Canadian police on Saturday (February 19) used batons and pepper spray in an attempt to remove the demonstrators who are currently occupying the streets of Ottawa to protest against pandemic restrictions. Police have also made dozens of arrests.&nbsp;

It's been more than three weeks, protestors have paralyzed the Canadian capital by parking and camping on the streets.&nbsp;

Ottawa's Interim Police Chief Steve Bell said on Saturday said, "This operation is still moving forward. It is not over and it will take more time until we have achieved our goals."&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-planning-biggest-war-since-1945-says-boris-johnson-454778">Russia planning biggest war since 1945, says Boris Johnson</a>

As per reports by news agencies, police have made 170 arrests and towed 53 vehicles since they began efforts to bust up the protest on Friday. The action required Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to invoke rarely used emergency powers.&nbsp;

Despite the latest crackdown, some protesters are still there. The police said that some of those arrested on Saturday wore body armour. The police also informed that some protesters carried smoke grenades and other fireworks. &nbsp;

The demonstrations started as the protesters initially wanted an end to cross-border COVID-19 vaccine mandates for truck drivers.&nbsp;

However, the blockade turned into a demonstration against Trudeau and the government.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/death-toll-from-floods-landslides-climbs-to-146-in-brazil-454774">Death toll from floods, landslides climbs to 146 in Brazil</a>

"Police are making their way through the streets methodically and responsibly. This is encouraging, but the work is not yet done," Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said on Saturday.&nbsp;

Ottawa's Interim Police Chief Steve Bell further stated that protesters, who have been filmed by police, will be held accountable. "We will actively look to identify you and follow up with financial sanctions and criminal charges. ... This investigation will go on for months to come," he said.&nbsp;

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(With inputs from agencies)

Canadian police on Saturday (February 19) used batons and pepper spray in an attempt to remove the demonstrators who are currently occupying the streets of Ottawa to protest against pandemic restrictions.

Canadian police on Saturday (February 19) used batons and pepper spray in an attempt to remove the demonstrators who are currently occupying the streets of Ottawa to protest against pandemic restrictions. Police have also made dozens of arrests. It's been more than three weeks, protestors have paralyzed the Canadian capital by parking and camping on the streets. Ottawa's Interim Police Chief Steve Bell said on Saturday said, "This operation is still moving forward. It is not over and it will take more time until we have achieved our goals." ALSO READ | Russia planning biggest war since 1945, says Boris Johnson As per reports by news agencies, police have made 170 arrests and towed 53 vehicles since they began efforts to bust up the protest on Friday. The action required Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to invoke rarely used emergency powers. Despite the latest crackdown, some protesters are still there. The police said that some of those arrested on Saturday wore body armour. The police also informed that some protesters carried smoke grenades and other fireworks. The demonstrations started as the protesters initially wanted an end to cross-border COVID-19 vaccine mandates for truck drivers. However, the blockade turned into a demonstration against Trudeau and the government. ALSO READ | Death toll from floods, landslides climbs to 146 in Brazil "Police are making their way through the streets methodically and responsibly. This is encouraging, but the work is not yet done," Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said on Saturday. Ottawa's Interim Police Chief Steve Bell further stated that protesters, who have been filmed by police, will be held accountable. "We will actively look to identify you and follow up with financial sanctions and criminal charges. ... This investigation will go on for months to come," he said. × (With inputs from agencies)

Batons, pepper spray and arrests: Canadian police attempt to end weeks-long protest in Ottawa

The economies around the world are looking forward to reopening after facing the repercussions of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past two years. The pandemic has impacted the world immensely and now a new study tells that it is causing mental health issues among patients.&nbsp;

Previous studies have also indicated a similar trend, revealing that high distress and anxiety due to coronavirus has resulted in poor psychological well-being.&nbsp;

In the latest study published on Wednesday (February 16) in the journal <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2021-068993">The BMJ</a>, it has been established risks of incident mental health disorders in survivors of the acute phase of Covid.&nbsp;

Researchers from St. Louis analysed the records of 153,848 people from the Veterans Health Administration system in the United States.

The study included only those who had no mental health diagnoses or treatment for at least two years prior to coronavirus infection.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-takes-huge-step-forward-by-announcing-mental-health-initiatives-in-its-budget-449965">India takes huge step forward by announcing mental health initiatives in its budget</a>

The latest research emphasises that the studies to date have been limited by a narrow selection of mental health outcomes and a maximum of six months follow-up.&nbsp;

As per the latest study, improving the understanding of the long term risk of mental health disorders in people with Covid can help guide "strategies for care during the post-acute phase".&nbsp;

The study has been done after extracting data from the US Department of Veterans Affairs national healthcare databases.&nbsp;

From these data, researchers constructed a cohort of 153 848 US veterans who survived the first 30 days of SARS-CoV-2 infection and two control groups, which were - a&nbsp;contemporary group consisting of 5 637 840 users with no evidence of infection and a historical control (predating the Covid pandemic) consisting of 5 859 251 users during 2017.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/the-worst-is-yet-to-come-study-finds-that-omicron-is-10-times-better-than-delta-at-evading-covid-vaccines-454212">'The worst is yet to come': Study finds that Omicron is 10 times better than Delta at evading Covid vaccines</a>

The results showed that those with COVID-19 were 39 per cent more likely to have depressive disorders and 35 per cent more likely to show an increased risk of incident anxiety disorders over the months after infection.&nbsp;

As per the study, the group with Covid was also 38 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with stress and adjustment disorders. They were also 41 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with sleep disorders.&nbsp;

The study also highlighted that the COVID-19 patients were 80 per cent more likely to develop neurocognitive problems.&nbsp;

It was also found that 18 per cent of COVID-19 patients received a diagnosis or prescription for a neuropsychiatric issue in the following year.&nbsp;

The findings suggest that people who survive the acute phase of Covid are at increased risk of an array of incident mental health disorders. The study suggested that tackling mental health disorders among survivors of Covid should be a priority.&nbsp;

The authors wrote, "The risk of incident mental health disorders was consistently higher in the COVID-19 group in comparisons of people with covid-19 not admitted to hospital versus those not admitted to hospital for seasonal influenza, admitted to hospital with covid-19 versus admitted to hospital with seasonal influenza, and admitted to hospital with covid-19 versus admitted to hospital for any other cause."&nbsp;

The economies around the world are looking forward to reopening after facing the repercussions of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past two years. The pandemic has impacted the world immensely and now a new study tells that it is causing mental health issues among patients.

The economies around the world are looking forward to reopening after facing the repercussions of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past two years. The pandemic has impacted the world immensely and now a new study tells that it is causing mental health issues among patients. Previous studies have also indicated a similar trend, revealing that high distress and anxiety due to coronavirus has resulted in poor psychological well-being. In the latest study published on Wednesday (February 16) in the journal The BMJ, it has been established risks of incident mental health disorders in survivors of the acute phase of Covid. Researchers from St. Louis analysed the records of 153,848 people from the Veterans Health Administration system in the United States. The study included only those who had no mental health diagnoses or treatment for at least two years prior to coronavirus infection. ALSO READ | India takes huge step forward by announcing mental health initiatives in its budget The latest research emphasises that the studies to date have been limited by a narrow selection of mental health outcomes and a maximum of six months follow-up. As per the latest study, improving the understanding of the long term risk of mental health disorders in people with Covid can help guide "strategies for care during the post-acute phase". The study has been done after extracting data from the US Department of Veterans Affairs national healthcare databases. From these data, researchers constructed a cohort of 153 848 US veterans who survived the first 30 days of SARS-CoV-2 infection and two control groups, which were - a contemporary group consisting of 5 637 840 users with no evidence of infection and a historical control (predating the Covid pandemic) consisting of 5 859 251 users during 2017. ALSO READ | 'The worst is yet to come': Study finds that Omicron is 10 times better than Delta at evading Covid vaccines The results showed that those with COVID-19 were 39 per cent more likely to have depressive disorders and 35 per cent more likely to show an increased risk of incident anxiety disorders over the months after infection. As per the study, the group with Covid was also 38 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with stress and adjustment disorders. They were also 41 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with sleep disorders. The study also highlighted that the COVID-19 patients were 80 per cent more likely to develop neurocognitive problems. It was also found that 18 per cent of COVID-19 patients received a diagnosis or prescription for a neuropsychiatric issue in the following year. The findings suggest that people who survive the acute phase of Covid are at increased risk of an array of incident mental health disorders. The study suggested that tackling mental health disorders among survivors of Covid should be a priority. The authors wrote, "The risk of incident mental health disorders was consistently higher in the COVID-19 group in comparisons of people with covid-19 not admitted to hospital versus those not admitted to hospital for seasonal influenza, admitted to hospital with covid-19 versus admitted to hospital with seasonal influenza, and admitted to hospital with covid-19 versus admitted to hospital for any other cause."

Study highlights risks of mental health outcomes in people with COVID-19

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said that Leonardo Bonucci could miss Friday's derby clash with Torino through injury, having just returned to action, and it remains uncertain whether the defender will be fit for next week's Champions League.

The Italy centre back played his first games of 2022 last week following a spell on the sidelines with a muscle injury, but his manager had further bad news over Bonucci's fitness.

"Tomorrow's game is really complicated," Allegri told a news conference on Thursday. "I am sure we won't have Leonardo Bonucci. He has calf fatigue and we`ll see if he can recover for Tuesday (against Villarreal in the Champions League last 16).

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fans-raise-whopping-sum-for-young-kid-who-sent-heartwarming-note-to-favourite-player-harry-mckirdy-454051">Fans raise WHOPPING sum for young kid who sent heartwarming note to favourite player Harry McKirdy</a>

"He played in Bergamo (against Atalanta on Sunday) and he was already fatigued in the first half."

I don't know if Dusan Vlahovic, Alvaro Morata and Paulo Dybala will play. Federico Bernardeschi is still not ready because of an adductor problem, so we can't take any risk. Federico Chiesa is out, Giorgio Chiellini is out, Danilo is suspended."

Allegri's side needed a stoppage-time intervention from Danilo to salvage a point at the home of fellow Champions League chasers Atalanta last weekend, but the draw stretched Juve's unbeaten run in Serie A to 11 games.

Title talk may be premature, given fourth-placed Juve trail leaders AC Milan by nine points still, but they will be keen to keep the pressure on with victory over city rivals Torino, who they have not been beaten by in 15 matches in all competitions.

"The derby is always a special game, we play against a Torino side that has real soul," he added. "Ivan Juric (Torino's coach) has brought their DNA back to the club.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/champions-league-firmino-salah-star-in-liverpools-win-over-inter-milan-bayern-salzburg-play-out-a-draw-453981">Champions League: Firmino, Salah star in Liverpool's win over Inter Milan, Bayern-Salzburg play out a draw</a>

"Ivan did well at (Hellas) Verona and is doing well at Torino. Torino, Verona and Atalanta are physical teams that play with great intensity.

"We'll play at home, I know the stadium will be sold out, although the capacity is reduced to 50%. It will be a complicated game, the third against physical teams that play in the same way. I hope we learned something in the first two."

Torino sit 10th in the standings on 32 points from 24 matches played.

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said that Leonardo Bonucci could miss Friday's derby clash with Torino through injury, having just returned to action, and it remains uncertain whether the defender will be fit for next week's Champions League.

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said that Leonardo Bonucci could miss Friday's derby clash with Torino through injury, having just returned to action, and it remains uncertain whether the defender will be fit for next week's Champions League. The Italy centre back played his first games of 2022 last week following a spell on the sidelines with a muscle injury, but his manager had further bad news over Bonucci's fitness. "Tomorrow's game is really complicated," Allegri told a news conference on Thursday. "I am sure we won't have Leonardo Bonucci. He has calf fatigue and we`ll see if he can recover for Tuesday (against Villarreal in the Champions League last 16). ALSO READ: Fans raise WHOPPING sum for young kid who sent heartwarming note to favourite player Harry McKirdy "He played in Bergamo (against Atalanta on Sunday) and he was already fatigued in the first half." I don't know if Dusan Vlahovic, Alvaro Morata and Paulo Dybala will play. Federico Bernardeschi is still not ready because of an adductor problem, so we can't take any risk. Federico Chiesa is out, Giorgio Chiellini is out, Danilo is suspended." Allegri's side needed a stoppage-time intervention from Danilo to salvage a point at the home of fellow Champions League chasers Atalanta last weekend, but the draw stretched Juve's unbeaten run in Serie A to 11 games. Title talk may be premature, given fourth-placed Juve trail leaders AC Milan by nine points still, but they will be keen to keep the pressure on with victory over city rivals Torino, who they have not been beaten by in 15 matches in all competitions. "The derby is always a special game, we play against a Torino side that has real soul," he added. "Ivan Juric (Torino's coach) has brought their DNA back to the club. ALSO READ: Champions League: Firmino, Salah star in Liverpool's win over Inter Milan, Bayern-Salzburg play out a draw "Ivan did well at (Hellas) Verona and is doing well at Torino. Torino, Verona and Atalanta are physical teams that play with great intensity. "We'll play at home, I know the stadium will be sold out, although the capacity is reduced to 50%. It will be a complicated game, the third against physical teams that play in the same way. I hope we learned something in the first two." Torino sit 10th in the standings on 32 points from 24 matches played.

Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci could miss crucial games due to injury

The Boris Johnson government has asked the Metropolitan Police to not publish the hundreds of pictures related to the investigation into the reported Downing Street parties, as per a report by Times.&nbsp;

The parties were held during the strict post-Christmas coronavirus lockdown when such gatherings were strictly banned in the United Kingdom.&nbsp;

The report added that some of the Downing Street aides were concerned the related photos could harm their reputations.&nbsp;

ITV News reported citing a leaked document that the Cabinet Office "expects" that Scotland Yard will not publish over 300 related pictures and 500 pages of information once the probe concludes.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/prince-andrews-sexual-assault-case-to-be-raised-in-uk-parliament-as-reports-say-queen-to-help-pay-settlement-454069">Prince Andrew's sexual assault case to be raised in UK parliament as reports say Queen to help pay settlement</a>

As per a report by The Mirror, in one of the images, Prime Minister Boris Johnson can be seen holding a can of beer while standing next to Chancellor Rishi Sunak.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the Met has reportedly not responded to the request but the department might give Number 10's request approval.&nbsp;

The UK media reports have carried a statement: "Consistent with its indication that it will not publish the identities of anyone issued a FPN [fixed-penalty notice], we would not expect the Met to publish photographs. The liaison unit has asked the Met to confirm this."&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/well-as-you-can-see-i-cant-move-is-queen-elizabeths-health-failing-453977">'Well, as you can see, I can't move': Is Queen Elizabeth's health failing?</a>

The reports have also specified that the request has been made only to know whether the photos will be made public and there is no attempt to influence the investigation.&nbsp;

Earlier, Johnson apologised after a probe into lockdown-breaching parties at Downing Street found that such gatherings should never have taken place when there was a ban across the country. He had vowed to bring about changes not only to his team but to the way he engages with his party.&nbsp;

Johnson faced renewed resignation calls when a senior civil servant Sue Gray highlighted the details of alcohol-fuelled events at the United Kingdom's PM's office and residence.&nbsp;

While pointing out the "serious failures of leadership" in the British government, Gray said that "the excessive consumption of alcohol is not appropriate in a professional workplace at any time".&nbsp;

"Some of the events should not have been allowed to take place. Other events should not have been allowed to develop as they did," she added.&nbsp;

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The Boris Johnson government has asked the Metropolitan Police to not publish the hundreds of pictures related to the investigation into the reported Downing Street parties, as per a report by Times.

The Boris Johnson government has asked the Metropolitan Police to not publish the hundreds of pictures related to the investigation into the reported Downing Street parties, as per a report by Times. The parties were held during the strict post-Christmas coronavirus lockdown when such gatherings were strictly banned in the United Kingdom. The report added that some of the Downing Street aides were concerned the related photos could harm their reputations. ITV News reported citing a leaked document that the Cabinet Office "expects" that Scotland Yard will not publish over 300 related pictures and 500 pages of information once the probe concludes. ALSO READ | Prince Andrew's sexual assault case to be raised in UK parliament as reports say Queen to help pay settlement As per a report by The Mirror, in one of the images, Prime Minister Boris Johnson can be seen holding a can of beer while standing next to Chancellor Rishi Sunak. Meanwhile, the Met has reportedly not responded to the request but the department might give Number 10's request approval. The UK media reports have carried a statement: "Consistent with its indication that it will not publish the identities of anyone issued a FPN [fixed-penalty notice], we would not expect the Met to publish photographs. The liaison unit has asked the Met to confirm this." ALSO READ | 'Well, as you can see, I can't move': Is Queen Elizabeth's health failing? The reports have also specified that the request has been made only to know whether the photos will be made public and there is no attempt to influence the investigation. Earlier, Johnson apologised after a probe into lockdown-breaching parties at Downing Street found that such gatherings should never have taken place when there was a ban across the country. He had vowed to bring about changes not only to his team but to the way he engages with his party. Johnson faced renewed resignation calls when a senior civil servant Sue Gray highlighted the details of alcohol-fuelled events at the United Kingdom's PM's office and residence. While pointing out the "serious failures of leadership" in the British government, Gray said that "the excessive consumption of alcohol is not appropriate in a professional workplace at any time". "Some of the events should not have been allowed to take place. Other events should not have been allowed to develop as they did," she added. ×

Did Boris Johnson government ask police to not publish over 300 'Partygate' pictures?

A group of doctors in Israel have said that latest research questions the assumption that the official coronavirus (COVID-19) count in the country is underestimated.&nbsp;

In most of the countries, including India, there were reports based on suspicion that people had antibodies due to undetected Covid cases.&nbsp;

However, the researchers at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, which is also known as Ichilov Hospital, have done a research to shed light on the issue. The research is not peer-reviewed yet.&nbsp;

The researchers conducted antibody tests on around 500 medical staff who didn't knowingly have coronavirus since August.

The researchers were expecting to find that majority of people had antibodies, which means they had the virus and they didn't even know it.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kongs-dynamic-zero-covid-policy-put-to-test-covid-cases-multiply-by-60-times-454099">Hong Kong’s ‘dynamic zero Covid’ policy put to test as cases multiply by 60 times</a>

However, a senior Ichilov physician Dr Esti Sayag told The Times of Israel that only 2.6 per cent of them had been infected without them realising it. The percentage is lower than what they had anticipated.&nbsp;

Dr Sayag said, "We checked for a particular antibody — n — which is specific to those who have recovered from the virus and isn't found among those who just had the vaccine, so the study gave an accurate picture."&nbsp;

WION's Jodie Cohen reported from Sourasky Medical Center that the study suggests that undetected, asymptomatic Covid infections are actually rare. The report also added that the hospital is now going to widen the study and expects to confirm the findings.&nbsp;

"The first lesson here is that when you have careful checks for healthcare workers you can be sure that you are containing the disease among your staff, and you don't have people harming patients and spreading disease to patients and colleagues," said Sayag.&nbsp;

"But the more important lesson relates to the public. There have been voices in Israel saying that the real numbers of infection are two or three times what has been reported. We don’t believe this, and we’re widening the study to the public now to check this," she said.&nbsp;

"While numbers in the general population may not be as low as among health workers who have so much testing, we believe the figures from hospitals indicate they also will be low," she added.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/next-covid-variant-may-be-more-dangerous-than-omicron-say-scientists-453061">Next Covid variant may be more dangerous than Omicron, say scientists</a>

Meanwhile, Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett held a discussion on Thursday (17 February) over easing the coronavirus restrictions.&nbsp;

Bennett said, "Our strategy, of an open economy alongside a struggle and many actions against the coronavirus, has led to the State of Israel being first in growth among the developed countries and to a level of economic growth that we have not seen in 21 years."&nbsp;

"We were the first country to close its gates in the Omicron wave; therefore, this is also the time for a gradual relaxation. As far as I am concerned, we must prepare to relax the restrictions soon," he added.&nbsp;

Last month, there were days when Israel saw more than 80,000 new Covid cases. However, the infection rate has now declined drastically, with this week daily numbers falling below 30,000.&nbsp;

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A group of doctors in Israel have said that latest research questions the assumption that the official coronavirus (COVID-19) count in the country is underestimated.

A group of doctors in Israel have said that latest research questions the assumption that the official coronavirus (COVID-19) count in the country is underestimated. In most of the countries, including India, there were reports based on suspicion that people had antibodies due to undetected Covid cases. However, the researchers at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, which is also known as Ichilov Hospital, have done a research to shed light on the issue. The research is not peer-reviewed yet. The researchers conducted antibody tests on around 500 medical staff who didn't knowingly have coronavirus since August. The researchers were expecting to find that majority of people had antibodies, which means they had the virus and they didn't even know it. ALSO READ | Hong Kong’s ‘dynamic zero Covid’ policy put to test as cases multiply by 60 times However, a senior Ichilov physician Dr Esti Sayag told The Times of Israel that only 2.6 per cent of them had been infected without them realising it. The percentage is lower than what they had anticipated. Dr Sayag said, "We checked for a particular antibody — n — which is specific to those who have recovered from the virus and isn't found among those who just had the vaccine, so the study gave an accurate picture." WION's Jodie Cohen reported from Sourasky Medical Center that the study suggests that undetected, asymptomatic Covid infections are actually rare. The report also added that the hospital is now going to widen the study and expects to confirm the findings. "The first lesson here is that when you have careful checks for healthcare workers you can be sure that you are containing the disease among your staff, and you don't have people harming patients and spreading disease to patients and colleagues," said Sayag. "But the more important lesson relates to the public. There have been voices in Israel saying that the real numbers of infection are two or three times what has been reported. We don’t believe this, and we’re widening the study to the public now to check this," she said. "While numbers in the general population may not be as low as among health workers who have so much testing, we believe the figures from hospitals indicate they also will be low," she added. ALSO READ | Next Covid variant may be more dangerous than Omicron, say scientists Meanwhile, Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett held a discussion on Thursday (17 February) over easing the coronavirus restrictions. Bennett said, "Our strategy, of an open economy alongside a struggle and many actions against the coronavirus, has led to the State of Israel being first in growth among the developed countries and to a level of economic growth that we have not seen in 21 years." "We were the first country to close its gates in the Omicron wave; therefore, this is also the time for a gradual relaxation. As far as I am concerned, we must prepare to relax the restrictions soon," he added. Last month, there were days when Israel saw more than 80,000 new Covid cases. However, the infection rate has now declined drastically, with this week daily numbers falling below 30,000. ×

COVID-19: Survey done by Israel doctors finds undetected cases are rare

Telegram is a popular cross-platform, cloud-based instant messaging service that also provides end-to-end encrypted video calling, sharing and some other features.&nbsp;

But the question is — is it safe?&nbsp;

Telegram, which has more than 500 million monthly active users, has become immensely popular among users for its safety features and users believe that it's highly secure.&nbsp;

The messaging app is being slammed globally for failing to protect users on its platform and is being criticised on various fronts.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/zuckerberg-refers-to-his-staff-as-metamates-in-a-memo-laying-out-new-principles-454144">Zuckerberg refers to his staff as 'Metamates' in a memo laying out new principles</a>

As per a media report, women's nude pictures are shared on Telegram without their consent to harass, shame and blackmail them.&nbsp;

The reports have also stated that these women are then said to be contacted by other men who ask more for more intimate pictures.&nbsp;

It gets even worse when personal details like home addresses and parents' phone numbers are also posted alongside those explicit pictures.&nbsp;

According to the report, large groups and channels are sharing thousands of secretly filmed, stolen or leaked images of women in at least 20 countries.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/live-in-the-future-mark-zuckerberg-revamps-company-values-as-meta-faces-investment-concerns-453785">‘Live in the future’: Mark Zuckerberg revamps company values as Meta faces investment concerns</a>

Group administrators ask members to send images of ex-partners, colleagues or fellow students to an automated account so that they could be published without revealing the identity of the sender.&nbsp;

In Telegram, one-on-one conversations are end-to-end encrypted but Telegram can't end-to-end encrypt group messages, which means those chats are not fully secure.&nbsp;

While Telegram allows users to report pornography on its platform, its moderation approach is lenient and shockingly, Telegram does not have a dedicated policy on tackling the non-consensual sharing of intimate images.&nbsp;

Medium for radicalisation&nbsp;

Telegram has also been under fire in some countries for harbouring extremism as Germany has concerns that the app is becoming a "medium for radicalisation".&nbsp;

Germany's federal criminal police office recently warned that the app is being used to target politicians, scientists and doctors for their role in tackling the coronavirus pandemic.&nbsp;

Germany has blamed Telegram for fuelling an increasingly hostile subculture of anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists. These users exchange news about supposed dangers and arrange protests that have spilt over into violence.&nbsp;

In Brazil, Telegram is facing the wrath of authorities for failing to fight misinformation on its platform. Brazil's supreme electoral court is considering a Telegram ban to fend off fake news ahead of the presidential elections in the country later this year.&nbsp;

The list of problems with Telegram is long as another research by cyber intelligence group cyberint claims that Telegram has exploded as a place for cybercriminals who look to buy, sell and share stolen data and hacking tools.&nbsp;

The messaging app is emerging as an alternative to the dark web. Cyber attackers use the app to infect user devices and launch malware attacks.&nbsp;

It seems that Telegram has become a hub for controversial content and illegal activities and it needs to take more stringent measures to ensure better user privacy.&nbsp;

It should step up to crack down on cybercrimes and proactively take down illegal content.&nbsp;

Telegram is a popular cross-platform, cloud-based instant messaging service that also provides end-to-end encrypted video calling, sharing and some other features.

Telegram is a popular cross-platform, cloud-based instant messaging service that also provides end-to-end encrypted video calling, sharing and some other features. But the question is — is it safe? Telegram, which has more than 500 million monthly active users, has become immensely popular among users for its safety features and users believe that it's highly secure. The messaging app is being slammed globally for failing to protect users on its platform and is being criticised on various fronts. ALSO READ | Zuckerberg refers to his staff as 'Metamates' in a memo laying out new principles As per a media report, women's nude pictures are shared on Telegram without their consent to harass, shame and blackmail them. The reports have also stated that these women are then said to be contacted by other men who ask more for more intimate pictures. It gets even worse when personal details like home addresses and parents' phone numbers are also posted alongside those explicit pictures. According to the report, large groups and channels are sharing thousands of secretly filmed, stolen or leaked images of women in at least 20 countries. ALSO READ | ‘Live in the future’: Mark Zuckerberg revamps company values as Meta faces investment concerns Group administrators ask members to send images of ex-partners, colleagues or fellow students to an automated account so that they could be published without revealing the identity of the sender. In Telegram, one-on-one conversations are end-to-end encrypted but Telegram can't end-to-end encrypt group messages, which means those chats are not fully secure. While Telegram allows users to report pornography on its platform, its moderation approach is lenient and shockingly, Telegram does not have a dedicated policy on tackling the non-consensual sharing of intimate images. Medium for radicalisation Telegram has also been under fire in some countries for harbouring extremism as Germany has concerns that the app is becoming a "medium for radicalisation". Germany's federal criminal police office recently warned that the app is being used to target politicians, scientists and doctors for their role in tackling the coronavirus pandemic. Germany has blamed Telegram for fuelling an increasingly hostile subculture of anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists. These users exchange news about supposed dangers and arrange protests that have spilt over into violence. In Brazil, Telegram is facing the wrath of authorities for failing to fight misinformation on its platform. Brazil's supreme electoral court is considering a Telegram ban to fend off fake news ahead of the presidential elections in the country later this year. The list of problems with Telegram is long as another research by cyber intelligence group cyberint claims that Telegram has exploded as a place for cybercriminals who look to buy, sell and share stolen data and hacking tools. The messaging app is emerging as an alternative to the dark web. Cyber attackers use the app to infect user devices and launch malware attacks. It seems that Telegram has become a hub for controversial content and illegal activities and it needs to take more stringent measures to ensure better user privacy. It should step up to crack down on cybercrimes and proactively take down illegal content.

Is Telegram safe to use? Here's what's wrong with messaging service. It isn't as secure as you think it is

Politics entered the Olympics on Thursday when an&nbsp;official&nbsp;for the Beijing Games spoke about Taiwan and Xinjiang, declaring there was only "one China", the&nbsp;first&nbsp;such&nbsp;statements by the host since the competition started.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) spokesman Mark Adams was asked a question at the daily press conference about Taiwan's presence at the closing ceremony on Sunday. Following his comments, Beijing Games spokesperson Yan Jiarong said: "There is only one China".

Her&nbsp;statement&nbsp;reiterates China's stance towards democratically governed Taiwan, which it claims as its own "sacred" territory.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japan-eases-virus-border-rules-for-workers-students-454049">COVID-19: Japan eases virus border rules for workers and students but tourists will still be barred</a>

Later, Yan again insisted on making a&nbsp;statement&nbsp;about Xinjiang when a reporter directed a question to the IOC about material from China's Xinjiang region being used in clothing.

"The so-called forced labour in Xinjiang is lies made up by deliberate groups," Yan said.

Human rights groups have accused some textile companies who source materials from Xinjiang of ignoring abuses of the Uyghur population in the region.

China denies all accusations of abuse and has repeatedly denied claims that it runs a network of forced labour camps in Xinjiang.

Amid a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics by the United States, Britain and other Western nations over China's human rights records, the IOC has tried to keep politics out of the Beijing Games.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-contrast-to-covids-59-million-deaths-this-malady-kills-more-than-9-million-people-every-year-453616">In contrast to Covid's 5.9 million deaths, this malady kills more than 9 million people every year</a>

Athletes have been told to stick to the IOC's Rule 50, which bans political&nbsp;statements on the medals podium and in competitions.

The rule, slightly revised ahead of last year's Tokyo Games to allow for some protests on the field of play if&nbsp;first&nbsp;cleared with the IOC, was thrust into the spotlight in the run-up to the Olympics.

"We are always against the idea of politicising the Games. The IOC has 206 members, including the Peoples' Republic of China and the National Olympic Committee of&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;Taipei," Yan said.

Taiwan competes in most sporting events, including the Olympics, as "Chinese&nbsp;Taipei" at the insistence of Beijing, which sees Taiwan as part of "one China".

Taiwan took part in the Games' opening ceremony after the team said it had received "several notices" by the IOC to attend both the opening and closing ceremonies.

Last month, it had initially said it could not attend due to delayed flights and COVID-19 rules.

Politics entered the Olympics on Thursday when an official for the Beijing Games spoke about Taiwan and Xinjiang, declaring there was only "one China", the first such statements by the host since the competition started.

Politics entered the Olympics on Thursday when an official for the Beijing Games spoke about Taiwan and Xinjiang, declaring there was only "one China", the first such statements by the host since the competition started. International Olympic Committee (IOC) spokesman Mark Adams was asked a question at the daily press conference about Taiwan's presence at the closing ceremony on Sunday. Following his comments, Beijing Games spokesperson Yan Jiarong said: "There is only one China". Her statement reiterates China's stance towards democratically governed Taiwan, which it claims as its own "sacred" territory. ALSO READ | COVID-19: Japan eases virus border rules for workers and students but tourists will still be barred Later, Yan again insisted on making a statement about Xinjiang when a reporter directed a question to the IOC about material from China's Xinjiang region being used in clothing. "The so-called forced labour in Xinjiang is lies made up by deliberate groups," Yan said. Human rights groups have accused some textile companies who source materials from Xinjiang of ignoring abuses of the Uyghur population in the region. China denies all accusations of abuse and has repeatedly denied claims that it runs a network of forced labour camps in Xinjiang. Amid a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics by the United States, Britain and other Western nations over China's human rights records, the IOC has tried to keep politics out of the Beijing Games. ALSO READ | In contrast to Covid's 5.9 million deaths, this malady kills more than 9 million people every year Athletes have been told to stick to the IOC's Rule 50, which bans political statements on the medals podium and in competitions. The rule, slightly revised ahead of last year's Tokyo Games to allow for some protests on the field of play if first cleared with the IOC, was thrust into the spotlight in the run-up to the Olympics. "We are always against the idea of politicising the Games. The IOC has 206 members, including the Peoples' Republic of China and the National Olympic Committee of Chinese Taipei," Yan said. Taiwan competes in most sporting events, including the Olympics, as "Chinese Taipei" at the insistence of Beijing, which sees Taiwan as part of "one China". Taiwan took part in the Games' opening ceremony after the team said it had received "several notices" by the IOC to attend both the opening and closing ceremonies. Last month, it had initially said it could not attend due to delayed flights and COVID-19 rules.

Winter Olympics 2022: Chinese official makes first statement on Taiwan and Xinjiang at Games

Ava Majury downloaded TikTok when she was 13, and at the height of the pandemic lockdowns a year later had more than a million followers. Her fans, nearly three-quarters of them male, watched her lip-sync and dance to trending music on an account with the profile message, “Hey, I love you!!”

In early 2020 Ava noticed that one fan, EricJustin111, was trying to get her attention in comments on TikTok. He messaged her in Snapchat and on Instagram, and turned up in online games she played with her brothers. Ava responded to him a few times at first, she said, “because I used to reply to my fans, like ‘Hey, how was your day?’’’

Early on July 10, the fan — Eric Rohan Justin, 18, of Ellicott City, Maryland — arrived with a shotgun at the Majury family home in Naples and blew open the front door. His weapon jammed. Ava’s father, Rob Majury, a retired police lieutenant, chased him off but fell. Majury told Collier County sheriff’s officers that he returned to the house, retrieved his handgun and stood guard at the front door, only to see the gunman return a short time later. By sunrise Justin lay dying, shot by Majury.

What began as an enterprising teenager’s lockdown venture has awakened the family of five to how online fame can fuel real-world violence. In interviews with The New York Times, they spoke for the first time about an ordeal that illuminates the dark side of a social media platform favored by millions of children.

TikTok’s owner, Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd., and many of its users emphasize the friendships, innovative content and creative collaboration enabled by the platform, but its enormous popularity among vulnerable, underage people has also been linked to mental health problems, injuries and deaths.

Today Ava Majury remains on TikTok, where she is netting thousands of dollars in sponsorship deals and has attracted interest from Hollywood, including from reality TV producers. Her TikTok fame has brought sponsorship opportunities on Instagram and Snapchat, too. Instagram, owned by Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has also been accused of causing mental and emotional health problems among teenage female users.

“Her creations, her contacts, her videos became such a big part of her that to take it away would have been hard,” her father said.

“We chose what’s best for our family,” Ava’s mother, Kim Majury, added. “We know there are going to be two sides, and some people won’t understand.’’

A ‘Go-Getter’ and a Lurking Threat

The Majurys moved to Florida in 2019 from Manalapan, New Jersey, lured by its warm climate, low taxes and a quieter lifestyle. They settled in Naples, a staid, safe community of affluent retirees and growing families in Collier County, on the state’s Gulf Coast. Rob Majury, 51, is a former Jersey City police lieutenant, and Kim Majury, 45, is an ultrasound technologist. The family rented a home in Raffia Preserve, a subdivision of tidy homes on curving streets.

Ava is “a go-getter,” her father said. When classmates in New Jersey admired a sticker she had designed for her laptop, she started selling them, eventually earning nearly $700. On TikTok, she has promoted a tooth-whitening product, emerging recording artists and NFL games.

“I have three TikTok accounts, so I could have one brand come to me and be like, ‘Oh, I’ll do $1,000 for one video on your main account,’ and I’ll be like, ‘Oh great, I have two other accounts that are different types of people on there,’” Ava said. “So altogether, I’m making $1,700 off just my name, because I opened up three accounts rather than just building off one.”

Her venture surprised and intrigued her parents. “Honestly, we had no idea the extent of what she was able to earn,” Rob Majury said. He has appeared in a couple of her videos, including one she made in the car while he was driving.

“We both pointed at the camera at the same time and the music stopped and she starts laughing. You know, so innocent, it was sweet for me. It’s me and her having a moment,” Majury recalled. The moment drew hundreds of thousands of views.

Downloads of TikTok grew by 75% in 2020, making it the world’s most-downloaded app that year, according to Hootsuite. Today the platform has more than 1 billion average monthly users. It welcomes account holders as young as 13, and in 2021 outflanked both Instagram and Snapchat in weekly usage by youth ages 12-17. While teens like Ava have used it to entertain and spread positive messages, viral “TikTok Challenges” have been cited as inspiring children to vandalize and threaten their schools, follow starvation “Corpse Bride” diets and asphyxiate themselves. Teen girls have been repeatedly targeted by child predators.

A TikTok spokeswoman, Mahsau Cullinane, emailed a statement saying that TikTok is “deeply invested in the safety and well-being of our community’’ and added that the platform uses tools to protect users under 16. In 2020, TikTok classified more than a third of its 49 million daily users in the United States as 14 or younger, according to internal company data and documents reviewed by the Times.

Ava has two brothers, Evan and Logan, ages 17 and 11. She and Evan attend a sprawling public high school where much of student life revolves around social media.

In early 2020, after Ava noticed Justin angling for her attention on TikTok, she learned that friends in New Jersey and Florida were selling him photos of her as well as her personal information, including her cellphone number, which Justin used to call and text her. In another instance, Justin logged onto a classmate’s school account and did math homework in exchange for information about Ava, her family said.

“I had to unfollow all my local friends and Jersey friends,” Ava said. “And everyone around me was like, ‘Oh you’re going Hollywood on all of us, you don’t want to talk to us anymore.’ And I’m like, ‘You’re selling my stuff.’”

But Ava’s parents allowed her to sell Justin a couple of selfies that she had already posted to Snapchat.

“I wasn’t sending anything of my body,’’ Ava said. “It was just pictures of my face, which is what I assume that he was paying for. My whole thing is my pretty smile — that’s my content.” She said Justin paid about $300 for two photos, via the Venmo digital wallet app.

After that, Justin messaged Ava on Venmo with a breakdown of what he would pay for “booty pics” and photos of her feet, “stuff that a 14-year-old shouldn’t be sending,” she said. She blocked him on all her accounts. In Venmo messages viewed by the Times, Justin pleaded with her to unblock him, sending $159.18, then $100, and finally $368.50 with the message, “sorry this is all I have left i’m broke.”

Rob Majury said he texted Justin’s cellphone, told him that Ava was a minor, and demanded that he stop contacting her.

At that point Justin’s efforts turned sinister. In a series of text messages that made their way to Ava, and which the Majury family showed the Times, he asked one of Ava’s male classmates whether he had access to a “strap,” or gun, shared plans to assault her, and wrote, “i could just breach the door with a shotgun i think.” The classmate’s mother declined an interview request.

When Ava learned of the threatening messages, she called the classmate who had received them. He confirmed that he had gotten them and forwarded others to her. Fearful, she showed her parents. They researched Justin’s identity, saw that he lived hundreds of miles away, and reassured her that “he was one of these keyboard cowboys,” Majury said.

“I sort of discredited what could have been a threat.”

‘This Is All Your Fault’

Ava’s bedroom was just inside the door Justin blasted open.

“All I remember was, I heard it, I felt it in my chest, and I looked up, and there was a hole in my door from the fragments,” she said. She ran through a connecting bathroom to her brothers’ room, clutching a blanket, water bottle and her cellphone.

Majury bolted from bed and ran shouting to the foyer, where he said debris still floated in the air. Kim Majury followed, dialing 911 on her phone. Outside a gangly teenager wearing what looked like a blue Walmart worker’s vest, protective earplugs and safety glasses stood on the front lawn. He turned to escape and Rob Majury sprinted forward but fell, gashing his knee. The gunman paused, struggling to clear his jammed weapon, then ran away. Majury retrieved his handgun, and was standing at the front door awaiting the police when Justin returned. Majury said he ordered the teenager to drop the shotgun, and when he instead pointed it at him, Majury fired.

The three Majury children had retreated to their parents’ bedroom in the rear of the house. Ava’s older brother, Evan, turned to her in panic and fury.

“This is all your fault,” he said.

“The subject was most likely a stalker that resulted from her daughter’s extensive social media involvement,” the Collier County Sheriff’s Office report read, citing statements to them from Kim Majury. “Since her daughter’s involvement with social media, multiple subjects have attempted to ascertain her family’s address in the past.” Majury provided them with contact information for Justin, the report said.

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office told local media at the time that a man had been shot and killed by the resident of a home in Raffia Preserve after firing a gun into the home, in an attempted home invasion robbery. The office did not name the gunman.

The Majurys said police told them Justin was carrying two cellphones that contained thousands of photographs of Ava and hundreds of hours of her videos.

Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk and investigators from his office did not respond to requests for interviews.

“This remains an active investigation and there are no updates,” Karie Partington, a sheriff’s office spokeswoman, said in an email.

The gunman’s identity was confirmed by his father, Justin Dominic. Dominic, a software engineer who is divorced from Justin’s mother, said that before the divorce the family had lived in the United States and then had moved to Dominic’s native India. When his parents split up, Justin chose to move back to the U.S. with his mother, his father said, recalling their move as around 2015.

Dominic, who said he had spoken with investigators, recalled his son as a good student who did well in math at Mount Hebron High School in Ellicott City. “He was a nice kid. I’m at a loss for words,” he said. “I don’t know what went bad with him. He made a bad choice.”

After the shooting the Majurys, reeling, moved in with friends. A few days later Kim Majury received an invitation from a would-be agent for Ava to visit Los Angeles, meet other influencers, and attend a couple of red carpet events. One was for “Glo-Up Girls,” a line of makeover-ready dolls advertised on a YouTube channel featuring six teenage influencers “living in a mansion and taking on sensational Glo-Up challenges.”

“It was a nice distraction, absolutely,” Majury said.

After the Majurys returned home, their homeowners’ association sent a letter to their landlord demanding their eviction because, among other reasons, Ava’s social media venture had attracted an intruder to the property.

In early August, Ava received messages on Venmo from a man calling her “baby girl,” offering to pay $1,000 a month for her phone number. Her parents discovered that the man’s name matches that of a registered sex offender, arrested previously for soliciting a 14-year-old girl.

Kim Majury remembers thinking, “We can’t live like this.”

New Opportunities and Dangers

Rob Majury said he was advised by the police that under Florida’s “stand your ground” law governing justifiable use of deadly force, he was not subject to prosecution. But just to be safe, he contacted a lawyer, James Scarmozzino, to represent him. Scarmozzino connected the family to other lawyers who organized a business centered on Ava’s potential earnings.

Michael Marino, an entertainment lawyer in New York, created an enterprise, AGM Creations, for Ava, and signed an agreement with the Majurys for a percentage of future revenues. Marino turned to a friend, Lanny Davis, a Washington lawyer and crisis manager whose public relations firm is now representing Ava.

The shooting continues to reverberate.

The boy who received Justin’s messages about his plans to attack Ava still attends high school with her. In December, Ava told her parents that he was following and watching her. The family visited the high school to report the matter. Last month, another classmate sent her a video the boy had made of himself firing a gun at a shooting range, her mother said.

Unnerved, Ava withdrew from school this month and now attends class from home. Scarmozzino filed a petition in Collier County Circuit Court seeking an injunction for protection against stalking. A hearing is set for Feb. 28 and Ava will testify.

Ava is still on social media, with her parents’ support. Kim Majury said she did not want “sick individuals” to force Ava off the platforms. “Why should we allow them to stop her? Maybe she’s meant to bring awareness to all this,” Majury said.

Ava has not told her followers what happened. “I don’t want it to go out negatively and people think I attracted him,” she said.

Her greater worry is that other troubled people will “make it a contest to see who can get here first,’’ and she acknowledged that sometimes at night, trying to fall asleep after the shooting, “I’d think, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore.’” But by morning, “I thought of all the benefits.’’

“Most people would say the money. And yeah, it’s a huge benefit. But it’s the experience. I got to go to LA, the people that I met,” she said. “Just being able to make other people smile is what I like, the enjoyment of seeing the impact I made on some people’s lives.

“I’d post a video at night, close my eyes, and in the morning it was exciting to see how many views I got.”

Her father interjected: “It’s like Christmas every day, because then you see it build.”

“I think we just had to allow her to make a decision and sort of support her. I think it’s going to help her heal. It sounds corny, but I don’t know what else you would do it for.”

Ava Majury downloaded TikTok when she was 13, and at the height of the pandemic lockdowns a year later had more than a million followers. Her fans, nearly three-quarters of them male, watched her lip-sync and dance to trending music on an account with the profile message, “Hey, I love you!

Ava Majury downloaded TikTok when she was 13, and at the height of the pandemic lockdowns a year later had more than a million followers. Her fans, nearly three-quarters of them male, watched her lip-sync and dance to trending music on an account with the profile message, “Hey, I love you!!” In early 2020 Ava noticed that one fan, EricJustin111, was trying to get her attention in comments on TikTok. He messaged her in Snapchat and on Instagram, and turned up in online games she played with her brothers. Ava responded to him a few times at first, she said, “because I used to reply to my fans, like ‘Hey, how was your day?’’’ Early on July 10, the fan — Eric Rohan Justin, 18, of Ellicott City, Maryland — arrived with a shotgun at the Majury family home in Naples and blew open the front door. His weapon jammed. Ava’s father, Rob Majury, a retired police lieutenant, chased him off but fell. Majury told Collier County sheriff’s officers that he returned to the house, retrieved his handgun and stood guard at the front door, only to see the gunman return a short time later. By sunrise Justin lay dying, shot by Majury. What began as an enterprising teenager’s lockdown venture has awakened the family of five to how online fame can fuel real-world violence. In interviews with The New York Times, they spoke for the first time about an ordeal that illuminates the dark side of a social media platform favored by millions of children. TikTok’s owner, Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd., and many of its users emphasize the friendships, innovative content and creative collaboration enabled by the platform, but its enormous popularity among vulnerable, underage people has also been linked to mental health problems, injuries and deaths. Today Ava Majury remains on TikTok, where she is netting thousands of dollars in sponsorship deals and has attracted interest from Hollywood, including from reality TV producers. Her TikTok fame has brought sponsorship opportunities on Instagram and Snapchat, too. Instagram, owned by Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has also been accused of causing mental and emotional health problems among teenage female users. “Her creations, her contacts, her videos became such a big part of her that to take it away would have been hard,” her father said. “We chose what’s best for our family,” Ava’s mother, Kim Majury, added. “We know there are going to be two sides, and some people won’t understand.’’ A ‘Go-Getter’ and a Lurking Threat The Majurys moved to Florida in 2019 from Manalapan, New Jersey, lured by its warm climate, low taxes and a quieter lifestyle. They settled in Naples, a staid, safe community of affluent retirees and growing families in Collier County, on the state’s Gulf Coast. Rob Majury, 51, is a former Jersey City police lieutenant, and Kim Majury, 45, is an ultrasound technologist. The family rented a home in Raffia Preserve, a subdivision of tidy homes on curving streets. Ava is “a go-getter,” her father said. When classmates in New Jersey admired a sticker she had designed for her laptop, she started selling them, eventually earning nearly $700. On TikTok, she has promoted a tooth-whitening product, emerging recording artists and NFL games. “I have three TikTok accounts, so I could have one brand come to me and be like, ‘Oh, I’ll do $1,000 for one video on your main account,’ and I’ll be like, ‘Oh great, I have two other accounts that are different types of people on there,’” Ava said. “So altogether, I’m making $1,700 off just my name, because I opened up three accounts rather than just building off one.” Her venture surprised and intrigued her parents. “Honestly, we had no idea the extent of what she was able to earn,” Rob Majury said. He has appeared in a couple of her videos, including one she made in the car while he was driving. “We both pointed at the camera at the same time and the music stopped and she starts laughing. You know, so innocent, it was sweet for me. It’s me and her having a moment,” Majury recalled. The moment drew hundreds of thousands of views. Downloads of TikTok grew by 75% in 2020, making it the world’s most-downloaded app that year, according to Hootsuite. Today the platform has more than 1 billion average monthly users. It welcomes account holders as young as 13, and in 2021 outflanked both Instagram and Snapchat in weekly usage by youth ages 12-17. While teens like Ava have used it to entertain and spread positive messages, viral “TikTok Challenges” have been cited as inspiring children to vandalize and threaten their schools, follow starvation “Corpse Bride” diets and asphyxiate themselves. Teen girls have been repeatedly targeted by child predators. A TikTok spokeswoman, Mahsau Cullinane, emailed a statement saying that TikTok is “deeply invested in the safety and well-being of our community’’ and added that the platform uses tools to protect users under 16. In 2020, TikTok classified more than a third of its 49 million daily users in the United States as 14 or younger, according to internal company data and documents reviewed by the Times. Ava has two brothers, Evan and Logan, ages 17 and 11. She and Evan attend a sprawling public high school where much of student life revolves around social media. In early 2020, after Ava noticed Justin angling for her attention on TikTok, she learned that friends in New Jersey and Florida were selling him photos of her as well as her personal information, including her cellphone number, which Justin used to call and text her. In another instance, Justin logged onto a classmate’s school account and did math homework in exchange for information about Ava, her family said. “I had to unfollow all my local friends and Jersey friends,” Ava said. “And everyone around me was like, ‘Oh you’re going Hollywood on all of us, you don’t want to talk to us anymore.’ And I’m like, ‘You’re selling my stuff.’” But Ava’s parents allowed her to sell Justin a couple of selfies that she had already posted to Snapchat. “I wasn’t sending anything of my body,’’ Ava said. “It was just pictures of my face, which is what I assume that he was paying for. My whole thing is my pretty smile — that’s my content.” She said Justin paid about $300 for two photos, via the Venmo digital wallet app. After that, Justin messaged Ava on Venmo with a breakdown of what he would pay for “booty pics” and photos of her feet, “stuff that a 14-year-old shouldn’t be sending,” she said. She blocked him on all her accounts. In Venmo messages viewed by the Times, Justin pleaded with her to unblock him, sending $159.18, then $100, and finally $368.50 with the message, “sorry this is all I have left i’m broke.” Rob Majury said he texted Justin’s cellphone, told him that Ava was a minor, and demanded that he stop contacting her. At that point Justin’s efforts turned sinister. In a series of text messages that made their way to Ava, and which the Majury family showed the Times, he asked one of Ava’s male classmates whether he had access to a “strap,” or gun, shared plans to assault her, and wrote, “i could just breach the door with a shotgun i think.” The classmate’s mother declined an interview request. When Ava learned of the threatening messages, she called the classmate who had received them. He confirmed that he had gotten them and forwarded others to her. Fearful, she showed her parents. They researched Justin’s identity, saw that he lived hundreds of miles away, and reassured her that “he was one of these keyboard cowboys,” Majury said. “I sort of discredited what could have been a threat.” ‘This Is All Your Fault’ Ava’s bedroom was just inside the door Justin blasted open. “All I remember was, I heard it, I felt it in my chest, and I looked up, and there was a hole in my door from the fragments,” she said. She ran through a connecting bathroom to her brothers’ room, clutching a blanket, water bottle and her cellphone. Majury bolted from bed and ran shouting to the foyer, where he said debris still floated in the air. Kim Majury followed, dialing 911 on her phone. Outside a gangly teenager wearing what looked like a blue Walmart worker’s vest, protective earplugs and safety glasses stood on the front lawn. He turned to escape and Rob Majury sprinted forward but fell, gashing his knee. The gunman paused, struggling to clear his jammed weapon, then ran away. Majury retrieved his handgun, and was standing at the front door awaiting the police when Justin returned. Majury said he ordered the teenager to drop the shotgun, and when he instead pointed it at him, Majury fired. The three Majury children had retreated to their parents’ bedroom in the rear of the house. Ava’s older brother, Evan, turned to her in panic and fury. “This is all your fault,” he said. “The subject was most likely a stalker that resulted from her daughter’s extensive social media involvement,” the Collier County Sheriff’s Office report read, citing statements to them from Kim Majury. “Since her daughter’s involvement with social media, multiple subjects have attempted to ascertain her family’s address in the past.” Majury provided them with contact information for Justin, the report said. The Collier County Sheriff’s Office told local media at the time that a man had been shot and killed by the resident of a home in Raffia Preserve after firing a gun into the home, in an attempted home invasion robbery. The office did not name the gunman. The Majurys said police told them Justin was carrying two cellphones that contained thousands of photographs of Ava and hundreds of hours of her videos. Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk and investigators from his office did not respond to requests for interviews. “This remains an active investigation and there are no updates,” Karie Partington, a sheriff’s office spokeswoman, said in an email. The gunman’s identity was confirmed by his father, Justin Dominic. Dominic, a software engineer who is divorced from Justin’s mother, said that before the divorce the family had lived in the United States and then had moved to Dominic’s native India. When his parents split up, Justin chose to move back to the U.S. with his mother, his father said, recalling their move as around 2015. Dominic, who said he had spoken with investigators, recalled his son as a good student who did well in math at Mount Hebron High School in Ellicott City. “He was a nice kid. I’m at a loss for words,” he said. “I don’t know what went bad with him. He made a bad choice.” After the shooting the Majurys, reeling, moved in with friends. A few days later Kim Majury received an invitation from a would-be agent for Ava to visit Los Angeles, meet other influencers, and attend a couple of red carpet events. One was for “Glo-Up Girls,” a line of makeover-ready dolls advertised on a YouTube channel featuring six teenage influencers “living in a mansion and taking on sensational Glo-Up challenges.” “It was a nice distraction, absolutely,” Majury said. After the Majurys returned home, their homeowners’ association sent a letter to their landlord demanding their eviction because, among other reasons, Ava’s social media venture had attracted an intruder to the property. In early August, Ava received messages on Venmo from a man calling her “baby girl,” offering to pay $1,000 a month for her phone number. Her parents discovered that the man’s name matches that of a registered sex offender, arrested previously for soliciting a 14-year-old girl. Kim Majury remembers thinking, “We can’t live like this.” New Opportunities and Dangers Rob Majury said he was advised by the police that under Florida’s “stand your ground” law governing justifiable use of deadly force, he was not subject to prosecution. But just to be safe, he contacted a lawyer, James Scarmozzino, to represent him. Scarmozzino connected the family to other lawyers who organized a business centered on Ava’s potential earnings. Michael Marino, an entertainment lawyer in New York, created an enterprise, AGM Creations, for Ava, and signed an agreement with the Majurys for a percentage of future revenues. Marino turned to a friend, Lanny Davis, a Washington lawyer and crisis manager whose public relations firm is now representing Ava. The shooting continues to reverberate. The boy who received Justin’s messages about his plans to attack Ava still attends high school with her. In December, Ava told her parents that he was following and watching her. The family visited the high school to report the matter. Last month, another classmate sent her a video the boy had made of himself firing a gun at a shooting range, her mother said. Unnerved, Ava withdrew from school this month and now attends class from home. Scarmozzino filed a petition in Collier County Circuit Court seeking an injunction for protection against stalking. A hearing is set for Feb. 28 and Ava will testify. Ava is still on social media, with her parents’ support. Kim Majury said she did not want “sick individuals” to force Ava off the platforms. “Why should we allow them to stop her? Maybe she’s meant to bring awareness to all this,” Majury said. Ava has not told her followers what happened. “I don’t want it to go out negatively and people think I attracted him,” she said. Her greater worry is that other troubled people will “make it a contest to see who can get here first,’’ and she acknowledged that sometimes at night, trying to fall asleep after the shooting, “I’d think, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore.’” But by morning, “I thought of all the benefits.’’ “Most people would say the money. And yeah, it’s a huge benefit. But it’s the experience. I got to go to LA, the people that I met,” she said. “Just being able to make other people smile is what I like, the enjoyment of seeing the impact I made on some people’s lives. “I’d post a video at night, close my eyes, and in the morning it was exciting to see how many views I got.” Her father interjected: “It’s like Christmas every day, because then you see it build.” “I think we just had to allow her to make a decision and sort of support her. I think it’s going to help her heal. It sounds corny, but I don’t know what else you would do it for.”

A child's TikTok stardom opens doors. Then a gunman arrives.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates met with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday (February 17) during his first-ever visit to the South Asian nation.&nbsp;

Pakistan's Prime Minister's Office said that the Microsoft co-founder was visiting the country on the premier's "special invitation" as&nbsp;Khan hosted Gates over lunch.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"It was a pleasure to welcome @BillGates who came to Pakistan on my invitation. Apart from his many achievements, he is admired globally for his philanthropy," cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan tweeted.&nbsp;

"On behalf of our nation I thank him for his immense contribution towards polio eradication &amp; poverty alleviation initiatives," he added.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/price-surge-in-pak-galvanises-oppositions-plan-to-bring-no-confidence-vote-against-imran-khan-453857">Price surge in Pak galvanises opposition's plan to bring no-confidence vote against Imran Khan</a>

Pakistan and Afghanistan are countries in the world where polio continues to circulate. Bill Gates met with Khan to discuss polio eradication in one of the last two countries of the world where the virus is endemic. &nbsp;

The Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation is part of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), a major project between governments and international organisations.&nbsp;

Health and humanitarian officials say that Pakistan's attempts to eradicate polio are at a hopeful but sensitive stage. No children have been paralysed by wild polio in Pakistan in more than a year.&nbsp;

However, as per the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation,&nbsp;the virus was detected in December in sewerage samples in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.&nbsp;

ALSO READ&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-journalist-arrested-for-making-obscene-remarks-about-imran-khan-453755">Pak scribe fires at cops before his arrest for 'obscene' remarks against Imran</a>

During his visit, Gates also met with the country's COVID-19 National Command and Operation Centre, which leads the country's response to the pandemic.

Pakistan's Senator Faisal Javed Khan said Gates "greatly appreciated steps [regarding polio eradication] in Pakistan, the National Command and Operation Centre's (NCOC) performance in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic and initiatives such as the Ehsaas programme". He shared pictures of the meeting on Twitter.&nbsp;

Gates was also conferred the country's second-highest civilian award by the country's president.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates met with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday (February 17) during his first-ever visit to the South Asian nation. Pakistan's Prime Minister's Office said that the Microsoft co-founder was visiting the country on the premier's "special invitation" as Khan hosted Gates over lunch.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates met with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday (February 17) during his first-ever visit to the South Asian nation. Pakistan's Prime Minister's Office said that the Microsoft co-founder was visiting the country on the premier's "special invitation" as Khan hosted Gates over lunch. "It was a pleasure to welcome @BillGates who came to Pakistan on my invitation. Apart from his many achievements, he is admired globally for his philanthropy," cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan tweeted. "On behalf of our nation I thank him for his immense contribution towards polio eradication & poverty alleviation initiatives," he added. ALSO READ | Price surge in Pak galvanises opposition's plan to bring no-confidence vote against Imran Khan Pakistan and Afghanistan are countries in the world where polio continues to circulate. Bill Gates met with Khan to discuss polio eradication in one of the last two countries of the world where the virus is endemic. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is part of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), a major project between governments and international organisations. Health and humanitarian officials say that Pakistan's attempts to eradicate polio are at a hopeful but sensitive stage. No children have been paralysed by wild polio in Pakistan in more than a year. However, as per the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the virus was detected in December in sewerage samples in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. ALSO READ | Pak scribe fires at cops before his arrest for 'obscene' remarks against Imran During his visit, Gates also met with the country's COVID-19 National Command and Operation Centre, which leads the country's response to the pandemic. Pakistan's Senator Faisal Javed Khan said Gates "greatly appreciated steps [regarding polio eradication] in Pakistan, the National Command and Operation Centre's (NCOC) performance in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic and initiatives such as the Ehsaas programme". He shared pictures of the meeting on Twitter. Gates was also conferred the country's second-highest civilian award by the country's president. (With inputs from agencies)

Here's what Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates doing in Pakistan

The winner of Melania Trump's non-fungible token (NFT) auction is reportedly none other than the former United States first lady herself. &nbsp;

Joining a growing list of celebrities offering digital memorabilia, Trump had launched her NFT and blockchain technology venture last year in December.&nbsp;

As per a statement issued by Melania Trump's office, the first NFT was named "Melania's Vision" which was a watercolour art by artist Marc-Antoine Coulon. It "embodies Melania's cobalt blue eyes".&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-ceo-parag-to-go-for-parental-leave-decision-appreciated-by-fellow-dads-454074">Twitter CEO Parag to go for parental leave, decision appreciated by fellow dads</a>

At the time of the announcement, she said: "I am proud to announce my new NFT endeavour, which embodies my passion for the arts, and will support my ongoing commitment to children through my Be Best initiative."&nbsp;

"Through this new technology-based platform, we will provide children computer science skills including programming and software development to thrive after they age out of the foster community," the statement added.&nbsp;

However, as per an analysis by Bloomberg News, the transactions on the Solana blockchain has links to Melania (or maybe her team members) and the winning bid of 1,800 SOL (the equivalent of $185,000).&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-saudi-arabia-sending-red-heart-emojis-can-attract-26000-fine-up-to-5-years-in-jail-454044">In Saudi Arabia, sending ‘red heart’ emojis can attract $26,000 fine, up to 5 years in jail</a>

The report states that the series of blockchain transactions show that the cryptocurrency used to purchase Trump's NFT came from a wallet that "belongs to the entity that originally listed the project for sale".&nbsp;

As per the investigative report, the creator of Trump's NFT transferred "372,657 USDC, a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar, to a second wallet that later sent 1,800 SOL to a third address."&nbsp;

And probing further, it has been understood that the "third one is listed as the winner of the auction on Trump's website." A report over the issue related to the transaction was earlier published by VICE.&nbsp;

​​For the unversed, SOL is the seventh-largest cryptocurrency in terms of the market capitalisation of $38 billion.&nbsp;

Melania Trump has denied the reports as in a statement, the Office of Melania Trump said: "The nature of Blockchain protocol is entirely transparent."

"Accordingly, the public can view each transaction on the Blockchain. The transaction was facilitated on behalf of a third-party buyer," it added.&nbsp;

In the latest tweet,&nbsp;Melania informed about former President Donald Trump's NFT collection which will launch on February 21.&nbsp;

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Official POTUS TRUMP NFT Collection // Launching Presidents Day <a href="https://t.co/fHht5vQesL">pic.twitter.com/fHht5vQesL</a>
— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) <a href="https://twitter.com/MELANIATRUMP/status/1494298199208734724?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2022</a></blockquote>
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WATCH |&nbsp;World’s first NFT museum opens in Seattle

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&nbsp;

The winner of Melania Trump's non-fungible token (NFT) auction is reportedly none other than the former United States first lady herself. Joining a growing list of celebrities offering digital memorabilia, Trump had launched her NFT and blockchain technology venture last year in December.

The winner of Melania Trump's non-fungible token (NFT) auction is reportedly none other than the former United States first lady herself. Joining a growing list of celebrities offering digital memorabilia, Trump had launched her NFT and blockchain technology venture last year in December. As per a statement issued by Melania Trump's office, the first NFT was named "Melania's Vision" which was a watercolour art by artist Marc-Antoine Coulon. It "embodies Melania's cobalt blue eyes". ALSO READ | Twitter CEO Parag to go for parental leave, decision appreciated by fellow dads At the time of the announcement, she said: "I am proud to announce my new NFT endeavour, which embodies my passion for the arts, and will support my ongoing commitment to children through my Be Best initiative." "Through this new technology-based platform, we will provide children computer science skills including programming and software development to thrive after they age out of the foster community," the statement added. However, as per an analysis by Bloomberg News, the transactions on the Solana blockchain has links to Melania (or maybe her team members) and the winning bid of 1,800 SOL (the equivalent of $185,000). ALSO READ | In Saudi Arabia, sending ‘red heart’ emojis can attract $26,000 fine, up to 5 years in jail The report states that the series of blockchain transactions show that the cryptocurrency used to purchase Trump's NFT came from a wallet that "belongs to the entity that originally listed the project for sale". As per the investigative report, the creator of Trump's NFT transferred "372,657 USDC, a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar, to a second wallet that later sent 1,800 SOL to a third address." And probing further, it has been understood that the "third one is listed as the winner of the auction on Trump's website." A report over the issue related to the transaction was earlier published by VICE. For the unversed, SOL is the seventh-largest cryptocurrency in terms of the market capitalisation of $38 billion. Melania Trump has denied the reports as in a statement, the Office of Melania Trump said: "The nature of Blockchain protocol is entirely transparent." "Accordingly, the public can view each transaction on the Blockchain. The transaction was facilitated on behalf of a third-party buyer," it added. In the latest tweet, Melania informed about former President Donald Trump's NFT collection which will launch on February 21. Official POTUS TRUMP NFT Collection // Launching Presidents Day pic.twitter.com/fHht5vQesL — MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) February 17, 2022 × WATCH | World’s first NFT museum opens in Seattle ×

The winning bid for Melania Trump's NFT was placed by Melania Trump: Report

A British politician has said that he will raise the issue of Prince Andrew's case in the country's parliament to seek assurances that public money will not be used to pay for the sexual assault lawsuit settlement.&nbsp;

As per a US court filing, Prince Andrew and his accuser Virginia Giuffre have settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed sum. Giuffre's lawyer David Boies wrote that they "have reached an out of court settlement". The financial terms were not revealed.&nbsp;

As per media reports, Queen Elizabeth II has agreed to help Andrew settle the case by "personally making a £2million donation to Giuffre's charity".&nbsp;

Now, Andy McDonald, who is a British Labour politician and Member of Parliament for Middlesbrough has said that he would raise the issue next week when MPs return to Westminster after their half-term break.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/well-as-you-can-see-i-cant-move-is-queen-elizabeths-health-failing-453977">'Well, as you can see, I can't move': Is Queen Elizabeth's health failing?</a>

He told BBC Two’s Newsnight: "This is a person of very high profile involved in a case where his position of authority and privilege has been allegedly abused and it is an enormous sum of money."

He added, "We don't know the precise figure but there is a risk that this will be at the public's expense so we need to have that resolved. We need to know exactly where this money is coming from."&nbsp;

McDonald said that he is going to take the opportunity to raise the issue in parliament because "the issue isn't going to go away" until people have that "information and receive assurances" that public money is not going to be used to settle the settlement.&nbsp;

The settlement states that UK's Prince Andrew, the Duke of York will make a "substantial donation" to a charity established by Giuffre that supports sex trafficking victims.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/will-queen-elizabeth-ii-abdicate-reports-suggest-sensitive-planning-underway-for-prince-charles-coronation-451215">Will Queen Elizabeth II abdicate? Reports suggest 'sensitive' planning underway for Prince Charles' coronation</a>

Previously, Giuffre claimed that she had sex with Andrew when she was 17 and a minor under US law after meeting him through the late US financier Jeffrey Epstein.&nbsp;

Andrew has not been criminally charged and has denied the allegations and the settlement means the civil case will not go to a jury trial.&nbsp;

It also means Andrew, 61, will no longer be questioned under oath by Giuffre's lawyers, who had been due to travel to London next month.&nbsp;

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(With inputs from agencies)

A British politician has said that he will raise the issue of Prince Andrew's case in the country's parliament to seek assurances that public money will not be used to pay for the sexual assault lawsuit settlement.

A British politician has said that he will raise the issue of Prince Andrew's case in the country's parliament to seek assurances that public money will not be used to pay for the sexual assault lawsuit settlement. As per a US court filing, Prince Andrew and his accuser Virginia Giuffre have settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed sum. Giuffre's lawyer David Boies wrote that they "have reached an out of court settlement". The financial terms were not revealed. As per media reports, Queen Elizabeth II has agreed to help Andrew settle the case by "personally making a £2million donation to Giuffre's charity". Now, Andy McDonald, who is a British Labour politician and Member of Parliament for Middlesbrough has said that he would raise the issue next week when MPs return to Westminster after their half-term break. ALSO READ | 'Well, as you can see, I can't move': Is Queen Elizabeth's health failing? He told BBC Two’s Newsnight: "This is a person of very high profile involved in a case where his position of authority and privilege has been allegedly abused and it is an enormous sum of money." He added, "We don't know the precise figure but there is a risk that this will be at the public's expense so we need to have that resolved. We need to know exactly where this money is coming from." McDonald said that he is going to take the opportunity to raise the issue in parliament because "the issue isn't going to go away" until people have that "information and receive assurances" that public money is not going to be used to settle the settlement. The settlement states that UK's Prince Andrew, the Duke of York will make a "substantial donation" to a charity established by Giuffre that supports sex trafficking victims. ALSO READ | Will Queen Elizabeth II abdicate? Reports suggest 'sensitive' planning underway for Prince Charles' coronation Previously, Giuffre claimed that she had sex with Andrew when she was 17 and a minor under US law after meeting him through the late US financier Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew has not been criminally charged and has denied the allegations and the settlement means the civil case will not go to a jury trial. It also means Andrew, 61, will no longer be questioned under oath by Giuffre's lawyers, who had been due to travel to London next month. × (With inputs from agencies)

Prince Andrew's sexual assault case to be raised in UK parliament as reports say Queen to help pay settlement

A regional special envoy to Myanmar on Thursday urged its junta to allow him to meet a shadow government it has branded "terrorists" in order to break a deadlock between the military and opponents of the coup.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has led diplomatic efforts to end the chaos unleashed by last year's putsch in Myanmar, which triggered mass protests and a deadly crackdown on dissent.

Cambodian foreign minister Prak Sokhonn, its new special envoy to the country, told a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers he planned to visit in March and meet with top junta officials.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-junta-says-wont-attend-asean-summit-after-regrettable-snub-453331">Myanmar junta says won't attend ASEAN summit after 'regrettable' snub</a>

He added a request to be allowed to meet with members of a&nbsp;"National Unity Government" dominated by lawmakers from Aung San Suu Kyi's ousted party that is working to overthrow the junta.

"If Naypyidaw is not speaking with the NUG... let the special envoy be the bridge," he said, referring to Myanmar's capital.

The junta has declared the NUG "terrorists" and jailed several high-ranking members of Suu Kyi's party.

Most NUG members are in exile or in hiding and Prak Sokhonn gave no details on where or when any future meeting might take place, or whether he had discussed his plans with the junta.&nbsp;

The junta did not respond to a request for comment.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-army-defector-recounts-heavy-losses-inflicted-by-chin-rebels-452562">Myanmar army defector recounts heavy losses inflicted by Chin rebels</a>

Myanmar's top diplomat was barred from Thursday's meeting in Phnom Penh over a lack of progress in defusing violence, although Prak Sokhonn said junta representatives had been allowed to listen in on discussions.

More than 1,500 people have been killed and over 12,000 arrested in a military crackdown since the coup, according to a local monitoring group.

A regional special envoy to Myanmar on Thursday urged its junta to allow him to meet a shadow government it has branded "terrorists" in order to break a deadlock between the military and opponents of the coup.

A regional special envoy to Myanmar on Thursday urged its junta to allow him to meet a shadow government it has branded "terrorists" in order to break a deadlock between the military and opponents of the coup. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has led diplomatic efforts to end the chaos unleashed by last year's putsch in Myanmar, which triggered mass protests and a deadly crackdown on dissent. Cambodian foreign minister Prak Sokhonn, its new special envoy to the country, told a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers he planned to visit in March and meet with top junta officials. Also read | Myanmar junta says won't attend ASEAN summit after 'regrettable' snub He added a request to be allowed to meet with members of a "National Unity Government" dominated by lawmakers from Aung San Suu Kyi's ousted party that is working to overthrow the junta. "If Naypyidaw is not speaking with the NUG... let the special envoy be the bridge," he said, referring to Myanmar's capital. The junta has declared the NUG "terrorists" and jailed several high-ranking members of Suu Kyi's party. Most NUG members are in exile or in hiding and Prak Sokhonn gave no details on where or when any future meeting might take place, or whether he had discussed his plans with the junta. The junta did not respond to a request for comment. Also read | Myanmar army defector recounts heavy losses inflicted by Chin rebels Myanmar's top diplomat was barred from Thursday's meeting in Phnom Penh over a lack of progress in defusing violence, although Prak Sokhonn said junta representatives had been allowed to listen in on discussions. More than 1,500 people have been killed and over 12,000 arrested in a military crackdown since the coup, according to a local monitoring group.

New ASEAN Myanmar envoy says wants to meet junta opponents

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