voltplex for cockfighting benefits

voltplex for cockfighting benefits Syrian government services come to a 'complete halt' as state workers stay home

Rape allegation against Jay-Z will not affect NFL relationship, says chief

Bethune-Cookman Wildcats (2-7) at West Virginia Mountaineers (7-2, 1-0 Big 12) Morgantown, West Virginia; Saturday, 5 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: West Virginia hosts Bethune-Cookman looking to continue its three-game home winning streak. The Mountaineers have gone 5-0 in home games. West Virginia ranks fifth in the Big 12 in team defense, allowing 66.1 points while holding opponents to 38.4% shooting. The Wildcats are 0-6 on the road. Bethune-Cookman ranks ninth in the SWAC with 28.8 rebounds per game led by Reggie Ward Jr. averaging 7.7. West Virginia averages 77.9 points per game, 3.9 more points than the 74.0 Bethune-Cookman gives up. Bethune-Cookman has shot at a 39.7% clip from the field this season, 1.3 percentage points higher than the 38.4% shooting opponents of West Virginia have averaged. TOP PERFORMERS: Javon Small is shooting 44.6% and averaging 19.0 points for the Mountaineers. Brayon Freeman is averaging 16.2 points for the Wildcats. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Sam Darnold-led Vikings down Packers for ninth straight winMichail Antonio spoke to his West Ham team-mates via a video call from his hospital bed before they beat Wolves 2-1 on Monday night. Jarrod Bowen held Antonio’s number nine shirt aloft after scoring the winner in support of the Hammers striker, who is recovering after a horror car crash on Saturday. Boss Julen Lopetegui said: “He is not in his best moment but he kept his humour. It was a special moment for us. “I think we have a lot of reason to win matches but this was one reason more. He’s alive so we are happy.” MA9 ❤️ — West Ham United (@WestHam) West Ham players wore ‘Antonio 9′ shirts while warming up and walking out before kick-off. The shirts will be signed by the players, including Antonio, and auctioned off with the proceeds going to the NHS and Air Ambulances UK. Tomas Soucek headed West Ham into the lead and held up nine fingers to a TV camera. The Czech midfielder told Sky Sports: “He’s been here since I came here. He is really my favourite. I said it would be tough for me to play without him. "He was here since I came and he's really my favourite" Tomáš Souček on dedicating his goal to Michail Antonio ❤️ — Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) “I was so scared what was going to happen. It was a really tough week for him, his family and us.” Matt Doherty equalised for Wolves, and boss Gary O’Neil felt they should have had two penalties for fouls on Goncalo Guedes and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, both of which were checked by VAR. But Bowen’s winner – O’Neil believed there was a foul in the build-up – condemned Wolves to a 10th defeat of the season and a third in a row. While under-pressure Lopetegui may have earned a stay of execution, O’Neil’s future as Wolves manager is now in serious doubt. “A lot of things went against us but ultimately we have not found a way to turn the game in our favour,” he said. “But the players showed they are still fighting for me, for the fans and the group. “Where does this leave me? In the same place I was. I’m aware of the noise. But if anyone expected this to be easy – I’m happy to be judged on results but it should be done in context. “Whenever this journey ends with Wolves I’ll be proud of it.” There was an acrimonious end to the match as captains Bowen and Mario Lemina scuffled after the final whistle, with the Wolves midfielder angrily shoving people including one of his own coaches, Shaun Derry. “I just went to shake his hand after the game,” Bowen said. “He didn’t want to shake my hand, two captains together just to say ‘well done’ after the game. “I know it’s difficult when you lose. I’ve been on the end of that situation.” O’Neil added: “Mario is calm now. He’s a passionate guy and something was said that upset him. “The instinct of the staff was to make sure he didn’t get into trouble, but he took some calming down.”

Another weekend of downhill skiing at Loch Lomond Ski AreaFulks puts up 26, Milwaukee defeats IU Indianapolis 88-81Pat Riley and the Heat fired back at the latest Jimmy Butler trade rumors

Jimmy Carter, whose presidency was marked by a complicated relationship with Congress, dies at age 100By TRÂN NGUYỄN SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California, home to some of the largest technology companies in the world, would be the first U.S. state to require mental health warning labels on social media sites if lawmakers pass a bill introduced Monday. The legislation sponsored by state Attorney General Rob Bonta is necessary to bolster safety for children online, supporters say, but industry officials vow to fight the measure and others like it under the First Amendment. Warning labels for social media gained swift bipartisan support from dozens of attorneys general, including Bonta, after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called on Congress to establish the requirements earlier this year, saying social media is a contributing factor in the mental health crisis among young people. “These companies know the harmful impact their products can have on our children, and they refuse to take meaningful steps to make them safer,” Bonta said at a news conference Monday. “Time is up. It’s time we stepped in and demanded change.” State officials haven’t provided details on the bill, but Bonta said the warning labels could pop up once weekly. Up to 95% of youth ages 13 to 17 say they use a social media platform, and more than a third say that they use social media “almost constantly,” according to 2022 data from the Pew Research Center. Parents’ concerns prompted Australia to pass the world’s first law banning social media for children under 16 in November. “The promise of social media, although real, has turned into a situation where they’re turning our children’s attention into a commodity,” Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, who authored the California bill, said Monday. “The attention economy is using our children and their well-being to make money for these California companies.” Lawmakers instead should focus on online safety education and mental health resources, not warning label bills that are “constitutionally unsound,” said Todd O’Boyle, a vice president of the tech industry policy group Chamber of Progress. “We strongly suspect that the courts will set them aside as compelled speech,” O’Boyle told The Associated Press. Victoria Hinks’ 16-year-old daughter, Alexandra, died by suicide four months ago after being “led down dark rabbit holes” on social media that glamorized eating disorders and self-harm. Hinks said the labels would help protect children from companies that turn a blind eye to the harm caused to children’s mental health when they become addicted to social media platforms. “There’s not a bone in my body that doubts social media played a role in leading her to that final, irreversible decision,” Hinks said. “This could be your story.” Related Articles National News | Biden creates Native American boarding school national monument to mark era of forced assimilation National News | ‘Polarization’ is Merriam-Webster’s 2024 word of the year National News | Supreme Court rejects appeal challenging Hawaii gun licensing requirements under Second Amendment National News | Supreme Court rejects appeal from Boston parents over race bias in elite high school admissions National News | Supreme Court rejects Wisconsin parents’ challenge to school guidance for transgender students Common Sense Media, a sponsor of the bill, said it plans to lobby for similar proposals in other states. California in the past decade has positioned itself as a leader in regulating and fighting the tech industry to bolster online safety for children. The state was the first in 2022 to bar online platforms from using users’ personal information in ways that could harm children. It was one of the states that sued Meta in 2023 and TikTok in October for deliberately designing addictive features that keep kids hooked on their platforms. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, also signed several bills in September to help curb the effects of social media on children, including one to prohibit social media platforms from knowingly providing addictive feeds to children without parental consent and one to limit or ban students from using smartphones on school campus. Federal lawmakers have held hearings on child online safety and legislation is in the works to force companies to take reasonable steps to prevent harm. The legislation has the support of X owner Elon Musk and the President-elect’s son, Donald Trump Jr . Still, the last federal law aimed at protecting children online was enacted in 1998, six years before Facebook’s founding.

Sam Darnold completed 33 of 43 passes for a career-best 377 yards to go with three touchdowns and one interception, and the Minnesota Vikings escaped with a 27-25 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis. Justin Jefferson had eight catches for 92 yards for Minnesota (14-2), which won its ninth game in a row. Jalen Nailor, Jordan Addison and Cam Akers had one touchdown reception apiece for the Vikings. Jordan Love completed 19 of 30 passes for 185 yards and one touchdown for Green Bay (11-5). Josh Jacobs and Emanuel Wilson each rushed for a touchdown and Malik Heath had a touchdown catch for the Packers, who lost to the Vikings for the second time this season. Minnesota's nine-game winning streak matches its third longest in franchise history. The Vikings are enjoying their longest stretch of success since 1975, when they won 10 straight. Green Bay rallied with back-to-back touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull within two. Wilson scored on a 5-yard run to cut the Packers' deficit to 27-18 with 6:12 to go. Love brought Green Bay within 27-25 with 2:18 to play. He fired a 3-yard touchdown pass to Heath, who scored on a quick slant. The Vikings got the ball on the following kickoff and never gave it back to Green Bay. Darnold secured the win when he lobbed a pass to Akers for a first down to set up the victory formation. The Packers opened the scoring late in the first quarter with a 22-yard field goal by Brandon McManus. Minnesota responded to grab a 13-3 lead at the half. Darnold found Nailor for a 31-yard touchdown with 11:52 remaining in the first half. Nailor was wide open and made a basket catch near the back of the end zone. Reichard rounded out the first-half scoring with field goals from 25 yards and 50 yards. The Vikings increased their lead to 20-3 on the opening drive of the second half. Addison made a diving grab for an 18-yard touchdown. Green Bay pulled within 20-10 with 5:07 left in the third quarter. Jacobs scored on a 2-yard run. Darnold's third touchdown pass, this time to Akers, made it 27-10 in favor of the Vikings with 51 seconds remaining in the third quarter. --Field Level Media

Former United States President Jimmy Carter passed away this Sunday at his home in Georgia. PUBLICIDAD The passing of the 39th president was confirmed by the Carter Center through the social network X. PUBLICIDAD Carter had entered palliative care over a year ago, after a series of health problems. His death occurred just a few months after the passing of his wife, Rosalynn, who died in November 2023 at the age of 96. Both spent most of their lives in the small town of Plains. Until his death, the American president was the oldest-serving president. After the death of former US President Jimmy Carter, the governor-elect, Jenniffer González Colón, expressed her condolences through platform X. "It is sad to learn of the passing of President Jimmy Carter, a lifelong public servant whose humanitarian work transcended beyond the White House. José and I express our deepest condolences and send our prayers to his family. Rest in peace," Colón shared in a message written in English. Former United States President Barack Obama took to his social media to share his feelings after the death of former President Jimmy Carter. "President Carter taught us all what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to the Carter family, and to all who loved and learned from this extraordinary man," shared Obama in a post on X. Jimmy Carter's Life Carter, a moderate Southern Democrat and former governor of Georgia, defeated Republican President Gerald Ford in 1976, but in his reelection bid in 1980, he lost to Ronald Reagan, who won by a wide margin. After his presidency, he began tireless activity in favor of human rights around the world, which earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. In 1976, an intense and intelligent campaign that highlighted his honesty propelled Carter from near anonymity to the White House in the first presidential election after the Watergate scandal. The man from the small town of Plains was portrayed as a symbol of the New South. Perhaps his greatest achievement was the peace treaty he negotiated between Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin in 1978. But Carter had an ignominious return to Georgia, after a presidency undermined by double-digit inflation, an energy crisis that forced Americans to wait in long lines to fill up with gasoline, and the Iran hostage crisis that lasted 444 days. His darkest hour was the failed attempt to rescue the hostages in Iran in April 1980, in which eight Americans died. Deeply embarrassed by the citizens' rejection, Carter diligently forged a new role on the world stage as a peacemaker, promoter of democracy, and defender of human rights. The stubbornness that harmed his presidency benefited him as a solitary peacemaker who bypassed diplomatic channels and, as he said in 1994, "went to places where others do not go," such as North Korea, Ethiopia, and Liberia. "I can say what I want. I can meet with whoever I want. I can dedicate myself to projects that please me and reject those that don't," he said in an interview in 1990. He helped defuse tense situations in the Koreas and prevent a US invasion of Haiti in 1994. These activities earned him immense prestige and multiple nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize, which he was awarded in 2002. His detractors claimed that Carter was usurping US foreign policy, that he was often naive in his dealings with hostile dictators, and that his goal was to redeem himself in the eyes of history. But his admirers argued that he was driven by his strict Baptist faith and his desire to do what he could to benefit humanity. "It's true that I get excited and deeply moved," Carter said in an interview with The Associated Press in 1994, when explaining why his voice choked up when talking about his work. "I'm a little embarrassed, but that's just who I am." James Earl Carter Jr. was born in Plains, Georgia, on October 1, 1924, as the oldest of four children. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1946 and that same year he married Rosalynn Smith, a neighbor from Plains. They had four children. After seven years in the submarine force, he requested retirement when his father died, returned to Plains, and took over the family business. He dedicated himself to local politics and in 1962 won a seat in the state Senate by challenging a series of irregularities in the voting after being defeated in the initial count. He ran for governor in 1966, lost, and returned in 1970 to win. As the successor of the segregationist governor Lester Maddox, Carter said in his inaugural speech: "I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over." Scarcely known in the national scene, he ran for the presidency in 1974 with a modest campaign, staying in the homes of his supporters. After Richard Nixon's resignation due to the Watergate scandal, Carter based his campaign on restoring the citizens' trust in the government. "If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a deceptive statement, do not vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president," Carter repeated in every speech. Carter and Rosalynn walked to his inauguration, where he became the first president to be sworn in using his nickname: he always preferred to be called Jimmy. Among the achievements of his government are the partial deregulation of air, rail, and truck transportation; the appointment of women and members of ethnic minorities to the judiciary and other positions; the reservation of millions of acres in Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges; the pardon of most of those who evaded military service during the Vietnam War; the creation of the Departments of Energy and Education; the ratification of the Panama Canal treaties, the normalization of relations with China, and the historic Camp David agreements, in which Egypt recognized the State of Israel. In terms of foreign policy, he focused on promoting human rights, particularly in South American countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay, which were governed by repressive military dictatorships. But a series of events abroad paralyzed the final stage of his presidency. When Carter agreed to allow the deposed and exiled Shah of Iran to receive medical treatment in the United States on November 4, 1979, followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini took over the American embassy in Iran, sparking the hostage crisis. Negotiations with the chaotic Iranian regime to release the hostages were repeatedly stalled, and in April 1980, Carter ordered a failed military rescue attempt. Exasperated by inflation and the confrontation with Iran, Americans responded to Republican Ronald Reagan's call for a "strong America once again." Carter lost the elections in all states except six, and the Republicans won the majority in the Senate. After writing his presidential memoirs, Carter became a professor at Emory University in Atlanta and, along with Rosalynn, founded the Carter Center, an ambitious research and political activity institute. In his memoirs, Carter described that after the humiliating defeat, he and his wife "decided that it would be better to continue using my influence, perhaps with even greater freedom than before, to promote the same ideals that I had embraced during my presidency." In that sense, he supervised democratic elections in countries such as Nicaragua and Haiti, as well as the first Palestinian elections. Carter wrote a dozen books, including a children's story, a collection of poetry, and an account of his spiritual life. Carter underwent surgery on August 3, 2015 to remove a tumor from his liver. On August 12, the Carter Center reported that the cancer had spread to other organs. His father, brother, and two sisters died of pancreatic cancer, and his mother also suffered from the illness. During a press conference on August 20th, Carter humbly and humorously said that he felt "perfectly at peace with whatever happens." “I have had a wonderful life,” he said. “I have had thousands of friends, I have led an exciting, adventurous, and fulfilling life. That’s why I felt surprisingly calm, much more than my wife.”

-- Shares Facebook Twitter Reddit Email In response to the news on Monday that police in Pennsylvania apprehended 26-year-old Luigi Mangione , the prime suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson , Sen. Ted Cruz , R-Texas, is using him as an example of "leftist" views being a mental illness. In a post to X made shortly after Mangione was identified, Cruz shared an article by the New York Post and wrote, "Leftism is a mental disease. The suspected murderer, an Ivy League graduate, 'subscribed to anti-capitalist and climate-change causes, according to law enforcement.' And the murderer has been widely celebrated by leftists online. Tragic & sick." Related Murdering health insurance CEOs will get us nowhere In the wake of Mangione's arrest in Altoona, Pa., a rush of information on the suspect's background has been circulating online, with The New York Times reporting that he attended high school at the Gilman School in Baltimore, where he was an athlete and the valedictorian of his graduating class in 2016, delivering a speech describing his class as “coming up with new ideas and challenging the world around it.” With the only prior criminal activity linked to Mangione being a citation for trespassing in Hawaii, the suspect's online presence shows a split in his path, with a Goodreads review he left on Ted Kaczynski's manifesto referring to the Unabomber as an "extreme political revolutionary," and friends and loved ones expressing concern for him on social media a month prior to the shooting of Thompson, according to The Daily Beast . None of this, however, backs up Cruz's statement. "Person of Interest in the UHC CEO killing Luigi Mangione is being painted as left-wing by the New York Post but his X account shows someone whose thinking is shaped by the Online Right," writes journalist Ari Drennen in a post to X. Read more about this topic "Frankly offensive": UnitedHealth CEO responds to "aggressive" media interest in Thompson murder “We’re still gonna say no”: UnitedHealthcare’s effort to deny coverage to chronically ill patient Only the wealthy have the right to longevity. Medicare for All can fix that MORE FROM Kelly McClure Advertisement:

Trump has pressed for voting changes. GOP majorities in Congress will try to make that happen ATLANTA (AP) — Republicans in Congress plan to move quickly in their effort to overhaul the nation’s voting procedures, seeing an opportunity with control of the White House and both chambers of Congress. They want to push through long-sought changes such as voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements. They say the measures are needed to restore public confidence in elections. That's after an erosion of trust that Democrats note has been fueled by false claims from Donald Trump and his allies of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. Democrats say they are willing to work with the GOP but want any changes to make it easier, not harder, to vote. Americans are exhausted by political news. TV ratings and a new AP-NORC poll show they're tuning out NEW YORK (AP) — A lot of Americans, after an intense presidential election campaign, are looking for a break in political news. That's evident in cable television news ratings and a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The poll found nearly two-thirds of Americans saying they've found the need recently to cut down on their consumption of political and government news. That's particularly true among Democrats following President-elect Donald Trump's victory, although a significant number of Republicans and independents feel the same way. Cable networks MSNBC and CNN are really seeing a slump. That's also happened in years past for networks that particularly appeal to supporters of one candidate. Israel strikes Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital while the WHO chief says he was meters away JERUSALEM (AP) — A new round of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen have targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa and multiple ports. The World Health Organization’s director-general said the bombardment on Thursday took place just “meters away” as he was about to board a flight in Sanaa. He says a crew member was hurt. The strikes followed several days of Houthi attacks and launches setting off sirens in Israel. Israel's military says it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa, power stations and ports. The Israeli military didn't immediate respond to questions about the WHO chief's statement. The US says it pushed retraction of a famine warning for north Gaza. Aid groups express concern. WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say they asked for — and got — the retraction of an independent monitor's warning of imminent famine in north Gaza. The internationally Famine Early Warning System Network issued the warning this week. The new report had warned that starvation deaths in north Gaza could reach famine levels as soon as next month. It cited what it called Israel's “near-total blockade” of food and water. The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Jacob Lew, criticized the finding as inaccurate and irresponsible. The U.S. Agency for International Development, which funds the famine-monitoring group, told the AP it had asked for and gotten the report's retraction. USAID officials tell The Associated Press that it had asked the group for greater review of discrepancies in some of the data. India's former prime minister Manmohan Singh, architect of economic reforms, dies aged 92 NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, widely regarded as the architect of India’s economic reform program and a landmark nuclear deal with the United States, has died. He was 92. The hospital said Singh was admitted to New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences late Thursday after his health deteriorated due to “sudden loss of consciousness at home.". He was “being treated for age-related medical conditions,” the statement added. A mild-mannered technocrat, Singh became one of India’s longest-serving prime ministers for 10 years and earned a reputation as a man of great personal integrity. But his sterling image was tainted by allegations of corruption against his ministers. What is known about a plane crash in Kazakhstan that killed 38 of 67 people on board The crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan has killed 38 of 67 people on board. Azerbaijan Airlines’ Embraer 190 was en route from Azerbaijani capital Baku to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus on Wednesday when it was diverted for reasons that aren’t fully clear yet. It crashed while making an attempt to land in Aktau in Kazakhstan after flying east across the Caspian Sea. Officials in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Russia haven't commented on a possible cause of the crash pending an official investigation. Some commentators pointed out holes in the plane's tail section pictured after the crash as a sign that it could have been fired upon by air defense systems. Ukraine's military intelligence says North Korean troops are suffering heavy battlefield losses KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's military intelligence says North Korean troops are suffering heavy losses in Russia's Kursk region and face logistical difficulties as a result of Ukrainian attacks. The intelligence agency said Thursday that Ukrainian strikes near Novoivanovka inflicted heavy casualties on North Korean units. Ukraine's president said earlier this week that 3,000 North Korean troops have been killed and wounded in the fighting in the Kursk region. It marked the first significant estimate by Ukraine of North Korean casualties several weeks after Kyiv announced that North Korea had sent 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia to help it in the almost 3-year war. How the stock market defied expectations again this year, by the numbers NEW YORK (AP) — What a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The benchmark index posted its first back-to-back annual gains of more than 20% since 1998. The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing. But it wasn’t just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin and gold surged and “Roaring Kitty” reappeared to briefly reignite the meme stock craze. Holiday shoppers increased spending by 3.8% despite higher prices New data shows holiday sales rose this year even as Americans wrestled with still high prices in many grocery necessities and other financial worries. According to Mastercard SpendingPulse, holiday sales from the beginning of November through Christmas Eve climbed 3.8%, a faster pace than the 3.1% increase from a year earlier. The measure tracks all kinds of payments including cash and debit cards. This year, retailers were even more under the gun to get shoppers in to buy early and in bulk since there were five fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Mastercard SpendingPulse says the last five days of the season accounted for 10% of the spending. Sales of clothing, electronics and Jewelry rose. Why this Mexican American woman played a vital role in the US sacramental peyote trade MIRANDO CITY, Texas (AP) — Amada Cardenas, a Mexican American woman who lived in the tiny border town of Mirando City in South Texas, played an important role in the history of the peyote trade. She and her husband were the first federally licensed peyote dealers who harvested and sold the sacramental plant to followers of the Native American Church in the 1930s. After her husband's death in 1967, Cardenas continued to welcome generations of Native American Church members to her home until her death in 2005, just before her 101st birthday.None

Police in Suriname Thursday said they had launched a major probe into the death of former president Desi Bouterse, the details surrounding the mysterious emergence of his body at his closely monitored home, where exactly he was hiding and who was protecting him since he fled from justice in mid-January. Stay Connected to the Caribbean Bouterse, 79 was pronounced dead by a doctor at his riverside home on Christmas Day, nearly a year after he had disappeared into hiding hours before he was scheduled to surrender to authorities to begin a 20-year mass murder sentence. The local police, the KPS, said in a social media statement that a criminal investigation is underway and numerous persons are being questioned. The force said it is particularly interested in determining how his body was transported “from an unknown address by unknown persons” to his home in Leonsberg in the capital where relatives, supporters and the leadership of his National Democratic Party (NDP) had gathered to mourn and comfort each other. Police said they were informed before daybreak on Christmas Day that the former military strongman who had staged military coups in 1980 and 1990 and had served two terms as an elected president until 2020, had died and that they were invited to view his remains at his home. How the body got there remains a mystery to frustrated authorities but the police said they then summoned a doctor who pronounced him dead. “According to the doctor, the body showed no signs of foul play and, after consultation with the public prosecution service, was seized for an autopsy to determine the probable cause of death,” the KPS said. “The Suriname police force makes an urgent appeal to society to await the results of the investigation and to refrain from speculation.” His death, five months before general elections are due, came just days after police had stepped up raids at places they believed were linked to Bouterse and as a French newspaper had reported that Bouterse had been hiding out the Commewijne District across the Paramaribo harbor and not in Venezuela as was widely speculated. Bouterse is from that general area. Meanwhile, Waterkant News publication said it had been reliably informed that the death was reported to the Bouterse family “by an unknown indigenous man” but no one can say exactly who the person is. As word spread throughout the country, NDP leaders began arriving at the home before daybreak to view the body, wrapped in a white sheet in a wooden coffin. Viewers were banned from using mobile phones. Police had questioned former first lady Ingrid Bouterse about his hiding place but she maintained ignorance about such details. As the probe continues, a condolence book has been opened from Thursday afternoon for signing at NDP headquarters. As a highly controversial period in local history comes to a close, some regional leaders and political colleagues are reacting to his death. Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley said Bouterse had a strong and dominant persona. “I have met many people since I took office as head of government in May 2018. But some people have a personality that is so powerful that they leave an indelible impression on everyone they come into contact with,” Mottley said of the former military dictator. “Whether you agreed with him or not, you could not ignore the power of his personality. Desi Bouterse, former president of the Republic of Suriname, dominated Surinamese politics for four decades. It was through his eyes and heart that I came to know the rich culture of this melting pot country on the South American continent. That was how my love for Suriname and its people began,” she said.