philosopher and is seen as a pioneer of Hawaiian sovereignty movement, aiming to bring independence back to the islands. In 1975, Helm became involved in the efforts to protect the island of Kaho'olawe from being used as bomb target practice by the U.S. Navy. The next year, he and eight others occupied the island in efforts to protect it and he became spiritually connected to the sacred land. Helm died while trying to return to Maui from the island in the midst of bad weather. He was 26. His legacy lives on in his activism and music, with his recordings still often played on Hawaiian radio. Tammy Duckworth made history as the second Asian American woman elected to the U.S. Senate. Born in Bangkok to a Thai mother of Chinese descent and an American father, Duckworth has dedicated her life to service. In 1992, she joined the Illinois National Guard and later trained as an Army helicopter pilot. While flying Operation Iraqi Freedom missions in the Iraqi War, Duckworth was involved in an explosion and lost both her legs. She then defied the odds in 2012 when she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Illinois' 8th District. After serving two terms, she successfully ran for U.S. Senate in 2016, becoming the first woman with a disability and the second Asian American woman elected to the chamber. Two years later, she became the first senator to give birth while in office. Read Her Biography Kalpana Chawla was the first Indian-American astronaut to go to space. Born in Karnal, India, Chawla grew up fascinated with flight and aviation. She studied aerospace engineering at Punjab Engineering College before continuing her education in the United States. After obtaining a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado-Boulder, Chawla became a naturalized American citizen in 1991. Three years later, she was selected by NASA to become an astronaut and began training in 1995. Chawla embarked on her first space flight in November 1997, working as a mission specialist and robotic arm operator aboard the space shuttle Columbia. This mission lasted two weeks, during which several experiments were conducted. Her second flight came in January 2003. During the 16-day mission, Chawla studied microgravity and its impact on crystal growth, fire suppression, and cancer. The shuttle made its return on February 1, 2003, but as it passed through the Earth's atmosphere, it broke apart, killing Chawla and the rest of the crew. She was just 40 years old. In October 2020, a commercial cargo spacecraft was named after Chawla to honor her contributions to spaceflight. You Might Also Like Nicole Richie's Surprising Adoption Story The Story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Her Mother Queen Camilla's Life in Photos
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
UFW granted preliminary injunction limiting Border Patrol on warrantless arrests, stops
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — United Farm Workers has been granted a preliminary injunction barring U.S. Border Patrol from making stops and arrests in the Eastern District of California — including Kern County — unless certain conditions are met. Under Tuesday's order, Border Patrol agents can't stop people unless there's probable cause they're noncitizens in violation of U.S. immigration law, and they can't make warrantless arrests unless there's probable cause to believe the person will likely escape before one is obtained. 'This order rightfully upholds the law,' Teresa Romero, president of UFW, said in a release. 'Border Patrol can't just wade into communities snatching up hardworking people without due process, just for being brown and working class.' The order issued by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston comes after UFW sued over a three-day Border Patrol operation conducted in January called 'Operation Return to Sender.' It was designed to stop, detain and arrest people of color in and near Kern County who appeared to be farmworkers or day laborers, regardless of their immigration status, according to the complaint. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security has previously told 17 News, 'Businesses that human traffic and exploit migrants for cheap labor should be afraid — we will go after them. As for law-abiding companies, the media is intentionally manufacturing fear.' The next hearing in the case is set for June. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
